Is History Repeating Itself?

In reviewing the debacle at Yankee Stadium a couple of weeks ago, I came across a quote from a Red Sox player that many of you might find interesting. Here it is:

"The Yankees are together. Nine guys giving their all. Us? We come to the ballpark and one guy’s dizzy, another guy’s hand hurts. That’s bulls**t. They’ve got one guy who comes out of the hospital to play. That’s how much this series meant to them."

Now who do you think said this? Nixon? Varitek? Schilling? Nope. None of the above.

Try Rick Burleson.

The Rooster made this statement in 1978 following what has come to be known as the Boston Massacre. The Yankees swept the Sox in a 4 game series at Fenway in June that year. They outscored them 42-9 and allowed only one Red Sox starter to get out of the first inning.

The recent series wasn’t quite that ugly. But there are eerie similarities to that clubhouse and this one. The teammates Burleson was referring to were Dwight Evans and Mike Torrez. Evans had been beaned three weeks prior to that series and was still complaining that he would get dizzy playing fly balls. Torrez claimed the middle finger on his pitching hand was sore, and blamed this for his lack of effectiveness. The guy who was in the hospital? That was Yankee Captain Thurman Munson, who took a Dick Drago fastball off his melon and was back catching the next night.

Does this all sound familiar? Between Nomar’s Achilles, Williamson’s arm, and Jeter going head first into the stands, I think this is real familiar. Why did Burleson have to step up and say this then and not Yaz? He was the team captain. Why did Schilling have to step up? He even admitted previously that he didn’t feel that was his role. But what choice did he have? There is no captain on this team.

Here we are, 26 years later, and it seems as though we are in the midst of another one of those years. Only time will tell how much history continues to repeat itself.

Source:
Pennant Races – Dave Anderson

Nobody’s Perfect

The New York Yankees: 26 World Championships bought, and counting. Oh no! It’s been three years since the Evil Empire earned themselves a World Series Championship! Call the doctor! Is everything OK in the Big Apple? Not exactly.

You might say "What’s wrong with the Yanks? They’re dominating!" True, the Yankees do hold a 7 game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East, but that doesn’t mean the team is doing well. According to Peter Gammons of ESPN, the Yankees need to do some shopping for an answer to their pitching woes. Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina are both on the DL. Monday night, the Yankees brought up pitcher Alex Graman from their AAA team, the Columbus Clippers. Graman’s appearance was not up to speed with the rest of the Yankees staff. Graman allowed 5 hits and 5 runs after only a third of an inning and now has a 19.80 ERA. Immediately after the game, Graman was sent back down to AAA. Don’t blame them.

According to Gammons of ESPN, "GM Brian Cashman's job could be on the line should New York not land Randy Johnson, which at this point doesn't look likely due to the Yankees' depleted farm system." I expect King Steinbrunner to do anything in his power to have Johnson in pinstripes by the trade deadline. However, if the Yankees do not finalize the deal with Johnson, they will need a miracle to provide an answer to the lack of strong pitching fans are used to watching in "the house that Ruth built." Watch things heat up as July 31st approaches.

Sources:
www.mlb.com
www.minorleaguebaseball.com
www.espn.com
www.boston.com

This Week's Top Ten

Top Ten Yankees All-Star Break Activities

10. Car-wash fund-raisers to get money for Randy Johnson. (Mitcp1)

9. Making macaroni pictures. (Weissmanjack)

8. Signing the entire National League squad. (Redhdedbstrd)

7. Watching grainy, black-and-white highlights of Kevin Brown in his prime. (RubenSierraOnRye)

6. VH1's "I Love the 90's" premiere, what else? (marxx3888)

5. Running up the price of steroids on E-Bay. (Nomar3268)

4. Whatever Kenny Lofton usually does. (MrAcacdoodie)

3. Group tour of San Francisco Bay-area laboratories. (david_kiser2002)

2. Parasite races! (EddieD)

1. Picking out dresses for the World Series after party. (robaire)

Bud Doesn't Like Mud.

Since I am presently unable to pay rent by contributing to this fine Internet site, I am forced to hold down a day job in the corporate world. My home for 40 hours a week is a place where talking heads call meetings to hear themselves talk about "synergy" and "leveraging resources." It is a world in which one is inexplicably forced to move his desk every few months, and a place that encourages filling out endless forms rather than developing practical skills. Bill Lumbergh, the smarmy boss featured in the 1999 cult classic Office Space, would be immensely proud.

Regardless of whether they have seen this film (which I highly recommend), I know that millions of fellow cubicle slaves across the country can relate to such experiences. Lately, so can several members of the Boston Red Sox, as Major League Baseball is apparently making an attempt to replicate this workplace environment.

The Boston Globe reported Friday that the league plans to instruct players such as Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon to clean their batting helmets so that the team logo is more visible. Nixon, whose helmet is perpetually covered with the pine tar he applies to his bats, and who would probably shun bathing altogether if it allowed him more time in the batting cages, rightfully considers the directive laughable.

Nixon may not be Hall of Fame material, or the brightest of bulbs, but anyone familiar with the Sox will tell you that he is a true ballplayer, a guy concerned only with his team and the game. Even if Nixon never became a successful player of major league caliber, he would probably be toiling around the minors somewhere and loving it. Nixon wasn’t just frustrated with the nagging quadriceps injury that kept him out two months – he was seething at his inability to play. His jersey is rarely clean, while his cap and batting helmet are never so. That’s just part of the game he knows, one in which players go all out to win games and care little for trivial details. He should be lauded by the league, not made a victim of its bureaucratic, self-indulgent nonsense. And Trot is not alone on the Red Sox roster – Nomar Garciaparra has already been fined and threatened with suspension for covering the MLB logo on his helmet with dirt. Why the shortstop is so insistent on covering said logo is another story, but who cares! Closer Keith Foulke has been asked to remove the American flag that he sports on his hat. Another grave injustice.

Do these executives have nothing better to do than sit around and come up with ideas like this? It’s hard to think of something more asinine to worry about. This is an organization that can’t control steroid abuse or the violent behavior that tarnishes the sport’s image, yet the cleanliness of batting helmets raises a red flag. Why does the league wish to tamper with the routines of old-school players who make the game great? The same reason the company insists you use the new cover sheet on your TPS report. Because it can. So the powers that be can validate themselves and stroke their massive egos. Somewhere, Bill Lumbergh, a.k.a. Bud Selig, is smiling.

Ouch (again)! – Just when it looked as if the Red Sox were turning the corner and playing like the contenders we expected them to be in 2004, they manage to lose a key game in spectacular fashion. Last night in Seattle, the team wasted a great outing from Bronson Arroyo (7 IP, 3H, 1ER, 12K) as Foulke surrendered two home runs in the ninth inning and Bret Boone hit a grand slam in the 11th to give the Mariners an 8-4 victory. As Boston (50-41) attempts to catch New York in the AL East and surge ahead in the Wild Card race, a loss like this is particularly devastating. Any good team is going to lose some, but if the Red Sox can’t finish off the contests they have to win – games when the fifth starter dominates and the top-notch closer has a two-run lead in the ninth against a last-place team – they can forget about playing in October. Derek Lowe (7-9) will take the mound and try to salvage a split against the Mariners today before the team returns home to face the Orioles and Yankees.

Signs You Have Read Too Much "Moneyball" – In your slow-pitch softball league, you now take the first pitch in every plate appearance, frequently lean across the plate or crouch down in an attempt to sway the umpire’s judgment on close pitches, and have accumulated a team-high 11 walks. It’s all about the on-base percentage, after all.

