So far, so good for the Giants; who are now only two wins away from bringing San Francisco their first World Series championship. In last night’s 9-0 win, Matt Cain continued his remarkable post season run, shutting out the Rangers over 7.2 innings and allowing only four hits….
In three post-season starts, Cain has not allowed an earned run in 21.1 innings and reminding people of Orel Hershiser….
The Giants have also posted a miniscule 2.64 ERA in the playoffs, which is the reason they are closing in on history….
On top of this, they’ve scored 20 runs in the first two games against the Rangers; not bad for a group of guys most people have never heard of….
During Game 1, commentator Tim McCarver said of the Giants: “What an amazing story. They have a rookie and two guys who were released this season in the middle of their order.”….
Seven runs in the eighth inning sealed the win for the Giants, who also got a huge assist from Texas manager Ron Washington and starter C.J. Wilson….
Going into the seventh, the Rangers trailed 1-0 and Wilson had pitched brilliantly; his only mistake being a home run by Edgar Renteria in the fifth….
Wilson had a three-hitter going and the Rangers were very much in the game. After walking the leadoff hitter, the Rangers trainer went to the mound to look at a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand….
Incredibly, Wilson left the mound with the trainer; apparently in too much pain to continue….
I could not believe what I was seeing and thought about what Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson, Goose Gossage and and Bert Blyleven were thinking….
Hell, what was the great Nolan Ryan thinking? The Express, who now owns the Rangers, was sitting behind the Texas dugout and must have wanted to take Wilson behind the woodshed….
Ryan made it a point to remove pitch counts and get his starters deeper into games; but didn’t take into consideration how papmered and babied these candy-asses are….
So what if Wilson had a blister? And who gives a s*** if it hurts? This is the seventh inning of a one-run game in the first World Series in Texas Rangers history. The only way Wilson should leave the game is if an ambulance goes to the mound….
As soon as the trainer came out, Wilson should have challenged him to a fight; which is what Gibson and Drysdale would have done. On second thought, with those guys the trainer would have never made it to the mound….
As soon as he climbed the dugout steps and started onto the field, Gibby and Twin D would have been cursing him and telling him get his ass back to the dugout….
For Wilson to agree with the decision and leave the game is shocking. He has the entire off-season to treat the boo-boo on his finger and might never get another chance to pitch in a World Series….
He should have cursed, sworn, made a scene and physically thrown the trainer off the mound. He was only one run behind, it was his game and the Rangers easily could have won….
To meekly surrender with such a minor injury is another example of what p*****s today’s pitchers are. Leaving a one-run World Series game with a blister was unheard of in the previous generation. In fact, any pitcher who did this could never face his teammates again….
Not only would they castigate him for being such a candy ass, they’d also give him a group beat down in the locker room….
He has 24 other players counting on him and to let them down like this would never have been tolerated in Drysdale’s day….
It reminds me of a story in 1979….
After losing the first two games of the ALCS to the Orioles, the Angels were flying home for Game Three. As the team played cards and laughed it up, Drysdale seethed in his seat; wondering why they weren’t more upset after losing two games in their first playoff appearance….
A few minutes later, Angels pitcher Jim Barr walked past, with a cast on his pitching hand. “If you were a man, you’d rip that thing off your hand and pitch!” yelled Twin D. When Barr responded, “Don’t mess with my mind,” Drysdale rose from his seat and challenged Barr to a fight. Fortunately for Barr, Jim Fregosi and severl others stepped in, saving Barr’s life….
Can you imagine what Drysdale would have to say about begging out of a close World Series game with a blister? S***, Don would have shot him….
After Wilson left the game, Darren Oliver gave up a hit to make the score 2-0, and in the eight inning the Rangers bullpen gave up four walks, two singles, a double, a triple and seven runs….
By the way, Washington should also take some blame. As soon as the trainer and Wilson decided he was going to quit, he should have run to the mound and told Wilson to man up and get the job done. “You’ve pitched great tonight,” he should have said, “and no little blister is going to stop you. You have a team and city depending on you, so don’t let them down by quitting.”….
Then, he should have pointed to Ryan and told Wilson, “How can you look that man in the eye and tell him a blister is more important than winning the World Series? Now get these SOB’s out and let’s win the game.”….
Instead, Washington actually allowed Wilson to leave the game and then watched his bullpen get torched….
Hopefully Ryan was waiting for Wilson after the game and delivered a Texas-sized ass whipping on him….