[Westheim]

Raccoons (82-53) vs. Loggers (56-80) – September 7-10, 1992

Sprint to the finish line or more humiliation? Everything was possible as we got ourselves ready for four games with the Loggers, which started an 11-game home stand. We were scheduled to see four right-handers in the series. At the same time the Canadiens and Titans would play three in Vancouver as the Titans were slowly tumbling out of the race.

Neil Reece extended his hitting streak to 20 games in due time in the opener with a 2-out RBI single off Scott Murphy in the first. Hall drove in Reece to make it 2-0 for Scott Wade early. Wade was magnificient through three, but the Loggers hit five singles off him in the fourth, cutting a 4-0 lead to 4-3. The Loggers’ rookie sensation Jerry Fletcher dished out a leadoff double in the fifth, but Wade got through the lefties in the lineup to keep Fletcher and the tying run from scoring. Scott Murphy was a bit of an anomaly – when have you ever seen a guy with 115+ walks, a scratch over 100 K’s, with a .410 team, that has a 13-9 record? – and tried to keep the tide from rising, but Kinnear homered off him in the fifth and Wade batted for an RBI groundout, scoring Osanai in the sixth, 6-3. Wade meanwhile didn’t strikeout anybody in the game, going seven innings, but apart from that nasty third-inning spill, held up nicely. In fact, the Raccoons’ staff offered only one strikeout the entire game: Grant West punching out C Duane Smith to end the game. 6-3 Coons. Kinnear 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Reece 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Hall 2-4, RBI; Wade 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, W (9-5);

The Canadiens rode Ruben Prado on eight shutout innings to beat the Titans 4-0. Matt Higgins came off the DL and was added to the roster again in time for game 2.

Raimundo Beato was clobbered by the Loggers to the tune of five runs in the first inning of game 2. That didn’t mean the game was over, especially with the Loggers pitching Tim Butler (3-12, 7.31 ERA), but was certainly an indicator for whom would be dropped from the rotation come October. Beato put two men on in the fourth and was yanked, but Nelson waved them both in. Another guy to drop. The Loggers were up 8-1 after that top 4th and now this game looked done, with Butler striking out scores of Raccoons, 8 K through seven, and he got Brown to start the eighth. The Raccoons then loaded the bags with one out and Reece up. C’mon, Neil, at least soil his line! Reece lined out and Hall flew out. In one of their most shameful displays of incompetence in recent times, the Raccoons were downed here. 8-1 Loggers. Kinnear 1-1, BB; Duncan (PH) 1-1; Miller 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

The game got even more **** down the line with Vern Kinnear hurting himself on a defensive play. We dodged a bullet there: he had a mild shoulder strain and would be sidelined for only a few days. With Kinnear out, Hall batted in the #3 hole ahead of Reece, who extended his hitting streak to 21 games with one of the Coons’ five singles.

Forget September 8, bring on September 9. Can’t get worse. Game 3 featured Kisho Saito, who got a 2-0 lead (after bases loaded, no outs) in the first inning. Top 4th: Jerry Fletcher and Bob Grant singled their ways on. Saito got one out, before they pulled off a double steal unimpeded by Vinson. The next grounder came O’Morrissey’s way, and he capitally threw it away to tie the game. Gilberto Martinez, who reached on that error, was brought in to score on a terrible bloop hit by Armando Fernandez and Master Kisho was trailing and drowning in a sea of crap not of his own making. To make things worse, he would then surrender a 3-run home run to pitcher Davis Sims in the sixth. That was the end. The Raccoons did not get a hit in a RISP situations all game (their two runs scoring on groundouts) and left six on base after the Sims home run. Saito took the loss, 6-2 Loggers. Salazar 2-5; O’Morrissey 2-5; Osanai 2-3, 2B;

Rapid collapse in progress. The Canadiens swept the Titans.

