My post ALDS rant, what pis[b][/b]ses me off and what makes me smile.
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The biggest thing that aggravates me is the media bias. Without knowing how much is being somehow subsidized by MLB, how much is being a "Homer" and how much is just being a jerk, but there has been plenty on display in the last week as the games have been played and the last 24 hours since the series' ended.
1. Let's get the David Ortiz thing out of the way. He was a great player, he had a great career and his years with the Boston Red Sox were very enjoyable for the fans and MLB. What bugs me is the insistence that right now, in this moment, he needs to be elevated and foisted upon us as being bigger than the game.
They gave him a nice tribute before things started, the fans waited for a curtain call after the game --- a very, very classy thing to do --- and the Cleveland players I saw on the local postgame were, to a man, in awe of his legacy. That's where it should end.
Report on the games, tell us what happened. Why the need to dwell on him when the game just ended and on into the next day while placing that commentary ahead of the playing of the games?? Without incurring the wrath of the Boston faithful, he was a non-factor in this short series and I will go further, his "Team" may have been hurt by having him in the line-up.
2. The ESPN commentator, I think it was Van Pelt, expressed dismay over the AL contenders with this comment --- "The Blue Jays are the WildCard Team and the Indians are too banged up to do anything."
Really???????
The Blue Jays just swept the #1 seed, two games IN TEXAS where they sort of embarrassed them and then with a walk-off error. but Van Pelt wanted Texas.
Cleveland just swept Boston with that "banged up" Team that shut down the leading offense in the AL. but Van Pelt wanted Boston.
3. I have said it elsewhere, but it drives me crazy when a network and MLB appoints a "Homer" to the pre/post game panel without balance on the other side. Pedro Martinez was a great pitcher but as a non-biased commentator he needs to pack his bags. Despite everything that took place in the last week MLB has decided that he needs to be there to hype Boston and Ortiz. Nice!!!
I can only hope that he is replaced with someone else for the ALCS, but who would that be and how the network balance things out?? Absent that I feel we will see the same panel with Pedro figuring out some way to talk about his friend and his old Team. Disgusting..................
4. Where, Oh where is Jonathan Lucroy?? Admittedly, I didn't watch mush of the Texas/Toronto series, but I don't recall seeing him or hearing his number called. I hope he enjoys his off-season.
In the meantime, Roberto Perez will still be playing for at least a few more games. I think he is a testament to players who have to work harder than everyone else just to be average, maybe even to people like us who were good ball players in our youth but realized that for us, it was just a game we played with friends. I, for one, am glad in the end that Lucroy thumbed his nose to Cleveland and hold onto the fact that in the end we are often the shapers of our own destiny.
Roberto Perez worked hard with what he has and has been a good teammate during his time with Cleveland. I am happy he got his chance through some unusual circumstance.
4. I am reminded of the old saying that "Good Pitching will beat Good Hitting" most of the time. The Indians rode that pitching to the ALCS.
5. The Toronto Blue Jays have surprised me and I feel I must publicly apologize for saying that anyone who thought they had a chance at being in the WS must be dreaming. With their power and star players, starting pitching and solid bullpen I think they are probably the favorite. They present less of a problem than the Red Sox first five hitters if I think of them overall, but there are 2-3 guys who are on top of the game right now. Working around them will be the key.
6. The Indians have a secret weapon, his name is Terry Francona!!! So far he has made all the right moves and he still has players that haven't played. I think he will work them in and if he has shown anything so far, it will be at all the right times.
Game on, baby!!! Both Teams will be rested and if things work work out I will be at the Jake on either Friday or Saturday night. If you watch the games look out at the homerun porch in left field. I take a cardboard "K" sign with me and hold it up whenever there's a Strike-Out.
The camera's find us sometime during the game. I'll be the knicklehead with the multi-colored hat!!
Al H.
