Thursday, July 30, 2009

Monty makes a rough day nicer

Big Papi is a juicer.

The Red Sox have fallen 3 1/2 back of the Yankees and look dazed.

They are in danger of losing 3 of 4 to the A's.

Is there ANYTHING that could make today feel fun?

I flipped on the NESN broadcast and low and behold who is sitting with Don today?

Bob Montgomery! It feels like an old broadcast from WSBK TV 38 today!

Maybe I can vote for the 10th man and win a Mitsubishi Mighty Max!




Yup, Big Papi too...

Big Papi's name has come up in the same list that sunk A-Rod last February.

Papi's was on the juice.

Is anyone surprised anymore?

Could this possibly be shocking to ANYONE?

Even the biggest homer Red Sox fan (and Red Sox fans don't get much bigger than yours truly) had to think somewhere in the back of their mind that Papi was a juicer!

I could write a lot about this today, but I've already addressed the big issues.

Back in February, I told Red Sox fans to not get too cocky about A-Rod's name coming out. There were probably some 2004 Red Sox on that list.

Turns out there were.

And when the whole Manny thing hit the fan, I listed a bunch of undeniable facts about David Ortiz.

It's not pretty folks... and I know the Yankee fans are going to come out swinging that 2004 and 2007 were illegitimate (all the while cheering Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez.)

Is it sad?
I guess so.

Does it make 2004 and 2007 a little less thrilling?
I'm not sure yet.

Does it make me want to see the Red Sox win the 2009 World Series more than ever?

You bet.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Bats Are Back To Work! But it's the Pitching staff that needs a Halladay!

Maybe the Red Sox should have traded Brad Penny when they had the chance. 

Either way, the Sox were down 5-0 before they even came to bat. THANKS BRAD PENNY!!!

And I thought "Oh well... this will be a blow out."

But nooooooooooooooo.

The Red Sox HAD to make it a ballgame!

The Red Sox HAD to put the tying run to the plate in the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 8th and then brought the winning run to the plate in the 9th.

Now the chatter seems to be all about Victor Martinez coming to the Sox. And I would welcome him with open arms.

He can play first and catcher and DH... possibly giving Lowell, Varitek and Papi some rest down the stretch.

He's a good player and evidently a good club house guy... and it is nice to see ONE minority in the lineup other than Papi and Ellsbury. My God, the team is so white that it looks like the Yawkeys are back!

But the nanosecond the Phillies said no to Roy Halladay, I had a vision in my head.

Short series...
Best of 5.

Game 1 starter... Josh Beckett
Game 2 starter... Roy Halladay
Game 3 starter... Jon Lester

What's keeping us from that?

Yeah he could be great. Or he could be the latest addition to Jeff Passan's column of prospects held onto too long.

He's 24 now and you can still say "He's a budding ace."

What if he doesn't bud in the next few years? What if he's a Paul Wilson?

Think we can make him the key in a trade for the best pitcher in all of baseball then?

Beckett/Halladay/Lester would be the best 1-2-3 punch since Zito/Hudson/Mulder. And those A's teams didn't have a bullpen like the Red Sox do now!

The Braves had their bullpen woes when they had Smoltz/Glavine/Avery and then Maddux.

We'd have the aces and the pen.

A deal for Halladay would make the Red Sox prohibitive favorites to win the World Series this year and possibly in 2010.

Clay Buchholz is really worth avoiding that? 

Yeah the Sox can use another stick, but it was pitching that lost the last two games.

And pitching wins in October. And winning 2 out of every 3 games gets you into October.

Make the deal.

Meanwhile I will update the tally.


DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 12

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)
April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)
April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)
April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)
May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)
June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)
June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)
June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)
July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)
July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)


TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 16

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)
April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)
May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)
May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)
June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)
June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)
July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)
July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)
July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)
July 22 - 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)
July 28 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A's rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)
July 29 - 8-6 loss to Oakland. (Down 5-0 in the first, Sox comeback falls short)


Down to -4.
It's been 19 games since we dodged a bullet!

And we've had 4 teeth grinders since then and went from a game up to 3 1/2 back.

Let's hope these are the bad times!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

What a stupid loss!


Stupid stupid stupid!

A 3 run lead against the putrid A's at home... a chance to pick up a game on the Yankees... and 2 outs in the 9th they rally... 2 outs in the 11th with NOBODY ON they rally again?

Folks, we can't get these games back! And after weeks of no offense from the Sox they lose a game where they score 7???

Don't even talk to me!
I don't even want to talk to anyone. But I do need to update the tally.


DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 12

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)
April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)
April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)
April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)
May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)
June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)
June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)
June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)
July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)
July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)


TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)
April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)
May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)
May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)
June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)
June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)
July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)
July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)
July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)
July 22 - 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)
July 28 - 9-7 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A's rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)


Down to -3.
This is putting some gray hairs on my head!!!!

I hope someone has Ross Gload on their fantasy team

Gload lived out that backyard whiffle ball scenario for real today...

A pinch hit 2 run homer to win the game in the bottom of the 9th.

And because he did it in Florida, it happened in front of only friends and family in Landshark Stadium.

The Marlins are only a few games out and can be that streaky team that can rattle off a bunch of wins.

But if you have Gload on your team and activated him tonight, be sure to remind everyone in your league that you are a genius.

(Are we REALLY calling it Landshark Stadium?)


#14 is retired... finally

Well, I've been asking the Red Sox to retire Jim Rice's number since March of 2008.

But I guess it is sweeter to retire the number of Hall of Famer Jim Rice.

Either way, it's great to see the love fest for Jim Rice continuing.

Now comes the next question:

Should the Sox retire Wade Boggs' number?

He is a Hall of Famer and played 10+ seasons with the Red Sox.

Or are we all still bitter about him riding that horse at the end of the 1996 World Series for the Yankees?


I can't help but wonder about Johnny Vander Meer's family


























Johnny Vander Meer is the only pitcher in history to throw no hitters in consecutive starts. 

He threw the first one on June 11th, 1938 for the Reds against the Boston Bees (aka the Braves).

The second one he threw on June 15th, 1938 in Brooklyn. It was the first night game played in Brooklyn and I guess the Dodgers batters needed some time to adjust to night ballgame.

Every time someone throws a no hitter, we are reminded in the pitcher's next start about Vander Meer.

Now Vander Meer died in 1997 with his feat unmatched.

But I wonder if he had kids or grandkids. I wonder if they get together and watch each start after a no hitter with champagne like the 1972 Dolphins, hoping their pop or grand dad's record never gets surpassed.

Right now Mark Buehrle has the Twins hitless through 4 innings in his first start after hisperfect game.

I wonder if they are rooting for him or against him.

If it were my dad, I'd be rooting against him... but I am a petty man.

Monday, July 27, 2009

I've already addressed my Hall of Fame thoughts


















As always it was emotional, fun and touching watching the Hall of Fame ceremony. It's like a televised event from Mount Olympus. And MC George Grande was wonderful in giving each of the 50 Hall of Famers a moment of glory (and recounting the hilarious Gaylord Perry home run the day of the moon landing.)

Rickey Henderson's speech was surprisingly humble and made reference to his infamous "I am the greatest of all time" line. But he still managed to be funny talking about his high school days and trying to get Reggie Jackson's autograph. Plus his tribute to Billy Martin was great.

And of course for me seeing Jim Rice finally get his moment in the sun (or drizzle as it was) transformed me into an 8 year old again... and the realization that he was watching The Young and the Restless when he got the Hall of Fame call should have been carved onto his plaque.

I was going to write a long Hall of Fame post... but I realized I had already said everything I wanted to say.

So I will summarize.

1. NONE OF THE HALL OF FAMERS IN ATTENDANCE WERE ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY

None of the dead ones were either.

When George Grande had Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Bob Feller all stand up... when he pointed out the class of Frank Robinson, the artistry of Sandy Koufax and the joy of the game brought by Yogi Berra... just remember there was a sports writer who didn't vote for them.

Then they showed the video montage of Rickey Henderson and his many accomplishments. And I thought "What writer in their right mind could not put Rickey on their ballot?



2. JIM RICE IS IN... AND FINALLY WE CAN QUIT NITPICKING HIS STATS

I'm sorry getting more hits, hitting more homers and driving in more runs than anyone in the League over a 10 year stretch wasn't good enough for some people.

Yeah he didn't walk a lot... he had Fred Lynn, Pudge Fisk, Dwight Evans and Yaz batting behind him.

YOU put him on base!

The link from Ted to Yaz to Jim are all in Cooperstown... and that ain't bad! And his number is finally going to be retired, which is long overdue.



3. WHY DID WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR JOE GORDON TO DIE BEFORE LETTING HIM IN?

Joe Gordon's daughter was wonderful in her tribute to her dad... who was an accomplished gymnast, rodeo rider and musician as well as an MVP and a big league manager.

But come on!

Why did he have to be a posthumous election?



4. THERE IS NO REASON TO STOP PLAYING THE HALL OF FAME GAME

Have the game count!

Have it be an actual game on the schedule with all of the Hall of Famers in attendance!

Are you telling me that wouldn't be a terrific event in the middle of the summer? A possible walk off shot in front of Bob Feller, Hank Aaron and Yogi Berra?

And don't tell me it would be too much of a wear on the players? Especially this year with the stupid WBC and players playing all out in spring training for a meaningless exhibition.



5. BERT BLYLEVEN HAD BETTER BE AT NEXT YEAR'S CEREMONIES

I'm not talking about being in the gallery, like Dave Stewart, Moose Skowron and Dave Henderson were this year.

Sportswriters have another few months to take a look at his numbers, his longevity and his contributions to two World Series winners and ask themselves "Are we really keeping him out of the Hall of Fame because he didn't get 13 more wins over 22 seasons?

And I will keep posting this picture of him wearing an "I Heart to Fart" t shirt until he gets in.



Good job as always Cooperstown... one of these years I'll go up for a Hall of Fame ceremony. Probably not next year.

Hey Fox Sports... Hire Tony Kubek

Seriously, we need Tony Kubek back.

I’m tired of hearing Joe Buck call every single World Series game. I’m not a Joe Buck hater… it’s just getting exhausting. He has called every World Series since 2000… and 12 of the last 14 World Series.

