I am the smartest man alive!
For the second year in a row the baseball team that I work for won its division. Therefore securing our sport in the Championship Series with the other division winner. For the second consecutive year we played the Elizabethton Twins.
A quick look back at last year’s series. After our manager cost us Game 1 with his inept ability to handle a pitching staff (5-4), we roared back to take Game 2 15-2 and knot the best of 3 series at 1-1. Needless to say our manager’s inability to handle a pitching staff cost us in the deciding game. With a 4-2 lead in the 7th he brings in a reliever that had pitched 2 innings the day before. On top of it the bases were loaded. The Twins tied up the game and then went ahead 5-4 in the 8th. Awesome.
Fast forward to this season. After being rained out last Thursday and Friday and fighting with the Minnesota farm director about the format of the series, we finally got underway for Game 1 here in lovely Danville at 2pm last Saturday. I wasn’t too happy about missing the first Saturday afternoon of college football season. But the Braves made it worth my while. After falling behind 2-0 early on, the team roared back to win 5-2. A solid win that got me excited enough to drive 4 hours to the land of rednecks and orange sherbet. Yes, Tennessee.
Because of the Twins Farm director being such a class guy we had to play a double header Sunday to decide this thing. Two 7-inning affairs for all the marbles.
It looked like we were going to wrap it up in Game 2 when we jumped to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning. But because of some subject pitching moves, we lost that lead and the game 5-4. Here we go again.
The final game didn’t start too well. Our starter gave up 2 runs in the 2nd. The scored stayed the same and didn’t look good going into the 5th. So that inning my buddy and I decided to change things up. We went up to the top bleacher and stood as opposed to sitting on the first bleacher. Let’s just say it worked. Our first baseman hit a 2-run bomb to knot it up. So we moved back down after the inning because that was working for our pitching. Not so much. The Twins answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
So we moved back up top, and it worked again as our DH tied things up in the 6th.
Then came the tide turner. We have a tradition in our home ballpark to sing Sweet Caroline in the middle of the 6th inning each night. Well my buddy and I and the other 25 or 30 Braves fans decided we needed some home cooking to get us through. Let’s just say that the locals were shocked by our rendition of Sweet Caroline (I don’t think that some of them had ever heard the song). We got through an entire verse before they tried to blare us out with Rocky Top. We kept singing, it was awesome, and it worked.
Our pitchers struck out the side in the 6th. Then with two outs in the top of the 7th, our third baseman hit a homer to put us up 4-3. After that it was lights out. Our closer struck out the side on something like 12 pitches in the bottom half. And it was over.
It was great. It’s the first time that I’ve personally been involved in a Championship, and there’s really nothing like it. It’s an overwhelming feeling. It’s pure euphoria.
On a side note I hate Tennessee. In the four hours or so in the ballpark I heard Rocky Top no less than 20 times. One of the more awful songs that can be heard anywhere.
So now I’m looking forward to finally getting that ring after being shut down in final games two other times. It’s pretty awesome because now I feel like I can leave baseball fulfilled. Not that I’m a GM or something. But I’ve been a part of something bigger. Its awesome.
A quick look back at last year’s series. After our manager cost us Game 1 with his inept ability to handle a pitching staff (5-4), we roared back to take Game 2 15-2 and knot the best of 3 series at 1-1. Needless to say our manager’s inability to handle a pitching staff cost us in the deciding game. With a 4-2 lead in the 7th he brings in a reliever that had pitched 2 innings the day before. On top of it the bases were loaded. The Twins tied up the game and then went ahead 5-4 in the 8th. Awesome.
Fast forward to this season. After being rained out last Thursday and Friday and fighting with the Minnesota farm director about the format of the series, we finally got underway for Game 1 here in lovely Danville at 2pm last Saturday. I wasn’t too happy about missing the first Saturday afternoon of college football season. But the Braves made it worth my while. After falling behind 2-0 early on, the team roared back to win 5-2. A solid win that got me excited enough to drive 4 hours to the land of rednecks and orange sherbet. Yes, Tennessee.
Because of the Twins Farm director being such a class guy we had to play a double header Sunday to decide this thing. Two 7-inning affairs for all the marbles.
It looked like we were going to wrap it up in Game 2 when we jumped to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning. But because of some subject pitching moves, we lost that lead and the game 5-4. Here we go again.
The final game didn’t start too well. Our starter gave up 2 runs in the 2nd. The scored stayed the same and didn’t look good going into the 5th. So that inning my buddy and I decided to change things up. We went up to the top bleacher and stood as opposed to sitting on the first bleacher. Let’s just say it worked. Our first baseman hit a 2-run bomb to knot it up. So we moved back down after the inning because that was working for our pitching. Not so much. The Twins answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
So we moved back up top, and it worked again as our DH tied things up in the 6th.
Then came the tide turner. We have a tradition in our home ballpark to sing Sweet Caroline in the middle of the 6th inning each night. Well my buddy and I and the other 25 or 30 Braves fans decided we needed some home cooking to get us through. Let’s just say that the locals were shocked by our rendition of Sweet Caroline (I don’t think that some of them had ever heard the song). We got through an entire verse before they tried to blare us out with Rocky Top. We kept singing, it was awesome, and it worked.
Our pitchers struck out the side in the 6th. Then with two outs in the top of the 7th, our third baseman hit a homer to put us up 4-3. After that it was lights out. Our closer struck out the side on something like 12 pitches in the bottom half. And it was over.
It was great. It’s the first time that I’ve personally been involved in a Championship, and there’s really nothing like it. It’s an overwhelming feeling. It’s pure euphoria.
On a side note I hate Tennessee. In the four hours or so in the ballpark I heard Rocky Top no less than 20 times. One of the more awful songs that can be heard anywhere.
So now I’m looking forward to finally getting that ring after being shut down in final games two other times. It’s pretty awesome because now I feel like I can leave baseball fulfilled. Not that I’m a GM or something. But I’ve been a part of something bigger. Its awesome.
posted by CFunk28 at 2:08 PM
3 Comments:
You get a ring? Effin' a Calvin, effin A!
Finally, you can relate to my intense hatred for all things Tennessee (except you Memphis, you're cool). Just a dispicable place full of people who don't deserve to live.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
That's awesome Calvin. Maybe you can ride around and flaunt it in the new vehicle I've designed, called the Chevy Astro Van Vleet.
Also, in the word verification portion of this comment space, they showed the handicapped symbol. Since I'm drunk right now, it was hilarious.
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