What? There are more teams than the Red Sox and Yankees?

I have just received word that there are actually more teams in Major League Baseball than the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. In fact, as a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, I have learned that there are more than one within driving distance to me.

In an effort to make Sully Baseball more inclusive, I am promising to write at least one post about every team in the major leagues before the year is done.

I don't just want the bickering Red Sox and Yankee fans reading this blog.
I also want the die hard Devil Rays fans... both of them

Considering Canseco's Source

Remember when Canseco's book came out and everyone made fun of him? Said he was full of it and just trying to make a cheap buck by claiming McGwire, Giambi, Palmeiro and others were all 'roided up.

Then remember when all those players were hauled into Congress (because clearly there was nothing better for them to be looking into) and they all scoffed at Canseco's allegations by saying "consider the source"? (except Sammy Sosa who miraculously forgot how to speak English).



That source is looking a lot better these days, isn't it? Canseco is truly becoming the Herb Stemple of the steroid scandal.
A lot of things stink about the 'roid era. The fun being taken out of the pursuit of the home run title and watching Bud Selig show why he has always been a disingenuous stooge both stink.

So does looking at the stats of the era and speculating who was on it or not. (Hmmm, Kevin Millar's numbers certainly spiked and then fell off fast when testing came in. Hmmm, Luis Gonzalez sure became a big home run hitter in a hurry!)

But one this is beyond speculating: If you played with Canseco, you had a good chance of being an MVP.

Almost everywhere he went, power numbers would spike and one of his team mates would make a run at the MVP. His teammates Mark McGwire (1986-1992, 1997) and Jason Giambi (1997) are well documented. McGwire of course won't talk about the past and Giambi is sorry... just can't say why.


And his buddy from Miami Rafael Palmeiro waved that finger at congress. Now that we know he was doing something, take a look at the back of his baseball card.



He went from being a line drive doubles hitter to being one of the top home run hitters in the AL starting in 1993... Canseco's first full season as his teammate in Texas.

He was also teammates with future 2 time MVP Juan Gonzalez, another huge (literally) slugger who brokedown rather quickly.

Another teammate? Future MVP Pudge Rodriguez. (Anyone notice how skinny he got after testing started?)

Also he played with two pitchers, Kevin Brown and Kenny Rogers, who kept pitching into their 40s and had anger issues. ('Roid rage?)

On to Boston, and suddenly one of my all time favorite Red Sox hitters, Mo Vaughn saw his home run totals jump up by 10 to 15 a year and HE became an MVP. And suddenly broke down.

And it wasn't just the sluggers. Canseco and Clemens were teammates, don't forget. And Clemens was slowing down and was declared by Duquette to be done. And Roger, one of the most competitive people on the planet Earth, suddenly found his fastball again and rattled off 4 more Cy Young Awards. Ever notice how much bigger he got after leaving the Sox?


Back to Oakland in 1997 where future MVPs Giambi and Tejada shared a locker room with him.

Over to Toronto in 1998 where coincidentally Carlos DelGado and Shawn Green saw their home run numbers soar.

In 1999 he was in Tampa when Fred McGriff had his highest home run total in 5 years and Gerald Williams had his only 20 home run season

He also played with the real guy that Dennis Quaid was playing in The Rookie.
I think it is safe to say he was safe from suspicion.

Over to the Yankees in 2000 almost at the same time as Glenallen Hill... who went on the biggest home run tear of his career.

Finally he wrapped up with the White Sox where Paul Konerko, Ray Durham and Jose Valentin all set their career highs for home runs.

So either Jose Canseco was a fantastic good luck charm for a lot of players or considering him as a source might not be that dumb a thing to do.

I'm not saying all of those players were juiced... but one of the sad things about the 'roids era is you can't honestly be certain that they WEREN'T.

And it also shows the people who want to blame Barry Bonds for the steroid era the way Dustin Hoffman blamed the monkey in Outbreak for the virus are being too narrow minded.

We'll never know the number of pitchers nor sluggers who used them.
And it stinks that we will treat players guilty even without a test.
I am only certain of 2 things:

1. Canseco is turning into a pretty GOOD source on this subject

and
2. Dennis Quaid should have received an Oscar nomination for The Rookie.

Oh yeah... the Red Sox. I almost forgot about them

The subjects of my blog show what a shallow and petty group we Red Sox fans are.

I put up post after post ripping the Yankees, analyzing the Yankees, gloating when they do badly, reveling in their soap opera and praising their theatricality.

And I barely write ANYTHING about the Red Sox, the team I love.

It's more fun to hate than it is to love sometimes.

What can I say? I wanted the Red Sox to sign Clemens mainly because it would hurt the Yankees! (What kind of values am I going to teach my children?)

But even without him, I love the pitching staff.
Schilling is pitching well (although it would have been interesting watching Clemens and Schilling try to share the spotlight.)

