Notes Regarding a World Series

by The Editor

Game 1
The "set-up" begins: turn to Fox, the network carrying the World Series, and pause it. Then go about my business for the next 15 minutes or so. When the dvr has reached its limit, the program goes on. I now have about 15 minutes to "play" with, which is usually enough so that I don't have to watch any commercials. With the saved time, I can fast forward when I hit the commercials. And when I inevitably need to get up during the game, do so while the commercials run to an empty room. This will generally get you through a three hour game commercial-less.

What is it about Joe Buck that has most everyone I know cringing when he announces? His constant stating of the obvious? His vain attempts at being funny? His idiotic repartee with Tim McCarver (who, yes I'll admit it, I do like)? Well it's all of these things of course, but for me, his biggest sin is his grotesque need to figure out each game's "narrative" before it happens. It's like he thinks he know what will occur based on what usually occurs, and because this is baseball, when it doesn't occur (which usually happens), he adjusts his all-knowing comments to embrace a new narrative. He's got to have a narrative. Just let the game unfold, Buck! For god's sake, let the game unfold and try to think of something interesting to say!

Game 2
Look, I don't have a dog in this race, but I gotta tell you, I cannot abide the sight of war criminal torture mastermind GBW sitting side by side Nolan Ryan, buddying up to each other, smug self-serving bastard acting like he's the king of the world. Good lord.

THIS is my favorite kind of baseball game, low scoring, a pitcher's duel with a final twist ending! I realize that most people, even many baseball fans, do NOT share my enthusiasm. But when you have a game like this, half-way through, if not before, EVERY pitch becomes exciting, every nuance is important, every "mistake" is monumental, it's just a glorious nail-biting thrill ride. Loved it, even though Bush's team won.

Game 3
Yeah, and then they have to have the guy throw the opening pitch!

Wow, can the Rangers turn a double play or what?!

Possibly the saddest moment of Baseball 2011: "07/09/11: Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton revealed his heartbreak Friday after a fan plunged headfirst to his death while trying to snare a baseball tossed by the American League MVP. Shannon Stone, a 39-year-old firefighter, fell from the stands at Rangers Ballpark Thursday in front of his 6-year-old son, Cooper. 'It was just hard for me, hearing the little boy screaming for his daddy after he had fallen - and then being home with my kids, really hit home last night,' Hamilton said.

If only they woulda done it (yeah, right): From Canada's The Star 10/22/11: There was a Canadian chill in the air when George W. Bush turned up in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday to speak to a business audience. A couple of hundred raucous protesters were on hand, chanting “Arrest George Bush” and urging the Mounties to clap the former U.S. president in irons. “Complicit in torture,” one sign read. “Waterboard Bush.” “War criminals out of Canada.” And “Shame, shame, shame.” The campaign to make Bush a pariah in this country seems to have legs. Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are trying to shame the Canadian government into doing what the U.S. government won’t: To arrest and try Bush for authorizing the waterboarding of terror suspects when he next sets foot on our soil.

Game 4
I love Molina's right neck tattoo: some musical notes that look like they're emanating from a treble clef? I did a quick search to find out why he got it, and only came up with "personal reasons, probably relating to his father". Anybody know? And did you see his pickoff of Kinsler?!?

STL Today 09/26/11: La Russa bolted from Busch Stadium that night so he could catch the final songs of Carlos Santana's set at the (fabulous) Fox Theater in St. Louis' Grand Center. La Russa had a backstage pass, and soon after he showed up was given an on-stage duty -- shaking two maracas to the beat...After the show, La Russa spoke with Santana for awhile, and the guitarist took off the necklace he wore during the show and gave it to La Russa...In one retelling of the gift-giving moment, La Russa said Santana offered the necklace with these words: "You need this more."

Game 5
Okay, he is a Texas Ranger, but Derek Holland's Harry Caray impersonation was pretty hilarious - and that's a compliment.

The master strategist? No, this CAN'T be real: Bernie Miklasz, St Louis Post Dispatch: "Game 5 came down to phone calls? Really? And how do we possibly explain this...According to LaRussa, he called the bullpen with orders to warm up Jason Motte and "Scrabble" Rzepczynski. LaRussa might as well have made a long distance call to China, because the message got garbled and didn't make it through. Somehow, in the middle of all of this, Lance Lynn began loosening up even though the entire team knew that the plan was to give Lynn one more day of rest after he threw 47 pitches in Game 3. LaRussa attributed the problem to the very loud stadium noise. 'They heard Rzepczynski and they didn't hear Motte, and when I looked up there, Motte wasn't going,' LaRussa said. '(Later) I called back and said Motte, and they heard Lynn. So I went out there, wrong guy. (Lynn) is not going to pitch today...That's why - it must be loud. I give the fans credit." Rzepczynski heated up, and Motte sat, leaving Rzepczynski to deal with Napoli. LaRussa said he called later, asking for Motte, only to have bullpen coaches Derek Lilliquist and Jeff Murphy get Lynn read instead. Again, the excuse was crowd noise...After Napoli's double, imagine LaRussa's shock when he signaled for a pitching change two baters later, only to see Lynn walking in to pitch to leadoff man Ian Kinsler...'I thought it was Motte, and they were yelling at me as I went out,' LaRussa said. 'I didn't hear them. It wasn't Motte. So I saw Lynn. I went, oh, what are you doing here?'...Lynn was told to lob four pitches to intentionally walk Kinsler. Motte was finally and belatedly summoned too take care of the #2 hitter Elvis Andrus."

Game 6
What I said about Game 2? Fehgedduboudit! I think this was one of the best games I've ever seen - up there with the Red Sox games from, what was it, 2004? Good Lord! Coming back TWICE from two runs behind with one strike to go? No way. Was this for real?

Game 7
Congratulations St. Louis Cardinals. From ten and a half back to champs. Thank you AND the Rangers for the kind of WS I wish for every year but rarely get.