SALEM COWTIPPERS: 2007
Same Old Story, Same Old Ending

Few teams in BDBL history dominated the regular season like the 2007 Salem Cowtippers.  Their win total of 110 was 11 more than the next-best team.  They outscored their opponents by 245 runs -- 67 runs more than any other team in the BDBL.  The Cowtippers' starting rotation of Brandon Webb (18-8, 2.76 ERA), Erik Bedard (17-5, 1.99), Jeremy Bonderman (20-7, 4.24), Kelvim Escobar (17-8, 4.42) and Ian Snell (10-9, 5.33) was the only rotation in BDBL history to feature four 17+ game winners and five pitchers with double-digits in wins.

Offensively, the Cowtippers hit .287/.355/.461 as a team, and scored 876 runs (good for second-place in the Ozzie League.)  Long-time Cowtipper Lance Berkman (.304/.389/.569, 43 HR, 119 RBI) enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career.  Rookie Kenji Johjima far exceeded expectations, hitting .331/.367/.563, with 33 doubles, 29 homers and 111 RBI.  Derek Jeter (.331/.400/.439 with 48 doubles and 130 runs scored) and Mike Piazza (.389/.445/.646 in limited time) also enjoyed great success.  And GM Mike Glander made the biggest trade of the year by adding Miguel Cabrera (.335/.410/.571 for Salem) during a memorable drive from St. Louis to Kansas City during BDBL Weekend.

But in the end -- once again -- it wasn't enough.  Not only did the Cowtippers fail to finally bring home a BDBL championship, but they didn't even make it out of the first round of the playoffs.  Once again, the team that dominated all season long completely collapsed in the post-season.  And once again, Salem fans were left wondering what more the team could have possibly done to ensure a championship.

It all began in the winter of 2007.  After suffering through the franchise's first-ever losing season, the Cowtippers were looking to make a big splash heading into the free agent signing period.  Unnerved by the potential of having to pay enormous salaries to fill the few remaining holes on the team's roster, Glander attempted to fill those holes through trading instead.  He began the winter by filling the hole at second base with Orlando Hudson -- a relatively cheap gold-glove-caliber player, acquired in exchange for Austin Kearns.  While Hudson hit a disappointing .266/.327/.382 for Salem, he fielded his position very well, which helped Salem's groundball pitching staff immensely.

Next, Glander looked to trade left-hander Jeff Francis in exchange for a similar-quality right-handed starter, given the dimensions of Sam Adams Stadium.  He found a taker in Chicago GM John Gill, who offered Bonderman, straight-up.  At just 24 years of age, and signed to a contract that would take him through the 2010 season, Glander envisioned Bonderman being a young, low-cost ace of his starting rotation for several years to come.  But instead, Bonderman suffered through a miserable second half in his MLB season and his Salem career was cut short after just one season.  In 2007, however, Bonderman did manage to win 20 games and led the league in strikeouts with 236.

To fill the hole in center field, Mike Cameron seemed to be the ideal fit, with his Vg range, balanced numbers against lefties and righties, and potential to hit for great power after moving from an extreme righty-unfriendly MLB park to righty-friendly Sam Adams Stadium.  Glander offered two prospects -- Dexter Fowler and Jose Garcia -- to the Sylmar Padawans, and the Pads agreed to the deal.

That left only one hole remaining in the Salem lineup at third base.  The Chicago Black Sox were shopping gold-glove slugger Scott Rolen, and Glander instantly entered into negotiations.  After several back-and-forth exchanges, Chicago GM John Gill expressed a willingness to expand the deal to include Cy Young-caliber ace Brandon Webb, slugger Paul Konerko and young first baseman Conor Jackson.  But in exchange, he wanted Salem's most prized possession: Mark Teixeira.  Teixeira had been a Cowtippers mainstay since he was first acquired as a sophomore in college.  Salem fans had waited patiently for him to slowly rise through college, and then the minor leagues, and were rewarded for their patience with three outstanding seasons.  Signed through the 2011 season, it was believed that Teixeira was all but untouchable.  However, after several days of negotiation, Glander pulled the trigger and traded the young slugger, convinced that Webb's acquisition would finally bring the coveted BDBL trophy to Salem.

The Cowtippers now had a full lineup and starting rotation before the free agent process had even begun.  But there was one more piece of the puzzle missing.  The team needed a dominant closer for the bullpen.  With two full-time first basemen on the roster, Konerko was shipped off to the Southern Cal Slyme in exchange for B.J. Ryan, giving the Cowtippers a full roster from beginning to end.  At a press conference held just minutes after the end of the World Series, Glander proudly announced all six trades to a stunned audience.  After just one season of rebuilding, the Salem Cowtippers appeared to be back on top.

Glander closed out the winter by making several small trades, adding several players with future value.  Perhaps the most significant of those trades was a deal with the Marlboro Hammerheads in which Salem acquired top college player Pedro Alvarez -- ranked #1 in the MLB draft class of 2008 -- in exchange for Jeff Fiorentino and Ron Flores.

The Cowtippers got off to a hot start, going 19-9 against a very tough schedule.  But the New Hope Badgers proved to be an unexpected threat, as they kept pace with Salem with a 19-9 record of their own.  Fueled by two recent additions (both from the Marlboro Hammerheads), the Badgers would provide a challenge to the Cowtippers throughout the first half of the season.

In Chapter Two, Salem finished with an 18-10 record, but that record is a deceptive indicator of how poorly the team played.  The chapter began with San Antonio catcher Rod Barajas hitting a grand slam home run off of Webb.  In the next series, Bonderman was rocked for 11 runs (10 earned) in 2+ innings against Ravenswood.  They then lost their first series of the season against the Badgers, when David Ortiz hit a game-winning homer off "LOOGY" Will Ohman.  It was just one of 79 homers that season for Ortiz.

