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A guest column, by our host and benefactor -- Rabbi Steve Weisman
First, thanks to my good friend Jim, for giving me this space for this blog, that apparently, only I could write :)
I deliberately waited to add this blog to the mix, for two things to occur. First, I wanted the World Series to be over, so I could congratulate whichever deserving team prevailed to bring their community a long-overdue first World Championship. So, congratulations to the SAN FRANCISCO Giants for breaking what all New Yorkers know was the curse of Horace Stoneham, who moved the franchise from coast to coast, for winning the franchise's first world championship on the West Coast, their first since Willie Mays was making "The Catch" in 1954 to help shockingly defeat a Cleveland team that won 111 games during the regular season, which ended the Yankees' 5-year World Series run (and note that Cleveland, already by then 6 years removed from their last World Series victory, hasn't won since!). Pitching, once again, trumped hitting; and team chemistry raised a bunch of journeymen and youngsters to the top of the mountain. Sandy Alderson, are you watching? :)
And second, I wanted the softball season to be over, and have my follow up with my orthopedist, so I could speak more intelligently following my own first experience with significant sports injury. Thankfully, since that fateful night 3 weeks ago, and through all the pain of the intervening 21 days, every test and report that has come in has been the best possible.
So, to set the scene -- which is a story of hubris: the recently turned 50 year-old Rabbi, playing better ball AFTER his quadruple bypass than he had before it, but beginning to show the signs of the ravages of age, letting his 25-year old's sports brain talk him into trying something his body could no longer write the check to cover, taking a massive tumble trying to stretch a single to right into a TRIPLE (notypo -- no showboating, no stupidly aggressive baserunning, except in trying to go to second base in the first place -- actually a logical and reasoned, if ultimately unsuccessful, effort to not make the third out of the inning). Leaving himself with a nice gash below the right knee, and just under it, the mother of all raspberries developing beautifully as the game wore on, and helping to obscure the greater damage to the knee and leg (but somehow going 4-4 AFTER the injury!). Not noticing until almost 24 hours later how much swelling there was and how much the knee itself hurt.
By Thursday, my primary care doctor was SO sure that I had torn the ACL, that he WALKED up to the Orthopedics office in his building to tell them they had to see me right away. X-rays showed nothing, MRI the following Monday said that I didn't -- just strained EVERYTHING maximally without needing surgery. But the knee specialist asked me to explain how I did it again, saying that he usually only sees this level of bruising and swelling "in crush injuries"!
So, 1 month and 1 day before my son's Bar Mitzvah celebration, 12 days before a major soiree honoring my 10 years in this congregation, and here I am on crutches for the first time in my life, balancing between the pain and the FDR-like desire NEVER to be seen in public with them. Wanting to take my time and let the secondary pain pass, but knowing that I have David's Bar Mitzvah, and a wedding and Bar Mitzvah the following week -- that really all require me to be totally mobile :) Stuck between my usual stubborn, male, Type-A need to be independent, and being as DEPENDENT as I have ever been save for my heart surgery recuperation! OY! And while having a daughter with a driver's license was a huge help, it is VERY strange riding in the back seat with her driving me places!
At least choosing a Halloween costume was made easy and obvious -- can you say Brett Favre (I know, knee vs. ankle, but by then, honestly, almost all of my pain was in the ankle from the swelling!)?!
So today came the second good news -- I have nearly full mobility back in the knee, with no lasting structural weakness -- a couple of weeks of PT will have me off the 60-day DL in time for spring training in a few months. The swelling WILL eventually abate -- I can't wait to get rid of the oh-so-stylish and terribly confortable compression sock that has been my constant companion these last 2 weeks. Even the mother of all scabs is finally gone from my leg.
All of which has left me with an incredible sense of awe at what these professional athletes who play through injuries and live with pain are actually doing.
And the ultimate challenge - -reprogramming my brain to know that next time I hit a bloop single to right field, with what is left of this body, it really is a single, and not what it used to be -- an excuse to show everyone that the old guy can still run the bases with the best of them! Why do I have a feeling THAT will be the most difficult and painful aspect of my recovery in the end? :)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
All Hail the San Francisco Giants! Unless it Involves an Official's Decision...
So, all of my best possible outcomes (at least once it was clear that neither the Mets not the Nationals had a snowball's chance in Hades of making the post-season!) were met. The despised Braves went out first; then we were spared EITHER the Phillies or the Yankees in the World Series; then, a clear winner was decided in 5, rather than 7 games, depriving the bloated and undeserving coffers of MLB and Fox Sports, the latter of whom is even more responsible for the downfall of baseball in the public eye than the Bud-meister himself, of 2 extra nights of ad and related revenue.
And, was it just me, or, even with the backdrop of the Players' Association finally going semi-public with THEIR total lack of faith in Major League Umpiring, on the grand stage of the playoffs, did this year's randomly selected (thanks to the contract with the umpires!) cast of half-blind fools prove their relative ineptitude? With the 2 additional umpires to help get outfield fair/foul calls and home run calls correct, we had the spectacle of a mis-called foul ball BECAUSE IT LANDED BETWEEN THE RIGHT FIELD UMPIRE'S FEET AS HE SCRAMBLED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! We had multiple infield out/safe calls that appeared to be clearly missed, and several infield fair/foul calls made by the WRONG umpire (and not because he was in better position). We had not one, but 2, disputable shots originally called home runs for the Yankees -- the first of which the right field umpire claimed to be looking right at and claiming that the worst interference by a fan not named Jeffrey Meier (or Bartman, even though his was clearly IN the stands, and therefore not illegal!) never happened, the second of which, clearly foul from ALL angles at normal speed, was somehow still called a home run until (unless I missed something) the ONLY incidence of the umpires conferring to get a call right in the post-season, led to an overturn.
And we had the hideous spectacle of perhaps the worst officiated trip around the bases in Major League Baseball history -- regular, or post-season -- when Chase Utley was awarded first base on a pitch that did NOT hit him or his uniform, was called safe at second when replays clearly showed him to be out, and certainly appeared to miss third base while scoring. Come on -- even the 1962 Mets and Marvelous Marv Throneberry -- who famously was once called out for missing second base on a triple, and when Casey Stengel came out to protest, was told by his first base coach to go back to the dugout, because he had missed first base, too! -- weren't this bad!
The answer, of course, should be (but probably won't -- in fact, it will probably be expanded) to end the replay experiement -- and RIGHTFULLY so! As long as that is not the ONLY change made, it will be the right one. If it is combined with mandatory off-season training and conditioning, and in-season evaluation leading to public fines and suspensions, losing plum assignments and possibly being relegated to the minors -- just as players are subject to -- for poor performance, then we may be onto a solution. And can we please return to post-season assignments being earned on merit during the season, and not randomly assigned to "share the wealth"? And do so BEFORE we talk about expanding the post-season?
Could be worse though -- they could be NFL referees!
