WDJDD? He said, “No thanks,” to a return to Boston and I take back all the bad things I’ve been saying about Johnny Damon’s play in leftfield. No, I don’t actually, but I am still proud of him for sticking it out in the Motor City and leaving the chowder where it should be…
Crazy play at the plate in the 2nd: Thames bowls over Buck and the ball rolls free. Thames nailed the catcher but missed the plate. Buck was able to grab the ball and lunge for Thames and tag him out before he could get the six feet or so back to the plate…
But the Yanks started using the long ball – three of them in 3rd – to take a 6-0 lead and knock out some guy whose name I won’t even attempt to spell: it starts with Rz. Granderson hit a 3-run shot and Jeet a solo in the 5th en route to another laugher, 11-5.
Although I am not sure if I had ever seen a firstbaseman knock his own pitcher on his ass as the former was catching a popfly on the mound, but I did see that yesterday.
Crazier than Thames getting nailed at the plate was Adam Lind getting thrown out at the dish being nine freakin’ runs down. Granderson made a perfect throw and Posada looked a little surprised to see Lind coming his way, but made the easy tag. Jays would have still had the bases loaded, but we’ll take the blunder…
This blog will be going on hiatus for the next few weeks.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
August 24, 2010
WWJDDII
Last night the Yankees fielded six out of nine position players who were homegrown: Cano, Pena, Nunez, Cervelli, Gardner and Ivan Nova, making his first career start. And even if the Captain and Jorge were in the lineup it would have still been that many.
Singleton and Flaherty did a pretty great Michael Kay impersonation talking about all the possibilities Girardi would have if Nova pitched well. The bases were loaded before you knew it; took all of 7 freakin’ pitches. But, Fred Lewis must have checked last year’s scouting report and thought Damon was still in left. That’s the only reason I see him trying to score on a shallow fly to left. Gardner positioned himself perfectly and nailed Lewis at the plate, following a great block of the plate by the Cisco kid. Nova K’d the next guy to get out of his 1st inning bases-loaded, no-outs jam.
Morrow’s tough. The only runs the Yanks scored all night were from the 2 guys he walked. Both were knocked in by doubles by Cano and Posada.
Bautista doesn’t miss any these days. The only big mistake Nova made was a hanger to baseball’s leading home-run hitter. And I think Girardi was too quick with the hook. I don’t know, maybe it was the much ado-about-nothing escapade following Nova’s up, but not in, pitch to Bautista in the 6th that lead to a benches-clearing just-standing-around that had Joe pull the kid. For the record: Nova did not back down one iota when Bautista started wandering to the mound, bat in hand.
But you got to give it to Bautista and his way of getting payback. Even before his game-winning shot was in the seats, Bautista was glaring at Robertson, who gave it up. That was Bautista’s 40th long-ball this season; his previous season high was 16. He seems to have some anger issues, too. Hmm… How natural is that?
Cano walks to start the 9th, Posada gives one a ride that dies on the warning track, Gardner gets called looking at a pitch that was a foot outside (seriously) and Jeter, pinch-hitting, pops out to end it: Yanks lose 3-2.
Turned Rangers/Twins on in the 6th just because – and I don’t write the words “no hitter” in my notes and the Texas announcers don’t say the words until skipper Washington comes out to talk to Harden (just off the DL) with 2 outs in the 7th and 111 pitches. And after a really long discussion, Harden is yanked and it goes to the bullpen to try and complete MLB’s 10th staff no hitter.]
A few dumb, but loud Ranger fans, chant “O’Day” to the incessant tune of “Ole” when reliever Darren O’Day is on the mound. It sure ain’t “Hip, Hip, Jorge!” I’ll tell you that, but he did strike out the side in the 8th to keep it going despite the chant.
Funny thing is the Rangers announcers don’t say “no hitter” again and act like they never said it in the first place. In the dug-out, Harden’s teammate Tommy Hunter is now yap-yapping in his ear as he watches Perez try and nail it down. And then Mauer breaks it up with a clean hit with one out in the 9th.
Word is that the Red Sox made a waivers claim on Johnny Damon, mostly to keep him from the Rays and maybe even Yanks. Damon had put Boston on his no-trade list, so it will be interesting to watch and see if he waives that and goes back to that dread place…
WWJDDII
Last night the Yankees fielded six out of nine position players who were homegrown: Cano, Pena, Nunez, Cervelli, Gardner and Ivan Nova, making his first career start. And even if the Captain and Jorge were in the lineup it would have still been that many.
Singleton and Flaherty did a pretty great Michael Kay impersonation talking about all the possibilities Girardi would have if Nova pitched well. The bases were loaded before you knew it; took all of 7 freakin’ pitches. But, Fred Lewis must have checked last year’s scouting report and thought Damon was still in left. That’s the only reason I see him trying to score on a shallow fly to left. Gardner positioned himself perfectly and nailed Lewis at the plate, following a great block of the plate by the Cisco kid. Nova K’d the next guy to get out of his 1st inning bases-loaded, no-outs jam.
Morrow’s tough. The only runs the Yanks scored all night were from the 2 guys he walked. Both were knocked in by doubles by Cano and Posada.
Bautista doesn’t miss any these days. The only big mistake Nova made was a hanger to baseball’s leading home-run hitter. And I think Girardi was too quick with the hook. I don’t know, maybe it was the much ado-about-nothing escapade following Nova’s up, but not in, pitch to Bautista in the 6th that lead to a benches-clearing just-standing-around that had Joe pull the kid. For the record: Nova did not back down one iota when Bautista started wandering to the mound, bat in hand.
But you got to give it to Bautista and his way of getting payback. Even before his game-winning shot was in the seats, Bautista was glaring at Robertson, who gave it up. That was Bautista’s 40th long-ball this season; his previous season high was 16. He seems to have some anger issues, too. Hmm… How natural is that?
Cano walks to start the 9th, Posada gives one a ride that dies on the warning track, Gardner gets called looking at a pitch that was a foot outside (seriously) and Jeter, pinch-hitting, pops out to end it: Yanks lose 3-2.
Turned Rangers/Twins on in the 6th just because – and I don’t write the words “no hitter” in my notes and the Texas announcers don’t say the words until skipper Washington comes out to talk to Harden (just off the DL) with 2 outs in the 7th and 111 pitches. And after a really long discussion, Harden is yanked and it goes to the bullpen to try and complete MLB’s 10th staff no hitter.]
A few dumb, but loud Ranger fans, chant “O’Day” to the incessant tune of “Ole” when reliever Darren O’Day is on the mound. It sure ain’t “Hip, Hip, Jorge!” I’ll tell you that, but he did strike out the side in the 8th to keep it going despite the chant.
Funny thing is the Rangers announcers don’t say “no hitter” again and act like they never said it in the first place. In the dug-out, Harden’s teammate Tommy Hunter is now yap-yapping in his ear as he watches Perez try and nail it down. And then Mauer breaks it up with a clean hit with one out in the 9th.
Word is that the Red Sox made a waivers claim on Johnny Damon, mostly to keep him from the Rays and maybe even Yanks. Damon had put Boston on his no-trade list, so it will be interesting to watch and see if he waives that and goes back to that dread place…
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hasta La Vista, Lou...
August 23, 2010
Baseball saw the end of active duty of one of its all-time great characters, Sweet Lou Piniella, yesterday. I really could have predicted this before his earlier-than-expected announcement, but them’s the breaks. And watching the end of the Cubs game on Friday made it just so crystal clear that Lou was done. He shall be missed by baseball and by me…
What do you say about a 10-0 blanking of the Mariners? Interim manager Daren Brown walked Tex intentionally to face Cano with the bases loaded of a 1-0 game. Quick as a cobra, Cano made it 5-0, which was the Yanks 10th grand slam of the season, tying a team record. And that put the game out of reach with CC on his game and the bullpen called into service earlier than expected due to an hour rain delay continued and completed the shut-out.
The game had been so quiet into the 4th that at times all you could hear coming from the stands was the sound of someone banging a metal spoon on Freddy’s pot. And then – boom – Kearns put one out and it was Yankee Stadium again.
