What A Game (Or Why I Love Baseball)

by Brandon C. on Oct 28, 2011 1:00 AM EDT in Game Recap

Last night into tonight the St. Louis Cardinals kept their World Series hopes alive, coming back from being down to their final strike... twice.

I want to write a long post about how amazing a game it was, but I'm speechless. Sometimes baseball does that to me.

What happened tonight was history. When we look at the past, we look at moments like Kirk Gibson's home run in 1988, Joe Carter's in 1993, and many more. Twenty years from now we will look back at this game, and it will be one of the most famous of all-time.

Joe Buck, often ridiculed for his monotone voice, has been fantastic this World Series so far. His call, the same call his father made twenty years ago, was filled with emotion and a hint of shock. I don't want to hear about his rooting interest, it was a fantastic call. Kudos to him.

Finally, I leave you with this video. Sure, it's a commercial for the NHL playoffs, but I think it fits for all sports. The Texas Rangers could have been in that situation twice, the type of situation they have looked forward to their entire lives. The St. Louis Cardinals stole that away - again, twice.

Game 7 is tonight, and if it is anything like Game 6, we are in for a treat. Either way, one team will walk away champions, and the other will walk away losers of one of the best World Series' in recent times. One team will feel the ultimate joy while the other will feel the ultimate let down.

I love baseball.

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Don't worry

Selig will find new ways to “improve” everything!

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Oct 28, 2011 1:11 AM EDT reply actions

Yup, isnt it great that a team that finished 2nd gets homefield in the WS thanks to an ASG?

Should you choose to test my resolve in this matter, you will be facing a finality beyond your comprehension, and you will not be counting days, or months, or years, but milleniums in a place with no doors.

by YankeesJets on Oct 28, 2011 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions

I guess it is. They certainly earned it tonite.

by rosebud on Oct 28, 2011 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions

“all WS will go 7 games”

by jetanumba2 on Oct 28, 2011 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Definitely

Romine!

by david d on Oct 28, 2011 1:13 AM EDT reply actions

1991, 2001, 2011

Three best WS in the past 20 years. Coincidence?

by PortlandYankee on Oct 28, 2011 1:29 AM EDT reply actions

I can think of 5 better.

by Branta on Oct 28, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Hmm.

perspective.

Romine!

by david d on Oct 28, 2011 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions

And now a clip from TLR's press conference (that I captured)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47PV5eQNVkg

by Branta on Oct 28, 2011 1:29 AM EDT reply actions

Thought I heard that during his interview, don’t think anyone mentioned it

by PortlandYankee on Oct 28, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Should Nelson Cruz

have caught that ball in the 9th?…

by Travis G on Oct 28, 2011 1:34 AM EDT reply actions

Probably, yes

It was up against the wall, but he had plenty of time to get there. With the WS on the line, you have to be willing to sacrifice your body to make that catch.

by waw on Oct 28, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Looked like he misjudged it, so I say yes.

Jesus Montero fangirl

by WhatwouldJeterdo on Oct 28, 2011 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions

He shouldn’t have been in the game. They had Murphy on the bench, but Ron Washington Buckner’d that game and he might regret it.

by jetanumba2 on Oct 28, 2011 7:29 AM EDT up reply actions

a healthy Cruz probably catches that

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Oct 28, 2011 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes, he should have.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." --Rogers Hornsby

@csm5206

by Chris McKeown on Oct 28, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes. He was seven steps from the wall. Apparently, he’s known for being a Bobby Abreu.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.
Follow me on Twitter @frankiecamp48

by Frank Campagnola on Oct 28, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

How do you think Joe Buck feels about being named after that guy in Midnight Cowboy?

by PortlandYankee on Oct 28, 2011 1:35 AM EDT reply actions

This is why baseball is the best sport ever…

"You kind of took it for granted around the Yankees that there was always going to be baseball in October." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Whitey Ford

by DarthYankee on Oct 28, 2011 2:02 AM EDT reply actions

Kirk Gibson's home run was in 1988, not '89

Other than that, this article puts into words exactly how I felt about this game and baseball in general. Well done.

Also, as a long-time Joe Buck hater and criticizer, I have to give him credit when he gets one right. I too loved his homage to his father’s famous call.

