Saturday, September 5, 2009

Vintage

You see, that is what I am motherfucking talking about. Right there. That.

OK, slow down, take a deep breath, and wash your mouth out with soap, Ack.

But.....

Tonight's effort by Roy Halladay was nothing short of pure, vintage, unadulterated Doc. To the core. The Yankees had no chance, man. No chance. Doc can get by working nothing but fastballs - 2-seamers and cutters. That's it. Mix in the effective hook? Not fair. Working location? Forget it. If you're Joe Girardi right now, you don't even feel bad about the loss, because you know you were beaten by a guy who, when he's on his game, is simply not human.

(On the offensive side, six hits from the usual suspects - Scutaro, Hill, Lind - gave the Jays all the offense required. Good thing, since clean-up hitter Kevin Millar gave us a tidy 0-5 with 7 LOB. I don't even have it in me to 'sigh' anymore.)

Yes, these are the performances I'll reference when I'm reminiscing on the Jays twenty years from now. I could launch into my usual "I don't know what I'm gonna do if the Jays trade Doc" tirade, but instead, as the 2009 season slips away, I'm starting to appreciate just how lucky we have been to take in Halladay's greatness in the prime of his career.

Roy Halladay may be under appreciated by most baseball fans, but he sure as hell isn't in my house. Not by a long shot.

A quick note on Ernie Harwell
I know many words have already been written on the news that legendary Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer, but I'd be remiss if I didn't write a few of my own.

If Tom Cheek was my baseball announcing daddy, then Ernie Harwell had to be my broadcasting grandfather. I was never a huuuge Tigers fan (Go Jays!), but growing up in a market with a Detroit cable feed gave me plenty of opportunities to appreciate his magic.

I can say without a hint of exaggeration that Ernie Harwell contributed to my growing love for the game as a youth. There was just something about taking in a game covered by Ernie, with old Tiger Stadium as a backdrop, that was irresistible. It didn't matter to me much that I couldn't stand Dan Gladden (irrational, I know), or that Mike Henneman's success confused and annoyed me.......Ernie had a way of just making the game feel right.

They don't make 'em like Ernie Harwell any more, nor should they even try.

8 comments:

bkblades said...

Very respectful and personal tribute for Ernie Harwell, Ack. Thanks for that, since I happily reveled in Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth I never strayed from them.

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

That was some crazy fucking shit Doc did last night. CRAZY. In a deeply selfish way, I'm glad he didn't get the no-no. I'm not sure how I'd have lived with myself knowing I should have been at the game. Fuck. But it is his destiny. Like Dave Stieb, he will get one before he is done.

I echo BK's comment about Ernie Harwell; nicely done.

And fuck Millar; as I wrote, the only way he can make up for all the bullshit this season is by taking R-Zep's spot in the rotation. I could really use the entertainment.

Anonymous said...

yeah but we have jamie campbell. right?

Mattt said...

Halladay ain't necessarily gone y'know...

Darryl said...

If and when the Jays deal Halladay, I wonder what the selling point the Jays will provide fans will be.

I'm worried that the team will turn to faux-nationalistic pride and make runs at Bedard and Harden this offseason strictly based on marketing opportunities.

MK Piatkowski said...

Like eyebleaf, I'm glad he didn't do it either, since one of my biggest dreams is to be sitting in the prime seats behind home plate when he does. But this should at least shut my dad up, who is always telling me it's not going to happen for him.

As it was, I was working and didn't get to see any of it. Which is a cryin' shame.

Anonymous said...

Selfish pricks! I was there and I wanted to see it. It's all about you fucking assholes, ain't it? Fuck you!

JaysZone93 said...

Sad about Harwell... Speaking of no-no's, I was lucky enough to attend Justin Verlander's vs the Brew Crew!