(AP) COORS FIELD--It was a day that few Defiant League members will ever
forget, the day that the Enterprise League armor was weakened. Though
the DL eventually fell to the EL by a score of 4-3, the Defiant League was
several times robbed and can stake their own claim to the game.
The first major thievery was the lack of a legitimate starting pitcher for
the Defiant. The DL was forced to start Washington's Ben McDonald despite
the fact that he was going on only one day's rest.
McDonald, who tired almost immediately, gave up two runs in the top of the
first inning. It is possible to presume that if McDonald did not start
the game, the Defiant League may have been the victors.
"I blame myself, mostly," Weiner said. "Ben said he'd be all right to
pitch an inning in the All-Star Game, but I should have never let him
pitch two days before."
During the game, the Defiant League hit several balls to the warning track
and were also robbed by Ray Lankford in the ninth of a key hit that would
have caused the game to be tied.
"We held as tough as anything, no matter how much adversity," Weiner said.
"We definitely put a chink in the other league's arrogant armor."
It was very clear throughout that the Defiant League was there to play.
McDonald's tiredness aside, he gave up five straight hits to the
Enterprise League, leaving after an RBI sac fly by Chippper Jones and a
RBI single by Manny Ramirez.
Fellow Sea Dog Alex Fernandez, however, came in to relieve McDonald.
After intentionally walking Alex Rodriguez, Fernandez got Ray Lankford and
Ken Griffey to strike out in sucession.
"I wish I could have had Alex starting the game," Weiner said. "There's
no question in my mind he would have."
With Fernandez shutting down the Enterprise League for two and two-thirds
innings, the Defiant League was free to put some runs on the scoreboard.
And in the third, they did, on an RBI single by Barry Larkin that scored
Tony Batista and made the score 2-1.
Larkin, who had two hits and two RBI, was the Defiant League's MVP.
"I wanted to make sure that Titsa scored and that we were gonna get some
runs on the board," Larkin said. "I got tired of looking at that goose
egg."
The Enterprise League would return the favor on an RBI double by Barry
Bonds in the top of the fourth off of Richmond's Hideo Nomo.
Bonds, who had four hits on the day and was named co-MVP with Tucson's
Eddie Grove, said that he was just looking for fastballs.
"All day, I figured they'd be throwing heat, and that's what I looked
for," Bonds said. "It's not that hard a game."
The Defiant League would tie it up in the bottom of the fifth, however, on
RBI singles by Larkin and Washington's Larry Walker. The Sea Dogs, with
seven representatives, also had all the RBI in the game for the Defiant.
The score was then tied, 3-3. But the Enterprise League would again have
an answer, putting up one run in the top of the sixth on a gutty
decision by auxiliary manager Peter Carbonetto.
With two outs in the sixth, Carbonetto replaced Galena's Chipper Jones
with Grove, who knocked a base hit up the middle, scoring Barry Bonds from
second base.
"I was hoping to get into the game," Grove, Tucson's lone representative,
said, "but I never expected to be in there in such a crucial situation.
It was a great feeling."
The Defiant League would challenge several times over the last few
innings, but were unable to tie it.
They came very close in the ninth, however. Binghamton's Jeff Bagwell hit
a screaming liner to the gap with one out, but Ray Lankford tracked the
ball down, making a diving catch.
"Oh, boy, were we miserable when that happened," Weiner said. "After
being robbed so many times of home runs (four balls at the warning track),
geting robbed of that double was the worst."
It proved to be even worse for the Defiant League, as Punxatawney's Jose
Valentin lined a double to right on the next at-bat off Galena's
Heathcliff Slocumb which would have scored Bagwell.
Washington's Chuck Knoblauch had the last try, but couldn't drive him in,
instead lining out to Bonds in left field. The Enterprise League had thus
secured their third All-Star victory.
"This was definitely the closest game yet," Knoblauch, who played in his
third All-Star Game, said. "We should have won it, we were so close this
time."
But Manager Aaron Weiner reminded everyone that this would not be the last
meeting between the leagues.
"We'll beat 'em in the World Series," Weiner said. "The Enterprise League
is going DOWN."
