Baseball Bits
First, the randomness. I was discussing the Balk with my husband the other day – a point we’ve discussed frequently. I don’t entirely understand all of the facets of a balk. I know that part of it has to do with crossing the plane of the rubber and delivering the ball to home plate. Then there’s another part of it where you can’t make a move to home plate and throw to first (or not throw the ball at all I guess). But the details of it I find very hard to concretely define or understand.
The thing I do know about a balk is that you know it when you see it. Making the balk, effectively, the “pornography of baseball.”
As for why I’m REALLY here, I would like to just point out that the Orioles have beaten both the #1 and #2 starters for the Yankees. Granted, Sabathia went 0-3 and then 1-5 last year. He’s not an “April pitcher” but as a beleaguered O’s fan, I’ll take what I can get.
(As an aside, C.C. doesn’t exactly appear to be in “fighting” shape yet either…in the gray uniform of the Yankees he looked a little like a small elephant on the mound. I hope the pinstripes are at least a little bit thinning on him.)
Furthermore, Mark “no thanks I’ll take the money” Texiera is one-for-Camden-Yards in these first two games of the season and Baltimore fans have let him know, unequivocally, their opinions on the matter. (phrase stolen from my friend Bill – check out his blog, linked in my Blogroll.)
So I’m happy. So far. Yes, I know it’s early…VERY early in the season and I know this glow won’t last too long, but our starting pitching looks good (wish our bullpen looked better) and of course we have George Sherrill. Much like my band, ain’t much to look at but he delivers when it counts.
By August I’m sure I will be spewing venom about how we have one of the best defensive infields in baseball and some really great hitters (had three hitters last year who combined led the league in doubles with close to 50 each) but can’t pitch our way through the 7th inning. I’m sure I will spend the same number of hours explaining to my 7-year-old how a 5 run lead against the Yankees might not be enough, even in the 8th inning.
But I have hope. And that’s what baseball is all about. The clean slate you start with in April that you have 162 games to fill, and with any luck, with more W than L. And each game is a clean slate that you have 9 innings to fill, and with any luck, with more R than the other guy.
Lordy I love the spring.
Leave a Reply