Thursday, May 31, 2007

Jim O'Brien - Sacrificial Lamb

Jim O'Brien has been hired to coach the Indiana Pacers. What do I honestly think about this hire? I think he's being set up to be a sacrificial lamb. I think the Pacers will be looking at blowing up the team this year and they need a guy to just keep the coaching seat warm. Jim O'Brien fits the bill to a tee. He's the equivalent to former Celtics coach ML Carr but without the personality.

O'Brien should be familiar with ML Carr because Carr was the coach of the Celtics before Rick Pitino (and assistant coach Jim O'Brien) swept into Boston in 1997.

Look at the Pacers team. If you are a Pacers' fan - who do you have to be excited about? You know that Jermaine O'Neal will probably opt out of his contract after next season - so do you really root for that guy? Danny Granger is the best young player but I'm doubting if many people go out and buy season tickets because they just have to see the maturation of Danny Granger. The Pacers don't even have a first round pick in this year's draft to get the fans mildly interested.

The Pacers will probably have to trade O'Neal for a package that includes at least one first rounder and a couple of expiring contracts who will of course chafe at how Jim O'Brien coaches the team and doles out the playing minutes. Trading O'Neal for a package that works in the Pacers' favor may be asking way too much considering that O'Neil's contract almost makes him untradeable in the Salary Cap World of the NBA. If they are lucky they will also be able to package Troy Murphy's contract into some deal.

It should also be pointed out that O'Brien is a defensive minded coach who is not at all opposed to the slow it down offense. In other words - Pacer fans should prepare for some boring games next year.

I think it will be interesting to see if Jim O'Brien gets to name his own assistants. Look for Larry Bird to put in a guy of his own like Chris Ford as an assistant. Then don't be surprised if O'Brien is fired two-thirds into the season next year with Bird's hand-picked bench guy taking over the no-pressure interim job.

Jim O'Brien quit his job in Boston and he only lasted a year in Philly. If he only lasts a year in Indiana - he's all done as an NBA head coach.
The 2008 New York Yankees

The fact that the New York Yankees will not be catching the Boston Red Sox to win the AL East in 2007 is pretty much accepted by most people who follow baseball. It is also worth noting that besides being 13.5 games behind the Red Sox - the Yankees also are 7.5 games behind the Tigers for the AL Wildcard. When you look at the lead and the talent that the Indians and Tigers have - you have to start thinking that the Wildcard may also be realistically out of reach of the Bronx Bombers.

I know there are a lot of games left to play and I'm not saying Yankee fans should abandon hope. What I am saying is that maybe its never too early to start planning for next year.

Accordingly - here are some moves the Yankee front office should make and some moves they should avoid making for next year.

DO - Make every effort to sign Ichiro Suzuki to play rightfield. Ichiro has a gun for an arm and can play center if Johnny Damon gets hurt. It should also be noted that Ichiro is perhaps the most media savvy player in baseball and the media crush of playing for the Yankees is something he should easily handle. That can't be said for all players and it should not be overlooked as a factor. The Yankees could easily take the money they save by not re-signing Bobby Abreu and get Ichiro signed to a 5-year $90 million contract.

DON'T
- Trade Johnny Damon. Damon doesn't have a true no-trade clause but he does have a list of 12 clubs he would approve a trade to. It should not be overlooked that Damon plays hurt and has the mental make-up to deal with the NY press. He's popular with the players, gets on base and does what it takes to win. Damon hasn't played less than 145 games in a season since becoming a full-time player 12-years ago and even though he's slumping this season - he's still got a very decent .362 OBP. The Yankees would have to get either Andruw Jones and Ichiro or Torii Hunter and Ichiro to make up for the loss of Damon. A bird in the hand rings true in this situation.

DO - Make a huge trade bid for Mark Teixeira. Chances are that he'll sign with the Orioles after the 2008 season because he's a local player and he's dreamed of playing for the hometown team and the Orioles are drooling over him. However, the big trade bid perhaps drives Baltimore out of the picture by giving the Yankees a year to work out an extension.

DON'T - Bring back Doug Mientkiewicz. Dougie Alphabet does have a great glove but they Yankees need to do something about 1st base (if only because a shake-up is needed and 1st is one of the few positions where a big contract is not embedded). If the Yankees can't sign Teixeira then they should take a risk on a Carlos Pena type player. Bring three of those types of players into camp and have them fight it out for the position. Let their desire cause a fire among some of the other players who frankly have become too blaise in their approach.

DO - Make a big bid for Carlos Zambrano (assuming the Cubs don't wrap him up). The Yankees rotation next year should be Wang, Mussina, Pettitte and Hughes. There is no real ace in that group. Zambrano could be an ace. At the very least he should eat innings. If Zambrano is not available then Mark Buehrle should be Option B for the Yankees.

DON'T - Attempt to sign Bartolo Colon. That signing would kill George Steinbrenner. Just seeing the huge Colon in pinstripes would potentially cause a stroke each time Steinbrenner laid eyes on him. You'd be better off with Costanza in the parking lot with a World Series trophy. I'm not saying Colon isn't a very talented player but I am saying he wouldn't do well with the Yankees. In fact I'm pretty sure a big contract in New York could turn Colon into Mr. Creosote.

DO - Re-sign Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees want to get younger but they have no choice with these two players. Both deserve to be rewarded.

DON'T - Bring back Carl Pavano or Roger Clemens. I think Clemens will prove to be a bust - so that situation will work itself out. Also his money will be better used toward a Carlos Zambrano ot a Mark Buehrle. As far as Pavano is concerned - at this point it would be best for all if Pavano was given a season somewhere else to prove whether he can or cannot still pitch at MLB levels.
Top 5 - Clint Eastwood Movies



Today is Clint's birthday (he turns 77 today - can you believe that?)

1. Outlaw Josey Wales
2. High Plains Drifter
3. Dirty Harry
4. Fistful of Dollars
5. (tie) Kelly's Heros (tie) Where Eagles Dare
Top 5 - AL 2nd Basemen Who Deserve to Start the All-Star Game over Robinson Cano

Right now Robinson Cano is the leading vote-getter for the AL All-Star team at 2nd base - which is a joke because he hasn't earned the right to get the nod based on past performance and he certainly hasn't performed at an All-Star level this season.

Here are five other 2nd basemen in the AL who deserve the honor more than Cano.

1. BJ Upton - Devil Rays - .325 BA / 8 HR / 29 RBI
2. Brian Roberts - Orioles - .310 BA / 34 R / 19 SB
3. Placido Polanco - Tigers - .330 BA / 28 R / 28 RBI
4. Aaron Hill - Blue Jays - .284 BA / 29 R / 28 RBI
5. Ian Kinsler - Rangers - .237 BA / 10 HR / 27 RBI

Kinsler bolted to a hot start in April (.298 BA with 9 HR) but has been ice cold in May. Even still - he deserves the nod more than Cano who has been ice cold all season (.264 BA / 2 HR / 23 RBI).

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

If the Red Sox were to go .500 for the rest of the season they would have 92 wins (technically 91.5 wins). The Yankees would have to go 71-41 (a .634 winning percentage) just to tie the Sox. Only two teams have a winning percentage of .634 or better right now - the Red Sox (.706) and the Mets (.660). Of course the Red Sox won't go .500 for the rest of the season... Alex Gordon is still struggling for the Royals. The highly touted rookie is hitting just .185 with just 3 HR and 8 RBI. I wonder if Gordon is still on anyone's fantasy baseball team? If Gordon was playing the way people thought he would - I wonder if the Royals would be willing to trade former 3rd baseman (now rightfielder) Mark Teahen who is still just 26-years old and who could garner a top pitching prospect if traded... Kevin Youkilis has a blog. His first entry is about his inside-the-park home run. He's also asking for input into a name for the blog. I didn't read all the comments but I'd vote for "The Greek God of Blog" for a name... After today's game against the Twins - the White Sox don't play another game against a Central Division foe for 29 days. Almost a whole month before playing a Central rival. That just doesn't seem like good scheduling...
Tiger Woods - Supporting the Troops

Tiger Woods will host a new golf tournament over the 4th of July at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda and he will be saying "Thank you" to the service men and women in the military by giving away 5,000 tickets each day (30,000 tickets total) to active-duty members of the US Armed Services.

My hats off to Tiger. Sometimes it is tough to root for a player who is so much better than the competition but Tiger makes it easy to root for the greatest golfer in history.
History's Greatest Monster
The fact is that Jimmy Carter could not have done more to damage our national security had he been a hand-picked mole planted in the White House by the KGB.
Investor's Business Daily has a 10-part series on why Jimmy Carter is the worst President in history (I prefer the Simpson's description of him as "history's greatest monster').
When Carter left office, the Soviet Union was on the march from Grenada to Afghanistan, control of the strategic Panama Canal had been given away, our military had planes that couldn't fly and ships that couldn't sail for lack of trained crews and spare parts, production of the B-1 strategic bomber had been canceled and our economy was in no shape to resist Soviet expansion.
Carter wasn't happy to just ruin our military and diplomatic standing throughout the world - Carter also seemed to want to destroy our economy also:
Here's where things stood in 1980, Carter's last year in office, and in subsequent periods:

• Carter: Interest rate, 21%. Inflation, 13.5%. Unemployment, 7%. The so-called "Misery Index," which Carter used to great effect in his 1976 campaign to win election, 20.5%.