Of course, there was the classic Kay moment: Kay says, “CC hasn’t allowed a hit,” and even before the words are all the way out of his big, fat mouth a single is being lined into the outfield.
So, it’s been nearly three weeks since the CEO was supposed to get back to me with either and offer or an official pass on my spec script. She’s on my phone call list for today; it will go something along the lines of me saying I’m calling to “catch up.” Don’t cross your fingers for me; they may freeze like that…
If you like really good intense action flicks, I cannot recommend 1985’s “Fair Game” highly enough. It’s an Australian flick, some what in the same vein as “Straw Dogs” if I had to pigeon-hole it, but it’s shot so well and so creatively and the stunts are just sick. See it if you’re of the mind…
Th-th-th-that’s it folks…
Baseball saw the end of active duty of one of its all-time great characters, Sweet Lou Piniella, yesterday. I really could have predicted this before his earlier-than-expected announcement, but them’s the breaks. And watching the end of the Cubs game on Friday made it just so crystal clear that Lou was done. He shall be missed by baseball and by me…
What do you say about a 10-0 blanking of the Mariners? Interim manager Daren Brown walked Tex intentionally to face Cano with the bases loaded of a 1-0 game. Quick as a cobra, Cano made it 5-0, which was the Yanks 10th grand slam of the season, tying a team record. And that put the game out of reach with CC on his game and the bullpen called into service earlier than expected due to an hour rain delay continued and completed the shut-out.
The game had been so quiet into the 4th that at times all you could hear coming from the stands was the sound of someone banging a metal spoon on Freddy’s pot. And then – boom – Kearns put one out and it was Yankee Stadium again.
Of course, there was the classic Kay moment: Kay says, “CC hasn’t allowed a hit,” and even before the words are all the way out of his big, fat mouth a single is being lined into the outfield.
So, it’s been nearly three weeks since the CEO was supposed to get back to me with either and offer or an official pass on my spec script. She’s on my phone call list for today; it will go something along the lines of me saying I’m calling to “catch up.” Don’t cross your fingers for me; they may freeze like that…
If you like really good intense action flicks, I cannot recommend 1985’s “Fair Game” highly enough. It’s an Australian flick, some what in the same vein as “Straw Dogs” if I had to pigeon-hole it, but it’s shot so well and so creatively and the stunts are just sick. See it if you’re of the mind…
Th-th-th-that’s it folks…
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Weekend Edition
August 22, 2010
Russell Branyan, who had never had a hit against Javy Vazquez that didn’t leave the park, almost took him out of Yankee Stadium completely yesterday afternoon. Okay, not quite, but the first inning moon shot was the first into the upper deck of the new Stadium. Unlike the old Yankee Stadium, which still didn’t have the over-hang of old Tiger Stadium, the current upper deck is way back, back, back… Branyan, by the way, is also the only guy so far to hit what serves as the batter’s eye in the new place. In case you’re wondering: 10AB, 4HR Branyan vs. Javy.
So, during the game, Kay starts talking to Singleton about their upcoming trip to Chicago and what live music may be available in that city when they’re there. Iggy Pop? “Next,” said Singleton. Weird Al? “He’s funny.” The Smithereens? “Never heard of ‘em.”
Did I say Gaudin was the “last man in the Yankee pen,” and that, “he should be worried,” when Aceves and Marte return? Perhaps I even hinted that the only reason he’s there is to serve as Yankee enforcer in beanball wars? Well, that last man really saved the Yanks and Javy’s bacon yesterday with 3 innings of no-run ball in those pesky middle innings.
Baseball really seems intent on waiting for someone to get hurt from a shattered bat (ie Steve Yeager) before rendering a judgment and making changes as to what is an acceptable piece of lumber in MLB.
Eduardo Nunez, perhaps the Yankee shortstop of the future, got his 1st major league hit in the 7th to knock in what proved to be the winning run. When he was tossed the ball, he kissed it before handing it off …
Kay defends the wave and later informs us that it started at a bullfight in Spain many years ago, rather than “on the West Coast, probably” as he opined before looking it up. I have to admit: I would have thought it started out here, too…
Mo got his first 4-out save of the season although he gave up one. Yanks 9-5 W.
And then there was Randy Winn taking Lincecum deep. Really? Randy freakin’ Winn? If you need any more proof that the Freak ain’t right, well, there it is, even if the Giants announcers applauded his performance as improved.
Those same Giant announcers seem to have a lot of fun taking the piss out of Chris Carpenter, likening his mean disposition on the mound and berating his fielders who make errors behind him. For me it was nice hearing the name Gaylord Perry mentioned a few times. Krukow and Kuiper also like to make fun of Card fans in general, although they backed off the last bit a little.
But it was mostly Krukow getting on Carpenter with a bat in his hands: “Quit the whine. Get up there and hit.” And then on Holliday’s complaining “Gumby” shoulders: “It says a lot about you as a player, I think.” But the Giants fell to Carpenter.
Russell Branyan, who had never had a hit against Javy Vazquez that didn’t leave the park, almost took him out of Yankee Stadium completely yesterday afternoon. Okay, not quite, but the first inning moon shot was the first into the upper deck of the new Stadium. Unlike the old Yankee Stadium, which still didn’t have the over-hang of old Tiger Stadium, the current upper deck is way back, back, back… Branyan, by the way, is also the only guy so far to hit what serves as the batter’s eye in the new place. In case you’re wondering: 10AB, 4HR Branyan vs. Javy.
So, during the game, Kay starts talking to Singleton about their upcoming trip to Chicago and what live music may be available in that city when they’re there. Iggy Pop? “Next,” said Singleton. Weird Al? “He’s funny.” The Smithereens? “Never heard of ‘em.”
Did I say Gaudin was the “last man in the Yankee pen,” and that, “he should be worried,” when Aceves and Marte return? Perhaps I even hinted that the only reason he’s there is to serve as Yankee enforcer in beanball wars? Well, that last man really saved the Yanks and Javy’s bacon yesterday with 3 innings of no-run ball in those pesky middle innings.
Baseball really seems intent on waiting for someone to get hurt from a shattered bat (ie Steve Yeager) before rendering a judgment and making changes as to what is an acceptable piece of lumber in MLB.
Eduardo Nunez, perhaps the Yankee shortstop of the future, got his 1st major league hit in the 7th to knock in what proved to be the winning run. When he was tossed the ball, he kissed it before handing it off …
Kay defends the wave and later informs us that it started at a bullfight in Spain many years ago, rather than “on the West Coast, probably” as he opined before looking it up. I have to admit: I would have thought it started out here, too…
Mo got his first 4-out save of the season although he gave up one. Yanks 9-5 W.
And then there was Randy Winn taking Lincecum deep. Really? Randy freakin’ Winn? If you need any more proof that the Freak ain’t right, well, there it is, even if the Giants announcers applauded his performance as improved.
Those same Giant announcers seem to have a lot of fun taking the piss out of Chris Carpenter, likening his mean disposition on the mound and berating his fielders who make errors behind him. For me it was nice hearing the name Gaylord Perry mentioned a few times. Krukow and Kuiper also like to make fun of Card fans in general, although they backed off the last bit a little.
But it was mostly Krukow getting on Carpenter with a bat in his hands: “Quit the whine. Get up there and hit.” And then on Holliday’s complaining “Gumby” shoulders: “It says a lot about you as a player, I think.” But the Giants fell to Carpenter.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Good Laugher-Noon in the Bronx...
August 20, 2010
Looks as if Kevin Long is working on Curtis Granderson’s defense in centerfield, too. Grandy really was topnotch versus his old mates and if he can keep hitting, the lineup gets longer and better. He made a sick catch in the left-center gap – not only getting to the ball, but avoiding Gardner (who may have tipped it into Granderson’s outstretched glove even if the official scorer didn’t rule it a 7-8 put-out) – and the most amusing part was then watching all the guys in the Yanks pen running out to be able to see the replay on the big screen up over their heads.
