Changes!

Well, yours truly wound up switching over to Blogger beta which had an adverse effect on the old template...which is why I changed it to this one. Marcel, Randall and James...when you guys switch over to the beta (or receive the invite from Google to do so), you'll be automatically added back as contributors to this blog.

Feel free to make any template changes to add back in the Email Subscription feed (thanks Donny!) or anything else that you think could spruce up this blog...

And be sure to use the "Labels" so we can start categorizing our posts!

The Missing Man

It's a sad day for Giants fans...fan favorite and long time shortstop Jose Uribe was killed in a car accident in the Dominican today.

He was part of the infield that had Will Clark at 1B, Robby Thompson at 2B, Matt Williams at 3B (Williams replaced the stiff Chris Brown), and Uribe at SS. He became a Giant when Jack Clark was traded to St. Louis in exchange for pitcher Dave LaPoint, 1B David Green, and a young kid named Jose Gonzales - who briefly changed his name to Uribe Gonzales, then Jose Uribe.

Thanks for the reminder earlier, Will...

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

JASON YOU KNOW WHO

It's sort of like how Yankee fans felt immediately after Johnny Damon turned in his Sox for pinstripes and a haircut. It was hard to swallow. Acceptance of a stranger from the wrong side of the street joining the family would take some time. You need to get over your resentment and swallow your pride before you get to know the guy.

And so it is with the new member of our family who just signed his lease agreement to move in. His name is Jason Schmidt. I'm not about to welcome him with open arms just yet. We're gonna keep an eye on him, make sure he's not going to be a slob, eat all our food, drink all our beer and hit on our girlfriends and wives.

So Mr. Schmidt, I hope you like your new home. Weather is nice and warm, sky is always BLUE. We have a nice organ in the living room. But before you get comfy and start walking all over our lawn, remember that $47 million for three years means we expect great things from you, like the good work you did in 2003 and 2004 for those people we don't like very much. Oh, and take out the trash on your way out. And light a match after flushing, will ya?!

New Foreign Pitching Prospect

All the hype of the new pitching prospects from Japan is far from over. Move over Matsuzaka and make way for Chewbacca!

This impressive left hander hails from the snowy mountains of Kashyyyk and is shown here putting on a clinic for the MLB scouts yesterday. Accompanied by his agent Princess Leia (yes, she really is a princess), Chewbacca wooed the scouts by pitching fastballs in the 124 mph range! However, his most impressive pitch is the never before seen, furflip ball that moves like a butterfly on crack and is deemed impossible to hit by the likes of A-Rod and Barry Bonds. This pitch just comes natural to Chewbacca because it utilizes his raw arm speed and hairiness to accomplish the strange ball flight.

Rumors abound throughout the league over who will jump to sign the big fellow that stands 7'11" tall and weighs nearly 700 pounds. Sox GM Theo Epstein was quoted as saying, "Holy Crap! I wish I wouldn't have squandered all my money on that gyroball joker!". George Steinbrenner was all smiles and hoped to see Chewbacca in pinstripes come April.

Since Chewy (as he prefers to be called) is not from any country, at least on earth, he can be purchased for whoever the highest bidder may be. It pretty obvious that the leading candidates are the Yankees and also the San Francisco Giants that are planning to dispose of Mr. Bonds in order to free up the cash need for the acquisition.

Baseball expert Donny Prater was quoted as saying, "This puts a whole new paint job on the face of baseball. Finally, there can be a merger between man and alien man-beast! This is what the people want." Mr. Prater went on to say that he wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot), the Abominable Snowman, and the Chupacabra don't come knocking on the MLB door.

So a new and exciting chapter in the saga we know as baseball is opened. May the force be with us all!!!

Manny in the West?

The hot rumor going into the winter meetings is that it's a 3 way horse race between San Diego, Los Angeles (Da Bums), and San Francisco to come up with the best deal to obtain LF Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox. It's interesting that all 3 are working the phones because:

1) Each team wants Manny partly to prevent him from going to their opponent in the NL West.

2) Theo Epstein, Boston's GM, used to work for Kevin Towers, San Diego's GM - and they've traded between each other previously.

3) Ned Colletti, LA's GM, used to work for Brian Sabean, San Francisco's GM - and they are clearly trying to outdo each other this offseason.

Will Manny wind up in the NL West? It's questionable at best, because Manny's a 10 and 5 guy, so he has the right to approve or veto any deal. He's never played outside the AL, aside from Interleague games, so he might not be inclined to switch leagues. Of course, Omar Vizquel made the switch a couple of years ago to come to SF, at an older age - so perhaps Manny would consider it.

The question is - who will come up with the best deal? Will he come West?

I will say this: Manny's one of the few players today worthy of the salary he's getting (by comparison to recent contract signings). Gary Mathews Jr and Juan Pierre are NOT worth the $50 million and $40 million each are getting (and I'm glad the LA teams are the suckers in that bet).

So...whaddya think?

CY Young Pride in Ashland, KY

As a tribute to our hometown hero Brandon Webb and his winning of the Cy Young award, my family declared today as Brandon Webb Day. Actually, every November 15th will be celebrated as such from here on out!!

This holiday will consist of Will wearing his jersey to school. But now that the D-Backs have changed there color scheme, I guess this is now a Throw-Back Jersey. Cool huh!

Yesterday, Andy sent me the message that Brandon had won the award and I jumped out of my seat when I found out. I started calling everybody I knew and telling them. Exciting stuff for a kid from Ashland, Kentucky to accomplish and it's exciting for me because I have batted against him (He was 7 years old and it was a wiffle ball), but it still counts!

The news last night told how Brandon was out shooting yesterday when he got the call from his agent about the good news. He said he was stunned and actually thought the agent was pulling his leg! He's a humble guy and all of us in Ashland are very proud of him.

Happy Belated Halloween

Another season has passed and as I sit here reflecting upon yet another disappointing effort by the men in pinstripes, I look ahead to next year. Although the highest paid team in all of baseball choked again, there's always next year. However, this blog has been much fun and I've enjoyed getting to know you guys. Have a great offseason!

PS- Congrats Randal!!!

Year End Wrap Up (or Why The Giants Will Win It All In 2007)

Well, from a Giants fan's perspective, the rather boring 2006 season is over. It was a season in which no major records were broken or challenged, when a nearly .500 team won the World Series, when the playoffs were mediocre at best, when the All Star Game was completely forgetable, and when no major scandals or heroics marked the season whatsoever. If the highlight of the season was Albert Pujols assault on the Home Run record that was derailed in late April/early May, then the lowlight of the season was the not quite startling revelation of a Diamondback's pitcher who named names and then disappeared into obscurity. The Giants had their ups and downs, but mostly they just plodded from April to September as if it was a 9 to 5 job. Boring.

However, a sea change is definitely taking place as happens in baseball every decade or so. The stars of the previous period are giving/have given way to a new crowd. Brandon Webb, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard are replacing Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr, and Barry Bonds as crowd pleasers. And we are all keeping our eyes open to see what new talent will emerge and what new team will become dominant.

Which is why in 2007, the Giants will win it all. Getting out from under the bloated contract of Barry Bonds, the Giants will acquire some new young talent and will propel themselves to the top once more - only this time, they will win it all. Matt Cain will pitch the first Giants No-No since the 70's. Bonds, in a back up roll that he will not relish, will break Aaron's record and then retire, and young players will take this team to the promised land.

Of course, some of you may have different opinions. Don't worry, for I will be magnanamous in victory and not gloat too much when the Giants are having their victory parade down Market Street. Now, let's get those hot stove rumors started. 06 is done. 07 has begun!

Scuffing?

So, has Rogers been cheating in all his postseason starts?

We are talking about a guy who, until this season, was a choker in big games.

Mets or Cards? Game 7

Okay, let's throw it down...

Mets vs. Cards in game 7? Who takes it to get run off by the Tigers in 5 games?

Yankees and Presidents

Torsten Pedersen in Locus Standi has an excellent article on the striking coincidences that connect the Yankees failure to win in the post-season when the President is a Republican. Donnie, you better hope for a democrat at the next election, buddy.

Read the post here.

Thanks for the excellent stats, Torsten!

A Tribute from the Land of the Bandwagon Jumpers

When I talked to Andy Friday I made him the following promise: If the Tigers beat the Yankees out, I would buy a Detroit hat, take my picture, and post it here. Since this sad fact did indeed come to pass, and I am a man of my word, I went to the mall a few minutes ago to make the purchase. Here's the problem, I went to every sports store in the mall and there were no Tigers anything to be found. Looks like there has been a run on all of the Detroit crap. Oh well, I do live in the land of the bandwagon jumpers as is evident every year just before the World Series and especially when a man like Rick Pitino goes to the team you despise the most.

Anyway, couldn't come through on the hat bro, so I made this sign instead. Go Tigers! yawn...... Just kidding, I'm actually for the Tigers to win it all. I always go with the team that knocks out the Yankees because it takes the best to beat the best!

Playoff Predictions: Let's Here 'Em!

Yankees over Tigers
A's over Twins

Yankees AL Champs


Mets over Dodgers (sorry Marcel)
Cards over the Pad's

Mets AL Champs



Yankees take the Subway Series in 6!

