SIDE ARM A Fictional Player Story

[Izz]

Woop woop!

[vrobx1]

"Oh my God, baby, I am so proud of you!" Beth's voice had reached a high pitch that would have embarrassed her if she could have heard it the way I did.

"It's probably only temporary, honey," I said. "They have some pitchers on the DL....We have some pitchers on the DL."

I had to remember. I was now a San Diego Padre.

"I don't understand how all that works, Bobby."

"The thing is, Beth, when these guys come back from being injured, the Padres have to pay them an MLB salary. I am still on a minor league contract. So, to make room for them, I'll end up being sent down first."

"Oh...."

So crushed she was.

"But, for now, I am on the 40 man roster. And, we'll just take it one day at a time."

I much preferred starting to relieving. As a starter, you know what days you will pitch and can plan your day and get into your game day routine.

As a reliever, you could end up on the mound at any time in any game.

Of course, I've had more than one occasion where I ended up doing that as a starter my first two years in the minors.

Adaptability was important there.

The Sporting News released its Top 100 Prospects again and I had moved up to number twelve on the list.

Opening Day.

And we were just destroying the Giants.

Dave Dravecky was cruising on all cylinders. The bats were beating the ball all around Candlestick Park.

"James. Warm up."

What?

It was the top of the sixth inning and we were leading 7-0.

Dravecky had only given up a pair of hits.

On through the seventh inning stretch and Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

The most annoying sports song in history.

"You're in, James."

It was the bottom of the eighth. We were still up 7-0. Most of the 36,780 that had begun the game rooting for the Giants had left.

Still, this is a huge ballpark.

I was in a daze. Just throwing what Benito told me to.

And somehow, three batters later we were headed to the ninth.

"You alright, James?" Santiago asked. "You look white."

"I am twenty years old and pitching on Opening Day in a Major League Baseball game! Yeah, everything is hunky dory!"

I needs oxeyn!

I started to get my bearings in the ninth and struck out their pinch hitter with a full count fastball right down the middle on a big swing and a miss.

"Come on, James, strike them all out!" John Kruk at first base shouted.

"Keep throwing the heater, James," Ken Oberkfell yelled from third as I did the same to Brady Anderson on a swing and a miss at a full count slider right down the middle.

Short stop Ozzie Guillen shouted something in Spanish, I think it was Spanish anyways.

Robby Thompson then swing at a first pitch curveball that was in the middle of the plate and popped it up.

Santiago came out and shook my hand. "They gonna have trouble sending you down if you keep doing this."

We had won 7-0.

Dave Dravecky had pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while walking two and striking out three.

I had pitched two perfect innings with those two strikeouts.

TV camera crews caught up with Dravecky after the game and talked to him. He looked so cliche', thanking God and his teammates but we knew.

That's who he was.

The humility from him was genuine.

[vrobx1]

Back when I was drafted by the Padres, Coach Cummings had done the homework when it came to hiring a sports agent.

We held it off as long as we could to keep me eligible to play high school then finally Coach Cummings arranged for my parents and I to meet Nicholas Blevins.

Blevins had arranged for the $600,000 signing bonus and had pretty much helped keep some of my financial matters in check. Dad was still my main man with the credit union but Blevins had stayed in touch with my parents throughout my minor league service.

The morning after the opener in San Francisco, Blevins called my hotel room.

"Congratulations, James," he said. "You have just secured yourself the league minimum for 1987."

Huh?

"Your minor league contract states that if you throw one pitch in a MLB game at any point in the season, they owe you the league minimum for that season. Those two innings you pitched last night just guaranteed you $79,2000 for the year."

"Really?"

Wow, that was a lot of money. It's not the $950,000 Nolan Ryan would make this year but it's almost $80,000 for a year for a 20 year old.

I have classmates in the Army just to try to afford college and I am making $80,000 a year.

"We need to discuss some of your options...."

