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.

All Star Lame

Quick post - I watched the All Star Game last night, and felt extremely disappointed in the game. The fans weren't given the true stars of the game. In reality - the AL missed out on several of their top pitchers, which ended up being the difference in the game. David Price, CC Sabathia, Scott Shields, Justin Verlander all couldn't play because they pitched over the weekend. Beckett got hurt while warming up as well.

I'm all in favor of saving their arms and not pitching on two days rest. BUT if the MLB wants to claim "this time it counts" to determine home field advantage, isn't it imperative that the teams field the best possible players at every position? Yet that wasn't what we had. We had some of the best, but not the very best.

I don't know what the correct solution is. Ideally, get rid of the "this time it counts" BS for home field in the World Series and instead make it count towards which league gets home field in next year's all star game (or the next one that hasn't been planned, which I'm sure is a few years down the road.) That would make sense, until I learned last night that the MLB was instituting the DH rule in every All Star Game, even if it is in a NL park. What kind of amateur hour is Bud Selig running? The rules are the rules. They can't be changed to allow an extra 6 All Stars to make the team.

Speaking of an extra 6 All Stars, there wer 84 All Stars selected. 84. That's more than the September 40 man roster on each team. Those dugouts must of been packed. I don't want to take this away from any of the 84, but it seems outrageous. We shouldn't dilute the numbers to make more All Stars, to allow for every team to have an All Star. I'll be honest - I've been a little out of touch with baseball this year. I haven't had enough time to keep up with every team, watch Baseball Tonight, etc. But I had not heard of half of the players in the game last night. It's a great opportunity for the MLB to showcase it's younger stars to turn them into faces of franchises, but this is absurd.

In the end, I can't believe that home field advantage for the World Series was determined from this game. A game where the NL didn't see the AL's best pitchers. How can something so important be taken so trivially. And the players who didn't show up, acting like they were too tired to appreciate the fans and the game. It's disrespectful to the history of the game. What a disgrace.

Why Bud Selig Can't Change The Call

The story broke last night. It knocked Ken Griffey Jr's retirement off the headlines (and off my topics of blog posts today.) Jim Joyce blew the call [video]. Bud Selig said he won't change it.

Before I comment, I should mention how much I despise Bud Selig. He's incompetent and a moron. Anyone who calls the All-Star game as a tie should be fired. It's a joke that he's commissioner. We deserve better.

Anyway, I actually agree with Bud on this one. And that's not easy for me to type. Here's why though: It ruins the integrity of the game. By Selig invoking the "Best Interest of the Game" clause, it takes away all credibility from the umpires and bastardizes the game. Even when Jim Joyce says that he screwed up, it doesn't matter. At least he is able to admit it rather than pull a Joe West and be an asshole about it.

I originally thought the call should of been changed. Give the kid his perfect game. But I realized that's wrong.

If this call was changed, think about how many other changes that people could argue should be reviewed. Umpires have screwed up before. They will screw up again. We can't change every single call after the game. It's the same as how we can't put an asterisk on Bonds and everyone else that took steroids and ruined the home run records. It happened. It's over. Unfortunately, we have to move on.

In the eyes of everyone, it already was a perfect game. This will be one of the great baseball stories we can tell. The Perfect Game That Wasn't. Every baseball fan will remember this game and the events that took place. People who aren't even into baseball have taken notice because of the way it's happened. This is a story that goes beyond sports. It won't always be relevant, but it can always be something to bring up every now and again. It's captured everyone's attention.

Also, if Selig recalled it, how anti-climatic would that be? Part of the fun of a no hitter or perfect game is the final out, and watching the pitcher truly celebrate with his team and the fans cheer him. There was some excitement after the final out, but not the appropriate celebration for what should of been a perfect game - the 3rd this year (and there have only been 18 before going into this year.) Not sure if this speaks to hitters going off the juice or what - but it's definitely a pitchers age in baseball.

MLB should institute some kind of instant replay system that allows for one challenge from each team. It can't argue balls and strikes, because that's something that can't be proved easily. The only thing that can really be challenged should be: safe/out, fair/foul, and ensuring the catch was indeed a catch and not a trap. Balls and strikes can never be challenged. Make it quick. Don't make the game much longer than it already it is.

MLB can take a cue from the NHL, who is very quick on their challenges and don't waste time like the NFL does. In last night's Stanley Cup Final Game 3, there were 3 challenges that the NHL reviewed quickly to make the right call. I know that the NHL has a much easier time determining calls than any other league - all they have are goals - but they have it down.

Anyways, serious congrats to Galarraga. He'll go down in history as the pitcher who was denied a perfect game by the league he plays for. And quite possibly the reason why instant replay is instituted into the league. Plus, he got a car from Ford for his effort. Kinda stupid considering he could probably afford 200 of them, but whatever. He was a professional about it, as was Joyce. If I was denied a perfect game like that I think I would have raised some serious hell. His teammates and managers were furious. But Galarraga was poised the whole time, even able to talk to Joyce today and give the scorecard.

Finally, doesn't Joyce have an awesome mustache? That thing is for real.