Rating the 20 Game 7’s that I remember

Original post Date: Monday, October 23, 2006

Last Thursday's game 7 between the Cardinals and Mets, to the shock of
probably every baseball fan on the planet Earth, was a terrific game.

Even though the end result wasn't what I was hoping for as I was rooting
for the Mets, it had the twists, turns, unpredictablity and a genuine
"Holy Cow! Did you see that!" moment that game 7 showdowns should have.

That got me thinking about game 7s from my recollection and trying to see
how many of them were great, how many were good and how many were
completely unmemorable.

Like Mark McGwire not talking about the past, I am not going to bring up
game 7s from before my baseball watching days.

Grover Cleveland coming out of the pen to strike out Tony Lazzeri in 1926,
Johnny Podres shut out of the Yankees in 1955, Bill Mazeroski's homer in
1960, Bobby Richardson catching Willie McCovey's line drive in 1962... all
great to be sure.

But they were before my time and I didn't experience the moment of "What
is going to happen next?" that comes from watching the game live.

The first World Series I remember watching was the 1979 World Series. I
remember Pops Stargell and Dave Parker in those ungodly yellow uniforms
and hats covered with stars. I remember the crowd singing "We Are Family" and I remember Kent Tekulve's glasses.

So using 1979 as a starting point... there have been 20 game 7s.
(I am not including game 5s in this post... that will be a future one)

Some game 7s were great, some were good, some were completely forgettable and anticlimactic and 4 I am too emotionally attached to and therefore can not analyze with any sense of objectivity.

here are how I rank the game 7s that I watched live.

The 5 great ones –

1. 1991 World Series
TWINS 1 BRAVES 0 (10 innings)



Undoubtedly the greatest World Series I ever saw. If that series featured the Red Sox or Yankees vs the Dodgers, Cubs or Mets and the games unfolded in the same way, people would be talking about it still as a turning point in baseball history... maybe American history.

Each game got better and better with extra inning collisions at the plate,
unlikely heroes (Mark Lemke? Jerry Willard? Gene Larkin?) and Kirby
Puckett winning game 6 with his glove and a walk off homer. I remember
being exhausted after game 6 (the 3rd extra inning game) and thinking
"They can't top that!"

They did. Jack Morris and John Smoltz exchanging shut out innings. Lonnie
Smith, a veteran of three World Series, being faked out by a decoy play
that would have scored the potential title clinching tun. Both teams
exchanging unlikely inning ending double plays. Little used Gene Larkin
winning it all with a base hit to left... and Jack Morris throwing ten
(TEN!) shutout innings. Best World Series I ever saw... Best game 7 I ever
saw.


2. 2003 American League Championship Series
YANKEES 6 RED SOX 5 (11 innings)



I can write about this without cutting my wrists now, thanks to 2004. And
while I hemmed and hawed about putting this in the "Not emotionally
qualified to talk about it" category. But I can admit, this was an amazing
game. Pedro's early dominance and Clemens flopping made it feel like the
foot that Yankees had been putting on the Red Sox throat was finally
lifting. And then the 8th inning happened. 1 out, nobody on, Jeter
doubled, Williams singled, Matsui hit a ground rule double... the Yankees
couldn't hit Embree, Timlin or Williamson all series... Pedro was a 7
inning pitcher... and Grady leaves him in.

Posada dunks a double. Rivera shuts down the Sox for 3 innings and Aaron
Boone sees one knuckleball... and Grady Little gets a well deserved
pinkslip and the Curse lives for just one more year.

And my wife (who had married me just 2 weeks before) thinks I am an idiot
for following this team. Tough game to stomach. But a great one
nonetheless.



3. 2001 World Series
DIAMONDBACKS 3 YANKEES 2



The first moment of Yankee hater glee came in the 9th inning of game 7 of
the 2001 World Series. The Yankees were winning thanks to Soriano's homer off of Schilling and despite Big Unit's solid relief, the Yankees had
Rivera on the mound. Ergo the series was over. The idea of Rivera not
being able to seal the deal was impossible to comprehend.

And then it happened. Single. Error. Fielder's choice. And Tony Womack's
double ties it up. By the time Luis Gonzalez blooped that single over
Jeter's head, the D'Backs celebrated not only a World Championship, but a
victory that seemed physically impossible, because Rivera was invincible until that moment.



4. 1997 World Series
MARLINS 3 INDIANS 2 (11 Innings)

Widely considered to be one of the least interesting World Series ever
played, the spectacular finale redeemed it. I was rooting for the Indians
and hoping the city of Cleveland would get a well deserved championship
parade. It has been since 1948 for the Tribe and since the mid 1960s since
ANY Cleveland team has won a title.



And with Jaret Wright cruising with a 2-0 lead in the 7th it looked good.
BAM! Bonilla homers. Then Mesa allows a 1 out sac fly to tie it in the
9th, sure handed infielder Tony Fernandez makes an error in the 11th and
Edgar Renteria wins it to ease the suffering of the Marlins fans. I had
the good fortune of watching that game with my friend Steve who was from
Miami and rooting for the Marlins, whose fans would have to wait only 6
more years for another title.

Poor Cleveland still waits.



5. 1992 National League Championship Series
BRAVES 3 PIRATES 2



I really was rooting for the Pirates in 1992. The Red Sox were stuck in
last place and in the post season I adopted Jim Leyland, Barry Bonds et
al. Everyone knew the team was going to be broken up because of free
agency so this was the Pirates last chance to make it to the World Series.
And if the Pirates won, a buddy of mine (a Blue Jays fan) and I were going
to go to Pittsburgh for game 1 of the World Series. We had our tickets
reserved.

It looked bleak when the Braves took a 3-1 series lead, but Bonds woke up
and helped the Pirates force a game 7. Drabek and Smoltz dueled but Drabek took a 2-0 lead to the 9th. A few hits and an unlikely Jose Lind error
later and the lead was 2-1, but 2 outs and the Braves turned to Francisco
Cabrera.

All series I made fun of Cabrera, who was on the roster only because they
needed a 25th player and catcher Greg Olsen was hurt. He only played in 10 games during the season and whenever there was a key situation, I would nudge my friend and say “They should bring in Cabrera.”

Well here he was… in the biggest situation imaginable… and he slams a hit
that ties the game and sends Sid Bream, running as if he was carrying a
safe, home for the winning run.

Cabrera had the last laugh… and I got a refund for my World Series tickets.



The Four Good Ones


1. 2006 National League Championship Series
CARDINALS 3 METS 1


Now this was a game for the overachievers. Oliver Perez, who got less
respect than Charlie Brown as a big game pitcher, throws the game of his
life… as does maligned Jeff Suppan. Endy Chavez makes possibly the best
catch I have ever seen, Yadier Molina makes his claim to NOT be the Zeppo
of the Molina brothers, Adam Wainright shows the world his amazing curve
ball and the Mets try their best to replicate the 1986 come back.

If Beltran swung the bat, it would be included among the great ones



2. 1979 World Series
PIRATES 4 ORIOLES 1



I was seven years old, watching this game in the upstairs of Mrs.
Bianchi’s house in Weston Massachusetts. It was the first World Series
clinching I ever saw. And the first time I watched a game 7 thinking “Man!
What’s going to happen next?”

I remember Stargell hitting a two run homer over Ken Singleton’s head in
the 6th and then Earl Weaver using what seemed like 100 pitchers in the
9th until finally Tekulve and those thick glasses looking like one of the
Hansen brothers.

And then when the Pirates won, the magnificent celebration.
Needless to say, it made a big impact on me.


3. 1987 World Series
TWINS 4 CARDINALS 2



I remember watching this game while I was in the school play. Every time
there was a scene in “The Diviners” that I wasn’t in, I’d rush back to
watch the game. The Twins came back from behind and with Viola’s strong
performance clinched the World Series.

I remember thinking it was funny to say “World Champion Minnesota Twins.”

The Twins didn’t seem like a team that COULD win it. But there was
something so likable about that team, which resembled a slow pitch
softball team and had only 3 good pitchers. They were the living argument
AGAINST the axiom “pitching beats hitting.”


4. 2004 National League Championship Series
CARDINALS 5 ASTROS 2



Someday the 2004 NLCS will get its due credit for being a great series.
Everyone (including yours truly) was transfixed on the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees... and I bet they missed back to back games ending with walk off homers. Great pitching and a showcase for Albert Pujols and Carlos Beltran.

Roger Clemens had a lead in the 6th inning of game 7, setting up the possibility of an Astros/Red Sox World Series. But Scott Rolen's home run high lighted the comeback and the Cardinals won the pennan.

The 7 forgettable ones

1. 1985 World Series
ROYALS 11 CARDINALS 0



I know Don Denkinger screwed up that call in game 6. I know the Cardinals
got hosed and it possibly cost them the World Series title. But there was
still a game 7 to be played! If the Cardinals won game 7, then the
Denkinger call would have been an obscure memory.

Besides they had John Tudor pitching who had a chance to go 3-0. I
remember being so excited for this game after coming home from school.

By the 4th inning I was doing home work

The Cardinals didn’t even show up.

Sports Illustrated had a picture of Cardinals’ catcher Darrell Porter
laughing after letting an easy pop up drop. What was going to be a war
between two proud franchises turned into the biggest anti climax and worst game 7 I have ever seen.



