After the Yankees' loss to Minnesota the other day catcher Russell Martin agreed that "fatigue" may have been a factor in relief pitcher Boone Logan's uncorking a wild pitch that led to a run and then getting hammered by several Twins batters that resulted in the Twins taking the lead in the seventh inning. Granted, Logan has pitched in a lot of games this season (76). But there's a total of 12 guys in the bullpen due to the expanded September rosters, so are we to believe there wasn't someone else who could have gotten the job done? Another pitcher who wasn't as "fatigued?"
Manager Joe Girardi has done a good job this year and in past seasons managing the workloads of his relievers. So to blame "fatigue" on not making pitches is a bit of a stretch. Logan's hasn't pitched badly but he's never been overly tough on lefty batters, either. Sometimes managers rely too much of matchups; out of all the pitchers in the bullpen there's got to be at least one who isn't "fatigued." Come on.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
NFL Owners Get What They Deserve with Replacement Referees
I Don't Feel Bad for the Green Bay Packers….The (mostly) men who own professional sports teams are certainly a group of odd ducks. It makes one wonder how they managed to make billions of dollars in their chosen professions, before they owned a team (unless you did nothing - just inherited your money, like the late George Steinbrenner).
Here we have the illustrious National Football League, a ten billion dollar business in itself, and the Scrooge-like owners refuse to part with an additional three million dollar contribution to the referees' pension fund.
Being a game official for a sport at any level is a difficult job, and of course even experienced NFL referees make mistakes. But not as many as the replacement refs have made in only three weeks of the new season.
Why would you degrade your product like this? NFL owners are a clueless bunch. Keeping experienced referees is an important part of pro football, so the billionaires need to be a little less tight-fisted and break the piggy bank. Time to take a .025 decrease in your profit this year boys. I know it's tough but I think you can handle it.
Even Green Bay Packer fan and anti-union Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to bring back the unionized officials. Hmm, I guess this is what happens when you settle for less qualified employees, eh, Scotty?
Here we have the illustrious National Football League, a ten billion dollar business in itself, and the Scrooge-like owners refuse to part with an additional three million dollar contribution to the referees' pension fund.
Being a game official for a sport at any level is a difficult job, and of course even experienced NFL referees make mistakes. But not as many as the replacement refs have made in only three weeks of the new season.
Why would you degrade your product like this? NFL owners are a clueless bunch. Keeping experienced referees is an important part of pro football, so the billionaires need to be a little less tight-fisted and break the piggy bank. Time to take a .025 decrease in your profit this year boys. I know it's tough but I think you can handle it.
Even Green Bay Packer fan and anti-union Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to bring back the unionized officials. Hmm, I guess this is what happens when you settle for less qualified employees, eh, Scotty?
Friday, September 14, 2012
The Yankees need to start hitting some singles
The Yankees lead the major leagues in home runs and have remained in first place in the American League's East division for most of the 2012 season, but their inability to deliver singles with runners in scoring position may come back to haunt them for the rest of the season, and in the post season - if they make it..
Derek Jeter is the only Yankee who has been consistent this year. He can hit singles, get on base and drive in runners. The problem is though, there isn't always someone in scoring position when he gets up to bat. Unfortunately the Yankees have a number of regular players with low on base percentages (see Curtis Granderson .322, Ichiro Suzuki .314, Russell Martin .313, Andruw Jones .297, and Raul Ibanez .294) which doesn't help if a team is trying to manufacture some runs.
Robinson Cano is player that can and has hit singles, but he's been somewhat inconsistent this season. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have delivered clutch singles in their careers, but both have missed time this year because of injuries.
George Steinbrenner never really understood that giving a player a big contract meant that they would always deliver at the plate when it counts, and right about now it appears that Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't get it either, unless he was expecting something different when he put this team together.
The Yankees have a few weeks left to turn things around, so let's see if they can earn that big money they're all getting. The price of a a beer at Yankee Stadium is twelve bucks, but the Yanks have to still be playing in October if the franchise wants to collect some of that dough from their fans.
