ESPN’s Colin Cowherd recently asked, “Do we think that maybe, just sometimes, baseball takes it’s self a little too seriously?”
Yes and definitely.
This week the Chicago Cubs make a historic trip to Boston’s Fenway Park, in a series that has baseball fans flocking to Boston and TV’s everywhere.
And WHHATT a glorious time for this series to come up.
After a sweep of the Yankees, and several close games in late innings to follow, the Sox have won six in a row and things are starting to come together. Better late than never right?
Too bad the talent didn’t ignite till over 40 games in, but no matter, Crawford singled to center allowing McDonald to score, thus winning the game in Detroit, late in the ninth. And just like that the faithful are back in the swing of believing. Oh and add a little Adrian Gonzolez in there, mix with the usual Youk, Papi and Papelbon and you’ve got a win streak and finally an over .500 percentage.
Pitching, in a season perspective, will still be a concern, even as Bucholz has found his confidence and Beckett has been well, stunning, even though he left his last game early with a stiff neck.
Worries still lie with Lackey, who gives me a heart attack every time he’s on the mound, and Dice-k, both moved onto the 15-day disabled list. That being said I couldn’t think of a better time for the Sox to check themselves before they wreck themselves.
After all, I loved the wins against the Yankees, but the New Yorker’s were worried about more things than just grass stains on their pinstripes; A losing streak and a well-known veteran making, gasp, mutinous statements. So, how does one measure the Sox win, versus the Yankee loss is difficult when Jeter couldn’t find a base. This certainly isn’t 2004.
From a completely biased Red Sox perspective, this Cub’s series should be “should win games”. But as my Dad always says, “that’s why they play the games.”
Anyway you see it, this upcoming series is great for baseball.
It’s interleague play. It’s the curses, the old time America, and oh yeah, the most pathetic fans in sports- all in one place. Can I get a hell yeah?
In Fenway for the first time since 1918, damn I wish I could be there. For those of you that scoff at baseball, who tire of it’s long and “snail-like” games, just don’t rain on this parade. We know our sport is not the flashiest, and sometimes it can get a little tiring… it can get disposable. But that’s why games like these are so important. Yes it’s for the win or loss, yes we are always in a pennant race (the fans at least feel that way, don’t know about players) but every once in a while we take a slow game and slow it down even more for two storied teams to remind us of days where baseball only came in black and white.
Thank gosh nowadays we have color TV’s, color commentating and a whole hell of a lot of in-depth packages and advertising. Baseball can be boring as hell, but just boring enough to take it a little too seriously.
And in the spirit of that seriousness take a look at ESPN’s Jayson Stark’s injury of the week,
“Padres bullpen catcher Justin Hatcher needed two shots of penicillin last weekend -- after getting bit by a squirrel in the bullpen at Coors Field.”
How does that happen?
Happy Baseball People.
Coors Field has the best squirrels. That story is hilarious.
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