Thursday, June 27, 2013

Hank Steinbrenner the only person who deserves blame for A-Rod mess

George Steinbrenner made a lot of dumb trades and completed more than a few stupid free agent signings during his reign, but his son Hank made quite a doozy as well.

There have been very few baseball players in major league history who have maintained a high level of play into their late thirties. Certainly not many once they reach the age of forty.

While Alex Rodriguez was coming off an outstanding year in 2007 (although one perhaps fueled by steroids) he would be turning 32 the following season. To give any 32 year old a ten year guaranteed contract, even someone with solid stats like Rodriguez had, is foolish. How can any player be expected to have a monster season at age 38 or 39? It's rare. The most Hank Steinbrenner should have offered is six years. If Rodriguez was still going strong at that point they could have easily offered him another contract.

Now the Yankees are saddled with a huge contract that they will have to pay off, unless Rodriguez mercifully retires. And they still have no one to play third base. 

Hank Steinbrenner, who spent one month in the late 1980's working for his father in the Yankees' front office before developing a nervous tick in one of his eyes, wasn't exactly the right person to decide on what contract to offer Rodriguez. So the team has no one to blame for this mess besides themselves. I guess that one month working with Dad didn't result in any new learning. The Yanks would have been better off if Hank had kept working at the family horse farm. Unfortunately for Yankee fans Hank and his brother Hal got involved in the Yankees' baseball business after their father developed dementia, and was unable to manage things as he had before - and unable to give anyone nervous ticks again.

These Yankees are boring on and off the field

Ichiro Suzuki's walk-off home run that won Tuesday night's game for the Yankees in the Bronx was a rare moment of excitement for fans. During April and May journeymen like Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, and Jayson Nix provided clutch hits that kept the team in first place or close to the top. Above average starting pitching and solid effort from the relief corps helped a great deal as well.

However the month of June has seen the Yanks swoon. Timely hitting has dwindled, and the team has struggled to score runs. Mediocre pitching from one time Golden-Boys Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain hasn't helped. Andy Pettitte hasn't been as sharp in the last few starts, so age may finally be catching up to him. And, of course, the continued absence of injured players such as Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson has hurt the offense.

Brett Gardner has played well, but at this point in the season one of the fastest runners in the major leagues ought to have more than 11 stolen bases (and not been nailed 6 times already). Gardner has to get into scoring position; it's still easier to single someone in than it is to hit a home run.

The 2013 Yankees aren't a very exciting team to watch. Yankee Stadium will have even more empty seats by August if things don't turn around.

With the exception of outfielder Zoilo Almonte there isn't going to be much help coming up from the minor leagues, the result of scouting ineptness by general manager Brian Cashman and his baseball cronies in the front office.

Off the field, the headlines featuring Alex Rodriguez are simply uninteresting. At least with the late 1970's Yankees there was some passion involved, and much humor to be found in all the shenanigans. Rodriguez is a dullard. A seemingly compulsive liar, he's a boring person, and was always an over-rated player, even when he played with Seattle back in the 1990's.

The current team will probably stay in the wildcard race until the end of the season since the other American League East teams aren't that good, either. And if Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter can come back sometime during the summer and play at their high levels of the past, maybe some excitement will return to Yankee Stadium.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The All Time Best Theme Songs for TV Shows

A television show's theme song can be an important aspect of the program, often setting the mood of the show. TV Guide recently released its list of the 60 best theme songs for TV shows in the history of the medium. Here is one TV viewer's opinion of the 20 best TV theme songs of all time, based on too many years of watching television...

20) Laverne & Shirley (ABC, 1976-1983)
19) The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007)
18) Star Trek (NBC, 1966-1969)
17) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC, 1962-1992)
16) The Greatest American Hero (ABC, 1981-1983)
15) Sesame Street (PBS, 1969-present)
14)  Get Smart (NBC, 1965-1970)
13) The Flintstones (ABC, 1960-1966)
12) Dallas (CBS, 1978-1991)
11) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977)
10) Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993)
9) Batman (ABC, 1966-1968)
8) Happy Days (ABC, 1974-1984)
7) Gilligan's Island (CBS, 1964-1967)
6) The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960-1968)
5) Welcome Back Kotter (ABC, 1975-1979)
4) Hawaii Five-O (CBS, 1968-1980)
3) M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972-1983)
2) The Jeffersons (CBS, 1975-1985)
1) Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-1987)

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The 20 best comedies in TV history

TV Guide recently released its list of the 60 best comedies in the history of the medium. Here is one TV viewer's opinion of the 20 funniest sitcoms of all time, based on too many years of watching television...

20) Home Improvement (ABC, 1991-1999)
19) Will & Grace (NBC, 1998-2006)
18) Murphy Brown (CBS, 1988-1998)
17) The Jeffersons (CBS, 1975-1985)
16) The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 2007-present)
15) Two and a Half Men (CBS, 2003-present)
14) Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS, 1996-2005)
13) The Honeymooners (CBS, 1951-1956)
12) Happy Days (ABC, 1974-1984)
11) M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972-1983)
10 Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2000-present)
9) Veep (HBO, 2012-present)
8) Modern Family (ABC, 2009-2013)
7) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977)
6) The Simpsons (FOX, 1989-present)
5) Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993)
4) Seinfeld (NBC, 1990-1998)
3) Frasier (NBC, 1993-2004)
2) I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-57)
1) All in the Family (CBS, 1971-1979)

Finding the Perfect Pet - Adopt a Dog or Cat

It's been estimated that anywhere from 5 to 7 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters in the United States each year. As many as 3 to 4 million of them are euthanized, due to a lack of space to house them and/or a lack of finances to care for them.

So the best thing to do if you want to add a pet to your family is to adopt one from a shelter. The next best thing is to adopt a dog or cat from a rescue group. For a list of shelters in your area search online at your city or town's website, or sites of animal welfare organizations such as the ASPCA. Check Petfinder.com for lists of rescue groups. Petfinder also lists photos and descriptions of dogs and cats, so that you can try to make a better match for the pet and your family situation.

When adopting a dog it's important to consider your own lifestyle. If you're not particularly active, don't adopt an active breed, such as a Labrador retriever. Labs often end up in shelters because their owners were not aware of how much walking and exercising was needed to keep this breed of dog. Other dogs may need more training to become well-behaved, and this could mean paying for a professional trainer or training classes. Do some research on the temperament of various breeds, to see what you can realistically handle.

Also remember to microchip your dog. It's not a huge expense, and is the best bet to get your pet home to you if it ever becomes lost.

Having a dog or cat to come home to every day can bring incredible joy to your life, and adopting a pet can bring happiness to an animal. Just like people, many just want to find their forever home.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Yankees GM Cashman's scouting failures now apparent

I've contended many times in the past that New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is the most over-rated executive in major league baseball, and the team's current situation highlights this.

Even with the Yankees being more financially responsible in the three years since the death of owner George Steinbrenner, the franchise still holds the greatest financial advantage in baseball history. This did result in a World Series championship in 2009, but any one of us would have also had the good sense to sign Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia in their prime.

Cashman hasn't done much with the financial advantage lately. Giving Kevin Youklis $12 million was a dumb move, especially since everyone knew that Youklis had chronic back trouble. With surgery it's likely Youklis will never put on the pinstripes again.

Cashman was also against signing free agent Rafael Soriano several years ago - but without Soriano the Yankees probably would not have made the playoffs in 2012, since he was almost just as good a closer as Mariano Rivera had been.

Basically what Cashman does is throw stuff against the wall and hope that something sticks. Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells have contributed to the team's early season success, but that's hardly the result of top notch scouting. It's just hoping that an older player has something left in the tank.

With all the injuries the Yankees have suffered this year, it would have been an opportunity for their minor league players to step in and show what they can do. It could have resulted in a young player taking over, or showcasing them as a trade chip. But right now the Yankees have practically nothing in terms of position players. David Adams may turn out to be a good third baseman and hitter, and the same can be said for outfielder Zolio Almonte (if he's given the chance to play every day). 

Down on the farm outfielder/first baseman Tyler Austin promises to be a good player, but he's two years away. Outfielders Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott, along with catchers Gary Sanchez and J.R. Murphy, will also probably be ready in two years and may turn out to be good players. But at the moment the Yankees are sticking their fingers in the hole trying to plug the leaks by using journeymen Reid Brignac and Thomas Neal as regulars, because they have no other options in the minor leagues. We'll see what happens with that.

For all of Cashman and his front office cronies use of statistics and sabermetrics, their scouting of players leaves much to be desired. It's been an ongoing thing, dating back to 2006 when then-manager Joe Torre wanted to sign switch hitting Bernie Williams for one more year and use him as a pinch hitter and reserve off the bench. Cashman refused, instead going with Doug Mientkiewicz and Josh Phelps - who combined to produce a .200 batting average off the bench.

Now in 2013, it doesn't look like Cashman's reliance on sabermetrics is going to do the team much good for the rest of this season, either.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The 20 Best Written TV Series of All Time

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently released its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series in the history of the medium.  Here is one TV viewer's opinion of the 20 best written shows of all time, based on years of watching television, which may or may not be a good thing...

20) Dexter (Showtime,2006-2013)
19) Veep (HBO, 2012-2013)
18) Star Trek the Next Generation (syndicated, 1987-1994)
17) The Closer (TNT, 2005-2012)
16) M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972-1983)
15) Oz (HBO, 1997-2003)
14) Modern Family (ABC, 2009-2013)
13) The Wonder Years (ABC, 1988-1993)
12) The X Files (Fox, 1993-2002)
11) Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993)
10 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977)
9) In Plain Sight (USA, 2008-2012)
8) Frasier (NBC, 1993-2004)
7) Breaking Bad (FX, 2008-2013
6) Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-1987)
5) Homeland (Showtime, 2011-2013)
4) Justified (FX, 2010-2013)
3) The Shield (FX, 2002-2008)
2) The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007)
1) All in the Family (CBS, 1971-1979)

Monday, June 3, 2013

Rutgers AD fiasco shows how incompetent college administrators can be


No one can really blame Julie Hermann for taking the job of Athletic Director at Rutgers when it was offered to her. After all, it wasn't up to her to divulge any details of "negatives" in her career history that might have prevented from being hired in a new job. That would be the responsibility of the people in charge of hiring - i.e., the college administrators at Rutgers University.

The level of incompetence of administrators and faculty at colleges and universities when it comes to hiring people for jobs borders on the bizarre. The situation at Rutgers is only one example.

First, the university wastes thousands of taxpayer dollars by paying an "executive search firm" to try to find a suitable candidate as its next athletic director. When in reality, the search committee of Rutgers administrators, faculty, and students could simple have advertised the opening and contacted other athletic departments at colleges around the country to inform them of the open position for minimal expense (not to mention, most people who work in college athletics would have known that there was an open position at Rutgers just by listening to the news).

Then, one of the members of the search committee on her own identifies Hermann as a candidate. So much for paying the search firm to provide a service. How come they didn't identify Hermann?

According to one published report, the process of hiring Hermann was rushed through the search committee, to the dismay of several committee members. Plus, no one at Rutgers did any kind of background check, which may have turned up the controversy of her tenure as a volleyball coach. The Star Ledger newspaper found out about the volleyball coaching controversy. Apparently, Rutgers did know about the discrimination lawsuit that was filed against Louisville when Hermann was there. It didn't seem to matter in the decision making process, as do many outlandish things that occur in the college sports world. College coaches and sports administrators get paid millions, jump from one job to the next, all the while claiming that they are working in the best interests of "student athletes." Yeah right.

Rutgers president Robert Barchi did the politically convenient thing by firing former athletic Tim Pernetti. Defending the hire of Hermann and not publicly admitting that Rutgers fouled up the vetting process is also a politically convenient move. But why should we expect anything more from the incompetent college administrators?