Derek Jeter is the only Yankee who has been consistent this year. He can hit singles, get on base and drive in runners. The problem is though, there isn't always someone in scoring position when he gets up to bat. Unfortunately the Yankees have a number of regular players with low on base percentages (see Curtis Granderson .322, Ichiro Suzuki .314, Russell Martin .313, Andruw Jones .297, and Raul Ibanez .294) which doesn't help if a team is trying to manufacture some runs.
Robinson Cano is player that can and has hit singles, but he's been somewhat inconsistent this season. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have delivered clutch singles in their careers, but both have missed time this year because of injuries.
George Steinbrenner never really understood that giving a player a big contract meant that they would always deliver at the plate when it counts, and right about now it appears that Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't get it either, unless he was expecting something different when he put this team together.
The Yankees have a few weeks left to turn things around, so let's see if they can earn that big money they're all getting. The price of a a beer at Yankee Stadium is twelve bucks, but the Yanks have to still be playing in October if the franchise wants to collect some of that dough from their fans.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Congratulations to Former Vikings Defensive End Chris Doleman, Although Jim Marshall Also Deserves to Be in the Hall of Fame
Congratulations to former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Chris Doleman on his recent election into the NFL Hall of Fame. However, there's another Viking end who deserved to be enshrined in Canton before Doleman - and before John Randle as well, who was another great defensive lineman for the Vikings in the 1990's.
Jim Marshall manned right defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 through 1979, starting 270 consecutive games, plus 19 post-season games. A two time Pro Bowl selection, Marshall was a member of the Vikings' Purple People Eaters, the front four that led a dominant defense from 1968-1977. Two of the group's players, Alan Page and Carl Eller, are already in the Hall of Fame. Marshall is the Vikings' record holder in fumble recoveries with 29. He is second in team history with 127 quarterback sacks, and fourth in tackles for loss with 74.
The Vikings went to four Super Bowls during Marshall's career. How many Super Bowls did the Vikings reach during Doleman's ten years with the team? Zero.
It's way past time to stop holding the Vikings' Super Bowl losses against great players like Marshall. He had an outstanding career and contributed to winning teams. Based on his accomplishments he deserves to be a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Wake up, voters!
Jim Marshall manned right defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 through 1979, starting 270 consecutive games, plus 19 post-season games. A two time Pro Bowl selection, Marshall was a member of the Vikings' Purple People Eaters, the front four that led a dominant defense from 1968-1977. Two of the group's players, Alan Page and Carl Eller, are already in the Hall of Fame. Marshall is the Vikings' record holder in fumble recoveries with 29. He is second in team history with 127 quarterback sacks, and fourth in tackles for loss with 74.
The Vikings went to four Super Bowls during Marshall's career. How many Super Bowls did the Vikings reach during Doleman's ten years with the team? Zero.
It's way past time to stop holding the Vikings' Super Bowl losses against great players like Marshall. He had an outstanding career and contributed to winning teams. Based on his accomplishments he deserves to be a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Wake up, voters!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Lee Smith belong in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Barry Larkin and the late Ron Santo for their recent induction into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. Both were deserving of the honor, and Santo's was long overdue.
Three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.
Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all star's offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.
Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.
Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.
Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of elgibility. Stars such as Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio in 2013, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux in 2014, and Randy Johnson in 2015 are all likely to be enshrined in their first years. Pitchers John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez may get in during their first year in 2016 or in the following year, while currently eligible Jeff Bagwell may get in within the next couple of years.
An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens are all entering their first year of eligibilty in 2013; with Rafael Palmiero earning only 12.6% of the vote last year, even with his 569 home runs and 3,020 hits, it doesn't look good for Sammy, Barry, and Roger at this point.
Three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.
Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all star's offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.
Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.
Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.
Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of elgibility. Stars such as Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio in 2013, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux in 2014, and Randy Johnson in 2015 are all likely to be enshrined in their first years. Pitchers John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez may get in during their first year in 2016 or in the following year, while currently eligible Jeff Bagwell may get in within the next couple of years.
