“The Giants Win The Pennant!”
Five words that strike an icy dagger to the heart. Five words that–in a particular cadence, repeated with a maniacal enthusiasm–describe what might rank as the game’s signature moment. Five words that never fail to turn my stomach, though that signature moment happened 18 years before I was born, and though my faith in the Dodgers has waned in the face of geographic convenience.
Five words that I’ve only had to hear referring to the present tense once before this week. Five words that every Giants fan shouted aloud after Kenny Lofton blooped Steve Kline’s pitch over second base on Monday night. Five words I could do without hearing again for a long time. It’s been 48 years since the Giants last won the World Series, but that buys no sympathy here. Or in Boston, or in Cleveland, or on the North Side of Chicago, I’ll bet. Not that the Giants fans spend a lot of time bemoaning that drought, or developing an entire catalog of neuroses around it. I can respect that, at least.
Giants fan “Ponderous” John Perricone of Only Baseball Matters is in a festive mood thanks to the Giants’ berth in the Series, even going so far as to paint his weblog those lovely (cough, cough) team colors. He’s got a little analysis of the two teams’ offenses up today which is worth a mention. One thing John keys upon is the Angels ability to avoid strikeouts:
By being so tough to strikeout, the Angels really work over a pitcher and a team. They not only eat up a huge number of pitches, fouling off one after another; but they also put a lot of pressure on their opponents defense, because invariably they put the ball in play; often-times on a flair or a bloop or some other demoralizing, exhausting, frustrating way. Finishing off these hitters has undone two terrific rotations, and it’s the main reason they are in the World Series. It’s how they were able to put together those two innings of mayhem… Angels have hit an astonishing .310/.310/.552 with an 0-2 count in these playoffs. This is the key to their offensive success, and I believe it is the key to this series. Can they continue to produce in such obviously difficult counts.”
John sees the Angels coming back to earth offensively, their breaks evening out to give the Giants a good shot.
I’ll weigh in with my own take on the Series tomorrow, as I literally don’t have the stomach to do so today. I’m under the weather, and the weather in NYC is miserable.