This writer has been defending Alex Rodriguez all winter claiming that he will have a superb 2007 season, and that past criticisms of his performance were too harsh. After reading today's Newsday forget everything I said.
For a long time now, this writer has asserted that the fans care more about their favorite team's performance than the players do themselves. There are people out there who will dye their dog's fur blue and orange if they are Mets fans, or name their kids after their favorite players (Hi, this is my son David Wright , and my daughter Mookie Wilson ). How many baseball fans do you know who contemplate suicide after the team they would be willing to bleed for loses a big game? The day after the Mets were eliminated from the NLCS, nearly every Mets fan at this writer's place of employment did not show up to work. This is not an exaggeration. One co-worker who is not a big baseball fan observed "These guys are home crying while the players are luxuriating in their mansions." It just goes to show you, it's all a matter of perspective: the fans love their teams, the players love themselves.
After all of the criticism A-Rod has faced during his tenure as a Yankee, some of it deserved, some of it exaggerated, he is now considering opting out of his contract in 2008 so he can make even MORE money elsewhere. Forget the fact that he is the highest paid player of any sport on the planet; he now wants to suck more life and cash from the pockets of some other team (and thus the slavish baseball fans) to make himself wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice.
In reality, when all of the pretense of fan faithfulness and a player’s loyalty to a franchise are removed, Alex Rodriguez has the absolute right to earn as much money in this capitalist society we live in and to provide for his family and future generations so they may live comfortably. However, I'd have more respect for him and other ball players if he just came out and said it. I'm tired of having the wool pulled over my eyes by players who won't admit that they can't play in New York, don't care that much if they win or lose, getting injured and missing an entire season is not the end of the world for them, and playing for a particular team only matters if it pays enough.
In that respect, Alex has almost fulfilled the above requirement by not confirming or denying a report in Newsday stating that he will exercise his option to leave the Yankees in the 2008 season for more money. What hurts is the fact of after to listening to players such as A-Rod spew the party line about wanting to do "what's best for the team", his tacit admission is a smack in the face. Players used to mask their attempts at a cash grab. This one is so blatant, it makes the most hard boiled and cynical fan cringe. Just come right out and say that you want to be a billionaire, Alex. However, fans reserve the right to dislike your greediness. Yes, it is greedy to try to wiggle out of a contract with a team that got ZILCH from you in the post season (which you were hired for) so you can squeeze a freighter-load of cash out of another team with perhaps less demanding ownership.
The sad fact is that someone is going to cave into Scott Boras and pay him what he wants for A-Rod. The fans will still scramble to the stadium on "Alex Rodriguez Souvenier Pencil Day" to see him play at shortstop while eating $9.00 hot dogs and drinking $8.00 sodas. If they're lucky, they can hang around the stadium after the game and watch as A-Rod trots past them and into his limo while the rookie players on the team pause to scribble their signatures on their $40.00 programs.
It is a rare breed of baseball player these days that will stay with a team for their entire baseball careers. Two of them come to mind: Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, and they're both bound for Cooperstown.
February 7, 2007
February 5, 2007
Civil War Baseball Site
For fans who are nterested in baseball's past, here is a terrific website offering a history lesson on baseball's popularity during the Civil War. Visit "Civil War Baseball, Battling on the Diamond", and learn more about your favorite game, baseball.
Must Read: Robert B. Parker Book On Jackie Robinson
Baseball fans must read "Double Play" by Robert B. Parker. It is a fictional account of a man who actually lived. The story depicts this man as the bodyguard of Jackie Robinson. This book is available at Amazon.com.
This book is full of action, and offers a glimpse of what it must have been like for Jackie Robinson during his first year in the major leagues.
This book is full of action, and offers a glimpse of what it must have been like for Jackie Robinson during his first year in the major leagues.
Things That Should Change In Baseball
Now that the 2007 season s almost upon us, This writer has a few casual observations about the game which need to be mentioned.
First, get rid of the "Doo Rag." Don't ask me why, but it's the sight of a grown man wearing a rag on his head is just plain irritating. Take it off, put on your cap, and play the game already.
Second, the sunglasses belong on your face, not on top of your hat. This writer is well aware that players receive money from sponsors to wear sneakers, use certain bats, gloves, etc. But, when makers of sunglasses pay a ballplayer to wear their sunglasses, they should be required to actually put them on their faces, and not on top of their hats. You're not at the beach, you're on a ball field. If this writer is going to shell out a week's pay to cart my family into the Bronx to watch you play, then employ the eye wear your being paid to show off to shield your eyes from the sun and catch the %@!*&^$#@ ball already. We all know that you're a millionaire baseball player, don't rub our noses in it by showing off a $300 pair of sunglasses you don't need, want, or ever intend to wear when not playing.
Third, enough with the sunflower seeds already. I'm sure the sunflower seed company gets a pretty penny from Major League Baseball to use their sunflower seeds over anyone elses. Quite frankly, I don't care what the deal is, I get nauseous when the camera pans the dugout and 25 guys are shown spitting wads of phlegm covered shells all over the bench, floor, and onto the field. Also, there's nothing like downing a couple of bags of salty snacks in ninety five degree heat when you have to run around on the field. I'm no scientist, but if you ingest too much salt and mix it with a drink full of electrolytes like Gatorade and run around in the blazing sun on a hot day, won't you spontaneously combust? Here's a suggestion: give the players hot dogs in the dugout. Babe Ruth ate four or five of them during each game and look what that did for him.
