Flashback: September in the Pacific Coast League
Sept. 1 -- The Pacific Coast League passed the 7-million fan mark, a first for any single circuit in the Minor Leagues. The 16 PCL teams averaged more than 6,500 fans per game.
Sept. 1 -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the PCL announced that New Orleans' three scheduled games with the Iowa Cubs were cancelled and would not be made up. Zephyr Field suffered minor damage from the storm, but it also was being used as a staging area for emergency personnel and equipment participating in the search-and-rescue mission.
Sept. 1 -- Todd Sears belted three home runs and drove in seven runs to lead the Albuquerque Isotopes past the Round Rock Express. Sears smacked three-run homers in the third and sixth innings and had a solo shot in the eighth. Teammate Mike Colangelo ripped a solo shot in the second to give him at least one dinger in six straight games, one shy of the PCL record.
Sept. 1 -- The Sacramento River Cats held Fan Appreciation Day, which sounded like the usual fan event. But the River Cats made sure everybody got something. The team gave away a trip for two to Hawaii, free gas, a wobblehead of Dinger and a free cap among other prizes. The alternate name for the promotion was "Everybody Gets Something."
Sept. 2 -- Tacoma Rainiers skipper Dan Rohn was named the PCL Manager of the Year, an accolade chosen by media representatives and the managers. Rohn became the first manager to earn the award a third time and the second to receive it in consecutive seasons.
Sept.2 -- Utilityman Hiram Bocachica went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs in his Sacramento debut as the River Cats defeated the Fresno Grizzlies, 8-5. Bocachica clubbed a solo home run in the first inning and launched a two-run blast in the fifth. He also doubled home a run in the sixth.
Sept. 3 -- Bobby Livingston struck out 14 in seven innings to lead the Tacoma Rainiers to a 6-1 victory, allowing them to clinch at least a tie for the PCL Pacific North Division. The 14 strikeouts were the most by a Tacoma pitcher in at least seven years. Livingston allowed one run on three hits and three walks.
Sept. 3 -- Left-hander Bill Pulsipher matched a franchise record with 15 strikeouts as the Memphis Redbirds defeated the Albuquerque Isotopes, 6-4. Pulsipher tied the mark set by top prospect Anthony Reyes on Aug. 14. Pulsipher worked eight-plus innings and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits.
Audio: Pulsipher ties the franchise mark with No. 15
Sept. 4 -- Francisco Cruceta pitched 6 2/3 strong innings as the Tacoma Rainiers defeated the Sacramento River Cats, 3-2, to clinch the PCL Pacific North Division title. Abraham Nunez led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Sept. 4 -- Richard Lewis hit a three-run homer to cap a 10-run seventh inning as the Iowa Cubs defeated the New Orleans Zephyrs, 13-2. The Cubs sent 13 batters to the plate in their biggest inning of the season.
Sept. 5 -- Brandon Wood completed one of the most dominant seasons in Minor League history by collecting his 101st extra-base hit as the Salt Lake Stingers finished the year with a 9-6 victory over the Las Vegas 51s. Wood, who went 3-for-5, finished the season with 53 doubles, four triples and 43 home runs, nearly all of that with the Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Sept. 5 -- Las Vegas outfielder Cody Ross went out with a bang, hitting for the cycle in the final game of the season, but the 51s lost to the Salt Lake Stingers, 9-6. Ross hit a home run to lead off the second and tripled in the third. He singled in the fifth inning and got the double he needed to complete the feat in the ninth. It was the first time a Las Vegas player hit for the cycle since Greg LaRocca did on July 1, 1998.
Sept. 8 -- The Sacramento River Cats defeated the Tacoma Rainiers, 7-4, to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five PCL Pacific Conference Championship Series. Sacramento's bullpen pitched three shutout innings while the River Cats rallied for four runs in the final three innings. Andrew Beattie singled home Jack Cust with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
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Sept. 9 -- Omaha Royals trainer Jeff Stevenson was selected as the 2005 PCL Trainer of the Year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. Stevenson completed his seventh season with the O-Royals and his 14th with the Kansas City organization.
Sept. 9 -- Shin-Soo Choo went 4-for-4 and Jesse Foppert pitched five effective innings as the Tacoma Rainiers staved off elimination by defeating the Sacramento River Cats, 7-4. Choo singled home a run in the sixth and scored on a two-run double by Justin Leone to give the Rainiers a 5-2 lead.
Sept. 10 -- Asdrubal Cabrera singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Tacoma Rainiers defeated the Sacramento River Cats, 5-4, to force a decisive fifth game in their best-of-five PCL Pacific Conference Championship Series. Wiki Gonzalez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
Audio: Cabrera puts Tacoma up, 5-4, in the 10th
Sept. 10 -- Dennis Sarfate limited Oklahoma to one run on four hits in five innings as the Nashville Sounds defeated the RedHawks, 3-1, to force Game 5 in their Pacific Conference Championship Series. Sarfate struck out seven and increased his career playoff record to 3-0. Nelson Cruz ripped a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give Nashville a 2-1 lead.
Audio: Cruz touches'em all
Sept. 11 -- Ryan Christianson delivered the tie-breaking single and Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a two-run single in the 10th inning as the Tacoma Rainiers defeated the defending champion Sacramento River Cats, 5-2, to advance to the PCL Championship Series. Reliever Sean Green came on with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 11th and struck out Jack Cust on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
Audio: Cabrera's two-run single puts Tacoma up three
Sept. 11 -- Chris Barnwell had three hits and two RBIs as the Nashville Sounds completed an improbable comeback to defeat the Oklahoma RedHawks, 7-3, and advance to the PCL Championship Series. Gary Glover picked up the win in relief after retiring all seven batters he faced.
Listen to the Sounds wrap up a Championship berth
Sept. 13 -- Tony Zuniga, Nelson Cruz and Mike Rivera hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to power the Nashville Sounds to an 8-6 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers in Game 1 of the PCL Championship Series. Cruz and Zuniga each hit two home runs, all of which were solo shots. Zuniga hit a two-run blast. All the blasts came off of Tacoma starter Bobby Livingston.
Audio: Tony's tape-measure tater ties it, 2-2
Sept. 14 -- Dave Krynzel had three hits and Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with three RBIs as the Nashville Sounds defeated the Tacoma Rainiers, 11-5, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five PCL Championship Series. Trent Durrington had a two-run single in the second inning and Cruz had a two-run single in the third to help the Sounds jump out to a 7-2 lead.
Sept. 16 -- Nelson Cruz blasted a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the 13th inning to give the Nashville Sounds a 5-2 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers and a sweep of the PCL Championship Series. The title was the first for the Sounds in 23 seasons. Corey D. Hart reached on a two-out error by Tacoma shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and Tony Zuniga drew a walk before Cruz crushed a 1-0 pitch from Andrew Lorraine over the center-field fence.
Audio: "The Nashville Sounds are the 2005 Pacific Coast champions!""
Sept. 17 -- Fresh off his PCL championship-winning home run and the series MVP award, Nelson Cruz was promoted to the Milwaukee Brewers, along with teammates Trent Durrington and Gary Glover. Nashville manager Frank Kremblas and trainer Jeff Paxson also were called up.
Sept. 21 -- The New Orleans Zephyrs announced the club will remain in New Orleans and they intend to play Opening Day on April 6, 2006, despite the damage done by Hurricane Katrina. The club intends to make Opening Day "2005 Fan Appreciation Day" since that game had to be cancelled because of the storm.