Hey, Larry Johnson, Madison Star Press.
I got permission to ride with the team.
- Okay with you? - Hey, L.J.!
No, not him, please.
- Sure. - Come on in.
Thank you.
Hi, Roger. Wet enough for you?
Good to see you. Been a while. How's...
- Lucy. - Yeah.
Fine. How's...
- Eileen. - Yeah.
Fine.
Okay, let's go.
Team seems pretty loose for their first game.
Most of these kids have already put in a full day's work at their farm.
Still milking that underdog angle, eh?
- Nice to meet you, Kent. - You, too, Coach.
You got some beautiful weather here. Not a drop of rain in sight.
Right. We'll take some infield then.
Coach?
Do you mind if my kids take infield first? They're a little sleepy from the drive over.
I'd love to wake them up so we can give you some good competition.
Pretty standard, home team takes infield first.
Yeah, would have been our home game, except for the rain and all.
- Okay, I guess. - Thanks, Coach. Won't take long.
- Let's go. - Infield!
Nice and crisp, boys! Nice and crisp!
- Dude. - Huh?
Thought they lost all their good players.
It looks like they found some more.
Last one.
Atta boy.
All yours, Coach.
Eight minutes, 50 seconds.
That ought to get in their heads and rattle around a little bit.
Get out there!
Come on, yeah!
- Strike three! - Yeah!
Come on, get there!
Come on! Keep your head in the play!
Sit down and shut up!
That is the absolute worst I've ever seen this team play!
The Sixth Commandment of baseball, don't alibi on the bad hops!
Anyone can make the easy play!
How do we give four unearned runs in one inning?
I said give me some heads up base running!
You gave me head-up-your-ass base running!
We got picked off three times!
You guys are going to blow your final season!
Is that what you want?
Do you know who's sitting up in the stands writing about you right now?
What do you want him to say?
Use your heads! Show up and play ball,
or don't show up at all!
All right, guys.
Just don't rush your balance point here. Just stay long, it's going to work you.
- That's it. - Hey, Coach.
You seen this crap? They're ragging on your boys.
When I was a kid, Jim Van Scoyoc was my hero.
I mean, I wanted to play ball for him. I wanted to learn from him.
I never thought in a million years that I would replace him.
And now that I have, I can't motivate the team the way he did.
He's a legend. You know, I mean, he...
Twelve state championships.
Coach of the year. National coach of the year.
I was his assistant coach for a half season.
And I can never fill his shoes.
So quit.
- No, it's not about quitting. It's about... - Kidding, joke.
Listen to me.
You don't have it in you to let those kids down.
You don't.
Just concentrate on filling your own shoes.
"You will never become a.300-hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder."
Casey Stengel.
Chief Bender. Played for the Philadelphia Athletics
about a hundred years ago.
I knew that.
Come on, Sammy. Throw a strike.
That's what I'm talking about! Yeah!
- Yeah! - I got it.
Time, blue!
- What was that garbage? - Like we're going to win anyway.
Who cares? We won the first game.
- He's a little off today, Coach. - No, he's not.
You do that one more time, you're out of here.
You understand?
You fight for it. I don't care what the score is.
Let's go.
All right, look alive, Norway! Two down!
- All right, let's go, two down, Norway! - Here we go, Sammy! Pick it up!
Let's get this guy!
- Time, blue! - I got it, Coach. Come on, Big-O.
You all right? This hand?
- Right there... - All right, all right, let's get some ice on it.
You're done, sit down.
Cold, keep the swelling down.
- We're going to get an x-ray. All right. - Nice pitch, idiot!
Mitch, get on the gear.
Okay, two down. Get this guy.
- Bad pitch. - The worst.
Driscoll, get third base.
- All right, I got to get this off you. - How's it look?
Not good, Coach. It's swelling up bad.
All right, here we go, Norway, here we go! Two down! Two down!
Three strikes, buy you a pack of cigarettes.
- I don't smoke. - Six-pack.
- Done. - Atta boy.
Let's go, Kevin.
Strike!
- Three! - Yes!
Hey, slugger, don't worry about it. I heard he hunts rabbits with those things.
Bus is moving. What are you doing, guys?
Sit down.