• Reagan's last year: Interest rate, 9%. Inflation, 4.1%. Unemployment, 5.5%. Misery Index, 9.6%.

• Bush today: Interest rate, 8%. Inflation, 2.6%. Unemployment, 4.5%. Misery Index, 7.1%.
History will view the taking of the US Embassy in Iran as the signature event in Carter's Presidency and that's worth a closer look:
When Carter got around to hinting about the use of military force, Khomeini offered this mocking response: "He is beating on an empty drum. Neither does Carter have the guts for military action nor would anyone listen to him."

Carter did actually try a military response of sorts. But like every other major policy action of his, he bungled it. The incompetence of his administration would be seen in the wreckage in the Iranian desert, where a plan to rescue the hostages resulted in the loss of eight aircraft, five airmen and three Marines.

Among the core group of hostage takers and planners of the attack on our embassy was 23-year-old Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who learned firsthand the weakness and incompetence of Carter's foreign policy, one that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid are now attempting to resurrect.
That last quote is worth letting sinking in. It is sometimes worth asking "What would Harry Truman or Ronald Reagan do?" And it is useful to contrast that with the question, "What would Jimmy Carter do?" If a politician's actions fall more into line with Carter than Truman or Reagan - then its time to vote that politician out of office.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix



So I'm a geek. I can't wait for the movie or the seventh book.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

With their loss yesterday to the Red Sox - the Texas Rangers are now just 5-29 when scoring less than 7 runs. That's pretty incredible when you think about it. The Rangers have almost no chance of winning a low scoring game... Scott Proctor - according to the State of New York - you are the assman. Proctor comes into the game in the 7th with the Yankees leading 2-1. He then walks three and gives up a hit. He leaves without recording an out and with the Angels now leading 4-2. Assman should be Proctor's nickname everywhere and not just here at A Large Regular (and this is coming from a Red Sox fan)... Before the season started there were many pundits who thought the Reds were going to be playoff contenders. Now they have the worst record in baseball. That last sentence was brought to you by the managements of the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals... Happy big 5-0 to Kirk Gibson.... The Cubs are a sub-500 team but have outscored their opposition by 26 runs so far. Fans of the Pythagorean theorem will tell you that the Cubs are a better team then their record and have just been unlucky so far. I bet they heat up and have something like an 8-game winning streak in the next month...
Memorial Day

Remembering those who gave all their tomorrows for our todays.
In my own boyhood, figures such as Jimmy Doolittle, Audie Murphy and John Basilone were household names. And it was assumed that what they had done defined us as well as them, telling us what kind of nation we were. But the 110 Medal recipients alive today are virtually unknown except for a niche audience of warfare buffs. Their heroism has become the military equivalent of genre painting. There's something wrong with that.
There is something wrong with that.

If you read only one thing today. Make sure it is the story from the link above.
We Were Soldiers Once... And Young
...Too many men died bravely and heroically, while the men who had witnessed their deeds had also been killed. Uncommon valor truly was a common virtue on the field at Landing Zone X-Ray those three days and two nights. Acts of valor and sacrifice that on other fields, on other days, would have been rewarded with the Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross or a Silver Star were recognized only with a telegram saying "The Secretary of the Army regrets..." The same was true of our sister battalion, the 2nd of the 7th. - Page 407
We Were Soldiers Once.. And Young by Harold (Hal) Moore and Joseph L. Galloway not only tells the story of the Battle of Ia Drang Valley but is also a window into the makeup of the Army back in 1965 and also a microcosm of what happened in Vietnam and why.

Some may have seen the movie starring Mel Gibson but that movie only tells the first half of the tale. The second half of the tale involves the brutal fighting by the 2nd and 7th at Landing Zone Albany. Some have termed this second action as the most deadliest ambush of American forces of the entire Vietnam War but as Hal Moore explains it really wasn't an ambush since the Vietnamese weren't lying in wait. The two forces just sort of stumbled into each other.

This battle in large part convinced Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara that in 1965 we faced two options regarding Vietnam - either withdrawal or massive escalation and withdrawal was never seriously considered.

Hal Moore is very critical over the decision not to allow the military to pursue the North Vietnamese forces into their bases in Cambodia. Every General is taught that when you have the enemy on the run - you pursue until the enemy is killed or surrenders. The US forces were basically forced to quit pursuit when the enemy crossed a boundary that existed only on maps and it put them in a distinct disadvantage.

I had often worried that this same restriction was causing problems in Iraq early in the war when enemy forces would be using Syria (or Iran) much the same way the North Vietnamese were using Cambodia.

Hal Moore also points out that the military would clear out a town or an area and then hand it over to the South Vietnamese only to have to go back months later and have to retake the same real estate at additional cost of American lives. The failure of the State Department in making sure that the South Vietnamese were properly trained and competent was the real failure in Vietnam but the military unfairly has to shoulder the blame for the problems in Vietnam while the State Department flunkies are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise after nights on the cocktail circuit.

In Iraq, after the defeat of Saddam Hussein's military - the greatest mistakes of the war were made. However, unlike Vietnam, the military was either forced or took it upon themselves to make sure the handing over of real estate was done professionally and in such a way that American lives wouldn't be spent taking the same ground twice. This has led to things like the military training the Iraqi civilian police forces. Things that are never covered in basic training but things necessary to victory that the military has adapted to and overcome. The additional military put in place during the recent surge has been successful in large part, I believe, because of the mere presence of the professional and ethically driven soldiers.

Normally I cannot stand when people compare Iraq to Vietnam but I couldn't help myself. When reading We Were Soldiers Once.. And Young I often found myself making mental comparisons. I am not ashamed to say that because of the fine writing by Hal Moore and Joe Galloway I also found myself tearing up on a number of occasions as the bravery and sacrifice of the men of the 1st of the 7th and the 2nd of the 7th were documented.

I highly ecommend this book. And also the movie for that matter.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Casey Kotchman has been hot for the Angels. In the last 10 games he has raised his batting average 42 points - from .258 to an even .300... Last off season Tom Glavine clearly wanted to return to the Braves but Atlanta thinking they were fine with a big three of Smoltz, Hudson and Mike Hampton passed on having a Hall of Famer return to win his 300th game. Now with Mike Hampton out for the season - the back end of the rotation is the big weak spot for the Braves. I bet that Atlanta wishes they had a do-over and again had the opportunity to bring Tom Glavine back into the fold... Nomar Garciaparra is having a disappointing start to the season. He has just 1 HR and his OPS (.687) is 212 points below his career average... The other day I mentioned how maybe hitters who switch from the NL to the AL show a decline because the pressures and the talent in the AL are much greater than the NL. I used JD Drew as my example but another good one would be Josh Barfield who hit .280 last season for the Padres but is hitting just .235 this year for Cleveland. Of course Barfield's struggles could also fall under the cliche of the the sophomore slump... David Ortiz and Ryan Howard are both listed at 230 pounds. There is no way on God's green earth that those two guys are only 230 pounds... Bronson Arroyo is now 2-5 with a 4.01 ERA for the Reds. This may sound crazy but I think the Red Sox are better off with Julian Tavarez (or soon Jon Lester) as their 5th starter than they would be with Arroyo... Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are both hitting just .231 for the Cardinals. Both "sluggers" have pretty big dollar contracts for next year and both have 10-5 rights to veto any trade attempt. These guys may prove to be albatrosses not just for this year but also next year for St. Louis... I thought for sure that Joe Kennedy would be the season's big surprise success story. However, Kennedy is just 1-4 for the A's even though he has an impressive 3.62 ERA. I'm telling you - if I were a GM for a team trying to win a playoff spot and I needed another starter - I'd make Joe Kennedy a top trade priority. When Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza come back from the DL - then Kennedy should be expendable by the A's in exchange for a slugger. Kennedy is a free agent at the end of the season so the A's have another reason for wanting to deal him... Red Sox fans are not booing Julio Lugo even though he's hitting just .231 as the leadoff batter. The reason Sox fans have some patience with Lugo is because he always seems to come up big in the clutch. With runners in scoring position Lugo is hitting .319 and with RISP and 2 outs - Lugo is hitting a blistering .346... Mark Loretta is quietly having a nice season for the Astros. The idea going into the season was for Loretta split 2nd with Craig Biggio (especially on the road where Biggio's numbers are awful) but with Morgan Ensberg struggling - Loretta has gotten a lot of AB recently at 3rd base. Lorreta is hitting .351 for the season...

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Why You Have to Verify Info Found at Wikipedia

This was an entry from today's "this day in history" feature on Wikipedia:
451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Steven's vagina rebels and the Steven's penis takes place. The penis is defeated militarily but are guaranteed freedom to openly practise intercourse.
I'm fairly sure the Battle of Avarayr didn't involve a fight between Steven's vagina and Steven's penis.
Oh My God!

This is both scary and funny at the same time.

