Rockies rollin'

My tagline for the week:

Hey, I'm just happy I can start cheering for the Cubs whole-heartedly ...

Check this out and hear what Lou Piniella is saying.

More Cubs stuff ...
Chicago Tribune multimedia
99 things every real Cubs fan should know

* * *


How about those Rockies!?!

How about that game last night!?!

Going into the game, I couldn't say I was rooting for one team more than the other; I barely knew anything about either team. But as the game went on, the Rockies, their exciting lineup and their exuberant fans started to win over my heart …And when the Padres came from behind to tie the game at six in the eighth, I was all but certain it signaled the beginning of the end for Denver’s run …

Then the Padres put two on the board in the top of the 13th and send Trevor Hoffman, arguably the greatest closer this game’s ever seen, to the mound. Seriously -- game over … Nope. Kaz Matsui doubled. Troy Tulowitzki doubled. Matt Holliday tripled and drove in the tying runs … all with no outs.

I was doing all I could to squelch my clapping and screams, and not wake Kates.

Then Jamey Carroll hit the sacrifice fly to right field that sent Holliday sprinting to home plate, planting his chin in the dirt as he skidded past Michael Barrett, clearly not touching home plate for the winning run.

The unfortunate part of it, though, is that we’re going to have to listen for the rest of the week to ESPN and all the other sports talkers berating the umpires' disputed calls and pushing for instant replay in baseball. If you ask me, Tim Kurkjan put it best immediately after the game -- It was a heckuva ballgame, you’ve got the Colorado fans going crazy and you can’t say, “Oh, wait a minute, we have to review this play.” Then you take 10 minutes to review it, find out he did or didn’t touch the plate and oh yeah, now you can celebrate …

Nope. The absence of instant replay is part of what makes baseball, for lack of another word, pure.

And seriously, how awful was TBS’ coverage!? … Ugh. Good thing I'm a huge baseball fan and the game was exciting ... First of all, the announcers were such no-names TBS could've pulled any guy from the street into the booth and we wouldn't have known the difference -- Any stories or insights they provided were about as exciting as a pair of college-aged amatuers auditioning for their first internships. Plus the graphics were too gimmicky and large to digest, and Cal Ripken, sitting in the studio, looked as though he was in just as much disblelief at the unintelligent questions his partner was tossing him ... The last straw was when I caught one of the analysts say something like “Barrett has done a great job since coming over from the Mets” (He was traded from the Cubs, you idiot! He‘s never played an inning for the Mets in his career …) Worse yet, the analyst never bothered to correct himself, which leads me to believe the researchers or producers working behind him weren't any more competent ...

And we have more several more games of dealing with this.

I miss Jeanne Zelasko, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

* * *

Here’s what I’m thinking about the playoffs …

A couple weeks ago, I was saying Angels-Cubs.

But frankly, I’m not high on any of the National League teams right now …

I don’t believe the Phillies or the Diamondbacks are strong enough to advance, which leaves the Cubs and the Rockies. I’d like to think this could be the Cubs’ year, but c’mon it’s the Cubs, and they‘ve faded down the stretch.

The Rockies, however, are on a roll that’s going to be hard to stop -- check last night’s game as exhibit No. 1 -- They’ve won 14 of 15 games, and I would not be surprised if they blow through the postseason the same way last October’s Cardinals did … They're looking like a team of destiny.

In the American League, it’s the opposite. Angels-Red Sox, Yankees-Indians -- I could see any one of those teams taking it all … But injuries have slowed the Angels, and now I’m seeing the Red Sox rolling through the playoffs …

… And Yankees-Indians? Don’t even talk to me about the Yankees vaunted lineup and Mariano Rivera in the bullpen. At least the other three AL teams in the postseason have heart; the Yankees are robots. The Yankees have blown enough postseason games since 2001 (in addition to the fact they buy their pennants, rather than nurture players …) to lose their rights to be playing in October. It’s gonna be the Cleveland Indians in four games.

The Rockies will take the Cubs in five games; the Red Sox will beat the Indians in six.

