OK, is everybody ready? Does everyone all set up to watch the midday playoff ballgame? Apparently the start time for Wednesday’s opener of the NLDS against the Colorado Rockies was a source of contention because people have jobs and things like that.
What, it isn’t cool to watch baseball at work? If not, that’s just silly unless the worker is going to perform surgery or something. Then no, that guy should not be watching ball.
Nevertheless, I am a bit confused. After all, we always hear about how they don’t play enough day games during the playoffs and kids can’t stay up to watch. But then when they play a day game everyone complains about it because they have to go to work.
Which is it, dude?
From my point of view, the day game is great. These things tend to run a bit long as it is and we need all the time we can get to do some writing and that kind of crap. However, it seems as if Phillies’ pitcher Cole Hamels is not a big fan of the day games in the NLDS. In fact, he complained about it before the game during his formal MLB sanctioned press conference complete with microphones, hot lights and satellite feeds.
Using his “Who are you?” voice direct from that commercial that runs in a veritable loop on the TV, Hamels said: “I understand TV ratings, but I think at the end of the day, most players would rather play when they’re both comfortable and that’s kind of what we’ve trained at—either 1 o’clock or 7 o’clock, and I think it’s more fair for us than the TV ratings, because truly, I don’t think we mind as much for TV ratings.”
Wait… what?
“We can understand that people want to watch it on TV, but I don’t know too many people that are going to be watching this game at 11 on the west coast.”
Oh… in other words, Hamels is ready for his start in Game 2 on Thursday afternoon.
Here are the lineups for Game 1 Phillies 11 – Rollins, ss 8 – Victorino, cf 26 – Utley, 2b 6 – Howard, 1b 28 – Werth, rf 29 – Ibanez, rf 7 – Pedro Feliz, 3b 51 – Ruiz, c 34 – Lee, p
Rockies 24 – Fowler, cf 5 – Gonzalez, lf 17 – Helton, 1b 2 – Tulowitzki, ss 27 – Atkins, 3b 8 – Torrealba, c 11 – Hawpe, rf 12 – Barmes, 2b 38 – Jimenez, p
The key to the Rockies’ lineup is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Jimmy Rollins, Tulowitzki’s counterpart on the Phillies, talked about the third-year star on Tuesday afternoon and marveled at the kid’s defensive prowess and throwing arm. Plus, Tulowitzki belted 32 home runs in 2009.
Though Rollins didn’t put Tulowitzki at the top of the list for young shortstops coming up in the game, he gave the most credence because like Rollins, the Rockies’ shortstop is from the Bay Area.
That’s when Rollins went on to list all the top ballplayers from his area of the country, such as Barry Bonds, Frank Robinson, Dontrelle Willis, Pat Burrell, Tom Brady, etc., etc. Of course Rollins’ favorite is Willie Stargell, the fellow Encinal High grad whose name was on the high school field Rollins and Willis played on.
“I thought one day they might name the field after me, but nope, it already has Pops’ name on it,” Rollins said.