anni
Administrator
Administrating Designer
Posts: 1,608
|
Post by anni on Oct 27, 2010 15:56:23 GMT -8
Yikes, this is my third year in this thread. And I've never been more conflicted. I consider myself loyal to the National League, but I've hated the Giants even longer than Meg Whitman did not bother to vote. In that time, they've only been in the World Series twice. I had no trouble rooting for the A's in 1989 -- I used to attend games in Oakland Coliseum, where Dave Stewart pitched brilliantly and Dusty Baker went to coach after he retired from the Dodgers. In 2002, Mike Scioscia's Angels were the natural choice here in Southern California. But I have no goodwill for the Rangers, despite this being the franchise's first appearance in the Fall Classic in my life. And not because George W. Bush used to own part of the team. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan runs things now. Still, they're in the American League and they come from Texas. Can I watch each game as a detached observer? The problem is, I love the Hated Ones individually. In particular, Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey wield rare ability, grace and maturity for their age. Let's see how I feel while viewing the proceedings, starting tonight at AT&T Spies on You Park. I'll be getting dirty at ceramics class, tonight. Wishing you love and strength, to enjoy the Fall Classic, without me, this round.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 31, 2010 23:01:17 GMT -8
I'm used to seeing a lot of orange and black on Halloween, but not in the Fall Classic. For the third time, I had to flick off the TV after the last out to avoid the sight of the San Francisco Giants high-fiving each other on the field. Yes, that means they only need one more win to become world champions. While watching the first three games, I found out some horrible things about myself, like I am pathologically unable to root for the Hated Ones yet I enjoy the play of almost every one of them, especially Freddy Sanchez, a former Dodger fan from Burbank. And for once in my life, I felt exactly the same as both former presidents Bush, who participated in the first pitch ceremony and squirmed in their seats as the nearly hitless wonders went down last night at home in Texas. Tangentially, Barbara Boxer has declared herself a Giants fan -- which makes sense, because she comes from the Bay Area although she's a Rancho Mirage resident now -- but that did not stop me from contributing to her campaign again today. She finally starting running positive commercials, the great one with President Obama, and I wanted to show my approval. Of the ad, not her Giants endorsement.
|
|
Roberta
Member
Vigil founding member
Posts: 1,031
|
Post by Roberta on Nov 1, 2010 10:29:20 GMT -8
And for once in my life, I felt exactly the same as both former Presidents Bush, who participated in the first pitch ceremony and squirmed in their seats as the nearly hitless wonders went down last night at home in Texas. Talk about being on the horns of a painful dilemma. Meanwhile, I rest comfortably here temporarily in Giant country, having always liked them anyway just for not being the Dodgers. And now they may contribute to another goal (and yes, this officially makes me not a nice person), of reducing W's happiness whenever possible.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 16, 2011 23:00:27 GMT -8
Now for this thread's fourth Fall Classic. The St. Louis Cardinals were ten and a half games from first place in the National League Central Division in late August. They got hot in September, but they still needed help from the Phillies to defeat the Braves in 13 innings on the last day of the season to win the wild card. I was only rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday night to get me to a Game 7 on Monday, but it was all over by the third inning. I've grown more familiar with the Texas Rangers, seeing the team in their second consecutive postseason. From what I've read, many of their most stellar players are suffering from nagging injuries after 172 games. A longer series could favor the Cards. And the National League has home field advantage this year. But you can never rule out adrenaline and experience, even when confronting the hottest team in baseball.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 22, 2011 23:00:29 GMT -8
Despite featuring two teams from flyover states -- Texas and Missouri -- the World Series is still winning the primetime television ratings this year for Fox. The network would love to have a Game 7, which hasn't happened since the Angels defeated the Giants in 2002, because 30.8 million people watched that one. Of course, I want that too. I also dream that game will stretch dozens of extra innings over many days to prolong baseball for me. My videotape of the 1997 Game 7 when the Marlins came back against the Indians, a marathon in time although only 11 innings in the box score, got me through an entire winter. The Cardinals helped the cause Saturday night by taking the Rangers' series home opener with a ridiculous 16 to 7 score that gives them a 2-1 advantage. But the Rangers have to win one of the next two games to force a Game 6 in St. Louis, so it's almost time to start rooting for them.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 27, 2011 23:00:41 GMT -8
Wow.
That might have been the best Game 6 of my life, if not one of the greatest World Series games ever. The Rangers were one strike away from winning it all in the bottom of the ninth and the tenth innings, both times with two-run leads -- and the Cardinals came back twice to tie the game, then win in the eleventh.
You know where to find me after the vigil on Friday. Meet me in St. Louis?
