|
|
|
Mike Rooney experienced a couple of extremes on the opening day of the 21st annual Wood Bat Invitational.
The longtime manager of the Blue Springs Rod’s Sports Athletics became the third inductee into the Wood Bat Hall of Fame Wednesday night at Hidden Valley Park, then watched his team throw away its opening game as the A’s committed two errors that led to 10 unearned runs in a 12-0, six-inning loss to the Ada (Okla.) Post 72 Braves.
“The night started out pretty good,” Rooney said, through a forced smile. “It is such an honor to be in the Hall of Fame because there are two men in there I really respect.
“Dick Puhr is a man who gave his life to American Legion ball when he was a sports writer for The Examiner and (the late) Ron Johnson (who passed away last year) was like my big little brother.
“Ron knew so much about the game, and to be included in anything with Ron Johnson is a great, great honor.”
Following the induction ceremony, the A’s opened Wood Bat play with a performance that left Rooney shaking his head.
“I just don’t know about this team,” Rooney said. “I can’t read them. We come back and play tomorrow at 1 p.m. and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“It was just like they didn’t really seem to respond to anything tonight. Bret Sutton pitched an exceptional game – but you couldn’t tell it from looking at the box score. We made a big error in the first inning that helped them score a couple of runs and then they score nine in the sixth and they’re all unearned.”
Rooney believes Sutton’s approach the first inning played into the hands of the 27-8 Braves.
“I think Bret thought it’s a wood bat tournament and I can go out and just throw fastballs,” Rooney said. “You can’t do that against a team that hits the ball as well as that team did tonight.”
Leadoff hitter Robert Thomas scored on an outfield error and Matt Johnson drove home the second run to the give the Braves a 2-0 first-inning lead. They added a run in the second on a Thomas RBI single.
The Braves blew the game open in the sixth when they scored nine unearned runs following an infield error that would have been the final out of the inning.
Randy McCurry, Johnson, Matt Mayes and Tyler Porter all had two hits each in the inning. The Braves finished with 14 hits.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the A’s loaded the bases with one out but a runner was thrown out at home on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and two A’s batters took called third strikes from reliever Jonathan Gray.
“Gray is going to be a junior in high school and he came in and did a great job,” Braves coach Travis Graham said. “This was a big win. We have to go play a team whose coach is inducted in the Hall of Fame and we’re facing one of their top pitchers. I’m really proud of the kids.”
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: Before the game, A’s players Greg Wisner and Sam Guffey were named runner-up winners of a $500 scholarship in the name of Jimmy Meyers, a former amateur baseball player who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996.
A’s standout Kyle Seithel won the $1,000 scholarship, which was special for both the lanky third baseman and the Meyers family.
“I’ve known the Meyers family for a long, long time,” Seithel said. “I remember going to the American Legion Field on 40 Highway and seeing the big carved picture of Jimmy and asking about him. To win this scholarship is just amazing. The money is great, but winning something that honors Jimmy Meyers is even more special.”
FIRST STRIKE: Former Blue Springs park commissioner Larry Sparks threw a perfect strike from the mound to open the tournament.
“I really haven’t been practicing,” Sparks said. “My 8-year-old granddaughter wanted to play catch the other day and I threw the ball around in the yard with her. That’s about all I did.”
Mike Rooney experienced a couple of extremes on the opening day of the 21st annual Wood Bat Invitational.
The longtime manager of the Blue Springs Rod’s Sports Athletics became the third inductee into the Wood Bat Hall of Fame Wednesday night at Hidden Valley Park, then watched his team throw away its opening game as the A’s committed two errors that led to 10 unearned runs in a 12-0, six-inning loss to the Ada (Okla.) Post 72 Braves.
“The night started out pretty good,” Rooney said, through a forced smile. “It is such an honor to be in the Hall of Fame because there are two men in there I really respect.
“Dick Puhr is a man who gave his life to American Legion ball when he was a sports writer for The Examiner and (the late) Ron Johnson (who passed away last year) was like my big little brother.
“Ron knew so much about the game, and to be included in anything with Ron Johnson is a great, great honor.”
Following the induction ceremony, the A’s opened Wood Bat play with a performance that left Rooney shaking his head.
“I just don’t know about this team,” Rooney said. “I can’t read them. We come back and play tomorrow at 1 p.m. and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“It was just like they didn’t really seem to respond to anything tonight. Bret Sutton pitched an exceptional game – but you couldn’t tell it from looking at the box score. We made a big error in the first inning that helped them score a couple of runs and then they score nine in the sixth and they’re all unearned.”
Rooney believes Sutton’s approach the first inning played into the hands of the 27-8 Braves.
“I think Bret thought it’s a wood bat tournament and I can go out and just throw fastballs,” Rooney said. “You can’t do that against a team that hits the ball as well as that team did tonight.”
Leadoff hitter Robert Thomas scored on an outfield error and Matt Johnson drove home the second run to the give the Braves a 2-0 first-inning lead. They added a run in the second on a Thomas RBI single.
The Braves blew the game open in the sixth when they scored nine unearned runs following an infield error that would have been the final out of the inning.
Randy McCurry, Johnson, Matt Mayes and Tyler Porter all had two hits each in the inning. The Braves finished with 14 hits.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the A’s loaded the bases with one out but a runner was thrown out at home on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and two A’s batters took called third strikes from reliever Jonathan Gray.
“Gray is going to be a junior in high school and he came in and did a great job,” Braves coach Travis Graham said. “This was a big win. We have to go play a team whose coach is inducted in the Hall of Fame and we’re facing one of their top pitchers. I’m really proud of the kids.”
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: Before the game, A’s players Greg Wisner and Sam Guffey were named runner-up winners of a $500 scholarship in the name of Jimmy Meyers, a former amateur baseball player who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996.
A’s standout Kyle Seithel won the $1,000 scholarship, which was special for both the lanky third baseman and the Meyers family.
“I’ve known the Meyers family for a long, long time,” Seithel said. “I remember going to the American Legion Field on 40 Highway and seeing the big carved picture of Jimmy and asking about him. To win this scholarship is just amazing. The money is great, but winning something that honors Jimmy Meyers is even more special.”
FIRST STRIKE: Former Blue Springs park commissioner Larry Sparks threw a perfect strike from the mound to open the tournament.
“I really haven’t been practicing,” Sparks said. “My 8-year-old granddaughter wanted to play catch the other day and I threw the ball around in the yard with her. That’s about all I did.”
