Category Archives: MLB

Wondering What 162-0 Might Feel Like

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
405524 10150558480572451 5768707450 8821151 680140397 n 300x225 Wondering What 162 0 Might Feel Like

From MLB

Yes, it was a shocker. Even for those of us who live and die with every Detroit Tigers pitch, swing and off-field transaction.

Yesterday, in a deal that involved not only general manager David Dombrowski but also owner Mike Illitch, the Tigers announced that they had signed free agent Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year $214 million contract.

Major League Baseball called it the fourth richest contract of all time.

With the signing, the Tigers can now do various things with their batting order and fielding alignment. They can use Fielder and Miguel Cabrera as co-first-basemen.co-designated hitters. Fielder plays 81 games and is the DH for 81 games and vice-versa.

Or they can play Fielder at first, move Cabrera back to third (his original position) and go and find another DH such as Vladimir Guererro or Johnny Damon, to replace the injured Victor Martinez. Of course, as Harold Reynolds suggested on MLB Network last night, there is no reason Cabrera couldn’t play leftfield as he did in his last season with the Marlins.

Regardless, this makes the middle of the Tigers batting order massive. After all, Fielder once hit a home run to the upper deck at old Tiger Stadium — when he was a 12-year-old goofing around with his dad, Cecil.

I guess we’ll go out and have a Little Caesar’s Pizza to celebrate. And help Illitch pay the bills.

Wow, I always wondered what 162-0 might feel like.

Just kidding. Jeesh. 160-2.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , ,

Judge Tells Justice System and Media, Chasing Bonds Was a Worthless Waste of Effort and Money

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
ap barry bonds steroid tk 111216 wg 300x168 Judge Tells Justice System and Media, Chasing Bonds Was a Worthless Waste of Effort and Money

Bonds Arrives at Court in San Francisco

It was wonderful to read how the mainstream media in the United States spun last week’s Barry Bonds sentencing.

Here’s AP’s take: “SAN FRANCISCO — Eight years of being investigated for steroid allegations ended for home run king Barry Bonds on Friday with a 30-day sentence to be served at home. No more – and maybe less.

“U.S. District Judge Susan Illston immediately delayed imposing the sentence while Bonds appeals his obstruction of justice conviction. The former baseball star was found guilty in April not of using steroids, but of misleading grand jurors.

“Even without prison time, the case has left its mark on the seven-time National League MVP. His 762 career home runs, and 73 homers in 2001, may forever be seen as tainted records, and his ticket to baseball’s Hall of Fame is in doubt.”

A guy virtually gets off what could have been 15-month-five-year sentence and the media is more concerned about whether or not the guy is going to get into the Hall of Fame. That’s all the big U.S. media had left.

There was no mention of Illston’s obvious determination that Bonds did virtually nothing wrong. While the American media and what was left of the old Bush Justice System screamed for the guy’s head, Illston calmly brought down a sentence that doesn’t even rate as punishment — for anything. And she did it because she still isn’t certain Bonds did anything wrong.

In total, Bonds was sentenced to two years of probation, 250 hours of community service, a $4,000 fine and 30 days of home confinement. According to AP, “It will take time to determine whether he serves any of it (or pays even a nickel); his appellate specialist, Dennis Riordan, estimated it would take nearly a year and a half for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule.”

The assistant U.S. attorney, a beaten man named Matthew Parrella, who so doggedly wanted Bonds to go to jail forever for allegedly using steroids and cheating on his wife (honestly), called the sentence “a slap on the wrist.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Parrella called the sentence a “slap on the wrist” and then told reporters outside the court room: “The fine was almost laughable for a superstar athlete who made more than $192 million for playing baseball.”

Parrella wanted Bonds to serve 15 months in federal prison and told Ilston, “Home confinement isn’t punishment enough for a man with a 15,000-square-foot house with all the advantages.”

By the way, Bonds owns a six-bedroom, 10-bath home with a gym and a pool.

In other words, the judge said “you idiots have all wasted your time.” The feds chased Bonds for eight years and spent 10s of millions on dollars on “the case.” And what was the case? That Bonds used steroids? No, that he lied to a grand jury about it.

