Best Baseball Game of the Year

The best baseball game that I have seen all year took place today. It wasn't in the Cardinals and it definitely was not the Cubs! The game was between Canada and Germany at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

I have been keeping track of both teams throughout there time in Williamsport. I knew that they were both 0-2 and would not be moving out of pool play. I tuned into this game because I knew that both teams would be giving everything they had to get 1 win before returning home.

The game was everything I had hoped it would be. Both teams came out with a lot of energy but made many mistakes early. Team Canada took advantage of some errors from Germany and jumped out to a 10-2 lead. You could see the look of disappointment on the faces in the dugouts. As the camera closed in on the players from Germany, you could see their frustration with every error. Their frustration and disappointment was not from losing, it was from playing poorly. This was a good team that had fought to beat a lot of teams to come out to represent Europe.

Although frustration and disappointment was in their eyes, they never once gave up. I kept watching because I knew the game had a lot more excitement. Any professional game that is 10-2 with 2 innings left is not any fun to watch. It really doesn't matter who you are cheering for because both teams are just going through the motions. This is not the case with the Little League World Series.

Although I expected Germany to still have a little fight in them, I did not expect what I was about to see. Germany came out in the bottom of the 5th inning and gave everything they had. They pushed 5 players across the plate to bring the score to 10-7 when one of their players stepped up and blasted a go ahead home run. They would tack on 3 more to take a 13-10 lead going into the final inning. That is right...they scored 11 runs in the second to last inning.

The top of the 6th brought Canada their final chance. Having just seen their 8 run lead turn into a 3 run deficit, Canada should have folded. I do not know many teams in any league that would not have folded. Canada was one of those teams. They battled back to within 1 run when Katie Reyes stepped up to the plate. The score was 13-12 in Germany's favor. The bases were loaded with 2 outs when Katie slashed a single into right field scoring 2 runs. Katie had gone hitless in her time in Williamsport before a 3-4 day at the plate. She drove in the game winning run and gave Canada it's one and only win in this year's Little League World Series. Oh and did I mention she had an excellent day in the field?

I don't know if much will be said about this game but it is one I will remember for a long time. There are a lot of things wrong with baseball today, but the Little League World Series is not one of them!

Top 5 Reasons I Love my Wife

5-She actually loves me back:-)

4-She is a great teacher and great with kids

3-She is close to her family

2-She is a Christian woman

1-She's my best friend!

John Smoltz

It was an interesting day in baseball. I first want to say congrats to John Smoltz for a good game in his Cardinals debut. Beating the Padres is not a great gage to judge how his year will go, but part of winning is beating the teams you are supposed to. John Smoltz went 5 scoreless innings while giving up 3 hits and striking out 9. John Smoltz was a great pick up for the St. Louis Cardinals. I think he is a great pick up for any team in a pennant run for 3 reasons.
First, John Smoltz is a proven winner. He is an 8-time All-Star, Cy Young winner, and has many other career awards. He has over 200 career wins, over 150 saves, and over 3,000 strikeouts. He was an important part of a Brave's pitching staff that led the team the postseason 14 times. During these 14 years, the Braves made it to the World Series 5 times and won it in 1995.
Second, John Smoltz has the above mentioned playoff experience. He is the all time leader in playoff wins with 15. He has played in 24 playoff series and 5 World Series. The Cardinals have been to the World Series twice in recent years winning it in 2006. That being said, the majority of the players on the current Cardinal's roster were not on either of those World Series teams. John Smoltz brings immediate playoff experience to a young team.
Finally John Smoltz not only has something left in his arm, but has something to prove to the Red Sox and to himself. Smoltz hurried his way back from major surgery so he could pitch again. Although he didn't set a record for fastest recovery, he did rush back for someone his age. I feel as the season goes on, he will not only get stronger but prove he has another year left in his career.
The Cardinals have made several good moves this year and are reaping the benefits of an active front office. The newest acquisition to the team may not be the most productive, but could be the most beneficial in the clubhouse. I look to Smoltz to contribute on and off the field as he has in his 21 years in the majors.

Cubs Offense

Question: What happens when you build a team to score via the home run ball?
Answer: 2009 Chicago Cubs

The 2009 Chicago Cubs will not make the post season for the first time in 3 years. This comes as no shock to this life long Cubs fan. They built their team for power and they are paying for it. If you have a team that is built for power, the players have to produce every game and this team is not. When they are not hitting home runs, they do not know how to manufacture runs. The Cubs have a .253 team batting average and are tied for the least amount of stolen bases in the National League. If you can not hit home runs, hit for average, or manufacture runs with speed, you are going to lose and the Cubs are on their way towards a losing season as they are now just 2 games over .500.

All that being said, I will be watching tomorrows game on WGN as it is an addictive torture.