2007 The Year in Review
The Best of the Bomber Babble Forum
Compiled By Jeff Santaite aka POTY
It’s been quite a year, and the folks here at BTB certainly did not disappoint! Putting together a year in review in about a week was a daunting task. Of the thousands of posts, I had to randomly pick out those that struck me as worthy. Certainly I have left out some notably and worthy threads, as it was impossible to review everything. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the walk down memory lane, and perhaps we can establish a way to earmark notable threads during the course of the year so it will be a little easier to compile all the great contributions here.
Poor Showing by Team USA 3/16/06
Little_Lefty
We've
proven ourselves to be the weakest team in North America.
On our home turf, no less. Yikes. Oh well, now that the fun's over, let's get
the boys back and taking AB's to get them ready for the real deal.
By the way, is it wrong to laugh at the fact that Adrian Gonzales (Team Mexico 1B) went
0-3 with 3K's, thus entitling him to the Golden Sombrero?
Asbury, eat your heart out.
Re: Should the Yankee names appear on their uniform
RJPinstripes
« Reply #12 on 4/1/06 at 8:21pm »
NO, NO gosh NO! Yankee uniees
(other than the type of material) have not changed since Babe Ruth wore them.
Of course, that is once they got the numbers put on the back of the shirts! I
suppose someday we will have to go with three digits, like 102, 103, 104 etc.
etc. Probably next spring training!!! 
Re: our
new center fielder!!!!
« Reply #12 on 12/9/05 at 8:09pm »
whoever thinks that Ramirez or Tejada are getting traded within the division need to stop taking those B12 vitamin shots directly into their brain.
Re:
Orioles, and Red Sox, and Mets, oh my
« Reply #2 on 12/30/05 at 7:55pm »
DavidL--"The
Sox have shown great reluctance to spend money" ........WHAT 
???? What in the name of
RogerClemensJohnnyDamon are you talking about?? I am offended, sir 
..... and respectfully request
that you take that statement back.
Re:
Orioles, and Red Sox, and Mets, oh my
« Reply #4 on 12/30/05 at 8:58pm »
DavidL--
Just doing my job, sir. (I'm trying to make you feel
reallyreallyreallyreallyreally old by calling you "sir" )
I would rather have teeth pulled than watch a reality show.....with one
exception.....I am fascinated by red sox island. I bet Schilling wins the title
of "survivor" after sox brass votes everyone else off the island.
A possible idea for your response to the following sentence could be "no
problem, it was neither your first nor your last...." but here goes.
I have an idiotic question. Would you please explain the "Top Step"
nickname..... I assume it would be Schilling's preference to handle things by
yelling from the dugout than handling it the Kyle Farnsworth way...... I had
just never heard it before finding this site.
You keep up
the "sir" crap, and we'll be stepping outside, son.
The "Top Step" question is not a stupid one. You have the answer
essentially correct. Schilling is always on the top step of the dugout,
hence... I believe it was AB, but it might have been Bat or one of the other
hardcore Red Sox baiters (that wouldn't include me, BTW ) who coined the term, before you
joined us (sometime in 04 if I remember correctly - but senility may be causing
me to err).
If I may
sneak in a compliment , sir, you retain a remarkable amount of intellect for a
man of your age.
LOL.
I am a hardcore red sox baiter here in the land of Dorothy and Toto......but will generally stay more tongue-in-cheek here .......due to
respect for AB's "retarded cousin", Patton. Having a couple of sox
fans here is a necessary evil....... and we are lucky to have discovered 2 who
are intelligent enough to type......spell....form sentences.... definitely
over-achievers..... few make it past vague gestures, drooling, and grunting.
Patton is awesome (despite his sox affliction)...... and I'll cut Niner some
slack if he's a Broncos fan....at least until baseball season starts.
I am lucky to have discovered this site. I have had a blast since day 1. I
haven't worked with a baseball fan in about 5 years.....and though there is a
tiny bit of discussion about Damon (at least the sports fans know who he is),
I'm probably the only one who watches baseball before the playoffs start (among
my co-workers). I could start talking baseball constantly at work......to a sea
of blank faces and stares.....maybe they do like baseball.....potential red sox
fans.
Predictions:
Re:
Yanks Hot Stove 01/05
« Reply #7 on 1/6/06 at 8:36pm »
I'm torn on
this one........I think Pavano will come through for us in 2006.....but he is
the biggest question mark on the team. Wright is the one I would prefer to
trade, but he has zero trade value. Could Wright and Small get us through the
year as the 5th starter.... possibly, but we really can't afford to trade
Pavano not knowing how Moose will perform. RJ will have a monster
season.....and I look for Chacon and Wang to build on their 2005
performances..... but Moose could either improve with his elbow in better shape
(and it doesn't hurt that it's his contract year).... or he could slide badly. I
don't like the "mystery" injury from 05' , but Pavano seems sincere
in wanting to stay. Perhaps Pavano or Wright will be traded in July, but not
likely in ST. Henn needs a full season in AAA. Sturtze is the most likely to be
traded.
GF--The Yankees signed Mark Corey to a minor league deal...... he won't advance
past AAA, IF he makes the team, but I know nothing about him. He pitched for
the Pirates in 2003 and 2004...... do you have any comments on him??
D23--I agree with you on Clemens....Pass. I root for him still, but he needs to
sign with the Rangers or Astros.
Re:
Peter Gammons:Never Fear, Boston fans
« Reply #2 on 1/4/06 at 8:04am »
dg
After
reading this, I'm almost convinced the red sox are better than they were in
2005 Check out the last paragraph....it
appears this off-season has been good for Boston
At least Gammons came out of hiding.....though he didn't mention if Damon can
help the Yankees.....
DavidL
|
Well, he does hedge quite a bit - if Schilling comes
back, if Beckett improves on 05, if Foulke comes back, if
Lowell comes
back, if they can replace Damon's .367 OBP. They hope their
defense is better. Lots of ifs there, Petey. As my father taught me
"'Balls' said the queen, if I had too/two, I'd be king." I do think
he's right when he says that the Sox look like a team that could finish 3d in
the division. And only because of the O's complete FO ineptitude and the Rays
continued lack of pitching is 4th place unlikely. |
|
|
Gammons has
become like Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. He gets his say every week and everyone
listens out of respect, but he stopped saying anything meaningful long ago.
We give athletes who play too long a lot of heat, but in mind Gammons should
called it a long time ago. He really should go ahead and get on the Sox payroll
because he is so biased that he really should not be given merit for anything
other than just that.
Very good,
Yankin!
Gammons looks like Andy Jackson (just pull out a
$20 bill), and talks like Andy Rooney. All are ancient,
and all are about as relevant as Katie Couric.
Sheffield's last year with the Yankees.
« Thread Started on 1/14/06 at 1:51pm »
This up-coming season will be Sheffield's last year with the Yankees. This is a guy who has produced as expected, playing hurt(remember 04'?) and always giving 100%. Will this be enough to keep him for another three years or will George let him walk away, instead pursuing A. Jones, who will be a free agent next year?
The Yankees would definitely go after him , but the Braves hold a 2007 option on Jones, and he isn't going anywhere until 2008 at the earliest. I think there is a 50% chance Sheffield will be back next year....the Yankees have a 2007 option on him. If Sheff's attitude is decent in 2006..... and if he remains healthy..... there is a great chance he will be back.
Unless Sheff falls off the table in 06, or reverts to being a major jerk and distraction, I think his option will be picked up (like dg, I'd rate it about 50-50). He certainly has been a blast to watch. But, he is at an age where he could lose a lot very quickly. He relies so much on that amazing bat speed that if he loses just a little of it, his hitting could suffer a lot. Here's to bat speed.
I think it's probable that his option be picked up...but so much depends on other people...if Giambi is back and has a great year and is healthy to play 1st for 150 games then Sheff will be picked up to play RF and DH (adding Melky as the 4th OF)...if Giambi can't play 1st then we have to strongly consider letting Sheff go- cuz his defense is deteriorating.
I don't care about off field antics, usually harmless to all but himself. Shef is a pro on the field in every sense of the word. I love the way he walks to the plate:
I absolutely think the yanks should pick up his option for next year and let Sheffield know early in the year that we will be so he doesn’t get agitated but I think the 2008 season should be his last as a Yankee. If he was willing to sign a one year after that I would consider it. But his bat will inevitably decline. And the way he swings I just cant believe he hasn’t had any back and shoulder issues yet as Vlad Guerrero has. His defense is declining and I am sure I am not the only fan who winces every time he side saddles a fly ball. I love the guy but his stint may be coming to an end soon.
