In a mid-September interview, San Francisco Giants shortstop Rich Aurelia suggested that the first half of each year is for the players to define themselves individually, to find out who they are and what they have to contribute to the team; the second half of the year is for the team to define itself by developing a working chemistry between those players. There could not have been a better description of the Beat’s year in 2002.

In the summer of 2001, the Beat won its first C League title with a 5-2-1 record that would rarely stand in most divisions. They started strong at 5-0-1 but typically struggled at the end of the season losing the last 2 games and the first round of the playoffs. We knew the core was there and that it would improve. While the hitting was inconsistent, the pitching was strong and the defense was the best the Beat had ever fielded. The team felt that this current group of players would build a chemistry to take them to a higher level in the coming year. The lesson yet to be learned was that relying on a core group of players remaining through a second year is a coach’s folly, and the true test of team management is how to rebound when that core group does not return.

To reach that level of C-League division champion, the Beat had done something they had sworn off 10 years prior, playing a midseason tournament. The Beat rolled through its 3-game mid-season tournament undefeated and took the title. After the championship summer season, the team took on another monkey and for the first time in 8 years entered winter league under the pseudonym the S.F. Park Ratts. Against varying levels of competition, the Ratts played well and finished their winter league division in second place.

The Spring Collapse

Then came the spring. If one thing was apparent in the practices leading up to the spring opener, the excitement and fire typically built of not having played in 4 or 5 months was definitely missing. After a thrilling 16-8 opening day victory over Joey J’s—the other summer 2001 division champion—the team collapsed into a 3-game skid highlighted by a 23-8 mercy-rule drubbing by bottom dwelling Finnegan’s A & B. The spring Beat finished 3-5 with loses to the Other Guys, Rhinos, Nine Inch Snails, and the Loose Cannons. Tied for the worst record in the division, the Beat was asked to move down to DD-League but politely declined and as a Legacy squad was allowed to remain in C-League for the summer season. Those four teams would face the Beat again that summer.

Management was at a loss to explain the team’s failure. Fingers could be pointed at the loss of the prior year’s Brass Beat winning MVP and starting shortstop Mike Weiss after the second game of the season. But that didn’t explain the collapse of a pitching staff that went from a combined 6.08 era in the summer of ’01 to a whopping 11.81 era in the spring of ’02, or the mind-boggling team batting average of only .407, one of the lowest in team history. We all knew that we had the talent, but where was it hiding?

Mid-Season Chemistry Set

In an effort to revive the luck of the previous summer, manager Pete Wenner entered the team in a tournament; this one would mark the first time the Beat played outside of San Francisco in over 10 years. For one Saturday in June the team was going to take their chances at the Ultimate Softball Weekend tournament in San Jose. We were told not to expect much playing the hard-hitting squads of the south bay with their multi-walled bats. We were told we’d be lucky to win a game.

When the Beat arrived after an opening game bye, our first task was to take on a team that had won their opener 26-1, which Pete purposely neglected to tell us. The Beat barely lost that first game then rebounded with back to back wins to reach the quarter finals as the Beat bats began to awaken and pitcher Kevin Austin shook the dust of a rocky spring to post a 3.11 era over those first three games. But as this long day wore on the Beat defense started to crumble, committing 9 errors for 11 unearned runs in the third game alone. It was in the 4th game that the Beat finally met its match. Down 20-8 in the 4th inning, the team still didn’t give up, fighting back for 8 unanswered runs on way to a 20-16 loss and elimination.

Playing 4 consecutive games in 6 hours seemed to revitalize the team. Chemistry was building. The Beat defense allowed 23 unearned runs in those 4 games, but the team showed a hell of a lot of character coming through with 2 solid wins and losing 2 by a total margin of only 5 runs. It was clear to everyone that this experience brought the players closer together and that hidden intangible, missing in the spring, was beginning to resurface.

Through late spring and early summer Beat management had been playing musical chairs trying to fill the void left by Weiss at shortstop. They were sold on Mark Briscoe, a new recruit from head scout Gunnar Rosenquist, who played solid defense with a powerful bat in the last spring game and through the first tournament but suffered a major setback in a work related injury in early July that put him on the DL indefinitely. Starting outfielder Jacque Wilson also went on injured reserve with a torn oblique muscle. Adding insult to injury, the team lost veteran right-fielder B.J. Bateman after the spring and 2000 Brass Beat winner Rosenquist following the first tournament, when both moved out of town.

Pete rolled the dice once more and entered the boys into the City Metro tournament just weeks before the start of the summer season. Over a full week and 4 games, the Beat fielded a wide variety of lineups. With second baseman and only remaining backup shortstop  Brian Arcuri out of town, the team had a revolving door of tryouts at short for the Metro. Luckily, the team would welcome the return of prodigal son Mike Buttafuso after a 3-year hiatus  to his old spot at second. The team also picked up Mark Briscoe’s brother, Alex, to fill the hole left by Jacque in the outfield. With a number of walk-ons, the mix-and-match defense allowed over 30 unearned runs in 4 games and squandered a seemingly insurmountable 12-run lead in the final game to lose 23-21.

