Worth It?

The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw signed a seven year, $215 million contract in January.  For that money, LA got a number one starter who went 21-3 on the season with a 1.77 ERA, good enough to be a lock for the Cy Young Award in the National League.  Too bad Kershaw lost both his starts against St. Louis in the NLDS.  In fact, Kershaw has gone 1-5 in the postseason, his ERA a very embarrassing 5.12.  Unless things change fast, Kershaw will find himself wearing the label of an expensive choke.

Bryce Harper is in the fourth year of a five-year, $9.9 million deal from when he was drafted by the Nationals in 2010.  The contract expires before Harper can become a free agent, so arbitration time should become interesting.  Harper went 5 for 17 in the Nats’ four-game series loss to the Giants.  Three of those hits were homeruns and one a double.  Mike Trout, who signed a six-year $144.5 million extension with the Angels before the season started, went 1 for 12 in the Royals’ three-game sweep of LA.  What goes for Clayton Kershaw applies to Trout.

Was Harper the “hungriest” of the three young players, or were the differing performances all a coincidence?  You decide.  For me, I’m just happy in a perverse sort of way that the White Sox missed the postseason.  Why?  Because none of the Kershaw questions can be asked of Chris Sale.  I want Sale to be on a can’t-miss team come the postseason.

Of course, that may never happen.           

Long Distance

Clare is unhappy with her TV situation in Valparaiso—no Comcast for the White Sox, no Fox 1 for the playoffs.  The second may not be such a bad thing.  The broadcasters work “1” into everything to the point I expect them to break out into, “Rubber Ducky, you’re the ‘1’” before the next commercial break.

My daughter says she misses being able to watch the games at home with her father; we would both sit on the couch doing color and analysis.  Times change.  The thought’s appreciated.

The Sport of Politics, the Politics of Sports

 Illinois governor Pat Quinn made sure to be on the field for Paul Konerko Day last week.  Afterwards, he made his way to the broadcast booth for a half inning or so with Hawk Harrelson and Steve Stone.  The governor practically gushed over the potential of rookie infielder Marcus Semien.  At no time did Quinn commit the faux paux of saying “Cominskey” rather than “Comiskey.”  Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel did not attend the game.

But he was on hand the next Saturday for his Great Chicago Fire Festival to see the floating houses fail to burn up as planned.  More people went to the Cell for Konerko than to the Festival, though both events provided definite memories.  With a gubernatorial election a month off, that’s a good thing for Quinn.  With the mayoral primary in February, the mayor can only hope voters forget.

Everything Old....

Come one come all today to the Great Chicago Fire Festival.  Watch as floating houses are set ablaze in the Chicago River.  Really.

They did something similar back in the 1890s, when journalist Finley Peter Dunne cracked wise through the persona of the city’s favorite barkeeper, a.k.a. Mr.  Dooley.  If you’re going celebrate a disaster like the Fire, Mr. Dooley reasoned, “What’s th’ mather with cholera?  Why don’t we have an ipidimic day, with floats showin’ distinguished citizens in convulsions an’ a procission iv hearses?  That’ud be a pretty sight.”  Mr. Mayor, your thoughts?

But Mayor Emanuel is too busy touting his latest coup, snaring the 2015 NFL draft.  Emanuel calls it “an event that highlights our world-class city and reinvests in our neighborhoods.”  Right, rounds five through eight are going to be held smack dab in the middle of the Bungalow Belt.  And when it’s all done, the name of Al Capone will be erased from the world’s memory.  

Call me old-fashioned, but I miss how each sport used to have its own season and didn’t encroach on others.  Nobody’s draft ever got in the way of the World Series.  That’s the way it should be, provided there were a couple of women ballplayers on the field.

He Gone

After 14 seasons, 462 homeruns and 2379 strikeouts, Adam Dunn called it a career this week.  In his 2002^nd and final game, Dunn finally got to see some playoff action from the dugout, although A’s manager Bob Melvin never found the right situation to use Dunn over the course of a 12-inning loss to the Royals.  How sad.  A tree fell in the forest, but there was no one on hand to record its demise.

Missed Chances

By going to Paul Konerko’s last game Sunday, Clare missed a two-hour bus ride from Valparaiso to DeKalb, where the Crusaders played a double header.  Things could have gotten a little interesting for my daughter.

One of the games was against a school she was interested in attending early on.  Then we heard stories about the coach, nothing especially pleasant.  But I will say he always showed up for his daughters’ high school games against Morton.  In fact, he was there for Clare’s last high school home run during regionals.  She tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a monster shot off of one of coach’s daughters.  Oh, they both play for him in college.

I doubt that home run would have helped Clare’s chances to make the team.

Insight

Most athletes avoid reporters or talk in clichés, either of which will protect them from unintended revelations a la Adrian Peterson.  Actual insight is rare and noteworthy, as Paul Konerko showed after playing in his final game Sunday.

Konerko took a farewell lap around the field, with stops to wave or shake hands.  At some point, the intensity of emotion coming from the fans struck Konerko.  “I saw people crying out there.  That’s crazy, just because I play a game.  But I get it.  It’s something you do for closure for them as well.”

A player can be generous with his time or not, stop to talk to fans or just run to his car.  “It’s something they don’t teach you in the minor leagues, about this kind of stuff.”  No, a first baseman coming in from the field sees an eight-year old girl sitting behind the dugout and tosses her a ball.  Then he signs it in the offseason.  And she remembers forever.