With all the press surrounding Barry Bonds, I wonder how much is left to cover the best player is baseball, Albert Pujols.  We all know he's off to a torrid pace hitting .333 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI, but that doesn't say it all.  At only 26 years old he has a bright future ahead of him on and off the field.  The latter can hardly be said of Bonds, who has the integrity of counterfeit bills.  When he's not raising the ERA of opposing pitchers he's raising money for his charity in St. Louis which benefits those with Down Syndrome.  The disease has a special place in his heart because his wife’s daughter (who he has officially adopted) lives with it every day of her life.  How many 26 year olds that you know have achieved something of this magnitude?

Pujols does it all at the plate as well.  I took some heat for my comment that Bonds is hurting his team for swinging for the fences every AB (some of it well explained and deserved), instead of taking part in something called something called situational hitting.  Pujols, a power hitter himself, drives in runs and helps, not hurts, his team by doing whatever the game dictates.  With that said, he and Bonds do have several similarities in the way they hit.  Both, being power hitters pull the ball quite a bit-- 46% of the time for Pujols, 50% for Bonds.  Both have the same weak spot in the strike zone, low and away as do many hitters.  Bonds hit's pitches in that zone at a .221 clip with Pujols at .233.  So what's the difference here?  Well besides Pujols's .333 average and .833 slugging percentage compared to Bonds at .221 and a sorry .465, is the strategy at the plate.  Pujols, not hindered by injuries and not chasing Ruth (well not yet), is focused on what he should be, driving in runs and getting on base.  There is a lot of space to put the ball besides over the fence, and a good hitter will find it.  Of course, no one is complaining about the record pace of home runs in St. Louis.

What amazes me most about Pujols on the field is his consistency and focus.  Although St. Louis is a great baseball town, it doesn't have the hype and pressure of some other larger markets and it has to help.  He is able to play his game and not get into the drama that surrounds New York, Boston, LA , Philly and some other cities.  The stat that always get thrown around is that he's the only player to hit over .300 with 30+ HR, 100+ RBI and over 100 runs scored in his first 5 seasons.  I mean that's a good year for anyone, but to do it 5 years in a row, and to be ahead of that pace for a 6th is a feat that we should all take note of.

By my calculation he's on pace to be the youngest to hit 500 HR, by about 32 and a half years old, beating out Jimmie Foxx who did it at 32 years and 337 days for Boston in 1940.  Of course, going out that far you never know about injuries and such, but he's certainly got the talent to make it happen.

Although I love the long ball as much as the next guy, my two favorite stats are RBI and OBP.  I already talked about his run production, and even though I love a guy who drives in runs it really does help to be on a team that can score runs as the Cards do.  However, he's an on base machine, especially for a power hitter, posting and OBP of over .400 every year except for 2002 where he only had a .394 percentage.  Rough year since he only hit 34 HR to go along with 127 RBI.  What makes me such a fan of OBP over the years?  No, not Moneyball, it's that whole consistency thing.  Pitchers haven't found ways to keep him off the bases because he can adjust.  Some guys throw together a few good years and are never the same…. not Pujols.

Even with all the talent in the world, staying healthy is key to success and consistency; just ask Cliff Floyd or Kevin Brown.  Take a look at these stats of games played and at bats through the years:

2001: 161 G, 590 AB

2002: 157 G, 590 AB

2003: 157 G, 591 AB

2004: 154 G, 592 AB

2005: 161 G, 591 AB

Now I don’t want to go through the stats of every guy in the league, but I doubt there are many that are that machine like.  I for one hope he can keep it up for years to come.  If things go his way, he’ll put up numbers that will match the best the game has ever seen.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.

 

Baseball is one of those sports where the term athlete can take on many meanings.  You have guys like Nomar, Jay Payton, Derek Jeter and so on who keep their bodies in the best physical condition possible.  Hey, they figure they're professional athletes and it's their job, so they must roll their eyes when they see a guy like David Wells rumble out to the mound for a start.  So it got me thinking.  With my fantasy team searching for it's soul in the basement, I wanted to put together my beer league team of players throughout the years.  These are the guys I'd drag out of bed at 2 in the afternoon and try to sober up before the first pitch.

1B, John Kruk - Only if he grows the mullet back.  The guy never met a cheese steak he didn't like and it shows.  Was this guy born to play in Philly or what?  Say what you want though, he played hard and was entertaining day in and day out.

2B, Jeff Kent - First off I love him because he gets into fights with Barry Bonds, but there is much more to this selection.  Remember when he got hurt "washing his truck" while in SF?   Welcome aboard Jeff. 