"Thanks, Nick, but you need to call my parents on that. I am not ready to making those kind of financial decisions yet."

I hung up the phone, yet in another daze. What did this really mean? That they would now keep me with the parent club even when Lance McCullers and Roger Mason and Michael Costello came back from the DL? Would there be enough roster spots? Would other moves be made to open roster spots?

I turned on the television and watched highlights of Opening Day. The main focus of our win was again Dravecky. They didn't even show me at all.

The next night it happened again. We were cruising to another 7-0 lead with Chris Bosio doing the honors. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, I was sent out to the mound again.

Santiago called for four straight fastballs and Bob Brenly popped up a 2-1 pitch for the first out.

The ball had gotten away and I thought it was going to hit him in the head.

What the hell was he swinging at?

After going up 1-2 on Albert Hall, Santiago called for a curve and it was grounded to first.

Their third baseman doubled but, for some reason, they did not pinch hit and their relief pitcher struck out.

"James, your leading off."

Oh, come on.

I fell behind 0-2 but I did foul one off. But, then, it was full count and Willie McGee was in the on deck circle.

"Get on base, James! I'll bring you home!"

You mean I'd have to run the bases? I only do that when Coach Jackson is mad at me!

I waited and here it comes and I swung....

Wow.

That ball was way outside.

At least I don't have to run now.

Brady Anderson led off the top of the eighth and I struck him out on five fastballs.

The Giants ended the shutout in that inning with a run on three hits.

But that would be all they would get as we won again 7-1.

Ken Oberkfell went three for four with a pair of doubles, three ribbies and scored twice.

In three innings, I allowed one run on five hits and struck out three while not walking anybody.

As we left Candlestick and I looked out at some of the Giants fans leaving the game, I had to feel just a bit for them.

We weren't this strong of a pitching staff.

They were just bad offensively.

[vrobx1]

I didn't dress the next night for the finale in San Francisco. I stayed in the clubhouse and iced my arm.

The Giants got some offense and Roger McDowell blew the save. Brady Anderson then hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the eleventh off Craig Lefferts and the Giants beat us 5-4.

The next morning, we were on a plane headed to Ohio.

I was back dressed in the bullpen on Friday night as we began a series against the Reds. We scored six runs in the first and then held on to win 6-4.

The next night, the Reds got to Dravecky but Dave got more than enough run support to leave after six innings with a 9-4 lead.

I came in and immediately gave up a single and committed my own throwing error to put the first two men on in the seventh.

The error cost us a run and we led 9-5 going into the eighth.

The Reds got a hit off me in the eighth but that was all.

Terry Kennedy pinch hit for me in the ninth and that was that.

Lawrence Brown finished it off for us and we won 9-5.

"This is our year," John Kruk said as we got in the clubhouse.

Would be nice. But there was a lot of games left to play.

[vrobx1]

The Florida State League had nothing on the groupies in the Major Leagues.

Road trips in the hotel were crazy. Not to mention names but every morning several players had random women leaving their hotel rooms.

And it could be a different woman on Sunday morning than it was on Saturday morning.

In the same city!

Not everyone was like that but we had some that would have made Chris Hammond look like an amateur when it came to womanizing.

While on the road, I was also picking up postcards from each stadium and mailing them back to my sister. She was an eccentric collector of whatever and this gave her a new collection. Candlestick Park down. Riverfront Stadium down.

We lost the finale in Cincinnati 7-6. We had a 6-3 lead in the fourth but couldn't hold it as Kal Daniels hit a walkoff two run single off Roger McDowell to beat us.

We then came home for a series against the Giants.

In the opener, we fell behind 3-0 early but came back to win 6-5.

The next night, we put a crooked number up in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.

It was 8-3 after seven when I got the call from the bullpen.

I got a couple of strikeouts around a Steve Stanicek single to handle the eighth inning but walked a couple in the ninth before getting Bob Brenly to fly out to right to end the game.

