Sports

Paul Sokoloski

Ker-plunk!

A hard fastball with the bases loaded came boring in on Kevin Russo’s upper body, leaving him with little time to react and even less time to get out of the way.

He knew he was about to be hit by a pitch, which left Russo with another RBI and a sore front ribcage.

“Right, kind of, in the ribs,” Russo groaned, after driving home four runs Saturday night to help the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees clinch the Governors’ Cup semifinal series against Gwinnett with a 12-3 victory. “I was getting beat up out there.”

At least he saw this one coming.

During the middle of last season, when he was a rising star with Double-A Trenton, a hard batting practice grounder hopped up and caught Russo flush in the face. It fractured his left cheekbone and put him on the disabled list for nearly two months.

“I never even think about it,” Russo said. “Just, except, when I look at my scar in the mirror. It’s like one in a million chances to get hit in that spot again. You just have to go out there and play.

“Can’t be scared to play.”

Scared?

Russo is downright fearless.

The little, hard-nosed infielder came back from that freak accident to hit .307 for Trenton last season, aiding in the Thunder’s Eastern League championship.

And Russo came right back from that fastball in the ribs during Saturday’s fourth inning to put victory in the books for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, by fighting off pitches until his two-run double in the eighth left the Yankees with an insurmountable 12-3 lead.

“I think that last at-bat, right there, that was a tremendous at-bat he had,” Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Dave Miley said.

The Yankees are starting to expect such fantastic feats from a guy who’s earning a reputation as a remarkable player.

Because Russo is quickly becoming an example of the kind of grit that not only makes major leaguers out of minor league players, it turns talented teams into champions.

“I’m not really worried about my average,” Russo said. “I’m just worried about getting wins.”

His average held up fine this season.

Despite battling through an assortment of leg injuries that took him out of the lineup every now and again, Russo hit .326 with 51 runs scored and 31 RBI during his first Triple-A season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.

He didn’t hit a whole lot during the playoff series against Gwinett, but the hits Russo did get were big ones.

He delivered a run-scoring double on the road. He punched a single to knock in the first run of Saturday’s clincher. He polished off Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s second straight trip to the Governors’ Cup finals by driving a two-run double to deep left field.

And if he wasn’t bringing home runs by getting critical hits, Russo didn’t mind getting hit to get runs home.

Does that make him an inspiration, a scrapper, a never-say-die guy?

“I just kind of take the same approach every time,” Russo said. “I don’t know what people want to consider me as.”

How about gamer?

Because when there’s a game to be played, Russo’s the kind of guy every team wants on its side. Especially since that guy has a remarkable way of keeping his balance, even as he’s being knocked sideways.

Paul Sokoloski is a Times Leader sports columnist. You may reach him at 970-7109 or email him at psokoloski@timesleader.com.