In hundreds of cases during the 2000s, federal justice officials in the United States could never a get a conviction on the charges that were brought into court. So they chased people down with “the lying to the grand jury” chestnut. Parrella and his ilk had nothing on Bonds after wasting millions and millions in taxpayers’ money so they went after him for lying to the grand jury.

In the end Parrella was so apoplectic about Bonds that he threw a temper tantrum in front of reporters. He looked and sounded cartoonish as he ripped Bonds for everything he couldn’t prove and things that aren’t even against the law. He sounded like a nine-year-old who didn’t get his way.

barry bonds hawaii 235x300 Judge Tells Justice System and Media, Chasing Bonds Was a Worthless Waste of Effort and Money

Bonds and Second Wife Liz Watson

“The defendant basically lived a double life for decades before this,” Parrella told the court. “He used performance-enhancing drugs and had mistresses throughout his marriages. He made all that money because he used steroids and he has been unrepentant and unapologetic about it.”

Illston virtually laughed at Parrella. “He wasn’t convicted of adultery,” she snapped.

Illston told the court that the alleged use of steroids and the way Bonds lived his personal life had nothing to do with the sentencing. She said she agreed with a probation department report that called Bonds’ conviction an “aberration” in his life. She said she received dozens of letters in support of Bonds, some discussing how he has given money and time “for decades” to charitable causes.

And did that ever piss off the U.S. media.

At the end of the AP story, the reporters wrote of Bonds and Roger Clemens, whose first trial was tossed out of court because the idiot prosecutors used evidence they knew was inadmissable: “Both men will face a different judgment day in 2013, when they’ll be eligible for the Hall of Fame.”

6a00d83451d69069e200e54f9c8e038834 800wi 300x223 Judge Tells Justice System and Media, Chasing Bonds Was a Worthless Waste of Effort and Money

Bonds Near the End of his Career.

It sounded like a threat. The Baseball Writers Association of America — the same buffoons who refused to say a discouraging word about any of the steroid use in baseball while it was going on — couldn’t get Bonds convicted, so now they’ll do what they’ve done to everyone else they’ve perceived to have used steroids (they really don’t have any idea that anyone used it unless someone has admitted to it) and should be eligible for the Hall of Fame. They’ve gone out of their way to keep them out.

Lester Munson, the Republican lawyer who works for ESPN, nearly wet his pants: “The federal judge who presided over the Bonds trial is Susan Illston. She is a San Francisco Democrat and a bit of an enigma… It was one of many decisions made in the course of the BALCO prosecutions that indicated Judge Illston just didn’t get it.” Yes she did. She ‘got it’ completely.

Munson wanted Bonds convicted and sentenced to life so badly that he lost all objectivity. If you listen to Munson enough, you realize he’s one of these ideologues who believes that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. He also gets pissy when a judge doesn’t agree with his pre-determined assessment.

Look, Bonds is probably guilty of using steroids (at a time when it wasn’t against the rules of in baseball). He obviously lied to somebody because he was convicted of it. The problem was, the United States government, the one that Republicans claim is flat broke, spent millions and millions of dollars over eight years on a blind, pointless witch hunt designed to destroy somebody who did nothing more — or less — than play baseball in the Steroid Era.

Who cares if Bonds was convicted and who cares that he wasn’t sentenced to years in the joint? At this stage, eight years after the witch hunt began, the entire exercise was proven to be a meaningless waste of effort that did nothing except make a pile of lawyers richer than they were at the start.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , ,

Non-Waiver Trade Deadline Coming. Who’s Staying and Who’s Going?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline is just 10 days away and that means the teams that believe they have a chance to reach the post-season will try to get better while those that have thrown in the towel will try to get better next year – or sometime in the next decade.

Already this month, the Toronto Blue Jays have moved expensive veteran Juan Rivera to the Los Angeles Dodgers for future considerations and the New York Mets have dealt closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later.

There is definitely more to come. The question is: Which teams are real contenders and therefore real buyers and which teams will start dumping as many veterans as they can possibly unload?

Most teams, it would appear, are like Cleveland — cautious. A surprisingly good team, the Indians are battling Detroit for first place in the AL Central. However, it’s unlikely they’ll do anything to shake up a good thing even though manager Manny Acta has told www.cleveleand.com that his team “desperately” needs to make a deal.

