October 31, 2004
My Halloween Costume
This year, I decided to dress as something truly frightening for Halloween. I spent Halloween as a suburbanite. My disguise? A car.
Last night, I met friends for dinner on the Upper East Side. I drove in. Yes, I drove from Hoboken into Manhattan. Sure, I could have taken the PATH train and then a taxi up to the restaurant, but no. I drove.
Today, I drove to and from the supermarket. Normally, I would walk to the supermarket and pay for home delivery. Not today. I drove.
Want to know what's really scary? This is probably not limited to Halloween.
Aaaaaaahhhhh!
Scary Movies
My list of scary movies.
- The Exorcist. Hands down, scariest movie I've ever seen.
- Halloween. Few things are scarier than a serial killer wearing a mask of William Shatner's face.
- Evil Dead II. Trust me. It's scary.
- The Haunting. That is one creepy movie.
- Ringu. When Sadako comes out of the television set, I'm freaked.
- Poltergeist. They're here, and I'm scared.
- Psycho. Hmm, do I still want to take a shower tomorrow?
- The Birds. To this day, I'm afraid of birds as a result of this movie.
- Willard. All those rats...
- The Others. I was surprised at how creepy this ghost story was.
Monster Chiller Theatre Name That Tune
Would you like some lyrics?
Not to steal from Dietz (much), but in honor of Halloween and my second blogiversary, I'm going to do a one-time Halloween version of Name That Tune I'm going to post lyric snippets from two of my favorite songs to listen to on Halloween and see if anyone can Name That Tune! I'll post the answers and the songs themselves tomorrow.
Song #1
O, why can't I live a life for me?
Why should I take the abuse that's served?
Why can't they see they're just like me?
It's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world.
Song #2
The virginal brides file past his tomb
Strewn with time's dead flowers
Bereft in deathly bloom
Alone in a darkened room
The count
In the immortal words of Dietz: "Don't blurt, be subtle, leave a clue."
Snatch This Pebble From My Hand, Grasshopper
I'm about to embark on a journey to answer what can only be termed one of the great, unanswered questions of our my time.
If a broken fire alarm continues to ring every 20 minutes, but I'm not around to hear it, will I still go crazy?
I will provide the answer later today.
UPDATE: I have returned from my journey. The answer to this question is "What do I mean 'go crazy'?"
October 30, 2004
Now That's Some Strong Voodoo
The Curse of The Billy Goat apparently not only applies to the Cubs but to teams with too many ex-Cubs on their roster. Only two teams with three or more ex-Cubs on their rosters have won the World Series since 1945. Explains why the Yankees with six ex-Cubs folded against the Red Sox with only two ex-Cubs. Alas, the Yanks are caught in a catch-22, as there are three ex-Cubs worth keeping around: Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, and Miguel Cairo.* Decisions. Decisions.
* Whoops: forgot Flash Gordon. But maybe the Yankees can solve that dilemma by packaging him for Tim Hudson.
We Lieb You Baby. Now Don't Lieb Us
Common wisdom and experience says that a pitcher recovering from major arm surgery needs a full season before he regains his form. For that reason, anything the Yankees got from Jon Lieber this season would have been gravy. Well, after an up-and-down first half, Lieber gave the Yankees all the gravy they could have hoped for and then some. They have an $8 million option on him for next year. It's a no brainer that they pick it up or decline it in favor of a long-term deal. He and Moose could be the bedrock of a solid rotation with the right acquisitions in the off-season.
Halloween Scream Fest
The offering of scary flicks leading up to Halloween has left me cold this year. Today, for example, I find nothing much of interest on.
I decided to put my programming hat on and come up with my own customized 24-hour marathon of scream flicks. I get the ball rolling with the classic Psycho and bookend it with, what else, Halloween. In between, it's a mix of occult and slasher freak outs.
Midnight: Psycho
2:15 am: Night of the Living Dead
4:15 am: Dawn of the Dead
6:45 am: Friday the 13th
8:30 am: The Exorcist
11 am: Rosemary’s Baby
1:45 pm: The Omen
4 pm: Ringu
6 pm: Nightmare on Elm Street
8:15 pm: Scream
10:30: Halloween
Who You Gonna Call?
It's a concept that was inevitable, but the execution (name and the funky cars) is great. Need help with your PC? Call the Geek Squad.
October 29, 2004
Is She Or Isn't She?
Only her car dealer knows for sure.
It's official. I am a real American.
Apparently the State of New Jersey only sucks indirectly. The 5-day waiting period for auto insurance isn't a state requirement. It's something the insurance companies do that they have the power to waive. However, I still maintain the State of New Jersey sucks, albeit indirectly. I believe that this insurance company requirement is a "You live in New Jersey, sucka" penalty resulting from the amazingly complex New Jersey State Insurance Commission requirements for auto insurance. Seems like most insurance companies would prefer to not even sell auto insurance in New Jersey, but are forced to in order to be able to sell any other kind of insurance in New Jersey. So they charge you up the wazoo for auto insurance and sock you with the "You live in New Jersey, sucka" penalty.
However, none of this can overshadow the fact that I am, today, for the first time in my life, a real American.* I'm so proud.
*Yes, I have owned cars in the past. However, it was only this year that I watched "The Godfather", and I've been told that you must meet both conditions in order to be a real American.
The Best Yankees Fans Will Be Able To Muster?
Okay, now that the Red Sox fans had their much deserved day in the sun, the day of enjoyment of their historic ALCS and World Series wins, things can now return to normal. Which means the rivalry lives!
My brother wrongly suggests that next year:
...Red Sox fans will chant, “twenty oh four” while the best Yankees fans will be able to muster is, “Red Sox suck.”
Not at all. New Yorkers in general and Yankees fans particularly are much more imaginative than that. Two things Yankees fans will undoubtedly say to gloating Red Sox fans:
"2090!"
"Come on, the Florida Marlins have won more World Series in the last 85 years than the Red Sox."
And that's only two.
I don't want to hear anyone suggesting that Yankees fans have no right to continue to be obnoxious because of the huge choke during the ALCS. 85 years of futility never made Red Sox fans less obnoxious. It's all in good fun and part of the rivalry. Such is the sports culture in the two cities. Live with it.
October 28, 2004
He's Seen Them All
The Boston Red Sox have won six World Series titles. The first came in 1903 in the first World Series ever. The last was in 1918. Whoops, make that 2004. This man has lived through every one of them.
1918 2004
Congratulations to the Red Sox on winning the World Series. You guys played hard, and you deserved it.
Rick, send me the link to your Amazon.com wish list.
1918 To Be Replaced By 2004
No longer can Yankees fans chant, "1918" when Red Sox fans chant, "Yankees suck." Nope. Until the Yankees vanquish their own ghost, Red Sox fans will chant, "twenty oh four" while the best Yankees fans will be able to muster is, "Red Sox suck."
Congratulations, Boston, you earned it. I do also look forward to speaking to my friend Ari today. A lifelong Red Sox fan, he refused to believe the Red Sox would ever win a World Series and wasn't sure what he'd do if they did win. Now he finds out.