NL Haters Have A Show (Spoilers ahead)

Last week, on the season premiere of Jericho, I couldn't figure out why the two towns hit by nuclear weapons were Denver and Atlanta. I figured there might be a sports connection, but I knew of no fierce Denver-Atlanta rivalry or Kansas-Denver-Atlanta rivalry. But this week, in the second show, you begin to discover a little more of what's going on and the scope of the attack. In addition to Denver and Atlanta, we see that Chicago (Wrigleyville), Philadelphia, and San Diego were hit and the implication is a great many more... Perhaps the rest of that list includes, San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinatti, Houston, Miami, New York (Flushing Meadow), and Washington D.C.. Leaving Oakland, Anaheim, Arlington, Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago (West Side), Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Toronto, New York (Bronx), Boston, Baltimore, and Cleveland to survive and repopulate the United States with a new civilization based on the notion that all men must do their part to help out... except one person who is designated to only come in once in a while and lend a hand before going to sit back on the bench.

THE LORD'S BASEBALL GAME

I recently got an email foward that I modified to make it a little more "juicy."

The Lord's Baseball Game

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat, the score was Satan's team 3, the Lord's team 0. It was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The atmosphere was thick with tension......(read more)

JAIL TIME!

Here's where I'm coming from, just to set the record straight. I like Barry Bonds. I have been a Bonds apologist since 1993. I didn't like Bonds before that. I thought he was brash and cocky and a Pirate. But when he became a Giant and I watched him regularly back up his brashness and cockiness with thrilling baseball and homeruns, well, the guy just sort of rubbed off on me the way that Orel Hershiser as a Giant or Jeff Kent as a Giant never did. Its hard not to respect a ball player that comes to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning when the game's on the line and you just KNOW he's going to hit a homerun to win the game... and he does. I've never thought that about any other player who ever played the game. When the news media kept trying to rip him apart for being standoffish, I ignored them. The reporters don't play the game, so really, what should I care what they think about whether Bonds is rude or surly. That's their problem, not mine. When the news media tried to make him into a clubhouse pariah, well, again, I didn't care. The Giants kept winning with him. If other players have a problem with that, that's their problem - so long as they keep winning. But when the Steroids scandal hit and hit so closely to Bonds, I admit my faith was a little shaken. However, I've now been waiting for years for the smoking gun, and I've still not seen it, heard it, read it, or discovered it. I've heard a lot of former players bag on Bonds and I've heard a lot of reporters bag on Bonds, but I've never seen anyone actually provide direct evidence that Bonds cheated. This may qualify me as the ultimate Bonds apologist, however, I still consider the spirit of law to be much more important than the spirit of trail by media. I believe in INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. If you've ever been accussed of something that you didn't do, you know how frustrating it is to have nobody believe you until you can clear your name. That's where I'm coming from, just so you know.

With this bias clearly stated, let me explain why I think the two Chronicle reporters should either reveal their source of the secret Grand Jury testimony or go to jail for contempt. Their argument is that they need to shield their source to protect the public's right to know the important news of the day. The government's counter argument is that someone willfully and knowingly broke the law to leak secret testimony to these reporters and that while they don't like this information being out there, the fact is that they're not after the reporters but the person who broke the law.

We live in a nation that is held together by a Constitution and laws. Grand Juries exist to allow prosecutors the chance to present evidence that a law was, in fact, broken and that enough evidence exists to take a person to trial. The Grand Jury, in this case, was convened to hear whether there was enough evidence to try four members of the BALCO Steroids scandal. Bonds was called as a witness to present testimony as to what he knew about the scandal. The proceedings were supposed to be secret. Anyone breaking those rules would be subject to not only fines and prison time, but might also jeopardize the proceedings of the case against those accused. In a Grand Jury evidence is only presented in one direction - there is no rebuttal, cross-examination, or the opportunity for witnesses to defend themselves. They are placed on the stand and asked questions which they must answer without being given the opportunity to clarify all of their remarks. It is not a trial - merely an attempt to see if evidence exists to move forward with a trial. The reason many Grand Juries have secrecy clauses is not to keep the public uninformed of what is going on in these proceedings, but to not taint any possible testimony and evidence before a real trial can begin.

The problem I have with the two Chronicle reporters receiving this leaked information is that they then turned around and presented this to the public as fact. And since Bonds was still tied up in a Secrecy agreement about his testimony to the Grand Jury and wasn't about to come forward and try and explain his testimony before a trial could begin, these two reporters were basically given license to trash Bonds and his image in the media free and clear - without any rebuttal or counterevidence presented. Bonds was tried, convicted and sentenced by the public without a single opportunity to set the record straight.

Now, I'm not saying that he could set the record straight. Maybe he could, maybe he couldn't - maybe he's guilty as hell. I don't know. And neither do you. And neither are these reporters. Anyone who claims to know for sure what Bonds did or didn't do with steroids is a liar, or clairvoyant. Why? Because Bonds has never had his day in court. Never. And, according to the spirit of the Law that makes this country great, Bonds is still innocent until proven otherwise.

I think these two Chronicle reporters need to do something to restore the balance to the system. I think they need to reveal who leaked the Grand Jury testimony so that we can determine why this highly biased information was printed. I think they need to acknowledge that while some secret information is important for the world to know, whether a guy used steroids or not is NOT one of those things - even if it helps the writers get a book published and sells more newspapers. And quite frankly, I think if they refuse to reveal their source, they should go to jail for just as long as Bonds' former trainer - who refuses to testify further against Bonds in a "Secret" Grand Jury because he knows that this information will just be used to drag his former friends name through the mud even more. To do anything else would be the equivalent of saying we have two justice systems - one for those who we don't like, and one for those who we do. And that's not a system I want to believe in.

And that's all I have to say about the ugly side of baseball...

Let's enjoy the last two weeks of the season!

New York Born...

Interesting article at ESPN about the NY-born baseball teams (Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Dodgers) - there's an outside chance, for the first time in baseball history, that the four teams originally born in New York could be in the same postseason this year (with the Giants having the longest shot at it).

Other permutations of at least 3 of them in the same postseason have occurred, the most recent being 2000 with the Giants, Mets and Yankees (the Giants losing to the Mets in the NLDS).

Check out the article here.

Sad Day for a Good Guy Ball Player

Guys, Just wanted to post this and ask for your prayers. This is an article in todays Ashland, KY Paper:

Couple’s life together was just beginning

Brandon Webb’s college roommate, new bride killed

By MARK MAYNARD
The Independent

A former Kentucky baseball player who was an ex-roommate of major leaguer Brandon Webb was among the 49 killed when a commuter jet crashed during takeoff Sunday morning at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.

Jon Hooker and his new wife, Scarlett Parsley, were on the flight heading to Atlanta to connect for a honeymoon trip to California. They were married before 300 friends and family members Saturday night, according to former Kentucky baseball coach Keith Madison, who was in attendance.

The bride-to-be had arrived in a horse-drawn carriage for a fairy-tale wedding to Hooker at Lexington’s Headley-Whitley Museum.

“It’s so tragic because he was so happy last night,” Madison said. “It’s just an incredible turn of events. It’s really painful.”

Webb’s parents, Philip and Dreama Webb of Ashland, also attended the wedding. Brandon Webb learned of the tragedy prior to Arizona’s game with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Phoenix on Sunday.

“You never expect anything like this,” Philip Webb said. “He and Brandon were best friends. They roomed together (in a dorm) and had an apartment together in college. Their last year, they had an apartment and I had to go down and clean it after Brandon got drafted and Jon signed a free-agent deal. They had two dogs in the apartment so you can imagine what it was like.”

When Brandon was in the minor leagues, he spent some time with Hooker in the London area during the offseason. Hooker had lost his father at an early age in a car wreck, Philip Webb said.

The news came to Brandon on Sunday through Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, who called him into the office and told him what happened. “He told Brandon he didn’t want him hearing it any other way,” Philip Webb said.

When asked how Brandon took it, his father hesitated for a second and then said “Not good.”

Webb is scheduled to pitch tonight against San Diego but his father wasn’t sure what his son was going to do.

“I’m not sure if Brandon knows what he’s going to do,” Philip Webb said.

The wedding on Saturday night was spectacular, Philip Webb said.

“For some reason, last night one of the songs that they played was ‘It is Well With My Soul.’ It was kind of strange at the time because you don’t hear that much at weddings. But, like Dreama said, it was like a testimony right there.”

The 27-year-old Hooker pitched at Kentucky from 1998 to 2001, posting a 5-5 career record with a 3.23 earned run average. He signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2001 and played professionally for Independent League teams in Fargo, N.D., and Joliet, Ill., before going back to his hometown of London.

Hooker played for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks from 2002 to June 2004 when he was traded to the Joilet JackHammers. He was a member of the RedHawks’ league championship team in 2003.

RedHawks general manager Josh Buckholz called Sunday a “sad day for Fargo.”

“Jon was a class guy and a great guy to have in Fargo,” he said. “He touched a lot of people’s lives. He was a fantastic teammate, he was a wonderful representative of our ballclub.”

