Little Number 21

Pinch Hitter
Originally uploaded by thegreatplotnik.

This is not Big Number Five, who is Joe DiMaggio. It is also not Little Number Five, who hit a memorable game winning home run in the tenth inning last night, one that prompted a phone call from The Great PunkyDunky in Stiletto City, who held the phone outside on the balcony so Plotnik could hear the neighborhood shouting and honking horns in response.

But, as is almost always true, that home run would have not been possible without someone else, little Number 21, whose name is Marlon Anderson. Marlon Anderson hasn't had much of a career. He has been with six teams in five years and came to the Plotzers only a few weeks ago as a possible pinch hitter. But the Plotzer's young phenom left fielder has run out of gas at the end of a long season, and the old vet, Marlon, replaced him last night. Marlon was ready.

Last night he got five hits, including two home runs, one of them tying the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Without Marlon, no tenth inning, and without the tenth inning, no heroics for Little Number Five.

It's easy to love players with huge publicity machines and names like Barry and Nomar and Derek and Manny, but The Great Plotnik prefers the Marlons and Joses and Ramons and Brads who don't get their chances until big moments. It gives Plotnik a good feeling in the pit of his stomach when they come through.