With the White Sox losing in the 10th inning the Red Sox and first place open for the taking and the Twins down 5-4 with two outs in the ninth against Angels super closer Troy Percival, it didn't seem like the AL Central standings would alter significantly. But with one man on the Twins showing guts and one man on the White Sox showing cowardice, the AL Central is tied once again.
Scene One
Twins pinchrunner Dustin Mohr turned himself into a human battering ram in the 9th inning, running full steam from first base after Shannon Stewart's sharp hit down the left field line, plowing into catcher Bengie Molina who was waiting with the ball at home plate and dislodged the ball from Molina, turning what seemed like a sure out into a tie game. As the ball continued to roll away, Stewart came all the way around the bases and scored the winning run with a walk-off 6-5 (inside the park "homerun")
Drama, as Alfred Hitchcock once said, is life with the dull bits cut out.
"I knew before I got to third base it was going to be close," Mohr said. "Once I saw the ball beat me at home plate, I had no other choice but to try and knock it out of his hands."
The target of Mohr's pinchrunning heroics, catcher Bengie Molina, ended up with two broken bones.
Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon that this was a season-changing sort of finish, it should be noted that the Twins still have to face the White Sox seven times before season's end. Let's just hope the old and brittle Sandy Alomar isn't behind the plate for the Sox in the late innings.
Scene Two: How to NOT Win A Crucial Game Decided At Home Plate
The antithesis of the gutsy desperation shown by the Twins Dustin Mohr was the effete manner of White Sox own pinchrunner, Aaron Rowand, who, under very similar circumstances, chose a different way to try to "win" the game:
Run meakly into an out like a useless dreg who doesn't belong in a pennant race.
You might think that when you're hitting an exiguous .264 with a mere 5 home runs and 20 RBIs in 75 games, you go the extra mile and knock the catcher over or AT LEAST try to, when the game is on the line and the catcher and the ball are all that stand between you and victory.
Not Aaron Rowand. Perhaps he was scared of the 6'2 237 pound Jason Varitek standing before him.
Ironically, both Mohr and Roward are listed as 6'1 and 210 pounds. But Bengie Molina, at 5-11 220 was certainly no papier-mache catcher blocking the plate for Mohr and if Mohr can smash into a catcher, knock the ball from his hand and break his wrist, why was Rowand skipping in like a school girl without a care in the world?
I haven't heard that question asked yet nor I have I seen it asked in print yet.
Aaron Rowand, was it just that time of the month?
Manny Happy Returns
So Manny was back, for one night at least, in the Red Sox lineup.
There was never any doubt, really. After all, regardless of whatever kind of cavalier or self-consumed little drama Manny was putting on for the world, no one in their right mind is going to suggest a longer suspension while the Red Sox are still fighting for a playoff spot. His teammates and Red Sox fans deserve better and unfortunately, playing Manny is the only way it's going to get done.
I have my suspicions that the prolonged "sickness" as well as his refusal to pinch hit in the Phillies game and all the other subtle little jabs that Manny made was a subliminal little poke at Boston's fans for calling Pedro's heart into question the week before. You think it isn't possible or even likely that sorehead sulky and pouty prima donna Pedro didn't have a little tete-a-tete with fellow-Dominican Manny and whined as he counted his billion dollar bankroll, Choo see Mangy? Choo See how dey disrespettin Pedro? Choo kaint lethem mess wit us Domincanos, hermano. Chow dem who boss!"
So that's how it's gonna be. Stick up for the Dominican brothers at the expense of your team. Maybe the Red Sox should start paying Pedro and Manny in Dominican pesos instead of American dollars so they can save up for the brotherhood in their own currency.
After all, some people think it should be Domincans for Dominicans, just like Americans should be for Americans if they're playing baseball in Japan. This is a fine theory if we were talking about fighting a war and your life was at stake instead of just getting overpaid millions of dollars to show up for a freaking baseball game every night and give 100% regardless of some petty squabbles you have with the fans or with the management. After all, Pedro and Manny aren't playing for an extra dollop of curried goat in some sandlot in Santo Domingo, but in the middle of a heated pennant race against their team's biggest rivals.
