Sports

Game 6 Wore Me Out

Some are already calling game 6 of the 2011 World Series the greatest World Series game ever played. That may be true, but it wore me out. I am a Rangers fan. Twice during last night’s game, we were one strike away from winning the franchise’s first ever championship. Twice! It was heartbreaking when what’s-his-name hit that last home run for St. Louis.

I think I need to re-evalutate my priorities in life because I woke up this morning with a pit in my stomach about that game. I hope I’m wrong. I just had the sense that when we lost that game last night, we lost the series. I hope I’m wrong and that the Rangers hang tough and achieve the win tonight. They can do it, but they will have to be mentally tough.

Go, Rangers!


<a href='http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/world-series-game-6-texas-rangers-josh-hamilton-hears-gods-voice-before-homer-loss-to-st-louis-cardinals-102711?videoId=cccc4e19-ebb4-4ff9-abe5-359db247c8d9&#038;src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='World Series: Game 6 recap'>Video: World Series: Game 6 recap</a>

18 Comments

  • Matt Privett

    Momentum in baseball goes as far as the next day’s starting pitcher. It’s anyone’s game tonight. That said, while Game 6 was far from the greatest played game ever (errors, anyone?), I don’t recall ever seeing a more exciting baseball game. The only thing that compares for me, as a Braves fan, is Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, when the Braves erased a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Pirates (who haven’t had a winning season since).

  • Nathan Stuller

    I’m on the other side of the line, but have the some problem with my priorities. It is a game, I should be able to just enjoy an exciting game of baseball without going through emotional turmoil because its the Cardinals. I have way too much emotion invested in the Cardinals.

    IT’S A GAME!

  • Dillon

    What an epic game. I had to up at about 0430 but just couldn’t turn it off. As a Twins fan, and I attended World Series games in ’87 and ’91, about the only game that compares was game 163 against Detroit a few years ago. Completely gut wrenching as a fan.

  • Trevor

    Games 4 and 6 of the 1993 World Series are quite simply unmatched in excitement. That is a fact. I know that south of the 49th ’92 and ’93 are blacked out as an anomaly, but the fact remains, the ’93 series was the best ever. Granted, last night was a great game, but not nearly as great as game 6 in ’93.

  • jigawatt

    Twice during last night’s game, we were one out away from winning the franchise’s first ever championship.

    I think you meant “strike” instead of “out”.

  • Clay

    My problem sport is college football. When my team was nationally embarassed last season with off the field scandals, resulting in a certain coach resigning I thought, “It bothers me how much it bothers me”. So I selfimposed not a 6-game ban, but a #oneyearban on #NCAACF and have happily spent my Saturday’s with my wife, kids and friends, for the first time in my life. It is amazing how no TV on Saturday really frees your spirit for coporate worship on Sunday.

    Confessions of a college football fanatic.

    Signed,
    Embittered Buckeye

  • JDK

    What an amazing game! I say this as a Rangers fan since my youth.

    There is nothing necisarily wrong with enjoying a game and having it effect you the next day. Just as it does not always mean your priorities are out of wack if you are effected emotionaly by a great story that lingers with you for days after you finish it (LOTR?). As has been said by many, we are wired for story and last night was a great story (though not with the ‘happy ending’ I wanted).

    It is sinful when it prevents or hinders you from loving and serving Christ and others. If you are angry and do not commune with Jesus today or are surly with others due to the gam then yes there is a problem. But having a pit in your stomach? Nah, you gotta be dead not to react that way.

    Go Rangers!

  • Nate

    As someone who was born and raised in St. Louis until the age of 40 I have seen some exciting World Series Games. I still remember sitting in the cafeteria as a grade-schooler watching Bob Gibson strike out 18 Detroit Tigers in 1968, back when all the games were still played during the day, and the teachers let us watch the game. But I have to say that last night (especially from the 7th inning on) was arguably some of the greatest action the World Series has ever seen.

    For any true baseball fan, how can you not resonate with a kid who grew up in Suburban St. Louis, probably played games in his backyard imagining that he would hit the game-winning home-run. And then to do it, after he had botched a pop-up, then delievered a two-strike, two-out clutch triple in the bottom of the ninth, only to see Hamilton hit a two-run homer in the 10th, to then having Berkman deliver a two-out, two-strike hit in the bottom of the 10th to tie it, so that David Freese steps up and crushes one to dead center field in the 11th.