And, was it just me, or, even with the backdrop of the Players' Association finally going semi-public with THEIR total lack of faith in Major League Umpiring, on the grand stage of the playoffs, did this year's randomly selected (thanks to the contract with the umpires!) cast of half-blind fools prove their relative ineptitude? With the 2 additional umpires to help get outfield fair/foul calls and home run calls correct, we had the spectacle of a mis-called foul ball BECAUSE IT LANDED BETWEEN THE RIGHT FIELD UMPIRE'S FEET AS HE SCRAMBLED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! We had multiple infield out/safe calls that appeared to be clearly missed, and several infield fair/foul calls made by the WRONG umpire (and not because he was in better position). We had not one, but 2, disputable shots originally called home runs for the Yankees -- the first of which the right field umpire claimed to be looking right at and claiming that the worst interference by a fan not named Jeffrey Meier (or Bartman, even though his was clearly IN the stands, and therefore not illegal!) never happened, the second of which, clearly foul from ALL angles at normal speed, was somehow still called a home run until (unless I missed something) the ONLY incidence of the umpires conferring to get a call right in the post-season, led to an overturn.
And we had the hideous spectacle of perhaps the worst officiated trip around the bases in Major League Baseball history -- regular, or post-season -- when Chase Utley was awarded first base on a pitch that did NOT hit him or his uniform, was called safe at second when replays clearly showed him to be out, and certainly appeared to miss third base while scoring. Come on -- even the 1962 Mets and Marvelous Marv Throneberry -- who famously was once called out for missing second base on a triple, and when Casey Stengel came out to protest, was told by his first base coach to go back to the dugout, because he had missed first base, too! -- weren't this bad!
The answer, of course, should be (but probably won't -- in fact, it will probably be expanded) to end the replay experiement -- and RIGHTFULLY so! As long as that is not the ONLY change made, it will be the right one. If it is combined with mandatory off-season training and conditioning, and in-season evaluation leading to public fines and suspensions, losing plum assignments and possibly being relegated to the minors -- just as players are subject to -- for poor performance, then we may be onto a solution. And can we please return to post-season assignments being earned on merit during the season, and not randomly assigned to "share the wealth"? And do so BEFORE we talk about expanding the post-season?
Could be worse though -- they could be NFL referees!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
"Does Anybody Here Know How to Play This Game?"
The headline for this blog was infamously uttered by Casey Stengel, abck in the bad old days when he, and the chance of seeing something truly horrific, were the ONLY reasons to watch the Mets play baseball. (Avoid temptation to kick the current Mets' regime when they are down and out here!)
Sadly, in the era of replay, it might as well apply here, too, to the state of officiating in at least 2 professional sports, and quite possibly all of them. Football fans are still wondering when and how football lost its rudder to the point where, on the opening weekend of the season, a game winning touchdown which players and fans alike knew to be a touchdown, turned out not to be -- not because of the ineptitude of officials, but because of the foolish inconsistency of the rules and their definitions, which, in the era of replay, have needed to be recalibrated beyond what is real or measurable on the field at real speed. Case in point -- the critical play in the 4th quarter this past Sunday of an otherwise forgetable game (except to long-suffering Raiders' fans) between Oakland and San Diego. I have watched the super - slo replay multiple times -- and have NO idea whether Philip Rivers' arm was moving forward with the ball at the point of contact which knocked it loose or not! Anyone who tells you they saw it clearly is lying! But, it HAD to be called one way or the other on the field in real time -- even less chance THAT call was anything more than a guess. BUT, the direction in which THAT guess was made determined the outcome, because the replay would be unable to overrule such a close call!! THAT is the element of replay in football that no one seems to be grasping!
Ironically, on a day dangerously close to Bud Selig's own self-inflicted nightmares last Saturday, the ONLY person who got this point, or any others relating to close plays and replay right, was the now retired Bobby Cox, career leader in being thrown out of games! IN EACH of 3 PLAYOFF games, a critical late game run scored after a questionable or blown call. In the Yankee's win, it was a clearly blown strike call by Hunter (father Harry is rolling in his grave) Wendlestadt that kept a Lance Berkman at-bat alive for him to drive in a critical run, and led to the too-quick ejection of Ron Gardenhire by Wendlestadt, after the umpire interjected himself into Gardenhire's attempt to calm his pitcher and team.
In Texas's win, an apparent failed check swing strike 3 by Michael Young was not corrected by the first base (h)ump, allowing Young to hit the crushing 3 run homer on the next pitch, and again leading to a managerial ejection, when Joe Maddon, properly, started barking at the first base umpire from the mound, and then was being escorted away while talking to the home palte umpire, who ejected him, also seemingly too quickly.
To my untrained eye, both calls were wrong. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. I didn't watch the whole Yankee's game to know how inconsistent Wendlestadt's strike zone had been all game (but I can guess from experience!). Young's check swing really was borderline. Neither would have mattered if the results of the next pitches had been different -- although Berkman hit an absurdly good pitch that he had no right hitting anyway, so don't blame the hit on a mental lapse by the pitcher there -- and the pitchers had been able to do what they are supposed to do.
Ironically, the most obviously wrong call, and the only one NOT to lead to a managerial ejection, came as the Braves lost to San Francisco. Buster Posey was clearly tagged out trying to steal second base, which would have ended the 8th inning. Instead, he was called safe, and scored what turned out to be the winning run one batter later.
When asked why he didn't protest the call, Cox responded that he couldn't see from the dugout, and the reaction of his players on the field did not lead him to think the call was wrong. When further asked about expanding replay, Cox expressed his reservations for both the integrity and the delay of the game!
Even more frightening, In SUnday's Phillies' victory, Chase Utley scored the go ahead run after not one, but THREE blown calls. He took first after NOT being hit by a pitched ball, was called safe at second on a close force out which replay showed was wrong, and probably, although not conclusively, failed to touch third base while scoring on an error by Jay Bruce. The ineptitude of the Reds' defense clearly overshadowed that of the umpires. But did not make it go away.
Indeed, it has gotten so bad, that the leaders of the Players' Association asked for, and have received, a hearing, to discuss the vastly increased number of complaints coming from players about both blown calls, and aggressive attitudes on the part of too many umpires! Maybe THIS will lead to positive improvements -- but I am not holding my breath.
Especially after watching the end of the Capitals' home opener against the formerly respected and classy New Jersey Devils, when new Devils' coach John McLean either couldn't stop, or deliberately sent out, a series of goons with the game out of reach, leading to three successive fighting delays in 6 seconds of play time, all started by Devils' players -- with no pre-emptive action taken by the refs, who sttod watching helplessly, until a 4th attack several seconds later was blatantly one sided!
And hey, the NBA, with their own ref dramas, is about to start -- anyone yet believe Donaghy was the only one with a gambling problem??
Sadly, in the era of replay, it might as well apply here, too, to the state of officiating in at least 2 professional sports, and quite possibly all of them. Football fans are still wondering when and how football lost its rudder to the point where, on the opening weekend of the season, a game winning touchdown which players and fans alike knew to be a touchdown, turned out not to be -- not because of the ineptitude of officials, but because of the foolish inconsistency of the rules and their definitions, which, in the era of replay, have needed to be recalibrated beyond what is real or measurable on the field at real speed. Case in point -- the critical play in the 4th quarter this past Sunday of an otherwise forgetable game (except to long-suffering Raiders' fans) between Oakland and San Diego. I have watched the super - slo replay multiple times -- and have NO idea whether Philip Rivers' arm was moving forward with the ball at the point of contact which knocked it loose or not! Anyone who tells you they saw it clearly is lying! But, it HAD to be called one way or the other on the field in real time -- even less chance THAT call was anything more than a guess. BUT, the direction in which THAT guess was made determined the outcome, because the replay would be unable to overrule such a close call!! THAT is the element of replay in football that no one seems to be grasping!
