About Last Night - MLB Wildcard Edition

I'm going to try and be as non-bias as possible. However, as a Sox fan, last night was far from "pleasant."

What is there to really say about what happened last night? It was unbelievable. Four games, three of which came down to the last at bat. Four teams competing for two spots, with their fates being controlled by some of their rivals.

The night captures the beauty of baseball (dare I say romance?). You can play for six months, 161 games. And it comes down to one game for your team. And another game that you have zero control over.

From the Red Sox perspective, it seemed clinched. And that was the problem. They thought they had the Wild Card clinched September 1st. The Rays were down 7-0 against the mighty Yankees. The Rays aren't known for their hitting prowess. It was a slam dunk.

Around the time of the rain delay, I did some other chores, turned away from the TV, only to check in 20 some minutes later, to see the Rays making a comeback. The Sox were flirting with blowing the game in the 7th.

Meanwhile, the Phillies/Braves game goes under the radar because of the drama from the Sox and Rays, but that doesn't mean the game wasn't just as good - again coming down to the wire and the Phillies were able to pull it out.

Last night was the equivalent of MLB's version of March Madness. Four games, all going on at once, all determining the playoff picture. You needed four TVs to keep up. I could only flip between two games, because doing four was just impossible. My head would explode.

What I find to be the most interesting is that the Phillies and Yankees had the option to "help" guide a team to the playoffs. They could of rolled over and played the scrubs. Or could have gone out with every intention to win it. If I was the Yankees? I would of rolled over. I wouldn't want to let the Sox in the playoffs and worry about them in the ALCS. Those bats can turn on in a minute. Although after last night, the Rays might have a different confidence when it comes to playing the Yanks. If I was the Phils? I would of rolled over again, allowing for a 1 game playoff today, and praying the Braves won. The Cardinals are a much better team than the Braves are, when matching up with the Phils. I wouldn't want to face them at all. Now they've got them in the first round.

Of course, teams will frown upon teams "letting" another team win, but it's their right - they've already won their divisions. The future could be determined by them. I think that's great that they both went and played most of their starters. I understand resting a few guys. But go out there and get it. Same for the O's - they could of rolled over, but they were in it to win it. The Astros probably couldn't of won the game if they tried.

The sour point of yesterday? Jose Reyes. Reyes bunted in his first AB to get on base, and told his manager to pull him from the game to preserve his .337 batting average, which would make him the batting champion for 2011. Honestly, I lost a lot of respect for Reyes after that. On the last game of the year, in front of your home fans, in possibly your last game as a Met, when you're the only attraction to coming to the ballpark, you're going to pull yourself out after 1 inning? Wow. Selfish much? Let me give you a history lesson.

Exactly 70 years ago yesterday, Teddy Williams was leading the league in batting average going into the last day, about to play a doubleheader. He was sitting at .399. His manager offered to sit him so he wouldn't lose any points. What did Williams do? Go out and play both games. Went 6 for 8. What was his final average? .406. Nobody has hit over .400 since. I'm not saying Reyes was going to get to .400, but you shouldn't give a damn about your own statistics if it hurts your team's statistics - which really comes down to wins and losses. Teddy Ballgame is a legend, for this story and many many more (including the frozen in carbonite stuff). Jose Reyes will never be at that level because of this selfish foolishness.

Jose Reyes is a punk. This kid has been praised as the "next big thing" in the MLB for over 10 years. He's never met that level. Okay so he's been hurt. But he acts like he's the best shortstop in the MLB. Far from it. I could think of 2-3 others I'd rather have. Team players. Players who aren't out for number one. They are out for the team. It's disrespectful to your teammates, the fans, the organization, and the sport. Talk about the romance of the game - Jose Reyes is breaking every rule of that romance. Go enjoy your fake batting title. Ryan Braun had 24 more at bats than you. He deserves it. His team is going to the playoffs. Yours is not. Enjoy yourself. I pray that the Sox or Phillies don't sign you.

