What it Means to Be Irish
1) You will never play professional basketball.
2) You swear very well.
3) At least one of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral
home owner or holds political office. And you have at least one aunt who is
a nun, or uncle who's a priest.
4) You think you sing very well.
5) You have no idea how to make a long story short!
6) There isn't a big difference between you losing your temper or
killing someone.
7) Much of your childhood meals were boiled. Instant potatoes were a
mortal sin.
8) You have never hit your head on a ceiling.
9) You spent a good portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer
(Catholic guilt forever!).
10) You're strangely poetic after a few beers.
11) You are, therefore, poetic a lot.
12) You will be punched for no good reason...a lot.
13) Some punches directed at you are from legacies of past
generations.
14) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named Mary, Catherine, or
Eileen... and there is at least one member of your family with the
full name of Mary Catherine Eileen.
15) Someone in your family is very generous. It is more than likely
you.
16) You may not know the words, but that doesn't stop you from
singing.
17) You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking before you start
talking.
18) You're not nearly as funny as you think you are ... but what you
lack in talent, you make up for in frequency.
19) There wasn't a huge difference between your last wake and your
last keg party.
20) You are, or know someone, named Murph.
21) If you don't know Murph then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph
or Mac then you know Sully. It's conceivable you know Sully MacMurphy.
22) You are genetically incapable of keeping a secret.
23) You have Irish Alzheimer's... you forget everything but the
grudges!
24) You met your husband/wife/significant
other/accountant/lawyer/landscaper/etc.. in a bar.
25) All of your losses are alcohol-related (loss of... virginity,
driver's license, money, job, significant other, teeth from punch...) but this
never stops you from drinking.
26) Your skin's ability to tan.... not so much.
27) At this very moment, you have at least two relatives who are not
speaking to each other (not fighting, mind you, just not speaking to
each other).
28) Childhood remedies for the common cold often included whiskey.
29) There's no leaving a family party without saying goodbye for at
least 45 minutes.
30) You long ago learnt that 'Irish Stew' is a euphemism for 'boiled
leftovers.'
March 18, 2009
March 16, 2009
And another thing...
- I'm getting a little nervous with all the coverage of Brady & Giselle... reminds me of The Natural when Roy Hobbs' game flags as he kanoodles with Kim Basinger (poor Hobbs - he had no luck with the fairer sex - one shoots him and one gets him in The Slump). I'm sure Brady is rehabbing to the utmost, but I just get a feeling that at the exact moment he needs to focus & concentrate on regaining his game, he's not. If this were a movie, I'd just have to say most of the audience would be expecting a large downfall this season. Of course, life is never like the movies...
- There is no way I see the Tampa Bay Rays coming close to what they did last year. Hey, they are chock full of talent, but last year, it all came together -- I think that was a star-crossing rather than a permanent alignment -- I'm calling for the Kansas City Royals to have a better end of season record.
- Red Sox have the best 1-7 hitters in the game, as long at Pedey makes it back unscathed from the WBC.
- WBC will be moved or eliminated by 2012 -- I think we'll see MLB player antipathy rachet up next year and even more the following year. I'm pretty sure the U.S. is the most imporatant demo in this exhibityion contest and NOBODY CARES.
- AIG execs getting mega-bonuses for retention. Retention? Shouldn't a retention bonus be predicated on a performance bonus? I.e., if you perform well & get a bonus, they sure as heck want to retain your services, but if you don't qualify for a bonus per your performance, why would a company want to retain you by virtue of paying you more money? We needed Toto to pull back the curtain earlier, since learning about all the financial goings-ons at these companies is akin to watching them all line up at the slot machines with our bail-out/stimulous money.
- Of the U.S. Big Three, Ford seems to be on the right track -- it's not asking for more money from the government, it has a deal with the unions, it trimming down and focusing on what will make them money. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but it sure would be nice to have one U.S. automaker -- U.S. citizens who want to support the American economy could go to one company for their auto needs, thereby not dilluting the purchases, and the american carmaker wouls look to innovators like Toyota & Honda as the direct competition and actually start acting, instead of merely reacting.
