9-22-16
I skipped a day. I must have been emotionally exhausted from the end of the Chihuahuas’ season. I wonder what happened on the 21st? I almost decided to skip this day too. The MLB.tv free game was a good one between the Indians versus the Royals, but I couldn’t get into it. The Royals are out of it and the Indians have pretty much sewn up the division. So even with me liking both teams and the match up, it wasn’t a meaningful game. I did get the final, Cleveland rocks 5-2.
At home, I start listening to the Rockies versus the Dodgers. I come in in the 7th with the Rockies up 4-2. In the bottom of the inning, the Rockies first reliever gives up a double. Boone Logan is brought in. He walks the bases full and then gives up a grand slam for an encore. I didn’t even write down the final score. Needless to say, the Rockies lost. Now I remember why I almost skipped writing about today’s games.
There was some good news. A co-worker returned from her vacation and reported going to a couple of the Padres’ games while out in the San Diego. She mentioned watching last night’s game and saw Margot, Renfroe, Hedges, and Asuaje from the Chihuahuas in the game. That’s cool.
9-23-16
I was confused about what the Rangers’ magic number was for clinching. I kept seeing different numbers on different websites. I stuck around work to watch the 9th between the Rangers and A’s on Gameday. It was a 3-0 Ranger victory. Adrian Beltre (who else?) drove in two runs. Cole Hamels went seven strong, shutout innings. I was convinced that they might be clinching tomorrow. I flip on the radio when I get home and catch the end of the Ranger post-game, where the broadcast crew was celebrating a division-winning victory. What a happy surprise for me. Yay!
I flip over to the Rockies’ game. I’m a glutton for punishment apparently. I tune in just in time to hear the Dodgers hit back to back home runs in the 4th (there was a rain-delay at the start of the game, I think), making the score 4-0 Dodgers. Nolan Arenado hits a homer in the 6th and the Rockies score another run, making it 4-2.
In the 7th, I finally notice that Jerry Schemmel is calling the game by himself. The inning started going very long, so he began talking about Vin Scully, as it was Vin Scully Appreciation night. There was a banner hanging outside his pressbox that read, “I’ll miss you, Vin,” giving the fans his sendoff message. Jerry reported that a line of celebrities had been turned away from Vin’s pressbox. Everybody wanted to thank him. A couple of Rockies’ coaches had gotten up there, one of them (I think Walt Weiss) was a former Dodger batboy.
The LA crowd gave out a cheer as the out-of-town scoreboard reported that the Padres defeated the Giants down the road. I was impressed with the stadium organist, who broke out a rendition of Benny and the Jets during the mandatory Los Angeles beachball-on-the-field break. The Dodgers scored a run in the inning, which seems almost inconsequential. Our final ends up being 5-2 Dodgers. At least the Rockies were pretty good at fielding. I heard them run down two different Dodgers making ill-advised attempts at taking home from third.
9-24-16
I started watching the Cubs versus the Cardinals on the Fox game in the morning. It was a pretty good game, but I couldn’t get into it as I was planning to leave before it was over to go to the Aggie Volleyball game. I didn’t even care who won (10-4 Cardinals).
When I got back, I was pleased that the Ranger game was still on. I was partly convinced that they’d be cutting over to Texas Tech football well before the end of the game. Even better, the Rangers were up 3-0 in the 8th. Tanner Scheppers came in with one out and two on. He walks the bases full, but manages to get two outs, without giving up a run. In the 9th, Robinson Chirinos knocked in Jared Hoying. Many of the Ranger starters were apparently incapacitated from celebrating last night, so several bench players were in. (I think Joey Gallo had three strikeouts.) The final ends up being 4-0 Rangers, a second shutout in a row. Yu Darvish had a great game with seven scoreless innings. Elvis Andrus, who’d asked to play today, hit two home runs.
The Rockies game was on later. I turn to it as soon as I can, because the Aggie football game is going so badly, voice of the Aggies, Jack Nixon, is physically choking on it at one point. This time, Jack Corrigan is calling the Rockies game by himself. They’re playing the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw is on the mound. I swear that it’s the 7th inning before Jack calls out a Rocky (Arenado) getting a hit. I know that’s not correct, but that’s what it seemed like. In fact, it seemed like the Dodgers were the only ones out on the field, because they were the only ones doing anything right. With the score 8-0, that was functionally correct. It’s so bad, I turn back to the football, but they’ve gone back to their Country programming. It seemed too early for the game and post-game to be finished. Did I lose track of time, or did they just quit broadcasting the game? (52-6 Troy over NMSU, as I learned later.)
The Rockies game may have gone worse. The final was 14-1 Dodgers. At the stadium, they put up the feed of the Giants and Padres game on their video boards, since a Giants’ loss would clinch the division for the Dodgers. With Bumgarner pitching and a six run lead, the game still ended up going into a 10th inning, but with a final of 9-6 Giants.