Ironically, on a day dangerously close to Bud Selig's own self-inflicted nightmares last Saturday, the ONLY person who got this point, or any others relating to close plays and replay right, was the now retired Bobby Cox, career leader in being thrown out of games! IN EACH of 3 PLAYOFF games, a critical late game run scored after a questionable or blown call. In the Yankee's win, it was a clearly blown strike call by Hunter (father Harry is rolling in his grave) Wendlestadt that kept a Lance Berkman at-bat alive for him to drive in a critical run, and led to the too-quick ejection of Ron Gardenhire by Wendlestadt, after the umpire interjected himself into Gardenhire's attempt to calm his pitcher and team.
In Texas's win, an apparent failed check swing strike 3 by Michael Young was not corrected by the first base (h)ump, allowing Young to hit the crushing 3 run homer on the next pitch, and again leading to a managerial ejection, when Joe Maddon, properly, started barking at the first base umpire from the mound, and then was being escorted away while talking to the home palte umpire, who ejected him, also seemingly too quickly.
To my untrained eye, both calls were wrong. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. I didn't watch the whole Yankee's game to know how inconsistent Wendlestadt's strike zone had been all game (but I can guess from experience!). Young's check swing really was borderline. Neither would have mattered if the results of the next pitches had been different -- although Berkman hit an absurdly good pitch that he had no right hitting anyway, so don't blame the hit on a mental lapse by the pitcher there -- and the pitchers had been able to do what they are supposed to do.
Ironically, the most obviously wrong call, and the only one NOT to lead to a managerial ejection, came as the Braves lost to San Francisco. Buster Posey was clearly tagged out trying to steal second base, which would have ended the 8th inning. Instead, he was called safe, and scored what turned out to be the winning run one batter later.
When asked why he didn't protest the call, Cox responded that he couldn't see from the dugout, and the reaction of his players on the field did not lead him to think the call was wrong. When further asked about expanding replay, Cox expressed his reservations for both the integrity and the delay of the game!
Even more frightening, In SUnday's Phillies' victory, Chase Utley scored the go ahead run after not one, but THREE blown calls. He took first after NOT being hit by a pitched ball, was called safe at second on a close force out which replay showed was wrong, and probably, although not conclusively, failed to touch third base while scoring on an error by Jay Bruce. The ineptitude of the Reds' defense clearly overshadowed that of the umpires. But did not make it go away.
Indeed, it has gotten so bad, that the leaders of the Players' Association asked for, and have received, a hearing, to discuss the vastly increased number of complaints coming from players about both blown calls, and aggressive attitudes on the part of too many umpires! Maybe THIS will lead to positive improvements -- but I am not holding my breath.
Especially after watching the end of the Capitals' home opener against the formerly respected and classy New Jersey Devils, when new Devils' coach John McLean either couldn't stop, or deliberately sent out, a series of goons with the game out of reach, leading to three successive fighting delays in 6 seconds of play time, all started by Devils' players -- with no pre-emptive action taken by the refs, who sttod watching helplessly, until a 4th attack several seconds later was blatantly one sided!
And hey, the NBA, with their own ref dramas, is about to start -- anyone yet believe Donaghy was the only one with a gambling problem??
Monday, October 4, 2010
Oh, What A Summer
It was Fathers' Day, several years ago. My family and I were travelling to RFK STadium here in DC for the baseball game that day between our hometown team and the visiting New York Yankees. For me, it was a delayed dream, a long time in the making, come true. For even though I had grown up in New York, on Long Island, as a Mets fan, what had happened to the American League franchise in our nation's capital 30 years earlier was a crime I long waited to see undone.
I had even gone so far, back in the 80's, on my first trip to Cooperstown, to purchase a Washington Senators sweatshirt, that became a staple of my fall and spring wardrobe. Long after any true grown up should have thrown what was left of that old sweatshirt away, I refused, on principle, to do so, at least until the injustice was undone, and I could buy a shirt for the NEW Washington baseball club.
That chance should have come the preceding July 4th. However, my recovery from quadruple bypass surgery had me lying at home, watching on television as my wife, kids, and a family friend got to attend the game between our new home team and my beloved Mets. So the following Fathers' Day was an even bigger deal for us!
On the Metro on the way to the game, I patiently explained 2 truths that were already clear. First, although our Nationals were, technically, the home team, the likelihood was that we would be outnumbered by Yankee fans. And while my only in person experience of the World Series had been at Yankee Stadium during the 1999 series, and had taught me that not ALL Yankees' fans are loud and obnoxious, the odds were pretty good that there would be at least one unhappy interaction upcoming that day with some rude visitor to our fair city.
The second truth grew from the first. Whatever they heard around them, I explained, we would be role models. I did NOT tell them they could not boo the visiting team. I DID, however, make very clear that there were 3 visiting players who they could not boo, no matter what, because they were just too good. It was a lesson I had learned in my youth at Shea Stadium, when my father, a converted Yankee fan, would go out of his way to take me to games against the Giants, so he could cheer Willie Mays on his return "home," as well as the incomparable Willie McCovey. Those three Yankee players whose ability and performance had earned them this right were Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and (still at that time before the admissions of steroid involvement) Alex Rodriguez (who, ironically, at that moment, was struggling through a slump that had most Yankee fans booing him!).
That game made it onto the commemorative t-shirts given out at the close of RFK after the next season, for that was the game which ended with a memorable walk off home run by Ryan Zimmerman, a single swing which reduced 25,000 rowdy, obnoxious Yankees' fans to stunned silence.
And it was the first of now 4 capacity crowds I have been a part of at Nationals' games over the years. There was also that last game at RFK, when the game on the field mattered not in the least, we were all there to celebrate history. There was opening day this season -- that embarrassing debacle in which the Lerner's were so desperate for a sellout, that they sold blocs of tickets to Philadelphia bus companies and tour companies who turned it into a Phillies' home game.
And there was that game this summer between the Mets and Nats. Two struggling underachieving franchises -- just another of the many games that make up a season. Yet, the stands were full -- all because of one player -- the phenom pitcher! And, for the first time, the capacity crowd was actually watching the game, and rooting for the home team -- sort of.
They were rooting for the kid -- and they had picked the wrong day. For this was the day of the first hint that all was not right. He struggled with his control in the first inning, left the game early having given up several runs, facing a loss. I had another commitment I had to make, so I was leaving after the 6th inning, no matter what. But with Strasburg's early departure, the bulk of the crowd left with me.
And they, and I, missed the ridiculous ending, as the Mets gave notice that they would not be a serious player the rest of the way, squandering the lead in the 9th inning. It would have been nice to be able to report that the crowd that remained was appropriately raucous in their admiration for the grit of the comeback. But I don't know -- I was on the Metro! With too many other locals for me to be comfortable making the above statement!
