A Grip on Sports: It’s time to celebrate another year running past, though what happened late last night seemed to make time stand still
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Looking for the best birthday present you can think of for your favorite sports writer? How about one of those “Dump 61 Here” T-shirts? In XXL?
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• Not that he or she – I’m not going to presume here, even if it is my birthday – would ever wear it. It seems destined for a frame on the wall of an office somewhere. To commemorate the most insane Mariner-fan happenstance ever.
C’mon. A person who grew up in Longview but lives in Las Vegas, travels to Detroit to watch a playoff game, makes a gaudy shirt – wait, actually two shirts – that probably draws more venom than approval from the Tiger crowd, sits in the left-field stands, albeit in the front row, and just happens to snag Cal Raleigh’s ninth-inning home run? His 61st of the seasons, regular and post?
How is that possible?
Maybe the answer is wishes do come true? I’ll have to remember that when I try to blow out the 69 candles on my birthday cheesecake. If Jameson Turner’s dream can come true, maybe I will be able to finish a marathon before I turn 70. If I start today.
It’s funny, isn’t it? The Mariners are trying to do something every other franchise has done at some point. Play in the World Series. They are fighting for their life in Detroit, though Tuesday night’s 8-4 victory helped them regain the American League Division series home-field advantage. And here we are, focused on one fan who somehow was able to catch his 15 minutes of fame on one bounce.
Is it because Turner is all of us? Or, at least, what we wish we could be?
By that I mean lucky. It took an entire field of four-leaf clovers for last night’s viral moment to happen. But, as Branch Rickey supposedly said, “Luck is the residue of design.” And Turner obviously had designs on earning the spotlight. Not it the way it happened – too wild for anyone to see coming – but in some way.
Just like the M’s.
After all, who could have foreseen Raleigh actually hitting 60 home runs? Foresee the starting staff missing way too much time during the regular season but seeming to hit its stride in the post? Or the front office actually throwing caution to the breeze and adding two bats at the deadline?
Probably not Nostradamus. Nor even Turner, and he seems to have some sort of soothsaying ability, at least in his fashion sense. But such happenstances, probably as improbable as Turner’s catch, actually happened. And we all got to see it. Now will we see the Mariners win once more this week and move on to the A.L.’s championship series once more?
Today would be the best time to make that happen. Maybe Bryce Miller, who seemed destined to bullpen work, will commemorate the 69th anniversary of Don Larsen’s perfect game by throwing one of his own.
It would make sense. Back in 1956, Larsen, who spent the last few decades of his life in North Idaho, was an afterthought. Was almost dropped from his spot in the Yankee rotation. But in a key World Series game five, came through in the most unimaginable way possible. Sort of like Turner did Tuesday night.
Or, maybe, Miller will on Wednesday afternoon.
• Major League Baseball still hasn’t figured out this TV thing, has it? Seventy years in.
When rain hit the Detroit area yesterday and postponed the start of game three, the writing was on the wall. In mud. The final few innings would have to be broadcast on another channel.
After all, the Yankees were playing at 6. And were on FS1 as well. There is no way a Detroit/Seattle game would delay the start in New York or force Fox to start the second game on a secondary channel.
It is New York after all. The center of the television universe. Baseball’s universe. Aaron Judge’s universe, a place everyone, even Raleigh, just visits occasionally. But only pinstripe folks are allowed to live there.
Fox’s solution? FS2. Or MLB. Or something. None of which were available in the hotel we’re staying at. Hence, the trip to a nearby sports bar.
The game was on. On about a quarter of the TVs the Yankees/Blue Jays game or the NHL’s opener. But we found a way to catch a glimpse – turned sideways and peering through a gap between a couple of diners’ noggins.
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WSU: What did the Cougars do during the week off from competition? Hot yoga? Whatever it takes to get healthy and prepare for the future. This season and beyond. That’s the takeaway we had from reading Greg Woods’ story this morning. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, former WSU quarterback John Mateer still isn’t ready to get back on the field for Oklahoma full time. … Stewart Mandel has a mailbag on The Athletic site. … Jon Wilner asks in the Mercury News why the CFP title game hasn’t returned to Phoenix. … And then he makes his Pac-12 bowl projections. He still has Washington State bowling.
• Here is the rest of the (current, old and future) Pac-12 schedule this week, listed chronologically. All games are on Saturday unless noted. The schedule below also includes any game in which finding news about turned out to be nearly impossible.
– Rutgers at Washington (6 p.m. Friday, FS1): We linked this Times story Tuesday on the big guys up front. It ran on the S-R site today. … There is another one to link today. … Christian Caple takes you behind the scenes of the Huskies’ road win.
