The Cynic Says……

I’m not too much of a baseball fan until it comes playoff time. I actually took the time to watch game 4 of the Astros - Braves division series and was pleasantly surprised at the awesome game I got to watch. Basically, if the Braves won it went back to Atlanta for game 5 and if the Astros won the Braves’ golf season started a bit earlier than anticipated. I’m not really capable of sitting and watching a full 9-inning game and I actually managed to miss the first few innings because I didn’t know the game was even on. When I tuned in, it was 4-0 braves in the 3rd inning. I watched for a few innings and the Astros seemed completely unable to get anything going off Tim Hudson so I just assumed that the series would be heading back to Atlanta for game 5. I tuned into the Eagles/Cowboys football game on a different channel since I figured it might be a bit more interesting (it was if you were a Cowboys fan; they were laying some serious smackdown on the Eagles). So I’m watching the football game and the baseball game score flashes up… 6-6 in the 10th inning! What the fuck? So I tune back into ESPN hoping that they’ll recap what’s been going on. Well, turns out they did and Houston managed to get one run back, then hit a grand slam in the 8th to make it 6-5 then the game tying home run in the bottom of the 9th with two out. Boy was I pissed that I missed it! At this point, I figure this game is going to be really exciting and stay tuned in. No way in hell was I expecting to see what I saw. Basically both teams trotted out player after player and pitcher after pitcher in the hopes of winning this game. Houston ran out of position players and came down to only one pitcher left on the roster. How fitting the only guy left would be the Rocket? Roger Clemens, a player who came out of retirement last year just so he could try and bring a World Series ring to his hometown club. A guy who’d pitched just two days earlier and gotten his ass handed to him. Had he not lost that game, this series would have been over already. He came in for the 15th - 18th (yes 18th!) innings and pitched some masterful baseball. Only his second relief appearance in his entire career, his first being as a rookie with the Boston Red Sox 21 years ago. He’s 43 fucking years old and pitching on 3 days rest in RELIEF… not only that, mowing batters down left and right, ending each of the three innings with a strikeout. Fucking amazing. Even more amazing was the fact that the game ended on a solo home run in the bottom of the 18th with one out. Chris Burke, who had come in as a pinch runner for Lance Berkman in the 10th hit the one homer he’ll probably never forget the rest of his life. The guy hit .248 all year long and wasn’t even a full-time starter. Crazy game, I’ll tell ya. Yet another one to add to the Rocket’s legendary career. Seriously, he may just be one of the greatest players many of us will ever see in our lifetimes. Hell, the only reason he’s playing is because he wants to win a World Series in his hometown. He’s won it with the Yankees, but Houston has never won it in their history. Roger Clemens may just get what he wants this year. Unfortunately, for the 2nd time in two years they have to beat St. Louis to get to the big dance. Here’s to hoping they get the job done.