And yeah, the Yanks were tied 2-2 in the 6th and Paul O’Neill and Kay start joking about their game perhaps not ending before the Sox and Rays’ games on this coast (give or take) and that’s when the Yanks decided to make it a laugher with a nine-run outburst…
I think I nearly feel sorry for Mike Lowell. He is obviously playing really hard whilst also being really hurt; he can barely jog to first. But you have to applaud him especially considering he’s playing for a team that has very clearly been trying to dump him ever since the Sox signed Beltre in the off-season. How desperate (before Youkilis was gone for the year) were the Red Sox to rid themselves of Lowell? There was talk of trading him to the Evil Empire and the Yanks and Sox haven’t made a trade in quite a number of years now. But seeing Beckett knocked out after 6 1/3 and taking the loss was nice. It’s stunning actually that Boston has been able to stick around despite their insanely injury plagued season (excuse me a moment as I dry my tears) but it’s time for them to be buried and the dirt thrown down…
Meanwhile, out in Oakland, Coco Crisp is lookin’ goooooood. He helped the A’s put away the Rays with his now very healthy legs (I’d bet good money that the Sox wish they still had him now, especially with Cameron done for the year (did he even play?)) and pulled back what would have been a long homerun to dead center at the Oakland Coliseum (and yes, I know it’s no longer named that).
That’s it. Go take a walk…
Looks as if Kevin Long is working on Curtis Granderson’s defense in centerfield, too. Grandy really was topnotch versus his old mates and if he can keep hitting, the lineup gets longer and better. He made a sick catch in the left-center gap – not only getting to the ball, but avoiding Gardner (who may have tipped it into Granderson’s outstretched glove even if the official scorer didn’t rule it a 7-8 put-out) – and the most amusing part was then watching all the guys in the Yanks pen running out to be able to see the replay on the big screen up over their heads.
And yeah, the Yanks were tied 2-2 in the 6th and Paul O’Neill and Kay start joking about their game perhaps not ending before the Sox and Rays’ games on this coast (give or take) and that’s when the Yanks decided to make it a laugher with a nine-run outburst…
I think I nearly feel sorry for Mike Lowell. He is obviously playing really hard whilst also being really hurt; he can barely jog to first. But you have to applaud him especially considering he’s playing for a team that has very clearly been trying to dump him ever since the Sox signed Beltre in the off-season. How desperate (before Youkilis was gone for the year) were the Red Sox to rid themselves of Lowell? There was talk of trading him to the Evil Empire and the Yanks and Sox haven’t made a trade in quite a number of years now. But seeing Beckett knocked out after 6 1/3 and taking the loss was nice. It’s stunning actually that Boston has been able to stick around despite their insanely injury plagued season (excuse me a moment as I dry my tears) but it’s time for them to be buried and the dirt thrown down…
Meanwhile, out in Oakland, Coco Crisp is lookin’ goooooood. He helped the A’s put away the Rays with his now very healthy legs (I’d bet good money that the Sox wish they still had him now, especially with Cameron done for the year (did he even play?)) and pulled back what would have been a long homerun to dead center at the Oakland Coliseum (and yes, I know it’s no longer named that).
That’s it. Go take a walk…
Thursday, August 19, 2010
FREE BEER...
August 19, 2010
FREE BEER or REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED STUPIDLY
To me, Gardner’s hard, but clean slide into Guillen in Monday’s Yankees/Tigers game was such a non-issue, I didn’t even mention it. Jim Leyland said, “it was clean,” but perhaps the secondbaseman’s eventual trip to the DL got into yesterday’s Tiger starter, Jeremy Bonderman’s head. Brett Gardner, still wearing the lucky new shoes and leading off in Girardi’s A-Rod-less, shuffled line-up, gets hit in the leg to lead off the game. Now, intentionally putting one of the league’s leading base-stealers on base doesn’t seem like smart baseball to me, but the Tigers ain’t going anywhere, so…
Before Gardy even has a chance to make it sting back, the homeplate ump (also the crew chief) warns both benches: no inside pitches, no retaliation – doing so is supposed to mean instant ejection for both the pitcher and his manager. Gardner didn’t even have to swipe second base; Teixeira soon followed with a two-run shot, followed back-to-back by Cano and the Yanks were up 3-0. That’s the best way to answer a bean-ball…
I was indisposed for a few innings during the middle frames of the contest, but I was watching in the 8th when Joe Girardi brought in Chad Gaudin with a 9-4 lead. Gaudin plunks Miguel Cabrera squarely. Cabrera had two dingers earlier in the game, so if you’re looking for someone to hit – he’s the man, right? If Gardner’s HBP was intentional, then this one had to be, too. I had the feeling that Gaudin, who really is the last man in the bullpen (and perhaps one of the guys who should be worried with the imminent returns of Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves to the pen from the DL) is something of a Yankee enforcer. Sure enough, the numbers back it up: the only pitcher who has hit more is AJ Burnett who leads the league with 14. Gaudin’s beaned 6 in 45 innings. Next up is Sabathia with 4 over 181 innings; no other Yankee hurler has more than 3. I think the point is made.
But here’s where homeplate ump Eric Cooper lost total control of the ballgame. He didn’t toss Gaudin, he didn’t toss Girardi. Jim Leyland lost his mind – and rightfully so. But after he wouldn’t let it go from the dugout, Cooper did toss Leyland. And at that point, how could the ump toss the next Tigers pitcher who threw up and behind Jeter’s back? Girardi had to bitch a little, but really, what could he say? The Yanks, being pro’s and having SOMETHING to play for, let it die there. We’ll see if cooler heads prevail this afternoon as they wrap up the series.
Tuned in Twins/Sox in time to see Capps come in again in the 9th to try and nail one down. He gave up one run, but stranded the tying one this time, getting Ramirez to close it, 7-6.
Fire Minaya? Makes sense. Fire Manuel? It’s about time. Fire K-Rod? Sure thing, but while you’re at it, why don’t you just fire the whole Mets team? The only thing worse than a Mets game is an extra inning one. They should have to give out free beer at any Mets game (home or road) that goes past 10 innings. I was literally killing time when I tuned into the Mets/Astros 2-2 game in the 11th. Somehow the Mets eeked out a win in 14, 3-2.
Dodgers/Rockies? Ibid*
• Okay, I told myself I was going to turn that one off when it went to extra innings. I tuned in 2-2 in the 6th and you could just tell it would go long and the Dodgers would find a way to lose it. And at least Octavio Dotel had the decency to blow it in the 10th. With Jason Giambi at the dish and two out, two on, Dotel uncorked what I think was three straight wild pitches, bringing in the eventual winning run. The Dodgers did try to make it interesting for all their fans who had already long since gone home in the bottom of the tenth. But trying to score from first on a bloop to center saw the Dodger “runner” tagged out in the face (really) and by a mile at the plate to end it… 3-2 in 10.
FREE BEER or REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED STUPIDLY
To me, Gardner’s hard, but clean slide into Guillen in Monday’s Yankees/Tigers game was such a non-issue, I didn’t even mention it. Jim Leyland said, “it was clean,” but perhaps the secondbaseman’s eventual trip to the DL got into yesterday’s Tiger starter, Jeremy Bonderman’s head. Brett Gardner, still wearing the lucky new shoes and leading off in Girardi’s A-Rod-less, shuffled line-up, gets hit in the leg to lead off the game. Now, intentionally putting one of the league’s leading base-stealers on base doesn’t seem like smart baseball to me, but the Tigers ain’t going anywhere, so…
Before Gardy even has a chance to make it sting back, the homeplate ump (also the crew chief) warns both benches: no inside pitches, no retaliation – doing so is supposed to mean instant ejection for both the pitcher and his manager. Gardner didn’t even have to swipe second base; Teixeira soon followed with a two-run shot, followed back-to-back by Cano and the Yanks were up 3-0. That’s the best way to answer a bean-ball…
I was indisposed for a few innings during the middle frames of the contest, but I was watching in the 8th when Joe Girardi brought in Chad Gaudin with a 9-4 lead. Gaudin plunks Miguel Cabrera squarely. Cabrera had two dingers earlier in the game, so if you’re looking for someone to hit – he’s the man, right? If Gardner’s HBP was intentional, then this one had to be, too. I had the feeling that Gaudin, who really is the last man in the bullpen (and perhaps one of the guys who should be worried with the imminent returns of Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves to the pen from the DL) is something of a Yankee enforcer. Sure enough, the numbers back it up: the only pitcher who has hit more is AJ Burnett who leads the league with 14. Gaudin’s beaned 6 in 45 innings. Next up is Sabathia with 4 over 181 innings; no other Yankee hurler has more than 3. I think the point is made.