Signs You Care Too Much About Fantasy Baseball – While watching the benches clear during a Cardinals-Cubs game, you find yourself hoping that a brawl will NOT take place, because of the slim chance that Jim Edmonds and/or Derrek Lee may be ejected as a result.

Baseball Needs A Cleanup

As the second half of the season kicks off and the clock ticks toward October, tensions are heating up. As we all saw, David Ortiz damaged his reputation by reacting emotionally to a bad call in his at bat against the Angels Friday night. The call was an inside strike for the out, and it lit Ortiz’s fuse. As Ortiz was right in home plate umpire Matt Hollowell’s face, Sox manager Terry Francona attempted to restrain Big Poppi, who pushed Francona out of the way, continuing his feud. Hollowell ejected Ortiz from the game, and Ortiz went flaming into the dugout. Just when we thought the incident had cooled off, Ortiz started firing bats from the dugout in the direction of two more umpires, Bill Hohn and Mark Carlson. The bats landed within inches of their feet. What does this have to say about baseball now? Well, you can say the game certainly has changed since the "good old days." Temper tantrums such as the one Ortiz displayed in front of the Anaheim fans Friday night are more common then ever.

Need I remind you of Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfielder Milton Bradley and his little incident? Well, back on the 7th of June, home plate umpire Terry Craft warned Bradley not to argue calls from the dugout. Who listens to umpires anyway? Apparently Bradley doesn’t. Bradley began arguing calls once again from the dugout, resulting in an ejection from the game. At that instant, Bradley stormed out of the dugout, ranting and raving about the situation, and then steamed back to the dugout only to empty a bucket of baseballs onto the field and heaving one by the left field warning track. Bradley was handed a four game suspension for this. However, Milton Bradley did not explode in front of the Milwaukee Brewers crowd like Ortiz did in Anaheim. I have a feeling Ortiz could be facing a 10 game suspension, for throwing the bats at the umpires.

Baseball will always be America’s pastime but this doesn’t mean the game won’t continue to evolve. In my opinion, the game is turning more into showing off the power of the big egos, causing incidents like those of Ortiz and Bradley, and hiding the very skilled players underneath it all. Baseball needs some shaking up. Hopefully Major League Baseball’s commissioner Bud Selig will have something meaningful to say about the current situations; and do something to clean things up.

Sources:
www.sperts.net
www.mlb.com
www.redsox.com
www.usatoday.com

Another One That Got Away.

Many people are aware of the famous sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees. But what many fans are unaware of is the fact that the Sox didn’t stop there. Harry "No No Nannette" Frazee was selling and the Yankees were buying. There were a variety of deals which took place between the 2 teams in the early 1920’s. The first Yankee championship team with Ruth, 1923, had 11 former Red Sox players. That wasn’t by accident. And it is also no accident that the Sox had a winning percentage that decade of .388. The funny thing is, though, that the Red Sox could have used one of the lopsided deals to their advantage.

In July of 1922, the Red Sox traded 3B Joe Dugan (an excellent player) and OF Elmer Smith to the Yankees for OF Elmer Miller, SS Chick Fewster, SS John Mitchell, and P Lefty O’Doul.

Miller, Fewster and Mitchell were fodder. O’Doul was a lefty (of course) relief pitcher. The problem with his game was that relief wasn’t his specialty. He had been in the majors for a couple of years and was somewhat ineffective. His career ERA of 4.87 reflects this. He later had the distinction of pitching for the Sox versus Cleveland. That was the game in which the Sox gave up an AL record 27 runs in a 27-3 loss. O’Doul pitched three innings and gave up 16 runs on 11 hits. He also walked 8 batters. After the season, the Sox released him and he wandered back to his hometown of San Francisco.

But the story does not end there. When he returned home, O’Doul decided to try his hand as an outfielder with the SF Seals of the Pacific Coast League. He played there for 4 years and played well. In 1928, he signed with the New York Giants as an outfielder. He spent the season with them and was traded to the Phillies at the end of the season. This is where the fun starts.

O’Doul had a huge breakout season as an outfielder in 1929. He played in 154 games and hit .398 and set a NL record with 254 hits. To put this in perspective, Ted Williams never had more than 194 hits in a season and Stan Musial had a high of 230. O’Doul easily won the batting title.

In 1930, the last place Phillies traded him to Brooklyn after he hit .383. In 1931, he was invited on an All Star trip to Japan. He followed that up in 1932 with another NL batting title, hitting .368 for the Dodgers. He was on the NL All Star team in 1933 and went on another All Star trip in 1934. HE then retired at the age of 37.

O’Doul returned to San Francisco and became manager of the Seals. He remained manager until 1951. During that time he developed a young player named Joe DiMaggio and sent him to the Yankees.

The bottom line is they stole a guy from the Yankees that probably could have battled Ruth every year for top honors in the league for 10 years. Ruth hit more homers than the Red Sox team did in 1929. O’Doul hit .349 for his career with 113 homeruns and 542 RBI. He did this in 970 games. Imagine if the Sox had turned this guy into a position player in 1923. Imagine if he could have played in the 2,292 games that Ted Williams did. You can’t help but think he would have done some damage. Unfortunately, the Sox weren’t focused on winning games then, and if they had been we probably wouldn’t have to wonder now.

"Underwhelming"

Yes, "Underwhelming." That's how Dan Graziano, Newark Star-Ledger writers and "Yankee Notebook" author categorizes the potential tradebait the Yankee farm system can offer in the Randy Johnson bidding war. Of course, the Evil Empire could trade any one of their position players for the Big Unit and still be deadly. (After all, they are the first team in MLB history to have eight players with ten or more homers at the break.) But us Yankee haters can at least take comfort in the fact that Georgie has exhausted his minor league system and hasn't had a World Series in a few years to show for it.

A glimpse at various baseball columns in print and on the net shows that the Angels, Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees are in the hunt for Johnson. Most seem to agree that the Yankees don't have the minor leaguers to attract Arizona attention and that the favorite might be Anaheim, although they have publicly denied this. The Red Sox may be in the position to have to block Johnson from going to the Yankees, but given their distance from first place, they may be content with aiming for the wild card (as they should have been all year) and save themselves 16 million dollars. If the Angels win the prize, the ALCS should be pretty good, but the Boston Globe sports lead will be the Patriots.

Graziano's article: http://www.nj.com/yankees/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/108996698219110.xml

That Giant Sucking Sound

We’re constantly under attack here at YankeesSuck.com by incredulous Yankee fans that don’t understand how anyone can say that their beloved team, with the best record this year, and 26 championship rings, can suck.

Well, to paraphrase a former president, that all depends on what the definition of the word “suck” is.

I often use Webster’s Dictionary to find correct spellings or definitions and they also have a wonderful on-line version of their product. If you Click here you can read for yourself their definition of the word suck. We use the second term which states:

2 b : to take in and consume by or as if by suction — a vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt — suck up a few beers — opponents say that malls suck the life out of downtown areas -- The Yankees suck the fun out of competitive baseball -- YankeesSuck.com.

Ok, so we added that last line. But it's only a mattter of time before Webster's picks it up.

A Fight For Delgado?

Help could be on the way for the Boston Red Sox soon — if they make the right move. According to Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi in an interview with Peter Gammons of ESPN, the Blue Jays management will "approach Delgado in the very near future to ask him to waive his no-trade clause." Delgado will be a free-agent after this 2004 season, and is raking in $18.5 million this year. But just who are the key teams in this situation?

