400th HOME RUN SOMEHOW NOT HIGHLIGHT OF NIGHT
JUST 75th PLAYER WITH 400 HRs BUT WALKOFF SHOT STEALS SPOTLIGHT
September 28, 2039
Long Beach, CA
As Carlos Gonzales paused to watch his first inning fly ball, he hoped it would clear the wall for number 400 in his career. He'd been stuck at 399 since September 5th, and was quite ready to the the monkey off of his back. Like everyone else in the stadium, he wasn't sure if the fly ball with an exit velocity of just 88.8 MPH would have enough juice to clear the wall. As CarGo watched, the cheers and combined willpower of the 38,000+ fans was enough for the ball to fly 384 feet and clear the wall in right center.
The relief and joy that Gonzales felt was evident as he rounded the bases, extending his fists to the sky and clapping his hands. It was truly a special moment for the longtime Surfer and his family that was in attendance tonight. Surely he (and everyone else) thought that this HR would be the highlight of the evening.
Back and forth scoring through the first 4 innings resulted in a 3-3 deadlock with Valencia as a seemingly endless stream of relievers poured out of the bullpens. The game remained tied through the 12th inning before things took a turn for the worse in the top of the 13th. Out for his second inning of relief, righty Imad bin Ibrahim struck out the first batter before allowing a run on back to back doubles. Just like that, the Stars had a 4-3 lead, and CarGo's first inning home run was but a distant memory.
The Surfers were not about to roll over on this special evening however, and a one out walk by Ira Sanchez provided just the opening that the team needed. Sanchez scored on a double by a resurgent Sloan Daniel. A Wilson Ford groundout moved Daniel to third, and brought up none other than Carlos Gonzales as the potential walk-off hero.
Looking more relaxed at the plate than any time in the past month, CarGo wasted no time. He put a signature swing on the first pitch that he saw, and hit it for a 110 MPH no-doubt line-drive oppo-taco game-winning walk-off. Number 401 was in the books, and somehow it was probably even more memorable than number 400.
2039.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Number 400 For Gonzales in Wild Night
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2039.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Number 400 For Gonzales in Wild Night
Stephen Lane
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General Manager, Long Beach Surfers
Since 2026
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Re: 2039.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Number 400 For Gonzales in Wild Night
Very cool. Sometimes this game gives you just what you need.
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Re: 2039.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Number 400 For Gonzales in Wild Night
Congrats to CarGo!
Chris Wilson
LB Surfers 95-96
FL Pac Champs: 95
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JL MW: 99-2009, 17, 20, 21
JL WC: 12
JL: 01, 04, 09, 12
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LB Surfers 95-96
FL Pac Champs: 95
Madison Wolves 99-2039
JL MW: 99-2009, 17, 20, 21
JL WC: 12
JL: 01, 04, 09, 12
FL Heartland: 32
FL WC: 31, 33
BBA Champs: 04, 09
Portland Lumberjacks 2040-
FL Pacific: 50
FL WC: 49, 51
FL Champs: 49, 51
Vic Caleca TN of the Year 2046
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