My Two Cents: Sometimes Rooting for the Right Story is OK
MOBILE, Ala. — There is no cheering in the press box, and I've been good at following that rule for going on 40-something years now. But sometimes, you do root FOR the story.
And sometimes, you root AGAINST it. Friday was one of those days.
Here I was, covering my first Indiana baseball game of the season, and there it was unfolding right in front of me, the story that I absolutely DID NOT want to write. These coaches are new to me, and so are almost all of the players. One of the players who isn't new to me — Indiana closer Connor Manous, the redshirt junior from Munster, Ind., — was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, and things were melting around him quickly.
Indiana was leading 3-2, but Tennessee-Martin had scratched out a couple of hits and then coaxed a walk from Manous. The bases were now loaded, with no one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Oh no, I thought, don't let this be the first story I have to write. Don't let my first postgame conversation with Connor Manous have to be how he blew the save and got Indiana beat. Maybe later in the season, but please, please, please, not on the first day.
Rooting in the press box AGAINST that story was certainly allowed.
And here's why. One of the reasons why I decided to cover baseball here along with men's basketball and football on my Sports Illustrated site — other than the fact that it's growing so fast thanks to great reader response that I could afford to do it — was because there are several "local'' kids for me. I'm from Schererville and a Lake Central High School guy — like Indiana's Matt Litwicki — and their LC-Munster rivalry is a big one. I've been watching Connor and his little brother Garrett, who's now an Indiana freshman, for years. Rooted against them as a fan, but watched — and admired — them all the same.
Those were all going to be good stories for me to write during the course of the season, and good readership, too, because I have so many Northwest Indiana friends who follow my work. Locals are gold, and there's even another one coming from Munster next year, Costa Sirounis, who's also going to be a big star.
Plus, it's baseball in the spring, and I've always loved that, especially during beautiful Bloomington spring days, which (hopefully) are right around the corner.
So Friday's game story with a bad result was not the first Connor Manous story I wanted to write.
I got up out of my seat with the bases loaded. Very softly, under my breath, I said, "Come on, Connor." He jammed the next hitter and got an easy-hop ground ball to third baseman Cole Barr, who calmly fielded it and made a perfect throw home for an out. One down.
Manous then struck out the next hitter. Two down. And lastly, he completely overpowered Tennessee-Martin's final hitter and, just like that, the game was over and Indiana had won.
Tragedy, Chapter One by Tom Brew, did not need to be written.
Instead, the game story got to be all about how Connor Manous got the save in a 3-2 win and everyone — including me — was all smiles afterward.
And then this next column got to be all about how Connor Manous might have been the ONLY PERSON on the field who wasn't the least bit worried in the heat of that tight situation.
"I just said 'I've been in this spot before' and I needed to get myself out of it,'' Manous said. You just need to buckle down and make your pitches.''
That's exactly what he did, because he had been in a spot like that before. Last year against Coastal Carolina, he was in a similar situation and gave up a hit in an Indiana loss. He wasn't about to let history repeat itself, even in the most difficult position imaginable, with the bases loaded and no one out.
"I felt good out there. I really did,'' he said. "I knew it was just all about executing my pitches. I knew I had it.''
That's confidence, a trait you absolutely love in your closer.
Getting that first out was big. Third baseman Cole Barr, who hit a homer earlier in the game, was just as calm as Manous was. He carefully made the proper play, with no panic, and threw home to get a force out.
"I'm just one of those guys who's always pretty calm and pretty loose, so that moment wasn't too big,'' Barr said. "I had faith in my guys and Connor, man, he's tough. I knew he could make the pitches to get us out of it.''
That first out was big, Manous said .
"I already knew I had it before, but getting that first out was big,'' he said. "It let me sort of catch my breath, and then I just really zeroed in on that next hitter and kept trying to make quality pitches each time. I wasn't going to give in''
It certainly worked. UT-Martin's last two hitters both struck out, completely overpowered and overwhelmed by Manous, who has now pitched four scoreless innings this season so far.
"I feel real good, and it feels good to get this one (out of the way),'' Manous said.
No kidding.
Funny, I felt the same way.
Related Indiana baseball stories
- Indiana 3, UT-Martin 2: Closer Connor Manous, Hoosiers survive scare in ninth to hold on for win. CLICK HERE
- WHAT A BEGINNING: Brayden Tucker shines in first start. CLICK HERE
- Indiana 2020 Schedule: Complete list of games for the Hoosiers. Click Here
- Indiana 2020 Roster: Complete 2020 roster for the Hoosiers. Click Here
- Big Ten Player of the Week: Grant Richardson named Big Ten Player of the Week for the first week of the season. Click Here
- SATURDAY'S GAME: Indiana takes on host South Alabama at Noon ET. The Jaguars, ranked No. 30 in the Collegiate Baseball national rankings, are the toughest of the three opponents this week. They'll start JUCO transfer Miles Smith, who isn't a hard thrower (88-89 mph) but has four pitches and stays in the zone. He was hit hard by Campbell last week, giving up four runs in three innings. Indiana will go with Gabe Bierman (0-1), who's looking to bounce back from a loss last week at LSU