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Monthly archives: September 2008

 

Twins-White Sox Playoff
2008-09-30 23:23
by Ember Nickel

Again the season stretches into this:
The gap between the summer and the fall
Narrows at last. The space between the wall
Our backs were up against was an abyss.
Now, desperation blurs to hit-or-miss.
The days and weeks and months we fought are all
Being wiped out by one flight of the ball.
Some fates can be sealed only by death's kiss.

The season didn't want to go away
Either. And when the game was tied, it seemed
It might well do so. However, last stands
Will come to all of those who come to play
Just like the game itself. But we too dreamed,
And, diving, held the season in our hands.

What is it about the Orioles and the latter portion of the season?
2008-09-29 13:06
by dianagramr

You may recall a post from last year which detailed the seemingly annual migration of the Orioles to the bottom rungs of the American League East.

Well, they did it again this year. On the morning of August 18th, the Orioles sat at 60-63, in last place, but only 3.5 games behind the Blue Jays and 15 games out of first. From that point forward, they went 7-30 (and won a game that had been suspended from earlier in the year). This year's collapse rivaled the historic 4-32 finish of 2002.

  Collapse Before After
Year Date W L Pct. W L Pct.
2008 8/18/2008 60 63 .488 7 30 .189
2007 7/28/2007 49 54 .476 20 39 .339
2006 7/17/2006 44 51 .463 26 41 .388
2005 6/22/2005 42 28 .600 29 58 .333
2004 6/1/2004 24 23 .511 54 61 .470
2003 6/2/2003 28 27 .509 43 64 .402
2002 8/24/2002 63 63 .500 4 32 .111
2001 5/28/2001 24 24 .500 39 74 .345
  totals 334 333 .501 222 399 .357

 

And it was a total team effort too ....

Pitching

  W L G SV IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BA OBP SLG OPS SB CS H/9 K/9 BB/9
Before 61 63 124 34 1104.2 1155 628 588 512 711 138 4.79 .271 .353 .419 .772 99 30 9.4 5.8 4.2
After 7 30 37 1 317.1 383 241 222 175 211 46 6.30 .298 .386 .487 .873 31 3 10.9 6.0 5.0

 

Offense

  G W L AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS Runs/G
Before 124 61 63 4325 635 1176 259 27 143 608 420 762 89 62 33 .272 .339 .443 .782 5.12
After 37 7 30 1234 147 310 63 3 29 142 113 228 22 19 4 .251 .315 .378 .693 3.97
Pennant Race
2008-09-27 14:28
by Ember Nickel

It's one thing to hear forty thousand boo:
Magnifying their sound at someone who
Left the team, and as a traitor comes here
Again. It's another to hear them cheer.

Sound overlaps sound, no two yells the same
But such is the game: it's big enough for
All of the players we want to adore.
The cacophony is more glorious
Than boos. Each of us gives a different roar
When a ball that I can't see tied the score.
Then I do see it, deep down the line in
Right. Yes. Can they win? I try to clap
But it's hard with a scoreboard on your lap.
I write down the triple, and then I stand
Noticing a hand outstretched down the row.
To get together with your friends and go
To the game is normal for them. Not for me.
And yet, tonight we let our high-fives blend
Into the maelstrom of noise, friend and friend.

Sean Rodriguez strikes out on a 4-2 pitch
2008-09-05 09:59
by Ember Nickel

A strikeout can put you on base
And yet, this still seems out of place:
To go down for the count
After such an amount
Of pitches is a minor disgrace.

Score Bard's blog: now verse than ever!
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