The New York Mets are staring at playing not only a meaningless September, but a meaningless August as well.
And I had no cell phone yesterday so between 5 and 8, I had no access to the news. I found out around 8:15 that three hours earlier, Mr. Full Autonomy made a trade. Ryan Church goes to Atlanta for Jeff Francoeur. First, Church. The first half of 2008 was awesome, he was arguably the Mets' best player. Then, Yunel Escobar knees him in the head and he gets his second concussion within three months. The Mets downplay the severity and promptly fly him to Colorado with the rest of the team. After he came back, he was never the same. Suffering from post-concussion syndrome, Church nonetheless was shut down for only three weeks in June. When symptoms resurfaced, Church again was shut down (this time for seven weeks) after a July 5 start in Philadelphia. He hit .219 with two homers and 13 RBI from August 22 to the close of the season, while still feeling concussion effects. The organization screwed his head up and he was never the same.
As for "Frenchy", I appear to be one of the few who does not like this trade at all. I like his outfield arm, that is a benefit. He's 25 years old, not bad. And he does not become a free agent for five years (same as Church). That's the upside. The downsides are these.
1. The reclamation project: The Mets love to get headcases or old guys and try to salvage their careers. Sheffield, Tatis, Ollie P, Kaz Ishii, Hidalgo, Derek Bell, Hershiser, on and on. If this guy could not turn it around in his hometown and in a place where no one gets booed and most of the fans don't pay much attention to the game, how can he ever handle New York City and a fanbase that has no patience?
2. Plate discipline: I cannot think of a player who has a poorer knowledge of the strike zone than this guy. The Braves could live with 132 strikeouts in 2006 and 129 in 2007 because he gave them power and production, but last year the production began to slip. They became so exasperated with his strikeouts that they sent him to the minors for a couple of weeks, a move that shocked Francoeur. He wound up hitting only .238 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI, and this year his power had fallen off more - five home runs and 35 RBI to go with a .250 average and 46 strikeouts. This season, he has walked just 12 times with 46 strikeouts. And most of all, I cannot think of a player who my father has bashed on the phone more than this guy.
3. No other choice: If anything, because of the lack of prospects in the upper levels of the Mets' farm system, it's about the only type of trade Minaya can make, major leaguer for major leaguer, gambling on unfulfilled potential.
And Frenchy would not have made a difference last night against the Cincinnati Reds. Last night, the Mets were shut out for the third time in five games and have now scored 10 runs in their last seven. That's their lowest total in any seven-game stretch since scoring nine from Sept. 16-23 in 2003. They also fell five games below .500 (40-45) for the first time since opening the 2005 season 0-5.
And last night was more of the same old, same old. Once again, the Mets make Bronson Arroyo look like Christy Matthewson, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Gibson rolled into one. A three hit, complete game shutout for a No. 3 caliber starter.
I should be numb by this point. I wish I was. I really do.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Road trip
This is the smallest keyboard I have ever used. This post is taking twice as long as normal because of the all of the editing I have to do. Well the plane ride to Newark was uneventful. This is stunning, but there were no problems. Actually, one complaint. I got the aisle seat of the first row of coach. Thus, I had a perfect view of the flight attendants catering to the first class passengers.
Then we began a two-mile drive to Pat's Steaks. And I was a little surprised how narrow and tight the streets are. Philly combines the blue collar aspect and tight feeling of Brooklyn with the close proximity of Boston. We pulled in around 9:15, and decided to pass on Geno's, which is their "rival" right across the street. Pat's gets slightly better reviews from what I have seen, so that is what I decided on. We both got steaks wit (not a type-o, that refers to fried onions), provolone, and mushrooms. Wow. Incredible meat that I could really chew into, excellent onions, and served on one of the best rolls I have ever had. If anyone knows a roll in Chicago that is that good, please let me know.
We planned to drive five hours straight west to Pittsburgh, but when we realized Lancaster wasn't far away, we headed southwest towards Amish Country. Now I started driving my car for first time just after we left Philly. The pickup is amazing and it is great to hear music out of both speakers instead of just the passenger side like I had to do. The one drawback is there is no moonroof.
But back to Amish Country. Horse and buggies, produce stands, quilt shops, everything was there. And I had to notice the intense green color of the land. It was quite a treat to see. A lot of people in the area however, are not Amish. I started wondering how well the Amish and non-Amish communicate. So anyway, I'm driving around these curvy two-lane roads and on the shoulder, horses are transporting families. At a farmer's market, I had my first taste of shoo-fly pie and it was really good. And their apple cider has the most intense apple flavor I've ever tasted. Awesome.
90 minutes later, we arrived in Pittsburgh. The city is a little bit of a tease. As we drove down 376, there were a lot of signs marking the distance to the Steel City. 15 miles, 10 miles, 5 miles. We saw nothing but hills and trees. Finally, the city appeared out of nowhere. I know they are doing a lot of renovations, but it is always going to be a blue collar town. I was a little surprised how small it seemed though. We drive by the Mellon Arena, where the Penguins play hockey. The thing looks like the globe at Epcot Center. Looks like half a golf ball was embedded in the ground. But right next door, they are constructing their new arena and it looks magnificent. But there is so little room around that arena. Less than Wrigley Field. And like coffee shops conquered Seattle and cowboy hats dominate Dallas, bridges rule Pittsburgh. There are more bridges in this city than there are traffic jams in LA. With all these rivers, there have to be a dozen bridges. We traveled over two of them and didn't have to pay for either.
We ate dinner at Nadine's from DDD. It's just this tiny neighborhood bar in a quiet section of downtown. One guy was working and he had the jobs of bartender, cook, waiter, and cashier. There was a husband and wife sitting next to us at the bar from New Jersey (of course) in town for the Mensa Convention. Pretty small menu. Thought about getting the deep fried mac and cheese or garlic-butter chicken wings. We both had Nadine's special pastas, which we saw on TV. It's got Italian meats and veggies in it and was really hearty. For two beers, two glasses of wine, and two pastas, we paid $30. Not the best meal ever, but good atmosphere and value. Felt like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately, I found out in that bar that Steve McNair was killed. What a shame.
By this time, we were wearing down. We drove another hour to Youngstown, OH where we got the last room at the Fairfield Inn around 7 p.m. This may be the only hotel I have ever seen with a pool and no gym. Anyway, Akron, Canton, Cleveland are all options for Sunday morning. And Pastor Ortberg will be keeping us company.
Dad picked Mom and I up and we headed west in his car, the 4-door silver 2006 Honda Accord, soon to be mine, to Bridgewater Honda. Of course, it was my job to find a lunch spot on Rt. 22. We were driving in the left lane on the four lane road and I looked to my right. There was a strip mall up a hill and just off the road, I saw the signs for the stores. One said "Five Guys." I suddenly remembered Barack Obama ate at this burgers and fries joint in Washington D.C. I had no clue it was in Jersey as well. I told Dad to shift across two lanes and make a right turn up into the mall. Took about 20 seconds, but we made it. Incredibly juicy burgers and the fries are as fresh as can be. Great grease.
Next door was Toys R Us and we brought Sequence and Rummikub. And then to the dealership where Dad picked up his newest leased Honda. He drove to his place while Mom and I drove by our old house. The conditions of that neighborhood used to be so-so. Now they are just horrific. Several houses on our street have Christmas lights hanging. Plenty of litter. The lawns have not been mowed in maybe 3 or 4 years. But the best part was when we drove by the main street and saw what we thought were a pair of roosters in the street. On our way back through the main road of the complex, we realized they were actually two vultures eating a carcass. I was ready to throw up. Thank God I am out of there.
For dinner, we drove up towards the Meadowlands to Jerry's, a great Italian joint we had not been to in maybe ten years. On the way, we saw the new football stadium which is being built. Right next to that is the disastrous Xanadu project, which is no longer being built. The outdoor ski jump which will never be used looks like the old Partridge Family bus. Any eyesore of the highest level. Anyway, we split a few dishes and the chicken scarpariello with sausage, potatoes, and roasted peppers was incredible. Unfortunately, the portions are so large, I had to throw out half of my rigatoni and sausage. Not a pleasant experience. But Dad can't eat cheese, so....
Got on the road around 7:30 a.m. As we entered the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I was struck by the green trees lining the roads and the hilly terrains. Northeast Philly reminded me of Brooklyn with the parks and the brick flats. Our first stop was a little personal for me. Swanson and Ritner on the southeast side. Formerly a bingo hall, formerly the ECW arena, and currently the Philly homes of ROH and CZW. This dilapidated barn is attached to a $25.00 sneaker outlet. There are barely any parking spaces to speak of, it is in the middle of a lot of industrial sites, the roads are not marked at all, and we had to drive through a couple of rain puddles on Swanson. The catch? There hasn't been any rain in PA in several days. But it was a thrill to see the Arena as it known now. So many legendary moments in that little place and I hope many more good ones down the road.Then we began a two-mile drive to Pat's Steaks. And I was a little surprised how narrow and tight the streets are. Philly combines the blue collar aspect and tight feeling of Brooklyn with the close proximity of Boston. We pulled in around 9:15, and decided to pass on Geno's, which is their "rival" right across the street. Pat's gets slightly better reviews from what I have seen, so that is what I decided on. We both got steaks wit (not a type-o, that refers to fried onions), provolone, and mushrooms. Wow. Incredible meat that I could really chew into, excellent onions, and served on one of the best rolls I have ever had. If anyone knows a roll in Chicago that is that good, please let me know.
