Random thoughts while watching Game 1 of the 2015 World Series.

Mets vs. Royals.  I know I’m a National League guy, but I’m rooting for the Royals this series.  (Sorry KC, I know that’s likely the kiss of death.)  I love the way this team plays.  Few strikeouts, great defense, not a lot of “stars” but a terrific team concept.  And a goofy manager who lets ’em play.  So let’s do this!

Wow!  What a way to start a game.  First pitch inside-the-park home run to start the bottom of the first.  Alcides Escobar was motoring!  What fun.

Have you noticed that the nature of commercials at the World Series has changed – and not for the better.  It use to be beer, beer, and more beer.  Now we get Viagra (yes, because everyone should have to explain ED to their 6 year old) and Opdivo drug commercials (the latter for your lung cancer).  Then there’s Eliquis.  Side effects?  Oh, only significant bleeding, spinal problems, stuff like that.  Really?!?  I know baseball’s demographic is older, but drugs have now replaced beer as the commercial of choice and that’s not a good thing.

Having said that, I actually love the GEICO commercial about bad choices in horror movies.  The line, “Are you crazy, let’s hide behind the chain saws.” is priceless.

Too bad the FOX Sports feed wasn’t off the entire game.  When we were lucky enough to get a half-inning of the MLB International Feed, I was reminded all over again of why I hate FOX sports.  Guys, this isn’t war…it is just a game.  Plus, I like to hear John Smoltz talk pitching.

I was probably one of the few people who was thrilled to learn that the two managers had agreed to play the game without the benefit of video review when the video feed went down.  Real baseball!  Like Joe Posnanski, I hate video review, as it has ruined the spirit of the game. I wish that someone had cleanly stolen a base during that time in the game and the cameras caught the fact that their leg lifted off the bag for a millisecond while the defender held the tag. For 100+ years, that’s a stolen base.  It should still be a stolen base.  End of rant.

I know the shift works because players will hit into it, but I did get some perverse pleasure when not one but two Mets runners went from first-to-third on routine ground balls to right.  If everyone is playing where God put them for the past 100+ years, neither runner gets to third and the game is 3-1 Royals going into the late innings.

Kauffman Stadium is beautiful. ‘Nuff said.

Do you think Tom Verducci has written out the cliches he uses so he’ll remember them?  Hips faster than Elvis. Hotter than molten lava. Dark Knight turns into Silent Night (after the feed went down).  Please.  Well, at least we don’t have to listen to Ron Darling who – in terms of never shutting up – gives Tim McCarver a run for his money.

Okay…into the Mets bullpen!  Royals couldn’t figure out Harvey, so maybe there’s some hope here.

Let me see, where have I heard, “This is a talented young team with a great pitching staff who will be good for a long, long time”?  Oh yeah, that would be the Nationals.  Be careful, Mets.  Stuff happens.

Thank God…a Blue Moon beer commercial!  I had thought all the beer companies had gone bankrupt. Of course, it is a fancy beer with an orange garnish.  What have we become?!?

With men on base, the first baseman has to stop that grounder getting through in the 8th.  They teach this in Little League: block the ball and keep it in the infield.  Jeez.

Wonder if I should take down my Tyler Clippard Washington Nationals bobblehead and put a voodoo curse on it.  Nah…Tyler is a good guy.  He’s not in DC because Rizzo blew it (along with multiple other moves this year.)  No need to blame Clippard.  He almost got through the inning.

Okay, we could have gone through this game without a Bill Buckner reference.

Maybe sometimes I do like video review (he says sheepishly).  But in calling Wright safe in the top of the 9th, the second base ump just blew a call that was right in front of him.  The home plate umpire, on the other hand, has had a tight, consistent strike zone the entire game.  Same for both teams.  No complaints.

Wow!!! 9th inning home run by Alex Gordon!  Deepest part of the park. Tie game!!!  Now they can stop talking about that damned unearned run and Bill Buckner.  Will we have a walk-off, or free baseball?  Could Escobar end the game with a second inside the park job?

Nope.  Free baseball coming up.

Have I made my rant about how late they play World Series games?  No?  Well, here it is.  What kid could stay up past 11:30 on a school night?  They start the Super Bowl at 6 p.m.  Perhaps if they started the World Series at a reasonable time…like 7 p.m….they might build a new fan base that doesn’t have to rely on Viagra and Opdivo.

Man, that Wade Davis has a righteous cutter!  Who needs defensive teammates?  So of course the Mets send in a reliever in the bottom of the 10th who gets a weak pop-up and two strikeouts.  On to the 11th.

Coming up on midnight.  Great game.  I’ll regret this tomorrow morning.  Hmmm…maybe I won’t make it to the gym.

David Wright is the Ryan Zimmerman of the Mets.  It is hard to hate someone who is so talented and good. But I’m glad he just struck out to end the top of the 11th.  Now in the bottom of the inning, Granderson makes an amazing catch.  These guys are good. I’m fading here.

I did not want to see Daniel Murphy come up again tonight.  Happily Murphy strikes out, the ball gets by the catcher, who then gets a perfect bounce back from the wall and throws to first to record the out.  The softest throwing pitcher yet to enter the game strikes out the side in the top of the 12th. We’re starting to see it all in this game.

And why are Pete Rose and Alex Rodriquez working this game for FOX?  Oh yes, I just answered my own question.  Because it is FOX.

Bartolo Colon – with that waistline – is the epitome of John Kruk’s famous saying, “Lady, I’m not an athlete.  I’m a professional baseball player.”  I wasn’t sure he was going to get off the mound to field that bunt. Winning run in scoring position.  Let’s do this!

Oh well…let’s leave the bases loaded instead.  On to the 13th.

Now it is coming up on midnight in the CENTRAL time zone.  Time for Pokey LaFarge to entertain us with “Central Time.”

Okay, leadoff man on! But that’s it. On to the 14th.  What am I always saying about baseball not having a clock.

Great.  We’re so late that the commercials have switched to the television preachers and TitleMax.  FOX obviously didn’t sell 14 innings of commercials.  Top of the order went down quickly for the Mets.  Let’s see what the top of the order can do for the Royals in the bottom of the inning.

And we have a great defensive play…in the stands along the first base line.  Followed by an error on the field when Wright’s throw goes off line.  Woo hoo!  First and third, with no one out. An intentional walk loads the bases.

And at 1:18 a.m. ET there’s the walk-off.  Hosmer redeems himself for the error with a long sac fly to right.  Granderson doesn’t have much of an arm, and Escobar scores the first and last runs of the game.

What a game!

More to come…

DJB

Image by Cindy Danger Jones on Pixabay.