Featherhead Potpourri
The Call and the Catch
October 21st, 2011
Farmer Field, 10:56 PM
A.K.: LaPierre hits a little dribbler towards Ávila! The pick up annnnnd… the throw to Morimoto for the out! Here we go, baby! Top of the ninth and two outs! The Featherheads are one out away from reaching their first Planetary Extreme Championship!
Nelly: Hold your horses, A.K. The game is not over yet. Don’t pack your bags for Colorado just yet.
A.K.: Well, this is it, baby! Vicente Bernal prepares to step into the batter’s box. The 2008 Royal Raker is 1-for-4 on the evening. The fans are on their feet waving their tomahawks while performing the Timucua chant! The sounds of the drumbeats are deafening!
(Whooaaaa… ohhhhhh whoa ohhhhhh… whooaaaa… ohhhhhh whoa ohhhhhh…)
A.K.: Ávila takes the sign from Jeffries and comes out of the stretch. Here comes the pitch, baby!
*crack*
A.K.: Bernal takes a solid cut and fouls it straight back.
Nelly: That’s a big boy cut.
(Whooaaaa… ohhhhhh whoa ohhhhhh… whooaaaa… ohhhhhh whoa ohhhhhh…)
A.K.: Ávila peers in for the sign again. He wheels and deals!
*twack*
A.K.: Uh oh! Bernal sends it deep in the gap! Crack, snapple, pop, that looks like it could be trouble! López turns his back and is racing towards the wall…
*RAAAAHHHH*
A.K.: López with the leaping catch! Ahhhhmazinnggg catch, baby! The Featherheads have done it! They are going to Colorado for a chance at the Rodríguez Cup! The fans are going crazy! The Florida bullpen and bench are storming onto the field! Florida is your 2011 Imperial League champs! Hallelujah, baby!
Nelly: All I want to know is: where is the champagne!?!? Somebody hook up this booth with some Dom Pérignon! And where’s my free shirt?! Get me that IL Champions shirt!
Postgame with Scooter
October 21st, 2011
Farmer Field, 11:03 PM
A.K.: Welcome to the post game, Michael Kelly. Congratulations on the series win, baby! How does it feel to make it to the big dance? To the grand stage!
Scooter: Wow, it feels great. I’ve worked my whole life for this.
Nelly: I gotta give you just due, man. You finally showed up. After being labeled a “softy” and a “choker”, you finally developed some grapefruits. Before this postseason, you had a postseason career batting average of .043. You went 3-for-4 tonight with a homer and have a .359 batting average this postseason. How can you explain the turnaround? Did you get yourself a little slump-buster?
A.K.: Nelly! Kelly, you don’t have to respond to such silly questions.
Scooter: (laughs) It’s ok. We know Nelly is just bitter that the closest he’ll ever get to playing professional baseball is sitting behind home plate.
Nelly: Har har, very funny. At least one of us has a contract with the team next season! Ha!
A.K.: Ignore my partner, Scooter! Tell us how it feels to be part of this team this season?
Scooter: To be honest, I did not know what to expect. I knew Florida well from playing with San Antonio last season. I remember hearing from my agent that they always liked me and tried to acquire me a season ago. But, I was prepared to start the season in Tempe. So it was a shocker to end up in Florida. But, I’m sure glad it ended up this way. It’s been a magical run for us. We’re like one happy family.
A.K.: I’ve been covering baseball for quite awhile and I can feel it. This team is a team of destiny, baby! Everything is just right! You got the hitting! The pitching! The defense! The chemistry! It’s all there, baby! It’s like a supermodel with brains!
Nelly: You better not let us down, Michael. I’m counting on you to bring home the championship to Florida. The state needs this championship. I also heard all staff members receive a ring too! Don’t let the state of Florida and my ring finger down!
Scooter: Oh trust me, Nelly, I want a ring as much as you do. I’m not getting any younger. This could be my best opportunity at getting one.
A.K.: I concur, baby! You never know when things will end up turning into a pumpkin! Carpe diem, baby!
Florida Media Day with Manager Jaime Sánchez
October 22nd, 2011
Jacksonville, Florida, 9:00 AM
Reporter # 1: The team suffered heartbreak in the playoffs last year against the very same Charleston team. What was the difference this year? What put you over the hump?
Sánchez: You know, I can think of a lot of things. We gained a lot of experience from the playoffs last season. Our young kids got a chance to grow up a little, you know. We added a bunch of veteran players this season. You know, guys like Cedric, Yoshi, Kelly, Ávila and Gonzy. We also battled through a first early stretch of the season where the offense struggled. All those early season struggles made us a tougher team, you know. I told the team that this year was all about redemption.
