567 Miles From Home

A Historic Day

2008-11-05T10:19:00.003-05:00

What can I say? There are really no words to describe the way I feel. Today is without a doubt one of greatest moments in our country's history. As a nation we have overwhelmingly shown that we are willing to vote on the issues and over come racial bigotry, fear mongering, and failed policies.

I talked about race and the election the other day. Lets be honest here, race was the 900 pound gorilla in the room this entire election. Now don't get me wrong, the election of Obama will not end racism but it is certainly a huge step forward. It is a day that I never thought I would see in my life time. I can only imagine what those who lived through segregation must be feeling. My father has told me stories about basic training in Biloxi Mississippi in 1961. I should mention that my father has always been tolerant of all races, albeit that this was the first time in his life he had ventured away from New England and he was perhaps a bit naive about the realities of segregation. His roommate was African American and when my father asked him if he wanted to go into town to get a beer his roommate looked at him with shock. "You can't be seen with me in town" he said. Little did my father know that there was only one bar in town that would even cater to black patrons. Shortly thereafter he was taking a bus when an African American woman stood up to give him her seat. My father was surprised and told her that he didn't want her seat. It was then he realized that this woman had become frightened, not because of my fathers reaction but because she was surrounded by white people who were clearly getting angry at the situation. Dad ended up taking her seat only for fear of retribution against the woman.

But this election wasn't just about race. It was also about pointing us in a new direction. It was about learning from out mistakes and reestablishing our credibility in the world. It was about responsible government. My hope is that Obama does the right thing. I hope that he is centric and brings the country together again. I hope that he doesn't sub come to the corruption of power. I hope that he is every bit the great president he has the potential to be. With so much already riding against him on day one if he succeeds he could be one of historys greatest presidents.

Your Vote Doesn't Count

2008-11-04T09:28:00.003-05:00

That is a complete lie, I was just trying to hook you in with a shocking title. If the 2000 election taught us anything we all know that your vote really does count.

Now on to today's subject, intimidation and fear. Already this morning there have been reports of foul play and voter intimidation. In Virgina five voting machines at one poll suddenly stopped working. Elsewhere in Virgina and reportedly in other states text messages and signs have been circulating telling democrats to vote on Wednesday to avoid the long lines. The so called 527 ads on both sides have been over the top trying to invoke fear about the candidates and about what may happen if the other guy is elected. It is all pretty disgusting. Imagine what it would be like if we had civil national elections that focused only on the issues.

D-Day 2008

2008-11-03T11:47:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is it, no more predictions, no more analysis, no more speculation. By Wednesday morning or late tomorrow evening we will know the next president of the United States (hopefully). Suffice to say that I am nervous and will no doubt get little to no work done tomorrow as my office becomes my own version of election center 2008. I have laid out the issues that are important to me and have been clear about my choice. When casting your vote I beg you to make your decision based on the issues and how you think that they will have an impact on you and what is best for this country, not on aesthetics, not on attack ads or on irrelevant campaign tricks.

Congratulations to the Phillies

2008-10-30T10:31:00.002-05:00

Even though I was pulling for the Rays you have to give credit where it is due. So in the interest of being a good sport congratulations Philadelphia! As for Tampa while I am sure their fans are disappointed today they still have to be happy with what they were able to accomplish this season. They won the AL pennant for god sake, that is no small task especially doing it in the AL East!

So now this years season is in the books and this baseball fan begrudgingly moves on to a tepid interest in the other professional sports while patiently awaiting warmer weather, a bag of peanuts, a cold beer and a score card for opening day 2009.

Series Delayed...and One More Political Post

2008-10-28T12:58:00.003-05:00

For the first time ever a World Series has been delayed mid game due to rain. What a way to cap off such a crazy season. I mean come on, who really thought the Rays would make it this far ESPECIALLY after going through the Red Sox in the dramatic fashion that they did. It makes you wonder, will this little hiccup change the momentum and give the kids a much needed breather to recoup? I think that it will, it would be very fitting for them to bounce back now.

Now on to politics. I swear I'll tone down the rhetoric here pretty soon but with the election so close I can't contain myself.

When Sarah Palin was first nominated she was kept away from the press at all costs. When the media complained about their lack of access to the woman who could potentially be president of the United States the McCain campaign screamed that she was being treated unfairly because she is a woman. This has been the reoccurring theme for the campaign. Anyone who criticise her is either sexist or too far to the left (never mind that a number of top republicans have spoken out against her). Most recently this defense was used to justify her 150,000 worth of clothing and makeup.* This is why I am shocked that McCain's own advisers said this about Palin's new "rouge / diva" status:

"Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom,"

WHOA....talk about the kettle calling the pot black. Sounds like he actually wanted to use that one word a man should never call a woman unless he is looking to get slapped....you know the one I am talking about....it starts with a B and can make you itch.

This comment alone is far more sexist than anything the mainstream media has said about Palin. So how can McCain possibly accuse anyone of sexism anymore after his own campaign just basically said remember who the boss is....McCain the MAN, not Palin the DIVA. Go back to your knitting sweetie, let the boys deal with the gotcha media.

The worst part about all of this is that McCain has been right to keep a tight leash on Palins interviews. She is a disaster plain and simple. She is not competent enough to answer questions on Meet the Press, but she is competent enough with the nuclear codes. Give me a break.

*I will say that it is true that women are unfairly judged based on their appearance, however this was far over the top. Regardless, the only reason this issue is relevant is because of the campaigns portrayal as a down to earth hockey mom.

A few more thoughts on the election and race

2008-10-23T08:38:00.005-05:00

First of all and very quickly I want to give a big congratulations to the Ray's for all that they have accomplished this year. While they lost last nights game you have to be pulling for these kids. It is fun to watch.

Now please indulge me for yet another politically themed post.

A close friend of mine is deeply concerned that Obama poses a risk to nation in the event that he is assassinated or loses by a close margin. I strongly feel that this should not be a factor in choosing a candidate. However I can't completely cast this argument aside as pure fiction either. The unfortunate truth is that my friends fears are backed up by some of our nations most tragic historical events. There is no doubt that in much of the country racial tensions are still alive and well. This is why McCain and Palin's comments about Obama "paling around with terrorists" and "who is the real Obama" are not only reckless, but also dangerous. Comments such as these only serve to fan the flames of racial bigotry in the end making my friends fears much more realistic. Let's face it, racism (and sexism) has (have) played a huge role in this campaign. The reality is that if Obama was white and had a more "Christian sounding" name this election would have been over before it even stated. So my friend is right to a certain extent. There is no doubt that there would be a massive sense of frustration, bitterness, and anger among the African American community in the event of a loss given his current lead (barring some game changing event) or if the unthinkable were to happen. But to use that as the only catalyst in making a decision is a missed opportunity to move forward. The fact that this could even be a factor tells us that while we have certainly come a long way, we still have a long way to go. In the end I really just wish this campaign was more about the issues and not about black / white / man / woman but that isn't the reality of our society. I'll be glad when this is all over.

Why I am Voting for Obama

2008-10-08T08:31:00.006-05:00

Ok, this post has nothing to do with baseball obviously but since I can't watch the post season without being sick to my stomach indulge me for a bit while I go in a different direction for a post or two.

Let me start with full disclosure, it is no secret my absolute disdain for the current republican administration. While it isn't fair to blame Bush and his buddys for all of the current problems that we face, they certainly have had a heavy hand in destroying our economy, our reputation, our environment...etc..etc. You would be hard pressed to do a worse job than this administration even if you tried to screw things up.

That said, even though I am a registered democrat, I do not think that it is right to only vote along party lines. To truly make an intelligent decision about who is right to lead the country it is CRITICAL that people understand the issues that are important to not only them, but to the rest of the country. At the end of the day though intellectual curiosity and sound judgement are two key attributes that a candidate must posses.

So what about McCain? While I certainly appreciate his military service and feel that he is intelligent, I do not agree with most of his policies. But what really kills it for me is that clearly he is lacking in judgment. Let me break down the deal breakers for me with McCain:

Taxes and Health care - Last night at the debate McCain trumpeted that no one should be saddled with higher taxes. This is irresponsible. We have seen the effects of fighting two wars while cutting taxes, not to mention $700 billion that we sent to lower Manhattan, and then there were the economic stimulus checks to nowhere. These all have to be paid for. Somehow, someway McCain knows he is going to have to raise taxes, but how will he do it? Part of how McCain plans to pay for making Bush's tax cuts permanent is by taxing employee health care programs in exchange for a $5,000 tax credit. This is a thinly veiled tax on workers who will have to pay for the increased health care out of their salary, or will elect to just drop coverage all together because it is too expensive. In that scenario we all know that $5,000 isn't going to amount to a hill of beans if someone gets sick. Do the top 5% of America really need that second villa in Tuscany at the expense of "Joe Six Pack" not being able to see a doctor? How can Mr. Six Pack fulfil what McCain last night called his responsibility to health care if he has to decide between surgery and spaghetti?

People who can't afford insurance amd people with pre existing conditions that make them uninsurable are basically screwed under McCain's plan just as they have been for decades. Under the current system insurance companies can drop you even if you didn't know about a pre-existing condition, chrons disease for example. A close friend of mine can't get health insurance now because he has Chrons disease, again, a condition that he didn't know he had when he was first insured. Now if he needs to go to the doctor he has to decide between just toughing it out or going thousands of dollars in debt for hospital stays. Unfortunately neither candidate is calling for socialized medicine which I believe should be a right. We can essentially socialize wall street but we can't do the same for the uninsured? Health care shouldn't be a for profit business.

The Economy - I am not an economist, and I certainly would never pretend to be better versed on the financial markets than I truly am. However McCain isn't an expert either and has said as much. His comments that the economy is fundamentally secure as wall street crumbled around him only send up even more red flags. As we all saw during the failure of the first bailout package McCain had little to say and mostly got in the way. Now I do not feel that Obama has given us a terribly straight answer on what he proposes to do to fix the situation we are in. However, given McCain's history of deregulation I don't feel he has a grasp on the realities of greed on wall street and fear that once the markets stabilize he would eventually revert back to a lack of oversight.

Sarah Palin - Palin is perhaps the best example of McCain's poor judgment. I hate what she stands for, a political ploy to capture female voters. That combined with her positions on everything from gun control to abortion to teaching creationism in school is the polar opposite of what I believe. She is dangerously naive with regards to foreign policy and didn't even have a passport until the last few years. Whats more, I get the impression that she thinks that this is all some sort of game and that once (if) she ascends to the oval office it will be just like running Alaska. That scares me tremendously given we are now witnessing the results of someone who has no business being president running the country for 8 years. Further, in Alaska I don't think too much of the whole troopergate investigation...did she abuse her powers, probably, but every politician does at some point. What worries me is her blatant nepotism and crony-ism placing unqualified people in positions of government power in Alaska just as Bush has in DC. All that and the fact that a person who is running for vice president can not even answer a question about the Bush doctrine or how being able to see Russia gives her foreign policy experience. If you were Joe six pack then fine, who cares if you don't know what the bush doctrine is, but if you are a heartbeat away from the nuclear codes you better damn well know. Much has been written about McCain's health and ability to serve out his first term, as such putting a woman with Palin's experience so close to the Oval office is nothing short of reckless and irresponsible.

The End

2008-09-23T09:55:00.002-05:00

No, not the end of this blog (even though it has been almost a month since my last post) of course I am talking about the end of the stadium. There is not much that I can say other than in my opinion it is a horrible way to top off an even worse season. I will admit that they did a great job sending it off and that I may have been a little misty eyed a few times there. It has been hard for me to watch baseball the past month I have to say. It has been like watching your friend slowly bang his head into the wall for no good reason and then topping it off by burning down his or her childhood home. Regardless it is time for me to get back in the game. At the end of this season despite missing the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years the Yankees will still be the greatest sports franchise in the world. Nobody can take that away from them.

The Stadium

2008-08-27T08:16:00.002-05:00

We have known for a long time that this would be the last year in baseballs cathedral, but watching the final Yankees / Sox series really drives that home. Partially because the media keeps talking about the historic series, but mostly (at least for me) because it is finally starting to become a reality. It is so sad to watch. Whats worse is the performance of the Yankees in the last year of the stadium. The other day I wrote about when is the point of no return for New York's season....well this series is it. Sure, other teams have given up huge leads in September, but I just don't see that happening this year. If the Yankees don't take this series against the Sox we can pretty much assume that there will be no final October in the House that Ruth Built. It is enough to break your heart. That's all I have to say about that.

Good Luck

2008-08-26T15:40:00.002-05:00

Two friends of mine departed for Boston this weekend to start Grad school and law school. As a result I have been busy with goodbye parties and other things that have kept me away. I'll be back soon but in the mean time good luck to Matt and Jen.

When Is the Cutoff?

2008-08-19T08:11:00.003-05:00

I've been absent lately due to a number of recent events (good stuff don't worry) but I want to pose this question. At what point do the Yankees:

1) Concede the division
2) Concede the wild card

I know it isn't quite time to chalk it all up to the Gods of "we'll get em next year" but I would be lying if I said I am not nervous.

Ouch

2008-08-11T08:25:00.002-05:00

I knew it was going to be a tough couple of weeks facing off against Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Yankee Killers....whatever you want to call them. At least we split last weekends series, but this one, oh how painful it was to watch. What is worse is that it puts us 8.5 games out of first and 4.5 behind the Sox. It isn't time to panic yet, but it is certainly time to be concerned. Especially since there are some reports that Andy's arm is tired. Wouldn't that be great, if Andy goes down our rotation is officially spent.

The Sox did lose Wakefield for at least two starts but I don't think that is going to make a huge difference unless the Yankees can get it together and go on another tear. Depending on how long he is out it could help us a bit going into the next series against Boston at the end of August. It won't mean a thing though if they can't get back to within three games of the Rays by then who as I have said seem to be holding on to their momentum.

Ian Kennedy is consistent....consistently bad. I feel so bad for that poor kid. He is lights out in the minors but can't seem to catch a break in the big leagues. I have a feeling that he is going to be on the block around the winter meetings. Such a shame that the Joba rules didn't apply to him and Hughes. They both are no doubt suffering the effects of being rushed up too quickly. Speaking of Joba, we will just have to wait and see how bad his injury really is. I've got a really bad feeling that it is a lot worse than has been reported.

