Weird finish ends team's summer of triumph

Dunedin Big League baseball team looked like it was another step closer to a World Series game when it happened.

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 16, 2001

They didn't get to play on ESPN like the younger Little Leaguers do, and their tour of the Southeast ended in disappointment at the World Series. But that didn't take anything away from the spectacular summer enjoyed by members of the Dunedin Big League baseball team.

The team of 17- and 18-year-olds, most of them recent high school graduates from north Pinellas County, saw its season end in a tie breaker after going 3-1 in pool play at the World Series in Easley, S.C. The team was just two games short of the world championship.

The disappointing ending concluded Dunedin's trek through the sectional tournament in Dunedin, the state tournament in Weston and Southern Regional in Biloxi, Miss., before winding things up in South Carolina.

"We went from the beaches of Fort Lauderdale to the casinos in Mississippi -- not that the kids could participate in that -- to a college dormitory in South Carolina," said Dunedin coach Dave Eggers, whose team lost just one of 12 games in tournament play. "It was a challenge, and it was a lot of fun."

Amid the flood of memories, the most indelible experience of the entire summer, unfortunately, will be negative -- from one inning and one particularly bizarre play no one will ever forget.

The key game of the World Series -- and the wild and costly inning -- came against the host team, South Carolina District 1, on Aug. 6.

With Dunedin ahead 5-4 entering the final inning and a raucous crowd of more than 4,000 rooting on the host team, South Carolina scored four times to go up 8-5. In the bottom of the seventh, Dunedin scored three times to tie it and then loaded the bases with one out.

Then it happened.

With a full count, designated hitter Bryan Banks took what appeared to be ball four, and infielder Ryan Graham headed home from third base with what would be the winning run.

But it was called strike three. The local Greenville News said the call from the umpire was so late the South Carolina catcher, retreating to his dugout in defeat, barely made it back to home plate in time to tag out Graham, who was jogging home expecting a rousing victory welcome.

"(The pitch) was in the dirt. It actually short-hopped the catcher," Graham said. "Banksy took off (for first), and the ump didn't do anything. The pitcher walked off the mound, and I was hopping up and down, happily coming in.

"When I got a few feet away, the ump signals strike and kind of points at me. I instinctively slid and the catcher lunged at me and tagged me, and the ump called us both out. I was just stunned. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it."

Because it was after midnight, the game was resumed with extra innings the next day, and South Carolina scored three runs in the eighth to win 11-8. It was Dunedin's lone defeat of the summer.

"You don't like to talk about it because it just sounds like sour milk," said Eggers, who coached the Dunedin National seniors (ages 15-16) to the World Series title in 1995. "But it was just an amazing chain of events."

If the pitch to Banks had been called promptly, there would have been two outs with Dunedin's leading hitter, Shawn Williams, coming to the plate.

"It's a shame," Graham said.

Three teams in the U.S. pool finished with 3-1 records, and only two could advance to the USA Championship game. Dunedin was ruled the odd team out in the tie breaker for having allowed the most runs of the three teams.

The summer was the final hurrah as high schoolers for most of the players. Eleven of the 15 players are 2001 graduates headed to college.

One exception was pitcher/infielder Josh Whittle, who was 5-0 with a 3.24 ERA and won two games at the World Series. He is a 2000 Dunedin graduate who is entering his sophomore year at Pasco-Hernando Community College.

Pitcher Mike White (2-0, 1.67 ERA), a Countryside graduate and Devil Rays draftee, is headed to St. Petersburg College. In his last start for Dunedin -- against Westminster, Calif. -- the eventual World Series champion, he pitched a no-hitter.

Former Dunedin High stars Kenny Holmberg (Blue Jays draftee, .381 average) and Bryan Banks (Devil Rays draftee, .359 average), will join White at SPC, along with former Clearwater Central Catholic outfielder/pitcher Jon Shapland (.290 average, 2-0 pitching). Shapland's father, Jon, and Harry Alman were assistant coaches.

Three players will continue their careers at Pasco-Hernando Community College: catcher Billy Phillips (River Ridge), pitcher Chris Pachik (Palm Harbor University) and outfielder Greg Crawford (East Lake, .394 average, 3 home runs).

Graham (Clearwater, .333 average) will play for Florida Community College-Jacksonville. Pitcher John Irving (Dunedin), outfielder Jon Booth (Dunedin) and outfielder John Wirick (Gulf) also wrapped up their high school careers.

For three others, the summer success will help launch their senior years. Williams, a Clearwater Central Catholic star, had a team-best four home runs and .450 batting average, and also had a 3.07 ERA in three starts. Outfielder Cody O'Connell and infielder Brad Chamberlain are entering their senior years at Dunedin.

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