Sully Baseball

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Sully Baseball's Official 2011 Picks... bet on these at your own risk!

In my entire life, I have predicted the World Series champion accurately a grand total of once in my life.

I picked the 1999 New York Yankees to win it all.
Not exactly a brave pick on my part.

Since then...
I picked the Braves to win the 2000 World Series.
I picked the Yankees to win the 2001 World Series.
I picked the A's to win the 2002 World Series.
I picked the Cardinals to win the 2003 World Series.
I picked the Astros to win the 2004 World Series.
I picked the Twins to win the 2005 World Series.
I picked the White Sox to win the 2006 World Series.
I picked the Angels to win the 2007 World Series.
I picked the Red Sox to win the 2008 World Series.
I picked the A's to win the 2009 World Series.
I picked the Yankees to win the 2010 World Series.

So which team am I giving the Kiss of Death to for 2011?

Here are my Division Picks

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST - Boston Red Sox

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL – Chicago White Sox

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD – New York Yankees

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST – Philadelphia Phillies

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL – Cincinnati Reds

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST – San Francisco Giants

NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD – Florida Marlins

ALCS – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim def. Boston Red Sox in 7
NLCS – Philadelphia Phillies def. Cincinnati Reds in 4

WORLD SERIES – Philadelphia Phillies def. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 5

Award Predictions

AL MVP – Kevin Youkilis, Boston
NL MVP – Hanley Ramirez, Florida
AL Cy Young – Dan Haren, Los Angeles
NL Cy Young – Josh Johnson, Florida
AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay
NL Rookie of the Year – Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati
AL Manager of the Year – Ozzie Guillen, Chicago
NL Manager of the Year – Bruce Bochy, San Francisco
AL Comeback Player of the Year – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
NL Comeback Player of the Year – Aaron Harang, San Diego

First AL Manager fired – Jim Leyland, Detroit
First NL Manager fired – Jim Riggleman, Washington

So there you have it… Phillies fans, I hope you weren’t hoping for a parade this year. I think your team is going to win, which means DOOM!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Cubs choose to honor someone who beat them

Robert Redford is throwing out the first pitch at opening day at Wrigley Field this year.

Hey look, Redford is a great actor. All The President's Men, The Sting, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance , The Candidate... he's been is some of the best films of all time. And he's no slouch as a director. Ordinary People is great. Quiz Show is my favorite film of his. And his new film, The Conspirator, looks great.

But what in the name of Harry Carray and Ron Santo is going on here?
What is Sundance's connection to the Cubs?

I'll tell you... in fact I already did in a previous post. In The Natural, Roy Hobbs was going off to try out for the Cubs when he struck out The Whammer at the carnival and was shot by Barbara Hershey. So he never got to play for the Cubs. And later, as a member of the Knights, he saw Glenn Close stand up and be circled by sunlight. He responded by hitting a ball through the center field clock at Wrigley Field AGAINST the Cubs!

So he played a guy who didn't sign with the Cubs and later beat them.

THIS is who the Cubs are honoring on opening day?
A man who grew up in Los Angeles idolizing Ted Williams and the Red Sox?

I would have no problem with Redford throwing out the first ball any other day. But shouldn't opening day be about celebrating the team, not shining the light on a movie star?

I guess you could ask Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg or Andre Dawson to do the honors... but that could be too obvious.

Hall of Famer and former Cub Cy Young winner Bruce Sutter could be given the ball, but he seems to have embraced the Cardinals more than the Cubs.

They could bring out Rod Blagojevich to throw out the first pitch.

Yeah it would be awkward to associate the Cubs with Blago, but come on... is it any worse than the Mets association with Bernie Madoff?

By the way, doesn't he just look awkward with that Cubs hat on? Not as bad as John Kerry at Fenway Park, but damn close.

What about Bill Murray?

If you are going to bring in some movie star power, Bill is as good as The Great Waldo Pepper. And he's had a hit movie more recently as well.

He's a lifelong Cubs fan and filled in a game for Harry Carey back in 1987 when Harry was recovering from a stroke.

Then again with Bill, there is always the possibility that he won't show up.

I am sure Jim Belushi will do it.

He's a Chicago boy (and of course inevitably bring around memories of his brother who was also a rabid Cubs fan.)

