Diamondbacks Face the Classic Pitcher’s Dilemma
There is a dilemma for every pitcher when a hitter takes one deep and stands at the plate to gloat, do you put a fastball into somebodies kidney or do you stand back on the mound and put so much stuff on your next three pitches that the next batter looks like a fool swinging at air?
In a striking parallel scenario, the D-backs this weekend choose the later and set the Rockies down with an embarrassing home opening series sweep.
Is there anything worse than winning your major league division only to have to watch a divisional loser claim the wildcard and go on to sweep you out of the race and claim the National League championship? It happens… it is like a solo home run, you shrug it off and get your mind straight for the next batter.
How about that same team utilizing their home opener against you to celebrate last year’s victories and hang their relics on the scaffolds? Also happens, they have to celebrate sometime and the home opener is a good place… kindof the same as trotting around the plate at half speed.
How about instead of performing the whole ceremony on the first game of the home opener, you spread the festivities across the whole three game series and force the other team to bear through the pre-game celebrations? This is standing at the plate and watching the ball clear the fence.
If there werent any bitter feelings before, certainly such actions could fuel the fire and firmly establish your rivalry status… you could just trudge through the weekend and try not to draw any attention to yourself OR you could embarrass the hell out of them with 8-1, 7-2, 5-2 wins, sweeping your first encounter with them at their home opening series and make a bold statement for future gloating.
The Diamondbacks did exactly that and performed in true championship form in Colorado this weekend. Micah Owings, the fabled rookie homerun hitting pitcher, struck out 9 in his season debut and held the Rockies to a single hit. The next night produced similar results with Webb pitching through 7 and Chris Young going deep twice, with 20 year old Justin Upton putting another over the fence for his 3 home run in the first five games of play. Finally, the Diamondbacks put up Edgar Gonzalez a young, inexperienced pitcher in his own righ, who gives up a single run but holds the Rockies scoreless through 6. But it was Mark Reynolds, who would raise the D-backs with his two run homerun over the fence. When the game went into the 10th because of a Matt Holliday dinger off of (a very questionable at this point closer) Brandon Lyon, Stephen Drew would respond with his own big hitting and the D-backs would run away with the whole package.
Rockies have lost 5 in a row and are officially at the bottom of the Major Leagues, which doesnt say much when they win get hot like last year’s streak, but still it is nice to be the first to sit them down especially after the grandstanding form that they celebrated their win
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Comments
I got a poll for you to post on the fantasy league, “Nomar…
a) is gay
b) brings OCD to some new level and should be studied or sold to the circus
c)airbrushed on at least 500 lowriders in California
d) is an average ballplayer, which makes no sense for his idolatry in California, which is probably the reason there is such bad student achievement. California should instruct students to give some thought to who their heros are.
Did anyone really know that Ramon was from Whittier when he was with the Red Sox?
I know I didn’t and then before you know it, he’s a Dodger and is hosting ‘Carne Asada Sundays’ at Dodger Stadium!
I can’t wait for the posts on this weeks games!
Wow - I get the feeling trn is gonna have some really good baseball/dback posts this season - keep em coming. BTW did you see the latest poll on our fantasy baseball league page?