Baseball gives all a time to shine

Anyone can be the hero.
When baseball fanatics opine about what makes their favorite game special, that should be one of the top items on the list. Everyone has the chance to make a mark on a game.
It’s not like football, in which play calling and position tend to dictate who has the greatest impact on a game. And it’s not like basketball, in which certain players are always going to have the ball in their hands in key moments.
In baseball, every player gets his chance to make an impact.
It doesn’t matter if he is the leadoff hitter or the No. 9 hitter, or anywhere in between, he is going to get his chance to come to the plate. And it doesn’t matter if he’s the star shortstop or the right fielder; there will come a time to make a play.
All we need to do to prove the point is look at the list of World Series MVPs.
Sure, there are names like Manny Ramirez, Mariano Rivera, Pete Rose and Sandy Koufax, greats of the game.
But there are also names like David Eckstein, Scott Brosius, Pat Borders and Bucky Dent, not exactly a Murderers’ Row at the plate but a group of players who made the most of their opportunity on the big stage.
The last man on that list hit a measly 40 home runs in an 11-year Major League Baseball career. But one of them was a three-run shot in a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox in 1978, and he went on to win the World Series MVP by hitting .417 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. (He was a .247 career hitter.)
Opportunities don’t just come in big games; they come in every game. There’s always a chance to make an impact.
The Patriots were reminded of that Saturday.
Jay County High School found itself trailing the Centerville Bulldogs 3-0 midway through the third inning of the opening game of a doubleheader. It had the looks of being a long day at Don E. Selvey Field.
How quickly things changed.
An inning later, the Patriots had pulled to within 3-2. Walks to Andy Kohler, Wyatt Geesaman and Ryan Schlechty loaded the bases.
With the No. 9 hitter at the plate, the logical path would have seemed to be for Mitchel Frasher to look for another free pass, tie the game and let the top of the order try to break it open. The sophomore had something bigger in store.
After taking a couple of pitches from Centerville’s Matt Stamper, Frasher turned on the third and sent it soaring to left field. He knew he had hit the ball well, but instead of watching it fly he put his head down and hustled down the first-base line. It wasn’t until first-base coach Josh Selvey gave him a high five that he knew the ball had cleared the fence for a grand slam.
Frasher’s blast turned the tide of the game, and an inning later JCHS walked off the field early with a 10-run victory.
The second game brought another unlikely hero.
The Patriots were locked in a 4-4 tie through three innings, but were scrambling with a depleted pitching staff. Coach Lea Selvey turned to Gaven Hare.
The sophomore, making his first varsity appearance on the mound, promptly sat down the side in order while striking out two in the process. Selvey decided to press his luck, sending Hare back out for the fifth inning, and then the sixth, and then the seventh.
Hare delivered, going four strong while giving up just one unearned run on one hit while striking out seven. Jay County’s bats eventually came through, giving Hare the support he needed with a three-run sixth inning for a 7-5 win.
There were plenty of other players who contributed to the win. Such is always the case with baseball. No one player can carry a team to victory.
But the game also provides chances for everyone. That’s one of the many things that make it special. Each pitch carries with it an opportunity.
For the Patriots on Saturday, Frasher and Hare took advantage.
Who’s next?