SectionsSpeedy Crawford shows brilliance of baseball in one game
Jeff Faust
Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Sports
Baseball is so popular because it combines everything Americans love: ballpark food, beer and for the ladies, the long ball.
Why is baseball so beloved, though? Simply put, because it is made up entirely of situations.
While catching up on the "The West Wing" the other day, the vice president (Tim Matheson) said he went to a hockey game that night but couldn't really get into it because the scoring comes so randomly that the announcers don't even know when it's coming.
He continued on to say that Americans love situations. They love looking out onto the field where the batter is up in the bottom of the ninth as the tying run. There are two outs, and the batter is down to his final strike. This makes for excitement. Baseball fans love this.
They also love the statistics that make the game so pure. Statistics like Ted Williams batting over .400 or Cal Ripken's Ironman streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (over 17 seasons) make the sport (and this only happens in baseball) so desired.
Well there is now one more situation and statistic that will go down in baseball lore. This was proven Sunday night when Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford did one of the most impressive things in baseball history.
Besides going 4-for-4 from the plate, including a walk in the first inning, Crawford stole a Major League Baseball record-tying six stolen bases.
According to Baseball Almanac's Web site, it was only the fifth time in modern MLB history (since 1900) that a player stole six bases in one game. Most recently were Eric Young (who now works at ESPN) in '96 and Otis Nixon in '91.
The other two times came from Eddie Collins, who stole six bases twice, just 11 days apart, in 1912. Ironically enough, Collins' nickname was Cocky. Who would have thought something like that?
To make the game even more special, Tampa Bay was at home in Tropical Field going against American League East foe Boston, which they beat for the A.L. pennant last season.
Why is baseball so beloved, though? Simply put, because it is made up entirely of situations.
While catching up on the "The West Wing" the other day, the vice president (Tim Matheson) said he went to a hockey game that night but couldn't really get into it because the scoring comes so randomly that the announcers don't even know when it's coming.
He continued on to say that Americans love situations. They love looking out onto the field where the batter is up in the bottom of the ninth as the tying run. There are two outs, and the batter is down to his final strike. This makes for excitement. Baseball fans love this.
They also love the statistics that make the game so pure. Statistics like Ted Williams batting over .400 or Cal Ripken's Ironman streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (over 17 seasons) make the sport (and this only happens in baseball) so desired.
Well there is now one more situation and statistic that will go down in baseball lore. This was proven Sunday night when Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford did one of the most impressive things in baseball history.
Besides going 4-for-4 from the plate, including a walk in the first inning, Crawford stole a Major League Baseball record-tying six stolen bases.
According to Baseball Almanac's Web site, it was only the fifth time in modern MLB history (since 1900) that a player stole six bases in one game. Most recently were Eric Young (who now works at ESPN) in '96 and Otis Nixon in '91.
The other two times came from Eddie Collins, who stole six bases twice, just 11 days apart, in 1912. Ironically enough, Collins' nickname was Cocky. Who would have thought something like that?
To make the game even more special, Tampa Bay was at home in Tropical Field going against American League East foe Boston, which they beat for the A.L. pennant last season.
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