Now do you know who Chris Taylor is?!?!: Wahoos headed to Omaha; Mavericks end by season winning three in a row over Heat to take NBA Finals crown
VIRGINIA BASEBALL GETS BACK TO COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
The title, "Now do you know who Chris Taylor is?!?!" was inspired by my friend at work, Matt Lutey, who, a week or so ago, was saying how he hadn't heard of Chris Taylor when Jay Jenkins, the UVa baseball beat writer for the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, wrote a feature on the sophomore shortstop. If you are a Wahoo fan of any caliber, you know by now that Virginia defeated UC Irvine in Game 3 of a best-of-3 series Monday in thrilling fashion to advance to the College World Series in Omaha. And who came up with the game-winning two-RBI hit? Chris Taylor. So after the game, I texted Matt, "So.....DO YOU KNOW WHO CHRIS TAYLOR IS NOW?!?!?"
I really wanted to be at this game, but I had missed my little cousin's birthday party Sunday, so I was at her house playing with her during the Virginia game Monday. We got into the house though for dinnertime and it was the fifth or sixth inning and Virginia was down 1-0. I wanted to watch the game, so I sat in the kitchen area with my cousin where I had a good view of the TV. The rest of my family there, including my aunt, uncle, dad, stepmom, and grandma and granddaddy, sat in the dining room. I could see them but they could not see the TV. Everyone was somewhat interested in the game, but no one moreso than my dad and I. When Kenny Swab tied the game in the sixth with a solo home run, I told him. Irvine retook the lead though in the ninth 2-1 and I was getting quite nervous.
By the eighth inning, dinner was over and my dad had moved into the room and we were both watching intently. Normally, both of us to a degree, but especially me, would not have kept so quiet. My aunt's house was not exactly the environment where we could explode with sorrow or joy. Had we been at my dad's house, we would have been talking about the poor offensive effort Virginia had put forth so far, but still loudly cheering every hit the Wahoos recorded. My dad mentioned to me sometime in he ninth, and then again after the game, how we were both sitting their quietly but he said his heart was beating fast. I was sitting there with my stomach in knots.
Things were certainly looking bad for the Hoos, though not as bad as last season when Virginia got walloped 11-0 by Oklahoma at Davenport in the Game 3 of the super regionals. We had a lot better chance to tie or get the win in the ninth inning this year than last year. Still, the outlook was bleak. Virginia's bats had been cold all game. The Cavs had managed just seven hits in eight innings. Then, things got bleaker: Danny Hultzen and Swab both came up empty and recorded outs as the bottom of the ninth started. So, now Virginia was down to one out and I was starting to really think about the fact that it looked like Virginia was going to lose two years in a row on its home field in a decisive Game 3 in a super regional -- ouch.
But, all year, Virginia has been a clutch two-out team and the Cavs came through again, this time with two outs AND two strikes, and David Coleman up to bat. Irvine took us literally to the brink of elimination; One more strike and it was headed to the CWS. But, Coleman came through by singling up the middle to give life to the Hoos' dying Omaha hopes. Mitchell Shifflett came in to pinch run. Next, Jared King ricocheted a hard liner off of Irvine's pitcher. The ball bounded back toward the third baseman, but he had no play. Corey Hunt came in to pinch run for King. First and second, two out. Things are getting interesting. We're now entering the territory where if UVa loses, it is quite painful, because it would have looked like we had a chance.
At one point, when Irvine was trying to pick a UVa runner off first -- it must've been Shifflett, though I'd have to go back and watch to be sure, which I will -- I mentioned to my dad how awful it would be if a mental lapse caused Shifflett to be picked off first for the final out -- what a horrible way to end the game that would've been. But then, the next thing that happened really got the juices flowing.
Pinch hitting for Keith Werman, Reed Gragani drew a walk on four straight balls to load the bases. I'm all in. I'm not half-heartedly believing this could happen anymore. Heartbreak City is on its way should Virginia lose now. So, here we go, bases loaded, and we are back at the top of the lineup. Chris Taylor, sophomore shortstop from Virginia Beach steps up to the plate. The only sophomore in the everyday lineup. But, like a savvy veteran, Taylor came through. He rifled a single up the middle with a 0-1 count and the rest is history. First Shifflett crossed the plate, and then Hunt. No sooner had Hunt crossed the plate than the Hoos swarmed him and each other in a massive celebration dogpile. It is most likely the biggest hit and most exciting game in Virginia baseball history and some fans seem to be whispering that is one of the biggest UVa sports moment of the past several years.
