2012 MLB Season Review Part 2
In part two of the season review, more pitching and batting excellence prevails as the regular season comes to an exciting close. The playoffs and World Series are dichotomous in their outcomes and series are either swept or go down to the wire. With regards to this series, it’s a metaphoric bottom of the 9th inning. Let’s see if I get the walk off win….
July – Out of the Park and New York state of mind
Just to further prove that pitchers are having all the fun, Matt Cain and Cole Hamels hit home runs off each at Citizens Bank Park to become the first pitchers since 2002 to complete the feat. Not to be out done, Miguel Cabrera became the 2nd Venezuelan to reach 300 homers on 22nd July. Ichiro SuzukIi of the Seattle Mariners made a surprise move in July to the New York Yankees in a trade.
August – Even more perfection and imperfection personified
The pieces started to fall in place for the Giants in August with a massive 15-0 defeat of the current World Champion St Louis Cardinals. Marco Scutaro starred with a grand slam and 7 RBI’s. The 23rd Perfect Game was pitched on 15th August when Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners held off the Tampa Bay Rays. This created history in itself as the Mariners became the first team in history to deliver and receive a Perfect Game in a season. On the same day, the murky side of baseball was demonstrated when Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone. One week later, Bartolo Colón of the ‘A’s’ joined Cabrera on the suspension list.
September – Record breakers
The last full month of the season delivered many twists and turns. The Washington Nationals finally secured playoff baseball for the first time in 79 years. The Reds and the Giants secured their divisional titles on 22nd September. Records tumbled too with the A’s breaking the American League strikeout record and the Angels struck out 20 in one game against the Mariners. The end of the month passed with Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Homer Bailey getting a no hitter against the Pirates.
October – Tight Series and Tigers savaged by a Panda
The final playoff picture was painted on 3rd October when the A’s beat the Rangers 12-5 to win the AL West championship after trailing by 5 games with 9 to play. 5th October hosted both Wild Card games where the Cardinals and the A’s won through to their respective divisional series. In the National League, the Giants and the Cardinals both won 3-2. The Giants came back from a 2-0 game deficit whereas the Cardinals came back from trailing 6-0 in game 7 to edge the Nationals. The American League was just as tight with the Yankees and the Tigers both edging through 6-2. The Championship Series were contrasting in how they unfolded. The Tigers swept a Jeter-less Yankees 4-0 whereas the Giants found top gear eventually against the Cardinals and won the series 4-3. Game 1 of the World Series set the tone when Pablo Sandoval hit three homers as the Giants won 8-3. The Giants would go on to clinch the World Series in the 10th inning of Game 4.
So, the 2012 season is confined to history and so is my first baseball season. It has been throughly enjoyable In keeping with the series, I’ve found one last baseball quote to finish on.
It was Rogers Hornsby who said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”