Let me tell you about the "Centex Miracle".
First we'll talk about the game, and then I'll tell you about what the Mustangs and I talked about before this game started to get the full picture.
In the first round of Gold Division play, we faced the Central Texas Chargers. We were in the Gold Division as a result of our disappointing loss to HCYA, 12-2. We did not play well, and the Eagles whipped us. We knew we could win, but we didn't. The disappointment hung in the air.
We took the field against a team that was pretty good. The Chargers had narrowly lost to the Raleigh Warriors, 4-2, in their qualification game. Their lineup contained three regular players from the West Houston Thunder (added to enable to the Chargers to compete in Florida). These were good players, and they also provided valuable scouting intel to Centex. So, we had our work cut out for us, probably more than our players realized.
We started off the game strong, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Then, the wheels began to fall off in a difficult second inning. After a combination of strange plays and mistakes, the Chargers capitalized, going ahead, 4-2. A great catch in left by Gomer kept the damage from being much worse.
The stands were pretty quiet during the middle of the game. I heard my wife cheering consistently, but I could tell our fans were down. I understood. I was disappointed, too. A day that had started with so much promise and excitement was going inexplicably badly. Our players looked lifeless. The Chargers' pitcher continued to pitch well and keep the ball down. Having established the strike zone, he got calls, too. Our fate looked bleak.
It got worse as the Chargers tacked on several more runs late. Reagan came in and stopped the bleeding in the top of the 6th. The inning ended on a double-play, with a Charger being called out for interference. We needed all the help we could get. We were down, 8-2.
We came to bat in the bottom of the 6th. I don't remember what I said in the huddle, but I was pretty much at a loss for words at this point. I went out to third base and looked at my phone for the time. We had about 14 minutes left in the 2:10 time limit.
Our first two batters went quickly, so I thought I would not have to deal with the difficult decision of asking a player to take a quick out/strikeout to run the clock out and start over in the 7th.
But then, funny things started to happen.
Krush came up and hit a grounder to SS. It looked like he was going to be out, but the SS bobbled the ball. Krush was hustling to first and he beat the throw. We were under 10 minutes, but I was still a ways off from having to decide which way to go. Then, Foxy had a great AB and walked.
Centex started to stall. I was, let's say, mildly upset. They made a couple of trips to the mound, etc., etc. Passed ball and runners were now on second and third.
Ian came to the plate, and I looked at my phone. He had missed the first half of the tournament with an academic commitment and was about to get his first World Series AB. We still had time to take an out and get to the next inning. But we had runners on second and third.
Then ... practically fresh off the plane to Florida, Ian lined a single into right-center and it was 8-4. Then, the 9 hole was due up. It was Crumbles. I thought it would probably be wrong to ask him to take three cuts to get to the next inning. Uncertainty and I were well-acquainted at this point.
Then, we had another mound visit, throws to first, etc., etc. I got more agitated. Some one forgot to tell Crumbles to be nervous or whatever, because he then shot a single into right, and we had runners at 1st and 3rd.
The time went under 5 minutes as the top of the lineup rolled back around.
I didn't know what to do but keep us going. I have learned that when it's fuzzy to stand pat. Usually, this is the right way to go. But the truth is that I wasn't sure what to do. But the team seemed to know.
The Mustangs wanted to finish this rally.
We were at about 2-3 minutes left with Reagan at the plate when it happened. I looked up and Crumbles was trying to steal second. Then, a million crazy thoughts went through my head. Was he or Coach Fox trying to get thrown out and get us to the 7th? But wait ... that would have been my call. Turns out we had a miscommunication and, let's just say, I was scratching where Crumbles was itching. He thought he had a steal sign. So he ran for his life ... and made it.
Now we had runners on 2nd and 3rd. Reagan had a great AB, and drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.
Ben was on deck. The Chargers changed pitchers. At some point during all of this, the time expired. So, this was going to be it after all. I guess the right call was to press ahead with the inning, after all, or at least, we would find out.
As Sauce, Ben and I watched the new pitcher warming up, we looked on the next field over. HCYA, who had dealt us our disappointing loss earlier that day, had just defeated Raleigh to advance in the Platinum Bracket. "Wow, HCYA won," I said. Sauce looked at me and said, "We are about to win, too." Ben smiled.
Indeed, Ben went to the plate and absolutely crushed the first pitch thrown to him. It was a liner down the left-line, and it rattled around in the corner some 325 feet away. With Reagan on 1st, I knew we had three runs. Ben ended up on 2nd with a bases-clearing double, and the score was 8-7. The fans were making some serious noise, I do recall.
Sauce then came up and then drew his second intentional walk of the tournament. The Chargers elected to pitch to Matt. But Matt was up to the challenge. He was exceptionally patient in taking off-speed pitches off the plate and drew a walk on 3-1. Gomer went in to run for Matt at first.
With Matt's walk, the tying run was on third and the winning run was on second.
Then Zig came to the plate, and I remember thinking ... "Even if we don't do it here, it's been a great rally. I am really proud of them for continuing to battle. But wow, wouldn't it be something if ... " I almost dared not think it.
Zig was looking for his first hit on the night. The first two pitches were off-speed and apparently off the outside corner, but they were called strikes. The next pitch was in the dirt, and Zig laid off ... the fans were amped.
I saw the Centex catcher calling for the ball up, apparently to change Zig's eye level after three low pitches. The pitch did come in up, and in, but not very ... Zig hit a chopper toward the middle with incredible topspin. Each time the ball hit the ground it increased in speed and bounced seemingly higher. The shortstop got close but didn't have a chance to stop it. Once the ball bounced into center, it was clear Sauce would score from second.
And he did ... Mustangs 9, Chargers 8. Ball game.
As Michael slid home, a wild celebration ensued. I made merry myself, moreso than any time before. The wild, emotional ride of the day made it fun, but what had happened before the game is what really got to me.
You see, I've been doing this a while. I've seen lots of Mustangs teams with great players and young men who I wanted to see rewarded for their efforts on the field with a great result. But life doesn't always work out that way.
This night it did.
Before the game, we sat by the gate to the field and talked. Actually, I talked. I talked turkey about how I was disappointed at how we had played against HCYA, but it wasn't the end of the world, either. Adversity is not so important, but how we respond to it reveals our character. It bothered me to see players moping around in the dugout about subpar performances rather than picking themselves up and getting after it. I wanted individual concerns to fade away and see us pull together like never before.
Nothing that happened on the field on Saturday was life-or-death. We needed a perspective check. I challenged them to see what they were made of. I told them that I was going to be watching to see who was sticking with it until the end of the next game. I reminded them of the definition of success, which is doing your best with what you have.
Specifically, I told our team, "I know you are disappointed about the last game. I am, too. But we have to move on. I don't care about the result of this game. I really don't. But what I do care about is how you play, and that you keep after it until they tell us this game is over. How you respond and play this next game will tell you a lot about where you are as a man right now."
So, as exciting as the game was, what happened before the game and how the Mustangs responded to adversity and their disappointment with heart and character -- and finished -- is really why I was so pumped afterwards.
It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it, even now. That one is locked into the ol' memory bank, and I will treasure it always.
I am just honored to be their coach.
See you on the field.
