9.25.2014

One game

With apologies to my Milwaukee Brewers -- Jonathan Lucroy says, 'We got what we deserved'
 -- and Chicago Cubs fan friends, the Kansas City Royals’ magic number tonight is … one.

They just knocked off the White Sox, and there are three games left to play in the regular season. They’ve clinched at least a Monday night play-in game and need to play within one game of Oakland over the last three to host the wild card game.



They are so, so close. They got a big win last night, and today the water cooler talk around the campus had such a “We’re so in” theme that it made me a little nervous we were jinxing it and it could all fall apart. … Just watching Ned Yost’s postgame news conference now, you could sense the anxiety and anticipation in his voice. Now Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery are talking about how “it’s gonna happen” during their postgame broadcast.

Despite losing critical series this month against Detroit and Boston, this team has been resilient when they’ve needed to be all season long. And I’m feeling like they’re getting hot again at just the right time.

Tomorrow night could be huge. … Considering I cried when the Kansas Jayhawks won it all, I can hardly imagine what it may feel like to finally see the Royals finally playing a postseason game after decades of losing seasons.

And as usual …



* * *

Then there’s the other big story in baseball tonight

Derek Jeter played his last game at Yankee Stadium. … Because, well, the Yankees aren’t THE YANKEES this season, and their postseason hopes have been erased by the – I love this, and I love Buck Showalter – Baltimore Orioles.

I had a lecture to mediate on campus tonight, so I worked in my office later than usual. And thanks to the magic of TweetDeck, I caught on to a live feed of Jeter’s first at-bat. He roped the first pitch he saw for double that bounced just under the top off the wall, and I nearly jumped out of my desk chair.

Then, as I settled in at home tonight, Derek Jeter does this.



Hearing Joe Girardi encouraging him to “take a walk” was a smile-worthy moment on its own. Then, seeing the members of The Core Four waiting for him beyond the baselines sent chills through my body. In the moment, it didn’t matter how much I hated watching those guys win consecutive titles and stroll into the playoffs year after year. They always did it with class, and for that I have the utmost respect for them. I honestly can’t recall a time that I didn’t at least cheer for Jeter.

And the frenzy nearly broke Twitter …






I couldn’t help but read and collect good reads and stuff about Jeter throughout the day. …
 (Updated 09.26.2014)

And the commercials ...

Thanks, Derek



Re2pect for the Captain







To end this post, this tweet’s for Faye – who this morning vomited her breakfast on me and the outfit in which I was dressing her while she was in the midst of a classic terrible two tantrum because she didn’t like the outfit that Kates had picked out for her to wear because it was picture day today – because she loves Elmo.


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