Siempre recuerdo un juego del play off de la Liga Americana de 1969. Los Orioles de Baltimore se enfrentaban a los Mellizos de Minnesota. Era la primera vez que en Venezuela transmit\u00c3\u00adan en vivo por televisi\u00c3\u00b3n los juegos de Grandes Ligas. En el tercer inning C\u00c3\u00a9sar Tovar conect\u00c3\u00b3 sencillo ante Dave McNally. Varias veces tuve que salir a hacerle mandados a mi mam\u00c3\u00a1. Cada vez que regresaba el juego segu\u00c3\u00ada 0-0. McNally por Baltimore y Dave Boswell por Minnesota. En el cierre del inning 11 me gan\u00c3\u00a9 varios rega\u00c3\u00b1os de mam\u00c3\u00a1 porque necesitaba que la ayudar\u00c3\u00a1 a cambiar un bombillo, pero la intensidad de aquel juegazo 0-0 s\u00c3\u00b3lo me permiti\u00c3\u00b3 reaccionar cuando Baltimore gan\u00c3\u00b3 1-0. McNally lanz\u00c3\u00b3 los 11 episodios, s\u00c3\u00b3lo permiti\u00c3\u00b3 3 imparables. Boswell lanz\u00c3\u00b3 10.2 innings.<\/p>\n
Un tiempo despu\u00c3\u00a9s mientras le\u00c3\u00ada unos art\u00c3\u00adculos de b\u00c3\u00a9isbol supe del encendido duelo de lanzadores entre Juan Marichal y Warren Spahn el 02 de julio de 1963. Por 15 episodios estos serpentineros pintaron el encuentro entre los Gigantes de San Francisco y los Bravos de Milwaukee con un blanco tan n\u00c3\u00adtido que hac\u00c3\u00ada relumbrar la pizarra del Candlestick Park. Cada cero era replicado de inmediato con otro m\u00c3\u00a1s contundente. Cuando el manager Bill Rigney intent\u00c3\u00b3 sacar al dandy dominicano luego que el juego se fue a extrainning, Marichal le contest\u00c3\u00b3: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Si ese viejo puede seguir lanzando. Yo tambi\u00c3\u00a9n lo puedo hacer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Para esa fecha Spahn contaba 42 a\u00c3\u00b1os. Durante los \u00c3\u00baltimos 8 innings Marichal s\u00c3\u00b3lo permiti\u00c3\u00b3 2 hits a los Bravos y retir\u00c3\u00b3 a 17 en fila. A lo largo del juego Spahn permiti\u00c3\u00b3 9 imparables, concedi\u00c3\u00b3 1 boleto intencional, ponch\u00c3\u00b3 2. Marichal permiti\u00c3\u00b3 8 imparables, camin\u00c3\u00b3 a 4 y ponch\u00c3\u00b3 10. Cada uno hizo m\u00c3\u00a1s de 200 pitcheos. Willie Mays decidi\u00c3\u00b3 el juego con cuadrangular solitario en el cierre del d\u00c3\u00a9cimosexto episodio.<\/p>\n
Aunque la tendencia de los \u00c3\u00baltimos a\u00c3\u00b1os indica que los lanzadores cada vez tendr\u00c3\u00a1n un l\u00c3\u00admite m\u00c3\u00a1s estricto en cuanto a su permanencia en el mont\u00c3\u00adculo durante un juego. (La medicina deportiva as\u00c3\u00ad lo ha determinado con sus estudios sobre el desgaste del hombro y el codo de los brazos de lanzar). Al menos queda cierta esperanza de ver algunos de esos osos panda en que se han convertido los juegos completos. De acuerdo a lo ocurrido en 2008 habr\u00c3\u00ada que estar pendiente de los Azulejos de Toronto cuyos lanzadores completaron 15 encuentros. Roy Halladay lo hizo en 9 ocasiones. De acuerdo a la filosof\u00c3\u00ada de juego de Cito Gaston pareciera que al menos en cuanto a Halladay es posible seguir viendo algunos juegos completos, por supuesto si mantiene la econom\u00c3\u00ada en sus lanzamientos.<\/p>\n
Luego est\u00c3\u00a1n C.C. Sabbathia qui\u00c3\u00a9n termin\u00c3\u00b3 3 juegos con Cleveland y 7 con Milwaukee. S\u00c3\u00b3lo que este a\u00c3\u00b1o Sabbathia estar\u00c3\u00a1 con los Yanquis. Habr\u00c3\u00a1 que ver cual ser\u00c3\u00a1 la decisi\u00c3\u00b3n de Joe Girardi cuando C.C llegue al octavo episodio con el juego cerrado y un relevista como Mariano Rivera en el bull pen. Y el otro es Ben Sheets, autor de 5 completos con Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
Luego siguen Cliff Lee (Cleveland, 4 completos) y John Lackey (Anaheim, 3 completos), el tipo de lanzadores con durabilidad en el brazo y habilidad para administrar los pitcheos. En principio pareciera que tanto Eric Wedge como Mike Scioscia seguir\u00c3\u00a1n confiando en Lee y Lackey.<\/p>\n
