Just when you think you know a baseball season, that’s when it’ll surprise you. The Guardians seemed dead and buried after getting swept by the Rangers, but, after taking three out of four from the Rays, they are still alive. I have said they are a bad baseball team so I suppose there are those who will upbraid me for being wishy-washy. I never had those certainties. I suppose some say it is a defect,
but I don’t think it’s a defect at all. Oh no. Uncertainty. That is appropriate for matters of this world. I believe certainty regarding that which we can see and touch, it is seldom justified, if ever. Down the ages, from our remote past, what certainties survive? And yet we hurry to fashion new ones. Wanting their comfort. Certainty… is the easy path. And baseball is never easy.
You can read about the Guardians’ 2-1 win over the Rays from Nick here. Parker Messick was INCREDIBLE but it continues to be a challenge to find any consistency from young hitters on this team, from Bo Naylor, to Gabriel Arias, to Brayan Rocchio, to George Valera to Angel Martinez, but Martinez was a bit of a hero yesterday with hits from both sides of the plate. I suppose it’s silly to expect sustained excellence from these youngsters. I figure that’s just a human material, and him that finds in it cause for anger and dismay is just a fool for expecting better.
Jim Rosenhause talked to Joey Cantillo, George Valera, Grant Fink and the vice president of player development in the latest episode of Guardians Weekly. Rosey and Tom Hamilton continue to talk about the importance of playing meaningful games in September. We are quickly approaching the time of year in which there are two kinds of teams. In our business they are: dead or alive. We will see which team the Guardians are after the upcoming series vs. the Royals and White Sox at home this week.
Guardians’ top prospect Travis Bazzana hit ANOTHER home run in Columbus as the fanbase begins to hope he is finally feeling better from his sore oblique and making needed adjustments to develop his hitting. To me, he has always looked like a player who will figure it out as a hitter. But, how would I know? I’m only watching!
One would guess that if there is a chance of seeing Chase DeLauter or Juan Brito back with Columbus or Cleveland before the season ends, we’d have to hear of their returning to baseball games this week. We will see if that happens. Sure would be nice to be going through these days with Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on the staff. Alas, they should have took a lesson from the ballad of Surly Joe regarding the dangers of gambling. What’s that? You’ve never heard the ballad of Surly Joe??? Well, allow me:
“Surly Joe, the gambler, he will gamble nevermore, his days of stud and hold’em they are done. It was long about last April, he stepped into this saloon, but he never really took to anyone!
Surly Joe, Surly Joe! Oh, wherever he’s gambling now, I don’t know! He was slick but I was slicker, he was quick, but I was quicker, and the table stopped his ticker, Surly Joe!
Surly Joe, Surly Joe! Won’t be missed by anyone, will Surly Joe! Humankind he frowned upon, but not now, his face is gone! Guess your frowning days are over, oh Surly Joe!
Surly Joe, Surly Joe! A cedilla on the “c” of Curly Joe! He was mean in days of yore, now they’re moppin up the floor oh Surly Joe!
Surly Joe, Surly Joe! Where the rest his face has got to, we don’t know! He was never any fun, now his grumpy race has run, kisser blown to kingdom come oh Surly Joe!”*
*Covering the Corner advises all athletes pondering gambling to think twice but does not condone or endorse the violence contained in “The Ballad of Surly Joe”