Joba Goes Down

2008-08-05T08:33:00.002-05:00

Seriously....what the hell is going on? Why can we not keep a single player on the team healthy? While Joba's shoulder isn't suppose to land him on the DL, he will be undergoing tests in New York today to check out what he described as a grabing sensation. What I didn't know is that Joba actually has a history of hamstring problems. We will just have to wait and see at this point but I am putting it at 90% that he misses his next start. So who will replace him? Chances are it will be Ian Kennedy.

Where Will Manny be Manny...4:00 is looming

2008-07-31T09:31:00.003-05:00

The trade deadline is today at 4:00 and everyone and their mother is talking about where Manny will end up being Manny for the remainder of the season. The three way trade rumors I have read are so complicated they make my head swirl. In fact I think I saw something in there about an ox and three chickens being part of the deal. Now it is well known that I have never been a Manny fan, I think he is arrogant, lazy, and up until now he has been one of the faces of my most hated team. What's more he just doesn't seem to get the way a modern baseball front office works.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here, I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.

"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy," Ramirez added. "I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."

Come on Manny. Yes you can hit the ball (hell, you can even hit traveling secretaries)but you could phone it in to left field and no one would notice. Plus you have to face the fact that you are 36 and starting to break down more often (although its debatable if you are actually injured). Whats more, for all of your talk of loyalty an organization should have to a player it is pretty hypocritical when you go and publicly air dirty laundry. Look at all the success the Red Sox have had by getting rid of guys at the right time. Sure, Nomar may have been a little offended, but look how much he has crapped the bed since leaving Boston. Same for Pedro, in fact has he even pitched a complete season since leaving without a trip to the DL? I hate to say it Manny but they are the right moves. Maybe they forgot to send the fruit basket with the trade papers but it worked out for the team in the end....and this is coming from a Yankees fan. Regardless, after 4:00 today it won't matter because you are not going anywhere.

One last thing......I say again that never liked you Manny, but then you go and says something like this:

"I should go to Green Bay straight up and they should send Brett Favre to Boston. That will end two soap operas at the same time,"

Ok that was pretty funny. Let's get together and talk about how much we both hate the sox.

BREAKING NEWS - YANKEES SIGN PUDGE

2008-07-30T16:18:00.001-05:00

Wow!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3511535

A Tough 2 Weeks Ahead

2008-07-29T08:50:00.002-05:00

The Yankees played the O's last night which means I finally get a chance to watch them on TV. The problem was it wasn't a game you wanted to watch from the perspective of a Yankees fan. The consolation was that both the Rays and the sox went down so thankfully none of our gain from the streak has been lost. I'm not really worried about the O's though, what I'm afraid of is the schedule for the next two weeks. The Yankees have to face off against the Angles 7 times before August 10th. Why is it that the Yankees have such a problem with the Angels? They were the only team in the Joe Torre era to hold a winning record over the Yankees yet through most of that time the Yankees were a much much better team. Maybe it psychological, or maybe it is something else who knows.

I mentioned yesterday that I think that Tampa is the real deal, but what about Boston? I hate to say this but even with Manny grabbing for dollars I don't see them going anywhere either. I think that this will be one of the most exciting Septembers the AL East has had in a long time. In fact I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar to the pivotal 1999 Boston / New York series. But September is connected to August and with the race so tight if any of these teams hopes to stay in the game for October now is the time to get it done.

Manny Being Stupid and I'll Trade You

2008-07-28T10:24:00.003-05:00

Manny being (stupid) Manny

If you are Terry Francona what do you make of the Manny situation? You can't bench the guy because you can't afford to lose his bat, but on the other hand Manny seems to be doing a fine job of taking himself out of the lineup. From the point of view of a Yankees fan nothing makes me happier to see that one of their best sluggers is fed up with the organization. But from the point of view of a baseball fan this type of attitude is frustrating. Star players have often voiced their discontent with their clubs in the public to gain better trade and salary leverage. But having a guy who keeps saying that he is injured despite what team physicians say is obnoxious. What worries me more is that Ramirez may be trying to make a move to New York. Now I have not heard any rumors to back this up, but in the past he has voiced an interest in playing for the Yankees. Would I love to have his bat in the line up? Of course, I would be an idiot to say that I didn't. But what I don't want is to have to deal with is Manny being Manny. It is too distracting and I just don't think it would jive well in the Bronx.

I'll Trade You

Meanwhile in the land of trades the Yankees picked up some quality guys with the trade to Pittsburgh. I definitely think that New York got the better end of the deal dishing out Karstens et al for Nady and Marte. It is going to be really interesting going down the stretch once players start coming off the DL. To be only three games out of first and two behind the Sox right now is pretty impressive given everything that has happened to the team this year. Still, don't count the Ray's out just yet. Everyone thinks that they have past their peak for the year but I don't buy it. The Ray's are a hungry team and if anyone questions the importance and impact that can have on a club just look at last years Rockies. I smell a Rally Ray coming to Tampa Bay in the near future.

Finally, there was more talk about Bonds playing in New York this year. To be honest given the trade we just made I don't think that it is very likely, but it certainly isn't completely out of the question.

My New Policy

2008-07-24T10:08:00.002-05:00

This will be the last time that I post in the midst of a Yankees winning streak. I have realized that every time I do they end up losing their next game. Don't be confused, I am not quitting my blog, I am just very superstitious about streaks and I don't want to be the one who spoils things. One thing I will say before I go quiet for a little while is WAY TO GO ROBBIE CANO!!!! He is FINALLY starting to turn his season around with multiple hit games and is looking like the player we know he should be. It couldn't have come at a better time with Posada down and Matsui up in the air.

Po$ada Longs for DL, Returns

2008-07-22T08:38:00.003-05:00

Let this and Curt Schillings troubles be a lesson to teams facing decisions about whether or not to resign aging players for exorbitant contracts. Po$ada has already missed a ton of games this year, and if he puts off a decision on surgery for too much longer he could miss some of next year too. Sigh. Of course I love Jorge and it is true that he has been playing through a lot of pain this year. However this is more than frustrating. If Jorgie needs the surgery then get it done ASAP. Don't fool yourself into thinking that rehab is going to help. I saw your throws to second on Sunday, and Jorge, you still look like that arm is pretty dead even despite the other shoulder going this time. So it is time to just shut it down and let Molina get his last chances at the plate.

The good news is that even with all of the injuries the Yankees are still only three games behind the sox and 4 1/2 out of first. That is pretty impressive given all the big names who are currently sipping Mai Tai's watching Baseball Tonight.

Bonds in the Bronx?

2008-07-17T10:23:00.002-05:00

There are rumors circulating that Barry Bonds could be headed to the Yankees thanks Matsui's bum knee. I can't believe that I am about to write this, but as crazy as it sounds it might just be a good short term solution for the Bombers. Let's look at the pros and cons:

Cons

Barry's attitude will not jive well with the Yankees or especially the fans
Bonds hasn't played a game all year
He would only be useful as a DH and / or possibly at first if Giambi goes down
That whole pending lawsuit thing
His joints are dead thanks to all the juice

Pros

His OPS is still phenomenal
He would be willing to play for the league minimum
He is motivated to get to 3,000 hits so he wouldn't just leave his bat on his shoulder like some other guys on that other team

Still its tough to say. What do you think, should the Yankees give Bonds a run?

Francona in Charge at the Stadium Makes Me Ill

2008-07-15T08:21:00.003-05:00

I thought my hand was bad enough (it is actually better now thank you) but tonight Terry Francona will be in charge at Yankee Stadium. It is almost like the president has undergone surgery and Osama Bin Laden has taken over for him while he was under anesthesia. I suppose I can deal with it for one game for one night, but I swear, if he closes the game with Papelbon instead of Rivera I am going to stop taking my allergy medicine for the purpose of swelling my hand back up to mythic proportions. That way when I smack Francona in the face it breaks his fricken jaw.

Seriously though, should there even be a discussion about this? Tonight's game is the last all star game in the Cathedral. The house that Ruth built for god sake. Anything other than letting a Yankee close out this swan song for the stadium is an insult to the game itself. Papelbon can suck my.....thumb if he thinks he deserves that honor over Rivera.

Nurses and Doctors and Needles Oh My

2008-07-11T08:07:00.004-05:00

From Websters American Heritage Dictionary:

Sucks - Getting a spider bit that ends up getting infected, makes your hand swell to there times its usual side, and requires two (and maybe more) excruciatingly painful shots in the back side.

While this isn't really what Websters has as a definition for word "Sucks", I plan on submitting this definition after whats has happened to me in the last day.

Yesterday morning I noticed that my right hand was a little swollen but I didn't think much of it since I am used to getting bug bits that make parts of my body swell. Well once the allergic reaction started to make a rash go up my arm I decided that it was time to see the good old doctor.

Now I am just an ordinary guy which means that it is preprogrammed in my DNA to not go to the doctor unless something is falling off, or someone forces me to go. Last night this was getting getting to the point where even I thought I needed to see a doctor. I'm glad I did. While the doctor said that he sees this type of thing at least once a week he also said that 20 years ago I could have been hospitalized. I was given the choice between and hour long IV drip, or two shots in the ass which the doctor said "I've got to be honest are painful." Well I can't do needles I can see (they terrify me) so an IV drip was out and the shots in the ass were in. When he said the shots were going to hurt I thought he meant the injection itself. Nope...I got my shots last night around 9:00 and I could barley make the walk back to the subway. This morning it feels like a pack of Clydesdale's complete with the full Anheiser Bush beer wagon ran directly over my ass. Whats worse is that I might need to get two more of those little beauties later today.

I rarely put my personal life on to my blog because frankly most of the people who read this are people who I already know. But I feel sharing this experience is important. It was only after a lot of Internet research and other people sharing their stories that I realized the potential severity of my bionic hand. So the moral of this story is if something like this happens to you, you do need to go and see the doctor. It won't just get better on its own. Coming from me that should be advice that you can take to the bank.

~~7-14 Update:

Turns out it was just a severe allergic reaction to something, still, I am glad I went to the doctor. My hand is finally back to normal (almost)

If the Yanks Make the Series I'll Grow A Giambi Stash

2008-07-09T13:17:00.004-05:00

Much has been said about Jason Giambi's mustache this year but who would have thought that it could actually tip the scales and get him elected to the all star game?!?! In case you haven't heard already the American Mustache Institute has formally endorsed Giambi in his bid for the final slot on the roster.

"The only choice for the final roster spot on the 2008 American League All-Star Team is Jason Giambi. He not only represents the great Yankees dynasty previously led by the likes of Reggie Jackson – the father of the mustache in modern-day baseball – but Giambi represents the hopes and dreams of the previously downtrodden mustached American, a breed that was on the U.S. Endangered Species list as recently as 2005. Clearly, the voting public must takes into account Giambi’s powerful lip fur, as it signifies great intellect, good looks, and the ability to stare down the most powerful of martial arts gurus. And while none of that may matter on the baseball diamond, it’s the most compelling reason offered for All-Star status in the history of the game."

As if that wasn't great enough, tonight the Yankees will give away fake mustaches to the first 20,000 fans. You have got to love this stuff, I can only imagine how funny it is going to be with 20,000 fans sporting the fake lip hair. The real funny thing though is that it is true that since Giambi started sporting the stash his performance has drastically improved. Will the stash be good enough to earn him a contract extension with the Yankees though? That remains to be seen. But I will say this, in honor of Jason's stash, if the Yankees make all the way to the fall classic I will grow a mustache of my own for the duration of the world series. I'll even start growing it during the ALCS in order to have full form in time for the series. This is my pledge, and if it should happen I will back it up with pictures.

Distractions

2008-07-07T09:24:00.003-05:00

Where would we be if it wasn't for the NY Daily News coming up with new names for the continuing saga of A-Rod? Well as of this morning it became official, C-Rod is D-Roding A-Rod. Apparently the M-Rod scandal was the feather that broke the Camel-Rod's back. This is the last thing the team needs right now, yet another distraction in the midst of a year where seemingly every damn player has visited the DL and where we can't seem to catch a break.

As if this distraction and the news that Johnny Damon is headed to the DL for the first time in his career isn't enough, from the land of missed opportunity comes news that CC Sabathia is headed to the Brewers. Sure, the Yankees really didn't have a lot to offer Cleveland for Sabathia but still, it would have been worth it to at least make a big push for the guy.

At the very least last nights game was a gem and we managed to split the series against the sox. Brett Gardner has got to be feeling on top of the world today after his walk off to win the game for New York. You always have to love stuff like that. Unlike Manny who couldn't even manage the strength to get his bat off his shoulder late in the game.

Now is the time

2008-07-01T14:16:00.003-05:00

With the all star break nearly here the Yanks are set up for a tough weekend going into the break. They play Boston this weekend followed by the Rays. It still seems unreal to think that the Rays are a legitimate team, but I have to give them props for being in first place this late in the season. Now is the time for the Yankees to make their move. If they lose these next two series I think that it could be a sign of whats to come in September. However if somehow they manage to take the two series the AL East could get even tighter than it already is. Here's hoping.

Can You Spare a Moment for The....

2008-06-26T14:44:00.002-05:00

~~This post should not be construed to mean that the organizations mentioned do not do important work. Rather it is a commentary about the poor working conditions and negative message that is sent by their tactics.

If I may go off topic from baseball for a bit....it is summertime in DC which means that the public advocacy groups have hired their yearly batch of idealist college students to canvas the city to raise money for a number of causes, be it the environment, Darfur, torture you name it. Every day a DCist can expect the hum of "can you spare a moment for the...(pick your cause)" to be louder than the cicadas that haunt our ears every 17 years. Now don't get me wrong, I am a liberal, an environmentalist, and I am against the genocide in Darfur and the torture of terror suspects. What bothers me however is that these poor college kids who have their hearts in the right place are preforming nothing less than slave labor for the benefit of organizations who accomplish very little other than to make us feel guilty for not stopping taking a moment for the environment. Granted, that automatically makes me a terrible person because it shouldn't annoy me that people are doing this for the general good of society. And of course it isn't always the case that every advocacy group actually accomplishes very little. But honestly lets face it, we could all do without the disapproving looks of John and Jane college kid. Here are some of the worst offenders that I have come across in my travels, not just in DC, but from personal first hand experience when I myself tried to take a "summer job for the environment."

