Mets Fans Relishing in Sweep of Yankees

It may only be two months into the season, but the Mets sweep over the Yankees is easily the highlight of the 2013 season.  Chants of "sweep" and "Let's Go Mets" were heard in full force last night at Yankee Stadium in the 9th inning as the Mets completed a four-game, two-stadium season sweep over their crosstown rival Yankees for the first time since the Subway Series began in 2000.

Mets fans made their presence felt last night in the Bronx in what was one of the quietest Subway Series games ever.  Yankees fans were nonexistent in their home park last night.  The 44,207 fans in attendance were silent until late where Mets fans took over.  While it was just another game for the Yankees and their fans, it was more of a pennant race atmosphere for the Mets and their fans.  The Yankees have dominated the Mets in Subway Series play with the Mets only winning two season series in the first 16 years of the rivalry.  The Yankees were 54-36 in those 16 years against the Mets in the regular season, also including a 4-1 series win in the 2000 World Series.

The overlooked, 4th place Mets squad took care of business this week in Queens and in the Bronx.  Their pitching was dominant getting terrific outings from Jon Niese, Matt Harvey, Jeremy Hefner, and Dillon Gee.  Gee recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts last night and Harvey had 10 Tuesday night in the Mets comeback walk-off victory.  While the Yankees were playing without many of their big names in Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Kevin Youkilis, and Alex Rodriguez, it still marked a very impressive week for a Mets team that had been struggling mightily.  This Mets team has zero expectations this season as they are in a rebuilding process, hoping for some young prospects to pan out for them soon in Zach Wheeler and Travis D'Arnaud.

While bitter Yankees fans will continue to say they don't care about this series, Mets fans have New York bragging rights.  Mets fans are fully aware that this team is rebuilding and will likely not be in the playoffs in 2013, and maybe even 2014.  This team is showing some heart and is giving the fans something to look forward to as they try and turn it around.  After a 17-29 start, the Mets have now won five straight games as they head to Miami to face the last place Marlins, who are in far worse shape than the Mets with a 13-41 start to the season.  Mets fans deserve to relish in this sweep.  In a rebuilding season, any stretch of wins, especially against the rival Yankees, is definitely something to smile about.  The Mets have some big division games coming up where they can work their way back to .500.  Terry Collins squad can make the dog days of summer in Queens a little more enjoyable as Wheeler and D'Arnaud will soon be on their way as the Mets continue to get younger and build a winning team for the future.

Mets Say Sayonara to Sandman in Memorable Fashion

Coming into this week's Subway Series matchup, the talk around New York was how the annual Mets-Yankees matchup has lost its flare.  Oh boy was that wrong.

Tuesday night in Queens was the most memorable game of the 2013 season thus far.  There were enough story lines after Tuesday's ulti-Met classic to write a short novel.  After being shutout for the first eight innings, the Mets bats came alive in the 9th scoring two runs capped off by a Lucas Duda walk-off single to give the Amazins a 2-1 victory.  They scored two runs on three hits off the greatest closer in the history of baseball, Mariano Rivera.  All of that happened with Rivera failing to record an out.  History was made as it was the first blown save for the "Sandman" where he failed to record an out in his 19-year Hall of Fame career.  It came after the Mets honored the future Hall of Famer before the game as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch as he said farewell to Queens.

A Daniel Murphy double, David Wright single, and a Duda base hit gave the Mets the two-game sweep at Citi over the Bronx Bombers, and a three-game win streak.  That ended what was a magical night, but that was not the only thing to take away from the game.  Matt Harvey was phenomenal per usual for the Mets going eight innings giving up just one run on six hits to go along with 10 strikeouts.  "Harvey Day" turned into Harvey night after the 90-minute rain delay had the young stud throw the first pitch at 8:40.  Fans in left field (including myself) had the big Harvey faces held up as well as "The Real Deal" orange t-shirts to show support for the new ace in orange and blue.  While Harvey was dominant, Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda was even better tossing seven shutout innings, while giving up just four hits and striking out seven.  The Mets offense was hard to watch the first eight innings against Kuroda and David Robertson.