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 29, 2011 23:25:51 GMT -8
Needless to say, I'm ecstatic. The National League has won three of the four World Series since we started this message board. Before confronting five dark months without baseball, my final thoughts on this season: - Was this one of the greatest Fall Classics of all time? That's what I've been hearing for the past 24 hours. I can think of half a dozen World Series just since 1980 that rival this one for high drama and memorable moments, but we'll certainly be talking about Game 6 for years to come.
- Perhaps I'm getting old and my standards have lowered. Or maybe Joe Buck and Tim McCarver have gotten better, taking a few pages from the Vin Scully book titled When to Shut Up. I actually enjoyed the games on Fox this year. Two years ago, I watched the television on mute and listened to Jon Miller and Joe Morgan on ESPN Radio. This year it was Dan Shulman, Bobby Valentine and Orel Hershiser, who are fine but not worth enduring the six second delay between sound and picture.
- Dynasties are dead in baseball. Ask the Yankees. Never discount the hot team theory. Remind the Red Sox. Build the best club you can in spring training, but know that the trades you make by July 31 and how they jell by September will determine the World Champion, even if you're the wild card team.
- That said, the Dodgers should retain as many of the players on the September roster as possible, especially Hiroki Kuroda, who showed tremendous loyalty at the last trade deadline. That leaves only one slot in starting pitching and at third base to fill next year, by my reckoning.
- The tremendous pall that hangs over Chavez Ravine is finally lifting. Even Frank McCourt is realizing that everything he tries is proven wrong, like attacking Brian Stow legally, so the only right thing to do is what he appears to be doing, saving face by settling with Major League Baseball and the bankruptcy court. The Dodgers may have a new owner in time for Opening Day 2012.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 27, 2012 23:09:04 GMT -8
This is my fifth year in this thread, and this post might be my only installment. Tonight the Giants could stomp the Tigers for the fourth game in a row and win the World Series. Just get it over with, I say. What is a diehard Dodger fan supposed to do? It's hard enough to face living with the Giants being the champions of the world for another whole year. This World Series victory will be worse than the 2010 championship -- that Giants team did not repeat in 2011. These young guys breaking my heart every night on TV are just freaking amazing. There's no reason to doubt that they could rule the National League West, if not all of baseball, again in 2013. Dodger blue might become more of a feeling than a color. In a perverse attempt to cope, I'm listening to Chuck Prophet's brilliant 2012 album in tribute to his city of San Francisco, "Temple Beautiful," while thinking of the joy Sergio Romo is feeling right now. That sweet kid, born in Brawley in Imperial County, a Dodger fan who listened to Vin Scully on the radio, is now baseball's hottest reliever, wearing the uniform he used to hate while pitching these Giants into the annals of history. On paper, most baseball pundits agreed that Detroit looked best. They will be known as the Paper Tigers.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 19, 2013 23:49:52 GMT -8
This is the fifth anniversary of the Montrose Peace Vigil message board. Here comes our sixth World Series. Because of my job, Saturday marked the first day of the postseason that I could sit down and watch an entire game. The Dodgers had eliminated themselves horribly in Game 6 on Friday, handing the National League championship to the Cardinals, so I just had Game 6 of the American League series on TV. And even though I was pulling for the Tigers, the result was satisfying. For the first time since 1995, the teams with the best records in their leagues will meet in the Fall Classic. That's how things used to be. When I was a kid, there were no playoffs. Each league had eight teams, and the National and American League pennant winners started playing in the World Series the first week of October, as heard through transistor radio earpieces in school rooms across the country. No night games. That's how old I am. The rules have changed, but I love the game more every year. And I still root for the National League most years. This will be no exception. The only league still playing baseball the way that God intended has won four out of the last five World Series, but I won't be sad if this Boston team prevails.
|
|
Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
|
Post by Brian on Oct 30, 2013 23:00:55 GMT -8
Yes, I was not bummed tonight after the American League won the World Series. The Boston Red Sox became the champions for the first time in 95 years in Fenway Park, when the young Babe Ruth played in the outfield before he was traded to the Yankees and the Red Sox' long curse began. I had forgotten that they ended their drought in 2004 on the road, but remember that the party lasted past daylight on the streets of Boston. I wish I could be on Boylston right now, 3 a.m. local time. The Cardinals beat themselves in many ways, especially by pitching to David Ortiz. I don't think that home field advantage would have helped their chances much. But it was a memorable Fall Classic. The last outs of Game 3, an obstruction call, and Game 4, a pickoff at first base, have never happened in a World Series. There will be no Game 7 on Halloween. And I have to wait 142 days for Opening Day.
|
|