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Life in the Minors Brendan Sagara |
A trek to seasons past
soothes the pain of losingHeading into our All-Star break this past week, we were feeling pretty good about a first half that saw us stumble a few times before running off nine wins in 10 nights.
After taking two of three from the first place Rockford Riverhawks to open our six-game road trip, we knew that taking two of three from the Gateway Grizzlies would put us at 29-22 at the break, and in position to challenge for 60 wins and a spot in the playoffs.
Finishing the first half of the past three seasons either in first place or just a game or so out, our club expected to be among the top teams in our division each year. The three games we played at Gateway did not exactly put our minds at ease. I'll just say that we got swept in very convincing fashion.
So when our manager Greg Tagert told me he was going to take a little detour on the way back to Springfield over the All-Star break, my ears perked up. Sorely in need of an escape and some down time I thought it might be a good idea to ride along with Greg and his two sons, Ben and Sam.
Of course when he mentioned that they would be heading toward Southern Indiana, I did cringe a bit. It just sounded so far away. But when Greg told me it was about two-and-a-half hours to get there, and then six-and-a-half to get back to Springfield, I thought it would be worth the sleepless night of driving.
Having spent three years with Greg in that neck of the woods, first as a pitcher for the Evansville Otters and then as pitching coach with the Dubois County Dragons, I had some history and some people we wanted to see down there.
With Greg and myself talking shop, and Ben and Sam playing with their GameBoys in the back seat, I began to reminisce about my three summers in Hoosierland. Whether it was because of all the success I enjoyed there or because of all the good people I met in my time there, I was actually very excited to head back.
After all, in three years with the Otters and Dragons, I was a part of three divisional champions. We took the pennant with Evansville in 1999, where I had the pleasure of having Brenda and John Brazelton as host parents, and then took two more in 2001 and 2002 when I stayed upstairs in the home of the ever-wonderful Viola Scherry.
The eight months I spent in Vi's house on First Avenue were very enjoyable and happy times for me. In my time there, I came to know a gracious, caring, sharp-witted grandmother and retired schoolteacher who made me feel like one of her own. A former college basketball player, Vi was a devout Bobby Knight fan who knew a thing or two about baseball as well. Most of all, she knew about life.
I spent many steamy Midwestern days enjoying the air conditioning and lounging on the couch in Vi's living room talking about life and family and friends and just about anything under the sun. Then we'd usually head off to lunch somewhere and talk some more. And it never got old.
So of course, as we pulled into Huntingburg just after noon this past Tuesday, there were two places I had to go -- League Stadium and Vi's house.
In spite of the close to 100-degree heat and heavy humidity, our walk around the old park was nice. Greg and I talked about big wins and memorable moments we had setting a franchise record for wins with 48 in '01 and a division record for victories the following season with 52.
As we made our way past the home bullpen in right field, I thought of the many days I spent warming up our starting pitchers. In right field we talked about Adam Olow's leaping catch over the fence to rob a home run, giving us the final out of one of our many dramatic wins. In center field we spoke of the little hills that slowed an opponent's outfielder just enough to help a long Dragon drive fall into the gap. In front of the left-field, hand-operated scoreboard, I recalled A.B. Broker whooping and hollering whenever we scored a run.
But the real highlight of the day came after our stadium tour as we drove to Vi's house. I had kept in pretty close contact with Vi for the first couple of offseasons, but with a move to the Big Island this past year to help out the UH-Hilo baseball program, I just got too busy to keep in touch with anyone for a little while.
So as we parked in front of the house, I could feel my heart thumping a bit. Was she home? Was she still living here? Would she remember me? Was my shirt wrinkled?
When I initially knocked on the screen door and rang the doorbell, I heard no response. I waited for a second, and then began aggressively banging on the door again. I had to know.
A brief moment passed before I saw someone poking her head out the window, and then I saw the door open and there she was. Vi was in shock. After all, why would she expect someone from Hawaii to be knocking on her door on a Tuesday afternoon.
We hugged and exchanged surprised looks, and then sat and talked for about an hour. An hour in which I did not think about getting waxed in our series at Gateway. An hour that I did not think about how long our drive back was going to be, an hour in which I did nothing but smile and laugh and talk with Vi. We discussed family and life and friends and just about everything under the sun.
She joked about how she thought maybe I found a girl and got married and ran away somewhere. And she joked about how she couldn't offer me any food, because she still hardly cooks. She even joked about how the couch would remember me better than her cats, because I certainly spent more time with it. She even gave me a little tour of her new car.
I just sat there and told her how much I missed spending those many summer afternoons with her. How I missed our talks and our lunches and yes, even her couch. Vi told me that the room I stayed in hadn't been used since I left, and was waiting for my return.
My day with Viola Scherry is one I will never forget. It was exciting. It was fun. It was very necessary.
She says she's my third Grandma. I tell her she's probably more like another mom. One thing's for sure, she is family.
Brendan Sagara, a former University of Hawaii-Hilo pitcher, is in his first season as pitching coach with the Kenosha (Wis.) Mammoths.