MWL Playoffs tonight

Game Ones in the East:

West Michigan @ South Bend 5:30pm CDT

Here are three stories from The Grand Rapids Press as the Whitecaps go for three titles in a row:

Whitecaps' Kibler ready for pressure of Game 1

Jon Kibler was the starting pitcher for the Oneonta Tigers, the Detroit Tigers' rookie team, in Game 1 of the New York-Penn League playoffs last season.

For the former Michigan State standout, it was his first season as a professional and arguably the biggest game of his career. He won.

The ball has been handed to the left-hander from Baltimore, Md., again. He'll be on the mound tonight in Game 1 of the Midwest League playoffs when the West Michigan Whitecaps face the South Bend Silver Hawks in a best-of-three first-round series.

Whitecaps have advantage against South Bend

After playing South Bend 24 times this regular season, the Whitecaps and the Silver Hawks know each other well. Tonight, the two will make acquaintances again in Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium, nicknamed the "Cove" by Silver Hawks fans.

It's been a second home to the Whitecaps this season. They're 10-6 this season in South Bend.

In a three-game series, Game 1 is huge. It will be a competitive series, one that likely will go the distance.

Whitecaps are underdogs in MWL playoff series

The West Michigan Whitecaps find themselves in familiar territory -- the Midwest League playoffs -- but in the unfamiliar role of underdogs as they seek their third consecutive league championship beginning tonight.

In 2006 and '07, the Whitecaps won titles as the favored team. But this year, they barely made it into the postseason with a second-place finish in the Eastern Division during the first half.

That makes their opening-round opponent, South Bend, the favorite by virtue of its better overall record and Eastern Division title in the second half.

So what?

For the Silver Hawk-centric version here is the South Bend Tribune:

Attitude key for Hawks’ rise

It looked like 2008 might be a season to forget for the South Bend Silver Hawks. Now, it might be one to remember.

“We started off having the worst team in baseball, but we stayed positive’’ — that’s how South Bend Silver Hawks manager Mark Haley looks back at the start of the Midwest League season.

Because of an 0-9 start that stretched to 2-14, the Silver Hawks spent most of the first half of the season in the Eastern Division basement.

But thanks mainly to a second half 25-10 road record, the Silver Hawks spent most of the second half of the season in the penthouse.

Haley said the Hawks focused on the fundamentals stressed by their parent organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lansing @ Dayton 6:00pm CDT

Here is the Lansing State Journal side of this series:

New goal: Midwest League title

Following Monday's regular-season finale, a 4-2 win against the South Bend Silver Hawks, the Lugnuts had to settle with 76 wins before beginning the organization's 10th playoff appearance in its 13-season history.

"We tried to win both halves, but we weren't able to get that done," first-year Lansing manager Clayton McCullough said. "We're all excited to be in the playoffs, though. I know the guys are looking forward to it."

And now from the Dayton Daily News:

If it's stats that matter, Dragons have the edge

Stats don't lie, but what's going on here?

The Dragons first-round best-of-three playoff series with Lansing features the Midwest League's best team ERA (Lansing, 3.05) vs. the league's worst (Dayton, 4.19).

Yet in each of the three games, the scheduled starter for the Dragons has a better record and ERA than his Lugnuts counterpart.

Game 1 Wednesday, Sept. 3, has Dayton's Jeremy Horst (8-2, 2.38 ERA) going against Marc Rzepczynski (7-6, 2.83), with the second game featuring Dayton's Enerio Del Rosario (5-2, 1.16) vs. Luis Perez (5-12, 3.60). If a third game is needed Friday, Dayton's starter is Luis Montano (12-8, 4.02) vs. Brian Letko (4-4, 4.14).

Horst calm heading into playoffs

Who is in the Midwest League playoffs?

Not always the players you'd expect.

Ty Howington was a No. 1 draft pick by the Reds, yet he pitched to only one batter (walking him) in the playoffs during the Dayton Dragons' first season, 2000.

Chris Gruler? Another No. 1 pick who lost his only playoff game.