9-27-16
As the Rockies were getting destroyed by the Giants, 12-3, the broadcast offhandedly mentioned Hunter Renfroe of the Padres hitting another home run. As I looked it up later, what an understatement. The former El Paso Chihuahua and PCL MVP had driven in seven runs thanks to a three-run home run and a grand slam. Meanwhile, the last two half innings of the Rockies game were agonizing, not for frequent pitching changes, but rather a lack of them and a strange reluctance on the part of both managers to pull their pitchers, who clearly didn’t have it. Yeah, the Giants won eventually.
9-28-16
How about this? Tyler Chattwood tossed eight shutout innings versus the Giants tonight for the Rockies. Boone Logan came on the 9th and let on two, while getting two outs. Adam Ottavino came in and completed the 2-0 Rockies win. Again, Hunter Renfroe was mentioned on the broadcast for a home run. This one got everyone buzzing (Dick Enberg would still be talking about it the next night) as Hunter cranked one onto the roof left field’s Western Metal Supply Company building. That is one titanic shot.
9-29-16
“Did I die?” I got to watch a good deal of Dick Enberg’s final home game with the Padres on the Yahoo free game. It was a very nice, game-long ceremonial broadcast. There was an “Oh my!” cut into the outfield. He got to call an inning with his son. There were video well wishes from other luminaries, including Vin Scully. Dick was overwhelmed, as from the quote above, but still kept trying to call the game anyway with all the distractions. On a strange personal note, while Dodger player Charlie Culberson’s name was being called, I was checking a customer account with the name Culbertson. To say the least, it was weird having a name in your head being said over a broadcast at the same time. Just one of those funky coincidences.
Up the road, Vin has his last home broadcast for the Dodgers. They win in a walk-off. While gathered at home plate, the players turned to salute Vin in the pressbox. However the Dodgers’ season ends, this was their highlight of the year.
“That’s Christopher Walken out in right field,” Jack Corrigan was technically incorrect, as it was actually Hunter Pence, but the misunderstanding was understandable. It didn’t matter who was in right field for the Giants tonight as they rolled the Rockies, 7-2.
9-30-16
All of tonight’s games were free on MLB.tv. I picked the Rangers vs the Rays. The video was of course blocked for local broadcast restrictions. (This really isn’t selling the service to me.) I couldn’t even hear the Rangers’ radio broadcast there, but I went to our local radio affiliate over the Internet and there it was. Granted this wouldn’t have worked any other day, but I was pleased as punch to hear an exuberant Eric Nadel and Matt Hicks call a 3-1 Rangers victory. Thanks to the win, the team now has home field advantage in every round of the playoffs if they can get there.
It was a long night at work. I went back to MLB.tv after the Rangers game and plucked out the Dodgers versus Giants game. Still no video and no Vin, but I did get Jon Miller’s radio call. He was in absolutely poetic voice tonight in San Francisco with a near playoff atmosphere for the Giants, who are in a must win situation for the whole weekend. It was 2-2 in the 6th when I joined in. Amazingly by the end of the inning, the Giants had scored seven runs, including two knocked in by starting pitcher, Madison Bumgarner. “Beat LA!” chanted the crowd as the Giants ended up winning 9-3.
10-1-16
My aches and pains acquired from work last night kept me from sleeping well, so I was up in plenty of time to watch this morning’s MLB on Fox. The pre-game was busy remembering retiring Vin Scully and Dick Enberg, and the passing of Jose Fernandez, along with the wild card race coverage. Over the last few days, I’ve heard an amazing amount of good things about Fernandez, young star pitcher of the Marlins. His death really hit a lot of people hard. It’s a pity you didn’t hear about all this while he was alive.
Today, we got whip around coverage between the Phillies versus the Mets and the Pirates versus the Cardinals, two games with NL playoff implications. I don’t know why they don’t do this all the time on their broadcasts. It works great on MLB Tonight on the MLB Network. In Philadelphia in front of a sparse crowd of seemingly mostly Met fans, the Mets would secure their spot, winning 5-3. In a light rain after the game, Curtis Granderson would thank those fans for coming out for them.
In St. Louis, Jed Gyorko’s late home run gave the Cards a win and put the pressure on the Giants for their game this afternoon versus Kershaw and the Dodgers. A rookie pitcher for the Giants ends up outdueling him, putting the pressure back on the Cardinals. Admittedly, the Dodgers were playing half-heartedly, but that’s still going to be a memorable win for the kid. (Should have gotten his name. Maybe we’ll hear more about him next season.)
10-2-16
I get no baseball news until 10:20 in the evening, and that thanks to an expanded local sportscast following Sunday Night Football. All of the playoff slots are set. I’ll cover that in my next post. No extra games are needed. There’s only one story today: Vin Scully calls his last game. With that, the 2016 regular season ends.
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