The story of David Dahl and Raimel Tapia encapsulated in one perfect moment

 

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David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores.

I had written that sentence so many times over the last three years, but this time was different. It was different than in 2014 when the duo led the Asheville Tourists to the South Atlantic League Championship. It was different than earlier this season when they were powering through a Double-A season with no home games. The same. But different.

David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores.

The rhythms and the timbres were remarkably similar. The sound of cracking bats and roaring crowds and the blur of a whistling white baseball and the way colors fracture when you’re trying to watch the flight of the ball along with multiple baserunners were all unmistakably familiar. Even the lights were pretty much the same. They have lights in rookie ball, y’know.

David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores. Or was it the other way around? It’s been both.

Last night, when Dahl singled and Tapia scored, a Major League Baseball team evened the run count with another Major League Baseball team. The Colorado Rockies would go on to win that game, and Tapia finished the day of his MLB debut batting 1.000, having scored the tying run, and having been on the field for the skip of a heartbeat.

It all happened so fast. David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores.

Before the game, Tapia spoke to the media through Carlos Estevez which put me three years back in time drenched in palpable de ja vu. “I was surprised but this is what I’ve always wanted,” he said. “The coaches asked me if I was going to cry when they told me. But I didn’t cry.”  But Tapia’s emotions surged and he has always been a player and a person who wears those on his sleeve.

Throughout their MiLB careers, Dahl has always been just a step ahead of Tapia. Debuting in Grand Junction in 2012 before Tapia did (stateside, anyway) in 2013 and jumping up to High-A Modesto first in 2014 before rejoining the Low-A Tourists for their championship run. Often sharing the same outfield and having to give each other space to grow in centerfield while setting the tables every night for postseason teams, they have come to know each other well.

“We are pretty similar,” says Dahl. “He doesn’t strike out near as much as me, so he’s gonna put the bat on the ball. He’s a great player, it’s been fun to watch him.”

For both players, it has been a long winding road to the Bigs that culminated in a sudden bursting fast track where each saw just a few weeks at the Triple-A level; again Dahl just before Tapia.

“It’s really cool to see how fast we’ve moved,” says Dahl. “Especially this year, being on the same team in Double-A and spending some time in Triple-A and now we’re both here. So it’s gonna be really fun and, you know, I’m just excited for him. He’s very confident in himself. He knows he can hit, he brings [MUCHO] swagger [laughs] he knows he can hit. So he’s never gonna fear any pitcher or anything, he’s going to go up there and battle.”

Tapia never gave up on the groundball he put in play last night against the Diamondbacks and when asked after the game if he thought off the bat he had a chance for a hit, anyone who knew him needn’t wait for the translation to know his answer. In fact, you didn’t even need a translation at all. “Si, si,” he said with a wide smile that simply said, “I always expect to get a hit.”

Despite the fact that they were at times pitted against each other for control of center field and even now may find themselves at odds for playing time, Dahl says there has never been any kind of competition between the two.

“We root for each other,” he says. “He can hit, so I’m glad he’s here and can help the team win.”

Whether or not the events that unfolded after this conversation were a sign of things to come — David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores — the 22-year-old who has hit safely in 33 of the 36 MLB games he has played was noncommittal.

“I think maybe one day down the road [we can be a top of the lineup tandem] yeah. But right now it’s just whatever the team needs. So wherever they have us, we’re just going to try to go give our best at-bat and try to help the team win.”

Man, he uses the “W” word a lot.

David Dahl singles, Raimel Tapia scores … Colorado Rockies win.

Ah. That’s the part that was different this time.