Since I've received hundreds of e-mails* asking about my next post, I felt obliged to write something. It's been a busy week so I'll post a longer piece tomorrow. In the mean time: Fire Isiah Thomas!
*One
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Say It Ain't So, Andy
The Babe was an asshole. Mickey was a drunk. Andy is a cheater. So it goes. Sooner or later, each generation of Yankee fans gets to know their heroes and finds out the sad truths beneath the pinstripes. Yesterday George Mitchell revealed that my favorite player of all time, Andy Pettitte, used human growth hormone to rebound from two arm injuries in the later stage of his career. While his use was limited and his intentions seem less sinister than those of Roger Clemens, Pettitte is still a cheater. There's really no way around that. Andy Pettitte cheated. And once again a new generation of Yankee fans must face the truths that their fathers once faced: The Yankees are immortal, but their players are only men.
An inordinate number of Yankee players were named in the Mitchell Report, due to the fact that a Yankee trainer, Brian McNamee, was one of Mitchell's prime sources. Yankees fans today are throwing around the fact that Mitchell is a director for the Red Sox and suggesting that he fixed the report so no Sox were named. That's ridiculous. The players who were named had the bad luck of using the drug dealers who happened to be Mitchell's sources and since one of those sources worked for the Yankees, the Bronx burned again. The truth is, however, that the players named in this report represent only a small fraction of Major League Baseball's steroid users. Most players got lucky. A vast number of players, some of them probably Red Sox, used steroids and weren't exposed. But that's life, isn't it? We always hear stories about criminals who spend their lives breaking the law and watch with befuddled amusement when first-time offenders are caught. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and Raphael Palmeiro escaped mention. Andy Pettitte didn't. That's life.
The real star of the Mitchell Report is Roger Clemens, whose long and extensive steroid use was chronicled in the report. His use of steroids and conversations with suppliers are revealed in stark detail and his secret life as a drug addict is now a matter of public record. For all the talk about Barry Bonds all these years, Clemens managed to stay above the fray. He was never beyond the scope of suspicion, but he was never vilified in the way that Bonds was. I guess now is as good a time as any to ask why. Maybe it's because people liked him better. Maybe it's because he was nicer to the media. Maybe it's because he is white. I don't know. The truth remains, though, that he and Bonds can now be considered in the same group of players. They both would have been Hall of Famers had they never taken a steroid, but their illegal drives toward baseball immortality ultimately proved to be fatal to their careers.
Clemens is now denying his use of steroids, which I have a hard time believing considering the abundance of detail in the report. Pettitte will eventually have to speak and I believe he only has two choices of what he can say. If he chooses to deny the allegations, he must do so immediately and emphatically. If he chooses to admit to using HGH though, he must apologize directly to Yankee fans. He must admit it, make no excuses, and apologize for deceiving those of us who have rooted so loyally for him since he first came to the Bronx. He must give a speech that reminds us that we all make mistakes and that baseball players are no more than normal men with extraordinary abilities. I don't think Andy Pettitte is a bad guy. On the contrary, I think he's one of the good guys in baseball. But even good guys do bad things and Andy must be held accountable for his actions.
I wonder how Andy Pettitte will be received in New York now that he has been outed. If he handles it like a man and apologizes and admits his mistake, I suspect that he will be forgiven. There are certain Yankees who are too renowned to ever be hated. Clemens was never embraced as a Yankee and I suspect that no Yankee fan will take it personally that Clemens cheated. Andy, though, is one of us. We saw him come into the league and we embraced him as he became one of the top pitchers in the game. He gained hero status in Game Five of the 1996 World Series, when he outpitched John Smoltz and put the Yankees up three games to two. He became a legend as he led the Yanks to four World Series championships and six pennants. He is one of only a few players (Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera are the others) who came up in the Yankee system to become the heroes of four championship teams. He messed up. He made a mistake. But if he plays it right, Yankee fans can and will forgive him. We love him too much not to.
For years, we heard how Pettitte and Clemens were inseparable and how Clemens turned Andy onto his training regimen. I suspect that Clemens also turned Andy onto the world of steroids. That, in my mind, is the Rocket's biggest crime. It is interesting to think about what happens when you add one big, bad steroid user to your clubhouse. Clemens brought the trainer who brought the drugs who injected a significant number of Yankees with steroids. I blame each one of those individual players for electing to use the stuff, but I place the most blame on Clemens for bringing it into the Bronx.
The Mitchell Report is not the end of the steroid story. It is only the beginning. The report offers an important glance into the world of steroids in baseball and is a great starting point for further inquiries and, more importantly, for further action. Bud Selig will need to institute a steroid policy with teeth and must take a strong stance against any player who violates whatever policy is instituted. I agree with George Mitchell that no disciplinary action should be taken against the players named in the report. The focus must be on the future and eradicating steroids from the sport is the highest priority. Commissioner Selig now has a daunting task in front of him and nothing he has done in his tenure as commissioner has given anyone any confidence that he is up to the task. The road ahead is a long one and a dark one, but it is still brighter than the the one that led us here. It is my hope that December 13, 2007 will be the climax of the history of steroids in baseball. From this day forward, MLB must act aggressively to end this dark chapter of its history. The Mitchell Report gives Bud Selig the appropriate ammo to attack the problem. It is up to him to pull the trigger.
