Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoooooooo!
During yesterday's broadcast, one of ESPN's announcers said, "If you were an Astros fan growing up, and you're over 25, you know how meaningful this playoff series is." After 42 years of never winning a postseason series, the Houston Astros -- the team I grew up on through the heartbreaking 80s and hung with through the roller-coaster late 90s -- finally won one.
I swear I got tears in my eyes as Biggio caught the final out.
Two game notes:
1) The announcers. Come on, Fox.
Would it be possible for you to get a couple of announcers who have enough familiarity with the teams to get the pronunciations of the players' names right? It's OHs-walt, not AHz-walt; it's CHA-vez, not she-VEZ.
You also want to get some announcers who have seen all the games in the series. For example, it might have been interesting to note that Carlos Beltran faced Juan Cruz in the eighth this game -- just like he did in Game One, but in that game, he got drilled in the ribs by a fastball high and inside. That injury caused him quite a bit of pain in Game Two. So when he steps up to the plate in the all-important Game Five, it might be beneficial to note that when Beltran drilled one right back up the mound at Cruz, singling to center and driving in the final two runs, it was a sweet kind of payback. Anyone who saw Game One caught this.
Lastly: Guys. Please. The Astros' drive to win 40 of the last 50 games and beat their longtime postseason nemesis the Atlanta Braves was dramatic enough a story to tell on its own merits. There was absolutely no need for any further mention of Ken Caminiti -- who never went to the playoffs with the Astros -- and how his death might have weighed heavy on the hearts of Bagwell and Biggio. I think they were pretty tough about it in the pregame press conference; the attempts by these greenies in the booth to play up the Grieving for a Fallen Teammate Angle -- short and fleeting though they were -- played as gratuitous and contrived.
And 2) Rafael Furcal, you punk-ass drunk-driving bitch, you're going to jail. Take the next 21 days to think about what you've done. The Cobb County judge who allowed Furcal to play out the season ought to be ashamed of himself and all the residents around the 285 Perimeter ought to be ashamed of the man occupying that bench.
Congratulations Astros! Beat the Cards!
Posted by Matt at October 11, 2004 10:53 PM
