On the heels of the advent of our unique signatures, we'll also introduce a new feature: the back and forth.
Interleague play might have killed the All-Star game, but it was already on its last breath after the ‘93 game at Camden Yards. That’s when, with the game in hand, Cito Gaston went to his own Duane Ward, instead of Baltimore’s own Mike Mussina, to pitch the almost perfunctory ninth inning.
The Baltimore fans booed throughout the ninth inning, the media brouhaha followed, and a precedent was set, that the stars be allowed to shine, that managers should not get in the way.
Each successive ASG came with the obligatory broadcasters’ late inning speculation about which one, or god-forbid two, players might not get on the field, Bob Costas bemoaning Ricky Bones’ exclusion on behalf of the Milwaukee fans, or perhaps Joe Buck wryly noting the Paul Byrd Omission.
The trend's natural evolution culminated in the tie of 2002. The managers were primarily concerned with getting everyone on the field, and neglected to consider the possibility of extra innings (Which is exactly the reason Gaston gave for saving Mussina back in ’93! ), let alone concern themselves with winning. But you can’t blame them, because precedent, and supposedly the fan’s preference demanded such an attitude.
I'm sure tonight they'll replay the iconic video of Pete Rose barreling over Ray Fosse, and the requisite commentary about "Fosse never being quite the same again" will follow, and the announcers will, even if only subtly, pine for the All Star Games of yore, when they meant something without the aid of a contrivance.
But they (and we) can’t have it both ways.
The devaluation of the ASG began long ago, when, combined with the 1 rep per roster rule, the league’s expansion began to turn the ASG into more of a spectacle than a competition. The extra (and often inferior) players were usually superfluous in a nine inning game. It was only a matter of time, that the fans’ attention turned to the surplus of benchwarmers.
Without knowing the entire context of the ’93 game, one might suspect that the Baltimoreans were right in their umbrage because perhaps one might assume that Mussina was the host city’s lone rep. In fact, Cal Ripken was in the starting lineup. But such consolation no longer mattered and the fans believed that the game was there primarily for their entertainment and only secondarily as a competition. And so booed their league and the winning team.
- Agent Easy
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Why the All-Star Game Still Doesn't Matter
This year's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium is going to be a financial bonanza for MLB, causing some to call the Midsummer Classic "revitalized" since the infamous 2002 tie.
From a pure baseball perspective, though, the ASG is nowhere near as compelling as it used to be, nor it it likely to become so. To understand why, think for a moment back to 1996 - no, not because it's the last time the National League won, but because it's the last time the All-Star game was genuinely interesting. This is because it was the last year before MLB instituted interleague play, making it the only chance to see marquee players from each league go up against each other, except on the off-chance they'd meet again in the World Series. Take a look at the play by play and think of some of these then-rare matchups: John Smoltz having to face Mo Vaughn, Pudge Rodriguez and Cal Ripken Jr. in an inning, or Pedro Martinez (then with the Expos) facing in one inning Kenny Lofton, Wade Boggs, Roberto Alomar, Albert Belle and Vaughn.
Whatever interleague play's merits, it's definitely undermined the most interesting thing about the ASG. As just one example, we've already seen Dan Haren go against the Red Sox lineup (granted, without Ortiz, but does he even really count as an All-Star this year?). Hence, MLB's artificial attempt to restore some intrigue by making World Series home-field advantage depend on its outcome.
There is a bright spot, though: the Home Run Derby still remains interesting, because getting to see the top power hitters in a pure slugging competition is both compelling in its own right, and hasn't been diluted by seeing it over and over throughout the year.
-Hazelwood
(quick post-Home Run Derby addition - are we likely to see anything in the ASG as exciting as Josh Hamilton's first-round performance?)
From a pure baseball perspective, though, the ASG is nowhere near as compelling as it used to be, nor it it likely to become so. To understand why, think for a moment back to 1996 - no, not because it's the last time the National League won, but because it's the last time the All-Star game was genuinely interesting. This is because it was the last year before MLB instituted interleague play, making it the only chance to see marquee players from each league go up against each other, except on the off-chance they'd meet again in the World Series. Take a look at the play by play and think of some of these then-rare matchups: John Smoltz having to face Mo Vaughn, Pudge Rodriguez and Cal Ripken Jr. in an inning, or Pedro Martinez (then with the Expos) facing in one inning Kenny Lofton, Wade Boggs, Roberto Alomar, Albert Belle and Vaughn.
Whatever interleague play's merits, it's definitely undermined the most interesting thing about the ASG. As just one example, we've already seen Dan Haren go against the Red Sox lineup (granted, without Ortiz, but does he even really count as an All-Star this year?). Hence, MLB's artificial attempt to restore some intrigue by making World Series home-field advantage depend on its outcome.