An inordinate number of Yankee players were named in the Mitchell Report, due to the fact that a Yankee trainer, Brian McNamee, was one of Mitchell's prime sources. Yankees fans today are throwing around the fact that Mitchell is a director for the Red Sox and suggesting that he fixed the report so no Sox were named. That's ridiculous. The players who were named had the bad luck of using the drug dealers who happened to be Mitchell's sources and since one of those sources worked for the Yankees, the Bronx burned again. The truth is, however, that the players named in this report represent only a small fraction of Major League Baseball's steroid users. Most players got lucky. A vast number of players, some of them probably Red Sox, used steroids and weren't exposed. But that's life, isn't it? We always hear stories about criminals who spend their lives breaking the law and watch with befuddled amusement when first-time offenders are caught. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and Raphael Palmeiro escaped mention. Andy Pettitte didn't. That's life.
The real star of the Mitchell Report is Roger Clemens, whose long and extensive steroid use was chronicled in the report. His use of steroids and conversations with suppliers are revealed in stark detail and his secret life as a drug addict is now a matter of public record. For all the talk about Barry Bonds all these years, Clemens managed to stay above the fray. He was never beyond the scope of suspicion, but he was never vilified in the way that Bonds was. I guess now is as good a time as any to ask why. Maybe it's because people liked him better. Maybe it's because he was nicer to the media. Maybe it's because he is white. I don't know. The truth remains, though, that he and Bonds can now be considered in the same group of players. They both would have been Hall of Famers had they never taken a steroid, but their illegal drives toward baseball immortality ultimately proved to be fatal to their careers.
Clemens is now denying his use of steroids, which I have a hard time believing considering the abundance of detail in the report. Pettitte will eventually have to speak and I believe he only has two choices of what he can say. If he chooses to deny the allegations, he must do so immediately and emphatically. If he chooses to admit to using HGH though, he must apologize directly to Yankee fans. He must admit it, make no excuses, and apologize for deceiving those of us who have rooted so loyally for him since he first came to the Bronx. He must give a speech that reminds us that we all make mistakes and that baseball players are no more than normal men with extraordinary abilities. I don't think Andy Pettitte is a bad guy. On the contrary, I think he's one of the good guys in baseball. But even good guys do bad things and Andy must be held accountable for his actions.
I wonder how Andy Pettitte will be received in New York now that he has been outed. If he handles it like a man and apologizes and admits his mistake, I suspect that he will be forgiven. There are certain Yankees who are too renowned to ever be hated. Clemens was never embraced as a Yankee and I suspect that no Yankee fan will take it personally that Clemens cheated. Andy, though, is one of us. We saw him come into the league and we embraced him as he became one of the top pitchers in the game. He gained hero status in Game Five of the 1996 World Series, when he outpitched John Smoltz and put the Yankees up three games to two. He became a legend as he led the Yanks to four World Series championships and six pennants. He is one of only a few players (Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera are the others) who came up in the Yankee system to become the heroes of four championship teams. He messed up. He made a mistake. But if he plays it right, Yankee fans can and will forgive him. We love him too much not to.
For years, we heard how Pettitte and Clemens were inseparable and how Clemens turned Andy onto his training regimen. I suspect that Clemens also turned Andy onto the world of steroids. That, in my mind, is the Rocket's biggest crime. It is interesting to think about what happens when you add one big, bad steroid user to your clubhouse. Clemens brought the trainer who brought the drugs who injected a significant number of Yankees with steroids. I blame each one of those individual players for electing to use the stuff, but I place the most blame on Clemens for bringing it into the Bronx.