But here’s where homeplate ump Eric Cooper lost total control of the ballgame. He didn’t toss Gaudin, he didn’t toss Girardi. Jim Leyland lost his mind – and rightfully so. But after he wouldn’t let it go from the dugout, Cooper did toss Leyland. And at that point, how could the ump toss the next Tigers pitcher who threw up and behind Jeter’s back? Girardi had to bitch a little, but really, what could he say? The Yanks, being pro’s and having SOMETHING to play for, let it die there. We’ll see if cooler heads prevail this afternoon as they wrap up the series.
Tuned in Twins/Sox in time to see Capps come in again in the 9th to try and nail one down. He gave up one run, but stranded the tying one this time, getting Ramirez to close it, 7-6.
Fire Minaya? Makes sense. Fire Manuel? It’s about time. Fire K-Rod? Sure thing, but while you’re at it, why don’t you just fire the whole Mets team? The only thing worse than a Mets game is an extra inning one. They should have to give out free beer at any Mets game (home or road) that goes past 10 innings. I was literally killing time when I tuned into the Mets/Astros 2-2 game in the 11th. Somehow the Mets eeked out a win in 14, 3-2.
Dodgers/Rockies? Ibid*
• Okay, I told myself I was going to turn that one off when it went to extra innings. I tuned in 2-2 in the 6th and you could just tell it would go long and the Dodgers would find a way to lose it. And at least Octavio Dotel had the decency to blow it in the 10th. With Jason Giambi at the dish and two out, two on, Dotel uncorked what I think was three straight wild pitches, bringing in the eventual winning run. The Dodgers did try to make it interesting for all their fans who had already long since gone home in the bottom of the tenth. But trying to score from first on a bloop to center saw the Dodger “runner” tagged out in the face (really) and by a mile at the plate to end it… 3-2 in 10.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
RIP Bobby Thompson and stuff...
August 18, 2010
So, what did I say? After scoring one run over two games (both losses, too) against the Royals and Tigers, Gardner tried new shoes, Cervilli pulled on batting gloves (have I mentioned how much I like the fact that the Cisco kid is following in Jorge’s footsteps and batting bare-handed?) and then, later in one of the losses, what appears to be the Mets’ David Wright’s #5 Wilson thirdbaseman’s glove (have I mentioned how good it is NOT to be a Mets’ fan?) and all for naught.
But then last night, the Tigers throw their ace and, really one of the finest right-handers in the league over the last few years, against the Yanks. The key to Verlander, as well as a number of frontline starters, is get him early or you probably won’t. The Yanks go out and score two in the first, one more in the second and were a single away from putting the game away in both frames. But they made Verlander throw 98 pitches over the first four, got him out early and CC Sabathia made that stand up in line for his league-leading 16th W of the year, 6-2. So there…
Tuned in to the end of the White Sox/Twins game just in time to see their new closer, Matt Capps (for whom the Twins apparently gave up a very prized prospect at the July 31st deadline) blow the save in the top of the 9th via a dinger by Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez also knocked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th off of Rauch, who had been the closer until the arrival of Capps from the Nats. Rauch was only closing due to the injury of Joe Nathan, anyway. Rauch, by the way, is this huge Aussie who is covered with ink. In the last few seasons, visible tattoos have become acceptable in MLB, but Rauch probably takes the cake: he’s inked all the way up the neck on his 6’10” frame… Then Jim Thome gets them both off the hook with a 2-run dinger – a no doubt about it shot – in the bottom of the 10th for what was the very first walk-off win for the Twins in their new, beautiful outdoor ballpark.
RIP Bobby Thompson. I spoke of you last week and I’m a little embarrassed that the signed, framed photo I have of you in my writing studio features you in a Milwaukee Braves hat and not the famed New York Giant one. Coincidentally, my father takes a ten year old’s credit for “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in 1951…
Boy howdy, I’m glad that my Dad gave up on baseball when the Giants left New York for the West Coast and that I didn’t somehow wind up a Mets fan…
I am also happy that I’m not on a pitch count (I guess for writers it’s a “word count”). This statistic has become one of the most prevalent ones in the pitching game, especially over the last handful of years. YES broadcasts feature pitch totals along with the score, balls, strikes, outs, etc. Girardi would have yanked CC when he had a no-hitter going late into an early season game. Gardenhire yanked Kevin Slowey a few days back with a no-no in the 7th only to see Rauch give it up quickly. Last night, Morrow came out of the Jays/A’s game after four innings and less than 90 pitches because he threw 137 in his near no-hitter (took it to two outs in the 9th) and now they’re “protecting” him. But I just want to throw out one name, and really that’s all it should take, to prove the case in point that throwing pitches and no-hitters don’t necessarily mean the end of effectiveness and impact a hurler’s longevity: Nolan Ryan (who I am also sure is very happy he didn’t wind up pitching longer for the Mets).
Monday, August 16, 2010
Bullied by Bullington, et al
August 16, 2010
Watching the Yankees lose to yet another fourth starter that they had never faced previously in Kansas City (of all places) yesterday actually lifted my spirits. And not really because Burnett, after a rocky first in which he gave up the winning and only run of the game, settled down and ate innings and kept his club in the game. If the playoffs started today, the Yanks wouldn’t have to face Texas in the opening round, which, because of Cliff Lee’s presence in the role of ace, is what teams are seemingly wanting to avoid. But, the Yanks beat the Phils in the Series last year with Lee, et al. And we beat him in Texas last week despite being down 6-1 at one point in that contest.
All season long, the thing that has stymied the ballclub from the Bronx are these journeymen, rookies and soft-tossers. Actually, as far back as I can recall, those sorts of garbage-throwers have always caused the Yankee hitters trouble. This year it’s been narrowed down to guys they are facing for the first time. Bring ‘em in again, and if we don’t get to him early, we get to him the second trip through the lineup. But the Yanks won’t get bullied by guys like Bullington (congrats are in order to the twenty-nine year old righty on his FIRST major league W) in the playoffs. They won’t face guys like him or Chen or Arietta. Come playoff time, the Yankee lineup will be hitting against guys that they have seen; many of them time and time again. And those very professional Yankee hitters (many under the highly lauded tutelage of hitting coach Kevin Long, of whom A-Rod labeled “a genius”) know how to work over pitchers.
Now that pitch count is used as much, if not more, than the manager or pitching coach’s eyes or even the radar gun. When Swisher alone sees twenty-five to thirty pitches a game by himself, the Yanks as a team are very successful at tiring starters – no matter who they are (see exceptions above) – which leads to pitches to hit and they hit those more than they don’t (well, except for Granderson who still seems lost in the batter’s box more than he doesn’t).
I guess I will now have to watch Damon play leftfield in the new Yankee Stadium for a few days, but it will be in those Detroit grays. Even Posada may be able to score from second base on a single to left…
Last night, I enjoyed a pretty good punk rock movie double-feature, courtesy of Netflix. As part of a tribute to Roger Corman, a whole slew of his productions have been released or re-released on dvd in the last few months. “Suburbia,” Penelope Spheeris’ narrative feature debut, still stands up as good as it did when it first came out in 1983. It’s funny for me to reflect, as a dyed-in-the-black-leather New York punk, that the two best “punk rock movies” came out of the Los Angeles scene within a year of each other. The aforementioned and the no need for an introduction “Repo Man,” in case you were wondering.
Suburbia, and Spheeris’ great directorial choice of casting “real” punks (including one “Mike B, the Flea” as Razzle) instead of trying to turn Hollywood actors into them. The Alex Gibson s/t which I loved then is still really, really effective. The live performances by DI, TSOL and The Vandals are really good and mostly worked into the plot. And although they’re kids and “rejected” by society they do attempt to make their own little corner of hell, live well in it and take care of each other as best they can.
