McCarver the Cut-Up: Quote of the Game

World Series Game 4: October 23, 2011


I had a very hard time believing this, it’s a good thing Joe Posnanski called him out on this in this post today, otherwise I would still be scratching my head for years to come…

Tim McCarver is a well-known and globally respected resource of baseball knowledge, be sure and pick up his critically acclaimed book Tim McCarver’s Baseball for Brain Surgeons at amazon.com or pick it up at your favorite retailer.

10/20/11 Texas Rangers 2, St Louis Cardinals 1

Busch Stadium, St Louis, MO
2011 World Series Game 2

It’s all about the “D”…and two great reel-worthy plays!!


Can it be true that after only 1 game my expectations of this World Series are burying the memories of last year’s Ho-hum Classic? This game makes it so.



Yet another pitchers’ duel develops as Jaime Garcia and Colby Lewis show off #1 starter stuff, neither yielding a run, only allowing 2 hits apiece for the first 6 innings. Garcia, though not awarded a decision, pulled ahead of Lewis with 7 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 1 BB and 7K…and 3 broken bats!!

I will have to dig a bit to confirm, but I think this is the most bats broken in a game by a single pitcher that I have ever scored…

Defense from both teams, along with the stellar starting pitching, was the true highlight, but the Rangers ran away with the prize. Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler are the double-play combo of the game, if not the Series so far. They did it not once, but twice; contributing two eye-rubbing plays to end the 4th and 5th innings.

With the game locked at a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 7th, history more or less repeats itself…funny how the events in last night’s game replayed themselves, as if there was no regard to what happened only 24 hours before. With Freese on base, thanks to a 1-out single, Yadier Molina flies out, Nick Punto reaches on a single (Freese advances to 3B), and with 2 outs and runners on the corners, Washington pulls Lewis and brings in…Alexi Ogando. LaRussa brings in who else but Allen Craig in Garcia’s spot in the order…so what do you think will happen next???

It happens…Craig does it again, with a rocket to RF, scoring Freese and Ogando shaking his head…it’s ‘de ja vu all over again’!!

The inning ends with the Cardinals up by one and a Nick Punto TOOTBLAN (or should it be ROOTBLAN?) as he is ruled out at 3B for running outside the basepaths. WAAAYYY out.

The Cardinals stay on top with that single run on the board, Nelson Cruz robs Pujols of a sure-fire HR in the 8th, and Jason Motte steps in to close things out…and the Rangers come back, again with Kinsler and Andrus leading the charge. They both get on base to lead off, two consecutive SAC flys from Josh Hamilton and Michael Young bring them both in, and the Rangers squeak out a hard-fought win with Neftali Feliz shutting the Cardinals down. And they do it without any extra base hits.

Is Ian Kinsler on a campaign to walk away with the World Series MVP trophy? It’s too early to tell, but he is the real unsung hero of this Rangers team, and also a valid source of comic relief, as demonstrated when he “brushes off” a blistering Adrian Beltre foul line drive down the 3rd base line.

Series tied 1-1



He said WHAT?!? Click on this link to see Tim McCarver’s Quote of the Game

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3/18/11 Texas Rangers 6, Cleveland Indians 12

Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear, AZ

Hmmm, the Cleveland Indians are looking pretty good in this game. The Rangers fought hard, but starting pitcher Matt Harrison's very uneasy start sealed the deal (4 IP, 4H, 4ER, 4BB, 3K, HR, 1 HB, 2 WP)...in relief, side armer Cody Eppley gives up 3 ER, Mark Lowe gives up 4 ER, and the Rangers all but give up their chances to beat the Indians.



Uncharacteristic offense...HRs by Elvis Andrus (who did NOT hit a HR in 2010) and David Murphy, plus 2 RBIs by Chad Tracy (I'm glad he found some work). Still not enough; Asdrubal Cabrera (2R, 2H, 3RBI, BB, HR, HBP), Shin-Soo Choo (2H, 3RBI, K, HBP), and Matt LaPorta (3R, 2H, 2RBI, BB, K) kept driving in the runs.

I found out that on a Catcher's Interference call (which I have scored as batter reaches on CI, but is also really an E2), the team opposing the interfering team can "take the play"...in this instance, Lou Marson's glove hits Murphy's bat as he hits what should be a ground ball to 2B for a G4-3 putout. Julio Borbon, who was on first when Murphy entered the box, tried to stretch his run to 3rd and would have certainly been called out on the tag (1B relay throw to 3B on the G4-3). Since CI was called, the ball was 'dead' at the G4-3 and Ron Washington took the single, so Borbon advances to 2B (the stretch to 3B on the ball in play was disregarded) and Murphy takes 1B.