After five years of futility, over 1,800 days of waiting and countless hours of anticipation, the Patches can finally call themselves JAM champions. In a stunning turn of events that rivals the greatest sports moments the New York area has ever witnessed -- Bobby Thomson's home run off Ralph Branca that propelled the Giants to the pennant in 1951, the Miracle Mets' Amazing World Series triumph in 1969, and the Rangers' cathartic 1994 Stanley Cup victory -- the Patches dethroned the five-time champion 'Blasters to capture their first JAM Cup since 1993.

At that time, there was no JAM Cup, the Yankees were the worst team in baseball, and parents were bragging if their daughters were interns at the Clinton White House.

The 18-14 win occurred at a lively Cook Field in Yonkers, before a record-setting 47 participants.

"Patches '99! Patches '99!" Chris Spellman, the captain of the Patches, declared after "The Event Formerly Known as the JAM" ended. Spellman has been with the Patches since the JAM began and has captained the squad five times. He, more than anyone, has felt the pain of losing during the last half-decade, wondering when that eventual win would come, and for him the victory brought redemption.

"Patches '99! Patches '99!," he again proclaimed.

The victory was also sweet for other long-time Patches, who got to drink out of the JAM Cup for the first time. Among them were Mike Fornabaio, a four-time JAMmer and Chairman of the Technology and Publicity Committee, and Jim Altomare, a five-time JAMmer.

Fornabaio was too excited to speak immediately after the game, though he later spoke of the preparation necessary to be a JAM champ.

"So we're not the Rockettes. So what? I don't care about that," he said. "What I care about is that we're coming down, we're putting in the effort and we're doing something positive. . . How many practices you been at? How many? OK, all right, so you don't know what the @#*% we go through!"

Altomare became equally combative.

"That's Jim 3:16, baby! I just won the JAM!"

Perhaps Spellman's most brilliant managerial move was his decision to bench himself from the start. When asked if this may have been instrumental in his team's turn of fate, he responded, "Patches '99!"

With the Patches' win, the Blasters' unprecedented five-year winning streak came to an end. Chris Crowley, the Blasters' captain, was defiant in defeat.

"I still think we're a better team than they are," Crowley said. "They just got some breaks, and we couldn't prove it on the field."

Although Crowley's Ewing-esque remarks may have been prompted more by hurt pride than reality, they do contain a certain amount of truth. The Blasters misplayed more balls than an ugly girl at a barn dance in the top of the first inning, committing numerous throwing and fielding errors on the way to spotting the Patches a 10-run lead.

Rob Andrusco, the Chairman of the Special Projects Committee, delivered the big blow, smacking a three-run home run off starter Pete Chema.

Chema, 56, bested his record for oldest JAMmer, which he set last year.

"That old man can't stop me," Andrusco said. "Just look at his gut."

Also reaching base that inning was Most Valuable JAMmer R.T. McShane, who led the Patches' offensive attack and flashed an Ordonez-like glove at shortstop, along with actor, producer and six-time JAMmer Geoff Bowler.

"I guess he takes after me," 1997 MVJ Jorge McShane, the older brother of R.T. and a fellow Patch, said of R.T.'s performance.

The Blasters settled down after that and continued to chip away at the lead. They scored five runs in the bottom of the first, and then five more in the bottom of the ninth inning of this scheduled 11 inning contest, to close the gap to 18-11 heading into their final at-bat.

After registering one quick out, the Blasters put together a rally, as Adam Meza, John Light, 1998 MVJ Chris Blakely and Steve "Equalizer" Testa (making his JAM debut after failing to show in 1998 due to a haircut appointment) all had hits.

The score was 18-14 when Chema grounded out to R.T. McShane for the final out, beginning the celebration.

The Patches breathed an extra sigh of relief, as a hit by Chema would have brought two-time MVJ Mike Campoli to the plate. Campoli, who brought a lifetime .733 average into the game, went 1-for-3 on the afternoon with an RBI, and was robbed of a hit on a spectacular play by the opposing pitcher.

Campoli, though, refused to be affected by the rare loss.

"Every dark night has a bright day ahead. So no matter how hard things get, you gotta stick your chest out, keep ya head up, and handle it."

Blakely was somewhat more upset by the loss, and warned that the Patches best not get used to such celebrations.

"Next year I'm gonna train even harder. I'm gonna torture the Patches. I'm gonna crucify them. Real Bad."

But as the Patches have repeatedly learned, waiting for next year is a risky, and often unfulfilling, proposition.

Until then the Patches can revel in the euphoria of "Patches '99." And for the Blasters, the clock is ticking -- till next year.