The camera work on this play was not the best. My dad and I are baseball savvy, and we knew that a base hit to the outfield most likely would mean two runs would score. However, instead of a traditional angle where you could see both the throw from the outfielder and the runner crossing the plate, the only angle we were provided was a close up shot of home plate. So I was screaming something like (forget being nice and quiet at this point), "Is he coming in?! Did we win?! Where's the guy from second?! Did he fall midway betwene home and third!?!?" Finally, Hunt crossed the plate safely and the celebration ensued -- on the field and in my aunt's house as well. My dad and I exploded and I jumped into his arms, much like what might've happened on the field with the actual players.
Going back and watching this will be enjoyable, and watching games after you know what has happened is relaxing when you know the outcome is good. But there is nothing like the adrenaline rush you get when you are on edge watching a game live and something that spectacular happens in your team's favor. That thrill of victory is exactly why it is worth watching sports and being a passionate fan -- even if it also means getting more than your dose of agonizing defeats.
Looking back at all that happened with two out, how must Chris Taylor feel? What a moment to come through in the clutch. When you're a kid, and you're by yourself or with buddies imagining scenarios and then you play them out, he was exactly in that kind of childhood moment -- two outs, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, with something big on the line -- in this case, it was a trip to Omaha. Taylor told the Progress that he felt bad for helping Irvine take a 2-1 lead in the top of ninth -- catcher John Hicks tried to get the lead runner out at second base on a sac bunt and the throw wasn't great and skipped off Taylor's glove. Still, Taylor said he thought he should've had it. He more than redeemed himself.
And what about Hunt? A local product from Monticello High School, Hunt has been seldom used and yet, he ended up being the final and winning run to get Virginia back to Omaha.
In a story in today's Progress, I really like how Jenkins described how Hunt must have felt getting his number called in such a critical situation:
"Corey Hunt sprinted from the bullpen, looking everywhere for a batting helmet that was eventually delivered by a teammate. The former standout at Monticello High was sent by his head coach to second base to run for Jared King. Hunt, a fifth-year senior and the oldest player on Virginia’s roster, felt his heart beating through his chest.
'Watching, the first two outs were pretty quick and the hopes were pretty low, but I had told those guys [Monday] that I was ready for everything and never give up,' Hunt said Tuesday. 'I know Dave [Coleman] didn’t give up on his at-bat and neither did Jared King. I eventually got the opportunity to run, but without those two I wouldn’t have had that shot.'"
Now, after the dust and excitement has settled, Virginia gets to face Cal (right after facing Cal-Irvine no less) in its first CWS game Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN. I'll preview the matchup more later in the week. I would like to point out, however, that UVa is an extremely dangerous team, and this was exemplified in the way the Hoos pulled out Monday's win. They looked absolutely dead. There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Irvine got those first two quite easily. But who got the ball rolling for Virginia? David Coleman, the Hoos' No. 7 hitter. Coleman has the best batting average on the team but yet, he hits in the No. 7 slot. So, it was basically the back of the batting order that got the rally going. I said before the Irvine series that Virginia has big bats up and down its lineup, and it's true. The Hoos can pounce at any time. You can never count this team out.
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MAVERICKS CAPTURE FIRST NBA TITLE
On Sunday, Dallas defeated Miami 105-95 in Miami in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the championship. The Mavs' Jason Terry came up big off the bench, scoring 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting from the field. Dirk Nowitzki was named MVP of the Finals but had a subpar night by his standards -- 21 points on 9 of 27 shooting -- but had 10 points in the fourth quarter. LeBron James led the Heat in scoring with 21 points, but no one else came up big for Miami and LeBron only managed two points over the last 19+ minutes of the game. Terry had 19 points at halftime and Dallas led 53-51 at that time. Terry's points were crucial because Dirk was 1 for 12 at the break.
I'm not really a Mavericks fan. I like the Cowboys so I have a soft spot for the Mavs, but I've never had a favorite NBA team. I would have pulled for any team to beat the Heat in the Finals. But it was certainly cool that it was the Mavs that pulled it off. Lots of likable guys on the roster who had never won NBA titles. And Dirk has entered the conversation as one of the top 20, top 30 NBA players ever. Also, he's a humble guy, it is hard to tell he is a star.