1. Let's get the David Ortiz thing out of the way. He was a great player, he had a great career and his years with the Boston Red Sox were very enjoyable for the fans and MLB. What bugs me is the insistence that right now, in this moment, he needs to be elevated and foisted upon us as being bigger than the game.
They gave him a nice tribute before things started, the fans waited for a curtain call after the game --- a very, very classy thing to do --- and the Cleveland players I saw on the local postgame were, to a man, in awe of his legacy. That's where it should end.
Report on the games, tell us what happened. Why the need to dwell on him when the game just ended and on into the next day while placing that commentary ahead of the playing of the games?? Without incurring the wrath of the Boston faithful, he was a non-factor in this short series and I will go further, his "Team" may have been hurt by having him in the line-up.
2. The ESPN commentator, I think it was Van Pelt, expressed dismay over the AL contenders with this comment --- "The Blue Jays are the WildCard Team and the Indians are too banged up to do anything."
Really???????
The Blue Jays just swept the #1 seed, two games IN TEXAS where they sort of embarrassed them and then with a walk-off error. but Van Pelt wanted Texas.
Cleveland just swept Boston with that "banged up" Team that shut down the leading offense in the AL. but Van Pelt wanted Boston.
3. I have said it elsewhere, but it drives me crazy when a network and MLB appoints a "Homer" to the pre/post game panel without balance on the other side. Pedro Martinez was a great pitcher but as a non-biased commentator he needs to pack his bags. Despite everything that took place in the last week MLB has decided that he needs to be there to hype Boston and Ortiz. Nice!!!
I can only hope that he is replaced with someone else for the ALCS, but who would that be and how the network balance things out?? Absent that I feel we will see the same panel with Pedro figuring out some way to talk about his friend and his old Team. Disgusting..................
4. Where, Oh where is Jonathan Lucroy?? Admittedly, I didn't watch mush of the Texas/Toronto series, but I don't recall seeing him or hearing his number called. I hope he enjoys his off-season.
In the meantime, Roberto Perez will still be playing for at least a few more games. I think he is a testament to players who have to work harder than everyone else just to be average, maybe even to people like us who were good ball players in our youth but realized that for us, it was just a game we played with friends. I, for one, am glad in the end that Lucroy thumbed his nose to Cleveland and hold onto the fact that in the end we are often the shapers of our own destiny.
Roberto Perez worked hard with what he has and has been a good teammate during his time with Cleveland. I am happy he got his chance through some unusual circumstance.
4. I am reminded of the old saying that "Good Pitching will beat Good Hitting" most of the time. The Indians rode that pitching to the ALCS.
5. The Toronto Blue Jays have surprised me and I feel I must publicly apologize for saying that anyone who thought they had a chance at being in the WS must be dreaming. With their power and star players, starting pitching and solid bullpen I think they are probably the favorite. They present less of a problem than the Red Sox first five hitters if I think of them overall, but there are 2-3 guys who are on top of the game right now. Working around them will be the key.
6. The Indians have a secret weapon, his name is Terry Francona!!! So far he has made all the right moves and he still has players that haven't played. I think he will work them in and if he has shown anything so far, it will be at all the right times.
Game on, baby!!! Both Teams will be rested and if things work work out I will be at the Jake on either Friday or Saturday night. If you watch the games look out at the homerun porch in left field. I take a cardboard "K" sign with me and hold it up whenever there's a Strike-Out.
The camera's find us sometime during the game. I'll be the knicklehead with the multi-colored hat!!
Al H.
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Comments
_ agree.
I can understand the historical bias against the Blue Jays.
It's solely ratings driven.
Eventhough ratings all year long IN CANADA has been through the roof, it's completely the opposite in the US.
No US network exec wants to have the Blue Jays go very far into the playoffs and God forbid if they get to the World Series._
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I agree with you 100% on the Ortiz thing. The announcers were ready to give him the MVP before the first game started. I don't understand why Boston would want to make a big thing with the last game in Boston. Just put a little more pressure on him I guess.
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