2. 1996 National League Championship Series
BRAVES 15 CARDINALS 0



The 1996 Cardinals had a 3-1 lead over the defending champion Braves and
LaRussa’s first season in St. Louis looked like a miracle season. Then the
Braves forced a game 7…

Any hopes for a showdown ended when Tom Glavine, the freaking pitcher!,
tripled home 3 runs in a ridiculous, remote control grabbing 6 run 1st
inning. And later, LaRussa ended Ozzie Smith career by sending him out as
a pinch hitter instead of letting him play the field one more time. Both
teams emptied their bench as game 7’s box score resembled a split squad
spring training game.



3. 1987 National League Championship Series
CARDINALS 6 GIANTS 0



What is it with the Cardinals playing lousy game 7s?
The 1987 NLCS was underatedly exciting. It was my first year of living in
the Bay Area and hard not to get swept up in the excitement for Roger
Craig’s Hum Babies. The Cardinals and Giants swapped hard fought
victories, including a heart breaking 1-0 Cardinals win in game 6. A
showdown seemed evident for the finale… but instead Danny Cox shut out the Giants (who didn’t score the final two games) and reserve second basemen Jose Oquendo homered.

Worst of all, the scoring all happened early, so the
Cardinals took a big lead and the rest was a dull waiting game.

This series deserved better.

4. 1988 National League Championship Series
DODGERS 6 METS 0



Series rarely have the unexpected drama as the Dodgers/Mets series, which had the Mets have two improbable come from behind wins in games started by Hershiser and the Dodgers’ top reliever suspended for putting pine tar in his glove. Then Mike Scioscia and Kirk Gibson homer in game 4 and Hershiser comes out of the pen to stunningly tie the series. When the
Mets forced a game 7 and a Hershiser-Darling finale, it seemed like there
was one more great moment up this series’ sleeve.

There wasn’t. The Mets made a bunch of errors, the Dodgers took a big lead early and neither team scored again, taking any drama out of the game in the second.



5. 1991 National League Championship Series
BRAVES 4 PIRATES 0



Like the Giants/Cardinals series in 1987, the first Braves/Pirates match
up was a terrific and underrated match up. Unfortunately, the finale was
snooze.

Brian Hunter homered early and John Smoltz couldn’t be hit. The Pirates
were held scoreless for 26 of their last 27 innings and there were 10,000
empty seats at a lifeless Three Rivers Stadium



6. 1985 American League Championship Series
ROYALS 6 BLUE JAYS 2



I had to think real hard about what happened in this game, which is a
problem for a game 7. I remember rooting for the Blue Jays and thinking it
would be cool to see Canada in the World Series. Jim Sundberg tripled home 3 in the 6th and then the teams went through the motions through the end.

Not exactly a game to replay on ESPN classic.



7. 2003 National League Championship Series
MARLINS 9 CUBS 6



This looked like it had “classic” written all over it. A day after the
infamous game 6 (Steve Bartman’s excessive blame for this game will be
addressed elsewhere) the Cubs, like the 1985 Cardinals, had a chance to
wipe away any bad memories.

When Cabrera homered off of his shoe tops, it looked bad, but the Kerry
Wood (!) homered himself to tie the game, Alou homered to give the Cubs
the lead… Chicago goes crazy! Then Pudge Rodriguez leads the rally for the Marlins in the 5th.

5 innings in, this looked like it was going to be best game 7 ever.
So what happened?

The Cubs seemed crushed after giving back the lead. Josh Beckett came out of the pen for 4 innings and save for a Troy O’Leary homer, couldn’t get
anything started.

Wrigley Field was a morgue after that. A quiet, disbelieving morgue.



The 4 game 7s where personal emotions cloud my ability to judge them

1. 2004 American League Championship Series
RED SOX 10 YANKEES 3



To a non Red Sox or Yankee fan this game would probably be thrown into the anti climax pile above. After the Red Sox jumped ahead to an 6-0 lead in the second and an 8-1 lead in the 4th, it felt strange for me as well.

Sure it was a big lead, but it was the smallest seven run lead imaginable.
We kept waiting for the other shoe to fall. Not even Pedro’s bizarre and
ill conceived cameo could bring the Yankees into striking distance.

So in truth it was kind of a lousy game. But maybe that was what made it
feel so sweet. The Red Sox finally beat the Yankees… and it was so
decisive that there wasn’t even one Boone/Bucky Dent moment to point to.

Either way, it’s the only 10-3 game that I have watched from beginning to
end 5 times.


2. 1986 World Series
METS 8 RED SOX 5



Was this a good game? It had big homers, the Red Sox winning by 3, the
Mets tying it and taking the lead, the Red Sox coming back to cut it to
one, the Mets pulling ahead…

It seemed like at least a good game. But it was so numbing to watch,
especially when Schraldi was inexplicably brought in in the 7th inning
instead of Oil Can Boyd, and to the surprise of nobody let up the series
winning home run. An underratedly heartbreaking game.


3.1986 American League Championship Series
RED SOX 8 ANGELS 1




This was NOT a good game. The Angels played a sloppy, despressed game and seemed to have phoned in the entire series starting in game 6. They were most dejected team up 3-2 in a series I have ever seen.

But I was jumping like it was Mardi Gras. It had never occurred to me as a
kid that I would actually get a chance to see the Red Sox in the World
Series. And seeing Jim Rice and Dwight Evans, two of the last remaining
Red Sox of my youth, smack homers… Marty Barrett winning the MVP... it was a perfect boring game.

4. 2002 World Series
ANGELS 4 GIANTS 1



This is the only game in this category not involving the Red Sox. But my
dad is a die hard Giants fan and has been one since before Willie Mays
played for them. I was rooting for the Giants in 2002 as hard as if they
were my own team because of my dad.

And just a day after improbably blowing a late 5-0 lead, game 7 loomed as
their last hope. And for some reason, even after they took a 1-0 lead, it
seemed hopeless. By the time the Angels were up 4-1, the Giants looked
hopeless and limped across the finish line.

Giants fans, especially my dad, deserved better.


So there you have it, all two of you who got this far.
Let’s hope that St. Louis and Detroit will give us a game 7 worthy of the
first category.

By the way, if you DID read all the way through, shoot me an e mail
info@sullybaseball.com

Just curious who made it to the end

Cute Puppies spell doom for Tiger fans!

Original post date: Sunday, October 22, 2006

So my wife was so good at picking the League Championship Series winners that I decided to have her pick the World Series.

She is 2-0 in picking playoff winners this year, and so far I am a big fat 0-6 in series picks... so I think there might be some method to her madness.

We sit down to discuss the upcoming World Series.

WIFE: OK, so who is playing?
ME: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers.
WIFE: Mmm hmm.
ME: You liked both of their uniforms. Especially the Cardinals’ red hats.
WIFE: Right.
ME: So who is your pick?
WIFE: Well, tell me about the teams.
ME: Well, the Tigers have some of the best young power pitchers in baseball and they shut down the mighty Yankee line up and a strong A’s team. The Cardinals just finished a seven game series with the Mets, but Albert Pujols is always tough to stop.

My wife waves her hand in the air.

WIFE: I don’t care about any of that.

True... I’ve been using studying the game of baseball to make my picks and that hasn’t gotten me anywhere. Better listen to the master.

ME: Well, the managers are old friends and each have won a World Series before.
WIFE: Let me see them.

I go onto Google and look up pictures of Jim Leyand and Tony LaRussa.
My wife takes a look at them.

ME: Jim Leyland did an amazing job turning the Tigers around in just one season.
WIFE: I don’t like his facial hair.
ME: He’s also a chain smoker.
WIFE: Yuck. Who is the other one.

I click over to LaRussa’s picture. He is clean shaven, which bodes well for the Cardinals chances of winning the World Series.

I then clicked to another picture... the one that I have on the top left of this page...
The one of Tony LaRussa holding up a puppy and a kitten.

WIFE: Awwww.... I LOVE him!
ME: Yeah, he does lots of work for animal shelters.
WIFE: This picture was on SoyHappy.com.

She clicks on the link and reads all of the vegetarian sites that LaRussa endorses.

WIFE: That’s it! It’s the Cardinals! They’ll win.

And if my wife picks a team, they’ll win.
So a little puppy, a little kitten and some soy burgers will turn out to be more devastating to the Tigers than any home run hit by Albert Pujols.

Of course I picked the Tigers to win in 4.

And of course what happened in game 1?
The Cardinals won.

Put your money on an easy Cardinal victory.

And look for them to celebrate with Soy Champagne

My Wife is a baseball genius

Original post date: Thursday, October 19, 2006


A few postings ago, my wife Lisa made her picks for the League Championship Series.

Seeing she doesn’t follow baseball at all and made her picks based on the teams uniforms.

I made my picks based upon 3 decades of studying the game of baseball and analyzing stats and keeping up to date with injuries and which players are playing well.

I picked the Mets and A’s.

And not only did I pick the LCS completely wrong, but remember I had ALL FOUR division series wrong. I’m 0-6!

How did my wife do?
She picked the Cardinals and the Tigers.

Which means whomever she picks for the World Series is my pick.

I’d leave it at that, but there’s more.

Ever since I was a kid, during the summer I would walk down the beach with a wiffle ball bat and toss rocks in the air and try to hit them into the water. I usually swung and missed.

When we got married, I took Lisa to walk down the same beach. She tried hitting the rocks.
She was a hitting machine.
I’m not talking about the occasional rock dribbled into the Long Island Sound.

