The Sports Section

Kevin Youkilis has a Problem

2007-05-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

I'll say it again. Kevin Youkilis has a problem.

It is not his batting average, which is a very respectable .328. It is not the team he plays for, as the Red Sox are leading the AL East by 8.5 games. It is not his fielding, he is very adept at first and third, and it is not alienation of his fans, as a boo-like "YOOOOOOOOOOOUK" resonates through fenway park with each at bat and each out at first.

No friends, professionally, Youkilis is fine. It is a more personal issue that has caught my attention, and that is the beastly conglomeration of chin hairs that make up his goatee.

Please draw your attention to the photos below. On the left is what Youk looks like without facial hair, and on the right is what he looks like with his chin-chila:

Now I will relent, that in the world of terrible facial hair, there are things far worse. ESPN Page 2 did a great little piece about the craziest baseball hair which you can read here.

But I think that Youkilis' problem is that he draws attention to the one part of his body he should not. He's got bad teeth, a goofy smile and a significantly large chin. There are plenty of other large chinned people in this world such as Bill Cowher, Jay Leno and Quentin Tarantino. But you'll notice they all try to take attention away from their chins. Cowher with his moustache and his over active saliva glands, Leno with his wavy hair and his old-fashioned cars, Tarantino with his funny suits and Sofia Coppola.

I bet ol' Kevin could get some serious yard off that chin if he were hit there with a pitch and it looks like he is out there with a small rodent on his face. See the smiliarities?

I realize that there are far more important things in life and in baseball than what one athlete chooses to do with his facial hair. Maybe he's got some kind of lucky thing going. I don't know. But, I fear that this is Youk's slippery slope and before long he could end up like this.

Orioles Update - Live From Fenway

2007-05-15T08:32:00.000-05:00

In an effort to slowly accumulate visits to as many major league ballparks as possible, I was particularly excited to be attending an afternoon game at Fenway Park on Saturday. The weather was crisp but nice, the stands were packed and it felt like Camden Yards used to feel. Optimism was in the air. It's a really cute little stadium, the Green Monster is huge and it fits nicely in with the rest of the city.

Unlike my experience at Yankee Stadium, the fans were nice and enjoyed having some opposition in the stands and I would like to thank Steve Traschel for keeping it interesting for the first five innings.

More to the point though, the O's arrived in Beantown having swept the Devil Rays, and won their first game against the first place Sox. Burress pitched really well and the defense was stellar Friday night. Cut to Saturday afternoon, where Trax gave us the chance, the bullpen gave up the game and the Sox embarassed us. Every time I saw their first baseman Kevin Youkilis scoop up a low bouncer, I wondered by Aubrey Huff missed two, and why he twice chose to step off first base and do a back handed tag, which worked only once.

I also wondered why we nearly outhit the Sox but couldn't score and why our pitchers cannot throw strikes. When Leicsester loaeded the bases on three walks, I knew it was over.

I cannot even begin to talk about Sunday's game. Just know it was the saddest effort I have ever witnessed in baseball. And of course it was followed up by last night's game against the Blue Jays when the O's could not hold on and win a close one, with Danys Baez, the chokemaster, giving up a crucial walk and home run to Troy Glaus. His performance in the last two days has been an embarassment to the craft of major league pitching.

It just seems like our starters suck when the bullpen is clicking. Finally our pitching rebounds and we can't hit a thing. Our offense shapes up and the bullpen starts giving away runs like that's why they're getting millions of dollars.

Having lost the last two games to Boston and the first to the Jays, the Orioles have won four and lost three of their last seven. They are three games below .500, .5 games behind New York and 9 games behind the first place Red Sox.

Orioles Update - 2 Wins in a Row

2007-05-09T10:09:00.001-05:00

The Orioles do not at all resemble a team that can contend with the Red Sox or even the rejuvenated Yankees, but at least they are winning against the teams they're supposed to beat. And thanks to back to back victories and the Blue Jays' 8-game losing streak, the O's are back in third place.

On Tuesday Jeremy Guthrie had a great outing against the Rays, though everyone and their mother is steaming mad that he was taken out after 67 pitches. They are saying things like this:

"How could Sam take him out after 67 pitches when the bullpen is overworked?"

I'm pretty sure if he's stayed in and screwed up, everyone would have said something like this:

"Guthrie is still making the transition from reliever to starter. Sammy should have thanked his lucky stars for 6 innings and brought in the bullpen we paid so dearly for. Ease Guthrie in!"

Similarly, Erik Bedard pitched 7 shut out innings last night but left after 97 pitches. In his comments to the press later he said he was done. Now everyone is whining that he's not tough enough to be an ace. In an ideal world, Bedard, or any starter should feel that if he isn't 100% in the game, his bullpen will be. That's why we spent all that money. If he's stayed in and left a fastball floating belt-high in the middle of the plate for Carl Crawford, everyone would have bitched at Perlozzo for keeping him in.

Save the whining for when we lose.

Orioles Update

2007-05-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

Today's game sucked. It reeked. It was the second loss in a row. But against one of the best teams in baseball the Birds managed to split the series. The Indians are HOT HOT HOT, and it's great that we took two from them. But we had the momentum, and we lost the last two. Not only that, but Steve Traschel, yet again, gave a strong performance only to watch it get tossed into the garbage by the bullpen.

Walking in runs? Grand slams? This is not what 40+ million was supposed to get this team. There is lots of anti-Perlozzo sentiment in the blog world right now, particularly with today's decision to pull Trax after only 88 pitches.

In other good news, Adam Loewen will be out until September so he will be real fresh when the O's don't make the post-season. I'm sure he, Benson and Wright are having a great time on the DL.

To fill his slot in the rotaion, the O's have called up Jon Leicester, who last pitched in 2005. He had a torn ACL and missed all of last season in the minors.

The next 12 games for the O's feature the Devil Rays, the Red Sox, the Blue Jays and the Nationals. I say the O's are lucky if they go 6 and 6.

Well Said, CamdenChat

2007-05-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

There's nothing better than getting prepared to write a super depressing post about your team and finding out that someone did it for you.

As usual Camden Chat provides superior insight into the state of the Baltimore Orioles.

Check it out.

Tooting My Own Horn

2007-05-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

To quote myself yesterday:

"While the organization is not pointing fingers, their newly hired trainer Marty Miller could be seeing a pink slip in his mailbox shortly. Even if it's not his fault, the Yanks need a scapegoat."

Today the man is gone.

It's sad because he is a lifelong fan of the Yankees, and because he might have a tough time getting a job again. It's also sad because now maybe the Yankees will be healthy, and win.

Read more about it here.

Also, Carl Pavano is meeting with a surgeon. Prediction: Out for the season.

Orioles Learn Some Important Lessons

2007-05-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

Lesson One: Moving players around in your lineup doesn't work if they all suck.

Yesterday Perlozzo moved Mora from second to fifth, Nick Markakis from third to seventh and Miguel Tejada from fourth to third. Ramon Hernandez hit cleanup and Payton batted second.

Lesson Two: You can't rely on Kevin Millar in a clutch situation.

In the third inning the O's were up 2-1 with the bases loaded and Kevin Millar bounced into a double play. After that only one Oriole reached second base.

Lesson Three: Pitching wins games, but not on its own.

Steve Trachsel pitched seven innings for the O's. The last time this season that this happened was April 12, also thanks to Trax.

Lesson Four: Miguel Tejada is no longer a clean up hitter.

Yes, Miggy can hit for average. But singles are not going to clean up the bases. They're just going to load them so that some loser can strike out next.

The O's have to do something. Perlozzo is talking about a roster move, and I say do it. Otherwise, there are going to be more and more empty seats at the yard.

The good news is that there is no way the Orioles can lose today because they have a day off. WOOT WOOT.

Orioles Update

2007-05-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

Look how scary that tiger is. No wonder the O's got swept.

That's right folks. The Orioles are heading back to Camden Yards having won one time on their road trip. We'll have to suffer through four more games against the Indians before we face Tampa Bay, a team we might actually be able to beat.

Steve Traschel pitched seven innings, gave up three runs on eight hits. Nice work.

The powerful O's offense mustered 2 runs on 7 hits.

Gary "can put his bat where his mouth is" Sheffield hit another homerun. We look like morons.

Also, Gibbons is hitting .185, both he and Huff came in for single at bats and did nothing and Markakis is having a sophomore slump.

Indians' Protest Falls on Deaf Ears

2007-05-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

The Orioles won something!

Not a game, but at this point it hardly matters.

MLB denied the Cleveland Indians' protest of a game last week, in which a run was added to the Orioles' score three innings after it happened.

How it happened (thanks to CBS Sportsline):

The Orioles had taken a 2-1 lead in the third on Miguel Tejada's RBI single. With one out and Nick Markakis on third base and Tejada at first, Ramon Hernandez hit a sinking liner to center field.

Cleveland's Grady Sizemore made a diving catch, popped up and threw to first in time to get Tejada for an inning-ending double play. Markakis, however, tagged up and scored well before Tejada was out at first.

Baltimore's run should have counted, but it was disallowed by plate umpire Marvin Hudson and the inning ended with the Orioles up 2-1, not 3-1.

The O's ended up winning the game 7 - 4, accounting for the only win on their current roadtrip.

If they win right now against the Tigers does it count as two in a row?

Orioles Fans, Take Note

2007-05-02T10:50:00.000-05:00

SportsTalk AM 1570 is reporting that Joe Foss, Orioles' VP, and the #2 man to Peter Angelos has resigned.

No details beyond that, but could be good news.

Dan Explains Why the Yankees are Cursed

2007-05-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

I would like to take this opportunity to quote my best friend, and devoted Yankee fan, Dan.

"The Yankees are cursed, it's now clear. What did they do, exactly, to earn this? Besides ruining major league baseball, because that is sort of old. So what new thing did they do, what recent act simply crossed the line? Have they gone one greedy grab too far?

My guess: breaking ground on a new stadium. Think on it: the Red Sox curse themselves by selling Ruth for nothing, just money, Ruth "builds" Yankees stadium, and now the Yankees are tearing down Ruth's home. Lesson?: don't fuck with the bambino. DO NOT FUCK WITH THE BAMBINO."

Dan is right. It is inexplicable, even Mike Mussina is shocked. FIVE, yes FIVE Yankees starting pitchers have gone down and it's only May 2. While the organization is not pointing fingers, their newly hired trainer Marty Miller could be seeing a pink slip in his mailbox shortly. Even if it's not his fault, the Yanks need a scapegoat.

It's worth noting that despite all these setbacks, they are in a fourth place tie with Tampa Bay and only half a game behind Baltimore for third. The Sox have a 5.5 game lead over New York, and are 3.5 games ahead of Toronto. I am anxious to see what big moves the Yankees make this summer to secure solid pitching. I saw a really impressive little league pitcher in Prospect Park two days ago. I bet he could fill in if they injure the rest of their minor league pitchers.

Orioles Update

2007-05-02T08:55:00.000-05:00

They lost. Again.

Here's why:

1 for 16 with runners in scoring position.

10 men stranded.

NO CLUTCH HITTING. NONE. ABSOLUTELY NONE.

The Orioles are 1 and 4 on this road trip and that win is being protested. Can't Cleveland just throw us a bone here?

Quoth Brian Roberts: "It seems that we find a way to lose every night."

On a personal note, I would like to thank the following Orioles for going hitless last night because we really only need the top half of the lineup to hit. The rest of you are just there to look pretty. Except Gibbons.

Ramon "he'll be fine" Hernandez
Jay "waste of money" Gibbons
Kevin "pissed at being benched" Millar
and
Corey "one good night a month" Patterson

To top it all off, the Orioles now must rely on Steve Traschel for stability and a much needed win. The Mets, and particularly former Oriole John Maine, must be laughing their asses off right now.

Along with the rest of baseball. I say fire the staff, end every contract, move up all the minor leaguers and let 'em at it. At least they'll have fun.

