Well, the Railcats season ended a month ago, so I've had some time to reflect on (and fact check) some of my favorite on-field moments from the 2022 season. Here are my top 28.
1. Tom Walraven's two grand slams against Milwaukee, September 4. This would have been in my top three no matter what, since Walraven was the first American Association player to ever hit two grand slams in one game. It gets the top spot, though, because I got the ball (Dave Hilburn got the other), and I got to talk to Wally and his dad after the game.
Walraven's two grand slams against Milwaukee was voted Play of the Year in 2022 by American Association fans!
2. Jesus Marriaga hitting for the cycle July 5 vs. Lake Country. I had never seen a player hit for the cycle, and with the triple, single, and double already out of the way, it was obvious Marriaga was swinging for the home run. The ball landed in the Dockhounds bullpen, but another 10-15 feet, and I would have caught it.
3. Jesus Marriaga hitting an inside-the-park home run September 2 against Milwaukee. I had never seen a HR inside the park.
4. June 1, vs. Lake Country. Our favorite guy M.J. Rookard didn't last long with the Railcats this year, but he gave us one of the biggest thrills. In the 10th inning, with the "ghost runner" on 3rd with one out, a fly ball to left field could have given the Dockhounds the lead. But Rookard had time to set up under the ball in a throwing position, and the throw home got the runner for an inning ending double play. Then as the ghost runner in the bottom of the 10th, Rookard scored the winning run on Zach Racusin's base hit.
5. On May 26, the Railcats had a big, new first baseman, Sam Abbott. The Railcats have never had a true power hitter, with the SteelYard a hard ballpark to hit home runs in. But with the bullpens moved to right field in 2021, bringing the fence in, a left-handed power hitter made sense. Abbott didn't make us wait long to see his power, taking the first pitch, then hitting a huge home run on the next pitch from Kansas City. Welcome to Gary, Slammin' Sammy!
6. The offensive highlights are easy to remember, but the big pitching moments are harder to pick out. Probably the best performance of the year was John Sheaks at Chicago, August 10. Sheaks was in a pitcher's duel with Chicago's Jeff Kinley, going 8 innings pitched, giving up one unearned run. But that one run looked like it might be all Chicago needed, as Kinley struck out a league record 17 Railcats batters (with two more strikeouts against Dogs relief pitching). It looked like Sheaks would take the loss going to the 9th, but...
7. After a masterful performance through 8+ innings pitched, Dogs pitcher Jeff Kinley walked Michael Woodworth. Sherman Graves doubled in Woodworth to tie the game. Kinley left the game after getting a record 17 strikeouts, but was the losing pitcher when Victor Nova blasted a three run home run. Never did a game look like such a lost cause, then turn around so suddenly, so late. Kinley tied the league strikeout record, but John Sheaks got the win.
8. At Lincoln August 1, the Railcats were clinging to a lead in extra innings, after a Jackson Smith grand slam in the top of the 10th. Then Lincoln loaded the bases with nobody out in their half of the 10th. Pitcher Yeison Medina got just what he needed though in an unconventional, game ending triple play. Boy, I wish I had extended my vacation one more day, because I had serious thoughts about going back to Lincoln to see the 'Cats one more time on our road trip.
9. On September 1 vs. Kane County, Sam Abbott set the Railcats franchise record for home runs, sending his 20th over the Railcats bullpen and onto the berm.
10. Javeyan Williams was only with the Railcats half the season, and didn't play much towards the end before being cut. But when Williams was in center field, you knew he was going to catch everything. It's hard to pick out any of his diving, highlight catches, but I'll go with his first one, May 14 at Chicago, second game of the season. I'm not sure if was his best, but it was the first of many, and by the end of the season, we had too many outfielders who could barely catch routine flys, let alone make sprinting, diving grabs.
This Javeyan Williams highlight was June 11 against Sioux City at the SteelYard.
And more Javeyan highlights. He was so fun to watch in center field.
11. Speaking of that second game of the year at Chicago, May 14, second year Railcat Daniel Lingua came up big. Not known as a power hitter, Lingua had a grand slam, the first Railcats home run of the season, fittingly in the ballpark he played in at the All Star Game in July.
12. Daniel Lingua may not be a power hitter, but that grand slam at Chicago wasn't his only home run. Perhaps no home run was bigger than when he was mic'ed up at Lake Country June 9, singing "Tequila" in the batter's box, demanding "Go ball!" as he rounded first base, and telling third base coach Guy Senjem "Not bad for a little guy," as he headed for home. That led the 'Cats to a huge four game sweep of the Dockhounds.
13. Sherman Graves was only with the Railcats for one month, and only hit two home runs in that time. His first was at Lincoln against the Saltdogs, where he started the season. His only home run at the SteelYard came August 14, a grand slam in a huge 1st inning against Milwaukee. I got that ball, and gave it back to his host family to return to Graves. I should have returned it to Sherman that day, but the 9th inning of this game will appear on my worst moments list, and I wasn't in the mood to hang around after this game.
