Wait a minute! Reggie Willits is white?! Really? Who would’ve ever guessed? I follow the Angels pretty closely and I had no idea. His first name is Reggie for cryin’ out loud. And his last name rhymes with a certain character’s name on Diff’rent Strokes. In fact, the first thought that went through my head when they showed his very white image on television was “What-chew talkin’ ‘bout, Willits?!”
So, do you like baseball? I mean are you a real fan of the game? If so, this was the game for you. Both pitchers were absolutely dealing. You could just sense that this game was going to come down to a clutch hit, a huge defensive play, or a Juan Pierre botched throw. Luckily for the Dodgers, it was the clutch hit by Gonzo instead of any sort of defensive antics of Pierre that prevailed, though if this game would’ve gone extra innings, that probably would’ve given Pierre the extra time he needed to ‘contribute to the outcome’ so to speak.
I don’t like it when the Dodgers and Angels play each other. I’m a fan of both teams and I have to think long and hard about what I want the series outcome to be before the start of the showdown. For this particular series, there were several factors to consider:
- The Angels have a 5 game lead in their division
- The Dodgers are in a three-team dead heat in their division
- The Angels have the second best record in baseball
- The Angels have won six consecutive series
- The Dodgers are coming off a sweep over the Mets
- The Dodgers have been spinning their wheels a bit as of late
- The Dodgers are my number one team, while the The Angels run a close second.
- It's a Dodgers' home game and an Angels' road game.
Okay, I’ve made up my mind. I’d like the Dodgers to take two of three. However, it has to be the first two. That way, they win the series and continue to build momentum they started against the Mets. The Angels will have their series-winning streak snapped, but they will have won the last game of the series against the Dodgers and can feel good about building on that to start a new winning streak, potentially, without losing too much of the lead they’ve built against the Mariners. Whew! I’m telling you, it’s agonizing when these two teams play. At least, I can always root for the Lakers over the Clippers or the Kings over the Ducks.
It’s not often you hear Vin Scully speak his mind on controversial topics. I think he prefers the objective approach to anything he covers and lets the fans form their own opinion on things. However, his sarcasm was evident and his opinion was very clear regarding Mike Scioscia’s leaving the Dodgers organization during “Kevin Malone’s regime,” as Vinny put it. He’s right though. It is still odd for me to see Mike Scioscia wearing any uniform other than Dodger blue.
When Vin got back to doing what he does best, he did something that we will do on occasion. During a big showdown between Saito and Guerrero in the ninth, he turned the mic off and let the excitement of the moment speak for itself. My question is this: When Vin Scully does that, what do you think he’s eating, a Dodger Dog or Nachos? With all those Farmer John commercials he’s done over the years, he has to be a Dodger Dog guy.
Go Dodgers….and Angels.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
June 15, 2007 - Dodgers v. Angels
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Dodgers v. Padres - June 6, 2007
Well that sucked... I think I'm a jinx for this team. They didn't really look that bad, but there were some problems with the pitching match up...
Coincidentally, Wolf was pitching the last time I watched a game. He looked pretty good last time, and looked brutal this time. It's really disappointing because I was hoping to make "Pulp Fiction" references all season long. I wanted to be able to call him The Wolf and be at ease when he's called into action, but not after this. He just seemed to fall apart, and while I enjoyed watching Jeff Kent, it wasn't enough to salvage the game. In baseball it seems that almost anyone can have a bad game and your team still wins, EXCEPT for the pitcher.
