“A classic pitching duel”

“An even match-up that would go extra innings to be decided”

“The Yankees will prove why they are the World Champions”

So with all of the hype being mounted upon this series and this game, it was time for all of the talk to cease and baseball to begin. Being a National League fan and specifically a Diamondbacks fan, I was not quite sure what to think. Everyone talked about the Yankees in hushed respectful tones. I had to keep reminding myself that they were discussing a baseball team and not some type religious figure. The way in which they spoke of this team almost had me buying into the fact that they Yankees were destined to be in this place and to repeat as champions. How else could you describe the fact that two much more talented opponents in the Oakland A’s and the Seattle Mariners were able to lose against them?

As the Yankees took the field before the game, they had an aura of arrogance and smugness about them as they carried themselves around the field. Writers and announcers looked down upon the Diamondbacks and their fans with disdain. Playing four games was merely a formality before the Yankees clinched this series at home in front of their fans and once again held their annual parade down the center of New York. They would make quick work of Arizona and in the process would show that neither the Diamondbacks nor their fans deserved to be spoken of in the same sentence as their New York counterparts.

The top of the first inning helped resolved these sports pundits arguments when Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch (deservingly so since he had planted himself directly on top of the plate) and then scored on one of the most pathetic “forgive me for swinging” hits in Bernie Williams career. Surely this was the beginning of the end to the Diamondbacks run at a title. They had scored and scored easily against Arizona’s ace and it be the beginning of a very long night.

Well, in that sense they were right. It was a very long night. Beginning with the bottom of the first when little Craig Counsell hit a shot over the right field fences beyond the much maligned swimming pool, the beating began. I had to keep reminding myself; Mussina was their most dominating pitcher, right? That guy got hammered more than a nail at Habitat for Humanity. In what was supposed to be a pitcher’s duel, it turned out to be a pitching demonstration. Mussina did not even last long enough to record an official game in Little League. The Diamondbacks teed off on him like a long drive contest at a local golf course. The one piece of good news is that Mussina should be well rested for his next start (should there be one). I guess it is true, you can take a guy out of Baltimore but you can’t take the Oriole out of a guy.

I guess all that talk about how bad the bullpen was seemed pretty accurate. The only problem was, they were referring to the wrong team. With the Yankees trailing 4-1, I am sure they felt they were still in this game. But to allow the opposition to nearly bat around their line up in consecutive innings, that has got to hurt. The one bright spot came from that punk Sterling Hitchcock who struck out 6 hitters and did his best Roger Clemens impression by throwing a bat away from Tony Womack. Nice karma Sterling. No wonder you only get in games that have no meaning.

Granted this was only one game of a seven game series but if all these so-called sports authorities are correct and game one was critical, this was a huge win for the Diamondbacks. They faced the hottest pitcher the Yankees had and took him to school. With Randy Johnson on the mound for game two, maybe the Yankees need to be held back a grade.

So I decided that I needed to relax and try to take my mind off of the upcoming game. Maybe I would watch television, which is a good way to unwind and put my brain on hold. Each local station that I tuned into had a story on the Diamondbacks and their preparation for tomorrow’s game. Great, all that did was make me more anxious. I even tried tuning into WTBS in Atlanta. I figured it was about time for the weekly airing of Smoky and the Bandit and that was about as far away from baseball as you could get. Before long though, I was bored and again thinking of the World Series.

Perhaps a walk would help. After all, some fresh air and exercise would do me good anyway. Grabbing my Nikes, I headed out the door for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, it seemed like I would walk no more than 10 yards before a neighbor would grab me and begin asking me about the Diamondbacks and if I had tickets. And if I did have tickets, was I looking for anyone to go to the game with me? I found that I was talking more baseball than I was exercising. With that in mind, I headed back to the house where my flag waved proudly in the setting sun. I made a note that the purple was fading slightly on the flag and a new Diamondbacks flag would definitely be in order once the season had ended.

