Warning, this blog will ramble like Marlon Brando on Zoloft.
The All Star Break is over and the Sounds went into the break with a record of 47-42 and a three games and shrinking lead over the Iowa Cubs. The same problem that Frank Kremblas is about to beat my head in over, I ask it every time I interview him, is still there. That would be the Sounds puzzling inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Its not as if these guys have NEVER been able to hit with ducks on the pond. 'The Pride of Racine' Vinny Rottino (I still think thats a pretty cool nickname) is hitting around a buck-fifty with RISP, he also set a Brwers minor league record with 120 plus RBI's a couple years ago. He knows how to drive runs in. The Sounds need a game where they get all cylinders firing : offense, defense and pitching. Voila! The first game back from the All Star break the Sounds win 8-0! Jared Fernandez throws a five hit shutout, the Sounds rap out 12 hits (many with two strikes) and the Sounds play error free ball. The Memphis Redbirds were so thrown out of their game that they had two players, a coach and a manager ejected for argiung balls and strikes. I don't think I've ever been so excited about hitting ground balls through the hole the opposite way ever. Fernandez had his knuckleball dancing all over and by the end of the game it was moonwalking. THIS is a good sign.
The AAA All-Star Game was not so enjoyable. Ben Hendrickson gave up three unearned runs to get the loss and the Sounds hitters were a combined 0-for-6. The PCL had a total of two hits, count'em, two hits in the game. Thats like....two more than me, and I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2 at the time. I will say that Jim Weber, Toledo's broadcaster, and Mike Curto, the Tacoma broadcaster, both did an excellent job. I did get a chance to watch the Major League All-Star Game, otherwise known as........The All-Star Game, and I have to admit, the game almost matters. Back in the 60's All-Stars would play nine innings just because they hated the other league and free agency did not move players around as much as it does now. Lets face it, we will never again see a runner bulldoze a catcher like Pete Rose did to Jim Fosse again, but thisa game had some hints of that. Beltran stealing third, Michael Young's two out two strike triple to give the AL the lead. What was most encouraging was what I did not see. Batters acting like Shriners clowns in their at bat as Larry Walker did vs. Randy Johnson. That was evidentiary display numer one that the game does not matter, when you can't even be bothered to wear your helmet with the bill forward. MLB is on the right track. A portion of the All-Star team truly cares how the game ends. The only flaw is the "every team must be represented" rule. How would you like to be an All-Star for the Chicago White Sox or the Detroit Tigers and have home field advantage for a World Series you might be part of determined by Mark Redman of The Kanssas City Royals. I wouldn't be surprised to see A.J. Pierzynski charge the mound with his own pitcher on there. Do you think Redman really gives two hoots and a holler if the White Sox have home field advantage?
****Shameless Plug Alert!****
There is a Sounds connection so don't get your knickers in a wad. One of the funniest guys on the comedy circuit today is Keith Alberstadt. He's a Nashville native you can hear once in a while on XM's Comedy Channel 150. He is also a former Sounds Account Executive and he has a website, www.keithcomedy.com. He is hilarious and he still pays full price for Sounds tickets.
For those of you wondering how I spent the All Star break........I discovered cold fusion. So far, besides keeping my beer cold it has very little practical use.