The pitchers really were the difference in this game. Starting with Maddux and ending with Hoffman, (And all the hype and crowd excitement about 500 saves for him) was a pretty tough match up. Baseball is the only game where you can be 41 years old and be freaking dominant like Maddux was. I mean he wasn't amazing, but he just didn't seem to make mistakes. It just got me thinking... You know when you daydream about you somehow getting to play for your favorite dream? Mine goes like this:
Mitch Kupchak somehow ends up seeing me play basketball at a local gym and decides to sign me at the league minimum for a 1-year contract and I work my way into the starting point guard role for the Lakers. I become known as "The Thief" for all my amazing ability to steal the ball... see because at 5'8" my brain says "OK this is the only realistic way I could play in the NBA" If I had some ungodly hand speed and I was faster than light, and could predict other people's moves or something craziness. I should mention that this fictional, irrational and barely coherent dream started when I was a kid and gets less and less likely the older I get. At this point I'm a 32 year old 5'8" 1/2 Chinese, 1/2 White guy with reconstructed ACL, a torn labrum and an extra 20 lbs (My son gave them to me I think)... So the dream, needless to say, is dying.
BUT Seeing 41 year old Maddux there, looking like someone who just stepped out of a PTA meeting in Manhattan Beach gives me hope. My new dream is going to involve me getting picked up by the Dodgers and being a dominant pitcher. Watching him fire pitches around the knees of some of these young 20 something year old athletes was inspiring. I have to say I wish we had kept him. I don't know what it would have cost or if it would have ended up being worth it, but he is definitely something special.
--The Thief
Coincidentally, Wolf was pitching the last time I watched a game. He looked pretty good last time, and looked brutal this time. It's really disappointing because I was hoping to make "Pulp Fiction" references all season long. I wanted to be able to call him The Wolf and be at ease when he's called into action, but not after this. He just seemed to fall apart, and while I enjoyed watching Jeff Kent, it wasn't enough to salvage the game. In baseball it seems that almost anyone can have a bad game and your team still wins, EXCEPT for the pitcher.
The pitchers really were the difference in this game. Starting with Maddux and ending with Hoffman, (And all the hype and crowd excitement about 500 saves for him) was a pretty tough match up. Baseball is the only game where you can be 41 years old and be freaking dominant like Maddux was. I mean he wasn't amazing, but he just didn't seem to make mistakes. It just got me thinking... You know when you daydream about you somehow getting to play for your favorite dream? Mine goes like this:
Mitch Kupchak somehow ends up seeing me play basketball at a local gym and decides to sign me at the league minimum for a 1-year contract and I work my way into the starting point guard role for the Lakers. I become known as "The Thief" for all my amazing ability to steal the ball... see because at 5'8" my brain says "OK this is the only realistic way I could play in the NBA" If I had some ungodly hand speed and I was faster than light, and could predict other people's moves or something craziness. I should mention that this fictional, irrational and barely coherent dream started when I was a kid and gets less and less likely the older I get. At this point I'm a 32 year old 5'8" 1/2 Chinese, 1/2 White guy with reconstructed ACL, a torn labrum and an extra 20 lbs (My son gave them to me I think)... So the dream, needless to say, is dying.
BUT Seeing 41 year old Maddux there, looking like someone who just stepped out of a PTA meeting in Manhattan Beach gives me hope. My new dream is going to involve me getting picked up by the Dodgers and being a dominant pitcher. Watching him fire pitches around the knees of some of these young 20 something year old athletes was inspiring. I have to say I wish we had kept him. I don't know what it would have cost or if it would have ended up being worth it, but he is definitely something special.
--The Thief
June 6, 2007 - Dodgers v. Padres
First of all, a big congrats to all of the Ducks fans (all six of you) on winning your first Stanley Cup. I know it’s been an incredibly long 14 years that you’ve suffered as your team went from an expansion organization to what looks like will be a pretty long string of future Stanley Cup contending seasons. By the way, if 14 years is a long time, what the hell does that make the 40+ years Kings fans are suffering through?
I was pleased to see the starting pitchers for last night’s Dodgers / Padres game. First, Greg Maddux was slated for the Pads and that can mean only one thing; a fast game. Just what I needed too. When I’m watching a game delayed about two hours on the old DVR so that I can watch it after the kids go to bed, I don’t have time to sit around and watch a 4 hour marathon. Let’s get Maddux on the hill and get this sucker over with in a two hour window. I got things to do, damnit. Secondly, it’s always fun to see Randy Wolf’s name as the scheduled starter. It sets up the opportunity to use the famous Jules quote from Pulp Fiction, “You sendin’ the Wolf??! Sheeeeeiiit. That’s all you had to say!”
