Upstate Geechie: Baseball
MLB and why I love the game
I grew up playing baseball. Lowman was my home field and East Smithfield, Ridgebury, Gillette, Wellsburg, Mosherville knew what I was capable of. Ask John John. John John, Mike Reese (peewee), Lisa Dunham ... beasts. Bobby Groevner played for Mosherville, he went on to start as safety for S.U.?
Photo provided. Sky Moss, top left, with his *Elmira Free Academy J.V. teammates, 1987.
My brother is a Yankees fan. Since the days of Thurmond Munson, Willie Randolph, Mickey Rivers and Catfish Hunter, that man loved the Yankees. I hate the favorite and Yankees fans can be dicks. I met some pretty cool ones and largely they do not offend. Twenty-seven championships will make you more patient and chill. Locally, nationally and internationally mad heads wear Yankees gear.
I read a New York Times piece, 2003, Peshuwar. The author was writing about a kid with a BinLaden T and a Yankees hat.
They are a brand.
I like what the pinstriped team from NY did at the deadline. That said, I do not like them to win a chip.
Montas is a problemó. I watched him pitch live twice this year (TV). He has a putrid menu. At 29, he has learned how to pitch and Oakland was a run support desert. Dominicano, arms come from that portion of the island. (Colonial observation, Haiti futbol, DR beisbol).
I would not have dealt Hayden, but it is.
Benintendi is a rake. Like a Gavin Lux, he will never blow you away with OPS but he will show you how to be a professional hitter (Nico Hoerner).
The other variable at playoff time, for me, is Harrison Bader – Gold Glove D ability, slapper speed. Plantar fasciitis is real though. Houston will be the AL rep. Worse than Yankees fans are Red Sox fans. Tools and, comparable to Eagles, assholes.
The Sox could not figure out if they were buyers or sellers. Perhaps it is a strategy. With two major free agents with real holed in their game to sign, I am more worried about this franchise. Cheeseballs.
I love Hosmer and Pham for different reasons. They are major leaguers and have tread left on those cleats. Vazquez needed to stay and they will regret that.
Growing up, I knew two hardcore Red Sox fans, Bernie and Josh Porter (Fen). It is a culture. Their trade season was confusing, and the front office needs a retreat and, maybe, a map. They just released Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Over the last 10 years we have seen BMets games and Rumble Ponies games.
I like Mets fans. To me, Gooden and Straw are cooler than any Yankees ever. Buck Showalter can manage and they have a roster. Marte, Nimmo, Alonso, Lindhor … Vogelbach, my guy. Rake. Their biggest addition is, possibly, the most dominant pitcher alive. Add DeGrom to that solid rotation and they have a legitimate chance. The Phillies and Braves are right, too. Showalter is a wildcard.
Photos provided. N.Y. Mets' Jacob deGrom, Cincinnati Reds' Tommy Pham and Kansas City Royals' Andrew Benintendi are just a few of the baseball players on Sky Moss's mind this summer as he watches America's favorite pastime.
MLB is a reflection of disproportionate capitalism. Read a story from a Cincinnati beat writer this week. I feel horrible for their fans. They will, indefinitely, be sellers at the deadline. Teams like Miami, Toronto and Baltimore are primed to win a chip.
The current financials are pejorative and prejudiced. It may change, doubt it.
The NY teams and Boston can buy the best when they need them, and most systems (farm MLB) are growing players for 5-7 teams. The Dodgers and Padres have to enter the conversation.
I love baseball. At one point I imagined it would be my future profession.
Dreams are important. It took me places that changed my life (college).
Baseball is international, futuristic, American, and more important than politics. In the 607 there are many who love the game, America’s pastime. They/We watch whole games.
Baseball is more equivalent to soccer than football or basketball. It is nuanced and subtle.
I love baseball. OK.
My World Series prediction:
AL: Minnesota Twins
NL: San Diego Padres
* A correction was made to the team school picture. An earlier version misrepresented the school.
About the Author
Sky Moss is an Associate Professor at Corning Community College. From gardening to music to clothing to politics, and sports. Ask Sky and he will give you his opinion. Sky is multifaceted and his column will make you think.