October 27, 2004
Clock Is Ticking On The Curse
Now through five innings, it's the Red Sox leading the Cardinals 3-0, both in the game and the series. The curse has 12 outs left to strike. Tick tock.
Things I've Learned Today
- The State of New Jersey sucks. Oh yes, it does. You see, it turns out that in New Jersey, not only do they have ludicrously high insurance rates, there is also a 5 day waiting period to get an auto insurance policy if you don't already have an auto insurance policy. Now what benefit this provides eludes me. Drivers' records are obtained instantaneously. Proof of residence can be faxed in. Even credit records can be checked instantaneously. So what the hell is the State of New Jersey on about? Remind me to move back to New York, where you can get auto insurance the same day even if you don't already have an auto insurance policy.
- Salesmen shouldn't repeatedly tell their customers "I told you so". It's just a bad sales technique which tends to annoy the customer and make them wish they had never bought anything from you. Yes, I know what you told me. I was, in fact, present during the conversation. However, I initially got different information from my insurance agent. It's not an odd assumption to make that an insurance agent knows more about insurance than a car salesman. Okay, in retrospect, I was wrong. No need to mention it over and over and over.
- Car salesmen know more about car insurance than insurance agents.
- I won't be a real American for another four days.
October 26, 2004
Tomorrow I'll Be A Real American
Having gotten Step One of turning Lesley into a Real American out of the way, it's time for Step Two aka the Final Step.
I signed the paperwork on a car today. I'm picking it up tomorrow. It looks like this (although the red should be darker, more crimson, on mine).
It's a 2005 Hyundai Elantra.
True Confessions
You know, I'm just getting this feeling it's the Red Sox year to win the World Series. So a true confession or two is in order.
- It won't be the end of the world if the Red Sox win the World Series. I know, I know, but it won't be.
- Not only that, it won't even be that bad.
Look, let's be real. The only reason the Red Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918 is not the Curse of the Babe. It's the "curse" of playing in the American League and, more specifically, the American League East. The Red Sox simply were never able to get to the World Series often enough to win it again. Not because they weren't a great team. They were. No, it was because the Yankees were, most years, a better team. The most dominant team in baseball. I don't care who you are, who you traded, and how great your players are, if you play behind the most dominant team in baseball, you won't even make it to the championship very often. And, well, to quote an old New York Lotto commercial, "You gotta be in it to win it."
So all those years without a World Series win turned the Red Sox into a great tragic team in the eyes of many Americans. Not necessarily Red Sox fans, but to the rest of us. The Cubs? No, because mostly they suck. The White Sox? Do you realize it almost never gets reported that the White Sox haven't won a World Series since 1917? You hear about the Cubs and Red Sox all the time, but how often do you hear about the White Sox? That's pretty much because the White Sox mostly suck too. The Red Sox have almost never sucked, though. On the contrary. So their inability to win becomes something great and mystical, not the rather mundane reality it is. If they played in the National League, they'd have won before now. If they played in the A.L. West, even, they'd have probably won by now.
So it will be something of a relief for the Red Sox to win the World Series. In the eyes of many, it will make them into just another team instead of baseball's great tragic team.
One last thing - Rick, spruce up your Amazon.com wish list. I have a feeling that you're winning this bet.
October 25, 2004
Recasting Stars Wars Episodes 1-3
I just finished watching the "first" three Stars Wars movies - Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Not all in one shot, mind you, but over the course of a couple of weeks.
Got me to thinking again how badly George Lucas has so far mangled the "second" three Stars Wars movies. You could really see the trend begin in Return of the Jedi, where he got away from the human drama in favor of technology and aliens. The last half or so of Return of the Jedi is great, especially the showdown between Luke and Darth Vader, but the rest falls flat.
One of the flaws is in the pitiful casting choices Lucas has made for the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Nothing against Ewan McGregor - he's a fine actor - but he's a poor choice for the serene but strong Obi-Wan. Alec Guinness could pull off the subtle nuances, not McGregor. Hayden Christensen as Anakin? Forget it. He definitely cannot pull off the subtlety of being essentially a good person corrupted by his dark side.
Now, if I were casting these flicks, whom would I choose? Glad you asked, even though you didn't. My top choice for Obi-Wan is Sean Bean. He's an outstanding Shakespearian actor and was excellent in Lord of the Rings as the swashbuckling but troubled Boromir. I can see him growing into the older Obi-Wan. Actually, if he were younger, he would be the ideal choice for Anakin. Aside from Bean, I would choose Kenneth Branagh.
Matt Damon would be perfect as Anakin. Sure, he's a bit old, but you never knew just how old Anakin was in the middle episodes, and Damon has shown consistently that he can pull off grey characters. Think The Talented Mr. Ripley and Jason Bourne. If you want to go a bit younger or from the British Isles, which Lucas seems to like, there's Jude Law, Christian Bale, Colin Farrell, or even McGregor. Farrell is the closest to Christensen in age, but all have the ability to capture the nuances of the character. However you slice it, any of them would have been better choices.
Oh well, it's too late now, and I'm not especially looking forward to the next installment. Might not even bother to see it in the theater. That's how much of a let down the first two were.
Some New Definition...
...of the word "imminent" with which I was previously unfamiliar.
Jeff Greenberg's resignation as Chairman and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies has allegedly been imminent since Friday. It's now 1 pm on Monday. It is inevitable, but I wish its imminence would hurry up already.
UPDATE: Well, imminent has finally arrived.
Who Is This Weird Cat?
Today I took my cat Scooter to the vet for a routine check-up. He had bladder surgery three years ago, and I like to have him checked out around the anniversay. Well, as usual, the moment I get him home from the vet, my other cat, Huck, objects strongly to his new scent. Doesn't recognize him and is in a hissy mood. Literally. Maybe I should check with the vet to make sure it really is Scooter.
Of course, I really can't wait until I put Scooter in overnight for the dental work he needs. It'll take Huck days to get used to him again. At least this time it shouldn't be more than a few hours.
To Switch or Not To Switch
Switching costs. That’s what companies try to build into their model to dissuade you from switching to another company or brand. One of the highest switching costs has got to be changing back accounts. Especially with direct deposit and the various monthly payments directly debited from your account. Well, maybe not yours, but mine. Though if you’d be kind enough to let my payments come from your account. . .
Excuse me. I digress. There’s a new Bank of America across the street from me. Currently, I bank with Citibank, but there’s no ATM nearby my house, which has always been something of a pain. So I am seriously considering changing to Bank America. But the hassle. Coordinating the switch over will be a pain. I’ll probably do it for the long-term convenience.
Is That Why People Call Them Battleground States?
Because they're key to winning the battle? Might well be. Of course, I could be wrong.
Two Much?
Two wins down. Two more to go for the Red Sox and the Curse will be over after 86 years. As much as I'd be happy for my friend Ari, a lifelong Red Sox fan, it will truly blow if the Red Sox win the World Series. No more "1918" chants at Yankee Stadium. Worse, they will have broken the Curse on the backs of the Yankees. One thing to do it without going through the Yankees. Quite another to do it by running roughshod over the Yankees after being 3 outs from elimination. I can hear the mockery of Yankees fans now. A nice “2004” chant.
