Come on, Carolina

Today, North Carolina plays Arizona State in an elimination game in the 2009 College World Series.

Ordinarily, I avoid getting emotionally involved with games I watch. I think part of that has to do with my training to be objective throughout college journalism classes. But when Carolina lost their first game of the CWS, a 5-2 heartbreaker to the same Arizona State whom they play today, my heart broke a little bit, too. No lie.

That said, Mike Fox is awesome. He’s one of the greatest guys I’ve ever interviewed. I did this story about him for Sports Spectrum magazine, a Christian sports publication, back in the spring (my story starts on page 60). He was awesome to talk to, as was Dustin Ackley, Carolina’s No. 2 overall draft pick.

It’s a genuinely good group, those Tar Heels. Fox honestly doesn’t believe that he has to win a national title to feel validated as a coach, and if you read that story, you’ll see why. One of my favorite quotes from him in that interview–never before published, I might add– I’ve posted below.

It’s funny because, and I guess it’s just human nature, when you do get to the national championship game, and you don’t win it, everybody is like, “Gosh that’s terrible.” And, “How do you feel?” And nobody felt worse at the time than we did, but it’s not something that I carry with me. That would be just be silly. It’s funny–I’ve be criticized more as a coach the last two years than in any of the other 24 years that I’ve coached. I find that so amusing.

And Fox honestly doesn’t care what the experts on ESPN say, what the analysts are going to think, or what anyone believes he should accomplish. He also told me, flat-out, in that interview, “If you were to ask me, would I take one national championship and no guarantee I’d return to Omaha, or a guaranteed trip for the next 10 years and no promise I’d win the national championship, I’d take the 10 trips, no question. Because that gives more of my players a chance to experience Omaha.” Classy guy.

I played summer baseball with Carolina’s shortstop, Ryan Graepel, since I was 15, on a team called Greenville Roofing Co. We called ourselves The Roofers. I was a catcher, he was, well, a shortstop, and I had a pretty good arm for a 15-year-old kid. Whenever there was a man on second base and we thought I could pick him off, he’d take his glove to his face or I’d tap the front of my mask. It was actually pretty subtle, pretty slick, for a couple of kids. And man, we actually got some people. It was awesome.

A screengrab of me and Alex talking, from my mom's home video, during that crazy-awesome Legion game a few years ago.

I also played with Alex White in American Legion baseball when I was 18 and 19. When I was 18, I didn’t catch as much, but we won the North Carolina state championship for the first time in our post’s history. This was back when Legion ball was huge in Greenville, and man, we were rockstars for a day or two. The next year, I came back and platooned with White’s catcher from high school, playing first base when I didn’t catch. Typically, White’s catcher would catch him, but in his last game that year–which was also the year he was drafted in the 15th round–his catcher had to come out in the first inning with an injury.

I still tell people today that was the most fun I’ve ever had in a single ballgame catching one pitcher.

Alex got off to a rough start–similar to his first inning in the first game against ASU a few days ago–and gave up a couple runs. But after that, he was as unhittable as I’ve ever seen him, and it was one of those games–and only catchers and pitchers know what I’m talking about here–where we were in each other’s heads. I knew what pitch I was going to call three pitches ahead of time, he never shook me off. At one point, I think we retired 15 guys in a row, 9 of which were consecutive strikeouts. No lie, unless my memory’s getting all exaggerated on me.

Alex pitched 10 of our 11 innings that game, and he was hitting 95 mph in in the 10th. He ended the game with 15 strikeouts and 2 ER, and like, 4 hits. We lost 3-2.

Alex is the most unflappable pitcher I’ve ever caught. Another funny story about Alex that he’d probably love to forget–it was game 3 of a best-of-three series in the opening round of the playoffs. We were playing Kinston, which would be like the Red Sox losing to the Royals. Alex began warming up in the 8th inning because we were only up one. We ended up getting four more runs in the top of the 9th, but Coach ran him out there, figuring well, he’s already hot, we might as well get this over with quick and head home. If we won, we started the next playoff series the following night.

I’ve never in my life seen a team get more chink hits. They tied the game. Yeah, you read that right–essentially, the Royals scored 5 runs off Jonathon Papelfreakinbon in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game and send it to extras. The game lasted another 6 scoreless innings, until we finally managed to score again.

But what stands out to me in that, while Alex was watching bloop hit after bloop hit fall in–I’m talking probably 10 hits, no lie, that would have left splinters all over the infield–he never even flinched. Was he pissed? Absolutely. But he never showed it. He never criticized anyone else, he never lost his head, and I’m not even sure he ever blinked. Dude is a machine.

I know I’ll get a chance to see Alex pitch again sometime, but it’d be incredible for him to win a national title in college. He’s got no worries, seeing as how he’s about to become a millionaire, but knowing him and the competitor within, something won’t feel quite right if the Tar Heels lose for the fourth straight year without a national championship.

Anything can happen in baseball. The only thing ESPN covers that involves more luck is poker, and the odds just don’t look great for Carolina.

But then….anything can happen in baseball.