Beckett has adjusted and is throwing like an ace.
Dice-K has been up and down, but at least the Sox have been winning his starts.
Wakes looks good and even Tavarez (Julian, not the disco group) has thrown well his last two starts.

And with Papelbon, Okajima, Donnelly and Romero all doing well, they finally have a deep pen. When was the last time the Sox had a deep pen? Oh yeah... 2004.

And the lineup is good and role players like Willy Mo and Cora have gotten big hits.

They are the best team in the AL right now.
They've beaten the Yankees 5 out of 6 times.
They have a 6 game lead in the division, the biggest any team has.

And Manny is warming up.
Christ, even J.D. Drew isn't hurt yet.

Right now I wouldn't make a single player move. It's all working.

I have nothing to complain about.
So far the young season is going better than planned and it makes me happy.

And who wants to read that?

But enjoy more about Tavares.

Can Clemens pitch the ninth?

Yeah the Yankees got back Clemens...
They can resign Pettite, Clemens, trade for Johan Santana and clone Christy Matthewson and it won't help them get into the playoffs as long as Mariano Rivera keeps soiling the bed.

Another day, another meltdown. He has as many losses as he has saves and his ERA is at 8.44.

But don't worry Yankee fans... it's only April.
Oh wait.

Clemens... it's going to get interesting

First of all, let me just say this:

The way the Yankees introduced Clemens was awesome.
Seriously, I want more teams to do this.

They have resigned one of the great marquee players of the last 20 years and instead of announcing it via a press release and one of those embarrassingly awkward press conferences where they put the uniform over a suit... they did it with showmanship.

They waited for a packed house and the 7th inning stretch to have Roger to pull his "Howdy Parter" routine to the cheers of the fans. It was so cool that Mike Mussina almost smiled.

Suzyn (sic) Waldman screamed in the press box "Roger Clemens is a Yankee!" in a way that made Al Michael's "Do You Believe In Miracles!" seem subdued.

I WANT MORE PLAYER MOVES LIKE THAT!
Next time the Red Sox make a big move, I want them to be parachuted into Fenway Park. Or maybe be hiding in the Wally Costume.

SOME THOUGHTS:

- GM Brian Cashman vowed to make the Yankees younger and less expensive.
That vow lasted a month.

But they had to do it. They needed a pitcher they can rely on and while he costs the Yankees an obscene amount of money, how is it more obscene than Carl Pavano making $8 mil a year and so far averaging a game a season?

And they don't need to worry he will implode in New York a la Randy Johnson and it won't cost them any prospects.

Plus as I mentioned in my "second act Yankees" post, the Yankees LOVE bringing back players who have won before (of course forgetting that they are older as well.)

- The Yankees get a savior every year, one whose acquisition is supposed to be the one that automatically clinches the World Series and makes it un fair for baseball... until said savior is watching from the dugout as another team celebrates. (see also Mussina, Giambi, Matsui, A-Rod, Brown, Vasquez, Sheffield, Big Unit and Damon)

Usually they make this move in December. This year they waited for May


- I love that some people are poo pooing the deal saying "He's just a 6 inning pitcher now."

Have you seen the Yankees pitching staff this year? Half the time Torre has been PRAYING for a 6 inning pitcher. They went through April where the starters were averaging less than FIVE innings. The Yankees have played 29 games and somehow they've already used 30 starting pitchers. You can look it up!

Plus having Roger gives the team a psychological boost. At least the teammates can recognize who he is! Look at tonight. The Yanks are starting someone named Matt DeSalvo. Ever heard of him? Me neither. Yahoo Sports doesn't even have a picture of him, unless his face is a Yankees logo.

Clemens will take Kei Igawa's spot in the rotation. Igawa's recipe for success is NOT knowing he is going to pitch on a certain day... but in order to do that, the Yankees have to keep breaking the legs of their young starters and throwing Igawa into games.

An overpaid guy who is clearly not wired correctly to play in New York?
Kei Igawa is Japanese for Carl Pavano.

- Jeter and Giambi evidently were constantly e mailing Clemens. I wonder if they use emoticons or say LOL. I have a friend who is a man's man, former captain of the football team, hunter, NRA member, life long Republican. He writes me e mails and occasionally signs off on an e mail with a little ":-)"

So it is possible Jeter could have written an e mail that would say "Gr8 if U came Back. ;-)" Or Giambi could have said "Karsten is as good as you. LOL"

- Us Red Sox fans will try to brush this move aside, but it is huge. Clemens has a tendency to make the pitchers around him a little better through his... a hem... big work outs.

And his presence will probably loosen up an undoubtedly tense Yankee clubhouse.
Plus Wang, Clemens, Pettite and Mussina is a darn good starting 4, especially if you remember their main job is to keep the opposition from scoring more than 5 runs.

