verdugo288

Some of you guys remember Brian McBride.  He played one year for us…on our 1990 team.  He led the team in wins that season with four and innings pitched with 39.  He was a good kid.  Never complained about anything.  In fact..when we had two guys on our roster who wanted to wear number 14 on their jersey…McBride let the other guy ( a guy we called “White” Chandler) wear it and Brian wore jersey number 14 and a half!!!  He was funny, well-mannered and a hard worker.  He had already played for a Colt-League team for me in 1989 (a team that came within a dropped fly-ball of winning it all) and I never saw him lose his cool.  That is, until our first meeting with our old friend……..FAT JODY.  Thanks to McBride and a couple of other guys…..one of the greatest Legion rivalries of all-time was born.

This was a huge game for us.  We came into the game 1-2, and were blown out of our previous game 13-2.  We needed a win, and with our rag-tag group of guys going up against the mighty Notre Dame squad I would venture to say we were the underdogs going into this one.  Hank started on the mound and gave us a great five innings…although we trailed 2-0 when he left. 

In the top of the sixth, we rolled a three to take the lead.  This game was turning into quite a chessmatch between Jody and I.  They’d steal, and we’d pitchout.  We’d steal, and they’d pitchout.  Both teams were bunting, trying to move guys over, and playing for a run.  Great calls by both coaches in first and third situations.  It was taxing, but fun.  A couple of times ‘Ol Jody looked over at our bench with that look of his that said…”Oh shit.”  Yeah, he was worried.

I was happy with the way we were playing.  The game was scheduled to go seven innings but darkness was setting in.  McBride came in to relieve Hank in the bottom of the sixth.  He shut them off.  We didn’t score in the top of the seventh.  All we needed was three outs for the upset.  They scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh to force the game into extra innings.

It looked like there was enough light to start the eighth inning.  As Brian walked from the mound towards our dugout after Notre Dame had scored and tied the game he walked right past fat Jody, who was doing his little dorky jog back to the first base dugout.  That was when McBride exploded.

“Why don’t you shut your fucking mouth you fat piece of shit!!!!!!!!!!!” he screamed.  McBride then took his glove and threw it about 20 feet into our dugout. 

Jody stopped near home plate and looked at him as if to say “Who me?”

We had all figured it out by now, and Jody was BUSTED.  He was talking to my pitcher when my pitcher was making his way back to the dugout.  This shit had been going on for a couple of innings, and McBride put him in his place. 

By now Mcbride was in our dugout kicking shit around, waving his arms, and screaming at Fat Jody.  “What the fuck is your problem you fucking Bush-leaguer?”

The umpire came over.  I just kind of sat there and watched everything that was happening.  This was between McBride and Jody, as far as I was concerned.  And the more information I gathered, it became clear Jody was out-of-line.  McBride was yelling at the ump about whatever Jody had been saying to him and let the ump know he didn’t like it.  The ump just kind of looked at Jody like “Are you doing this shit?”

Look…I coached alot of years and I said plenty of shit on my own….but I never got “weird” like that and singled a guy out like Jody was doing.  At least everything I said was there for EVERYONE to hear…not some weird kind of “stalker” conversation between me and another guy that nobody else knew about.   What Jody was doing was just flat-out WEIRD.

Jody never said another word in his defense.  He knew he was busted.  The game was called on account of darkness and the outcome of the game was going to be decided in three weeks when we were scheduled to play them again.  We all left the field PISSED!!!  I was proud of McBride.  It was nice to see how underneath all of his pleasant demeanor there was a FIERCE competitor. 

The next three weeks before we played those guys again it seemed like that was all we talked about.  Those were the guys our Team wanted to beat.  McBride’s outburst lit a fire for our ballclub that still burns to this very day.  We never let anyone say ANYTHING to us after that single event.  McBride set the tone, and I’ll bet to this very day ‘Ol Jody wishes he never said a word to that kid. 

1990 was one of our finest hours as a Team.  We played all 22 games ON THE ROAD that season.  And we still finished 12-10.  We lost one game in extra innings, and three games by a run.  One team that went 15-7 reached the playoffs.  That’s how close we came.  Yes, we did a lot of damage in ’92 and ’93….going 38-5…but that 1990 Team may have been the greatest Team I ever coached.  That was the Team that basically sent this message to everyone:  If you’re playing Verdugo, then get ready for the dogfight of your life!!!

I believe that this was the turning point in the season for us.  And we couldn’t wait to finish the game against Notre Dame in three weeks.  We didn’t care about their players…it was all about beating Fat Jody from that point forward. 

The next post is going to be fun…I already have the Title for it……I’m going to call it “‘The Double That Shook The Earth”……………