The Sporting Life:
The Public Professor’s Sports Column
On Wednesday night, I split my evening between Game 1 of the World Series on FOX and and Sam Peckinpagh’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, the 8 o’clock movie on ThisTV (those of you without cable know what I’m talking about).
Peckinpagh’s brutal master piece is the tale of a washed up old alci played by Warren Oates who smokes too much, wears dark shades indoors, plays the piano for tips in a seedy bar, and stumbles into one last chance to make a blood soaked deal with the devil. It was nice counter to the evil unfolding on FOX.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a mediocre team on a hot streak, which sounds like a good c
hance to root for the underdog. Except they’re not particularly likeable, at least not in my opinion. I’m convinced former all-world 1B Albert Pujols was juiced to the gills back in the day, which is why he’s now merely a pretty good player. And I really don’t want their manager Tony Larussa to win another ring. It’s not because he’s a certifiable nut job who made an all star appearance at Glenn Beck’s rally in Washington last year, though that didn’t help. Rather, it’s because I think he’s overrated, and I find the current blather about him being the “Chess Master” to be infuriating.
I still believe LaRussa really botched it with those amazing Oakland A’s teams he had in the early 1990s, somehow managing to lose 2 out of 3 World Series to grossly inferior teams (Cincinnati and Los Angles), and along the way giving us that insufferable goddamn Kirk Gibson highlight (has there ever been a more overhyped home run?)
On top of all this, regular World Series play-by-play announcer Joe Buck is normally a lifeless drone, but is now finally showing a hint of emotion. His dad Jack Buck called Carndinals games for many years, Joe grew up in St. Louis, and he got his first nepotistic breaks there. He’s a total homer and it shows. So is the dottering old color analyst Tim McCarver, who played for the Cardinals where, as he’ll never let anyone forget, he caught Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson for many years.
It was just too much to bear. I needed tequila and slow motion gun play to make it half-palatable.
But in yesterday’s Game 2, things took a turn for the better. I actually sat out a few hands at my weekly poker game to devote full attention to its unbelievable ending.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the 9th, the “Chess Master” did the unthinkable. He yanked his closer, flamethrower Jason Motte. The same Jason Motte who’d given up exactly one hit the entire post-season prior to this outing. With Josh Hamilton coming up, LaRussa walked to the mound.
At first I thought he was just destroying Motte’s rhythm with a lecture about pitching around the former MVP with 1st base open. But no. LaRussa removed him from the game.
And brought in Arthur Rhodes.
Not only is Rhodes older than dirt (though younger than me of course), but he was never that good to begin with. A perpetual disappointment, he has lost several closer jobs during his lengthy career. Now he’s a purely situational left handed pitcher. But here’s a real news flash for you . . .
That “situation” should never be the bottom of the 9th in a World Series game when you’re trying to hold a one-run lead with two men in scoring position.
Rhodes gave up a deep sac fly to Hamilton. Game tied.
LRussa then made another brilliant tactical move, bringing in some dude with a pony tail. He gave up another sac fly. 2-1 Rangers.
In the bottom of the 9th, Texas closer Neftali Feliz showed some nerves, doing the unpardonable by walking the first batter on five pitches, and missing wildly. But guess what? Rangers manager Ron Washington pardoned him. Decided to dance with who brung him.
Feliz rung up the next two batters, just blew `em the fuck away. Then he ended it by inducing Rafael Frucal to deposit a can of corn in right field. Game over.
I can smell it. The Rangers are the better team, they’re playing with tremendous confidence, and they never showed any signs of panic while staring a daunting 2-0 games deficit in the face. Meanwhile, LaRussa pooped his pants and threw the game away for St. Louis.
When this one’s over, I predict, LaRussa will be 2-4 in World Series. His all time win total, which will surpass John McGraw for second place next year, easily gets him into the Hall of Fame. But at least for now we can talk about what an overrated little weirdo he really is.