The Midsummer Classic '06 - by Aaron Moeller
I caught Bud Selig getting interviewed yesterday morning on Mike and Mike's ESPN Radio show. The baseball commissioner was asked (as always) about the current chances of Pete Rose being reinstated to baseball. His response was actually pretty tempered. Selig used to answer with a generic but definitive "Pete Rose accepted a lifetime ban and I see no reason to change that" line, but this time he acknowledged "there are strong opinions on both sides" and actually gave the impression (to me, at least) that he is softening on the issue.Of course, I've long maintained now that Pete has admitted his fault, it's only a matter of time before he's reinstated. There was a lot of hullabaloo and mock outrage when Rose first admitted guilt two years ago because people felt that by publishing a book to admit his guilt he was being opportunistic and had "overshadowed" that year's Hall of Fame class. But a few years from now, no one will remember that. Selig's reaction yesterday convinced me it's already happening, the wheels are in motion. Let's remember that Rose's admittance of guilt was largely orchestrated by Rose's former teammates Mike Schmidt and Joe Morgan meeting with Selig and trying to engineer the best way for Rose to bring everything into the open. It doesn't take a genius to see what happened. Public opinion had been suggesting all along that all would be forgiven if Rose came clean, but the way in which he did it ended up causing a firestorm of bad publicity and now Selig has his hands tied. I legitimately believe Selig wants to reinstate Rose but is waiting for public support to come back around, which even a Rose hater must admit will inevitably happen. We are a forgiving people.
What troubles me though is that Selig mentioned that he had met with Bart Giamatti's son and Hollywood actor, Marcus, on Sunday (note: his other son is the more famous actor, Paul) who was in Pittsburgh to play in the Celebrity All Star Softball game. According to Selig, the Giamattis want to make sure their father's legacy is protected by whatever happens in this case. Why is the Giamatti family convinced their father's legacy can only be preserved by Pete Rose staying out of baseball? I can't help but keep feeling that the commissioner's death mere days after Rose's initial suspension is working against Pete. It was suggested at the time that stress over the Rose case helped bring about Giamatti's death, as though somehow it was Pete's fault that Giamatti smoked two packs a day. You'd think it'd be enough they have Fay Vincent arguing against Charlie Hustle. Vincent - who had zero respect as the next baseball commissioner and has no public role now except to show up on TV every six months running down Rose. You'd think that would be enough? But of course it isn't, and so Bud Selig gets asked about it every time a microphone is put in front of him. And Vincent keeps getting his name recycled.
As the steroid issue has muddied our view of baseball greatness, a manager who bet on his team to win 20 years ago looks better by the day, but unfortunately, Pete, who's come clean and lives a dedicated life as a positive baseball ambassador, has only a dead man to argue it with.
***
But while we're on the subject, I can't help but think of where Pete is probably most missing out - the chance to play in the ESPN All Star Celebrity Softball Game with his fellow 60-something former peers, not to mention Dean Cain and Jimmy Kimmel's cousin Sal. What a game it was last night. Did anyone else notice that former Steeler great Franco Harris still looks exactly like Gabe Kaplan?
I have a pitch to make: Because it's hardly more stupid than using the All Star game to determine home field advantage in the World Series, let's have home field determined by the celebrity softball game. And not just because the National League won this year and that's really their only prayer any more.
Anyway, on to my running commentary of the 77th Major League Baseball All Star Game from PNC Park in Pittsburgh...
***
Opening (7:00 CST) - The FOX telecast begins with a montage of various, random Americans seeing shooting stars streak across the sky. "This is the place to see stars shine - Pittsburgh." There was a lot of talk in the All Star buildup about how homeruns are up again in baseball this year and most of the theories out there are the usual suspects - smaller ballparks, tighter baseballs, the Reds bullpen...
I'm a big baseball fan but it actually feels like I've missed a lot of All Star games through the years, whether it was back when we had Little League games on Tuesday nights or when I was working nights. As a Reds fan, I'm excited we're in the hunt this year, but too pessimistic to care about the World Series home field advantage aspect. That being said, there's only one Reds representative, starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo and he started on Sunday, so I don't expect to see him tonight. The Reds had a number of borderline candidates, including Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Aaron Harang, David Ross and my new favorite player, Brandon Phillips, but I wasn't shocked, or even too broken up, that none of them made it. It's funny how last year when the Reds were already out of it at the break, I remember being really excited that Felipe Lopez made the team. I guess I wanted to care about something.
Starting lineups - They introduce the players on the field, starting with the reserves, most of whom play for the Chicago White Sox. Robinson Cano? If he's there, Brandon Phillips should be. Scott Kazmir of the Devil Rays looks like an 8th grader. No surprise - the biggest cheers are for hometown players Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay. I detect a few boos for Derek Jeter and a few more for Alex Rodriguez.
