I grew up a fan of two teams. My first team was the San Francisco Giants. As a young child, the name Willie Mays stuck in my head, and he became my boyhood idol. Living in Idaho, my second team was the Minnesota Twins. With Harmon Killebrew as their big star, it was a natural fit. I flirted for one season with the Seattle Pilots, because I could listen to their games on the radio. That ended when the Pilots became the *Milwaukee Brewers.

 

As is prone to happen, I lost interest in baseball (and other sports) when I went to college. Ours was not a big athletic school (the football program was disbanded while I was there), so there wasn’t a lot of interest in collegiate sports. Between getting busy with studies, friends, and relationships, plus the thoughts that I didn’t have time for such childish and trivial things, baseball went by the wayside.

 

This changed in 1983. I went to a convention in Seattle in early April. While there, someone suggested we go to a baseball game. Sure, why not…I used to watch baseball, I’d never seen a major league game before, and it was something to do.

 

I was mesmerized. Here was a chance to see a real major league game. I couldn’t believe the size of the stadium, and we were watching real major league baseball! I had a great time…hollering insults at the Yankees, watching Todd Cruz hit two home runs to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 victory. I was reminded just how wonderful the game of baseball was.

 

I returned home a few days later. My six month old son was already asleep, and as I checked on him, I remember thinking that I wanted to teach my sons about baseball. While my father had taught me about fishing, I wanted to pass baseball on to my sons.

 

That is how I became a Mariner fan.

 

What does it mean to be a fan of the Seattle Mariners? I think the answer may surprise many of you. In one word…HISTORY. Scoffers may wonder how an expansion team can be a historical team. Teams like the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Giants, the Red Sox…now that’s history. Why, the Mariners have only been in existence for 30 years.

 

That, my friends, is why I chose history. Many of us who are Mariner fans can recall the entire history of the team. To fully appreciate the modern day Mariners, you need to be able to remember what it was like way back when.

 

1977 brought us the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays. While 1992 saw the Blue Jays win their first of two consecutive World Series Championships, it also saw the Mariners finish 64-98. The Mariners had achieved only one winning season, that being in 1991 when they won a whopping 83 games.

 

Not that the early years didn’t have their moments. There were memorable players like Mark Langston and Harold Reynolds. Randy Johnson learned how to control his thunderbolt of an arm in those years. Ken Griffey Jr. became a man in a Mariner uniform, and provided one of the “feel-good” stories of 1990 when father and son hit back to back homers. Jay Buhner became a fan favorite and provided some wallop in right field.

 

But for every great player, there were painful counterparts. Watching Steve Trout enter a game provided a feeling of doom. When closer Bobby Ayala came in to pitch the ninth, an entire ballpark would hold it’s breath, wondering if it would be the good Bobby or the awful Bobby we’d see that night (there was nothing in between). Left field seemed to be a  place that careers came to die. The likes of  Kevin Mitchell, Jeffery Leonard, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson, and many more made a brief stay in left field, never reaching the brilliance they had achieved in other places. The Mariners, god love ‘em, were nothing short of an awful team for 19 seasons.

 

But all that changed in 1995. Lou Pinella’s ballclub, 12 ½ games back of the Angels, came charging back. Led by Edgar Martinez, who arguably should have been the MVP that year, the Mariners caught the Angels by the end of the season. In a one-game playoff, they won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time ever. The city was ecstatic! No longer were they the inept stumblebums of baseball. Seattle finally had a winner, by god! Not only did they reach the playoffs, but they knocked out the mighty Yankees in the division series. It was a magical time to be a Mariners fan, even if they were beaten in the League Championship series by the Indians.

 

To prove that it wasn’t just a fluke, the Mariners went on to reach the playoffs in 1997, 2000, and 2001. The 2001 season was one for the ages. The Mariners set a major league record with an incredible 116 wins!

 

The length of a blog doesn’t allow me to talk about everything it means to be a Mariner fan. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Edgar Martinez. Edgar was the heart and soul of the Mariners during his career. A third baseman turned designated hitter, Edgar was not only one of the best right handed hitters ever, but was truly a gentleman and leader to his ballclub. Plenty of big stars have played for the Mariners. But for every mention of Griffey, Johnson, Buhner, Ichiro, and many more, the one face that exemplifies the Mariners and their history is Edgar Martinez.

 

Two other things I’ll mention briefly. Being a Mariner fan means you are treated to the best commercials in baseball! With the exception of the year that they made “home shopping network” style commercials, the Mariner commercials have always been very entertaining and often downright hilarious. The other is the ballpark. Safeco Field, for those of you not fortunate enough to visit the beautiful Pacific Northwest, is a gem. It helps make the Mariners a regional team, inviting many of us to drive 5 hours to see a game (sometimes even driving to and from the game in the same day!)

 

It’s been a challenge to write this in the middle of a Mariner slump that is likely going to keep them out of the playoffs this year. But, the history of the Mariners always points to hope…hope that, like in 1995, the Mariners can once again “Refuse to Lose” and once again have us on the edge of our seats, cheering every pitch, every hit, every stolen base.

 

(Author’s note: I have deliberately not been reading the entries since September 1, in order to attempt to avoid being influenced by anyone’s writing style. My apologies for posting this a few hours early, but my schedule tomorrow would keep me from posting until tomorrow is over for many of you. I hope you enjoy, and I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s entries in a day or two!)