According to Gammons of ESPN, "the Jays could put Delgado on the market soon, and that the Dodgers, Marlins and Red Sox have all called the team to inquire about his availability." If The Red Sox are unable to pick up Randy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks, I would expect the Sox to turn their focus to Delgado, and post a substantial offer to the Blue Jays for the first baseman. Delgado currently has a .223 AVG, with 10 HRs and 36 RBIs. There is no doubt in my mind that the Sox would love to sign Delgado; for it would serve any club good to have this high-caliber ball player. But why shop Delgado? Need I remind you the trade deadline is July 31st? Delgado has not proved to be such a positive asset to the Blue Jays the past few years; and is only costing them money. Toronto Is 14.0 games behind the first place Yankees in the AL East, so why not go shopping? The Jays need an answer to their problems, and so do so many other teams, including the Red Sox. As the deadline approaches and things heat up, expect there to be a fight for Carlos Delgado; and consider the Bo Sox serious contenders.

Sources:
www.bluejays.mlb.com
www.espn.com
www.mlb.com

I Almost Choked

My wife and I went out for a nice dinner this evening. Well, actually, the service sucked, the waitress forgot we existed, and after 38 weeks of pregnancy, my wife started contractions. There were, however, a few nice benefits that came with tonight's suppertime extravaganza - the 42-inch flat panel plasma HDTV positioned just behind my wife's head on the other side of the booth.

Since Bridget wasn't very talkative - just a few "this hurts" and "when is this thing going to come out"'s - I happened to notice that SportsCenter was on in HD behind her. I methodically passed "uh-huh"'s, "yes honey"'s, and "I'm sorry, Sweetie"'s to my wife as she conversed, praying that she would not call me on the fact that my eyes were cast somewhere just to the northeast of her head. It worked well for a time.

Just as the appetizer came and we began to enjoy our savory, yet cold, potato skins, I saw the highlights from the New York vs. Detroit matchup. "Holy [Moly] 8 to Nuthin'?" I said out loud, nearly choking on my grease and cheese covered spud, "the Yankees really DO suck!"

My wife then realized I had not been paying attention to her for most of the 50 minutes we had been waiting for our meals and stated firmly, "you see why I don't want you to buy a new television, you'll NEVER pay attention to me." I followed it up with a "did you say something" comment to make her laugh. It didn't work.

We may not have had good service, my wife may never want to visit The Charcoal Grill again, but I'll always have Mike Maroth's one-hitter against the Yanks... and cholesterol laden arteries.

The Rant

Well, here we are on the tail end of the All-Star Break. Following are my astute investigative insights regarding that Summer Classic, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game:

I did not watch it.

Don’t get me wrong, though. It wasn’t my lack of interest that kept me from watching the game; it was more of a technical issue tied into a recent move. I very much was looking forward to seeing what sorts of amusingly stupid commercials were to be flung at me between innings. I doubt All-Star Game commercials have caught up with the annual Super Bowl offerings, but any major event is subject to some very interesting late-night deadline version exhibitions of marketing.

In reference to the move, I have been forced to bid adieu to my beloved Albuquerque Isotopes and say hello to: The San Angelo Colts! It looks like the Colts are pulling up the rear in their division, though, and most recent checks of the local sports news indicate that they’ve just had their asses handed to them by Pensacola.

No matter! I’m in Texas, now, so I can more avidly (And in a rare display of being included in the ‘local’ demographic for a Major League Team) say "Go, Rangers!" Luckily, they’re in the AL. I can still maintain my soft spot for the Marlins through the Albuquerque connection.

In any event, the move has snorked up the vast majority of my free time. I’ve been dreadfully busy scouting for work and even busier lounging on the porch sipping on beer while the deer and armadillos and whatnot frolic about in the backyard. My free time has been busily spent tossing knuckleballs at my visiting step-nephew and watching him try to glove them. He very swiftly adopted the ‘Stab At it and Pray’ method, which is still in use by a few catchers I know (Such as myself).

One thing I noticed… He uses this relatively softer version of a baseball, and by merit of having used it, he seems to be inordinately disturbed by the notion of an actual hardball coming toward him. Now, I’ll grant that he’s only seven, but I still think it’d be a better bet to get them STARTED using the real deal. For one thing, it’s probably a better idea to have kids throwing hardballs at one another before they’re throwing hard enough to do some real damage. As it stands, they get used to the softer ball, and get pretty good at winging it in there. Suddenly, they’re shunted over to a harder baseball and aren’t remotely used to it.

When I first started playing, at about the same age, we didn’t have ‘T-Ball’ or ‘Pitching Machine for Minors’ or ‘Softer Rag Ball’. I hate to sound like one of those ‘Back in My Day’ blowhards, but there IS a visible difference, and I think it’s not a positive one. The weenification of a sport just does not sit well with me. Set ‘em up, turn ‘em loose, and let them grow into the actual sport as it’s meant to be played is my philosophy.

Of course, there are Valid and Thoughtful (In the sense of "stupid") considerations floating around out there vis-à-vis softening up the sport for kids to minimize injuries.

Anyone, kid or non-kid, is going to experience the possibility of injury when playing a physical sport. Hell, when I was a kid we’d go out and do MORE dangerous stuff if the parent-sanctioned activities didn’t have enough potential for severe bodily harm. "Okay, we’re done playing Super-Safe League Bowling, now let’s get the heck out of here and go try to jump our dirt bikes over the ditch! Woo!"

Anyway, I guess my central point is that I’m against ‘tweaking’ the sport for safety concerns. Anyone who’s serious about continuing to progress in a sport is going to eventually meet the Real Deal, and do you think it’s "safer" to have him come into it completely inexperienced? Right Answer: No.

For what it’s worth, in my first year with the Bosque Farms Blimps, I got REALLY drilled in the ribs by this lefty kid. I thought I was going to flat out DIE. And see?! Look how I turned out.

Well, let’s leave that part out of the entire debate, neh?

Ted Williams: A True All Star

Although I never saw him play, I can’t help but wish that I had based on everything that I’ve read and seen concerning him. Ted Williams was a true definition of a great player. Batting titles. MVP awards. Hall of Fame. But I think the way he played in the All Star games truly reflected who he was as a ballplayer. Here is what are widely considered his greatest moments as an All Star:

1941-Detroit: Williams, after doubling in a run earlier, went to bat in the ninth against Claude Passeau with 2 outs and 2 on. The AL was trailing 5-4. He hit the ball onto the right field roof of Briggs (Tiger) Stadium for a walk off 3-run homer and the AL won 7-5.

1946-Boston: Williams came up in the eighth against Rip Sewell and his famous "eephus" pitch. Not once, but twice did he throw his ridiculous blooper pitch to Williams. Williams watched the first for a strike. The second one he hit for his second home run of the game. His batting line for the game:

AB:4; R:4; H:4; RBI:5; BB:1

1949-Brooklyn: Williams made an amazing running catch of a Don Newcombe liner in the second inning with the bases loaded. This preserved a 4-3 AL lead and they eventually won 11-7.

1950-Chicago: Williams slammed into the wall while making a great leaping catch of a ball hit by Ralph Kiner in the first inning. He broke his left elbow, yet stayed in the game until the ninth inning, going 1-4 with an RBI. Williams had surgery 2 days later to remove 7 bone fragments from his elbow.

