A Little Perspective

The Indians got thumped last night 12-2 and I'm not sure if it was really even that close. I have had some really good conversations with my mom over this series. She says that she is ready to give up on pro sports because she thinks that they are all grossly overpaid. I'll be surprised if she follows-through on it, but I would be impressed if she did.

I'm very disappointed that Sabathia and Carmona have pitched so poorly in this series. I expected Sabathia to split his two starts against Beckett and for them to win Carmona's two starts. Carmona pitched terribly, which can happen to 23 year-olds who are on the big stage. I think my surprise comes from how well he pitched against the Yankees.

At any rate, I find the whole thing very disappointing and frustrating, but it helps me keep perspective on this thing. I would love it for the city of Cleveland to finally have a winner. The town is not doing well right now. Unemployment is high, crime is rampant, and winter is just around the corner. The town could really use a winner. Our could it?

Maybe this whole thing helps to reinforce just how badly the town needs Jesus. Of course, every town needs Jesus. I've been listening to a series of messages on Job preached by the president of my seminary. It helps to put suffering in perspective and to realize that all suffering is meant to point us to the cross.

Paul Byrd

I am now a huge Paul Byrd fan. Check out this interview.

I disagree with his theology about Seventh-Day Adventists, but that's OK. I may actually get my hands on his book. It would be great if the library carried it.

I cannot believe the pressure on Christian athletes. It would be so easy to give in to infidelity and, of course, porn. I imagine that Paul Byrd has been tempted more than once to doctor the ball a little bit. I'll take his word that he hasn't.

All I know that is that he helped the Indians get to where they are right now. He won the game where they eliminated the Yankees and he put the Indians in a great spot to eliminate the Red Sox. Hopefully I'll get to experience one more start from him in game 4 of the World Series.

Proof

I'm only posting this as proof that I'm still awake after the Indians took game 2 of the ALCS. What a ride.

Tomorrow is going to be a sleepy day. But it's OK. I'm enjoying this.

Oh, and the Buckeyes are likely to be #1 in this week's poll with LSU and Cal both losing. Is this the year for my teams?

Sounds of Victory

I am something of a Tom Hamilton junkie. Here are some of my favorite moments of the ALDS:

Martinez goes yard in game 1.

Kenny Lofton hits an RBI double in game 1.

Carmona fans A-Rod in the 9th in game 2.

And, perhaps my favorite:

Borowski fans Posada to finish the series. Note how quiet the stadium (or should I write The Stadium?) gets.

I'm ready for the Sox!

A Plague on the Yankees

As I watched Game 2 last night, I could help but think of:

Exo 8:16-19 ESV
(16) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'"
(17) And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
(18) The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
(19) Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

I suppose God cares about who wins a ballgame in the sense that He is in control of all things. However, I don't see how He would answer prayers for one team over another. I do know that last night's swarms of midgies was very weird. It was distracting enough for my namesake (J. Chamberlain) to lose his control and give up a run without the Indians getting a hit. It seems like things like this normally work for NY and against a team like Cleveland.

Incidentally, from what I've seen in the language he uses in interviews, there seems like a good chance that Joba is a Christian. I know Andy Pettitte is too. They seem like good guys. I'd like them more if they didn't play for the Yankees.

Pointing to the Cross

I sense a theme in the teaching I've listened to, the blogs I've read, and the teaching I received from Setting Captives Free. It's the need to keep everything pointed back to Jesus. This is obviously not anything new. However, it's a good reminder that I need from time to time.

It's going to be very hard to sit through the discussion of Numbers tonight while I wonder how the Indians are doing in the ALDS. I like to think that my priorities are in order, but I'm still going to be a bit torn...

All I'm Askin'....

...is for a little respect. I've been thinking about why I'm getting so psyched for the playoffs. I wonder what the point is of even getting excited about watching men try to hit a ball with a stick, carry a ball over a line, put a ball through a hoop, etc. Why do we get so excited about our teams?

I think that we want to be a part of something bigger. The Indians are going to be on the biggest stage in the world because they are playing a team that is synonymous with baseball around the world. In fact, I think that the interlocking "NY" is almost synonymous with America in some circles. Everyone knows Jeter, A-Rod, and Clemens. Who knows about Grady Sizemore?

I still think the Indians will sweep the Yanks. Or, they may take 4 games, but I think the Indians can do it. If they get past the Yanks I think they can win the whole thing. But even more than that I want to see Sizemore shine on the big stage. In the pivotal series against Detroit he did something that is quintessentially Grady. He had a bunt single, stole second, and scored from second a ground ball that the second baseman knocked down, but couldn't field cleanly. That is the kind of thing that Ty Cobb used to do. The difference here being that, as far as I can tell, Grady Sizemore is not a flaming jerk.

I also hope to see him make one of his signature catches. He has an uncanny knack for laying out for fly balls and coming up with them. I'd love to see Derek Jeter hit a ball to the gap in right-center only to have Sizemore outrun it with a diving catch and end a rally.

They're on the big stage and it's time to shine for C-Town. Let's hope they can do it.

Go Tribe!

Forgive me for being a bit less serious than usual, but I am excited about the prospect of the Cleveland Indians this year in the playoffs. I think that their starting pitching can hang with anyone's (even San Diego's who is inflated by PETCO park). I think they have enough balance in the lineup to find a way to beat anyone.

I'm predicting Indians in 3 against the Yanks. Game 1 will be close and Joe Borowski may cause some ulcers, but I think the Indians will prevail. I think Games 2 and 3 will be lopsided victories for the Indians.

