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Cassidy Thornburg | June 5, 2019
“100 percent reason to remember the name,” a line from Fort Minor’s popular pump up song rang out over the sound system set up behind home plate at the Santee Sports Complex. It’s the last day of Spring training and the San Diego Force are finishing up their final practice. As they step off the field and line up to pick up their jerseys, a couple of things immediately stand out about the San Diego Force that give a snapshot into their coming 2019 summer season.
First, the giant M emboldened on the first player’s jersey, shorts, and even shoes. The “M” is of course for the University of Michigan. The player is Keaton Carattini (U of Michigan), a pitcher who in his three seasons with the Wolverines owns a 2.11 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 83 innings. Used to the fast pace of D1 baseball, you can expect him to pack some heat this summer for the Force.
Second, the booming voice of Essex “Gas” Burton, the returning hitting coach for the Force who was drafted in 1991 by the Chicago White Sox. As a player in his own right, he hit .266/.358/.323 and is known as “Gas,” because as the media used to say, he would “burn up the base paths.” His desire to develop young players will certainly show when the Force step up to the plate this summer.
Third, the long curls of Byron Smith (Masters U) usually only seen coming out the back of his catcher’s mask. Smith plays at the Masters U and is more than effective behind the plate. Look out for some athletic stops and acrobatic catches from him this summer.
Fourth, the variety of license plates in the team parking lot. Over a third of players on the roster come from out of state. Players come from Alaska, Louisiana, Hawaii, etc. to make San Diego their home and the Force their family for the summer.
So, the Force look forward to another productive season, hoping to repeat their dominance of the SCCBL which they have won eight times in ten seasons. But after winning their league, their season took a turn for the worse in what members of the organization called a devastating disappointment. It was at the 2018 NBC World Series that the Force dropped three consecutive games and were knocked out far too early. There was no rodeo or line dance that could cure the devastation.
So, now 10 months later, with a chip on their shoulders and a point to prove, the Force open the 2019 season. The SCCBL know their name, but the question still lingers, after the 2019 World Series will the nation remember it?