June 15, 2002
Well that was too bad last night. It is a great experience to get to complain how your team lost a CWS game. It beats the heck out of being left out.
We walked people all night and I thought that the pattern of pitcher utilization was strange -- it was nothing like we had done all year. I am a huge Van Horn guy, but it was hard to understand what we were doing last night. We walk a .179 hitter and pitch to a .480 hitter with the game on the line. We didn't take advantage of our opportunities, but that has been a problem off and on all year. The umpire didn't do either team any favors -- close to 20 walks with a small strike zone. Still we hit the ball well and played good defense. This team has heart and will bounce back as it has all year. I think we win on Sunday.
We miss Hopper, although Eymann plays a nice first base. Van Horn manages differently in the series. The team needs to relax and play their game. They proved again last night that they can play with anybody in the country. This team is fun to watch, and once they get here everything else is gravy. And don't kid yourself -- this is not a homefield advantage. It is nothing like Haymarket. I was afraid we would have a few broken necks as the fans fell asleep. Many times the place was quiet in big situations.
In any case, we win on Sunday and go from there.
-- The Colonel