Islip Baseball: Lucky And Good
I'm not trying to take anything away from what Islip accomplished in winning the Long Island Class A baseball championship. The Buccaneers scored a 7-2 comeback win over Island Trees, and overcame the emotional shock of seeing a teammate carted away in an ambulance.
But as anyone who saw the game knows, the old adage -- it's better to be lucky than good -- was certainly true here.
Island Trees cruised into the sixth with a 2-0 lead. With one batter already retired, Island Trees catcher Paul Delgiacco let a strike three get away from him and his throw to first was high. So instead of a second out, Islip batter Joe Seymour reached base safely.
The next batter, Rob Rogers, hit a grounder to shortstop Bobby Colleluori. Double play to end the inning, right? The ball took a wicked hop and hit Colleluori in the chest and bounded away. And as Island Trees coach Joe D'Auria admitted afterward, his team unraveled from there.
OK, so Islip should have never scored four runs in the sixth. What about the three-run seventh? All three runs came home -- with two out -- when rightfielder Shaun Rutherford dropped the ball.
No doubt you could chalk up all those miscuse to the conditions. A steady rain began falling in the first inning and never let up.
But as I said, a very good Islip team was also very lucky on this day.
Comments
This article outrages me. Newsday has done nothing but justify their missed picks in who should take the title.
If Island Trees was so great, why only two runs and one being scored on our outfielder's injury. Our boys have played the best baseball.
You don't continuously win by sheer luck. Our boys are a cohesive unit that play together and deserve their title through TALENT, ABILITY and pure dedication to each other and the sport.
Newsday continues to IGNORE Islip for reasons unknown. How many pictures of Islip players have we seen in the paper?
Posted by: Pat Rogers | June 4, 2007 9:09 AM
I understand how this blog can be seen as a shot at Islip. That's not how it was intended.
I have the utmost admiration for Islip through the years. I've covered the girls soccer team in county title games and the softball team in the state final.
I was merely trying to point out how one or two mistakes can change the whole tone of a game. And with a Long Island championship on the line, each mistake is magnified.
No doubt Islip is good to get this far. But on Sunday the Bucs were lucky too. I stand by that.
And so I say with all seriousness, good luck in Binghamton. The best teams are often lucky as well.
Posted by: Jason Molinet | June 4, 2007 11:55 AM
Jason,
If you are not trying to take something away from a team, then don't.
"Lucky" is the word you used to describe this team. In the run through the playoffs, (small school does not count for the states) Islip has given up 7 runs in 6 playoff games. Island Trees allowed 6 runs to Clarke in an error-filled game in clinching the Nassau title. They made errors in both games. Maybe they are the lucky team for making it so far despite their flaws. The catcher error can be attributed to Seymour's hustle, Rogers groundball was not a fluke bounce, but a high, hard hopped, do-or-die play that the shortstop didn't make (assuming the double play is what fans do in their memory, not journalists who witnessed the game), and finally the Burke fly ball was a home run without the wind dropping it down in front of the fence. A high slicing fly ball affected by the wind in a championship game is not as easy a play as you wish. It does make for a convenient blog, though.
Island Trees did coast through five innings. They do play seven for a reason. Chris Burke, without any visible off speed pitch working (there might have been five strikes all game on off-speed pitches) only allowed two runs. One was scored because the batter got a double when the ball fell out of the centerfielder's glove when he broke his wrist. Yes, Island Trees was lucky. They didn't threaten at all after that inning. The hollowed Island Tree offense was dormant against a one-pitch pitcher who was confident knowing that his team was backing him up with intensity, unity, and a knowledge of how to beat another team. They used all seven innings and capitalized on Rogers two strike grounder, Burke's single, Butler's double, and overall aggressive baserunning.
When the Island Trees coach admitted that it all unraveled from there, did he realize the score was still 2-0 in his favor? Did the coaching staff realize that the relief pitcher entered the game in the 7th with a man on first and used all 8 warm-up pitches from the wind up? He then walked (I believe) the first two batters. Is that Islip's luck?
I don't think anyone believes you dislike the town of Islip as you reply in your blog. You covered the soccer and softball teams because they won, not your altruism. You did not try to point out how one or two mistakes changes the tone, because you attributed Islip's accomplishments to Island Trees failures. Both teams played hard yesterday, but championship teams overcome one or two mistakes. Island Trees coaching staff and players did not, and that, along with the winning play (not luck) is why Islip is the Long Island Champions.
p.s. Island Trees had a magnificent season with very successful players. Winning the Nassau title is no easy feat and they should be congratulated for their effort. It was obvious from pregame practice through the last out that they are a skilled, aggressive baseball team. They had a great season, but only one team can be a champ. Yesterday, it was Islip.
Posted by: Michael Burke | June 4, 2007 7:06 PM
Yeah we were lucky huh? Thats why we won states right? Because we were lucky. If you knew anything about us you would know that we dont give up and we take advantage of the other teams mistakes. Thats why were the champs!
Posted by: joe seymour | June 11, 2007 7:51 PM