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Fowl Ball! After four-and-a-half months and 126 games, everything comes down to this one week. In the Atlantic League's version of the playoffs, a team is one hot streak away from a championship, but at the same time, just a mini-slump away from seeing their season end in two games. Having become the first team in league history to make the playoffs four consecutive seasons, the Long Island Ducks know exactly what it feels like to be on both sides. In 2004, the team won fiveout of-six playoff games to cap a magical season with the franchise's first championship. Since then, the Ducks have won a total of one playoff game over the past two years combined, and were eliminated both times before they knew the postseason had begun. Long Island ended the regular season with a lackluster performance in a 1-0 loss to the York Revolution. It was the first time all year that the Ducks had not put a single run up on the scoreboard but it was certainly a better time for it to happen now rather than a few days later once the playoffs begin. Once the game had ended, it was pretty obvious that the only thing on the players' mind was the excitement of getting the playoffs underway. "I am really looking forward to this because I consider it to be the first time I have ever been in the playoffs," says Ducks closer and former-major leaguer Danny Graves. "We made it during my rookie year with the Cleveland Indians but I did not get to pitch at all and it was so long ago I can't even really remember it anyway. So yeah, I am definitely excited about this opportunity and hopefully I get to pitch in some big games." However, it will be up to the starting pitchers and the offense to get the team a lead so Graves can come in and do his part. Manager Dave Lapoint has decided to go with Ed Yarnall (5-5, 3.93) as his starting pitcher in Newark for game one of the bestof three first round series and when the setting shifts to Citibank Park, he will send Randy Leek (5-1, 2.23) to the mound for game two on Wednesday, followed by Lance Davis (9-4, 4.79) for game three on Thursday, if necessary. "Eddie [Yarnall] is a good high fastball pitcher and he has had success against Newark with that pitch this year so I thought he was the best guy to throw out there for game one," says Dave Lapoint. "Then with Randy and Lance, I think their records at home made them the obvious choices for the next two games here." The two guys left out of the first round rotation include past-playoff hero Bill Pulsipher, and John Halama, the only starter to stick with the team from opening day right through the end of the season. Dave Lapoint says that Pulsipher and Halama would likely start the first two games of the next round if Long Island moves on, but that the main priority for now was to get past the Newark Bears. "You can't look too far ahead, the next round means nothing if we don't win the first round so we will do whatever is necessary to beat Newark," says Lapoint. "This means that Pulse and John will both be available ... if we are in a situation that calls for it." Newark's rotation is formidable in its own right, as the Bears will counter with two undefeated starters, right-hander Harold Eckert (5-0, 2.59) in game one, Jose Garcia (5-0, 5.27) in game two, and if there is a game three, recent acquisition Mark Woodyard (2-1, 3.60) will take the mound. As for the Ducks batting lineup, seven of the nine spots are likely set in stone. Reggie Taylor, Ray Navarrete (league record 42 doubles this year), Pete Rose, Jr. (.342, 95 RBIs), Carl Everett (team record 97 RBIs), Bryant Nelson, Edgardo Alfonzo, and one of the catchers, either Jamie Pogue or Jared Price, will all play every playoff game barring any injuries. The interesting decision that Dave Lapoint needs to make is who will fill the final two spots. For the last few weeks of the season, Lapoint has been rotating a group that includes Kevin Haverbusch, Norm Hutchins, Estee Harris and Gabe Suarez, in and out of the open lineup spots. It will not be an easy choice for the manager to make, because all four guys have been playing well recently. "It is kind of a nice problem to have, being forced to choose from so many good players, and I really can't say who will play because in all honesty I don't even know yet," says Lapoint. "You always take the risk of hurting somebody's feeling if they aren't starting in the first game but these players are professionals and I am sure they realize only nine guys can play." The Bears might be the only team in the Atlantic League with an offense that could match Long Island's from top to bottom. Newark's expected starting lineup will feature six guys batting over .300, including league batting champion Victor Rodriguez (.365), and RBI king Javier Colina (101 RBIs). "They have more than just two dangerous guys, they are pretty good right from one through nine," says Ducks catcher Jamie Pogue. "Sometimes they have [Jose] Herrera batting in the seven or eight spot and he is hitting .350 with double-digit homers. I think the only thing we can do is just be aggressive, throw strikes at them and see what they can do." The Ducks and Bears finished their season series even at 9-9, but Newark won five of the last six meetings. "There are so many interesting match-ups between the two teams so I think it will definitely be a good series," says Danny Graves. One thing that the Ducks will have on their side is a home-field advantage. Not to say that Long Island's record on the road is bad (29-25), but they are certainly a different team when playing within the confines of Citibank Park (43-28). "Well obviously when we play here we get about 6,000 people every night, that for the most part are behind us all nine innings," says Jamie Pogue. "So that definitely helps and hopefully it will give us an added edge here in the playoffs."
It might seem unreasonable to label an entire season as a success or a failure based on what happens during a single week, but this Ducks team has made it clear that anything less than a championship trophy would be a disappointment. "Nobody is going to be happy if we don't win the whole thing, that's for sure," says manager Dave Lapoint. "With this team here, we have had good streaks and bad ones this year, but now it is time to put everything together because these guys have done it their whole careers. All of us know that this is the biggest week of the season and I fully expect us to be ready for it."
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