Saturday, February 9, 2008

And Warming Up in the Bullpen

Starting Pitcher

1991 Donruss
No. 742 Jose Rijo




To look back on Jose's Game 1 and Game 4 performances brings one word to mind.
DOMINATION
He was inhospitable to A's hitters. Overpowering. 2 Games. 9 hits from the vaunted A's. One run. 14 K's in 15 innings. Retired 20 straight batters in game 4. Only taken out of a complete game by Pinella with 1 out in the ninth. After freezing Dave Henderson at the plate. Would have had a shutout if not for an intentional walk to Harold Baines in the first. The best part of the performance? He was being watched and studied by his father-in-law Juan Marichal. A scout for the A's at the time.
This card has a great shot of Jose Rijo throwing some stinky cheddar at Rickey Henderson and making him recoil in anguish for the strikeout. The shirt flapping from the burst of speed to throw the fastball. The head down because he knows it will not be hit. That is what I see.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I always liked Rijo. I thought he deserved more credit than he got by fans overall. I wish the Rangers would have had him.