HT Grouchy Old Cripple
Casino Cheating Ring Caught

I hadn't heard about this anywhere else and I find stories like this very interesting. The scheme involved an estimated 18 casinos and netted an estimated $3 million.
The scheme began around March 2002. According to federal prosecutors, members of the Tran Organization bribed pit bosses and recruited card dealers, paying them up to $1,000 a day to "false wash and shuffle" cards so that groups of cards would remain in the same order. In the game, eight card decks are typically used and dealt from a rack called a "shoe." The "false shuffle" allowed players involved in the scam to know when to place big bets so they could win several consecutive hands as the group of unshuffled cards was dealt back into play.
I bet as the whole story comes out that the scheme failed either because of a stupid mistake by the gang or they got greedy and went back to the well once too often.

I also found this interesting:
Jacob Nickels, the 25-year-old son of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and former pit boss at the Nooksack River Casino, is among those named in the indictments for allegedly accepting a $5,000 bribe to participate in a plot that cheated that casino out of $90,000.
Normally when a politician is mentioned - his party affiliation is noted except when that politician is a Democrat and he is connected to "bad news". When I saw that no (R) or (D) was noted - I just knew Greg Nickels was a Democrat (and he is). It is so predictable.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

A poker buddy pointed out to me last night that just maybe JD Drew was made to look better than he was because he was playing all those years in the National League. I had been a JD Drew defender but that observation got me thinking. We all know that pitchers experience a big difference when going from the NL to the AL and vice versa. Look at how Randy Johnson struggled when he came to the AL and how great Roger Clemens' ERA became once he switched leagues. The list is long - Ted Lilly with the Cubs this year, Jeff Weaver with the Cardinals last year, etc. But what about hitters? Off the top of my head - I couldn't think of a single recent big-time hitter that improved on switching from the NL to the AL. Vlade Guerrero for hitters and Pedro Martinez for pitchers seem to be the exceptions to the rules but those two were just freakishly talented players. You could argue Jim Thome and Troy Glaus but they are essentially AL guys who had brief stints in the NL. Besides Guerrero - Gary Sheffield seems to be the only guy who comes to mind who switched to the AL after a long time in the NL and was still as successful. Maybe there is something to a batter losing something when coming to the AL just as a pitcher can expect a serious jump in ERA when switching leagues... As a Red Sox fan - Brandon McCarthy scares me. I know that he has a 5.82 ERA but I also know that he seems to kill the Red Sox - I saw him in his one prior start against Boston and he just looked great. Plus lately he's been hot. In his last four starts McCarthy is 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA. Dice-K and the Red Sox are big favorites tonight and you have to like the Red Sox because this club just doesn't lose back to back games. However, Dice-K has shown a vulnerability to the home run ball and the Rangers lead MLB in HR. The over/under for this game is 10 runs but it just as easily could be a 1-0 game as a 11-10 game...
Heh Heh - "Children's Books"

Something Awful has another Photoshop Phriday up and the subject this week is children's books. Here are my three favorites:

- A book on Easter

- Hey I read this book as a kid

- You have a sick mind if you get this one right away
Iraq Fatalitity Numbers

Instapundit pointed to this post yesterday and I've been thinking about it quite a bit since. And before I start - I know what Twain said about statistics.

The key to the Gateway Pundit post was this graph. The graph shows that the number of military dead in Iraq and Afghanistan just reached the halfway point of the total military dead from the Clinton adminstration.

I agree with the commenters who said that the numbers are decieving because the Bush numbers don't include all the military dead (including those who died in accidents, or natural causes or suicide) whereas the Clinton numbers do. I don't have numbers for Bush's second term but in Clinton's first term there were 4302 total military deaths whereas Bush's first term had 5187 total military deaths. In Bush's first term there were "only" 885 more military deaths even though we were fighting to free an estimated 31 million people in Afghanistan and another 26 million people in Iraq.

Let me toss out two more sets of statistics. The first is from the leftish Iraq Body Count who estimates that a minimum of 64,133 or a maximum of 70,243 civilians have been killed since the start of the Iraq War (which again is misleading because this is actually just a continuation of the first Gulf War). I want to compare that to something Andrew Sullivan posted just before the war started:
Based on Iraqi government figures, UNICEF estimates that containment kills roughly 5,000 Iraqi babies (children under 5 years of age) every month, or 60,000 per year. Other estimates are lower, but by any reasonable estimate containment kills about as many people every year as the [first] Gulf War - and almost all the victims of containment are civilian, and two-thirds are children under 5.
People like to think things exist in a vacuum but if these sets of numbers are correct - then doing nothing (i.e. keeping the status quo that existed prior to 2003) would have cost the lives of 240,000 children under 5 in Iraq by now - never mind the number of adults or children over the age of 5. Think about that for a little while.

I think short term that things are improving in Iraq to a point where when the 2008 elections heat up - Iraq will be much less of an interest to voters. Some people will be purposely ignoring good news coming out of Iraq because it will disprove their anti-war, Code Pink positions. There is more flipping and flopping predicted on the horizon.

I also think that in the long term that the idea of "flypaper" will find much favor with historians. Two years ago I was on the "flypaper" bandwagon and I remain still. I believe David Warren is credited with coining the term. Here's a brief explanation from him:
....While engaged in the very difficult business of building a democracy in Iraq -- the first democracy should it succeed in the entire history of the Arabs -- President Bush has also quite consciously to my information created a new playground for the enemy away from Israel and even farther away from the United States itself. By the very act of proving this lower ground he drains terrorist resources from other swamps.

This is the meaning of Mr. Bush's "bring 'em on" taunt from the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday when he was quizzed about the "growing threat to U.S. forces" on the ground in Iraq. It should have been obvious that no U.S. President actually relishes having his soldiers take casualties. What the media and U.S. Democrats affect not to grasp is that the soldiers are now replacing targets that otherwise would be provided by defenseless civilians both in Iraq and at large. The sore thumb of the U.S. occupation -- and it is a sore thumb equally to Baathists and Islamists compelling their response -- is not a mistake. It is carefully hung flypaper.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Derek Jeter just moved into 5th place on the all-time Yankees hit list. He's still behind Lou Gehrig (2,721), Babe Ruth (2,518), Mickey Mantle (2,415) and Bernie Williams (2,336). Just for the record - Jeter would also be 5th on the all-time Red Sox list behind Carl Yastrzemski (3,419), Ted Williams (2,654), Jim Rice (2,452) and Dwight Evans (2,373)... Speaking of milestones - Manny Ramirez needs 7 more RBI to pass Fred McGriff for 35th place on the all-time list... The Red Sox and Yankees have both scored 244 runs this year. The reason the Red Sox lead the Yankees by 9.5 games is the fact that the Yankees pitching staff has given up almost as many runs as the Yankees have scored (212 runs allowed) while only the A's and Padres have given up fewer runs than the Red Sox pitching staff (173 runs allowed)... It looks like Carl Pavano is done as a member of the Yankees. His final totals as a Yankee should look like this - 5-6, 111 IP, 19 GS, 4.77 ERA. His contract was for $40 million though so I guess he gets the last laugh... A distressing fact for Yankee fans has to be the fact that the team is just 5-14 when opponents score first. Playoff caliber teams usually exhibit the will to fight no matter how many runs down they are. This Yankee team just doesn't seem to have that heart. And the same can be said about the fans. In Tuesday's loss to the Red Sox - Yankee fans were streaming out of Yankee Stadium starting in the 7th inning even though the team was just 4 runs down... Mike Sweeney's contract is up with the Royals at the end of this season and the Royals aren't exactly contending. as a 10-5 guy - Sweeney has the right to approve any trade but it should be noted that he gets a $1.5 million bonus if traded. That could be viewed as a parting gift by Kansas City to a loyal employee...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Celtics to Draft 5th

Last night, like many Boston area sports fans, I watched the NBA draft order selection show on ESPN. Like many Boston fans - when the Celtics envelope was opened for the 5th overall pick, I jumped off my couch and said "Cut the shit!" I was ticked. The Celtics weren't going to be getting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

However, unlike some Boston sports fans (I'm talking to you Bill Simmons) - I flipped the channel back over to the Red Sox / Yankee game and got on with my life.

Yes the Celtics have been very unlucky since 1986 when they won their last World Championship. Then again - only six franchises have won a World Championship since 1986 (Heat, Spurs, Pistons, Lakers, Bulls and Rockets). All the other franchises in the NBA are in the same boat as the Celtics since 1986 except they don't have 16 World Championships to reminisce about. I'm sure those other fans aren't interested in any "woe is us" stories from Boston fans who have at least enjoyed a World Series win by the Red Sox in 2004 and three Super Bowl victories by the Patriots since the Celtics last hoisted a flag.

Hey Bill - why don't you cry in your beer to a Philly or Cleveland fan and see how much sympathy you get.

It's also not like the Celtics will field (court?) an awful team next year. A healthy Paul Pierce and an ever-improving Al Jefferson plus whoever they get at #5 in the draft put the Celtics right in the running to win the very weak Atlantic Division. And if they don't make the playoffs - hey maybe they get lucky in the draft selection show next year.

It should be interesting but with the Red Sox hopefully playing until November and the Patriots hopefully playing until February - the Celtics will probably have to wait till after March Madness to get the full attention of Boston fans anyway.