And Torre will probably relax and stop pitching like his job is on the line.

And remember, this is not a move that was made for the long term benefit of the Yankees. This is a response to the "Sky is Falling" Yankee fans who were bracing themselves for their first irrelevant summer since 1992!

Scared we can't pitch? After losing a game 15-11, I'd be scared too! HAVE NO FEAR! CLEMENS IS HERE! And he rides in on his white horse, saving Joe's job... saving the summer... bringing the Yankees back to the promise land... and filling up the joint every 5th night.

And while EVERYTHING is going the Red Sox way and NOTHING has gone the Yankees way... 5 1/2 games is nothing to make up. I picked the Yankees to win the division before Clemens and they just might pull it off.

- And also let's stop with the whole "Roger is greedy" angle.
OF COURSE he's greedy! Everyone is a little greedy. And if I were in a position to milk out $19 million for 3/4 of a season, I'd do it too and so would you.



- HOWEVER let's not start booking the parade just yet.

With Roger pitching 6 innings a start, that means the usual suspects of Vizcaino, Bruney, Myers, Bean and Proctor are still pitching almost every day. Roger may like the run support he'll get in the Bronx but I am guessing he won't be thrilled to see the middle relief cough up leads.

Roger isn't pitching for the Yankees until June. (Coincidentally for a Red Sox series... chances are it won't get much publicity.) That means the Yankees will play another month with a pitching staff that has more holes in it than the plot to Spider Man 3.

And they are already 5 games back in the loss column. If the Red Sox could add a few more games to the lead, with their pitching staff the built the way it is... would it be too big a lead?

- Finally the Yankees have pushed all their chips into the middle of the table. They tried Younger and Cheaper, they tried We've got our own Japanese guy, they tried This Hughes kid might be the next Clemens. All that resulted was panic, finger pointing, some trainer got fired and somehow A-Rod became the most love Yankee since DiMaggio.

They had only one card left to play and that was Clemens saving the season.
And Clemens said what every Yankee thinks but virtually none will admit... Not winning a World Series is a failure in Yankee-ville.

Pressure is on.
Red Sox vs. Yankees just got a little better.

It's going to get interesting

Could this be it for Torre?

Maybe Joe shouldn't have fought for his job after getting thumped by Detroit last year.
The certain Hall of Fame manager seems to be legitmately in danger of getting fired if he gets swept by the Red Sox... again.

And despite being a Torre defender for the past decade or so, I actually can understand it.

Yeah it isn't his fault their pitching stinks... but it IS his fault that the bullpen is already gasping for air and it isn't even May yet.

Would it kill Joe to take one of his starters and say "You are pitching 7 innings even if you give up 19 runs because the pen needs a night off"?

And why is Doug Mientkiewicz, who has more letters in his name than points in his average, batting 2nd?

And today Torre is doing yet another panic move, putting Jason Giambi, who has Stephen Hawkings mobility, on the field.

We might be two losses away from the Torre era coming to a shocking end.
They have the 2006 National League Manager of the year (Joe Girardi) on the payroll in the YES network booth.

Who would have thought that the rally two Thursdays ago from a 6-2 lead ending on A-Rod's walk off home run might have been Torre's last as a Yankee manager?

ICEBERG! STRAIGHT AHEAD!

Yeah the Yankees have had bad starts before.
Yeah there has been a Chicken Little panic in the Bronx almost every year in the past 5 or 6 only to see the Yankees run off a big win streak and win the division... with each time Joe Torre praised for "His best managing job EVER!"

But there is something ominous about this Yankee start. Something that could be the iceberg for the Yankees 12 year post season run.

It's not the 7 game losing streak and the 8 game streak of 6 runs or more.

It's not just that in 16 of 21 games they have let up at least 5 runs.

Or that they have had only 6 out of 21 games where the starter goes at least 6 innings.

Or that in 10 of 21 games the starter has lasted less than 5 innings.

Or that they are 0-4 against the Red Sox after having a 2 run or more lead in each of the games.

Or that Vizcaino, Myers, Farnsworth, Bruney and Proctor seem to be on a pace for 162 appearances each.

Or that it isn't even May yet and the Yankees have made at least 3 panic moves (Pettite out of the bullpen? Rivera coming in the 8th? Phillip Hughes being rushed up after saying he'll spend the year in the minors.)

They've had bad starts and bad pitching before.
But they always could count on Rivera.

It's nearly May.
He is tied with my two year old sons for saves.
He has two blown saves.

His ERA starts with a 12.

Any question of who the most valuable Yankee of the Torre years will be answered pretty quickly if Rivera falls apart.

He's 37. He's been a dominating reliever since 1996. It's an amazing run... but if it is over... then the great plan B that won them a division in 2005 (Yeah the starters and relievers stink, but we'll score 9 runs and Rivera will close the 9th) will be scrapped.

You want to trust Farnsworth with the 9th?

