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Old 05-25-2020, 08:56 PM   #1
vrobx1
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Join Date: Apr 2017
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RAINMAKER: The Josh Ramaker Story

"Rainmaker! I need to see you in my office!"

It's Ramaker, I mumbled to myself as I finished dressing and headed in to see manager Steve Pataki.

Taken in the 22nd round of the 1985 MLB Amateur Draft, I was placed in the setup role for the Wasau Timbers, the Class A minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. And that was fine with me. Wausau, Wisconsin was a long ways from Texas. And if I never saw the Lone Star State again, it would be five years too soon.

My name is Josh Ramaker and this is my story.



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Old 06-04-2020, 10:51 PM   #2
vrobx1
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I had been called Rainmaker from my very first day reporting to Wasau. Especially by pitching coach Steve Bents.

"Rainmaker! Winter in Wisconsin has more speed than your fastball! Rainmaker! My 97 year old grandmother has more movement than your curveball. Rainmaker!"

Sigh.

It's Ramaker.

Pataki looked across his desk at me. Neither smiling nor frowning. "Mike Christ has been sent to Bellingham." In his last start, Christ had been pulled in the fourth inning as the Kenosha Twins had built a 7-0 lead and beaten us 9-4. "We are moving you into the starting rotation. Could be temporary. Could be permanent. Right now, we don't know what we are doing with you yet."

I had not even seen any action from the bullpen since being drafted and sent to Wasau.

Placed in the fifth slot in the rotation, I then moved to the fourth spot when Rick Luecken was sent to Single A Salinas. And on June 24, 1985, almost three weeks after being drafted, I made my professional baseball debut.

The Wasau Timbers were 31-38 on the season and in last place in the North Division of the Midwest League. They were a Single A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners were a surprise; at 36-32, they were in first place in the American League West, a game and a half ahead of the Chicago White Sox. No other team in their division had a winning record.

My debut came against the Waterloo Indians. The Indians were 21-47 and in last place in the Central Division of the Midwest League.

Yes. It was the coveted battle of last place teams showdown at the Wasau Athletic Park. 2,617 people had nothing better to do, apparently, as that is how many fans attended the game.

I knew no one. Nobody in my family or from my home town came to see my debut. I didn't even bother to tell anyone it was happening.

My first pitch was fouled back to the screen. I went on to strike out the first batter I faced! The next hitter singled but I got the third batter to hit into a bizarre 2-4-3 inning-ender.

The very first batter in the second inning took the very first pitch 342 feet for a lead off homer.

It was the sound I remembered. The crack! The same crack I heard when I was nine years old and my mom had shot my father in self defense.

Then it's like everything vanished. The family drama. The isolation.

A switch was thrown and it was like I was watching myself pitch from outside my body.

The Indians would not score again. After the third inning, they did not even get a runner to second base.

After the eighth inning, the fans cheered really loud for such a small crowd.

"Great game, Rainmaker!" "Fine effort, Rainmaker!"

Sigh.

It's Ramaker!

After eighth innings, I had allowed one run on six hits, no walks and struck out seven! And we were victorious 3-1.

And I went back to my apartment alone.

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