Normar Garciaparra Retires
The Tank Is Empty
The former Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cub, Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Nomar Garciaparra is retiring from Major League Baseball, putting an end to a 14-year career.
Garciaparra staarted his career in Boston and has now offically ended it there by signing a one-day contract with the Red Sox to retire with his former team.
The former shortstop is joining ESPN as a baseball analyst, where he will appear on “Baseball Tonight.”
The two-time batting champion and six-time All-Star was best known for his time with the Red Sox which started in 1996 and ended with an abrupt trade to the Chicago Cubs in 2004. Garciaparra also has the distinction of being the only MLB player to ever win the AL Rookie of the Year (1997) and the NL Comeback Player of the Year (2007).
Curt Schilling Sells His First Video Game
Jerk
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and current jerk Curt Schilling sold his first video game from his 38 Studios, to EA Studios. His first game is “Project Mercury” a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game like World of Warcraft is a single-player epic role playing game.
It will have the creation an enormous world, with heroes and villains and a rich back story from the brilliant minds of R. A Salvatore and Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, and be available for PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and the PC.
“Project Mercury” is the first game to be published for 38 Studios which is the creative enterprise of the World Series MVP and avid gamer Schilling. It will be developed at Big Huge Games, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 38 Studios, under the leadership of Ken Rolston, former lead designer of the critically acclaimed hits, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivionare.
Such disgusting news for me to receive on the same day that Final Fantasy XII dropped.
Former Yankees ‘God Bless America’ Singer Moves To Boston
Sweet Caroline Next?
For nearly a decade at New York Yankees games, Irish tenor Ronan Tynan belted out “God Bless America.” After being accused of making an anti-Semitic remark he was absent from the Yankees World Series run in October but is now moving to Boston.
Tynan says that he’s gotten death threats and all employers haven’t been returning any of his calls. The New York Times was shown a letter from a doctor wrote saying that he would let Tynan die on the operating table if he was his patient.
As the story goes, a real estate agent brought two Jewish ladies to view an apartment neighboring Tynan’s. The agent warned Tynan that the “two Jewish ladies” were very particular, and the tenor wondered if living next to him would be prudent. Later, when an associate of the agent told Tynan the apartment had been sold, he joked,
“Don’t worry, they’re not Red Sox fans.” Tynan retorted, “As long as they are not the Jewish ladies,” which was overheard by the client, Dr. Gabrielle Gold-Von Simson, also Jewish.
Gold-Von Simson complained to the Yankees, who then told Tynan not to come to Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the 2009 ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels.
“I made a comment that was misunderstood,” Tynan said. “If anyone knows the pain of discrimination, I do.”
Tynan was born with lower leg problems that forced him to wear braces. After complications following a car accident, Tynan elected to amputate both legs. He would go on to compete in the Paralympics on two prosthetic legs, representing Ireland in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics, according to the Paralympics Web site. He won four gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.
Following the controversy, Tynan apologized to the Anti-Defamation League. ADL director Abraham Foxman, accepted the mea culpa.
Red Sox fans already have “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond to serenade them in the eighth inning of every home game. But could Tynan make an appearance at Fenway Park to sing “God Bless America,” in an upcoming Yankees series? It would certainly fuel the fire the rivalry.
UPDATE: Jose Offerman BANNED FOR LIFE
Jose Offerman has been banned for life by the Dominican winter league for throwing a punch at an umpire during an argument on the baseball field.
The former All-Star, manager of the Licey Tigers, appeared to hit first base umpire Daniel Rayburn in the face or neck with a fist during Saturday’s playoff game against the Cibao Giants. Rayburn fell to the ground.
The Dominican league’s president, Leonardo Matos Berrido, announced the ban Monday. He said the decision against Offerman was made shortly after the attack.
Fernando Ravelo, the general manager of the Tigers, said the club will try to appeal the ban against Offerman, who had a contract with the club for next season.
Offerman last played in the big leagues in 2005 with the New York Mets. He played 15 seasons in the majors, also spending time with Kansas City, Seattle, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
Jose Offerman Punches Umpire In Santo Domingo
Former Los Angeles Dodger and Boston Red Sox all-star second baseman Jose Offerman is doing what he does best and that’s striking people. You might recall back in august of 2007, he was batting for the Long Island Ducks against the Bridgeport Bluefish in an independent minor league game when pitcher Matt Beech hit him with a fastball. Offerman charged the mound with his bat and swung at least twice, striking Beech and Bluefish catcher John Nathans.
