For Love of the Game

For the second time in three years, the Cincinnati Reds will be headed to the playoffs beginning Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.  Last time they got a no-hitter thrown against them and committed countless errors, which they didn't do all season.  The moment was too big for them.  They went in with the "happy to be there" mentality and never really even got their feet wet.  They were blown out of the water by a much better Philadelphia team.  This 2012 team is different.  They are ready this time. In 2010, the team had no ace, go to pitcher.  This year they have two: Cueto and Latos.  Chapman was a rookie in 2010 and had little experience all season in the majors.  This time, he is possibly the most dominating closer in the game, which you could never say about Francisco Cordero in a Reds uniform.  Even with getting the #2 seed in the National League, I think it will be a disappointing season if the Reds do not win at least one playoff series.  This city craves it.  Cincinnati has always been a baseball town.  Cincinnati is known for goetta, chili, euchre, flying pigs, and the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds are the favorite team of Charlie Sheen and George Clooney (also Nick Lachey but let's just leave that out).  

I know most of my readers for some reason are female so I won't spend too much time on sports but the Reds earned it.  The last time this team won the World Series was when I was 5 years old. 1990 (sorry I could only find a card of 1991).

 I was becoming a Bellevue Vets T-Ball All Star.  I loved baseball from the first time I played a game.  I know from my parents telling me mostly that I ran to third after hitting the first time.  I think it's the smell.  It's hard to explain.  It's the sound the ball makes when it hits a catcher's mitt.  It's the chewing of sunflower seeds on the bench.  It's the strapping of batting gloves over and over until they are on just right.  It's putting on eye black.  It's the sweat bleeding through the cap.  It's the moment you turn the perfect double play for the first time.  It's the teasing of your teammates and still knowing they have your back.  It's the toughness of not rubbing your skin after getting hit by a pitch.  It's the chalk.  It's the shining in the lights, and the cracking of the bat. It's perfect games and triple crowns.  It's when 162 games isn't enough.  It's America's past time.  That's why I love baseball.  There is no other sport like it.

Winner of the Day: Oakland A's.  They won the AL West Yesterday.  They were not leading the division a single day until the last game of the season.  They were as much as 13 games out.

  
Loser of the Day: This Man.  He stole a pizza man's wallet, but left his own wallet behind. The Story.

Quote of the Day: "Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."-Bull Durham

Song of the Day: The Scientist Willie Nelson Version

NBA Roster Move of the Day: Rasheed Wallace is back in the league.  He is one of my top 5 players of all time so naturally I'm excited about this.  The Knicks signed him as a 38 year old.  He had been retired.