RMJ 224 September 27
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 ● Houston, vs Pittsburgh
Long before our game with the Pirates, Alan Truex stopped by for an in-depth interview: a retrospective on my first season.
I could tell that he had spent a considerable length of time preparing his questions, because they came cascading in sequential order. I was impressed.
For one thing, he has not been known for his early arrivals at the ballpark. And for another, he has not been suspected of being a baseball fan; something must have happened along the way.
I suppose that if you dangle the lure long enough, the fish will bite. I think we have Alan hooked.
As he rattled off questions that took me back to spring training and forward to now, I realized that he had, indeed, been tapping his toe to the Astros beat — and his animated expressions convinced me that he had enjoyed the dance.
As a broadcaster, I endeavored to catch would-be fans in the web of the game — to help folks understand its beauty and the epic nature of the long season.
If you give yourself up to a baseball team, you have a constant companion from April until October. This relationship will play your heartstrings like a cotillion, a polka and a dirge, all in the same season. It will spirit you through the summer. It will make you laugh and cry.
I look forward to seeing what Alan comes up with. I have a hunch it will be pretty good.
Lucky for me, Bagwell and Biggio told me that they wanted to play a few innings today. I had just about convinced myself that I would have to take a stand on my lineups, despite Drayton’s concern for the fans.
As I told Truex, “These are not throwaway games. We have a purpose, and that is to play the guys who need to play, and rest the guys who need to rest.” I was glad to see that show up in the paper, and I hoped that Drayton had read it.
When Baggy and Bidge told me they wanted to play, I wrote Derek into the lineup too. I figured he would want to do whatever they wanted to do.
Wrong. He is still having some discomfort in his left shoulder from the diving catch he made against the Cubs.
I had to change the lineup after batting practice. Chuckie Carr got the start in center field, and he went 2-for-5. Biggio went 0-for-2 and Bagwell 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. They were out of the game by the fourth inning, and we were ahead 3-1.
After that, the floodgates opened, and we rushed through with eight runs. Shane Reynolds looked good in a five-inning tuneup. Magnante, Springer, and Martin finished off the game in style. We won 8-1.
If I could choose a way to go into the playoffs, I couldn’t script it any better. We have been winning games with good pitching, with timely hitting, with solid fundamental defense — and we are doing it under the pressure of the race.
Now that the race is over, we are still winning on momentum, and we are getting our part-time players involved in the victory march.
I know the Braves could rain on our parade, but I don’t think it will happen. They may beat us, but I think they will know they have been in a fight.