Finally, last night captured why sports is truly magical. You can't script this stuff. You can't write it yourself. You probably couldn't even dream of it. Because it seemed so improbable. Yet it all happened so quickly that it was as if you were watching a Hollywood movie. It's absolutely beautiful. Better than anything else you could of watched on your Wednesday night.

There's only one October.

My 2011 Baseball Dilemma

I'm not sure if it's been fully established my baseball ties. So let's do it now. I grew up in Philadelphia. I found it hard to like the Phillies, because in my impressionable youth, they sucked. After 1993, they were losing nearly 100 games every year. I didn't even really like baseball at the time. Between the Phillies sucking, the 1994 strike, I had zero interest.

I'm going to say that I got into baseball in the late 90s. I don't want to say it was the Home Run Chase between McGwire and Sosa, because everyone says it saved baseball. I'm not saying it didn't, but I don't like to be a part of the crowd. However, I always like Griffey and the Holy Grail of Shortstops (A-Rod, Nomar, Jeter). Naturally, you have to pick a favorite of the three. It was Nomar. I wrote about that earlier. So naturally, by picking Nomar, I picked the Red Sox. And I've been on board ever since.

The Phillies caught my attention again around 2004, when the new ballpark was opening, there was plenty of hype about the young prospects, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, etc. I liked the way the Phillies were doing things - growing their talent through the draft and prospects. Didn't buy the team like the Yankees did.

So I flip between the teams, however I've always said the Sox are on top. And I stick to that. I believe you can like more than one team, pending you justify it and they can't be clear rivals. I can't like the Sox and the Yanks. So I root for both, but the Sox come before the Phillies. My Philly friends hate me for it, but they can't understand. In 2008, we came dangerously close to having my worst nightmare ever: Sox and Phillies in the World Series. I'm really not sure what I would of done.

(That was a longer roundabout than I was anticipating)

This year, because of the huge off-seasons both teams had, I think I need to pick one that I like to be the favorite to win. And I have NO idea what I'm going to do. The Sox got two huge position players, along with shoring up their bullpen. Their only weakness is Catcher, but I've also always been a Jared Saltalamacchia fan, how can you not be a fan of that name? I think he's got a lot of potential, and under Varitek's tutelage, he can learn from the best.

The Phillies however, landed the biggest off-season prize of them all in Cliff Lee, who was suspected to go to the Yankees (helping the Sox' chances immensely) and forming what may be the BEST rotation ever assembled from a major league team. Their offense did lose Jayson Werth, although I have faith in Domonic Brown, as they've been right with most of their prospects previously.

I'm not making my decision - yet. I will try to make it before the season. I may not make it at all. This post is more for me to remind myself I need to. I can't flip flop this year.

Man, early January and I'm thinking baseball. I'm obsessed.

4 Days in October

This post is triggered by my watching the ESPN 30for30 Documentary "4 Days in October," highlighting the four days of games 4-7 in the 2004 ALCS.

It's well established I'm a Red Sox fan. I think it's also been well established that my Red Sox obsession was borderline insane. The level that you've heard about but didn't believe those type of people existed unless you had seen it. Jimmy Fallon in Fever Pitch, without the girl. That was me.

I wrote over a month ago how I feel like I lost my interest in my teams; that I wasn't invested as much as I was. That's still true. You grow up, your life changes, you do things differently, whatever. I still think the best way I can describe it was that we accomplished what we intended - to win a championship. It's not like the relationships over, but it's not as special as it used to be. It's like when you're not trying to impress your job/girlfriend/baseball team (because I was trying to impress an baseball team). The comfort zone. Whatever. There was nothing I wanted more than to beat the Yankees and win a ring. I was also 16. Needless to say, I have a few other priorities. Beating the Yankees isn't as high as it used to be, but it still feels great.


2004 was the height of my obsession. I think we peaked. I remember every day of October. Every single day. How many days do you remember from six years ago?


There was so much built up into the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry that 2003-2004 was truly special. It may never happen again. The entire series of events took place so fast that you easily lose sight of how special/rare/unbelievable those four days were. It was a blur. Like a dream that never seemed it would ever come true.