Like millions of people, I was really put off over the summer by how the Heat came together. That is why they are so reviled. LeBron had all the right in the world to go to another team. He was a free agent, and it happens all the time, even for big stars. Sure, he said he would bring a title to Cleveland, and he didn't, but if he had left quitely, no one would have been all that upset. Cleveland would have felt betrayed still, but LeBron would not have been as hated as he is all over the country. The way he did it was mind-blowing though. No one has ever announced which team they would be signing with on a one-hour ESPN special. To break Cleveland fans' hearts on a national stage was really bad taste. Whether it was his choice or not to have the special, he did it and then he had man up to the hate that followed.
But it didn't end there. Then, Miami had an introduction party for LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Big 3 came out on to the stage like they had already won the championship. If people didn't hate LeBron before, now they did. How arrogant and pompous do you have to be hold this type of celebration before the season even begins? I know they didn't actually think they had already won the title, but that's kind of how it came off. And at least have a party where the whole team comes out and meets the fans. To have only the Big 3 come out seems to say that only these three players are important to the team. How do you think that made their teammates like Udonis Haslem, Mike Bibby, and Mario Chalmers feel? It could have messed with chemistry and the team's psyche from day one.
All said, it was just a bizarre NBA season and probably the one that I watched the closest. LeBron's decisions were questionable, especially for a guy who was so likable in Cleveland. He seemed to try to embrace the villian role too much, and it didn't work. It isn't who he is, and it threw him off, especially in the biggest moments in the Finals, when the pressure was really on.
But like I said, it was really cool to see the Mavericks win the NBA title. I'm happy that Dirk and the rest of the veterans got a championship. A special shout out to Dallas' coach, Rick Carlisle, who is a former Wahoo basketball great -- and apparently, a dang good basketball coach. Mark Cuban, the Mavs' owner, really faded into the background during the playoffs this year and just let the players play and the coaches coach. Cuban got out of the way and shut his mouth. He let the Mavericks do the talking with their excellent play on the court and also didn't hog the spotlight during the trophy presentation, either. Cuban had the Mavs' first owner hoist the trophy in what was a classy move. And he also basically told Stuart Scott, who he was being interviewed by, to stop talking to him and talk to Carlisle.
Somewhere, I hope Jerry Jones was taking notes. Hopefully he can learn a thing or two about building a team and then getting out of the way. Here's to the Cowboys winning the city of Dallas another championship next February (assuming there's an NFL season -- keep your fingers crossed).
The title, "Now do you know who Chris Taylor is?!?!" was inspired by my friend at work, Matt Lutey, who, a week or so ago, was saying how he hadn't heard of Chris Taylor when Jay Jenkins, the UVa baseball beat writer for the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, wrote a feature on the sophomore shortstop. If you are a Wahoo fan of any caliber, you know by now that Virginia defeated UC Irvine in Game 3 of a best-of-3 series Monday in thrilling fashion to advance to the College World Series in Omaha. And who came up with the game-winning two-RBI hit? Chris Taylor. So after the game, I texted Matt, "So.....DO YOU KNOW WHO CHRIS TAYLOR IS NOW?!?!?"
I really wanted to be at this game, but I had missed my little cousin's birthday party Sunday, so I was at her house playing with her during the Virginia game Monday. We got into the house though for dinnertime and it was the fifth or sixth inning and Virginia was down 1-0. I wanted to watch the game, so I sat in the kitchen area with my cousin where I had a good view of the TV. The rest of my family there, including my aunt, uncle, dad, stepmom, and grandma and granddaddy, sat in the dining room. I could see them but they could not see the TV. Everyone was somewhat interested in the game, but no one moreso than my dad and I. When Kenny Swab tied the game in the sixth with a solo home run, I told him. Irvine retook the lead though in the ninth 2-1 and I was getting quite nervous.
By the eighth inning, dinner was over and my dad had moved into the room and we were both watching intently. Normally, both of us to a degree, but especially me, would not have kept so quiet. My aunt's house was not exactly the environment where we could explode with sorrow or joy. Had we been at my dad's house, we would have been talking about the poor offensive effort Virginia had put forth so far, but still loudly cheering every hit the Wahoos recorded. My dad mentioned to me sometime in he ninth, and then again after the game, how we were both sitting their quietly but he said his heart was beating fast. I was sitting there with my stomach in knots.