And it wasn't long after that day that the Strasburg story turned tragic, and with it, all the excitement was sucked out of the Nationals for the rest of the season. Now we wait, and pray that the comparisons to JR Richard and Mark Fidrych do not turn painfully tragic as well.
It was that kind of summer in sports -- filled with the expected and the unexpected; the joyous and the painful. More reflections to come -- and not just from me.
I had even gone so far, back in the 80's, on my first trip to Cooperstown, to purchase a Washington Senators sweatshirt, that became a staple of my fall and spring wardrobe. Long after any true grown up should have thrown what was left of that old sweatshirt away, I refused, on principle, to do so, at least until the injustice was undone, and I could buy a shirt for the NEW Washington baseball club.
That chance should have come the preceding July 4th. However, my recovery from quadruple bypass surgery had me lying at home, watching on television as my wife, kids, and a family friend got to attend the game between our new home team and my beloved Mets. So the following Fathers' Day was an even bigger deal for us!
On the Metro on the way to the game, I patiently explained 2 truths that were already clear. First, although our Nationals were, technically, the home team, the likelihood was that we would be outnumbered by Yankee fans. And while my only in person experience of the World Series had been at Yankee Stadium during the 1999 series, and had taught me that not ALL Yankees' fans are loud and obnoxious, the odds were pretty good that there would be at least one unhappy interaction upcoming that day with some rude visitor to our fair city.
The second truth grew from the first. Whatever they heard around them, I explained, we would be role models. I did NOT tell them they could not boo the visiting team. I DID, however, make very clear that there were 3 visiting players who they could not boo, no matter what, because they were just too good. It was a lesson I had learned in my youth at Shea Stadium, when my father, a converted Yankee fan, would go out of his way to take me to games against the Giants, so he could cheer Willie Mays on his return "home," as well as the incomparable Willie McCovey. Those three Yankee players whose ability and performance had earned them this right were Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and (still at that time before the admissions of steroid involvement) Alex Rodriguez (who, ironically, at that moment, was struggling through a slump that had most Yankee fans booing him!).
That game made it onto the commemorative t-shirts given out at the close of RFK after the next season, for that was the game which ended with a memorable walk off home run by Ryan Zimmerman, a single swing which reduced 25,000 rowdy, obnoxious Yankees' fans to stunned silence.
And it was the first of now 4 capacity crowds I have been a part of at Nationals' games over the years. There was also that last game at RFK, when the game on the field mattered not in the least, we were all there to celebrate history. There was opening day this season -- that embarrassing debacle in which the Lerner's were so desperate for a sellout, that they sold blocs of tickets to Philadelphia bus companies and tour companies who turned it into a Phillies' home game.
And there was that game this summer between the Mets and Nats. Two struggling underachieving franchises -- just another of the many games that make up a season. Yet, the stands were full -- all because of one player -- the phenom pitcher! And, for the first time, the capacity crowd was actually watching the game, and rooting for the home team -- sort of.
They were rooting for the kid -- and they had picked the wrong day. For this was the day of the first hint that all was not right. He struggled with his control in the first inning, left the game early having given up several runs, facing a loss. I had another commitment I had to make, so I was leaving after the 6th inning, no matter what. But with Strasburg's early departure, the bulk of the crowd left with me.
And they, and I, missed the ridiculous ending, as the Mets gave notice that they would not be a serious player the rest of the way, squandering the lead in the 9th inning. It would have been nice to be able to report that the crowd that remained was appropriately raucous in their admiration for the grit of the comeback. But I don't know -- I was on the Metro! With too many other locals for me to be comfortable making the above statement!
And it wasn't long after that day that the Strasburg story turned tragic, and with it, all the excitement was sucked out of the Nationals for the rest of the season. Now we wait, and pray that the comparisons to JR Richard and Mark Fidrych do not turn painfully tragic as well.
It was that kind of summer in sports -- filled with the expected and the unexpected; the joyous and the painful. More reflections to come -- and not just from me.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Golden Age of DC Sports?
Jim Schwartz back in my regular corner now (be sure to catch my guest appearance on LP Trax' "Old Guys Playin Rock and Roll" to understand why I wasn't at the Strasburg Inaugural!)
A remarkable sports event happened in DC this week. No, not that one!
My phone rang at 10 AM, and when I answered it, I heard the voice of local sports legend Dave Johnson on my phone. That would have been jarring enough, especially after meeting him recently at a local promostional appearance for a certain mattress company, and discovering that he looks NOTHING like his voice led me to visualize.
But he was asking me to hold on; I was about to join, at THEIR initiative, a conference call with Ted Leonsis, the new owner of the moribund Washington Wizards! Me -- who has purchased tickets to only a couple of Wizards' games in 10 years!
The gesture in itself was remarkable -- Ted's candor and desire to reach out to "his" fan base, unprecedented.
But it got me to thinking, in light of some of the OTHER events this week. And I realized that we are very likely on the verge of the dawning of the first great era of DC sports -- overall -- ever!
It was just last month that my idol, Tom Boswell, posed and tried to answer the following question: Assuming that Alex Ovechkin is the biggest star in the DC sports firmament, at this moment, who is #2? He came down to two choices -- neither of whom had yet played a single inning or down in DC -- Donovan McNabb and Stephen Strasburg.
After Tuesday night, I believe that question has been answered -- at least until October, Ovechkin is the #2 -- Strasburg is already #1!
I remember the (relatively unheralded) arrival to New York in 1984 of the phenom Dwight Gooden. We had no idea what we were getting, but we soon found out! He, at least, was protected in that he was preceded by the arrival by trade of Keith Hernandez, and the debut of the bigger phenom -- Darryl Strawberry -- the year before. More on this comparison in a moment.
Strasburg has a far less imposing cast of leaders around him. Sure, having sure fire Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez back from injury to handle him was a huge help (and probably the best explanation for the delay in his debut!). Sure, Ryan Zimmerman is making his case as the top 3rd baseman in an era of outstanding third basemen. But that is it -- and as good as these two are -- they are no Hernandez and Strawberry!
By the end of that rookie year, Gooden was to be forever known as "Dr. K," a powerful play on the great Julius Erving, just as Strasburg very quickly became known to his teammates in spring training as "Jeezus" -- not for being the anointed savior of the franchise, but as in the ubiquitous "Jeezus -- did you see how hard that kid throws?!" reaction of the veterans when they first saw him pitch!
In his second season, Gooden went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA and almost 300 strikeouts, but the Mets came up just short of the playoffs again. During that off-season, no less than Bob Gibson uttered this now ironically prophetic question when asked about Gooden: Will he be able to deal with the reality that he may never have a better season than he had last year, at age 21?
By the time his Mets won the '86 World Series, Gooden was no longer the absolute ace -- he was arguably the WORST Mets' starter that post-season, and his receipt of his ring at the start of '87 was delayed by his first suspension for drug abuse. His running mate, Strawberry, soon followed suit as well.
