Transcript: ESPN Baseball Tonight – June 9, 2008
Topic: Pour-Howzers vs. Swingers Recap and Playoff Preview
Hosts: Chris Berman, Steve Phillips, Tim Kurkjian  and Peter Gammons

Chris Berman: Good evening everyone, welcome along-side Tim Kurkjian, Steve Phillips and Peter Gammons, I’m Chris Berman.

We’ve got a lot of Cityball to cover so let’s get right to it with the marquee match up of the day the Pour-House Pour Howzers, already clinched the division and sitting at 7-0, squaring off against their long time rivals, the Swing-ahs.

Starting early…Justin Kolikof, “el capitan” leads off with a single, and the Howzers push him around to make it 1-0 early.

Tim Kurkjian: Not a strong offensive burst to begin with, but so important to get that first run across and establish some early tempo.

Peter Gammons: Interesting stat, the Pour Howzers have yet to fail scoring at least one run in the first inning this entire season…very impressive.

Chris Berman: But the Swingers come right back…the pitcher…Ryan…deep and gone, over the head of Jesse Johnson in right and it’s 3-1 Swingers…and here we go.  Pour Howzers have never beaten the Swingers up to this point.

In the second, Howzers come right back…Meg Kross…single through the hole on the left side and the Howzers come right back to tie it at three.

Steve Phillips: What a game from the 2nd baseman…after that horrible collision last week, refuses to sit out…comes through in the clutch and responds with a 4-4 day.

Chris Berman: But the Swingers feel they have something to prove after falling out of division contention last week with their first loss.  It’s the Commmish…swing and back-back-back-back-back a homerun of his own and slowly the Swingers picking up steam and here are the Howzers thinking…oh no, here we go again.  And it was 9-5 at the end of the 4th.

Peter Gammons: Well, I spoke with manager Justin Kolikof before the game and he tells me this is the most balanced Pour House team he’s fielded in the past 4 years.  And he’s been on some impressive Howzer teams.  He told me everyone was relaxed, feeling good…they wanted to win, but they weren’t going to put extra pressure on themselves…they already won the division, just go out there and have fun.

Chris Berman: And what a job he’s done managing them…and in the 5th he managed them right back into this one as the Howzers cut it to 9-8 with a long fly by the big man, Matt a-Wiggidy Whack Wiggins.

Steve Phillips: It was the big guy’s birthday and he just got himself a present, long fly ball…cuts the Swinger lead to 1.

Chris Berman:  And then controversy…Jon “Big Hurt” Goldstein rounding 3rd, he jumps over the tag, misses the plate, comes back and appears to slide under and be safe.  Yet, he’s called out…you’re take Tim?

Tim Kurkjian: Yeah, potentially a huge play in the game as the Howzers tried to tie it…a lot of close calls here that went against the Pour Howzers and the skipper, Justin Kolikof was steaming mad. 

Steve Phillips: Jon certainly appeared to be safe on the replay, umpire had a bad angle, missed the call…could have been huge.

Chris Berman: The Swingers are a veteran team and come right back at the Howzers, plating two and it was 11-8 heading to the 6th.  But, the Howzers come right back themselves…Chuck “papa bear” Salvo, looper of the 1st baseman…and it’s 11-9 to the Swingers.  And then “Sweet” Caroline Gary…grounder down the third baseline…gets thrown out, but collects an RBI to make it 11-10.

Peter Gammons: They keep doing the little things and that’s what it takes to win…

Chris Berman: Next inning, first batter, fly out to Josh Moskowitz.  But then, the wheels come off and the Swingers load the bases.

But…a play that will surely live on in Howzer lore…a grounder to Chuck, he steps on the bag for the force and tags out the runner for the huge double play and the Howzers get out unscathed.

Steve Phillips: Key play of the game right there…Chuck saves a run, deflates the Swingers a little, and the Pour-Howzers have one more chance to take down their rivals.

Peter Gammons: I’ve spoken with Chuck recently and the thing he emphasized more than anything…commitment to defense.  The Pour-Howzers have scored 120 runs this season and given up a league low 46.  That’s scoring over 17 runs a game, and allowing a mere 6.5 runs a game.  Big disparity, and Chuck Salvo, a big reason why.

Chris Berman: And then…they call it a Howzer inning.  Matt Wiggins comes in to tie the game and then – boom explosion.  Two on for Jesse Johnson and he uncorks one to right…gets waived around and my goodness is that the cycle…I THINK IT IS…and it’s a 15-11 Pour House lead…uh oh, are the Swingers about to become victim number 8 on the year?

Maybe, but not without a fight…the Commish…double, and it’s 15-13 with two out.  And then again…deep fly, and what’s this 15-14?  But then, grounder to Chuck, he throws to Adam for the final out…oh no…in the dirt…so the Swingers have one last chance and it’s up to #69…but Justin…gets him to pop up and Jesse there for the catch and the Pour-Howzers can finally breathe easy…taking this one 15-14.

Peter Gammons: Excellent pitching by Justin there, good arc on the knuckle, the ball breaks in and he gets the pop up for the final out.  And an outstanding season for the Pour-Howzers.

Chris Berman:  All-right, so 8-0, top seed in the AL, playoffs next week, likely going to have to face the Swingers again…what are you guys thinking?  Are the Howzers for real?

Tim Kurkjian: Well of course they’re for real…you can’t go 8-0 in this league and not be for real…and what amazes me Boomer is the defense.  You take a look at Benji Shelton, making diving catches against O.D.B.  You’ve got Josh Moskowitz who is as sure a thing as there is in center field and then the left side…Matt Wiggins and Chuck Salvo, having phenomenal years…this is a team Boomer that’s only allowing 6.5 runs a game.  They’ve given up more than 10 runs exactly twice.  They want it more, they’re for real and they’re taking the AL pennant.

Steve Phillips: Yeah, I mean…more than that…you’ve got to love clutch.  This is a game the Howzers didn’t need to win, could have easily fallen apart in with the bad calls, but they had something to prove.  They had to show they could come from behind…not panic…feel like they’re never out of it and they did not disappoint.  Look at Matt Wiggins right here, 7th inning down by one, waits for his pitch, calmly deposits it in left field…and then Meg Kross…who stepped up in a big way…the Howzers need base runners, calmly lines a single to the left…and of course the Texan…Jesse Johnson…a guy I drafted for O.D.B. but traded for Sarah Birnie and a carton of Parliaments…has a year of playing under his belt, responds to the increased playing time and lines one to right for a big homerun to give the Howzers a 4 run cushion.  Clutch Boomer…clutch…

Peter Gammons: I mean, what can you say…it starts with leadership and Justin Kolikof and Adam Zimmerman have cultivated a culture of winning here.  The Howzers expect to go out and win…they expect to go out and get drunk…and they expect to be quote “loveable assholes.”  They’re the complete package Boomer and will be very difficult to beat in this weakened American League.

Chris Berman: Indeed and congratulations on the only undefeated season in Cityball.  8-0 is quite a feat and we look forward to seeing them on their quest for a title.