The one time the Mets did have a runner in scoring position in the 6th inning, it would not last long.  Ruben Tejada was picked off at second base after being called safe.  Second base umpire Adrian Johnson called the Mets shortstop safe and then immediately called him out in one of the more bizarre decisions ever seen in baseball.  Terry Collins came out ferociously to argue the call and was ejected.  It is extremely rare that an umpire calls a runner safe and then changes the call to call him out.  While Tejada looked out, it was handled poorly by Johnson.  The Mets skipper would watch the miraculous comeback from the clubhouse.

The Subway Series.  A rain delay.  Harvey vs Kuroda.  Rivera's final game in Queens.  A pitcher's duel.  A bizarre play at second base.  A manager ejected.  History made against the greatest closer in MLB history.  A walk off win.  Did I forget anything?  Mets fans had plenty of reasons to smile Tuesday night in a game that could give this team some momentum when they desperately needed it.  The Mets are now winners of three straight for just the second time this season as they head over to the Bronx for two more against their crosstown rivals.  They will hope to build on Tuesday's amazin' win as they look for a turnaround after a rough start to the 2013 season.

2013 Subway Series Preview

Citi Field

Monday-7:10PM  

Niese (3-5, 4.80 ERA) vs Hughes (2-3, 5.51 ERA)

Tuesday-7:10PM

Matt Harvey (5-0, 1.93 ERA) vs Kuroda (6-3, 2.67 ERA)

Yankee Stadium

Wednesday-7:05PM

Hefner (0-5, 4.76 ERA) vs Phelps (3-2, 3.96 ERA)

Thursday-7:05PM

Gee (2-6, 6.34 ERA) vs Nuno (1-1, 1.93 ERA)

The Mets and Yankees begin the 2013 edition of the Subway Series heading in two different directions.  The banged up Yankees have surprised all of baseball with their play coming into Memorial Day. They stand atop the AL East standings with a 30-19 record.  On the other hand, the Mets head into the battle for New York in fourth place with an 18-29 record.  The Mets and Yankees will play four straight games this week for the first time since the Subway Series began in 1997.  Monday and Tuesday will be in Queens and Wednesday and Thursday will be in the Bronx.

No Derek Jeter.  No Mark Teixiera.  No Curtis Granderson.  No Kevin Youkilis. No Joba Chamberlain.  No Eduardo Nunez.  Seems like the entire roster is sidelined, yet Joe Girardi has the Yanks in first place in cruise control.  The likes of Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Travis Hafner have fulfilled as quite suitable "replacements."  Hiroki Kuroda has led the Bombers starting rotation, while C.C. Sabathia been up and down this season.  Mariano Rivera has held it down as he usually does converting 18 straight saves to start the season.  The future Hall of Fame closer makes his final trip to Queens and will be honored by the Mets before Tuesday night's game.

While the Yankees have opened some eyes with their hot start, the Mets have been a major disappointment.  The only real bright spot in the first two months of the season has been Matt Harvey.  In his first full MLB season, Harvey has been dominant with a 5-0 start and 1.93 ERA.  He has thrown two one-hiters, one being a complete game one-hitter against the White Sox.  Unfortunately, "Harvey Day" has essentially been the only day the Mets will consistently win on.  The rest of the rotation has been extremely inconsistent.  Their bullpen has also struggled, but Bobby Parnell has been the lone bright spot in the 'pen taking over for an injured Frank Francisco at closer.  The biggest disappointment thus far has been Ike Davis.  After slugging 32 home runs last season, Davis has been hard to watch in 2013.  Davis is hitting an embarrassing .158 with just 4 home runs and 11 RBI.  Davis was a day from being demoted to triple-A before having a two-hit night last night, including a game-winner in the 8th.

Has the Subway Series lost its punch? Somewhat.  The 2013 Mets and Yankees unappealing rosters and early injuries have been a major reason for the very sparse crowds in both Queens and the Bronx.  This may be the first year of the Subway Series that will not sell out since it began 16 years ago.  While it may not be what it once was, it still is New York bragging rights and always is fun for the fans.  With the Yankees clearly off to the much better start than the Mets, a couple of Subway Series wins may provide the Mets the motivation they need to try and turn this thing around.  Mets fans are just awaiting the arrival of young phenom Zach Wheeler, but they will need their bats to wake up if they are even thinking about a .500 record.