I remind everyone of Gibson's comment, and the premature self-inflicted downfall of Gooden AND Strawberry, as a cautionary tale. What if we have already seen the best of Stephen Strasburg? Of the 5 pitchers in the modern era to strike out 12 or more in their first Major League start, 2 never matched the numbers from that opening game in the rest of their career. A third, JR Richard, matched his total, but became a different pitching tragedy. Strasburg is the fourth -- jury still out, but hype forming to the left! Only the masterpiece of Juan Marichal's premiere led to greatness following.
And sure, it is easy to be euphoric at the thought of Bryce Harper joining Strasburg in a couple of years, as Gooden joined Strawberry, to form the best young pitcher/hitter combo of their day. And from all appearances, outside of his choice of agent, he, too appears to be the kind of kid who should make it big. But -- he is not going to be rushed. And potential is one thing -- performance another.
But still, realize what this week was -- and what it almost was. We saw the present and the future of the Nationals, and we need dark sunglasses because of the bright glare as for one night at least, DC became the center of the baseball universe, and the performance actually exceeded the expectations. As the Chicago Blackhawks raised the Stanley Cup for the first time in a half century (minus 1 measly year), it was easy to be glad for them, thankful that the despised Flyers DIDN'T win. But it also reminded us how close that event was to ALSO being held here in DC this week, and the appearance of the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Finals tonight tells us that the Caps will only be getting better.
So to have Ted Leonsis calling me this week, with his positive model of ownership, his track record of rebuilding success, and armed with the #1 pick in the draft this summer, and to have a new regime and a star quarterback about to report to Redskins camp in a few brief weeks, it is all VERY overwhelming. Maybe even enough to take away our sadness, during this month of World Cup soccer brilliance, at the collapse of the one consistant champion in DC sports -- DC United.
Oh what might have been! Oh what might still be!
A remarkable sports event happened in DC this week. No, not that one!
My phone rang at 10 AM, and when I answered it, I heard the voice of local sports legend Dave Johnson on my phone. That would have been jarring enough, especially after meeting him recently at a local promostional appearance for a certain mattress company, and discovering that he looks NOTHING like his voice led me to visualize.
But he was asking me to hold on; I was about to join, at THEIR initiative, a conference call with Ted Leonsis, the new owner of the moribund Washington Wizards! Me -- who has purchased tickets to only a couple of Wizards' games in 10 years!
The gesture in itself was remarkable -- Ted's candor and desire to reach out to "his" fan base, unprecedented.
But it got me to thinking, in light of some of the OTHER events this week. And I realized that we are very likely on the verge of the dawning of the first great era of DC sports -- overall -- ever!
It was just last month that my idol, Tom Boswell, posed and tried to answer the following question: Assuming that Alex Ovechkin is the biggest star in the DC sports firmament, at this moment, who is #2? He came down to two choices -- neither of whom had yet played a single inning or down in DC -- Donovan McNabb and Stephen Strasburg.
After Tuesday night, I believe that question has been answered -- at least until October, Ovechkin is the #2 -- Strasburg is already #1!
I remember the (relatively unheralded) arrival to New York in 1984 of the phenom Dwight Gooden. We had no idea what we were getting, but we soon found out! He, at least, was protected in that he was preceded by the arrival by trade of Keith Hernandez, and the debut of the bigger phenom -- Darryl Strawberry -- the year before. More on this comparison in a moment.
Strasburg has a far less imposing cast of leaders around him. Sure, having sure fire Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez back from injury to handle him was a huge help (and probably the best explanation for the delay in his debut!). Sure, Ryan Zimmerman is making his case as the top 3rd baseman in an era of outstanding third basemen. But that is it -- and as good as these two are -- they are no Hernandez and Strawberry!
By the end of that rookie year, Gooden was to be forever known as "Dr. K," a powerful play on the great Julius Erving, just as Strasburg very quickly became known to his teammates in spring training as "Jeezus" -- not for being the anointed savior of the franchise, but as in the ubiquitous "Jeezus -- did you see how hard that kid throws?!" reaction of the veterans when they first saw him pitch!
In his second season, Gooden went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA and almost 300 strikeouts, but the Mets came up just short of the playoffs again. During that off-season, no less than Bob Gibson uttered this now ironically prophetic question when asked about Gooden: Will he be able to deal with the reality that he may never have a better season than he had last year, at age 21?
By the time his Mets won the '86 World Series, Gooden was no longer the absolute ace -- he was arguably the WORST Mets' starter that post-season, and his receipt of his ring at the start of '87 was delayed by his first suspension for drug abuse. His running mate, Strawberry, soon followed suit as well.
I remind everyone of Gibson's comment, and the premature self-inflicted downfall of Gooden AND Strawberry, as a cautionary tale. What if we have already seen the best of Stephen Strasburg? Of the 5 pitchers in the modern era to strike out 12 or more in their first Major League start, 2 never matched the numbers from that opening game in the rest of their career. A third, JR Richard, matched his total, but became a different pitching tragedy. Strasburg is the fourth -- jury still out, but hype forming to the left! Only the masterpiece of Juan Marichal's premiere led to greatness following.
And sure, it is easy to be euphoric at the thought of Bryce Harper joining Strasburg in a couple of years, as Gooden joined Strawberry, to form the best young pitcher/hitter combo of their day. And from all appearances, outside of his choice of agent, he, too appears to be the kind of kid who should make it big. But -- he is not going to be rushed. And potential is one thing -- performance another.
But still, realize what this week was -- and what it almost was. We saw the present and the future of the Nationals, and we need dark sunglasses because of the bright glare as for one night at least, DC became the center of the baseball universe, and the performance actually exceeded the expectations. As the Chicago Blackhawks raised the Stanley Cup for the first time in a half century (minus 1 measly year), it was easy to be glad for them, thankful that the despised Flyers DIDN'T win. But it also reminded us how close that event was to ALSO being held here in DC this week, and the appearance of the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Finals tonight tells us that the Caps will only be getting better.
So to have Ted Leonsis calling me this week, with his positive model of ownership, his track record of rebuilding success, and armed with the #1 pick in the draft this summer, and to have a new regime and a star quarterback about to report to Redskins camp in a few brief weeks, it is all VERY overwhelming. Maybe even enough to take away our sadness, during this month of World Cup soccer brilliance, at the collapse of the one consistant champion in DC sports -- DC United.
Oh what might have been! Oh what might still be!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
An Introduction
My apologies -- I should have posted this essay first -- how rude of me!
As the good Rabbi has already so graciously done on HIS blog, let me introduce myself. I am James Schwartz -- my friends (and I hope to consider ALL my readers my friends) call me Jim -- former athlete, former college sports editor, now grudgingly middle aged, and wondering when my world changed so significantly.
I have raised my kids to be fans of sports, and even to participate, and have tried to make sure they do it "right" -- with grace and respect. They try to show respect to the visiting team, to win and lose equally with grace and respect -- sometimes succeeding! They HAVE, however, picked up on my disdain of poor officiating!
As Steve explained -- besides being an outlet for my own frustrations as I deal with my limitations in life (!), this blog will try to do 3 things.
1) To comment positively on sporting current events, seeking to draw larger lessons from them.
2) To take on the sacred cows of professional sports and fandom, and point out when the Emperor is walking around naked.
