Friday, June 06, 2003
I didn't know Wrigley was a Stop on the Number Four Line
So there I am, in Terrace Reserved with my friend Noel, thanks to Scott's solid work on day in March getting tickets for the Yankees series. You think, "Alright, it's going to be fun." I don't know about the rest of the Stadium, but in section 239 we were outnumbered 2-1 with Yankee fans. Ok, maybe it was 1-1 or less, but the Yankee fans were so loud and obnoxious that it sounded like we were outnumbered. The difference in the game: a long fly by Jason Giambi that just made it into the basket in left. I swear the ball looked like a routine can of corn until it hit the wind in left center.
The favorite moments: 1) Zim bringing out the lineup card. Almost choking up remembering 1989 all over again. 2) The anthem: Maybe the best ever. Folks on both sides just went for it. 2) The Stretch: William L. Peterson of Steppenwolf fame lead the entire stadium in "Take Me Out...." Everybody goes nuts at 'Root for the _______." Pretty damn split. 3) Corey's homer: no explanation needed.
Halfway through the game I look at the scoreboard and start harping on the rest of the interleague games and they all look like dogs. This shit has got to stop. Really. It's boring. Who in the hell in their right mind cares about Montreal vs. Texas in San Juan (except for those few Juan Gonzalez apologists left) in June for the love of Mary?
Tomorrow is the bleachers. Help me.
Eight games for Sosa is about what you'd expect. To quote that great lyric from the fabulous Baretta series: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Don't do it." The whole "I picked the bat up from the rack by accident" thing is getting a bit much too take. Dude, you went to bat with an illegal bat. Time to pay the piper.
So there I am, in Terrace Reserved with my friend Noel, thanks to Scott's solid work on day in March getting tickets for the Yankees series. You think, "Alright, it's going to be fun." I don't know about the rest of the Stadium, but in section 239 we were outnumbered 2-1 with Yankee fans. Ok, maybe it was 1-1 or less, but the Yankee fans were so loud and obnoxious that it sounded like we were outnumbered. The difference in the game: a long fly by Jason Giambi that just made it into the basket in left. I swear the ball looked like a routine can of corn until it hit the wind in left center.
The favorite moments: 1) Zim bringing out the lineup card. Almost choking up remembering 1989 all over again. 2) The anthem: Maybe the best ever. Folks on both sides just went for it. 2) The Stretch: William L. Peterson of Steppenwolf fame lead the entire stadium in "Take Me Out...." Everybody goes nuts at 'Root for the _______." Pretty damn split. 3) Corey's homer: no explanation needed.
Halfway through the game I look at the scoreboard and start harping on the rest of the interleague games and they all look like dogs. This shit has got to stop. Really. It's boring. Who in the hell in their right mind cares about Montreal vs. Texas in San Juan (except for those few Juan Gonzalez apologists left) in June for the love of Mary?
Tomorrow is the bleachers. Help me.
Eight games for Sosa is about what you'd expect. To quote that great lyric from the fabulous Baretta series: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Don't do it." The whole "I picked the bat up from the rack by accident" thing is getting a bit much too take. Dude, you went to bat with an illegal bat. Time to pay the piper.
Thursday, June 05, 2003
It's not cheating
If you get away with it. If you get busted (or bust the evidence for the world to see) and try to pick up the pieces like Wilton Guerrero (smooth move), then it's cheating. You're right Jason, Sosa is lying. But if you expect him to on ESPN and say "Yeah, every once in a while I use the corker when I feel a little slow and need just a bit more bat speed," well, you probably expect more out of him than I do.
If you get away with it. If you get busted (or bust the evidence for the world to see) and try to pick up the pieces like Wilton Guerrero (smooth move), then it's cheating. You're right Jason, Sosa is lying. But if you expect him to on ESPN and say "Yeah, every once in a while I use the corker when I feel a little slow and need just a bit more bat speed," well, you probably expect more out of him than I do.
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Meanwhile in Oakland...
Beane continues to take players that others undervalue. The A's had Brad Sullivan from the U. of Houston fall to them in the first round. He was projected to go to the JP Riccardi's Blue Jays who are (surprise) following the A's college philosophy, but they went with a LSU shortstop Aaron Hill instead. Reading Sullivan's profile, he sounds almost a carbon copy of Tim Hudson, who only took two years to reach the majors. They also picked two University of Texas teammate, shortstop Omar Quintanilla and centerfielder Dustin Majewski. Neither come close to the six foot mark. Neither looks especially great in any one category, except they both hit the crap out of the ball and have OBPs in the .425 plus range. Both look like they are simply players.
