The Good Guys, having played more than 145 games of their schedule, and already having clinched the division title, embarked on their last road trip of the year. They went to Washington, Philadelphia, and Cincinnatti, winning two of three in Washington, before losing two of three in Cincinnatti. They returned home, for a final six game homestand, against the Mets and Atlanta, in which they split six games, losing on the season's final regular season day, which was meaningless.
The playoffs began on a Tuesday afternoon against the wild card Atlanta Braves. Kate Hudson, as always, was on the hill for Game One. She pitched a fine game, allowing but one run in six innings. The Good Guys bats did the rest, and got her five runs, as the team came away with an opening game 5-2 win. Gil Bellows was on the mound for Game Two. He, too, twirled a very decent game, allowing but two runs in six innings. Again the bats were booming, scoring six times, as the team claimed a relatively easy 6-2 victory, to put themselves one win from the Championship Series.
After an off day on Thursday, the teams met in Atlanta for Game Three on Friday night. Charlize Theron was the starter, and the Braves, fighting for their lives, crushed her, scoring eight runs in the first two innings, to secure a 9-2 triumph. Kate Hudson got the ball again for Game Four, a game that was over early, as the Good Guys scored five runs in the first inning, and quieted a large Turner Field crowd, as they finished off the Braves, with a 7-4 triumph, to earn themselves a date with the Mets in the Championship Series that Tuesday night, beginning in Paradise.
On Tuesday night, the Good Guys and Mets hooked up in Game One of the Championship Series. Gil Bellows took the ball, and he was great, allowing one run over seven innings, as the Good Guys scored but three, which turned out to be enough, in a 3-1 win. Charlize Theron pitched Game Two on Wednesday night. The Good Guys scored four runs in the opening inning, and never looked back, running away to a 5-0 win over the Mets, to take a two game to none lead, and put the team halfway to another World Series.
After the off day, the teams met at Shea Stadium in New York on Friday night. Neve Campbell was on the hill, as the Good Guys opted to go with four starters in the series. She pitched well, but lost, 3-2, as the Mets got their first win of the series. Kate Hudson took her first start of the series on Saturday night, matched up against Pedro Martinez. The Good Guys got but one run that night, but one turned out to be enough, as they prevailed, 1-0, to perch themselves one win from the Series. Game Five was no contest, as Tom Glavine fired a shutout, and Bellows was not sharp, allowing five runs, in a 5-0 Good Guy defeat.
A sellout crowd showed up on Tuesday night, to cheer their heroes on to what everyone hoped would be another National League title. Charlize Theron would try to bring it to them. She was fine, allowing but one run over seven innings. The bullpen did the rest, and Hilary Duff threw a third strike past Met slugger Carlos Delgado in the ninth, as the Good Guys claimed the National League Championship, 4-1, over the Mets.
The National League Champion Good Guys flew to New York on Friday, to begin the World Series against their old foes, the Yankees, on Saturday night. With 50,000 Yankees faithful screaming their heads off, the Good Guys put a dent in the crowd's mood early on, scoring four runs in the first inning, and ten overall, as Kate Hudson pitched six innings, allowing only one run, in what would be a 10-2 laugher. Gil Bellows pitched Game Two on Sunday night, and allowed absolutely nothing, giving up but two hits to the vaunted Yankee offense over eight innings, as the Good Guys hit four solo home runs, and walked away with a 4-0 win, to put themselves halfway to the title.
