Of Zim, Maggs and Umps

I wasn't there, but...there is a lot to be said about last night in baseball.

First of all, Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals said it best: "56 is better than 30." As Joe DiMaggio's hallowed hitting streak record remains unchallenged, we should thank Zim for bringing some baseball suspense back when it was needed.

Fans always discount the Nats for not being a contender. This had been an Achilles' heel even when the Nats played in Montreal. As with the Expos, the Nats have great talent, a fantastic Manager in Manny Acta and the tools to run for the pennant in a highly competitive division. So, what's holding them back? Moreover, what's holding Ryan Zimmerman back? I'm certain this will be debated heavily in the days to come.

The fans in DC, including some White Sox fan sitting at the big house on Pennsylvania Ave NW, should proud that the spotlight was on them as Zimmerman paced himself towards immortality. After all, he is the "face" of the franchise for which there should be many others.

Secondly, there was the matter of an insane game inside the Metrodome. I could talk about the insanity that was in stands the night before on the occasion of a local acquaintance's birthday, but I digress. This time, the insanity was on the field. It is not just the 13th inning walk-off grand slam by Joe Crede that was the news. It wasn't the fact that the Star Tribune stopped reporting on the game for this morning's edition just short of said walk-off grand slam. The paper's excuse, being that its editorial offices were a couple a blocks away from home plate: it had to go to press.

The game was "frustrating" as a co-worker stated this morning. When the Twins were ahead, the Tigers found a way to exploit the home team's far-from-competent bullpen. I have to question the reasons for the lack of fire coming from its mid-relievers and situational pitchers. Without criticizing pitching coach Rick Anderson and his method to the pitching staff's madness, I need to vent to the overall lack of quality of the entire pitching staff here in The Cities. Moments of brilliance do not translate into consistency - you have to string these moments into momentum. That is what a successful and strong pitching staff does for 162 games (and more).

There is one moment of brilliance that came up... After the Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera slammed a shot to give his team a momentary lead, Magglio Ordonez struck out on a series of Mark Guerrier pitches. Ordonez was upset about the call and began to argue with home plate umpire Paul Schrieber. Schrieber placed a hand on Ordonez's shoulder, using his other hand to point him back to the Tiger's dugout. That did not sit well with the Venezuelan star and prompted a charge from the dugout by Tigers' Manager Jim Leyland. We're not sure whether Leyland was arguing the pitch call or the fact that Schrieber did something that may or may not be in the rule book in touching another player. Leyland was ejected from the game.

Clearly, Ordonez did not initiate any physical contact with Schrieber to prompt the umpire's actions. The Official Baseball Rules does not state anything regarding physical contact with a player by an umpire, therefore nothing has been set in stone regarding any actions the Commissioner's Office or the crew chief Joe West has to take on this matter.

I can go on, even discussing the "Texas Two-Step" MLB.com screamed this morning, but no one can deny the excitement of Zim's run towards DiMaggio or the insanity that took place inside the Metrodome last night.