After all, on Tuesday night in Minnesota, he had to use backup second baseman Luis Valbuena in leftfield (the first time he’d ever played the position) because of injuries to Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo. Velbuena misplayed a fly ball in the ninth inning that probably cost Cleveland the game and as a result, don’t be surprised if the Indians take a look at St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick or Oakland’s Josh Willingham — as long it doesn’t cost them too much.

Meanwhile, other teams that could try to improve by adding a veteran or two are Philadelphia, the Yankees, Boston, the White Sox, Texas, the Angels and Atlanta. The Brewers, meanwhile, might not be done making moves while both the Giants and Arizona could be interested.

On the other hand, watch for Toronto, Baltimore, the Mets and Houston to start ridding themselves of older players.

Here’s a list of 10 legitimate trade rumours. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these rumours actually came to fruition:

1) Florida Marlins: It has been reported in a number of news outlets that there’s “a good chance” closer Leo Nunez will be traded before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. The Miami Herald pointed out that Nunez has one more season of arbitration eligibility, but it’s extremely unlikely the Marlins will want to absorb “an expected salary increase from his current $3.65 million yearly salary.”

2) Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-Backs are expected to try to make a deal for a veteran reliever. Now that Rodriguez has been dealt to the Brewers, Arizona is looking at the Mets’ Jason Isringhausen and the Cubs’ Kerry Wood. Trouble with the Wood rumour is that he has a no-trade clause. The Arizona Republic is reporting that the D-Backs have talked to Toronto about any one of Frank Francisco, Shaun Camp, Jon Rauch, Jason Frasor and Octavio Dotel.

3) Toronto Blue Jays: It’s very likely the Jays will trade a reliever or two. Octavio Dotel is almost certainly going to be traded. Meanwhile, the Jays will try to move Edwin Encarnacion, but they are also talking to St. Louis about acquiring outfielder Colby Rasmus.

4) Baltimore Orioles: The O’s were supposed to be so much better this year and now, as they fade into oblivion, expect a handful of these guys to be trad bait. It’s actually possible (although not likely) that J. J. Hardy, Mark Reynolds, Jeremy Guthrie, Derek Lee, Luke Scott, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones could all be moved by July 31.

5) Houston Astros: This is a team ready to sell — sell it all, in fact. Word out of Houston is that young pitchers Bud Norris, 26, Mark Melancon, 26, and Jordan Lyles, 20, are the only players the Astros would NOT consider trading.

6) New York Mets: Carlos Beltran will be traded. The only questions are: when, to whom and for how much? As well, don’t be surprised if the Mets try to make a deal for Jose Reyes. He’s in the final year of his contract, the Mets are virtually broke and he’ll command a load of prospects. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.

7) Atlanta Braves: The Braves believe they have a shot at Philly and also a shot at the Wild Card and they’ll try to add veteran help. Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal will likely be available and the Braves would like to add a veteran at that position (trading away Yunel Escobar was not smart). The Braves also have a couple of decent prospects at Triple A ready to go and they could use Derek Lowe as trade bait.

icon cool Non Waiver Trade Deadline Coming. Whos Staying and Whos Going? Detroit Tigers: The Tigers might be interested in Beltran as a leftfielder if the price is right. However, Detroit really wants a veteran starter. Manager Jim Leyland doesn’t really believe that Charlie Furbush is the answer and there has been some talk that the Tigers would make an offer for Hiroki Kuroda if the Dodgers wanted to deal.

9) San Diego Padres: Closer Heath Bell is a wanted man. In fact, he’s told the L.A. Times already that he figures he’ll end up in the uniform of the Angels, Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers or Phillies. Apparently the Rays are also interested.

10) Colorado Rockies: On the surface, it’s crazy talk. The Rockies are apparently considering trading their ace, Ubaldo Jimenez. The Rockies are, evidently, concerned that Jimenez might be out of their price range when contract negotiations come up next season, so why not deal him now and get something exceptional for him in return. Certainly, the Yankees are interested. I doubt Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd will make a move, but then again, I didn’t think anyone would trade for Vernon Wells and we all know that the Angels pulled the trigger on a guy who is currently making $23 million this season and is hitting .218 with 14 homers and 35 RBI.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Our Fearless MLB Predictions for 2011

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

I will be the first to admit, these predictions aren’t that fearless. I mean, really. When you select the Boston Red Sox to meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2011 World Series, you ain’t goin’ too far out onto the limb.

