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Game 1: Pulled Muscle Hurt Me -- But I'll Be Back Today
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As far as I'm concerned, there's been too much written already about my playing with injuries like a big brave man. But the editor I'm working for insists I tell exactly how it was with me out there on the field yesterday, and I can't argue with him because he's my boss for the duration of the series.
The pain was real bad.
Last Friday night, when we were playing in Milwaukee, I slipped rounding second base and pulled my groin muscle. The field was loose from rain. It was hard to keep your footing.
The pulled groin has pained me badly and it was no fun playing nine innings yesterday, but I'll be playing today and in the third game and the fourth game -- and I hope that's all we need.
As long as I keep moving, I'll be okay.
I don't figure we gained any psychological edge on the Yankees by winning the first game. I just don't buy that psychology yak-yak because the Yankees aren't a bunch of neurotics who are going to fold. But we're one up on them and that's one they got to catch.
We ran like blazes on them ... people will think we sat down and planned to run them to death, but there's nothing to that. We didn't plan anything. We've run all season. We're not worn out yet, so we just keep running.
Virdon and Skinner both stole second in the first inning when we got three runs, and how about that Skinner going all the way to second in the fifth inning when his hard shot went through second baseman Bobby Richardson's legs and ricocheted into right field? Man, that's our kind of ball.
Vern Law gave up ten hits and I'll say I've seen him pitch better games, but I'll tell you this: The Deacon pitched a helluva game in my book. He always gives up a lot of hits but he gives up mighty few walks. He gave only one yesterday, and for my money he was a great pitcher out there. We didn't have to talk to him once.
Roy Face is another guy you seldom have to hold conferences with on the mound. Just before he got Hector Lopez to hit into that ninth-inning double play that ended the ball game I walked over to the mound but all I said was, "come on, Roomie. Get that double play and let's get the blazes out of here."
Well, the doc is giving me a pill now to quiet this lousy pain I have, so I'll call a halt to my literary efforts for today. I'll just add this: We'll be out there in the second game running for the extra bases every chance we get, just like we did yesterday, and if we lose, nobody will be able to say we played baseball like a bunch of girls.
First Published October 13, 2010 12:00 am
