SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- A lot of people don't like Barry Bonds. Whether it's his arrogant attitude (while articulate, it can still upset a lot of people), his treatment of the media or the suspicion of performance enhancing drugs to break home run records, Bonds still has one redeeming quality... he performs.
You never question that he's not performing, unlike another highly paid player named Barry in San Francisco. The 42-year old Bonds is making 15.3 million this season (/295, 17 HR, 42 RBI, .512 OBP), while the 29-year old Zito (6-9, 4.90 ERA, 11 HR allowed, 104.2 IP), who sucks more than the horniest sorority girl on a Saturday night, is making 18 million a year and for the next six after this.
Zito has no one to answer to except himself. His agent, Scott Boras, whored Giants GM Brian Sabean and the entire organzation, which sent up a signal of desperation to make this move for 126 million over seven years. Essentially, Zito doesn't have to perform until his contract year (the last one). Regardless of what happens in the next six years, as long as he has a solid seventh year, he's going to rake again. Not like investing 126 million over seven years won't pay its dividens.
Bonds, meanwhile, is at 751 career home runs, just five home runs short of breaking Hank Aaron's and Major League Baseball's career record. People say that Bonds probably wouldn't have been on the way to breaking the record if he wasn't on performance enhancing drugs. Well, let's be honest here. Bonds was a hell of a player even before when he was going 30-50 for the Pirates. The guy began his career hitting lead-off and was a threat to steal 50 bases a season. He was the ultimate weapon. If a team walked him, chances were he could turn it into a double rather quick.
I remember an 11th inning walk-off home run against the Cardinals in 1990 that was his signature home run. It was a big moment then. Now, it's a bigger moment if the pitcher strikes out Bonds in that same situation.
However, despite his personality and the enhancements, Bonds performs. He hits like an all-star and while his comments are often rude and critical, he does have an intelligent and articulate was of relaying them. Oh, by the way, he's also 42-years old.
In my opinion, he's the most feared hitter in Major League Baseball history. Maybe that wouldn't be the case if he didn't use performance enhancing drugs, but he'd still be an all-star.
However, unlike Zito, there's one thing you can't say about Bonds, and that would be that he doesn't earn his paycheck.
Enjoy last place San Francisco! This is what you paid for, right?
Monday, July 9, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
The G-D Cubs Won Again?! How The Hell Are They Doing This?!
CHICAGO, IL -- And the damn Cubs win again! I can't figure it out. Even though there are many positive to take from this most recent Cubs win:
1. The Cardinals are a half game closer to the Brewers
2. A demoralizing loss to the Cubs could send the Brewers into a tailspin
3. The Cubs are still the Cubs, so chances are they're going to blow all of this eventually).
I sat there and watched the game as Yovanny Gallardo was spotted a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning off Rich Hill. Hill either is solid or gets hammered. Today was the latter.
The Cubs scratched a run back here and there, but it had to end somewhere. The ninth inning comes along and the Brewers bring in Francisco Cordero. Cordero's been automatic all year. No matter the opponent, who is up or whatever, Cordero is going to close it down.
Somehow, some way, I had this eerie feeling that Chicago was going to come back. I hate that feeling, especially since the Cubs are doomed for eternity anyway. A couple hits and soon they had first and third with one out and Derrek Lee at the plate. A home run could win the game, but Lee flew out to right field to score a run making the game 5-4.
Aramis Ramirez was up next. I had the feeling that Ramirez would knock one out. I wasn't sure how or where, but soon it wasn't a question any more. Ramirez took the first pitch and launched it to left field. I knew it was gone and so did almost 40,000 other fans at the corner or Sheffield and Addison.
Watching the ball sail into the bleachers and seeing all those Cubs fans going crazy and beer cups flying in the air everywhere, you would have thought the Cubs won the World Series. I have to admit, it did look really cool. My one year working for the Cubs, I have somewhat of an appreciation for the Cubs, but that quickly diminished when I started with the birds on the bat.
A walk-off home run for Ramirez and a come-from-behind win for the Cubs, who had now won seven in a row and move within 6.5 games of the first place Brewers. St. Louis is now 10 games back and can make it 9.5 with a win against Cincinnati tonight.
Cubs fans can take this one of two ways. They can be gracious and enjoy every moment of this and hope the momentum rides them as far as it can, playing as the underdog, or they can cock off and talk like they're the best and it's all coming around, that the talent has been there all the time and when Wood and Prior get healthy...
Well, I got news for you. I've known Cubs fans all my life and No. 2 always seems to prevail for them. They can't help being cocks. They don't know how to handle success, because most of them weren't alive the last time the Cubs made the World Series.
Even the Cardinals, who had been in the playoffs for the last three years and several since 1982, relished the underdog role in the playoffs and World Series and took it to every team that stood in the way.
Enjoy it while it lasts Cubs. Cardinal Nation thanks you for the win against the Brewers and hopes for two more this weekend so we'll have an inspiration to start winning.
In the meantime, I have to listen to "Here Comes the King" about 10 times to get Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go" out of my head.
Chasing the Cubs is motivation enough.
1. The Cardinals are a half game closer to the Brewers
2. A demoralizing loss to the Cubs could send the Brewers into a tailspin
3. The Cubs are still the Cubs, so chances are they're going to blow all of this eventually).
I sat there and watched the game as Yovanny Gallardo was spotted a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning off Rich Hill. Hill either is solid or gets hammered. Today was the latter.
The Cubs scratched a run back here and there, but it had to end somewhere. The ninth inning comes along and the Brewers bring in Francisco Cordero. Cordero's been automatic all year. No matter the opponent, who is up or whatever, Cordero is going to close it down.
Somehow, some way, I had this eerie feeling that Chicago was going to come back. I hate that feeling, especially since the Cubs are doomed for eternity anyway. A couple hits and soon they had first and third with one out and Derrek Lee at the plate. A home run could win the game, but Lee flew out to right field to score a run making the game 5-4.
Aramis Ramirez was up next. I had the feeling that Ramirez would knock one out. I wasn't sure how or where, but soon it wasn't a question any more. Ramirez took the first pitch and launched it to left field. I knew it was gone and so did almost 40,000 other fans at the corner or Sheffield and Addison.
