Regardless of how you parse words, the fans of the team have begun to look at this version of the Nine as being more than the sum of its parts—a group of wide-eyed yokels trying to break its way into the Big Boys’ Club. Which is kind of what they are. Or at least it’s what they’ve been.
“You can feel the guys trying to create an identity for themselves,” Inkster said. “Figure out the leaders and the role guys, getting a feel for how they can each make a difference. It’s fun to watch. The best part is that the team is winning a lot of games without that dominant big gun—the guys know we don’t have a presence on any individual leader boards, and there’s this buzz going on that there’s only one leaderboard that matters.”
Of course, innocence and seclusion and chips on shoulders can only go so far when success hits the door, and this month the BBA baseball offices that pitcher Carlos Valle and outfielder Jose Machado were named the Frick League Pitcher and Rookie of the month of May.
“Being Pitcher of the Month is great,” Valle said. It means the guys rallied around me and got me runs when I needed them.
This is true, of course. But it discounts the dominance of his work on the mound. "When Carlos is on, no one can hit him," Inkster said, putting the young hurler in context he likes better. "The goal is to see him be on more often.
For May, Machado hit .392 with three doubles, a triple, and six homers.
It’s enough to lend credence to worries that the “loveable unknowns” might have success go to their heads. “It’s a fun team to watch,” said Mel Banyon, a fan lining up for today’s game against Montreal. “It’s made even more fun when you hear the GM is trying to trade starters on our division leading club, and no one wants them. I mean, what’s more fun than watching a bunch of misfit kids bring home the hardware?”
