Vigilantes Get Opening-Night Jitters
MISSION VIEJO — From start to finish it was a night of apologies for the Mission Viejo Vigilantes.
Chico hit three home runs and won, 12-5, in front of an announced crowd of 3,710.
But the trouble started well before the game, which was the first for the Western Baseball League team that moved here after two years in Long Beach.
At that point, the public address announcer said the team was sorry for the troubles they were having with the sound system. At about the same time, a team official was going through a small section of the stands doing the same thing because workers haven’t had time to install every back on each seat.
The game started about 25 minutes late partly because Susan Anton’s limo was held up in traffic. She was needed to sing the national anthem and the PA announcer kept updating the restless crowd of the situation.
But maybe the biggest apology the team needed was for its poor pitching. Granted the fences are closer than most professional fields, but Chico (1-0) was able to take advantage of it and the Vigilantes didn’t until Sam Taylor slammed a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the eighth, well after the outcome had been decided.
“You don’t get too excited,” Vigilante Manager Buck Rodgers said, “and you don’t get too down the first month of the season. We’re going to be a pretty good club. We found some things out tonight.”
About the only fireworks for the Vigilantes were the ones set off behind the right-field fence to start the game and during the seventh-inning stretch. Actually, the show in the middle of the seventh was impressive. The problem was that many had left before the show started at 10:15 p.m.
Of course, after the fireworks show, the crowd was reduced to about a third of what it was when the game started.
The first time the crowd had a chance to cheer for the Vigilantes was in the sixth when Jesse Zepeda reached and Reuben Smiley doubled inside first base to score Zepeda one out later. Smiley then scored when Carl Nichols doubled off the fence in right field.
The two runs cut the lead to 6-2, but Chico put the game away with a six-run seventh.
The big blow was a two-run double by Nestor Serrano that capped the inning. Three of the six runners that scored in the inning reached by a walk. That was the trend the entire game. Six of the nine Chico batters who walked eventually scored.
Ken Shamburg, Chico’s No. 4 hitter and first baseman, had a home run and a sacrifice fly in the seventh to cap his impressive night. He launched a homer well over the left-field fence in the first inning, then after a ground out and strikeout, he lined a home run over the left field fence to start the seventh.
Eric Lazerus had the other home run for Chico, a two-run shot in the fourth that put the visitors ahead, 5-0.
Chris Butterfield also had a unique night for Chico. Not only did he walk three times and score each time, but he also was the first batter faced by the first three Vigilante relief pitchers.
Paul Anderson, who was the league’s pitcher of the year last season when he went 12-4, took the loss. Anderson, a right-hander, gave up four hits and five runs, four of which were earned, in five innings.
“Our guy was just a little bit flat,” Rodgers said.
* HIGH FINANCES
If the Vigilantes fail to draw, Mission Viejo could be left holding the bag, minus the money. C6
* HOME TEAM
Mission Viejo makes it clear the Vigilantes are a part of the community on opening night. A1