Watching the ball sail into the bleachers and seeing all those Cubs fans going crazy and beer cups flying in the air everywhere, you would have thought the Cubs won the World Series. I have to admit, it did look really cool. My one year working for the Cubs, I have somewhat of an appreciation for the Cubs, but that quickly diminished when I started with the birds on the bat.
A walk-off home run for Ramirez and a come-from-behind win for the Cubs, who had now won seven in a row and move within 6.5 games of the first place Brewers. St. Louis is now 10 games back and can make it 9.5 with a win against Cincinnati tonight.
Cubs fans can take this one of two ways. They can be gracious and enjoy every moment of this and hope the momentum rides them as far as it can, playing as the underdog, or they can cock off and talk like they're the best and it's all coming around, that the talent has been there all the time and when Wood and Prior get healthy...
Well, I got news for you. I've known Cubs fans all my life and No. 2 always seems to prevail for them. They can't help being cocks. They don't know how to handle success, because most of them weren't alive the last time the Cubs made the World Series.
Even the Cardinals, who had been in the playoffs for the last three years and several since 1982, relished the underdog role in the playoffs and World Series and took it to every team that stood in the way.
Enjoy it while it lasts Cubs. Cardinal Nation thanks you for the win against the Brewers and hopes for two more this weekend so we'll have an inspiration to start winning.
In the meantime, I have to listen to "Here Comes the King" about 10 times to get Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go" out of my head.
Chasing the Cubs is motivation enough.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Deja Vu in Omaha!
OMAHA, NE -- Didn't we just see this a year ago? How did North Carolina bust through the elimination bracket and make it to the NCAA Championship. Better yet, how did Oregon State make it look so easy?
I sat there on selection day and saw Oregon State get shuttled off to the Charlottesville Regional, probably as a courtesy for the defending champion before Jacob Thompson and Sean Doolittle pounded them into submission and sent them back to the northwest with nothing but 5,000 frequent flier miles.
North Carolina, on the other hand, was one ninth inning, two-out single away from getting knocked out of their own regional by an upstart Western Carolina team, seeded No. 4 in Chapel Hill.
The Tarheels got smashed in the second game of the World Series by Rice, but came back and knocked off the Owls twice. The second game was a critical mistake by head coach Wayne Graham when he pulled his starting pitcher in the third inning to bring in middle reliever Bobby Bramhall. Bramhall's numbers are good including the 1.79 ERA he brought into the game, but I was thinking the starting pitcher didn't need to be pulled considering two of the three runs scored via errors.
As it was, North Carolina's Seth Williams annihilated Bramhall's first pitch into the left field bleachers sending Graham into a tirade in the dugout. Somehow, this was amusing to me. Here's Rice, with this pitching staff, of which half were drafted, and Graham can't stop North Carolina. He did have Joe Savery, the 19th overall pick in the MLB first-year player draft standing at first base on four days rest, but that thought never occured to Graham. It was either that, or he figured winning the championship wasn't that important. I mean, hey, Rice won the title a couple years ago, why stress yourself to win another?
Graham screwed up and he knows it. The worst part is, he did it in front of 22,000 fans in Omaha and now the Owls look like they can't handle the pressure of a big time elimination game. They really didn't have to play in one in the first two rounds prior to Omaha.
Now, North Carolina will attempt to break the 51-year jinx in which an ACC team has not won the National Championship in baseball. Considering the baseball-rich south, that concept is hard as ever to contemplate. Miami has won several titles, but none as a member of the ACC. Wake Forest's win in 1955 was the last.
Oregon State probably shouldn't be here. However, the Beavers blew threw their bracket in Omaha like the team that should have come through this side of the bracket. Vanderbilt had everyone expecting them to run through the Nashville Regional, Super Regional and first couple games in Omaha. Maybe they would hit a tough team like Texas or Arizona State on the way in their side of the bracket, but nothing the Commodores or All-American pitcher and first overall pick David Price couldn't handle. That was, until a seldom used pinch-hitter from Michigan hitting .188 stepped to the plate in the 10th inning of an elimination game and walloped a Price pitch over the fence for a game-winning home run.
The Big Ten is not known for its baseball. In fact, Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota are often the only three teams to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament on any given year. However, Penn State made the Super Regionals in 2001 and Indiana went to the Wichita Regional before falling to Rice in 1996. Big Ten teams have actually won five College World Series titles (Minnesota won three) since the ACC won its last in 1955.
Honestly, I could care less to see the same two teams play again. I wouldn't mind seeing Florida State or Miami play again. Even an appearance by LSU would be a welcome sight. Yet, I sit back and say, "I'm damn glad Texas isn't there!"
I think a lot of people wanted to see Louisville or UC-Irvine make it to the finals. UC-Irvine had the starting pitching, but once you get in a rut in Omaha, it's tough to break out if you don't have the sticks. Louisville, on the other hand, didn't have the pitching to hold off Rice, which hurt them mightily in the first game.
I'll be pulling for the Beavers to become the first back-to-back champions since LSU in 1996 and 1997. The Pac-10 has owned the College World Series winning a total of 24 titles since 1947, largely in part to Southern California and Arizona State, so what's another trophy for the mantle?
However, the one sight I will always remember is the picture taken from the top of the zoo across the street from Rosenblatt Stadium when UC-Irvine knocked off Arizona State. When the game-winning hit shot through the right side of the infield, the crowd shot you saw was everyone standing up and going crazy for the Anteaters.
That's the underdog winning. That's the crowd associating with a team of college kids they didn't even know existed before this week. That's the thrill. That's Omaha!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Oh, So Close! Palm Beach "Almost" Comes Back From 12-run Deficit
JUPITER, FL -- Oh, so close! When Mark Hamilton drilled a one-hopper to the Brevard County second baseman for the third out, you had to question who won the game and who didn't as Brevard County sheepishly walked out to congratulate their pitcher, while Palm Beach hustled into the clubhouse.
