The World Series

     The Yankees gave one away last night with 5 unearned runs in the middle of a pitching masterpiece by Gerrit Cole.  Forget the offender’s names because it was a team letdown to a systemic arrogance that focuses on the home runs and forgets the details that are so important in baseball, like covering first base or tagging up.  They had grabbed the gusto, the mojo and the momentum of the series only to let it slip through their fingers, literally.

     I was so looking forward to Game 6 and Mr. November to start an important month off right.  The same swagger, Yankee hubris, that propelled them to victory, shut them down in the end.  They are good at coming from behind but not very good at holding the lead.  Their defense was lackadaisical all series as they chose usually not to crash the wall and save a home run or dive for that double play and counted on unruly fans to undo the efforts of the Dodger fielders.  Judge had moved his foot in 3 inches and was hitting again and they stopped throwing heaters to Freddy who was reduced to reaching low and outside for flare doubles to left center.  Such are the vagaries of baseball and the post season.

    The Yanks had won 25 Rings in the 1900’s but only two in the 2000s.  Along with the Mets, they have the highest payroll in the Bigs, combined at ¾ of a billion dollars, but could not beat the lowly Dodgers, with their half a billion-dollar man.  I don’t watch much baseball but boy it was fun watching the high production drama where at times both teams appeared infallible and unpitchable, only to finish with bullpens that could not find the strike zone.  Schmoltz ‘s commentary on stress and pitching psychology was outstanding, but even he could not hide his disappointment with how the team let down their star franchise pitcher.  It was a collective Bill Buchner moment we won’t soon forget.  The Dodgers deserved it and probably would have won the series anyhow, but the sum total of the joy created by a Yankee win would have been infinitely more if they got to dance one more night in the Bronx.  There is no joy in Mudville.