April 12, 2053
Yellow Springs, OH – The Yellow Springs Nine kicked off their 2053 season at home today with a big 3-1 win but the biggest display was held before first pitch.
Kicking off the team's 80th/40th anniversary celebrations was a short ceremony honoring the team's 2052 players of the year, as announced previously. GM Rob McMonigal and owner Bo Jordan took turns giving them out with a smile and a hug.
Each of the award winners spoke briefly, with Offensive Player of the Year Frederick Brisset speaking about how much the team has meant to him, with his name attached to possible trade rumors due to a looming opt out clause in his contract.
"Today is not about my future," he said to the sell out crowd of nearly 65,000, with not a single seat vacant. "Today is about celebrating all I've done here and the honor of being recognized as one of the best players on an amazing team. Thank you all!"
But it was Dong-Po Thum who stole the show. When he approached the mike to accept his award, tears were streaming down his cheeks. The no-brainer Hall of Famer has struggled to start the season and was hitting just .182 going into the home opener. "The Nine are the only team I've ever known, and the only team I ever want to know," he said, each word coming out with a bit of a shake. "I promise you I will give you my all, each and every time my name is in the lineup card, for as long as they'll let me. I will never experience anywhere what I experience here when I put on this uniform. For the Nine!" he shouted, raising up his award.
The crowd picked up the cry and it echoed for a solid five minutes.
Finally, he asked people to quiet down, so the awards could finish. Gesturing at the next award winner, pitcher Dave Lee (who was starting the game and later got the victory), he said "This is not just about me. Honor them, too!"
Once the player awards were finished, McMonigal took the mike.
"But we aren't done yet! Bring it out, gang!"
From center field came a golf cart, bearing yet another award. It took him a moment, but Jordan realized what was about to happen.
"No, no! This isn't right!" he protested.
"It's overdue," said McMonigal. "Welcome to the Yellow Springs Nine Hall of Fame!"
McMonigal then proceeded to talk about Jordan's accomplishments. "While we acknowledge that sadly, Bo did his best work with our heated rival Nashville, back when it was in Halifax, he started it all here, back when this team was first establishing itself here in Yellow Springs. Here's a sampling of what he did here:
- He was the number 2 overall draft pick in 2014, after being MVP three straight years in college, 2011 to 2013.
- He'd finish 2nd in MVP voting in the Brewster for 4 straight years in Yellow Springs, 2016 to 2019.
- A five-time All Start in college, he was an All Star wearing the Nine uniform from 2016 to 2019, and then again 6 more times for Halifax, 2020 to 2025. that's 9 straight All Star games!
- In an amazing 2016, he led the league in hits (197), games (all 162!), Total Bases (368), RBIs (124), Runs (118), Intentional Walks (19), Extra Base Hits (81), On Base Percentage (.405), and OPS (.999).
- He is 2nd all time in Nine's career on base percentage (.383)
- He is 3rd all time in Nine's career slugging percentage (.561) and OPS (.944)
- He is 7th all time in Nine's career home runs (218) and walks (488)
- He is 8th all time in Nine's career batting average (.296), total bases (1935), RBIs (651) and career Batter War (30.6)
- He has 13 appearances on the single-season leaderboards for the Nine
"For all of these things, for all you do now as our owner, and for all you've meant and will mean to the Yellow Springs Nine, we are proud to make you the 13th Member of the Yellow Springs Nine!"
Cheers erupted again, lasting almost as long as they did for the popular Thum. Jordan asked for quiet, then spoke briefly.
"I am truly humbled to be here as your team owner and as a former player. My first year, 2014, was brutal as we lost game after game. I vowed I would help change that, and I did, along with unbelievable teammates. I know that I left you all as players sometimes do, but I came back in 2031 solely to retire a Nine. I loved the team that much. I can remember almost every big moment in every game from 2014 to 2019.
"Now I'm here as your owner, helping to celebrate our 40th year in this amazing city that many said couldn't sustain a franchise. We, you proved them wrong. WE proved them wrong. And I vow today that as long as I am the owner of the Yellow Springs Nine, this team will NEVER, EVER leave! To the Nine!!"
If the roof had been closed, it would have blown apart at the volume of the fans, the players, the owners, and the staff.
With the umpires looking grumpy, Jordan and McMonigal tipped their caps and withdrew, and the game began shortly thereafter. With fans receiving exclusive baseball cards for the award winners, handed out after the ceremony to ensure Jordan's surprise, everyone settled in to an amazing night of baseball for the home crowd.
Asked afterward about it, McMonigal merely smiled and said, "There's more to come. We are going to make this a year to remember for everyone."