Buckholz said nine members of the RedHawks roster, coaching staff and clubhouse staff were around when Hooker was with the team.

“There are a lot of people who knew him and loved him, and are dealing with this today,” Buckholz said.

There was a moment of silence prior to Sunday’s RedHawks game.

While at Kentucky, Hooker played not only with Webb but also Joe Blanton of the Oakland Athletics.

Hooker was working as a parole counselor and social worker while Parsley was in graduate school at Kentucky after graduating from Centre College, where she was also a cheerleader.

Philip Webb said Brandon has lost a dear friend. He said he gets choked up thinking about it.

“WSAZ was showing some clips of Jon at Kentucky and on one of those Brandon was giving him a high-five,” Philip Webb said. “Whenever you saw one, you saw the other at the school.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report.

RETROSHEET

For purists, historians and stat-junkie extraordinaires, I just ran into Retrosheet via Blog of Danny. I was amazed by the amount of stats like box scores dating back to the 1871. Will and Andy, your New York Gothams (pre-Giants) didn't do so hot their expansion year, 1883, finishing 6th and 16 games behind division leader, Boston Beaneaters. :-)

Randall, The Red Birds, as most of us know, started as the St. Louis Browns in 1882. They fared even worse than Will/Andy's Gothams that year, finishing 18 games behind the Reds.

Donnie, your Bronx Bombers began in 1901, but were then the Baltimore Orioles. Go figure. Their first season, they were in the cellar, trailing the Reds by 32.5 games and behind Randall's Browns.

James, I'm ashamed to admit that our beloved Blue was called the "Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers" back in 1884. Our first year we ended up, uh, um.....oh look at the time! Wow, I gotta get going....

9th place, 33.5 games back.

We all had very humble beginnings in this grand pastime that has transcended multiple generations. And the rest is history!

What's Wrong With *This* Picture??

You'd think the Little League would impose some sort of size rule after this mammoth of a 13 year old got in......

In the words of Harry Caray...."Holy Cow!!!!"

# 725

I agree - it's a troubling photo.

Once again, Will and I were there, sitting in the stands of AT&T Park, watching the Giants' Noah Lowry pitch a 2 hit complete game shutout, leading the Giants to a 5-0 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Of course, we also saw Bonds' career home run # 725 - I had witnessed # 722 and both Will and I witnessed # 723.

I arrived at the game just as the opening pitches of the game were thrown. As soon as I sat down, Will said, "You should've come here earlier. We could've gone down to the fence and said hi to Brandon Webb for Donny."

A missed opportunity. But Webb will be pitching Tuesday night against Matt Cain - should be an excellent game.

And on a side note - anyone catch the in-dugout tunnel brawl in Toronto between pitcher Ted Lilly and manager Josh Gibbons? Seems like the manager might be the problem in that town...

Hell Froze Over Today

Well, it's official, Hell has frozen over! I didn't think it would ever in a million years happen but it did thanks to Mr. Steinbrenner. This morning they broke ground in the Bronx on the new Yankee Stadium. I'm a bit upset as you can tell because they will eventually knock down the "House that Ruth" built to provide parking for the new, state of the art stadium. In my mind, it is the equivalent of knocking over the birthplace of George Washington to build a bigger house next door that glorifies his life.

It's a sad day for die-hard Yankee fans. It's a happy day for all the rest of you.

Comiskey II

Tonight I was at U.S. Cellular Field - formerly the "new" Comiskey Park - in the southside of Chicago. I picked up a ticket from our firm's payroll manager, whose brother is a Chicago police officer, with the police officer's association selling tickets as part of a fundraiser. We sat in the LF bleachers, watching the defending world champ White Sox take on the hapless Kansas City Royals.

Of course, the Royals were far from hapless this evening - they hung on to win 4-2, with the Chisox playing a sloppy defensive game that included a dropped fly ball to Jermaine Dye early the in game which allowed the inning to continue and the Royals to score a run. AJ Pierzynski, beloved by the southside, bemoaned by Giants fans, did what I saw him do waaaaay too many times in a Giant uniform...grounded into a double play.

However, I must say that the experience of attending a game at this ballpark is quite nice...I was surprised to see how wide the concourse was on the main level, as compared to AT&T Park in San Francisco, which has relatively wide concourses (compared to Candlestick), but is a much more intimate park that is squeezed onto a 13 acre site. I was awed at the size of this ballpark, which is much taller than AT&T Park, mainly due to the double-decker luxury suite level.

Awhile back, when Will had a Categories question about items from other sports that would make baseball more appealing (tongue in cheek of course), a couple of respondents suggested cheerleaders. The White Sox come closest, as they had young women, in very short shorts and Sox tee shirts, prance around the field throwing T-shirts into the crowd and dancing atop the dugouts (along with a couple of male "cheerleaders" - not unlike those you find in college squads, only without the gymnastics).



Food was good - I had a grilled hot dog with grilled onions and a diet soda, which only set me back $7.75. While my newfound Chicago friends thought that pricey, I found it to be a tremendous bargain compared to San Francisco, whereupon the same combo (with kraut added in addition to onions) will set you back nearly $12.

All in all - a good evening at the ballpark. While it's not a particularly intimate ballpark, it is a pleasant place to watch a game.

And for someone like me, it isn't often that I can say I'm watching the defending world champs. Sure am not going to say that about my Giants anytime soon...

Friday Baseball Category

Here is a nice simple one...

Name three baseball player nicknames you would never want to be called?

Get to it... Moonman!

Baseball V. The "X" Games.

Bill Gnade has an interesting essay up on the above topic. It's worth the read.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Will the Real Dodgers Please Stand Up?

Following up on this post, the Dodgers have now won 10 in a row after losing 13 out of 14, hence, the title of this blog. This ties them for the Wild Card race with the Reds. Jeff Kent returned to the lineup and hit a two run jack and an RBI double last night. Nomahhhh returns from the DL tomorrow so the offense will be intact. And Maddux is coming off a 6 inning no-no.

Can these guys really win the west? Borrowing a line from ESPN's baseball tonite show, and you're the analyst, do you buy or sell?

OK, I'm Shocked!!

I know you guys are not very fond of the Yankees.....but, I must share Saturday night with you. My family and I went to Columbus,OH for back-to-school shopping and just to goof off. Since I have been a life long Yankee fanatic, I used this trip as a chance to finally see the Columbus Clippers play. The Clippers are the AAA Yankees and their past rosters are a who's who among the home grown Yankee talent.

With visions of Mattingly, Jeter, Williams, Posada, Soriano, and others dancing in my head, we headed to the park at 4:00 Saturday. It was hat day so we made sure to get there early and yes we got hats. Also, for some reason they had an autograph session going on with George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr, Bert Campineris, and Fergie Jenkins. I wanted to get them to sign a ball and ask Fergie about pitching on acid but the line was too long, and I'm a Yankee fan......

But, here is the big kicker: the stadium where the baby Yankees play sucks! I know it is old and nostalgic, but the field looks like a nice high school field and the bathroom and the area around it stunk of stale pee. I was shocked by how crappy the old stadium really is! I've been to Single A fields that are much nicer. I guess Steinbrenner spends so much on buying good players that he can't improve the field where his guys come up.

That's the bad but the good was that atmosphere. Friendly fans that love their team was the norm and the place was maybe 1/3 full. The neat thing about the field was that the fences are the same measurments as in Yankee stadium with the short porch in right. It was fun though. It's always a good time at the ball park.

A GIFT FROM THE HEART

With the recent love and attention given to Dodger blue the last few postings, I wanted to give back the love to my baseball brotherhood. Especially my Giants comrades.

A gift for Will and Andy.

If it doesn't load, try this link.

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. ..." :-)

The Dodgers will take it all now!

Gregg Maddux is a Dodger......it's all over but the shoutin' in the NL West!

Where are the Trade Rumors?

Is it me, or does it seem that the trade rumors out there, leading to Monday's deadline, are just really pathetic this year? Aside from Soriano maybe going to the White Sox (as a pit stop on the way back to the Bronx in the fall), and Abreu going somewhere (maybe), it seems that there's a dearth of good juicy rumors.

Sean Casey? Yawn.

Salomon Torres (or any other Pirate reliever)? Big, unstifled yawn.

So...let's start our own - whether they make sense or not. Let's have our fantasy July 31 non-waiver trade deadline trades. Be ridiculous. Be serious. Have fun. It's Friday.

From ESPN

Check this out from Jim Caple's column.

BOX SCORE OF THE WEEK

It was a long day at the park for Brooklyn Cyclones left fielder Dustin Martin last Thursday. How long? Try six hours and 40 minutes. Or 26 innings, the longest game in the history of the New York-Penn League.

Brooklyn scored in the first inning against the Oneonta Tigers, then was held scoreless the rest of the way. Oneonta tied the game in the fourth, and then the two teams traded zeroes the next 23 innings before Tigers center fielder Deik Scram broke out of an 0-for-11 day with a two-run single in the top of the 26th inning off converted outfielder Mark Wright. The Tigers went on to win 6-1 while Brooklyn's Martin went down with this box score line from hell:

11 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 RBI

His 0-for-11 day dropped his average from .278 to .241.