In four games at the MLB level, I had pitched nine innings and allowed just one earned run on nine hits two walks and nine strikeouts.

I was starting to become recognizable to the more hardcore Padre fans. A car dealership made me a nice deal and I was still renting an apartment. A little nicer than the one I had in Miami but nothing too fancy. I wanted to save money and get a nice house in the future.

The Future.

The Future was happening now.

That was just crazy!

[vrobx1]

It was a crooked number in the third that broke it open the next night. We went up 7-2 and built a 12-3 lead.

But the Giants came back on Tim Belcher.

It was 12-6 and the Giants had the bases loaded with just one out.

"James! Go end this damn thing!"

And there were some cheers as I came out of the bullpen to face Rob Deer.

No pressure. No pressure.

We had a little give and take as the count went to 2-2 before he fouled one to the back of the screen.

Then the slider fooled him and he was caught standing like a statue as the ump signaled strike three.

Randy Kutcher was next. The crowd was on their feet. They really wanted a strikeout to end this game.

Foul behind the screen.

The noise died a bit and then started to rise again.

Ball one.

Complete silence.

I took a deep breath. Closed my eyes. I looked deep in my mind for Beth's smile. Let loose the pitch.

Called strike!

The stadium shook as over 26,000 fans stood and stomped and clapped.

I closed my eyes again. Focused. Let loose the pitch.

Swing and a miss.

Strike three!

The game was over!

We had won 12-6!

Immediately, reporters gathered around John Kruk who had tied an NL record with 7 RBI in the game. Tony Gwynn had tied a team record for runs scored in a game with four.

Gladly, I slid behind them and out of the spotlight as the reporters talked to the two heroes of the game.

"James," Coach Jackson shook my hand. "I can't wait until you are ready to be the ace of this rotation!"

Woah....

[vrobx1]

"I can't believe how great things have started here.....We got the Dodgers this weekend....Four games....I pitched the last two nights so I don't know if I'll get in tonight but I am sure I'll get to pitch sometime this weekend....I heard. My folks have been talking about the oil crashing too....Been hurting the cafe....It would be a beautiful thing to get them out of the hole and let them enjoy life without financial burdens.....At least Dad's medical bills are no longer a burden on them. If nothing else, playing baseball has done that.....I miss you every day, Beth."

The phone calls were an every day thing. Had to be. A long distance relationship isn't the easiest thing in the world but at least I wasn't in another country.

I did get into the opener against the Dodgers. And I pitched a perfect ninth! And I struck out Orel Hershiser and Steve Sax!

And I was absolutely sickened by the result.

The fact that it was the ninth inning and Hershiser was batting should tell you how the game went.

We lost 5-0.

Just short of 30,000 of our fans were there is this very early battle for first place in the division. The Dodgers were 8-2 and we were 7-2 coming in.

They are now 9-2 and we are 7-3.

Hershiser was just dominant. Holding us to 4 hits in 8.1 innings.

I hate the Dodgers.

I really really really hate the Dodgers.

[vrobx1]

The offense bounced back the next night and thrashed the Dodgers 10-1. Benito Santiago went 4 for 4 with a double, home run, four ribbies and scored three times himself.

Sadly, it was a game I didn't dress in because I was given the night off after having pitched in three straight games.

The next day, Kirk McCaskill went 8.1 innings and shout out the Dodgers, giving up five hits and striking out three. We won 3-0 and were in first place.

I got in again in the series finale. I pitched a perfect ninth again. Three flyball outs.

But the seventh inning was our downfall. The Dodgers scored four times in that inning and beat us 6-3.

A four game split.

We were still half a game behind the Dodgers. And the Reds were coming to San Diego for four games.

[vrobx1]

"How you doing, James?"

Coach Jackson came out to the bullpen and greeted me before the game against the Reds.

"Warmed up and ready to go, Coach," I said.

"No, about everything. How are you feeling?"

"The truth?"

