“By far, the best moment of my big-league career was when I caught the last out at the World Series.” ~ Cal Ripken, Jr.
Bless me readers for I have “sinned”. My last blog post was the 17th of June. I apologize for my absence. This “semi-retirement” thing is hard to get used to for sure. I’ve been concentrating on my “musical journey” a bit, and traveling. But I have missed writing about baseball / sports, so here I am, and here I will stay.
Well, the World Series starts tonight. The big baseball event so to speak. 162 regular season games, plus playoffs to get to this stage. I love it. A 7-game series for all the marbles. The perfect dessert for baseball fans of all ages.
It’s the event I wait for all season and yet there is a dread to it as well. Once the series is over, there is no baseball. I seriously go into a “blue funk”, a mild depression for a couple weeks. My routine of watching games, checking stats and standings is abruptly stopped. The days are shorter and there is no baseball. You take the good with the bad. So it is with baseball, so it is with life. But, on the positive side, Spring Training will only be a couple months away. It looks like reporting dates will begin on or about February 12th and the first spring training games around February 19th. But nothing official has been released.
I was hoping for a Seattle Mariners / Milwaukee Brewers (for the late Bob Uecker) pairing, but it was not meant to be. Neither of these teams thrill me. The Dodgers are not the Dodgers of my youth with Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, Lou Johnson, Jim LeFebvre, Jeff Torborg, and so many others; nor are they the storied “dem bums” from Brooklyn with Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Carl Furillo, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and all the other “Boys of Summer”. The Dodgers are now a “corporate team” buying pennants much like the Yankees; sickening. The Blue Jays, I have no real warmth or feel for either. But at the very least they seem to play baseball the right way. I know I’ll still be watching.
Fox is broadcasting the games (Canadian viewers on Sportsnet.)
Game 1: Friday, 10/24 in Toronto at 7:00pm Central Time.
Game 2: Saturday, 10/25 in Toronto at 7:0pm Central Time.
Game 3: Monday, 10/27 in LA at 7:00pm Central Time.
Game 4: Tuesday, 10/28 in LA at 7:00pm Central Time.
Game 5 (if needed): Wednesday, 10/29 in LA at 7:00pm Central Time.
Game 6 (if needed): Friday, 10/31 in Toronto at 7:00pm Central Time.
Game 7 (if needed): Saturday, 11/1 in Toronto at 7:08pm Central Time.
All at night as you can see. I really wish some games would be scheduled for weekend afternoons, but ratings (and money) are more important than my childhood memories, I guess. Yes, they’d have to compete against college football, but I believe they’d rate well. If MLB wants to “grow the game”, then let the kids see the games and stop all the nonsensical rule changes, just my two cents.
Their broadcasters / reporters handing the in-game coverage will be Joe Davis, John Smoltz for Fox; Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez for Sportsnet. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci do the field reporting for Fox with Hazel Mae for Sportsnet. They are a solid group in my opinion. The pre- and post-game coverage is Kevin Burkhardt, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez. I’m still not thrilled with David Ortiz or Alex Rodriguez. Their past PED use should keep them from being anywhere near the game (should have kept Ortiz out of the HoF too), just my opinion. Burkhardt is good, Jeter has grown on me, but Ortiz is a joke, and Rodriguez usually states the obvious, so those two add little to nothing for me. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the local broadcasters involved? They have spent the season with their teams and would offer much more insight in my opinion. Well, just one of my thoughts.
The umpires will be Mark Wegner (crew chief), Jordon Baker, Adam Hamari, Adrian Johnson, Will Little, Alan Porter, and John Tumpane.
Since the odds are favouring the Dodgers, I took an impromptu poll via texts to family, friends and top readers as well as a Facebook poll, here are the results:
Texted results:
Blue Jays: Kim - David – Joe – Mike (son) – Mary Kay – Colleen (daughter) – Kathleen (Daughter / Because she saw Taylor Swift there) – Debbie (Wife) – Sue – Karen – Chris (Loves the city) – Greg.
Dodgers: Rose.
Neither: Terry – Karen.
Blackhawks: Jena.
Facebook results:
Blue Jays: Kimberly – John – Steve (cousin) – Lori (cousin) – Monica – Jim Z. – Jim R. – Bob – Brenda – Greg (cousin)
Dodgers: Griffin - Bernard
Other responses: Phil (7 games) – Jeff (cousin / I don’t follow volleyball)
(Responses as of publishing time).
The overwhelming winner in “fan support”, are the Blue Jays. Not the most scientific solution, but baseball is a sport and for me an emotional experience, so it works.
I will be cheering for the Blue Jays if you care, and a seven-game series. But mostly I will be cheering for good baseball, close games, and more memories for my treasure chest.
Enjoy the Series and mourn with me when it’s over. Thanks for your support!
~ Coach Mike
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