Reporter #2: That was one heck of a catch by Luis López in the final game against Charleston. Charles Jeffries had a couple homers, including that grand slam off O’Monahan. Can you comment on your bench and how seamlessly they were plugged into the lineup?
Sánchez: Losing Gonzy was big, but I always had confidence in Jeffries. You know, Jeffries was a starter with us for several seasons. Playing every day is nothing new for him, you know. You know, when we got Gonzy and he took over the main catching role, Jeffries always kept his head up. Rather than complain, you know, he tried to learn more about the game from Gonzy. You know, López got a chance to play down the stretch a lot when Zhu was out. He got a chance to get into a rhythm and it carried into the playoffs. But our whole bench and bullpen is like that. They are always ready when called upon. I like to use everyone on the 25-man roster. I am a firm believer that you either use it or lose it, you know.
Reporter #2: Speaking of Zhu, can you elaborate on his rib cage injury? It was rather sudden and mysterious.
Sánchez: Zhu-Zhu tweaked it when he hit that homer. It must have been the adrenalin, but he played through it. You know, he woke up the next morning sore and couldn’t swing the bat. It’s a bad break for the kid. He’s really been playing well, you know. He should be ready to play when we get home from Colorado.
Reporter #3: The fans are excited to play against Aurora. For them, it’s the fans against Mark Richardson. Will the team use the “Richardson factor” as a chip on their shoulder? The face of the franchise is now playing for the other team.
Sánchez: This series will be about the Featherheads and Borealis. It’s not Richardson against the Featherheads, you know. It’s not Richardson vs. Morimoto. We do not need extra motivation. You know, if you need extra motivation to play in the finals, then you shouldn’t be playing at all.
Reporter #4: I assume Mosley will start game one of the series. Who will start game two? Will it be António Rivera? Will he go on three-day rest?
Sánchez: Yes, you are right. Cedric will start Game 1. Browne, Rivera and Moyer will follow in that order. Sticky has been key for us this season, you know, and I am confident to have him start Game 2.
Reporter #5: Being that this is your team’s first appearance in the Rodríguez Cup, what have you told your players?
Sánchez: You know, I just tell them to relax. I told them to enjoy the moment. There’s no guarantee we will be in this same position again next year, you know. So I told them, to enjoy it and seize the moment. Never take things for granted, you know. I told them to not be awestruck. This is it, you know. There’s no hot tub time machine to go back in time to change things.
Reporter #6: Aurora has shown to be a scrappy team. What can you do to match their intensity level? How will your hitters fare against their talented bullpen?
Sánchez: Our team has been firing on all cylinders, you know. You know, we have been playing high intensity games since July. If our boys can hit against Matos and O’Monahan, I think we will do just fine with Aurora. I don’t expect an offensive explosion, but you know, our team has been built to for low scoring games, too. You know, our bullpen has been excellent as well. Our defense is one of the best in the league, you know. We have some speed to manufacture some runs too, you know.
Reporter #7: Do you consider your team the underdogs or favorites in this match up?
Sánchez: You know, I prefer to be the underdog. We like the feeling that it is us against the world, you know.
Reporter #8: What do you think will the key to winning the series?
Sánchez: We need to execute well. You know, do the fundamental things like catch the ball and taking the extra base. Your opponent can always shutdown your hitters, you know. You know, the opponent can always make your pitchers look bad, but defense and base running are two things that you have direct control over. As much as our team is known for the 3-run home run, we pride ourselves on being fundamentally sound.
Reporter #9: Which players on Aurora are you most worried about?
Sánchez: It all starts at the top, you know. We need to keep Steve McDonald off the bases. Wilson Berry has had a very good postseason. I also expect Mark Richardson to be ready for us, you know. Chris Weaver is another veteran that can carry a team. You know, we need to be ahead in the game before Juan Suárez enters the game. He and the bullpen really shorten the game. The whole team is excellent. There is not one player you can focus on, you know. So I try not to worry too much or else I’ll get more gray hair.
Reporter #10: Will you be managing differently in this series? Is there anything you plan to do different?
Sánchez: Not at all. We got here doing it one way and it is the way we will continue, you know. You know, there’s not much to tweak. We will win with what we got or lose with what we got.