No sense crying over spilt milk. It just makes Boston fans look like whiny-move-your-ass-to-California bitches.
Wally Matthews - What a Tool

If you asked most sports fans who Wally Matthews was - the general response would probably be to ask if he played one of the kids in Leave it to Beaver. He's a writing nobody. It boggles the mind how this single A talent ended up with a major league writing gig with Newsday.

Wally Matthews is probably best known for getting fired / quitting his job at his then employer New York Post because a co-worker printed a rumor that one of the New York Mets was gay. Matthews threw a fit and was bye-bye. That was his idea of integrity.

Now Matthews gets a few more minutes of attention by writing a smear-job on Tim Wakefield. The article lays bare the fact that Matthews knows nothing at all about baseball. Matthews questions how Tim Wakefield has a job in baseball and basically rips him as a bad influence on the game. Matthews attempt at controversy was rightly ripped by the folks at Fire Joe Morgan.

Wally Matthews is a clown who knows nothing about baseball. He's exhibit A of why baseball fans have increasingly turned to web sites and blogs to get their information instead of the traditional print media. Newsday should be embarrassed to carry his byline.

HT - Large Bill

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Heh Heh

Is it bad that I laughed at this?

It reminds me of the time someone took the "C" off a sign outside a local McDonald's that said "Now Hiring Closers"
Top 5 - Favorite Places to Eat in Worcester

Big Stupid Tommy "tagged" me with the meme of the five favorite places to eat in your area. My area is Worcester, Mass and here are my five favorite places to eat.

1. The Sole Proprietor - by far the best seafood in Central Mass
2. The Boyton - they have a full menu and what I consider the best pizza in Central Mass (the folks at the Wonderbar on Shrewsbury St may beg to differ). You can usually find me at the Boyton on Sunday afternoons in the fall, making my NFL picks and watching the 1:00 game. The Boyton also happens to be across the street from the Sole - both places are on Highland Street.
3. Bushel and Peck - they have the best selection and quality of sandwich in Central Mass. Locations both in Tatnuck Square and at the Summit in Worcester. Regatta Deli on Lake Ave is probably second best for deli sandwiches.
4. Sakura Tokyo - I love watching the guy cook in front of me. Its been a family favorite for years. The best "Chinese" food probably goes to Nancy Chang's on Chandler Street
5. Vincent's - a very, very limited menu but I love their meatball and sausage sandwiches. This is a list of my favorite places to eat.

Maybe the best restaurant in Central Mass is The Chop House on Shrewsbury Street but I find the clientele stuffy and pretentious and the food overpriced. Some honorable mention places include Le Mirage on June Street for lunch; La Scala's on Shrewsbury Street for Italian food; Block 5 near Kelley Square and the Flying Rhino - also on Shrewsbury Street - for various dinner fare. For the best bang for the buck you have Bennie's at the Summit and Mac's Diner on Shrewsbury Street (Mac's also happens to be a BYOB joint).

I'm not going to "tag" anyone but if you want to list your five favorite places to eat - I will link to your blog entry.

Bon appetite.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Jon Heyman - Clueless Baseball Writer

It's official - Jon Heyman really doesn't have a clue about baseball. In his latest SI column, Heyman talks about seven trades that need to happen before the trade deadline. Let's take a look at them jut to prove the point that Heyman doesn't have a clue.

1. Scott Rolen to the Dodgers. Heyman seems to be suggesting a Andy LaRoche for Rolen deal. If that deal was done - Ned Colleti would be fired on the spot. Consider this:

- Rolen has 3-years and $36 million left on his contract and has an injury history. Colleti is still paying Bill Mueller's contract. Mueller is the last "name" 3rd baseman Colleti signed with an injury history.

- Heyman says that Rolen would be acquired for his power but as bad as Wilson Betemit has been for the Dodgers he has double the number of HR (4 to 2) in almost half the AB (78 to 129). Since hitting 34 HR in 500 AB in 2004 - a HR every 14.7 AB - Rolen has hit just 29 HR at an average of 1 HR every 29 AB.

- Andy LaRoche is the top rated prospect in the Dodger farm system according to Baseball America. LaRoche has been the starting 3rd baseman for the past couple of weeks and so far this season his OPS has been 204 points higher than what Rolen has posted this year. Rolen would be a down-grade at this point at the plate.

An Andy LaRoche trade for Scott Rolen would manage to make the Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir trade from a couple of years ago look good in comparison.

2. Garrett Atkins and Todd Helton to the Angels. Helton has a no-trade contract and has said he will not waive it during the season. Atkins has been struggling this season and is not a clear upgrade over either Shea Hillenbrand or Chone Figgens. As Daniel Kaffee would say, "Thank you for playing, 'Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically stupid.'"

3. Chad Cordero to the Indians. Sure this trade makes sense but even Heyman points out that, "Nationals GM Jim Bowden likely will ask for the moon, anyway, so Cleveland may have to look elsewhere." That elsewhere may turn out to be Atlanta where Rafael Soriano has made Bob Wickman expendable.

4. Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox. Why would Griffey approve this trade? The White Sox aren't winning anything this year. Why would Griffey want to leave the comfort of his home town to play for Ozzie Guillen? Makes no sense.

5. Troy Glaus to the Tigers. Why would the Tigers take on Glaus' contract (he gets $12.5 million next year)? Offense is not a problem for the Tigers and why would the Tigers mess with the team chemistry by sitting either the popular Inge or Casey at the corners or the combustible Gary Sheffield at DH? Again - it makes no sense.

6. Al Reyes to the Brewers. So a 36-year old guy with 6 career saves going into this season is among the seven trades Jon Heyman thinks should be made? Jon - maybe you should have made this a list of six trades that need to happen.

7. Jon Rauch to the Red Sox. Maybe Heyman has never heard of the Larry Andersen for Jeff Bagwell trade. The Red Sox have a bad history about dealing prospects for middle relievers.

None of these trades make any sense. I get the feeling that if Jon Heyman was a zoologist that he's recommend the elephant trading his trunk for a duck-bill. Hey that trade makes as much sense as Scott Rolen for Andy LaRoche.
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

The Red Sox lead the Yankees by 10.5 games. That means they could be swept by the Yankees and still have the largest Divisional lead in all of baseball. It does kinda take the drama out of the series from the Red Sox perspective... Ichiro is back on track for another 200-hit season. Right now he's on pace for 220 hits... There is drama on the Yankee end of this series. If the Red Sox get a 3-game sweep - I think Joe Torre gets fired. It just has to happen. I like Joe Torre but I think it would be really funny if Torre was let go before Roger Clemens has a chance to throw his first pitch for the Yankees (seeing how Clemens said that Torre was a big factor in him signing with the Yankees)... The Rockies have a good news / bad news deal going on. The bad news is they lost a really ugly 12-inning game to the Royals yesterday and today have to face reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb on the road. The good news is that Webb hasn't been able to beat the Rockies this year - going 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in three starts this season. I think this may be a case where the bad news far outweighs the good news... Happy 66th birthday to Bobby Cox who is probably glad not to be celebrating his birthday in Boston playing the Red Sox...
Immigration Bill

I haven't studied the proposed Immigration Bill but my gut tells me its simply a bad idea. My gut also tells me that a good way to kill the bill would be to slip in an amendment that requires all Z visa applicants to show documentation for the same requirements children need in order to get into kindergarten.

That means showing documentation than they have inoculations for Diphtheria, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Hepatitis B. My guess is that "undocumented workers" wouldn't be able to come up with the medical documentation and thus turn the Bill into a non-starter. I don't mean to turn the former Department of Immigration and Naturalization into the Department of Immunization but shouldn't it be harder to get into this country than get into kindergarten?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Dear Anonymous Atheist Complaint Box



I found these to be pretty funny.
Top 5 - Jimmy Stewart Movies

Today would have been Jimmy Stewart's 99th birthday. In his honor - here are what I consider his 5 best movie roles.

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. The Philadelphia Story
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
5. Vertigo
Wow - Just Wow

I only hope that Mary Conboy gets half the press coverage that Cindy Sheehan did (though I think we all know she won't).

Here's the link to the Adam Conboy Memorial Fund.
Jesse Jackson and Rainbow/PUSH to Sue the Preakness and NBC

This is just unbelievable.
BALTIMORE - Jesse Jackson today announced plans to sue both the organizers of the Preakness horse race and NBC over perceived racial discrimination. Jackson said he was outraged that none of the jockeys in yesterday's big horse race were African-American even though the race was taking place in Baltimore which has a very large African-American population.

"You have these Spanish guys and one redneck white guy riding these beautiful big brown and black animals using whips to get the most out of their performance," explained Jackson. "All the while for the entertainment of a white audience while white men and one white woman commentate on the action for NBC. The defacto discrimination and the slavery imagery have me outraged."

When asked how outraged he was - Jackson responded that he was "seven figure" outraged. Jackson also vowed that he was going down to Pimlico Park, the home of the Preakness race, and if he found a single one of those black jockey statutes that his outrage would double.