Fourth, every time a player pauses to admire his handiwork after hitting a home run, he should be fined ten thousand dollars. To a multi-millionaire, this is chump change. However, a $25 parking fine won't make or break this writer, but it sure is enough to make me pay attention next time I look to park somewhere. A ten thousand dollar fine for shoving the opposing team's face in it should wake a few guys up and run around the bases.
Finally, enough with the jewelry already. Do you really need gold chains around your neck to play ball? This writer remembers when baseball was a sport played by men who charged into home plate ready to take the catcher's head off with his spikes. One isn't likely to take such risks while wearing pretty jewelry, expensive sunglasses, and nicely quaffed head of hair under a doo-rag, and a mouth full of mashed up sunflower seeds.
These are some of the things this writer wants to see disappear in baseball. watch this space for more as the season unfolds.
First, get rid of the "Doo Rag." Don't ask me why, but it's the sight of a grown man wearing a rag on his head is just plain irritating. Take it off, put on your cap, and play the game already.
Second, the sunglasses belong on your face, not on top of your hat. This writer is well aware that players receive money from sponsors to wear sneakers, use certain bats, gloves, etc. But, when makers of sunglasses pay a ballplayer to wear their sunglasses, they should be required to actually put them on their faces, and not on top of their hats. You're not at the beach, you're on a ball field. If this writer is going to shell out a week's pay to cart my family into the Bronx to watch you play, then employ the eye wear your being paid to show off to shield your eyes from the sun and catch the %@!*&^$#@ ball already. We all know that you're a millionaire baseball player, don't rub our noses in it by showing off a $300 pair of sunglasses you don't need, want, or ever intend to wear when not playing.
Third, enough with the sunflower seeds already. I'm sure the sunflower seed company gets a pretty penny from Major League Baseball to use their sunflower seeds over anyone elses. Quite frankly, I don't care what the deal is, I get nauseous when the camera pans the dugout and 25 guys are shown spitting wads of phlegm covered shells all over the bench, floor, and onto the field. Also, there's nothing like downing a couple of bags of salty snacks in ninety five degree heat when you have to run around on the field. I'm no scientist, but if you ingest too much salt and mix it with a drink full of electrolytes like Gatorade and run around in the blazing sun on a hot day, won't you spontaneously combust? Here's a suggestion: give the players hot dogs in the dugout. Babe Ruth ate four or five of them during each game and look what that did for him.
Fourth, every time a player pauses to admire his handiwork after hitting a home run, he should be fined ten thousand dollars. To a multi-millionaire, this is chump change. However, a $25 parking fine won't make or break this writer, but it sure is enough to make me pay attention next time I look to park somewhere. A ten thousand dollar fine for shoving the opposing team's face in it should wake a few guys up and run around the bases.
Finally, enough with the jewelry already. Do you really need gold chains around your neck to play ball? This writer remembers when baseball was a sport played by men who charged into home plate ready to take the catcher's head off with his spikes. One isn't likely to take such risks while wearing pretty jewelry, expensive sunglasses, and nicely quaffed head of hair under a doo-rag, and a mouth full of mashed up sunflower seeds.
These are some of the things this writer wants to see disappear in baseball. watch this space for more as the season unfolds.
February 2, 2007
Baseball Fans Love The Superbowl
Die-hard baseball fans love the Superbowl. Do you know why? It's because once football is gone, baseball is just around the corner. New York is a baseball town. There are only a handful of cities around the country where baseball is discussed year round, and New York has to be number one. February is the offical start of the season for New York baseball fans; and, spring traing begins when pitchers and catchers show up to camp to begin workouts.
January 31, 2007
2007 Predictions: Read Them Now, Forget Them Later. Part II
Welcome to "2007 Predictions: Read Them Now, Forget Them Later. Part II". To continue, while fan favorite and proven winner Bernie Williams has been offered a minor league contract by the Yankees, and he's been invited to spring training. If he does not make the team, sources close to him in the February 1, 2007 edition of Newsday are quoted as saying that Bernie will most likely retire from baseball. A prediction? Don't expect him to disappear for too long. While this writer does not think that Bernie will sign with another team, he still has value to the Yankees organization. Look for Bernie to show up to future spring training camps as a special instructor. Maybe we'll see Bernie as a hitting coach for the Yankees one day. While his playing days are over, his baseball career most likely is not. One thing fans can certainly look forward to are more of Bernie's guitar CDs.
Look for Robinson Cano to continue flourish. This one is easy. The young second baseman spent six weeks on the DL for a pulled hamstring, and still came back to play enough games to be in contention for the batting title. Cano is s superb athlete with a big bat who exudes the kind of modest, confident, and good natured character that fans of the Bronx Bombers want to see in their favorite Yankees. Team Captain Derek Jeter is a perfect example and an excellent role model for the young Cano.