"Yes, James, tell me how you feel about everything. Your role here. How you are being used."

"Okay. I mean, I want to be in the starting rotation but I can't say that I am completely ready for that yet. It would have been nice to have pitched in the games we beat the Dodgers in, though."

Coach Jackson said nothing.

"It's just that I hate the Dodgers," I said. "I just really hate the Dodgers."

"So, it was just a personal thing?"

"Right, Coach. I know it sounds selfish but...."

"Oh, no, no worries there. A pitcher needs to be a little bit selfish. You have to want to be the man out there."

I nodded.

"So, you really hate the Dodgers."

"Yeah, I do."

He laughed and turned and then turned back to me.

"By the way, James, in case you didn't know, you are tied for the team lead in strikeouts with McCaskill."

"I'm what?"

"You keep it up, James. And you'll make me a very famous pitching coach."

That night, Curt Young went eight innings and we beat the Reds 6-2.

The next night was another Padres victory. Tony Gwynn went 3 for 5 with a home run, a double, a pair of ribbies and he scored three times. The final was 8-4.

The next night, Chris Bosio was absolutely nasty, giving up just two hits in six innings while striking out eight and we built up a 7-1 lead.

"Alright, James, get in there."

And here I was in the seventh inning.

One pitch. One single.

Benito was calling nothing but fastballs. I got behind Kal Daniels 2-0 but then he swung and missed at the next three pitches.

Eric Davis was next. He had a solo home run off Bosio.

All fastballs again.

I fell behind 2-1 but then the 6-4-3.

In the eighth, Santiago added the slider to his calls and I struck out Kurt Stillwell. Paul O'Neill was next and he sent a shot into center field but Willie McGee robbed him. Chris Sabo then grounded to first and John Kruk fielded the ball and I beat Sabo to the bag for the third out.

That was all for me as Ty Van Burkleo pinch it for me in te bottom of the eighth.

Roger McDowell finished it up and we won 7-2.

We were 12-4. Still a half game behind the Dodgers.

And we were the only two teams in the NL West who had a winning record.

[vrobx1]

With a chance to tie the Dodgers, we dropped the finale against the Reds 3-1.

Then we went up the highway to Dodgers Stadium for three games against LA.

The Dodgers put 5 runs on us in the first inning in the series opener.

I went to the mound in the bottom of the seventh with us down 6-1. A walk came back to haunt me as Rickey Henderson brought Denny Walling home with a groundball past second base for a single.

I did much better in the eighth, getting them down in order, finishing it off by striking out Mike Marshall but we lost badly 7-1.

At this point in time, I had appeared in nine games, 15.2 innings. I had allowed two earned runs on eleven hits for a 1.15 ERA. I had struck out seventeen while walking just three.

[vrobx1]

We bounced back to win 5-3 the next night as Curt Young pitched a strong 7.1 innings.

Dave Dravecky did the same the next day and we won 3-2 to move into a first place tie with the Dodgers.

The next day we boarded a plane for St Louis for the middle series of a nine game road trip.

The big news was that I was staying in San Diego.

Roger Mason had come off the DL and he was sent down to Las Vegas.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep you in the bullpen, James," Coach Jackson told me.

There was concern about the number spot in the starting rotation. Jimmy Jones was 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA.

"We'll see what happens. Just be ready."

[vrobx1]

Busch Stadium.

A new postcard to add to my sister's collection.

The Cardinals were 5-12 and in last place in the National League East. We were 14-6 and tied with the Dodgers for the lead in the West.

We couldn't get anything going offensively and Chris Bosio wasn't his best and we trailed in the series opener 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth.

Lee Mazzilli led off with a single and then Dick Williams made the motion to the bullpen.

"You're in, James," Coach Jackson said.

I trotted out to the mound and warmed up. Chris wasn't happy as he was 3-0 coming into the game. Facing his first loss of the season.