Sierra Club - I actually worked one of these positions for a while and it was horrible. Every night after I finished my day job I would be loaded into a van and dropped off in a neighborhood where it was my goal to sell as many subscriptions as I could door to door. At the end of the night you would take a small percentage of the subscriptions as your pay for the day. Trust me, there was no way I was going to make even close to the $3,000 per summer that was advertised and I consider myself to be a good sales man. Now I know that the Sierra Club cares about the environment, but aside from being underpaid the poor kids that take these jobs are also (at least in my experience) unappreciated and mostly unwelcome by the people they talk to. To me it seems like you can't save the environment unless you have people that want to believe in what your organization is doing. Trust me, a few weeks with the Sierra Club would make even the most ardent environmentalist question if this is right for them.

State Level PIRG Operations - Where I went to college in Western Massachusetts MassPIRG was where it was at. Everyone who cared about the environment wanted to be a part of it. The problem was that it was completely left in the hands of students who again, had their hearts in the right place, but had no idea what they were doing. The only accomplishment that I ever heard about MassPIRG achieving while I was there was the closure of a grandfathered and polluting power plant years before. Everything else I heard about them involved internal strife, poor working conditions, and hastily elected officers who were there more to pad their resumes than to save the planet. To this day when I see someone working for US PIRG I can not take the organization seriously after witnessing what it allows its local branches to do.

Greenpeace - Nothing gets me more angry than Greenpeace. Especially because I think that the world needs an organization that takes strong action and drastic measures to make its point. But what I don't like is that they break the law and often times hurt innocent people. This gives the entire movement a bad image and paints a picture that all environmentalist are living in trees and shooting at loggers. Its a shame, if only we could find some happy medium.

Aside from all of this I still applaud those kids who are out there everyday in the heat and humidity. Like I keep saying, at least your hearts are in the right place even if you get on my nerves.

Something Positive For a Change

2008-06-26T07:47:00.004-05:00

Finally a ray of light in a season filled with more injuries than a 12 year old knife juggling contest. Chamberlin was nothing short of phenomenal last night regularly hitting 99 mph on the radar gun while striking out seven and walking one in 6 2-3 innings. They even extended the Joba rules to 114 pitches.

Meanwhile has anyone ever heard much about Dan Giese? Yeah, neither have I. I did a little research and it turns out this guys story is a whole lot like the movie The Rookie. The long and short of it is that he was a career minor leaguer who left baseball and became a used car sales man before finally returning to the game. He made his first major league start against the Reds the other day, and even though he didn't win you still have to love a story like that.

Schilling Still Sucks

2008-06-24T08:25:00.004-05:00

I feel like running around in a circle singing ding dong the witch is dead now that it looks like Schilling has thrown his final pitch in the majors. If it was for any other team I would say that he should give back the $8 million bucks he scammed from Boston. But since it is the sox I think that really the right thing to do would be to donate at least some of that money to a charitable organization. However knowing what I do about Schilling he probably would rather give the money to a skin head group who promotes the baby seal hunt. I hate Curt Schilling. What I hate even more is despite the fact that I loathe the man, I do think that he will make the hall of fame. But before I get to why I think that, here are a few quick facts about him:

10. He beats up orphans just because he thinks it is fun

09. He has never met a puppy dog that he hasn't kicked

08. He is a fan of George Bush (true)

07. Shilling is responsible for the flooding in the Midwest

06. He is responsible for Abraham Lincoln's assassination

05. He is a card carrying member of NAMBLA

04. It is well documented that he clubs baby seals

03. After he retires he has expressed an interest in forming a foundation that takes from the

poor and gives to the rich

02. He thinks world hunger is funny

01. He is an asshole (true)

Ok, but seriously I do think that he makes it to Cooperstown. Sure, he doesn't have 300 wins (not even close actually) but I think that in this day and age of 5 man rotations and 6th inning relief we can kiss that number goodbye for a long time. You know what, I don't think that I can further justify writing a post about why Schilling will get in, so you will just have to go with me on this one. Either way, ding dong the dick is gone.

Another One Bites the Dust

2008-06-23T11:52:00.003-05:00

Add Farnsworth to the pile of disabled Yankees. I swear, what is going on? I know that it is pretty typical for players to go down around this time of the year but this is simply getting out of hand. If the Yankees keep losing pitchers I am going to have to get on up there. I do have a pretty mean cutter.

Dry Spell

2008-06-20T08:22:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I haven't posted much this week but there is a reason.....have you noticed a certain team has been on a winning streak? Well I don't want to jinx it so I am not going to talk about it. I'll be back soon.

What Should The AL do To Protect Pitcers In Inter league Play?

2008-06-16T09:16:00.007-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice if the Yankees could go at least a full series without losing a star player? It is bad enough to lose a positional player, but to lose the one true ace we have on our rotation is really crippling.

This brings up the topic of inter league play. I have always thought that it is a great thing, particularly since I live in a National League city it is nice to see some American League teams from time to time. It is also good for the sport to have teams that have rarely played each other face off. The question though is how much of a strain does it put on the pitchers who are not used to batting and especially base running? I have always thought that it is good for AL pitchers to have a few plate appearances. I mean after all at some point in their career they have certainly been forced to hit. But Wang's sprained ankle has me second guessing that idea. The reality is that star pitchers are not only worth a lot of money, they are also worth a lot wins and are next to impossible to replace. Since inter league play isn't going anywhere in the near future American League teams need to be smart about how much they are willing to let their aces do at the plate. Sure, Wang reached base on a fielders choice bunt, but why take the chance of having him run around the bases especially in such a lopsided game?

I would argue that the the rules of pinch running be adjusted in inter league games. A pitcher should still have to bat, but could be substituted for on base without forcing the pitcher to exit the game. It simply isn't fair to American League clubs to expect them to put their pitchers in a position that they are not used to, don't train for, and risk serious injury in the process. Then again I do not think this change should apply for the World Series so perhaps I am being hypocritical.

What do you think? Leave me comments and give me your opinion on this.

One Towel Has Been Thrown

2008-06-12T08:25:00.004-05:00

No matter what sport you follow it is always tough to keep in the game when your boys (or girls) are not doing well. I still refuse to throw in the towel for the Yankees, but the Nationals, well that is another story all together. What started out as a season full of promise for the Nats has turned out to be pretty much a disaster with only a few glimmering rays of hope. At least for the time being the Nat's aren't in last place in all the majors thanks to the MOTHER FUhttp://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=5974 Mariners.

There are so many problems it is hard to know where to begin, but I guess it should be with the most obvious....the gaping hole at third base. Yes Ryan Zimmerman is down 4-6 weeks but thankfully he will not need surgery. What is sad is that he hasn't played since May 25th and yet he still leads the team in home runs (8) and RBI's (27).

And then of course there is the internal feuding, which strangely we seem to be seeing a lot more of around the league this year. I just haven't seen a player (Elijah Dukes) and a manager go at it yet this season. Perhaps Dukes has forgotten that Manny Acta chooses if he plays or not. Now don't get me wrong Elijah, your stellar .207 batting average is almost as impressive as your .646 OPS but you might want to keep on your managers good side in case for some reason he decides you are terrible. I can't imagine why he would think that though.

Pitching.....all I can really say about pitching is that it is harder to watch than Jon Rauch's player photo.

I do want to end on a good note though. I care about the Nats and I am hopeful and optimistic that eventually they will pull it together. One has to hope that Zimmerman will come around from what is turning out to be a very mediocre season this year. Flores is the real deal, Guzman is much better than anyone gives him credit for, and there is no shortage of stories about the improving farm system. The Nat's are a team on the brink, I just hope it comes sometime soon.

Hard Ball

2008-06-11T08:07:00.003-05:00

It is hard not to read the news these days without some new news about Clemens springing up. In case you haven't heard, in addition to whatever else he was or wasn't taking to increase his vitality apparently Rocket was using Viagra to help curb the dysfunction of a sometimes flaccid arm... Really? Viagra? Who knew that it wasn't just for ED anymore? I suppose that it makes sense considering that as we now know Clemens had a very active social life to keep up. I just hope he read the warnings because it clearly says that one has to be healthy enough to engage in sports related activity. But what really made me get up and take notice though was that apparently a lot of players in the league use it too. I can only imagine that it must be awkward in the locker room. After all it is impolite to point. Still, since Viagra isn't illegal what can MLB really do? I suppose they could some how try to ban the little blue pill, but that could be harder than it looks.

~~I know this post is juvenile but I just couldn't resist

Hot and Cold

2008-06-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

I don't mean to keep boring you all with stories of the heat in DC, but this morning was possibly the worst it has ever been. That says something considering I have lived in DC for five years. Ok maybe not quite the worst because the metro did have some air conditioning, but we were packed in there so tight I feel like I should buy dinner for that poor girl I was forced to dry hump on my way in. Metro in the summertime is clearly my purgatory for all of those frogs that my friends and I sent to their untimely deaths when I was a kid.

Ok enough of the woes of heat and humidity. I knew what I was getting myself in for when I packed my bags so I am going to stop complaining at least for a little while.

On to yesterdays game

Every kid who plays baseball dreams of being the hero of the game. Knocking in the winning run when game is on the line in the bottom of the ninth. Well yesterday Melkey Cabrera had that chance. Imagine....bottom of the ninth, down by a run with two outs and bases loaded. It was Meleky's chance to be a hero. Instead a routine ground ball, game over.

Now I don't usually get too excited when I am forced to watch the MLB gamecast from the confines of my office, but I have been known to scream a little bit when crap like that happens. In fact yesterday when Melkey choked I accidentally let an F-bomb drop just as my boss was walking by. Fortunately my boss is also a Yankees fan and just wanted to know what happened in the game.

DC In The Summer....and Quick Game Notes

2008-06-09T09:07:00.003-05:00

Every blogger who lives in Washington DC is writing about the same thing right now....the freaking heat. In case you have never been to DC in the summer time let me break down for you what a typical summer day is like:

Temperatures in the mid 80's to high 90's.....all day, everyday
100% humidity.....all day, everyday
Every now and then it rains, but that just makes the humidity even worse
Tourists clogging up the Metro and and hijacking the city
Sweaty armpits from the walk to work....if only I could wear that hooters tank top I got as a joke for my last birthday to work everyday

Seriously, summer in DC is not for the timid. When I was growing up in Vermont we would brag about how cold it can get. Well I would much rather throw on an extra layer than have to literally towel off every morning I get to the office.

Game Notes

Back on subject here, Joba did much better in his second start last night. Chamberlin lasted 5 innings until the pitch count clock dinged. It is an encouraging sign. It no doubt must be tough to go out there and be effective knowing that you only have a limited number of pitches. But he seems to be settling down and finding a new groove as a starter. With Joba progressing so well it will be interesting to see if Hughes retakes his spot in the rotation or if Rasner has proved his worth.

Sorry guys but that is all I have got today, I'm still sweating from my walk here.

Milestones

2008-06-05T08:29:00.002-05:00

First of all, congratulations to Derek Jeter who as you can see is now in third place all time for hits in Yankees franchise history. It is quite an accomplishment to be listed with the names of Mantle, Ruth, and Gehrig. Regardless people will still hate Jeter if for no other reason than he is the face of the Yankees.

I would also like to congratulate Mike Mussina who very quietly is now 9-2 and who believe it or not sits on top of the AL in wins. What a turnaround for Mussina who was such a question mark coming into the season. At 39 it is pretty amazing that he can still produce wins, although that is not to say that I am advocating resigning him after this season.

It Could Have Been Worse

2008-06-04T08:17:00.002-05:00

Really it could have been much worse. Here are some of the positives to keep in mind about Joba's first start:

At one point he clocked 101 mph on the radar gun
Going into the game his pitch count was limited to 65
Even with all the walks he kept the Jays at bay through his three innings of work

Now of course there are other things to consider. Obviously starting is a lot different that throwing a handful of pitches in the 8th inning, especially when you know Rivera is coming up behind you. As the Jay's said after the game, Joba has relied on being able to get players to chase the ball late in the game. They aren't as willing to do that early on so Joba is going to need to fine tune and perfect his location. He missed the black quite a bit last night when he was behind on the count but that isn't something that he can't work on.

Joba has gotten so used to being close to perfect it isn't surprising that early struggles are going to get into his head a little bit. Fortunately I think that the pitch limit is going to help him work through it much more gradually rather than the trial by fire that Hughes and Kennedy faced. Still, it is too early to decide whether or not Joba will be the next Ron Guidry but that wont stop me from looking for the positives.

Could You Sleep Last Night?

2008-06-03T07:28:00.002-05:00

Mark your calenders kids, today could be a trivia question...."on what date and against what team did Joba Chamberlin face his first time in the starting rotation" or some variation thereof. Of course the answer is Toronto and the opposing pitcher will be Roy Halladay. That is assuming of course that Joba turns into the phenomenal starter that we all hope he will be, otherwise June 3, 2008 will just be known as another day.

I've checked but at least in the Capital region I don't see that the game is going to be on ESPN, MASN, or any other regular cable channel so that means I am going to have to go in search of a sports bar that has the MLB package tonight. Even though I am trying to tell myself that it isn't that big of deal the truth is that I am really excited and anxious about tonight. More to follow tomorrow.

Joba-eve

2008-06-02T09:16:00.002-05:00

We have finally arrived at the eve of Joba Chamberlin's first start. Are you excited? Have you been a good boy or girl? I know that personally I will be going to bed the second I get home from work so that tomorrow comes even faster! Ok obviously I am kidding, sure I'm excited to see what he has got but lets not make this out to be bigger than it really is. We have already seen the disastrous results of putting too much pressure on Hughes and Kennedy and even though I that I think Joba is in a better position than the other kids, our season doesn't rest in the hands of just one starter / setup guy / closer? Regardless, tomorrow the eyes of the baseball world will be firmly on Chamberlin trying to figure out if he is the next Nolan Ryan, or if he destined for a role in relief.

Meanwhile in a borough not so far away there is a pitcher who has already proven himself. A pitcher who just picked up win number 7 on the year. A pitcher who came oh so close to being a Yankee. But hey, what is the point of having a disabled list if no one ever uses it right?

