Third Time's the Patriots' Charm

by Marc Viquez
Published on October 5, 2001 under Atlantic League (AtL)

by Marc Viquez

Could this have been a season of destiny for the Somerset Patriots? The team finally brought home the championship pennant in the Atlantic League after defeating their interstate rival, the Newark Bears, 4-0 at Riverfront Stadium in Newark on Wednesday night. The win marked a comeback from a 0-2 start in the championship series that put the icing on the cake for a season full of milestones.

"This team and organization never felt that being down 0-2 meant the series was over," said Patriots media relations director Marc Russinoff. "This Patriots team never knew how to give up all year long and they played with such heart and determination that it would have been impossible to rule them out of it."

It was another banner year for the team which set an Atlantic League record with 83 wins and posted first and second half division titles. The Patriots faced the Bears who were on the heals of a banner season themselves and promptly dropped the first two games. This was an eerie reminder of what the last two championship series had been like when the Patriots lost in 1999 to the Bridgewater Bluefish and in 2000 the Nashua Pride.

"Winning after two loses in the Championship Series was an amazing feeling," Russinoff added. "We felt that our teams in the previous two series were the best in the Atlantic League at the time, but when the playoffs rolled around they just seemed to make certain costly mistakes and were beaten by teams that played stronger games."

This was the year that saw the franchise welcome its one millionth fan into Commerce Bank Park, reaching that number faster then any other team in the Atlantic League. There were also player accomplishments with second-year star Mike Warner walking away with league MVP honors, becoming the first Atlantic League player to be named "Independent Minor League Player of the Year" by Baseball America. He led the league in almost every offensive category with 103 RBI, a .351 batting average, and 31 doubles. He also set team records in walks, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and extra base hits. Third-baseman Billy Hall also led the league in a myriad of categories with 148 hits, 113 runs, and 72 stolen bases this past season

"This team was confident all season long and knew that they had the talent and the determination to win the Championship this year," added Russinoff on the teams' array of talent from pitchers Ricardo Jordan and John Briscoe, to the hitting of Kevin Dottola and Charles Poe.

It seems that this was the year for the Patriots to win the whole thing and not to finish second again for the third straight season. The win over nearby Newark might have been just a little bit sweeter. It also must have made the team feel appreciated to have fans travel the 20 minute drive to Newark to catch all five games.

"Obviously we would have enjoyed winning the championship against any team," said Russinoff. "However, since Newark is close and the teams have a history of competitive games and rivalries, that made it even more interesting."

In the end it was a season that finally rewarded the Patriots for their accomplishments all year. There can now be a championship flag that can be raised in 2002 for the home opener and a feeling of finally beating the past ghosts that have haunted the franchise in the championship series the past two seasons. W

Russinoff added, "This season would have been a success regardless of a championship."

That may be the case, but winning a title makes it feel just a bit better.

Atlantic League Stories from October 5, 2001

• Third Time's the Patriots' Charm - OSC Original by Marc Viquez

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.