But still, almost every time I see a Dodger highlight on ESPN, somehow, inevitably, someone will bring up the "fact" that "the Dodgers are so lucky to be playing in the worst division in baseball." Oops!
The team with the best record in the National League (the Dodgers) is in the NL West. The team with the second-best record in the National League (the Giants) is in the NL West. Colorado is right in the wild-card hunt as well. Explain to me how the NL West is any worse, than, say, the AL Central? Or the NL East? Hell, the AL East is the only division that's clearly and definitively better than the NL West. So why all the NL West hate?
The only possible explanation is that every baseball expert around the country still thinks it's 2008. If that's the case, I'd like to bet them all five thousand dollars that the Arizona Cardinals will make the Super Bowl, fifty thousand dollars that Villanova will make the Final Four, and five hundred billion dollars that Manny Ramirez will get suspended for using steroids the day after his team sets a record by opening the 2009 season 13-0 at home. (Two days until he returns, in case you haven't caught one minute of ESPN in the last 96 hours.)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sorry son, we just don't think you're cut out to play with the big boys
I probably got a lot more enjoyment out of this minor transaction than anyone else, but it's still worth reporting: Manny Ramirez was demoted from Triple-A to Single-A ball yesterday. The reasoning behind the move, of course, has nothing at all to do with his play (the Single-A team is like an hour's drive from Los Angeles and the Dodgers want him to be nearby), but still, it's not every day that you see a guy with 533 career home runs not only play in the minor leagues but get downgraded in the minor leagues. That's incredible. Can I get a "Manny Being Manny"?
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sports By Nostradamus?
Here's me, yesterday:
"Unfortunately, as the Wolves have six of the first 50 picks this year (#5, #6, #18, #28, #45, #47), it's a foregone conclusion that they'll find a player who won't completely suck. Or is it? Here's my prediction for who they'll take with those picks:
#5: Charles Barkley
#6: J.D. from Scrubs
#18: Brett Favre
#28: Spencer and Heidi's baby
#45: Manny Being Manny
#47: Incredibly, Blake Griffin, as he falls all the way down to here due to signability concerns. (Griffin will shed tears of joy at finally being picked, then will confidently toss on his T-Wolves lid and proclaim himself a "Timberwolf for Life." Shortly thereafter, Minnesota will trade Griffin and their next 15 first-round picks to the Lakers for Adam Morrison.)"
What did the T-Wolves actually do? They used four out of those six picks on point guards. Four. Two of those four were taken with their back-to-back lottery picks. Hey Minnesota, want to add some small forward depth? Maybe get a little more size in the frontcourt? No, you're good with just taking four dudes that play the same position?
I guess the bottom line in this T-Wolves draft disaster is: I'm a fucking genius. For my next prediction, I say that the Dodgers make a four-way trade in which they give up Juan Pierre and get Roy Halladay, Johan Santana, and Albert Pujols. Watch it happen!
"Unfortunately, as the Wolves have six of the first 50 picks this year (#5, #6, #18, #28, #45, #47), it's a foregone conclusion that they'll find a player who won't completely suck. Or is it? Here's my prediction for who they'll take with those picks:
#5: Charles Barkley
#6: J.D. from Scrubs
#18: Brett Favre
#28: Spencer and Heidi's baby
#45: Manny Being Manny
#47: Incredibly, Blake Griffin, as he falls all the way down to here due to signability concerns. (Griffin will shed tears of joy at finally being picked, then will confidently toss on his T-Wolves lid and proclaim himself a "Timberwolf for Life." Shortly thereafter, Minnesota will trade Griffin and their next 15 first-round picks to the Lakers for Adam Morrison.)"
What did the T-Wolves actually do? They used four out of those six picks on point guards. Four. Two of those four were taken with their back-to-back lottery picks. Hey Minnesota, want to add some small forward depth? Maybe get a little more size in the frontcourt? No, you're good with just taking four dudes that play the same position?
I guess the bottom line in this T-Wolves draft disaster is: I'm a fucking genius. For my next prediction, I say that the Dodgers make a four-way trade in which they give up Juan Pierre and get Roy Halladay, Johan Santana, and Albert Pujols. Watch it happen!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Manny now 0-for-3 in two games at AAA
It's clear: The Dodger left fielder on July 3rd needs to be Juan Pierre. Or Mitch Jones. Or Jamie Hoffman. Or Kelly Leak. ANYONE BUT MANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!1!!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
NBA Draft tomorrow
I think my dad would watch a six-hour darts tournament backwards before he'd watch the NBA Draft, but I actually find the draft interesting. I can easily explain to you why I have so much more enthusiasm than my dad: I actually know who the players in the draft are, whereas my dad probably couldn't tell Earl Clark from Dick Clark. Here's the thing: I love college hoops. I watch as many games as I can during the season, and I actually cancel plans and get out of work to watch the first round of March Madness every year. Do I do that for the first round of the NBA playoffs, the NFL playoffs, or even the MLB playoffs? No way. College basketball is the only sport that can absolutely suck me in.
So I've heard of all these guys, as I've seen them all play, and therefore I think I have a pretty good idea of which players are going to be good and which players are going to be bad. That's what makes it so much fun for me; for example, in 2007, I knew that Kevin Durant was going to be great and Greg Oden might or might not ever be, and watching Portland pick Oden over Durant on Draft Day was both hilarious and exasperating at the same time. That's how I'll feel this year when some team picks Jrue Holiday over Stephen Curry; that mixture of, "Wow, what dumbasses!" and "Ugh, I feel so bad for that team's fans!" just gives me a rush, I guess.
And that's the other really fun part of the draft: watching teams screw up their selections by taking unproven foreign guys, underacheiving "freakishly athletic" guys who sucked in college, untalented 7-foot white guys with no mobility, etc. One of my favorite teams to follow in this regard is the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose draft futility peaked in 2006 when they drafted Brandon Roy sixth overall and then almost immediately traded him straight-up to the Blazers for Randy Foye, who the Blazers had just picked seventh. They, along with the Knicks, Kings, Clippers, and probably a few other teams, just make for great Draft Day TV. Unfortunately, as the Wolves have six of the first 50 picks this year (#5, #6, #18, #28, #45, #47), it's a foregone conclusion that they'll find a player who won't completely suck. Or is it? Here's my prediction for who they'll take with those picks:
#5: Charles Barkley
#6: J.D. from Scrubs
#18: Brett Favre
#28: Spencer and Heidi's baby
#45: Manny Being Manny
#47: Incredibly, Blake Griffin, as he falls all the way down to here due to signability concerns. (Griffin will shed tears of joy at finally being picked, then will confidently toss on his T-Wolves lid and proclaim himself a "Timberwolf for Life." Shortly thereafter, Minnesota will trade Griffin and their next 15 first-round picks to the Lakers for Adam Morrison.)
Can't wait to see it all unfold tomorrow!
So I've heard of all these guys, as I've seen them all play, and therefore I think I have a pretty good idea of which players are going to be good and which players are going to be bad. That's what makes it so much fun for me; for example, in 2007, I knew that Kevin Durant was going to be great and Greg Oden might or might not ever be, and watching Portland pick Oden over Durant on Draft Day was both hilarious and exasperating at the same time. That's how I'll feel this year when some team picks Jrue Holiday over Stephen Curry; that mixture of, "Wow, what dumbasses!" and "Ugh, I feel so bad for that team's fans!" just gives me a rush, I guess.