We planned to drive five hours straight west to Pittsburgh, but when we realized Lancaster wasn't far away, we headed southwest towards Amish Country. Now I started driving my car for first time just after we left Philly. The pickup is amazing and it is great to hear music out of both speakers instead of just the passenger side like I had to do. The one drawback is there is no moonroof.
But back to Amish Country. Horse and buggies, produce stands, quilt shops, everything was there. And I had to notice the intense green color of the land. It was quite a treat to see. A lot of people in the area however, are not Amish. I started wondering how well the Amish and non-Amish communicate. So anyway, I'm driving around these curvy two-lane roads and on the shoulder, horses are transporting families. At a farmer's market, I had my first taste of shoo-fly pie and it was really good. And their apple cider has the most intense apple flavor I've ever tasted. Awesome.
The two big Amish towns there are named Bird in Hand and Intercourse. I am not making up. It took a long time to get there, but I did finally get to Intercourse. What did I think of Intercourse? It was as beautiful as I imagined it would be, but it was over really quickly. 30 seconds and I had already passed it by. That was it!
After getting past Harrisburg, we checked our atlas. And we discovered that the memorial for Flight 93 was located in rural southwest Pennsylvania. Since it was July 4, we knew it was a great day to head up there. One hour and a ton of backroads later, we found a small, simple outdoor tribute site in a huge grass field elevated in the Appalachians. There were very few trees nearby which indicated to me that the passengers must have gained most of the control of that fateful flight on September 11. Otherwise, how would it have landed in a field with so few houses or businesses around? There were benches and crosses for each person on the plane as well as numerous dedications. I'm glad I got up there to pay my respects. And can NYC get going on their memorial already?90 minutes later, we arrived in Pittsburgh. The city is a little bit of a tease. As we drove down 376, there were a lot of signs marking the distance to the Steel City. 15 miles, 10 miles, 5 miles. We saw nothing but hills and trees. Finally, the city appeared out of nowhere. I know they are doing a lot of renovations, but it is always going to be a blue collar town. I was a little surprised how small it seemed though. We drive by the Mellon Arena, where the Penguins play hockey. The thing looks like the globe at Epcot Center. Looks like half a golf ball was embedded in the ground. But right next door, they are constructing their new arena and it looks magnificent. But there is so little room around that arena. Less than Wrigley Field. And like coffee shops conquered Seattle and cowboy hats dominate Dallas, bridges rule Pittsburgh. There are more bridges in this city than there are traffic jams in LA. With all these rivers, there have to be a dozen bridges. We traveled over two of them and didn't have to pay for either.
We ate dinner at Nadine's from DDD. It's just this tiny neighborhood bar in a quiet section of downtown. One guy was working and he had the jobs of bartender, cook, waiter, and cashier. There was a husband and wife sitting next to us at the bar from New Jersey (of course) in town for the Mensa Convention. Pretty small menu. Thought about getting the deep fried mac and cheese or garlic-butter chicken wings. We both had Nadine's special pastas, which we saw on TV. It's got Italian meats and veggies in it and was really hearty. For two beers, two glasses of wine, and two pastas, we paid $30. Not the best meal ever, but good atmosphere and value. Felt like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately, I found out in that bar that Steve McNair was killed. What a shame.
By this time, we were wearing down. We drove another hour to Youngstown, OH where we got the last room at the Fairfield Inn around 7 p.m. This may be the only hotel I have ever seen with a pool and no gym. Anyway, Akron, Canton, Cleveland are all options for Sunday morning. And Pastor Ortberg will be keeping us company.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
NY: 6/21 & 6/22
1) Thank goodness for Ipods. Since I couldn't get to church, I listened to an Ortberg sermon on Saturday night. So the next morning, Dad and I played some Rummikub, then watched ROH Take No Prisoners. The Austin Aries/Nakajima vs. Tyler Black/KENTA match was remarkable. I also like this Alex Kozlov, who had a really good match with Roderick Strong.
2) We took the train into the city for Ben and Jack's. Now in Penn Station, which is right below Madison Square Garden, there are not many TV's or places to stay informed about whatever was going on. There was, however, an overpriced Houlihan's that we visited a lot. Well, now it's closed. And replacing it? Friday's. And they already have a Friday's on the other side of the station. Embarrassing. Instead, we went into Tracks, a clam bar for a drink. Saw the Mets give up a few runs too.
3) We walked into the restaurant and the waiter was quickly annoyed when we refused the wine list and Dad explained he could not eat any butter. Already on the table was their steak sauce, which is lighter than an A1. It is a brighter red, and does not have as bold a flavor. It's closer in flavor to a spicy cocktail sauce. We started with the jumbo crabmeat cocktail and one slice each of sizzling Canadian bacon. This is very large, thick bacon that we went a little too heavy on last time. The crab was so fresh and the bacon flavor was incredibly bright, especially dipped in the sauce. After some more waiting, which Dad was not at all keen on, they brought out a small plate they turned upside down. Then came two large hot dinner plates that had just come out of the oven. Then the T-bone steak for two, German potatoes/onions, and sauteed spinach with roasted garlic. They rested the steak plate on the small plate on an angle, allowing the steak juice to collect at the bottom. Thankfully, I had a side of drawn butter and the steak sauce to go with it. Wow. Just wow. But by the end, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable. And I had made sure to skip breakfast that morning as well. But, I still had some cheesecake with homemade schlag, or German whipped cream. Awesome. And Dad had his macadamia nut ice cream from Haagen Dasz. He did not know they still made that flavor. Did what I could to calm him down.
4) The 20 or so minute walk back to Penn Station was needed. And I saw a ton of Mets fans in there and they all wore the same sullen, blank expression on their face that I and so many others had worn the day before. Another loss. Back home we went. More Rummikub and Boomer and Carton clips. As big a douche as Carton can be, hearing him impersonate Suzyn Waldman and Chris Russo is outstanding.
5) For Monday, I planned to take the 10:30 flight from Newark, the second of five flights from Newark to O'Hare. There was no line to check in or at security so I went through the terminal feeling pretty relaxed. Then I saw how full the seating area was and I knew something was wrong. Apparently, the 6:30 am flight never took off. They put everyone on the plane, discovered an A/C problem, and took everyone off. So all those people were now on the 10:30 flight. And for the standby passengers like me, well, unless that plane could get fixed, we were screwed. As expected, I missed the next flight. As the plane was being fixed, the third flight to Chicago as boarding as well. But I could not get on that one, since I was on the list for the first flight. I got on. We boarded, and the pilot backed away from the jetway and headed toward the runway.
6) Then we stopped. After ten minutes, he comes on and says the problem still was not fixed. We headed back to the gate and got off. We started to re-book and the news tricked through the line of 150 or so people (I was at the end) that the fight was cancelled. So now there are four flights. And the 3:30 was filled up quickly with confirmed passengers who had to re-book. So it's 2:30 and I knew I had one more flight left from Newark. If that's not enough, my cell phone quit working. Dad had changed his phone and had a new charger and I could no longer use his. After consulting with a gate agent I knew, we discovered I might have a better chance in LaGuardia. There were hourly flights, but early in the day, they all looked full. But that was the only way I was getting out of New York that day. After five hours and four failed flights, I decided to leave Newark.
7) I ran through the terminal and then downstairs to ground transportation. Rodney, the very slick , slow-moving dude behind the counter, arranged me to take a shuttle to LGA for $32. He advised me to get a cab to get there quicker, but that would have cost close to $100. We confirmed it at 2:45 and the shuttle was supposed to arrive at 3:30. Now I had been told that these shuttles left every 30 minutes and cost $22. But I was in no mood to argue, just to travel. I really had little confidence that they would arrive promptly. But the guy did ok, he arrived at 3:40 and took me to his van. My flight I wanted was at 5 p.m. with the next one leaving at 6:15. We sat in the van for five minutes while he ate Chinese food. I wanted to tell him to haul ass, but he explained he wanted to wait for any more possible passengers. Five minutes later, nobody else had showed. We left for NYC.
8) The Holland Tunnel was clear, and then he drove up Canal St and through Chinatown, which is on the West Side of Manhattan. This is during rush hour. Simply put, the traffic picked up. Took the Manhattan Bridge to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway which moved around 10 MPH. I actually fell asleep in the van. We wound up arriving right at 5 p.m. I knew I was not making the flight I wanted and I could only get the 6:15. First I stopped at Famiglia to get some pizza because I hadn't eaten all day. Told the guy about my day and he actually gave me a discount. I don't know how big it was, but he said he had given me one. I just took him at his word.
9) Got to the gate around 5:45 and took a look at the standby list. My mouth dropped. The list was 65 people long. And since it uses abbreviated names, I didn't know if I was number 21 or 40! Eventually, I was called and got a seat in the last row. Took eight hours, and a different airport, but I got out. I wound up sitting right next to a pair of Mets fans who were on their way to Iowa. And I had a Mets hat on and before we took off, the flight attendant (female, around 50, definitely from the northeast) asked me who my favorite Yankee was. Wasn't sure the best way to answer that question, but I asked her if she knew I was wearing a Mets hat. She didn't have a clue. That's fair, but nevertheless, I answered Matt Nokes. I actually got that blue hat at the game, as it was the promotion item. Of course, I didn't expect to walk out with three of them. Funny thing is on the plane, I read an article in American Way on Billy Mays, the outgoing salesman. It was about his history, his place in pop culture, and his plans for the future. How could I know he would be dead just six days later?