In this writer's opinion (and this is all speculation), the starting rotation for the 2007 Yankees should look like this: #1) Andy Pettite #2) Chin-Ming Wang #3) Mike Mussina #4) Kei Igawa #5) Carl Pavano. The returning Andy Petitte will find a challenger in Chin-Ming Wang for the title of Yankee's ace pitcher. The number one spot should go to Pettite due to his past success as a star in the Yankee's pitching rotation. Mike Mussina never seemed eager for the role of "ace", yet Mussina's presence in the rotation has always been formidable, with many memorable and important games pitched during his tenure in pinstripes. Mussina should have his best season as a Yankee yet with solid starters such as Pettite and Wang in front of him. Wang will continue to baffle batters with his heavy sinker and his slider and go deep into games. Look for Wang's name to be mentioned in the same sentence as Cy Young's. Kei Igawa is an unknown quantity, but should be skilled enough to fill in the number four spot in the rotation, barring any bouts with "New York-itis" which seems to affect many newcomers to Yankee Stadium (see Johnson, Randy and Brown, Kevin). Should Hideki Matsui be able to help introduce his fellow countryman to New York and the Yankees culture, this would be a huge bonus. Brian Cashman has plenty of young arms to flesh out the bottom of the rotation if things fall apart during the season, so the pressure on the team as a whole for Igawa to perform isn't dire. Carl Pavano? This writer predicts that he should be able to toss the ball 60 feet, 6 inches towards the plate. Whether or not he gets anyone out is another story. All of the above changes if, or when Roger Clemens dons pinstripes again this summer.
Jason Giambi will be no mystery in 2007. His role is simple: be the full time DH. We all know that Giambi's batting average is considerably lower when he doesn't play full time. But, his numerous ailments and his alleged steroid abuse (See: apology, non-specific) has reduced his stock significantly with the fans. While his batting average has fallen over the years, his ability to get on base has remained steady. In 2007, though, he'll be no mystery to pitcher's either. Having survived the last few seasons by drawing walks and getting hit by pitches, his bat has slowed down a bit; but, he makes noise every now and again with a monstrous home run. In '07, more pitcher's will challenge him instead of being careful and his on-base percentage should suffer as a result.
The first base platoon of Doug Mienkiewicz and either Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps (they will compete for the job in spring training) should work out fine. Yankees have been employing an unofficial platoon for the past couple of seasons with Giambi taking a part-time DH role. One would like to see a bonafide first baseman at the position. In this writer's opinion, Mienkiewicz would do well as the sole man at first; but the Yankees have their reasons for a platoon. If they run out and sign someone like Todd Helton since Boston's talks with the Rockies recently collapsed, then that just might be too greedy for the now frugal Yankees organization. Besides, any extra money they saved by letting go of Gary Sheffield, Jaret Wright, and Randy Johnson would be better spent on Roger Clemens
As of this writing, it is fourteen days until pitchers and catchers show up to spring training. One can hear the crack of a ball off the bat already. This is the last of my predictions for the 2007 season. Soon, this writer will be joining the throngs of die hard baseball fans in New York who writhe in agony after every defeat, and wallow in ecstasy after every victory. And that's just during the spring training games.
Look for Robinson Cano to continue flourish. This one is easy. The young second baseman spent six weeks on the DL for a pulled hamstring, and still came back to play enough games to be in contention for the batting title. Cano is s superb athlete with a big bat who exudes the kind of modest, confident, and good natured character that fans of the Bronx Bombers want to see in their favorite Yankees. Team Captain Derek Jeter is a perfect example and an excellent role model for the young Cano.
In this writer's opinion (and this is all speculation), the starting rotation for the 2007 Yankees should look like this: #1) Andy Pettite #2) Chin-Ming Wang #3) Mike Mussina #4) Kei Igawa #5) Carl Pavano. The returning Andy Petitte will find a challenger in Chin-Ming Wang for the title of Yankee's ace pitcher. The number one spot should go to Pettite due to his past success as a star in the Yankee's pitching rotation. Mike Mussina never seemed eager for the role of "ace", yet Mussina's presence in the rotation has always been formidable, with many memorable and important games pitched during his tenure in pinstripes. Mussina should have his best season as a Yankee yet with solid starters such as Pettite and Wang in front of him. Wang will continue to baffle batters with his heavy sinker and his slider and go deep into games. Look for Wang's name to be mentioned in the same sentence as Cy Young's. Kei Igawa is an unknown quantity, but should be skilled enough to fill in the number four spot in the rotation, barring any bouts with "New York-itis" which seems to affect many newcomers to Yankee Stadium (see Johnson, Randy and Brown, Kevin). Should Hideki Matsui be able to help introduce his fellow countryman to New York and the Yankees culture, this would be a huge bonus. Brian Cashman has plenty of young arms to flesh out the bottom of the rotation if things fall apart during the season, so the pressure on the team as a whole for Igawa to perform isn't dire. Carl Pavano? This writer predicts that he should be able to toss the ball 60 feet, 6 inches towards the plate. Whether or not he gets anyone out is another story. All of the above changes if, or when Roger Clemens dons pinstripes again this summer.
Jason Giambi will be no mystery in 2007. His role is simple: be the full time DH. We all know that Giambi's batting average is considerably lower when he doesn't play full time. But, his numerous ailments and his alleged steroid abuse (See: apology, non-specific) has reduced his stock significantly with the fans. While his batting average has fallen over the years, his ability to get on base has remained steady. In 2007, though, he'll be no mystery to pitcher's either. Having survived the last few seasons by drawing walks and getting hit by pitches, his bat has slowed down a bit; but, he makes noise every now and again with a monstrous home run. In '07, more pitcher's will challenge him instead of being careful and his on-base percentage should suffer as a result.
