Archive for the 'MLB' Category

An Ode to Sports Blogs

Published
by
Daniel-San
on September 30, 2008
in Essays, MLB and Thoughts
. 0 Comments

I was a young, innocent Freshman at Syracuse University when I sat down for my first class in film school. The failed writer/director, known as my professor, started class with this sickening statement:

“Film school will ruin your enjoyment of watching movies forever.”

I was horrified. The reason I went to film school was because I loved movies.  And now it was going to be ruined? No, it couldn’t happen, it couldn’t- I thoroughly enjoyed going to the movies and, often times, movies really made me ponder such important themes like fate, fatherly love, or how a young hockey team that just won a championship against the entire world could now not even beat their high school’s Varsity team. And at this moment, I was apparently losing it all.

Well, after I had contemplated immediately jumping out the window and running to a nice and safe Poly-Sci degree, I stuck around for four years. And you know what, that professor was right. Now I watch movies and all I can think about is ‘why did they make that cut there? Did they have nothing else to cut away to?’ OR ‘Are we in the 3rd act now, where’s the all is lost moment?’ OR ‘Wow, they wasted two hundred grand putting this song in the movie’- it goes on and on. I rarely even go to the movies anymore. All I do is watch the Law and Order Franchises and laugh at the latest ADA Dick Wolf must be sleeping with.

But it wasn’t until just recently that I realized that another one of my true loves was being ruined as well. Film school had done the same thing to me with movies that the Mainstream Sports Media was doing to me with Sports.

Ever since Barry Bonds hit 73 Home Runs, the Mainstream Sports Media only seems to have one angle on every story: steroids. And everyone writes a performance enhancing drugs story, even if it isn’t warranted. 41-year-old Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres was accused of taking something illegal by almost everyone in the Mainstream Media. I couldn’t even enjoy a great story like that about someone who inspires people that I have nothing in common with- because all I’m thinking about are performance enhancing drugs. I can’t even go to a Dodger Game and enjoy a Home Run. Instead, I’m studying the player’s biceps and assuming he’s on something.

Frankly, I got sick and tired of baseball five years ago when ESPN led every Sportscenter with a BALCO story. I just couldn’t take it anymore. Dan Patrick’s radio show turned into him talking about how no one wanted to talk about Steroids anymore- by incessantly talking about it!

Baseball was my first love- I studied the backs of my Topps and Donruss Baseball Cards until I had figured out who had the most Home Runs in the 80’s or how many Yankees were born in January- I played catch with my father every night until I blamed my errors on the lack of light- I fell asleep every summer night listening to Phil Rizzuto not call the game in front of him, but talk about the nice old lady he met on his way to the ballpark that afternoon… But now Baseball is virtually ruined for me. The more I paid attention to the Mainstream Media’s coverage of sports, rightly so or not, the less enjoyment I got out of it.

And I’m not saying I want it back to the olden days where sports journalists kept Athletes’ dark sides hidden from the general public- I love the annual Matt Leinart story just as much as the next guy- but the main difference is that that story mainly makes its rounds on Sports Blogs, where Bloggers have no limitations and always have to try to find the next big story or give the next unique opinion.  Sports Blogs are almost forced to forget about yesterdays headline and come up with new material constantly- or else they lose their readership and their good name.

There seems to be almost an infinite amount of interesting stories out there- but networks like ESPN and mainstream newspapers don’t ever seem to search for the next story- they just keep banging on what everyone else is covering until they’ve just straight up killed it and almost ruined sports for me. I turn on Sportscenter because I want to hear original analysis and I want to see highlights- I don’t want to listen to people talk about Brett Favre for the first 20 minutes of every show. And if I wanted a so-called “hard news” story like steroids, I’d turn on CNN or just watch Outside the Lines.

Maybe that’s why Will Leitch- or Jesus or whoever- invented Sports Blogs.  Sports Blogs are for the guys who ESPN ruined.  Guys like me.

Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 26, 2008
in MLB, NBA and Thoughts
. 0 Comments

- The real loser in the whole 9-year-old Jericho Scott Little League ban story?  The now-not-originally-named New York Jets Wide Receiver, Jerricho Cotchery.

