Sports Journal 9-28-13

I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.  Not so much from events on the field, or the end of the baseball regular season (and thus my regular viewing), but because there’s so much to write about.

Well, even though they’ve been eliminated from the post-season, the Yankees still manage to grab the headlines.  I’ll admit that even I was moved by Rivera’s tears when he was removed from his last game in Yankee Stadium by Pettitte and Jeter.  I thought last week was his final appearance there.  This goodbye has gone on long enough.  Hopefully Mariano can fulfill his dream against the Astros and Girardi will let him play Centerfield.  Nice going MLB, pitting the Yankees against the Astros in their final series of the year.  Trying to help them out a little?  Too bad these cupcake games won’t matter this year.

Todd Helton had a nice exit from the Rockies at their final home game this week.  He got a home run, a double, and a horse as a retirement present.  Even some of the Red Sox, their opponents that night, came over and congratulated him after the game.  Classy. 

From that, we segue to the Dodgers for a startling contrast.  Their questionable pool party last week in Phoenix at Chase Field was made beyond doubt in bad taste as it was revealed that several players had relieved themselves in it.  I thought they brought in Michael Young, participant at the party, to add some character to the team, but instead he’s been corrupted by them.  It’s all going to end in tears for the Dodgers, mostly management and their wasted money.  Meanwhile, there was yet another incident of fan violence brought on by the Dodger-Giant rivalry, this time in San Francisco.  Maybe these guys should be playing at a neutral site.

In further poor sporting news, the Braves got into a plunking contest with the Brewers.  This isn’t the first one the Braves have gotten into this season.  The more thin skinned the Braves get about being shown up after a homer, the more teams are going to do it to them to get under said thin skin.  This is all happening because Chipper isn’t there.

Back to the Astros, they made the Drudge Report this week for earning a 0.0 TV rating for a game.  Earlier this month, I read that Astros were number one in one good category, moneymaking.  They are the most profitable team in the MLB thanks to their low payroll and, ironically, their TV deal. 

I heard one pitch of the Ranger-Angel game Thursday night.  I flipped on the radio as soon as I got home, since I’d noticed that the game was in the 8^th when I’d left work.  Eric Nadel was resetting the tie-game situation with Jurickson Profar at the plate, and the pitch, and it was over on a walk-off home run.  Timing is everything. 

Today’s game was moved into the morning by the threat of impending weather.   My local radio affiliate didn’t get the memo and didn’t bother broadcasting it.  I was anxiously keeping up with score during Fox’s TV broadcast of the Pirates-Reds game.  There in the 9^th, in a pouring rain, Nathan closed out the victory.  Very dramatic-looking.  However, both teams were wearing essentially the same uniform, the same shade of red tops and hats.  I have to blame the Rangers for this sports fashion faux pas.  They’ve got a white top and a blue top, after all.

Also during the game, the Rays lost again to the Blue Jays.  I saw a little of last night’s loss, including that groundball error that went to the Centerfield fence, but the batter got thrown out at home trying for an inside the park home run.  If only the Rays could play the Yankees more for a few more easy victories.  They’re the only team I’ve ever seen, totally unintimidated by Yankee stadium.  I think the Rays are used to not having any home games against the Yankees, as Yankee fans populate their own stadium in their match ups.  (At least fans of the opposing team in the area go to their games.) 

The National League playoffs were set finally by the Pirates winning in Cincinnati, all but playing home run derby against them.  Given that the Reds haven’t won a single playoff game in their new stadium in several opportunities, they may look forward to playing in Pittsburgh.  Good to see former Yankees, AJ Burnett and Russell Martin, being integral to the team.  Remember the good old days when it was the Yankees who used loser teams to develop their future great players? 

Contract talk came up during the coverage.  Hunter Pence is apparently getting a new $90 million one from the Giants.  Unless he’s got some new motivational speech material that will guarantee the team another World Series, I think this was a bad deal.  It’s one thing that the Giants didn’t make any moves last off season, but paying a premium for the same players that came in last place this year is a horrible strategy.  With these kind of contracts for questionable talent, I have to wonder if even the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers will be able to afford to try to buy championships in the future.

Former Giant, Brian Wilson, seems to be quickly burning through all of his fan goodwill and therefore fits right in with the rest of the Dodgers.  He caused an on-field scene in San Francisco, coming over and yelling at the Giants’ owner in his box.  Wilson wants his 2012 championship ring.  The team claims they’ve been trying to give it to him all year, but he’s refused it.  Apparently he wanted a little ceremony on the field with it.  Brian, given your contribution to the 2012 team, you’re lucky they’re not presenting you with a bill for that nice seat in the dugout you occupied all year.

Switching gears, err, sports, I caught a very cool Off-Road truck race during the baseball game.  (Yes, I flip around.)  I don’t think I’d seen this track before in Reno.  It was set up like a roller coaster with dramatic elevation changes, along with the usual jumps and sharp turns.  I wonder if Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew turn was an inspiration to the track builders.  The action on-track was fast and furious, as the coverage couldn’t hardly keep with the hard racing, crashes, flips, and barrel rolls. 

Between this and that Rallycross race last week, I’m concerned about the long-term future of NASCAR.  Not that either of these off-road series are any threat in their current form, but certainly the format is.  The racing is more exciting, the tracks are unique, I recognize their drivers, and, most importantly, they only break for commercial during cautions and between heats.  There’s no reason the viewer at home should be penalized and not be able to see all of the on-track action at a race.