There is a bright spot, though: the Home Run Derby still remains interesting, because getting to see the top power hitters in a pure slugging competition is both compelling in its own right, and hasn't been diluted by seeing it over and over throughout the year.
-Hazelwood
(quick post-Home Run Derby addition - are we likely to see anything in the ASG as exciting as Josh Hamilton's first-round performance?)
A Minor Tweak, Nicknames for All!
Up until now, this blog, while authored by two people, has been published as if written by one. Today, we're making a small change and from now on will sign our posts individually. Our efforts will continue to be largely collaborative, but now we'll have cool nicknames.
-Agent Easy
-Hazelwood
-Agent Easy
-Hazelwood
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Firsthand account from the Dodgers' hitless victory (guest piece by DaSkeeza)
What makes the game of baseball fascinating is that there is a wide array of things that can happen. The game can be won on a home-run in the bottom of the last inning. A team can rally from over ten runs down to seize victory. The pitcher can throw a perfect game. A defensive player can make an unassisted triple play. There can be a bench-clearing brawl.
Yet last Saturday, I witnessed something so rare, that in modern major league history, it has only happened five times.
A team won a game without a single hit.
With the need to be out of Orange County that night, I attended last Saturday’s Dodgers/Angels game at Dodger Stadium. Seeing as how my time in the southland may be numbered, I figured I’d take in a little bit of the freeway series just for the experience. Besides, there isn’t a place where baseball is bigger than southern California, and seeing these two clubs battle for LA supremacy was a fun and interesting proposition.
So there I am, in my usual third-deck seat behind home plate (I like this view because it’s the same one I have when I do the PA for college games), scorebook in hand with a couple of pencils. I’ve downed my order of nachos and am ready to take in the latest feud between LA baseball’s Hatfields and McCoys.
For the most part, it feels like any other game. Both pitchers are tossing gems. The crowd of better than 55,000 projects a sea of red and blue. During the Kiss Cam promotion, the last couple shown has the man propose to his girlfriend, who thankfully said yes.
The Angels get a chink in the armor in the 5th, when Matt Kemp reaches first as a slow roller to Jered Weaver’s left dies in the grass, and Weaver can’t pick it up. The scorer originally rules it a hit, but my better judgment thinks it’s an error, as it seemed well within Jered’s ability to make the play. A minute later, the scorer agrees with me and changes it to an error. Kemp then steals second while Jeff Mathis’ throw sails into center, allowing Kemp to take third (SB, E2). Then, Blake DeWitt floats a ball to right for a sac fly to score Kemp. Yadda Yadda, 1-0.
Yet Weaver continues to be solid, and while the Angels are able to get a couple on in the 6th and 7th, but then get shut down by the Dodger defense. And once the stretch is over, you start to realize that the Dodgers could win the game without a hit. Once they went down in order in the 8th, you knew it HAD to be without a hit.
Takahashi Saito then takes the mound for the 9th, and it certainly got interesting after a 2-out double by Kendrick and a walk to Mike Napoli. But then Saito’s breaking ball regains its zip, and Reggie Willits strikes out swinging to end the game.
PA Announcer Eric Smith begins his postgame announcements by stating that only four previous times has a team won a game without a single hit. He reads off the totals. “For the Dodgers, one run on NOOOOO HITS, and two errors.”
In baseball, there are rarities, but this one is one of the most elusive. You need a combination of lights out pitching, miniscule blunders, and luck out the wazzu to get such a result. Not even in video games can you finagle such a result on purpose.
But in the end, perhaps that’s why baseball is such a fascinating game. Why those of us most captivated by it stay through the five-hour games and the late nights and long, hot days to see a game from start to end. It’s moments like these that are for those who love the game the most.
Yet last Saturday, I witnessed something so rare, that in modern major league history, it has only happened five times.
A team won a game without a single hit.
With the need to be out of Orange County that night, I attended last Saturday’s Dodgers/Angels game at Dodger Stadium. Seeing as how my time in the southland may be numbered, I figured I’d take in a little bit of the freeway series just for the experience. Besides, there isn’t a place where baseball is bigger than southern California, and seeing these two clubs battle for LA supremacy was a fun and interesting proposition.
So there I am, in my usual third-deck seat behind home plate (I like this view because it’s the same one I have when I do the PA for college games), scorebook in hand with a couple of pencils. I’ve downed my order of nachos and am ready to take in the latest feud between LA baseball’s Hatfields and McCoys.
