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Coach Eric Taylor on Game 5 of the 1917 NLCS
Location: Citi Field, rain in the air, tension on the field.
Coach stands before his team in the locker room, damp jacket slung over a folding chair, voice steady but firm.
“Gentlemen… that’s how you answer.”
This ballgame wasn’t about flash. Wasn’t about the stats or the standings or what the paper’s gonna say tomorrow. This one? This one was about grit. About responding when your backs are against the wall, and everyone outside this clubhouse thinks you're already done.
Luke Peters — that boy took the ball today with a whole season riding on his shoulders. And he didn’t flinch. Went six strong, ate up innings like a bulldog, didn’t let a couple late hits rattle him. That’s composure. That’s trust in your team.
Now Diaz — y’all saw it. Bottom of the fourth. Two men in scoring position, chance to blow this thing wide open. First pitch? He didn’t blink. Took a fastball and turned it into two on the board. That’s a ballplayer right there. That’s heart.
And Sloan? You wanna talk about setting a tone? Two-run shot in the first inning, rain still coming down, crowd barely settled. That’s how you say, “We’re not going home.”
Look — San Francisco’s a damn good team. They’ve got bats, they've got arms, they play hard. But if there’s one thing I believe in — and I’ve said it time and again — it’s that effort will outlast talent when the effort doesn’t quit. And you boys showed that today. Every inning. Every out.
You played clean. No errors. Hudspeth held the line. Lopez closed the door. No drama, just execution.
Now don’t get ahead of yourselves. You’ve earned the trip back to San Francisco, but you haven’t earned anything more. They’re still up 3-2. You’ve still got to go into their house, with their fans, and find a way to win two. That ain’t easy. But we don’t do easy.
We do discipline. We do belief. We do team.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
Now let’s get some dry clothes on and be ready to work tomorrow. Game 6 ain’t gonna win itself.
Final Score: Mets 5, Giants 3
Series: San Francisco leads 3-2
Coach Taylor says: “You want something? Earn it.”
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