Red Sox win the World Championship in a high-scoring seven-game series.

Baseball reads ...
a Burning questions: Race is over, now what?
a Here’s what the Sox need to get by the Angels
a Phillies celebration could be short-lived against a Rockies team of destiny

Not ready for primetime

It can’t start. I’m not ready yet.

For the fall TV season that is.

There’s still too much good baseball left, dang it.

( … and it’s not looking good for the Brewers right now, folks. Stayed up and watched ‘em blow an extra innings affair against the Astros on Wednesday night. Then Kates and I hooped and hollered watching the come-from-behind thriller on Friday night. And we endured the heartbreaker yesterday during which they came from behind once again and went up in the top of the 10th on a Corey Hart home run, only to see the Braves tie it up again in the bottom of the 10th on a Scott Thorman home run, and then we watched the Brewers lose it in the bottom of the 11th …All the while, the Cubs have kept on winning, and as of this evening, the Cubs are 3.5 games up with six left to play … Ah well. The Red Sox are in. The Angels are in. And at least all is well in Packer country … )

On Wednesday night, Kates and I caught the premiere of “Back to You.” ... Not bad. It is a change from Fox’s usual style of programming, and Patricia Heaton's and Kelsey Grammer's and Fred Willard's comedic chops will be enough to keep me watching for awhile … Though I’m not betting on this one. Frankly, it reminds me too much of “Good Morning, Miami.” And we all know how long that one lasted ... On the other hand (and I'm disagreeing on this one with my cohorts who also watched the show) there could be some strong possibilities with Kelly Carr's daughter Gracie and the idea that Chuck Darling is her father. It could be fun to watch how Darling adapts to the news, which Carr broke to him at the end of the premiere, and then how the parents raise her while serving as co-anchors of the Pittsburgh news station.

Then on Thursday night, only because we couldn’t find anything else to watch for the time, Kates and I ran through the DVR and watched the “Grey’s Anatomy” Addison Montgomery lovefest that originally aired on Wednesday night … Seriously. That thing featured everyone on the People Magazine staff, including the janitor, (and probably paid them handsomely) gushing about how strong and smart and vulnerable and dignified Addison is …. And blah, blah blah … bleh!

Whatever. I’m boycotting “Private Practice.” (see why here.) I wish I could predict that it will barely last a season, but the reality is that Grey's has such a strong fan base and PP has such a cast of TV stars that it will probably stick around. And before we know it Grey's is going to be ABC's version of "CSI" ... bleh!

Still, the premiere of "Survivor" remains on our DVR, unwatched. And tonight “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters” come back.

I’m not ready yet.

But here’s what I do plan to watch during what looks like an otherwise disappointing year for new shows …

a Pushing Daisies ... This reviewer, and the fact it has Kristin Chenoweth was enough to pique my interest ...

"... Chenoweth calls this show "fantasmagorical," and when you see it, you’ll know precisely what she means. Pushing Daisies is bizarre and strange and wonderful and vivid and has all the makings of a great new TV love affair."

a Samantha Who? ... Same reviewer.

a Cavemen ... which I'll bet doesn't make it past a third or fourth week. But, hey, the commercials make me laugh ...

Good TV reads ...
a CBS aims to be the talk of the Web
a The joke's on sitcoms as dramas get the laughs

Good baseball

At times this spring I've felt ashamed of myself for being so busy that I can't follow the baseball as closely as I'd like ...

In fact, I had no idea Alex Rodriguez was so hot until seeing some of his stats on the scoreboard at Miller Park a couple week's ago ...

But I still get at least a glimpse at my daily newspaper. All I need to know is that the teams I've attached myself closest to -- the Dodgers, Tigers, Angels and Red Sox -- are playing well. Heck, the Brewers are in first place and nine games over .500!! And the Cubs appear (as I pause for good measure) to be putting together a run ...

But the best part: The Yankees are losing.

I'm not holding my breath yet, though. They seem to start this way every year ... Check back in October.

This from yesterday's SI newsletter ...

