A-Rod to the DL, Hughes to AAA (?), and Nationals Notes

Admittedly, we Yankees fans tend to go into panic if we lose a few games more than we think we should, or whenever we get off to a slow start. Usually that anxious dread is smoothed over by a ten game winning streak, or by one of our all stars having a career month. That's the norm, this is the reality. Yankees veterans are dropping like flies. Now A-Rod is set to join Posada on the DL with a strained hamstring* and Burney may need foot surgery. But this year is the year of Yankees pitching right? RIGHT. Our young pitchers are crapping the bed faster than my buddy Matt after a night of heavy drinking. It is still far too early to chalk up the season as a total disaster, but it is going to be a long long struggle for anyone who follows the bombers.

I have been arguing for the past couple of weeks that Hughes isn't in as much hot water as he should be. Well that has certainly changed after he lost his 4th game of the season lasting only into the third.

"I think it's fair to discuss it," general manager Brian Cashman said of the prospect of temporarily removing Hughes from the Yankees rotation. "So we'll discuss it."

Yikes Phil. That Santana trade is starting to look more and more like a broken glass slipper. I think ultimately Hughes gets at least two more starts before any decision is made. Let's face it, we are looking at the prospect of needing to replace two of our starters (Hughes and Kennedy). That frees up space for Chamberlin, but he is not a guarantee as a starter and plus he will need time to adjust. Which leaves a lot of questions about a rotation that was suppose to be a slam dunk. Can Hughes find his groove again or does he need a trip to AAA? Does Kennedy have a groove? Not to mention that Pettitte's back is known to flair up from time to time and requires him to miss a start here and there. Per my decision yesterday I am letting Moose off the hook for right now, but we all know that could change in an inning too. This wasn't suppose to happen. Hughes and Kennedy were suppose to come out of the corner swinging. Hell, Phil almost had a no hitter last season!

Nationals Notes

Wouldn't you know it, the day after I reluctantly stick Zimmerman on my fantasy league bench he breaks his slump. Zimmer had three hits last night, one of which was a solo home run. Suddenly the Nats are swinging and winning again. Although two wins in a row hardly qualifies as a winning streak, could this FINALLY be the corner the Nationals needed to turn to start playing the way I thought they would play? I'm not going to jump out of my seat just yet but it does look promising for the short term at least. It is going to be tough in the long haul though since the loving truth is that pitching continues to be a problem for Washington, especially now that Chad Cordero is headed back to the DL. The only way the Nats are going to have a prayer this year is through lots and lots of offense because the way their rotation looks right now they are going to need insurance runs in just about every game.



*This is A-Rod's 5th trip to the DL in his career. In 1997 he was sidlined with a "bruised chest." Given A-Rod's history I can only speculate that is code for broken heart.

Yankees 5 - Indians 2, Clemens 28 - McCready 15, and Screech to Join the Rotation

Yankees 5 - Indians 2

I have no doubt that this will be Mike Mussina's last year in pinstripes, however for at least the time being it is time to take the microscope off him. Mussina didn't have his best stuff last night, but he is starting to prove that he still has some gas in the tank and the desire drive to take it deep into the ball game. So for now Mike, you are off the hook.

Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are two completely different stories. Hughes takes the mound tonight versus a scary Detroit offense that is finally starting to come to life. Bad timing for a young pitcher who desperately needs a solid outing. Same story for Kennedy who is slated for Thursday thanks to Girardi's decision to not have Kennedy and Hughes go back in order to save the bullpen. While both pitchers have a lot to prove, Kennedy is really the one hanging on by a thread right now. With rumors of another golden child working his way through AAA, and of course the inevitable insertion of Joba into the rotation, this next appearance could be do or die for Ian. Whether he realizes it or not, Thursday's game could determine if he continues on as a starter, or if his career will be shifted to a life in the bullpen. I'll be pulling for you kid.

Three big contracts, two big injuries. With Posada on the DL for the first time in his career and with A-Rod down again (day to day) hindsight is screaming WTF HAVE I DONE!! (nod to Julie) Rodriquez and Posada tried to return to the team far too quickly. I still don't think A-Rod's injury is that big of a deal, but Posada's injury is a big question mark. Girardi needs to stay on top of these guys and make sure they are 100% before letting them back on the field. Carl Pava----(nope, still can't mention his name) was a disaster, but imagine throwing away 350,000,000 for two players that Carl it up!

