The Detroit Buckeyes 2005
Jose Fucking Valverde.
October 6, 2003 .. In the most important game of the year, Hideo Nomo outduels Greg Maddux in game 5 at Tiger stadium and the Buckeyes are up 3-1 in the League Divisional Series... The next evening, with a chance to clinch at home, Detroit finds themselves up 3-1 in the top of the eighth. Josh Beckett, absolutely gassed is relieved by Papa Grande. Five batters later, with a run in and the bases loaded, Jason Kendall barrels a shot over speedy outfielder Jacque Jones and the series goes back to Atlanta.
October 10, 2003 .. Game 7. Detroit up 8-7 in the 9th. Valverde, looking for some redemption is an out away from sending his team to the League Championship Series. A forkball in the dirt to walk Bonds on a full count. A first pitch fastball teed up to Chipper Jones and the Buckeyes charter flight back home lands about the same time Mr Spalding does.
While everyone knew the bullpen was taxed, Valverde was clearly not ready for the pressures of a game of that magnitude. Fans in Detroit were not very understanding... KRod was their closer, Papa Grande was the ugly stepchild.
March 2004, Hope springs eternal..
Heading into the new season, the Buckeyes were still young.. Mainstays Luis Castillo, Derek Lee, Bengie Molina, Placido Polanco, Cristian Guzman, Raul Ibanez, Jones are in their prime. With former Rookies of the Year Adam Dunn ('01) and Scott Podsednik ('03), the line-up remained potent and virtually unchanged.. Nomo had pitched his last game, but a staff of Pettitte, Penny, Lackey and Beckett had the fans beaming with optimism.
But the hangover of the previous postseason seemed to have the team crippled right out of the gate. Division rival Cleveland, armed with fresh talent, swept the Buckeyes the first week of the season and outscored them 25-2. With the team stagnated, whispers of management deviating from their 'build thru the draft' model started to get louder.
A few weeks later, fighting tooth and nail to stay above .500 they welcomed their nemesis, the Stonecutters and were promptly swept, complete with another shelling of Valverde. Heading to Boston, the team was shut out twice and again swept. Management had seen enough.
About that time, the Tribe came knocking. Washington needed a second baseman.
For the better part of the 2003 campaign, talk of moving Polanco to second base and trading fan favorite Castillo could be heard around the league. Castillo endeared the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere by stealing 124 bases his rookie year in Detroits inaugural season. Trading him would not make the fans happy and moving Polanco would leave a gaping hole at third.
Washington had Adrian Beltre .. Thoughts of gold glove candidates and 30+ homeruns a season from the corners, with Lee at first, had management drooling. The Tribe wanted Podsednik as well and although the 'Go-Go' Buckeyes always coveted speed, they pulled the trigger.
But not before they locked down another big piece.
About the time Washington knocked on the front door, in walked a pain in the ass around back. None other than The Atlanta Stonecutters.
Experiencing first hand what Spider-Man Torii Hunter could do, the likes of which fans hadn't witnessed since Andruw Cadillac Jones roamed here. And having just sent to Washington a player who had a propensity to dive and miss balls in the wide expanse of the Tiger Stadium outfield, fleet of foot and fan favorite Scotty P. Management nabbed Hunter, another Gold Glover and sent Brad Penny and a pain in the Stonecutter's ass in his own right, left fielder Adam Dunn, to Atlanta. Dunn, regulated to platooning with Ibanez after a stellar start to his career, had become expendable.
But the line on the phone that was constantly ringing was the line ringing for closer, Francisco Rodriguez. The most sought after player on the team.
The Tigers believed in Jose Valverde... Fucking Jose Valverde!.. but they decided to answer that phone. It was Billy, GM of the Rippers . . It was always Billy it seemed.. After some deliberations, and with a hole in left field Detroit makes a very controversial move and sends KRod to New York for slugger Matt Holliday.
Oh, the pangs of sellers remorse!!
However, with Holliday quickly proving his worth, Ibanez and power hitting outfielder Craig Monroe subsequently dealt for draft picks, the overhaul is complete.
The team, still adapting to their new identity has a very rough year. Through the dog days of summer, attendance falls to record lows. ESPN constantly shows highlights of Beltre, who has a career year statistically, hitting homerun balls into empty seats. Beltre even jokes with a reporter at the All Star game that he'd have to start hitting them over the roof to attract the fans not coming to the games...and Jose Valverde... fuc .. . .handed the closer role after the trade of KRod, is regulated to mop-up before the Fourth of July. . Only Lee(34), Beltre(29) and Hunter(27) put more balls into the cheap seats than Valverde(21) in '04.. In 65 innings!
But things are right as rain THIS spring!
For in 11th hour, at this years winter meetings its Detroit's turn to make the call... "Whats the price on KRod?" .. Longtime backstop Bengie Molina is sent to New York and the Bucks once again have their savior.
The draft proved fruitful as well. The Buckeyes land hard hitting speedster Curtis Granderson who should soon man the other corner opposite Holliday. And, at long last find a solution at shortstop in Johnny Peralta, who tore up triple A last year.
With Krod onboard, the team goes into spring training hopeful. With a new look and even a little swagger. Time will tell if Jose fucking Valverde will eventually settle in to a set-up role. Something tells me the phone may ring again.
Until then, its gametime!
Spring is here and its the best time of the year!