The second flick, “You Weren’t There” is about the punk rock scene from Chicago 1977-1984. And when it started I thought it was going to go the elitist way that the last Strummer doc’ went: I didn’t know who is talking which was taking me out of the thing. I thought: look at your title. You’re right; I wasn’t there so outside of Steve Albini, I didn’t recognize a punk in the bunch. But that was just for the intro and I am glad I hadn’t turned off of it. Some great music, some really forgettable, funny stuff and a whole bunch of still hot and amusing, still bitter rivalries and feuds that I don’t think anyone outside of the Windy City had a clue about. A number of them featured the aforementioned Albini, but he’s not alone in his dislike for Vic Bondi, and nor was anyone else. I highly recommend this double-feature to anyone interested in the subject matter.
And, according to my calendar, tomorrow is Tuesday. You know what that means, right? The CEO gets back to me on “Crawlspace Charlie” with either an offer or an official pass. Again.
Watching the Yankees lose to yet another fourth starter that they had never faced previously in Kansas City (of all places) yesterday actually lifted my spirits. And not really because Burnett, after a rocky first in which he gave up the winning and only run of the game, settled down and ate innings and kept his club in the game. If the playoffs started today, the Yanks wouldn’t have to face Texas in the opening round, which, because of Cliff Lee’s presence in the role of ace, is what teams are seemingly wanting to avoid. But, the Yanks beat the Phils in the Series last year with Lee, et al. And we beat him in Texas last week despite being down 6-1 at one point in that contest.
All season long, the thing that has stymied the ballclub from the Bronx are these journeymen, rookies and soft-tossers. Actually, as far back as I can recall, those sorts of garbage-throwers have always caused the Yankee hitters trouble. This year it’s been narrowed down to guys they are facing for the first time. Bring ‘em in again, and if we don’t get to him early, we get to him the second trip through the lineup. But the Yanks won’t get bullied by guys like Bullington (congrats are in order to the twenty-nine year old righty on his FIRST major league W) in the playoffs. They won’t face guys like him or Chen or Arietta. Come playoff time, the Yankee lineup will be hitting against guys that they have seen; many of them time and time again. And those very professional Yankee hitters (many under the highly lauded tutelage of hitting coach Kevin Long, of whom A-Rod labeled “a genius”) know how to work over pitchers.
Now that pitch count is used as much, if not more, than the manager or pitching coach’s eyes or even the radar gun. When Swisher alone sees twenty-five to thirty pitches a game by himself, the Yanks as a team are very successful at tiring starters – no matter who they are (see exceptions above) – which leads to pitches to hit and they hit those more than they don’t (well, except for Granderson who still seems lost in the batter’s box more than he doesn’t).
I guess I will now have to watch Damon play leftfield in the new Yankee Stadium for a few days, but it will be in those Detroit grays. Even Posada may be able to score from second base on a single to left…
Last night, I enjoyed a pretty good punk rock movie double-feature, courtesy of Netflix. As part of a tribute to Roger Corman, a whole slew of his productions have been released or re-released on dvd in the last few months. “Suburbia,” Penelope Spheeris’ narrative feature debut, still stands up as good as it did when it first came out in 1983. It’s funny for me to reflect, as a dyed-in-the-black-leather New York punk, that the two best “punk rock movies” came out of the Los Angeles scene within a year of each other. The aforementioned and the no need for an introduction “Repo Man,” in case you were wondering.
Suburbia, and Spheeris’ great directorial choice of casting “real” punks (including one “Mike B, the Flea” as Razzle) instead of trying to turn Hollywood actors into them. The Alex Gibson s/t which I loved then is still really, really effective. The live performances by DI, TSOL and The Vandals are really good and mostly worked into the plot. And although they’re kids and “rejected” by society they do attempt to make their own little corner of hell, live well in it and take care of each other as best they can.
The second flick, “You Weren’t There” is about the punk rock scene from Chicago 1977-1984. And when it started I thought it was going to go the elitist way that the last Strummer doc’ went: I didn’t know who is talking which was taking me out of the thing. I thought: look at your title. You’re right; I wasn’t there so outside of Steve Albini, I didn’t recognize a punk in the bunch. But that was just for the intro and I am glad I hadn’t turned off of it. Some great music, some really forgettable, funny stuff and a whole bunch of still hot and amusing, still bitter rivalries and feuds that I don’t think anyone outside of the Windy City had a clue about. A number of them featured the aforementioned Albini, but he’s not alone in his dislike for Vic Bondi, and nor was anyone else. I highly recommend this double-feature to anyone interested in the subject matter.
And, according to my calendar, tomorrow is Tuesday. You know what that means, right? The CEO gets back to me on “Crawlspace Charlie” with either an offer or an official pass. Again.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Weekend Edition
Even an eventual loss, prolonged by nearly three hours of rain delays can diminish the fact that Yankee games are so much more pleasant to listen to without Michael Kay. No, this won't be the "Impeach Michael Kay" blog, but games are so much more calm, you can hear your own thoughts once in a while when he is not in the booth. That said, and I am sure Ken Singleton, in Kay's stead, had to read from the script. But, when there have been three hours of rain delays plus a three hour game with a severe lack of clutch hitting in the last three or four frames, and it's nearing 2AM East Coast time, telling fans that they really should stay tuned for the post-game show about the loss to the lowly Royals, I have to fault him, too.
It's like, "Thanks for using AT&T" after you've informed them that your cellphone doesn't work in your house, in your office, that you have approximately six-thousand rollover minutes rolling over in your grave...
It was so nice to turn on the end of the Red Sox/Blue Jays game in the ninth the other day to see Papelbum and Co. blow a nice, big lead. Shame I missed the repeat last night against the Rangers, but perhaps there will be reshowings as the season goes on and on for those Sox.
So, Theriot gets traded from the Cubbies to the Giants as the teams are playing a series. He goes from the hotel to the ballpark on the team bus, but then gets traded across the field. After the game, he is not permitted to take the (Cubs) team bus back to the hotel; Theriot has to take a cab back to stay at the same hotel as his now, former teammates.
Here's really hoping that Granderson finally throwing himself at hitting coach Kevin Long's feet will reap rewards. He has gotten a few hits over the last couple days and Girardi even entrusted him with the 2-hole last night when a heat-exhausted Swish was given most of the day off. That said: I still never miss having to watch Johnny Damon play leftfield...
It's like, "Thanks for using AT&T" after you've informed them that your cellphone doesn't work in your house, in your office, that you have approximately six-thousand rollover minutes rolling over in your grave...
It was so nice to turn on the end of the Red Sox/Blue Jays game in the ninth the other day to see Papelbum and Co. blow a nice, big lead. Shame I missed the repeat last night against the Rangers, but perhaps there will be reshowings as the season goes on and on for those Sox.
So, Theriot gets traded from the Cubbies to the Giants as the teams are playing a series. He goes from the hotel to the ballpark on the team bus, but then gets traded across the field. After the game, he is not permitted to take the (Cubs) team bus back to the hotel; Theriot has to take a cab back to stay at the same hotel as his now, former teammates.
Here's really hoping that Granderson finally throwing himself at hitting coach Kevin Long's feet will reap rewards. He has gotten a few hits over the last couple days and Girardi even entrusted him with the 2-hole last night when a heat-exhausted Swish was given most of the day off. That said: I still never miss having to watch Johnny Damon play leftfield...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
August 12, 2010
Well, for once (maybe twice, this season) I have to agree with the hated Michael Kay: last night’s Yankees/Rangers game really was a nail-biter. I am down to the quick on the middle and ring fingers of my right hand after that one. And if this quick two-game series was indeed a playoff preview, then bring it on!
We went up against them missing Tex for both games. He was back in Connecticut with his wife for the birth of their third child. Now, as a person, I suppose I am all for this newer, kindler MLB; the MLBPA got bereavement time off for their players, now it looks like paternity leave should follow soon thereafter. But normally missing your very hot third-place hitter would be unacceptable to me and, fer chrissakes, it was their third kid; you’d think the bloom would be off that rose. That said, Girardi sure did push the right button, substituting Marcus Thames in the three-hole – 5 hits including the game winner last night hopefully had Tex sleeping better at home despite the newborn…
But knocking out Cliff Lee and beating the Rangers in a game that they expected to have, probably has Ron Washington more than a little worried (and I guess I have to say: I sure hope the painful loss didn’t lead him back to the ya-yo) especially since we did it with a depleted bench and our fifth starter. Javi didn’t get the win; Kerry Wood picked that up for two, scoreless innings. And Mo showed the heart of the Ranger lineup how hard he is to face when a save is on the line.
