I told Adrian that we would have to leave around 3:30 from Hacienda Heights in order to make it to Anaheim in time for the 4:30 start time of the Mexico vs. US game in round 2 of the World Baseball Classic.
Adrian and I have been to many games together. He’s my brother. He knows I’m not on time.
“Ay, si tú. Showing up on time? What kind of Mexican are you?” he wrote over instant messenger.
I responded, “We need to show up on time. Who is going to stand up when they play the Mexican national anthem? You know all the Mexicans are going to be late.”
My plan didn’t work so well. We were late. Gabby, Adrian, Steve (Adrian’s friend) and I arrived at Angel Stadium around 5 p.m. I think it was one of those things you see because that’s what you expect to see, but I only noticed raza walking toward the parking lot inside the gates of Angel Stadium.
We made our way to the will call window. On the way there we saw dozens of people crowding around to get into the gates. The Mexican fans wore the green caps with a red M, Mexican baseball jerseys, ponchos, huge straw hats, and tied Mexican flags around their necks so it would flow like a cape. Some people had their faces painted in red, white and green.
On the way to our seats, we passed a couple of concession stands. The TV screens showed a replay of what looked like a go-ahead home run off the right field pole. Rather than call it a homerun, the umpires said it was a ground rule double. By the time we got to our seats, Jorge Cantú had hit in Mario Valenzuela for the first of Mexico’s two runs.
In the next inning, the US anwered back with a run of its own when Vernon Wells hit a sacrifice fly and allowed Chipper Jones to score.
Mexico didn’t let the empate (tie) last too long and in the bottom of the fifth inning, they scored once again. Cantú hit another RBI and brought in Valenzuela a second time. The US took out Roger “the Rocket” Clemens soon after. Gabby and I yelled out “didn’t you retire?” as most other fans gave him a standing ovation. It might be Clemens’ last start. I don’t care, I’ve never been a fan.
The next three innings went by kind of quickly. Mexico’s pitchers made it look easy and would get out the US batters out one-two-three.
Meanwhile, fans chanted. Me-xi-co! U-S-A! Culeeeeroooooos! Gabby and I even counted how many times the culeros chant would come up.
By the top of the ninth, Team USA fans were hoping for something to keep their hopes in the tournament alive, and it got close.
With a the pro-Mexico portion of the crowd trying in vain to drown out chants of “USA,” lefty Jorge De La Rosa took over for the ninth and struck out Ken Griffey Jr. before walking Jones and being replaced by righty Luis Ayala, who walked Alex Rodriguez to move the tying run into scoring position. [Johnny Damon pinch ran for Alex Rodriguez after he was walked.]
That brought righty David Cortes out of the bullpen to face Wells, who grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch he saw, setting off a wild celebration that featured Team Mexico saying good-bye to its fans with a flag-waving victory lap.
Gabby and I chanted “double play!” and we got it.
It was cool to see Mexico win, even if they only had a tiny chance of advancing in the tournament. The US pretty much needed to win in order to advance over Japan. South Korea was a definite because they won three games.
Mexico eliminated the US from contention in the WBC. I think it’s pretty cool that Mexico eliminated the team from the country that invented the sport. Maybe baseball is no longer “America’s pastime.” Perhaps, it has become “the Americas’ (plus Asia) pastime.” The LA Times writes, “in six games, the U.S. of Jeter, Junior and A-Rod, of Clemens, Damon and Chipper, lost to Canada, Korea and Mexico.”
Ah, Cindy, I’m so happy 4 u! I saw Puerto Rico lose to Cuba, my consolation that a Latino team (Dominican Republic, México or Cuba) beat South Korea, then we can celebrate as Latinos!
BTW, I think the High Fructose Corn Syrup that is so ubiquitous in American (and Puerto Rican )diets may play a factor in how well American athletes do now and in the future!
Classic USA sports team… a lot of great players thrown together but no chemistry or passion… I hope this is the end of the line for Clemens. He has always been a choke artist. I can’t believe Buck Martinez gave him the ball in an elimination game in the first place… I guess that’s why Buck is no longer managing in the Majors.
Can you tell I’m bitter?!
I’m happy for Luis Ayala at least… He’s one of my favortie Nationals.
Woo!
I don’t know about hating on Clemens. As a long time admirer of the sport, and pitcher in high school myself, I had a respect for the guy.
On the USA’s departure from the tournament, I think the finals now will epitomize the essence of world sport and international play, and it’s only natural for the whole world to want the host team out. You can count on me to cheer against Ballack’s Germany squad come June, (for the World Cup that is).
Eric Neel from ESPN summed it up for me when he wrote, “For another thing, if we’re talking about cosmic balance and karma and such, I’m not sure Team USA should be in the finals. Seriously, if we’ve been playing the “World” Series between teams in North America all these years, if the United States got the privilege of hosting this tournament the first time out, and if, oh by the way, the umpiring crew was entirely homegrown, isn’t a little international flavor exactly what’s called for in the finals? I mean, if we’re going to be about globalization with this thing, let’s go global already.
But besides all that, Futbol is my sport of passion, love, and obsession. I came to find last night that I was cheering on El Tri just as I would if they were on the pitch with El Bofo, Marquez, and Borgetti. This is simply the start of a new rivalry.
© Citoyen du Monde Inc. 2006™
So much for baseball being America’s sport. Looks like there are many other countries doin’ the damn thang!
Frances,
It definitely looks like South Korea will be the team to beat. Did you go to the game? I’d never been to an international sport event, so it was plenty of fun. It’s too hard to say Mexico during Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Joel,
You make a strong point. I’ve heard others compare them to the Olympic basketball team and others say, why are you so surprised that there are better players in this world?
Brenda,
Woo woo! Let’s hope UCLA does well in the second round!
Alejandro,
Others have said the USA team got some calls by the umpires that should not have been made (examples with both Japan and Mexico). I guess home field advantage didn’t really help. On Thursday night I imagined the audience at Mexico v. USA soccer games looked something like they did in Anaheim.
Trench,
Exactly. I didn’t get to watch or really follow any of the games (no ESPN, school), but I’m still excited by the WBC.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghhhhhhhhhaoeuhwgfhwoefhw!?!?!?!?!!?!?!??!
Looks like you got to see Luis Ayala’s last performance for a long time… He blew out his elbow and is now gone for at least a year.
Things aren’t looking so good for my Nationals bullpen
Was it me, or did you also notice how all these controversial calls went in favor of the U.S.? I mean, it was clearly a homerun but the umpire who ruled that it wasn’t, was the same umpire that botched the call for the US vs Japan game.
I think they secretly wanted the U.S. to win, so I’m glad Mexico won. I was rootin’ for them in that game.
yay, you went to the game after all! i’m kind of sad that i was gone for most of this- and nobody (that i talked to) followed it in spain. til next year, then. =) (and ahem, don’t expect that to happen twice, cuba.)