...THEN BEAT L.A.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Giving up a 4 run lead in the 6th to the Dodgers at home is INEXCUSABLE!!! GET IT TOGETHER ROX!!
And Manny? Lay off the fertility drugs, you're not a pregnant woman, you cheating douchebag!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Chicken Runs at Midnight
I never thought I'd use that phrase as a Blogger title, nor did I ever think this phrase could be so uplifting. But, as the wonderful world of sports seems to do on a daily basis, I've learned something new and inspiring.
In 1992, Rich Donnelly, then-third base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, lost his daughter to a brain tumor. Earlier that year, she asked her dad what Donnelly would always yell to the runners on second base. "Dad, what do you yell to the runner, 'The chicken runs at midnight?'" As it states in the article linked in my title, the Pirates began using this phrase frequently.
Four years later, the Florida Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, winning in the 11th inning in Game 7 (Donnelly was the 3rd base coach). Craig Counsell, aptly named "The Chicken" in the Donnelly household because of the way he flaps his arm in the batter's box, scored the winning run. At midnight.
As Tim Kurkjian says, "The chicken indeed runs at midnight."
"There is baseball in the story, but it's not a baseball story," said Counsell. This is simply another of the endless reasons why I love sports; sports can be so much bigger than the outsider generally portrays it to be. Sports can make a phrase like "The chicken runs at midnight" touch millions around the Nation, which is evident in the midnight 3k run in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Sports can also save a city, as it did during the economic hell swarming Detroit. When Michigan State danced all the way to the Final Four in 2009, it lit a fire under the Motor City, a fire that seemed all but extinguished a month prior.
Sports saved our Nation in 2001. In the wake of 9/11, America felt lost, hopelessy looking for answers to why such a terrible tragedy could happen. When baseball returned 10 days later, it gave us something to get our minds off of the pain. Seeing Mike Piazza's memorable home run that night forever changed my outlook on baseball. It's just a game, but it's a game that can unite an entire country in its darkest times.
Sports have stopped wars. In 2006, the Ivory Coast was in the midst of a Civil War, dating back to 2002. When the World Cup began on June 9, the ongoing north-south battle ceased, and for one month, the Cote d'Ivoire came together as one to cheer on their beloved Elephants. "Thanks to soccer, the country is going to reconcile its differences." - Kata Kaba.
Thanks to the late Ernie Harwell, I'm beginning my own version of Ode to Baseball. And it begins with:
Baseball is a bright kid sprinting the length of Centerfield at Yankee Stadium after robbing a home run. Baseball is that same bright young man - with his cap backwards - flashing that contagious smile at the city that adores him, being carried off the field in the city that he adores.
Baseball is a young boy watching this young man play the game with ease, inspiring the boy to wear his cap backwards, smile his big smile, and play the game for the simple joy of playing the game. That's baseball.
Baseball is a chicken running home at midnight, capturing the heart of fans from New Jersey all the way to San Diego, including the boy from Colorado, with his backwards cap and foolish grin.
In 1992, Rich Donnelly, then-third base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, lost his daughter to a brain tumor. Earlier that year, she asked her dad what Donnelly would always yell to the runners on second base. "Dad, what do you yell to the runner, 'The chicken runs at midnight?'" As it states in the article linked in my title, the Pirates began using this phrase frequently.
Four years later, the Florida Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, winning in the 11th inning in Game 7 (Donnelly was the 3rd base coach). Craig Counsell, aptly named "The Chicken" in the Donnelly household because of the way he flaps his arm in the batter's box, scored the winning run. At midnight.
As Tim Kurkjian says, "The chicken indeed runs at midnight."
"There is baseball in the story, but it's not a baseball story," said Counsell. This is simply another of the endless reasons why I love sports; sports can be so much bigger than the outsider generally portrays it to be. Sports can make a phrase like "The chicken runs at midnight" touch millions around the Nation, which is evident in the midnight 3k run in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Sports can also save a city, as it did during the economic hell swarming Detroit. When Michigan State danced all the way to the Final Four in 2009, it lit a fire under the Motor City, a fire that seemed all but extinguished a month prior.
