In the Tier 3 consolation bracket, a tournament played by the eight teams with the worst records in the BBL, it is perhaps only fitting that the grand prize was taken by the team that almost made it to the Tier 2 bracket.

The Texas Rangers spent most of the regular season in a solid second place in the American League West, seeming like a shoo-in for Tier 2, but then went on a downward spiral to finish the season, going 1-3 in the last four games while division rivals the Seattle Mariners won the last three games of the season, capping it off by defeating the Rangers in the last week of play to knock them to the top of the Tier 3 field instead. Once in the Tier 3 playoffs, the Rangers, notable for having the best defense in the entire league in Season 3, struggled to win games, as they put up low totals that were easier for their competition to beat. Both the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics came close to beating them, but they were able to scrape by to the championship.

By contrast, the Little Fishes struggled throughout the season, picking up only two wins while losing twelve games. However, once the Tier 3 playoffs came, they started to dominate, putting up high totals against both the Blue Bombers and the Colorado Rockies and going 4-1 against a pair of teams that they’d previously been 1-2 against. With their strong performances, it started to look like they might be able to ride that momentum to pull off an upset against the Rangers.

However, once the series began, the Fishes were completely stonewalled by the Rangers’ legendary defense. There are rumors that their poor performance was partially due to coach Jibbodahibbo being distracted at the time of the game, but regardless they were completely unable to score in the first game, and while the Rangers also had a slow game, they didn’t need much to take the victory, with a 3 to -5 win giving them the early advantage. Game Two shifted to the Fishes’ home field of Dirt Yards, where the Rangers were able to break out and score in droves. The Fishes continued to be stymied by the excellent Texas defense, leading to a complete rout with a final score of 27 to -1.

Things looked hopeless for the Fishes after two straight losses to the AI, but they soldiered on and finally found their groove in Game 3, putting up a final run differential of 7. However, it was too little, too late, as the Rangers were able to take the close game by a score of 10 to 7, sweeping the series.

Coach Jibbo was gracious in defeat, paying respects to the Rangers’ formidable defense, while Rangers coach GreenDayEagles admitted that he had also struggled with the Fishes’ fielders, particularly Annie Frazier. After winning the tertiary playoffs, Eagles commented that “hopefully next season the Rangers can move up in the league”.

While the impending Season 4 is occupying much of the league’s attention, all coaches still watch the ongoing primary World Series with bated breath. The Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians have gone to the league’s first-ever Game 5, and the results of the final game are expected on Friday morning.