So, I missed seeing A-Rod's 600th home run! And I forget to tape it, too. Thank goodness for clips on Yankees.com! I'll also watch the clip again in tonight's Yankee encore broadcast. Congrats to Alex Rodriguez.
And a long national nightmare of my own ended today. Here's what happened. I've been very busy studying this summer for my Microsoft Office certification tests. Between the Office 2007 and 2003 software suites, there are twelve tests on various programs. I passed all the tests so far, and today was the final test. Much like A-Rod's long journey to 600, I've had a long journey to pass that exam - literally. The testing location is 55 miles from my house, and when I drove out there last week, there were all sorts of computer problems which prevented me from completing the test, which meant I had to retake the exam today.
This afternoon, I was doing great on the exam until the end, where I had more technical glitches with the software. I asked a tech support person to help. He couldn't figure out how to fix it, and I ran out of time, unable to complete four questions out of 19. The company were going to give me another voucher yet another test retake, but by some miracle, I managed to pass the test, even though I missed doing those four questions. Hooray!
Anyhow, just as I found out I passed my last test, A-Rod was ending his long journey to No. 600, hitting his homer. I got in the car, just to hear John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman talk about how A-Rod got the monkey off his back.
So I'm feeling relief. For A-Rod, for the Yankees, and for me! Kudos, A-Rod! Now, if only the Brett Favre saga would come to a merciful -- and quick -- end, my life would be complete!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Media blames A-Rod for Yankees falling out of first place
You gotta love the media. It was less than two weeks ago that so many journalists told us about how nobody cared about Alex Rodriguez going after his 600th homer. This morning, now that the Yankees have fallen out of first place for the first time since June 13, I'm reading in the New York papers about how the Yanks' slide is all A-Rod's fault, thanks to the tons of attention placed on #600.
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post writes:
Funny how a record nobody supposedly cared about is causing so much mayhem. Actually, in the 12 (not 11) games since A-Rod hit #599, the Yankees won five of the first seven games, taking two out of three from the Kansas City Royals, and three out of four from Cleveland. It's hard to see how the home run chase had anything to do with that.
The Yankees' current doldrums really started during their trip to Tampa, where they lost two out of three, and now at home against Toronto, where they've lost two in a row. This also coincided with A-Rod going into a slump -- he hasn't had a hit since the Cleveland series..
Are A-Rod's current doldrums affecting the team? Of course -- he is the cleanup hitter, after all, and when he's not driving in runs, the team will suffer. But he's certainly not the only reason the Yankees have lost four of the last five games.
When the entire team gets only two hits off Ricky Romero, your pitching is going to have to be perfect to win. And that's a lot to expect from Dustin Moseley. When your Number 2 starter gives up eight runs, as A.J. Burnett did the night before, you can't expect victory.
Later in his piece, Kernan does bring up how "the combination of the trade deadline, adding several new Yankees, A-Rod’s crawl to 600 and A.J. Burnett’s theatrics created a kind of bad brew that has knocked the Yankees off their game." But No. 13 still gets the lion's share of the blame. Of course.
The New York Daily News' Tim Smith blames Rodriguez, too:
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post writes:
The Yankees have fallen into the A-Rod trap. And they can’t get out. There’s been so much attention given to the 600 home run chase, the Yankees have forgotten they’re in a pennant race. The first-place Rays haven’t. They are 10-1 over the last 11 games while the second-place Yankees are 5-6 over that span and the Red Sox remain within striking distance.....
In this celebrity era, the Yankees have to get back to the team game and putting their eye on the real prize, not 600 home runs, but doing whatever it takes to winning the AL East, day by day. This is serious baseball. You can’t let any distractions get in your way or you will get annihilated.
Funny how a record nobody supposedly cared about is causing so much mayhem. Actually, in the 12 (not 11) games since A-Rod hit #599, the Yankees won five of the first seven games, taking two out of three from the Kansas City Royals, and three out of four from Cleveland. It's hard to see how the home run chase had anything to do with that.
The Yankees' current doldrums really started during their trip to Tampa, where they lost two out of three, and now at home against Toronto, where they've lost two in a row. This also coincided with A-Rod going into a slump -- he hasn't had a hit since the Cleveland series..
Are A-Rod's current doldrums affecting the team? Of course -- he is the cleanup hitter, after all, and when he's not driving in runs, the team will suffer. But he's certainly not the only reason the Yankees have lost four of the last five games.
When the entire team gets only two hits off Ricky Romero, your pitching is going to have to be perfect to win. And that's a lot to expect from Dustin Moseley. When your Number 2 starter gives up eight runs, as A.J. Burnett did the night before, you can't expect victory.
