Bubba Links
Baseball Links
August 23, 2006: Columbus Clippers 5, Louisville Bats 4
Columbus Clippers fans bring cowbells to the stadium. (This may be why "Neon" Deion Sanders once called Columbus a "cowtown.") I have no idea why cowbells, of all things, but cowbells it is. They ring them whenever the Clippers get a home run. Bubba gave them reason to ring their bells last night.
I had a good feeling about last night's game, not least because there was a righty on the mound. Bubba flied out in his first at bat, but it was a deep flyout, hit with some pop.
When Bubba came up for his second at bat in the bottom of the third, the Louisville radio announcer started talking about a former Bats intern named Val. She's apparently a big fan of Bubba's. "A Bubba Crosby groupie," he put it. When he saw Bubba's name in the lineup, he called her up to tell her (she's with the D-Rays now). She got very excited, and asked him to get an autographed ball for her. He refused, saying journalists weren't supposed to do that. She was not pleased. (Ah, well. The Yanks have a four-game series in Tampa left on the schedule. If Bubba's called up in September, she might get a chance to ask for her own autograph.)
With two outs and Kevin Thompson on 1B via a walk, Bubba took ball one, then fouled off the second pitch. The third pitch he smacked over the right field wall - a "screaming liner" the fielders had no chance at. Two-run homer for Bubba Crosby!
Here's an audio file of the Bats announcers calling Bubba's homer.
He had some nice moments on defense, as well. In the 6th, with two on and no outs, he jumped on a line drive single, preventing the runners from scoring and preserving the Clippers lead. The announcers were very impressed with his speed. His throw in was offline, but the Bats respected his wheels and his arm enough not to send the runners.
The Bats did pull ahead in the top of the 7th (TJ Beam did not have a great night). The Clippers tied it the bottom of the 7th; it stayed that way through the ninth. Free baseball!
The Bats did not score in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the 10th, Kevin Thompson flied out. Bubba came up next, and hit a line drive to right. A single by T-Long moved him to 2B. Mitch Jones popped out; Bubba was almost doubled off. Bronson Sardinha then hit line drive to right. Bubba scored from second, just beating the throw. Clippers win!
The Columbus Dispatch described it this way:
Bubba Crosby scored from second base on Bronson Sardinha’s single. Crosby slid across home plate just ahead of Dane Sardinha’s tag after a valiant but futile throw by right fielder Chris Denorfia.
What a great ending. Bubba scores the winning run with his great speed, with Bronson Sardinha driving him in. (I was happy to see Sardinha get the game-winning RBI. His family was there from Hawai`i to watch the game, since his brother, Dane, catches for the Bats. It was brother vs. brother, and neither Sardinha had done anything that night. Until Bronson got the winning hit.)
Bubba's line for the night: 2 for 5, 2 runs scored, 1 home run, 2 RBI. Not a bad day at the office!
Clippers play the Bats again tonight, at 7:05pm. Bubba is back in CF, and once again batting in the two-hole. Follow the game online here, and get live Gameday audio here.
