The 33-Year-Old Rookie by Chris Coste

Author:Chris Coste
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780345507044
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2008-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

The 1996 Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

I

I FLOATED out of Doug Simunic’s—sorry, Simmy’s—office as if I had just won the North Dakota State Lottery, and for the first time I truly felt like a member of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, not some local promotional tool. But if there’s one thing I learned early on in baseball, it’s that you can’t take your current status for granted.

Our next “home” exhibition game took place in Jamestown, North Dakota, a town one hundred miles west of Fargo. This game was the moment of truth for me because I knew I had to produce to keep the starting job at second base, and I wanted more than anything to prove to Simmy that he was right in naming me his second baseman. Although I had gained the trust of Simmy, I also knew he was a fickle manager and one bad day at the plate could easily sway him to change his mind. Luckily, after a lineout in my first at-bat, I had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, and a home run, totally assuring my spot as the RedHawks’ second baseman. We went on to win the game in the bottom of the ninth on a game-tying home run by Tony Kunka and a walk-off home run by Darryl Motley. And as in Perham, we were treated to a sellout crowd and a rousing ovation several times during the slugfest in Jamestown. The ride back to Fargo was very gratifying, not only because I had a good day at the plate, but more so because I had several timely hits that sparked the exciting come-from-behind win. It was easily the best feeling I had had so far in my short time with the team.

Our final exhibition game finally placed us in front of our fans at tiny Jack Williams Stadium, which we would continue to call home for a few more weeks until our luxurious new accommodations were finished. Thousands of fans packed the cramped stands, ready to rock the house. Maybe it doesn’t compare to, say, a capacity crowd at Citizens Bank Park, but, believe me, six thousand folks aching to see baseball can sure make a lot of racket.

Even though this game wouldn’t count in the standings, it remains one of my biggest thrills. Everyone knew that I was one of two homegrown players (Tony Kunka—Moorhead), and each time the P.A. announcer introduced me, the crowd cheered wildly. In the seventh inning, with the Winnipeg Goldeyes ahead by a run, I gave them something to really cheer about.

Pumped up from adrenaline, I sent the first pitch I saw over the left-center-field wall for a game-tying home run. The sound of the fans as the ball disappeared was deafening. I’d never experienced anything like it. We let the game slip away in the ninth, but, as in Perham and Jamestown, when the last out was made, the crowd rose to its feet in a standing ovation. It made me

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