First off, it must be strange that a die-hard Cubs fan like myself was jumping up and down and yelling when Paul Konerko hit a grand slam last night. However, I don’t get the whole Cubs fans must hate the Sox and vice versa crap. I’m totally cheering for the Sox here, and I’m really happy for them and all their fans that they’ve gotten this far. The city of Chicago deserves a World Series victory, and since the Cubs blew it when they had a chance to do it a few years ago, I’m glad that the White Sox are so far coming through. Just two more wins!
However, I know there will be all kinds of controversy now about the Jermaine Dye hit-by-pitch last night, and I just wanted to give my take on it. They took so much time proving that it actually hit his bat last night, that it was brutally obvious that they were setting up the whole controversy. The thing is, the ump said take your base. Now maybe Dye spurned him on a little bit by moving towards first as if he had been hit, but the ump makes the call. That doesn’t take away from the fact that you don’t throw a first pitch fastball to Konerko.
However, for any whiny Astros fans out there, I just wanted to let you know that what happened last night was karma. Since everything that happens to other teams is somehow based on the Cubs (naturally), I just want to remind everyone of a pivotal game last season between the Astros and Cubs when it was getting close to the end of the season. Kerry Wood threw a pitch well inside to Lance Berkman (I believe, though it may have been Jeff Kent), didn’t seem like he was trying to hit him (and knowing Kerry Wood, he probably wasn’t, he’s just slightly out of control all the time), but it was certainly way inside and high. Berkman ducks to dodge it, the ball hits him, and he hits the ground, holding his head. Oh no, Kerry Wood hit him in the head! However, replay showed that the ball actually hit his bat, and didn’t even touch him. Yet he pretended to be hit in the head. Now that is just wrong. There is moving towards first as if you’d been hit, and then there’s clutching your head when the ball didn’t hit you. So, I’m sorry Astros, but that was karma last night.
Go Sox! (never thought I’d be cheering that, but here I am)