3B, Kevin Millar - Love everything about this guy, but trust me he's not a model of physical fitness.  He drinks, he eats and was possible the slowest athlete in New England since Drew Bledsoe.  On top of all that he does Karaoke and can translate for Manny Ramirez.

SS, Orlando Cabrera – I know, I’m loading this list up with guys who played for the Sox at one point or another, but they had a fun team few years back.  Either way the folks out in LA will tell you how much fun he is.  He’s the guy I want out there.

OF, Johnny Damon - Yeah he's in great shape, but he fits in just right.  He drinks and runs around the outfield with no regard for human life.  The overachiever of the team for sure, but he'd be good for a few run ins with the wall every season.

OF, Carl Everett - Even though I rarely agree with him, especially on Bonds, he's worth the laughs.  There was the head butt of an ump on family day, the denial of the existence of dinosaurs, and the #### grab after a home run, all reasons to bring him along for the ride.

OF, Adam Dunn – He’s a pure slugger and built for the beer league.  I bet this guy can take even Wells downing 10 cent wings at the bar after the game.

C, Doug Mirabelli – I’ve seen this guy give out baseballs to fans for downing beers.  Seems like a fun guy all around, and he doesn’t wear batting gloves.  Suit him up.

P, David Wells - Classic beer leaguer.  He drinks and gets into fights at 4 in the morning.  Since I'm making Kruk grow his mullet back, Wells needs to get the stash back.  The goatee takes away from that whole 70's porn thing.  On a side note, he does make my 70's porn team, which consists of Mike Piazza, Dennis Eckersley, Robin Yount, Jeff Kent, Keith Hernandez, and Jack Morris.  Of course the team is managed by Joe Kerrigan who can really grow the stash.

P, Babe Ruth - He brings a lot to the table.  Not just the dinner table, but every team needs a guy who can get it done at the plate and on the mound.  I think they invented softball for guys who idolized the Babe but just didn't have his skills.

P, Rick Sutcliffe - I couldn't resist here.  The video of him hammered on the Padres broadcast the other night was a keeper.  I might have to pull him away from Bill Murrey and his golf clubs to get him on the field but it would be worth it.  Has to be the best video since Namath.  How these interviews didn't get cut off sooner I will never know. 

 

I’m sure I’ve missed a few good ones here but not everyone has what it takes to make this team.

There isn't a lot to like about Barry Bonds, but just incase you needed a new reason, you’ve got one. Watching Bonds try to hit number 714 disgusts me as a baseball fan, and not just because of the roids. Forget about pressing, this guy is getting up to the plate and simply swinging for the fences. I know, it sounds crazy since he's going for the Babe, but for the sake of the game that the Babe saved this has to stop. He doesn't care about the game, his team or the fans. He doesn't care if there are guys on base and his team needs runs, he's going for the record. This is Barry's game and Barry just needs a few more home runs before his world comes crashing down like a house of syringes.

His selfishness takes away from everything that the game should be. If I were a Giants fan, which I am anything but, I would be fed up with everything Barry. For some reason the fans in SF still support him, and I'm curious as to why. Maybe it's because he's the only excitement the team has. Just watch a Giants game as soon as Bonds comes out, the "fans" head for the exits like they're giving away beer in the parking lot. Maybe I should go easy on Barry, maybe no one cares about this team. I'm sure there are those fans who actually do care, but even they must be getting sick of this junk. Even other players are getting into this one. You think Jeff Kent dropped that ball by mistake the other night? He would have loved to double up Barry and stick it to him for pouting his way back to the dugout because he didn’t hit a home run.

Assuming Barry does pass the Babe, then what? Between his health and legal problems I don't see any way for him to challenge Aaron. Will Felipe Alou continue to put his big-headed outfielder ahead of the team? Alou probably doesn't have much of a choice but where do you draw the line? He's playing him on day games after night ones, letting him act like a 2 year old as noted above, and lets him ignore every other aspect of the game including winning. There would be hell to pay in SF, but Alou needs to take control of the situation and stop being pushed around by Bonds and Giants management who are trying to rake in every dollar they can from this thing.

Now, I'm no lawyer and I'm no doctor, but something has got to catch up to Bonds. His body is falling apart in front of everyone, and he will have to contend with both the MLB investigation as well as the grand jury. The odds of him making it through the summer may be less than him admitting to having a secret love child. It's going to be over soon for Barry, but not soon enough for my liking.

There are a few other things that I wonder about with this whole Bonds thing:

- What happens to all the stuff they had set up for the celebration in SF? I don't think those balloons are going to be in good shape when the Giants get back home. Do you just pop them all or what? Some poor groundskeeper is pondering this question with a bottle of whiskey as we speak.

