What little boy growing up at some point didn't dream of becoming a professional athlete? I can't tell you how many times as a kid Action made me stand in the batter's box while he pretended it was the bottom of the 9th and proceeded to strike me out. Pros seem to have it all - unbelievable talent, money, women, blogs like the LLR entirely focused on them. Who wouldn't want that life?
Well, it ain't all roses, let me tell you. Yeah, you spend half your life traveling and people who don't know you hate you. But that isn't the worst of it. What may potentially be the worst is rookie hazings. Allow me to provide you with a few examples of what the manliest men our country has to offer have suffered through.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the team I believe to be the sexiest in baseball - the Twins. And here are their rookies catching the last of the Indians game at Jacobs Field. That's just cruel, guys.
Pink is not Andre Ethier of the Dodgers' color.
But perhaps Fruit Stripes Gum is the color of Andy LaRoche.
The Braves rookies... looking no worse than they do on the field this year. Zing! (I'm sorry, I love you guys.)
Not one of the Devil Rays rookies has the legs for that dress.
Just your every day... John Rheinhecker of the Rangers riding around on the BART in what is truly a penguin suit.
Hate to say it, but Yankee Robinson Cano is kind of sexy as a cheerleader.
And let us never forget... the little girls' backpacks that are the staple of any bullpen.
- stars
Friday, September 5
What Do You Have To Say For Yourself, Rookie?
Friday, August 29
The Race Is On!
I wonder if ER waiting rooms are filled with men and women in MLB gear every September because you know as well as I do that as comes September, so goes my mental and physical health. Just 2 days shy of the dreaded 9th month of the year, I have already succumbed to a variety of panic attacks, a few rageful tantrums and at least one hyperventilation. It only gets worse from here. So since everyone else thrown their 2 cents in on what they think the pennant outcomes will be, I figured I would deliver unto all my worthless opinion as well.
Before I begin, let me remind you of the picks Boogie, Ill Orange, and I made a little over a month ago. Please keep in mind these were all reasonable choices back in July.
| Regular Season | Stars | Boogie | Ill Orange |
| NL East | NY Mets | NY Mets | NY Mets |
| NL Central | Cubs | Cubs | Cubs |
| NL West | LA Dodgers | Diamondbacks | LA Dodgers |
| NL Wildcard | Brewers | Cardinals | Brewers |
| AL East | Red Sox | Red Sox | Red Sox |
| AL West | LA Angels | LA Angels | LA Angels |
| AL Central | Twins | White Sox | White Sox |
| AL Wildcard | White Sox | TB Rays | Yankees |
| Postseason | Stars* | Boogie | Ill Orange |
| NL Champ | NY Mets | Cubs | NY Mets |
| AL Champ | LA Angels | Boston Red Sox | LA Angels |
| World Series Champ | NY Mets | Cubs | LA Angels** |
AL East
Now this has been a fascinating turn of events. We all took the Red Sox and now it's looking like neither the Yanks or the Sox can be sure of October play. If neither of them make it, it will be the first time since the Wild Card was instilled that both teams watched the playoffs from the comfort of their couches. The BoSox still lead in the Wild Card race, but with that Twins team and the White Sox team looking strong, I am gonna say that both teams will be able to take a nice long nap when September ends. According to CoolStandings, based on the remaining schedule the Yanks have a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs (hold while I stifle a giggle.) The Sox look better at 86%, but I don't listen to everything CoolStandings says. I'm saying Rays for the NL East now. (And congrats to Boogie who was the only one to include them in her picks. But for the Wild Card, so she is still about to lose.) But this could be one of the most miraculous turnarounds in baseball histories if the Rays keep up at this break-neck pace. I can't wait to see what happens.
AL Central
Now part of me wants the White Sox to take this division as their hasn't been a Chicago-Chicago series since 1906 (2 years before... something.) And the lead in the division has been flip-flopping between the Twins and the Sox for quite some time, so this is gonna be another one I can't wait to see the outcome of. So I defer once more to CoolStandings and it tells me Chicago has the edge. I choose not to listen, for the love of Joe Mauer, and am keeping my original prediction of Twins for the division and White Sox for the WC.
