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FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Weekly Outlook (August 27-September 1)

August 26, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - As of Monday, August 26th, the Lake Erie Crushers are hanging on to a playoff spot by just a half game (.5). Their 1-5 week combined with Schaumburg's series wins in Avon and Florence have brought us to this point.

Looking back on last week, Lake Erie got down early to Schaumburg in the series - falling just feet away from an incredible walk-off grand slam by Jack Harris - but they fought back in a shutout effort to even things up on Wednesday. Thursday's pivotal game was within reach, but the Crushers just couldn't find the big hit.

While looking back on the series and wishing there was a better outcome, winning one game against the team actively up your spine was paramount. Why? Because it gave the Crushers an opportunity to be swept at home, yet still be in a playoff position at week's end.

Don't get me wrong. Being swept at home doesn't feel good. It especially doesn't feel good when the team in the visitor clubhouse is engaging in beer showers while celebrating clinching the division. But...all this is retroactive to the 37-20 record this ballclub owned at the all-star break.

Full disclosure. I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. I was born and raised in western Pennsylvania, and I've lived through my life having witnessed three (3) playoff wins. The Pirates' formula ever since I've been alive is: tread water around .500 the entire year, then go 5-20 in August and be out of it by Labor Day. Fellow fans tell me after losses all the time, "It's just a meaningless throwaway game in May-July. It doesn't matter that much."

That's where they're wrong.

If losses don't mean anything in May-July, then, conversely, wins in May-July don't matter either.

If that proves true, then winning two of three to start the year against the 2023 West Division-winning Grizzlies doesn't matter. Sweeping Joliet to continue the opening homestand doesn't matter. Ethan Skender's walk-off walk doesn't matter. Alfredo Gonzalez' walk-off home run against Quebec doesn't matter. Vincent Byrd Jr.'s walk-off home run two days later doesn't matter. Jack Eisenbarger's no-hitter against Trois-Rivieres doesn't matter. Winning in extra innings against Schaumburg on the road doesn't matter. Coming back from a 5-0 deficit at home against Windy City doesn't matter. Sweeping Evansville right before the all-star break doesn't matter.

Do you see how egregious that sounds?

The Crushers set themselves up for success this season thanks to an incredible first half. You can look at their record since the all-star break and wish they'd maintained their pace OR you can be glad and thankful that they left themselves plenty of cushion coming into the final week of the season. Wins in May-July matter...a lot, and the Crushers won in May-July...a lot.

That brings us to the upcoming home series against the Gateway Grizzlies. Even if the Crushers manage to make the playoffs, they are not guaranteed another home game due to the one game wild card they'd have to play in (which will be in Gateway regardless).

The Crushers won the opening series of the 2024 season by taking the final two games against the Grizzlies. They've played in two series in Sauget, Illinois over the last two months and managed to win just a game in each. The Grizzlies have locked in their playoff spot. There is no amount of games they can win or lose to change finishing in 2nd place in the West Division.

This does not mean that they'll just roll over and hand Lake Erie wins during this upcoming series. As much as I'm a Pirates fan, I'm also a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. The Penguins love to back their way into the playoffs, losing games at large and ultimately getting bounced in the first round. Gateway is not a team to pull such contempt. They want to head into the wild card game with momentum, caring not whom they play.

This is where, in recent weeks, I'd spit matchup stats at you and give you the rundown of trends to look for. I will not be doing so this week.

If baseball was played on paper, the New York Yankees would win the World Series every year and the Tampa Bay Rays would never win a game. If you have any baseball knowledge whatsoever, you'll realize that the Yankees haven't even been to the World Series since 2009 and that the Rays have enjoyed much more abundant, recent playoff success than the Evil Empire.

Stats can tell you lots about the game of baseball, but there's truly only one stat that matters at the end of the game: who scored more runs than the other team (or "wins", to be ever so clear).

Lake Erie is in a spot where it doesn't matter what their ERA, batting average, slugging percentage, etc. are against Gateway (and then Joliet on the road). Winning the game on the present day is Lake Erie's only objective now.

At the beginning of the year, the Crushers won in about thirty-six different ways (the only reason it's not thirty-seven is because they hit two walk-off solo home runs). While they've lost their winning touch in the second half, it can come back in an instant. Just like when you (finally) hit a good drive off the 11th tee box at the local country club - when you remember what it feels like to win, it becomes second nature. All it takes is one game to remember what it feels like, and there's no better time than right now to find it again.

Almost all nine games against Gateway have been close this season. If the Crushers find that extra gear, they'll likely still be close.

Then, they'll head on the road for the final series of the season in Joliet. The Slammers have not had a good second half. Regardless of what happens against Gateway (and what Schaumburg manages to do against Evansville), everything will come down to that final series.

As of Monday, the Slammers have lost seven games in a row and nine of their last ten. But they're in the same boat as Lake Erie - all it takes is one game for them to rattle off two or three to end the year. Walk into Joliet thinking games will be handed to you is a death sentence.

So how do the Crushers find their way back to remembering what that winning touch feels like? Going back to the basics and enjoying every moment.

At one point in life, every single Crusher realized that he wanted to play professional baseball. All of them have the shared desire to win. Monday's off day should be great for Lake Erie to do some introspection heading into the final week. This is where boys become men. This is where boys remember why they love playing the game of baseball.

If the Crushers can manage to simplify the game and get back to the fundamental way to play baseball, they'll take care of their own business and not have to rely on outside sources to beat up on Schaumburg. One thing that helps them simplify the game is having support behind them.

Maybe you can't travel to Illinois to cheer on Lake Erie in the final series of the season, but you CAN fill up Crushers Stadium on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. The penultimate series is at home, and there's no better place to be than at home in Avon, Ohio.

This Lake Erie squad has overcome adversity all year long, so why not join us and watch them do it again?

This week's promotional schedule:

Tuesday, August 27th at 6:35pm: Bark in the Park presented by Crisis Canines and K9 Resorts! Bring your dog to the ballpark and enjoy $1 hot dogs all game long. The first 50 dogs in the stadium will receive a free poop bag dispenser. Oh, and kids (and dogs) can run the bases after the game!

Wednesday, August 28th at 1:05pm: It's Senior Sluggers Day presented by Wellspring Health Services! Seniors can enjoy a relaxing day game at the ballpark while also enjoying discounted tickets!

...and on Thursday, August 29th at 6:35pm: It's Thirsty Thursday presented by Great Lake Brewing! Get half off all Great Lake Brewing products for the entirety of the game. It's also the final regular season home game, so come cheer on your Crushers and send them off to Joliet with the momentum they need to make the Frontier League playoffs!

Kobe Bryant's mentality is renowned in the sports world for being the best. One of his many great quotes is perfect to introduce the final week of the 2024 regular season:

"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."

Written by: Zane Bloom

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Frontier League Stories from August 26, 2024


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