- Will Bonds ever become Mike Tyson? He’s certainly got the potential as his career could collapse at any moment and he handles the media in a similar fashion. He talked about his testicles in a press conference not to mention $500 shirts from Korea and his stable head size, so he's on his way.

One of the great things about this season for me is that I'm both a Red Sox and Dodgers fan. Besides being able to watch baseball for 6 hours straight some nights thanks to MLB Extra Innings and time zones, I get to watch some of my old favorites playing top notch baseball out west. It's got that whole Field of Dreams feeling to it. I can't think of any other way to explain it. Guys who I never thought I get to see on the same field again, or any field in the case of Nomar, have all been collected by my "away" team.

Although,
Bill Mueller will be out for a while, Nomar and Derek Lowe are tearing it up. Not to sound like a broken record, but if Nomar can stay healthy he's on track to be this year's Griffey. He's hitting .346 with 5 home runs after missing the first few weeks of the season. He's also picking up first base quickly and is hitting in the clutch. Just incase that wasn't enough, the following was written in the Boston Globe today:

' One of Garciaparra's ex-teammates in Boston said the Dodgers and Yankees made the same offer, but Garciaparra chose LA because, ''He always considers himself a Red Sox. That's one thing people don't understand about Nomar. He would have never signed with the Yankees because he always thought of himself as a Red Sox player." '

As a Boston fan, how could you not love that. He was loved here in Boston and always will be. You think Johnny Damon still reads the Globe? Better send him a copy just incase.

Derek Lowe is also having a great year and will be remembered in Boston for his production in the playoffs in '03 and '04. I still enjoy watching the sinker ball baffle hitters who think they have it figured out, and outfielders behind him wearing gloves for no reason but fashion. All he needs is some run support to go along with his sub-3.00 ERA and I'll be happy.

I think I need to take a trip out to LA this summer.

LeBron James is doing his number 23 proud and I for one am on board the Bronwagon. I know he started out last night slow points wise (although he was moving the ball), but he got back on track and took over the game in the second, really putting the team on his back in the fourth quarter. Everyone knows he has the physical tools, but we have know learned that he has that Jordan-like ability to dictate the flow of the game. If he wants to score points he does. If he needs to take the pressure off, he'll thread a pass though arms, legs, peanut vendors and anything else in the way.

He's a natural-born winner with the mindset of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, and he's only 21. I know the Cavs have a rough road ahead if they're to beat Detroit and move one, but just by getting in they've been able to prove that LeBron is the real thing in the playoffs. On top of that , Cleveland is getting some good exposure which I'm sure will pay dividends when it comes to luring free agents.

I don't care if you're not a Cavs fan or someone who paid $100 for one of those Witness shirts off ebay. I'm not strapping on a Cavs hat anytime soon myself, but I can't help pulling for them with the intensity that LeBron brings on the court every night. You don't need to be a diehard Cleveland fan to love this guy, just a fan of the game. It's not since Jordan that I've been this excited to see someone play every night. Kobe is fun to watch, but he just doesn't have it all. LeBron does, and I'm going to kick back and enjoy it as long as the Cavs can stay alive.

You know, it's taken me years to get over Roger Clemens leaving Boston. He was one of my favorite players growing up and it just hurt the way he left town. Looking back though, I'm over the bad breakup. I've moved on and so has most everyone in the Nation.

Yes, Roger could stay at home in Houston and pitch for the Astros, but he could also come back to the city where he first rose to greatness. I know Texas and New York are in the race as well, but I will bet it will come down to the Astros and Sox. There are all sorts of arguments out there for why he'll stay in Houston; money, family, chances of winning, and the potential to play with his son in September.

Money Boston has, and will spend for both his ability and the stir it would create. Chances of winning? I would have to say Boston is just as strong if not stronger than Houston this year. Family? Well this one is tough, but I think he realizes that since this is truly his last year, that spending a few months away from home isn't going to be the end of the world. Plus, from everything I've read his wife loves Boston and I'm sure the kids would go along for the ride. The possibility of playing with his son after September callups is hard to ignore, and barring a quirky trade it isn't going to happen in Boston. Of course, it's not a sure thing so this is the wildcard in my eyes.

Just the thought of his return has kept the writers here busy for the last few months. I'm surprised there isn’t a daily Roger Returning meter on Boston.com. When the Sox brass met with Clemens in Texas the first week of the season, everyone got the feeling that this could really happen. What a story it would be for him to finish it all where it started, and to clear up any hard feelings left behind. Hey, he's wearing a Sox cap into the Hall either way, so why not go out in it.