We started off against Andy van Slyke with a couple of sliders and then came back with the fastball. Up 1-2, Santiago called for a low fastball and van Slyke laid it on the ground toward second base.

4-6-3!

Just like that, two down.

We went after Franklin Stubbs with a pair of fastballs and he dribbled one onto the infield for a base hit. I then walked Barry Larkin on five fastballs.

But I got Terry Pendleton to ground to short on a 2-2 slider to end the inning.

"Okay, James, you're leading off."

Ah, hell.

I grounded out to third. At least I made contact, right?

It was still 2-0 St Louis as I took the mound in the bottom of the sixth. They had the bottom of the order up and I got them in order, striking out Dave LaPoint to end the sixth.

But LaPoint was dominating our batters. Through seven innings, we only had three hits.

Vince Coleman led off the bottom of the seventh with a single but Santiago called for the pitchout and threw Coleman out trying to steal second. Mazzilli and van Slyke then grounded out to end the seventh.

With two out in the top of the eighth, John Shelby singled bringing up the pitcher's spot to bat. Pete Stanicek pinch hit for me. A wild pitch moved Shelby to second and Stanicek singled to cut the lead to 2-1.

But we would get no more and that was the final score.

The St Louis news cameras came to the field and I watched as the microphones surrounded LaPoint.

I was exhausted. But I was very pleased with my performance.

It was, however, becoming just a bit frustrating to only be pitching in games we lost.

[vrobx1]

I had now appeared in 10 games. 18.2 innings. I had an ERA of 0.96.

Against MLB hitters!

Rain poured down the nezt night and we never even got the game started.

That forced us into a day-night double header the next day.

Kirk McCaskill struggled in the first game of the double header and we fell behind 5-1 after the second inning. He settled down but, once again, the bats were silent and the Cardinals beat us 6-2.

The abysmal hitting was complete in the second game of the double header as St Louis won 1-0.

The next afternoon, we were in Chicago to begin a three game series against the Cubs. We were now 14-9, a game behind the Dodgers. The Cubs were 10-10.

Of course, my sister would get a postcard from Wrigley Field.

The offense struggled again and we fell behind 3-1 in the opener. But we got some bats finally cracking and got a pair in the seventh as Dravecky got things started with a double and scored a run.

It was 3-3 as we hit the Seventh Inning Stretch.

The Seventh Inning Stretch is an event to behold in Wrigly Field. With one o the great characters of baseball, Harry Carey, leading the charge, all 16,726 fans were singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

Looking around the stadium, one had to wonder how many of the nearly 17,000 were taking a Ferris Bueller Day Off from work to watch the Cubs.

In the top of the eighth, Chris Speier hit a two run homer to give us a 5-3 lead. John Kruk then hit a three run homer in the top of the ninth to make it 8-3.

When the bats came alive, they came alive.

"Finish it up, James!"

I took the mound in the bottom of the ninth with us up 9-3.

Mop up duty.

My first pitch, a fastball, what else, was hit to left for Kruk to put away.

One down.

The next batter, Gerald DeSimone, fouled off four pitches and then beat out a grounder to third for an infield single.

Sometimes you just gotta nod to the batter for earning a hit and move on.

Tony Grwynn then dropped a flyout.

Tony Gwynn?

You can't be serious.

A passed ball moved the runners to second and third.

Really, guys.

Oberkfell at third then booted a grounder and a run scored.

What the hell! Am I in a time warp and back at Reno?

An RBI single on a full count made the score 9-5.

A sacrifice fly cut it to 9-6!

But, finally, there were two outs.

And Dick Williams was coming to the mound.

And motioning to the bullpen.

I glared at him for just a second and then went to the dugout and threw my glove on the ground.

The game should have been over a long time ago.

Two ninth inning errors.

Craig Lefferts finished it in three pitches, getting Mike Young to pop out to end the game.

We won 9-6.

Dick Williams was not happy as we went to the clubhouse.