This time the scene was in Santo Domingo, he is the manager of the Licey Tigers, where he threw a punch at the first base umpire during an argument in a Dominican winter league game Saturday night.
The Giants were winning 6-0 in the third inning of the final game of the winter league semifinal playoff series when plate umpire Jason Bradley ejected catcher Ronny Paulino for arguing balls and strikes.
Offerman came onto the field to talk to Bradley, but ended up arguing and punching Daniel Rayburn. Offerman was detained by stadium security and taken to a police station to wait until the end of the game to see if Rayburn would press charges.
I can always use a refresher in my Spanish but I swear my English ears hear the announcers say motherf*cking at the :38 mark of the video. How about you?
Cuban Lefty Aroldis Chapman Signs With Cincinnati Reds
As Good As Advertised?
The Cincinnati Reds have signed Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. Now I subscribe to the religion of baseball but I’m not going to speak on Chapman’s talents since I’ve only seen him once with my own eyes and that came in this past years World Baseball Classic. What I will speak on is what this signing gives the Red, another young arm. The Reds already have All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey locked up on the mound for years. To add another young arm in left-hander Chapman, even if it takes two years for his understanding of big league hitters,it can bring Cincinnati baseball back hope of looking like the Big Red Machine era.
Chapman’s, who is said to be 22, contract with Cincinnati is a six-year deal with $30 million with the sixth year being an option year for Aroldis worth $5 million and a $15 million signing bonus.
Chapman, a 6-foot-4, 180-pounder, defected on July 1 of last year when Cuba was participating in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He later established residency in Andorra and petitioned Major League Baseball to be granted free-agent status. According to scouts, Chapman’s fastball has been clocked at 102 MPH.
The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels, Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox were also among the most interested after 15 teams showed up in Houston on December 15 to scout Chapman at a private workout.
Adrian Beltre Signs With Boston Red Sox
Yo Adrian
Let the “yo Adrian” cat calls from Fenway Park begin as the Boston Red Sox have signed one of the biggest baseball busts ever in third baseman Adrian Beltre. He signed for one-year deal worth $10 million dollars and the contract also includes a $5 million dollar club option for the 2011 season, which is a good deal for Beltre. Red Sox fans will find out soon enough why Seattle Mariner fan would fight you right on the spot if you mentioned the name Adrian Beltre to their face.
Last season, Beltre only played in 111 games for the Mariners and in that time span, he batted .265 with eight homeruns and forty-four runs-batted-in.
John Lackey Signs With Boston Red Sox
102-71
The Boston Red Sox have signed husky right-hander John Lackey. Lackey agreed to a five-year contract of 5 years worth $85 million..
Adding 31-year-old Lackey to the mix would considerably beef up a rotation that already includes Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, not to mention Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and old school knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Lackey, coming off a postseason in which he struck out 14 batters and allowed just five earned runs over 19.2 innings.
For his career, Lackey is 102-71 with a 3.81 ERA in eight years, all spent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 14 postseason appearances, he is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA. Lackey is also a career 2-9 in Fenway Park.
Mike Cameron Signs With Boston Red Sox
Diamond Stud
The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Mike Cameron to a two-year contract in the range of $15.5 million
Cameron, who turns 37 next month, batted .250 with 24 homers and 70 RBIs last season for Milwaukee. A three-time Gold Glove winner in center field, could switch to left as the Red Sox already have speedy Jacoby Ellsbury in center.Cameron isn’t without his offensive merits. He has decent pop and draws walks, although he does strike out a lot and his lifetime average is .250. His main value, though, comes from his glove.
I bet there are Red Sox fans out there than do not agree with this move simply because Mike Cameron is not a sexy name Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. While Cameron is not nearly the offensive force of Bay and Holliday, he does hit for some power, get on base, play splendid defense, and provide good leadership in the clubhouse. Mike Cameron is a good role player on a playoff caliber team.
Brad Penny Signs With St. Louis Cardinals
105-84
The St. Louis Cardinals signed right-hander Brad Penny to a one-year, $7.5 million contract, with incentives that could take the total value of the deal up to $9 million. In addition, the Cardinals agreed that if Penny is a Type A free agent after the 2010 season, they will not offer him arbitration.
