WAKEFIELD — Three is typically the magic number when you want to use that word in sports.
Dominant eras like the Celtics of the ‘50s and ‘60s aside, think about the Patriots in the early 2000s. The second ring puts you a class all your own. The third? That’s a dynasty.
The Brewers made their dynasty in the Twi League official with an 8-1 victory in Game 3 of the Finals on Sunday night, completing a sweep of the Loafers for their third consecutive championship.
The Brew Crew finished the postseason with a perfect 5-0 record. Overall, they went 15-1-1 this season with a plus-71 run differential (121 runs for, 50 runs against) which certainly puts them in the conversation for the best season in Twi history.
Unsurprisingly, the Brewers put the ball in the hands of Colin Jaena who pitched the Finals clincher in each of the previous two seasons. The Loafers got on the board early with an unearned run in the 1st on Sunday.
And then, that was it.
Jaena got his third straight Finals clinching victory with a 66-pitch, complete-game gem in which he allowed no earned runs and surrendered just 2 hits and a walk.
The Loafers thought they had a 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a sac fly attempt but centerfielder Drew Betts started a great relay to Mike Fiore who threw a strike to catcher John Halsey for the out at the plate, sparking an argument from the Loaf that they wouldn’t win.
The Brewers capitalized on that momentum with a run in the bottom of the 2nd to tie the game. In the 3rd, with two outs, the bases loaded and a full count, Steve Morganelli ripped a 3-run single to give the Brewers the lead for good.
The Big Brew Machine, as they have all season, kept pouring it on with 2 more runs in the 4th and 2 more in the 6th to run away with it while Jaena locked down the Loafers.
The Brewer bats seemed to steal the show in their 5-0 postseason and especially in the Finals where they had seven players with a batting average of .400 or better: Jack Berinato (4-for-10), Halsey (5-for-12), Jaena (4-for-9), Morganelli (4-for-8), Matt Fiore (6-for-12), Chris Casey (6-for-12) and Brendan Casey (5-for-7).
But for all the mashing, the pitching and defense was just as impressive.
Jaena was the Game 1 winner as well in the Finals. The Game 2 winner was Chris Casey. The two of them pitched all 5 playoff games. It was a lights out, one-two punch that nobody could figure out.
All the while, the defense made plays, highlighted with their work up the middle, Halsey at catcher, Matt Fiore at short, Chris Casey or Jaena at 2nd and Betts in center. Plenty of strong plays were also made by Mike Fiore at first, Brendan Casey at 3rd and Chris Coombs in left.
Altogether, the Brewers had zero weaknesses and the type of depth that teams in the Twi League dream about.
The Brew Crew’s “Three-Peat” is the first in the league since 2007 when the last Twi dynasty, the Unknowns, won 7 in a row.
Yes, three in a row, that’s not just a no-doubt dynasty, that’s legend territory. And with it being the 30th year anniversary of the iconic movie, this sandlot Brewers team knows that heroes, sure they get remembered, but legends?
Well, they never die.
All fun aside, it’s best to conclude this Twi Season with a final remembrance of a true legend whose legacy will live on forever. The Twi League dedicated this 2023 season to Wakefield High and Twi League alum Paul Funk, Jr. who passed away in April. A standout in the Class of 1989, Funk went on to play baseball at UConn before starting a career as a beloved teacher and coach. Funk was the head football coach at Dennis Yarmouth where he turned a struggling program into a two-time Super Bowl champion. An athletic director and later a principal at DY, Funk’s impact on the community was extraordinary. The Twi League would like to send their support to the Funk family. Rest in peace, Paul.