Only A Few Shopping Days Left Until Joba Day......and Nats Notes

2008-05-29T09:20:00.003-05:00

If there is one story in baseball that you can't get away from right now it is Joba's gearing up for his first start. If you ask me it seems like every sports writer and Yankee hater alike is hoping that Joba will fail miserably. The truth is that no one knows what is going to happen next week, and one start will not be enough to make a determination on his effectiveness in the role. I do think that at this point Chamberlin is better prepared mentally to start than either Kennedy or Hughes was. Aside from his natural lights out ability he has benefited from having more opportunities to throw without the pressure of lasting six or seven innings. It just goes to show you that you can't rush a young player, pitchers especially, into roles they are not ready for. But I suppose I need to make a prediction even though all of my predictions for this year have been further off the mark than my friend Matt's tune at Karaoke. I think Joba is going to do well, but I think that Girardi sticks to the rules and only lets him go 6 innings or 75 pitches, whichever comes first. I imagine that he will give up a run or two early until the adrenaline settles down and he finds his grove, but overall I think he no doubt has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league. But even if he doesn't there is no love lost, I wouldn't shed a single tear if instead of being the next great starting pitcher he became the next Mariano Rivera.

Nat's Notes

In case you weren't watching, and let's face it no one was, the Nat's won last night thanks to a grand slam home run off the bat of Jesus Flores. I can't believe that it took a five million dollar flush of the toilet with Do'h Luca to finally get this guy regular playing time. Now I know that I sound like a broken record but Flores has earned the right to be the every day catcher. If not this year (thanks for nothing Paul) then certainly next year.

Kennedy to DL

2008-05-28T09:10:00.002-05:00

I suppose this was inevitable but in case you haven't heard Kennedy left last nights game with a strained lat and will be placed on the 15 day DL. I have gone back and forth on the question of putting Joba in the rotation but now the Yankees don't have a choice unless they want to risk calling up Igawa. That just isn't a long term solution. So Joba will have an extended relief session tonight and look for him to make his first start sometime late next week. My fingers, toes, arms and legs are crossed tight.

My Kind of Town...And A Public Service Announcment if You Plan to Visit DC This Summer

2008-05-27T08:29:00.003-05:00

For memorial day weekend I went to Chicago. I had been there once before but only for a short business trip so I had never really had the chance to look around the city. Of course since I had the opportunity I took the red line train to Wrigleyville and checked out the park. Even though the Cubs were in Pittsburgh and I didn't actually get to see a game I have to say that I was more than impressed with the iconic building. Cubs fans are going to scoff at me but I always knew that you could watch games from the buildings across the street from the park, but what I didn't know was that those buildings actually have stadium style seating built onto their roofs. Definitely a must see for anyone who even casually follows baseball. Pictures to follow tomorrow (hopefully).

In case you didn't have a chance to watch any baseball over the long weekend you missed the Yankees thoroughly embarrassing the Mariners. Certainly a much needed display of power for the bombers. I don't want to jinx anything but I think that the season may be turning a corner for the better. Whats more, Posada is starting to throw in extended spring training games and could return soon. But what really surprises me is that once again the Rays sit alone on top of the AL East with the best record in all the majors. The question will be how much endurance do they have. I doubt they can play at this level all the way through the season, but if as predicted they finish with around 85 wins they could be seeing their first postseason appearance in franchise history. Is it too much to pray that it is at the expense of the red sox instead of the Yankees?

Public Service Announcement

On a completely unrelated topic, a little public service announcement if I may. The memorial day weekend marks the beginning of the onslaught of tourists in our nations capital. I have always felt that as a resident of the District I am somewhat of an ambassador to tourist whether they be domestic or foreign. So often, and in some cases for good reason, we DCists get frustrated with slow moving, METRO-illiterate tourists. However as residents of Washington we should be willing to help them. Not only are helpful locals good for the impression of our city, but also our country. You wouldn't invite a guest over for dinner and yell at them for walking up the steps too slowly while they admire your front lawn would you? That being said, if you are planning a trip to DC this summer there are a few things to keep in mind to make our job of host easier and to lessen the possibility of an angry exchange from a local:

I can not stress this enough, while in DC please stand to the right and walk to the left on our escalators. It doesn't matter if you are on the Metro or the Mall, if you are on an escalator and are standing on the left eventually SOMEONE WILL YELL AT YOU. And I mean it when I say yell. So do yourselves a favor and just stand to the right.
Plan your trips into the city so that you don't hit rush hours. Trust me, when the humidity sets in you do not want to be packed onto a full train with a backpack and a stroller. And don't think you will just blend in, we can spot a wounded tourist in a heartbeat.
Get an all day pass. Don't even bother trying to figure out how much it is going to cost to go from point A to point B just to save a buck or two. Get an all day pass which is valid AFTER 9:00 in the morning (see the avoid rush hour rule). It saves time at the kiosk too.
Go see a Nationals Game. Take the Metro to the Green line Navy Yard stop. It isn't marked on most maps yet but trust me it is worth checking out while you are here.
Don't take any cabs that don't have metered fares. According to DC law any cab that doesn't have a meter as of June 1, 2008 is subject to a $1,000 fine. There has been huge backlash about switching from the zone system to the meter system. Don't be the victim of an angry cabbie who refuses to follow the law and who wants to charge you whatever he wants.
DC was built on swamp land and has ridiculous humidity in the summer. Dress appropriately and bring water, nothing annoys locals more than a tourist passed out blocking the sidewalk at rush hour.

Chamberlin to the Rotation, Girardi to the corner

2008-05-23T08:18:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it Joe Girardi threw a fit last night over a questionable foul tip call. Whats more classic than a manager kicking dirt on an umpire? I love it, and it seemed to do the trick for the team last night too. To be honest this is just the type of intensity and fire that has been lacking from the team all season.

I'm also happy to say that even though Ian Kennedy didn't get the win, he did have a solid outing going six innings and only giving up one run. The fans even gave him a standing ovation. Way to go kid. The problem for Kennedy is that Rasner is looking great and ......are you ready.......CHAMBERLIN IS BEING MOVED INTO THE STARTING ROTATION. This could be adios for Kennedy, at least for a while assuming that Chamberlin does well. We will see.

On a side note, I would just like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Rock Bottom

2008-05-21T08:19:00.003-05:00

That's what Girardi is hoping this is anyway, but who knows given how unbelievably horrible the Yankees are right now. And Moose......didn't even last through the first inning, although I am still going to give him some breathing room . I've written a couple of posts for my buddy Abbott on how bad I feel for the O's and how if only they could designate their owner for assignment. Well I'm not going to shed any tears for Baltimore today since their talons seem to be growing bigger by the day.

This Yankees team is clearly frustrated. Last night that spilled over in the form of errors and near brawls. They just can't keep players healthy, and the ones they do have are putting up fewer runs than my 3 1/2 year old nephew. Girardi wants to take the blame but the fact of the matter is that he isn't the one swinging (or not swinging) the bats. It is so hard to watch but this team clearly is one that needs to self destruct before it is able to rise again to glory. I just wish this all wasn't happening the last year in the stadium.

I'll try to put together some Nationals Notes later on today, this is all just too depressing for me right now.

A Steep Hill to Climb, and Don't Overlook Guzman (Nats Notes)

2008-05-19T08:44:00.002-05:00

The Yankees are now six games out of first after a disappointing set of losses to the Mets this weekend. I'm not panicking, but at this point with the rest of the division playing as well as it is the battle back into the wild card spot is going to be long and tough. Unfortunately the Sox are not going anywhere, but I do expect the Orioles and Toronto to fall from site sometime in the not too distant future. In the East that leaves the Rays who the Yankees have had trouble with this year, but lets also not disregard the fact that Cleveland is strong and that the Tigers are sure to turn it on big time sooner or later. In short I am keeping the faith, but the reality is that the chances of the Yankees missing the playoffs altogether this year are alarmingly higher than they have been in over a decade.

Nats Notes

The Nationals don't have any high profile superstars this year. In fact aside from Soriano's brief stay since the team has really never had a superstar since they relocated. Until now Zimmerman has been taking the role of DC hero, especially after his walkoff homer in the 9th to win the first game at the new stadium. Even though Zimmerman has huge potential, fans need to stop over looking the contributions of Christian Guzman. The Nats shortstop is really the only consistently productive player on the team right now. Actually Aaron Boone is doing pretty well too but since he isn't quite an every day player I'm leaving him out of this discussion. Take a look at Guzman's numbers:

Guzman

G -43 AB-188 AVG .298 OBP .321 SLG .447 OPS.768

Now compare those with Zimmerman
G-44 AB-184 AVG .245 OBP .276 SLG.424 OPS.699

Guzman is having a decent season and deserves to be acknowledged. No disrespect to Zimmerman who I am sure will improve as the season progresses, but until he does, look to short to be the one thing Nationals fan can rely on this year.

I'm Stocking Up My Bomb Shelter

2008-05-16T12:53:00.008-05:00

There are some things that you only expect to see a few times, if ever, in your lifetime. Events that are so rare you always remember where you were when you saw them. I'm talking about things like a solar Eclipse, a meteor crashing to earth in front of your eyes, and of course....this...

Now I know that the picture quality didn't come out as well as I had hoped but your eyes are not deceiving you. The Rays are in first place and The Yankees in last. I'm happy for Tampa don't get me wrong, but in the past few days I have been talking a lot about signs of impending Armageddon and the Apocalypse and this is pretty much the third horse man right here.

The only normal thing happening so far this season is that Ian Kennedy sucked again last night. No big change there. It started out bad with a lead off home run but then it calmed down. Heck he didn't give up anything in the second, I was actually thinking he had figured some stuff out. But inevitably the floodgates were pried open and a flurry of runs came in as usual. I think Ian's only hope at this point is to hope that the end comes before he embarrasses himself again in his next start.

Now I'm off to my bomb shelter, I just hope my internet connection works down there.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

2008-05-15T08:31:00.002-05:00

A Steinbrenner going of the deep end has become an as much of a part of spring as Daffodils, Easter Egg Hunts, or April showers. Love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner made these annual rants one of his signature pieces of work (now whether or not it actually motivates the players is arguable) but usually its no big deal, its just Georgie being Georgie. But when sonny boy Hank Steinbrenner went off I just cringed. I suppose I had foolishly hoped that these rants would retire with big Stien, but I guess the apple truly does not fall far from the tree. But let's get off the topic of the Steinbrenners because frankly they are getting paid a lot of money to not be managing the team well.

Ian Kennedy is slated to start tonight as the Yankees play the final game of their four game series against the AL Leading Rays.* It's an understatement to say that tonight is a big night for I-Ken. Hopefully the pressure wont get to him too much. At the very least the momentum from last nights win (MOOOOOSE) should help calm the jitters a little. So Ian, get out there and make us all look stupid.

Now normally I wouldn't blog about anything Red Sox unless it involves some sort of odd virus that magically made their fans go temporally mute from April through October. But, last night I have to say that Manny's Willie Mays-Hayes-esq play was pretty impressive. In case you didn't see it, Ramierez made a running catch, jumped up into the stands and high fived a fan, and then still made the play at second. I can only imagine that Terry Francona in his best Lou Brown impression said "Nice catch, (Manny). Don't ever fuckin' do it again." In the end the giant Talons of the Orioles proved to be too much for the Red Sox who blew a three nothing lead. Ok, I guess this little walk on the dark side does have a happy ending.

Nats Notes

Nats 5 Mets 3

Ryan Zimmerman upped his average to .240 last night in part thanks to a long home run that may have hit the capital dome. Jesus Flores hit a tie breaking single in the 7th. I continue to argue that Flores is on the verge of being an incredible catcher and should very soon be an every day starter for the Nationals. I just hope they don't do something stupid like trade him.

The Nats are still far behind the pack and will be for some time, but if the Rays can do it, so can the Nats. Maybe not this year, but their time will come soon enough.

*Many thanks to the Washington Express who quoted yesterdays post in the blog log today. This is the second time that it has happened and each time I get so excited I want to tap the person sitting next to me on the metro and say, hey look, this is me. You have to actually download today's print edition to see the quote, but if you do it is on page 36.

It's May 14th and.....

2008-05-14T10:28:00.002-05:00

The Rays are in first place in the AL East. In short, I am speechless.

Devil Be Gone

2008-05-13T09:05:00.003-05:00

In what is surely another sign of global warming, the slowing economy, and Armageddon, The Rays are now six games over .500 after laying down the hammer on the Yankees 7-1 last night. It begs the question, what else could we improve by simply removing the word "Devil" from its name? Would Devil's Food Cake suddenly become a healthier alternative to soy milk? Would deviled eggs and Deviled ham suddenly taste good? Who knows, but the way that the Ray's have been able to improve this year is astounding, especially when you consider the schedule that they are playing.

Speaking of schedules and the Rays, Ian Kennedy has been recalled from Scranton after only 1 outing (and one inning this past Monday) in Scranton. Kennedy will start in the place of Igawa in the series finale versus the Ray's this Thursday. Conventional wisdom would suggest that this is a terrible idea and that the kid needs much more time to get his ducks in a row. But the truth is, what other option do the Yankees have? I suppose they could go to a four man rotation but it is too early in the season for that and you risk overworking the guys who are actually being productive. So, I guess I support the move albeit with reservations.

Nationals Notes

Nats 10 - Mets 4

This can't be right can it? The Nats really beat up on the Mets that badly? Well somehow, finally, the Nats were able to get hits with runners in scoring position. Although it seems like some bad blood may be a-brewing between these two clubs:

After getting the third out of the third inning, Figueroa turned toward the
Nationals dugout and made a mock clapping gesture into his glove in response to
what he perceived was the Washington bench's rhythmic clapping for his walk and
error during the inning.
Figueroa was not happy afterward.
"They were
cheering in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls," he said. "I am a
professional, I take great offense to that. ... They won tonight, but in the
long run, look who they are, a last-place team."
Milledge defended his
teammates: "We didn't try to rattle him. We're trying to get our guys going."

You know what, maybe a good bench clearing brawl wouldn't be a bad thing to get the Nats motivated. Just keep the elderly clear of Pedro Martinez when you do it.

