Kyle Chapman Marlins

More than an hour has passed since the last pitch was thrown in tonight's game, and I sit here still shaking my head at what an incredible game we were treated to. The K.C. Astros, paced by the thunderous right arm of 14 year old starter Karl Pringle, and the crafty left arm of 13 year old reliever Garrett Hester, edged out the Marlins 4-3 in a 7 inning thriller, to win the 2002 Kyle Chapman fall tournament tonight at Bayland Park. Almost half of the games' runs were scored in the first inning. With one out, Mark Robicheau hit a single to 3rd base, Karl Pringle added an RBI single to right field, Joe Silver made it to first base on a Marlin error, and Aaron Dushkin drove in an unearned run on a grounder to second to give the Astros a 2-0 lead in their half of the first against starter, Daniel Rothenberg. The Marlins countered in their half of the first. They cut the Astros lead in half courtesy of a Trey Hibbert single to center, a walk to Daniel Rothenberg, and a Grant Haynes fielders' choice grounder to third to score Trey with the Marlins' first run. Pringle and Rothenberg matched scoreless second and third innings. In the fourth, the Astros scratched out their third run of the game (and second unearned run) on a Marlin error that allowed Karl Pringle to get to second base, where Joe Silver knocked him home with a grounder to second. In the fifth inning, the Astros and Marlins both substituted for their starting pitchers. The Astros brought in 13 year old Garrett Hester and the Marlins brought in tough 13 year old Grant Haynes. Haynes held the Astros scoreless in the top of the 5th, but the Marlins were able to scratch out a run in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 3-2. They did it on a walk to Josh Hidalgo, a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Brian Barker, a single by Jared Rothenberg that moved Hidalgo to third, and then the fun started. With one out, Chris O'Shea bounced the ball to the shortstop, who pinned Josh Hidalgo between third and home. The Astros threw the ball back and forth between home and third five times before Hidalgo took advantage of the otherwise rock solid Astros defense to squeak home with the Marlins' second run. Hester and Haynes traded scoreless 6th innings, which brought us to the 7th inning and the score was Astros-3, Marlins-2. The Marlins defense (or the lack thereof), contributed to yet another unearned run on behalf of the Astros. Karl Pringle led off with a single to left-center field. After Joe Silver lined out to left, Aaron Dushkin hit a ball to right field that dropped for a single, but Pringle was allowed to score on a throw from right that was way off line. The Marlins' infield committed two more errors in the 7th inning, but they did not add to the score as a result of Ben Wendt's excellent 4-3 double play on a pop fly to second base. Thus, the score was 4-2 Astros going to the bottom of the 7th. Grant Haynes led off the inning with a single. Josh Hidalgo followed with a timely hit to center to bring Haynes around from first to third. When Hidalgo stole second, the throw from Joe Silver sailed into the outfield and Haynes trotted home with the Marlins' third run. Alas, Josh Hidalgo represented the tying run on second base, but two consecutive strikeouts by Hester sealed the Astros' well-earned victory. They say that baseball is a game of inches. On a 1-1 count, and two outs, Jared Rothenberg hit a drive down the right field line that was just barely foul. Less than an inch either way on his bat and the score no doubt would have been tied. But baseball is what it is, and in the end, there has to be one winner and one loser. Tonight it was the Astros' turn to celebrate. But the Marlins have nothing to be ashamed of. Marlin pitching held the powerful Astros bats to just six singles, two walks and one earned run in seven innings. In the end, the Astros, whose pitchers limited the Marlins to five basehits, were a little bit more surehanded in the field, and that was the difference in the ball game. But win or lose, this has been a Marlins fall to remember. Final record- 14-4-1. Regular season - First Place. Tournament - Second Place. Each of you has something to be very proud of, and each of you contributed to a wonderful season of Marlins' baseball. Special thanks to manager Glenn Haynes, coaches, John O'Shea, and Ken Brosch, and to all the parents who helped make this a fall of Marlins' baseball that our kids will remember for a long time to come. This is Big Daddy Tuna saying, "Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Happy Groundhog Day, Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy St. Patricks' Day. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you again in the spring. Goodbye for now." B.D.T.