BELFAST (AP) - The ghosts of 2003 did not haunt the Belfast Bombers for long! A season after losing the Weaver Series to the Los Angeles Riots in heartbreaking fashion, the Belfast Bombers rallied back from a three games to one deficit against the Honolulu Volcanos to take the 2003 Weaver Series! The championship also made the Bombers the first team in modern Weaver League history to win the Weaver Cup of Ultimate Power twice!

With bitter memories of the 2003 Weaver Series still fresh in their minds, the Bombers were intent on claiming the championship this season. Anything less than winning the Weaver Cup in 2004 would be considered a failure. Playing with fire from the get go, Belfast went on to lead the Weaver League in victories with 116 victories! Mickey Mantle led the way as usual with another monster season, batting .365 and leading the Blizzard League with 62 HR and 156 RBI on his way to his third straight BL MVP Award! In addition to Mantle, Belfast had two other players break the 50 HR plateau as Carl Everett hit 52 and Todd Walker (their freakin' leadoff hitter!) hit 57! Through all of the regular season accolades the Bombers remained focused on their ultimate goal.

After having to come back from the brink in their last two playoff series, Belfast was able to turn the tables this year by going up three games to one against the Rio de Janerio Capybaras in the BLCS. The Capys took the fifth game, but the Bombers sent a statement in Game Six, crushing Rio 16-4 to repeat as BL Champs and earn their return to the Weaver Series against the Inferno League Champion Honolulu Volcanos. It was a rematch of the 1999 Weaver Series won by the Bombers four games to one. The Volcanos shut down the Belfast bats early in the series, and the Bombers quickly found themselves looking at a familiar three games to one deficit. But as usual, the Bombers managed to keep the fat lady at bay! Once again thriving with their backs to the wall, Belfast's pitching clamped down on the Volcanos batters in Games Five and Six, and just like last season they forced a do-or-die Game Seven!

In a surprise move, Honolulu owner Marty Polanski pulled a Steinbrenner, overruling King Kamehameha's managerial authority and proclaiming Jason Schmidt the starter over scheduled starter Steve Avery. Having just gotten off the disabled list a few days earlier, Schmidt was rusty and the Bombers jumped all over him! Honolulu got two runs in the top of the first to take an early lead, but Belfast answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. It was all Belfast after that, taking the lead in the second and never looking back as they finished off the Volcanos with a 7-3 victory! After seeing the championship slip from their fingers just a year ago, the Belfast Bombers finally had the Weaver Cup firmly in their grasp! The Bombers' championship brought enough good vibes to the City of Belfast to usher in a period of peace between the Protestants and the Catholics... for about four hours.

For Weaver Series history and highlights, CLICK HERE!