Incompetence
I am now at that point in life where I can’t stand to watch bad baseball,
and the White Sox have pretty much cornered the market in that regard since the
All-Star break. Oh, I’ll peak, but sit
glued in front of the TV? No, thanks.
So, the couple with five college degrees between them sat on the couch last
night watching season two of “Endeavour.”
Apparently, everyone in Great Britain either is busy committing a
murder, solving a murder or watching programs about people up to their neck in
murder. We fall into category #3, due to
great character/acting and setting (suburban London, the 1960s). Believe me, you don’t want to try to get away
with murder on Detective Morse’s watch.
We watched two episodes and took a break after the first one; that’s how
I saw recently recalled Matt Skole tie the score in the ninth inning against
the Phillies. I didn’t bother to check
on the score after the second episode ended and in fact didn’t find out until
10 AM this morning that the visiting Sox won 4-3 in 15 innings. How nice.
What a joke.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad the
Sox won; just thirteen more in a row and we’re back to .500. But this isn’t baseball I grew up with, at
least on the Phillies’ part. Manager
Gabe Kapler ran out of pitchers, despite having a 12-man staff. Better—or worse—yet, Kapler used a pitcher in
left field and an outfielder on the mound for two innings. Don’t be fooled by the video highlights.
“Outfielder” Vince Velasquez threw a runner (actually, it was Jose Abreu,
who does more of a speed walk on the bases) out at the plate in the 14th
inning and nearly did it again in the 15th. Sorry, you don’t subject your pitchers to
injury trying to get outfield assists.
Velasquez pitched five innings two days previous. If Kapler was afraid to bring him in to
relieve, then he should’ve done a better job managing his bullpen. Remember what the philosopher Forrest Gump said—stupid
is as stupid does.
Which brings us to the subject of pretty-boy Bryce Harper, the $330
million man. After going 0 for 6 last
night, Harper has a slash line of 18 homeruns/72 RBIs/.248 BA, compared to Jose
Abreu’s 23/77/.264, and I thought Abreu was having a bad season. I bet super-agent Scott Boras has an excuse ready
for his client, though.
I can’t wait to hear it.
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