It Breaks Your Heart

October 20 , 2006

It breaks your heart. Baseball does. And New York Mets fans, we feel your pain.

The complete quote in context, by Bartlett Giamatti, goes like this: “It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops."

And a hearty “no bleep!” from the Queens peanut gallery.

Watching the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate a pennant clinching on another team’s field, I flashed back in horror to 1985. By reflex. I couldn’t help it if I tried. And I tried. There it was. October 16, 1985.

It was a Game Six instead of a Seven. The Cards led the NLCS three games to two. The Dodgers had just taken a 5-4 lead on an eighth inning homer by Mike Marshall. All they needed was three more outs. As unlikely as it sounds now, Tom Niedenfuer had actually saved two games in the series.

You know the pitching-to-Jack-Clark-with-one-for-11-Andy-Van-Slyke-on-deck story, so I won’t belabor the point, but the conclusion of the 2006 NLCS was uncomfortably familiar. The shock and heartbreak felt in the stadium that day, the second Clark’s shot landed in the stands, with Pedro Guerrero slamming his glove to the ground in disgust, was something I’ll never forget. It felt like a dagger in the chest, with fans literally sinking in their seats. And the dead silence minutes later, with the Cardinals, in their road grays, prancing around the infield, was identical to the one at Shea.

Bart said it perfectly. Baseball breaks your heart. Mets fans feel it today. Years from now, or perhaps in a week, when the Cards rush the mound in some other club’s park, they’ll feel it again…

Trivia: Which Dodger pitcher recorded the highest ERA in the 1985 NLCS? Hint: It wasn’t Niedenfuer...

Media Savvy: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the darndest things. “Angels. They have already inquired about A-Rod, so you know they're interested. Rodriguez could be reenergized by playing in a beautiful locale, in a wonderful ballpark and for a great owner and manager.” How many things are wrong with that statement? Beautiful locale? It’s Anaheim, for Polonia’s sake!

For all the flack News Corp. gets, and almost all of it thoroughly deserved, Fox does a great job on baseball. While Joe Buck still says “pops it” to describe a medium to deep fly ball, he’s developed into a great television play-by-play man.

Tim McCarver takes more heat from the media than Fox, which is saying something, but I like him. (Then again, I liked Dan Dierdorf.) I think it’s a professional jealousy kind of thing. Beyond that, I have no idea. Tom Brennaman, on the other hand, bugs me no end. If ever a broadcaster needed a thesaurus, it’s that guy. I mean, there are only so many plays in any one ball game that can possibly be OUT-standing.

Props to Tim Brown, of the Los Angeles Times, for his fine work throughout the year, and especially during the postseason. Brown provides a rare combination of really getting baseball, with great writing. And it’s a treat getting to read him doing game stories, for a change.

This is great too: MLB - 50 Greatest Playoff Performances…

So’s this. Frequent BaseballSavvy.com contributor, Bijan Bayne appears on WARL 1320 AM "The Drive," Providence. He’s a contestant in the High Heat Radio (“Chin Music to the world of Sports Talk”) search for the next great voice. Mondays at 1:30 p.m. PST...

Tampa Bay, Chicago Ready: With just the Tigers and Cards still playing for this year, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have seized the day, and are now a lead-pipe cinch for 2007.

Not only did the club sign ace Jae Seo to a $1.2 million one-year deal, the Devil Rays nipped talk of a season ticket holder revolt in the bud by bringing megastar Greg Norton back for another season.

Not to be outdone by the early American League favorites, the Cubs signed right-hander Matt Harrington to a minor league contract. Oh, and Lou Piniella is the new skipper. Lucky Lou. No word from Chicago on whether Piniella gets the title, Vice President in Charge of Curse Reversal and Savior Operations…

Who You Gonna Believe, Me or Your Lyons Eyes: Look, I’m no expert in political correctness, and it’s frightening to think that any individual, much less an executive at Fox, would have the chutzpah to claim to be one, but this much I know: Steve Lyons’ ALDS boners are not reminiscent of Al Campanis. They’re tame compared to a greatest hits’ worth of Lee Hamilton air-checks, for that matter, and Hacksaw’s still working. Kind of.

But it’s good that the Dodgers retained him, because whatever Spanish Lyons is intentionally mangling, it’s infinitely more comprehensible than the English Rick Monday is attempting to speak correctly…

Talkback: Your comments are always encouraged…

FYI: Brace yourself for this monster piece of baseball trivia. Steve Lyons was born in Tacoma, Washington, on June 3, 1960. Barry Lyons was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on June 3, 1960. Steve Lyons hit 19 homers lifetime; Barry Lyons banged out 15. Steve was hit by pitches five times in his career; so was Barry…

Trivia Answer: Dodgers 1985 NLCS ERAs included Tom Niedenfuer’s 6.35 ERA, Bob Welch’s 6.75, Jerry Reuss’ 10.80, and your winner, Rick Honeycutt, at 13.50…

With the Red Sox no longer requiring the services of Dave Wallace, the Dodgers should act quickly to re-sign him. Beside the improvement that will no doubt result in 2007 pitching, there’s something about the current line of succession (Red Adams, Ron Perranoski, Dave Wallace, Rick Honeycutt) that’s just not right…

Lady Madonna, Baby at Your Breast: We’re doing Madonna one better. Yep, the Main Squeeze and I are adopting a child from an impoverished nation. But unlike with Madonna or Angelina Jolie, this is about what’s best for the kid. Like, we need the publicity.

But forget Africa. It’s the poor Dominican boy who really needs our love. And our love he shall have, along with the best of everything. The best of Rawlings, Wilson, Hillerich & Bradsby, and Mizuno. And if the young man just happens to be left-hander, as requested, he’ll have the absolute best pitching instruction money can buy. Just, not Rick Honeycutt...

Rhetorical Question of the Day: What’s the deal with Jackie Autry presenting trophies for MLB these days? More importantly, is it just me, or is Mrs. Autry a dead-ringer look-alike for Randy Jones?

Pitchers and catchers and Steve Trachsel report February 15…

Statue for Sandy: The Koufax in bronze campaign continues. Please Vote “Yes on 32.” And tell a friend…

Remember, glove conquers all….

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