Reviews

World Cup Respite – Time for a Different Ball Sport

6/28/2014

Jenrry Mejia in Another Tight Spot

With no soccer match Friday, I was at loose ends, as you can imagine. Turned on the tube and re-discovered another sport.

Guy with a bushy head of hair sticking out from under his ball cap, pitching furiously, getting himself out of jams in two innings of relief.

High drama. No biting. No flopping. No unseen stopwatch in the umpire’s hand. Timeless, to say the least.

Baseball. Soccer. The yin and the yang.

The other night I was pushing my book (did I mention my soccer book?) at the Midtown Scholar, a major used-book emporium and café in funky downtown Harrisburg, Pa.

Somebody asked the question, do I see soccer supplanting baseball in the hearts and minds of America?

I looked in the front row and saw a father and son, with St. Louis roots, carrying my Stan Musial book. We had chatted before the talk.

My answer was no, that baseball had a hold in the cities of America, where memories of Ty Cobb and Josh Gibson and Roberto Clemente still live. Americans know and feel those old rivalries – Yankees and Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants – the way traditional soccer nations honor the derby – Real-Atlético, Tottenham-Arsenal, AC Milan-Inter.

Soccer continues to boom in the U.S. Look at the huge crowds watching the World Cup, immeasurable by single-set gauges. Look at the rivalries and rising caliber of Major League Soccer. Look at the weekend audience for great soccer on the cable. There are now five major team sports in the U.S.A. And I don’t think soccer is fifth, either.

But supplant baseball? Not when a young pitcher like Jenrry Mejia, with great energy and great stuff, can get himself into trouble and get himself out in two straight innings, on the road, in grand old Pittsburgh, near the confluence of the rivers.

The Mets lost an inning later. Of course. Nice to see nothing has changed while I've been watching the World Cup.

Mendel

6/28/2014 05:44:13 pm

And to think we’ll have close to three months of NYM heartache after the last red card is thrown in Brazil.

George Vecsey

6/29/2014 02:50:31 am

Mendel, didn't they tell you? Life is about suffering.
GV

Mendel

6/29/2014 03:58:52 am

Yes, George. Suffering and hope. Here’s to living!

Alan Rubin link

6/29/2014 05:19:52 am

A one day baseball break from the World Cup was a welcome rest prior to the exciting Brazil-Chile game. I hope that the final is half as thrilling.

Although a longtime Yankee fan from Manhattan’s Washington Heights, where the daily, if not hourly Yankee-Giant-Dodger discussions approached tribal conflict, I now follow the Mets.

They may currently be in last place, but they are far from out. Being five and a half games back just before the season mid-point would put them in good position in any of the leagues divisions. They are entertaining and have the remainder of the season to make adjustments.

The best asset seems to be an iTunes player.

The Brazil-Chile thriller continues to make this the most exciting World Cup that I’ve witnessed.

Chile’s keeper Bravo kept them in the game with one superb save after another. A team takes strength and builds confidence when their keeper is performing well. This was evident in the second half as Chile pressed forward for most of the time.

However, in the shootout, Bravo reverted to what many believe to be the conventional wisdom that a keeper should anticipate PK’s. It did not serve him well.

My experience, both when playing and in editing hundreds of professional games, is that keepers have greater success when they react at the last minute.

Bravo guessed wrong on all of the PK’s, even on one that he stopped. He was past the ball, but the shot hit his legs as it went to the center.

Brazil’s keeper César reacted when the shots was taken. Since many PK attempts go toward the center third, anticipating right or left leaves the center open. Even when he did anticipate, it was at the last second and he chose correctly. César probably read the body language of the kicker.

César was also skillful in moving off the line a few steps prior to each kick, which greatly helped. Referees do not seem to be calling this infraction of the rules.

Ed Martin

6/30/2014 06:34:39 am

Alan, no wonder the final was Lehigh 2 Muhlenberg Nil. (North American speaking football.)

In the other game, saw Polanco for PIrates in Spring training at GV Park in Bradenton, FL. He began season in minors and local Pirate fans have been calling for him to be brought up. Mets and I sorry they did.

Altenir Silva

6/29/2014 09:58:03 am

Dear George,

Your book (Eight World Cups) is wonderful. I'm loving it.
I don't think the soccer will supplant baseball in USA, but in Brazil the Football of NFL is growing up in each year. Our team (BRAZIL) on this W.C have just one move: every player have to pitch the ball to Neymar. It's very poor for an team that want to win the W.C. If the Brazil don't win, I think that the NFL will grow much more in my country. By the way, I love Baseball. The Babe Ruth is the responsible.

Best - Altenir (from Brazil)

Altenir Silva

6/29/2014 10:12:57 am

Errata:
It's very poor for a team that want to win the W.C.

George Vecsey

6/29/2014 01:07:16 pm

Altenir: I should write so well in a second language. I should tell people you have made movies and are a playwright. GV

Altenir Silva

7/1/2014 12:42:21 am

Thank you very much, my friend.
About soccer supplant baseball in the USA: have been many attempts since Cosmo with Pele and Beckenbauer; WC 1994; Beckham and many others that a Brazilian journalist - Caio Blinder - said about the current moment: "definitely maybe."

BB Malaysia

7/2/2014 09:59:30 pm

Hurry home, baseball fans are suffering from withdrawal! (Though we do have an open mind about this soccer stuff...)

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7/4/2014 03:38:05 am

My spouse and i seemed inside the top line along with noticed a daddy along with son, with St. Louis beginnings, hauling my own Stan Musial e-book. We had spoke before the chat.

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World Cup Respite – Time for a Different Ball Sport

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