Riaan Ukulimala bekubukeka kungenacala ngaleso sikhathi, ozakwabo bakaTony Gonsolin baqale bahleka isinyathelo sakhe esisodwa esingalungile.
Ngemva komjikelezo wokuzivivinya ukuze Ama-Dodgers abagadli enkundleni yasemuva eCamelback Ranch ekuqaleni kwale nyanga, uGonsolin ubehamba kancane esuka esidulini ngesikhathi unyawo lwakhe lwesokunxele luwela utshani obungaphakathi, emphulula iqakala nokumkhipha ibhalansi.
Ekuqaleni, iqeqebana labagadli ababemi eduze lathola amahlaya emehlweni abo, liklabalasa uzakwabo onothando lwenkabi ngenxa yokwehluleka kwakhe ukuma ngezinyawo zakhe.
Nokho, emizuzwini embalwa, isimo saba sibi nakakhulu.
UGonsolin wambamba eqakaleni ezwa ubuhlungu obusobala. Wahamba egijima eya emgodini ukuze ahlolwe umqeqeshi. Wabe esegxuma enqoleni yegalofu waxoshwa.
Umjikijelwa, kuvele ukuthi uthinteke eqakaleni, futhi kungase kuthathe isikhathi ngaphambi kokuthi aphinde abonakale emdlalweni.
Cishe amasonto amabili esusiwe ekulimaleni, umphathi uDave Roberts ukuqinisekisile ngoLwesihlanu ukuthi uGonsolin ngeke abe nempilo ngesikhathi sosuku lokuvula.
“Ukusho ukuthi uzoqala isizini,” kusho uRoberts, “ngeke kwenzeke lokho.”
Umugqa wesikhathi oqondile wokubuya kukaGonsolin awucaci. Uma ukululama kwakhe kungasheshi – okubonakala kungenzeki ngemuva kokuthi uRoberts exwayise kaningi ukuthi kuzoba inqubo “ehamba kancane” – umgadli angaba sengozini yokuphuthelwa yiziqalo eziningi zokuqalisa isizini.
“Isikhathi eside, angicabangi ukuthi kuzoba yinkinga,” kusho uRoberts. “Kodwa lokho kukhuluma ngokuthi sizoyiphatha kanjani le nto ekuqaleni.”
Kubheke njengenye yezimpilo eziyisishiyagalolunye ezishiselwe lowo obizwa nge-“Catman” – isinyathelo esingalungile, esinesikhathi esingalungile, esingeke siphazamise isizini yakhe ka-2023, kodwa sibambezela ukuphishekela “ibhizinisi elingaqediwe,” njengoba uRoberts asho kanjalo, kusukela ngonyaka odlule.
Ngenkathi uGonsolin enesizini ejwayelekile yomsebenzi ngo-2022 – wahamba 16-1 nge-2.14 ERA ukuze athole ukukhethwa kwakhe kokuqala kwe-All-Star – wayengomunye wamaDodger amaningi ahlulekile ukwenza umdlalo wabo wokuqeda isizini.
Ngemuva kokuphuthelwa isikhathi esiningi ngoSepthemba ngenxa yokulimala ingalo, u-Gonsolin ungene ngesikhathi edlala yedwa ebhekene ne-San Diego Padres, ethola ukuphuma okune kuphela kumdlalo 3 isiqalo ama-Dodgers ayenethemba lokuthi azohlala ama-innings amane.
Ngenkathi u-Gonsolin eyeka ukugijima okukodwa, ukuphuma kwakhe ngaphambi kwesikhathi kusize ukubeka iqembu ngemuva kwamabhola ayisishiyagalombili kulowo mdlalo usele, ogcine ngokuhlulwa, kanye nochungechunge, oluphele ngokuhlulwa kwemidlalo emine ngobusuku obulandelayo.
Ukukhungatheka kwaqhubekela phambili ekuqaleni kwesizini kaGonsolin, kwaba ngeyakamuva iphethini yokuphoxeka komkhumulajezi kulo mdlali oneminyaka emine.