Clemens 28 - McCready 15

In the continuing saga of Roger Clemens extra marital affairs, Mindy McCready said yesterday that she can not refute anything that has come to light regarding her relationship with Roger Clemens. Still, McCready seems to have more to gain by being in the spotlight right now. With her checkered past and her attempts at a come back a little public sympathy couldn't hurt. Did I mention she is trying to launch a reality show? Speaking of reality, the reality is that people have already decided whether or not Clemens used steroids. Affairs with 15 year old's certainly hurt his credibility, but it doesn't have anything to do with baseball or PED's.

Nationals Notes

When does saying there is no excuse become an excuse? I'm starting to get tired of the Nationals rotation saying that they just didn't have it out there. I'm also getting a bit concerned with Acta's lack of aggressiveness. While I agree with him that it is still relatively early and that yelling at his team doesn't accomplish anything, the Nationals need someone to fire them up. Zimmerman can't do it right now with his pitiful .222 bating average. So who is it going to be....Screech?

Clemens To Appear on Jerry Springer

Raise your hand if you are sick and tired of hearing about Roger Clemens! I've made it well know that I am fed up with hearing about his alleged PED use and I have refused to blog about it for the past couple of months. Well the moratorium is briefly suspended thanks to this story I came across in my morning read through of baseball articles. I mean come on, who hasn't met an underage girl (thirteen years your minor) singing Karaoke in a bar and thrown a t-shirt at her? I know I have. Hell, I've even partied with Michael Jordan and Monica Lewinsky before. Honestly Roger, it is time for you to take an extended vacation. Go someplace where they don't have cameras or even baseball. Just please please please stay away from adolescents and Karaoke bars.

"According to sources, Clemens was with his Red Sox teammates in a Fort
Myers, Fla., bar when then-teenager McCready caught his eye. After Clemens threw a shirt with his and several teammates' signatures onstage, an introduction was made. It was love at first sight, no doubt about it," said a source with intimate knowledge of the relationship."

No doubt Roger's pick up line was, "hey little girl you have a nice voice.
If you are interested I know a guy in San Francisco who can help you beef up
your vocal cords."

"During another Big Apple excursion, the two holed up in the trendy SoHo Grand and later partied with Monica Lewinsky and Michael Jordan. McCready, according to a source, even bummed a cigar off His Airness to give to Clemens."

MONICA LEWINSKY??? How the hell did she get involved in all this and hasn't she learned her lesson about being around cigars?!!!!! I can only imagine what that conversation was like:

MJ: Hey Roger, I bet you thirty thousand dollars your daughter doesn't have the balls to try and bum an El Presidente off me in front of Monica.

RC: She's not my daughter she's my....um...."friend" (wink wink), but you're on...(whispers to MM)

MM: Hey Monica, love the beret. MJ, do you have an extra El Presidente cigar I could borrow.

ML: Here take mine.

RC: Um, no thanks....um, Michael owes me one anyway.

Honestly, this whole circus show needs to stop. Clemens is stupid if he didn't think that this type of thing wouldn't come to light after filing his defamation of character suit. One can only imagine what is going to come next but I imagine it will be something involving Paris or Brittney...OR BOTH!!! So please Roger, hop on K-Force one and take a trip some place. If not for yourself for the rest of us who are tired of seeing you muck up everything you've accomplished and making a laughing stock of baseball.

BREAKIING NEWS - JOBA CHAMBERLIN IS ACTUALLY HUMAN!!!!!!!

Thanks to a 51 minute rain delay Hughes didn't get a chance to earn his first win of the season last night, but hey, at least he didn't earn his 5th loss either. Of course the big news that everyone is talking about this morning is the Joba earned his first loss of his Major league career. Calm down kids, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

A-Rod rejoined the team last night after missing the last week with a leg injury and the birth of baby-Rod. Apparently he handed out cigars in the locker room which no doubt Girardi promptly had taken away so as to stay true to the no candy in the locker room edict. The plan for A-Rod is to evaluate him today so that he can possibly get back into the line up by tonight.

Nationals Notes

HOLY FU*$#(@ SH*#, the Nat's trounced the Mets 10-5 and only made 1 error last night? This can't be true. Felipe Lopez was the hero of the game knocking the Nationals first grand slam of the season. It was a good win for the Nat's who are now 7-16 on the season so far. But Manny Acta would like to remind us all, "we haven't won three out of the last 17 -- we have won two out of the last three. OK?" Maybe this is just the type of win the Nat's need in order to FINALLY get it going. I really think that until these guys start having fun and stop crying in the dugout nothing is going to happen. Well they certainly seemed to be having fun last night. Oh, and a special thank you to Ryan Zimmerman, my fantasy league 3rd baseman, who finally started to hit again last night. I really didn't want to have to take him off my roster since he is the only Nat I have left.