The team’s tournament record of 1-3 looked bad on paper, but offensively the team averaged over 15 runs per game in the last 7 tournament games (a 5 run per game improvement over the spring) and gained invaluable experience with the rare opportunity (for a Saturday team) of playing under the lights. They had also picked up two key players in Butts and Alex Briscoe.

The Big Switch

Just 5 days after the heartbreaking 23-21 tournament loss, the Beat opened the summer season against the Loose Cannons. The Beat struck hard scoring 10 runs in the first inning, but again the defense caved allowing 7 unearned runs to let the Cannons back into the game. Up only 10-9 after 3 innings, Pete brought Dennis O’Brien in relief, and switched the infield moving Donnell Moody to first, Mark St.Georges to third, and bringing Butts in to play second. That defensive switch seemed be the catalyst that marked the return of the Beat defense; the final piece of the puzzle. O.B. held the Cannons to only 3 runs (1 earned) over the final 3 frames winning a game ball for the save as the Beat squeaked by with a 16-12 victory.

Game two brought the Other Guys, a team that always handcuffed the Beat with excellent pitching and defense. With the retirement of veteran knuckleballer Ron Hamilton, the Guys rebounded with the only other veteran knuckleballer around, Dave Powell of 23rd Hour. But after allowing 21 unearned runs in the previous 2 games, the Beat defense became a wall of despair for the Other Guys as the team played one of the best defensive games of all time. Jacq Wilson (2-4, 2b, run, rbi), with his signature Raiders cap, robbed the Guys of so many sure hits to right that they were calling him Rod Woodson by mid-game. MSG back at third cut off rallies in the first and last innings. The Other Guys stranded 12 base-runners, 5 in scoring position, and left the bases loaded in the third. The Beat walked away 3-2 victors with Austin earning the game ball for allowing just 2 earned runs over 7 innings.

By now the Beat was beginning to feel like they could do whatever it would take to win a game. If they had to outscore, they would. If they had to out-pitch and out-defense, they could do that too. After a week off, they would take on the Rhinos at the newly remodeled Jackson Field.

Trying to rebound from their own offensive struggles against the Other Guys, the Beat chipped away at the Rhinos with 3 sacrifice flies. Steve Hinkebein and Donnell Moody lead the offense and the team to a 9-4 victory as Austin’s 3 earned runs over 7 innings reduced his era to a season low 2.88 capped by a swinging strikeout on back-to-back knuckleballs to end the game.

The offense came back with a vengeance in game 4 as countless players combined for a 17-11 whipping of Nine Inch Snails. Jacq (The Rock) Wilson (3 for 4, 3 runs, RBI) and Brian Arcuri (3 for 4, run, double, 2 RBIs) shared game balls for their offense and sparkling defense. At the halfway point, Brian was leading the team with a .700 average while anchoring the infield from short and Jacq had solidified his spot as the team’s new leadoff hitter pacing the team in hits with 9 and sporting a healthy .600 average.

Turning the Corner

Now in case you hadn’t been keeping track, the team was 4-0 at midseason against 4 teams that had beaten them in the spring. They were also riding a comfortable 2-game lead in the standings. Of course starting strong is something this team has been familiar with over the years; but following those good starts it’s the finish that has been the bugaboo.

Game 5 brought back the Loose Cannons in what can only be considered one of the strangest and most pitiful performances ever in such a high level division. One of the offensive turning points for the Beat in 2002 was the decision just before the last spring game to be more patient at the plate; make the pitchers work and wait for good pitches to hit. The Cannons had been wild in previous meetings, but never to this extent as the Beat walked 17 times (14 of those runners eventually scored) on way to a 19-11 victory.

The margins of victory had grown in each of the last 4 games, but returning for game 6 was the rival Other Guys. With the return of both Briscoe brothers, sparkling offense by Moody, Jim Colletto, MSG, and Jacque, and only 4 earned runs over 7 innings by Austin, the Beat worked out an 8-6 victory and 6-0 record to clinch the division championship 3 weeks before the end of the short season. With the title firmly in hand, the Beat went about the business of preparing for the playoffs by refusing to let up. Winning the division was no longer good enough; that goal had been accomplished. The next best goal to hope for until this season was over was to prove the team’s dominance be going undefeated.

The teamed waltzed over the Rhinos 16-5 in game 7 as the offense came unglued. Colletto, Hinkebein, and Greg Lukoski combined to go 12 for 12 with 7 runs and 4 RBI while Arcuri and Jacque had 3 runs and 3 RBI each. Austin and the defense set a new standard by downing 11 consecutive batters over 4 innings.