Management for Magna Entertainment Corporation (owners of Pimlico race course) could not be reached for comment. A highly placed official at NBC, however, speaking on terms of anonymity said that the charges from Jackson have led NBC Sports to make a large bid for African-American sportscaster Stewart Scott who would then take over lead broadcasting responsibilities at all Triple Crown horse races from Bob Costas. When reached for comment, Mr. Scott simply yelled, "boo-yeah!"

Friday, May 18, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous bseball thoughts and observations.

If the Cy Young Awards were given out today - I think you'd have to give the AL award to Josh Beckett while in the NL Jake Peavy narrowly beats out Tim Hudson... People like to talk about the storied history of the Boston Red Sox but the Braves have a pretty good story to tell as well. A very good argument could be make over who had the better hitter - Ted Williams or Hank Aaron or even second best hitter - Carl Yastrzemski or Eddie Matthews (this goes to Yaz but the Williams vs Aaron is an interesting argument). As far as pitching is concerned - Boston had both Cy Young and Roger Clemens (not to mention Pedro in his prime) but the franchise record 192 wins both Clemens and Cy Young had in a Boston uniform pale in comparison to Warren Spahn's 356 wins for the Braves. In fact the Braves franchise has 7 pitchers who can top the 192 wins Clemens and Cy Young had for the Red Sox (Spahn, Kid Nichols, Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, Al Spalding, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux)... If the "Yips" were recognized as a true ailment - then Ted Lilly would be in contention for comeback player of the year... As bad as Jeff Weaver has been for the Mariners this year - Edwin Jackson has been equally bad for the Devil Rays. I can remember when Jackson was an untouchable prospect for the Dodgers... In the first day of Interleague play - the Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks. What no AL team wanted to play one of these fan favorite franchises?... If the Blue Jays get swept by the Phillies - does John Gibbons have a job on Monday?... Ryan Zimmerman is hitting just .247 for the Nationals. There was hope he'd be the next George Brett for the Nationals but he's coming closer to being the next Eric Hinske... A while back I wondered if Paul LoDuca was finished. Considering the fact that LoDuca has been hitting an even .400 in May to raise his season batting average to.298 - I think it is safe to say that I was premature in saying he was done...

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

As of this morning - if the Red Sox went just .500 the rest of the way (62-62) that would give them a total of 88 wins for the season. That would mean the Yankees would have to go 70-54 (.565 winning percentage) the rest of the way just to tie. Of course I don't think the Red Sox will be a .500 team the rest of the way out - I just wanted to illustrate the hole the Yankees have gotten themselves into... As part of the deal that transferred ownership of the Atlanta Braves to Liberty Media - they basically guaranteed to keep the Braves competitive by not reducing payroll. Supposedly payroll could stay the same or increase but not be reduced. The Braves have $6.5 million coming off the books in Bob Wickman next season. I wonder if that money could be used to bump Andruw Jones' existing $13.5 million contract enough to keep him in Atlanta? The Braves may also be able to structure the contract to take advantage of the money that will come off the books from Mike Hampton's contract after next year.... The choice for 3rd base in the NL for starter for the NL All-Star team will be interesting. Miguel Cabrera is probably the best hitter but he plays for a small market and still doesn't have the name recognition he deserves. David Wright is a great player and he has gotten as much press exposure as any player in MLB but he's not having a great season. Chipper Jones is the veteran star having a resurgent season (.301 BA 10 HR and 24 RBI) but will he get the sentimental vote? Ryan Zimmerman and Arimis Ramirez will also garner lots of votes. It will be interesting to see how the voting goes... It's tough for a Red Sox fan to admit but there will be no such drama in the AL voting for 3rd base. You can put A-Rod's name in pen on the line-up card now...

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Michael Moore and Cuba
"...Cuba is now the world's biggest prison for journalists and President Castro has become the 'Maximum Leader' of predators of press freedom." - Reporters Without Borders "Cuba" page
By now you may have heard that Michael Moore is in trouble for going to Cuba without the proper paperwork to film a "documentary" about how great the Cuban healthcare system is (because we all know that when people get really sick they skip places like Sloan Kettering and the Mayo Clinic in the US to go to Cuba). You may have also seen Fred Thompson's video response to Michael Moore too.

This situation made me think of a post I read from a couple of years ago. Especially this part:
The hideously depressing thing is that Cuba under Battista--Cuba in 1957--was a developed country. Cuba in 1957 had lower infant mortality than France, Belgium, West Germany, Israel, Japan, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Cuba in 1957 had doctors and nurses: as many doctors and nurses per capita as the Netherlands, and more than Britain or Finland. Cuba in 1957 had as many vehicles per capita as Uruguay, Italy, or Portugal. Cuba in 1957 had 45 TVs per 1000 people--fifth highest in the world. Cuba today has fewer telephones per capita than it had TVs in 1957.
Castro's government will allow Michael Moore to visit and make a "documentary" (is calling it propaganda too strong?) but they won't allow in the International Red Cross to visit the imprisoned journalists. What does that tell you? And what does that tell you about Michael Moore?
Tim Duncan and Head and Shoulders

If you want to get really drunk - watch a Spurs game and take a big swig every time Tim Duncan scratches his head. Seriously - why isn't this guy doing commercials for Head and Shoulders?
This Day in Baseball History and Political Correctness

This is the first entry for Today in Baseball History:
1902 - Two deaf-mutes face each other for the first time when Dummy Hoy leads off for the Reds against Dummy Taylor of the Giants. The Reds win 5-3 with a five-run rally in the ninth. Hoy goes 2-for-4.
Can you imagine anyone - never mind a deaf-mute - having the nickname "Dummy" today? Even though he can both hear and speak - I think Dummy would have been a good nickname for John Kruk.
Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Red Sox have two players in the top 10 in stolen bases (Julio Lugo and Coco Crisp). I wonder when the last time that happened?... The other day I was taking a walk and I saw written on a Volvo station wagon in that white crayon type stuff used car lots use "I hope you find a homeless family living in your car". It was signed by "K" with a heart drawn around the K. Not sure if this was a curse or a joke. I just know I chuckled at it... I was in New York City yesterday and one of the big stories there is the refusal of Aaron Sele to cut his hair like all the other members of the Mets have done. This is not the same as when Johnny Damon refused to cut his hair back in 2004 with the Red Sox. This is Aaron Sele not Tom Glavine (the future Hall of Famer even agreed to a buzz-cut). Sele has bounced around baseball with 7 different teams and I say if he doesn't cut his hair - the Mets should trade him to his 8th team... Because of Josh Beckett's injury - this week Red Sox Nation learned the definition of the word "avulsion". According to the American heritage Dictionary an avulsion is, "The forcible tearing away of a body part by trauma or surgery." That sounds a bit over the top for describing Beckett's cut on his finger. At the other end of the scale to the word "avulsion" was Hartford Courant's Jeff Greenberg who described the injury as a "boo-boo"... In case you missed it - Jason Giambi has been just 4 for 28 in his last 10 games. Good thing that Giambi has the putrence of Bobby Abreu to cover for his slump... Grady Sizemore went 4-5 last night to raise his batting average 20 points - from .239 to .259. Despite the relatively low batting average - Sizemore has an OBP of .394.... I meant to say something about the Red Sox incredible come from behind victory on Sunday. The Sox were down 5-0 to the Orioles coming into the bottom of the 9th but ended up winning 6-5. The final play saw Kevin Millar ranging too far to his right to field a ball that should have belonged to the 2nd baseman. This meant the pitcher had to cover the base and Millar's throw was fumbled allowing the tying and winning runs to score. This going too far right and not staying home at 1st is something Millar does all the time and something that drove me crazy when he was with the Red Sox...

Monday, May 14, 2007

Ken Griffey's Jock

This was great
. I've long been a big fan of Griffey but this upped him another level in my book.

HT NRO
Casting Casablanca with Presidential Hopefuls

This morning for some reason I started thinking about if a re-make of Casablanca was made today and you had to cast it using only presidential hopefuls from each party - who would get what roles? Here's what I came up with:

Ugarte - Dennis Kucinich gets this role. Peter Lore originally played Ugarte and who better to play the short, slightly creepy role than Kucinich? John Edwards gets to be the understudy.

Yvonne - Hillary Clinton gets this role. In the movie Yvonne starts off with Rick, gets dumped but is equally comfortable with a Nazi but then seems to be pro-Free French. I can see Hillary playing this flip-flopping convincingly.

Signor Ferrari - ask any union man who pays attention to such things and he'd tell you that Bain & Co (Mitt Romney's former company) employed questionable moral choices in trying to make an extra buck. Sydney Greenstreet's character was the head of the black market in Casablanca - so this role should go to someone who could convincingly play this sort of businessman. Mitt Romney gets the role.

Victor Laszlo - this was a pretty stiff character who even though he wasn't the lead - all the other characters were concerned with his goings on. Barack Obama come on down!

Captain Renault - this role goes to Rudy Guiliani. Claude Rains's character was a hound dog when it came to women and with Guiliani's marital record - I could see him playing Captain Renault (I think he'd have to wear a toupee though).

Carl - the heavyset waiter gets to be played by Al Gore. Strictly casting this based upon physical dimensions.

