The Big Doubloon

Down in Pittsburgh they count the take after each game, add up the gold and silver, and hoist their rum, and sing " Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me "
 The Pittsburgh Pirates are cruising along the shallows, looking for another safe port on their journey to their 18th consecutive season out of the playoffs.

Let's be honest, these eye-patched crew haven't even been close. They have hoisted themselves out of pennant races early in June some years. The agonizing aspect to their fans is that they have been making a boat load of money while they sputter and pilfer their way, and claim the money is being funneled back into minor league teams, parks, programs, etc. The Pirates, like the Cubbies are one of thee oldest National League franchises, once had the great Honus Wagner play for them, Willie Stargell, Elroy Face, Roberto Clemente, and Bill Mazerowski, just to name some of their bygone heroes.  Now, once a player appears to be on the threshold of dipping into their pirate booty, they get shipped off, before you can say " Long John Silver ", the Pirates have turned over their roster. Always developing, looking for the cheaper, cost effective player, if truth be told.
Who had the lowest payroll in baseball the last 3 seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates did. Who pocketed over
$ 34.5 million from 2007 through to and including last season ?? Any guess.

From the early 60's ( and including a World Series win in 1960 ) , through their heyday in the early 1970's, and another title in 1971 over the Orioles, the Pirates could depend on keeping their talent, as free agency was a pipe dream. Stars like Maz, and Clemente were bound, and perhaps shackled, forced to man the oars, and perform without any choice.
 The Pirates would have one last hurrah in 79', and play and lose to the Braves in the late 80's, but that was the end of their success. New owners emerged, ans they fattened their wallets, their war chests were full, and talent walked or ran of their reservation.  It is a sad state of affairs and the owners responsible should be somehow held accountable, at least by the fans, but like the local hockey fans ( in Toronto ) they continue to buy tickets, pay cable charges, etc.



I do hope the days return when this storied franchise used be " in the hunt" year after year, but I think until the fans stop coming, the team will not be forced into keeping emerging stars. Otherwise, it will be more " pass the rum and count the gold ".

Friday is all thumbs

Friday's thumbs up or down.

My thumb is up for the San Diego Padres, a team seemingly with no chance to win, and ready to trade off Adrian Gonzalez, who desperately wants to play in the post season, looks like he will get his wish. If he had been traded to Boston, who knows if the same wish would have been granted. The Friars own the National Leagues best record, deepest bullpen, a collection of castoffs, and manager Buddy Black, who has convinced the team that they can overcome the odds.

My thumb is also way up for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, who are trying to inject themselves into the post season after years of mediocrity. Yes, we'll still have the Braves or Phillies, and likely the Yankees and the Twins, yet again. So the chance to see some new teams make the playoffs is refreshing. No, it's not the LA Dodgers, or the NY Mets, Cubs or White Sox, so some major TV markets will be void, but we'll have the Yanks to root against. So thumbs extended upward to some new blood.

My thumb is down to fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, who have continued to stay awy in droves, despite an exciting team, the major's home run leader, and the best pitching rotation in 10 years, the fans would rather play golf on the weekend, go cottaging, watch another horrible Will Ferret movie, than go the park. Now I will defend the fans to the extent the ticket prices should have been lowered going into a year where the battle cry was, wait until 2012 or 2013 !!!!  If that is your plan, and you added no payroll during the season, then Rogers should be ashamed for the ticket approach. Of course they thought we'd flock to watch the Bills against anybody, and pay hundreds of dollars for pre season games. Greed triumphed over good customer relations.

My thumb is also down to MLB for the Arizona fiasco, and supporting an unjust law by insisting they will play the All Star Game in Arizona. Insensitive and impractical, and pandering to the state of Arizona looks exactly what it is, shallow, and not at all representative of the groundswell of opposite opinions.

My final digit extends up to my friends here in the office, who all year long have supported both my writings, and their home team, so my thumbs are both up to Luke, Brad, Clark, Andrew, Michael, Bobby and Joe C @ RSA for words of encouragement to me, and to the home squad.

Hey Beeston, these guys believed in your team this year, and should be rewarded with cheaper ticket prices in 2011 !!

Rocket's Red Glare

Can one man be so stubborn, so full of his own self so as to sacrifice his image forever.  It would seem that Roger Clemens some how has convinced himself that he did nothing wrong, or that he is above the law. Rather than admitting he might have taken something, but was not sure what it was, he has and continued to tell the same story, falsehood, memory, what have you to 60 Minutes, Congress, and and via twitter that " he ain't guilty".

If you ask me whether I believe him, I go back to 3 things.

