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18 August 2002
Sioux City, IA
The dog days of the baseball season have set in, and, frankly, there has been little to report about Cheyenne baseball recently. Well, that's not entirely true. There is some news but not enough of it on any given day to make what I consider a full-blown story. Today, however, was different.
But before I recount today's events, allow me to throw in a few tidbits from the last couple of weeks.
1. The Cowboys lose 2 of 3 to Seattle; Seattle is 6 games below .500, yet the Rainiers have beaten Cheyenne 8 out of 12 this season. Why? I have no explanation for it.
2. Kelly Judson is one heck of a hitter. This may be the most lopsided trade imaginable, even though Boo Bentley had to give up his starting 3rd baseman and a prospect to get Judson. I thought we might miss Tim Barr. Hardly. And I don't mean to suggest anything bad about Barr; he's a very good defensive third baseman. But Judson has made us forget. This guy is hitting .330 at the top of the order, and he's not a lead-off guy. Don't tell Judson. This guy is gonna hit .330 for 10 years.
3. Cheyenne swept the 4-game series with Boise, winning games 2-1, 3-1, 2-1 and, get this, 17-3. There's much to be said about all this. 2-1 is the way the Cowboys win too often. They should be scoring more runs against a bad team like the Braves. At the same time, it's been awesome to see them win these close, low-scoring ballgames. They've got good pitching, and it is on display in games like these. What happened in the 17-run blowout? I have no clue. It suggests the Cowboy offense is better than it's performed, doesn't it?
4. Cheyenne lost both games to Hollywood and didn't score a run. What gives? You score 17 one day and are then blanked for 2 days. The Hollywood club is no better than Boise. I guess you have to expect inconsistency with a young ballclub. But if there is an undoing this season, this is it.
And this brings us back to today, the opening of a 4-game series with the Sioux City Soos. The Magic Man John Cummings took the hill today and was staked to a 3-run lead. Don't know what it is about Cummings, but the boys hit when he's on the mound. Still, Cummings didn't like the big lead and promptly gave back 2 runs. In fact, Cummings struggled through five innings and left with a 4-3 lead. Cheyenne got 2 in the top of the sixth, and then Basilio Mangoni gave one back in the bottom of the inning. Down the stretch they came, Cheyenne 6, Sioux City 4. Lee Martin pitched 2 scoreless innings, and we went to the ninth still up 2.
Frankie Howard came in to lock it down. The Soos had the heart of their order up, Bruce Charles (.284 27HR), Freddy Soto (.301), and Brenton Hill (.340). All three of those guys are lefthanded hitters, and, as you know, we have no lefties in the 'pen. So you gotta turn to Frankie there; he's the closer after all.
Frankie walked Charles after going to a full count. He went to 3-2 on Soto and walked him too. Frankie wasn't happy, and he wasn't taking his time either. With Taylor and staff screaming for the outfield to back up, Howard delivered. Hill drilled the first pitch and shot a frozen rope into centerfield. In the midst of backing up, John O'Flanagan had to stop and get it going forward at full blast. Johnnie O lurched and lunged and leaped forward, caught the ball, threw to second, Campos tossed to first, and at some point we all realized: TRIPLE PLAY!
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