October 1st, 2017

Tempe Arizona

It’s the bottom of the 6th inning and the Knights are down 9-2. Just 12 more agonizing outs remain until general manager Alan Ehlers must face his fate of termination for failing to meet his owners order of “85 win or you’re fired”. Sitting at 82 wins on the last day of the season, it’s mathematically impossible to meet the well documented ultimatum. Even if Tempe were to make an improbable seven run comeback, they’d still fall 2 games short. So why even bother?

Tony Figueroa leads off the inning. He’s a 24 year old rookie with a world of potential. Ehlers did not draft him, but did make a bold decision by trading away Bob Arnold to unblock Figueroa. At the time, Tony was hitting in the low .200 in A-ball. Figueroa hits a long drive into left center and legs out a triple.

Next up is Robin Kenney. Kenney is the poster boy of the soon to be former Knights GM’s regime. A rule 5 pick who has gone on to hit .308 over the past 2 seasons. Rather then relying on high priced superstars, Ehlers is known to show faith in crafty, gimmicky role players to get the job done. A line drive double into center scores Figueroa and makes GM’s around the PEBA continue to scratch their heads about Kenney.

Tommy Washington may one day become a great baseball player. He’s more likely to be the answer to a trivia question. What bums did Bakersfield trade for Markus Hancock in one of the worst trades in PEBA history? Unlike most of the players in that deal, Washington is still around and relevant. An infield single continues the inning and will continue Ehlers confidence in him.

Raúl García was brought in last winter to be “the straw that stirs the drink”. A future Hall of Fame shortstop still in his prime, ready to push Tempe over the hill of mediocrity. Even after a down year, Ehlers wants to re-sign Garcia to a big money extension. Problem is, Tempe is currently in a lame duck situation and no more big money decisions are being made. An opposite field single into the vacated hole scores Kenney and gives any potential new GM’s a reason to write the check.

Switch hitting catcher Chad Hull comes up to the plate. Ironically enough, Hull was traded away from the Knights in one of Ehlers first moves as Tempe GM. Hull was looking for a substantial raise at the time, which he eventually got in Connecticut, one which Tempe could not afford. Two years later, Chad agreed to come back on a one year deal, at 1/4 the price. An infield single proves that Hull still has it. Washington scores. Tempe now down 9-5.

José Sandoval was given up on by two PEBA teams. The second he hit the waiver wire, Tempe jumped at the opportunity to bring in the Phoenix native. Sandoval’s .310/.338/.477 line this season is remarkable for a waiver claim. Though he did it in a very streaky fashion, in perhaps his final at bat, “The Grinder” came through again. A two run double brings in Garcia and Hull and brings Tempe within 2 runs.

Greeting Hull at home plate is the man he was traded for. Ken Knight personifies Tempe baseball not only by his surname, but by his style of play. Knight mashes left hand pitching at a .329/.363/.503 clip. This late in the season, Ken is left out there to face the right handed Raymond Carberry as a test to see if he is destined to be a platoon player or an everyday guy. A 466 foot bomb may have answered that question. Two more runs in and Tempe ties the game at 9.

Bud Hoffmann lead off the 9th inning with a single and eventually scored the winning run. The 37 year old PEBA icon was sitting at home for months after his sub par season in the LRS in 2016. Not many GM’s give opportunities to players of his age. But Tempe did and Hoffmann delivered. Not only today, but all 56 games he played were near his career averages.

The Knights ended up winning today’s game in walk off fashion, 10-9 in 9 innings. The never give up, never say die attitude by a bunch of gritty outcasts may not have been enough to save their GM’s job, but it’s been enough to recapture a Tempe fan base that was left for dead with the “Fireworks Fire Sale” a few years back. Despite finishing barely over .500, the Knights drew a franchise best $78,000,000 in attendance revenue. Over $30 million more then last season and $11 million more then in 2013.

So as the players circle around home plate to smother Hoffman as he scores the winning run, the 32,932 in attendance who each paid $35 a seat go crazy in the stands. They refuse to leave and continue to give a standing ovation to a team that played out all 162 games with everything they had.

Meanwhile in Chris Van Hauter’s office, beyond the center field wall, Alan Ehlers walks in to face his failure like a man.

CVH: Great win today, the team showed a lot of heart.

AE: Thanks boss. Not that it matters though. We failed to meet our goal. You know last year when you gave me this ultimatum, I had a lot of fears and a lot of doubts in myself. I didn’t think I had what it took to hang with the big boys in the PEBA. But, you know, 85 wins or not… the fire still burns inside me. I know I belong here and I know someone else is going to give me a job.

It sucks though. The new Knights GM is going to walk in here and rebuild something that doesn’t need to be rebuild. You may not see it because I don’t have schematics of a 5 year plan, but it’s there. We’re a couple of transactions away from being a playoff team. And because of the $40.5 million I’ve made you in the past 2 seasons, money will not be an issue with this small market team. Gallegos, Guerera, McDonald, any one of them could be in Tempe next season.

A camera man picks up the window to the owners box where Ehlers and Van Hauter are having their discussion. He sends the feed to the Jumbotron for the fans to see. While they can not here the words being said, the ultimatum has been all over sports talk radio the past month. Crowd starts to chant…..”Let him stay…. clap, clap… clap, clap, clap”

CVH: I think the fans have spoken. How about we end this “Ultimatum” and start to plan our off season strategy?

AE: As much as I’d like to stay and give these great fans another championship. I’m a man of my word. Mr. Van Hauter, if your not going to fire me…. I quit.”

…to be continued.