More thoughts on yesterday’s game after reading some news and watching the highlights:
1. That play at first base, the final out of the 9th inning and the second half of the double play, was close. WOW was it close. But the ump made the right call.
2. Sportscenter showed Adam Everett (the 6 of the 4-6-3 double play combo) jumping around like a kid after the ump called that out, then being hugged rather violently by Bruntlett and Ensberg. I laughed very hard. Everett is adorable.
3. Craig Biggio says “If I didn’t have a heart attack tonight, I guess I’ll never have one.” I feel the same way.
4. This Jayson Stark article is great, especially in how he continually expresses incredulity at the Astros’ ability to eek out wins. I, also, am incredulous. This team is freaking insane. They have a slew of great pitching but a serious lack of offense at times, and yet they have managed to get the Cardinals in a 3-1 hole.
5. Line from the previous article, emphasis mine: “Mabry also fell into an 0-2 pit, as 43,000 people stood, waved their festive white Astros towels and did their best mega-decibel imitation of a NASA launch.” Hahaha. And: “The trouble is, what can they do to top that script from Sunday? Get no-hit by Chris Carpenter for 8 2/3 innings, then score five with two outs in the ninth to win? Come from 11 runs down and win in 29 innings? Activate Nolan Ryan and have him pitch the ninth?”
6. There are so many bizarre decisions that keep on turning out well for Phil Garner. Willie Taveras hasn’t started the last two games. So he came in yesterday to pinch run, and scored the winning run in the 7th on a sac fly. Orlando Palmeiro would’ve made that play close if he’d run, but having Willie there ensured he’d get home. He’s fast. Then in the 8th, Willie goes to the wall in straightaway center field to catch a ball on the hill. That hit travelled probably 425 feet. Anywhere else in the park, it would have been gone. And if anyone but Willie had been in centerfield, it would have been a hit.
7. Those of us at the stadium, at least those around me, never realized that La Russa had been tossed. I didn’t know till we were listening to the post-game show on the way home. I guess he was ejected while he was still in the dugout, then came out to argue. We never saw the ejection, just the extensive arguing, and couldn’t figure out why the umps were letting Tony jabber on for so long.
8. My name didn’t get drawn for World Series tickets. Anybody that did??? Otherwise, if the Astros get one more win I’ll be hitting ebay.
i was listening on the radio while coming back from Dallas, and they said La Russa got tossed, but even the announcers where a little unsure about the reason. no world series tickets for me either. so sad.
I thought the catch by Willie T at the hill was the single key play of the game. Like you said, pretty much anybody else out there and runs score.
eBay it is. Neither Chris nor myself got tickets. BOO!
Also – re: water stops – I only get angry at people who stop in front of the water stops, not the people who get their water, then pass the water stops, move to the side and walk.
no tix here either- boo 🙁
me neither…none of my four tries.
I think that the ticket brokers got them all, we had over 150 people register with our company and had exactly 0 tickets won, and I have spoke to anyone that got drawn.