Something is rotten in the Bronx. Despite a big month from third baseman Alex Rodriguez (far left, with Derek Jeter), who leads the majors with 14 home runs, the Yankees finished April at 9-14 and at the bottom of the AL East standings. Can New York turn things around in time to make the postseason? Despite last night's 10-1 win over the Rangers, in which rookie righthander Phil Hughes threw 6 1/3 hitless innings before leaving with a hamstring injury (one that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks), SI's Tom Verducci foresees an uphill climb. "The cold fact is the Yankees face overwhelming odds to get into the postseason," says Verducci. "They were not just a little off their game in April, or a game or two below .500. They were .391 baseball awful. How many teams recover from that kind of terrible start to get into the postseason? Would you believe 4.8 percent? From 1996 to 2006, 62 teams played worse than .400 baseball in April. Only three of those teams made the playoffs. If there is good news for New York it is that it was done twice just last year, bringing the odds up all the way from 1.3 percent."

Winter ball anyone?!

April 11. And we're being blanketed with snow ... It started this morning. The wind whipped. And the snow was flying -- horizontally. The roads were so slippery around here, it was almost unbearable to drive. And when the snow finally stopped late this afternoon, almost a half-dozen inches had been dropped on us ...

Perrrrrrrrrrrfect night for a ballgame.

The Indians and Angels are in Milwaukee baby! $10 tickets! Two of the most exciting teams in baseball! ... Can't beat it.

Woo hoo! ... or would that be Wahoo!?!

Yep, the Indians got snowed plowed right out of Jacobs Field, and Anaheim couldn't host the series, so the teams came to play in Miller Park this week, something I learned from a Brewers e-mail I got Monday night.

And then there was this today from SI:

The Indians have a temporary home in Milwaukee. More than a foot of snow in Cleveland last week forced the Tribe to postpone its four-game home-opening series against the Mariners and to move this week's three-game slate against the Angels to Miller Park, where last night Cleveland won the opener 7-6. Will all the cold weather this April cause Major League Baseball to reconsider its scheduling criteria? Why not let every West Coast team open at home? "If you think the chill of the opening week will prompt baseball to re-address its schedule, forget it," says SI's Tom Verducci. "I know that putting together a schedule is a terribly complex job, especially with interleague play gumming up the works. But the bottom line is that every year the owners would rather roll the dice and subject their millionaire players to hazardous conditions (forget about your comfort, which they did long ago) than surrender the chance to make a few more bucks."

... No, I don't think MLB should rethink it's scheduling criteria. But I digress ...

The opportunity was too good to pass up, and I was determined to take advantage. So last night, I logged on and bought two tickets in the infield loge section behind home plate. I paid $22 total. On a typical night I'd pay $32 each for those seats ...

I would've gone alone if I had to, but ended up taking my friend Liz to the game. "So you think they'll open the roof for the game?" she quipped.

And the mood around Miller Park tonight was, well, festive. There was snow all around, and the PA was playing "Let It Snow" outside the stadium! HA-larious ... Liz and I took pictures of the Hank Aaron statue and the Miller Park decor covered in snow. And, wearing my Indians cap, I ate up every moment ...

The ticket line at Will Call moved fast, and we had our tickets in no time. Inside the stadium, we went immediately to the closest souvenir stand in search of any memento -- a pennant was what I really wanted -- to commemorate the oddity of the series. But we got no dice: The guy in the stand told us there was nothing like that being sold. There was only Brewers stuff. Fine. So I asked for a Brewers scorecard. "Take it," the guy said, "They're complimentary tonight." Great.

Liz and I found our seats and settled in just before the National Anthem. Then I went on a search for my ballpark food -- a brat and Dew in a souvenir cup, of course. But that wasn't meant to be either. Miller Park was working with a skeleton staff for the series, there were no vendors working the aisles, and that meant mile-long lines at the concession stand. I got in line for awhile, but soon realized the game was moving faster than the lines, lost patience and returned to my seat, figuring I could try again later in the game ... That would happen in the fifth inning. Same outcome.