Hold him! Hold him down! Hold him down! Sammy!
You don't want to be on this team? Then quit!
But don't you ever quit in a game! You got it?
Face it, Patrick, it doesn't matter!
Hey! Be part of the team or get off of it!
Sit down and shut up!
Pop!
- My chest is burning! - All right, I need my two fastest runners!
- Go! Go! - Mitch, go, go, go, go!
Run, run, run, run!
This don't look good.
So what's the good word there, darling?
No more driving the bus.
No more beer. No more cigars.
And I'm sorry, boys. No more baseball.
Jim, come here, do me a favor.
You just name it, buddy.
Reach over there and pull that plug for me, would you?
For real?
What do you want?
I came to see Cindy.
- Is she around? - I'm still on the fence about you, Akers.
- Hi. - Hi.
I came to see you.
- I can see that. - Yeah, well...
I'm going to visit my grandma. Come along if you want.
- All right. - Just hop on.
- Hop on? - Yeah.
All right, hold on.
Oh, are you okay?
I meant to do that.
Really? Are you okay?
I'll walk.
Come on, Duke.
Hey, come here.
My mom died a year ago.
I'm sorry.
She's buried in Chicago.
And ever since then, me and my dad have had trouble.
It's mostly me, I guess.
Let me ask you something, Sammy. Few big games coming up next week.
A little thin in the pitching department, aren't you?
You're a little thin in the hair department, aren't you?
Well...
Hey, Akers, you're from the big city. Help me out a little here.
In your own words, what would you say the difference is between
Norway baseball and Chicago baseball?
You got a cigarette?
That's great, very funny. You're good.
- You're bald. - All right!
That's it! I'm bald, okay? Anyone not know I'm bald?
Why don't we all just say, "Roger Dempsey's bald,
"and we're not." Yet!
Yeah, right.
Yeah, yeah. Kids, huh?
What are you so glum about? You're 17 and 12. That's pretty good, considering.
Thought you always called 'em like you saw 'em?
As I saw them. But never mind that now.
Look, I was a little hard on you in the beginning.
But I'll be honest with you, I think you have a shot at the state tournament.
- Off the record? - Sure.
We have tired pitching and sloppy defense.
Coach, they always hit a patch like this every year.
But you know what? Coach Van Scoyoc would ease up on them a little.
- You've been talking to him? - No.
But Coach Van Scoyoc always stopped riding them so hard.
- You've been talking to him? - No.
The team he's coaching is coming in
on a 35-year-old consecutive scoreless innings record.
So, that's all.
- So you've been talking to him? - Yes. For that story.
- You talk to him about me? - No.
But he's very proud of you and thinks you're doing a great job.
- You didn't talk to him about me? - Of course I have.
You'd make a pretty good reporter yourself. You know what?
He says you'll know exactly what you have to do.
What's that, Roger?
You gotta coach to win that last game, the big one.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Gotta get there first, Chip.
You will.
Thanks, Roger.
- Excuse me, Mr. Dempsey? - Yeah, son?
It's okay, my grandpa was bald, too.
Thanks.
But you're fatter.
Oh, boy.
Tonight's the night Norway fans kiss high school baseball goodbye.
Everybody plays it here and you just can't turn it down.
It's been a tradition here in Norway for as long as I can remember.
And that's pretty near 70 years.
Alex's wife, Dolly, understands as well as anyone what the Tigers mean to the town.
Baseball is Norway. Or Norway is baseball.
It's sad for the town.
Okay. Next week we go to sectionals.
If we can knock off Jefferson today,
the number-one ranked 4A team from a school ten times our size,
we send a message to all the other schools, Norway isn't dead.
Now, I know you guys realize this but I'm gonna say it anyway.
This is the last regular season game in this school's history.
Let's make it count. Bring it in.
"Tigers" on three. One, two, three!
- Tigers! - Let's go!
You know what? I've got one of those baseball feelings, though.
I think Norway's coming back.
Would this be like a whiskey feeling or more of a vodka feeling?
You know what? You're biased, Larry. You're from Madison, come to think of it.
You want Norway to lose. If they don't lose, you have a problem next season.
I know who you are.
And you're not biased?
