June 16, 2003

I’m a new father. My daughter is actually 1-year old now. She’s an angel! For Fathers’ Day, I got up early and went and played golf. It was brutal. I carry a 12 handicap and I couldn’t putt at all. I four-jacked twice and three-putted more times than I can count. I shot a Szymborski-like 98. Worse still, I lost a double fistful of cash on match play and assorted side bets. And since we are in North Carolina, there are no beer sales on Sunday before noon and this golf course, The Crossings at Grove Park, has a "no outside beer" policy. Generally, teeing off at 7 am shouldn’t require a beer cart, but today was no ordinary day.

For starters, I was treated to the Anaheim Angels kicking the snot out of the Mets until 1 AM, and then had to finish that scintillating National League East re-cap, about three days late (Thanks for your patience, Dan, and readers who wait impatiently for my next offering – thanks, Mom!). That meant going to bed around 2 AM. I had to pick up Leo at 6:30 AM on the way to the golf course. Nonetheless, a round of golf is better than mowing the lawn, or digging up a giant prickly pear cactus, which is what I did on Saturday.

I’m a very fast golfer – we turned the course in a little under three hours after having to wait a small eternity on the first three holes. Long story a little less long, I’m a bad putter and it cost me money, but it was still golf on Fathers’ Day. Fortunately, Leo had brought a small cooler with a Harpoon Ale and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for each of us.

As I chili-dipped my approach on #18, my cell phone vibrated. Uh oh, the missus! She was just checking to see where I was and to ask if I wanted to take my daughter to the playground when I got home. You betchum, Red Ryder! My daughter has just started walking, so following Franken-junior around as she staggers like I did when I was 23 is very rewarding. She’s so cute when she eats playground wood chips that have been peed on by countless dogs, cats, and children. After a few trips down the slide, ten minutes in the swing and another fifteen minutes in the tunnel gym, we were headed back home. I came in, posted 15 Game Chatter links and waited for the Cardinals-Yankees game to start, identifying pictures with my daughter. She’s just 13 months and can say "ball", "Spongebob", and "backpack". She also beats her chest when prompted with "Gorilla?"

Then my wife brought me my Fathers’ Day card and a gift. A wallet! An empty wallet! She said I could lie around and watch baseball all day. And so I did –

The Cardinals and Yankees game was a promising treat because Mike Mussina was going against Woody Williams. Mussina looked sharp right out of the gate, while Williams walked two in the second and allowed a single, but was helped by a Matsui GIDP. When Tino Martinez led off the second inning, the Yankee crowd gave him a standing ovation. The Yankee announcers, Ken Singleton, for one, proceeded to not only laud the Yankee fans, but to disparage the Cardinal fans for booing Tino, and simply being ignorant fans for what Tino brings to the team. It was pretty amusing. Tino proceeded to gork a single into right.

Williams also gave up a couple of hits in the third, allowing a run. Mussina stumbled in the fourth inning, giving up a long home run to Albert Pujols. He walked Tino, who came around to score on Kerry Robinson’s single. Mussina struck out Joe Girardi to end the inning, and then got nasty. He retired the rest of the Cardinals he faced, through the eighth inning. It was a very dominant outing.

Williams just lost it in the sixth, walking Giambi and Posada before having a protracted battle with Robin Ventura, before Ventura cranked one to the gap – that I swear Robinson could have made a play on with a dive. Jim Edmonds would have at least tried. Oh, Edmonds was scratched with a stomach complaint. The Yankees put up four in the sixth and that was the end of the pitching duel and the game.

Singleton also went on about how fans were treated to two sparkling defensive shortstops. Jeter made at least two "field to your left, 360° spin, throw to first", that is very balletic, but generally not necessary. Mariano Rivera came on for the impressive three-run lead save. Yankees 5, Cardinals 2.

The game was plenty quick, ending around a quarter until four, so I could catch up on the US Open at Olympia Hills. Our friend Tony Giacalone (okay, not that one) said he was going to be there and that I should look for him, wearing khakis, a blue shirt, and a US Open hat. I think I saw him about 4000 times.

The Mets-Angels game came on next. I was pretty excited about this game as one of Steve Trachsel’s biggest fans. Okay, I’m not that big of a fan, but I like him. Jarrod Washburn for the Angels started the game, and he opened with four strikeouts in the first six hitters. Then he allowed a single to Vance Wilson. Then he walked Shinjo to load the bases. Mets shortstop of the future Jose Reyes then had about a 10 pitch at-bat before sneaking a ball over the wall in left field for his first home run – a grand slam and a 4-0 lead. I whooped and my wife called downstairs to see if something was wrong.