After an off day on Monday, the teams met in Paradise for Game Three on Tuesday night. The crowd was beserk, smelling blood, sure that their heroes could finish the Yankees on the home field, so everyone could witness another celebration. Charlize Theron was on the mound on Tuesday night, and, if such was possible in the World Series, the team looked flat, as Yankee starter Chin Min Wang put the Good Guys down with relative ease, claiming a 5-2 win. Now, the pressure shifted a bit to the Good Guys spectrum. Kate would pitch again in Game Four on three days rest, to be ready for Game Seven, if needed, a game the Good Guys hoped they wouldnt have to play, with having been up two games to none in the series, and still holding a two game to one edge in the World Series. Things started absolutely rosy for Paradise, as they bashed Yankee starter Randy Johnson for six runs early. The Good Guys had a 6-0 lead early, before the Yankees cut it in half to 6-3 by the seventh inning. In the eighth, manager Sniderman, instead of entrusting his other relievers, wanted to try and throw down the hammer on the series early, and so he brought in his closer, Hilary Duff, to pitch two innings, and hopefully put the Good Guys one win from the promised land. Duff allowed a walk, a cheap hit, and then got two outs. With two out and two on, and a two strike count, she tried to finish Yankee catcher Jorge Posada with a slider. It was the pitch that would turn the World Series. Posada swung, and lifted a booming fly ball, that carried into the picnic pavillion of the park, over the right center field fence, to tie the contest at six all. The crowd, and the team, were stunned. They were four outs from hammering down the series, and now the game was tied. The game moved into extra innings, where, in the tenth, the Yankees scored another run, and Mr Automatic, Mariano Rivera did the rest, in a stunning 7-6 Yankee win, to tie the series at two games apiece. Now, the Good Guys, after having ultimate dreams in their heads, would not only be in a must win situation in Game Five in Paradise, but, even if they won, would have to fly back to Yankee Stadium, to try and close out the Yankees in New York. Gil Bellows pitched Game Five for Paradise, with the crowd screaming their heads off, and he allowed but one run. One, as it turned out, would be the loneliest number for the Good Guys, like the famous song, as the deflated Paradise Islanders, after having blown a six run lead the night before, got absolutely nothing offensively, in what would be a 1-0 loss, to give the Yankees their first series lead. The Paradise Islanders boarded the plane to New York on Friday, facing insurmontable odds. Only one team, the 1996 Atlanta Braves, had ever done what Paradise did, and lost three straight World Series games on their home field, after having won the first two so convincingly on the road. Charlize was on the mound at Yankee Stadium for Game Six. The crowd was bedlam, wanting their Yankee heroes to finish off the improbable comeback against the Good Guys. The Yankees scored one run each in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Paradise scratched one in the sixth, and another in the seventh. Leading 3-2, the Yankees brought on Rivera for the ninth. After a pop up, and a ground ball, Mitch was the last hope. He was down in the count two strikes, and then, swung through strike three, to end what had been an excruciating World Series for the Paradise Island Good Guys. Just six days earlier, they had celebrated two dominant victories over the Yankees on the same field, and now, with New York, New York, blaring in the background, and 57,000 Yankees faithful shouting their heads off, they stood on that field, stunned, having claimed little else than the National League title. The team was shocked, stunned, and devestated. The press, of course, wanted story in the Good Guy clubhouse. After keeping the clubhouse door closed for 15 minutes after the final pitch, Mitch came out to speak to the media. "I have to give the Yankees credit, they were down after the first two games here, and they fought back. As for us, hindsight is 20/20. I dont want to take anything away from the Yankees, because they truly deserved this, but we had our chances, and could not close the deal, especially in Game Four with blowing the six run lead, that was the turning point in the series. I congratulate the Yankees, accept the National League title, and hope to come back next year, for a rematch with them, and to stand here as the World Champions again at that time."
After the Good Guys arrived in Paradise on Saturday night, the next day seemed like a blur. At first, no one wanted to leave their apartments, humiliated at the outcome, especially with losing three straight World Series games at Good Guy stadium. There was speculation that Sniderman was going to lose his job, shop talk that was quickly cleared up by Alan, as he went to the Good Guy flagship station, and went on as a guest. "No one is getting fired. This was a very, very difficult loss, no doubt, maybe one of our most difficult, because of the three losses at our field, and the two game to none lead, but, the Braves did it, and came back to fight and make the playoffs the next year, and so will we. It will hurt for a while, but this ballclub has the heart of a lion, with all our championships. We will overcome." Alan said confidently.
In the meantime, to try and take their minds off of the horrid loss, the team gathered for one last tickle party, before everyone scattered for the winter, on Sunday night, at the fetish club. The featured lee would be the team's male radio announcer, who had the painful job of making the final call of the season, announcing the Yankees as champions, and now, with the team in a decidedly non tickling mood with each other, they decided that he had to be the night's punishment victim. The radio announcer was tied hands and feet to the bed in his boxer shorts, in the middle of the fetish club. Kate Hudson began the tickle on his neck with fingers, as his head shifted from side to side, and the laughter began:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! NO! Moving down, Naomi was next, tickling the radio announcer on his underarms, down his sides, on his belly, and in his ribs with fingers, as more howls erupted:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT TICKLES! NOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Working down, Charlize was the next tickler, attacking the announcer on his hips, inner thighs, and behind his knees with fingers, causing his legs to jerk and buck. Finally, Neve Campbell was the last tickler, perching herself at the soles of his feet. She attacked his feet with fingers, a feather, ice, and an electric toothbrush over his soles and toes. The radio guy went beserk, he wiggled his toes every which way, and howled with laughter, begging for mercy:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG PLEASE NO MORE! I CANT STAND IT! I GIVE UP! NOOOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Finally, the tickle ended, and the exhausted radio guy was untied.
