baseball | Wait until next year

Man Crush Friday

I thought I’d follow up on the discussion that took place earlier this week on how wonderful Fernando Torres is, alongside many other things, and highlight a couple more man crushes of mine. While I don’t expect this to become the next huge internet meme, if it does take off to any extent then maybe this could become a regular (fun?) feature.

To help, here’s a definition of ‘man crush’ from Urban Dictionary:

“The highest tier of a man’s love for another man, without having any sexual want towards the man.”

So, who do you idolise in the world of sport, who makes you sigh at their prowess, marvel at their skill, gaze at their cheekbones. Er, no. Not that last one. No. Never confused. Never.

federer

Roger Federer

You could make a strong argument that Federer is the complete tennis player, and on his way to being the best ever. It’s incredible that despite that, and so much success, he seems so grounded. And here is also one dapper man. I think I first developed a full-on man crush on him when he wore a crisp white blazer when taking the field at Wimbledon. Such a wonderful nod to tradition – and such style!

david wright

David Wright

My main Mets man crush. Their best player, de facto team leader, and all-round nice guy. Just see his Wikipedia entry. I was very sad when I didn’t get David on my fantasy baseball team this season. Probably too sad. Maybe next year.

So, who is your man crush this week?

Federer by Squeaky Knees, Wright by Kidsire, both via Flickr

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October 2, 2009

Rockies make play-offs, post-season takes shape

After Texas were eliminated from the play-off race this week, I feared that me choosing ‘surrogate’ teams for the post-season had produced some sort of unintentional curse. I’m happy to report that my jinxing skills have diminished, however, with the Colorado Rockies securing a spot in the play-offs last night.

I caught the game, and the Rockies looked very impressive casting aside the Milwaukee Brewers by 9-2. Aaron Cook pitched eight strong innings, in response to the Brewers starter Manny Parra, who had a tough day at the office, lasting only 2 2/3 innings (that seemed to go on forever and ever), giving up five runs.

The Rockies now face a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers to finish off their (normal) season, and can potentially overtake them to win the National League West. This is some turnaround by the Rockies and manager Jim Tracy. The Rockies looked dead and buried in May when he took over, but have since won 73, and lost 40 – a real contrast to their pre-Tracy record of 18-28.

The Rockies have been building up momentum for some time now, and while outsiders for a berth in the World Series, it would be hard to discount them, if they can sustain this rich vein of form and keep injury-free.

With three days of the regular season left, the play-offs are starting to take shape. Even without my beloved Mets involved I’m getting pretty excited. Picking a ‘surrogate’ team probably doesn’t hurt, but even discounting that, we’re going to see some pretty special teams and players going at it this month.

Are you looking forward to the post-season? Any thoughts on what to look out for? Dare I say it, any predictions?

September 30, 2009

Los Angeles Angels – a bittersweet victory

adenhart

On Monday the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team clinched the American League West Division. As you can imagine, this was a moment of celebration. After six months of toil, they were not only champions of their division, but they were in the post-season play-offs, and one step closer to the World Series.

But this was not just a moment to mark a sporting achievement. It was an opportunity to remember and honour a teammate who was not there to celebrate.

On 8 April, Nick Adenhart made his season debut pitching six innings without giving away a run, as the Angels played the Oakland A’s. After the game, on his way to celebrate his performance, the car he was travelling in was hit by a drunk-driver, killing Adenhart and two of his companions, Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson. Adenhart was 22.

It is hard to imagine such a loss. The Angels pledged to keep his memory alive this season, and did so by maintaining his locker and hanging one of his jerseys in the dug-out at each and every game. During Monday’s celebrations, his shirt was brought out, and tears mixed with cheers.

Following their passage to the play-offs, surely no neutral would begrudge an Angels World Series victory. It would be a fitting memorial to the young pitcher.

However, there was one aspect of Monday’s events that seemed a little odd. Adenhart’s shirt was drowned in beer and champagne by his teammates, to toast him and the division win. This seemed a strange act, considering the circumstances of his death.

Clearly there was an element of catharsis in the celebrations, and I’m sure in the moment they did not notice the irony of dousing a drunk-driving victim’s shirt in alcohol. However, there has been some criticism of their actions from some quarters.