The first base platoon of Doug Mienkiewicz and either Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps (they will compete for the job in spring training) should work out fine. Yankees have been employing an unofficial platoon for the past couple of seasons with Giambi taking a part-time DH role. One would like to see a bonafide first baseman at the position. In this writer's opinion, Mienkiewicz would do well as the sole man at first; but the Yankees have their reasons for a platoon. If they run out and sign someone like Todd Helton since Boston's talks with the Rockies recently collapsed, then that just might be too greedy for the now frugal Yankees organization. Besides, any extra money they saved by letting go of Gary Sheffield, Jaret Wright, and Randy Johnson would be better spent on Roger Clemens
As of this writing, it is fourteen days until pitchers and catchers show up to spring training. One can hear the crack of a ball off the bat already. This is the last of my predictions for the 2007 season. Soon, this writer will be joining the throngs of die hard baseball fans in New York who writhe in agony after every defeat, and wallow in ecstasy after every victory. And that's just during the spring training games.
January 19, 2007
2007 Predictions: Read Them Now, Forget Them Later. Part I
When does the baseball season begin? Ask the casual fan, and the answer will be April. But, ask the die-hard baseball fan, and the answer will be February. The words on the lips of the devoted lovers of leather and lumber are "pitchers and catchers." There's an instant bond formed between two people who recognize the meaning of those two words in the context of the of spring training.
With that said, this writer will share some gratuitous predictions and selfish hopes for the Yankees who will win "27 in '07". By the way, that was prediction number one. Predictions in baseball, in this writer's humble opinion mean nothing. Who could have predicted the Boston Red Sox finishing in third place last season after being unable to recuperate from the loss of several key players? Also, who could have predicted the Yankees stunning ejection from the ALDS at the hands of the Tigers? This writer did, but that's beside the point. The purpose here is to throw out some ideas on the upcoming season, stir the pot a bit, and engage in some frivolous speculation. If I'm wrong? There's always next year.
The second prediction for the 2007 season is that Carl Pavano will pitch and have a good season. This column sees Pavano winning fifteen games with an ERA hovering around 4.0. After a year and a half off with numerous maladies and some broken ribs plaguing him, Pavano won't exactly be in Cy Young form, but with the tremendous amount of run support provided by the Yankee's offense, he should do fine. That is if he is also in top emotional form and his teammates haven't stuffed him down a laundry chute by the end of spring training.
Alex Rodriguez will continue to be the fan favorite...punching bag. The media will continue to focus on his relationship with Jeter, the fans, Joe Torre, etc. But, he will be different. There has to be a saturation point where a man as bright and talented as he has to say to himself that he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't, and just go out and play ball. Fans being as fickle as they are will cheer him when he homers, and boo him when he strikes out; yet the added pressure will always remain. By September, he will have amassed another impressive set of numbers to add to his sterling, "Hall of Fame" career; but, and this is a big "BUT", his legacy rests solely on what he can do for the Yankees in the post season. This writer has deflected blame off of Alex this past October because most of the players on the team flopped in the 2006 post season. If A-Rod had produced runs in at least two critical situations while facing the Tiger's in the '06 ALDS, things could have been very different. However, the same could be said of three or four other Yankees who fizzled in clutch situations at the plate. Besides, no one ever suggested that A-Rod must carry the team. He's in there like the rest of them, and the Yankees in general were flat and uninspired. A-Rod's 2007 will be superb by anyone's standards except spoiled Yankee fans who want a home run at every at bat. His post season will be graded separately, but will count for 100% of his legacy.
Randy Johnson...oops, sorry. Whew!
Derek Jeter may or may not chase any batting titles this season; but that never matters to Captain Clutch anyway. Without Bernie Williams, Yankee hero, and co-champion of all those wonderful World Series wins from '96-2000, The glimmer of hope which all Yankee fans have for their beloved team this year will focus more keenly on the “man who dives into the stands” himself. Jeter exudes confidence. His team now consists of the patient, high on-base percentage, move the runner over, and steal-a-base kind of players which characterized the 1996-2000 teams which he cut his teeth playing on. For the most part, that was the Yankees of 2006 in the absence of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. But, I don't blame Hideki Matsui or Sheffield for that matter for returning from the DL and erasing the Yankees style of play which allowed them to climb to an eleven game lead over the third place Red Sox by the end of the regular season. This writer blames Joe Torre for not noticing that his team played better when they moved runners over, played hit-and-run, stole bases, and manufactured runs. Once Matsui and Sheffield came back and Melky Cabrera was once again relegated to the fourth outfielder role, things changed. The Yankees became a station to station team with so-so pitching waiting for the three-run home run to tie the game against excellent post season pitching. Jeter won't have to endure that again in 2007. His team will reflect the Jeter teams of the no-so distant past now that they have a team with some character, and Sheffield’s noisy bat and mouth have gone. Things should go smoothly for the Captain, except he’ll have to frisk Doug Mientkiewicz for baseballs before he leaves the stadium.
