The Greatest Game Ever Played Box Score

GAME 5 OF NLDS (BEST OF 5) - SERIES TIED AT 2
St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
October 10, 2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + R H E
Cardinals (STL) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0
Braves (ATL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 9 0

ST. LOUIS ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
E. Knowles (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .276
P. Hoover (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257
D. Lambert (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
B. Abreu (RF) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248
J. MacCreath (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .209
G. Laird (C) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .349
B. Johnson (LF) 3 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 .325
C. Thomas (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .236
J. Castillo (2B) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .306
C. Duncan (1B) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .275
J. Ortiz (P) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
M. Christensen (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .303
P. Dewar (SS) 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .150
E. Fuentez (P) 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188
J. Encarnacion (P) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .529
B. Clontz (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
TOTALS 35 6 2 1 0 1 6 1

2B: J. Castillo 2

ST. LOUIS ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
E. Fuentez 9.0 8 3 0 1 1 1 111 2.44
B. Clontz 0.1 1 0 1 1 1 0 5 4.29
TOTALS 9.1 9 3 1 2 2 1 116

ATLANTA ab h bb r hr bi k sb avg
R. Durham (2B) 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 .286
J. Lane (LF) 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .310
A. Beltre (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .348
A. Huff (3B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .316
Y. Molina (C) 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .338
A. Coley (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .222
R. Cano (P) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .391
N. Swisher (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .315
J. Pierre (CF) 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .326
A. Hernandez (SS) 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255
M. Wood (P) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .130
E. Crozier (P) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .295
M. Wolf (P) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250
J. Posada (P) 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 .197
TOTALS 33 9 3 2 1 2 1 0

2B: J. Pierre, Y. Molina
HR: J. Posada

ATLANTA ip h bb hr r er k pit ERA
M. Wood 8.0 5 0 0 1 1 4 103 3.24
A. Coley 2.0 1 2 0 0 0 2 34 4.20
TOTALS 10.0 6 2 0 1 1 6 137

WP: A. Coley
LP: B. Clontz

Temperature: 50F
Wind: None (Roof Closed)
Attendance: 9,726
Time: 2:34

The Greatest Game Ever Played Recap

GAME 5 OF NLDS (BEST OF 5) - SERIES TIED AT 2
St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
October 10, 2009

TOP OF THE FIRST
Mike Wood takes the mound for the Braves.
Evan Knowles reached first on a fielding error by the shortstop. <--1>
Evan Knowles was caught stealing second. <--->
Bobby Abreu flied out to center. <--->
Gerald Laird struck out. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the first, the game is tied at 0.

BOTTOM OF THE FIRST
Efrain Fuentez takes the mound for the Cardinals.
Ray Durham grounded to first. <--->
Jason Lane singled to left. <--1>
Adrian Beltre flied out to left. <--1>
Aubrey Huff grounded to third. <--->
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the first, the game is tied at 0.

TOP OF THE SECOND
Ben Johnson struck out. <--->
Jose Castillo grounded to the pitcher. <--->
Chris Duncan flied out to center. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the second, the game is tied at 0.

BOTTOM OF THE SECOND
Yadier Molina doubled in the right field gap. <-2->
Nick Swisher lined out to second. <-2->
Juan Pierre grounded to the pitcher. <3-->
Anderson Hernandez grounded to the pitcher. <3-->
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the second, the game is tied at 0.

TOP OF THE THIRD
McKay Christensen grounded to the second baseman. <--->
Patrick Dewar singled back through the middle. <--1>
Patrick Dewar stole second. <-2->
Efrain Fuentez flied out to center. <-2->
Patrick Dewar tagged up and reached third. <3-->
Evan Knowles grounded to first. <3-->
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
In the middle of the third, the game is tied at 0.

BOTTOM OF THE THIRD
Mike Wood grounded to short. <--->
Ray Durham walked. <--1>
Jason Lane popped up to second. <--1>
Adrian Beltre grounded to third. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the third, the game is tied at 0.

