The Celebration
The champagne, the goggles, the soaked jerseys…we’ve all seen it on TV. But it’s usually the Major League clubs that we watch. So what about in the minors? Are things the same? What really goes on in the clubhouse after a win? Well, here’s what happened in the Loons clubhouse following Wednesday night’s 4–3 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks.
Get MLB.com/blogs’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
To get the full account we’ll need to start where the celebration did, which was on the field after the newest Loon, outfielder Stetson Banks, caught the final out to seal the deal and give the Loons their first-ever postseason berth prior to the All-Star Game. The players rushed the mound, throwing hats, gloves and sunglasses along the way, as if they were graduation caps.
Bound All-Star Luis Vasquez, №40 seen jumping for joy, was on the mound to close it out for the Loons Wednesday night and tossed a hitless ninth inning, three up three down, to allow the celebration to commence as soon as possible. He earned his 13th save of the year and is tied for second league-wide.
Seeing how the win was a come-from-behind effort, Jerry Sands helped continue the Loons tradition and gave Manager Juan Bustabad a shaving cream towel to the face. A well-deserved gesture for the skipper that has his men at 41–24 with four games to go.
The team’s harassment of Busty continued as pitchers Allen Webster and Josh Wall surprise him from behind as he gave his playoff-clinching speech to the 3,435 in attendance at Dow Diamond.
And with the blink of an eye, the diamond was left all alone, with only dirty belongings from Loons players remaining, traded in without shame for the champagne that beckoned from the clubhouse.
That’s when the long-time baseball tradition took place. All of the players, coaches and trainers got involved in distributing the iced beverages, with the single goal of making sure that no one in the room was left without that cold and sticky feeling.
Bustabad managed to quiet down the group, only briefly, in order to give another speech to his guys. He mainly reminded them that the prize wasn’t the berth, but the eventual championship, and getting that ring at the end of the year. Cheers were coaxed, followed by more dousing.
Like any good party, when all of the liquids were depleted, a dance party broke out. Here shortstop Christian Lara encourages Jerry Sands to keep up the jig.
The final action of the night had Bustabad fulfilling his promise to his players. He told them earlier in the season that he would let them shave his trademark mustache when they clinched a playoff spot. Rubby de la Rosa did the honors, while Busty’s kid joined in on the mohawk craze at the hands of third baseman Brian Ruggiano.
The Loons will have to regroup on Thursday, as they close out the series with South Bend, before heading to Dayton for their last series of the first-half.
