Baseball Journal MLB Rewind 11-13-12

#ASG. Whatever that means. Unfortunately, the most salient memory of this year's All-Star Game was the blonde sitting behind home plate wearing the Marilyn Monroe Seven-Year Itch dress. I kept waiting to see her stand up and for her dress fly up around her. I say "unfortunately" because you'd rather that the game be memorable for the play during the game, but what can you say about an 8 - 0 shellacking of the softball league by the National League.

There was some good action on the field, albeit somewhat overshadowed by the player fashion show. Neon blue, neon orange, and even shimmering gold were on display on the field. It was Bryce Harper wearing the golden slippers. He was also in the dugout chatting with Chipper Jones a lot. First ASG rookie getting advice from the honored veteran in his last. Yeah, none of that helped Harper find an easy fly ball that dropped behind him in the outfield (ruled a "hit?"). Hopefully, he'll have plenty of future games to make up for that Jumbotron replay moment. Bautista and Braun's (robbing former teammate Prince Fielder no less) outfield play I think made up for it.

Nobody questioned the large contingent of Ranger and Yankee players voted in, but the Giant fans voting in the Kung Fu Panda as the third base starter was somehow a travesty.  [I wonder if those people also question him getting the World Series MVP?] Well, all Pablo Sandoval did was hit the first bases loaded triple in ASG history. The rest of the Giant contingent included the Milk Man (Melky, one of the three Cabreras in the game) delivering a two-run homer (and All-Star MVP), two scoreless innings by Mr. Perfect, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey catching half of the shutout. (I don't blame him for him not wanting to catch Dickey's knuckle ball.) What did all of the Rangers and Yankees do by comparison? Nothing, except Kinsler let Chipper get a hit in his at-bat. [I also can't believe Wash didn't insert Yu Darvish into the game at some point. A nice little test on a big stage. Certainly everybody watching in Japan was disappointed.]

Then there's the terrible controversy by the miserable, classless fans in Kansas City who had the unmitigated gall to "boo" Robinson Cano for the second straight day (including yesterday's home run derby). I got two words for you indignant idiots, "Bleacher Creatures." How about two more, "John Sterling." How about just "Yankee fans," and "Yankee butt-kissing sports media types." Don'cha ya know that Robinson Cano said he'd pick Royals DH Billy Butler for the home run derby squad and then reneged on it? [Of course, if you're a full-time DH, you're not real baseball player, so that's why you get picked over.] Cano had that Bronx Cheer coming.

I admit to one shamefully dopey moment that I couldn't help enjoying. There was that Direct TV commercial that ended with a guy in a bad disguise attending his own funeral after faking his death. Cut to the coverage. There the guy is in the stands, suddenly aware that he's on camera and trying to hide. If you're committed to product placement, at least make it as fun as this.


7-16-12

Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers did a great job of handing the Padres a win on Saturday. As usual with any radio baseball broadcast, it took a minute to sort out what happened. He had turned his back to the plate to clean his cleats. He apparently forgot that there was a runner on third, who took off and stole home. Jansen's panicked throw to the plate went wide and a runner on second also scampered home. Oh, it was the top of the ninth, two outs, two strikes on the batter when all this happened. The end result was that the Padres suddenly had the lead and ended up winning. Dodger announcers Rick Monday and Charlie Steiner and Dodger fan, Ben Maller on Fox Sports Radio were united in their livid condemnation. [I included this little story only because it seemed to sum up the Dodgers' season.]

Happily, I also found Matt Hicks on the Rangers' radio broadcast with Eric Nadel. Great to hear the old voice of the El Paso Diablos doing well.

[I was muted in my joy on paper. I was ecstatic to hear him again. I used to listen to Matt on a daily basis calling games during the 90's. He is a great broadcaster. I still remember his finest moment (at least in my mind) of doing Diablo games. After a couple of days of grumbling about the state of the franchise in Shreveport Louisiana whom the Diablos were playing, Matt and his partner, Brett Pollack, went into the broadcast booth for the rubber game on a mission. Starting with the first at-bat, they tore into Shreveport's management for running the team into the ground. As the inning progressed, they then turned their attention to each team in the Texas League. The first inning kept going with all sorts of action, but Matt and Brett kept on in their criticism, taking on even the League's management. I guarantee you have never heard anything like this in a baseball radio broadcast. I wish I'd been recording it. That night's broadcast should be in the Hall of Fame, 20 minutes of two broadcasters telling a league and their executives how stupid they are during a game. Priceless.]