– Fresno State at Colorado State (6 p.m. Friday, CBS Sports): The Bulldogs flipped a local quarterback from Oregon State and we can’t find a story to pass along. Sorry. … At least they should win again this weekend.
– UCLA at Michigan State (9 a.m., Big Ten): Could the Bruins be just getting started after all the changes? We may find out Saturday.
– Stanford at SMU (9, The CW): How can the Cardinal pull an upset?
– No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon (12:30 p.m., CBS): With College GameDay coming to Eugene, everyone is guessing who will be the guest picker. We suggest Kevin Bacon, as all is well at Faber. Even at quarterback.
– No. 22 Iowa State at Colorado (12:30, ESPN): Deion Sanders has not been shy playing freshmen. But despite quarterback issues, he hasn’t turned to his five-star recruit.
– Wake Forest at Oregon State (12:30, The CW): John Canzano takes us inside an administrational meltdown in Corvallis. … That may or may not be related to a recruiting breakdown that happened yesterday. … Jake Dickert returns to Pac-12 country.
– No. 15 Michigan at USC (4:30, NBC): The winner of this game can still say they have CFP hopes. And do it with a straight face.
– No. 18 BYU at Arizona (5, ESPN2): As we hit the redshirt line, the Wildcats are dealing with a couple players deciding to leave the program. The ones that remain, however, will line up and do what they can to take down the Cougars.
– Troy at Texas State (5, ESPN+): October has not been kind to the Bobcats recently.
– New Mexico at Boise State (6:45, FS1): The Broncos are committing too many penalties.
– No. 21 Arizona State at Utah (7:15, ESPN): When there is a question about anything related to college football, folks ask Kyle Whittingham his opinion. … The Sun Devils are more focused on a tough game in a tough environment.
– San Diego State at Nevada (7:30, CBS Sports): Who will the struggling Wolf Pack start at quarterback?
– Utah State at Hawaii (9 p.m.): The host team is also coming off a bye.
• In basketball news, Cal and Stanford hope the second year of cross country travel in a wide-open ACC is more successful than the first. … Recruiting never stops. Ask the Colorado State men. … A couple of Oregon men earned All-Big Ten honors. … The Big Ten released its preseason poll.
Gonzaga: One of the nation’s most-highly-sought-after big men visited Spokane over the weekend, enjoying Kraziness in the Kennel. In 10 days, a shooting guard who holds the same distinction will come to town for his official visit. Theo Lawson has this story on Luca Foster, who will be in the Kennel for GU’s exhibition game. … Theo also has a story on how you will be able to watch the Oregon game. It will not be easy.
EWU: The Eagles won last Saturday. Now they have a week off from games. But it’s not a vacation. It’s a chance to get healthy and get ready for the rest of the football schedule. Dan Thompson has more in this story. … Elsewhere in the (current and future) Big Sky, a couple of new faces have been helping Montana excel this season. … Idaho State is playing better this season. The Bengals will have to continue to improve, considering how their athletic director is scheduling for the future.
Preps: We can pass along a roundup of Tuesday’s action.
Chiefs: Berkly Catton made the Kraken’s opening-night roster. Which allows Dave Nichols to delve into the developmental rules between the NHL and junior hockey once more. He does so to start off this notebook.
Mariners: The M’s needed a classic Logan Gilbert start. They got it. And his six-inning, one-run performance was the catalyst for the 8-4 victory. With Tiger ace Tarek Skubal looming for a possible game five start, Seattle would be well served to win today behind Miller. … Gabe Speier is one of baseball’s best left-handed relief pitchers. Caleb Ferguson, who the M’s picked up at the deadline, is not. … J.P. Crawford also delivered a key home run yesterday. … The Yankees won Tuesday as well, to keep that series alive. … The Dodgers swept the Phillies in Pennsylvania and head home with a 2-0 lead. … The Brewers have the same edge heading to Chicago.
Seahawks: There is another game this weekend. Even if the eyes of Seattle are more focused on the Mariners. … Former Hawk lineman Justin Britt has found a new athletic outlet.
Kraken: As the season begins, Seattle has quite a few changes to process. On the roster. With the staff. Among the fans and their experience.
Reign: Seattle’s uniforms have a new main sponsor.
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• If you are wondering why I’m in a hotel on my birthday, it has to do with my older sister. She recently moved into assisted living, something she’s dreaded for a while. I promised when she made the move I would visit for my birthday, so we can make a break for it and celebrate together one more time. After all, she was around as I was born just after Larsen struck out Dale Mitchell. And she has been around for me ever since. Until later …