Filed under: Uncategorized
Good on Bud Selig and the folks involved in the decision to suspend the game and let it play it out Tuesday in its regulation. Good for those with the power to make decisions to make the right one.
Filed under: Uncategorized
…which leads me to wonder two things:
-Could this be it? The last MLB game of 2008?
-Has this World Series been as boring or unwatchable as some made it out to be prior to Game 1?
Since I won’t be able to answer the first question for a few hours, I’ll have to get back to you. But know that I’m rooting for a no.
As for question two, I certainly don’t think so. With the exception of Game 4, every game was well within reach by either team the whole way through,
What is disappointing is how it seems the Rays have had a power outage at the plate in the World Series. They were so hot the first two rounds, but their bats have gone cold and their defense has committed at least one error in eight straight games. Certainly the latter isn’t a death sentence, but the former certainly makes it hard to win, and admittedly makes the game a bit less engaging to watch if you’re a fan of offense.
I’m in the camp of wanting to see a well-pitched and well-defended game before a slugfest; one of my former co-workers is in the exact opposite camp and isn’t afraid to remind me of our difference of preference.
Seeing Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria go 0-for-31 up until the 4th inning of Game 5 is frustrating, because the World Series should be the time the big players contribute and someone comes forth as the real star of the Series. But I would take their futility in exchange for watching Cole Hamels pitch as well as he has, and Jamie Moyer come back from two pretty bad starts in the NLDS and NLCS to have a great game in Game 3. Let’s not forget about Joe Blanton in Game 4…a mid-season trade that seemed somewhat questionable at the time, but I’m sure the Phillies are glad they made after Sunday night.
And here comes the rain, again. I do feel for those fans out in the drizzle…that’s part of what makes baseball great: we don’t play in bad weather.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: New York Mets, scoreboard, Shea Stadium
If you’ve ever been to Shea Stadium you’ll really appreciate this.
If you haven’t, it’s still really interesting.
We’re seconds away from the first pitch of the 2008 World Series, which is arguably the most exciting time of the baseball season.
Some have dismissed this World Series as boring, unwatchable, even dismissable. I beg to differ – at least I’m willing to give the Series a chance to prove itself. Even though each team is a few thousand miles away and I’m not a real fan of either one, I can’t just write this Series off without seeing it.
My goal is to keep some running notes on the game and post them as it goes on, in hopes of showing those who didn’t think this would be interesting why it indeed is.
Nice homerun by Utley – even though I’d be rooting for the Rays if you asked me.
I do wonder what the cownose rays out in rightfield think about this whole World Series thing…you’d think they have to notice an increase in noise. I didn’t see them pressing up against the glass to watch the game, but I do wonder if they have any awareness of what’s going on around them.
With the commerical break, I wanted to address the (Oh no…) part of the title…this is also the official recognition that the 2008 season is almost over in my book. It may be in 4 games, it may be in 7, but we do know it will be before the end of the month. Then it’s the off-season, officially my least favorite time of the year.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: CBSportsline.com, Mike Freeman, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, World Series 2008
I know, you’re shaken that such a major opinon shaper such as Mike Freeman has already dismissed the 2008 World Series as unwatchable.
I feel bad giving such a bad opinion piece such as Mike Freeman’s on CBSportsline.com a link, but it is purely for illustrative purposes.
Clearly Mr. Freeman doesn’t really give a rip about baseball and the possibility that this could turn into one of the better World Series we’ve seen. He’s already written it off because the two participants don’t bring enough blood-seeking venom into the arena to warrant his interest.
I even bothered to read Mr. Freeman’s credentials, just to see if he had any, and I’m not sure he does, other than that he’s worked at lots of other papers before entering the online realm.
Now I don’t disagree with everything he says – Tampa Bay’s fans don’t really warrant hardcore status, short of those that actually own season tickets and go to games. It’s a shame they’re being lumped in with the rest of the bandwagoneers, because they should be getting some kind of special love for this. Especially those that have had tickets since day one. That’s some hardcore support, right there. I hope they get rings if the Rays win it all.
But look – it’s not like they have a real track record of success. They’d never had a winning record prior to 2008. Heck, their best record still had them 21 games under .500 back in 2004! So after 10 years of that, even I’d be a bit leery of expectations.
Now with Philly, though – that’s a bit of a different story. Philadelphia fans in general are known the sports world over, let alone just their baseball fans. They booed Santa Claus, threw batteries inside of snowballs at an Eagles game…come on, these guys and gals should be serious. How can you not say Philly provides some kind of interest in the game?
While my knowledge of these two teams isn’t as deep as if it had been some other clubs, I certainly welcome the opportunity to watch players who have just as much skill but don’t get as much recognition show their ability on the world’s stage for all to see.
Mr. Freeman, there’s a seat on my couch and beers in the fridge for you – come on over and we’ll watch the entire World Series and I’ll show you why it isn’t to be dismissed.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Tampa Bay Rays, World Series prediction
Rays in 6 games.
Good luck to both teams.
