ελπίδα, πίστη, αγάπη

1977. Mr. October was born in the house that Babe Ruth built.

1977 World Series Game 6. Reggie Jackson on plate.

4th inning: 2-run homer
5th inning: 2-run homer
8th inning: Solo home run

8-4, NY Yankees vs. LA Dodgers.

I've been reading articles about the first game of the Subway Series II and I can't help but be amused. I've also realized that I have missed some things because I was too clouded by the Yankees' win against the Mets. But, I don't know much details about the Yanks. Still then, it was no excuse for me. It was like I had a "commoner's" eyes. I don't like it.

Nothing much will be be written in this entry. I'll just post the links to some of the articles I've read.

*Yankees' Derek Jeter Celebrates 35th Birthday by Catching a Flu Bug - NY Daily News
*Gardner Thriving When Given a Change - MLB.com
*Brett Gardner Digs Batting in Leadoff Spot in the Yankees Lineup - NY Daily News
*Yankees Draw First Blood in Subway Series II, Beat Mets 9-1 at Citi Field - NY Daily News

Music: Letters to Cleo - Ordinary Girl (Clueless)

The Batangas Bulls and Cebu Dolphins had a Baseball match last Saturday, 20 June 2009, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila.

Neither team scored during the first four innings, but during the bottom half of the fifth inning the Cebu Dolphins did. They lead the game by 4 to nothing.

One of the ballplayers that caught my attention was the starting pitcher of the Dolphins, #12. I saw him walking to the mound during the first inning with a little difficulty, which he tried to conceal.

Albeit whatever was wrong in his gait, the fastballs he pitched were efficient. Dolphin #12 lost balance before leaving the third base during the fifth inning, but he still made it to the home plate. He was replaced by Pitcher #73 during the sixth inning.

The Batangas Bulls seemed to have lost the necessary defensive skills. They have committed errors giving way to the Dolphins to secure their places in the bases. One of which was when the Left Fielder slipped the ball from his glove and gave time for a Dolphin to race from first base to the third.

The next three innings brought nothing to the scoreboard, but the Bulls came back to life in the first half of the ninth inning. It was a 1-4 game against the Dolphins. The latter seemed determined not to let another Bull hit the home plate, and they succeeded on it. The Dolphins gave the Batangas Bulls the final strike out.

The Cebu Dolphins added another two scores on board and ended the game with 6-1 against the Batangas Bulls.

They had another match on Sunday, but I wasn't able to come and watch the game.

Related post: Saturday Afternoon Game

20 June 2009. I've been looking forward to this day because of three Baseball events. First, the NY Yankees are flying to Florida to for their interleague series. Second, Baseball Philippines is hosting a series of its own. The morning match is between the Alabang Tigers and Manila Sharks while in the afternoon it's between Batangas Bulls and Cebu Dolphins.

I wanted to watch all these games. But, like what the Rolling Stones said, "You can't always get what you want." Mr. Joe Girardi was right,  anything can happen in Baseball.

I woke up early to watch the live coverage of New York Yankees vs. Florida Marlins on ESPN, but I wasn't able to do so. Of all the days in the week, our cable operator chose Saturday to fix or work on something in our village. And of all the times in the day, they chose the time I've been waiting to watch the Yankees live on TV again. Thanks to MLB.com, I was able to have live updates of the game. But I always prefer the chance to see the actions and drama live.

The Yankees vs. Marlins game was set in the morning and albeit having no chance to watch the game live, I stayed in front of the computer. That meant no extra audience for the Sharks vs. Tigers, but I did come to the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in the afternoon to watch the Bulls vs. Dolphins. I was just in time for the match.

It was an exciting experience for me being in the ballpark. It was the first time I've been to one. I was also reminded, every now and then, that two of the legends of the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, hit home run in the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. They were actually the first and second ballplayers, respectively, to hit home run in the stadium. How I wish the Yankees will be in the same ballpark and play. I can already imagine the pinstripes batting and pitching. I'd love to see that day!

Music:
Ana Tsuchiya - Frozen Rose

This is my Sunday, 24 May 2009..

No Sleep. I may have gone to bed, laid down and closed my eyes, but I wasn't able to have a good sleep. How could I? My cousins were concerned with our preggy dog, who gave birth an hour or so after. I was also preoccupied with the upcoming match of Yankees and Phillies. It may be scheduled at 04:05 PM EDT, but it means 04:05 AM here in Manila.

Yankees vs. Phillies. Albeit having a sleepless night, I was glad I watched their match live on ESPN. The Yankees won by 5-4! The winning home runs were so poignant. Thank You, Lord! I was also glad to see Gardner play again though it was only once. Phillies' Mayberry was admirable. I think I'll be watching him.

Review. I left 15-10 minutes before 7 this morning, still overwhelmed with Yankees' win. Because I had no sleep, I've been yawning every five minutes in class.

Angels and Demons. I watched this movie in Shangri-La this afternoon. I also watched Da Vinci Code there. I've always known that movies from novels are not always loyal to the book, but some details are just important no matter how small. I think I'll make a full review about this movie after I get a good sleep. Been awake for 39 hours now.

I should really get some sleep now. By the way, I think I might not be able to watch the next Yankees and Phillies match live. It makes me sad.

Mood: Disappointed
Music: The Mitch Hansen Band - A World Without You

I've always been fond of Soccer, but until now I still don't have a favourite team or player. But that's not the case with Baseball. Just this week, I aleady have 3 favourite players. There's still one though that I reckon, but I need to watch him more often.

A couple of hours ago, I watched the Yankees play against the Orioles. Of course it was on ESPN, but at least it was live. Too bad though, I haven't watched the entire game. Woke up late today because I woke up earlier and got back to sleep. I like how the ball went flying right into Gardner's hand. It was a beautiful scene.

The Yankees won by 7-4 but I haven't seen anything as exciting as those I've seen in their previous games, against the BlueJays and Twins. My two favourites were those of Gardner: diving for home run and slipping but still running.

I'd love to see more MLB games, not just those of the Yankees. I want to watch the other teams so I can observe other players. I wonder where I can do that.

Anyways, congratulations to New York Yankees on their 9th straight win. ^_^

Music:
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn