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The "Rap" .......
About Baseball & More......
by Tom Cole
© 2005
September 30, 2005
Down to the Wire
| With merely three games remaining in the regular season, the drama builds in the AL East, as the Red Sox, seemingly in control of things until recently, managed to scrape by the Orioles in a 9th inning rally and tie the Yankees for 1st place in the division. In the past, the loser knew they could advance to the playoffs, as no other teams in the rest of the AL could match them on the field or on paper. But this year is different. The Indians, predicted to be a force in spring training stumbled out of the blocks in April and only regained their footing when their team MVP, Victor Martinez, started to finally hit. Languishing near the infamous “Mendoza Line” for the first two months of the season, his current .307 batting average belies the hot streak he enjoyed, sparking his equally young teammates as well as the firing the imagination of their once rabid and currently delirious fan base. | The interim period of losing was reminiscent of the days at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, with small, quiet crowds, but the fans are rocking out again at the “Jake” and so are the players, fearlessly giddy and feeling the confidence of invincible youth. Their resurgence may mark one of the single greatest collapses in MLB history if the White Sox manage to totally squander the 15 game lead they enjoyed on Aug. 1. The misgivings in Chicago are in sync with their checkered history, having not won a World Series since 1917, with their last appearance in 1959, the go-go White Sox of Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox. This team is very similar to that one, sparked by lead off hitter Scott Podsednik, and the execution of fundamentals throughout a lineup with no real stars. |
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Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge, left, argues with second base umpire Gary Cederstrom after Indians' Grady Sizemore was called out on a close play at second to end the 12th inning against the Chicago White Sox, in Cleveland.
Sizemore was forced on Jhonny Peralta's ground ball to third. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan) |
| But the Tribe squandered so many opportunities against the White Sox, leaving men on base and not hitting in the clutch, giving no support to Kevin Millwood did nothing to disappoint those who expect him to win the AL era title, allowing only one run in seven innings. Only Martinez hit well, while Travis Haffner, an outsiders choice for league MVP, left three runners on base in a 1 for 4 performance. Playing against a lineup of Chicago reserves and September call-ups, the Indians could not capitalize and their chances for the post season rest with outcome of the Boston/NY series, as they must hope Boston sweeps while they win the two remaining games in this long season. | Boston, on the other hand, resurrected the hopes of their fans and the dreams of a year ago in taking the series opener with NY. David Wells started and got the win against a strong Yankee lineup that features Alex Rodriguez and his MVP power numbers batting second. If that does not give some indication regarding the depth of their lineup, nothing will. With the furor of a playoff atsmosphere, the Red Sox hit and pitched their way past the Yankees, holding on despite Jeter's two run homerun reducing the margin to a slim two run lead. Mike Timlin, makeshift closer, was determined not to yield, and did not, retiring the Yankees current version of Mr. October (Jeter) on an infield ground ball to Edgar Renteria, who chose to throw across the diamond to retire his Yankee counterpart, rather than take the easy out at 2b on a force out. |
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| Houston is making it interesting, losing Friday night to the Cubs, allowing three runs in the final two innings at Wrigley, while the Phillies slid past the once contending Washington team and their best if somewhat recalcitrant pitcher, Livan Hernandez. The Phillies, led by their middle infield tandem of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins with, sandwiched between them in the batting order, the ancient yet productive Kenny Lofton, produced six hits and scored two runs. Utley has emerged as real force, and batting him 3rd indicates the confidence of his manager in his abilities. And to imagine he was a platoon player at the beginning of the season. | Clemens, insisting he needs another start before the playoffs begin, will pitch today against the Cubs. His stance is somewhat odd and slightly premature; if he pitches as he has recently, the playoff hopes of his team will be in jeopardy as the Phillies send the reliable Brett Myers out against the Nats' John Patterson. It could turn out to be much more interesting than the Astros might have hoped for, and in a possible one game playoff, anything could happen and the Phillies everyday lineup is more imposing than that of Houston, which has struggled to score runs throughout the season |
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is late on the tag during the third inning at RFK Stadium in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
| The drama of a marathon reaches its apex in this final weekend. Unbelievably, after 160 games there are still five teams vying for three spots in the postseason. This is what it is all about, the fascination with the game is understandable as one sees | 41,000 people on their feet at Fenway, cheering on their pitcher in the 6th inning, or the grimaces on the face of the young Cleveland players as they stuggle with themselves to win a crucial September game as their fans moan and groan in despair. |