There’s nothing like job paranoia to make someone produce and Joe Torre has plenty of that. In past seasons, when he absolutely couldn’t take “The Boss” anymore, it appeared as if Joe didn’t care if he either ended back in the broadcaster’s booth or perhaps managing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. However, after last year’s debacle, the stunning and unexplainable ejection the Yankees endured against the Tigers in the post season, the calls for his head on a pike came not only from media-types, but from fans. For a dignified and respected man such as Joe Torre, losing his fans would probably be devastating. Joe Torre is a celebrity in New York, and around the country. Leaving on such a sour note would mean getting hissed at for the rest of his life as he walked the streets of his city. Sure, many fans would forgive and forget; but the memories of his tenure as Yankee’s manager would stop short at the embarrassing loss to the Tigers and his head floating in a jar of formaldehyde on the Bosses’ desk. Also, Torre knows that not many broadcasters get to be in Subway commercials with Willie Randolph, hang around with mayors, and hob-knob with celebrities. Managing the team like the Devil Rays might get him in tight with the company which makes Rolaids…as a customer. The closest the Devil Rays will get to a parade is if they hop a bus to Disney World between home games. Watch Joe Torre become more animated this season in the dugout. He might just get thrown out of a few more games, and he most likely will start use that bat he totes around the dugout to threaten players to perform instead of bouncing it off the floor between his legs. There are no Lou Piniella types lurking around to step in his shoes if he gets fired for going 6-12 in the first few weeks of the season; still, we all know that Torre is on “double-secret probation”. Lou Piniella isn’t available, but Joe Girardi will do.
That’s it for Part I. Tune into this column later in the week for more predictions and analysis of games which haven’t been played yet. Rest in peace, Corey Lidle.
With that said, this writer will share some gratuitous predictions and selfish hopes for the Yankees who will win "27 in '07". By the way, that was prediction number one. Predictions in baseball, in this writer's humble opinion mean nothing. Who could have predicted the Boston Red Sox finishing in third place last season after being unable to recuperate from the loss of several key players? Also, who could have predicted the Yankees stunning ejection from the ALDS at the hands of the Tigers? This writer did, but that's beside the point. The purpose here is to throw out some ideas on the upcoming season, stir the pot a bit, and engage in some frivolous speculation. If I'm wrong? There's always next year.
The second prediction for the 2007 season is that Carl Pavano will pitch and have a good season. This column sees Pavano winning fifteen games with an ERA hovering around 4.0. After a year and a half off with numerous maladies and some broken ribs plaguing him, Pavano won't exactly be in Cy Young form, but with the tremendous amount of run support provided by the Yankee's offense, he should do fine. That is if he is also in top emotional form and his teammates haven't stuffed him down a laundry chute by the end of spring training.
Alex Rodriguez will continue to be the fan favorite...punching bag. The media will continue to focus on his relationship with Jeter, the fans, Joe Torre, etc. But, he will be different. There has to be a saturation point where a man as bright and talented as he has to say to himself that he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't, and just go out and play ball. Fans being as fickle as they are will cheer him when he homers, and boo him when he strikes out; yet the added pressure will always remain. By September, he will have amassed another impressive set of numbers to add to his sterling, "Hall of Fame" career; but, and this is a big "BUT", his legacy rests solely on what he can do for the Yankees in the post season. This writer has deflected blame off of Alex this past October because most of the players on the team flopped in the 2006 post season. If A-Rod had produced runs in at least two critical situations while facing the Tiger's in the '06 ALDS, things could have been very different. However, the same could be said of three or four other Yankees who fizzled in clutch situations at the plate. Besides, no one ever suggested that A-Rod must carry the team. He's in there like the rest of them, and the Yankees in general were flat and uninspired. A-Rod's 2007 will be superb by anyone's standards except spoiled Yankee fans who want a home run at every at bat. His post season will be graded separately, but will count for 100% of his legacy.
Randy Johnson...oops, sorry. Whew!
Derek Jeter may or may not chase any batting titles this season; but that never matters to Captain Clutch anyway. Without Bernie Williams, Yankee hero, and co-champion of all those wonderful World Series wins from '96-2000, The glimmer of hope which all Yankee fans have for their beloved team this year will focus more keenly on the “man who dives into the stands” himself. Jeter exudes confidence. His team now consists of the patient, high on-base percentage, move the runner over, and steal-a-base kind of players which characterized the 1996-2000 teams which he cut his teeth playing on. For the most part, that was the Yankees of 2006 in the absence of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. But, I don't blame Hideki Matsui or Sheffield for that matter for returning from the DL and erasing the Yankees style of play which allowed them to climb to an eleven game lead over the third place Red Sox by the end of the regular season. This writer blames Joe Torre for not noticing that his team played better when they moved runners over, played hit-and-run, stole bases, and manufactured runs. Once Matsui and Sheffield came back and Melky Cabrera was once again relegated to the fourth outfielder role, things changed. The Yankees became a station to station team with so-so pitching waiting for the three-run home run to tie the game against excellent post season pitching. Jeter won't have to endure that again in 2007. His team will reflect the Jeter teams of the no-so distant past now that they have a team with some character, and Sheffield’s noisy bat and mouth have gone. Things should go smoothly for the Captain, except he’ll have to frisk Doug Mientkiewicz for baseballs before he leaves the stadium.