10) Got in to O'Hare around 8:30 p.m. My bag was already gone, so I claimed it at lost luggage. I started to take it, so I lifted it onto my right shoulder. The little girl working there asked me to stop. She removed two tags, or she struggled to remove two tags off the bag, while I was still holding it. Not very enjoyable. Waited 45 minutes outside in heat (I was amazed when I walked outside that it was actually warm) for Mom to arrive and we headed home, which took another 45 or so. Quick stop at St. Charles Place for a half-price burger. I had one with sauteed mushrooms, cognac sauce, and Caesar salad (no joke) served on French bread along with about four iced teas. So I guess I got home around 10:30. I knew I would have to wake up for work in less than eight hours.
2) We took the train into the city for Ben and Jack's. Now in Penn Station, which is right below Madison Square Garden, there are not many TV's or places to stay informed about whatever was going on. There was, however, an overpriced Houlihan's that we visited a lot. Well, now it's closed. And replacing it? Friday's. And they already have a Friday's on the other side of the station. Embarrassing. Instead, we went into Tracks, a clam bar for a drink. Saw the Mets give up a few runs too.
3) We walked into the restaurant and the waiter was quickly annoyed when we refused the wine list and Dad explained he could not eat any butter. Already on the table was their steak sauce, which is lighter than an A1. It is a brighter red, and does not have as bold a flavor. It's closer in flavor to a spicy cocktail sauce. We started with the jumbo crabmeat cocktail and one slice each of sizzling Canadian bacon. This is very large, thick bacon that we went a little too heavy on last time. The crab was so fresh and the bacon flavor was incredibly bright, especially dipped in the sauce. After some more waiting, which Dad was not at all keen on, they brought out a small plate they turned upside down. Then came two large hot dinner plates that had just come out of the oven. Then the T-bone steak for two, German potatoes/onions, and sauteed spinach with roasted garlic. They rested the steak plate on the small plate on an angle, allowing the steak juice to collect at the bottom. Thankfully, I had a side of drawn butter and the steak sauce to go with it. Wow. Just wow. But by the end, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable. And I had made sure to skip breakfast that morning as well. But, I still had some cheesecake with homemade schlag, or German whipped cream. Awesome. And Dad had his macadamia nut ice cream from Haagen Dasz. He did not know they still made that flavor. Did what I could to calm him down.
4) The 20 or so minute walk back to Penn Station was needed. And I saw a ton of Mets fans in there and they all wore the same sullen, blank expression on their face that I and so many others had worn the day before. Another loss. Back home we went. More Rummikub and Boomer and Carton clips. As big a douche as Carton can be, hearing him impersonate Suzyn Waldman and Chris Russo is outstanding.
5) For Monday, I planned to take the 10:30 flight from Newark, the second of five flights from Newark to O'Hare. There was no line to check in or at security so I went through the terminal feeling pretty relaxed. Then I saw how full the seating area was and I knew something was wrong. Apparently, the 6:30 am flight never took off. They put everyone on the plane, discovered an A/C problem, and took everyone off. So all those people were now on the 10:30 flight. And for the standby passengers like me, well, unless that plane could get fixed, we were screwed. As expected, I missed the next flight. As the plane was being fixed, the third flight to Chicago as boarding as well. But I could not get on that one, since I was on the list for the first flight. I got on. We boarded, and the pilot backed away from the jetway and headed toward the runway.
6) Then we stopped. After ten minutes, he comes on and says the problem still was not fixed. We headed back to the gate and got off. We started to re-book and the news tricked through the line of 150 or so people (I was at the end) that the fight was cancelled. So now there are four flights. And the 3:30 was filled up quickly with confirmed passengers who had to re-book. So it's 2:30 and I knew I had one more flight left from Newark. If that's not enough, my cell phone quit working. Dad had changed his phone and had a new charger and I could no longer use his. After consulting with a gate agent I knew, we discovered I might have a better chance in LaGuardia. There were hourly flights, but early in the day, they all looked full. But that was the only way I was getting out of New York that day. After five hours and four failed flights, I decided to leave Newark.
7) I ran through the terminal and then downstairs to ground transportation. Rodney, the very slick , slow-moving dude behind the counter, arranged me to take a shuttle to LGA for $32. He advised me to get a cab to get there quicker, but that would have cost close to $100. We confirmed it at 2:45 and the shuttle was supposed to arrive at 3:30. Now I had been told that these shuttles left every 30 minutes and cost $22. But I was in no mood to argue, just to travel. I really had little confidence that they would arrive promptly. But the guy did ok, he arrived at 3:40 and took me to his van. My flight I wanted was at 5 p.m. with the next one leaving at 6:15. We sat in the van for five minutes while he ate Chinese food. I wanted to tell him to haul ass, but he explained he wanted to wait for any more possible passengers. Five minutes later, nobody else had showed. We left for NYC.
8) The Holland Tunnel was clear, and then he drove up Canal St and through Chinatown, which is on the West Side of Manhattan. This is during rush hour. Simply put, the traffic picked up. Took the Manhattan Bridge to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway which moved around 10 MPH. I actually fell asleep in the van. We wound up arriving right at 5 p.m. I knew I was not making the flight I wanted and I could only get the 6:15. First I stopped at Famiglia to get some pizza because I hadn't eaten all day. Told the guy about my day and he actually gave me a discount. I don't know how big it was, but he said he had given me one. I just took him at his word.
9) Got to the gate around 5:45 and took a look at the standby list. My mouth dropped. The list was 65 people long. And since it uses abbreviated names, I didn't know if I was number 21 or 40! Eventually, I was called and got a seat in the last row. Took eight hours, and a different airport, but I got out. I wound up sitting right next to a pair of Mets fans who were on their way to Iowa. And I had a Mets hat on and before we took off, the flight attendant (female, around 50, definitely from the northeast) asked me who my favorite Yankee was. Wasn't sure the best way to answer that question, but I asked her if she knew I was wearing a Mets hat. She didn't have a clue. That's fair, but nevertheless, I answered Matt Nokes. I actually got that blue hat at the game, as it was the promotion item. Of course, I didn't expect to walk out with three of them. Funny thing is on the plane, I read an article in American Way on Billy Mays, the outgoing salesman. It was about his history, his place in pop culture, and his plans for the future. How could I know he would be dead just six days later?
10) Got in to O'Hare around 8:30 p.m. My bag was already gone, so I claimed it at lost luggage. I started to take it, so I lifted it onto my right shoulder. The little girl working there asked me to stop. She removed two tags, or she struggled to remove two tags off the bag, while I was still holding it. Not very enjoyable. Waited 45 minutes outside in heat (I was amazed when I walked outside that it was actually warm) for Mom to arrive and we headed home, which took another 45 or so. Quick stop at St. Charles Place for a half-price burger. I had one with sauteed mushrooms, cognac sauce, and Caesar salad (no joke) served on French bread along with about four iced teas. So I guess I got home around 10:30. I knew I would have to wake up for work in less than eight hours.
NY 6/20
For some reason, June has never been my favorite month. Can't really think of a good reason why. Just a decision I made when I was a kid. When I was a kid. The key word there is "was." My parents would benefit from understanding that. My goal is to keep their time with me this weekend as brief as possible. Anyway, let's look back at June. Plenty has happened, some good, some bad.
1) Blues on the Fox. I left work at 5 on Friday and drove down 59 to Aurora, which is about 45 minutes without traffic. This time, it took me an hour and ten minutes. The skies were very gray, but we were holding out hope that the rain would pass through and we could enjoy the music. No such luck. The festival was cancelled at 6:15 as was Naper Days and the Elgin Beerfest. So I drove to Real Time in a monsoon, in a Honda, in a rush, so I could watch the Mets. And it turned out well, they beat Tampa. Went home, packed, and got ready for my 6:30 flight the next morning.
2) I only made the flight to Newark because I dressed nice. That got me into first class, arrived right on time. After getting to Dad's place, we headed out to Citi Field. Skies were gray in New York too. One of my favorite parts of the new ballpark is they marked home plate, the pitcher's mound, and the other three bases in the parking lot. Thought of the guys who established the Mets franchise: Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Agee, Cleon, Kranepool. My heroes when I was just learning the game: Darryl, Doc, Keith, Gary, Coney. My guys as grew up and learned the game: My twin Piazza, Hundley, Fonzie, Benny, Leiter, Reed. The new era: Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Johan.
3) We stood outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and thankfully, Dad and I were able to shelter ourselves from the buckets of water that were falling from the dark gray sky. Nef showed up about an hour before game time and we headed in. We all walked around the field level concourse. It's amazing how much wider they are compared to Shea Stadium. The space behind center field is awesome. Shake Shack, Blue Smoque BBQ, Box Frites, Carrascino's pizza, Big Apple Brews, El Verano Taqueria, Kid's games, the dunk tank, the team store marketed specifically to kids. Nef and I kept going until we got to Fares of the City around right field. I walked through the glass doors and inside to my left was the sushi. This is not Seattle. Moving on, to my right was Mama's of Corona. I had to have my Mama's Special, which simply cannot be found in Chicago. Semolina bread stuffed with salami, peppered ham, and homemade mozzarella with side of marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Incredible. Meanwhile, Dad was salivating over Shake Shack. Nef settled for tiramisu.
4) The tarp was already covering the infield when we arrived. Can they put a Mets logo on it? It's just plain white. God knows they can afford it. The game started basically on time and the less said the better. The Mets showed offense in exactly one inning, where they scored twice. There was also a 90-minute rain delay that we somehow chose to stick through. It was actually good there was a delay. Because when they game is delayed, the home run apple emerges in center field. And it was obvious that was the only way we were going to see it rise that day. Eventually, I made my way to the taqueria. I got a three taco combo platter with a steak, pork, and chicken taco and a local Brooklyn beer. Awesome stuff. And good job with the lime wedge for the tacos.
