Toeing the Rubber

Photo taken by Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.

I like Matt Garza.

I can’t help it.  Yeah, he spits a lot.  What baseball player doesn’t?  Sure he pitches for a team that folks like to pretend is the new “enemy” of the Red Sox (They aren’t.  They’re a good team and they have some interesting history with the Sox but unless someone blows up Yankee Stadium and sells off the Yankees, the Rays will never really be “the enemy” in my eyes).  But I’ve never held that “hatred” so many Red Sox fans seem to have for him.  I also dig how important his family is to him.  I like him.  There, I said it.

If the worst things you can say about Garza are that he spits too much and he beat the Red Sox in the 2008 ALCS (going on to become the series MVP) – I think he’s doing all right.  So when I got to see him throwing his no-hitter last night, I was genuinely happy for him.  There are only two times I don’t want to see a no-hitter get thrown:  If it’s happening against the Red Sox (and even then, I make exceptions.  When John Lackey took one into the 9th inning at Fenway Park, I was there and wanted him to get it – mind you, from innings 1-8 I didn’t, but getting all the way to the 9th I thought he had earned it) and if it’s being thrown by a Yankees pitcher (this doesn’t apply to former Yankees…I’d love to see Carl Pavano throw one this year!).  Aside from those two situations, I thoroughly enjoy a great pitching performance.  So congratulations to Matt Garza for throwing the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay history against the Detroit Tigers last night.  Division race aside, it was a fun way to spend a Monday evening.