An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens are all entering their first year of eligibilty in 2013; with Rafael Palmiero earning only 12.6% of the vote last year, even with his 569 home runs and 3,020 hits, it doesn't look good for Sammy, Barry, and Roger at this point.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Hey Yankee-Haters, why don't you buy some of those empty seats at Yankee Stadium?
Hey Yankee-Haters, why don't you buy some of those empty seats at Yankee Stadium? There's plenty of space to boo the team you hate.
Contrary to what Michael Kay and the YES Network say, there are some empty seats at New York's Yankee Stadium during games. Why don't Yankee-Haters buy some of those empty seats, jeer the Yankee players, and cheer for the opposing team?
"A sold out Yankee Stadium..." Well, maybe the tickets have been bought by brokers, but the seats are still empty. Fans who are Yankee-Haters ought to buy all those tickets, then go to the game and boo the Yankees. They could applaud when a Yankee strikes out or makes an error, and cheer when an opposing player gets a hit or makes a great defensive play.
Now, I know most reasonable fans don't want to spend their hard-earned money on going to a lot of baseball games to watch a team they don't even like, but think of the consternation that it would cause the Yankee management. They wouldn't be happy to hear people cheering the Yanks' opponent. And on the other hand, for the seats that aren't being bought by brokers - would they want to not bring in more money, by not selling those tickets? That would be quite a dilemma for the Steinbrenner clan.
So Yankee-Haters, put your money where your mouth is. Literally. Here's your chance to get some satisfaction and put your energy to good use.
http://www.mlb.com/http://www.yankees.com/http://www.mets.com/http://www.redsox.com/http://web.yesnetwork.com/index.jsp
Contrary to what Michael Kay and the YES Network say, there are some empty seats at New York's Yankee Stadium during games. Why don't Yankee-Haters buy some of those empty seats, jeer the Yankee players, and cheer for the opposing team?
"A sold out Yankee Stadium..." Well, maybe the tickets have been bought by brokers, but the seats are still empty. Fans who are Yankee-Haters ought to buy all those tickets, then go to the game and boo the Yankees. They could applaud when a Yankee strikes out or makes an error, and cheer when an opposing player gets a hit or makes a great defensive play.
Now, I know most reasonable fans don't want to spend their hard-earned money on going to a lot of baseball games to watch a team they don't even like, but think of the consternation that it would cause the Yankee management. They wouldn't be happy to hear people cheering the Yanks' opponent. And on the other hand, for the seats that aren't being bought by brokers - would they want to not bring in more money, by not selling those tickets? That would be quite a dilemma for the Steinbrenner clan.
So Yankee-Haters, put your money where your mouth is. Literally. Here's your chance to get some satisfaction and put your energy to good use.
http://www.mlb.com/http://www.yankees.com/http://www.mets.com/http://www.redsox.com/http://web.yesnetwork.com/index.jsp
Why does Major League Baseball even bother playing the All Star Game?
Major League Baseball's All Star Game has become nothing more than a silly exhibition game at this point. It's almost as a bad as the NFL's Pro Bowl.
Some of the players don't seem to approach the game as a competition. Just a different generation, perhaps. People and culture change, so maybe today's players just don't feel the same type of emotion about the All Star games as those 40, 50, and 60 years ago.
Then there's the money factor. Today's players earn so much in salary that the extra dollars that they collect from winning the All Star Game is almost insignificant. Why expend the energy and risk getting injured for a small amount of money? Forty years ago, those extra bucks could mean something to a player.
Inter-league play that began in 1997 has also diluted the excitement surrounding the All Star Game, as well as the World Series. It used to be that fans would see players from the American and National Leagues compete against each other only in the World Series and the All Star Game, so the midsummer classic had more drama and intrigue. Now that we've seen mixing of the leagues, the All Star Game has lost some of its luster. Even the Yankees-Mets rivalry isn't as intense anymore. Back in the early 1980's George Steinbrenner put a halt to the annual New York Mayors Trophy game between the two teams because it was so upsetting for him to have the Yankees lose to the Mets. Today, it's just another series against another team. Ho-hum.