There’s nothing like job paranoia to make someone produce and Joe Torre has plenty of that. In past seasons, when he absolutely couldn’t take “The Boss” anymore, it appeared as if Joe didn’t care if he either ended back in the broadcaster’s booth or perhaps managing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. However, after last year’s debacle, the stunning and unexplainable ejection the Yankees endured against the Tigers in the post season, the calls for his head on a pike came not only from media-types, but from fans. For a dignified and respected man such as Joe Torre, losing his fans would probably be devastating. Joe Torre is a celebrity in New York, and around the country. Leaving on such a sour note would mean getting hissed at for the rest of his life as he walked the streets of his city. Sure, many fans would forgive and forget; but the memories of his tenure as Yankee’s manager would stop short at the embarrassing loss to the Tigers and his head floating in a jar of formaldehyde on the Bosses’ desk. Also, Torre knows that not many broadcasters get to be in Subway commercials with Willie Randolph, hang around with mayors, and hob-knob with celebrities. Managing the team like the Devil Rays might get him in tight with the company which makes Rolaids…as a customer. The closest the Devil Rays will get to a parade is if they hop a bus to Disney World between home games. Watch Joe Torre become more animated this season in the dugout. He might just get thrown out of a few more games, and he most likely will start use that bat he totes around the dugout to threaten players to perform instead of bouncing it off the floor between his legs. There are no Lou Piniella types lurking around to step in his shoes if he gets fired for going 6-12 in the first few weeks of the season; still, we all know that Torre is on “double-secret probation”. Lou Piniella isn’t available, but Joe Girardi will do.
That’s it for Part I. Tune into this column later in the week for more predictions and analysis of games which haven’t been played yet. Rest in peace, Corey Lidle.
January 17, 2007
A Ball And A Stick: Your Game Or Mine?
Last April my son began his second season with his Little League team. As a father, I was proud to see my son as he eagerly took the field and applied the skills I helped teach him. I enjoy watching him play more than I do watching professional baseball. One of the side benefits to going to his games is that I get to meet and talk baseball with other serious minded and knowledgeable baseball fans.
On my son's team last year was a young boy from India. His father stood along side me during the first days of practice watching in wonderment as his son took to the sport as if he had been playing for years. The father was confused by the game, its rules, and the overall objectives. "Isn't this just like cricket?" he would ask me. I joked that I know little or nothing about cricket except that no one gets signed to play the game for millions of dollars per season. At least not in the United States they don't.
The dad, an affable gentleman who was also in the Information Technology field like me, and who couldn't care less about talking shop with a colleague. He wanted to know more about this game which his son was so mysteriously drawn to. At each practice, and at every game, the dad would eventually single me out and ask me a question about what the kids were doing on the field.
"Right now" I would tell him, "these kids are just learning. The coaches aren't counting balls and strikes, half of them are milling around the field looking for insects or for rocks to toss at their friends, and the final score could end up being 59 to 58." He didn't get it. Immediately he started ranting about what a great game cricket is compared to baseball. It was then that I sensed that he was a "cricket snob" as he would sneer and shake his head when I'd tell him about base running strategy, or different ways pitchers pitch to right-handed or left-handed batters, or whatever. His response would always be something along the lines of "In cricket, you don't have to..." and that's where I'd tune him out. The guy was a bore who wouldn't listen, and I'm too dignified to get into an argument about which game was "better".
He didn't know this, but when I was a police officer, I would sit in my patrol car and watch organized cricket games played on the field behind the Edgemere Houses in Far Rockaway. These guys were really good, and I had fun being a spectator to this interesting game played with a ball and a stick much like the game of baseball. These players, recent immigrants, I learned, were proud to show off their skills to "newbies" like me. They had crisp, white uniforms; they they tended to the lawns, and had traveling teams. I still don't know much about the game, but I know it is a serious sport which means an awful lot to many different people. That is why I resented it when this father would make comments about how superior cricket was to baseball without knowing anything about the sport. If I sat nearby the field in Edgemere spouting ignorant comments about cricket to the passionate fans who cheered their teams, what would that make me? This man, to me, was doing the equivalent of that.
At the final game of the little league "season" for my seven year old son's team, the "Cricket Dad" as I would call him sauntered up to me with his hands behind his back in an attempt to goad me into another baseball-cricket confrontation. Maybe he enjoyed this sort of banter, I thought. Perhaps his anti-baseball repertoire and his love for cricket afforded him the same pleasure that's often found between Mets/Yankees, or Red Sox/Yankees fans. I decided to give him a second chance. It was then he told me that during the week he managed to watch both a Yankee game and a Mets game on TV. He was pleased that the announcers helped to explain the game and I told him that the networks employ former players as analysts. Once again, he began to pepper me with questions about the game, but his attitude changed. Gone was his distaste for baseball. It didn’t hurt that his son had a natural talent for playing and he had several key hits in recent games. The coaches often told the father that his son “could play.” Possibly that was the catalyst he needed to appreciate baseball. In much the same way I am uninformed about cricket, I wouldn’t begrudge anyone loving their sport. The man was becoming more likable in my eyes because of his sudden objective curiosity.
At that point, I was more eager to talk baseball with him even if he only had a rudimentary understanding of the game because his heart was in it. He wanted to know what the announcer of one particular game meant when he said that “There are no secrets in baseball.” After giving details to him about advanced scouting, the use of video, and pitchers having to make adjustments to pitch to a batter as the batter makes adjustments to the pitcher he’s facing, and teams play the field to the way a batter hits, etc. He sighed in frustration and asked “If everyone knows how the other person plays, then how can one team lose to the other? It doesn’t make sense." I smiled, and I felt a bit of ashamed of myself for answering him the way I did because I disliked his cricket snobbery. Looking him in the eye, I said, “That’s what makes baseball so great. On any day, any team can beat any team.”
The dad shook his head, but I could tell he was hooked. He looked like he had another question, but it had to wait because just then, my son hit a double.