TOP OF THE FOURTH
Bobby Abreu grounded to second. <--->
Gerald Laird flied out to left field. <--->
Ben Johnson singled through the right side. <--1>
Jose Castillo doubled into the left field corner, scoring a run. <-2->
Jose Castillo went for an extra base and was thrown out at third. <--->
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the fourth, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH
Aubrey Huff grounded to short. <--->
Yadier Molina grounded to short. <--->
Nick Swisher grounded to first. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the fourth, Atlanta trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE FIFTH
Chris Duncan singled to right. <--1>
McKay Christensen struck out. <--1>
Patrick Dewar grounded to the third baseman, forcing the runner at second. <--1>
Efrain Fuentez singled back through the middle. <-21>
Patrick Dewar went for an extra base and reached third. <3-1>
Evan Knowles grounded to short. <3-1>
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
In the middle of the fifth, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH
Juan Pierre singled through the left side. <--1>
Juan Pierre went for an extra base and reached second. <-2->
Anderson Hernandez flied out to right. <-2->
Juan Pierre tagged up and reached third. <3-->
The Cardinals brought the infield in.
Mike Wood dribbled weakly in front of home plate. The lead runner was tagged out at home. <--1>
Ray Durham singled to center, advancing the runner to third. <3-1>
Jason Lane struck out. <3-1>
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
At the end of the fifth, Atlanta trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE SIXTH
Bobby Abreu grounded to first. <--->
Gerald Laird grounded to the shortstop. <--->
Ben Johnson struck out. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the sixth, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE SIXTH
Adrian Beltre grounded to short. <--->
Aubrey Huff walked. <--1>
Yadier Molina grounded to short for a double play (6-4-3). <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the sixth, Atlanta trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE SEVENTH
Jose Castillo grounded to the second baseman. <--->
Chris Duncan grounded to first. <--->
McKay Christensen popped up to the shortstop. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the seventh, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH
Jose Ortiz came in to play First Base. <--->
Charles Thomas came in to play Left Field. <--->
Jim MacCreath came in to play Right Field. <--->
Nick Swisher grounded to short. <--->
Juan Pierre grounded to second. <--->
Anderson Hernandez popped up to second. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the seventh, Atlanta trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE EIGHTH
Patrick Dewar grounded to the shortstop. <--->
Efrain Fuentez grounded to third. <--->
Evan Knowles grounded to third. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the eighth, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH
Eric Crozier pinch hit for Mike Wood. <--->
Eric Crozier singled to center. <--1>
Mike Wolf pinch ran for Eric Crozier. <--1>
Mike Wolf was caught stealing second. <--->
Ray Durham singled down the third base line. <--1>
Jason Lane grounded to second for a double play (4-6-1). <--->
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the eighth, Atlanta trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE NINTH
Andy Coley came in to pitch for the Braves. <--->
Jim MacCreath struck out. <--->
Gerald Laird grounded to the shortstop. <--->
Charles Thomas struck out. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the ninth, St. Louis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH
Adrian Beltre lined out to left. <--->
Aubrey Huff grounded to short. <--->
Yadier Molina singled through the right side. <--1>
Robinson Cano pinch ran for Yadier Molina. <--1>
Nick Swisher walked. <-21>
Juan Pierre singled to right field, scoring a run. <3-1>
Juan Pierre was caught stealing second. <3-->
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the ninth, the game is tied at 1.

TOP OF THE TENTH
Jose Castillo doubled into the right field corner. <-2->
Jorge Posada came in to play Catcher. <--->
Jose Ortiz dribbled weakly to the catcher. The runner was tagged out at third. <--1>
McKay Christensen grounded back to the pitcher. <-2->
Patrick Dewar was intentionally walked. <-21>
Juan Encarnacion pinch hit for Efrain Fuentez. <-21>
Juan Encarnacion walked. <321>
Paul Hoover pinch hit for Evan Knowles. <321>
Paul Hoover grounded to the pitcher. <321>
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 3 left on base.
In the middle of the tenth, the game is tied at 1.

BOTTOM OF THE TENTH
Brad Clontz came in to pitch for the Cardinals. <--->
Deron Lambert came in to play Third Base. <--->
Anderson Hernandez flied out to right. <--->
Jorge Posada homered over the center field fence. <--->

BRAVES WIN: 2-1

More Sports

3. Chipper Jones
2. Bobby Bowden
1. Jeff Gordon

I don't really feel like explaining those since I hate writing on a set topic but I feel the need to finish my list. Chipper's a veteran for the Braves, drafted by them before I was even born. Bobby is the most noble guy in the history of ever, and I love listening to him speak on his philosophical views, which don't seem to be helping the 'Noles win games anymore. And Jeff Gordon has always been my number one athlete since I was two, and, yes, NASCAR drivers are athletes.

