I just thought Rascoe Barahona deserved a baseball card...

[Henry]

Those of us who have read Wyatttracks post a hundred times, it just seemed fitting Rascoe should have his own baseball card.

[Henry]

We Laughed, We Cried (Rascoe Barahona)

A while back I decided that I would customize a Fictional Player Solo League. This was the first time that I had ever done that. Usually I just begin with either 2002 season default players or start my solo leagues with real players. Of course the major difference was that in the custom league I got the opportunity to draft every player on my team. I spent a great deal of time pouring over these players. After all this was the first time I had actually built a team from the ground up, every player hand picked by me. Now, being fictional players, every player is a shot in the dark and how they turn out is all guess work, yet, still fun to watch. Nonetheless, I am proud to say that I was able to put a pretty solid team on the field.

On my team I drafted in my first season, in the year 2004, a 3B/DH named Rascoe Barahona. Rascoe never won a Batting Title. He never led the league in Homeruns or RBI’s. Rascoe just played solid ball every day. For seven seasons Rascoe was my starting Designated Hitter. For seven years Rascoe averaged solid numbers for us. He averaged in those seven years: .270 Batting Avg. , 25 HR, 75 RBI every season. Not Hall of Fame numbers, but surely solid numbers!

For seven years our team searched the league looking for new pitchers to give us more zing and new position players to give us more pop. We were always looking to improve somewhere. Yet for seven seasons we never looked for another Designated Hitter. Why would we? Rascoe showed up every day ready to play. Early in his career with us we signed him to a long term deal. So, season in, season out we never really put much thought into good ‘ol Rascoe. He was always there, playing his heart out. His name was inked in on the lineup card. Never a question, Rascoe Barahona…..starting DH.

Then it happened. In the year 2011, at the age of 36, Rascoe’s contract was up for negotiation. Honestly, we had gone in our pockets mighty deep to sign others who had promised to deliver. Actually a little too deep in our pockets. Finances were not very good for us. Rascoe, our ever faithful slugger‘s career with us was up in the air. What could we do? Rascoe’s asking price was not astronomical by any means, but for our financially strapped team from Norfolk, VA. It was more than we could afford.

I knew that what Rascoe asked us for was fair. Heck, even if it wasn’t, didn’t he deserve for us to look out for him? Yet, I in all my so called wisdom thought that if I offered Rascoe less, that he just might stay with us to finish out his career. In our negotiations, he politely turned my now obviously weak offer down. Rascoe was always a gentleman. My second offer to him was a little better, yet even I knew that what I was doing was no way to treat a guy that had been so faithful to us. Again I was politely turned down. Looking back now, I should have given in. I should have given Rascoe what he was asking for. He had always done that for us. Yet, something inside said, “hey he is 36 years old. His career is about over anyway.” So, once more I tossed out a figure for him to digest that was way below his asking price.

I’ll never forget that empty feeling that I felt when good ‘ol, faithful Rascoe said, “Sorry, you had your chance, I’ll play elsewhere next year.” I didn’t since anger in his statement. Disappointment maybe, but not anger. That was the last time that Rascoe Barahona answered my request to discuss his contract. For the first time in seven years, when our 2012 season began, I had to pencil in someone else’s name in the lineup as ….starting DH.

As a team, we did well that season. In fact, we went on to win the World Series. Over the past few years we had acquired a great pitching staff that for all practical purposes carried us through. They carried us through the 2013 season as well. Our power hitting lineup had been successfully replaced with power pitching. Over the next two seasons we platooned two below par journeyman as Designated Hitters. They added absolutely nothing to our team, but someone had to fill the slot. But that was okay because it was now our pitching that set the pace for us. All we needed was a run or two and we were set. 2013 saw us win another World Series!

On into the 2014 season, our Masterful Pitching led the way once more. We had pulled out to a commanding lead in our division that found us 14 games ahead after the All Star break. It was at that time that I decided to look through our farm system and see how our prospects were doing. I noticed that there were a few “30ish” guys that were clogging up the progression of my future blue chip talent so I proceeded to release them to give my real prospects a clear shot to the Bigs. After releasing them I decided to go to the free agent list and see how those that I had released compared to those still left on the list. Remember, after the All Star break, it is usually slim pickens on the FA List. As I scrolled through the FA leftovers, to my surprise, I came across a name that immediately caught my eye and my heart. Sitting right there, three years later was a 3B named Rascoe Barahona. I quickly clicked on my old friend to see what my scout had to say about him and I have to admit, it was hard chocking back the tears as I read what was said about the now 39 year old: “Rascoe has his best years behind him. There is probably no way he will regain his old form. Rascoe has a difficult time at the plate, he really seems to struggle.”

I looked at his numbers for the past three years and sure enough a huge decline for Rascoe. No where near the solid production that he had given us. He had been signed by another team in 2012 and they had placed him on the bench as a backup 3B. Rascoe never had another chance when he left us. Did he want to leave us? I don’t think so. I forced him to go. We went on our merry way to the World Series, while Rascoe slowly disappeared from the game. How sad……Then it hit me! If Rascoe is still on the FA List then he is still available? I right clicked him to see if he would give me one more chance. To my joy, Rascoe agreed to sign a Minor League Contract!

Quickly I signed him up. I went to my Transaction Screen to see where he had been placed. Minor League level “A” without a green arrow. My scouts were sure that single A ball was all he could handle. After all they told me his career was already over. I usually pay attention to my scouts and coaches, but this time was different. This time it was personal. Just as quickly as I had signed my old friend, I had given my Single A coach the call, “Send Rascoe Barahona on up!” It was as if you could hear my scouts and coach saying, “this is a mistake!” Nonetheless, I said “We are playing in Philly tomorrow, I want Rascoe to meet the team there!”

I don’t know who was more surprised. The fans, the players, the coaches, the scouts, or my good friend Rascoe Barahona, but from that day on and for the last 56 games of the season, for the first time in three years I had ink written on my lineup sheet , reading “Starting at DH….Rascoe Barahona.”

Our Pitching continued to propel us to the top. And I have to admit it was a sweet ride. A ride that I took with my old friend. My starting DH only hit .189 the rest of that season, but I will never forget watching him hit the last 7 homeruns of his career. 7 more than he would have gotten if I had not found him on the FA List, But then again, how many more would he have hit in the past three years if I had not let him slip away because of my greed? Every day for those last 56 games I watched Rascoe lace up his cleets and just play hard. Just like he had always done before. It seemed like for seven years I hardly noticed him, but these last 56 games, I watched him as if he were the greatest that ever played the game. And the more I think about maybe he was…..to me.

Rascoe and I, well, we laughed and cried ……