Is such criticism too harsh? After such a difficult and stressful season, which the Angels have dealt with in a genuinely dignified manner, perhaps a misguided action at some point was inevitable.

I wonder, will any further victories be marked differently?

Photograph from Chris and/or Kevin via Flickr

3 Comments

September 27, 2009

Sports stuff I’ve enjoyed this week

Here’s some of what I’ve enjoyed reading in the world of sport this week…

I’m always a sucker for nostalgia, and there’s something I love about obsolete technology too, so I enjoyed reading Twohundredpercent’s look at the imminent demise of teletext very much indeed. The television text service was for many years the main way to access the latest football scores on a Saturday afternoon, with the added drama of having to wait for the right page to come up (and then inevitably looking away and missing them at the crucial moment). In this age where everything is available on demand, and Soccer Saturday’s constantly scrolling results, it’s fun to think back to how things were in simpler times.

Geegeez looks at the trends for November’s Melbourne Cup, if you could do with a few pointers for one of the world’s biggest horse races. I could always do with some help with how to not lose my money, so this is very welcome.

And there’s fun to be had at the Rogue’s Baseball Index, a sort of urban dictionary of, well, baseball.

What sporting stuff have you been looking at this week?

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September 25, 2009

Why we watch sport (or Winning isn’t everything)

Last Sunday Larry at Wezen Ball posted a wonderful report on his last opportunity to watch the Milwaukee Brewers this season. He ended with this:

“There’s still nothing better than seeing Major League Baseball games in person – even if those games are of a sub-.500 team with failed postseason expectations. Baseball really is that good, and we’re lucky to have such a fun, talented and likable squad so close and so affordable. It’s worth remembering every now and then, and this weekend did a great job of reminding me of it.”

Unfortunately, living in England, I can’t actually get to see any Major League Baseball. And being a busy bee, I can’t get to as much live sport as I’d like, or have managed in the past.

Still, there is something very special about going to a game, in any sport, at any level. I enjoy a day out watching non-league football just as much as a day at Wembley, just for different reasons. I went to the cricket this summer for a County Championship game and had a wonderful time, and could probably find just as much to enjoy from a simple village green game as I would a Test Match.

So, sport is fun to watch, even if your team isn’t a massive success. Nobody wants to see their team lose, of course. Even so, the experience, and for some the ritual, of going to the game, is almost enough.

For most of us, the main emotion we experience as a follower of sport is disappointment. Our team can’t win every challenge, every tackle, every point, every game or every championship. But still we return, time and again, year on year.

We accept that we can’t win all the time. And there is a particular dignity in those fans that see less wins than most. It’s not that they don’t care about winning. Far, far from it. It’s just that their support is ultimately unconditional. No glory hunting here. They may scream for change (of tactics, playing staff, coaching staff, owners), but the team will always be their team. And hope springs eternal, just wait until next year…

There is more than the result to keep a supporter hooked. There’s the socialising, the community, the peripheral elements to the main event. I live near Charlton Athletic, and can see the supporters gathering in the cafés before the game, the pubs after. The sense of community, lost in so many other walks of life, is palpable.

Plenty of people seem to go to the cricket for a doze, a read of the paper and a chat. Good on them.

When I caught the baseball, on a trip to New York, the pretzels and beer (and unexpected high-fives from fans nearby) was as much fun as the game itself.

Even armchair supporters enjoy more than just the game itself. It might be that well-earned can of beer or slice of pizza accompanying it. Or the friend who pops round to watch too. The chance for some ‘time out’ from the real world. If the fan is really tech-savvy, they might enjoy the chance to connect with others via twitter, blogging or whatever else.

There’ll be times when they will swear and throw something at the television because the game isn’t going their way. But there will also be the times when they’ll catch a game, just because it’s on, and be more than happy.

While the recent sporting scandals in rugby union, Formula 1 and elsewhere suggest that sportsmen and women are increasingly looking to win at all costs, that isn’t the case for supporters. There is more to the enjoyment of sport than just the contest, or the result of that contest, itself. There’s meaning in sport beyond the score.

Maybe while those directly involved (the players, coaches, owners etc) see sport as a business first and foremost, it’s still a game for the fans.

Category: baseball