3) To share some truly bizarre and obscure stats and factoids, with the hope of stirring discussion, debate, even argument!
So, even if you are NOT a big sports fan, I invite you to come along for the ride. You may not always get what is going on, you may not always agree with what I say, but I hope you will NEVER be bored here!
As the good Rabbi has already so graciously done on HIS blog, let me introduce myself. I am James Schwartz -- my friends (and I hope to consider ALL my readers my friends) call me Jim -- former athlete, former college sports editor, now grudgingly middle aged, and wondering when my world changed so significantly.
I have raised my kids to be fans of sports, and even to participate, and have tried to make sure they do it "right" -- with grace and respect. They try to show respect to the visiting team, to win and lose equally with grace and respect -- sometimes succeeding! They HAVE, however, picked up on my disdain of poor officiating!
As Steve explained -- besides being an outlet for my own frustrations as I deal with my limitations in life (!), this blog will try to do 3 things.
1) To comment positively on sporting current events, seeking to draw larger lessons from them.
2) To take on the sacred cows of professional sports and fandom, and point out when the Emperor is walking around naked.
3) To share some truly bizarre and obscure stats and factoids, with the hope of stirring discussion, debate, even argument!
So, even if you are NOT a big sports fan, I invite you to come along for the ride. You may not always get what is going on, you may not always agree with what I say, but I hope you will NEVER be bored here!
The "Imperfect Game"
There is a beautiful irony that attends to most sports -- both professional and amateur. Most of us, as fans and followers of sports, tend to quantify the activities on the field for the purpose of comparisons -- of players, teams, even eras (although this latter is fraught with inaccuracies). Yet, at the same time, the romance, the soul, the CONNECTION most of us have to the game is anecdotal. It is narrative, not numerical. It is through the stories of the experiences that we truly feel connected -- to OUR team, to THAT game, etc. The truly great plays and games are not reduced to numbers, but are given names -- "The Catch" by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series; "The Immaculate Reception" by Franco Harris that began the string of dominance of the Pittsburgh Steelers; "The Ice Bowl" NFL championship game, played on the "frozen tundra" of Lambeau Field in sub-human conditions.
For me, growing up with the New York Mets, learning the game of baseball roughly at the same time that they were, the phrase "The Imperfect Game" has always referred to that game on July 9, 1969, when the amazing Tom Seaver came within 2 outs of a perfect game, before giving up a very clean, if dream-shattering, single to an asterisk in baseball history, Jimmy Qualls (for his major league career, which lasted 3 non-consecutive seasons played with the Cubs, Expos, and White Sox, Qualls managed only 30 other hits, 10 RBI, and no homers). As if to prove my point, in looking up those stats, I was amazed to find that Qualls has an extensive response on Google, no doubt exclusively because of that single hit in that singular game.
But, after last night, even THAT must now change. What else can we ever call the performance of Armando Gallaraga, combined with that of umpire Jim Joyce? THAT truly was the "Imperfect Game." Tom Terrific will need to be amended to the "Near Perfect Game," and if the Mets EVER find someone to pitch a real no-hitter, maybe even that moniker will finally fade.
But can we analyze what happened last night for a minute, because in that one moment, a story was created that transcends the player, the umpire, even the sport. Sadly, we can predict what will happen -- the public, spurred by the obnoxious talking heads of the jockocracy of sports radio and the ESPN empire, will scream for an expansion of instant replay, which will further dilute the purity of the game, and hamstring the umpires in doing their jobs effectively (just look at how video replay has castrated NFL officials and worsened, not improved, the quality of calls on the field -- does anyone YET know who really recovered the onside kick at the start of the second half of the Super Bowl (tm)?).
Worse, though understandable, are the reactions of writers like Ian O'Connor, who called in his blog this morning for Commissioner Bud Selig to OVERTURN the facts on the field, and award Galarraga a "perfect game" anyway! Here was my response to that stupidity:
"Sorry, Ian, but this time you have it dead wrong. Understandable, but dead wrong. And this, coming from someone who is anything BUT a romanticist for the "good old days" of "pure" baseball. In fact, it is YOUR romantic soul that is blinding you here.
"What happened last night, however unintentionally or inaccurately, isn't about fair and unfair, or even right and wrong. It is about class, and integrity, and what really matters in life. It is also about recognizing that words still have meaning, a vanishing truth that you, as a writer, need to defend. Yes, a GREAT baseball story was ruined by an umpire's blown call. Or was it?
"Let's suppose Jim Joyce, one of the few MLB umpires I would actually support in a case like this, both because of his long record of being one of the few impeccably good ones, and because of his incredibly honest and graceful admission after the game, had gotten it right. Only time will tell if Galarraga's 3rd MLB perfect game in a month would have been the last of this bizarre season. Even if it was, he would STILL have been reduced to a footnote in history, the least likely of the three pitchers to be remembered, except by sports bar bettors and Google junkies.
"Now, because of the events that really happened, Galarraga's asterisk in baseball history is FAR BRIGHTER! He will be remembered long after his career ends, like Jimmy Qualls, for his role in a brief moment of NEAR perfection, of IMperfection -- not his own, but someone else's. His performance on the field was not tarnished one bit by this mistake. His place in history WOULD BE, if Selig were to try to change the facts, which are incontrovertible.
"God help us all if a commissioner of a league EVER did as you suggest he should, and stepped in to change the FACTS that occurred on the field of play. Even in this case, where the game's outcome was not affected. THAT Pandora's Box being opened is one all sports fans would regret for the rest of time. Sure, the NFL went back to the tapes after OJ Simpson's last game in 1973, and reassigned three yards he was originally charged as a rushing loss as a passing loss. But a) that didn't overturn a call on the field, and b) that didn't make him the first to reach 2000 yeards in a season -- it moved him to 2003. Big difference!
"But let's suppose Bud DOES step in -- after all, his track record on what is really best for baseball is almost as poor as Quall's lifetime stats. We would then spend the rest of eternity referring to a game which SHOULD be remembered not only for its IMPERFECTION, but for the graceful way in which both umpire AND pitcher responded to human imperfection, as a "perfect game." Am I the only one left who sees the problem in this, the neutering of the meaning of perfection?
"Ironically, it was just a few weeks ago, after his own pitcher threw the last perfect game, that renowned statistical guru Billy Beane all but dismissed his pitcher's accomplishment as "statistically meaningless," because of all of the things that could accidentally interfere with reaching that pinnacle result of perfection. A pebble, a breeze, a fan's reach -- all before we get to an error on the field -- could deny perfection. So too, we are now forced to realize, can an umpire's honest mistake deny perfection. Humans are imperfect, we need to get over it!
"And honestly, if we judge by the so-called best interests of the game, here was an error that had no impact on the only REAL outcome that matters, the result of the game. Is Joyce's blunder worse than that of Don Denkinger in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series? Of course not -- it changed nothing of the outcome of the game. If Denkinger gets that call right, the Cardinals ALMOST assuredly win the Series that they eventually lost after an AMAZING flameout in Game 7 by their own players. Did they have it in their hands to rally and win anyway? Of course -- but it is so easy, so tempting, to blame someone else who was so obviously wrong. How sad and ironic that this morning, Denkinger is among the loudest voices calling for more replay usage.
