Posts Tagged ‘New York Yankees’
 |
When Olympic Spirit Meets The Major LeaguesAugust 28th, 2008
|
Like most Americans, I watched in sheer amazement as Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and tens of thousands of his fellow countrymen and women transformed the Bird’s Nest into the world’s most colossal IMAX Theater, where Cirque du Soleil met the millennial history of China … well, Tibet and Tiananmen Square excluded.
Anyway, politics aside, the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympiad was truly something to behold. And like any good lead, the presentation just grabbed me hook, line, and sinker. I mean, a giant, LED scroll-thingy? It really doesn’t get any better than that.
Sure, I could nit-pick over post-production cartoon fireworks or a computer generated Chinese girl lip-synching “Ode to the Motherland” (or something like that). But let’s face it, this opening ceremony was pretty akin to baseball over the past 20 years: artificially enhanced.
Hell, even the weather was unnaturally altered. A few hours prior to the opening ceremony, the Chinese fired over one thousand rain dispersal rockets into the ominous sky in order to fend off some pesky rain clouds.
Speaking of which, can you imagine Bud Selig launching an air strike against a threatening stack of nimbus clouds hovering about Fenway Park minutes before the first pitch? All I know is that the result probably would end in a tie.
But I’m way off course, here. The point is, you—the 2008 Summer Olympics—wowed me, and I was your humble, mindless viewing servant until August 24. Read more
 |
Teixeira for Kotchman? I Just Don’t Know.July 31st, 2008
|
19th in runs scored. 19th in hits. 22nd in home runs. 19th in RBIs. 24th in total bases. 22nd in on base percentage. And 22nd in slugging.
On paper, this doesn’t really sound like a division contending team, let alone the best team in baseball by a fair margin. But when you factor in 8th in ERA, 7th in shutouts, 1st in saves (by ten saves, between first and second), 25th in earned runs against (yes, that’s a good thing), a winning starting rotation, a solid bullpen, a slid defense, a consistent running game, and you get the Angels.
Up until last night at about 5-something eastern time, the Angels were not the media’s favorite team to look at. In fact, the Angels crept slowly into first place without so much as a sneeze. It wasn’t until about three weeks after the Angels took first place that ESPN even took notice on their power rankings. The Angels were clearly the underdogs of 2008, who’s game was so much more old-school than any other teams, besides maybe the Minnesota Twins and a more distant example in the Baltimore Orioles.
|
Red Sox Roadkill: Inefficient Offense Away From The Friendly Confines of Fenway (Part 2 of 3)July 27th, 2008
|
Just as life tastes better with KFC—well, according to the the ad jingle, at least—the Red Sox offense undoubtedly performs better at Fenway Park.
Hitting .297 with a .376 on-base and .475 slugging percentage at Fenway as a team, the Boston lineup scores an average of 5.8 runs per home game.
But, then, take that same crew away from Fenway: the team average drops; the accumulative OBP dips; and a power sap follows suit. As a result, the offense—prior to the club’s three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field—has produced 4.3 runs per road game, ranking them towards the middle of the pack in the AL in terms of road run production.
Now, it’s no strange occurrence that an offense produces more at home than they do on the road. Various reasons, ranging from ballpark factors to simple creature comforts, play a role in the splits. Yet, despite the seemingly stark contrast between Boston’s home and road offensive splits, the Sox—with a .762 OPS away from Fenway—lead the AL in road average (.266), road on-base (.336), and road slugging (.425) through July 20.
This begs the question: based on the above, just how many runs should the Sox be averaging on the road?
It’s such a pity that there isn’t a way to calculate such things. Oh, wait. There is! Read more
|
BoSox Need To Catch Some RaysJuly 9th, 2008
|
Maybe the American League East won’t be much of a race, after all.
Doing their best Boston Celtics impersonation, the Tampa Bay Rays, in just a calendar year, have gone from worst to first. And while Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett don’t quite equate to the big ticket acquisition of Kevin Garnett from Minnesota, the two cogs have chipped in and helped change the dynamic of the once hapless Rays—a club that previously seemed destined forever to finish well-below .500 every season, continuing a long-standing tradition of being the butt end of countless jokes and jabs.
