Saturday, April 16, 2005
April 16 - Just Some Random Baseball Thoughts
Baseball Observations – It was a great week for Derrick Lowe who picked up his world championship ring on Monday and his first win as a Dodger last night. Lowe blanked the Padres with a 108 pitch three hitter last night and he looks like he has some of his 2002 confidence back. While Lowe is off to a nice start, the Dodgers other big off-season import – J.D. Drew – has been dreadful. Drew is off to a 4 for 35 start with no extra base hits. I am sure GM Jerry DePodesta thought he was getting something better that Rafael Belliard when he signed Drew for $55 million over the off-season. If Jeff Suppan were allowed to throw all of his games on the road, he would perhaps be as good as his deranged fans claim. Suppan, who for some reason cannot pitch at Busch, threw eight scoreless innings at Milwaukee last night as he out-dueled Ben Sheets. If I were the Cardinals, I would make Soup sleep at a Hotel before every game he pitches, including those in St. Louis. Who is colder right now – J.D. Drew or Scott Rolen? There was a black out in Queens last night after Arron Heilman turned off all the lights around Shea. Heilman, who is two steps away from tossing for the Tokyo Giants, threw a one-hitter against the Fish and Josh Beckett. Was there anyone in this country who thought the Mets were going to win that game? With Pedro going today, the Mets are looking at a half-dozen game winning streak. How long will it be before Dusty drops Nomar down to the six slot? Dave Wells looked a little better last night, throwing seven scoreless innings, but the win did come against Tampa so let’s not go crazy. Manny continues to be mired in a terrible slump and the funny thing is – I don’t think he cares. Does Johan Santana ever throw more then six innings a game. I know he moved to 3-0 last night, but is it too much to ask that this guy make it to the seventh inning stretch once in a while. What the hell is wrong with the Spankees? Losing to the Red Sox is one thing. Losing to Bruce Chen is another thing entirely. Carl Pavano looked incredibly ordinary last night but I have got to ask where all those vaunted bats are hiding. We all know Bernie and Tino are done, but when did Arod and Jorge become such easy outs. Here is a message to Yankee fans – If you can’t hit Bruce Chen, you are in for a long season
Friday, April 15, 2005
April 15 - Shef Rubbed The Wrong Way
****** One of the great benefits of being unemployed is that I had no income last year and thus no tax liability. As such, I had plenty of time today to work on this column ********
Here is my question – did Gary Sheffield get hit harder last night then Sonny Liston did in the first round of Ali-Liston II? The answer to that question is neither got hit even though Gary Sheffield would like the world to believe he got nailed by sledgehammer in the right field corner of Fenway Park last night. I am not going to pretend to know what went on in that corner, but why are people blowing this up into anything more then a sidebar? What we had last night was a case of some fan interference and a bit of an overreaction from a guy who is a bit surly from a couple years of steroid abuse. That is it! It was no big deal yet it was plastered all over New York’s tabloids this morning. To hear the Post tell it, a Yankee was assaulted last night and the rest of the team was lucky to escape Fenway without severe bodily injury. What a bunch of nonsense.
The whole world, at least along I-95 from New York to Boston - is discussing this incident so I guess I will offer my two meaningless cents. Upon review, it looks to me like the fan at the heart of this matter, was trying to distract Sheffield as the Yankee was playing Jason Varitek’s hit down the right field line. It didn’t look to me that the fan was going for the ball or trying to hit Sheffield. Instead, it looked like he was just trying to distract Sheffield, perhaps flip his lid, hoping that such a move would cause Varitek’s hit to get by the Yankees cuddly right fielder. I have watched the play 25 times and that is the best I can come up with. Should he have done that? The answer is obviously no and for his transgression, he deserved to get booted. But let’s tone down the rhetoric here. He didn’t exactly assault Sheffield, as some of the ass clowns on YES claimed. In fact, I am not even entirely sure he even touched Sheffield despite Gary’s claim that he was clocked and felt his lip explode. To hear Gary explain it, he should have gotten a purple heart for being wounded in battle. On that note, I found the pictures in the papers this morning of Sheffield holding his chin to be completely laughable. It reminded me of a WWE wrestler feigning injury after being struck by an imaginary punch.
Following his assault, Sheffield went a bit nuts but I am not going to kill him. He looked like he was going to cross the line and I will give him a point for pulling back. I actually was a bit surprised he did pullback, and I am sure that wouldn’t have been the case two years ago when he was juiced up like the health bar at my gym. But before you think I am going to second Shef’s nomination for man of the year, I should point out that I will have no problem if Selig suspends him for a couple games. It is not so much because I think it is deserved, but I love hearing this retard speak and a suspension would surly lead to an interesting session with the tabloids. (I got to throw this out there - Shef is not only the dumbest English speaking player in baseball, but he is neck and neck with Manny Ramirez for the top spot in the whole sport.) Summing up, I think the only people who should really care about this incident are those who sit atop the waiting list for Red Sox tickets. I say that because the fan involved is probably going to lose his tickets and some lucky bastard will now get a crack at buying tickets to the remaining seventy-eight games at Fenway. Just imagine if this had happened a year ago and the guy who bumped Sheffield had lost his tickets to the 2004 playoffs. That is both cruel and unusual in my book.
A great injustice took place this week when gymnast Paul Hamm was awarded the prestigious Sullivan Award as America’s top amateur athlete of 2004. It simply boggles my mind how this award fell into the lap of anyone other then Michael Phelps, who won eight medals - six of them gold - at the Summer Olympics in Athens. Hamm’s resume was highlighted by his gold medal in the men’s all-around at the Olympics, but just in case you forgot, Hamm’s victory in that competition is not without controversy. That is because the judges at the meet incorrectly docked a point off the silver medalist’s score. Had that error not occurred, the silver medalist would have had enough points to take Hamm’s spot atop the medal platform. There is plenty of debate on this subject and I am going to steer clear of it today, but it goes without saying that Hamm was hardly the world’s dominant gymnast in 2004. The same thing cannot be said of Phelps who put on a display in Athens that is probably the greatest in swimming history. Phelps won four individual gold medals at the meet – which matched Mark Spitz performance from 1972 – and was a part of a relay that pulled off one of the great upsets in swimming history. I know participation on relays sometimes gets overlooked, but this one shouldn’t because it was a race for the ages. I don’t care if Hamm won his event going away because there is no way you are going to convince me that his feats in Athens came close to Phelps. They aren’t in even in the same ballpark. Now some may argue that Hamm’s feat was particularly noteworthy because U.S. male gymnasts rarely do that well in international competition so Hamm’s accomplishments are all that more impressive. BULLSHIT. Why should Phelps be penalized because male gymnasts in this country are the Detroit Tigers of international gymnastics? That makes no sense to me whatsoever. But here is the real reason Hamm won. The voting was conducted on USA Today’s website which is a departure from years past when it was done by a panel of experts. Some 500,000 people submitted votes and that is the problem right there. When you let Americans vote on anything, they usually fuck it up. I am sure Clay Aiken agrees with me on this one.
Baseball Observations – Why did the MLB baseball package not televise the first game played in Washington since the Nixon Administration? I guess they were waiting for something a bit more historic. MLB didn’t let us see it, but Javier Vasquez was once again tremendous last night, proving last season’s meltdown was no fluke. Break up the Mets, winners of four straight including victories over Smoltz, Petitte and Clemens. The Tribe finally scored some runs last night, but Arron Boone continues to struggle mightily. Boonie’s struggles date back to 2003, when he signed over his life to the Devil in exchange for a shot to hit an ALCS clinching bomb at Yankee Stadium. Since that time, Boone tore up his knee – a move that ended up costing the third baseman about $5 million in lost salary. If that weren’t bad enough, Boone has started off this year by going 4 for 33. Those deals with the Devil are sure getting expensive. Is Magglio Ordonez going to play again this year? Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is going to lose his job over that signing and Scott Boras will probably end up getting my “agent of the year” award for plugging the Tigers with this broken down wreck. Mark Belhorn notched his 14th and 15th strikeouts last night. Those K’s have come in just 32 plate appearances. I thought this guy was supposed to be a Moneyball guy. Home plate umpire Greg Gibson’s failure to punch out Gary Sheffield on a clear third strike last night cost the Red Sox four runs. As such, Fenway’s Faithful should have gone after Gibson instead of Sheffield. Meanwhile, the Red Sox starting pitching continues to underperform and Keith Foulke looks like he is suffering from a bad hangover. That staff isn’t pretty right now. But is it any worse then the Yankees? Randy Johnson looks like he has lost five miles off his fastball and Tom Gordon looks like a four year old when he is summoned to pitch against Boston. This staff looks like it could fall apart in a hurry. Roy Halladay threw a great game for the Jays last night and don’t look now but Toronto has the second lowest ERA in the American League. If Sidney Ponson can’t get through the Devil Rays, how is he going to stop the Yanks and the Sox? I am not sure that slob could get anyone out back in Aruba, let alone the AL East. Senor Sanchez returned to the Devil Rays last night after serving a steroid-related suspension and had a couple of hits. I knew this guy was innocent all along.
Yesterday, I gave out an award to Timberwolves owner Glen Wilson for straight shooting and today I am giving an award to Eagle lineman Hugh Douglass for being a man of great integrity. This is what Douglass had to say about his annoying teammate’s effort to renegotiate a contract that is still years away from maturity. “I don’t agree with re-negotiating a contract because I believe that when you sign a contract, you’re bound by that contract. [Owens] is doing what he feels he needs to do, but I do believe that if you sign a contract, you should honor that contract whatever the circumstances you signed it under.” Bravo! Bravo! I couldn’t have said it any better myself, although I probably would have called Terrell a jerkoff while I was at it. Owens, and many of his elite brethren in the NFL just don’t get it. Contracts are sacred. If they weren’t, we would have lawless anarchy. Owens doesn’t understand this. To him, contracts are just documents that interfere with his ability to make money. Nobody forced him to sign his current contract, but his old agent screwed up and he wanted out of Baltimore so badly that this is what he had to take. Owens doesn’t seem to realize that a below-market contract is what it cost him to get out of Baltimore. Moreover, Owens needs to learn that the cost of escaping Baltimore has to be amortized over the full life of his current contract, and not just the first year. As such, Ownes can’t just tear up his deal. He has a debt to pay and it requires him to play out the life of this deal. Douglass understands this and I hope some of his wisdom rubs off on Philly’s biggest cheesedick.