Corey Lidle's Death Was Not My Fault

2007-05-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

Last season, in a fit of innapropriate rage, based on years of Yankee hatred stemming from one unmentionable twelve year old who spoiled my adolescent hopes and dreams, I said something about the Bronx Bombers that I should not have.

I said that I would not even care if the Yankees went down in flames in a plane crash on their way to Detroit.

I was naturally thrilled to witness their demise, and to picture them at home, in their mansions, watching the World Series being won by a Cardinals team they could have likely beat.

Weeks passed with little thought to this statement and then the news broke that a plane had crashed into an apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Details followed and it was discovered that Corey Lidle, Yankees' starting pitcher, had been piloting the plane and was killed in the crash.

I was made to feel extremely guilty, despite having had my heart broken a decade earlier by he-who-must-not-be-named-yankees-fan, but today, I am exonerated. Today it was announced by the National Transportation Safety Board that it was “inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship” by the two men in the plane that caused the crash.

I have long claimed my innocence in this matter, something, I should mention, that Jeffrey Maier cannot do. But I'm over it. Really.

One of these teams is not like the others...

2007-05-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sure, sure, it's only May, far too early to be talking about the Superbowl. But I needed something to remind me that good things do happen to Baltimore sports teams.

In an otherwise depressing Baltimore Sun sports section today, the glimmer of hope is a report that the Ravens are the clear favorites to win the AFC North Division for the second season in a row.

Here are the deets:

1. Cincinnati has good offense but terrible defense, which they did nothing to fix in the draft.

2. Pittsburgh has no Cowher and no Joey Porter. Big Ben has no appendix. That's unrelated, I just like to make him feel incomplete as a human, just like he is as a quarterback. Oh, snap.

3. Cleveland has upgraded. True. But I don't know if Brady Quinn is quite ready for Ray Lewis.

All in all, it looks to be a promising season at M&T Bank Stadium.

Orioles Update

2007-05-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

I think the Orioles' method this season is to have some event distract the media every couple of games so that no one realizes that they keep losing. First it was 'sockgate' and now a full on, bench clearing fight!

But first the important 'why the Orioles blow' breakdown. Daniel Cabrera walked six batters as the Orioles continue to slide closer and closer to their familiar fourth place. The Orioles had nine hits, with every starter contributing except Brian Roberts but of course Gibbons, Huff, Hernandez and Mora all left runners in scoring position.

Luckily for these losers, Daniel Cabrera hit Gary Sheffield with a pitch, and Miguel Tejada got all pissy when Jeremy Bonderman came in close on a pitch to him. Now, I wasn't there, and maybe Cabrera has some personal vendetta against Gary Sheffield (perhaps it's his mustache?) but he walked six batters, so I am going to go ahead and assume that he just couldn't find the strike zone.

Sheffield in classic 'roid rage said they had to protect their team. Because really Miguel Tejada is going to rush the mound and start clobbering Bonderman with his bat. Get a clue Sheffield.

Anyway, Sheff shouldn't be complaining. He should be psyched that the Yankees traded him to a winning team since they are playing so badly right now. Speaking of which, the Orioles are playing so badly right now. I mean they are playing like they don't care. Like they've got other jobs somewhere that are more important than being the representatives of the City of Baltimore in Major League Baseball. All that talk two weeks ago about clubhouse atmosphere blah blah blah. It's really easy to be a supportive and cohesive team when you're winning. The real test of a team is if you can pull each other out when you're losing.

So far, the Orioles have made it clear that when the going gets tough, the Orioles abandon ship.

Check out my Ravens Coverage

2007-04-30T15:02:00.000-05:00

Check out my coverage of the Ravens' picks in the 2007 NFL Draft and raise a glass to the only winning team in Baltimore.

Is it football season yet?

Orioles Update

2007-04-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

Today's Honoree for Oriole I Want to Punch:

Jay Gibbons takes the award today for his amazing ability to pretend to be a major league baseball player and get millions of dollars to do absolutely nothing. I am so proud of him for riding the interstate at .194, for refusing to cut his wretched mane of hair and for being a glaring weak spot in an already abominable defense.

Thank you for proving that the designated hitter need not know how to hit and for showing how much damage one player can do to an entire team.

Honorable mentions were: EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ORIOLES.

Not even our ace pitches well, our 42 million dollar bullpen keeps choking, and we have one player hitting over .300.

Though the Yankees are tanking even worse, at least they all step up and take the blame.

The Curt Schilling Sock Update

2007-04-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

Via Curt Schilling's Website, in reference to Gary Thorne's accusation that he painted it to look bloody during the 2004 ALCS:

I’ll wager 1 million dollars to the charity of anyones choice, versus the same amount to ALS. If the blood on the sock is fake, I’ll donate a million dollars to that persons charity, if not they donate that amount to ALS.

Muhahahahahahaha.

I also love this gem from Schill's diatribe:

If you haven’t figured it out by now, working in the media is a pretty nice gig. Barring outright plagiarism or committing a crime, you don’t have to be accountable if you don’t want to. You can say what you want when you want and you don’t really have to answer to anyone.

Um, hello? Don Imus?

And you have to love the first of over 200 comments to the post:

Come on, Curt. Just admit to painting the sock. None of your present or past teammates like you, so the truth is going to come out eventually anyway.

CONCLUSION:

This is stupid. It was a joke. No one cares about your ankle.

Jews Draft Koufax. Everyone Laughs.

2007-04-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

Honestly, what is it with these Jewish athlete stories?

In a startling example of wasting a draft pick, the Mo'din Miracle, one of the six teams created for Israel's Inagural Baseball Season, selected Sandy Koufax for their final pick.

Says MSNBC:

In the 1965 World Series, Koufax wouldn’t pitch Game 1 for Los Angeles because he wanted to observe the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. In his career with the Dodgers, he threw four no-hitters, including one perfect game.

The first pick in the draft was infielder Aaron Levin, 21, from San Luis Obispo, Calif., who played for Cuesta Community College, and who was also selected by Modi’in.

The league begins play June 24 with the six teams playing a 45-game schedule. Players from nine nations were drafted, and about a dozen of the 120 players in the league are expected to be Israeli citizens.

This is clearly just a publicity stunt, as the most I'd heard about the baseball league was about the guy from my hometown outside Baltimore who made it to the draft, but wow. I thought honorary degrees were BS, but honorary draft picks. And anyway, I thought Shawn Green was the new official Jewish athlete.

Cricket World Cup Championship for Dummies

2007-04-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

If you’re not a cricket fan, the most you’ve probably heard about the Cricket World Cup (CWC) is that Pakistan’s coach, Bob Woolmer, was mysteriously found dead after his team lost to Ireland. For those of you just tuning it, 16 teams have been playing in the West Indies since March 13, and tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM, Australia (the defending champions) will go against Sri Lanka in the championships.

If you know nothing about the game, but you like the idea of drinking beer and watching sports early on a Saturday morning, here are some important things to know about Cricket (more extensive information is available via the BBC:

1. The cricket world cup is ‘One Day Cricket’ (as opposed to ‘Test Cricket’ in
which one match can last up to five days). In one day cricket each team has
the opportunity to hit 300 balls (50 overs; one over = 6 balls = one at bat)
2. On the field are two sets of wickets. A wicket is a set of wooden stumps with
small pieces of wood, called bails, resting on top. There are always two
batsmen, one at each wicket.
3. The person who throws the ball is the bowler, not the pitcher (knowing this
is like knowing how to pronounce Houston St.). The batsman tries to hit the ball
and switch places with his teammate at the other wicket.
4. You get one run if you and your teammate reach each other’s wicket before the
ball hits either the wicket or the player, you can also score if the ball
crosses the boundary in mid-air (6 runs) or after a bounce (4 runs)
5. There are four ways to get out in cricket.

a.The bowler hits the wicket with the ball.
b.The batsman kicks the ball with his legs (when it would have likely hit
the wicket)
c.A fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground
d.The ball is fielded, thrown and hits the other wicket before the batsman
reaches them

6.According to the BBC, a good score in one day cricket is between 250 and 300
runs. There are two numbers in a cricket score. The first represents the number
of runs a team has scored and second represents the number of outs. If there is
no second number (all out) it means that all ten batsmen have gotten out or all
the overs have been thrown.

Interesting story lines:

Russell Arnold, a left-handed batsman for Sri Lanka will retire after the CWC final as will Glenn McGrath, a right-handed bowler for Australia.

Read this article from the International Herald Tribune about the history between the two teams, or this one from Bloomberg about who is favored to win.

If you want to see the match you can check out this report from WNYC from earlier this week to find out about the West Indian establishments where you can watch it.

There are also a few Australian pubs in New York where you can catch the match.

8 Mile Creek
240 Mulberry St.
(between Spring and Prince)

The Sunburnt Cow
137 Avenue C
(at 14th Street)

and

Sheep Station
149 4th Ave. in Brooklyn
(at Douglass St.)

If you really fall head over heels for the game and want to play, you can contact the United States of America Cricket Association. Their mission is, “to promote the game of Cricket at all levels in the United States of America, develop national teams that will be competitive and successful in international competitions and to become the symbol of excellence in sports throughout the world.”

New york region contact email is: ny@usaca.org

And, if you need supplies, you can order then from Big Blue Cricket, an online store based in Brooklyn.

Orioles Update

2007-04-27T08:31:00.000-05:00

The bad news first. The Orioles have now lost four consecutive games and are 11-11. Back on the verge of dipping below .500, where they spent almost all of last season, it is extremely important that they win tonight's game against Cleveland.

Chris Ray gave up his second grand-slam home run of the season. After the first one I read about how Perlozzo was impressed at how quickly he rebounded and got his confidence back. Let's hope he does the same thing tonight.

Now to the optimistic news. Traschel is on the mound for the O's, he is 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA and looked really great last Sunday against the Jays. His curveball was fooling hitters left and right. Jake Westbrook is pitching for the Tribe. He is 0-2 with a 9.15 ERA. Ramon Hernandez is back and he doubled in his first at bat. Adam Loewen looked like a veteran on the mound. He also sounded like a veteran after the game saying, "There's really no panic." I agree. The O's seem to be hitting again, except for Corey Patterson, who is hitless in the last two, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) at least they're not as bad as the Yankees.

Here's hoping we see the O's as happy as they were in that picture. Actually, even happier, since Bruce Chen and Luis Matos are no longer collecting dust on our payroll.

Shawn Green: Right Fielder, Super Jew

2007-04-26T14:32:00.000-05:00

Last year Shawn Green announced that he was exicted to come to the Mets so he could play in front of Jewish fans. (read about it here)

Well, it seems that the Jews got his phone number and now he's got to put his money where his mouth is.

Green is participating in a fundraiser for the UJA Federation of New York (the biggest Jewish philanthropic organization in the city) whereby he will donate $180 for every run he bats in this season.

Those of you interested in the numbers game will note that last season Green batted .257 with 15 RBI. This season he is hitting .351 with 13 RBI in only twenty games.

I love that the UJA waited to see how he would hit before they started the promotion. Then again, their other option in New York is David Newhan, and I think he's a born-again Christian now.

Sporting a New Look

2007-04-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

Past the NBA and NHL recaps in today's LA Times is a first person piece entitled "Old Mike, New Christine."

Mike Penner, Times Staff Writer, has announced to the world that he will be undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery and come back as Christine.

The best part is when Penner writes:

I broke the news to Tim by beginning, "Are you familiar with the movie 'Transamerica'?" Tim nodded. "Well, welcome to my life," I said.

Tim seemed more perplexed than most as I nervously launched into my story.

Finally, he had to explain, "I thought you said 'Trainspotting.' I thought you were going to tell me you're a heroin addict."

Over the past couple of months there has been so much uproar in sports about discrimination and identity. Amaechi comes out, Hardaway is homophobic, Don Imus' comments, just to name a few.

I really admire Penner for writing this so publicly and I cannot imagine how difficult it will be to be an out transsexual sports writer. Hopefully having someone so mainstream be honest will give people a greater understanding about transsexualism and hopefully the often close-minded sports world will not make this a huge joke.

