The Rangers give the Cowboys something to shoot for
One of the benefits of being a blogger is getting to know people you'd probably not otherwise encounter, and so when I read this morning about the Texas Rangers baseball team scoring 30 runs against the Baltimore Orioles – in the Orioles' home park, no less – and becoming the first major league team in 110 years to do that, my thoughts turned immediately to the only Orioles fan I know: Soccer Dad.
He's probably glad his blog isn't entitled "Baseball Dad."
This is not a gloating post, to be sure. I'm not a huge baseball fan, and I've attended a total of one Rangers game in my lifetime. I do find baseball interesting, however, for its ability to generate arcane statistics and anomalous outcomes like last night's game. The fact that two second-tier teams (they're both at or near the bottom of their respective divisions with healthy losing records) can enter the record books is somehow comforting.
Here's hoping the Dallas Cowboys can score that many points in any game this season.
"Rangers Hold Off Orioles,"
Ah, that's hilarious!
Another suggestion: "Baseball Titans In Squeaker."
Posted by: Eric at August 23, 2007 09:00 AMThanks for your kind wishes.
I'd like to point out that this isn't the first time the O's were blown out by the Rangers. In 1996 the Rangers beat the O's 26 - 7 in Arlington. In fact yesterday's loss could be seen as an improvement. In 96, the Rangers scored 16 runs in the 8th inning. Last night it took them the 8th and 9th innings combined to score 16 runs. (It's a stretch, but I'm trying to find some good in all this.)
This also isn't the first time the O's and Rangers have been involved in a game with multiple grand slams. In 1986, Toby Harrah, Jim Dwyer and Larry Sheets all hit slams. Despite the grand slam advantage, Texas won 13 - 11.
Posted by: soccer dad at August 23, 2007 11:39 AMSD, I see that you, too, take solace in statistics. ;-)
It is an amazing phenomenon, however, the way something like last night's game can get out of hand, especially when you consider that neither team is arguably any better or worse than the other. You have to wonder how much psychology and emotion plays into the game at that point.
Posted by: Eric at August 23, 2007 12:11 PMI stand in awe of Soccer Dad's knowledge of baseball trivia. I am not worthy.
Posted by: jimmy at August 23, 2007 03:11 PMI stand in awe of Soccer Dad's knowledge of baseball trivia. I am not worthy.
Posted by: jimmy at August 23, 2007 03:12 PMI stand in awe of Soccer Dad's knowledge of baseball trivia. I am not worthy.
Posted by: jimmy at August 23, 2007 03:13 PM... so much so that I needed to state my awe not just the one time.
Posted by: jimmy at August 23, 2007 03:15 PMI'm in awe of your blog commenting skillz!
Posted by: Eric at August 23, 2007 03:23 PMEric: As long as we are comparing baseball and football stats here's one I heard on the radio today. At their home field, next door to Camden Yards, the Baltimore Ravens did not allow a single NFL opponent to score 30 on them all of last year.
Posted by: John Peter Smith at August 23, 2007 07:49 PMJimmy, thanks for the kind words. My wife would be more impressed if I had a similar facility with grocery shopping trivia.
John, wouldn't you know it some columnist at the Baltimore Sun expressed his pleasure that at least Matt Stover kicked a field goal.
Posted by: soccer dad at August 24, 2007 09:47 AMAbout the publisher
Random Abbye photos...
"Glove Box Stories" is Back!
Eel on a Wheel
Meteorological Musings
Random Thursday
Is stupidity the Net effect?
More Invaders
Back Yard Birds
Book Review: "The Year of Living Biblically"
Sometimes, you get lucky...
June Sunset
It's Official...
Google's new favicon rocks the design world
Give the Gift of Flame
The Incredible Shrinking Math Skills
The Neighborhood:
West Texas Blogs:
[Midland unless otherwise indicated]
Other Texas Blogs:
The Business:
The Church:
The World:
Eric, this morning on "The Today Show," Mat Lauer displayed the headline from the hard-copy New York Daily News ..... "Rangers Hold Off Orioles," accompanied by a photo of the scoreboard. The Daily News has its own, sometimes mischievous way with headlines, and has left me chuckling over them more than once.
Posted by: Jeff at August 23, 2007 08:39 AM