Redbird Ramblings - April 22nd 2007

Ahh, the third of three great rivalry games for the Cardinals and the Cubs at Wrigley Field. This game was probably the most nostalgic of any this season, mostly because the Cubs overall play was reminiscent of the late 70's and early 80s where they have a gorgeous day for baseball, they get out in front and dominate, they come back to tie it up, and amazingly fall behind and end up losing HUGE in the top of the 9th!

Oh, the curse of the Cubbies is felt greatly in my heart, but today, all is well as I was voting for the Cardinals to win so that they'd collect another win for a very slow start to the 2007. As I write this, the Cardinals are in the field in the bottom of the 9th, ahead by 2, 9-7, with one on. A quick review of the positives:

-- The Weather: Today was the ultimate Baseball Weather day, not only in Chicago, but here in St. Louis. Just under 80, a great touch of wind at Wrigley, blowing straight out, which always makes for an exciting day both as a player and as an observer. Many fly balls were homeruns today because of that grand wind in the Windy City.

-- The BIG O: While I know many of my friends will say that defense makes baseball, there is something about a game with 16 runs in it. I love to watch both some great defense, but I'll take a game with 8 fielders and lots of great hitting over a defensive match any day. Both teams were very solid when the time came to perform, and MMMmmmmm Daddy likes offense.

-- Wrigley: After watching both this and Boston's Fenway so much this weekend, I have begun to remember how interesting Wrigley is. The shadows, the crowd, the almost growing ivy along the wall - there is something that I can't quite describe yet that is magical about Wrigley, and I look forward to trying to capture the text that describes it.

-- Catcher's Armor: I can remember vividly being a beat up catcher both in little league and high school, and the "armor" that catchers now have really is nice. I'll have to try to research what kind of materials and where the actual padding is now, but I remember actually buying my own catchers gear and wearing it through those hot and exciting days in the summers that never seemed to end. It was something special to have your own gear back then and it's clear to me that the catchers today are also creating and crafting their own gear.

-- Whoa hold on a tick: The See-Saw Game: As I write this, the Cubs have two runners on second and third now, the count is 2-0 with 2 out. Just when you count out the Cubbies, they seem to reach back from somewhere and bring it forward. 3 and 0 now, Isringhausen with the pitch: a strike on the outside corner. 3-1. Oh the tension is going to destroy me. And a bloop hit into short right field and TWO SCORE?? The score is TIED??? That ball was in the air at least 30 seconds and no one can get under it? How insane is this? The Windy City brings Preston Wilson a little bit of spit in his eye as he seemed to lose the ball (and potentially the game?) in the sun! Oh my! Now to decide whether to go back and modify my initial posting!? Let's leave it for perspective. Where's that fat lady at? See more about the See-Saw game and how great it truly is!

The Negatives:

-- Jiggling Cameras: In a world where technology has brought not only the players, the stadium, the audience, the televisions and every other damn thing that we interact with to jaw-dropping excellence, how is it that the HD Cameras can't have a gyroscope or something on them so that the cameras don't "jiggle" in the wind on a windy day in Chicago? The problem? If you thought that it was trouble dealing with camera shake on a regular screen it is multiplied 4-fold in an HD world.

-- The people behind home plate on the phone: A POX on all of you people. It's not cool, it's nauseating and your friends that will never be able to afford the tickets that you have that are on the other side of the phone are flipping you the middle finger as you tout your vaulted post with them while on your cellie. Again a POX on your, all of you!

-- Jimmy Edmonds at Bat: There was a time that he was electric when he was at the plate and I have to wonder: Has that time come and gone? Every single time he comes up during the last three games, he has looked like he's half asleep, wafting the bat out there and coming up with a ton of goose eggs. Has the day of Jim Edmonds come and gone to the land of the Arch? As he whiffs at three and strikes out again, we go to the bottom of the 10th inning with the Cardinals leading 12-9.

-- The Long-Legged Uniforms: Coming from a player that had the cool stretchy stirrup socks, I hate, hate HATE, the long, baggy-ass clothes that have been adopted by so many players and teams in the majors currently. It just looks like no one actually has on a uniform that's sized correctly.

The See-Saw Game Continues: The Cardinals have mounted an offense of their own and up comes Pujols: The pitch: Albert JACKS ONE, way back, it could be and it's OUT OF THE GODDAMN PARK! It's out onto Waveland Avenue and it's 12-9, Cardinals! Albert's 5th home run of the season and suddenly the Wrigley crowd is deathly silent! 33 hits in the game as we go to the bottom of the 10th.

Isringhausen is out of the game, and is in what will be the strangest set up for a "W" on his record than he will probably ever see. He's left the game and Springer comes in to finish out the bottom half of the inning. After a couple of quick outs, and a long hard hit fly ball that Wilson catches at the ivy, the game ends with the Cardinals taking two of three this weekend from the Cubbies. Sorry Dr. Mark!

This post is yet another reason why those of you that aren't yet watching baseball should be. It is a game of skill, luck, history, legacy, and rollercoaster rides that few other sports can match.