And that's the other really fun part of the draft: watching teams screw up their selections by taking unproven foreign guys, underacheiving "freakishly athletic" guys who sucked in college, untalented 7-foot white guys with no mobility, etc. One of my favorite teams to follow in this regard is the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose draft futility peaked in 2006 when they drafted Brandon Roy sixth overall and then almost immediately traded him straight-up to the Blazers for Randy Foye, who the Blazers had just picked seventh. They, along with the Knicks, Kings, Clippers, and probably a few other teams, just make for great Draft Day TV. Unfortunately, as the Wolves have six of the first 50 picks this year (#5, #6, #18, #28, #45, #47), it's a foregone conclusion that they'll find a player who won't completely suck. Or is it? Here's my prediction for who they'll take with those picks:
#5: Charles Barkley
#6: J.D. from Scrubs
#18: Brett Favre
#28: Spencer and Heidi's baby
#45: Manny Being Manny
#47: Incredibly, Blake Griffin, as he falls all the way down to here due to signability concerns. (Griffin will shed tears of joy at finally being picked, then will confidently toss on his T-Wolves lid and proclaim himself a "Timberwolf for Life." Shortly thereafter, Minnesota will trade Griffin and their next 15 first-round picks to the Lakers for Adam Morrison.)
Can't wait to see it all unfold tomorrow!
How often can you break a 50-year losing streak?
Well, the Dodgers did today: they'd lost their last four games in the White Sox' home park (dating back to the 1959 World Series), but snapped that, uh, "streak" with a 5-2 win today. Next up: breaking their 125-year two-game losing streak at the home park of the Toledo Blue Stockings.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Lists are cool!
When I was in Chicago last week visiting family, my uncle happened to bring up an interesting point to me: If you could attend any sporting event in the world, what would it be?
Naturally, my first response was, "Game 7 of the World Series." But then I got to thinking; would going to Game 7 of, like, a Rangers-Marlins World Series be as fun or special as going to, say, a Notre Dame-USC football game in South Bend? Or a Red Sox-Yankees playoff game at Fenway? No way. So after giving this some serious thought, I've decided to make top-five lists of "What game would you like to see most?" for every sport, as well as an overall top five at the end, while adding a "number 1,000,000" to describe which game I would least like to see from each sport. Lists are great, aren't they? So without further ado:
PRO BASKETBALL
1. Game 7 of a Blazers-Lakers playoff series at the Rose Garden.
2. Game 7 of a Lakers-Celtics playoff series at Staples.
3. A regular-season Blazers-Lakers game at the Rose Garden.
4. A Knicks-Warriors game at Oracle Arena. (Why? Because I hate the Knicks, like the Warriors, and the two teams might combine for 400 points, that's why.)
5. Any game involving Lebron James.
1,000,000. Any game involving the L.A. Clippers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
1. The National Championship Game.
2. A Duke-UNC game at UNC.
3. A UCLA-USC game at UCLA.
4. A first-round game featuring a week 12 seed and a "gutty" 5 seed.
5. A Final Four Game.
1,000,000. Probably one of those Division III games you see on Youtube where there are like 12 fans in the stands, all of them parents of the players. Feel the excitement!
PRO FOOTBALL
1. The Super Bowl.
2. A playoff game at Lambeau Field.
3. A Packers-Vikings game at Lambeau Field.
4. A Patriots-Colts game at Gillette Stadium.
5. An Eagles-Cowboys game at Lincoln Field.
1,000,000. A Seahawks game. Honestly, I've lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life and I've never once had the urge to attend a Hawks game. Even when they played in the Super Bowl, I literally could not have cared less. I'd honestly rather go watch one of my old high school's football games than a Seahawks game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
1. A Notre Dame-USC game at Notre Dame Stadium.
2. A UCLA-USC game at the Rose Bowl. (Preferably if neither team was an overwhelming favorite, but whatever.)
3. An Ohio State-Michigan game at Ohio State.
4. The National Championship Game.
5. Any non-USC game at Notre Dame Stadium.
1,000,000. A Duke-North Carolina game. The 1,000 fans who attend that game are probably only there in hopes that Roy Williams or Christian Laettner will make a cameo.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
1. A potential World Series-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
2. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
3. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (As long as the Dodgers aren't involved.)
4. A Red Sox-Yankees playoff game at Fenway.
5. A Red Sox-Yankees regular-season game at Fenway.
1,000,000. A Pirates-Nationals game, at least until 2011 when the Nationals have Cy Young (Stephen Strasburg) and Babe Ruth (Bryce Harper) playing for them; then it'll just be any Pirates game.
OLYMPICS
1. The Gold Medal game for basketball.
2. The 100-meter dash.
3. The 200-meter dash.
4. A swimming event in which an American has a chance to break Michael Phelps' gold medal record.
5. A swimming event in which an American has a chance to beat some Euro dude who was talking shit before the race.
1,000,000. A tie between men's figure skating and men's gymnastics. Who does watch either of those?
MISCELLANEOUS (Yeah, I'm sorry; I don't like soccer, hockey, tennis, college baseball, or any other sport enough to make a full top 5 list. My apologies.)
1. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2. The FIFA World Cup Finals.
3. A Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer tennis match.
4. A boxing match featuring Floyd Mayweather.
5. The Kentucky Derby.
1,000,000. The World Championship of darts. Yep, I can't believe it's a "sport" either, but there you go.
And now, the overall top five:
1. A potential World Series-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
2. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
3. A Notre Dame-USC football game at Notre Dame Stadium.
4. Game 7 of a Blazers-Lakers playoff series at the Rose Garden.
5. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (As long as the Dodgers aren't involved.)
1,000,000. The World Championship of darts; there can really be no other.
That's my top 5; what's yours?
Naturally, my first response was, "Game 7 of the World Series." But then I got to thinking; would going to Game 7 of, like, a Rangers-Marlins World Series be as fun or special as going to, say, a Notre Dame-USC football game in South Bend? Or a Red Sox-Yankees playoff game at Fenway? No way. So after giving this some serious thought, I've decided to make top-five lists of "What game would you like to see most?" for every sport, as well as an overall top five at the end, while adding a "number 1,000,000" to describe which game I would least like to see from each sport. Lists are great, aren't they? So without further ado:
PRO BASKETBALL
1. Game 7 of a Blazers-Lakers playoff series at the Rose Garden.
2. Game 7 of a Lakers-Celtics playoff series at Staples.
3. A regular-season Blazers-Lakers game at the Rose Garden.
4. A Knicks-Warriors game at Oracle Arena. (Why? Because I hate the Knicks, like the Warriors, and the two teams might combine for 400 points, that's why.)
5. Any game involving Lebron James.
1,000,000. Any game involving the L.A. Clippers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
1. The National Championship Game.
2. A Duke-UNC game at UNC.
3. A UCLA-USC game at UCLA.
4. A first-round game featuring a week 12 seed and a "gutty" 5 seed.
5. A Final Four Game.
1,000,000. Probably one of those Division III games you see on Youtube where there are like 12 fans in the stands, all of them parents of the players. Feel the excitement!
PRO FOOTBALL
1. The Super Bowl.
2. A playoff game at Lambeau Field.
3. A Packers-Vikings game at Lambeau Field.
4. A Patriots-Colts game at Gillette Stadium.
5. An Eagles-Cowboys game at Lincoln Field.
1,000,000. A Seahawks game. Honestly, I've lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life and I've never once had the urge to attend a Hawks game. Even when they played in the Super Bowl, I literally could not have cared less. I'd honestly rather go watch one of my old high school's football games than a Seahawks game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
1. A Notre Dame-USC game at Notre Dame Stadium.
2. A UCLA-USC game at the Rose Bowl. (Preferably if neither team was an overwhelming favorite, but whatever.)
3. An Ohio State-Michigan game at Ohio State.
4. The National Championship Game.
5. Any non-USC game at Notre Dame Stadium.
1,000,000. A Duke-North Carolina game. The 1,000 fans who attend that game are probably only there in hopes that Roy Williams or Christian Laettner will make a cameo.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
1. A potential World Series-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
2. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
3. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (As long as the Dodgers aren't involved.)