It really hit me why I love sports; because it's real. It's uncontrollable, unpredictable, yet a perfect chaos. Most of the time it's nothing out of the ordinary. It feels good if it's your team. If it's not, it's just another let down. Take any movie or television show or novel. They aren't real. Real stories rarely have a happy ending. That's what makes the story of the 2004 ALCS real drama. Exciting drama. Once-in-a-lifetime drama. It's not just that the Sox beat the Yankees, it was the way they did it. No other team has ever come back from three games down to win (well until the Flyers did it in the 2010 ECF [what's up Flyers!]) The World Series didn't even matter because it was a boring sweep. Beating the Yankees was better than the World Series. The World Series was just the icing on the cake. And really, this story caught the entire nation. Red Sox Nation was the sportsman of the year for Sports Illustrated, and it was everyone's feel good story of 2004. Or my life.

I was glad to watch the 30for30 documentary. It was a little cheezy, but I loved it. The Simmons/Clarke part was stupid. Kevin Millar milked his 15 minutes. But the images and audio gave me 45 minutes of goosebumps. It reminded me of how happy I was for those 11 days. I would argue it's the happiest streak in my life. A natural high. Isn't that pathetic? Whatever, this was my past. I wouldn't of had it any other way.

Keep the Faith.

How Excited Am I For LOST?

This isn't a OMG WTF LOST IS OVER post. I woke up this morning feeling SO EXCITED for tonight. I was trying to think the last time I was this excited when I woke up (and it wasn't Christmas). I came up with a few. I'll share them with you, because I still have seven hours to go and this blog is supposed to be fun?

1) October 27, 2004 - Red Sox were up 3-0 on the St. Louis Cardinals and were going to win

2) February 6, 2005 - Super Bowl XXIX - Unfortunately the Eagles didn't win

3) October 28, 2007 - Red Sox were up 3-0 on the Colorado Rockies and were going to win

4) November 19, 2007 - My first Bruce Springsteen concert

5) August 19, 2008 - My next Bruce Springsteen concert (first time I heard Jungleland and Thunder Road and first time I cried at a non-funeral)

6) April 19-20 2009 - The next (and last two) Bruce Springsteen concerts (notice a trend?)

7) April 19, 2010 - My last Boston Marathon

and

8) May 23, 2010 - The Lost Finale.

Isn't it great when you can look back and remember those things that made you SO excited for life? Sure, I have bunch more, but those were great. Maybe they all have to do with sports and Bruce, so what! Those are the things I'm passionate for.

Can't wait for tonight!

Nomar Garciaparra, The Reason I Love Baseball

Today, Nomar Garciaparra announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. Not only that, he did it by signing a one-day contract and retiring with the Boston Red Sox. If you know me, you know that the Red Sox are my favorite team. While I'm not as flaming as I once was, they're still a huge part of my everyday life.



It's safe to say that Nomar, along with Pedro, are THE reason I'm a Red Sox fan. Although I grew up in Philadelphia, the Phillies were trash post the 1993 World Series team. I was only 5 when that happened, and I was not cognizant of what baseball was or how awesome it was. I think it is safe to say that the 1998 Home Run Chase brought me into the sport, and then watching the Red Sox in 1999 was the tipping point. It was the first time I had gone to a game outside of Philadelphia, and seeing Fenway was just a site to behold. Such a beautiful, majestic, historic ballpark. There was such a passion for their players that you didn't see in Philadelphia (except when Curt Schilling pitched. Hell, Scott Rolen didn't play on Scott Rolen day, and that was the day I turned my back on the Phillies.)

In the late 90's, baseball fans were given a revolution in the shortstop position: 3 great young shortstops: Alex Rodriguez of the Mariners, Derek Jeter of the Yankees, and Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox. They were called the holy grail. Fans would argue which was the best. Nomar at the time was clearly the best hitter, winning two batting titles. Nomar was the oldest (a year older than Jeter, two in front of A-Rod) so he a small learning curve ahead of his peers, but he was excellent. The fans adored him. Everyone had a #5 Jersey on. There wasn't much of a better place for someone with a Boston accent to root for a player who's first name ended in R. "Nomah!" He would give his all at every at bat (while adjusting his gloves after every pitch)

Of course, the marriage between the Red Sox and Nomar ended poorly, although that trade lead to the greatest comeback in postseason history, and the end of the 86 year championship drought. It sometimes seems strange to say that it wouldn't of happened without Nomar, but it feels true. Nomar was given a share of the championship and was awarded a ring by his teammates.

