Generals go out in style

After a one hour and twenty minute rain delay, the teams were finally able to take the field on Thursday as the Generals came out on top over the Rapids to win 4-0 in the last game of their season in the second half of a doubleheader.

“It’s not how you start the race, but how you finish it,” said Waynesboro manager Derek McDaniel.

Waynesboro waited until the fourth inning to get the runs on the board. Two of the three coming from passed balls and the other off an RBI single from Brooks Cullen.

“That inning was huge,” McDaniel said. “Chris Enourato’s hit moved the runners up and then Brooks came in. They played the game the way it is supposed to be played.”

The Generals were able to put one more run up in the seventh when Tony Caldwell was hit by a pitch and Jose Rodriguez’s hard grounder to left field drove him in.

On the mound for most of the night was Matt Shepherd who beat the team record by retiring 17 straight batters.

“Shepherd couldn’t have thrown much better,” McDaniel said. “He could have gone the distance but I wanted to get other guys in, like Ryan Adams and Evan Stobbs.”

Waynesboro started the 2009 season off well, but hit a slump after the All-Star break.

“We started off well but then hit a stride where every hit was directly as somebody,” McDaniel said. “I have to give credit to the players though, they never quit. They had to fight through adversity and they stuck it out with me. They gave me everything they had.”

The Generals send their final farewell to a few players, including Enourato and Adams who had some parting words of wisdom to the remaining players…

“It’s a good baseball tradition here,” Adams said. “It’s not just about the wins and losses, everybody likes to win but you have to hate to lose. You got to make it [losing] not happen.”

“This season wasn’t what we were looking for in the wins and losses categories,” Enourato said. “But overall the guys were great and we had a good time. We all improved.”

The Generals leave this season with many questions going unanswered, like who will coach next year.

“I have no idea,” McDaniel said who took over as the Generals’ manager after Andy Chalot resigned with 10 games to go. “I know for sure, though, that I won’t be in charge. I just have too much on my plate. If I come back it will be as an assistant.”