Schilling's Red Sock and Peyton's Politics

2007-04-26T08:31:00.000-05:00

This first one is hilarious.

Gary Thorne, a play by play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles, claimed last night during the bradcast of the O's/Sox game that Doug Mirabelli (Red Sox catcher) told him that Curt Schilling's bloody sock was actually just painted to look bloody.

Schilling's sock became an object of obsession during game 6 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. At the time, Schilling's ankle had been "patched together" with a "wall of stitches."

Mirabelli claims he never said it, Terry Francona is "stunned" at Thorne's claims.

What to do? Test the damn thing. In case you missed it, the sock is at Cooperstown in the baseball hall of fame.

Oh, and just in case anyone was still wondering, Peyton Manning is a Republican.

Outnumbered At Home

2007-04-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Last season I attended one O's/Yankees game at Camden Yards. It was a nightmare. I was surrounded by Yankees Fans and I felt like a stranger in my own home.

Rick Maese explains the larger problems with the fact that the only games that sell out in Baltimore are when our division rivals are in town. Using two studies, one from 1992 and one from last year, he concludes that when the Orioles are bad, the stadium loses money and the city does too.

Here is the saddest portion of his column:

The Orioles have played 12 home dates this year, and despite some exciting and competitive games, the team has drawn fewer than 20,000 fans for six of those games. Yesterday's 4-2 loss drew an announced crowd of 14,452. It's become somewhat easy to ignore the backdrop of empty green seats, but when you scan over the hotels and businesses across the skyline, you start to think about what this attendance plummet really means. And that's when you realize how desperate that this city - as a community - is to have a winning team downtown.

Maese was right to note last week that the O's are in a very important stretch right now. If they beat the Red Sox at home and play well against the Tigers, they will be on their way to proving that they're worth watching.

In other news, the Yankees have lost five in a row and are in last place in the AL East. Probably won't matter, but it feels good for right now.

Shaking Up the AL East

2007-03-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

I will never count my baseballs before they hatch so all I'm going to say is that things in the Al East look far from settled for the upcoming season and as an O's fan I am feeling good.

The Red Sox supposedly have one of the strongest starting rotations, but they're interested in Armando Benitez because they can't seem to fill the role of the closer. The Blue Jays have that all lined up but their starting 5 are not superstars. The Yanks pitching looks good, and I'd take Pettite and Clemens for my team, no doubt. But for a team with that kind of money, they're not as intimidating a foe as they could be. And of course, the Devil Rays will continue to struggle, and recent reports indicate that Seth McClung may not be their closer of choice anymore.

What does all this mean for the birds?

Combine the youngins on the mound pitching their way to a top five spring training ERA and an $84 million dollar bullpen including a good closer by the name of Chris Ray and suddenly things in Charm City don't look so bad.

While other teams are worrying about their dynamics and who won't be at Jeter's slumber parties, we've got our core guys signed through 2009, including Brian Roberts' new two-year 14.3 million dollar deal.

We've rid ourselves of the bad karma (Palmeiro, Sosa, J. Lopez, R. Lopez, Chen) and we've accepted some guys with baggage, Wright and Traschel, hoping they can turn things around in a more welcoming environment then New York.

All in all, I feel about a million times better about this season then I did last year.

Go O's!!!!!

You Don't Play Baseball on Paper

2007-03-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

Alert the presses everyone...The Red Sox starting rotation looks good ON PAPER!

Just as good as the Yankees lineup looked on paper last season?

For those of you who have forgotten, last year's Yankees were the team with the most potent lineup in baseball. Of course, they taught us what we already knew, which is that the only thing that matters is how it measures up on the diamond.

Now, MLB.com asserts that this year, the Red Sox have the kind of rotation that dreams are made of.

Just to clarify, the men they are calling the 'fab five' include two forty year olds (Schilling and Wakefield), a guy with lots of potential who might not be able to cut it in the AL East (Beckett), a guy who has never pitched in a major league game (Matsuzaka) and a guy who excelled as a closer, but who's potential as a starter remains to be see (Papelbon).

I'll be the first one to say that it looks good, but it's early, REALLY early. It could not be earlier. And starting pitchers drop like flies (so do forty year olds for that matter).

The Red Sox may have a potent rotation, but I think this is an example of counting your chickens before they hatch. The season hasn't started, October is a long way from now and lots of things look good on paper and don't pan out.

In Response to My Frustration

2007-03-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

After I got over being really annoyed about the NPR story on Barbaro's siblings' names, I did something productive and wrote a column about all the stories that I think are considerably more important.

Check it out on Bleacher Report.

Wednesday Mornings on NPR

2007-03-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday morning I look forward to the brief yet generally thoughtful piece by Sports Illustrated senior contributing writer Frank Deford on NPR. I love that in the middle of the news and weather there is a little recognition from public radio that sports matter to their listeners.

This morning I wanted to cover my head with a pillow to get away from it.

If I had a weekly opportunity to talk about sports on NPR, a topic rarely covered, I would hope to be fired if I did what Deford did this morning which was chuckle for five minutes about all the crazy suggestions for naming Barbaro's siblings that listeners sent in.

That's right! Did you know that the name 'Rockets Red Glare' is already taken, and oh my god, one listener suggested a name in English and another suggested the same one in French!?!? You're kidding!

Seriously. Seriously?

The senior contributing editor to Sports Illustrated has nothing more important to say?

I have a few suggestions:

How about the bill that's going in front of the Texas State Senate today to make it mandatory for high school athletes to participate in random drug testing to prevent them from an early dependence on steroids.

How about the Canadian Football Player who just got sentenced to five and a half years in prison for having consensual sex with two women without disclosing that he is HIV positive.

How about the decision in the UK to uphold a ban that prohibited an 11 year old girl from wearing a Hijab while playing youth soccer.

As someone who wishes I had the kind of platform to talk about sports that Deford has, it is such a disappointment when that time is wasted talking about absolute drivel like naming race horses.

Dungy's Missed Opportunity

2007-02-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

Before winning the Superbowl as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy had already solidified an impressive reputation in the National Football League. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers' safety who forced a game-clinching fumble in Superbowl XIII. He was the defensive mastermind in Tampa Bay who proved that he could handle a team built around an offense when he made the move to Indy. He was also the quiet and respectful coach, who didn't curse, scream or threaten his players, and he was adamant that this approach was as good a method as any for crafting a championship team. After last Sunday, Dungy had one more thing to add to his resume: he became the first African-American coach to win the Superbowl.

Dungy's race may not be the most important aspect of the win, but it is an important part of it and whether or not Dungy wanted the responsibility, he was the central part of an historical moment for a sport that remained segregated for almost as long as water fountains and lunch counters. Every African-American head coach of a professional football team accepted his job along with the understanding that he might be the first to win a Superbowl and deal with the ensuing media circus. Any one of them could have been the first to stand on that podium, covered in confetti with Jim Nantz asking how it felt. In the end, it was Tony Dungy who did it first, it was Tony Dungy who was on stage, and it was Tony Dungy who was given one chance to say something moving and important. In the end, it was Tony Dungy who made a mistake.

When he was handed the Lombardi trophy Dungy said, "More than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that." Dungy's mistakes with this comment were two-fold. First, he compartmentalized his identity, he separated his race from his religion, and he privileged the wrong one. He should have said something about following in the footsteps of players like Kenny Washington, who effectively reintegrated football in 1946, and Paul "Tank" Younger, the first athlete recruited by the NFL from an historically black college. And he definitely should have mentioned Art Shell, the first African-American head coach in the NFL. Instead, Dungy tried to circumvent race and claim that it was more important that he was standing there as a Christian, and he gave credit and power to a group that has no lack of it.

Dungy's second mistake was giving up this one-time opportunity in exchange for thirty seconds of evangelism. True, Dungy has described himself as more of a teacher than a coach, he has donated his time as a mentor to underprivileged kids, and is a committed and attentive parent. In short the story that Dungy is putting forth is that he is following the "Lord's way," both on the field and off, but as in most cases there is a sinkhole beneath this perfect surface. Next month Tony Dungy will be honored at the annual fundraising banquet of the Indiana Family Institute (IFI), an organization dedicated to legalizing discriminatory adoption practices and which endorses participation in a controversial program claiming to cure homosexuality.

The problem is not that Dungy professed his faith, but that he is now using his stature, which is the result of success in the Superbowl and the NFL, to raise money for a discriminatory organization. When John Rocker made racist comments, we demanded an apology and when Miss USA Tara Connor was caught with drugs, we demanded contrition, and rehabilitation. If we ask that much from these figures of minimal importance, why would we demand less from someone with such an illustrious career who has made such an indelible mark on the history of America's most popular sport? Dungy's association with IFI is not comparable to drug use or racism but as a public figure, especially one who has welcomed the opportunity to act as a role model, he takes a risk when he introduces the world to his politics, which in this case, happen to permit discrimination.

The first African-American players in the NFL faced many injustices; they were forced to stay in separate hotels, many times they were excluded from road games in non-integrated states, and they were constantly berated on the field by racist members of opposing teams. In many other sports, like tennis, lacrosse and hockey, and in the mostly white front offices of professional teams, the challenges for African-Americans are still very real. Because of this, Dungy's missed opportunity not only overlooked the past, but it ignored the struggle that is still going on.

That Dungy's philanthropic efforts happen to include a homophobic organization is even more upsetting as this issue is very relevant in the world of professional sports right now. The recent coming out of John Amaechi, a former NBA player, proves that there have been and likely are more professional athletes who also happen to be gay though no current members of any US team have come out. The struggle for equality for gay athletes includes reluctance of teammates to share locker rooms and showers, fear of physical harm on the field, fear of homophobic coaches limiting their playing time and the inability to be open about their lives with their professional colleagues. The eventual acceptance of these athletes will be made possible in part by the work done for the past sixty years by African-Americans, including Tony Dungy, and as such, in his public life, he has the responsibility to make it easier, not harder, for this change to occur.

From Barbaro To Barry, Bernie to Da Bears--It's all About the Gift of Chance

2007-02-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report.

This week in sports has been all about chances: We’ve had a horse missing out on his last chance, two pill-poppers getting second chances, a couple of old dudes looking for another chance, and a defense that may just be a team’s only chance.

Much of sports is about statistics—numbers analyzed to the point of absurdity, every move calculated and executed with precision.

That’s the idea, anyway.

If the last few days have reminded us of anything, it’s that sports are, for the most part, unpredictable. Even if we think we know the outcome, there’s always the possibility—the chance—that we’ll end up with an outcome we never saw coming.

When Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by 6 1⁄2 lengths nine months ago, he was at the top of his game—and no one could have imagined he was three weeks away from a life-ending injury.

On Monday, Barbaro’s doctors and owners chose to euthanize him after his latest surgery proved unable to eliminate his pain. He may have been “just a horse,” but Barbaro paid the athlete’s ultimate price: He died for his sport.

And though most athletes don’t face such extreme consequences, the truth is that any jock—no matter what species—is never more than a play away from a career-ending injury. If nothing else, Barbaro’s life and death should remind us all to appreciate every chance we get.

Perhaps no two athletes ought to be more appreciative this week than Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, who both got second chances just when their baseball lives looked all but finished.

Sosa was last seen rotting on the disabled list for the Baltimore Orioles in 2005.

Bonds is most recently remembered for humbling himself at the winter meetings to make sure he’d be able to continue his pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record.

With their new contracts, the two men haven’t just been given an opportunity to play—they’ve been given a chance to redeem themselves.

Both Sosa and Bonds have alienated more than their share of coaches, teammates, and fans over the years, and it remains to be seen if either will have a season worth remembering. Beyond Sosa’s batting average and Bonds’ home run total, though, is the question of character:

What kinds of people will they be? How they will react if they’re successful—and how will they repent if they end up as dead weights on the end of their teams’ benches?

On the general subject of dead weights, Bernie Williams and Roger Clemens are two more players for whom the end is looking increasingly nigh. Williams, having spent his entire career in pinstripes, is well aware that the Yankees aren’t likely to offer him a deal. And though it seems like déjà-vu, the Rocket has officially launched his fourth consecutive offseason retirement flirtation, with the Astros, Yankees, and Red Sox all waiting on his decision.