You have to feel bad for Chicago Bull center Eddie Curry. It is bad enough that he has an irregular heartbeat, but to find out about it during a contract year is just plain bad luck. Curry was set to become a restricted free agent after this season and with his numbers (16/g on almost 54 percent shooting), he was set for a big payday either in Chicago or elsewhere. Given what big guys like Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur made on the free agent market last year, Curry probably had a $65-70 million dollar contract headed his way. Curry was rolling along just fine until March 30 when he was scratched from a game because of flu-like symptoms. Since that time, Curry has undergone a battery of tests at medical centers around the country but no definitive diagnosis has been reached. Nonetheless, it was announced yesterday that Curry’s irregular heartbeat would keep him out for the rest of the season. The timing of this finding could not have come at a worse time for Curry. Had it been found six months from now, Curry would be sitting at home with that big fat guaranteed contract and few worries in the world. But now, he faces a future where teams are certainly going to think twice about submitting a tender for his services. After all, who is going to pay up for another Reggie Lewis? Curry is a nice player who is finally beginning to blossom. It is too bad this issue cropped up just moments before his maturing game was going to be financially rewarded.
Here is my question – did Gary Sheffield get hit harder last night then Sonny Liston did in the first round of Ali-Liston II? The answer to that question is neither got hit even though Gary Sheffield would like the world to believe he got nailed by sledgehammer in the right field corner of Fenway Park last night. I am not going to pretend to know what went on in that corner, but why are people blowing this up into anything more then a sidebar? What we had last night was a case of some fan interference and a bit of an overreaction from a guy who is a bit surly from a couple years of steroid abuse. That is it! It was no big deal yet it was plastered all over New York’s tabloids this morning. To hear the Post tell it, a Yankee was assaulted last night and the rest of the team was lucky to escape Fenway without severe bodily injury. What a bunch of nonsense.
The whole world, at least along I-95 from New York to Boston - is discussing this incident so I guess I will offer my two meaningless cents. Upon review, it looks to me like the fan at the heart of this matter, was trying to distract Sheffield as the Yankee was playing Jason Varitek’s hit down the right field line. It didn’t look to me that the fan was going for the ball or trying to hit Sheffield. Instead, it looked like he was just trying to distract Sheffield, perhaps flip his lid, hoping that such a move would cause Varitek’s hit to get by the Yankees cuddly right fielder. I have watched the play 25 times and that is the best I can come up with. Should he have done that? The answer is obviously no and for his transgression, he deserved to get booted. But let’s tone down the rhetoric here. He didn’t exactly assault Sheffield, as some of the ass clowns on YES claimed. In fact, I am not even entirely sure he even touched Sheffield despite Gary’s claim that he was clocked and felt his lip explode. To hear Gary explain it, he should have gotten a purple heart for being wounded in battle. On that note, I found the pictures in the papers this morning of Sheffield holding his chin to be completely laughable. It reminded me of a WWE wrestler feigning injury after being struck by an imaginary punch.
Following his assault, Sheffield went a bit nuts but I am not going to kill him. He looked like he was going to cross the line and I will give him a point for pulling back. I actually was a bit surprised he did pullback, and I am sure that wouldn’t have been the case two years ago when he was juiced up like the health bar at my gym. But before you think I am going to second Shef’s nomination for man of the year, I should point out that I will have no problem if Selig suspends him for a couple games. It is not so much because I think it is deserved, but I love hearing this retard speak and a suspension would surly lead to an interesting session with the tabloids. (I got to throw this out there - Shef is not only the dumbest English speaking player in baseball, but he is neck and neck with Manny Ramirez for the top spot in the whole sport.) Summing up, I think the only people who should really care about this incident are those who sit atop the waiting list for Red Sox tickets. I say that because the fan involved is probably going to lose his tickets and some lucky bastard will now get a crack at buying tickets to the remaining seventy-eight games at Fenway. Just imagine if this had happened a year ago and the guy who bumped Sheffield had lost his tickets to the 2004 playoffs. That is both cruel and unusual in my book.
A great injustice took place this week when gymnast Paul Hamm was awarded the prestigious Sullivan Award as America’s top amateur athlete of 2004. It simply boggles my mind how this award fell into the lap of anyone other then Michael Phelps, who won eight medals - six of them gold - at the Summer Olympics in Athens. Hamm’s resume was highlighted by his gold medal in the men’s all-around at the Olympics, but just in case you forgot, Hamm’s victory in that competition is not without controversy. That is because the judges at the meet incorrectly docked a point off the silver medalist’s score. Had that error not occurred, the silver medalist would have had enough points to take Hamm’s spot atop the medal platform. There is plenty of debate on this subject and I am going to steer clear of it today, but it goes without saying that Hamm was hardly the world’s dominant gymnast in 2004. The same thing cannot be said of Phelps who put on a display in Athens that is probably the greatest in swimming history. Phelps won four individual gold medals at the meet – which matched Mark Spitz performance from 1972 – and was a part of a relay that pulled off one of the great upsets in swimming history. I know participation on relays sometimes gets overlooked, but this one shouldn’t because it was a race for the ages. I don’t care if Hamm won his event going away because there is no way you are going to convince me that his feats in Athens came close to Phelps. They aren’t in even in the same ballpark. Now some may argue that Hamm’s feat was particularly noteworthy because U.S. male gymnasts rarely do that well in international competition so Hamm’s accomplishments are all that more impressive. BULLSHIT. Why should Phelps be penalized because male gymnasts in this country are the Detroit Tigers of international gymnastics? That makes no sense to me whatsoever. But here is the real reason Hamm won. The voting was conducted on USA Today’s website which is a departure from years past when it was done by a panel of experts. Some 500,000 people submitted votes and that is the problem right there. When you let Americans vote on anything, they usually fuck it up. I am sure Clay Aiken agrees with me on this one.
Baseball Observations – Why did the MLB baseball package not televise the first game played in Washington since the Nixon Administration? I guess they were waiting for something a bit more historic. MLB didn’t let us see it, but Javier Vasquez was once again tremendous last night, proving last season’s meltdown was no fluke. Break up the Mets, winners of four straight including victories over Smoltz, Petitte and Clemens. The Tribe finally scored some runs last night, but Arron Boone continues to struggle mightily. Boonie’s struggles date back to 2003, when he signed over his life to the Devil in exchange for a shot to hit an ALCS clinching bomb at Yankee Stadium. Since that time, Boone tore up his knee – a move that ended up costing the third baseman about $5 million in lost salary. If that weren’t bad enough, Boone has started off this year by going 4 for 33. Those deals with the Devil are sure getting expensive. Is Magglio Ordonez going to play again this year? Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is going to lose his job over that signing and Scott Boras will probably end up getting my “agent of the year” award for plugging the Tigers with this broken down wreck. Mark Belhorn notched his 14th and 15th strikeouts last night. Those K’s have come in just 32 plate appearances. I thought this guy was supposed to be a Moneyball guy. Home plate umpire Greg Gibson’s failure to punch out Gary Sheffield on a clear third strike last night cost the Red Sox four runs. As such, Fenway’s Faithful should have gone after Gibson instead of Sheffield. Meanwhile, the Red Sox starting pitching continues to underperform and Keith Foulke looks like he is suffering from a bad hangover. That staff isn’t pretty right now. But is it any worse then the Yankees? Randy Johnson looks like he has lost five miles off his fastball and Tom Gordon looks like a four year old when he is summoned to pitch against Boston. This staff looks like it could fall apart in a hurry. Roy Halladay threw a great game for the Jays last night and don’t look now but Toronto has the second lowest ERA in the American League. If Sidney Ponson can’t get through the Devil Rays, how is he going to stop the Yanks and the Sox? I am not sure that slob could get anyone out back in Aruba, let alone the AL East. Senor Sanchez returned to the Devil Rays last night after serving a steroid-related suspension and had a couple of hits. I knew this guy was innocent all along.
Yesterday, I gave out an award to Timberwolves owner Glen Wilson for straight shooting and today I am giving an award to Eagle lineman Hugh Douglass for being a man of great integrity. This is what Douglass had to say about his annoying teammate’s effort to renegotiate a contract that is still years away from maturity. “I don’t agree with re-negotiating a contract because I believe that when you sign a contract, you’re bound by that contract. [Owens] is doing what he feels he needs to do, but I do believe that if you sign a contract, you should honor that contract whatever the circumstances you signed it under.” Bravo! Bravo! I couldn’t have said it any better myself, although I probably would have called Terrell a jerkoff while I was at it. Owens, and many of his elite brethren in the NFL just don’t get it. Contracts are sacred. If they weren’t, we would have lawless anarchy. Owens doesn’t understand this. To him, contracts are just documents that interfere with his ability to make money. Nobody forced him to sign his current contract, but his old agent screwed up and he wanted out of Baltimore so badly that this is what he had to take. Owens doesn’t seem to realize that a below-market contract is what it cost him to get out of Baltimore. Moreover, Owens needs to learn that the cost of escaping Baltimore has to be amortized over the full life of his current contract, and not just the first year. As such, Ownes can’t just tear up his deal. He has a debt to pay and it requires him to play out the life of this deal. Douglass understands this and I hope some of his wisdom rubs off on Philly’s biggest cheesedick.