And personally, I was reminded again, just why Yankee fans stay ‘til the end: worked out great for me during that Sunday night contest out at Chavez Ravine and again yesterday. Wasn’t watching live last night (actually had a training session for recording to the blind & dyslexic (www.rfbd.com, if you’re interested, too) and I must admit, when the Yankees were down 6-1 to Lee and it was getting later and I was getting tired, I seriously considered going to bed. But Thames and company saw fit to make it worth staying up past my bedtime for that great game.
And while I am trumpeting the Yankees, I’d like to point out how good for the game of baseball the travelling team from the Bronx actually is. They were just in Tampa (Yankee Stadium South) for three games. What’s the big deal? Well, it was the first time all season the Rays sold out three games in a row. Coincidence? How about this then: the Rangers had their biggest two-game attendance in the history of their ballclub with the Yanks in. This is a combination of Yankee fans being loyal and dedicated and seeing the team on the road as well as fans in other cities wanting to spend their hard-earned dollars on seeing the World Champions, seeing the stars and seeing the game played the way it is supposed to be played…
Following up on the Tigers announcer bit from yesterday, their color man is former Tiger player, Rod Allen, who I can’t say I recall well at all…
Last bit today comes via the Chicago Cubs telecasts. I don’t think this is a WGN thing; I think it’s more a Fox Sports angle, but whoever directs those telecasts likes to have his cameramen, especially on those hot Mid-West day games, settle the camera on some lovely females in attendance. Now, I am not complaining and again, I can’t give you which announcer said this, but it was classic. The camera is on a very pretty, well-endowed woman as the announcer starts to talk, “Big,” he said as I was thinking something along the same curvaceous lines, “game tomorrow,” he finished up as they cut back to the action…
Well, for once (maybe twice, this season) I have to agree with the hated Michael Kay: last night’s Yankees/Rangers game really was a nail-biter. I am down to the quick on the middle and ring fingers of my right hand after that one. And if this quick two-game series was indeed a playoff preview, then bring it on!
We went up against them missing Tex for both games. He was back in Connecticut with his wife for the birth of their third child. Now, as a person, I suppose I am all for this newer, kindler MLB; the MLBPA got bereavement time off for their players, now it looks like paternity leave should follow soon thereafter. But normally missing your very hot third-place hitter would be unacceptable to me and, fer chrissakes, it was their third kid; you’d think the bloom would be off that rose. That said, Girardi sure did push the right button, substituting Marcus Thames in the three-hole – 5 hits including the game winner last night hopefully had Tex sleeping better at home despite the newborn…
But knocking out Cliff Lee and beating the Rangers in a game that they expected to have, probably has Ron Washington more than a little worried (and I guess I have to say: I sure hope the painful loss didn’t lead him back to the ya-yo) especially since we did it with a depleted bench and our fifth starter. Javi didn’t get the win; Kerry Wood picked that up for two, scoreless innings. And Mo showed the heart of the Ranger lineup how hard he is to face when a save is on the line.
And personally, I was reminded again, just why Yankee fans stay ‘til the end: worked out great for me during that Sunday night contest out at Chavez Ravine and again yesterday. Wasn’t watching live last night (actually had a training session for recording to the blind & dyslexic (www.rfbd.com, if you’re interested, too) and I must admit, when the Yankees were down 6-1 to Lee and it was getting later and I was getting tired, I seriously considered going to bed. But Thames and company saw fit to make it worth staying up past my bedtime for that great game.
And while I am trumpeting the Yankees, I’d like to point out how good for the game of baseball the travelling team from the Bronx actually is. They were just in Tampa (Yankee Stadium South) for three games. What’s the big deal? Well, it was the first time all season the Rays sold out three games in a row. Coincidence? How about this then: the Rangers had their biggest two-game attendance in the history of their ballclub with the Yanks in. This is a combination of Yankee fans being loyal and dedicated and seeing the team on the road as well as fans in other cities wanting to spend their hard-earned dollars on seeing the World Champions, seeing the stars and seeing the game played the way it is supposed to be played…
Following up on the Tigers announcer bit from yesterday, their color man is former Tiger player, Rod Allen, who I can’t say I recall well at all…
Last bit today comes via the Chicago Cubs telecasts. I don’t think this is a WGN thing; I think it’s more a Fox Sports angle, but whoever directs those telecasts likes to have his cameramen, especially on those hot Mid-West day games, settle the camera on some lovely females in attendance. Now, I am not complaining and again, I can’t give you which announcer said this, but it was classic. The camera is on a very pretty, well-endowed woman as the announcer starts to talk, “Big,” he said as I was thinking something along the same curvaceous lines, “game tomorrow,” he finished up as they cut back to the action…
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
August 11, 2010
In case you haven’t figured this out: I watch a lot of baseball and have for quite some time. And I read and talk about baseball as well. And I always thought – and The Bad News Bears (original movie, thank you very much, although I didn’t hate the completely unnecessary Billy Bob Thornton re-make as much as I expected to – which was also the case this week with “Mother of Tears,” Dario Argento’s far-too-long-awaited completion of this Mothers Trilogy, but that’s a whole other matter) cemented the fact that ALL ballplayers, and especially Major Leaguer’s ALWAYS wear protective cups. But a couple weeks back I spied a little piece about Carl Crawford, of the Rays (and probably, hopefully in Pinstripes next season) was day-to-day with a “testicular contusion.” More simply put, Mr. Crawford, playing sans cup, took a ball to the nuts. And yeah, I wouldn’t want to play for a few days after that.
And I thought that got the point made – hard – but no, not hardly. Watching yesterday’s Rays/Tigers contest (I often will scout the Yankees’ opposition) there’s another Rays outfielder, this time BJ Upton and he bunts and it comes back up and nails him squarely. And I KNOW exactly what happened as soon as it happened. And yes, Mr. Upton stayed down for a while as the home-plate ump futzed about and cleaned the plate three times and rubbed up a few extra balls as Upton worried about his balls and not the horsehide ones.
And that finally got the Tigers’ ex-player announcer (not sure who he is, I’ll get back to you on that one) who was also an outfielder saying that a lot of outfielders don’t wear cups. Hmmm. Really? I would think that you would at least want one when you were hitting or running the bases, but I guess I care more about my junk. Maybe the ballplayers nuts are so shriveled from steroid use that they think they’re safe, he said tongue in cheek.
When I tuned in to the beginning of yesterday’s Yankees vs. Rangers broadcast on My9 (via my MLB-TV package) there were no announcers. I could hear the stadium noise and the Texas public address announcer but no Michael Kay, et al. And although at first I thought someone died (there has been way too much of that around the Yankees this season, so it makes sense that’s the first place my brain goes) and that, to honor maybe the aforementioned Mr. Kay, the Yanks were going to go without broadcasters. And it was so much a better way for me to enjoy the game. I could hear my own thoughts on the game; I really don’t need the announcers to tell me what’s going on down on the field. And it was wonderful for three and a half batters and then – during the middle of A-Rod’s first inning at-bat whatever technical issue they were having was resolved. The voices came back and I sighed, but I enjoyed the quieter experience so much that I think I’ll write the MLB-TV people an email and suggest that option for next season’s package. Who knows? Maybe they’ll listen to me. I doubt I am alone with my sentiments about so many broadcasters. Shouldn’t we have that option in these technologically advanced days? I sure think so…
Oh, and in case you were wondering, in case you were holding your breath—let it out. Of course the CEO didn’t use any communication method known to man or producer to make either that offer or that official pass…
In case you haven’t figured this out: I watch a lot of baseball and have for quite some time. And I read and talk about baseball as well. And I always thought – and The Bad News Bears (original movie, thank you very much, although I didn’t hate the completely unnecessary Billy Bob Thornton re-make as much as I expected to – which was also the case this week with “Mother of Tears,” Dario Argento’s far-too-long-awaited completion of this Mothers Trilogy, but that’s a whole other matter) cemented the fact that ALL ballplayers, and especially Major Leaguer’s ALWAYS wear protective cups. But a couple weeks back I spied a little piece about Carl Crawford, of the Rays (and probably, hopefully in Pinstripes next season) was day-to-day with a “testicular contusion.” More simply put, Mr. Crawford, playing sans cup, took a ball to the nuts. And yeah, I wouldn’t want to play for a few days after that.
