Reviews

Baseball and Debate Seasons Overlap on a Historic Date

10/3/2012

I’ll miss the baseball season – the regular season, I mean.

Of course, the impending post-season is what gives the electricity to these desparate hours, like the Yankees' and Orioles' 162nd games.

I’m not crazy about the one-game format looming for two wild-card teams. This means a team could win over 90 games, be in division contention all year, and have to throw a weary or marginal starter in a one-game shootout.

As Ken Singleton was saying on the Yankee broadcast Tuesday night, an entire season could depend on circumstance – a ball lost in the sun, something like that

What’s your opinion?

Then again, seasons end abruptly anyway. On Tuesday I was with a group of Red Sox fans called the Blohards, who hold occasional meetings in New York to celebrate or mourn. Funny how the names Dent and Boone keep coming up.

I told them, hey, my team went away. And my childhood was spent watching Richie Ashburn throwing Cal Abrams out at home and Bobby Thomson hitting that home run, exactly 61 years ago on Wednesday, but who’s keeping track?

Yes, I can remember exactly where I was. Where were you for Thomson or Dent or Boone or some other autumnal event?

I also remember Red Barber talking Dodger fans off the ledge a year earlier, in 1950, after Dick Sisler’s home run put us into deep misery. His words were like those of a speaker at a funeral service, finding hope. We cannot always win; things come to an end, The Old Redhead said in his eulogy. I think of him every time a season ends the way the Mets’ season is ending.

I told the Blohards: remember what Brooklyn fans said: Wait til next year. But they seem to suspect next year has come and gone for a while.

I will miss the regularity of baseball, the prosaic daily quality.

Whenever I got frustrated with the yakkers and the commercials on television, I could flick to the ball game and find good old Derek Jeter, inside-outing a double to right, or good old David Wright, paddling against the tide.

On Tuesday night, there was a late-season cameo, the appearance of Adam Greenberg, who was hit in the head by a pitch seven years ago and got to swing for Miami – against R.A. Dickey. The scene of the Marlins pummeling him in the dugout after his three-pitch strikeout made me choke up. My guess is that every one of those guys understood the fragility of a career.

How did you react to the gesture by the Marlins?

I hate the idea of a season going away, even another wretched Met season. It is foggy in New York Wednesday morning. The regular season is going away, to be replaced by the post-season, plus the short debate season that signals the end of the American silly season, the long and expensive march to elections.

I’m looking forward to the result, to moving on, but I could do without a lot of the foolishness. The regular baseball season – the Orioles and the Reds, Trout and Dickey – is much better than the campaign season.

Your thoughts?

sanford sklansky

10/3/2012 03:21:18 am

I feel much like you do. I live near Milwaukee. Not only was it sad to see the Brewers blow a chance at the playoffs, but it is sad to see the regular season end. The post season is exciting, but like you say there is nothing like the day in day out of baseball.

George Vecsey

10/3/2012 03:28:24 am

Thanks, you've got a great point.. As I was leaving that lovely Red Sox Nation gathering yesterday (I assured them I was a Brooklyn fan, not a Red Sox or Yankee fan) a guy originally from Cleveland said he has suffered more than Red Sox fans. Lots of angst out there. GV

Michael Berman

10/3/2012 06:52:45 am

Beautifully said as always. I like the regular season because it is like the ocean -- there are little ripples and bigger waves of wins and losses, and then the tide, and last the current. It's something to relax with, even when the tide is going out and the current is unfavorable as they were this year -- in case you didn't guess I'm a Mets (converted Brooklyn Dodger) fan. The post-season can be exciting or boring, but is rarely relaxing.

Now, when do pitchers and catchers report?

Ed Martin

10/3/2012 04:07:28 pm

Mike Berman of Mike and June?

Michael Berman

10/4/2012 04:33:53 am

No. Sorry.

Roy Edelsack

10/3/2012 08:52:34 am

Older baseball fans will remember that before the division series was invented in 1969, the American League settled ties for the pennant with a one-game playoff while the National League opted for a two-out-of-three format.

As it turns out, today is the 50th anniversary of one of the most intense playoff (as opposed to "post-season") games I've ever seen: the Giants come from behind 6-4 win in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on October 3, 1962 to claim the pennant (and the opportunity for McCovey to line out to Richardson and break my 14 year-old heart).

The Retrosheet website has the boxscore and it's worth a look. Marichal started for the Giants but he was followed by American League stalwarts Don Larsen and Billy Pierce. Meanwhile the Dodgers went back to their Brooklyn roots starting Johnny Podres with Ed Roebuck first out of the bullpen.

Umpires? How's this for an All-Star crew: HP: Dusty Boggess; 1B: Augie Donatelli; 2B: Jocko Conlan; 3B: Al Barlick.

Ed Martin

10/3/2012 10:50:26 am

You know me, George...Old Dodger fans believe in next year. I think the Mets are a couple of players away from being a good team, and they may be on the way. They remind me of the Rays a few years ago.

Dickey, Niese and Heffner. (promising) have shown talent. And a couple are almosts. Parnell looks as though he is getting under control. Has the stuff. Davis, I am not sure of. Saw him pitch in Tampa and his stuff is not that impressive, but I read he is picking up some velocity which his change-up-needs for contrast.

