Baseball: With game in the bag, he wasn’t taking any chances

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You know those superstitions, like never bag the equipment before the game is over? Well, you have to figure James Cacioppo isn’t superstitious.

He didn’t bag the equipment, but according to the Register’s account, the pitcher pronounced the game in the bag in the top of the seventh inning when he apparently told his teammates not to hurt him during the inevitable celebration following an imminent victory over La Habra.

You know, I once said the same thing to my colleagues moments before a sportswriter of the year announcement, only to be beaten by Bill Plaschke. I guess I didn’t have a 10-run lead at the time. On the bright side, I did avoid injury.

With a 13-3 lead, Cacioppo wasn’t taunting the baseball gods, he was simply fulfilling their commands. The pitcher helped the Raiders win their third consecutive Freeway League title. The victory also avenged a 5-4 defeat earlier in the season that snapped Sonora’s 29-game league winning streak.

Most impressive, Cacioppo came into the season as the ace of the staff for Sonora (20-9) but didn’t start since the league opener. That means everyone else picked up the slack, if not the bag.

-- Martin Henderson