I Don't Care if I Never Get Back (Well Almost!)

In our book about the 1916 baseball season, Paul and I argue the season was important because it represented baseball at its best. We looked at the issue in terms of a season and concluded that close pennant races, controversy, record setting performances and teams that never quit are some of the elements that make baseball such a great game. Interestingly we didn't look at that on the level of individual games - what is that makes one game, baseball at its best.

I thought about this after Carol and I went to today's Mets-Braves game which I believe was one of the best games that I ever attended. That same sentiment was expressed by a number of people on the return trip on the LIRR (upper right) after the game. The Braves won 8-7 in 12 innings in a game that featured a grand slam home run, over 20 hits by both teams, a number of double plays and both managers using almost their entire rosters. After the Braves went ahead in the 12th, Jose Reyes just missed tying it again and then was left on third base when Gary Sheffield struck out looking on one of the wickedest pitches I have ever seen (with the benefit of watching it on television when we get home).

Usually when people talk about what makes an exciting game, they tend to focus on pitcher's duels. I still remember an epic Roger Clemens - Pedro Martinez match up on Sunday night baseball one Memorial Day weekend - I was also fortunate enough to see in person a Bob Gibson - Tom Seaver duel, won by Seaver and the Mets. Roger Angell once wrote something to the effect that pitcher's duels make the most exciting games because they force managers and teams to maximize their creativity since runs are so few and far between. There is a lot of truth in that and I certainly enjoy that kind of game much more than some the softball like scores that many American League teams tend to play - remember I am an old National League guy.

Yet at the same time, I have to say that in person, I do prefer games with some hitting. One thing that was interesting about today's game is that in spite of the scoring and extra innings, the game moved along - 12 innings 8-7 in 3:46 isn't too bad under today's standards. I guess for me a big issue continues to be the American League's use of the designated hitter. While it doesn't seem like it should make that much difference, the absence of that one relatively easy out just seems to make it too easy to score runs. I think it also contributes to what I think has always been more or less the norm in the American League wait for someone to hit a home run instead of trying to make things happen. The Mets so far this year remind me of an American League team because I think that is the way they play even with all the offense they generated in this game.

Almost as enjoyable as the game itself was the feeling that I am starting to deal with my anxiety about traveling to and from games. For some reason, I always worry about getting out afterwards to the point that it influences how I choose to travel and thinking when, or if, to leave early. Some of that anxiety is due to bad past experiences, for example taking an hour to get out of the parking lot at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia last July 4th - putting up with that knowing you have a two hour ride afterwards is not pleasant. But a larger part of it is just some unexplainable worrying that might have made some sense when I was working and had limited free time. Now however, in retirement it's not like I have that many places I have to go or things I have to do by certain times. I kept telling myself that throughout the day and was comfortable staying the for the whole game, recognizing that if we got home at 8:00 rather than 7:00 it was no big deal. I am very grateful for what feels like some progress because I really like Citi Field and hope to get there on some kind of a regular basis.