"Some of you got lazy out there in the ninth," he said.

He better not be talking about me!

[vrobx1]

The next day, we faced the Cubs again as the sports world turned its attention to the Kentucky Derby.

Jimmy Jones struggled and we trailed 6-3 as I got the call from the bullpen following the Seventh Innning Stretch.

I started with a slider and curve to go to 1-1 in Dave Martinez and then came with a pair of fastballs to get the strikeout.

Mel Hall then grounded the first pitch to third.

With two down, I walked Leon Durham on four pitches.

Jeff Manto then grounded a 1-0 fastball to second to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Paul Runge grounded a full count fastball to short for the first out.

Razor Shines then watched a full count fastball at the knees be called strike three.

I then walked the opposing pitcher on four pitches.

Shawon Dunston was next. He was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and I struck him out on an outside fastball chest high on a 1-2 count.

We lost 6-3 to fall to 15-10.

I had now pitched in 12 of the 25 games.

21.2 innnings.

An ERA of 0.84.

15 hits allowed.

21 strikeouts versus 6 walks.



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[vrobx1]

The next day, favored Democrat Presidential candidate Gary Hart became a huge news topic as it was reported that he had been with a woman over the weekend.

Being as how he was a married man, this became a big deal.

It also reaffirmed what I already knew about the baseball life.

Sooner or later, you are going to get caught.

Chris Bosio left the game against the Cubs in the second innning with a shoulder injury.

We took a 3-2 lead and, with two out in the bottom of the fifth, Tim Belcher had reached his limit and they called me out to pitch for the third time this series.

Leon Durham grounded an 0-1 fastball right back to me for the final out of the innning.

I came to bat in the top of the sixth with rain falling. Carmelo Martinez was on second with one out and I struck out on three pitches.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jeff Manto checked his swing in time on a full count low fastball to get the free pass. He got to second on a wild pitch before John Russell struck out on a curve. Santiago guessed right. Russell was expecting fastball.

Paul Runge also worked the count full before flying out to center.

The Cubs then had Dwight Smith hit for the pitcher and he he sent an 0-2 fastball in the air to left and right into Carmelo's glove for the third out.

In the top of the seventh, Oberkfell brought in a pair with a double and Carmelo followed up with a two run home run. Chris Speier then walked and they pinch hit for me, bringing up George Hendrick to bat.

We got the win 7-2.

For Bosio, it was just a sore shoulder and he would most likely be fine and not miss a start.

Which was good as he was one of our best pitchers.

Even if it meant I had to stay in the bullpen.

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[vrobx1]

We were back at Jack Murphy Stadium for a seven game home stand.

Kirk McCaskill allowed just one hit in seven innnings in the opener against the Pirates and we won 2-0.

The next day, the news began to run a story about the Iran-Contra Affair. The Congressional hearings were about to begin.

Some of the guys on the team would talk politics from time to time. That wasn't really my thing. My dad was a Democrat because his dad was a Democrat because his dad was a Democrat.

In other words, they didn't really know why they were Democrats. They just were.

The series against the Pirates was just two games.

Bobby Bonilla and Brian Harper homered off Curt Young and we trailed 5-1 in the eighth when I got the call from the bullpen.

To face the Pirates heart of the order.

Will Clark. Bonilla. Harper.

Terry Kennedy was catching.

I fell behind 2-0 but got Clark to fly out to right.

Bonilla swung at a first pitch fastball and grounded it to short.

Harper hit a first pitch fastball for a two out double.

Johnny Ray got ahead 2-0 but grounded a fastball right back to me.

Seven of my eighth pitches were fastballs.

It's a weird feeling to be called in to pitch late in a game down by four. It really feels like you're there just because nine innnings are required to be played.

You can be as perfect as you can be but it won't make any difference in the outcome.

It took a bit as Marvell Wynne fouled off a couple of two strike pitches before he whiffed on an outside fastball for strike three.