4. A Red Sox-Yankees playoff game at Fenway.
5. A Red Sox-Yankees regular-season game at Fenway.
1,000,000. A Pirates-Nationals game, at least until 2011 when the Nationals have Cy Young (Stephen Strasburg) and Babe Ruth (Bryce Harper) playing for them; then it'll just be any Pirates game.
OLYMPICS
1. The Gold Medal game for basketball.
2. The 100-meter dash.
3. The 200-meter dash.
4. A swimming event in which an American has a chance to break Michael Phelps' gold medal record.
5. A swimming event in which an American has a chance to beat some Euro dude who was talking shit before the race.
1,000,000. A tie between men's figure skating and men's gymnastics. Who does watch either of those?
MISCELLANEOUS (Yeah, I'm sorry; I don't like soccer, hockey, tennis, college baseball, or any other sport enough to make a full top 5 list. My apologies.)
1. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2. The FIFA World Cup Finals.
3. A Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer tennis match.
4. A boxing match featuring Floyd Mayweather.
5. The Kentucky Derby.
1,000,000. The World Championship of darts. Yep, I can't believe it's a "sport" either, but there you go.
And now, the overall top five:
1. A potential World Series-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
2. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
3. A Notre Dame-USC football game at Notre Dame Stadium.
4. Game 7 of a Blazers-Lakers playoff series at the Rose Garden.
5. A potential pennant-clinching game for the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (As long as the Dodgers aren't involved.)
1,000,000. The World Championship of darts; there can really be no other.
That's my top 5; what's yours?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It just FEELS like they're a .500 team
All right...
I know what you're all probably thinking. The Dodgers are currently 43-23. The closest team to them in the division standings is 8.5 games out. They've gone 22-15 (.595) in the six weeks that they've been without their best hitter. They've got three relievers with ERAs under 2.50, three starters with ERAs under 3.50 and six hitters with OPSs of .800 or better. They're second in the NL in runs scored and second in OBP. They're first in the NL in ERA and BAA. Basically, they're a very balanced, deep, good team. So why have many of my recent posts about them been about Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt and how much wins suck as a stat because Guillermo Mota has as many as Randy Wolf? Why am I being such a spoiled little bitch about their fantastic season?
Well, here's the thing: the Dodgers aren't really this good. I mean, come on: Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso are combining for a 2.32 ERA in 81.1 innings. 2.32! Had you ever heard of either one of them before I mentioned them just now? Don't be embarrassed if you hadn't, because I'm the most diehard Dodger fan there is and I had no idea who Belisario was until Opening Day. Then you've got Eric Milton and his 2.89 ERA (?????), Brent Leach (who?) and his 3.65 ERA, and Guillermo Mota and his current consecutive scoreless inning streak of 12.1 (you see what I mean? This is fucking "Twlight Zone" material.)...and it just seems like everyone's playing way over their heads. Eventually, guys will tire and guys will start to get hit, and the Dodgers won't be winning all these 1-0 and 3-2 games. Ned Colletti will probably have to acquire a relief pitcher to help give some of those other guys a break, and the last time the Dodgers were in that situation Colletti acquired 43-year-old Roberto Hernandez. So color me skeptical in that regard.
So, wait...do the Dodgers actually suck and they've just gotten by on pure luck to this point? Hell no. Their offense is legitimately good; their lineup is full of patient hitters who work the count and know what to do in every game situation. Starting pitchers rarely last past the sixth inning against them because they have to throw so many pitches, so the Dodgers see more atbats against crappy middle relievers than any team in baseball. And that's not even counting the Manny Ramirez factor; throw him back into that lineup and they're the same team that was killing fools by 7-8 runs in late April and early May. Plus, good hitters like James Loney, Rafael Furcal, and Russell Martin haven't really even gotten going yet (combined batting average of .255?). Who knows if they ever will, but if they do they'll be a huge boost as well.
So, in conclusion, are the Dodgers a great team, capable of playing their current .652 ball for the rest of the season and finishing with 106 wins? No. But are they still a very good team capable of getting to the playoffs? Sure. And yes, I am enjoying the ride, contrary to what this blog might have you think; when Kemp hit his walkoff single in the ninth a couple nights ago, I jumped up and fist-pumped in celebration. Trust me, I'm not becoming complacent or spoiled; I'm just being level-headed and cautious. But I'm definitely having fun following the team; let there be no doubt about that.
I know what you're all probably thinking. The Dodgers are currently 43-23. The closest team to them in the division standings is 8.5 games out. They've gone 22-15 (.595) in the six weeks that they've been without their best hitter. They've got three relievers with ERAs under 2.50, three starters with ERAs under 3.50 and six hitters with OPSs of .800 or better. They're second in the NL in runs scored and second in OBP. They're first in the NL in ERA and BAA. Basically, they're a very balanced, deep, good team. So why have many of my recent posts about them been about Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt and how much wins suck as a stat because Guillermo Mota has as many as Randy Wolf? Why am I being such a spoiled little bitch about their fantastic season?
Well, here's the thing: the Dodgers aren't really this good. I mean, come on: Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso are combining for a 2.32 ERA in 81.1 innings. 2.32! Had you ever heard of either one of them before I mentioned them just now? Don't be embarrassed if you hadn't, because I'm the most diehard Dodger fan there is and I had no idea who Belisario was until Opening Day. Then you've got Eric Milton and his 2.89 ERA (?????), Brent Leach (who?) and his 3.65 ERA, and Guillermo Mota and his current consecutive scoreless inning streak of 12.1 (you see what I mean? This is fucking "Twlight Zone" material.)...and it just seems like everyone's playing way over their heads. Eventually, guys will tire and guys will start to get hit, and the Dodgers won't be winning all these 1-0 and 3-2 games. Ned Colletti will probably have to acquire a relief pitcher to help give some of those other guys a break, and the last time the Dodgers were in that situation Colletti acquired 43-year-old Roberto Hernandez. So color me skeptical in that regard.
So, wait...do the Dodgers actually suck and they've just gotten by on pure luck to this point? Hell no. Their offense is legitimately good; their lineup is full of patient hitters who work the count and know what to do in every game situation. Starting pitchers rarely last past the sixth inning against them because they have to throw so many pitches, so the Dodgers see more atbats against crappy middle relievers than any team in baseball. And that's not even counting the Manny Ramirez factor; throw him back into that lineup and they're the same team that was killing fools by 7-8 runs in late April and early May. Plus, good hitters like James Loney, Rafael Furcal, and Russell Martin haven't really even gotten going yet (combined batting average of .255?). Who knows if they ever will, but if they do they'll be a huge boost as well.
So, in conclusion, are the Dodgers a great team, capable of playing their current .652 ball for the rest of the season and finishing with 106 wins? No. But are they still a very good team capable of getting to the playoffs? Sure. And yes, I am enjoying the ride, contrary to what this blog might have you think; when Kemp hit his walkoff single in the ninth a couple nights ago, I jumped up and fist-pumped in celebration. Trust me, I'm not becoming complacent or spoiled; I'm just being level-headed and cautious. But I'm definitely having fun following the team; let there be no doubt about that.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Legend of Don't Stop Believin'
For those who don't know, the Dodgers' "eighth inning stretch song" (a new trend that the Red Sox started with "Sweet Caroline" that I used to be lukewarm about but have grown to love) is the immortal "Don't Stop Believin'." If there was any doubt about it being in the top 1 songs in the history of music, there's none anymore...because I now present "The Legend of Don't Stop Believin', 2009 Dodgers Edition."