1.  Andy Petitte said he did
2.  Brian MacNamee said he did
3. Chuck Knobluach said he did

Add to that the Mitchell report, and what be the smoking gun, the needles that MacNamee has, that if tested ( and they may already have done so ) have the DNA of Clemens.

Now there is much to dislike about Clemens, he is arrogant, rich, successful, but those by themselves do send you to jail, but it makes the press, and Federal Government ( and Congress specifically ) want to nail this sucker to the cross like he was a witch in Salem, Mass.

He gets no brownie points for stating Andy Petitte "misremembered" , as Pettitte has admitted to taking HGH and accepted his admonishment by baseball and the public, rather his former teammate in NY and Houston has steadfastly stuck with the ploy of deny, deny, deny.

What this will come down to is a very public trial, with both physical evidence and testimony of Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblach and trainer Brian MacNamee all singing from the same songbook, while poor Roger Clemens is the only one ( besides his family ) that believes he has not lied his ass off.

In March of 2011, the Congree will lose whatever case they thought they might have against Barry Bonds, as Barry's trainer, Greg Anderson has wired his trap shut, and Barry has always claimed, "He did not what he was taking ". No perjury there, no there there, unless they have some evidence we are all not aware of. That case gets kicked out.

All that does is redouble Congress' efforts to get a high profile lying scum bag, and make an example of him. If you think Clemens is going to walk away Scott free, forget it.  They may have a tough time with perjury, good lawyers can possibly untwist Clemens words or claim he sincerely believes that in his own mind, Clemens is telling the truth, as he sees it. So, is juts nuts, vain, lying, or all of the above. What they will nail him on is obstruction of Congress, and whether he does actual jail time, or not, he is going to have a hard time cleansing his reputation which has taken a shit kicking. HOF baseball writers will not soon forget his avoidance and his arrogance, and I think Bonds gets in before Clemens will.

Folks, Pete Rose lied, you know , I know it, hell the public knows it, he lied about betting, and after awhile he admitted it, and fessed up and has been for many fans, forgiven.  Rose is not in the HOF, nor will be until Bud Selig is gone, and maybe we have the veterans committee rethink his induction.

The Rocket' red glare is his shame, his embarrassment of himself, and unless he pulls off a Houdini like escape, his reputation, and his persona will be crippled for life.  Clemens will not be voted in, and the game's best pitcher in the last half century ( in someones mind, not mine ) as I have a tie between Koufax and Gibson, with Greg Maddux a close 3rd, will have to buy a ticket like everyone else to see the Hall of Fame.

What is ironic is he was not asked to testify, but methinks he knew that there might be allegations, and was proved right. The Mitchell report nailed him, and he must have thought I need to tell my side first. 

Oh Roger, that damn ego of yours.

Raise your right hand, Roger, and repeat after me, I lied, I lied, I lied.  Get it over with.

The shot heard round the world

While the world watched and listened daily for the reports of the Korean war, sorry , it was officially a police action, the baseball world churned along.

The Yankees did what they seemed to bred to do, which is run away and hide from the pack, and with that the only thoughts were, how will a Brooklyn / Yankees World Series play out.

Nobody counted on the New York Giants, and so week by week they marched closer to the Dodgers, past the Phillies, then 10 games, 9, until the last weekend, and they forced what was inconceivable a month before.  A playoff with the Dodgers. A best of 3.

So the Giants won in Ebbets Field, and the Dodgers won at the Polo Grounds, forcing a 3rd and deciding
game. Russ Hodges called the game on radio for the NY Giants, and of course the old Red head, Red Barber called the game for the Dodgers.

The game was a close one, and heading into the bottom of the 9th, Alvin Dark got a single, and down 2 runs, the Giants suddenly had 2 men on, with the winning run at home plate, and Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca set to face Bobby Thompson.  Thompson took a pitch, and with the count 1-1, he hit a Branca fastball into the bleachers and into history. Branca walked slowly off the field, in defeat while Thompson was hoisted on his teammates shoulders and carried off the field as the hero.

They called the miracle comeback that brought the Giants back into this improbable playoff as " The Miracle at Coogan's Bluff.

This week the game and we as fans lost Bobby Thompson at age 86, and the every time I see this clip played, and here Russ Hodges , giddy in the moment, scream out " the Giants win the pennant " repeatedly, I get into the same moment, as the Carter home run in 1993, " touch em' all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life". And neither did Thompson. Sadly the Giants Cinderella story ended with a World Series loss to the Yankees, but for one summer, in 1951, New York truly was the capital of all things baseball.

Years later both the Dodgers and Giants would pack up and move to the west coast, and renewed rivalries in LA and San Fran, but for this wild summer, it culminated on a turn of the wrist, and a moment before the pitch, the writers were ready to proclaim the Dodgers as pennant winner, but a second later, the Giants had won, and story re-written. The game can change in an instant.

