verdugo288

I still think I made the right move. Our pitching was running thin….and Gabe was going to get the ball tomorrow against Newhall-Saugus.

Cowsill had basketball commitments today. Evans still had a cast on. Bull I needed to keep rested for the playoffs. Same with Hack. And same with Vo.

So who the hell you throwing at these guys today Gee?

Wiley.

You know me…when Verdugo wins a game I’m gonna let the whole world know about it. Damn straight.

But there was ONE GAME we played in our history that I didn’t report the results of to the LA Times or the Daily News. That game was played three days ago up in Lancaster. And Wiley had gone all the way for the win.

I knew I was going to need him today. If I reported that game …..there was a chance ….highly unlikely ….but a chance that we would get BUSTED for having a guy throw too many innings in one week. That’s of course if he did.

Wiley hadn’t crossed that threshold on innings pitched….yet.

But there was a chance he would. And eventually he did.

We broke that rule on this day. Or let me correct that….I broke that rule. I made a conscious decision to do this. But because I didn’t report the results of the Lancaster game to the Times or Daily News…nobody found out.

Of course I reported our win against Lancaster to the league commissioner. But he didn’t keep track of who pitched or innings they pitched….nor did he care. All he gave a damn about was who won and who lost whatever games were played.

So the only way anybody would have been able to find out is if I had reported the Lancaster game to the papers….and another coach read about it….and he then read about our next game….and our next game….got out his calculator and said “hey wait a minute here”

The odds of that happening were like the odds of you or me going to the moon.

Now….was I jeopardizing Wiley’s career as a future big-leaguer? Potentially destroying his ability to continue to blow down hitters with his 97 mph fastball?

I think you guys and even Wiley himself all know the answer to that.

He threw 82 pitches on Wednesday. He came back today and threw 86. But…..a total of 15 innings for the week. The limit was 12.

My thinking was if they catch us they catch us. But with my little scheme of not reporting the Lancaster game to the papers….we were probably gonna be okay.

And Wiley was loving having the ball. He probably would have taken the ball if we asked him to in the next game as well.

But again….I did what I felt I had to do.

This isn’t like I was throwing Bull Oxen in both games of a double-header either. You know? This was the only time in our history I did this. But I did.

Incidentally…..Panorama City was not much of a threat. They won 3 or 4 games in ’92. We could have brought in relief after Wiley had thrown his 12 innings for the week and still won.

But this was a call I made. I take full responsibility for it. And I was ready to suffer whatever consequences came of this.

And right or wrong….I did pull this off….

And as far as tomorrow went ….Gabe was going all the way….even if he was getting battered around. Maybe if it got out of hand I’d have let some position players throw an inning or two….and I’m sure those guys would have been lovin’ every minute of it.

Let’s not forget either….the goal was to get into the playoffs and have Bull going in game one on at least one weeks rest.

We were now IN the playoffs. They couldn’t take that away. Any penalties incurred for what I was about to try would be for this game only. We didn’t break any rules in the Lancaster game. They couldn’t take that win away.

They couldn’t take any wins away from us for the whole season up to this point as well. If they dinged us….it would be for this game and this game only.

Furthermore, we ended up not winning the Division. So with 19 or 20 wins….it wouldn’t have changed our seeding in the playoffs. We were a wild card team that had the most regular season wins of all the wild card teams….with 19 or 20 wins. That made us the number 5 seed going into that thing.

We needed to go into the playoffs (in which every game was going to be a nine-inning game) with at least four pitchers totally rested.

I did what I had to do….

And those four guys were going to be Canale, Vo, Hack, and “B”…..

We accomplished that goal. I had to get “a little creative” to pull that off….but I did.

And looking back….I can’t say enough about what Jackson did. He stepped up. So did Gabe when he went all the way and won on Sunday for us.

Huge.

Instrumental.

CLUTCH!!!!

But let it be known now….I did what I felt I had to do.

P.S. – I’m starting to wonder if this is a blog or a damn confessional!!!! I thought I’d take this one with me to my grave. I’ve kept this one with me …. until now….for almost 28 years.

Whew….I feel….”whole”(?) again