Two series later, the Cowtippers took on the hapless New Milford Blazers -- losers of 113 games in 2007.  Salem's greatest fear heading into the season was losing a single game to that wretched embarrassment of a team.  But the inevitable event finally occurred in Chapter Two, when New Milford's lone slugger, David Dellucci, connected off Rafael Soriano in the 11th inning of Game One, giving New Milford the win.

While the Cowtippers managed to post an 18-10 record despite their stumbling, the Badgers managed to post a 20-8 record in Chapter Two, and took the lead in the division.  With the introduction of interleague play in Chapter Three, the Cowtippers were the only team in the Ozzie League to post a winning record against the Eck League.  While Salem kept up the pace by going 17-7 on the chapter, the Badgers stumbled, and finished with a .500 record.  That put the Cowtippers in the division lead by three full games at the all-star break.

For the first time in franchise history, the Cowtippers headed into the second half of the season without making a single trade since the winter.  But with the year-end trading deadline quickly approaching, non-contending teams became more willing to part with their unwanted impact players.  So Glander began beefing up what was already the best team in the league by adding all-stars Juan Rivera and Nick Johnson.  Then, in a wacky four-hour negotiation with Jim Doyle and Greg Newgard during a road trip from St. Louis to Kansas City during BDBL Weekend, Glander staged the biggest coup of the year, acquiring young slugger Miguel Cabrera.

At just 24 years old, Cabrera had already established himself as an annual all-star.  Signed to a contract through the 2015 season, he was a franchise player for the Manchester Irish Rebels, and was considered to be among the greatest assets in the BDBL.  But by dangling 20-year-old star-in-the-making B.J. Upton, Glander was able to convince Doyle to part with Cabrera.  And in the process, Glander was also able to off-load Rolen's high-cost, risky contract as well.

Salem continued to cruise along in first place in Chapter Four, posting a 15-9 record -- identical to New Hope's record for the chapter.  But in Chapter Five, the Cowtippers blew the doors open and posted their best chapter (22-6) of the season.  Thanks to a sub-.500 chapter by the Badgers, their lead grew to an astounding 13 games.

The Cowtippers then closed out the year with a 19-9 Chapter Six, giving them a record of 110-50 for the season.  Salem led the BDBL in wins (110), runs differential (245), fewest runs allowed (631), batting average (.287), OBP (.355), ERA (3.58), strikeouts (1,280) and fewest home runs allowed (136.)  Salem also added several "firsts" in 2007: first franchise to win 100+ games five times, first franchise to win seven division titles, and first franchise to reach 900 career victories.

In the division series, Salem faced the Ravenswood Infidels, who went 91-69 during the regular season.  In Game One of the Division Series, Salem's offense jumped all over Ravenswood pitching and scored 11 runs on 14 hits en route to an 11-4 laugher.  Cabrera and Berkman each homered, and Bedard earned the win despite a mediocre (4 ER in 6 IP) effort.

In Game Two, Ravenswood scored three runs in the very first inning off of Kelvim Escobar, immediately evoking memories of the 2004 OLCS.  Salem managed to cut the lead to 3-2, but Ravenswood scored another run in the third to make it a 4-2 game.  The Cowtippers' offense failed time and time again in the clutch, and left 11 runners stranded on base.  But in the eighth, Salem managed to score another run to make it a one-run game.  With one out and the bases loaded, J.J. Putz then came into the game and got Hudson to line out to second for out number two.  Pinch hitter Marlon Anderson then struck out to end the inning.  Salem managed to put runners at the corners in the ninth, but Putz struck out three batters -- including Lance Berkman for the final out of the game -- giving Salem the loss.

In Game Three, the series shifted to Ravenswood, but Salem pitching continued to fail miserably.  After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first, Brandon Webb allowed three runs in the third.  But Salem's offense rallied for three runs of their own in the fourth inning, making it a 4-3 game.

A sac fly in the fifth tied the game for Ravenswood.  And after two scoreless innings, Salem reliever Mike MacDougal (who was acquired solely for the post-season, as his usage was spent by the time he was acquired) allowed a two-out RBI double to Bobby Abreu in the eighth.  Putz then closed out the ninth for the Ravenswood win.

In Game Four, Salem held a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.  But with one out in the fifth, Bonderman allowed a single and an RBI double to tie the game.  Robinson Cano then hit a pop fly over the middle of the diamond.  Third baseman Cabrera settled under it, and proceeded to trip over the pitcher's mound, allowing the ball to fall harmlessly to the ground.  The go-ahead run scored on the play.  Frank Thomas then flied out for what should have been the final out of the inning.  But instead, thanks to Cabrera's tripping, Eric Hinske got a chance to hit.  And Hinske connected for a three-run homer.

A total of TEN runs scored in the inning, and Salem lost by a score of 13-8, giving Ravenswood a three-games-to-one advantage in a best-of-seven series.

In Game Five, Bedard took the hill, hoping to save the Cowtippers' season and send the series back to the comfy confines of Sam Adams Stadium.  Given that Ravenswood struggled against left-handed pitchers all season, it seemed like a good match-up.  But instead, Bedard surrendered four runs in six innings, while Ravenswood starter Roy Halladay turned in yet another stellar effort.  The Infidels carried a 4-2 lead into the ninth, but Salem managed to put the tying run on base with just one out.  Nick Johnson, who was acquired to help boost the Salem offense against right-handed pitching, then popped out for out number two.  And Johjima -- Salem's MVP the entire regular season -- then ended the season by popping out to right.

Once again, the Salem Cowtippers fell short of the ultimate goal.  And once again, the explanation for why such a thing occurred was left to the philosophers, psychologists and pundits.