Farewell Bobby, the game has lost a hero.

Branca clowns it with nemesis Thompson.

Running upHill

Aaron Hill

After 4 months of sucking dirty pond water, second sacker Aaron Hill has unclogged his drain, and begun producing at the rate he did in 2009.

His batting average was below the Mendoza line until shortly after the All Star break, but week by week, it has risen, and his power production along with it. Maybe it's the no pressure scenario of where the Jays stack up, but whatever the reason for the upswing, we'll take it.

If Adam Lind could find similar consistency, and we see John Buck return, the next 3 weeks will be very interesting. I would not have wagered a half farthing on the Jays pennant chances, or wild card hopes.  However, did anyone really think the Jays could lose 2 of 3 to both Royals and Indians, then somehow take 2 of 3 from the Yanks, and all 3 from the Rays in convincing fashion ? Hell no !

If we keep getting pitching performances from Morrow, Cecil and Rickey Romero , and decent efforts from Marcum, and take the upcoming Red Sox series, and a sweep of the Sox would vault them 1 game back of the Sox, and scant games out of a wild card contention, I will be a true believer, but a sweep of the Red Sox is going to very very hard, as their pitching has solidified recently, and they seem immune to the constant injuries ( Ellsbury, Cameron, Varitek, Victor Martinez, Pedroia, Dice K, and Kevin Youkilis)

If by weeks end, the Jays have made up another 2 games, they will might be under 10 games and still play the Yanks back here and maybe we have a meaningful September.

Wishful thinking maybe, but if we see Hill and Lind and Snider and Jose, and etc etc all hitting on all cylinders. anything can happen. Remember the Astros were well back in 2005, in 3rd place and under .500 and made it all the way, and the Rockies won 22 out of 23 games, so you never know.

Me, the optimist , I know , hard to believe, but just maybe if this young pitching staff can help the team get through August and play .750 ball, and this offense continues, I'm just saying....


  

Mr. 600

Arod and the FEEL GOOD STORY of 2010

Alex, you can relax now, you made it finally to 600 home runs, great job you big fat cheater. Next time get Cameron Diaz to give you a rub down !!


Next climb over Slammin' Sammy Sosa at 609, likely late in August, then onto the next milestone.

I hope you enjoyed all those hugs you were handing out after you dinged Jays Shaun Marcum in yesterday's tilt, as I am sure your surprised team mates were as well.

Only Jeter, the greatest player in modern history not have 3000 hits, and still well below Harold Baines, was thee single Yankee at home plate, no out pouring of team mates waiting to high five you, and allow you to bask in the sunshine.

Certain members of the media are likely going to overlook your admitted 3 year usage of steriods ( in Texas only , of course ) and vote you a first ballot entry into the HOF, but despite the drugs not being banned by baseball, sorry, cheating is cheating. If gambling is cheating, and if you only broke ethical laws and not baseball laws, too frickin bad, you and Barry and Sammy can all take a hike.

The question begs asking, Hey Alex, how many home runs did you hit while sticking the needle in your ass ?  100, 200, how many ???
Aaron and Ruth and Mays still belong as the top 3, and we should acknowledge Junior as well. Consider how much time Griffey missed, gee whiz, maybe he should have taken roids' to improve his recovery time.

Babe did take stuff, it was just it was hot dogs, beer, soda pop, and the odd bourbon.

The more you listen to Arod, the more contrived his responses to questions, he just lacks the genuine emotions, and is a pre packed product of the big money me me me era of sports, and he is just so darn hard to like. Remember he signed his 252 million dollar deal with Texas, and it was 252 mill so he could say he twice the size of the largest contract at that time ( Kevin Garnett's 136 million $ deal ). 

So he got to 600, and if health holds, he should reach 700, and watch folks in NY react to his eclipsing the Babe's 714, I see no huge celebration. He has played ( like Ruth ) since he was a teenager in Seattle, but Ruth started as a pitcher, and might have added to his 714 total. Of course he was not a great " off season " conditioning guru, as many athletes are today, so he squandered a lot of prime time opportunities, and he also started in the dead ball era in parks that were still quite large. Shibe Park,  Tiger Stadium, the old Huntington Station ( pre Fenway folks ), and Old Comiskey were cavernous parks.

Derek and Elmo - discuss being humble

One final reminder Alex, as hard as you try , that Jeter fellow will always come out on top in New York, he just comes across more the hero, he cried when Bob Sheppard past away, as well for The Boss, while Arod just spilled out the pre packaged verbiage, nothing seems real, but The Kid will be revered, you will be remembered.


Maye Alex, see if Big Bird is busy.....