Forgotten
Greats for HOF entry
« Thread Started on 1/14/06 at 8:38am »
I've often wondered why neither Tommy John nor Jim Kaat have not entered the HOF
And what about my namesake, Thurman? He had 10 of the best seasons any catcher could have in the 1970s, along with an MVP award, two world championships as the captain of the team, and three straight .300BA - 100 RBI seasons....jeesh.
Goose remains the most deserving to join the HOF, with Jim Rice 2nd. I liked Kaat and John, but don't see them going in, though they had impressive careers. John, possibly, but Blyleven is more deserving. I have come to grips with the fact that Mattingly will not go in..... though he will always be my favorite player. As several have pointed out, his career trumps Puckett's.... that is the aspect I can't figure out. Munson is certainly deserving of more consideration. I'll continue pulling for Goose, the best of his era.
The arguments with Donnie and Thurm get confusing. They compare Mattingly to Puckett and say he didn't get any rings; they look at Thurm's two rings and say he didn't have the numbers. Both won MVPs.
Collin Cowherd (ESPN radio) described how bad the voting is for the Baseball HOF is by comparing it to the Rock and Roll HOF. On his show he said that the Yardbirds are in the R&R HOF because they are deserving, but Baseball HOF voters would argue that Duran Duran should have been voted in ahead of the Yardbirds because they had more hits than them. Made me laugh.
Following the title of this posting, I believe an old Jersey ballplayer named Roger Cramer should be in the Hall as well as a really old Phillie named Gavvy Cravath. Another more recent guy that pitchers hated to see at the plate 'Big Klu' of the Reds also never got much support for some reason. ( I think here of the old Rizzuto and Reese argument and say that if Kiner is in, then Ted Klu belongs too.)
You guys
may have forgotten he was great, but I haven't......... I am beginning a
campaign for Darrell May's election to the
Holy Cow
....
« Thread Started on 2/2/06 at 9:23pm »
At first I
thought the same thing, till I read that he & Cora were moving in with his
daughter.
I'm sure what happened went something like this:
Scooter: Cora, you know we're getting on up there in age, lets move to Fla.
Cora: Scooter, your glucose level is out of wack have a Cannolli
Scooter: Holy Cow, your right, what was I thinking
(Patricia enters room)
Patricia: Hi Pop, hi Mom what you talkin about?
Cora: Your father was saying he wants to move to Florida, thinks we’re getting old
Patricia: Mom, I'm getting old, you and dad are Ancient!
Scooter: LOL, HOLY COW, Cora she's right we are ancient
Scooter: I'm still the oldest living HOF'er right? Till the veterans committee announces
there results later this month....now where is my ballot, did I mail it in?
Holy Cow...scooter you Huckleberry I mailed it in already
Patricia: Mom, Pop, no more discussion about Fla, too many hurricanes, move upstate with
me, we only have blizzards
Scooter: Patty, we'll never fit in there.
Patricia: Nonsense, I'll add on an efficiency apt just for you & mom...no
more discussion
Patricia: Mom did dad leave any Canollis?
Cora: yes dear in the kitchen
What's
the biggest feat you've ever seen in person
« Thread Started on 1/31/06 at 10:18am »
I was at Coney's perfecto. Except during the rain delay, I didn't move from my seat or even talk. I stared at the zeroes on the scoreboard between every inning, not wanting to jinx him by doing something different (as if it would matter). In the 8th, the guy next to me, turned and said, "this is special" and I nodded. After the last out, I burst out in tears from all the built-up tension. What a day!
I guess the biggest feat that happened at a game that I was at was kind of a non-feat - I was at the game at Camden when Ripken broke his consecutive games streak. When the O's took the field for the beginning of the game, it was the Yankees in the 1B dugout who first noticed that Ripken hadn't taken the field and stood up and started applauding him. Then the fans above the 3B dugout (where I was sitting) noticed what they were doing, and that Ripken wasn't on the field, and soon the whole stadium was standing and applauding. Ripken came out, tipped his cap, and went back into the dugout. It was all pretty neat.
I've been too lucky, but taking the Tino and Brosius games in the 2001 as a tandem was the best, barely beating out Wells' and Cone's Perfectos, Doc's No No, Game 6 in 1996, and the Leyritz home run to beat the M's in the '95 ALDS in 15.
Bonehead
Yankees play
« Thread Started on 2/2/06 at 6:04am »
The Yankees made a bonehead play by claiming Canseco on waivers. I would have welcomed seeing him play in Boston instead. Canseco resides with Benitez on my "Why in the hell were they ever Yankees?" team......though Benitez is team captain.
Who
would you like the Yanks to face in the WS?
« Thread Started on 3/25/06 at 9:22am »
This year the Yankees in all sureness will be in the WS. Are the Mets the ones who you think will face them, or maybe Houston, if they get Roger back? What about St. Lou? The Dodgers will also be a threat as will SF. What do you think? I personally think that the Mets will have the best chance in quite a while to be there, that's if they can count on Pedro being healthy. Wouldn't it be real nice to have a '06 Subway Series again?
Here is another question. Do you want the Yankees to just sweep the Series or toy with their opponent and let it go 7 games? Then they can win it on an Arod grand slam in the bottom of the 15th inning as he wraps up his WS MVP award.
put me down for the Buffalo Bills of MLB- The Atlanta Braves...in 4. My insides cannot handle a 7-gamer.
lets play 162 game season first then we can think playoff ball.
Opening
Day at the stadium has ARRIVED!
« Thread Started on 4/11/06 at 9:19am »
When I woke up this morning, I was in a different kind of mood. Usually you get up for work, really not looking forward to it at all and complaining. Well not TODAY, I woke up this morning with one thing on my mind.....YANKEE BASEBALL is back at the stadium! I am so psyched, my day is bright, its a GREAT day and I'm ready for first pitch! Its amazing what the Yanks can do to a man!
April 27, 2006: MVP! MVP!
http://www.ceciliatan.com/Entry216.html
Tonight, Alex Rodriguez will be handed his 2006 Most Valuable Player Award in a pre-game ceremony. He was previously the first MVP to ever be traded during his reign. The words "best player in the game" can be placed in a sentence with his name without hyperbole or exaggeration.
So why is he still in Derek Jeter's shadow?
Perception is a funny thing. Baseball fans and writers alike believe what we see. But what we see--and what it means--is as much a function of expectations as performance. Is this why, even though A-rod hits more home runs than Jeter, Jeter's always seem to come in "big spots"?
Ask your average Yankee fan to name a Jeter homer and a list will probably follow. The Jeffrey Maier one. The Mr. November shot. The walk-off off Foulke at the Stadium last year. The one off Pedro in 2003 in the Zimmer brawl game. The leadoff homer at Shea, on the first pitch after the Yanks lost a game, the first time they had lost a World Series game in recent memory. The very fact that some of these homers have nicknames limns the point that they are legendary moments.
Now make a list of A-rod's memorable dingers (as a Yankee--I'll never forget that one he hit off El Duque's "eephus" pitch when he was with Seattle...). It's an unfair question, I know, because he has not had the long tenure in pinstripes Jeter has had, yet fewer of them stick in the collective memory. How about the three taters off Bartolo Colon in a single game last season? Reggie-esque. But no one is more disappointed in the way Alex hit (or failed to) in last year's ALDS against the Angels than Alex himself.
This year both men are off to hot starts, but Jeter still seems to have an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. He makes his own luck by virtue of being fearless. When he was in a slump worthy of a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2003, Jeter briefly--very briefly--experienced boos at Yankee Stadium. But he has disappointed so rarely (it seems) and come through in the clutch so often (it seems), that the fans' comfort zone with him is a mile wide. Jeter is home-grown, a fairy tale storybook, and all that. But this does not mean that Alex Rodriguez has to polish his shoes.
Winning the MVP will hopefully add some comfort zone for A-rod, both for himself and the fans. There was a time when Tino Martinez--a guy now thought of as one of the "made" Yankees--was booed at the Stadium as an unworthy replacement for Don Mattingly. A grand slam in Baltimore, another one in the 1996 ALCS, not to mention the homer 2001 World Series... my how perceptions change.
This is what it will take for A-rod to become a "made" Yankee himself. He needs to not only be the best player in the game day in and day out, not just the MVP (though that helps), not only carry the team to another postseason berth, but also to come up big in those big spots in October. Until then, the unfair perception that he is a carpet-bagging attention-seeker will never be completely dispelled on the streets of Yankeetown, and Jeter will always be perceived as the "better" Yankee.
