You'll Never See a Squeeze Play Executed Quite Like This, but You Can Read About Coach's Reaction to the Big Win Against Diman Voke...
Previously, Part 7: To the Victor Go the Spoils (even in high school baseball)...
Beating Diman 2-1 in such dramatic fashion in their own backyard for the first time in twenty years was our biggest win of the 2006 season.
When I got to the school the following morning, after signing in I went directly to Coach's shop. Coach glanced up at me when I walked in but waited for me to speak before he said anything. "Great win in Fall River yesterday, Coach…"
Coach cracked a smile and said, "I heard…"
He lacked the emotion I expected, so I changed the subject, "How was the football banquet?"
With much enthusiasm, he started telling me how great it was to celebrate his second Super Bowl win in a row. I could tell he didn't want to or wasn't ready to talk baseball.
Then the room became strangely silent, so I said, "See you after school, Coach. Another big game this afternoon…" And then I left…
Early afternoon, before school ended, Gada showed everyone in the Plumbing Shop a copy of the Brockton Enterprise sports section his father dropped off at noon. On Page 2, on the High Schools page, under the heading Baseball, we finally got the headline. "Southeastern ends drought with win over Diman Voke"…
Under the headline, the first paragraph led with my pitch to the guy who took my call. He wrote, "The last time a Southeastern Regional baseball team won a game against Diman Voke, Ronald Regan was president of the United States, and Roger Clemens was pitching for the Boston Red Sox." Not exactly what I said, but close enough.
He gave us four paragraphs and used 123 words to describe our first win against Diman in 20 years. Newk, Gada, Potatah, and Fooch all got mentions. It was a beautiful thing, and when Gada brought it into the locker room before the game, the entire team went nuts!
Coach had already seen it, and he wasn't overly excited. "Okay, put away the newspaper, and let's get ready to play. The season didn't end at Diman Voke. We have a home game today against Bristol-Plymouth…"
The locker room went dead silent, and I could feel the tension. We had so much momentum going into this game. What a fucking killjoy!
I was starting to understand Coach's motivation. Coaching baseball and football wasn't about the kids. It was about him. When he said, "How great it was to celebrate my second Super Bowl win in a row," I should've known. He was anything but a team player…
As a coach, I always gave the kids the glory. These are their memories, and I was happy to do my part and help them achieve their goals.
With the win against Diman, this team proved it could compete with anyone. If they continued playing the way they did in Fall River, they'd win enough games to make the tournament, kind of like getting in the Wild Card where anything can happen.
That afternoon, we got our asses kicked, 9-3. Alejandro got rocked for 13 hits, and the six errors we made behind him didn't help. We only got four hits and struck out 11 times. What a difference a day makes…
The next game against Tri-County was a real nail-biter. John pitched a gem and added two big hits to help his cause.
Potatah led off the sixth with a double, and John knocked him in with a solid base hit. John was hands down the best athlete on this team, IMO.
With one out in the sixth, Newk got a base hit and stole second. After Varga walked, Gada grounded out to the pitcher, and then Fooch and Hilly both walked, forcing in the go-ahead run. Heading into the final inning, we were up 4-3.
After a T-C leadoff single to start the 7th, John struck out the leadoff hitter and then gave up another single to the #2 hitter. With two on and only one out, John struck out the #3 hitter. Then Varga fielded a ground ball and threw to Stags for the final out. Johnny D struck out 11!
The following day, we had another game against Holbrook. Even though Holbrook was the home team, it was being played on our field. Earlier in the season, in our first game against them, we played to a 3-3 tie in regulation and went into extras. John retired the side in the 8th, catching the #6 hitter looking for the third out.
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After John led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, Newk hit into a fielder's choice and moved to second on a Stags' ground out. Then Varga hit a sharp grounder to the second baseman, who mishandled it, and made a bad throw that got away from the first baseman. Newk was moving at the crack of the bat, and he easily trotted home with the winning run.
But this game was different. Coach had a change in demeanor after the Diman win. It seemed like he hated his team and he especially hated me. I was starting to think he thought I intentionally showed him up with the big win against Diman. I wish it was that easy.
Gada retired the side in order in the top of the first. Then we got off to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning when, with two out, John hit a single. After Stags drew a walk, Newk banged a double, scoring John. Newk was thrown out when he overran second base to end the inning.
Gada struck out the cleanup hitter to start the second but then gave up three consecutive hits and two runs, giving Holbrook a 2-1 lead.
We went down in order in the second.
Holbrook added two more in the third on two hits, a walk, and an error.
Hilly flew out to center field to start the third, and then Potatah and Alejandro were both caught looking. Heading into the fourth, we were down 4-1.
After Holbrook batted around and scored seven runs in the fourth, Coach got angry and started looking around for people to blame.
John led off the sixth with a double, and after Stags popped out to the shortstop, Newk walked. With John on second, Newk took a big lead off first. I reeled him in and told him, "We're down 11-1. Your run means nothing. Stay close to the bag, and don't eff around…"
He started with a normal lead, but then he extended it even as I was yelling for him to get back. The pitcher made a good move to first and picked him off. Coach went berserk!
"Coach!" he yelled across the field at me. By then, he was out of the dugout area and standing close to the third baseline. In an attempt to humiliate me, he asked so everyone could hear, "What are you doing?" It was a real kick in the teeth.
As Newk trotted off the field, I yelled back across the diamond, "I told him to stay close, Coach…"
The gray-haired first base Umpire walked over to me and said, "Why the fuck are you coaching with him? Tell him to fuck off and leave. I've seen this guy in action before. He's a real dick!"
By the time Varga struck out to end the inning, I was fucking hot. I ran across the field towards Coach, who was quick to say, "Calm down, big guy. There's no problem. Newk made the mistake…"
After the game ended 11-1, I picked up the equipment and started putting it in the garage while the team slowly walked back to the locker room to hear what Coach had to say about the loss. By the time I got in the locker room, Coach was flippin' out. He was swearing at the kids, getting in their faces, and pointing his thick index finger directly at certain individuals at close range. It was an angry tirade that scared the shit out of the kids.
As soon as he saw I had entered the locker room, he looked at me momentarily and then, in a loud, angry voice, said, "And we have Coaches who aren't paying attention and getting baserunners picked off!"
I looked at him hard and said, "Oh yeah, Coach. Really… See ya, pal."
I momentarily glanced at one of my Hitting Cues posters taped to the wall, walked out, got in my plumbing van, and went home.
I was trying to be everything to everyone: a hitting instructor, an assistant coach, an equipment manager, and a press agent. Then I realized my efforts weren't being appreciated by Coach; instead, I was being disrespected. Despite how much love I had for that team and every kid on it, I wasn't sure I'd be able to continue as an Assistant Coach.
I knew once I got home, I'd have a lot to think about…
To be continued…
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I can't stand to flyI'm not that naiveI'm just out to findThe better part of me…