The final score was Brevard County 12, Palm Beach 9, and to say the game was high scoring and exciting was an understatement. For five innings, no one wanted to be there for the Cardinals. We sat through a first inning that saw Brevard County post seven runs off starting pitcher Trey Hearne and reliever Donnie Smith. I kind of figured that bringing in Smith at that time was only going to throw gas on the fire because Smith throws heat and they just got done with batting practice off Hearne.
To compound the issue, Brevard County's general manager brought 10 of his staff to the game armed with big kazoo like horns and cow bells. It was not a good night to be down 7-0 after one-half inning.
I was beginning to think that my choice of music during batting practice had something to do with this. We're not big fans of anyone who challenges us for first place over here. However, going into the series with Brevard County, Palm Beach was 1.5 games back with three games head-to-head. On Monday, the visiting team gets to take batting practice on the field. Before they took batting practice off Hearne and Smith, they were hitting to the sounds of the female rock stars of the 80s. In other words, any annoying song you could think of from a teenage girls' 13th birthday party was being played over the loudspeakers.
I received a note this morning from the lateshift front desk manager, "Tunes, The Florida Chapter of 'Men Who Love Girly Music' called and want to thank you for Monday night. Thanks from Lance, Biff and Pierre. XXOOXXOO."
Granted, the second Brevard County left the field for the locker room, we kicked the music back up for the grounds crew to prepare the field. It's a little bit of BP Warfare I learned during a college series at Louisiana-Lafayette.
I couldn't help but think the Manatees came out swinging in retaliation. Palm Beach came right back out as James Rapoport singled hard through the right side. Nathan Southard whacked a line drive heading through the left side of the infield, but a diving catch killed that opportunity. Allen Craig, the Florida State League leader in home runs drove a ball deep to right-centerfield, but right fielder Lorenzo Cain came out of nowhere to make a diving catch. It just wasn't our night.
The lead was extended to 12-0 before Palm Beach finally broke through with a solo home run from Brandon Yarbrough to lead off the sixth inning. The string of zeroes on the Palm Beach side of the scoreboard was halted and as the air raid siren followed "P.O.D.'s" home run anthem, the Cardinals had a bit of life. Now I know what you're thinking, "It's 12-1 in the sixth! What life?"
Even though Palm Beach's plan of attack since the first inning was "swing for the fences", you just never know what can happen when you come out swinging when you're backed into a corner. You just might land that hit that can turn things around. I'm not going to say that Yarbrough's home run was that hit, but it gave you a sense that "We can hit these guys!"
I never let up on the sound bites, rally music and keeping what was left of the 199 in attendance, in the game.
Jose Contreras, a seldom used middle infielder, yipped a double off his hands down the right field line just barely fair. Following a pop-out from Rapoport, Danny Nelson came up. Nelson isn't very big and doesn't always hit in your average situations, but for some reason in clutch situations, he comes through. Whether it's offense or defense, the kid has talent and he can make you do a double-take on occassion. Nelson stung a fly ball to centerfield, but the ball kept carrying. Despite being down 12-1, we're all thinking the runner has to tag up from second. Right as Darren Ford is under the ball, someone yelled out, "He dropped it!" He sure did! Nelson was on his horse and almost on Contreras' ass when he pulled up at third as Contreras crossed the plate. Okay, now that's more like it! The scoreboard read 12-2, but that was another run and Brevard County invited us to it.
Up came Craig and he didn't waste anytime unloading his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field. "Click, click...BOOM!" Both Yarbrough's and Craig's home runs were no doubters. I didn't even have to see them land over the fence because you knew they were gone the second they left the bat and that's rare for Florida State League ballparks with single-A talent.
Mark Hamilton struck out and Ian Church rifled a ball, but it was right at the second baseman for out number three.
Meanwhile, Scott Vander Weg had come on in relief of Smith and was posting goose eggs on the scoreboard for the Cardinals, allowing the offense the chance to break back into the game.
The Cardinals tried to score again in the seventh, but were cut down after Jose Martinez walked and stole second. Martinez took third when the Manatees catcher threw the ball to an unoccupied second base allowing Martinez safe passage to third. I couldn't help but play the clip from anchorman, "I immediately regret that decision!" Yeah, we're down 12-4, but I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to get in my shots as well. Contreras grounded out to second base and the inning was over. However, it wasn't a 1-2-3, which let Brevard County they hadn't nailed down anything yet.
Vander Weg put down the Manatees in the top of the eighth and back came Palm Beach as Rapoport led off doubling into right field. A wild pitch from Vince Perkins moved Rapoport to third before Nelson screamed a line drive to centerfield to make the score 12-5. Perkins was a loose cannon on the mound. He could throw hard, that was easy to tell, but it was obvious that he had no idea where the ball was going.
Craig was up next and we're all cheering for a two-run homer. With his big size and sporting No. 5 on the back of his jersey we're all seeing Albert Pujols. The big guy from Cal-Berkeley unloaded on a pitch that screamed by third baseman Mat Gamel, probably thankful to be alive considering the infield gave a vicious first hop allowing the scorekeeper to rule it a single.
Now the Cardinals trailed by seven and had two runners on and none out with Hamilton up. You could tell Perkins wanted no part of Hamilton. With little control and a high velocity fastball, the next pitch could end up off the backstop or in the Atlantic Ocean. Hamilton walked and up came Church.
Ian Church didn't have a home run this year, but the former Stetson Hatter outfielder had some pop in his bat. He was the Independent League's Player-of-the-Year last season, and despite a batting average in the .240s and no home runs, he was crushing line drives. The only reason he didn't have a home run was because he wasn't elevating the ball and you can't get a home run by driving the ball through the fence. With Perkins unloading fastballs this was Ian's chance.
I don't remember the count, but Perkins' fastball came in and Church unleashed a mighty hack. The next thing you heard sounded like a thunder clap. You didn't even need to watch the flight of the ball after the swing, it was gone! I don't know what woke up the residents of Abacoa more at that point, the sound of the crack of the bat, Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Jump On It!" blaring at the highest level on the sound system or the air raid siren following.
The ball rocketed deep into left-centerfield and the only thing to stop the ball from hitting (or clearing) the Marlins clubhouse was the light tower, which hadn't been hit that hard since Hurricane Frances in September of 2004.
