There's been a fair bit of fun in watching the Major League Baseball playoffs this year, and plenty has been written about them, both by national writers and local freeloaders. So much so, in fact, that I didn't feel necessary to chime in with my valueless opinion.

But when Game 2 of the World Series rolled around and the pitching matchups were presented, it caused a wee bit of a flashback for me, hurling me back to the halcyon days of my youth here at the paper.

Allow me to explain: Now, I'm the one guy on our staff who barely ventures outside the bomb shelter that is the Times to cover a game nowadays, but there was once a time that I was able to set forth out into the world, staffing events left and right.

And in the 10-plus years that I've worked here, there are four events that are most memorable to me, in no particular order:

q The last time the World of Outlaws sprint-car series (basically, a dirt-track version of NASCAR) had a show at Santa Maria Speedway, on Sept. 11, 1999;

q Getting to witness the New York Yankees sitting in the visiting clubhouse at Angels Stadium before a July 2003 game and watch the movie “Dumb and Dumber”;

q The run that the Hancock College football team made en route to reaching the 2000 state title game (which I still think they could have won);

Advertisement

q And, the playoff run that the Righetti High baseball team made to the CIF-Southern Section Division II title round in 1999.

The reasons that that last item was memorable were several: A very dominant Warriors team, maybe the best prep team I've ever seen, played almost all of their playoff games at home - thanks to great breaks on coin flips, three of their five postseason games were at Warrior Park - and the fact that, after beating Riverside Poly 8-5 in the semis, the team was off to play Newhall's Hart High in the title round in Anaheim.

I can still remember distinct things about that June 5th afternoon, over nine years ago now: It was a late afternoon start, around 4 p.m., which brought some shadows into play. It was the first time I'd ever been on the playing surface of a major-league stadium (professional decorum aside, that's a cool thing to do for the first time). Warrior outfielder Eric Verbryke launched a two-run shot down the right-field line that recently cleared customs and is now just south of downtown Warsaw. A Righetti batter also hit the other homer in the game, a two-run opposite-field shot by Aaron McKenzie that cleared the right-field scoreboard by about half an angstrom.

And the Warriors still lost, 10-9.

After writing that last sentence, I can also remember the determined resolve that then-catcher Raoul Lievanos had on his face while interviewing him after the loss. He said that his goal then was to work hard enough to get his team back to this spot again, something that unfortunately didn't happen, nor has happened since.

Now after all that blather, the point of this story: In the Indians' lineup that day, batting fifth and playing first base, was senior Jamie Shields. He had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored . He also came on for starter Justin Wiley and threw the final four innings in relief, giving up five hits and striking out four.

Of course, if you haven't caught the significance already, Jamie Shields - now sporting the more adult “James” as a first name - took the mound for Game 2 and pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Tampa Bay Rays, getting the victory in a 4-2 result that tied the series, 1-1.

I had to go back to the old scorebook to double-check that it was Shields, and sure enough, it was there, Jersey No. 33, playing first base.

And in doing so, it hit me: Just looking back at an old scorebook like that can take you back to old memories, back to times where life was all about heading to the park and having some fun.

Sure, this job has its pitfalls - monster deadlines, griping parents, shrinking budgets, carpal-tunnel syndrome - but there are times when you get to do some pretty cool things. Getting Derek Jeter to crack a joke about Robin Ventura. Running into both Gene Simmons from KISS and Chubby Checker at an NHRA drag-racing event in Las Vegas, all in the same day. Sitting 10 feet away from Vin Scully in the press box at Dodger Stadium, and later waiting for an elevator with Tommy Lasorda.

And watching Game 2 of the World Series, seeing a blast from your past, even if it wasn't for a hometown team.

Jeez, I need to get out of the office more.

Mike McKean is the Sports Production Editor for the Times. He can be reached, if he's in the office, at (805) 739-2236 or at mmckean@santamariatimes.com.

October 26, 2008