Beane continues to take players that others undervalue. The A's had Brad Sullivan from the U. of Houston fall to them in the first round. He was projected to go to the JP Riccardi's Blue Jays who are (surprise) following the A's college philosophy, but they went with a LSU shortstop Aaron Hill instead. Reading Sullivan's profile, he sounds almost a carbon copy of Tim Hudson, who only took two years to reach the majors. They also picked two University of Texas teammate, shortstop Omar Quintanilla and centerfielder Dustin Majewski. Neither come close to the six foot mark. Neither looks especially great in any one category, except they both hit the crap out of the ball and have OBPs in the .425 plus range. Both look like they are simply players.
The Arizona Athletics
Boy, Joe Garagiola Jr. must have bought Moneyball lock, stock, and barrel, based on the Diamondbacks selections in the draft today:
First they go after Beane favorite Conor Jackson, a third baseman from the Cal Bears, who's OPS is north of 1.20. Then they take Carlos Quinten from Stanford, who can draw a walk or two himself. Then they take Jamie D'Antona from Wake Forest, another 1.20 OPS guy. All third basemen with good batting eyes, plus bats and lower rated defenders. Somewhere in Oakland a chair is surely being hurled through a wall.
Boy, Joe Garagiola Jr. must have bought Moneyball lock, stock, and barrel, based on the Diamondbacks selections in the draft today:
First they go after Beane favorite Conor Jackson, a third baseman from the Cal Bears, who's OPS is north of 1.20. Then they take Carlos Quinten from Stanford, who can draw a walk or two himself. Then they take Jamie D'Antona from Wake Forest, another 1.20 OPS guy. All third basemen with good batting eyes, plus bats and lower rated defenders. Somewhere in Oakland a chair is surely being hurled through a wall.
Young High
So much for High School players being devalued. The Devil Rays selected California high school power threat Delmon Young with the number one pick of the first player draft today.
So much for High School players being devalued. The Devil Rays selected California high school power threat Delmon Young with the number one pick of the first player draft today.
Monday, June 02, 2003
Fill in the blank: If it's off the plate, it's a _ _ _ _?
"In the old days, we were taught 'Go get them. Call those pitches strikes'...Today it's the exact opposite: 'Hey, if it's off the plate it's a ball. I don't care if it's a quarter-inch or an eighth-inch, it's a ball.' It goes against what we used to be taught, but major league baseball pays my salary, and they're the boss."
--Mike Winters, major league umpire, on QuesTec (ESPN.com)
"In the old days, we were taught 'Go get them. Call those pitches strikes'...Today it's the exact opposite: 'Hey, if it's off the plate it's a ball. I don't care if it's a quarter-inch or an eighth-inch, it's a ball.' It goes against what we used to be taught, but major league baseball pays my salary, and they're the boss."
--Mike Winters, major league umpire, on QuesTec (ESPN.com)
Scott Ostler...
...thy name is God. Well on his good days, like today. Favorite lines:
"I love umps. They are colorful and cantankerous and add charm to the game. However, they are so anti-technology that most of them launder their clothing on rocks in the stream bed."
"The QuesTec system isn't perfect, but neither was Pong, and we didn't pull the plug on that game. We allowed video-game technology to evolve, thus bettering mankind by creating today's massive global market for drool cups."
Go forth and read from the Book of Scott, and somebody say Amen.
...thy name is God. Well on his good days, like today. Favorite lines:
"I love umps. They are colorful and cantankerous and add charm to the game. However, they are so anti-technology that most of them launder their clothing on rocks in the stream bed."
"The QuesTec system isn't perfect, but neither was Pong, and we didn't pull the plug on that game. We allowed video-game technology to evolve, thus bettering mankind by creating today's massive global market for drool cups."
Go forth and read from the Book of Scott, and somebody say Amen.
Being Bob Boone
One day you're benched because you strike out a ton. The next day you're the leadoff hitter because you walk a lot. Only in the mind of Bob Boone.
Someone remind me: When does Pete Rose come off the ineligible list?
One day you're benched because you strike out a ton. The next day you're the leadoff hitter because you walk a lot. Only in the mind of Bob Boone.
Someone remind me: When does Pete Rose come off the ineligible list?
This Just In
The Braves are upset about Questec technology and say it's the reason they got beat by the Mets yesterday. Of course the Braves have a pitching coach, Rockin' Leo Mazzone, who prays at the altar of the the outside corner for strike three. Hey Leo, the ball two inches off the plate (or more) is not a strike.
Sooner or later pitchers will have to wake up and realize that pitch is gone and they must pitch inside to get hitters out. Or they can just blame the computer, which is about the level of intelligence you occassionally run into on big league staffs.
The Braves are upset about Questec technology and say it's the reason they got beat by the Mets yesterday. Of course the Braves have a pitching coach, Rockin' Leo Mazzone, who prays at the altar of the the outside corner for strike three. Hey Leo, the ball two inches off the plate (or more) is not a strike.
Sooner or later pitchers will have to wake up and realize that pitch is gone and they must pitch inside to get hitters out. Or they can just blame the computer, which is about the level of intelligence you occassionally run into on big league staffs.