There used to be a rotation. Vin Scully, Tony Kubek and Joe Garigiola would call some years. Keith Jackson, Al Michaels and Jim Palmer other years.

Bob Costas called a few…
Howard Cosell called a few…

But now it is all Joe Buck and Tim McCarver all the time, including for two Red Sox World Championships.

Yesterday, Tony was elected to the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award. He’s been out of broadcasting since 1994. The strike seemed to be the last nail in the coffin as he walked away from Yankee games.

I hadn’t heard him speak since then and I wondered if he had slowed down in these past 15 years.

He was terrific! He sounded great, he was quick and funny and reminded me why he was so worthy of the Frick award.

Yeah he looks a lot older, but so do I!

Kubek seemed disgusted by the direction baseball was going in during the mid 1990s and no doubt he would not be happy with the steroid scandals and a lot of Mr. Selig’s decisions.

But this was the same broadcaster who spoke out against Bowie Kuhn when he wasn’t present for Hank Aaron’s 715th homer. And spoke his mind about George Steinbrenner. We could use some more Tony Kubek’s in the broadcasting booth.

And seeing the real McCoy is available, perhaps it is time to throw a pile of money at him and bring him back to the broadcast booth where he belongs!




Ladies and Gentlemen... your FIRST PLACE Chicago Cubs!

I didn't pick the Cubs at the beginning of the year.

I might have been the only person in the solar system who didn't. And I felt the need to justify my lack of a pick.

Well most of my other predictions have sucked this year (hello A's and Reds!) so why not have this one fall apart too?

I guess I am in a quandry. 

I'd like to see the Cubs win because, well, Cubs fans deserve a break and I'm not a cold hearted bastard.

But can't I see ONE of my predictions come true this year???


$47 million used to buy so much more

I was living in the Bay Area when Giants ace Jason Schmidt defected to the LA Dodgers before the 2007 season for $47 million over three years.

Oh there were some upset people calling KNBR that day. 

Not so much now.

2 1/2 years later the Dodgers have collected 33 2/3 innings from Schmidt. 

That's nearly $1.4 million per inning.

Plus he's let up 25 earned runs in those innings for a 6.68 ERA and posted a 2-5 record. 

You realize that's not just for this season... that's over the 3 years combined.

And after yesterday's 3 inning thrashing by the Marlins he very well might be done in a Dodger uniform.

A cool $23.5 million per win if that happens. Good work for a guy who peaked when he arrived in San Francisco in the early 2000s and declined in the mid 2000s and now is injury prone.


Meanwhile the Giants drafted Tim Alderson and Jackson Williams as compensation for Schmidt.

Williams is a catcher for the Giants AA team in Connecticut. He can't hit and doesn't have much power.

Meanwhile Alderson, a starting pitcher, is moving his way up the system after winning 13 games in San Jose last year.

All he needs to do is get to the bigs and win 3 games and he'll top Jason Schmidt.

And oh yeah, do it for less than $47 million.

The Smoltz Experiment Must End Now

The irony of John Smoltz's start yesterday wasn't lost on me.

It was the day of the Hall of Fame inductions and no doubt in the near future, John Smoltz will be getting his own plaque.

And when he gets his plaque, the commissioner of baseball (who we can all hope is no longer Bud Selig) will read off the major league teams he played for. 

He'll mention Atlanta and then Boston.

And I am sure there will be tons of Braves fans who made the trip to cheer him. 

But chances are not a lot of Red Sox fans will be wearing Smoltz jerseys... and he showed why yesterday.

The John Smoltz experiment is done. He's a loss when he pitches. For God's sake, he lost a game to the Orioles at home. That's almost impossible.

And the Red Sox can't afford to have a guaranteed loss every 5 days. I am sure he is a good guy to have in the clubhouse, but he can't be on the mound every week.

Time for Michael Bowden to come up.

As for Smoltz himself, he is obviously a tremendous competitor. He was the big game stud for the Braves all of those years and ironically was also the lights out closer the franchise desperately needed.

But he should have hung them up last year. Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz all could have rode off into the sunset together. Maddux ended his career in the NLCS last year.

Glavine got cut as a minor leaguer and John Smoltz is throwing batting practice. 

Why don't people listen to me?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Do as I say, not as I do

I saw how nuts Dodger Stadium went over Manny Ramirez's pinch hit grand slam the other day.




I can't help but wonder about all the people screaming for Mannywood now and cheering him on.


How many of them used to scream at Barry Bonds and holding up the "Got Juice" banners etc?

There must have been SOME overlap!

Keep in mind, when a player on a rival team is caught, he is a cheater.

When a player on YOUR team is caught, then "he got screwed!"

Folks, the steroid story is dead.



Sully Baseball... your go-to source for the Yawkey's racism

I have never been shy about expressing my disgust at the Yawkey family.

As a Red Sox fan, I have nothing but venom towards Tom and Jean Yawkey, the two who controlled the team from 1933 until 1992 and then kept it in the family until 2002.

They controlled it for a period of time when the Red Sox won a grand total of zero World Series and decided not to be pioneers of integration and instead kept the stench of racism (and an inferior product) hovering over the Sox until both were long dead.


