Baseball in September

JUPITER, FL -- There's always going to be baseball in September, because the Major League season last until the last week of September, but in the minor leagues, that usually means your team made the playoffs.

In the ass-roasting hot Florida State League, where 90 degree temperatures translate into hurricane season 100 degree heat indexes and afternoon thunderstorms threatening every day, you'd think people would not care about baseball come September. Oh, but they do... just not at Dolphin Stadium, and especially if the Marlins are way out of contention.

Attendance figures are lower in the FSL than any other league, mostly because living in vacation paradise, there are plenty of other things to do besides watch minor league baseball. The Daytona Cubs, open season to Georgia rednecks on vacation in Daytona Beach, sets the benchmark as fans tend to watch more baseball at the worst park in the FSL, Jackie Robinson Ballpark, than anywhere else... like say 10,000 seat Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

However, baseball is baseball and it's a lot more fun when you win. Case in point, the Palm Beach Cardinals. A team which has found more ways to win in the first half, with more players moving up to Springfield-AA like high rollers in Vegas penthouses, than I've ever seen. They just win. Guys who aren't supposed to come through do. They don't have the power crunchers like last season with Allen Craig and Mark Hamilton, therefore teams can't concentrate on just one player.

Last night, after three straight losses to Tampa, the Cardinals were on the verge of clinching September baseball if they could beat the last place in the West, Clearwater Threshers.

The out of town scoreboard read: Brevard County 4, Lakeland 1. Thanks a lot Tigers! Still reeling from that 2005 Championship the Cardinals won on your field? It was going to have to be won at the Dean.

No problem, the Cardinals had Jason Isringhausen on the mound as a rehab start and Chris Carpenter and Josh Kinney sipping draft cold ones of the "Home Team" behind home plate.



Isringhausen only needed 21 pitches to cut through two innings of the Threshers meager lineup. Brandon Dickson came on in relief and tossed six scoreless innings as the Cardinals led 2-0 heading into the ninth. FSL all-star and local hero Tony Cruz did the damage with two RBI on the night. Palm Beach looked poised to throw a few more runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth, but wonderboy Daryl Jones and Luke Gorsett went down with RISP.

Coming in to close out the game was Francisco Samuel. Isringhausen didn't stick around to watch this kid, and it's probably a good thing he didn't. Even though Chris Perez is the up-and-coming closer, the 21-year old Samuel has the kind of stuff that can make guys like GM John Mozeliak change their mind in a hurry.

Samuel is out of the Dominican Republic and warms up at 92 to 93 MPH. Known to light up your local scout's Stalker at 98 MPH, he usually relies on a fastball that cruises, cuts and jets all over the place at 94 to 96. Which is one reason batboys are warned not to turn their back while chasing wild pitches at the screen when Samuel is warming up.

The Cardinals' young gun had 10 saves in 12 opportunities. He also struck out 36 batters in 22.1 innings entering the game.

Walking slowly out of the bullpen to Linkin Park's "Bleed it Out", Samuel usually takes about two-and-a-half minutes to loosen up, despite unloading the velocity he does.

This is a guy who made his Palm Beach debut with a three-run lead, walked two batters, gave up an infield single, balked in a run, then struck out the side in order. He's been known to occasionally gun a 94 MPH missile in the rib cage of an opposing batter on an 0-2 count. Recently, he's gotten much better.

Despite his wildness, he surrendered a lead-off double, struck out the next batter, got a pop out, then gave up an RBI single.

There are two outs, one out from the first half title, and Francisco is making it interesting. However, he gets the next batter to pop up. Bryan Cartie races in from third, calls off the catcher Cruz and... drops it.

WHAT THE HELL, BRYAN!

Fortunately, Samuel doesn't really give a damn, so he fires the next one right down Broadway and the hitter comes up late, popping the ball to right field. Gorsett was under it, but Antone DeJesus, outfielder by trade-rocket by lifestyle, is there to observe in case he misses. He doesn't.

That's a winner! And so are the Palm Beach Cardinals!

There will be baseball in Septmeber. Now we can relax for three months! Thank god!