Penny isn’t Roy Holliday or John Lackey but does bolster a Cardinal rotation that has 2009 Cy Young candidates Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, as well as veteran Kyle Lohse, in the starting five.
Penny, who will turn 32 next season, saw his career rebound dramatically after nearly two seasons of struggles when he returned to the National League this summer. Penny struggled in four months with the Red Sox but after Boston released him, Penny signed with the Giants and thrived, going 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in six starts. He likely benefited from getting out of the American League East, but he also showed a new approach, with a greater willingness to turn to offspeed offerings.
As a result, he not only pitched effectively, but differently. Penny struck out fewer batters with the Giants than usual, but he also walked fewer and induced more ground balls. That’s the sort of pattern that appeals to the Cardinals, who hold an organizational belief in the value of quick outs and letting the defense work.
As recently as 2007, Penny was one of the game’s best starting pitchers. He went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA for Los Angeles in ‘07, allowing nine home runs all season while garnering an All-Star berth and finishing third in the Cy Young balloting. For his career, he’s 105-84 with a 4.14 ERA, 1,141 strikeouts and 526 walks in 279 games with the Marlins, Dodgers, Red Sox and Giants.
Marco Scutaro Signs With The Boston Red Sox
Scutaro Family Loves This Move
The Boston Red Sox have signed shortstop Marco Scutaro to a two-year deal worth $11 million, plus a $6 million club option or a $1.5 million buyout for 2012.
Scutaro, 34, last season hit .282 for the Blue Jays, with a .379 on-base percentage, 35 doubles, 90 walks and 100 runs scored. In eight seasons with the Mets, A’s and Jays, Scutaro has a career .265 average.
He also ranked 11th in the AL in times on base 256 and 12th in runs. His 90 walks as a leadoff man were second in the majors to the Angels Chone Figgins.Scutaro was third among AL shortstops in fielding percentage 10 errors in 621 total chances and fifth in range factor 4.39 putouts plus assists per nine innings. The Blue Jays will receive the Red Sox first-round pick in the 2010 draft as well as a sandwich pick after offering arbitration to Scutaro, a Type-A free agent.
Outside of the Scutaro family and a die hard Red Sox fan, this signing doesn’t improve their ball club one bit no matter how Boston media will spin it, he’s at best five points better than Nick Green or Jed Lowrie at short.
Takashi Saito Signs With The Atlanta Braves
Anything Left At 40?
The Atlanta Braves have made another signing to their bullpen and have signed Takashi Saito to a one-year contract worth $3.2 million and that provides the opportunity to earn an additional $2.3 million through performance-based incentives.
Saito posted a 2.43 ERA in 55 appearances for the Boston Red Sox, striking out 52 while walking 25. Saito proved to be an effective middle reliever, holding hitters to a .244 batting average, while limiting opponents to a .179 batting average with runners in scoring position.
The addition of Saito could help starter Kenshin Kawakami better understand major league hitters and be more comfortable in the Braves clubhouse.
The Braves have come out early making themselves players in the free agent market for those that stand on the mound and that must mean they believe they will lose Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano via free agency, it will be a shame if they lose both.
Hopefully they Braves can keep Gonzalez or Soriano, in a perfect world both, to give Bobby Cox everything he possibly needs to win in his final coaching season.
Billy Wagner Signs With The Atlanta Braves
Is It A Lucky 13?
The Atlanta Braves have signed Billy Wagner to a one year deal worth 7 million dollars and the deal also includes a club option worth $6.5 million for 2011 if Wagner finishes 50 games, a relative possibility given that he’ll likely be the closer all season if healthy.
Wagner is the first big signing this off season and this should start to heat up the market in time for the Winter Meetings next week. The Braves are in arbitration negotiations with previous closers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, but adding Wagner certainly gives them some leverage if negotiations take a turn for the worst.
Wagner, 38, posted 1.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 26/8 K/BB ratio this past season and limited opponents to a .174 batting average in 15 appearances.
The value of a closer is one of the most important things to determining success for today’s teams and IF Wagner mangaes to stay healthy the Braves added a solid addition to an already strong pitching staff.
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Mike Scioscia Wins American League Manager Of The Year
34 Would Be Proud
Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anhiem had to endure the most emotionally season of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels and that culminated in him selected as the 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It was Scioscia’s second Manager of the Year award. He was named by the BBWAA in 2002, when the Angels claimed their first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card. Scioscia, who is the first manager in Major League history to pilot six postseason teams in his first 10 seasons, received 15 of a possible 28 first-place votes for 106 points.
