BaseHocSoc

Strasburg On ESPN's 'Baseball Tonight'

2010-04-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, while most of America was watching the NFL Draft, ESPN2 had Nats phenom Stephen Strasburg on "Baseball Tonight ."

Below are some excerpts from what was asked and what he said. I'm going to bed, now. :-)

LET'S JUST GO BACK 24 HOURS TO YOUR LAST START, HOW ARE THINGS GOING, HOW'S THE ADJUSTMENT, HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU'RE KINDA MOVING UP THE SPECTRUM?

SS: Ah you know, I'm definitely getting more comfortable out there, obviously there's a lot of adrenaline going on, I'm starting to learn to harness it, and I'm just going out there, trying to throw the ball down in the zone.

PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, THOSE IN MY INDUSTRY, IS IF DIFFERENT . . . AS THEY PICTURED TO GO UP THESE LEVELS OR ARE YOU STILL THROWING STRIKES?

SS: you know, definitely you know, pitching just like I did in college; it's pretty much the same as it was and it'll always be the same out there; obviously you're facing . . . better competition up here, and obviously there's a lot more fans in the stands, too.

THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.

SS: Oh yeah.

BECAUSE OF THE ATTENTION ON YOU, YOU'RE KINDA LIKE THE LEBRON JAMES OF BASEBALL. IT'S LIKE EVERY GAME THAT YOU PITCH IS AN EVENT. WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE YOU'VE GOT FOR DEALING WITH THE KIND OF SCRUTINY YOU'RE GETTING?

SS: well I think about two years ago Tony Gwinn told me, 'Would you rather be batting .250 and nobody talking to you or batting .350 and having everybody talk to you?' And when you really think about it, you wanna be successful out there, so it's just something that's part of the game. You have to talk to the media and they're gonna want to talk to you.

YEAH WE DON'T ALLOW .250 HITTERS ON THIS SHOW. (FLORIDA QB TIM) TEBOW GETS DRAFTED IN THE FIRST ROUNDAND THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT HIS MECHANICS. AND YOU GET DRAFTED AND SOME OF THE DISCUSSION ON YOU IS THIS 'INVERTED W' – AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR MECHANICS. THE SAME WAY THAT HE (TEBOW) MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS – DID YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING? DID YOU NOT BUY IT? DID IT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS (picture of SS's posture while pitching)? DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?

SS: I really don't know what the 'W' is; there's a lotta pitchers in history that don't have perfect mechanics and they're pitching 20-plus years.

THIS APPARENTLY IS IT (picture of SS's throwing stance)

SS: well, you know, that's the way I've been throwing my whole life, you know, haven't had any injuries, so I'm just gonna keep working hard, trying to you know, stick to my plan in between (starts) and prepare for the next start.

AMONG THE ADJUSTMENTS, THAT'S NEVER BEEN BROUGHT UP?

SS: No.

GOOD. WHAT'S THE MOST CHALLENGING ADJUSTMENT YOU'VE HAD TO MAKE IN PRO BALL?

SS: You know, I think definitely, just getting used to pitching every five days, it's a little bit different program that you have to follow, not as much throwing in between. I really like it though, it's nice, to, you know, if you have a bad outing or don't do what you wanted to do, you got four days of rest and you're out there doing it again.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE FREE TIME? HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR FREE TIME? DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF IT?

SS: No, you know, that's the beauty of pro baseball is that you're going to the field every day, so when I'm not there, I'm trying to sleep.

SOME PITCHERS TRY TO LOOK AT THE RADAR GUNS, THEY GLANCE OVER THEIR SHOULDER; DID YOU LIKE TO KNOW HOW HARD YOU WERE THROWING?

SS: You know, I think when I first stepped into college I was definitely a guy that would look over my shoulder. Not so much now; you look at the guys in the league, just like (Phillies pitcher) Jamie Moyer, they're throwing 80 miles an hour and he's getting guys out. Velocity isn't everything.

MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION IS, WHEN DO YOU GET TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES? ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS OR DO YOU JUST WAIT FOR THE CALL?

SS: Definitely just waiting for the call. They gave me some things to work on, that's what I'm gonna stick with right now, I'm enjoying every second of it down there in Harrisburg. We got a great team, great coaches, and I'm just trying to learn from everything.

DO WE GO MONTH-TO-MONTH RENT, SIX MONTHS, A YEAR?

SS: Definitely going month-to-month.

. . .

(CINCINATTI REDS PITCHER) MIKE LEAKE – HE'S STARTING THE YEAR IN THE BIG LEAGUES, IS THERE SOME PART OF YOU THAT'S. 'AHH, JEEZ, I WISH I'D BEEN ON THAT (PLANE?)?

SS: Ah, you know, obviously, being a baseball player your ultimate dream is to pitch in the big leagues, but you know, I trust, I trust what the Nationals are doing with me, you know? They're doing it the right way; it's not how fast you get there, it's how long you are there.

(They ask SS, who played with Leake on a San Diego travel team when he was nine years old if there were any other future major leaguers on the team, and SS says no, but also that Leake was known as “Mikey” back then.)

(SS then shows former Nat Aaron Boone and Eduardo Perez how he grips his fastball, curveball/slider, two-seam change-up and sinker)

OFF OF YOUR FASTBALL, WHAT SECONDARY PITCH DO YOU FEEL LIKE IS MOST DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW?

SS: I think definitely closing my freshman year at (San Diego) State I was with this fastball and this breaking ball here, so that's my pitch. I'm really confident throwing that any time in the count; my change-up's been really good ever since I (started) playing pro ball with these smaller seams, it's just gotten a lot better. And then I've definitely been throwing my sinker a lot, too. That's kind of an easy ground-ball out right there.

SO WE HEAR ABOUT ALL THESE TEAMS, MANAGERS AND COACHES ALWAYS TRYING TO GET OUR PITCHERS TO QUICKEN UP IN THE STRETCH TO CONTROL THE RUNNING GAME, SO TO SPEAK. WELL, THE NATIONALS SEE YOU AS BEING SO QUICK TO HOME PLATE THAT THEY FEEL LIKE MAYBE IT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM SOME OF YOUR STUFF, SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY TRIED TO SLOW YOU DOWN, IS THAT RIGHT?

SS: Yeah, you know, I mean, in college, I was always you know, just a straight slide-step every time, you know, I didn't really lose velo(city); all my stuff was still there, and virtually eliminated the running game. But you know, I was right around a second with that, and they wanted me to be more around a 1.3, so they had me starting out with more of a load on my back side, kinda loading right here and getting going, it helps me keep the angle on my fastball a lot better.

DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE LETTING GUYS GET TO FIRST BASE SO YOU CAN WORK ON IT?

SS (amid chuckles): It happens, yeah, it's part of the game.

SO YOU WALK A GUY AND YOU'RE LIKE 'OK, COACH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, JUST WORKING ON MY MOVE'?

SS: well no, I mean, it's definitely part of the game, you know, it's good to, you know, when a guy gets on first, you know, it's like, 'Next pitch, here we go, ground-ball double play,' And also part of the game, you really have to vary your times and everything, and that's something that they also want me to work on, you know, really controlling the running game.

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH IT? IS IT COMING ALONG FOR YOU?

SS: Oh absolutely, you know, I think it's really more important now because you've got guys with lightning speed out there, and guys on the base paths are a lot smarter . . . they're gonna pick up the little things and . . . be off running on the next pitch, so it's really important to kind of help your catcher out with being quick to the plate and give him the chance to throw out some guys.

WHO ON THE NATIONALS AT SPRING (TRAINING) DID YOU GET TIGHT WITH?