Yankee haters, don't get too giddy... but one month in, the Yankees are taking on water fast and the Torre/Rivera years might just be winding down.

Game 2 tonight of round 2.

Let's see if Kate and Leo are doing that flying thing at the bow.

Red Sox vs. Yankees - Round 2

Red Sox fans should feel lucky thus far and we should also enjoy the fact that our team has been pitching so well and that the Yankees are doing an outstanding Chicken Little impersonation.

Remember 2005... the Yankees were clueless and reeling and the Red Sox were the defending champs with an eye on 2 in a row. And they finished the season tied. Things can turn around in an awful hurry. (Remember, J. D. Drew hasn't gone to the DL yet... yet.)

But the Red Sox pitching has been as good as the Yankee pitching has been downright horrific.

So going into the Bronx after the sweep in Boston I am not going to be greedy.
I do want a win tonight and I would love 2 out of 3.
I would love 3 well pitched games, more Papelbon magic and one new Manny moment.

I'm not talking about a home run or a double down the line.
I want him to be buying a hot dog from a vendor while the game is going on.
Or maybe running into the wrong dugout at the end of the inning.
Or maybe have a camera catching him doing the robot in left field.
Or coming out in a towell.

I'm telling you, no superstar in sports is funnier than Manny.
We're due.

Look, it was blood... OK

It wasn't ketchup nor paint.
It was the
dude's blood. Don't believe me? Go up to Cooperstown and take a sample
from the sock. And while you are at it, clone us 10 more Curt
Schillings so we win the series in 2030 as well. (Never too early to
start a youth movement.)

And even if it wasn't, how does that take away from his game 6 in New York?
Nobody questions he needed a radical medical procedure before pitching in a do or die playoff game against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Nobody questions that a day or two prior he was considered to be done for the year.

And nobody questions that he shut down the Yankees and the Cardinals.
So what exactly are these people trying to take away from him?
That he is a showboat who loves the spotlight on him?

That's the scoop?
STOP THE PRESSES! Also David Wells is fat!

It's part of baseball mythology now... like Gibson grunting while walking up to face Eckersley in the 1988 World Series or Ruth calling his shot or the rat scaring the cameraman in the Green Monster, forcing him to stay on Fisk when he hit the home run in the 1975 World Series.

He had a stitched up ankle and won with it.
Deal with it.

The real mystery is why Torre didn't bunt on a guy whose foot was attached to his leg with a few strings... but thank God he didn't!

A-Rod is a genius

A few weeks ago I wrote about the A-Rod
insanity... how the New York media and fans were just salivating at the
prospect to boo him... and how this would inevitably lead to his
bolting at the end of the year.


Man, what a difference a few weeks make!

The
predictable story line has transformed into the greatest start any
player has ever had... maybe ever... and a spectacular exit strategy is
in place.

A-Rod has won games on his own... and when they lose close, don't blame him! He homered once or twice.

And
yeah he's saying all the right things about "wanting to stay in New
York" and "I've always wanted to be here." But what is he supposed to
say?

"I was looking for a condo in Anaheim, but with the money
that Arte Moreno is going to give me, I can afford to buy the castle in
Disneyland and make thatCasa Del A-Rod."

Remember his appearing in a tux in the off season of 2003 proclaiming his commitment to making the Rangers a championship team? By the time he returned the tux to the Men's Wearhouse, he was a Yankee.

He's going to bolt and Scott Boras will start the bidding at $30 million a year... and A-Rod will have a year to justify it. Think the Cubs with their new management, the Angels with Arte Moreno or the Giants starting the post-Bonds era won't be drooling over him?

And what about his post season failures?
With this pitching staff, it won't really be a problem. Watch the Yankees miss the playoffs all together and A-Rod be able to say "Don't blame ME!"

Even the New York press can't get on him anymore... and I am guessing to the secret delight of A-Rod... they have turned their knives on the very people who were considered infallible at season's start.

Torre? Not motivating the team.
Jeter? Screwing up in the field.
Rivera? It might be over.


Who would have guessed A-Rod would be the most beloved of those 4?

He's going to get New York to love him... and he is going to bolt... and all the people who wanted him run out of town on a rail will be calling WFAN screaming "HOW COULD THEY LET A-ROD GO! HE WAS A TRUE YANKEE!"

He's a genius. He has turned the media and fans around and they'll never know what hit them when he comes back to Yankee stadium in a visiting uniform.

Man, there has been a genuine twist in this story and it isn't even May yet!

This is better than Grey's Anatomy

ENOUGH WITH THE NFL DRAFT!

Hey ESPN! Hey sports talk radio! ENOUGH WITH ALL OF THE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE!

It's bad enough the draft is covered live on TV in its entirety... but what is the point of the pre draft coverage?