I noticed today what my leadership style was, if ever placed in such a situation. Some people control everything and some people control almost nothing, and I'm more towards the latter. I would make casual Fridays everyday and would give a lot of leeway to people beneath me. On my team, Johnny Damon could keep his beard and long hair. In fact, so could I (once I get the beard). The people that report to me would be in charge of most things. Most certainly this would fail, but that's just me.

Lastly, happy first day of fall. The weather is already pleasant again, one of the reasons it's probably my favorite season. There's also football every weekend. I've never followed high school football, though, and I saw it was for good reason when Chiles played Rickards on the 12th. Ouch.

My Top Five Sports Idols

In Lang, on the first page there is already an example for rhetoric, and it is none other Lou Gehrig's farewell address on July 4, 1939. If you don't know, Lou began having physical problems in 1938 that grew worse over the next year. After an atrocious April, Lou asked Yankees manager Joe McCarthy to take him off of the team's lineup, somone he wouldn't do without Lou forcing him. You see, he had played in 2,130 consecutive games up to that point, but after that he will never play the game again. That's over thirteen seasons of toughing it out every day, or about the length of time we attend public school (heck, our school year of 180 days is close to that of baseball's 162 games). So far in my education, I've had to have accrued over a year's worth of absences. The most amazing thing about the end to his streak, though, is that he initiated it on his own will. He knew he could not compete at an appropriate level, which would was even tougher to him since his tendencies were all right, just his physical abilities were rapidly deteriorated. Lou did not fade away into retirement. In his mid-30s, he had the same approach that he had used his whole career; he just couldn't perform it. ALS, now known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was the cause. What an interesting intro, because I've decided to put the Iron Horse fifth on my list. The fact that he wore pinstripes his entire career really hurts me to do this, but Lou was a far better man than just about everyone ever in the game.

I was only six when John Elway retired, but by then I had already become a Denver Broncos fan because of him. He went to college at Stanford, where I remember him most as the losing quarterback against Cal in 1982 ("The Stanford band is on the field!"). John was set to go down as a quarterback who never won big, having missed out on the Heisman and a bowl game appearance in college, as well as three losses in the Super Bowl. His final two seasons were memorable, though, as he led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl wins and cemented his name in connection with "clutch performance" (over his career, he led the team to 47 of his 148 victories by scoring in the fourth quarter). He is our day's Johnny Unitas or Bart Starr. So that's number four.

I'm going to finish the other three tomorrow. It's 12:35AM right now, and I'm really tired. I didn't take a nap, so I won't have gotten any sleep out of the way, so sorry if I was asleep when you were talking to me or something this morning (since no one has time to read this before school). Good night.

Deal!

My parents have Deal or No Deal on in the living room, and the contestant happens to be a NASCAR fan. Everytime the show has come across such fans, they do something NASCAR-themed as though their interest is so exotic it defines them. It doesn't. I knew more about NASCAR at age four than they ever will.

The third offer (15 suitcases chosen) was the lowest offer yet in terms of immediate cash ($30,000), but the banker threw in a special NASCAR package. The package includes: a trip to the 2009 Daytona 500, hang out with Jimmie Johnson (two-time defending Sprint Cup champion), ride in the pace car, $2,000 to spend at the NASCAR.com online store, and a helmet signed by all Cup drivers. I think I am forgetting something, but that right there is enough to make me leave.

As you should know by now, I have constant dreams about NASCAR... merchandise. With $2,000, you could buy 200 fancy 1/64th-scale diecasts (the little ones) or 30 1/24th-scales (bigger). I could get racing jackets and all sorts of stuff. Of course, I could get that with the 30k...

Tickets to the Daytona 500 are a big deal, but getting to hang out with possibly the greatest driver of this generation (other than Jeff Gordon, of course) and ride in the pace car is the deal-breaker. It would be like meeting the Red Sox during the World Series and throwing the opening pitch. It's big news.

The helmet should speak for itself. It's sort of like getting a game ball signed by the entire team.

The man's wife started guilt-tripping him, and of course he could push for much higher than 30k. He declined the offer and lost the opportunity. The wife later on called for him to accept the deals offered to him, but he kept pushing on. It aggravated her. I think it's funny.

The man, very generous, just opened his last big money case and will be walking away with $10,000. It's a good thing I'm not him. I'd be arrested for domestic abuse.