SS: Definitely John Lannan, Garrett Mock, there's a bunch of pitchers up there . . . they were great, they really made my Spring Training experience a blast. I learned a lot from them, especially theguys out here, Randy Tomlin, Randy Knorr, the coaches here in Harrisburg, they've been great, too.

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU CAN THROW HARDER NOW WITH THAT DELIVERY?

SS: You know, the velo(city) is pretty much the same, there's really no difference from the wind-up to from the stretch, but you know, I'm angle to keep that angle to stay in the bottom half of the zone.

###

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2010-04-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Nats 0 Rockies 2

Hey, if we're gonna lose a game, this is the way I'd wanna lose it. Not often, mind you, and yeah, they couldn't get anybody around the bases (tip of the hat to Ubaldo Jimenez, who STILL wound up pitching less than Livo), but with Livo pitching a solid 8 innings, only conceding two runs with no errors by his fellow infielders and outfielders, I'll take ten of those games over any ONE of the games from last season when we couldn't hold a lead due to a horrid bullpen or horrid infielders.

No Z-Man, No Dunn, No Problem.

2010-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Nats 5, Brewers 3

Well that was a fun one. When Dunn got tossed in the first inning for throwing his batting helmet inside the first base line in frustration after a completely stupid third-strike call by the third-base ump, you'd have to figure that -- with Zimmerman once again out of the starting lineup -- that changed the whole complexion of the game.

It did, but not in the way one would think. What an 8th inning! Gonzalez beats out the throw in an infield single, Willingham -- who earlier in the game hits an inches-over-the-wall, left-field homer -- gets hit by a pitch, Desmond sacrifice-bunts them both ahead, then Kennedy and Nieves both hit hard singles to drive in three go-ahead runs.

And Lannan! SEVEN strong innings. The only shame is that he wasn't able to pick up the win. THAT's the pitcher we all know and love.

All in all, a good way to start the weekend.

Up next: DC United vs. Chicago Fire on Saturday night, and maybe I might check out the Hoya baseball game on Sunday.

Caps Karma

2010-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

. . . the bad sort for tonight.

Mike Green, it's your fault. Your non-call for tripping is what gave the Habs the victory tonight. Forget all the puck know-it-alls who'll look at Ovechkin's disappearance during most of the game, or anything else. When a ref misses a call like that, you know it's gonna come back to bite you, and tonight it did.

It's just bad Karma.

Regional vs. Local

2010-04-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Interesting ESPN article on the Bundesliga, and how teams who do well and are rewarded with European footie the next season then flop domestically:

One explanation for this is the lack of money in the Bundesliga. Apart from Bayern, no club can afford a squad that is deep enough to allow for the physical and mental rigours of playing both in Europe and domestically.

This means clubs that have been rewarded for a good league season with a place in Europe are likely to be punished the following season by the double-duty curse. Take Stuttgart and Wolfsburg, whose Bundesliga form suffered for many months, or Hamburg, struggling since the winter break. Those three clubs have been overtaken by Leverkusen, Schalke and even Dortmund, all of whom didn't have to cope with midweek distractions under European floodlights this season.

MLS has a similarity -- albeit on a much lower financial scale -- with the Bundesliga here.

Could that be the case this year for DCU, which this season won't have to worry about the CONCACAF Champions League, and once Onalfo and crew manage to right the ship (yes, several gallons of Kool-Aid have been consumed) they'll be able to concentrate on their winning ways of old?

These are the kinds of delusional thoughts that pop into a fan's head after seeing the first three games of the season end in defeat.

Another delusion: during MLS' inaugural year, DCU lost the first four games and still managed to win both the MLS and Open cups. So maybe I should cheer for a loss in this upcoming weekend's game against the Chicago Fire, thereby conjuring up some spirits of old that will help the team get over this funk and start winning again?

Shocker!

2010-04-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Nats 5 Mets 3

I'm SHOCKED, SHOCKED to find a Nationals pitcher that can go more than five innings!