Major Strasser - this role goes to Newt Gingrich. Sorry Newt but someone has to play the Conrad Veidt role of a Nazi officer.

Rick Blaine - after much consideration this role goes to Fred Thompson who just edges out John McCain. Thompson gets the role because in the movie the Bogart character waits till the last momment to get into the fight. That's something Thompson knows something about.

No candidate gets to play the Ilsa Lund character played by a young Ingrid Bergman. I'm hoping Jessica Alba runs at the top of the Green Party ticket to help fill this role.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Rocco Baldelli is capable of playing at All-Star caliber levels but the Devil Rays have him leading off this season despite the fact he's hitting just .211 with an OBP of only .271. You just can't have that level of production out of your leadoff guy and expect to be successful. The Devil Rays really should consider swapping Baldelli (1st) and BJ Upton (5th) in the batting order.... Alfonso Soriano very quietly has a 20-game hitting streak going... Today is Barry Zito's 29th birthday. Not sure if he'll be able to enjoy it though after giving up 6 runs in last night's loss to the Rockies... Brad Penny had a pretty good week going 2-0 with 18 K's in two starts - giving up just one run in 13 plus innings. Penny has a MLB best ERA of 1.39... I don't think the Braves are missing Marcus Giles very much. Kelly (Ha ha - you have a girl's name) Johnson has been very solid starting at 2nd for Atlanta. Johnson has 3 more HR, 4 more RBI and 10 more runs scored than Giles does so far this year... The fact that Josh Beckett is going for his MLB leading 8th win today softens the realization that Hanley Ramirez is hitting .338 for the Marlins. Ramirez is now hitting an even .300 for his career... Alex Rodriguez went 0-4 last night. The Yankees should cut that guy... There are six teams with a starting catcher hitting better than .300 (Posada, Mauer, Martin, Martinez, Bengie Molina, and Estrada). These guys can all hit - so its no surprise that they are all hitting better than .300. What is surprising to me is the cliff Jason Kendall's batting average has fallen off. Kendall is a career .299 hitter but this year he's hitting a measly .183. If you have Kendall on a fantasy team - drop him. Drop him now... The Mets have been killing lefties this season - hitting .345 as a team against them...

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Pondering the Red Sox

The Red Sox are rolling along and things are very good in Red Sox Nation despite last nights loss to the Orioles. The latest feel-good series was a three game sweep of the reeling Blue Jays and I have no doubt in my mind that the Red Sox will win the next two games against the O's.

Before looking forward to what will be two more Red Sox wins - let's look back at the Blue Jays.

Recently the Blue Jays have been to the Red Sox what the Miami Dolphins are to the Patriots. The one guy who seemed capable of beating the Red Sox all by himself for the Blue Jays was Ted Lilly. The Blue Jays let their Red Sox krytonite leave Toronto via free agency. The one player who scared the bejeesus out of me for the Dolphins last year was Wes Welker. It seemed the Pats would score and Welker would put the Dolphins into scoring position with the ensuing kickoff. Their exits from the Blue Jays and Dolphins were very different however.

Lilly is looking good for the Cubs - posting a 2-2 record with a 2.78 ERA. Lilly was 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA last year for the Blue Jays. The Cubs signed Lilly to a 4-year $40 million contract which if given a do-over I think Toronto definitely would have matched. Instead they let him walk without a fight.

Of course the Blue Jays had no way of knowing that they would lose closer BJ Ryan for the season and starters Gustavo Chacin and Roy Halladay for good chunks of the season. The Blue Jay ship is sinking right now and it will probably cost Blue Jays manager John Gibbons his job (a move that is probably overdue). I'd put the over-under for his being fired at May 30th.

You have to wonder if Shea Hillenbrand is taking some delight over Gibbons being on the hot seat. My guess is that Hillenbrand is probably too worried about his own struggles at the plate to engage in and schadenfreude (Hillenbrand is hitting just .25 for the Angels).

Some may say that the Red Sox lost last night because they did not start Alex Cora (the Red Sox are 10-0 in games started by Cora). However, I thought they might lose last night's game because of a number of reasons - namely:

- the Red Sox often fall prey to no-name lefthanders (especially at Fenway)
- there had to be some overconfidence in the Red Sox clubhouse and hubris is always properly rewarded
- they were just due to lose a game (just like the Blue Jays were due to win a game).

One benefit of last night's loss was the fact that the bullpen finally got some work. Three Red Sox relievers allowed just one run in 4 innings of work. The Red Sox starters have been pitching so well that getting the bullpen guys some innings was becoming a problem. Do you hear that New York?

Today Curt Schilling takes on Steve Traschel. The Orioles are trying to win 5 in a row for the first time in over 2 years. Meanwhile the Red Sox are trying to avoid back to back losses. The Vegas money is on the Red Sox (though at a risk $250 to win just $100 its not something I'm high on).

Can you imagine if Tim Wakefield was a free agent after this season? Some team that plays in a dome would throw boatloads of cash at him.
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

I keep forgetting that Mark Buehrle is going to be a free agent - Scott Miller reminded me this morning. The White Sox already have Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras under contract for next season (plus Mike MacDougal who could be a starter). They also have 22-year old John Danks. I wouldn't be too surprised if the bidding was too much and if the White Sox just let Mark Buehrle go and instead spent their dollars on a top centerfielder like Ichiro, Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter (although Hunter has never played well at US Cellular Field). Centerfield has been a problem for the White Sox since they traded away Aaron Rowand. Of course it would also make perfect sense to spend the money they save on not signing Buerhrle to simply bring back Aaron Rowand... Bartolo Colon will also be a free agent at the end of this year. I have long thought that Colon was one of the most over-rated pitchers in baseball and that Tim Wakefield has been one of the most under-rated. It bothers me that Wakefield will probably be pitching for less than a third the salary of what Colon will make in free-agency... The White Sox have six regular players who have 85 or more at bats. When you consider that these six players are hitting a combined .228 - its amazing the White Sox have managed to be at .500...
Don Corleone as Libertarian?

This post tries to bring to light some of the libertarian leanings of Don Corleone in the book The Godfather. When reading the post - two things remained in the forefront of my mind.

1. I was thinking of John Hancock and how he was both perhaps the richest man in the Massachusetts colony and also a smuggler (it is said that Sam Adams wrote the pamphlets but John Hancock paid the postage on the early documents that sparked the revolutionary spirit in New England). When the British taxes were thought to be unreasonable such as the Townshend Acts and a detriment to normal business - Hancock didn't hesitate to circumvent the laws and duties and smuggle his goods. There is the very famous case of his smugglers' ship Liberty being seized by the British in 1768 and of Hancock being defended in court by John Adams (which I guess makes John Adams Hancock's Tom Hagen). The point that Don Corleone was also a legitimate business man who had to circumvent the law when the current laws and power structure proved to be a detriment to his business is a valid one. I mean John Hancock was perhaps the original libertarian in this country - so seeing Vito Corleone as just following in is footsteps is an easy connection to make.

However, this brings me to the second thing that was floating around my brain when I read the post.

2. I remember reading an article on Adam Duritz the lead singer of the band Counting Crows. In the article Duritz recalls some fan approaching him about the meaning of the band's song Mr Jones. The fan was convinced that the lyrics meant that Mr. Jones was actually Duritz dick. Adam Duritz used the story to point out how people read into the lyrics whatever they want to see. Reading The Godfather and seeing Don Corleone as a libertarian also seems to be reading into the lyrics to see whatever the reader wants to see.

One final thought on The Godfather as libertarian post. Near the end there was this paragraph:
Most readers would perhaps deny that this is the central theme of The Godfather, pointing instead to the story of the moral corruption of Michael Corleone, who gradually becomes enmeshed in his family's criminal enterprises. Michael's fall from grace is indeed the main focus of the book. But it is worth noting that that fall was itself the result of an attack on the Corleone family by rival Mafia cliques seeking to control the emerging market in illegal drugs. The dispute between the Corleone's and their rivals cannot be settled peacefully in large part because the market in question is an illegal one.
I think one of the most overlooked themes of the book is the failure of Kaye as wife and mother. If Appolonia (Michael's first wife) had lived - do you think Michael would have had so many family problems? Do you think Appolonia would have ever had an abortion? Divorced Michael? I don't think so. Maybe the real lesson to be learned from the Godfather trilogy is to not marry a WASP. Michael's fall from grace or Michael marrying the wrong woman - you decide. Of course maybe I'm just reading into the book something I want to see.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Some Jokes

Golf Joke #1


Golf Joke #2

And a very funny fishing joke
.
Iraq vs Vietnam

Very interesting graph found over at Appeal for Courage.



The death of any serviceman or woman is a tragedy but I think the graph speaks for itself in regards to the people who wallow in calling Iraq another Vietnam.
ESPN Distorts Truth About Patriots

I just got done reading Jeffri Chadiha's column about how the Patriots should have kept Deion Branch. Chadiha makes the argument that if the Patriots had just treated Branch right then they wouldn't have had to make a deal with the devil who goes by the name Randy Moss and they also would have been sending a good signal to the young players on the team by retaining Branch. What a bunch of crap.