Moose Goes 7 and Pena Needs a Tissue

I don't have much to write today but there are a few things that I think need to be commented on.

Moose and Hughes

I hate to say this but Mike Mussina still has a lot to prove before I am willing to take him off the chopping block. I'm not going so far as to say last nights 7 innings of work was flukesville, but one good start in three is by no means a comeback. That said, it is nice to see him pitching like the ace he used to be. His velocity is certainly down a bit, but his control was spot on.

Speaking of things to prove, Hughes takes the mound tonight. Hughes really needs to get in some productive innings of work tonight if he ever hopes to quell the doubts that have arisen after his first four starts and his non trade for Santana. I do think the kid will figure things out, his fastball is still in the 90's but he just doesn't seem to be able to get into a rhythm and relax out there. In his defence, I probably would have browned my boxers pitching for the Yankees at that age.

Nationals Notes
(I know I am being an asshole here, BUT......)

Don't you just feel a little better after a good hard cry? As if the month of April couldn't get any worse for the Nat's, check out this story about Willie Mo Pena who was witnessed.......CRYING IN THE DUGOUT!!!!!!! Ok....let's all say this collectively because we are all thinking it......THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!!!!!!! While I appreciate the fact that he takes his and the teams dismal April record seriously, if you are going to cry at least do it someplace where no one can see you. Stuff like this only make the Nat's look like a bunch of cry baby losers, not to mention what it suggests about the size of Pena's cohones.

"I told him it was OK. It's early," Acta said. "He is going to be back to his old self. It's only a game. There are more important things in life. It's a baseball game. I want to win and we are concerned about [losing]. At least [Pena] showed some compassion for it."

Now suck it up and get out there and get some runs!

Yankees AND Nat's Win

Can it be? Did both the Yankees and the Nationals win on the same day? I must be dreaming.

Yankees 9 - Chi-Sox 6

It is well known that both Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon read this blog. How do I know that you ask? Well just a few days ago I wrote that they both needed to improve their offensive production and voila, they each hit a home run last night. I take full credit. The big story of the day though (ok Abreu's grand slam is the big story of the day) is that Wang got his 50th win in only his 85th career start. That puts him at 4-0 on the season so far and yet he still seems to be continuously overlooked by the analysts.

In injury related news A-Rod is not expected to rejoin the team until tomorrow, although with the birth of his daughter due any day now it could be another week before we see him back on the corner. Speaking of A-Rod, there has been a lot of worry about his hamstring injury. In my opinion I don't think that it will turn out to be a big deal. It seems like something similar to this happens to A-Rod at least once a year but it never turns out to be anything more than fatigue. Keep in mind those are a 300 million dollar set of legs, he needs to make sure those things are in top working condition.

Nationals 6 - Atlanta 0

I still can't believe my eyes. Not only did the Nat's win, they shut out the Braves. Lannan even lasted 7 innings which is almost unprecedented for a Washington pitcher this year. Here's hoping this is the start of a big comeback.

The Nationals are becoming quite the storied franchise. Unfortunately it isn't because of their own achievements. We all remember that it was Nat's pitcher Mike Bacsik who gave up home run number 756* to Barry Bonds, well last night thanks to Felipe Lopez another milestone was reached as John Smoltz earned his 3,000th strike out.

Other News From Around the League

Josh Beckett was sidelined last night with stiff neck. Don't get too excited though, reportedly a good number of red sox players, including Beckett, have had the flu in the past couple of days. Chances are the stiffness is attributable to nothing more than that. In fact Varitek is expected to miss another game because of the bug.

The A's may be interested in Frank Thomas. In my opinion the A's would have nothing to lose considering that the Blue Jays are still obligated to pay his salary for the year. Sure there are some younger players who could stand to lose some at bats if Thomas is picked up, but they could also use some power against left handed hitting. That is of course if Frank can turn his season around. Most importantly in my opinion though, Frank could end his career his way.

There is No Way To Spin It

The Yankees are not looking good right now. Even when we finally win a game it comes at the expense of one of our veterans (A-Rod). Think about it, in addition to this new injury so far this year we have had to suffer through a catcher who can't catch, a short stop who can't walk, and pitchers who can't pitch. To top it all off here comes Hank Steinbrenner with one of his father's trademark rants (actually for once I agree with him) declaring that Joba must be given a chance in the rotation. So what should we do Yankees fans? Well I still say that it is far too early to panic. Remember, today is April 21st, not August 21st. We just need to re tune and readjust a bit starting off with the pitching staff.

