Eighteen runs in Texas should soothe the sting of a sweep. Any chance they saved some for the double-header?
Admittedly, it was a relief to see Boston disappear from view as the Dallas-bound aircraft poked through cloud cover. Visits to New England are always rewarding.
This one? Not so much.
Perhaps it was the experience of broadcasting Friday night’s game in a state of quivering chill brought on by a bad meal. Fenway Park is a terrible place to have stomach flu. The yard swirls with the smell of fried franks before the game and stale beer afterward. Miraculously, I spared Mulliniks from between-innings vomiting.
Perhaps it was the base-hit-here-and-there Blue Jay offence, or having to stomach Paul Byrd easily out-pitching Roy Halladay.
Perhaps it’s reconsidering Neil Diamond’s "Sweet Caroline" as an all-time Top 20. Every time I hear it now, it seems the Jays are losing to Boston.
Or perhaps it was the welcome sight of Pete Walker.
You may remember Pete. He pitched for the Jays awhile, most recently in 2006. And though he never came remotely close to being an All-Star as a player, Walker is a Hall of Fame person in every sense. He’s been out of the game for two years, and still, Jason Frasor put his arm around Walker and said; "I miss you."
It was good to see Walker again. It was also painful to see Walker again.
The sight of his beautiful daughter Marissa, head shaved, almost knocked the knees out of me. In February, Marissa – the middle of three – was diagnosed with bone cancer. It was around this time Walker was about to join the organization as a pitching coach in the Gulf Coast League.
So J.P. Ricciardi told him to take as much time as he needs, and the focus has been on family ever since.
Walker marvels at his daughter’s spirited and triumphant disposition; just something to overcome, like a tough science project or acne.
So, while his old team loses most of their battles these days, let’s pray there’s a greater victory in store for the Walker family.