Nobody knows what the teams are doing.
Nobody is in the war room.
And most of the rumors are made by the agents trying to drum up interest for their client (lest we forget Drew Rosenhaus on his cell phone talking to Willis McGahee who was sitting right next him... both pretending to be talking to another team.)

So when I turn on KNBR or ESPN radio and here a discussion on the draft it should be this long.

"Who do you think your team is going to pick?"
"I dunno."
"Me neither. Let's talk baseball."




But then comes the coverage (and God help anyone who actually ATTENDS the draft to cheer or boo.)

And it is basically hour after hour of the following:

"Well looks like the Bengals are drafting this kid out of college."
"Yup, here are the clips of him in college playing well."
"Is this a good pick or a bad pick?"
"Well we don't really know because he hasn't played in the pros yet, but I'll pretend that I can predict the future."
"That's great. The Lions are on the clock."

Lather.
Rinse.
Repeat.

Seriously, there is no more worthless event on TV.
And don't give me the Oscars or some other award show. Yeah those are long and drawn out, but at least they are difinitive.

"The Oscar goes to Helen Mirren." BANG! She wins it right then and there. No projections. No Mel Kiper saying "Well, we project Helen Mirren as being an Oscar winner in 3 years."

No, she's there. She's holding the Oscar. That's all there is to it.

And how can you tell if someone is a bust or not?

I'm sure the Chargers thought they were getting a Roger Staubach/Joe Montana type when they picked up Ryan Leaf.

I don't recall Chris Berman saying "Well, he's talented but is as mentally stable as Private Pyle sitting on the toilet loading that gun."

And how about those Eagle fans booing Donavan McNabb, who would lead the Eagles to their best run ever, because they didn't pick Ricky Williams. Yeah, Ricky and Philly would have been a good match. New Orleans and Miami were too stressful for Ricky before he became Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused.



And how many people were going nuts when Tom Brady was selected like 423,111th in the draft?

What they should do is show what the draft was 5 years ago and have those players come back to either boos or cheers and analysis.

So come ESPN! Put it on ESPN 2 or 3 and show some REAL sports now.
Have you noticed there's a baseball season going on now? Or the NBA playoffs? Or the Stanley Cup playoffs?

Or even two guys playing Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Just no more Draft!

Our Rivalry is Better than Your Rivalry

I'm sorry, the rest of baseball...
You may be sick of hearing about the Red Sox and Yankees, but it's the best rivalry in baseball. Nobody comes close. The games are more exciting, the fans are more into it, there seems to be more desperation for a win from both sides and it is good for baseball.

Spare me the Cubs and Cardinals comparison. What is the great Cubs and Cardinals show down that can compare to Bucky Dent? To back to back game 7's in '03 and '04? To Aaron Boone, Dave Roberts and A-Rod slapping the glove? Not to mention Ted Williams vs. Joe D.

Dodgers and Giants come closest. Between Bobby Thomson's home run, the playoff series of 1962 and the season finales of 1982, 1991, 1993 and 2004... it's pretty intense.
But San Francisco and Los Angeles fans aren't talking baseball in January.
Nothing is like Sox/Yankees.

And tonight's game? Yet another wild game that lives up to the billing.

SOME THOUGHTS



- Those green uniforms were a disgrace. Seriously, THIS is how they decided to honor Red Auerbach? How about having them dress like the Red Sox and win a ballgame? Save the silly green shirts for when the Devil Rays are in town. This is Sox/Yankees! The teams have the same uniforms from the 1930s, and tonight the Red Sox looked like the Portugese National Team.

- The moment Coco Crisp fell into the bullpen, trying to bring back A-Rod's second home run in vain, might very well be the moment I fell in love with the 2007 Red Sox.


- Um... A-Rod is pretty good, isn't he? In fact this start and this whole season might be the greatest exit strategy in the history of American sports. After years of Yankee fans booing him and the media crushing him, he's going to have the greatest year of all time and have everyone BEG him to come back. But that's the subject of another post.


- A-Rod's dramatics have been very sexy and good for John Sterling getting his "It is High, It is Far, It Is Gone" call onto Sports Center... but it also means that the Yankees have been trailing teams like the Devil Rays, Orioles and Indians in the late innings by multiple runs. Gee, I wonder if that will work in the post season.

- The Bridge to Mariano is less reliable than the Bridge on the River Kwai.

- It's April 21 and Rivera is tied with my 2 year old sons for saves... how is THAT possible? Yankee fans had better hope that that is a statistical fluke (a la Rivera blowing his first two games in 2005... only to have his best overall year.)



- Man, tonight has become "Sully loves Coco Crisp" night after his game tying triple.

- Where the hell was Jonathan Papelbon? Please tell me he was at Legal Seafood and he's not hurt.

- Hideki Okajima looked pretty darn good! Who knows? Maybe we have a left handed stud in the pen now. Hell, he has more saves than Mariano Rivera! Okajima should legally change his name to "The Other Japanese Guy."