The Mitchell Report is not the end of the steroid story. It is only the beginning. The report offers an important glance into the world of steroids in baseball and is a great starting point for further inquiries and, more importantly, for further action. Bud Selig will need to institute a steroid policy with teeth and must take a strong stance against any player who violates whatever policy is instituted. I agree with George Mitchell that no disciplinary action should be taken against the players named in the report. The focus must be on the future and eradicating steroids from the sport is the highest priority. Commissioner Selig now has a daunting task in front of him and nothing he has done in his tenure as commissioner has given anyone any confidence that he is up to the task. The road ahead is a long one and a dark one, but it is still brighter than the the one that led us here. It is my hope that December 13, 2007 will be the climax of the history of steroids in baseball. From this day forward, MLB must act aggressively to end this dark chapter of its history. The Mitchell Report gives Bud Selig the appropriate ammo to attack the problem. It is up to him to pull the trigger.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The List
Marvin Benard
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Kevin Brown
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Lenny Dykstra
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Troy Glaus
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Glenallen Hill
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Paul Lo Duca
Kent Mercker
Hal Morris
Denny Neagle
Andy Pettitte
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
Benito Santiago
David Segui
Gary Sheffield
Mike Stanton
Miguel Tejada
Mo Vaughn
Randy Velarde
Rondell White
Gregg Zaun
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Kevin Brown
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Lenny Dykstra
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Troy Glaus
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Glenallen Hill
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Paul Lo Duca
Kent Mercker
Hal Morris
Denny Neagle
Andy Pettitte
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
Benito Santiago
David Segui
Gary Sheffield
Mike Stanton
Miguel Tejada
Mo Vaughn
Randy Velarde
Rondell White
Gregg Zaun
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Prelude to the Mitchell Report
Tomorrow, the Mitchell Report will be released. I will not add anything to this blog until I have read it, immersed myself in the media coverage, and tore up a bunch of old baseball cards. People in the media have been playing up and playing down the possible implications of this report. And it is true that the Mitchell Report might just be another step in the unfolding saga of steroids in baseball. But I think we all know better than that. December 13, 2007 might just be the most important day in baseball history since April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. After tomorrow, everything could be different.
Tomorrow will be the lowest point in baseball's storied history. But it is also a necessary event. From the revelation of which players took steroids, how the drugs filtered into the system, and how the executives let it happen, Major League Baseball can finally stop it. And then it can rebuild.
After the strike of 1994/1995, the sport seemed dead. Cal Ripken helped keep it on the map but just as the game was on the brink, home runs brought it back. The country found new heroes in Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and loved watching them chase Roger Maris. The League was being saved, the money was pouring in, and the owners had no reason to stop it. It was a perfect storm. And in an era defined by home runs (see the great Chicks Dig the Longball commercial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltD21rYWVw), fans were given no shortage of power.
But even from that historic 1998 season, we all knew the game was living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, we knew, the shine would come off the apple and someone would look into this whole steroid business and tell us what was really going on. Fast forward almost a decade. Maris's record has been broken and broken again. Hank Aaron has fallen. Four future Hall of Famers were dragged in front of Congress. The Home Run King has been indicted and faces jail time. For years, we have waited for the other shoe to drop and tomorrow, George Mitchell will slam it down.
Baseball will survive the Mitchell Report. It will survive just as it survived integration, the strike, and every other event people said would end it. Baseball's roots are America's roots and it will take more than some pills and needles to uproot our national pasttime. Tomorrow won't be pretty. But on December 14th a new day will dawn, and baseball can begin to recover from its long battle with steroids.
Tomorrow will be the lowest point in baseball's storied history. But it is also a necessary event. From the revelation of which players took steroids, how the drugs filtered into the system, and how the executives let it happen, Major League Baseball can finally stop it. And then it can rebuild.
After the strike of 1994/1995, the sport seemed dead. Cal Ripken helped keep it on the map but just as the game was on the brink, home runs brought it back. The country found new heroes in Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and loved watching them chase Roger Maris. The League was being saved, the money was pouring in, and the owners had no reason to stop it. It was a perfect storm. And in an era defined by home runs (see the great Chicks Dig the Longball commercial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltD21rYWVw), fans were given no shortage of power.
But even from that historic 1998 season, we all knew the game was living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, we knew, the shine would come off the apple and someone would look into this whole steroid business and tell us what was really going on. Fast forward almost a decade. Maris's record has been broken and broken again. Hank Aaron has fallen. Four future Hall of Famers were dragged in front of Congress. The Home Run King has been indicted and faces jail time. For years, we have waited for the other shoe to drop and tomorrow, George Mitchell will slam it down.
Baseball will survive the Mitchell Report. It will survive just as it survived integration, the strike, and every other event people said would end it. Baseball's roots are America's roots and it will take more than some pills and needles to uproot our national pasttime. Tomorrow won't be pretty. But on December 14th a new day will dawn, and baseball can begin to recover from its long battle with steroids.
Monday, December 10, 2007
"Eli Manning is Unstoppable!" Yes, if the task is sucking.
1. The Mitchell Report is due out sometime over the next few weeks. I'm confident it will include David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Theo Epstein. Actually, I'm terrified of it. My worst fear as a Yankee fan is that A-Rod is on it and that we just committed $300 million for a decade of pimping the next Barry Bonds. Think people hate the Yankees now? Just wait.
2. Eli Manning is the Charlie Brown of football. Everything he tries goes wrong for him and he just walks away with his head down, his shoulders sagged, and that "Oh gosh, not again" look on his face. I'm tired of defending him. He's not good. Maybe one day he'll surprise us all but right now he is not a very good quarterback. That team is 9-4 with Charlie at the helm. With Brady or Peyton in there, they'd be even better. It's a credit to the Giants that they can succeed with such a mediocre quarterback.
By the way, I love the Citizen Watch commercial that proclaims "Eli Manning is unstoppable!" Really? Is he? He's more like unstartable. Aren't watches supposed to actually work? Buying a watch from Eli Manning is like buying a dog from Michael Vick.
Too soon? Anyway, it segways perfectly into...
3. Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison today, just in time for the Falcons to play on Monday Night Football. Im sure Tirico and Jaworski and Kornheiser and Guest will spend the better part of the night discussing this story. I would be happier, though, if they didn't say a thing about it but just had with them in the booth one of the dogs that was rescued from Vick's estate. It would be best if they could find one with a cute name like Spot who would just curl up on Kornheiser's lap for four hours and look adorable on camera. I'm dead serious. Anyone who wants to argue about Vick's prison sentence, take a look at this little puppy before you open your mouth. This would speak louder than anything they could say on the subject.
4. The Patriots cruised to a win over the Steelers yesterday in a game that featured my second favorite play of all time behind the Music City Miracle. Here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=evTTzPcZFU0
Next week, the Patriots play the Jets. I'm expecting the point spread to be wider than Eric Mangini's waist. The Patriots crush everyone they have any reason to dislike and they HATE Mangini. The game will only be foreplay to the real show: the Belichick-Mangini post-game greeting. I expect the dour Belichick to laugh in Mangini's face at the concept that the Pats needed to cheat to beat the Jets.
5. I watched the Patriots-Steelers game yesterday at a bar in DC and couldn't help but notice a certain phenomenon among Cowboys' fans. Why do Cowboy fans find it necessary to wear cowboy hats when rooting for their team? Would this work for any other franchise? You don't see Yankee fans dressing up like Uncle Sam. You don't see Utah Jazz fans dragging saxophones to the bar. Devils fans don't carry pitchforks. It's kind of ridiculous if you think about it. They should probably stop.
2. Eli Manning is the Charlie Brown of football. Everything he tries goes wrong for him and he just walks away with his head down, his shoulders sagged, and that "Oh gosh, not again" look on his face. I'm tired of defending him. He's not good. Maybe one day he'll surprise us all but right now he is not a very good quarterback. That team is 9-4 with Charlie at the helm. With Brady or Peyton in there, they'd be even better. It's a credit to the Giants that they can succeed with such a mediocre quarterback.
By the way, I love the Citizen Watch commercial that proclaims "Eli Manning is unstoppable!" Really? Is he? He's more like unstartable. Aren't watches supposed to actually work? Buying a watch from Eli Manning is like buying a dog from Michael Vick.
Too soon? Anyway, it segways perfectly into...
3. Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison today, just in time for the Falcons to play on Monday Night Football. Im sure Tirico and Jaworski and Kornheiser and Guest will spend the better part of the night discussing this story. I would be happier, though, if they didn't say a thing about it but just had with them in the booth one of the dogs that was rescued from Vick's estate. It would be best if they could find one with a cute name like Spot who would just curl up on Kornheiser's lap for four hours and look adorable on camera. I'm dead serious. Anyone who wants to argue about Vick's prison sentence, take a look at this little puppy before you open your mouth. This would speak louder than anything they could say on the subject.
4. The Patriots cruised to a win over the Steelers yesterday in a game that featured my second favorite play of all time behind the Music City Miracle. Here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=evTTzPcZFU0
Next week, the Patriots play the Jets. I'm expecting the point spread to be wider than Eric Mangini's waist. The Patriots crush everyone they have any reason to dislike and they HATE Mangini. The game will only be foreplay to the real show: the Belichick-Mangini post-game greeting. I expect the dour Belichick to laugh in Mangini's face at the concept that the Pats needed to cheat to beat the Jets.
5. I watched the Patriots-Steelers game yesterday at a bar in DC and couldn't help but notice a certain phenomenon among Cowboys' fans. Why do Cowboy fans find it necessary to wear cowboy hats when rooting for their team? Would this work for any other franchise? You don't see Yankee fans dressing up like Uncle Sam. You don't see Utah Jazz fans dragging saxophones to the bar. Devils fans don't carry pitchforks. It's kind of ridiculous if you think about it. They should probably stop.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Hail to the Native Americans!
The Redskins/Bears game last night was the first time I've been to an NFL game since Ronnie Lott was on the Jets.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Fed Ex Field is eh, ok. I expected more. It's a big football stadium. Yeah, I get that. It's very big. It holds a lot of people. A lot of people can attend games there. It's - dare I say? - big. Okay. But what else? It's a very enclosing stadium, very impersonal. It has no character. Kind of like Dan Snyder.
2. The Redskins played very well. When you look at this team on paper, with the names they have, they could be a deep playoff team. Last night, they played like it. Shawn Springs picked two balls on consecutive throws in two drives. Portis broke for a long run after a short reception. Cooley dominated deep. They played as well as they look on paper. And I saw most of it through the small hole of vision I allowed myself when I pulled my sweatshirt hood as tight as it would go.
3. It was f'ing cold out. I am still thawing out from four hours in below freezing weather last night. I honestly worried if I would be able to keep my toes. Seriously, I've never felt colder for a longer period of time. I felt like the Red Sox during their 86 years of not winning baseball games.
4. I'm still not sold on the team's name. Pardon me, but isn't "Redskin" just a wee bit racist? If the team name were attacking any other group of people, it wouldn't be allowed. Somehow it's ok though to name your team after the ridiculously offensive term for Native Americans. I'm not trying to be all high and mighty, but I think I have a point here. And while we're on the subject, do you think there are any Native Americans who are actually Redskins fans? And if so, are they shunned by their communities? These are the thoughts that kept me out of the really good schools.
5. Red Skin fans don't like Dallas. This was evidenced by the countless "Dallas Sucks!" chants that broke out during the game. And they weren't even playing Dallas!!! It's just like Red Sox fans with the Yankees. You don't like them. Understood. But doesn't it demean your team when instead of cheering for them, you're cheering against a team who's not even playing? Jeez!
6. What's up with the fight song and marching band? What is this, Redskins University? Once you leave the NCAA, you forfeit your right to a fight song and band. The funny thing was listening to the fans scream the fight song on the way down the ramp after the game. No one knew the words. All they knew was "Braves on the war path. Fight for Old DC!" After that everything turned to mumbles until someone else screamed "Braves on the war path!" again. If you're going to have a fight song, you can at least learn the words to it. That's the whole point of having it in the first place. But seriously, just don't have one at all. It's bush league.
7. This was Injury Bowl 2007. First Grossman went down with a leg injury. Then Campbell did the same. Cooley was out for a while. It was like someone put everyone on the cover of Madden and then sent them out to play the game.
8. How were the Bears wearing short sleeves? They were dressed like it was July and I was struggling to remain conscious. I guess I'm not as tough as Brian Urlacher after all.
9. I missed not seeing Peyton Manning five times during every time out. Between quarters, I half expected him to sit down next to me and explain why Lipitor might be right for me.
10. Sean Taylor is missed. It was nice to see Skins fans showing support for their fallen hero. People wore #21 hats, ribbons, and jerseys and you contantly heard his name whispered throughout the stadium.
It is now the morning after the game. My feet have defrosted and the Skins are in playoff contention. I'm not really a fan of the Skins but my friends are and I want them to be happy. I'm just thrilled to still have my toes.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Fed Ex Field is eh, ok. I expected more. It's a big football stadium. Yeah, I get that. It's very big. It holds a lot of people. A lot of people can attend games there. It's - dare I say? - big. Okay. But what else? It's a very enclosing stadium, very impersonal. It has no character. Kind of like Dan Snyder.
2. The Redskins played very well. When you look at this team on paper, with the names they have, they could be a deep playoff team. Last night, they played like it. Shawn Springs picked two balls on consecutive throws in two drives. Portis broke for a long run after a short reception. Cooley dominated deep. They played as well as they look on paper. And I saw most of it through the small hole of vision I allowed myself when I pulled my sweatshirt hood as tight as it would go.
3. It was f'ing cold out. I am still thawing out from four hours in below freezing weather last night. I honestly worried if I would be able to keep my toes. Seriously, I've never felt colder for a longer period of time. I felt like the Red Sox during their 86 years of not winning baseball games.
4. I'm still not sold on the team's name. Pardon me, but isn't "Redskin" just a wee bit racist? If the team name were attacking any other group of people, it wouldn't be allowed. Somehow it's ok though to name your team after the ridiculously offensive term for Native Americans. I'm not trying to be all high and mighty, but I think I have a point here. And while we're on the subject, do you think there are any Native Americans who are actually Redskins fans? And if so, are they shunned by their communities? These are the thoughts that kept me out of the really good schools.
5. Red Skin fans don't like Dallas. This was evidenced by the countless "Dallas Sucks!" chants that broke out during the game. And they weren't even playing Dallas!!! It's just like Red Sox fans with the Yankees. You don't like them. Understood. But doesn't it demean your team when instead of cheering for them, you're cheering against a team who's not even playing? Jeez!
6. What's up with the fight song and marching band? What is this, Redskins University? Once you leave the NCAA, you forfeit your right to a fight song and band. The funny thing was listening to the fans scream the fight song on the way down the ramp after the game. No one knew the words. All they knew was "Braves on the war path. Fight for Old DC!" After that everything turned to mumbles until someone else screamed "Braves on the war path!" again. If you're going to have a fight song, you can at least learn the words to it. That's the whole point of having it in the first place. But seriously, just don't have one at all. It's bush league.
7. This was Injury Bowl 2007. First Grossman went down with a leg injury. Then Campbell did the same. Cooley was out for a while. It was like someone put everyone on the cover of Madden and then sent them out to play the game.
