We travelled to Boise, Idaho for a 5 game series with the Boise Hawks, the Chicago Cubs team in our league. We knew we had some magic to work when it came to the playoff race but the worst part about it was that 2 other teams in our division controlled our fate. We needed the Everett Aquasox (no I do not know what an Aquasock is but they are the Mariners) to lose 3 out of five and the Eugene Emeralds (Padres) to win 4 out of 5 to close the season. Let's just say Boise beat us like we stole something and we lost 4 out of 5, the game I threw was ugly, I got smoked all over the yard and our team had all but packed it in to head home. Our last game against Boise was at 11 in the morning the same day as Boise State's opening football game for the college season...needless to say, the city of Boise had bigger fish to fry than us. We had learned the night before that it would come down to the last game of the season for Everett and Eugene...with an Everett loss in their game we are in or with a Eugene win we were in. As we are driving home their games started and we all watched on our phones. We stopped in the town of Yakima, Washington for Dinner as the Everett game was going into the 9th inning and they were losing...ready to decide our fate. We waited on the bus as Bryan Longpre, one of our pitchers listened on his phone, Everett had the bases loaded with 0 outs down 2. Spokane removed their closer who had been lights out all year until tonight and brought in a guy that we had already lit up like christmas tree earlier in the season, dropping our confidence through the floor. His first batter he strikes out and the bus goes wild, 1 out bases loaded. Next batter STRIKE 3, the bus goes nuts again, 2 outs bases still loaded. Third batter steps in 0-2 count...BALL...the count goes to 1-2 and the bus goes so silent you could hear a mouse fart. Here comes the 1-2 pitch, strike 3 looking!! Game over, the Canadians are going to the playoffs. The bus erupts and we start rioting...our pitching coach takes his shirt off, our announcer takes his shirt off and starts swinging it. I know I know, not my first reaction either but the bus loved it and began chanting. We arrived home at 5 in the morning but I still couldn't sleep. We had our first playoff game in 2 days and we were ready to go.
The Eugene Emeralds rolled into town and beat us convincingly our first game, somewhat taking the wind out of our sails. We knew we had our work cut out for us going to their place needing to win both games, but no task was too big. Game 2 started and we rolled right from the beginning, smacking Eugene for 10 runs en route to an easy win pushing the series to a decisive game 3. It was a barn burner from the start and it came down to the last batter again. With 1 out in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and Eugene down one, our closer Drew Permison got a called strike 3 that resulted in his victim being ejected from the game. While calling the umpire names (that I cannot repeat on here, 1 for their vulgarity and 2 because well... he strung together some words that frankly I didn't even know the meaning of nor believe could be in the same room as each other let alone same sentence.....yet, they seemed to flowed so eloquently from his pissed off tongue) he was told to take an early shower and disappeared into the dugout. The next batter stepped in and with 1 strike swung at a fastball rolling a ground ball to our shortstop who threw it to second for the final out finishing the game and sending us to the Championship. We head back to the hotel, and from there to the city of Eugene's bars and celebrated our victory before the next day making the 7 hour trip to Tri-City, Washington (the Rockies team) for game 1 of the championship. On the ride I was informed that I would be moved to the bullpen for the championship series, a decision I wasn't happy with but was out of my hands, either way, I was ready for my role and would help however needed. Game one in Tri-City went smoothly, we got the win and took it 7 more hours north to Vancouver with 2 chances to win the series. Game 2 saw another sell out at Nat Bailey Stadium, the Groundskeepers once again performed the full dance to Party-rock, and Chef Wasabi managed another win in the Sushi race. Down 4-2 in the ninth, they brought me in the game to hold it there. I came in and felt good, my first time in this situation, pitching one inning out of the bullpen, a chance to blow it all out. I did just that, sitting 90-93 mph with my fastball and striking out the side. We came up in the bottom of the ninth and loaded the bases with 1 out and down 2 runs. Our leadoff man John Berti stepped to the plate and hit a ball up the middle that the shortstop just barely got to and flipped to second for the force out which then was relayed to first in an attempt for the double play. Berti flew through first base 2 steps past the bag before the ball got there, giving us all a sigh of relief until the first base umpire ruled that he was out...the ball had beat him to the bag, the worst blown call I have ever seen and in the biggest game of the season. Game over, Canadians lose, 3rd and final game tomorrow, sorry about it. I went to bed that night sleeping very little but ready to go again the next day. I woke up and arrived at the field ready to go. Game three started and Tri-city took the lead 1-0 in the 4th inning. Our starter Jesse Hernandez was lights out through 6 innings, striking out 9, leaving with a 3-1 lead after we scored 2 in the bottom of the 6th. In the 7th inning we erupted for 6 more runs to all but put the game out of reach. We brought our closer in for the 9th inning and he slammed the door...here is the scene
(http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150345297242628&set=t.896885176&type=3 ). We stormed the field and dog piled in the middle of it to the roars of the crowd. We were presented our trophy and then ran underneath the stadium to the clubhouse where everything was covered in plastic wrap and dozens of bottles of champagne were waiting on ice. Needless to say, a party ensued, here is that scene....
( http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150345285862628&set=t.896885176&type=3&theater ).
We kept it going for a half hour and had food brought to us. We waited in line as the owners gave us our form to fill out and sized us for our Championship rings we will be receiving this off-season; we then packed our bags and left the field one last time. That night we went downtown to our go-to bar/club called Joe's Apartment where they had champagne waiting for us again. We partied all night saying goodbyes to each other and woke up the next day, Monday morning, to say goodbye to Canada and head home. My flight was at 2 PM out there and I arrived in Philadelphia at 11:59 PM out here after a short layover in Chicago to my parents waiting for me in the airport. It felt so good to be home but just as cool to be a champion. It was a hell of a way to spend and end a summer. My first year of professional baseball under my belt, a summer that made all the work and practicing through the years feel worth while, and memories I will never forget.
That finishes up this blog everybody, thanks for reading and see you in Spring Training. Keep looking up.
-Ben