James Shields, Matt Garza (Tampa Bay, 3 completos cada uno) y Brandon Webb (Arizona, 3 completos). De los 3 el que tiene mejor balance de boletos\/ponches es Shields. Lo cual en teor\u00c3\u00ada le da m\u00c3\u00a1s posibilidades de mantener su n\u00c3\u00bamero de juegos completos. Aunque Garza demostr\u00c3\u00b3 que puede seguir mejorando, y Webb es un fajador nato.<\/p>\n
Johan Santana (Mets), Kevin Milwood (Texas), Roy Oswalt (Astros) y Kevin Slowey (Minnesota), con 3 completos por cabeza, completan la docena de abridores sobre quienes descansa la posibilidad de ver alguna faceta de lo que fuese el b\u00c3\u00a9isbol alg\u00c3\u00ban tiempo atr\u00c3\u00a1s. Santana depender\u00c3\u00a1 de disminuir su tendencia a conceder jonrones y que el manager Manuel considere dejarlo al final del juego con un cerrador como Francisco Rodr\u00c3\u00adguez en el bullpen. Milwood tiene las herramientas para continuar lanzando m\u00c3\u00a1s strikes que bolas. Oswalt tiene la fuerza y el control para seguir provocando outs con facilidad. Y Slowey es el m\u00c3\u00a1s controlado de los cuatro.<\/p>\n
De seguro muchas veces veremos m\u00c3\u00a1s de un juego completo desvanecerse tras el vencimiento de un l\u00c3\u00admite de pitcheo o la decisi\u00c3\u00b3n de un manager de traer a su cerrador para asegurar el juego.<\/p>\n
Todav\u00c3\u00ada me parece ver las miradas desafiantes, y los pasos decididos de Dave McNally y Dave Boswell en aquel play off de 1969. La atm\u00c3\u00b3sfera de compromiso y orgullo que manaba de aquellos lanzadores se manten\u00c3\u00ada a lo largo del juego hasta llegar al dugout con una sonrisa en la frente o una profundidad en las retinas.<\/p>\n
Tambi\u00c3\u00a9n imagino las toneladas de adrenalina que soport\u00c3\u00b3 el mont\u00c3\u00adculo del Candlestick Park aquella noche de julio de 1963 cuando Marichal y Spahn elevaron al b\u00c3\u00a9isbol a un torneo de \u00c3\u00a9pica y pundonor donde la m\u00c3\u00adstica florec\u00c3\u00ada en cada rinc\u00c3\u00b3n del terreno.<\/p>\n
Cada vez que alg\u00c3\u00ban lanzador llegue hasta el final del \u00c3\u00baltimo inning de un juego, podremos apreciar una parte del b\u00c3\u00a9isbol que tiende a desaparecer. Esta es la presencia, la entrega, la perseverancia de un pitcher abridor que se las ingenia para entregarle una victoria a su equipo.<\/p>\n
English Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n I always remember a 1969 play off game of the American League. Baltimore Orioles versus Minnesota Twins. It was the first time that MLB games were broadcast live on TV to Venezuela. In the third frame, Cesar Tovar hit a single against Dave McNally. I watched the game with many interruptions because I had to go out to make some errands for my Mom. Each time I returned to the TV set, the game remained 0-0. McNally pitched for Baltimore, Dave Boswell for Minnesota.\u00c2\u00a0 At the bottom of the eleventh inning my Mom got mad at me. Because she needed that I helped her by replacing a light bulb, but the intensity of that 0-0 game only let me react when Baltimore won 1-0 in that inning. McNally pitched 11 innings, only allowed 3 hits. Boswell pitched 10.2 innings.<\/p>\n Some time later, while I read several baseball articles, I knew about that great pitching duel between Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn. It happened on July 2nd, 1963. For 15 frames theses hurlers painted the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee Braves with a so nitid white that it made shine the scoreboard of the Candlestick Park. Each inning in blank was replied immediately with another one more impressive. When the Giants manager Bill Rigney tried to take the dominican dandy out from the mound around the eleventh inning, Marichal told him: “If that old man can still keep pitching, so can I.” By that time Spahn was 42 years old. Over the last 8 frames Marichal only allowed 2 hits to the Braves and retired 17 in a row at one stretch. Spahn allowed 9 hits, gave up an intentional walk, struckout 2. Marichal gave up 8 hits, 4 walks, 10 struckouts. Both oh them threw more than 200 pitches. Willie Mays ended the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the 16th inning.