Recently in SP we had three huge milestones. Two of them were from future HoF players, who will both go into the Hall with St. Louis Red on their caps.
Earlier this season, veteran slugger and former 3x All Star Jim Guerrero was traded to New Orleans. While on a road trip to Hawaii, Guerrero hit a solo home run in the 2nd inning of a 7-4 Jazz victory. That home run was #600. Guerrero had now passed Felix Wagner for #3 on the SP Career HR list, and was the third player to hit the 600 HR plateau. Guerrero is still performing at a high level and has been instrumental in keeping New Orleans in the driver's seat to get into the playoffs. In his 62 games in the Big Easy, he is hitting .325 with 23 home runs and 58 RBI.
Just yesterday, only hours apart, former team mates hit the magical 600 in two different categories. Felix Wagner and Shin-Soo Nakamura spent 8 1/2 seasons as team mates in St. Louis and were instrumental establishing the Redbirds as one of the pre-eminent franchises in the league. During their time with the Redbirds, the franchise won 4 AL Pennants and 2 WS Championships. The two players couldn't be more different, yet struck up a friendship that remains close to this very day. Wagner is the burly good 'ol boy from rural Washington. The sweet swinging switch hitter with great power has been a terror in both the AL and NL for over a decade. While the crafty lefty reliever, with the funky delivery from Sendai City, Japan (population of over 1,000,000) who barely spoke English when he broke into the league and is definitely not an outdoors man, has crafted a career as the best reliever in the history of SP. Very different players, with very different backgrounds and interests became very close friends.
It was Nakamura who got his magical moment first. Now playing his first season away from St. Louis, with the Richmond Rebellion. The Rebellion had long clinched the division, but were now in a battle with Chicago for the NL's second bye. The Lake Shores were in town, and jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first. The Rebellion would battle back and take a 3-2 lead going into the 9th inning, which everyone knows is Nakamura time. Shin-Soo would enter the field in what has become the most iconic and recognizable closer entrance in the league. Just before the music starts, the entire stadium goes black, for just a few seconds. The music starts slowly (
Hans Zimmer's theme from the Last Samurai), but just as the first crescendo hits, the stadium lights flash, and then come on. His appearance is almost as if from nowhere, ninja-esque, as the fans never see the bullpen door in the left field wall open, or the iconic pitcher emerging. When the lights come back on, he is already halfway through the outfield, making his way to the mound. His custom video montage plays on the jumbo tron. The montage is a mixture of classic cultural Japanese images and highlights of Shin-Soo striking out All Star after All Star. Some of the more prominent players featured as victims of Nakamura's dominance include multiple time MVPs Bruce Donovan and Pedro Pascual as well Chicago's star center fielder Butch Ramirez and emerging young stars such as Randall Bryant and Norfolk's Patsy Wilkerson. Fans were especially jacked for this day, as history could be witnessed if Shin-Soo were to successfully close out the game, he would be the first pitcher ever to get career save #600. There was no drama in this appearance for Richmond. Nakamura would retire the side in order, on 11 pitches, with three outs made to the short stop. Quick, easy, dominant. Save #600.
After floundering in AAA Vancouver early this season, and unable to earn a place on their big league team, Felix Wagner made a few phone calls. When his contacts in St. Louis confirmed they would put him on the big league team and allow him a farewell tour with the team where it all started allowing him to continue his quest to #600, he requested a trade. The GM in Vancouver, displaying what a class organization is, honored his request. Now, hours after Nakamura's 600th save, four states and 800 miles to the west, it was the fourth inning of a game versus the Scranton Wild, at home in St. Louis. Leading off the fourth inning, Wagner stepped to the plate. Fans were on their seat, anxious. He had been stuck on 599 for 6 games now, and there were only 5 games left in the season. There was no long, drawn out battle this at-bat. Theodore McInerney threw a first pitch sinker, down and in. Wager, just a bit ahead of the pitch, golfed it down the right field line. Fans held their breath. Everyone knew it had the distance, but watched to see if it stayed fair. A photographer on the third base side of the field, near the dug out, took a photo that may become one of the most iconic sports photographs in history. Felix Wagner has just finished his swing and is watching the flight of the ball, as is every fielder on Scranton. Flashes can be seen throughout the stands. Fans are clearly on their feet everywhere. The ball can be seen, clearly staying just fair, about 3/4 of the way down the line. Wagner, ever the professional, trotted around the bases, head down making sure not to show up the pitcher. The fan who caught the ball (wearing a Nakamura jersey, ironically) eagerly returned the ball to Wagner, who gave the fan an undisclosed reward and some memorabilia in return. On the national TV coverage of the game, they switched to a shot of Nakamura, still in his jersey, watching the home run on a small TV in the Rebellion club house. When Wagner hit #600 (only the fourth player to ever do so), Shin-Soo cheered as loudly, and got just as excited as any fan in the stands. Wagner and Nakamura had an agreement. Once one of them reached 600, they weren't allowed to talk to one another until the other one got to 600. They didn't have to wait long. The first thing Felix did upon his return to the club house was to grab his phone, and call his good friend. Though this will probably be Wagner's year to ride off into the sunset, don't be surprised to see the future HoFer at a few Rebellion games next season, cheering on his buddy. Maybe cheering him on to #700?