Things were certainly looking bad for the Hoos, though not as bad as last season when Virginia got walloped 11-0 by Oklahoma at Davenport in the Game 3 of the super regionals. We had a lot better chance to tie or get the win in the ninth inning this year than last year. Still, the outlook was bleak. Virginia's bats had been cold all game. The Cavs had managed just seven hits in eight innings. Then, things got bleaker: Danny Hultzen and Swab both came up empty and recorded outs as the bottom of the ninth started. So, now Virginia was down to one out and I was starting to really think about the fact that it looked like Virginia was going to lose two years in a row on its home field in a decisive Game 3 in a super regional -- ouch.
But, all year, Virginia has been a clutch two-out team and the Cavs came through again, this time with two outs AND two strikes, and David Coleman up to bat. Irvine took us literally to the brink of elimination; One more strike and it was headed to the CWS. But, Coleman came through by singling up the middle to give life to the Hoos' dying Omaha hopes. Mitchell Shifflett came in to pinch run. Next, Jared King ricocheted a hard liner off of Irvine's pitcher. The ball bounded back toward the third baseman, but he had no play. Corey Hunt came in to pinch run for King. First and second, two out. Things are getting interesting. We're now entering the territory where if UVa loses, it is quite painful, because it would have looked like we had a chance.
At one point, when Irvine was trying to pick a UVa runner off first -- it must've been Shifflett, though I'd have to go back and watch to be sure, which I will -- I mentioned to my dad how awful it would be if a mental lapse caused Shifflett to be picked off first for the final out -- what a horrible way to end the game that would've been. But then, the next thing that happened really got the juices flowing.
Pinch hitting for Keith Werman, Reed Gragani drew a walk on four straight balls to load the bases. I'm all in. I'm not half-heartedly believing this could happen anymore. Heartbreak City is on its way should Virginia lose now. So, here we go, bases loaded, and we are back at the top of the lineup. Chris Taylor, sophomore shortstop from Virginia Beach steps up to the plate. The only sophomore in the everyday lineup. But, like a savvy veteran, Taylor came through. He rifled a single up the middle with a 0-1 count and the rest is history. First Shifflett crossed the plate, and then Hunt. No sooner had Hunt crossed the plate than the Hoos swarmed him and each other in a massive celebration dogpile. It is most likely the biggest hit and most exciting game in Virginia baseball history and some fans seem to be whispering that is one of the biggest UVa sports moment of the past several years.
The camera work on this play was not the best. My dad and I are baseball savvy, and we knew that a base hit to the outfield most likely would mean two runs would score. However, instead of a traditional angle where you could see both the throw from the outfielder and the runner crossing the plate, the only angle we were provided was a close up shot of home plate. So I was screaming something like (forget being nice and quiet at this point), "Is he coming in?! Did we win?! Where's the guy from second?! Did he fall midway betwene home and third!?!?" Finally, Hunt crossed the plate safely and the celebration ensued -- on the field and in my aunt's house as well. My dad and I exploded and I jumped into his arms, much like what might've happened on the field with the actual players.
Going back and watching this will be enjoyable, and watching games after you know what has happened is relaxing when you know the outcome is good. But there is nothing like the adrenaline rush you get when you are on edge watching a game live and something that spectacular happens in your team's favor. That thrill of victory is exactly why it is worth watching sports and being a passionate fan -- even if it also means getting more than your dose of agonizing defeats.
Looking back at all that happened with two out, how must Chris Taylor feel? What a moment to come through in the clutch. When you're a kid, and you're by yourself or with buddies imagining scenarios and then you play them out, he was exactly in that kind of childhood moment -- two outs, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, with something big on the line -- in this case, it was a trip to Omaha. Taylor told the Progress that he felt bad for helping Irvine take a 2-1 lead in the top of ninth -- catcher John Hicks tried to get the lead runner out at second base on a sac bunt and the throw wasn't great and skipped off Taylor's glove. Still, Taylor said he thought he should've had it. He more than redeemed himself.
And what about Hunt? A local product from Monticello High School, Hunt has been seldom used and yet, he ended up being the final and winning run to get Virginia back to Omaha.
In a story in today's Progress, I really like how Jenkins described how Hunt must have felt getting his number called in such a critical situation:
"Corey Hunt sprinted from the bullpen, looking everywhere for a batting helmet that was eventually delivered by a teammate. The former standout at Monticello High was sent by his head coach to second base to run for Jared King. Hunt, a fifth-year senior and the oldest player on Virginia’s roster, felt his heart beating through his chest.
