Game 30: Father and Son (and Other Kids)
“It's not time to make a change; just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to go through.”
-Cat Stevens, Father and Son
Ballers Lose Game 18-8 and Series to Modesto Roadsters
by Roberto Santiago
WEST OAKLAND— Things don’t always go as predicted. On Sunday, the forecast for Father’s Day at Raimondi was for temperatures in the mid-60s. Instead, it was pretty darn hot, with fans lamenting their clothing decisions. For others, it was simply a beautiful day to hang out with dad starting with a pre-game catch on the field. And a beautiful sight it was. Dads with kids of all ages, tiny kids who could barely throw a ball having dad roll it back to them after chasing down errant throws. Dads with kids of all genders. Dads with “kids” who were also dads in their own right. It was what baseball is meant to be, intergenerational memories being formed and reinforced. “Dad,” said my 15-year-old as we headed back to the stands, “when people ask me what my childhood was like, I’m going to them it was baseball and rugby with my dad.”
“I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy. To be calm, when you've found something going on.”
For Ballers pitchers, it was not easy to stay calm with what they found going on. Jacob Petersheim made his first professional start on the hill and like Griffin Smith the night before, he looked good in the first inning. Modesto’s Tyler Williams singled to open the game but was quickly erased on a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play. Jacob Lojewski homered, but Petersheim got the final out to limit the damage. Tremayne Cobb continued his MVP pace, leading off the bottom of the inning with a home run of his own to knot the score. The prediction at the time was that this could be a competitive game from a fresh arm. Then, like the night prior, the wheels came off. Baller killer Bryce Cannon went kaboom to lead off the top of the second with a no doubter over the left field wall. “There’s another one for the lawsuit!” a fan exclaimed. Another six runs later, Petersheim was out of the inning, and the game was never really competitive after that. A parade of relievers finished out the contest, each doing what they could to limit the damage but ending the day with ERAs that look more like a list of their shoe sizes. In the end, it was the second consecutive day for the Ballers giving up 18 runs to Modesto.
“How can I try to explain?”
Pitching coach Jim Dedrick was asked after the game how he keeps guys focused and positive in the face of adversity. After a self—effacing chuckle, he offered, “We’re not pitching that bad, but we’re having our bad moments. I feel like we’re going in the right direction. I know the scoreboard doesn’t show that today. We gotta regroup. We got a new week coming and a day off and we’ll see what happens.”
“But take your time, think a lot; why, think of everything you've got”
Talking after the game, Petersheim addressed whether the park played as he expected after giving up four long balls in two innings. “Not really,” he replied laconically. “Just have to get back at it tomorrow.” His perspective was shared by his position coach. “We just got to keep grinding and know better days are ahead,” offered Dedrick. It’s a sentiment shared by the team as evidenced by the teammates near Petersheim nodding sagely when hearing his answer.
“For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.”
Transactions as of June 20th show a roster still trying to find answers. Opening Day closer Braydon Nelson was traded to Cleburne of the American Association for a player to be named later. Liam Rocha, who made eight appearances for Oakland this year with an ERA to match, was released. OF Damian Stone was released in favor of newcomer, IF Brendan O’Sullivan.
“All the times that I've cried, keeping all the things I knew inside. It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it”
In the stands, people are finding the optimism harder to hold onto. With each crooked number put up by an opponent, fans are starting to feel the season slip away. The attaboys of May are slowly becoming “not again” muttered quietly so as not to become infectious. Fans know this team needs to put together a good stretch now in order to have hope for the second half of the season, and are split on what the constant turnover means for the staff. Two days of blowouts have seen a dejected crowd thinning out early at Raimondi.
“Now there's a way, and I know that I have to go away. I know, I have to go.”
Some Ballers are so new, they aren’t sure where they’re going to be at times. “Are we home or away tomorrow?” a player asked General Manager Laura Geist during the Sunday autograph session. “We’re off tomorrow,” Geist answered. “Then on the road, go home [to rest].” Indeed, the team will play at Modesto Tuesday—Thursday, returning home on Friday for a series against Yuba-Sutter.
Odds and Ends:
Daniel Harris III, the father of former Ballers player, Daniel Harris IV, played the National Anthem.
Oakland sits at third in the league in average attendance after 18 home dates with 2,367 fans gracing Raimondi Park on most nights. Another 300/game would put the Ballers at the top of the league. The crowds over the weekend for Punk Night and Day of the Dad were robust (3,277 today). First place Long Beach (24-6) is drawing a surprisingly low average of just 748 fans per game.
With the SF Gate report about friction between the team and the owner of the warehouse outside left field and the number of balls being hit there, fans around the park are starting to wonder about solutions. A Green Monster? Pushing back the fence? To where would one push the fence given the sidewalk and street? Hit homers father so they clear the building entirely? There’s nothing official from the team yet (nothing unofficial either) so any speculation is just that. But it’s an interesting problem to think about.
Photos from Darrell Lavin Photography and Dawn Pieper. Video recap from Ben Verhoek.
Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.
