The Stories of DTS

Lawsuit Frivolity

This is good.  I mean, outstandingly good.  Infreakingcredible, really.  A Houston lawyer is planning to file a class action lawsuit against Major League Baseball on behalf of Houstonians because they got sick sitting out in the cold during the World Series.  From this article:

She claims some fans got sick because they weren't given adequate notice that the roof would be open and therefore, weren't prepared for temperatures in the 50's.

Never mind that the myth that cold weather causes the common cold or flu has been debunked over and over, but the game was in Houston!  It's never cold in Houston.  The temperature got down to the '50's.  No matter how you slice it, that is not cold.  It's an objective truth.  The irony is that people at Minute Maid Park during Games 1 and 2 were less likely to catch a cold or come down with the flu than had the roof been closed because they were exposed to fresh air.   

I love truly frivolous lawsuits.  On the other hand, perhaps this whole thing is a hoax -- I'll be following the story with bated breath.

Masters of Horror Update

If you have Showtime, be sure to tune in tomorrow night, October 28, for the first installment of Masters of Horror.  Lansdale's adapted short story is hitting leadoff for the series. 

Check out CNN's favorable review of the series. 

The Nonissue Issue

The roof.  To be or not to be, that is the question.  Who cares?  The Astros, before Game 3 mind you, prophylactically whined because Major League baseball demanded that the roof on Minute Maid remain open for the game.  The home field advantage, the Astros bleated, is all tied up in the roof.  Don't you see?  I mean, look at the records!  What a bunch of cry babies.  Oswalt, who I used to like, was the worst.  He actually said that the White Sox had the advantage in Chicago because they play in cold and windy situations all season.  I've been to Chicago in the summer -- it's freakin' hot and muggy.  Oswalt, you've got to be kidding.  I can't believe you'd make excuses for a loss that hasn't even happened.

Astro advocates have been carting out the team's record with the roof on and off as "proof" that they gain an advantage.  I don't recall the exact numbers and I don't want to look them up because they're irrelevant, but their winning percentage is something like .650 with the roof and .530 without.  I could be wrong.  I don't care.

Now, It's OVER

Astros 5, Cardinals 1.  It sure felt like more than a four run difference.  Oswalt dominated the Cards like he was, well, like he was Roy Oswalt.  The man can pitch.  The Cards' bats laid dormant all NLCS and could not wake up against the likes of Roy.  And, that, basically was all there was to it. 

I never got upset as I'm prone to do.  No errant F-bombs, no creative string of curse words that had never before been connected and probably never will be again (I consider that one of my specialties -- makes me feel better about myself when I lose control.  No, I'm not a maniac, I'm a creative genius who just linked fornication, the Lord, pets, prostitutes, and a destitute donkey.  Who can beat that?) 

I don't know if the relative calm was residual satisfaction from Game 5 or that I had all game to get used to the idea of losing.  I was disappointed, a little surly, and I couldn't watch any Astro glee, but I kept my wits about me.  Almost like a real-life adult.

Oh My

Hollywood intervened tonight.  That's all there is to it.  Two out, 1-2 count on Eckstein against Brad Lidge.  A seeing eye grounder through the left side keeps the Cardinals alive.  Before that, I thought Minute Maid was going to explode.  Fox, as is its wont, showed the faces of 42 fans, 16 front office guys, and 10 Astro players, before that last pitch to Eck.  The game was over.  Or, so I thought.  Or did I?

Cards May Be in Trouble

Losing to Clemens isn't the worst thing in the world to fall back two games to one.  Morris hasn't pitched well since June and I didn't really expect to win today.  Still, Clemens didn't look great and Morris pitched well enough to keep the Cards in the game, so losing today hurt. 

Clearly, the Cardinals lost today because the Astros had the roof on Minute Maid.  This makes it loud, or so the announcers have told us about 100 times this postseason.  With all that noise, the Cardinals were unable to call any audibles at all and were constantly jumping offsides.  It was terrible.  Seriously, who cares how loud it is?  It's a baseball game.  Am I supposed to believe that these professional athletes get inspired by all that noise?  Does it make them try harder?  I'd think they were all giving maximum effort anyway.  They can keep the damn thing shut for all I care -- I don't think it makes a bit of difference in a baseball game.

That Was Ugly

The Cardinals sure didn't play like a team that won 100 games during the regular season.  Lots of ugly baseball.  Failing to cover first base on a bunt, passed ball to bring in a run, a lackadaisical effort to reach a ball at the wall to give the guy a triple (although, he was nearly out), a grounder that ate up the shortstop, a fairly routine fly ball that may have killed the left fielder, a wild pitch to advance a runner who later scored on a hard single, and lots of missed opportunities in the second half of the game.  I'm probably missing something.  Amazing that the boxscore shows no errors. 

Seriously, since when did official scorers become so lenient.  The ball hit to Eckstein was hard hit, but it was right at him.  The ball hit to Reggie Sanders landed in his glove just as he stepped on a landmine or something.  How can those not be errors?  Reggie has a "strained back," in addition to a bruised ego, I'm sure.  Hope he's better by Saturday.  If not, likely to see John Rodriguez or Mabry starting in LF.  I'd rather have J-Rod, actually.

Alas, going to Houston tied 1-1.

Yowza!

Just a few words about tonight's games.  I really need to get some sleep -- watching playoff baseball wears me out.

The ALCS -- I didn't watch much of this game.  I thought about setting the DVR, but we were already taping Lost and Law & Order, and anyway I figured there was no way I could watch the Cardinals and not know what was going on in the American League.  I flipped over between innings, but the games were tightly synched, so I mostly just saw more House commercials.

Luckily for me, the Cardinal game ended a few minutes before Game 2 of the ALCS.  What great drama.

I'm So Proud...

Jim Tracy, new manager of the Pirates, wants his team to play like the Cardinals.  Yes, 100 wins a season would be nice, although I think Tracy should first set his sights on a winning season.

New manager wants team to play like the Cardinals

Ain't Gonna Be No Rematch

Actually, there will be a rematch.  Much like Rocky and Apollo Creed, the first battle was so epic that fans demanded the Cardinals and Astros meet again in a best of seven rumble.  Major League Baseball was kind enough to set it up and we get started tomorrow.  May the best team win.

Of course, if it was that simple the Cardinals would be a lock to advance to the World Series.  Clearly, they are the best team.  The Cardinals finished 11 games ahead of the 'stros over an 162 game season.  The Cards went 11-5 against the 'stros.  The Cards' ERA against the Astros was 3.11, while the Astros' ERA against the Cardinals was a run higher.  The Cards scored more runs, gave up fewer runs, and have cooler uniforms.  It's no contest.  But, in a seven game series in October, anything can happen.  Games must be played and the first team to four wins gets to move on.