She was hitting consistent line drives with a technique that was straight out of Tom Emanski’s hitting DVDs.

It was like watching Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew in batting practice.

I am convinced that if my wife became a general manager, she’d make every trade and every draft pick based on what they wore and how they ate... and she’d build a World Champion.

I only hope my kids inherit my love for baseball and my wife’s ability.

She makes her World Series picks tomorrow.
Bet your family nest egg on whomever she picks

Pity Endy Chavez

Original Post Date: Thursday, October 19, 2006

SWING THE BAT, BELTRAN!
I know Adam Wainwright’s curve ball was unbelievable tonight... but take a cut!

A game seven that nerve wrecking with the bases loaded in a 2 run game in the bottom of the 9th shouldn’t end on a called third. It seemed like such a cheat.

As I watched the Cardinals win the pennant and Shea Stadium quiet to a librarian’s standard, I felt badly for the fans at Shea, for Willie Randolph, who had a chance to have his team win the city’s heart, for the players who had never made it to a World Series and for baseball fans everywhere for having to sit through the upcoming Tigers/Cardinals World Series.

But I REALLY felt for Endy Chavez.
His catch was one of the most incredible plays I had ever seen. And not just the physical play, but the circumstances leading up to it and following it.

A game 7 is tied.
A pitcher, who everyone in the media has declared as the worst game seven starter in history, is pitching the game of his life... but is in trouble.

The manager comes out and asks how he is doing, which is always a stupid question to ask. What pitcher in the world would say “I’ve got nothing, Skip. Better replace me!”

Nobody! Not even Mike Mussina!
Only a moronic manager make a decision whether or not to remove a pitcher based on how a pitcher claims they are doing... especially in a game 7. (See “Little, Grady”)

So Willie turns to LoDuca and asks him, who says he’s OK to go.

The very next pitch... the slugger hits a sure fire home run which the outfielder, who is only in there because the regular left fielder was hurt and would have turned and watched the ball leave the park, make a perfectly timed leap, snag the ball in the web of his glove, and fire back to force a double play.

Entire team comes out to congratulate him before he hits the dugout step and he does a defensive curtain call.

This is a scene out of Major League.
Imagine manager Lou Brown (the gravel voiced James Gammon) and Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) coming to the mound with Wild Thing Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) struggling.

LOU: How’s the heater, Vaughn?
WILD THING: I think I can get this guy.
LOU: What do you think, Jake?
JAKE: I think he can get him to hit into a double play.
LOU: You’d better be right, Taylor!

Lou goes back to the bench, crowd cheering... next pitch... deep... a sure fire home run... and Willy Mays Hayes (either Wesley Snipes or Omar Epps) leaps, makes an amazing catch and fires it back for the double play.

Jake walks up to Lou in the dugout.

JAKE: Told you.


Actually if I saw that scene, I’d say “C’mon! It wouldn’t happen like that... on the NEXT PITCH!”

But it did.

And if the Mets had won, Endy Chavez would have been a folk hero forever in New York.
Yet another obscure player who unexpectedly shone in the post season and will become an unlikely immortal.

Don Larsen, Bobby Thomson, Johnny Podres, Gene Tenace, Bucky Dent, Jim Leyritz, Dave Roberts etc...

Endy was going to be one of those names.
One of those guys who despite not being a superstar will always be treated like one by the home fans.

And now, he will be a nice ESPN highlight... but his name will probably be forgotten.
In 10 years that clip will be shown and all but the most die hard Mets fans (and lunatics like me) will say “Who made that catch?”

Quite a fall from immortality.

Swing that bat, Carlos! For Endy’s sake!

I just shouldn’t make picks - Project Runway Spoiler

Original Post Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006

(PROJECT RUNWAY SPOILERS AHEAD)

Turns out my ability to pick the winner of Project Runway is no better than picking the baseball playoffs.

I thought Uli had it in the bag... and tattoo boy won for his collection for which he made Michael Cimino look fiscally responsible.

They should have had a camera on Laura to see if she gave birth at the moment his victory was announced.

Also a camera should have been set up at Angela’s home, kind of like they do at the Cask and Flagon when the Red Sox play a playoff game on the road. She would huddle with her mom and no doubt their heads would have exploded like a scene in scanners.

I promise to make my Project Runway entries few and far between... but they inspired my wife to be a more accurate baseball forecaster than me. I thought maybe the reverse would be true and I would be able to pick the winner.

No such luck.

CARRY ON!

LET'S GO METS! (For the good of baseball)

Original post date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006

LET’S GO METS!
That’s right, I am rooting for the Mets big time to please... please... PLEASE! In the name of Ed Kranepool, Randy Neimann and Tim Bogar... PLEASE win game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow.

20 years ago, I was as anti-Mets a guy as you could imagine.
The Red Sox won game 1 of the World Series on October 18, 1986. Jim Rice scored on Tim Teufel’s error and Bruce Hurst got the 1-0 win.

And you know what happened after that. (Or do you? If you said “Bill Buckner blew the World Series for the Red Sox” then you clearly don’t remember... but that’s a subject for another entry.)

I hated the Mets more than any team in the aftermath of the 1986 World Series. That INCLUDED the Yankees. I hated Gary Carter more than any of them. He just seemed too happy winning the World Series.

Fast forward two decades... now I am rooting for the Mets for the sake of the game.

The main reason has little to do with a love for the Mets and everything to do with a disdain for Tony LaRussa.

I can’t explain it, but I can’t stand LaRussa. And it has deeper roots than his A’s beating the Red Sox in the 1988 AND 1990 playoffs. There is a smugness, a know it all quality that he has that I can’t stand.

And there is NOTHING fun about him. Bobby Valentine was a know it all, but at least he was funny. What other manager put on a disguise after being ejected so he can sit in the dugout?

Ever watch a LaRussa managed 2-0 game? He’ll use 5 or 6 pitchers! He’ll go lefty-righty matchups in a blow out. It drives me crazy!

If St. Louis plays Detroit in the World Series, it would get lower ratings than reruns of “Benson.” And the only thing that Fox would be happy about is that it would only last 3 games.

You read that right.

3! It would be so boring after the first three 5-0 wins by Detroit that FOX will demand the fourth game be cancelled and replaced by a home run hitting contest.

Or a football game.

The Cardinals have lousy pitching and lousy hitting, no closer, a humorless lawyer manager and they are going to be playing a team that shut down the Yankees and forced Joe Torre to bat A-Rod 8th!

Yeah, they’ll be scared of Scott Speizio and that weird thing dangling from his chin!

Now Mets vs. Tigers... that could be an interesting story.

You get to keep the New York market.
You get Glavine and Wagner.
You get Delgado and Beltran and Reyes and Wright... who are so more likable than the Yankees mashers, aren’t they?

And it might actually have a series that isn’t a sweep.
(The National League haven’t won a single GAME in the World Series since Josh Beckett shut out the Yankees for the Marlins in 2003.)

The Mets have enough swagger to win a few games and make it at least an interesting World Series.

So please! For the sake of a good World Series!
For the sake of NOT having this be the most boring post season in baseball history... LET’S GO METS!

Seriously, other than the Yankees flop, what is memorable moment of this post season?

The two Dodgers getting thrown out at home was cool but no post season highlight can come in the second inning of game 1 of a division series game

Ordonez’s series ending homer wasn’t exactly Aaron Boone. It finished a sweep and Huston Street was laboring without anyone warming up in the Oakland pen. (Grady Little must have given Ken Macha some tips.)

We NEED a memorable World Series to redeem this post season.

And that’s not happening with a Tigers-Cardinals World Series.

So I’ll say it again, even if it would break the heart of Paul Sullivan, circa 1986...

LET’S GO METS!

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!

Cheer up A's!

original post date: Saturday, October 14, 2006

So... Oakland A’s... you have fallen behind 3-0 in the series to Detroit.
Time for a rallying call!
Time to pick yourself up off of the matt and show the baseball world that the elephant on your sleeve isn’t just a cute logo but a sign of your resolve!

Time to make everyone see that you have the heart and desire of a champion!
Who’s with me?



Let’s look at some of the post game quotes:

Frank Thomas: They have shut us down...We've been outplayed... sometimes you just have to tip your cap.

Nick Swisher: It's just frustrating sometimes. Sometimes the breaks just don't go your way.

Eric Chavez: We're running into a better team and they're knocking down everybody in their path... It’s frustrating, they're better than we are




Um guys. Isn’t it time to rally the troops?
To pop in “Patton” or “Braveheart” or Christsake, even “The Kid From Left Field” to get you so pumped up that you can believe your team can accomplish anything?

Are these guys unaware that it is actually a best of seven series and that the Tigers need to win a fourth game?

Perhaps the A’s are unaware of that. Maybe the Tigers will show up at Comerica Park at 1PM Pacific time and the A’s won’t... and the Tigers would win on a forfeit.

How could a forfeited game be less exciting than these first 3 games?

I mean the Tigers are a good team, but there is no overwhelming superstar on the team that eclipses what Oakland has to offer. Both teams have good young pitching and some decent bats in the lineup. Hell, I thought this had seven game series written all over it.

Besides, the Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees... and they had Pedro shellshocked, Schilling’s foot was on the verge of coming off of his ankle, they were coming off a 19-8 loss at Fenway and had Derek Lowe, who 2 weeks prior was about to be admitted to a mental hospital, on the mound... AND WERE LOSING IN THE 9TH WITH RIVERA ON THE MOUND!