The Twins’ Ron Gardenhire finished second with six first-place votes and 72 points. Joe Girardi of the Yankees (four first-place votes) was third, followed by the Mariners’ Don Wakamatsu (two), the Rangers’ Ron Washington (one) and the Tigers’ Jim Leyland.
Coping with the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9, Scioscia and the Angels emerged from early struggles — they were 29-29 on June 11 — to take flight en route to a third consecutive AL West title, their fifth in six seasons.
In the AL Division Series, the Angels swept their October nemesis, Boston, in three games before falling in six games in the AL Championship Series to the Yankees, who went on to subdue the Phillies in the World Series.
With 97 wins, the Angels continued a run of excellence under Scioscia, whose teams have won 900 regular-season games in 10 seasons. His 567 victories over the past six seasons represent a Major League best — one more than Joe Torre has achieved with the Yankees and Dodgers and two more than Terry Francona with the Red Sox.
31 More MLB Players Opt For 2010 Free Agency
On the fourth day of Major League Baseball free agency 31 more players elected to pursue Article XX B (2) of the Basic Agreement out of the 183 eligible. Carl Crawford, Victor Martinez, Tim Wakefield are the latest names to be removed from the 2010 free agency list. In Wakefield’s case the Red Sox decided to tear up the option on the 43 year old knuckleballer and gave him a new two year deal. There are still 24 players that have yet to file for free agency and have until the November 19th deadline to do so.
Est. 1869
| 1 |
Alex Gonzalez | SS | BO |
| 2 | Kevin Gregg | RP | CC |
| 3 | Joe Beimel | RP | CO |
| 4 | Jose Contreras | SP | CO |
| 5 | Josh Fogg | SP/RP | CO |
| 6 | Matt Herges | RP | CO |
| 7 | Octavio Dotel | RP | CWS |
| 8 | Brandon Lyon | RP | DE |
| 9 | Doug Brocail | RP | HO |
| 10 | Jose Valverde | RP | HO |
| 11 | Coco Crisp | OF | KC |
| 12 | Juan Castro | 2B/SS | LAD |
| 13 | Mark Loretta | 1B/2B/3B | LAD |
| 14 | Will Ohman | RP | LAD |
| 15 | Craig Counsell | 2B/3B/SS | MI |
| 16 | Dave Weathers | RP | MI |
| 17 | Orlando Cabrera | SS | MN |
| 18 | Gary Sheffield | OF | NYM |
| 19 | Johnny Damon | OF | NYY |
| 20 | Eric Hinske | 1B/OF | NYY |
| 21 | Hideki Matsui | OF | NYY |
| 22 | Jose Molina | C | NYY |
| 23 | Xavier Nady | OF | NYY |
| 24 | Paul Bako | C | PH |
| 25 | Pedro Feliz | 3B | PH |
| 26 | Chan Ho Park | SP | PH |
| 27 | Matt Stairs | OF | PH |
| 28 | Russ Branyan | 1B | SE |
| 29 | Todd Wellemeyer | SP | SL |
| 30 | Jason Isringhausen | RP | TB |
| 31 | Rod Barajas | C | TO |
Jeremy Hermida Traded To Boston Red Sox
Home Run In 1st MLB At-Bat
The Boston Red Sox have acquired 25-year-old outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for pitchers Jose Alvarez and Hunter Jones.
Hermida a former first-rounder with five tool abilities has yet to live up to those expectations as he hit .265 and slightly above average OPS through just over 3 1/2 seasons in the bigs. In what has been considered a pitchers park Land Shark Stadium hasn’t been kind to Hermida,Through his career, Hermida has played exactly 258 games at home and on the road and at home, he’s hitting .253 with 23 home runs, 94 RBI and a .721 OPS while on the road he’s hitting .276 with 34 home runs, 116 RBI and an .815 OPS.
In the outfield Hermida could be the answer at either corner spot for the Red Sox, if they are unable to resign free agent Jason Bay or often injured J.D. “Nancy” Drew. Another plus is he’ll get to join a much more potent lineup in Boston.