And I did so again when saluted Pumpsie Green.

But a throwaway comment I made in my Home Grown vs. Acquired post for the Dodgers has given me a great moment of pride.



After praising former Dodger Dixie Walker who came to terms with his racism and was turned around by the greatness of Jackie Robinson, I talked about Reggie Smith.

I wrote:

"Well we go from Dixie Walker's eyes being opened to the wrongs of racism to Reggie Smith... a product of the Red Sox farm system.

The Red Sox had a switch hitting, power hitting All Star Gold Glove winning outfielder with speed... and they traded him.

Hmmmm. Why would the Yawkeys trade a player like that?
I wonder!

Smith became a staple in the Dodgers line up finishing in the top 5 of the MVP two times and hit three homers in a losing cause in the 1977 World Series.

If only Tom or Jean Yawkey had a Dixie Walker moment. (Then again Yawkey was the one who turned down Willie Mays.)"


Not my greatest passage... but I can never resist slamming the Yawkeys for what they did to my team all of those years.

Well friends, I checked on my Blog Tracker and evidently I've been linked to the Tom Yawkey wikipedia page!

Someone, and I swear to the ghost of Josh Gibson it wasn't me, included the following sentence in the "Charges of Racism" section of the entry.

"Even after integrating, racism was believed to play a role in moves made by the Red Sox, notably the trade of star outfielder Reggie Smith in 1973."

That sentence is footnoted and linked to the Sully Baseball - Home Grown vs. Acquired Dodgers entry.

I couldn't be more proud.

Not only will I continue to hate the Yawkey family, but I have become a reference!

Hopefully some kid will be writing a term paper on the Yawkeys and use my site as a source. It would be an honor.

(In my days we couldn't cut and paste! We had to plagiarize from the World Book!)

A's trade Matt Holliday for Fat Guy



























Seriously. I know Brett Wallace is a coveted prospect. And I know that playing in the American League means he can slide into the DH role.

But the guy is 22 years old. He won't be 23 until August 26th.

Should he REALLY have the ole Steve Balboni build?

It's one thing when Matt Stairs physique when you are 16 year veteran over 40 years old and hanging on as a left handed pinch hitter.

This guy Wallace is going to be supposedly one of young corner stones of the offense. The scouting report says he may have to move from third base.

Really? How about he has to move from the all you can eat buffet at Sizzler?

Look this can be a good deal for Oakland if he turns into a solid slugger and doesn't have Albert Pujols blocking his way. And who knows, maybe the other two players (Clayton Mortensen and Shane Peterson) can contribute and this will be a much better haul than letting Holliday skedaddle for the draft picks.

I just think Wallace needs to meet a little fellow named "Dr. Atkins."

Thursday, July 23, 2009

God's Speed Julio Lugo




















Look, it is easy to dogpile on Julio Lugo.

The facts kind of speak for themselves. He was a lousy defensive infielder, was inconsistent at best at the plate, and cost way too much.

And he was a walking reminder that one of Theo's few mistakes as a G.M. was not bringing back Orlando Cabrera and instead replacing him with the merry go round of Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie and Nick Green.

All this for $36 million over 4 years (including next year which I assume the Red Sox are paying for.)

But I am going to do what might seem to be the impossible: I am going to write a PRO Lugo piece from the point of view of a Red Sox fan.

SULLY BASEBALL HONORS JULIO LUGO FOR THESE TEN REASONS...

1. He had a terrific hitting streak in 2007.

His 14 game hitting streak in July included a grand slam against Jose Contreras on July 20th.

2. He helped sink the Yankees on April 27th, 2007.

From the leadoff spot, Lugo went 3-4 with a homer, a double and two stolen bases as the Sox crushed the Yankees 11-4. It's fun to beat the Yankees.

3. He "drove in" the winning 2 runs on the Mother's Day Massacre

Granted, he actually grounded out to end the game, but the Orioles butchered the play and the tying and winning runs scored on May 13, 2007 and Julio was the de facto hero.

4. He went 5-6 on my birthday this year.

Granted, on May 14th 2009 the Red Sox LOST in Anaheim, but Lugo got 5 hits and made a few nice defensive plays in one of those bizarro games where Lugo came up big but Papi choked.

5. He got on base to set up the Manny homer 

In Game 2 of the 2007 Division Series, he singled off of Angels pitcher Justin Speier. That set the chain of events that led to Manny standing at first and admiring his blast.

6. He helped break open Game 6

Yeah J. D. Drew was the key hero in Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS with his grand slam. But Lugo drove in a pair himself and didn't let Cleveland off of the mat.

7. He got three hits to start off the World Series 

He went 3-4 in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series. I wondered if there was a chance he would win World Series MVP.

8. He made some good plays in the World Series...

Especially the games at Coors Field which were closer than people remember.

9. He was a member of a World Champion Red Sox team.

It wasn't that long ago that that was an unthinkable title. 

10. I did this for Javier Lopez.

If I could honor Lopez, I can honor anyone.


Have fun in St. Louis Julio. It's a great baseball town.
It wasn't always pretty, but enjoy the ring.

Six Thoughts About Today's Perfect Game













1. I think Ramon Castro might be a good catcher for Mark Buehrle.

Castro had never caught Buehrle before. Usually you hear that a pitcher needs to get used to throwing to a new catcher.

