Ok. So the Rangers haven't exactly shown up for the World Series the way I'd hoped ... But I'm still hopin'.
Here's some amusing reads to pass the off day ...
a While You Were Away: The Giants, The Rangers, And The 2010 World Series
a Bieber to debut music video during World Series ... Terrible. Now, Kelly Clarkson on the other hand ...
a Herzog back at the World Series -- in earnings tax ads ... Political or not, it bugs me that the commercial doesn't recognize him as a hall of fame manager for the Cardinals and the Royals.
a Nation Disappointed By Great World Series Matchup ... My good friend Matt commented on this one by saying, simply, "Dead on."
a Barry Bonds wants to share hitting tips as coach ... Please, God, no. Seeing Barry in the stands the other night was bad enough.
a Rangers' Cliff Lee has chance to be known as the best ever as World Series begins ... So Game 1 didn't go his way, but this is still a good read.
Saving the best for last: Joe Posnanski takes you on a thrilling ride through sports history with Thirty-Two Great Calls.
10.29.2010
10.26.2010
A lost era of Royals fans still cheer
So my friend Kara just posted this good read about the Kansas City Royals on Facebook. And now it has me recalling the good 'ol days, too.
Because of family moves while I was growing up and into my adulthood, I grew up a fan of the Brewers in the '80s, turned into a Royals fan for the '90s, and returned to following the Brewers in the 2000s. I've always been a Cubs fan, though.
I have no recollection of the 1985 World Series. My earliest postseason baseball memories are from 1988, and so began my love for the Dodgers.
As the 100-loss seasons pile up for the Royals, it's always amazed me how passionate the team's fans remain.
Sure, you could say that about Cubs fans, and their century-plus championship drought. But the Cubs have had quite a few winning seasons sprinkled throughout that drought, and Wrigley Field is known more for its frat party atmosphere than the kind of fans who hang on every pitch.
Red Sox fans, too. But they put their 86-year-old curse to rest -- twice. And they, too, had several close calls in between.
Yankees and Cardinals fans are known for their passion. But they're always in the hunt.
Royals fans got nothin.' Not since the early 1990s. And yet the team still draws consistently good crowds for its market size, sometimes larger than more successful teams.
Of watching Brett Saberhagen's no-hitter on TV and then getting our family locked out of our apartment the next morning, just before we were supposed to be leaving for school, because I wanted my mother to buy me a Kansas City Star to feed my fascination with baseball and the newspapers that covered the game's historic moments.
Of watching George Brett's march toward 3,000 hits in September '92. And witnessing his 2,992 and 2,993 hits from the upper deck of Kauffman Stadium.
Of watching George Brett's final games on TV. His kiss of home plate. And his last hit in Nolan Ryan's last uniformed appearance with the Texas Rangers on the last day of the 1993 season.
Of watching that classic ballgame in '94 (No. 6 on my list). Seeing Bob Hamelin barrel into third base and beating the throw on a Gary Gaetti single. And sitting so close to the Seattle Mariners dugout we could feel Lou Pineilla's spit when he returned to the dugout from arguing an umpire's call and proceeded to get into it with a boisterous fan.
Of attending the game on a hot July day in '95 when the Royals inducted Frank White into the team's hall of fame. I went with my dad and my childhood best friend Nate. ... I have memories of the Royals playing Boston on that day, the "Cheers" theme blaring on the stadium PA during the Red Sox batting practice, and calling a Mo Vaughn home run -- but baseballreference.com is telling me I must be thinking of a different day.
Of attending Cal Ripken's world-recording breaking consecutive game. With my dad and three of my best high school buddies on a beautiful June night. I wore my Ripken jersey and we played catch in the parking lot before the gates opened. The "I Was There" certificate we received remains one of my most prized collector's items.
There was joy in watching some of my childhood favorites -- mostly from years of unwrapping their Topps baseball cards -- play the twilights of their careers in Kansas City. Kirk Gibson. Kevin McReynolds. Greg Gagne. Gary Gaetti. Wally Joyner. Jose Lind. Vince Coleman.