I'm SHOCKED, SHOCKED to find a Nationals team at .500 for the first time in two years!

What's next, are pigs gonna fly now?!?

And oh yeah, K-Rod: YER NUTS.

Finally, A U.S. Rivalry

2010-04-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Now THAT was trip. Aside from being put in the nosebleed section of Lincoln Financial Field with a thousand of your closest friends (a very small few being of the stupid, beer-throwing-onto-the-Union-fans-below variety), just the march into the stadium was worth the price of the bus and game ticket (not to mention the side trip to Atlantic City on the way up)!

We were so far up, though, that it wasn't until I came home and watched the highlights that I was assured we'd actually been heard. Even the crowd noise from the Union fans in our perch was somewhat muted. Somehow I think it'll be a TOTALLY different environment when the SoBs come to RFK on Aug. 22. At least then, hopefully the only things their beer and spit will fall on will be the VWs parked in the "garage" endline section.

The DCU players? Well, the first half I'd have covered the eyes of any kids standing around me, DCU was so bad. They couldn't seem to string more than three passes together in the final third. It was almost if they were thinking, "Oh, I'm the second one to get the ball -- MUST PASS IT TO A UNION PLAYER NOW NOW NOW." Le Toux deserved the hat trick, given how badly he was defended on the first two goals.

I mean, Jeepers Creepers...

Second half was definitely better, both Tino's goal as well as Jaime Moreno's absolute UNDRESSING of Union GK Seitz, but yeah, Troy Perkins, you were right to have taken responsibility for the loss. That third goal man, Jeezus, even we up in the stratosphere could see you had a gaping hole on your right side.

It'll be interesting to see how the atmosphere changes once the Union moves into their little sandbox of a stadium. And oh, by the way, Philly Union ownership, way to go to predict the size of the soccer market in Philly. Yes, yes, Opening Day and all that, but not even counting the thousand or so DCU fans, y'all had well more than 33,000 people show up. That's what, FIFTEEN THOUSAND or so potential ticket owners and concession buyers that you won't be able to satisfy at itty-bitty PPL Park? Seriously, good business decision to decide on an 18,500-seat stadium!

Reminders of Potential

2010-04-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

During Wednesday's Nats-Phils game, the jumbo TV showed a shot of Washington Capitals players Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom sitting in the plush seats near home plate.

A nice reminder of the fact that the Caps a few short years ago ALSO sucked, and ALSO had their arena invaded by away team fans until they started getting good. Nowadays, GOOD LUCK getting a ticket to a Caps game if you're an away fan.

So as irritating as Opening Day was, I'm willing to wait just a little bit longer to start seeing the Nats become a contender.

Philly Invasion -- INVERTED.

2010-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, there's been a lot of moaning and groaning about the invasion of Phillies fans at Opening Day yesterday, but the reality is, given how the Nats have played over the past couple years, what can one expect? One Philly fan told me they brought FORTY buses down from parts north for this game.

On my way home from the game, I spoke with a couple longtime Caps fans on their way to the Caps-Boston game. They knew EXACTLY what it felt like because that's how it was before the Caps started getting good, so it gives me hope that in the next couple years the Nationals can mirror that kind of success, both on the field and in the stands.

For the meantime, however, I'll be one of the HUNDREDS (Edit: As of Thusday 4/8, it's over a thousand) of DC United fans who'll be making the trek up I-95 this coming weekend for the opening game of the Philadelphia Union, where I hope to make myself as OBNOXIOUS a fan as the Phillies fans were yesterday. (Heck, the DCU Team Store even had scarves made for the occasion!)

The difference: In soccer, home teams EXPECT to have away fans in their stadium, and set it up so they're essentially walled off by security in one single section to ward off any unpleasantness (some of which, unfortunately, I saw yesterday at Nats Park).

It's still interesting to see how different sports handle visiting teams' fans (remember that 'Skins-Steelers game at The Snyder MoneyPit?).