AL West
With the Angels 16 games ahead of their division, I frankly don't give a flying rat's rear end what happens there anymore. The Angels could send out the Nationals in their place for the rest of the year and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. But I personally feel like I am seeing their dominance slide and despite the epic record they currently have, I would be shocked to see rings on these boys' fingers at season's end.
NL West
Now this is an intense division split. And I thought only us NL East-ers had it bad! Since the Dodgers' acquisition of Manny (which yes, I know, I was opposed to), they have marked their territory as serious contenders for the division title. The showdown between the D Backs and the Dodgers commences tonight, and I would bet is going to be awfully telling of the final outcome. The D Backs are looking good to take it, though, and the chances of the Wild Card coming from this division are slim to none. A meteor would have to take out the rest of the National League for us to see both these guys in the playoffs.
NL Central
No one surprised us there... at least not yet. Let's go Cubbies!
NL East
Oh, heart attack of my life, this division is. The story remains nearly the same as it did a month ago, with one important difference. The Bums from Florida with their lead A-hole Dan Uggla seem to already be packing for their winter break. They're not out yet, but I believe in a God that wouldn't let them join the race. You've been lapped, boys.
And as for Philly and the Amazins... with 28 games remaining and the Mets only a game up on the Phillies, it's anyone's game at this point. But while most of the blogs seem to be predicting a Philadelphia turnaround, I, shockingly, am disagreeing. Yes, Mets bullpen is nothing short of crap. And yes, the Mets don't seem to score runs after the 3rd inning. But 74 wins and it ain't even August yet? The boys in blue and orange are doing something right. Phillies, take a seat. You got nothing.
- stars
Read More......
Saturday, August 9
The Future Is In Good Hands
Growing up just a hop, skip and a jump from Hoboken, NJ (where the first baseball game in U.S. history took place), you can be damn sure that's a big part of the reason I consider myself a bit of a baseball purist. This is why I hate the American League and their piece of garbage DH rule. This is why I would like to bitchslap Barry Bonds and why bat corking is tantamount to felony to me. While I am not as extreme as some (let's get Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, for God's sake!), it is why today I am so happy to be a fan of a little franchise called the New York Mets.
With the trading deadline just having passed, it is easy for all of us armchair general managers to reflect on what we would have done. The Mets this year let the deadline pass with zero fanfare. Not only did they not make a trade, but they were nearly absent from the preceding rumor mill. Instead, the Mets ballclub has made the decision to pull from the seemingly exceptional talent within their minor league system. And I couldn't be prouder.
Some teams elected to make some big trades, most notably the Yankees acquiring Pudge Rodriguez and the Dodgers acquisition of Manny "Just Being Manny" Ramirez. While both these dudes are phenomenal assets to any team, one has to wonder the real logic within this. Sure, these guys are filling holes within their brand spanking new teams and have already upped the bar for the level of play on each of their teams.
But at what cost? The Dodgers are paying out something like $20 million dollars a year to get Manny on the field. Manny, having a 14 year career already BEHIND him, has what, maybe 4 years left on the playing field? Great, so if 80 million dollars later, the Dodgers haven't won a Series, they are then left with nothing. The clock is ticking on Ramirez. Now I couldn't find exactly what Mets unstoppable rookie Dan Murphy is bringing in, but it can't be more than $322K a year, which is what my beloved D Dubs made his first year. That is literally less than 1/60th of what Ramirez is raking in.
Now let's look at some numbers. While these statistics are going to skew a tiny bit unfairly as Ramirez has played in more games as a Dodger than Dan has as a Met, they are pretty damn close. Little Murphy, after 5 games, is batting .500 for the New York Mets. Manny is batting .458 since joining the Dodgers, with 4 homeruns. Fucking ridiculous stat? Yes. But I will take Murph at 1/60th the cost with a higher batting average any day of the week. And not only that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Mets will employ the services of the phenom from Jacksonville for the next 15-20 years. Who got the better bargain? Give me a damn break.
Long story made even longer, use your minor league systems. That's what they're there for. Trading be damned, I would rather see a team utilize all their resources and build a club that's going to look damn good for the next 20 years rather than blowing my load on a guy like Manny who will be a distant memory just as a guy like Murphy hits his stride.
Oh, and the Dodgers? 4-3 since Manny joining the team and if they were in the Mets division, they would still be 3 games back and 20 million more in debt. Enjoy your purchase.
Posts
