I watched every pitch of the 2 hour, 16 minute dismantling of my favorite team last night, by none other than Jason Marquis. It was a sobering, infuriating experience, strangely combined with awe over the sheer artistry displayed by Marquis. The experience left me thoroughly frustrated and angry that the Dodgers didn't make any attempts to break up Marquis' rhythm; no stepping out of the box, not near enough bunt attempts, no 10 pitch at-bats. It was one of the more lackadasical offensive efforts from the Boys in Blue I have seen this year, and it makes me think they are already looking forward to the end of the Manny-less stint.
Marquis' gem also got me thinking about how different baseball is than other sports. Is there any other game where a great performance is so much like art as opposed to athletics? Notwithstanding the adjectives thrown around about Kobe's 81 point game, or an 18 of 20 passing performance, or a hat trick on the ice, I really think only baseball has the combination of athletic skill with artistic panache. (And yes, I did just use the word "panache" in a sports blog).
But back to the practicalities of the games. Don't look now, but thanks to the Cardinals inability to win at home (what the hell Chris Carpenter, you pick NOW to finally have a bad start?!), the Hated Ones are just 6 games back, and the red-hot Rockies (led by ex-Dodger manager Jim Tracy) are only 7 1/2. If I am right and some of these guys are looking ahead to Manny's return, then Manny sure has hell better hit like he is still on the juice because our offense is going south fast.
Hey, at least it was only 2 hours and 16 minutes. Jason Marquis is weird like that though. I'm not sure how he does it, but he frequently has starts where he looks dominant and unhittable. But he'll follow that up with an awful start where he gets bombed. He is the definition of "hit or miss."
ReplyDeleteAnd now I see that the Dodgers are locked in another pitcher's duel with...wait for it...Jason Hammel? What in the name of Denny Neagle is going on with the Rockies' pitching rotation?!?
It sure appears that the Dodgers are looking forward to Manny's return. Alas, my 6 week love affair with Juan Pierre comes to an end. Juan, I hope it was as memorable for you as it was for me. You'll always hold a special place in my heart.
The Stockels are off to Wrigley this weekend. I'll be sure to take some pictures and bring back a billy goat for the blog.
Oooh, the group outing to Wrigley. Good stuff! Let's hope there is some Gatorade dispenser abuse in your future.
ReplyDeleteI think SLAE is definitely in need of the billy goat. Maybe we can break the "2nd Place Curse" of 2008-2009 Longhorn sports, and increase our farm animal readership to boot.