It was truly a great moment, and I feel sad that Nomar wasn't there to be a part of it. Honestly that may of been the happiest few weeks of my life, and still is. I can think of a few great days over the past six years, but not a period of time where I was that happy. I'm not sure if that speaks to how baseball-obsessed my life has become or how pathetic my life is, but I wouldn't take it any other way.

Now I'd like to share my two favorite Nomar moments:

1) June 21, 2003. Red Sox vs. Philadelphia. During the beginning of the Intramural league process, the Red Sox always came in for a weekend series against the Phillies. I typically attended all three games, wearing my Red Sox attire in full force (which at the time was really just a Nomar shirt and this one hat that I wore from 1999 until 2004 - the thing was gross after I was done with it) Anyways, in this game, although the Red Sox lost, Nomar went 6 for 6 - tying a club record. It was truly something special to witness. There are few games I remember before that, but that was one of the special ones. I remember sitting in the 600 level with my dad along the third base side at the old Veterans Stadium. Another great part of that game was watching Pedro pitch - always the most exciting pitcher in the game of that time.

2) The 1999 All Star Game. Obviously I couldn't attend the game because I was still in Philadelphia and wouldn't be able to afford a All Star ticket. Nomar didn't do anything special on the field, but it was Nomar as ambassador of Boston, carrying the torch of tradition as Ted Williams was strolled out onto the field, he talked to Nomar first. Red Sock to Red Sock. Unfortunately I cannot find an image to capture what I'm talking about, but it was so powerful to me. It showed how the game went beyond just playing. I know it sounds dumb - an 11 year old believing in such a thing, but I'm totally convinced.

Now, two of Nomar's more embarassing moments:

1) The Mia Hamm commercial where he says "Thanks Beautiful." Not that I'm not condoning expressing your gratitude for your loved one, but not like that. That was brutal. Mia Hamm was great for soccer. I'm sure she's helped Nomar's life alot, but, that ad was just too much.

2) The end of Nomar's career in Boston. July 1st, 2004.

It was almost like a fiction novel. The Holy Grail of shortstops were now together on one field, although A-Rod was now playing third for the Yankees, and Jeter at short, and Nomar at short for the Sox. Although Nomar had been hurt most of the time, the Yankees games were when players had to deal with their injury and play the game. Nomar didn't. He played on Saturday, the 30th, but not on Sunday. And meanwhile, Jeter ran into the stands to grab an out, sacrificing his body for his team and to make a play against his rival. It was like a metaphorical death of the grail. Nomar was no longer the premiere shortstop for the league. The torch had passed. It felt like he turned his back on the team and the fans. People couldn't understand why Nomar was so great, but they weren't totally sad to see him be traded either. It was the beginning of the end.

Nomar went on to be relatively insignificant the rest of his career, playing for the Cubs, Dodgers, and Athletics. His body had worn down too much to keep playing at short, so he would rotate between 1st, DH, and I'm pretty sure he played 3rd a few times. Regardless, that night marked the end of his career, and the rest of his time was just Nomar as a corpse. I still rooted for Nomar, and tried to see him play when he came into Philly.

So this marks the end of the Nomar journey, and it has been great. I've read books about the history of the Sox and Nomar had definitely defined his legacy with the team. I don't believe he was good enough to have his number retired, but he may go down as the best Red Sox shortstop. I hope he continues the great tradition of former Red Sox players helping out the young kids, as I'm sure he can be helpful towards their cause.

Thank you Nomar, for everything.

A few more Nomar links for those still curious:
Nomar through the Years
Top Five Numbers about Nomar
Press Conference Log