Sports saved our Nation in 2001. In the wake of 9/11, America felt lost, hopelessy looking for answers to why such a terrible tragedy could happen. When baseball returned 10 days later, it gave us something to get our minds off of the pain. Seeing Mike Piazza's memorable home run that night forever changed my outlook on baseball. It's just a game, but it's a game that can unite an entire country in its darkest times.
Sports have stopped wars. In 2006, the Ivory Coast was in the midst of a Civil War, dating back to 2002. When the World Cup began on June 9, the ongoing north-south battle ceased, and for one month, the Cote d'Ivoire came together as one to cheer on their beloved Elephants. "Thanks to soccer, the country is going to reconcile its differences." - Kata Kaba.
Thanks to the late Ernie Harwell, I'm beginning my own version of Ode to Baseball. And it begins with:
Baseball is a bright kid sprinting the length of Centerfield at Yankee Stadium after robbing a home run. Baseball is that same bright young man - with his cap backwards - flashing that contagious smile at the city that adores him, being carried off the field in the city that he adores.
Baseball is a young boy watching this young man play the game with ease, inspiring the boy to wear his cap backwards, smile his big smile, and play the game for the simple joy of playing the game. That's baseball.
Baseball is a chicken running home at midnight, capturing the heart of fans from New Jersey all the way to San Diego, including the boy from Colorado, with his backwards cap and foolish grin.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Ode to Baseball
In the past month, the baseball world lost two incredibly inspiring figures in longtime Detroit Tigers announcer and Hall-of-Famer Ernie Harwell and Rockies President Keli McGregor. While both were very different in what they did for the game, the end result was the same: reminding the Nation why baseball is still deserving of the National Pastime status.
I don't intend to ramble on at how wonderful these two men were, but make no mistake, these two staples in the game of baseball were just that: wonderful men. I know, without a doubt, that the Rockies would have never made the Postseason in '07 and '09, much less the World Series in '07, if Keli was never hired back in the early days of the Rockies franchise. When he became President in 1999 (or 2001, I can't remember), he made the decision to rebuild the franchise with homegrown players.
A decade later, his dream fulfilled, the Rockies opened the 2009 season with all eight position players coming from the Colorado farm system. Not many teams can say they've accomplished that feat.
Here are some excellent articles around the nation regarding Keli's impact on the game:
Bodley remembers McGregor.
Heavy-hearted win for Rockies.
Rockies try to pick up pieces.
McGregor remembered as kind, driven.
McGregor remembered (ESPN).
McGregor's values directed Rox ascent. This is probably my favorite article, mainly because Dave Kriger, a man so critical of the Rockies over the years, salutes McGregor's incredible work he did for Colorado.
I don't know nearly as much about Ernie Harwell, but it's easy to see the impact he's had on the game, especially in Detroit and with the Tigers franchise. Harwell lived 92 long years of living and loving the game of baseball. From the days of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle to the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984, Ernie has seen it all.
While watching the MLB Network the other day, Bob Costas and John Smoltz started to reminisce about Harwell, which led to the video of Costas's interview with Harwell during the '09 World Series. I watched the interview with awe in this wise old man. Here was this 91 year-old man, knowing that cancer will inevitably take his life, and soon, but showed no sign of defeat, or despair. In fact, when Costas graciously asked him if he could recite a portion of his famous Hall-of-Fame speech, Harwell whipped out the entire poem off the top of his head! The poem was so beautiful, and his composure was so awe-inspiring, it brought tears to my eyes. I know that sounds gushy, but it was truly touching. So touching, in fact, that I want to share the poem with you folks. I hope your still reading, because it puts baseball in a different perspective and, for me, life in a different perspective. Anyway, I did what I said I wouldn't, and started to ramble, so here is Ernie Harwell's Ode to Baseball:Baseball is the President tossing out the first pitch of the season and a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm.A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout. That's baseball. And so is the big, fat guy with a bulbous nose running home one of his 714 home runs.
There's a man in Mobile who remembers that Honus Wagner hit a triple in Pittsburgh forty-six years ago. That's baseball. And so is the scout reporting that a sixteen year old in Cheyenne is a coming Walter Johnson. Baseball is a spirited race of man against man, reflex against reflex. A game of inches. Every skill is measured. Every heroic, every failing is seen and cheered, or booed. And then becomes a statistic.
