http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/146970
By Patrick Finley
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.16.2006
ROUND ROCK, Texas — This is the way it was supposed to end.
The Tucson Sidewinders — the team with 97 wins, the most in the minor leagues — swept the Pacific Coast League Championship Series by defeating the Round Rock Express 6-3 Friday night.
The title is the third in Tucson history — the Toros won the Pacific Coast League in 1991 and 1993.
But it wasn't just the sweep that made Friday night's game poetic. It was the two Sidewinders players who helped clinch the game — and the season — before 7,705 fans at Dell Diamond.
Brian Barden ripped a two-run home run to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning, and Robby Hammock followed with a solo shot to cap off a five-run rally.
Between the two of them, the third baseman and first baseman have more than 900 at-bats for the Sidewinders this season. Unlike star prospects Stephen Drew, Chris Young and Carlos Quentin, neither were called up to the majors this year.
They were Sidewinders from Day 1.
"It couldn't have been any better," Barden said.
Champagne-soaked and bleary-eyed, Hammock received the series MVP award in the Sidewinders' clubhouse following the game.
"It's funny — every time, me and (Barden) have similar games," Hammock said. "Whatever he did, it was just kinda weird the way it went. He was a guy we could kinda see what was going on with him, and I'd get the same kinda idea of what's going on with at-bats. You feel more talented going to the plate."
Hammock, once a fast-tracked prospect, played in only three games last year after having right labrum surgery.
"There's things that happen in the business of baseball and the development of players," he said. "I was in the same situation those guys were in."
As for replacing prospects, Hammock smiled wryly.
"Somebody has to keep playin'," he said, "Why not us?"
The Sidewinders will play one more game — Tuesday's "Bricktown Showdown" in Oklahoma City against the winner of the International League. The fact they didn't have to return to Dell Diamond today impresses manager Chip Hale.
"When you get down in a game like this, and you're already up 2-0 (in the series), you think, 'Hey, we'll be back tomorrow,' " Hale said. "But they wanted to win tonight. Badly."
Trailing 3-1, the Sidewinders led off the seventh with singles from Kenny Perez — hitting for reliever Casey Daigle — and Alberto Callaspo. They each advanced one base on a wild pitch, and Jon Weber drove them on a single to right field to tie the game.
Round Rock starter Philip Barzilla — who had not allowed a run until the sixth — was replaced by reliever Jailen Peguero. The lanky right-hander struck out Scott Hairston before imploding.
Barden stepped to the plate with Weber on first. The Sidewinders had not hit a home run since the last day of the regular season.
"I was late on pitches all day," Barden said. "I told myself, 'If he puts something in the air, I'm gonna drive something this time.' "
He did, crushing a ball over the wall in left-center field. Hammock, the next batter, put the ball in the same spot.
The Sidewinders had trailed in part because of a pair of controversial plays.
In the first, Hairston crushed a ball to the 400-foot mark at the top of the center field wall. Center fielder Mike Rodriguez leapt for the ball; after he landed, Rodriguez began walking toward the pitcher's mound, apparently it cleared the fence.
But the ball had ricocheted onto the grass — likely off the batter's eye beyond the wall. Hairston was awarded only a triple, and was stranded at third.
"It was a home run, but do you know what? I forgot about that," Hairston laughed. "Who cares? We won."
Sidewinders starter Ross Ohlendorf got the first two batters of the game to ground out to shortstop, but then gave up back-to-back doubles to Brooks Conrad and Eric Munson to fall behind 1-0. Hector Gimenez singled to score Munson to make it 2-0.
Controversy returned in the fifth when the leadoff batter, Jesse Garcia, struck out on a pitch in the dirt. He appeared to kick the ball away, and advanced to first.
If the kick were intentional, Garcia would have been ruled out. He eventually scored on a Barden throwing error.
The third baseman made up for it in the seventh.
"I've never been on a team this good," he said. "Wow."