- Its taken awhile, but I no know what kind of sports talk radio I like: I like a lot of facts (including ocassional irrelevant factoids for fun), a little attitude, and a lot of callers from which a least one relevant point is fished for by the hosts.
- There is no way I see the Tampa Bay Rays coming close to what they did last year. Hey, they are chock full of talent, but last year, it all came together -- I think that was a star-crossing rather than a permanent alignment -- I'm calling for the Kansas City Royals to have a better end of season record.
- Red Sox have the best 1-7 hitters in the game, as long at Pedey makes it back unscathed from the WBC.
- WBC will be moved or eliminated by 2012 -- I think we'll see MLB player antipathy rachet up next year and even more the following year. I'm pretty sure the U.S. is the most imporatant demo in this exhibityion contest and NOBODY CARES.
- AIG execs getting mega-bonuses for retention. Retention? Shouldn't a retention bonus be predicated on a performance bonus? I.e., if you perform well & get a bonus, they sure as heck want to retain your services, but if you don't qualify for a bonus per your performance, why would a company want to retain you by virtue of paying you more money? We needed Toto to pull back the curtain earlier, since learning about all the financial goings-ons at these companies is akin to watching them all line up at the slot machines with our bail-out/stimulous money.
- Of the U.S. Big Three, Ford seems to be on the right track -- it's not asking for more money from the government, it has a deal with the unions, it trimming down and focusing on what will make them money. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but it sure would be nice to have one U.S. automaker -- U.S. citizens who want to support the American economy could go to one company for their auto needs, thereby not dilluting the purchases, and the american carmaker wouls look to innovators like Toyota & Honda as the direct competition and actually start acting, instead of merely reacting.
- Its taken awhile, but I no know what kind of sports talk radio I like: I like a lot of facts (including ocassional irrelevant factoids for fun), a little attitude, and a lot of callers from which a least one relevant point is fished for by the hosts.
March 2, 2009
The good & bad of talk radio
As a moderate Democrat, I hafta say, I love tuning in to Rush Limbaugh every day. Listening to him and his listeners talk is like reading Lewis Carroll - a mix-mash of words that are so implausible or made up they are hilarious! I could listen to this guy all day, because I know he knows that things such as true-socialism is not even a remote possibility.
And the people who throw around the terms Socialism and Communism are latching on to and giving preference to traditional fear-words over trying to understand. This economical melt-down doesn't have a singular demon, as 9/11 did, but make no mistake, it's in every way as serious. This country lined up behind Bush and gave him the benefit of the doubt for over four years. Heck, I'd be content with letting the Obama get two years -- he is surrounding himself with economic advisers who are both beyond reproach and have been tried and true during the U.S.'s great economic times. United we stand divided we fall doesn't have to just steeling ourself against seen enemies -- how about teaming up in the bad times as well?
Economy-wise, these are near-disastrous times -- guess what? The country elected Obama as our President. The President is employing the platform of his party, as well as all the ideas he said he stood for. Overtly and in full view, may I add. Ummm... where's the mystery, other than thje mystery in the fact that some people actually expected the Dow to go up (?) within his first 100 days?!... this tide has been ebbing for too long and it is a full moon. It'll turn, just maybe not the way you want it to, but it will turn.
This country will forever go back and forth -- I count on it. I'm not crazy enough to think my idealogy has all the right answers, just what I perceive as more of them. I'll always want GOPers in the mix -- I like some of their ideas a lot. I want both parties forever together to keep things balanced.
So anyway, Rush is funny because he's a zealot who, if he spoke in anapestic tetrameter, may give Dr. Seuss a run for his money in the ways of whimsy.