Double Whammy

2009-05-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

On a night when BOTH the Nats and DCU lose, all one can say is thank gawd the Caps aren't playing anymore. Wouldn't want a friggin' TRIFECTA now, would we (even if the Caps are a much better team nowadays)?

On the Nats-Phils: Anderson Hernandez had a perfect third-out-waiting-to-happen with the bases loaded if he could have just FIELDED that Ryan Howard (when he wasn't hitting monster home-run shots) grounder cleanly. But he didn't, and the Phils wind up scoring two more runs. And thank Goodness Adam Dunn is one heck of a slugger; otherwise I dunno what I'd do after seeing him commit two errors in left field.

On DCU-Revs: Those three off-the-crossbar shots United had in the first half, if they had gone in, would have made Twellman's Oscar-worthy "I've fallen and deserve a PK" act a lot less painful to watch. At least we get the Red Bulls this coming Thursday, which if DCU can beat them, I may be tempted to sing "Na na naa na, Na na naa na, Osorio, Good Bye" on my way out of RFK.

Loveable Losers

2009-05-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Posted this on Nationals Journal, but figured I might as well put it here as well:

As gawd-AWFUL as the Nats have been playing lately, I gotta believe that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

As much as I scream when Acta takes out a starting pitcher in favor of a pinch-hitter at the wrong time (and he's done it less the last few games), I gotta believe that Acta's still in essence a rookie manager who's learning the job as he goes along.

As bad as the pitching has been so far, I gotta believe they'll get better over time (just like Atlanta who started out horrific but then went on to win 14 straight division titles).

So fine, this year may suck donkey balls already, but five years from now when they're playing like the Caps to a full house every night, deep into October, I gotta believe that all this current pain will have been worth it.

I just gotta believe, because the alternative is too depressing. :-)

Numbers 'n Stats

2009-05-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

Really interesting ESPN.com article about the dearth of stats in soccer, and a debatable opinion that soccer won't grab a strong foothold among U.S. sports fans until/unless some reliable stats can be gleaned from it.

My view: Who needs stats in soccer? I like it the way it is.

MLS 2009 Supporters Shield Watch Week 8

2009-05-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Chivas USA 7 1 1 22
Seattle 4 2 2 14
D.C. United 3 1 5 14
Toronto FC 3 2 4 13
Chicago 2 0 6 12
Houston 3 2 2 11
Colorado 3 2 2 11
Kansas City 3 4 2 11
RSL 3 4 1 10
New England 2 2 3 9
Los Angeles 1 1 6 9
New York 2 5 2 8
Columbus 1 2 5 8
San Jose 1 5 2 5
FC Dallas 1 6 1 4

Wait 'Till Next Fall

2009-05-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

With the Caps' elimination from the playoffs, I keep hearing that the Pens were the better team. If that is the case, the Pens shoulda SWEPT the series. It should NEVER have gone to seven games, in that case. The "better" playoff team shouldn't have so much trouble getting to the next round.

Nats 4, Marlins 7

2009-04-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

GAWD what shambolic relief pitching we have. Can't keep a lead to save our lives. And what was Anderson Hernandez doing, swinging with the bases loaded, 3 and 1, at a clear ball four with a Marlins reliever who hadn't hit the strike zone ONCE?!?

And Flores hasn't seem to have been able to get a solid extra-base hit this season, something he was doing all the time last season, particularly in bases-loaded situations. Is he the only one that former hitting coach Lenny Harris was able to connect with?

Lessee what Jordan Zimmermann can do tomorrow...

Nats 6, Marlins 9

2009-04-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Whole lotta bile from this game, especially after the seven-inning gem that Josh Olson pitched, and Austin Kearns' four-bagger in the first.

Manny needs to switch Joel Hanrahan and Joe Beimel. I'm not sure if Joel has the stuff for a closer's role.

Nats 2, Marlins 3

2009-04-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

AAAAAAARRRGH.