Wolf sucked. Couldn’t throw a strike early in the game. When he finally found the zone he was very hittable. Naturally, the only guy on the Padres who couldn’t hit the ball (3 Ks in the game) was the one guy on the Padres from my fantasy baseball team. Nice going, Adrian Gonzalez.
After Wolf put the Dodgers in the hole, it looked like they were ready to rally and get back into the game. But then Abreu decided to have a rookie moment, committing one of the biggest sins in the game, making the dreaded third out of the inning at third base. This was actually a double-whammy bonehead play since the Dodgers were down by 4 runs at the time. Not satisfied with just killing the inning, he also cost the Dodgers a run scored, virtually taking the wind out of the sails of the team. Any thoughts the Dodgers had of mounting a comeback after that were quickly dashed when Grady Little performed baseball’s equivalent of waving the white flag by ushering Hendrickson out to the mound to pitch the 8th. Can you imagine the Dodger players thinking to themselves, “Okay, we’re starting to hit. Abreu’s an idiot for killing that last inning, but we’ll get another rally started next inning. Oh, wait a minute. Coach is putting Hendrickson in? Well, I guess we’re done for the day.”
Furcal makes a nifty play every game. We’ve come to expect it from him.
Juan Pierre, however, makes a crappy play every game. We’ve come to expect it from him as well. On a screaming line drive base hit up the middle, Pierre couldn’t even make a strong enough through home (from shallow center field no less) to make a play at the plate. Instead it was cut off at the mound. Weak arm. Very weak.
In closing, I’ll make a confession. I had no idea Cyrus the Virus played second base for the San Diego Padres…
I was pleased to see the starting pitchers for last night’s Dodgers / Padres game. First, Greg Maddux was slated for the Pads and that can mean only one thing; a fast game. Just what I needed too. When I’m watching a game delayed about two hours on the old DVR so that I can watch it after the kids go to bed, I don’t have time to sit around and watch a 4 hour marathon. Let’s get Maddux on the hill and get this sucker over with in a two hour window. I got things to do, damnit. Secondly, it’s always fun to see Randy Wolf’s name as the scheduled starter. It sets up the opportunity to use the famous Jules quote from Pulp Fiction, “You sendin’ the Wolf??! Sheeeeeiiit. That’s all you had to say!”
Wolf sucked. Couldn’t throw a strike early in the game. When he finally found the zone he was very hittable. Naturally, the only guy on the Padres who couldn’t hit the ball (3 Ks in the game) was the one guy on the Padres from my fantasy baseball team. Nice going, Adrian Gonzalez.
After Wolf put the Dodgers in the hole, it looked like they were ready to rally and get back into the game. But then Abreu decided to have a rookie moment, committing one of the biggest sins in the game, making the dreaded third out of the inning at third base. This was actually a double-whammy bonehead play since the Dodgers were down by 4 runs at the time. Not satisfied with just killing the inning, he also cost the Dodgers a run scored, virtually taking the wind out of the sails of the team. Any thoughts the Dodgers had of mounting a comeback after that were quickly dashed when Grady Little performed baseball’s equivalent of waving the white flag by ushering Hendrickson out to the mound to pitch the 8th. Can you imagine the Dodger players thinking to themselves, “Okay, we’re starting to hit. Abreu’s an idiot for killing that last inning, but we’ll get another rally started next inning. Oh, wait a minute. Coach is putting Hendrickson in? Well, I guess we’re done for the day.”
Furcal makes a nifty play every game. We’ve come to expect it from him.
Juan Pierre, however, makes a crappy play every game. We’ve come to expect it from him as well. On a screaming line drive base hit up the middle, Pierre couldn’t even make a strong enough through home (from shallow center field no less) to make a play at the plate. Instead it was cut off at the mound. Weak arm. Very weak.
In closing, I’ll make a confession. I had no idea Cyrus the Virus played second base for the San Diego Padres…
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