And the people who throw around the terms Socialism and Communism are latching on to and giving preference to traditional fear-words over trying to understand. This economical melt-down doesn't have a singular demon, as 9/11 did, but make no mistake, it's in every way as serious. This country lined up behind Bush and gave him the benefit of the doubt for over four years. Heck, I'd be content with letting the Obama get two years -- he is surrounding himself with economic advisers who are both beyond reproach and have been tried and true during the U.S.'s great economic times. United we stand divided we fall doesn't have to just steeling ourself against seen enemies -- how about teaming up in the bad times as well?
Economy-wise, these are near-disastrous times -- guess what? The country elected Obama as our President. The President is employing the platform of his party, as well as all the ideas he said he stood for. Overtly and in full view, may I add. Ummm... where's the mystery, other than thje mystery in the fact that some people actually expected the Dow to go up (?) within his first 100 days?!... this tide has been ebbing for too long and it is a full moon. It'll turn, just maybe not the way you want it to, but it will turn.
This country will forever go back and forth -- I count on it. I'm not crazy enough to think my idealogy has all the right answers, just what I perceive as more of them. I'll always want GOPers in the mix -- I like some of their ideas a lot. I want both parties forever together to keep things balanced.
So anyway, Rush is funny because he's a zealot who, if he spoke in anapestic tetrameter, may give Dr. Seuss a run for his money in the ways of whimsy.
February 18, 2009
Sox with A-Rod
A buddy emailed a group of buddies and me the fact that the Sox are psyched they never got A-Rod, since all the recent fun has come to pass. Well, I agree of course, but I agreed on my joy of being A-Rod-less a long time ago...
I'll be honest - I've been glad ever since we won the 04 WS that we bagged the trade (or rather, the trade got bagged) - although the mental shift began with the Tek/A-Rod confrontation of that summer. Then the Slap-happy A-Rod down the first base line (notice the extra strength his wrist flexor muscles had, so as to knock the ball from the glove ;) in the playoffs helped confirm my tilt.
All things being equal, we sure would have a distraction right now -- but let's backtrack & say all things were equal... say A-Rod sucked his dog's anal cavity in the playoffs as he has in NY... then he and Boras pulled that stunt during a NY Yank-WS game. I say he would have never come back last year, due to Theo and the trio's playoffs-first & team-first mentality. And the fact that they would at that point have been getting negativce value from A-Rod in the playoffs (all things being equal).
Or, all things not being equal, let's say that Magglio Ordonez (remember he was in the deal to replace Manny) & A-Rod & the Sox had a different chemistry and the Sox brought in at least two WS, as they have already -- if great chemistry, maybe three. Then, things may very well be oooo-gly. Or, since he was on the Sox, and the Sox seem to have a better relationship with Bud Selig, Mitchell (obviously, being part of the team) and the inner circles machinations in MLB, whoever dropped A-Rod's name may not have dropped that name. At this point, there's no telling if it was done just as much to drop the bomb on Hank & Hal, as it was to make A-Rod invent cousins. If that was even a slight component of the dropping of the A-Rod dime, we still may be touting him as The Savior in these drug-riddled times.
I do think every team has a cadre of players from 98 to at least 06, that juiced -- much of the league has skated.
Funny too, because while I backslapped you, SGC, for the fact that the heavy-juicing stars of the Yankees haven't been able to bring it home this decade, they did win in 2000, and that team definitely had a contingent of injectors in their midst. Clemens, Grimsley, Giambi, etc. But, I don't take that WS away from them -- because while I think steroids does affect a player's individual numbers, I also think that the fact that much of the league as a whole was pumped full PEDs - across all teams - the literal and figuarative playing field was relatively level, i.e., the bar was raised bi-laterally.
P.S. - I think A-Rod lied worse yesterday in many ways than the first time, but it is what it is... A-Rod cramming his face in uniquely rank orafices and asking us to smell him.
P.P.S. - How's Jose Canseco looking now? I swear if this guy told me he injected the Pope, I'd be forced the believe him, while noticing that the fabled pontiff has bulked up a bit under those robes, that funny hat does look a bit smaller on the noggin, and he sure can deliver longer sermons these days.