One of the other things that made Williams a great All Star was the fact that he used the opportunity to be around other great players as a way to make himself better. If you read other autobiographies or interviews with other HOFs, they talk about how Ted always wanted to spend a great deal of time talking about hitting. Ralph Kiner once said that Williams was the only other player that took a great interest in the mechanics of his swing.

It is fitting that MLB has decided to name the All Star MVP award after Williams. He once said that the All Star game was made for players like Willie Mays. I think it was made for players like Ted.

On The Flip Side - With Mr. Opposite

The Top 5 Worst Home Run Swings In Baseball:

About a week ago, I brought you my "Top 5 Best Home Run Swings." Well. now I look at the other side of the list: The Worst.

"Worst" means overall worst-looking stroke when hitting a ball for a home run.

Here's my list:

Starting with Number 5: Sammy Sosa.
For the simple reason that I hate the Cubs and I am sick of this ballerina, mainly because I am a Astros fan, but as previously said, he thinks he is a ballerina. Stick to just playing baseball Sammy!

Number 4: Dontrelle Willis.
Doesn’t hit that many, but for a pitcher he hits a lot of homers. Granted that really the only pitcher that can properly hit a home run is Mike Hampton. His “lankiness” really doesn’t do him any favours either.

Number 3: Jim Thome.
Mostly the little leg movement he has, also mixed with a below average swing. For some reason I always think they are one day going to introduce him as Grand Dragon Jim Thome (no offence to him).

Number 2: Gary Sheffield.
Stop the bat wiggling!

Number 1: Vladimir Guerrero.
Firstly, let me say that I think that Vlad has the most power swing out of an player today and he is very good at hitting homers. He could hit a blocked ball in the dirt for a home run, but his swing is just down right ugly.

Only In Boston

As the new Iraqi government prepares to try Saddam Hussein for war crimes, I have reflected on a lighter moment involving the deposed dictator. On a chilly morning last winter, it was Saddam who provided me with a vivid illustration of the fervor and passion that grips Red Sox Nation.

December 14, 2003. The first snowstorm of the season had arrived and I was holed up with my girlfriend in her apartment, having breakfast and listening to the radio. Around 11 a.m., a classic rock block was interrupted by a news bulletin. Breaking news on the airwaves.

"The Red Sox have agreed to terms with Oakland A’s closer Keith Foulke on a three-year contract. Foulke saved 43 games for Oakland last season and had been one of GM Theo Epstein’s top targets on the free agent market. The winter storm that has smothered New England for the past 24 hours is finally showing signs of letting up later this afternoon. Between 12 and 18 inches of snow has already fallen in parts of Suffolk County. And U.S. forces have apprehended former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. More coming up on the news at the top of the hour."

[Cut to catchy, station identifying-jingle and commercial break]

Unsure if my ears caught that last part correctly, I paused and looked at Liz, then asked for clarification. No way, she said. Had the Iraqi President-turned-fugitive been captured, that would have been mentioned first, not tossed in at the end of the bulletin. We were enjoying our egg sandwiches and probably just misheard it. Her dismissal seemed logical enough, and I believed her. I should have known better.

A full news segment a bit later confirmed that we had heard the initial report loud and clear. That 20-second sound byte is this city in a nutshell. The Red Sox come first – even in December – followed closely by the weather and distantly by all else. Saddam may have been one of the world’s most notorious dictators, the sworn enemy of multiple U.S. Presidents and the target of two wars, but on that morning he was an afterthought.

It didn’t stop there. Not 24 hours later, a friend sent me a forwarded e-mail message containing the now- infamous photograph taken of the bearded, disheveled Hussein after his capture. Airbrushed onto his head was a New York Yankees baseball cap.

You have to love Boston!

Outrageous George

On Tuesday, July 13th, ESPN aired their "ESPN25 Most Outrageous Sports Characters" in celebration of their twenty-fifth anniversary. In a list that included some of the most extreme, controversial characters (Tonya Harding, Dennis Rodman, John Rocker ) in sports history, guess who was included? Who else but George Steinbrenner, sixth most outrageous character in sports history.

What could George do to earn himself such a honor? Well many things actually. George is famous for his will to win, he'll do almost anything to get himself a world series. He wants everything to be perfect on his team, and if you're not, he'll just fire you. Billy Martin was fired five times by George. Steinbrenner is also known for his stubbornness which makes him an unlikable person for many. In fact, the reason former Yankee pitcher Andy Petite did not return to the Yankees was because George refused to take him out to dinner one night. But most of all George is reknowned for his spending of millions of dollars to buy top baseball players from other teams, or to block trades offered to other teams.

I guess that George really is suited to being the sixth most outrageous sports character, when the definition of outrageous is - 1. "grossly offensive to decency or morality" - or - "being well beyond the bounds of good taste."

15 Reasons Why The All-Star Game Sucked

1. It was on Fox Sports.
2. The Rocket exploded on the launching pad.
3. Danny Kolb didn’t get the win.
4. Scooter the baseball.
5. Arod didn’t get credited with the error that he deserved.
6. Jeter wasn’t taken out as early as he should have been.
7. Loaiza wasn’t taken to.
8. Did I mention it was Fox Sports?
9. Piazza didn’t take on Clemens.
10. Giambi’s parasite didn’t make a guest appearance in the 7th.
11. We weren’t treated to Tony Gywnn’s enthusiastic commentary.
12. Having to look at George Bush Sr. behind home plate.
13. The pre-game show.
14. Where was Spider-man?
15. (Being an Astros fan) The A.L won.

Yankees .532 vs. Good teams

The Yankees have played 47 games this year against teams with winning records. They've won 25 and lost 22. That's a .532 record against teams with a clue. Here’s the breakdown as I can see.The Red Sox are 22-20 vs teams with a .500 average for a .524 overall average against the better clubs.

Special "Yankees Suck" All-Star Game Diary!

Since I’ve been too busy to blog for a few days, there’s one thing I have to rant about before we get started:

When Eric Gagne’s save streak was snapped last week, why did EVERYONE rush to compare and contrast it with DiMaggio’s hitting streak? Joe D, Joe D, Joe D. Is there a clause in the contract of every national baseball writer and announcer that they MUST mention a Yankee every 25 words?

Blech.

You want a streak? Try Orel Hershiser’s 59+ scoreless innings in a row. Where’s THAT comparison? C’mon…the man was a Dodger pitcher (like Gagne), and if you ask me, Hershiser’s run was far more impressive. Did you know that DiMaggio went 1-for-3, 4, or 5 a whopping 35 times during those 56 games? Plus the fact that he had a bunch of drunk New York writers up there scoring for him when they weren’t kissing his butt and falling all over themselves in a mad attempt to deify him…PUH-LEEZE.

Let’s talk about pressure. Try pitching 6 ½ games of scoreless baseball in the middle of a pennant race. You make one mistake, it’s all over. You can’t blow it two or three times out of four and keep it going. You have to be near-perfect…all the time. Not to mention the fact that the 1988 Dodgers were below the league average in fielding percentage and double plays. Orel Hershiser got no help. And he knew that if he didn’t have an all-time season, the Dodgers probably wouldn’t have made the playoffs. But since he had the NERVE to play for a Non-Yankee Entity (the fool!), he’ll never get the credit he deserves…except on YankeesSuck.com.

