I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
It is the time of year when the long nights and horizon hugging days make me especially contentious and disagreeable, arguing with people who should be my friends and allies over infinitesimal differences between teams who’s fundamental distinguishing characteristics are the color of their uniforms and whether I have a good video for them or not.
Of course I’m talking about Baseball. What else would I be talking about?
Unlike some other contests I’ve been fairly satisfied with the choices since the Divisional Series were decided and I’m not going to be especially unhappy regardless of who wins. The Tigers are the team of my heritage, I was even born close to their Stadium. I’ve been to San Francisco and think it’s a remarkably beautiful city and the weather is outstanding.
On the other hand we have St. Louis and the Cardinals.
It’s better than Kansas City (Missouri or Kansas) but that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. What makes it special to me is the type of Baseball they’ve played there, at the same Mid-Western stand, for over 120 years (yup, they’re older than I am and I was in my mid-30s in 1923). It is real Baseball of the hard slide with sharpened spikes variety, the one without fences so the only Home Runs that count are the kind where you can circle all the bases before there is a play at the plate.
No 5 run Super Slams with exploding scoreboards and clowns, 6 Doubles will do quite nicely thank you.
Since last year (they were World Champions you know, 7 games over the Rangers) I’ve come to appreciate the Cardinals strengths, good pitching- starting and relief, good hitting, and good defense. Smart management and base running.
They don’t have many weaknesses, the personnel changes that led some to discount their prospects this season seem to have effected them hardly at all. They are farm deep in talent yet willing to deal to improve. When you think about dictionary definitions of the Senior League you can do much worse than to simply frame the most successful franchise in the history of the sport except for the Yankees.
Can they lose tonight? Sure. They’re not a ‘Team of Destiny’, they play pretty good Baseball. They’ll be starting Lohse (16 – 3, 2.86 ERA) against Cain (16 – 5, 2.79 ERA) which I feel gives them an edge. Should the City by the Bay emerge victorious you may hear some grousing from me that the Giants were full and enthusiastic participants in the Quisling exodus of the Senior League from the only baseball city you’ll ever need, but that’s just me being objectionable and obnoxious.
And now, while I still can, I give you…
The Rally Squirrel
Senior League Games are carried on Faux.
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had to add my two cents to Rusty’s piece at docudharma.
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