(#121)
Adapted from a story by Rod Walker, The Clarion-Ledger, April 2, 2006
Standing just 5-foot-7 and weighing just over 135 pounds, Pearl’s Stephen Byrd doesn’t come across as the most intimidating pitcher.
But the sophomore right-hander’s size — and his wicked slider — can be deceiving, as the Ridgeland batters found out Saturday.
Byrd allowed just two hits in Pearl’s 5-1 victory in a key Division 3-4A battle at Titan Park before an estimated 250.
“I thought the key was that little pitcher,” said first year Pearl coach Rick Clarke. “It’s 85 degrees, hottest day of the year, and he absolutely dominated.
Both teams now have identical 13-7 overall and 10-1 district records, but Pearl now holds the tiebreaker edge after avenging a 4-3 loss to Ridgeland in March. Byrd (3-4) was impressive in that outing as well, striking out 14 batters but getting the loss.
“I wanted this one pretty bad,” said Byrd, who had six strikeouts Saturday. “My pitches were working pretty good, and I hit my spots.”
Byrd, despite a fastball that tops out barely at 80 miles per hour, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Ridgeland’s Shelby Robertson belted a double for the Titan’s first hit.
By that time though, the Pirates had already built a comfortable 4-0 lead, with three of those runs coming in the pivotal fifth inning. Pearl senior Tyler Smith delivered the biggest blow, jump-starting the rally by smashing a single to right after fouling eight pitches off Robertson (2-5).
“I thought Tyler Smith wore out their pitcher with that battle in the fifth inning,” said Clarke.
Senior John Rogers Downs and junior Craig Howard (2-for-3) delivered RBIs in the fifth inning. Mark Buchanan added a solo homer in the seventh to help Byrd, who struck out the side in the fifth and worked his way out of a two-out, bases loaded jam in the sixth.
Byrd’s the kind of guy that could go nine innings if he had to, said Clarke. “He’s really got a lot of determination. He attacks the strike zone and has a nice slider. They haven’t solved the slider in the two times we have played. You don’t have to have great velocity to be a competitive pitcher. The slider made all the difference in his two starts against them with 20 Ks. We weren’t even considering going to the bullpen; not any time he pitches.”
Ridgeland’s Jayson Newell had an RBI single in the seventh to drive in the Titans’ only run.
“You tip your hat (cap) to Byrd for throwing strikes and keeping us off balance all day long,” said Ridgeland coach Tim Dowdy, after losing to the team that he guided to the 4A state title in 2001. “We didn’t make the adjustments at the plate.”
Clarke, in his first season, finds himself adjusting as well: adjusting back to the high school ranks after a stellar 22 years at Hinds Community College when he amassed 565 victories, won 14 championships and played in 4 NJCAA World Series. His 1989 team was the first Mississippi JUCO to play in a World Series. That team was (and still is) the only team to win a division, state, regional, and district championship and play in the World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado in the same season.
“I’m certainly not used to this rivalry thing with Pearl and Ridgeland and Pearl and Brandon and Pearl and this, but I’ll get used to it. But we beat them both and even powerhouse West Lauderdale earlier in the season,” said Clarke, who won three MPSA state titles at now defunct Magnolia Academy, winning 168 games and 26 championships in six seasons at the West Jackson school.
“We just try to do the same thing day in and day out and that’s what you saw. Guys playing hard, having fun, laid back and not very emotional.”
Mad Baseball Coach’s Note: Soon after the big district championship win, I was suspended from my coaching duties and was not allowed to coach the team in the state playoffs. However, I still got to teach 10th grade World History for the rest of the semester. 🙂
The reason for the suspension was unreported, even to me, but implied as “insubordination,” but the truth is I made some big shots mad and got caught up into somebody else’s politics and I got the blame. “They” said they would get me and they did. I have no regrets and make no apologies. The team performed well, always conducted themselves in a first class manner, win or lose, and I had a good relationships with most of my players and most aspects of the program improved significantly over several months.
There was certainly no “inappropriate” or illegal behavior and when the school leaders (the names which I won’t mention) were asked about the cause for the suspension, they hid behind “we don’t comment on personnel matters.” The non-renewal attached to my record was not fair. The superintendent was out of town when the decision was made. He even met privately with me off campus when he returned. He said I “was a class act.” Obviously, somebody convinced him to sign off on it even if he was not there to hear my side. I’ve always wondered who was really behind it all. :). (I know who).
I do believe we would have won some games in the playoffs if I was allowed to stay. Instead, everybody lost.
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 