Using everyone’s favorite sports and apology venue, Jose Canseco told A&E he’s sorry for naming names. Or so he says. I’m not really sure what to believe when it comes to this guy — I used to think he was the greatest thing since sliced bread when he an McGwire tore up the Bay Area. Now – I’m not sure. While I have no doubt that he was involved with steroids and has probably destroyed his body as much as you can short of using a blunt instrument, fire, a wild animal or something mechanical, I do wonder about his regret.
I’m inclined to think there’s some sort of profit motive at work here – although I’m not sure what it is. Maybe he’s just keeping his name out there in hopes that someone sees some redeeming quality in him that can be monetized.
Looking at Canseco now can become a test of our own view of other people – I want to think the best of him, believe he’s sincere and accept his apology. But on the other hand, given that I don’t know him, have never met him, and really don’t have any reason to think he’s any more sincere about this than anything else, I do question it.
I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: fans, Harvey Araton, Jeremy Flug, Red Sox
…said Jeremy Flug in a 10/18/2008 New York Times article.
“…like a rash.” said Pat Lagreid on 10/18/2008 after reading the above mentioned article.
That aside, the article’s author Harvey Araton raises a question:
“…how many fans are or should be more like independent voters, more like Flug, making choices based not on unquestioned loyalty, but by what player or team is deemed deserving of their support.”
I’m not quite sure what to make of that. I don’t think unquestioned loyalty achieves nearly the same parallel in sports as it does in the political realm, where the term is more often used.
Now barring some major embarrassment brought upon the club, I think being a fan is one of the few times you can have unquestioned loyalty. You don’t have to think about who you’re rooting for – it’s either my team or no one, and if my team isn’t playing today, I’m rooting against my team’s rival or the team that’s ahead of them in the standings – simple as that.
I might be ashamed of my team’s performance, I might be disappointed by my team’s futility, or I might even be mad at the ownership of my team for tearing down an 85-year-old stadium and jacking ticket prices for their new palace across the street. But that really doesn’t have to mean I should stop liking my team.
But then again, this is America – where every one of us is free to be as wishy-washy and noncommittal as we darn well please. I can have a favorite team for my whole life, or I can have dozens. You’re free to be you.
For me – I was a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates when I was a kid, mainly because they had one of the best outfields around with Bonds, Van Slyke and Bonilla, and I thought their jerseys were kind of cool. But then, somewhere along the way, say the mid 1990s, I fell into line and got with my hometown Mariners full bore.
I readily admit that while I was living in San Francisco for college – I occasionally rooted for my surrogate teams, the Giants and Athletics, but never for the A’s at the expense of the Mariners. When Seattle came to the Bay Area, there was no mistaking who I was cheering for.
But what about Araton’s point? Is there merit to being a fan of whomever is hot at the moment? Isn’t that what’s called “jumping on the bandwagon” and last time I checked, pretty much looked down upon?
Sure, we may just be rooting for laundry, as Jerry Seinfeld once noted, but I’d rather cheer for the same laundry every day rather than be swayed and wooed by the latest home run hitter.
If anything, better in my mind to root for no one and simply enjoy the game in all its beauty and glory than to switch hats on a whim.
Agree?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Seattle Mariners, World Series drought
As I sat in my living room celebrating the Rays’ ALCS victory last night, I couldn’t help but have a bit of a selfish thought about when it will finally be the Mariners’ turn to make it to the World Series.
Since 1977, the Mariners’ first year, there have been 6 new teams in MLB – the Rockies, Rays, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays and Mariners. With last night’s developments, all but one have made it to the World Series, and all of those five with the exception of the Rockies have won it. Somehow the Mariners just can’t get it done – they’ve been to the ALCS three times, but could never get over the hump.
I’m going to post my disclaimer right now and say that the Mariners certainly aren’t first in line when it comes to longest World Series appearance drought – the Cubs, Rangers and Nationals/Expos are all ahead of my navy-and-teal clad local nine.
In fact – there’s a good post on Wikipedia which chronicles these droughts – my surrogate team, the San Francisco Giants have yet to win a World Series since moving west – 51 seasons without a big ring. Likewise for the Astros and Padres, who have had to wait 47 and 40 years respectively.
So while one team will end a drought this year – the Rays’ 10 years without an appearance or a win, or the Phillies, who took 15 years to get back to the Series and haven’t won it since 1980 – our drought continues.
I’m going to step out of character a bit and be selfish and say that I really want to experience being a fan of a team in the World Series. As much as I love baseball and am generally happy watching any decent game regardless of who’s playing, last night just made me want to have a game played in Seattle that was as significant as the one just played in St. Petersburg.
Even though I was at the 2007 World Series, I didn’t have a vested interest in the outcome of the game, although I was rooting for the Rockies to win and get their first crown, and – let’s be honest, so Red Sox nation wouldn’t have something else to inflate their already bloated ego with.
I had just as much concern with staying warm and finding a hot chocolate stand with a short line as I did with who won the game. Sure I had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat, but I wasn’t going to dance in the streets with the Red Sox fans nor hang my head with the Rockies fans.
If anything, it made me want to get back home and get back to baseball.
I’d venture to say that this is the tough part of being a serious baseball fan – loving both the game while wanting to see your own team succeed.
So for everyone who’s a fan of a team mired in a postseason and/or World Series drought, know that I fully empathize with you. But not so much that I hope you get a World Series victory before I do.
