My lead for this story was supposed to be about the opening of establishments early for the start of the season: bars, eateries, retail. It was supposed to be about the early milling of fans outside Great American Ballpark in anticipation of batting practice. The excitement of the first pitch. The “unofficial official” start of Spring. This was going to be more a game recap, an assessment of Volquez’s pitching after Tommy John and his flailing about as he surrendered three earned in the first inning.
But that isn’t really how it turned out. No, not at all.
I had a day off. It was opening day. I popped a beer open, and drank it, synchronized with Sabathia’s first pitch strike to Tiger’s lead-off man Austin Jackson. I bided my time waiting for the Red’s game to start.
I lived in Evansville, Indiana, for about 30 years, give or take, and became a fan of Red’s baseball after living in the city for a handful of years. Having a nearby team to follow is infectious and, win or lose, games are fun to attend, even if concession prices are mind-boggling.
So it was that I bided my time waiting for the “true” first pitch of baseball, sipping a Miller Lite and watching players I didn’t really care about bat the ball around a bit. Mark Teixeira stroked a long ball, Curtis Granderson looked sharp, and the Tigers looked ready to play below expectations yet again. Ho-hum stuff. I think the Natties played too, but who knows for sure.
I had just enough time to start my second beer as Edinson Volquez threw his first pitch. It, also, was a first pitch strike. The season had begun!
Eight pitches later, it was already 2-0 Brewers, on back to back homers by Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez who, coming in to the year, had 17 total home runs in his four year career. My earlier prophecy of overrated Red’s pitching was already coming to fruition.
In the bottom of the fourth, Drew Stubbs stroked a solo home run to cut the lead to 4-2, only to have Volquez give it right back in the form of a Ryan Bruan solo dinger, the third solo home run given up by Volquez in the game.
After that the Reds threatened and then they didn’t. They teased and tickled. They took walks, slapped singles, rallied…and then left them all on base. By the end of the game, 19 LOB all-in-all.
Entering in to the seventh inning, it was 5-2 Brewers when an unfortunate set of events led to an unfortunate decision. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, relief pitcher Jordan Smith allowed a single to Ryan Braun, and Braun advanced to second on a Jonny Gomes fielding error. They intentionally walked Prince Fielder to bring Casey McGehee to the plate. Smith then promptly balked the runners to second and third, allowing a weakly hit single to score another run.
And then it happened. What no good sports writer or fan should ever do. I turned the TV off.
After all, I figured, down 6-2 with only three innings left, what could really happen? I was frustrated and figured, at the very worst, I would check the box later and have to write something like, “The Reds tacked on a late run via a Joey Votto home run,” or something to that effect, but I didn’t need, or want, to sit and watch this excruciating show of mediocrity any longer.
Before I moved to Cincinnati, I had adopted the Phillies as my team, having no home town team to root for. I picked them fairly randomly…I really liked using them in MVP 2004 for the Gamecube. If there was one thing I have learned by watching the Phillies it was it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
But I just didn’t have the faith, especially considering the man of the hour was Ramon Hernandez, a 34-year old, 11-year veteran. Even if I had made it to the ninth and seen the bottom of the order coming up still trailing 6-3, I probably still would have walked away from my TV. Who would have guessed on 40-degree opening day he would hit the game winning walk-off home run? I probably would have been yelling at Dusty Baker to insert a pinch hitter.
But maybe, just maybe, that’s why he’s there, and I was in my basement, drinking another Miller Lite, playing MLB2K10.