Why? Because it is our mission to blow the sickening Yankee mythology to smithereenies! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

OK…rant over. On to the action:

Pregame: AL recaps only…and I’m loath to mention the damn Clemens-Piazza thing at all, except to say that I lost any bit of respect I ever had for the Mets organization when they didn’t have their pitchers throw right at Clemens’ head in that first Yankee-Met series at Shea a couple of years ago. After all, “being the bigger person” has never been Roger Clemens’ concern…why should it be anyone else’s when he’s got a bat in his hands? Tonight, he’s going to throw a number of pitches, and Piazza will catch a number of them and throw them back. Ooooooh. How exciting.

Over/Under on the number of times Tim McCarver becomes so excited about Derek Jeter that he has to change his pants: 7.

Pretty decent boos for Jeter when announced…and what on EARTH is Giambi starting an All-Star Game with his numbers? Is this some sort of deal with BALCO?

“Batting sixth for the National League…and hopefully charging the mound after the first pitch…New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza!”

National anthem sung by “American Idol” winner “Fantasia”, who is wearing earrings the approximate size of the hole in Jeff Cirillo’s swing.

First pitch: Muhammad Ali. Giant. Godlike. Goosebumps. What more can you say?

That’s right, Derek…make sure you’re next to Ali at all times. Get those photo ops while you can, you slimeball…

AL First Inning (Brought to you by the dumb Marvel Comics Movie Du Jour): First pitch from Clemens to Piazza…ball one to Ichiro. Move along, people. Nothing to see here…Message to Joe Buck – it’s “EEE-CHEE-RO”, you moron…Again cursing the Mariners’ “front office” for denying us Pudge…EEE-CHEE-RO scores on the I-Rod triple, which must be a foreign concept to him of late…Five minutes and I’m already sick of McCarver. That’s about right…WOOT! Manny hits “El Potato” and Clemens is down 3-0. BWAHAHAHA!!!...Big K for A-Fraud – so far, this is a YankeesSuck.com dream…Mr. Intestinal Parasite reaches on a Jeff Kent error…Mr. Intangible chops a single, and McCarver is strangely quiet. Lovers’ tiff?...El Potato #2 from Soriano as Clemens goes down 6-0, and Mark Mulder mercifully strikes out. AL hits for the cycle in the first and sends the Rocket back to the trailer park. BeeeeeYOUTiful!

AL Second Inning (Brought to you by the dumb Will Smith Movie Du Jour): EEE-CHEE-RO back in the saddle, groundout…Randy Johnson warming up. No truth to the rumor that Steinbrenner and Selig will have the Unit pitching for the AL by the 7th inning…I-Rod 2 for 2 – Damn you, Howard Lincoln!!!...”Pudge Loves Yanni” segment VERY disturbing…Manny grounds out to Renteria, inning over…Fox cheezos beating the Yanni joke to death. McCarver picturing a tropical island…just him and Derek…Yanni music in the background…OK, I better stop now.

AL Third Inning (Brought to you by Karl Ravech’s hairpiece): RANDEEEEEEE! Don’t listen to those pinstriped wankers when they come up and try to sell you…Unit breaks A-Fraud’s bat for out #1…Scooter the Cartoon Ball needs to be on the receiving end of a Lance Berkman Special…Mr. Intestinal Parasite gets a single off the Unit… Mr. Intangible gets a single off the Unit, and McCarver is AGAIN strangely quiet – what’s going on here?…Looking at Soriano, I don’t know – if I have a choice between him and A-Fraud over the next five years, I wonder if Texas didn’t get the better deal…Fonzie singles to load the bases…Unit strikes out KC’s Harvey on a SICK breaker… EEE-CHEE-RO grounds out and the Unit emerges unscathed…Randy? Next stop, Boston!!!

AL Fourth Inning (Brought to you by the $20 million in missing Mariner payroll): Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano on the mound (the most underrated pitcher in the NL)…Pudge almost beats out an infield single – GAWD, he’s fast for a catcher…Giambi miked up on first talking to Bonds about soft spikes – shouldn’t he be soliciting batting tips?...Ortiz in for Manny, and Zambrano wisely walks him…EEE-CHEE-RO caught in the dugout looking very confused to be surrounded with good players…A-Fraud hits a triple, but at least he drives Ortiz in…Zambrano strikes out Carl Crawford – inning over. Apparently, Roger Clemens would be “remissed” if he didn’t say something to his hometown fans. And Roger, we’d be “remissed” if we didn’t say this in return: “GO HOME, YOU HICK!!!”

AL Fifth Inning (Brought to you by the mental image of Brian Cashman washing Steinbrenner’s car): New NL hurler is the Marlins’ Carl Pavano (forget the ring and the All-Star berth – this man used to date Alyssa Milano!)…and Mr. Intangible reaches on a rather questionable call at first. Hmmm. A Yankee getting a close call. Can you imagine?...Pavano Ks Fonzie…And here’s Texas’ Michael Young, who SHOULD be the A.L. starting shortstop…and Jeter slides 20 feet short of second on a Young grounder – nice “Willie Mays Hayes moment”, Mr. Intangible!...EEE-CHEE-RO up – grounder to short. Inning over.

AL Sixth Inning (Brought to you by Dave Stapleton as a defensive replacement and Mookie grounding out in ‘86): DIE, SCOOTER, DIE!...Pavano again to I-Rod – pop-up to right…Kevin Kennedy talking to Jeter. THERE’S a braintrust…Bad Vlad (the best damn player in the game, if you ask me) singles to right… AND HERE IT IS! McCarver on Jeter – “What a money player he is”. And here comes the Intangibles Speech. And here’s the Highlight Reel. And here’s his bloody mug after the “faceplant catch” (THAT’s kinda enjoyable, actually). And here are the 27 shots of Mr. Intangible in the dugout. Excuse me while I vomit…Ortiz hits one to Arkansas…A.L. 9, A.L. 4. That man is STRONG!...Blalock grounds out…Crawford grounds out…inning over…Tejada fans Ortiz with a towel in the dugout as I wonder what the deal is with Manny’s hair.

AL Seventh Inning (Brought to you by Bill Lee striking out Tony Perez in ’75 and celebrating with a big fat spliff): Glavine on the mound – just picked him up on my No Yankees Allowed Fantasy Team!...Lawton singles, and Sheffield hits into a DP. HAHAHAHA!!!...Young grounds out, inning over...Here comes Ruben Studdard to Sing God Bless America - what a strange coincidence that FOX has the “American Idol” winners singing in this game. Is there nothing that cannot be co-opted anymore? Oh well – no Clay Aiken sightings yet.

AL Eighth Inning (Brought to you by Harry Frazee falling off a cliff in 1918): Brewers’ Ben Sheets on the mound – this guy is underrated and SCARY….makes the Indians’ Belliard look just plain silly on a K…Victor Martinez grounds out…Tejada up – chin music, full count, groundout. Nobody knows who Ben Sheets is, and if you are playing in a fantasy league with morons, make sure you pick him up. Unfortunately, I am not in a league filled with morons, but this guy is an elite pitcher on the verge!

AL Ninth Inning (Brought to you by YankeesSuck.com Editor Beth, who hopefully hasn’t decided to fire me by now): Crap. I used to really LIKE Tom Gordon. Why’d he have to go become a Yankee? McCarver just said “reflections on deflections”. FIRE HIM. NOW…Gagne in…Ortiz looks relieved just to get wood on the ball…McCarver wasting time with a love letter to Mariano Rivera…blah, blah, blah…SHUT UP, TIM…Gagne walks Ortiz…Gagne/Blalock Round 2…Gagne wins this one with a weak pop-out…Matsui up…Damnit Torre, you baggy-eyed Lurch wannabe - get Carlos Guillen in there! You deny the kid in his first All-Star game so you can get 3 ABs for your spoiled brat shortstop? Yuck Foo!...Godzilla, take a seat. You have just been destroyed by Gagne’s Mothra of a fastball...Lawton up – Lawton down. Woof! Gagne is GOOD.