Unfortunately, the game itself was nothing to get excited about either. The Angels cruised to a 4-1 win. The pitching and the defense was decent. Jhonny Peralta hit a solo shot in the 7th, but by then the Indians were all but dead. And Vladimir Guerrero hit two weak singles up the middle, but it was hardly the performance I was hoping for from arguably one of the most exciting players in the game today ...

Not even the sausage race was very exciting.

The most exciting thing about tonight's game? One of the most incredible stadium waves I've ever seen ... It happened about midway through the game, started by a group of fans in the left field corner. It grew slowly as it came to fans on the third base side and hit full stride as it came to our section around home plate, on its way to making several more passes ... And then!! a group of fans on the third base side switched it to a slow motion wave!! No cues (as far as we could tell), nothing!! Bam!! And there it went with all the fans in the stadium slowly rising from their seats and stretching their arms, doing the wave in slow motion ... And then!! a group of fans in the right field corner switched it to a super fast wave!! No cues (as far as we could tell), nothing!! Bam!! And there it went with all the fans in the stadium rising from their seats as fast as they could and throwing their arms in the air as if someone had punched a fast forward button ... The scenario repeated and played for several minutes, and for a time it was more entertaining than the game. In fact, it may go down as one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen ...

That and watching the Cleveland Indians and the Anaheim Angels play in Miller Park with six inches of snow outside in mid-April.

Good reads ...
a From last night's game: Indians find refuge and a win at Miller Park
a At home on the road

Sunday reading

Nothing like a lazy afternoon watching spring training baseball and 'Baseball Tonight' ...

... while it snows outside my window.

Once again, the interesting reads that caught my eyes this past week:

... in baseball news ...
a Clemens' son: Dad's 'stuff is pretty nasty'
a Request to force Angels' name change rejected ... darn. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (and the marketing scheme behind it) is one of the most pathetic things in all of sports these days.
a Schilling: Move WBC To July ... I'm kinda thinking the same thing.
a St. Louis stadium work still frenzied with just over a month to go ... can't wait to see it.
a Fans - and Congress - outraged over Buck O'Neil's exclusion from Hall of Fame ... Count me among those.

... in music news ...
a Queen is Recharged and Ready to Rock You ... ah, Queen. Great music.

... in TV news ...
a Edgy dramas, inventive sitcoms and even inventors are sprouting up on the networks this spring ... I cannot WAIT to get a look at ABC's 'Sons & Daughters' ... Ok, the reviews for it haven't been that good, but it looks to be HA-larious at least for a couple episodes.
a 'West Wing' alums to return as show winds down ... I couldn't imagine the Bartlett administration winding down any other way. Can't wait!!

... in pop culture/political/comic news ...
a ‘Boondocks’ comic strip taking 6-month hiatus ... And let's hope it returns in six months. It's one of the edgiest and coolest -- not to mention funniest -- comic strips in American newspapers right now.

... and from somewhere out there ...
a So Speedy, So Exclusive, So Expensive, So Totaled

New Blue Jay Molina fumes at Angels

After all, I was surprised the Angels let him go as easily as they did, too ...

The mourning after

And so it is. Let the mourning begin …

The Angels couldn’t hit, the White Sox pitching dominated and the Sox are heading to the World Series.

And the Sox got too many breaks to count. The botched strike 3 call in Game 2. A whole slew of bad calls in Game 4 …

I’m about as passionate a baseball fan as they come -- that much most people know about me. But that passion is, well, like a fire when it comes to the postseason. And every year when the postseason arrives, sometimes starting with the September pennant races, one way or another I end up falling head over heals for some feisty, fun-to-watch team that I paid only mild attention to during the regular season.

It’s happened year after year. The 1988 Dodgers, the 1990 Reds, the 1993 Phillies, the 1997 Indians, the 2001 Diamondbacks, the 2002 Angels, the 2004 Red Sox …

When they win, I‘m so ecstatic, you can‘t rip the smile off my face for days. When they lose, I’m dropped nearly to the point of tears and devastation …

The 2005 Angels were my team.
a Angels beaten in every way by White Sox
a Chicago wins AL pennant

In retrospect ...

