## If it's going to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" event, it's probably going to happen in Yankee Stadium. There have been many: Reggie's three blasts against the Dodgers, Jeter's Jeffery Maier-assisted homer against the Orioles, Aaron Boone's walk-off, and so on. Well, add another chapter, a performance as spectacular as any before it. Raul Ibanez's two, count 'em, two blasts that brought the Yankees back from the dead and painted Baltimore into a very small corner. And because nothing in New York is ordinary, Ibanez was pinch hitting for Alex Rodriquez, a man with over 600 career home runs and in the words of one Oriole, a "...half a billionaire." There was concern about how A-Rod would react to this, but all you had to do was watch his reaction to Ibanez's first homer and you knew it was not going to be a problem.
Lost in all that hoopla, was the tremendous job by Hiroki Kuroda and the Yankee bullpen. Two runs and seven hits over twelve innings, both runs coming on solo home runs. Plus another blown save by Oriole closer Jim Johnson. Maybe A-Rod is not scaring anybody lately, but neither is Johnson.
Tonight, Showalter is sending journeyman Joe Saunders to the mound, but we don't know yet who is pitching for New York. Oh, his name is Phil Hughes, but will it be the good Hughes or the bad Hughes?
By the way, Derek Jeter IS playing tonight. They were able to find a lightweight crutch for him to use, so his range may be somewhat limited, but he'll play. (Does anyone remember Chester Goode from the old "Gunsmoke" series? - "I'm coming, Mr Dill-an.")
## No three-game sweeps in the division series this year. The Giants send the series to game five after beating Cincinnati 8-3, riding the arm of Tim Lincecum. St. Louis took down Washington 8-0, leaving at least one unnamed National player complaining about the unavailability of Steven Strasburg. Well, that's the price you pay when you make tough decisions. If Washington is knocked out, and especially if they don't get in next year, the Washington brain trust is in for some heavy heat. Oakland fought back to beat Detroit 4-3, knocking Tiger closer Jose Valverde around for three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Whenever you can keep Valverde from his bush-league celebrations on the mound is okay with me.
BASEBALL PHRASES I'M VERY TIRED OF
"I just tried to square-it up." (and you do this with a round bat and a round ball?)
"I didn't try to do too much." (I heard Ibanez say this FOUR times last night, to four different reporters)
"He kept his pitches on the black." (There hasn't been a black border around home plate for decades)
All the absolutely, totally useless statistics, and there are many. Example: "That's the first pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning in a playoff game by a guy forty-years old that tied the game on a ball hit to right field by a player wearing an even number..." and I'm only exaggerating slightly.
"As cool as the other side of the pillow." How about making that "As cool as Raul?"
"He has good numbers against..." (Usually, this is followed by, "He has one hit in five chances." Yeah, that's significant.
I'm sure there are lots more. That;s why they put three guys in the booth, to make sure none of this tripe goes unsaid.
For your information: It's been a week since the Boston Red Sox lost a game. That's their longest streak on the year.
There should be a little extra enthusiasm at tonight's game: My daughter Jenny and her husband Matt will be in attendance. Look for them - Matt will be the one with a beer.
THEY SAID IT
"Watching Prince Fielder have to think that if he ever tries to slide
into third base with Pablo Sandoval trying to block him it would
register on the Richter scale." -- Janice Hough
"Lions are becoming a major concern in Kenya, according to CNN. And they're not exactly great news in Detroit." -- RJ Currie
" About the proposed Bikini Basketball Association: "If teams in that league
have a merchandise sale and the signs read, "All our clothing 75 percent
off" — they mean it." -- Greg Cote
"Eagles safety Kurt Coleman yanked a shoe off Steelers receiver
Antonio Brown after making a tackle and threw it off the field, leaving
Steelers fans incensed that a penalty wasn't called. For what, intentional grounding?" -- Dwight Perry
"A Victoria's Secret is opening inside Dallas Cowboys Stadium. It's bad enough that half the NFL fans are shirtless and drunk with lettering across their chests, but now the wives accompanying them are going to be in garter belts and stockings." -- Brad Dickson
"This year, artificial snow at a resort in Arizona will be made of sewage water. You thought you hated doing a face plant on the slopes before." -- Brad Dickson
CP-
"October is National Toilet Tank Repair Month. Too late for the Texas
Rangers, though: Their once-promising season is already down the drain." -- Dwight Perry
No comments:
Post a Comment