The Divisional Series have concluded and they provided some highly entertaining, if not well-played baseball. When did the base-running in the big leagues become so atrocious?
It was wonderful to see "the genius" Tony LaRussa get shot down in three straight games. LaRussa overmanages more than anyone in baseball and is the most overrated skipper since Gene Mauch.
It was also wonderful to see the Red Sox fall down in three straight, especially with Jonathon Papelbon taking the loss in game #3. There's something about that guy that I don't like. I don't know what it is . . . maybe it's that stupid face he makes before every pitch. He just gives off the vibe of being a knothead. The Angels invasion of Red Sox nation was the most successful push since Germany invaded France. That took three days, too, didn't it? In any case, everyone here in Williamsport has extra incentive to root for the Angels . . .
The broadcast teams were solid and spoke to us as if we actually know something about the game. Buck Martinez is especially insightful. God help us when Fox's Joe Buck and Tim McCarver start blathering on as though none of us knows in which direction first base lies. If there's a full count in the first inning, you'd think that we had arrived at the most important post-season moment since Babe Ruth called his home run in 1932. By the way, Tim, you're not funny.
By far the best commercial was the one for MLB featuring the 1991 Twins winning the World Series and the cutaway shot to young Joe Mauer who, we are told was trying to get in to see it. Now, of course, he will do everything he can to make sure he sees it. Finally, MLB has done something to market what baseball is truly all about.
The worst commercial was for Viagra in which a guy is walking down the street, sees his reflection in a store window, and the reflection starts talking to him about their erectile dysfunction. . . . You know, I was going to comment further on this commercial, but upon writing "the reflection starts talking to him about their erectile dysfunction" what else is there to say?
Bring on the Championship Series!
Did you notice that during the first game of the playoffs, the winning pitchers for 2 different teams were ex-Indians (Sabathia and Lee)! Imagine what the Indians could have if they didn't always trade off the cream of the crop.
Posted by: Nick W | October 14, 2009 at 02:41 PM