1. April 15th: Dodgers trail the Giants 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth following a crushing three-run homer in the top of the inning that normally would have deflated them. But a single, a double, a sacrifice fly and another single later, the game's tied 4-4, and then the Dodgers win in the ninth on a walkoff walk.
2. May 20th: Dodgers and Mets are tied at 1 entering the bottom of the eighth. The Dodgers get a one-out single and a one-out walk, and then, incredibly, Russ Martin (batting something like .120 at the time) comes through in the clutch with an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead that Jonathon Broxton holds for the win.
3. May 23rd: Down 4-1 to the Angels at one point, the Dodgers cut to 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Loney leads with a double (one of his like three extra-base hits on the season), and one out later Casey Blake (henceforth referred to on this blog as "Beard") drives him home with a single to tie it up. The Dodgers win in the 10th on a walkoff walk.
4. June 2nd: The Dodgers trail the Dbacks 5-0 at one point and 5-1 most of the way, as they look absolutely lifeless against Dan Haren. Then comes the bottom of the eighth. Leadoff single by Kemp, then two quick outs, then another single, two walks to make it 5-2, and then a shocking bases-loaded double off the wall by Loney to tie it at 5 (the second of Loney's like three extra-base hits on the season). Beard then follows with a go-ahead RBI single, completing a crazy comeback to give the Dodgers a 6-5 lead and the eventual victory.
5. June 16th: Dodgers down 4-2 entering eighth. Enter opposing reliever. Cue Furcal double. Then Blake single. Then Loney walk. Then Kemp single. Then Ethier game-tying fielder's choice. Fast-forward to 10th. Leadoff base hit. Then error. Then Loney GIDP...but then Kemp walkoff single. Dodgers win 5-4.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this:
Juuuuuuust a small town girl!..............Livin' in a looooooonely wooooooorld!..............(Good luck getting that out of your head.)
1. April 15th: Dodgers trail the Giants 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth following a crushing three-run homer in the top of the inning that normally would have deflated them. But a single, a double, a sacrifice fly and another single later, the game's tied 4-4, and then the Dodgers win in the ninth on a walkoff walk.
2. May 20th: Dodgers and Mets are tied at 1 entering the bottom of the eighth. The Dodgers get a one-out single and a one-out walk, and then, incredibly, Russ Martin (batting something like .120 at the time) comes through in the clutch with an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead that Jonathon Broxton holds for the win.
3. May 23rd: Down 4-1 to the Angels at one point, the Dodgers cut to 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Loney leads with a double (one of his like three extra-base hits on the season), and one out later Casey Blake (henceforth referred to on this blog as "Beard") drives him home with a single to tie it up. The Dodgers win in the 10th on a walkoff walk.
4. June 2nd: The Dodgers trail the Dbacks 5-0 at one point and 5-1 most of the way, as they look absolutely lifeless against Dan Haren. Then comes the bottom of the eighth. Leadoff single by Kemp, then two quick outs, then another single, two walks to make it 5-2, and then a shocking bases-loaded double off the wall by Loney to tie it at 5 (the second of Loney's like three extra-base hits on the season). Beard then follows with a go-ahead RBI single, completing a crazy comeback to give the Dodgers a 6-5 lead and the eventual victory.
5. June 16th: Dodgers down 4-2 entering eighth. Enter opposing reliever. Cue Furcal double. Then Blake single. Then Loney walk. Then Kemp single. Then Ethier game-tying fielder's choice. Fast-forward to 10th. Leadoff base hit. Then error. Then Loney GIDP...but then Kemp walkoff single. Dodgers win 5-4.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this:
Juuuuuuust a small town girl!..............Livin' in a looooooonely wooooooorld!..............(Good luck getting that out of your head.)
WHAT???????????? GET THE %$&# OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaaaaaaaand Jason Schmidt's back on the 60-day DL:
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090616&content_id=5358902&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
As Schmidt's contract ends after this season, this probably signals the end of his Dodger career. For those who aren't aware of the gory details, here's a timeline of relevant Dodgers/Schmidt events from the last few years:
July 31, 2006: In the middle of a pennant race, the Dodgers trade for Greg Maddux to bolster their starting rotation. Maddux turns back the clock to 1995 (6-3, 3.30 ERA) and helps them reach the playoffs.
November 9, 2006: Agent Scott Boras goes behind Dodger GM Ned Colletti's back and gets J.D. Drew to exercise his player option and opt out of his contract. Colletti throws a hissy fit and declares that he'll never deal with Boras clients again--Maddux included.
December 6, 2006: With Maddux no longer an option, Colletti gives Jason Schmidt a three-year contract for $47 million. (Schmidt, at the time: 33 years old. Long history of injuries. Very hated player in Los Angeles as he'd owned the Dodgers during his six years as a Giant. Forty-seven million. Yeah, this one never really had a chance at turning out well.)
April 4, 2007: Jason Schmidt makes his first start as a Dodger, going five innings while giving up one run as Los Angeles beats Milwaukee. Schmidt gets credited with the victory: his first and last as a Dodger.
April 18, 2007: After two straight shaky starts, an MRI reveals that Schmidt has an inflamed bursa sac and he hits the DL...not for the last time as a Dodger.
June 5, 2007: Schmidt comes off the DL and delivers his best start in a Dodger uni, pitching six innings and giving up only one hit. He gets a no-decision in LA's 1-0 loss to San Diego. Despite the loss, Grady Little says after the game in reference to Schmidt's start: "'If there is such a thing as a moral victory, it's what happened tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers. We'll reap the benefits of that all year long.'"
June 16, 2007: Schmidt gets rocked for the second straight start, surrendering three runs in four-plus innings innings to the Angels. The Dodgers later note that Schmidt's fastball velocity is down significantly from early April.
June 18, 2007: Schmidt hits the DL for the second time.
June 21, 2007: Schmidt undergoes right shoulder surgery and is shelved for the season. At this point in his Dodger career, he has made six starts and is 1-4 with a 6.31 ERA.
October 1, 2007: The Dodgers finish the season 82-80, eight games out of first place. Thanks to Schmidt's injury and the resulting gaping hole it left in the starting rotation, the Dodgers had been forced to acquire David Wells and Esteban Loaiza in August, both of whom did more to hurt the team than help it. Those three pitchers combined to go 6-9 with a 6.31 ERA for the Dodgers in 2007...as Greg Maddux went 14-11, 4.22 in 34 completely healthy starts for the Dodgers' division rival, the San Diego Padres.
March 30, 2008: The day before the 2008 season starts, Jason Schmidt is one of four Dodgers placed on the DL, as his right shoulder still has not healed following surgery.
May 11, 2008: Schmidt appears in an actual game for the first time since June 2007, pitching one scoreless inning for Single-A Great Lakes. He keeps pitching in the minors for the next few months, having to be shut down for extended stretches several times due to fatigue.
September 28, 2008: The Dodgers' regular season ends with Schmidt failing to reach the majors. His final minor league line for 2008: 0-1, 5.55 ERA in 9 starts, with his fastball velocity dropping to the low 80s. At this point, he has gone a year and a half without pitching in the majors, yet has made something like $24 million in that time span.
December 10, 2008: The LA Times reports that Ned Colletti and Frank McCourt knew that Jason Schmidt had shoulder problems when they originally signed him to the $47-million contract. Read that sentence again.