Back in the house I stopped by the computer to check my e-mail. Of course I had a handful of messages waiting for me either wishing the Diamondbacks good luck or from psycho Yankee fans that needed to remind me how badly New York was going to be Arizona. After responding to all my e-mail, I was ready for the game to begin immediately if not sooner. This was doing very little to help me relax.

Finally, I decided that I would pop some popcorn and watch a DVD. A couple of my kids decided to join me and I even let my son Dakota select the movie we would watch. As the credits began to roll, I was shocked to see that he had selected *61 about Roger Maris breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. It would appear I am just not going to get away from baseball tonight.

But another concept has also been introduced. One that is so twisted and wrong that it is inconceivable that such a thing would even be considered. The New York Yankees are being touted as the sentimental favorites to win the series? What are you kidding me? Having the New York Yankees listed as a sentimental anything is a sure sign that the apocalypse is upon us. Now don’t get me wrong, it is not that I am disrespectful of the Yankees, it is just that there is no way New York and sentimental can be thought of in the same sentence. I have been to enough baseball games and seen enough New York fans to know that they are in serious need of an attitude adjustment. Granted, the New York fans that are usually in attendance at Bank One Ballpark are cheering for the Mets but New Yorkers are New Yorkers. They are rowdy, obnoxious, and loud. Granted, they are fairly knowledgeable about baseball but still. I have to draw the line at becoming sentimental about their ball club, its players or fans.

The other thing that is getting real old real fast is all this talk about the Yankee mystique. Rather than building up that the team is somehow invincible because of the past success that this franchise has had, let’s call it like it is.

First, this team is seriously lucky. No one should have the kind of luck these guys have experienced. Balls seem to bounce the Yankees way more often than they have a right to. Even miscues have a way of working out. Take that play by Derek Jeter against Oakland in the Divisional series. Jeter was in the wrong position and had to run to chase down a really bad relay throw. Instead of playing out like it should of, Jeter makes some lucky toss to get Giambi out at the plate. Incidentally, Giambi was safe but again the Yankees got lucky that the umpire blew the call. Instead, this series of events was called “a defining moment”. If defining means being rewarded for bad play, yeah I guess you could call it that.

Second, George Steinbrenner spends money like a drunken sailor when it comes to building this organization. Now before any of you start jumping all over me about how the Dodgers and the Orioles have high payrolls and they are not in the World Series, let me explain my argument. In the case of payroll, I am not talking about just the players on the field. Rather, I am talking about the infrastructure that Steinbrenner has been able to put into place. The Yankees have more advance scouts and support personnel than A-Rod has marriage proposals. This means that the Yankees have more film and more data than any other team in existence. So before they actually play an opponent, they know them inside and out. That in my opinion is a huge advantage. You can get away with having mediocre players and coaches if those average players and coaches are well prepared. Preparation will beat talent nearly every time.

Third, if I hear one more time that every American father wants his son to grow up to be Derek Jeter, I think I am going to scream. As an American father I can tell you that if my son becomes Derek Jeter, I will ride him until the end of the time telling him that if he would have applied himself more so that he could have been A-Rod or Nomar. Of course the other piece of advice I would have to give him would be, “if you have a chance to date Mariah Carey, do it boy. What are you thinking?”

I doubt either the Diamondbacks players or the fans buy into the argument that a putting on a pin stripe uniform is synonymous with putting on Superman’s cape. If New York believes this, they are in for a rude awakening as Schilling and Johnson start hurling kryptonite at them at 98 miles per hour. Mark my words, the Diamondbacks are going to give the Yankees all they can handle in this series. Mystique or the numbers of championships your grandpa’s Yankees have won mean nothing in the desert.

Having watched the Diamondbacks all season, I too had some ideas when it came to who would be pitching and when. Unfortunately, Brenly didn’t call me for my advice and because of this I wonder whether he made the right decisions. That of course is the beauty of being a Major League Baseball fan. I get to second-guess every call the manager or the umpires make. It is almost a requirement if you are to be included as a serious baseball fan. Given this scenario, let’s look at the pitching rotation and analyze it further. Where my opinion differs, I will note what I would have done.