For the most part, it feels like any other game. Both pitchers are tossing gems. The crowd of better than 55,000 projects a sea of red and blue. During the Kiss Cam promotion, the last couple shown has the man propose to his girlfriend, who thankfully said yes.
The Angels get a chink in the armor in the 5th, when Matt Kemp reaches first as a slow roller to Jered Weaver’s left dies in the grass, and Weaver can’t pick it up. The scorer originally rules it a hit, but my better judgment thinks it’s an error, as it seemed well within Jered’s ability to make the play. A minute later, the scorer agrees with me and changes it to an error. Kemp then steals second while Jeff Mathis’ throw sails into center, allowing Kemp to take third (SB, E2). Then, Blake DeWitt floats a ball to right for a sac fly to score Kemp. Yadda Yadda, 1-0.
Yet Weaver continues to be solid, and while the Angels are able to get a couple on in the 6th and 7th, but then get shut down by the Dodger defense. And once the stretch is over, you start to realize that the Dodgers could win the game without a hit. Once they went down in order in the 8th, you knew it HAD to be without a hit.
Takahashi Saito then takes the mound for the 9th, and it certainly got interesting after a 2-out double by Kendrick and a walk to Mike Napoli. But then Saito’s breaking ball regains its zip, and Reggie Willits strikes out swinging to end the game.
PA Announcer Eric Smith begins his postgame announcements by stating that only four previous times has a team won a game without a single hit. He reads off the totals. “For the Dodgers, one run on NOOOOO HITS, and two errors.”
In baseball, there are rarities, but this one is one of the most elusive. You need a combination of lights out pitching, miniscule blunders, and luck out the wazzu to get such a result. Not even in video games can you finagle such a result on purpose.
But in the end, perhaps that’s why baseball is such a fascinating game. Why those of us most captivated by it stay through the five-hour games and the late nights and long, hot days to see a game from start to end. It’s moments like these that are for those who love the game the most.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Cito Gaston, Full Circle; Blue Jays Front Office, Incompetent
Two World Series titles buys you about 3.5 years. Thats for how long Cito Gaston managed the Jays after Joe Carter's walk-off. The Blue Jays fired him in 1997, and Mel Queen, the pitching coach, filled in as the interim manager. Since then the Jays have proven themselves inept at finding a viable replacement.
Tim Johnson lead the team to its first post-WS winning record, motivating his players with stories of his tour in Vietnam. After the season, he admitted the stories weren't true. It took the Jays' management three months to decide that the lies posed a "credibility problem." They fired him less than a month befre opening day.
They replaced him with Jim Fregosi. The mid-March coaching candidate pool is like a grocery store after a hurricane warning and Jim Fregosi was the dented can of spam. Perhaps it was the Jays' scramble to fill the vacancy that led to some sort of "Wait, what about the guy we beat in the WS?" logic that conveniently, or perhaps naively, ignored the rest of his resume. Not surprisingly, they didn't bother to extend him 2 years later.
Buck Martinez managed for a season and a half and Carlos Tosca finished off Martinez' year and then stuck around for another year and half himself. Neither left behind a winning record. Neither managed before or since.
The feisty John Gibbons will best be remembered for fighting with Ted Lilly and trying to fight Shea Hillenbrand.
Now that the Jays fired Gibbons, we come back to Cito Gaston. This is the Jays throwing their hands in the air, conceding that they haven't had a clue for the past 10 years. Obviously they figured since they've already fired 4 of their last 5 managers mid-season, whats one more? They are out of ideas, curled up in the fetal position, trying to comfort themselves in the cocoon of the good 'ole days. Supposedly, Cito spent the interim as a special assistant to the Jays' CEO, but what does that really mean when a then-10 year old MC Hammer was the VP of the A's?
I'm not saying the new Gaston era wont work out. I'd love to see a Tolkien-like story emerge, where we see that only Cito, the true manager of the Blue Jays, can win in Toronto! Then again, another mid-season firing is more likely.
Tim Johnson lead the team to its first post-WS winning record, motivating his players with stories of his tour in Vietnam. After the season, he admitted the stories weren't true. It took the Jays' management three months to decide that the lies posed a "credibility problem." They fired him less than a month befre opening day.
They replaced him with Jim Fregosi. The mid-March coaching candidate pool is like a grocery store after a hurricane warning and Jim Fregosi was the dented can of spam. Perhaps it was the Jays' scramble to fill the vacancy that led to some sort of "Wait, what about the guy we beat in the WS?" logic that conveniently, or perhaps naively, ignored the rest of his resume. Not surprisingly, they didn't bother to extend him 2 years later.
Buck Martinez managed for a season and a half and Carlos Tosca finished off Martinez' year and then stuck around for another year and half himself. Neither left behind a winning record. Neither managed before or since.