8. How were the Bears wearing short sleeves? They were dressed like it was July and I was struggling to remain conscious. I guess I'm not as tough as Brian Urlacher after all.
9. I missed not seeing Peyton Manning five times during every time out. Between quarters, I half expected him to sit down next to me and explain why Lipitor might be right for me.
10. Sean Taylor is missed. It was nice to see Skins fans showing support for their fallen hero. People wore #21 hats, ribbons, and jerseys and you contantly heard his name whispered throughout the stadium.
It is now the morning after the game. My feet have defrosted and the Skins are in playoff contention. I'm not really a fan of the Skins but my friends are and I want them to be happy. I'm just thrilled to still have my toes.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Andruw Jones? A Dodger? Playing for Torre? For $36 million? What, was God on break?!?
Andruw Jones will be playing baseball for Joe Torre next season. In related stories, Al Gore has joined George Bush's cabinet, Tony Dungy baked cookies with Bill Belichick, and Bugs Bunny helped Elmer Fudd renew his hunting license. Some people just aren't meant to be together and in my own convoluded mind, Jones and Torre are two of them.
You have to understand that in my history with baseball, the 1996 Yankees are the best team of all time. I firmly believe this. You cannot convince me otherwise. I will get into the reasons at some point in the future, but for now just know that I consider the 1996 Yankees to be the Mona Lisa of baseball.
Anyway, after a long and glorious season, the Yankees went on to beat the Rangers in the Division Series and the Orioles in the ALCS. Only the Braves stood in the way of their first World Series Championship in 18 years. Game 1. October 20, 1996. Mickey Mantle's birthday. The Yankees' first World Series game in 15 years, a few years before I was born. Andruw Jones hits two home runs. He is 19 years old.
I arrive the next day at Yankee Stadium for Game 2 of the World Series. My dad and I are standing at the bat outside the Stadium when a gentleman from NBC approaches me and asks to interview me for that night's broadcast. "Yes!" I reply. "I'd love to tell New York how much I love the Yankees!" Great. The camera goes on and the guy says, "So what do you think about Andruw Jones?" Really? Really? The Yankees are in their first World Series in my lifetime, I'm AT THE GAME, and this guy wants to talk about someone who plays for the Braves? (sidenote: the reporter was subsequently fired from NBC and now reports cricket games for al Jazeera. True story.) "Well," I said in my high-pitched twelve year old voice. "He looks like a great player. He had a great game yesterday and I'm worried about him but I'm confident the Yankees will get the best of him today." I'm paraphrasing here but I remember giving him credit and then saying we would shut him down and beat the Braves. By the way, I then went on to predict that Jones would win 10 gold gloves in the next twelve seasons and would one day go on to play for Torre once Steinbrenner's son offered him an insulting contract after twelve successful seasons. They didn't air any of that though and the tapes were lost forever. My point is, I've been to one World Series game in my entire life and during that game (and really the entire series), Andruw Jones was the villian.
Yesterday, Torre's Dodgers offered Jones $36.2 million over two years, which he gratefully accepted after asking "Seriously?" several times. First of all, I can't believe how much they overpaid. There has been talk of Jones being lucky to get a one year deal, let alone a multi-year contract, let alone one worth $36 million. The guy hit .222 last year! Now, Jones is only 30 and if he rebounds from his recent downfall, he has the potential to be a Hall of Famer. But the guy hit .222 last year! He struck out 138 times! I don't know how Scott Boras got him this deal, but SuperAgent may have redeemed himself for the A-Rod debacle. I don't know why the Dodgers didn't go after Rowand. By the way, if I'm Torre I offer a spring training tryout to Bernie Williams to bring him on as a utility outfielder, pinch hitter, and clubhouse leader. It's not likely, but hey, if I'm going to spend a whole post on the villain of the '96 World Series, I have to at least mention the hero.
My problem with Jones isn't personal. For all I know, he could be a great guy. But in my mind, he'll always be the kid who hit 2 homers against the Yankees in their first World Series game in my lifetime. And in the mind of Dave G, you just can't recover from that.
You have to understand that in my history with baseball, the 1996 Yankees are the best team of all time. I firmly believe this. You cannot convince me otherwise. I will get into the reasons at some point in the future, but for now just know that I consider the 1996 Yankees to be the Mona Lisa of baseball.
Anyway, after a long and glorious season, the Yankees went on to beat the Rangers in the Division Series and the Orioles in the ALCS. Only the Braves stood in the way of their first World Series Championship in 18 years. Game 1. October 20, 1996. Mickey Mantle's birthday. The Yankees' first World Series game in 15 years, a few years before I was born. Andruw Jones hits two home runs. He is 19 years old.