However, I do believe the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins will challenge the BoSox, I believe the Orioles will finally get to .500 and the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves will bettle it out for the National League Wild Card.

So without further adieu — after all, the first pitch is in about two hours — here are our annual Fearless Predictions for 2011.

THE AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST

1)  Boston Red Sox – If the Red Sox stay healthy, this is the best team in the American League. Offensively, they have Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, J.D. Drew, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz. On the mound, it’s Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Diasuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett. Easily No. 1 in the East.

2) New York Yankees – We only pick the Yanks in two spot because they are the Yanks. After C.C. Sabathia, the pitching staff is a big question mark. A-Rod was sensational in the spring, Derek Jeter will be better than last year, Robinson Cano might be MVP and they will hit, but will they stop anybody else from hitting? Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia are the fourth and fifth starters.

3) Baltimore Orioles – This team finished 34-23 down the stretch last season and improved big time in the off-season bringing in Valdimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy and Derrek Lee. If the young pitchers mature, the Orioles will challenge the Yanks for second. Buck Showalter might be the best manager in the game.

4) Tampa Bay Rays – If Manny Ramirez grows up and Johnny Damon stays healthy, the Rays will have some lineup help for Evan Longoria. For this team, it’s all about the pitching. If James Shields, David Price, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann. That’s a lot of ‘ifs.’

5) Toronto Blue Jays – If Jose Bautista hits 54 home runs again, I’ll eat the Rogers Centre. Getting better, but just not good enough.

CENTRAL

1) Detroit Tigers – So much for a DUI ruining Miguel Cabrera’s career. He has been lights out this spring, hitting .357 with a .714 slugging percentage, six doubles, three homers and a team-high 12 RBI. With Magglio Ordonez hitting in front of him and Victor Martinez behind him, it will be a big year in Detroit.

2) Minnesota Twins – Justin Morneau is getting healthy and Joe Mauer is already back to form. Throw in a solid pitching staff and Minnesota and Detroit will battle for 1-2 in the Central.

3. Chicago White Sox – The Sox added Adam Dunn’s bat to a lineup that includes Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez. But do they have enough pitching?

4. Kansas City Royals – The Royals might have the best farm system in the game but it won’t matter this year. Kansas City will hurt the contenders occasionally, but not often.

5. Cleveland Indians – Manager Manny Acta said if his young players show what they’re made of, the Indians will have a good team. They will eventually, I suppose, but it won’t be this year. I was told in Florida by someone who follows the Indians closely: “Anyone who thinks the Indians have a hope suffers from D & D – a case of dumb and delusional.”

WEST

1) Texas Rangers – These guys hit a ton as Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz, David Murphy and Ian Kinsler lead the way. It certainly won’t hurt if Adrian Beltre gets healthy, too. The pitching will suffer without Cliff Lee, but that won’t stop the Rangers from repeating in the West.

2) Los Angeles Angels – Dan Haren, Jared Weaver, Scott Kazmir and Ervin Santana give the Angels a great rotation. The addition of Vernon Wells will help the order. L.A. will challenge Texas.

3) Oakland A’s – Can Hideki Matsui find happiness in Oakland? Can the A’s finish better than third? Look out for starter Trevor Cahill: 18-8 with 2.97 ERA last year.

4) Seattle Mariners – How can a team with Ichiro Suzuki and Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez go 61-101? That’s what they did last year and it’s hard to imagine the Ms will be any better this year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST

1) Philadelphia Phillies – With a rotation that goes like this: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, it doesn‘t matter if they hit. However, if they can’t replace the injured Chase Utley and the gone Jayson Werth, there is a chance even the Phils won’t hit enough.

2) Atlanta Braves – If Chipper can still play (and stay healthy all year) and manager Fredi Gonzalez is as good a manager as we think, the Braves might threaten in the anemic East. Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters will share the closer’s duties and it’s hard not to like a lineup that includes Brian McCann, Martin Prado, Jason Heyward and big Freddie Freeman.

3) Florida Marlins – This is a typical Florida Marlins team: Young, promising and cheap. Rookie Mike Stanton is the player to watch.

