You know what’s no fun to watch? Drying paint, growing grass, and blowouts. The lack of drama and excitement in a blowout can make for a long, boring experience when you’re watching a game. Mostly, this holds true when your team is on the wrong end of a laugher. Though, one of the most fun games I ever attended was this massacre, likely due to being there with a very good friend of mine. Even a couple of superbowls in recent memory have been one-sided, and I suspect most people who chose to continue watching, did so mostly for the commercials in those instances.
Yadier Molina is enjoying a great year at the plate (not just behind it) so far in 2011.
But, this Cardinals team has been a lot of fun to watch so far this year! 6 extra-inning games so far, and of the first 50 games of the year 30 of them have been decided by 2 runs or fewer! I’m a big fan of close games, and since I fall to the “traditionalist” side of baseball’s fan base, having 60% of the games decided by 2 or fewer runs is very attractive to me…especially of the 2-1 variety. The lineup has been interesting to watch, and the pitching staff has given us plenty of reason to stay on the edge of our seats…whether it’s because of a perfect game in the 7th, or a blown save in the 9th.
The Cardinals haven’t come out of every “exciting” game with the win, but isn’t that what keeps it exciting? I don’t know about you, but I like close games. And while I don’t like the Cardinals to lose, watching them play a game that keeps me entertained has plenty of value to me. I’m more partial to results provided by the recent excitement like we saw on Sunday in Kansas City than I am the kind from a month ago in Houston, but give me a game that’s fun to watch, and I’m a happy fan. Not to say I don’t enjoy the occasional slugfest (as long as its the Cards lineup doing most of the slugging), because those have their place too.
I think we’re off to the kind of start that we expected for the 2011 National League Central–a tough fight with a lot of games that
The Cardinals seem to be having fun as a team so far in 2011.
matter. Though back in March, few might have guessed that the Cards would be perched atop the division with a 3-game lead over the Reds, Cardinal Nation isn’t complaining. The Reds probably aren’t going anywhere, and it looks like the Brewers just might continue to hang around, keeping this an interesting race for at least the foreseeable future. We’ve all seen seasons when the Cardinals run away with the division by double-digit margins (10 games in 2000, 13 in ‘02, 13 in ‘04, 11 in ‘05…etc), and that’s great. But, I’d be very surprised to see anything like that this year, no matter who wins the division. So, if watching a close game that directly impacts the standings of a close division, sit back & have fun, the 2011 National League Central is for you!
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