 

(With apologies to the Grateful Dead)

I promised in my previous blog entry that I'd give an update on my trip to the Giants game. I'll keep it brief (as brief as I know how, anyway) because I'm not home yet, but writing this on my father in law's computer. Plus, I need to write it now, because once I get home, things get real busy and I may not post too often.

In a nutshell, the pregame stuff was odd and stressful.  We did battle with the rental car company (which has since been resolved...never try to rent a car with a debit card). Riding BART was indeed strange...at one point there was a fire at Embarcadero station, so our train STOPPED before going under the Bay, and eventually headed back the other way. We had to get off the train and wait for another one. We rode under the Bay (without me totally freaking out) and went to the next station. We had to try to figure out how to take a bus from there to the ballpark. We eventually got there.

While at the ballpark, almost nothing was normal. To wit:

1. The trip to the Giants Dugout Store was much cheaper than anticipated. All-Star Game stuff was slashed...I bought a jacket for $35 (regular $80), a cap for $10 ($25), and a shirt for $5 ($40). Talk about a kid in a toy store at Christmas time!

2. Free orange T-shirts given away before the game! My wife even got her hair sprayed orange.

On to the game:

3. Noah Lowry did NOT look at all like one of the league's ERA leaders. He allowed 3 runs in the first, and 6 total in 5 innings.

4. Noah Lowry DID look like one of the league's premeir hitters. He went 2 for 2 with a single and a home run. His batting average went from .057 to .074 to .093.

5. The Giants scored 6 (yes, that's six from an anemic offense) in the first inning alone, and 11 total runs on the evening. 

6. Omar Vizquel didn't field a ground ball that he should have gotten to (although it showed up in the box score as a base hit).

7. The umpires actually lost count during one of Omar Vizquel's at bats. He should have walked, but they were a ball behind in the count. On the following pitch, Omar hit a bases clearing double.

8. Kevin Frandsen, who entered mid-game for Ray Durham, hit a home run to left.

9. The bullpen had 4 scoreless innings (although Kline and Chulk did make it interesting).

However, there were a few normal things that happened. Giants fans were out in droves, showing a ton of spirit and pride in a last place team. We had great seats, sitting next to a guy who went to the same college at  which my wife got her Master's degree. The garlic fries were heavenly, the beer was expensive, and a spectacular time was had by all.

And, oh yeah...Mr. Bonds hit career homer number 761, a majestic splash hit into McCovey Cove. It is something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life.

No, the headline doesn’t refer to the Cubs. For a change, it’s the San Francisco Giants. After four consecutive years of not making the playoffs, and three years of not being close, management has finally realized they are going to have to revamp the club.

 As I prepare to visit my father-in-law in the Bay Area, which gives me a great excuse to go to a Giants game (front row, close to the dugout, baby!), I do so knowing that it’s likely it will be the last time that I’ll see several of my favorite Giants in a San Francisco jersey.

 There are certainly, as any member of the Giants faithful can tell you, many changes that need to be made. But is it as far away as it seems? Perhaps not. I think that you can break down the Giants into four areas…and two of them need dire work. The other two? Maybe not so much.

 STARTING PITCHING

 First and foremost…what the Giants need to do here is: EXACTLY NOTHING! Don’t touch a thing. This club has, in my mind, a chance to have one of the strongest starting rotations in baseball. I’m not talking just now, either…perhaps one of the strongest rotations ever. Yes, I’m talking ’71 Orioles, ’95 Braves…they could be that good.

 

Before you scoff…do you really think Barry Zito will be as bad as he has been this year? Look at former A’s teammate Tim Hudson. His ERA jumped his second year in the National League, and now it’s back to just above 3.00. I can’t see why Zito won’t do the same. Once Barry starts to relax, and not press trying to justify his contract, he should settle back into the Barry Zito that the Giants thought they were signing to a multi-year contract.

 

If you haven’t heard already, Tim Lincecum has some very scary stuff. He’s still learning to pitch at the major league level…but he’s proving to be a quick study. Once seasoned, he’s going to be something very special.

 

When you look at stats for Matt Cain, forget the won-loss record. He’s received god-awful run support, and can’t count on the bullpen to hold a lead for him on the rare occasions he leaves with a lead. Cain is a quality starter, period. He’s even younger than Lincecum, and throws wicked heat. Once Cain can relax because he can count on the offense to score some runs, he’ll be excellent.

 

All Noah Lowry has done is quietly posted one of the best ERAs in the National League this year. I’m looking forward to watching him pitch on Friday. I’ll give you a post-game report about Mr. Lowry when I return.

BULLPEN

 Okay, here it is…even more than working over the offense, HERE is the area the Giants need to concentrate on the most. The bullpen has been dismal this season. The club needs to beg, borrow, or steal relievers, and spare no expense. As admirably as Brad Hennessey has performed, he is not a closer. He’s a good long reliever, possibly a fifth starter…but a closer he is not. Kevin Correa might be worth keeping around, but not building around. Vinnie Chulk is the Giants version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…you never know which one you’re going to see on the mound. Steve Kline may be a fun guy to have around, but his best days are behind him. You get my drift…the Giants need to rebuild a bullpen in the worst way, instead of having a bullpen that pitches in the worst way.

