RIP Bobby Thompson and stuff...

August 18, 2010

So, what did I say? After scoring one run over two games (both losses, too) against the Royals and Tigers, Gardner tried new shoes, Cervilli pulled on batting gloves (have I mentioned how much I like the fact that the Cisco kid is following in Jorge’s footsteps and batting bare-handed?) and then, later in one of the losses, what appears to be the Mets’ David Wright’s #5 Wilson thirdbaseman’s glove (have I mentioned how good it is NOT to be a Mets’ fan?) and all for naught.
But then last night, the Tigers throw their ace and, really one of the finest right-handers in the league over the last few years, against the Yanks. The key to Verlander, as well as a number of frontline starters, is get him early or you probably won’t. The Yanks go out and score two in the first, one more in the second and were a single away from putting the game away in both frames. But they made Verlander throw 98 pitches over the first four, got him out early and CC Sabathia made that stand up in line for his league-leading 16th W of the year, 6-2. So there…
Tuned in to the end of the White Sox/Twins game just in time to see their new closer, Matt Capps (for whom the Twins apparently gave up a very prized prospect at the July 31st deadline) blow the save in the top of the 9th via a dinger by Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez also knocked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th off of Rauch, who had been the closer until the arrival of Capps from the Nats. Rauch was only closing due to the injury of Joe Nathan, anyway. Rauch, by the way, is this huge Aussie who is covered with ink. In the last few seasons, visible tattoos have become acceptable in MLB, but Rauch probably takes the cake: he’s inked all the way up the neck on his 6’10” frame… Then Jim Thome gets them both off the hook with a 2-run dinger – a no doubt about it shot – in the bottom of the 10th for what was the very first walk-off win for the Twins in their new, beautiful outdoor ballpark.
RIP Bobby Thompson. I spoke of you last week and I’m a little embarrassed that the signed, framed photo I have of you in my writing studio features you in a Milwaukee Braves hat and not the famed New York Giant one. Coincidentally, my father takes a ten year old’s credit for “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in 1951…
Boy howdy, I’m glad that my Dad gave up on baseball when the Giants left New York for the West Coast and that I didn’t somehow wind up a Mets fan…
I am also happy that I’m not on a pitch count (I guess for writers it’s a “word count”). This statistic has become one of the most prevalent ones in the pitching game, especially over the last handful of years. YES broadcasts feature pitch totals along with the score, balls, strikes, outs, etc. Girardi would have yanked CC when he had a no-hitter going late into an early season game. Gardenhire yanked Kevin Slowey a few days back with a no-no in the 7th only to see Rauch give it up quickly. Last night, Morrow came out of the Jays/A’s game after four innings and less than 90 pitches because he threw 137 in his near no-hitter (took it to two outs in the 9th) and now they’re “protecting” him. But I just want to throw out one name, and really that’s all it should take, to prove the case in point that throwing pitches and no-hitters don’t necessarily mean the end of effectiveness and impact a hurler’s longevity: Nolan Ryan (who I am also sure is very happy he didn’t wind up pitching longer for the Mets).