raul

I do not like the Yankees.  Never did.  When the Giants and Dodgers moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles respectively (but not respectfully) my dad took us to Yankee stadium because there were no other teams in town. There, in the Bronx, I cheered for the Washington Senators or whoever were the Yankee opponents in the double header that Sunday.

Nevertheless, what occurred last night--despite my disappointment in the outcome--is what makes sport great, advertising for ball games expensive, owners rich, and fans in a lather come game time. There was more drama in the Bronx last night than on Broadway.

Down 2-1 in the ninth inning the manager for the Yankees did something that I could not believe. I had the sound down (because it appeared to be working as a jinx against the Yankees) so I could not quite believe what seemed to be transpiring.  One of the highest paid players in all of baseball, Alex Rodriguez--A-Rod to his fans--the number three hitter in the powerful Yankee lineup was being pinch hit for.  A player named Raul Ibanez, a bench player--a substitute-was batting in the ninth for one of the greatest home run hitters in history.  Rodriguez is currently number five on the all time home run leader list with only Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays ahead of him. Next year he will pass Mays who has 660. A-Rod has 647 and counting.

To take A-Rod out for a bench player when all you need is a homer is so unbelievable that I sat up in my chair and inadvertently knocked the cat off my lap.  Raul Ibanez for A-Rod?

So, all that Ibanez does is slam a homerun into the right field stands to tie the game and send it into extra innings.  He does this in the 9th.

When he comes up again in the 12th, all Ibanez does is slam another home run into the right field stands to win the game.

Baseball movies would not have such a dramatic ending.

The Orioles and Yankee haters might not like it, but games like last night's are high drama.

The epilogue to the real world drama, the sprinkles on the cone, occurred about two hours later when the Oakland Athletics, losing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth scored three runs to beat the visiting Detroit Tigers.  The bad news for the advertisers is that the cost of a thirty second spot just went up.