- A-Rod slugs 2 home runs and drives in 4 of their 6 runs... why do I feel that the New York papers will focus on his making the out in the 9th?

- Man! One game down, 18 to go between the Sox and Yankees. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, Red Sox fans... the Sox always do well against the Yankees in April. But any day the Sox come from behind with Rivera on the mound, the sky just seems bluer, birds chirp sweeter, food tastes better and life is just more enjoyable.

- Maybe it was the green unis! Better wear them the rest of the season!

Someone in scheduling needs to lose their job

I mentioned in an earlier post I admonished MLB schedule makers for having Seattle (a team with a dome) play IN Cleveland (an open air stadium) in early April. It didn't take a genius to predict that the weather might be kind of lousy in Cleveland for the Cal Ripken like 2,131 consecutive April.

If Seattle and Cleveland had to play each other then, why not play indoors?
NOPE! Outdoors they were and the whole series was snowed out and will wreak havoc on the teams later in the year.

I heard on my beloved XM radio a woman from the scheduling department that said they had no choice but to schedule games in Cleveland then and that they'd do it again. Kind of the "Hands on the ears and yelling LA LA LA LA" approach to problem solving.

Just when I thought they couldn't POSSIBLY look stupider, the next team came in.

The Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim in Orange County.
Let's see... which site would be better for baseball in early April?
Cleveland or Anaheim California... hmmmmm.

So Cleveland continued its spot on Siberia impersonation, what was Major League Baseball's brilliant solution for what was still the home opener for the Cleveland Indians?

Switch the series to Anaheim and move a later game in California to Cleveland when the weather is warmer?


NOPE! Makes too much sense.
Better move the home opener (usually one of the highlights for ANY baseball team) to a new site.

Well how about Florida? One of the Spring Training sites!

And the Walt Disney World ballpark was not in use last week! Make it a trip for the Indians and their family and any die hard Cleveland fans who could make it out of the snow?

Nope. Too intelligent.

I GOT AN IDEA!
If you can't be in Cleveland during a snowstorm, where is the next obvious place to go? What inviting destination can you treat Clevelanders to?

MILWAUKEE!!!!!


Where it was snowing...

So the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played the Cleveland Indians of Milwaukee.

Brilliant solution!

Great job schedule people!


I guess Nome Alaska was booked.

Jackie Robinson and today's talent pool

This weekend baseball is rightfully paying tribute to Jackie Robinson and his breaking the color barrier. Some players will wear #42 in his honor and few whole teams will as well.

Former players will come out to speak, great montages will be shown on JumboTrons, and hopefully a few nice words will be thrown towards Larry Doby, who ALSO made his debut in 1947, a few months after Jackie, but never seems to be mentioned. But I digress!

My mind wandered to an article that I read in the New York Times that was pointing to the many reasons why the pitching is so bad and the home run totals were so high. They listed the usual list of reasons that are hard to argue with:
1. Smaller ballparks.
2. Lower mounds.
3. Umpire's squeezing the strike zone forcing pitchers to throw over the heart of the plate.
4. Players digging in with tons of armor.
5. Pitchers not being able to throw a brush back pitch
6. Oh yeah, 'roids and HGH.

But they also listed expansion and the diluted talent pool.

And this is where I take exception and where we go full circle to Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby.

Yes, baseball has expanded from 16 teams in Jackie Robinson's day to 30 teams now. And that means there are 154 pitchers in the big who wouldn't have been there before.

So far no argument from me. But let's not be foolish and call what we have in baseball a thin talent pool. You will NEVER find a thinner talent pool and records more worthy of having a big fat asterix next to them than the "good old days" of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Jimmy Foxx and Joe DiMaggio.

The talent pool from 1901 to 1946 was so insanely thin that it is hard to look at those numbers seriously. It's an element that people don't think about when they talk lovingly of Jackie (and some do for Larry.) It wasn't just an act of social justice... it gave us better baseball!

Think about the explosion of players after Jackie and how many of them are still considered the best ever. Willie Mays? Hank Aaron? Frank Robinson? Roberto Clemente? Ernie Banks? Bob Gibson? Roy Campanella? Juan Marichal?

How many Say Hey Kids and Hammering Hanks were on the outside looking in while Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Cy Young piled up records?

And I'm not just concerned about social justice here! I'm talking how the game on the field was inferior!

Let's put what baseball's talent pool was like pre-Jackie in a modern context.

Scale the league back to 16 teams and fill those teams up with players currently playing.

BUT make sure when you pick a catcher, don't take future Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. Nor All Star Victor Martinez. Nor multiple playoff and World Series hero Jorge Posada. Or anyone named Molina.

Pick a first baseman... but for Godsake NOT Albert Pujols, or Ryan Howard, or Big Papi Ortiz, or Carlos DelGado, or Adrian Gonzalez.

