Minor League Baseball: Slammers player-for-a-day lives the dream

The call came from the sports editor, a simple question about a potential story.

“Do you think you can hit a batting practice fastball?”

There the question hung in the air like the 60-mph fastball I imagined myself flailing at.

While I’ve been a die-hard baseball fan for years, I’ve never actually played organized team baseball. I follow the White Sox, consider myself knowledgeable about the sport and have an appreciation for the game I’ve gotten from my dad — a lifelong Sox fan.

But actually playing it? That would be a new experience — and one I couldn’t pass up.

Joliet’s director of baseball operations Ron Biga outfitted me with the necessary gear and introduced me to the team four hours before the July 7 game against Southern Illinois. Second baseman John Wagle quickly dubbed me “T.O.,” which was an easy fit, sticking with me the rest of the night.

Not sure exactly what I’d gotten myself into, I started to change when shortstop Brad Netzel said. “Tim, you want to take some swings in the cage?”

Any practice is good practice for this newbie, so with Netzel, Wagle, hitting coach Dan Grunhard and third baseman Sean Estand, I took a few swings. Grunhard did his best to smooth out the glitches in my swing (good luck with that), and I felt quite a bit more comfortable about my upcoming attempt at facing live batting practice pitching.

After a quick stretching session in the outfield, I decided that shagging fly balls was going to do me little good. If I’m going to embarrass myself in front of professional baseball players, I’m quite literally going to go down swinging. Setting up behind the batting cage, I tried to get some sort of timing down for the pitches from Slammers manager Bart Zeller.

As a baseball fan I’m guilty of it. I watch a game and beg the batter to just get the ball in the air, just poke a single through the infield, just move a runner over. Easier said than done.

Borrowing Estand’s batting gloves and catcher Trey Manz’s bat, I stepped in to the cage and promptly laid a bunt down the third base line, earning a “He would have beat that out” from someone behind me. I missed the second bunt attempt and stared at the next pitch I saw as it sailed by me.

O'BRIEN AND HAGAN TAKE TOP HONORS AT MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ...

O’BRIEN AND HAGAN TAKE TOP HONORS AT MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

AKWESASNE, NY – JULY 15, 2011 — With the nights sponsor Keegan’s Tobacco on hand the cars and stars at Mohawk International Raceway put on one of the best shows of the 2011 season. A smooth surface allowed for plenty of multi groove racing, which led to some thrilling finishes.

The Frenchie’s Chevrolet 358 Modifieds hit the speedway with Delbert Legrow and Roy Tarbell leading the field into turn number 1. Tarbell was able to grab the top spot as Tim O’Brien, Larry Welling, Legrow and Jeff Sykes held the top 5 spots in the early going. Tarbell held the lead through the opening 5 laps until O’Brien was able to grab the lead away with John Lazore jumping to second, Tarbell, Sykes and Todd Stone completed the top 5. O’Brien had a very strong car and was able to build up a half straightaway lead until the caution flew for Delbert Legrow who spun in turn 1 and collected Clayton Benedict. Both cars made heavy contact but were able to pull away. On the restart John Lazore was fast on the top side but O’Brien was able to hold off the challenges and keep the lead with Lazore, Todd Stone Jeff Sykes and Roy Tarbell battling in the top 5. With the race going caution free the rest of the way O’Brien’s machine got faster as the race went on and had built up a full straightaway lead by lap 18. John Lazore started to feel some pressure towards the end of this race as Todd Stone who started 13th on the night made his way up to challenge the 2008 track champion for the number 2 spot. Behind them Carey Terrance was flying through this field as well and closed in on Roy Tarbell by lap 22. Terrance was able to get the number 4 spot leaving Tarbell back in 5th. But on this night Tim O’Brien finally put the bad luck behind him to claim his first win of 2011 and first ever at Mohawk. Todd Stone got by John Lazore on the last lap for 2nd, Carey Terrance 4th and Roy Tarbell rounded out the top 5.

In Frenchie’s Built Ford Tough Sportsman action former street stock driver Mike White and Kristian Smoke led the field to the drop of the green with White getting the early advantage. It didn’t take long for the first yellow flag to fall as Josh Jock supn in turn 4. On a restart Travis Back grabbed the top spot until lap 6 when Mike Arquiett charged around Back to take over the lead bringing Dylan Evoy along with him to 2nd, Brandon Hagan who started dead last was now running 3rd, Back and Kristian Smoke completed the top 5. Mike Arquiett was running strong until Dylan Evoy started to make a bid for the lead and took it away from Arquiett on lap 12. Hagan, Back, Arquiett and Wyatt Mullin rounded out the top 5. Evoy and Hagan pulled away from the rest of the field and put on one of the best Sportsman races in track history. The 2 drivers raced side by side for the final 6 laps, neither one willing to give an inch. With Hagan on the bottom and Evoy on the top side off the final turn Hagan found the bite he was looking for and slid up in front of Evoy at the line for his 2nd win in a row over Evoy, Kristian Smoke, Brent Kelsey and Mike Arquiett.

The Things They Carried

Tim O'Brien, a critical companion

The Things They Carried

Tim O'brien

If I die in a combat zone, box me up and ship me home