YOU GOTTA KNOW YOUR PLACE

NORWICH, Conn. -- Sat through 2 hour 52 minute rain delay while waiting for the Portland Sea Dogs and Connecticut Defenders to try to get their early season battle for the Eastern League's Northern Division lead to get going.

Not many others did, which is why, after the game finally did get going, one could hear just about any sound made within Dodd Stadium.

Like these.

"THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK"

On this rainy, foggy night, one might have  thought a murder was taking place. In the fashion of the one committed by Robert DiNiro's Al Capone in "The Untouchables".

Except this berserk batsman was Portland first baseman Luis Jimenez, who was venting his anger inside the dugout after having struck out.

"THWACK, THWACK, THWACK...."

Out of few to the remaining remnant, Jimenez's  hammering, and shattering ricocheted all over the park like mortar fire.

It's the last that was seen of the bat, this night, or of Jimenez, too who was immediately yanked from the game by Portland skipper Todd Claus, replaced by catcher Alberto Concepcion, who was making  his second appearance at first base in his two years in Double-A.

Actually, that was partly true.

After the game was halted, for good, following the fifth inning, I went into the Portland club house to do my reporter's duties. Generally my first stop is the manager's office, except when the door is closed, meaning a meeting with a player is taking place.

Sometimes it's to tell a player he's going up. Sometimes, it's to tell him he's going out. This time, it was to give Claus a chance to tell Jimenez what he thought of the outburst.

"THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK" 

Moments passed and Jimenez emerged from Claus's office with his tail between his legs. As he stopped to address his teammates, I knew that I suddenly became an unwelcome figure, so knowing that at that moment my place was outside the clubhouse door, I headed for the exit.

As I was leaving, I could hear Jimenez say, "As you know, I did a bad thing....."

That's all I could hear. That's all the rest of the Dogs needed to hear.

About a minute later, the silence was replaced by raucous laughter.

"Don't you $8#*#)$*# do that again," said one voice, meaning that all was well again.

Jimenez was back in his place.