Days of Agony

2008-05-12T08:24:00.003-05:00

DAVID WELLS?!?!?!? Are You kidding me????? Sorry, maybe I should back up a little bit. In case you haven't heard yet, rumor has it that David "Jack and Coke" Wells is interested in playing another season for New York. Hank Steinbrenner apparently hasn't ruled it out. I'm shaking my head as I write this. Perhaps he has forgotten that Wells is notorious for not staying in playing condition. He may have handled it ok when he was in his 20's and 30's, but the guy is 45 years old now. Not to mention....DOESN'T STEINBRENNER REMEMBER GAME 5 OF THE 2003 WORLD SERIES WHEN WELLS LEFT AFTER HARDLY AN INNING OF WORK!!?? Sorry, but that memory is simply unforgivable. I suppose Well's is basing his comeback on the idea that a six pack a day keeps the back pain away.

Let me put it this way, signing Clemens last year was a bad mistake in a desperate time. The Yankees are not quite as desperate this year but even if they were, signing Wells would be of a scale similar to that of the Hindenburg disaster. So David, please, we all know that you have been a Yankees fan, or at least a Babe Ruth fan your entire life. Heck, I even thought it was cool that you would sometimes wear Babe's hat when you pitched....but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't even try this. If you need the money just let us know and we will start a "Keep Wells Where He Is" charity.

Speaking of mistakes let's talk briefly about Kei Igawa. Spending 40 million on a guy who has no business in the majors is a good investment right? Geez, we couldn't even give this guy to San Diego last year. You know it's bad when your team is praying for rain so that they can skip your start. Igawa just isn't ready for prime time, and in my opinion never will be.

Injury update

A-Rod appears to be doing well in his recovery. Not a moment too soon considering Wilson Betemit left Saturday's game in the fourth inning with a strained right hamstring. Betemit will join what seems like the rest of the Yankees 40 man roster on the 15 day DL. Nothing much on Posada yet, but he did take some swings the other day. I suppose that is encouraging, although it isn't his hitting that was the problem, it was his throwing.

Not Much I can Say Today and Nationals Notes

2008-05-08T09:23:00.003-05:00

As a sports blogger it can get pretty difficult trying to think up ways to spin things when your teams keep losing. I'm pretty confident that the Yankees will still be able to pull a 30 game winning streak out of the bag at some point this season (ok, let's just shoot for a 10 game streak) but until that starts to happen here I sit suffering through my morning ritual of box scores, recaps, and lately.....injury reports. (sigh) Let's just move onto Nationals Notes, at least I can spin that one a little bit better.

Nationals Notes

Ryan Zimmerman blasted two home runs against Houston last night, but that still wasn't enough as the Astros won thier 5th straight 4-3 over the Nats. It's frustrating to see the Nat's losing games by just a run, but at least Zimmerman is starting to get hits again (see how I spinned that there) Now if only they could cut out all the Bush League errors.

In other news Matt Chico has been demoted to the bullpen. I suppose it was only a matter of time considering his 0-5 record. Then again with the Nationals record what it is right now there are very few pitchers in the Nationals rotation who fare much better.

End of Days

2008-05-07T08:59:00.003-05:00

Yes it is true, Joba Chamberlin cost the Yankees a win last night against Cleveland. Is time to panic? Give me a break. Anyone who seriously thinks that this wasn't bound to happen sooner or later, or that Chamberlin has lost it clearly doesn't have thier head screwed on tight. No pitcher can win all the time and EVERY pitcher gives up home runs now and then. The only difference in Joba's situation is that it hasn't happened to him much.....yet. Not to mention the even more intense spotlight he is under thanks to the the struggles of the other two youngsters. I'm just glad it happened before Joba's inevitable move into the starting rotation. If this had happened with Joba as a starter people would be heading for bomb shelters right now equating it with a sure sign of Armageddon. It isn't, so put away the "Repent" signs, the end is not near, this is just baseball....it happens.

Speaking of youngsters Ian Kennedy had a good start in AAA Scranton last night going 7 innings, giving up one hit, and striking out 8. He even had a no hitter going into the 5th inning. That's good to see because clearly it means that Kennedy still has his stuff, he just needs to work on being under the spotlight. I'm also glad that he is committed to getting called back up and he isn't just hanging his head wallowing is self pity. Still, it remains to be seen if he can ever be a true ace. Most scouts put him as a four or five starter at his best. After what we have seen so far that seems to be holding true but hey, you never know. Kennedy may not throw high heat, but if he could develop a good knuckleball* he could be right back on top.

*It amazes me that there are so few guys throwing knuckleballs

Schilling To Throw After He Kills Off The Polar Bears

2008-05-06T08:37:00.005-05:00

~~It's no secret how much I hate Curt Schilling. So since both the Yankees and the Nats were off last night enjoy this satirical ESPN article. If you want to read the original story here is the link.

Red Sox's Jerk ready to test shoulder, will throw Tuesday

Was rehab the right route for Curt Schilling? It looks like the Boston Red Sox are about to find out.

The Asshole himself

The 41-year-old terrorist, who is the 60-day disabled list with a limp wrist, will throw for the first time this season on Tuesday.

"There's a burning down a Red Cross aid station feeling to it," Schilling told the Boston Herald. "Considering where I was four months ago and what the options were ... I guess if I was robbing girl scouts, this would be the pretending to be the crossing guard part."
Osama Bin Schilling is scheduled to throw 25 pitches from 60 feet. If that goes well, he will begin a regular throwing program.

"Now that the baby seal hunt in Canada is over he's got himself to the point where he's excited he's getting to do it," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's another step."

Early in spring training, Schilling's course of treatment became a sort of melodrama.

Schilling said he would have preferred a colonoscopy, but the team insisted he try rehab. The right-hander said he had a career ending injury which he kept a secret when he agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Red Sox in November.

Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill recommended a suture for Schillings ever expanding asshole. Schilling sought a second opinion from Dr. Craig Morgan, a veterinarian, who operated on Schilling in 1995 and 1999. Morgan felt strongly that a colonoscopy was best and that rehabilitation would fail -- and potentially, hopefully, end Schilling's career.

A third doctor, New York Mets team physician Dr. David Altchek, said Schilling is a dick.

The club and the pitcher had originally hoped he could be back around the All-Star break. Now, it's uncertain when he might return, but at least Tuesday's a start.

"It's tough to come back after spending so much time at the north pole with a hair dryer melting the ice pack in order to speed up the extinction of Polar bears," Schilling told the Herald. "We're finding the way I work in tests and everything that after the recovery day I'm immensely better. There's a very short window but there are tangible results.

"It's been a long couple of months, but every time you see a polar bear drown its worth it."
If he returns, it would be the 21st season of a career that's included....blah blah blah blah.

Adios Ian....Woah There Joba

2008-05-05T07:54:00.003-05:00

It was only a matter of time before Ian Kennedy was given a bus ticket back to AAA and Darrell Rasner was sent to the head of the class. I feel bad for the kid considering how well he threw at the end of last season and how much promise he still has. But numbers are numbers and you can't stay in the show with an 8.37 era. The short and simple of it is that Kennedy has been losing games for us. A game here and there is understandable, but to lose every time you start is simply unacceptable. His trip to Scranton should help him figure a few things out. If it doesn't hopefully we can get him looking like the top prospect he used to be so that we can at least pawn him off for someone else. Regardless, I have come to the decision that it is NOT time to move Joba up into the rotation, at least until maybe after the all star break.

It just goes to show you how difficult pitching in the Majors really is. I've tried unsuccessfully to to figure out the percentage of minor league pitchers who end up in the big leagues, and of those, the percentage who have a respectable era and winning record. I don't know the number but I would be willing to be that it is around 8%. That's pretty darn low considering any kid who even gets drafted into the minors has some potential and most likely can throw at least 90 mph. That's not even to mention the physical toll that pitching takes on the body. There is a reason why fast ball velocity has not changed much in the past century. These guys are throwing the ball at the absolute limits of human ability. When a pitcher throws 100 mph fastball his tendons literally come off from his elbow.

So why not try out Joba in the rotation now? Even if he isn't great as a starter he could still be put back into his roll as a set up artist right? Well yes and no. As we have seen with both Kennedy and Hughes, rushing a young pitcher into the rotation with somewhat unreasonable expectations takes not only a physical toll, but a mental one as well. I think that both Hughes and Kennedy caved to that mental pressure and it had an effect on their ability to control the ball, win games, and in the case of Hughes may have ultimately led to him ignoring his injuries until they got even worse. It is nothing new. Almost all young players go through it at first, but few rookies in that situation are being asked to be a starting pitcher for a Yankees organization suffering through such extreme growing pains. Chamberlin is not exempt from any of those same spotlight issues. Whenever it finally does happen Joba is going to be under more pressure to preform than any young pitcher in recent history. And Talk about un realistic expectations, there is no way that Chamberlin will be able to make it through 7, 8, 9 innings the way he makes it through 1 or 2 as a set up man. He is going to start to give up some runs, even home runs, and that inevitably will make people wonder if he is really the iron man we all thought he was. In my opinion he is that iron man which is why there is no reason to rush it. The more time he has on the mound the better prepared he and the fans will be on the days where he just doesn't have it. Not to mention the fact that the Yankees need him to work on his other pitchers and let him get comfortable with them again. You can't win consistently against teams like Boston and Detroit with only one pitch.

Loving Honesty, and Nationals Notes

2008-05-02T08:25:00.003-05:00

Dear Ian,

Hey buddy, how have you been? How's the new wife, the house, the dog? I would ask you about your job but look Ian, I have seen you pitch this season and I am afraid it is time for a session of loving honesty. You just are not ready for the show yet. I know it's been kind of tough living under the shadow of your buddy Joba, but you need to worry about you. I didn't want to bring this up but the truth is that you are hear and Santana isn't, that means you have a lot to prove. So next week when Cashman asks you to head to Scranton do it with your head up. There is no shame in being sent back to the minors, just make sure you use that time to fine tune everything. Don't get so worked up about the demotion that you lose your ambition. Remember Ian, being a Yankee is a privilege you have to earn.

Your Buddy,
Bruce

Nationals Notes

Manny Acta's man crush on Austin Kearns surprises a lot of people, including me. Sure, he is hard working and he has a ton of potential, but a .194 batting average (even after last night) is still south of the Mendoza line. Well finally for one day Austin gets to have his day in the sun, and Acta gets to pat him on the ass for a legitimate reason. Last night Austin broke a tie with a two out RBI single in the eighth inning putting the Nat's up 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win.

When you think about it the Nationals record really isn't that surprising, nor is it surprising that they are starting to rally now. If you look back at the schedule they have played through April you will see that the have ONLY matched up against the best teams in the National League. Finally they are going to be facing off with teams they can beat. Three more against Pittsburgh and then off to Houston before the Marlins come back next weekend. This is the time they need to win a lot of games, if anything just to build momentum. Hitting is contagious and if just one of these guys really starts to break out I guarantee others will follow.

Entire Scranton AAA Team To Replace Yankees, More Rocket Romance,

2008-05-01T08:29:00.009-05:00

This is starting to sound like an Onion article, but for God Sake now Phil Hughes is packing his bags for the DL thanks to a strained oblique. By the end of the week the only person left on the team will be Joba Chamberlin. No doubt Steinbrenner will want Joba to play every position, including pitching to himself. At least the Nationals won last night in the 12th inning. They are now officially on a winning streak.

Rocket Romance

Yet another of Roger's affairs has surfaced. According to the The New York Daily News Rocket had a relationship with Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly. You may be wondering who will be next on Roger's hit parade. Well we here at 567 Miles From Home are going to take all the guess work out of you and break the story first....here we go with a list of Rogers other flings:

Miley Cyrus

Always a fan of Hannah Montana Clemens nearly lost it when he found out that Cyrus is 15 years old. Reportedly, Clemens was spotted earlier this year escorting the teen star to the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards. Clemens claims the two are just friends, but close ups of Cyrus' neck show what appear to be K shaped hickeys.

Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K)

Former Red Sox teammates claim that Clemens took a fancy to Coach K in the late 80's after Clemens openly fantasied about having a child with K in his first AND last name. While Krzyzewski has not commented on the affair, a spokesperson from Duke University released a statement saying that the two remain close friends but that the relationship was completely appropriate.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre

The New York Post is reporting that after the story broke about Elliot Spitzer's call girl, New York Post employees received numerous phone calls requesting Dupre's telephone number from the same person. "It was ridiculous" said one Post employee, "we kept getting these phone calls from a man with what was obviously a fake Asian accent asking for Dupre's home phone number. When we finally traced the calls back to Clemens house I said Roger, I know this is you, and then the phone suddenly went dead."

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

2008-04-30T08:22:00.005-05:00

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

2008-04-29T08:11:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-28T08:34:00.005-05:00

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!!!!!!!

2008-04-25T08:45:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-24T11:04:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-21T08:35:00.010-05:00

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

2008-04-18T09:08:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-16T09:12:00.009-05:00

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

2008-04-14T08:24:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-10T08:18:00.014-05:00

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?!?

2008-04-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-09T08:58:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-08T08:16:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-07T13:49:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-03T10:24:00.003-05:00

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!!!!!

Opening Day.....kind of

2008-03-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

The first pitches of Major League Baseball 2008 were thrown today, the problem is that very few were actually awake to see it! That's because, as I am sure that you are well aware, they were thrown at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. So then you may be asking yourself why the countdown timer at the top of this page still says four days to go? Well, not to come across as xenophobic, but in my opinion the season really doesn't start until the first pitchers are thrown on the 30th. I don't have any problem with major league baseball playing games overseas, but I do have a problem with not having opening day here. The excitement of the day is lost, it just plain isn't fair. So, until this weekend I am of the opinion that the season hasn't actually started.

How The Economics of Baseball Could Care Less About History

2008-03-18T09:33:00.006-05:00

I don't like writing this, but to the people who call the shots in the front offices Baseball is a business with little room for nostalgia or history if it gets in the way of bigger profit margins and more luxury booths. Nothing illustrates that point more than than the exuberant sums paid to top players (the Yankees paid more for A-Rod than JP Morgan paid for Bear Sterns)* stadium naming rights, and of course moving franchises and teams in search of greener pastures. For the most part I understand that there is a need for some of these decisions. Owning and managing a team isn't cheap and is seldom hugely profitable. Take the case of the Expos leaving Montreal. The fact of the matter in that situation was that Montreal was averaging about 6,000 fans per game meanwhile the nations capital was starving for a team. I don't like the way Selig went about that one, but in the end it was necessary. What I can not appreciate is when a team disregards history and its fans by chopping down an icon or abandoning its roots, of course I am talking about the loss of Yankee Stadium, but I also point to the relocation of Dodgertown as yet another example of owners with their heads far up their asses with little respect for the history of the game.

