Ron Gideon was back in town for a two-game homestand against the Yakima Bears.
He was sitting in manager Fred Ocasios air-conditioned office Sunday while Gesa Stadium baked in 105-degree temperatures about an hour before game time.
Ocasio, the Dust Devils hitting coach from 2001-2005, used to watch Gideon in this same office, calling in game reports and reviewing situational hitting charts. That was before Ocasio replaced Gideon as manager in 2006.
The former Dust Devils manager remembers when there was NO air-conditioning in the managers office. As a matter of fact, it took some time before the team finally moved a swamp cooler in there.
But those were different days.
We were just saying how it never got as hot here as it is now, Gideon said. One year, we started the season in sleet and rain. Now its smoking hot from the get-go.
One of the biggest differences is how the field keeps improving. It plays so much better than it used to.
My first year covering the Dust Devils in 2005 was Gideons final year with the team before he moved on to become the Colorado Rockies roving field coordinator.
He always left an impression on me during his four-year stint in Tri-City. He had a crushing handshake and a booming voice that could put cracks in the clubhouse wall.
If I was asked to imagine what the voice of God might sound like, hes what I would think of.
Gideon is a straight shooter whom I considered a great authority when it came to baseball. He has a solid understanding of the game, but, more importantly, he truly has a feel for what young players go through in their first few years in the game.
He wasnt the first Dust Devils manager that honor belonged to Stu Cole in 2001 but Gideon remembers the clubs early days in Pasco, long before Gesa Stadium got its name.
He remembers his first batch of players in Tri-City, which included current Colorado Rockies ace Jeff Francis and reserve outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, who were both fresh out of college.
Its one of those father-son things, Gideon said. You try to get them used to playing every day of the week instead of two or three times a week in college. It takes its toll on the body.
In four years, Gideon watched a total of 158 players come through Tri-City. Though only a few of those players have reached the big leagues 10 (and counting) so far all of them in his eyes were worthy of attention.
Theyre what its all about for us, he said. Our days of playing are over. Were in this for them, and to see those guys make it (to the majors) makes everything worth it.
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On paper, Dust Devils have NWL title wrapped up
On paper, Dust Devils have NWL title wrapped up
PASCO -- If you look at the Northwest League website, you'll see that the Tri-City Dust Devils have vastly superior numbers to the Vancouver Canadians.
The Dust Devils swept the first half and second half East Division titles, and then went on to sweep Boise in the best-of-3 NWL divisional playoffs.
The Canadians didn't win either half in the West and backed into the playoffs after losing five of their last six regular season games.
Plenty to cheer after Dust Devils' fine year
Plenty to cheer after Dust Devils' fine year
The Tri-City Dust Devils will feel the sting for a while.
To come within one game of a Northwest League title only to fall short on the final day of the season, it leaves a hole.
"It's quiet (in the locker room), but there's nothing we can do. It's over with," Dust Devils pitcher Tyler Gagnon said after he took the loss in Game 3 of the NWL championship series Sunday in Vancouver. "We have to learn from it and move on."
Dust Devils clinch second-half title
Dust Devils clinch second-half title
Jared Simon lined a two-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tri-City Dust Devils the final runs they would need Friday in a 3-1 victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes at Gesa Stadium.
The win clinched the Northwest League second-half East Division title for the Dust Devils (21-16, 43-32), who became the first team to win both halves in a season since the league changed formats before last season.
"Obviously it feels good to win the half," Dust Devils manager Freddie Ocasio said. "But the important thing is the players are playing with energy again and winning games going into the playoffs."
Dust Devils clinch second-half title
Dust Devils clinch second-half title
PASCO -- Jared Simon lined a two-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tri-City Dust Devils the final runs they would need Friday in a 3-1 victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes at Gesa Stadium.
The win clinched the Northwest League second-half East Division title for the Dust Devils (21-16, 43-32), who became the first team to win both halves in a season since the league changed formats before last season.
"Obviously it feels good to win the half," Dust Devils manager Freddie Ocasio said. "But the important thing is the players are playing with energy again and winning games going into the playoffs."
Dust Devils drop Game 1 of NWL finals
Dust Devils drop Game 1 of NWL finals
PASCO -- The Tri-City Dust Devils hopped on a bus for Vancouver, British Columbia, late Friday night after their 6-3 Game 1 loss to the Vancouver Canadians in the Northwest League Championship Series at Gesa Stadium.
Along with their bats, gloves and spikes, the Dust Devils hoped to carry a win across the border. Instead, they might need to pack a miracle or two, as they need to win both games at Nat Bailey Stadium to earn their first NWL championship.
"We've got to go up there and win two," said Tri-City manager Fred Ocasio. "They came in and beat us at home, but we're capable of doing the same thing."
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