5) A few things I noticed. These are the complaints: It is sick how many suites are in this park. Sitting in the left field stands, we could not see the out-of-town scoreboard. And it bothers me that every weekend summer home game is priced in the Gold level. So during the time that it is most convenient for families to go to the ball park, that's the time that tickets are most expensive. And with 15,000 fewer seats than there were in Shea, that makes the situation even worse. That said, if you can get in, it is very fan friendly. Every seat is two inches wider than it was in Shea and they all have cupholders. Plenty of bathrooms, consessions and shops, great audio systems.
6) I missed the old Home Run apple and taking my picture with the big blue 42 in the background. And amongst all the bricks on the fanwalk in front of the park, I could not locate the Benigno brick.
1) Blues on the Fox. I left work at 5 on Friday and drove down 59 to Aurora, which is about 45 minutes without traffic. This time, it took me an hour and ten minutes. The skies were very gray, but we were holding out hope that the rain would pass through and we could enjoy the music. No such luck. The festival was cancelled at 6:15 as was Naper Days and the Elgin Beerfest. So I drove to Real Time in a monsoon, in a Honda, in a rush, so I could watch the Mets. And it turned out well, they beat Tampa. Went home, packed, and got ready for my 6:30 flight the next morning.
2) I only made the flight to Newark because I dressed nice. That got me into first class, arrived right on time. After getting to Dad's place, we headed out to Citi Field. Skies were gray in New York too. One of my favorite parts of the new ballpark is they marked home plate, the pitcher's mound, and the other three bases in the parking lot. Thought of the guys who established the Mets franchise: Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Agee, Cleon, Kranepool. My heroes when I was just learning the game: Darryl, Doc, Keith, Gary, Coney. My guys as grew up and learned the game: My twin Piazza, Hundley, Fonzie, Benny, Leiter, Reed. The new era: Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Johan.
3) We stood outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and thankfully, Dad and I were able to shelter ourselves from the buckets of water that were falling from the dark gray sky. Nef showed up about an hour before game time and we headed in. We all walked around the field level concourse. It's amazing how much wider they are compared to Shea Stadium. The space behind center field is awesome. Shake Shack, Blue Smoque BBQ, Box Frites, Carrascino's pizza, Big Apple Brews, El Verano Taqueria, Kid's games, the dunk tank, the team store marketed specifically to kids. Nef and I kept going until we got to Fares of the City around right field. I walked through the glass doors and inside to my left was the sushi. This is not Seattle. Moving on, to my right was Mama's of Corona. I had to have my Mama's Special, which simply cannot be found in Chicago. Semolina bread stuffed with salami, peppered ham, and homemade mozzarella with side of marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Incredible. Meanwhile, Dad was salivating over Shake Shack. Nef settled for tiramisu.
4) The tarp was already covering the infield when we arrived. Can they put a Mets logo on it? It's just plain white. God knows they can afford it. The game started basically on time and the less said the better. The Mets showed offense in exactly one inning, where they scored twice. There was also a 90-minute rain delay that we somehow chose to stick through. It was actually good there was a delay. Because when they game is delayed, the home run apple emerges in center field. And it was obvious that was the only way we were going to see it rise that day. Eventually, I made my way to the taqueria. I got a three taco combo platter with a steak, pork, and chicken taco and a local Brooklyn beer. Awesome stuff. And good job with the lime wedge for the tacos.
5) A few things I noticed. These are the complaints: It is sick how many suites are in this park. Sitting in the left field stands, we could not see the out-of-town scoreboard. And it bothers me that every weekend summer home game is priced in the Gold level. So during the time that it is most convenient for families to go to the ball park, that's the time that tickets are most expensive. And with 15,000 fewer seats than there were in Shea, that makes the situation even worse. That said, if you can get in, it is very fan friendly. Every seat is two inches wider than it was in Shea and they all have cupholders. Plenty of bathrooms, consessions and shops, great audio systems.
6) I missed the old Home Run apple and taking my picture with the big blue 42 in the background. And amongst all the bricks on the fanwalk in front of the park, I could not locate the Benigno brick.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fatalistic
I believe that up until late last year I did not have a fatalistic view of the New York Mets. I was not waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, I was not anticipating nervously that something would go wrong, even though the worst was always in the back of my mind. That started to change late last year when the bullpen blew game after game after game. And now this year. This is as bad a fundamental team I have seen since my little league team, the Astros, in 1988. Whether it is missing bases, getting thrown out on the bases, dropping fly balls...
In the second inning of this game in the new Yankee Stadium last night, the Mets get a gift when Joba Chamberlain cannot locate his fastball and walks in two runs in one inning. Three walks and two HBP's. 2-1 Mets. Now I know that in this bandbox of a new park the Yankees play in, no lead is safe. After Teixeira put the Bombers on top with a two-run blast, Ryan Church doubles in a run and Gary Sheffield drills a three-run blast. Fifth inning: Jeter his a home run to right that would not have reached the warning track at Citi Field. Sixth inning. Godzilla give the Yankees the lead with a three-run homer to right. I was upset, but I still felt the Mets could win.
Seventh inning: Runners at second and third, no one out for the Mets. This is the at-bat that no one is giving attention to. Fernando Tatis pinch hits. Facing a lefty, Phil Coke. Ground ball, Double play, run scores. Mets tie it, but any chance for a big inning is gone. Sean Green fights through the seventh inning, but the score remains tied at 7-7.
Eighth inning: Phil Coke gets the first two out and Joe Girardi brings in Mariano in a tie game. Strange move, but I was fine with it. Beltran walks and Wright doubles him home and I am going nuts. The Red Sox are leading the Phillies at this point and although I am trying to just look at the wild card standings, I was pumped. Even better, Green and Feliciano get the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Ninth inning: Mets do nothing against Rivera. Bottom of the ninth, in comes the great K-Rod. Brett Gardner pops up, and after a long at-bat, Jeter singles. I wasn't too worried, although I knew a home run would end the game. Then Johnny Damon pinch hits for Nick Swisher. After what seemed like 15 pitches, Damon strikes out but Jeter steals second. K-Rod wants no part of Teixeira and walks him, which is fine. Up comes A-Rod. The great hitter who is as unclutch as any, so they say. With a 3-1 count, he pops the ball up to shallow right field. Out goes Luis Castillo and as he is shuffling back, his legs are shaking. I knew he was under the ball, but I dreaded that he might not be able to see it. And he drops the ball, two runs score. Yankees win, theeeeeeeeee Yankees win.
This is Francisco Rodriguez' first blown save as a Met and he absolutely did not deserve it. The bottom line is this. Championship caliber teams do not lose these types of games and do not make these fundamental mistakes on a day in, day out basis. This team needs to shake something up. I don't know if it's coaching or a trade, but this team will not take me and my fellow Mets fans to the promise land. At best, they will compete for the wild card. There is no way they are catching Philadelphia.
And who do we send to the mound today? The immortal Fernando Nieve. Wake me up when the Mets have a lead in that game today.
In the second inning of this game in the new Yankee Stadium last night, the Mets get a gift when Joba Chamberlain cannot locate his fastball and walks in two runs in one inning. Three walks and two HBP's. 2-1 Mets. Now I know that in this bandbox of a new park the Yankees play in, no lead is safe. After Teixeira put the Bombers on top with a two-run blast, Ryan Church doubles in a run and Gary Sheffield drills a three-run blast. Fifth inning: Jeter his a home run to right that would not have reached the warning track at Citi Field. Sixth inning. Godzilla give the Yankees the lead with a three-run homer to right. I was upset, but I still felt the Mets could win.
Seventh inning: Runners at second and third, no one out for the Mets. This is the at-bat that no one is giving attention to. Fernando Tatis pinch hits. Facing a lefty, Phil Coke. Ground ball, Double play, run scores. Mets tie it, but any chance for a big inning is gone. Sean Green fights through the seventh inning, but the score remains tied at 7-7.
Eighth inning: Phil Coke gets the first two out and Joe Girardi brings in Mariano in a tie game. Strange move, but I was fine with it. Beltran walks and Wright doubles him home and I am going nuts. The Red Sox are leading the Phillies at this point and although I am trying to just look at the wild card standings, I was pumped. Even better, Green and Feliciano get the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Ninth inning: Mets do nothing against Rivera. Bottom of the ninth, in comes the great K-Rod. Brett Gardner pops up, and after a long at-bat, Jeter singles. I wasn't too worried, although I knew a home run would end the game. Then Johnny Damon pinch hits for Nick Swisher. After what seemed like 15 pitches, Damon strikes out but Jeter steals second. K-Rod wants no part of Teixeira and walks him, which is fine. Up comes A-Rod. The great hitter who is as unclutch as any, so they say. With a 3-1 count, he pops the ball up to shallow right field. Out goes Luis Castillo and as he is shuffling back, his legs are shaking. I knew he was under the ball, but I dreaded that he might not be able to see it. And he drops the ball, two runs score. Yankees win, theeeeeeeeee Yankees win.
This is Francisco Rodriguez' first blown save as a Met and he absolutely did not deserve it. The bottom line is this. Championship caliber teams do not lose these types of games and do not make these fundamental mistakes on a day in, day out basis. This team needs to shake something up. I don't know if it's coaching or a trade, but this team will not take me and my fellow Mets fans to the promise land. At best, they will compete for the wild card. There is no way they are catching Philadelphia.
