Why I Love the Game - Part I

I stumbled upon the Angels-Rangers game for about half an inning last night and saw something that reminded me (as if I really need to be reminded) why I love baseball.

With no outs and Richard Hidalgo on first base for the Rangers, talented Texas rookie Adrian Gonzalez faced off against Angels pitcher John Lackey. Hidalgo was standing on first by way of the first hit given up by Lackey on the night, but the at bat by Gonzalez altered the tenor of the game. The Texas designated hitter fouled off six straight two strike pitches before working a walk on the fifteenth pitch of the at bat. Hidalgo, incidentally, was on the move to second on five straight 3-2 pitches before not running on ball four. He was so winded at one point that the first base umpire Bill Welke gave him a chance to catch his breath.

Lackey was also winded. His command of the strike zone deteriorated after the battle with Gonzalez and he was visibly upset after losing such a hard fought battle. He only retired two outs in the inning and allowed four runs – relinquishing the lead – before being lifted.

While the Angels won on a ninth inning single by Steve Finley, the most important at bat aside from Finley’s decisive poke was the duel between Gonzalez and Lackey. It shows up only as a walk in the box score, but inside the game it was crucial.

With baseball back in Washington, casual fans will have the opportunity to pick up on these nuances and, I hope, become serious fans as a result.