Well, you can't call a better game than Castro did.


2. I guess that other No Hitter doesn't look as cool now!

On April 18, 2007, Buehrle threw a no hitter against the Rangers... and at the time it was the game of his life. He threw a no hitter where he faced the minimum number of batters...

But he walked Sammy Sosa (remember him?) in the 5th inning and then picked him off. 

No need to pick anyone off today.


3. He joins the company of pitchers with more than one no hitter

And here's hoping I get a lot of hits from people who Google "Who has thrown more than one hitter other than Mark Buehrle?"

The answer...

Nolan Ryan has 7 no hitters.

Sandy Koufax has 4.

Larry Corcoran, Bob Feller and Cy Young have 3.

Jim Bunning, Steve Busby, Carl Erskine, Bob Forsch, Pud Galvin, Ken Holtzman, Randy Johnson, Addie Joss, Dutch Leonard, Jim Maloney, Christy Mathewseon, Hideo Nomo, Allie Reynolds, Warren Spahn, Bill Stoneman, Virgil Trucks, Johnny Vander Meer and Don Wilson all have 2.

And now you can add Mark Buehrle to the list.

4. Don't Look Now, But The White Sox Are In First Place

As usual, they won't get any love... but the Tigers are not exactly a juggernaut and the White Sox (lest we forget) are the defending Division Champs... and this is the kind of thing that can spark a team. 

And who are the White Sox playing starting tomorrow? The Tigers!

Man this year is going to be fun!


5. This is his biggest moment as a White Sox pitcher... and that's saying something!

He's had an underratedly awesome 10 seasons in Chicago. He was part of the World Champion squad in 2005 as well as the Division winners in 2000 and 2008.

He's a workhorse who has led the league in innings twice, threw a complete game win in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS.  He threw 7 solid innings in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series and 2 days later came out of the bullpen to save Game 3.

He's made 4 All Star Teams and was the starting pitcher in the 2005 All Star game, finished 5th in the Cy Young vote that year. 

And this year Obama sought him out in the All Star Game locker room.

Oh yeah, he already threw a no hitter.

But today was the biggest night for him.


6. Would it have killed the Buehrle family to have changed their name to "Burly" when they came through Ellis Island?

I've had to double check his name every time I typed it on this posting. Is it U-E or E-U? And where do I stick this random H again?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

How much further can the Red Sox sink?


The Fangtooth fish, pictured to the left, are one of the deepest living fish in the ocean. They can live 16,400 feet below the surface.

And at this point I believe a fangtooth is living exactly where the Red Sox seem to be heading... to the bottom.

Oh it is not time to panic yet (the Sox are still a playoff team as of this writing) but they are wasting good pitching performances left and right and your pal Sully is looking up deep sea creatures. That can't be good.

It's been 49 innings since the Red Sox scored multiple runs in an inning and for the first time all year, they've been swept. 

And if these fish could follow the Red Sox, they'd be grinding their fangteeth!


DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 12

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)
April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)
April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)
April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)
May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)
June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)
June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)
June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)
July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)
July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)


TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 14

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)
April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)
May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)
May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)
June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)
June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)
July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)
July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)
July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)
July 22 - 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)


Down to -2.
Which is also their deficit in the division.

Coincidence?

Pittsburgh is the Island

Remember The Island?

That crappy Michael Bay film with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson?

Well I am going to spoil the twist in the film. It came out 4 years ago, so I don't feel too bad about it.

There is a whole colony of cloned people whose whole purpose in life is have healthy organs ready to give to the people they were cloned after.

In other words they are spare parts to be harvested to healthier and richer bodies.

Confused?

Well to understand it better, follow the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The bring up players and have them play in the majors.

They have major league games, face major league pitching and major league competition. And just when they seem ready to really contribute, healthier and richer teams whisk them away.


Adam LaRoche is the latest... he's off to Boston while Hunter Strickland and Argenis Diaz join today's hero Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen and Freddy Sanchez as former Red Sox dumped onto the island until they become valuable and then will be traded (like McClouth and Nyger Morgan were earlier this year.)

I already asked why they should bother this year... but at least don't emulate a bad Michael Bay film!

(Are there any other kind of Michael Bay films?)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Back... and to the left... Back... and to the left

Well it has come to this...

Less than a month ago, the Red Sox had a 5 game lead. Now they trail the Yankees by a game and are one game away from being swept for the first time all season.

Am I in panic mode?

No. I'd rather see the Red Sox peak in October than in July.

But the team needs a bat and they need one now. They can't afford to blow many more complete games like the one Beckett threw tonight.

Oh I'm grinding my teeth tonight.


DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 12

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)
April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)
April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)
April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)
May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)
June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)
June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)
June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)
July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)
July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)


TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 13

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)
April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)
May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)
May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)
June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)
June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)
July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)
July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)
July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)


Down to -1.
And the Red Sox had their first 4 game losing streak of the season.

Time to turn it around with a Clay Buchholz win.

Ahhh that Riggleman touch


What must Manny Acta be thinking right now?

He's dumped because he couldn't make a lousy team rise above the level of "lousy."