February 14, 2009: On the first day of spring training, Schmidt declares that he's ready to go out and grab the Dodgers' open fifth starter job, saying about his arm, "'Now, it feels better than it did. There are still a lot of unknowns. But it's definitely night and day from last year.'"
March 16, 2009: Joe Torre declares Schmidt to be out of the running for the #5 starter job, citing decreased velocity and stamina as the reasons why.
April 5, 2009: On the eve of the 2009 season, Schmidt is again placed on the DL.
May 12, 2009: After a month of "extended spring training," Schmidt makes his 2009 season debut...at Class A ball, throwing five innings and striking out six while giving up one run. After his successful start, Joe Torre says, "'He's continuing to build momentum.'"
May 26, 2009: The Dodgers halt Schmidt's rehab assignment because of right shoulder irritation.
June 17, 2009: The Dodgers transfer Schmidt to the 60-day DL, effectively ending his season and his Dodger career.
So, to recap, here are some relevant stats related to Schmidt and his Dodger tenure:
- 47 million dollars earned/stolen
- 6.31 ERA
- 1 win
- 6 starts made, none after June 16, 2007
- 4 DL stints
- 3 minor league rehab assignments halted because of decreased stamina and velocity
- 10 million Dodger fans who have developed ulcers and other stress-related illnesses because of this saga
- 1 very clear reason why Ned Colletti is a ginormous dumbass
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090616&content_id=5358902&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
As Schmidt's contract ends after this season, this probably signals the end of his Dodger career. For those who aren't aware of the gory details, here's a timeline of relevant Dodgers/Schmidt events from the last few years:
July 31, 2006: In the middle of a pennant race, the Dodgers trade for Greg Maddux to bolster their starting rotation. Maddux turns back the clock to 1995 (6-3, 3.30 ERA) and helps them reach the playoffs.
November 9, 2006: Agent Scott Boras goes behind Dodger GM Ned Colletti's back and gets J.D. Drew to exercise his player option and opt out of his contract. Colletti throws a hissy fit and declares that he'll never deal with Boras clients again--Maddux included.
December 6, 2006: With Maddux no longer an option, Colletti gives Jason Schmidt a three-year contract for $47 million. (Schmidt, at the time: 33 years old. Long history of injuries. Very hated player in Los Angeles as he'd owned the Dodgers during his six years as a Giant. Forty-seven million. Yeah, this one never really had a chance at turning out well.)
April 4, 2007: Jason Schmidt makes his first start as a Dodger, going five innings while giving up one run as Los Angeles beats Milwaukee. Schmidt gets credited with the victory: his first and last as a Dodger.
April 18, 2007: After two straight shaky starts, an MRI reveals that Schmidt has an inflamed bursa sac and he hits the DL...not for the last time as a Dodger.
June 5, 2007: Schmidt comes off the DL and delivers his best start in a Dodger uni, pitching six innings and giving up only one hit. He gets a no-decision in LA's 1-0 loss to San Diego. Despite the loss, Grady Little says after the game in reference to Schmidt's start: "'If there is such a thing as a moral victory, it's what happened tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers. We'll reap the benefits of that all year long.'"
June 16, 2007: Schmidt gets rocked for the second straight start, surrendering three runs in four-plus innings innings to the Angels. The Dodgers later note that Schmidt's fastball velocity is down significantly from early April.
June 18, 2007: Schmidt hits the DL for the second time.
June 21, 2007: Schmidt undergoes right shoulder surgery and is shelved for the season. At this point in his Dodger career, he has made six starts and is 1-4 with a 6.31 ERA.
October 1, 2007: The Dodgers finish the season 82-80, eight games out of first place. Thanks to Schmidt's injury and the resulting gaping hole it left in the starting rotation, the Dodgers had been forced to acquire David Wells and Esteban Loaiza in August, both of whom did more to hurt the team than help it. Those three pitchers combined to go 6-9 with a 6.31 ERA for the Dodgers in 2007...as Greg Maddux went 14-11, 4.22 in 34 completely healthy starts for the Dodgers' division rival, the San Diego Padres.
March 30, 2008: The day before the 2008 season starts, Jason Schmidt is one of four Dodgers placed on the DL, as his right shoulder still has not healed following surgery.
May 11, 2008: Schmidt appears in an actual game for the first time since June 2007, pitching one scoreless inning for Single-A Great Lakes. He keeps pitching in the minors for the next few months, having to be shut down for extended stretches several times due to fatigue.
September 28, 2008: The Dodgers' regular season ends with Schmidt failing to reach the majors. His final minor league line for 2008: 0-1, 5.55 ERA in 9 starts, with his fastball velocity dropping to the low 80s. At this point, he has gone a year and a half without pitching in the majors, yet has made something like $24 million in that time span.
December 10, 2008: The LA Times reports that Ned Colletti and Frank McCourt knew that Jason Schmidt had shoulder problems when they originally signed him to the $47-million contract. Read that sentence again.
February 14, 2009: On the first day of spring training, Schmidt declares that he's ready to go out and grab the Dodgers' open fifth starter job, saying about his arm, "'Now, it feels better than it did. There are still a lot of unknowns. But it's definitely night and day from last year.'"
March 16, 2009: Joe Torre declares Schmidt to be out of the running for the #5 starter job, citing decreased velocity and stamina as the reasons why.
April 5, 2009: On the eve of the 2009 season, Schmidt is again placed on the DL.
May 12, 2009: After a month of "extended spring training," Schmidt makes his 2009 season debut...at Class A ball, throwing five innings and striking out six while giving up one run. After his successful start, Joe Torre says, "'He's continuing to build momentum.'"
May 26, 2009: The Dodgers halt Schmidt's rehab assignment because of right shoulder irritation.
June 17, 2009: The Dodgers transfer Schmidt to the 60-day DL, effectively ending his season and his Dodger career.
So, to recap, here are some relevant stats related to Schmidt and his Dodger tenure:
- 47 million dollars earned/stolen
- 6.31 ERA
- 1 win
- 6 starts made, none after June 16, 2007
- 4 DL stints
- 3 minor league rehab assignments halted because of decreased stamina and velocity
- 10 million Dodger fans who have developed ulcers and other stress-related illnesses because of this saga
- 1 very clear reason why Ned Colletti is a ginormous dumbass
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Andruw Jones sets all-time single-game records with 6 home runs, 18 RBIs, 50 pounds lost
Just kidding, but it wouldn't have surprised me.
(Jones still did hit a home run and steal a base; I'm not sure which of those blew me away the most.)
(Jones still did hit a home run and steal a base; I'm not sure which of those blew me away the most.)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
I don't usually (well, ever) write about hockey, but...
Congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins on their victory in the Stanley Cup Finals and for reaching the top of the hockey world. Their next goal: get the TV ratings for NHL games higher than the TV ratings for fishing shows.
I'm so depressed I guess I'll just hit .160
You may have heard of Andruw Jones. Burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old rookie in the 1996 World Series with a couple of monstrous home runs. Became well-known for his great range and diving catches in the outfield. Has a closet full of Gold Gloves. Regularly hit 30-40 homers a year in the early 2000s. Was one of the greatest players in Atlanta Braves history during his twelve-year tenure there. Then he signed with the Dodgers for $36 million in the 2007 offseason (despite coming off a year where he batted .222 with a .311 OBP, easily his worst season) and proceeded to gain 400 pounds and start off something like 1 for his first 50. He finished the season at .158 with 3 homers, one of the worst offensive seasons in baseball history. He was probably the most disgraceful free agent signing of all time.
