DET@CWS 6/9/09

Yesterday Mordecai and I took my cousin to the Tigers vs. White Sox game. Dontrelle Willis and Mark Buehrle pitched. Miguel Cabrera was playing 1B even though he has a slightly injured hamstring. In my head, I was rooting in twenty million directions. Ideally, I'd go the Jarrett Route and "transcend team loyalties," cheering for baseball more broadly, but no, I am still entangled in fantasy-reality-personal biases. I wanted Dontrelle to pitch well so he can preserve his spot in the Tigers rotation (Bonderwho?), but I also needed Alexei Ramirez, Jermaine Dye, Curtis Granderson, and Cabrera to hit to raise my average for fantasy. I wanted Rodney to not blow his save because he somehow looks like a gummy bear to me, but it was also nice to see Paul Konerko get some shit done tying the game. I'm not sure I've seen Mordecai get out of his seat to cheer for someone or something. I think he was fueled by both fantasy and reality concerns, but maybe more fantasy than he's willing to admit out loud. No one, not even the Tigers fans around us who stayed until the end of the game, cheered for Miggy's game winning homer. I think everyone wanted to go home because it was cold. From our seats, it looked like the ump was giving some bogus calls so he could go home too.

Here are some photo highlights from last night, possibly reflecting my various interests.

Dontrelle is a big man. Does he have a fan club? Can I be president?

Cabrera was wandering around with a bat in the dugout, until someone took it away from him. Then he looked like he wanted to dive forward, or do some gymnastics.

JIMMY GOBBLE! I wish I remembered his entrance music. Octavio Dotel, who requested and received a hug from President Obama at the White House, enters with Wisin & Yandel's "Ahora Es," whose chorus lyrics I tried but failed to learn.

Here's a picture of the little conversation that Laird and Pierzynski had and the drama that followed. Notice Buerhle smiling on the left, Jermaine Dye's shiny head, Beckham failing to have any substantial reason to be there except to witness his first exciting "incident" in the majors, and possibly Rick Porcello on the right somewhere in a hooded sweatshirt. IMO, Inge and Thome look like the biggest diplomats in this scene.

Here are Alexei (pronounced Al-eh-say and not Aleksei?) and Miggy in the bottom of the 9th. They look annoyed to be near each other. DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW YOU'RE TEAMMATES ON THE POPPERSTEINS? I almost typed Poopersteins.

Tonight Justin Verlander and John Danks are pitching. Mordecai pointed out that Danks looks like Popeye. Jenni and I agreed that Justin is good-looking. Hmm. Will I have to go to a bar to see this game tonight? Will I enjoy it or will it be torture?