Thoughts from the Baseball Playoffs

It certainly was an exciting week of baseball playoffs that started with the two Wild Card play-in games and ended with St. Louis’ improbable comeback win over the Nationals last night. We saw walk-off homers, meltdowns from closers, and the same commercials over, and over, and over. And over.

It was pretty special that all four Division Series’ went the full five games, although I was hoping for some different teams to advance. I like that none of the remaining teams won’t have a rested pitching staff, with their aces lined up to pitch three times in the next round. I’ve had my fill of the Yankees, Cardinals, and Giants. Loses by the Reds, Orioles, and Nationals were disappointing. The A’s were a great story, and their Game 4 comeback win was dramatic, but I couldn’t have them beating my home-town Tigers.

Closers for the Tigers, Orioles, and Nationals had rough series’. Jose Valverde blew a three-run lead in Game 4 against the A’s. Washington’s Drew Storen lost a two-run lead, and the series, last night. Meanwhile managers Jim Leyland and Davey Johnson just stood back and watched. Sure, they sent their pitching coaches out. But I would rather see the manager himself go out and offer up an old-fashioned tongue lashing right there on the mound. Football and basketball coaches yell. Why won’t baseball managers? Instead they calmly act like nothing is wrong. What, they have to protect the fragile psyche of these over-paid grown-ups? Maybe get another person up in the bullpen? I don’t care if it’s the third-string catcher. Send a message to get those prima-donna pitchers to throw strikes.

And speaking of Davey Johnson, what’s with those glasses? He’s 69 years old and he’s wearing clear sunglasses that look more fitting for a beach volleyball player.

The Nationals Jayson Werth hit a walk-off homer in Game 4. I was skeptical when he took a huge salary to move from the first-place Phillies to the bottom-dwelling Nats. Who knew Washington would turns things around so quickly? But with all that money, why does Werth continue to moonlight as the misunderstood caveman in the Geico commercials?

TBS does a serviceable job with their coverage. Former players John Smoltz and Cal Ripken were great in the Yankee-Orioles series. But, man, those constant Samsung and Captain Morgan commercials were horrible. I’m hearing the word “Déjà vu” in my sleep. It seems as if the ads for one of those two products appear during every break. They’re almost starting to blend together. I keep expecting the good Captain to don a hipster outfit and sit in line for an iPhone while getting sloshed on rum because his phone isn’t as smart as the Samsung Galaxy 3S. Usually, I just hit the mute button during those commercials. Which is what I’ll have to do during the games when Fox takes over and Tim McCarver starts blathering.

I liked the “Moss Landing” banner in Oakland’s outfield seats for A’s slugger Brandon Moss. But I think the announcers were remiss to not mention that Moss Landing is an actual town in Northern California.

On Thursday, probably for the first time in my life, I ignored the baseball games to watch the Vice Presidential debate. I must be getting old, or maybe growing up. Who knew Joe Biden had such white teeth? His cheeks must have been aching from all that chuckling. I heard a Today Show talking head call his performance “joyful, engaged, colorful, animated, and aggressive.” Imagine what the democrats would be saying had Paul Ryan been the one to do all the laughing, eye-rolling, and interrupting that Biden displayed. Can you say smug, rude, immature, and childish?

So on to the League Championship Series’ we go. It will be huge to see the Tigers usher in one of my favorite holidays: Yankee Elimination Day. Tigers in 6. But, I’m very sad for one of my best friends back in Michigan because his nine-year-old son has developed a kinship for the Yankees. Though I don’t have kids, this is one of my greatest fears of parenting, second only to my child having to play on a little league team named the Yankees. My friend is a great dad, though I just don’t know how he could have let this happen. Some things I guess are unavoidable. But other than an accidental death or a terminal disease, what could be worse for a parent?

In the NL, the Giants-Cardinals series is too tough to call. There’s San Francisco’s pitching vs. St. Louis’ Lazarus-like ability to come back from the dead. This one goes 7. I’d prefer to see the Giants win, but the redbirds have one more miracle comeback in their feathers.

It’ll be like Déjà vu all over again.