 

- The Los Angeles Lakers reported that Kobe Bryant has not decided yet when he is going to have surgery on his pinky.  He is going to take a few days to contemplate the situation.  ”Contemplate the situation”?  He injured his pinky before the freaking All-Star Game.  He hasn’t had time yet to schedule his surgery?  For someone who was so anti-Shaq, especially Shaq’s “I got hurt on company time, I’ll heal on company time”, Kobe better not miss even a second of training camp.  What is there to think about?  You need to fix your finger, you’ve been playing hurt.  It takes about a month to heal.  In the words of your omnipotent sponsor… JUST DO IT

 

- The Los Angeles Dodgers have basically the same record before and after the Manny Ramirez trade, including 2 wins in the last 9 games and 4 straight losses since Manny cut his hair, even if it was ever so slightly.  The requirement by Joe Torre for Manny to cut his hair, along with a ton of close losses, pitching problems, and still some alleged problems in the clubhouse, is causing Dodger fans to speak out against the Brooklyn born Manager.  I don’t really think these fans actually believe that Manny’s shorter hair is really negatively affecting him- but, Man, it sure seems like it.  Maybe LA fans are really this stupid.  Maybe they just need something to complain about.  It’s just too nice here everyday.  It makes you stupid.

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 18, 2008
in MLB and New York Mets
. 0 Comments


The Angels always like to keep a spare helmet around just in case Barry Bonds signs with them as a DH.

I had the pleasure of attending Willie Randolph’s last game as Manager of the Mets on Monday.

Poor, Willie. He thought the moves he was making this game actually meant something.


A guy who acted like this game actually meant nothing was Pedro Martinez. It was kind of refreshing, I’m not criticizing him. He was the life of the dugout.

Pedro was actually messing with some 5-year-old in a Mets jersey. It was probably funny to that kid, but the rest of the adults around just thought Pedro was being really strange.

Another strange thing was that every time the Mets got the third out, a mad rush of kids would crowd right into our seats and yell at Carlos Delgado to throw them the ball (since Carlos usually had the ball).


But what the strange thing was, was that someone from the dugout would throw Delgado a ball and he would switch the game ball out for that ball and throw the ball from the dugout into the crowd. Weird. Anyway, Carlos stopped throwing the ball into the stands after he struck out and grounded out (he ended up going 0-4 with 2 K’s. Classic Carlos).


So what ended up happening was this mass of people leaning against the dugout and continuing to yell at Delgado or anyone else to throw something at them. This made the security guard mad.

This power hungry douche would climb out of the dugout between each half-inning and just start yelling at 7-year-olds to go back to their seat. Come on, Man- these little kids who have enough money to live in Orange County and have great seats to Angels games just want one good thing in their life. Let them lean over and look at these players. They’ll never have another chance like this… until the A’s come into town next week.

THE FANS

The guy with his last name on the back of his jersey…

The guy who wears any sort of shirt about Baseball to the Baseball game, whether or not it has anything to do with the two teams playing.

Not only do we have Jort wearing friends, but the one has the cell phone clip on his pocket. I didn’t think those existed anymore.

And then, finally, my most hated part of Angels’ Games… the Rally Monkey. I would eradicate this if I had just one wish. I mean, other than wishing for an infinite number of wishes.

And somehow, everyone in the crowd seemed to have them.

Jewish Softball at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 30, 2007
in MLB
. 2 Comments

Jeffrey Herrmann is a simple man. He’s just like you or me. He loves the Yankees, video games, and American History.

But for one day, last Sunday, he became immortal.

Over two decades ago, Jeffrey Herrmann started the Fair Lawn B’nai B’rith Softball League. He was the Pete Rozelle of the FLBBSL- Pete Rozelle combined with Casey Stengel, that is.

You see, for over 20 years, as the manager of the Yamakazi, Jeffrey Herrmann went 0 for forever in Championships. He watched each and every year as another manager reaped the rewards of a B’nai B’rith title- a title he created.

But 2007 was going to be different.

Not that it started out that way.

The Yamakazi were fighting for a playoff spot all year in the Greenberg League (not the “B” League, I didn’t say the “B” League- there is just a lot of teams- there needed to be two Leagues- the Koufax and the Greenberg Leagues- just different names, no other significance). They pulled out a big win the last game of the season to get up to .500, barely squeaking into the Playoffs as the last seed.

In the first round of the Playoffs… it started.

The Yamakazi, lead by the great manager Jeffrey Herrmann (he didn’t even finish in the top 3 in Manager of the Year voting, though- mainly because that is just a regular season award, so the votes were cast before the Playoffs), took down the Goniffs, who were dominate in the regular season, with an unreal winning percentage of over .900.

