That which we call a rose

My apologies to Bill Shakespeare.

Is it not time to make the right decision on Peter Rose, and his exclusion from the Hall of Fame.
I have for a long time felt time that MLB needs to move towards granting Rose Hall status, but by the same token, continue to bar him from organized baseball. I do think that Rose's admitted actions of gambling is guilt enough that it should keep him from the game he loves for life.

Roses' actions however understood by those with gambling addictions are actions that can never be tolerated in any sport, at any time. Neither should we ignore his achievements on the field either.

In 24 seasons, this is what he accomplished,

3562 games played
14053 at bats
2165 runs scored
4256 hits
746 doubles
135 triples
160 home runs
1314 ribbies
lifetime .303 batting average
1963 Rookie of the Year
3 time batting average leader
17 All Star appearances
.987 combined fielding percentage ( over 6 different positions )

Impressed, you should be, not many played game the way Charlie Hustle did, as well, and for as long. Rose was once quoted as saying " I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit just to play this game ". Ever see him not run out a ground ball ? Not try and break up a double play ? Not tagged up on a fly ball, never ! Rose played the game on the field the way Cobb did, with ferocity, with passion, and with purpose.

As for his lifetime banishment, I agreed at the time, but I was more hurt that he would attack the reputation of the game. I have since then watched many pro athletes get multiple chances, and wondered if he would get one as well. Bud Selig has dropped hints, but nothing yet. Hank Aaron thinks it's time, and Hank was a contemporary of Rose, so he watched him perform up close, and never felt that Rose pulled back or held up, that on the field he game all he had.

So, if Hank Aaron thinks it's time for his entry into the HOF, that is good enough for me.

Life is just a Fantasy

Friday September 4rth, 2009

Dear Diary,

Am feeling loss today, had my # 1 shortstop go down with bad hamstring, needing MRI. Why does this happen to me ?, I planned all year, I drafted well, I traded when I needed too, I watched to make sure I sent the right pitchers against my fiercest competition. Then Michael Young of the Texas Rangers went and got injured on me.

I know, I know, he plays 3rd base now for the Rangers, young Elvis Andrus patrols short in Arlington, but Mike did last year, so in fantasy terms he still qualifies to play 2009 at shortstop. It's too hard to explain all this, I'd have to begin explaining the whole scoresheet world, and I don't have time.

Mike DC would understand, wouldn't you Michael ?

Well Diary, yet again, more injuries, well not like 2008 when I lost 3/5Th's of my rotation, Kelvim Escobar, Chin Ming Wang, Jered Weaver, then it got worse. The injury bug filtered out onto the infield, and Aaron Hill clunked his noggin and had the woozies fro 6 months. Eric Chavez was well, Eric Chavez, and had multiple ailments of back, knee and shoulder. So he was done for 08'. Then Torji Hunter, Alfonso Soriano and well, there's the ballgame.

So I consulted the mystical Gods of Fantasy, and employed a psychic, spoke to the High Llama, and read Bill James, and made some alterations before last winter's draft. Hazzah, things started to work, Mike Napoli hit better than anybody I ever drafted at catcher, Paul Konerko made me feel better about Jason Giambi's slide into oblivion. Scott Rolen hit, and Torji Hunter hit, and Aaron could see clearly, and he hit, and drafting Matt Holliday did not hurt, and he hit. So, suddenly Michael Young wasn't so alone on my team, and of course Mike hit too.

So losing Michael Young was just another reminder that I do not call the shots, that there is a higher power at work, that destiny is not designed, drafted or manipulated, it is karma, baby, karma, and I don't have it. So I dealt for Julio Lugo, and whistled down to Union Station, because Diary, I aim to cheat the Reaper, he'll not collect this soul that easily.

Final Note: BJ Upton tweaked his ankle after colliding with Carl Crawford last night, reminder to send a cheque to the guy who sold me those VooDoo Dolls of my closest competition, The Evil Empire in Thunder Bay, ah ....if you read this Glen, just kidding about the Evil Empire stuff.

We'll see if my Elephants can plod along and make the post season for the first time in 8 years, maybe it's time, or maybe the I make the Gods angry.

Stay tuned.

The Midnight Hour

A look at the National League West chase is a worthy topic these days, as very team save for the Padres are in it. The latest moves by the Dodgers, cheating the midnight deadline for playoff roster status were pretty bold.