In baseball demoncracy shines its clearest. The only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rulebook. And color merely something to distinguish one team's uniform from another.
Baseball is a rookie. His experience no bigger than the lump in his throat as he begins fulfillment of his dream. And it's a veteran, too, a tired old man of thirty-five hoping that those aching muscles can pull him through another sweltering August and September. Nicknames are baseball, names like Zeke and Pie and Kiki and Home Run and Cracker and Dizzy and Dazzy.
Baseball is the clear, cool eyes of Rogers Hornsby. The flashing spikes of Ty Cobb, an over aged pixie named Rabbit Maranville.
Baseball, just a game as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It's a sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion.
Why the fairytale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World Series catch and then dashing off to play stickball in the streets with his teenage pals. That's baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth."
Baseball is cigar smoke, hot roasted peanuts. The Sporting News, ladies day, "down in front," 7th inning stretch, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and the Star Spangled Banner.
Baseball is a man named Campanella telling the Nation's business leaders, "You have to be a man to be a big leaguer, but you have to have a lot of little boy in you too."
Baseball is a tongue-tied kid from Georgia growing up to be an announcer and praising the Lord for showing him the way to Cooperstown. This is a game for America, baseball. This is a game for boys and for men.
I found the video of that interview, but unfortunately I can't embed it onto Blogger. So if you want to hear it from Ernie, watch it here.
This speech reminded me of the simple joys baseball can bring. For me, baseball is going to Coors Field and watching the Rockies struggle through the early 00's, only to revive their franchise, a franchise built by Keli McGregor, and find their way to the World Series in 2007. That's baseball, and it is the game that holds the most special place in my heart.
The Boys of Summer
Ok, so this is a little late - a whole month late, actually - but I've been a little wary of putting this post on my blog. Why? Every time I wrote about the Rockies last year, they would flounder into a potentially devastating losing streak. When I stopped around the time September began, they promptly got it together and held off the Giants for the WIld Card spot.
So I'm sure you can see why I'm hesitant to write about the very team that inspired me to create this blog. Still, I have to find a way to write about baseball, otherwise this will be a deserted blog for the next 5-6 months. So, with that being the case, I've found a way to talk baseball without exactly talking about the boys at Blake Street.
At the start of every college basketball season, I do what I call Preseason Bracketology. And at the start of every baseball season, I tend to forget to go through a thorough prediction process, mainly because that's around the time I'm neck-deep in real brackets for March Madness.
Not this year, though. Since I finished my Preseason Bracketology so early, I was able to dedicate my time in February to predicting every game for the entire MLB season. How crazy is this? It might not be up to the insanity standards of College Basketball, but figure this: there are 30 MLB teams and each team plays 162 regular season games. 162 * 30 = 4860. That's the number of I games I predicted. And, with my luck, I'm guessing I will be correct in less than 5% of those games.
Anyway, after going through the whole spreadsheet process, this is what I came up with. Enjoy!