October 24, 2004
Killjoys
Haven't these people ever heard the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Let the kids have their fun for crying out loud. Rest and relaxation - the occasional fun break - are as important to learning and work as learning and work are.
Biggest Yankees Choke Ever?
Was this year's ALCS loss to the Red Sox after being up 3-0 the biggest Yankees choke ever? Objectively? Maybe. No MLB team has ever lost a playoff or World Series after being up 3-0. Emotionally? Not from my perspective.
Emotionally, the biggest Yankees choke ever was the 2001 World Series loss to the Diamondbacks. That was an amazing series. Two dramatic Yankees 9th inning comebacks in Games 4 and 5 had helped put them in the position of being three outs away from winning the World Series in Game 7. Three stupid outs, and Mariano Rivera, the generally aptly-named Mr. Automatic, comes in and blows it. Totally blows it. That was hard. After the events of 9/11, most New Yorkers really wanted the Yankees to win. Baseball was a way to help take our mind off the tragedy. It was the perfect distraction; it was something to look forward to at a time when there didn't seem like there could be a lot to look forward to. A stunning loss like that was really hard. Had they not come back in Games 4 or 5, losing wouldn't have been so bad. But to be three outs away and then lose it? Man, that was tough.
This year's loss in the ALCS was just not that tough. Surprising? Yes. More improbable than the 2001 World Series loss? Absolutely. Emotionally difficult? Not really. It was inevitable that some team would eventually come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. It was never an impossibility. So to the Red Sox fans I know who are gloating because the Yankees now have baggage and are like every other team (you know who you are, and if you aren't sure it's you, it's not)? Sorry. We've had baggage since 2001.
Besides, we're still not like every other team. A big choke doesn't erase the fact that the Yankees are still the most successful sports franchise ever. Do you think we've forgotten that in the aftermath of a big choke? Not on your life. We're New Yorkers, after all. A general feeling of superiority is just part of our mental make-up. If you don't believe me, just remember the New Yorker's view of the world from Ninth Avenue:
One Of These Things Is Still Like The Other
Either people are having a problem answering my trivia question or just don't care. For a shot at a $10 gift certificate from mlb.com, it's probably the. . . latter.
Two hints to help you out. Marty Barrett was a second baseman for the Red Sox. He nearly had something in common with a second baseman (not Willie Randolph) from the 1978 World Series Champion Yankees. You may look the latter up on the internet.
October 23, 2004
One Of These Things Is Just Like The Other
What do Marty Barrett and Hideki Matsui have in common? First person to answer without having to look it up on the internet wins. . . Well, wins nothing, but earns praise for his or her in-depth knowledge about baseball. *
*Update: In an effort to appease the baseball gods, Lesley has graciously offered to donate her Hideki Matsui jersey to the first person who can answer the question.
Pause for Lesley to say, "I have? That's news to me. Pest." But in seriousness I will offer a $10 gift certificate at MLB.com to the first person with the correct answer. Bear in mind, though, that I am psychic and will know if you've cheated by going to the internet.
One more thing, don't think you'll get away with answering something like they both play baseball. The answer is something most specific.
October 22, 2004
Senseless
Does Dave Roberts try to steal second base? Does Bill Mueller look to drive Roberts home to score the tying run against the Yankees? Do they seek to extend game four if they knew that it would start a ball rolling that would lead not only to the Red Sox coming back to the win the series but also to a celebration outside Fenway Park that leads to the tragic death of Victoria Snelgrove? I know that you can't blame what happened on the field for her death. You can blame the fans that got out of control and maybe the police for using too much force.
Maybe I should stop thinking about this, but it's hard not to think about it. It's heartbreaking. Let's hope that fans around the world take this lesson to heart and learn to control themselves.
I've Been Called Out!
Rick DeMent of The Rant has thrown down the catcher's mitt, and I've accepted the World Series challenge. Loser buys winner something off the other's Amazon wish list (not to exceed $20). He's got the Red Sox, since I've obviously got the Cardinals.
A Real Pistol
Rebecca Gayheart’s character Betty was on Dead Like Me for only the first five episodes. Her replacement Daisy, played by Laura Harris, has been on the show longer, yet to this day, I miss the irrepressible Betty and wish she were still on the show. I just finished watching “Reaping Havoc,” Betty’s last episode, on DVD and felt that same sense of melancholy I did the first time.
This exchange between George, the show’s heroine, and Rube, the father figure, nicely says why Betty was such an appealing character:
Rube: “Betty told me Millie had an older brother.” (Millie is George’s alter ego.)
George: “No. She had an older sister. And she was fearless.”
Rube (smiling): “Yeah, she was a real pistol.”
Yes, she was. Funny how we grow attached to fictional characters, isn’t it?
The Jon Crystal Ball
Just dead wrong. My prediction on Google has turned out to be laughably off base. My prediction on the two teams in the World Series? Close but wrong, too.
Thus, here are my new predictions. The price of Google will a) continue to rise, b) slip, or c) do nothing. A team with red in its uniform will win the 2004 World Series.
Hot Stove League III
My take on what the Yankees can do to retool for next season.
- Not sign Carlos Beltran. Not unless they find a way to dump Jason Giambi and his hefty salary. If they're worried about Bernie Williams' ability to play center, move Hideki Matsui to center and Williams to left. We already know Matsui can play center (he's faster than he looks, and he's played it before), and if they are stuck with Giambi, it would make no sense to have Williams DH. Of course, if they can get rid of Giambi, then, by all means, sign Beltran. But otherwise, use that money to get what the Yankees really need - PITCHING!
- Sign Carl Pavano. Unless they can find a way to trade for Johan Santana, but I don't see the Twins agreeing to trade him. Of course, if there's a way for them to have both Pavano and Santana, well...
- Keep Jon Lieber. That Tommy John elbow surgery seems to have helped him a lot. Outside of one bad inning, he pitched very well during the ALCS.
- Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen. Buh-bye Heredia. Find another lefty reliever. The man has one use and one use only - getting out David Ortiz. A lefty reliever also needs to get out other batters too, not grant runs. Also, nix either Sturtze or Quantrill and get a more consistent righty reliever. Ramiro Mendoza comes to mind.
- I'm unsure as to whether or not they should keep Javy Vazquez, as he does show signs of being a great pitcher, or dump him and keep Loaiza instead. I was impressed with Loaiza's stuff out of the bullpen during the ALCS, so I think there may be hope for him yet. But don't keep both.
I seriously hope Joe Torre still has his job next year. I don't know if Steinbrenner would fire him, but Torre may decide to resign if Steinbrenner doesn't back off. Torre knew that what the Yankees needed for 2004 was pitching, not A-Rod, but did the Boss listen? However, if Steinbrenner does fire Torre, I will hate Steinbrenner even more than I do now. And that's saying something.
Rocket Man?