Home of the Jared Jeffries Shot Tracker

by bluecheese999 on Oct 28, 2011 3:58 AM EDT reply actions

Relief Pitchers

Watching one of the most drama filled exciting baseball games I have ever seen last night I thought of how lucky we are as Yankee fans to have Mo! Both teams relief pitchers failed miserably in key spots, bring in Mo! Love having the Mo, dread the day we have to try and replace him! Tonights game is why we all love baseball, no clocks in baseball as Yogi would say it ain’t over till its over! Texas in two innings was one strike away from a world championship! They have to be a bit unnerved going into tonight!

by David1950 on Oct 28, 2011 6:35 AM EDT reply actions

I think they might have played that game a bit nonchalantly and it really cost them.

by jetanumba2 on Oct 28, 2011 7:32 AM EDT up reply actions

didn't you say last night that he made it anticlimactic? was that you?

by jetanumba2 on Oct 28, 2011 7:31 AM EDT reply actions

Spot on about Joe Buck

He nailed it on the head when he called out Texas for playing the outfield too deep when Berkman came up to bat. Sure enough, the Cards rallied again. This has been a phenomenal Series.

by mrob on Oct 28, 2011 8:25 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

All I could think of everytime Joe Buck had some emotion in his voice was

“he would be compeltely entirely monotone if this was the Yankees doing this”

The one play that I look to is B10th Rangers up by 2 runners on 2nd and 3rd 1 out and Ryan Theriot Grounds out to Beltre…I never saw a replay but could he have looked the runner back to keep him from scoring the Cards 8th run?

I saw a screenshot a guy took of a notification on his phone from Fox saying the Rangers had won the World Series (in the 9th)

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Oct 28, 2011 8:42 AM EDT reply actions

i believe cruz just got cocky...at the same time...

Frliz threw6-7 straiggt balls on the final out of game 6…walked a guy and ended up behind 2-0 to the next guy…a groundball ends this….what a game….what a call by joe…though i dont know one person who wasnt saying the same thing at the time…but i still think cruz got cocky…his whole body language was a deep fly out…non chalantly going for the ball ..tsk tsk…great for us tho…more baseball

-Announcement Forwarded To The Following: Boston Blowsox, New York Pets, Philadelphia Phonies, And Any Other Team Who Ain't With The Empire.................

Getcha' Rings Up........

by NYYWinsRings27 on Oct 28, 2011 8:50 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

That one will go up there with the all time great WS games

1975 Game 6, 1986 Game 6, 1991 Games 6-7, 1988 Game 1, this one goes right up near the top. The only thing missing was the Red Sux somehow losing this game. I can imagine a bunch of Cardinals fans are the walking dead at work today. If the Yankees had been in it, I don’t think I would have been able to drive to work this morning. Joe Buck’s call just seems cheesey because everyone knew he would say that if there was a walk-off.

by upstateNYYFan1984 on Oct 28, 2011 9:32 AM EDT reply actions

I think Joe Buck echoing his father’s call is the perfect analogy for his career. His career is an echo, begotten by someone else’s vocal chords and reverberating with ever-decreasing magnitude.

by XLII on Oct 28, 2011 11:03 AM EDT reply actions

Yes!

I feel it’s the only reason he ever got this gig; his dad.

Romine!

by david d on Oct 28, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

What a terrific game!

It still bums me out to not see Yankee pinstripes playing, but I have to say it is pretty easy to root for either the Cardinals or the Rangers. There really aren’t any “villains” on either squad. I mean, who can root against a guy like David Freese or Josh Hamilton? Chris Carpenter has been a workhorse and the Texas pitching staff is really just helping each other best they can. Even Pujols is easy to root for. These have just been terrific games and exciting from the very beginning. The crowds have been exremely loud and I couldn’t imagine a more exciting ending than the home team staving off elimination with a walk-off in front of their fans.

As for Joe Buck… I’ve never really had any issues with him. I think a lot of people compare him unfairly to their own hometown announcers. He’s a guy who calls games for nearly every team and across numerous sports, so he really has to temper his excitement towards one team or another. It has to be immensely difficult. Surely the St. Louis announcers want St. Louis to win and Texas the same way… but Buck has to appeal to all sides. He does a pretty good job with that in my opinion too. He brings an expected insight to things, but I don’t expect him to ring off the finer details the way I woudl expect a local guy to. Some people really take his announcing personally…

"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire

by Chris Child's Fist on Oct 28, 2011 11:37 AM EDT reply actions

The game was a horrific showing of baseball. We had five errors in total and an egregious baserunning mistake. If someone told me this was quality baseball, I’d laugh.

But then came the later innings. And it was unbelievable. Speechless.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.
Follow me on Twitter @frankiecamp48

by Frank Campagnola on Oct 28, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

Also, the perfect example of why I love baseball came on September 28th. That day is why adding a second wild card team is really, really dumb. That was probably the best day of baseball I remember.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.
Follow me on Twitter @frankiecamp48

by Frank Campagnola on Oct 28, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

Great finish to

a game that started horribly with 5 errors. Yes the final 3 innings are why I love baseball. The questions being asked about if this game will be lessened if the Cards lose tonight can be answered in the fact that the 1975 Game 6 has not been lessened as an individual game just because the Red Sox lost game 7.

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Oct 28, 2011 4:19 PM EDT reply actions