After the miraculous upset, the Yamakazi were faced with a tough challenge in the Championship game, but quickly got out to a 3-run lead. That type of lead rarely holds in a League where the rule book says that “It would be nice that all teams wear uniforms.”

The Yamakazi were somehow holding onto the lead, though. In the last inning, with the Yamakazi up just 3-2, FLBBSL 3-time Gold Glove Award winner Neil Herrmann, son of the great manager Herrmann, charged a slow roller down the 3rd base line. It would have put the tying run on and surely would have caused some major damage to the fragile Yamakazi- a team that never had many leads, especially in the Championship game. But because of 25 years of baseball coaching from manager Herrmann, Neil charged the ball and threw a dart across the diamond to the 1st Baseman to make the out, clearly preserving the 1-run lead.


And the rest, they say, is history. And we know how much Mr. Herrmann loves history.

It may have taken the Yamakazi and Jeffrey Herrmann over 20 years to win a Championship- but all that did was make this victory all the sweeter.

The Yamakazi are 2007 Fair Lawn B’nai B’rith Softball League Champions. And no one can take that away from them.

(No word yet on who brought the Champagne bottles and how the Yamakazi weren’t jinxed by this clear act of overconfidence).

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 15, 2007
in MLB
. 0 Comments

From the summer of 1987 to the summer of 1990, I listened to almost every Yankee game on 770AM with my transistor radio as I was going to sleep. But once or twice a week, the game was broadcast on WPIX- a local television station- and I was allowed to turn on my black and white, 4″ Fisher-Price TV, and watch and listen to Phil Rizzuto call the game.

I always looked forward to those WPIX nights and the Scooter. It was like Christmas morning every time I found out they were carrying the game. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the call of Jay Johnstone and John Sterling on the radio, but there was just something about Phil Rizzuto that made a 67-win season, not only bearable, but enjoyable.

Here’s a quick video of Phil talking about how he got off a slump to open the season in 1950, the year he won the MVP - from New York Yankees (The Movie).

Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 9, 2007
in MLB, NBA, Puja and Thoughts
. 4 Comments

- “Bonds hits 756. Now the real question:

Will Pedro Gomez still have a job?” - Puja

- A Pennsylvania man was struck by lightning, but survived- AGAIN. Don Frick was struck by lightning last week for the 2nd time in his life, this time coming 27 years later after he claimed he was first hit.

Stranger things have happened. Like Brady Anderson’s 1996 Season.

- The sink was empty before this meal. And this wasn’t even Dinner. Or Lunch. Or Brunch- this was after Breakfast.

Before I lived with a girl, my breakfasts consisted of… well… not having one. Now I’m 20 plates deep every Sunday. Look at that picture. It’s ridiculous. How can two people even eat all the food that made all of those plates dirty? I wish I could say we just poured syrup on all of those plates, for no reason, to get them dirty, but I cannot. Sadly, everything you see had a purpose.

- I’m sure I’ll get into it more on a future Podcast, but I don’t like what Reggie Miller may be doing. I strongly believe that if you say you retire, you retire. If you still want to play, go ahead and take time off if you want, but don’t retire. Don’t have everyone put on a dog and pony show (I really want to see one of those someday) for you and then come back. I’m talking to you, Michael Jordan, Junior Seau, George Foreman, Roger Clemens, etc., etc.

It’s like pushing “Reset” when I died on the first level of Mario 2. I validated the reason at the time (’I'm better than that, I can’t waste a life this early if I want to win it all’), but all I really was, was a quitter and a cheater.

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 6, 2007
in ESPN and MLB
. 0 Comments

First Angel Stadium is infested with rats, and now the “Baseball Tonight” studio has a fly problem.

No matter the true size of that fly, Karl Ravech needs to not fear for his life if it buzzes by him. It’s a fly, Karl. Relax. Look at John Kruk. He just watches it fly around. No big deal. That’s a real man.

Speaking of a real man, Buster Olney surely is not one. He’s like a stat-spewing robot. And he’s about as smooth as the Rocky Mountains. Just listen to him say, “No, I didn’t see it, Karl.” For a guy named “Buster”, he sure is quite humorless.

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 3, 2007
in MLB
. 0 Comments

Somehow it’s disappointing that the most hated player in the ballpark did not hit a home run.

Being up in the right-field bleachers, it truly was an experience every time Barry came up to bat. We were about 475 feet away, so everyone behind us moved down and crowded the walk ways:

Damn! Where’d that Dude get his “H. ROSA” jersey?! They are so hard to come by! I gotta go to Foot Locker and see if they got one in stock.