03/17/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

It was our special NCAA Tournament preview show on The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240-WGBB. We previewed the big dance and gave our predictions on who would win. We discussed the Knicks four game losing streak and injuries plaguing them as the Nets and Celtics creep up on them. We then did our new “Something or Nothing” segment of the show before the break. After the break, we talked about the Nets possibly winning the Atlantic and the Lakers recent success sliding into the 8th seed. We then dived into baseball talk discussing the World Baseball Classic and the need to have the best players playing to take it seriously. We talked about the hobbling Mets and Yankees and previewed their possible opening day lineups. We finished the show with NFL free agency talk and everyone leaving the Jets and Darrelle Revis possibly on his way out. We ended the show with our final four picks and our national champion picks.


 3/17/13-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

The 5th Quarter in New York Sports-2/24/13

On this edition of The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240, I took the mic solo with plenty to talk about.  I started the show with the Knicks recent slide and what they need to do to get back to their winning ways.  I recapped their victory over the Sixers.  I then talked Nets and their recent success and chances at winning the Atlantic Division.  I gave the NBA trade deadline moves and who won and lost at the deadline.  I talked Curtis Granderson going down with injury and who will replace him and how the Yankees will do in 2013.  I then talked Zach Wheeler and his chances of being called up in 2013.  Also, I discussed the Mets outfield and their chances of doing well this season.  I finished the show with Jets talk and whether they should trade Darrelle Revis.


02/24/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

The 5th Quarter in New York Sports-2/10/13

It was a special Grammy edition of the The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240 as me and Ty gave out our NBA midseason Grammy Award winners.  We talked plenty of Knicks and Nets and the rest of the NBA.  We previewed the NBA trade deadline and our predictions of who may get traded, including Iman Shumpert trade rumors.  We also recapped the Mets and Yankees offseason and what their 2013 roster will look like.
Our guest was Knicks beat writer for the Bergen Record Steve Popper.  We talked about the possible Shumpert trade as well as any other moves the Knicks might make.  We also discussed the loss to the Clippers earlier in the day and what went wrong for the Knicks.

02/10/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Listen to the podcast from my show "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports" Sunday on AM1240-WGBB.  We discussed the Giants win over the Browns, the Yankees-Orioles playoff matchup, the MLB playoffs, the struggling Jets, and the rest of the week 5 NFL games. Callers discussed Eli Manning, the Giants, the Yankees, and Andrew Luck with me.

09/16/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Here is the podcast of the debut of my sports radio show "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports." The show aired Sunday September 16th from 9:00-10:00 PM on AM1240-WGBB and online at SportsRadioNY.com.  Me and my co-host Ty Hardamon discussed the Giants comeback win, the Jets loss in Pittsburgh, the rest of the NFL week two games, and the Yankees playoff chase, while responding to caller's questions and comments.

09/16/2012 The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Cardinals go from 11 Games Out to 11 World Series Rings

At the end of August, the St. Louis Cardinals seemed to be out of the playoff race and off to a disappointing season.  They were trailing the Wild Card leading Braves by 10.5 games.  Making the playoffs, let alone winning a world championship seemed improbable.  Friday night, they would complete the miracle.

The Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers in game 7 by a score of 6-2 to capture their 11th World Series title.  Their 11th title is second to the Yankees, with 27, for most World Series championships in baseball history.  The Cards came back from being down three games to two and being just one strike away from defeat.  Coming from behind did not faze the fighting Cards one bit.  From being 10.5 games out of the playoffs to being a strike away from losing the World Series, the Cardinals did the unthinkable to end it by winning a ring.  This was the Cardinals second championship within the last 5 years after they won in 2006 over the Tigers.

After trailing 2-0 in the first, the Cardinals did exactly what they have done best...comeback.  They would score two in the bottom of the first.  Allen Craig would hit the tie-breaking home run in the third and they would never look back.  They would score a couple more to win the game by a score of 6-2 and win the series in the deciding 7th game.  Ace Chris Carpenter threw a gem as he went six innings and only gave up two runs and getting his second win of the series.  David Freese turned out to be the World Series MVP as he had a remarkable series going as he went 8 for 23 with a home run and 7 RBI. It was quite the series for youngster and hometown boy Freese.