I'll be honest - I've been glad ever since we won the 04 WS that we bagged the trade (or rather, the trade got bagged) - although the mental shift began with the Tek/A-Rod confrontation of that summer. Then the Slap-happy A-Rod down the first base line (notice the extra strength his wrist flexor muscles had, so as to knock the ball from the glove ;) in the playoffs helped confirm my tilt.
All things being equal, we sure would have a distraction right now -- but let's backtrack & say all things were equal... say A-Rod sucked his dog's anal cavity in the playoffs as he has in NY... then he and Boras pulled that stunt during a NY Yank-WS game. I say he would have never come back last year, due to Theo and the trio's playoffs-first & team-first mentality. And the fact that they would at that point have been getting negativce value from A-Rod in the playoffs (all things being equal).
Or, all things not being equal, let's say that Magglio Ordonez (remember he was in the deal to replace Manny) & A-Rod & the Sox had a different chemistry and the Sox brought in at least two WS, as they have already -- if great chemistry, maybe three. Then, things may very well be oooo-gly. Or, since he was on the Sox, and the Sox seem to have a better relationship with Bud Selig, Mitchell (obviously, being part of the team) and the inner circles machinations in MLB, whoever dropped A-Rod's name may not have dropped that name. At this point, there's no telling if it was done just as much to drop the bomb on Hank & Hal, as it was to make A-Rod invent cousins. If that was even a slight component of the dropping of the A-Rod dime, we still may be touting him as The Savior in these drug-riddled times.
I do think every team has a cadre of players from 98 to at least 06, that juiced -- much of the league has skated.
Funny too, because while I backslapped you, SGC, for the fact that the heavy-juicing stars of the Yankees haven't been able to bring it home this decade, they did win in 2000, and that team definitely had a contingent of injectors in their midst. Clemens, Grimsley, Giambi, etc. But, I don't take that WS away from them -- because while I think steroids does affect a player's individual numbers, I also think that the fact that much of the league as a whole was pumped full PEDs - across all teams - the literal and figuarative playing field was relatively level, i.e., the bar was raised bi-laterally.
P.S. - I think A-Rod lied worse yesterday in many ways than the first time, but it is what it is... A-Rod cramming his face in uniquely rank orafices and asking us to smell him.
P.P.S. - How's Jose Canseco looking now? I swear if this guy told me he injected the Pope, I'd be forced the believe him, while noticing that the fabled pontiff has bulked up a bit under those robes, that funny hat does look a bit smaller on the noggin, and he sure can deliver longer sermons these days.
February 9, 2009
A-Everybody
A-Rod just about completes the cycle (pun intended). Just about anyone that is good to great over the last decade has his name tainted by at least the suspicion. You know who is the greatest living ballplayer since '96 - Derek Jeter; for his 'o', his 'd', and for his team-first at all costs demeanor, coupled with his someone slkinny look, and his now-dropping numbers (at an age all the 'roids freaks kicked into gear), he is the new genuine Yankee Clipper...
Over that period of time, who's the man everyone laughed at, ridiculed, and comes out 100% vindicated? Canseco -- when he tried to publish the second tome, calling out A-Rod, he said he was gonna do it in the 2nd book because of the passes A-Rod made at his wife. Everyone dismissed it as payback with no basis in reality. But he said he wasn't lying....
A-Rod later divorced his wife -- noone can think Madonna was his first time astray, just his highest profile lady in waiting (ok, Madonna waits for noone, but whatever).
So, I take Jose at his word in both instances.
I actually think Manny may be clean -- but a revilesome person; although Ortiz was cut by Minne, only to perk up in Boston, right? That'll be the scuttlebutt anyway. Nomar definitely did (remember when the best SS debate was Jeter, Nomar, or Tejada-also tainted in Mitchell Report -- we know it was Jeter now).