As I must, let me begin first and foremost with Yankee Stadium. As you are all aware this is the last season at THE Stadium. For anyone who appreciates baseball this should be nothing short of blasphemy. Yankee Stadium is a shrine, the Mecca of the game. It is the house that Ruth built for God sake, how can you possibly lose such a historic national treasure?? Collectively Yankees fans, and in fact all of baseball, failed by not being more publicly outraged with this lame brained decision. As you may recall Steinbrenner had tried to do this once before when he hinted at moving the team to (gasp) New Jersey. Talk like that was so outrageous that George was coming close to having the villagers storm the castle with pitchforks and torches. But that was then and this is now. Today owners are of the mindset that luxury boxes equal dollars and cheap seats be damned. For me I have never understood the lure of the luxury box. Would I sit in one given the opportunity? Sure. But sitting in an air conditioned room with a waitstaff and a glass partition is akin to watching the game from a sports bar, albeit with a better flat screen TV. Going to games should be about interacting with the players, about taunting the umpires vision and his wife's marital infidelity, about the sounds and smells of the game. It should be about passing a hot dog down the isle to the guy next to you and dropping peanut shells on the ground as you try to juggle a beer. But this isn't just about the loss of Yankee Stadium. To be fair I felt the same way when there was talk of demolishing Fenway Park. Despite my bitter hatred of the Red Sox and everything they stand for, baseball's historic parks should not be traded for corporate extravagance. Sox fans were able to save Fenway by crying bloody murder. In turn Sox management got creative and squeezed seats into every available inch of Fenway. Sure they jacked up ticket prices to the level where to see a game at Fenway requires a Stafford loan, but at least they still have their park. What about Wrigley Field? What happens when Cubs management decides that they need bigger, better, and more modern? Hell, poor Steve Bartman was run out of Chicago for catching a ball, something any one of us would have done in the same situation. Could you imagine the horror of Cubs fans if someone tried to tear down Wrigley field? My point of this rant is that we should strive to preserve classic stadiums. It is too late for New York, but we need to save what little we have left.

This brings me to the next example of how economics of baseball are hurting its history, Dodgertown is closing its doors in favor of a new home in Arizona. Now I am not a Dodgers fan, but I really have no reason to hate them. About the only reason that I have really watched them throughout the years at all was because I was a fan of Oral Hershiser. In fact I still have an issue of Boy's Life Magazine from 1988 with his picture on it. Of course now that Mr. Torre is there I have a new found interest, but anyway. The point is that this is the last and final f-u to the fans on the east coast who remember the days of Ebbets field, and to the people who loyally made the trip to the historic Vero Beach institution. In fact that town is nothing short of the house the Dodgers built. Now one may argue that the Dodgers fan base is truly on the west coast and that it simply makes more sense for them to train closer to home. That simply isn't true, in fact I would argue that there are just as many if not more Dodgers fans on the east coast than on the left coast. There is certainly no less passion. Full disclosure, this may not have been a bandwagon that I would have readily jumped on if not for reading this account by Arjewtino about attending fantasy baseball camp. I highly recommend it, it is a great read and further illustrates what these places mean to real fans.

In a perfect world the fans would have more of a say when it comes to these big decisions. After all it is the fans who ultimately buy the tickets that pays for all the contracts, and in most cases it is their tax payer dollars that build the stadiums for them to play in. As a collective fan base we need to push to save our stadiums from becoming nothing less than parking garages over our favorite memories. Unless we speak with one voice every day we run the risk of losing another piece of baseballs rich history forever.

*Thanks to Abbott for that stat

12 Day's To Go

2008-03-17T09:16:00.004-05:00

The first regular season pitch will be thrown in a mere 12 days, and yet even before the gates have opened for the 2008 season we already have suspensions and bad blood brewing. Of course I am talking about last weeks melee between the Yankees and the Rays which has ended up costing the Yankees Shelley Duncan and Melkey Cabrera. While I do think that Duncan knew exactly what he was doing when he slid spikes up into second, I also think that these suspensions are really intended to be a warning to the entire league rather than a punishment to these particular players. In in aftermath of the Mitchell report no doubt the front offices want this season to be as clean and wholesome as possible, but lets face it, bad blood and rivalries sell seats.

Now I am not advocating that Baseball go the route of Hockey, I am just saying that a little bit of tension between rivals goes a long way towards adding an exciting dimension to the game. We don't want players injuring themselves needlessly in bench clearing brawls, but lets be honest, we all still remember when Pedro Martinez picked up Zimmer by the ears and threw him to the ground.

My point with all of this is that I worry that baseball 2008 is going to be sterile to the point where if a pitcher brushes a batter off the plate he is going to get a three game suspension and the manager will be fined. These guys are highly competitive athletes and there are going to be a few punches thrown this season. Don't turn baseball into a boxing match, but lets be fair in terms of suspensions, especially when someone deserves an "accidential" high spike.

What Spring Training Means, and What it Doesn't...and last Words on the Tryouts

2008-03-11T09:20:00.003-05:00

With only a few weeks until the start of the baseball season its easy to get over analytical about what has happened so far in spring training. Sure, its great to see games on TV again, but good or bad it is way too early to make any real predictions based on what we have seen up until now. Sure, you can make base line observations like Matsui looked rusty and Beckett's back is strained, but we haven't even seen game one yet, much less are we anywhere near a pennant race. Spring training is all about adjustments and working out the kinks. So don't let analysts who get paid by the word trick you into believing anything more about spring training other than it is what it is....training.

Case in point, nothing makes me happier than seeing Santana shut down Boston. The reality though is that these two teams are not going to face off against each other in the regular season. What's more, spring training games only show case a limited number of innings. So in the end we can't really deduce anything other than Santana looks like himself so far this year in the few innings he's thrown. Same thing goes for Joba Chamberlin. The other day Joba gave up two long shot homers, should that worry New York fans? Of course not! While it's true that he may have struggled a bit in that game, Chamberlin is also working on re-introducing a curve ball back into his repertoire.

What spring training should be is fun. It's fun to watch all the younger players fight for spots on the roster, watch teams face off against each other who never do in the regular season, and most of all its fun to see baseball back and know that in a few short weeks we get ESPN back from the dredges of basketball and hockey. (No offense to hockey fans, but basketball is not my cup of tea....with the exception of the NCAA but I digress)

My Run For President Is Over
Now to shift gears if I may, my run for president is officially over. By that I mean that unfortunately I have not been selected to be one of the running presidents at National's games. Of course I am disappointed, what a thrill it would have been especially in the new stadium. However it would have been a big time commitment and I am sure that I would have tired of it quickly. Ah who am I kidding, it sucks, I really wanted it but oh well. At least when I try out next year I will have a better idea of what it takes to earn a spot.

Scores from Spring Training

2008-03-10T13:07:00.001-05:00

I've been pretty sick lately, so in lieu of a longer post enjoy some baseball scores. I am also sorry to report some bad news from the Nationals, more on that to come.

Exhausted yet excited

2008-03-02T11:50:00.004-05:00

I have been MIA lately thanks to the ridiculous hours I have been putting in at the office. Without going into detail let's just say that I have literally spent many hundreds of hours at the office this moth alone. Please take a moment to feel sorry for me......ok thank you now back to the show. My mind is pretty frazzled so this post is going to be all over the place, but lets see what I can muster up.

Yankees Start out Strong in Spring Training
The Yankees clobbered the Phillie's yesterday 9-3 thanks to a homer from A-Rod and some RBI's (5) courtesy of my man Shelley Duncan. This is certainly a great way to start things off, but it is still much too early to form an opinion one way or the other on the rest of the season. However, I will say that I am happy to see that some of our everyday players showed up to training camp in good shape.

Rocket Bonds
I am trying to uphold my personal moratorium on writing about Clemens, but given the release of the Bonds grand jury testimony and the FBI's decision to launch a criminal probe into Roger's testimony before Congress I do have on comment to make. Simply put, so long as these two continue to fight with the courts and and the media, steroids in baseball isn't going away. Collectively we just need to shut them out and move on...that is until Selig gets off his lazy ass and opens up the can of worms again when he dishes out the penalties.

Nationals Stadium
The Stadium is looking great!!!

The jumbotron is the biggest in the world! From the pictures I have seen of the interior they have done an incredible job and I am looking forward to going to as many games as I can this season. Which brings me to my last topic of the day.....

Presidential Tryouts
I still haven't heard anything from the Nationals about this, but as soon as I do I will let you know in the manner that I described in my last post. I have to say I am starting to get a little pessimistic about my chances however.

Presidential Try Outs

2008-02-18T16:17:00.005-05:00

Today was the tryouts to be one of the running presidents for National's home games. Unfortunately they requested that no pictures be taken by non media attendees, and also have asked that if we are selected we not publicly announce it. So when I hear one way or the other I will simply post that I have heard but will not specify and I can either tell you in person or via email (Julie, looking in your direction) assuming that wouldn't violate the policy. Ok, here we go.......

I arrived at RFK around 8:30 this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to don the presidential robes. It was pretty funny to see that all the other potential presidents looked pretty much the same as I do and seemed just as excited. By that I mean they were predominantly slightly scruffy guys in their mid to late 20's, dressed either in jeans or warm up pants and trying in earnest to eat the shit eating grins on their faces (as was I). There were only two women and to my amazement one had her arm in a sling. I have no idea how she navigated the weight of the costume with one less appendage. So I got to the business of sizing up my rivals. It wasn't long before my judging glares were interrupted by a reporter from the Washington Times who asked to interview me. He asked why I was trying out, where I was from, pretty much what you would expect but for me the day was just getting better. I was already excited to be there and now I get to be in tomorrow's paper (albeit a paper I never read).

Once I finished up with the interview it was time to go into the stadium. That's when I saw it up close....the field. It's hard to describe the feeling of being able to walk on a the field of a major league park, even a recently retired one. It was half pure wonderment and half sadness since I knew that RFK's glory days have come to an end. That experience was cut short as we had to make our way to the locker room but Let me tell you, seeing RFK from that angle made me feel as excited as a ten year old kid.

Once we made it to the locker room we had to fill out the expected waivers just in case anyone snapped a femur trying to prove that he or she was the real deal. After that we all sat around and listened to a very friendly Nationals staff give us a run down of the costumes and a lecture of what we could and couldn't do in the suit and what we could or couldn’t do if we were selected. Really everyone seemed pretty cool, staff and the people trying out. There was a lot of friendly banter amongst the hopefuls once the staff was done talking and as we waited for late arrivals. Of course this was a competition after all, but it really seemed like everyone was there was having a great time.
Finally it was time to suit up. I don't think I should go too much into detail about the actual mechanics of the costume since the staff seemed pretty adamant about the press not taking pictures of them before we put them on, but what I can tell you is that those things are damn heavy! We were told ahead of time that one of the prerequisites for trying out was the ability to run in a forty pound suit, but I still had no idea how awkward it would be to carry such a top heavy load. Naturally I volunteered to go first. Well, the truth is I had to go first because I had to get back to work today...but I digress. A staff member suited me up in the Thomas Jefferson costume and lead me and two others out on to the field with the rest of the thirty hopefuls and a bunch of media in tow.
There I was, dressed up as Thomas Jefferson lined up ready to race past the visiting team dugout against Abe Lincoln and George Washington (Teddy was mysteriously not in attendance)....literally....I had such a big grin my face hurt. And then we were off. Running in the costume turned out to be a hell of a lot harder than I had imagined. The head kept bobbing around on me and I could hardly see anything but I did manage to finish the race a very close second, although I think just the ability to run in the damn thing is all they really cared about. After the race they had us ham it up a bit and do some shtick. As a former actor this was my forte and I think I did a pretty good job, but who knows.

The last part of the tryouts consisted of an interview with more Nationals staff members. I liked these people a lot. They seemed like the type of people that I would have been friends with even if I wasn't trying to make a good impression. Although I guess if your job is working in baseball and you love it its pretty easy to keep a good attitude.

So that's it. I should find out in a week or two. Wish me luck because this was so much fun today I am still smiling.

I'VE BEEN SELECTED!!!!!

2008-02-12T15:16:00.001-05:00

That's right, I have been selected to try out for the Running Teddy Roosevelt for this summers Nationals games. Yes...I realize how big of a dork I sound like right now, but that would be so unbelievably awesome!!!!! Wish me luck, and if I make the cut I expect to see you all at Nationals Stadium rooting for Teddy!!!!!

O's The Agony...Here we go again

2008-02-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

(Another One For Abbott)

It's been almost 12 years since that infamous Derek Jeter home run in the 1996 ALCS that ruined the World Series dreams of Orioles fans. Even today, mentioning the name Jeffrey Maier inside the other beltway (I-695)is likely to get you a dirty look and a shake of the head. Yet if it wasn't for Peter Angelos, Maier's name would probably be just another mostly forgotten piece of baseball folklore. Instead Maier's name joins the ranks of the other great spoilers....Billy Buckner, Steve Bartman, and the Billy Goat. To O's fans he is a bitter reminder of what could have been, and probably what should have been. So why do I bring this up today? I bring it up because of the Erik Bedard trade to Seattle, which in my opinion is yet another in a series of long mistakes and setbacks suffered at the hands of an owner who can't tell left from right or up from down.

It's no secret that you simply can not win championships without good starting pitching. Sure, the O's pick up reliever George Sherrill in the trade who had an era of 2.36 over 45.2 innings last season. But lets not forget that we are talking about an Orioles team who gave up 30 runs in one game alone to Texas last August. Relief pitching isn't going to count for anything if by the time you bring him in the score is so lopsided you might as well declare the mercy rule.

Ok, so I am saying the O's need better defense so the acquisition of Adam Jones, a top Seattle prospect, should be good news right? Well, the real answer to that is maybe. Defensively yes, Jones appears to be the cork in the outfield that the O's have been looking for, but behind the plate Jones hasn't been spectacular in his (albeit limited) appearances so far batting .246 with a .700 OPS. I will say that those numbers have improved over last year, and are likely to continue to do so, but in my opinion the gamble is going to end up not being worth giving up Bedard.