With a 55-32 record and .632 winning percentage heading into Monday’s afternoon contest against the Kansas City Royals, the Rays have upgraded from basement dweller status to baseball’s penthouse suite. And with a recent sweep of the second place Boston Red Sox, the red-hot Rays, winners of seven in a row and 11 of their last 12 games, sit atop the AL East with a didn’t-see-that-coming seven game lead in the loss column. Read more
|
Halfway Point: BoSox Sit Atop The East … BarelyJune 30th, 2008
|
Eighty-one games down, eighty-one more to go. Only the Red Sox can say they have played half their regular season schedule as of June 26—just one of the several perks of starting a season a week earlier than the rest of major league baseball.
So faux halfway points be damned. There’s no need to wait until July 15 when the Midsummer Classic bids adieu to the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium. The Sox have reached the epicenter of the Marathon, and the battle for American League East supremacy hangs in the balance, with a familiar rival Empire stealthily drawing nearer from the flank, while a new and unforeseen usurper continues to flex their muscle as they seek to dethrone last year’s victor.
Overdramatic much? Hell, yeah! But it’s our natural right, as both writers and baseball enthusiasts, to allegorize and sensationalize this glorified little game of stickball.
 |
Jackie Robinson Stands AloneJune 30th, 2008
|
With tremendous hacks, Babe Ruth blasted the 1919 Black Sox Scandal from the collective conscious of the nation and preserved baseball as this country’s national pastime.
And if the Babe’s grandaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, has her way, the number three that he wore on his back as a New York Yankee will be retired throughout Major League Baseball alongside Jackie Robinson’s 42.
By creating a website that asks fans to sign a petition, Tosetti hopes that Comissioner Bud Selig will heed their unified voices and mothball the number three.
Tosetti claims that through promotions, such as the one in this year’s Home Run Derby where David Ortiz will attempt to hit a home run to a location of a fan’s choosing, Major League Baseball is “using Babe and not honoring Babe.”
Beyond the youth baseball leagues that bear his moniker and preserve his legendary status, the slugger’s last name has been transformed into an adjective, Ruthian, that describes any feat that once might have been deemed Herculean. Lest we forget his greatness, sports aficionados tribute the slugger by pronouncing the most successful athletes of an era as the Babe Ruth of their sport.
While the Babe may well be the most dominant competitor to ever grace this earth, his gregariousness as he played with children coupled with his respectful treatment of African-Americans has been well documented as something ahead of his time.
|
Bringing Back the Time-out ChairJune 7th, 2008
|
For the past six or so years, my mom has babysat kids in the age range of eight months, to about five years. She normally has about three to five kids at a time, on the average. It’s hectic. And all of them, sans one or two over the time span, have been boys. You can imagine how crazy it is at our house. Luckily for me, I’m usually either at school or work during the times they are taking over the house, but I’ve observed some important things about life on days that I am there.
Everyone can reach back deep into their childhoods and recall the dreaded “time-out.” Typically, parents-slash-guardians-slash-babysitters put a misbehaving child in either a corner or an isolated chair for any given number of minutes in order for the child to “reflect” on their bad behavior without distractions or reward. It’s the classic childhood punishment. We’ve all been in “time-out” in some form or another, whether in this classical situation as children, or in the form of a friend, family member, or loved one giving the “cold shoulder.” As communal beings, we LOATHE being ignored. That’s why this kind of punishment is so effective.
 |
K is for KershawMay 30th, 2008
|
The Dodgers believe they have the next big time pitcher. The next Dwight Gooden, the next Roger Clemens, the next Sandy Koufax. His name is Clayton Kershaw. Even though he has pitched just six innings on the year, Dodgers fans are over the moon for this young pitching project. Since Kershaw is just 20 years old, the Dodgers plan on limiting him to about 170 innings on the season. However, that should be more than enough time to get a feel for what the young phenom can do.
