RedHawks take success seriously - at any level

By Matt Patterson

Published: September 1, 2008

There's a scene in Bull Durham when Kevin Costner's Crash Davis character dismisses the idea his minor league home run record is anything worth talking about, let alone reporting to the Sporting News. He views the milestone as a symbol of his baseball career's shortcomings.

While Crash Davis takes a cynical view of his minor league accomplishments, most minor league players care about their stats, and how their team performs. When Oklahoma clinched the PCL American South division on Aug. 23, the clubhouse exploded in celebration punctuated by champagne and revelry.

"This is what you play for,” catcher Max Ramirez said. "A lot of people think we might not care much about it, but we're all competitors. When you compete you want to win. Everyone wants to be on a team that's successful no matter what level you're at.”

For some, it's all they're playing for.

"I care a lot,” infielder Drew Meyer said. "It's getting to the point in my career where baseball is all I've got. It comes down to winning. I've always been that way. When I play I play to win whether it's A-ball or Triple-A. Everyone wants to go to the playoffs in the big leagues, but the bottom line is we're not in the big leagues, so we might as well win here.”

And winning makes things a lot more fun around the clubhouse.

"I haven't paid a lot of attention to the standings,” first baseman Nate Gold said. "But I pay attention to how we're doing. When you're winning, it's a lot more fun around here. Guys are loose and happy, and when we're not winning you can tell pretty easily. But I think what we've been able to do is focus on each game one at a time, and before you know it, it's late in the year and we're in the playoffs.”

Wednesday will mark Oklahoma's fourth playoff appearance since 2000, and the team has done it virtually wire to wire. Keeping up their position in the division has become a sort of un-official rallying point during the season's ups and downs. A playoff spot, even in the minors, isn't something to be taken for granted.

"Everyone is talking about it,” Jones said. "It doesn't happen very often. I've been in baseball for 40 years, and I have four championship rings. Some guys are toward the end of their career, and they'd like to get a ring out of it. That's why you play. We've got a shot at it right now, but we have to put it together.”

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