Chadiha never mentions that Branch was actually under contract for last year but was holding out. Maybe Chadiha can explain how letting a player blackmail himself into a better contract by holding out helps set a good example for the other young players on the team? Maybe Chadiha can also explain if the Seahawk fans now that they've seen Branch play - whether they think he was worth a first round pick? Maybe instead they would say that it was Tom Brady who made Branch look good (not the other way around).

While I'm at it - let me explain that its not that the Patriots didn't "resign" David Givens - it was David Givens who left as a free agent to accept a larger offer from the Titans. I wonder if Titan fans would explain to Chadiha how they feel about paying big money to a receiver who caught a grand total of 8 passes last year.

The Patriots were right not to cave into Branch's holdout last year. Sure they could have used Branch on the field last season but the decision to hold out and not play was made by Branch and not the Patriots. I guess that distinction is lost on an NFL expert like Jeffri Chadiha.
Top 5 - Albert Finney Movies

Today is Albert Finney's 71st birthday. In his honor - here are what I consider his top 5 movies.

1. Murder on the Orient Express
2. Tom Jones
3. Scooge
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Annie
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

The Dodgers brought up 3rd baseman Andy LaRoche, brother of Pirates 1st baseman Adam LaRoche, and Andy has hit in all three games since the call-up. LaRoche could be a good candidate for the NL ROY if he keeps this up (although Josh Hamilton will be a big sentimental favorite this year). Andy and Adam's father is Dave LaRoche who pitched for 14 big-league seasons and is currently the pitching coach for the New Hampshire Fishercats (the AA affiliate for the Blue Jays)... Maybe the person happiest to see Bobby Abreu struggling for the Yankees (.258 BA with just 1 HR) is Andruw Jones. If the Yankees pick up Abreu's option for 2008 - then all three outfield spots for the Yankees are tied up and the Yankees would be out of the bidding for the free agent to be Jones. However, at his current production level - why would the Yankees ever pick up the $16 million option?... Ichiro is now on pace for just 174 hits which would break his string of six straight 200-hit seasons... Only Gary Sheffield (6th pick) and Roberto Hernandez (picked 16th) remain from the class of players drafted in the first round of the 1986 MLB draft. That draft was noteable because all of the top 6 picks actually had productive MLB careers (normally the top picks in the MLB draft are crapshoots). Greg Swindell (123 wins) was picked 2nd by the Indians, Matt Williams (378 HR) was picked 3rd by the Giants, Kevin Brown (211 wins) was picked 4th by the Rangers, and Kent Merker (17-year career) was picked 5th by the Braves. Of the top 6 picks - maybe the least successful was the very first pick - Jeff King - who was picked by the Pirates. But even King had three straight seasons of 20+ HR and 90+ RBI in a career that lasted 11 seasons... Jason Varitek raised his batting average 34 points last night from .250 to .284 with his 4-4 performance against the Blue Jays...

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

This past offseason the Cardinals signed 37-year old Jim Edmonds to a 2-year $19 million extension. So far this season Edmonds is hitting just .184 with just 1 HR and 6 RBI and is currently 0 for his last 20 at bats. This upcoming offseason players like Torii Hunter, Ichiro and Andruw Jones will be available as free agent centerfielders but the Cardinals will be stuck with Jim Edmonds. Don't get me wrong - I understand the loyalty aspect to signing Edmonds but for the past three years Edmonds has been in obvious decline. What were the Cardinals thinking with a 2-year contract?... The Cardinals (92) and the Nationals (94) are the only two teams in baseball who have yet to score 100 runs... David Eckstein of the Cardinals has only struck out once in 102 at bats but even though he's making contact pretty much all the time - he's still only hitting .216. How can you make contact almost every at bat and still be hitting just .216?....
Rainbow/PUSH Try to Strongarm the Braves

Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH joke of an organization met with Braves general manager John Schuerholz and other Braves officials on Monday to discuss the lack of African-American players on the Braves roster. I'm sure Schuerholz took the meeting just to get it over with and the "no comment" approach to any questions about the racial make-up of the roster is the best course of action.

However, the tactics of the Rainbow/PUSH people make me sick. The whole "not enough African-Americans in baseball" argument is a bunch of crap.

When you see the stats that go along with stories like this - you see stats such as "African-Americans comprise only 69 out of 750 MLB roster spots (9.2%)." Such articles always then bring up that "according to U.S. Census estimates as of July 1, 2005, African-Americans make up 12.25 percent of the U.S. population." The inference is that the number of African-Americans in baseball is below the level of the general population. The problem is the census counts just Americans whereas the MLB roster spots are made up by both Americans and foreign born players.

This season there was a record 246 foreign born players among the 849 players in MLB (750 active 25-man roster players plus 99 disabled or restricted players). Let's assume that 9.2% of those 99 disabled or restricted player roster spots belong to African American players - that would equate to 9 additional African American players. Now if you take those 246 foreign born players from the 849 roster slots - that leaves 603 roster slots for American born players. If 78 (69 active roster and the estimated 9 out of the 99 disabled or restricted spots) belong to African-Americans - that makes it 12.9% of the American born roster slots going to African Americans (a number above the 2005 census numbers for African Americans in the US).

The argument makes me ticked - especially when it is being made by race-baiting blackmailers like Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH sham of an organization.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Five Things I Think I Think About Today's MMQB

Here are five things I think I think about today's Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column.

1. Peter King touts Bodog.com for their Super Bowl odds but I guaranty you at some point in the next six months he will rail against the evils of sports betting.King won't even notice the hypocrisy.

2. I have to agree with King in that if Michael Vick is found to be in any way involved in the dog fighting ring that was taking place on his property - then he should face a serious suspension. I'd even say a year suspension would be fitting punishment. Not only is the practice barbarous but the people involved in the "sport" are the very people that Vick with his track record should be avoiding like the plague.

3. Sanctimonious people who live in fantasy lands get my goat. Take this quote from King:
Maybe it's me, but I'd think the troopers in my adopted state would not inch one mph over the speed limit with the governor aboard, unless there's some sort of emergency.
Do you remember the Georgia Tech students who basically shut down the Atlanta highways by simply going three-abreast in cars doing the speed limit? Have you ever seen the traffic back up behind a single state trooper doing the speed limit with everyone afraid to pass him? King must drive like an old lady and him thinking that the state troopers in his home state obey every law is like me thinking that I'm actually seven feet tall and a projected first round pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

4. I think him stating with such certainty that Marshawn Lynch will be the Offensive Rookie of the Year makes me wish there was a place I could go to bet against that happening. When is the last time any one of King's predictions have come true? This was the same guy who picked the Vikings for the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.

5. Again - what is the color of the sky in your world?
I want to say this with all due respect, because I'm an animal lover. But I wish there would be as much hand-wringing over the 3,376 American fatalities in Iraq than there is over the death of Barbaro.
The suggestion that more attention has been paid to the injury of Barbaro than to the war in Iraq and the US casualties is just plain moronic (which I guess is par for the course for King whenever he writes about anything non-NFL related).
Donovan on Clemens

SI's John Donovan agrees that Clemens in New York does not a World Series Champion guaranty.
Really, the Yankees? Heck, a week ago, the Yankees were ready to fire their manager. A week ago, this team was being buried alive. Just last Friday, in fact, they blew a 5-0 lead, gave up eight runs in one inning and lost 15-11. To the Mariners. Nobody should lose like that. Not to the Mariners.

This is Clemens' choice? The man either has a lot of misguided faith in that team or an unhealthy belief in his own ability to change the course of baseball events.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Roger Clemens
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. - Robert Burns
So Roger Clemens has signed with the Yankees. You may be surprised how little this bothers Red Sox fans. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been happy to have seen Roger sign with the Sox and I don't deny that his signing makes the Yankees a better team. I'm just saying that his actual impact when all is said is done will probably be much less than what some talking heads are suggesting now.

The plan is for Roger to come into the Bronx, help right the pitching staff, stay healthy and allow the Yankees to win another World Championship. That's' the plan according to most of the talking heads and to the principles on the Yankee side as well. A bit ambitious wouldn't you say?

I'd look for Clemens to have about a 4.50 ERA and average about 5-6 innings per start. Not much more than that give or take. To be crass - last year Corey Lidle went 4-3 with a 5.07 ERA in 9 starts for the Yankees. I'd look for Clemens to double those numbers and not much more.

This isn't a jilted Red Sox fan talking - its a realist. Last year Clemens only had 19 starts for the Astros. Clemens and his agent both say they will have the same time table as last year. I take that to be the same number of starts. Clemens is 45-years old and hamstring injuries and back problems are specters that will haunt his every jog and every pitch for the Yankees. At the very least - I'd expect his fastball to lose 1-2 mph (and that's a very dangerous thing in the DH world of the AL).

One good thing that comes of this is the fact that with this slap in the face of the Red Sox brass by Clemens - it is now certain that the Red Sox will never retire Clemens' number 21. They will invoke that "must retire as a member of the Red Sox clause" which has been so helpful in keeping Wade Boggs' number from being retired. Hey Clemens is only tied for the Red Sox record for wins at 192. The man he's tied with - Cy Young - doesn't have his number retired either.