Second base is next... but take your eyes off of Robinson Cano (named after Jackie), playoff hero Placido Polanco, defensive whiz Orlando Hudson, power hitting Bill Hall.

Shortstop? Better not be thinking of picking Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Miguel Tejada, Edgar Renteria, Jose Guillen, Jimmy Rollins, Orlando Cabrera, Omar Vizquel, Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Furcal or Julio Lugo!

Third base? Go ahead! Pick anyone you want... except A-Rod... and Aramis Ramirez... and Miguel Cabrera... and Melvin Mora... and batting champ Freddy Sanchez... and Adrian Beltre...

Now pick an outfielder. Ooo sorry, not Carlos Beltran... nor Andruw Jones... nor Manny Ramirez... nor Jermaine Dye... nor Vlad Guererro... nor Bobby Abreu... nor Vernon Wells... nor Ken Griffey Jr... nor Carl Crawford... nor Barry Bonds.... nor Gary Sheffield... nor Alexis Rios... nor Torii Hunter... nor Magglio Ordonez... nor Carlos Lee... nor Curtis Granderson... anyone else though! Oooo, sorry not Garret Anderson either.

That's just the elite players.
Put teams together without them and you a laughably thin talent pool.

Now the pitchers would like to see those players out of the game for the sake of their ERAs. But let's put that pitching staff together.

Better not put the best pitcher in baseball in there, Johan Santana!
Better take Carlos Zambrano, C. C. Sabathia, 2005 Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon, 2005 Cy Young runner run Dontrelle Willis, Anibal Sanchez, Ervin Santana and Pedro Martinez off your list as well.

You weren't thinking of bringing in Mariano Rivera nor Francisco Rodriguez from the bullpen were you? Shame on you!



Since the 1994 strike, 18 out of 24 MVPs, 6 Cy Young award winners, 12 Rookie of the Years, 10 Firemen of the Year, 5 World Series MVPs and 14 LCS MVPs would have been ineligible.

Now talk to me about a thin talent pool.

And yes there are more roster spots to fill in, but there are also new avenues of which to fill them!

Just this Wednesday, one of the most anticipated match ups in recent memory for an April game took place in Boston. The Red Sox Daisuke Matsusaka facing off with his old rival Ichiro Suzuki. The surprising hitting star turned out to be Kenji Johjima.

Forget 1947... that match up wouldn't have happened in the pre Nomo days of 1994!

Oh yeah, the real star of the game was Venezuelan born King Felix Hernandez... also, keep your eyes off of HIM if you were picking a pre-Jackie team.

Expansion of the teams has meant expansion of the net to find players. What are the Yankees' two most critical injuries this year? The injuries to Taiwanese pitcher Chien Ming Wang and Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui.

How many Wangs, Matsuis, Ichiros and Dice Ks were in Asia during the pre Jackie days?

Jackie Robinson integrating baseball was of course a wonderful and important moment for Civil Rights in America. But let's face it... it made the game BETTER!

Thanks for the deep talent pool Jackie!

You too Larry.

A tip for Umpires and Schedule makers

Hey Umps. When you have to break out snow shovels and snow plows before a game and nobody can open their eyes because it's snowing in their face... here's a tip. Call the game. Call it before people take the field.

Yeah I know it was opening day in Cleveland, but don't worry. The fans will come back. It's Cleveland. What else is there to do? How many times can they go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? If you can make a snowman on the field, call it.

Hey schedule makers. Did you notice that there were California teams playing EACH OTHER in early April? Chances of snow in Oakland and Anaheim are a smidge smaller than in Cleveland in April. Something wrong with an Indians/Angels game now? Just write it on a Post-It note. "Warmer in California than Ohio in April." It's not a new development.

Just a helpful hint from your pal Sully.

Quick! Trade Benítez!

Hey Giants! Armando Benitez got a save the other day. QUICK! TRADE HIM RIGHT NOW! For God sake, his value will not be higher than it is right now.

Not 2 weeks from now. NOW! As you are reading this, trade him.

And don't hold out!
If the Marlins offer you a backup reserve catcher, say "OK!"

If the White Sox say "We'll give you a used copy of Big Mamma's House 2 in exchange for Benitez" TAKE IT!

If the Padres say "We'll give you a sip of Tab" it's a STEAL!

Benitez needs to be off of the Giants right now.
Not just because he blows saves right and left, even though nothing can dishearten a team like multiple blown saves in a row.

It's not just because the fans in San Francisco boo like crazy the nanosecond he removes his jacket in the bullpen. (And fans in Baltimore and in Queens chuckle all the while thinking "He's YOUR problem now!"

(It's interesting that I have lived in both New York and the San Francisco areas when Benitez has been a closer and both regions have taken a border line perverse pleasure in booing him. Must be a coincidence.)