 

INFIELD

 The first part of my infield analysis may surprise some. I say, leave the left side of the infield alone! I know, Omar Vizquel is old and not hitting like he used to, and Pedro Feliz has still not been the monster at the plate he’s been touted to be for several years. But, I do think that in terms of defense alone, those two are worth keeping. Everyone knows about Vizquel…arguably, the best defensive shortstop to ever play the game. But few outside of San Francisco realize what a highlight reel season Feliz has put together at third base. Night after night he makes ridiculously hard plays look easy. And his plate discipline HAS improved a bit…not to the extent everyone would like to see, but he is putting up decent enough numbers to keep him around.

 

Where the Giants need to drastically improve is on the right side of the infield. As much as I like and respect Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia, and Ryan Klesko, they are clearly not the answer. The Giants need to be younger and stronger at both positions. Kevin Frandsen is NOT the answer. Frandsen has been getting a ton of at bats this year, with the hope that he’d be ready to step into a full time starting role. It’s not going to happen. His average is floundering down around .220.  The right side  would be an ideal place to pick up a big name…if the Giants let Bonds go, they need to have another big name to keep filling the seats. I’m all for keeping Rich Aurilia around as a utility infielder, however, particularly if they also name his lovely wife Raquel as the Giants Official Celebrity Spokesbabe.

 

(Did you honestly think I'd pass up an opportunity to put the lovely Ms. Aurilia in my blog????) 

The catching situation needs no change. Benjie Molina has been the best acquisition of last offseason. He’s been the Giants most consistent and clutch hitter.

 

OUTFIELD

 

The several million dollar question for the Giants is, what do you do with Bonds? Barry wants to come back one more year, and I’d love to see him keep hitting balls into McCovey Cove. But if the Giants are serious about getting younger, all three outfielders (Bonds, Roberts, and Winn) are likely to be gone. While I’d personally like to see Randy Winn, one of the most underrated players in baseball, stay, if they do indeed decide to go younger…it’s already done!

 

The Giants need to look no further than their own forty man roster to get younger, and potentially get really GOOD in the outfield. The trio of Rajai Davis, Dan Ortmeier, and Freddy Lewis is poised and ready to turn some heads. Ortmeier, while being the least impressive of the three, also has added versatility in that he can play first base. Davis and Lewis both display blazing speed, and have shown they can hit. Lewis (currently at Fresno) hit for the cycle in a call up earlier this season. Davis was an absolute steal from the Pirates (acquired in the Matt Morris deal). The Giants future certainly could look bright in the outfield.

 

I’ll be away from regular computer use for a few days. Thanks in advance for reading, and I’ll get to comments eventually, if not right away.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Washington, D.C.

Domestic Use of Spy Satellites To Widen

Law Enforcement Getting New Access To Secret Imagery

The Bush administration has approved a plan to expand domestic access to some of the most powerful tools of 21st-century spycraft, giving law enforcement officials and others the ability to view data obtained from satellite and aircraft sensors that can see through cloud cover and even penetrate buildings and underground bunkers.

Oversight of the department's use of the overhead imagery data would come from officials in the Department of Homeland Security and from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and would consist of reviews by agency inspectors general, lawyers and privacy officers. "We can give total assurance" that Americans' civil liberties will be protected, Allen said. "Americans shouldn't have any concerns about it."

February 3, 2008

Phoenix

Cowboys Complete Perfect Season, Down Houston in Super Bowl XLII

The Dallas Cowboys completed the first perfect season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 by downing the Houston Texans 40-0.

“I knew preseason we’d be good, but I had no idea we’d be THIS good,” a beaming Wade Phillips said. “It was almost as if we could do no wrong.”

“But what a story those Texans are. For an expansion team to go undefeated until the Super Bowl…pretty amazing, don’t you think?”

Other coaches around the league have seemed befuddled while facing these two teams all season long. “It’s uncanny…it’s like they’d come out of the locker room at halftime and they’d know exactly what we were going to do the second half,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was heard to say.

Coach Phillips received a congratulatory video message from President Bush after the game.

June 15, 2008

Dallas

Mavericks Win First NBA Championship, Defeat Wizards in 4

The Dallas Mavericks are the new NBA Champions, following an unvbelievable sweep of every round of the playoffs.

“Unfreakingbelievable!” shouted owner Mark Cuban. “This is just awesome!”

The Mavericks, riding high following a 72-9 regular season, breezed through the playoffs seemingly without effort. The Wizards, 71-10 during the season and likewise undefeated during the early playoff rounds, were no match for the Mavs.

Other coaches around the league have seemed befuddled while facing these two teams all season long. “It’s uncanny…it’s like they’d come out of the locker room at halftime and they’d know exactly what we were going to do the second half,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson was heard to say.

Coach Avery Johnson received a congratulatory video message from President Bush after the game.

June 5, 2008

Las Vegas

Veep Cheney Wins Fifth Straight WSOP Bracelet

In an unbelievable and unprecedented run, Vice President #### Cheney has won his fifth consecutive World Series of Poker bracelet. “Who knew he even played poker?”, eleven-time bracelet winner Phil Helmuth whined.

“I don’t care who the hell he is, he’s a donk,” railed Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. “He has no clue of pot odds or anything. How can you play against an #### like that?”

Other players have seemed befuddled while facing Cheney this World Series. “It’s uncanny…it’s like he knows what our hole cards are” Howard Lederer was heard to say.