Yes Astros fans, it seems all too familiar. Roger getting excited and blowing a big game. I feel your pain. Which is why I always said I would have been much more concerned about facing a healthy Andy Pettitte, a consistent big game pitcher, than Roger. I figured the odds of Roger getting excited about a trip back to one of his old stadiums in the World Series might prove to be the over-stimulation needed to make him blow it.
Still, I was hoping for the potential Red Sox-crushing that would have occurred had Clemens and the Astros been able to beat the Red Sox. Although historically more apt, it still won't be the same if the Cardinals beat the Red Sox. In 7, of course.
October 21, 2004
Let's Go Cardinals!
Well, Laurence was right. I had to change my look. So much for the old new Astros look.
Say hello to the (temporary) new new Cardinals look.
Hot Stove League II
Since I don't waste my time with calls to sports radio, I'll share with you some thoughts on how the Yankees can retool for next season. Click the link to read on.
1. Tell Kevin Brown not to let the door hit him - or not to hit the door - on the way out.
2. Recognize that Javy Vazquez is Son of Jeff Weaver, Nephew of Jose Contreras, Younger Brother of Kenny Rogers, and Grandson of Ed Whitson. Swallow half his salary and peddle him to the Marlins in a three-team trade that sends Florida third baseman Mike Lowell elsewhere and prospects to the Yankees. One of the prospects should be major-league ready pitcher. I think Florida might bite because Lowell can opt out of his contract and they could apply his money to Vazquez's salary.
3. Shop Jorge Posada, Kenny Lofton, and either Paul Quantrill or Steve Karsay for more prospects, preferably pitchers.
4. Strike a double blow at the Red Sox by attempting to lure Jason Varitek away to replace Posada's switch-hitting bat and defense. Otherwise, Greg Myers of the Jays could be half of a lefty-righty platoon with John Flaherty.
5. Ink Carlos Beltran.
6. Ink as many free agent pitchers to bolster the rotation and bullpen as is feasible. Tops on the list is Carl Pavano of the Marlins. Also of interest is ageless lefty Wilson Alvarez, who could be a long man/spot starter, and Ramiro Mendoza.
7. Bring back E-save-an Loaiza on the cheap.
I can hear Chris "Mad Dog" Russo lambasting me now.
Give Moose A Break
In one of the columns dissecting what went wrong with the Yankees in the ALCS, Mike Mussina was once again lumped in with the various recent acquisitions who haven't had the same level of success as legends of the 1996-2000 team. Every year since 2001, he's been branded as one of George Steinbrenner's recruits who don't have the same championship mettle as players who preceded him.
The reality is that Mussina has pitched some huge games for the Yankees and has positioned them to win again and again. He pitched a 1-0 masterpiece against Oakland when the Yankees were down 2-0 in the 2001 ALDS. The Yankees don't win game seven of last year's ALCS without his Rivera-like outing in relief of Clemens. He beat Pedro Martinez in back-to-back starts to help the Yankees win the division this year. He held his own against Johan Santana in game one of the ALDS and had two stellar outings against the Red Sox in the ALCS. He left game five on the long end of a 4-2 Yankee lead and would have merited MVP consideration if the Yankees had held on to win the game.
Ideally, Mussina wouldn't be the Yankees number one pitcher, but he has more than earned his spot as the team ace.
Interesting World Series Facts
I asked a guy who works for me (who happens to be a Red Sox fan) to do a trend analysis on the following World Series facts:
1946 World Series - St. Louis 4, Boston 3
1967 World Series - St. Louis 4, Boston 3
1975 World Series - Cincinnati 4, Boston 3
1986 World Series - NY Mets 4, Boston 3
Now, of course, history is not necessarily an indicator of past* future performance. But I'll still let you know the results of his trend analysis.
*Aaargh! I'm having brain freeze! Obviously history is an indicator of past performance!
The New Look
It's only temporary. But like I said, you can't expect me to want the Red Sox to win the World Series. As a Yankees fan, that would just be wrong. In fact, Red Sox fans I know wouldn't want it any other way.
If the Cardinals manage to win tomorrow night, the look will change again. Although it still won't favor the Red Sox. Just saying.
Yankees. . .
I never want to see play for the Yankees again - Kevin Brown, Javy Vazquez,
Felix Heredia, and of course, Jason Giambi
I am truly pissed at but realize the Yankees still need - Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, and Alex Rodriguez
I am profoundly disappointed in - obviously the above, but also Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, the almost-MVP Hideki Matsui, and Jorge Posada
I am pleasantly surprised with - Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, and E-save-an Loaiza
My Brother Is More Diehard Than I Am
Okay, I suppose his former Red Sox fandom has now been erased* by his willingness to stick with watching the Yankees through a game I gave up on watching in the second inning.
*Ignore the fingers crossed behind the curtain. You can't seriously expect a sister to give up on these little things she can use in the future for pest control.
Congratulations Beantown
After the way the Red Sox played the last 3 nights and the Yankees collapsed, all I can say is that the Red Sox deserved to win tonight and make postseason history. The Yankees did not deserve to win if they couldn't capitalize on a 3-0 lead and win it no more than 6. So congratulations, Red Sox fans!
Go Astros!
Well, you can't honestly expect me to want the Red Sox to win the World Series, can you?
It's Over
The Yankees just completed the most monumental collapse in the history of baseball. I expect these things of other franchises like the Red Sox or the Cubs. The supposedly cursed franchises. Not the Yankees with their history of post-season excellence. I don't know what else to say except how truly stunning it is.
October 20, 2004
Call Him E-save-an?
Yeah, I know that even the Yankees will be hardpressed to rally from an 8-1 hole, but Esteban Loaiza bailed them out of yet another tough jam in the 4th. I wonder if the Yanks try to bring him back on an incentive-laden contract after his success in the playoffs.
Hot Stove League
Interesting to see how George Steinbrenner will deconstruct the Yankees if they lose tonight. Not much you can or should do with the team, except rebuild the starting pitching. Hard to say exactly what happened over the last three-plus games. It started with Mo in game four and continued with Gordon in game five. The offense then inexplicably fell apart. Aside from a shaky starting staff, which wasn't the downfall, nothing wrong with the team on paper.
Good Night
If my brother, the former Red Sox fan (in his misspent youth), watches the game, I will publicly concede that he's a bigger diehard fan than I am. I haven't slept well in a week. After Johnny Damon's grand slam, I'm going to try to get some sleep. I know the Yankees can still come back, but I just can't watch this right now.
Go Yankees.
Kevin Brown, Please Retire
9:13 - Another sorry outing from Kevin Brown. 1 1/3 innings, 2 runs so far, and the bases loaded with one out. Up to Javy Vazquez to save the day.
Take your $15 million salary and limp off into the sunset, Kevin Brown, and free up a slot in the rotation for someone who can pitch.
Update: Homerun Javy just gave up a grand salami. He can go, too.
9:19 - Homerun Javy got out of the inning without further damage. Can the Yanks rally from the 6-run hole? Maybe with Lowe and a worn-out bullpen behind him. It would truly be the Curse of the Bambino in that case. Imagine the agony of the Red Sox fandom then. But I get ahead of myself.