And who do we send to the mound today? The immortal Fernando Nieve. Wake me up when the Mets have a lead in that game today.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I hate this
I have been rooting for the rotting New York Mets for 21 years. I have in essence based my life around them at times. And yet they still continue raise my expectations every year only to stab me in the heart every single year.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Inside and outside the jury room
1) I learned if you take an express train during rush hour, you have to be really careful to board the train that actually stops where your car is parked.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
Want to say it, but I won't. It's complaint time
1. As great as last night's win over Philthy was, this 5-4 11-inning loss was horrible. This offense scored four runs in five innings against Hamels and does nothing over the next six against the bullpen. I want to press the panic button right now, but won't just yet only because there is one more game tomorrow. Oh that's right. We have to count on Tim Redding to beat Utley, Victorino, Howard, Rollins, Ibanez, and that bastard Jayson Werth. And then the three games in Yankee Stadium. Great.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Five lines
1) Jonathan Papelbon. He's human after all... And oh, all those Metropolitan fans in Fenway Park. Who would have believed it?
2) Lost a disc in the woods today. To say the least, I am not pleased. The problem I have with Campton Hills is the tee boxes are so rocky and uneven, it is really difficult for me to execute my crossover X-step that I like to do when I throw since it involves several steps. So I played two rounds with that disc and now it is gone.
3) I started flipping through some of the pages of Emeril's grilling cookbook. This is going to be outstanding.
4) I forgot how much fun a pillow fight could be.
5) The danger of human beings on autopilot. I see a few people who, metaphorically speaking, are flying a plane and are headed straight for a crash landing. The warning signs are vivid. The fuel is leaking, the landing gear is not going down, maybe the control tower is empty. Yet, they ignore these ominous signs, completely expecting a smooth landing on a freshly-paved runway. Though it may seem scary to actually look and be real, it would be smart to pay a little bit of attention.
Song pick: "Addicted" Dan Seals- Very well written and very deep.
2) Lost a disc in the woods today. To say the least, I am not pleased. The problem I have with Campton Hills is the tee boxes are so rocky and uneven, it is really difficult for me to execute my crossover X-step that I like to do when I throw since it involves several steps. So I played two rounds with that disc and now it is gone.
3) I started flipping through some of the pages of Emeril's grilling cookbook. This is going to be outstanding.
4) I forgot how much fun a pillow fight could be.
5) The danger of human beings on autopilot. I see a few people who, metaphorically speaking, are flying a plane and are headed straight for a crash landing. The warning signs are vivid. The fuel is leaking, the landing gear is not going down, maybe the control tower is empty. Yet, they ignore these ominous signs, completely expecting a smooth landing on a freshly-paved runway. Though it may seem scary to actually look and be real, it would be smart to pay a little bit of attention.
Song pick: "Addicted" Dan Seals- Very well written and very deep.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Six more
Been a while since we've knocked out two posts in a week.
1) I can't say how I knew, but I was really confident that Brian's surgery on Thursday to remove the three smaller tumors would go well. Maybe it's because the last surgery went well, maybe God kind of gave me a clue, I don't know. I just knew it. But it was something about actually hearing the news that the doctors are 99% sure the cancer is completely removed. It made it real. It made it official.
2) Had dinner at Outback on a Thursday. Then on a Friday, I turn on the Food Network and Unwrapped is about starters and appetizers. And they profiled the conception, the creation, and consumption of the Bloomin' Onion. Hellooooooooo! OK, enough alliteration.
3) Something bothered me when I was flipping through the dials. Nothing against Happy Gilmore. I enjoyed the film. But it is on AMC tonight? Am I supposed to think of this film that is best remembered for a brawl between Adam Sandler and Bob Barker as a classic?
Put it this way. Which one of these movies does not belong here?
A The Godfather
B Gone With the Wind
C Citizen Kane
D Happy Gilmore
4) Citi Field tickets have arrived. One month away! Maybe there will be some Mets history on display by then. The fact that the Texas Rangers, not exactly a storied franchise, have a museum at their ball park when they have NOTHING in their whole history to celebrate and the Mets bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers and ignore their won history as well as the New York Giants makes me want to run my head into a wall.
5) Another TV complaint. CMT's I loved VH1, GAC, CMT and those channels in high school and to a lesser extent in college. But the music shows are essentially eradicated from the lineups. Case in point. Here is the Saturday PM lineup for CMT, the classic country music network along wth TNN.
1-2 Nanny 911
2-3 World's Strictest Parents
3-5 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
5-7 Captain Ron
7-1 am Repeat as above.
Exactly what in the world does any of this have to do with country music?
6) Had to save it for last. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that it will give “free prescription drugs - including its anti-impotence drug, Viagra, to people who no longer have jobs and health insurance.” How's that for a stimulus package?
Song pick: "I Walk Alone" Marty Robbins. Especially that last note. That is music.
1) I can't say how I knew, but I was really confident that Brian's surgery on Thursday to remove the three smaller tumors would go well. Maybe it's because the last surgery went well, maybe God kind of gave me a clue, I don't know. I just knew it. But it was something about actually hearing the news that the doctors are 99% sure the cancer is completely removed. It made it real. It made it official.
2) Had dinner at Outback on a Thursday. Then on a Friday, I turn on the Food Network and Unwrapped is about starters and appetizers. And they profiled the conception, the creation, and consumption of the Bloomin' Onion. Hellooooooooo! OK, enough alliteration.
3) Something bothered me when I was flipping through the dials. Nothing against Happy Gilmore. I enjoyed the film. But it is on AMC tonight? Am I supposed to think of this film that is best remembered for a brawl between Adam Sandler and Bob Barker as a classic?
Put it this way. Which one of these movies does not belong here?
A The Godfather
B Gone With the Wind
C Citizen Kane
D Happy Gilmore
4) Citi Field tickets have arrived. One month away! Maybe there will be some Mets history on display by then. The fact that the Texas Rangers, not exactly a storied franchise, have a museum at their ball park when they have NOTHING in their whole history to celebrate and the Mets bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers and ignore their won history as well as the New York Giants makes me want to run my head into a wall.
5) Another TV complaint. CMT's I loved VH1, GAC, CMT and those channels in high school and to a lesser extent in college. But the music shows are essentially eradicated from the lineups. Case in point. Here is the Saturday PM lineup for CMT, the classic country music network along wth TNN.
1-2 Nanny 911
2-3 World's Strictest Parents
3-5 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
5-7 Captain Ron
7-1 am Repeat as above.
Exactly what in the world does any of this have to do with country music?
6) Had to save it for last. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that it will give “free prescription drugs - including its anti-impotence drug, Viagra, to people who no longer have jobs and health insurance.” How's that for a stimulus package?
Song pick: "I Walk Alone" Marty Robbins. Especially that last note. That is music.
Monday, May 11, 2009
5 for early May
1) I must thank John Ortberg. Not for a sermon, not for a new book, but for talking about Sara Lee banana cake in one of his messages about faith and science. It hadn't been made for maybe 15 years, yet I saw it in the frozen sectional at Osco two weeks ago. I'm having some right now. Outstanding stuff. Frosting is creamy, but there is not too much of it.
2) I watched the Capitals force Game 7 by winning on the road against Pittsburgh. Then I saw the Blackhawks rally tonight and win the second round of the playoffs, thus advancing to the Western Conference Finals. I look at some of their young players and then I look at my team's roster and it baffles me that the Rangers do not have one player who can score 25 goals. And it feels like 10 years since the Rangers have played a game. How do I feel about the Blackhawks? It's fine, but my level of emotion hasn't really changed. Kind of like the White Sox in 2005.
3) And I missed the national anthem because I had to watch the Mets bullpen blow another game to the Slaves. Any good feelings after seven straight wins have taken a punch straight to the solar plexus.
4) CM Punk throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field on Friday. And Dec, J-Schu, Harmony, and the sister of Dec I have not met are all going. That is outstanding. The spirit of Ring of Honor and WWE spreads. Now in honor of Mr. Straight Edge, I think they should ban beer from Wrigley Field for that game...
5) After all the faxes and printouts I have had come in since September for my paper job, I would like to see how much money that has cost me in new print cartridges. Maybe I don't.
Bonus) Had a burger tonight. And it is my first in 15 days when I wolfed down the 2-pounder at Urban Grille. I felt like I was having flashbacks.
Song pick: "You Gave Me a Mountain (live)" Marty Robbins
2) I watched the Capitals force Game 7 by winning on the road against Pittsburgh. Then I saw the Blackhawks rally tonight and win the second round of the playoffs, thus advancing to the Western Conference Finals. I look at some of their young players and then I look at my team's roster and it baffles me that the Rangers do not have one player who can score 25 goals. And it feels like 10 years since the Rangers have played a game. How do I feel about the Blackhawks? It's fine, but my level of emotion hasn't really changed. Kind of like the White Sox in 2005.
3) And I missed the national anthem because I had to watch the Mets bullpen blow another game to the Slaves. Any good feelings after seven straight wins have taken a punch straight to the solar plexus.
4) CM Punk throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field on Friday. And Dec, J-Schu, Harmony, and the sister of Dec I have not met are all going. That is outstanding. The spirit of Ring of Honor and WWE spreads. Now in honor of Mr. Straight Edge, I think they should ban beer from Wrigley Field for that game...