Game 4. Turner surrendered two runs on a leadoff walk and a Raúl Rodriguez triple in the first inning. The Loggers made it 3-0 in the fourth, three runs on three hits, while the Raccoons were … largely hard to describe without profanities. With the help of a Vinson home run they came back to 3-2 in the sixth, but that was on eight hits, compared to the Loggers’ three. The Loggers got themselves a spare run with a Rodriguez 2-out RBI single in the eighth. Four hits – four runs. Unbelievable. Higgins walked to lead off the bottom 8th. Osanai grounded into a dou- oops, no, António Díaz threw it away. Two on, no outs for Vinson. A walk. DOWN BY TWO. BASES LOADED. NOBODY OUT. DEAR GOD, I SWEAR I’M GONNA KILL YOU ALL. Quinn struck out. Johnston hit a sac fly. Salazar flew out. GODDAMNIT, HOLY $§@%&&!!! The Loggers were barely held from scoring in the ninth. Bottom 9th, Raúl Ramirez against O’Morrissey, Hall, Reece. They don’t score, I’m gonna snap. O’Morrissey swung at 3-0 and grounded out. Moron! You moron!! Henceforth thou shalt be known as Moron O’Moronsey!! Hall was plunked. Reece grounded out, moving Hall to second. Higgins grounded out. 4-3 Loggers. Salazar 2-5, 2B; Osanai 2-4;

Between games 3 and 4, David Vinson came up with two men on four times. He struck out thrice and walked once, twice ending an inning. That’s the kind of hitting we have here. His home run came with less than two on.

When the groundskeepers were down with picking up the various trash left around, including all my hopes and dreams, their crew chief found me in the dugout, having slapped my head against the wall for three and a half hours. He was kind enough to drive me home, but not kind enough to suffocate me with my pillow.

Raccoons (83-56) vs. Canadiens (78-61) – September 11-13, 1992

We’re five ahead. We’d play three. And we’re toast.

Moron O’Moronsey was benched because that was as much as I could do in my helpless fury without doing more damage, and Brown got a start in the series opener. We’d enter with the back of our rotation, too, so chances were good for the first series sweep (for better or worse) for this team in just over two months.

Game 1. Carlos Quintela hit a leadoff home run. That was where things going, to hell. The Canadiens singled three times in the fourth with nobody out, and scored two. Arnold McCray was perfect through three, then walked Salazar, who was immediately doubled up by Higgins. Daniel Hall homered after that, and what was it for? Down 3-1, 2-hit by McCray after five, Duncan pinch-hit for Robert Vázquez in the bottom 6th, leading off. He singled up the middle. Salazar walked on an extreme borderline pitch in a full count. Two on, no outs. Higgins flew out, Hall walked. Reece came up, hitting streak already extended to 24. Bloop to left, Luis Arroyo coming in, but he was not going to get it. Duncan scored, Salazar came around third, no play at the plate, they tried to get Hall going to third, tag, SAFE!! Tied game, two on for Osanai. He flew out to center, Hall tagged and scored. The Coons led 4-3. In the bottom 8th, O’Mo was allowed to pinch-hit for Jackie Lagarde, who had followed Burnett in pitching a scoreless inning, with one out and Reece on first. He got Reece forced out, then was picked off to end the inning. Call the butcher, I’ve got some stock for him. Grant West had no margin for error in the ninth. The Canadiens sent “Itchy” Ishizaki to lead off as pinch hitter. He was the first of three soft outs in the inning. 4-3 Raccoons, and on only five hits. Hall 1-3, BB, HR, RBI; Reece 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Duncan (PH) 1-1;

Those three mentioned above constituted ALL of our offense! Neil Reece’s bloop to left was the whole game. Basically, that’s how we lost two to Milwaukee. It’s only just to get one back.

Make it two.