So, another season had come to an end for the Good Guys. It might have been the most difficult one ever, holding a two game to none lead in the Series after bashing the Yankees in New York, and then holding a huge lead in Game Four in Paradise,and not being able to close the deal. If they had won Game Four, the outcome would likely have been far different in the series, and the team probably would have celebrated it's second title in a row. Alas, it didnt happen, and ultimate disappointment was on the menu, but, they would come back to fight next year, and, perhaps, there would be a title in the next year, the next year in the always continuing story of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
The playoffs began on a Tuesday afternoon against the wild card Atlanta Braves. Kate Hudson, as always, was on the hill for Game One. She pitched a fine game, allowing but one run in six innings. The Good Guys bats did the rest, and got her five runs, as the team came away with an opening game 5-2 win. Gil Bellows was on the mound for Game Two. He, too, twirled a very decent game, allowing but two runs in six innings. Again the bats were booming, scoring six times, as the team claimed a relatively easy 6-2 victory, to put themselves one win from the Championship Series.
After an off day on Thursday, the teams met in Atlanta for Game Three on Friday night. Charlize Theron was the starter, and the Braves, fighting for their lives, crushed her, scoring eight runs in the first two innings, to secure a 9-2 triumph. Kate Hudson got the ball again for Game Four, a game that was over early, as the Good Guys scored five runs in the first inning, and quieted a large Turner Field crowd, as they finished off the Braves, with a 7-4 triumph, to earn themselves a date with the Mets in the Championship Series that Tuesday night, beginning in Paradise.
On Tuesday night, the Good Guys and Mets hooked up in Game One of the Championship Series. Gil Bellows took the ball, and he was great, allowing one run over seven innings, as the Good Guys scored but three, which turned out to be enough, in a 3-1 win. Charlize Theron pitched Game Two on Wednesday night. The Good Guys scored four runs in the opening inning, and never looked back, running away to a 5-0 win over the Mets, to take a two game to none lead, and put the team halfway to another World Series.
After the off day, the teams met at Shea Stadium in New York on Friday night. Neve Campbell was on the hill, as the Good Guys opted to go with four starters in the series. She pitched well, but lost, 3-2, as the Mets got their first win of the series. Kate Hudson took her first start of the series on Saturday night, matched up against Pedro Martinez. The Good Guys got but one run that night, but one turned out to be enough, as they prevailed, 1-0, to perch themselves one win from the Series. Game Five was no contest, as Tom Glavine fired a shutout, and Bellows was not sharp, allowing five runs, in a 5-0 Good Guy defeat.
A sellout crowd showed up on Tuesday night, to cheer their heroes on to what everyone hoped would be another National League title. Charlize Theron would try to bring it to them. She was fine, allowing but one run over seven innings. The bullpen did the rest, and Hilary Duff threw a third strike past Met slugger Carlos Delgado in the ninth, as the Good Guys claimed the National League Championship, 4-1, over the Mets.
The National League Champion Good Guys flew to New York on Friday, to begin the World Series against their old foes, the Yankees, on Saturday night. With 50,000 Yankees faithful screaming their heads off, the Good Guys put a dent in the crowd's mood early on, scoring four runs in the first inning, and ten overall, as Kate Hudson pitched six innings, allowing only one run, in what would be a 10-2 laugher. Gil Bellows pitched Game Two on Sunday night, and allowed absolutely nothing, giving up but two hits to the vaunted Yankee offense over eight innings, as the Good Guys hit four solo home runs, and walked away with a 4-0 win, to put themselves halfway to the title.
After an off day on Monday, the teams met in Paradise for Game Three on Tuesday night. The crowd was beserk, smelling blood, sure that their heroes could finish the Yankees on the home field, so everyone could witness another celebration. Charlize Theron was on the mound on Tuesday night, and, if such was possible in the World Series, the team looked flat, as Yankee starter Chin Min Wang put the Good Guys down with relative ease, claiming a 5-2 win. Now, the pressure shifted a bit to the Good Guys spectrum. Kate would pitch again in Game Four on three days rest, to be ready for Game Seven, if needed, a game the Good Guys hoped they wouldnt have to play, with having been up two games to none in the series, and still holding a two game to one edge in the World Series. Things started absolutely rosy for Paradise, as they bashed Yankee starter Randy Johnson for six runs early. The Good Guys had a 6-0 lead early, before the Yankees cut it in half to 6-3 by the seventh inning. In the eighth, manager Sniderman, instead of entrusting his other relievers, wanted to try and throw down the hammer on the series early, and so he brought in his closer, Hilary Duff, to pitch two innings, and hopefully put the Good Guys one win from the promised land. Duff allowed a walk, a cheap hit, and then got two outs. With two out and two on, and a two strike count, she tried to finish Yankee catcher Jorge Posada with a slider. It was the pitch that would turn the World Series. Posada swung, and lifted a booming fly ball, that carried into the picnic pavillion of the park, over the right center field fence, to tie the contest at six all. The crowd, and the team, were stunned. They were four outs from hammering down the series, and now the game was tied. The game moved into extra innings, where, in the tenth, the Yankees scored another run, and Mr Automatic, Mariano Rivera did the rest, in a