I now have to steel myself for the Mariano Rivera LoveFest. Wake me when it’s over!

Postgame: Final Score: A.L. 9, N.L. 4. McCarver hit the Mr. Intangible Over/Under…in ONE INNING. Very impressive! A.L. has the Home Field Advantage in the World Series now…so go get ‘em, you Bostons! And take Randy Johnson with you!

ESPN Quote Of The Week: “If he goes 0 for his next 50, you still can’t boo him!” – Stuart Scott on Derek Jeter.

An All-Star Disappointment

I seem to be using the word a lot lately, but it is the only word that I feel fits what type of game that was.

Disappointing. Very Boring. Very Yankee Like.

I could go on but I would only be bagging it, so I will stop here.

Rocket Failure

The radio was tuned to WFAN out of New York as I drove home from work this All-Star game night. I listened, as Roger Clemens watched pitch after pitch fly by him at twice the velocity he threw them. The game was still in the first half inning but the person speaking on this sports call-in talk show was euphoric. The admitted Yankee fan had obviously lost all muscular control of his tongue caused by a complete meltdown of the valued human process known as thought.

That was the host.

The callers were even further unhinged. They couldn't decide which was sweeter — watching Clemens, their former lover turned traitor, get shelled, or the thought of this years World Series starting at Yankee Stadium. The rest of us were wondering if Mike Piazza secretly whispered the coming pitch selection to Manny Ramirez and Alfonzo Soriano, who both took the “Lone Star Rocket” deep in the first inning.

Major League Baseball, in its never-ending desire to give meaning to the All-Star game, declared this years winner would gain home field advantage in the World Series this October. "This one counts," is their slogan, sealing the argument for those who argued that past All-Star games didn't.

Before the third out was called, Clemens was riding the pine and this game was all but over as the American League coasted to a 9-4 victory. Clemens performance was so poor it may stop the Yankee faithful from dreaming of Clemens finishing the year in Pinstripes. Boston sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, hit homers.

In a game dominated by current and former Yankees, one couldn’t miss the irony in the doling out of the biggest post-game award. Alfonso Soriano the player the Yankees traded to get Alex Rodriquez, was presented with the Ted Williams MVP award.

Yahoo! recap

All-$tar Retro$pective

Have you ever wondered what it costs your favorite team to win a game? Well, we here at Yankeessuck.com do. So, we took the opening day payrolls, divided them by the number of wins at the All-Star break and came up with a cost-per-win figure. Guess who's dead last in Major League baseball at $3,348,979 per game? And, in case you were wondering this figure might be the cost of success, three of the top four most cost-effective teams in the NL have winning records. (only one in the top four in the AL can make that claim) See where your favorite team is in the "standings: and get ready for a whole new perspective on "what's good for baseball."

Click on the following link for a breakdown of the numbers in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Bud's Bad News Budget.

This Week's Top Ten

Yankees' Top Ten Excuses For Getting Swept By The Mets

10. Two words: Global warming. (robpadov)

9. They were using the wrong Matsui. (Bambino)

8. Stupid Mets wouldn't stick to the script. (MrAcadoodie)

7. "Subway lag" (EddieD)

6. Steroid vending machine in visitors' clubhouse wouldn't take twenties. (thompsma)

5. Clemens wasn't there to knock out Piazza. (marxx3888)

4. Damn umpires wouldn't accept VISA. (JoeDavis5)

3. Not easy swinging a bat after you've been up all night punching All-Star ballots. (RubenSierraOnRye)

2. Preoccupied with upcoming Tampa Bay series. (ThaYankeesSuck)

1. Giambi's parasite went 0 for 12. (MrOpposite)

Wild Card is The Key

The Red Sox' last six games prove why the wild card is so important. The Sox can win the wild card, play the winner of the AL West, and walk into the ALCS. The A's just can't afford to pay for the hitters that match up with Schilling, Pedro and Wakefield (seeing Tejada win the home run derby must have made A's nation sick to their collective stomachs)...and the Rangers don't have the pitching to deal with Nomar, Manny, Ortiz, a tuned-up Nixon, Damon, etc. So, buy those Red Sox/Yankees playoff tickets now...unless, of course, the Yanks' pitching blows it against the White Sox or the Twins or whoever wins the AL Central.

The Real Prize of The All-Star Game

Of course the All-Star game is always about having a good time. It’s about gathering the greats of baseball, and dueling it out in an exhibition match that’s power versus power. For the second year in a row, the All-Star game will have its relevance. Whoever comes out on top in the game will be granted home field advantage through the World Series. This electrifies the atmosphere at the game now, and places more pressure upon the All-Stars to show their best, and try to place their team over the other and earn their league the prize. In 2003, the American League earned bragging rights, as they won the All-Star game 7-6 in Chicago.

But just how much of an effect does the home field advantage have on the teams in the World Series later on? Well, in 2003, The Florida Marlins took the Series title from the New York Yankees In 6 games, winning 2-0. The National League, as a matter of fact, has not won an All-Star game since 1995 when they won 6-0 in Philadelphia.

You know that feeling when you're at the ballpark, it’s the ninth inning, your team is down a run, and theirs is a runner on, and your big name hitter comes up to bat? The music is blaring, the chants start up, everyone is on their feet: you feel like you're in a jungle. This is what home field advantage gets you. So when you watch the All-Star Game this year, keep in mind that it has its significance, and that it’s not just for fun.

Sources:
www.mlb.com
www.espn.com

ARod's Balls For Sale. Again.

In 1984 I attended a Sunday afternoon game at Fenway against the Milwaukee Brewers. Before the game, Wade Boggs came out of the Red Sox dugout to sign autographs for the kids lined up next to the dugout. Wade at this time was already one the best hitters in the game and signed probably a couple dozen autographs on all kinds of items before going back into the dugout.

I hark back on this because I recently read that Alex Rodriguez launched his personal memorabilia company, ARod Authenticated, back in June. Based in Clearwater, FL, this company allows you to purchase his personally autographed items through ARod.com. How much? Here is a sample:

8x10 photo: $259
Baseball: $319
Jersey: $599

In the world of pay-to-sign, this is the sign of the apocalypse. The players can never understand why so many fans leave the game in the event of a strike. Well guys, this is the sort of thing that contributes to it. I realize that memorabilia dealers have made a pretty penny the last 20 or so years selling autographs. But what happened to the point in autographing in the first place? To give the young fans who come to game an additional thrill in being there to take with them. They understood that twenty years ago. Now, it’s true that a kid could turn around and sell it. But so what? You’re still $25 million a year ahead of the game, right Alex?

The Passion of the Damon

The Red Sox dropped their final contest before the All-Star break Sunday, falling 6-5 to Texas at Fenway Park. But the rejuvenated team has gotten itself back in the thick of the playoff race, having won five straight games before yesterday’s disappointment. This resurgence is the result of strong pitching performances and hot bats up and down the lineup, most notably from leadoff man Johnny Damon.

