We went into this game against Encino-Crespi with a six-game winning streak. Crespi was coming in with a sixteen game winning streak of their own. They were hot. Verdugo was the last team to beat them….a 10-3 ass-kicking down at Stengel where the final score wasn’t really indicative of how badly they got their asses kicked.
We were fortunate that we didn’t have to face Jeff Suppan that night. He was there that night….but had pitched the day before. Now we play them again….and by “the luck of the draw” we weren’t going to have to face him. Suppan was clearly going to be a major-league pitcher one day.
So it isn’t who you play….but when you play them. Suppan isn’t pitching, and the Crespi ball club had an interesting philosophy for their summer Legion Program. Scott Muckey, the head coach of the high school team ran the program in the summer and his roster was all underclassmen. Think about that for a minute. They were in the same position we were in….one win away from “the next tournament” and had accomplished this without one senior on their roster. “Muck” as he was known to many….was a great coach and was a lot of fun at the managers meetings we had in the offseason and during the season.
At a 20th District coaches meeting, I was usually sitting at a table shooting the shit with Les Riley from Sun Valley….maybe Fat Jody….all of my “greatest enemies” ….I’d sit right down with any and all……”how you been? You ever get over that defeat we gave you last year?” Provocative as I always am….I was just tossing them a softball question they could usually answer with two words….”fuck you”…and as soon as they would come back with that I knew we were good. Then “Muck” would appear.
Muck had his own style. He wouldn’t walk directly into the room. He would stay outside the door opening….visible to everyone….and he would start “giving signs” to us like he was in the third base coaching box. No words…..just signs. We’d flash a couple of signs back….I’d break the silence and say “increase your primary dickhead there’s a lefty on the mound” (trying to get him to enter the room)….then after we all had flipped him off he’d finally walk in. He chewed tobacco, played the guitar and drums, and probably smoked some weed as well.
I loved the guy…. One of the few coaches in the 20th District I had actually had a little respect for.
But when him and I got on a baseball field to “settle it” it was fucking war!!!! Did you hear that? Yeah….that’s right!!! FUCKING WAR!!!!
“Muck” was one of the greatest Southern Section CIF coaches of all time. Recording over 300 career wins….numerous league championships…and I believe two or three Southern Section Championships.
Sometimes in the summer he had really, really shitty teams because he used all underclassmen. He used Legion ball for his underclassmen to prepare for the next season at Crespi. He had some lousy seasons at Crespi as well. But he was a gamer. If he had the right group of guys….he could get those underclassmen across the finish line.
This was one of those groups that I’m talking about. We didn’t take them lightly at all. We played hard…they played hard….they won. It’s as simple as that. But going into this game, I liked our chances….because it’s not who you play….but when you play them. And anytime Suppan’s not pitching, I like our chances.
Muck got us this game. He also beat us in 1990 when Suppan was coming off his Freshman season at the high school. Suppan beat us 7-3. We swept them in ’93….a couple of one run games that I’m looking forward to writing about (including Dave Fielder’s “one small step for man….one giant leap for Verdugo HIlls” walkoff win)
I finished my “career” against Muckey with three wins and two losses. But to be honest, I’d swap all the W’s we had against him for this one win. It was a tough defeat to stomach.
RIP to “Muck”…. he passed away a few years ago. Thanks for the battles and the chess matches coach.
Let’s get to the Crespi game and let ‘Ol Gee tell the story.
verdugo288 