The scoreboard read 12-9, which was hard to believe considering the game was 12-0 just a half an hour ago. Brevard County made a pitching change, but that didn't stop Palm Beach from raking. A.J. Van Slyke slammed a ball down the first base line, but a great backhand stab by Chris Errecart kept it from being extra bases. Isa Garcia beat out an infield single with one out. Yarbrough rifled a ball up the middle, but Mike Bell made a backhand stop and began the inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. Brevard County escaped the inning leading 12-9, but you could see relief instead of the confidence they displayed a few innings earlier.
John Mikrut replaced Vander Weg, who may have just had the best outing of his season, and put down the Manatees 1-2-3 in the ninth. Palm Beach had 9-1-2 due up.
Contreras pulled a surprise bunt to lead off with a single. You can't put a value on the lead-off batter getting on when you're trying to rally from any kind of deficit in the ninth inning. This was big because, unless the Cardinals hit into a double play, Craig was now going to bat this inning. Rapoport made sure of that when he got struck by a pitch putting runners on first and second and Nelson stood at the plate representing the tying run.
Despite fighting off a couple pitches, Nelson went down swinging. It appeared he was swinging awfully hard, leading me to believe he was trying to launch one out of the park. It was possible, but we just needed to keep the inning alive and a single would have been better, or even a gap shot.
No worries though, Craig was up and if he couldn't do it, Hamilton and Church were right behind him. Craig fell behind in the count, but fought off a couple pitches and worked the count full before slamming a one-hopper to third. Gamel knocked it down, but lost his grip for a second. Fortunately for Gamel, his closest play was a couple feet away as he stepped on third base for the force and second out of the inning. Yet, we still had Hamilton, the reigning FSL Player-of-the-Week, and well on his way to Player of the Month for the league and the Cardinals organization.
Hamilton wasn't going down easy and by the mound conference that took place before he got to the plate, you knew he wasn't going to get anything that good. On a 2-2 pitch, Hamilton stroked a one-hopper to second base for the third out of the inning and ending the game.
Brevard County's staff was cheering, but it wasn't a positive, excited, everyone's having a good time kind of cheer. It was one of those end of horror movies kind of relieved cheer when you just escaped the villain or monster that kept coming after you no matter how many times you shot, stabbed or hit it.
Palm Beach is trailing the Manatees by 3.5 games with seven to play. While most people are certain this half is over, Easy and I can relate from a different side. We were with Palm Beach in 2004 when they blew a 5.5 game lead with 11 to play by dropping 11 straight games to end the first half.
It's possible and a scare like the one the Cardinals put into the Manatees just might be the ticket to have Brevard County second guessing themselves. We have one more game tonight and that could bring us 2.5 back before a doubleheader with Jupiter on Wednesday to erase the extra half game. From there, who knows. It's even possible to go into the All-Star break even with Brevard County if they lose the next three.
Anything can happen in baseball... even 12-run leads getting erased. Palm Beach went from trailing 12-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning to having two shots at tying the game in the ninth inning! Who would have thought that could happen after the top of the first inning?
You don't always have to win to be part something special, and even though it was a loss, I think Palm Beach gained more than Brevard County last night.
That's why I love this game!
The final score was Brevard County 12, Palm Beach 9, and to say the game was high scoring and exciting was an understatement. For five innings, no one wanted to be there for the Cardinals. We sat through a first inning that saw Brevard County post seven runs off starting pitcher Trey Hearne and reliever Donnie Smith. I kind of figured that bringing in Smith at that time was only going to throw gas on the fire because Smith throws heat and they just got done with batting practice off Hearne.
To compound the issue, Brevard County's general manager brought 10 of his staff to the game armed with big kazoo like horns and cow bells. It was not a good night to be down 7-0 after one-half inning.
I was beginning to think that my choice of music during batting practice had something to do with this. We're not big fans of anyone who challenges us for first place over here. However, going into the series with Brevard County, Palm Beach was 1.5 games back with three games head-to-head. On Monday, the visiting team gets to take batting practice on the field. Before they took batting practice off Hearne and Smith, they were hitting to the sounds of the female rock stars of the 80s. In other words, any annoying song you could think of from a teenage girls' 13th birthday party was being played over the loudspeakers.
I received a note this morning from the lateshift front desk manager, "Tunes, The Florida Chapter of 'Men Who Love Girly Music' called and want to thank you for Monday night. Thanks from Lance, Biff and Pierre. XXOOXXOO."
Granted, the second Brevard County left the field for the locker room, we kicked the music back up for the grounds crew to prepare the field. It's a little bit of BP Warfare I learned during a college series at Louisiana-Lafayette.
I couldn't help but think the Manatees came out swinging in retaliation. Palm Beach came right back out as James Rapoport singled hard through the right side. Nathan Southard whacked a line drive heading through the left side of the infield, but a diving catch killed that opportunity. Allen Craig, the Florida State League leader in home runs drove a ball deep to right-centerfield, but right fielder Lorenzo Cain came out of nowhere to make a diving catch. It just wasn't our night.
The lead was extended to 12-0 before Palm Beach finally broke through with a solo home run from Brandon Yarbrough to lead off the sixth inning. The string of zeroes on the Palm Beach side of the scoreboard was halted and as the air raid siren followed "P.O.D.'s" home run anthem, the Cardinals had a bit of life. Now I know what you're thinking, "It's 12-1 in the sixth! What life?"
Even though Palm Beach's plan of attack since the first inning was "swing for the fences", you just never know what can happen when you come out swinging when you're backed into a corner. You just might land that hit that can turn things around. I'm not going to say that Yarbrough's home run was that hit, but it gave you a sense that "We can hit these guys!"
I never let up on the sound bites, rally music and keeping what was left of the 199 in attendance, in the game.