Unlike Sosa and Bonds, neither Williams nor Clemens has to worry about rehabbing a tarnished reputation. The question for them, you might say, isn’t whether they’ll get the chance to play—they will—but rather whether it’s worth taking a chance to play what might ultimately be considered one season too many.

And finally, so as not to ignore that elephant on the couch, there’s Super Bowl XLI, which some experts are calling a lock. To be fair, there are plenty of reasons the Colts look like a good bet. Peyton Manning has proven adept at beating tough defenses. Rex Grossman, whose play will be a key to victory for the Bears, has been inconsistent all season.

If I had money on the game, I’d probably bet on Indy too.

But I’m not the betting type, and if I learned anything from Trent Dilfer, it’s that it doesn’t take a superstar to win a Super Bowl.

Sometimes all you need is a killer defense and a passionate leader. It will be an upset if Da Bears pull off a win on Sunday—unless you ask Brian Urlacher and the rest of the defense, who are expecting nothing short of a championship. Sure, Indy looks like the safer choice...but if the Houston Texans can beat the Colts, you’ve got to figure that anything is possible.

As sports fans, we all expect different outcomes for different reasons. Some of us trust the numbers; some of us go by our gut. In our heart of hearts, though, we all know that our expectations amount to little more than guesswork—and maybe that’s why we’re always so eager to watch. Be it the tragic injury, the amazing comeback, the broken record, or the long-shot upset, the bottom line is that you just never know.

After all, there’s always—always—a chance.

Not Just for Locals, The Superbowl is Fun for Everyone

2007-01-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report

When the playoffs started, I knew exactly what I wanted to happen:

First, I wanted my hometown Ravens to stomp on the Colts, elude Bob Sanders, score on at least one interception return, and win by a touchdown or two—no close calls, no chance for the Vinatieri magic.

Then I wanted to invite the AFC bullies to M&T Bank Stadium and have Steve McNair go all Tom Brady on the Pats defense, with a last-minute, game-winning drive to the end zone.

The capper? A Ravens-Bears showdown in Miami—a bare-knuckle Super Bowl, a defensive battle for the ages.

Would have been nice, right?

Unfortunately, my dreams were squashed. My team didn’t even score a touchdown in their only playoff game, the Colts broke the hearts of Baltimoreans everywhere (again), and I am stuck with far too many purple shirts and far too few occasions on which to wear them...at least until next season.

Though my ego is bruised and my spirits are dampened, I have taken my love for the Ravens and my sadness at their loss and turned them both into something worthwhile, something edifying:

An intense hatred of the Colts.

For the next ten days, I’m a raving Bears fan.

At the end of the day on February 4th, I’m back to purple and black—to a firm belief in the innocence of Ray Lewis, and a grateful reverence for the renaissance of Steve McNair. Until then, though, I’m living and dying with Da Bears, which may be the best thing about loving the game of football apart from any particular team:

No matter who’s playing in the Super Bowl, you can’t help but get psyched about it.

For those unfamiliar with the Colts’ history in Baltimore, the team has not won a Super Bowl since owner Bob Irsay snuck them out of Charm City in 1984. At the Hall of Fame, Johnny Unitas’ plaque is tragically announced by a sign that reads “Indianapolis Colts”...even though Unitas was Baltimore’s hero. Though asked on numerous occasions, Irsay refused to sell the rights to the Colts’ name and logo to Ravens owner Art Modell, ignoring the obvious connection between the name and Baltimore’s legacy as the home of the Preakness Stakes.

For Ravens fans, then, the choice to root for Chicago is as clear as their memories of the Colts are painful. But what about everybody else? Though most viewers don’t have such pathological motives for their Super Bowl loyalties, there are plenty of reasons for football-heads around the country to choose sides for the big game:

New England: You hate Peyton Manning like you hate the Yankees, and not even the 1986 loss to the Bears in Super Bowl XX could change your allegiance. Your vote? Chicago.

New Orleans: The Bears beat you in the NFC title game, and you love Archie Manning. Nothing would please you more than to see him smiling with glee in a Miami skybox. Your vote? Indy.

Chevrolet Factory Workers: Despite watching your stock cars win 14 of the last 20 Daytona 500 races, you haven’t been so lucky in Indianapolis. Your reign of Indy 500 supremacy in the early 90s is but a memory, and you’ve had only one winning car in the last ten years. Your vote? Chicago.

Democrats: You saw a Republican administration totally screw up Katrina relief, and you wanted to see the Saints become America’s team. The Bears killed those hopes, and now, as in the midterm elections, you want revenge. Your vote? Indy.

Republicans: Florida gave us President George W. Bush, and the University of Florida gave us Quarterback Rex Grossman. Your vote? Chicago.

Basketball Fans in Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle and Utah: Between 1990 and 1998, the Chicago Bulls beat all of your teams in the NBA Finals. Sure, it’s a different sport, and it was a decade ago—but championship wounds heal slowly. Your vote? Indy.

Aspiring Midwestern Rappers: In a genre dominated by the East Coast, the West Coast, and the Dirty South, Kanye West put Chi-town on the map...and officially made pastel polo shirts manly. Your vote? Chicago.

Mini-marathon runners: You know Indianapolis as the home of the largest mini-marathon in America, which includes a lap around the famous track at the Motor Speedway. Your vote? Indy.

And yes, okay, I know: There’s nothing better than watching your hometown team win the big game, no substitute for a victory parade in your own backyard...but the point here is that that’s not the only reason we watch. We watch for the drama—for the Jets upsetting the Colts in Super Bowl III, for Joe Montana playing the hero in Super Bowl XXIII, for Kevin Dyson coming up one yard short in Super Bowl XXXIV. The Super Bowl can be thrilling and heartbreaking in the same instant, and viewers are never more than a snap away from witnessing one of the most memorable moments in the history of the game.

No matter whose jersey you wear during the regular season, that sounds like must-see TV to me.

Top Ten+1 Jewish Athletes

2007-01-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

(This is a preview of one of the lists in the upcoming issue of New Voices Magazine.)

10+1. Red Auerbach
Though not an athlete himself, Auerbach makes the list for his skill as a head coach. He led the Boston Celtics to eight straight championships from 1959-66 which is still the record for most consecutive titles in the history of all North American Sports.
10. Sarah Hughes and Sasha Cohen
Olympic Gold and Silver medalists in figure skating. Hughes surprised the world by winning the Gold in 2002 and Cohen, the silver medalist in 2006, hopes to make the olympic team again and compete in Vancouver in 2010.
9. Dolph Schayes
Considered the greatest Jewish basketball player of all time, Schayes was the 1949 Rookie of the Year. He was a team leader for the Syracuse Nats when they won the 1955 Championship and was named to the All-Star team for 12 consecutive seasons.
8. Phil King
A Princeton legend in both football and baseball, King excelled as a college athlete, team captain and eventually as a coach. He was active in reshaping the rules of football and today's NFL players have him to thank for many changes, including the legalization of the forward pass.
7.Sidney Frumkin
A true immigrant athlete, Frumkin left his Brooklyn abode for Mexico and then Spain where he became a world renowned Matador (bullfighter) and opened the door for other Americans to take part in the sport.
6. Kerri Strug
Strug's finest moment as a gymnast for the US team came in 1996 when she scored a 9.712 on a vault, securing the gold medal for the team, despite having accomplished the feat with two torn ligaments in her right ankle.
5. Hank Greenberg
Born into an Orthodox family, Greenberg played for the Detroit Tigers for 16 season, was a two-time Most Valuable Player and ranks 7th among all baseball players in slugging percentage (.605).
4. Agnes Keleti
A hungarian olympic gymnast, Keleti accumulated ten medals, five of them gold, in her career (more than any other Jewish female olympian). She challenged the sport by competing and winning gold well into her 30's before moving to Israel to coach gymnasts there.
3. Max Baer
Contemporary moviegoers may know him as the losing boxer in the Cindarella Man story but in his day Baer, the 1934 Heavyweight Champion of the World, was known as a killer in (and out of) the ring. He ended his career winning 71 of his 84 fights, a staggering 53 of them by knocking out his opponent.
2.Mark Spitz
A famed Olympic Swimmer, Spitz holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single olympic games (7) and is the only competitor ever to win gold in every event in which he competed (1972 Games in Munich).
1. Sandy Koufax
Overpowering left handed pitcher of Brooklyn/LA Dodgers lore, Koufax was the first to pitch three no-hitters, won three Cy Young Awards and famously sat out game 1 of the '65 World Series because it landed on Yom Kippur.

Bad News Barry: Will Bonds find a home in 2007?

2006-12-06T13:16:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report

A number of news sources have reported that Barry Bonds made a surprise appearance at the baseball winter meetings today. The reason that it is such a shock is that generally players of Bonds’ caliber only show up if a major deal is being announced, but Bonds is there presumably to court an employer, for he has yet to sign a contract for the upcoming season. Intent on breaking the home run record, he is 22 shy, he needs a home, and if in-person meetings are the way to do it, so be it. Many reports have speculated that Bonds’ agent may be exaggerating both the number of teams interested in Bonds, and those teams’ level of interest.

Though it is hard to imagine a situation in which Bonds will be without a team to play on, the tepid response of teams to his availability is one way in which baseball seems to be making a statement about the high profile players of the steroid era.

It’s hard to think about Bonds’ current predicament without seeing flashes of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Though he continues to avoid the spotlight, McGwire’s name has been all over the place recently as being the first steroid-era superstar to be listed on the Hall of Fame ballot. Many argue that he should not be allowed in the Hall of Fame because his biggest accomplishment, breaking Roger Maris’ home run record, is tarnished due to accusations that he used performance-enhancing drugs. The counter argument is that the Hall of Fame documents the history and biggest names in baseball, good and bad, and that his pursuit of the record brought the sport back to life. He was the kind of star player, many contest, that rejuvenated the national pastime, and for that, he should be immortalized in Cooperstown.

Bonds, likely to be nominated as well, is on the verge of a record of his own and he too is one of the most well known players of his era. Signing Bonds would seem like a gift to any team; a big name player to attract more fans, the opportunity to be the team for whom he sets the record, enhanced publicity and a power hitter sure to make each at-bat exciting. So why doesn’t anyone want him?

Maybe Bonds is the new Sammy Sosa. Maybe teams are learning from the mistake that the Baltimore Orioles made when they signed Sosa for 2005. In that season he was expected to be a power hitter and to bring back baseball to a town that hadn’t had a contender since the mid-90’s. Instead of living up to his potential, Sosa finished with a batting average of .221 and only 14 home runs. It was his worst season in more than ten years and though he claims to be healthy and ready to play again, he is not high up on anyone’s off-season wish list.

Bonds isn’t the only big name visitor at the winter meetings this year. Cal Ripken Jr., the hero of the Baltimore Orioles, also on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, was there to market his new turf company. When asked about the Hall of Fame controversy, Ripken replied, "I understand the interest, I understand the debate that's going on right now," he said. "I personally don't want to be drawn into that. I don't feel comfortable judging anyone in that particular debate. I'm not qualified."

There is little doubt that Ripken will be voted in, mostly due to the record he set for consecutive games played, at 2,632, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130. There are those that argue that Ripken did not have the kind of career numbers that McGwire did, and what has evolved is a debate over what makes a player worthy of the Hall of Fame. Is a major personal accomplishment enough? Should overall stats play a more crucial role? Should a player’s leadership role and reputation be factored in?

It is worth noting that Bonds has other strikes against him—he is likely to be expensive and he is injury prone—but so is J.D. Drew, and he just signed a $50 million contract with the Red Sox. Plenty of teams are going to sign players with questionable durability and take risks with their rosters and their checkbooks.