The feisty John Gibbons will best be remembered for fighting with Ted Lilly and trying to fight Shea Hillenbrand.
Now that the Jays fired Gibbons, we come back to Cito Gaston. This is the Jays throwing their hands in the air, conceding that they haven't had a clue for the past 10 years. Obviously they figured since they've already fired 4 of their last 5 managers mid-season, whats one more? They are out of ideas, curled up in the fetal position, trying to comfort themselves in the cocoon of the good 'ole days. Supposedly, Cito spent the interim as a special assistant to the Jays' CEO, but what does that really mean when a then-10 year old MC Hammer was the VP of the A's?
I'm not saying the new Gaston era wont work out. I'd love to see a Tolkien-like story emerge, where we see that only Cito, the true manager of the Blue Jays, can win in Toronto! Then again, another mid-season firing is more likely.
Doesn't this Put Karl on the Hot Seat?
The Nuggets just promised 'Melo that they wouldn't trade him.
If you read between the lines, it seems that 'Melo, after hearing trade rumors about himself, gave management an ultimatum: trade me now, or not at all. That George Karl was the one seeking out the trade and was eventually trumped by management does not bode well for his future.
Melo is now armed with the absolute assurances of a no-trade, effectively all the anti-Karl leverage he could want, should he feel slighted by the coach that wanted to trade him.
Doesn’t this have a tinge of Willie Randolph to it, superstar players going behind their coach's back, knowing they have management's support? What happens at the first 'Melo-Karl dust-up, or even any Karl locker room incident with which 'Melo might disagree?
Though there's no specific Anthony v. Karl history there seems to be a perfect storm for a Karl firing. There's already been speculation about Karl's job security the past two years ('07, '08). Melo, after starting his career 0 for 5 in the first round, is now firmly in McGrady territory and will be hearing as much throughout the season. To top it all off, there were trades floated for Iverson and for Camby as well. This, in turn, is reminiscent of last year's Bulls, where half the roster was linked to trade rumors and thus lost their confidence and/or desire to play for the team, leading to that spectacular .402 winning percentage after pre-season talk of a title run.
The seeds have been sown. There's no way Karl makes it through the whole season.
If you read between the lines, it seems that 'Melo, after hearing trade rumors about himself, gave management an ultimatum: trade me now, or not at all. That George Karl was the one seeking out the trade and was eventually trumped by management does not bode well for his future.
Melo is now armed with the absolute assurances of a no-trade, effectively all the anti-Karl leverage he could want, should he feel slighted by the coach that wanted to trade him.
Doesn’t this have a tinge of Willie Randolph to it, superstar players going behind their coach's back, knowing they have management's support? What happens at the first 'Melo-Karl dust-up, or even any Karl locker room incident with which 'Melo might disagree?
Though there's no specific Anthony v. Karl history there seems to be a perfect storm for a Karl firing. There's already been speculation about Karl's job security the past two years ('07, '08). Melo, after starting his career 0 for 5 in the first round, is now firmly in McGrady territory and will be hearing as much throughout the season. To top it all off, there were trades floated for Iverson and for Camby as well. This, in turn, is reminiscent of last year's Bulls, where half the roster was linked to trade rumors and thus lost their confidence and/or desire to play for the team, leading to that spectacular .402 winning percentage after pre-season talk of a title run.
The seeds have been sown. There's no way Karl makes it through the whole season.
Underdogs you might not have been watching
Fresno State advanced to the CWS final yesterday. After starting the year 8-12, they finshed the season 16-4. They're the first #4 regional seed to reach the CWS and should they win, they'll set a record for most losses by a champion.
They take on Georgia tonight at 7 pm on ESPN2.
Russia beat the tournament favorite Netherlands in overtime to advance to the semis of Euro '08. Left for dead after getting trounced 4-1 by Spain in their opening game, they've won three in a row. Much credit should to go to their coach, Guus Hiddink, who seems to be the Larry Brown of international soccer, and to Andrei Arshavin who was in the middle of every offensive threat after returning from a two game suspension.
Their rematch with Spain in the semis is 2:45 on Thursday, ESPN.
They take on Georgia tonight at 7 pm on ESPN2.
Russia beat the tournament favorite Netherlands in overtime to advance to the semis of Euro '08. Left for dead after getting trounced 4-1 by Spain in their opening game, they've won three in a row. Much credit should to go to their coach, Guus Hiddink, who seems to be the Larry Brown of international soccer, and to Andrei Arshavin who was in the middle of every offensive threat after returning from a two game suspension.
Their rematch with Spain in the semis is 2:45 on Thursday, ESPN.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
