The SWNID household follows closely the developing baseball career of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings, who happens to be the brother of one of Mrs. SWNID's business associates.
We are therefore pleased to note that as the D-backs play under the pressure of a tight pennant race, Owings is turning in heroic performances.
Last night he started for Arizona when manager Bob Melvin made a last-minute alteration to his pitching rotation. The D-backs went into the game only a game ahead of the Padres in the NL West.
And all Owings did was pitch 6 1/3 shutout innings and go 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles and three RBI.
His batting average in 59 ABs is .339. His slugging average, arguably the most important gauge of offensive effectiveness, is .695. He has four homers for the season, two in one game.
What could this guy do if he took batting practice every day? Could he stand up to the pressure of pitching in the rotation and spot starting in left field on off days?
Owings reminds us of Ruth in every respect except one. Off the field Ruth was a famous reprobate. On and off the field, Owings is a committed Christian.
We know who we're cheering for in October.
Update: The Cubs and D-backs are meeting in the divison playoffs. The SWNID household, former Chicago residents with two degrees of separation from a D-backs player, is conflicted. On the other hand, this means our team must win.
2 comments:
Go Cubs!
So the Cubs and the Diamondbacks are in. Will they meet in the first round?
We tingle with the anticipation of October!
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