Baseball Journal 7-6-13

Independence Day last week was a bit of a bust, baseball-wise.  The Cubs played the A’s in Oakland in a game that apparently neither side wanted to show up for.  The A’s won it 1-0, and that one run was scored on a passed ball by the catcher that scored a runner from third.  The crowd there was totally into it though.  They were like a Wrigley crowd.  Regardless, it was still more enjoyable than going to work that day.

Friday back at work was a bit more interesting for baseball.  I finally got to see Puig, live in action.  What did I see?  Puig hit a single into centerfield, which he turned into a double by sheer speed.  The next play was a ground out to first with the pitcher covering, and Puig rounded third and took home standing up.  No big deal. 

The Cubs game versus the Pirates on Saturday didn’t start off much better.  Both teams trotted out starting pitchers that believe in contemplating their pitches like they’re hovering over a chessboard.  It seemed like the first three innings took two hours, though unbelievably, the game finished in just under three hours.  Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs in a 4-1, Cubs win.

Still, the game coverage had some extra entertainment.  The couple in back of bleachers that spilled their beers on each other in a previous game are apparently still together and hanging out in the same spot.  Call it “Cubs Marriage Therapy.” This game was also the anniversary of 80’s Red’s pitcher Tom Browning, sneaking out of the bullpen during a game and hanging out with the fans at a rooftop party across the street.  There he was, sitting on the edge of the building, waving at the camera.  It was a $500 fine by the team, but worth it. 

For the 7^th inning stretch, the Chicago Blackhawks’ National Anthem singer, Jim Cornelison, belted out “Take Me Out the Ballgame.”  The guy was a deep, majestic baritone, and held the final note for over 10 seconds.  So, that’s what that song sounds like when an actual singer does it.  But the highlight had to be this video they showed during the game of a Korean girl throwing out the first pitch in a Korean league game.  She was on the Rhythmic Gymnastics team.  She stretched out in an exaggerated wind up motion, arching her back.  With one leg on the ground, whirled the rest of herself around in a flip, and then threw the ball home.  What did this have to do with the game?  Nothing.  It was just cool. 

Afterward, the Rangers played Astros on the Fox game, while the Dodgers and the Giants played on the radio.  I turned down the sound on the TV and turned up the radio so I could keep track of both games.  What?  Does this seem like excessive behavior?  Don’t judge me.  (And I would have listened to the end of the Rockies game, but couldn’t get KOA out of Denver to come in.  A Mexican station playing easy-listening American music from 70’s kept interfering with the signal.  Don’t ask me to explain that either.)         

The Giants are not playing well.  You can tell this when Buster Posey hits an RBI double, and the result of the play is Pablo Sandoval being called out as the batter, the runners returned to their bases, and Buster had to come back to the plate and take another at bat.  They had batted out of order you see (or handed out the wrong batting order to the other team and the ump), about as embarrassing mistake as you can make.

Dodger broadcaster, Rick Monday, wondered why the ump didn’t say anything until the Dodger manager brought out his lineup card to protest.  Ha, I knew, and Rick found out after consulting the rulebook during the commercial break.  The umpire is explicitly told in the rules to NOT bring attention to an out of order batter.  Teams are warned to have “constant vigilance,” in such matters.

The Giants won 4-2, but even then, it was ugly.  All four runs were scored via runners that got on and were brought in via walks, errors, fielder’s choice, and sacrifice.  You could tell it was a rivalry game there in San Francisco.  When a Dodger bat was accidentally tossed into the stands on a bad swing, the fan wouldn’t give it back in exchange for another one, as is usually done.  In a sidebar, Puig went 0 for 4 for the first time.  He’s still batting over .400.      

In Texas, the game was even more brutal for the Rangers (and me).  They don’t seem to win when I’m watching, even with Yu Darvish on the mound.  The Rangers scored in the clutch, but the pitching just couldn’t keep the Astros from scoring more.  9-5 Astros in a nearly four hour, 9 inning game.  (The Dodger-Giant game literally finished an hour earlier, even though they started at the same time.)  It seems like the decimation of the Rangers’ starting pitching to injuries and the over-working of the bullpen is coming back to haunt them.

The booth guys had a fun chat with AJ Pierzynski during one inning.  Jurickson Profar, a shortstop, was making his first start in the outfield.  Leonys Martin made a great catch, sliding right in front him.  AJ said, “I think I heard Profar calling for him to take it.”  Profar did actually make a great catch later in the inning, his first in the outfield.  He ran back to the dugout with the ball, all smiles.

I’m going to have a make a special commendation for extreme commercial coverage to Mazda.  At one point, the TV went to commercial and starting showing a car ad.  At the same time, by coincidence, the radio coverage went to commercial, and they played the same ad.  Bravo.