The Tucson Saguaros were less than 12 hours removed from a 5-4 win over the Ruidoso Osos when manager Bill Moore set up a drill designed to show his players the difference between, of all things, bunts.
On Monday night, a Saguaros hitter had the opportunity to sacrifice a runner over. Instead, he tried to bunt for a hit — and it failed.
So Tuesday morning’s practice began with a drill. After everyone took a turn bunting, Moore set up the two ball bags in the infield in the direction of the second baseman and shortstop. The rules were simple — whoever hit the bags with the most bunts would be the winner.
The last three batters standing had one chance to hit the bags. No one was able to, but rookie pitcher Matthew Wheeler came the closest and was named the winner.
“Stuff like that today is just a different way of saying stuff, but I had never really heard before,” Wheeler said. “I’m a relief pitcher, so it’s like I’m not going to get a lot of at-bats to bunt, but it’s still good to know.”
The knowledge could come in handy as soon as Thursday, when the Saguaros play a doubleheader against the High Desert Yardbirds of Adelanto, California. First pitch at the newly named Saguaros Park — located near Hi Corbett Field — is scheduled for 5 p.m. The team played its previous seasons at the Kino Sports Complex.
Tucson’s Pecos League team is 17-7, good for second place in the Southern Division behind the Roswell Invaders. The Saguaros’ regular-season schedule, which includes 21 more home games, runs through July 26.
“I’ll be happy if we keep playing as well as we have. I don’t put too much stock into the standings this early in the season,” said Moore, the Saguaros’ first-year manager. “I rather be playing good at the end of the year than playing good at the beginning.”
Lawrence Chavez, a New Mexico native, is leading the offense with a .451 batting average. He is one of a seven Saguaros who played for Moore with the Bakersfield Train Robbers last season.
Chavez coaches 10 travel baseball teams when he’s not playing semipro ball. He left his athletes three-quarters of the way through their season for a shot with the Saguaros.
“I come out here with a mission to not let them down,” the 25-year-old Chavez said. “I come out here and give them someone who’s going to be a positive influence, someone to look up to.”
On the mound, Tucson is led by Eric Morell and Tatum Hendrix. Morell has a 4.08 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 28º innings. Hendrix has a 5.76 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 29º innings.
Morell rolled his ankle last Thursday while jogging onto the field during introductions and has missed his last two scheduled starts.
Even with a few hiccups so far in the season, Wheeler said the team will work on being consistent throughout the remainder of the season and be competitive.The team has eight come-from-behind wins so far.
“I think it’s a resiliency that comes from, all of us guys are second-chance guys,” Wheeler said.
“We’re not draft picks, we’re not highly regarded. We came here for a chance to play baseball. I think that mindset translates on the field to we don’t give up ever. Same thing as our career. A lot of teams haven’t wanted us, but we come here and we want to play.”