Then there was the painful decline.
David Cone. Johnny Damon. Jemaine Dye. Carlos Beltran. They all got away. Mike Sweeney was wrecked by injuries. The Tony Muser years -- I attended a few of those press conferences as an aspiring sportswriter in college -- sheesh.
The Royals sank at the hands of poor leadership and a lack of ownership.
In recent years, it seems like the names on the roster have changed so much that it's a lost cause to try keeping up. You just wait to see who the manager -- whoever that might be, there's been a lot of them in recent years, too -- puts on the field that day.
Watching in amazement and rooting them on from K-Town during that fluke 2003 season. Working in a Friday night game when Kates and I returned to Kansas City for my 10-year high school reunion. Cheering Ned Yost's hiring in May. And becoming a Royals-hat-wearing local again this summer.
I can only hope there are many more thrills -- like that double header in August -- to come for the Royals.
Because of family moves while I was growing up and into my adulthood, I grew up a fan of the Brewers in the '80s, turned into a Royals fan for the '90s, and returned to following the Brewers in the 2000s. I've always been a Cubs fan, though.
I have no recollection of the 1985 World Series. My earliest postseason baseball memories are from 1988, and so began my love for the Dodgers.
As the 100-loss seasons pile up for the Royals, it's always amazed me how passionate the team's fans remain.
Sure, you could say that about Cubs fans, and their century-plus championship drought. But the Cubs have had quite a few winning seasons sprinkled throughout that drought, and Wrigley Field is known more for its frat party atmosphere than the kind of fans who hang on every pitch.
Red Sox fans, too. But they put their 86-year-old curse to rest -- twice. And they, too, had several close calls in between.
Yankees and Cardinals fans are known for their passion. But they're always in the hunt.
Royals fans got nothin.' Not since the early 1990s. And yet the team still draws consistently good crowds for its market size, sometimes larger than more successful teams.
This month makes 25 years since the Royals won their only World Series championship, and the team has young fans anyway, a generation that knows winning baseball only through old stories and grainy video.My earliest Royals memories are of being awestruck by the beauty of the stadium and its fountains and the wonder of seeing baseball being played on astroturf.
Of watching Brett Saberhagen's no-hitter on TV and then getting our family locked out of our apartment the next morning, just before we were supposed to be leaving for school, because I wanted my mother to buy me a Kansas City Star to feed my fascination with baseball and the newspapers that covered the game's historic moments.
Of watching George Brett's march toward 3,000 hits in September '92. And witnessing his 2,992 and 2,993 hits from the upper deck of Kauffman Stadium.
Of watching George Brett's final games on TV. His kiss of home plate. And his last hit in Nolan Ryan's last uniformed appearance with the Texas Rangers on the last day of the 1993 season.
Of watching that classic ballgame in '94 (No. 6 on my list). Seeing Bob Hamelin barrel into third base and beating the throw on a Gary Gaetti single. And sitting so close to the Seattle Mariners dugout we could feel Lou Pineilla's spit when he returned to the dugout from arguing an umpire's call and proceeded to get into it with a boisterous fan.
Of attending the game on a hot July day in '95 when the Royals inducted Frank White into the team's hall of fame. I went with my dad and my childhood best friend Nate. ... I have memories of the Royals playing Boston on that day, the "Cheers" theme blaring on the stadium PA during the Red Sox batting practice, and calling a Mo Vaughn home run -- but baseballreference.com is telling me I must be thinking of a different day.
Of attending Cal Ripken's world-recording breaking consecutive game. With my dad and three of my best high school buddies on a beautiful June night. I wore my Ripken jersey and we played catch in the parking lot before the gates opened. The "I Was There" certificate we received remains one of my most prized collector's items.