He even played a rabid fan trying to see the Cubs in the World Series in the movie Taking Care of Business. (The willing suspension of disbelief is important in watching that film.)

Besides, I bet he could promote The Defenders just before he makes the pitch.

Why not Eddie Vedder?

I always associate him with Seattle, but he is a native of Evanston Illinois and a lifelong Cubs fan.

I find it bizarre that he burst on to the scene nearly 20 years ago. My God, how old am I? Pearl Jam were big when I was in college. Now he is becoming an elder statesman.

Have him throw out the first pitch... while we are young!

Speaking about feeling old... why not Macaulay Culkin?

The kid was left alone in Chicago in that movie, so shouldn't he be an icon now?

I tell you what he also is now... a 30 year old man!!!

Bring in Bonnie Hunt!

If you are going to bring in a movie star, don't have it be someone who beat the Cubs! Have it be someone who lived in the houses behind Wrigley Field!

The Cubs blew their chance to hire my former boss to be their manager.

Don't blow having her throw out the first pitch! Besides, she is already going to be there. She hasn't missed an opening day since 1977!

So no offense Mr. Redford... there are better and more appropriate people to throw out the first pitch.

Then again, maybe they should just bring that Billy Goat to the mound.

Monday, March 28, 2011

LISTEN TO THE SULLY BASEBALL SHOW

Hey Sully Baseball fans... every Monday night I will be recording a new podcast as part of The Seamheads Podcasting Network.

I am part of their two hour block of baseball talk. The first hour is The What's On Second Show which features some terrific baseball talk courtesy of Steve Lenox and Jess Coleman.

Then I come on to host The Sully Baseball Show where each week I bring on people from the world of TV and comedy to talk baseball.

Tonight Kenny Mack and Taryn Cooper are my guests

Listen to the show on the player below or check out the link I have on the bottom of the page.

And be sure the catch the show each week.

It's all part of the Sully Baseball empire.

Listen to internet radio with Seamheads on Blog Talk Radio

New Sully Baseball Video - "Horrible Handles"

In the latest Sully Baseball video, I take a look at the state of today's baseball nicknames. It isn't pretty and we can do better.

You can check out all of my videos at ShortForm TV.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Is Mike Hampton the least popular New York baseball post season hero ever?

Usually post season glory in New York means immortality and a permanent place in the hearts of a passionate fanbase. Somehow that has eluded Mike Hampton.

He retired today. Yeah, it's the same Mike Hampton. This isn't like Mike Stanton where one retired and the Marlins got another one.

This isn't a Steve Ontiveros situation where somehow two people named Steve Ontiveros made it to the majors.

And it isn't the Mike Hampton who played in the Reds farm system in the 1990s.

The same guy who was a stud for the Astros in the 1990s hung up his spikes today. Last September I was stunned to see Hampton was still cashing a check as a member of the Diamondbacks.

So a big league career that began in 1993 with the Mariners ended in the Diamondbacks spring training camp today.

Of course he had incredible injury issues that forced him to miss two entire seasons and he famously (and expensively) flopped in Colorado. But he had a good solid career with a few terrific seasons sprinkled in there.

Along the way, he made a cameo with the 2000 Mets. The Mets sent Roger Cedeno and Octavio Dotel packing to the Astros after the 1999 season to get Hampton, who finished second to Randy Johnson in the Cy Young vote and won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award.

He was no slouch with the bat either, batting .311 with a .806 OPS for the Astros in 1999.

He was a free agent to be, but the Mets had a World Series run on their mind and adding Hampton to the rotation could have been just what the doctor ordered to catch the Braves.

He may not have been a Cy Young contender in 2000, but he won 15, pitched 217 2/3 innings and let up the fewest home runs per nine innings in the league.

He out pitched Andy Pettitte in a July 9th win against the Yankees.

The Mets finished a game behind Atlanta but made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They defeated the Giants and advanced to the NLCS with revenge on their mind for their heartbreaking 1999 loss to the Braves. There would be no rematch as the Cardinals unseated the Braves.

Hampton pitched 7 shutout innings to win Game 1. Then, with the Mets up 3-1 in the series, took the ball for Game 5. The bullpen took the night off as once again, St. Louis couldn't score off of Hampton.

He went all 9 innings and the Mets won the pennant.

The image of Mike Hampton being lifted off the ground in triumph should be a cherished moment in Mets history.

Mike Hampton was awarded the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award for 2000.