As for the players the Marlins received, Jones is a 25-year-old lefty who had a 4.25 ERA in 53 Triple-A innings this year. He appeared in 11 games for the Red Sox and was roughed up for a 9.24 ERA. Alvarez is a 20-year-old left-hander and looks to be the prize of the deal for the Marlins. He fits perfectly into the Marlins system of finding gems at a low cost and giving them a shot at the show early. He only made his way to Single-A-Advanced, but put up a 2.26 ERA in 26 total outings.
Red Sox: Winners/Marlins: Winners
Like Myself, Jimmy Rollins Isn’t Impressed With Yankee Stadium
Speed and Swag, Got It All
Jimmy “Party Starter” Rollins, spoke before and after Game 2 of the World Series, about how the atmosphere at the Bronx’s new ballpark didn’t live up to his expectations or the standard set 105 miles southwest in Philadelphia.
“What I thought it would be like compared to what this is like, I would have to say it’s completely different,” Rollins said before Game 2. “They had a legacy over there from the hallways, the monuments, everything. Here, it’s brand new. It’s a different ballpark.”
Asked if Yankee Stadium were a different atmosphere for a World Series game, Rollins replied, “You’d like to believe so. It’s really more of a different atmosphere at our ballpark, which is so loud and rowdy. I expected that when I came here, but I heard one big cheer, and that was on a home run. Other than that,” Rollins said before finishing his quote with a shrug of the shoulders.
Totally agree with the “Party Starter”, throughout the season I’ve been asking myself didn’t it seem louder in the old Yankee stadium. The sound of the new Yankee Stadium doesn’t match anything of the old at least that’s the way it plays through the television set, even last night the ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ chant at Pedro Martinez never seemed to get going or when it did, it just didn’t pack the boom as it once did when he was in a Boston Red Sox uniform.
I’m not sure if it’s that the seats are so expensive that they haven’t been able to sell out that many games or the new fans sits on their hands more often than not, but Rollins is right.
Houston Astros Hire Brad Mills To Be Manager
His Jersey Better Not Be An Omen
Brad Mills is the new manager of the Houston Astros. The 52-year-old Mills has been Terry Francona’s bench coach in Boston for the past six seasons. He’ll manage in the majors for the first time, though he’s managed a total of 11 seasons in the minors, with affiliates for the Chicago Cubs (1987-92), Colorado Rockies (1993-96) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2002).
The Astros fired Cecil Cooper on Sept 21. Third-base coach Dave Clark served as interim manager for the final 13 games and Houston finished 74-88. Clark was one of 10 candidates to interview for the full-time position.
Mills will have work to do. The Astros have endured two losing seasons in the four years since reaching the World Series in 2005, and Mills is the fourth manager hired since the middle of the 2004 season. Houston was 49-46 on July 22, one game out of first place in the NL Central, then lost 42 of their last 67 games as the starting pitching deteriorated.
The offense was also subpar, ranking 27th in runs scored (3.97 per game) and 25th in on-base percentage (.319).
Slugger Lance Berkman a holdover from the World Series team, hit .274 with 25 homers and 80 RBIs, among the lowest numbers of his career. Kaz Matsui, signed through next season, hit only .250 and Miguel Tejada, who will become a free agent, hit .313 for the season, but slumped in August.
Late last season, the Astros got glimpses of young players who will contribute next season. Rookie Bud Norris went 6-3 in 10 starts, and infielders Tommy Manzella and Edwin Maysonet will push for playing time.
The Astros interviewed 10 candidates, with Mills, Manny Acta and Dave Clark among those considered finalists. Clark was guaranteed a position on Houston’s staff if he was not hired as the manager.
Mills served as the Philadelphia Phillies’ first-base coach from 1997-2000, when Francona was the manager. Current Astros general manager Ed Wade was the Phillies’ GM from 1998-2005. After leaving the Phillies, Mills served as an advance scout for the Cubs (2001) and was the bench coach in Montreal in 2003. The Red Sox hired him in January 2004.
Word amongst O.G. MLB fans has been for some years he has toughness in dealing with some players and of course Boston media, he’s been around baseball forever so he has seen a thing or to and he’s been around a winning organization to see how things are handle top to bottom. Mills might not be the sexy pick but if he can win a clubhouse over and get his guys to play hard everyday then he might just be the total package.
Knowing Acta was their first choice, I don’t like the fact his tenure already starts off with his jersey reminding everyone he was the number 2 choice.