There was joy in watching some of my childhood favorites -- mostly from years of unwrapping their Topps baseball cards -- play the twilights of their careers in Kansas City. Kirk Gibson. Kevin McReynolds. Greg Gagne. Gary Gaetti. Wally Joyner. Jose Lind. Vince Coleman.
They all love the Royals for different reasons. Some of it is geography and family and some of the same memories their fathers may have had, like sitting in the old G.A. and getting sprayed by the groundskeepers on a hot day or trying to get a beer with a fake I.D.I remember all those things, too. Oh, how I loved sitting in the old G.A. with my high school buddies. $5 tickets. Getting sprayed. And chasing home run balls during batting practice.
Then there was the painful decline.
David Cone. Johnny Damon. Jemaine Dye. Carlos Beltran. They all got away. Mike Sweeney was wrecked by injuries. The Tony Muser years -- I attended a few of those press conferences as an aspiring sportswriter in college -- sheesh.
The Royals sank at the hands of poor leadership and a lack of ownership.
In recent years, it seems like the names on the roster have changed so much that it's a lost cause to try keeping up. You just wait to see who the manager -- whoever that might be, there's been a lot of them in recent years, too -- puts on the field that day.
“Even though I hate almost every player on the team and I hate watching us lose, I continue to watch.”And yet I've continued coming back.
Watching in amazement and rooting them on from K-Town during that fluke 2003 season. Working in a Friday night game when Kates and I returned to Kansas City for my 10-year high school reunion. Cheering Ned Yost's hiring in May. And becoming a Royals-hat-wearing local again this summer.
I can only hope there are many more thrills -- like that double header in August -- to come for the Royals.
“I just think you should root for the team that’s closest to where you grow up.”
10.25.2010
Packers rejoice
Holy Cheesehead, that was a great Packers game last night!
Once we got Phoebe to bed. And I cleaned the kitchen. And I finished the laundry. And got my belongings ready for work this morning ... I was planted and riding the edge of our coffee table for the second half.
I was pumping my fists with every Brett Favre interception the Packers turned into a score ...
I breathed a gargantuan sigh of relief when the referees rightfully reversed Favre's touchdown pass to Percy Harvin, who was clearly out of bounds when he caught the pass ...
And I rejoiced with all of Wisconsin when those final seconds ticked away with the Packers on top. You could almost see the weight being lifted off Aaron Rogers' shoulders. From SI's Don Banks ...
Once we got Phoebe to bed. And I cleaned the kitchen. And I finished the laundry. And got my belongings ready for work this morning ... I was planted and riding the edge of our coffee table for the second half.
I was pumping my fists with every Brett Favre interception the Packers turned into a score ...
I breathed a gargantuan sigh of relief when the referees rightfully reversed Favre's touchdown pass to Percy Harvin, who was clearly out of bounds when he caught the pass ...
And I rejoiced with all of Wisconsin when those final seconds ticked away with the Packers on top. You could almost see the weight being lifted off Aaron Rogers' shoulders. From SI's Don Banks ...
Rodgers was going to be judged harshly if he didn't own at least one head-to-head win over the Favre-led Vikings. Not that you're going to get Rodgers to ever admit beating No. 4 was on his bucket list.And Favre just looked awful limping off the field. As though he was having some serious regrets about returning to play this season.
10.24.2010
The World Series
Well, this year's World Series matchup is nothing like the way I predicted it.
Sure, I wanted the Rangers to get in, but I never expected their offense to dominate the Yankees the way it did. The Rangers set the tone for the series during the first inning of the first game and never backed down. I relished every one of Texas's run-scoring hits -- with Vladimir Guerrero's RBI-single in Friday night's Game 6 topping 'em all. When Nelson Cruz followed Guerrero with a home run, I got chills watching the fireworks light up the ballpark, hearing "The Natural" theme in the background and the fans in a frenzy ... At least I correctly predicted the number of games the series would last.