The National Anthem - Carrie Underwood, FOX TV star and one of America's favorite karaoke singers delivers a nice version of the song. Nevertheless, it falls far beneath the new gold standard established by Destiny's Child, who
sang the hell out of it at the NBA All Star Game last February.
7:34 - FOX sure does have a lot of new shows premiering this fall. Is there another half hour in the whole of the calendar TV broadcast year that has more commercials than the All-Star pregame show?
7:41 - Game still hasn't started yet. Maybe there's still a chance for Brandon Phillips to be named as an injury replacement.
First pitch - A Brad Penny strike to Ichiro Suzuki. Tim McCarver describes Penny's fastball as being "heavy" and "boring". This is the first time I've heard a fastball described as boring, but sure enough it's boring as hell.
1st inning - Penny is a legitimate revelation. He strikes out the side throwing nothing but 97-99 mph fastballs. The Mets' Carlos Beltran gets the game's first hit in the bottom of the inning, a one out double. The camera catches Bronson Arroyo in the dugout joking around with Nomar Garciaparra and plotting his move to L.A. as a free agent in 2007.
2nd inning - Vladimir Guerrero hits an opposite field solo shot. They shoot off fireworks in Pittsburgh - a National League city. Why not? The Pirates won't be anywhere near the World Series. I still can't believe this game counts for something. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets' David Wright, who's scheduled as a guest on Letterman tomorrow night, ties the game with a line drive homer.
3rd inning - Albert Pujols makes the defensive play of the game, barehanding a hard hit, bad hop groundball. Buck and McCarver cut to their field reporter who tells us that Ichiro should easily get 200 hits again this year. How did televised sports survive before sideline reporters?
In the bottom frame, FOX scores the coup of the night, telecast-wise. Buck and McCarver are interviewing NL manager Phil Garner as Beltran inexplicably swipes third base with two outs and Pujols batting. No manager in the world would send Beltran in that situation, including Garner, who just got done telling us he's not bothering with signs tonight - everybody's on their own. Then Beltran scores on a wild pitch. Classic. This is normally where a broadcaster would have been calling Garner a genius.
4th inning - Nothing of note happens. I check the TV Guide and realize I'm missing Plastic Surgery Nightmares on E!
After the 4th inning, they stop the game for a ceremony on the field honoring Hall of Famer and former Pirate great, the late Roberto Clemente. His family is there and it's a very touching ceremony. AL manager Ozzie Guillen is shown on camera numerous times with tears running down his face. (I can't help but notice Bud Selig does the George W. Bush trick when he's being introduced. In this instance, he's announced with Clemente's widow, Vera, so the crowd won't boo him, just like Bush does with war veterans.
5th inning - Last year, Chris made note on this site that nothing makes him more nervous as a baseball fan than when a guy from his team is pitching in the All Star game. Nobody wants their guy to be the Atlee Hammaker who gets bombed, can't get anybody out and blows it for the whole league. I have the same dire fear as Bronson Arroyo takes the mound. Joe Buck (whose voice I heard is like velvet mixed with peanut butter) tells us about Arroyo's rock and roll ambitions. After a scoreless inning (whew!), FOX cues a video outro of Arroyo playing his guitar, accompanied by a saxophonist, and singing "Wonderwall" by Oasis. This is by far the highlight of the night. Still a 2-1 National League lead.
6th inning - With two outs in the bottom of the inning, following a number of hard hit balls, sharp defensive plays and pitchers throwing nothing but strikes, Albert Pujols flies out to the track. This has been a very crisp, well-played game. The Pittsburgh fans aren't getting any fireworks, but this is great baseball.
7th inning - Buck and McCarver interview Rhon Wright, father of David. Man, does FOX and baseball want this guy to be a star, or what?. You can already tell they're looking ahead, thinking the Mets will be in the World Series. In the bottom of the inning however, the Golden Boy hits into a double play. This game is flying along.
8th inning - Joe Mauer, the rare catcher who's chasing a batting crown, bats for the first time. Buck and McCarver start comparing him to the greatest catchers who ever lived. He promptly strikes out. The pitching staffs are the stars of this game. FOX interviews David Wright himself, who has an irratatingly bright smile. Move over, A-Rod and Jeter, there's a new pretty boy in town. In the bottom frame, BJ Ryan strikes out mosquito-like shortstop David Eckstein.
Let's take a moment here to consider the career of Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman, one time Cincinnati Reds farmhand and as best I can claim, the last remaining big leaguer who played for the Cedar Rapids Reds (not that Buck and McCarver mentioned that). Hoffman has the best save percentage in the history of baseball. He's second all-time in saves, only 18 behind Lee Smith...
