Patches three-peat, hold off Blasters 17-14

The win is the third in a row for the Patches and their fourth in the nine-year history of The JAM.

Perhaps more than anything else, the game signified the status that The JAM has attained, and its meaning and importance to its most ardent supporters. With forecasters advising people to stay indoors to avoid the predicted golf-ball-size hail and powerful thunderstorms, over 30 people, including 11 first-time JAMmers, ignored their warnings and showed up ready to play.

"When I drove down to that field and saw all those people throwing the ball around and sliding through puddles and realized that we'd still have a game, it was unbelievable," said Mike Campoli, the founder of the JAM and captain of the 2001 Blasters. "All morning long I figured that, at the worst, we'd sit around all bitter, drinking beer and eating ziti."

Those in attendance witnessed what at first appeared destined to become the most lopsided JAM in history, then a furious charge that would have been The JAM's greatest comeback. But when the dust (er, mud) finally settled and the skies finally cleared, the Patches held on for the win.

The game began under a steady drizzle, and, thanks to RBI doubles by Chris Blakely and Sean "The Human Highlight Film" Blakely, the Blasters took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. This lead disappeared for good in the bottom of the first as the Patches exploded for five runs, led by their Murderers Row of Most Valuable JAMmer R.T. McShane, George McShane, "Diamond" Geoff Bowler, Alex "Nails" Nalencz and P.J.

The Patches stretched their lead to 8-2 after a three-run second inning. Aided by a Blasters defense that was almost as sloppy as the saturated field, they plated another nine runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.

R.T. McShane provided an exclamation point to this offensive barrage in the sixth inning when he slammed a home run and, in the process, became the first JAMmer since 1994 MVJ Joe O'Leary to hit for the cycle. R.T. laced what looked to be a double to score brother George, but, determined to cross the plate, he kept running. The throw to third was late, so he kept going. He scored easily, giving the Patches a seemingly insurmountable 17-5 lead. The 12 run-differential was the largest lead in a JAM since the old Boom Boxers finished the 1994 Mad Phat JAM with a 38-26 win over the Patches.

While the offensive heroics and slick fielding at shortstop that R.T. displayed en route to his second career MVJ may have surprised some, older brother George didn't bat an eye.

"What do you expect," George said. "He's a McShane."

Just as things looked bleakest for the Blasters, John Lyte rallied his teammates and encouraged them to "play good defense, get a couple runs, and make a JAM of it." That's exactly what they did.

Led by the big bats of Lyte and the Blakely brothers, and an RBI single by Campoli, the Blasters put six runs on the board in the top of the seventh to close the gap to 17-11.

The Highlight Film (4-for-5) was in no mood to discuss his team's performance after the game, but he did comment on his recent cross-country road trip.

"Roads. I got to see a lot of roads," Sean said.

The Blasters couldn't capitalize on their momentum in the eighth as winning pitcher Chris "The Babe" Spellman retired them in order, with some great defense from R.T. McShane sealing the quick inning. But when the ninth inning began, the Blasters were still in striking distance.

The inning began well as West Side Josh, Lyte and the Blakely brothers each recorded hits to pull the Blasters to within 17-14. But, with the tying run standing in the on-deck circle, Campoli and Edward "Texxx" Miller grounded into fielders' choices, and Rob Andrusco grounded out.

Miller was named the first-ever JAM Rookie of the Year for his fine defensive achievement at first base and his solid hitting.

Edward "Tex" Miller

Photo shamelessly lifted from www.bumpcity.org, the home of Tex's former band.

"This is the first Rookie of the Year Award? Whoa," said the surprised musician and former San Antonio-area resident. "I'm sad to lose The JAM, but with this award, at least I go home with one more win than the Spuuuuuuuurs."

With the McShane brothers, the Fornabaio brothers and the Chris Spellman father-and-son combination, the Patches were a walking family-values advertisement.

Patches alternate captain Mike Fornabaio played with his brother, Matt, for the first time in their five JAMs together. The unforeseen combination made unnecessary several weeks of Subway Series-like trash-talking back home in Connecticut geared toward a potential rubber match.

"This one night, we were playing Trivial Pursuit, and when Matt rolled, one of the little pie pieces bounced toward me," Mike Fornabaio said. "So I threw it at him. I thought it was the die."

Also notable at 2001: A JAM Odyssey was the return of Joe O'Leary after a three year absence, and the surprise appearance of the Ed-Ogg, who returned from San Francisco to accompany O'Leary to the game. Unfortunately, the Ed-Ogg spent most of his time chained to the fence behind home plate.

The 17-14 victory left the Patches again jubilant.

"They played like fairies," said Babe Spellman, who took time away from his freak bitches to attend The JAM. "They looked like a bunch of girls mud-wrestling out there."

The Babe, an avid proponent of the laundering arts, then offered to wash everyone's clothes.

Fornabaio, who again made off with the JAM Cup in the dark of night, was equally pleased upon winning his third consecutive JAM Cup.

"It means even more to me because I did it all with one team," Fornabaio said.

Patches captain Chris Spellman, who demonstrated that he is anything but unbreakable by twisting his left knee and aggravating a nagging dance injury on an awkward slide into third, always believed that the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

"I don't understand why Campoli took the Cup from me before the game," Spel said. "We could have saved everybody a lot of trouble by just leaving it at my house."

On the other sideline, the Blasters were left searching for answers.

"I can understand why mongoloids can't wear fitted hats, but I can't understand why we lost this game," said Chris Crowley, the Blasters' assistant captain and the founder of One Down Productions.

Crowley then took a more spiritual view of the situation.

"I turn to my God in my time of trials, and I can't imagine anything more trying than losing to Spellman three years in a row."

As Crowley and the Blasters ponder another painful loss, Spellman and the Patches will spend the year hoping that their momentum continues when they take the field looking to even the overall series at five games apiece at next year's DecathaJAM, scheduled to be played in June at Cook Field.

Rain or shine.

BLASTERS    200 012 601--14
PATCHES     530 054 00x--17