November 23, 2002 'Tippers Stay Alive, Force Game Seven SALEM, NH - In what was by far the most preposterous World Series game ever played, the Salem Cowtippers managed to hold off the Allentown Ridgebacks in Game Six, scoring four runs on a tenth inning home run by - get this - Mike Magnante, forcing a Game Seven of the BDBL World Series for the fourth year in a row. Magnante's shocking blast was merely the capper to what had already become the most absurd game ever played. The game began with the Salem coaching staff polling every pitcher on the bench to see who would be willing to toe the rubber for the biggest game in team history. When Rolando Arrojo backed out of his Game Two start, it threw the Salem pitching rotation into a state of chaos, forcing John Thomson to start a game early. Since Thomson was unavailable to start today's game, Salem manager Mike Glander's only two options were to either start Paul Wilson on full rest or a tired Brad Penny on three days rest. "I just couldn't put the fate of our season in Paul Wilson's hands," Glander confided. "He's done an extraordinary job all season for us, but we're talking a must-win Game Six. Brad has gotten the job done all year, and I trusted a slightly-tired Penny over a fully-rested Wilson." So, with Penny getting the starting nod, the Cowtippers offense went to work right away against Allentown starter Curt Schilling, hoping to secure an early lead and put their doubts to rest. They did just that in the first inning when Sammy Sosa connected off Schilling for a two-run home run. Salem barely had a moment to savor the comfortable lead, though, as Penny allowed a base hit to Barry Bonds to start the second inning. Bonds advanced to third on a double by Manny Ramirez, then scored on a sac fly by Robert Fick, cutting Salem's lead to one. After another shaky inning, Penny began the fourth inning by walking Bonds. Ramirez followed with another double, putting Bonds at third. Once again, Fick followed with a sac fly, tying the game at two apiece. Salem elected to intentionally pass Bill Mueller with Ricky Gutierrez on deck, and the move appeared to be a brilliant one, as Gutierrez whiffed for out number two. But one out away from escaping the jam with only one run having scored, Schilling came through with a clutch two-out hit off of Penny, scoring the go-ahead run. "That's when my head began to shake back and forth uncontrollably," said Glander. "Unfortunately, it didn't stop shaking until well after the game had ended." The Cowtippers managed to tie the game once again in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Ray Durham. The following inning, Mike Cameron tripled off Schilling with one out. David Eckstein followed with yet another clutch hit, driving home the go-ahead run. "The X-Factor has come through big-time in this series," said Glander. "He was a NO-Factor during the regular season, but he's sure made up for it." In the seventh, Salem received their finest relief pitching performance of the season, courtesy of David Weathers. Russ Johnson led off the inning with a base hit, then advanced to third on a double by Edgar Martinez. Bonds was then intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs. "I know, it's tabboo," said Glander, "but we really had no choice. We had to pray for a ground ball in that situation and hope to escape the inning with a tie." Instead, Weathers whiffed both Ramirez and Fick, then got Mueller to pop out to center to end the inning. "Huge," said Glander. "Absolutely huge. David Weathers is my new favorite player. I love that guy." In the bottom half of the inning, Salem pinch hitter Jose Canseco finally did some- thing useful for the Cowtippers by lacing a solo home run off Mike Lincoln to give the Cowtippers a 5-3 lead. Salem carried that lead to the ninth, and recorded two outs without allowing a run. Then, as has happened time and time again this post-season, the Salem bullpen blew the lead, just one out away from victory. At least this time, the Salem bullpen was creative. After striking out pinch hitter Dean Palmer (no easy task for a lefty), Norm Charlton walked Mueller to load the bases. He then plunked pinch hitter Fred McGriff, forcing home a run. With the tying run on third and righty pinch hitter Kelly Stinnett coming to the plate, Salem went to Wilson to close out the final at-bat. Instead, he, too, hit the batter to force in the tying run. "Well," said Glander. "Tom (Allentown manager DiStefano) sure picked the right pinch hitters for that situation. Those guys can lean into a pitch with the best of 'em." After Todd Helton popped up to second to end the ninth, Magnante (Salem's only remaining relief pitcher) managed to retire Russ Johnson, Martinez and Bonds in order. "I don't know which was more impressive," said Glander. "Getting those three guys out in order or ending the game with a grand slam homer. Mike Magnante is my favorite player. I love that guy." With Smoltz still on the mound, a runner on second and two outs, DiStefano called for two straight intentional walks to load the bases, as Salem's bench was completely depleted. With no other options available, Magnante was ordered to swing away. That's when it happened. "I really don't know how to explain it," said Magnante, who didn't get an at-bat in the Major Leagues in 2001. "I can't remember the last time I picked up a bat. I just kind of stood there, closed my eyes and swung. Even when the ball was heading out there, I honestly thought it was going to be caught at the warning track, but it just kept going." "Most ridiculous game I've ever managed," said Glander. "First, Schilling comes through with that clutch RBI. Then our guys hit two batters in a row to force home the tying run. Then Mags - who hasn't held a bat in at least a year - hits a grand slam off one of the game's best relievers. This is the type of game I call a 'refund game.' Because if this were the first game I'd ever played with the Diamond Mind Baseball software, I would have demanded a refund."