I rarely feel this confident about my Ohio sports teams. I haven't felt this confident since OSU played Florida for the National Championship back in January. Oh, wait a minute...

The Biggest Upset

I have to admit to taking pleasure in Appalachian State's surprise defeat of the winningest school in Division I college football -- The University of Michigan. There is nothing quite like knowing on September 1 that Michigan definitely will not be winning the National Championship.

I've asked several Red Sox fans if they care more about seeing the Red Sox make the playoffs or the Yankees miss the playoffs. They all pause for a minute. My brother-in-law Eric put it well. He said that's like trying to choose between eating a double chocolate cake and big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Both are great and choosing one as superior is nearly impossible.

That's kind of how I feel about UM being the first ranked Division I school to lose to a Division I-AA school. Maybe this isn't a very charitable attitude. I have enjoyed it though.

Oh, and as of right now the Indians are 5.5 games up on the Tigers. I'm not counting them out though. I know that the Tigers are capable of going on a good run and that the Indians are capable of going on a terrible one. They are playing meaningful games in September which is about all I think anyone can ask for.

Why I Enjoy Baseball

I almost titled this "Why I Love Baseball", but I realize that might be a bit too strong. As things stand right now the Indians are trying to fight off the Tigers to win the AL Central. On Sunday they learned that the Tigers had already beaten the Yankees before their game ended. Things were looking dire as they were down 3-2 in Kansas City. They were wasting another great pitching performance with no offense. After two quick outs in the ninth it was up to Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore got down in the count 1-2. As the 1-2 pitch came in you could hear a cheer start through the crowd, but Tom Hamilton called it, "JUUUUST a bit high...2 and 2". He took another ball and then looped one into left center in no-man's land. The center fielder dove for the ball, but couldn't come up with it (more great Hammy drama there too). I don't know where the left fielder was, but before the center fielder could recover and get the ball in Sizemore was on second. The next batter was the rookie infielder Asdrubal Cabrera who promptly lined the first pitch for a base hit which tied the game. Apparently the pitcher just wanted to get one over and Cabrera was ready for it. He advanced to second on the throw home, but Hafner made the last out to end the inning. Nevertheless, the damage was done.

The Indians scored 2 in the 11th, starting with Hafner's RBI single. Borowski miraculously made quick work of the Royals in the bottom of the 11th and the Tribe maintained their 2.5 game lead over the Tigers.

I like how baseball doesn't have a clock. As I think about it, I'm pretty sure that baseball and tennis are the only sports where it is always possible to come back. It may not be likely, but it is possible. I like how the Indians kept playing until they made 27 outs. It gives me some hope that they may hold on for the playoffs after all.

Yesterday they turned a 5-4-3 triple play. It helps that the catcher was batting, but it was still a nice one. Going all the way around-the-horn is not trivial.

Being a Clevelander

Last night was a good night for Cleveland sports fans. My mom and I went to a local family-friendly restaurant/sports bar to see Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals as well as Game 3 of the Indians series at Detroit. The Indians managed to pull off a 3 game sweep of the Tigers and the Cavs restored a bit of hope by winning to make the series 2-1 in favor of Detroit. If they had lost things would have looked really bleak.

What's funny is to see the effects of Cleveland on both my mom and me. My mom doesn't really have the mentality to handle watching NBA Basketball. The lead changes kill her. Missed shots late in the fourth quarter send her blood pressure skyrocketing. I have the same problem with the Indians. They won 5-3, but they also managed to let the Tigers get men on the corners in the 8th before getting out of the inning. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but fun overall.

The point is that Clevelanders are self-defeating. The city hasn't seen a major sports championship since 1964 (otherwise known as 9 years pre-me). The Browns got close to the Super Bowl in 1986 and 1987, but didn't quite make it. I'm pretty sure the Cavs have never been to the Eastern Conference Finals before. The Indians were one out away from winning the World Series in 1997, but ended up losing. This is what we've grown to expect.

In other words, even if the Indians do keep playing well enough to get into the playoffs I'll be a bit incredulous. I'll be incredulous until they squeeze the last out of winning the World Series. Even then I might have dreams that the ball was dropped and that the game kept going. The city so badly wants a major sports championship, but it hasn't happened in my generation. This could be the year.

The Sad Story of Jaret Wright

The Indians hit Jaret Wright pretty hard on Sunday. Tom Hamilton and Mike Hegan were waxing nostalgic about the 1997 season and the magical run that the Indians had. As you see if you follow the link for Jaret, he was 21 years old in 1997. He was something of a postseason hero and even started Game 7 of the World Series. Mike Hargrove rode him pretty hard that year. He also pitched well in 1998, but eventually developed shoulder problems. You can see that he bounced around quite a bit after that.

I guess it's hard to feel too sorry for someone who made nearly $24M in 10 years, but you just have to wonder what he could have been if he wasn't abused. This also sets up an ethical question that has no clear answer. Is it worth it to ride a young pitcher hard for a season or two if it will get you into the postseason? Here's a guy who is still relatively young and describes his shoulder as being basically OK because "it only hurts when I pitch." He has had to endure some surgeries and a lot of pain. He did make it back to the big stage with the Yankees last year, but didn't pitch that well in the playoffs.

He just seems like a story of wasted potential. Kind of like tapping a major oil well, but never capping it. You just occasionally come and collect a barrel or two of crude from the petroleum rain, but never make full use of it.