Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Long Night's Journey Into Morning
It’s getting late on this Wednesday night. Instead of giving in to the need to sleep, however, I’m going to try and spend some time alternating between this computer screen and whatever baseball game(s) I can find.
I know I’ll find the Yankees-Angels game which is starting within a half-hour, and for now I’ve found the Cubs-Giants game, which has been a good one at Wrigley and is tied 3-3 with San Fran batting in the 9th.
LaTroy Hawkins just hit Michael Tucker in the elbow to load the bases with two outs. Tucker was pretty pissed, and is in a lot of pain. Understandable, I'd say.
The Red Sox-Rays game is winding down in that hideous Tropicana Dome. As is the Mets-Cards match-up at Shea. That’s the game I’ve been watching more than any others tonight. I’ve also been keeping an eye on the NBA playoff game, believe it or not. Hey, what can I tell you? It is a Game 7 after all…
Devi Cruz is up for the Giants and just grounded out to 2nd to end the threat. 7-8-9 coming up for the Cubbies in their half of the 9th.
The Mets are going to try and make their third straight 9th inning comeback. A guy by the name of Valent (I want to say Matt) just struck out leading off the frame. That brings up the dazzling Kaz Matsui, hero of last night’s game.
Steve Kline is pitching for the Cards, he of the smelly caps.
Edmonds just made a nice play going back on the ball in dead center. He’s done that a few times before in his career.
In case you’re wondering why/how I’m bouncing around so much from game to game: I have two TVs going.
People who don’t know me well probably think I’m a little odd for having two TVs in one room, running simultaneously. But if you’re reading this site, I’m sure no explanation is needed.
I have to make a cup of coffee.
The Mets are done. Cards win 1-0.
So the Mets will have to wait a couple more days at least to get back to .500. Tonight notwithstanding, it has been a great week for them. Before the Glavine/RJ game a week ago tonight I wrote this:
Now they’ve actually gotten themselves back in the muck that is the NL East.
Todd Hollandsworth is up with 2 outs in the 9th and just got a base hit to left to keep the inning alive.
The Yanks/Angels are on ESPN2 tonight. Since that feed will be blacked out in my neck of the woods, I’m wondering (hoping) I’ll get a replacement. I know Detroit is in Oakland … I can’t remember the other West Coast game. Somebody’s at Seattle, I think.
Giants and Cubs are going to extras.
Time to put the water on the stove. Hopefully by the time I get back the Red Sox-Devil Rays game will be over…
Nope. Still going. Foulke is in. 1 down in the 9th.
Minnesota is up by 8 on Sacramento and I’m wondering if I’ll watch much more of that game. Probably not.
I assume you’ve seen Keith Foulke’s tirade about the Red Sox travel conditions. Here was my favorite line from it, quoted in various sources:
Yeah, that's what this world needs: Manny, Pedro, Millar, Johnny Damon and David Ortiz getting together on an off-day and building an airplane. For the team to fly in.
Giants have two on, one out in Chicago.
Someone (a baseball novice) asked me today who I thought was going to win the World Series. It caught me off guard, and I haven’t thought much about this year, so I was hesitant to give an answer.
For one thing, I didn’t want to say the Yankees, b/c even if I do think they have the best shot (which I’m not sure that I do) there’s nothing special about predicting the Yankees are going to win the World Series. That’s like predicting Dick Cheney won’t be attending of Fahrenheit 9/11 anytime soon. (That one’s for you, Torse!)
So I racked my brain(s). Who the heck is a reasonable, but not obvious choice to win the World Series this year?
I really don’t like any team in particular in the National League, although I can’t dismiss Houston and their starting rotation. The Cubs are a reasonable choice. A bolstered bullpen, so close last year… I assume Mark Prior is going to come back strong this year, and that Kerry Wood is going to be 100% again relatively soon. But I don’t know these things for sure, and without being certain about those two guys I’m hesitant to make any predictions about that team.
The Dodgers? No. And no to anyone from the NL East, including the Phillies, who I’m really not crazy about.
That leaves the American League, with the Yankees and Red Sox being too easy to pick. So that really leaves me the following choices to pick as 2004 World Series Champion:
Anaheim
Texas
Oakland
Minnesota
ChiSox
Out of that crew, I decided to go with the Twins. (I didn’t take this long to give an answer, trust me.) Why the Twins?
Well, for one it’s always good to pick a team I know is going to be in the playoffs, and I’m confident the Twins are going to take the AL Central again. Other than that, I picked them just to pick them. Outside of the obvious choices, there as good a pick as anyone.