Jose Contreras, a seldom used middle infielder, yipped a double off his hands down the right field line just barely fair. Following a pop-out from Rapoport, Danny Nelson came up. Nelson isn't very big and doesn't always hit in your average situations, but for some reason in clutch situations, he comes through. Whether it's offense or defense, the kid has talent and he can make you do a double-take on occassion. Nelson stung a fly ball to centerfield, but the ball kept carrying. Despite being down 12-1, we're all thinking the runner has to tag up from second. Right as Darren Ford is under the ball, someone yelled out, "He dropped it!" He sure did! Nelson was on his horse and almost on Contreras' ass when he pulled up at third as Contreras crossed the plate. Okay, now that's more like it! The scoreboard read 12-2, but that was another run and Brevard County invited us to it.
Up came Craig and he didn't waste anytime unloading his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field. "Click, click...BOOM!" Both Yarbrough's and Craig's home runs were no doubters. I didn't even have to see them land over the fence because you knew they were gone the second they left the bat and that's rare for Florida State League ballparks with single-A talent.
Mark Hamilton struck out and Ian Church rifled a ball, but it was right at the second baseman for out number three.
Meanwhile, Scott Vander Weg had come on in relief of Smith and was posting goose eggs on the scoreboard for the Cardinals, allowing the offense the chance to break back into the game.
The Cardinals tried to score again in the seventh, but were cut down after Jose Martinez walked and stole second. Martinez took third when the Manatees catcher threw the ball to an unoccupied second base allowing Martinez safe passage to third. I couldn't help but play the clip from anchorman, "I immediately regret that decision!" Yeah, we're down 12-4, but I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to get in my shots as well. Contreras grounded out to second base and the inning was over. However, it wasn't a 1-2-3, which let Brevard County they hadn't nailed down anything yet.
Vander Weg put down the Manatees in the top of the eighth and back came Palm Beach as Rapoport led off doubling into right field. A wild pitch from Vince Perkins moved Rapoport to third before Nelson screamed a line drive to centerfield to make the score 12-5. Perkins was a loose cannon on the mound. He could throw hard, that was easy to tell, but it was obvious that he had no idea where the ball was going.
Craig was up next and we're all cheering for a two-run homer. With his big size and sporting No. 5 on the back of his jersey we're all seeing Albert Pujols. The big guy from Cal-Berkeley unloaded on a pitch that screamed by third baseman Mat Gamel, probably thankful to be alive considering the infield gave a vicious first hop allowing the scorekeeper to rule it a single.
Now the Cardinals trailed by seven and had two runners on and none out with Hamilton up. You could tell Perkins wanted no part of Hamilton. With little control and a high velocity fastball, the next pitch could end up off the backstop or in the Atlantic Ocean. Hamilton walked and up came Church.
Ian Church didn't have a home run this year, but the former Stetson Hatter outfielder had some pop in his bat. He was the Independent League's Player-of-the-Year last season, and despite a batting average in the .240s and no home runs, he was crushing line drives. The only reason he didn't have a home run was because he wasn't elevating the ball and you can't get a home run by driving the ball through the fence. With Perkins unloading fastballs this was Ian's chance.
I don't remember the count, but Perkins' fastball came in and Church unleashed a mighty hack. The next thing you heard sounded like a thunder clap. You didn't even need to watch the flight of the ball after the swing, it was gone! I don't know what woke up the residents of Abacoa more at that point, the sound of the crack of the bat, Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Jump On It!" blaring at the highest level on the sound system or the air raid siren following.
The ball rocketed deep into left-centerfield and the only thing to stop the ball from hitting (or clearing) the Marlins clubhouse was the light tower, which hadn't been hit that hard since Hurricane Frances in September of 2004.
The scoreboard read 12-9, which was hard to believe considering the game was 12-0 just a half an hour ago. Brevard County made a pitching change, but that didn't stop Palm Beach from raking. A.J. Van Slyke slammed a ball down the first base line, but a great backhand stab by Chris Errecart kept it from being extra bases. Isa Garcia beat out an infield single with one out. Yarbrough rifled a ball up the middle, but Mike Bell made a backhand stop and began the inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. Brevard County escaped the inning leading 12-9, but you could see relief instead of the confidence they displayed a few innings earlier.
John Mikrut replaced Vander Weg, who may have just had the best outing of his season, and put down the Manatees 1-2-3 in the ninth. Palm Beach had 9-1-2 due up.
Contreras pulled a surprise bunt to lead off with a single. You can't put a value on the lead-off batter getting on when you're trying to rally from any kind of deficit in the ninth inning. This was big because, unless the Cardinals hit into a double play, Craig was now going to bat this inning. Rapoport made sure of that when he got struck by a pitch putting runners on first and second and Nelson stood at the plate representing the tying run.
Despite fighting off a couple pitches, Nelson went down swinging. It appeared he was swinging awfully hard, leading me to believe he was trying to launch one out of the park. It was possible, but we just needed to keep the inning alive and a single would have been better, or even a gap shot.
No worries though, Craig was up and if he couldn't do it, Hamilton and Church were right behind him. Craig fell behind in the count, but fought off a couple pitches and worked the count full before slamming a one-hopper to third. Gamel knocked it down, but lost his grip for a second. Fortunately for Gamel, his closest play was a couple feet away as he stepped on third base for the force and second out of the inning. Yet, we still had Hamilton, the reigning FSL Player-of-the-Week, and well on his way to Player of the Month for the league and the Cardinals organization.
Hamilton wasn't going down easy and by the mound conference that took place before he got to the plate, you knew he wasn't going to get anything that good. On a 2-2 pitch, Hamilton stroked a one-hopper to second base for the third out of the inning and ending the game.
Brevard County's staff was cheering, but it wasn't a positive, excited, everyone's having a good time kind of cheer. It was one of those end of horror movies kind of relieved cheer when you just escaped the villain or monster that kept coming after you no matter how many times you shot, stabbed or hit it.
Palm Beach is trailing the Manatees by 3.5 games with seven to play. While most people are certain this half is over, Easy and I can relate from a different side. We were with Palm Beach in 2004 when they blew a 5.5 game lead with 11 to play by dropping 11 straight games to end the first half.
It's possible and a scare like the one the Cardinals put into the Manatees just might be the ticket to have Brevard County second guessing themselves. We have one more game tonight and that could bring us 2.5 back before a doubleheader with Jupiter on Wednesday to erase the extra half game. From there, who knows. It's even possible to go into the All-Star break even with Brevard County if they lose the next three.
