(BOD - Leighton Meester)
(Thanks to AC for clearing up the final play of Roy’s no hitter. It pays to have readers who are much smarter than I)
I love love love what Nolan Ryan has been trying do with his pitching staff in Texas. He is challenging his guys to sack up when they’re on the mound and finish what they’ve started. He’s attempting to construct a rotation in his own image and I think it’s fabulous that he’s going against the baseball establishment and believing that his guys’ arms won’t fall off after 100 pitches.
And suffice to say, his pitchers have drank the Kool-Aid and have the Rangers on the brink of making it to the American League Championship Series. I can’t give Ryan credit for Cliff Lee; Lee was a stud long before he came to Texas, but it was Ryan’s influence that brought Lee to the Rangers in the first place.
However, Nolan deserves every bit of credit for CJ Wilson’s dominating performance against the Rays in Game 2 of the Division Series. It was Wilson, a former closer, who approached Ryan and team management in the offseason saying he wanted to be a starter. He didn’t ask, more like he forcefully suggested. Ryan didn’t waffle and said maybe we’ll give you a shot at spring training. No, he looked Wilson in the eye, told him he was going to start and that he should plan his offseason training accordingly. It’s the confidence Ryan has instilled in his pitching staff, that they are charge of the game when on the mound, that has led to Texas’ success.
From one great left-handed performance to another, Andy Pettitte did his job, as he’s done for fifteen years, by shutting down the Twins last night to give the Yanks a 2-0 series lead. It’s a great time to be a fan of left-handed pitching as there are a number of great guys currently pitching in October. However, I do feel bad for Carl Pavano. He got completely hosed on that 2-2 pitch to Lance Berkman. Without a doubt, that was a strike.
In fact, if that had been me on the mound, that late in a close game, I guarantee I would have been run out of the game for mouthing off to the umpire after that. I’m out there working my ass off, make a perfect pitch, and you call it a ball? I would have lost my shit.
And much like Wednesday, a great left handed performance was over shadowed by an incredible outing by a righthander. Timmy Lincecum absolutely dealt to the Braves last night, striking out 14 in a complete game shutout. It was almost as good as Halladay’s gem (save for a couple of mistakes), but unfortunately I was asleep by the time Timmy really got good.
I went to bed when he had 6 strikeouts through 4. Obviously, I will not make the same mistake again and fall asleep when Lincecum’s on the hill.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend.
Back on Tuesday. Amazingly, we could already be previewing the League Championship Series’ by that time, if the current trends hold.
(The Man)
Wow.
It was only day one of the playoffs and I’m already not sure if my body can take anymore excitement. Who needs Cialis when you have Roy Halladay pitching in the postseason?
Seriously, I had to consult a physician because I had an erection that lasted way longer than four hours last night. My memory is a little foggy and I think I passed out at one point from the lack of blood, but I believe it started early afternoon when Cliff Lee was mowing down the Rays lineup and continuing his playoff dominance.
Then Halladay took the mound around 5pm and there was no rest or reprieve in sight for Little Tewks. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I don’t think there are enough superlatives in the English language for me to describe the greatness and terrifying efficiency of Roy’s performance last night. It was like watching him throw a bullpen session to imaginary hitters. Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it and it got to a point during the game that it was surprising to even see a Reds batter make contact with a pitch, let alone hit anything hard.
It was an odd no-hitter because after Reds reliever Travis Wood smoked that ball to rightfield early in the game, there was no defensive play that made you stop and say ‘Wow, that one could be the one that saved the no-hitter.’ It was almost like the outcome was never in doubt. That is what a pitcher who has complete mastery of his craft throws like. It was like watching a video game set on an ‘Easy’ difficulty level.
The only adversity Halladay faced was the moronic ramblings of the idiots calling the game for TBS (they don’t deserve to have their names mentioned in this space). At every opportunity from the fifth inning onward, they couldn’t wait to tell the audience that a no-hitter was in progress.
Really, guys? How about a little decorum and respect for baseball superstition. You never mention a no-hitter in progress. Instead say something like “The Reds still have only had one baserunner, by way of a walk.” Then everyone knows what’s going on, but it’s not mentioned explicitly.