Bambi and Philosophy

I'm sick. Colds suck. If I were going to be sick, I would rather it be with something worse than a cold on the weekend so I am actually facing something worthwhile. Instead, I feel miserable and forget for a whole week what it feels like to not be sick.

On Saturday, September 6, 2003, the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes faced off in an epic game. The same holds true five years later, even though it wasn't as big as ESPN was trying to make it sound. On that day, long ago, the Gators were up by several touchdowns over the team that had made it to the championship game the last two season. I was not watching this, though. For, you see, the Pace family was in the pet store at the Tallahassee Mall hoping to adopt a new cat.

We had a black cat named Domino my whole life until I was six and in first grade when he had to be put down on Halloween because of organ failure or something I didn't understand so I hid in the closet and cried all day. He was an evil cat who attacked anyone who got near him, but we all grow fond of pets when you have them their entire lives regardless. The next year, Carmel the dalmatian (yes, that is how you spell it; nothing irks me more regarding the entire dog world than someone spelling it "dalmation") joined. She is still hobbling around, old so that every night for the last two years I've feared walking outside and discovering her dead.

While I was away at my cousin's ninth birthday party, my family adopted another dog for reasons I don't know. Jack is a Labrador retriever named after my mom's brother who was taken in earlier this year by some family in Massachusetts, or somewhere very far away, I think, because our neighbors are evil and make him bark and then go crazy about it.

On that Saturday night three weeks or so into my sixth grade school year, we left without a cat, but with a Senegal parrot I would name Aerial and a long-haired miniature dachshund to-be-named Molly. The Hurricanes would go on to make an amazing comeback and defeat the Gators, something I remember them doing again against Louisville the next year on the same day as my field trip to EPCOT. I got home and everything went downhill there. I have since learned not to tune into games when I need the team I hate so dearly is getting crushed improbably or else I will regret it forever and still be able to remember about it years later, like in this case.

INTERMISSION

Yes, that's right, this is a two-part post. I don't think it will even be as long as my lengthiest entries, but I have something about my past and my philosophy that aren't related. I only came up with this part an hour ago after reading an article after it had a headline on Yahoo! Not the best credentials, but there's something to it. Also, yeah, I had the idea about posting about September 6, 2003, come to me several days ago when I realized this freaky occurrence at such a major anniversary as five years, exactly (Miami and Florida haven't even played in a couple of years).

My title for this post exclusively refers to this section. The article I am talking about is at http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/dogs-perceive-time.htm and will make you hate me for its encouragement for what I am about to say.

Animals don't have souls or complex feelings and emotion, if any real, like humans. While this doesn't mean we have the right to purposely harm them (though many hypocritely will, or ask someone else in fear, swat bugs) for no reason, I still consider humans much above animals. That's why I find it funny when people get crazy over animals not being treated "humanely." As crazy as it seems, Bambi is not as realistic as you might think it is.

The article isn't that long and talks about animals perception (or lack thereof) of time. All animals have similar thoughts (or lack thereof). It also adds something to my long-standing belief, to which I think a saying for it also exists: Time is human's greatest invention. It's one of the most defining things that separates us from them.

I cannot go anywhere without my watch.

I would go on to the philosophy part (if you really want to know, ask me about it), but I have already spent over half an hour typing this up when I should be getting some sleep. This is not because I am sick but because my mom will force me to go to church this morning so I can get everyone worshipping the Lord sick. I will have no problem going to school on Monday and giving students the cold, though. Just kidding.

Fantasy Draft Results

16 team league (I finished 9th in the same league last year)
Snake draft (in odd numbered rounds, I pick tenth; in odd numbered rounds, I pick seventh)

QB - Tom Brady (Round 1, 10th Pick, New England Patriots)
RB - Brandon Jacobs (Round 2, 23rd Pick, New York Giants)
RB - DeAngelo Williams (Round 7, 106th Pick, Carolina Panthers)
WR - Greg Jennings (Round 3, 42nd Pick, Green Bay Packers)
WR - Kevin Curtis (Round 5, 74th Pick, Philadelphia Eagles)**
WR - Bernard Berrian (Round 6, 87th Pick, Minnesota Vikings)
TE - Kellen Winslow (Round 4, 55th Pick, Cleveland Browns)
K - Rob Bironas (Round 9, 138th Pick, Tennessee Titans)
DEF - Indianapolis (Round 10, 151st Pick, Indianapolis Colts)
BENCH
QB - Tarvaris Jackson (Round 11, 170th Pick, Minnesota Vikings)
RB - Ahman Green (Round 8, 119th Pick, Houston Texans)
RB - DeShaun Foster (Round 13, 202nd Pick, San Francisco 49ers)
WR - Devin Hester (Round 12, 183rd Pick, Chicago Bears)
WR - Devin Thomas (Round 15, 234th Pick, Washington Redskins)
TE - Desmond Clark (Round 14, 215th Pick, Chicago Bears)
**-INJURED

