Sunday, July 24, 2005
A TRIP TO THE BALLPARK
Today (Sunday), I made it to my first Angel game of the year.
It's actually the first game I've made it to since 2003 -- living in Los Angeles of Los Angeles, the trek to Los Angeles of Anaheim is not always easy. Weekday games are a literal impossibility, and my weekends are usually cramped; I often don't have time to watch home games live on TV, and watch probably half of the games on video.
Attending this game was kind of a spur-of-the-moment plan, so I ended up in nosebleed seats. I've always liked the View Level, actually, and there is no bad seat inAnaheim EdisionAngel Stadium. So that was good.
What was doubleplus ungood, of course, was the game. Jarrod Washburn walked a narrow line for six innings, but in the seventh everything fell apart. The Yankees got two legitimate runs, and another one I chalk up to Larry Young.
From my vantage point, looking straight down at first base, I sure thought Wash had his toe on the side of the bag to complete the 3-6-1 double play. Larry Young didn't agree, which didn't surprise me, since Larry Young looked indecisive and confused at times behind the plate Thursday night.
I didn't see the replay until I got home and checked on MLB.tv. The MLB.tv archive of the game was the Yankee Propaganda Network broadcast, and the angles I saw there were pretty inconclusive. I'm gonna maintain that Jarrod did have his toe on the side of the bag, but, because he moved his foot to a different part of the bag afterward, he did a poor job of selling it, and Young didn't have the best angle.
It ended up not mattering due to the impotence ofthe Angel offenseDarin Erstad. Erstad had a poor game, and in the bottom of the seventh, with runners on first and second and one out, managed to hit the ball to one of a select few places that guaranteed that Vlad not to come up with the potential tying runs on base. Erstad had also struck out earlier in the game with Kennedy and Figgins on base, and had popped up with Figgins in scoring position.
Not that Erstad was the only one to fail in important situations; Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis both hit into double plays. At least Rivera had the knockout throw to nail Robinson Cano at the plate in the fourth (the highlight of the game, and a play that I think ranks amongst baseball's most exciting when seen in person) and Ztu was 2-4 on the day. It was particularly frustrating to see Ztu ground out on a diving play by Derek Jeter -- a play Ztu almost certainly would have been able to make without diving.
And the middle of the order did little; Vlad was 1-4 with an RBI, but that RBI was more a result of it being an RBI opportunity than any special achievement by Vlad. Garret went 1-4; the both failed with runners on base in the third.
I'm concentrating on the negative, but that was, of course, a terrific series. There is no shame in taking three of four from the Yankees, and overall the team played very well. It was an exciting series, and hopefully the Lads will be able to do as well when they travel to Yankee Stadium at the end of this week.
Today (Sunday), I made it to my first Angel game of the year.
It's actually the first game I've made it to since 2003 -- living in Los Angeles of Los Angeles, the trek to Los Angeles of Anaheim is not always easy. Weekday games are a literal impossibility, and my weekends are usually cramped; I often don't have time to watch home games live on TV, and watch probably half of the games on video.
Attending this game was kind of a spur-of-the-moment plan, so I ended up in nosebleed seats. I've always liked the View Level, actually, and there is no bad seat in
What was doubleplus ungood, of course, was the game. Jarrod Washburn walked a narrow line for six innings, but in the seventh everything fell apart. The Yankees got two legitimate runs, and another one I chalk up to Larry Young.
From my vantage point, looking straight down at first base, I sure thought Wash had his toe on the side of the bag to complete the 3-6-1 double play. Larry Young didn't agree, which didn't surprise me, since Larry Young looked indecisive and confused at times behind the plate Thursday night.
I didn't see the replay until I got home and checked on MLB.tv. The MLB.tv archive of the game was the Yankee Propaganda Network broadcast, and the angles I saw there were pretty inconclusive. I'm gonna maintain that Jarrod did have his toe on the side of the bag, but, because he moved his foot to a different part of the bag afterward, he did a poor job of selling it, and Young didn't have the best angle.
It ended up not mattering due to the impotence of
Not that Erstad was the only one to fail in important situations; Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis both hit into double plays. At least Rivera had the knockout throw to nail Robinson Cano at the plate in the fourth (the highlight of the game, and a play that I think ranks amongst baseball's most exciting when seen in person) and Ztu was 2-4 on the day. It was particularly frustrating to see Ztu ground out on a diving play by Derek Jeter -- a play Ztu almost certainly would have been able to make without diving.
And the middle of the order did little; Vlad was 1-4 with an RBI, but that RBI was more a result of it being an RBI opportunity than any special achievement by Vlad. Garret went 1-4; the both failed with runners on base in the third.
I'm concentrating on the negative, but that was, of course, a terrific series. There is no shame in taking three of four from the Yankees, and overall the team played very well. It was an exciting series, and hopefully the Lads will be able to do as well when they travel to Yankee Stadium at the end of this week.
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