Dessens BACK to LA

Yawn. Yep...Dessens will be the difference maker in the NL West.

Where's The Love?

I've yet to see a shout out for my Cardinals from you Bay Area guys, after we swept the Dodgers.

What gives?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Mike "Schadenfreude" Piazza

Schadenfreude is a German word that basically means taking pleasure in other's pain. Somehow, I just think it seems to invoke my most wonderful feelings of my least favorite player, Mike Piazza. I know, as a Christian, I have a long way to go in the forgiveness department, but let me at least wallow in his misery for a little while.

Last night, Andy talked me into going to the game with him. It was a glorious night for baseball and, indeed, as we approached the park there was a sizzle in the air. We got to our seats just minutes before the first pitch and sat under the cool awning on a 70 degree night to watch division leading baseball.

The Padres were in town, and as a team, I have nothing against them. Even if they win the division every couple of years, even if they have Trevor Hoffman, even if Tony Gwynn (who was the best pure hitter I've ever seen) used to light us up all the time, hating the Padres would be like hating the Taco Bell dog. You might hate him on the surface, but secretly in your heart of hearts you chuckle everytime you hear, "Yo Quiero Taco Bell?"

I asked Andy if he thought this might be the night that we saw the return to form of Noah Lowry, who blazed a second half trail through the National League last year. Well, he went 8 1/3 innings and gave up nothing until his pitch count wandered over 115 pitches. He was dominant until then. He had help though as several Giants made some great defensive plays behind him. But none of the Padres hits were cheap hits, even if they failed to produce any runs.

In the second inning, with a runner hanging around on the basepaths, young rookie phenom Matt Santos (okay, his last name is Santos, but last night when I said to Andy, where have I heard that name before, it was a fictional character, Andy gave me a blank stare... and now, all I can think about is the wonderful Matt Santos character who won the Presidency on The West Wing... so that's what I'm calling him), playing in only his second game, came to the plate. Andy looked at me and said, "I think its time for Santos to hit his first homerun." And just like that, Santos crushed one to deep center field for his first homerun. And everyone looked at Andy with new respect and awe. But not me... I knew Andy was baseball psychic. It was 2-0.

A couple of innings later, Santos walked, moved to second on a perfectly executed bunt by Pitcher Noah Lowry, and then was driven home by a Randy Wynn double down the line. Wynn wasted no time in stealing third. And then, with Omar Vizquel providing the bat work, scored on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze that Padres catcher, Mike Piazza couldn't touch. Vizquel eventually came around to score and it was 5-0.

But the play of the game, the absolute darling of the moment, the quintessential best play ever, occurred in the 8th. Alou led off with a base hit. And that brought Barry Bonds to the plate. As he walked up, I was thinking to myself, he's going to hit one out of here. He's going to hit 722 and I'm going to see it. The first pitch was a ball. The second one Bonds unloaded on - straight up. It skyed into the air. Piazza ripped off his mask. Bonds threw his bat down in disgust and started walked back to the dugout. But then, my favorite player in the whole wide world - who played for the hated Dodgers all those years, and then the Mets, and now with the Padres - whose father tried to steal my Giants and move them to Tampa Bay - this great wonderful player, DROPPED THE FOUL BALL! If Schadenfreude was a drug, I could have retired a kingpin at that moment. Two pitches later, Bonds found the cheap seats! 722! The relief pitcher who had just come into the game, was so rattled that two pitches later, Durham crushed one to right. And a couple pitches after that, Feliz found center. And then, they decided to give the reliever some time to beat the press out of the locker room. It was 9-0 and the Giants still didn't have an out in the inning. And all because Piazza couldn't catch a routine foul ball! Ah... I love this game.

Okay, okay, I can put the relish away with the mustard, this was only one game of the entire season. The Giants still trail the Padres by a game and a half and have never shown much inclination to run away with the division. But for one glorious moment I got to see the player I hate the most drop a routine foul ball which created back to back to back homeruns.

And that is why I love the game of Baseball.

Give up already!

Rant Mode On!

Does anyone still believe that going after Barry Bonds is not politically motivated? I mean the Federal Government has done everything in its power to prove that he's guilty except say that he has weapons of mass destruction and send in the marines! Yet, after millions of dollars spent on this grand jury investigation, they still don't have enough information to indict him? Give up already! What good is this investigation going to do? Even if you catch the guy? Even if you prove it? What will the ramifications be? This thing will just stretch on and on forever.

I used to think that Stars got special treatment before the law - that they could get out of jams the rest of us couldn't. But I'm starting to think that the law might be prejudiced the other way. If any one of us had used steroids, would the government be spending this much money to prove that we did it? And are the witnesses against Bonds the shadiest, most suspect group of witnesses since Michael Jackson's trial, or what?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and it smells like its coming out of some prosecutor's asstericks!

Rant Mode Off!

I read a great article in the Chronicle today about the top guys under 25 in any position. Said some pretty nice things about Ryan Howard. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this kid.

Goin' to the Chapel...

Over at my site I put up a post about Fellowship Day with the SF Giants this Saturday. As I was inspired by the testimonies of these players, I found the Baseball Chapel website. Good stuff here, all. Check it out!

A Proposal to the Group

Since we are all ridiculously wrapped up in baseball I feel the next step is to start up a fantasy league amongst the group next year. It would keep us even more into the game and add to the rivalry's. Any thoughts???

If everyone agrees, I will start doing the legwork and start setting it up for us.

PS- Andy, Marcel and Will's teams must only be composed of west coast ball players....hehe....just kidding. It would be a blast i'm sure!

Conversation Starter.

From ESPN.

Discuss.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

AL All the Way Baby!

That was one of the greatest AllStar Games I have ever seen. What pitching! Brandon Webb came in for only one inning but he quickly dispatched Jeter, Oritz, then A-Rod. What a task!

Penny is awesome Marcel! You guys are lucky to have him!

So, What were you guys most impressed with? Was it the new faces (I think so) or the old guard?

BIGGEST MELTDOWNS

By now you've probably all heard about the headbutt incident involving the French soccer player Zidane in the World Cup finals. If not, get caught up here. It was ugly.

Baseball is no exception to "meltdown moments." The most recent one involved a Single A ball manager just....losing it.


Upload videos at Bolt.

What is your most memorable baseball "meltdown" over the years?

Friday's Baseball Category

Not for any baseball reason, but as a result of watching too much World Cup, my mind has been on officiating lately. So here is Friday's Baseball Category...

Name the three most popular "second" professions for retiring Baseball Umpires...

So, STRIKE while the iron is hot! You wouldn't want to be left OUT! You know you'll have a BALL! And remember, no FOUL language!

BEAT LA!

Had to say it...four game set, Dodgers vs. Giants from Chavez Ravine.

Marcel...Jim...GAME ON!

Bad Trades

Now that it's July, and we're approaching the midpoint of the season, we have two things to look forward to - the All-Star game and the non-waiver trade deadline. I'm sure we'll start heating up the trade rumors here at the 7th Inning Stretch in coming weeks, but for now, in antipation of deadline deals, I wanted to talk about bad trades.

This morning's San Francisco Chronicle has an article about the Minnesota Twins' 2nd ace, rookie sensation Francisco Liriano. Liriano's numbers? Currently 8-1, with a 2.26 ERA in 73.1 innings pitched, with 82 Ks against 19 BBs, averages 10.06 Ks per 9 innings, and opponents are batting .216 against him.

How did the Twins acquire him?

He was a former Giants farmhand, who was a throw in player when, prior to the 2004 season, the Giants traded for then Twins All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Who did the Giants give up?
Minor league pitcher Boof Bonser (who was the Giants' No. 1 pick in 2000) and RP Joe Nathan, who has since become an All-Star closer and who currently has 14 saves, a 5-0 record, a 1.85 ERA, with 47 Ks against 4 BBs in only 34 innings of work. Nathan had not been considered a closer candidate with the Giants, and in fact had struggled as both a starter and reliever. And then, just to sweeten the deal with the Twins, the Giants decided to throw-in Liriano, who was not among the higher rated (according to the club) minor league pitchers in the organization.

So to recap: The Giants traded Joe Nathan, 2 time All-Star closer for the Twins; Boof Bonser, a former # 1 pick who is now the Twins' fifth starter; and Francisco Liriano, now the #2 behind Johan Santana on the Twins' staff, a early candidate for AL Rookie of the Year and even AL Cy Young.

Who did the Giants get, again? Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played one season (2004) with the Giants, hit into 27 double plays (setting a Giants franchise record and was the major league high that year); batted .232 in the 2nd half of the season; only threw out17.7 % of base stealers; and refused to study opposing batters prior to each pitchers' starts even though he was in a new league. Additionally, he had won his arbitration case against the club prior to the season and left as a free agent to play for the eventual World Champion White Sox.

Today, you couldn't do a straight up deal of Nathan for Pierzynski, let alone a straight up deal of Liriano for Pierzynski. It was, perhaps, the worst trade by the Giants in the past 15 years.

::

Any other really bad trades you can think of?

ALL STAR TIME

It's almost here guys! Who's your pitching staff for each league? Who's gonna start? Let's hear it!!!