Speaking of Mo-Jo
My brother wants you to know that both his cats, Scooter (named for Phil Rizzuto) and Huck, regularly tell him that they are fans of Mariano "Mo" Rivera.
How To Tell A Real New Yorker
Okay. There are native New Yorkers. And then there are those who have moved to New York and lived here for a long time. It is possible for people who have moved to New York and lived here for a long time to become real New Yorkers. However, the way you can tell the real New Yorkers from the faux New Yorkers is simple. Ask them one question: "Who are the four most evil men of the 20th century?"
If the name Walter O'Malley isn't on the list, they are not real New Yorkers. I mean, really.
Trying To Work A Little Yankees Mojo
BTW, I think when Jane says "meow", she's trying to tell me that she is a big Matsui fan. As am I. Later tonight, I plan to post a picture of the Matsui t-shirt I ordered which arrived tonight. I hope that's more Yankees mojo.
Emma, my other cat, seems to prefer A-Rod, though. At least I think that's what she means when she squeaks her little "Aaaah" sound. I keep trying to get her to switch allegiances to Sheffield, but so far she's all about A-Rod.
UPDATE: Here it is! The Matsui t-shirt.
To the Limit
No "Hip Hip Jorge" moments. One small "Bern Baby Bern" moment. No "He's Gr-r-r-r-eat" moment from Tony "The Tiger" Clark on what could have been the series-winning homerun but was instead the game-ending strikeout.
On to Game 7. The Yankees in one respect have already suffered the greatest collapse in baseball history, becoming the first team to go from 3-0 to 3-3. Will it truly be the most monumental collapse from them and most stirring comeback ever for the Red Sox after tonight's - yes, tonight's - action? Or is it all part of some sinister plan by the Ghost of the Babe to torment Red Sox fans in the worst way imaginable by giving them reason to believe, to get excited, and then snuff out all hope at the end again?
For these answers and more, tune in. Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.
October 19, 2004
Last Licks
The Yankees held the Sox in check in the top of the ninth. Still down by two. Can they get to a hopefully tired Keith Foulke, who's had a heavy load the last two days?
The Natives Are Restless
An unpopular overturn on a call that originally went the Yankees way has put the fans in a foul mood. Or a fouler mood. They're tossing stuff on the field. Now they've got cops in riot gear ringing the stands.
Inching Closer
They struck for one run against Arroyo. Three outs left to get the final 2 runs to pull even. Assuming the Yankees can hold the Sox scoreless in the ninth. Is it Mo time to keep it close?
The Time to Strike Is Now
Schilling is out. Arroyo, the whipping boy in game three, is in with the Yankees still within striking distance.
Bernie Goes Boom
A solo shot by Bernie in the bottom of the seventh gets the Yankees on the scoreboard at last. But that's all they got. Is it too little too late to avoid a game seven? Six outs left for the Yankees.
My Kingdom For A Clutch Hit
Another Yankees runner stranded in scoring position with two outs. Another inning without a run for the Yankees. Eleven scoreless innings in a row.
Hip Hip. . . Ah, Forget It!
All series long I've been waiting for Jorge Posada to come up with a monster hit so I could say, "Hip Hip Jorge!" Finally, he crushes a pitch to rightfield tonight, I let out with the "Hip Hip Jorge!", and the wind keeps the ball in the park for an out. Insert curse word here.
Blog Ball!
Jay of Mr. Blonde's Garage will be liveblogging tonight's Yankees/Red Sox game. With any luck, I'll be watching it from a sports bar with a group of people.
I'm Calling It Now
Lesley called it on Saturday: Hideki Matsui as ALCS MVP. How quickly things have changed in the series now that the Red Sox have forced game six. A new predicition: Jon Lieber if he pitches as well as he did last Wednesday and paces the Yankees to a win tonight.
October 18, 2004
Like I Said
Don't count your chickens before they hatch. David Ortiz is now every much an MVP candidate as Hideki Matsui. Another comeback win by the Red Sox, and it is now anyone's series.
At This Rate
The Cardinals-Astros game will be over before the Yankees-Red Sox game, which is still tied going into the bottom of the 14th. It took four games for the competition to materialize, but the Yanks-Sox is now looking like the thriller everyone expected.
How Upset Am I?
Not terribly. I never expected the Yankees to sweep the Red Sox. I'm amazed they got to 3-0 before losing their first game.
Could Boston win this ALCS? Theoretically, of course. Just because something has never been done before doesn't mean it won't be done. Nonetheless. In order to win it, the Red Sox are going to have to beat the Yankees 3 times in a row, all of those effective "Game 7s" for the Red Sox, with 2 of those 3 games at Yankee Stadium. Pedro is going to have to go deep into tonight's game in order to give his bullpen a rest. Pedro is generally only good for about 7 innings at his best, and he'll be facing the Yankees' best pitcher tonight. He's also only pitching on four days rest. Pedro is much better on 5 days rest.
That doesn't mean Pedro can't get the job done tonight. So I'll brace myself for a potential Game 6. Which would, at least, be at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox hit much better at Fenway than anywhere else. And the Yankees hit much better at Yankee Stadium. Look, it's possible that everything could go right for the Red Sox in the next 3 games and everything go wrong for the Yankees. But I'm feeling pretty good that the odds are against that just enough.
Yes, Again!
From three outs to finishing the series to having to play a game five. Poor clutch hitting and poor clutch relieving. Wonderful.
Oh, Mo! Not Again!
That's three times now in his career that Mariano Rivera has blown a save in a clinch-game for the Yankees. Thankfully, he stiffened and stranded the winning run at third with one out. Hopefully, the Yankees can get to the Red Sox bullpen, which is thin right now, and the Yanks can turn the game over to Flash Gordon to ice the series.
To play Monday morning QB for a moment. Joe Torre hasn't done a great job managing this game. He left El Duque in too long during his fifth-inning meltdown and should have gone to Gordon in the eighth rather than try to extend Rivera for two innings. I'm first guessing here. I was thinking both long before the moves and non-moves imploded in Torre's face.
October 17, 2004
Boston Massacre
Yankees 19, Red Sox 8 in a rout of unprecedented proportions. Looking good for the Yankees sixth World Series appearance in the last seven years. But I'm counting no chickens.
I'm Calling It Now
You could make a case for Gary Sheffield too, but I think Matsui's hits have been bigger. He's scored first in two of the three games.
UPDATE: Okay, I misspoke. Matsui technically did not score first. He drove in the first RBI in game 1 (driving home Sheffield, so Sheffield scored first) and the second RBI in game 3 (A-Rod had the first RBI of game 3). Still. He has more RBIs than Sheffield, so I still hold that his hits have been bigger than Sheffield's.
October 15, 2004
Docs: Evil Emperor Is Pedro's Father
Yankees and Red Sox fans were split over the news that DNA tests confirmed that George Steinbrenner is not just Pedro Martinez’s figurative “daddy” but is also the pitcher’s biological father. Where Red Sox fans saw a sliver of hope that the stunning revelation means an end to the curse that has weighed on Boston since 1918, Yankees fans dismissed such hopes as fantasy. “He’s a lunatic anyway,” one fan said. “Once he gets over the shock, he’s going to embrace the Dark Side and sign with the Yankees as a free agent.”
