verdugo288

All right everybody let’s get to Vo here and keep moving down the line I got a lotta work to do yet on this blog.

Here’s yet another Verdugo rookie from ’92 that had a major impact on what we were trying to do. Here’s a guy who rose. And he kept rising. And he kept rising….

But let’s not get all caught up in where he ended up. I’m talking 1992 right here.

Nothing more….nothing less.

So let’s take our minds back to 1992. Here was a guy that I knew would be on our Roster. As to what capacity or impact he would have on the field ….let’s be honest….that was still a question mark.

I had him on my JV Team at CV in ’91. Another good kid. Kinda like Bir in that we needed to corrupt this guy a little bit too. I was asked to return back to CV in ’92 and declined.

But as the ’92 season drew nigh, Vo and I were talking again. He wasn’t real happy that during his sophomore year he wasn’t being given the ball enough. He wanted starts. And for whatever reason, he wasn’t getting enough of that at the high school.

How can you not love that he was pissed? Frustrated?

Right?

So really….coming into Legion in ’92 he was an unproven high school Varsity pitcher….at least in the capacity he wanted to prove himself ….(as a starter and as a guy who would be given the ball against anybody)……and an as-yet unproven Legion pitcher….but …..think about it …..he really hadn’t had the opportunity to fully prove himself had he?

He wanted that opportunity!!!!

I don’t know who said this but I’ve quoted it often in my life and it’s true “Success is a chemical reaction that takes place when preparation meets opportunity.”

Well ….we had an opportunity for Jim.

I had him on my JV Team and this guy could pitch. He wasn’t gonna be mowing guys down left and right. But he could pitch.

You guys also have heard me comment on this blog starting wayyy back with the 1990 Team how I loved “seeing a lotta bodies flying around out there defensively….guys picking each other up.”

As a coach….that’s another aspect of the game I absolutely lived for. Seeing my guys out there flying around and making some things happen defensively. Guys making routine plays with authority….occasionally pulling off a spectacular one….getting dirty….taking some chances….back-picking….improvising….handling run-downs like men.

I absolutely lived to see that.

As far as I’m concerned it’s the one thing you gotta have with your ball club. There’s really no excuse not to have that.

We had that going on at Verdugo big time.

That helped him. It helps all your pitchers. the psychological effect it has on your chuckers is paramount. All of a sudden they’re out there just throwing strikes. Not trying to be too fine. And no reason to be if guys are swarming to the ball and making plays.

We had that going on.

One thing you could never accuse Jim of is being physically or mentally unprepared to play. This guy took his job seriously. Hell….he took it so seriously you’d think this guy was planning on pitching in the Major Leagues someday…..

Right?

I had it all planned out for him. Keep him in the shallow end…..let him build off that and maybe by the end of the season he would be peaking.

Then Evans got hurt…..

Okay fuck it….it’s time to throw his ass into the deep end. So much for those plans Gee….

“Success is a chemical reaction that takes place when preparation meets opportunity.”

Mentally and physically he was prepared. All he had to do was pitch.

And that he did.

Absolutely fucking CLUTCH.

Let’s face it….nobody would have predicted this….even myself. I believed in Jim….but he far exceeded my expectations that I had for him in 1992.

He made it happen. He made the pitches.

But I think we all had a hand in how far he rose….and helping turn him into somewhat of a thug. We expanded on that in ’93 when I took out a couple of bounties on a couple of hitters and I made him drill those guys. He needed to be corrupted a little bit….and I’m proud to say we all contributed to that.

He got a relief appearance in the second game of the year up in Lancaster and he picked up the win. He threw well.

I gave him his first start against a weak team (Valley South) about a week later. I knew we would win that game….but I didn’t think he would shut them out like he did and throw a complete game like he did.

We won 7-0….

His next start was against one of our most bitter rivals….Woodland Hills East. The only team that ever dogpiled on us in four years. At their yard no less. With Gabe Kapler in that lineup no less.

This game was coming right after our first loss of the season. We were 5-1 coming in and anything could have happened at this point. We could have even imploded…..

I was hoping he’d give us five….maybe six good innings. I didn’t think he would go all the way in a nine-inning game….dominating them…..Giving up only one earned run in a 7-2 victory like he did.