These morons couldn’t wait to talk all about it. The only thing they didn’t do was go down to the bench between innings and whisper it in Halladay’s ear. I hope a fire broke out on their floor of the hotel last night.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out CSzem’s shortcomings on such a historic night. Remember that he was the one, in Tuesday’s podcast, to wonder if Doc would be nervous before his first postseason start. Poor, poor Cszem. If only we could all be that nervous.
I’ve never seen a pitcher with such unblemished command of his entire repertoire of pitches. EVERYTHING was working last night. The movement on his changeup, sinker and slider was nothing short of incredible. The Reds hitters, and these are professionals, looked like lost puppies at the plate. Have you ever seen so many swings and misses in an MLB game before?
I didn’t even sit down for the last two innings of the game, the magnitude of the situation threatened to make my heart stop beating. I think Halladay was the calmest person in the stadium last night. And, I’m not ashamed to admit, but it may have gotten a little dusty in the Tewks household after the last out was made.
It was one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed live on television (it narrowly beats out the Britney/Madonna kiss as the VMAs a few years back).
I can’t wait to see what the good Doctor has in store for his encore.
(Quick postscript: on the last out of the game, when the ball struck the bat in fair territory, isn’t that an automatic out? Or at least a dead ball? There’s no way play can continue after something like that, correct? If anyone knows the answer, let us know in the comments section).
(BOD - Sasha Gray)
Those of you who are regular readers of this blog, but not fans of the great game of baseball may want to search elsewhere for entertainment over the next three weeks. Starting with tomorrow’s column, it’s going to be all baseball, all the time until a World Series champion is crowned.
I can’t even focus on today’s column because of the playoff-induced erection that is currently funnelling all of the blood in my body down south. Truthfully, I’m hard enough to bore a hole into the Hope Diamond. Nevertheless, I am going to power through and address a couple of things that have pissed me off in recent days.
- I have really had it with Blogger and the new picture posting feature. I have no idea what the hell the program is talking about or why it won’t even recognize pics I copy for posting (they just disappear). And Mrs. CSzem, the reason I am having an issue is due to the fact that I’m an idiot. Why did they have to change the picture post feature? The old one worked fine. I hate change.
(Edit: I fixed it, which proves that I am, in fact, the smartest man alive)
- I am really not going to like the Miami Heat this year. I watched the highlights of their first game and the only part I liked was watching Dwayne Wade limp off the court with a hamstring injury. It’s weird, I used to like LeBron’s powder throw into the air before games. Now, it just seems like a cry for attention. I hope someone replaces the resin with anthrax.
During warm-ups, Dwayne Wade did three pull-ups off the rim. Normally, I am all for doing pull-ups whenever and wherever possible. But Wade couldn’t even do proper pull-ups. He only did three, and not once did he lower his arms to full extension at the bottom of the rep or get his chin above the rim at the top of the rep. I hate people who cut corners during training, especially when Wade was just doing it to show off in the first place and he can’t even do it properly. Hmm, I wonder why he got injured when it’s apparent he likes to cheat on his training. I hope his hamstring came off the bone.
I just plain don’t like Chris Bosh. The fact he is still being treated like one of the top players in the league makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t even call him a second banana. He’s the banana you leave on the counter for too long and it ends up looking like a turd with flakes of mustard sprinkled throughout.
- Whatever happened to actors who can actually carry themselves like athletes and make you believe they could succeed at the sport? Gone are the days of guys like Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner inhabiting a character who plays sports and pulling off the physicality needed to make it believable. You put Costner in a sports movie and there is no doubt in your mind that he could play that sport at the highest level.
I don’t see that attention to detail anymore. I thought of this while watching the newest season of Eastbound and Down. Now, it’s a fantastic, funny, highly entertaining show, but I can’t get over the fact that every baseball scene is excruciating to watch. Danny McBride makes the guy who played Costner’s father in Field of Dreams look like Nolan Ryan. I understand that it’s a comedy, but I can’t believe Kenny Powers can throw 100 miles per hour. I don’t believe he can throw 50.