I don't pretend to be the all wise sage of baseball trades and acquisitions, and here's hoping that I am completely wrong on all of these predictions. However if the Orioles really want to start to rebuild their team the right way they need to start at the top and figure out a way to trade Angelos.

Keep You Fingers Crossed Everyone!!!

2008-02-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I applied to be one of the running presidents at Nationals home games (Teddy Roosevelt to be exact). To my surprise I actually heard back from the Entertainment coordinator today about the position. Holy crap, how awesome would that be?!?!?! Wish me luck!

Congratulations to the Giants...and a few thoughts on Football

2008-02-04T10:37:00.000-05:00

One Sunnyside resident, Luis Pinzon, 27, was overcome with joy. “We finally beat Boston,” he said, wearing a Lawrence Taylor jersey. “That’s all I care about. We finally beat ’em. Not Boston. Undefeated Boston,” he said with vindictive relish. “That’s who we beat. As long as they won, I don’t care if the Yankees lose to the Red Sox for the next five years. I’m not going to complain. That’s enough. I’ll give my first-born child to — to — to whomever.”

Mr. Pinzon’s wife, Sonia Pinzon, 26, said she was trying to be supportive, but giving up a child was where she drew the line. “I don’t think so,” she said.

Now that is just TOO funny!!! It reminds me of the SNL Mastercard commercial from after the sox won the World Series in 2004....I can't believe I am actually linking to a red sox site, but this is a classic.

To be honest with all of you, until very recently (last season) I have never been terribly knowledgeable or well schooled in the world of Football. I have now come to the point where I watch it almost every week, but I have not had a real alliance to any particular city as the way I do to my beloved Yankees. See, my high school never had football, and while I would always watch the Super bowl, football was just never on my radar unless it said NURF on the side. When I first moved to football crazed DC my comprehension of the game was so vague I quickly realized that I was going to need to do some home work if I hoped to have anything of sporting substance to talk about from after World Series until the end of the January.

I started small, but steadily gained enough knowledge so that I could at least hold my own against my roommate in our ritualistic Xbox face-offs (we actually kept a running tally of wins on the refrigerator). Believe it or not at that point I actually played as the Patriots. I thought what the hell, I am from New England right? And they actually are not from Boston, but Foxboro, which is miles down I-95. That all ended in October of 2004. You see, even given my limited interest in the game at that time I realized that baseball loyalties cross over to other sports. I could no longer quazi cheer for the Patriots, or root for any team from (or near) Boston for that matter. In a nod to my roommate and good friend, I then chose the Ravens.

Since the early days of the Xbox challenges I have actually grown to really enjoy football. As I mentioned, I now find myself watching almost every Sunday, I even went to my first professional football game in Baltimore and saw the Colts thoroughly embarrass the Ravens. I've come to realize though that I think I should be rooting for the Giants. I can't give up my pledge to support Baltimore, but watching Eli Manning and the Giants this year was awesome. Similar to when the Yankees play the sox, the Super bowl turned out to be a classic New York vs. Boston battle royale. In fact it was nothing less than the best Super bowl I have ever seen. Plus, with so many of my friends being fans of Boston based teams, rooting for the Giants just feels natural. So I think that I have come to an epiphany, I still have a lot to learn about football that much is clear, but I think starting next year I am going to pledge partial allegiance to the Giants with the remaining half going to the Ravens.

I know what you all must be thinking, I am becoming a fair weather fan. I fully admit that, so in order to not be one of "those guys" I hereby pledge the following (at least when it comes to the NFL):

1. I will not to talk the talk until such time as I know football stats at least partially as well as I know baseball stats.

2. I will not purchase any Giants paraphernalia for at least one season.

3. I will know the names of at least 40% of the players on each of my chosen teams.

4. Should someone call me out on my fair weatherness I will not argue.

5. No matter what, The Yankees and Baseball always come first, no exceptions....EVER.

Santana to the Mets

2008-01-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

I guess that I am not too surprised by this. I honestly thought that The Yankees were going to make a serious go at it, and I suppose in some respects they did, but they made the right decision by holding on to youth rather than chasing after a veteran. Although I write that with some pause since truthfully I would have loved to get Santana (who wouldn't). But the practice of swapping youth for veterans needs to be put on hold. Sure, Santana isn't nearly as old as Randy Johnson was when we acquired him, doesn't share the same penchant for punching walls as Kevin Brown, but frankly the memory of those debacles and of course the memory of a certain pitcher with the initials CP makes me feel ok with not picking up Johan. In hindsight all the posturing from The Yankees and Boston over Santana turned out to be just another tactic in the battle of the bulge (by that I mean bulging wallets) between American sports greatest rivals.

Now of course every arm chair analysts and ESPN columnist will question if this a winning deal or a losing one for the Mets. Personally I don't think that it is a question at all. Let's face it, the Met's have been unraveling at the seams this off season, making lamebrain trades to the Nats and not getting much in return. This is the only decent thing they have done since mid September. With Santana the Met's get a sure fire lefty and only give up four (unknown to me)prospects and $140 million, ten million less than the rumored going price. Certainly an upgrade from Glavin who probably has "Wake Me When September Ends" on permanent repeat on his ipod. So good for the Mets because frankly if the Yankees can't have Santana, and he isn't in Boston, the Met's could certainly use a B-12 shot right now. Plus, going the National league means we only have to face up against him a few times during inter league play.

*Full disclosure, I do not hate or love the Mets. To me I could really care less about them.

Closer By The Day

2008-01-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

With 20 odd days until pitchers and catchers report to training camp I'm starting excited. This year is going to be great, not just because of names like Chamberlin and Hughes, but also because the Nat's new stadium is almost finished!!! Since the ground breaking I have been diligently checking the Clark Construction Cam daily to check on the progress of the new home of the Nationals. To some this may seem like watching paint peel, but for me it makes me feel that I have had a role in the construction(I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was the day they laid the sod). Here are today's pictures:

I may have written this once before but the Nat's are really starting to pull things together. They have made some pretty decent trades thus far in the off season and I would be willing to predict that they finish 2nd in the NL East this year. This new stadium is going to be icing on the cake. Anyone out there who thinks that the Nat's aren't in DC to stay is delusional.

(4:15 pm update from Nationals Website)
As part of its soon-to-be-released 2008 Prospect Handbook, Baseball America ranks the Washington Nationals minor-league system No. 9 among Major League Baseball's 30 clubs. Washington's No. 9 ranking stands in stark contrast to last season, when the Nationals' system ranked 30th in baseball. The Nationals' ranking leap of 21 slots was the second-largest this decade, or since Baseball America began producing its Prospect Handbook in 2001 (Texas leapt 24 slots, from No. 28 to No. 4, in 2008).

Prior to 2008, neither the Nationals nor Expos had ranked higher than 16th in BA's organizational rankings.

Six of the Nationals' top 11 players, as ranked by Baseball America, are products of Washington's 2007 First-Year Player Draft, which was rated as the "best in baseball" by BA in its November 5-18 issue. According to BA, 17 of the Nationals' top 20 prospects were either drafted or acquired since the Nationals moved to Washington in 2005.

By the way, if anyone has tickets for opening day that they are looking to unload let me know, maybe we can make a deal!!!

Eye of the Hurricane

2008-01-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

This is the center of the storm for me which means instead of leaving at midnight or 1 am every night, I can leave at a relatively early 8-9 at night. There is nothing like sleep deprivation and no spare time to really make you want to punch someone in the forehead. It is particularly amplified by the fact that I have been given a blackberry which means that even my spare time is constantly interrupted by the earth shaking rattle of that little grey slice of hell (it is going off now even as I write this). The upside to all of this madness is that with part of the extra proceeds I am going to buy a flat screen 1080p television. Sure, I could probably spend my money in better ways but everyone needs to reward themselves every once and a while, and considering I never make big purchases I'm not going to worry too much about this. Plus, the thought of being able to watch nine innings in high definition makes me (for lack of a better word) giddy. But I digress with all of this talk of work, that isn't what this blog is about, this blog is about baseball. Since I am still honoring my moratorium on all things relating to Roger Clemens I would like to give some preliminary thoughts on the 2008 season, these by no means are my final predictions but instead just the players that I am most excited about, and worried about. Here we go:

Joba Chamberlin - I don't think that it comes as any big surprise that I am more excited to see Joba throw than to see any other player this year. Hank has hinted that Joba will be in the starting rotation which personally I think is a good idea. He at least deserves a shot at a role in the front five, worst case scenario he doesn't work out and settles into a role as a closer and becomes the next Goose or Rivera...pretty good company to keep if you ask me. However, even with Chamberlin the fact of the matter is that while the rotation looks pretty darn solid next year, you still have to give pause to the fact that three of the potential starters are all hovering around 22 years old and have limited experience in the majors.

Phil Hughes - After being injured for a large part of 2007 and then dealing with some spotlight issues I'm looking for Hughes to come back strong in 2008. He has some games under his belt now and presumably he has a better understanding of his body to know when he needs to slow it down so that he doesn't reinjure himself. Of course there is still the slight possibility that he could be in Minnesota next year, but at this point I am putting the chances of the Santana trade at less than 5%

Joe Girardi - Ok, he isn't a player but that doesn't mean I can't get excited for him to arrive in the Bronx. I've been arguing that he was the perfect man for the job for a long time and I am anxious for him to prove himself to me and the rest of the Universe. This Yankees team isn't going to be the 1996 - 2000 Yankees. This team will require micro management for the youngsters, and respect for the veterans. Certainly not an easy task, but look what he did with Florida!

Mike Mussina - Mussina tops my list of players I am most concerned about going into 2008. Last August Mussina officially jumped the shark. It remains to be seen if he can muster the strength and control to be the number 4 or 5 man for the duration of the season, but since he has a year left on his contract he is at least going to get the nod for the first month or two. It will be interesting to see how Girardi handles a flailing Moose.

(sigh) As much as I would like to keep going with this post, duty calls. My imp-Berry just won't stop vibrating. Just keep in mind, only 22 days until pitchers and catchers report (and until I can take that God awful countdown timer off my blog).

P.S. Any interest in a blogger trip to a baseball game this summer? Just throwing that out there.

A Brief Hiatus

2008-01-14T12:02:00.000-05:00

Since my work load is exploding right now I don't anticipate being able to write much in the coming weeks. I have to say that I am not a big fan of the count down clock on the top of this page, but my time being at a premium right now I just don't have an opportunity to look for a better one. So, for the next couple of weeks I'll be pretty sporadic, but the good news is that every day we get closer to the first pitch of the season.

Congressional Hearings, BALCO, PED's...blah blah blah

2008-01-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

Remember when all you had to keep track of in baseball were statistics? Now you need to be a pharmacist and a statistician to keep track. But honestly, enough is enough, I am finished with the steroid debate for at least the foreseeable future. The whole thing is turning into a media and political circus where everyone feels they need to chime in (I suppose I have to include myself in that category). I'm tired of hearing Roger Clemens deny using steroids while at the same time acting shocked that his best friend Andy Pettitte used. I would like to say that if it weren't for Clemens adamant denials this whole Mitchell report controversy would have starting to fade by now. Unfortunately the truth is no matter what Roger says or does, when spring training starts up again you can bet that there will be a whole new slew of who took what, when, etc etc. I just want to watch baseball.

It's about time!!!

2008-01-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

"Goose" gets the call to the Hall

Former Yankees closer Rich Gossage was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today by the Baseball Writers Association of America, leading the ballot with 85.5% of the vote.

Really Roger...Really

2008-01-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

"Never happened," Clemens insisted. "Never happened."

Are you serious? All that I can say is that Clemens had better be telling the truth because he isn't you can bet that he won't even be able to take a bus to Cooperstown. Roger and his big mouth have also landed him a special invitation to appear before Congress. Will he testify? Depends, is Mike Wallace on any special committies?

HGH, GET YOUR HGH HERE!!!*

2008-01-03T10:32:00.000-05:00

As any baseball player can tell you, getting your HGH has become a little more tricky thanks to that pesky Mitchell Report. Well look no further players because here comes Biehealth US in conjunction with Continental Airlines magazine to solve all of your Human Growth Hormone related needs!!! That's right, no more back alley transactions, no more rookie whistle blowers, and no more Senators to bother you in the locker room!! Biehealth US even offers plenty of legitimate excuses should those bastards actually find out how to test for HGH....choose from any of the following:

Hemorrhoids
Multiple Sclerosis
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Macular Degeneration
Cataracts
Cloitus
Fibromyalgia
Angina
Chronic Fatigue
Diabetes
Hepatitis C
Rheumatoid Arthritis
High Blood Pressure
Sciatica

But that's not all!!! You can also say that you were just using HGH to help with Kidney Dialysis, and heart and / or stroke recovery!!!

Don't believe us, well take a look at this quote from one of our satisfied customers:

"I started taking HGH from Biehealth to help with a nasty hemorrhoid problem. Not only did the hemorrhoids disappear, it worked so well I was able to win 7 Cy Young awards!"

-Roger Clemens

So call us today before that bitch Mitchell starts knocking on your door!

*Sorry for the lame parody today, my friend gave me this ad this morning and I just couldn't believe that any company would advertise this. Happy New Year everyone!!!

The Rocket Report

2007-12-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

Is it me or is Roger Clemens starting to sound a whole lot like OJ Simpson? I'm sure you have all heard the reports that the Rocket is planning to launch his own (presumably objective) probe into who was conveniently left off the Mitchell report. Well guess what dear readers, we here at 567 Miles From Home have seen an advanced copy of the Rocket Report!! Here are some of the names that Mitchell had the audacity to overlook. Sure, only one of them is a baseball player but that shouldn't matter:

10. Mike Wallace - The Rocketeers want to make sure that they have some ammunition in advance of Rogers big interview on 60 Minutes. Although rumor has it that Wallace only used once and that was to help quickly recover from a Katie Couric related injury.

09. Mickey Mouse - Come on Mickey, you aren't fooling anyone! You expect us to believe that at your age you can continue to make major league level cartoons? M-I-C-K-E-Y you used andro-stenedio-ne

08. The Energizer Bunny - Give me a break, that thing has been going strong since the late '80's, it keeps going and going and going for more HGH.