AL EAST:
Tampa Bay Rays (94-68)
New York Yankees (92-70)*
Boston Red Sox (90-72)
Baltimore Orioles (82-80)
Toronto Blue Jays (69-93)
AL CENTRAL:
Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Cleveland Indians (85-77)
Chicago White Sox (84-78)
Detroit Tigers (79-83)
Kansas City Royals (56-106)
AL WEST:
Seattle Mariners (92-70)
Los Angeles Angels (90-72)
Texas Rangers (83-79)
Oakland Athletics (71-91)
NL EAST:
Atlanta Braves (92-70)
Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)*
Florida Marlins (89-73)
New York Mets (84-78)
Washington Nationals (59-103)
NL CENTRAL:
St Louis Cardinals (91-71)
Cincinnati Reds (84-78)
Chicago Cubs (76-86)
Houston Astros (76-86)
Milwaukee Brewers (74-88)
Pittsburgh Pirates (52-110)
NL WEST:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68)
Los Angeles Dodgers (88-74)
San Fransisco Giants (87-75)
Arizona Diamondbacks (81-81)
San Diego Padres (55-107)
AL DIVISION SERIES:
Tampa Bay Rays (94-68) v Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Game 1: Rays over Twins, 6-4
Game 2: Twins over Rays, 8-3
Game 3: Twins over Rays, 7-6
Game 4: Twins over Rays, 4-3 (F/10)
TWINS WIN SERIES, 3-1
Seattle Mariners (92-70) v New York Yankees (92-70)
Game 1: Mariners over Yankees, 3-1
Game 2: Yankees over Mariners, 4-3
Game 3: Mariners over Yankees, 5-4
Game 4: Yankees over Mariners, 6-1
Game 5: Mariners over Yankees, 4-1
MARINERS WIN SERIES, 3-2
NL DIVISION SERIES:
Colorado Rockies (94-68) v Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)
Game 1: Rockies over Phillies, 5-1
Game 2: Rockies over Phillies, 7-4
Game 3: Rockies over Phillies, 6-4
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 3-0
Atlanta Braves (92-70) v St Louis Cardinals (91-71)
Game 1: Cardinals over Braves, 3-0
Game 2: Braves over Cardinals, 5-3
Game 3: Cardinals over Braves, 4-3
Game 4: Braves over Cardinals, 6-5 (F/11)
Game 5: Braves over Cardinals, 2-1
BRAVES WIN SERIES, 3-2
AL CHAMPIONSHIO SERIES:
Seattle Mariners (92-70) v Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Game 1: Mariners over Twins, 4-2
Game 2: Mariners over Twins, 3-2
Game 3: Twins over Mariners, 7-3
Game 4: Twins over Mariners, 8-3
Game 5: Mariners over Twins, 4-3
Game 6: Twins over Mariners, 6-5
Game 7: Mariners over Twins, 4-3
MARINERS WIN SERIES, 4-3
SEATTLE MARINERS: AL CHAMPS 2010
NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES:
Colorado Rockies (94-68) v Atlanta Braves (92-70)
Game 1: Rockies over Braves, 6-3
Game 2: Braves over Rockies, 4-1
Game 3: Rockies over Braves, 3-2
Game 4: Braves over Rockies, 3-2
Game 5: Braves over Rockies, 5-4
Game 6: Rockies over Braves, 5-1
Game 7: Rockies over Braves, 8-6 (F/10)
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 4-3
COLORADO ROCKIES: NL CHAMPS 2010
2010 WORLD SERIES:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68) V SEATTLE MARINERS (92-70)
Game 1: Mariners over Rockies, 2-1
Game 2: Rockies over Mariners, 5-3
Game 3: Rockies over Mariners, 6-2
Game 4: Mariners over Rockies, 4-3
Game 5: Rockies over Mariners, 2-0
Game 6: Mariners over Rockies, 2-1
Game 7: Rockies over Mariners, 5-3
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 4-3
2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68)
According to BBTN, the five best teams of 2010 are pictured in this World Series Idol.
This is what I was lucky enough to witness on April 17, 2010.
One month in and it's already been a memorable season. I can't wait to see what the next five months will hold in store for my beloved Rockies:)
So I'm sure you can see why I'm hesitant to write about the very team that inspired me to create this blog. Still, I have to find a way to write about baseball, otherwise this will be a deserted blog for the next 5-6 months. So, with that being the case, I've found a way to talk baseball without exactly talking about the boys at Blake Street.
At the start of every college basketball season, I do what I call Preseason Bracketology. And at the start of every baseball season, I tend to forget to go through a thorough prediction process, mainly because that's around the time I'm neck-deep in real brackets for March Madness.
Not this year, though. Since I finished my Preseason Bracketology so early, I was able to dedicate my time in February to predicting every game for the entire MLB season. How crazy is this? It might not be up to the insanity standards of College Basketball, but figure this: there are 30 MLB teams and each team plays 162 regular season games. 162 * 30 = 4860. That's the number of I games I predicted. And, with my luck, I'm guessing I will be correct in less than 5% of those games.
Anyway, after going through the whole spreadsheet process, this is what I came up with. Enjoy!