CLUTCH.

He took his only loss of the year in the 2nd game of the twin bill against Lancaster North. The Team I suspected had ringers. They were 0-8 coming into that double-header and scored 22 runs on us in 14 innings. That was the hardest anyone hit us all year. I still call bullshit on whoever they put on the field against us that day.

Then Evans gets hurt….

“Ok Jim….you’re getting the ball against Sun Valley….oh….and one more thing Jim….we gotta win this game.”

Another swim in the deep end.

Sun Valley was an incredibly dangerous Team. He gave us 5 and a third innings that night.

Yeah, they touched him up a little bit but he kept us in it….and we won.

We finally catch and surpass Jody. We’re in sole possession of first place. We’ve got the best record in The District at 15-2.

We now gotta play Burbank again. At their yard. They already beat us once and would be throwing the guy that beat us before at us again.

We only got four hits. We won 6-2.

I needed five or six innings out of him this game. I didn’t think he would go all the way in another nine-inning game again like he did…..surrendering only five hits….like he did.

That kept us atop the Division. Kept us with the best record at 16-2. We were deep into the season at this point….

The Burbank coach was quoted in the papers the next day as saying “he was the best pitcher we’ve faced all season.”

“Success is a chemical rea…….”

Right?

CLUTCH.

I gave him the ball again against Sun Valley. Really….in my mind….the only legal team that had hit him hard the whole season. Great team….legal roster….no ringers.

Huge game. Playoffs on the line. Going up against fat bitch from Sun Valley. That guy had been waking up every morning for two weeks thinking about one thing and one thing only…..revenge against Verdugo.

I have to say going into this one I felt pretty good about him doing well. I was coming around and starting to ….well….totally believe.

And what does Vo do? He pitches us into the playoffs. He beats them 7-3 and we clinch.

Fucking CLUTCH.

On the year he was 6-1 during the regular season.

Led Verdugo in innings pitched with 46.

Gave up only 33 hits.

Walked 23 and struck out 33. Gave up only 19 earned runs on the year.

His ERA (I always tallied ERA for 8 innings because we had a mix of either seven or nine inning games) was 3.30

“Success is a chemical reac……”

Right?

He took the opportunity we gave him and ran with it.

He was no longer an unproven High School Pitcher anymore….again at least in the capacity that he wanted to prove what he could do.

He proved he could start and go deep into the games and he proved he could beat anybody.

There weren’t any question marks attached to his name anymore.

The question marks that were attached to his name had been replaced by the end of the 1992 season….with exclamation points!!!!

And let’s face it….having a lotta bodies out there flying around and guys picking each other up” (the shit I live for) didn’t hurt him either.

But again….he made the pitches we needed him to make.

He made those pitches for us.

But think about it too….if you’re five foot five and weigh 110 pounds and you got guys like Bull Oxen and Turner and Evans and Haggs and Thunder and Cowsill out there yelling at ya “let’s go!!!! get this fucking guy out!” As they kinda frown at ya as they bark at ya…..

Wouldn’t it be easier just making the pitch you gotta make than to have to deal with those guys if you don’t?

I’m just sayin’ 😉

Verdugo may not have been the perfect place for Jim Parque to play. But we gave him the perfect opportunity.

We can’t pick our family in this world and there’s a lotta other stuff we can’t pick either.

But pretty much all summer long we had a defense that could pick-it all day long!!!!

That’s why I say in the summer of 1992?….Jim Parque was exactly where he was supposed to be.

That’s right. Playing for Verdugo. Playing for Gee. And playing alongside all you other guys. A bunch of gamers and battlers all looking to carve out a name for Verdugo and themselves.

Playing for Verdugo was exactly where he was supposed to be….

And I would venture to say that wherever he ended up…..he took a little piece of all of us….and the great Verdugo Name…..everywhere he went.

Vo? Thank you for your clever design on the T-Shirt the JV Team gave me at the end of the ’91 season at the banquet that said two things:

“Let’s Go!!!” And “Mix-in!!!”

And thank you for all the times in ’92 you “mixed-in” for Verdugo!!!!

Absolutely FUCKING CLUTCH!!!!