4) New York Mets – All questions, not enough answers. Will Jason Bay adjust to Citi Field? Will Carlos Beltran get healthy? Will Johan Santana return to form? Will they be sold? If the answers are positive, this team could threaten.

5) Washington Nationals – Better than last year with Jayson Werth in the lineup to protect Ryan Zimmerman, but still an afterthought.

CENTRAL

1) Cincinnati Reds – With MVP Joey Votto and loads of offence, the Reds will score. A lot depends on the rotation of Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood and Mike Leake. Dusty Baker will keep them in the race.

2) Milwaukee Brewers – The addition of pitchers Zach Greinke and Shaun Marcum will make the Brewers better. They’ll win a lot more than 77 games (2010). Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart give the Brewers a solid middle of the lineup.

3) St. Louis Cardinals – If Albert Pujols just goes nuts with his free-agent winter coming up, he could lead the Cards into the playoffs himself. However, with Adam Wainwright out for the season, the pitching staff suffers mightily. Pujols is clearly the player to watch in the Majors this year.

4) Chicago Cubs – Well, it’s “next year,” again. This is a team likely to win about 82 games and yet again, fail to win a title.

5) Houston Astros – This is a team that finished strongly in 2010 and then just didn’t get better. No threat. If Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee blow up, they could finish ahead of the Cubs.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates – This is a Triple A franchise. They scored only 587 runs last year while giving up 866. If they win 50 games it will be a miracle. Although I do love Andrew McCutchon.

WEST

1) San Francisco Giants – The Giants have enough pitching to prove the 2010 World Series was not a one-hit wonder. Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain will be fine. The only question is: Do the Giants have enough offence after Pablo (Kung Fu Panda) Sandoval.

2) Colorado Rockies – The Dodgers, Rockies and Giants will battle for No. 1 in the West all season long. With Dexter Fowler, Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez, this team will score a lot of runs. Can Ubaldo Jimenez carry the worst pitching staff of the Top 3 teams in the West? I love them as the NL Wild Card team.

3) Los Angeles Dodgers – The pitching should be good enough, but players such as Juan Uribe, Andre Ethier and James Loney have to get more done over the long haul. Will new manager Don Mattingly do more with this bunch than Joe Torre?

4) San Diego Padres – Should have enough pitching, won’t have near enough hitting with the loss of Adrian Gonzalez to Boston.

5) Arizona Diamondbacks – Justin Upton and nobody else. Will be young and will be out of the race by June 1.

Playoff Teams:  AL — Boston, Detroit, Minnesota, Texas; NL — Philadelphia, Cincinnati, San Francisco and either Atlanta or Colorado.

AL Champions: Boston Red Sox

NL Champions: Philadelphia Phillies

World Series: Phillies over Boston in six games.

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Koskie Named One of 50 All-Time Greatest Twins

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — The kid from Anola made it the day he reached the big leagues. He made it big again in 2001 when he became the first third baseman in Major League history to score 100 runs (100), drive in 100 runs (103), hit 25 home runs (26) and steal 25 bases (27). But tonight at Target Field, he really made it big.

Manitoba’s own Cordel Leonard Koskie, 37, the kid from tiny Anola, MB., was named one of the 50 Greatest Minnesota Twins in a ceremony at the new downtown Minneapolis ballpark on Friday night. He was one of two Canadians named to the team along with New Westminster, B.C.’s Justin Morneau.

Koskie, who was selected in the 26th round of the 1994 amateur draft, was introduced to a wonderful round of applause and took his seat behind home plate along with Kent Hrbek, Rod Carew, Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, Jim (Mudcat) Grant, Harmon Killebrew and Koskie’s good friend, Paul Molitor.

“I looked down the line and all I could think was, ‘What am I doing here?’” Koskie said with a smile. “Wow! The guys I was out there with… were they ever impressive. This is quite a group. I can’t tell you how honored I am.”

Koskie, who had to retire due to complications from post-concussion syndrome, did play for Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic, before calling it a career. His last Major League season was in 2006 while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers.

These days, Koskie is a business man. The father of four young boys — all baseball and hockey players in the Twin Cities —  owns two Planet Fitness gyms in Minneapolis area and there are times when he thinks that’s crazier than being named one of the 50 Greatest Twins.