I got up 0-2 on Chico Walker but then walked him.

Walker then stole second when Kennedy came up to throw him out but no one was there to cover second.

And I couldn't find the strike zone and walked Jay Buhner on five pitches.

They worked the double steal and then Kennedy called for the intentional pass to load the bases with one out.

Mike Felder hit a weak grounder that no one could get to on time and it was 6-1.

And Will Clark was next.

Clark got ahold of a 1-2 slider and sent it to right. Gwynn caught it but the runner scored from third to make it 7-1.

Bonilla then hit an RBI single.

Harper then tore the cover off the ball but Willie McGee made a diving catch to finally end the top of the ninth.

We had gotten pounded 8-1.

That was not pretty.

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[vrobx1]

"What you have to understand is that you are still auditioning for not only the Padres but other teams in the league as well."

My agent Nick Blevins was on the phone. I was confiding in him about my role and feeling useless coming in to pitch when we are down four runs.

"The Padres have started off really well. If this continues, they may be looking to make a move to increase their chances at winning it all. And, there will be some team that might want to dump some payroll because they are out of the race. And they would love to take on a hot prospect at league minimum cost."

And I would get dumped to a loser. Great. Just great!

We talked about finances and other things and then he dropped another bombshell on me.

"Remember last season when you were in Reno and had all that money transfered to your account there?"

"Yeah..."

How did he know?

"There was a lot of concern amongst your family and it became known to the team and it was decided that Reno could be a toxic environment for you."

I said nothing.

"You were sent to Miami to get you out of there before something bad happened. And they were right. As soon as you got out of Reno, you began to improve. And look where you are now."

Damn. I kind of winced thinking about what the organization must think of Coach Broadway.

Poor guy.

I think he might have better success other than Reno as well.

I hoped I hadn't ruined his chances by leaving Reno and then becoming the pitcher they thought I could be.

We had a two game series against the Cardinals.

Our Kryptonite.

We lost the first game 3-0 as we only managed three hits.

The next night, John Burkett and our Jimmy Jones were in a pitcher's duel. In the bottom of the eighth, John Shelby hit a two run pinch hit homer to give us a 2-0 win as we finally beat the Cardinals.

The next morning, I talked to Beth on the phone. Before Beth, you couldn't get me to talk two minutes on the phone. But we would suddenly find ourselves lost in conversation for two hours.

We talked about the last movie she saw, the new songs on the radio, her finals, summer coming up.

I told her what Blevins had said about me possibly being trade bait come July.

She reminded me that I was just twenty years old.

"I know your time will come. But it's not your time yet."

For someone just nineteen, she sure had herself grounded real well.

It was no surprise. Her parents were very intelligent people. Knew when to push and when to back off.

Once again, I was reminded how lucky I was that she was in my life.

It was Friday and we were beginning a three game home series against the Cubs. We were 18-12, still a game behind the Dodgers but the Astros were coming on and were just a half game behind us.

I know. Worrying about the standings in May. But we wanted to finally do it.

The Padres had never won the division. We wanted to be the guys who did it first!

Chris Bosio wasn't effective and we lost 6-4.

The next night, Kirk McCaskill went the distance and we handled the Cubs 6-1.

There was just one game left in the homestand and I had just pitched those two innings against the Pirates the entire week we were in San Diego.

That stung.

The finale against the Cubs was on Sunday afternoon. Curt Young got the start and I sat in the bullpen once again waiting for my chance.

But out after out after out and suddenly none of us wanted to replace Curt.

Fifth inning.

Sixth inning.

Seventh inning.

Eight inning....

Strike three!

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

Curt needed just three more outs!

We were up 3-0 but that wasn't the story.

Dave Martinez came up to bat and singled to left.

Oh no!

Gone was the no-hitter.

So close.

The only hit Curt would give up.

What a shame!