On my son's team last year was a young boy from India. His father stood along side me during the first days of practice watching in wonderment as his son took to the sport as if he had been playing for years. The father was confused by the game, its rules, and the overall objectives. "Isn't this just like cricket?" he would ask me. I joked that I know little or nothing about cricket except that no one gets signed to play the game for millions of dollars per season. At least not in the United States they don't.
The dad, an affable gentleman who was also in the Information Technology field like me, and who couldn't care less about talking shop with a colleague. He wanted to know more about this game which his son was so mysteriously drawn to. At each practice, and at every game, the dad would eventually single me out and ask me a question about what the kids were doing on the field.
"Right now" I would tell him, "these kids are just learning. The coaches aren't counting balls and strikes, half of them are milling around the field looking for insects or for rocks to toss at their friends, and the final score could end up being 59 to 58." He didn't get it. Immediately he started ranting about what a great game cricket is compared to baseball. It was then that I sensed that he was a "cricket snob" as he would sneer and shake his head when I'd tell him about base running strategy, or different ways pitchers pitch to right-handed or left-handed batters, or whatever. His response would always be something along the lines of "In cricket, you don't have to..." and that's where I'd tune him out. The guy was a bore who wouldn't listen, and I'm too dignified to get into an argument about which game was "better".
He didn't know this, but when I was a police officer, I would sit in my patrol car and watch organized cricket games played on the field behind the Edgemere Houses in Far Rockaway. These guys were really good, and I had fun being a spectator to this interesting game played with a ball and a stick much like the game of baseball. These players, recent immigrants, I learned, were proud to show off their skills to "newbies" like me. They had crisp, white uniforms; they they tended to the lawns, and had traveling teams. I still don't know much about the game, but I know it is a serious sport which means an awful lot to many different people. That is why I resented it when this father would make comments about how superior cricket was to baseball without knowing anything about the sport. If I sat nearby the field in Edgemere spouting ignorant comments about cricket to the passionate fans who cheered their teams, what would that make me? This man, to me, was doing the equivalent of that.
At the final game of the little league "season" for my seven year old son's team, the "Cricket Dad" as I would call him sauntered up to me with his hands behind his back in an attempt to goad me into another baseball-cricket confrontation. Maybe he enjoyed this sort of banter, I thought. Perhaps his anti-baseball repertoire and his love for cricket afforded him the same pleasure that's often found between Mets/Yankees, or Red Sox/Yankees fans. I decided to give him a second chance. It was then he told me that during the week he managed to watch both a Yankee game and a Mets game on TV. He was pleased that the announcers helped to explain the game and I told him that the networks employ former players as analysts. Once again, he began to pepper me with questions about the game, but his attitude changed. Gone was his distaste for baseball. It didn’t hurt that his son had a natural talent for playing and he had several key hits in recent games. The coaches often told the father that his son “could play.” Possibly that was the catalyst he needed to appreciate baseball. In much the same way I am uninformed about cricket, I wouldn’t begrudge anyone loving their sport. The man was becoming more likable in my eyes because of his sudden objective curiosity.
At that point, I was more eager to talk baseball with him even if he only had a rudimentary understanding of the game because his heart was in it. He wanted to know what the announcer of one particular game meant when he said that “There are no secrets in baseball.” After giving details to him about advanced scouting, the use of video, and pitchers having to make adjustments to pitch to a batter as the batter makes adjustments to the pitcher he’s facing, and teams play the field to the way a batter hits, etc. He sighed in frustration and asked “If everyone knows how the other person plays, then how can one team lose to the other? It doesn’t make sense." I smiled, and I felt a bit of ashamed of myself for answering him the way I did because I disliked his cricket snobbery. Looking him in the eye, I said, “That’s what makes baseball so great. On any day, any team can beat any team.”
The dad shook his head, but I could tell he was hooked. He looked like he had another question, but it had to wait because just then, my son hit a double.
January 11, 2007
Fan Or Foe?: Rude Fan Behavior
In my neighborhood there is a man who won't talk to me anymore. Our children used to play together and our wives were friends. Yet, one day, about four years ago, he decided he didn't need to speak to me again. My crime? I'm a Yankees fan and he's a Mets fan. I am not exaggerating any of this. It didn't help matters that he's a Democrat and I'm a Republican. To him, those attributes were damning enough and were fuel for rivalry; yet our most heated (and ultimately one sided) debates were focused on baseball.
I'm one of those people who is a baseball fan first, and a Yankee fan second. My former "friend" considers him a Mets fan first and last. It didn't matter to him that my father is a Mets fan; many of the folks I work with and socialize with are Mets fans. No, to him I was an enemy agent, a person who should be treated with contempt every time the Yankees made one of their questionable and costly free agent signings. In his mind, I was just as guilty as George Steinbrenner for "ruining the game" as he put often put it. How could I sleep at night being a fan of such greed and largess?
When it comes to baseball (or for any topic for that matter) I prefer objective and calm discourse. Reasonable folks can disagree on just about anything and still behave themselves. At my place of employment, we are staffed with individuals who can rant about the failings of their favorite team, and then boast of their accomplishments without having to insult fans of rival teams. A bit of friendly ribbing here and there is accepted as part of the fun of rivalry; but, no one goes too far. The discussions aren't loud, insults aren't exchanged, and ultimately, there is an acceptance of the other person's point of view, no matter how much it hurts. Does this make us unique? No, I don't think so. I've met married couples where the wife is a Yankee fan and the husband a Mets fan, and vice-versa. What sticks in my craw, and what becomes emblematic of team rivalries is ugly fan behavior. The "former friend" in the opening paragraph of this piece reflects such bad attitudes to the extreme.
