Trey Griffey selected for Under Armour All-American Game
That’s Ken Griffey’s grandson, Junior’s son.
Category Archives: Baseball
Pujols and Respect
A classic piece from Joe Posnanski. Don’t pass this by.
Life Is Good
Red Sox done.
Yankees done.
Yay!
Baseball stat line of the day
“You want the stat of the day? In the history of the postseason, before Verlander [last night], pitchers who allowed four runs in eight innings were — get ready for it — 1-14.”
The first World Series game ever
… was played 108 years ago today.
The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Americans 7-3.
Cy Young was the losing pitcher that day, but went on to win two games as Boston won the best-of-nine series, five games to three.
The Americans became known as the Red Sox in 1908. They were never known as the Pilgrims, though the name is often cited.
An even better best line
… is at the end of Joe Posnanski’s piece on last night. But you must read it all first.
Best line of the day
“I’ve written this before: I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn’t. And that’s what makes it great.
“In other words: Then, suddenly, Evan Longoria steps to the plate.”
I’m still pumped 12 hours later.
Just watching it WAS fun
“There are several stories that will mark baseball’s fine last evening, but the most agreeable, even for this Red Sox fan, is that of Dan Johnson, who’d spent part of the season in the minor leagues despite being among the team’s great hopes going into the season. His two-strike home run down the right-field line never got very high off the ground, and just barely hooked inside the foul pole. … His teammates didn’t quite believe what had happened either, as they slapped him on the head and seemed to giggle, yes, like little boys. Being good enough to play professional baseball must be fun, and hitting a season-extending home run must be even more fun.”
The Sporting Scene : The New Yorker
Johnson was batting .108.
Summing up
Terrific column about what happened in Baltimore and Tampa last night — Red Sox ultimately can’t weather Rays.
Moneyball
“Moneyball” is not a traditional sports movie, and indeed should be just as gripping for non-sports fans. It’s not a series of Big Games. When it goes to the field, it’s for well-chosen crucial moments. Its essence is in terse, brainy dialogue by the two accomplished screenwriters Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) and Steven Zaillian (“Gangs of New York”). As in “The Social Network,” abstract discussions reflect deep emotional conflicts. There are a lot of laughs, but only one or two are inspired by lines intended to be funny. Instead, our laughter comes from recognition, an awareness of irony, an appreciation of perfect zingers — and, best of all, insights into human nature.
This is a pretty long movie — more than two hours. And there are a lot of scenes where nothing happens. We spend a good chunk of time alone with Billy Beane in the car. There are plot swings that don’t go anywhere. There’s a lot of actual baseball footage — probably more than has ever before been in a major motion picture. And, let’s face it, some of the crucial questions of the movie are: (1) Will Beane be able to acquire Ricardo Rincon? (2) Will the A’s beat a terrible Kansas City Royals team? (3) Will A’s manager Art Howe realize he should have Chad Bradford, and not Mike Magnante, as the first man out of the pen?
These aren’t exactly, “Will Luke be able to destroy the Death Star,” or “Does Ilsa choose Rick or Victor” sorts of questions.