Moises Alou hit a HR in the bottom of the 10th to close out the game in Chicago.
The Yanks and Angels are scoreless in the 1st. Eckstein is on 2nd with one out. Lieber vs. Lackey. Kind of an ugly pitching match-up…
And yes, I do have another baseball game to divert my interest from the Angels and Yanks. It’s the .500 Tigers at the Oakland A’s. 2-0 Oakland early on a Bobby (Saber-heads-see-something-in-me-that-the-ol’-myopic-scribes-don’t) Kielty home run.
One of the announcers in Oakland is Frankie “Sweet Music” Viola. When’s the last time you’ve seen that name?
I liked FrankViola. I thought he was kind of a character. And a pretty good pitcher too.
Vlad just knocked in Eckstein. 1-0 Anaheim.
While I’m thinking of other things to write about, here’s the transcript from an e-mail “conversation” my friend and I had today in the aftermath of Randy Johnson’s perfect game:
You know who’s having a pretty good year? Eurbiel Durazo. Just an observation.
This coffee really doesn’t taste that good. I was thinking of making a Dunkin’ Donuts run, and I probably should have. Instead I settled for instant, and I’m paying the price.
Hey, the Minnesota/Kings game is close again, 62-60. I might have to keep a closer eye on that for a few minutes. Sorry.
Yanks have bases loaded with 2 outs in the 2nd for Miguel Cairo. A .214 career hitter with the bases loaded.
Jermaine Dye just made an awesome catch in right field. A full body dive going towards the right field line to save at least two runs. No way I thought he was going to get it. Probably the best catch I’ve seen this year in live action.
Cairo struck out.
Back to the Kevin Garnett Show.
Basketball tie-in with the Yankee game? Karl Malone is watching the game perched high above the field in a Luxury Suite.
Garnett has 31 for the game, 13 in the quarter with 3:21 left in the game. Wolves up 7.
Chone Figgins may have bested Dye’s play a few minutes ago. Jeter hit a drive to the deepest part of Edison Field, a little to the right of dead center. Figgins who can absolutely fly, made a b-line to the track, turned, leapt and made the catch, banging against the wall. A great catch.
Some random thoughts on today’s games:
Houston knocked the Marlins around again. The Marlins are really fading a bit. Not a good sign that they’re getting trounced like this by a quality opponent.
Nice win for the Twinkies in the rubber game of a three-game set in Toronto. They got a pinch-hit grand slam from Matthew LeCroy of all people, scored 4 in the 9th and won the game 6-5.
(Detroit has just tied Oakland 2-2.)
Texas lost their second in a row to last-place Kansas City.
The Dodgers continue to fall from grace (6 losses in a row now). Philadelphia beat up on their pitching again tonight, scoring 9 runs, and are in 1st place now.
(A-Rod’s on third with two outs. Giambi just drilled one to left and out. Yanks 2, Angels 1)
Bibby just knocked down a 3 to bring the Kings within 4. 1:20 to go.
Chris Webber just missed a freakin’ bunny of a lay-up that would’ve cut it to 2… Under a minute to go.
Yanks have two on with two outs, same inning. They’ve gotten to Lackey a bit. Matsui up.
Matsui is hitting .185 with RISP. A far cry from last year, when he was up around/over .300 in that department.
Kielty just hit another one. He’s doubled his total home run output tonight. He now has four.
Lackey got out of it.
Geez, Garnett. 32 points, 21 rebounds. Minny up 5 with 26.9 to go.
Dye just knocked one out over the wall in left. Oakland 4-2. That’s three home runs given up by Mike Maroth in the first three innings.
Christie just hit a three with 16.8 left to cut the Minnesota lead to one. If the Timberwolves ever lose this game…
A-Rod just made a helluva play at third base. What’s up with all these defensive gems I’m seeing? Hard hit ball to his glove side (he was playing in), he had to make a full body dive to the ground and made the play from his knees, throwing out Figgins by a step.
Okay, I’ve seen a new “Dumb Promo of the Week.” YES just showed a preview of CenterStage with Michael Kay that will feature an interview with A-Rod. God, I’m waiting with baited breath for that one…
Anyway, the dialogue they decide to use to get me to watch that enlightening piece of journalism is this little exchange:
Michael Kay: Would you rather be the SS for the Boston Red Sox or the 3B of the New York Yankees?
A-Rod: No question, third baseman for the Yankees.