Of course, Sox fans don't only want him back as some sort of trip down memory lane. The guy is still an ace, and Schilling, Beckett and Clemens would be the biggest 1-3 in baseball. With Wakefield and Clement rounding out the rotation, I'd say the Sox would have to be favorites in the AL. You know what, I'd even be willing to say they'd be the favorite to win it all. Now that would be a way to go out.

This is not about ticket sales or advertising dollars for the Sox as interest in the team is at an all time high already. This is about bringing a favorite son back home to where he belongs. Back home to his other family.

I just have a few random things today.

First off, I'm playing the remote game with the Sox-Yanks and Pistons-Cavs tonight. Of course, being a Sox fan you know what's getting most of the air time in my place, but I just can't turn down watching LeBron. I know the Cavs are likely to get bounced by Detroit in short order, but I love watching this guy play regardless of the score.

When did Hideki Matsui get the superglue for his hat? A few years back he would lose it on every play in the out field. Routine fly balls, base hits, it was taking a dive. If someone has the resources to make a highlight reel of this put me down for a copy.

It seems that Ken Rosenthal has been reading my blog. No, not really. Ken has never heard of me. He doesn't return my voice mails, e-mails, letters and.... uh, let's move on.

I think of this every time I see Randy Johnson pitch and have never followed through, but I've got to make a list of my favorite nicknames in sports. ESPN.com attempted this but in my mind didn't get it right. How could you leave the Big Unit out? I need to get them to reconsider.

I turned on the Dodgers game the other night and you just have to wonder how much longer we will get to enjoy the voice of Vin Scully. He's the last of his kind in baseball, and I for one really enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, some of the newer guys and color guys (such as Remy in Boston) are a lot of fun, but Scully just gives you that old school feel.

That's all for today. Sox-Yanks emotions will spill out tomorrow.

It isn't often that I spend time thinking about the Kansas City Royals, but I have come to the conclusion that they may be even worse off than there dismal record (7-21 going into today) suggests. I'm not just talking about wins and losses here, but the state of the organization as a whole. First off the numbers on the field are just plain awful. They are hitting .237 as a team, with an OBP of .291. How bad is that. Well Cleveland and Toronto have a higher percentage in BATTING AVERAGE at .306 and .303 respectively!

Now in terms of the .237 average, I would begin to understand if they had a lot of power hitters taking the field, but they have a grand total of 15 home runs as a team. Albert Pujols has 16 and Carlos Lee and Jim Thome are closing in with 13 each. For those of you unfamiliar with Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals are a TEAM and Pujols, Lee and Thome are individual players! I know it's only a month into the season, but if this continues we may have to keep track of these stats in the same column.

The starters have won only 4 games, and it has been reported that they have asked Joe Mays to report to Triple-A Omaha. Now as I understand things, he has the option to go down or be released by the team. I honestly think he wins either way.

On top of everything else, it looks like the only star of the team, Mike Sweeney, may have to retire after years of back issues. Sweeney is a stand up guy who has stuck with the team his entire career through bad times and well, worse times. He's by far the highest paid player at $11 million per year and is the only big name to stay with the team over the last 5 years or so. Both Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran left for fat cash elsewhere while Sweeney stayed put. He's always had the back of a 90 year old man, but has put in the work over the last few years to stay in shape. Cruel fate for a hard working guy.

Oh, and there are others on the team that you just have to feel for. Doug Mientkiewicz went from handling the last out in the 2004 World Series to this mess. Tony Graffanino who was born in Amityville, NY apparently couldn't escape the horror of his home town. Even Reggie Sanders who seems to never want to retire, must want to take his ball and go home. Can you imagine playing or even working for this team? If I were the peanut guy I'd get my resume in order.

The whole organization needs an overhaul. I bit the bullet the other night to watch one of their games, and it was like going into a time warp. Their TV coverage looks like cable access from the 80's, cheesy graphics and all. I was waiting for a school board meeting to break out in left field. I think I flipped over to CSPAN2 during a commercial to keep myself from nodding off. The announcers have got to be somewhat suicidal and the commercials make me yearn for another viewing of the Red Roof Inn series. I don't mean to pick on KC too much. Trust me, I respect the sponsors for sticking with the team at all. If they ever pull out of this tail spin, anyone running ads now should get some free air time. The attendance doesn't seem to be as bad as I expected, but that's not saying much. Most games draw 12,000-15,000 but with a stadium that holds over 40,000 that's not even paying the bills. I have to hand it to the fans that actually show up. These are true fans for sure. Either that or the Masochists of America called the group ticketing hotline. They haven't been in the playoffs since 1985, have lost over 100 games two years running and finished a whopping 43 games out last year. When exactly do you hit rock bottom here? The most exciting thing to happen to this team in the last decade was Jose Lima! OK, maybe that's a stretch... or is it?