The All Star game began feeling more like an exhibition in 1997 when pitcher Randy Johnson let a pitch fly over Larry Walker's head, just as entertainment, since Walker had previously expressed his fear in standing in the batter's box against the hard throwing lefty.
Major league's baseball's All Star Game accelerated its downward slide due to two incidents in 2002. Outfielder Tori Hunter made a sensational catch on a fly ball hit by Barry Bonds, robbing Bonds of a home run. Bonds picked up Hunter on his way off the field, with the two laughing. That display enforced the idea that the players weren't taking the game as seriously.
Then when Bud Selig ended the game in a tie, due to both sides running out of pitchers, the All Star game was seen as somewhat of a farce. Managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly felt it was more important to get everyone on their rosters into the game - meaning winning the game was on the back burner.
Selig's lame attempt to instill some competition into the All Star game by declaring the winning league would have home field advantage in the World Series hasn't had much of an effect. Why would a player from a last place team even care about that? And, what if he was traded by the July 31 deadline to a team in the other league that had a shot at the postseason? Where would his allegiance be then?
Inter-league play has become meaningless and should be ended. For the All-Star game, give the players on the winning team a ton of money, like $300,000 each. Players on the losing team would only get $15,000. That would make them compete and take it seriously. Maybe then it would again become the Midsummer Classic.
http://www.mlb.com/
Some of the players don't seem to approach the game as a competition. Just a different generation, perhaps. People and culture change, so maybe today's players just don't feel the same type of emotion about the All Star games as those 40, 50, and 60 years ago.
Then there's the money factor. Today's players earn so much in salary that the extra dollars that they collect from winning the All Star Game is almost insignificant. Why expend the energy and risk getting injured for a small amount of money? Forty years ago, those extra bucks could mean something to a player.
Inter-league play that began in 1997 has also diluted the excitement surrounding the All Star Game, as well as the World Series. It used to be that fans would see players from the American and National Leagues compete against each other only in the World Series and the All Star Game, so the midsummer classic had more drama and intrigue. Now that we've seen mixing of the leagues, the All Star Game has lost some of its luster. Even the Yankees-Mets rivalry isn't as intense anymore. Back in the early 1980's George Steinbrenner put a halt to the annual New York Mayors Trophy game between the two teams because it was so upsetting for him to have the Yankees lose to the Mets. Today, it's just another series against another team. Ho-hum.
The All Star game began feeling more like an exhibition in 1997 when pitcher Randy Johnson let a pitch fly over Larry Walker's head, just as entertainment, since Walker had previously expressed his fear in standing in the batter's box against the hard throwing lefty.
Major league's baseball's All Star Game accelerated its downward slide due to two incidents in 2002. Outfielder Tori Hunter made a sensational catch on a fly ball hit by Barry Bonds, robbing Bonds of a home run. Bonds picked up Hunter on his way off the field, with the two laughing. That display enforced the idea that the players weren't taking the game as seriously.
Then when Bud Selig ended the game in a tie, due to both sides running out of pitchers, the All Star game was seen as somewhat of a farce. Managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly felt it was more important to get everyone on their rosters into the game - meaning winning the game was on the back burner.
Selig's lame attempt to instill some competition into the All Star game by declaring the winning league would have home field advantage in the World Series hasn't had much of an effect. Why would a player from a last place team even care about that? And, what if he was traded by the July 31 deadline to a team in the other league that had a shot at the postseason? Where would his allegiance be then?
Inter-league play has become meaningless and should be ended. For the All-Star game, give the players on the winning team a ton of money, like $300,000 each. Players on the losing team would only get $15,000. That would make them compete and take it seriously. Maybe then it would again become the Midsummer Classic.
http://www.mlb.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)