stunning 7-6 Yankee win, to tie the series at two games apiece. Now, the Good Guys, after having ultimate dreams in their heads, would not only be in a must win situation in Game Five in Paradise, but, even if they won, would have to fly back to Yankee Stadium, to try and close out the Yankees in New York. Gil Bellows pitched Game Five for Paradise, with the crowd screaming their heads off, and he allowed but one run. One, as it turned out, would be the loneliest number for the Good Guys, like the famous song, as the deflated Paradise Islanders, after having blown a six run lead the night before, got absolutely nothing offensively, in what would be a 1-0 loss, to give the Yankees their first series lead. The Paradise Islanders boarded the plane to New York on Friday, facing insurmontable odds. Only one team, the 1996 Atlanta Braves, had ever done what Paradise did, and lost three straight World Series games on their home field, after having won the first two so convincingly on the road. Charlize was on the mound at Yankee Stadium for Game Six. The crowd was bedlam, wanting their Yankee heroes to finish off the improbable comeback against the Good Guys. The Yankees scored one run each in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Paradise scratched one in the sixth, and another in the seventh. Leading 3-2, the Yankees brought on Rivera for the ninth. After a pop up, and a ground ball, Mitch was the last hope. He was down in the count two strikes, and then, swung through strike three, to end what had been an excruciating World Series for the Paradise Island Good Guys. Just six days earlier, they had celebrated two dominant victories over the Yankees on the same field, and now, with New York, New York, blaring in the background, and 57,000 Yankees faithful shouting their heads off, they stood on that field, stunned, having claimed little else than the National League title. The team was shocked, stunned, and devestated. The press, of course, wanted story in the Good Guy clubhouse. After keeping the clubhouse door closed for 15 minutes after the final pitch, Mitch came out to speak to the media. "I have to give the Yankees credit, they were down after the first two games here, and they fought back. As for us, hindsight is 20/20. I dont want to take anything away from the Yankees, because they truly deserved this, but we had our chances, and could not close the deal, especially in Game Four with blowing the six run lead, that was the turning point in the series. I congratulate the Yankees, accept the National League title, and hope to come back next year, for a rematch with them, and to stand here as the World Champions again at that time."
After the Good Guys arrived in Paradise on Saturday night, the next day seemed like a blur. At first, no one wanted to leave their apartments, humiliated at the outcome, especially with losing three straight World Series games at Good Guy stadium. There was speculation that Sniderman was going to lose his job, shop talk that was quickly cleared up by Alan, as he went to the Good Guy flagship station, and went on as a guest. "No one is getting fired. This was a very, very difficult loss, no doubt, maybe one of our most difficult, because of the three losses at our field, and the two game to none lead, but, the Braves did it, and came back to fight and make the playoffs the next year, and so will we. It will hurt for a while, but this ballclub has the heart of a lion, with all our championships. We will overcome." Alan said confidently.
In the meantime, to try and take their minds off of the horrid loss, the team gathered for one last tickle party, before everyone scattered for the winter, on Sunday night, at the fetish club. The featured lee would be the team's male radio announcer, who had the painful job of making the final call of the season, announcing the Yankees as champions, and now, with the team in a decidedly non tickling mood with each other, they decided that he had to be the night's punishment victim. The radio announcer was tied hands and feet to the bed in his boxer shorts, in the middle of the fetish club. Kate Hudson began the tickle on his neck with fingers, as his head shifted from side to side, and the laughter began:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! NO! Moving down, Naomi was next, tickling the radio announcer on his underarms, down his sides, on his belly, and in his ribs with fingers, as more howls erupted:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT TICKLES! NOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Working down, Charlize was the next tickler, attacking the announcer on his hips, inner thighs, and behind his knees with fingers, causing his legs to jerk and buck. Finally, Neve Campbell was the last tickler, perching herself at the soles of his feet. She attacked his feet with fingers, a feather, ice, and an electric toothbrush over his soles and toes. The radio guy went beserk, he wiggled his toes every which way, and howled with laughter, begging for mercy:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG PLEASE NO MORE! I CANT STAND IT! I GIVE UP! NOOOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Finally, the tickle ended, and the exhausted radio guy was untied.
So, another season had come to an end for the Good Guys. It might have been the most difficult one ever, holding a two game to none lead in the Series after bashing the Yankees in New York, and then holding a huge lead in Game Four in Paradise,and not being able to close the deal. If they had won Game Four, the outcome would likely have been far different in the series, and the team probably would have celebrated it's second title in a row. Alas, it didnt happen, and ultimate disappointment was on the menu, but, they would come back to fight next year, and, perhaps, there would be a title in the next year, the next year in the always continuing story of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
