Friday, May 12, 2006

Shortened Game(r)

Shortened games seem to be against the natural order of the universe...baseball games need to go nine innings, after all.

And losing shortened games is just plain brutal.

But if a guy is willing to break his nose to make a play to help his team win a ballgame, then what fault can you find in that?

I will say this for Aaron Rowand, this is absolutely why the Phillies acquired him. The SNY crew told an anecdote about former Phillie Kenny Lofton refusing to run into the outfield wall because "I'm not stupid".

Here are other things that Kenny is not: a gamer, and a world champion. But Aaron Rowand is.

Rowand does have a way to go before he can catch up to the undisputed king of broken noses.

I give this guy a load of crap for being a jinx...mainly because he is. And I probably shouldn't give him any props because he's bitching to me that I can't get my posts in before 2AM. But he came up with a good point, and I feel that not only is it worth sharing, but it's something we should all be thankful for:

Thank your lucky stars that Aaron Rowand's catch was not made by Derek Jeter.

Can you imagine if Derek Jeter made a catch like that? (And just so we're clear, the first Yankee fan that tells me that Jeter's catch in '04 was better than this one is getting a bat to the head.) Can you imagine the poem Frank DeFord would come up with for that one (and something tells me that DeFord isn't at his typewriter trying to find a word that rhymes with Rowand)? Can you imagine all the Jeanne Zelasko tributes? I'd have to stop showing up to work. I'd have this guy and his ilk all over me for weeks playing back the tape to me.

See when you lose a game in five innings, you take solace in any little thing. Tonight, I am thankful that Derek Jeter had nothing to do with that catch.

And another thing to be thankful for: there are a boatload more games against the Phillies to try to keep them in the rear view...and three of those games come May 23rd, 24th, and in what may be my first appearance at Shea this season, May 25th. That means pictures boys and girls, pictures.

P.S. Chase Utley, just stop it. Stop it please.

6 comments:

Jaap said...

And here all along I'd been going through life thinking Larry Csonka was the King of Broken Noses. Imagine my disappointment.

Metstradamus said...

I wish I could find a better picture of Mr. Hunter...trust me that doesn't show the half of it.

Csonka is the king of suspended filming fishing shows without permits, if that cheers you up any.

metswalkoffs said...

(imitation=flattery)

Metswalkoffs Hate List for May 12

1. 4 1/2 hour drives to Citizens Bank Park

2. 3 3/4 hour return drives to Connecticut

3. Closures on the Saw Mill Parkway

4. Rain "squalls" occurring every 10 minutes on the drive home

5. Aaron Rowand

and just for old times sake

5a. Luis Aguayo

Metstradamus said...

Wow! That's the definition of a bad night. You drove more hours than saw innings and Mets runs combined!

metswalkoffs said...

oh, as well as the bitter frustration of...

5b. Fantasy team injuries to Jason Repko, Mike Sweeney, Brandon Backe, Jose Contreras and now Hideki Matsui, the last of which doesn't upset me too much...

It's all payback (and this is a good warning to fellow fans not to think this way) for my comment when Chipper Jones got injured earlier this year...

"I don't root or wish for players to get hurt, but I reserve the right to be happy if certain ones do."

Sorry for the vent...a little frustrated at this late hour.

Metstradamus said...

Hey I feel ya! I traded for Brian Bannister...first start I had him for was the start where he got hurt. Had David Newhan for 3 or 4 games before he broke his leg. Had Shane Costa for about a week then he got hurt. Throw in Ben Sheets for good measure and you've got fantasy fun!