See that there? To the left? That, my friends, is probably a changeup. Which, in all likelihood, followed another changeup. What you don't see in that picture is a left-handed batter (Dave Roberts or Brian Giles, perhaps?) getting ready to flail miserably at it.Greg Maddux found the fountain of youth last night, twirling a no-no for 6 1/3 in the Dodgers' 3-1 submarining of the Padres to push their lead to 1.5 games over our loving Friars.
Now, I've never been a big fan of the Padres' offense. Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Piazza are the only legitimate longball threats and, frankly, that's not ... that's not good. Pitching and defense wins championships (thank Jebus) but, you know, you might actually have to hit a little at some point.
And that's why last night was so frustrating. Here you have the biggest series of the year, a chance to make a statement, and they get stymied by a 40-year-old. A Hall of Fame 40-year-old, sure, but a 40-year-old nonetheless.
There's a reason Maddux has never thrown a no-hitter: he doesn't have no-hit stuff. This fact alone makes him one of the greatest "pitchers" ever. Anyone with the unlikely ability to hurl a horsehide-covered sphere 98 mph can probably strike out a few guys, even with very little movement. But, as Warren Spahn once said, "pitching is upsetting timing." And there may be no one better at it in the history of the sport.
Well, except this guy.
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1 comment:
since i am the only one here that was actually AT this game, let me just say that maddux wasn't at his best but that it was still an amazing sight to behold. like when an aging actress finally has to buckle down and do a nude scene. wow, that was exactly what it was like.
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