Capes & Babes, a webcomic by Chris Flick

…is such a lonely word – and not that I have that Billy Joel song stuck in your head, I’ll continue with a little honesty of my own. If you’re not a fan of baseball, then you’re probably not going to like the following blog post. But if you are, I hope you enjoy it.

Honestly, I really didn’t think they’d do it. I guess I have grown so accustomed to watching the National League find some way to blow up and allow the American League to win the All-Star game again. That was ESPECIALLY true after I saw that Dodger pitcher throw that dribbler out to right field. My immediately reaction was “Oh boy… here’s where the American League goes on to score five runs and put the game away, even though it’s only the seventh inning…”.

You see, I remember that last time the National league won. I remember it because I was watching it on TV and I’m a huge fan of second basemen. So, when second basemen do something remarkable, I remember it. And in that game, Craig Biggio won the game for the National League. But Craig didn’t get a winning hit or drive in the winning run. No, instead, Craig Biggio won that game for the National League because he was able to leg out a base hit with two outs with the National League on life support. Once he got on, that opened the flood gates for the National League’s rally. Because Craig got that hit – that key, clutch hit – the NL was able to win.

And, being the baseball fanatic that I am, I understand these things usually run in cycles. Very rarely is it a case where the two leagues swap all-star victories each year. More often than not, one team normally gois on a very long victory run before the other league takes its turn. Just as it was during the 80’s, maybe it’s now time for the NL to go on a long, extended all-star winning streak.

In any case, it almost seemed rather strange that on the evening of “The Boss’s” death, the American League would lose – and A-Rod wouldn’t play in the game.

When I was younger, I hated George Steinbrenner and, maybe if I was truthful (and honest), I probably said I wish he was dead. Actually, that probably happened more than a few times as I watched the Dodgers lose to those Steinbrenner Yanks so many years ago. But now that I’m so much older, I didn’t really want him to die. I just didn’t want him to succeed.

Wishing someone to die simply because we dislike how they run a particular team or organization is bizarre, insane and ridiculous. When you’re grow person wishing someone else’s death simply because you dislike them, that’s when it’s time to step back and re-evaluate the priorities in your life.

These days, I’m much more wishy-washy about how I feel about Steinbrenner. I still don’t care for the Yankees and I think he helped baseball just as much as he hurt it as well. I know all about the generosity he gave of himself (and of his money) and it was his “Yankee attitude” that helped kick start the US Olympic organization, so he should get props for that. But just like so many of us, he was a study in hypocrisy- he was neither good, nor bad. He was all of those things and none of those things.

Just like we all are.