5) After all the faxes and printouts I have had come in since September for my paper job, I would like to see how much money that has cost me in new print cartridges. Maybe I don't.
Bonus) Had a burger tonight. And it is my first in 15 days when I wolfed down the 2-pounder at Urban Grille. I felt like I was having flashbacks.
Song pick: "You Gave Me a Mountain (live)" Marty Robbins
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Rangers recap
I have not posted about the Rangers-Caps series at all. As hectic as high school sports are right now, I have just not had the time nor the inclination. Suffice to say this. Coach John Tortorella is the biggest reason the New York Rangers made the playoffs. And with the upstart Blueshirts ahead 3 games to 1, Coach John Tortorella is the biggest reason I had to watch Pittsburgh playing Washington in the first game of the second round this afternoon. Between benching Sean Avery for Game 5, benching Colton Orr for Game 6, and being stupid enough to squirt water at the Capital (lowercase) fans in Game, thus getting him suspended for Game 6.
I was completely unexcited for Game 7, which for me is crazy. The Rangers did not show up for Games 5 or 6 and it was completely disheartening for me and every Rangers fan. And Game 7 was incredible. The Rangers outplayed the Caps for 40 of 60 minutes. But as we've seen all year, there is no go-to goal scorer on this team. And with the score tied 1-1, the Rangers had so many chances in the second and could not get the puck in the net. And then Sergei Fedorov kills the season with five minutes left in the third.
So now we have to look ahead. This team is in salary cap hell. As I remember, the UFA's are Morris, Mara, Betts, Orr, and Antropov. The RFA's who will get some raises are Dubinsky, Callahan, Korpikoski, Zherdev, and Potter. They have to re-sign Dubi and Callahan, who are restricted free agents. For UFA's, I let Morris and his 4 m go right now. Antropov, I would keep for 2.5 m per or less, he earned 2 m this year. I want to bring back Mara since he actually has cojones. Betts is the team's best defensive forward, but I don't see him coming back. My hope is they will rid themselves of Naslund and his 4 m and Gomez and his 7 m. Also, they have to cut Rissmiller and Voros and swallow the 2 m they wasted on them. Redden, sadly, is going nowhere and I don't want to lose Drury. Let's play Stay or Go.
GM Glen Sather: Will Stay, but I wish James Dolan would wake up and get him out.
Coach Torts: Stay
Henrik Lundqvist: Stay
Steve Valiquette: Stay
Chris Drury: Stay
Markus Naslund: Go
Scott Gomez: Go
Aaron Voros: Go
Blair Betts: Go
Colton Orr: Stay
Brandon Dubinsky: Stay
Ryan Callahan: Stay
Fred Sjostrom: Stay
Lauri Korpikoski: Stay
Nik Antropov: Stay
Niklai Zherdev: Go
Sean Avery: Stay
Wade Redden: Go
Dan Girardi: Stay
Marc Staal: Stay
Derek Morris: Go
Michal Rozsival: Stay
Paul Mara: Stay
As for acquisitions next year, I can't expect more than two or three new players. Some possible scorers on the market include Gaborik, Havlat, Cammalleri, Hossa, Gionta, Afinogenov, Tanguay, Kotalik, and Cole. For a reasonable price, I could see the Rangers getting Afinogenov, who of course killed us in Game 5 three years ago. I don't know what will be brought in or more importantly, what can be brought in, but Sather has to realize that while this team has an outstanding goalie and a solid defense, they need offense in the worst way. Not to mention size and speed.
I was completely unexcited for Game 7, which for me is crazy. The Rangers did not show up for Games 5 or 6 and it was completely disheartening for me and every Rangers fan. And Game 7 was incredible. The Rangers outplayed the Caps for 40 of 60 minutes. But as we've seen all year, there is no go-to goal scorer on this team. And with the score tied 1-1, the Rangers had so many chances in the second and could not get the puck in the net. And then Sergei Fedorov kills the season with five minutes left in the third.
So now we have to look ahead. This team is in salary cap hell. As I remember, the UFA's are Morris, Mara, Betts, Orr, and Antropov. The RFA's who will get some raises are Dubinsky, Callahan, Korpikoski, Zherdev, and Potter. They have to re-sign Dubi and Callahan, who are restricted free agents. For UFA's, I let Morris and his 4 m go right now. Antropov, I would keep for 2.5 m per or less, he earned 2 m this year. I want to bring back Mara since he actually has cojones. Betts is the team's best defensive forward, but I don't see him coming back. My hope is they will rid themselves of Naslund and his 4 m and Gomez and his 7 m. Also, they have to cut Rissmiller and Voros and swallow the 2 m they wasted on them. Redden, sadly, is going nowhere and I don't want to lose Drury. Let's play Stay or Go.
GM Glen Sather: Will Stay, but I wish James Dolan would wake up and get him out.
Coach Torts: Stay
Henrik Lundqvist: Stay
Steve Valiquette: Stay
Chris Drury: Stay
Markus Naslund: Go
Scott Gomez: Go
Aaron Voros: Go
Blair Betts: Go
Colton Orr: Stay
Brandon Dubinsky: Stay
Ryan Callahan: Stay
Fred Sjostrom: Stay
Lauri Korpikoski: Stay
Nik Antropov: Stay
Niklai Zherdev: Go
Sean Avery: Stay
Wade Redden: Go
Dan Girardi: Stay
Marc Staal: Stay
Derek Morris: Go
Michal Rozsival: Stay
Paul Mara: Stay
As for acquisitions next year, I can't expect more than two or three new players. Some possible scorers on the market include Gaborik, Havlat, Cammalleri, Hossa, Gionta, Afinogenov, Tanguay, Kotalik, and Cole. For a reasonable price, I could see the Rangers getting Afinogenov, who of course killed us in Game 5 three years ago. I don't know what will be brought in or more importantly, what can be brought in, but Sather has to realize that while this team has an outstanding goalie and a solid defense, they need offense in the worst way. Not to mention size and speed.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The explanation behind the status
Never before have I received so much feedback from one Facebook status. I called the Mets' 4-5 record a disgrace.
And I'm seeing people, including people I haven't seen in years, telling me "Man, you have to calm down. You have a bullpen. It's a long season. It's a marathon, not a sprint." The deal is this. By no means did I say the season was over. But what I have watched this past week is the same crap I have been watching from the Mets since June 2007.
The home opener was depressing enough. Balk + Duaner + Heath Bell and we lose the first game in CitiField. Interesting how a former Met reliever closed out Shea Stadium and two former Met relievers closed down the first game in the new ballpark.
But the swing game on Thursday against San Diego was a carbon copy of last year, minus the bullpen ineptitude. It all started out so promising. Bottom of the first: Two on, Delgado hits a shot to Westchester County for a 3-0 lead. Then perhaps the most important starter on this team, John Maine (I say that because his success or failure may make the difference on how this team does, since he has potential, but is coming off surgery), gives it all back in the third inning. Starring such All-World players as Everth (I actually had to look his first name up for this) Cabrera, Chade Headley, Jody Gerut, and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Walk, single, sac, single, single, ground out, intentional walk, bases loaded single, single. 5-3. The Padres scored five runs in the third inning. The Padres! A team that was projected to lose 100 games. Five runs! The Padres don't have five-run weeks!
Let's look at the rest of the game and I'm going to focus on the Mets at-bats, but first I credit the bullpen for holding the Padres to one run over the final six innings. Third inning: Two on with one out, Church grounds out and Castro strikes out. Fourth inning: Murphy doubles down the foul line and Reyes goes to third base. He would have scored, but Steve Bartman's distant cousin who is wearing a Mets hat shows up and picks the ball up. So it's a ground-rule double and Reyes has to stop at third base! With two outs, Wright strikes out looking and the threat dies. Fifth inning: nothing. Sixth inning: Cla Meredith replaces Jake Peavy: nothing. Seventh inning: Edwin Moreno pitching: more nothing. Eighth inning: Our old buddy Duaner comes back in. Church reaches on a bunt single and Castro drills one into the left field seats. Now San Diego leads 6-5. Castillo flies out and Sheffield walks. That's about as productive an at bat as he has had to this point. A walk. Up comes Jose Reyes against the ex-Met who is throwing 75 MPH smoke. What does he do? 6-4-3 double play. Inning over. Ninth inning: We know who is coming in. That fat bastard Heath Bell. the ex-Met, who recorded the first save in Citi Field, which he bragged he would do for weeks, who was traded for a pair of stiffs in Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins, who has done more interviews in three days than Rod Blagojevich did in public image rehab tour, promptly retires Murphy and Wright. Delgado extends the at-bat to ten pitches and strikes out looking. Game over. Under .500.
I am losing my patience with Daniel Murphy on defense. Jerry Manuel does not even trust this guy to throw a ball home for a play at the plate. Reyes is running out to left field, getting a flip from Murphy, and then throwing the ball home. How embarrassing is that? How can this kid be the everyday left fielder when he can't throw the ball on the fly from shallow left field? And the Mets signed Sheffield because they want to make him an everyday player. This guy is 40 years old and cannot run. And the Mets now play in a park with the largest outfield in baseball. And there are a pair of defensive liabilities out there patrolling the corners. Ryan Church, who this organization has all but ostracized, should be playing every day.
I have seen Florida's exuberance and energy. I don't see how they will collapse. They will certainly win 85 games at least. With that rotation, that much speed, Hanley Ramirez hitting third, and Fredi Gonzalez as their manager, they are brutal to play against. Throw in the Phillies and Braves, this does not leave me feeling very inspired.