[vrobx1]

"We have a long trip ahead of us. We're going to the East Coast....I've never been to New York.....No, we go to Pennsylvania first. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia....Maybe I'll get to pitch in one the games....Can't blame them for yesterday....I still can't believe how close he came to a no-hitter....He was just tearing the Cubs up...He didn't even want to take credit...Saying the defense was why he was so effective....Shoot, I can't even imagine coming that close and being thwarted in the ninth inning...I remember giving p that walkoff home run....You don't have to remind me....I know! I was a jerk. I'm sorry....You don't have to hold it over my head for the rest of my life...Sheesh, just like a woman....Hello? Hello?"

Aw, crap...

[vrobx1]

Dravecky was down and in a lot of pain.

We saw from the bullpen. As soon as he threw the ball, he went down, grabbing his arm.

The stadium went silent as our coaches and training staff rushed out onto the field.

After several minutes, Dave was up and walking off the field, still holding his arm.

"James. Next man up."

It was the bottom of the first. Runners were on first and second. Two men out. Brian Harper was next.

It was the Pirates. The one team tat had really hit off me so far this season.

And, irony of ironies, Doug Drabel was pitching for Pittsburgh.

Drabek. From Victoria, Texas. Just thirty minutes from my little home town.

No, I had never met the guy. He was four years older than me. But everybody knew about him back home.

And now I was pitching against him.

Harper sent the first pitch into right field for an RBI single.

What a lovely way to start the game.

Johnny Ray grounded a 2-1 fastball to first to end the inning.

"Hope your arm is ready, James," Santiago said as we headed for the bench.

Marvell Wynne led off the bottom of the second and tried to bunt a 0-1 fastball but I tumbled forwards and caught it out of the air.

"Watch your arm, James!" Santiago scolded me.

"I'm good, Bennie. I'm good."

I set them down in order in the second, with Drabek grounding out to end the inning.

Drabek then struck me out in the third. He hadn't even given up a hit through three.

In the bottom of the third, Harper was up again with runners at second and third with two out.

He swung and hit the first pitch again but this time I came with a curve and he popped it up for the final out.

I would go on to pitch 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and only that one run in the first. But we still trailed 1-0 in the top of the sixth.

Chris Speier led off with a single to break up the no-hitter and then George Hendrick pinch hit for me and my day was done.

We tied the game in the top of the eighth and then scored a run in the top of the ninth to take the lead.

The Pirates then scored in the bottom of the ninth and the game went extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, Jeff Hamilton picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to give us the win 3-2.

It was a helluva game.

Drabek had allowed just one run on three hits in eight innings.

I congratulated my teammates and then bumped into Drabek.

"You're that kid from Lolita."

"Yeah, that's right."

He shook my hand. "Great work out there. I hope we get to face off many more times."

"I look forwards to it."

"James!"

"Yeah, Coach."

"That was good, James. Real good!"

[vrobx1]

The next night, we still didn't know how things were with Dravecky.

That was not good.

If it was something minor that he could just bounce right back from, we would have known by now.

"He's still being evaluated" is what we were told.

We took a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth but Tim Belcher could not finish the bottom of the sixth. He gave up three runs and we trailed 7-6.

"James! Get in there and clean this up!"

Runners were on first and second with two out. Jay Buhner was up to bat. Buhner fouled off three pitches and worked the count full and a low fastball missed and he drew a walk to load the bases.

But Johnny Ray popped out to end the inning.

Blue was not giving me the edge of the plate and Paul Hollins drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh. Joe Orsulak then hit a one out single. Then another full count walk loaded the bases. Another full count and John Cangelosi hit an RBI single. Will Clark then cleared the bases with a three run double.

11-6.

Everything was just falling apart.

Skip walked out to the mound and took the ball from me.

The Pirates had pounded me again.

11-6 would be the final as no one would score in the last three innings.

My ERA was now all the way up to 2.73. It had been 0.79 before my three appearances against the Pirates.