<\/p>\n Although the tendency in the last years indicates that pitchers will be more restricted about their throwings in a game. (Biomechanics has searched about the incidence of the amount of pitches on the pitchers shoulder and elbow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seizure). At least there is some hope of seeing those panda bears that have become the complete games. According to what happened in 2008 it should be interesting to be aware on the Toronto Blue Jays whose starting pitchers completed 15 games. Roy Halladay finished 9 of them. Knowing Cito Gaston\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s philosophy, it seems that at least with Halladay it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s possible to continue seeing some complete games, of course if Halladay keeps his number of pitches low.<\/p>\n Then is the turn of C.C Sabbathia who completed 3 games with Cleveland and 7 with Milwaukee. But this year Sabbathia will be with the Yankees. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a matter of waiting to see what choice will take Joe Girardi when it come the eighth inning in a tight game with a closer as Mariano Rivera in the bull pen. The next one is Ben Sheets the author of 5 complete games with Milwaukee.<\/p>\n Other pitchers to keep the faith of expecting for some complete games in 2009 are Cliff Lee (Cleveland, 4 complete games) and John Lackey (Anaheim, 3 complete games). The kind of pitchers with durability in his arms and ability to administrate their deliveries. At first sight, it seems as if Eric Wedge and Mike Scioscia will keep trusting in Lee and Lackey.<\/p>\n James Shields, Matt Garza (Tampa Bay, 3 complete games each one) and Brandon Webb (Arizona, 3 complete games). Shields is the one with the best ratio walks\/struckouts. In theory, this would give him more chances of maintaining his complete games. Even though, Garza showed that he can continue getting better and Webb is a great hustler.<\/p>\n Johan Santana (Mets), Kevin Milwood (Texas), Roy Oswalt (Astros) and Kevin Slowey (Minnesota), each one of them finished 3 games. They complete the dozen of pitchers on whom rest the chances of seeing some facet of what the baseball was some time before. Santana will depend on decreasing his tendency of conceding some home runs and on the decision of the manager Manuel for leaving him on the mound at the end of the game with a closer as Francisco Rodriguez in the bull pen. Milwood has the complete set of tools to continue throwing more strikes than balls. Oswalt has the strength and the control to keep getting outs in an easy way. And Slowey is the one with the most accurate arm of the four.<\/p>\n It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s for sure that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see more than one complete game disappearing into the thin air, because of the pitching count, or the manager\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision for bringing his closer to lock the game.<\/p>\n I still seem to see the defying glances and the hard steps of Dave McNally and Dave Boswell in that play off game of 1969. The atmosphere of compromise and pride coming from those pitchers was kept all game long until arriving to the dugout with a smile in the forehead or a depression in the eyes.<\/p>\n I can also imagine the tons of adrenaline that rained over the Candlestick Park mound that night of July, 1963, when Marichal and Spahn raised the baseball to the level of an epic contest where mistique bloomed everywhere on the field.<\/p>\n Each time a pitcher arrives until the last out of the last inning, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll can appreciate a part of baseball that seems in route to disappear. This is the presence, the gift, the perseverance of a starting pitcher who excels to give his team a victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t