I'm from the big city, buddy. Des Moines, all right?
I don't have a horse in this... I don't care who wins this game.
All right, big city. 20 gets your 40 Norway loses.
- Oh, I'm so gonna bet. - All right.
- You want a piece of this, Father? - Stop it.
- Come on, guys, it's not too late! - It's rally time!
Pitcher's got nothin'!
Don't ever do this.
Mitch, be a hero.
Go! Go, go, go, go!
Come on, Mitch!
You gotta be down! You gotta be down!
Safe!
- Welcome to Norway, son. - Thanks, Coach.
Let's go, take a look!
Okay.
You got one more.
Here you go.
Go!
Yeah!
Hey, hey! Doesn't mean I want to be related to you.
Good job, good job, Mitch.
Who calls a suicide squeeze in that situation?
A Norway coach with big stones. I feel awful about this. Awful.
You wanna give me a hit off that flask?
If you get a cup.
Oh, it's beautiful.
- Yeah. - Thank you.
- It's a little small, though. - I know.
It's 'cause it's for me. Come on.
All right.
Norway High School plays its final baseball season.
And today begins play in its final state tournament.
Then the Tigers broke it open in the third. Patrick Iverson doubles to left center,
scoring Stewart, and the Redhats lead 2-0.
The Tigers scored three in the third two more in the fifth, to win it 7-0.
They're headed back to the state title game set for noon on Saturday.
The last game ever for the Norway Tigers.
Hey, Mom.
You know, I heard a rumor there's a big game tomorrow.
- Son. - Dad.
Thought I'd stop by.
- Dad. - Son.
You need help with your bag?
Yeah.
I packed two.
I figured, you know, a hick town like this could use a big city guy around.
Yeah.
Plus, I probably still got some fans down at the old folks' home.
Yeah. And your friends in jail.
- You called him, didn't you? - Shut up.
Oh, Dad, you know those cigars you wanted me to send you?
Brought 'em with me.
Shut up.
What the hell is with these guys?
6-0 in the state tournament and we're washed up?
How the hell do they figure that?
- Dad... - Do something with him.
Gillett Grove South Clay is 31-8, Dad. I mean, they're all seniors.
Of course they're gonna be the favorites.
- They don't lose a whole lot. - That don't mean they can't.
I know. I mean, look, just listen to us on the radio,
cheer us on, all right? We'll be fine.
All right, all right, all right. Okay.
And do not sit there and get yourself all worked up.
Of course not. All right, just go to the game, I'll be fine.
Don't worry about a thing. I've got Doc Michaels' pager number,
if we need it, which we won't. Just go enjoy the ball game.
Would you get my purse, please?
- Be good! - I'll see to it.
Come in.
Jim, thank God you're here.
What the hell took you so long?
Damn flight was late. Sure you're up to this?
Last game, Coach. End of an era. Got to be there for that one.
Aren't you afraid the doc's gonna see you?
Ain't the doc I'm worried about.
No, sit down.
Okay. It's one and done.
Forever.
South Clay is 31-8.
The eight games they lost were when Reed Ellis wasn't in the rotation.
He's pitching today.
We all know he's being scouted by pro teams.
But one player doesn't win a baseball game.
Sammy?
He can if he throws 92 miles an hour, Coach.
We win by playing Norway baseball.
Eighty percent of this game is defense.
We don't let anything get out of the infield and we wait.
Sooner or later, they'll make a mistake.
Every player whose ever worn a Norway uniform is out there with you today.
And think about this.
No other lowa High School baseball dynasty
has ever won a state championship in their final season.
We're playing for everyone who knows that Norway
is a great place to come home to.
And no matter what happens today, this time next year,
the jerseys you're wearing will be polishing chrome at Madison High School.
So ask yourself one question.
How do you want to be remembered?
All right, let's go. Bring it in.
Give us the count, Big-O.
- One, two, three... - Tigers!
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the singing of our national anthem.
Oh, say, can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming
And the rocket's red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
O say, does that star-spangled
Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the
Brave
Thank you very much. Play ball.
I did it!
Tigers!
Come on, Norway!
Now, you be calm.
Me? You stay calm. Don't worry about me.
