If we’re honest about baseball’s viewing flaws, we’d say that the season is long and games can be long. It isn’t always the most exciting sport to watch on a play-by-play basis.
But, man, when you hit the highs? When it gets really, really good? There is nothing better. Nothing.
Last night’s AL Wild Card Game was unbelievable from start to finish, and it was brutal to see the A’s seemingly lose this game three separate times (while simultaneously thrilling to see the Royals take it (despite some atrocious in-game decisions that will now be lauded by silly people)). It was especially hard to see Jason Hammel on the mound when the A’s finally lost it. And I hated knowing that the A’s trades will now be excoriated, because I completely respected Billy Beane for going for it when he did. I wanted that to work out for them.
But this is certainly exciting for Royals fans, who haven’t seen their team in the playoffs in almost 30 years. Good for them. I can only imagine watching a game like that at Wrigley Field in the near future. I’m not sure I would survive long enough to see the end.
The elephant in the room with respect to a game like this? The one-game Wild Card format – reviled by many as not true baseball – certainly added to the impact of a game like this. MLB must be loving that game more than any of us.
I am not promising to do an EBS for many, or any, other games this postseason, but the tongue-in-cheek-ability of this one beckoned.