No, this guy could possibly be the least able closer I have ever seen... and like Brent Musburger, keeps getting chances.
Well for the Giants sake it has to stop.

Stat geeks claim that the closer is an overrated position and that it doesn't matter what inning a pitcher pitches in. They also claim the idea of being a clutch player or a choker is a myth.

To them I say "Armando Benitez." All the guy has proven over the years is that the 8th and 9th innings matter a hell of a lot more. You see, if you have more runs at the end of the 9th inning you win the game. Odd that stat heads seem to miss that point.

Oh yeah, as talented as Benitez is, when the big game is on the line he shows all the toughness of Don Knotts.

Man I feel for Bruce Bochy who his entire managing career turned to potential Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman in the 9th.
Now he has a guy that Scott Norwood, Calvin Schraldi and John Starks call a choker

I had no clue what the Giants were thinking when they signed him. Maybe they saw some nice numbers and had a good scouting report or two, but anyone who SAW him knows he is a time bomb.

And SURPRISE! He broke in with the Giants blowing an 8-4 9th inning lead. Oh and when the Giants clawed their way back to first place last summer... who was there to blow 3 straight saves and torpedo the season. Guess!

And who endeared himself to the fans after blowing a save to the mighty Nationals last July by walking 2 and letting up 2 hits in the 9th by saying "I did my job?"

You guessed it.

His resume for blowing the big game is staggering. His reputation is so secure as a slayer of title dreams that Buster Olney wrote about his failures and worthlessness in 2003... and he's changed teams 4 times since then!

He gets a lot of strikeouts. He saves a pile of games from April to September. But once the leaves turn brown, so do his boxers.

I can almost hear his agent in negotiations.

AGENT: He's an elite closer! Look at the strikeouts! Look at the saves. He'll close the big games for you.

GM: Looks like he let up a game winning grand slam to Albert Belle in game 3 of the 1996 Division Series.

AGENT: It's one game!

GM: That same year he let up a game tying homer to Derek Jeter in the ALCS.

AGENT: C'mon! That kid Jeffrey Maier stole that ball. That wasn't legit. Can't blame my client for that.

GM: In 1997 he let up a 3 run game winning homer to Marquis Grissom that changed the momentum of the ALCS.

AGENT: We ALL have a bad day.

GM: Later in the same series he let up the pennant winning homer to light hitting Tony Fernandez.

AGENT: Fernandez was due.

GM: In the 1999 playoffs for the Mets he let light hitting Jay Bell tie a potential clinching game in the 8th with a double.

AGENT: They won the game. That's all that matters.

GM: Later in 1999, he let Braves tie the score in the 10th inning of game 6 of the NLCS, a game the Mets needed to stay alive, when light hitting Ozzie Guillen singled home a run.

AGENT: Ozzie is a tough hitter. One of the elites.

GM: In the 2000 playoffs he allowed a 9th inning, 3 run pinch hit homer to light hitting J. T. Snow.

AGENT: If he was so light hitting, how'd he crush one of the elite closers in the game? huh?

GM: And he blew the save in the 9th inning of game 1 of the 2000 World Series, a game the Mets would lose.

AGENT: Hey! At least he GOT to the World Series.

GM: Hmmm, when the Mets were going on their post September 11th dash for the 2001 NL East crown, Benitez blew a 4-1 lead in the 9th to the first place Braves.

AGENT: What are the chances of that happening again?

GM: 6 days later he blew a 5-1 lead in the 9th to the same Braves team, knocking the Mets out of contention and making New Yorkers feel like he had spit on every fireman and police officer's children.

AGENT: Those are 10 isolated playoff and pennant race failures. You need to look at the big picture.


That agent must be convincing someone he is worth it. Or else he gets the GMs drunk and get the contracts worked out the same way whaling ships got their crews.

The Giants keep bringing him out. The logic being "Well, nobody out there has closer experience before and we know what we have with Benitez."

Yeah, you know what you have. An incredibly crappy closer.

How does that make sense?
It's as if you are making a dramatic movie and you have 2 unknown actors and Tony Danza.
Do you say "Well, who knows what the unknowns will give us... might as well cast Danza"?

NO! Maybe you can get a great performance out of the unknown!
Casting Danza would be INSANE!
(See "Crash" if you don't believe me.)

The Giants are loaded with young pitchers. How could they POSSIBLY be worse?
And if the new closer has some failures, you can mark it up to "growing pains" as opposed to Benitez who is just pain.

Maybe they are auditioning him.
I heard one of the Giants people dutifully say "He had a few clutch saves in spring training."
Because heaven knows there is no pressure like a 9th inning game in Spring training where Armando has to stare down Double A players wearing #93.

You might as well say "He won a few games on the Playstation."

So seriously. If the Devil Rays offer you "some curly fries to be named later" for him TAKE IT!
The fries will be easier on your heart in October.