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Oct. 19 2012

How ’bout them Tigers!

By Mark Malinowski | Posted in Host Blogs | 1 Comment

Yesterday, the Detroit Tigers completed a 4-game sweep of the slumping NY Yankees, and won the American League Pennant, and an 11th trip to the fall classic, the World Series.  Being a native of Detroit, I was ecstatic about the victory, not only because I wanted to see the Tigers in the Series, but I liked the fact that it was the Yankees they beat.  I know, I know, everyone hates the Yankees.   I don’t necessarily HATE the Yankees, but Detroit and NY have had a long running rivalry, and I remember back in the day where there were only 9 teams in each league, when Detroit was not playing its best ball, the one team that we seemed to do well against consistently was NY.  I grew up with it.

Of course, I now live in Baltimore, and have followed the Orioles for the past 14 years that I have been here.  I must say, I found this last season exciting, and was genuinely glad for the Orioles when they made it to the post-season.  I have to admit, I was not looking forward to a Detroit/Baltimore pennant series.  It would have been a gut-wrenching experience for me.  I would have been happy to see the O’s win the pennant, but I just didn’t want Detroit to lose.  It would not have been a good situation for me.  But I feel that next year, the O’s will be the team to beat in the American League.

I like sports, although I am not a rabid sports fan.  About the only sport I play is tennis, and I like to follow the major tennis tournaments. I enjoy football, a little basketball, even golf on TV can be fun, but there is nothing like baseball. The great comedian George Carlin did a routine comparing baseball to football, and if you look him up on U-tube with the baseball/football comparison, you’ll see it.  Very funny, and a lot of truth to it, as well.

For me, there is nothing in any sport as beautiful to watch as a perfectly executed double play.  It’s like a ballet, and I even love to see it when the opposing team executes.  A thing of beauty.  There is nothing in any sport more dramatic than the bottom of the 9th, two out, bases loaded, a 3-2 count.  Batter vs pitcher–mano y mano.  I also like the fact that in baseball, the coach (manager) wears the same uniform the players wear.  He is part of the team. I love that solidarity.   I also feel that any game that is NOT regulated by a clock is superior to any game that IS regulated by a clock.  In baseball, you play until the game is over, and the play itself determines that, not some clock.

You might have surmised that I like baseball.  I do.  I think it is the great American pastime,  and while I look forward to my Tigers in the World Series  (Perhaps another Detroit/St. Louis matchup, a la 1968?) the end of the baseball season always makes me a bit sad.  I like football, but i welcome the end of the football season.  By that time, I’ve had enough.  I don’t pay enough attention to basketball or hockey to care that much, but I hate to see the baseball season end, and when it does, I’m already looking forward to spring training.

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Mark is WBJC's morning host. His full bio can be read here.

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