BURLESON UNHAPPY WITH SMALL TURNOUT.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer The JetHawks and the High Desert Mavericks The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a "high-A" class team in the California League, and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch. staged a dramatic production Tuesday in Game 1 of the Valley Division first-round playoffs. The show concluded in cliffhanger cliff·hang·er n. 1. A melodramatic serial in which each episode ends in suspense. 2. A suspenseful situation occurring at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode. 3. fashion, the JetHawks rallying from 4-0 and 5-2 deficits to tie the game at 5 and the Mavericks maintaining their composure to score the game-winner in the ninth for a 6-5 decision. Sound exciting? Looking around the Lancaster Municipal Stadium grandstand it wouldn't seem like it. A mere 1,825 bothered to show up for the third home playoff game Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship in the JetHawks' three-year history. The team attracted a gate average of 3,452 in the regular season. In their final 10-game homestand between Aug. 14-23, the JetHawks' smallest crowd was 2,946, topping out at a sold-out 5,061 on Friday, Aug. 21. So what happened? ``I guess (the fans) had something better to do tonight,'' a bitter Rick Burleson The JetHawks manager has seen this before. ``With all the support we've had . . . the same thing happened last year (in the playoffs) when we couldn't fill the place,'' he said. At least The Hangar's first playoff game against the Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a baseball team in Stockton, California, USA. The Ports play in the Northern Division of the Class A California League and is a minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. drew a crowd of 3,313 on an unseasonably cold Wednesday night on Sept. 3, 1997. In defense of the fans, who placed third in the league in average attendance, threatening skies on Tuesday also played a factor in the scant turnout, especially with the previous day's hail and thunderstorms thunderstorms a storm characterized by thunder and lightning caused by strong rising air currents; identified as agents of animal disease because of their involvement causing (1) spasmodic colic; (2) lightning strike; (3) injuries of cattle acquired in stampedes initiated by storms. that pounded the area. Furthermore, the continuing Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Fair provides an entertainment option. In fact, the JetHawks always request a road trip the final week of the season to avoid any fair conflicts. The JetHawks also increased the prices up a buck apiece and started selling tickets for Tuesday's game at 10 a.m. Monday. Burleson wasn't buying any of it. ``The loyal (supporters) were out there. But these are the playoffs. We've been playing some pretty good ball lately. If you want to see a good baseball game Noun 1. baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League , come out here and watch,'' Burleson said. ``I don't understand. I'm very disappointed with the crowd we had.'' Keep the faith: Don Wakamatsu Wilbur Donald "Don" Wakamatsu (b. February 22, 1963 in Hood River, Oregon) is a Major League Baseball third base coach for the Texas Rangers. Previously, Wakamatsu spent four years as the Rangers' bench coach. found himself performing the task of motivational speaker A motivational speaker is a professional speaker, facilitator or trainer who speaks to audiences, usually for a fee. The keynote speech generally takes place either at the beginning of the event, or the close of the event. rather than manager. ``We must have held about a million meetings,'' the High Desert skipper said of the season's final nine games. His club lost them all, six to the JetHawks. But in the game that counted most, the Valley Division first-round opener, all the speeches and grief sessions had an impact and High Desert moved to within one win of the divisional championship series. ``We'd won 19 of 22, and we knew that pace wasn't going to last forever. We lost our confidence a little,'' Wakamatsu said. ``But our guys stuck together.'' It didn't take the Mavericks long to erase the sour taste of losing out on the first-round bye (San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. finished one game ahead). They scored four times in the first and never trailed, finally breaking a 5-5 tie in the ninth. ``I think it made them relax a little more,'' Burleson said of High Desert's quick start. ``We talked about getting off to a lead against (Mavericks pitcher John) Patterson, but before we even came to bat we were down four runs.'' High Desert's players definitely took a jarring punch of reality, but Wakamatsu's pleas seemed to be the placebo that made the pain disappear. ``Wak did a great job with that. We never thought the JetHawks were a better club than us. We blew some games against them,'' said catcher Rod Barajas, who went 3 for 5 on Tuesday. ``We considered this a new beginning to the season. Everyone is 0-0 and the pitchers have zero ERA's.'' The only statistic that mattered late Tuesday was High Desert's 1-0 lead in the series, not the 0 for 9 to end the season. Big bat: Brendan Kingman's bruised kidney and strained abdominal muscle kept him out of Tuesday's game, but he was still in the spotlight. California League president Joe Gagliardi and director of media relations Jim McCue presented Kingman with a ceremonial bat award for winning the league's batting title. The 25-year-old Sydney, Australia resident hit .340, five points ahead of High Desert's Jarrod Patterson. Kingman might not get another shot to showcase his hitting prowess, though. He was walking gingerly prior to Tuesday's game and probably wouldn't be available unless the JetHawks advance to play San Jose in the next round. For the kids: Like Kingman, JetHawks outfielder Anton French was recognized in pregame festivities fes·tiv·i·ty n. pl. fes·tiv·i·ties 1. A joyous feast, holiday, or celebration; a festival. 2. The pleasure, joy, and gaiety of a festival or celebration. 3. . His 41 stolen bases in the regular season raised $615 for the pediatrics department at Antelope Valley Hospital. French agreed to donate $5 for each of his steals. That figure was matched by both the JetHawks and local attorney Brian E. Reed. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion