HL All-Stars prevail in heated contestControversy over balls and strikes results in 9th inning ejection
Controversy over balls and strikes results in 9th inning ejection
BRONX, NY, July 6 - The fireworks came late in the 2002 MBLS midsummer
classic. The Hodges League All-Stars plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning,
breaking a 1-1 tie and enabling them to defeat their Johnson League counterparts, 4-1,
for the third consecutive year in front of a packed house at Yankee Stadium. Two of
the runs scored as a result of a double by Tampa Bay second baseman Jose Vidro. But as it has been in every MBLS All-Star Game, the contest was plagued by
controversy and a bizarre turn of events. Players on both teams consistently argued
the strike zone judgement of plate umpire "Country" Joe West throughout the game.
Hodges League manager Will Clark came out of the dugout to engage West in a heated
discussion in the sixth inning, and remained critical of the umpire after the game. "That guy didn't know what in the hell he was doing," Clark said. Perhaps the most bizarre turn of events, though, occurred in the bottom of the ninth
inning. After Cleveland third baseman Eric Chavez was called out on strikes and
began a heated discussion with West, JL manager Joe Cesarano sprinted out of the
dugout and began his own animated exchange with the umpire. After Cesarano muttered
something and turned his back to return to the dugout, West ejected him from the game.
The JL manager couldn't help but laugh as he left the dugout and handed over the reins
of the team to bench coach Rob Baraszu for the final two outs of the game.
"I was just trying to protect my players," Cesarano said after the game. "We had a brief
disagreement, and I thought we parted amicably. The next thing I know, he's tossed me." Pedro Martinez started the game for the Johnson League and pitched three innings of
one-hit shutout baseball, despite walking three. The HL pulled out to a 1-0 lead when
Brooklyn third baseman Tyler Houston drove in Atlanta right fielder Sammy Sosa in the
top of the fourth against Miami's Kevin Brown. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Hodges League until Chavez launched a solo
homer into the right field porch against Atlanta's Jeff Zimmerman. But after a scoreless
inning from Kansas City pitcher Randy Wolf and Baltimore's John Burkett, Boston's
Jamie Moyer began the top of the ninth by yielding a walk and a single before Vidro's
double plated two runs. Tampa Bay catcher A.J. Pierzynski drove in the Hodges League
final run with an RBI single that plated Vidro. Norfolk closer Troy Percival yielded two hits in the bottom of the ninth, but held on to
pick up the save for the HL All-Stars. The boxscore for the game appears below.
Game No.: 5000.
7/6/2002:
HL Allstars at JL Allstars
Yankee Stadium
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
HL Allstars 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 4 7 0
JL Allstars 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 0
HL Allstars AB R H BI BB K AVG
S. Green CF 2 0 0 0 1 1 .322
T. Helton PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .359
B. Williams CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 .323
D. Jeter SS 3 0 1 0 0 0 .315
T. Hollandsworth PH1 0 0 0 0 0 .315
N. Garciaparra SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 .344
B. Bonds LF 4 0 0 0 1 2 .398
J. Giambi 1B 2 1 0 0 2 0 .314
S. Sosa RF 4 1 1 0 0 1 .341
I. Rodriguez C 2 0 0 0 0 0 .327
J. Randa C 0 1 0 0 1 0 .286
J. Vidro 2B 4 1 2 1 0 0 .329
T. Houston 3B 3 0 1 2 0 1 .333
C. Schilling P 2 0 0 0 0 1 .152
G. Roberts P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
S. Sparks P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143
J. Gonzalez PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 .319
J. Zimmerman P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
A. Pierzynski PH 1 0 1 1 0 0 .321
T. Percival P 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Total 31 4 7 4 5 6
BATTING:
Doubles:
J. Vidro (22, 9th inning off Moyer, 2 on, 0 out.) J. Gonzalez (16, 7th inning
off Burkett, 0 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In:
J. Vidro (37), T. Houston 2 (58), A. Pierzynski (55)
Stolen Bases:
S. Green (7)
Sacrifice Hits:
N. Garciaparra (1)
Sacrifice Flies:
T. Houston (3)
JL Allstars AB R H BI BB K AVG
J. Cruz jr. CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 .292
L. Gonzalez LF 2 0 1 0 0 0 .324
G. Sheffield RF 2 0 1 0 0 1 .340
B. Giles RF,CF 2 0 0 0 0 0 .302
K. Millar LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 .351
L. Berkman RF 2 0 1 0 0 0 .303
A. Ramirez 3B 2 0 0 0 0 1 .327
E. Chavez 3B 2 1 1 1 0 1 .312
R. Aurilia SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 .294
B. Boone 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 .333
T. Clark PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 .337
M. Piazza C 2 0 0 0 0 0 .280
R. Wolf P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .343
J. Burkett P 1 0 0 0 0 1 .216
J. Moyer P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143
M. Stanton P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
K. Sasaki P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
C. Biggio PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .320
F. Thomas 1B 3 0 1 0 0 1 .308
P. Martinez P 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
K. Brown P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .049
C. Lidle P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .171
J. Posada C 1 0 1 0 0 0 .306
Totals: 33 1 8 1 0 7
BATTING:
Homeruns:
E. Chavez (18, 7th inning off Zimmerman, 0 on, 1 out.)
Runs Batted In:
E. Chavez (50)
PITCHING:
HL Allstars IP H R ER BB K PI PS ERA RECORD
C. Schilling 3 0 0 0 0 4 32 22 3.48
G. Roberts H 2 1 0 0 0 1 15 10 1.75
S. Sparks H 1 2 0 0 0 0 18 12 2.45
J. Zimmerman W 2 3 1 1 0 1 28 15 4.81 2-4
T. Percival S 1 2 0 0 0 1 19 9 2.20 25 SV
JL Allstars IP H R ER BB K PI PS ERA RECORD
P. Martinez 3 1 0 0 3 2 54 29 1.85
K. Brown 2 1 1 1 1 2 37 19 2.95
C. Lidle 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 4 3.42
R. Wolf 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 6 5 3.81
J. Burkett 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 8 5 3.45
J. Moyer L 1 2 3 3 1 0 17 10 4.56 9-3
M. Stanton 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 4 1.91
K. Sasaki 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 5 1.86
Time: 3:28
Attendance: 57539 (57550)
Weather: Clear skies (83 degrees), wind blowing out to center at 15 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jose Vidro
Game notes:
JL Allstars' manager was ejected in the 9th inning! Juan Gonzalez extends
his hitting streak to a career high 12 games!
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