Friday, June 25, 2010

Even A Puff Piece on Joe Torre Can Illuminate The Obvious

You may not have heard about this, but apparently the Dodgers are hosting the Yankees this weekend at the Stadium. The New York Times, recently alerted to this news, opted to publish a nice profile of former Yankee and current Dodger manager Joe Torre earlier this week. And check out what anecdote the feature article uses for its lead:

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joe Torre had a flashback during the seventh inning Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. His Los Angeles Dodgers were losing — again — when his left fielder, Garret Anderson, misplayed a ball in the corner during the Angels’ go-ahead rally.

“I thought that was pretty ironic,” Torre said later, laughing softly in the visiting manager’s office. “He didn’t do that against me in the playoffs, I can tell you that.”

Eight years before, as an Angel, Anderson had sprinted to that same corner to rob Derek Jeter of an extra-base hit, a play Torre has always believed was pivotal to the Yankees’ first-round knockout that October. Anderson was in his prime then, and now he is fading, struggling to hit .200. But he was Torre’s No. 5 hitter on Tuesday.

Even a newspaper 3000 miles away, with a reporter who hasn't profiled the Dodgers all year, can tell you that Garret Anderson does not belong in left field or the starting lineup of the Dodgers. So why is it so hard for the people who can remedy this issue to understand this point?

16 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

Thanks Sax - I was JUST asking in the other thread who we were playing this weekend.

Kyle Baker said...

I'm glad to finally have a working definition of irony.

Fred's Brim said...

DB you going to any of the games?

Kyle Baker said...

I'm going to the Saturday game.

Fred's Brim said...

Nice, but you will miss Tim McCarver over-analyzing the impact of shadows on a late afternoon game in LA

Kyle Baker said...

I will feel McCarver's deathly commentary even from the ballpark. I will have foul aural hallucinations of his incessant yammering.

Josh S. said...

So Garret had 10,000 spoons when all he needed was a knife?

Paul said...

Getting ready to make the three hour trip to Chavez in a few hours. I hope I am not stuck next to some screaming girls cheering for Jeter. That happened to me at the spring training game back in the late 90s and the 2004 game. Hey why don't we ever go to New York so I can scream like a girl when they announce GA batting fifth?

Josh S. said...

Paul: Hopefully all the "Mrs. Ethiers" will drown them out.

Steve Sax said...

@DB 8:02a: I saw your comment in the other thread and I was cracking up. Having written tonight's GT a day in advance, it was eerie how aligned our humor is.

Steve Sax said...

I'm going to the Sunday game.

Josh S. said...

There are still single tickets available for all three games if my willpower gives out. I'm currently hoping that the bro-in-law can score some tix at work, otherwise I'm fine watching the games on TV.

Paul said...

Tickets still available???

I am telling you they will be selling those babies if Sabathia throws a perfecto tonight.

They might be selling them if Padilla hits five guys in a row.

Paul said...

Or maybe "buy a ticket to the game that the Dodgers didn't screw up on the basebaths because they had nobody on base"

the no-no jinx works even before the game right?

Paul said...

Basepaths. I am not sure what a basebath is but it sounds like something New York elitist partake in.

Kyle Baker said...

I think Kemp took a basebath two nights ago.