It has been proven time and again that a positive response to a defeat is integral to being successful in sports, and in life as well. Being resilient and persistent are two traits that exemplify success for successful teams, players, and people in any walk of life. It’s time to take a look at a few teams and one individual attempting to overcome adversity.
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BAT CATS FACE UPHILL CLIMB – Following the superlative pitching performance from Texas A&M lefthander Ryan Prager to lead the Aggies past Kentucky 5-1 on Monday night in the Men’s College World Series, the Bat Cats faced a win or go home battle last night. The game against Southeastern Conference foe Florida was played after this was written, which is rather unfortunate timing for yours truly.
There are no secrets when it comes to a Kentucky-Florida matchup. The pair played a three-game series in Gainesville May 10-12, with the visitors taking two out of three. Both UK wins were 10-inning affairs, 12-11 Friday night, and 7-5 on Sunday afternoon. In the middle game, the Gators cruised to a 10-1 victory.
Those games may as well have been 100 years ago at this point. The only thing that mattered for the two teams was Tuesday night in Omaha. The winner meets the Aggies and faces the challenge of defeating them two games in a row to make the best two-out-of-three finals, while the loser heads home.
Kentucky coach Nick Mingione tried to put a positive spin on the situation following the loss to Texas A&M, correctly
pointing out that in the last five years, the eventual national champion had at least one loss in the MCWS. He added that Florida has “played great of late” and “we’ll definitely have our hands full. They’re not the same team from when we played them a few weeks ago.”
The Gators weren’t expected to be in this situation after a less than stellar season by Florida standards, but they bounced back to earn a bid late in the season. Their hard-hitting lineup will present multiple problems for the UK pitching staff, led by All-American Jac Caglianone, who is projected as a top five pick in the upcoming MLB Draft.
Kentucky has a hard-hitting lefty playing first base as well, Cincinnati transfer Ryan Nicholson, who tied the single season UK home run record (23) with a solo shot on Monday. Caglianone has some ridiculous stats, which is why he’s been walked intentionally 30 times this season. The junior, who also went 5-2 as a pitcher, is hitting .413 with 34 home runs and 71 RBI in 64 games.
Whether or not they were able to extend their stay in the MCWS last night, Kentucky deserves a ton of praise for a remarkable season, and you can bet this won’t be the last time we see the Bat Cats battling for a title in Omaha.
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REDS TRYING TO AVOID CELLAR – On the other hand, while the Kentucky baseball situation differs greatly from the marathon 162-game MLB campaign, the Cincinnati Reds are needing to regroup, rebound and respond. After former LSU right-hander Paul Skenes and three relievers tamed the sinking Redlegs 4-1 on Monday in Pittsburgh, the only way the Reds managed to
stay out of the NL Central basement was thanks to the Cubs bullpen, which squandered a late 6-3 lead and lost 7-6 to the Giants at Wrigley.
Cincy has lost three consecutive games and five of their last seven, dropping yet another series in Milwaukee over the weekend before arriving in the Steel City. That pair of divisional rivals own the Reds in recent years. Since July 2018, the Reds have managed just 12 wins in 44 games against the Brew Crew, and the Bucs have taken 21 of the last 33 meetings vs. the Redlegs. (The series continued on Tuesday night after this was written, with lefty Nick Lodolo on the mound attempting to halt the recent skid.)
Don’t ask me what the answer is for Cincinnati to turn around their fortunes (misfortunes?) when they play either Milwaukee or Pittsburgh. That is way above my pay grade. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact the Reds are simply a mediocre team at best, and let’s be honest; they haven’t been very good for a while, last year’s surprising season notwithstanding.
The Reds are great at teasing its fanbase on occasion, going on mini-win streaks, etc. But in the long run, if they don’t start producing at the plate, this could be yet another season where they finish closer to the bottom of the division than the top.
Overcoming adversity also seems to be the name of the game in the Queen City this season, with injuries occurring with alarming frequency, and while youth served the team well a year ago, youth has revealed its other side, growing pains. The team is trying to maintain its aggressiveness when they do get on base, but the frequency of their blunders on the base paths is alarming.
Making consistent contact without striking out is another area of concern. The team needs to play better defensively as well, and that is likely to be an issue for a while. Fans are hoping the team can bounce back again, and make a run this season. After all, they’re tired of hearing the words patience and rebuild. There’s still a long way to go in 2024, and maybe the Reds can earn a Wild Card spot, but winning the division appears to be a pipedream.
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VOTTO BEGINS COMEBACK – Former Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto is still hoping to play for his hometown Toronto Blue Jays. After the 40-year-old homered on the very first pitch he saw from Phillies star Zack Wheeler in spring training on March 17, he stepped on a bat in the dugout, rolling his right ankle.
It’s been a long recovery process for Votto, who made his first rehab appearance on Monday in the Florida Complex League. He went hitless in two at-bats on flyouts to center field, but did record an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the FCL Blue Jays in Dunedin.
Tentative plans for Votto include a return to Triple-A Buffalo for some game action against stronger pitching than he will see in Florida. It is merely speculation at this point, but Toronto may be eyeing a return to the big leagues for Votto following the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have been a disappointment this season at 35-37, sitting in fourth place in the AL Central, 14 games behind the Yankees. That could translate into the Jays being a seller at the trade deadline, and pinning their hopes on a bounce back season in 2025.
A possible roster spot for Votto opened on Friday when first baseman-designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach was sent packing
after a lackluster stint in Ontario, where he hit .186 with just one home run.
Votto, and his legion of fans, would love to see him have some success in Toronto before he retires, and he’s undoubtedly doing everything he can to bounce back.
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CELTICS PROVE SUPERIORITY – The Boston Celtics return to the top of the mountain took a while, but they finally accomplished the feat on Monday night. The Celts blitzed the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to win the NBA Finals in five games, and set a record for the most NBA titles with the win. It marked the 18th championship for Boston, and it came on the 16th anniversary of the day they won their 17th. In doing so, the Celtics passed their forever rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the most titles in NBA history.
Boston answered its critics with their impressive title run and used a winning combination of solid team defense – yes, they do play defense in the NBA – and a versatile scoring attack to breeze to the title. The Mavericks had no answer for Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and company.
Credit also must be given to 35-year-old Joe Mazzula, who was promoted to head coach by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens two years ago. Stevens has also done a masterful job assembling a championship roster, giving long suffering Celtics fans reason to celebrate Monday night in Beantown.
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“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender. That is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
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“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” – George S. Patton
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“The difference between a strong man and a weak ones is that the former does not give up after a defeat.” – Woodrow Wilson
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“Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English – it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it, don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in.” – Mark Twain
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