The Cardinals ended a remarkable season with their 11th World Series trophy.  Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa's team battled perseverance and a large deficit to make the playoffs.  They would then defeat the best team in baseball in the Phillies in five games.  They would then go on and beat their division rival Brewers in six games.  As if that were not enough, they would come back from being down three games to two and a strike away from going home to win the remarkable game six with multiple rallies and then rally to win game seven as one.

The 2011 Cardinals were a never say die team and stories like this in sports are truly remarkable and remind us all why.....you gotta love the game.

Ball Game Over. Series Over. Season Over.

Pitching wins championships.  The Bronx Bombers have had the bats going for them all year long but fatigue becomes a factor in October as well as players breaking down in clutch situations.  The New York Yankees did just that.  The Tigers defeated the Yankees Thursday night at Yankee Stadium in game five by a score of 3-2 to advance to the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees had ample chances in game five to win the game.  The problem is that they lacked the clutch and timely hits they needed from guys who are getting paid big bucks to get those hits.  In the bottom of the 4th with only 1 out and the bases loaded, the Yanks failed to get a run in.  In the bottom of the 7th they left the bases loaded after only scoring one run off a walk.  The most expensive player in all of sports struck out in yet another clutch situation.  Nick Swisher who also has struggled in October struck out to end the inning following Mark Teixeira's walk to score a run.  The Yankees complied 10 hits together, but none of them in a timely manner to get another run on the board.

This was 27 year old Tigers pitcher Doug Fister's biggest game since he joined the majors in 2009.  He pitched an absolute gem in his 5 innings only giving up a solo home run to Robinson Cano.  Both teams used all the pitching they could Thursday night going through multiple pitchers and putting everything on the line to try and advance.  The Tigers bullpen did the job and finally got the Tigers into the ALCS.  Since 1988, the Tigers have made the playoffs only one other time in 2006 when they made it to the World Series but lost to the Cardinals.

It has been 27 years since the Tigers have won the World Series.  Could this be the year they finally win it again?  They have got the pitching that can get them there.  The Tigers will face the Rangers Saturday in Texas to start the ALCS.  They will try and defeat the defending American League Champs and prove to a star studded Yankees team that good pitching will always go further than a good lineup.

Yankees Take Risk and Force a Game 5

Tuesday night, the Yankees took a monumental risk in starting 80 million dollar man AJ Burnett.  Burnett had struggled during the season and has struggled on the road in the playoffs throughout his career.  Nobody would have known after watching game 4.  Burnett pitched a great game going 5 and 2/3 innings pitched and only giving up one run and getting the victory as the Yankees manhandled the Tigers in Detroit 10-1.

AJ Burnett won the one game he needed to forget any of what he has done in the past.  Burnett gave up just one run walked four and struck out three and only allowed four hits.  It was not dominant, but it was just what the Yankees needed to force a game five.  Burnett has outfielder Curtis Granderson to thank as Granderson saved three runs from scoring in the first.  With the bases loaded, Don Kelly hit a line drive to center field and Granderson made an unbelievable leaping catch.  He would make another catch later in the game that would save some runs from scoring as well.

The Yankees banged out 13 hits and 10 runs showing what they do best.  Their offense is what carries them as that was clearly seen Tuesday night.  They strung together a lot of timely base hits driving in runs as they would cap it off with a 6 run 8th inning that would make the game out of reach.  They knew what they needed to do and the Yankees did just that. They forced a game five.

Game five will be Thursday night as Doug Fister faces Ivan Nova at Yankee Stadium.  Nova pitched a masterful game one beating Fister as he hopes to do again in front of the home crowd.  The Tigers will have a second chance to send the Yankees home packing.  Can the Tigers finally beat the Yankees in the playoffs? Can they stop the powerful lineup of the Bronx Bombers? Thursday night at 8:00, we will get the answer.