Pro Andy Bloch claims that there is something improper going on. “Look at that thing in his ear…you tell me he’s not cheating somehow”.

Cheney’s response to allegations of cheating were, “It’s an extension of my pacemaker. #### you. Go away.”

Cheney received a congratulatory video message from President Bush after the game.

September 29, 2008

Arlington, Texas

Rangers Finish Last Again

The Texas Rangers have finished at the bottom of the American League West yet again.

“Somehow I thought this year would be different,” bemoaned Coach Ron Washington in his second year at the helm.

“But after all—we are still the Texas Rangers.”

For weeks now, the media and many of us bloggers have pondered as to where and when Barry Bonds would tie and break Hank Aaron's home run record. The feelings were nearly unanimous that the home runs should come at A####mp;T Park in San Francisco. Any where else, it was predicted, would be a disaster. Fans would boo the record falling, objects would be thrown onto the field, dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria. 

Tonight, the San Diego Padres fans proved us all wrong. Sure, they booed Bonds as he came to the plate to lead off the second inning. But, as Bonds launched number 755 into the left field bleachers, the crowd rose as one and applauded the event. Personally, I got goosebumps as he picked up his son at home plate. It was so wonderful to have the historical moment left intact, instead of marred by a disapproving crowd.

The sentiments continued. Not only did they boo their own pitcher upon walking Bonds for the third time that evening, but he received a standing ovation as he left the field for a pinch runner. And far from being the monster he's so often portrayed as, Bonds tipped his helmet to the crowd as he entered the dugout.

 Could it be that we had it all wrong the entire time? Bonds received enough votes to start in the All-Star game. That wasn't ballot-stuffing by home town Giants fans, or we would have seen Benjie Molina and Randy Wynn as starters. Perhaps he's not quite as hated as the media and many here would have us believe.

Congratulations, Barry, and go f....I mean, well done, San Diego!

Today, with the possible exception of Christmas and the last day of school, is my favorite day of the year. The All-Star Game! Since I was a wee lad, I’ve always been fascinated with the game, the pageantry, the stars, the atmosphere. Perhaps it was because it was one of the few times all year I could see a ton of star players (that was back in the days before everyone was a “superstar”) all at once. Living in rural Idaho, with two television stations (yes, we walked uphill ten miles to school in the snow barefoot) baseball watching was limited to the Saturday Game of the Week. The All-Star Game was a dream…Mays, McCovey, Rose, on and on and on.

So, it’s fitting for me to weigh in today on two suggested rule changes, one of which would affect the All-Star Game, and the other the World Series.

There have been many suggestions that the All-Star rosters should not be required to have a representative from every team. I am vehemently against that rule. One of the real joys, in my opinion, of the All-Star team, is that every team is represented. Having been a fan of teams that have at times sucked, and seriously sucked, for sometimes years on end, it was very important for me to be able to see a representative of my team on the All-Star team. Imagine, if you will, a Seattle Mariners fan of 1977-1980 (I didn’t follow the M’s until 1983, so I can’t speak from experience, but I think it’s a viable example). Without Bruce Bochte, Rupert Jones, Craig Reynolds, and Rick Honeycutt, what connection would a Seattle fan feel to the All-Star Game? Were they the best players out there? Probably not. Does it diminish the game? Not to my way of thinking. This year’s game…imagine the 9th inning and it comes down to Gil Meche facing Dmitri Young. Lack of drama? Of course not! How many big games are decided by the best pitcher on a team facing the best hitter on the opposition? Very few, when it comes right down to it. The drama of a pinch hitter, the last position player on the roster, batting with two outs in the bottom of the 14th against the only pitcher who’s arm hasn’t fallen off…there’s real drama.



Eliminate the representatives from each team, and you may as well be playing Yankees vs. Mets, or some similar scenario. Baseball does NOT need to alienate any segment of it’s population. Let every small market have their reason for tuning in to the game. If anything, I would rather see two different changes, which would go hand in hand.
1. Change the substitution rules. Allow a catcher to return to the lineup in the event of extra innings and an injury to the previous catcher. It is, after all, still an exhibition game. No, *Bud, it does NOT count. Sure, homefield advantage, blah blah blah. It’s still, by definition, an exhibition game.
2. 2. Make it a rule that every player on the team HAS to play. That way, every Pirate or National fan with only one All-Star won’t be disappointed.

I’ll be briefer on the other suggested rule change, that of Mr. Scott Boras wanting to see the World Series go to nine games:

Huh?

I can see no reason whatsoever to go to a nine game World Series, and about fifty reasons NOT to.

And furthermore…why is an agent proposing a change to the game?

Enjoy, everyone…Happy All-Star Day!

An unnamed source inside major league baseball has disclosed the plan of the 28 “other teams” to take next weekend off.

 

“After all, no one is paying attention to anyone but the Yankees/Red Sox games. It’s a long season, and we just kind of figured, ‘what’s the point?’ Any opportunity to get a few days off and heal a bit is welcome.”

 

Plans are still being discussed as to what exact on-field activities will take place.

 

“We’re currently negotiating with Fathead for some sort of stand up character we can set at each position. That should take care of the media…most of them will only look up from watching THE game to check the score every couple of innings or so. The fans will be trickier. Maybe some sort of wheels on the stand ups? We’re still looking into the possibilities.”