Pitching - "That's The Plan For Now" (Joe Girardi on his intentions to keep Kennedy in the Rotation

Yikes, not exactly a big vote of confidence for Ian! But the reality is that Kennedy has been a disappointment so far. I saw him pitch Saturday in Baltimore and even from the cheap seats you could tell he was hanging pitches. However I don't think that you swap him out for Joba just quite yet. As I have previously posted I think that Mussina should be under the microscope more than he seems to be. Regardless, it's Joba's turn to take a shot at the rotation. I saw him in person for the first time on Saturday and I have to say he is phenomenal.

Not the best picture, but you get the point. You may be asking yourself, hey what about Hughes, why isn't he taking more heat? That is a good question, and I think that there isn't really a good answer. Hughes does have a slightly better era through more innings of work at 8.82 versus Kennedy's 9.64 (God those numbers are bad), but that shouldn't get Phil out of hot water. I don't see Hughes as a set up man or a closer, but man hate to say this, that Santana trade is starting to look like the one that got away.

Batting

The bats are starting to wake up. Even Cano who is off to a dismal start has started to heat up a bit. One big exception is Giambi who is batting .109 as of today with a .571 OPS. Honestly, if it weren't for his gigantic contract I can't really think of a reason not to designate him for assignment. He is not a good defensive player and when he is in a slump he is REALLY in a slump. Damon needs to step it up too. Johnny is only hitting .215 with a .472 OPS right now. For a guy whose worth in the outfield is crashing faster than the housing market, Damon needs to figure out a way to produce some runs if he wants to stay in the game.

Nationals Notes

I don't have to tell you that the Nat's are off to a horrible start. I have to say that I surprised at just how bad they are right now. They have not been able to string together consecutive wins since the first three games of the season. Paul Lo Duca has not worked out well at all for them so far, and has just retroactively gone on the DL. The only good thing about that is that Jesus Flores, who I think is a diamond in the rough, will see some more playing time. If the Nationals are to have a snowball's chance at even a .500 season this year (playoffs, you're talking about playoffs?????) they are going to need to go on a winning streak starting right now otherwise they are never going to be able to catch up.

Other Non Yankee News

I'm sure you have heard by now that the Blue Jay's have released Frank Thomas. It is a little unfair considering that his contract was contingent on plate appearances, but if you are the Jay's what do you do? How do you justify keeping around a DH who only has a .167 batting average? I just hate to see his career end like this. Thomas hasn't got the respect that he has deserved over the last couple of seasons and is quick to be overlooked. Unfortunately I just don't see another team with any need for him right now so it may be time for Frank to start to work on his golf swing.

More Pictures from the 4/19/08 Yankees 6-0 Loss to Baltimore

Finally, as promised here are some more pictures of the game in Baltimore from Saturday. Cal Ripken was at the game and even years after retirement he still received a much deserved standing ovation:

The Famous Warehouse Building off Right Field

Camden Yards, view from the cheap seats

Another Shot of our Boy Joba

Give Mussina Two More Starts Then Pull Him

That's right Joe, I said what you and everyone else are thinking but didn't want to admit. Moose just can't prove to us that he can be an effective starter anymore. Last night he gave up 7 hits for 5 earned runs in only three innings of work. That's bad, that's really bad. The simple fact of the matter is that with Chamberlin on bereavement (I hear his father is doing better) we simply can't afford to have a starter in the rotation who forces us to over work the bull pen every time he takes the mound. I like Mike, I really do, and I would love nothing more for him to figure it out on his own. But this isn't kindergarten, no one is going to hold his hand and tell him it is ok every time he spills the milk. So give him two more starts, and if he is still crapping out then I think its time to give Joba a chance at the rotation.

On a side note I'll be at the Yankees v O's tomorrow. Pictures to follow.

April 16th...or....When Do You Start To Get Worried

Today is April 16th which means that this season essentially is still in diapers, but what an odd start to the year. Teams that you would have never expected came out of the gate swinging (Baltimore, Tampa) while others can't seem to get it going full steam quite yet (New York). But when do you say to yourself it is time to panic...especially if you are a Yankees and/or Nats fan? I don't know if there is a specific date per say, but I will say that day is coming soon, especially for the Nationals.