Duh, really? This is talk show on George Steinbrenner’s network hosted by the main play-by-play man on George Steinbrenner’s network. You sure you don’t want to say you’d rather play for the Red Sox? Stupid stupid stupid.
Sacremento has 2.2 seconds left to get a three-pointer off to try and tie. Webber missed a wide open three. Minnesota vs. LA in the Conf. Finals. Good 4th quarter.
I’m going to switch over to my other room, get the Internet connection going, put the Yanks on the radio and start wrapping things up…
---
You still there? Good.
Anaheim just tied the Yanks in the 5th.
My eyes are shot... Been staring at a computer screen for too many hours today.
I'm going to sign off.
But before I do, I'm going to take off my little nonsensical bits of info on the left side of the page. You guys know what the standings are; no need for me to post them here. And this is no stat haven, so I don't need to post those random scraps of stats on the side either.
What I think would be better, more useful and fun for you, is if I occasionally posted links to other columns on the web. Maybe I'll start doing that tomorrow.
Sleep well.
It’s getting late on this Wednesday night. Instead of giving in to the need to sleep, however, I’m going to try and spend some time alternating between this computer screen and whatever baseball game(s) I can find.
I know I’ll find the Yankees-Angels game which is starting within a half-hour, and for now I’ve found the Cubs-Giants game, which has been a good one at Wrigley and is tied 3-3 with San Fran batting in the 9th.
LaTroy Hawkins just hit Michael Tucker in the elbow to load the bases with two outs. Tucker was pretty pissed, and is in a lot of pain. Understandable, I'd say.
The Red Sox-Rays game is winding down in that hideous Tropicana Dome. As is the Mets-Cards match-up at Shea. That’s the game I’ve been watching more than any others tonight. I’ve also been keeping an eye on the NBA playoff game, believe it or not. Hey, what can I tell you? It is a Game 7 after all…
Devi Cruz is up for the Giants and just grounded out to 2nd to end the threat. 7-8-9 coming up for the Cubbies in their half of the 9th.
The Mets are going to try and make their third straight 9th inning comeback. A guy by the name of Valent (I want to say Matt) just struck out leading off the frame. That brings up the dazzling Kaz Matsui, hero of last night’s game.
Steve Kline is pitching for the Cards, he of the smelly caps.
Edmonds just made a nice play going back on the ball in dead center. He’s done that a few times before in his career.
In case you’re wondering why/how I’m bouncing around so much from game to game: I have two TVs going.
People who don’t know me well probably think I’m a little odd for having two TVs in one room, running simultaneously. But if you’re reading this site, I’m sure no explanation is needed.
I have to make a cup of coffee.
The Mets are done. Cards win 1-0.
So the Mets will have to wait a couple more days at least to get back to .500. Tonight notwithstanding, it has been a great week for them. Before the Glavine/RJ game a week ago tonight I wrote this:
The Mets are basically at their breaking point, perched on the precipice of falling into baseball oblivion before Memorial Day...
Now they’ve actually gotten themselves back in the muck that is the NL East.
Todd Hollandsworth is up with 2 outs in the 9th and just got a base hit to left to keep the inning alive.
The Yanks/Angels are on ESPN2 tonight. Since that feed will be blacked out in my neck of the woods, I’m wondering (hoping) I’ll get a replacement. I know Detroit is in Oakland … I can’t remember the other West Coast game. Somebody’s at Seattle, I think.
Giants and Cubs are going to extras.
Time to put the water on the stove. Hopefully by the time I get back the Red Sox-Devil Rays game will be over…
Nope. Still going. Foulke is in. 1 down in the 9th.
Minnesota is up by 8 on Sacramento and I’m wondering if I’ll watch much more of that game. Probably not.
I assume you’ve seen Keith Foulke’s tirade about the Red Sox travel conditions. Here was my favorite line from it, quoted in various sources:
Foulke said he's not the only player who has mentioned the traveling conditions to team officials.
"Some guys have brought it up," Foulke said. "I don't know if they're working on it. I think the Sox should build a plane and when we're not using it, the Celtics and Bruins can use it."
Yeah, that's what this world needs: Manny, Pedro, Millar, Johnny Damon and David Ortiz getting together on an off-day and building an airplane. For the team to fly in.
Giants have two on, one out in Chicago.
Someone (a baseball novice) asked me today who I thought was going to win the World Series. It caught me off guard, and I haven’t thought much about this year, so I was hesitant to give an answer.
