A friend and I, both Mariners and D-backs fans, were recently talking about some of the names of the past and where they had gone, and Bob Wolcott came up when we were discussing the pitching staff for the 1995 Seatlte Mariners.
The way the M's pitching rotation played out in the playoffs that year, Wolcott - then a rookie - was the person to start Gm 1 of the ALCS in the Kingdome (now defunct) against Cleveland. He would go on to win that game for Seattle, the least experienced pitcher to ever win in AL playoff history up to that time, and possibly since.
In the 1st innning of that game, Wolcott pitched himself into a bases loaded jam with no outs. It was at that time that Lou came out on the field to try to calm the young pitcher down. The story goes; using his genious and psychology, Lou simply asked Bob what he had planned for the offseason - in which Bob replied that he was going to be fishing in Oregon.
So here we are in the 1st inning of Gm 1 of the 1995 ALCS, bases loaded and nobody out, and the hometown manager is talking ply fishing with his starting rookie pitcher. The final result of that inning ended up being 1 run scored when the side was retired.
This story is not only a testament to the many, many stories revolving around the genious of one of the greatest managers of our generation, Lou Piniella, but also represents a moment that defined tha career of a young pitcher - who unfortunately didn't see his career in MLB reach the millenium mark.
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Copyright © 2003 by Paul R. Sweum. Posted August 11, 2003.
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