DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Giants win the Series, Giants win the Series, becoming the first road team to win a Game 7 since the Pirates’ 1979 Family and capping perhaps the greatest pitching performance in playoff history by Madison Bumgarner.
Views: A lot of what San Francisco does is considered old-school, and that was on powerful display with the use of Bumgarner on this night, but that’s three championships in five years now, so good luck with all those rebuttal theses.
They’re an amazing franchise, built on pitching and defense and guts and more pitching.
And let’s not forget where it all started.
Bumgarner so dominated the Pirates on that night that, in what might be my most lasting impression, the home team almost just seemed to accept it. And I say that without a trace of criticism. They just seemed aware that they ran into something — or someone, in this case — who was doing something special.
“That guy,” Neil Walker told me that night, “was unhittable.”
That didn’t exactly change.
One other local thought: No matter how lovable those Royals were, right down to the 90-feet-away finish, bear in mind they’re already in line to be cited by every New York/Boston/Los Angeles media or fan as proof positive that Major League Baseball never needs a salary cap. Never mind that they’re all fully aware the market-based money is about to go totally bonkers based on certain local TV deals. Or that the inherent unfairness of a cap-free system is that some teams begin the process with a better chance to compete year after year, not necessarily the end result.
And then, to hear Bud Selig toot his own horn with the presentation of sports’ ugliest trophy by citing how the Giants’ achievement was all the more impressive because of the “competitive balance” in the game … ugh.
Anyway, enough soapbox.
Happy day for baseball. A truly phenomenal performance took place.
October 29, 2014
News/views: Giants match Family’s feat
by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Pirates
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Giants win the Series, Giants win the Series, becoming the first road team to win a Game 7 since the Pirates’ 1979 Family and capping perhaps the greatest pitching performance in playoff history by Madison Bumgarner.
Views: A lot of what San Francisco does is considered old-school, and that was on powerful display with the use of Bumgarner on this night, but that’s three championships in five years now, so good luck with all those rebuttal theses.
They’re an amazing franchise, built on pitching and defense and guts and more pitching.
Bumgarner so dominated the Pirates on that night that, in what might be my most lasting impression, the home team almost just seemed to accept it. And I say that without a trace of criticism. They just seemed aware that they ran into something — or someone, in this case — who was doing something special.
“That guy,” Neil Walker told me that night, “was unhittable.”
That didn’t exactly change.
One other local thought: No matter how lovable those Royals were, right down to the 90-feet-away finish, bear in mind they’re already in line to be cited by every New York/Boston/Los Angeles media or fan as proof positive that Major League Baseball never needs a salary cap. Never mind that they’re all fully aware the market-based money is about to go totally bonkers based on certain local TV deals. Or that the inherent unfairness of a cap-free system is that some teams begin the process with a better chance to compete year after year, not necessarily the end result.
And then, to hear Bud Selig toot his own horn with the presentation of sports’ ugliest trophy by citing how the Giants’ achievement was all the more impressive because of the “competitive balance” in the game … ugh.
Anyway, enough soapbox.
Happy day for baseball. A truly phenomenal performance took place.