The Brink that He Brought Them To

Sometimes these game stories write themselves.  And sometimes a player takes a Saturday morning in his hands and shapes it to his will.  This is a story about such a day; such a player.  Such a man.

Indeed without him there would have been no game at all.  Baker, Berwald and Lindsay delayed the start whilst he sped down I-75 from Troy.  He arrived and took his immediate position in the outfield.  "Play ball."  Two on two whiffle thus commenced.

Selflessly, he declined the opportunity of warm-up pitches, toeing the pitcher's plate at the top of the second.  It would prove his only poor decision of the day.  Baker and Stats combined on six hits, plating 3 runs.  After a double drove in the third run he spoke prophetically, "That's the last run you score."  No truer words were spoke that morning; His pair of miraculous, over the shoulder, back to the infield, catches, prevented runs in the fourth. Lindsay and Baker would have to make three runs stand up for a win.  3-0 after three and a half. 

As the end of play approached the Man took matters into his own hands.  It mattered not who was pitching as he took both Stats and Baker DEEP.  And by "deep" we mean majestic, soaring arcs.  These towering shots would have passed the "five-base hit" line.  We're talking two-bounces-to-Aberdeen-Avenue, thanks-I'll-take-that-league-lead-in-dingers, EPIC BLASTS.  Two Pop'ems that left Tim and Matt looking like a couple o' glazed holes.

Then with the score tied, He triples!  Winning run at third, one out left to play with, His team literally stood at the brink of victory.  It was then that Tim Baker (who, we learned, always preferred Bernard Malamud's 1952 novel, "The Natural" to Barry Levinson's 1984 cinematic version) dug deep and ended the day with a dramatic K, preserving a tie.

Tim, Matt - 3
Peter, the MAN - 3

So, just as great art preserves the emotion of real moments, His team will forever be on the brink that He, GLEN CEBULASH, brought them to.

Scoresheet note:

The Commish's masterful pitching should not be overlooked.  Six up, six down, including 4 strikeouts.  He leads the league in Ks as a pitcher with 38.