They added veteran LH bat of Jim Thome and RHP Jon Garland, and added them just prior to the MLB deadline. In San Fran, earlier on they added Brad Penny, and looked to get Trevor Hoffman, but were unsucessful. The Rockies took Jose Contreras ( who must be 100 years old ) and promoted Jason Giambi from his minor league assignment.

Lots of moves, bench strength, September push, most of these players won't have too much impact, but last year the Jays sent Matt Stairs to the Phillies, and he had many pinch hits in the playoffs and the Series, so who knows ? I don't think these are key moves, but maybe if Thome faces a right hander with runners on, and he smacks a long ball, the Dodgers will point to that as enough of a reason to have made the deal.

Jermaine Dye was dangled out there, as Scott Linebrink, as was Cub Rich Harden, but Dye, Hoffman and Harden stayed put, and for Cubs fans, they still dream of fighting for post season but are probably done like dinner. Dye, like Rich Harden is a 2010 free agent, so other than getting draft picks when signed, that is all the Sox and Cubs will get back if they let them walk. The Sox largely tossed in their "white" towel after getting their backsides whacked by what Ozzie Guillen called " the Big Boys " in Boston and NY. He called his troops out before those 7 games and tossed his offense "under the bus ", and they responded by winning 2 games of the 7, and being pushed around.

It did not help that GM Kenny Williams got news that ex Padre Jake Peavy was probably not going to be 100 % for a September run. I think Kenny decided if Peavy was not 100 %, shut him down and protect the investment, and play for next year.

I am reminded of a potential deal that Detroit and Baltimore tried to pull off back in the 80's involving Freddy Lynn. In those days, the traded player had be in the city of his new team BY 12 o'clock. Holy Cinderella Batman !!, time to get Freddy to the airport. Well he was late due to weather and arrived after 1 am. Too late, day late and a buck short as they say. He could play in September, just not in any playoffs.

The rule has been changed since then, just the trade and the paperwork need to be confirmed with the MLB HQ folk, with fax / e-mail proof.

I am not a big fan of these late moves, because usually the core of the team remains intact, and these Johnny Come Lately's have to pass through waivers, so are not considered impact players.

Thome in LA could be, but he will sit and watch James Loney play 1st base, Garland will eat up some innings, and Giambi will enjoy some Denver "rarefied air", and Contreras will likely get his brains beat in, so in truth these are great for headlines, and ESPN & the Baseball Blogs for fodder, I just think that if LA keeps hitting, and SF Giants get 80 % of their rotation blowing out the competition, it will be hard for the Rockies to say with the pack. So majority of these moves make the troops believe that management is 100 % behind them.

The Red Sox added Billy Wagner ( and boy are the Mets happy to rid themselves of his contract ), but he's just another guy at the tail end of their bullpen. If the Sox starters falter, it won't matter a bit.

The Yanks have the east all but sewn up, so the Sox are really fighting for the Wild card and the Rangers are hanging in with what I thought was marginal pitching, making me eat my words. The Texas club added Irod ( for old time sake ) and the Anaheim Angels stunned the baseball world with their trade with the Rays for Scotty Kazmir.

Kazmir was shocked despite all the rumours but finds himself on a for sure playoff bound team , and he does not have to be"the guy", with John Lackey, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana. Plus Joe Saunders just returned and if Kazmir ( boy I am tempted to put on some Led Zepplin ) finds his groove, the Angels are going to hard to beat.

We could see a repeat of a Giants/Angels 2002 WS match up. It would not surprise me in the least.

Gone but not forgotten

Beautiful Photos of days gone by.

Jarry Park, their first home park until they moved into the Big O.

Celebrating early home runs, and their media guide.

Bob Bailey, Ron Fairly, Boccabella, Le Grand Orange, Mack Jones, Steve Renko and John Bateman. Just some of the early Expos who played for Canada's first expansion team.

They were close in 1994, until the strike shut them down, they had Pedro, and Vladdy, amongst other stars.

The story is a very sad one, through the loss of a World Series birth, the fans never forgave the tea unfortunately. They stopped coming in droves. They turned to other sports and it cost them their fan base.

In 2 official languages, we enjoyed baseball but now they are silent.

I miss having the other Canadian team.

Can't we turn back the clock

As we approach September, part of me wants to turn back time to April, heck maybe be even mid March, but here we are , on the border of August and September, with one month left to go

Too bad we don't really have our own Way Back Machine that Mr.Peabody and Sherman used to revisit importnat dates in history.

