OCTOBER 12 - Carl Crawford has recently been the subject of trade rumors, but his performance today will make West Side Stories Owner/GM Ed Price think long and hard about parting ways with the speedy outfielder. Crawford hit for the first cycle in Stories' history, paving the way for a 15-7 demolition of the Floral Park Flesheaters in the first game of their seven-game series.

The Stories wound up taking six of seven from the Flesheaters, including a four-game sweep at Cannibal Memorial Stadium, to improve their record to 32-23. The West Siders mashed their way to 49 runs in the seven games and Crawford was nearly impossible to get out, going 12-for-27 (.444) with eight runs scored and three triples. That puts him in the league lead for triples with 10 in 55 games this season, one more than St. Jack's shortstop Omar Vizquel.

Crawford has been highly sought after in recent days, with the Wellwood Scribes of Lindenhurst trying especially hard to pry him loose from the Stories. However, after his magical performance this series, it seems unthinkable that West Side could go ahead and trade him to fortify the franchise's first-ever playoff run. Stranger things have happened, however, and this expansion draft pick could find his way heading east before the trade deadline.

In the final game of the series, the Stories lost starter Josh Johnson in the second inning and found themselves down 4-0 to Floral Park ace Johan Santana. But they came back to batter Santana for 16 hits in 8 2/3 innings and won the game 8-5. An MRI on Johnson was negative and he will likely make his next start.

Two games earlier, an Alex Rodriguez error helped the Stories score three seventh-inning runs off Joel Zumaya, resulting in a 7-5 win. Anibal Sanchez won twice in the series, allowing three earned runs in 12 2/3 innings.

One day later, the Stories took two out of three games from the New Jersey Bandits to move into a tie for the third and final playoff spot. The highlight of the series was a 12-11, 10 inning thriller that saw six lead changes and a game-winning single from emergency right fielder Gerald Laird.

Bandits Owner/GM Chris Forster was unusually downcast afterwards, telling reporters that the second game of the series would go down as one of the most memorable games in NYLISL history. He noted the many lead changes, runners stranded, missed rolls and three blown saves from a team with arguably the best bullpen in the league.