Roger Clemens will be going into the Hall of Fame but his plaque will have a Red Sox hat on it. The Yankees won't retire his number - the only two pitchers numbers retired by the Yankees are Whitey Ford's 16 and Ron Guidry's 49. They won't be retiring Roger's number for his paltry 5 plus seasons. The Astros certainly won't be retiring his number now either.

Now if the Red Sox really wanted to be petty - they would give his 21 to a September call up. And if the Astros wanted to be petty - they could release Clemens' son Koby and thus force the Yankees to use up a slot in their farm system.

If Roger had come to the Red Sox even in the worst case his 45-year old body could have won that one game to break that tie with Cy Young. Now he's signed with the Yankees. Best case scenario Roger stays healthy and wins 13 games to tie Kid Nichols for 7th place on the all-time wins list or maybe even 15 wins to tie Warren Spahn (who was twice the man Clemens could ever dream of being). And maybe all those wins help the Yankees win a Championship. That's the current plan but the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Mike Lowell

Mike Lowell is the biggest question mark facing the Red Sox front office. There are three big contracts that are up at the end of the season; Cut Schilling, Matt Clement and Mike Lowell. I'm pretty sure that Curt Schilling will be re-signed for about his current $13 million per year (and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens over the All-Star break); Matt Clement and his $9 million per year finally come off the books; that just leaves Mike Lowell.

Among AL 3rd basemen - Mike Lowell has probably been the 2nd most productive offensively this year. Of course A-Rod has put up monster numbers early in the season but Lowell's .302 average, 4 HR, 21 RBI and 14 runs stack up against anyone else. You also have to take into consideration that Mike Lowell brings Gold Glove caliber defense onto the field every time he plays the position.

Mike Lowell's contract paid him $8 million per year. There doesn't seem to be many (if any) free agent 3rd basemen available this upcoming Hot Stove Season - so all indications seem to point to the Red Sox bringing Mike Lowell back for at least a 3rd season at 3rd. Yes - Mike Lowell does seem to tire late in the season but the devil you know is better than the devil you don't and if the Red Sox let Mike Lowell go via free agency the the chances are they will be looking at a downgrade.

Keep in mind that the Red Sox have players under contract or control at every position for 2008 except 3rd - and I'm not counting Kevin Youkilis as a 3rd base option because if you move Youkilis to 3rd - you open a hole at 1st and the pickens among 2008 free agents at 1st are either not that great or cost prohibative.

One final note - if the Red Sox let Mike Lowell's contract lapse into free agency then they run the risk of being used as a pawn by Scott Boras in his attempt to get A-Rod an even bigger payday. Signing Mike Lowell before the end of the season lets them avoid that circus.
Global Warming or God's Plan

I was at church today and one thing that caught my interest was a reading from Revelation - especially this line:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
No more sea? Now it all fits together. Don't you see? In order to have God's Kingdom on Earth - first God must do away with the seas. And how would God do this? Well I guess the first step would be to raise the temperature a bit so that the polar ice caps would melt and then the higher temperatures would gradually evaporate the seas - leaving only land. The land for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Once the realization of what the passage meant hit me - my first thought was, "Who does Al Gore think he is to try and interfere with God's plan?" Maybe (as I suspected all along) Al Gore is an instrument of the Devil.

Of course I could be wrong about the interpretation of the Bible verse and the "no more seas" could represent freedom from conflicting passions. As if to say - once the Kingdom of Heaven is on Earth people no longer will be surrounded by seas of emotions but only steeped in love.

I guess you could read it either way.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Bobby Sands and Cinco de Mayo

EDIT: I first posted this two years ago but I thought it was worth another look today

Have you ever seen that commercial that shows a guy walking in Ireland and he goes into a pub where the place erupts in a Cinco de Mayo celebration? It's a clever commercial but the truth is May 5th is better remembered in Ireland as the day Bobby Sands died than for a market created Mexican holiday.

25 years ago Bobby Sands died in prison. He died as the result of a hunger strike. He died protesting the fact that he was being held as a common criminal instead of as a political prisoner. Back in 1981 that was pretty powerful stuff in the Lynch household.

My brother went to see Bobby Sands' brother speak out at UMass. He came back with a poster of the event that immediately went up on the wall of our shared bedroom. I think my brother still has that poster.

You have to understand that my parents were Irish and as a first generation Irish-American I was very proud of my roots. I listened to Irish music and read Leon Uris' Trinity on a yearly basis. Bobby Sands was a hero in the Lynch household.

Today I'm not so sure how I view Bobby Sands.

The IRA was and is a terrorist organization and after 9/11 - a bombing where innocents are killed is no longer something most people who previously supported the IRA can stomach. Bobby Sands' protest hurt no-one but himself. His belief was so strong that not even a plea from the Pope could make him give up his hunger strike. I guess I still admire the passion of Bobby Sands but not his cause.

And not the IRA.
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Craig Biggio is currently in 29th place on the all-time hits list with 2,959 hits (just 41 shy of 3,000). All but three of the players ahead of him on the hits list are in the Hall of Fame. The three are Pete Rose (you know why he's not in the HoF), Rickey Henderson (a sure thing when his name gets on the ballot) and Rafael Palmeiro (who won't get in because of steroids). I don't understand why some people still debate whether Biggio belongs in the Hall of Fame... Speaking of Craig Biggio - his next double with tie him with captain Carl Yastrzemski for 7th all-time with 646 two-baggers... Biggio is also 34th on the all-time total bases list. His 4,566 is 502 more than slap single hitter Wade Boggs... Three of the five oldest players in the AL all pitch for the Red Sox (Timlin, Wakefield and Schilling)... Speaking of Tim Wakefield with his 7 innings of no run pitching last night - his ERA is down to an impressive 2.11. That puts him second in the AL only behind Dan Haren of the A's... There are three teams in baseball that still haven't scored 100 runs - the Cardinals with 87, the Nationals with 88 and the Pirates with 97... The Red Sox have the best record in the AL in large part bcause they have given up the fewest HR in the AL with just 20 surrendered. The Red Sox have also given up only 100 runs (which is also tops in the AL but to be fair the A's have given up 101 and played one more game)...

Friday, May 04, 2007

Kenny Mayne Makes an Excellent Point

When I heard about the Yum Brands bonus of $1 million for any horse that can win by more than 6.5 lengths - I didn't think about the possible ramifications of that incentive. Kenny Mayne did - and he in no uncertain terms says the bonus is a bad idea.

I agree with Mayne 100%.

I also have to admit that I'd never heard of Yum Brands before this "Barbaro bonus". Here's who they are:
Yum Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with over 34,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. Four of our restaurant brands - KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick-service franchise chain in America. In 2006, Yum Brands generated more than $9.5 billion in total revenues, including company sales and franchise fees.
If I see a jockey whipping a horse trying to win this bonus - I'll be damned if I ever go near a Yum brand "restaurant" again in my life.
Top 5 - Potential 2008 MLB Free Agents

Here are who I consider the top 5 "names" that could be available after this season.

1. Alex Rodriguez - you may have heard how he can opt out of his contract at the end of the season.
2. Ichiro - on track for his seventh straight 200 hit / .300+ batting average season.
3. Carlos Zambrano - the Cubs may be missing their opportunity to sign their stud pitcher
4. Andruw Jones - I easily could have put Jones at the top of the list
5. (tie) Torii Hunter - don't forget about Hunter who is having an all-star type start for the Twins (tie) Mark Teixeira - off to a slow start this season but a huge contract awaits him in Baltimore
Pia Zadora



Today is Pia Zadora's 53rd birthday. If you are not familiar with Pia Zadora - she is the modern patron saint of talentless slutty looking girls becoming famous for no appearent reason. I admit to having a bit of a crush on her when I was young and to laughing at this bit from her Wikipedia entry:
An urban legend has frequently been circulated that Zadora once starred in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank, in which her performance was so bad that an audience member yelled "She's in the attic!" when the Nazis showed up. Zadora has, in fact, never acted in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Tom Brady's Hat

The Red Sox are in first place and there is nothing really to complain about on that front. The Patriots just had a great off-season where they stockpiled offensive weapons. Things going this good can only mean one thing - time for the Boston media to create a "controversy" out of thin air. Thus we get the story of Tom Brady wearing a Yankee hat as front page news.

As for me - I can see only two possible explanations why Tom Brady would be seen in public wearing a Yankees cap.

1. Tom is trying to hide his small but growing bald spot. He was staying at Giselle's place and they aren't quite at the point relationship-wise where he can feel comfortable leaving a spare hair-in-a-can at her place. Giselle only had two hats at her place - the Yankees cap and a red and white striped Cat in the Hat hat. Tom went with what he thought was the lesser of two evils. Its actually pretty sad. One day you are on top of the world and the next day thanks to male pattern baldness - you're sporting the full Matt Hassellbeck look.

That's one explanation but the more likely and more despressing reason Tom Brady would commit this affront to all that is holy:

2. Randy Moss is already being a bad influence on Tom Brady!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

D.O.P.E.

This is a pretty amusing post over at Baseball Musings.

I'm guessing that the person in the Yankee front office that came up with the new title for the strength and conditioning coach was probably George Costanza