“I’ve gone from playing baseball right into the business world and that’s quite a jump,” he said. “I knew nothing about it when I started but I’ve learned quick and I’ve learned a lot.”

Friday night, however, Koskie forgot about the gyms for one moment. He called his moment on the field with Tom Kelly, Brad Radke, Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne and Tony Oliva, “overwhelming.”

“It was really great to be part of this and see these guys again,” said Koskie. “I feel pretty special.”

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Response to A-Rod’s 600th Homer Has Me in a Quandary

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Watching Yankee fans and the Yankee announcers on the YES Network  this afternoon, made me wonder whatever happened to the American baseball media’s mob war against steroid users?

Both the fans and the announcers fawned all over Alex Rodriguez as he hit his 600th career home run against the Toronto Blue Jays. Indeed, A-Rod has hit 600 in his career, one of only seven to do so, and the fans had every right to be part of the celebration.

However, as the media honored Rodriguez today — as they certainly should have — I had to question why the feat is wonderful for Rodriguez, an admitted steroid user, but 600 homers wasn’t so wonderful for Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa? Remember, A-Rod is an admitted steroid user. In the meantime, the U.S. federal government has been trying to build a case against Bonds for almost a decade and yet they still have nothing. Sosa has said publicly that he as never used steroids. Still, both have been convicted by the American mainstream media mob as steroids abusers, even though there is no proof, only conjecture, rumour and innuendo.

So while Bonds and Sosa continue to be villified, Rodriguez, an admitted steroid user, is hailed as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

I’m in a quandary. Were steroids good for some heroes and not good for others? Is it because A-Rod is a Yankee and all things Yankee seem to be cheered in the U.S.? This is a strange one.

Personally? Good for A-Rod. 600 home runs at a time when there were as many pitchers (maybe more) on the juice as hitters, is quite an accomplishment.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Joyce’s Bad Call Once Again Proves Replay is the Only Answer

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Wednesday night, I watched the Detroit-Cleveland baseball game from first pitch to last. I grew up 45 minutes from the front door of Tiger Stadium while my wife spent much of her developing years at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium with her favorite uncle. We are a mixed marriage — one Tigers fan, one Indians fan.

And even she thought Armando Galarraga got jerked over.

Everybody knows the story by now. Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game on Wednesday night when first base umpire Jim Joyce completely blew an out call on what should have been the final out of a 27-up, 27-out game. There was absolutely no question, even before a thousand replays were shown, that Jason Donald was thrown out, first base-to-pitcher, by Miguel Cabrera with Galarraga covering. Joyce blew the call, plain and simple.

And to his credit, Joyce admitted it. He told reporters after the game: “This isn’t ‘a’ call. This isn’t — This is — This is a history call and I kicked the shit out of it. And there’s nobody that feels worse than I do. I take pride in this job, and I kicked the shit out of it, and I took a perfect game away from that kid who worked his (butt) off all night.”

It was, perhaps, the worst call in baseball history (Huffington Post and the Big Lead called it “the worst call in sports history”), but at least Joyce took responsibility. I still think he should resign, but then again if you watch as much baseball as I do, you’ve long ago come to the conclusion that umpiring is a really, really imperfect science and over the course of a week, there are dozens of bad calls. In fact, the strike zone is a joke. The boys in blue (or is it black now?) make that thing up as they go along.

So I certainly didn’t disagree when commissioner Bud Selig said yesterday that he wouldn’t overturn the call even though it was the worst call in baseball history. I also agreed with Selig when he said he would take a close look at replay and umpiring.

Instituting replay is a simple task. Each manager gets one flag per game. Use it wisely. Balls and strikes are out (computers should call balls and strikes anyway). Jim Leyland could have had a chance to fix the problem from the dugout last night simply with the opportunity to go to the replay — a replay that was available to everyone watching that game in less than four seconds.

Replay would have saved Jim Joyce his torment (and a very funny website called www.firejimjoyce.com) and also give a journeyman starter like Armando Galarraga a real day in the sun (yeah, the Corvette was nice, but if I know the Tigers organization, owner Mike Ilitch would have bought Armando the entire Chevy line if he had “perfect game” on his resume).

Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park everybody kissed and made up, but St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa — as he often does — had the best take on the entire mess.

