Ellis, Lockhart hoping to push Magic over top

LA PORTE- Over the past two years, the Maple City Magic have shown they are willing to make

any moves necessary in order to build a championship club. Manager Alex Friedman has made a splash in the free agent market in each of the past two offseasons. After the 2011 season, Friedman signed Shane Anderson and Drew Luther away from the Wills Township Federalists. The Federalists had just won consecutive National League pennants, but were swept in the World Series each year. Anderson and Luther help the Magic flip their record from 30 losses in 2011 to 30 wins the following year. However, the Magic could not get past the Gangster Slugs in the American League. While the order of events is still unclear: the Slugs franchise folded after a World Series loss to the Warriors, and Friedman was able to land Slugs manager Brian Lockhart and 2012 AL MVP Wes Ellis. Prior to the 2012 ALCS, both players played with the franchise in the World Whiffleball Championship in Mishawaka. With the American League wide-open, the Magic have been absolutely dominant this season, winning a franchise record 34 games. They locked up the division early, winning by 12 games over the second place Soggy Bottom Boys. By comparison, the entire National League was only separated by 13 games. Maple City enters the World Series as heavy favorites. They have won 24 straight games, including a blowout sweep of the Newts earlier this season at Migley Field. Ellis and Lockhart may be the final pieces to the complete rebuilding project of the futile franchise that Friedman inherited.