Baseball Journal: Season Rewind 10-14-12

I kept an actual written journal during the season, jotting down whatever interested me. Of course this was a terrible idea, and it would have been a much better notion to have typed it out and posted it in a timely manner. However, in this format, I have the option of engaging in some selective editing of bad predictions and wrong theories. For some entries, I'll just be cherry-picking a few choice lines, others will contain the full entry.

4-27-12
It's gratifying to see the Giants finally scoring some runs. The Kung Fu Panda looks like he's gone on a bamboo diet and is taking out his suppressed appetite on the baseball. [Clearly this is no longer the case, but he's still hitting.]

4-28-12
The Nationals have lost the Lidge and one of their Zimmerman's. [Boy, did losing their closer end up biting the Nats in the end.] Fortunately, they still have the Zim with two N's that pitches, but not the everyday one that hits well. We will get to see Harper in the Bigs now. I'm sure this excessively humble young man has already endeared himself to the rest of the league and they'll give him loads of respect. [Actually his hustle did that.]

The Cardinal-Brewer game today was a delight. The threat of weather (which would show up after the game) perhaps expanded the strike zone and encouraged the batters to swing early in the count. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver were positively giddy and enthusiastic to be in St. Louis calling the game. I hate to say it, but McCarver's time in the hospital last year loosened him up tremendously. Game Six of the World Series last year may well have also rekindled Buck's love of the sport. Whatever, I'm glad to see it.

The game ran two and half hours and had plenty of offense and defense. If most games could be played like this, I think much of the criticism of the sport would go away.

5-2-12
Saw Bryce Harper almost hit his first major league home run. I did get to see him score from second off of an infield hit. Frankly, kind of amazing. The ball only got a couple of feet behind the second baseman, then Harper knocked the ball loose from the catcher on the play at the plate. [Baseball really isn't a contact sport. MLB should find a way to rule this out. Yes, I'm saying this mostly because of what happened to Buster Posey last year, but it's not like a runner going to first is allowed to knock the ball out of the first baseman's glove.]

I got to see Zito come out of a game in the fourth inning. He'd only given up two runs and NINE walks in 91 PITCHES. As much as I'd like to see a game in Frisco, thank God it wasn't this one. I can only pity the people who were there.

5-3-12
Royals vs. Yankees. Jonathan Broxton came out to close. Broxton: former Dodger closer. Why wasn't he still? Two words: Matt Stairs. Broxton still involuntarily twitches at the name.

5-5-12
Mets vs. Diamondbacks. It's wonderful to know that even with the new stadium, the Mets have managed to make sure that they are still in the flight path of La Guardia. Ah, the mellifluous sounds of low-flying jets. I don't know why every team doesn't have this.

5-6-12
I take it all back. All the bad things I've said about DH's were wrong. They do have some value other than being able to hit. The Orioles vs. Red Sox game went 17 innings with the Orioles DH, Chris Davis, pitching the last two. He went 0 for 8 hitting (so did Adrian Gonzales though), but pitching, he got two strikeouts and a game-ending double play.

5-8-12
Watching Phillip Humber pitch yesterday for the White Sox, I'm feeling increasingly bad for Armando Galaraga. As Humber pitches his way into the minor leagues, at least he can always look back on his perfect afternoon. Armando? Gosh knows what he looks back on.

5-9-12
Meanwhile in Baltimore, Nolan Ryan is in negotiation to trade stadiums with the Orioles. Josh Hamilton had a historic night with four homeruns and going 5 for 5. You'd think Buck Showalter might have thought about pitching around Hammy after the third homerun.

Giants vs. Dodgers. (Giant) Javier Lopez was fairly impressive in relief. Also, he and his wife have degrees in psychology. Gotta love Vin Sculley and his opposition research. He'll tell you things about your team, your hometown announcers never mentioned. [Wouldn't it be great, if somebody did a comedy bit impersonating Vin, making up all sorts of horrible stuff about the players in game. "And Audrey Huff also likes to wear G-string underwear while playing the game." Oh, wait. That's actually real.]

5-12-12
[With a little NASCAR mixed in] Too much of Darlington's coverage focused on a certain driver multiple laps down, namely Danica.

"There she is! She's driving well! She's passing cars, admittedly cars that are on the lead lap that are just letting her go, but you have to give her credit! Wait! Somebody's out on the track! It's baseball player, Cole Hamels! What's he doing? He's throwing a baseball through Danica's windshield! She swerves! She hits the wall, flips over, catches on fire! Oh the humanity! Why, Cole Hamels, Why?"

"I was just welcoming her to the league, you know, being Old School."
[Better than revenge sex, was watching Bryce Harper steal home on Hamels, after he'd plunked him for no damn reason. Meanwhile having watched plenty of her in the IRL, I've had enough of the Danica Experience. Until she starts winning, I don't care about her and her hyper-coverage.]