Ball Players and Social Media

Joey19Bats, BrLawrie, RickyRo, Jays and other players now feel the urge to communicate independently from regular press agents and conferences.

Oh, they still use those outlets, but today's athlete feels the need to express themselves. Base Ball players are no exception. They weigh on discipline issues, suspensions, awards, new music, game winning RBI's and whether they suffering from chronic disrespect.

Now Football and Basketball players are way ahead, and they as a group are far more vocal, the WR network of Terrel Owens, Ocho Cinco demand the attention of anyone within shouting distance. These are athletes that while in college were adulated, revered, raised on a pedestal, so why would they expect anything less now that they are in the pro arena.

I follow a few, Bret Lawrie, Gregg Zaun, Bautista, but far too many are so self indulgent snivelling me, me, me, look at me types, they have turned me off. You disconnect yourself with players that have more bluster than PT Barnum, more huts pa than a US politician. More balls than......well you get the idea. I still hear or read what they say, but if you follow reporters, TV and print you get to see what they see.

I am a big fan of free speech, hell I have my own Twitter account, so I will not carve up players to be heard, just perhaps so outspoken.  Talk about your play, talk about how you profess to love the fans, talk about your love of family, what music you listen, but don't talk trash about your team mates. Do not trash each other, that is always , always, misunderstood and we have that "disrespecting " word again. 

My tweets are meant for humour, I respond to others, challenge opinions, foster some of my own, usually harmless attempts to be part of this new social media environment. Hopefully I will cross any borders I shouldn't.  Athletes do , and they really need more media training, and perhaps a dose of humility. Because when they stray from the clear and narrow path, they find themselves having those press  conferences to apologise, or say what they really meant.

An old saying still applies....People in glass houses should not throw stones...time to revisit some of those values before saying something hurtful.  Read  your own copy over, ask yourself this..Is this going to hurt anyone, is anyone going to be offended.

Sabathia re ups

Yankees signed LHP Sabathia to a one-year, $30 million contract extension with a vesting option for 2017.

  The new deal is tacked on to his current contract, which runs through 2015. While Sabathia said in a  conference call Monday night that he is comfortable in New York and wanted no part of the free agent process, it's hard to fault the guy for using his opt-out clause as leverage on a new deal. The big left-hander will now receive $25 million in 2016 and either a $25 million vesting option or a $5 million buyout in 2017. He is guaranteed $122 million over the next five seasons and could max out at $142 million over six years if he avoids an injury to his shoulder. A hefty price to pay, but now the Yankees can forge ahead with other offseason priorities.  


The Yankees initially offered Sabathia a deal for five years and $120.5 million, allowing him to just top Lee’s mark. But the Yankees upped their offer to ensure he would not opt out and hit the free-agent market.
Sabathia’s 2017 option will vest automatically unless he finishes 2016 on the disabled list, spends more than 45 days on the DL in 2016 due to a shoulder injury, or is forced to pitch out of the bullpen six times in 2016 because of shoulder problems. Sabathia also will continue to have a no-trade clause.
“It was a big motivation,” Sabathia said of avoiding the free agency drama. “I didn’t want to be a part of being a free agent and opting out and doing all that stuff.”
General manager Brian Cashman released a statement, praising the 31-year-old as “the ace of our pitching staff, a leader in our clubhouse and a driving force for the Yankees in our community. He is exactly the type of player and person that Yankees fans and this organization can be proud of.”
Sabathia lost 25 pounds last winter but put some of it back on this past season. He said he will prioritize the weight loss again, though he admitted he “got a little lax during the season” with his conditioning.
“I think it’s something I do because it’s for me and to be proactive,” he said of losing weight. “I just need to go out and be healthy and try to do what I can to be out there for every start. For me, that means losing weight. That’s what I’ll do.”

                                                                             

   

The Goddam Boston Red Sox

 Since the Yankees fleeced the Sox for George Herman Ruth,  this franchise been cursed. At least until Theo Epstein arrived, and convinced owner John Henry it was time to start spending bigtime bucks, on big time talent. A long curse, the type gypsies put on and you grow another apendage, or a tail.

They couldn't win in 46' ( lost to the Cardinals ) and again in 67' ( same team Cards, different heroes ). Then losing a 7 game to the Reds, not even Carlton Fisk could save them.

Then losing to those hated Yankees in 1978 in a playoff, that was horrible, and the curse tightened it's grip.
I thought it was over when they beat the Angels (when by rights the Angels had them) down to their last strike, but  Davey Henderson beat Donny Moore and they went to the Series. With a Roger Clemens, no less, and stars all over the diamond.
But you know what happened, more Game 6 drama, a ball hit by the Mets and it dribbled threw Bill Buckner's wickets and the air collapsed in the balloon yet again.  Curses, foiled again !!