AL EAST:
Tampa Bay Rays (94-68)
New York Yankees (92-70)*
Boston Red Sox (90-72)
Baltimore Orioles (82-80)
Toronto Blue Jays (69-93)
AL CENTRAL:
Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Cleveland Indians (85-77)
Chicago White Sox (84-78)
Detroit Tigers (79-83)
Kansas City Royals (56-106)
AL WEST:
Seattle Mariners (92-70)
Los Angeles Angels (90-72)
Texas Rangers (83-79)
Oakland Athletics (71-91)
NL EAST:
Atlanta Braves (92-70)
Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)*
Florida Marlins (89-73)
New York Mets (84-78)
Washington Nationals (59-103)
NL CENTRAL:
St Louis Cardinals (91-71)
Cincinnati Reds (84-78)
Chicago Cubs (76-86)
Houston Astros (76-86)
Milwaukee Brewers (74-88)
Pittsburgh Pirates (52-110)
NL WEST:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68)
Los Angeles Dodgers (88-74)
San Fransisco Giants (87-75)
Arizona Diamondbacks (81-81)
San Diego Padres (55-107)
AL DIVISION SERIES:
Tampa Bay Rays (94-68) v Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Game 1: Rays over Twins, 6-4
Game 2: Twins over Rays, 8-3
Game 3: Twins over Rays, 7-6
Game 4: Twins over Rays, 4-3 (F/10)
TWINS WIN SERIES, 3-1
Seattle Mariners (92-70) v New York Yankees (92-70)
Game 1: Mariners over Yankees, 3-1
Game 2: Yankees over Mariners, 4-3
Game 3: Mariners over Yankees, 5-4
Game 4: Yankees over Mariners, 6-1
Game 5: Mariners over Yankees, 4-1
MARINERS WIN SERIES, 3-2
NL DIVISION SERIES:
Colorado Rockies (94-68) v Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)
Game 1: Rockies over Phillies, 5-1
Game 2: Rockies over Phillies, 7-4
Game 3: Rockies over Phillies, 6-4
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 3-0
Atlanta Braves (92-70) v St Louis Cardinals (91-71)
Game 1: Cardinals over Braves, 3-0
Game 2: Braves over Cardinals, 5-3
Game 3: Cardinals over Braves, 4-3
Game 4: Braves over Cardinals, 6-5 (F/11)
Game 5: Braves over Cardinals, 2-1
BRAVES WIN SERIES, 3-2
AL CHAMPIONSHIO SERIES:
Seattle Mariners (92-70) v Minnesota Twins (91-71)
Game 1: Mariners over Twins, 4-2
Game 2: Mariners over Twins, 3-2
Game 3: Twins over Mariners, 7-3
Game 4: Twins over Mariners, 8-3
Game 5: Mariners over Twins, 4-3
Game 6: Twins over Mariners, 6-5
Game 7: Mariners over Twins, 4-3
MARINERS WIN SERIES, 4-3
SEATTLE MARINERS: AL CHAMPS 2010
NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES:
Colorado Rockies (94-68) v Atlanta Braves (92-70)
Game 1: Rockies over Braves, 6-3
Game 2: Braves over Rockies, 4-1
Game 3: Rockies over Braves, 3-2
Game 4: Braves over Rockies, 3-2
Game 5: Braves over Rockies, 5-4
Game 6: Rockies over Braves, 5-1
Game 7: Rockies over Braves, 8-6 (F/10)
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 4-3
COLORADO ROCKIES: NL CHAMPS 2010
2010 WORLD SERIES:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68) V SEATTLE MARINERS (92-70)
Game 1: Mariners over Rockies, 2-1
Game 2: Rockies over Mariners, 5-3
Game 3: Rockies over Mariners, 6-2
Game 4: Mariners over Rockies, 4-3
Game 5: Rockies over Mariners, 2-0
Game 6: Mariners over Rockies, 2-1
Game 7: Rockies over Mariners, 5-3
ROCKIES WIN SERIES, 4-3
2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS:
COLORADO ROCKIES (94-68)
According to BBTN, the five best teams of 2010 are pictured in this World Series Idol.
This is what I was lucky enough to witness on April 17, 2010.
One month in and it's already been a memorable season. I can't wait to see what the next five months will hold in store for my beloved Rockies:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)