My baseball season ended today after we lost our second playoff game in as many days. Yesterday against the Ravens we had an 8 run lead in the 8th inning, but we completely imploded. The inning started with a drop ball by the first baseman, and then went sour from there. Bases on balls, errors, and misplays cost us dearly. We lost by one. Fast forward to today, and we were down 11 runs in the 6th inning. But my goodness we battled back. We tied the game in the top of the 7th before giving one run back in the bottom.
The 8th inning would be our last, as we had reached the time constraints in which no new innings could be started afterward. Our first batter walked, and the next batter placed the first pitch he saw into the center field grass -- runners on first and second, nobody out. Being a team player, I gave the signal that I was going to attempt to bunt the runners over and get them both into scoring position. It ended up being an almost disastrous play, as I popped up the first pitch I saw towards the opposing team's dugout. I took the second pitch (a slider) that I thought started outside, and ended up even more outside -- but it was called a strike. Well then, down to a quick 0-2 the bunt option was taken away. Keeping in mind that I was on a huge batting slump to end the season, the next thing that happened was the last thing I expected -- the next pitch thrown was a letter high fastball which I turned on and laced into left field. In just about two complete seasons of at-bats, a left fielder had never fielded a ball from my bat; I either hit it to the right side, or if I did pull the ball it would be on the ground toward the 3rd baseman or shortstop.
The runner on second scored on the hit, and I advanced to second on the throw home. We scratched across one more run that inning, giving us the lead going into the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, through some timely hitting and a walk the Diablos loaded the bases on us with nobody out. With the infield in, the next batter smashed a hot shot up the middle that no one could get to, and the throw from center field to home was not in time -- Diablos win with a walk off single. It was the best game I had ever been a part of. Multiple comebacks by both teams, late inning heroics, and a walk-off hit. I can't help but feel it shouldn't have come to that though...
A swing of three runs can be accounted directly to me. One run came in an earlier inning when I was waved home from second base on a bloop hit. I sprinted home but decided not to slide, as I thought I was going to clearly beat the throw -- and I did. I tagged the base with my foot well before the catcher got the ball. The ump immediately called me out. I was astounded -- maybe he thought I didn't touch home plate. I went back and tagged it, but his decision stood. I explained that not only had I beat the throw, but I had touched home plate and more importantly the catcher did not even apply a tag on me. However according to the home plate umpire, I did not touch the base and was tagged out. Here's a thing about umpires -- on a close play, some of them will call you out if you don't slide into a bag. Each one has little different approach to calling a game, and I committed a foul by not sliding. (I've heard stories of some umpires calling a bigger strike zone on a batter if they have clean cleats.)
The second and third runs came when I was fielding 1st base. With the bases loaded, a ball was hit on the ground a little bit to my right by a left-handed batter. My first instinct was to go cover 1st base and await the throw -- I had only had one ball hit to me all of this season. My one step towards the base cost me, as I immediately realized that not only was I the only one who could field the ball, but it was actually a perfectly hit ball for me to start a double play with. The ball bounced passed me, and two runs came around to score. Instead of 2 outs, there was still zero with two men on base.
As I stalked angrily into the dugout after my non-slide mistake, I jokingly told our pitcher at the time that I would be pretty pissed if we lost by one. Lo and behold, it's what it came down to.
Our team finished 7-9, going 0-2 in the playoffs. We lost our last six games (playoffs included), but we finished with an extremely strong effort and I can't ask for much for.
I had set some goals for me at the beginning of the season (in an earlier post if you care to look for it). Let's see how I did...
The 8th inning would be our last, as we had reached the time constraints in which no new innings could be started afterward. Our first batter walked, and the next batter placed the first pitch he saw into the center field grass -- runners on first and second, nobody out. Being a team player, I gave the signal that I was going to attempt to bunt the runners over and get them both into scoring position. It ended up being an almost disastrous play, as I popped up the first pitch I saw towards the opposing team's dugout. I took the second pitch (a slider) that I thought started outside, and ended up even more outside -- but it was called a strike. Well then, down to a quick 0-2 the bunt option was taken away. Keeping in mind that I was on a huge batting slump to end the season, the next thing that happened was the last thing I expected -- the next pitch thrown was a letter high fastball which I turned on and laced into left field. In just about two complete seasons of at-bats, a left fielder had never fielded a ball from my bat; I either hit it to the right side, or if I did pull the ball it would be on the ground toward the 3rd baseman or shortstop.
The runner on second scored on the hit, and I advanced to second on the throw home. We scratched across one more run that inning, giving us the lead going into the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, through some timely hitting and a walk the Diablos loaded the bases on us with nobody out. With the infield in, the next batter smashed a hot shot up the middle that no one could get to, and the throw from center field to home was not in time -- Diablos win with a walk off single. It was the best game I had ever been a part of. Multiple comebacks by both teams, late inning heroics, and a walk-off hit. I can't help but feel it shouldn't have come to that though...