And they won it!
Come on! Can’t you use THAT as a spring board for hope?



Milton Bradley: We don’t have Ortiz. They had a lot more punch than we do.



OK, fine... but how about getting mad about yesterday afternoon? Didn’t Kenny Rogers’ performance and emotion just make you want to punch him?


Milton Bradley: I feel like going over there and giving him a high five myself. He was that good.




Man, when the player with anger management issues can’t even get riled up... what hope is there for this A’s team?

Isn’t ANYONE pumped up for this game?


Mark Kotsay: We’ll give it our best effort.


There you go!
Not exactly Patton, but it’s a start.

My wife picks the next round...

Original Post Date: Monday, October 9, 2006

Well, my picks for the Division Series were all wrong.
So I feel I needed a new system for the next round.

I turned to my beautiful and amazing wife Lisa.
She doesn’t follow baseball at all and thinks it is kind of silly that I get so passionate about the Red Sox when the players change every year.

I think she also doesn’t understand why I still care about the playoffs when the Red Sox are out of it.

Oh, she was happy for me when the Red Sox won the World Series, but requested during the 2004 ALCS vs. the Yankees that I don’t watch the games at home because she got nervous watching me watch them.

We’ll occasionally watch a game together, but she’ll mainly comment on a player’s hygiene and ask why everyone has to spit.

In short, she is not an expert.
But we all saw how well MY expertise did for picking winners in the Division Series!

So I asked her to make her picks for the League Championship Series.

WIFE: I don’t even know who is playing.
ME: That’s alright, you can’t do worse than I did.
WIFE: Who is playing.
ME: The Detroit Tigers are playing the Oakland A’s. And the New York Mets are playing the St. Louis Cardinals.
WIFE: Do I know anyone on those teams?
ME: Ever hear of Justin Verlander or Curtis Granderson?
WIFE: Nope.
ME: Well they have Kenny Rogers, but it’s not the singer... how about Pudge Rodriguez?
WIFE: Pudge?
ME: Well his real name is Ivan.
WIFE: Is he a fatty?
ME: Actually since they started testing for ‘roids he became really skinny.
WIFE: Never heard of him.
ME: The A’s have Frank Thomas... Barry Zito. He does yoga. (My wife teaches yoga, thought maybe he appeared in a yoga magazine or something.)
WIFE: Nope.

I know she knows Albert Pujols and Pedro Martinez, but I have a feeling we need a new criteria for picking a winner.

My wife reads the Project Runway update on Television Without Pity. Clearly this sparked something in my wife.

WIFE: What are their uniforms like?
ME: The Tigers wear black, white with orange highlights.
WIFE: Ooo. Good October colors.
ME: The A’s wear green, gold and white... with white shoes.
WIFE: White shoes AFTER Labor Day! No way, Detroit is going to win.

I nod, this seemed to make some sense. I decided to go to the National League.

ME: The Mets wear a bunch of colors... powder blue, black, orange, pinstripes.

My wife simulates vomiting. It’s looking good for the Cardinals.

WIFE: What about the other team?
ME: The Cardinals wear red and white. They also wear dark blue caps when they play on the road.
WIFE: Do they ever wear red caps?
ME: Yes, but only at home.

My wife contemplates this, then reveals her prediction.

WIFE: They’ll win... but only if they wear their red hats.

So there’s the pick:
The Detroit Tigers will prevail because of their season appropriate attire.
The St. Louis Cardinals will win with their red hats, but without home field, they’ll need to squeak a win out wearing blue hats.

I channelled Bob Costas to make my predictions.
My wife channelled Tim Gunn.

We’ll see which is the better muse for baseball picks.

CARRY ON!

I never claimed to be Nostradamus

Original Post Date: Sunday, October 8, 2006

Wow.

THIS is why I do not bet on sports.
I follow baseball pretty damn closely.

I once stumped Bob Costas with a piece of baseball trivia.

I watch old playoff games on tape between teams I don’t care about.
I spend more time than any father of two should spend thinking about the playoffs backwards and forwards.

So you would think that when I would make a prediction about the baseball playoffs, they would be somewhat informed.

So how many of the teams I picked actually WON their series?

NONE!
ZERO!
ZILCH!

That’s pretty sad.

Oh, I’m sure YOU thought the Tigers pitching staff, including Kenny Rogers (KENNY ROGERS!!!), would shut the Yankees out for 21 of their last 24 innings and A-Fraud would be the highest paid #8 hitter in history.

And don’t tell me you KNEW Joe Beimel would be stupid enough to cut his hand on a glass in a bar and deprive the Dodgers a key reliever which came back to haunt L.A. in two of the three games.

And SURE, it was obvious Johan Santana would lose his first game in the Metrodome in over a year!

And of course the Cardinals pitching, which stunk all year long, would shut down San Diego and make their deep bullpen irrelevant!

So we have a pair of underdogs playing in Oakland and the Mets see a clear path to claiming New York as their own.

And we are saddled with more Tony LaRussa in the playoffs!

It’s what makes October so wonderful... and why I’ll NEVER bet!

Not a bad start

Original Post Date: Thursday, October 5, 2006

We’re only 2 games into each series and already the post season is pretty cool.

As we switch stadiums in each series, we’ve seen:

- Frank Thomas on a personal mission to prove the White Sox dead wrong, win over every sports writer who might have been on the fence about his Hall of Fame credentials and not be considered the Patrick Ewing of the White Sox.

- Barry Zito outdueling Johan Santana and don’t think his agent Scott Boras won’t be reminding every single free agent bidder of that! Hell that should be his outgoing message!

- An inside the park home run occur when Torii Hunter misplayed an Oakland A’s sinking linedrive and watched the ball bounce around the Metrodome. That’s the first post season inside the park homerun since 2002... when Torii Hunter misplayed an Oakland A’s sinking linedrive and watched the ball bounce around the Metrodome.

- Two runners get thrown out at home on the same play. That doesn’t happen in Little League! What exactly was J. D. Drew thinking? “The catcher has the ball already... in fact the dude in front of is already out and the catcher is still holding the ball... but I bet I can slide around him. I’m THAT GOOD!”

- Carlos Delgado tearing it up. Nice to see a veteran who has never been on the playoff stage before come through big.

- Nomar’s game tying hit was cool, if not long lasting for the Dodgers.

- 48 (at least) year old Julio Franco beat out a throw to first. Nobody that close to 50 should be noted for their speed in a playoff game!

- Tim Robbins in the press booth on ESPN trying to promote his new movie, but going silent and becoming a nervous fan when the Dodgers tied the game. Gary Thorne was pushing it asking “Tell us about the movie Tim!” And Tim would mumble “Um... it’s about South Africa and it’s good... come on get a hit!”

- In order for Trevor Hoffman to have that feel good “I’m going to the Hall of Fame” playoff appearance, you need a lead. And in order to get a lead, you need to SCORE SOME RUNS!

- The Padres have pitched to Albert Pujols. Why is anyone’s guess. Even if it were bottom of the ninth, bases loaded in a one run game, I’d walk him!

- Tony LaRussa showing why he is my least favorite manager. He used 5 pitchers in a 2-0 game. Um... Tony, which pitcher wasn’t getting the job done? Can we keep the game moving?

- Jim Leyland showing why is my favorite manager. He pulled his young stud in the 6th in the middle of a batter! You can almost hear him wheezing in the dugout, needing a smoke and grumbling “F this! I’m not even going to let him finish this batter!” Also while not all of his bunts and stolen base plans have worked, God Bless him for trying.

- The kid Zumaya was HITTING CORNERS at 100+ MPH! And this guy isn’t the closer because.....? He made Sheffield, Jeter, Giambi and A Rod look like Lupus!

- As for A Rod, I’m sure the press will ignore his 1-8 start and getting called out with the bases loaded.

- Thank you Tigers for giving Yankee haters hope! Their season rests on the arms of Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright... DARE TO DREAM!


Keep this up!

I want lots of game 5s in the first round and I want some extra innings!

Let's Start an irresponsible rumor

Original post date: Thursday, October 5, 2006

BUD SELIG ORDERED THAT SOMEONE INJURE PEDRO MARTINEZ AND EL DUQUE HERNANDEZ SO THE DODGERS CAN MAKE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES!

I have no proof of that, but I believe it is 100% true.

Hear me out.

WHAT IS SUSPICIOUS?

Well the Mets were on a rampage to win the division and then have a rested and ready Pedro Martinez and El Duque Hernandez pushing the Mets all the way to the World Series.

Suddenly Pedro gets hurt again. And it is his left calf... after having his RIGHT calf hurt all season. And suddenly he needs rotator cuff surgery.

So El Duque, a cool as ice post season pitcher was pressed into opening game duties.
Now he didn't have a great season, but the God only knows how old Cuban defector El Duque is a post season master.

From his first playoff game when he mowed down the Indians in a must win game for the Yankees in 1998, to his MVP in the 1999 ALCS to last year breaking the Red Sox backs while picking up another ring with Chicago, El Duque is not afraid of the playoffs.

Hell, he wasn't afraid of sharks on his raft, why would he care about the Dodgers?

Suddenly he gets hurt. And he goes from running sprints to being on crutches.
Next thing you know rookie John Maine has to start the playoffs and the Mets look vulnerable for the first time all year.

And always after a hospital visit.

Listen to me closely... Selig is paying off the doctors to injure them! I bet he had an intern slash Pedro's calf. And if the intern chickened out, he'd grab the scalpel himself!

