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2002 season

November 23, 2002

Peoria team rallies from sick bed to capture 12th AFL Championship

Just two days before this afternoon's Arizona Fall League championship game, 12 of the Peoria Javelina players, both trainers and their manager were at the hospital, being treated for a viral condition first suspected to be food poisoning. The team was forced to cancel Thursday's final regular season game due to the lack of healthy players. In fact, it was questionable whether the Javelinas would be able to participate in today's game.

But in the end, the West Division leaders coasted to an easy 7-1 victory over the Scottsdale Scorpions.

"It was rough," said Peoria manager Razor Shines. "The kids came out here today ... most of them not able to eat, and feeling weak. But they played as hard as they could. I'm proud of every one of them."

The Javelinas were aided by 13 walks given up by Scottsdale pitching, as well as several Scottsdale mental errors when key Scorpion runners were doubled off base on line drive outs.

Peoria starter Josh Stewart (White Sox), one of the fortunate Javelina players not to have come down with a virus, earned the win by pitching six innings, giving up one unearned run, four hits and no walks.

"He has been dominating," said Shines about Stewart. "He keeps the ball down and locates the ball away. He pitches in and off the plate. Left-handers don't hit him. He's been good in all phases."

Stewart, who finished the regular AFL season with a 0.85 earned run average, was very pleased with his performance today. "I just wanted to go out there and challenge them," he said after the game. "It worked out well. I got some ground balls when I needed them and we did a good job at the plate. It was a good team effort."

It was Stewart's second championship this season, as his class AA Birmingham team captured the 2002 Southern League championship.

Today's AFL championship game started out as a pitcher's duel between Stewart and Scottsdale's Bobby Jenks (Angels). Both pitchers faced the minimum nine batters through the first three innings.

Peoria broke the scoring drought in the top of the fourth inning after their first two batters were retired on strikeouts. Jenks walked Taggart Bozied (Padres) and Vince Faison (Padres) before Javelina second baseman Tim Hummel (White Sox) stroked a single up the middle, driving in Bozied with the first run of the game.

The Javelinas followed with three more runs in the fifth. Gerald Laird (Rangers) led off with a single to right field, then advanced to second base when Jamal Strong (Mariners) walked. Speedy outfielder Shane Victorino (Dodgers) dropped down a perfect bunt between the pitcher's mound and third base, beating Jenks' throw for a single. 

Jermaine Clark (Rangers) then hit a grounder to second baseman Scott Hairston (Diamondbacks), who bobbled the ball and then threw late to first base as Laird crossed the plate.  Strong never slowed down around third base, and barely beat first baseman Ken Harvey's (Royals) throw to home for the third run of the game. 

After Jake Gautreau (Padres) fanned, Bozied walked to load the bases. Victorino then came home on Faison's fly ball to center field to give Peoria a 4-0 advantage.

Scottsdale got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kenny James (Angels) opened the inning with a bunt single and advanced to third when Matt Kata's (Diamondback) ground ball went through Gautreau's legs. Tim Olson (Diamondbacks) followed with a fly ball to deep left field, easily scoring James on the sacrifice fly.

The Scorpions ran themselves out of a potential rally as Kata, running with the pitch, was doubled off first base on Harvey's fly out to right field.

Peoria added another run in the seventh on a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Strong from reliever Derrick Turnbow (Angels). The Javelinas scored two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning, with the first runner coming in on a double by Victorino and the second on a wild pitch from Scorpion pitcher Aric Leclair (Royals).

Stewart was relieved in the seventh by left-hander Dave Sanders (White Sox), who pitched two shutout innings. Nathan Haynes (Angels), the only Scottsdale runner to reach base off Sanders, was doubled off first on a line drive out to second baseman Hummel from the bat of pinch hitter David DeJesus (Royals).

Southpaw Eric Stults (Dodgers) pitched the final inning for Peoria, giving up only an opposite field single to Harvey.

Shines said about his team after the game, "They were motivated when the season began. This (the championship) is the thing they set their minds on, and everything they did this year worked towards it."

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Scottsdale first baseman Ken Harvey (Royals), who set new league records for batting average, on-base average and slugging percentage, was honored with the league Most Valuable Player award prior to the game. The new award, named after former major league pitcher Joe Black, who passed away earlier this year, was presented to Harvey in a ceremony with AFL Executive Vice President Steve Cobb, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Joe Garagiola Sr. and BAT (Baseball Assistance Team) executive Jim Martin. Black's daughter and son also participated in the ceremony.