Today’s game at Christie Pits (which I was absolutely stunned to learn is spelt with only one T – maybe that’s why I can’t find information anywhere about the race riots!) was a long, hot one, and I can prove it on both fronts: about two more pages of in-game notes than I’d planned on taking, and killer, killer sunburns on both my arms.
The game itself was a jewel – it was tight, well pitched (if not well defended), full of a lot of opportunities for both teams that definitely gave it a dramatic flair, and a fun (although very partisan) hometown crowd that obviously knew the Leafs inside out.
All of the scoring came on one-run homers – a bomb to dead centre by Wes O’Neill in the top of the third for the good guys, and two Leafs’ homers – each by Rob Gillis, one a first-pitch rocket to lead off the bottom of the ninth and tie the game, and the other to lead off the bottom of the 15th and send (most of) everyone home happy.
The Twins, though, had far more than their fair share of chances to put the game away before Gillis’ ninth inning rocket, and I’m sure they’re all plenty aware that they have no one but themselves to blame for this loss. The one that jumps out at me as most damning came in the top of the ninth, when they had runners on first and second with no one out, and Sean Pisarski popped up a bunt attempt to the pitcher – who then came oh-so-close to doubling off the runner on first, which would have been devastating. As it was, the next two hitters couldn’t get the job done, and clearly it cost the Twins.
The problem with botching that ninth inning bunt attempt is two-fold: screwing up fundamentals (that badly, no less) late in the game will get you in any coach’s doghouse very quickly, and, perhaps even more importantly, if not a bit abstractly, it let the Leafs off the hook big time. Pitcher Mark Sequarski (whose last name I can’t spell and whom I can’t find on the statistics page of the ICBL’s website, which has me a bit confused/alarmed – help in the comments, anyone?) fielded a chopper back to the mound with Derek Gordon on first, and pivoted to go to second to cut down the lead runner... and tossed the ball right into centre field. It put runners at first and second with no one out rather than a runner on first with one down. Needless to say, it isn’t the kind of mistake you can let someone get away with in competitive baseball – but again, I’m sure that the Twins know that as well as anyone.
Another ninth inning problem for the Twins was Gordon’s base running – after the botched bunt attempt, Darryl Pui whiffed, and Gordon got caught napping off of second (I was told after the game it was a brain freeze on his part to not go back hard to the base when he saw the pitcher turn) and seemed to just give up on the run down, rather than trying to get himself out of it. I understand that it’s incredibly deflating to be caught between bases when the ball is on the infield, but I think under those circumstances you need to do everything you can to escape – and he didn’t.
You’ll be able to read my game story – which I’ve yet to write – on www.MississaugaTwins.ca , along with the other 4 or 5 pieces that have yet to go up, as soon as the guys running the site get them on there – which I’m told will be tomorrow (Monday), so keep an eye. The site also has a map of the Twins’ home park, for all of the friendly people who asked today.
I liked my first trip to the Pits – the huge, steep hill that surrounded the backstop was like nothing I have ever seen, and you can just tell that the place is rocking in August when the Leafs play in the play offs and there’s more people out. The neighbourhood was nice; the fans knowledgeable; the lockerrooms existent, unlike at Meadowvale; and, the hot dogs were bigger than at Meadowvale. Cool stuff. I'll be back for non-Twins games if the ICBL is paying me. ;)
I asked coach Calcagni about several things after the game – a few of which I promised some fans the answers to would go up on this blog – and even though I’m still not sure I would have done what he did in those situations, I was pretty satisfied with his answers. Chiefly, I wanted him to explain his thinking when he walked Kern Watts in the bottom of the tenth with a runner on third, even though Watts had been having a dreadful game. Calcagni told me that he coached Watts for ten years in Brampton and knows he is a great hitter, and he didn’t want to get beat by a guy who he knew was capable of beating him when he had other options. Watts, by the way, promptly stole second, which Calcagni told me he knew he would do – the IBB was still worth it, though, to avoid facing his bat. Obviously, the move worked out for the Twins, as the next two Leaf hitters struck out – Brian Ivan looking, and the eventual hero Gillis swinging.
The other intentional walk I wanted an explanation of was when Jeremy Walker was put on in the bottom of the 11th. Walker was just brutal at the plate today, striking out looking twice, as I remember it. I thought maybe Calcagni was being super-orthodox about wanting the righty-righty matchup that the next batter offered (Walker was a lefty facing a righty pitcher), but again, the reason was that Calcagni knew Walker could crush it and thought he was due with the weak showing he had put forth so far.
By the way, the only reason Walker had to be put on was because Dan Gibbons began the inning with a ROCKET off of the centre field wall – it looked like a walk off dinger off the bat. It was absolutely tremendous defense on the Twins’ part to hold him to a single, because he really did hit it to the deepest part of the park. He was bunted over to second, which set the table to put Walker on.
I think I would have been comfortable pitching to both of those guys in those situations, but Calcagni knows those players a ton better than I do, and his move worked out in both cases, so no complaints here.
Another thing Calcagni told me – which I found very surprising, but I don’t doubt the sincerity of at all – was that George Mensah was not benched today due to his GIDP with the bases loaded and no one out yesterday against Brantford. Instead, it was as simple as Calcagni wanting to see as many of his players as possible, which is absolutely fair.
I should have asked him if Mensah would have started today if he had ripped a doubled in that situation, and I forgot to ask him how he felt about Mensah being thrown out stealing second as a pinch runner today (in the 14th, I think). The consensus we came up with amongst the fans I was talking to was that Mensah had the base swiped, but he was tagged out because the catcher’s throw tailed right into him. I wanted Calcagni’s take on that play – if he saw the same thing we did, I don’t think you can be too upset with a guy being thrown out when the only reason he was thrown out is because the catcher made a bad throw and caught a lucky break.
Anyways, remember to keep checking the Twins’ site for my pieces this week, and tell your friends about the blog! I’m not too sure what I’ll put up between now and the Wednesday home game against Barrie – I think I’ll do a little Blue Jays post either tomorrow or on Tuesday, but no guarantees.
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