Daniel & Emily

Working at a condominium in San Francisco has given me an opportunity to begin friendships with some very nice residents. Two who stand out for me are Daniel & Emily, a couple from Seattle. Upon moving in it didn’t take long for them to discover that I was a big baseball fan; about twenty minutes. As the months unfolded we got to know each other. Daniel is a very bright guy, open-minded with keen judgment. Emily is the Queen of Hearts, a kind-hearted woman who loves cats.

Shortly after learning they had never been to a baseball game we agreed to go to see the Giants. On Wednesday, June 8^th, we went, meeting under a sunny, breezy sky at AT&T Park for the Nationals – Giants game. After purchasing our hot dogs and drinks, we settled into our seats on the right field side, about midway between first base and right field.

If it were you, how would you explain baseball to some newcomers? Where would you start? I decided to begin with the ballpark itself, the layout, scoreboard, splash hits sign, dugouts, foul ground and the like. From there I explained the deployment and roles of the players on the field in a general way, adding how each one is assigned a different number so that the game can be tracked on a scorecard. Then it’s on to nine innings per game, with balls, strikes and outs all fully explained. Next the teams: the visiting Washington Nationals in the building process and wearing red and gray; the home town Giants intent on defending their 2010 World Series Championship and wearing white, black and orange. It wasn’t long before Daniel commented on the good view of the stadium and field, while Emily volunteered that she preferred the Giants uniforms over the Nationals because “black goes with everything.”

As my Dad explained to me many years ago when he was assisting me with my Geometry studies, you work with what you’ve been given. The action on the field, therefore, determined my commentary. Pitching for the Giants was the highly effective and durable right hander, Matt Cain, who went about the business of retiring the Nationals batters with ease. More surprising was how Yunesky Maya, the Nationals pitcher, was doing the same thing to the Giants hitters. I mentioned to Daniel and Emily how unlikely this was given Maya’s ERA, which at the moment hovered in the 8.00 range. This lead to an opportunity to explain that a pitcher’s earned run average is the average number of runs the pitcher will permit the opposing team to earn over the course of a nine-inning game. Stated another way, if you’re the Nationals on an “average” day when Maya is pitching, you will have to score nine runs in order to win the game, because he will surrender eight runs to the opposition.

The chances of this Washington Nationals scoring nine runs off Matt Cain on a day when he has his best stuff are about as good as sneaking a sunrise past a rooster; it’s not going to happen. The Giants got to Maya for a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Nationals answered with a run in the top of the seventh. The World Champions then retaliated with two runs against a Nationals relief pitcher in the bottom of the seventh to conclude the scoring for the game, which they won 3 to 1. Matt Cain surrendered a mere five hits, struck out eleven batters in a masterful, complete game. I don’t think any team, not even the 1937 Homestead Grays, were going to defeat him on this day.

Daniel, Emily and I said our goodbyes and returned to our respective neighborhoods shortly after the game. We had a splendid time together. Thank you, my friends, for permitting me to introduce you to the game I love. I enjoyed answering your questions. You’re good baseball fans, great friends and champions in your own special way. This post is for you.