Friday, August 12, 2005

August 12, 2005:  Thoughts

Random observations since the All-Star break …Let me know what you think about my thoughts.

·       Is it always cold in Oakland?  Every time I watch an A’s home game, no matter the time of year, it looks like it’s in the high-50’s and windy.  Fans are wearing jackets and hoodies in the middle of August, while much of rest of the country is either slow-roasting in 100% humidity or baking in desert-like conditions.  I thought California was supposed to have the best weather in the country, but I guess that’s only San Diego. (Did I ever mention that I once drove in San Diego and missed the same turn three times in a row?  My Frisbee friends gave me crap about that for a long time.)

·       Speaking of San Diego, we knew this would happen eventually.  With four- and five-team divisions, we were bound to have a losing team make the playoffs someday.  I’m excited it’s happening this year.  Watching the Pads and D-Backs try to win the NL West is like watching Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson vie for “Worst Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” at the 2005 Stinkers—real nominees for a real award, by the way.  In the end, someone will win, but did they really win? 

Just like Paris won’t be attending the Stinkers to accept her award, I wonder if the Pads decide to decline their award by not showing up to play the Braves in the NLDS.  I suppose they’ll show—and understanding the Braves’ recent lack of success in the playoffs, they might win—but it would be appropriate if they declined the invite, forcing a team publicist to provide an awkward explanation.

"The San Diego Padres have informed Commissioner Selig and the Atlanta Braves that they will unfortunately be unable to attend this week’s playoffs series, which was to start in Atlanta Tuesday.  Many players and coaches have previous obligations that must take precedent.  For instance, Bruce Bochy’s daughter has an intramural volleyball game that he had previously promised her he would attend, and he’s a man of his word.  Sean Burroughs has a hair appointment with a world-class stylist that cannot be rescheduled.  Trevor Hoffman has to be home from 1-5 tomorrow because he’s having a new digital cable system installed.  They and the rest of the players and coaches regret any inconvenience this may have caused Major League Baseball, and we all look forward to watching the playoffs on FOX television.  I will not be taking questions.  Thank you.”

·       I went to a game in July at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago between the Red Sox and White Sox.  The stands were packed with fans of both teams—fully engaged in mutual heckling—and the game was terrific until Tim Wakefield gave up two three-run bombs in the sixth and the White Sox pulled away for the victory.  But I do have a few complaints about the experience.  First, is the area so dangerous that you can charge $17 for parking?  Apparently. (By the way, the photo link of U.S. Cellular is almost precisely where I sat.)

Second, I have never been in a louder stadium in my entire life.  The fans were only mildly boisterous, but the sound system was in full effect.  It was like going to a Jazz game in the mid-90’s—not that I’ve ever been to a Jazz game or even to Utah, but I recall NBC providing a decibel meter before each Delta Center playoff game.  I found myself forced to yell to my friend sitting next to me most of the time.  The PA featured garish sound effects and epic music—sponsored by XM satellite radio, as we were reminded often.  There was noise between innings, during pitching changes and, yes, even between pitches in an at bat.  I wish the White Sox would realize that the team is good enough without the bells and whistles.  Let the exciting, energetic and proficient White Sox create their own noise.

·       The Angels might be having one of those second halves.  Nothing’s going well for them.  After losing an 18-inning game in Toronto, the Angels blew consecutive four-run, eighth-inning leads in the Bronx.  And just Thursday they lost a game, after leading 4-0, when Francisco Rodriguez couldn’t catch a throw back from the catcher.  For a bullpen that is suppose to be (and has been) the strength of the Angels for three seasons, they’re not engendering much confidence right now.   Add to that Dallas McPherson and Steve Finley’s disappointing seasons, and Garret Anderson’s ancient back and the Halos may be in trouble.  The Angels surprising starting pitching is the only thing that has prevented a complete collapse.  Surely the A’s can’t play this well the rest of the season, but even if they don’t, the Angels may give away just enough games to miss out on the playoffs.  Maybe it’s the bad karma coming from the jilted Anaheimans.

·       Let me get this straight.  Within three days, I saw a player score from second on a groundball to second (Tony Graffanino against the Rangers), a player pull off the hidden ball trick (Mike Lowell against the Diamondbacks) and a pitcher fail to catch a throw back to the mound from a catcher (previously mentioned), allowing the winning run to score.  I thought the Little League World Series was later this month.

·       The Cleveland Indians are the most complete team competing for the American League wild card.  Their lineup is young and deep with Jhonny Peralta and Travis Hafner leading the way.  The starting rotation is good enough, especially now that C.C. Sabathia has started to throw pitches more accurately than he dons caps.  Cliff Lee and Kevin Millwood have been strong all season, while Jake Westbrook is the staff’s best pitcher of late.  The Tribe’s bullpen is one of the American League’s best, led by the rotund, deformed Bob Wickman.  Arthur Rhodes and Bobby Howry are effective set-up relievers, while Scott Sauerbeck is holding lefties to a .154 batting average.