Anything can happen in baseball... even 12-run leads getting erased. Palm Beach went from trailing 12-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning to having two shots at tying the game in the ninth inning! Who would have thought that could happen after the top of the first inning?
You don't always have to win to be part something special, and even though it was a loss, I think Palm Beach gained more than Brevard County last night.
That's why I love this game!
Friday, June 8, 2007
The Umpires Strike Back!
CHICAGO, IL -- Things are starting to become right in the world. Paris Hilton is getting sent back to jail, players are getting suspended for half the season as the iron fist of Roger Goodell has come slamming down on the NFL and the umpires are banding together to show the players how to respect authority.
Let's take Lance Berkman for instance. Berkman was ejected a couple days ago on the North Side of Chicago for essentially making an ass of himself. When a bench clearing incident occured innings later, Berkman was spotted back on the field, also known as a place he shouldn't have been. Are we going to have to start locking these guys up?
Let me tell you this about Wrigley Field. If you are in the visiting clubhouse, you have to go out a door, down a flight of narrow steps and down two walkways and then up the steps from the dugout to the field. Berkman was on the field in record time. He shouldn't have been.
Of course, like all players with agents who are bored and waiting for their client's next payday to collect 10 percent, Berkman appealed being an idiot, so he could play until the appeal went through.
Since he's on a stay of execution for a two-day suspension, that's right two days, he can play and Phil Garner put him back in the Astros lineup.
In his first at bat, he gets rung up on strikes by home plate umpire Sam Holbrooke. Essentially, by appealing, Berkman is saying he feels he has the right to be an ass and the umpire is wrong. Why? Because he's god's gift to the Astros, essentially a celebrity, so the rules shouldn't apply. Well, guess what Lance? The umpires really don't care about being shown up on or off the field. When the pitch is close with two strikes, you better be hacking!
Berkman had a few words for Holbrooke, then Garner came to get him. Like a lot of players, Berkman was being walked away and he, or Garner, likely said something while walking away. Despite the packed stadiums, you'll be surprised all you can hear on the field. The two geniuses walking away probably thought that they could insult Holbrooke, but because they weren't talking directly to him, as in looking at him eye-to-eye, they were going to get away with it. WRONG! Good-bye Lance! Holbrooke ran him and I swear I wanted to cheer. Not because it was an ejection or the fact I don't particularly like N.L. Central opponents, but it's about time the umpires start using their authority to let the players know, they don't own everything and their contract doesn't mean a damn thing as long as the men in blue (or black) are on the field. I'm sure that will help his suspension appeal.
In a related story, I began umpiring fastpitch softball tonight. If there's one thing you don't like doing in softball it's eject someone, and you certainly don't do it on a Friday of the tournament. Chances are, you're going to see that team again, and the way fate works these days, you'll usually get them in an elimination game.
So a team was up 4-0 and there was enough time for an inning to go. The winning team had a runner on first and there was a ground ball to the shortstop. She threw the ball to the second baseman and that girl caught the ball coming over the ball. I called the runner out and looked to first for the throw, which was late.
Okay, one out, winning team still up 4-0. The coach asked to appeal the play. I said, "She's out, it's a force play." This coach obviously wasn't impressed as he kept coming out on the field. I said, "She's out, play ball." The coach said, "I know you want to get out of here, but..."
"YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!" Yep, cock the arm from the four o'clock position and end at the 10 o'clock and point to the sky. Man, I haven't tossed someone in a while, but damn did it feel good!
First off, I had another game after this. Secondly, we have a time limit. Lastly, he was winning by four with three outs to go. The bastard deserved to be run and maybe he'll think a second before trying to be cool with his comments.
They say kids emulate what they see on TV today, but you can add adults to that list. Recently a lot of managers have decided to take on the umpires. Well, the umpires have struck back. That coach wanted to be big league, so I was the first to welcome him to the big leagues.
His third base coach came over after the inning all concerned and said, "What did he say?!" I looked at him and said, "He was arguing a judgment call. That's it."
The coach had a few words for me afterwards and said I had a quick trigger. I told him. "All you had to do was say you disagreed with the call. By making that comment you questioned my integrity and honesty and pretty much called me a cheater." He didn't see it that way, but then again, it really doesn't matter how he sees it.
I am really starting to like the fact that authority is starting to regain control and 'special treatment' is starting to go out the window. It's a good start on the recovery of this country. Everyone has to play by the same rules and someone's got to enforce them. If we have to start with Paris Wilson, Pacman Jones and some weasel manager from Port St. Lucie, so be it. But as Twisted Sister said, "We're not going to take it... No! We ain't gonna take it! We're not going to take it... anymore!"
Let's take Lance Berkman for instance. Berkman was ejected a couple days ago on the North Side of Chicago for essentially making an ass of himself. When a bench clearing incident occured innings later, Berkman was spotted back on the field, also known as a place he shouldn't have been. Are we going to have to start locking these guys up?
Let me tell you this about Wrigley Field. If you are in the visiting clubhouse, you have to go out a door, down a flight of narrow steps and down two walkways and then up the steps from the dugout to the field. Berkman was on the field in record time. He shouldn't have been.
Of course, like all players with agents who are bored and waiting for their client's next payday to collect 10 percent, Berkman appealed being an idiot, so he could play until the appeal went through.
Since he's on a stay of execution for a two-day suspension, that's right two days, he can play and Phil Garner put him back in the Astros lineup.
In his first at bat, he gets rung up on strikes by home plate umpire Sam Holbrooke. Essentially, by appealing, Berkman is saying he feels he has the right to be an ass and the umpire is wrong. Why? Because he's god's gift to the Astros, essentially a celebrity, so the rules shouldn't apply. Well, guess what Lance? The umpires really don't care about being shown up on or off the field. When the pitch is close with two strikes, you better be hacking!
