Monday, June 13, 2005
The Orange-And-Black Curse
Watching the Oregon State-USC game last night rekindled memories of another team clad in black and orange fumbling away a late lead and losing a pivotal playoff game.
In Game 2 of this best-of-three Super Regional tournament in the college baseball playoffs, with OSU leading the series 1-0, the Beavers held a five-run lead on the Trojans late in the game. Shades of Game 6 of the 2002 World Series. The Trojans scored two in the eighth and managed to tie the game in the ninth with help from a misplay on a fly ball by the right-fielder. Paging Mr. Cruz, Jr. And in the tenth inning, the Trojans loaded the bases, refreshing my horrendous memory of the Giants' penultimate game of last season against the Dodgers. And to be sure the Trojans battled back and won it, 9-8, forcing a third and final game today.
It was all so similar. I wonder why it seems like teams I am pulling for manage to lose leads like this and have it come down to botched plays. The Beavers' second baseman allowed an easy can-of-corn pop fly to drop earlier to allow one run to score instead of closing out the inning.
And the fact that the Beavers were donning their black-with-orange-trim jerseys last night just made it all seem so familiar. Yes, I am a Cal fan now, but it's hard not to root for Oregon teams when they aren't playing the Bears.
In Game 2 of this best-of-three Super Regional tournament in the college baseball playoffs, with OSU leading the series 1-0, the Beavers held a five-run lead on the Trojans late in the game. Shades of Game 6 of the 2002 World Series. The Trojans scored two in the eighth and managed to tie the game in the ninth with help from a misplay on a fly ball by the right-fielder. Paging Mr. Cruz, Jr. And in the tenth inning, the Trojans loaded the bases, refreshing my horrendous memory of the Giants' penultimate game of last season against the Dodgers. And to be sure the Trojans battled back and won it, 9-8, forcing a third and final game today.
It was all so similar. I wonder why it seems like teams I am pulling for manage to lose leads like this and have it come down to botched plays. The Beavers' second baseman allowed an easy can-of-corn pop fly to drop earlier to allow one run to score instead of closing out the inning.
And the fact that the Beavers were donning their black-with-orange-trim jerseys last night just made it all seem so familiar. Yes, I am a Cal fan now, but it's hard not to root for Oregon teams when they aren't playing the Bears.