So in comes Jim Riggleman.

Riggs has managed all or part of 10 seasons now.

He has one playoff spot (the 1998 Cubs who won the one game playoff against the Giants for the Wild Card only to be swept by Atlanta.) He has one other winning season (the lock out shortened 1995 season with the Cubs.)

He has 4 complete seasons where his team had a winning percentage of .420 or lower.

And now has lost his first 6 games as the Nats new manager.

Acta must be thinking "I could have done THAT!"

With such a lousy resume, why the hell does he keep getting managing gigs, even if they are temporary (like his 90 game tenure with the Mariners last year)?

You are really saying that Chris Chambliss can't handle this?

I will keep lobbying for Chambliss until he gets a gig!

Why doesn't anyone listen to me?


Mussina retired last year, and I begged Schilling, Maddux, Pedro and Smoltz to retire too.

There was nothing left for any of them to prove. 

Maddux and Schil read the writing on the wall...

But Glavine got axed and Pedro is probably going to be shelled.

And Smoltz is ending a wonderful Hall of Fame career, one where he was not only a Cy Young starter but the all time leader in saves for the Braves, as a batting practice pitcher for the Red Sox.

It was a nice experiment, but his spot needs to be filled by Buchholz and Smoltz needs to be designated for assignment.

Folks, LISTEN TO SULLY... I tend to be right.

OK, that's not true. I make tons of bad predictions. 

But this wasn't exactly a hard one to make.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Midseason look at my predictions

At the beginning of the year I made my 40 Fearless Predictions... and I also made my divisional picks...

I am sure some look prophetic and others looked pathetic.

I don't hide from my bad picks. 

In fact I sometimes flaunt them.

Either way, how are my fearless 40 doing?


1. THE YANKEES WILL MAKE THE POST SEASON BUT NOT MAKE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES... AND JOE GIRARDI WILL BE FIRED IN NOVEMBER

As of this writing the Yankees are in the Wild Card spot despite a rotten start, an A-Rod injury a tattered bullpen and panic in the Bronx in April. 

That bodes well for their playoff hopes. Their 5-15 record against teams currently in first place doesn't bode well for it being a deep playoff run. And if they miss the ALCS, Girardi will wish he took that Baltimore job a few years ago.



2. THE RED SOX WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BUT MISS THE WORLD SERIES. FRANCONA'S JOB IS SAFE

So far the Sox have the best record in the American League. But October is a strange month and the Tigers could be that kind of team that wins a game in Fenway and next thing you know the Sox are facing elimination on the road.

Either way, Francona isn't going anywhere.



3. IF DAVID ORTIZ'S BAT IS SLOWING DOWN, HE'LL BE ON THE TRADE BLOCK

When Ortiz was well below Mendoza's standard and had one more homer than me, the Red Sox would have dealt him in a heartbeat if they could find a taker.

Now he's hitting again and all of Red Sox nation aren't watching his at bats as if we were watching Charlie Brown in the spelling bee.





4. THERE WILL BE A HOMOSEXUAL SCANDAL SURROUNDING ALEX RODRIGUEZ


There are still 2 1/2 months to the season... and you know it is possible.







5. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ WILL FLOP WITH THE METS

If you told me that one game after the All Star Break the Mets would be 4 games UNDER .500 and trailing the Phillies by 7 1/2 games, 8 in the loss column, I would be almost 100% certain this prediction came true.

But alas, this is one of my stinkers.

K-Rod has possibly been the only bright spot for the wretched Mets team. And I have a hunch that his spotty post season record won't be tested this year.



6. ORLANDO CABRERA WILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR THAT MAKES RED SOX, ANGELS AND WHITE SOX FANS SAY "WHY DID WE LET THIS GUY GO?"

Well I still have no clue why the Red Sox didn't resign him after the 2004 World Series... and that was exasperated today with the dumping of Julio Lugo.

But that doesn't cover up the fact that Cabrera's 2009 season has hardly been awe inspiring, and the A's frankly stink. 

But more on that later.



7. VLAD GUERRERO WILL NOT BE A FACTOR THIS YEAR DUE TO INJURIES... AND THE ANGELS WILL PLUMMET IN THE STANDINGS

Well, Vlad is on the DL now and his numbers are hardly MVP worthy.

And the team suffered injuries, slumps and tragedy in the first half. The fact they remain in first place at this point in the season is a terrific argument for Mike Scioscia's second manager of the year award.



8. ROY OSWALT PITCHES IN THE WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR... JUST NOT WITH THE ASTROS

One of the great things about the parity in baseball, especially in the National League, is the majority of teams are still in it after the All Star break.

The bad thing is most teams think they have a shot.

The Astros are old and while a game over .500, don't have a shot. They need a shot in the arm (and not the kind Miguel Tejada used to get.)

Trading Roy Oswalt would fetch them 2 or maybe 3 building blocks. This prediction is logically sound. The same can't be said for the management of the Houston Astros.


9. J. P. RICCIARDI AND CITO GASTON ARE FIRED BY MID JULY.

Well, it is Mid July now... and they both still have jobs.

But the feel good story of the year doesn't feel so good anymore. On May 18th, the Blue Jays were in first place with a 3 1/2 game lead on the Red Sox heading into Boston to make a statement.