Or if not to injure them, to give an unfavorable diagnosis. El Duque probably needed an hour in the Whirlpool, but Selig made sure the doctors confirmed the worst case scenario.

One pitcher going down suddenly... fine.
Two pitchers one right after the other? That's a bit much to handle... kind of like Jack Ruby killing Oswald before he could testify.

That is a perfect and not exaggerated analogy.


WHY WOULD SELIG FAVOR THE DODGERS?

Remember why the Mayor in Jaws kept the beaches open even though he knew a shark was out there? He said "We need summer dollars!"

Well Selig needs TV dollars, and he'll get them even if he has to pull a Tonya Harding.

Ratings for last year's World Series were lower than Al Jazeera test patterns and it doesn't look too good for this year either.

Well, there's no heart warming story this year. No Cubs, no Red Sox, no White Sox having to kick a curse. And it turns out nobody cared about the White Sox except those players trapped in the Iowa cornfield.

So without a storyline to latch onto, what match up could produce bigtime ratings and still be able to dust off lots of old black and white clips, tie the games back to the history and get big market TV ratings?

Yankees vs. Dodgers!

It would be the first match up of the two since 1981... they are DUE for a rematch.

All of the black and white clips will be unearthed:

Jackie Robinson stealing home past Yogi... Mickey Owen's passed ball... Al Gionfriddo's catch... the Dodgers finally winning in 1955... the Don Larsen perfect game... the Dodgers moving to LA... Sandy Koufax dominating.

If those are too old for you, how about Reggie Jackson's homering 3 straight times in 1977? Or Fernando-mania climaxing with a complete game win in the '81 series?

It would be great pre-game TV! Plus they can wheel out a bunch of old people who remember the Dodgers moving. And they will bring Rachel Robinson out to talk about Jackie. Yogi is still around. Maybe Rachel will try to steal home off of Yogi!

Plus the Yankees have tons of star power (A-Rod, Jeter, Damon, Big Unit... you know, the entire AL All Star team.) Easy to market them.

And they can get the Red Sox fans wanting to see the Yankees lose AND they'd get to see Nomar Garciaparra get the ring he couldn't get with the Red Sox.

Plus Yankee Stadium and Dodgers Stadium look so great on TV and had so many great playoff memories and moments that they can run "Greatest moments of Yankee Stadium/Dodger Stadium" every game and have enough for extra innings.

Try coming up with "Greatest Moments in Padres history."
The only footage of a Padres World Championship is from "The Kid From Left Field" with Gary Coleman and Robert Guillaume managing in the dugout.

And in order for this rating bonanza, they need the Dodgers to win... at any cost.


WHY HURT THE METS?

Sure the Mets play in New York... but they aren't the Yankees.
The Mets aren't as sexy as the Yankees. They have goofier uniforms, an uglier stadium and let's face it... harder to root for.

If you are a Yankees fan, your team is on top year in and year out.
The Mets are the anti Yankees. They don't have the tradition of winning over generations. Every Met fan I know wears their devotion as a badge of honor, as if to say "Oh, I could root for the Yankees... but I want to feel pain in order to appreciate pleasure."

They are like the girl in college who dated guys who treated them badly and acts as if they deserved it. Mets fans are perpetually "in a bad relationship."

So putting the Mets on the grand stage doesn't have the same pull as the Yankees because hating the Mets isn't a national pastime like hating the Yankees.

And the celebrities at Shea aren’t as cool as at Yankee Stadium. Billy Crystal, Denzel Washington and Al Pacino will show up to the Bronx.

How often can they cut to Ray Romano, or John McEnroe? And yeah, I’m sure Fox will give lots of air time to Mets fanatic Tim Robbins!

And a Yankees – Mets World Series would be a disaster ratings wise (like it was in 2000.)

So while the Mets would be a better ratings coup than the Padres (San Diego a TV market surrounded by Los Angeles, the desert, the Pacific and Mexico... total households watching the Padres in a World Series might not hit double digits.)

Losing the Mets would be acceptable collateral damage....
They would be the patsy... like Oswald.



COME ON! SELIG WOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN A CONSPIRACY!!!

Oh no?
He was one of the owners found guilty of collusion in 1989 to try and fix free agent prices.

He couldn't control free agent prices illegally, so he conspired to destroy the office of the commissioner so he can have free will do whatever he wants. He was one of the owners who colluded to force Fay Vincent out of the Commissioner's office. He put himself in as "temporary commissioner." His temporary assignment has been continuous since 1992.

And as soon as he got that title, he ran wild using his unchecked power to do whatever he wanted. He became The Emporer in Star Wars, only with a perpetually glistening bottom lip.

He was the "commissioner" when the owners started crying poor. "Franchises will fold unless we curb spending." Yet he expanded the game by 4 teams. Which is it? Are teams folding or are we expanding?

That double talk cost us the 1994 World Series and just about ruined the sport... until the McGwire and Sosa chase.

Remember him testifying in congress about how he knew nothing about it, but then let on "What was I to do? My sport was dying!" Nah.... that's not a guy who would be in on a conspiracy!

He tried to fold the Minnesota Twins so his buddy Carl Pohlad could make some extra dough and Bud would have a bargaining chip to crush the players union... except he made illegal conflict of interest loans to the Minnesota management. Hush money no doubt.

So this is a man who in three different decades was involved in shady under the table dealings. Hell, Michael Corleone only ran the family for two decades. He is an amateur compared to Selig.

And like Michael, who would make his sister a widow and whack his own brother, Bud would stop at nothing to keep his power...for which he needs the TV money.

El Duque is Carlo in the front seat, about to be choked by Clemenza.
Pedro is Fredo in the boat, saying his Hail Marys.



So yes, I've compared Selig to Jack Ruby, Mayor Vaughn in "Jaws", Tonya Harding, the Emperor in "Return of the Jedi" and Michael Corleone... but he brought it on himself.

I believe everything I just wrote.
I also believe there is a monster in Loch Ness, so consider the source.


But let's be irresponsible and spread this rumor, shall we?

Not that it matters... but here are my picks

Original post date: Monday, October 2, 2006

Not that it matters but here are my playoff picks...

YANKEES vs. TIGERS

This will be a massacre. The only hope for the Tigers is they steal a game in the Bronx and beat up Randy Johnson.
If they wanted to miss the Yankees, all they had to do was beat the Royals once this weekend. Too bad.

YANKEES in 3


TWINS vs. A'S

Will probably be the best baseball as the two deepest pitching staffs in baseball face off. Zito vs. Santana should be a pitcher's fan's dream. Watching Mauer and Morneau play on the big stage will be fun too. Funny, I thought small revenue teams playing in ugly football stadiums weren't supposed to be able to compete!

TWINS in 5


Like it matters, here are my NL Picks:

METS vs. DODGERS

A month ago, I thought the Mets were going to steamroll their way to the NL Title. But with their pitching staff beat up and the Dodgers with the World Series ready rotation of Maddux, Lowe and Penny... I smell upset. It will be bizarre to see Greg Maddux face Tom Glavine in the playoffs and the Braves not be involved.

DODGERS in 5


PADRES vs. CARDINALS

If a playoff series is played and nobody watches, will it count? The Cardinals can't pitch, they have no closer and nobody besides Pujols can hit. The Padres should get revenge for losing to St. Louis in 1996 and last season.

PADRES in 4



ALCS PICK:
YANKEES vs. TWINS

The Twins were better equipped to beat the Yankees in a best of 5 series where Santana's two starts would give the Yankees no room for error. But in a best of seven, I think there is no stopping the Yankees

YANKEES in 6


NLCS PICK:
PADRES vs. DODGERS

This year has been Trevor Hoffman's Hall of Fame coming out party. It will continue when he stands on the Dodger Stadium mound, arms in the air, celebrating the National League Pennant

PADRES in 5




WORLD SERIES

YANKEES vs. PADRES

Look out Yankees... the Padres now have former Red Sox hero Dave Roberts. Better hold him on this time!
They will.

YANKEES in 4

Believe ME, I don't want this prediction to come true!

How to pick a team to root for in the playoffs

Original post date - Monday, October 2, 2006

So your favorite team is not in the playoffs, but you still are going to watch.

How do you figure out who to root for?
Sometimes it seems easy, but other times you need some help.

So I have written out the 10 factors you need to consider when picking a team you honestly don't care about to root for.

1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?
2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?
3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?
4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?
5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?
6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?
7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?
8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?
9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?
10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

Now for some people one factor may weigh one point more than the other.
(If the team is your mortal enemy or playing your mortal enemy, that should cancel out all other points.)

But use these points and figure out which team you are going to latch onto.
And if that team gets eliminated, then use the factors again to find a new team!

Now I'll apply my points to the 8 playoff teams.
Some of the answers are statistical, some subjective (like my illogical dislike for Tony LaRussa) and the former Team answer refers to the Red Sox for me.




DETROIT TIGERS

1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

They last won it 1984... and this is their first trip to the post season since 1987.
And as recently as 2003 they were laughing stocks... 119 losses to be exact.


2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Detroit has had a good 10 years as a sports town with the Red Wings piling up Stanley Cups and the Pistons winning an NBA title. The Lions continue to stink, but you can't have everything.


3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

I guess this is applicable if you are a Blue Jays fan or really hate the movie "For Love Of The Game" with Kevin Costner.


