Fans, we have reached the finish line.

Now we wait to see who is going to cross it first? The Nashua Silver Knights or the Worcester Bravehearts?

The Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s 10th Anniversary season wasn’t what its owners, officials and front office people expected it to be.

Or maybe its fans, most of whom couldn’t watch their team play, unless, like the last two nights and tonight, that team is playing at Holman Stadium.

But they got through it. If you wonder how much that meant, you needed to hear the very poignant Game 1 pre-game speech to the fans from the owner of the two FCBL Finals combatants, John Creedon, Jr.

“Every game,” he said, “has been a victory, regardless of the result.”

We have been fortunate here in Nashua. Fans have gotten to see some great baseball at Holman in July and most of August. They were able to watch Nick Guarino spin a six inning one-run effort vs. Worcester on Friday night to force a deciding Game 3 that will undoubtedly be a popular ticket tonight at 6.

“Just getting the opportunity to be here this summer is a great experience for everybody,” the lefty Guarino said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in the fall; we’re already having fall seasons being canceled. Spring seasons are still up in the air. We’re all just cherishing the moment, living in the moment, having a great time doing it. And hopefully bring home a championship.”

It was like old times Friday night at Holman. Remember, the four Massachusetts teams that played – Westfield, North Shore in Lynn, Brockton and to some extent Worcester (Fans could wander in to Leominster’s Doyle Field, a public park) did so without fans. It was a very, very surreal scene at Brockton last weekend when the Silver Knights clinched the playoffs in an empty Campanelli Stadium.

Yet Rox owner Chris English, watching his team, inferred that the league would gain a lot from playing this season. He was talking about the good publicity it had received, some of it national, definitely regional. Good for business, especially good for getting the college coaches’ attention.

As Nashua ETV play by plan man John Collins put it during the broadcasts the last couple of nights, “This is the only ticketed sporting event right now, really, in the Northeast.”

Without research, that seemed pretty true, because fans really can’t watch anything else in person. They were able to a couple of weeks ago with the 18,000 or so allowed in for the NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“It feels good,” FCBL Commissioner Joe Paolucci said. “We’ve been very, very fortunate we haven’t had any positive cases. As far as the baseball on the field goes, it’s been smooth.

“But yeah, so far, so good.”

It was a long process. The league, as we’ve told you before, went through extensive discussions in the spring, the highs and lows of those weekly and sometimes twice-a-week conference calls. All the protocols had to fall their way. The only negative was the fact that just before the season started, the Mass. teams found out no fans would be allowed.

So on Thursday and Friday nights, we were treated to a big event in the city, and will have an even bigger one with tonight’s deciding Game 3. There were a reported 708 fans masked at times (when they would leave their seats) in Game 1 of the Finals Thurday. Game 2 looked like at least 800, maybe more, if you counted the bowl and the fans down the left field line, even with some sections blocked off.The whole series was moved to Holman (rather than play Games 1 and 3 at Doyle) so fans could attend.

“We just needed the certainty,” Creedon said.

But those who run and make up the Futures League would obviously rather not go through this again. The owners will need revenue. The danger of running one season without that certainly puts a franchise in some peril. The prospect of doing it two seasons in a row could mean big trouble. Privately around the league, there is a bit of concern for a couple of franchises.

“It’s been a long season,” Paolucci said, “even though it’s been a short one.”

But, as we get a deciding Game 3, it’s been a great one.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

Newsletter