For the record, I like Matt Holliday. He was a key player during the Rockies’ 2007 World Series run. Unless he does something really awful—and wanting more money is not nearly “wrong” enough for me—I’ll always be a fan.
Even if I wasn’t, though, I think I’d still call the reaction to his play last night overblown.
ESPN’s main story right now: “Lost Holliday.” Over on the headlines, it’s: “Holliday’s error puts Cards in 2-0 hole.”
As you’ve probably heard, Holliday misjudged and dropped a low fly ball with no one on last night that would have ended the game with a 2-1 Cardinals victory. Instead, James Loney was safe on second. Casey Blake walked, then Ronnie Belliard singled to drive in the lead runner and tie the game. A passed ball moved the runners up, then another walk, then Mark Loretta singled to win the game.
In other words…a ton of stuff happened to ensure a Cardinals loss. If reliever Ryan Franklin had retired either of the two batters after Holliday’s drop, St. Louis still would have won in regulation. And further, if the offense had produced more than two runs—one of which Holliday created all by himself—they wouldn’t have been in that position, either. Blaming Holliday’s a popular narrative, but he’s hardly the single-handed reason the Cardinals lost.
It’s not just Holliday; it’s Bill Buckner, too, and every other athlete who’s been blamed for a loss. Is it even possible for a player to lose a team game all by himself? Yes, but it’s much more rare than people think. In baseball, you’d almost have to be a pitcher to do it, even though it’s often fielders or Cubs fans who are denounced after tough losses. Even the hallowed quarterback in football can rarely lose a game literally on his own merits. The same goes for wins, too.
Holliday dropped a ball he should have caught and normally would have, and it was very bad for the Cardinals and their fans. But he wasn’t the reason they lost, and he definitely didn’t cost his team the series.
1 comment:
I had exactly the same reaction. One thing I never have understood about baseball is its obsession with blaming a loss on one play that in and of itself did not actually lose the game. Buckner is a perfect example, but so is the Bartman play in Chicago a couple of years ago. For some reason, baseball fans and players miss your eminently sensible point that other plays could have won the game but failed to do so.
I feel like this is a huge issue in postseason baseball. It is like everyone thinks the psyche and arms of their closers operate on borrowed time and are too soft to throw a few more pitches to win the game. I just don't get the logic, just like I don't get a bunch of other stuff about baseball.
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