"The Throne" - Match-up Previews - Semi-Finals

Semi-Finals - Thursday, 9/6 - 7:15pm - Aviation Park - Field 2

(6) Grizzly Cubs (6-4) at (5) Turner Construction (9-1)
In a tournament that has been defined by the unexpected, no teams are bigger surprises than these two. Grizzly Cubs is taking full advantage of their second chance. They were not even in the tournament draw until both In Every Orphus and The Despicables withdrew. The Cubs were dominant in their first two tournament games and were the only Aviation Park based team to win a tournament game (much less advance to the final four). In the rain, they rolled past The Replacements in the first round game 12-5 and jumped out to a big lead against Scared Hitless and advanced 15-8. The first round win was the 100th victory for the Grizzly Cubs franchise.

In the Final Four they face another shocking team. Turner Construction started the season ranked 30th. They had not played since the fall 2006 season and they had an overall record of 4-11-1 in their first two seasons. The third season has been a remarkable turnaround. They shared the regular season division title in the Wednesday Frankie Allen league and knocked off two higher seeds to advance to the final four. In the first round they faced one of the legendary teams in CSA history. In a defensive struggle that had a lengthy rain delay, Turner dispatched Last Call 11-6. Still playing in the rain, Turner routed the top seed, Hoping for .500, 20-2 and moved into the final four.

The final four is wide open. Unlike in previous tournaments, there is no clear cut favorite. All four teams are major surprises. Grizzly Cubs have the edge in experience and are looking to cap the end of their 20th consecutive season with a trip to "The Throne" finals. Turner is hoping to extend their dream season and become the most unlikely grand champion in CSA history.

"Throne" Rankings

Last match-up - the teams have never met

All-time Statistical Comparison

Most Frequent Opponents
Grizzly Cubs
    Peachtree Zoners - 15 games - 10-5 - last game May 1, 2007, W 19-5
    Last Call - 14 games - 2-12 - last game May 29, 2007, L 25-18
    In Every Orphus - 13 games - 0-13 - last game August 7, 2007, L 17-2

Turner Construction
    Smell the Glove - 4 games - 1-3 - last game August 15, 2007, L 14-11
    They have faced five teams two (2) times   

All-Time Playoff Records
Grizzly Cubs - 18-16
Turner Construction - 2-0

Championship Game appearances
Grizzly Cubs - 6
    Lost Spring 2007 "Destiny" Director's Cup - 2 games to 0 versus Last Call
    Won Summer 2005 Tuesday Night League - Aviation - 15-12 versus Peachtree Zoners
    Won Late Spring 2005 Tuesday Night League - Aviation - 18-3 versus The Nasty Bunch
    Lost Spring 2005 Tuesday Night League - Aviation - 21-5 versus Lanier Landsharks
    Lost Winter 2005 Thursday Night League - Aviation - 17-7 versus Last Call
    Lost Fall 2004 Wednesday Night League - Aviation - 10-8 versus Replacements Reloaded
Turner Construction - 0

How the Franchise started?
Grizzly Cubs joined CSA during the summer season in 2003. They started in the Thursday night league and since debuting they have never missed a season. The Summer 2007 season was the 20th in a row for one of the most historic franchises in CSA history. With 177 games played, they are second all-time in games played, and they are one of only three teams to have scored 2,000 runs.

Turner Construction does not have the same legacy as their opponent, but they have been one of the fastest rising teams in CSA. They began play in the Summer of 2006 at Frankie Allen. Their two playoff wins were the first tournament games in team history and also moved them over .500 in all-time winning percentage.

First Game Ever
Grizzly Cubs - July 17, 2003 - W 23-5 versus Foul Balls
Turner Construction - July 11, 2006 - L 8-4 versus Buckhead Bombers