Ryan Falla
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers Single-A affiliate, advanced to the Cal League Championship Series last night with an exciting victory over the Inland Empire 66ers, but what might slip by some people is the incredible behind-the-scenes work that has gone into preparing these players for a playoff run of this magnitude. From athletes such as Chris Campos, the critical Game 2 starter who set the foundation for victory in that day’s narrow 4-3 victory, to former College World Series champion Jordan Thompson, there is no shortage of athletes mentally capable of driving forward a playoff run.
Chris Campos
It is not an overstatement to say there would be no championship series without Campos, and of course, the same can be said for many of the players on this team, but at the end of the day, there are few responsibilities in baseball as massive as starting a playoff elimination game.
“Definitely stayed in the same headspace [as a regular season start], not make it more than what it is. I stayed at home, had a couple of good meals, hydrated, and did the things to prepare myself to be ready for the game.”- Chris Campos
The adrenaline and excitement of a playoff atmosphere extends beyond the players on the field. This is an energy that permeates the entire stadium, bleeding past the men on the field and onto the fans in the seats, or even the journalists and various staff populating random corners of the dugout. It is no surprise to see the Dodgers’ big league squad in the state they are in when you account for the environment they breed their prospects in.
There is no better place for an athlete to develop winning experiences and habits than a playoff atmosphere, this is an organization that ensures their athletes are built and conditioned for the brightest lights possible. When you have performances such as Campos’ gutsy Game 2 start, or Game 3’s 4 HR inning, you can’t help but see and understand how the big league Dodgers are able to cultivate playoff-caliber clubs year in and year out.
“It feels amazing. The crowds into it. You got both dugouts screaming from both sides, everyone pulling for their team. The atmosphere is amazing. It’s a good environment to pitch in” – Chris Campos
Jordan Thompson
Quakes infielder Jordan Thompson is no stranger to the bright lights, himself having experienced a championship run that saw LSU secure the College World Series title. Thompson entered the system out of the 15th round of this recent draft class and found himself heating up in a big way to close out the regular season. The Quakes final game of the regular season saw Thompson log a 3 hit performance, a streak that would carry into the postseason. Thompson put all of his College World Series experiences into play during the critical Game 3 of the division series as he smashed a 2 run home run in the second inning.
This is no different from his experiences in the College World Series which also saw him log critical RBIs in the decisive game of the final series, no doubt a massive reason the Dodgers saw fit to bring him into the organization.
“Don’t make any moment bigger than it is, a runner on second base in the sixth inning with two outs is the same in every single game. Just taking quality of at-bats in those situations and just trusting what we’ve been doing.” – Jordan Thompson
Ramon Troncoso
Of course, none of this could be done without the measured guidance of a proper coaching staff. Quakes pitching coach Ramon Troncoso, former Dodgers big leaguer, has spent the season guiding and preparing these kids to perform at their best on the biggest stages possible. Without the experienced coaching of guys like Troncoso, or manager John Shoemaker amongst the other staff, none of this would be possible. Teaching these kids how to play the game right, and how to be good teammates to each other, has paid off dividends as they now lead themselves into the final stretches of a championship run.
“We have to make sure that they’re learning their principles as a young baseball player. We don’t really care much about what happened in the game, for us it’s more important teaching them what is right, especially how to behave and respect coaches and their teammates.” – Ramon Troncoso
Attitude is everything in baseball, it’s not enough just to want to win. The way you go about your business off the field translates on the professional level, quite obviously in the Quakes case as they now set their sights on a championship with the final series starting this Sunday. Teaching an athlete how to be their best on their field is one thing, but teaching them to be their best off their field is what makes someone a Major League quality teammate.
Final Thoughts
As we know, teams win championships, not players, and while the Quakes are loaded with championship-caliber players it is not a single one of them that carries the team, but the whole of the squad that breeds success. Regardless of what happens with this Quakes team going into the championship series, going forward this is an exciting crop of young talent to watch develop. Any one of these guys would move the needle on a championship club, you could pick a championship-caliber player off this roster blindfolded, that’s how deep winning permeates the entirety of this squad. Dodger fans have a lot to look forward to with the future state of their club, and that all starts with the 2023 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes as they look to end their season on the highest note possible.
“You can just play free, have fun, be fearless. Just know that you put in the work and that you don’t have to worry about anything, just reacting to what we’ve done all year long. There’s no reason why we should go about our business way differently today than we have for 140 games.” – Jordan Thompson