"Here is MY suggestion for Bud Selig, if he TRULY cares about the integrity of the game AND making this unfortunate mistake turn out for good, and feels that he is obligated to do SOMETHING (a position which I do not necessarily find compelling -- as both Bertrand Russell, and my mother-in-law, both said in their own way "sometimes not to act is to act"). Put Galarraga IN the record book, under perfect games, with an asterisk. Explain, in the footnote, exactly what happened -- that, left to their own devices, the players on the field completed a perfect game thrown by their pitcher, but that something else prevents it from being fully viewed for what it should have been. Oh, and while you are at it, Buddy Boy, could you please do the same thing with Ernie Shore in 1917, Harvey Haddix in 1959 (still the greatest individual performance by a pitcher EVER!), and Pedro Martinez in 1995, as well as the 4 shortened perfect games in MLB history, all of which were REMOVED from the record books (except Pedro's which happened after the change) by a DEFINITION change in 1991!!?? All of these performance share the same characteristic -- every batter faced by the pitcher on that day, through 9 innings (12 in Haddix's game, 10 in Martinez's), or the calling of the game earlier, failed to reach base through the efforts of the PLAYERS on the field.
I am truly amazed at a couple of things in the aftermath of this game. First, no one has raised the comparison to Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants on July 4, 1908 -- an injustice MOST similar to what happened last night. I quote, albeit guardedly, from Wikipedia:
"On July 4, 1908, Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants hit Philadelphia Phillies pitcher George McQuillan on a 2–2 count in a scoreless game — the only time a 0–0 perfect game has been broken up by the 27th batter. Umpire Cy Rigler later admitted that he should have called the previous pitch strike 3. Wiltse pitched on, winning 1–0; his ten-inning no-hitter set a record for longest complete game no-hitter that has been tied twice but never broken."
So let's list Wiltse for his legitimate 10-inning no-hitter (even under the redefinition), but ALSO give him the asterisk he deserves for his perfect game, because this is a direct parallel to Joyce's admission (although, I would be MUCH more sanguine about the accuracy of Rigler's remorse if I had video of this event, and hadn't seen the last pitch of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, which combine to make me wonder about some post-game "confessions" by umpires!).
The bottom line, as Billy Beane would tell us, is that last night Armando Galarraga pitched the IMPERFECT Game, a distinction far greater than if he had merely pitched a perfect one, and far more relevent. Because the story from last night's game SHOULDN'T be the imperfection. NO ONE is questioning why Cabrera ranged so far out of his normal first base position to field the grounder in the first place -- it really was the second baseman's ball. And the more natural play, and easier throw to the pitcher covering COULD have removed the doubt from umpire Jim Joyce's view and mind! Yet Cabrera is not being scrutinized and villified this morning! Could the obvious answer be that Cabrera was SO excited about being a piece of history, and not just a victory, that it clouded his baseball judgment and instincts??
No, the real story was the grace, honesty, and integrity, under incredible fire, demonstrated by TWO professionals -- the borderline major league pitcher, 2 weeks removed from minor league ball, whose last start had been skipped in the rotation, losing every kid's childhood dream on a bad call; and the professional, well-respected umpire, who was just doing his job, thought he saw something, and responded accordingly, and who, after looking at the replay, not only freely admitted that he was wrong, and the gravity of his error, but seemed genuinely upset at himself for it. And the hug that these two imperfect human beings shared when the truth was known -- one seeking forgiveness, the other accepting the apology and reality.
Lou Gehrig, the "Iron Horse," whose incredible baseball talents were eclipsed for almost his entire career by teammates -- Babe Ruth and then Joe DiMaggio -- has always been my ideal of the consumate professional athlete. He showed up every day for work, played for the love of the game, achieved remarkable results, and never once complained about not having the spotlight. On June 3, 1932, he had what was, unquestionably, the highlight of his career -- hitting four home runs in a single game.
When he came into the clubhouse, after the game, justifiably proud of his accomplishment, the press corps started playing up the "finally Lou gets the spotlight" angle, until someone came rushing in, to let everyone know that John McGraw, the manager of the cross-town Giants, had just retired. Even on his greatest day, Gehrig had to share the headlines -- again!
So how ironic is it that, on this night of true human perfection displayed through honest human imperfection, when a pitcher and an umpire were thrust into the spotlight together, and both responded by admirably not losing themselves in the glare, that they ended up sharing the headline with the retirement of the player who may be the last gasp of Gehrigian ideals, of the clean era, Ken Griffey, Jr.?? Maybe all hope ISN'T lost!
For me, growing up with the New York Mets, learning the game of baseball roughly at the same time that they were, the phrase "The Imperfect Game" has always referred to that game on July 9, 1969, when the amazing Tom Seaver came within 2 outs of a perfect game, before giving up a very clean, if dream-shattering, single to an asterisk in baseball history, Jimmy Qualls (for his major league career, which lasted 3 non-consecutive seasons played with the Cubs, Expos, and White Sox, Qualls managed only 30 other hits, 10 RBI, and no homers). As if to prove my point, in looking up those stats, I was amazed to find that Qualls has an extensive response on Google, no doubt exclusively because of that single hit in that singular game.
But, after last night, even THAT must now change. What else can we ever call the performance of Armando Gallaraga, combined with that of umpire Jim Joyce? THAT truly was the "Imperfect Game." Tom Terrific will need to be amended to the "Near Perfect Game," and if the Mets EVER find someone to pitch a real no-hitter, maybe even that moniker will finally fade.
But can we analyze what happened last night for a minute, because in that one moment, a story was created that transcends the player, the umpire, even the sport. Sadly, we can predict what will happen -- the public, spurred by the obnoxious talking heads of the jockocracy of sports radio and the ESPN empire, will scream for an expansion of instant replay, which will further dilute the purity of the game, and hamstring the umpires in doing their jobs effectively (just look at how video replay has castrated NFL officials and worsened, not improved, the quality of calls on the field -- does anyone YET know who really recovered the onside kick at the start of the second half of the Super Bowl (tm)?).
Worse, though understandable, are the reactions of writers like Ian O'Connor, who called in his blog this morning for Commissioner Bud Selig to OVERTURN the facts on the field, and award Galarraga a "perfect game" anyway! Here was my response to that stupidity:
"Sorry, Ian, but this time you have it dead wrong. Understandable, but dead wrong. And this, coming from someone who is anything BUT a romanticist for the "good old days" of "pure" baseball. In fact, it is YOUR romantic soul that is blinding you here.
"What happened last night, however unintentionally or inaccurately, isn't about fair and unfair, or even right and wrong. It is about class, and integrity, and what really matters in life. It is also about recognizing that words still have meaning, a vanishing truth that you, as a writer, need to defend. Yes, a GREAT baseball story was ruined by an umpire's blown call. Or was it?
