Glad For Brad!!!!

When Brad Lidge complete the save in game 5 of the World Series last night, I cold not help being very pleased for him. Three years ago I was sitting about ten feet from the confetti cannon that was going to be part of the celebration of the LCS victory over the Cardinals by the Houston Astros, that would put them, and me, into the World Series for the first time.

Brad Lidge was on the mound and he had been phenomenonal the whole season. There was unbelievable electricity in the air. Then Albert hit the majestic home run that sucked the air out of Minute Maid Park.

Lidge suffered through the '06 and '07 seasons with a lot of intense pressure on him by the Houston fans. He was traded in the off season last winter and did not had a blown save all season. And Wednesday night he exocised the demons of seasons past.

Way to go Brad.

Out of a Slumber!

The Philadelphia Phillies were sleepwalking through the first three games of the World Series, at least offensively. They were stranding runners on the bases and allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to hang around. I thought the series could go either way. But the Phils awakened last night to win 10-2, and take a 3 games to one lead. With Cole Hammels on the mound tonight, the Rays are really up against it!

Network Nightmare?

The executives at the networks are probably not very happy about the outcome of the American League Championship Series. No doubt they would rather have had the Red Sox in the World Series. But the previously lowly Tampa Bay Rays have upstaged the Sox and are going to play the Phillies. I am usually a National League fan, but this time around I want to see the youngsters in Tampa win the whole enchilada!

Television Schedules and the Playoffs

Since 1998 I have hated the staggered playoff schedule that has, until this year been limited to the first round of the baseball playoffs. That year the Astros played the Padres in the first round and lost to Kevin Brown. Because of the extra day off that was inserted between game one and game 2, Brown was able to come back earlier than he would in the traditional format.

Now they bigwigs of baseball have bowed to the TV gods again and allowed a break in the LCS schedule that should not be there! Tampa Bay is on a roll and should not have to take a day off, allowing extra rest for the Sox' pitchers!

It is infuriating!

Charley O!

Have you ever heard of Charles O. Finley? Unless you are an old baseball fan, probably you do not. He was the owner of the Kansas City A’s, which moved to Oakland, and he was quite a proponent of innovation and showmanship. I knew he was primarily responsible for the introduction of the designated hitter into the game, and for white shoes on the ball players of the 70’s. He instigated bright colors for his uniforms and came up with the idea of variations on the uniforms for day games, weekends, and holidays.

But in a book on baseball trivia that I recently received as a gift I found out a couple of things about Charley O. that made me say “Really, I never heard that before.” The first was that in home games at the A’s stadium, Finley hired a lady named Debbie Fields to present the umpires with her homemade cookies and a drink of water in the fifth inning. Debbie went on to establish her own success, with her Mrs. Fields’ line of baked goods!

The second was that in 1968, Finley had a batboy that had other talents. Stanley Burrell would entertain the players with his singing and dancing in the locker room before and after games. That talented young man is much better known today, as M.C. Hammer!