The 30-year old fan favorite has won legions of followers with his prolific hair growth and resemblance to a prominent religious figure, and is certainly playing as if there is divine intervention at work. The outfielder is riding a 16-game hitting streak, with two or more hits in 10 of those contests and at least one run scored in 15 of them. In Boston’s six-game homestand against Oakland and Texas, he went 18-for-33 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Damon scored the winning run Thursday, scoring from first on a Bill Mueller double in the 10th inning with a hair-first slide to complete Boston’s sweep of the A’s. He tacked on four hits and two home runs the following night as the Sox blanked the Rangers, 7-0, then contributed three hits and three runs in a 14-6 romp Saturday. His seventh-inning home run yesterday temporarily tied the game before the team’s eventual defeat. For Boston, Damon’s recent play has been heaven-sent.

Nomar Garciaparra has been almost as hot over the past two weeks, belting 19 hits in his last nine games and perhaps ending any possibility of his being traded by management before the season’s end. Manny Ramirez concluded an MVP-worthy first half of the season with 26 home runs and a .344 average, while David Ortiz leads the American League with 78 RBIs. The pitching staff was bolstered this weekend by Derek Lowe and Bronson Arroyo, who did not allow any earned runs in their starts against Texas. This collective dominance has helped the Red Sox take the lead over Oakland in the current Wild Card standings, and has brought them within seven games of first-place New York in the A.L. East.

Boston (48-38) returns to action Thursday, beginning a six-game West Coast trip. The team will play four games against Anaheim and two against Seattle before returning home for a three-game set against Baltimore and a pivotal series with New York.

In tomorrow’s All-Star Game, Houston’s Roger Clemens will take the mound for the National League. I predict that he will be taken deep by Ramirez in the first inning, then retaliate with some chin music directed at former teammates Derek Jeter and/or Jason Giambi. During the ensuing brawl, the Mets’ Mike Piazza – Clemens’ former nemesis, and ironically his battery-mate for the All-Star affair – will join the Yankees and their A.L. teammates in pummeling the Rocket. Unlikely, but it would make for some good theater and an awfully nice 25th birthday present for me.

In other All-Star news, I believe today and Wednesday (the off-day following the All-Star game) may be the only two days of the year in which no major professional or college sports are played. As much as I pretend to have other, more important things to do, this is actually a big deal for me. Choosing between watching The Natural for the 88th time or a new episode of the North Shore – these decisions will drive a man insane.

Rent-A-Renteria

In Thursday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch in an article by Chris Lee, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. is said to possibly start trade negotiations with Jeffery Lane, Edgar Renteria’s agent. Renteria, the 28-year-old free-agent could be available to any number of teams come the end of the season. With all of the buzz in the Boston clubhouse about sending Nomar out of town and looking for a replacement, I think that Renteria would be the best possible solution. Edgar Renteria is a very good all-around baseball player. He is batting .284, with 6 home runs and 40 RBIs. In the past ten games, his bat has heated up as he batted .308, with 12 hits in 39 at bats. This young shortstop could make even the Yankees envious in a few years according to baseball analyst Peter Gammons of ESPN. Gammons says that "Renteria, at only 28 years of age, is entering his prime. Sooner or later, he could be as good as the big three."

For all those who are unaware of who the big three are, he’s talking about Boston’s own Nomar Garciaparra and the Yankee’s Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. In Renteria’s career, he has batted .289, with 79 home runs. In my own opinion, I think it would be a good move for any club to pick him up — especially the Red Sox. Nomar’s defense just isn’t up to speed this year, and he has contributed nothing significant to this ball club except for errors, and a few occasional clutch hits.

If Nomar was traded and Edgar Renteria came into town, the Sox could move Pokey Reese to second base, (who has provided very well defensively this season), and could swap out Bill Mueller and Mark Bellhorn at second while leave Kevin Youklis at third.

So how close are the Cardinals to not re-signing Renteria when he becomes a free-agent? Well, Cardinals GM Bill DeWitt Jr. reported to Lane of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that "He’s a good ballplayer, but nothing is a done deal yet."

Well, it looks like everyone is going to have to wait and see if Renteria could be up for grabs. Don’t count any team out of this scenario, and certainly not the Red Sox or the Yankees.

Sources:
www.espn.com

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=110840

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=121074

Bon Voyage Expos?

Rumors have been circulating for some time now that the Montreal Expos could be moving out of Canada to someplace south of the border. Why? Well, first of all, the average attendance for the past 2 years has been a measly 12,622 while Olympic Stadium can house 43,739 fans. Maybe there just isn’t a good market for baseball in Canada - after all, baseball is America’s past time. What about the Toronto Blue Jays? Same story. In the Jays' nest, Skydome, which can seat 50,516, the average attendance lingers around 18,000.

The Expos had 22 games hosted in Puerto Rico this season, where they went 13-9. Curiously, their games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan had an average attendance of 14,222 — just slightly higher than their attendance back home in Montreal. With two big-name players vanished from the roster, Javier Vazquez (who went to the New York Yankees) and Vladimir Guerrerro (now in Anaheim), the team’s performance has sunken dramatically since 2003. As a matter of fact, the Expos were in the hunt for the NL East last year, until things went sour towards September. Expos GM Omar Minaya reported to Sean McAdams of ESPN: "Now that the team isn’t winning, we’re rapidly losing fans here at home, and back in San Juan. The fans in Puerto Rico are like fans anywhere; if you win, they come. If you don’t, they forget about you."

So the Expos franchise is spiraling down the loo due to the lack of serious revenue needed to keep the team and the stadium together. They need an answer to their cashflow problems. Fast.

Expos GM Minaya also reported to McAdams of ESPN that "We are seriously considering moving some of our team’s home games down to San Juan, Puerto Rico." This is a huge insult to Expos fans, according to Ron Jenkins of experts.about.com. Jenkins says that "MLB does not care about Montreal anymore, that much is certain."

The managers of the Expos, including Omar Minaya, are looking for a group of buyers to purchase the Expos. Many baseball analysts believe our nation’s capital has a strong chance of putting a new roof over their heads. According to Peter Gammons of ESPN, Washington, D.C., is their best bet. Gammons says that "Washington will probably hold the highest bidder to the Expos, and plus, their isn’t currently a MLB club in town there."

Gammons also says that "They have also not secured public financing for any ballpark as of yet." The 2004 season has now approached the midway point, the All-Star Game. As the season nears a close, I have a feeling we will be hearing more about this situation; and expect some big changes in Montreal.

Derby Preview - Extra Innings

It seems I jumped the gun on my preview and forgot that there are always changes.

I am very glad to see that Berkman is now in, not happy that Albert Pujols was asked first, but I guess that's the way it is.

(The following is based on notes from ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball and I have yet to see other reports anywhere, so this may not be true). At the time of writing this Giambi's replacement has not been announced. Personally I would want the likes of Carl Crawford or Ichiro Suzuki, someone that doesn't ever get a chance. I am sick of just seeing powerhouses in the derby.

I would like to see Berkman win it, but I am still sticking with Thome.

Mariner’s Moyer Moving?

The power of the New York Yankees’ dynasty is intimidating. Just read the long list of All-Stars King Steinbrenner has hosted in "The house that Ruth built." Who will be next to sell their soul to the devil for fame and fortune (emphasis on the fortune)?