In a revelation that sent shockwaves through the baseball world, doctors today revealed that not only is New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner figuratively Pedro Martinez’s “daddy” but is in fact his biological father. The news follows DNA tests performed on all males associated with the Yankees who are old enough to have fathered the star hurler.
Boston Red Sox team physician Bill Morgan explained that the tests were done after Martinez jokingly suggested last month that he could “call the Yankees my daddy.” While most people attributed the remarks to Martinez’s frustration at continually losing to New York in key games, Morgan saw something deeper.
“We took the comments as a plea for help. That Pedro wasn’t sure about his true lineage and that maybe he suspected someone on the Yankees sired him on a junket to the Dominican Republic. We decided to heed this call. Not knowing who your father is, where you come from, can be profoundly unsettling.”
Morgan said he would have waited until after the playoffs to go public with the news, but the growing clamor over the issue in recent days forced his hand. “When you have 55,000 Yankees fans asking in unison, ‘Who’s your daddy?’ you just can’t ignore them. They’re expressing genuine sympathy over Pedro’s uncertainty. You want to give them answers.”
That it turned out to be George Steinbrenner was the real stunner for Morgan. “I was thinking of someone more athletic, more – how shall I phrase this gently – not as lily white being his father. Let’s face it. With no disrespect to that fat gluttonous bastard whose insatiable greed can never be quenched, can you picture someone as tight-assed as Steinbrenner fathering someone like Pedro?”
Apparently Martinez couldn’t. According to teammates, he is too distraught by the news to comment publicly. “It adds a whole new level to the Evil Empire, Darth Vader thing,” battery mate Jason Varitek said. “I mean it’s like when Darth Vader told Luke he was his father. Here you’ve vowed to snuff out the tyrannical overlord and all he stands for and he turns out to be your Dad. It’s got to be tough to swallow.”
Manny Ramirez, Martinez’s best friend on the team, added, “Pedro flipped. He was like, ‘No, it’s not true. It’s not possible.’ And Steinbrenner – he was on speaker phone so we could overhear – says, ‘Search your feelings, you know it to be true.’ He told Pedro to take his hand. That they could rule baseball as father and son. Vanquish Bud Selig and revenue sharing. That Selig had foreseen it.”
Steinbrenner declined to comment as well, but acknowledged through team spokesman Rick Cerone that the news is true. While on a trip to the Dominican Republic in 1971, when he was 40, he met Martinez’s mother Leopoldina and was instantly smitten. “Their flame burned short,” said Cerone, “but oh so bright. Nine months later, that October, this beautiful and exceptional love child was born. Obviously, he takes after his mother.” Paulino Jamie, until now believed to be Martinez’s father, raised Martinez as his own until Martinez was eight, when he and Leopoldina divorced.
Fans of both teams were split on what the news means. Red Sox fans saw it as the end of the curse that has plagued the club since 1918, when Boston sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees and won its last World Series. “I’ve seen Return of the Jedi, like I don’t know, maybe a hundred times, when the Evil Empire gets its long deserved comeuppance,” said lifetime Red Sox fan Ari Sky. “The best part is when Luke gets through to Darth Vader’s good side and Vader tosses the Emperor down that chute thingy. Pedro’s going to have the same effect on Steinbrenner. He’ll sell all his belongings, donate his wealth to charity, walk the earth like Caine from Kung Fu, and open the door wide for the Red Sox to saunter through. The wait is over, baby, it’s over!”
Yankees fans scoffed at the notion. One fan said, “Please, once Pedro gets over the shock, he’s going to embrace the Dark Side – he’s a lunatic anyway – and sign with the Yankees as a free agent, leaving the Red Sox high and dry. It’s kind of sickening to picture Steinbrenner doing the horizontal bop, but hey, if it nets the Yankees more players like Martinez, I say, ‘Get busy, George. Get busy.’ After all, Charlie Chaplin was fathering kids into his 70’s.”
October 14, 2004
With All Due Respect to Jay...
I felt his photo needed a little work. Darth Vader really needed the Yankees logo on his helmet. I also prefer the addition of the Star Wars-like font.
Search your hearts, Red Sox fans. You know it to be true.
A Lowe Down Dirty Shame
For Red Sox fans. Not Yankees fans. Curt Schilling's ankle will keep him out of game five if the series goes that far. Whipping post Derek Lowe will take his place.
A Win/Win Situation
Jason Clarke and Michele have come up with a bet that will turn this year's ALCS into a win/win situation no matter who (cough Yankees cough) wins:
Here's how it works: Loser donates either 40, 50, 60 or 70 dollars to a charity, depending on how long the series goes (seven games, $70, etc.).
Jason has chosen as his designated charity Garden of Angels, this month's Strengthen the Good charity. I haven't decided on mine yet. If you have a favorite, let me know and I'll look into it.
I signed up. If the Red Sox manage to win (hahahahaha), I'm donating $10 per game to Garden of Angels. I know there are other Yankees fans who read this blog and even the occasional Red Sox fan or Anybody But the Yankees fan. So go ahead. Sign up too. Just post a comment on Michele's entry.
Daddy Knows Best
I did watch more or less the entire game. I drowsed off for a few at bats and promptly fell asleep after Mo wrapped it up. Gotta go to Mo.
October 12, 2004
When I Wave My Magic Wand
The Boston Red Sox will disappear. Nope. Didn't work. Wishful thinking. Retire the first 19 batters, take an 8-0 lead, and sweat out a 10-7 win that's in doubt until the final out. No matter what Pedro or the t-shirt says, right now, ain't nobody Boston's daddy, much to my annoyance and dismay.
October 11, 2004
Two Things I Wish Were Over
The presidential election.
The Yankees run through hopefully another championship post-season.
The rhetoric and suspense are killing me. Ok, maybe not killing me, but a definite paper cut here and there.
On a more somber note, my condolences to Mariano Rivera and his family on a terrible loss.
October 10, 2004
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Turns out that when you apply the New York Times research, the Yankees don't play as many close playoff games as you think. The paper ran an article that discounts popular perception that there are more close games in the playoffs than in the regular season.
Courtesy of retrosheet.org, I tallied the results of all the Yankees playoff games from 1996 to 2003. They played a total of 98 games during that span, 51 or 52% of which were decided by two or fewer runs. Not much different than the Times stats that 51% of playoff games since 1984 were close.
There you go, it is perception that the Yankees play an unusually high number of close games. Even last year, when it seemed that every game caused the blood pressure to rise through the roof, it was nearly 50/50 (9 close games and 8 games that weren't close). The two exceptions were 2000 and 2001 when 21 of the 32 games (64%) were close.
It's games like they played against the Twins this year, when two contests went overtime; against the Red Sox last year; and in the nail-biting seasons of 2000 and 2001 that distort the memory and cause us to think every Yankees game is a cardiac affair. Still, I vote for more seasons like 1998 and 1999, when the Yankees romped through the playoffs with 68% of the games decided by three or more runs. Half close games means equal easy breathing and equal agita.