The Yankees pitching is in tatters and the Angels are struggling to both score runs and hold leads.  Add to that the Indians soft remaining schedule (20 games left against Detroit, Kansas City and TampaBay), and the Indians may arrive on the playoff scene ahead of schedule.  I still think the Angels will hold them off, but I would like to see the two teams play now, instead of in April and May when the Angels won five of eight contests while the Indians’ bats had yet to return from a winter’s hibernation.

·       I must say something here about the Yankees.  Thursday night, they started Scott Proctor against John Wasdin in a game that had football score written all over it.  But no.  Proctor pitched an effective five innings and, halfway through the game, the score was merely 3-2, Yankees.  The Bombers then took a 6-2 lead after five and an 8-4 lead through six.  Surely, the worrisome innings were in the rearview mirror.  Proctor got through his five without incident and the vaunted Yankee bullpen would surely shut down Texas the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, there’s been nothing vaunted about Felix Rodriguez (1 IP, 3 ER on Thursday) this season, and Tanyon Sturtze forgot that he was vaunted, allowing a three-run, game-tying bomb to Michael Young.  The Yankees score again in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead, 9-8, setting up Tom Gordon and his track record of vaunt.  Gordon allowed a single and two walks to load the bases before the Yankees did everything but a rain dance on the infield to give Mariano Rivera enough time to get loose.  Remember, Mo pitched two innings on Wednesday and the Yankees wanted to do whatever they could to avoid using him until the ninth.  But Gordon’s wildness gave Joe Torre no choice.  Mo then went to 3-1 on David Dellucci before David popped to Jorge Posada in foul territory to escape the Gordon-created jam.  Rivera, who is still the best closer in the game—featuring mid-90’s fastballs with devastating movement—fanned a pair in the ninth to preserve the victory.

Mike Francesca—of sports talk radio and bloated stomach and ego fame—said in May that Torre only has five pitchers he trusts:  Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Mike Mussina, Rivera and Gordon.  With Johnson and Pavano’s injuries and Gordon’s struggles, that number may be down to two.  The Yankees trail the Red Sox by five games with 49 to play, and the Sox are also markedly better than the Yankees right now.  Simply put, the Yankees are going to have to either find magic or recast demons to win their 10^th straight division title.

·       A note on John “Way Back” Wasdin.  Did I ever mention that a female friend was in love with Wasdin because he “has the most beautiful eyes”?  I also had a friend who was infatuated with John Mabry—both random objects of affection, if you ask me.

·       John Smoltz gives the Braves an element this season that they haven’t had since he left the starting rotation in 2001—a power ace.  But the bullpen is still shaky and the offense slump-prone.  They better hope Jeff Francoeur continues his scorching pace because he’s their second best hitter right now (with Chipper Jones injured).  Also, there’s been nothing dominant about Tim Hudson this season.  Strange—the Braves appeared to be the perfect fit for the athletic, competitive sinkerballer.  Add all of this together and Bobby Cox likely faces more October misery.

·       On a side note…ENOUGH OF TERRELL OWENS!  ENOUGH!!  I am so tired of this guy talking and doing crunches—remarkable abs, by the way—and shooting baskets.  I’m even more tired of people talking about Terrell talking and doing crunches and shooting baskets.  SportsCenter leads every show with the latest on T.O.  No more!  I’m seriously considering boycotting the NFL until the end of baseball season.  I know it would hurt my fantasy football teams, but I think this would be the appropriate response to the insane hype that surrounds every incident in the NFL.  I probably should have deleted that last part for fear that Sean Salisbury will lecture me in determined, strenuous words using firm, emphatic bodily gestures.

·       Back to something worth writing about…The Cardinals are still the best team in baseball.  Without Reggie Sanders, Larry Walker, Scott Rolen and Yadier Molina, they have barely had a hiccough.  David Eckstein has Jeter-minus magic and there is no weakness on this club.  They have superior starting pitching, a deep bullpen, a potent offense and a plus defense.  Not even the genius, Tony LaRussa, can over-manage this team out of the World Series.

·       Buster Olney asked the question, would you rather have the Astros’ top three starting pitchers (Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte) or the Marlins’ top three (A.J. Burnett, Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett).  His response was that he’d take the Astros’ three because they have Brad Lidge to close it out.  I like Buster, but what a stupid response!  That’s like someone asking if I’d prefer the Twins or Red Sox starters and me saying I’ll take the Red Sox starters because they have a better offense.  I’ll take the Astros starters with or without Lidge because they have been more consistent than the Marlins’ three this season.  Also, all of the Astros starters have positive pressure-pitching track records, while, of the Marlins, only Beckett has been effective in the post-season—and he’s a bit of a loon, in case you haven’t noticed.

·       One more time…The Red Sox lead the Yankee by five games.