Two observations.
One. When the Yankees went down 3-0, Astro-Girl, luxuriating in an Astros off-day following a sweep over the Cardinals capped off by a thriller of a 4-3 ninth-inning comeback/walk-off, felt comfortable in saying, "Hey, CC will calm down. Relax."
Easy for her to say.
Correct, as well. I was reminded, strangely enough, of the 1972 Munich Olympics, of the 800-meter finals, where Dave Wottle, all limbs and hair and gold cap, trailed at the halfway point. I remember seeing Wottle trail the field, of crying out to my father, "He's in last!", and hearing my father say, all assurance, "Just watch."
I spent 10 years thinking my father was clairyorant. Then I spent 10 years thinking the event was on tape-delay, and he was pretending. Since then, I realized the event was at night in Germany, carried live, and that my dad had seen Wottle in the semis and knew about his final kick.
So tonight. 3-0 A's. "Relax," Astro-Girl says. "CC won't allow any more runs and the Yankees will score. Sit down."
So: Tex, two-run homer, and I basically knew it was over then.
But one other thing. For all they charge, the Yankees forced their fans to wait nearly three hours for the game to start?
Not to go Phil Mushnick, but have they no shame? Three hours they hold their most loyal fans hostage against a last-place team, selling beer and snacks at premium prices?
This will never be the subject of any collective bargaining agreement. The owners are happy to delay games as long as they please, once the tickets are sold. The players hate make-up games. Both leagues have rules in place: Until September, home teams call rain-outs, until the first pitch is thrown. Or they let the rain fall, and call it a delay.
What motivation ,did the Yankees have except the pecuniary?
I think of football, of the New York Giants.
A family that might have held four Giants season tickets since the fifties, since the Polo Grounds--through Yankee Stadium, the Yale Bowl, and Giants Stadium--was just recently told they needed to come up with eighty grand. Not for their tickets, for for the privilege of keeping the tickets the family might have held for a half-century.
Personal Seat Licenses.
And three-hour rain-outs.
Don't know, was just thinking of them both.
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2 comments:
I was listening to an ESPN radio show a week before the All-Star break. The great Peter Gammons was being interviewed by Colin Cowheard. He made this statement, and it stuck in my head and I thought about it tonight. He was talking about the tight races and who needed to pick up whom before the trade deadline. And then he said this- 'The really true sign of a great team, is a team that is 20 games above .500 after the break'
The Yankees are now 21 games over .500 after the break. I'm certainly not one to argue with Gammons.
Now the question- Who will the Yankees pick up for the stretch run? A starter, middle relief, or a set-up man? I don't think they need a bat. And if they make a move will it be a counter-move to a move the move the Sox will presumeably make, or the last missing piece?
Robbie-Boy
Comments:
PSL's;- They are a ripoff and, unfortunately, they have consequences. Teams will lose loyal fans and,more importantly, may not sellout. Just think, what will the NFL do if they have to impose a blackout on the Giants who represent the # 1 TV market in America? That will be a real day of reckoning. BTW, the Yanks have a form of PSL with the exorbitant ticket prices whose seats go vacant.
Rain Delays- I agree that it is unfair to have a 3 hour delay. However, it was already a makeup game and they didn't want to play a doubleheader although a Saturday night game would have been fine with me. It is a little unsettling for us in the desert when we have to wait until the ungodly hour of 7:00 PM to see the game!
PS I'll settle for clairyorancy.
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