Small Ball
The New York Times has an article today downplaying the importance of small ball in winning playoff games. It’s an interesting article that uses a number of different statistics to support its point. I am not convinced because the article focuses almost exclusively on tight games, steals, and sacrifice bunts as examples of what constitutes small ball.
The Times discounts the importance of the steal and sacrifice bunt. It notes that the team that is leading is more likely to try either, that trading an out for a base could stall a larger inning, and that only about half of teams executing successful bunts have won their series.
All well and good, but small ball isn’t just about stealing bases and sacrifice bunts. Set aside that the Yankees used a stolen base by Alex Rodriguez yesterday to score the series-winning run and that Derek Jeter had a key sacrifice bunt that helped them win game two. A single, a timely walk, a hit batsman, moving a runner over to third with less than two out on a grounder, a sacrifice fly. All of these are key components of small ball that help teams scratch out the run that might be the difference between winning and losing.
The Yankees winning rally in game one of the 2000 World Series began with a walk to Paul O’Neill. They scored the series-winning run on a Luis Sojo dribbler past the infield in game five that year. While it’s true that it was big ball – a mammoth three-run homerun by Ruben Sierra – that tied the game yesterday, it was small ball that set up the homerun. An infield hit by Gary Sheffield, a walk to Hideki Matsui, and a single by Bernie Williams put the Yankees in position to tie the game.
It was what the Yankees didn’t do in later innings yesterday that extended the game to eleven innings. With Alex Rodriguez on second base with no one out in the ninth inning, Gary Sheffield popped to second. What would have happened if he had a hit a groundball to move Rodriguez to third with one out? Do the Yankees get a sacrifice fly to win the game in nine? Who knows, but those missed opportunities can lose games and series as much as cashed-in chances win them. Ask the Twins who had several chances to put the game out of reach against Esteban Loaiza.
While statistics do bear out the Times point that playoff games really aren’t much closer than regular season games, tell that to a Yankees fan. (Between 1984 and 2003, 50.7% of playoff games were decided by two or fewer runs, compared to 47.5% of regular season games. No matter which way you apply this statistic, it doesn’t add up to many more close games during the season or many fewer close games in the playoffs.)
It always seems that the Yankees are in tight games. Sure, they got blown out in three of their four losses against the Diamondbacks in 2001, but the other four games, including the horribly depressing game seven, were all nail-biting affairs. They eked out a 1-0 win against the A’s in the division series the same year that staved off elimination, played the Boston Red Sox to the mat last year, were neck-and-neck with the Marlins in four of the six games, and just finished a series against the Twins where all but one game was decided by two or fewer runs. Maybe the numbers will even out over the course of all their games, but I’ve had enough memorable games to last a lifetime no matter what the stats say.
In the end – and to end this thesis – that’s what really counts. Who cares what the statistics say, whether the idea of small ball and close games is nothing more than anecdotes, perception, and glorious memories? The playoffs are all about the magic moments that keep you in suspense until the end, that bring you from elation to despair in a heartbeat, or hopefully (and usually for the Yankees), lift you from despair to elation just as fast. That’s why we live and die with them.
October 09, 2004
Let's Go Yankees!
Yankees 6, Twins 5, 11 innings.
Although it would be nice if they could manage to not turn these things into heart-stopping, comeback victories. But now it's on to another ALCS against the Red Sox. Should be interesting.
October 08, 2004
Line of the Night
When rebutting Bush's argument that his economic policy helps small businesses, John Kerry cited this example: "The President got $84 from a timber company that he owns that he's counted as a small business.'' Bush's response is probably going to go down as the line of the night: "I own a timber company? News to me! Need some wood?"
One can only surmise - or I can only surmise - that Bush has some shares of a timber company in a blind trust. But depending on the story here this could be a major gaffe by Kerry that undermines an otherwise excellent performance and comes back to haunt him.
The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch
Please join me today in a prayer from the Book of Armaments, chapter two, verses nine to twenty-one:
“And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that, with it, Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits in Thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats and large chu. . .”
Let us skip ahead a bit:
“And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.'”
Let us all say, "Amen."
(Courtesy of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)
October 07, 2004
I'm Convinced
Common wisdom is that St. Louis is the best baseball town in the country. Being a native New Yorker who's experienced Yankee Stadium during the ALCS and World Series, I've often wondered how St. Louis fans could be more passionate and more savvy than New York fans. Well, after watching the first few innings of the Cardinals-Dodgers NLDS game tonight, I'm sold that St. Louis fans are at least more passionate than New Yorkers.
I thought Yankee Stadium was loud. It's a church compared to Busch Stadium. Jim Edmonds got the kind of hand usually reserved for momentous occasions at Yankee Stadium for simply coming to bat in the first inning. Then when the Cards put up a three-spot, I thought I'd go deaf just listening on TV.
October 06, 2004
Off the Street
When there was no word on a third season of Street Time, I decided to hunt around the internet for the status of the show. Unfortunately, the show has been cancelled, as I feared.
Too bad. In my opinion, it was the best drama on television. A gritty and realistic drama that centered on an ex-con played by Rob Morrow, who was on probation and finishing his time on the street, and his parole agent played by Scott Cohen. That casting is what made the show as compelling as it was. The safe route would have been to cast Cohen, who is darker than Morrow, as the ex-con and Morrow, whom we associate with the good guy, as the parole agent. Since they were both grey characters – Morrow’s essentially a good person and Cohen’s having a dark side – reversing types played off brilliantly. It added an element of complexity and depth to the roles that might have been missing had the producers cast with type instead of against it. Kudos to a show that was brave in all respects and that will be missed.
For the Yankees Fan Who Has Everything
Is there a Yankees fan in your life whom you wish to torment? May I suggest you buy this for your friend.
p.s. Anyone who buys this for me is dead meat.
October 05, 2004
In the Hole Again
Tonight's opening game loss to the Twinkies marks the fourth straight time the Yankees have dropped the opening game of a playoff series. I could do with a lot less tension. A nice 15-0 win, followed by another 15-0 win, etc. for 11 straight blow outs and another championship.
Any advice on how should I respond tomorrow when my boss, a Mets fan with a massive and understandable inferiority complex, asks, as he will, "Jonathan, how did the Yankees do last night?" I'm torn between the straightforward answer, "They lost," and the snippy, "Gee, Gerry, how did the Mets do? Oh wait, that's right, they didn't play because they finished second to last." I'm open to suggestions.
October 04, 2004
Well, It's Like This
No one in sports ever has the flu. They have flu-like symtpoms. Now, Brett Favre, knocked silly in Sunday's loss to the Giants, doesn't have a concussion but concussion-like symtpoms. Is there a difference? Maybe Favre thought the doctor was holding up 17 fingers when he would have said 170 if he had a concussion.
Leaves me wondering what's next. My pet hamster isn't dead. Sure, he's not breathing and is motionless, but those are merely death-like symptoms.