'Watching, the first two outs were pretty quick and the hopes were pretty low, but I had told those guys [Monday] that I was ready for everything and never give up,' Hunt said Tuesday. 'I know Dave [Coleman] didn’t give up on his at-bat and neither did Jared King. I eventually got the opportunity to run, but without those two I wouldn’t have had that shot.'"
Now, after the dust and excitement has settled, Virginia gets to face Cal (right after facing Cal-Irvine no less) in its first CWS game Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN. I'll preview the matchup more later in the week. I would like to point out, however, that UVa is an extremely dangerous team, and this was exemplified in the way the Hoos pulled out Monday's win. They looked absolutely dead. There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Irvine got those first two quite easily. But who got the ball rolling for Virginia? David Coleman, the Hoos' No. 7 hitter. Coleman has the best batting average on the team but yet, he hits in the No. 7 slot. So, it was basically the back of the batting order that got the rally going. I said before the Irvine series that Virginia has big bats up and down its lineup, and it's true. The Hoos can pounce at any time. You can never count this team out.
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MAVERICKS CAPTURE FIRST NBA TITLE
On Sunday, Dallas defeated Miami 105-95 in Miami in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the championship. The Mavs' Jason Terry came up big off the bench, scoring 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting from the field. Dirk Nowitzki was named MVP of the Finals but had a subpar night by his standards -- 21 points on 9 of 27 shooting -- but had 10 points in the fourth quarter. LeBron James led the Heat in scoring with 21 points, but no one else came up big for Miami and LeBron only managed two points over the last 19+ minutes of the game. Terry had 19 points at halftime and Dallas led 53-51 at that time. Terry's points were crucial because Dirk was 1 for 12 at the break.
I'm not really a Mavericks fan. I like the Cowboys so I have a soft spot for the Mavs, but I've never had a favorite NBA team. I would have pulled for any team to beat the Heat in the Finals. But it was certainly cool that it was the Mavs that pulled it off. Lots of likable guys on the roster who had never won NBA titles. And Dirk has entered the conversation as one of the top 20, top 30 NBA players ever. Also, he's a humble guy, it is hard to tell he is a star.
Like millions of people, I was really put off over the summer by how the Heat came together. That is why they are so reviled. LeBron had all the right in the world to go to another team. He was a free agent, and it happens all the time, even for big stars. Sure, he said he would bring a title to Cleveland, and he didn't, but if he had left quitely, no one would have been all that upset. Cleveland would have felt betrayed still, but LeBron would not have been as hated as he is all over the country. The way he did it was mind-blowing though. No one has ever announced which team they would be signing with on a one-hour ESPN special. To break Cleveland fans' hearts on a national stage was really bad taste. Whether it was his choice or not to have the special, he did it and then he had man up to the hate that followed.
But it didn't end there. Then, Miami had an introduction party for LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Big 3 came out on to the stage like they had already won the championship. If people didn't hate LeBron before, now they did. How arrogant and pompous do you have to be hold this type of celebration before the season even begins? I know they didn't actually think they had already won the title, but that's kind of how it came off. And at least have a party where the whole team comes out and meets the fans. To have only the Big 3 come out seems to say that only these three players are important to the team. How do you think that made their teammates like Udonis Haslem, Mike Bibby, and Mario Chalmers feel? It could have messed with chemistry and the team's psyche from day one.
All said, it was just a bizarre NBA season and probably the one that I watched the closest. LeBron's decisions were questionable, especially for a guy who was so likable in Cleveland. He seemed to try to embrace the villian role too much, and it didn't work. It isn't who he is, and it threw him off, especially in the biggest moments in the Finals, when the pressure was really on.
But like I said, it was really cool to see the Mavericks win the NBA title. I'm happy that Dirk and the rest of the veterans got a championship. A special shout out to Dallas' coach, Rick Carlisle, who is a former Wahoo basketball great -- and apparently, a dang good basketball coach. Mark Cuban, the Mavs' owner, really faded into the background during the playoffs this year and just let the players play and the coaches coach. Cuban got out of the way and shut his mouth. He let the Mavericks do the talking with their excellent play on the court and also didn't hog the spotlight during the trophy presentation, either. Cuban had the Mavs' first owner hoist the trophy in what was a classy move. And he also basically told Stuart Scott, who he was being interviewed by, to stop talking to him and talk to Carlisle.
Somewhere, I hope Jerry Jones was taking notes. Hopefully he can learn a thing or two about building a team and then getting out of the way. Here's to the Cowboys winning the city of Dallas another championship next February (assuming there's an NFL season -- keep your fingers crossed).
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