As for the National League Championship Series? I'm dumbfounded about how the Giants are advancing and the Phillies are not. The Phils were arguably the most well-rounded team in the postseason. They seemed destined to win it all -- Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Howard, Utley, Werth, Victorino. All the Giants have is Tim "The Freak," Lincecum, right? ... Boy, did I get that one wrong.
So let's try this again. The World Series. Ranger-Giants ... I'm going with the Rangers in six.
Good reads ...
a After changes, Rangers headed to 1st World Series
a Yankees' bid for title No. 28 ends in Texas
a George W. Bush Is Back in the Rangers’ Front Row
a Game-Saver of ’69 Mets, Ryan Is Back in the Series
a Five Cuts: Girardi's binder blues, a look back at the '02 draft and more
a Accountability Behind the Plate ... I like this idea.
a Lincecum-Halladay stirs memories of pitching duels
a Postseason Duels of Pitching Aces Can Go Awry
Meanwhile ...
The Cubs hired their new manager last week. And the winner was ... Mike Quade.
There was a part of me that was rooting for Ryne Sandberg to get the job. My favorite Cub, and one of the players I idolized growing up. I held on to hope that the Cubs might hire Sandberg, and he would be the one to finally lead them to the promised land.
But deep down, I knew Quade was the right man for the job. The way he righted the mess the Cubs were in during the last month of the season is commendable, and it's hard to argue with the players who endorsed him when it was over.
The pressure on Sandberg would have been enormous and the Cubs probably saved him some agony by passing on him for the job.
Now, about the that opening with the Milwaukee Brewers ...
Good reads ...
a At least Cubs treated Sandberg better than they once did Banks
a New Cubs manager Quade armed and ready
a So Cubs-like to pass on Ryne Sandberg ... Yes, but ...
Sure, I wanted the Rangers to get in, but I never expected their offense to dominate the Yankees the way it did. The Rangers set the tone for the series during the first inning of the first game and never backed down. I relished every one of Texas's run-scoring hits -- with Vladimir Guerrero's RBI-single in Friday night's Game 6 topping 'em all. When Nelson Cruz followed Guerrero with a home run, I got chills watching the fireworks light up the ballpark, hearing "The Natural" theme in the background and the fans in a frenzy ... At least I correctly predicted the number of games the series would last.
As for the National League Championship Series? I'm dumbfounded about how the Giants are advancing and the Phillies are not. The Phils were arguably the most well-rounded team in the postseason. They seemed destined to win it all -- Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Howard, Utley, Werth, Victorino. All the Giants have is Tim "The Freak," Lincecum, right? ... Boy, did I get that one wrong.
So let's try this again. The World Series. Ranger-Giants ... I'm going with the Rangers in six.
Good reads ...
a After changes, Rangers headed to 1st World Series
a Yankees' bid for title No. 28 ends in Texas
a George W. Bush Is Back in the Rangers’ Front Row
a Game-Saver of ’69 Mets, Ryan Is Back in the Series
a Five Cuts: Girardi's binder blues, a look back at the '02 draft and more
a Accountability Behind the Plate ... I like this idea.
a Lincecum-Halladay stirs memories of pitching duels
a Postseason Duels of Pitching Aces Can Go Awry
* * *
Meanwhile ...
The Cubs hired their new manager last week. And the winner was ... Mike Quade.
There was a part of me that was rooting for Ryne Sandberg to get the job. My favorite Cub, and one of the players I idolized growing up. I held on to hope that the Cubs might hire Sandberg, and he would be the one to finally lead them to the promised land.
But deep down, I knew Quade was the right man for the job. The way he righted the mess the Cubs were in during the last month of the season is commendable, and it's hard to argue with the players who endorsed him when it was over.
The pressure on Sandberg would have been enormous and the Cubs probably saved him some agony by passing on him for the job.
Now, about the that opening with the Milwaukee Brewers ...
Good reads ...
a At least Cubs treated Sandberg better than they once did Banks
a New Cubs manager Quade armed and ready
a So Cubs-like to pass on Ryne Sandberg ... Yes, but ...
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