Bring Back Tino
Says here that Tino Martinez will become a free agent if the Devil Rays decline to pick up his option. Now wouldn't it be just great if the Yankees come to their senses, figure out a way to rid themselves of that albatross Jason Giambi, and ink Tino to man first base again? A snowball has a better chance in you know where, but one can always dream, can't one?
October 03, 2004
World Series Picks
The post-season line-up in baseball is all set with Houston earning the last berth today. Thanks to a stunning late season run (not to mention a horrendous and sad collapse by the Cubs), the Astros nailed down the wild card spot. Read on as I make my predictions for the World Series.
Most everyone likes the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season with the best record in baseball and boast a power-packed line-up. I don't. They don't have the dominant pitching that typically wins. In the NL, I'll go with the smoking Astros. Led by the Rocket and Roy Oswalt, who both can stake a claim to being the NL's best pitcher this year, they have the type of one-two pitching punch that propelled the Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series title. They also boast a solid line-up led by one of the most underrated but best players in the game: five-tool stud outfielder Carlos Beltran.
No one in the AL overwhelms me. All the teams have major flaws. I will go with a dark-horse pick that, of course, will foster cries of me being a homer: the Yankees. Although their pitching has been shaky all season, on paper they have the most dominant group of starting pitchers of the A.L. contenders. Note that I didn't say the most dominant pitcher - that title belongs to Johan Santana with Curt Schilling a close second. But no other team boasts the potential depth of the Yankees, who can trot out the Moose, Kevin Brown, and Javy Vazquez. They have a bullpen led by the best closer in baseball history and a set-up man (Flash Gordon) who would close for most other teams. Put that together with a versatile offense that has shown it can manufacture runs when needed, and it adds up to another Series berth.
So now the World Series. Gadzooks, as much as it pains me to go against my team, I say that the Rocket and Oswalt shut down the Yankees like Arizona did in 2001 and Florida did last year. The Astros not only win their first playoff series ever this year but win the whole thing. I can only hope that I'm wrong, and that the Yankees pull it out.
Let the debate (and mockery of me) begin.
What Was It Like
Someone wants to know what it was like to be at the Yankees division clincher on Thursday night. So finally, the long version.
You couldn't have asked for a better night for a game. Although it had been raining during the day, by 5 pm it had started to clear, and by 5:30, there was actual blue sky. So it was clear. The temperature was ideal. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not too humid.
The game itself was very exciting. Homerun Javy lived up to his name, giving up two homeruns among the seven hits he allowed. The Yankees were down. They tied it up! The Twins scored another run. Olerud hits a homer! The Twins scored another run. Matsui gets a homerun! It was 4-4 going into the ninth inning. Will this game go into extra innings? Tom "Flash" Gordon comes to the mound. Gets the first two batters out. Then he lets two guys get on base. The fifth batter comes up with a man on first and second. Runner in scoring position. The count goes to 3-2. The stadium is on its feet, hoping for the third strike. Flash does not disappoint.
It's now 4-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Real possibility of extra innings. Doesn't matter, though, I'm sticking it out until the bitter end. Everyone is on their feet. Sheffield is up first. He's out. Matsui is up to bat. He draws a walk. Bernie Williams comes up. He's had a fantastic night, 2 for 3 before this at bat. Can he work some of that old Bernie magic? He hits it hard. There's a tense couple of seconds there, when the crowd is unsure if it's going to go long. It sails into the stands! It's a walk-off homer! The crowd goes wild! The team pours onto the field. Much jumping around and hugging ensues. My colleagues and I leave quite happy, except for the one Twins fan who was in our little crew. Even the guy I was sitting next to, who is from India and had never been to a baseball game before, was happy. I spent most of the night explaining the game to him, and by the end, he was yelling at the Yankees batters to score runs.
So there you have it. Great weather. An exciting game. The division clincher at home. All in all, a fantastic night.
More Distortion
Is there a less honest and scrupulous politician in the country than our current President? Yeah, it’s Bush bashing day for me, and I wonder if the FBI will have me on their radar, if they don’t already for my other writings about Bush.
Since the debate, which has cost Bush in the public eye and in the polls, the President has come out swinging to try to blunt Kerry’s momentum. Of course, in his speeches, he continues completely to distort and misrepresent what Kerry said in an effort to prey on people’s fears and scare them away from Kerry. It is the basest form of attack, the resort of the desperate who have nothing else to offer.
To wit, Bush said Saturday: "When he laid out the Kerry doctrine, he said that America has to pass a global test before we can use American troops to defend ourselves. When our country is in danger, it is not the president's job to take an international poll, the president's job is to defend America.”
Scary stuff that makes it sound like that no matter how dire the situation or how imminent the threat Kerry will sit on his hands drumming up international support before taking action.
Set aside that it’s been proven Iraq posed no imminent threat. Let’s examine what Kerry really said when asked about taking pre-emptive action: “No president, though all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America. But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons.”
Hmm. It seems pretty clear that Kerry was reserving the right to defend America as necessary and that he wasn't at all suggesting we line up support or take a poll before we take action. Or that he’d wait to take action. He’s simply saying that he would demonstrate that the action is credible and justifiable.
It seems like a common-sense to garnering support for U.S. actions in case we need someone to stand with us. Nor is it a new doctrine as Bush mockingly calls it. If anyone has established a dangerous doctrine, it’s Bush who has turned his back on decades of U.S. foreign policy with his go-it-alone approach that says the U.S. can take action wherever and whenever it wants without building international support.
Sadly, though, there will be people who didn't watch the debate or read about it and who will buy everything Bush is selling even though it is far, far from the truth.
The Last Straw?
In the weeks following both conventions, it has amazed me how President Bush has managed to establish a fairly solid lead in the polls despite the worsening situation in and the public’s growing concern about Iraq. There is no question that people believe the situation is a mess and that they’re not sure about Bush’s ability to get us out of the mess. Yet in polls most people believe that Bush is the best one to get us out of the situation, even though he pushed for this unnecessary war on dubious grounds.
Now today, there’s an article in the New York Times that questions whether the Bush administration knowingly misrepresented intelligence on Iraq’s nuclear intent. Could this be the straw that broke the camel’s back, the straw that gets the American public finally to wake up and realize that the Bush administration was less than honest about Iraq's arms program to justify their desire to go to war? That we wouldn’t be in this mess if Bush had been more forthcoming and not so hot-to-trot for getting Hussein?
October 01, 2004
Good for Pizza
Jason Giambi hasn't been good for much of anything this season. Until now. He scored a free slice of pizza for the fans of Toronto by becoming the 7th Yankee to whiff in tonight's game North of the Border.
A Good Debate
Without taking sides, I think it's safe to agree with this referenced article that last night's debate between Bush and Kerry was lively and provocative. It's more than people expected given the strait-jacket rules that governed the proceedings. Give moderator Jim Lehrer credit for taking a back seat to the candidates and ceding to their desire to extend the 2-minute answer and 90-second rebuttal format on most questions. It really allowed for an illuminating give-and-take that gave the candidates the time they needed to state their cases and respond to each other.
Kerry French After All?
Maybe there's something to this whole Kerry looks French thing.
