Somerset Patriots ecstatic over 6th league championship

BRIDGEWATER It’s great to get the trophy back where it belongs.

Those were the words of Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie, and that was the reality as the Atlantic League’s most coveted hardware eventually found a spot inside TD Bank Ballpark for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2009.

But that’s not before it was passed around the visiting clubhouse at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland, and got covered in beer and cheap champagne on Monday night.

And not before it sat on a row of tables at a local establishment into the wee hours of the following morning nestled among pizzas, chicken wings and adult beverages.

And certainly not before it found its way into a small room at the team’s hotel even later into the night, where it was in for another in a series of seemingly endless photo ops with those who’d won it.

Especially for those who’d spent the past three seasons trying to win it — the team suffered painful postseason exits the past two years when they were favored to earn a championship — the extended celebration was much-anticipated and well-deserved.

“For all these guys who sacrificed and were away from their families, for us to win it, it’s an awesome feeling,” said Jodie, the club’s third-year manager.

“It feels good. It’s almost like we’ve been here 10 years and haven’t won a championship. There’s that buildup, and it’s just great to make the season worthwhile.”

Somerset was inarguably the best team in the regular season, coming out on top in both halves of the Liberty Division standings and falling one win short of establishing a new franchise record for victories in a year while settling for an 89-50 mark.

“We were the best team on paper, we were the best team in the playoffs, and we won it,” said outfielder Jonny Tucker, who had previously announced he’d be retiring.

“How often do you see a favorite do what they’re supposed to do and win it, especially in this game? I’m happy. There’s nothing better than the feel of beer and champagne in your eyes.”

However, for a brief time, it seemed as though Somerset would have nothing but tears in their eyes after yet another playoff letdown. The Patriots fell behind the Long Island Ducks two games to one in the Division Series, but they rallied to advance thanks to back-to-back shutouts from starters Will Oliver and Roy Merritt.

Merritt would step up again against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, allowing just one run in his seven-inning Game 4 start en route to being named postseason MVP; he posted a microscopic 0.41 ERA in his three playoff outings.

Somerset acquired Merritt, who had been a part of the past three Patriots teams, from the Sugar Land Skeeters in the beginning of September, and he was able to finish what he’d helped start.

“The only thing I can say is I’m blessed,” he said. “I thank God to put me in a situation to come back. It’s like family here. There’s some guys retiring: Tuck’s talking about retiring, (catcher Adam Donachie) is talking about retiring, (outfielder Aharon Eggleston). … I had to come back and go out on top with my boys.”

The Patriots made several key acquisitions later in the season. Oliver was signed after a roster snafu in the Frontier League, while first baseman Matt Fields proved to be the big bat the club needed. His two home runs in Game 3 helped turned the tide of a Championship Series that had been knotted at one game per team.

“I’m just happy to be here, and this is something I’ll never forget,” Fields said. “You create memories every day, and these guys are my brothers. I was only here for a month, but I felt like I was here the whole year. It’s an amazing experience.”

But the team’s “next man up” mentality even carried over to those who’d been there all year. Former big leaguer Thomas Neal had struggled to a 2-for-27 postseason but relied heavily on his faith to turn things around. He drove in two runs with a solo shot and an RBI single to pave the way for the Patriots’ championship-clinching 3-1 win.

“God is good,” he explained. “I said a lot of prayers, and obviously it wasn’t the ideal postseason, but he came through in a big time for me. … We just told each other it’s the next man up. The next man steps up, and we’re confident in all of our players. We just wanted to win; everybody had that mental toughness.”

As the customary championship hats and shirts were passed around on the field, the emotion was evident on the faces of every single member of the roster and coaching staff who had gone on the incredible nearly six-month journey with those they called family.

There was a sense of accomplishment. A feeling of pride. And just maybe, for those who’d been with the team during all the heartbreak, a sense of relief.

“At the end of the year, we finally get to celebrate,” Eggleston said. “We’ve battled all year, and the last two years we came up short with what we thought was the best team in the league. Finally, we’re the best team in the league this year, and we were able to win the last game of the year.”