He is the ONLY Mets player to win that award. (They didn't have an MVP for the 1969 and 1973 NLCS and Astros Mike Scott won the award in a losing effort for 1986.)

So he is a beloved Met, right?

At least a Met you'd give a standing ovation to, right?

When I wrote my Home Grown Vs. Acquired series a few years ago, I put Hampton on the All Time Acquired Mets Team. My rationale was I tended to honor players who had post season glory. And I didn't expect to get much flak from Met fans about honoring a guy who pitched the team into the World Series.

It was almost unanimous that I was dead wrong.
While the name calling didn't get as bad as this week's barrage from Met fans, they couldn't understand why I was heaping such praise on Mike Hampton.

"He won two games. Big deal!" One guy wrote to me.
Um, the clinching game of the League Championship Series IS a big deal! Or so I thought.

Most people thought I should have included Johan Santana based on his then one season with the Mets. (I wonder how many would still include him.)

But I have yet to hear from a Met fan who shares my praise of their lone NLCS MVP.

Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he beat the Cardinals and not the Braves that made his achievement lack any resonating emotion. (Beating Whitey Herzog's Cardinals in the 1980s would have been bigger.

Maybe it is because he pitched poorly against the Yankees in the World Series that any enthusiasm for his LCS triumph was muted.

Of course he made no friends in New York by leaving after one season and claiming his desire to go to Colorado had more to do with their school system than the fact that he got the biggest contract for any pitcher at that time in history. ($14 million a year should pay for tuition at a good private school.)

Either way it is unfortunate. For one season he pitched well for the Mets and joined a very short list of pitchers who clinched a pennant for the Mets:

Nolan Ryan, Tug McGraw, Jesse Orosco and Mike Hampton.

That should be worth some love.

As for Mike Hampton, I salute you.
16 big league seasons, a Cy Young runner up, 148 wins, 2 All Star Game appearances, a Gold Glove, a 20 win season in 1999, 5 Silver Sluggers, a post season MVP and the experience of being the pitcher who gets mobbed after a clinching game are all things to admire.

$124 million in cashed checks is something we would ALL want.

Money might not be able to buy you love from Met fans... but we here at Sully Baseball will show your greatest highlight.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Sully Baseball Salutes... Braden Looper

Pitcher Braden Looper retired today after failing to land a roster spot with the Cubs. He probably won't get a prolonged farewell in baseball circles nor a big celebration of his career.

Chances are he'll clean out his locker, say good bye to some old friends and leave Arizona for his home in Illinois.

But the staff here at Sully Baseball thinks his career in baseball is worth a salute.

The Oklahoma native pitched in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games and starred at Wichita State. He was drafted third overall that year (after Kris Benson and Travis Lee) and worked his way up the Cardinals system.

But because of the on going Florida Marlins firesale, he was sent packing to Miami in exchange for former World Series hero Edgar Renteria after the 1998 seasons. In his five seasons in Florida, he developed into a solid if not spectacular reliever and a part time closer.

Though he lost the closer job to Ugeth Urbina, Looper became a key contributor to the 2003 Marlins playoff push. In the Division Series, he was the winning pitcher when Pudge Rodriguez laced a 2 run 2 out walk off single in the 10th inning of Game 3. In the NLCS, he got the save for the marathon game 1. And when Alex Gonzalez hit the walk off homer in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, Looper got the win.

In 2004 and 2005 he pitched for the Mets as their closer before returning to St. Louis in 2006. He vultured off 9 relief wins in 2006 and got the final outs in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series. After earning his second ring in four years, Looper became a starting pitcher for the first time in his big league career.

His best start came on June 11, 2008, when he got 5 first inning runs and cruised to a complete game, 3 hit, no walk 10-0 shutout of the Reds.

He last pitched in the big leagues in 2009 when he posted a respectable 14-7 record with the Brewers. But he threw to a 5.22 ERA and led the league in runs and homers allowed.

I urged the Twins to sign him last year, but alas it never happened.

So now he hangs up his spikes. He never was an All Star but a lot of top 3 picks never pan out as major leaguers. (Just ask the Pirates.)

And he has wrapped up 12 full big league seasons (and a partial season in 1998). He saved 103 ballgames and earned over $20 million in the process.

Looper can go home to Illinois with his head high about his career. And he and his wife are raising three children, including a girl they adopted from China.

