Reflections on last night’s World Series Game

The 2013 baseball playoffs have been among the most interesting in many years. Stellar pitching, timely hitting, great and awful fielding (often by the same team in the same game) and evenly matched teams in both league championships and in the World Series have kept fans like me on the edge of their seats or awake before their bedroom TVs. The dramatic finish to last night’s game with the St. Louis Cardinals scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on an obstruction call – the first game to end on such a call in World Series history- added another compelling episode to the narrative.
Though I have been a fan of the Red Sox since listening to Curt Gowdy describe the exploits of Ted Williams, Jackie Jensen and Frank Malzone a young boy in the 1950’s on WAGM radio in Presque Isle, Maine, I have to admit that the third base umpire’s call of obstruction was correct. This is despite the fact that there was clearly no deliberate attempt to impede the runner. The crucial mistake was to try to get the third out by throwing out the runner at third after getting the second out at the plate on Pedroia’s brilliant play on the infield grounder. The Red Sox had their best reliever on the mound and the Cardinals’ best reliever was about to leave the game for a pinch hitter. Saltamacchia should have simply held the ball after recording the second out.
I can’t wait to see what happens tonight. My hope is that it involves better luck for and better judgement by the Red Sox fielders.