It will be curious to see which one makes it into the Hall of Fame first. I suspect it will be whichever one retires first.
Remind Me Again...
« Thread Started on 4/9/06 at 2:34am »
All these GD experts are
quick to say "It's pitching and defense" that wins games...BS...it's
all 3. If we were losing 8-7 I'd agree...Until that point comes- it's OFFENSE
that wins games. PITCHING and DEFENSE can ONLY LOSE GAMES- not win em.
"We're flat"..."everyone is trying to do too much"... blah
blah, freaking blah- save it for the casual fan who wandered by a TV tonight
and noticed the Yankees lost 3-2. The people that watch every pitch know- our
offense has now lost 3 games. won1...and our defense is responsible for
1...Pitching, although a required necessity- has yet to lose a game for us.
So, lose a game 9-8 and talk to me about pitching...
"Mr. Clutch"
« Thread Started on 5/11/06 at 3:07pm »
I've been thinking about
that poll of major league players that showed Jeter was considered the most
overrated player in baseball. I wondered why they would say that. Do they know
something I don't? They surely know more than me about baseball. So I did a little
research and found this:
"Every announcer calls Derek Jeter "Mr. Clutch" and the majority
of fans (particularly those in New
York) take this "information" as fact, and
it becomes part of Jeter's persona as a player.
Then, someone looks up Jeter's actual numbers and points out that he has not
been particularly Clutch at all, and has in fact been very poor in most
"Clutch" situations.
In his entire post-season career, a total of 99 games spread over eight
seasons, Derek Jeter is a .210 hitter with runners in scoring position and a
.245 hitter with men on base. Take that and add in the fact that, over the last
four post-seasons, he is a .176 hitter in "close and late"
situations, and I think it is safe to say that my response to Jeter constantly
being hailed as "Mr. Clutch" is completely justified.
I guess I will just never understand how someone can be persuaded into thinking
Derek Jeter is a Clutch Player, find out that his actual performances in Clutch
situations have not been very good, and respond by dismissing that information,
because it involves statistics."
Hmmm. It surprised me. All I know is I STILL dread seeing him coming up in a
key situation against the Sox. Am I scared of just his reputation? Should I
breathe easier when he is at bat (like I do when A-Rod is up?)
If the Good Lord came to me
and said, "goo, I'm making you the manager of a major league team, and you
can take your pick of all the players presently active until you fill your 25
man roster", my very first pick without hesitation or second thought would
be Derek Jeter! First and above all!
Now I don't know who wrote that, and I don't care. And anyone who's been on
this site for any length of time knows I could care less about stats. They are
simply a barometer for what has already happened, and baseball is about what is
going to happen next.
When Jeet's is at the plate with the pressure on, throw them numbers out the
window; watch and learn.
I hate the guy, but there's no way I'd use the word "Jeter" and "overrated" in the same sentence. He seems to be in the mix somewhere in a Yankee rally, either getting the winning hit, or getting himself on base so someone else can deliver.
Geez, 2000 just lost a lot of respect on this board. Trying to ruffle our feathers are you? Better come with some stronger material. Anyone, even diehard Sox haters, who knows anything about baseball would love a team of Jeters.
Torre's 1,000th
« Thread Started on 5/8/06 at 8:51am »
Joe Torre's strength goes beyond being a father figure to his players, a man who has dealt with so many superstars and their egos throughout his almost 11 years at the helm. He has been, in the process, a man that even made great changes in George. They say George has mellowed through the years, in reality it's been Joe who has made Steinbrenner more tolerant, if one can call it that. George had his chances of firing Joe when things haven't worked out the way he expected them, (2004 loss to Boston), but he didn't. Why, because George needs Joe as much as his players do. Congratulations to a fine manager, a fine man, and may he go on to be the winningest manager in Yankee history.
I've related this before, but I still think about it occasionally. I distinctly recall being in my room in the late 60s, going through my piles of Topp's cards, and I remember at least a time or two looking at Torre's and thinking to myself that "he looks like a Yankee", or something very close to that. Just a random thought I never had about any other player. Just kinda sittin there visualizing him in the Pinstripes....how happy I am it actually happened. Mucho congrats Joe!
I feel like Joe may not get enough respect in a lot of circles. I was watching the game on Sunday with a friend when they announced that he had just gotten his 1000th win and my friend said that he has the easiest job in baseball. I don’t think people realize that being a good manager is way more than what you do on the field. A managers influence on the field is minimal considered to his ability to make his athletes feel comfortable. There is no one better at keeping the media off his players and keeping all the fragile personalities in check. Sure he has issues with bullpen management and he may bunt too often for my liking but there is no manager I would rather have. Lets get him a couple hundred more and a few more ring
While Torre is the most
likeable Yankee IMO, and while I think he's a good manager, no one was singing
his praises when he was managing the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals. He, like
Stengel, had the horses rack up those wins. I congratulate him, but at least realize
why he has won so many games.
The most remarkable feat is that he's lasted 10 seasons under the rule of
Steinbrenner.
It's unfair for you to imply that Joe has gotten 1000 wins with NY, 4 WS victories just because he has had the horses to do so. The Red Sox have had during that same span of 10 years, formidable teams also, and what manager of any of those teams has stayed enough to come close to Joe's feat? If you are going to post here your congrats, let it be as Pam's, without conditions. Joe deserves that and much more. Honor to whom it is deserving....
The Red Sox are the
definition of a LOSER franchise, not fair to use them as an example- any team
that is 1-86 should have no opinion, and you'd think their fanbase would be
humbled by such a ridiculous record, about Joe Torre's greatness.
Let's compare ourselves to a more formidable opponent, like say the
Marlins...an expansion team with 2 rings in 10 years.
Oh, I get it. . . since we're 1-86, our opinions don't count. That's great logic, AB. Only one step above your loser comments about Dick Radatz and Red Sox planes crashing.
Newsflash: THIS JUST IN......MOST managers/coaches who win, and win a lot, have "had the horses" to do it. But there are some who have had the horses and still screw it up. Now back to our regular programming.
Dick Radatz needed rubber
soles on his slippers...To clear the record I never wished their plane would
crash and they'd all die, I painted a scenario that if it did crash in the Andes and they had to resort to cannibalism that Ortiz
would be the survivor.
and yea- you are 1-86- go make another sign about who "sucks"
I guess we Red Sox fans will have to only give our opinions about baseball in the 21st century. If we do, would you please hush up about THIS century though, since you are nothing but LOSERS during that time.
aren't we tied at 1 this century 2000 and 2004? History tells us you guys are dominant in the early part of every century. Thanks for making this so easy.
To answer your question,
no. The year 2000 was the last year of the 20th century. Kind of along the
lines of 100 being the last number of the first 100 numbers...thus the year 100
was the last year of the first century...and so on.
I guess it's not quite as easy as you thought. huh?
I want my money back that I spent on new year's eve 1999....I was jobbed!!!
AL MVP?
« Thread Started on 6/28/06 at 11:13am »
Joe Mauer of the Twins.
Talk about a guy who flies under the radar outside of the Twin Cities - man, is
he good!
By the way, the play Jeter made last night to get that force at second on Andy
P's wide throw may have been as good a play as I've ever seen. In slow motion,
it's almost miraculous.
Even though he is a great kid and I am glad he is doing well I find it hard to imagine a MVP coming from a team that doesn't make the playoffs, the twins are 11 games out and it doesn't look good.
Let me be the first to say:
Jason Giambi.
Imagine where we'd be without him? ughhhh.
I think, when all is said and done- AROD's gonna win it, again. He's on pace to
hit 300-45-120...and he's been, umm, mediocre. He's gonna get scalding hot and
distance himself from the field. Starting with his last AB...
Dg
Darrell May for Cy Young and MVP.
The Yanks won't stink
off the field
« Thread Started on 8/1/06 at 7:37am »
how about for about ten
minutes we all imagine what it must be like to "be Derek
jeter"...Jesus H Christ...makes 20+MM a year, future hall of famer, king
of the greatest city in the World, early 30's...boggles the mind...
I heard he has a remote control next to his bed with the following buttons:
Miss Brazil
Miss Universe
Miss Florida
Miss California
Most Recent Female Oscar Winner
push the button and that person walks through his door...naked
Like I said...boggles the imagination.
I love the guy- and Hate him all at once.
Good to be back...
