Forgive the headline as the NHL lockout has completed its first full day. With pro hockey’s third work stoppage in 20 years, who knows when the term hat trick will be used again. The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Minor League affiliates scored baseball’s equivalent of a hat trick this weekend. Single A Missoula Osprey and Double A Mobile Bay Bears won their league championships on Friday. Last night, Triple A’s Reno Aces made it 3 for 3. The D-Backs’ top farm club defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers 8-2 to capture the Pacific Coast League Championship.
Pacific Coast League MVP Adam Eaton was in Arizona by the time the Reno Aces started their playoff run that resulted in winning the league championship. Image: Rick Scuteri-US PRESSWIRE
Reno posted a club record 81 wins this season and featured a loaded roster that included star pitchers Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs as well as outfielder and PCL MVP Adam Eaton. The Aces gained sole possession of first place on May 25th and never looked back. Perhaps what makes this title so remarkable is that Bauer was called up to the Majors for about three weeks and then Skaggs and Eaton missed both the end of the regular season and the entire playoff stretch. It shows just how much talent there is through the Arizona organization. After beating the Sacramento River Cats in five games for the Pacific Conference title, the Aces won the league title defeating the Storm Chasers three games to one. Outfielder AJ Pollock, the team’s first round pick in the 2009 draft and the current #7 prospect in the organization according to mlb.com was named the Series MVP. Like Bauer, Skaggs and Eaton, Pollock also spent part of the season in Arizona. Next up for Reno is the Triple A National Championship game against the Pawtucket Red Sox.
While the Arizona Diamondbacks will not be singing “We are the Champions” at the end of October, the organization must be happy that plenty of people in their farm system will be humming that epic Queen song. May some of that championship dust be rubbed off on the big club in October 2013.
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