There’s never been any doubt that Bonds is a great baseball player, just like no one is doubting McGwire’s skill; even if he did take steroids, he still had to hit seventy pitches over the fence. Perhaps what is being said though is that talent and stature alone are not enough. Maybe it’s not enough that he is on his way to breaking a major baseball record, and maybe teams just don’t want to court controversial players anymore. After a good season and a playoff run in 2006, Bonds’ current lack of employment may be an indication that in free agents teams are looking for both a particular kind of player who is also a particular kind of person.

The Safety: The Sweetest Two Points in Football

2006-12-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report

Right before it happens, as the offensive line is taking shape in it’s own end zone, your nervous twitch kicks into gear. Maybe you’re a toe-tapper, or a leg shaker or maybe you just silently raise your hands above your head. The teams are ready, the play clock is running down, the ball is snapped, it’s in the quarterback’s hands, he passes it off, and the running back struggles not for a first down, not even for decent yardage; he just wants to cross that line. He can’t, from the left and the right, the holes are closed, he is straining to hold on to the ball, struggling to break through, and then he crumples, he goes down, under three or four men much larger than he. The whistle is blown, the play is over, and in a matter of seconds the defensive line is jumping up and down and the scoreboard above changes adding the two sweetest points in football.

There’s just something magical about the safety.

According to the NFL Record and Fact Book, no team has ever recorded more than four safeties in one season, most recently Tennessee in 1999, or more than three in one game, the L.A. Rams in a game against the New York Giants on September 30, 1984. Fred Dryer holds the record for most safeties in one game, which is two, and Ted Hendriks, holds the record for the most safeties in a career, which is only four. So perhaps it’s because the safety is so rare that it is so exciting to see.

Like every other football fan, I like a last minute win. I enjoy the thrill of a team, on their last possession, engineering a winning drive. I liked watching Rob Bironas’ 60-yard field goal sail through the uprights on Sunday. But those things happen every season. Winning, by a safety however is an unexpected gift from the football gods. It’s only happened once this season so far; September 10, New England beat Buffalo by a score of 19-17.

Because of their rarity and their location, safeties carry with them a kind of humiliation exceeding that of other defensive points. A defense comes in to a team’s home, to their own end zone, uninvited and shuts them down. They disgrace a place generally reserved for celebration and the safety can’t be ignored because every time a team sees the score of the game they see 5, 15, 19, or 23, numbers rarely seen on Sundays.

Now I know there will be shouts of “what about the two-point conversion.” And I agree that there is nothing like a team successfully reaching the end zone on two consecutive plays to kill the spirit of a defense. But the job of an offense is to score points and to sometimes resort to aggressive play calling. The two-point conversion is planned, but the safety, no matter how badly a defense wants it, is unpredictable.

Data about game winning safeties is difficult to find, but by far the most impressive statistic is that two NFL games have been won, by a safety, in overtime. The first, a 1989 Vikings vs. L.A. Rams game and the second, a 2004 Bears vs. Titans game. In that one, the Titans fumbled the ball in their own end zone, and though they recovered it, they could not get past the line, resulting in a 19-17 Bears victory.

There have been some amazing plays in this football season thus far. Devin Hester’s 108 yard missed field goal return for a touchdown, the Ravens blocking a potential game-winning field goal to beat the Titans by one point, that same Titans team overcoming a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter to beat the Giants, and Matt Bryant’s 62 yard field goal for the Bucs to beat the Eagles after he was 0-for-3 from beyond 40 yards.

These are all great moments, and made for incredible games, but when it comes to scoring points in unexpected ways, I still think the safety is the sweetest play of them all.

Former Mets and Yankees on Hall Ballot

2006-11-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

Originally posted on Gothamist.

Major League Baseball has released the Hall of Fame candidates for the 2007 induction and among the thirty-two nominees are five former Mets and seven former Yankees.

All of the Mets alum played only briefly for New York, going on to establish themselves with other teams. Of the Yankees on the list, Scott Brosius and Paul O’Neill are the biggest names of the freshmen class. Brosius was the World Series MVP in 1998 and played for the Yankees in five fall classics. O’Neill, considered by many to be Derek Jeter’s predecessor to the title of Mr. Yankee, also played in four World Series with the Bombers and won the AL batting title in 1994.

These two first timers join one very beloved Yankee, Don Mattingly, who is on the ballot for the seventh time. Mattingly, currently the Yankees Bench Coach, played for the Yankees for his entire 14-year career, he won the AL batting title in 1984, was the MVP in 1985 and was one of the best defensive first basemen to play the game.

This year’s ballot, which also includes Cal Ripken, Jr., Tony Gwynn and Mark McGwire is considered to be more competitive and controversial than in previous years.

Here is a list of all the nominees (first time and repeat) who played in New York:

Derek Bell (Mets)
Bobby Bonilla (Mets)
Scott Brosius (Yankees)
Jay Buhner (Yankees)
Jose Conseco (Yankees)
Tony Fernandez (Mets)
Rich Gossage (Yankees)
Orel Hershiser (Mets)
Tommy John (Yankees)
Don Mattingly (Yankees)
Paul O’Neill (Yankees)
Bret Saberhagen (Mets)
Lee Smith (Yankees)

It’s a Bad Week to be from Pennsylvania - But it still might be worse to be Eli

2006-11-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

Originally posted on The Bleacher Report

It was perfect timing for the Ravens and the Colts this week. These two division-leading teams took the spirit of Thanksgiving with them to the football field and feasted on their opponents—the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles—and made for certain that it was a bad week to hail from the Keystone State.

It was a warm, sunny day in Baltimore, Ray Lewis was back on the field after a two-week hiatus, M&T Bank Stadium held a record-breaking crowd and the Baltimore Ravens absolutely demolished their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens didn’t just settle for a win, they shut-out the defending champs, limited them to 21 rushing yards and sacked Roethlisberger 9 times. They allowed the Steelers to cross midfield only three times and their seemingly unstoppable defense scored its fifth touchdown of the season. Unbeaten since the firing of offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, the Ravens seem to have solved their quandary of relying only on defense, and Brian Billick, who has assured the safety of his job as head coach, may have finally silenced his critics who said that he would not be a more effective play caller. Even more importantly the Ravens have maintained their three game lead over the formerly dominant Cincinnati Bengals, and can clinch their division with a win against them on Thursday. For the Steelers, known to be a gritty, come-from-behind and very physical team, Sunday’s loss represented the end of their dynasty dreams and left fans and players alike wondering what happened to Big Ben. Maybe it was the motorcycle accident, maybe it was the appendectomy, maybe it was the concussion, but whatever it was the Steelers ended Thanksgiving with nothing to chew on but a big, round goose egg.

On the other side of a big state, scores of passionate fans in Philly were just as disappointed. The Eagles’ are lost without McNabb and the Colts remain dominant because of Peyton Manning and the pairing of these two teams illuminates the importance of a team-leading quarterback. Brian Westbrook rushed for over 124 yards but Joseph Addai was better, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns. The Colts took the lead on their first possession and though the Eagles did come within ten points in the third quarter, they never got any closer. It’s hard to imagine what the Colts would look like without Manning and this is now the third season in the McNabb era in which the Eagles have realized the nightmare that is losing him early. Jeff Garcia proved himself a decent but not overpowering replacement, and it remains to be seen what he can do against a less formidable opponent. In the meantime, the Colts (10-1) maintain their one-game lead over the Chargers and the Ravens (both 9-2), they proved that last week’s loss was a fluke and left fans in Philly with little to cheer for. But hey, at least they’ve got Ryan Howard.

One state north New Yorkers are holding out hope that the Jets can close the two-game lead that the Patriots hold and one state south Baltimoreans are finally seeing their team get the recognition it deserves. Pennsylvanians can celebrate that at least they don’t have to deal with Eli Manning who helped the Giants blow a 21 point, fourth quarter lead and who lofted an idiotic pass that would eventually lead to a game winning field goal, but that may be all they can be thankful for. So even though it may still be worse to be Eli, from the Steel City to the City of Brotherly Love, it was a bad week to be from Pennsylvania.

The Future of New York’s Quarterbacks

2006-11-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

Both the New York Giants and the New York Jets suffered losses this week, and for both teams much of the criticism is being directed at their quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Chad Pennington.

With the recent success of Tony Romo (Drew Bledsoe’s replacement in Dallas) and David Garrard (Byron Leftwich’s replacement in Jacksonville) many New York football fans may be wondering if their team needs a replacement as well.

Giants and Jets faithful didn’t have to ponder that for long; at their press conferences yesterday Tom Coughlin, head coach for the Giants, and Eric Mangini, head coach for the Jets told reporters that their starters would continue to start.

One issue for both teams is that neither one of them has a particularly inviting replacement. They each have a veteran—Tim Hasselback (Giants) and Patrick Ramsey (Jets)—and they each have a youngster who is not ready to start; Jared Lorenzen (Giants) and Kellen Clemens (Jets). A looming question regarding Pennington arises in an interesting post on Benmaller.com which reports that he is “due a $2 million roster bonus on March 2 and the Jets must make a decision by then if he will remain the quarterback [next season].”

Neither team’s season is over but both face important games this week. Should the Jets (5-5) lose to the Houston Texans they will dip below .500 and give New England the chance to extend their lead to three games in the AFC East. The Giants (6-4) play the Cowboys in two weeks, and the two teams are currently tied atop the NFC East, so they need to gain momentum this week by beating Tennessee. Both quarterbacks have played well in some games this season and both of their opponents this week are beatable. Their futures seem to depend on which versions of Manning and Pennington show up.

It’s a Bad Week to be a Manning but it’s Worse to be Eli

2006-11-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report.

Rare is the week when Peyton and Eli Manning play on different days and can watch each others’ game, and how unfortunate that this time they had to watch each other lose. Yes folks, for this first family of football, it was a bad week to be a Manning.

It started with Sunday night’s game and the Cowboys capitalizing on the Colts’ weaknesses where other teams could not. Tony Romo, who won for the third time in four games, has established himself as a team leader and actually put a smile on Bill Parcells’ face. Manning uncharacteristically threw two interceptions but ultimately when he needed to make the big plays he is known for he just couldn’t do it. Now that Peyton can’t go undefeated he can stop worrying about being perfect and concentrate on playing well in the playoffs; a more worthwhile endeavor and one he has struggled with. For Tony Romo and the Cowboys the win on Sunday propelled them to 6-4 and it became an even sweeter victory with the Giants’ disaster of a game last night.

Cut to that game, where Eli Manning is struggling to make Giants fans believe that he was worth that first round pick which will be an even tougher battle for him because his play last night was atrocious. Certainly Plaxico Burress needed to put in more effort; when your only job is to catch a football, you can try a little harder. And someone should tell him that when your team already seems to be playing with no emotion that its probably a bad idea to pretend to faint when an official rightly calls back a pass that you didn’t even catch. Instead of getting back in it, he stood at the line of scrimmage shaking his head. Manning needed more protection then he was given, but more often then not his throws were too low, too high, too hard or poorly timed. The announcers said Eli never looked comfortable and as such they lost to a team that has lost twice this season to the Houston Texans.

Though both Mannings and their teams lost, it was a worse for the New York Giants. With the Eagles suffering the loss of Donovan McNabb and the Redskins playing terribly, the Giants had the chance to secure the lead in the NFC East. Instead, their loss combined with the Cowboys victory ties the two teams and leaves the Giants as the team with something to prove. For Jacksonville, the AFC south is clearly in the hands of the Colts, but their defense looked sharp and David Garrard has emerged as a fast and physical replacement for Byron Leftwich. This was an important game for Eli whose season looks to be unraveling. Maybe the pressure to be Peyton-esque is too great, or maybe he just isn’t that good but in a week where being a Manning was not synonymous with being a winner it was still worse to be Eli.

Soriano or Sori-oh no? One Big Bat Does Not a Contender Make

2006-11-21T10:49:00.000-05:00

Originally published on The Bleacher Report.

The Chicago Cubs are making headlines this off-season; there is no doubt about that. It started when they signed Lou Pinella to manage the club, and has hit an all time high with the recent signing of Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year $136 million deal.

The Cubs have yet to sign a starting pitcher, they have yet to play a game under Pinella with their newly revamped line-up but already they are being called contenders.

