Admit it. You are still scanning the grandstands of The Friendly Confines looking for at least one token “face of color”. I’m telling you there ain’t nary a one. They’re all over on Chi-Town’s South Side playing “9mm Tag, You’re Dead” while not listening to Jeremiah Wright’s racially toxic sermons…. and while waiting for their favorite “community organizer” to give a damn about them. Guess what SUCKAS…. He doesn’t and he never did. I digress.
I get why Those Lovable Loser Cubs are America’s (Baseball) Team du jour. I am the ONLY Cardinals’ fan who is NOT a Cubs-hater. If The Baseball Gods were smiling on Theo’s Guys I’d be fine with it. They aren’t…. so as they say in Mudville:
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
they thought, if only ……..
With goofy Chief Wahoo’s tribe only 27 outs away from donning those champagne goggles as I post this…. we devotees of Abner Doubleday’s Wonderful Game know all too well that it ain’t over til the fat lady makes that final out in the 9th.
The Men of Tito Jr have found Wrigley’s confines very very friendly ….. so far…. only means it ain’t over yet. This has not been The Grand Celebration on Waveland Avenue that so many were anticipating just a week ago.
I’ve watched darn near every inning of the 2016 Fall Classic so far. I’ve yet to see one instance of HEY LOOK AT ME crap. I’ve seen high fives and hugs and lots of very happy Indians but not one HEY LOOK AT ME chest-thumping crap. I really really like that. You probably figured I would. Huh?
The media fascination-fest for the Cubs was predictable. The Cubs are “a national team” for all the well-documented reasons based on their 100 year drought and assorted futility. “The Indians” are just “the Indians” and known more for the Major League movie than for Bob Feller, Al “Flip” Rosen, Herb Score, Rocky Colavito, et al.
Betcha still don’t know that Cleveland rightfielder Lonnie Chisenhall is from Morehead City (West Carteret High School)…. and Pitt Community College…. and a short time as a USC Gamecock.
NINE of the current Indians played in Kinston’s iconic Grainger Stadium for the Class A Kinston Indians “back when”. Think Bull Durham and you might imagine there are young ladies in their late 20s / early 30s around Lenoir County who still have “special memories” of all-too-brief liaisons back when. “Local lovelies” and young phenoms dreaming of making it to “the Big Leagues” are one of Baseball’s enduring traditions.
And, of course, Andrew Miller will always be a former Tar Heel All American / National Player of The Year. But even hard-core Diamond Heel fans may not recall….
….. in 2006 – UNC’s first trip to Omaha – UNC playing Oregon State in “the Finals” and “poised to win it all”…. a routine ground ball to 2nd gets misplayed – OH NOOOO! and The Baseball Gods smiled on the Beavers. The pitcher on the mound when that routine grounder was misplayed was … Andrew Miller. Although he was “the ace”, Mike Fox had brought Miller in from the ‘pen to seal the victory.
Now, ten years later, heralded as Baseball’s #1 Reliever…. Andrew Miller is once again poised to Win It All on Baseball’s Biggest Stage ….. if The Baseball Gods allow.