Nicknames: You Pick 'Em

I read an article here about how nicknames are not as prominent any more. Oh sure, we have The Big Unit, Godzilla, Pudge, Big Papi, The Rocket, The Big Hurt, etc...... But there is a need for more. So, Who's your favorite player that does not have one and what would you propose it to be?

Mine is: Ken Griffey Jr. "Dee Ell"

Friday's Baseball Category

Inspired by the World Cup of Football (Soccer) going on in Germany right now, I was just wondering if you could...

If Baseball had a true World Cup (like soccer, not the dreadful WBC), which three nations would have the best "Baseball Hooligans" and why?

Have at it, boyz...

The Mighty Have Fallen

The year was 1993...the final year of only 2 divisions in each league. The San Francisco Giants had been saved in late 1992 from a move to what is now Tropicana Field by an ownership group led by Peter Magowan, CEO of Safeway. That same group also signed a 28 year old outfielder to a record $42 million, 7 year contract - they had brought Barry Bonds home to San Francisco. Dusty Baker, who had never managed, and had been a hitting instructor under outgoing manager Roger Craig, was named the new manager.

With a lineup that included Will Clark batting 3rd, Matt Williams batting 4th, and Bonds batting 5th, the team turned around quickly from a bottom-feeding-almost Tampa Bay Giants to a division leading club that battled for the division title against the mighty Atlanta Braves, with a rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and John Smoltz. The Giants held a several game lead over the Braves in late July; however, a deadline deal with San Diego netted the Braves outfielder Fred McGriff, who proved to be the offensive catalyst in the final 2 months for Atlanta.

Philadelphia's Phillies secured a sizable lead in the NL East in September, and had comfortably won the divison by the 3rd week of the month, leaving the Giants and Braves to battle it out for the final playoff spot, both teams on track to exceed 95 wins that season. The prognosticators from the talking heads on sportstalk radio and ESPN expected that the NL West winner would need to exceed 100 wins to win the division.

That is precisely what happened. Going into the final week of the season, the Giants faced the Rockies at home while the Braves faced the Astros. It was a see-saw battle down to the final weekend, with the Giants facing a 4 game set at Chavez Ravine and the Braves facing a 4 game set against the Rockies...at home.

The Giants did well - taking 3 of 4 from the Dodgers, losing the critical final game of the season behind rookie pitcher Salomon Torres.

The Braves did VERY well - finishing with a SEASON sweep, going 10-0, against the Rockies.

The Giants won 103 games...the Braves won 104 games.

::

Now, 13 years later, the run of the Braves appears to have come to an end. They have lost 10 straight games, 13 games under .500, and are in last place in the NL East, 15.5 games behind the Mets. There aren't many reasons for the Tomahawk chop (stolen from the Florida Seminoles) to exist in Atlanta these days.

It's been a remarkable run. It's amazing that for all their success, they only have 1 World Series title, in 1995, in the strike shortened season against the Cleveland Indians.

Personally, I've never liked the Braves (especially after the emotional 1993 pennant chase). I like their announcers (Skip Caray and Don Sutton) even less - worse homers than Mike Krukow of the Giants announcing team. I've always respected the talent, but so much of their success was driven on the backs of their pitching staff - and more to the point, Leo Mazzone, their longtime pitching coach, who has resurrected many a pitching castaway's career (Russ Ortiz and John Burkett come to mind). Now it's Roger McDowell handling the staff...ouch.

So RIP to the Braves.

Someone in England Likes Baseball??

I've noticed on the map that there have been a ton of hits from someone in England. I didn't know there were any baseball fans on that side of the pond! We are glad to have you!!! Anyway, I have been waiting to use this picture of my favorite footballer Wayne Rooney in a post. Oh yeah, sorry if we call football soccer.

Thought I'd Share

I was finally able to pull down this pic off my phone - this was from the game I attended with my son 2 weeks ago when Barry hit # 716.

Not that any of the Dodger fans would care...

Living La Vida Loca in the O.C., Baby!

At least if I'm going to be from DOWN THERE, I get to stay near Disneyland and root for the Anaheim Angels of Anaheim. Unlike certain friends of mine, whose name I can no longer mention out of loyalty to the greatest team in baseball - the San Francisco Giants.

It'd be fun to hack this site and change all the answers to obscure California towns like Weed, Volcano, and Mill Valley.

Orange County

You're rich, pretty, and living a charmed life. (Or you seriously wish you were.) From Disneyland to Laguna Beach, you're all about living the California dream life. Just make sure to marry rich - so you don't have to work for it!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Now I Know Why They are the World Champs!

Oh the smell of hotdogs roasting on an open metal thing that moves them back and forth........ My family and I watched the White Sox complete a three game sweep of the Reds yesterday. I have to say, the Sox are for real! Those guys are monsters not only in size but also in pitching, fielding, and obviously coaching. I had never seen Jermaine(?) Dye in person and I have to say, he is large! The Reds are there usual sucky team with a few good personalities and one big ego in center field that hasn't gone on the DL yet.

One of the highlights came in about the third inning when Harang plunked Dye. What made this a highlight was the fact that we all saw and heard Dye get hit in the side and we saw him react by spinning away from the plate. The cool thing was, as he started to walk toward first base, he reached under his arm, grabbed the ball, and slung it toward the dugout!!! Tough guy........

The other highlight for me came in the singing of "Take me out to the ballpark", when I witnessed a "Sneak Attack" occur. When we got to the part where you say "Root, root, root for the (insert team name here "Reds Team")", the crowd around me overwhelmingly screamed "WHITE SOX"! That was really funny.

Anyway, it was a great day at the park (what day isn't) because it was slightly overcast and there was a nice breeze. As you can see in the above pic (crappy cell phone pic), we were right in the alley so we had pretty good seats. The Reds suck and I have always rooted for whomever they are playing and I'm teaching my son to do the same as seen in this photo. As usual, the Reds were by far way to outmatched in this series. It's a good thing that the Royals are rolling into Cincy next. That may be one AL team they will have a chance to beat. Look for the Sox to be in it at the end of this season.



Oh yeah, Hey Andy, that is no doubt Safeco field in the banner.

iPods and Baseball

The iPod. Walk around most cities and you'll see a large number of folks with the ever-present white cord and earbuds. And now, in a major league clubhouse near you, the iPod...with video of opposing catchers and pitchers.

Check it out here.

No, no, no, no, nooooooo!!!

You Belong in Los Angeles

Whether you'll admit it or not, a huge part of you likes being in the spotlight. And you may just have enough star quality to make it big in LA! Even if you don't become famous, you still belong in a place where you can get a year round tan.

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

This is so very wrong for me.

Andy, I'm Moving In.

'Nuff said:

You Belong in San Francisco

You crave an eclectic, urban environment. You're half California, half NYC. You're open minded, tolerant, and secretly think you're the best. People may dismiss you as a hippie, but you're also progressive, interesting, and rich!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Where Would I Live in California?

Why hasn't anyone posted lately? Since it's Friday, I wanted to do a funny one. I know it's a baseball blog but since I've met you guys from California, I wanted to see where I would best fit in out there. So I took this test:

You Belong in San Diego

Laid back and friendly, you were meant to live most of your life on the beach. You usually think everything is "all good"... except when the weather dips under 60F. You stay classy - especially when you're in Tijuana!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

San Diego Here I Come!

# 716

It was another Monday evening in cool, overcast San Francisco. As my son and I trudged out of the parking lot beneath a condo complex across the street, the aroma of pizza wafted, calling us over. At $4 for two slices of cheese pizza, it was substantially cheaper than most food items in the ballpark - so we purchased four slices and walked briskly to the ballpark, 10 minutes ahead of the first pitch.

We sat in our regular seats in Lower Box 106 on the first base side, 30 rows from the field. The lackluster Marlins were the opponent, Noah Lowry against the Fish's Brian Moehler, who departed the game after the 4th inning with an ERA that had ballooned to 7.17 after giving up 8 earned runs. As the game progressed and realizing that it was a school night, we weren't going to stay very long, so this time I took my son to the Fan Lot behind the centerfield bleachers, taking him up to the slides in the Coke bottle; examining the Build-A-Bear workshop (he is only 5 years old); and allowing him to play in the miniature AT&T Park, as he hit a wiffle ball for a screaming line drive off the left field wall.

We casually made our way back along the Arcade along the RF outfield wall, bordering the Bay, when we stopped behind the seats and stood with other patrons to watch the Giants load the bases in the 4th and then watching Lance Niekro deliver a bases clearing triple ahead of Bonds.

With light bulbs flashing Bonds took a mighty swing...and POW! The ball landed behind the centerfield wall.

716 flashed on the scoreboard.

It was a good night as the Giants went on to a 14-2 win.

Which they then followed up with losing 3 out of 4 to the previously 6-25 on-the-road Pirates, who are now 9-26 on the road.

::

On a side note, what are your thoughts on Jason Grimsley, HGH and Bonds? It proves one HUGE thing for me...there have been many, many more players who have been juiced these past several years. I for one, am thankful that there will be more investigation into other players, particularly pitchers.