“I was thinking if the umpire says he made a mistake on replay, I’d call it a no-hitter, perfect game. Just scratch it,” La Russa said. “If I was Mr. Selig, in the best interest of the game. The guy got it and I’d give him his perfect game. But here again, I should just shut my mouth.”

Meanwhile, I have learned one important lesson from this incident: I vow to never again, never ever again, on the Shaw TV telecasts of Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball, to NEVER, EVER again criticize a Northern League umpire. From the horrendous umpiring done in the 2009 playoffs to Joyce’s blown call on Wednesday night, the arbiters in the majors are living proof that the guys in the Northern League are just as good as they are (or just as bad, whatever your point of view).

Fact is, the sad state of major league umpiring is a bigger problem for the game than steroids ever were.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Is A-Rod Absent Minded, Naive or Just a Dirt-Bag?

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

SI.com reported on a story this week that just seemed mind-boggling to me.

According to SI.com, it seems that after Yankees all-world third-baseman Alex Rodriguez singled in the top of the sixth, Robinson Cano fouled one off and A-Rod, who stopped between second and third, decided to cut right across the pitcher’s mound in order to return to first.

Cano then grounded into an inning-ending double play and pitcher Dallas Braden and A-Rod got into it.

“The long and short of it is it’s pretty much baseball etiquette. He should probably take a note from his captain (Derek Jeter) over there,” Braden told SI.com. “Because you don’t run across the pitcher’s mound in between an inning or during the game. I was just dumbfounded that he would let that slip his mind. I was just trying to convey to him that I was still out there, that ball’s in my hand and that’s my pitcher’s mound. If he wants to run across the pitcher’s mound. Tell him to go do laps in the bullpen.”

Braden at Rodriguez and, of course, Rodriguez yelled back. Exvidently, the two kept screaming at each other until A’s manager Bob Geren came out and escorted Braden off the field.

“He just told me to get off his mound,” Rodriguez told SI.com. “I was a little surprised. I’ve never quite heard that, especially from a guy that has a handful of wins in his career. I’ve never even heard of that in my career and I still don’t know. I thought it was pretty funny, actually.”

Braden, who is 26 and has a lifetime record of 17-21, admitted that he probably won’t cause A-Rod to change his ways.

“I’m not really a speck on that guy’s radar but he’ll know after today that it might not be a good idea to run across the mound when I’m out there,” Braden said. “It’s not like I throw 95 (mph) and I’m going to hurt him. He’ll know I was there, though.”

Good for the kid.

The weird part is this: In 30 years of playing ball from atom to oldtimers, I don’t think it ever dawned on me to run across a mound while either returning to first or just leaving the field. It’s too much effort, especially on some of the shitty fields I’ve played on, to climb up the bump and down again and avoid the rubber without tripping on your face. You’re just cutting back across the infield. It’s not that far. Why would you run across the mound and put yourself in a position in which you could end up doing a swan dive across the dirt? What’s the point other than to, maybe, get into the pitcher’s head?

And maybe that’s it. Maybe A-Rod is just a dirt-bag.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , ,

BBWAA Doesn’t Let Anyone Down. They’re Still a Collection of the Mindless, Arrogant and Ignorant.

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

The Baseball Writers Association of America is an antiquated little organization that once played a legitimate role in electing the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. After all, there was a time when the members of the BBWAA attended all or most of the games, even the post-season, and truly had an impact on the day-to-day operation of Major League Baseball.

Today, however, this traditional old boys club, is just another relic from the past. Because their employers’ don’t have the ready cash they once did, very few newspapers even bother to cover the post-season anymore. There are many members of the BBWAA who see fewer games, live in a season, than I do.

On Wednesday of this week, the BBWAA proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that just like newspapers, the time has come to put this obsolete, snot-nosed old boys club to rest. It’s time to create a committee of baseball people to decide who gets into the Hall of Fame.

Baseball writers can’t do it anymore. They were important once, but it’s reached the point that this gigantic collection of booze-swilling non-athletes, old men who can’t even read statistics, let alone understand what they’re watching, has to be relieved of their Hall of Fame duties.