There should be some pitchers in there big-time, but just by body type, I'd wager the Yankees soft stuff will continue to assault the fan -- some of those mid-relievers of the last 10 yrs are stereotypical Roid-bodies. If they didn't do it, who's fault is our thinking that they did... it's those players who never said a thing... it's themselves (more on that below). Who wouldn't note that in his later years, surreal Mariano Rivera's fastball picked up 6 to 8 mph.
In a way, it's so obviously widespread, it's fodder for endless debate and conversation, but the only ones that will suffer will be the kids that aren't tested in HS & college who start using.
As for MLB, here's what I think...
It made everyone - without exception, a ton of money. Selig made more than Jeter last year. Top players offensive numbers went nuts, raising the popular interest in the sport. Vendors flourished, owners won fans and advertising, players gained sponsorships. Middle tier players & those just not using did not say a word because they were in it for their money. They may not be be the best players in the game because of the Roid freaks, but because of the gargantuann payscale, middle-tier still guaraned easy street financially. I guess the other loser in the equation are men who would've just made the majors, but didn't because the bar had been set so high.
But, to me, this is a blip on the game; a big blip, but a blip (blip, blip, blip, blip -- sounds so funny, no? Sorry,.. anyway). Who gets in tthe HOF? All? Noone from this era? To me, it's the judgement ofthe writer -- tis isn't a court of law... if they think the numbers were affected by PEDs, then no-go Coops. If they feel the person was clean, hello Big Hall. Why more difficult? Sure there will be debates on some people that were rumored, but let's leave that to debate at that time.
Some may say that's unfair to tie players that were clean and I'd say tough noogies -- they should have figured out a way to come forward when it was going on, instead of cashing those annual 9 mill checks as a mid to high tier player.
Besides, even though football has been testing much longer, there is no way it has the same stigma as that in baseball. Shawn Merriman is an incredible player, was caught, and suspended for 4 games -- or one quarter of his entire season. He still ended up coming in third in MVP voting. Third. I don't see the writers holding PEDs too strongly against him.
But, it's all about the numbers inbaseball -- once you start putting up the big stat numbers, you start getting the big dollar numbers, and everybody else does too. The public can't help but love the numbers -- we'd know if it wasn't on the up and up -- a clean player would tell, right?... and every player looks at each other and puts a finger on the side of their nose and says not it.
(And by the way, love him or hate him, the Shill has never said not it on this topic.)
H
Over that period of time, who's the man everyone laughed at, ridiculed, and comes out 100% vindicated? Canseco -- when he tried to publish the second tome, calling out A-Rod, he said he was gonna do it in the 2nd book because of the passes A-Rod made at his wife. Everyone dismissed it as payback with no basis in reality. But he said he wasn't lying....
A-Rod later divorced his wife -- noone can think Madonna was his first time astray, just his highest profile lady in waiting (ok, Madonna waits for noone, but whatever).
So, I take Jose at his word in both instances.
I actually think Manny may be clean -- but a revilesome person; although Ortiz was cut by Minne, only to perk up in Boston, right? That'll be the scuttlebutt anyway. Nomar definitely did (remember when the best SS debate was Jeter, Nomar, or Tejada-also tainted in Mitchell Report -- we know it was Jeter now).
There should be some pitchers in there big-time, but just by body type, I'd wager the Yankees soft stuff will continue to assault the fan -- some of those mid-relievers of the last 10 yrs are stereotypical Roid-bodies. If they didn't do it, who's fault is our thinking that they did... it's those players who never said a thing... it's themselves (more on that below). Who wouldn't note that in his later years, surreal Mariano Rivera's fastball picked up 6 to 8 mph.
In a way, it's so obviously widespread, it's fodder for endless debate and conversation, but the only ones that will suffer will be the kids that aren't tested in HS & college who start using.
As for MLB, here's what I think...
It made everyone - without exception, a ton of money. Selig made more than Jeter last year. Top players offensive numbers went nuts, raising the popular interest in the sport. Vendors flourished, owners won fans and advertising, players gained sponsorships. Middle tier players & those just not using did not say a word because they were in it for their money. They may not be be the best players in the game because of the Roid freaks, but because of the gargantuann payscale, middle-tier still guaraned easy street financially. I guess the other loser in the equation are men who would've just made the majors, but didn't because the bar had been set so high.