You have to feel bad for Chicago Bull center Eddie Curry. It is bad enough that he has an irregular heartbeat, but to find out about it during a contract year is just plain bad luck. Curry was set to become a restricted free agent after this season and with his numbers (16/g on almost 54 percent shooting), he was set for a big payday either in Chicago or elsewhere. Given what big guys like Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur made on the free agent market last year, Curry probably had a $65-70 million dollar contract headed his way. Curry was rolling along just fine until March 30 when he was scratched from a game because of flu-like symptoms. Since that time, Curry has undergone a battery of tests at medical centers around the country but no definitive diagnosis has been reached. Nonetheless, it was announced yesterday that Curry’s irregular heartbeat would keep him out for the rest of the season. The timing of this finding could not have come at a worse time for Curry. Had it been found six months from now, Curry would be sitting at home with that big fat guaranteed contract and few worries in the world. But now, he faces a future where teams are certainly going to think twice about submitting a tender for his services. After all, who is going to pay up for another Reggie Lewis? Curry is a nice player who is finally beginning to blossom. It is too bad this issue cropped up just moments before his maturing game was going to be financially rewarded.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
April 14 - Wolves Owner Eats His Own
Congratulations are in order for Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor who gave the sports world a much needed infusion of “frankness’ yesterday. In case you missed it, Taylor came out and admitted he made a big mistake bringing Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell to Minnesota. Speaking of these moves, Wilson said “it was a poor decision on out part. Overall, it was just a failed experiment.” He then went to say that both are basically selfish and overpaid players who will not be in Minnesota for too much longer. Pinch me if I am dreaming, but did I just hear an owner throw some of his current players under the bus. It is about FUCKING time someone did this. I am tired of owners and front office personnel zipping it in the name of etiquette. I am tired of criticisms being shielded behind opaque and generic references. Most of all, I am tired of all the half-ass sugar-coating. As Lt. Caffey demanded in a Few Good Men, I WANT THE TRUTH! I want names and finally Wilson came out and gave me what I have long sought. It has become too easy for these guys to express their displeasure by simply firing a coach or trading a player. Seeing this is like watching a movie without the audio. The trouble is – I WANT THE SOUND. I love to see overpaid athletes embarrassed and that can only be done properly with the help of auditory narrative. Heck, some of these owners have fortunes invested in these teams and I am sure there are times when they want to throw their television sets through the windows of their luxury boxes. When that happens, I want to hear about it. If fans and pundits have a right to criticize non-performers, owners do as well and it was good to see Wilson exercise that right. It is hard to give an “owner of the year” award to Wilson given his team’s 9th place finish, but he is on my honorable mention list.
Baseball Observations – The D Train was cooking down in Florida yesterday, throwing a three hit shutout for the Fish. Who needs a bullpen when you keep getting complete game victories. Jim Thome whiffed three times yesterday, bringing his burgeoning total on the year to 13. With two good years, he has a shot at crossing 2000 next September. In case you care, thumper has more K’s than hits over his career. The Braves lost their third in a row as Atlanta hurler John Thompson proved last week’s win over the Mets was a bit fluky. On the other side of the field, the only thing in Washington that is off to a colder start then Chris Guzman (4-35) is the White House’s social security reform plan. Staying with the Nationals – Jose Guillen is burning up with five dongs in ten days. He must have slept with Mike Scioscia’s wife to get himself thrown out of Orange County so abruptly. Okay, so Kerry Wood was horrible and Prior was terrific. Is that a wash? The Cubs need both of these guys to stand out but one will have to do for now. Meanwhile, Nomar is off to a cool start (.171 and benched for the nightcap) and he looks peeved that he is playing for a paltry eight million. Was Melvin Mora a fluke in 2004? Mark Mulder got blasted yesterday, leading a friend of mine who happens to be a Cardinal fan to ask: “we traded Danny Haren for this guy?” I am not sure Mulder has won a game since my 35th birthday and that was on July 17th. The Twins don’t need Justin Morneau so long as minor league replacements like Terry Tiffee keep jacking two-run bombs. Jose Contreras sure found his control in Chicago as evidenced last night when he walked five in six and two-thirds. It is a sign of the apocalypse when both Bernie and Giambi hit home runs in the same game and when it happens in the same inning, you better seek shelter immediately. Did that viral infection spread to Terry Francona’s brain because there is no other explanation for why he left Curt Schilling in to pitch the sixth with a pitch count closing in on 100? Odalis Perez gave the Dodgers another strong start last night and that begs the question why nobody wanted this guy over the off-season. The Kaz Ishii trade is already a home run for the Mets after he blanked Houston over seven. Whatever he yields from here on out is Japanese gravy (soy and wasabi).
Do you remember the scene in the Bad News Bears where Tanner and Timmy Lupus are eating some burritos when Joey Turner and another Yankee come over and tease the Bears about an opening day debacle against the White Sox. Lupus ends up catching a hat full of ketchup and Tanner flips out and goes after Joey. In case you aren’t a huge BNB fan like myself, Tanner eventually succumbs to Turner and gets deposited in a trash can. If you don’t think that happens in real life, check out what happened in California the other day and unfortunately it didn’t end at the bottom of a trash can. In Antelope Valley, a thirteen year old kid was being teased after his team lost a game. But rather than fight back, as Tanner did, with a burrito mush to the face, he reached for a bat. It turned ugly from there as the kid ended up murdering the fifteen year-old who was teasing him. The suspect in this case happened to be the starting pitcher for the losing team. I don’t want to make light of this terrible tragedy, but I haven’t heard of a starting pitcher that pissed off since John Tudor smashed a clubhouse fan after he got rocked in the Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Can you imagine if this type of scene had been written into the original Bad News Bears? Just imagine Amanda reaching for a Louisville Slugger and going after Roy Turner moments after Kelly Leak was thrown out at the plate, ending the Bears brave rally in the bottom of the sixth. In this case, its too bad life didn’t imitate the movies because if it had, a senseless murder could have been avoided.
As next Friday’s deadline for entry into the NBA approaches, all eyes are on North Carolina where the defending champions could be devastated by early entry. Just this week, Rashad McCants said he would be leaving early and there is concern in Chapel Hill that Sean May, Marvin Williams and Ray Felton will follow. Losing McCants was no big deal since he was a problem child, but the same cannot be said for the other three. May has said he wants to return, but after being named MVP of the tourney, I think Doughboy will split. This will obviously hurt the Heels in the season ahead since there is no one in college basketball who can guard May. Marvin’s case is a bit harder to predict. Everyone loves this kid’s talent, but his performance on the court has been anything but spectacular so far. If Williams goes, he will be selected high just because of his raw talent but most observers, including myself, think he needs more seasoning. I would say he is less then 50/50 to go. As for Felton, I am sure he thinks he is ready for the pros, but I am not sure the league feels the same way. He is super quick, but he is small and not that bright on the floor. If he decides to leave, I doubt he will be picked in the top half of the first round, or the entire first round for that matter. With that said, I think Ray could be persuaded to stay. So if I had to summarize, I would say May is probably a goner, Williams stays and Felton is likely to stay, although that last one is a bit murky. Given a scenario where May is the only defection, UNC will still be a top-10 team next season. If Felton splits as well, the Heels fall towards the bottom of the top-20. And if all three bolt, UNC is going to need a miracle to avoid becoming the first team since the 1987 Louisville Cardinals to miss out on the tourney the year after they won the national championship Conversely, if each stays, the Heels will open next season as the number one team in the country.
Well, that does it; Mike Davis just lost his job at Indiana even though the paperwork won’t be dry for another eleven months. I say this because just yesterday, Indiana junior Bracey Wright said he will sign with an agent and make himself available for the NBA draft. Wright was always a gunner for the Hoosiers, but he did lead the Big-10 in scoring a year ago and his departure leaves Indiana in a bit of a bind. The Hoosiers do have talented sophomores D.J. White and Robert Vaden coming back but it is asking a lot for these two to pick up Wright’s scoring load. After all, Bracey was an eighteen point scorer who had plenty of range. Wright’s defection puts Davis behind the eight ball since people in Bloomington this year were calling for his head before he ran off some late season victories. His Hoosiers have missed the last two NCAA tournaments and the bet here is the folks at IU will not be smiling if Davis pulls off a hat trick. With no high-profile recruits on their way, Mike’s fate now rests in the hands of White who was terrific as a frosh but will need to take his game up two notches if IU is to finish near the top of the Big-10. Anything short of that and Davis will be listing his home next spring.
Some of these early defection announcements have the potential to greatly upend college basketball next year. Perhaps the most surprising news thus far came out of Lexington where Kalenna Azubuike said he will sing an agent and enter the NBA draft. This is a big blow to the Cats who many had penciled in near the top of next season’s pre-season rankings. Azubuike is hardly a star, but his loss, coupled with the departure of Chuck Hayes, robs Kentucky of two proven scorers. And just in case you didn’t watch too much Kentucky basketball this year, offense was already in short supply in Lexington. Another announcement that startled me came out of Gainesville where Matt Walsh says he is ready to take the plunge. Walsh always looked like a stoner and now it is confirmed since this decision could only have been made after Matt took several bong hits. Someone should tell Matt before it is too late that the chicks are much better on the campus of Florida then they are in National Basketball Development League towns like Ashville, Huntsville and Roanoke. The other big early defection notice comes to us from Winston Salem where Chris Paul has decided to bag college for an opportunity to play for the Hawks or the Bobcats. This was somewhat expected, but it should be noted that it takes Wake from a pre-season top-5 team to something closer to number twenty. Had Paul returned, he and Justin Grey would have given Wake the best backcourt in the country, but without the speedy Paul, the Deacons are a bit thin at guard.