But if you listen to Jones, it's all Frank McCourt's fault.
"
Sitting at his corner locker in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse Friday, Andruw Jones said the main reason he asked the Dodgers to release him this winter wasn't his desire for a change of scenery.He said he asked out mainly because of the way he was treated by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
"He wasn't standing behind me, I think," Jones said, adding that if McCourt had shown him more respect, "I almost definitely would be part of the L.A. Dodgers right now."
McCourt was unavailable for comment.
Jones' season with the Dodgers was an unmitigated disappointment, as he reported to camp overweight for the first year of his two-year, $36.2-million contract.
He batted.158 with three home runs and 14 runs batted in and was granted his release over the winter by agreeing to defer a significant portion of the $22 million remaining on his deal.
"As things were going along, I didn't think I was in their plans," Jones said. "I had to make a decision and move on.
"I know they had Matt Kemp, who was going to play center field all the time, so I didn't feel like I was in their plans."
Jones said he started to get the sense that he was on his way out of Los Angeles when he met with McCourt before undergoing knee surgery last May.
"It was disrespect," Jones said of the way McCourt spoke to him.
Jones said he was upset when his agent, Scott Boras, told him in the off-season that McCourt was looking into ways to void his contract.
While acknowledging that McCourt paid him a hefty salary, Jones said the owner had no right to complain about a deal that was mutually agreed upon.
"I got paid that money because that was my value," Jones said, pointing to the numbers he posted in 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.
"
Emphasis fucking mine.
Good God, Andruw, are you serious? You show up to Dodgers camp weighing 800 pounds with the bat speed of a grandma with arthritis and you expect the fans and front office to show you respect? After a year where you hit fucking .222? Then you watch them acquire Manny Ramirez in July and take off to the NLCS while you hide your fat ass in the minors, and you complain about not being in their plans? Wow. At least nobody can say that you're not a fatheaded dick.
And now, of course, he'll hit four home runs against the Dodgers today. You can put that one in the books right now.
But if you listen to Jones, it's all Frank McCourt's fault.
"
Sitting at his corner locker in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse Friday, Andruw Jones said the main reason he asked the Dodgers to release him this winter wasn't his desire for a change of scenery.He said he asked out mainly because of the way he was treated by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
"He wasn't standing behind me, I think," Jones said, adding that if McCourt had shown him more respect, "I almost definitely would be part of the L.A. Dodgers right now."
McCourt was unavailable for comment.
Jones' season with the Dodgers was an unmitigated disappointment, as he reported to camp overweight for the first year of his two-year, $36.2-million contract.
He batted.158 with three home runs and 14 runs batted in and was granted his release over the winter by agreeing to defer a significant portion of the $22 million remaining on his deal.
"As things were going along, I didn't think I was in their plans," Jones said. "I had to make a decision and move on.
"I know they had Matt Kemp, who was going to play center field all the time, so I didn't feel like I was in their plans."
Jones said he started to get the sense that he was on his way out of Los Angeles when he met with McCourt before undergoing knee surgery last May.
"It was disrespect," Jones said of the way McCourt spoke to him.
Jones said he was upset when his agent, Scott Boras, told him in the off-season that McCourt was looking into ways to void his contract.
While acknowledging that McCourt paid him a hefty salary, Jones said the owner had no right to complain about a deal that was mutually agreed upon.
"I got paid that money because that was my value," Jones said, pointing to the numbers he posted in 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.
"
Emphasis fucking mine.
Good God, Andruw, are you serious? You show up to Dodgers camp weighing 800 pounds with the bat speed of a grandma with arthritis and you expect the fans and front office to show you respect? After a year where you hit fucking .222? Then you watch them acquire Manny Ramirez in July and take off to the NLCS while you hide your fat ass in the minors, and you complain about not being in their plans? Wow. At least nobody can say that you're not a fatheaded dick.
And now, of course, he'll hit four home runs against the Dodgers today. You can put that one in the books right now.
Friday, June 12, 2009
You'd have to be an idiot to declare an NBA Finals game over in the second quarter
But to insinuate that Adam Morrison could ever see the floor? Even if it was a 20-point game? That's beyond idiocy. You'd have to be Paris Hilton, Damon Stoudamire, and Miss Teen South Carolina all rolled into one to be that stupid. You shouldn't be allowed to see the light of day if you're that stupid. And you definitely shouldn't be allowed to have an ultra-critical, tongue-in-cheek, holier-than-thou sports blog if you're that stupid. It's unimaginable to think that somebody could be that dumb.
(Please ignore my last post.)
(Please ignore my last post.)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I think you're all missing the real story here
With the Lakers currently trailing by double digits in the second quarter of Game 4 against Orlando, there are probably a million questions running through people's minds. Is Kobe gassed? Could this series go seven? Is Orlando better than people thought? How high is JJ Redick's blood-alcohol level? How badly will Mamba maim his teammates if the Lakers lose the series? Which guy from the movie Troy does Pau Gasol look exactly like? How stupid is it to keep showing those fucking Lebron/Kobe puppet commercials when the King is currently sitting at home on his couch eating Doritos? And could this actually end up being a classic Finals when, after the first two games, some said that it might be the most boring one in history? But I think I have the most relevant question of all:
If the Lakers are losing by 20 in the fourth quarter and they play Adam Morrison with Jordan Farmar, um...how's that gonna go?
If the Lakers are losing by 20 in the fourth quarter and they play Adam Morrison with Jordan Farmar, um...how's that gonna go?
What if a team only drafted pitchers?
How important is pitching in this day in age? Well, it's probably not 90% of baseball, as I think Connie Mack once said, but it's pretty damn important. Good pitching is so rare in this day in age that the best available starting pitcher on the trade market come July might be Doug freaking Davis of the Arizona Diamondbacks. If you have two good starters, you probably have one of the top three rotations in your league. It's borderline insanity, but it's the truth.
So let's say that you're a first-time general manager, about to take over a small-market team with a low payroll that has been a perennial loser for years. Well, wouldn't "drafting young pitching" be your absolute #1 priority? Even if each young guy you get only has like a 20% chance of being a star, won't the odds be in your favor that you'll have a solid pitching staff before long? I believe so. And the best part about young pitching is, it's what other teams want more than anything, so you also have some very valuable trade chips to use in transactions to acquire other pieces of the puzzle without needing to spend lavishly on free agents.
Obviously, with this logic, pitching should be paramount for small-market teams. So I'm going to try a hypothetical situation here: what if one such team only took pitchers in their draft? What if the Nationals followed up their Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen picks with 49 other pitchers? Would they be better off? About the same? Worse? What would happen? I'm opening this up to any and all discussion. Personally, I say yes, but there's a ton of room for debate, of course.
So let's say that you're a first-time general manager, about to take over a small-market team with a low payroll that has been a perennial loser for years. Well, wouldn't "drafting young pitching" be your absolute #1 priority? Even if each young guy you get only has like a 20% chance of being a star, won't the odds be in your favor that you'll have a solid pitching staff before long? I believe so. And the best part about young pitching is, it's what other teams want more than anything, so you also have some very valuable trade chips to use in transactions to acquire other pieces of the puzzle without needing to spend lavishly on free agents.