Standing in at six feet three inches, the lanky left hander is the kind of pitcher front office personal dream about. Hailing from Texas, Dodgers faithful are hoping that he proves to be more Nolan Ryan than Roger Clemens. Joe Torre had wanted to bring Kershaw along slowly, but at the end of the day, the Dodgers pitching has not performed as well as hoped. Kershaw is one of the few southpaw’s that the Dodgers have.
This Friday will be a big test for Kershaw as he will be pitching under the bright lights of New York City when the Dodgers play the Mets. Wearing number 54, Kershaw is trying to bring life to a Dodger team that has been underachieving for most of the season. Joe Torre plans on using Kershaw the way he used Joba Chamberlain last season with the Yankees, which is to say he will be used sparingly.
Whatever Kershaw can bring to the table will be an improvement as not one member of the Dodgers rotation has a winning record. Kershaw will be the Dodgers fifth starter for the foreseeable future. Right now, Kershaw is in line to see a number of starts in the coming weeks, then management will evaluate where there young phenom is at. One thing is for sure, the Dodgers hope that Kershaw can be their best left hander since Sandy Koufax. But, they would be happy if Kershaw turns out as good as Orel Hershiser. Either way, if Kershaw is lucky he will end up like Brad Penny and get to date both Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku.
 |
Memorial Day Musings from D.C.May 30th, 2008
|
This past Memorial Day, three cars cut me off in a 20 minute span on the D.C. Beltway. I spewed F, D, B, C, S, and A bombs with no reserve.
After walking through the turnstiles of Nationals Park and taking a tour of the stadium, I noted only one touch of personality, the patriotic bunting hung from the upper decks.
I managed to weave through crowds without anything from Ben’s Chili Bowl or any of the other eateries being spilled on me as I found my seat along the third baseline. Waiting for the game to begin, I watched as a middle-aged man pushed his way through some Milwaukee Brewers fans, the Nationals opponent that day, and announced his displeasure about sitting next to these foreigners before pledging his allegiance to the Yankees.
Even though the game had started, I could see only what now seemed like a zoo. Grown men attacked foul balls without regard to the children sitting next to them. People downed beer with reckless abandon. It was 40,000 people exposing their id.
With the game moving slowly and mediocre ball being played, I wondered if I should head home. When the Brewers put up six runs in the sixth inning to put the game in doubt, I decided to stay longer.
Just before the eighth inning, the video board showed a picture of four wheelchair-bound veterans in attendance. Immediately, the largest cheer of the day erupted from all corners of the stadium. A good portion of the fans stood and applauded these men and women for their individual work and for being symbols of their active and inactive peers.
The standing ovation is a symbolic salute for these wounded warriors and their co-workers who have paid a dearer price because they will never again be able to rise to their feet.
They did not choose to protect the inconsiderate individual but to preserve the ideals and freedoms of this nation.
I sat through the rest of the game and enjoyed the competition of the athletes. But the game’s outcome, the actions of the players, and the behavior of the fans lost their significance – in the harsh light of what these veterans gave up so that we could enjoy freedoms such as watching a baseball day in the warm sun.
 |
Orioles Fly As Yankees SinkMay 22nd, 2008
|
In the scorching heat of expectations the New York Yankees are wilting before summer has even begun. Meanwhile in the shade of simpler expectations, the Baltimore Orioles continue to shock the baseball world.
It is a study of contrasts: the Yankees with its in-your-face-what-did-you-screw-up-today media to the low-key media of Charm City.
In July of 2006, photographs of Alex Rodriguez tanning in Central Park while playing with his daughter surfaced. With four newspapers that have a circulation of over 600,000 competing for stories in New York City, a father spending time with his child before work makes headlines. Rather than a simple father-daughter moment, it became an opportunity for New York’s sportswriters to speculate about the lethargy of the team and its highest paid star.
Throughout this season, the Opening Day starter for the Orioles (take a minute to see if you can name that pitcher) has ridden his bicycle anonymously through the Baltimore streets on his way to Camden Yards. Neither the Baltimore Sun nor the Baltimore Examiner have paparazzi waiting to see if he will run a red light or pass on the right. Instead, they allow the city’s players to be themselves.
Next »