Berkman had a few words for Holbrooke, then Garner came to get him. Like a lot of players, Berkman was being walked away and he, or Garner, likely said something while walking away. Despite the packed stadiums, you'll be surprised all you can hear on the field. The two geniuses walking away probably thought that they could insult Holbrooke, but because they weren't talking directly to him, as in looking at him eye-to-eye, they were going to get away with it. WRONG! Good-bye Lance! Holbrooke ran him and I swear I wanted to cheer. Not because it was an ejection or the fact I don't particularly like N.L. Central opponents, but it's about time the umpires start using their authority to let the players know, they don't own everything and their contract doesn't mean a damn thing as long as the men in blue (or black) are on the field. I'm sure that will help his suspension appeal.
In a related story, I began umpiring fastpitch softball tonight. If there's one thing you don't like doing in softball it's eject someone, and you certainly don't do it on a Friday of the tournament. Chances are, you're going to see that team again, and the way fate works these days, you'll usually get them in an elimination game.
So a team was up 4-0 and there was enough time for an inning to go. The winning team had a runner on first and there was a ground ball to the shortstop. She threw the ball to the second baseman and that girl caught the ball coming over the ball. I called the runner out and looked to first for the throw, which was late.
Okay, one out, winning team still up 4-0. The coach asked to appeal the play. I said, "She's out, it's a force play." This coach obviously wasn't impressed as he kept coming out on the field. I said, "She's out, play ball." The coach said, "I know you want to get out of here, but..."
"YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!" Yep, cock the arm from the four o'clock position and end at the 10 o'clock and point to the sky. Man, I haven't tossed someone in a while, but damn did it feel good!
First off, I had another game after this. Secondly, we have a time limit. Lastly, he was winning by four with three outs to go. The bastard deserved to be run and maybe he'll think a second before trying to be cool with his comments.
They say kids emulate what they see on TV today, but you can add adults to that list. Recently a lot of managers have decided to take on the umpires. Well, the umpires have struck back. That coach wanted to be big league, so I was the first to welcome him to the big leagues.
His third base coach came over after the inning all concerned and said, "What did he say?!" I looked at him and said, "He was arguing a judgment call. That's it."
The coach had a few words for me afterwards and said I had a quick trigger. I told him. "All you had to do was say you disagreed with the call. By making that comment you questioned my integrity and honesty and pretty much called me a cheater." He didn't see it that way, but then again, it really doesn't matter how he sees it.
I am really starting to like the fact that authority is starting to regain control and 'special treatment' is starting to go out the window. It's a good start on the recovery of this country. Everyone has to play by the same rules and someone's got to enforce them. If we have to start with Paris Wilson, Pacman Jones and some weasel manager from Port St. Lucie, so be it. But as Twisted Sister said, "We're not going to take it... No! We ain't gonna take it! We're not going to take it... anymore!"
ESPN Kills the Draft... How Else Can We Screw Baseball?
ORLANDO, FL -- Major League Baseball did it this time. They fell into the pitfall of commercialization by putting the first round of the first-year player draft on national TV. As if we didn't give agents enough reasons to expose clients to mainstream media to jack up their possible signing bonuses.
If there was any justice in MLB it was Mark Prior's representatives telling the Minnesota Twins they couldn't afford their client so the cash-loaded Chicago Cubs would pay a king's ransom to add the high and mighty instant gratification pitcher to their rotation.
Who got the last laugh? The Twins, as Joe Mauer (aka, the guy they had to 'settle' for) was the first catcher ever to win a batting title, smacking .347 in the American League in 2006.
More and more, it seems teams are straying away from anyone with Scott Boras' name stamped to their credit in the early rounds. While Boras blows sunshine up his clients' ass, MLB teams blow them to the second round unless they are truly desperate.
Back to the draft...
If anyone is like me who religiously follows the draft, listening to every pick on MLB.com, they would know how ridiculous televising the picks are. The MLB draft goes rapid fire for about four to five hours per day. The teams don't want to wait around because they don't trade picks and let's face it, the beauty of the game is there is no Mel Kiper, Jr. to tell us about every pick and how they are going to progress even though most of his lines are taken verbatim from college football sports information directors.
No, baseball has made Steve Phillips their Mel Kiper, Jr., who reads verbatim from Baseball America instead. Add to that the squeaky and annoying voice of Casey Stern, which you normally have to listen to for 50 rounds on the phone repeating every pick in the teleconference, and it drives you batty. Some people are better off heard and not seen.
I was hoping MLB teams were going to flood Bud Selig with picks the second one was made. Evidently, ESPN encouraged teams to take the alloted five minutes when most teams don't even need five seconds to make a selection. The picks were coming rapid fire in the second and third rounds. By the time they ended the fifth round a little past 7:00 p.m., the draft was over five hours old. Last year, 20 rounds would have been completed.
All Major League Baseball did by moving the draft to Thursday and Friday and showcasing the first five rounds is keep scouting and player development personnel from watching any of their prospects and draft picks during the College Baseball Super Regionals today.
Baseball's draft is special and sacred because of how it's played out. Some people thought this was a great idea. They're morons, plain and simple. Ask any person in player development, even the media and they'll tell you what a horrific idea this was.
Hopefully they learned their lesson and will go back to the previous format from years past. Thus, it will keep us from having to hear Steve Phillips talk up the instruction in the professional ranks over the college ranks, even though two pitchers were taken from Vanderbilt in the first eight picks overall. Evidently Vanderbilt just magically got the best players over a three year period and Tim Corbin and Derek Johnson had nothing to do with their development.
Keep the baseball people doing baseball stuff and the Hollywood BS out of the game. There's a reason Phillips is on ESPN and not a GM of a Major League team. This guy ran the Mets into the ground and traded away most of their prospects to other teams. Omar Minaya has done a pretty good job repairing the damage with a little help from Fred Wilpon's checkbook.
I will attempt to watch the College Super Regionals and listen to the draft at the same time, all well doing my job today, in a ballpark of course. Now that's multi-tasking!
If there was any justice in MLB it was Mark Prior's representatives telling the Minnesota Twins they couldn't afford their client so the cash-loaded Chicago Cubs would pay a king's ransom to add the high and mighty instant gratification pitcher to their rotation.