For one thing, I didn’t want to say the Yankees, b/c even if I do think they have the best shot (which I’m not sure that I do) there’s nothing special about predicting the Yankees are going to win the World Series. That’s like predicting Dick Cheney won’t be attending of Fahrenheit 9/11 anytime soon. (That one’s for you, Torse!)
So I racked my brain(s). Who the heck is a reasonable, but not obvious choice to win the World Series this year?
I really don’t like any team in particular in the National League, although I can’t dismiss Houston and their starting rotation. The Cubs are a reasonable choice. A bolstered bullpen, so close last year… I assume Mark Prior is going to come back strong this year, and that Kerry Wood is going to be 100% again relatively soon. But I don’t know these things for sure, and without being certain about those two guys I’m hesitant to make any predictions about that team.
The Dodgers? No. And no to anyone from the NL East, including the Phillies, who I’m really not crazy about.
That leaves the American League, with the Yankees and Red Sox being too easy to pick. So that really leaves me the following choices to pick as 2004 World Series Champion:
Anaheim
Texas
Oakland
Minnesota
ChiSox
Out of that crew, I decided to go with the Twins. (I didn’t take this long to give an answer, trust me.) Why the Twins?
Well, for one it’s always good to pick a team I know is going to be in the playoffs, and I’m confident the Twins are going to take the AL Central again. Other than that, I picked them just to pick them. Outside of the obvious choices, there as good a pick as anyone.
Moises Alou hit a HR in the bottom of the 10th to close out the game in Chicago.
The Yanks and Angels are scoreless in the 1st. Eckstein is on 2nd with one out. Lieber vs. Lackey. Kind of an ugly pitching match-up…
And yes, I do have another baseball game to divert my interest from the Angels and Yanks. It’s the .500 Tigers at the Oakland A’s. 2-0 Oakland early on a Bobby (Saber-heads-see-something-in-me-that-the-ol’-myopic-scribes-don’t) Kielty home run.
One of the announcers in Oakland is Frankie “Sweet Music” Viola. When’s the last time you’ve seen that name?
I liked FrankViola. I thought he was kind of a character. And a pretty good pitcher too.
Vlad just knocked in Eckstein. 1-0 Anaheim.
While I’m thinking of other things to write about, here’s the transcript from an e-mail “conversation” my friend and I had today in the aftermath of Randy Johnson’s perfect game:
MT: Joe,
Interesting list below [complete list of baseball's perfect games]. 8 of the 15 perfect games in history happened from 1980 on. Why? I have no idea.
JZ: Without giving your question as much time as I'd like to, the first thing I'll say is more games.
There are more teams now than there were 50 years ago, and therefore more games each season, therefore a better chance to have a perfect game.
What really intrigues me is not the relative glut of perfect games in the post-expansion era, it's the absolute scarcity of perfect games from 1923-1955. Before Larsen's perfecto in the World Series, it had been 34 years (!) since the previous perfect game. That's almost hard to believe, and really puts into perspective how amazing that Larsen perfect game must have been perceived at that time in baseball history.
I think this illustrates that the biggest reason for more perfect games in the "modern era" is the evolution of the pitching rotations and the evolution of the "specialist" in the bullpen.
Starters today pitch with more rest and less mileage than they did in previous times. Look at the number of complete games now compared to 25, 30, 40, 50 years ago.
You could also make the suggestion (although I don't know if there's *any* evidence to back this up) that the collective mentality of hitters has changed enough to make perfect games "easier" to pitch. With every Tom, Dick and Harry swinging for the fences, it's easier now to get an entire line-up out in a given night that is swinging like that. Instead of the ol' "Hit 'em where they ain't" mentality.
I hope I've tapped the surface and given you something to chew on.
MT: I'm wondering if the Depression and WWII had anything to do with that drought of perfect games...?
JZ: I don't think the Depression had any tangible on-field effect on baseball. World War II? Definitely.
The era from 1920-1940 was a *great* offensive era, maybe the best the game has ever seen. It's only been rivaled by what's happened from 1993 to now. So that has a lot to do with it.
I'm not sure that the fact the majors from 1942-1948 or so were "watered down" b/c of WW2 would mean that a perfect game would've been harder to throw. Maybe... I have to plead a decent amount of ignorance on the subject. But I don't think that either the hitters or pitchers had a special advantage b/c of the war. If there was, it probably was in the hitters' favor (from what I've read along the way).
So your second point might explain some of it.
As with many things, the truth is probably a combination of a lot of what we've mentioned.