And the Norway Tigers take the field
looking to secure their 20th title in this, their final season,
against the heavily favored, senior dominated
Gillet Grove South Clay Spartans.
With senior pitcher Kevin Stewart out of the rotation
there's a lot of pressure on the Tiger's junior pitcher,
number 29, Sammy Wilson.
Let's go, Sammy, huh? Shoot strikes, kid! Shoot strikes!
All right, now, Redhats! Two down!
Out!
Well, so far so good. Three up, three down on solid defensive playing by the Tigers.
Nice work!
And that will bring to the mound Gillet Grove South Clay's
superstar pitcher, Reed Ellis, a statewide MVP four consecutive years.
Ellis will be attending the University of Arizona in the fall
and, according to scouting reports, is a number-one pro draft contender.
Kid can pitch.
That boy pitches very fast, huh, Daddy?
Sure does, sweetie.
- Come on, let's go. - Yeah.
Come on now, Eddie!
Batter's up.
All right, Eddie, let's go, start us off now!
Strike!
Strike three!
This guy's not gonna make the pros, he is a pro.
Don't worry, you'll get it next trip.
It's hard to hit an aspirin tablet, Big-O.
Ellis throwing bullets.
Chasing the Norway batter out of the box with a 95-mile-an-hour fast ball.
Strike!
Come on, Sammy, swing the bat!
Strike three!
And there's strike three. I know it's scary in there,
but you'll never get on base if you jump out of the box like that.
There's no other way to put it. That is pure fear.
- Come on, Mitch! - Come on, Mitch!
All right, let's go!
All right, Mitch, now!
Strike!
Two!
Strike three!
That's three up, three down. A ninth straight strike from Ellis.
A masterful display.
It's gonna be a long day.
All right, let's go, Norway! Defense, come on now!
There it is! Come on now, turn it! Turn it!
Tough defensive play by Norway keeping the Tigers alive!
Come on, Kev, let's hit this guy! Come on now!
That sucker's throwing bullets.
Here we go now! Take a look!
Come on now.
Strike!
Strike three! You're out!
Ellis on his game today.
Un-hittable so far, frustrating Norway.
And now up to bat, Reed Ellis.
Ellis, with a long drive to deep left field!
That'll clear the bases. Oh, my! Ellis is an army of one today!
- Hold him, hold him! - Let's go!
Don't give in, Sammy, come on now!
And South Clay opens it up with two runs in the top of the third.
Underdog Norway just looks stunned at the moment.
- Time, blue! - Time!
Coach Kent Stock, up and out of the dugout and on his way to the mound.
- How's your arm? - I'm fine.
We're supposed to be out here waiting for them to make mistakes,
not the other way around, right?
Mow these guys down and let's get off the mound, all right?
- Out. - Atta way, boys! Let's go!
Come on, now, Sam. Keep it down.
- Out! - Yes!
Nice job!
Pretty sharp. That's his game, defense.
Apparently, Coach Stock's words of encouragement to his pitcher worked.
And the Tigers strand Ellis on base.
Do I have to do this by myself again? Let's get it out of the infield next time!
And that didn't sit well with Ellis.
Complaining loudly at his teammates.
An outburst like that could get him ejected if he's not careful.
He's gonna hang one for you right now.
- How do you know, Coach? - Just trust me.
Ellis into the stretch.
And the pitch.
Iverson connects!
It's way back! Deep to right field!
Going! Going!
It is gone!
Yeah!
- Son of a... - Holy Toledo!
That's a round tripper for Patrick Iverson!
Now we're in it! Now we're in it!
That could be the first dent in Ellis's armor,
with Norway finally on the board, or it could be too little, too late.
Dude, what are you doing here? Go catch.
Hey, Coach. How'd you know he was gonna hang one?
I scouted him.
Folks, this could be it for the Norway Tigers.
Bottom of the seventh, trailing Gillet Grove South Clay 4 to 3.
A dynasty of 19 state championships in the past 24 years
could be about to end.
Sammy?
What are you gonna do?
I'm gonna get on base.
Two outs, nobody on, and the Norway pitcher up at bat.
He's 0 for 2 today.
Two down, it's all you!
Norway desperately needs a man on base.
