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At The Threshold
IL All-Stars Carl Crawford and Brandon Larsen are rising to prominence.

Jonathan Roybal
MinorLeagueNews.com

07.10.02 – Oklahoma City, OK - Even three hours before the first pitch was to be thrown, Carl Crawford was primed for his OKC coming out party.

The 20-year-old phenom of the Durham Bulls immediately sprinted to first base after taking early batting practice in the cage.

He then imitated his lead off first base against an imaginary pitcher. Next he jumped off the bag with an incredible explosiveness, blazing down the base path at top speed.

He repeated the process at each base until he crossed home plate.

When I asked him where he gets motivation to run like that after taking so many swings, he looked at me with a sly smile and answered,” Want me do it again?,” giving me a hint at his plans for later in the evening.

It’s the 2002 Triple-A All Star Game in Oklahoma City, and both the International and Pacific Coast League’s stars came out to shine.

Batting in the third spot for the International League All-Stars, Crawford would get his chance to gleam in the first inning.

Following the strikeouts of both Scranton’s Nick Punto and Louisville’s Raul Gonzalez, Crawford stepped in to face Oklahoma’s hometown Aaron Myette.

Working to a full count with two outs, Crawford ripped a single into the right field gap.

True to his earlier prediction, Crawford took the momentum of a big lead all the way to second for a steal.

His display of speed must have got Myette a little nervous, for Crawford reached third on a wild pitch to Louisville’s Brandon Larsen.

Unfortunately for the IL, Crawford single-handedly generated more offense in the first inning than the team would me able to muster throughout the game.

Myette settled down to strike out Larsen, then combined with his PCL teammates on a five hit shut out to lead the PCL in a 5-0 victory over the IL in the 2002 AAA All-Star Game.

The PCL pitching was so dominant that the IL never again reached third base.

In fact, the only other runner the IL got into scoring position came on Norfolk’s Marco Scutaro’s fifth-inning double, the team’s sole extra base hit.

Although the offense couldn’t get on track, the IL pitchers kept them in the game.

Through five innings, it seemed both teams just kept setting them up and mowing them down.

With goose eggs dominating the scoreboard, the crowd of 11,343 at SBC Bricktown Ballpark were getting antsy at the possibility, of not just a tie, like that other all-star game the night before, but a 0-0 deadlock that was growing more believable by the minute.

Like a staring contest though, sooner or later someone is going to blink. Regrettably, this night it would be the International League.

Indianapolis’ Derrin Ebert gave up a lead off walk in the 6th inning, followed by three straight hits to give the PCL a 2-0 advantage. Another run was pushed across during a double play, and the 3-0 lead proved to be more than the PCL would eventually need.

If only the IL could have capitalized on Crawford’s first inning outburst.

Brandon Larsen came into the All-Star game as perhaps the best overall hitter in Triple A. He was leading both leagues with 24 long balls and backed his power up by winning the Home Run Derby the night before.

“I think you always want to showcase your pop. Sometimes you want to show it off a little to the scouts,” Larsen said about his derby performance.

His game isn’t just about going deep though. He ranked 4th in the IL in batting with a .340 average, and his 68 RBI’s give him a legitimate chance at the first Triple Crown in the league since 1974.

After leaving Crawford stranded in the first, Larsen finished 0-2 on the night, but wasn’t disappointed.

“I’m just really enjoying the All Star Game and the season, “ he said. “Who knows? I may never have another year like this.”

Larsen is trying to follow in the footsteps of Cincinnati Reds rookie Adam Dunn; he made the Triple-A All-Star game last season with Louisville, and the Major League All-Star game this year with the Reds.

“I’m not ready to put myself in his league,” Larson said. “Adam Dunn is a superstar in the making.”

Modesty or not, when you see players such as Larsen and Crawford in person, one thing becomes evident: It’s not a matter of if they will be called up to the majors, but when.