Baseball Observations – The D Train was cooking down in Florida yesterday, throwing a three hit shutout for the Fish. Who needs a bullpen when you keep getting complete game victories. Jim Thome whiffed three times yesterday, bringing his burgeoning total on the year to 13. With two good years, he has a shot at crossing 2000 next September. In case you care, thumper has more K’s than hits over his career. The Braves lost their third in a row as Atlanta hurler John Thompson proved last week’s win over the Mets was a bit fluky. On the other side of the field, the only thing in Washington that is off to a colder start then Chris Guzman (4-35) is the White House’s social security reform plan. Staying with the Nationals – Jose Guillen is burning up with five dongs in ten days. He must have slept with Mike Scioscia’s wife to get himself thrown out of Orange County so abruptly. Okay, so Kerry Wood was horrible and Prior was terrific. Is that a wash? The Cubs need both of these guys to stand out but one will have to do for now. Meanwhile, Nomar is off to a cool start (.171 and benched for the nightcap) and he looks peeved that he is playing for a paltry eight million. Was Melvin Mora a fluke in 2004? Mark Mulder got blasted yesterday, leading a friend of mine who happens to be a Cardinal fan to ask: “we traded Danny Haren for this guy?” I am not sure Mulder has won a game since my 35th birthday and that was on July 17th. The Twins don’t need Justin Morneau so long as minor league replacements like Terry Tiffee keep jacking two-run bombs. Jose Contreras sure found his control in Chicago as evidenced last night when he walked five in six and two-thirds. It is a sign of the apocalypse when both Bernie and Giambi hit home runs in the same game and when it happens in the same inning, you better seek shelter immediately. Did that viral infection spread to Terry Francona’s brain because there is no other explanation for why he left Curt Schilling in to pitch the sixth with a pitch count closing in on 100? Odalis Perez gave the Dodgers another strong start last night and that begs the question why nobody wanted this guy over the off-season. The Kaz Ishii trade is already a home run for the Mets after he blanked Houston over seven. Whatever he yields from here on out is Japanese gravy (soy and wasabi).
Do you remember the scene in the Bad News Bears where Tanner and Timmy Lupus are eating some burritos when Joey Turner and another Yankee come over and tease the Bears about an opening day debacle against the White Sox. Lupus ends up catching a hat full of ketchup and Tanner flips out and goes after Joey. In case you aren’t a huge BNB fan like myself, Tanner eventually succumbs to Turner and gets deposited in a trash can. If you don’t think that happens in real life, check out what happened in California the other day and unfortunately it didn’t end at the bottom of a trash can. In Antelope Valley, a thirteen year old kid was being teased after his team lost a game. But rather than fight back, as Tanner did, with a burrito mush to the face, he reached for a bat. It turned ugly from there as the kid ended up murdering the fifteen year-old who was teasing him. The suspect in this case happened to be the starting pitcher for the losing team. I don’t want to make light of this terrible tragedy, but I haven’t heard of a starting pitcher that pissed off since John Tudor smashed a clubhouse fan after he got rocked in the Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Can you imagine if this type of scene had been written into the original Bad News Bears? Just imagine Amanda reaching for a Louisville Slugger and going after Roy Turner moments after Kelly Leak was thrown out at the plate, ending the Bears brave rally in the bottom of the sixth. In this case, its too bad life didn’t imitate the movies because if it had, a senseless murder could have been avoided.
As next Friday’s deadline for entry into the NBA approaches, all eyes are on North Carolina where the defending champions could be devastated by early entry. Just this week, Rashad McCants said he would be leaving early and there is concern in Chapel Hill that Sean May, Marvin Williams and Ray Felton will follow. Losing McCants was no big deal since he was a problem child, but the same cannot be said for the other three. May has said he wants to return, but after being named MVP of the tourney, I think Doughboy will split. This will obviously hurt the Heels in the season ahead since there is no one in college basketball who can guard May. Marvin’s case is a bit harder to predict. Everyone loves this kid’s talent, but his performance on the court has been anything but spectacular so far. If Williams goes, he will be selected high just because of his raw talent but most observers, including myself, think he needs more seasoning. I would say he is less then 50/50 to go. As for Felton, I am sure he thinks he is ready for the pros, but I am not sure the league feels the same way. He is super quick, but he is small and not that bright on the floor. If he decides to leave, I doubt he will be picked in the top half of the first round, or the entire first round for that matter. With that said, I think Ray could be persuaded to stay. So if I had to summarize, I would say May is probably a goner, Williams stays and Felton is likely to stay, although that last one is a bit murky. Given a scenario where May is the only defection, UNC will still be a top-10 team next season. If Felton splits as well, the Heels fall towards the bottom of the top-20. And if all three bolt, UNC is going to need a miracle to avoid becoming the first team since the 1987 Louisville Cardinals to miss out on the tourney the year after they won the national championship Conversely, if each stays, the Heels will open next season as the number one team in the country.
Well, that does it; Mike Davis just lost his job at Indiana even though the paperwork won’t be dry for another eleven months. I say this because just yesterday, Indiana junior Bracey Wright said he will sign with an agent and make himself available for the NBA draft. Wright was always a gunner for the Hoosiers, but he did lead the Big-10 in scoring a year ago and his departure leaves Indiana in a bit of a bind. The Hoosiers do have talented sophomores D.J. White and Robert Vaden coming back but it is asking a lot for these two to pick up Wright’s scoring load. After all, Bracey was an eighteen point scorer who had plenty of range. Wright’s defection puts Davis behind the eight ball since people in Bloomington this year were calling for his head before he ran off some late season victories. His Hoosiers have missed the last two NCAA tournaments and the bet here is the folks at IU will not be smiling if Davis pulls off a hat trick. With no high-profile recruits on their way, Mike’s fate now rests in the hands of White who was terrific as a frosh but will need to take his game up two notches if IU is to finish near the top of the Big-10. Anything short of that and Davis will be listing his home next spring.
Some of these early defection announcements have the potential to greatly upend college basketball next year. Perhaps the most surprising news thus far came out of Lexington where Kalenna Azubuike said he will sing an agent and enter the NBA draft. This is a big blow to the Cats who many had penciled in near the top of next season’s pre-season rankings. Azubuike is hardly a star, but his loss, coupled with the departure of Chuck Hayes, robs Kentucky of two proven scorers. And just in case you didn’t watch too much Kentucky basketball this year, offense was already in short supply in Lexington. Another announcement that startled me came out of Gainesville where Matt Walsh says he is ready to take the plunge. Walsh always looked like a stoner and now it is confirmed since this decision could only have been made after Matt took several bong hits. Someone should tell Matt before it is too late that the chicks are much better on the campus of Florida then they are in National Basketball Development League towns like Ashville, Huntsville and Roanoke. The other big early defection notice comes to us from Winston Salem where Chris Paul has decided to bag college for an opportunity to play for the Hawks or the Bobcats. This was somewhat expected, but it should be noted that it takes Wake from a pre-season top-5 team to something closer to number twenty. Had Paul returned, he and Justin Grey would have given Wake the best backcourt in the country, but without the speedy Paul, the Deacons are a bit thin at guard.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
April 13 - Supreme Court Justice O'Neil?
The worst kept secret in Washington these days is Supreme Court chief Justice William Rehnquist will be stepping down after the court concludes its business in June. I am now hearing rumblings that a dark horse from the world of sports is moving up the list of possible replacements. Yep, none other then Indiana Pacer Jermaine O’Neil is now being mentioned as a potential Supreme after he thrilled the country this week with his astute views on the constitution and federal labor law. In case you missed it, O’Neil went off last night on the possibility that the NBA will incorporate a minimum age requirement into the next collective bargaining agreement. This sparked O’Neil to utter the following: “To say you have to be 20, 21 to get into the league – that is unconstitutional. If I can go to the Army and fight a war at 18, then why can’t I play basketball for 48 minutes?” Say what? I didn't think this guy went to college, let alone law school, so that begs the question of where Jermaine became a constitutional scholar. I guess with all those Auburn Hills assault charges hanging over his head, he has spent some time brushing up on the law.
It is a good thing Jermaine excels on the basketball court because I am not sure he has much of a future arguing cases in federal court. Here is a little lesson for Jermaine and all of his libertarian buddies – There is nothing unconstitutional about a league setting minimum workplace standards through the collective bargaining process. The NFL did so and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decided the league had not violated federal anti-trust law or anyone’s constitutional rights. The Supreme Court, uninspired by Maurice Clarett’s appeal, simply refused to hear any more on the subject. Perhaps Clarett should have hired O’Neil as his appellate counsel since Jermaine’s passion and persuasiveness would have perhaps elicited a different response from the high court. It certainly elicited a response from this scribe.
This whole age issue drives me nuts and I am particularly peeved by those, like O’Neil, who say an age requirement would discriminate against poor young kids who are mostly black. Listen folks - the NBA has a right to set standards so long as those standards do not run afoul of federal labor or anti-trust law. END OF STORY! The owners have not only the right, but the obligation to do what is necessary to protect the product, which in that case has been severely compromised. I for one think an age requirement is long overdue because its absence has ended up hurting both professional and college basketball. Twenty years ago, both sports were strong when players attended college for more than a semester, learned to play the game and cultivated fan followings. The college game had some semblance of stability and when players arrived in the NBA, they had some maturity and existing fan bases that tuned in to follow their progress. Much of this was lost when players started jumping ship right after high school or their first year of college. Some of this can be reversed with the simple implementation of an age requirement. And this is what I would propose. I would implement a policy that mirrors that of baseball. It would still allow exceptional players to be drafted right out of high school, but once in college, players could not be selected until after their junior years. Such a policy would throw a bone to a handful of kids who are clearly ready to play professional basketball but it would also serve to protect some of those kids that have made idiotic decisions to leave college early. And for those of you who may argue that this would prevent a college freshman or sophomore from leaving early to help their family, I say too bad! You had your chance and you didn’t take it. So your punishment is an education and whatever you can skim off excitable college boosters. Hell, that doesn’t sound too awful to me.