Cowboy Fans Are In The Top 10 Of Most Annoying
Coming In At #6
I have been all over this great country and seen a lot of different sporting events, I can attest to the fact that there annoying fans everywhere, personally my best friend is one of those annoying sports fan. Some teams have more of annoying base than others and Spike TV or just Spike (I really don’t know and don’t care) released a list of it’s Top 10 Teams with the most annoying fans.
Via Spike [click to read each teams description]
10. Oakland Raiders (as long as Al Davis is alive they know they suck)
9. Montreal Canadians (don’t watch/don’t care)
8. Duke Blue Devils Basketball (agreed)
7. English Soccer Fans (this is a cop out pick)
6. Dallas Cowboys (agreed)
“This is a group of people who blindly follow Jerry Jones, a self-entitled billionaire who lists Satan as his medical emergency contact and just spent taxpayer dollars to build a $1.2 billion football stadium/middle finger to every unemployed oil worker in the state of Texas (but it has a pretty kick-ass scoreboard that usually doesn’t get in the way of punts). Whether they’re educated professionals, unemployed hicks, or that awkward guy in HR who wears ass-less chaps to happy hour – the one thing you can always count on with Cowboys fans is the way they share their views like they’re going out of style (which given their Texas roots, usually are.) “Emmitt Smith is the greatest running back of all-time,” “Tony Romo probably didn’t get syphilis from Jessica Simpson,” or “Screw you – my wife would have to gain at least 12 pounds to play offensive line for the Steelers.” It almost seems like the only thing they enjoy more than throwing out the phrase “Everything’s bigger in Texas” to any girl they’re willing to show their 1996 Divisional Champion t-shirt to, is bringing the Cowboys into everyday conversation.
I’ve actually been in meetings before where a Cowboys fan, with a straight face, tried to use Troy Aikman’s broadcasting career as a metaphor for rejuvenated sales numbers, yet I was the one who got written up by the ass-less chap wearing HR guy when I called him the most useless person to every work at a Dairy Queen. Let that be a lesson – they’re not just annoying. Cowboys fans are everywhere.”
5. Vancouver Canucks (don’t watch/don’t care)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (agreed, should just be Philadelphia fan period though)
3. Boston Red Sox (disagree, but they are getting there)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (agreed 100! there are 120 D-1 football, 211 D-1 baseball, 347 D-1 basketball universities and your the only one I can not stand. pompous asses)
1. Chicago Cubs (agreed)
Shut That Dog Up! Oh It’s Dustin Pedroia
chester is lil dusty/lil dusty is chester
Outside of Red Sox nation the Sox have quietly turned into the New York Yankees of hate, that generally is what happens when you start to win on a consistent basis, people just get tired of always seeing you.
Other times it’s because former MVP lil Dusty Pedroia decides it’s time to open up his mouth. It could be that the second baseman calls his hometown, which his parents still run a tire shop there, a dump or that the place sucks,“you can quote me on that. I don’t give a sh*t.” But once the heat started brewing back towards Boston he tried retracting his comments. Maybe its when he talks about his pedophile brother, nobody wants to hear about that dude or it could just be his latest outburst about the length of the infield grass after getting swept in the ALCS.
“Our infield stinks. It’s the worst in the game. I’m not lying about that. That is true. I think about those things. That stuff upsets me. My job is to take 1,000 ground balls a day. Other guys’ job is to get the field perfect so we can play baseball.”
Lil Dusty, already has the little man syndrome, but Pedroia takes it to another level when he starts to yap away in front of a microphone. It suddenly comes off as the Pomeranian that can’t stop barking over and over at a larger dog in size, say a Shar Pei. We know your in the room lil scrappy and we know you exist, so how about about some piece and quiet during this off season.
Because it’s annoying lil dusty.
I Still Hate You Today Matt Holliday
Absolutely Disgusting
Oh was it a rough night yesterday, even rough this morning. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday literally cost the Cardinals a victory in game two of the National League Division Series in Los Angeles. If your smart enough and have watched sports for some time now, you’re well aware of the fact that it’s hard to pin point one particular play to a loss. Last night would have been no different except for the fact that the line drive hit out to Holliday in the bottom of the ninth with two outs was very catchable. VERY CATCHABLE!
San Antonio McAllister Park Little Leaguers can attest to it. Everyone on the Cardinals should have been on the plane heading back to St. Louis. Instead closer Ryan Franklin already pitching lousy, became mentally defeated after watching his defense let him down. Topping it all off was a dominating pitching performance lost from starter Adam Wainwright.