They are 17-32 since, have a losing record and are dangling Roy Halladay the way the Astros should be dealing Roy Oswalt.

If the Orioles continue improving, the Blue Jays could finish in the cellar.



10. BOBBY COX CALLS IT QUITS IN MID SEASON AND TERRY PENDLETON BECOMES THE MANAGER

Cox has nothing left to prove, but I have the feeling he wants to leave the Braves as a winner. The team no longer has Maddux, Glavine or Smoltz and the new Braves are hovering around .500.

So far this prediction is wrong, but if they finish above .500 for the season, I think he'll call it a Hall of Fame career.



11. THE BREWERS SLIDE BACK INTO MEDIOCRITY AND PRINCE FIELDER HITS THE TRADE BLOCK

Now THIS what you call a lousy prediction... at least so far.

The Brewers are a modest winning streak away from being a first place team.

They are also a 4 game losing streak away from being sub .500.

Ah, the perils of parity in the National League.


12. THE UPTON BROTHERS BOTH HAVE BREAKOUT YEARS.

Well Justin is holding up his end of the bargain. He's already established a career high in homers and RBI, has a batting average of .301, an OPS of .918 and made his first All Star team.

B.J. came back from surgery slowly... like sub .180 batting average and sub .500 OPS slowly.

But he got his average up to the .240s and his OPS in the .700s... maybe he'll have a monster second half.


13. CHAD TRACY WILL HIT 25 HOMERS AND MAKE THE ALL STAR TEAM

This was a hunch pick.

I thought the D'Backs were going to be decent and I thought some of their bats were going to wake up.

Instead Bob Melvin is searching the help wanted section and Chad Tracy missed all of June with injuries.



14. MANNY RAMIREZ WILL HIT 50 HOMERS, WIN THE NL MVP AND TAKE A WIZZ ON THE LEFT FIELD SCOREBOARD


Oh yeah, like YOU knew he was going to test positive!

Missing 50 games makes 50 homers a stretch.

There's still time for him to take a leak on the scoreboard.




15. THE GIANTS WILL CONTEND FOR THE NL WEST CROWN INTO SEPTEMBER

Don't look now, but the Giants are a playoff team. They have a 1 1/2 game lead for the Wild Card as I type this.

And also, don't look now, but that Dodger lead, which was 9 1/2 games in early June is down to 6 1/2.

A good August by the Giants, whose starting rotation is looking scarier by the week, and a mediocre month from the Dodgers could bring SF to within striking distance.

Just saying.



16. THE NL WEST WON'T BE AS BAD AS PEOPLE THINK

The Dodgers have baseball's best record.

The Giants are the wild card team.

Jim Tracy has righted the ship in Colorado.

Only the Padres (division champs of 2005 and 2006) and the Diamondbacks (division champs of 2007) stink.


17. CLIFF LEE'S 2008 WAS A FLUKE

The whole Indians team has fallen apart and Lee isn't on anyone's short list for Cy Young contenders.

But his 3.31 ERA plus a few recent gems thrown should make him very very interesting trade bait for the Indians who need more pieces to the puzzle and probably won't be a pennant contender until Lee is in his mid 30s.


18. KEN GRIFFEY JR'S FAREWELL TOUR IN SEATTLE WILL BE NICE BUT IN THE END KIND OF SAD

I've written about the strange cross road that the Mariners have hit. They would be trading veterans all over creation and possibly laying down the foundation for the next great Mariners team... if only this team did what it was supposed to do and suck!

But save for a few homers, Griffey is a shell of his former self. And it's always kind of sad to say goodbye.



19. THE FLORIDA MARLINS WILL WIN 90 GAMES

A few weeks into the season, it looked like the Marlins would win 100 games!

If only they could play the Nationals every day.

Either way, they have their nose above .500 and a solid second half could bring them over the top. No team is as streaky as Florida!



20. WASHINGTON NATIONALS WILL LOSE 110 GAMES AND PASS ON STEPHEN STRASBERG IN THE DRAFT

110 losses looks like a given at this point.

As for Strasberg, they did pick him, but if they don't sign him it could be a disaster.







21. MATT WIETERS ISN'T READY

Well they took their time bringing him up, for obvious financial reasons.

Weiters isn't on anyone's shortlist of Rookie of the Year candidates, but he hasn't embarrassed himself either.







22. TRAVIS HAFNER WILL BE TRADED, PAVING THE WAY FOR MATT LaPORTA'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SEASON

Man I drank the Kool Aid with Matt LaPorta, who didn't exactly tear up big league pitching this spring before returning to Columbus.

But his .312 average and .929 OPS in AAA show he might be ready to break out in the second half... and Hafner, whose numbers aren't horrible, needs to go.




23. THE PADRES WILL DEAL JAKE PEAVY TO THE CARDINALS AND INCLUDE DAVID ECKSTEIN IN THE TRADE

Ohhh man how happy are the White Sox that their trade was rejected!

And how mad are the Padres that they didn't pull the trigger on a deal when they can?

The Padres will never get their peak value for Peavy... and the suffering in San Diego continues.



24 . PADRES MANAGER BUD BLACK WILL BE FIRED BEFORE JUNE.

