Commemorating a Milestone

During the 1999 season local dairy producer Shamrock Farms was a sponsor of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As part of their sponsorship they had a promotion that would run at every Sunday home game. It was called “Grand Slam Sunday” and was a tie in for a new ice cream flavor they had just introduced called “Grand Slam Sundae”. The way this promotion worked was that a fan would be selected prior to the game and they would be asked it identify a Diamondbacks player who would hit a grand slam during that game. Not only did the fan need to identify the player but they also must identify the inning the grand slam would be hit. We all knew it was a gimmick and that the odds were astronomical that the event would ever occur but it was fun to try and second guess the fan who was playing and state our own case as to who would hit a grand slam and when. Considering that the Diamondbacks had not scored 4 runs total in the previous two games combined the odds were even slimmer for that unlucky fan selected to play the game.
Chandler resident Gylene Hoyle had never been to an Arizona Diamondbacks game in her life. She probably would not have been to this one but earlier in the week she had won tickets through local radio station KNIX to attend this game. As she entered the stadium she was selected as the Grand Slam Sunday promotional contestant. With her family’s help she selected Diamondbacks second baseman Jay Bell as her choice and picked the sixth inning for when the home run would occur. For the first two innings the Diamondbacks were only able to come up with 3 hits and nothing really that hard. The million dollars was looking pretty safe. In the third inning Matt Williams hit a line drive home run with Jay Bell on first to put the Diamondbacks on the board. I had chosen Matt Williams as my contestant so I was feeling pretty good. It wasn’t a grand slam but it was a home run. When the sixth inning came around the Diamondbacks were trailing 3-2 and had mustered only 4 hits in the game. Jay Bell had just been up in the fifth inning where he flied out so it was doubtful that Bell would even see an at bat.
Steve Finley started the inning with a double to center field. First baseman Travis Lee then grounded out moving Finley to third. David Dellucci hit a line drive double to center scoring Finley. Catcher Damian Miller walked bringing up pitcher Omar Daal. Dellucci stole third before Daal hit a sacrifice bunt moving Miller to second. Shortstop Tony Womack came up with 2 outs and Bell on the on-deck circle. Athletics pitcher Jimmy Haynes walked Womack on 4 straight pitches to load the bases and make the impossible seem improbable. Jay Bell came to the plate with an opportunity to make history. The pitch series went: ball, called strike, ball, ball, foul, foul. On the eighth pitch of that at-bat Haynes hung a ball over the plate and Bell laced it towards the outfield wall. Oakland left fielder Tim Raines moved back to the wall and watched as the ball flew over his head for a grand slam. In that moment Gylene Hoyle became a millionaire. The stadium erupted and pandemonium ensued. At that point Arizona fans had never experienced post season or World Series baseball but no one could imagine it could be any better than this moment.
The five runs in the sixth inning put the Diamondbacks up 7-3. The Athletics would score a run in the eighth as Tony Phillips scored when Tim Raines hit into a double play. The run made the game a save opportunity. Three days earlier the Arizona Diamondbacks had made a trade with the Florida Marlins to sure up their leaking bullpen. They sent pitcher Vladimir Nunez along with minor league pitcher Brad Penny and a player to be named later (minor league outfielder Abraham Nunez) to the Marlins in exchange for closer Matt Mantei. Mantei entered the game in the ninth inning to the sounds of Vanilla Ice playing Ice, Ice, Baby. After walking Matt Stairs he retired the next three batters to record his first save as an Arizona Diamondbacks. Mantei would go on to become the saves leader in Diamondbacks history until Jose Valverde took over the lead during the 2007 season. We could end the story here and everyone would be content well everyone but my family that is.
Beginning July 6 the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted a three game series with the Houston Astros. This was the beginning of a six game home stand that would conclude with the Oakland Athletics. As an avid fan I was looking forward to these games leading up to the all-star break. The Astros were leading the central division so this had all the makings of a great series. The Astros took game one of the series on a strong pitching effort by Jose Lima who beat Omar Daal 3-1. While the loss was depressing our night just got worse. The next day Trina received a phone call from her mother who notified her that Trina’s grandmother had just passed away and the family was beginning to make funeral arrangements. Trina was saddened by the news but I think I was even sadder. Looking at the schedule there were still 5 games left in this home stand before the all star break. I had not missed a game in 2 years and I really didn’t want to break that streak now. I tried to console Trina all the while stressing the fact that we didn’t have to rush up to see grandma. What difference would a few days make? Dealing with death can be a difficult thing. Dealing with death during baseball season is worse. I tried to make Trina feel better by taking her to the game on the seventh. I thought seeing the Diamondbacks beat up on Wade Miller for a 13-7 win would somehow take her mind off of her grandma and the fact that we were still in Arizona while family was beginning to gather in Idaho. Trina suggested after the game that perhaps we should go to the funeral. I tried to sound empathetic while still subliminally explaining that there were still 4 games left in this home stand. Besides there were lots of family there that could deal with the funeral arrangements and we are as close as a phone call if they need us. The Astros series ended with a great game where the Diamondbacks staked a lead only to see it evaporate in the eighth and ninth innings to tie. Both teams scored in the tenth inning and the Astros scored again in the top of the eleventh for a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the eleventh the Diamondbacks would score 2 runs. The first run scored on a double by Jay Bell that allowed Tony Womack to cross the plate. The winning run was a walk-off single to left by Matt Williams that scored Jay Bell. It was one of the best games of the season yet Trina didn’t seem to care. I was sure I knew what Trina needed to cheer her up, a three game Interleague series with the Oakland Athletics.
