A Miracle Night In Baseball
If you would have told me a month ago that my St. Louis Cardinals would be in the playoffs, I would have laughed. And yet here we are a month later, the day after they clinched a Wild Card berth. For this to happen, the Atlanta Braves had to completely implode. Up by 8.5 games on Sept. 5, the Braves lost their final five, 13 of the final 18 and 20 of their last 30 to finish 89-73, a game behind St. Louis for the wild card. All they needed to do was win one game of their series with Phillies to at least tie for the Wild Card. They were one out away from doing just this and they couldn't. They lost 4-3 in 13 innings.
The Cards, on the other hand, went from one of the more embarrassing teams to having a fantastic September, perhaps best illustrated by Chris Carpenter's 8-0 shutout of the (truly embarrassing) Astros, complete with 11 strikeouts. Because the team had figured they were out of it for months, they just enjoyed September and had fun winning every game they could, including 23 out of the last 31.
But last night, that was only half of the drama. The Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays were in the same situation -- tied for a Wild Card spot. All they had to do was win (or both lose). In a rain delayed game, the Red Sox were up over the Baltimore Orioles. It was the last out of the last inning. The O's had a man on second and all of a sudden it was tied. Then it was over. The Red Sox needed Tampa Bay to lose. And considering that they were playing against the mighty Yankees, this was a real possibility. They were tied at 7 in extra innings. Did I mention that Tampa had erased a seven run deficit to get to this point?
I'm leaving out all of the crazy plays at the base, the loopy homeruns, the brilliant pitching of the night.
But as the word came to the Devil Rays (I still call them the Devil Rays) that Boston had lost, the players got the boost they needed.
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria had previously hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Dan Johnson got a solo home run with two outs -- and two strikes! -- in the bottom of the ninth.
Minutes after Boston's loss, it was back to Longoria in the 12th with a one-out homer that barely cleared the left-field foul pole.
This was the kind of night in baseball that you'll tell your kids about. The Devil Rays were one strike away from losing. The Sox were one out away from winning. And their fortunes changed just like that.
With nights like that, I don't even care how playoffs go. But because it's baseball, the playoffs might even be better than what we saw last night! Unlikely, but that's the beauty of the game.
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Comments:
Jun '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
After last night's theatrics, where only the lack of a last at bat home run by Matt Kemp kept me from winning my fantasy baseball league, I have determined that there is only one miracle left in baseball.
But the Cubs and "miracle" don't tend to fall in the same sentence.
Dec '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Illiniguy
It's taken so much strategy out of the game it isn't funny. · Sep 29 at 7:48am
Can you go into detail? I'm interested to hear your thoughts. I'm an AL guy, so it's just always been there. And, seeing as I wasn't around in the 70's when it was enacted, I'm not used to a non-DH league.
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Nope. It's almost the Boston of the Midwest. The only thing that prevents that happening is whiny Cubs fans who devour their own. (Bartman!)
But on the other hand, money has destroyed the fan as well as the game itself. In 1975, the last year before free agency, the average MLB ticket price was $3.30 ($13.90 in 2011 dollars). Today it's $27. That and gouging at the parking lots and the concession stands create a lot of unhappy fans.
It even ruins the amateur games. No matter what the sport, parents get hyper over every play, not because of winning and losing, but because too many of them have dollar sign dreams about their kids, either scholarship-wise or professionally.
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJHill
Nope. It's almost the Boston of the Midwest. The only thing that prevents that happening is whiny Cubs fans who devour their own. (Bartman!)
EJHill? You feeling OK? You're talking about the same fan base that gave the Red Sox a standing ovation when they swept us in the 2004 World Series, on account of how long the Sox had fought for that victory.
Boston would never in a million years do something like that.
Jun '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.: This write up from Dan Shaughnessy is fantastic:
Shaughnessy is the happiest man in the world today... his Red Sox "Curse" franchise has risen from the dead.
However, last night was nothing for folks that lived through the 1967, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 2003 heartaches.
Jun '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
<<I was further surprised that the O's were so excited. Yea, you knocked off the Sox. Good for you. But you're still going home just like them, only with an appalling record.>>
The Orioles are always excited to beat the Sox, or the Yankees, or for that matter, anyone this year. It was especially sweet last night, though, two runs down in the ninth against arguably the best closer in baseball. The stadium was about half Os fans, half Red Sox fans,which added to the playoff-like intensity
And I don't mind the DH - the strategy is different in that there is not an automatic out or bunt attempt every nine batters.....
Jun '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
EJHill
Nope. It's almost the Boston of the Midwest. The only thing that prevents that happening is whiny Cubs fans who devour their own. (Bartman!)
EJHill? You feeling OK?
Yeah EJ, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
I think we can all agree that White Sox fans are the best looking of all the fans, and Cubs fans the ugliest. It's just a fact.
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Molly,
Gather all the youths around me and I will tell you what I remember of the '64 Cards. It was in mid-August when I was sitting at a stop light in East St. Louis, Illinois waiting in line to make a left turn. It was hot and muggy as only an August day in Missouri can be.
As I listened the Cards game ended and I turned off the radio in disgust. They were way out of first place, the Card owners were openly interviewing for Johnny Keane's replacement -- they weren't even hiding the fact. Me and the Card ownership obviously agreed on the Cards immediate future. The year was over and a decent burial was in order.
From there they gradually closed in on first place. I still remember it all came down to the last pitch of the last game and Harry Carry calling the final out and his explosive, "We are going to the world series."
Johny Keane? The Card's management offered him a new contract but he declined and signed as manager with the Yankees. Mr. Keane was both alert to his surroundings and a proud man as well.