I would settle for Opening Day

Waiting for the leaves to appear, not to turn brown, and waiting for 1st pitches, 1st innings, and warmer spring days. Of course it could be that here in Southern Ontario have had a pretty crappy summer, both weather and local ball team. This was punctuated today in Boston when the Red Sox beat up on Roy Halladay and we may not have many more Halladay Blue Jay starts, as we anticipate a winter trade.

September baseball is the most cruel, it is the most harsh. Every game from here on seems to mean more, especially for those still with hope. Hope to win a division, or Wild Card slot, hope to play well enough to assure a job next year, and the best stats possible to help for then next contract.

Then there will be only 8 teams left and the playoffs

Then the fields will fall silent an cold for another winter, until rebirth again.

Close play at the plate

Fair or Foul, safe or out, , the umps generally get the majority of the calls right, but is it just me, why are more players and managers getting tossed out of games.

Arguing balls and strikes has always been a cardinal sin, and an instant ticket to the showers and the wet bar, but bang bang plays at 1st, 2nd or 3rd get questioned all the time. Players and managers have different angles, sometimes players are wrong too. Managers are never wrong, just ask them.

I just find it happens more frequently than 30-40 years ago that players, and coaches, and managers get the have ho very quickly. Is it the TV cameras, is trying to collect 'scalps', their reputation at stake, a combination of all 3, who knows.

I watched a spring training game last March, it was only the 3rd such game, and the manager got tossed for arguing from the dugout. Funny story because the manager was actually arguing with a player, and the ump thought it was all about his balls and strikes calls.
















The umps are human, but I just get this feeling that they are trying to strike at the delicate balance and maybe it's causing them to take matters too seriously, and over react.

Now we have instant reply on potential home runs, or are they foul balls, now the ump can gt a reply called. It will not happen that close base calls get reviewed, because it would just slow the play down even more than it is.

Is it possible the umps hate this, and are tossing players, and mangers in an effort to exert some control, or show the powers they have. They had better be careful this trend does not get worse, because I am pretty sure you don't pay $ 50 a ticket to watch the ump gyrate his strike 3 call.

Did ya ?? Thought as much.

September arrives next week, and we'll look at the races in earnest.

The Miracle of 1969

It was 40 years ago, and it yet to me it seems like yesterday.

All my friends at school were Baltimore fans, while I rooted normally for ST.LOUIS, but this was a crappy year for the Cards, and there were these other guys, the New York Mets, and they didn't suck that bad this year.

All during the spring, and summer and the back
into September, it was all about how easy it was for the Orioles to win the Series, a veritable cake walk.

Well, you get tired of hearing this, so you lash out , at least at 14 years of age , you don't think twice, so I told Paulie, and his older brother Jimmy that I thought the Mets could beat the O's, and boy that caused quite a laugh. I wasn't even sure I had said, but all through September in school I had it thrown back at me. " What an idiot !", "Mets Suck", " You're Nuts".



So it's late September, we just get our class photos taken and I hear again the Mets Suck chant as we stroll back to the classroom, so I remember reading Milt Dunnell, a longtime columnist with the Toronto Star write that the Mets might have a chance toi beat the Atlanta Braves, so I retort that I would wager my lunch money on the Mets getting to the Series.


Then the darnedest thing happened, they won, and easily, Seaver and Koosman, Gentry, Nolan Ryan, Tug McGraw were all dominant.

Then they lost Game 1, the O's and Dave McNally mowed down the Amazin Mets.

All seemed lost, or at least according to the fates.

Then they made the most incredible plays, and Koosman won, and Seaver did, an Al Weis hit the ball, and Ed Charles made great stops, Agee and Cleon Jones, and Ed Kranpool dove for balls, and it was contagious and infectious. Great plays begat more great plays.

Suddenly a week into the series, there were no taunts in the hallways, and the same dudes were not making eye contact.

It was actuall fun to got to school, like when the Leafs were winning cups in the 60's.















They strung 4 straight gems, and the 100 win Orioles were vanquished 4 games to 1.

I walked tall for a week, and me , a Cardinals fan, soon to be an Expo fan, was taking credit for the upstart Mets. The Mets would return in 1973, with Willie Mays in tow, at 41, but bowed to the A's and Reggie. Still another chance to reflect on what was a miracle season.

It was 40 years ago ( sounds like a Beatles intro ) and it seems like yesterday.

This blog is dedicated to Joe Costa, a good friend of mine, a true blue Mets fan.

Joe's Mets were the 1986 version, of Knight, Mookie, Strawberry and Gooden

Joe's Mets of 2009 have a rough year, and with Johan Santana the latest casualty, I thought I remind him ( he reads me occasionally that he should "Believe in Miracles"