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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Ay-yi-yi-yi-ala

We left Blacksburg a little later than I wanted. Moms just can't say good-bye quickly. I wanted to leave right at two and let the Nats game take me through the 220-mile drive.
It was the third inning by the time we got going. I would have been fine to let it end in nine, up 4-1, and get through the last portion of the drive somehow. But nooooooo.
Anyway, as it goes on, I realize I could get home in time to watch some. I'm sick like that. I thought my wife was asleep. She's listening to the game with her eyes closed. She hears Ayala is warming up and says, "If you want to get home in time to see any of this, you better drive like that Kyle Busch character. If they put him in, it is over."

Oh, yes, it was over and quick. We'd just turned into the neighborhood. At least, my wife said, you can get the car unloaded without worrying about the game. You can cuss like you usually do dragging in my suitcase. (I got the car unloaded just in time, too. We're having a very nasty storm).

Then I get online and see Isaac Hayes died. In the grand scheme, I guess that's a bigger deal than just one more of 103 or so losses. Shaft. Chef. The man was the bomb. Can you dig it? I think I'm going to have Salisbury Steak for dinner.

So the question of the night: How much longer do we have to put up with Ayala?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

At any other team, you'd have to put up with him for about 0 more days. With this team, he'll be given every opportunity to blow as many games as possible.

Anonymous said...

It should be zero, but I will say until Sept. 1, because if the Nats bring up a lot of pitcher for Sept. callups hopefully that means Ayala will be phased out.
If only Ayala didn't get hurt pitching in that stupid World Baseball Classic!

Mike said...

They've already blown Mike O'Connor's option for the year. Why shouldn't he come back up and get a shot in the pen?

Was it right not to use Shell yesterday? (He did go two innings of garbage time on Saturday, time I'd rather have seen Ayala soak up.)

Chris Needham said...

They've already blown Mike O'Connor's option for the year. Why shouldn't he come back up and get a shot in the pen?

Ladies and gentleman: This is how you know you've hit rock bottom!

Not even O'Connor's mother wants to see him pitch any more!

MikeHarris said...

My guess -and it is only that - on Shell: They wanted to save him for today, figuring they may need multiple innings out of him. How long can Mock be reasonably expected to go?

Dave Nichols said...

Ayala will pitch the rest of the year cause he's healthy, the Nats are going to lose 105 regardless, and they won't call up any more on Sept. 1 than they absolutely have to.

the only way Ayala doesn't finish the year is if they come up with some type of "injury" to hide him. cause honestly, less Ayala = more Colome. you choose.

MikeHarris said...

Another great line from my wife I failed to mention last night: Mr. Kotter hits the home run and she says, "That's one of those walk offs, right?"
Yes. Right.
"Maybe Ayala can just keep walking, right out the door and down the road."

What's funny is a kid on the Richmond basketball team did just that years ago. They were doing suicides after practice and he ran straight out a door and never returned.