And if any of the kids ask about daddy's baseball career, he can slip on one his two World Series rings and tell them some tales.

Beating A Dead Horse Day continues at Sully Baseball

OK, so I am laboring the whole Mets are going to be insanely bad in 2011 angle... and the comments have been ugly.

So maybe I should talk about something else.
And why not wear out another topic I've talked about way too much this off season?

The Yankees obsession with players from 2005.

Andruw Jones, Bartolo Colon, Mark Prior, Freddy Garcia...

I jokingly said in one of my posts that the Yankees should also try to sign 2005 AL ERA leader Kevin Millwood, who was dreadful with the Orioles last year.

It was a joke.
Ha Ha.

Not to the Yankees, evidently.

Look, if you don't want me to keep writing about the same things, then tell the Yankees and Mets to stop doing so many of the same strange things over and over again!

Sorry Met fans... I am writing another post about your team

I've not made many Met fan friends recently... partially based on the passing around of my "Better use of $18 million" post. But forgive me, I need to write something else.

I said the Mets are going to lose 90 games.
From the responses by Met fans, you would have thought I said "The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs."

After many comments about my weight, intelligence and sexual orientation, the consensus was that I am an idiot for thinking a team that lost 83 games last year will lose 90 in 2011.

Mainly because some of their players MIGHT come back and some others COULD have comeback years.

Now I have already covered the facts that the Mets improvements are cosmetic and that the Phillies, Braves and Marlins all have better starting staffs... but folks, I saw an article today that made me think "Oh boy... this is going to be a worse year than I thought for the Mets."

REPORT: METS LOST $50M IN 2010; 2011 MAY BE SAME

Yup. The Mets who play in New York and have a brand spanking new stadium and their own TV network could lose a combined $100 million bucks in two seasons.

Revenues are down and so is attendance.

And with the Madoff scandal hovering over the team (sorry folks, that elephant will be there until the team is sold) the Wilpons are almost certainly be forced to sell the team at one point.

So what do teams do that are on the verge of financial ruin, tangled in national scandal and will be forced to sell?

Do they make improvements to the team?
Do they acquire players to help them win the pennant?
Or do they start chucking bodies overboard?

Guess what?
If Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Francisco Rodriguez, Taylor Buchholz, Chris Capuano or D. J. Carrasco are healthy and productive in 2011, they will be shipped off for minor leaguers and smaller price tags.

Think David Wright won't be traded?

It's not probable, but we are currently treading in uncharted financial waters.

You can't look at this team like a typical rebuilding process. A New York team should never be in "Tampa Bay mode" and looking to shed its stars because of lack of revenue. But that is what we are looking at with this team.

Any player a Met fan is looking at as hope for improvement will probably be used to relieve debt.

It is not going to be a pretty year, Met fans.
Go to the games. Prove your loyalty.

And in 5 years when Donald Trump owns the team and they are contenders again, you can point to all the bandwagon Met fans and say "Hey! Were YOU at CitiField when they were crumbling under the Madoff scandal?"

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

My wife made a Schindler's List analogy with my blog tonight

My wife compared me to a Nazi running a concentration camp tonight. It's not often that happens. I will explain why.

I was about to write a long post where I respond to many of my new readers. My post yesterday about the Mets and their wasted $18 million brought in literally thousands of readers and many comments.

And very few of the comments were “Hey, I thought your post was funny. I am looking forward to more of your wit and humor in the future.”

A reader named Dave wrote "your just dumb" and sadly will never know how ironic that is. (When I corrected him, he called me a dick and said it was a typo. Sorry Dave, it isn't a typo when you think you typed it correctly.)

An anonymous reader told me to "suck a fat cock u negative fool."
A fellow named Stephen called me a "complete idiot" and there were others.

My assertion that the Mets would lose 90 games got the most flak.
The team lost 83 games last year and their only improvements seem to be role players and getting rid of bad players.

Meanwhile the Phillies added Cliff Lee. The Braves added Dan Uggla. The Marlins pitching staff is deep and they play those three teams 54 times this year.

Throw in the fact that they have a manager who hasn't managed in a decade and was HATED in Houston and with the Angels.

And oh yeah, the Mets won't have Santana and have the specter of the Madoff scandal hanging over their head which could mean a fire sale at mid season.

And even the most optimistic appraisals of the team have them at .500.