As I say, on comes a young bright mind in Theo Epstein, he brings in new manager.  Tito call me Terry Francona, born of a baseball lineage. They did was restore hope, even after they suffered at the hands of Yanks and Scott Brosius, & Aaron Boone.   The Beantowners wondered "when will this merciful curse end ? ". Christ why not ask the Cubs about curses. Check the calendar folks,  1908 ! for the Cubbies.

Anyhow, back to those damned Red Sox, well it seems adding a Curt Schilling added just the right ingrediant, adding a Johnny Damon was as well, and the Cowboy Up generation, coined by Kevin Millar came of age.

They found their edge, they found a way, lead by Big Papi., by Manny, by Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia. They found whatever had been missing since 1918, and in the last 7-8 years, playoff success, and 2 World Series titles.
Fast forward to September of this year. Something bad was going on in Boston, they could not win games, they found new ways to lose. They could not get decent games from starting pitchers and they could hit in the clutch. I mean you name a facet of the game, defense, offense, hell if they had akicking game, they'd have screwed that up too.

The offseason finger pointing began almost when the last out in Baltimore wa recorded, when Crawford's bobble coat them the 162 nd game and any chance of a 1 game playoff against the Rays.  It was so and so's fault, the pitching staff, the bullpen, the offense, maybe even the kicking game, they all took turns.

Until the stories leaked of not keeping Francona, he would be the scrificial lamb slaugtered to preserve the franchise.  Then the club house stories emerging. Drinking beer and eating chicken but off duty starting pitchers became another sign that Francona had lost his players trust and The Boston Globe's reports and ESPN reports buried any hope of Francona returning.
So Terry's option was not picked up, and the rumours continued, this time, it was wunderkid Theo Epstein, could he lured away to GM the Cubs ( talk about frying pan into the fire ).

Tampering charges, compensation arguments, and an all out free for alll, all while the playoffs were going on.

No one could stop looking at this multi car pile up, it was trainwreck in progress, with nightly reports, blogs, twitter all eating up the Red Sox , their ownership and the messing aftermath of a season gone wrong.

Stupidity decided to step in when nameless gutless front office claimed they were not perhaps happy about the Carl Crawford signing.  Well la de da, put your hands up if you but that one ???

So now heading into 2012 ( apocolypse year ) a new GM annoited ( company man Cherington ) in tow, the Red Sox, who hijacked September.

This time I sympathise not for Boston.  They had the best duo, and ownership decided they needed scapegoats, not the beer swilling chicken eaters. Not the under performers, not the gang that couldn't shoot straight. They deserve whatever the Gods have in store for them.

Leave it Bill Lee, to sum up the situation.

"You see, in Boston, they dumped tea in the harbour, then complained they had nothing to drink". " They had all the signs, Paul Revere could have showed them, one-ith by land, two -th by sea , three -eth you're out ".

" In Boston, they eat beans and wonder why they fart so much "  "Sometimes, a loss is just a loss, but in Boston, it's a Shakespearian tragedy" 

"Et tu Brute, then fall Francona" 


Coming attractions, the Jays seek arms in the Far East...Whirling Darvish...

Ordained

From the College of Cardinals

Last Friday night, the Cardinals were victorious and won a hard fought see saw 7 game World Series.

Tony La Russa was elected from the College of Cardinals as their new pope.

Not by vote, as in the picture above, but by twitter, by blog, by fans, and by media alike. A little too much adulation for my liking, but in Saint Louis, where they take their baseball as seriously as they take their religion, winning their 11 th title in 2011 is not coincidental, it is divine right or rite.



The last game was not anything like Game 6, but had no chance of coming close. A brief Texas lead was erased, and then a melt down inning of gaffs and walks and then the walls caved in ultimately. Plus, and I am not in this corner, Ron Washington seemed to have been out managed by the Big Giant Head of LaRussa. 

Wash spurned any talk of a Derek Holland start in Game 7, despite the superlative 8 plus innings he churned out.  No, Matt Harrison would make this start, and come hell or high water ( there's that Biblical reference again ) he was not gonna waver.  No flooding of the Mississipi was observed either.

This series might go down as the sloppiest played by both teams, who at times looked like the 62' Mets, the Alphons and Gaston ( not Cito ), the you take I don't want it. And so far the numbers reflected a lack of interest in the north east and southwest ( NY and LA markets ).

What will be written about as people reflect back is the moves made by Cardinals in July, getting Ed. Jackson, Dotel, the Zepper , adding Rhodes and Furcal, and moving McLellan into the pen. Bold moves,indeed and when you look at their late August, and September run, they all fell into place. Of course the Braves foldup made all the whole thing possible or the Phills might have waltzed into the Classic.

A sign was held prior to the last fly out by Murphy  that said 11' in 11', and 5 in 12', a reference to winning their 11th title in 2011, and to keeping Pujols for 2012, and if there are baseball Gods, the Cards will retain their star, and he will retire along side Musial, Gibson, and other legandary greats to play in Saint Louis.

