Sports Then and Now

According to Jimmy Dugan, "There's no crying in baseball!"

According to the American Film Institute, their list of top 100 movie quotes of all time includes (at number 54), “There’s no crying in baseball!”  This gem, uttered in “A League of Their Own” by Peaches coach Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks) has also become a favorite of sportscasters and fans alike.

Apparently,  few of the players currently on postseason rosters have yet to see this very entertaining and informative film.

First, Cole Hamels.  Last year’s World Series MVP really wants to get back to the big show again this year.  In the process, he’s annoyed about the afternoon game times that the Phillies/Rockies matchup has garnered this week.

“I don’t think it’s fair. I definitely don’t think it’s fair for the fans. I understand TV ratings, but at the end of the day, most players would rather play when they’re most comfortable, and that’s kind of what we’ve been trained to do, and I think it’s more fair for us than really the TV ratings.”

TV ratings, indeed.  See, the league and the networks involved place the Phillies and Rockies in afternoon games because the Yankees and Twins will be the big ratings-getters in prime time.  The Dodgers and Cardinals get the late slot because they’re playing in LA.

Major League Baseball is a business.  I may not like that, Cole Hamels may not like that, but it certainly isn’t news.  With overall attendance down this year around 6%, Bud Selig and the network boys want to maximize the audience.

Okay Cole, if it isn't about the money you can give the fans back some of that $20 million.

To this Cole adds:

“We want to get to the World Series and win it, and that’s all that matters.  It’s not how much money we can make in the process of playing this game.”

Hamels signed a contract extension for three years worth just over $20 million.  This is the largest average annual value for multi-year contract for first-time arbitration-eligible pitcher in the history of major league baseball.

After the 2011 season, Hamels will be a free agent.  Let’s revisit this then and see just how much the money matters to Cole.

Until then…”There’s no crying in baseball!”

The Twins have made a historical comeback in the last few weeks to nab the AL Central title from the dysfunctional Detroit Tigers.  On September 8, the Twins were no less than 6 ½ games behind Detroit and came all the way back to foce a one game playoff on Tuesday, which they won.

The Twins were back on the field less than 24 hours after their win over the Tigers.

As wonderful as that seems for the history books, it hasn’t been looked on too well by the Twins.  Because of the fact that the Twins new stadium is not yet here, the fact that the NFL was unwilling to budge on its Monday night “Favre-a-geddon” game in the Metrodome, and because the all-the-marbles-game was to be a home game for the Twins, they had to play on Tuesday.  Said game went 12 innings, and the Twins arrive in Newark around 3:00 AM, EST.  Needless to say they were a little tired for game one of the ALDS, which they lost, 7-2.

This, from infielder Brendan Harris:

“For most everybody, the adrenaline was still pumping. You couldn’t just turn and go to sleep. We couldn’t believe how quickly we had to turn around [and play].”

While the Twins can have our sympathy for their tough schedule, the phrase, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles” comes to mind in this instance.  They lost several games in the final week of play, any one of which, had they won, would have eliminated the need for the 163^rd game.

So, guys, get yourselves a couple of cases of Red Bull and remember… “There’s no crying in baseball!”

Finally, Randy Wolf.  Randy was pulled from the Dodgers/Cardinals game with two outs in the fourth inning and with a 1 run lead and one runner on. He was replaced by Jeff Weaver who got out of the inning and went on to get the win.  Randy was noticeably annoyed in the dugout.

Randy Wolf struggled in his first ever postseason appearance.

Here’s the thing that Randy needs to wrap his mind around.  The Dodgers are in the post season and, despite a stellar season early on, have been rather mediocre in the last few weeks (12-8).  So after Wolf loaded the bases twice in his 3 2/3 innings, Joe Torre pulled him.

Being that this is the same Joe Torre with four World Series rings and six AL pennants on his tab, and the fact that the game in question was Randy Wolf’s first postseason appearance, the smart money is on Joe Torre.

Randy, there’s no “I” in “T-E-A-M”, but there’s one in the phrase, “There’s no crying in baseball!”

Don Spieles is the newest member of the Sports Then and Now writing team.