I arrive the next day at Yankee Stadium for Game 2 of the World Series. My dad and I are standing at the bat outside the Stadium when a gentleman from NBC approaches me and asks to interview me for that night's broadcast. "Yes!" I reply. "I'd love to tell New York how much I love the Yankees!" Great. The camera goes on and the guy says, "So what do you think about Andruw Jones?" Really? Really? The Yankees are in their first World Series in my lifetime, I'm AT THE GAME, and this guy wants to talk about someone who plays for the Braves? (sidenote: the reporter was subsequently fired from NBC and now reports cricket games for al Jazeera. True story.) "Well," I said in my high-pitched twelve year old voice. "He looks like a great player. He had a great game yesterday and I'm worried about him but I'm confident the Yankees will get the best of him today." I'm paraphrasing here but I remember giving him credit and then saying we would shut him down and beat the Braves. By the way, I then went on to predict that Jones would win 10 gold gloves in the next twelve seasons and would one day go on to play for Torre once Steinbrenner's son offered him an insulting contract after twelve successful seasons. They didn't air any of that though and the tapes were lost forever. My point is, I've been to one World Series game in my entire life and during that game (and really the entire series), Andruw Jones was the villian.
Yesterday, Torre's Dodgers offered Jones $36.2 million over two years, which he gratefully accepted after asking "Seriously?" several times. First of all, I can't believe how much they overpaid. There has been talk of Jones being lucky to get a one year deal, let alone a multi-year contract, let alone one worth $36 million. The guy hit .222 last year! Now, Jones is only 30 and if he rebounds from his recent downfall, he has the potential to be a Hall of Famer. But the guy hit .222 last year! He struck out 138 times! I don't know how Scott Boras got him this deal, but SuperAgent may have redeemed himself for the A-Rod debacle. I don't know why the Dodgers didn't go after Rowand. By the way, if I'm Torre I offer a spring training tryout to Bernie Williams to bring him on as a utility outfielder, pinch hitter, and clubhouse leader. It's not likely, but hey, if I'm going to spend a whole post on the villain of the '96 World Series, I have to at least mention the hero.
My problem with Jones isn't personal. For all I know, he could be a great guy. But in my mind, he'll always be the kid who hit 2 homers against the Yankees in their first World Series game in my lifetime. And in the mind of Dave G, you just can't recover from that.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The Rise of the Tigers
Something horrible has happened.
Within a 24 hour span, the Yankees took themselves out of the running for Santana, ushering him toward Boston, and then watched the Tigers basically shove them out of the wild card spot. Somewhere Hank Steinbrenner is staring blankly into space.
The Yankees just became the fourth best team in the American League behind the Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians. Last night, as Hank Steinbrenner bit off his finger nails and gorged himself on room service, the Detroit Tigers nabbed Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins. The Tigers, who won the pennant in 2006 and faded in last year's pennant race, are now poised to compete with the Indians for the Central Division title.
The four best teams in the American League are now spread over only two divisions, which means that only three can make the playoffs. With Boston's recent dominance and superior pitching (even without Santana), the Yankees will have a hard time winning more games than the Red Sox over the course of the regular season. Most likely, they will have to compete for the wild card and if that's the case, they'll be fighting to post a better record than either Cleveland or Detroit. The question is whether the Yankees have the pitching to rack up the wins. Right now their staff is filled with guys who are unreliable because they're either too old or too young. Pettitte and Mussina are at the end of their careers. Chamberlain, Hughes, and Kennedy all have yet to pitch a full season in the majors. The staff is fraught with uncertainty. They could have one of the best rotations in baseball. They could have an average one, too. We won't know until the season starts and even then, the results are unlikely to be steady.
The Tigers just put themselves in a position to win a World Series. They add Cabrera (.320, 34, 119 last year) to potent lineup that already includes Magglio Ordonez (.363, 28, 139), Ivan Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, and Edgar Renteria. The main question about Cabrera is his weight, but he has said that he has dedicated this off season to getting himself in prime physical condition. White Sox manager and former Marlins coach Ozzie Guillen has been critical of Cabrera's weight problem in the past. Recently, however, he came out in support of his friend. According to ESPN, Guillen said Cabrera "has lost about 15 pounds, maybe a little bit more. If you see Miguel Cabrera now, you will be surprised." Guillen added, "I told the Marlins he's going to be in the best shape you've ever seen him in. Whoever gets this guy is going to have a heck of a ballplayer with a different mentality...He has the power and talent to be one of the best players ever."
Whether or not Cabrera's weakness at third is due to his weight, he has offered to move to first base or the outfield in order to help his team. It seems the Tigers will take him up on that offer. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who managed Cabrera on the Marlins, said, "He's a complete player. I always marveled at how well he knew the game, and how he was willing to teach the game - even though he was a young player - to other young players." The Yankees signed A-Rod, but the Tigers may have just acquired A-Rod minus seven years.
