10.12.2005
Give It a Rest
The Angels defeated the White Sox 3-2 in Game 1 of the ALCS last night. Thanks to a rainout over the weekend it was their third game in as many days, and in as many cities: New York, Anaheim, and Chicago. All three were night games, meaning the ensuing flights touched down in the wee hours.
Apparently going 2-1 over this stretch was a feat of superhuman proportions.
From MLB.com: "So a journey that may have floored a number of teams, and certainly spawned great criticism that the schedule in the postseason is flawed, only seemed to fill this Angels team with great resolve and an unlikely source of energy."
From ESPN: "The last time this many American males bonded through sleep deprivation, Otter Stratton was taking his Delta House buddies on a road trip."
From Baseball Prospectus (the day before): "The White Sox are so much more rested that it will likely prove decisive."
From CBS Sportsline (Headline: "Big W, No Z's"): "Given their alarming lack of pillow time, incidentally, wouldn't you think that a reliever named Cotts (Neal) would be working out of the Angels' pen instead of Chicago's?"
Well, if last night's win doesn't demolish the fatigue angle, let me take a crack at it: To make excuses for a team based on travel schedule and/or general lack of sleep is to pretend that amphetamine use is not common in baseball. Or, as Jim Bouton might have said, how fabulous are greenies?
Apparently going 2-1 over this stretch was a feat of superhuman proportions.
From MLB.com: "So a journey that may have floored a number of teams, and certainly spawned great criticism that the schedule in the postseason is flawed, only seemed to fill this Angels team with great resolve and an unlikely source of energy."
From ESPN: "The last time this many American males bonded through sleep deprivation, Otter Stratton was taking his Delta House buddies on a road trip."
From Baseball Prospectus (the day before): "The White Sox are so much more rested that it will likely prove decisive."
From CBS Sportsline (Headline: "Big W, No Z's"): "Given their alarming lack of pillow time, incidentally, wouldn't you think that a reliever named Cotts (Neal) would be working out of the Angels' pen instead of Chicago's?"
Well, if last night's win doesn't demolish the fatigue angle, let me take a crack at it: To make excuses for a team based on travel schedule and/or general lack of sleep is to pretend that amphetamine use is not common in baseball. Or, as Jim Bouton might have said, how fabulous are greenies?