And then during his at-bats, every pitch was met with thousands of flashes:

It’s amazing how you can hit like that- with thousands of distracting white flashes as you are searching for the little white ball.

And, as I mentioned, when Barry did not hit a home run, people were “happy” in a sort of ‘disappointing, slouching back to their seats’ kind of way:

“Barry sucks” is always a solid chant, but you have to love the guy whose voice just extraordinarily cracks trying to start his own “Steroids” chant- while Bonds is all the way in the dug out, mind you.

And this guy thought a black security guard was Bonds and kept poking him with his cane. Oh, senility… I shall see you soon enough.

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on July 29, 2007
in MLB
. 1 Comment

Barry Bonds is heading to Los Angeles. And I’ll be there.


The question is, though, will Barry actually be there to play- or to sit on the bench? I cannot imagine the Giants will allow Bonds to break the record in LA, nonetheless tie it.

So while I’ve been on a roller coaster ride (first I was sure he was going to break it in this upcoming series, then I was sure he wasn’t, then my faith returned), I’ve never really thought that Bonds may not play AT ALL this series. He has six games (3 in LA, 3 in SD) before he heads back home to the friendly, no-possible-riot confines of AT&T Park. I’m guessing he pulls a hammy in batting practice on Tuesday and sits out a week.

But when he does break the record, you can be sure that Bob Costas won’t get the first interview with Bonds. As everyone knows, on his show “Costas NOW” on HBO, Bob Costas called Barry Bonds “inauthentic”, amongst other things. Bonds took issue with this and called him a “midget”.

Then Costas laid this gem on him in response to the little person comment: “As anyone can plainly see, I’m 5-6½ and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally.”

In the last part of this he said/she said drama, Bonds reportedly said, “How do you know?” (that Costas came by his stature naturally) and then went on to say he didn’t care. Is that truly what an innocent person would say? How childish does Bonds seem in that statement? Is he really implying that Costas took something to keep himself short? Or does Bonds actually think Costas is really a midget that may have juiced to get up to 5′6″? Good for you, Barry- class act.

In Barry’s defense, though, Costas’ field is broadcasting- a field in which he received several college degrees without actually finishing his classes. Bob Costas is listed as a 1974 Graduate of Syracuse University, but he never actually graduated. He told an audience this information when he visited Syracuse University my Senior year there. He left school his Senior year to take a job calling the games of the ABA’s St. Louis Spirits, never officially graduating. Now, he has several honorary degrees from schools- but to go by the book, he did not achieve his “records” (degrees) the natural way.

You can use that, Barry- if you play this week.

Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on July 27, 2007
in MLB, NFL, Petros and Thoughts
. 0 Comments

-
Look at the attendance for Wednesday’s Braves/Giants game. What exactly does that mean? Are 3% of the people there standing in the aisles?

- When you’re an 8-year-old girl who witnessed inappropriate sexual behavior and you want to call a sexual assault counseling center to talk about it, you just have to trust that your mother has the right number when she gives you the phone. This, though, wasn’t the case in Lake City, Florida. “I come back a few seconds later and she has this look on her face of surprise and then horror and then her eyes start tearing up,” said Karen Carter, mother of the little girl who was upset about witnessing this sexual behavior and then listened to a sex chat line when she called to talk about her problem.

You see, the North Central Florida Sexual Assault Center shut down a few months ago, and geniuses that the phone sex industry are, they bought the Center’s old number. If that isn’t brilliant entrepreneurial spirit, I don’t know what is.

- From the greatest radio show in the history of the world, Petros and Money brought on USC Insider Scott Wolf (no, not that Scott Wolf) to refute Matt Leinart’s camp’s claims that have recently been released to TMZ.com and People.com (fancy that- entertainment news web sites (not sports web sites, Matty)).

Among Wolf’s claims are:
- Leinart pays a “lackey” $5,000 a month to just live with him
- Leinart wasn’t paying the child support regularly over the last 9 months
- Didn’t see his son the morning of the ESPY’s because he “had to get ready for the show”
- One of his spies saw Leinart at a trendy club in Hollywood a couple of months ago when he was supposedly “too sick” to see his son
- Also once heard Leinart said he had gout and couldn’t see his son

Here’s the audio.

And, for no reason, here’s an interview they did with “Chubbs” from Teen Wolf.