Monday, June 25, 2007

In Rod We Trusted...

It was the 9th inning of a tight game between the Giants and the Marlins in Florida. The Giants were up by a run and had brought in their closer, Rod Beck, to help preserve the victory. It was 1993 and the Giants were in a dogfight pennant race with the Braves where every game counted down the stretch. Beck had been banged up - had blown a couple of saves in the previous week. There was some concern that he might be too banged up to finish the season.

After striking out the first batter, the next Marlin singled solidly and Giants fans everywhere groaned inwardly. Would this be the start of another blown save? The next Marlin up was a feared power hitter. Beck looked in, let his arm dangle, and then blew a fastball right by the batter. A collective sigh of relief, Beck was doing okay. He'd strike this guy out and...

CRACK!

The next pitch came in a little too fat. The Marlin jumped all over it. It sailed far and deep into the night - easily the farthest hit ball of the night - and as it disappeared into the gloom of the darkness of the stadium only one thing kept the Giants fans from committing mass suicide... it had been foul.

Beck got the next pitch down and the batter drove it into an inning ending double play and the Giants got off the field and Beck had another save.

What sticks in my mind about this particular play on this particular night is not that Rod Beck was pitching, or that he was particularly dominant. We all loved Rod Beck. He was old school. He was tough, intimidating, and he just kept coming after batters like the Terminator. But he wasn't especially gifted as a pitcher. He just exuded attitude. He had the look and the feel of a closer - often an overlooked element in what make a closer so intimidating. Even with his crappy stuff working, 9/10ths of his job as closer was to make the batter feel that it was going to be REALLY hard to get a hit off this guy. That was the feeling Beck gave out. It wasn't the pitching so much as it was the attitude. What sticks out in my mind about this particular night was the attitude Rod Beck displayed about being the Giants closer.

When asked in the post game conference what Rod Beck had thought about the 0-1 pitch that had ended up deep in the bleachers, barely foul, he replied, "Strike Two".

Rod, we will miss you. You died too young at 38 this weekend.

Our prayers for your family and friends as they go through these troubling times.

Friday, June 15, 2007

For Whom To Root?

This weekend provides us with the first opportunity since 1912 to see the Giants and Red Sox play each other. I grew up a Giants fan and have rooted for them all my life. However, the only professional team I have ever worked for has been the Red Sox - albeit on the lowest possible level (T-Ball ;). In my inner heart there is a struggle to decide which team is more deserving of my loyalty.

On the one hand, the Red Sox have been playing fairly decent baseball - sliding off a little in recent weeks after an incredibly hot start. But the dreaded Yankees are now coming on strong behind them and if I want my Red Sox to continue to do well, it might be good to have them beat up on the Giants. I have the jersey and the hat to wear and Fenway is an American classic.

On the other hand, I am now and always shall be a Giants fan. They are the team that I grew up with and have died with on many, many occassions. I sat through fog soaked nights with them where I couldn't see the field. I ate chocolate malts in 40 minus degrees whether to help start a 9th Inning rally. I stayed all the way through a Monday night extra innings game against Montreal that ended 2-1 in the 14th. I was there for the final game at Candlestick and for the first game at PACBELL. I stopped collecting autographs when all my favorite players and managers were being traded after I'd got them to sign something. I have pleaded, cajoled, wheedled, and otherwise browbeaten God again and again and again to let my home town nine win just one more game, just one more series, just one more playoff, just four more outs! I guess I've become invested in their success.

I can't decide. I like the Red Sox, but I love the Giants. It'll be hard for me to decide which way to root. But I think ultimately, I'll probably default to the Giants. Either way, this is bound to make for one hell of a good series!