Anyone else think this is just a tad premature?

What the Cubs have successfully accomplished this off-season is convinced everyone in baseball that they don’t want to be losers anymore. Soriano could have a great season, or he could flop, but the Cubs are not afraid to spend the money to get the big names, and this method is what lures other talented players. Toronto did this last winter, then they finished above the Red Sox and have added Frank Thomas this year hoping to prove once again that they want to win. Someone was going to sign Soriano, someone was going to pay big for it, so why not the Cubs?

But if we have learned anything from the 2006 season it is that a potent line-up and a mega-million dollar bat can’t carry an entire team. The Yankees had the “best line-up in baseball” last season, and every single announcer felt compelled to remind viewers of that at nearly every opportunity. Jim Leyland was openly terrified of the kind of offensive damage that the Bronx Bombers were likely to unleash on to his Tigers. And look what happened. All those all-stars, all those big bats, and all those zeros.

Still, even if the Cubs do sign a solid starting pitcher, they will still not have the depth to their starting rotation that has proven the winning ingredient in the last few post-seasons and World Series. Even more alarming is that Soriano was signed to play center field and there is a chance he may not be good there.

So, to get things straight, a team that won 66 games last season, has one outstanding pitcher and a solid line up, signs another star player, to a new position and is now a contender. Sure they would only need to win 21 more games to equal the Cardinals’ total from last season, and so maybe they will come in a bit closer, but rarely does one off-season provide the kind of total turn around that a team like the Cubs needs, and I think this year is no exception.

The Cubs have made things interesting, they have given their division a little more competition and they have assured that they will be better then they were last year. But with so many teams and so few spots in the post-season I think we should let the games begin before we bestow the title of contender on this team.

Bizarro Baseball Land

2006-11-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

You know all those people who tell you that it's rediculous to be afraid of flying because it is SO unlikely that you will die in a plane crash? Well I sure hope no one said that to Bob Cartwright.

He was a close friend of Cory Lidle's flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, who also happened to be his personal pilot. He was supposed to be in the plane with Lidle and Stanger which crashed into a building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on October 11.

He opted out of that flight, boarded another one on Tuesday, headed for Las Vegas, only 34 days after Lidle died. In a frightening twist of fate this plane also crashed, and this time Stanger was not so lucky.

Amazingly this is not even the most insane part of the story. Another man, Rod Watkins, was supposed to be on both Lidle's flight, AND the one to Vegas, but could not make either, and each time, learned later that the planes had crashed.

ATTENTION ROD WATKINS: STAY OUT OF AIRPLANES!!!!!

The Big Hurt, eh?

2006-11-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Toronto Blue Jays finalized a deal with Frank Thomas at $18 million for two years.

The first move for the team north of the border, it signals, according to many, their desire to contend more signifiantly for the top of the AL East.

The move also protects the Jays should Vernon Wells, and his big bat, depart for another team.

The contract also includes a $10 million option for the 2009 season.

Yankee To Receive World Series Ring

2006-11-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

In the post-season shuffle and ensuing clamor for the top free agents in baseball few people are thinking ahead to the presentation of the 2006 World Series rings. Yankees fans, already frustrated by their team’s poor post-season play, may be further annoyed to learn that in fact one Bronx Bomber from 2006 will be receiving a ring after all. Though he won’t be on the field with the St. Louis Cardinals, starting pitcher Sidney Ponson will likely receive his ring in the mail.

Ponson pitched for the Cardinals until July 11 when he lost his spot to Jeff Weaver. From mid-July through August 18 he pitched for the Yankees, notching a 4-5 record with a 6.25 ERA, but again lost his spot, this time to Cory Lidle.

Certainly this will be more gut-wrenching for Baltimore, where Ponson had to schedule his starts between DUIs and court dates. But for the Yankees, a team with World Series aspirations and many ring-less superstars, Ponson with a ring on his finger is hardly the stuff that pinstriped dreams are made of.

Will the real Golden Age please stand up?

2006-11-11T18:20:00.000-05:00

Recently Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, declared that we are currently living in the “golden age of baseball.” It’s always a risk to take ownership of a piece of sports history, or sports present, as in this case, because rare is the sports fan who can be divorced from the period to which he or she is most attached. It is impossibly hard to declare another era the best.

To say that right now is the golden age is, in the eyes of many a disgrace to the game of baseball itself. We are in the age of inflated contracts and steroid controversies. Of course, before this, was the age of corked bats, of throwing games, of insider betting. We are in the age when many records are being reset, Gherig no longer owns consecutive games and Maris no longer holds home runs. Ted Williams’ still has the best season batting average, but it is only in the last quarter century that we’ve seen athletes good enough for initiation in the 40-40 club.

Some could argue that baseball players are not the fully rounded athletes they once were. Some would say that the DH rule has turned American League baseball into a less glorified version of the sport and that all pitchers should know how to hit, just like Babe Ruth did. They’ll recall the days when it was no feat for a pitcher to pitch a complete game, not these days of strategically taking pitchers out to limit an opposing team’s offense. Still, pitchers are throwing over 100 miles per hour, the DH has given a role to aging power hitters and the National League can still win games with small ball. The game of baseball today is at once more powerful and less raw.

The advancements of the 21^st century allow us to know for sure when a player is doping up, allow us to zoom in on a pitcher’s hand, and baseball has followed suit, developing new ways of punishing those who break a rule. Though fans of ole may groan at the thought of 200 million dollar contracts, they can rest easy in the fact that ultimately more money has not necessarily meant an uneven playing field. The development of sports TV allows for more fans than ever, just as ever rising ticket prices limit the accessibility of live action for all fans, no matter their economic status.

Even as these things change though, so many aspects of this sport are the same. It is still breathtaking and rare to see a perfect game pitched. It is still a thrill to see a team win in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, just as it is to see a pitcher pitch-out of a bases loaded jam. A grand slam is still the most exciting hit and there is still something special about a perfectly executed suicide squeeze. No matter how developed the statistics are, no one knows who is going to win, and if this year is any indication, the bullies can still lose and the underdogs and still take in all.

So maybe Selig was right to say that we are living in the golden age, simply because we are living in it. Maybe the last person to say it was right also, and maybe the next person to say it will also be right. Though baseball struggles to stay current, there is never a lack of appreciation for the past. No matter how good a shortstop A-rod is, he will always revere Cal Ripken, Jr. Every player from Puerto Rico will name Roberto Clemente as his nation's hero. Winning teams will continue to be honored at the anniversaries of their championship wins, and moments of silence will be observed for former greats who are playing now on the great baseball field in the sky. Baseball, it seems, is in its golden age, it has always been, and if history is any indication, it always will be.

Giants v. Bears. Who gets the vote?

2006-11-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

Posted originally on Gothamist.

When the dust cleared after the elections on Tuesday, the Democrats were the last party standing. Even in a blue-leaning state like New York, Democrats had to play hard in their quest to dominate the old boys' club known as the Republican party. As Dems claimed victory in every state race, Republicans retreated and joined the ranks of some other New York losers.

Sort of like the 2006 New York Yankees and Mets. Focusing on offense to overpower a league where pitching wins games, the Yankees took their AL East Division title as far as Detroit. Though they were heavily favored, the exit polls told a different story, and the underdog Detroit Tigers went on to the next round. The Mets followed suit; the best team in baseball for the entire season couldn't hold it together at the end. The St. Louis Cardinals pulled out a final-hours victory, and their campaign manager, Tony LaRussa, led his well oiled machine all the way to a championship.

While the Yankees and Mets set out to reorganize and prepare their next campaign, New York sports fans are left searching for their own Democratic party. Jets fans, like Green Party candidates, still have hope, but their team is competing with New England, Baltimore, Indianapolis and Denver for a playoff spot. And with football season half over, another mid-term election of sorts will take place tomorrow night when the New York Giants (6-2) face the Chicago Bears (7-1). The winner will not only gain bragging rights in an intense league rivalry, but will also dominate the NFC.

A must-win for both teams, Sunday night's game is huge for New York. Democrats had to work harder for the win but they were sick of waiting until next time, and the results proved that this country is ready for a change - much like how New York sports fans want change. In a city that all but demands championships, the underdog New York Giants are playing for an even greater glory. It's been a year of unexpected losses and New York sports fans don't want to keep hoping for next season. Having watched the beloved Yankees and Mets either leave too soon and suffer a heartbreaking loss, on top of having no faith in the Knicks, New York needs a winner. Badly.

They're Not Really Free and I Don't Care

2006-11-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

The majority of baseball fans won't see their team play or win the World Series. According to ratings, not many of them will even bother watching the World Series if their team isn't playing. Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals probably didn't want October to end, but for the rest of us, the drama begins all over again the day after the World Series. The season is officially over and from every team players being announcing their status as free agents. Suddenly your lackluster infield has reason to hope, the hole in your starting rotation is soon to be filled, your aging bullpen can get some young blood and your line-up can finally secure that elusive power hitter.

The day when free agents annouce their availability begins a time of hope for baseball fans. Even fans of terrible teams have reason to believe that their front office will set up the blockbuster trade of the off season, and put their players back in contention. It is also a time when you can begin to bury the pain of the previous season, look critically at what your team needs, search through lists of who you could possibly get and then pray each night before bed that you do.

There are so many aspects of teams that free agents need to consider. Location is a big one for many, how close a team is to a player's home, and hoe disruptive it would be to move. Others need to consider the weather of a certain city. Many analysts pondered if Kenny Rogers' late season success this year was partially due to not having to play in the murderous heat of Texas in July and August.

Many free agents will want to use their status to join a team they think will immediately be in contention (Johnny Damon to the Red Sox). Others will join a team regardless of contention as long as they are given a chance to play (Julio Franco to the Mets). Some will join a team for one season, even if that team has no shot, in order to attain greater personal status (Alfonso Soriano to the Nationals) and others will join a team a few years out, hoping to be part of a larger rebuilding strategy (Ramon Hernandez to the Orioles).

There are quite a few high profile free agents this year and fans will be eager to find out where Barry Zito will end up, who will win Daisuke Matsuzaka, and if Roger Clemens will go back to Beantown. We will look at the mega stars, Thomas, Bonds and Garciaparra, and wonder if they will get contracts that end up lasting longer then their skills. We will try to guess which youngster will find the best fit and the team he'll play on for the rest of his career.

Fred Claire, in his MLB.com column insists that free agency is about money, and about players leaving teams that cannot afford them. No one can argue that this isn't the case, but this is nothing new. Everyone knows that wealthier teams have an edge in acquiring the top free agents. Unfortuantely for those teams, money guarantees nothing. The Yankees, with the largest payroll in baseball choked in the first round of the playoffs. The Marlins dumped all their expensive players and still had a shot at the NL Wild Card.

I think it would be great if every team had the same amount of money, and if players joined teams they wanted to be a part of. I respect those players who stick with their teams in order to make something happen, the Detroit Tigers are a great example of this. But in the meantime I want to enjoy the optimism of free agency without getting pissed yet again that my team doesn't have a New York payroll. Good teams lose, healthy players get injured, top prospects choke at the plate, no name pitchers throw perfect games and teams that win fewer than 90 games can apparently win the World Series. I want to hold on to my optimism, no mater how fruitless and I plan to embrace whomever my team selects.

I know in baseball you have to consider the politics, the money, the steroids and the smudges on the hands. But I think there's still a lot of magic left to the sport, and I think free agency season is a pretty fantastic one: let the bidding wars begin.

When will they show up?

2006-10-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

On Sunday night during NBC's coverage of the night football game, the commentators were discussing the big upsets of that day; Oakland over Pittsburgh and Jacksonville over Philadelphia and how the two favored teams just didn't seem to show up.

Terry Bradshaw offered a hypothesis that they went out too cocky and didn't have their egos in check. It's like these players forget that bad teams are still made up of professional athletes, and that nothing is sweeter than an upset. It's not as if there has ever been a football season where every game was predictable and it's not as if the team that looks best on paper will always win.