Homer Bailey, another No. 1 pick? His Dragons team didn't even make the playoffs.

Tonight, Sept. 3, Jeremy Horst is the choice of the Dragons to pitch the first game against Lansing, and they held him back a day to put him in this position. Horst is 8-2 with a 2.38 ERA, and pitching coach Doug Bair calls him one of the best two lefties in the organization below Class AAA level.

Game Ones in the West:

Clinton @ Cedar Rapids 6:30pm CDT

Clinton Herald, what say you?

LumberKings prepare to take on Kernels in playoff opener

“They know what were going to do and we know what they’re going to do. Today we told the ball club who’s going to execute better is going to be the team that comes out top.” said Clinton manager Mike Micucci.

During the year the L-Kings have faced the Kernels a combined 18 times as they have earned the season series against them by compiling a record of 13-5.

And from the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

Winning in playoffs has nice ring to Kernels

"It's a great opportunity for us," said Kernels pitcher Esmerlin Jimenez, one of those [2007 Pioneer League] championship [Orem] Owlz. "This is the playoffs, everything else is done. We have to reset. It's the same ballgame, but this is more important. Every pitch, every at-bat, everything counts."

Kane County @ Burlington 6:30pm CDT

Can we hear from the Kane County Chronicle?

Berth earned in spring

While it was the first-half Cougars team that qualified for the Midwest League playoffs, the second-half crew will be responsible for any ssort of substantial postseason run.

The Cougars begin the postseason at 6:30 p.m. tonight, on the road, in the first game of a best-of-three series with Burlington. When they take the field, many of the key names that made the playoff appearance possible with a wild card berth in June will not be in uniform, nor have they been for some time now.

First-half ace and Midwest League Western Division starting pitcher Craig Italiano, slugging center fielder Corey Brown and No. 2 starter Scott Mitchinson have been promoted, leaving fellow All-Stars Larry Cobb, Greg Dowling and Jamie Richmond to navigate a ship that’s been off course at times since late June.

The Hawkeye in Burlington must be full of stories as the Bees make their first playoff appearance since 2002:

Playoff buzz for the Bees

After the first half the Bees had, a playoff appearance was the last thing on anyone's mind.

The Bees were in the cellar at the All-Star break with a 30-39 record. The Cougars were 39-29.

Burlington, though, came alive in the second half, and especially in August.

The Bees finished with the best record in the league in the second half at 43-26. They rolled through the final month with a 20-9 mark and added a victory Monday in the regular-season finale.

How did this team go from the cellar to the penthouse?

"It was a little bit of a combination of things," said Rupp. "The roster did change a bit and kind of settled more in the second half. I think it was just the overall experience the guys got in the first half and kind of figured it out more in the second half."

Peterson overcomes early disappointment

"The first game against Kane County he gave up about 12 home runs in the first outing, but then after that he's really done an outstanding job for us," said Bees pitching coach Doug Henry. "He's been probably the one guy all year who's probably solidified innings in the bullpen when we needed someone to mop up innings, to give us quality innings. Whatever we've needed, he's been the guy to do it for us all year long."
Peterson found his way to the bullpen after being a starter his entire career, including through college at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He even began this season as a starter, working with a piggyback partner. That is when he began his relief role.

The adjustment period has been easy as Peterson has had success from the beginning.

McCoy shows his true colors

"I just said the Burlington Bees mean a lot to me being from Burlington," McCoy said, "and if the Bees make the playoffs, I will get the Bees logo tattoo. The Bees made the playoffs and I got the Bees tattoo.

"A lot of people didn't think I'd do it, but now that I've got it done, a lot of people think it's really neat that I support the Bees and I'm excited about the Bees making it to the playoffs."

Bees vs. Kane County

Starting pitchers: Kane County left-hander Carlos Hernandez (5-0, 2.29 ERA) against Burlington right-hander Danny Gutierrez (4-4, 2.70).

If that isn't enough for you. There is also the milb.com Playoff page for the Midwest League.