2005 Arizona Fall League Championship Game Recap

by Jack Magruder
November 13, 2005

PHOENIX--Phoenix proved itself the best team in the Arizona Fall League from first pitch to last.

The Desert Dogs used two home runs from Matt Kemp (Dodgers) and one each from Andy LaRoche (Dodgers) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Braves) to win the 14th Fall League championship with a 9-3 victory over the Surprise Scorpions at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Saturday.

Phoenix (23-10) won nine of its first 11 games and never trailed in its division.

The Desert Dogs led the league in both hitting (.309 batting average) and pitching (4.68 ERA).

"It's the easiest gig I've ever had," Phoenix manager Scott Little (Pirates) said. "There is no secret that when you end up with the best hitting and the best pitching what's probably going to happen at the end. It was proven here today.

"These guys have been a joy to be around every day. To see the chemistry that was developed the first week . . . it was unbelievable."

Kemp hit a two-out bases empty home run down the left field line to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning to help Jamie Shields, whose ERA fell to 1.74.

The next batter, Stephen Drew (Diamondbacks), reached when center fielder Josh Anderson (Astros) lost his short pop fly in the sun for a double, and LaRoche followed with a homer down the line in right. It was his first home run since Aug. 20.

Kemp homered to center field to start a five-run eighth inning that also included a two-run homer by catcher Saltalamacchia (Braves).

Saltalamacchia is one of 19 AFL players heading to play for Team USA in a six-team Olympic qualifying tournament to be played in the Phoenix area Nov. 15-19. The four top finishers will be participate in the regional qualifier in Havana, Cuba in 2006.

Kemp, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, batted .383-3-16 in the Fall League after going .306-27-90 at high Class A Vero Beach in the summer season. He was a sixth-round pick in 2003 out of Midwest City (Okla.) High.

"Nothing Matt Kemp does surprises me," said Little, who managed at Vero Beach the last two seasons before recently accepting a job with Pittsburgh.

"It (power) came at the right time," said Kemp, who spent the season living with Milwaukee infielder Junior Spivey, another native Oklahoman.

Surprise shortstop Brandon Wood (Angels), who set a fall league record with 14 home runs, doubled and scored the Scorpions' first run in the seventh. He singled in Howie Kendrick in the ninth.