« Thread Started on 8/22/06 at 7:30pm »
so...who here as seen the
movie 'Bill"- where Mickey Rooney plays a retarded guy...well, I saw Peter
Gammons at the Sox/ Yanks game and if they ever remake that movie Peter would
be a perfect "Bill"...no way that guy has all his faculties. Sox were
getting pasted and he was just smiling away. On the bright side, his current
condition won't effect his reporting much- so he oughta be back to work soon,
they'll just need to tape a drool-cup under his microphone.
I always knew Mike Timlin was a God-squadder but did anyone catch his post game
rant after the sweep? He spoke at length about how God formed men to walk
through fire and men are built in valleys, not mountaintops- blah blah blah.
Then he drops this nugget..."unfortunately right now were not hitting as
well as we're pitching." what!?!?!?!? coming to your door soon, Mike
Timlin in robes and selling bibles. Isn't that camouflage undershirt a little
un-Godly? Don't tell me you preach to reporters and then blast God's little
Bambie on the weekends...
Tom Glavine felt some numbness and coldness on his left ring finger. Big
deal...I've had that same sensation on that finger the day I got married. It's
nothing serious, it's called marriage.
admittedly a Yankee fan's perspective...but how does Theo Epstein still have a
job? Talk about a bad year and half...what move has he made that was a good
one? I'm stuck to come up with one. If the Twins don't release David Ortiz we
are looking at the return of Dan Duquette. Like I said, a Yankee fan's
perspective- but maybe someone can help me out- name 1...just 1 good move he's
made in the past 18 months.
Andy Phillips goes down with a bad oblique...yeah right. The Yankees needed the
roster spot so Torre sent Tony pena into the shower to shank Phillips.
Just got back from a great Virginia vacation...almost forgot where I was until
I bummed a pinch of Copenhagen off a lady at the cash register of the Piggly
Wiggly where night crawlers were $5 a box.
well...it's good to be back. Anybody read the stuff about Dellin Betances? Boy-
sounds good to me...looking forward to catching up on the past week's
posts...oh, and GO Yanks.
You're making me cry,
bossman.
LOL.
Unbelievable!
« Thread Started on 8/21/06 at 4:35pm »
WOW !!!!! Five in a row in Bawstin !!!!!!! I want to say FUHGETTABOUDIT , but I don't want to forget about it !!!(...just yet)
Sleep? Who cares about sleep, after a win like that! I couldn’t sleep right after the game, my adrenaline, was still pumping, I was about to do cart wheels! At work, now, but just so proud of my boys! How is Francona doing today?
These old men, they
played two
« Thread Started on 8/19/06 at 10:21am »
they played whack whack on
the Red Sox too,
with a knick knack paddywhack give the boys a bone,
these old men are rolling along.
Probably feeling old today, and with good reason.
A quick look at some of the numbers behind yesterday's marathons:
41 runs
61 hits
18 pitchers used
783 pitches thrown (If Knux was scoring he's probably icing down his hand this
morning)
and a total of 8 hrs. 40 min. of baseball
All I can say is when these two teams meet throw away all your stats,
superstitions, prophecies and conjecture and simply watch them play.
I wonder what they have in store for us this afternoon?
EVEN GOD LOVES THE NEW YORK YANKEES!!!
Amazing. Very good Goo.
These guys probably got only 6 hours of sleep this morning and start again.
Forget "Lets Play 2!" "Lets Play 3!" I barely survived the
games myself. I don't know how they did it. I watched both games at two
different locations. If anyone cares, here was my boxscore;
8 Heineken Lights
4 glasses of Coke
4 glasses of Water with lemon
1 order of Buffalo Wings
1 Frisco salad
1 Quesadillas
Number of pit stops: Too much
Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
Total costs: $67.00
I woke up a happy man...
« Thread Started on 9/26/06 at 12:53pm »
...because we won't finish
in second behind you guys this year!! It took us almost a decade to accomplish
this feat!!
AB, send a bottle of Jack this way. Time to celebrate!!
BTW, good luck in the playoffs!
Back to the bunker I shall go!
DAVIDL
Sure you haven't been
hitting the Jack already, Patton?
Thanks for the well wishes. Classy.
Patton ain't "classy"- he's "glassy"- as in eyes...
MY RANT
« Thread Started on 10/8/06 at 1:52pm »
How humiliating !!! Well
Friar, looks like Rogers and Bonderman did a better job of impersonating Koufax
and Paige than our boys did of impersonating “Murderer’s Row plus Cano”.
Even with an “All-Star” at every position, I was never comfortable with this
team. Usually, the winning team has an unsung hero – on this team who would
that be ?? One of the more analytical things that Jeter has uttered the last
few Octobers is that the “current” group of players has not been through this. Forget
the looooooooooooong Yankee tradition (you don’t win simply because the
previous generation won !!), if you go back to the recent past, as in the last
10 years – it was the O’Neill’s, Brosius’, Tino's, Pettitte's, Williams’ etc.
etc. that started their own tradition from the bottom. They learned how to win
and how to overcome adversity together as part of the team they were playing on
then. The teams we have been putting out there the last few years, project a
feeling of entitlement – THEY ARE THE YANKEES…THEY WON BEFORE…SO, THEY SHOULD
WIN AGAIN. Jeter and Posada are about the only guys that seem to recognize that
this is not true and that you have to go out and do things to win each and
every day.
I don’t have any pat answers to correct this mentality but I have my own
biases:
1. Joe Torre – I see that people are already calling for his head. I used to be
extremely impressed when his post-season moves turned golden. But doubts crept
in from the day he brought in Weaver against Florida. And since then, those doubts have
only gotten louder. A question that occurs to me (as probably to many of you)
is why mess with a line-up that was responsible for sweeping and finally
quieting the Sox for the season, a lineup that provided a 10-11 game cushion
for several weeks ? Thank you Mr. Torre for all you have done but your magical
decision-making process seems to have vanished. I for one, would not be too
upset if Torre is let go. But why Pinella ? Why rehash an ex-manager ? Yes, Lou
is fiery and hot-tempered but he can also humiliate a player in full view of a
National audience. Maybe they should have hung on to the guy cross-town. He
seems to have done a good job 
My preference would be Girardi. He
was respected by his teammates and most importantly, by the pitchers.
2. Sheffield, Giambi, and Rodriguez – I know
they represent billions of HR's and RBIs during the season, but it is time to
get rid of them if at all possible. Gary was a vicious swing but he is also extremely selfish. I never endorsed getting
the one-dimensional Giambi. I would have been happy with Nick all the same.
Giambi is at the center of too much discussion come playoff time – should he
DH, should he play the field ? It is time to let him go. Rodriguez, he is
simply never going to be able to play on the same field as Jeter. Enough Said
!!!
3. The Giambi Paradox– There is the “Cub Factor” and was the “Curse of the
Bambino”. Great ball player maybe but Oakland did not win with him and neither have the Yankees. I would like to include
Mussina here also because, even though his Oriole teams were not that good, he
has not proven himself to be big game pitcher. He as much admitted it severely
years ago when he just accepted that he would lose the first game and Andy
would come in to win the second game of a series.
4. Who goes … now what ?? – from my comments above, the answer to the first
part is clear. The second part is tougher: pitching - If possible get young
starting arms for Rodriguez and bullpen arms for Giambi. Bring up the Hughes.
Position players – find a way to make Melky a full-time player, possibly by
letting Matsui be the full-time DH. Let Phillips play first and get a second
tier 3rd baseman who can play good defense. Lets add some more youth (as Cousin
Vinny might say) instead of all-stars.
Well, I have ranted enough. Some of it comes from being incredibly frustrated
and some from wishful-thinking. Some might agree and some (maybe most) will
not, but it is MY rant.
It will definitely be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong Winter AGAIN !!!!
Jeter goes to bat for
Torre....what irony.
« Thread Started on 10/10/06 at 8:43am »
My affinity for Jeter the
ballplayer aside, I must look at this situation critically. Let's see Jeter
rallies around a guy who provides grand jury testimony about his steroid use. New York City, perhaps the toughest place in the country
where sentiment and opinions flow as if the Hooverdam broke, essentially give Giambi a
pass. Giambi starts to produce as a result and all is forgiven. That's fine.
Forgiveness is a great virtue, and for the good of the team our Captain stepped
in to quell the tide and minimize the distraction to the team. Not sure if he
did the same with Sheff., but I don't think Sheff. was under the same level of
scrutiny as Giambi. For what it's worth, I give Giambi credit for the honest
testimony he gave. Not that I agree with steroid use, but I do respect someone
who can admit their wrongdoings.
