‘Most stretched-out’ SML title series to end Saturday

This one is for the record books.

The ongoing championship round in the 2008 Budweiser Saipan Major League baseball tournament has been the most stretched-out final series in the SML history, according to Bob Coldeen.

“The league started in 1982 and as far as I can remember, this is the most stretch-out title series in SML,” said Coldeen, author of a book about CNMI baseball and has been covering games in the Commonwealth’s ballfields for more than two decades.

The historic title showdown between the Ford Rangers and Rock Steady will take four more days to wrap up.

No thanks to the rolling power outages, the series will be completed after 20 days.

The best-of-five championship series started on Aug. 11 and will conclude this Saturday with the deciding Game 5 to be played at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Rangers stunned the then undefeated Rock Steady in Game 1, 15-10, on Aug. 11.

Only Game 1 was completed in one playing night.

Game 2 was played Aug. 13, but was suspended when the power went off at the top of the seventh inning with Rock Steady leading, 10-3.

The continuation of Game 2 was set for Aug. 14 and the win was awarded to Rock Steady, as the Rangers showed up for the match with only eight players.

Game 3 was scheduled for Aug. 17 and was suspended due to a power outage at the top of the ninth winning with the Rangers and Rock Steady tied at 6-all.

The third game of the series resumed Aug. 19 with the Rangers escaping with a 9-6 victory in the 10th inning, moving them a win away from clinching the crown.

Game 4 was played a few minutes after Game 3 finished.

Rock Steady was pressed to win Game 4 to force a deciding Game 5. It was leading, 8-3, at the top of the seventh inning when darkness filled the ballfield, forcing the cancellation of the game for the nth time.

The continuation of Game 4 was set for Aug. 22, but was cancelled anew due to a soggy field.

Monday night, Rock Steady clinched Game 4 with an 8-4 victory, to tie the series. Game 5 was scheduled on the same day, but the power went off around 8pm with the Rangers leading, 2-1, at the top of the third inning.

“This rolling power outage has affected the momentum of the players. We won Game 4 and our players’ morale is high, then the game was suspended,” Rock Steady coach Joey Dela Cruz said.

“The unpredictable schedule of power outages has really affected both teams. We started with 25 players on our roster, but come Saturday for Game 5, we may be left with only 11 players,” he added.

Dela Cruz said some players who live far from the “Tan Ko” Ballfield decided not to attend the games because they are suspended frequently.

“They spent a substantial amount for gas and food to attend the game, only to go home with the match unfinished,” said Dela Cruz, who has players leaving off-island before Saturday’s Game 5.

League coordinator Tony Rogolifoi said Game 5 will be played at 10am.

This time, the Rangers and Rock Steady don’t care if the power goes off or not.