And I thought that got the point made – hard – but no, not hardly. Watching yesterday’s Rays/Tigers contest (I often will scout the Yankees’ opposition) there’s another Rays outfielder, this time BJ Upton and he bunts and it comes back up and nails him squarely. And I KNOW exactly what happened as soon as it happened. And yes, Mr. Upton stayed down for a while as the home-plate ump futzed about and cleaned the plate three times and rubbed up a few extra balls as Upton worried about his balls and not the horsehide ones.
And that finally got the Tigers’ ex-player announcer (not sure who he is, I’ll get back to you on that one) who was also an outfielder saying that a lot of outfielders don’t wear cups. Hmmm. Really? I would think that you would at least want one when you were hitting or running the bases, but I guess I care more about my junk. Maybe the ballplayers nuts are so shriveled from steroid use that they think they’re safe, he said tongue in cheek.
When I tuned in to the beginning of yesterday’s Yankees vs. Rangers broadcast on My9 (via my MLB-TV package) there were no announcers. I could hear the stadium noise and the Texas public address announcer but no Michael Kay, et al. And although at first I thought someone died (there has been way too much of that around the Yankees this season, so it makes sense that’s the first place my brain goes) and that, to honor maybe the aforementioned Mr. Kay, the Yanks were going to go without broadcasters. And it was so much a better way for me to enjoy the game. I could hear my own thoughts on the game; I really don’t need the announcers to tell me what’s going on down on the field. And it was wonderful for three and a half batters and then – during the middle of A-Rod’s first inning at-bat whatever technical issue they were having was resolved. The voices came back and I sighed, but I enjoyed the quieter experience so much that I think I’ll write the MLB-TV people an email and suggest that option for next season’s package. Who knows? Maybe they’ll listen to me. I doubt I am alone with my sentiments about so many broadcasters. Shouldn’t we have that option in these technologically advanced days? I sure think so…
Oh, and in case you were wondering, in case you were holding your breath—let it out. Of course the CEO didn’t use any communication method known to man or producer to make either that offer or that official pass…
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
August 10, 2010
August 10, 2010
So, in case you were wondering why the Yankees didn’t use this past weekend’s wrap-around four game series with the Red Sox to bury them in the standings, I can hip you to a few things. Even three out of four would have left those Sox nine games back in the loss column and ostensibly waiting til next year. But, see—we want them to suffer a little longer through the summer and their sold-out games as guys Beantown have never heard of, never wanted to hear of and hope they never, ever hear from again man crucial parts of their lineup and starting rotation.
Also, in the vaunted American League East are those newly invigorated Baltimore Orioles. For a once and long time proud franchise to have become a laughing stock is not good for baseball. So, I for one am happy to see the perhaps all-too-firm hand of Buck Showalter on the O’s tiller. And the team has responded although the return of Brian Roberts to second-base and, far more importantly, to the top of their lineup has probably played a big hand in the uptick. I also suspect the starting pitchers are somewhat afraid of Showalter and that’s probably helped stir them up. Sometimes sacking the manager is the best move.
Yesterday, Don Wakamatsu became the fifth manager let go this season, and really—it had to be expected. The Seattle Mariners who surprised a lot of people, including me, last season really looked like they had made some great moves (along with the suspect—the usually suspected Milton Bradley. Coincidentally, the San Francisco Giants who are surprising many with their pitching, the successful debut and integration of their clean-up hitting catcher, Buster Posey, are thinking of making a trade for Jose Guillen, who is, according to highly placed baseball sources, the second worst clubhouse cancer just this side of the aforementioned Bradley, so good luck there) to bolster the team for this year all crashed and burned. Much like the Yankees’ new additions this year (both during the hot-stove league and the hotter one leading up to the July 31st trade deadline, but I have confidence in the Big Puma aka Fat Elvis aka Lance Berkman) crashed and burned. I thought Chone Figgins cost himself a lot of money by not showing up to play his game during the 2009 post-season but the Mariners paid him anyway and that big contract, much like Beltre’s (who is, unfortunately for me as well as Seattle, ripping it up on his one-year contract for the Red Sox) which didn’t work out too well. Although Beltre did look very well fed after his term up in the Pacific North West.
Sometimes I wish I could fire the manager…
Which leads to a screenwriting update: today is supposed to be “the day” again. And although I’ve added “fool me twelve times” to the old adage, I have learned a little and didn’t even mark today’s date on the calendar. And I will elaborate in the Screentrade book, but I believe today is the day the CEO is supposed to come to me with either and offer or an official pass on my new spec script that they have been sitting on since April. They have set and postponed quite a number of meetings already; meetings where I had been told, some sort of an offer would be made. The CEO called me three times in one day a couple weeks back and told me she really, really needed a number from me and she would do her best to make it happen. And although I was fearful that I would ask for too little (and get an immediate, “Done/Deal” response) as it often my case, I was also afraid I would ask for too much (and get a, “I was thinking five-hundred dollars” kind of reply) but fortunately I needn’t have worried: she didn’t get back to me one way or the other.
I really felt like Bobbie in the scene from Taxi with the theatre critic.
But I finally got an email that I bet you can still smell the bullshit on. But if I read it correctly, the CEO (freshly back from what I am sure was a richly deserved holiday) will contact me today. And if I hold my breath, I won’t have to dye my hair blue this month. Keep you posted…
So, in case you were wondering why the Yankees didn’t use this past weekend’s wrap-around four game series with the Red Sox to bury them in the standings, I can hip you to a few things. Even three out of four would have left those Sox nine games back in the loss column and ostensibly waiting til next year. But, see—we want them to suffer a little longer through the summer and their sold-out games as guys Beantown have never heard of, never wanted to hear of and hope they never, ever hear from again man crucial parts of their lineup and starting rotation.
Also, in the vaunted American League East are those newly invigorated Baltimore Orioles. For a once and long time proud franchise to have become a laughing stock is not good for baseball. So, I for one am happy to see the perhaps all-too-firm hand of Buck Showalter on the O’s tiller. And the team has responded although the return of Brian Roberts to second-base and, far more importantly, to the top of their lineup has probably played a big hand in the uptick. I also suspect the starting pitchers are somewhat afraid of Showalter and that’s probably helped stir them up. Sometimes sacking the manager is the best move.
Yesterday, Don Wakamatsu became the fifth manager let go this season, and really—it had to be expected. The Seattle Mariners who surprised a lot of people, including me, last season really looked like they had made some great moves (along with the suspect—the usually suspected Milton Bradley. Coincidentally, the San Francisco Giants who are surprising many with their pitching, the successful debut and integration of their clean-up hitting catcher, Buster Posey, are thinking of making a trade for Jose Guillen, who is, according to highly placed baseball sources, the second worst clubhouse cancer just this side of the aforementioned Bradley, so good luck there) to bolster the team for this year all crashed and burned. Much like the Yankees’ new additions this year (both during the hot-stove league and the hotter one leading up to the July 31st trade deadline, but I have confidence in the Big Puma aka Fat Elvis aka Lance Berkman) crashed and burned. I thought Chone Figgins cost himself a lot of money by not showing up to play his game during the 2009 post-season but the Mariners paid him anyway and that big contract, much like Beltre’s (who is, unfortunately for me as well as Seattle, ripping it up on his one-year contract for the Red Sox) which didn’t work out too well. Although Beltre did look very well fed after his term up in the Pacific North West.