 

As for the die hard fans who actual WATCH one of the “other” teams, MLB is considering giving them a rain check/golf pass, good for one free round of golf at the local course of their choice.

 

“Maybe some golf balls with their team logo on it would be good. There are lots of things we might try. And keep in mind, this is on a trial basis. We’ll try it and gauge the reaction. If it’s positive, we may try this during each series the Yankees/Red Sox play.”

 

When asked his opinion on the matter, Roger Clemens replied, “More days off? Hmmm…the Astros are looking like a better deal all the time.”

 

PART ONE

One week ago, the Giants appeared to be on the verge of being the first team eliminated from playoff contention.

 

Barry Zito and Matt Cain were both winless, the Giants were floundering at the bottom of a weak division at 3-7, and the team appeared headed nowhere fast.

Fast forward to today.

 

While Cain is still winless, Zito has picked up his second win, Barry Bonds is crushing homers at a regular pace, and most importantly, the Giants are riding a five game win steak, and have pushed above the .500 mark.

I'm more than happy to see the Gigantes coming around. Most experts predicted the Giants to have a poor season, but I was more optimistic. Hopefully this turnaround is a sign of better things to come for the boys by the bay.

I would certainly liked to have seen more of the Giants, however. Due to a screw up at my cable company, the games were not available on Extra Innings until Wednesday. Seems they had already allotted the channels to...get this...hockey playoffs. Hockey??? There are few things I'd rather see than a hockey game. Okay, maybe a soccer game. Or Nascar. But beyond that, there isn't much. Saturday, I cringed when I saw the start time...1:00 p.m. Pacific. I knew that the Fox Channel would only be showing the Yankees/Red Sox game, because, after all, those are the only baseball teams that exist. (more about the Red Sox later). For some unkown reason, the Sunday game wasn't carried on Extra Innings, either. That being said...I STILL am glad to have the Extra Innings option...because MLB.TV, quite frankly, bites the big one.

 

PART TWO

A week ago, even though they hadn't played many games due to weather, the Seattle Mariners looked, surprisingly to me at least, respectable.

 

One week later...oh my lord, what has happened?

Well, let's start with the starting pitching.

SeattleIPHRERBBSOHRERA Weaver (L, 0-2)6.0107713115.75

 

SeattleIPHRERBBSOHRERA Hernandez (L, 2-1)0.12332001.56 SeattleIPHRERBBSO
HRERA Washburn (L, 0-2)6.18442504.42 SeattleIPHRERBBSO
HRERA Batista (L, 1-2)6.010661228.83 
SeattleIPHRERBBSOHRERA Ramirez (L, 1-1)4.07666116.30SeattleIPHRERBBSOH
RERA Weaver (L, 0-3)3.073303013.91

 

 

---

My apologies for the above formatting issues, but the gist is this: Mariner starting pitching sucks. The injury to Hernandez is indeed unfortunate, and Washburn was at least semi-respectable, but the newcomers? Well, they're just not getting the job done. And I can't say I'm surprised, in spite of what the illustrious Mr. Bavasi wanted us to believe before the season started.

In our latest "Meet the Mariners" segment, we asked Mr. Bavasi, "what did you do before you went into baseball?"

Okay...that explains a lot.

In the series against the Angels, Richie Sexson is 0-11. But in all fairness...will SOMEONE please explain to the umpires that when you are 6' 8", your knees are higher than most other players, and what is above the knees to David Eckstein may not be a strike to Richie? It gets old watching him get called out on strikes that are clearly out of HIS strike zone.

IN OTHER NEWS:

 

I fully expected to see Santa Claus throw out the first pitch in this game.

I guess what it does show is that Dan "Action Dan" Harrington has been ahead of his time all these years:

One final thought: My wife verbalized something yesterday that I had been thinking. She said, "What is with A-Rod and all these homers? Is he on something?" She said it tongue in cheek, but it was a valid point. If Barry Bonds was on a tear like A-Rods (which I will grudgingly agree is nothing short of phenomenal), everyone would be pointing fingers and blaming 'roids, even though testing would have busted him long ago. But with A-Rod, everything is clean right???

Have a great and wonderful week, all!

 

At the end of the first two weeks of the season, the surprise leader in the American League Central is Old Man Winter.

 

With 8 wins in the division and 21 wins overall,  the Winter have a sizeable lead over the rest of the division. “It’s a bit early to be looking at playoffs…this team perennially fades in June and July…but I have to admit, this is our best start ever” said first year manager J.T. Snow.

 

“The Indians series was the real turning point for us. Critics are saying it should be only counted as 4 games, but do the math. 1 game on Friday, 2 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday, and 2 on Monday. That’s…that’s…that’s’ 7 games, I believe. And we should have picked up three more, but the Indians high-tailed it to Milwaukee to steal that series from us. We appealed to the commissioner, but got nowhere.”

 

When asked to what he contributed his club’s early success, Snow pointed out two very fine pitching performances. “Well, the start was my son L.E. (Lake Effect). He was just incredible in Cleveland…I’m proud to be both his dad and his manager. And then a fine performance last weekend by Nor’ Easter really gave us a boost also.”

 

Hitting coach Tim Raines agreed. “This is fun, being a part of an early season roll like this. We’re just going to run with this for as long as possible. I’m not optimistic about our trip to Minnesota, however…we rarely do well in the Metrodome.”

