During the summer of 2000, the ESOX had a home Riverview league game versus Atomic. The 'Sox had previously lost to Atomic, despite the meeting being one of the few competitive games the ESOX were in that summer. With a home game and a team they knew, this game was surely a chance for the ESOX to get a win over a legitmate opponent that meant something in the standing.
The result? After the top of the 1st, Atomic was leading the ESOX 11-0. In what would be an absolutely horrific display of baseball, the embarassing moment would lend to the famous quote by amateur baseball historian Pat Fitzgerald in describing the ESOX: "This isn't town ball....this is Clown ball!" The ultimate ending result of that 1st inning display of ineptitude was the ordering of founding father/manager Dan Fitzgerald to turn off the scoreboard because of the ridicule and embarassment the lightbulbs would create.
For the first two & a half seasons of their existence, the ESOX were the laughing stock of Minnesota amateur baseball. The skull duggery displayed on the diamond nightly was laughed at and mocked similar to a weekly episode rant by the Simpson's Comic Book Guy.
Oh, how the tide has turned and the shoe is now on the other foot.
The ESOX defeated the Hort Hurricanes 5-2 yesterday at Braemar Field. The ESOX have now defeated the Hurricanes, one of the traditional league powers in the Riverview, 4 consecutive times. Earlier in the week, the ESOX defeated the Bloomington Redbirds for the 1st time in franchise history, 5-1. The Redbirds, one of the teams that has laughed and popped off at the ESOX in the past during the embarassing mockery of baseball period, aren't laughing anymore.
You can hardly blame the Redbirds for previously laughing at the ESOX. This is a franchise that once had the honor of losing to the Minnetonka Millers 17-1 in 5 innings in 2000. This is a franchise that once had players refuse to go play games because Pat McGee band was playing at a downtown block party.
The "lovable losers" that once were known to opponents as the "they play hard and will compete" team are now a team that has the talent to go along with the plan. The construction of this franchise over the past 3 seasons not only is one of mastery, but one that has opponents fearful for the first time ever. For the first time ever, the ESOX have their goals set on something a bit higher than simply the Riverview League Playoffs. This is a team that has the talent to get the job done.
Is anybody laughing at them now?
-Scoops McCracken can be reached by clicking here.