Dontrelle Willis' performance in his first few seasons earned him comparisons to a young Dwight Gooden. He helped lead the Marlins to a World Series title in 2003 and won 22 games in 2005. Since that year, he has won 22 games in two seasons combined and struggled last year with a 5.17 ERA. We have seen over the past two years that he is not Gooden. But he is still good. Willis will see more run support in Detroit than he could ever have imagined in Miami and his arrival brings to the Tigers an experienced left-hander with a World Series ring and a media-ready personality. He should jump into the number two spot in the Tigers rotation between Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. My biggest concern would be how he would handle pitching in the cold weather in late-season Detroit.
The Tigers are taking the "win now" approach, which has to be nice for Jim Leyland. The club knows its lineup is aging quickly and that its manager (who has a ring of his own) might not stick around long enough to see all his prospects become pros. With the Indians overpowering them this year and the Red Sox and Yankees always possible playoff opponents, the Tigers acted quickly to give themselves the edge. They became the best or second best team in the American League (the Sox might have the advantage because of pitching) and are poised to make a run at a championship.
Again, Hank arbitrarily stops negotiating with the Twins, basically giving Santana to Boston. He then watches as the Tigers stage a coup. You know how if you have a veteran pitcher going deep into a playoff game, you hesitate to replace him because 50% of the veteran is still better than 100% of the rookie? Yeah, that's George and Hank Steinbrenner.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Deal is Dead(line)
I'm not exactly sure why Hank Steinbrenner imposed this deadline on the Santana deal. Was it to pressure the Twins into trading him on Monday? Was it to...nope, that's all I got. I have no idea. It looks like Hank was just tired of being strung along but with Theo Epstein waiting patiently up in Boston, isn't it Hank's job to play that game? I admire his stoicism but if you have a chance to get the best pitcher in baseball and your arch rival is trying desperately to best your offer, should you really be banging your fist and leaving the table? I'm not sure I get this one.
Now the Yankees are beyond their "deadline" and the Red Sox reportedly just offered a fifth player for Johan Santana. The Yanks' rotation is about as thin and beaten up as Brian Cashman, with an aging Andy Pettitte, an aging Mike Mussina, and three young pitchers who have never played a full season in the majors. If the Red Sox get Santana, their rotation will be Santana, Beckett, Schiling, Dice-K, and Lester/Wakefield/Buckholtz. We have Chien-Ming Wang, sure, but he'd be the third guy at best in that Red Sox rotation.
We are now at Deadline + 17 hours and Hank has to be locked in his hotel room, surrounded by hundreds of cigarette butts, and pulling fists of hair out every minute. The pressure is mounting. At Deadline + 18, he's prepared to give up A-Rod, Jeter, and the ghost of Mickey Mantle. I can't imagine that Hank Steinbrenner is anything but a nervous wreck right now. If the Red Sox land the best pitcher in the game, the successes of Hank's first off season will be forgotten. I'm ok with the Yankees not getting Santana - if the Red Sox don't get him either. If we don't make the trade, we keep the big three in tact and keep Melky in centerfield. Great! But if Santana and Beckett anchor the Sox rotation for the next decade, does it really matter? I don't understand why Hank instituted this deadline and allowed the Sox this advantage. Maybe he's too new. Maybe he's too inexperienced. Maybe he's too stupid. Most likely, he's just a Steinbrenner: stubborn and irrational. But one thing is certain: if Santana ends up in Boston, Yankee fans might set a deadline on when they might run this guy out of town.
Now the Yankees are beyond their "deadline" and the Red Sox reportedly just offered a fifth player for Johan Santana. The Yanks' rotation is about as thin and beaten up as Brian Cashman, with an aging Andy Pettitte, an aging Mike Mussina, and three young pitchers who have never played a full season in the majors. If the Red Sox get Santana, their rotation will be Santana, Beckett, Schiling, Dice-K, and Lester/Wakefield/Buckholtz. We have Chien-Ming Wang, sure, but he'd be the third guy at best in that Red Sox rotation.
We are now at Deadline + 17 hours and Hank has to be locked in his hotel room, surrounded by hundreds of cigarette butts, and pulling fists of hair out every minute. The pressure is mounting. At Deadline + 18, he's prepared to give up A-Rod, Jeter, and the ghost of Mickey Mantle. I can't imagine that Hank Steinbrenner is anything but a nervous wreck right now. If the Red Sox land the best pitcher in the game, the successes of Hank's first off season will be forgotten. I'm ok with the Yankees not getting Santana - if the Red Sox don't get him either. If we don't make the trade, we keep the big three in tact and keep Melky in centerfield. Great! But if Santana and Beckett anchor the Sox rotation for the next decade, does it really matter? I don't understand why Hank instituted this deadline and allowed the Sox this advantage. Maybe he's too new. Maybe he's too inexperienced. Maybe he's too stupid. Most likely, he's just a Steinbrenner: stubborn and irrational. But one thing is certain: if Santana ends up in Boston, Yankee fans might set a deadline on when they might run this guy out of town.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