Let's start out with the American League. Below are the the AL East standings as of this morning (sorry, no time to cover the rest of the AL although novels could be written about the Tigers):





Now I know that it may be a bit hard to read Boston's numbers there, but they insist on the color pink so I have to go with what they want. Anyway, look how close everything is! Normally by this time the standings have already set into place for the year with Boston and New York duking it out for first and the Ray's sitting comfortably at least 5 games down in the cellar. But the AL East could be in for a tight race for the entire year given Tampa Bay's new found set of cohones, Baltimore's surprise start, and the sad but true fact that the Yankees are getting older and are starting to become more prone to veteran injuries. Boston is in a similar boat though. Teams have been so effective working the shift on Ortiz he is only hitting .113 with 1 homerun. And let's not forget the back injury that plagued Ramierz through the last half of the 2007 season. Put that all in a bag and mix it up with Wakefield (older than dirt) Schilling (seal-clubingitis) and Dice-K (7th inningosis) and Boston fans are starting to look like this guy:






I don't thing that it is time for New York fans to panic though. Although Posada's arm troubles and Yankees catching in general worries me, Jeter seems to be doing just fine after his groin / hamstring / leg injury, and Cano looks as though he is ready to come out of his slump (just in time to help out my fantasy team.) Our pitching will be just fine too. Rivera already has 5 saves and Pettitte, Wang, and the youngsters look good too.



It's a completely different story for the Nationals though. Their pitching has been simply terrible and they leave more runners on base in scoring position than I care to report on. Here are the current NL East standings:





Ouch! Even in the game they won to break their losing streak they didn't really earn it. Chalk that one up to a slew of unearned runs thanks to Atlanta. Even then they almost blew the free lead they were handed. Unless the Nat's bullpen figures out how to keep the earned runs to a minimum nothing is going to change, even when Zimmerman, Guzman, and Lo Duca start swatting more HR's and finally start knocking in RBI's. Hopefully the Pope will bless the field and the team and divine intervention will step in to turn around thier miserable start to the season.

Curse Foiled

I've written pieces on the importance of superstition in baseball before, but nothing goes so far as to nail in the point than this story about a construction worker who buried a Red Sox Jersey in the locker room floor at the New Yankee Stadium. So terrified of the curse potential, workers broke through the cement and recovered the Jersey and have indicated that they plan to file vandalism charges against the worker in question. I had heard about this story a few days ago and even as ridiculous as it sounds I thought to myself, well they have to dig that thing up immediately. Well they have, thank God. By the way in case you are wondering it was an Ortiz Jersey.

Nationals Park Review

As promised today I write armed with pictures of the new Nationals Park. Since the actual game was nothing to write home about (Bergman gave up more runs than I can count in the 5th) here is my run down of what's good and what needs some improvement with the new diggs.

Ease of accessibility - 7 out of 10

It's a pretty easy ride on the metro. I left my office in the downtown DC area around 6:15 and even with three major sporting events going on in the district at the same time I was able to arrive before the first pitch. The closest metro is Navy Yard on the Green Line which assuming you get out on the right side of the station is only a block away from the stadium. The station itself seemed to work just fine on the way in, but it was bursting at the seams after the game. Metro is going to need to improve that station if it ever expects to deal with a sell out crowd and also update its system maps so that first timers can easily figure out how to get to the stadium. I found taxi cabs cabs were difficult to come by after the game, so if you are making your way to a game anytime soon unfortunately expect to be a sardine in a can on your way home.

The Neighborhood - 5 out of 10 (but definitely shows potential)

This being my first time in the Navy Yard area I expected it to still be pretty bad and under developed. While this is still the case if you walk a few blocks in the wrong direction from the park, I was amazed at the development that has gone on down there. Some left over brick factories even give it a baseball neighborhood feel similar to the factory that overlooks Camden Yards. As far as security I felt perfectly safe walking to and from the Stadium, a feeling I never really had going to RFK. The neighborhood still lacks any sports bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops but I expect those will be forth coming. One notable absence was the lack of any ticket scalpers. I don't think I have ever been to any professional sporting event where I didn't see hordes of guys spewing the classic "I've got great seats."

First Impressions of the Park - 10 out of 10

It is a pretty spectacular site seeing the park close up for the first time. It is certainly a modern park but it doesn't have the institutional feel of Skydome (now Rogers whatever) in Toronto, nor the cookie cutter feel of the post Camden parks I've been to. In fact it's an excellent blend of modern and old school. Fans are treated to an open air concourse with plenty of concessions and views of the field as they make their way to their seats.