So if these two superstars are to be taken seriously, they've got a good chance to make it up to everyone this weekend when they go to Yankee Stadium to face their hated rivals once again. If Pedro's girdle isn't too tight, or Manny can tear himself away from fraternizing with the enemy, maybe these two could have a positive impact on the series for a change. If they don't, Boston's two favorite Dominicans shouldn't have to suffer the demands of Beantown much longer. Despite Pedro's mouth and Manny's strange and detached interactions with the public, they are both players the Red Sox sorely need if they are going anywhere this postseason and I hope for the sake of those suffering Red Sox fans, that Pedro and Manny step it up and start acting like professionals.
Respite
Time for a quick burst of football because it's getting that close and certain predictions, however foolish and mistaken, should be brought to light:
Predictions for the NFL
First of all, let me say that I don't have anything as clear to say about this season as the mighty mjd, who speculates on two new twists to the NFL season:
"- Rush Limbaugh will grace NFL fans with his presence on NFL Countdown. I'm looking forward to the first time he chimes in and says, "I'd like to address this particular comment only to Chris Berman and Steve Young, because Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin are only here because of affirmative action."
- Mike Ditka, in his new role of pitchman for a company selling an impotency drug, will cause you and all of your friends to finally get around to having that honest and heartfelt conversation about erectile dysfunction."
And let me also note that I haven't done any extensive examination of the schedules, the player rosters, the climatic changes of various cities around the United States during November and December, and in fact, can't even remember if this divisional format of North, South, East and West is new this season or was installed last season when the Houston Texans joined on. I have to admit, football has been ruined for me ever since parity began to kick in. Parity sucks. I want domination and destruction, just like the REAL world. I want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers consistently beating on weaker opponents by huge margins. I want to see the Redskins humiliating the other team by 52-3 margins.
After all, in the real world, assets don't get redrawn every year to benefit the poor. Sure, the poor might get a few food stamps or welfare checks or a 50 cent tax rebate but no one is going to turn around and hand them the accounts of the rich to do whatever they want with in the interests of fairness and parity. The rich get richer and stomp the guts out of the poor and that's the way the world has always been run. Why should the NFL, with all its war metaphors, be any different? Would you want to see Peru beating Russia in World War III? No, of course not. You want the old reliables, the US, Germany, England, etc. bombing other countries into oblivion. You want uprisings squelched, you want the lesser men kept in their place, be that in a trench, in a factory, standing in a breadline, shooting each other and everyone around them out of frustration, etc. But you don't want them taking over the streets, or running your bank accounts for you, do you? So why is the NFL so enamored with parity? Does Paul Tagliabue fancy himself some sort of corporate Robin Hood or something? Let's stick to the real world out there, fellahs.
So that's my excuse for not doing research or taking a massive interest in the season yet. Later on down the road in January, when these predictions seem remarkably prescient and the world clamors for their fair share of the pie, I will remind that I do not believe in parity. I love predictable destruction.
AFC East: NE, Buffalo, Miami, NYJ
AFC North: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincy, Cleveland
AFC South: Indy, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston
AFC West: SanDiego, Denver, Raiders, KC
NFC East: NY Giants, Washington, Philly, Dallas
NFC North: Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago
NFC South: Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Carolina
NFC West: St. Louis, Seattle, 49ers, Cardinals.
AFC WC: Tennesse and Baltimore
NFC WC: Minnesota, Atlanta
AFC Championship: Pittsburgh 33 Indianapolis 17
NFC Championship: St. Louis 26 NY Giants 13
SUPER BOWL
St. Louis Rams 31 Pittsburg Steelers 26
NFL Preseason TOP TEN
1. St Louis Rams
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. NY Giants
4. Tampa Bay Bucs
5. San Diego Chargers
6. New England Pats
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. Minnesota Vikings
now, one week late, since I'm already on the subject, here is my
NCAA FOOTBALL TOP TEN
1. Oklahoma
2. Michigan
3. Miami
4. USC
5. Ohio State
6. Georgia
7. Florida
8. Arizona St.
9. Kansas St.
10. Texas
NCAA Championship Game:
Oklahoma 44 Michigan 12
Lastly:
No comments:
Post a Comment