02-16-2025, 08:58 PM
The 2023 World Series pitted NL champion Corpus Christi Cannons against AL champs Higglytown Heroes. The series promised a clash of contrasting styles, as Corpus Christi led TRHL in runs scored, while Higglytown was second in runs allowed.
Game One opened on an unusually warm November day in Higglytown. The game matched Cannon ace Braxton Garrett (16-10 in the regular season) against the Heroes’ Bobby Miller (13-8). The home team got first blood, as Mitch Garver plated Randy Arozarena, and added two more on an Arozarena homer in the 5th, and another in the 6th. The visitors staged a ninth inning rally on an Andres Gimenez home run and brought the potential tying run to the plate before Higglytown closer Abner Uribe shut the door to preserve a 5-3 Heroes victory.
Corpus Christi sent Charlie Morton (13-9) to the hill to oppose Higglytown’s Bailey Ober (13-6) in the second game. This time the Cannons struck first with two on a Josh Naylor sac fly and a Gimenez single. The Heroes roared back with a pair of homers in the fourth, from Mike Yastrzemski and Jose Ramirez, but a Bo Bichette round tripper gave the lead back to Corpus Christi in the sixth. Morton and two relievers would hold that slimmest of margins to secure a 3-2 Canons’ triumph, sending the series back to Corpus Christi knotted at one apiece.
A warm Corpus Christi evening saw the home team open with Jameson Taillon (9-11) to face the visitors’ Eduardo Rodriguez (11-9). Higglytown scored first on a Yainer Diaz tater in the second, and blew the game open with four in the fifth and two more in the seventh, en route to a 12-1 win that tilted the series in their favor.
Facing the first gut-check game of the series, the Canons sent crafty lefty Nestor Cortes (7-2) to oppose the Heroes’ Chris Sale (9-3). Two Christian Walker home runs staked the Higgytown to a 4-0 lead, and with Sale cruising it looked like they might put a stranglehold on the series. But Corpus Christi has other ideas, and a Garrett Cooper home run in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead in half and propelled them to score three more in the sixth and two in the seventh to forge a 7-4 lead. The Heroes got two back on a Wander Franco 9th inning home run, but Cannon reliever Miguel Castro stopped the bleeding to save a 7-6 home victory, squaring the series once again.
With things now down to a best-of-three situation, the teams went back to their game one starters, Miller and Garrett. Higglytown scored first again, scratching two in the third and one in the third, taking a 3-0 lead. TJ Friedl slashed a double in the bottom of the 4th to cut the deficit to one, but the Heroes got back to a 5-2 lead on a Franco blast in the 7th. Once again, the home team rallied, getting to the visitors’ bullpen, as hits by Jeff Outman and Gabriel Moreno tied the score at 5. Neither team threatened in the 8th or 9th, but with two out in the 10th, Higglytown star Ramirez launched a three-run moon shot to give the Heroes an 8-5 lead. Uribe again made that hold up, and Higglytown took a 3-2 series lead back home.
With champagne on ice, the Heroes turned to Ober, hoping he could outduel game 2 star Morton. He could not, as Corpus Christi scored two in the first, one in the second, and four in the 5th – capped by a three run dinger from Brandon Belt – and cruised to an 11-2 laugher, to level the series ledger for a third time. One small consolation for Higglytown – while getting rocked, Ober hung in for 8 2/3 innings (and 150 pitches), saving the bullpen for the deciding game.
Game 7; the words send chills down the spine. This one did not disappoint. Once again, the teams reprised an earlier pitching matchup, as Higglytown’s Rodriguez squared off against Corpus Christi’s Taillon. Once again the Canons jumped out early, opening the game with five straight hits and chasing the Heroes’ starter from the game before there was even one out. The home team tried to claw back, but things got worse, as a Ryan Jeffers blast in the 4th saw the visitors go up 7-2 through three and a half. Things looked dark in Higglytown, but Will Benson and Wilyer Abreu opened a ray of hope with home runs in the bottom of the 4th to cut the Corpus Christi lead to 7-5. A two out rally in the 5th gave the home team a slim 8-7 lead, which the Hero bullpen held, allowing only two hits over the final five frames and giving Higglytown the World Series title with a 10-7 Game 7 victory.
To say the series was tight would be an understatement. Each team won a blowout, but each of the other five games easily could have gone the other way. The Canons twice overcame 3+ run leads to win, and the Heroes did so once. Truly one for the annals of TRHL history. Congrats to both teams on great seasons (and postseasons).
Corpus Christi bats were led by Bo Bichette, who slashed 423/429/577 with 6 RS and 4RBI, and Andres Gimenez, who went 308/357/500 with 6 runs and 3 ribbies. Jeff Outman added 4 runs and 6 RBI of his own. But the real Cannon MVP was Charlie Morton, who won two games, allowing only four runs in 12.2 innings.
On the Higglytown side, Wander Franco hit three homers, with 7 runs scored and six RBI, and Will Benson was dominant in only 18 PA, slashing 538/632/1231 with two home runs, 5 RS, and 6RBI. On the mound, Bobby Miller allowed only 5 runs in 12.2 innings, and the bullpen shined when it needed to, led by Sean Manea, who threw 6 scoreless innings, with only four baserunners and 13 strikeouts. But on the biggest stage, it was the biggest Hero who starred, as Jose Ramirez slashed 357/400/750 with a pair of key homeruns (including the Game 5 extra inning blast) and 8 runs and 8 RBI, to take Series MVP honors.