You are a true baseball fan if you live outside of Kansas City and can name more than three guys on this team, and there's good reason. One, they don't have a ton of cash to spend on big names. Second, who the heck wants to play there? It's a vicious cycle that will be tough to get out of, and one that needs to be addressed in the next CBA. I mean can someone look into what's happening to the revenue sharing money? This goes way beyond small market issues. It's not to say they can't get out of this thing, it's happened to other teams before. I mean the Clippers made the NBA playoffs this year so anything can happen. I just hope for the sake of the game, and certainly the hard working men and women of Kansas City that it happens soon.

The week that was included many reunions at Fenway. Two of which, Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar, were expected, while the wild return of Doug Mirabelli was not. It all started Monday with Damon and Mirabelli. For those who expected anything less than a cold reception for Damon need to wake up to the world of sports that surrounds the Boston area. Not only did Damon leave for the hated Yankees, but he did a lot of talking on the way out of town. No, he didn't rag on the fans or the city, but he had plenty to say about management, the great city of New York, Manny's career advice and so on.

Just to get this out of the way, taking career advice from Manny may not be your best play. Don't get me wrong, I love Manny as a player, but anyone who changes his mind several times a year about staying or going, isn't the stabilizing force you want behind your life decisions. This is why there are agents.

I love the way Damon plays the game. I have followed him since his days in KC and have been impressed throughout. With that said, in terms of business I think both he and the Red Sox made the right decision. For the Sox, they know a long term deal is quite risky for a guy that has a knack for hitting his head on hard objects (including other heads). The fact that they offered him $40 million over 4 years surprised me a bit since a lot of his game is based on speed that will certainly diminish by the end of that contract. They gave Jason Varitek the same contract and there is fear that he will suffer some breakdown, but he brings a lot more to the table in terms of leadership and management of the pitching staff.

For Damon, $52 million over 4 years was enough for him to jump ship to NY. I know he wrote in his highly intellectual book that he would never play for the Yankees, but come on. They guy did not grow up in Boston, he did not go to school in Boston, and wasn't drafted by Boston, so his connection to the city and the team was purely business. Yes, I'm sure there was some emotion with the 2004 season but apparently not $12 million worth. This is how professional sports work love it or hate it. Players will often take somewhat of a "hometown" discount, but it can't be that far off. David Ortiz surely would have made some extra cash on the free agent market, but it's not like he'll go hungry at $12.5 million per year. Plus, with Ortiz there is a true connection to the team. Damon came here looking for money. Ortiz was brought it by the Sox as a BENCH player. They believed in him after the Twins wouldn't resign him, and I think he respects that. Plus he's the most loved player in town since Nomar left. All of that probably saved the Sox at LEAST $5 million per year.

With all of that said, while I as a fan can understand that Damon left for business, Damon, and all players for that matter, need to understand that fans such as myself will be upset and will react accordingly. I know some other players including David Ortiz mentioned that they had hoped that fans would remember what Damon did for at least one at bat and they are correct to a point. Trust me, we won't forget that and will show it when the time is right. Look at Roger Clemens. He was far more hated than Damon for years after he left, but it doesn't mean that fans forgot what he brought to the team. I was at the game that was supposed to be Roger's last at Fenway back in '03. He was booed when introduced, but as he was pulled by Joe Torre (with the Yankees winning if I remember correctly) we all showed him what he deserved. A full standing ovation that brought him back out to tip his Yankees cap to the crowd. I remember feeling weird standing up and don't even know how much I clapped. It was hard to be honest, and maybe I should have been a little more into it, but we do remember as Roger can attest, and someday Damon will realize that too.

Of course, Damon didn't go stag to the reunion that night as the well chronicled journey of Doug Mirabelli clearly showed. For those outside of Boston, I'm sure it was strange to see the hype over a backup catcher, but it just seemed to make sense to us. I caught a Detroit Tigers game on my Extra Innings package a few days later and they were still talking about it. If nothing else, it was marketing genius by the front office. This is what makes following the Sox so much fun.

Speaking of fun, it was great to see former Sox 1B/DH/Frat Boy Kevin Millar back in town. You can tell how much this guy wanted to stay. It's tough to hear him talk about it, but like I said before, business is business. Despite that, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in a part time role at some point in the next year or two.

I'm starting this blog to mirror my other one on blogspot.com in order to compete in the NGS contest, so no I'm not ripping some guy off. Enjoy and feel free to comment.