 

In other news, the Winter have announced a game/concert promotion for Saturday, April 28. The 3:15 start will be followed by a concert of great classic rock artists, including Foghat and brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter.

 

 

These thoughts (typically disconnected) actually have nothing to do with Friday the 13th, but are just my random thoughts on various sports topics of the past few weeks.

 

I would normally have posted a blog at the beginning of baseball season extolling the virtues of baseball as a whole, and my teams in particular. However, this baseball season began with my baseball brain in limbo. That was due entirely to the whole situation with the MLB Extra Innings package. I have been a subscriber to Extra Innings (thanks to my wife and my birthday falling in early April) for the past 2 years. I’ve REALLY enjoyed watching the Giants (and occasionally someone else) on Extra Innings. With the season beginning and Extra Innings available only on DirecTV (my motto is, “no way in hell”), I was in a real quandary. Do I wait it out and hope for the best, or do I take the plunge and get MLB.TV via the internet? I was hoping for a settlement for a couple of reasons. One is, I already spend way too much time in the computer room, and I tend to get distracted by Full Tilt and PokerStars. Two, my recliner is in the living room! While investigating, I discovered that MLB.TV was having a free five day trial. Thank goodness…I was able to find out that, at least on my 3 year old computer, that MLB.TV is ####. The first day, the mosaic feature wouldn’t work at all. The slower feed I had to use had a hiccup literally once a second. Sound quality was also poor. By day 2, the mosaic feature was working, and the hiccups were less frequent, but bigger (2 or 3 seconds) when they happened. So, the product had improved from #### poor to mediocre. Thankfully the whole issue was resolved before the trial period ran out, and I could settle back into my recliner and enjoy Kuip and Kruk.

 

Which brings me to my next musing. If you had told me that by Friday the 13th that one of my teams would be a game above .500 (we’ll ignore the 3-2 part for now) and hal####ame out of first, and the other would be 2-7 and 4.5 games back, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Had you told me it’s the Mariners at 3-2 and the Giants would be 2-7, I wouldn’t have bought it.

 

What the hell happened??? I vehemently poo-pooed (can you vehemently poo-poo something? Ah, well…) all those who talked about the Giants being awful this year. They’re still too old, everyone said. Nah, they picked up some great players, made some significant upgrades. I know it’s early, and trying to stay away from the panic button, but so far Zito hasn’t come through (although I really think that’s temporary) and the bats…holy cow, the bats have been nearly non-existent. I wouldn’t have anticipated that from a veteran (i.e. ancient?) team. I would think that any hitting slumps would happen late in the season. Winn and Feliz in particular haven’t been coming close to producing, and I fear their jobs are in jeopardy. There are a few bright spots…Cain has been terrific, Morris has done well, Molina and Aurilia are hitting, Durham is playing some great defense. But the Giants need to turn some things around in a hurry before they dig themselves too deep a hole.

 

And how ‘bout those M’s? I know it’s too early to really tell (5 games in two weeks…who saw that coming?), but there are some signs that they may be a better club than I anticipated. At the very least, we ARE going to be able to look forward to and exciting game every five days. Felix Hernandez has been nothing short of amazing. Has anyone else gotten off to the start he has? I’ll echo what sleepless has been saying…Santana has some real competition for the Cy Young this year, and it comes from a fireballer who is just 21.

 

Other thoughts…is anyone who has ever listened to more that 5 minutes of Don Imus even a bit surprised that he would say something so stupid? I’ve never understood the appeal of that man…personally, I think he should have been off the air years ago. I think it’s a real reflection on how our culture seems to embrace the stupid and the offensive. I do think the statement made by the Rutgers coach was well thought out and eloquent. (I also have to admit to you…I had to ask my wife what “nappy-headed” meant. The “####” part I figured out…)

 

Someday I will write a post about an overlooked comic genius. Yes, I’m talking about the incomparable Norman Chad. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, I can hear some of you groaning…those who only know Norm from World Series of Poker coverage. I invite you to read his column. Here’s a link to his most recent  effort:   

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/chad/4
700666.html

 

When you read Norm long enough, you start to understand his sel####eprecating humor, and his WSOP commentary becomes much more enjoyable.

 

Julio Franco is still playing…woo hoo! Having just hit the big 5-0 (and not handling it quite as well as I’d like), I’m pulling for Julio to keep playing at least until the end of next season. You go, big guy!

 

One final note…the injury was not as bad as feared. It wasn’t a torn ACL after all, just bad knees, and the knee has been repaired. The Dr. said about 8 weeks on the DL and then things will be back to normal. I’m talking about Lola, our basset hound. It’s still a mystery as to how she injured it…I don’t recall her setting any picks or getting taken out while turning a double play. But she’s back, and we’re thankful. The vet did hit the nail on the head when he called her a drama queen, however.

 

Happy Friday the 13th!

You may have noticed (or not) that I haven’t posted in quite some time. Two factors play into this. 1) This sports blog has now been blocked by websense at school, thus limiting my time that I normally blog; and 2) I have been running non-stop taking a pep band through the playoff season of our high school basketball team. It’s number 2 that I would like to expound on a bit here.

I want to describe the events of the past month here in generic terms…I don’t think that our situation is all that unique. So, let me give you general information about the program. I teach in a small rural school, and the pep band is made up of approximately 30 students grades 7-12. Some live close to school, others as much as an hour away.