Responsible for that would be Scott Wade. Quintela again made himself unlikeable in Portland with a home run to start the scoring, then in the third inning. Wade fell behind 2-0 in the fourth. O’Moronsey tried to make himself likeable again with a solo shot in the bottom 4th, 2-1. Johnston singled his way on to lead off the fifth, then saw Rodriguez and Duncan whiff. Wade came up and doubled up left! Salazar could make himself useful and at least single to tie it, but grounded to short. And hadn’t it been for Art Garrett’s throwing error scoring the tying run, I would have strangled Salazar the second he returned to the dugout. O’Moronsey came up now and battled with Manny Ramos to reach a full count, then hurled a grounder to third base. IT GETS THROUGH BOB EDWARDS!!! Wade scored easily, and as Salazar was set in motion on the 3-2 count, he too scored on O’Morrissey’s double!! But this game was far from over. Garrett led off the top 7th with a home run off Wade. Edwards got on and was moved to third with two down and Quintela up. He had homered twice already in the series. Was it better to walk him and get *Nelson* (Burnett was tired) to face lefty Carlos Guzmán? Guzmán was batting .319, so it was by no means an easy call. Wade was left in to face Quintela, got him to 2-2, but then Quintela unleashed a driller into deep left. Daniel Hall on his horse, hurling his 37-year old body at hit – AND HE CAUGHT IT!!!! The park was shaking, everybody jumping up and down. We would face three lefties in the eighth, Wade was pinch-hit for in the bottom 7th, I had no trust in Nelson, and West had a so-so recent track record and I didn’t want to overextend my luck by having him collect six. Jackie Lagarde seemed to be the best bet here. He went to 3-0 on Guzmán, but the batter jabbed at the fourth pitch and grounded out to Brown, who was in for defense at first. Reece made a bear of a play on a liner by David Brewer. Then game Arroyo, 20 homers on that guy. He was put on intentionally to get to righty António Rodriguez, but he singled. Uh-oh. “Itchy” came on as pinch-hitter, but he grounded out to end the inning. Phew. The eighth saw Hall homer and Reece extend his streak at the last chance. Up 5-3, West entered. The leadoff man, Edwards got on with a single that danced through Brown, while laughing madly. Uh-oh. Alfonso Morán would drive him in, and with two outs stood at third base. Guzmán up. 2-2 pitch, shot into left, old Daniel Hall scooting after it on his electric wheelchair – AND HE CAUGHT THAT ONE TOO!!! HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, WE WON IT!!!

Ahem. 5-4 Raccoons. O’Morrissey 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Hall 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 AACYWBSCMSTGT*; Duncan 1-2, BB; Wade 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (10-5) and 1-2, 2B;

*Absolutely Amazing Catches You Wouldn’t Believe Somebody Can Make, Saving The Game, Too. – I’m still thinking of a more convenient moniker for it. Something like YEEHAH!! or so?

Wow. They were JUST SO grinding through the Canadiens. JUST BARELY SO. Could they make it three JUST BARELY SO wins here? That would possibly slam the door on the division race, getting the gap back to eight. If so, Beato had to do it.

Salazar – O’Morrissey – Hall – Reece – Osanai – Duncan – Quinn – Vinson – Beato. These nine tried to set the division (largely) straight for the year in game 3. António Rodriguez’ 3-run homer off Beato in the first was not a good sign for things to come. The Raccoons first got on the board in the third with a 2-out RBI infield single by O’Morrissey, scoring Beato. “Pooky” went seven, dodging a bullet in the fifth with two in scoring position, allowing only five hits, and that Rodriguez home run was a big thorn in his side. The Coons still trailed 3-1 after the top 7th, not having had much pop. Ruben Prado had 4-hit the Coons this far and quickly retired Reece (still 0-for in this game) and Osanai. Then Duncan singled to left. Then Quinn singled to left. Vinson walked. We needed someone to hit for Beato anyway, a lefty to counter the righty Prado. This was our one chance. We went to Vern Kinnear, still a bit sore in the shoulder, but good to hit here. Vern Kinnear’s chance to hit himself right into the middle of all the hearts in Portland. He lined out to center. Nelson with a leadoff walk then allowed another run in the top 8th, and the Raccoons never got another man up there. 5-1 Canadiens. Salazar 2-4, 2B;

Reece’s hitting streak ended, and Nelson is a useless bag of crap.

In other news

September 11 – MIL RF/LF Cristo Ramirez (.342, 3 HR, 33 RBI) is out for the season with back spasms.

Complaints and stuff

Choking all week long, we went 3-4. We got out of there with not one, but two black eyes. Things are far from over in this division, and the way they are now, they won’t be able to stink up to the Bayhawks.