1996: THE LAST HURRAH

Brewers - 5 , Steppin' Out - 3

August 1st & 5th 1996

Game #4 - 1996 Palumbo League Semi-Finals

The Brewers were formed in 1983 from the nucleus of the final "Pennamco" team in the old First Pennsylvania Bank intra-mural league. On moving to the DVFL in 1984 the Brewers played there for 11 seasons. The DVFL was unable to continue just prior to the 1995 season, and the Brewers scrambled to join the Palumbo League in South Philly for their final two seasons in 1995-96. The following is a recap of the last win in Brewers history, a typical outstanding playoff effort, one that amazingly had to be played out over two days, against a tough opponent under difficult circumstances.

"Steppin' Out" was the Palumbo League's up-and-coming young star-studded team, and they were VERY South Philly. Every member of the Steppin Out starting lineup had a name ending in a vowel, and looking at the scorebook that is not a stereotyping exaggeration (Lucibello, Altadonna, Grosso, Milia, Buono, Coccia, Cirri, Mazzone, Madara, Molino, Reitano). They had finished in 2nd place in the regular season, and would go on to win the Palumbo Championship that season, but would first have to pass through the Brew Crew, and another chapter in Brewers playoff history, to get to the finals.

The Brewers had a difficult time adapting to the higher level of overall competition that Palumbo offered during the first season of 1995. The team struggled to a 6-10 on-field record that year which was highlighted by the team being constantly shorthanded in players, and having little or no pitching. For the 1996 season the team added two solid pitchers and a couple of talented position players to the nucleus that remained from the 1994 DVFL Championship team. That nucleus included manager Matt Veasey and players Wally Potter, Pat Guido, Matt Ragan, Mike Kneisc, Tom Novak, Gene Jablonski and Dan Miller. The team also had outfielders Jim Clegg and Dan Jackson from the old Bad Loads team in the DVFL.

The Brewers new pitching strength with fireballer Rich Nottis and control guy Jim McKenna helped the team go 12-8 during the regular season, then sweep a first round playoff series as well. In the Semi's against Steppin' Out not many in the Palumbo community gave the Brew Crew much of a chance, but the Brewers stunned everyone by taking them to extra innings in game #1, then scoring 4 runs in the top of the 9th for a 13-9 victory. Steppin' Out showed their talent the next two games, blasting the Brewers by 13-3 and 13-0 scores. Just when it seemed they were ready to move to the finals though, the Brewers came up with another classic to push the series to a deciding game.

Game #4 began on a beautiful August 1st night with the Brewers needing to dig down for a win to stay alive in the series, and the team wasted little time putting the pressure on by setting down Steppin' Out 1-2-3 in the first, then scoring 4 runs in our half. Gene Bryan drew a 1-out walk and Wally Potter followed with a single, and both guys moved up a base on an error. Mike Christian, the team's 1996 MVP, followed with an rbi single to put the Brewers on the board. Then with 2 outs, Pat Guido drilled a 2-run triple. Rich Nottis followed with a single to score Patio, and the Brewers had a 4-0 lead.

Steppin' Out answered with a run in the top of the 2nd, but the Brewers were fired up, and went right back to work in the bottom of the 2nd. Rob Eckenrode led off the Brewers 2nd with a single, and Matt Ragan lined a 1-out single. Bryan followed by working the count full. What followed was one of the most unusual moments and incidents in Brewers history. The lights went out.....literally.

Palumbo was a "doubleheader" league in that two games were played each night, one at 6:30pm and the other at 8pm. The 8pm game usually started in mid-summer daylight, but quickly became a night game under the lights within the first few innings. This was an 8pm game, and as the Brewers whooped it up trying to unnerve the Steppin Out pitcher into walking Bryan and loading the bases, the Palumbo lights went out sending the game into darkness.

The umpires immediately stopped action as the two teams stood around looking for answers to what was happening. After a lengthy delay, the Palumbo Rec Center manager told us that the lights would not be able to go back on that night, and the Steppin' Out manager quickly called for the game to be replayed in it's entirety. Of course the Brewers, leading 4-1 and in the middle of a possible big inning, and trailing 2 games to 1, wanted the game picked up right where it was. It turned out that the league rules were specific, and the game would pick up from the delay point. The restart was scheduled for Monday August 5th, the 11th anniversary of the Brewers first Championship.

Picking up a game from the previous point leads to other problems, such as guys who are in the original lineup but cannot make the game on the new date. Both Matt Ragan, who was battling an ankle injury the whole playoff, and Danny Miller were unable to make the rescheduled date. Jim Clegg and Gene Jablonski stepped into their slots, and the game finally resumed.

The Brewers quickly learned how much a delay can affect things. What seemed like tremendous momentum being played on high emotion in the Brewers favor just 4 nights earlier turned around completely when Bryan flew out on his 3-2 count, and Potter followed by flying out on the first pitch. With the game restarted, Steppin' Out had thrown just two pitches, gotten 2 outs, and charged off the field with renewed momentum now on their side. New night, new game they figured. Now at the plate and recharged, Steppin' Out parlayed 2 hits, a walk and a Brewers error into a pair of runs in the 3rd inning, cutting the Brewer lead down to 4-3.

The score remained the same however as Brewers ace Rich Nottis took control. Over the last 4 2/3 innings he wouldn't allow another hit. The Brewers broke through for an insurance run in the bottom of the 5th when Potter led off with a big triple and scored on Christian's sac fly, making the score 5-3 for the Brewers. Nottis stayed strong, striking out the leadoff man in the Steppin' Out 7th, then getting the last out on a grounder to 2nd baseman Tom Novak. The Brewers mobbed the mound in celebration, having overcome a strong team and an incredible twist of fate to knot the series at 2-2, and moving them within just one more victory of a chance at the Palumbo Championship.

That chance was not to come, however. The very next night Palumbo scored 4 times in the 1st inning. The Brewers fought back, and got within 4-2 with the first two men reaching base in our 4th, but couldn't cash in that opportunity.

It would prove to be our last opportunity, as Steppin' Out pulled away and clinched the series with a big 14-3 win behind pitcher Billy McAfee, who had been a Brewers opponent way back in the '80's with the old Blue Jays and Pirates teams.

With 2 outs in the Brewers 7th and the game decided, and realizing that this was likely a last hurrah, manager Matt Veasey pinch-hit himself for Matt Ragan. Veasey had been with the Brewers the longest in this, his 14th straight season wearing the black & gold, and was stepping into the box one final time. Matt slapped a single just past the Steppin' Out shortstop that would prove to be the last hit in the history of the Brewers. When Gene Bryan followed by flying out to centerfield the final page was turned.

For one final game, spread out over two emotional nights, the Brewers spirit that had served so well for so many years showed up on the field at Palumbo. "Brewer Ball" was played on the field those nights, and the South Philly crowd got a taste of what it all had meant when their soon-to-be Champions were given a serious scare by one of Philly's all-time softball Champions, the Brewers.

Epilogue: After shutting the group down in the 1997 season, some of the old players got together and joined with some of our old rivals, the Bad Loads/Hooters, to play in the Lawncrest League in 1998. Out of that effort, an attempt was made to reform the team for the 1999 season in the Fishtown Rec League, but after a few games and a promising start that team was folded due to lack of participation.