The team was one victory away from their first undefeated season since 1995. As if the 11-run drubbing of the Rhinos in the prior week wasn’t enough, the Beat poured salt on the wounds of the Nine Inch Snails with an 18-run mercy ruling in the season finale without the services of sluggers Moody and Mark B. The Beat showed character in the clutch scoring 21 runs with 2 outs in the 2nd and 3rd innings and liquified the Snails 26-8.

Not only did the team go undefeated and win the division, they won it with a full 5-game lead over every other team in the division—a feat unheard of in an 8-game season. The statement had been made and the gauntlet thrown down. This team was ready for the playoffs and a round one match-up against Dave Powell and 23rd Hour, winners of the other Saturday division, for Saturday C-League bragging rights.

The Playoffs

In the first round match, the Beat trailed through the first 5 innings but managed to keep the score close. In the bottom of the 5th they finally broke out with 3 runs to tie the game 9-9. 23rd Hour was blanked in the 5th and 6th and the Beat fought back again with 4 runs in the 6th capped by a 2-run homer from Greg Lukoski earning him the Beat’s first playoff game ball. 23rd struggled back with 3 in the 7th but couldn’t turn the corner as the Beat prevailed with the team’s first playoff victory, a 13-12 nail biter.

In the semi-finals, the Beat was matched against the hard-hitting Mishaps who manhandled their first round opponent 19-1. In one of the great playoff games of all time, the Beat lead off with 4 runs in the top of the first before an equipment delay allowed the Mishaps to regroup and change pitchers early. The Beat then stranded the bases loaded with no outs in a turn that would haunt them throughout the game. The Mishaps bounced back in the bottom of the inning going up 6-4. The Beat was shut out through the next 3 frames as the Mishaps struck hard capped by a 2nd inning grand slam to take an 11-4 lead. If one thing can be said of this Beat club, it had character and would not give in. O.B. entered the game in relief of Austin and the defense tightened their belts holding the Mishaps to 2 runs through the 6th giving the Beat a chance to come back. And come back they did with 3 runs in the 5th and 5 more in the 6th capped by a revenge slam off the bat of Mark Briscoe to tie the game at 12. The Mishaps took back the lead 13-12 in the bottom of the 6th. The Beat had one last chance and gave it their all with a classic 2-out rally to take a 14-13 lead. All they had to do was close the door, but a no-out double-play opportunity was bobbled which then forced the outfield to play shallow. A 2-run bloop over the drawn-in outfield ended the game and the Beat’s season.

The Mishaps went on to win the C-League Championship four days later leaving the Beat wondering “what if.” One more clutch hit or one less error and the team would have been right there, ready for the opportunity to win the City Championship. Maybe it was fate.

The Three Keys

The team knocked off every monkey they had left on their backs and set a standard never reached in the 15-year history of the Beat. They won their first ever C-League division with a perfect 8-0 record and by a composite score of 114-59. The season’s run differential of 55 is a new team record. The 114 runs are the most ever scored by a Beat team in an 8-game season. (2002 summer season wrap-up article with leaders and the 2002 Brass Beat)

Thanks to the excellent pitching and defense, no team scored more than 12 runs against The Beat in the summer of 2002 and opponents were held to single digits 5 times. The boys in gray averaged 14.2 runs per game overall while giving up an average of only 7.4.

Special K posted his best season ever as a starter at 7-0 with a 5.25 era. OB won 2 game balls and was Smoltz-like out of the bullpen at 1-0 with 1 save and a 4.38 ERA. The duo set a team record allowing only 41 earned runs over 8 games while posting a combined era of under 6.00 for the first time ever. Beat opponents never scored more than 8 earned runs in a game and averaged only 5.13 earned runs per game.

Offense. Defense. Pitching. This was without a doubt the best team in the history of the Beat. Maybe it was fate that the team didn’t go all the way. Now there is something to play for next year.
 

The 2002 Beat Back:  The Jet, Special K, Jacq the Rock, The Dude, Butts, Big Daddy, Pete  Front:  The Rifleman, The Thrill, Hink, Luki, Jav, MSG

2002 Stat Sheets

Midseason Tournament Summer Championship Season Full Season Full Season including Tournaments Summer Post-Season

---

Individual Game Articles and Score Sheets from the 2002 Championship Season
	vs. Loose Cannons, July 27, 2002			vs. The Other Guys, September 14, 2002
	vs. The Other Guys, August 3, 2002			vs. Nine Inch Snails, October 5, 2002
	vs. Rhinos, August 17, 2002			vs. 23rd Hour, October 10, 2002
	vs. Nine Inch Snails, August 24, 2002			vs. Mishaps, October 17, 2002
	vs. Loose Cannons, September 7, 2002			Click the diamond icon for the game score sheet

---

On The BEAT News Archive