The first full week of February began the odyssey. The students and I piled into a bus to head to the first playoff game of many, a girls game at the district tournament. The game was at a local community college, about 40 minutes from school. The girls team, with only 2 regular season losses, won, thus advancing to next week’s regional tournament. The band began their regular contribution…play for pregame, disappear into the lobby to hang out (they really don’t care much for basketball, they just like to play in the band), reappear for halftime, and retreat again. The scene was repeated again the next night, only to a different venue and for the boy’s team. The boys lost a close one in overtime, sending them to a loser out game later in the week. Wednesday was another girls game, which the girls won. Thursday, the boy’s survived their loser out game, thereby advancing to next week’s regionals. Friday was another boy’s game (crazy format…8 teams, with 6 advancing, making anything past the second game meaningless except for seeding), which they won. Saturday was TWO games…boys won, making them the 3rd seed to regionals, and the girls won the district championship. Luckily, the two games were back to back.

One of the constants throughout the first week was parent support. Parents of my main drummer were fantastic. They took a pickup truck to each game, carrying music stands, the humongously heavy drum platform needed during the first week, and some of the drum equipment. Another parents sent homemade goodies for the band and cheerleaders (we share the bus with them) each and every game. Other parents made sure that their kids had money for concession stand food or the rare fast food stop going to or from the game, which was no small expense. For the most part, parents were great about notifying me when their kids could not attend due to conflicts, illness, etc. The kids were great…a minimum of problems, all of which were fixed in a real hurry. There were relatively few bus behavior problems, considering they had spent 9 hours that week on a bus. Since the kids were gone literally every evening, I knew they wouldn’t have time for homework, so band class (at the end of the day) was devoted to study hall.

Next week brought a lull before the next onslaught. There were no games until Saturday, when the regional tournament began. There were two new venues, large high schools about an hour away. Saturday brought two games, with one game in between. Both teams won, and the band kids played a lot of cards during the game in between. They did make it a point to listen to other bands that were playing. As I mentioned, they really don’t pay much attention to basketball…a few would ask if we won or lost as they were getting off the bus after the game! Monday brought the next round of games. Keep in mind that there was no school on Monday, due to President’s Day. Our 3 day weekend was reduced to one day. In spite of that, there was a minimum of complaints from the kids. They showed up, enjoyed each other’s company, and took pride in how they sounded. The girls team won that day, sending them to the state tournament. The boys lost against an extremely tough opponent with only one loss.

Friday brought the next game. Again, an hour bus ride took us to the site. The boys lost a heartbreaker, ending their season. Saturday brought the girls regional championship. It was a very fun event, for me particularly. Our team played against a school I formerly taught at before coming to my present position. The band director there was a student of mine when I taught there, and the 2 seniors in his band were students I started as fifth graders my last year there. At halftime, we combined the two bands and played 3 songs together. The kids loved the big powerful sound, and I loved the sentimentality of it all. Our girls team won, sending them to the state tournament as the top seed.

The story ends with a brief trip to the state tournament. Although it would have been nice for the boys team to advance, I have to admit that it made my life simpler chasing just one team instead of two. The girls drew the 5:30 p.m. game on Wednesday. The venue was an honest to goodness sports facility (capable of hosting first round NCAA action). The kids were a bit in awe…a facility large enough to have two games going on simultaneously, separated by a large curtain. The staff at the facility was fantastic…friendly, helpful, and professional. Our sound was dwarfed a bit by the large surroundings, but the kids didn’t care…they played their hearts out and were glad to be there. The girls team, entering with only two losses during the season, battled, but were unable to get things rolling and lost the first round game. More of the band kids watched the game this time, when they weren’t exploring the upscale (and expensive) concession stands. The opposing team’s band would clap for us from across the court after we played, and we would do the same in return. As much as I enjoy competition, it’s nice to know that some things don’t need to be competitive to be good.

The loss Wednesday sent the girls team to the 12:30 game in the loser’s bracket. That meant missing school! It was the only time they would miss significant school time to attend the games. We left at 10:45, since the venue is actually the closest to the school, approximately 40 minutes away. The band kids did their thing, and were actually cheering their team on, but sadly the girls lost again and were eliminated. A nice surprise ensued following the game, however. At the conclusion of each game, there are two sportsmanship medals awarded, one for each team. Our girls point guard had won the award the previous night. As we were putting equipment away, they announced that the sportsmanship award was being presented to the band! I went to mid-court to accept the medal, and the officials told me they had heard from many community members how much they appreciated the efforts of the band throughout the season. The kids were a bit shocked, but I think it was a nice reward for them after all their hard work.

After 20 hours on the bus, 16 games in 12 days, and way too many hot dogs and nachos, it was all over. Why am I telling you all this? Just so that you know that some people put a lot of work and effort into sports that you may not realize. So, next time you see a band director at a game, tell them thank you. Actually, we get paid for it…the more important thank you’s should go to the members of the band. So, tell a band kid thank you!