Johnny Lannan, ye are awesome.

Why the Nats bats couldn't help you out is a mystery.

And Manny Acta, you get tossed?!? It better have been for a good reason!

DCU 1 - New England 1

2009-04-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

For Gawd's sakes, how many times was Chris Pontius open when Christian Gomez had the ball, and Gomito chooses to either run it up the middle or pass it over to a clogged left side?!?

One of the guys in my section was disgusted at the lack of good finishing by DCU despite multiple chances, and said the next practice he holds for his youth soccer team would be all about completing one's chances once you're in the box.

DCU should have won by three or four goals, despite that shambolic excuse for a three-man back line. Tom Soehn needs to go to a 4-4-2 if he wants to keep his job past July.

2009 Supporters Shield Watch Week 4

2009-04-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

TEAM POINTS GP W L T GF GA GD

Chivas USA 10 4 3 0 1 6 2 +4
Seattle Sounders FC 9 4 3 1 0 7 1 +6
Chicago Fire 8 4 2 0 2 8 5 +3
New England Revolution 7 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2
Colorado Rapids 7 4 2 1 1 7 6 +1
Real Salt Lake 6 3 2 1 0 6 4 +2
Kansas City Wizards 6 4 2 2 0 6 5 +1
D.C. United 5 4 1 1 2 5 5 +0
Toronto FC 5 4 1 1 2 5 6 -1
San Jose Earthquakes 4 4 1 2 1 6 8 -2
Columbus Crew 3 5 0 2 3 5 9 -4
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 3 0 1 2 4 5 -1
Houston Dynamo 2 4 0 2 2 3 5 -2
New York Red Bulls 2 4 0 2 2 1 5 -4
FC Dallas 1 4 0 3 1 3 8 -5

MLS 2009 Supporters Shield Watch Week 3

2009-04-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Couldn't find it (this strange concept called a SINGLE TABLE) anywhere on the Internets (including MLS' own Web site), so figured I'd do it myself. Will try to do it upon the conclusion of every week of the season, and MOST CERTAINLY will frak it up from time to time (or even more often), so feel free to post any corrections in the comments section. Will continue it until either A) the end of the season, or B) the web folks at MLS finally get around to doing it themselves.

TEAM POINTS
---------------------------------
Seattle 9
Chivas USA 6
Colorado 6
New England 7
D.C. United 5
Chicago 4
Toronto FC 4
Real Salt Lake 3
San Jose 3
Columbus 2
Houston 1
New York 1
Los Angeles 1
Kansas City 0
FC Dallas 0

Quick Lax Post

2008-05-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, what's a lacrosse post doing on a baseball/hockey/soccer blog, but I just had to get this off my chest (besides, the original name for this blog woulda been BaseLaxSoc if I hadn't been seduced by the Caps' 2007-2008 playoff run):

The Washington Bayhawks had their first home game this past weekend at GMU's stadium, with an attendance of more than 4,000. Their post-game press release states:

"The Bayhawks had an amazing turn out for their home opener at George Mason stadium and would like to give thanks to all their fans and sponsors for their support in attendance."

Ummm, well, DUHH. The Hawks had a similar attendance figure last year at their home opener at GMU, a number that they NEVER came close to matching in their subsequent games at Georgetown's Multi-Sport Field.

The BEST decision this fledgling DC franchise could have made was to have ALL its games at GMU this season. Yes, it probably costs the team more to have games there, but one wonders where this team would be attendance-wise this year if it had played ALL its home games at GMU last year. Hopefully that won't have stunted the growth of the team's potential fan base.

Here's hoping the numbers only go up for the rest of the season, culminating in enough gate income to foster a deal with RFK next season. DCU fans might not like their field chewed up by lax games, but RFK is the logical next step for the Hawks, at least until (fingers crossed) the Poplar Point stadium opens.

