Early on, I had Wolf, Ethier, and Kemp pegged for the unfair loss shares. That was very early, when the first inning shenanigans seemed like the entire game.
I guess I had no business thinking the game was surely lost because of a mere three run deficit, but I did. Anyone remotely familiar with this team can tell you that it's foolish to think they can't rally from three runs down, and of course they later proved that they can. So, it wasn't reason that guided me when I mentally gave up on the game.
It was anger that had me reaching for the unfair loss shares early. I didn't care who was really at fault between Kemp and Ethier when they collided and let the ball drop, but I was willing to let it go if the Dodgers followed that up with some fine play. They didn't. Kemp goofed on the next batted ball, a liner over his outstretched glove. A putrid route to the ball on a tough chance. I was willing to let that go if Wolf sucked it up and finished off the inning. Because, you know, even if Kemp should have caught that ball it was still well hit. But Wolf didn't. It just kept coming. When Kemp got on in the top of the second, and Ethier came up, it seemed as if the crash twins would have an early redemption. They didn't. Ethier grounded into a double play. Kemp would later ground into one of his own to end the Dodgers' four run rally. It was as if he was bringing the darkness of the early innings back right then.
Wolf is spared. Ethier and Kemp are not. Taking Wolf's place in the anti-podium to accept the last unfair loss share is the enigmatic Belisario.
I don't get this guy. Is he a performance artist? His pitches are things of beauty, the expression of the art in his soul, but this is tragic, because it is in his soul to show the human condition, to show failure, the folly of striving, the inevitability of death, and above all, to show --- absurdity! He almost became legendary when Aurilia hit his dribbler up the first base line. Just an inch less and Belisario's tumbling, clown-like, desperate scoop of the ball toward home plate would have hit Aurilia in the head. He would have joined Duaner Sanchez and his amazing flying glove in the hall of Dodger clownery.
Death was symbolized by the tying of the game. Belisario wanted to show us how hard we strive to defeat it, even when there is no hope. Fred Lewis will score, no matter what else is done, just as the grim reaper will always come for us. The only question is, do we accept it with grace, or do we tumble around like a jackass and nearly brain someone with a baseball? Deep questions. Belisario is truly a modern day baseball bard.
And what does Belisario's subsequent wild pitch symbolize, in his piece of performance art? Nothing, I think. Sometimes a wild pitch is just a wild pitch. His performance was over, and he had just reverted to being a reliever who fails in the clutch moments.
Unfair Loss Shares ( Dodgers )
Ethier -- 1
Kemp -- 1
Belisario -- 1
Unfair Win Shares ( Giants )
Renteria -- 1
Zito -- 1
Wilson -- 1
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2 comments:
Personally, I would take away the one from Ethier and give a second one to Kemp. Grounding into the DP in the 7th was too costly to be ignored.
By the by, these unfair win/loss shares are addicting - I was ruminating on Game 20 shares in my sleep last night!
You could be right about that. But I blame Ethier more than Kemp for the collision in the first, and that DP in the second was almost as bad as Kemp's later in the game. At least when Kemp hit into his the Dodgers actually already led.
One thing I know is that Ethier is really getting unfairly treated by the unfair shares right now. He's been one of the Dodgers most valuable players but his win-loss record in shares is something like 1-3 I think. ( I will give all the Dodger's win loss records at the end of the month. ) He just misses out in a lot of his games, I guess. Bad luck.
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