NLCS Preview: Padre Rap!


The Phillies and the Padres are meeting tonight for Game One of the NLCS.  Just a few months ago, no one would have predicted that these two teams would be the ones competing for the chance to represent the NL in the World Series.  I’ll be cheering for the Padres because Yu Darvish is going to be on the mound for them but I also think the Phillies have got an amazing story and I’ll be happy for them if that story includes them going to the World Series.

The Padres have already launched a mental attack on their opponents:

Can the Phillies recover from the horrors of Padre rap?  We’ll find out tonight!  We’ll also find out if it will be the Yankees or the Guardians facing off against the Astros in the ALCS.  It’s an exciting night for baseball!

Congrats to the Astros!


Today, in the MLB playoffs, the Yankees/Guardians game was delayed by inclement weather.  However, the Astros did play and they defeated the Mariners by a score of 4-2.  That means that the Astros are just one more game away from advancing to their sixth consecutive championship series!

Congrats to the Astros and good luck to all the teams playing tomorrow.

I Watched The Field Of Dreams Game


When I first heard that the Yankees and the White Sox were going to be playing a game in a stadium built next to the field that was used in Field of Dreams, my first thought was that it sounded really corny.

“Is Kevin Costner going to come walking out of the corn field?” I thought.

That’s exactly what happened.  At the start of tonight’s game, Kevin Costner emerged from the cornfield surrounding the stadium and walked out to the mound.  He was followed by the members of the Yankees and the White Sox.  They all emerged from the cornfields and took their positions, just like in the movie.

And it was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen.  I may have thought it was going to be corny and maybe it was but when it actually happened, it was impossible not to get swept up in it.  As I watched the players emerge like wandering spirits who had finally found their home and as I listened to the crowd cheer, I thought to myself, “This is what baseball is all about!”

I may have started off with some doubts and neither the White Sox nor the Yankees are my team (I’m an AL West girl) but the Field of Dreams Game was still one of the best games that I’ve ever seen.  From the minute the first home run disappeared over the fence and into the cornfield, the Field of Dreams Game captured my imagination and it didn’t let go for the next three and a half hours.  This game reminded me of why I fell in love with baseball in the first place.  There were no big bands or fancy scoreboard or anything else that we associate with modern sports.  Instead, there were just two teams, playing in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd.  It was perfect Americana, a present to all of us baseball fans on Baseball Fan Day.  After watching this game, I now think every stadium should be redesigned to look like it’s sitting in cornfield.  It’s just how baseball was meant to be played!

(Of course, you may have to be a baseball fan to really get it.  My sister was in the room when one home run was hit and she interrupted my cheering by making a joke about the Children of the Corn.)

It was a good game too.  The White Sox won by one run in the ninth inning.  I was cheering for the Yankees but the White Sox played a good game and I can’t complain about their victory.

This was a great game and exactly what I needed tonight!  I hope this is an annual event because I can’t wait for the next Field of Dreams Game!