Baseball | DeKalb TV

Norwell’s Jarrod Parker, Oh So Close to a No-No

Last Monday night, I had the pleasure of being at the Oakland Coliseum to watch a baseball game that presented quite a bit of intrigue for me.

Parker Warming Up Early in the Game vs. Texas

Jarrod Parker, from Norwell High School is Ossian, Indiana (NHC Conference Member), was going to be going to be pitching against my beloved Texas Rangers.

If you recall, it was back in 2007 that Parker led Norwell to the state championship, who had an unblemished 35-0 record. He was then drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round (top ten) of the amateur draft. Arizona traded him to Oakland this past off season.

Parker was dominant from the get-go. He was in total command, as he had the Rangers off balance and hitless through the first seven innings.

Going into that seventh inning, Parker had thrown 103 pitches. He had three innings to go, and not a lot of pitches left if he was going to throw a no-hitter. Manager Bob Melvin had to be squirming on the Oakland bench as he probably knew that Parker most likely wouldn’t be able to finish the game, whether the no-no was intact or not.

When Parker got through the seventh inning by retiring Texas on only 4 pitches, the door was still cracked, if only slightly, that Parker might be able to finish the game.

The Athletics certainly have to be very careful with the health of Parker’s valuable right arm. He has already had “Tommy John” surgery, and they certainly can’t take any chances by stretching him out any further than need be.

So with having thrown 107 pitches, the 8th inning got under way. One of the best contact hitters in the game, Michael Young, led off for the Rangers. On the first pitch, Young shot a hard grounder up the middle for a clean single. In the blink of an eye, the no hitter was gone.

Oakland won the game 12-1. Parker got the win. (Melvin took him out shortly after the Young base hit).

It was a performance to remember by “one of our own” from NE Indiana. Happy to say, I was one of the one’s there to be able to enjoy it in person.

Little League Cathedrals

During my life, I’ve had the true honor of being able to be part of Little League Baseball at 2 very different, but very unique baseball facilities.

One, Hamlin Field in Akron, Ohio, where I played in the mid 1960’s. And two, Thomas Park here in Auburn, In., where I coached for many years during the 90’s & 2000’s.

Speaking nostalgically about my youth, it was truly a different time and place. From early Spring, to late Summer, the world revolved around Hamlin field. At that time, there were 6 “major league” teams. You had to try out. Unfortunately, many kids were cut, something that you don’t see today. I was cut the first time that I tried out after my third grade year in school. I was so devastated, that I didn’t try out the next year. Then after my fifth grade year of school, I tried out again, made the Dodgers, and played 2 years in the “majors.”

Even though the Dodgers had two sixth place finishes, some of my best memories from childhood focused on those 2 years of Little League baseball.

Visitors Dugout at Thomas Park Along 3rd Base Line

When my sons started playing here in Auburn, I got involved in coaching. I derived just as much enjoyment, if not more, from coaching as I did playing. I certainly look back with a sense of accomplishment on how many young lives that I hope to have touched in even a small, positive way.

Unfortunately, they stopped playing baseball at Hamlin Field in Akron many years ago. It’s now just a weedy, grown over field sitting next to the Hamlin Steel Co. Part of it is also a parking lot.

With the new Rieke Park in Auburn, Little League Baseball moved away from Thomas Park a few years ago. Some teams still practice there, but I’m sure that in a few years, it will go the way of Hamlin Field in Akron.

So many great memories, so many great times. Rest in peace Hamlin & Thomas.

A Very Rough Night at the OK Corral (Dekalb Baseball Sectional)

For one brief moment after the game started on Monday afternoon, you might have thought to yourself that the Dekalb Barons were going to knock off the Columbia city Eagles in the semi-finals of the Class 4A baseball sectional.

Senior Ty Rottger had launched a 2 run moon shot in the top of the first inning to give Dekalb the early lead, some confidence, and the momentum.

In the mere blink of an eye, as it so often happens in America’s pastime, the Eagles got their first 2 aboard in the bottom of the first. Then pitcher and 3 hole hitter Connor Slavich unloaded a lunar shot of his own, and Columbia City never looked back as they defeated the Barons 13-2 in a game shortened to 5 innings due to the 10 run rule.

Dekalb could only muster 4 hits in the game, and they continually shot themselves in the foot when they did have the chance to do some damage.

Coach Chris Rhodes will lose a number of talented seniors from this years squad, including Nick McDonald, who could not play in the game against the Eagles as he sustained a broken wrist in practice on Friday.

In the championship game on Monday night, columbia City ran into a buzz-saw known as the Carroll Chargers, and were defeated by the same 13-2 score. With the win, Carroll has now won the sectional 3 years in a row.

