Senators '99: A Team of Destiny and History

Senators ’99:
A Team of Destiny and History

by Rich Mauch

The Count was 3-2. Bottom of the ninth. Down by three. Who would have thought that the Senators’ season would come down to this … Perhaps more fittingly, who would’ve thought that when it did, the Senators could pull it off? Wasn’t it just a few months ago that the Senators were struggling to make the playoffs, keeping local sports fans anxious over not whether they’d come back from a four-run deficit in the championship game, but whether they’d actually pack it up and call it a season before the playoffs even began, whether they’d become the first team in four years to close the gates of RiverSide Stadium and give up the trophy uncontested? Weren’t these the haunting questions that filled our minds throughout the spring?

How quickly tides have changed. In the course of one game, in the stroke of one swing, the 1999 edition of the Harrisburg Senators guaranteed that one of the best sports franchises in the country calls good ol’ Harrisburg home.

The Harrisburg Senators just completed a season that saw them win their fourth straight Eastern League championship. I don’t think many teams can make the claim in the history of sports. Two titles, yeah. Three, rarely. But four? You’ve got to be kidding me! If you didn’t follow the Senators for the whole season, you would probably think that they dominated every other team in the league and had no trouble winning another title. Well, let me tell you, you couldn’t be more wrong.

So, for all of you who didn’t follow the team throughout the season, here’s my up-to-the-minute review.

The season started out with much fanfare, of course, celebrating the fact that the Senators had won three titles in a row. Anywhere you looked in Riverside Stadium, you couldn’t get away from the marketing department’s motto of “Go 4-4!” Then something funny happened, the Harrisburg Senators, the dynasty, had been replaced by a bunch of little leaguers. The team couldn’t win a game if they tried, losing their first six, and eventually 27 of the first 44 games. They couldn’t hit, couldn’t pitch — even the most elementary parts of the game were a task to them. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the bottom fell out of the Senators’ ship. Their manager, Doug Sisson, left the team for personal reasons, leaving the fans — and the team — in a flurry of whispers and confusion.

With the team scrambling for a manager, they turned back the clock to last year, and brought back Rick Sweet, last year’s manager. Less than two weeks later, just when the dust was beginning to settle, Sisson realized that he did, in fact, want to manage the club, leaving college ball in sunny Georgia and promptly asking for his team back. Naturally, the turn of events was greeted by chaos within the organization, raising questions about who should manage the team — someone who led them to a title less than a year ago, or someone who walked away from the team, only to come back after he thought it over. In the end, Doug Sisson was handed his job back and an emotional Sweet had to walk away.

After all of this turmoil, sitting in last place, with players being called up to Triple A, the Senators had a number of reasons to just play out the rest of the season, and not bother themselves with a fourth straight title… That is when the 1999 version of the Senators showed me something what they were lacking, something that the previous three championship teams had — heart. The word ‘heart’ means the world in sports, and, in certain instances, it can win out over talent. So, after 94 games and a record of 47-47, the Senators had begun to turn the season around — but their work was far from over. The Harrisburg Senators were still well out of the playoff picture.

The Senators continued their surge through the standings, with every part of their game clicking. Great pitching was provided by Jake Westbrook and Tony Armas Jr. Whenever the team needed a clutch hit to spark a rally or drive runs in, Carlos Adolfo and Finals MVP Jason Camilli seemed to come through. Milton Bradley (whom the Expos are currently drooling over) was stellar both at the plate — batting .329 for the season — and on the field, making numerous outfield assists. Every team needs power in their lineup, and the Senators definitely had that in Andy Tracy, who swatted 37 home runs into the nights across the northeast this season. The Senators finished the season on a 31-19 run, barely making it into the playoffs.

Harrisburg’s club opened the playoffs against division-winner Erie and took them out in 4 games. A championship series with Norwich was next.

I’ll jump to Game 4 of that series, when all seemed lost for the Senators. Although the club rallied to win 10-9, setting up a deciding Game 5 in Harrisburg, no one knew what the outcome would be … although the shouts of “Go 4-4!” were still being heard.

So, on a rainy September night on the island, in a game that seemed poetic about the Senators’ season, the Senators got off to a bad start, came back, fell behind, and found themselves trailing Norwich 11-8 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The bases were loaded for Milton Bradley, and on a three ball-two strike count, the unbelievable happened. Bradley crushed a line-drive shot through the raindrops and over the right center field, winning the championship for the Senators. The Senators’ Brad Wilkerson summed it up best, “It’s the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen.“ I have to agree with Wilkerson on that one. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in the ballpark that was hoping for Bradley to hit a grand slam, but, like the others, I knew that the odds of that happening were slim to none —just not for this team, as it turns out.

Manager Doug Sisson thought it was the stuff dreams are made of. “That’s what you dream about in the backyard playing wiffle ball,” he said, recounting an image acted out by many a young batter in their backyard.

One of the best moments in sports is watching a team celebrate when they win a championship — it gives me chills. Even though it was raining steadily, most of the Senators ran up and down the first and third base lines giving fans hi-fives and celebrating with the crowd. As I looked for the hero of the game, though, I spotted him in the place he is most comfortable, in the center field of RiverSide Stadium. Milton Bradley had tears in his eyes.

Congratulations to Bradley and the rest of the Senators organization. My rain-soaked hat is off to you, the team that evolved from little leaguers to big leaguers in the span of one season.

By the way, is it to early to start talking about “The Drive for Five”?

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