Game 1 – Curt Schilling. This is pretty much a no-brainer. Schilling has been nearly impossible to hit. You have to start Curt in game 1 if for no other reason than to prove that you got the horses and you are going to use them. There would be no better way to prove you belong in the World Series than to roll Schilling out to the mound and let him pitch another gem like he did in the first two rounds of the play-offs. Curt has shown that he is a big-game pitcher who is not afraid of pressure. This makes him the man for the Diamondbacks.

Game 2 – Randy Johnson. I am not sure I agree with this choice. It is not that I don’t think the Big Unit deserves to be the game 2 starter. On the contrary, he has earned the distinction to be the ace. It is just that I would like to have seen Brenly save Johnson for game 3 in New York. Having a dominating lefty start the first game at Yankee Stadium could really have taken the crowd out of the game in a hurry. I would have placed Miguel Batista on the mound for game 2. The home crowd will really be into the game and that would have been a boost to Miguel. I understand Brenly’s thinking; he wants to leave Arizona with a 2-0 lead in order to force a game 6 as a worst-case scenario.

Game 3 – Brian Anderson. This one really threw a lot of people for a loop. BA has really struggled this season but the past two outings he has had have been very encouraging. Again, I would have thrown Johnson at this spot. Sure both BA and the Big Unit are both left-handed but they are on opposite ends of the intimidation spectrum. It is questionable how well Anderson will be able to deal with the crowd in the Bronx so this game could be the key to the series.

Game 4 – Miguel Batista. Miguel has been the most valuable pitcher on the Diamondbacks staff this season. Sure Johnson and Schilling have the numbers to prove how dominating they are but Miguel has done the most for this ball club. He has started, closed, and mopped up innings. He is also not afraid of anything proving his muster by throwing inside to several dangerous hitters. He also possesses a rubber arm, which allows him to throw in consecutive days. That is one of the big reasons I would have used him in game 2. In this spot, I would have thrown Brian Anderson so that the Yankees have to face 2 lefties back-to-back.

Game 5 – Curt Schilling. Schilling will once again prove his worth by pitching the last game at Yankee Stadium on 4 days rest. This will give his arm plenty of time to be ready with another dominating effort. Since Curt tends to pitch deep into the game, he will be less apt to require a lot of help from the bullpen. This will be advantageous since many of the relief pitchers for the Diamondbacks have never been to Yankee Stadium and might get flustered.

Game 6 – Randy Johnson. Brenly is thinking of course that by having Curt and Randy pitching consecutively that he has a chance to finish the series in 6 games. This will mean Johnson would be on the mound for the deciding game, exactly how he would like to see this play out. I would have gone again with Miguel Batista. Since Schilling pitched the previous game and also having a travel day on Friday, the bullpen would have been rested that you could have brought in Albie Lopez, Bobby Witt or Mike Morgan to eat innings if there was a problem.

Game 7 – Brian Anderson? This is the biggest question Brenly has to answer. If this series ends up going 7 games, who will pitch the final and deciding game at home? Anderson is up in the rotation but I would almost guarantee that if it gets to this point Curt Schilling comes back on 3 days rest to start this game. Under my scenario, it would have been Randy Johnson pitching in game 7 at home with Curt Schilling available out of the bullpen. This would have been a devastating combination that could be the one that topples the Yankees.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I know I will be at the edge of my seat watching every pitch.

The players seemed to thrive on the excitement of the crowd willing to share in the joy they had at reaching the World Series. If this impromptu pep rally was any indication, Bank One Ballpark is going to be rocking on Saturday afternoon. Besides the great atmosphere, the Diamondbacks had one other surprise up their sleeve. They brought out the National League Championship trophy for the fans to see. It was incredible. I have heard stories of people coming in contact with the Stanley Cup in hockey and I always wondered what that would be like. Tonight, I now know. It was amazing to see this prize up close. For so long, I have been involved and watched baseball and never before has the team I have rooted for gotten this far. To now stand there and see this trophy in person knowing all the hard work and effort that went into winning it. I am speechless. This was truly a magical night.