Unsung Heroes Lead Barons to First Game Sectional Victory

On Thursday night, the Dekalb Barons, playing in their Dekalb Class 4A sectional baseball opener, came from 3 runs down to rally and overtake the Northrop Bruins, and win by a score of 7-6.

Dekalb fell behind by 3 runs after the first inning, and things weren’t looking good. The Barons were possibly flashing back to their regular season game with the Northrop, a game that the Bruins won 10-0.

With the win, the Barons will move into semi-final play on Monday, where they will be taking on the Columbia City Eagles at 12:30 pm. The Eagles won their first game over FW Snider by a score of 6-4.

But then, starting in the second inning, Dekalb had a number of unsung heroes step up, and when it was all said and done, the Barons were moving on in sectional play.

In that second inning, Ty Rottger got things going with a double, and that hit was his first of three on the evening. Dekalb plated 2 runs in that inning, and they trailed by 1 going to the third. Northrop added 2 more runs in the second, and the Barons trailed by 3 once again 5-2.

Dekalb then came to bat in the pivotal third inning. After Bayley Coleman scored to cut the lead to 2, junior second baseman Logan Schilling stepped to the plate and launched a three-run blast to left field that gave the Barons a lead they would not relinquish.

Senior shortstop Scott Day drilled a solo shot of his own in the top of the sixth inning to make it 7-5. It was a very important insurance run, as Northrop scored in the bottom of the sixth to make it a one run game, but they would get no closer.

Kudos must also go out to junior pitcher for Dekalb, Dylan Cagle. After giving up those 5 early runs, he settled down nicely and pitched a complete game.

If the Barons can get the win against Columbia City, they will play in the championship game on Monday night at 7:00 pm against the winner of Carroll and East Noble.

Can Dekalb Win Baseball Sectional?

Tonight at 6:00 pm, the Class 4A baseball sectional starts at Dekalb High School. East Noble will be taking on FW North in the only game this evening.

The Dekalb Barons will start play tomorrow night when they will take on FW Northrop at 5:00 pm. The second game tomorrow will pit Columbia City vs FW Snider right after the Baron’s game. On Monday at 10:00 am, Carroll will take on the winner of Wednesday’s game, and then Thursdays winners will play the second game on Monday, with those winners then playing for the championship on Monday night at 7:00 pm.

The question for all of us Dekalb fans is, can the Barons win this thing?

After seeing Dekalb play numerous times throughout the season, watching them evolve as a team, and most importantly, having healthy pitching, my opinion is yes, they can take this thing and move on to regional play.

Carter Stafford, Dylan Cagle, Jacob Dickey, Phil Bassett, and Will Vadney are all poised and ready to take the “bump” and do their jobs. All have had moments this year when they have been very good.

The thing about this years sectional is that there is no clear-cut favorite. Anyone could rise up, get hot, and take home the hardware. I liken it quite a bit to 5 or 6 years ago when before the sectional I thought the only team that couldn’t win it was Columbia City, and then the Eagles went out and took care of business, and moved on in the tourney.

If Dekalb gets solid pitching from the above mentioned quintet, and they can get the timely hitting from senior leaders Bayley Coleman, Nick McDonald, and Ty Rottger, throw in the defense staying stay sharp and tight, who says this team couldn’t take it all?

Friends, Family, & Baseball

In the rush-rush, hectic, fast paced results now world in which we live, what is the best way to kick back, and enjoy life a little bit?

In my opinion, it is having the ability to spend time with friends or family, and do that kicking back by enjoying a baseball game together.

Baseball has a truly nice environment. It is slow paced, works at its own speed, and if you look close enough, there are a ton of life lessons in the “action,” that can be discussed for days afterward.

In my days of coaching, I would always try to teach my pitchers that every single pitch had a bearing on the outcome of the game. The thought process of pitch one, to the final pitch of the final out of the game is truly amazing. Between that first pitch to the final pitch, this is where all of the nuances take place that are cause for eternal debates.

I had a couple of opportunities in the recent past to experience great baseball situations in two very different environments.

In March, I was able to attend a number of Spring Training games in Arizona. I was able to see my beloved Texas Rangers (please no offense Cleveland Indians), the Reds, the Giants, the Cubs, and the Angels. Spring Training is much more laid back than the regular season.

It was during the game against the Cubs that I had the opportunity to attend the game with one of my oldest, and best friends, Bruce Frazier, who lives in Scottsdale. We had a great time breaking the game down, catching up on old times, and as an extra bonus, we were able to go to a sports restaurant afterward and watch the Ohio State-Syracuse basketball game. Having my son Joey, who works for the Rangers, join us afterward was an extra bonus. It was a truly relaxing time.

