News
Sandberg's Smokies reach Finals
Win three straight games to get into championship
By Paige Schector / MLB.com
09/13/09 5:49 PM ET
All season long, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg's Tennessee Smokies have been learning from him. Now he's learning about them.He's discovered his young squad's ability to battle back during its Southern League semifinals series, which the Smokies ended by winning their third straight game, 3-1, over the Huntsville Stars on Sunday afternoon.
"These guys have been knocked down a couple of times this year, they always come fighting back," Sandberg said. "At one point this season, we were 13 games under .500. Now we're going to the Championship Series. I just keep getting more impressed with this group of guys every week."
Tennessee turned to Hung-Wen Chen, the same pitcher who sealed up the Southern League North Division crown for the Smokies on Sept. 6, to get the job done. Although slowed by a sinus infection, the righty tossed five one-hit innings with four strikeouts and three walks for the win.
"He seems to have a knack for that," Sandberg said. "Chen was a little under the weather the past couple of days. He gave us what he had to offer."
Chen and about a quarter of the team were bothered by sinus infections, Sandberg said. But they battled back again in the seventh inning Sunday. The Stars tied the game on Steffan Wilson's homer in the top of the frame, but the Smokies posted two more with Starlin Castro's RBI single and an error by second baseman Zelous Wheeler in the bottom half.
"There's just no die in them," the manager said. "When they get their backs up against the wall, they come out fighting and get the job done. ... The guys played like champions."
Brian Schlitter, who had 22 saves in the regular season and hasn't given up a run since Aug. 20, shut the door in all three of Tennessee's semifinal victories.
"He's on a nice roll," Sandberg said. "He's definitely taken up the role of closer."
Although the Hall of Fame second baseman has a young group of players, he's quick to note that the core of them won the Florida State League championship for Class A Advanced Daytona last season and also played for Sandberg in Class A Peoria the year before.
And they're starting to enjoy the taste of champagne.
"That's something that never gets old," Sandberg said, who specifically impressed upon his charges that as a group they had a chance to do something special. "You want to remember what that feels like because ultimately that's what it is all about. It doesn't happen every year to a team."
Paige Schector is an editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