The producers know this and they’ve peppered every baseball scene with actors at the same shitty baseball calibre as McBride, so as to not upstage the star. Seriously? They couldn’t have put him in a baseball camp for three weeks and teach him not to throw like a girl?
- I may or may not have watched Teen Mom last night. This is less a grievance to air and more a commentary on my sad, sorry existence. What the hell is wrong with me? I didn’t even really enjoy the show. Every single person on camera is a complete moron who should have never been allowed to procreate in the first place.
All the show is going to do is sensationalize teen pregnancy so a bunch of idiot kids can think making a baby will lead to fame and fortune. I hate society. Also, the redhead chick has smoking hot friends. I need to see more of them, maybe in three-way, and less crying, bitching and moaning. If, you know, I ever watch the show again (season finale Tuesday at 10pm).
(I really need some computer expertise. The new 'Add Image' browser web thing in Blogger is wreakig havoc on my ability to post pictures. It won't let me post pics that I save or pics that I take from the Internet by posting the URL. The only thing I can do is post pictures I've already used.)
After much delay, here is the MLB Playoff Preview podcast. We covered all the series in-depth and have some meandering conversations about some other topics as well.
Talkin' with Tewks Live: MLB Playoff Preview
Enjoy.
Where’s this week’s episode of Talkin’ with Tewks Live, you ask? I know many of you access this site every Monday morning purely for the opportunity to hear my smooth, syrupy baritone and CSzem’s high-pitched shrill.
You can direct your complaints to my cohost as he begged off podcast duties early this morning. Why? I’m not sure, although I can only assume it has something to do with spending his son’s university savings to cover his massive gambling debts.
I don’t consider myself that much of an intimidating guy, but I could almost hear CSzem’s knees quaking while I read his text asking, nay begging, for a postponement. Here’s a word for word transcript of his message. I felt like Rocky talking to one of Gazzo’s deadbeat clients. Once again, this is verbatim:
“Um, Mr. Tewks, sir. Um, would it be possible if we moved the podcast to tomorrow? I’m really sorry, sir. I just really need it moved by a day. I don’t know enough about baseball to match your unparalleled intelligence and wit. I’m so, so sorry, Mr. Tewks. Please forgive me.”
Pathetic, right?
So, instead of a podcast previewing the MLB playoffs, I’m going to scramble something together and comment on The Ryder Cup as I watch singles play live this Monday morning.
Rain and the time difference has wreaked absolute havoc on my ability to watch coverage of the event and figure out what’s going on in the 38th edition of the format. I could never figure out if the coverage was live or not and usually just retreated to the internet to figure out where things stood.
Some comments about the event:
- The performance by the Europeans on Sunday was incredibly impressive. They very nearly whitewashed play letting the US only garner a single half point and putting a stranglehold on the competition (barring a Brookline-esque collapse)
- I love watching golfers with zero athletic talent, except the ability to hit a golf ball, prance and preen around the green yelling at the top of their lungs and pumping their firsts like they just made a sack in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl
- This is definitely the most exciting event in golf. Golfers rarely show emotion and most crowds are stodgy and boring, but not in The Ryder Cup. Everyone is jacked up to an unfathomable degree.
- My love for the European squad is waning with every Ole chant that springs up in the crowd. Then I remember seeing the US WAGs (wives and girlfriends) running onto the green in high heels at Brookline and my hatred for the American squad comes to the fore once again.
- I love how the announcers assume that the viewing audience cannot do simple arithmetic and say things like “Europe needs 14.5 points to win. They currently have 9.5. That means they need five more points to win.” Thanks, guys. What would we do without you?
- Tiger appears to be back. After losing the first two holes to one of the Molinari brothers, he has put together an incredible round, including five birdies and an eagle (as of 8:30am).
- I will never get tired of hearing the crowd cheer for bad shots by the US squad. Something about it makes me smile.
The NBC crew is trying way too hard to make it seem like the US has a chance. This competition is over. I’m going to watch the rest of the coverage unfettered and hope CSzem sacks up for tomorrow.
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