It is ordained.

Good bye Baseball season 2011, hello off season.

Game 7 - Time for Magic to Unfold

Freeze that moment.

It's the bottom of the 11th, 9-9 tie, several lead changes, comebacks galore. And then David Frees steps to the plate.

A high drive...a deep drive, and the ball lands on the grassy noll in dead centre with fans pouring from the bleachers to try and get to the ball.

High 5's, and hugs, in the Rangers dugout there is no smiles, just the thought that we had this one, twice in the bag.

I am sure the Phillies thought that in Rd 1, nope, did not happen. Then the Brewers were the favourite, nope, that didn't happen either.  Onto a World Series and another underdoggy position.

Last time if memory serves the Cards played a home game and it was a Game 7 was in '68.

Think the Twins series was in Minny, but I can proven wrong.

In '68, Gibson faced Denny McLain and was defeated. That year McLain had won 31 games for the Tigers, all Gibson did was finish with a modern era record for ERA at 1.12.

We won't have near the pitching match up this time, but it is a Game 7, and they usually do not disappoint.

There will be magic, in some form, maybe another walk off hit, another Napoli ket RBI, a Nelson Cruise Missle home run, a great performance from the man they call Albert.

If this the last game Albert Pujols plays in a Cardinals jersey, do you think he will have one for the ages.

Pitching tonight..acc to Washington it's Harrison, but I think it's a guy named WholeStaff, anyone available, and those that aren't. Like the cliche, there ain't no tomorrow, well there is, just no Game 8.

For those that will watch, myself included, I expect more magic.

Strap yourself in, let the Games begin.

World Series Time

Well what's happening in baseball these days, the Texas Rangers are making their second straight appearance and the wild card Cardinals have made it by beating the best team in baseball ( Philly ) and the the team they could not catch ( Milwaukee ) in their division.

Nothing else going on in baseball unless you consider Terry Francona leaving Boston, and the subsequent news that Theo Epstein is trying to join the Cubs, and drunken chicken eaters in the clubhouse, are worth talking about.
And the ownership of Red Sox was "not on board" with the Carl Crawford signing either.

The shenanigans in Boston have over shadowed the playoffs, to the extent it has become thee baseball story instead of the meeting of the 2 league champions.
Why is this happening ?

Well, partly because the Yankees bowed out, Sox never made it, no NY/ Calif major TV market has a team in the Series. No compelling stories, no 4 Philly rotation of the apocolypse , and not even the plucky Rays could garner any national attention.

Holliday, aka "moth man" has had large impact on Cards fortunes, along with David Freese, Lance Berkman, Yadier Molina, and a no name bull pen.

Rangers have a solid 1-9 line up, and deep bull pen, but starting pitching has been spotty for both teams, and that usually ends up mulitiple pinch hitting, and trips to the mound, double switches, so I won't insult you with who will win.



My personal bias is to my long time affection with the Cards, and the extra home game may play a deciding factor.  If so, Prince Fielder's winning RBI in the All Star game may prove impactful.


Unless the rains wash tonights game, it all starts tonight.

Yankees

Yanks depart the post season, pockets empty, promises unfulfilled and fans unhappy.  I guess a $180 million dollar payroll or whatever it is does not guarantee happiness.

The previous off season saw the Bronx Bombers unable to attract big name pitchers, but I suspect they will try and lure CJ Wilson, as will the Red Sox, Rangers and Cubs. All that guarantee is Wilson's family will be well taken care of.

They managed to cobble a rotation out of CC, Hughes, Nova, Freddy Garcia and Bart Colon, plus AJ Burnett. It was enough, bolstered by a deep pen, and relenting offense to win the division, but fell short of another series appearance.  Knowing the penchant for continual success, one would anticipate Brian Cashman looking at ways to dangle rookies ( Montero/ Betances ) to acquire veteran arms, or simply buy a pair. 

If the Yanks have serious trouble buying talent, I think they will ask the Federal Government to inspect their cash for fraudulent bills, since no one seems to want to take their greenbacks.

Arod made the last out trying to steal. Last time the Yanks lost a playoff game or series ender was 1926, when Babe Ruth tried to steal on the Cardinals, and was shot down. 1926 series was chronicled in Ken Burns BASEBALL as a series the Yanks were not supposed to lose, but 42 year old gin soaked Grover Cleveland 3 times defeated them, the last time in relief, supposedly still hung over from winning the previous game.

Pitching beat the Yanks, first by not getting any, and then by the Tigers, who as it was discovered, had just enough. 

Would not be suprised to see James Shields in a Yankees or Red Sox uniform next spring, if it's Boston, the Bombers may have to repeat the efforts of the 2011 squad. Which won't be easy.