Ruth's homer in bottom of ninth gives Seaview 7-6 win in World Series opener

Bambino's blast mirrors league playoff heroics

Seaview, Wash. — Babe Ruth led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run off Trevor Hoffman, giving the Seaview Artisans a 7-6 win over the Fremont Rockets in the first game of the Century League World Series.

Ruth pulled a similar feat in the opener of Seaview's best-of-three playoff for the ACL pennant, winning game one with a grand slam off Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the 12th.

"He ain't afraid of these sissy closers," said Seaview manager Miller Huggins.

Huggins was in a foul mood about bullpens because his starter, Urban Shocker, was thrown out of the game after hitting Fremont's Craig Biggio with a pitch leading off the top of the seventh, the third batter he'd plunked in the game. Seaview led 4-2 at the time.

"He wasn't trying to bean the guy," Huggins fumed. "Hell, that Biggio just leans over the plate and tries to get hit. Sucker deserves it."

Carl Mays came on in relief and got out of the seventh OK, and when Mickey Cochrane hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-2, things looked pretty good for Seaview.

But Mays lost it in the eighth, walking Barry Bonds leading off the inning, and Jeff Bagwell follwed with infield hit deep into the hole at short. Sammy Sosa bounced into a double play and Huggins breathed easier. But Matt Williams tripled to plate Bonds, and Mike Piazza hit his second homer of the game to make it 5-4. Biggio grounded a single to right. Then Gary Sheffield, batting for Rod Beck, doubled down the left field line, sending Biggio to third.

That was it for Mays, who was replaced on the mound by Ed Rommell. Cochrane, though, committed a passed ball to allow Biggio to score the tying run before Rommell struck out Barry Larkin looking to end the eighth.

Hoffman came on and, after walking Willie Kamm to start the eighth, retired the next three batters. Sherry Smith pitched the ninth for Seaview, walking Larry Walker to start the frame, but getting Bonds, Bagwell and Sosa on a couple of pop-ups and a whiff. That set up Ruth for the winning shot off Hoffman in the ninth.

"Hell's bells," said Fremont manager Bobby Cox. "These closers will break your heart."

Harry Heilmann was the hitting star for Seaview, going 4-for-5 and scoring twice.

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