truebluefan

Bricktown Showdown To Determine Triple-A Baseball Champion

Toledo, Ohio - Triple-A Baseball (International and Pacific Coast Leagues) today announced beginning this season an overall champion of the classification will once again be determined. On September 19 the International League's Governors' Cup Champion and the Pacific Coast League's Champion will meet in Oklahoma City's AT&T Bricktown Ballpark (home of the PCL's Oklahoma RedHawks) in a one game winner-take-all championship game. The game will be carried live on ESPN2 and will be the first time an overall champion has been determined since the Las Vegas Triple-A World Series was held in 1998-2000.

In making the announcement, Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey, International League President Randy Mobley, and Oklahoma RedHawks Executive Director John Allgood thanked executives from the Minor League Baseball Office, the general managers of the 30 major league clubs as well as representatives of the Baseball Office of the Commissioner for their support and assistance in reestablishing a Triple-A championship event.

The two leagues will conclude their respective league championships on the weekend of September 15-17 and then travel to OKC for the Showdown. Oklahoma City and the RedHawks are no strangers to hosting special sporting events including record crowds for the Big 12 baseball tournament and the 2002 Triple-A All-Star Game that attracted 11,343 fans. The RedHawks drew a state record 542,000 fans in 2005 and are positioned to break that record in 2006.

"There could be no better venue for Triple-A Baseball to showcase its championship game than Bricktown Ballpark, said PCL president Branch Rickey. "We have every expectation that this event will develop and prosper just as the Triple-A All-Star Game has done in its 19 years of existence." Rickey continued, "While at this time the game itself has been approved by MLB for only one year, we look forward to the event continuing indefinitely and AT&T Bricktown Ballpark being a permanent home."

The outcome of tonight's All-Star Game will determine which league will serve as the home team in the inaugural Bricktown Showdown. The Pacific Coast League has won five of the eight Triple-A All-Star games since the league vs. league format was begun in 1998.

"Triple-A Baseball has been working to revive a Triple-A Championship since the cessation of the Triple-A World Series following the 2000 season," stated IL President Randy Mobley. "We could not be more excited to return a culminating event to the Triple-A Baseball schedule. This one-game winner-take-all format is not your traditional baseball playoff approach, but it should be fun for fans and players and create a special level of excitement geared toward a single night."

Tickets for the Bricktown Showdown - Triple-A Baseball's Winner-Take-All Championship Game - are available now and can be obtained by contacting the Oklahoma RedHawks at (405) 218-1000 or visiting OklahomaRedHawks.com.

Contacts: Laurie Gore, Oklahoma RedHawks (405) 218-1000

Chris Sprague, International League (614) 791-9300

Ryan Bevans, Pacific Coast League (719) 636-3399

THE LAS VEGAS TRIPLE-A WORLD SERIES

1998-2000

Prior to the 2006 Bricktown Showdown, the only postseason meetings between the Champions of the International and Pacific Coast Leagues took place from 1998-2000 at the Las Vegas Triple-A World Series.

1998 Las Vegas Triple-A World Series

New Orleans Zephyrs (PCL) 3, Buffalo Bisons (IL) 1

Game One: New Orleans 7, Buffalo 2

Game Two: Buffalo 9, New Orleans 2

Game Three: New Orleans 3, Buffalo 2

Game Four: New Orleans 12, Buffalo 6

MVP - Lance Berkman, OF, New Orleans

Other Key Patricipants: John Halama, Chris Truby, Darryl Ward - New Orleans

Torey Lovullo, Jeff Manto, Mike Matthews - Buffalo

1999 Las Vegas Triple-A World Series

Vancouver Canadians (PCL) 3, Charlotte Knights (IL) 2

Game One: Charlotte 6, Vancouver 5

Game Two: Vancouver 5, Charlotte 4

Game Three: Charlotte 4, Vancouver 2

Game Four: Vancouver 9, Charlotte 2

Game Five: Vancouver 16, Charlotte 2

MVP - Terrance Long, OF, Vancouver

Other Key Participants: Mark Mulder, Jose Ortiz, Barry Zito - Vancouver

Jeff Abbot, Jon Garland, Chad Mottola - Charlotte

2000 Triple-A World Series

Indianapolis Indians (IL) 3, Memphis Redbirds (PCL) 1

Game One: Indianapolis 8, Memphis 3

Game Two: Indianapolis 3, Memphis 2

Game Three: Memphis 11, Indianapolis 4

Game Four: Indianapolis 9, Memphis 2

MVP - Santiago Perez, SS, Indianapolis

Other Key Participants: Horacio Estrada, Lyle Mouton, Bob Scanlan - Indianapolis

Jason Karnuth, Albert Pujols, Bud Smith - Memphis