Where is it written in the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that superstars are entitled to renegotiate their contracts at any time or demand a trade? The latest example of a greedy player run amok comes to us from Philadelphia where Terrell Owens has hired a new agent whose sole mission is to get the Eagles to tear up TO’s 2004 contract and replace it with one that is much more generous. For those of you who aren’t contract jocks, Owens got a deal last March that basically paid him $9 million up front. He is due $3.25 million in 2005 and another $7.5 million in 2006. Both of these numbers are manageable for the Eagles and I am sure they aren’t real keen on doing anything to take these numbers north. But Owens now feels that he cannot work for such chump change especially since he would have taken in much more if his ex-agent had not screwed up some paperwork a year ago that prevented Terrell from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
But this is not Philadelphia’s problem, at least it wasn’t until now. They got him fair and square and under contract terms that were to the team’s liking. But what do they do now if Owens becomes a total problem child? These are their choices. They can cave and give TO the money he thinks he deserves. Such an option makes a mockery out of the whole concept of contracts and it borders on extortion. As an alternative, they could try living with a pissed off player and that probably doesn’t excite anyone in the organization too much. Third, they could try to trade their disgruntled star. That doesn’t sound too appealing either since Owens is a difference maker for this team and he cannot be easily replaced. If I had to guess, I would say that TO will get his way, just as NFL stars are accustomed. It is a sad comment on the league, but superstars usually get what they want because teams cannot fathom having disruptive players on their sidelines. This is nothing less than extortion in my book and just in case you think this is an isolated incident – check out today’s papers in Washington. I say that because it now looks like Washington Redskin safety Sean Taylor is demanding that his rookie contract be torn up and replaced with one more fitting for a second-year superstar.
Baseball observations: Jim Edmonds got his 1,500 hit last night. What is more impressive, the hits or the almost 1,300 strikeouts? It sure didn’t take long for Armando Benitez to show Giant fans what they have to look forward to. In just his third appearance as a Gyro, Benitez blew a three run “soft save” opportunity and handed the Dodgers a stupefying ninth inning comeback win. Don’t laugh Braves fans cause your guy is no better. Of course I am talking about off-season acquisition Dan Kolb who came in last night and blew a two run lead in the ninth. You think Tim Hudson was happy with that eight inning no-decision? How come all the boxscores this morning say Uggy Urbina lost last nights game between the Tigers and the Twins when in fact it was Troy Percival who blew the game? It is not like the two guys look alike. Brian Roberts hit his fourth homer of the year for the O’s last night. He hit four all of last year. A.J Burnett pitched a complete game last night against the Phils. How long is it before some jackass starts calling Burnett and Josh Beckett the “Killer Bees?” Blue Jay Eric Hinskie is off to a torrid start while Oakland import Charlie Thomas is still looking for his first hit. The Rangers staff is looking worse than advertised. The staff ERA is over 6 after last nights loss to Anaheim and Ranger pitchers are currently struggling to strikeout more batters then they walk. Justin Morneau went on the DL yesterday because he was still dizzy from a beaning. Is this another Dickie Thon type injury?
Do you think anyone wants to face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs, especially the slumping Seattle Supersonics? I know nobody cares about the NBA anymore, but the Nuggets are an interesting story. At midseason, this team was in total chaos, but George Karl was then brought in and the Nuggets responded with a vengeance. Since February 23, the Nuggets are 22-2 and have moved from nowheresville into the western conference championship hunt. If the playoffs were to being today, they would face a tough battle with the Spurs, but there is still a possibility that they cold move up and play Seattle, a team that is limping into the playoffs. In February, the Nuggets were about +15,000 to win the NBA title and the last time I checked, they are down to +1950 and that number is falling fast. Denver, in case you haven’t watched, plays an up-tempo style that is a bit reminiscent of the Nugget teams from the 80’s only this team will go out and guard you on occasion. There is some size and toughness up front and point guard Andre Miller has quietly put together a nice comeback year (Shooting almost 48 percent on the season and averaging 16 assists per game over his last three). If the Nuggets have to play the Spurs with a healthy Tim Duncan, all bets are off, but if Duncan is gimpy or Seattle ends up being the foe, the Nuggets could cause a lot of problems out West.
What happens when analysts try to stoke a controversy and nobody follows them into battle? Why don’t you try asking Harold Reynolds and John Kruk who are clearly swimming upstream in this manufactured debate over whether Derrick Lowe was out of line to wear a Red Sox jersey during Monday’s ring ceremony at Fenway Park. From the moment Lowe stepped out of the dugout on Monday, both Kruk and Reynolds were on his ass, chastising the current Dodger for disrespecting his new team. I have to think that each of these two ass clowns felt others would step forward to watch their collective back, but to date, their flanks are entirely exposed. Baseball Tonight curator Karl Ravitch seemed absolutely dumbstruck by Kruk’s enthusiasm for this issue and I haven’t heard a single player, analyst, or talk show host, other then ESPN’s Mike Greenburg, stake out a position that is within 160 degrees of Kruk and Reyno. Sorry guys – you missed this one entirely.
David Ortiz gets all the attention as the great Yankee killer in Boston’s lineup, but perhaps it is time to start recognizing the guy in Boston who really has the Yankees number. Of course I am talking about Tim Wakefield who has been absolutely lights out against the Yankees since the 2003 ALCS. Here are the numbers. In the 2003 ALCS, Wakefield would have been series MVP had Grady Little not crapped the bed in the eighth inning of game 7. Lest you forget, Wakefield won two games in that series, each over Mike Mussina, and had given up only three earned runs in 14 innings before Arron Boone won the lottery in the 11th inning of game 7. Since that inglorious moment, it has been all Wakefield. In 2004, Wakes was 1-0 in three starts against the Yanks with an ERA of 1.82. He then absolutely shut them down for three critical innings in game five of the ALCS when the Sox had absolutely exhausted their pen. And this year, Wakes has pitched great in two starts against the Yanks, winning a game and giving up only two earned runs in almost 14 innings. When it is all pieced together, Wakefield’s record against the Yanks is nothing short of outstanding. For some reason or another, they just can’t figure him out. Jeter hangs in tough against Wakefield, but guys like Matsui, Giambi, Arod and Bernie are helpless against the old man. He has the Yankees number and so long as he does, the Sox have a very important advantage in a head-to-head matchup with the Yanks. If this Knucklehead could pitch half as well against league as he does New York, the Sox would have the makings of a decent staff.
It is a good thing Jermaine excels on the basketball court because I am not sure he has much of a future arguing cases in federal court. Here is a little lesson for Jermaine and all of his libertarian buddies – There is nothing unconstitutional about a league setting minimum workplace standards through the collective bargaining process. The NFL did so and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decided the league had not violated federal anti-trust law or anyone’s constitutional rights. The Supreme Court, uninspired by Maurice Clarett’s appeal, simply refused to hear any more on the subject. Perhaps Clarett should have hired O’Neil as his appellate counsel since Jermaine’s passion and persuasiveness would have perhaps elicited a different response from the high court. It certainly elicited a response from this scribe.
This whole age issue drives me nuts and I am particularly peeved by those, like O’Neil, who say an age requirement would discriminate against poor young kids who are mostly black. Listen folks - the NBA has a right to set standards so long as those standards do not run afoul of federal labor or anti-trust law. END OF STORY! The owners have not only the right, but the obligation to do what is necessary to protect the product, which in that case has been severely compromised. I for one think an age requirement is long overdue because its absence has ended up hurting both professional and college basketball. Twenty years ago, both sports were strong when players attended college for more than a semester, learned to play the game and cultivated fan followings. The college game had some semblance of stability and when players arrived in the NBA, they had some maturity and existing fan bases that tuned in to follow their progress. Much of this was lost when players started jumping ship right after high school or their first year of college. Some of this can be reversed with the simple implementation of an age requirement. And this is what I would propose. I would implement a policy that mirrors that of baseball. It would still allow exceptional players to be drafted right out of high school, but once in college, players could not be selected until after their junior years. Such a policy would throw a bone to a handful of kids who are clearly ready to play professional basketball but it would also serve to protect some of those kids that have made idiotic decisions to leave college early. And for those of you who may argue that this would prevent a college freshman or sophomore from leaving early to help their family, I say too bad! You had your chance and you didn’t take it. So your punishment is an education and whatever you can skim off excitable college boosters. Hell, that doesn’t sound too awful to me.
Where is it written in the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that superstars are entitled to renegotiate their contracts at any time or demand a trade? The latest example of a greedy player run amok comes to us from Philadelphia where Terrell Owens has hired a new agent whose sole mission is to get the Eagles to tear up TO’s 2004 contract and replace it with one that is much more generous. For those of you who aren’t contract jocks, Owens got a deal last March that basically paid him $9 million up front. He is due $3.25 million in 2005 and another $7.5 million in 2006. Both of these numbers are manageable for the Eagles and I am sure they aren’t real keen on doing anything to take these numbers north. But Owens now feels that he cannot work for such chump change especially since he would have taken in much more if his ex-agent had not screwed up some paperwork a year ago that prevented Terrell from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
But this is not Philadelphia’s problem, at least it wasn’t until now. They got him fair and square and under contract terms that were to the team’s liking. But what do they do now if Owens becomes a total problem child? These are their choices. They can cave and give TO the money he thinks he deserves. Such an option makes a mockery out of the whole concept of contracts and it borders on extortion. As an alternative, they could try living with a pissed off player and that probably doesn’t excite anyone in the organization too much. Third, they could try to trade their disgruntled star. That doesn’t sound too appealing either since Owens is a difference maker for this team and he cannot be easily replaced. If I had to guess, I would say that TO will get his way, just as NFL stars are accustomed. It is a sad comment on the league, but superstars usually get what they want because teams cannot fathom having disruptive players on their sidelines. This is nothing less than extortion in my book and just in case you think this is an isolated incident – check out today’s papers in Washington. I say that because it now looks like Washington Redskin safety Sean Taylor is demanding that his rookie contract be torn up and replaced with one more fitting for a second-year superstar.