But, to me, this is a blip on the game; a big blip, but a blip (blip, blip, blip, blip -- sounds so funny, no? Sorry,.. anyway). Who gets in tthe HOF? All? Noone from this era? To me, it's the judgement ofthe writer -- tis isn't a court of law... if they think the numbers were affected by PEDs, then no-go Coops. If they feel the person was clean, hello Big Hall. Why more difficult? Sure there will be debates on some people that were rumored, but let's leave that to debate at that time.
Some may say that's unfair to tie players that were clean and I'd say tough noogies -- they should have figured out a way to come forward when it was going on, instead of cashing those annual 9 mill checks as a mid to high tier player.
Besides, even though football has been testing much longer, there is no way it has the same stigma as that in baseball. Shawn Merriman is an incredible player, was caught, and suspended for 4 games -- or one quarter of his entire season. He still ended up coming in third in MVP voting. Third. I don't see the writers holding PEDs too strongly against him.
But, it's all about the numbers inbaseball -- once you start putting up the big stat numbers, you start getting the big dollar numbers, and everybody else does too. The public can't help but love the numbers -- we'd know if it wasn't on the up and up -- a clean player would tell, right?... and every player looks at each other and puts a finger on the side of their nose and says not it.
(And by the way, love him or hate him, the Shill has never said not it on this topic.)
H
January 28, 2009
Vote early & often (okay, just vote once, please ;)
YOUR VOTE CAN HELP BMC’S SPARK CENTER WIN $25,000 (and enter to win plane tickets)
The SPARK Center is a Boston Medical Center program that helps impoverished children with HIV/AIDS and other debilitating diseases. Virgin America will be launching in Boston soon and as part of their promotion, the SPARK Center is one of the charities that can win $25,000 if it receives the most votes. By voting, you are entered to win Virgin airline tickets around the world!
The charity that gets the most votes will receive $25,000 from Virgin America on their launch day of Feb 11th. Please take 2 minutes to help BMC’s SPARK Center win $25,000: -
Click on:
http://www.revolutiontakesflight.com/items/The_Spark_Center?c=70
- Click on the vote icon next to the SPARK Center listing
- This will take you to a page to create an ID, but this is very quick;
- Once you’ve made your ID, you’ll go back to the ‘vote’ page; please click the 'vote' icon to the
left of the SPARK Center logo
The SPARK Center is a Boston Medical Center program that helps impoverished children with HIV/AIDS and other debilitating diseases. Virgin America will be launching in Boston soon and as part of their promotion, the SPARK Center is one of the charities that can win $25,000 if it receives the most votes. By voting, you are entered to win Virgin airline tickets around the world!
The charity that gets the most votes will receive $25,000 from Virgin America on their launch day of Feb 11th. Please take 2 minutes to help BMC’s SPARK Center win $25,000: -
Click on:
http://www.revolutiontakesflight.com/items/The_Spark_Center?c=70
- Click on the vote icon next to the SPARK Center listing
- This will take you to a page to create an ID, but this is very quick;
- Once you’ve made your ID, you’ll go back to the ‘vote’ page; please click the 'vote' icon to the
left of the SPARK Center logo
January 24, 2009
On paper different than execution, but...
But, I'm looking at the Sox and Yankees from a half-full kinda way these days, and I'm pretty happy with the ways things're setting up. I'm also curious to see the outcome of a few things, among them:
- Who will have a better season, Smoltz with the Sox or Lowe with the Braves -- not absolute numbers, because /Smoltz may not be in there right away, but on average. And, at least accordng to Simmons, Atlanta is a Mecca for hooking up - think D-Lowe will fall back on his rumored older ways (I was going to put 'self-destructing', but he still ddoes well either way)?
