Scrappers rally to beat Yanks in series opener
By Steve Ruman
NILES
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers own the worst home record in the New York-Penn League. The Staten Island Yankees own the league’s best road mark.
On Tuesday at Eastwood Field, a pair of trends were broken when the Scrappers recorded a 5-4 come-from-behind, 10-inning victory over the Yankees in front of 3,279 fans.
Trailing 4-3 in the eighth, the Scrappers tied things up thanks to an Emmanuel Tapia home run.
In the bottom of the 10th, Mark Mathias reached on a one-out single, advanced to second, then scored the winning run on a two-out bit by Austin Fisher.
“I just wanted to get on base any way I could and then you hope to make things happen from there,” Mathias said. “Once I got on second, I was pretty confident that someone would knock me home.”
The Scrappers (12-18) have won three of their last four games, and Mathias has provided the biggest spark. In his last three games, the second baseman is 9-for-15 with a double, two triples a home run and six runs scored.
“You have to have patience and trust in yourself,” Mathias. “I struggled here early, but I kept my head in the game. I also made a slight adjustment in my stance and stayed focused and it has paid off.”
The Scrappers’ victory dampened an otherwise joyful return to Eastwood Field for Yankees manager Pat Osborn. A product of the University of Florida, Osborn was a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2002. He spent that entire summer and a part of 2013 playing for the Scrappers.
“It’s crazy coming back here, so many memories went through my mind when I walked into the stadium,” Osborn said. “For me, this is where it all began. This was my start in professional baseball and it’s where I learned so many valuable lessons that led me to where I’m at today.
“I just always look back and remember this as a really neat area and a great place for players to get their start.”
Osborn spent six years in the Indians’ organization. He was a teammate of Shaun Larkin at Akron when he first entertained the idea of pursuing a coaching or managerial position. Larkin now manages the Lake County Captains.
“Shaun and I were going through infield practice one day when the subject was brought up,” Osborn said. “We both talked about how we wanted to stay in baseball after our playing days were over. We both shared the same passion for the game, for learning the ins and outs of baseball.”
After being released by the Indians, Osborn played for Southern Maryland in the Independent League for three years before becoming their manager in 2013.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Osborn said. “Our manager, Butch Hobson, was retiring and he recommended me to take over. It really opened a door.”
In 2014, Osborn was hired by the Yankees to coach in the Gulf Coast League. He was promoted to manage Staten Island earlier this year at the age of 34.
“It seems like just yesterday I was here going through the same learning phase that my players are now experiencing,” Osborn said. “In that regard, it’s very beneficial because I understand the struggles. It’s a never-ending learning process. But I’m lucky, I have a very good group of guys.”
Osborn said he has fond memories of “an (Eastwood Field) fan base that was really into its baseball.”
He credits his Scrappers manager, Chris Bando, for helping him both on and off the field. He still keeps in close contact with a number of players from the ‘02 Scrappers.
“Just looking around here, I can’t help but have a great feeling,” Osborn said.