NOTES
Curtis will come in several weeks from now; even injured I think he is better than my alternatives at the time. I'm still weak at receiver and will really need Aaron Rodgers to work with Greg Jennings (and me). Tom Brady and Brandon Jacobs are awesome-o, and I can switch out DeAngelo Williams if I need to with the guys from my strongest bench position. I have no backups at kicker or defense, though... I don't know how all of this will turn out. My week one opponent is favored by a little more than five points, which is certainly surmountable. However, Tom Brady is my only hope this year to finishing in the top half.

Poker Night

After sixteen years, I finally got to play poker with the people my parents have been been playing with all that time. It's all family or people close enough to our family to be considered family. Several of them have died, and this was the first poker night had since my aunt died back in January. My sister stayed at home, and, wanting to do the exact opposite of what she was doing, I got to play.

We bet with pennies, though, so it isn't as glamorous as I might make it sound. Bluffing by betting a whole nickel, for example, never worked that well since a nickel isn't all that much. I ended up with a bit smaller stack of pennies than I started out with, but I never once had to get more, always winning a round right when I was starting to go out near the end of the night.

I remember our old house on Heath Drive right at the entrance of Foxcroft that we moved from on December 14, 1996, when I was four. Several times a month, everyone in our family would get together to play poker. My sister was just a baby, so I was the only person in the whole house that realized what was going on and couldn't play the game. Lots of times, though, my Uncle Jim would entertain me by playing me in my made-up game, "What'chu Wanna' Pick?" I remember the basic rules, but everyone recalls it as me constantly changing the rules to my advantage. I vaguely recall those times and cherish them since he died ten years ago.

I also remember them playing at my grandmother's house, which was just three houses down the street. At one point, I knew everyone from the six houses from the beginning of the street off of Foxcroft to the road that had a cul-de-sac on it where my cousin and I would race on bikes. Both families on either side of our house had kids my age; in fact, I think they would've both been in my grade level. One moved away not long after we did and the other's kid I passed time to time at school in the past and recognized him, though I know he would not remember me. My grandmother died eight years ago, and her house that was built when they moved in and my mom was still in school (her initials and handprints are/were etched into the sidewalk leading up to the front door) burned down a couple years later. The night it burned down is one of the worst memories I have.

By the way, sorry for making this so morbid. It shouldn't be because I am celebrating my past. The tone of this post was supposed to sound happy, though I guess it doesn't anymore.

We played poker at our former neighbors' house. As uncool as it sounds, I enjoyed spending a non-school night with my parents and two retired people. They both have retired since the last poker night I went to, about two years ago. The tradition has become so irregular since my grandmother died since it was really her neighbors and her family playing. Since then, my other aunt is the rallying point for family get-togethers. Birthday parties, holidays, and such are normally held at her house. In fact, there was a cookout there Saturday night. All I really cared about was the ability to see the football games on. Utah 25, Michigan 23.

Earlier on Sunday, after church, we drove up I-10 to Cracker Barrel for lunch at 10:30AM, for some reason. Afterwards, my parents decided we'd go see Lake Jackson after Fay. I learned where the first house I had ever lived in is because of that. It was off of Old Bainbridge west of the lake, and I guess it was my parents' first house, which we moved out of in 1993. My grandmother had given them a tree to plant soon after moving in. Dominating the front yard now is a giant tree.

It seems I would've been zoned for Godby or Leon and Nims or Griffin (I asked my dad and he said I would've gone to one of those two schools each since he didn't know which). Something about a new elementary school, too. On Heath Drive, I would've spent three years at Raa but had to go Chiles afterward. I am grateful to have gone to all the "rich kid" schools. Complain all you want about Deerlake and Chiles, but it's the best option you have when you actually look at all the other schools here.

A straight beats three of a kind beats two pair.