Technology

In 1982 I got my first set of golf clubs. They were a set of top of the line Walter Hagen Ultras like the pros played with. I played all the time in the 1980's and some in the early 90's but I pretty much put them up until 2002 when I played in a church scramble. The guys they teamed me up with in that scramble laughed at my clubs and acted as though they had never seen real woods before. I felt like I had on polyester green liesure suit and a fedora, I really felt out of place. But why? Well, first of all, everyone had these new metal drivers with alloy shafts and space age irons. Not to mention the golf shoes that had rubber spikes. My shoes still had metal. WHat happened? I felt like I had been put in a time machine and transported from 1989 to 2002 because of technology.

I think baseball is no different by the way the players use new technology gloves, spikes, armor, but most of all training and physical therapy. Athletes today are given the greatest amount of training to get the greatest amount of performance out of them for the greatest amount of time! Contrast someone like A-Rod with Lou Gehrig and think about how many more opportuinities to strengthen and train that ARod was afforded.

With all of the technology out there, the great thing about baseball is that it's still one man and one WOODEN bat against a little ball. That's also STILL my golf game: Me with a wooden driver against a little ball. I did buy a new pair of golf shoes with the new fangled rubber spikes only after my old pair dry rotted and fell apart on the 17th hole.

What Is "Modern?"

Interesting column by ESPN's Jayson Stark here.

How would you divide baseball's eras?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Beisbol sans Pujols

This is a terrible day for baseball. In this era of steroid testing and rumors about who's on the juice or isn't, it has been refreshing to see this young slugger put on an offensive explosion to lead the majors with 25 HR so far. Granted, I have had him as my starting 1B on my fantasy team, so I do have a personal stake in this...but I digress...

Baseball needs this young superstar power hitter - especially on this team, the Cardinals, with its storied history. Baseball doesn't need any more tantrums from George Steinbrenner, it doesn't need any more whining from New England, and it doesn't need anymore BALCO talk from San Francisco. What baseball needs is the ongoing offensive juggernaut known as Albert Pujols to keep driving in runs, to keep his batting average over .300, to continue to hit HR, to continue his assault on an .800 slugging percentage (currently at .751).

Alas, he is on the 15 day DL with an injury that could keep him sidelined for up to 6 weeks. Today is a dark day for baseball indeed.

Friday's Baseball Category

Its as easy as singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

Name three ways baseball needs to change in order to attract NASCAR fans to baseball.

Gentlemen... start your engines...

The World's Pastime

No, I don't mean soccer.

I mean baseball, which is steadily gaining popularity in Europe. Witness the EMBLOS' home town team the Regensburg Legionaires. At the moment, they are first in the southern division of the German league and are favorites to repeat as German Champions for fifth consecutive year.

For fun, surf around the international pages of this site. The award for "best mascot" goes to the the team from Vienna, Austria.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

I Am Proud

I hope I don't end up jinxing him by posting this: If Brandon Webb goes on to win 4 of his next 5, he will be the starting pitcher for the NL in the All-Star Game! I know you guys are not D'Back fans, but I wish you all had the opportunity to know this kid. He is a humble guy that doesn't like the spotlight and he is the most down to earth athlete I have ever been around.

Growing up, he was just a little blonde headed kid that played with my cousin. I used to take them to my folk's pool when I was in high school and I never dreamed he would grow up to pitch at UK let alone in the majors. Then it turned out that when I met my wife (Ashland's Cheerleading Coach at the time), Brandon's future wife cheered for her and had grown up around her. He's an awesome guy, she's an awesome girl, and I couldn't be any more proud.

Go Brandon, win them all! First stop All-Stars, Second stop Cy Young!

Anyone But...

After listening to the Giants lose yet another game to the Marlins, my first thought was, How the heck do you lose to the Marlins? And then, I corrected myself with the thought, Oh, yeah, they're the Marlins. For the past decade or so, the Marlins just seem to have the Giants number. Whether they are good or bad, the Giants always seem to get their hats handed to them by the members of this fishy team. I don't know what it is, but when I see the Marlins on the schedule I just know that a bunch of losses will follow.

In the early 90's, it was the Astros for the Giants. We just never seemed to be able to get past those guys. They weren't a great team back then - better than some perhaps - but they had our number. And before that, I can remember fearing the arrival of the Braves (back before they were good and before they had that annoying Tomahawk crap... honestly, is there anything more annoying in modern baseball? I'd take the DH in the NL if they'd ban the tomahawk crap!)

I don't know what it is that allows some teams to dominate match ups even when the other team sucks, but I'm sure the Giants can't be the only team with a fish they can't fry. Anyone else's team have an annoying nemesis?

God Answers Prayers

I present the following story for what it’s worth.

Following the Cardinals 1968 World Series appearance against the Tigers, there were a few sparse years but the team stayed competitive. We fans certainly didn’t anticipate a post season drought of fourteen years. Suffice it to say, the seventies were a kidney stone of a decade for Cardinal Nation.

One exception, however was the 1971 season. Throughout the season, the Birds fought Willie Stargell’s Pirates neck and neck for the National League East title. And it came down to the last series of the regular season. The Pirates were in town with the Cards two games behind. We needed a sweep to get to the post season.

For the second game, Bob Gibson was to pitch. I desperately wanted to go to the game. My father had tickets from his work, but was taking business acquaintances. My pleas to him to find a way to take us fell on deaf ears. It was a school night. Mom, my brother and I were to stay at home and listen to Jack Buck on the radio.

As my father was getting ready to go to the game, I went into my bedroom and hit my knees. I remember I prayed to God that my Dad would change his mind and take us to the game. Later on, he told me he had seen me there and felt bad that it was not meant to be.

Suffice it to say, I was disappointed when he left the house without me in the car. I resigned myself to enjoying the game on the radio and figured I could sneak my own transistor hand held implement into bed with me along with the ear piece and listen after “lights out” if the game went long. (I doubted it would. Gibson was known for pitching fast games. I once saw him pitch a game in an hour and forty-five minutes. Woe to any batter who called “time” more than once during a game.)

Anyway, about 6:30 that night our phone rang. Mom picked up the receiver and listened. Then she started laughing. I heard her say, “We’ll be there in half an hour.”

It seems, Dad had picked up the business associates and took them to the game. When he got out of the car, however, he had locked and closed the doors.

With the keys still in the ignition.

With the motor running.

He sent the associates into the ball park, found a scalper with three tickets, then called my Mom who brought us to the game.

I wish I could say, we won, but at least I was there.

And that’s how I know God loves baseball.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

# 715

So he's done it. Barry Bonds has passed the Babe. I was out on a campground when it occurred, and only discovered that he'd hit it when I checked scores on my cell phone (Yes, I'm a geek).

It is a remarkable achievement, regardless of the cloud of suspicion over his head. Only 3 men in baseball history have ever hit this many home runs. And now, only two have ever hit 715.

The question that remains - does Barry reach Aaron's record? What do you think?

I don't think he does. If by some miracle he does, it will NOT be in a Giants uniform.

By Decade...

Okay, since we're all in this All-Time Team mode...let's go with All-Decade teams, starting with the 1970s. Any player from that decade...fill out a starting 8, Utility, DH, and four man rotation, with your closer.

Once again...the 70s. Disco demolition night. White Sox and softball shorts. "We Are Family" Pirates. The Big Red Machine. The Oakland "Hairs". Artificial surfaces in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Montreal, Philadelphia, Kansas City, St. Louis, Seattle, Houston, Toronto. Atlanta and Cincinnati were in the "West". Chicago was in the "East".

Have at it.

Friday's Baseball Category

Categories is a game my sister and I invented to pass the time and it has been a feature on my blog for a while now on Friday's. The game works particularly well with blogs because it is, in essence, a blog category type thing. The idea is that I name a category and ask you to furnish the three best (and often funniest) answers you can come up with. For example; Name Three Other Substances Bonds Thought He Was Using Besides Flax Seed Oil. And you would answer 1) Injectable Sun Screen 2) Spray On Hair and 3) Tattoo Protection... or something like that. Got the idea?

Okay, Today's Friday Baseball Category Is...

Name Three Ways Baseball Could Be Improved By Adopting Parts Of Other Sports.

Good luck!

A Philosophical Query

In a comment to yesterday's post, Donny Prater provided a line-up filled with movie character ball players. Certainly, we can all agree that The Natural and Field Of Dreams are definitive baseball movies, i.e. movies which portray the transcendant aspects of the game and its connection to the American psyche to a wider audience.

Here's the question: Does Bull Durham, a fine movie BTW, fall into that category or is it just a chick flick masquerading as a baseball movie?

Discuss.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

You Are The Coach, Part 3 (Final Lineup)

I'm happy to announce that the Galaxy Commissioner approved of our all-time player lineups. He kept remarking in his best Klingon garble something to the effect of "Dochvam nuq vortek Piazza" which I later found out through translators was he liked that one the best.

Our collective wisdom was so well received that, when finding out who our favorite teams were, he personally requested the best all-time lineups for each of them - Yankees, Giants, Dodgers and Cards. Was there a Cincy fan somewhere here too?