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Molly,
Gather all the youths around me and I will tell you what I remember of the '64 Cards. It was in mid-August when I was sitting at a stop light in East St. Louis, Illinois waiting in line to make a left turn. It was hot and muggy as only an August day in Missouri can be.
As I listened the Cards game ended and I turned off the radio in disgust. They were way out of first place, the Card owners were openly interviewing for Johnny Keane's replacement -- they weren't even hiding the fact. Me and the Card ownership obviously agreed on the Cards immediate future. The year was over and a decent burial was in order.
From there they gradually closed in on first place. I still remember it all came down to the last pitch of the last game and Harry Carry calling the final out and his explosive, "We are going to the world series."
Johny Keane? The Card's management offered him a new contract but he declined and signed as manager with the Yankees. Mr. Keane was both alert to his surroundings and a proud man as well.
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Ron: Molly,
Gather all the youths around me and I will tell you what I remember of the '64 Cards. It was in mid-August when I was sitting at a stop light in East St. Louis, Illinois waiting in line to make a left turn. It was hot and muggy as only an August day in Missouri can be.
...
From there they gradually closed in on first place. I still remember it all came down to the last pitch of the last game and Harry Carry calling the final out and his explosive, "We are going to the world series."
Johny Keane? The Card's management offered him a new contract but he declined and signed as manager with the Yankees. Mr. Keane was both alert to his surroundings and a proud man as well. · Sep 29 at 9:11am
Great story!
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
But that was wrong, too. See, the Red Sox deserved that misery. It was years of cosmic justice that should have continued. They were the most racist team in the of the most racist cities in America. Last to integrate, they wouldn't have a black in the starting nine until almost 20 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
And the recent success of the Sox is mostly purchased. Of the starting eight on that team, only Jason Varitek came out of the Red Sox organization. No. The Sox are more Yankee-like than any other team in baseball.
Edited on September 29, 2011 at 6:50pmMar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Michael Horn
Illiniguy
It's taken so much strategy out of the game it isn't funny. · Sep 29 at 7:48am
Can you go into detail? I'm interested to hear your thoughts. I'm an AL guy, so it's just always been there. And, seeing as I wasn't around in the 70's when it was enacted, I'm not used to a non-DH league. · Sep 29 at 8:10am
You don't have the double switch, bullpens have to be configured differently and many American League teams have to reconfigure their rosters to accommodate a dedicated DH like Big Popi or Adam Dunn (an experiment yet to pay off). A National League manager has to think more about his 7-8 hitters when there are runners on base, because he doesn't want a pitcher to take him out of a potentially big inning. Bunt play has a bigger role in the National League.
On another baseball matter, today is Rosh Hashanah. Anybody here old enough (as I am) to remember when Sandy Koufax missed a start in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series to observe?
Edited on September 29, 2011 at 7:03pmDec '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJHill
But that was wrong, too. See, the Red Sox deserved that misery. It was years of cosmic justice that should have continued. They were the most racist team in the of the most racist cities in America.
What do you want? Reparations from the city of Boston for their past mistakes? Perhaps they should dedicate half of the team's salary to furthering race-relations in Major League Baseball?
Maybe there should be hiring requirements based on race? Would that give the Red Sox what they Deserve?
No push back on the salary though. Boston and NY spend an absurd amount of money--not always with the best results. But, lets not forget why they have the biggest salaries: fans, popularity, records.
I don't want to hear any whining about "big bad Boston and no-good New York" and their large salaries. If Boston deserves their defeat last night, then they also deserve their salary. If the fans and investors didn't believe in team's ability, then they wouldn't have so much money.
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Baseball fandom, unlike the real world represented here on Ricochet, requires no logic or rationality.
On the other hand, baseball does have a big problem connecting with blacks in the population. The sole connection seems to be MLB hats are big in gang identification. Take Cincinnati for example. For a team whose glory years centered around a starting eight of three blacks, three whites and two latinos, they ended the 2011 regular season with just two non-latin blacks on the roster and only one starts.
It does not help however, that the Yanks and Sox own their own television networks in the two of the largest markets in the nation. It creates an unnatural disparity worse than the reserve clause.
Edited on September 29, 2011 at 7:50pmSep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Wild Card teams are what created all of this new drama. Prior to the wild card, very often the 2nd place team in the most competitive division was superior to the winner of a weaker division. Thus, the 2nd best team in either the Al or the NL went home. Clearly, StL and TB are playing championship ball and should be included. After all, don't we want the best team to win it all not just who might have played well in May?
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Auuurgh! No! You should actually have to win something! Teams should have championship seasons, not good Septembers and Octobers.
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJHill
Auuurgh! No! You should actually have to win something! Teams should have championship seasons, not good Septembers and Octobers. · Sep 29 at 11:42am
Games are something. If you win enough games, you get to compete for the championship. Divisions are merely social constructs!
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
And I suppose the ultimate liberal pejorative would be that the standings are too hierarchical...
Dec '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJHill
Baseball fandom, unlike the real world represented here on Ricochet, requires no logic or rationality.
You're right, of course. I withdraw my dissent.
Sadly, you're also right about MLB's disconnect with blacks. I read an article years ago about the subject. The gist of it was that it's much easier for inner-city kids to pick up a basketball or football and play around, than it is for them to build a baseball field. Essentially, the start-up costs are higher for baseball.
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJ. So by your logic, we should just have an AL & NL and the winner of each should play. All teams must play each other an equal number of times home and away. Right? And if you played better in spurts rather than consistently, that means less? Don't teams get better and worse? A conservative would want the best team. A liberal would want the best brought down a peg or two or disqualified (Obama in Illinois Senate). Divisions were only created for logistical reasons.