FINGERS FINAL FOUR / LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

For only the third time in league history the final four teams all won 100 or more regular season games. It happened in Season 1 and Season 6. And in both those occurences, the team with the best overall record never even made it to the World Series.

Salt Lake City vs. Trenton

Season Series: Salt Lake 7-3

Salt Lake 3-2 in one-run games; Tied 1-1 in games decided by 4 runs or more

Salt Lake finished with a franchise-record 104 wins and won their fifth NL West Championship. The franchise also won its first playoff series with a 3 games-to-one victory over Colorado Springs in the NLDS. And even though they are the #1 seed in the NL playing the #6 seed, Salt Lake looks to be the underdog in the NLCS. No Condor player hit more than 30 HRs, not one drove in 100 runs, and only one had more than 150 hits. Most of their hope rests on the pitching shoulders of three players: Boomer Charles, Donald Lee, Willie Ruiz. These three need to own the Caps' potent lineup and hope the rest of the pitching staff hangs tough.

There is no question that Trenton is the most successful franchise in Fingers without a World Series title. The Caps have 11 straight seasons of 100+ wins; 11 straight postseason appearances; five NL East division titles; and three NL Pennants. But again, no championship ring. This postseason, they have disposed of two division winners, and look to throw away another. If chicks dig the long ball, then Trenton has had multiple orgies. They led Fingers with 351 HRs in the regular season, and added nine more in nine postseason games. If a few of their six big boppers (Alex Rivera, Kris Jones, Dale Pritchett, Vasco Torrealba, Billy Strickland, Mark Garland) get hot, this series is over quick.

Scottsdale vs. New York

Season Series: New York 6-4

Tied 2-2 in one-run games; N.Y. 4-0 in games decided by 4 runs or more

For the 5th time in six season the Spartans will be playing for the AL pennant. And for the 5th time the juggernaut New York Mets R Pond Scum stand in the way. In each of the four previous ALCS matchups, the Spartans fell at the hands of their rival. Many times, the Scottsdale squad barely even fought back, posting a 4-16 ALCS record vs. the MaPS. For at least three games this team's success will fall on Norberto Almanza. The Spartans won all three times he started against the MaPS in the regular season (6 ERs in 20 IP). And he will have to lead this team to three more victories in the ALCS for them to have a chance.

New York has owned the Fingers League for six of the last seven seasons. They are on the war path for their second three-peat in what is possibly their last season in New York. Beating the MaPS in a 7-game series has been impossible for any opponent. Only one time in five Championship runs have the MaPS even been threatened during a 7-game series (They faced a 3 games-to-one deficit vs. New Orleans in the Season 9 World Series, and promptly won the last three games). It seems like the only way to stop the MaPS from winning is to have the game not simmed.