Today we have Jeter going to bat for Torre. No great surprise here. Their
relationship is such that it is pretty much expected. However, it is a little
ironic that Jeter seems to pick and choose who he defends and who he doesn't
defend according to his convenience and not so much for the good of the team.
Bottom line, it's too late now for Jeter to step up in A-Rods defense. It would
appear to staged....disingenuous. For what it's worth, Jeter should have
cleared the air a long time ago on this subject. Instead he comes out and says
everything is fine, when it fact it wasn't. Trust me, I can understand Jeter,
anyone, being a little pissed when they get sucker punched like that from
someone who is supposedly a friend. Yes, yes I remember the little clips on
this week in baseball and on nationally televised ballgames where Jeter and
A-Rod were constantly shown chumming around together. It was obvious that there
was some sort of closeness there. Jeter starts winning rings, fame, adulation
and A-Rod is winning nothing except personal achievements. A-Rod appears to be
a superior athlete, where Jeter just seems to have that Midas touch....that
special intangible quality that makes all around him become better players.
Jeter is modest and humble on camera. A-Rod is a blabbermouth, bold and brash.
Although I do not agree with how A-Rod's view of things resulted in the things
he said, I can understand where they came from. And while I can understand why
Jeter would be pissed about it, I don't agree with the way he handled it.
All of this would have been a moot point if these two never played together,
but once they became teammates and they were competing against one another
while playing for the same team, something should have been done right there to
nip it in the bud. The press, as usual has done a pretty good job of egging
this whole situation on too, so they get another "F" in my book.
Chemistry is a funny thing. With it a team can accomplish things beyond their
individual skills and talents. Without it, a team of All-Stars can become sorry
underachievers. It's such a delicate balance, and to understand the dynamics of
it you would have to have a Psych. degree, but make no mistake about it, if the
relationship between Jeter and A-Rod was anywhere near what is was earlier in
their careers I believe it would have had a profound affect in a positive way
on the chemistry of the team.
The only reason I am beating this to death is because my loyalty as a fan is to
the Yankees before it is to any individual player. I like both of these guys,
and I feel we were/are lucky to have them, but I see some blame on both sides
of this, and as a result the net affect has been a distraction that has in some
way created a divided clubhouse.
A-Rod just wants to be accepted. That much is clear. He has repeatedly tried to
extend an arm out to Jeter. Jeter has not accepted it, perhaps rightfully so.
But if I were Jeter I would come out and clear the air. I would let it been
known that I was not happy with the breech of the friendship instead of being passive
about it.
Anyway, just as team chemistry involves a lot of intricate intangibles that are
hard to define, so to is the nature of interpersonal relationships, especially
when things are not right somewhere. Jeter and A-Rod need a family counselor to
work things out......for the good of the team!
Nice post. Thank you, Pride.
BobbyMurcer formerly known as HoraceClarke
Agreed... Derek could have
done a lot.
POTY is right on the money.
and let's remember how much Jeter hated Clemons....until he became his
teammate...He put it to bed at that first spring training at-bat...
With A-rod it was too close, too personal, same age , same position, A-Rod was
the better player with the bigger contract AND he said the wrong things in that
SI article...with BorASS at his side as a 25 year old, he boasted to the wrong
people at the wrong time..
Since he's been here, he's done nothing but lie down for Jeter, be the little
guy, always looking to Jeter for approval. Just look at all the pictures over
the years of A-Rod hugging Jeter after a homer or a big RBI...either
way...Inside I think Jeter was all along saying to himself, 'Screw you
A-Rod'....
Captain Jeter...god Jeter. Jeter's not perfect either.
Good post. I couldn’t agree more.
Maybe Derek can stop the war in Iraq.....Maybe he can clear up that nasty little scandal hounding the Republicans too. I am amazed at much of what I'm reading here the past few days. PLENTY of guys in the past have not been best the best of buds yet still produced and won Pennants and Championships. IMHO it's ALL on ARod to pull his head out and produce in the Post whether Jeter, or anyone else, likes him personally or not. I don't think we should trade ARod, but I'm weary of reading how it's now Jeter's fault for this that and the other concerning Alex....gimme a break.
October 12 1006: Twisted Fate
Cecilia Tan
http://www.ceciliatan.com/Entry231.html
I saw the news about the plane crash while doing errands with a good friend yesterday. We were walking through Davis Square in Somerville, just as it was starting to drizzle, feeling good about ourselves for having visited the post office and farmer's market before heavy rain started to fall. As we were passing Mike's, a pizza joint that recently installed giant plasma screen TVs, the image on the screen of a building on fire caught my eye.
I pressed against the glass, recognizing New York City the way a child recognizes her mother's face in a sea of strangers. What I couldn't tell was whether it was the west side or the east side, couldn't make out which bridge was in the background. We hopped in the car and turned on news radio, breathing a sigh of relief when the words "not terrorism" were spoken.
After all, it was October 11th, a day I will always associate closely with terrorism and September 11th, because of my trip to Yankee Stadium on that day in 2001. (Read the entry) The one-month anniversary. Game 2 of the ALDS. A friend of mine (who is a Red Sox fan) and I drove down to the game together, had our pocket knives confiscated by overzealous stadium security (knives were not on the list of newly-prohibited items posted outside the Stadium and on the web site), watched Bush's speech on the Diamond vision while they delayed the start of the game, and so on.
We hadn't gone a mile in the car, though, when the word came over the radio that the plane had belonged to Cory Lidle. Now things were simply surreal.
Just the day before, I'd interrupted my workday to take notes and file a story on Joe Torre's press conference. (The one where he announced that nothing was changing.) It was as if, having been bumped in the first round of the playoffs, the Yankees still had to be in the headlines. At least that's the way Charley Steiner bitterly put it on his XM Radio show when his phone-in interview with a guest was interrupted for the Torre presser. (Gee, Charley, have some sour grapes?)
I'd wager he had no such callous things to say once it was confirmed that Lidle had been on the plane. News trickled in bit by bit once we got back to the office. Lidle's passport had been found on the ground outside the building that the plane had hit. At first they were reporting four fatalities, but as it turned out, everyone in the building was okay. Two bodies were found on the ground, though.
A while later, it was the Yankees themselves who confirmed that Lidle had been in the plane. His wife and son were also on a plane at the time, flying cross country, and so did not hear the news until hours after everyone else. I assume they were headed to California, where Lidle hailed from. Lidle and Jason Giambi had been teammates in high school in SoCal, and had played together in the majors in Oakland. Lidle was also a replacement player, one of those like Shane Spencer and Kevin Millar, who crossed the line during the 1994 strike and so were barred from joining the players' union.
By dinner time, when my significant other came home, the fire was out, firefighters and NTSB investigators were picking through the rubble, and the news that a mayday call about a fuel problem had been made shortly before the crash. Taking off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, they had flown past the Statue of Liberty and were headed up the East River when, it appears, they might have tried to make toward LaGuardia for an emergency landing. Instead, they veered and struck the north-facing side of a condo building around 71st Street, a building where one of the Mets coaches lives.
As we ate dinner, I told Corwin I felt bad that I didn't feel worse about Lidle. "I just don't feel anything," I said. "And I feel bad about that. I mean, I feel generally bad that a terrible thing happened. But I dunno."
He pointed out that I never met Lidle, unlike many of the players, I had no personal connection to him, had hardly seen him play.
A terrible thought occurred to me. "Do you think I'd feel differently if either he'd pitched better or the Yankees had won?" Could my bitterness over the Yankees' loss in the ALDS have dampened my feelings about this?
Get a grip, I told myself. Life and death goes on a different scale from "baseball." Which is why I thought I really ought to have felt something other than the general apathy I felt then.
It hit me in the middle of the night. I woke just before dawn with the thought "...flying up the East River." How much do you want to bet that Lidle planned to fly over Yankee Stadium? He was a free agent, probably going to land with another team by February. He had cleared out his locker on Sunday. Did he want to take one more look, a bird's eye view, of the place, a view few players have had? (They're going to tear the place down, you know.)
And then I lay there thinking, about Lidle's six-year-old son, who must have surely thought he had the greatest dad in the world, who played Major League Baseball. And about how if the bodies were found on the ground, was it the crash that killed them, or the fall? And all the sadness and terror that I have learned to suppress automatically whenever we talk about terrorism suddenly came flooding out.
I'm crying as I type this. I didn't cry on this past anniversary of September 11th. I kept a lid on it.
And come to think of it, I didn't cry when the Yankees lost the 2001 World Series. I went to bed that night subdued, but not heartbroken.
Heartbreak didn't set in until the next day.
This feels much the same.
I didn't know Cory Lidle. I never stood at his locker waiting for a post game quote. I'm not even sure I would recognize his voice. But now I'm finding it fitting that about an hour after the crash it started to rain in New York. It rained so hard, it washed out the opener of the NLCS at Shea. When an accident claims two people's lives, it's a tragedy, whether any of them played Major League Baseball or not. But given the way baseball, New York, and planes flying into buildings are forever linked--not to mention the fact that the last baseball player to die in his own plane was also a Yankee, captain and catcher Thurman Munson in 1979--Lidle's death seems like a sign of the times.
And I'm sad. So sad.
The
Numbers -- They Speak the Truth
« Thread Started on 10/11/06 at 9:59am »
The Good
Friar has been doing some research lately, on the
Yankees and their championship years. All 27 of them.
The results are profound, astounding, and irrefutable.
World Championships by President:
Calvin Coolidge - 1923
Herbert Hoover - 1927/1928
Franklin Roosevelt - 1932/1936/1937/1938/1939/1941/1943
Harry Truman - 1947/1948/1949/1950/1951/1952
Dwight Eisenhower - 1953/1956/1958
John Kennedy - 1961/1962
Jimmy Carter - 1977/1978
Bill Clinton - 1996/1998/1999/2000
Total score by political party
Republicans - 7
Democrats - 20
Numbers don't lie....so....
This November, and every November --
VOTE DEMOCRAT
Otherwise, you're just not a Yanks fan
(This is the Good Friar, and the Good Friar approved this message)
If I every
needed another reason to vote on the democratic ticket, you just gave it to me.
Good Friar, has just laid out the facts folks. If you're on the fence next
November consider yourself swayed. Awesome job GF!
In addition, since they were soooooo successful during the Clinton era, I think we need to give Hillary
a fair shake at the job.
The
whiskey talking...
« Thread Started on 12/10/06 at 12:26am »
So...Iraq, why can't we just get a few surveyors over
there to draw up some borders and make Iraq three countries? We got
Kurdishville in the North, Sunnitown in the South, and Immigrantville in the
East? What the f*ck? What we are asking them to do is the equivalent of a
foreign power invading the US and demanding we move Yankee Stadium to Boston-
along with it's 8MM metropolitan fans...you want to see bloodshed and
beheadings? try that move. I will be the lead operative. If we're giving out
names I want to be Al Zaqwari. Interestingly enough I've already put armor
plating and bulletproof glass in my car. Hey, you try driving down Storrow
drive everyday with an "NY" sticker on your car!
It's not even January...and already I want to jam a Phillips screwdriver into
my ear every time I hear Dick Vitale. Someone somewhere has got to stop this
guy...I watched 4 seconds of a game the other day and he said "NBN-
Nothing But Nylon!!!!" I sprained my thumb trying to change the channel as
fast as possible...what's with the acronyms for everything? What the hell does
"NBN" mean. How come only legendary rock and roll icons get into
faulty helicopters? Hendrix, Valens, Skynyrd are gone and Vitale is telling me
who a PTPer is? It's not fair.
Can someone confirm for me if John Henry went on vacation like a month ago? I
get the feeling as he was leaving the house he yelled upstairs "Theo! I'm
going! I've left the keys to the Porsche and my ATM card on the kitchen
table!!! Only use it in the case of emergency, OK!" Man, wait till he gets
back and sees the activity on that account! Theo just dropped $160MM on Drew, Lugo, and the Seibu
Lions- eeks. Just like in "Ferris Buellers Day off" I hope he gets
the antique car back in the garage soon...and in "Risky Business"- I
hope he gets Henry's "egg" back!!! Man, he is in BIG trouble when Dad
finds out what he did...
So...$160MM payroll (at least) and the Sox are going with Dustin Pedroia at 2b?
I don't believe that for one minute. That guy can't get on 75% of the roller
coasters in this country and he's gonna start for the Sox? Seriously, I've been
hearing about "Dustin Pedroia" for 3 years now. He led a lot of NESN
newscasts as the "can't miss prospect"...then he shows up and he's
4-2 and 120 pounds soaking wet, with rocks in his pockets. He looks like Rick
Moranis's "Lord Dark Helmet" in "Spaceballs". I swear in
his first at bat he dug into the batters box and when he turned to face the
pitcher his entire head moved and the helmet didn't. His first major league
pitch was watched through his ear hole. Dustin Pedroia? Cute kid...now get
outta here, you're bugging me.
Brian Cashman...you know there is a GOD when the Yankee GM has that last name-
"Cashman", perfect. The only thing better would be for the Red Sox GM
to be named "Loser McCheesy"- can anyone make that happen?
Listen...I am about 2 weeks away from my third child...a boy. Anyway, the
discussion was had this evening with my wife about whether or not I was going
to "cut the cord". I said emphatically "NO!!!" She
understands, but I was ready for a fight, so I laid this on her...I said
"so, if you're gonna have your wisdom teeth out should I tell the dentist
to get em loose and then I come in and rip em out?" This entire society is
in danger of falling into an estrogen loop. What the F*Ck? where have all the
men gone? John Wayne, Sinatra, and Teddy Roosevelt all died just in time, those
guys would not believe what "guys" are being asked to do...this whole
"being in the delivery room" Who the F started that idea? I want his
name and address...for 100+ years we men had it made...our wives went to the
hospital and called us at work, or down at the Lions Club to say "It's a
boy" or "Its a girl"- what was wrong with that? Who was the
first p*ssy that said "hey, how come I can't go in there?" Seriously,
why do I need to be in there? I used to think the female private area was
amazing for entirely different reasons...then I saw it do things that you used
to have to pay 50 cents to see in a Times Square peep show...or in some circus tent. Listen, I have two kids...I've seen it, I'm
pretty much all set...I'll be at work, give me a shout when you get out of the
delivery room.
BTW, any doctor's out there? Listen, I'm an Irish guy- I have visual evidence
that my wife can pass a watermelon- what chance do I have- post-delivery? I
need to strap a piece of plywood to my rear end for God's sakes...ya think you
can afford like three or four or Twelve or twenty five more stitches? Insurance
is covering it for Gods sakes- go ahead, go crazy with that twine...come on,
hook an Irish guy up.
BTW- I was in the delivery room for my last child, my son...it was, uh- you
know, as expected...anyway. As soon as I can I get the hell out of there. I go
down to the waiting room and there's another guy in there, who's wife just gave
birth to their first. He's in their watching it AGAIN on his video cam. He
brought it in and filmed it!!!! He asked if I wanted to see it? I looked at him
like a serial killer...not a word. He kind of looks down in a moment of
awkwardness- I think he was afraid he was going to be killed. Anyway, I sit
down and this guy goes down the hallway watching his video and bouncing around
like a retard with a sparkler on 4th of July. That guy is no man. John Wayne
woulda stuck a plastic fork in his temple.
Bud Selig might be a top 10 ugly person on this planet. That guy combs his hair
with buttered toast. That list is of course still topped by Sam Cassell. Is
that guy a burn victim?
Listen, Suzyn Waldman is bad. But I gotta give credit where credit is due...any
of you guys want some advice? I used to be a, umm, what doctors' call a
premature well, you get the point. Not anymore!!! You guys want my advice you
get on the saddle and get to work...then think of nothing but Nails
Waldman...by the time I'm done I gotta reverse course to Jenna Jameson just to
finish. Thanks Suzyn!
I feel bad for gay men in this country. The lesbians went and got themselves
their own professional league for Christ’s sakes, the WNBA. But what do the gay
men in this county have? No wonder their all trying to take over in "Red
Sox Nation"
The worst thing that the Sox coulda done was give David Ortiz more money. I
swear since he signed that contract he's spent all his free time in the
"Sunglass Hut" at the mall. OK, Dave we got it- you are a celebrity-
what is with the sunglasses? Unless your name is "Bono" you can't get
away with sunglasses at night, OK. If your nickname is "Big Papi" you
should drop the sunglasses and pickup some a$$less leather chaps.
Who decided that Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic knew everything? I mean is ESPN
THAT desperate? Mike Golic commenting on baseball is ridiculous. But there are
many among us that take what those two clowns have to say as gospel. Seriously,
Mike Golic commenting on Andy Pettitte is like me commenting on the use of
Oregano instead of Parsley in Italian recipes. They should just use a disclaimer,
and leave it on the screen "These two guys know nothing of what they
speak, but the execs at ESPN find them entertaining. Thank you for your
time"
Listen, I know there are some Ohio State football fans among us...but you just
know that Jim tressel is crooked. The NCAA is putting on their calendars, as we
speak, "Things to do today- investigate OSU" Within 5 years they will
be on the NCAA "death penalty list". There is no truth to the rumor
that when they put their hands into the circle before the game they say
"1,2,3- the b*tch wanted it!!"
How about this for the first item of business for Randy Shannon (The U's new
head coach)- eliminate the second amendment. maybe they can't play football
anymore, but man, if this country ever declares Marshall Law the Miami football
team is gonna be a force to reckon with.
For those I've offended- the gays, the Irish, Miami football fans, Ms Waldman,
Dad's to be, Iraqi's, Bostonians...I'm not sorry. deal with it. toughen
up...I'm not sure when the term "I'm offended" started? I think it
was when the estrogen loop began...When I was growing up you didn't get
"offended" you got "pissed"- and fought...Being
"offended" is the homo way of saying "I'm mad, but I don't want
to fight" Listen, either fight, or shut up...
good night all.
Nice rant. Now we're going to expect one every Sunday Morning.
Classic, AB, classic. Now that I can get up off the floor.
Boss .....
I read your "letter" when I got home from a movie at around
11-central time ....... It was about a half hour drive so I took a bottle of
wine with and we sipped it on the way so my head is a little fuzzy while I type
....... we are getting ready to go for a 5 or 6 mile " jog " to clear
our heads ....... it's about 42 degrees here and perfect for running.
Anyway ...... I had to go to the movie as it was my girlfriends birthday and
she wanted to go to a "chick-flick" called "The Holiday "
.... it wasn't too bad "
BTW ..... I just noticed that you and her share the same BD ......
So Happy Belated to ya fella !
p.s. I loved what you wrote but mostly the part about Boston's GREAT (sarcasm) up and coming 2nd
baseman Pedoeria (spelling ? / who cares if I spelled it wrong )
Anyway .... that guy just bugs me and I hope they keep him to keep giving me up
to date reasons to hate the RSN. He does that weird fricken thing with his face
about 4 to 6 times before he is ready for the next pitch ....... almost as
annoying as watching Nomar get ready for the next pitch .....
Great rant,
AB. I hear ya on the delivery room stuff. Here is some advice. When Christian
was born, there was just one nurse, the doctor, and I in the room (for all you brain-dead
people, yes, my wife was also in the delivery room).
Anyways, when the wife had to start pushing, the nurse asked me to hold one of
her legs in the air, so that means a bird’s eye view for me which, like you, I
did not want. Now, I have done more stupid things in my life than smart things,
but on this day I actually did a smart thing. I brought my portable DVD player
and seasons 1 and 2 of The King of Queens on DVD to watch. I set the DVD player
on the table beside me and watch Doug and Carrie go at it while Tracey was
breathing like a naked mole rat with a clump of mud stuck in its nostril.
During this time I got to see 2 episodes of King of Queens (one of them was the
motorcycle one when he keeps crashing his cycle into the
refrigerator...classic!) before Christian came flying out. I didn't get to cut
the cord because Christian had a "movement" while coming out and they
had to hurry up and siphon out his nostrils and lungs.
So AB, just bring a portable DVD player with you and watch King of Queens or
Seinfeld.
Re: Your
first Yankee Game / Box score
« Reply #12 on 11/3/06 at 8:19am »
Veteran
posters have probably suffered through this story about 20 times, so please
forgive me.
My first trip ever to Yankee Stadium was in May of 1957, and we hosted,
naturally, the Red Sox. I went with my oldest brother, the guy who is now a St.
Louis Card fan, and his then-fiancée, now bride of 48 years. She lived in the Bronx at the time, with her parents, off the Grand Concourse.
The game got off to a good start - the Yanks took a 3-0 lead after three
innings. Bobby Shantz, a crafty little lefty, started for us. I can't identify
the Sox starter, although it may have been Tom Brewer or perhaps Willard Nixon.
If someone can track down the box score of this game, I'd be pretty grateful
and amused. I can tell you that neither Ted Williams nor Mickey Mantle played
in this game due to injury, and it would have been the only time I saw the
Splinter play in person, so it was a bad break. Gene Stephens started for the
Sox in left field, and he ended up getting a big hit for them.
Long about the 4th inning, there was a rain delay. As I've chronicled before,
for some bizarre reason my brother decided it would be a great idea to go back
to his fiancée’s family's apartment to wait out the delay, so we got the car
and he drove the 5 minutes to the apartment. We flipped on the tube, and when
the tarp came off about 45 minutes later, we headed back to the Stadium! I'll
bet none of you have ever done that!!!
The Sox promptly tied the game on some unearned runs - the rally was
kick-started by an error by, of all people, Bobby Shantz, on a dribbler up the
first base line. Shantz was a great fielder, the Jim Kaat of his era, so this
was an unexpected blow.
The game proceeded into extra innings, and long about the 9th, it was pretty
late due to the delay (I was only 7 years old at the time), so my brother made
the policy decision to leave - I didn't object. It wasn't until the next
morning that I learned we had lost in the 11th inning on a home run by reserve
catcher Pete Daley, the back-up to Sammy White. A good 15 years later, whilst
at Boston College Law School,
I would be bowling at Sammy White's bowling alley in Brighton.
There are two other points that I've made about this game in response to posts
years ago on BTB. First, there was discussion of the seventh inning stretch,
and the question of whether you stand in the top of the seventh if you are
rooting for the visitors. That's the way my brother taught it to me, so I could
never understand Michael Kay saying, "Get up and stretch!" when the
Yanks were on the road and the game preceded to the bottom of the seventh. My
brother had actually spotted a Spring Valley friend of his standing for the Red Sox several rows in front of us during the
top of the seventh, and had been appalled. The other memory I have of the game
is that at one point Ken Aspromonte, the Sox second baseman, made a great
leaping catch of a line drive to rob some Bomber of a hit, and my brother
started applauding. I asked him why he would clap for a play that hurt the
Yanks, and he taught me the rule of baseball etiquette that you should always
applaud a great play, regardless of who made it. I have adhered to that ever
since.
Re:
Predictions
« Reply #6 on 12/4/06 at 2:23pm »
Hmmmm, Here
Goes.
1. Mac=No Hall
2. Bernie gets 1 more year then slides into the musical bench coach or hitting
coach position
3. The Marlins finally get an approved stadium deal...but no one cares
4. San Fran signs Bonds for the league minimum then trades him to Boston for Many &
Papi
5. Colorado & KC switch leagues for the year but it still doesn't change
anything
6. Yankee Stadium has "Kids run the bases night" and calls up Staten
Island to play the Rockies and Wins
7. Pavano goes on the DL for a frayed shoe lace that doesn't require surgery.
8. The Texas Rangers run away with the pennant but Tom Hicks rehires Buck Showalter and they
self destruct
9. September Starting Rotation: Wang, Moose, Rasner, K-Wa, HUGHES with RJ being
the 6th man in order to rest all.
10. Yanks win #27 in a sweep over the Royals
Here are my
responses to your predictions Roger:
1. Big Mac is given the silent treatment by the HOF voters.
2. I like (was it?) AB's prediction: The Red Sox make a killer deal and Manny veto’s
it.
3. Billy Beane gets his wish. Bonds takes his "me first" show to Oakland and makes life
miserable for rookie manager Bob Geren.
4. Yanks continue the Parade of the Has-Been back-ups, John Wockenfuss?
5. Pavano stays. Goes 2-3 (but 1 of his wins is a 1-0 shutout against the Red
Sox making him a folk hero in NY for a week...until he goes on the DL with a
torn t-shirt.)
6. Even the most publicity-starved ticket-hawking sleeper team would not sign
Sosa.
7. I think the Mets will get Zito. Pedro isn't available till May. Zito's one
outstanding year was with Rick Peterson. I think Zito will have a banner year
going to the NL.
8. Hopefully the pitcher is Dontrelle Willis.
9. O.K...uhhh...whuht???
10. Mrs. Pettitte will be the happy check casher of checks with the Astro logo
in the upper left-hand corner.
1. Agreed: Big Mac does not make the Hall.
2. Anaheim trades for Tejada and wins the west.
3. Bonds signs a medium-salary, incentive-laden, free-agent deal with Minnesota
4. Eduardo Perez hits 20-plus home runs for the Yanks, giving them the big righty bat to complement A-Rod and Derek in the lefties-heavy Yankee lineup (Damon, Giambi, Abreu, Matsui, and Cano).
5. Wilfredo Ledezma has a big year as a swingman with Detroit
6. The Mets pony up for Zito, finding the Peterson connection irresistible.
7. Girardi leaves the broadcast booth to replace either John Gibbons in Toronto or Eric Wedge in Cleveland
8. Julio Lugo goes to Boston and they're disappointed with their shortstop play yet again.
9. Philly takes Manny off Boston's hands; they return the favor with Pat Burrell.
10. Pavano goes 15-7 in Pinstripes, but continues to have injury scares.
Hmmmm, Here
Goes.
1. Mac=No Hall
2. Bernie gets 1 more year then slides into the musical bench coach or hitting
coach position
3. The Marlins finally get an approved stadium deal...but no one cares
4. San Fran signs Bonds for the league minimum then trades him to Boston for Many &
Papi
5. Colorado & KC switch leagues for the year but it still doesn't change
anything
6. Yankee Stadium has "Kids run the bases night" and calls up Staten
Island to play the Rockies and Wins
7. Pavano goes on the DL for a frayed shoe lace that doesn't require surgery.
8. The Texas Rangers run away with the pennant but Tom Hicks rehires Buck Showalter and they
self destruct
9. September Starting Rotation: Wang, Moose, Rasner, K-Wa, HUGHES with RJ being
the 6th man in order to rest all.
10. Yanks win #27 in a sweep over the Royals
sorry about
that rog....here goes
1) consensus pick big mac gets rejected in cooperstown
2) manny is traded to Anaheim for Ervin Santana and Chone Figgens
3) Mets sign Zito
4) bonds resigns with giants
5) yanks sign Shea Hillabrand
6) Mets trade Milledge not sure where
7) yanks say goodbye to Bernie
8) doctors diagnose the Alyssa Milano breakup as Pavano's downfall.....(it
would have killed me)
9) Florida upsets Ohio state.....(just to see if your still paying attention)
10) following surgery randy Johnson returns to old form.....
1)Mac is a
cheat...no hall
2) Manny stays put...same story every year.
3) Bonds leaves SF for Oakland
4) Yanks will acquire both by trade
5) Pavano stays and proves he can handle NY
6) Sosa is done...over the hill and can't play without the juice
7) Zito signs big contract with the Mets...and has success pitching in the NL.
8) Yanks package Humberto in deal wit Marlins to get Willis
9) I can care less about Tavares
10) Petite gives in to wife and stays put in Houston YES!)
1) Mac doesn't get in the first time but will get in eventually
2) Manny goes to either L.A.teams but a third team is involved
3) Bonds goes back to SF
4) Cash and the Yankees make a move for 1B, Nick Johnson comes back to NY.
5) Pavano stays and goes 15-10, tries to steal Derek Jeter's date. Closed door meeting. Verdict, they agreed to swap ladies.
6) Sammy Sosa will return, perhaps become a Brave
7) Mets loses to Zito but panicked to sign Padilla
8) We will see Sanchez and Hughes make emergency starts for the Yankees this summer.
9) Taveras goes to the Orioles
10) Forget about his wife. Pettitte goes where Roger goes. Roger retires, so will Andy.
1.I agree
Big Mac, will never get inducted, never mind only this year.
2. Goodbye, Manny, he finally will be dealt. (Dodgers)
3. Bonds, Barry Bonds will retire in SF.
4. Yanks will sign Hillebrand Catcher : Will Nieves
5. Pavano stays, unfortunately.
6. Swingin Sammy stays retired.
7. Barry Zito signs huge deal with the Mets 6yrs 96 mill.
8. No major trade will be made
9. I’m with 90, who cares about Taveras?
10. Andy Pettitte will return..... to the Yankees.
I'm boldly
going....
1- Mac not only doesn't get in, he receives less than 20%.
2- Manny stays put.
3- Bonds signs for a bottom feeder, passes Hammer'n then retires.
4- Yanks look within for backup catcher and RP'ing
5- Yep... at least till the trading deadline
6- Sosa's done!
7- Zito to the Mutts... for ALOT of money.
8- Possible... but not Melkey, Cano, Hughes or Tabata.
9- Taveras? Um... ok.
10- Pett is in pinstripes. Two year deal with a player option.
I forgot
#11
11) Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens swap wives and family's but remain in Houston
Re: 2007
Yanks Schedule
« Reply #1 on 12/1/06 at 7:49pm »
Hey, how
about them new ticket prices??!! huh? $150.00 per ticket for 1 game if you're
lucky enough to get a seat on the field. For those of you who keep saying,
"It's only money." when the Yanks offer tens of millions of dollars
for some .500 pitcher, enjoy your next trip to the Stadium.
I am beyond pissed off at what has become of a trip the Stadium. People, those
$150.00 seats were 20 bucks (and they couldn't give them away) 15 years ago.
It's never gonna be what it used to be. We are a culture of sports fans where
13 year old kids discuss players' million dollar salaries like it's Monopoly
money.
2007
Baseball Resolutions :
« Thread Started on 12/27/06 at 9:07pm »
I thought
that we would make up some resolutions that will most likely to be broken :
Examples :
1 ) Dontrelle Willis : I resolve to pee in toilets
2 ) Manny Ramirez : I resolve not to ask for a trade
3 ) Derek Jeter : I resolve to play nice with A-Rod
4 ) Stupid baseball fans : I resolve not to chant Yankees suck ....
5 ) RSN posters : I resolve not to write dumb @$$ posts to pi$$ off the Yankee
fans on this board
1. I
resolve not to throw the remote when Carl Pavano goes on the disabled list
2. I resolve not to ask when is Philip Hughes coming up to the Yanks when he's
6-1 with an ERA under 2.00
3. I resolve to keep fighting for the fans to layoff Arod.
4. I resolve to turn off the radio and TV when Steve Philips gives his opinion
on what the Yanks are going to do.
5. I resolve to listen more attentively to what Buster Olney says.
I had a
different take after reading your title. Perhaps it's the guilt-tinged Catholic
upbringing.
I resolve never again to state which opponent I want to play in the ALDS when
we're in the stretch run and the possibilities are multiple. Given a fabulous
record in The Jake, I wanted to play the Indians in 1997, and said so. After
bitter experience, I didn't end my self-imposed silence on that subject until 11-12
weeks ago when I foolishly allowed how I hoped he Yanks would play the Bengal’s rather than the Twinkies.
Never again.
I resolve
to ignore Barry Bonds and his accomplishments
I resolve to NOT question Jason Varitek's sexual preferences
I resolve to accept Josh Beckett's bogus fist-pumping, BS emotions as those of
a brain-damaged teenager on milkshake drink full of ecstasy and heroin
I resolve to NOT track the Red Sox charter on my computer
I resolve to accept "2000" and "Soxfan" as knowledgeable
baseball fans. Just because they think you "hit a touchdown and get 3
points" isn't their fault...
I resolve to be at the Canyon of Heroes next October.
these will
certainly be broken (I’m not gonna lie) but I will try to prevent them as much
as I can:
I resolve not to throw my remote across the room onto my bulletin board after
every A-Rod error/K.
I resolve not to lose sleep on what have COULD of been.
I resolve to never anticipate a Yankees win, or gloat over a victory in
april-July.
1. I
resolve to continue to hate the Red Sox with every fiber of my being.
2. I resolve to continue to teach this virtue to my 2 sons.
3. I resolve to not outwardly express my joy when Metsy goes 4 and 13 with a 7+
era because he can't handle the pressure and gyro balls mutate into raining
baseballs on Lansdowne St. Inwardly I will be pretty puffed up though.
4. I resolve to listen to the first question before I click the station away
from a Ker Shitting interview.
5. I resolve to donate money to the Jim Rice speech therapy fund.
6. I resolve to give Peter Gammons the benefit of the doubt when he's reporting
on the Patriots.
7. When it comes to the Yankees, I resolve to not change a thing.
Re: OK
apologists let's hear it....
« Reply #1 on 5/19/06 at 11:03pm »
No doubt about it...another PUP
performance! (as in pathetic unit performance). What's wrong with him? Old age?
Mechanics ? I don't buy the "he forgot how to pitch deal" , I give
up, but (know this) we are in a jam without our # 1 ace/stopper not doing the
job! 