But 90 losses is an outrageous prediction?

So I was cracking my knuckles tonight, ready to give it to all of them. Besides, they are all Met fans. Between 1986 and 2003, I don't recall getting any sympathy from them! Living in New York, all I heard from Met fans was "Buckner" (or "Schraldi" from smart Met fans.)

And my wife didn't approve.

WIFE: Show them some mercy.
ME: Why? They called your husband bad names.
WIFE: Remember that scene in Schindler's List?
ME: There was a baseball scene in Schindler's List?
WIFE: No. Liam Neeson told Ralph Finnes to show mercy and that was more powerful. Don't give them power. You know they are wrong. So show mercy.

I paused.

ME: So in this analogy the Met fans are in a concentration camp?
WIFE: Don't over think it.
ME: And in this analogy I am a Nazi commandant?
WIFE: I'm going to bed.

Some martial advice for you all... always go to bed with your spouse comparing you to a Nazi.

Welcome to the Nationals Mr. Perez

He is a lock to win 15 games with the Nats!
And he will be a bargain at $414,000 for Washington (and just $12 million for the Mets.)

I evidently struck a nerve with Met fans

Yesterday I posted a tongue in cheek Sully Baseball entry where I tried to figure out better ways for the Mets to spend $18 million other than paying Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez to play elsewhere.

Yeah it was sarcastic and not 100% serious... and the result (partially thanks to links on Mets Blog and Amazin' Avenue) was I had more visitors in a single day to Sully Baseball than any other day in my existence. WOO HOO!

And by the comments and e mails I received, most of them were Met fans who now hate me.

I must say, Met fans can be kind of sensitive. It could be the fact that they are surrounded by Red Sox, Yankee and Met fans who have all had a World Series title to celebrate since Carlos Beltran saw that called third strike.

It could be the collapses of 2007 and 2008 and the Madoff scandal and the losing teams with an elite payroll have taken away their sense of humor.

Later tonight I will address my favorite comments I received.

Whatever you do, when a team with a top 5 payroll coming off of back to back losing seasons that virtually nobody is picking to have a .500 season is involved in one of the great financial scandals in decades, NEVER insinuate that they are poorly run!

My Short Form TV channel... new videos are coming soon

Tom Henke was not a Hall of Famer… but he could have been - My Latest for The Hardball Times

In my latest for The Hardball Times, I wrote about the Toronto reliever known as The Terminator.

Tom Henke was the top reliever in the National League in 1995 and then retired. If he stuck around and piled up some stats, we might be talking about him for the Hall of Fame.

Read the whole article here.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A tip for the Mets… 10 better ways to spend $18 million

The Mets will have the 5th highest payroll in baseball and will probably lose 90 games in 2011, ergo they aren’t spending their money wisely.

A case in point, the Mets are paying Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo a combined $18 million to NOT play for them this year. Good money in a recession.

The staff at Sully Baseball can’t claim to be an economic think tank, but here are some helpful suggestions to what could be a better use of $18 million than spending it on Castillo and Perez.

BUY ALL 8 MILLION PEOPLE IN NEW YORK 2 PACKS OF GUM

For a few days, everyone in New York will have no excuse for bad breath.

SPONSOR 36,000 LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS

At least the Mets will be paying them to PLAY!

GO TO A ROULETTE TABLE AND SAY “$18 MILLION ON RED!”

The odds of that money going completely to waste went down by 50%!

ERASE THE DEFICIT FOR NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL LUNCHES

Right now the $8 million deficit in the school lunch program is threatening some schools for cutting lunch all together. Pick up the tab on that and maybe spend the extra $10 million on something more nutritious than tater tots.

BUY 1,285,714 COPIES OF I’LL BELIEVE YOU ON AMAZON

Seeing the Indie film I directed become profitable is a much better story than paying for two players to go away. At least it is a better story for me.

DONATE $50,750 TO EACH PBS STATION

Maybe they spin it into “Tote Bag Night” or “Prime Suspect DVD Night” at CitiField.

HELP THE BUNNY WORLD FOUNDATION
SPAY OR NEUTER 1,800,000 RABBITS

Or are YOU going to take care of all of those bunnies?

BUY 818,181 CHOCOLATE COOKIE GIFT BOXES FROM THE LEVAIN BAKERY

Seriously, have you had one of the cookies from the Levain Bakery? They are so much more satisfying than anything Oliver Perez has done in a Mets uniform.