But Ellis continues to go hard to the inside corners!
And number 29 has been on his heels, backing out of the box all day.
Brushed back by a 94-mile-an-hour fastball for strike one.
The Norway batter, crowding. Challenging Ellis.
It's gonna hurt, stupid.
Oh, that was close! Just catching the inside edge for strike two!
Folks, he is very close to the plate here.
Crowding dangerously close now.
Ellis into the stretch.
And the pitch.
That has got to hurt.
A 93-mile-an-hour fastball puts the batter on his knees.
Coach Stock over immediately to check on his player.
Ellis now clearly frustrated.
- Where'd he get ya? - In the back.
Give me the bat.
Couple of deep breaths. Come on.
- You wanna play? - Yeah.
Okay. Sam, don't ever do that again.
And he's all right.
The crowd up and applauding the effort.
As third baseman Kevin Stewart comes to bat, trying to keep Norway alive.
Stewart's a.320 hitter, but his bat's been quiet today.
Come on, Kevin, start a rally!
- You stay calm now. - Me?
Strike!
Strike two!
Norway is down to their last strike.
Come on, boy! You can hit this guy!
Just stay focused!
And Stewart's out of the box. Some sort of distraction in the stands.
What? He made me come.
It's ex-Norway coach, Jim Van Scoyoc.
And Stewart's back in the box.
Ellis checks the runner at first.
He's into the stretch.
And the Norway runner goes!
Stewart gets a hold of it!
Line deep to right center!
Come on, you gotta go! You gotta go!
Get down, down! Go, go, go! Go! You gotta be down!
Safe!
Unbelievable! The Norway Tigers have come back!
This game is tied! We're going to extra innings!
Bring it in!
Sammy, you did a heck of a job. Tommy, grab third base.
Now, listen, we got our opportunity, we took advantage of it, let's not blow it.
Solid defense, nothing gets out of the infield.
Kevin, it's on you. Let's go! Win it!
All right, let's go, boys, let's go!
Hey! You did right.
Yo! Get us out of this, I'll get you a six-pack.
- You already owe me a six-pack. - He'll get you another one.
Hey, Sammy.
Come on, Kevin!
Yeah!
One down, one down, Norway!
Yeah, let's go!
One down! Two more, guys, come on!
Two more outs! Norway defense, right here!
Ball, ball, ball!
Out!
Go! Tigers!
You gotta be kidding me with that.
Oh, my God.
Oh! That's a heck of a catch. That's a baseball catch.
With a man on first, senior Steve Meyers off the injured list, up to bat for Norway.
Trying to come through in the clutch for the Tigers.
Gotta go! Gotta go! Gotta go!
- Gotta get down! Down, down, down! - Safe!
That a boy! There you go!
Oh, my! That's it! Here we go!
Winning run on third for Norway! Two outs!
Catcher, Mitch Akers, a transfer from Chicago, coming up.
His dad played ball at Norway 20 years ago under legendary coach Jim Van Scoyoc.
Folks, this is it.
Can you imagine the weight on that young man's shoulders?
Come on, Akers, be a hero!
Akers squares to bunt. The Spartan infield charges to cover.
Strike one.
You don't think Stock would call a squeeze here, do you?
- Wouldn't surprise me one bit. - With two outs?
Two outs, five outs. With this guy, who knows?
I do not believe that this is happening.
I love you too, Dad.
Come on, now. Come on, let's go!
Akers hits away! And towards the gap!
Yeah!
Took the bunt sign off and had him hit away. Unbelievable.
Fooled me.
Fooled South Clay.
Can you believe this?
Rookie coach Kent Stock has led the Norway Tigers to an unprecedented
20th Iowa state high school baseball championship!
Some traditions just refuse to die!
Hello?
Harvey, it's Sam. It was classic. He coaches just like Van Scoyoc.
I hate to have to tell you this, but...
They won!
Really? Yeah, well, that doesn't change anything.
It sure does change the way you'll get remembered.
See ya, Harvey.
Yes!
It's been a great one, and I've just enjoyed it 100 percent.
I'd like to thank Jim Van Scoyoc for having me as his assistant last year
and giving me this opportunity.
This has been a special year for me.