Saturday, September 24, 2005 |
The Nen Behind The Screams
Troy Glaus, the Angels' Hoss of a third baseman who has three home runs in the Series and is one-for-two on the night, steps in. This is the closer's moment: Head-to-head with a bruising bat and the game, and the championship, on the line. My stuff against yours, no quarter and no holds barred. This is the time when Nen reaches back, not just to the reserves of strength in his arm, and not just to 300-plus saves worth of experience over a 10-year career, but all the way back, to the lessons his dad, former big-leaguer Dick Nen, taught him about always going hard. "He told me, it must have been a thousand times, 'let everything you do show your respect for the game,' " Nen says. " 'Don't cheat yourself, and don't cheat your teammates.' "That, of course, was the end of Nen's career, the last pitch he would ever throw in a game that mattered following two strikeouts later, full of "nothing but a pitching shoulder full of torn labrum, torn rotator cuff and a whole lot of want-to". Desire is only ability's ghost.His first pitch is a cut fastball tailing out and away for ball one. His second is a slider, also outside, but Glaus hacks at it anxiously and the count is even at 1-1. The third pitch, another slider, cuts two feet outside, and Glaus, chastened by the last swing, holds back.
Two-one. Hitter's count. Enough with the slider; Nen is coming in and going all-out.
"I knew Glaus was sitting dead-red, but I had to throw the inside fastball," he says. "I couldn't stand the idea that later I'd think maybe I hadn't thrown as hard as I could in that situation." He fires. The ball starts off inside, but it fades when it should bite. It comes out over the plate.
Nen sees the flight of the ball and winces.
Glaus tracks it and tattoos it.
His double, over the outstretched glove of Giants center fielder Kenny Lofton and off the wall, scores two. The Angels take a 6-5 lead.
As a footnote: not to get all weepy-eyed over Glaus -- I still think letting him walk was the best thing for the franchise -- but is there anyone on this team right now besides Vlad who could credibly hit three home runs in a short series?
Kennedy has to get to three homers for the season before we talk about three in a series.
But seriously, I'd like to think that someone like Quinlan or Kothcman could step up in a short series and if not hit three homers smack some doubles and draw some walks.
The biggest thing that is overlooked with the departure of Glaus is the discipline at the plate that is now missing. He was a legit 80 to 100 walk guy who worked counts and while he K'd a lot he always tried to get his pitch.
This team - The Angels v.2005 - swings at more dreck than any group of hitters on a successful team that I can remember. No one is truly patient - maybe Kennedy and he hits 9th...
Friggin' Scioscia.
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