On the one hand, the Seattle Mariners would be great. There are all kinds of story lines that would be brought up during that series. Randy Johnson facing his former ball club and all the emotion that would go along with the Big Unit going back to Seattle for game 3 of the series. Then there is the subplot of the Mariners trying to complete their storybook season after tying the record for the best record in Major League Baseball. Of course there would be the talk of how Seattle had rid themselves of all their superstars and then posted their best results ever. Topping off this match-up would be Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling against Ichiro. This would make a great series because baseball would see a new World Champion crowned regardless of the outcome.

On the other hand, the New York Yankees would be an interesting match-up as well. There would be discussion of the storied past of the Bronx Bombers versus the newest National League powerhouse of Desert Storm. There would be talk about the Yankees dynasty and how they would be on their way to being crowned one of the greatest teams ever. There would also be talk of how great pitching and solid defense could neutralize hitting. This series would come down to who makes the fewest mistakes and which team could handle the pressures of World Series competition better.

Either of these games holds great promise of a classic series. So with eager anticipation, I tuned in hoping to see an epic battle between Seattle and New York. Instead, what I saw was the Yankees dismantling the Mariners in a laugher as they scored run after run against Aaron Sele and the other Seattle pitchers. It was clear that New York executed better during this series and deserved to be the American League champions. Now the match-up is set with the New York Yankees scheduled to arrive in Phoenix to play the Arizona Diamondbacks in game 1 of the World Series on Saturday. It is going to be a really long week waiting for this one to arrive.

On March 31, 1998 I sat in the stands as the Arizona Diamondbacks came onto the field for their first opening day. I remember all the pageantry and excitement that was felt throughout the stadium. The cheering of 49,000 fans as we watched history made. The experience was incredible and I was amazed how emotional everyone was as they saw the birth of a franchise and the culmination of 3 years of hard work.

In September 1999, I sat at the edge of my seat watching the Arizona Diamondbacks play the San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks that year were on pace to win 100 games and with the final out registered were crowned the National League Western Divisional Champions in only their second season. I cheered and yelled until I was hoarse and knew I had once again seen history made.

October 5, 1999 the Arizona Diamondbacks make their first play-off appearance against the New York Mets. Never before had I experienced play-off baseball in person. The intensity and excitement was so much more pronounced in the post season. I stood there in awe trying to understand all that was happening. Although the Diamondbacks lost in that Divisional Series 3-1, it was an experience I would treasure forever.

Now it is 2001 and I sit here in shock. So much has happened with the Diamondbacks that it is almost impossible to comprehend. The Diamondbacks once again are crowned National League Western Divisional Champions in a battle to the last week of the season. They then face the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most potent teams in baseball. In a hard fought series, the Diamondbacks are victorious winning their first play-off series in franchise history. They advance to meet the Atlanta Braves in their first National League Championship Series. Atlanta, a perennial play-off powerhouse, has one of the greatest pitching staffs ever assembled. To watch the Diamondbacks tonight win this series and advance to the World Series in only their fourth year of existence was absolutely incredible. I keep thinking that this must be a dream, things like this just should not happen. But it is amazing. The excitement fills the air around Phoenix as we wait for what lies ahead.

Making the World Series is an honor that few teams ever experience. That though is only the first step. The Diamondbacks must stay focused, they are only four wins away from a World Championship and I plan to be there for every pitch.

The part of Morris Buttermaker will be played by Bobby Cox. During the 1976 film, the beer drinking pool cleaning manager was played by Walter Matthau. Cox had a difficult role to reprise but did a masterful job of capturing the essence of the character during the third inning when the Braves committed three errors. I especially enjoyed the expression and pained look on his face. It was indeed a performance fit for Emmy consideration.

