AWA nearly failed to make the playoffs at all in 1989. The spring season had been a struggle as the team posted a mediocred 4-6 record. While the team fared better in the summer, racking up a 6-3 record with one game to go, the guys still had to win the last game of the regular season to make the playoffs. And it was high drama as AWA trailed 10-8 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Whether it was Manager Mike Applegate's tirade in the dugout that got the team going, no one can be sure. But the team rallied in the final frame with three runs to pull out the win. Brian Christie's ground rule double to center with the bases loaded tied the game, and then Al Brown's rining single past third won it. With the 11-10 victory, the guys, with the entire 1989 season on the verge of going bust, managed to snag onto the last playoff berth.

This chilly evening in late September was one that had more than just softball going on. The baseball Giants and A's were each one game from clinching playoff spots of their own, and while those teams were on the air, portable televisions all over the park were tuned on to the games. Sherman Applegate had his TV in the AWA dugout, and while his primary duty was to be ready to play, he spent much of the game giving score updates as the night wore on.

As the fourth seed in the playoffs, AWA drew the Flyin' Squirrels in the playoff opener. The Squirrels came in with the league's best record, but AWA jumped out to an early 7-1 lead. In the top of the fourth inning a Squirrel rally was snuffed when a runner was tagged out at home plate trying to score on a short fly to left. It was a close play, and a heated argument ensued, resulting in the ejection of one Squirrel player. Unfortunately for the Squirrels, they had no substitutes for the ejected player, and so under the rules the win automatically went to AWA by forfeit.

Meanwhile, Just Say No was having a wild time in its preliminary match against Metalics, knocking the ball all over the park enroute to a most impressive 16-0 victory. No doubt about it, Just Say No was wired and ready to play for all the marbles against the Boys of AWA.

AWA and Just Say No faced each other twice during the regular season. While AWA won the first meeting 17-11, Just Say No rebounded late in the season to hand AWA our worst licking of the year -- a 21-2 beating in which we did not get our first hit of the game until the fifth inning! It was an embarrassment punctuated by Just Say No's bad-mouthing throughout the game. These guys were young, arrogant, and definitely not old school. They could trash talk with the best of them, and having to endure a 21-2 licking with the disrespectful noise that went with it was about as galling an experience that the guys of AWA had ever been forced to play through.

While AWA had its usual confidence going, the guys in the other dugout were jacked sky high and came in playing about as well as a team could, The mouthy gang from Just Say No would soon crashing down to earth.

Gary Matsushita opened the game with a single and, one out later, back to back triples by Brian Christie and Greg Brown got the stands buzzing. A following sacrifice fly to center by Al Brown gave AWA a 3-spot for the inning.

AWA needed to play mistake-free ball if the team was going to prevail, but Steve Barrett's throwing error from right field gave back one of those runs in the bottom of the first. Steve atoned for his miscue, however, by delivering an RBI double to right an inning later, scoring Joe Sammut all the way from first for a 4-1 lead.

In the top of the third, after two were out, Brian singled to left and scored moments later on Greg's drive to the fence in right center for a double. Al followed that with a single through the middle, and Greg scored with a slide as the team increased its lead to 6-1.

Joe, meanwhile, was pitching a gem. The AWA defense was brilliant, particularly by Bruce Christie at short and Brian in right center. Joe kept the Just Say No offense off the scoreboard, helping himself by starting a double play in the fourth.

Bruce doubled to open the fifth and scored on Brian's third hit of the game, a bounding hit perfectly placed between first and second. Greg then lifted a high twisting pop fly into short right field. The outfielder raced in, staggered a bit, and then dropped the ball. As Brian raced to third, the outfielder compounded his mistake by making a wild toss to third. The ball sailed past the third sacker and Brian easily trotted home. Greg hustled all the way around to third, but he got himself picked off rounding the base too far. It was no matter to the players in the AWA dugout, whose dream of another league title was close to realization. AWA now led 8-1.

In the sixth, Sherman abandoned his duties as television monitor to come up as a pinch hitter, reaching safely on an error. Two outs later Neil Christie delivered a single to left. Gary punched a hit to center to score one run and Bruce bounced a single through the middle to score another. AWA now led 10-1 and it was easy work to finish off Just Say No from there. Joe, who would scatter five hits while giving up only the one unearned run, retired the last twelve hitters in succession. The Just Say No hitters, who had belted the ball all over the park in their previous match with AWA, and who had looked so overpowering in blasting poor Metalics, had nothing left for this one. As the contest wound down, their usual loutish demeanor had all but vanished.

The guys put together all aspects of their game to pull off a decisive victory on this night of champions. While the baseball Giants and A's were dousing themselves with champagne, the Boys of AWA had to be content with rounds of beer in the clubhouse. The beer tasted just fine.