TURN 125 NEW YORK TEENS INTO MBA GRADUATES

Let’s say the Mets found 125 smart teenagers in New York public schools who couldn’t afford college. They pay for four years of Brooklyn College for all 125 (including student housing.) Then after they all get their Bachelors degrees, they pay their way through the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. By 2018, they will have 125 young minds with MBAs and inevitably ONE of them would be able give the Mets some sound business advice. (How could they be worse than the financial wizards who put them into this mess!)

THROW 18 MILLION ONE DOLLAR BILLS INTO THE HUDSON RIVER

Who knows? Some might float back to them.

Monday, March 21, 2011

LISTEN TO THE SULLY BASEBALL SHOW...

This week featuring Don Rosler talking about "Doris from Rego Park"

Listen to internet radio with Seamheads on Blog Talk Radio

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fantasy Baseball Advice: PICK UP LUIS CASTILLO

The flaming dirigible known as the New York Mets are starting to chuck out live bodies before the carnage continues.

Luis Castillo, best known for dropping a potential game ending pop up against the Yankees, has been cut. Still owed $6 million, the Mets realized that they are better using that money to pay him to play elsewhere. (More money wisely spent by the Mets!)

They couldn't even trade him away in one of my trash for trash deals.

And now, with Chase Utley hurt, it looks like Castillo is going to be picked up by the rival Phillies.

Pick him up!
Yes, I know he was HORRIBLE last year. That's not the point. He's only a year removed from being a .300 hitter with 20 stolen bases. But he is also a two time former World Series champ (with the Marlins) and a former Gold Glover and All Star who was just humiliated.

Revenge is a wonderful motivating factor.
So is inflicting humiliation. The idea of picking up a pay check every two weeks from the Mets while helping the Phillies back to the World Series could lead Castillo to a career season!

If he has one more good season in him, he is going to dig down and shove it in the Mets face.
And if and when that happens, he might as well help your Fantasy Baseball team.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

What exactly am I supposed to say about the Barry Bonds trial?

I have received a bunch of e mails in the last few days asking me what my thoughts are on the Barry Bonds trial.

They are very similar to my thoughts on the current season of American Idol.

I am aware that it is happening, but I couldn't possibly care less. I don't even know the details of either one. I know Steven Tyler is a judge... but I am not sure if it is for Idol or the Bonds trial.

Both Idol and Bonds are similar in another way. They used to be big parts of my life. I was a big Barry Bonds fan for the Pirates and the Giants.

And I defended him on this blog a bunch of times.
But after he passed Hank Aaron, there was nothing left to watch.

And in case you missed it, the Giants had a good year last year without him.

And I used to be an Idol addict... then they screwed over Melinda Doolittle, Adam Lambert and Crystal Bowersox and then Simon left. What was the point of watching?

When I read today that they were playing voicemails to his mistress as proof that he had 'roid rage, I said "Oh man, this is going to be thrown out of court." The pitchers who kept intentionally walking him over the years had a more courageous game plan.

Look folks... you may not like Barry Bonds, but there are three things you can not deny:

He was a great player no matter what he injected into his ass.
He is a hell of a lot smarter than Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro who stepped on some legal landmines
He has a great friend in Greg Anderson.

And if you don't like Bonds, he's gone. He's no longer playing. He's part of an era that if it isn't over, it is damn near over.

Imagine yourself in the 1920s looking at he Dead Ball era... or in the 1960s with a higher mound looking at the big home run totals from a few years before.

Or someone watching games now in the retroballparks looking back at the cookie cutter multipurpose stadiums with the Astroturf.

If you don't like Bonds, that's what he should be to you.
In the past and something you'd rather not think about.

There are already new stars and new hope for the game. If you are a Bonds hater, then ignore the trial.

And if you are expecting some great legal drama, then watch The Good Wife.

But there's nothing going on in that court room.

Let's get back to baseball.

REALLY San Jose Sharks?

Look, I like the Sharks. They are my hockey team.
And yes, I realize that this is a NHL wide promotion.

But seeing that I have clicked on a few Sharks websites, this gem landed in my mail box.

The PRIDE of Ireland?

