This is the time of year when I become, admittedly, a bit crazed about baseball. After watching the Sox win (more about that in a bit) last night, I started watching the Yanks/Angels game. With the television still on, I fell asleep in the second inning when it was 3-1 Angels. I woke up some time later to the score of Yankees 4-Angels 3 and, disappointed, shut off the tv and fell back asleep.
So here I am around ten minutes of 5, up and convinced the Yankees won. I consider going back to sleep for a couple of hours, but instead turn on ESPN2 to get the score. I didn’t realize that ESPN showed the Yanks/Angels game last night, and they’re replaying it now. But when I turn it on, the score is 6-4 Angels, and the Yanks have one on and Posada up. The ESPN scroll is on "National League" so it’s going to be a while before I see the final score. Jorge Posada hits a homerun to tie it up and this is when I decide to fully wake up and open the laptop, because I’m so anxious to see how the game ended I can’t wait for the scroll to get back to "American League". (Besides, I notice that Posada hits his game-tying home run in the 8th inning and it’s only 5am, and ESPN’s coverage is going until 6am -so I knew SOMETHING was up.)
"Area of Strength Lets Yanks Down in Anaheim" reads the headline at Yankees.com – and I’m happy (although moderately confused because, if you had asked me, I would have said their "area of strength" was more their bats which, given the final score, didn’t let them down at all). Tired, but happy.
On Friday at Fenway, we noticed that Angels rookie catcher Ryan Budde had no stats. There were zeroes next to his name after everything, including his average. Last night, he hits the game-winning double off of Sean Henn. His average is now .167. Now THERE is a "star of the game"!
(On ESPN2, Mike Scioscia just got thrown out of the game. Worry not, Mike. Better things are coming in a few minutes!)
Edited to add that the ESPN commentator just ‘blamed’ Budde for K-Rod balking Jeter into scoring position…heh, I love irony.