Here Comes a Regular: Padres at Phillies Gamethread, September 11, 2011

I decided to put a small pause in my torch song series on account of it being the anniversary of, well, you know.

I'm not sure what exactly to say about it. I didn't see the Piazza home run; I was in the area at the time, but I was 16 and I didn't have much gravitas, so I don't have many deep memories about the moment; I don't have much of a political motive in commemorating a rough day. Hell, it might be a terrible idea to even be doing something about it now. Might be best to ignore it.

But there's something about baseball that calls for a memorializing impulse, and I can't seem to really get by the feeling that there's a kind of national reminiscence, beyond the showy patriotism, that makes this feel more like the anniversary of the last night we saw a good friend. Or the last time we slept in our childhood bed. Sad but in a kind of "drink a beer; watch a game" kinda way.

Maybe it's just me. But either way, however you're feeling tonight, I hope that Mr. Cliff Lee remembers his stuff, and that we get the kind of performance that ought to crackle on a staticky TV in a dive bar. See you there.

Eric Stults

#53 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-0

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Dec 09, 1979

Cliff Lee

#33 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 30, 1978