Baseball observations: Jim Edmonds got his 1,500 hit last night. What is more impressive, the hits or the almost 1,300 strikeouts? It sure didn’t take long for Armando Benitez to show Giant fans what they have to look forward to. In just his third appearance as a Gyro, Benitez blew a three run “soft save” opportunity and handed the Dodgers a stupefying ninth inning comeback win. Don’t laugh Braves fans cause your guy is no better. Of course I am talking about off-season acquisition Dan Kolb who came in last night and blew a two run lead in the ninth. You think Tim Hudson was happy with that eight inning no-decision? How come all the boxscores this morning say Uggy Urbina lost last nights game between the Tigers and the Twins when in fact it was Troy Percival who blew the game? It is not like the two guys look alike. Brian Roberts hit his fourth homer of the year for the O’s last night. He hit four all of last year. A.J Burnett pitched a complete game last night against the Phils. How long is it before some jackass starts calling Burnett and Josh Beckett the “Killer Bees?” Blue Jay Eric Hinskie is off to a torrid start while Oakland import Charlie Thomas is still looking for his first hit. The Rangers staff is looking worse than advertised. The staff ERA is over 6 after last nights loss to Anaheim and Ranger pitchers are currently struggling to strikeout more batters then they walk. Justin Morneau went on the DL yesterday because he was still dizzy from a beaning. Is this another Dickie Thon type injury?
Do you think anyone wants to face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs, especially the slumping Seattle Supersonics? I know nobody cares about the NBA anymore, but the Nuggets are an interesting story. At midseason, this team was in total chaos, but George Karl was then brought in and the Nuggets responded with a vengeance. Since February 23, the Nuggets are 22-2 and have moved from nowheresville into the western conference championship hunt. If the playoffs were to being today, they would face a tough battle with the Spurs, but there is still a possibility that they cold move up and play Seattle, a team that is limping into the playoffs. In February, the Nuggets were about +15,000 to win the NBA title and the last time I checked, they are down to +1950 and that number is falling fast. Denver, in case you haven’t watched, plays an up-tempo style that is a bit reminiscent of the Nugget teams from the 80’s only this team will go out and guard you on occasion. There is some size and toughness up front and point guard Andre Miller has quietly put together a nice comeback year (Shooting almost 48 percent on the season and averaging 16 assists per game over his last three). If the Nuggets have to play the Spurs with a healthy Tim Duncan, all bets are off, but if Duncan is gimpy or Seattle ends up being the foe, the Nuggets could cause a lot of problems out West.
What happens when analysts try to stoke a controversy and nobody follows them into battle? Why don’t you try asking Harold Reynolds and John Kruk who are clearly swimming upstream in this manufactured debate over whether Derrick Lowe was out of line to wear a Red Sox jersey during Monday’s ring ceremony at Fenway Park. From the moment Lowe stepped out of the dugout on Monday, both Kruk and Reynolds were on his ass, chastising the current Dodger for disrespecting his new team. I have to think that each of these two ass clowns felt others would step forward to watch their collective back, but to date, their flanks are entirely exposed. Baseball Tonight curator Karl Ravitch seemed absolutely dumbstruck by Kruk’s enthusiasm for this issue and I haven’t heard a single player, analyst, or talk show host, other then ESPN’s Mike Greenburg, stake out a position that is within 160 degrees of Kruk and Reyno. Sorry guys – you missed this one entirely.
David Ortiz gets all the attention as the great Yankee killer in Boston’s lineup, but perhaps it is time to start recognizing the guy in Boston who really has the Yankees number. Of course I am talking about Tim Wakefield who has been absolutely lights out against the Yankees since the 2003 ALCS. Here are the numbers. In the 2003 ALCS, Wakefield would have been series MVP had Grady Little not crapped the bed in the eighth inning of game 7. Lest you forget, Wakefield won two games in that series, each over Mike Mussina, and had given up only three earned runs in 14 innings before Arron Boone won the lottery in the 11th inning of game 7. Since that inglorious moment, it has been all Wakefield. In 2004, Wakes was 1-0 in three starts against the Yanks with an ERA of 1.82. He then absolutely shut them down for three critical innings in game five of the ALCS when the Sox had absolutely exhausted their pen. And this year, Wakes has pitched great in two starts against the Yanks, winning a game and giving up only two earned runs in almost 14 innings. When it is all pieced together, Wakefield’s record against the Yanks is nothing short of outstanding. For some reason or another, they just can’t figure him out. Jeter hangs in tough against Wakefield, but guys like Matsui, Giambi, Arod and Bernie are helpless against the old man. He has the Yankees number and so long as he does, the Sox have a very important advantage in a head-to-head matchup with the Yanks. If this Knucklehead could pitch half as well against league as he does New York, the Sox would have the makings of a decent staff.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
April 12 - Raising the Flag
There is a line from Fever Pitch where a young kid asks Jimmy Fallon the following question: “You have always loved the Red Sox, but have they ever loved you back?” I can’t speak for Jimmy Fallon, but after thirty years of being largely teased by the Olde Towne Team, the Sox finally reciprocated and showed me some love yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park. While I was too cheap to spend the $500 to attend, I was able to watch all of yesterday’s festivities via NESN, and let me tell you, I now regret my decision to stay at home. I say that because yesterday was a historic day for Red Sox fans and one that can never be repeated. The parade was great, but yesterday was off the charts. There may be championship ring ceremonies in the future but there will never be a ceremony like yesterday. It is just not possible since yesterday was more than just a day to honor last year’s world champions. It was a day of cleansing and redemption and reflection. For me, it was a day to savor the past. Not just the past twelve months and the miracle of last October, but a past that spans almost thirty years. After all, I fell in love with this chick in October of 1975 and have been stalking her ever since. Wherever she has gone, I have followed. Over the years, she has teased me to the point of insanity, but yesterday was different. Yesterday she stopped, gave me a sloppy wet kiss, and invited me up to her bedroom. My days of stalking this girl are finally over.
I have to admit that yesterday was an emotional day for me and I will concede that I had a hard time keeping my shit together when Johnny Pesky, Derrick Lowe and Dave Roberts were handed their championship rings. Why was I so moved by these three incidents? Well, the case of Johnny Pesky is pretty obvious - isn’t it? Pesky is the Boston Red Sox. He has been with the organization since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Heck he played with Double X and just narrowly missed out on playing shortstop behind Lefty Grove. When I picked up this team in 75, Pesky had already served a lifetime sentence and what followed was another 30 year sentence filled with torture. How can you not get a little chocked up seeing an innocent man pardoned after serving 60 years in Hell? I, for one, will always remember the scene of Pesky getting his ring and then being embraced by each and every member of the 2004 team. I say this because Pesky is a symbol of Red Sox fans everywhere. He has been there since day one, pouring his life into this organization. When players were embracing him, they were basically saying this one is for you Johnny, and in doing so, they were saying this one is for an entire nation of psychotic fans who have always stuck by this team.
While Pesky was the highlight, I was also moved the moment that Derrick Lowe was introduced. I am not entirely sure why since I was never a huge fan of Lowe as a player, but perhaps it was because I always thought he was a great guy who was ruthlessly castigated by both the fans and the media. There were times when Lowe drove me crazy but I always felt this guy wanted to win a championship and I have long felt that last year’s championship meant as much to him as anyone on that twenty-five man roster. With that said, I thought it was great that he was able to come back and participate in yesterday’s festivities. Some cynics may argue that Lowe only returned because he can’t pass up a good party, but I disagree. I think Lowe came back, in part, to clear the air with Red Sox fans and this is what ended up happening. By coming back, Lowe basically said he had no hard feelings for all the abuse he took, and judging from the applause he received upon being introduced, it is clear that Red Sox fans now appreciate his contribution to the cause. To me, it was almost like watching a child reconciling with his estranged father and all is now forgiven.
The last moment that I thought was pretty memorable came when Dave Roberts was introduced. Little Dave Roberts did nothing less than save the season and it was good to see him rightfully adored. I kind of expected this would happen, but it was good to see someone other than David Ortiz or Curt Schilling showered with applause. Roberts, like so many others, played a huge roll in last October’s miracle and I am glad that Sox fans duly recognized this contribution with a thunderous ovation.
I only have two complaints with yesterday, and the second is really more a question then a critique. First off, who decided that it was a good idea to have some guy singing a tortured song during the raising of the 2004 championship flag? The song was simply dreadful and the singer lacked any skill whatsoever. It was not a highlight. My other question is why Tom Brady wasn’t available to throw out the first pitch. In case you missed it, Rill Russell, Bobby Orr, Teddy Bruschi and Richard Seymour were brought in to throw on the first pitches. Bruschi has some sentimental appeal and both he and Seymour are cornerstones on the three-time world champion Patriots, but let’s be honest here – neither has a place reserved on the Mount Rushmore of Boston sports heroes. Brady’s face is already being carved into that stone and I found it curious why he wasn’t out there yesterday.
I have to admit that yesterday was an emotional day for me and I will concede that I had a hard time keeping my shit together when Johnny Pesky, Derrick Lowe and Dave Roberts were handed their championship rings. Why was I so moved by these three incidents? Well, the case of Johnny Pesky is pretty obvious - isn’t it? Pesky is the Boston Red Sox. He has been with the organization since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Heck he played with Double X and just narrowly missed out on playing shortstop behind Lefty Grove. When I picked up this team in 75, Pesky had already served a lifetime sentence and what followed was another 30 year sentence filled with torture. How can you not get a little chocked up seeing an innocent man pardoned after serving 60 years in Hell? I, for one, will always remember the scene of Pesky getting his ring and then being embraced by each and every member of the 2004 team. I say this because Pesky is a symbol of Red Sox fans everywhere. He has been there since day one, pouring his life into this organization. When players were embracing him, they were basically saying this one is for you Johnny, and in doing so, they were saying this one is for an entire nation of psychotic fans who have always stuck by this team.