You know who’s having a pretty good year? Eurbiel Durazo. Just an observation.
This coffee really doesn’t taste that good. I was thinking of making a Dunkin’ Donuts run, and I probably should have. Instead I settled for instant, and I’m paying the price.
Hey, the Minnesota/Kings game is close again, 62-60. I might have to keep a closer eye on that for a few minutes. Sorry.
Yanks have bases loaded with 2 outs in the 2nd for Miguel Cairo. A .214 career hitter with the bases loaded.
Jermaine Dye just made an awesome catch in right field. A full body dive going towards the right field line to save at least two runs. No way I thought he was going to get it. Probably the best catch I’ve seen this year in live action.
Cairo struck out.
Back to the Kevin Garnett Show.
Basketball tie-in with the Yankee game? Karl Malone is watching the game perched high above the field in a Luxury Suite.
Garnett has 31 for the game, 13 in the quarter with 3:21 left in the game. Wolves up 7.
Chone Figgins may have bested Dye’s play a few minutes ago. Jeter hit a drive to the deepest part of Edison Field, a little to the right of dead center. Figgins who can absolutely fly, made a b-line to the track, turned, leapt and made the catch, banging against the wall. A great catch.
Some random thoughts on today’s games:
Houston knocked the Marlins around again. The Marlins are really fading a bit. Not a good sign that they’re getting trounced like this by a quality opponent.
Nice win for the Twinkies in the rubber game of a three-game set in Toronto. They got a pinch-hit grand slam from Matthew LeCroy of all people, scored 4 in the 9th and won the game 6-5.
(Detroit has just tied Oakland 2-2.)
Texas lost their second in a row to last-place Kansas City.
The Dodgers continue to fall from grace (6 losses in a row now). Philadelphia beat up on their pitching again tonight, scoring 9 runs, and are in 1st place now.
(A-Rod’s on third with two outs. Giambi just drilled one to left and out. Yanks 2, Angels 1)
Bibby just knocked down a 3 to bring the Kings within 4. 1:20 to go.
Chris Webber just missed a freakin’ bunny of a lay-up that would’ve cut it to 2… Under a minute to go.
Yanks have two on with two outs, same inning. They’ve gotten to Lackey a bit. Matsui up.
Matsui is hitting .185 with RISP. A far cry from last year, when he was up around/over .300 in that department.
Kielty just hit another one. He’s doubled his total home run output tonight. He now has four.
Lackey got out of it.
Geez, Garnett. 32 points, 21 rebounds. Minny up 5 with 26.9 to go.
Dye just knocked one out over the wall in left. Oakland 4-2. That’s three home runs given up by Mike Maroth in the first three innings.
Christie just hit a three with 16.8 left to cut the Minnesota lead to one. If the Timberwolves ever lose this game…
A-Rod just made a helluva play at third base. What’s up with all these defensive gems I’m seeing? Hard hit ball to his glove side (he was playing in), he had to make a full body dive to the ground and made the play from his knees, throwing out Figgins by a step.
Okay, I’ve seen a new “Dumb Promo of the Week.” YES just showed a preview of CenterStage with Michael Kay that will feature an interview with A-Rod. God, I’m waiting with baited breath for that one…
Anyway, the dialogue they decide to use to get me to watch that enlightening piece of journalism is this little exchange:
Michael Kay: Would you rather be the SS for the Boston Red Sox or the 3B of the New York Yankees?
A-Rod: No question, third baseman for the Yankees.
Duh, really? This is talk show on George Steinbrenner’s network hosted by the main play-by-play man on George Steinbrenner’s network. You sure you don’t want to say you’d rather play for the Red Sox? Stupid stupid stupid.
Sacremento has 2.2 seconds left to get a three-pointer off to try and tie. Webber missed a wide open three. Minnesota vs. LA in the Conf. Finals. Good 4th quarter.
I’m going to switch over to my other room, get the Internet connection going, put the Yanks on the radio and start wrapping things up…
---
You still there? Good.
Anaheim just tied the Yanks in the 5th.
My eyes are shot... Been staring at a computer screen for too many hours today.
I'm going to sign off.
But before I do, I'm going to take off my little nonsensical bits of info on the left side of the page. You guys know what the standings are; no need for me to post them here. And this is no stat haven, so I don't need to post those random scraps of stats on the side either.
What I think would be better, more useful and fun for you, is if I occasionally posted links to other columns on the web. Maybe I'll start doing that tomorrow.
Sleep well.