Sunday Night Conversation with the M&M Boys
October 23rd, 2011
Denver, Colorado, 8:50 PM
Baseball News Network
Serenity: Good evening, America. I am Serenity Summers, working in conjunction with the Baseball News Network to provide you a brief but special Sunday night conversation with the M&M Boys, Tsumemasa Morimoto and Kevin McNeill. First of all, congratulations to you two and the team for making it to the Rodríguez Cup. I must imagine things have been very busy for you two. Get much sleep?
Morimoto: Oh, yes. It has been very busy. I slept a little. But it is hard to sleep.
McNeill: I didn’t get much sleep at all. After the Charleston game, I just drove home and crashed. I woke up early Saturday morning to attend the parade send-off that the city gave us. After that, it was straight to the airport to Denver. Slept in a hotel Saturday night and woke up for a Sunday morning workout.
Serenity: Perhaps the most compelling aspect of this series is Mark Richardson facing his former team. The fans have been begging to see this happen ever since Richardson made his comments on A Crock of Grunt. All three of you were part of the inaugural 2007 Florida team. The young infield trio was supposed to be the backbone of the future. Will it be emotional to see Mark Richardson wearing a different shade of blue?
Morimoto: It will be a little. I have not seen him since he left. It will be good to see him. One of us will win the Cup.
McNeill: (stares at Morimoto) I would be lying if I said it was just another game or series. Florida is the only team I’ve been with. It’s the only team I know. If you are not a Featherhead, then you are against us. Seeing Richardson on the enemy’s line will be all the more motivation to win. I don’t like to lose, especially to a team with Mark on it. You can quote me on that. I don’t care. Back in 2007, the plan was to build the team with its youth. It was supposed to be us three along with Zhu and Saunders. We were like the new Jackson 5. Being infielders, us three were an especially close-knit group. So it completely blew my mind when word had it that Mark wanted $20 million. He didn’t even care to provide a hometown discount at all. It was all about the money. He forced the team’s hand and it essentially was a strategic tactic to force a trade. It was like he wanted to leave Florida one way or another. He could have just been patient. The team was growing and the fans were starting to come out. In few years, the team could have had the money to pay him. But it was, “Pay me now or I’m leaving.” What a load of crock. Or a Crock of Gunt, or whatever you want to call it.
Serenity: The Richardson trade is undoubtedly the biggest trade in the franchise history. In a way, though, this trade perhaps made you a better team. Without Richardson, everyone had to step up and it helped accelerate the growing process. Would you agree?
Morimoto: I had a talk with Masaharu-san the day he was traded. He told me I had to become a leader. I said I don’t know how. I don’t know how to be good leader. I was very young. He told me great leader don’t speak loud. They carry big stick. So I carry big stick. I let stick be leader.
McNeill: Yeah, I think it made us better. It was like taking the training wheels off the bike. We had to learn how to pedal on our own. It made me a better player. It made me train and work harder. I improved my conditioning regime in the offseason to avoid those injuries I had the previous years. With Richardson gone, the team had a feeling of redemption. It was time to prove to ourselves that we can climb the next step without him. The team is all we got and we were gonna do it together.
Serenity: What’s been the proudest moment for this team this season?
McNeill: Oh, man. A lot of things. This is the year of redemption for us. After losing in the IL Alliance Tournament last season, we couldn’t wait to start this season. The proudest moment is watching the team grow through the months. We started slow as a team with our bats asleep, but we kept on scratching and clawing. Then Lewis got us some help. Miyata, González and Ávila helped us hit our stride.
Morimoto: My proudest was winning the Dixie. We defended our division from last season.
Serenity: Tsumemasa, does it ever bother you that, despite your level of play, you still can get overlooked? Your peers did not vote you for the All-Star Game this season. Scouts focus on your flaws, such as questioning your ability to make contact. Experts don’t see you as a complete hitter as compared to other first basemen such as Ramón Flores, Rubén Cruz, Rob Raines or Octávio Pexego. Does that put a chip on your shoulder?
Morimoto: Not at all. I don’t play the game for others. People can judge me how they like, but I play because I love the game.
McNeill: We kinda like it that way. We like it when no one is watching us or paying attention to us. While everyone is focusing on Tempe or Aurora, the Featherheads will just quietly be taking care of business. That’s the way Sánchez likes it. We’re a 25-man team that just likes to do its own thing without the public watching. It’s just us and our fans.
Serenity: Well, you can be certain that people will be watching Monday night for the first pitch in Aurora. Thank you, you two, for spending a little bit of time on the Baseball News Network.
McNeill: It’s been a pleasure.
Morimoto: (smiles) Domo arigato.