9th inning - Hoffman pitching. Two quick outs on dinky comebackers. Then: Paul Konerko singles. Troy Glaus - a ground rule double. Michael Young, Rangers secondbasemen, follows with a triple to right-center and the NL lead is gone. 3-2 AL. The NL gets a baserunner in the bottom of the inning but leave him at 2nd base.
The city of Pittsburgh - all of the National League - is stunned. But I'm a Cincinnati Reds fan, so I'm used to losing like this. This is what happens when you turn it over to the "blowpen". Easy come, easy go. Alright, enough of this interleague garbage, let's get back to our pennant races...
The second half awaits and... can you believe it? Nearly everybody's still in it...
Go Reds!!!
posted by Anonymous @ 10:29 PM
5 Comments:
Several newspapers noted that Phil Garner managed like it was the World Series. I guess that's why Albert Pujols got pulled from the game after three at-bats. He's always getting an early shower in post-season games. And Garner coordinated no signs to be relayed to batters and baserunners during the game. This game matters now! What is it these boneheads can't understand about that? Play to win! You have a one run lead in the ninth inning, and Garner has Miguel Cabrera playing third base and waving at Paul Konerko's groundball while Scott Rolen sits on the bench. What is this?
And when is Stan Musial, the greatest player in the history of the All-Star game going to get his mid-game tribute. Three All-Star Games have now been held in Pittsburgh since Roberto Clemente died in 1972. St. Louis hasn't hosted the game since 1966. Musial was 45 years old that year. Now he's 85. Are we going to wait until he's dead too? Can we at least honor him when the All-Star game returns to Pittsburgh in 2012?
The working media will never allow Selig to reinstate Rose without roasting him over the coals. That's what happened a couple years ago when they rose in group indignation after Rose finally gave them the confession they claimed they were waiting for. Like steroids, the story is the gift that needs to keep on giving for these tired hacks.
Maybe the softball game could determine who has home-field advantage in the All-Star game.
Pete Rose, Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente, Scott Rolen.....nobody cares about these old have-beens. The real story of the All-Star game was the injury to Carlos Zambrano that occurred before the game when Joey Cora (a White Sox coach) hit him in the pitching elbow with a fungo bat while hitting grounders to infielders.
So, in the last week, the Cubs have had their two best young pitchers hurt in or around the batting cage (Prior was scratched from Sunday's start after straining a muscle in his side taking batting practice).
Luckily, the Cubs season was already over and none of this matters, but if people still think the Cubs aren't cursed, this year might convince them otherwise.
The other big curse item from the year of course was when Derrek Lee broke his wrist. He broke it in a collision with the player the Cubs had targeted as their highest-profile offseason target (Rafael Furcal).
Sounds like Barry is going to be indicted soon. Any thoughts?
I have such a strong distaste for most of the media - who I see as Bonds main adversary - that I admit I'm more sympathetic to Bonds than most. That being said, I really find myself wanting Hank Aaron to keep the homerun record. I think most of this stems not from a disgust with the steroids issue, as with a childish desire to have it remain somewhat "magical". I think if he actually broke the record now, it'd be nothing but a circus of apathy. Baseball, I guess, is where I still have sacred cows.
Back to Pete Rose: The other thing that bothers me is the arrogance of so many of the Hall of Famers, like Bob Feller and Warren Spahn (correct me if he's dead), who treat the Hall of Fame like their little exclusive country club. They're always so resentful of the Pete Rose issue, which I think is funny. According to the Selig interview, some people met with him again at this All Star break. They've really got their adult diapers in a bunch.
I'm all for including Pete, as a lifelong fan, but if I were him, I'd tell the Hall of Fame to stick it. I've visited the Hall - trust me, he's all over the place: In the records room, in numerous World Championship displays, etc. The bane of Bud Selig's existance (one of many actually) has been the simple fact that as hard as you try you can't write Pete Rose out of baseball history.
I agree, Chris, that they're wasting a fading opportunity to honor Stan. The real reason they don't, however, is the same reason St. Louis never gets the All Star game: Their fans are too loyal and don't need the boost. Blame yourself.
I also agree that it's ridiculous Rolen didn't play. Also, how do you not get Garciaparra and Andruw Jones in there? Garner was a joke.
Back to Barry Bonds: If he passes Aaron (Hank, not Moeller), it's not assured that steroids will be the biggest advantage he had over the old-timer, especially since Aaron played in a locker room that teammate Tom Grieve says was loaded with amphetamines. The big advantage-- and bigger scandal-- is that he might be able to extend his career by becoming a DH in the American League. What a scam! It's becoming increasingly obvious that Bonds won't pass Aaron if he has to do it by lugging his mangled knee out to left field for the Giants every night.
Post a Comment
<< Home