Concessions and Facilities - 8 out of 10

I probably shouldn't group these two categories together, but with concessions comes beer and with beer comes the inevitable trip to the facilities. I actually struggle to not give the park higher ratings here because they have truly done an incredible job with the placement of concession stands and with options of food and drink. Thanks to the generosity of one of my bosses I had the fortune to sit in a luxury seat behind home plate for this game. It is literally night and day compared with the ragtag gutters that used to service hungry fans at RFK. The club section featured carpets, LCD TV's galore to view the game when not in your seat, and a very nice bar that you might expect to find in a nice hotel.

The concessioniers themselves were obnoxiously slow with their service despite relatively short lines, no change from RFK, but hopefully that will change once some of the kinks are worked out. In terms of cost, expect to pay the usual ballpark prices. I paid $11.50 for a Miller Light and a bag of peanuts, not inconsistent with other parks that I have been to although certainly not as expensive as Fenway or Yankee Stadium. My only complaint with the food was when I found this in my bag of peanuts (although this is in no way the fault of the Nationals Organization, I blame Peanut Company)

Which brings us to the facilities. I am doubly cursed as I love beer, yet I also have a very small bladder (TMI?) which means I map out the quickest route to the John every place I go. While the restrooms were certainly numerous, clean, and modern (no pee troths guys) I found them to also be on the small side and to only have one door for entering and exiting. That created a bit of a log jam (ha ha, couldn't resist) at the doors between innings but they are numerous enough that if it isn't a do or die emergency the next bathroom is only a short walk away.

The Field, Game Watching Experience, Etc - 10 out of 10

Watching a game at the new Nationals park is really quite an experience. The sight lines were perfect from my seat and from what I can tell are great even from the cheap seats.

What really stands out though is the score board. It is nothing short of amazing, a true accomplishment of high definition glory. My only complaint was that whoever was operating it seemed to be having some trouble in the early innings with the pitch speed indicator. It wasn't until the 4th that we were able to check out the speed of the pitches, but that is really a small complaint over all.

I have heard some grumblings about ticket prices. I didn't pay for my ticket, but the listed price was $55.00. That much money earned me seats a few rows behind the Nats dugout at RFK, so ticket prices have certainly inflated. Expect to pay on average about $35 bucks for a decent seat at the new park. Those $10 beauties go fast, so if you are looking for cheap buy online first. Just don't expect to move up, security has been pretty strict about keeping you right were you belong in your designated ticket class. For the cream of the crop seats expect to blow about $125, that is if you can even come across one of those gems.

In terms of the crowd the seats were certainly not filled last night. I can't seem to find out what the actual number was but I would guess it to have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 23,000. Still, even with roughly half the seats filled the park didn't feel as cavernous and empty as RFK did when attendance was thin.

Overall expect even the fair weather baseball fan to be impressed with the New Nationals Park. They have done an incredible job, it is nothing short of a shining example of what the next generation of ball parks should look like. Now the Nat's just need to start winning!

Two Posts in One Day?!?

Every now and then I check up on my blog counter to see how people are finding me. Since this is too funny not to share, below are some of the most common searches that direct surfers to 567 Miles From Home along with my comments:

1. ryan zimmerman's marital status - Looks like Zimmerman may have some forthcoming marriage proposals!

2. roosevelt talked public about hemorrhoids problem - Apparently George Bush is trying to figure out if other presidents have had the same problem that he does.

3. atlantic city massage parlours - Um.....no comment

4. how to get hgh - I know of a former pitcher in Texas who may be able to hook you up with some.

5. harry truman - cheating on wife - Uh oh George, what have you been up to now?!

6. how to make a thomas jefferson costume - Geez, doesn't Bush have anything better to do than surf the net? I guess he is just looking for a way to gain back some voter approval.

7. robin meade, news commentator, does she have any children - Hey back off buddy, Robin Meade is MINE!

Injuries Suck

NYY 2 - KAN 5

It think the title says it all.


The Yankee veterans seem to be going down like dominoes these days. First it was Posada with a sore shoulder, then Giambi followed by Jeter, and now Posada again with a dead arm. I'm not sure that medical science has officially diagnosed the condition known as "dead arm" but according to Posada a few days off should do the trick. What worries me is that he said it has already happened once before this year in spring training. Nothing like signing a guy to a four year, forty million dollar contract only to have his arm crap out on us the first week of the season. Now don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect whatsoever to Posada, but allowing five stolen bases against Kansas City is simply unacceptable.

Anyone who reads this page with any sort of frequency knows the pedestal that I place Phil Hughes on. Well that pedestal was certainly tested yesterday. It took Hughes 87 pitches to last only three innings. Here's hoping that it was just due to the miserable Kansas City weather and not an omen of things to come. I don't think that it is, but still, Hughes needs to settle down.