    You can’t write that….

    I’m sure there are others whose hometown teams have done great things in World Series games, but if the Cardinals win tonight, this will definitely go down as their greatest triumph, especially since they were 10.5 down at the start of Sep., they were 2-1 down againt the Phillies, and with a win tonight, would come back from 3-2 down against Texas.

    Go Cardinals!

  • Trevor

    @dillon – You should take something for that cough…lol! Seriously though, I will give you that one; the ’91 series was amazing. Maybe…better than ’93…I will admit that much. BUT, both are better than 2011…IMHO!

  • Taylor

    I’m actually ok with my current Rangers priority, contingent on remembering to support them when they lose.

    Spiritually though, I think getting excited about a non-spiritual event is fine, especially one I’ve been waiting for 20+ years. It has actually helped me understand the big deal about Easter. Sure, we remember Christ’s work every Sunday, but once a year we get together to specially celebrate the biggest win of all time.

  • John

    Anyone who says baseball is a boring game is out of their mind if they saw that game last night. I’ve lived in Texas for 4 years so I root for the Rangers but they’re not my #1 team, and last night I was nearly hyperventilating on the couch because of how nervous I was. I could hear my heart beating in my head, my palms were sweating, I couldn’t go to sleep because I couldn’t get it out of my head, and I was thinking about it all day today. Postseason baseball is awesome. Unfortunately it looks like they’re going to lose tonight (currently 6-2 Cards in the 8th). How can you come back & win after a heartbreaking defeat last night, especially when you’re not playing at home? Poor Rangers. I don’t know how long it will take the franchise to recover from this, but heartbreaking losses like this typically don’t produce successful seasons in the immediate years to come. Nolan is a great owner & Daniels is a great GM so hopefully they’ll be okay & get the championship they deserve within the next 5 years or so.

    I tell you what, the fact that the Rangers don’t have home field advantage is a travesty. They had a better season than the Cardinals with more wins. The All-Star game shouldn’t decide who gets home field. You switch that up & you get a whole different dynamic. I’m not trying to make excuses, but MLB should reconsider it. It’s stupid; always has been & always will be.

    • Rick

      The problem is that baseball does not have many such games. The season is too long.

      Football, especially college football, has that tension and excitement on a regular basis.

      • Scott

        True. But pro baseball isn’t ripe with corruption and hypocrisy. Plus you actually have a true championship, unlike the money driven BCS nonsense.

      • John

        Rick,

        Perhaps baseball doesn’t have many such games, but just because it’s not high action every pitch doesn’t mean it’s boring. There is something going on every pitch in baseball. It’s a thinking man’s game & requires you to be analytical. To me it’s absolutely fascinating, both world series games and games in the middle of the season. You can pay attention to how they position players for certain hitters based on scouting reports, how the pitchers pitch to certain hitters (curve balls, inside or outside fastballs, etc,), how guys run the bases, etc. The home runs & diving catches are just added bonuses. The season isn’t any longer than football or basketball (about 6 months). The only difference is that they play more games.

        College football is exciting, I don’t doubt that. But football is not nearly as fascinating to me. You can have one bad game in the middle of the season & miss out on a championship. It’s a bunch of guys hitting each other in pads. The fact that football is more popular than baseball now is a sign of where our culture is. We like violence, we like intensity, and we like sports where so much depends on every single game. We are not characterized by patience and find a long grind of a 162 game season “boring.” It’s a matter of entertainment for time spent. With football you have less time so there’s more entertainment. With baseball the entertainment is there but you have to put in the time to get it. Most people are too inpatient to do that so they claim it’s long & boring. To that response I just shake my head & say you just don’t get it.

        • Rick

          John-

          Much of what you say I agree with. However, a few disagreements:

          College and Pro football last about 5 months. Baseball and basketball last about 7 months.

          As football schemes have become more complicated, the “thinking mans game” theme no longer applies to just baseball.

          It is not that each pitch is boring due to the number of games, it is that their importance is watered down. I enjoy college baseball more because its season is not as long, thus each pitch carries so much weight.

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