Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Break Up the Yankees!
Yankees-Red Sox, Yankee Stadium. Photo by Karen Barletta, roving reporter.
After two consecutive 6-2 wins (Mets on Sunday, Red Sox on Monday), things suddenly look a little hopeful in Yankeeland. It's amazing what a win can do for the morale of a team and its fans. The Yanks took the first game of a 3-game series vs the Sox yesterday. Wang was tough, and made the pitches he needed to keep the big bats at bay. Bruney and Proctor were solid out of the bullpen, as usual, and even Farnsworth didn't give up his usual run.
Crazy moment of the night for me: a lumbering David Ortiz trying (and succeeding) to stretch a single into a double against the strong arm of Bobby Abreu. Wow! Do we have to worry about this guys legs now too?
Tonights matchup: Tavárez vs Mussina.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Homer Simpson's all-time baseball team
Saw this on FoxSports:
Homer says: I first fell in love with baseball as a teenager. Like the players, I was always trying to get to second base in spite of the best efforts of the opposing team. Here's my all-time major league baseball roster.
Catcher: Yogi Berra
Hit home runs and stole picnic baskets. I like his life partner Boo Boo as well.
First Base: Bill Buckner
I've had a lot of things go through my legs too, so I can relate. Plus I know what it's like to be hated by a whole city.
Second Base: Billy Martin
Only major league player to get in more drunken bar brawls than me.
Third Base: Pete Rose
He's in my Hall of Fame for helping me place all those bets against the Reds
Shortstop: Cal Ripken Jr.
We share a special kinship, because I've been late to work 2,632 consecutive days.
Outfield: Harmon Killebrew
His name is what I do every night at Moe's.
Outfield: Ty Cobb
A great hitter, and he invented an awesome salad full of bacon and cheese.
Outfield: Ted Williams
Greatest hitter who ever lived, and he was just a frozen head! Just think what he could've done with a whole body.
Designated Hitter: That guy from "The Natural"
It was so cool when he broke that light and then ran in slow motion.
Starting Pitcher: Vida Blue
Hell of an arm, and his last name reminds me of the color of my pants.
Starting Pitcher: Sandy Koufax
Like him, I refuse to work on all Jewish holidays. L'chaim!
Relief Pitcher: Goose Gossage
Mmm, goose at the end of the game.
Now play ball, everybody!
Homer says: I first fell in love with baseball as a teenager. Like the players, I was always trying to get to second base in spite of the best efforts of the opposing team. Here's my all-time major league baseball roster.
Catcher: Yogi Berra
Hit home runs and stole picnic baskets. I like his life partner Boo Boo as well.
First Base: Bill Buckner
I've had a lot of things go through my legs too, so I can relate. Plus I know what it's like to be hated by a whole city.
Second Base: Billy Martin
Only major league player to get in more drunken bar brawls than me.
Third Base: Pete Rose
He's in my Hall of Fame for helping me place all those bets against the Reds
Shortstop: Cal Ripken Jr.
We share a special kinship, because I've been late to work 2,632 consecutive days.
Outfield: Harmon Killebrew
His name is what I do every night at Moe's.
Outfield: Ty Cobb
A great hitter, and he invented an awesome salad full of bacon and cheese.
Outfield: Ted Williams
Greatest hitter who ever lived, and he was just a frozen head! Just think what he could've done with a whole body.
Designated Hitter: That guy from "The Natural"
It was so cool when he broke that light and then ran in slow motion.
Starting Pitcher: Vida Blue
Hell of an arm, and his last name reminds me of the color of my pants.
Starting Pitcher: Sandy Koufax
Like him, I refuse to work on all Jewish holidays. L'chaim!
Relief Pitcher: Goose Gossage
Mmm, goose at the end of the game.
Now play ball, everybody!
Giambi: "We made a mistake."
As steroids-boy Barry Bonds closes in on Hank Aaron's all-time career homerun record of 755 dingers, Jason Giambi came clean to a USA Today reporter:
"I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up — players, ownership, everybody — and said: 'We made a mistake.'
"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. … Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."
Today MLB ordered Giambi to keep his yap shut. Seems like they still want to avoid the subject.
Meanwhile "in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 8% of 469 baseball fans surveyed this month said they currently consider Bonds to be the greatest all-time home run hitter. And even if Bonds hits his 756th home run to pass Aaron — which is likely to happen soon; Bonds has 745 — only 34% of fans said they would acknowledge Bonds as the best."
Hank Aaron already has said he won't be in attendance when Bonds breaks the record. MLB commissioner Selig hasn't committed either. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound?
"I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up — players, ownership, everybody — and said: 'We made a mistake.'
"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. … Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."
Today MLB ordered Giambi to keep his yap shut. Seems like they still want to avoid the subject.
Meanwhile "in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 8% of 469 baseball fans surveyed this month said they currently consider Bonds to be the greatest all-time home run hitter. And even if Bonds hits his 756th home run to pass Aaron — which is likely to happen soon; Bonds has 745 — only 34% of fans said they would acknowledge Bonds as the best."
Hank Aaron already has said he won't be in attendance when Bonds breaks the record. MLB commissioner Selig hasn't committed either. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound?