While Pesky was the highlight, I was also moved the moment that Derrick Lowe was introduced. I am not entirely sure why since I was never a huge fan of Lowe as a player, but perhaps it was because I always thought he was a great guy who was ruthlessly castigated by both the fans and the media. There were times when Lowe drove me crazy but I always felt this guy wanted to win a championship and I have long felt that last year’s championship meant as much to him as anyone on that twenty-five man roster. With that said, I thought it was great that he was able to come back and participate in yesterday’s festivities. Some cynics may argue that Lowe only returned because he can’t pass up a good party, but I disagree. I think Lowe came back, in part, to clear the air with Red Sox fans and this is what ended up happening. By coming back, Lowe basically said he had no hard feelings for all the abuse he took, and judging from the applause he received upon being introduced, it is clear that Red Sox fans now appreciate his contribution to the cause. To me, it was almost like watching a child reconciling with his estranged father and all is now forgiven.
The last moment that I thought was pretty memorable came when Dave Roberts was introduced. Little Dave Roberts did nothing less than save the season and it was good to see him rightfully adored. I kind of expected this would happen, but it was good to see someone other than David Ortiz or Curt Schilling showered with applause. Roberts, like so many others, played a huge roll in last October’s miracle and I am glad that Sox fans duly recognized this contribution with a thunderous ovation.
I only have two complaints with yesterday, and the second is really more a question then a critique. First off, who decided that it was a good idea to have some guy singing a tortured song during the raising of the 2004 championship flag? The song was simply dreadful and the singer lacked any skill whatsoever. It was not a highlight. My other question is why Tom Brady wasn’t available to throw out the first pitch. In case you missed it, Rill Russell, Bobby Orr, Teddy Bruschi and Richard Seymour were brought in to throw on the first pitches. Bruschi has some sentimental appeal and both he and Seymour are cornerstones on the three-time world champion Patriots, but let’s be honest here – neither has a place reserved on the Mount Rushmore of Boston sports heroes. Brady’s face is already being carved into that stone and I found it curious why he wasn’t out there yesterday.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Aprill 11 - Tiger's Terrific "Two" Helps Net Fourth Green Jacket
***** I have been waiting for this day for almost 30 years so I regret to inform you that today's column will be brief. After all, it is not every day that the Red Sox get to raise a World Championship Flag at Fenway Park and therefore the column must take a back seat. This promises to be an emotional day for the kid and I hope I don’t lose it when they unfurl that banner. Tomorrow, I will have full coverage of today’s ceremony (over at backtofoulke.blogspot.com) as well as my review of Fever Pitch, but for today, you will get a helping of Tiger’s win at Augusta, Pedro’s win down the road in Atlanta, Beckett’s opening week brilliance, Belhorn’s opening week nightmare and a week’s worth of baseball observations. *****
Was Tiger’s ridiculous chip on sixteen yesterday the greatest shot in Masters history? I wouldn’t call myself a Masters historian, but I have watched a ton of golf from Augusta over the past twenty-five years, and from this spot in the gallery, I would have to put Tiger’s critical bank shot near the top of the my list, although it probably falls just short of the top spot. In case you missed it, and there is really no excuse for those of you who did, Tiger was in a tough spot on 16 yesterday. He led Chris DiMarco by a shot, but he was long of the green while DiMarco had a relatively routine twenty footer. Woods faced a tremendously difficult shot where the undulation of the green demanded that he play a shot twenty feet above the hole and let it drain back down to the flag. If flubbed, there was a decent chance a chip would stay twenty feel above the hole or roll twenty feet past it. Basically, a minor screw up would result in nothing less than a four and DiMarco would be in a position to tie or take the lead with two holes remaining.
So what does the big cat do? He maps out a plan to drop his chip high on the hill overlooking the hole and let it track down to the cup as if it were equipped with Lockheed’s new pin-seeking technology. At first, the execution didn’t appear too good as the ball looked like it might get stuck on top of the green’s upper shelf. But after a brief tease, the ball began to stalk the hole with a purpose. Finally, it lost speed and came to an apparent rest just nanometers from the cup. The fans were going crazy at this point since all assumed Tiger had just miraculously saved par without having to use his putter and, in the process, had probably retained his lead. But as the gallery was going crazy, Tiger’s caddy Steve Williams did his best Lou Loomis impersonation as he silently pleaded for the ball to complete another quarter revolution. And guess what – it worked. The ball dropped and what followed was anarchy in the crowd and a patented paw pump from Mr. Nordregan. It truly was a brilliant shot and it turned out Tiger really needed it since he bogeyed the final two holes and without that chip, he would not have snuck into a playoff and won his fourth green jacket.
So Tiger now joins Jack and Arnie as the only guys to have ever won the Masters on at least four separate occasions. That is pretty select company and given his track record at Augusta, I cannot see Tiger stuck at four with Arnie for too much longer. Tiger simply has too much for Augusta. His length is more then the course can handle and his putting is easily up to the challenge presented by those 13 stimp greens. This is clearly his best Major venue and for that reason, I expect him to win at elast a couple more Masters. Some guys just have certain courses figured out. Hogan had Riviera, Jack had Pebble and Davis Love has a hammerlock on Hitlon Head. Well, Tiger has Augusta (as well as Muirfield in Ohio). He will win there again and considering he is 4/9 there as a pro, it is probably safe to assume he wins three more green dinner jackets over the next 15 years.
While Woods certainly went out and won the tourney, kudos are in order for D-Mark who resiliently bounced back after he puked all over himself Sunday morning. D-Mark went into Sunday with a four shot lead with 27 to go, but he surrendered that lead almost immediately by shooting a 41 right out of the gates. That isn’t exactly a demonstration of grace under pressure. So after nine morning holes, DiMarco had turned a four shot lead into a three shot deficit. It would have been safe to assume at that point that Tiger would have walked away with the tourney, but D-Mark rallied hard and when he made a bomb at 11, we had the makings of a tourney. I have to give the guy credit – he played his ass off on the final 18, keeping the pressure on Tiger throughout. And after Tiger made that miracle on 16, DiMarco kept plugging away with a couple of fours to beat Tiger’s fives. In fact, Tiger was the one yesterday who was having trouble with the pressure. Woods errant tee shot at 17 and wild approach at 18 were both the result of sweaty palms and had Chris been able to sink a makeable chip at 18, we would be discussing D-Mark’s tremendous comeback this morning and not Tiger’s fourth green blazer. That would have suited me fine since I cannot take too much more of this crap with Tiger and his tearful dedications to his father. Lest you forget, we heard yesterday’s rant before when Tiger won his first Masters. It was syrupy then and it belongs on some IHOP table today.
I loved watching Pedro Martinez stick it to his critics yesterday with a dazzler down in Atlanta. In case you missed it, Pedro was vintage Pedro yesterday afternoon, yielding just two hits in a 101 pitch complete game victory over John Smoltz. He was masterful as he attacked hitters early in the count and then put them away with ease. Moreover, he was hitting 94 on the gun and silencing hitters with both his heat and his change. This was clearly not the guy who critics, mostly based in New York, had laid to rest over the off-season. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard over the past year that this guy was damaged goods and on his final legs. In fact, just last October, I can recall some guys on ESPN radio remark that Jeff Suppan gave the Cards an edge over Pedro and the Sox in Game 3 of the World Series. Jeff Suppan? Such talk was asinine as Pedro later proved by shutting down the Cards that night in St. Louis. But the talk didn’t stop there. Chris Russo – the dog on New York’s WFAN – has consistently argued over the past six months that Pedro is not in the top-10 or even top-15 starters in the game. When pressed, Russo has no problem putting guys like Mark Mulder, Roy Oswalt, Kerry Wood and Jason Schmidt ahead of Petey. Listen Chris, you couldn’t be any further off the mark. Pedro, as evidenced by his first two starts in the National League, just needed some new scenery. He may not last four years, but with his health, he is a dominant starter, as he proved yesterday. I’ll take Pedro over Russo’s love child – Jason Schmidt – any day of the week.
It is way too early to go crazy, but perhaps the most important opening week showing goes to Florida pitcher Josh Beckett who has been lights out right out of the gate. Beckett, the star of the 2003 World Series, opened the season by blanking the Braves over six and then went out yesterday and threw a complete game shutout over the Nationals. That is fifteen scoreless innings and seventeen strikeouts for you scoring at home. Now both the Braves and Nationals don’t figure to be near the top on the NL in offense this year, but scoreless innings count against anyone in my book. This start has to be tremendously encouraging for Fish fans that are banking on this guy to become a dominant starter. This hefty gunner showed much promise in the 2003 World Series, blanking the Yanks in the game 6 clincher, but 2004 was a lost cause due to injury and blisters. But if this week is any indication, Beckett appears ready to dominate and with this kid anchoring the rotation, the Fish will be the team to beat in the NL East.
