The Albany Times-Union has some nice reaction from the ValleyCats regarding their playoff berth.
Marcus Nidiffer:
"We caught wind in the dugout. All the coaches started smiling and everyone was shaking hands. That's when we knew."
Manager Jim Pankovits:
"I was coaching in the third-ase box. I looked over and everyone had grins on their faces and were shaking hands and patting each other on the back. I knew what was up."
Ben Orloff:
"It's been tough for us. To come back from 10 games out or so, it's great. Everybody wants a chance to win a championship at the beginning of the season and that's where we're at right now."
Writer Bryan Fitzgerald:
Just six weeks ago, a playoff berth was a nothing more than a pipe dream for Tri-City. The ValleyCats were 9.5 games out of first on July 19th, but went on the finish the regular season with a record of 27-15 over their last 42 games.
Those 27 wins are as many as the ValleyCats have had in two out of their last three seasons. They finished in the cellar of the Stedler Division each of the past three seasons, winning just 27 games in 2007 and 2009 and 28 in 2008.
Pankovits:
"These last two or three weeks, every game has been a gut-wrencher. These kids have responded unbelievably."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