In other happier news I am going to my first Nationals game at the new stadium tonight to watch the Nats take on the Marlins. I'm sure that I have mentioned this before but the Marlins bring back bleak memories for me. By that I mean I was at game 6 of the 2003 World Series at Yankee Stadium. I watched a team win the whole show....I saw a pitcher shut down an incredible offense. The problem was the pitcher was Josh Beckett and the team that won was the Marlins. I've never forgiven them for that. So tonight I am looking for the Nats to break their skid and pound the crap out of those stinking fish. Who names their team after a fish anyway? Stupid no talent ass clowns. Pictures to follow tomorrow.

A Bitter Sweet Victory, and Nat's Drop 5th in a Row

Yanks 6 Rays 1

The good news is that Mike Mussina looked strong last night (although I am still not fully convinced) and Abreu contributed a two run blast to help lift the Yankees over the Rays 6-1. The bad news of course is that it came at the expense of Derek Jeter who Girardi says will be day to day for at least a week with a strained left groin.* While unlikely, the possibility of an extended absence by Jeter begs the question....should A-Rod fill in for him at short? Aside from the fact that Alex hasn't played short since coming to the Yankees, in a perfect world were ego's don't matter and where Jeter and A-Rod were still friends this would be a no brainer, of course he would fill in at short. This isn't a perfect world though and I think that Girardi would be sending the wrong message to Jeter and the team by sliding Rodriguez into his spot. A-Rod has made no secret about the fact that he thinks he is the better short stop (he may be right actually). The last thing the Yankees need after getting off to a tepid start is a turf battle between their most beloved player, and their most productive one (regular season stats that is). Besides, Wilson Betemit could use the exercise.

Marlins 10 Nationals 7

The Nationals slide continued last night as the Marlins bested the Nats 10-7. My pre season predictions about pitching problems came true last night in the form of Tim Redding who gave up five runs in the third. What I hadn't counted on was that the Nat's would give up 6 unearned runs against a team who they should be able to beat. I suppose that it is better to slump at the beginning of the season rather than in August, but in reality the Nationals haven't been as bad as their record would lead you to believe. Even with all the errors and basemen left on they were still able to string together hits for seven runs last night. In fact, despite being out matched for much of the past week the Nats have been holding their own keeping the deficits to 1 run for the most part. In a situation like what we have here you want to see a team come together and figure out how to get those extra runs. This club has great unity and I have no doubt that they will be able to figure out the kinks and find ways to knock batters in. I still predict that they finish second behind the Mets in the NL East.

*Courtesy of my Red Sox friends I expect to receive a plethora of pictures of Jeter with a broken crotch today

This Weeks The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A week into baseball 2008 and even though it is far too early to read too much into individual or team performances there have been a few early surprises. So this week I introduce what will hopefully become a weekly staple titled "This Weeks The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." So here we go for week 1.

The Good
Ryan Zimmerman - Few Nat's fans will ever forget Zimmerman's game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the first ever game at Nationals Stadium. That alone would be reason enough to throw him in the Good column. But on top of his late game heroics Zimmerman finishes out the first week batting .290 with a pair of HR's and a trey of RBI's. Not a bad start!

Mariano Rivera - Only a few days in and Mo already has three saves notched to his belt despite much talk that he is getting old, doesn't have it like he used to, etc etc. Admittedly I actually started to believe some of it so it makes furious that I passed him over during my fantasy team draft. That's what I get for not putting faith in the sandman



The Bad
Jake Peavy - I throw Peavy in the bad column not because of his numbers (2-0 with a .56 era in 16 innings pitched) but rather because of pine-tar-gate. For the sake of San Diego fans lets just hope that was harmless dirt of the non performance enhancing variety.

The Ugly
The Detroit Tigers - Despite their off season moves which made them one of the teams to beat this year the Tigers have yet to win a game. It's difficult to pin point the problem because so far its.....well it's everything. Let's just hope that they can break their unlucky streak against Boston.

Pedro Martinez - The Met's rotation is suppose to dominate the NL this year. Well thanks to a pulled hamstring they wont have Pedro around for at least a couple of weeks to help them accomplish that goal. Lets face it, Pedro is getting older, but he has always been plagued by nagging injuries. When he was in Boston they used to come around right before the all star break. I guess as he gets older he wants to get a jump on his trip to the DL.

Well that's all for this weeks edition. I would love to write more but since today is my first day back from vacation I need to get some stuff done.

