By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZThe Paz Files
HARLINGEN, Texas - It's over, mercifully. See you next year, boys. This one is fading to black. Ballfans here can be excused for wondering the weird: What the Hell was that all about? Did someone in town anger the Dugout Gods? Why us? Why use us as part of the joke?
Those amazin' Rio Grande ValleyWings dropped the fifth and final game of the North American Baseball League's best-of-seven championship last night in Alberta, Canada. Edmonton Capitals 7, RGV WhiteWings 3. Say goodnight, Jerry.
What began earlier this year with the promise of good baseball ended up being a long inning of drama, strange moves and, finally, inglorious defeat. The Wings are coming home losers.
Five games in Canada, using nine borrowed players from the hated San Angelo Colts, did nothing but again paint the portrait of nothingness for a ballclub doing its damndest to play some semblance of pro ball. It isn't, of course. But, then, Valley fans came to know that firsthand.
A manager in nearby McAllen toiling for the Thunder was dismissed by the club midway through the season without comment from the league. At this level? Must've been something embarrassing to the McAllen Thunder and the NABL. We'll never know why ballyhooed manager Matt Stark, introduced as the new Casey Stengel ahead of the season, left the team.
The Southern Division pennant series between the WhiteWings and the Colts was another joke, with some scribes opining that the games stood the possibility of being tainted by umpires favoring the Colts. The Wings swept the series four games to none.
Then came the Canadian immigration people to say many of the RGV players would not be allowed entry into the country. The series needed to go on; the Wings grabbed the Colts' best players and off they went to moose country. It didn't matter, the mighty Wings had struck out.
And so it went, with local Harlingenites who saw something in the team crying about the need for a new stadium. Nevermind that the City of Harlingen had bent over to avail a field, to make sure electricity powered the field lights and the hair blowdryers for the players in the clubhouse. It was a bummer of a deal for Harlingen, and whether the city made any money off this minor league enterprise is anybody's guess. No one is talking at City Hall.
You can't blame them.
It's always best to simply let the losers slink out of town...
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7 comments:
You're the only who is critical of these ball teams. Good for you. The Valley gets all the second-hand crap it needs. I went to see Three Dog Night at the State Farm arena and it was only one of the original members of the band. I kicked myself in the behind for paying for that crap.
Yep,yep, yep, we get the crumbs, of the left overs.
I saw the wings about 5 times, and it wasn't pretty. I guess for Jerry Deal who likes baseball, it is a big thing.
The day that I was at the baseball stadium, about 300 people.
JERRY DEAL is paid to be a mouthpiece of the WhiteWings. and he wants to write like he is an objective reporter. BS! He has sold out and has no credibility with me.
the guy who owns the WhiteWings is from dallas. THey think we're al suckers down here in the Valley. Jerry Deal does a disservice to his neighbors.
the whitewings are toast and they won't be here next year. Neither will bloger Jerry DEAL who defends this lousy team. adios, MOFOs
Let the Whitewings move somewhere else. Mercedes is bigger than Harlingen, maybe they can support the team. Deal can start a new blog called MineFueher.com and move to Mercedes.
From the leagues website:
"Salary Cap includes $60K floor, $90K cap. Teams may exceed salary cap and pay a luxury tax of 25% for first $20K over cap, 50% of second $20K over cap, %75 of third $20K over cap, and 100% of fourth $20K overcap and beyond."
Wow! This is really professional baseball. At most $90,000 split amongst a 23 man raoster, less than $4000 per player. Can make more mowing lawns!
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