Baseball Observations from week one - Eighteen teams in major league baseball completed the week at 3-3. And I thought the NFL was the league struggling with parity? Pat Burrell is simply killing the ball down in Philadelphia. How long before he reverts back to the mean and becomes the underachiever Philly fans have come to love? JD Drew is off to a great start with two hits in his first 27 at bats. Just think Dodgers fans, you have him until October of 2009. Former Dodger Steve Finley has gone hitless in five of the six games he has played so maybe GM Jerry DePodesta isn’t as stupid as we all assumed. Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen picked right up where they left off in the World Series, going a collective 7-35 this week. Jason Giambi is the worst defensive first baesman in baseball and his bat isn’t a whole lot better. That begs the question: who plays his position worse – Jason or Bernie? Arizona hit 13 bombs this week and is slugging at a .560 clip. You think that will hold up for another week? Not unless they get to keep on facing the back end of the Dodgers rotation, which featured Scott Ericsson on Saturday night. Billy Beane broke up his big three and the A’s still had the best pitching in the AL over the first week. And if Barry Zito hadn’t been bombed twice, the results would have been even better. Eddie Guardado is awful and should be dropped from any fantasy team. The Rangers are counting on Ryan Drese? And speaking of the Rangers – there goes that plan of trading Alfosnso while he still had some value (6-30 with one walk).
Can you believe that Mark Belhorn has already struck out eleven times this year? That is not a misprint. ELEVEN TIMES! That is 11 K’s in six games and it puts him on pace to easily shatter the Adam Dunn’s year old record. Last year, Belhorn earned some points for his run production and his walks, but such virtues have not shown up in the early stages of 2005. He has no walks or RBI’s over the season’s first week and he looks a lot like the player who was almost benched before he warmed up and hit that big dong in game six of the ALCS last year. The word coming out of Spring Training this year was Belhorn was going to be more aggressive in 2005, hoping to avoid taking so many strikes early and thus reducing his exposure to unfavorable counts. I have no confidence that this strategy will pay any dividends whatsoever since Belhorn is just as prone to rack up strikes swinging as he does taking pitches. I probably asked this question 112 times last year, but it probably bears repeating – have you ever seen anyone swing and miss pitches as badly as Belhorn?
Was Tiger’s ridiculous chip on sixteen yesterday the greatest shot in Masters history? I wouldn’t call myself a Masters historian, but I have watched a ton of golf from Augusta over the past twenty-five years, and from this spot in the gallery, I would have to put Tiger’s critical bank shot near the top of the my list, although it probably falls just short of the top spot. In case you missed it, and there is really no excuse for those of you who did, Tiger was in a tough spot on 16 yesterday. He led Chris DiMarco by a shot, but he was long of the green while DiMarco had a relatively routine twenty footer. Woods faced a tremendously difficult shot where the undulation of the green demanded that he play a shot twenty feet above the hole and let it drain back down to the flag. If flubbed, there was a decent chance a chip would stay twenty feel above the hole or roll twenty feet past it. Basically, a minor screw up would result in nothing less than a four and DiMarco would be in a position to tie or take the lead with two holes remaining.
So what does the big cat do? He maps out a plan to drop his chip high on the hill overlooking the hole and let it track down to the cup as if it were equipped with Lockheed’s new pin-seeking technology. At first, the execution didn’t appear too good as the ball looked like it might get stuck on top of the green’s upper shelf. But after a brief tease, the ball began to stalk the hole with a purpose. Finally, it lost speed and came to an apparent rest just nanometers from the cup. The fans were going crazy at this point since all assumed Tiger had just miraculously saved par without having to use his putter and, in the process, had probably retained his lead. But as the gallery was going crazy, Tiger’s caddy Steve Williams did his best Lou Loomis impersonation as he silently pleaded for the ball to complete another quarter revolution. And guess what – it worked. The ball dropped and what followed was anarchy in the crowd and a patented paw pump from Mr. Nordregan. It truly was a brilliant shot and it turned out Tiger really needed it since he bogeyed the final two holes and without that chip, he would not have snuck into a playoff and won his fourth green jacket.
So Tiger now joins Jack and Arnie as the only guys to have ever won the Masters on at least four separate occasions. That is pretty select company and given his track record at Augusta, I cannot see Tiger stuck at four with Arnie for too much longer. Tiger simply has too much for Augusta. His length is more then the course can handle and his putting is easily up to the challenge presented by those 13 stimp greens. This is clearly his best Major venue and for that reason, I expect him to win at elast a couple more Masters. Some guys just have certain courses figured out. Hogan had Riviera, Jack had Pebble and Davis Love has a hammerlock on Hitlon Head. Well, Tiger has Augusta (as well as Muirfield in Ohio). He will win there again and considering he is 4/9 there as a pro, it is probably safe to assume he wins three more green dinner jackets over the next 15 years.
While Woods certainly went out and won the tourney, kudos are in order for D-Mark who resiliently bounced back after he puked all over himself Sunday morning. D-Mark went into Sunday with a four shot lead with 27 to go, but he surrendered that lead almost immediately by shooting a 41 right out of the gates. That isn’t exactly a demonstration of grace under pressure. So after nine morning holes, DiMarco had turned a four shot lead into a three shot deficit. It would have been safe to assume at that point that Tiger would have walked away with the tourney, but D-Mark rallied hard and when he made a bomb at 11, we had the makings of a tourney. I have to give the guy credit – he played his ass off on the final 18, keeping the pressure on Tiger throughout. And after Tiger made that miracle on 16, DiMarco kept plugging away with a couple of fours to beat Tiger’s fives. In fact, Tiger was the one yesterday who was having trouble with the pressure. Woods errant tee shot at 17 and wild approach at 18 were both the result of sweaty palms and had Chris been able to sink a makeable chip at 18, we would be discussing D-Mark’s tremendous comeback this morning and not Tiger’s fourth green blazer. That would have suited me fine since I cannot take too much more of this crap with Tiger and his tearful dedications to his father. Lest you forget, we heard yesterday’s rant before when Tiger won his first Masters. It was syrupy then and it belongs on some IHOP table today.
I loved watching Pedro Martinez stick it to his critics yesterday with a dazzler down in Atlanta. In case you missed it, Pedro was vintage Pedro yesterday afternoon, yielding just two hits in a 101 pitch complete game victory over John Smoltz. He was masterful as he attacked hitters early in the count and then put them away with ease. Moreover, he was hitting 94 on the gun and silencing hitters with both his heat and his change. This was clearly not the guy who critics, mostly based in New York, had laid to rest over the off-season. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard over the past year that this guy was damaged goods and on his final legs. In fact, just last October, I can recall some guys on ESPN radio remark that Jeff Suppan gave the Cards an edge over Pedro and the Sox in Game 3 of the World Series. Jeff Suppan? Such talk was asinine as Pedro later proved by shutting down the Cards that night in St. Louis. But the talk didn’t stop there. Chris Russo – the dog on New York’s WFAN – has consistently argued over the past six months that Pedro is not in the top-10 or even top-15 starters in the game. When pressed, Russo has no problem putting guys like Mark Mulder, Roy Oswalt, Kerry Wood and Jason Schmidt ahead of Petey. Listen Chris, you couldn’t be any further off the mark. Pedro, as evidenced by his first two starts in the National League, just needed some new scenery. He may not last four years, but with his health, he is a dominant starter, as he proved yesterday. I’ll take Pedro over Russo’s love child – Jason Schmidt – any day of the week.
It is way too early to go crazy, but perhaps the most important opening week showing goes to Florida pitcher Josh Beckett who has been lights out right out of the gate. Beckett, the star of the 2003 World Series, opened the season by blanking the Braves over six and then went out yesterday and threw a complete game shutout over the Nationals. That is fifteen scoreless innings and seventeen strikeouts for you scoring at home. Now both the Braves and Nationals don’t figure to be near the top on the NL in offense this year, but scoreless innings count against anyone in my book. This start has to be tremendously encouraging for Fish fans that are banking on this guy to become a dominant starter. This hefty gunner showed much promise in the 2003 World Series, blanking the Yanks in the game 6 clincher, but 2004 was a lost cause due to injury and blisters. But if this week is any indication, Beckett appears ready to dominate and with this kid anchoring the rotation, the Fish will be the team to beat in the NL East.
Baseball Observations from week one - Eighteen teams in major league baseball completed the week at 3-3. And I thought the NFL was the league struggling with parity? Pat Burrell is simply killing the ball down in Philadelphia. How long before he reverts back to the mean and becomes the underachiever Philly fans have come to love? JD Drew is off to a great start with two hits in his first 27 at bats. Just think Dodgers fans, you have him until October of 2009. Former Dodger Steve Finley has gone hitless in five of the six games he has played so maybe GM Jerry DePodesta isn’t as stupid as we all assumed. Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen picked right up where they left off in the World Series, going a collective 7-35 this week. Jason Giambi is the worst defensive first baesman in baseball and his bat isn’t a whole lot better. That begs the question: who plays his position worse – Jason or Bernie? Arizona hit 13 bombs this week and is slugging at a .560 clip. You think that will hold up for another week? Not unless they get to keep on facing the back end of the Dodgers rotation, which featured Scott Ericsson on Saturday night. Billy Beane broke up his big three and the A’s still had the best pitching in the AL over the first week. And if Barry Zito hadn’t been bombed twice, the results would have been even better. Eddie Guardado is awful and should be dropped from any fantasy team. The Rangers are counting on Ryan Drese? And speaking of the Rangers – there goes that plan of trading Alfosnso while he still had some value (6-30 with one walk).
Can you believe that Mark Belhorn has already struck out eleven times this year? That is not a misprint. ELEVEN TIMES! That is 11 K’s in six games and it puts him on pace to easily shatter the Adam Dunn’s year old record. Last year, Belhorn earned some points for his run production and his walks, but such virtues have not shown up in the early stages of 2005. He has no walks or RBI’s over the season’s first week and he looks a lot like the player who was almost benched before he warmed up and hit that big dong in game six of the ALCS last year. The word coming out of Spring Training this year was Belhorn was going to be more aggressive in 2005, hoping to avoid taking so many strikes early and thus reducing his exposure to unfavorable counts. I have no confidence that this strategy will pay any dividends whatsoever since Belhorn is just as prone to rack up strikes swinging as he does taking pitches. I probably asked this question 112 times last year, but it probably bears repeating – have you ever seen anyone swing and miss pitches as badly as Belhorn?
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