Wright is now getting support from Davis, (hope first half of year was a fluke) with 30 plus home runs. Murphy and Tejada in the 280-300 range, and Hairston, has 19 home runs. So the outfield and a better hitting catcher would help.

So bottom line for me: a couple of additions in the field or positive development and a fourth pitcher pitching more reliably, and "we could have a contenduh."

Ed martin

10/4/2012 06:04:19 am

PS. Thought Miami was classy to send Adam Grieenberg up to bat. I told a friend I would like to see him get a harmless hit. To your other question, I don't like the one game format. Baltimore and Texas, after really fine series, one and out. Two out of three as a minimum or does it really add much to the season's interest?

Brian Savin

10/7/2012 02:28:47 pm

Never liked the "wild card" in baseball. Seems to me after 162 games, to qualify for more you should win something, rise to the top. So, one game Russian roulette suits me fine; nothing more earned.

I've never respected publicity stunts in this game; find them disrespectful all around, in the majors, anyway. Eddie Gaedel incident deserved more than most, I guess; at least Veeck got a man on base.

Red Sox were wrong to fire Valentine; now, they're back to square one; more likely, minus one.

I see no future for the Metropolitans. Bet they will fold as an organization within three years. My best guess, assets go to San Diego or perhaps Northern California.

Romney no longer the prohibitive underdog but I wouldn't bet the house on him....rather see Clint again than the two Bozos on Thursday. (I know it's disrespectful; can't help it.)

Give us an invitation this wide, GV, and you take big chances!

Alan Rubin link

10/8/2012 04:16:42 am

George

It was a nice gesture by the Marlins to give Adam Greenberg his day in the sun. I hope that it gave him a boost in his desire to return full time. I believe that there is much more behind the scenes encouragement of athletes in all sports that we never hear about.

As for the playoff format, I never adjusted to the fact that the World Series is played after October. I know that it is all about money, but there is something wrong with the champion of a “warm weather” sport being decided in 40 degrees weather.

Other than soccer, I do not actively follow any other major sport. I keep an eye on things out of habit, but I’m not really up on most the players.

As a transplanted NYC, Manhattan, native and longtime resident now living in western MA, I keep an eye on the Red Sox and enjoy their misfortunes. They probably should have given Valentine an additional season. They were on their way to the playoffs, and possibly a pennant, with Francona in 2011 when the team collapsed in September. If a team folds so suddenly under a World Series manager (2) and plays so poorly the next year under one who has also been in the World Series, then there seems to be a systemic problem. Valentine has a good record of working with younger players, which is probably the route that the Red Sox should take. Until they begin winning again, I’ll continue to enjoy the silence from the local Red Sox fans.

Baseball should look at ways to keep fan interest up for as many teams as possible late into the season. More than half of the teams are out of the hunt by mid to late July. The season should be shorter with more weekend double headers and possibly some weekday afternoon or twilight games. Increased attendance might make up for the fewer games.

Baseball purists are always concerned about the traditions of baseball, but they have often been violated over the years. Why should each league follow different rules such as the DH and one vs. three game wild card playoffs? Why not have split seasons with the winners of each half play for the pennant? It might also include the second place teams in the playoffs. If the format included more teams than are currently included, then end the season sooner and have a longer playoff period, hopefully ending with the World Series in October.

The Roger Maris * is another example—162 vs. 156 game seasons. The game was different during Babe Ruth’s career. There was no night baseball, no set up and closing pitchers, etc. Also, ground rule doubles were considered home runs during part of his career.

There is definitely post season excitement. The TV is always tuned to the sports talk shows in the locker room in the morning where I swim. The “infield fly” rule debate received considerable air time. I thought that the ball dropped substantially past what would normally be considered the infield. Some commentators advocated that since there were six umpires being used, they were not used to being in unfamiliar field positions. Nonsense, they are professionals, but also human.

Altenir Silva

10/16/2012 11:13:56 am

Hello George,

I’m rookie fan at baseball. But I learned to love it because the connection with past. Different of soccer Brazilian (old players are forgotten, except few), in the baseball the past is always in memory and almanacs. Your blog also helps to keep the flame burning.
I love baseball. I think each play is unique. Everything can happen. It’s amazing.

Thank you!

Um grande abraço do seu amigo brasileiro.

Altenir Silva

Alan Rubin link

11/9/2012 10:43:11 am

Altenir

I think that I am to soccer what you are to baseball. We both love a game that we did not grow up with.

Today, I am much more of a soccer fan than a baseball fan. I follow the standings out of habit and curiosity, but I do not watch games on TV. However, I still retain a strong love for the game of baseball, which is one of strategy and inches.

When I took my kids to their first games, I told them to pick a player and watch what they did on every pitch. When a second basemen made a great play, my son commented that he never would have made it if he did not take two steps to the left at the pitch. We also scored every game, which gives you the feel of the game better than any score board.

I still vividly remember seeing Pele play at Yankee Stadium when he was 18 years old and scored on a bicycle kick. I've seen many great baseball games, but that is my all-time favorite sports memory.

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Baseball and Debate Seasons Overlap on a Historic Date

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