My allegiance to the Yankees is my prerogative. It says nothing about my political or social beliefs. George Steinbrenner does not pay me to go to Yankee games, buy their paraphernalia, or watch the YES network. I choose to root for the Bronx Bombers because my affection for the Yankees comes from an appreciation for their organization's dedication to winning, warts and all. With that said, I shouldn't be punished for it by deranged fans of other ball clubs. Nor should any Yankee fan do the same to other fans as well. The way sports are headed these days, with bad fan behavior at sports venues around the country becoming more prevalent, we're not too far removed from European soccer. In a few years, everyone will be bringing helmets to the game even though they are not on the team.
My disgust reaches its peak when rude fan behavior is carried away from the stadium and reaches its way into employment and social settings. Too many times I've found myself cornered at a party having to fend off guys with scant knowledge of the game spouting off about how the "Yankees are trying to buy the World Series." It's boring already. Just as many times I've witnessed Yankee fans gloating in the faces of glum Red Sox and Mets fans without so much as having been to Yankee stadium, or being able to name even two pitchers in the Yankees starting rotation. This makes me cringe.
I've written in the past of the importance of baseball, and sports in general, to society for a whole host of reasons, up to and including bringing us away from the turmoil in our lives and escaping into a world where on any day, any team can beat any team. Trouble, I've observed, comes when fans take their devotion for their team so seriously, they see the success or failure of their favorite sports franchise as a direct reflection on them. It’s as if their favorite team loses, they must be a loser too.
My former friend stopped socializing with me around the same time the Mets weren't doing so well. I saw him a few times this past October when the Yankees were ejected from the playoffs by the Tigers and the Mets moved on to the NLCS. He still wouldn't talk to me, but I know that deep down he wanted to slam on the brakes in front of my house and yell "Yankees suck!" at the tops of his lungs. Such is his own undoing.
In the words of an infamous criminal and victim of police brutality: "Can't we all just get along?"
I'm one of those people who is a baseball fan first, and a Yankee fan second. My former "friend" considers him a Mets fan first and last. It didn't matter to him that my father is a Mets fan; many of the folks I work with and socialize with are Mets fans. No, to him I was an enemy agent, a person who should be treated with contempt every time the Yankees made one of their questionable and costly free agent signings. In his mind, I was just as guilty as George Steinbrenner for "ruining the game" as he put often put it. How could I sleep at night being a fan of such greed and largess?
When it comes to baseball (or for any topic for that matter) I prefer objective and calm discourse. Reasonable folks can disagree on just about anything and still behave themselves. At my place of employment, we are staffed with individuals who can rant about the failings of their favorite team, and then boast of their accomplishments without having to insult fans of rival teams. A bit of friendly ribbing here and there is accepted as part of the fun of rivalry; but, no one goes too far. The discussions aren't loud, insults aren't exchanged, and ultimately, there is an acceptance of the other person's point of view, no matter how much it hurts. Does this make us unique? No, I don't think so. I've met married couples where the wife is a Yankee fan and the husband a Mets fan, and vice-versa. What sticks in my craw, and what becomes emblematic of team rivalries is ugly fan behavior. The "former friend" in the opening paragraph of this piece reflects such bad attitudes to the extreme.
My allegiance to the Yankees is my prerogative. It says nothing about my political or social beliefs. George Steinbrenner does not pay me to go to Yankee games, buy their paraphernalia, or watch the YES network. I choose to root for the Bronx Bombers because my affection for the Yankees comes from an appreciation for their organization's dedication to winning, warts and all. With that said, I shouldn't be punished for it by deranged fans of other ball clubs. Nor should any Yankee fan do the same to other fans as well. The way sports are headed these days, with bad fan behavior at sports venues around the country becoming more prevalent, we're not too far removed from European soccer. In a few years, everyone will be bringing helmets to the game even though they are not on the team.
My disgust reaches its peak when rude fan behavior is carried away from the stadium and reaches its way into employment and social settings. Too many times I've found myself cornered at a party having to fend off guys with scant knowledge of the game spouting off about how the "Yankees are trying to buy the World Series." It's boring already. Just as many times I've witnessed Yankee fans gloating in the faces of glum Red Sox and Mets fans without so much as having been to Yankee stadium, or being able to name even two pitchers in the Yankees starting rotation. This makes me cringe.
I've written in the past of the importance of baseball, and sports in general, to society for a whole host of reasons, up to and including bringing us away from the turmoil in our lives and escaping into a world where on any day, any team can beat any team. Trouble, I've observed, comes when fans take their devotion for their team so seriously, they see the success or failure of their favorite sports franchise as a direct reflection on them. It’s as if their favorite team loses, they must be a loser too.
My former friend stopped socializing with me around the same time the Mets weren't doing so well. I saw him a few times this past October when the Yankees were ejected from the playoffs by the Tigers and the Mets moved on to the NLCS. He still wouldn't talk to me, but I know that deep down he wanted to slam on the brakes in front of my house and yell "Yankees suck!" at the tops of his lungs. Such is his own undoing.
In the words of an infamous criminal and victim of police brutality: "Can't we all just get along?"
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