14. Tom Walraven's two grand slams on September 4th was my favorite moment of the season. But his first grand slam on June 12 vs. Sioux City gave the 'Cats an 8th inning lead in a heated series against the Explorers. Of course the Cardiac 'Cats let the X's tie the game in the 9th, but Zach Racusin delivered his second walk-off hit of the month to win the game.
15. Robbie Coursel, a local kid from Michigan City, IN, was only on the roster due to an Opening Day injury to Trevor Lubking. Coursel pitched on the wild side, never having great control, but we liked the guy. Coming on in relief in the second game of a double header, Coursel made a great pitch, getting Sebastian Zawada to chop a ball right back to the mound. Robbie made a great leaping grab, and started running towards first base before tossing underhand to Chris Burgess for the out. Zawada had a fit, yelling at Coursel while running to first, then went after the pitcher. Big Country Burg' at 1B wasn't having any of that, and tossed Zawada around (and probably got a punch or a few in). Benches cleared, but the real fighting was done before the rest of the players got to the field. I'm not sure if I would remember this play without the brawl, but it was definitely exciting, and the rest of the series was tense.
16. Leif Strom only pitched three games for the Railcats in 2022 before getting signed into the Yankees organization, but his two SteelYard starts were gems. Strom pitched five no-hit innings against Lincoln May 21, before being taken out for being on a limited pitch count early in the season. His last start as a Railcat against Kansas City May 26 was also strong.
17. The 2022 Railcats had a few comeback wins, but more often than not, if they were down early, you could pretty much count them out. So being down to Milwaukee in the middle innings on August 12 felt like it would be another Fireworks Friday home loss. But the 'Cats came back, and came back big, winning 24-7. It was their only Friday night home win of the year.
18. One of the Railcats comeback wins was at Sioux Falls, June 14. Michael Woodworth led the effort with a three run homer in the 8th that turned out to be the game winner. A few more of these, and this could have been a playoff season.
19. Catcher Michael Cruz could drive any fan crazy behind the plate, with numerous passed balls and wild pitches going to the backstop, or his eight throwing errors in half a season. But when Cruz announced that he would retire at the All Star break to return to his family in Puerto Rico, he wanted to go out with a bang. In the 8th inning of his last game, July 10, Cruz finally connected while swinging for the fence, sending the ball to the berm in right-center field.
20. The heavy hitting Kansas City Monarchs don't need the short fence in front of Home Run Hill at Legends Field to hit a lot of home runs. But July 2, Jesus Marriaga robbed Jan Hernandez (who was leading the league in HRs at the time) of HR with a great catch over that short fence. It was really the only Railcats highlight of the series.
21. Javeyan Williams not only made miracle catches in the outfield for the Railcats, but he caused chaos on the bases, even when picked off. On June 10, in the first game of a double header with Sioux City, Williams was picked off first base, but evaded a tag during a rundown long enough for Alec Olund to steal home.
22. As an infielder pressed into duty as an outfielder, Nate Scantlin had his share of trouble in center field. But August 14 against Milwaukee, he made an amazing catch, leaping and reaching over the bullpen fence to rob a home run.
23. Tom Walraven seemed to hit his home runs in pairs this year, either two in one game, or on back-to-back days. And he seemed to hit better when his dad was at a game. Wally hit a pair at Cleburne on July 26 for an important road win at the Depot. We met his dad two days later.
24. LG Castillo may have had some beef with both Railcats and Railroaders fans in Cleburne, but his 1st inning three run shot on July 28 gave us something to cheer about. Too bad the 'Cats couldn't hold on to that lead in the 8th.
25. This is the only one on the list that I wasn't at the game, watching online, or listening on the radio. I was really only aware of it at first because of Kyle Svetich from the Railcats Talk Youtube channel. After being embarrassed by the Cleburne Railroaders at home on July 21, giving up a league record 12 stolen bases, it seems the 'Cats wanted to return the favor down in Texas. The Railcats set a new league record, stealing 15 bases on the 'Roaders. Too bad they couldn't have done that the night before, while we were still in Cleburne.
26. Tom Walraven. Again. And again, off the foul pole at Winnipeg, July 15. His pairs of home runs just seem to stick in my brain.
27. Sam Abbott's roof shot onto Righteous Ribs.
With the final playoff spot at stake, the first meeting of the year with the Cleburne Railroaders proved to be exciting. After Zach Nehrir cut into an early Railcats lead with a two out solo HR, Cleburne's clean-up hitter Chase Simpson hit a soft line drive that looked like it would make it to the outfield to keep the inning alive. But Michael Woodwortb made a great leaping catch to end the Railroaders threat.
Those were my favorite Railcats moments of the 2022 season. What were yours? What did I forget?
I can't wait to get back to the SteelYard in 2023. See you at the ballpark!