The part of Amanda Whirlitzer will be played by Greg Maddux. Maddux in the role made famous by Tatum O’Neal was less than believable. At times he lost his focus on what character he was trying to portray. During the classic third inning for example, Maddux left character and began to do his impression of Miguel Batista of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Greg did have moments of brilliance. Having him soak his elbow in a bucket being used as a beer cooler was classic and who could forget that scene with Maddux in a bikini top selling maps to the stars when Buttermaker finds that she can still pitch even as she is growing up into a young lady.

The part of Kelly Leek will be played by Andruw Jones. There was not a more loveable character in the original movie than that of the ball hogging bad boy Kelly Leek. We can all remember when Buttermaker thought he had only one chance of making it to the Little League Championship game and that was for Kelly to catch all the balls hit to the outfield. Jones puts in a wonderful performance as he ran in front of teammates stealing balls and scenes from them during the whole game. The only questionable story line was the love interest between Amanda and Kelly. I just didn’t think Andruw showed the emotion that was necessary. Of course, not many people can truly pull off feigning love for Greg Maddux.

The part of Tanner Boyle will be played by Marcus Giles. Tanner, the little infielder who could was perfectly cast. We could all envision Giles missing grounder after grounder throwing his mitt down in frustration and always starting a fight both with those on his own team as well as opposing players. Marcus did exhibit one faux pas when he introduced a scene that did not appear in the original movie but rather in the not so successful sequel Bad News Bears Breaking Training. Still, seeing the classic bit where Tanner was running around the field while all the Diamondbacks players and fans chanted, “Let Them Play!” was well worth the effort.

The part of Timmy Lupus will be played by Chipper Jones. In an act of casting genius, the Atlanta Braves cast Larry “Chipper” Jones to play the part of little Timmy Lupus. We can all remember little Timmy who was vilified by his teammates for his poor play and for his constant habit of picking his nose during the game. No one on the team wanted Timmy to touch the ball as it equated to yet another error. Lupus of course became the hero of the movie by closing his eyes and holding his mitt in the air where a ball mercifully falls into it to record the final out. If only Chipper could play as well as Timmy.

Overall the movie seemed to drag on as each character attempted to define their role, but it was very entertaining and a fitting tribute to a classic movie. As a movie reviewer and Diamondbacks fan, I have to give Bad News Braves two thumbs up. Pass the popcorn and we will see you at the movies.

The problem with all of this jubilation was that these fans forgot just a few things. First, the Atlanta Braves are just not that good at home. Of all the teams remaining in the play-offs, the Braves are the only ones to have a losing record at home. Granted, it is not a really bad record, 40-41, but still. A team plays half their games in their home park. You would think they could manage to win at least half of them. It is a strange statistic. Ted Turner Field was built according to the strengths of this franchise. It is one of the premier pitcher’s parks in Major League Baseball and yet a team that was built around pitching and a perennial force in the National League East cannot muster a winning record there. This does not bode well for the home team.

The second problem with the next three games is the fans, or should I say lack of them. Being an Arizona Diamondbacks fan, I can tell you right now that we feel your pain. I sat there during game one looking around the stadium seeing 12,000 empty seats in Bank One Ballpark wondering how the Diamondbacks could not sell out. I understand that part of the problem was that game one was a day game and many people had to work and could not get to the game. I am not buying that excuse, but I recognize it might have some validity. I cannot understand though how the Braves could have 13,000 seats available before a Friday night NLCS game with their team tied and an opportunity to clinch yet another berth into the World Series with a sweep at home. Not that I am complaining though. Every empty seat at Turner Field means one less red foam tomahawk and one less Indian chant I will have to endure on television. Perhaps this is the people of Atlanta’s environmental stand. They refuse to support the thinning of the Ozone layer by reducing the amount of foam produced for tomahawks. In that case, I admire their misguided priorities.