Bud Black is still the manager for the Padres.

Isn't that strange?

Anyone have any idea why?



25. THE PIRATES WILL MAKE A RUN AT .500

Maybe this was wishful thinking...

The Pirates should just declare themselves a farm team at this point. 

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad to see one of the great proud franchises in baseball reduced to sending away players when they get good, getting little in return and continue their irrelevance streak to 17 years.



26. JOSH HAMILTON IS FOR REAL

He has the second half of the season to show that he is... and to retroactively earn that spot on the All Star team.










27. THE RAYS WILL STUMBLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, RELAX AND MAKE A RUN AT A PLAYOFF SPOT

Hey! A prediction that so far looks pretty good.

The Rays are too talented a squad to be the team that began the season so poorly.

Plus they are a lot younger than the Yankees. If they can pick up a pitcher, they'd be in great shape.

Wonder if the Tigers will be willing to trade back Edwin Jackson?



28. DAVID PRICE WILL JOIN THE RAYS FOR GOOD IN MID MAY

Mid May was an easy prediction. But he's been off and on with his effectiveness. He's have to win 9 games in the second half to match my prediction of 12 wins.

He's not showing a lot of control. Where was that lack of control in the 8th and 9th inning of last years ALCS?


29. THE CINCINNATI REDS WILL BE THE MOST EXCITING TEAM TO WATCH ALL YEAR

They haven't been boring, that's for sure.

There are some days they look like they are about to break out.

Then there are some days they look like a sub .500 team going nowhere.

They are sub .500 and 5 1/2 games out now... they'll need a pretty exciting second half to make this an accurate prediction.


30. THE PHILLIES WILL WIN THEIR THIRD STRAIGHT DIVISION TITLE

Just a few weeks ago, it looked like there might be a 4 way tie in the NL East.

But with a rotten pitching staff, Brad Lidge imploding and Jimmy Rollins having a HORRIBLE first half, the Phillies find themselves with a 5 game lead and visions of Roy Halladay dancing in their heads.

Pretty safe bet.


31. DESPITE CHRIS IANNETTA'S BREAK OUT YEAR, THE ROCKIES WILL BE OUT OF IT BY MAY

It takes a really lousy crystal ball to get TWO things wrong in one prediction!

Iannetta has been anything but a breakout star, but the Rockies have been one of most pleasant surprises of the year.

After purging Clint Hurdle, Jim Tracy has piloted the team to a 30-13 mark and brought them to within 1 1/2 games of San Francisco.


32. THE ROYALS WILL HAVE A WINNING SEASON, BUT FINISH A DISTANT THIRD PLACE

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

That's a cliche I know, but some cliches are there for a reason. The Royals started out great led by Grienke.

Now they are 37-51, sinking like a rock and thinking about rebuilding... again.


33. THE GHOSTS OF 2006 PERSIST IN DETROIT

The success of the Tigers completely baffles me... to the point that I don't even want the Red Sox to see them in October.

I thought they were a mess, but here we are!

The Tigers have a 3 1/2 game lead over the White Sox and look like they may have the horses (and the arms) to pull this off.

Who knew?



34. GARY SHEFFIELD WILL HIT .198, 3 HOMERS AND BE CUT AGAIN IN JUNE

It's shocking to see Sheffield had anything left in the tank. I kind of thought the Tigers cutting him was a sign that it was all over.

But true to form, Sheffield plays well with a chip on his shoulder.

The Mets are going nowhere in a hurry, maybe a team in need of a DH should take a flier on him.

Why not? The Tigers are paying for him anyway!



35. JUSTIN MORNEAU WILL LEAD THE TWINS TO AN EASY DIVISION TITLE

Morneau held up his end of the bargain! He's as good an MVP candidate as anyone along with his teammate Joe Mauer.

The Twins are 4 back of Detroit.

The Division might not be so easily won, but it is not out of reach!




36. THE BEST TEAM IN CHICAGO WON'T BE IN WRIGLEY

This looked like a daring prediction when I made it, but I felt the White Sox were getting short changed in the "respect for defending Division Champion" department.

The White Sox are 2 games over .500.
The Cubs are 1 game over .500.

So far, so good.


37. MILTON BRADLEY IS A TERRIBLE FIT IN CHICAGO

What a shock!

Lou Piniella and Milton Bradley weren't a good fit!

Do GMs not read the newspaper?



38. SORRY CUBS FANS


I am probably the only person who didn't think the Cubs were October bound this year.

They aren't out of the race. In fact they are only 3 games out... but a few things need to break their way, and so far NOTHING has this year.



39. PEDRO MARTINEZ RETURNS TO THE DODGERS

The Dodgers were still the only place where it made sense for Pedro to go.

And yet he is a Philadelphia Phillie.

What do I know?


40. COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR? ERIC CHAVEZ OF OAKLAND

This picture of Eric Chavez is not from this year.

I couldn't find  a picture of Eric Chavez playing this year.

He's only played in 8 games so far this year.

He has a .100 average.

He's not winning that award this year.



So there you have it... some right, some jaw droppingly wrong.

But a whole second half of a season to go.

Maybe Eric Chavez can turn it around!