1. It's taken me a long time to decide who to root for this Super Bowl. I have no particular affection for either team...but I also have no particular hatred of either team (often a factor in my decisions). So, I've decided, after much yawning and soul-searching (yes, I do have one), to root for...*drum roll, please*...da Bears. And here's why...Rex Grossman. No one could be THAT absolutely #### of a quarterback and get to the Super Bowl. No one. I refuse to believe that he could be worse than me (and I was only a 180 pound small high school center who couldn't long snap) and that the team could still win. Sure, I hope Peyton Manning does well...but I think it would be great to see Grossman have an incredible game, the Bears win, and Rex win the MVP.

2. My prediction? The team who scores the most points will win.

3. Okay, seriously. If I have to pick, and I have no in depth analysis to back this up, I'll say Bears 35, Colts 27.

4. (And I am dead serious about this) Whether or not my prediction is correct...the team to win the Super Bowl is by definition THE BEST TEAM. I get so tired of people in ANY sport saying, "yes, so-and-so is the champion, but such-and-such is the better team." Nope. The best team is the one that wins it all. It doesn't matter what else happened during the season, who got hot when, who's best on paper...any of that. The whole reason they play the games is to name the champion...and the champion is the one left standing at the end of the season. The Cardinals were the best team in baseball last year, period. If anyone were better, they would have beaten them in the playoffs.

5. Current NCAA football is excluded from #4 until they have a playoff system, but I digress.

6. I have found the ultimate definition of a true friend. He's someone who invites you to watch the Super Bowl, eat fajitas, drink beer...when he can't drink any beer himself! That's exactly where I'll be on Sunday. Bill always has GREAT beer...nothing you'll see advertised on the Super Bowl...and due to some upcoming medical tests, can't have any for a 72 hour period, which includes Sunday. We can still drink...we just can't gloat!

7. The commercials will be 35% laugh your #### off, 20% nice try, 15% roll your eyes at how sappy they are, 10% HUH?, 5% genuinely touching, and the rest for a much needed remedial math lesson.

8. Prince? Really? Oh, well...

9. At the end of the game, I won't be able to resist...the first words out of my mouth will be, "only 11 days until pitchers and catchers report!", which, knowing the circle I'll be hanging out with, will elicit cheers.

10. Guaranteed I'll think of #11 as soon as I hit the "post to blog" button. Whether or not I add it remains to be seen.

Listening to sports radio this morning to hear about yesterday's "report first, ask questions later" latest screw up. Seems that "An accident on Terry Bradshaw Passway" somehow morphed into "Terry Bradshaw passed away from a heart attack" and made the rounds on the airwaves and internet.

Of course, this is just a small example of journalism's drive to be the first to break a story in any genre, facts be damned. But we could possibly have some fun with it...

I'll start with a typical lame example, and you truly creative folks can do it up right

"Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning thumbed his way through questions about his injured throwing hand on Wednesday."

Becomes:

Distraught from injuries, Peyton Manning has left the Colts and is hitchhiking back to his home town.

I know you can do better...

As a baseball junkie, I used to frequent the MLB message boards. I stopped going there because the discussions generally turned into "my #### is bigger than yours" contests, so to speak. For the most part, I have enjoyed reading sports blogs, and have even started to appreciate some sports I hadn't paid much attention to for quite some time.

With that in mind, here is what I see as the major difference between Blogs and Message Boards.

Blogs--Blogs are generally written like an essay. Unless designated up front as "ramblings", or something like that, they should have a direction. They need a premise, evidence supporting that premise, and hopefully a conclusion. There should be SOME degree of objectivity, but there should also be voice...that which identifies the writer as a real person with opinions, not just a personality-free recounter of events. Sometimes that voice is the predominant part of the post, especially when it is a humorous blog. To include these things, a blog by nature should have more than a sentence or two.

Message Board posts--Message boards are by nature shorter. They seem to be an excellent place for people to pump up their favorites or tear down their enemies. Posts like "Dodgers #### and r a bunch of lozers" seem to be ideal for message boards (and a reason I try to stay away from them).

Perhaps it would be overly generalizing to say that blogging is like college and message boards are like Jr. High. But I really encourage people to look at their posts and see where they belong. If they are thoughtful, well stated, punctuated, and thought-provoking...then it belongs in a blog. If speling ####, cuz all i wanna do is trash talk u, and I can't formulate a coherent paragraph...then perhaps the message boards are for you.

(Now I really hope I haven't spelled anything incorrectly, except the intentional ones..."

Thank you as always for reading.

The locker rooms were uncharacteristically quiet before today's AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Peyton and the New England Brady. 

 "I was taken by surprise when the rest of the team didn't show up at the airport", Tom Brady stated. "But at least I got the window seat, and all the peanuts I could eat."

A spokesman for the league admitted that the decision to have just the two quarterbacks play was a result of pressure from the media. "Virtually nothing had been written about defenses, offensive linemen, special teams, coaching staff...it became apparent that the only part of the game worth covering was the quarterback situation. And I might add, the TV folks are ecstatic. They can have every camera trained on the two quarterbacks, without all those other big guys in the way."

Peyton Manning was reflective. "I'll miss those guys, sure. But I can listen to my Celine Dion CDs in the locker room to pump myself up pregame without catching grief from the other guys. And after all, it is MY legacy that is at stake here. I wouldn't want them to feel bad if I never go down in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time because of losing this one game."

"Not that we're...I mean, I...am going to lose."

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have listed the Peyton as a 4 point favorite.

In the other game, the New Orleans Katrina is listed as a 450 point favorite over the Chicago Grossman.