Cardinal nation will hear all the political correctness coming out of the mouths of players, management, and coaching staff, that its all about game 165 and they can’t look into the past. That will be their intention but it’s trapped in their minds and I doubt they overcome such. Not to be forgotten is they are playing the Dodgers who is no scrub team.
So here it comes full circle on the same man I was catechized for when I voiced my displeasure that Cardinals traded for him. When I considered all the factors in the Holliday trade, the contract demands that would be put on by his agent Scott Boras in the off-season, the strain his contract could have on the organization when it comes to trying to resign Albert Pujols, losing some of the Cardinals top prospects, his tendencies to have mental lapses (2007 World Series being picked off by Boston Red Sox Jonathan Papelebon ), and his defense being no better than former terrible Cardinal Chris Duncan.
Could the season be a wash due to Holliday’s blunder, could Chris Carpenters/Adam Wainwright CY Young and Albert Pujols MVP season mean nothing? What I do know, is for one night I hated the very game I love so much and for that I hate Matt Holliday.
Absolutely Disgusting.
October/November Predictions
Who Doesn't Love October
Yes this postseason will be decided in November because of the World Baseball Classic. The postseason has always ended in October except for the 2001 season due to the tragic events of September 11.
There’s a disclaimer towards a badass team that hails from St. Louis, every series involving the Redbirds is obviously picked from the heart while every other series not involving them is pick with the head.
Now onto the 2009 Major League Baseball Postseason Predictions:
National League Divisional Series:
St.Louis Cardinals over Los Angles Dodgers in 4
Colorado Rockies over Philadelphia Phillies in 5
American League Divisional Series:
Minnesota Twins over New York Yankees in 5
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over Boston Red Sox in 3
National League Championship Series:
St. Louis Cardinals over Colorado Rockies in 6
American League Championship Series:
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over Minnesota Twins in 5
World Series:
St. Louis Cardinals over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 5
MLB Can Only Draw 73,418,529 Fans In Recession
Est. 1869
The book can now be completely closed on Major League Baseball 2009 regular season attendance. Baseball completed the season with a total attendance of 73,418,529, down 6.58 percent from a total of 78,591,116 in 2008. The total attendance figure will rank as the fifth highest in MLB history. In another measure of attendance, ballparks saw an average of 30,338 down 6.77 percent from the 32,543 in average attendance last season.
Game 163 at the Metrodome between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins was the largest attended game in the facility’s history with 54,088 in attendance.
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the Major Leagues in attendance with 3,761,669 for an average of 46,440. The reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox, set all-time club records, drawing 3,600,693 and 3,062,699, respectively. For the first time since 2004 the Yankees will have attendance below 4 million.
Nine clubs drew more than three million fans (Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers) and last year, nine clubs drew more than three million, with two (the Yankees and Mets) drawing over 4 million. The two New York franchises accounted for nearly 30 percent of the total decline in attendance this year.
Ted Williams Frozen Head Used For Batting Practice
An American Icon
Workers at an Arizona cryonics facility mutilated the frozen head of baseball legend Ted Williams and even used it for a batting practice, a new tell-all book claims.
In “Frozen,” Larry Johnson, a former exec at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz., graphically describes how The Splendid Splinter was beheaded, his head frozen and repeatedly abused.
Johnson writes that in July 2002, shortly after the Red Sox slugger died at age 83, technicians with no medical certification gleefully photographed and used crude equipment to decapitate the majors’ last .400 hitter. Williams severed head was even used for batting practice by a technician trying to dislodge it from a tuna fish can.
The chief operating officer of Alcor for eight months before becoming a whistleblower in 2003, Johnson wrote his book while in hiding, fearful for his life. Johnson said he wired himself with an audio recorder for his last three months at Alcor, stole internal records and took gruesome photographs that are reproduced in the book.
Williams head was removed from the freezer with a stick, Johnson describes that an Alcor employee tried to dislodge the tuna can by swinging at it with a monkey wrench. The technician, missed the can with several swings of the wrench and smacked Williams’ head directly, spraying “tiny pieces of frozen head” around the room.
Johnson said he hopes his book will help fulfill the wishes Williams expressed in his will that his body be cremated and the ashes sprinkled at sea off the coast of Florida where Teddy Ballgame fished often.
VERY DISTURBING.