I can just picture the locker rooms before the game, with Pittsburgh writing it off as a sure win while the Raiders were pumping the hell out of each other. They Raiders had the opportunity to humiliate the defending champs. It's almost sweeter that they did it with their own offense playing like dirt, and by taking advantage of Roethlisberger's mistakes.

As I mentioned, the commentators chalked these games up to who wanted it more. If that's the case, then what needs to happen for Roethlisberger and McNabb to want it? Winning a Super Bowl matters, but it's not enough to win once. Maybe it would have been for Dan Marino, but it's the legacy that impresses. Watching last year's champs go to 2 - 5 is sad, even for a Steelers hater like me. And McNabb is a fool if he thinks that he doesn't still need to redeem himself for two years ago.

There are so many people itching to get into this sport, and there are people who work their asses off to prove their worth. Jake Plummer will never be John Elway and he is reminded of that all the time at Mile High Stadium. Tony Romo won his first start as a Cowboy and that's all it takes for fans in Dallas to forget all about Drew Bledsoe. Everyone wants to be the next great guy so to watch two superstars suck at it week after week is just dissapointing.

On the other side of this you have Peyton Manning, often considered the best QB right now, unafraid to give it up to Viniateri for saving the game and the Colts' undefeated status. You have Rex Grossman, who is bringing a football renaissance to Chicago and rejecting the super star status he deserves. You have Steve McNair who gets kicked out of the Titans' locker room, gets berated for his poor offense, and answers with an inspired performance and a huge win for Baltimore.

I look forward to the eventual upsets of the Colts and the Bears because I don't want the same teams to win every week. I love when Pro-Bowlers sit out and watch rookies rush for 100 yards in their places. That is what makes good football and I would never argue that it would be better if the "best teams" were always winning. But football season is 16 games short and every single one matters. I don't care if the best team is playing the worst team, because these athletes are being paid to try, they should check their egos, and they should always show up.

NOT ABOUT BASEBALL

2006-10-23T18:04:00.000-05:00

An article on foxsports claims that Nelson De La Rosa, the 2 foot 4 inch actor, and Boston Red Sox "good luck charm" has died. According to his agent, his body may be on display in a museum, presumably because he is one of the world's smallest men.

First of all, is there a height limit for when a person is small enough to also be a good luck charm? Does he have to fit on a very large bracelet?

Second of all, where is this sick museum that displays dead little people? Someone please make sure I never go there.

Detroit Wins With the Better Story

2006-10-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

Sometime between the moment that Yadier Molina's home run clinched the NLCS for the Cardinals and the moment when Anthony Reyes released the first pitch of game one, the Detroit Tigers won the World Series. They are still three games away from an actual victory, they still have to face Suppan and Carpenter, and they still have to see how Robertson and Bonderman will hold up in these high pressure games. But before any player had even stepped on to the field at Comerica Park, the Tigers were already winners; not because they have better pitchers (although they do), or because they are a better team (though they are), but because they have a better story.

Looking at the St. Louis Cardinals, it doesn't take long to see why they are not the story of this year's fall classic. People love to see an underdog, but not one that doesn't really deserve to be where it is. To me, it's not magical that a team that only won 87 games is in the World Series. To me, this means that the level of competition in the National League is not where it should be.

It's also not a shock to see St. Louis in the post-season. They were there in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and this year won their second pennant in three years. In 2004, their last trip to the World Series, they were also playing against a team with a better story; The Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals are a good team and I could wax nostalgic about seeing Mookie Wilson's step son, Preston, win a World Series. But we all know that Preston will never hit a slow grounder through Carlos Guillen's legs to win it all; the Cardinals are far from Amazin'.

Speaking of amazin', if the Mets had won the National League like they were supposed to, this really would be a battle of two storied franchises. Of two sports crazed cities and two oft-forgotten teams. It would be Minaya and Randolph, a Queens native and a Yankees hero, vs. Illich and Leyland, a Detroit native, and a grizzly shrunken man, who promised a run down city that they could have a championship team, and made good on that promise.

If the Mets had won, it would be the battle of the resurrected careers. It would be Floyd, Delgado and Franco, vs. Pudge and Ordonez. If the Mets had won it would be a battle of a remarkable but young pitching staff with Bonderman and Verlander vs. a remarkable but young infield with Reyes and Wright. If the Mets had won it would be the battle of the inextinguishable veterans; Glavine and Rogers.

If the Mets had won it would be their chance to exert dominance over New York sports vs. the Tigers chance to silence the Twins and the White Sox, the egocentric powerhouses of mid-west American League baseball.

If the Mets had won, I would lose sleep over who I wanted to win the World Series more, which manager I liked better, which rookie was headed to Cooperstown faster, which aging pitcher had just enough gas.

But the Mets didn't win. So, instead the Tigers face the Cardinals. They head to Busch stadium, in its third incarnation, to its stands populated by the western half of the city it represents, to a team that discovered and pampered Albert Pujols, the only beefy slugger in the game who does not get questioned about steroids. Instead it's Leyland vs. LaRussa, the guy no one has heard of against the guy everyone has heard of. Instead, it's the team that defied everyone's expectations to dominate a difficult division vs. the team that defied everyone's expectations of how badly you could play all year to still end up in the World Series.

I am thrilled that this year won't be a sweep, and that the two teams are hitting well and pitching better. I like late inning scares like Todd Jones supplied last night, provided that they end right, as it did last night. But, I also like a good story. The Red Sox were the story of 2004; the White Sox were the story of 2005. Here's hoping the Tigers will be the story of 2006.

Mets 2, Cardinals 0

2006-10-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

I had a fleeting moment of recosideration at the start of last night's game. I was nervous, I could tell Weaver was poised for a good start, and I thought, maybe the red birds will take this one. Game one is important in every series, but for the Mets, after the cancellation of the actual first game, and considering their pitcing woes, this game was even more important. They cannot waste a Glavine start.

They might have done just that, had it not been for the usual suspect, Carlos Beltran, who has cemented himself as an ultra reliable post season slugger. Just like he did with Houston in 2004, Beltran provided all the offense the Mets needed, smashing a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

Glavine pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball, throwing only 89 pitches, giving up four hits and simultaneously putting himself in a good position to pitch on three days rest, should the Mets need him again.

The Mets however should not get ahead of themselves. Last night the following Cardinals starers went hitless: Eckstein, Encarnacion, Pujols, Rolen and Belliard. These are all excellent ball players, they all want to win, and the Mets can bet that they will start hitting. Controlling the heart of the St. Louis line-up is key for the Mets, and with less experienced and less consistent pitchers starting the next three games, they will have to play even tougher defense.

Tonight is a must-win for the Cardinals. They cannot afford to blow a Chris Carpenter start, and should the Mets take a 2-0 lead in the series, they will be very difficult to shut down for four of the remaining six games.

Speaking of must-win, the same is true for the A's. They play this afternoon in Detroit and the pitching match up is Harden v. Rogers. No doubt, the Gambler is itching to prove that he can throw more than one gem in the post season.

Why Baseball Matters

2006-10-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

There was no doubt in my mind that a picture of the damaged building on East 72nd Street would occupy the front page of the New York Times this morning. I was not surprised to see an array of articles about Cory Lidle, the man, Cory Lidle the pitcher and even Cory Lidle the pilot. As expected there were the comments from his teammates, from Damon, Giambi and Jeter, from former teammates, from coaches and from friends. They also all said what I expected, how suddenly things can change, what a great competitor he was, how sorry they are for his wife and young son.

Everything I read was exactly what I had anticipated, except for one thing. In his column, "New York Baseball, Upside Down," in the New York Times sports section, Dave Anderson printed this quote from Rick Peterson, one of Lidle's coaches in Oakland.

"It's like a surreal moment, I think it just goes to show how insignificant some of the things that we think are significant really are when this comes down to the fact that we're about to play a baseball game and how important is that, really?"

For those who don't know, Rick Peterson is the pitching coach for the New York Mets, who are about to play in the first game of the NLCS tonight, and who are in contention to win their first World Series in twenty years. For Mets fans and baseball fans around the country Lidle's death is a tragedy and yet these same fans would not hesitate to answer Peterson's question; this game is still very important.

I don't mean that this one game is important, although it is, just ask Tom Glavine, who, under Anderson's tutelage, is about to start tonight's game. I mean that sports are worthwhile and important to this country, particularly baseball, and they are important all the time. Their importance should not be qualified by how recently a local or even national tragedy took place, and their ability to heal should not be overlooked.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped convince commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis that baseball should be played during WWII. When Phillip Wrigley, namesake of the field and the gum, realized that baseball players would be called on to fight, he helped found the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, so that people would still have games to attend.

Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. That was seven years before Brown v. The Board of Education struck down 'separate but equal.' By that baseball season, 1954, ten other teams had drafted African American players.

Five years ago, on September 17, 2001, baseball resumed, despite the fact that the US had suffered a national tragedy only six days before. There were hundreds of articles written about this issue, many suggesting that the season should be canceled. Commissioner Bud Selig's motivation for continuing play? "We wanted to be not only sensitive, but we wanted to play our small role in the recovery process."

To contend that when priorities are adjusted we might reconsider the importance of baseball and sports more generally does a disservice the the ways in which team sports have helped bring people together and countries back to life. It's what the Olympics can do for a city's economy. It's watching a World Cup team win over the team of its former colonial ruler.

I seriously doubt that Rick Peterson meant anything by his statement, which was undoubtedly just his emotional reaction to the loss of a friend. Still, if Cory Lidle was truly as passionate about baseball as his teammates say he was, I doubt that he would have wanted anything except for the game to go on.

Tigers 8, Athletics 5

2006-10-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

Last night game two of the ALCS featured what we can now call the typical Tigers. Their pitching was dominant as usual but when Verlander did falter and only slightly, his offense perfectly exectued run-scoring plays to stay neck and neck with the A's before taking a lead in the fouth inning. It was a lead they would never lose.

Aside from wondering if Verlander would continue to impress many also wondered if Sean Casey's injury would significantly effect the game's outcome. Casey tore his calf muscle in game one against the A's and will likely be out for the rest of the post season. Tigers' manager Jim Leyland made a surprising move, starting third-baseman Guillen at first, putting Neifi Perez at third, and starting Alexis Gomez at DH.

Though Rodriguez and Monroe once again proved themselved dependable, the Tigers relied heavily on an unexpected hero. Gomez hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to give Detroit the lead, and a two-run homer, the second of his career, in the seventh, which all but sealed the deal. Granderson also homered, but by then it was just gravy. The Tigers had a bit of scare in the bottom of the ninth, but Todd Jones pitched out of a bases loaded jam to get the save.

The A's were plagued defensively once more, and when needed, starter Esteban Loaiza could not come through with the big pitches. Frank Thomas flied out to end the ninth inning, and the A's hopes of evening out the seven game series. The teams next face off Friday night in Detroit, where temperatures are expected to be in the 40s. A circumstance that, along with the Tigers' pitching, does not bode well for the Athletics.

Pitcher Cory Lidle Dies in Plane Crash

2006-10-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

The New York Yankee's mid-season acquisition, right-handed pitcher Cory Lidle, died today when his Cirrus SR20 plane crashed into a residential building on East 72nd Street in Manhattan.

Lidle joined the Yankees in the same trade in which they received Bobby Abreu, both from the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the fifth member of their starting rotation, presumably brought in to fill in for the injured Carl Pavano.

Lidle was moved to the bullpen when the Yankees switched to a four-man rotation in the post-season, and he pitched 1 and 2/3 innings in game four of the ALDS, giving up three runs to the Detroit Tigers.

Lidle's best start with the Yankees came against the Baltimore Orioles on September 26, when he pitched 6 2/3 innings and helped the Yankees finish with a 5-4 win.

Lidle's rookie season came in 1997 with the New York Mets when he notched a 7-2 record with an era of 3.53. He moved around a great deal in his career and his best season came in 2001 when he finished with 13-6 record and a 3.59 era with the Oakland Athletics.

He was a career 4.57 pitcher, with 838 strike outs in 1,322 innings pitched.

