All it took was a gutsy performance from Atlanta Braves starter Ian Anderson to start decrying the state of the game today. And the criers are wrong.
The box score for the Atlanta Braves‘ pitching staff in Game 3 of the World Series was enough to set a few writers’ off. In particular, it was this line:
- I. Anderson (W, 1-0) 5.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 4K, 0HR, PC/ST 76-39, 0.00 ERA
Five innings of no-hit ball on a misty night in Georgia (which doesn’t sound as nostalgic as a ‘rainy’ night, but it’s what we had).
A rookie did it. A 23-year-old kid. Against the greatest offense assembled in the majors this year (or so it would seem). But then the reactions came.
Oh the tragedy! Oh the horror… that Ian Anderson wasn’t allowed to continue this masterpiece performance! We were all denied a chance to witness history as there’s still only been a single no-hitter thrown in World Series history!
Think I’m overselling the point? Here are some actual quotes:
Ken Rosenthal, TheAthletic (subscription required):
"Let Game 3 of the 2021 World Series stand as the latest example of a sport that has lost its way, valuing efficiency over entertainment almost to the point of absurdity."
Joel Sherman, The New York Post:
"Namely, teams are built to win and have reams of data that show the best way to do so and oftentimes that style leads to a longer, more boring, less entertaining product. … I understand the sentiment. But I sure would have liked to see Anderson try to produce baseball magic."
(He grudgingly admits that removing Anderson after 5 innings was the right move.)
Or how about this headline… from the Wall Street Journal, of all places:
"Atlanta Chose Data Over a World Series No-Hitter. That’s Baseball’s Big Dilemma Atlanta listened to the numbers by removing Ian Anderson with a no-hitter in progress. The triumph of analytics over entertainment is a problem for the game."
I love Jayson Stark, but he jumped in a bit as well, also from TheAthletic (still requires a subscription):
"First off, we’d like to send our hearty congratulations to all the children, grandchildren and future great-great-great-great grandchildren of Don Larsen. I think we learned Friday night that he now owns the most unbreakable record in sports."
Then Stark brings us to this “parallel universe”:
"Game 6, 1995. Braves 1, Indians 0. Tom Glavine on the mound. Bobby Cox in the dugout. You know, a funny thing happened that night at Fulton County Stadium. The starting pitcher for the Braves spun off five hitless innings against the deepest, scariest lineup in baseball. I am not making that up. … 1995 BRAVES: After five innings, Glavine has thrown — you won’t believe this — 76 pitches. He has walked two, He has expended a ton of energy battling Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez in two long at-bats. But not one occupant of Fulton County Stadium is alarmed. It’s what pitchers do. They expend energy."
Let’s talk about these quotes.