- Very strange the Sox & Tek haven't just said okay, 12 mill, 2 years, plus incentives (and, as we all know Tek could've had 11 for 1 yr if he accepted arbitration, but he's gotta just lookit that as spilt milk). I heard the Sox aren't budging ffrom a 1 yr deal on the radio, so who knows? I would not be stunned if, at the 11th hour, they pull a Salty Teagarden Montiero outa the terible new hanging Sox hat (to be seen at select away games at a theatre near you, rated 'V', fo vomit) .
- As it is right now, the Sox bullpen looks about 20 feet taller and a whole lot scarier than any Green Monsters. Think about a lot of the losses last year... they happened in games where the connection fom the starter to Paps dropped the ball -- while ramping Masterson up, going w/ on again off again Delcarmen, etc., something tells me Bill James and the Jamesettes sang a song at Yawkey way about the statistical possibilities with a team of strong mid-relievers.
Picture a starting bullpen off Beckett/Lester/Dice-K (especially the Diceman!)/Wake/Penny-Smoltz having to only go 6 - and yes, maybe even 5 on occassion - to essentially lock up games. Less innings, less wear on the arms, and a bullpen that can be relied on to give up zero to 2 runs before handing the ball to Paps. Again, this is on paper, but this doesn't even take into account some other pitchers that are sure to get a call-up to Boston occassionally... Bucholtz - if he gets the slot right, Bowden who seems very likely to step in... The 'pen has been improved by a possible factor of ten (pulling that number from my posterior's orafice) and the starting five/six is definitely an improvement, with solid pitching in the wings.
I would posit that more games were lost last year by either a mid-relief staff that blew the game, or Tito letting a starter go farther in the gamer than he should have, as opposed to games not won, due to the offensive drop off from Manny Ramiewz to Jason Bay.
- Yankees picked up CC (2-9 vs Sox, o8), Burnett, Tex & Swisher (who, I can only think was their safety net/smokescreen? in case they didn't get Tex). Moose knocked down 20 teams last year -- not a lot of 20-game winners in baseball anymore. That's a big number to match up to. Pettitte didn't have a great season, but there's no doubt he's a workhorse that always seemed to give the Sox problems when we least could afford it. Burnett is a very good pitcher, but comes with almost the exact opposite reputation.
- Yanks snagged Tex from the Sox in such a way, to me it was reminscent of the World Series paint being started in Fenway Park in '03 before Grady-ball took place. Both times, the Yankees decided they were not going to lose. But I think Tex would've meant more to the Sox than he will to the Yankees, this year -- overall, Tex will be a great face of the franchise, especially with Jeter on the back nine (not saying his play has declined, just saying he's no longer a young Turk!) and A-Rod skipping Spring Training for Kabala tutotials. Tex would've replaced Lowell - gotta love the man, but Tex is flat out better. As far as I can tell, Tex & Swisher are replacing Giambi & Abreu -- I'll take the latter two for overall better numbers (at least last year, which saw Giambi actually crushing the ball again).
- Damon and Matsui will both be back, but they are putting on the 18th green at this point -- I will be surprised if they play more than a combined 200 games next year.
- There's always the chance that Cano will return to his former brialliance, but who knows?
- I'd expect Jeter & A-Rod to do more of the same this year
- I'd expect Bay to be about the same, with a mid-June slump
- Even though I would've said bye-bye to Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez (and Clay for that matter), I think Ellsbury will beat his last season.
- Rocco Baldelli portends some interesting possibilities filling in for both Drew/Jacoby/Bay -- let's hope this new disgnosis gives him the energy he needs. With his hometown just past the late afternoon shadow of the Pru, he'll have a lot of support.
- So, I guess I'm just saying, on my paper, the Sox should do as least as well as last year, while the Yankees will be lucky to finish as well.
AL East prediction: Sox, Yanks, Jays, Rays, O's
- Who will have a better season, Smoltz with the Sox or Lowe with the Braves -- not absolute numbers, because /Smoltz may not be in there right away, but on average. And, at least accordng to Simmons, Atlanta is a Mecca for hooking up - think D-Lowe will fall back on his rumored older ways (I was going to put 'self-destructing', but he still ddoes well either way)?
