June 15, 2007 - Dodgers v. Angels

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.