2016 MLB Regular-Season Thread

I think MLB politely requests that teams do that

 

All the Scully stuff has been fabulous, last Sunday and this. At this point, nothing can top the meeting with Willie Mays in the third inning today as they unveiled a plaque in the visitors broadcasting booth at AT&T. Scully has always said that Mays is the best player he ever saw. Giants fans are giving Vin lots of love, too. Awaiting the end of the game to see how they cap it all off.
So far he has been pretty good at mixing in all the tributes and stories and not letting the game get away from him.
I will save my personal Vin Scully story until later this evening. It is nothing spectacular except to me, but illustrates what a truly great person he is.

 

On top of everything else today, nothing happening in Boston through six.

 

One of my favorite Vin calls. The 2009 NLDS when Matt Holliday misplayed a fly ball off the nuts for a crucial error.
This is a composite clip of the calls by Fox, Vin and the Cardinals. Vin is batting second, about 30 seconds in.

Holliday's 2009 LDS gaffe

 

Broken up with two out in seventh.

 

Terrance Gore thrown out stealing by the Indians' Roberto Perez again. Indians need Toronto to win in order to host the ALDS vs. Boston.

 

Justin Upton takes 3-1 and 3-2 fastballs for strikes for the final out against the Braves with the tying run on base. Strike three was right down the middle.

Tigers eliminated. Orioles vs. Blue Jays for the wild card.

 

Giants in. Bumgarner on a 175-pitch limit Wednesday. I guess the Mets will show up since they have to host and all.

 

Here's the 3-2 pitch Upton took for the final out of the Tigers' season:

 

Miguel Cabrera once looked at a dead-center fastball to end the Tigers' season. In the World Series.

 

He finished it off rather succinct. That was probably his choice. I honestly don't know how he kept it all together last Sunday and today. Remarkable.
Here is my personal story:

I was the Dodgers beat writer for the Santa Monica Evening Outlook from 1981 to midseason in 1983 when our paper merged with another, bigger paper and their writer got the beat. Vin Scully lived in Pacific Palisades, which was in our circulation area, and he got my paper. As a traveling baseball writer covering the Dodgers I knew Vin casually. One thing I realized was that you never saw him on the road except on the bus or at the ballpark — not in the hotel lobby or coffee shop or nearby restaurants. But one Sunday evening in St. Louis I was sitting at the Marriott bar. Just a few people were there. Then, here comes Vinny. He took the stool next to me and offered to buy me a beer. I stammered “Yes, thank you.” A few months previous it was announced that Vinny had attached his name to a fundraising effort to find the cure for Retinitis Pigmentosa, which is a genetic eye disease that causes blindness. Vinny’s wife had family members with this condition (father, brother, perhaps more) and so do I, my mom and brother plus others in my family. I took that opportunity to thank Vinny for lending his name to help this cause and explained about my family situation. When you chatted with Vinny, he always asked about your family. Then I said, “My dad donates to the RP foundation and he drives to their office in Century City to deliver the check. With money being the key, I wonder why this group maintains an office in Century City. Wouldn’t it be less costly to be in Venice or Mar Vista or somewhere cheaper.” He said, “Hmmm, I never thought about that." End of discussion. About two weeks later at Dodger Stadium, I was at my spot in the main press box a few minutes before game time. I was tapped on the shoulder … it’s Vinny. He said, “I checked on that office you told me about. It’s donated.” I thanked him and sat there with the unbelievable feeling that this legendary person had taken the time to answer a simple, relatively meaningless question from me. Of all the baseball memories I have, this is my favorite.