WSJ Blog Post on Beckham's $250 Million Salary Number

2008-04-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has a new blog post about the $250 million associated with David Beckham's potential income with LA Galaxy:

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/is-david-beckhams-deal-really
-worth-250-million-323/

For me, the jury's still out until he and the Galaxy qualify for international competition, whether it be through the playoffs or the Supporters Shield. The sooner that happens, the more likely, IMHO, he'll reap the upper end of that $250 million.

Wait 'Til Next Year

2008-04-22T20:39:00.001-07:00

My throat hurts from cheering for three straight hours.

My head hurts from the fans around me cheering for three straight hours.

My heart hurts from knowing this is the last game these Caps will play this season.

I wasn't even a hockey fan this time last year. Now, after having watched the Washington Capitals play a magical season, you can count me among the converted.

What an incredible game this is. It's neither better nor worse than baseball or soccer; it has its own rhythms and rituals that make it unique.

The speed. The physicality. The grace.

Will I be back at the Phone Booth this coming autumn?

Bet your ass I will.

Gag Me With a Spoon

2008-04-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

. . . or some other implement, after that horrific display DCU just showed in their 4-0 loss at Real Salt Lake.

That fourth goal, Peralta had an "Oh Shit" look right before Findley -- who scored the two goals against DCU last year -- found net.

What is it about this team, that fields its backup goalkeeper in BOTH 2007 AND 2008 in Salt Lake only to lose?!?

I Miss Saint Ribbie

2008-04-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Whatever happened to Saint Ribbie? The Nats appear to have pissed him off lately, to the point where they can't seem to bat in a run if their lives depended on it. Is it that St. Ribbie only likes it when Wily Mo Pena is in the lineup?

Todays game against the Braves is case in point:

Braves: 10 runs, 13 hits with six left on base.

Nats: Two runs, seven hits with 10 left on base.

Guzman was incredible, going 3-for-5, singles each time. Out of those three, though, he was left stranded every time.

Wily Mo's on rehab assignment tonight in Columbus. Let us pray that St. Ribbie keeps Wily Mo safe and productive until he's able to get back to the big league.

UPDATE: Looks like our (or at least my) prayers were answered: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2008/04/cordero_reinstated_bergmann_se.html#comments

A Blog About Baseball, Hockey and Soccer, in No Particular Order

2008-04-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

Some of us have been sports fans since the day we started to breathe, or so it would seem.

Others fall into it by accident, or by the grace of a free ticket to a game that otherwise we wouldn't have gone to see, much less even thought about.

I guess I'm the latter.

Baseball:

I went to a Washington Nationals home game against the Chicago Cubs at RFK during the Nats' first season in DC (in June 2005, while they were still atop the NL East). A friend of a friend had gotten four tickets to the game, and I was invited to tag along (the wife of the original friend having even less interest in sports than me at the time). I forget the exact final score, but the Nats won. In those prehistoric days during the MASN cable fight, the only way to follow the team was via radio or the newspaper. But it wasn't until July 4, 2006, listening to the radio when rookie No. 11 Ryan Zimmerman (whose uni number was 25 when he was called up in September the previous season) hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th, that I was well and truly hooked. He'd done it before against the mighty Yankees, but this was the first time I'd heard, live, Charlie Slowes' signature "Line Drive! Deep left field! Going! Going! and Gooooooonnne!" with the "gone" nearly drowned out by the cheers.

So in 2006, I went to around 10-15 games. By 2007, I'd bought myself a 20-game plan in the $5 outfield seats (that I actually sat in only twice -- the rest of the games I sat in the nearly empty left-field, upper-deck bleachers just beyond third base with my handy-dandy Bob Carpenter fan scorebook), as well as more than one jersey, cap and other team gear. The July 4, 2007, game I actually attended, and was utterly delighted to watch the Cubs walk Zimmerman (who was 2-for-2 with a homer already) to get to Dmitri Young, who in turn blasted a grand slam over the left-center-field wall.

