{"id":4702,"date":"2010-10-14T11:33:21","date_gmt":"2010-10-14T18:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=4702"},"modified":"2010-10-14T11:35:01","modified_gmt":"2010-10-14T18:35:01","slug":"a-hit-to-cherish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=4702","title":{"rendered":"A hit to cherish"},"content":{"rendered":"

From OttoInFocus:
\n<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n(click banner for original news story at OttoinFocus)<\/em><\/p>\n

Written by Bob Otto on October 12th, 2010
\n\"\"
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n

\nNamed to the NAFA AA-Major All World team were Manor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Christopher Torres, Peter Saldana-Rodriguez (first row, far right), Jason Chagoya, and Corey Avery. From the Toros, Jaime Garcia, Jr., Boomer Berry, Kyle Brown, and Tony Buckley were selected All World. Avery was selected the Most Valuable Pitcher, while Buckley was named the Most Valuable Player.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

DES MOINES, WEST DES MOINES, IA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Peter Saldana-Rodriguez stepped into the right-side batter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s box. The bases were loaded. Tim Schultz was on third, Will Sandifer on second, Chris Torres on first.<\/p>\n

For over three hours, the Texas Manor Dirt Bags and New Image of Monfort, WI. were locked in a battle in the NAFA World Series \u00e2\u20ac\u0153AA-Major\u00e2\u20ac\u009d playoffs. The score was tied, 1-1, in the 14th inning.<\/p>\n

Like two iron-willed poker players playing for high stakes, the game had everything riding on it. The winner advances to the championship game. While the loser goes home.<\/p>\n

And all alone in the batter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s box stood Rodriguez with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th. He could hear his Manor Dirt Bag teammates imploring him to wait on the change up and just meet the ball.<\/p>\n

Much easier said than done.<\/p>\n

For on the mound stood the imposing, 6-foot-2, and 240 pound, Jeramie Holman. New Image\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ace hurler, long considered one of the best \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if not the best intermediate pitcher in North America.<\/p>\n

And most agree that Holman owns the best change up in the game. A pitch that leaves the best hitters lunging like drunken sailors throwing wild punches and hitting nothing but air.<\/p>\n

Just relax, sit back, and meet the ball Rodriguez told himself, while taking a deep breath. But Holman had already slipped two strikes by Rodriguez and controlled the battle of wills with an 0-2 count.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He had just thrown me two change ups,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Rodriguez said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153that I swung at and missed\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBut not the third time.<\/p>\n

Holman wound up and delivered. But this time Rodriguez was ready. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Change up,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d his eyes told his hands. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wait, wait\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And then like a Texas Timber Rattler striking out at a helpless cottontail, his hands whipped the bat around, driving the ball into the hole between short and third. And in raced Schultz with the winning run.<\/p>\n

Within seconds of touching first base, Rodriguez\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 teammates embraced, mobbed, and greeted him with high-fives, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153aata boy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

But there was little time to celebrate. For the championship game was about to start. A game that the Manor Dirt Bags went on to win, 2-1, over the Topeka Toros to claim the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153AA-Major\u00e2\u20ac\u009d title, Sunday, Aug. 22.<\/p>\n

And Rodriguez\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 clutch hit helped bring it all about.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That was definitely one of my biggest hits,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153especially since we were able to win it all, and I was able to be a part of a national championship team.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBut Rodriguez will also remember facing Holman, who not only pitches for New Image, but manages the ball club as well. A ball club that went on to finish the 2010 season with a dazzling, 95-11, record.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The toughest pitcher in the tournament had to be Jeremy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Rodriguez said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153For every nine change ups you might see a fastball\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Everybody knows what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coming, but his change up has so much movement and he throws it with different speeds and different arm angles that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to pick up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Both Holman and Rodriguez were selected to the All World team. Rodriguez had a blistering .417 batting average (5-for-12) along with two RBI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and a stolen base.<\/p>\n

And years from now when he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long retired from the game, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll recall that moment in time when one swing of his bat sent his team on to victory and the championship.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That hit is something I will always cherish,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From OttoInFocus: (click banner for original news story at OttoinFocus) Written by Bob Otto on October 12th, 2010 Photo By BOB OTTO Named to the NAFA AA-Major All World team were Manor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Christopher Torres, Peter Saldana-Rodriguez (first row, far right), Jason Chagoya, and Corey Avery. From the Toros, Jaime Garcia, Jr., Boomer Berry, Kyle Brown, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,15,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4702"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4702\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}