A swing of three runs can be accounted directly to me. One run came in an earlier inning when I was waved home from second base on a bloop hit. I sprinted home but decided not to slide, as I thought I was going to clearly beat the throw -- and I did. I tagged the base with my foot well before the catcher got the ball. The ump immediately called me out. I was astounded -- maybe he thought I didn't touch home plate. I went back and tagged it, but his decision stood. I explained that not only had I beat the throw, but I had touched home plate and more importantly the catcher did not even apply a tag on me. However according to the home plate umpire, I did not touch the base and was tagged out. Here's a thing about umpires -- on a close play, some of them will call you out if you don't slide into a bag. Each one has little different approach to calling a game, and I committed a foul by not sliding. (I've heard stories of some umpires calling a bigger strike zone on a batter if they have clean cleats.)
The second and third runs came when I was fielding 1st base. With the bases loaded, a ball was hit on the ground a little bit to my right by a left-handed batter. My first instinct was to go cover 1st base and await the throw -- I had only had one ball hit to me all of this season. My one step towards the base cost me, as I immediately realized that not only was I the only one who could field the ball, but it was actually a perfectly hit ball for me to start a double play with. The ball bounced passed me, and two runs came around to score. Instead of 2 outs, there was still zero with two men on base.
As I stalked angrily into the dugout after my non-slide mistake, I jokingly told our pitcher at the time that I would be pretty pissed if we lost by one. Lo and behold, it's what it came down to.
Our team finished 7-9, going 0-2 in the playoffs. We lost our last six games (playoffs included), but we finished with an extremely strong effort and I can't ask for much for.
I had set some goals for me at the beginning of the season (in an earlier post if you care to look for it). Let's see how I did...
- Commit zero errors
While I technically committed no errors at 1st base (my main position), I had two errors in the one inning I played at 3rd base. I did however have a few misplays -- two distinct low throws that I thought were routine and that I should have scooped at first base, and two distinct misplays of flyballs in the outfield. Defense is what I pride myself in most and is (at least I think) the strongest part of my game. My best play of the year came in yesterday's playoff game: On a ground ball hit into the hole between the shortstop and third base, the shortstop managed to backhand it and make a strong throw to first. The problem was the throw was wide and extremely low. I managed to pull off one of those almost lying down on the ground catches with one foot barely touching first base, picking the ball out of the ground (it bounced probably a good four feet away from my glove) in a full stretch. This is the stuff that makes Sports Center!
- Hit one home run (even if it's in the park)
Uhh... no. Not even close -- I didn't have an extra-base hit all year. All singles, all the time. Kinda like my love life.
- Steal eight bases
I stole one, and I should have been out. While at second base, I thought that the pitch came funnily out of the pitcher's hand and thought it was going to go wide into the dirt as a wild pitch. Unfortunately, it ended up right in the catcher's glove low and outside. He immediately gunned it to third, but fortunately he threw it five feet wide of the bag -- it actually might have hit me. I'm not sure because I had a ridiculously unsuccessful slide that I bailed out of half way in an attempt to avoid the third baseman (trying to field that wide throw) and ended up flipping over and rolling into third base -- I hurt all over.
- Batting average above 0.250
Success! I hit a fairly successful 0.304 this season. As an improvement from last year (0.149), it's absolutely fantastic. However, I did start off averaging about 0.370 until I hit a slump for essentially the last third of the season. But I guess it's something to build on next year...
- Strike out less than last year
Last year I struck out 13 times. This year, I struck out 11 times -- second highest on my team. So I thought that I had completed this goal -- until I realized that last year we played 19 games and this year we played 16. It's essentially the same strikeout rate...
- Make one diving catch
Nope -- not yet. Had an opportunity today to make an extremely athletic catch to my left, but the ball was hit just far enough that it bounced off the tip of my glove. Either way, it would have been a double down the line so at least I stopped it.
Final stats (does not include playoffs):| AB | Hits | BB | RBI | K | R | SB | TB | AVG | OBP | |
| 2007 | 47 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0.149 | 0.375 |
| 2008 | 46 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 0.304 | 0.407 |
I'm already looking towards next season, and hope to build on what I've done this year. I plan on being more focused this off season in improving my game and working out, and hopefully take our team deeper into the playoffs.
Win or loss though, I'm glad that I'm able to play on a team with a bunch of great guys -- there are teams out that are full of douchebags. I'm lucky I wasn't drafted by one of them.
Win or loss though, I'm glad that I'm able to play on a team with a bunch of great guys -- there are teams out that are full of douchebags. I'm lucky I wasn't drafted by one of them.
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