Now I have no problem with Andre Dawson being inducted into the Hall of Fame, but if a lifetime .279 hitter (9,927 ABs) with 438 homers, 1373 runs, 1,591 RBI, 314 stolen bases, 503 doubles and no championships gets into the Hall, then it’s time to open the doors to everybody. This is a guy who never played in a World Series. I mean, how do you possibly induct Andre Dawson into the Hall and NOT Roberto Alomar? That’s just insane.

Of course, the idiots of the BBWAA already proved their shocking group insanity when they elected light-hitting Ozzie Smith to the Hall. Smith did backflips and turned some routine plays into highlight-reel spectaculars, but he had a pea-shooter for a bat. Sure, he could flash the leather, but he was a marginal hitter.

In 19 seasons, Smith hit .262 (9396 ABs) with with 28 home runs (28??? That’s not a Hall of Fame number, even for a middle infielder), 1257 runs, 793 RBI, 580 stolen bases, 402 doubles and won one World Series championship. He had a lifetime fielding percentage of .978. With 1,072 walks, Smith had a lifetime on-base percentage of .337.

Meanwhile, as these mindless knobs proved yesterday, they don’t even look at careers or statistics when they cast their ballots.

Once again, Detroit Tigers legend Alan Trammell was kept out of the Hall. In fact, Trammell received only 121 votes. These BBWAA people are an embarrassment to humanity, not just baseball. Bad enough that they enabled Mark McGwire and now hate him because they knew he was fooling with steroids, but didn’t have the guts to write anything about it when he was saving baseball in 1998, now they ignore Trammell’s class and numbers while voting for people who couldn’t carry the former Tigers’ shortstop’s cleats to the park.

Trammell hit .285 (better than Dawson) in 20 major league seasons, all with the same team. He had 8,388 at bats, 2,365 hits, 1,231 runs, 412 doubles, 185 homers, 1,003 RBI and 236 stolen bases. He had seven seasons in which he hit .300 or better. His on-base percentage was .352 (better than Smith). He won four gold gloves, three silver sluggers and was an all-star six times. In 1984, he was the World Series MVP as the Tigers won their only title in 41 years.

He also has exactly the same lifetime fielding percentage as Ozzie Smith.

He has generally better numbers than Hall of Fame infielder Red Schoendienst and has considerably better numbers, over a longer career, than Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto (both, by the way, deserve to be in the Hall).

And while we’re at it, Barry Larkin had a nice career, but not 157 votes better than Alan Trammell’s career. The voting is a freakin’ joke. These people are messed up.

The only way baseball can fix the idiocy that’s been created by the BBWAA is to end the association’s hold on the Hall. These guys are as dead as the industry in which they work and it’s time to get them away from baseball’s greatest shrine.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Two Appearances, Former Goldeyes Reliever Sherrill Almost Perfect With the Dodgers

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It didn’t take long for former Winnipeg Goldeyes reliever George Sherrill to make his mark in Los Angeles.

Last Thursday, Sherrill, who played for the Goldeyes in 2002 and 2003, was traded to the Dodgers by the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for two outstanding prospects: 22-year-old switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell and 21-year-old righthanded pitcher Steve Johnson.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers planned to use Sherrill as “an eighth and ninth inning guy,” the set-up man for closer Jonathan Broxton. However, with Broxton injured, Sherrill made his first appearance last Friday night in Atlanta as the set-up man for James McDonald.

With two runners on and nobody out in the seventh inning, Sherrill came in and struck out Nate McLouth and Kelly Johnson, walked Chipper Jones to load the bases and then struck out all-star catcher Brian McCann to end the inning. He got the hold as the Dodgers beat the Braves 5-0.

Then, on national television on Sunday night, Sherrill came in to face one batter in the eighth — Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones — and got Jones to fly to centre with two runners on and two out. The Dodgers went on to win 9-1.

“I just don’t understand why the Orioles would even think about trading George,” said Goldeyes manager Rick Forney on Friday night. “George can do so many things and at $2.75 million a year, he’s not that big a hit to your payroll. That move just won’t make any sense to me at all. Ever.”

No kidding, as we reported earlier, in Baltimore this season, Sherrill had a 2.40 earned run average with 20 saves in 42 appearances.

The Orioles have made a lot of dumb moves in recent years. Trading away a lefthanded closer who could also be a great set-up man or situational lefty, and who “only” makes $2.75 million a year is one of the dumbest.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, MLB

Tagged , , , , , , , ,