Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Bruins start their preseason schedule in five days and the Patriots look like real Super Bowl contenders. Stories of "panic in Boston" over the Red Sox are way over-blown. Seriously - stop listening to people like Dan Shaughnessy... I had Joe Mauer as a keeper in one of my fantasy baseball leagues this year. He really brought back memories of me taking Dante Culpepper with my first pick in the 2005 fantasy football draft... Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable really started to grow on me during the week. I hope ESPN keeps it on the schedule... Who knew? The official state beverage of Indiana is water. That does make a certain amount of sense... I saw someone make this point on the Internet and it has really got me thinking. If you replaced the name "Solyndra" with the name "Halliburton" do you think the media's coverage would be different? We would have had about a dozen prime time specials about it by now... Who knew II? Humans have about 650 muscles while caterpillars have about 4,000. So if you called a really muscular person a human caterpillar do you think they will take it as a compliment?

The Metrodome

I had a chance to visit the Metrodome on Sunday to see the Twins play the White Sox. I had a great time. I was really struck by the difference between going to a big market stadium (like Fenway Park) versus the small market experience of going to the Metrodome (no offense).

It started with the parking. I paid just $5 for parking just a couple of blocks away from the Metrodome. Then just out front of the stadium a scalper (probably the wrong term but I'll get to that in a minute) approached me asking if I needed a ticket. I said yes but I misheard him. I though he said "I have a good seat for $131." "I'm not paying that much for a ticket." "Whoa - don't speed away. How about the ticket for $20." It was then that I realized that he wasn't saying "$131" but actually "one for $31." I bought the ticket for $20 (less than face value so it wasn't scalping - more like discount retailing). The seat was 10 rows off the field down the third base line. I had almost the same seat at Fenway earlier this year and that ticket cost me $180.

Nice is the best word to describe the crowd and the people in general at the game. Very respectful. There was one thing I found amusing and wanted to comment on. During the singing of the National Anthem you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was standing still, all hats removed and many with hand over heart. However, at the Metrodome the American flag is in centerfield while the Canadian flag is behind home plate. Pretty much everyone in the stadium was facing towards home to watch Miss Minnesota sing the anthem. They were supposed to be facing the American flag. Instead they were, in a manner of speaking, paying homage to the Canadian flag instead. I found that amusing.

At Fenway Park - the game is the thing. Nothing extra. At the Metrodome there was all sorts of extras. Shooting T-shirts into the stands, a between innings pop fly challenge, a Blue Bunny (ice cream) promotion, etc. It was like being at a AAA game (no offense).

The Brats and beer were great but one thing that has to be noted was the trough-style urinals in the men's room. Stainless steel troughs. Augusta National is the only other major sporting venue that I can think of that still uses trough urinals. I wonder if trough-style will be used at the new stadium downtown?

One final note. About 80% of the shirts people were wearing at the game had Mauer or Morneau written on the back. There is no way that the Twins will allow either player to walk as a free-agent. No way.

AL All-Star Team

Here's my picks for who is most deserving to be named to the AL All-Star Team:

C - Joe Mauer Twins - .331 BA
1st - Kevin Youkilis Red Sox - .919 OPS and Gold Glove defense
2nd - Ian Kinsler Rangers - leads AL 2nd basemen in most offensive categories
SS - Michael Young Rangers - best of thin pickings in AL
3rd - Alex Rodriguez Yankees - any question?
OF - Josh Hamilton Rangers - 76 RBI
OF - Milton Bradley Rangers - leads the AL in OPS
OF - JD Drew Red Sox - .318 BA and 1.017 OPS
DH - Manny Ramirez Red Sox
SP - Cliff Lee Indians - 10-1 with a 2.45 ERA

Reserves - Justin Morneau Twins, Dioner Navarro Rays, Brian Roberts Orioles, Orlando Cabrerra White Sox, Joe Crede White Sox, Carlos Quentin White Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury Red Sox, BJ Upton Rays, Roy Halladay Blue Jays, Justin Duchscherer A's, Joe Saunders Angels, Mariano Rivera Yankees, Jonathan Papelbon Red Sox, Joakim Soria Royals

Toughest Omissions: Grady Sizemore Indians - deep outfield costs Sizemore a spot mostly because he's up against better known names or spots need to be used for sole representatives for some teams; Johnny Damon Yankees - ditto for Damon; Scott Kazmir Rays - very deserving but time on DL hurt him.

Miscellaneous thoughts.

Manny and Big Papi will probably get the nod at OF and DH in the voting and you know MLB wants Ortiz in there for the "call the shot" promotion they have spent so much money on. I just hope that their inclusion doesn't keep Drew from being on the team. He's more worthy than either Manny or Big Papi this season... Derek Jeter will probably get the start at short which may cost Orlando Cabrera a spot on the team... I don't think Ichiro has earned a berth this season but he's probably going to be voted as starter or picked as the only Mariner representative. That spells doom for Jacoby Ellsbury's chances... Dustin Pedroia will probably get the start at 2nd and with Brian Roberts potentially the sole Orioles representative - that means that Ian Kinsler could get left off the team even though he's the most deserving to start. Of course Nick Markakis could be the Orioles rep and that would put Kinsler on.. Kinsler being left off the team would be bad but my guess is that the biggest screw job will be the omission of either Milton Bradley or JD Drew... If you notice - I have representatives from every team except the Tigers. Who really is deserving from Detroit? Anyone? If you pick Magglio Ordonez then you are dealing with bumping another deserving player from an already crowded outfield. A pitcher? Todd Jones may be the only choice there and who do you bump for him? Jonathan Papelbon? Could this be a year without a Tiger?

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Everyone wants to put the Tigers into the elite category of teams in the AL but I wonder if their pitching rotation is really all that great. Sure Justin Verlander is a stud but after him there are lots of question marks. Kenny Rogers is 43 and is not only coming back from an injury plagued season but one where he was awful on the road (5.79 road ERA). Do you really want a 5.00 ERA out of your number 3 starter? That's what you get with Jeremy Bonderman. Speaking of ERA's over 5.00 - how about Dontrelle Willis' 5.17 last year in the NL? Normally there's like a half run jump in ERA for pitchers coming over to the AL - so does that mean that Dontrelle is looking at a 5.67 ERA this year? Nate Robinson has a career 4.60 ERA and if he can match that this year he just may have the second best ERA among the top 5 starters for the Tigers. Oh and have I mentioned that Todd Jones is still the closer for the Tigers? I'm just not sold on this pitching staff getting it done in 2008.... Oh and I should point out that the Tigers are also a very old team. Only Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson among the starters are less than 33-years old. Outside those two - the average age for the other 7 players in the starting batting order is almost 35-years old. It may turn out that the Tigers are one of those teams that just looks great on paper... Is it the pressure of being a hometown hero? Last season Joe Mauer hit just .248 at home for the Twins but a blistering .342 on the road. Maybe Mauer's poor production at the Metrodome has something to do with being occupied with Chelsea Cooley (Miss USA 2005) while at home. Poor guy could be exhausted. Just one of those things that make you say hmmm... Is Jim Thome a Hall of Famer? He could end up this season ahead of Joe DiMaggio and Rod Carew in runs scored. He could easily pass Ted Williams and Willie McCovey in home runs this year. With a good year he could catch or pass Mickey Mantle for career RBI. I used to be on the fense about Jim Thome and the Hall of Fame but I think if he can finish his career up with two decent seasons (not great - just decent) then he will have the numbers that will make it impossible to keep him out...