Let's Do Something Else

You have to wonder what Eric Hosmer was thinking. 

With the Royals down 2-1, he doubled leading off the ninth. As he no doubt noted last night, when Fernando Valverde needed 31 pitches to close out the game: anything can still happen when Papa Shut 'Em Down is out there.

But, one out later, he tried to steal third and was nailed by Alex Avila. And, as your baseball blogger is fond of writing, that was that.

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With Justin Verlander pitching, and the game thus in good hands, it was time to try completely different. Start the day with Pirates-Cubs on MLB-TV. Good and wonderful things are happening after 19 losing seasons in Pittsburgh, where they showed the Cubs how the game of baseball is played by winning 6-1. Only a walkoff win by the Brewers kept them from moving into a first place tie, at 47-43, with the Brewers and Cardinals.

In that walkoff win, Dontrelle Willis started for the Reds. He hadn't pitched in the major leagues since last June 29 for the D-Backs. He was the same old Dontrelle, allowing baserunners all over the place -- four hits, four walks -- but only two runs, and left after six with the lead. You can do that when the league's best defense is behind you. On the stonefingered Tigers, he would have been doomed.

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Late afternoon on the Sunday before the All-Star break always feels like the wind-down of a birthday party. The few kids whose parents haven't picked them up are still playing, while the mommies clean up and stuff used wrapping paper into the wastebasket, thankful that the next party is 365 days away.

Baseball is great, but too much of a good thing can become too much. Looking at the Eiffel Tower might become routine if you lived in Paris and did it every day. 

There's one more game today, Giants-Mets in San Francisco. Then, no baseball in the second floor baseball bunker for three days. Not even the All-Star game with its five Tigers. Thirty-four players per team go, and the managers have to try to get everyone in while giving the fan favorites more than one at-bat each. And win the game, since home-field advantage in the World Series goes to the winning league. 

It's not major league baseball. It's Little League. They should be wearing uniforms with BATES MOTEL and CHICO'S BAIL BONDS on them.

Like Derek Jeter, I can use the three days off. Maggie and I will have the Do Not Disturb sign on the door until Thursday.

As Yogi Berra would say -- she's someone you can't too much of a good thing of by looking at her.