Without further adue coaches, lineup cards please.....

Dodgers all time lineup

C - Roy Campanella (edging out, you guessed it....Pizza boy!)
1B - Gil Hodges (edging out Mr. Forearms, Garvey)
2B - Jackie Robinson (edging out Davey Lopes)
SS - Maury Wills
3B - The Penguin
OF - Duke Snyder
OF - Tommy Davis
OF - Willie Davis
Util - Pedro Guerrero (can play 3B, 1B and OF)
P - Koufax (edging out Sutton and Drysdale)
RP - Gagne
Manager - Walter Alston (edging out the "fat little Italian")

Name That Field

Can anyone name the stadium in the header graphic? No cheating...

Favorite Games?

Between all of us here at the "Stretch" we likely have some amazing memories of games we attended. I'd love to hear your memorable games. The only rule is that you actually attended the game (so unless you were at the 1954 pennant clinching game between the Giants and Dodgers, that doesn't count - likewise the 1988 World Series game with the Gibson homer).

I will post my memorable game or games later...

You Are The Coach, Part 2

After our strong showing in the Intergalactic Series classic, in which we steamrolled over the Ferengi's on their home turf (just a hop and a skip away on quadrant 6 if you cruise on warp factor 9 with Data at the helm), the galaxies proposed that we bring back the best players of all time by position and left this gargantuan task at the hands of baseball gurus at The 7th Inning Stretch! Holy Cow!

Lets not disappoint. Please submit your starting line up (please use same format as Donnie's - all the positions, a DH, a Utility player plus one pitcher and one reliever).

My lineup:

C - Mike Piazza
1B - Lou Gehrig
2B - Rogers Hornsby
SS - Ernie Banks
3B - Mike Schmidt
OF - Bonds
OF- Ted Williams
OF - Willie Mays
DH - The Babe
Util - Mickey Mantle (Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, Pete Rose....and Hank Aaron got snubbed!)
P - Clemens
RP - this is a tough one....oh man....arrrgh! Dennis Eckersley

You Are The Coach!!!

Since the post you guys threw out on Tuesday was so fun, I wanted to try my hand at it. I'm not a Science Fiction fan and I hate Star Trek but bear with me. Here's my question:

It's time for the intergalactic baseball championship. You are the coach for the Earth team and you will be playing against seven other teams from all over the galaxy. Who's in your starting line up? (this includes all the positions, a DH, a Utility player plus one pitcher and one reliever)

Also, they have to be active this year.....Clemens can't play.

Time For Some Questions

With almost two months under our belts, I think it's time for some serious discussion:

1. Best division in the NL? AL? Baseball?

2. Ditto the worst divisions?

3. Any teams likely to run away with playoff spots?

4. Any team clearly with a fork in it at this point, other than the Royals.

You only get full credit if you show your work.

Cheers.

9 to 2.

I love going to games, but I'll admit, the weeknight games can take their toll on me, especially after being up since 5 am, working all day, coming home to pick up my son, and driving back out to the ballpark.

That said, there's nothing like an evening at the ballpark, especially on a nice 65 degree night like we had tonight in San Francisco. Pujols vs. Bonds. Cards vs. Giants. Mark Mulder vs. Jamey Wright.

On paper, it was a mismatch. The journeyman Wright was to face off against Mulder. The central leading Cards against the Giants, 2 games over .500.

But Wright had command of his pitches. In the 1st inning, he had an impressive K of Pujols, dispatching him on 3 straight strikes. His final line was 1 run on 6 hits, 2 BB and 4 K in 8 innings of work, only 102 pitches, saving the Giants pen for a second day - the only member of the Giants' pen to see action was Benitez - and that was primarily because the Giants had loaded the bases in the 8th inning with a 4-1 lead at the time, with the former Padre Mark Sweeney pinch hitting for Wright, and hitting a hard single off the top of the 23 foot RF wall, driving in 2 runs to extend the lead to 6-1.

::

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. After all, baseball is his favorite game, and at the tender age of 5, he has attended more games than I had by the age of 10. It is a magical sight for any child walking into the ballpark, seeing the vast expanse of grass, the aroma of the hot dogs, and here in SF, that of garlic fries.

From a fan interaction perspective, the biggest downside to this ballpark is the prevalence of corporately owned seats. The seats I purchase from a friend are down in the Lower Box, 30 rows from the field, 1B side. Great seats. Unfortunately, we are surrounding by many corporately owned seats, and tonight, sitting behind us were several men in San Francisco on business, their first time at this ballpark. The folks in front of us were also corporate-types, more interested in talking business, paying attention only when Barry came to bat.

I don't mind the corporate ticket holders in the sense that they do help pay for my club (and for most baseball teams in general). But it does impact the general sense of fun in the stands with so many "general" fans as opposed to Giants or Cardinal fans in the stands.

At least no one was standing up in front of me on their cellphone waving to a friend out in the bleachers trying to find them with binoculars.

Randall, we took game 1.

More On Barry

I note on ESPN's Page 2 today, Patrick Hruby suggests that Barry's "real" homerun total is about 616 because of the juice. Purely arbitrary, of course. To my mind, however, one doesn't hit 500 or 600 or 700 homeruns in a career without some athletic ability. I’m sure the juice helped in some fashion, but Schadenfreude causes us to minimize the efforts of anyone who approaches the summit of Mount Olympus.

I was alive when Henry Aaron was chasing Babe Ruth and to hear people talk, you would have thought the apocalypse was imminent. Part of it, of course, had to do with Henry’s skin tone, but most of it, I think had to do with reality intruding on our picture of the idyllic past. Henry, played it just right and recognized his role in the drama.

Barry's problem is not the juice. It's his personality. For those of us who grew up wishing we could someday play major league ball, only to see our dreams dashed in little league or junior high, his attitude vexes us. He doesn't seem to have the reverence for the game which we have and wish all major leaguers had.

That's the difference between Barry and Mac/Sosa. The latter two saw themselves as part of something bigger and acted the part. They saved baseball because of it and that’s why people don’t complain about them the way they do about Barry.

Yet, Barry doesn't care; About the game or the fans.

In truth, I don’t begrudge him his taters or his attitude. We forget sometimes that our heros of yore were not saints. Ty Cobb was a mean, racist bastard. Most of the ball players of the twenties and thirties were philanderous drunks. We just choose to ignore those facts because of the passage of time.

We all need to face up to the fact that our idols in the Church of Baseball have feet of clay. We, the true believers, are responsible for maintaining the purity of the worship.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

P.S. Albert’s the real deal. I obviously can’t say for sure, but I doubt he’s cheating. Go Cards!

The Cloud

Forget the book and all you think you know. Let's go on the assumption that most people think Bonds is guilty because there is no way that anyone sets the single season home run hitting record without being on steroids. That being said, we paint McGwire with the same brush of suspicion and now, one has to wonder, if Pujols' attempt to break Bonds record doesn't also fall under this cloud of suspicion.

Pujols comes to San Francisco today with 21 home runs already this season and well on the pace to break Bonds single season record. Considering the rabid anger of non-partisan fans over Bonds this season, I wonder how long before Pujols also comes under the same cloud. There aren't many people "worthy" of breaking long held cherished records. Surely Bonds has proven not to be "worthy". But one wonders what Pujols credentials for being the new Poster Boy of Swat are? He might be wise to only break the record after having come close a couple of times. We wouldn't want anyone to suggest that his home run total of last year certainly didn't prepare him to hit 74 home runs this year. ;) And somebody better check those before and after pictures and maybe bulk up the former, just in case. We all know how telling those photos are. And the Cardinals would really do us all a big favor if they would just lock up all the local nosy reporters in the area, or make sure that Pujols never appears before a Secret Grand Jury where his testimony will Never Appear In Print Ever, We Promise.

(No, but seriously, just like McGwire and Sosa before Bonds, I'm rooting for Pujols. I hope that he doesn't hit any damaging homers against us the next three days. He could hit five or six and it wouldn't bother me at all so long as the Giants swept the series ;)

Jealousy

The official daughter has returned from her eighth grade class trip to Chicago. While there, she had the opportunity to watch the Cubs play the Nats at Wrigley Field during a day game.

I must remember the Tenth Commandment; I must remember the Tenth Commandment; I must remember . . .

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Honus Wagner To Albert Pujols

As if we all needed another diversion, behold:

The Oracle Of Baseball.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

The NL West

Okay - I'll admit to having jumped on the "woe is the NL West" bandwagon myself. But as I viewed the standings this morning, one huge difference jumped out at me:

Every team in the division is above .500.

Sure there's only a 3 game separation between 1st and last. But EVERY team - San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco - are above .500 (in LA and SF's case, only 1 game above).

Still...look at the other divisions. Chicago and Pittsburgh are hopeless in the NL Central. Washington and Florida are on life support in the NL East. Baltimore and Tampa Bay are once again at the bottom of the standings in the AL East. Cleveland, Minnesota and the terrible Royals are sub 500 in the AL Central. Both the Angels and Mariners are under .500 in the AL West, and the A's and Rangers are tied for 1st in the AL West, each only 1 game over .500 - which means they would be tied for LAST in the NL West.

