August 13, 2000

The Missoula Osprey play their games at 7 o'clock every day except on Sunday; those games are held during the day. Though no one will admit it, I think that they do this so that the players know what day of the week, it is at least once a week. Pro baseball is a game of routines and patterns. This week however the pattern and rhythms of the Osprey were disrupted and many think for the better.

Announcers a lot of times talk about big leagues clubs having good chemistry or bad chemistry and the better the chemistry, the better the team. For the longest time I always felt that sort of thing was overrated. It seemed to me I would rather have 9 guys hitting .300 that didn't get along, than 9 guys who hit .270 and were best friends. But in the long course of the baseball season, I have found that team chemistry plays a big part in helping a team win day in and day out.

Ironically, fighting sometimes brings teams closer together. Obviously, fighting within the team is harmful, but occasional skirmishes with other teams can bring a team closer together. Political leaders have long known that a nation needs enemies to bring the homeland closer together. The US fought with Russia for the longest time in the Cold War. And in the process gave Americans someone different to compete against and fight with other than their own people or team. The race to beat the Russians furthered technological innovations.

This same sort of ideology can be applied to bench-clearing brawls. Well, about a week ago the Osprey had just such an opportunity.

First, it is important to know the rules for fighting, why fights happen and what should occur. Fights are frequently the result of flagrant play or one-up-manship. Batters can start them by showing up the pitcher on home runs; baserunners by breaking up double plays too maliciously or stealing bases when their teams is winning by a lot and pitchers can start fights by throwing intentionally at batters.

The stereotypical fight begins when a pitcher throws at a batter. Most players believe that getting hit in the low back or below is acceptable, anything higher risks serious injury. One former big league player said "You can't hit me in the head I've got five or six kids".

The Osprey, well aware of the rules, traveled about eight hours to Medicine Hat, Canada, and lost two close games, one on an extra inning home run. After the two-game series, we drove back another eight hours to Missoula to play the same team in a two-game set.

We were winning 7-2 when our catcher Jorge Delgado hit the first professional home run of his career. Well, apparently he thought that on your first home run you were allowed to stand and watch the ball until it leaves the field. In this case, our catcher showed up the opposing team's pitcher. Let's be honest, though, it was a bomb. Anyway, our next batter Jerry Gil had a feeling he was going to get hit. The coaches from the other team were screaming that the next batter was going down. It was so obvious that Saul Montoya held up the radar gun to see how hard the beanball was thrown. It was 88 mph right in the square of the back. After he got hit, Jerry ran straight out to the mound. He got some good punches in on the pitcher as our team raced out to the field. I was behind home plate doing a pitching chart in street clothes, so I had a great view of everything.

I was surprised at how guys who as of five hours ago couldn't agree on anything were now sprinting to help. It was nice to see our manager Chip Hale, run right out into the fray and defend his players. Every guy on the team appreciates the support they got. Even though the fight got way out of hand with helmets and cheap shots being thrown, it was a good way for our team to come together and begin to trust each other. Guys like P.J. Bevis, Matt Steele and our manager Chip really brought the team closer together. Matt Steele had been saying our team wasn't gelled yet, but he couldn't figure out a way to do it.

Even though everyone on the team is going to be suspended for up to five games and fined $75 dollars, the fight was definitely worth it. It cleared out any bad blood that we might have had. Maybe this break from the routine was exactly what we needed.

Once again I really appreciate the emails and letters I have been receiving. I haven't been able to respond to all of them yet, but be patient I will get to them.

You can contact Will Rosellini at Rumi54@aol.com.