4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

2.
Todd Jones has been playing since 1993. Seems like a fun guy and looks like Morgan Spurlock from Supersize Me.
Sean Casey is a stretch for a 10 year veteran. (he only played a handful of games in 1997).


5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

Pudge Rodriguez will be credited for turning the team around. He has a ring with Florida and this will solidify it.
Jim Leyland will get into the Hall as just the second manager to win a World Series in both leagues.


6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Leyland is the real life version of the manager in Major League. What's not to love? "Give the heater, Vaughn!"


7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

Comerica Park doesn't have the cool grittiness of Tiger Stadium, but I'm sure the celebration will look cool.


8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

A 1984 Tigers reunion will be cool, if bittersweet for Alan Trammell who managed the 119 loss team.
Al Kaline is still kicking around.
Willie Horton, who played a big part in helping calm racial tensions in 1960s Detroit would be a welcomed sight.
Not sure if Denny McClain is out of jail.
I for one would love to see Mark the Bird Fydrich on the mound, talking to the ball before the first pitch.



9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Not a lot of Lazarus on this team other than Leyland. A title in Detroit would be all about Leyland.
Not sure if anything is heart warming about Kenny Rogers... although I pity the camera man who would interview him after the World Series.
(Rogers has a ring with the 1996 Yankees, but he pitched so poorly for them that they should ask for it back!)



10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

For a Red Sox fan like me, not many former Red Sox.
Todd Jones was on the 2003 "Cowboy Up" team that lost to the Yankees. Other than that, the active roster is Red Sox free.




NEW YORK YANKEES


1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

It's been an eternity! SINCE 2000! There are kids who are in kindergarten who have never seen the Yankees win in their lifetime!
THIS FANBASE NEEDS SOME RELIEF!


2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Do we count New Jersey titles? The Devils have been prolific but the last New York team to win was the aforementioned 2000 Yankees.



3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Who DOESN'T hate the Yankees that isn't a Yankee fan?



4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

7 (but really 8)

A title would be the monkey off the back for a bunch of high profile players.

A Rod is the most celebrated ringless Yankee.
But Giambi, Mussina and Bobby Abreu have yet to win a title.

Pitchers Cory Lidle, Ron Villone and Jaret Wright have also been around for 10+ without a title.

Hideki Matsui has only been in America since 2003, but he is a veteran by any standard.



5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

A Rod obviously needs to get this off of his shoulders.
Mussina would get some Cooperstown consideration and a second ring for Johnson and Sheffield wouldn't hurt either.
Neither would a fifth ring for Jeter, Rivera and Torre!




6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Torre has been celebrated so often he is practically deified.




7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

It may be painful to watch a celebration there, but Yankee Stadium looks beautiful on TV and in person




8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

A lot of the classic ones are passed away (and Rizzuto isn't doing well either) but Yogi and Whitey are still around. So is Reggie.




9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Not a player but a coach. Don Mattingly is the most loved Yankee in history without a ring. Even a hard hearted guy like me would ALMOST be happy to see that.... almost.




10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

Damon and Myers are on the squad.
Oh... I'm thrilled for them.








OAKLAND A'S



1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

The A's last won in 1989 during the Earthquake series versus San Francisco. It was a muted celebration.



2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Also since 1989... and with the way the Raiders and Warriors are playing, the A's are the East Bay's only hope!



3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Are you a Giants fan? Are you an Angels fan? Do you hate Billy Beane? Do you hate the Raiders and just want their fans to be miserable?



4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

Just 2.
Jason Kendall has been around forever without as much a taste of the post season.
Esteban Loaiza is ringless.
(Eric Chavez and Jay Payton just missed the cut.)



5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

Frank Thomas would get a big boost from a ring with Oakland. Sure he won with Chicago, but he didn't play in the playoffs and things ended badly with the White Sox. I'm sure this would be more rewarding.

Barry Zito could boost his resume before heading off to New York.




6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Does anyone know ANYTHING about Ken Macha?
Does Mrs. Macha know?




7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

The McAfee Collesium (or what ever they are calling it now) is as ugly a baseball stadium as it is a football stadium. Let's hope they sell out the place without a tarp over the top deck!




8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

Reggie, Rollie and Vida are still around.
I for one would love to see a McGwire/Canseco reunion, just for the awkward spectacle.




9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Frank Thomas winning would be cool, I must admit.




10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

Jay Payton and Scott Sauerbeck were briefly Red Sox... neither made much of an impression on the nation.






MINNESOTA TWINS



1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

Since 1991. A title this year would make them the only team to win in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Not bad for a small market team that can't compete.



2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Also since 1991... but the Vikings sure party like they've won.



3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Unless you are blundering baserunner Lonnie Smith or overly creeped out by "Fargo" how can you hate the Twins? Even their name is cute!




4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

4
Brad Radke has been with the Twins through good and bad since 1995.
Rondell White was part of the 1994 Expos team that was screwed out of a potential division title because of the strike.
Dennys Reyes has been kicked around the bigs since 1997.
Torii Hunter sneaks in with 1 game in 1997... and he has been the face of the Twins for years.



5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

It's early but Johan Santana is building a nice resume.
It's REAL early for Morneau and Mauer, but an early ring wouldn't hurt!




6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Ron Gardenhire has been in Minnesota forever.... probably will be deified like Tom Kelly was.



7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

We've already seen two World Series celebrations under the dome and in front of the blue baggie in right field. Unless you are a die hard Twins fans, it is an ugly sight.



8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

With Kirby gone, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Kent Hrbek are all available.
So is the kid manager from "Little Big League."




9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

The main Lazarus factor would go to the franchise itself. Slated for contraction after the 2001 World Series, the Twins have responded with 4 division titles in 5 years. A title would be a giant F-you to Bud Selig... which anytime Selig looks foolish is a good day for me!



10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

No Red Sox of note.






NEW YORK METS



1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

1986... and man that was close.




2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Well, we are in the same quandry when considering New Jersey teams. I'm sure there are many Devils and Mets fans. But I am also sure there are many Mets fans who are Rangers or Islanders fans. And I won't insult Met fans by bringing up the Yankees titles.

Let's be safe and just say 1986.




3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Are you a Phillies fan? Are you a Yankees fan? Are you Calvin Schraldi? If you answered yes, then you just might hate the Mets.




4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

10 year? Try 24 year veteran Julio Franco! He's almost enough to make the Mets the heart warming story of the post season!
Jose Valentin broke into the bigs in 1992.
Carlos DelGado and Shawn Green played for the 1993 World Champion Blue Jays, but weren't on the playoff roster.
Darren Oliver and Steve Trachsel have been around since 1993.
Michael Tucker has bounced around since 1995.

So that’s 7 all together.




5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

Even without playing, the World Championship would add to Pedro Martinez's Hall of Fame resume.
Carlos DelGado and Carlos Beltran would enhance their chances.
And while it is early, it wouldn't hurt David Wright and Jose Reyes to get the "they've never won a ring" label off themselves. (Just ask Derek Jeter.)



6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

After years of being rejected for managerial positions, seeing Willie Randolph win with his hometown team would make him, for an off season at least, the toast of the city.



7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

Face it, Shea is one ugly dump.



8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

Tom Seaver is a lock for the first game at Shea.
A 1986 reunion is inevitable (and more palatable for Red Sox fans since 2004.)




9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Julio Franco might have PLAYED with the actual Lazarus!



10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

Just Pedro. Seeing him in a different uni will always be difficult.





LOS ANGELES DODGERS


1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

1988... and Gibson limping around the bases is STILL one of the coolest moments in sports history.




2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

The Lakers won in 2002. And I should count USC winning the national title because that's the only football title LA will see for a long long time.




3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Are you a Giants fan? Are you a resident of Brooklyn? Are you Dennis Eckersley? If you answered "yes" then go ahead and hate the Dodgers.




4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?


6 total.
The Red Sox fan in me still loves No-Mah. He deserves a ring.
Kenny Lofton has been in almost every single post season since 1995 with now 6 different teams... and is amazingly still ringless!
Former MVP Jeff Kent has been playing since 1992.
Olmedo Saenz broke in in 1994.
Elmer Dessens has been around since 1996.
Brett Tomko has been around since 1997.



5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

There is no doubt that Greg Maddux is Hall of Fame bound. Another ring will just be resume padding.
Laugh all you want, but if Derek Lowe has another great World Championship post season like he did with the 2004 Red Sox and then becomes a stat compiler like Don Sutton... he might have an outside shot at the Hall.

Nomar isn't a Hall of Famer. He's more like Fred Lynn now, a former Red Sox great who got hurt too often. But who knows?





6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Can any Red Sox fan really celebrate Grady Little?




7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

Giant fans may not want to hear it, but Dodger Stadium is one of the best parks in the business.




8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

Can they lure Koufax out to the World Series? Probably not.
Get ready for more Tommy Lasorda than you can handle.



9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Who CAN'T root for Nomar to win a ring?




10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

Seeing Nomar and Derek Lowe win again would feel nice.
Maybe Grady winning can make me not shake my head whenever his name is mentioned.
Just remember to pull the pitcher when he's got nothing left!!!!!





SAN DIEGO PADRES

1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

The Padres have never won a title.


2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

Neither the Padres nor the Chargers have ever won a title. The city needs a hug.


3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Are you a Dodger fan? A bitter Cubs fan from 1984? Do you miss the Taco Bell wrapper uniforms? Were you rooting AGAINST Gary Coleman and Robert Guillomme in The Kid From Left Field? If so, then you should consider the Padres your mortal enemy.


