JAYSON

                          HELPS

                        WIN THE

                  CHAMPIONSHIP

                          GAME

                       STEPHEN POLLARD

Wynnefield Heights, Pennsylvania

Saturday September 15, 1870

It was the day that baseball fans had been awaiting, the championship matchup between the regular season American Conference Baseball League champions Philadelphia Diamonds and the 2nd place runner up's the New York Majestics. The thetwo teams had met up in the previous championship games the previous 4 years playing for the tournament championships with the Diamonds capturing the title the last 4 years and were now playing for the title in the new American Conference Baseball League.

Since the Diamonds came into existence playing baseball they had always won a championship and the Majestics were clamoring to displace the Diamonds and were doing some serious arrogant trash talking but that was not fazing the local team one bit and with the conference league’s top player Jayson Gannon leading the team, the Diamonds intended to

stay champions.

It was a very nice September day, the game was drawing much fan interest and the stands were filling up. It was time for the showdown. The Diamonds were relaxed and loose, but the Majestics were all pent up and ready for a major battle, and just raring to go

New York got off to a fast start and started hitting the usually efficient pitcher Snyder Mixson, by hitting the ball and running off to anearly 2 - 0 lead. Jayson Gannon started off with a double, finally scoring on Walter Summerall's double. The 1st inning ended with the Majestics leading 2 to 1.

The 2nd inning was not much different, with Snyder Mixson exhibiting unusual control troubles, continuing to get hit hard and the New Yorker’s Joe Adams slicing a single to score Jake Martin and adding another run to make the score in favor of the Majestics 3 to 1. The Bottom half of the 2nd inning saw both Richard Gregson and Clifford Qiundlen getting on base with singles. With 2 outs, Jayson Gannon lined his 2nd double of the game with 2 runs scoring, tying up the score 3 to 3.

The 3rd inning was not any better for Snyder Mixson, again being hit hard giving up hits and walking batters. To that point the usually sharp pitching Mixson had given up 5 runs, 7 hits and 3 walks. The score was now 5 to 3 and the Majestics were aggressively hitting the ball. In the bottom half of the 3rd inning, the situation was looking bleak, for the middle of the batting order, Matthew Phillips, Paul Williamson, Walter Summerall, Marshal Garrison and Rance Herman were providing little if any hitting support with the best hitters in baseball, just plain whiffing. By the end of the 3rd had already accumulated 4 strikeouts and 3 ground outs.

 On to the 4th inning, Snyder Mixson was finally getting it together, just giving up a lead off single to Dave Wyck, limiting the damage that had already been done. 

The bottom of the 4th inning Richard Gregson and Clifford Quindlen got on base, both hitting singles again. With 2 outs once more, Jayson Gannon struck once more with his 3rd double, scoring Gregson and Quindlen, and once again tying up the game, and with the inning ending, the score was 5 to 5.

In the top half of the 5th inning Snyder Mixson’s troubles continued and he proceeded to give up singles and doubles, with Joe Adams being a thorn in his side, batting in a run, then scoring on ray Haines’s single. The top half of the 5th inning ended with the Majestics taking a 7 to 5 lead.

In the bottom of the 5th inning the Diamonds middle of the batting order woes continued, pitcher Willie Porter making the American Conference League best hitters look so very anemic. The 5th inning ended with the Majestics leading 7 to 5.

The Majestics started rolling along again in top of the 6th inning, Russell Fields doubled in George Douglas and by the end of the top half of the 6th inning the Majestics had taken an 8 to 5 lead, with Snyder Mixson still having

Control troubles.

The bottom of the 6th inning, the dependable Gregson and Quindlen once again hit consecutive singles, Raul Glick pinch hitting for Snyder Mixson struck out. Once again Jayson Gannon came to the plate and right off hit his 4th double of the game with 2 more runs scoring. The 6th inning ended with the score Majestics 8, the Diamonds 7.

As the 7th inning started the Majestics were becoming very self assured and cocky in their demeanor. The field manager Matthew Phillips noticed this and told his players to just stay with their normal play. Also Phillips changed pitchers, taking out Snyder Mixson and bringing in Raul Glick. Uncharacterisitically Snyder Mixson only pitched 6 innings giving up 13 hits, walking 4 and allowing 8 runs.

The change helped, in the top half of the 7th inning the New Yorkers could not put a dent into Raul Glick. After walking the 1st batter he proceded to get the side out without any damage.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, the middle of the batting order continued to have their problems. With New York switching pitchers, they brought in Hal Watson and he just allowed a bloop single by Marshal Garrison, otherwise again they went down quietly. The 7th inning being the only inning up to then where no runs were by either side.

The top of the 8th inning once again the Majestics went down quietly and Raul Glick was in command of his pitches causing the visiting New Yorkers to become even more cocky. Matthew Phillips said "Just ignore them and play your game just like we have all season".

The bottom half of the 8th inning got off to a good start with Gregson and Quindlen once again getting on base with consecutive singles, with Raul Glick popping out, Jayson Gannon once again came up and delivered his 5th double with 2 more runs coming in, accounting for 8 rbi’s in the game. And with the inning ending the Diamonds had a 9 to 8 lead going into the top half of the 9th inning.

With the top of the 9th inning starting the New Yorkers were showing much frustration being behind 9 to 8. Jake Martin lead off, just barely beating out an infield single. After that a pop up and then a ground out. Ray Haines came up, ran up a full count, then weakly popped up for the last out which Jayson Gannon caught, sealing the win and the championship for the Diamonds.

The Majestics left the field angerilly having lost another Championship game to their rivals, the Diamonds, who were on the field celebrating to the cheering of their loyal fans in the stands. Hoisting up and carrying him on their shoulders the hero of the game Jayson Gannon who won the game single handedly with 5 doubles and 8 runs batted in, undoubtedly was the player of the game.

In just a few short weeks and months Jayson who was just 16 years old had become the star player, helped win a championship and became a legend around the game of baseball and elsewhere.

(C) 2019