David Ortiz Is Not From This Planet

MLB Network is echoing the sentiment felt by many here in what we call "Red Sox Nation".

David Ortiz is not of this Earth.
He is a strange visitor from another planet. Or, he's a freak of science grown in a lab somewhere.

He must be. How on earth do you explain what he's been doing in the Boston Red Sox current turn in the World Series? Simple. Nothing on Earth can explain it. So he must be superhuman.

Let's examine the stats on this guy.
37 years old.
6'4" 250 lbs. They're saying he's slimmed down a bit, which makes him quicker.
MLB Career BA .287 431 HR 1429 RBI
He is currently hitting an astonishing .733 and has 11 hits in 15 at bats during this World Series run.
He's hitting everything they're throwing at him HARD. There seems to be no way to pitch him, no location that St. Louis pitchers can throw at where he cannot make contact. And make no mistake, friends: the Cardinals have some of the best, if not the best pitching in the league. If these boys can't take him out, he simply can't be stopped. In fact, it's fair to say that this is the one bat that scares the Cardinals. The Dustin Pedroias, Jacoby Ellsburys, and Shane Victorinos are annoying and troublesome enough. This guy is just freakish. He's in a zone unlike anything I've seen in recent memory. And he's not nearly done. With a 3-2 World Series lead, the Sox return home to Fenway for Game 6 on Wednesday, and they may just wrap it up then. This ought to be good.

UPDATE: The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in convincing fashion 6-1, and wrapped up their 2nd World Series title since 2007.  This is also the first World Series that they've won on their home field since 1918, a stretch of 95 years.
CONGRATULATIONS, SOX!! WELL DONE!!

Now, who thinks David Ortiz should be in the Hall of Fame? Show of hands.



More Later

KCD

While You Were Watching "Game of Thrones"

Last night the 2013 Major League Baseball season began quietly with a game between the twice-contending Texas Rangers and the non-contending American League new entrants, the Houston Astros. Destined for underdog status this year, and with the lowest payroll ($20 million) in the big leagues, the Astros gave playoff-tested Texas a run for its money, beating them 8-2, a sound whoopin' by any standard. Texas, of course will likely recover and avenge this embarrassment. Houston on the other hand gets to brag about having drawn first blood being clearly overmatched.

Today the season officially gets underway with the Boston Red Sox facing the decimated New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium (for the New England crowd), and my hometown New York Mets facing San Diego at CitiField. Meanwhile, over on the left coast, the San Francisco Giants defend their World Series title against perennial rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Oh, to be Jon Miller right now.

The Texas/Houston matchup makes me think of Robb Stark, the King of the North, seeking to avenge his father's death and rescue his sisters from the Lannisters down in King's Landing. Anyone watching this match-up has to think that the Starks are doomed. But they have (or had) the Kingslayer under guard, and King Robb is not be underestimated. He has Lord Tywin's attention, which is no mean feat.
Rick Ankiel, whose 3-run HR put the game away for Houston, reminds me a bit of Jon Snow, Ned Stark's other son, who seems to be finding new life beyond the Wall with those who fight the White Walkers.

See, I watched the game, and I saw the "Game".

Jon Miller, the Voice of the San Francisco Giants

 Rick Ankiel, reborn as the Hero in Houston's 8-2 victory over Texas last night.

Jon Snow, son of Ned Stark, seeking to be a Hero north of the Wall

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 A White Walker, the object of Snow's hero-making quest. Yeah. Good luck with that!

And, finally the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister looking not so good here, Lord Tywin, ruling as Hand of the King (which is to say, King, since Joffrey is a child, and a sociopathic coward), and none too happy about the current state of affairs as he faces a threat from the King of the North, Robb Stark.

Game of Thrones, the game of Baseball, the metaphors abound. Let the games begin!

More Later

KCD