The first game of the Oakland Series was scheduled for Friday July 9. While I was at the game Trina was talking to her family who had called to say all of her siblings were now in Idaho and they wondered when we would be arriving. The funeral was initially set for Saturday July 10 but was subsequently moved to Monday July 12 due to scheduling conflicts. Before anyone says anything, I was not the scheduling conflict. I was just the happy recipient of the news. I went to the game on Saturday trying to determine whether I could make this work. As the Diamondbacks fell to the Athletics 2-5 I was involved in deep thought and planning. Based upon time zone changes and the average length of a game I figured I should be able to leave just after the final out at tomorrow’s game and still make it in time for the funeral assuming no extra innings. When Sunday July 11 dawned I had completed the plan. Tiffany and I would head to Bank One Ballpark to the game while Trina prepared everything at home to leave. As soon as the game was in the bag we would leave the ballpark go back to Chandler where we would pick up the family and drive all night long to Idaho where we would attend the funeral of Trina’s grandmother. On paper this seemed like it would work.
I put on my home Diamondbacks jersey and my lucky 1998 Opening Day hat from last season. Grabbed Tiffany and the seat cushions and headed out the door. During the game I would receive phone calls from Trina asking for status and how much longer before the game would be over. It was kind of frustrating but I figured if Trina let me stay to watch these games the least I could do would be to keep her up-to-date on how the game was going. While the game was exciting and I was having fun, it was taking a bit longer than anticipated. It was looking as though I would have to leave the game early if I was going to make my timeline and not miss the funeral. When the sixth inning arrived Trina had called. Her voice was beginning to sound frantic when she asked how much longer. I had to relent and tell her I would leave after this inning. In the bottom of the sixth Tiffany began gathering our things as we prepared to leave. The fans sitting around me had by now put the pieces together and they were taking Trina’s side on this one which I think is kind of messed up. They were pushing us out of our seats as fast as they could all the while questioning why Trina put up with me. I am not sure why I was to blame. If anyone was at fault here it was Trina’s grandma but I wasn’t going to speak badly about her. By the time Jay Bell reached the plate I was at the top of section 133 preparing to leave. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see that faithful pitch be launched into the left field bleachers to win the fan a million dollars. While everyone in the stands stood and cheered, I was leaving the stadium and heading home.
When I got to our house Trina and the other kids were standing in the front doorway with their suitcases in their hands. I wasn’t even allowed to get out of the car. They loaded everything in the back of the car and we headed for the interstate. As we drove I was able to listen to the final two innings of the game lamenting that I was not there to see Matt Mantei’s first save. I wasn’t getting a lot of sympathy so I decided maybe I should just stay quiet. We drove 17 hours straight through the night arriving at our destination 30 minutes before the funeral was to begin. Everyone jumped out of the car and grabbed their suitcase to change clothes. I looked around and we seemed to be short a suitcase. I asked Trina where my dress clothes were and she stopped dead in her tracks. In all of the excitement to leave, we left my clothes in Arizona. All I had was what I was wearing which was my Diamondbacks home jersey, my shorts, and my Diamondbacks Opening Day hat. The stores would not open for another hour so I couldn’t even go buy anything to wear to the funeral. We decided it would be better that I be there in person regardless of what I was wearing so while my family all had on their Sunday best; I went to the funeral in my personalized Arizona Diamondbacks jersey and shorts. To say that I stood out at the funeral would be an understatement. The only thing that would have possibly been worse would be if I was wearing one of those hard hats with the beer can attachments and if I was carrying a foam finger stating I was number one.
Even though these events occurred eight years ago I am constantly reminded of them. Usually it is one of the kids who start it off by saying, “remember when dad went to a funeral in his Diamondbacks jersey?” After the laughing subsides I then get the lecture about how I have an addiction to baseball or some nonsense. I am not sure what the big deal is. It’s not like I missed the funeral or something. And it could have been a lot worse; I could have shown up wearing a Yankees jersey or started the wave during the eulogy. I think grandma would have rolled over in her grave if that happened.