Trachsel started ugly – he walked David Eckstein and Tim Salmon in the first, but Garrett Anderson bounced into a 4-6-3 DP to end that threat. Trax then walked Brad Fullmer, but Met first baseman Jason Phillips made a nice backhand stop on a ball ripped by Scott Spiezio, threw to Reyes at second and took the return throw for a sweet 3-6-3 DP. Two DPs in two innings, keeping Trax out of too much trouble.

Washburn gave up a home run to Jeromy Burnitz in the fourth to make it a 5-0 Met lead. Trax sat the Angels down in order in the third, fourth and fifth. As a Met fan, one of the regular items of interest is that the Mets have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter. That’s right, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden, David Cone – all threw no-hitters. None for the Mets. There’s a long list of former Mets that have thrown no-nos – it’s like a dozen, and still no Mets no-hitter. So here’s Steve Trachsel starting the sixth without allowing a hit. I have a rule: it isn’t a no-hitter until the pitcher gets through the sixth. You can "notice" in the fifth, but until he gets to <10 outs to go, he’s not that close. Trax gets Bengie Molina on a 6-3. Adam Kennedy does likewise. I sit up – I can start getting excited. Eckstein then fists a 1-2 pitch into right field, the ball landing in front of Roger Cedeno. Cedeno managed to play it into three bases, but you really don'’ want to see that. Jeff DaVanon, who has to be one of Jerry’s kids, then popped out to first. Another day, another non-no-hitter for the Mets.

Burnitz took Washburn deep again in the sixth, but the story was Trachsel. He went the distance, twirling a one-hit shutout, as the Mets scored 8 runs. Reyes went three-for-four and stole his first base. He drove in five runs with his grand slam and a ground out. For Met fans, it was as good a game as Saturday’s was bad. Mets 8, Angels 0.

The game only lasted about two and a half hours, so I got to watch the rest of the Open, as Jim Furyk cruised to victory.

Lastly, the Braves and Mariners matched up on Sunday Night Baseball. Greg Maddux and Gil Meche (whose name I’m glad I’m writing and not pronouncing) made for a good pitching duel.

After Meche sat the Braves down in order in the first, Ichiro Suzuki led off the bottom of the inning with a bouncer to Brave second baseman Marcus Giles. Giles tried to field it bare-handed, but Suzuki was there. Giles missed it anyway. Suzuki stole second. Maddux tried to pick him off, and Giles missed a throw by trying to make a slap-tag, and Ichiro went to third. Bret Boone doubled into the left field corner, giving the M’s a 1-0 lead. In the third, Ichiro lead off the inning with a chopper over the mound. Rafael Furcal, who has a hose, snapped it over to first, but Ichiro beat it out. He can flat out fly. He then stole second and third and scored on a Boone high chopper back to Maddux. The ball didn’t get out of the grass, and Ichiro went around the bases. Ty Cobb would have been proud, if he wanted to be.

Maddux was on, though. He struck out 11 batters, 5 looking and stuck a "circle K" on the Mariners in the sixth.

The Braves got a run in the sixth, and had runners at the corners with two out, but Chipper Jones bounced out, 4-3.

Bobby Cox showed a cute trick in the eighth inning – he pinch-hit Matt Franco for his starting catcher, while his other catcher was the Designated Hitter. Yes, that means he eliminated his DH. Some of the Game Chatter discussions revolved around the Blue Jays bringing up Ken Huckaby to run with three catchers as it looked like they would have a similar situation. Franco singled and Darren Bragg pinch-ran. That got Meche out of the game, but the Braves didn’t score.

Move to the ninth, still 2-1. Shigetoshi Hasegawa still on the hill. Gary Sheffield leads off with a solid single to right.

Hasegawa gets lifted in favor of Arthur Rhodes – why? Chipper Jones has been sitting out because he hasn’t been able to swing the bat right-handed. Seattle manager Bob Melvin brought LHP Rhodes in to get Chipper turned around, or better, out of the game. It was an excellent managerial move – and besides, Rhodes is nasty.

Rhodes got Chipper out on a deep drive to right – amazingly, Gary Sheffield tagged up and went to second. That’s a risky play, because if the ball isn’t caught, Sheff only gets to second instead of third or even scoring. He gambled and got it right. Rhodes got a huge K out of Andruw Jones. Melvin lifted Rhodes in favor of Jeff Nelson to face pinch-hitter Julio Franco. Franco lined out to Ichiro in right and the game was over. Mariners 2, Braves 1.

All three games were short – checking the box scores, the first game was 2:38, the second was 2:38, and the third was 2:28.

I watched nearly 8 hours of baseball, played a round of golf, played with my daughter at the park and read books with her, took in a good bit of the US Open and the ending of "Joe Kidd". I didn’t have to use my AK. I’d have to say it was a good day.

I hope all of you had as good a day, especially you, Craig.