And what will the Mets do against the Cubs? Against the Dodgers? Against the Braves? Need I say against the Phillies?
Unlike some people, I don't care about the little intricacies of the ballpark. I don't give two cents about the color of the seats, about the ushers wearing red shirts, about some people not being able to see the left or right field corners. I care about performance on the field and I care about winning a championship. Because what I see is a weak rotation after Johan Santana, a much better bullpen, terrible defense in a pitcher's ballpark, and the same lineup that rarely gets big hits in big spots. And another thing. Brian Schneider is beyond hideous. I would take Todd Hundley or even Mackey Sasser out of retirement over this guy. the bottom line on this team is this. After three heartbreaking finishes in a row, how much more motivation should this team need?
And as I started this blog, another thing happened. The Mets took a 3-0 lead over the Brewers in the first inning tonight. Sound familiar. I did not feel comfortable. I said to myself, "They will not score more than five runs for the game." It is now the sixth, so there is some time left. But they have done nothing since that first inning. And Ryan Braun just drilled a three-run homer over the left field fence and Milwaukee now leads 4-3.
I deleted the last sentence I was going to write. Sheffield just hit a homer. Tie game. I want a sweep. That's not asking for too much, is it?
And I'm seeing people, including people I haven't seen in years, telling me "Man, you have to calm down. You have a bullpen. It's a long season. It's a marathon, not a sprint." The deal is this. By no means did I say the season was over. But what I have watched this past week is the same crap I have been watching from the Mets since June 2007.
The home opener was depressing enough. Balk + Duaner + Heath Bell and we lose the first game in CitiField. Interesting how a former Met reliever closed out Shea Stadium and two former Met relievers closed down the first game in the new ballpark.
But the swing game on Thursday against San Diego was a carbon copy of last year, minus the bullpen ineptitude. It all started out so promising. Bottom of the first: Two on, Delgado hits a shot to Westchester County for a 3-0 lead. Then perhaps the most important starter on this team, John Maine (I say that because his success or failure may make the difference on how this team does, since he has potential, but is coming off surgery), gives it all back in the third inning. Starring such All-World players as Everth (I actually had to look his first name up for this) Cabrera, Chade Headley, Jody Gerut, and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Walk, single, sac, single, single, ground out, intentional walk, bases loaded single, single. 5-3. The Padres scored five runs in the third inning. The Padres! A team that was projected to lose 100 games. Five runs! The Padres don't have five-run weeks!
Let's look at the rest of the game and I'm going to focus on the Mets at-bats, but first I credit the bullpen for holding the Padres to one run over the final six innings. Third inning: Two on with one out, Church grounds out and Castro strikes out. Fourth inning: Murphy doubles down the foul line and Reyes goes to third base. He would have scored, but Steve Bartman's distant cousin who is wearing a Mets hat shows up and picks the ball up. So it's a ground-rule double and Reyes has to stop at third base! With two outs, Wright strikes out looking and the threat dies. Fifth inning: nothing. Sixth inning: Cla Meredith replaces Jake Peavy: nothing. Seventh inning: Edwin Moreno pitching: more nothing. Eighth inning: Our old buddy Duaner comes back in. Church reaches on a bunt single and Castro drills one into the left field seats. Now San Diego leads 6-5. Castillo flies out and Sheffield walks. That's about as productive an at bat as he has had to this point. A walk. Up comes Jose Reyes against the ex-Met who is throwing 75 MPH smoke. What does he do? 6-4-3 double play. Inning over. Ninth inning: We know who is coming in. That fat bastard Heath Bell. the ex-Met, who recorded the first save in Citi Field, which he bragged he would do for weeks, who was traded for a pair of stiffs in Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins, who has done more interviews in three days than Rod Blagojevich did in public image rehab tour, promptly retires Murphy and Wright. Delgado extends the at-bat to ten pitches and strikes out looking. Game over. Under .500.
I am losing my patience with Daniel Murphy on defense. Jerry Manuel does not even trust this guy to throw a ball home for a play at the plate. Reyes is running out to left field, getting a flip from Murphy, and then throwing the ball home. How embarrassing is that? How can this kid be the everyday left fielder when he can't throw the ball on the fly from shallow left field? And the Mets signed Sheffield because they want to make him an everyday player. This guy is 40 years old and cannot run. And the Mets now play in a park with the largest outfield in baseball. And there are a pair of defensive liabilities out there patrolling the corners. Ryan Church, who this organization has all but ostracized, should be playing every day.
I have seen Florida's exuberance and energy. I don't see how they will collapse. They will certainly win 85 games at least. With that rotation, that much speed, Hanley Ramirez hitting third, and Fredi Gonzalez as their manager, they are brutal to play against. Throw in the Phillies and Braves, this does not leave me feeling very inspired.
And what will the Mets do against the Cubs? Against the Dodgers? Against the Braves? Need I say against the Phillies?
Unlike some people, I don't care about the little intricacies of the ballpark. I don't give two cents about the color of the seats, about the ushers wearing red shirts, about some people not being able to see the left or right field corners. I care about performance on the field and I care about winning a championship. Because what I see is a weak rotation after Johan Santana, a much better bullpen, terrible defense in a pitcher's ballpark, and the same lineup that rarely gets big hits in big spots. And another thing. Brian Schneider is beyond hideous. I would take Todd Hundley or even Mackey Sasser out of retirement over this guy. the bottom line on this team is this. After three heartbreaking finishes in a row, how much more motivation should this team need?
And as I started this blog, another thing happened. The Mets took a 3-0 lead over the Brewers in the first inning tonight. Sound familiar. I did not feel comfortable. I said to myself, "They will not score more than five runs for the game." It is now the sixth, so there is some time left. But they have done nothing since that first inning. And Ryan Braun just drilled a three-run homer over the left field fence and Milwaukee now leads 4-3.
I deleted the last sentence I was going to write. Sheffield just hit a homer. Tie game. I want a sweep. That's not asking for too much, is it?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
1-0!!!
The Rangers defeated the heavily favored Washington lowercases to take 1-0 lead in this best of 7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series. Going into this series, I was one of maybe 20 people who thought the Rangers could defeat that high octane Washington offense. My father, my uncle, and many other thought I needed medication to get my brain back on track again. Well tonight, they silenced our nation's capital and all the critics indeed. Now I still think winning this series will be a tremendous struggle. I know a lot of things have to break just right and tonight, they did:
1) Wash goalie Jose Theodore has to play down to his billing. He is not very good, clearly inferior to Henrik Lundqvist and the King must steal at least two games in this series. If the Rangers cannot score more than two goals a game, they will not make it to a Game 6. That's exactly what happened tonight. The Rangers were outshot 35-21 and the puck must have been in the Rangers' end of the ice at least 40 of 60 minutes. But Henrik made great save after great save and Theodore let in four goals that all could have possibly been stopped.
2) Alexander Ovechkin is clearly the best player in the world. The stats sheet said he played 26 minutes, it felt like 40. Mike Green is the best offensive defenseman in hockey. He scored 31 goals this season, more than any Ranger and more than all Ranger defensemen combined! Throw in Nick Backstrom, Viktor Kozlov, Brooks Laich, Michael Nylander, and Alexander Semin; they are loaded. That is the #2 power play in hockey. The Rangers PK is #1. And the Rangers PP has been putrid all season. So the special teams are huge. Now tonight, Washington went 2 for 7, which is ok. But the Rangers went 2 for 4 and those PP goals made the difference. The thing is even on 5 on 5, Washington controlled the play far more often than the Rangers. So it is vital for the Rangers to avoid unnecessary penalties.
3) Some Ranger must emerge as a prime time performer. Captain Chris Drury has been that, but he is injured worse than expected and missed tonight's game. The fact that the Rangers won without him amazes me. All day long, I was very confident the Rangers could win tonight. I was rubbing my Henrik bracelet, taking co-workers down with knee-on-knee hits. Five minutes before game time, I found out Drury skated in warm-ups and decided he could not play and the immortal Aaron Voros would suit up instead. I felt deflated. But Ryan Callahan hustled and hit hard just like he has all season, Wade Redden actually played steady defense, and Scott Gomez scored three points. With Drury out, Gomez really stepped up.
A few other things.
1) I don't expect the Rangers to win Game 2 on Saturday. After the Caps lost in the first round last year and with them dropping the first game at home, they know what they need to do. I know this is against the way they have played all season, but they need to tighten up on defense, protect Theodore, and not focus on offense as much. They really don't need to focus on offense; they have enough talent. They will probably win Game 2 by a score of 4-1. I do wonder if Caps coach Bruce Boudreau (a huge wresting fan by the way) will play Theodore all series or if he will have to insert Simeon Varlamov, a guy I have never heard of.
2) Chris Drury has to play for the Rangers to win this series. He is the key to their PP and plays his best in the playoffs. His teammates need his leadership. and he needs to accept the responsibility of leading them as well.
3) If Nik Zherdev, a restricted free agent who I have defended all year, cannot produce in this series, he cannot come back next season. The Rangers should let him go and focus on signing Blair Betts, Ryan Callahan, and Nik Antropov.
4) Markus Naslund just took another penalty in the offensive zone.
5) Steve Somers should have four hours postgame shows after each Rangers playoff game!
1) Wash goalie Jose Theodore has to play down to his billing. He is not very good, clearly inferior to Henrik Lundqvist and the King must steal at least two games in this series. If the Rangers cannot score more than two goals a game, they will not make it to a Game 6. That's exactly what happened tonight. The Rangers were outshot 35-21 and the puck must have been in the Rangers' end of the ice at least 40 of 60 minutes. But Henrik made great save after great save and Theodore let in four goals that all could have possibly been stopped.