Obviously, with this logic, pitching should be paramount for small-market teams. So I'm going to try a hypothetical situation here: what if one such team only took pitchers in their draft? What if the Nationals followed up their Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen picks with 49 other pitchers? Would they be better off? About the same? Worse? What would happen? I'm opening this up to any and all discussion. Personally, I say yes, but there's a ton of room for debate, of course.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sometimes Red Sox fans are just the best
Fourth inning, Wednesday Night Baseball, The Greatest Rivalry In The History Of Sports playing on The National Brett Favre Sports Network. It's 4-2 in favor of the Boston Sam Malones, with the New York Jerry Seinfelds threatening with runners on first and second with two out. As Johnny Damon steps in to face Tim Wakefield, my Sox-loving stepdad casually observes, "Come on Wake! You're our ace!"
Now, of course, I was faced with a tough decision: Exactly which argument should I use to make my elder look completely foolish?
a. Josh Beckett: 3.77 ERA. Tim Wakefield: 4.50 ERA.
b. Josh Beckett: 1.30 WHIP. Tim Wakefield: 1.43 WHIP.
c. Josh Beckett: 76 strikeouts and 32 walks in 76.1 innings. Tim Wakefield: 41 strikeouts and 32 walks in 72 innings.
d. Josh Beckett: 8.96 K/9. Tim Wakefield: 5.13 K/9.
e. Josh Beckett: STF rating of 27. Tim Wakefield: STF rating of 4.
Wakefield does have an edge in defense-adjusted ERA (3.59 to 3.70). But it's very, very, very clear that Josh Beckett is the Red Sox' ace, and Tim Wakefield is not.
Of course, I went with "f: none of the above" and meekly muttered, "Wait, what about Beckett?" as my stepdad proceeded to contradict me by talking about reasons why Wakefield was good (while failing to mention defense-adjusted ERA because, well, he's a normal person and not a blogging stat geek). Rick Sutcliffe then made a remark that insinuated in some way that Wakefield wasn't very good, and naturally my stepdad spent the rest of the half-inning pimping Wake every chance he got while also (to my immense joy) berating Sut every time he said anything.
Here's what I'm trying to say: Bandwagon Red Sox fans who wear yellow Sox hats and think Pedro Martinez is still on the team can all fall on a cactus. But Red Sox fans like my stepdad? They're the best.
Now, of course, I was faced with a tough decision: Exactly which argument should I use to make my elder look completely foolish?
a. Josh Beckett: 3.77 ERA. Tim Wakefield: 4.50 ERA.
b. Josh Beckett: 1.30 WHIP. Tim Wakefield: 1.43 WHIP.
c. Josh Beckett: 76 strikeouts and 32 walks in 76.1 innings. Tim Wakefield: 41 strikeouts and 32 walks in 72 innings.
d. Josh Beckett: 8.96 K/9. Tim Wakefield: 5.13 K/9.
e. Josh Beckett: STF rating of 27. Tim Wakefield: STF rating of 4.
Wakefield does have an edge in defense-adjusted ERA (3.59 to 3.70). But it's very, very, very clear that Josh Beckett is the Red Sox' ace, and Tim Wakefield is not.
Of course, I went with "f: none of the above" and meekly muttered, "Wait, what about Beckett?" as my stepdad proceeded to contradict me by talking about reasons why Wakefield was good (while failing to mention defense-adjusted ERA because, well, he's a normal person and not a blogging stat geek). Rick Sutcliffe then made a remark that insinuated in some way that Wakefield wasn't very good, and naturally my stepdad spent the rest of the half-inning pimping Wake every chance he got while also (to my immense joy) berating Sut every time he said anything.
Here's what I'm trying to say: Bandwagon Red Sox fans who wear yellow Sox hats and think Pedro Martinez is still on the team can all fall on a cactus. But Red Sox fans like my stepdad? They're the best.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Things more exciting than the Brett Favre saga
1. Listening to Joe Buck announce a Sewing Contest For The Elderly
2. Painting a door white and then watching it dry
3. Counting the blades of grass in your yard
4. Watching a five-hour silent romance movie from the 1920s
5. Cleaning your entire swimming pool with a toothbrush
6. Going to Starbucks and ordering a regular coffee
7. Writing a 90-page graduate paper in a dead language
8. Imagining the perfect cloud
9. Buying a gray T-shirt
10. Watching the World Championships of Darts
11. Staring at a blank wall
12. Everything in the fucking world. Seriously, I'm almost ready to give up on ESPN. The banter and commentary on your average episode of "Sportscenter" or "Baseball Tonight" or "NFL Live" is painfully, painfully awful. My dad is currently boycotting ESPN probably from some kind of "Price is Right"-themed show that NBA Live once did, and I may not be far behind him if this relentless coverage of non-stories continues. Can't Fox Sports just have a 24-hour highlight channel?
2. Painting a door white and then watching it dry
3. Counting the blades of grass in your yard
4. Watching a five-hour silent romance movie from the 1920s
5. Cleaning your entire swimming pool with a toothbrush
6. Going to Starbucks and ordering a regular coffee
7. Writing a 90-page graduate paper in a dead language
8. Imagining the perfect cloud
9. Buying a gray T-shirt
10. Watching the World Championships of Darts
11. Staring at a blank wall
12. Everything in the fucking world. Seriously, I'm almost ready to give up on ESPN. The banter and commentary on your average episode of "Sportscenter" or "Baseball Tonight" or "NFL Live" is painfully, painfully awful. My dad is currently boycotting ESPN probably from some kind of "Price is Right"-themed show that NBA Live once did, and I may not be far behind him if this relentless coverage of non-stories continues. Can't Fox Sports just have a 24-hour highlight channel?
Friday, June 5, 2009
I thank my father for not being raised in Houston
Because if he had been, I'd probably be holding Drayton McLane at gunpoint right now:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6458985.html
There's some positive talk in there, particularly, "We have to make a stronger investment and smarter picks in the draft. You've got to invest in young talent." But then he slits his own wrists with this:
"He emphasized he would like both Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt to finish their careers with the Astros. If either asks to be traded, he’ll attempt to talk them out of it."
FACEPALM.
The Astros are currently 23-29 and in last place in the NL Central. Their farm system is more barren than the Sahara Desert. Their future is ugly and bleak, as they play in one of baseball's best divisions and their talent level (both major and minor league) doesn't even begin to approach the rest of their divisionmates, and it's not like they can just outspend everyone either. As Tampa Bay showed us last year, the only real way to succeed in a division where you have much less money, resources, and talent than your competitors is to collect young talent that can provide you with cheap production and allow you to spend your money on good free agents that can actually help your team win instead of crappy "role players" who are really just there to fill out the lineup (Geoff Blum, Exhibit A). One of the sad but necessary steps to take to begin this process is to trade away your good, high-priced talent at its peak value in order to get the best possible return on it, even if said talent represents your most popular players. And let's be honest; Roy Oswalt is a good pitcher, but he's also 31 years old and has been slowly but steadily declining since 2005 (not coincidentally, a year in which he threw a combined 269 innings in the regular season and playoffs). He'll never be more valuable then he is right now. Same with Lance Berkman; yeah, he's still plugging along, but he's 33, and he's played over 1,400 games in his career. He's going to start wearing down soon. The intelligent thing to do if you're Drayton McLane is to concede 2009 and sell these guys off in July while you can still get a shitload of top prospects for them.
So that's what DrayMac is doing, right? FUCK NO. He's going to let these guys stay Astros until the day they retire, presumably when they're both 40 years old, clogging up the payroll, and playing like shells of their former selves. In Drayton McLane's mind, "letting two pretty good players who have been with the team for a while retire as Astros" >>>>>>>>>>>>> "winning fucking baseball games."
I'm sorry, Astros fans. At least you can look forward to five Roy Oswalt bobblehead days a month in the year 2019.
