Buddy goes out a winner

 Buddy Dervish, in the final year of his contract, was traded to the Rabbits late in the year after spending most of the season recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He made his first start on September 21st, taking a loss. The playoff-bound Rabbits had no further use for him and placed him on waivers.

While the Penguins showed some interest in bringing him back, there may not have been enough time for the waiver process to play out. Buddy ended up going to Philadelphia, where the Penguins were playing, buying a ticket, and seeking out the visitor’s clubhouse.

After a few attempts where Buddy was escorted out by some muscular security guards, he finally got the attention of lame-duck manager Fidel Duenas (the hero of Little Havana). Fidel figured, why not? and gave him the ball. A call to the commissioner’s office resulted in a waiver of the waiver rules, and Buddy made the Penguin roster.

Buddy pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, and the Penguins gave him a 2 run lead. In the bottom of the second, Joe Davidson dropped an easy fly to left. After a double and walk, Buddy had the bases loaded with nobody out. He gave up two runs, but kept the game tied and the runs were unearned.

After that inning, Buddy allowed only one hit over the next 5 innings. In the 7th, a Glenn Chase double gave the Penguins a lead, and a pinch hit, 3 run homer by Arturo Ortiz gave them some insurance. Buddy pitched a scoreless 7th, reaching 107 pitches. This may be the final start of his career, and he left nothing in the tank. The Penguin bullpen finished out a 6-2 win.