- Very strange the Sox & Tek haven't just said okay, 12 mill, 2 years, plus incentives (and, as we all know Tek could've had 11 for 1 yr if he accepted arbitration, but he's gotta just lookit that as spilt milk). I heard the Sox aren't budging ffrom a 1 yr deal on the radio, so who knows? I would not be stunned if, at the 11th hour, they pull a Salty Teagarden Montiero outa the terible new hanging Sox hat (to be seen at select away games at a theatre near you, rated 'V', fo vomit) .
- As it is right now, the Sox bullpen looks about 20 feet taller and a whole lot scarier than any Green Monsters. Think about a lot of the losses last year... they happened in games where the connection fom the starter to Paps dropped the ball -- while ramping Masterson up, going w/ on again off again Delcarmen, etc., something tells me Bill James and the Jamesettes sang a song at Yawkey way about the statistical possibilities with a team of strong mid-relievers.
Picture a starting bullpen off Beckett/Lester/Dice-K (especially the Diceman!)/Wake/Penny-Smoltz having to only go 6 - and yes, maybe even 5 on occassion - to essentially lock up games. Less innings, less wear on the arms, and a bullpen that can be relied on to give up zero to 2 runs before handing the ball to Paps. Again, this is on paper, but this doesn't even take into account some other pitchers that are sure to get a call-up to Boston occassionally... Bucholtz - if he gets the slot right, Bowden who seems very likely to step in... The 'pen has been improved by a possible factor of ten (pulling that number from my posterior's orafice) and the starting five/six is definitely an improvement, with solid pitching in the wings.
I would posit that more games were lost last year by either a mid-relief staff that blew the game, or Tito letting a starter go farther in the gamer than he should have, as opposed to games not won, due to the offensive drop off from Manny Ramiewz to Jason Bay.
- Yankees picked up CC (2-9 vs Sox, o8), Burnett, Tex & Swisher (who, I can only think was their safety net/smokescreen? in case they didn't get Tex). Moose knocked down 20 teams last year -- not a lot of 20-game winners in baseball anymore. That's a big number to match up to. Pettitte didn't have a great season, but there's no doubt he's a workhorse that always seemed to give the Sox problems when we least could afford it. Burnett is a very good pitcher, but comes with almost the exact opposite reputation.
- Yanks snagged Tex from the Sox in such a way, to me it was reminscent of the World Series paint being started in Fenway Park in '03 before Grady-ball took place. Both times, the Yankees decided they were not going to lose. But I think Tex would've meant more to the Sox than he will to the Yankees, this year -- overall, Tex will be a great face of the franchise, especially with Jeter on the back nine (not saying his play has declined, just saying he's no longer a young Turk!) and A-Rod skipping Spring Training for Kabala tutotials. Tex would've replaced Lowell - gotta love the man, but Tex is flat out better. As far as I can tell, Tex & Swisher are replacing Giambi & Abreu -- I'll take the latter two for overall better numbers (at least last year, which saw Giambi actually crushing the ball again).
- Damon and Matsui will both be back, but they are putting on the 18th green at this point -- I will be surprised if they play more than a combined 200 games next year.
- There's always the chance that Cano will return to his former brialliance, but who knows?
- I'd expect Jeter & A-Rod to do more of the same this year
- I'd expect Bay to be about the same, with a mid-June slump
- Even though I would've said bye-bye to Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez (and Clay for that matter), I think Ellsbury will beat his last season.
- Rocco Baldelli portends some interesting possibilities filling in for both Drew/Jacoby/Bay -- let's hope this new disgnosis gives him the energy he needs. With his hometown just past the late afternoon shadow of the Pru, he'll have a lot of support.
- So, I guess I'm just saying, on my paper, the Sox should do as least as well as last year, while the Yankees will be lucky to finish as well.
AL East prediction: Sox, Yanks, Jays, Rays, O's
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