Explaining the Unexplainable

October 16, 2007

The unexplainable being the Colorado Rockies, that is.

And if you find yourself in a conversation with a man claiming said explanation, you might want to turn and run for the hills. Because you're in the presence of madness, and from what I understand, it's catching.

With the wisdom that was the idea of Denver-attempted baseball, I left the Rox for dead years ago. I go out of my way to re-establish the club's passing pretty much every April, and do so again after pretty much every string of victories, which pop up three or four times a year, without fail.

This string of victories, however, is different. This Rockies team, however, is different. This brand of Denver baseball is different. It's real baseball; normal baseball, and a pleasure to watch. Storing baseballs in temperature-controlled cigar closets works, apparently. They should've thought of it years earlier.

But the humidor just allows for normal baseball. What the Rockies are accomplishing is their own doing. All credit goes to them. OK, maybe the Dodgers get some credit for collapsing into Colorado's arms on September 18, getting swept in a double-header, plus two more in successive days, propelling the Rox toward history, with their best wishes. Coincidence? Please.

By the way, if Colorado does go on to win the whole shebang, that'll bring the total of expansion teams to win a championship, since the Dodgers last one in 1988, to six. That’s six if you count Toronto's two separately, Florida's two separately, Arizona's and Colorado's one apiece. Seven (and in case you don't recognize it, this is sarcasm), if you count the Angels Unbelievable.

I don't know about you, but I need a period of mourning after my team is eliminated before turning back to baseball full tilt. Sometime it's a day or two, other times I find that watching at least one division series with the sound off is required. Thankfully, TBS, with its incessant promos of that Frank TV guy, and the use of Chip Caray just period, was around this year.

Whatever, I'm back into it now, and loving October baseball, Dane Cook notwithstanding. I'm not rooting for any particular team. I just want to see great ball. If not for the eight-day layoff I'd pick Colorado right now, but alas, baseball must wait for Fox to get its World Series lineup just right, so we'll see you next Wednesday.

And if the layoff doesn't stop the Rockies, let's hope and pray Clint Hurdle's face exploding on national television doesn't either. Have you seen that profile shot of Hurdle chewing gum in the dugout? If not, and as important as their seeing the World Series is, I suggest you send the children to bed early…

Talkback: Your comments are always encouraged…

Stoneman Out: Normally, we tend to ignore the other club in the Los Angeles area, because well, you know, what happens in Orange County stays in Orange County. And we're all better for it. But Arte Moreno's hiring of an African American general manager is a significant thing. A good thing.

I'd never heard of Tony Reagins before today, nor did I know that Ken Forsch and Gary Sutherland were Bill Stoneman's assistants (it's the Angels remember, so why would I bother?), but baseball needs to keep moving to truly integrate. Why Bob Watson is still without a gm's job mystifies me. Absolutely mind boggling.

Can we finally establish now please that it was Watson, along with Joe Torre, who put the Yankees in a position to win those last four rings. Not Brian Cashman, who had the team passed to him on a silver platter, and certainly not George Steinbrenner. Houston would've been perfect for Watson…

The Proverbial Good Trade for Both Clubs: The Dodgers go from what was at the time, one of the various XTRAs, with its God-awful signal, to KFWB, with its ordinarily-awful signal and God-awful postgame hosts, back home to KABC, and 790 on the AM dial.

I was rooting for 75,000 watt KFI, which would've been even more nostalgic, but KABC will do just fine. The Dodgers get away from a radio station which either didn't care or didn't know what it was doing, and KABC gets a solid replacement from whatever the hell it was doing for the last eleven years...

Media Savvy: We like to point to great writing where we find it, even if sometimes it's not baseball-related. Ron Rapoport's fine commentary on Marion Jones is an example. The Times also ran a cute piece, sans byline, about Domino's Oreo Pizza, in the food section.

Also in the Times, Joel Stein penned a rather dumb op-ed piece about Kirk Gibson, but gets a mention because of this great line: "It was as if Gibson had summoned up the superhuman strength that allows people to lift a car off a child, only for something important."

And finally, Rotoworld, as is often the case, hits the nail on head exactly:

"The Dodgers haven't ruled out moving Juan Pierre to left field and targeting a center-field upgrade, such as Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter. The idea of putting Pierre in left field over Andre Ethier is a ridiculous one. If Pierre isn't good enough to play center field for the Dodgers, he isn't good enough to play. The club might as well kick in $10 million-$20 million of the $36.5 million he's owed over the next four years to send him elsewhere. At that much of a discount, perhaps the Marlins would be interested in bringing him back."

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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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