Stop, Drop, and Roll
I thought I would see marriage equality for the entirety of the United States before I saw a group umpires convene to correct a blown call in the World Series.
There was Joe West’s crew huddling to reverse Randy Marsh’s safe call in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS when Alex Rodriguez slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove. It was a Red Sox-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium, which some would say is as important as a World Series game. Indeed, it was such a pivotal call reversal that it caused Yankee fans to throw trash onto the field and the riot police to assume positions along the perimeter of the field.
Perhaps fearing such police action (Officer Steve Horgan, to arms!), John Hirschbeck’s crew congregated to discuss Dana DeMuth’s ruling on David Ortiz’s grounder to Matt Carpenter. The Cardinals second baseman gathered the ball easily enough but his toss to Pete Kozma clipped the shortstop’s glove. DeMuth called Dustin Pedroia out on the force as he assumed Kozma dropped the ball on the transfer. John Farrell asked the officials to discuss the play in case any of them had a different view of it.
Instant replay can’t come to baseball soon enough. Maybe then we can also enjoy the health and convenience benefits of indoor plumbing.
The Red Sox immediately capitalized on the corrected call. Mike Napoli emptied the bases with a line drive to the left-center gap.
Fenway Park was constructed when the populace’s growth was restricted by the concept of moderation in food consumption. Adam Wainwright, who stands at a towering 6'7", experienced this size difference when his head collided with the dugout roof. This concussive force may have hindered his communication facilities in the second inning, when he failed to notify his battery mate Yadier Molina that he planned to carry on the proud lively ball tradition of pitchers being complete namby-pambies when it comes to fielding.
The local nine loaded the bases with David Ross’s single over Carpenter’s leaping attempt and Shane Victorino reaching when Kozma booted a ground ball out. Pedroia increased Boston’s lead to 4-0 with a skittering single past David Freese.
Ortiz stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Carlos Beltran was determined to be the subject of a highlight rather than the footnote, so determined that he unflinchingly smashed into the bullpen wall to make the catch. The Red Sox increased their lead to 5-0, which is a sight better than 8-0 in a single stroke. But the home team eventually scored those three runs and Beltran is day-to-day with bruised ribs.
There was much talk about The Cardinal Way, but it was the Red Sox who played with an overall awareness. In the fourth inning Jon Lester found himself in a bases-loaded jam with one out. Freese knocked the ball to Lester, who calmly gloved it and relayed it to Ross. Ross methodically hopped in front of the plate and threw to Napoli at first to complete a 1-2-3 double play. It was the first such double play since Game 4 of the 1973 World Series between the Mets and the Athletics.
Lester’s excellent outing (7⅔ innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts) has been called into question with accusations of a foreign substance aiding him. Joe Torre stated that there have been no complaints from the Cardinals or officials so there is no issues.
| World Series Game 1: October 23, 2013 | ||
| St. Louis Cardinals 0-1 |
1 | L: Adam Wainwright (0-1) |
| HR: Matt Holliday (1) | ||
 Boston Red Sox1-0 |
8 | W: Jon Lester (1-0) |
| 2B: Mike Napoli (1), Daniel Nava (1) HR: David Ortiz (1) | ||
