verdugo288

You know, through all four years…we only played TWO meaningless games.  I’m talkin’ bout games where we had been officially eliminated from the Playoff picture.  This was the first…and the second time was (ironically) the LAST game of the ’91 season.  I think that’s a hell of an accomplishment.  In both of our first two seasons…we took it down to the LAST GAME.  We all know about how the floodgates opened up for us in ’92 and ’93.  Those were very, very special summers.  But the summers of ’90 and ’91 really laid the foundation.  And I am extremely PROUD of all we did those first two seasons.

I was talking to Weap on the phone today.  I pointed out to him that it was himself and Hank who were also right in the middle of that celebration in ’92 when we clinched our first playoff spot.  Those guys were burning themselves with “Gars” as well.  They hadn’t participated ON THE FIELD with what we did in ’92, but because of all the emotions and triumphs and “days we ruined” (of our opponents) in 1990…..what we did in all of the subsequent years was very special to them as well.  Everything we ever did with that Team belonged to them as well.  What a great gesture….guys who played for the original Team showing how happy they were for the guys on the Team in ’92.  Hank and Weap were great coaches for us from 91-93.  You see, once you’ve played for Verdugo…..even if you were “retired”…..it was always YOUR TEAM.  

I don’t know if there are very many Legion Teams before or after Verdugo who can say they had that kind of history and tradition going on.

So we go into this game against Sun Valley.  They certainly had put together a great season.  I’m sure it’s safe to say that they didn’t want to go into the post season on a sour note, and they came to play that night.  But so did we.  I gave the ball to BullOxen.  He was pretty much “The Future” of our ballclub as far as I was concerned.  I’m not taking anything away from anyone else.  But when I first saw him at that non-league game for CV before the 1990 High School season, when he was bouncing pitches, hitting batters and wild as hell I said to a friend of mine who was there with me “I’m building the fucking team around that guy.”  I loved him.  He was …….ALIVE!!!!!

Well, tonight we were gonna get a glimpse of how far he had developed that first season.  Sure, he struggled with his control a little bit the first year with us.  But he kept getting better.  And this game against Sun Valley…a Playoff team…going against the pitcher who led the District in ERA…Bull went toe-to-toe the whole evening.  We got beat 6-1.  But it didn’t matter……

He threw only 82 pitches in six innings.  He walked only ONE guy.  FIVE of the six runs scored off of him were unearned.  He only gave up five hits.  He gave those guys fits that night and they knew we gave them the game.  But like I said…it didn’t matter. 

We scored only once on eight hits and left 10 guys on base.  But it didn’t matter.

And even though “it didn’t matter”….there was a LOT in this game that DID matter.  What mattered to me was how far Bull had come that first year as a pitcher.  And it mattered to me that I was RIGHT about the guy I wanted to “build the fucking team around.”  And again, I’m not taking away anything from anyone else when I say this…..

I was extremely impressed with the way he threw that game and the way he carried himself.  It was a glimpse of our future.  And yes-sir-ree….our future was looking very, very bright indeed!!!! 

Sure, we wanted to win that game.  But this was one of the few times you ever would catch ‘Ol Gee smiling after a loss.  I was thinking…imagine this kid in another year or two. 

I’ll tell you something else.  We had plenty of guys on our Team through the years who had stories written about them in the newspapers.  Feature Stories.  BullOxen never got one.  He never got the ink he deserved.  Never in High School, never in Legion.  And he never ONCE complained about it.  He just kept getting better and producing some staggering numbers for us.  Well…..I’m not done writing about ‘Ol Bull.  He’s gonna get the ink he rightfully deserved all of those years RIGHT HERE on this blog.

BullOxen…you had a GREAT fucking season for us.  And this season was just the tip of the iceberg. 

I’m gonna be posting a couple more stories about the 1990 squad PLUS the stats for that season soon.  I hope to have it all done by this Sunday the 12th.  

Verdugo finishes 12-10.  A brilliant season.  Now, if you stretch that winning percentage out over a 162-game Major League season…hell, we just went 89-73!!!!  And you know what?  I’ll take it…….