It's everywhere ...

No matter where you went today. No matter what water cooler you drank from. No matter what newspaper you read. No matter what TV station you watched. It was there ...

NBC's Brian Williams tonight called it 'The call heard 'round the world.' Already going down as a play in postseason lore, it will become even more notorious if the Angels lose this series.

Almost 24 hours later I'm still having trouble getting over it. And even after debating the play with a cohort at work today -- who I might add is a pretty hard Sox fan who seems to thinks he's always right -- I'm still convinced the ump, Doug Eddings, made the wrong call. And I was reassured that I (let's emphasize the capital I...) was right when they showed the replay for the one zillionth time on local news tonight in super slow motion and it shows Angels catcher Josh Paul's mitt clearly between the ground and the ball. The way I saw it, the ball dropped into the outer webbing of Paul's outstretched mitt and then bounced into the palm of the glove. On top of that, how Eddings, standing behind Paul, had a clear view of the ball's direction is beyond me...

It seems a majority of the talking heads and polls tonight, I might add, are also showing that most people believe the ump made the wrong call. You'd never know by listening to A.J. Pierzynski though. Every new interview I see of him, starting with the postgame last night to standing at his locker this afternoon, shows him stretching the truth further. Last night he said he ran on pure instinct. Today's he's saying her heard two clear noises as if the ball hit the dirt and then skipped into Paul's glove...

Ah, who am I kidding... Mike Scioscia said it best after the game. If the Angels had played better, we wouldn't even be talking about this. ... Let's hope the Angels play well enough to keep us from lumping the play with Don Deckinger, Bill Buckner and Steve Bartman.

Here's what others are saying:
a Chicago Tribune, Mike Downey: An ending too unbelievable for words
a Associated Press: The morning after -- Angels and White Sox head West, fans head for water coolers
a LA Times: Angels Lose Game in Bizarre Ending
a USA Today: White Sox pull out controversial win in ninth
a Tim Dahlberg: Controversy makes series worth watching
a Jim Caple: Mr. Eddings ... you're guilty
a Umpire's Call Is Defended By MLB
a NY Times: Umpire Giveth, and White Sox Taketh Away

and pllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssse!!!

Pierzynski is NOT a hero...

* * *
'Lost' last night was pretty good. Maybe even the best of the season thus far ...

Yes, Hurley's dream during the opening sequence was a trip, but it didn't trick me. I had it pegged for a dream the moment Jin started speaking English. Yet, I found Hurley's backstory and his reasonable resistance to change to be one of the most endearing of any on the island. ... The best part of the episode were the scenes of everyone, thanks to Hurley, laughing and feasting on the beach. And then we got that topped with the revelation that Rose's significant other really is ok!

But please. Finally, we were treated to an episode during which Jack wasn't Mr. Attitude. (The scene of him walking in on Kate in the shower was pretty comical) Thank you ... now we have to deal with Miss Attitude leading 'the others' clan. I agree, Sawyer SHOULD kill her ...

... I didn't get around to watching 'Invasion' (...which by the way has a cool web site!) until my lunch break this morning. And, thankfully, last night's episode finally kept my attention for almost all 60 minutes. ... Now if only the writers could give us one of those 'Lost'-like flashbacks to show us what the heck is Tom's (aka Sheriff Creepy's) backstory.

* * *
It hasn't taken a lot of news-watching lately to make me awestuck at what kind of crazy year this has been ... a tsunami, the unending war in Iraq, Katrina, the Pakistan earthquake and now flooding in the northeast ...

Makes you really thankful for what you've got and reminds you NEVER to take anything for granted ...

Kill the umpire!?

Are you kidding me!? Are you kidding me!? Are YOU kidding me!? ... I think we all know who deserved to win Game 2 of the ALCS.

FEAR THE RALLY MONKEY!

Their little game showed up in the nick of time Wednesday night, a flurry of bunts and one-base-at-a-time plays in the seventh inning that helped edge the Angels past the New York Yankees, 5-3. (more)

Ok. I'm finally going to bed ...