On Danbury, Hats, and Fernando Valenzuela

The Hatters and their fans celebrate

 

Danbury won the FCIAC boys basketball championship tonight over Staples. 

Danbury -- known as "Hat City" -- began to take over in the second quarter and eventually ran away.

The team from Hat City is also known as the Hatters.

Allow us to flashback for a moment. It was June 29, 1990, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were playing the St. Louis Cardinals. On the mound at Chavez Ravine -- Dodger Stadium, of course -- was Fernando Valenzuela. Long past the days of "Fernandomania" he could still light up the LA crowd even as he worked his way to a 13-13 record with a 4.59 ERA.

On the Dodgers broadcast that night was none other than Vin Scully. Earlier, Valenzuela watched Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's pitch a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Fernando, always a delightful character, supposedly predicted he'd pitch a no-no that same night.

Lo and behold, he did just that, striking out seven Redbirds and walking three on 119 pitches.

On the air, Vin -- the master -- spoke. He recapped a bit of Fernando's career as he opened the top of the ninth inning. The crowd of almost 39,000 hung on every pitch. Scully, ever the storyteller, remained calm.

"Strike three called!" Scully exclaimed as Vince Coleman struck out to start the ninth inning.

Willie McGee was next. Vin noted -- correctly -- that pressure was on each fielder on the Dodgers, including Mike Sharperson, who just came into the game. Coming into a game, especially one now pressure-packed like this, would be stressful for a player off the bench.

McGee, who had hit Fernando well, walked.

Now it was Pedro Guerrero's turn. Pedro was a former teammate of Valenzuela's in Los Angeles.

McGee attempted to steal second on the first pitch, which was fouled off. Scully: "McGee, with all of his talent, can't steal a no-hitter from first base."

The 0-1 pitch was cut on and missed.

Vin Scully and Fernando Valenzuela

Then: "Fernando ready and the strike two pitch ... is hit back to the box, dribbling to second. (Juan) Samuel on the bag, throws to first, double play!"

The denouement -- a Scully specialty -- was coming.

"Fernando Valenzuela has pitched a no-hitter at ten-seventeen in the evening of June the twenty-ninth nineteen-ninety."

The facts. Always the facts. But, hang on. Here it comes.

"If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!"

And so, friends, dear readers, I hope you will not cringe as I complete this tale, just as I hope the audience of the FCIAC boys basketball championship didn't cringe. For as Danbury prepared to complete their first conference championship win since 2018, I began thinking about Hat City.

I thought about Danbury.

I thought about the Danbury Hatters of Hat City.

And then Vin Scully -- who's never far from my thoughts when broadcasting -- and Fernando Valenzuela came to mind.

I hoped "if you know, you know."

The time ticked down. I noted Danbury coach Casey Bock hugging his players. I saluted the Staples Wreckers. 

And then? It just came to me.

"It's a Hat City night. If you have a sombrero, throw it in the air! The Danbury Hatters rush the floor! They've won the FCIAC Championship!"

Yes, it's cheesy and I actually didn't quote Vin word-for-word, but it sort of made me really happy to say it to cap (see what I did there?) off another special night of calling championship basketball in the conference that I grew up in as a broadcaster.

So if you watched or listened tonight and wondered exactly what I was talking about, now you know.

And please know I was just saluting the best to do what I do while saluting the new conference champions.

I now have five games tomorrow. If you have a throat drop, hold onto it for me.

I might need it.