Then, just a few weeks back, when the Rangers were in Cleveland for a “real” game, I had the chance to go to “the Jake,” and watch Texas play Cleveland. My heart is always torn when these teams hook-up, as I am a tremendous fan of each. It was also a great atmosphere, as there were plenty of family and friends in attendance. My wife Maureen, her sister Sue, our niece Krista, our niece Brittany and her boyfriend,our nephew Josh, and ours and Joey’s friends from Auburn, Andy Rice and his family.

Nice time relaxing, enjoying, cheering, discussing, second-guessing, but most of all, having fun and creating memories.

Junior Will Vadney Steals the Show on Senior Night

The Dekalb Baron baseball team hosted the Concordia Cadets in their regular season finale on Monday night.

Good defense, timely hitting, and an excellent pitching outing from Will Vadney propelled the Barons to a 7-1 win, and sent eleven Dekalb Barons out on a winning note on their special night that ended the regular season.

Matt Frane, Landon Emenhiser, Carter Stafford, Jacob Dickey, Scott Day, Phil Bassett, Ty Rottger, Cody Burniston, Bayley Coleman, Nick McDonald, and statman Wade Hantz were all introduced with their parents in a ceremony before the game that paid homage to their careers at Dekalb.

The game highlight on this night though, was the complete game, seven strikeout, no walk performance by Vadney. He was in control throughout, pitching with confidence, working quickly, and keeping the Cadets off balance for the entire game.

Dekalb’s offense came through with a number of timely hits. Leading the attack were Emenhiser, Coleman, and Frane who each tallied two hits.

The Barons will start Class 4A sectional play on Thursday night when they will play FW Northrop at Dekalb High School, starting at 5:00 pm.

Carroll Primed for Another Run

The Carroll Chargers baseball team brought their swag to Dekalb High School on Tuesday night to take on the Barons in the NHC finale for both of these baseball teams for this season.

Carroll, the 2 time defending class 4A state champions, started early & fast, as they tallied 5 runs in the first 2 innings off of Dekalb starter Carter Stafford.

The Barons were their own worst enemy in the first inning, as a couple of miscues contributed to 2 runs scoring.

As the night wore on, you could see that the Chargers look like a team that is primed for a possible “three-peat.”

Good pitching, timely hitting, making the plays on defense, it all was present at Baron field on this night, but unfortunately for Dekalb, it was coming from the other dugout.

All that the Barons could muster on the offensive side were 3 singles, 2 from Stafford, and one from Ty Rottger.

The sectional starts next week, and maybe if these teams meet again, Dekalb can find a way to knock off the Chargers.

Rare Feats on the Diamond – Who would You Rather Be?

During this past week, we who follow professional baseball saw not one, but two rare feats from a hitter that you normally go years without seeing.

Early in the week, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers swatted not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 home runs in a game against Baltimore. He also threw in a double for good measure. Never in the history of American League baseball had a player had 18 total bases in a game.

Then late in the week, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds hit 3 home runs in a game, the last coming with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for his squad.

Just 2 tremendous games for 2 of the games finest players.

The question is, if you were a player, which feat would you rather have accomplished?

Hamilton’s exploits came in a blow-out game. Votto’s came in a tense, come from behind battle.

In my way of thinking, I’ll take Hamilton’s game any time. He was only the 16th player to have ever hit 4 dingers in a game. That’s less than the total number of perfect games that have been thrown in Major League history.

Though both are tremendous accomplishments, my money is on Josh.

The Greatness of Omar Vizquel

I originally published this story a few months back, and since that time, Omar Vizquel has announced that he will be retiring at the end of this season. During that time, both Jeter & Rodriguez have moved up a few notches on the all-time hits list, but Omar’s name still is not highlighted. It’s somewhat hidden down there near the bottom of top 50 of all time.

With the baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this weekend, I just wanted to take this opportunity so say once again what a travesty it would be if Omar Vizquel were not elected to the Hall of Fame when his time comes. In five years. On the first ballot.

As Peter Griffin of “Family Guy” has been known to say, I saw something this morning that really “grinds my gears.”

There was a list in a local publication that had the top 50 hits leaders of all time in major league baseball. Out of those 50, players still active were listed in bold print. Sitting at 19 was Derek Jeter, and sitting at 47 was Alex Rodriguez. That was it for current players.

During rain delay, drawing Omar did of my son

Taking a closer look, in 45th place, in non-bold print mind you, was Omar Vizquel. Omar is still a utility infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays.

This “omission,” somewhat describes Vizquel’s career, always flying “under the radar.”

If you have followed Omar when he burst onto the scene as shortstop of those Cleveland Indian great teams of the mid to late nineties, you realize that simply put, no one compares to Vizquel when it comes to playing the position.

Besides being the best fielding shortstop in the history of the game, Omar has amassed almost 3000 base hits.

It will be a travesty if Vizquel does not end up in Cooperstown when his playing days are over. I certainly hope that not doing back flips on the diamond keeps him out of “the hall.”