As a man who has some Irish blood in him, I don't recall hearing stories of my ancestors coming over on the boat, being conscripted into the Civil War, building the railways and working their way up the New England working class singing songs about the old country and Joe Thornton.

Seriously... The Celtics? The Notre Dame Fighting Irish? I'll listen.

The Sharks?
Their color isn't even green!

It is teal, which is bluish green.

That being said, this Irish American says Go Sharks (but not for any ethnic pride.)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Rangers shouldn't trade Michael Young - My latest for The Hardball Times

In my latest article for The Hardball Times, I talk about Michael Young. Yeah he seems mad and he should be. And sure it would appear to be the classy move for the Rangers to find him a new home.

But they shouldn't. A spot in the infield will open up for him and there is no way Texas will get equal value. Everyone should just count to 10 and by the end of the season, everyone will be laughing and saying "Remember when the Rangers were going to TRADE Young?"

You can read the article HERE.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

A suggestion for MASN and the Hagerstown Suns

The Washington Nationals announced that they will be sending potential star Bryce Harper to the Class A Hagerstown Suns. And with this turn of events, let me make two big suggestions, first to MASN, the sports cable network that covers the Nats and to Harper's new team in Hagerstown MD.

MASN... forget the Nats and only broadcast Suns games this year.

Seriously, the Nationals aren't going to win much this year. They have an outside shot at .500, but even if the Phillies disappoint, the Braves and the Marlins are also looking good.

So if you are a die hard Nationals fan, you are more interested in the progress of two players: Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Now watching Strasburg rehab isn't good TV... but watching Harper with the Suns would be.

The Suns are only an hour and a half outside of Washington DC. They can send Bob Carpenter, F. P. Santangelo et al to cover the Suns.

Let's face it, during a Nationals game, it will be much more interesting to see Harper hit a homer than see the Nationals play out the string.

So reverse it! During a Suns game, occasionally break in and say "Let's get an update from the parent club."

Hagerstown Suns... get your souvenir store on line! NOW!

When I saw Harper was heading to Hagerstown, I went to the Suns website to see what souvenirs they had at their on line store.

I wasn't going to buy anything, but I am guessing that Harper's arrival will be the best thing to ever happen to Suns merchandise. Harper will no doubt be the biggest player to ever play as a member of the Suns.

Now of course I know some big time major leaguers played for the Suns at one point or another (including Hall of Famer Jim Palmer) but nobody with the hype and the preseason anticipation as Harper.

So I clicked on it wondering if they already had their Harper replica uniforms ready to sell.
After all, the Nationals weren't going to send the 18 year old Harper to AA Harrisburg. And the GCL team and the Auburn Doubledays don't start until June.

So the only two places where Harper would wind up would be either Hagerstown or Potomac. So they would be prepared for the big day, right?

Here's what was on the Hagerstown Suns official website under "Store" as of this writing.

An e mail address and a phone number.
That's it.

A player getting national attention (pun intended) will be making his grand entrance to pro baseball (Arizonal Fall League doesn't count) with the Suns and the team doesn't have an on line store?

No place for people to click on to buy a hat, a jersey, a t shirt?

This is 2011! And Hagerstown isn't an obscure village off the coast of El Salvador. It is a city that is an and hour and a half from Washington DC and Baltimore and less than 3 hours from Penn State University.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say they may be one person in any of those places who could set up a web page to sell merchandise.

How long will Harper even be a Sun? If he tears up the Sally League then he will be off to Potomac before you can say "Bobble Head Night."

And how many times will the Hagerstown Suns be in the NATIONAL news?
Today and when he makes his debut.

So the Suns have blown 50% of the best chances to sell the most merchandise in the history of the team.

Good job.

Here's a tip for any member of the Hagerstown Suns reading this.
Stop reading blogs and go find someone to fix your damn website!

I am not an MBA, but I think you just blew a shot to make some serious cash.

Get to work.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Monday, March 21, 2011

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Contributors

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast

ShortForm TV Channel

Hey! Someone likes the blog!

I'LL BELIEVE YOU... movie directed by Sully

Tracking Code

TIP JAR

Picapp Widget

TWITTER

Sully Baseball's Greatest Hits

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Blogs Sully Reads

Sully's Friends

Baseball Sites Sully Loves

ESPN MLB Team

Feedjit

Followers

Google Stuff

Schmap Widget

Total Pageviews

Strange Buttons On The Bottom Of The Blog