Gorman product collects homer, four RBIs in first MLB game
Why is Blatter resigning? Same as ever. Follow the money
ARLINGTON, Texas — Sometimes a player lives up to every bit of his hype, and on Tuesday night in his major league debut, that’s exactly what Las Vegan Joey Gallo did.
Gallo, the No. 1 prospect of the Texas Rangers who was recalled from Double-A Frisco earlier in the day, went 3-for-4 with a single, double, home run, a walk, two runs scored and four RBIs in a 15-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox.
“I definitely did not think this was going to happen in the first game,” said Gallo, who hit sixth and played third base. “I was just going to be happy to get on base in the first game, so I definitely overachieved my goals there.”
First-year Rangers manager Jeff Bannister devoted much of his postgame news conference to discussing Gallo’s impressive debut, starting with a nearly three-minute opening statement with plenty of dramatic pauses, stoppages that made it evident how happy he was to be front and center for such a big night.
“This is why I get to do what I do and why I love what I do,” Bannister said. “Incredible evening for a young man. Really rarely do they come up and meet all of the expectations in their first night. I can’t describe really truly how I feel, getting to sit and watch it.”
In the first inning, Gallo, who starred at Bishop Gorman High School, came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. He delivered a two-run single, sending an 85 mph slider from Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija through the legs of first baseman Adam LaRoche, a ball the official scorer ruled a hit because it took a bad hop.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Gallo said of the hit in his first big league at-bat. “I was just happy to hit it.”
Gallo’s second plate appearance came in the third inning when, with one on and one out, he drilled Samardzija’s first pitch, a 92 mph cut fastball, into the right-field stands for a home run, whipping the crowd into a
SPECIAL TO THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Fans cheer every at-bat, even a strikeout
frenzy. Gallo’s first big league home run traveled 418 feet and put the Rangers ahead 6-2.
After receiving some prodding from Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder, Gallo left the dugout briefly for a curtain call, a new experience for the 21-year-old slugger.
“I’ve never done that before,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure it was for me. I didn’t know what was going on.”
His third at-bat came in the fifth when, with none on, one out and a 1-2 count, he blasted a 92 mph cut fastball from Samardzija off the top of the right-field wall.
Initially, it appeared Gallo had connected for his second homer, as the Rangers’ home run music, the theme from “The Natural,” started playing inside the stadium. But the ball deflected off the top of the wall, and Gallo slid into second just ahead of the throw from right fielder Avisail Garcia.
“It (hearing the home run music) messed me up,” Gallo said. “I started jogging and almost got thrown out at second base. I didn’t get all of it obviously, but thought I had enough of it.”
With two on and none out in the sixth, Simple. Follow the money. It’s a catchphrase popularized by the 1976 movie “All The President’s Men,” suggesting a money trail or corruption scheme within high (often political) office. It was attributed on the big screen to Deep Throat, the informant who took part in revealing the Watergate Scandal.
There is also such a trail with FIFA, and it’s closer to Blatter today than ever.
He was asked Saturday if he feared arrest in the wake of 14 individuals, including nine FIFA officials, being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI on allegations of corruption and bribery.
“Arrested for what?” Blatter responded. “Next question.”
On Monday, The New York Times reported that Blatter’s top FIFA lieutenant made $10 million in bank transactions that are key elements in the bribery scandal. Jerome Valcke, acting as the organization’s secretary general, reportedly transferred the money in 2008 to accounts controlled by Warner, one of those indicted for allegedly taking a bribe in exchange for South Africa securing the right to host the 2010 World Cup. Samardzija was replaced by Dan Jennings, who struck out Gallo on four pitches. Jennings threw Gallo nothing but sliders, sending him down swinging after throwing him ball one.
Despite striking out, Gallo received a rather noticeable ovation from the crowd of 27,558.
“Hopefully they keep doing that,” he said. “That makes me feel a whole lot better, but, no, I haven’t ever gotten a standing ovation for striking out.”
About the only thing Gallo didn’t do in his debut was make a play in the field. Amazingly, he didn’t have a ball hit his way the entire game.
Gallo’s final plate appearance came in the eighth against Hector Noesi. With a runner on third and none out, Gallo worked an eight-pitch walk, then scored on Carlos Corporan’s three-run homer.
Gallo’s parents, Tony and Laura Gallo, were in attendance and joined him on the field as he did a postgame interview. And once his debut was over, he had secured the baseballs from all three hits but had no intentions of keeping them for long.
“I’ll probably just give them (my parents) all of them so I’m not lugging them around, losing them and stuff,” Gallo said. “(I’ll) just give them to them and let them send them back to Vegas.”
In short, this is how the last week went for FIFA:
Arrests and indictments were followed by Blatter’s re-election, which was followed by those closest to him being suspected of bribery, which was followed by his resignation. A sequence of serendipity? Probably not. It was reported Tuesday that Blatter is indeed under investigation by U.S. officials for his potential part in the corruption, and there is hope those already under indictment will offer evidence against him. The feds want to see how many of the 14 might flip on Blatter when trying to save themselves.
The only things missing now are Jack Woltz and a horse’s head.
“The last 40 years of my life were closely related to FIFA and this wonderful sport of football,” Blatter said. “I appreciate and love FIFA more than anything else, and I only want to do the best for football and FIFA. Our institution.” That’s the problem. The institution. The entire rotten system. Blatter merely has been a byproduct, although quite a large one, of a much bigger issue. His resignation is a start but in no way will turn FIFA into an honest, law-abiding organization overnight.
Not if the voting structure doesn’t change.
Not if those 133 countries that cast ballots for Blatter on Friday champion the same egregious ways in how they support their next favorite candidate who buys them off with soccer facilities and jobs and perhaps just duffel bags full of cash.
Consider: Blatter said he will remain in charge until a new election, which reportedly will take place between December and March 2016. This will allow time, FIFA officials say, to properly vet candidates.
How in the world do you suspect that process will be carried out? Who could be trusted at this point? I suppose Will Ferrell and the Italian kids could be, and maybe we could get Mike Ditka to pardon Blatter.
The gift that is the world’s sport just keeps on giving. Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on KRLV 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.