Granted, we're nearly 2 months into the season, and it's still early, and the separation between 1st and last will grow over the next 4 months. But I daresay, there's pretty good ball being played out West. The Padres had won 9 straight, and are 7-3 over their last 10 games. Both the Dodgers and Giants have won 7 out of their last 10, including the three wins (with 34 runs the Giants scored) over the defending NL Champion Astros this week.

The West is winning.

For now.

Bread and Circuses

Have we reached the point where Sport is no longer about the competition, fairly played, and is now entirely about the spectacle? Have we become participants in that insanity?

I remember years ago, when I was much younger, going to a Dodger/Giants game with three friends - Andy, Greg, and Jay. For various reasons, Jay was sitting in a different section than us and we all agreed to meet after the game. During the game we witnessed numerous brawls, fights, beer tossings, and other insanity. It was not only distracting to the game, but it was just generally a terrible time at the park. After the game, we waited and waited and waited for my friend Jay to arrive. When he finally did arrive, he informed us that he'd been delayed because he'd gotten into a fight with a Dodger fan. We all thought how crazy it was to fight another human being over a game.

I am reminded of this situation because of the insanity that I am seeing in sports lately - on both sides. The alleged steroid abuse that was rampant in baseball by players who felt the need to get an edge in a game that really didn't need any extra excitement is one part of it. But the other part of it is the fan's reactions to sports stars. I remember at the end of the World Cup in 1994 when a member of the Columbian soccer team was killed after his team was eliminated in the first round. I thought that was insane. But just this last week, I've seen fans boo the Canadian national anthem at a Hockey Game (Uh, hello! The sport was invented there you numbskulls!) and last night's attempted assault on Barry Bonds was actually cheered by the crowd. Where did this blood lust come from?

When I coach T-Ball, I enjoy watching the kids hit the ball and run as fast as they can to first base. I enjoy the fact that they are more concerned with whether their parents see them make a play than whether anyone else cares. I enjoy the fact that these kids play because its fun. In fact, if it didn't interfere so horribly with their cartoon schedule, I'd say replace all major leaguers with 5 year olds and lets watch something really entertaining for a change. It'd be good for baseball. And it'd be good for the so-called fans.

DID YOU KNOW?

This is a feature dedicated to listing your "Did you know?"s in baseball. Over the course of our grand game's history, there have been many oddities, rarities and trivia gallore . Strictly for the historian, the purist, the stat junkie and the fantasy-league wannabes. Let the lists begin.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know Cy Young is the winningest pitcher in baseball history, with 511 wins. But did you also know he is the losingest pitcher, with 315 losses?

Sidenote: Did you also know that he also holds the record for the lamest real name? Yup - DENTON TRUE YOUNG.

Did you know that The Babe hit the first homer in All-Star history back in 1933? And yes, the A.L. won 4-2.

Did you know that Mickey Mantle, Ken Caminiti, and Eddie Murray share the all time record for most home runs from both sides of the plate in one game?

Did you know that the only team to ever have the best record in baseball in a season never made the post-season? The Cincinatti Reds did that in the strike-shortened season of 1981, never winning the division during the two halves of the season that year.

Did you know that on the 20th of September, 1981, the Yankees signed a Stanford University outfielder who hit .316 his previous season to a Minor League contract? That player's name? John Elway.

Did you know Jeff Bronkey is the first player from the Middle East to ever make it to the major leagues? He played for the Texas Rangers in 1993, and hailed out of Kabul, Afghanistan.


What's your Did You Know?

Hot Dogs and Fermented Hops

First things first, I don't condone such behavior as shown on this banner. In other words, I don't drink but I do love hotdogs. I just wanted to stir the pot of sauce that this blog is slowly simmering in by showing my new west coast friends this picture. Any comments???

All joking aside, if he did or he didn't, Who Cares? Barry is an over forty guy that can still hit a 98 mph fastball. Do you know how hard that has to be? I know that if I could step into the batters box and try, I would probably pee my pants and have to leave the game.

So, Barry Bonds, good on you! You've perservered and run the race. I think Babe would be proud. Oh yeah, and before I forget, there's this guy named A-Rod and a youngster named Albert in St. Louis that are gunning for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Voices

Among my earliest memories of baseball were those Saturday morning (on the West Coast) games on NBC with the soothing sounds of Vin Scully on play by play with Joe Garagiola on color. I can recall seeing a Pirate/Red matchup in the late 70s with the "We Are Family" crew facing Tom Seaver and Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, in either the old Three Rivers or Riverfront Stadium on the carpet with the 5 circles.

I'm not nostalgic for the days of Astroturf.

But thinking back to those days makes me think about how fortunate I've been out west to hear some very good announcers. With the Giants, I recall listening to Hank Greenwald for many years, along with Lon Simmons for parts of the past several years. When Hank retired in the mid 90s, the mike was turned over to Jon Miller (formerly of the Orioles and still with ESPN's Sunday Night crew). Joe Morgan did great color work for the Giants until he stuck with his national gig, and the current crew including former Giant and Indian Duane Kuiper along with former Cub, Phillie and Giants pitcher Mike Krukow (who ironically came to the Giants from the Phillies in exchange for Joe Morgan) is quite solid.

When I'm in LA during this time of year, I make a point to listen to Dodger games on the radio - if only to hear Vin's voice. Or I'll watch a Dodger game on the tube, because Vin will be announcing a few innings on TV before heading over to the radio side.

We associate our teams (and our memories of games) with those who called them. The 1954 NL title would not be the same with Russ Hodges' dramatic call. Giants home runs take on a special value, it seems, when Lon Simmons announces it with his trademark, "Bye bye baby!"

So...I'm curious to hear about your memories and thoughts on your favorite announcers. The lines are open...

It's only May...

...But Colorado has a better record on the road than at home.

Everyone talks about how awful the NL West is, but no one seems to notice that the AL West is just as dreadful.

The Yankees are not the best team in NY right now.

Atlanta is 4 games under .500. Why do I think they'll be in the divisional race come September?

Cincinnati will be under .500 once again when September rolls around. And Junior Griffey will spend at least another stint on the DL in July.

Giants vs. Dodgers this weekend. Of COURSE Barry wasn't going to tie or pass the Babe against the Cubs. He'll hit 714 and 715 against LA pitching, just like #71, 72 and 73.

Are you listening Marcel?

Donny, sorry about Matsui.

The State of the Game

I read an interesting quote in the paper yesterday from a writer, Gay Tallese, who was in town promoting his non-baseball book. But when asked about San Francisco, somehow he drifted onto the subject of Bonds. He said something to the effect of; "Bonds is being paraded around the nation like a sacrificial lamb, being pilloried in each and every city he visits like a martyr before execution." This from a guy who didn't describe himself as a baseball fan and it matched exactly what I had been thinking about this situation - that it had gone far beyond simple contempt for someone that had allegedly broken the law and moved into outright theatrics. Of course, I don't blame Bonds so much as the game of Baseball itself which has been allowed to come to this situation.

There is no commissioner. Oh sure, Selig holds the title. But let's be realistic. Had there been a commissioner in baseball five years ago, none of this would have ever happened. Its not that it hasn't happened before, but before it was quietly taken care of behind the scenes. Baseball policed itself and never allowed the public in behind the scenes to make decisions in the court of public opinion. Baseball learned its lessons after the Black Sox Scandal and was forced to basically dismantle an entire World Series team in order to appease the public. I'm wondering if Bonds isn't the scapegoat for an entire generation of bad steroid policy.

So much of the reason this is being bandied about in the press is the fact that Baseball has become such a business. For a few glorious seasons after PacBell park opened in San Francisco, I thought how wonderful it was to have a new ball park and a great team. But when I went to the ball park this year, I was shocked to see that a 20 oz coca cola that I could buy for a buck at inflated 7-11 Convenience Store prices, cost a minimum of $4.50. Depending on the sale, you could almost buy a 12 Pack of Coke for that same price. Has anybody learned anything from the movie theaters and their declining sales? There are other options out there. People will move on to other things - cheaper things. Baseball, I fear, will soon become the last bastion of people who have been outpriced by the high cost of NBA hoops.

I am worried about this next collective bargaining agreement that is going through. The last strike nearly ended baseball for good. I'm not sure the sport could survive another strike. Everyone needs to get over the idea that $10 mil a season just isn't enough and start paying attention to the masses they allegedly play for.

All that being said, baseball is eternal. Every spring it is renewed. Every summer it becomes a part of long hot days and early evenings spent listening to the radio while we work in our yards, or just relax with a beer. Every fall, it becomes a classic again. I have always been a baseball fan, and as pessimistic as I seem to be getting lately, I think there is nothing that can destroy the love of the game for me. I'm even almost willing to allow the Dodgers to win occassionally, so long as baseball goes on (Just so long as you guys fire Jeff Kent, all will be right with the world again!).

Now, Play Ball!

Go Giants!

Will

And So It Begins

Your source for spirited discussions about the game we all love. We will reflect upon the season, talk smack about our rivals, and throw about stats galore.

So stand up and stretch. Look down on the field and sing it with us, off key and at the top of your lungs...

"Take me out to the ball game..."