Who got the last laugh? The Twins, as Joe Mauer (aka, the guy they had to 'settle' for) was the first catcher ever to win a batting title, smacking .347 in the American League in 2006.
More and more, it seems teams are straying away from anyone with Scott Boras' name stamped to their credit in the early rounds. While Boras blows sunshine up his clients' ass, MLB teams blow them to the second round unless they are truly desperate.
Back to the draft...
If anyone is like me who religiously follows the draft, listening to every pick on MLB.com, they would know how ridiculous televising the picks are. The MLB draft goes rapid fire for about four to five hours per day. The teams don't want to wait around because they don't trade picks and let's face it, the beauty of the game is there is no Mel Kiper, Jr. to tell us about every pick and how they are going to progress even though most of his lines are taken verbatim from college football sports information directors.
No, baseball has made Steve Phillips their Mel Kiper, Jr., who reads verbatim from Baseball America instead. Add to that the squeaky and annoying voice of Casey Stern, which you normally have to listen to for 50 rounds on the phone repeating every pick in the teleconference, and it drives you batty. Some people are better off heard and not seen.
I was hoping MLB teams were going to flood Bud Selig with picks the second one was made. Evidently, ESPN encouraged teams to take the alloted five minutes when most teams don't even need five seconds to make a selection. The picks were coming rapid fire in the second and third rounds. By the time they ended the fifth round a little past 7:00 p.m., the draft was over five hours old. Last year, 20 rounds would have been completed.
All Major League Baseball did by moving the draft to Thursday and Friday and showcasing the first five rounds is keep scouting and player development personnel from watching any of their prospects and draft picks during the College Baseball Super Regionals today.
Baseball's draft is special and sacred because of how it's played out. Some people thought this was a great idea. They're morons, plain and simple. Ask any person in player development, even the media and they'll tell you what a horrific idea this was.
Hopefully they learned their lesson and will go back to the previous format from years past. Thus, it will keep us from having to hear Steve Phillips talk up the instruction in the professional ranks over the college ranks, even though two pitchers were taken from Vanderbilt in the first eight picks overall. Evidently Vanderbilt just magically got the best players over a three year period and Tim Corbin and Derek Johnson had nothing to do with their development.
Keep the baseball people doing baseball stuff and the Hollywood BS out of the game. There's a reason Phillips is on ESPN and not a GM of a Major League team. This guy ran the Mets into the ground and traded away most of their prospects to other teams. Omar Minaya has done a pretty good job repairing the damage with a little help from Fred Wilpon's checkbook.
I will attempt to watch the College Super Regionals and listen to the draft at the same time, all well doing my job today, in a ballpark of course. Now that's multi-tasking!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Arizona Wins Again and Tennessee's Four Year Dynasty
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Usually I pay attention to the Women's College World Series. It's not like it's that exciting, but sometimes they have a good game or two, but for the most part it's the usual suspects playing once again. Women's sports have very little parity at all. The cream rises to the top and it foams in Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona knocked off Tennessee for the second consecutive day to win another title. There's so many trophies on Arizona's mantle, it's ready to fall. UCLA used to be the national power, but ever since Jennie Finch, the Wildcats have taken the top seed in the Pac-10 and nation.
The worst part is, softball is so pitching dominated that one good freshman pitcher can create a four-year dynasty. However, when she is gone, usually the team goes with it. Without great media coverage and several publications, it's a "What have you done for me lately?" world and mid-majors usually get shuffled to the back.
Monica Abbott, the 6-foot-something giant that occupied the mound for Tennessee took the lost in blowout fashion as Arizona won 5-0. Abbott was just two days removed from winning a game in which she struck out 17 batters. Evidently, Arizona's batters can adjust rather well.
I think they should have a new rule in college where the same pitcher cannot throw consecutive days or games. That would make the game a lot more interesting.
Who knows how good Tennessee will be next year? I saw Abbott get in trouble earlier in the tournament and the cameras panned to the bullpen where Megan Rhodes was warming up. I don't know if Rhodes logged any innings during the NCAA Tournament, and I'm sure that will help out down the road a lot. In fact, when she got the call to warm up, she had this, "What the f---?" look on her face.
It was kind of like Texas this year, who dropped off significantly after Cat Osterman graduated. They were decent. They had a good pitcher and made regionals. But a 2-0 win over Stetson, a first year regional team to write home about? Come on?
Let's face it, dynasties in softball are created by one recruit for four years. There has to be some other way to make this sport one where everyone can compete on some level and playing for Arizona or one of seven other teams isn't the only way to go home with a ring.
Arizona knocked off Tennessee for the second consecutive day to win another title. There's so many trophies on Arizona's mantle, it's ready to fall. UCLA used to be the national power, but ever since Jennie Finch, the Wildcats have taken the top seed in the Pac-10 and nation.
The worst part is, softball is so pitching dominated that one good freshman pitcher can create a four-year dynasty. However, when she is gone, usually the team goes with it. Without great media coverage and several publications, it's a "What have you done for me lately?" world and mid-majors usually get shuffled to the back.
Monica Abbott, the 6-foot-something giant that occupied the mound for Tennessee took the lost in blowout fashion as Arizona won 5-0. Abbott was just two days removed from winning a game in which she struck out 17 batters. Evidently, Arizona's batters can adjust rather well.
I think they should have a new rule in college where the same pitcher cannot throw consecutive days or games. That would make the game a lot more interesting.
Who knows how good Tennessee will be next year? I saw Abbott get in trouble earlier in the tournament and the cameras panned to the bullpen where Megan Rhodes was warming up. I don't know if Rhodes logged any innings during the NCAA Tournament, and I'm sure that will help out down the road a lot. In fact, when she got the call to warm up, she had this, "What the f---?" look on her face.
It was kind of like Texas this year, who dropped off significantly after Cat Osterman graduated. They were decent. They had a good pitcher and made regionals. But a 2-0 win over Stetson, a first year regional team to write home about? Come on?
Let's face it, dynasties in softball are created by one recruit for four years. There has to be some other way to make this sport one where everyone can compete on some level and playing for Arizona or one of seven other teams isn't the only way to go home with a ring.
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