4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

8!
Trevor Hoffman and Mike Piazza are the superstars without rings.
Rudy Seanez has been kicked all over the bigs since 1989.
Manny Alexander has been cashing MLB checks since 1992.
Chan Ho Park made his big league debut in 1994.
Mike Cameron and Brian Giles broke into the bigs in 1995.
Todd Walker has been around since 1996.


5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

Trevor Hoffman's lone blemish on his Hall of Fame resume is giving up the game 3 homer to Scott Brosius in the 1998 World Series. A title will complete his resume.

Mike Piazza is already in, but a Ring would be the icing on his Hall of Fame cake.

And who knows? With another ring for another team, would David Wells get consideration? Probably not.


6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Bruce Bochy has led them to the World Series to the bottom of the standings and back to the playoffs. A title would be a crowning acheivement.



7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

Petco Park could be the worst name of a new stadium, but it looks cool, even if that warehouse is a bit contrived.



8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

How fat do you think Tony Gwynn is now? We'll find out!



9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Hoffman and Piazza would be the story.



10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?

There are so many Red Sox that it feels like a 2003-2005 reunion.
Walker, Embree, Bellhorn, Meredith and Wells will all be there.

And of course Dave Roberts, who is the biggest hero in Boston since Paul Revere. Any time Dave Roberts is happy, I'm happy.




ST. LOUIS CARDINALS


1. How long has that team been waiting for a title?

1982... which probably seems like a lifetime for this baseball crazy town.


2. How long has that city been waiting for a sports team to win?

2000 Super Bowl... and it would have been longer if Mike Jones didn't make that tackle.


3. Is this team your mortal enemy? Are they playing your mortal enemy?

Are you a Cubs fan? Do you drink Miller Beer? Do you dislike the sight of Tony LaRussa? Then you probably consider the Cardinals to be your mortal enemy.



4. How many 10 year + veterans on the team don't have a ring?

Just 3... but they are big names in St. Lou
Jim Edmonds broke in to the bigs in 1993.
Scott Rolen has been around since 1996.
Chris Carpenter has been pitching since 1997.


5. Which player or manager will a World Championship secure a Hall of Fame vote? Do you like them?

Albert Pujols has already built up an impressive Hall of Fame resume. Better win that ring when he can!
Don't look now, but Chris Carpenter is starting to put together a nice resume. Maybe too little too late, but a ring goes a long way.


6. Would you like to see the manager be celebrated?

Why does LaRussa just rub me the wrong way? Is it his "know-it-all" demeanor or the fact that he is single handedly responsible for cheapening the "save" statistic? Maybe it's because he's a lawyer.

A World Series win would make him the second to win a World Championship in both leagues. Why does it have to be him???


7. Which stadium would look best in a championship celebration?

Funny, I miss the other Busch Stadium. As the last of the concrete circle stadiums, it finally became unique! Oh well. This new one looks nice I guess.



8. Which team has the best old players to dust off and throw out the first pitch?

Red Schoendist is still with us as is Stan Musial.
I'd love to see Bob Gibson brush someone back with the first pitch.
Ozzie Smith would get a big hand.

I wonder if Mark McGwire will come back and talk about the past.



9. The Lazarus factor: Which player who was counted out will be the most heart warming to see them win a title?

Jeff Weaver... who always looks frazzled and lost his job with the Angels because his little brother was better. He got roughed up in New York and just looks like someone needs to by him a beer and tell him to relax.


10. Which team has the most former players from your team? Will their winning make you happy or sad?
No Red Sox on the team.



So let's watch some baseball.
Despite what the song says, it is the baseball playoff season and NOT Christmas that is the most wonderful time of the year!

We need to change the playoffs for one year!

Original Post date - Monday, October 2, 2006

For the love of GOD, Bud Selig needs to use his emergency powers to change the playoff format for one year.
I don't have faith that Selig would EVER do the right thing (or comb his hair himself or wipe his lip which is perpetually glistening) but for the sake of the game, for one year he needs to do something drastic.

The National League stinks.
I mean in a way that goes beyond the NFC beating up the AFC for a decade and a half in football.

There are no competitive teams in the whole league!

Once the Mets lost Pedro Martinez, the four teams that have the audacity to declare themselves playoff teams do not have a single representative that would even be a Wild Card contender in the American League.

The White Sox won 90 games and the Angels won 89. They'd be the second and third base teams in the NL and were playing spoiler the last week in the AL.
Even the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Rangers would beat any of the four National League teams. And BELIEVE ME, I am not saying my 2006 Red Sox should be even mentioned in a playoff discussion.

But what NL playoff team has the Angels bullpen, the White Sox starters, the balanced line up of Toronto or the firepower of Boston or Texas?

NONE!

Should El Duque Hernandez and Jake Peavy be opening game starters at HOME in a playoff series? Of course not.
Should a team like the Cardinals, whose pitching staff besides Carpenter have ERAs with area codes and no closer, be playing for the right to go the World Series?

We are on a collision course for another American League sweep... which will mean the World Series would be clinched once again in a National League park where the championship celebration will be in front of a silent and stunned crowd where you can hear the individual "woooo"s and "alrights" from the players

Nobody wants to see that.
Not even the National League team.

So I propose for one year you have two playoffs.
The World Championship and the National League Championship.

It will be like the NCAA tournament and the NIT.
Everyone knows the teams in the NIT are inferior to the NCAAs. But they get to play for their title and when they win it, sports fans everywhere think "Good for them" and then watch the REAL championship.

A Yankees/Twins ALCS with Santana staring down A-Rod, Jeter et al would be 100 time more dramatic than any AL/NL match up you could dream of.

Hell, the Tigers vs. the A's would be more dramatic, even if it would get smaller Nielsen ratings than an Al Jeezera test pattern.

So lets have the ALCS be the World Series... just for one year.

It will be more entertaining, and the National League team can go out for Pizza and ice cream after their game.

A Sad Day For Yankee Haters

Original Post date - Monday, October 2, 2006

This is a sad sad day for Yankee haters, of which I am one of the biggest ones you will meet.

The title of "Yankee Hater" isn't confined to my fellow Red Sox fans. We're everywhere.
I remember during the 2002 playoffs, I was visiting my girlfriend (and now wife) in Walla Walla WA. At a local bar, the TV was showing the Yankees being eliminated by the Angels. The bar was going nuts with people cheering... and I guarantee you it wasn't because Walla Walla is a hot bet for Angels fans.

I remember going to a game in Oakland in 2005. The JumboTron showed Derek Jeter doing a public service announcement telling kids to stay off of drugs. He was booed so loudly you would have thought the PA announced "Ladies and Gentlemen, Osama Bin Laden and his new girlfriend... YOUR DAUGHTER!"

When a baseball movie needs a bad guy, the good guys usually play the Yankees.
Even the enemy little league team in "Bad News Bears" were called the Yankees.

There was never a Broadway musical called "Damn Brewers."

Hating the Yankees is a baseball tradition that has been passed down from generation and something I hope to give to my sons like an heirloom.

We need the Yankees to be good enough to be relevant. In terms of baseball's popularity, the two most recent low points have been the late 1960s to early 1970s and the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Not by coincidence the Yankees were lousy and not relevant during that stretch. Like a James Bond film, baseball need a good villain.

But we also need to see the Yankees tumble. And it is fun to watch these recent Yankees fall.
The teams that won the World Series in the 1990s and 2000 were carefully put together from the farm system, smart trades and the occasional free agent pick up.

But now they are a caricature of themselves, slurping up every big name free agent possible, making the big off season splash that gets the universal cry of "It's Not Fair!" from the rest of the baseball world.

Since winning the World Series in 2000 the Yankees have brought in Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson, and each time fans across baseball scream bloody murder.

And every year since 2000, the Yankees season ends with the glorious shot of Derek Jeter leaning over the railing watching another team celebrate.
And right afterwards, the sports writers in New York recycle the same articles saying "The Yankees need to build a TEAM rather than sign STARS."
And all the Yankee fans agree... until the next sexy free agent is signed and everyone screams bloody murder again.

"Not fair! They got Johnny Damon!"

Lather.
Rinse.
Repeat.

Well the scenario for the next Yankees post season face plant was shaping up perfectly.

They'd face the Twins. Johann Santana is unbeatable, so game 1 would go to the Twins.
That would mean the Twins would have to win one of middle 3 games to force a due or die game with Santana on the mound for game 5.

And Randy Johnson's back acted up.
And he stubbornly will demand to pitch.

And Yankee fans have the misconception that Randy Johnson is a big game starter because, well, twice he has crushed the Yankees in the post season (with the 1995 Mariners and 2001 Diamondbacks) going 5-0 overall including twice coming out of the bullpen to win a deciding game.

However in playoff games NOT against the Yankees he is 2-7, including getting pounded by the Cardinals in 2002 and by the Angels last year.
And he despite winning 17 games this year, his ERA is a fat 5.00, which means the Yankees just pounded the opposition during his starts... which would be hard to do against Minnesota's staff.

So there it was... Twins win games 1 and 3 and have Santana rested and ready for game 5...

The Yankee hater in me could SMELL IT!

But then it happened...

That scenario required the Detroit Tigers to clinch their division. And in order to do that they had to win one (ONE!!!!) game at home (!!!!!!!) against the Kansas City Royals (!!!!!!!!!!)
Something they couldn't do.