2) Alexander Ovechkin is clearly the best player in the world. The stats sheet said he played 26 minutes, it felt like 40. Mike Green is the best offensive defenseman in hockey. He scored 31 goals this season, more than any Ranger and more than all Ranger defensemen combined! Throw in Nick Backstrom, Viktor Kozlov, Brooks Laich, Michael Nylander, and Alexander Semin; they are loaded. That is the #2 power play in hockey. The Rangers PK is #1. And the Rangers PP has been putrid all season. So the special teams are huge. Now tonight, Washington went 2 for 7, which is ok. But the Rangers went 2 for 4 and those PP goals made the difference. The thing is even on 5 on 5, Washington controlled the play far more often than the Rangers. So it is vital for the Rangers to avoid unnecessary penalties.
3) Some Ranger must emerge as a prime time performer. Captain Chris Drury has been that, but he is injured worse than expected and missed tonight's game. The fact that the Rangers won without him amazes me. All day long, I was very confident the Rangers could win tonight. I was rubbing my Henrik bracelet, taking co-workers down with knee-on-knee hits. Five minutes before game time, I found out Drury skated in warm-ups and decided he could not play and the immortal Aaron Voros would suit up instead. I felt deflated. But Ryan Callahan hustled and hit hard just like he has all season, Wade Redden actually played steady defense, and Scott Gomez scored three points. With Drury out, Gomez really stepped up.
A few other things.
1) I don't expect the Rangers to win Game 2 on Saturday. After the Caps lost in the first round last year and with them dropping the first game at home, they know what they need to do. I know this is against the way they have played all season, but they need to tighten up on defense, protect Theodore, and not focus on offense as much. They really don't need to focus on offense; they have enough talent. They will probably win Game 2 by a score of 4-1. I do wonder if Caps coach Bruce Boudreau (a huge wresting fan by the way) will play Theodore all series or if he will have to insert Simeon Varlamov, a guy I have never heard of.
2) Chris Drury has to play for the Rangers to win this series. He is the key to their PP and plays his best in the playoffs. His teammates need his leadership. and he needs to accept the responsibility of leading them as well.
3) If Nik Zherdev, a restricted free agent who I have defended all year, cannot produce in this series, he cannot come back next season. The Rangers should let him go and focus on signing Blair Betts, Ryan Callahan, and Nik Antropov.
4) Markus Naslund just took another penalty in the offensive zone.
5) Steve Somers should have four hours postgame shows after each Rangers playoff game!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Baseball Over/unders and predictions
I still have four days in Vegas that I have not blogged about. I need some motivation to finish it off. The great thing is since I can change the date and time of the post I can make it look like I did a month ago.
Speaking of Vegas, they have released their Over/Unders for baseball. And with my Rangers spitting the damn bit as always, I believe it is time to shift into that baseball mindset. The green grass, the blue sky, the peanuts and Cracker Jack, the dread of that first opposing baserunner.
So with two of my three least favorite teams starting the season tomorrow, I will predict the over under on the number of wins each team will amass over the 2009 season. Being blessed with a tremendous sense of clarity of vision, here's how it will go down.
Arizona- 86.5
Over
Atlanta- 83.5
Over
Baltimore- 73.5
Under
Boston- 94.5
Over
Chicago Cubs- 91.5
Over
Chicago White Sox- 79.5
Over
Cincinnati- 80.5
Over
Cleveland- 85.5
Over
Colorado- 77.5
Under
Detroit- 82.5
Under
Florida- 76.5
Over
Houston- 74.5
Under
Kansas City- 75.5
Over
LA Angels- 89.5
Under
LA Dodgers- 82.5
Over
Milwaukee- 80.5
Over
Minnesota- 83.5
Over
NY Mets- 88.5
Under (No joke)
NY Yankees- 97.5
Under
Oakland- 81.5
Over
Philadelphia- 87.5
Over
Pittsburgh- 69.5
Under
San Diego- 71.5
Under
San Francisco- 80.5
Under
Seattle- 72.5
Over
St. Louis- 82.5
Over
Tampa Bay- 87.5
Under
Texas- 73.5
Over
Toronto- 80.5
Under
Washington- 71.5
Under
Now for the playoffs. Let's start in the AL. I love the additions the Yankees have made with CC, AJ, Teixeira, and even the lesser heralded players like Nick Swisher. For the first time in several years, I predict the Bronx Bombers will win the AL East again with the Red Sox taking the wild card. Beckett, Daisuke, and Lester is the best 1-2-3 rotation is baseball. For the Central, a lot of people seem to be taking the Twins. I like them, but there is something about the Indians. I believe the White Sox don't have enough starting pitching (I am not sold on Gavin Floyd) and the Tigers are a mess. I'll take the Indians to emerge in a dogfight. For the West, it's hard to go against the Angels. They have lost a lot this offseason in K-Rod and the team's core is aging. But I still like them just ahead of Oakland, simply because the A's, like the Sox, do not have pitching.
In the NL West, the Dodgers have the best lineup with Manny, Ethier, Loney, Kemp, Furcal, Hudson, and Martin, but the Diamondbacks seem more balanced. They have a good young lineup, but they have better pitching and a better bullpen in my opinion. And don't forget last year, Arizona had the best record in baseball through 50 or so games. I will take Arizona to win the division this year. I hate to say it but the Bubbles of Chicago will come out of the Central. Although Kevin Gregg will turn into the new Latroy Hawkins before long. And then there's the East. I don't think the Mets are deep enough. In short, I love the bullpen. But the lineup is not deep enough. 7, 8, and 9 are automatic outs. And the starting rotation is a huge question past Johan Santana. John Maine and Oliver Perez may make or break this season. Philadelphia is deeper and tougher. I want that to change in the worst way, but now I need to see it change. I give the Mets no pre-season plaudits until they earn them. Philly wins it and I will give the Dodgers the wild card. Maybe if I don't pick the Mets to make the playoffs, they will actually do it!
I pick a LA-Yankee World Series with the Bronx Bombers bringing back the title to New York.
Speaking of Vegas, they have released their Over/Unders for baseball. And with my Rangers spitting the damn bit as always, I believe it is time to shift into that baseball mindset. The green grass, the blue sky, the peanuts and Cracker Jack, the dread of that first opposing baserunner.
So with two of my three least favorite teams starting the season tomorrow, I will predict the over under on the number of wins each team will amass over the 2009 season. Being blessed with a tremendous sense of clarity of vision, here's how it will go down.
Arizona- 86.5
Over
Atlanta- 83.5
Over
Baltimore- 73.5
Under
Boston- 94.5
Over
Chicago Cubs- 91.5
Over
Chicago White Sox- 79.5
Over
Cincinnati- 80.5
Over
Cleveland- 85.5
Over
Colorado- 77.5
Under
Detroit- 82.5
Under
Florida- 76.5
Over
Houston- 74.5
Under
Kansas City- 75.5
Over
LA Angels- 89.5
Under
LA Dodgers- 82.5
Over
Milwaukee- 80.5
Over
Minnesota- 83.5
Over
NY Mets- 88.5
Under (No joke)
NY Yankees- 97.5
Under
Oakland- 81.5
Over
Philadelphia- 87.5
Over
Pittsburgh- 69.5
Under
San Diego- 71.5
Under
San Francisco- 80.5
Under
Seattle- 72.5
Over
St. Louis- 82.5
Over
Tampa Bay- 87.5
Under
Texas- 73.5
Over
Toronto- 80.5
Under
Washington- 71.5
Under
Now for the playoffs. Let's start in the AL. I love the additions the Yankees have made with CC, AJ, Teixeira, and even the lesser heralded players like Nick Swisher. For the first time in several years, I predict the Bronx Bombers will win the AL East again with the Red Sox taking the wild card. Beckett, Daisuke, and Lester is the best 1-2-3 rotation is baseball. For the Central, a lot of people seem to be taking the Twins. I like them, but there is something about the Indians. I believe the White Sox don't have enough starting pitching (I am not sold on Gavin Floyd) and the Tigers are a mess. I'll take the Indians to emerge in a dogfight. For the West, it's hard to go against the Angels. They have lost a lot this offseason in K-Rod and the team's core is aging. But I still like them just ahead of Oakland, simply because the A's, like the Sox, do not have pitching.
In the NL West, the Dodgers have the best lineup with Manny, Ethier, Loney, Kemp, Furcal, Hudson, and Martin, but the Diamondbacks seem more balanced. They have a good young lineup, but they have better pitching and a better bullpen in my opinion. And don't forget last year, Arizona had the best record in baseball through 50 or so games. I will take Arizona to win the division this year. I hate to say it but the Bubbles of Chicago will come out of the Central. Although Kevin Gregg will turn into the new Latroy Hawkins before long. And then there's the East. I don't think the Mets are deep enough. In short, I love the bullpen. But the lineup is not deep enough. 7, 8, and 9 are automatic outs. And the starting rotation is a huge question past Johan Santana. John Maine and Oliver Perez may make or break this season. Philadelphia is deeper and tougher. I want that to change in the worst way, but now I need to see it change. I give the Mets no pre-season plaudits until they earn them. Philly wins it and I will give the Dodgers the wild card. Maybe if I don't pick the Mets to make the playoffs, they will actually do it!
I pick a LA-Yankee World Series with the Bronx Bombers bringing back the title to New York.
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