“Kwakumnandi,” esho lapho ebuzwa ngokuqeda kwakhe onyakeni olandela lowo wakhe wokuqala, futhi kuphela, iCactus League iqala entwasahlobo ngoMashi 3. “Ngizizwa sengathi ngikwenze iminyaka elandelanayo ngo-2021 nango-’22. ”
UGonsolin waguqula izithiyo zaba ugqozi ngenkathi enza izinjongo zakhe zomuntu siqu ngo-2023.
“Hamba odongeni,” kusho uGonsolin. “Hamba kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni.”
Ukuqala, manje, kuye kwaba nzima.
Yize uGonsolin enqaba izicelo eziningi ezivela ezintathelini ngesonto eledlule zokukhuluma ngokulimala kwakhe, uRoberts uthe ukungeneliseki kwalo mfana oneminyaka engu-28 sekucacile.
“Usebenza isizini yonke ukuze ufike endaweni ethile ukuze ungene ekhempini, bese ubuyela emuva kusenesikhathi, yebo, ukhungathekile,” kusho uRoberts.
Ebuzwa ukuthi ukungahleleki kweqakala likaGonsolin kubalwa kuphi phakathi kokulimala akubona emsebenzini wakhe, uRoberts uvumile ukuthi “kuphezulu lapho.”
“Bekuyinto esobala, elungile,” kusho uRoberts. “Umfana onjengoTony, ukuba nento efana nalena yenzeke, kuze kufike kuleli qophelo ebizayo, kuyamangaza kakhulu.”
Inselelo manje kaGonsolin kanye ne-Dodgers izoqinisekisa ukuthi umgodi uhlala ulungele ukubuya okuqinile futhi, ekugcineni, uqedele ku-2023, lapho kuzophinde kulindeleke ukuthi asebenze njengehange lokujikeleza kokuqala kweqembu.
“UTony ukhulume ngokuqeda umjaho noma ukuqeda isizini enamandla, lokho kusadlalwa,” kusho uRoberts. “Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi, ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi siyakunqamula lokhu futhi singakubambezeli, kubaluleke kakhulu.”
Abaqeqeshi be-Dodger bezama ukushaya uhlobo oluhlukile lwebhalansi ngaphambi kokulimala kukaGonsolin, begcina ukugxila kwakhe usuku nosuku ngenkathi efuna ukuthuthukiswa kwezithombe ezinkulu ezizokwenziwa ngesizini edlule.
“Konke kumayelana nokubeka yonke into ngombono,” kusho umsizi womqeqeshi womdlalo uConnor McGuiness. “Ngicabanga ukuthi kuyasicasula sonke, futhi kuyamcasula ukuthi ube nonyaka abenawo, wabe esethintwa kancane lapho ekugcineni. Ngakho ngiyazi ukuthi kuphambi kwengqondo. … Kodwa asifuni nje ukuthi acabange kakhulu ngekusasa. Uma nje ethatha usuku nosuku, siyazi ukuthi uzobe evelele kithina.”
Ngemuva kokuphonsela ama-innings amabili nangaphezulu angenamaphuzu emdlalweni wakhe wokuqala weCactus League ekuqaleni kwenyanga, u-Gonsolin uzizwe sengathi wenza lokhu.
“Ngangikuqonda kangcono engangikulungiselela,” esho. “Uhlobo nje lokuthola inqubo, inqubo yansuku zonke kanye nokukwazi ukwakha umzimba wami ngendlela yokumelana nomthwalo we-innings.”
Umqali we-Dodgers uTony Gonsolin uyazifudumeza ngaphambi kokuqala komdlalo wokuqeqeshwa entwasahlobo bebhekene ne-Angels ngoMashi 3 eTempe, e-Ariz.
(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Ngenkathi lowo msebenzi usamisiwe, izinhloso ezinkulu zikaGonsolin zale sizini – ezithuthuka kancane kancane phakathi nomkhankaso ogcwele, futhi enze konke okusemandleni akhe uma kusemqoka – zihlala zinjalo.
Kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile emsebenzini wakhe odlondlobalayo.
Uzobe enethemba lokuthi kuzohamba kahle kunalena eshiye iqakala elibuhlungu elizobambezela ukuqala kwesizini yakhe.
“Inqobo nje uma sihlala ekhasini elilodwa naye, kufanele alungele ukuhamba,” kusho uMcGuiness. “Uyisilo sangempela. Uzobuyela khona maduze nje.”