Sometimes I wish I could fire the manager…
Which leads to a screenwriting update: today is supposed to be “the day” again. And although I’ve added “fool me twelve times” to the old adage, I have learned a little and didn’t even mark today’s date on the calendar. And I will elaborate in the Screentrade book, but I believe today is the day the CEO is supposed to come to me with either and offer or an official pass on my new spec script that they have been sitting on since April. They have set and postponed quite a number of meetings already; meetings where I had been told, some sort of an offer would be made. The CEO called me three times in one day a couple weeks back and told me she really, really needed a number from me and she would do her best to make it happen. And although I was fearful that I would ask for too little (and get an immediate, “Done/Deal” response) as it often my case, I was also afraid I would ask for too much (and get a, “I was thinking five-hundred dollars” kind of reply) but fortunately I needn’t have worried: she didn’t get back to me one way or the other.
I really felt like Bobbie in the scene from Taxi with the theatre critic.
But I finally got an email that I bet you can still smell the bullshit on. But if I read it correctly, the CEO (freshly back from what I am sure was a richly deserved holiday) will contact me today. And if I hold my breath, I won’t have to dye my hair blue this month. Keep you posted…
Thursday, August 5, 2010
August 5, 2010
August 5, 2010
Brian Mazo congratulates* Alex Rodriguez for becoming the 7th man in the history of Major League Baseball to have hit 600 homeruns.
Now, in other news that will be ongoing and pertinent to this so-called blog, I am starting a new book and will be including excerpts here for the first time. Hell! If doing it that way worked for Dickens for newspapers, maybe it is the new, right track for these current times. I am an analog guy residing in a digital world, so it makes little sense to me, but I will let you and you and well, not you, but yeah the cute girl reading over your shoulder may judge me/this as well.
I have come to the painful yet somehow wonderful conclusion that my experiences writing on the fringe edge of Hollywood should be shared, learned from and, most likely laughed at. I’ll hold the bitter and give the best parts of writing “those other movies” to anyone who will take a moment to read. As the only screenwriter in captivity to have written movies that have included both a woman who won the Best Actress Academy Award and one who won the porn equivalent, I find myself uniquely qualified (most likely and unfortunately over-qualified) to handle this gig. Watch this space; there shall be blood and it shall all be mine…
*Now, the asterisk above may seem like a joke and it is, but it’s more than that. Let’s start with the real king of the homerun- George Herman “Babe” Ruth who never met an asterisk he wouldn’t eat like a hotdog. Babe Ruth was the first, foremost and finest homerun hitter that the game will ever see. Although Barry Bonds probably comes the closest in scaring opposing pitchers and their managers, it was Ruth who really is the basis for the “Chicks Dig the Longball” campaign of some years back. But I am not alone in believing that Babe Ruth was a black man and that his very participation in the MLB starting in the teens (those of nineteen hundred) was against the rules.
But Babe Ruth is not my favorite cheater. That wonderful distinction belongs to Gaylord Perry. Not only was Gaylord a cheater in a time when there were so few in the soon-to-be-sanitized game of baseball, he flaunted it like no one else that ever comes to mind. Did Gaylord Perry throw a spitball? Damn right he did. His great book (that someday I shall make a movie) Me & The Spitter (The Candid Confessions of Baseball’s Greatest Spitball Artist (or How I Got Away With It)) written with Bob Sudyk, and first published in August, 1974 is one of the greatest middle-fingers thrown up to the straight and clean game of baseball. I like cheaters, but especially those that got away with it. Are Mr. Perry’s 300 wins, Cy Young awards in both leagues, strikeouts and image tainted? Dig up Bobby Murcer and he’s probably still cursing Gaylord’s name. But the thing about Gaylord that made it so much fun was that he was, and will most likely remain the pitcher that fucked with the heads of MLB batters more than anyone else has or will. Did he throw “the pitch?” Again: Damn right he did. But his real mastery was making the batter and even the umpire (Mr. Perry’s bald head was bared to many fans and TV cameras by so many umpires trying to find something, anything, but they never, ever did) think that dreaded, drop-off-the-table Spitter was coming. Sometimes it did; most of the time it did not. And if Gaylord Perry needed anything else to confirm him, consider this: When George Brett absolutely lost his mind when his homerun was ruled an out during the infamous Pine Tar Game and the umpires were trying not to have their limbs ripped off and beaten by Mr. Brett, it was Gaylord Perry who snuck onto the field, put the questionable bat under his arm and absconded to the Royals’ clubhouse with it. No body, no crime!
Am I supporting the use of PED’s? Hell no, I am not, but we will never know their actual effect on hitting (or of Roger Clemens’ throwing of said horsehide) the ball. How much did the greenies that Mickey Mantle took help during his career? I dunno. Maybe when you dig up Mr. Murcer, we can dig up Mr. Mantle and ask his corpse as well…
Brian Mazo congratulates* Alex Rodriguez for becoming the 7th man in the history of Major League Baseball to have hit 600 homeruns.
Now, in other news that will be ongoing and pertinent to this so-called blog, I am starting a new book and will be including excerpts here for the first time. Hell! If doing it that way worked for Dickens for newspapers, maybe it is the new, right track for these current times. I am an analog guy residing in a digital world, so it makes little sense to me, but I will let you and you and well, not you, but yeah the cute girl reading over your shoulder may judge me/this as well.
I have come to the painful yet somehow wonderful conclusion that my experiences writing on the fringe edge of Hollywood should be shared, learned from and, most likely laughed at. I’ll hold the bitter and give the best parts of writing “those other movies” to anyone who will take a moment to read. As the only screenwriter in captivity to have written movies that have included both a woman who won the Best Actress Academy Award and one who won the porn equivalent, I find myself uniquely qualified (most likely and unfortunately over-qualified) to handle this gig. Watch this space; there shall be blood and it shall all be mine…
*Now, the asterisk above may seem like a joke and it is, but it’s more than that. Let’s start with the real king of the homerun- George Herman “Babe” Ruth who never met an asterisk he wouldn’t eat like a hotdog. Babe Ruth was the first, foremost and finest homerun hitter that the game will ever see. Although Barry Bonds probably comes the closest in scaring opposing pitchers and their managers, it was Ruth who really is the basis for the “Chicks Dig the Longball” campaign of some years back. But I am not alone in believing that Babe Ruth was a black man and that his very participation in the MLB starting in the teens (those of nineteen hundred) was against the rules.
But Babe Ruth is not my favorite cheater. That wonderful distinction belongs to Gaylord Perry. Not only was Gaylord a cheater in a time when there were so few in the soon-to-be-sanitized game of baseball, he flaunted it like no one else that ever comes to mind. Did Gaylord Perry throw a spitball? Damn right he did. His great book (that someday I shall make a movie) Me & The Spitter (The Candid Confessions of Baseball’s Greatest Spitball Artist (or How I Got Away With It)) written with Bob Sudyk, and first published in August, 1974 is one of the greatest middle-fingers thrown up to the straight and clean game of baseball. I like cheaters, but especially those that got away with it. Are Mr. Perry’s 300 wins, Cy Young awards in both leagues, strikeouts and image tainted? Dig up Bobby Murcer and he’s probably still cursing Gaylord’s name. But the thing about Gaylord that made it so much fun was that he was, and will most likely remain the pitcher that fucked with the heads of MLB batters more than anyone else has or will. Did he throw “the pitch?” Again: Damn right he did. But his real mastery was making the batter and even the umpire (Mr. Perry’s bald head was bared to many fans and TV cameras by so many umpires trying to find something, anything, but they never, ever did) think that dreaded, drop-off-the-table Spitter was coming. Sometimes it did; most of the time it did not. And if Gaylord Perry needed anything else to confirm him, consider this: When George Brett absolutely lost his mind when his homerun was ruled an out during the infamous Pine Tar Game and the umpires were trying not to have their limbs ripped off and beaten by Mr. Brett, it was Gaylord Perry who snuck onto the field, put the questionable bat under his arm and absconded to the Royals’ clubhouse with it. No body, no crime!
Am I supporting the use of PED’s? Hell no, I am not, but we will never know their actual effect on hitting (or of Roger Clemens’ throwing of said horsehide) the ball. How much did the greenies that Mickey Mantle took help during his career? I dunno. Maybe when you dig up Mr. Murcer, we can dig up Mr. Mantle and ask his corpse as well…
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