The Yankee Mystique

2006-10-11T08:59:00.000-05:00

The most popular team in baseball, with the most World Series wins chokes in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, and as expected there has been an array of columns suggesting what Steinbrenner and Cashman need to do to change the course of the last six seasons.

First there was the rally to fire Torre, which lasted two days and left people wondering what happened to the Steinbrenner of old. (Just call him the Steinbrenner that got old). At the same time was the obvious anti A-Rod cry; that he's too much of a superstar, there's too much pressure, his ego is too big.

All of this is accurate, but not limited to A-Rod. The Yankees have never been evasive in stating their goal: they wanted to win it all, and each season they lured in another big name. Not just Rodriguez, but also, Mussina, Pavano, Giambi, Matsui, Johnson, Abreu and of course Damon. And just today, Joe Palladino writes that Mr. Yankee himself, Derek Jeter is the one who should go, allowing Rodriguez to take over short stop and establish himself as the new Yankee leader. Everyone is willing to identify the biggest Yankee shortcoming and how to solve it.

Everyone that is, except the people who should be. Steinbrenner's statement at the end of this season is just like his from last season. He is disappointed, they want to win and they will do whatever it takes to bring a championship to the Bronx next season. But that's where it ends. Yankees fans are demanding big changes, but they should not expect much. Steinbrenner says Torre is back, so it's not his fault. Torre says A-Rod will be back, so it's not his fault. Cashman is ready for another off season, presumably this is not his fault either. He even went to far as to say I honestly can say I dont have any wouldve, couldve, shouldves." That's interesting because I can think of a few.

1. You should have traded for a first baseman instead of another lazy, aging outfielder mid-season. Abreu may be a power hitter, but he has no hustle.

2. You should have known that Lidle was going to pitch one gem to prove his worth and then suck in NY just like he did in Philly.

3. You could have given some more young players a chance, especially in game 4 when it became obvious to anyone with eyes that Gary Sheffield couldn't have hit a Bonderman pitch if it was glued to his bat.

4. You could have trusted your excellent farm system at the end of last season, one that was responsible for Jeter and Cano, and spent your millions on pitchers instead of on Johnny Damon.

5. You would have beaten the Tigers if you had good pitchers.

I am sick of hearing about the best line-up in baseball, I am sick of the Yankees all-star status, and of their cocky attitude toward to post-season. I am happy they lost. But, they are so obsessed with keeping their secrets, with planning their next big move in some secret lair and in maintaining the magical mystique that has unfairly followed them since the days of Ruth and Gehrig.

Other teams are more than happy to share the reasons behind their successes (Tigers) and failures (Royals, Orioles). They are open about what they need, who is in their way (often it is the Yankees), and they make changes when necessary (Phillies, Marlins). But not the Bronx Bombers (who by the way are getting better and better at bombing).

No matter how elusive they all are, someone is to blame for this mess--in fact--a bunch of people are, including Steinbrenner, Torre and the entire team and someone should step up and accept responsibility. Corey Lidle made the only comments that could be construed as blaming someone, when he said that the Yankees might not have been as prepared as the Tigers. Not as prepared? 162 games and the best record in the AL? How much more prepared do you need to be. And then of course, when he was asked if he was blaming Torre by making these comments, he said he was misquoted.

Again, it's no one's fault.

They're Grrrrrreat

2006-10-11T06:38:00.000-05:00

The Tigers topped the Athletics last night in the first game of the ALCS. The score was 5 - 1 but those are the least important numbers. The A's were great at getting runners on base and terrible at hitting them home. They went 0 - 13 with runners in scoring position and grounded into four double plays. Zito was outpitched by Robertson, lasting only 3 2/3 innings and assuming all five of the Tigers' runs for earned runs. Tonight's pitching matchup features Verlander for the Tigers and Loaiza for the A's. Though Loaiza has more post season experience Verlander certainly has the edge here.

The best part about watching the Tigers play is that it seems like in each game a different member of the team pulls through and has a big night. Last night it was Brandon Inge who had three hits, including a solo home run to get the scoring started. Regularly called the most athletic third baseman in the AL, Inge is oft overlooked, but is a team leader and as a member of the Tigers in their 119 loss season, he is deserving of a great game and a great series.

There are two playoff games on tonight, unless the Mets/Cards game is rained out. Both are on at 8 PM, on Fox/FX, and where you see which game depends on location.

Keeping up with the Hendersons

2006-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Oakland native, and Athletics great Rickey Henderson was the victim of an annoyingly long zoom to the stands during tonight's boring and obvious Tigers/A's game.

The announcers talked up Rickey's careers, his stolen bases, his uncanny ability to read a pitcher and his leadoff homeruns.

They left out this little gem that can be found in Rickey's wikipedia entry:

Henderson has also been reported to take practice swings in the locker room in front of a mirror completely naked while repeatedly saying "Rickey's the best! You tha man, Rickey!"

If the A's keep stranding runners the way they have tonight, they might want to replicate any of the pre-game shenanigans that worked for Henderson.

Torre and A-Rod Will Stay

2006-10-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

I completely agree with Times' columnist Harvey Araton's comments about Alex Rodriguez.

The “greatest lineup ever” wasn’t enough to get the Yankees out of the first round, the starting pitching is a mess, and the time has come to level with A-Rod because he is their most tradable asset, their surest way to acquire young pitching, if he will allow it.

It's been said a million times, good pitching beats great hitting, every time. Still, I will be surprised if Alex Rodriguez is not a Yankee next season, and I actually think that A-Rod is poised to have another MVP caliber season next year. Aside from his horrid October play, the question has never been A-Rod's skills. He hit .290 this seasons, with 35 HR and 121 RBI, a fanstastic set of numbers by any standards. The question has been pitching, and the answer has not been Mussina (6 seasons with New York, no championships) the answer has not been Johnson, and obviously, the answer has not been Jaret Wright. The Yankee formula of buying big names who come with big salaries and big eogs is ineffective but enticing.

I think the real shame is that players like Miguel Cairo and Andy Phillips did not get a chance to play in the ALDS while A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi and Matsui had all the time in the world to prove their worth and did not. Steinbrenner is right to demand a team with chemistry and with passion, and this team is not it, and next year's Yankees, nearly identical to this year's, will not be it either. I am thrilled to see the new stars of the post-season, I am thrilled for Ordonez and Pudge, for Thomas, for Wright and Reyes and for Pujols. These are baseball players who play like they want it on teams who play with heart, and when the Yankees management begins to emulate this recipe, they will, to the dismay of Yankee haters everywhere, get their rings.

A Case of the Tuesdays

2006-10-10T19:50:00.000-05:00

Football season is the only thing Monday has going for it. It is probably why football is played during Winter, because without it, Mondays in January would be a total nightmare. On Tuesday you finally get to look at the week's worth of action, you check out the numbers, and then you realize that Tuesadays suck. So, here it is, the first installment of "A Case of the Tuesdays."

The Best of Week 5 Football:

Reggie Bush finally puts it in gear and returns a punt for a touchdown that will eventually be the game winner. The boy is looking good in gold. (The 4-1 Saints are the feelgood story of the season)

The Colts (we ask yet again "is it Peyton's year?") go to 5-0 but just barely, sqeuaking a 14-13 win over the Titans. The who? Yes, the 0-5 Titans. (For the record, I say, no, this is not, yet, Peyton's year)

Leinart (ARZ) and Smith (SF) have good games. If there is one thing football nerds love its the next crop of hall of fame QBs. These guys have had so much talk surrounding them, and while their teams won't contend this season its nice to see them have 100+ yard games.

Philly DOMINATES Dallas. The hype about T.O. is ridiculous, and it's not what football is about, but when there is more coverage of Mr. Owens screaming at his offensive coordinator then of him catching passes, you gotta smile just a little. On a sidenote that should not be a sidenote, McNabb is playing like a goddamn MVP.

Da Bears. Best Offense. Best Defense. The only team that could go 16-0 this season. The Bears can, and I think will, win the superbowl, and Rex Grossman will be the sleeper QB of the season.

Roethlisberger has a great game (20-31, 220) and still loses. Roethlisberger is outplayed again, and will be consistently this season. The Steelers will not be a new Superbowl dynasty.

And finally, the Ravens accept their first loss at Mile High Stadium. Jake Plummer was clutch, Steve McNair was...asleep? The Ravens needed a loss to get their egos in check. If they step it back up, they could be major contenders, and though I don't think it will happen, a Bears v. Ravens Superbowl would be fantastic.

Could Have Made A Killing

2006-10-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

I would just like to note the entry I posted on August 24 where I announced that the New York Yankees would NOT be in the World Series. I watched dozens of talking heads tell me that they would do it, in a Subway series in four. But I knew and I am taking this moment to boast. I've been calling Tigers v. Mets since the All-Star break, and I still stand by this.

Immediately upon winning the NLDS the Cardinals have become the underdogs on 2006. I think this is a misnomer. You can't argue that it's bizarre that they won fewer then 90 games and are one series away from the Fall Classic, but the Cards are strong defenders, their pitchers are hitable, but also controlling, and they have a team with a lot of post-season experience. And then there is the Pujols factor. I'm still calling the Mets to win this, I could see it taking 6 or 7 games but I think they'll take it. Still I don't think that the Cards deserve the underdog reputation.

I think it's a bit more locked up in the AL. If the 2005 Red Sox taught us one thing, it's there is no momentum like that of crushing the Yankees. The Sox were absolutely dreadful in the first three games of the ALCS in '04, but the last 4 games they played like the scrappy team they were all season, and they were obliterating in the World Series. It was borderline boring. I don't think the A's stand a chance against the Tigers who I think will ultimately win the World Series this year, and I believe that a large portion of this country's baseball fans will be happy to see them win.

The United States of AmeriKAKIS

2006-08-31T07:43:00.000-05:00

The Baltimore Orioles may be the laughing stock of the AL East, because of their large payroll and crappy record. They may have broken the record for the largest attendance drop in major league history, and they may have the worst owner, um....EVER. Still, the incredible lack of press for what the Orioles do right is incredibly frustrating for a life long O's fan.

For example, where is the big Nick Markakis story on MLB.com or foxsports? A rookie is moved from the number 9 spot to the number 2 spot, hir first time up, he homers. Then he's bumped down to number 3, and, first time up again, hits a 2-run shot. The kid is kicking ass, and along with Fahey, Cabrera, Loewen, and Penn, seems fit to lead the next generation of Orioles.

Show some love to Sammy and the boys, for not giving up on this kid.

But will he bat on Shabbes?

2006-08-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

Every baseball season is ripe with speculation. Who will have a breakout year, who will slump, which trade will prove wisest, which shoe-in will be a dissapointment. Generally, no one asks, "will there be another Jew-meets-baseball moment?" I would never suggest that a player like Shawn Green has the ethos of Sandy Koufax, clearly when we think of a Yom Kippur sit-down, the lefty Dodger dynamo is the first image. But Green has twice benched himself from games most people would die to play in, in order to observe a high holy day.

And now Green, an aging right fielder, in his Bar Mitzvah season in the majors, has played the Jew card again by telling the media that he is excited to play in front of Jewish fans in New York.

Why is that exciting? What does he expect from the Jewish fans?

The man is making millions, so he can't be courting the yids for their money, and while his comments got him a lot of press, so did the trade itself. He just joined the best team in the National League, number 2 in Dayn Perry's recent power rankings.

The only viable option for his excitement? Free Bagels. It's amazing what some people will do for baked goods.

Fall Classic

2006-08-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

It's more than a month away, but I already know that the Yankees won't make the fall classic. It helps that Mussina pulled his crotch, it helps that Giambi's hamstrings can no longer carry his weight and it helps that A-rod's throat is infected as his average in October is sure to be. But those are just side notes.

The Yankees are relying on unreliable pitchers, and their tried and true players are faltering and old. The only young bloods are Cano and Melky. The rest will be traded to acquire more "guarantees" who guarantee nothing but dissapointment.

You can quote me on this. There will be no Bronx Bombers vying for rings in 2006.