07. Mario AND Luigi - Those weren't harmless mushrooms that made them grow so big!!!

06. Curt Schilling - Although admittedly Schilling has never used juice to improve his game, Curt did use them become an even bigger a**hole.

05. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer - Reportedly Rocket Research has a signed affidavit from Comet saying that he personally injected Rudolf multiple times. Rudolf your nose wont shine so bright, if you don't time your cycle just right!

04. All of the beer bottles from the Bud Bowl - Wondering what happened to the Bud Bowl from the Superbowl commercials? Apparently each and everyone of those bottles was a raging steroid-aholic. It was so rampant they cancelled the contest indefinitely until they could find an effective way of testing.

03. George Mitchell's Mom - That's right B***ch, according to eye witnesses she also wore combat boots and was so fat she beeped when she backed up!!!

02. Superman - How do you think he is able to leap all of those tall buildings with a single bound? Plus the Daily Bugle has photographic evidence of one bad case of back-ne.

01. George Mitchell - The biggest hypocrite of all time. Have you ever seen that guy with his shirt off? JACKED!!! Reportedly he purchased them from Nanci Pelosi who conveniently owns a house near BALCO laboratories.

So as you can see just from this sampling, not only was the Mitchell report wrong about Roger...IT WASN'T EVEN FULLY COMPREHENSIVE!!!! I smell a lawsuit.

~~I hope everyone had a good holiday!!

Happy Holidays

2007-12-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

With the Christmas rush and everything else I haven't had much time to post, so I am going to take a little vacation from blogging. In the meantime happy holidays to everyone, see you in 2008.

A Form Letter For Use by Those Named in the Report

2007-12-17T10:58:00.000-05:00

So your a major league baseball player who has just been outed as a steroid user thanks to the Mitchell Report? Here are three handy form letters to help you apologise or explain yourself to the fans, free of charge. Happy Holiday's guys:

Letter #1 - Coming Clean:

Dear Fans,

As you are aware I have been listed as a user of (circle all that apply) The Clear/ Human Growth Hormone /Anabolic Steroids / Some Crazy Drug You have never even heard of, in Senator Mitchell's report. I deeply regret that between the years of ____ and _____ I did in fact use performance enhancing substances in violation of (circle all that apply) federal law/ State Law / baseball's anti doping policy. I regret any harm that my actions may have on the game, or on any young athletes who may have emulated me during that time. I can only ask for your forgiveness and hope that those who chose to use as a result of my actions have not done any serious long term harm to themselves or their loved ones. While this is a difficult time for everyone who loves the game, hopefully though openness and honesty we can move forward and put this dark chapter behind us.

Letter #2 - The Pettitte Letter:

Dear Fans:

As you know I have been accused of using performance enhancers. The truth is, yes, I did but I only used them (circle all that apply) Once / Twice / Three times, but that last time I didn't realize it. I regret that I took them, but I did so only for the purpose of (circle all that apply) Recovering Quickly From an Injury / To Help With My Dwarfism / To help rid me of unsightly acne / Because Roger Clemens Made Me Do It. I hope that we can move on from this dark chapter and get back to the business of (circle all that apply) playing the game of baseball / Going After the Real Users Like Bonds.

Letter #3 - The I didn't do it Letter:

Dear Fans:

As you know I have been accused of using performance enhancing drugs in the recently released report by Senator Mitchell. At no time did I (circle all that apply) knowingly / purposely / recreationaly / use steroids or any other form of performance enhancers. In fact this report is nothing but a (circle all that apply) witch hunt / slanderous accusation / media fueled circus show / and I stand by my (circle all that apply) home run record / career as a pitcher / ability to add 15 pounds of muscle over the age of 35 as a testament to my hard work and dedication to the game. Unfortunately I realise that there will be some out there who find it difficult to believe that I am innocent, to them I say (circle all that apply) Those Really Weren't My Cancelled Checks / Roger Clemens Did It...Let's Only Go After Him / Come On, My Last Name Isn't Bonds / Fuck You. Hopefully we can move past this dark time and get back to playing baseball.

More Thoughts On Yesterday

2007-12-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

Since I was two years old I have been a baseball fan. Through the years my attention has waxed and waned depending on the stage of my life and events in the game (the strike of '94). However I am proud to say that even with the strike and various other life distractions baseball has always been something that I could come back to and rely on. Since I started this blog almost a year ago my love and dedication to the game has grown. I love writing about it, thinking about it, and I especially love going to games. Now this....today isn't an easy day. Any true fan of the game no matter what team you root for has to do some soul searching now. Individually and collectively we all need to decide what the Mitchell report means and what if any effect it will have on our admiration for the game. I can't write an in depth analysis on anything as I have yet to read the full report, so instead today's post comes straight from my initial reactions to what was said yesterday, broken down into three parts one for each of the press conferences and then some final thoughts. Here goes:

Mitchell
I really believe that Mitchell took the high road with this whole endeavor and in his statements yesterday. He assigned blame all around and yet made it clear that in some instances the lack of cooperation he received was to be expected. He also moved for the commissioner to forego disciplinary actions in order to move the game forward and to not keep it mired in the state that it finds itself in today. To the extent that players (with the sole exception of Giambi)failed to cooperate, as a fan I am disgusted. As someone who works in the legal industry I am no layman to the potential legal ramifications that may have been associated with a non privileged conversation with Mitchell, but in order to actually move forward all those responsible need to admit to their guilt so that all parties can move forward and we can learn from the mistakes of the past. Certainly players through their attorneys and through the office of the commissioner could have worked out a deal that would have shielded them from any further litigation or disciplinary action, but they did not and in fact the players union advised them against it. As a result I feel that Mitchell also errs by petitioning for no disciplinary action. Human nature is such that if no one is forced to pay the price for their actions then justice is not properly served. I say that discipline should be forthcoming and swift not only in the name of justice to all of baseball, but also for the purpose of setting an example to future players. Anyone who used steroids, particularly after the ban went into effect knew that there was a potential for ramifications.

Selig
I have NEVER been a fan of Bud Selig. At yesterday's press conference he made two big mistakes. Number one he started off by trumpeting statistics for the games revenues and new stadium construction. Try as he may to leave a legacy for expanding the game, Selig will always be known of first as the Commissioner who presided over the steroids era. Which brings me to his second mistake which I find far more egregious than the first, when asked about if any responsibility lay with him he dodged the question. I am insulted by his assertion that he bear no blame for what has transpired. However, I do commend Selig for taking the imitative to commission this report when all others opposed it. What's more I applaud his stance that he will look at each individual on a case by case basis in order to judge what if any disciplinary action should be enforced, so long as he does it in a way that is fair. To me, and this is based purely on my own speculation, it seems as though Selig wants to go after Bonds full steam ahead. I think that he should, but only so long as he also goes after the others who may not be as high profile just as aggressively as he hunts down Bonds.

The Players Union
Obviously the players union is set up to protect the interest of the players so their reaction should come as no surprise. As I said I am disheartened by the lack of cooperation, but now the ball is really in the players union's court. It is their responsibility to recognize the Mitchell report as what it is, a referendum on drug abuse, and work not only in the best interest of the players but also really think about the far reaching implications that any disregard for Mitchell's recommendations will have. The players need to realize that the fans will not side with them if they continue to fight against drug testing. Remember guys, many hearts are broken with the release of this report, mine included.

On the Names
It breaks my heart to see Andy Pettitte's name on the list. I have always thought of him as a class act who set a good example. That just goes to show you how far reaching this problem has become. Regarding Clemens, honestly I have never liked him even when he was helping us win it all. Still, his name on the list breaks my heart too. Maybe I had the wool pulled over my eyes but I did respect his career, I don't know how one could not. That is all over for him now though, he will never be fully vindicated. The best pitcher of the era will always have an asterisk over his head as will so many others.

Final thoughts
I am disappointed today, desperately so, but I will get through it and hopefully all parties involved will rectify this situation sooner rather than later. I just want this whole thing to be over and done with. Let's dish out the suspensions, hear a few apologies, implement a fire proof testing program and move on. Let's not let the game continue to suffer because of dirty needles, it means too much to too many people.

A brief comment on the report

2007-12-13T14:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the list of players named. (Thanks Jess)

Mitchell has released his report and although I haven't yet had a chance to read it (it is 400 pages) it confirms what we have already known for year, steroid abuse has been rampant in baseball for the last decade. The players named in some cases are no surprise to anyone (Bonds, Giambi) but some were (Pettitte). Many of the players mentioned are lesser known utility players that even Gammons probably wouldn't know. But regardless of their profile, the question is now what? In his press conference Mitchell said that there should be no retroactive disciplinary action for those players named (except in the most extreme cases) and that baseball as a whole needs to move forward. I agree that baseball needs to move forward, but to let everyone from the trainers to the players to the owners get away with this without a single head rolling is an insult to the history of the game.

From a strictly legal standpoint there is no way that you can retroactively discipline players since there was no steroid policy in place until very recently. However that should not serve to wipe out accountability. What do you tell a young athlete who has permanently damaged his or her body because he or she took performance enhancers in order to emulate their heros who themselves were using? Like it or not professional athletes have a responsibility to set an example.

I'll write more once I have a chance to read the whole thing. I also want to see what Selig has to say at his 4:30 press conference today....stay tuned.

Names on the report

2007-12-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

This is what I have heard so far:

Clemens, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Pettitte, Damon, Giambi, Nomar, Baggy, Pudge, Varitek, Sheff, Tejada, K Wood, Gagne… and Pujols.

Here is the full report

Waiting for the Report

2007-12-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty quiet lately even though there have been some things to write about, specifically Matsui's potential trade to San Francisco, the Nationals smart post season maneuvers, and the rumors that talks for Santana may be back on again. Honestly though, I'm waiting on the Mitchell report and I have to say that it is making me a little nervous. Despite what I had previously thought, I don't think that there will be long lasting consequences. What makes me nervous is that I am afraid to hear who ended up on the list. I can't imagine he is on there, but it would break my heart to see someone like Jeter on the report. Imagine the tee shirts the nation would break out then.

I suspect that there will be upwards of 20 - 30 suspensions of various lengths starting from 15 - 25 games depending on how much evidence Mitchell has on the particular player. I also have to imagine that the players union is going to scream bloody murder, and with good reason. The players are the ones taking all the heat in the steroid scandal, but as I have said previously EVERYONE IN BASEBALL deserves some of the blame.

In other news he whose name has been banned from this blog has been asked to accept a minor league contract. How much do you want to bet that the jerk doesn't accept it...how about 39 million?

The Boras Factor May Point to Even Bigger Trouble on the Horizon

2007-12-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."
-Babe Ruth

Players and agents take notice, in today's market there is a cap on what teams are willing to spend and/ or give up to acquire a single player. That hasn't always been the case, but given the disastrous effect of the Stienbrenner model of the early part of this decade and last months A-Rod debacle, it seems that general managers and owners are finally starting to see the forest for the trees. Even the teams that can afford to spend exorbitant amounts of money on top talent are becoming more and more hesitant to give up the farm and the keys to the safe. I say this because it seems that Santana is in danger of pricing himself out of the market. That's bad for him, but I'm afraid that it could be indicative of an even greater problem that may be once again looming the horizon for baseball, another round of disputes between the players union and the owners over market share.

For all of his greediness Boras made a good point, baseball revenues are at a historical high and are continuing to go up every year as the game experiences a renaissance in popularity. The players should see a part of that increased revenue. But how much is enough? On the one side the owners argument is true that while revenues are up as a whole, to own a baseball franchise is not a truly lucrative endeavor (albeit you have to be pretty rich to own one in the first place). Profit shares are relatively small and for those teams that are profitable there is the luxury tax issue to deal with. On the flip side the players make the game what it is. People don't go to the ballpark to see Hank Stienbrenner put up a power point presentation about market share and revenue versus the price of the Yen. What I fear from all of this is a whole new round of cat fights between the players union and the owners about who should get what percentage in the form of salaries. Any fan who remembers 1994 and the subsequent clashes between the two parties will tell you that baseball just can't sustain another strike, especially right after dealing with the steroids issue.

In a perfect world baseball would share a higher percentage of the revenues and give smaller market teams a bigger cut and better access to top prospects similar to football's model. In this imaginary Utopia MLB would also give players a percentage of the profit based on performance in exchange for......dare I say it....a salary cap. I'm no mathematician but it seems that a reasonable cap could be figured out by creating some sort of algorithm that keeps the market competitive for even the most cash strapped team. Unfortunately if the owners were even to realistically hint at a salary cap the players union would chase them down the streets with torches and pitchforks, but even more baseball is a business, not a socialist entity. So for the foreseeable nothing is going to change much and the teams with thin purses will be forced to trade off top talent for whatever they can get. Nothing proves that point more than yesterday's deal between the Marlins and the Tigers. It's really a shame, you would thing that MLB would realize that as teams other than the usual suspects make it deep into the post season, interest in the game and in turn revenues go up. Well, that's just my two cents anyway....in the meantime go Yankees go.

Deal For Santana Off? Don't Count on It..and Detroit is Now the Team to Beat

2007-12-04T09:23:00.001-05:00

If A-Rod is any indication, Hank Stienbrenners soft deadlines and hollow threats are nothing to take too seriously. Especially now that the Sox seem to be making a legitimate push to aquire Santana. The Twins have played this one perfectly knowing that the biggest rivals in all of sports would eventually duke it out for the rights the two time Cy Young winner. However the Twins have forgotten about this little thing called a no trade clause and that Santana actually WANTS to play for New York. Honestly though at the end of the day the Yankees were offering a better package than the Sox. Despite the talk, this deal isn't dead yet. I just hope that they Yankees don't cave and offer up Hughes AND Kennedy, in that case the trade just wouldn't be worth it.

The real head line of the day is Cabrera and Willis are headed to Detroit for a package of six players. This simply baffeles me. Somehow Florida has been able to hoist up two world series trophies in the past decade (just as many as the Sox) and yet they never even try to hold on to thier top talent because they know they can't afford to. Both Florida teams are like a revolving door. The good young prospects come out of Miami, and then the old washed up ones head back to Tampa to retire. Its a shame and it goes a long way to making the argument that baseball expanded to fast and into the wrong markets (DC being the shining exception). But that is an argument for another day. So now Detroit is stacked to the gills. Good for them, bad for the Yankees prospects of earning number 27. It is going to be an interesting 2008.