Hold My Log - 57.53 - Kumblin Records Save in Big League Debut

[7teen]

Sometimes you have to go digging around to find a newsworthy occurrence to write a team news about. And then sometimes the news just presents itself in the most obvious of manners. The latter is the case for Endres Kumblin. Let's back track a little first.

Kumblin was drafted in the 8th round in the GBC draft by Tripoli. Kumblin never made it to the big leagues over there and after a torn rotator cuff saw him miss over 2 seasons of time, he was eventually let go. He did, at one point, climb as high as 66 on their annual prospects list. That's when America came calling and Boise swooped in, giving him a sizeable bonus to join the BBA*. He stayed with Boise for 4 months before being placed on waivers and claimed by Phoenix^.

Phoenix used Kumblin like Phoenix uses youngsters... In Toledo. Kumblin spent most of 2055, 2056, and 2057 trying to lead the Liberty to the coveted Single-A Championship. However, when Phoenix's big league club suffered a rash of injuries to their catcher, the Talons GM parted ways with Kumblin, sending him to Portland, for Bosendorfer.

Portland removed Kumblin from single-A purgatory and placed him in Double-A. Some wonder why Portland even acquired Kumblin, but the Lumberjacks saw a potential relief conversion candidate and figured he was worth a flyer for a player who was to become a free agent at season's end like Bosendorfer. Considering he was on Phoenix's 40-man roster prior to the trade, Portland decided to see what they might have in Kumblin and gave him a September call-up. He spent most of the month just soaking up the big league lifestyle. But finally, on September 20, Portland manager Mons Raider made the call to the pen to get Kumblin up and loosening.

Kumblin began throwing late in the 7th inning. With Portland up 5-3 at the time, he figured he was just getting loose in case the team jumped out to a larger lead or fell behind and he'd be called on to finish up the loss. Kent Grange, the team's stopper, had taken over in the 7th and Kumblin expected him to get the 7th and 8th innings as long as the team was winning and Raider would call on a vet to get the save if the score held. But in the top of the 8th, Grange allowed a homerun, making the game 5-4. Kumblin by this point was loose and just watching the game when suddenly the phone rang in the pen. Kumblin figured it was Raider wanting someone to get up and loosening in a hurry to close the game out. Kumblin was wrong. The call was for him. He was up!

Kumblin shook the shit from his pants (metaphorically speaking) and jogged to the mound to the subdued and muffled cheers of 31,000 at the Trail in Multnomah. Many of the fans were confused. Who was this Endres Kumblin guy? Was the team even trying to win? Were they tanking? Trying to get better draft position? What was going on. "I don't recall making my warmup pitches" Kumblin would say after the game. "Have you ever driven your car for about 30 minutes and suddenly realize you have no clue how you got to where you are? That's what those warm-up pitches felt like. All I remember is jogging to the mound and suddenly the homeplate umpire yelling "play'".

To say Kumblin was nervous might be an understatement. He fell behind 3-0 Greg Clover before plunking him with a 3-1 fastball. Kumblin's first batter faced was a HBP. He fell behind 3-1 to Rhys Atticus before Rhys roped a line drive single to RF. Kumblin lowered his head and sprinted to 3B to backup the throw. Aires Penharanda played the ball on two hopes and threw a hellacious seed to Daniel Frampton at 3B that nailed Clover by 2 steps for the out at 3B that ended the inning. Kumblin leaped in the air and pounded his pitching mitt. He sprinted back to the dugout thinking he'd done his job.

When he got back to the dugout steps, manager Raider was there to greet him. "Hey rook, settle down" Raider told him. "You got the 9th!"

Kumblin's sprint and andrenaline rushed from his body. He sat there on the Lumberjacks bench alone and watched the bottom of the 8th. He prayed silently his team would score some runs. They did not. In fact, they went down in order and so quick that Kumblin didn't even have time to get settled into sitting in the dugout for the first time in his career. He'd spent all the other time with the team in the bullpen. They went to the top of the 9th and Kumblin made the slow walk back to the mound. Could he actually get the save?

He faced Emilio Reyes to lead off the 9th. Kumblin recorded another career first by striking out Reyes swinging on a low and away changeup. Ryan Geauxinue wasted no time and grounded a single past second base on the first pitch. Two pitches later, Farid bin Mubarek hit a line drive past second base and the Surfers had the tying and go ahead runners aboard with just 1 out. Kumblin looked to the dugout and looked to the pen. He could see bodies scurrying but no one was as of yet throwing. This was going to be his to save or blow. Up stepped Adrian Mote. Kumblin got ahead of Mote 1-2 before Mote fouled off a pitch and then hit a routine fly ball to centerfield for out #2. Kumblin wouldn't make it any easier on himself. His next pitched sailed wide of the dish at home and ricocheted off the back stop for a passed ball. Both runners advanced 90 feet. Juan Cabrera, Portland catcher, called time to talk to Kumblin. "This is some shit" he said to me at the mound commented Kumblin after the game. "I didn't know whether to agree or start crying. I looked at him, and to the best of my knowledge just said 'yeah'. He then just told me to calm down and throw strikes."

The next pitch to Cordell Vaughn was a strike. He fouled it off. He did the same with the next pitch. The count was 1-2. And as the perfect movie ending will go, Kumblin threw another picture perfect changeup to force Vaughn to swing and miss and secure the victory. Kumblin had recorded the save. The line score wasn't pretty: 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 HBP, 2Ks. But the main parts were 0 runs and 1 save.

"We called him up because we wanted to see what he can do" commented Kate Fiscus after the game, "he gave us some thrills but ultimately got the save. We'll have to see what the future holds for young Kumblin heading into next season."

Kumblin appeared in 3 more games in September. He did surrender a run to Long Beach 2 days later in a 6-4 win. Raider did use someone else to get the save this go around. He then finished the season with good outings against Vancouver and Sacramento in which he allowed just 1 base runner in 3 innings while striking out 4 batters.

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* Boise must have been hard up for minor league prospects at the time as they gave Kumblin a $6.3 million signing bonus. At the time, his potential ratings were 10-5-4.

^ An even bolder investment when you consider he lasted just 4 months with Boise.

[jiminyhopkins]

*sniff* they grow up so fast...

[7teen]

*sniff* they grow up so fast...

One minute you're competing for a title with Liberty, the next you're getting your first career save.