Although these two problems may cause some Braves fans to lose a little sleep, there is one problem that won’t go away. This problem stands 6 foot 4 inches and weights 231 pounds. He has become a post season force to be reckoned with and the Braves found out just what the definition of a dominating pitching performance was. Curt Schilling is proving to everyone that he is worth every penny that that Arizona Diamondbacks are paying. He is displaying the pitching prowess that Diamondbacks front office anticipated when they traded for him in July 2000. As part of the Dynamic Duo with Randy Johnson, Schilling is making a strong statement of why he was the best pitcher in all of baseball this season. Starting with the inconceivable statistic of Schilling being 15-1 in games after the Diamondbacks have lost, the Braves were going to be in for a long evening indeed. It was clear from the game on Friday night that Schilling had no intention of letting this series get out of hand. Throwing his third complete game in the 2001 post season, Curt refused to allow the somewhat questionable Diamondbacks bullpen become a factor. Schilling was in a word “dominating” allowing just 4 hits during the game.

Now with the Diamondbacks having a 2-1 lead in the series, each game becomes critical for the Atlanta Braves. After all, they still need to face the Johnson and Schilling tag team one more time if they are going to reach the fall classic. With those odds, maybe those people staying away from Turner Field are doing so because of a weak stomach.

Diamondbacks fans knew going into this game that they did not have the best match-up. After all, Atlanta had perennial all-star and future Hall of Fame candidate Tom Glavine on the mound. The Diamondbacks would counter with Miguel Batista who was relatively unknown to anyone outside the state of Arizona. Given just that information, obviously the Braves should have crushed the Diamondbacks.

The way the game started did little to boost the confidence of Diamondbacks fans. With the first pitch of the game, Miguel gave up a home run to Marcus Giles. As that ball flew over the left field wall, the fans sat there in shock. Smoke from the National Anthem fireworks still hovered around the stadium. Many fans were still standing in line for a hot dog by the time the Braves had their first lead of the game. After that first fateful pitch though, something almost magical happened. Miguel Batista, a career journeyman who was spotted during winter ball and signed by the Diamondbacks did the unthinkable. He matched Glavine pitch for pitch for the next six innings. He was amazing. He shut down the Atlanta offense not allowing another base runner. By the time the seventh inning arrived, the Diamondbacks found themselves tied with the Braves 1-1 and Batista was throwing a one-hitter.

After having attended 81 regular season home games this year, the fans have a pretty good idea of what the Diamondbacks pitching staff can and cannot do. Past experience has shown that Batista is good for 6 innings but if pushed beyond that point he starts to tire and leaves the ball up in the strike zone. So when Brenly wheeled Batista out to start the seventh inning, the hometown crowd got just a little uneasy. Oh sure, things started out well enough with Miguel retiring the first two batters but even those outs were an adventure. Finally, Brenly’s luck wore out and Batista left a ball over the plate that Javy Lopez blasted off the right field foul pole. All of the hard work that Miguel had done over the course of 6 2/3 innings would be forgotten. All that will be remembered is that he lost game 2 of the NLCS. In the play-offs it is said that every moment is crucial. That was definitely the case in this game. One pitch became the difference. How different would things have been if Batista had kept the ball down in the zone to Lopez forcing a ground ball out or a lazy fly ball to the outfield?

With the game tied at one in the eighth inning Arizona might have changed their pitching decisions and the Diamondbacks bullpen would not have imploded giving up five runs. Momentum which before the Lopez home run had swung to the Diamondbacks might have brought life to the home team and allowed them the opportunity to get to Glavine or the Braves bullpen and perhaps stolen a game.

Arizona fans will be left wondering what could have been or what should have been. I only hope that at the end of this series we don’t look back at this game as the turning point for the series. Batista and the Diamondbacks played well enough to win this game. They went against the best the Braves had to offer and matched them pitch for pitch for three-fourths of the game. Although the score ended lopsided in favor of Atlanta, Diamondbacks fans still like their chances with Curt Schilling going in game 3 at Turner Field.