Game One opened on an unusually warm November day in Higglytown. The game matched Cannon ace Braxton Garrett (16-10 in the regular season) against the Heroes’ Bobby Miller (13-8). The home team got first blood, as Mitch Garver plated Randy Arozarena, and added two more on an Arozarena homer in the 5th, and another in the 6th. The visitors staged a ninth inning rally on an Andres Gimenez home run and brought the potential tying run to the plate before Higglytown closer Abner Uribe shut the door to preserve a 5-3 Heroes victory.
Corpus Christi sent Charlie Morton (13-9) to the hill to oppose Higglytown’s Bailey Ober (13-6) in the second game. This time the Cannons struck first with two on a Josh Naylor sac fly and a Gimenez single. The Heroes roared back with a pair of homers in the fourth, from Mike Yastrzemski and Jose Ramirez, but a Bo Bichette round tripper gave the lead back to Corpus Christi in the sixth. Morton and two relievers would hold that slimmest of margins to secure a 3-2 Canons’ triumph, sending the series back to Corpus Christi knotted at one apiece.
A warm Corpus Christi evening saw the home team open with Jameson Taillon (9-11) to face the visitors’ Eduardo Rodriguez (11-9). Higglytown scored first on a Yainer Diaz tater in the second, and blew the game open with four in the fifth and two more in the seventh, en route to a 12-1 win that tilted the series in their favor.
Facing the first gut-check game of the series, the Canons sent crafty lefty Nestor Cortes (7-2) to oppose the Heroes’ Chris Sale (9-3). Two Christian Walker home runs staked the Higgytown to a 4-0 lead, and with Sale cruising it looked like they might put a stranglehold on the series. But Corpus Christi has other ideas, and a Garrett Cooper home run in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead in half and propelled them to score three more in the sixth and two in the seventh to forge a 7-4 lead. The Heroes got two back on a Wander Franco 9th inning home run, but Cannon reliever Miguel Castro stopped the bleeding to save a 7-6 home victory, squaring the series once again.
With things now down to a best-of-three situation, the teams went back to their game one starters, Miller and Garrett. Higglytown scored first again, scratching two in the third and one in the third, taking a 3-0 lead. TJ Friedl slashed a double in the bottom of the 4th to cut the deficit to one, but the Heroes got back to a 5-2 lead on a Franco blast in the 7th. Once again, the home team rallied, getting to the visitors’ bullpen, as hits by Jeff Outman and Gabriel Moreno tied the score at 5. Neither team threatened in the 8th or 9th, but with two out in the 10th, Higglytown star Ramirez launched a three-run moon shot to give the Heroes an 8-5 lead. Uribe again made that hold up, and Higglytown took a 3-2 series lead back home.
With champagne on ice, the Heroes turned to Ober, hoping he could outduel game 2 star Morton. He could not, as Corpus Christi scored two in the first, one in the second, and four in the 5th – capped by a three run dinger from Brandon Belt – and cruised to an 11-2 laugher, to level the series ledger for a third time. One small consolation for Higglytown – while getting rocked, Ober hung in for 8 2/3 innings (and 150 pitches), saving the bullpen for the deciding game.
Game 7; the words send chills down the spine. This one did not disappoint. Once again, the teams reprised an earlier pitching matchup, as Higglytown’s Rodriguez squared off against Corpus Christi’s Taillon. Once again the Canons jumped out early, opening the game with five straight hits and chasing the Heroes’ starter from the game before there was even one out. The home team tried to claw back, but things got worse, as a Ryan Jeffers blast in the 4th saw the visitors go up 7-2 through three and a half. Things looked dark in Higglytown, but Will Benson and Wilyer Abreu opened a ray of hope with home runs in the bottom of the 4th to cut the Corpus Christi lead to 7-5. A two out rally in the 5th gave the home team a slim 8-7 lead, which the Hero bullpen held, allowing only two hits over the final five frames and giving Higglytown the World Series title with a 10-7 Game 7 victory.
To say the series was tight would be an understatement. Each team won a blowout, but each of the other five games easily could have gone the other way. The Canons twice overcame 3+ run leads to win, and the Heroes did so once. Truly one for the annals of TRHL history. Congrats to both teams on great seasons (and postseasons).
Corpus Christi bats were led by Bo Bichette, who slashed 423/429/577 with 6 RS and 4RBI, and Andres Gimenez, who went 308/357/500 with 6 runs and 3 ribbies. Jeff Outman added 4 runs and 6 RBI of his own. But the real Cannon MVP was Charlie Morton, who won two games, allowing only four runs in 12.2 innings.
On the Higglytown side, Wander Franco hit three homers, with 7 runs scored and six RBI, and Will Benson was dominant in only 18 PA, slashing 538/632/1231 with two home runs, 5 RS, and 6RBI. On the mound, Bobby Miller allowed only 5 runs in 12.2 innings, and the bullpen shined when it needed to, led by Sean Manea, who threw 6 scoreless innings, with only four baserunners and 13 strikeouts. But on the biggest stage, it was the biggest Hero who starred, as Jose Ramirez slashed 357/400/750 with a pair of key homeruns (including the Game 5 extra inning blast) and 8 runs and 8 RBI, to take Series MVP honors.