"Let's suppose Jim Joyce, one of the few MLB umpires I would actually support in a case like this, both because of his long record of being one of the few impeccably good ones, and because of his incredibly honest and graceful admission after the game, had gotten it right. Only time will tell if Galarraga's 3rd MLB perfect game in a month would have been the last of this bizarre season. Even if it was, he would STILL have been reduced to a footnote in history, the least likely of the three pitchers to be remembered, except by sports bar bettors and Google junkies.
"Now, because of the events that really happened, Galarraga's asterisk in baseball history is FAR BRIGHTER! He will be remembered long after his career ends, like Jimmy Qualls, for his role in a brief moment of NEAR perfection, of IMperfection -- not his own, but someone else's. His performance on the field was not tarnished one bit by this mistake. His place in history WOULD BE, if Selig were to try to change the facts, which are incontrovertible.
"God help us all if a commissioner of a league EVER did as you suggest he should, and stepped in to change the FACTS that occurred on the field of play. Even in this case, where the game's outcome was not affected. THAT Pandora's Box being opened is one all sports fans would regret for the rest of time. Sure, the NFL went back to the tapes after OJ Simpson's last game in 1973, and reassigned three yards he was originally charged as a rushing loss as a passing loss. But a) that didn't overturn a call on the field, and b) that didn't make him the first to reach 2000 yeards in a season -- it moved him to 2003. Big difference!
"But let's suppose Bud DOES step in -- after all, his track record on what is really best for baseball is almost as poor as Quall's lifetime stats. We would then spend the rest of eternity referring to a game which SHOULD be remembered not only for its IMPERFECTION, but for the graceful way in which both umpire AND pitcher responded to human imperfection, as a "perfect game." Am I the only one left who sees the problem in this, the neutering of the meaning of perfection?
"Ironically, it was just a few weeks ago, after his own pitcher threw the last perfect game, that renowned statistical guru Billy Beane all but dismissed his pitcher's accomplishment as "statistically meaningless," because of all of the things that could accidentally interfere with reaching that pinnacle result of perfection. A pebble, a breeze, a fan's reach -- all before we get to an error on the field -- could deny perfection. So too, we are now forced to realize, can an umpire's honest mistake deny perfection. Humans are imperfect, we need to get over it!
"And honestly, if we judge by the so-called best interests of the game, here was an error that had no impact on the only REAL outcome that matters, the result of the game. Is Joyce's blunder worse than that of Don Denkinger in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series? Of course not -- it changed nothing of the outcome of the game. If Denkinger gets that call right, the Cardinals ALMOST assuredly win the Series that they eventually lost after an AMAZING flameout in Game 7 by their own players. Did they have it in their hands to rally and win anyway? Of course -- but it is so easy, so tempting, to blame someone else who was so obviously wrong. How sad and ironic that this morning, Denkinger is among the loudest voices calling for more replay usage.
"Here is MY suggestion for Bud Selig, if he TRULY cares about the integrity of the game AND making this unfortunate mistake turn out for good, and feels that he is obligated to do SOMETHING (a position which I do not necessarily find compelling -- as both Bertrand Russell, and my mother-in-law, both said in their own way "sometimes not to act is to act"). Put Galarraga IN the record book, under perfect games, with an asterisk. Explain, in the footnote, exactly what happened -- that, left to their own devices, the players on the field completed a perfect game thrown by their pitcher, but that something else prevents it from being fully viewed for what it should have been. Oh, and while you are at it, Buddy Boy, could you please do the same thing with Ernie Shore in 1917, Harvey Haddix in 1959 (still the greatest individual performance by a pitcher EVER!), and Pedro Martinez in 1995, as well as the 4 shortened perfect games in MLB history, all of which were REMOVED from the record books (except Pedro's which happened after the change) by a DEFINITION change in 1991!!?? All of these performance share the same characteristic -- every batter faced by the pitcher on that day, through 9 innings (12 in Haddix's game, 10 in Martinez's), or the calling of the game earlier, failed to reach base through the efforts of the PLAYERS on the field.
I am truly amazed at a couple of things in the aftermath of this game. First, no one has raised the comparison to Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants on July 4, 1908 -- an injustice MOST similar to what happened last night. I quote, albeit guardedly, from Wikipedia:
"On July 4, 1908, Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants hit Philadelphia Phillies pitcher George McQuillan on a 2–2 count in a scoreless game — the only time a 0–0 perfect game has been broken up by the 27th batter. Umpire Cy Rigler later admitted that he should have called the previous pitch strike 3. Wiltse pitched on, winning 1–0; his ten-inning no-hitter set a record for longest complete game no-hitter that has been tied twice but never broken."
So let's list Wiltse for his legitimate 10-inning no-hitter (even under the redefinition), but ALSO give him the asterisk he deserves for his perfect game, because this is a direct parallel to Joyce's admission (although, I would be MUCH more sanguine about the accuracy of Rigler's remorse if I had video of this event, and hadn't seen the last pitch of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, which combine to make me wonder about some post-game "confessions" by umpires!).
The bottom line, as Billy Beane would tell us, is that last night Armando Galarraga pitched the IMPERFECT Game, a distinction far greater than if he had merely pitched a perfect one, and far more relevent. Because the story from last night's game SHOULDN'T be the imperfection. NO ONE is questioning why Cabrera ranged so far out of his normal first base position to field the grounder in the first place -- it really was the second baseman's ball. And the more natural play, and easier throw to the pitcher covering COULD have removed the doubt from umpire Jim Joyce's view and mind! Yet Cabrera is not being scrutinized and villified this morning! Could the obvious answer be that Cabrera was SO excited about being a piece of history, and not just a victory, that it clouded his baseball judgment and instincts??
No, the real story was the grace, honesty, and integrity, under incredible fire, demonstrated by TWO professionals -- the borderline major league pitcher, 2 weeks removed from minor league ball, whose last start had been skipped in the rotation, losing every kid's childhood dream on a bad call; and the professional, well-respected umpire, who was just doing his job, thought he saw something, and responded accordingly, and who, after looking at the replay, not only freely admitted that he was wrong, and the gravity of his error, but seemed genuinely upset at himself for it. And the hug that these two imperfect human beings shared when the truth was known -- one seeking forgiveness, the other accepting the apology and reality.
Lou Gehrig, the "Iron Horse," whose incredible baseball talents were eclipsed for almost his entire career by teammates -- Babe Ruth and then Joe DiMaggio -- has always been my ideal of the consumate professional athlete. He showed up every day for work, played for the love of the game, achieved remarkable results, and never once complained about not having the spotlight. On June 3, 1932, he had what was, unquestionably, the highlight of his career -- hitting four home runs in a single game.
When he came into the clubhouse, after the game, justifiably proud of his accomplishment, the press corps started playing up the "finally Lou gets the spotlight" angle, until someone came rushing in, to let everyone know that John McGraw, the manager of the cross-town Giants, had just retired. Even on his greatest day, Gehrig had to share the headlines -- again!
So how ironic is it that, on this night of true human perfection displayed through honest human imperfection, when a pitcher and an umpire were thrust into the spotlight together, and both responded by admirably not losing themselves in the glare, that they ended up sharing the headline with the retirement of the player who may be the last gasp of Gehrigian ideals, of the clean era, Ken Griffey, Jr.?? Maybe all hope ISN'T lost!
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