(P.S. 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6458985.html
There's some positive talk in there, particularly, "We have to make a stronger investment and smarter picks in the draft. You've got to invest in young talent." But then he slits his own wrists with this:
"He emphasized he would like both Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt to finish their careers with the Astros. If either asks to be traded, he’ll attempt to talk them out of it."
FACEPALM.
The Astros are currently 23-29 and in last place in the NL Central. Their farm system is more barren than the Sahara Desert. Their future is ugly and bleak, as they play in one of baseball's best divisions and their talent level (both major and minor league) doesn't even begin to approach the rest of their divisionmates, and it's not like they can just outspend everyone either. As Tampa Bay showed us last year, the only real way to succeed in a division where you have much less money, resources, and talent than your competitors is to collect young talent that can provide you with cheap production and allow you to spend your money on good free agents that can actually help your team win instead of crappy "role players" who are really just there to fill out the lineup (Geoff Blum, Exhibit A). One of the sad but necessary steps to take to begin this process is to trade away your good, high-priced talent at its peak value in order to get the best possible return on it, even if said talent represents your most popular players. And let's be honest; Roy Oswalt is a good pitcher, but he's also 31 years old and has been slowly but steadily declining since 2005 (not coincidentally, a year in which he threw a combined 269 innings in the regular season and playoffs). He'll never be more valuable then he is right now. Same with Lance Berkman; yeah, he's still plugging along, but he's 33, and he's played over 1,400 games in his career. He's going to start wearing down soon. The intelligent thing to do if you're Drayton McLane is to concede 2009 and sell these guys off in July while you can still get a shitload of top prospects for them.
So that's what DrayMac is doing, right? FUCK NO. He's going to let these guys stay Astros until the day they retire, presumably when they're both 40 years old, clogging up the payroll, and playing like shells of their former selves. In Drayton McLane's mind, "letting two pretty good players who have been with the team for a while retire as Astros" >>>>>>>>>>>>> "winning fucking baseball games."
I'm sorry, Astros fans. At least you can look forward to five Roy Oswalt bobblehead days a month in the year 2019.
(P.S. 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
It's not business, Tommy; it's strictly personal
Yeah, okay Michael Corleone:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4228623
Right. And then 10 minutes later, after clearing Glavine's $1 million-plus off the payroll, the Braves added a bunch of salary by trading for Nate McLouth. But it was still just about performance! Really!
By the way...the Braves released Tom Glavine? Seriously? They really think he would have been a worse #5 starter then Kris Medlen (6.28 ERA) or Jo-Jo Reyes (7.00 ERA)? They don't realize that this forever stains their relationship with the greatest or second-greatest pitcher in franchise history? They don't think that their fans might riot? They're dumb enough to think that Nate McLouth is the missing piece of the puzzle, especially considering that his career averages are .261/.339/.462 and that they're in the same division as the Mets and Phillies? Honestly, the only ones dumber than the Braves in this whole thing are the Pirates; they failed to trade McLouth at his peak value of "potential 30-30 guy with Gold Glove defense!" last offseason, and then traded him for three subpar prospects while he still had a good amount of value and when they were still within shouting distance in their division. Just a shit job by pretty much everyone involved. Braves fans have to be disappointed. Pirates fans have to be disappointed. But most disappointed of all has to be my mom, who picked the Pirates as her sleeper team this year (despite probably thinking that Roberto Clemente still played for them) and still had hope going into yesterday of seeing her pick pan out. Devastating day in the Sports By Sam household.
Anyway, here's to Tom finding a team soon and shutting up all his doubters. Hell, if Eric Milton has one more shaky start...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4228623
"This was not a business decision," Wren said. "This was a performance decision."
Right. And then 10 minutes later, after clearing Glavine's $1 million-plus off the payroll, the Braves added a bunch of salary by trading for Nate McLouth. But it was still just about performance! Really!
By the way...the Braves released Tom Glavine? Seriously? They really think he would have been a worse #5 starter then Kris Medlen (6.28 ERA) or Jo-Jo Reyes (7.00 ERA)? They don't realize that this forever stains their relationship with the greatest or second-greatest pitcher in franchise history? They don't think that their fans might riot? They're dumb enough to think that Nate McLouth is the missing piece of the puzzle, especially considering that his career averages are .261/.339/.462 and that they're in the same division as the Mets and Phillies? Honestly, the only ones dumber than the Braves in this whole thing are the Pirates; they failed to trade McLouth at his peak value of "potential 30-30 guy with Gold Glove defense!" last offseason, and then traded him for three subpar prospects while he still had a good amount of value and when they were still within shouting distance in their division. Just a shit job by pretty much everyone involved. Braves fans have to be disappointed. Pirates fans have to be disappointed. But most disappointed of all has to be my mom, who picked the Pirates as her sleeper team this year (despite probably thinking that Roberto Clemente still played for them) and still had hope going into yesterday of seeing her pick pan out. Devastating day in the Sports By Sam household.
Anyway, here's to Tom finding a team soon and shutting up all his doubters. Hell, if Eric Milton has one more shaky start...
I have very few rules in life
But this is one of them: every time a Sports Illustrated columnist declares a 16-year-old kid to be Roy freaking Hobbs, I have to get off my ass and blog about it. (Sorry for the two-week vacation. It's summer and I'm 19, for crying out loud! But still, sorry.)
Anyway, here's the guy who will be suiting up for the Hebrew Oilers any day now:
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156215/index.htm
Anything he wants to hit he hits! Anything he wants to do he does!
I'm as wide-eyed as anyone when it comes to statements like "ZOMG This 16-year-old could hit circles around Babe Ruth OMFG!!!!!!"; hell, when Matt Kemp hit 7 homers in his first 15 games as a Dodger in 2006 I figured him to be Albert Pujols Lite for the next 18 years (and we all know how that turned out). Sure, it's not at all normal for a kid to hit 500-foot homers before he can legally get into an R-rated movie, but for once could we tone down the hoopla? Josh Hamilton was an incredible high school athlete with an enormous amount of hype, and the resulting pressure weighed on him so much that he became an alcoholic and a drug addict. At least the mainstream media learned nothing from that whole saga. Good job boys.
In reality, there's so much that could go wrong for this kid on his way to the top (injuries, mental problems, Barbara Hershey stalking him and then gunning him down in a hotel room, etc) that it's completely dumb and ignorant to proclaim him a "baseball savior" at age 16. Until he strikes out The Whammer or hits the cover off the ball, color me unconvinced. (But still a little excited at the same time.)
Anyway, here's the guy who will be suiting up for the Hebrew Oilers any day now:
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156215/index.htm
Anything he wants to hit he hits! Anything he wants to do he does!
I'm as wide-eyed as anyone when it comes to statements like "ZOMG This 16-year-old could hit circles around Babe Ruth OMFG!!!!!!"; hell, when Matt Kemp hit 7 homers in his first 15 games as a Dodger in 2006 I figured him to be Albert Pujols Lite for the next 18 years (and we all know how that turned out). Sure, it's not at all normal for a kid to hit 500-foot homers before he can legally get into an R-rated movie, but for once could we tone down the hoopla? Josh Hamilton was an incredible high school athlete with an enormous amount of hype, and the resulting pressure weighed on him so much that he became an alcoholic and a drug addict. At least the mainstream media learned nothing from that whole saga. Good job boys.
In reality, there's so much that could go wrong for this kid on his way to the top (injuries, mental problems, Barbara Hershey stalking him and then gunning him down in a hotel room, etc) that it's completely dumb and ignorant to proclaim him a "baseball savior" at age 16. Until he strikes out The Whammer or hits the cover off the ball, color me unconvinced. (But still a little excited at the same time.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)