They had a 6-0 lead on Sunday.
They blew it.

They had bases loaded 1 out in extra innings.
Couldn't drive home the run.

They got swept at home with a division title on the line by a staggeringly inept team, whose lone "All Star" was 10-10 with an ERA north of 5.00.

So the Twins spend exactly 1 day alone in first place, but in reality, they spend an eternity there. Nobody will remember the Tigers were in first place for 4 months of the season.
All that will be recorded is that the Twins won the division and the Tigers are the Wild Card.

If they won one game at home against the Royals, they would host the A's. Not an easy series by any stretch of the imagination, but more manageable than on the road... in the Bronx.

They have free swinging hitters who will be chasing balls in the dirt and young pitchers who are running out of gas up against a line up that kind find room for Melky Cabrera, Craig Wilson and Bernie Williams.

Of course what are the chances of a team that won 95 games to lose 7 in a row?
They way they played last week, I'd say pretty great.

This series might be over in TWO games. They could be beaten so badly that they have to forfeit game 3.

And now the Twins are off to play Oakland, who are deep enough in pitching that they might get by Minnesota.

All the while, the Yankees have a pretty clear path to the World Series and will play whatever tomato can has the misfortune of representing the National League in the World Series (which I will address in my next post) and then Mussina, Giambi, A Fraud et al will get their rings and talk about how wonderful it is to be embraced by Yankee fans forever.

And Yankee haters like me will vomit... from Maine to Walla Walla.

Reworking J. D. Drew’s contract

The Red Sox agreed in principle with J. D. Drew on a 5 year $70 million contract,
thus paying a guy who has played two injury free seasons and whose desire was
publicly questioned by Tony LaRussa as if he is an elite player.

Those two seasons he managed to stay healthy were years he could split as a free
agent, a remarkable coincidence.

To the surprise of exactly nobody save for the Red Sox front office, it turns out he
has health issues which may derail the contract.

I offer Theo Epstein and Drew's agent Scott Boras my solution:

J. D. plays best when he knows there is some big cash coming. I know every player
does, but who else sits it out as often as he does when he has guaranteed dough on
the way.

So why not sign him to a contract that perfectly fits that mentality and also could
help him be loved at Fenway at the same time.

He needs a contract with incentives in order to get that $14 mil a year. And I am
not talking about normal year end incentives.

The Red Sox need to reward J. D. Drew every time he does something positive every
single game. Sometimes several times a game.

The Red Sox need to treat J. D. Drew like he is a seal.
Give him a reward for doing the tricks right. And maybe even have an accountant in
the dug out to show him how far along he is to getting the $14 mil.

Here's how I figured it out:

Start with the $300,000 base league minimum salary.
That much is in the can.

Then pay him:

$80,000 per homer.
$25,000 per run batted in
$20,000 for every hit.
$20,000 for every walk (because a walk is as good as a hit.)
$2,500 for every point on his slugging percentage.
$2,500 for every point on his on base percentage,
And a $2 million penalty for going on the DL.

If he just matches his numbers from last year, that gets him $11,207,500.00

He does better, he gets more dough.

But there is more.
He's going to have to win over the fans at Fenway and piling up numbers won't do
that. Just ask Wade Boggs.

So some added Fenway incentives must be added.

$400 for each autograph signed before a game. (25 a game gets him $1.62 million)

$1,000 for each funny handshake he invents. Red Sox fans for some reason love that.
(One for each player nets him $25,000)

$700 for every time he talks about a former Red Sox with great reverence. (Once a
game gives him $113,400)

$500 for every time he waves his arms up and down to get the crowd into it. (Twice a
game gives him $81,000)

$100 for each inning he runs hard to his position, pointing to the stands during
home games. (Every inning gives him $145,800)

$100 for each inning he runs BACK to the dugout, always giving the guy who made the
last out a fist pump. (Another $145,800.)

$3,000 For each clever nicknames he gives to his teammates and clubhouse crew. (30
will net him $90,000)

$5,000 for each time he calls WEEI to talk sports. (4 times a month including spring
training gets him $180,000)

$400 for each time he is the first person on the dugout steps to congratulate a guy
hitting a home run. (170 homers would get him $68,000)

$200 for each quotable quip given to Globe, NESN and Herald reporters. (5 a day
brings in $162,000)

$3,000 each time he "conducts" the right field stands during "Sweet Caroline."
(Doing it each game gets him $243,000)

$500 every time he calls Derek Jeter an overrated A-Hole. (Before each Red Sox
Yankee game nets him $9,500.)

And finally $10,000 for each time he throws Don Zimmer to the ground. (At least once
a month brings in $243,000)


He fulfills all of his incentives, he will get his $14,161,000, the Red Sox will get
some good production and the fans will have a new favorite.

It's a win for all if you ask me!

CELEBRATING BARRY BONDS

Barry Bonds doubled yesterday and got a nice hand from the crowd at AT&T park in San Francisco.

That very well could have been his last at bat in a Giants uniform... maybe his last game at all.

And while the standing o was nice, isn't it odd that more wasn't made of it.

Oh I know... BALCO.
And steroids.
And all these horrible things that he probably did.

And oh yeah, he was a bad guy.

And was greedy, leaving the Pirates for the biggest contract (at the time) in baseball history.

"He is a disgrace to baseball" I hear people say.
"Good riddance" I even hear some Giants fans say.

Good riddance? Imagine what would have happened to the Giants had he not arrived.

Lest we forget, in 1992 the Giants were an aging and irrelevant team not only in baseball but in the Bay Area. The 49ers were still a force and the A's still good.

The Giants were playing in windy, ugly, hard to get to, impossible to sit in Candlestick Park (or 3 Com, or Monster or whatever they were calling it.)

The Giants wanted to build a downtown ballpark and with the team in 1989 World Series, it seemed like it was going to be built... until the quake hit before Game 3 of the series and spending money on a ballpark seemed unseemly.

How quickly people forget that the Giants were so close to moving from San Francisco to Tampa Bay that people were printing out "Tampa Bay Giants" shirts and having "Welcome the Giants" rallys in St. Pete.

(Isn't it funny how Tampa Bay always was the bargaining chip teams used for a new ballpark? Give us what we want or we'll move to Tampa! And now we know Tampa has the worst stadium and is the worst baseball market in the country... how lucky for the Giants, White Sox, Rangers, Expos and Twins that they didn't follow through on their threats!)

New ownership came to the Giants and they brought in Bonds... then lean, quick and an all around player.

The Giants instantly became relevant again, winning 103 games, missing the playoffs by a game to the Braves. Why the ATLANTA Braves played in the WEST will always be a mystery to me. This geographical anomaly was corrected a year too late when the divisions realigned in 1994.

But Barry had arrived, along with his homers, his swagger, his "I don't care what you think about me" attitude and the Giants were THE team in the Bay Area.

The Giants were in the playoffs in 1997, forced a one game playoff in 1998, made the playoffs in 2000, missed by 2 games in 2001, won the NL pennant in 2002, won the NL West in 2003 and contended until the last weekend in 2004.

And with Barry leading the way, the Giants built a new stadium, with private money off China Basin in San Francisco.


Bonds is responsible for keeping the Giants in San Francisco and more than a decade of excitement when they could have easily become the Royals of the National League.




"Yeah, but what about the steroids?"

Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield keep getting standing ovations in New York... and believe me, if Rafael Palmeiro would be too if his production hadn't dropped off.

We'll never know who was using what during this era, and we'll never know how many of the pitches Bonds deposited into the Bay were from juiced pitchers.

And look carefully at the teams that won during the "Steroid Era." Look to see how many of them had players whose offensive statistics spiked dramatically between 1995 and 2002. Should some of those teams return their titles?

I want Giambi's two home runs off of Pedro Martinez in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS back.



"What about how he destroyed the integrity of baseball?"

First of all, there will always be conflicts in the integrity of baseball...
Lest we forget segregation, which in a way should put a giant asterix next to any record set before 1947.

Or what games, besides the 1919 World Series, were compromised because of gambling?

Or what teams could have been contenders if not for collusion in the 1980s?

Or which Cincinnati teams could have made the playoffs if Pete Rose weren't betting between 1985 and 1989?

Bonds is a product of the era, not the cause.




"Yeah, but he seems like a jerk!"

When will any of us hang out with ball players? Seriously, who cares if he has a Barka lounger in his locker room?

Besides, if Bonds has a mistress for a long time, then he is a horrible person.
But Kirby Puckett, whose wife needed to call the police, was a heartwarming ambassador to the game.

We NEED jerks in baseball to celebrate and root for or against.
Whether it is a cocky Larry Bird, a flamboyant Reggie Jackson or an out of his mind Terrell Owens.




"He is a disgrace."

A biggest disgrace than the Tampa Bay Giants?

Keep in mind, Detroit has a statue of Ty Cobb in front of their new ballpark.
If there is a bigger disgrace in baseball history, then I haven't heard of him


He saved a franchise and built a stadium.
He made a team relevant again.

Whether he was a jerk or a cheat, he deserves a little recognition for that.

I am reminded of the scene in The Godfather Part II when Hyman Roth tells Michael about Moe Greene and how he built Las Vegas.

"And there is not even a statue or a plaque that bears his name there."

McCovey Cove? Hell Wille never played there.
That's Barry's Bay!

I'll applaud him, even if it isn't the popular thing to do.