Good Morning y'all. 45°, cloudy and damp this morning.
Back when I used to work the Race Trains, (Delaware Park - Bowie), I used to see the same fellows nearly every day. They were the bet runners, the compulsive gambler, and the professional gambler. On the way back, you could tell by the body language how well or poorly they fared.
I spent one entire season at Delaware Park, and essentially had the run of the track. I learned a lot about the Racing Sport and it's different sides.
Sort of a real life Damon Runyon novel. Racing was simpler back then, There were fewer ways to lose your money, while today, you can sit in your living room, and play the horses with your TVG account at your finger tips.
Boris
I love watching the horses run! I've been to Pimlico more times then I can count. I never bet more than $6 per race. I never brought home much, but I always came home happy. Going to Pimlico when there are no big stakes races is the best. Sometimes there may be less than 100 people in attendance. Those days it's great to go to the paddock to see the horses up close. They are amazing creatures!
Many times you can see on an athletes face (horse or human) whose is ready to compete. last night was a good example. Boston's pitcher; Ryan Brasier pitching in the seventh could not make a "pitcher's pitch" everything was up and out over the middle of the plate or out of the strike zone. you could see on his face his nerves were getting to him.
After the first hitter I said to my beagles (everybody else was asleep) "this guy is not going to get anybody out" he proceeded to load the bases. Lucky for Brasier, Manny Machado came up and hit the first pitch weakly to center. Manny has more talent than any player in baseball, but he is the dumbest "great" player I have ever seen! He must not have been paying attention. The 3 players before him worked the count to their favor and got a pitch to hit hard or walked. The pitch Manny swung at was at the top of the strike zone but at least 3 inches outside.
The Dodgers had the go ahead run on base, The Red Sox pitcher was struggling and his manager left him out there. The situation demanded patience, star players should produce in those situations, at least have a good AB! Manny did manage to get the sacrifice fly, only because the Red Sox center fielder, Jacky Bradley Jr.'s throw was 15 feet up the first baseline, so much for his "great" arm. To me that was the turning point of the game and I proceeded to fall sleep.
Playing in Baltimore for most of his career Manny has been compared to Brooks Robinson, what a joke! Manny is more athletic, has more power, better range and arm, but give me Brooks any day! Manny is just plain stupid when it comes to baseball. Baseball is a thinking man's game. I've seen Manny run into the 3rd out at third base at least 4 times in his time with the birds, never seen anyone else do it more than once and that is rare for any Oriole!
My Orioles were in last place when we traded Manny and we finished in last without him. The sad news is some team is going to give Manny 30-50 million to sign him, thank God it will not be the Orioles! I like the 5 players LA gave up to get Manny, great trade Orioles!
By the way the box score will show Manny had 3 RBI, but he did not get the job done when it counted the most. He did not even make a good attempt!