According to the New York Times' Dave Caldwell, "The Yankees had discussed a possible Moyer trade with the Mariners while they talked about Garcia." The Seattle Mariners, who are 16.0 games behind the first place Texas Rangers in the AL West, could soon become sellers of some of their big-name players, baseball analysts such as Peter Gammons say. Jamie Moyer, with a 4.24 ERA and 6-5 record as a member of the Mariners this season — and the number one starter to boot — had expressed no interest in the trade. But wait just a minute! Moyer told Robert Finnigan of the Seattle Times that "[He] would waive his 10/5 rights "in a heartbeat" if [he] were to land in New York or Boston." Moyer is currently making $7 million this year, but you can bet that the stakes will rise if the 41-year-old southpaw mounts the trading block.

In recent weeks, rumors have been circulating around the Boston clubhouse that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein was looking to move all-star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra out of town, due to his poor performance. However, since then, Nomar’s bat has been heating up. With a .287 AVG, 3 homeruns, and 13 RBIs, Nomar shows signs of turning things around. In the past ten games, Nomar has batted .333, with 2 HR in 42 at bats. If the Sox want to land the deal with the Mariners and have Moyer sailing east into Boston, the Sox will need some cap room; and that means releasing some big-name players. Will Nomar be part of the tag sale? It’s quite possible – and it could be for the better. The Evil Empire’s reach can never be underestimated. Will the glamour and dollar signs tempt Moyer to bite the Big Apple? I predict that King George isn’t just going to sit back and watch the Red Sox successfully woo Moyer.

Sources:
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=114596

http://www.yesnetwork.com/announcers/article.asp?article_id=215

www.espn.com

Beltran Boarding A Plane For Boston?

"Can we check those bags for you, Sir?"

Carlos Beltran, who just recently signed with the Houston Astros from the Kansas City Royals, could be back on the plane again .

"Will that be a one-way ticket to Boston, Mr. Beltran?"

Well, the Astros, who are 9.5 games behind the first place St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central, are looking to make some more changes. Houston GM Gerry Hunsicker told Houston Chronicle’s Richard Justice "[The Astros] are on the verge of falling out of the race."

Justice thinks that Beltran "could be back up for sale by July 31st." The Astros, who were "renting" Beltran to give the team a push and bring things up to par in the Central division, need a better answer to their problems.

"So where to, Mr. Beltran?"

Let’s move back East, and talk about Boston. The Red Sox, who were itching to get Beltran, could be serious contenders here. According to ESPN’s Peter Gammons, "The Red Sox were very disappointed to lose out on Beltran. They would have put him in right field, kept Damon in center and worked Trot and Manny back and forth between left and DH." As we approach the All-Star break and the trade deadline of July 31, you can bet that if the Astros follow the same path they have been for the first 85 games (just staying about the .500 mark at 43-42) some big names could be back on the block for clubs to snatch.

"Enjoy your flight, Sir."

Sources:
www.mlb.com
www.astros.com
www.redsox.com
www.boston.com/sports
www.espn.com

On The Flip Side - With Mr. Opposite

2004 Home Run Derby Preview - Official Site

Before I complete my home run swing analysis with the top 5 worst home run swings in baseball, I thought I would preview this year's upcoming Home Run Derby in Minute Maid Park, TX.

The Entrants (in alphabetical order): Hank Blalock (Rangers), Barry Bonds (Giants), Jason Giambi (Yankees), Ken Griffey Jr. (Reds), David Ortiz (Red Sox), Rafael Palmeiro (Orioles), Sammy Sosa (Cubs) and Jim Thome (Phillies).

The Snubs: Lance Berkman, Adam Dunn.

Who doesn't deserve to be in it: Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr.

The obvious winner: Jim Thome.

Well now that those stats are out of the way, my rundown...

I am very disappointed and I think it is a major cop-out this year with the 500 home run theme. Don't get me wrong, I respect the feat and all of that, but like the All-Star game, I feel the best people should be in it (yes I am fully aware that in some cases I am dreaming on that one).

Adam Dunn is a big stand-out snubbing and as an Astro fan and a general baseball fan, I think there should always be a player in it from the home field, it just makes sense. Which is why I think Lance was snubbed. Had Barry not accepted the invitation, then I have no doubt that Lance would be in it. So that adds to my growing list of disappointments this season.

I really don't have a problem with any of the A.L players, all are deserving, but I think that Manny Ramirez should be in it (he might have declined an invitation, I don't know). I am glad to see Mr. Moneybags a.k.a. Alex Rodriguez declined his invitation, but am disappointed to see that Vladimir Guerrero didn't accept, although I don't think he would have won it anyway. Unlike some people, I don't mind that Palmeiro is in it, even though he is not an All-Star. He doesn't get the respect that he deserves.

Jim Thome will, in my mind, come out on top once all is said and done, probably beating Sosa or Ortiz in the final.

I will be watching it live over here (in Australia,) hoping that it isn't as disappointing as it so far sounds.

Lower than Lowe

Derek Lowe thinks the Red Sox beat writers are sinking lower than his pitches. He called them to his locker the other day and proceeded to question the questioners. "Why is it when I pitch bad, I'm a mental reject. When everybody else pitches bad, they just pitched bad?" he asked.

Lowe makes a valid point.

The one thing everyone agrees with is that Lowe is pitching badly. In 16 starts totaling 86.2 innings he’s allowed 110 hits and 38 walks while striking out 41 and compiling a 6-8 record with a 6.02 ERA. These numbers are a far cry from his career 3.79 ERA, and the 2002-2003 seasons when he was a combined 38-15 as a starter. They’re also off his relief day numbers from the 1999-2001 when he recorded 81 saves. Lowe is taking home $4.5 million this year for producing those numbers.

But in the macho world of sports and sportswriters, where questioning a man's mental state may be implied as calling him a girlie-man, the Red Sox beat writers have gone a bit far in reporting the personal side of game. This is the kind of predatory behavior that gives good journalists a bad name. Lowe is doing the appropriate professional thing to get himself back in control of his arm, and these sportswriters are just kicking the guy when he’s down.

A baseball career is not a normal profession for a young man. While their childhood buddies work the 9-5 routine in relative anonymity, a ballplayer pulls on a tight stretchy uniform and plays a kids' game in front of thousands of emotionally invested, sometimes hostile, people. It takes a certain type of mental toughness to push one's body to perform on that field. It takes another type of mental toughness to stand up to a group of hungry beat writers looking for a new angle or story.

Last month, Sean McAdam of the Providence journal, wrote this story about how Lowe, "without the slightest bit of self-consciousness," is working with a sports psychologist to improve his pitching. In the story he mentions that many players have psychologists. As a reader I must admit it’s good reading, but why would we expect Lowe to be self-conscious about seeing a mental coach to help him with his game?

Maybe the sportswriter’s problems are mental. There’s the pressure to get the scoop, tight deadlines, and knowing there are younger and more talented writers willing to work for less. All may have contributed to their mediocre performance. Maybe they have subconscious issues . Perhaps, deep within the sportswriter psyche lives a seed of envy and inadequacy that comes through in his literary attack. Maybe he should see a doctor about this.

In fact, look around you at the office. ..Maybe we should all have our heads examined. You know that last presentation you made could have been better. Your sales quota is off. You're just not producing widgets like you were back in your glory day…and there’s always that one coworker whose apparent job security defies logic completely.

Derek Lowe — take note. Yogi Berra revealed the ballplayers secret formula for success years ago. "Baseball is 90% mental — the other half is physical," the wise old Yankee legend reasoned. Lowe is doing the responsible thing and we wish him success.

July 5, Comments (5) | PermaLink