Free Form scheduling has vaulted Superstar Baseball onto firm ground after years of just barely qualifying to return.	Mike Lam (right) plays ball against the Greenville boys as Bruce Young, "Coach" Hazel, and Bill Beckman get their innings in.

Once again, the tournament established new highs for participation, as 40 managers signed up to try their hand at managing the all-time greats. Changes to the format were universally cheered. When the last out was recorded, more than160 games had been played.

Using the quality points system, Doug Galullo finished first, followed closely by Bill Beckman and Devin Flawd. Bunched together from 4th to 8th were James Terry, Harry Flawd, Rich Moyer, Michael Lam and John Coussis. Just missing the eight-team limit of playoff eligiblity were John Welage and Roderick Lee.

The new system -- where players earn points for playing games, but then, are sorted by winning percentage -- advancing six - the top two of which earn first round byes - worked equally to help and hurt players. Terry Coleman, for instance, was on the cusp of playoff eligible, but then, went on a massive losing spree (while simultaneously playing other teams, also on the cusp). The net effect was that Harry Flawd, who might otherwise have not even been included in the playoffs, ended with a 10-8 record, while Terry ended at 7-7, without enough points to advance.

The eight teams were sorted, with the final order: 1) Beckman (Indians), 2) D. Flawd (Giants), 3) Coussis (Cubs), 4) Moyer (Red Sox), 5) Terry (Athletics), 6) H. Flawd (Red Sox). Galullo, despite having the most points, finished under .500 and was edged out by Harry Flawd.

In the first game of the playoffs, Terry's A's took on Moyer's Red Sox. The game was a bloodbath, with the A's scoring four times in the first inning, off a Home Run Baker (what else?) homerun. Mark McGuire and Reggie Jackson also added solo shots, and Catfish Hunter held the Red Sox to two hits, as the A's trampled the Red Sox 7-0.

In the next game, Harry's Red Sox took on the Cubs. The teams traded runs in the first inning, on Carl Yastrzemski's homer and the Cubs' Hack Wilson's sacrifice fly. However, the Red Sox bats came alive, and by the 4th inning it was 6-1 Boston. The Cubs staged a brief comeback in the 6th, narrowing the gap to 6-4, but the Red Sox closed strong, and Roger Clemens continued pitching masterfully, and they took the game 9-5.

The A's marched on to face the #2 seed Giants, but, sadly, Catfish Hunter was not eligible to pitch. The Giants chased starter Mike Norris by the second inning, with three homers in the second (Mel Ott, Chief Meyers, Gaylord Perry (the pitcher!)), In the 4th inning, Barry Bonds flexed his andro-filled muscles to put the Giants up 7-0. The A's bats heated up, scoring four runs by the 7th inning, but the Giants were never in danger, and won the game 9-4, earning a spot in the championship.

Harry's 6th seeded Red Sox faced a more daunting task, however, taking on #1 seed Cleveland (which ended the regular season with a mark of 15-2). The Indians struck first, on a two-run shot by Jim Thome in the second inning. Boston tied it up in the 5th, on a two-run homer by Wade Boggs. Undaunted, the Indians seized the lead back in the bottom of the inning, when Hal Trotsky blasted a solo shot, to give the Indians a 3-2 lead. But the Red Sox tied it in the top of the 8th, on a Carlton Fisk double, and then, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Mo Vaughn hit a single. Manager Flawd hesitated just for a minute, and then pinch-ran for Vaughn. The pinch runner promptly stole second, where he easily scored on Pete Runnels' single. This managing move won the game for the Red Sox, 4-3, as Luis Tiant held the Indians hitless in the bottom of the ninth.

So the championship was set. In an unprecedented WBC event (not), Harry and Devin Flawd faced off in the Final of a sports simulation game! <yawn>

The Giants struck first, as Larry Doyle doubled in Chief Meyers in the 2nd. Carlton Fisk tied the game in the third with a solo homerun, and then, Harry pinch-hit for starting pitcher Dennis Eckersley (who lasted two innings). The Sox added two more runs in the top of the 4th, and went into cruise mode, leading 3-1. Finally, Larry Doyle cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 7th, with a solo homerun. The Giants pitchers settled down, as well, allowing only one hit and one walk from the 5th through 9th innings. In the bottom of the 9th, pinch-hitter Roger Bresnahan doubled in Chief Meyers, to tie the game, but John McGraw and Willie McCovey could not get Bresnahan home for the win. Extra Innings!

In the top of the 10th, Johnny Pesky's single scored Carl Yastrzemski after Yaz' double. However, Willie May's single scored Mel Ott in the bottom of the 10th. In the 11th inning, Christy Mathewson had a little more trouble. After striking out Pete Runnels to start the frame, he allowed a single to Dom Dimaggio, a single to Carlton Fisk and walked Babe Ruth. Dimaggio scored on Wade Boggs' sacrifice fly. New pitcher Ellis Kinder also flirted with disaster in the bottom of the 11th, walking lead-off hitter John McGraw and walking Barry Bonds with one out. But he quickly settled down, and retired Mel Ott and Will Clark, giving the Red Sox a hard-earned 5-4 win, and Harry Flawd a hat-trick in SuperStar Baseball first place plaques (having previously won in 1998 and 2005).

Harry definitely earned his plaque. He played (and won) most of his late games to even be eligible, and then, as the 6th seeded team, he played (and beat, on the road) in order, the #3 seed, #1 seed and #2 seed.