I'm Back and So is Baseball

You may be saying to yourself...ahem, baseball has officially started and yet still no comments from this page....WTF?!?! Truth is I have been on my annual left coast vacation. Fear not, in between making money at the poker tables in Vegas, snowboarding for the first time (I'm a skier), and enjoying the beautiful San Diego weather I was able to take in a few games. Most notably the Nationals home opener. Now no disrespect to the Yankees, but for a limited time only this post has to give top billing to the Nats. Washington wins this honor since they are currently perfect in three games (ESPN analysts be damed), and after watching a pitiful Mike Mussina last night during my extended layover in Charlotte NC. So here we go.....

The first game, the new stadium, and thoughts on the Nats Season

I was lucky enough to catch the Nationals home opener, the first game at the new stadium. For the sake of superstition you have to hope and pray that a team wins its first game at a new park, and boy did they ever. A close game all the way that almost ended in disaster thanks to a passed ball by recent addition (and my fantasy baseball catcher) Paul Lo Duca. Tie game going in to the bottom of the ninth inning. And then, almost as though it were the last scene in a baseball movie enters Washington hero Ryan Zimmerman. I was actually saying while watching him step into the box, "wow, Ryan Zimmerman (also on my fantasy team) coming up in a game winning situation in the bottom of the ninth in the first game of the new park....a home run here could elevate his status as local hero to legendary career player." Then....BOOM...home run, game set match...Nationals win. You really couldn't have scripted a better ending.

While Zimmerman didn't get the first home run in the park, that honor went to Chipper Jones with the shot called by George Bush(file that one away in your trivia vault kids, even though I hate the guy to my knowledge it is the only home run ever called by a sitting president) it really doesn't matter. Speaking of Bush, you have to love the rousing chorus of boos as Dubya threw out the first pitch (which was almost in orbit it was so high out of the strike zone.)

As far as the new stadium is concerned I have to say that I am impressed. Even as someone who has been religiously checking the clark construction cam to check on the progress I was still blown away at just how good the stadium looked on TV.

So with the new stadium and some opening week momentum...how about those Nats? Some analysts have been saying that they expect the Nationals to be the worst team in baseball this year. Apparently ESPN hates the Nats as much as it hates the Yankees. Anyone who thinks that the Nationals are not going to finish above .500 is just dead wrong. Quite simply the Nats are no longer the Tampa Bay Dev... oops, I mean the Tampa Bay Rays OR the Montreal Expos anymore. This is a team filled with some proven veterans, Lo Duca, Nick J, as well as some up and comers, Jesus Flores, Zimmerman. Hell even Austin Kearns is looking good. So remember this page at the end of the season because the Nationals are going to Finish second in the NL east to the Mets and there is an outside shot....pretty far outside...that they could take the NL wild card. You just can't ignore the hunger. As Zimmerman put it, this team is tired of losing. Hell, if the Rockies can make it all the way to the classic why not Washington? But here is hoping that they don't match up against the Yankees because even with my new found excitement for my transplant team nothing will ever replace my love for the Bronx Bombers.

Speaking of the Yankees

For the first time in a long time pitching wasn't suppose to be a problem this year. The big questions on the mound were what Mussina would show up and how would Joba do as a starter. We will have to wait on the next set of Joba Rules, but I'm almost willing to call it in favor of sending Mussina to a closer position. He just did not have the command of the plate that he did in the first half of last year. I think that his disastrous late Summer has gotten the better of him and he is too distracted and so worried about falling back into that slump he can't get it going. It has only been one game so far, but Girardi needs to keep Mike on a very short leash.

The good news is that the Yankees did win their season opener, the last at The Stadium. Is it just me or did any other Yankees fans cringe at Big George's countdown timer. Blasphemy blasphemy blasphemy. But if the Yankees are going to win the east they are going to need to play the kind of ball that they are used to, tight with minimal errors. A-Rod should be good for another 40 homers this year and Cano seems to be off to a great start. Even Giambi made some uncharacteristically athletic plays at first last night. On the flip side Posada needs to earn his contract extension. After reporting a sore shoulder this weekend my heart skipped a beat. Last thing the Yankees need is another situation reminiscent of Carl Pava....no, I still can not bear to mention his name. Of course there is a lot of hype to live up to for the young pitchers, but I have confidence given that at the very least they already have some innings under their belts. The bright lights and high stress of playing for the Yankees should have settled a bit by now.

So there you have it baseball fans, my first post of the new season. I'm looking forward to a great 2008 season. Go Yankees!!!!!