October Has Arrived

October is here which only means one thing...playoff baseball. After a crazy ending to the season, the playoffs have begun.  In the American League, the AL East Champion Yankees have home field as they face the AL Central Champion Tigers.  The AL West Champion Rangers are home against the surprising AL Wild Card Champion Rays.

In the National League, the NL East Champion Phillies have home field as they play the NL Wild Card Champion Cardinals. The NL Central Champion Brewers are home as they face the NL West Champion Diamondbacks.

Let me give my preview of the playoffs and my predictions.

In the American League, I see the Yankees Tigers series being a very close series.  The Yankees had an unbelievable season with a lineup that will scare any opposing pitcher.  The problem is that their starting pitching is somewhat suspect.  After former Cy Young winner C.C. Sabthia, they are starting rookie Ivan Nova, followed by veteran Freddie Garcia.  Nova did have a great season going an astonishing 16-4 with a 3.7 ERA.  The problem is starting a rookie pitcher in the playoffs does not always turn out good.  Garcia did not have a bad season by any means going 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA.  What the Yankees are going to need is some good pitching throughout the playoffs.  The good thing is that they still have that lineup and it is rested and healthy now.  I believe their powerful lineup will get them past the Tigers, but I believe it will take five games to do it.

In the other American League matchup the Rangers face the Rays.  The Rays are a team coming into the playoffs as one of the hotter teams in the league and feeding off a thrilling comeback to win the wild card after trailing by nine games coming into September.  That reason alone makes me believe they will surprise the Rangers.  Great young pitching, a solid lineup, and an inspired team have me picking the Rays to beat the Rangers in four games and have Tropicana Field rocking once again.

In the National League, I have got to go with the Phillies over the Cardinals.  The Phillies have been just too good this season.  When you have a starting pitching rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt, it is hard to lose in a short series. For that reason, I am picking the Phillies to advance in four games.
In the other National League matchup it is a tough pick and also a fun series to watch.  The Brewers and Diamondbacks had unbelievable seasons.  I know I did not see either of these teams....well at least the Diamondbacks doing what they did this season.  Arizona has a very young team that exceeded everyones expectations this year going 94-68 led by the young starting pitching of Ian Kennedy going a remarkable 21-4 this season.  With that being said, I believe the Brewers offense lead by Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and starting pitching of Yovani Gallardo and Zach Greinke and just a little more postseason experience will get them by the Diamondbacks in five games.

In the end, I see the Phillies beating the Yankees in the World series in seven games.  The Phillies have been dominant all season and I see their dominant starting pitching continue to win through the playoffs as they get revenge against the Yankees from 2009 and take it in 7 games closing it out at home in Philadelphia.

One Night of Baseball That Will Never Be Forgotten

On Wednesday night, September 28th, 2011, Major League Baseball experienced enough events in one night to make a story for an entire season.  In no other night in baseball history, did we see the multiple meltdowns and dramatic finishes to three games that were all the determinants of the final playoff spots.

There were four games Wednesday night that would determine the winners or whether there would be a tie in the American League Wild Card as well as the National League Wild Card.  The Red Sox were playing the last place Orioles.  The Rays were playing the first place Yankees.  The Cardinals were playing the Astros and the Braves were playing the first place Phillies.  The Red Sox and Rays were tied for the wild card lead in the AL.  The Braves and Cardinals were tied for the wild card lead in the NL.  The events that would take place that night, I have considered making some sort of film for.  Never have I, nor any baseball fan seen such events happen in one evening and in such an important time as we did on this magical Wednesday night.

