So Yankees-Red Sox was everything as advertised: a thrilling game played by two terrific teams before a big, excited crowd.
Everywhere else, though, was apathy and despair.
Toronto—already trying to contend with Curtis Granderson in the cleanup spot—was not only no-hit (by a Canadian, no less!), but saw their shortstop join Grandy on the DL, and their closer arrested for assaulting a woman.
Camden Yards was a house of horrors, as Dylan "Ted" Bundy became the first pitcher since at least 1900 to serve up 4 homers without securing an out. The Orioles trailed, 10-0, after one.
The Mets, meanwhile, traded off the man who was once the light of their franchise for a back-up catcher, who took a third strike to end a contest at The Great American Ballpark before what looked like the players' immediate friends and family.
Meanwhile, Todd Frazier joined DeGrom on the DL, and I suspect that Cespedes is not far behind, as the Pride of Flushing continues its freefall through the NL East.
It's not just baseball, either. Last night, Clyde Frazier informed us that it was highly likely that the Knicks' best player, Krispsnacks Porkrings, would likely be held out for ALL of next season, so the team could run up at least 60 losses and get better draft picks.
This is today's great irony: North American sports are all set up to maximize parity, but instead we get parody, a handful of super teams, with everybody else tanking like crazy, in order to "rebuild."
Rebuilding from within SOUNDS very good and virtuous—though if your team is run by, say, the Dolan family or a real estate developer more interested in using your park as the anchor for a giant development, well, then, you are just out of luck.
And of course, while they all tank and rebuild, seat and cable prices will remain the same or higher, thank you very much.
It seems to me that we now combine the worst of both worlds: the old sports world, where ludicrously undercapitalized owners made teams such as the Phillies or the St. Louis Browns patsies for decades, and the new sports world, where everyone is charged a king's ransom to get so much as a peek at these paragons of virtue.
All of which makes me feel all the better to support the unabashedly big, bad, evil team from the Bronx. But it does make me wonder how long it can all last.
Is anybody still going to be rooting for the Knicks after another 10 years of this nonsense? Or, say, the Milwaukee Bucks, last a contender when Lew Alcindor was their star? Or the Orioles, last in the World Series 35 years ago?
By the by, the Yanks have now pulled ahead of Soccer by 77-75. So there!
For the good of the sport, MLB should force the sale of teams when owners have proven themselves incapable of running a franchise. They can't win, even though the system is rigged in their favor. I doubt a legitimate business, say McDonalds, would allow a franchise to flounder year after year and drag down the name and value of the Corporation. Yet with Sports, this seems acceptable (see Knicks, Browns, Orioles, Reds, etc.)
ReplyDeleteSeriously. If KC and the Cubs and Houston can win titles, then anyone can.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the anyone rooted for the Knicks.
ReplyDeleteI used to listen to their games on radio, when they had Dollar Bill, Earl the Pearl, Willis, Dave D. and others.
Once they moved into the Pat Ewing era with Clyde et al, it was still a thrill a minute.
But then, they traded Ewing, because they owner was too cheap and stupid to realize.....etc/
Bottom line; I have never watched, listened or read about them since.
Nor have they won anything.
Even when they win, they lose.
They made the finals, in that blessedly strike shortened season, the same year Ewing got hurt, and every sportswriter in town proclaimed that it was the great thing since sliced bread.
ReplyDelete"Oh, now the Knicks will run! Now they'll be great without Ewing slowing them down."
Yeah.
ReplyDeleteI really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.