thoughts while watching the final of the WBC.
1- Gammons just mentioned that Ichiro routinely shows up at the park at like 1 PM for a 7:00 game. Apparently he has a very extensive warm-up routine, and complained last year that he couldn't get any teammates to show up that early to throw with him.
whatWhatWHAT??!
Seriously- he expects me to believe that Ichiro can't get anyone to come to the park for a little long toss and jogging? He's the best player on the team- the hot girl corrollary should apply (whereby no hot girl in high school ever goes without requested SAT tutoring). If I'm a hungry Mariners bench player, I make damn sure I'm there w/Ichiro early. This strikes me as typical Gammons over-dramatizing. That said, he's still the best of the mainstream baseball press, so I'll cut him some slack.
2- The early rounds of the WBC coverage on ESPN featured Orel Hershiser and this Orestes Destrade. Now, for the finals (and semifinals), they've gone to their A team, Joe Morgan and John Miller (w/Jose Mota and Gammons on the sidelines). Even though a lot of people (hi, A's fans) hate Morgan, I liked Morgan and Miller a few years ago, when I tuned into them almost nightly broadcasting Giants games over the radio. But I gotta admit, for the WBC, they're freaking terrible. They don't know anything about any of the players, so spend most of their time talking about Ichiro and Sadaharu Oh, Japan's manager (and also the Bo Jackson of video baseball). I say bring back Orel and Orestes. Orestes in particular is superb. Best I've heard in a while. Can I get a witness?
3- that said, Sadaharu Oh is a Pimp.
4- At some point this Spring, Jeff, no matter how much you pretend not to, you're going to get excited about having Juan Gone. Let me get this out of the way right now...
AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Money in the mattress. You want me to pull the memo?
1- Gammons just mentioned that Ichiro routinely shows up at the park at like 1 PM for a 7:00 game. Apparently he has a very extensive warm-up routine, and complained last year that he couldn't get any teammates to show up that early to throw with him.
whatWhatWHAT??!
Seriously- he expects me to believe that Ichiro can't get anyone to come to the park for a little long toss and jogging? He's the best player on the team- the hot girl corrollary should apply (whereby no hot girl in high school ever goes without requested SAT tutoring). If I'm a hungry Mariners bench player, I make damn sure I'm there w/Ichiro early. This strikes me as typical Gammons over-dramatizing. That said, he's still the best of the mainstream baseball press, so I'll cut him some slack.
2- The early rounds of the WBC coverage on ESPN featured Orel Hershiser and this Orestes Destrade. Now, for the finals (and semifinals), they've gone to their A team, Joe Morgan and John Miller (w/Jose Mota and Gammons on the sidelines). Even though a lot of people (hi, A's fans) hate Morgan, I liked Morgan and Miller a few years ago, when I tuned into them almost nightly broadcasting Giants games over the radio. But I gotta admit, for the WBC, they're freaking terrible. They don't know anything about any of the players, so spend most of their time talking about Ichiro and Sadaharu Oh, Japan's manager (and also the Bo Jackson of video baseball). I say bring back Orel and Orestes. Orestes in particular is superb. Best I've heard in a while. Can I get a witness?
3- that said, Sadaharu Oh is a Pimp.
4- At some point this Spring, Jeff, no matter how much you pretend not to, you're going to get excited about having Juan Gone. Let me get this out of the way right now...
AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Money in the mattress. You want me to pull the memo?
posted by Alex at
10:23 PM
3 Comments:
My thoughts:
1) I knew this game was over from the moment Cuba's manager pulled his starter... three batters into the game. His crime was surrendering two infield singles and a walk. Smells like Fidel was on the dugout phone all night. I saw that and thought "That's it. No way a team performs well under these conditions." Sure enough, they got housed.
2) I hate Joe Morgan. He's still living off insights he made like 12 years ago. Not to mention he's biased. Yes, against the Sox. He's even said he hates Boston because of 1975. I say if he wants to look at things that way, he can feel free to do so... on his fat ass at home in front of the TV.
3) Dan Shaughnessy said he was rooting for Cuba. I was too, until hearing that. LOL, you miserable a-hole!!!
4) OH wasn't even the best hitter on his team. KAGENU was more dangerous. The only times I defeated Kelvin and the Ghastly Monsters were when I a) succeeded with KAGENU because Kelvin concentrated on getting OH out, and b) beaned ALIEN on purpose every time. F'ing little ALIEN bastard.
5) Isn't Hersh the Rangers' pitching coach? WTF is he doing broadcasting?!?
6) While the Michigan/Notre Dame 2OT thriller was fun to watch, WTF was ESPN thinking by preempting the start of the WBC? I only saw the first half-hour thanks to ESPN Deportes. (Gracias, amigos.) Does a throwaway NIT game between two mediocre teams really outweigh the GODDAMN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD?????
7) Ichiro gets mad props for being a leader. Hideki "Bukkake" Matsui, meanwhile, gets nothing! Couldn't be happier.
8) Some little dude on Japan hit 37 home runs last year. That's funny to me.
By
Jeff, at 2:24 PM
Absolutely. After that second home run, I thought it might be possible, but I couldn't understand why the starter got pulled. Although it was noted in the game that "he was on a short leash anyway," I don't see how you pull your starter in that situation. If Fidel was micromanaging from afar, that would explain it. Hadn't thought of that.
Yeah it's pretty amazing Japan managed to pull that one out without 3 of their top 4 position players (I'm including Iguchi there, but maybe I shouldn't be, you decide). I think Johjima has a decent excuse, in that he's a rookie catcher in a new country where he only sort of speaks the language, but screw the rest of those guys. My lingering incapacity to dislike Matsui just died. Didn't take much, considering I'm not mad at any other player who chose not to play, but something about his decision stinks to me and I don't just think it's my anti-Yankee prejudice, which is obviously real and distorting.
I think it's interesting comparing Japan to the other teams. As far as I know, only Ichiro and Matsuzaka would really be considered stars, but what incredible depth they must have. I mean, a fully functioning professional league and everything...I think it has to be their biggest asset.
What do you guys think of the format? Is baseball too fluky for a single-elim championship bracket at the end? Would it be possible to get some 3-game series' in there? I think it wouldn't, but I also feel like Japan beating Korea one out of three times and advancing past them is a little wack. I don't know, I'm confused, but I feel like there has to be something that can be done to make it seem more like a real championship.
Anyway, glad Cuba and Japan got their due, but I'll be rooting for Venezuela and the DR next time around. Those rosters are too exciting to not meet in the finals of the WBC at some point.
By
Jesse, at 3:44 PM
5) Hersh resigned from the Rangers... he's joined up w/ Baseball Tonight for the year.
By
Alex, at 5:02 PM
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