The Yankees led the Rays 7-0. The Red Sox led the Orioles 3-2.  The Braves led the Phillies 3-2.  The Cardinals had already won easily 8-0.  Boston fans were saying, "Ok we can breathe. The Rays are down 7 runs with 6 outs to go and we just got to close out the last place Orioles." Braves fans were saying, "Well, at worse we will play a one game playoff against the Cardinals and have a shot at the NLDS." Let's just say a lot of baseball fans were biting their tongue as it came close to the midnight hour on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals-Astros game would be the first game to end for the night as they won easily thanks to the complete game effort by Chris Carpenter.  The Braves saw the final score to this game, and maybe it put a little pressure on the entire team ton win as now it had become a must win game.  The Braves had a comfortable 3-2 lead going into the 9th inning with a closer having a career season with 46 saves and an ERA just above 2.  A single, 2 walks, and a sacrifice fly later and the Braves hopes of playing a one game playoff the next day would begin to vanish.  Closer Craig Kembrel had blown the save and the game was headed to extras versus a Phillies team who already had clinched home field and were just playing for pride and to prepare for the playoffs at this point.  The Phillies would go on to win the game in the top of the 13th inning.  The Braves had entered September with a 10.5 game lead in the NL Wild Card.  This arguably is the worst collapse in baseball history.  In 2007 the Mets blew a 7 game lead with 17 to play.  It seems like the NL East has trouble swallowing victories come September.

Just minutes later, the AL Wild Card race would define "wild."

The Yankees were cruising through into the 8th inning in a game that had no significance for them as the Rays were just 6 outs away from what looked like to be the end to their season.  Then the bottom of the 8th inning came, and the Rays postseason hopes went from dead to alive in an instant.  It was like watching a man die, only to come back to life again out of nowhere.  The fighting Rays, who trailed the first place Red Sox by 9 games coming into September saw life again.  They strung together a couple of hits, a couple of walks, and a couple of hit by pitches along with a sacrifice fly to make the game 7-3.  Evan Longoria came up and hit a 3 run home run that would make a 7-0 game just minutes earlier a one run ball game.  If that was not dramatic enough, trailing by one in the bottom of the 9th with 2 strikes and 2 outs, Dan Johnson would come up for the Rays and crank a solo home run just over the right field wall to tie the game.  Tropicana Field could be heard from Disney World....well at least from the fans who stuck it out.  Many fans had left after trailing 7-0 thinking that is was a good run, but it looks like the season would be over.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore it was the bottom of the 9th and Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon struck out the first two batters to start the inning and was one out away from a victory.  Then, the inevitable would come not only in this game, but also in Tampa Bay.

The Orioles would hit a two doubles to tie up the game and put the winning run on second base.  Just like that, the game was tied and the Red Sox season was on the edge of a cliff about to end.  It seemed like it could not happen.  It seemed as it could not go down the way it was going.  The Rays had made a sparkling comeback and the Red Sox were choking right in front of our eyes.  Then, September Red Sox killer, Robert Andino came to the plate and would hit a liner to left.  140 million dollar man Carl Crawford looked to might have a play on it but as he slid to catch it, the ball dropped in, and his throw home was too late.  The Red Sox had blew the game they were one out away from winning.  Their only hope was to hope the Yankees, who were playing for nothing in Tampa, would get an extra inning win over the Rays to send it to a one game tie breaker.

Minutes later, all of Boston would go silent.

About two minutes following the Red Sox defeat, Rays star Evan Longoria would step to the plate again in the bottom of the 12th.  Seconds later, he would be at home celebrating with his teammates.  Longoria had done it again.  He hit a line drive home run just clearing the left field wall to not only to win the AL Wild Card for the Rays, but also knocking the Red Sox out.  The series of events did not seem real.  It was a fairy tale ending to an unbelievable month of September for the Rays and an epic collapse for the Boston Red Sox.

From 7pm until midnight on this Wednesday night on the last day of the regular season in major league baseball, we saw events that we most likely will never see again in the history of the game.  It was the most exciting, thrilling, heart capturing night in the history of baseball.  The way everything had gone down was absolutely bizarre and out of the ordinary.  The style we saw the Braves and Red Sox lose and the timing of it was insane and the way we saw the Rays come back was absolutely incredible.  It was one night, as a baseball fan, I know I will never forget.  It was a very disappointing night for the millions of Braves and Red Sox fans and quite the evening for Rays fans as well as Cardinals fans.

A night like this reminds me just why I love sports and the game of baseball, especially.  Teams just never give up and never say die.  It is something about sports that is truly inspirational.  25 players working together as one to try and fight for one goal....a world championship.  The events that took place Wednesday night were a good showing of what we love to see in sports.  We love to see the fight. We love to see the desire.  We love to see the hustle.  Its the factors of the game that true fans love to see and reminds all of us just why we love the game.