Which brings us to the early part of the current 2008 season, with the Nats' record a lovely 3-8 so far. No worries. This year -- a gorgeous new stadium notwithstanding -- wasn't supposed to be a winner anyways.

Soccer:

In the early summer of 2006, the same friend of a friend (both of whom are named Peter), got tickets to a DC United game against Kansas City (I think). It was on the "loud" side, near the supporters section. Teen phenom Freddy Adu played, and DCU won 4-2. I loved how the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava stood and cheered non-stop during the game, and how a good chunk of the DCU players acknowledged their cheers at the end of the game.

But it wasn't until the Spring of 2007, when I upgraded my TV from a pathetic 15-inch screen to a 22-inch screen (although not HD) as well as going from regular basic cable to digital with the sports package, that I was able to get Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, which more often than not showed an actual game -- live or taped -- as opposed to ESPN's endless poker coverage. Of course, I missed the Beckham game due to a job-related business trip. At least that year was (by pure coincidence, of course) the first to have ESPN show live MLS games, so I was able to watch it from my hotel in California (as well as ESPN's coverage of the Nats-Giants game where Artificially-Inflated-Head Barry Bonds hit his Artificially-Inflated Record Home Run).

At the start of that season, I railed against the Offside Rule, thinking it the positively stupidest rule in sports. But by the end of that season, I'd begun to see the beauty in staying onside with a well-timed run -- or conversely, watching an opposing player fall into a well-executed offside trap. A low-scoring game? Maybe, but at least you have a good idea of when it's going to end.

In 2008, I'm a card-carrying Screaming Eagle and own a half-season plan, with my seat on the very edge of the SE section. I'm bummed that DCU bowed out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup despite its 2-1 win at RFK, but buoyed that its latest Latin American acquisitions (Peralta, Niell, Martinez, Gallardo, etc) appear to be starting to gel with the rest of the team.

Hockey:

It's 2008, but no, the friend-of-a-friend didn't get tickets. This time, it was an invite to attend a Capitals game in December in a corporate box at Verizon Center right on the blue line. It was three weeks or so into then-interim Coach Bruce Budreau's tenure, but well before anybody in their right minds would have predicted -- without some form of alcoholic reinforcement -- the Caps' storybook run to the playoffs.

My thought on the Metro was, "Well, at least the food will be good. Who knows, maybe a hockey game will actually interrupt this fight?"

First impression: Wow. These guys are FAST.

Second impression: They're not fighting.

Third impression: Damn, these guys are FAST.

Even to this newbie's eyes, No. 8 Alexander Ovechkin seemed to move somewhat differently than either his teammates or his opponents.

The Caps won (3-2, I think, against whom I don't remember). A month later, I bought myself a ticket to another Caps game, with my seat up in the noesbleed section. Watched a game that was just as fast as the first one I'd seen, but the Caps lost. On a total whim, I decided to attend the following home game against the Boston Bruins, whom the Caps utterly demolished in a 10-goal win.

Does it help that the Caps are now in the playoffs? Probably. But who cares? Ted Leonsis I'm sure doesn't.

Why Not:

Why not do a blog concentrating on the beauty, intricacies and nuances of just one sport? (A) I'm a new sports fan, so I don't pretend to know even one-sixteenth of all the minute details of any one sport, and (B) it's just not my style. As a kid, I loved sitting on the floor with four or five comics laid out in front of me, reading bits and pieces from each -- or just reading one cover-to-cover, depending on my mood.

Most sports fans cheer for their hometown teams. I'm a Global Nomad, i.e. I moved around a lot as a kid because of my Dad's job (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Connecticut, Panama, Connecticut, Morocco and Egypt before graduating high school). But I've lived in the DC area a total of 16-plus years now, between college and post-college. Three guesses what my hometown is.

So that's what this blog will be. Dunno how often I'll update it, but it's something I've been meaning to do for a while, now. We'll see how it goes.