Later in his piece, Kernan does bring up how "the combination of the trade deadline, adding several new Yankees, A-Rod’s crawl to 600 and A.J. Burnett’s theatrics created a kind of bad brew that has knocked the Yankees off their game." But No. 13 still gets the lion's share of the blame. Of course.
The New York Daily News' Tim Smith blames Rodriguez, too:
The Yankees were leading the division by four games since the day after this quest for 600 started. Since then they have dropped five games in the standing.Amazing that one player can cause such problems, eh? A-Rod slumps; therefore, the entire team can't hit -- or pitch. Unbelievable.
Coincidence? You be the judge.
Rodriguez's quest for No. 600 is dragging the team down. There was a time when his lack of home run production was offset by his ability to hit balls into the gaps and drive in runs. And the team was winning. Now he's not even doing that, and Yankee hitters are following him into some kind of hitless abyss. He's mired in a 0-for-17 slump and is 9-for-46 since hitting 599.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
New York columnists play the blame game, put A-Rod on the couch
You know, I really hope Alex Rodriguez hits No. 600 very soon. Because the longer the home run quest takes, the more we have to read baseball columnists' pathetic attempts at psychoanalyzing the third baseman.
And the New York newspapers blaming the Yankees losing three out of four at A-Rod's feet is a bit much, too. Like today's Daily News, with a back page that proclaims, "A-Rod fails again as Yanks fall into deadlock with Rays." Today's New York Post's back page also features Rodriguez, with the headline "ROD TO RUIN - Alex still stuck as Rays catch Yanks."
Hmmmm. I could have sworn that there was one record that actually did occur Monday night -- the most doubles in an inning. With an incredible six doubles in the fifth -- five of them off starter A.J. Burnett -- Toronto tied the American League record for most doubles in one inning, and scored seven times in the fifth. To me, A.J.'s meltdown was the story of the game. After two very good starts, the Bad A.J. is back with a vengeance.
But most New York papers didn't see it that way. After all, A.J. doesn't sell papers the way A-Rod does. So, they featured A-Rod not breaking the record that supposedly nobody cares about, over A.J. Burnett pitching one of the worst innings a Yankee hurler has unleashed all year.
Anyhow, the Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch played Freud today, breaking down A-Rod's psyche with a mess of a column:
Is that what it takes to be a great hitter? "Turning off the spigot" on that narcissism thingy? "Trading in the ego for a World Series ring"? Good grief. Geez, if only Reggie Jackson had turned off that narcissism spigot, and maybe he would have hit five homers in a game! And just imagine what Barry Bonds could have done if he could have kept the ol' ego in check!
Klapisch continues:
Which one is it, Bob? Does A-Rod need to get rid of the narcissism, or the insecurity? Or are you just throwing around psychobabble to explain a slump? Can you at least be consistent here? Hey, maybe if A-Rod would just turn back on the ego, he'd hit a homer! Yeah, that's it!
My head is spinning now. But wait, there's more from Klapisch. He writes:
Ooooh, a two-front war. Spooky! Since he's fighting Mother Nature, who else is involved in the battle - Heat Miser and Snow Miser?
Klapisch also sees all sorts of gloom and doom for the Yankees, opining:
A little, perspective, please. Even if A-Rod had hit a homer in the ninth last night, the Yankees would still have been behind by a run, with only one out left, and no guarantee the Yankees would win.
And I guess I missed when the Yankees were running away with the division for the whole 2009 season. Klapisch should know better. Not only do the Bombers actually have a better record this year than they did last year -- 66-39 to 63-42 -- but they're in virtually the same place they were last year on August 3. At that point in 2009, they clung to a slim half-game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the division. And given how much the Red Sox had owned the Yankees last year - they had won the first eight games in a row - sportswriters were very skeptical of the Yanks' chances. But the Yanks swept the Red Sox in a four-game series at the Stadium two weeks later, and never looked back.
So, I'm not going to throw in the towel on the division just yet. I still would like for A-Rod to hit No. 600 soon, though, as I can't take anymore of these dopey columns!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
And the New York newspapers blaming the Yankees losing three out of four at A-Rod's feet is a bit much, too. Like today's Daily News, with a back page that proclaims, "A-Rod fails again as Yanks fall into deadlock with Rays." Today's New York Post's back page also features Rodriguez, with the headline "ROD TO RUIN - Alex still stuck as Rays catch Yanks."
Hmmmm. I could have sworn that there was one record that actually did occur Monday night -- the most doubles in an inning. With an incredible six doubles in the fifth -- five of them off starter A.J. Burnett -- Toronto tied the American League record for most doubles in one inning, and scored seven times in the fifth. To me, A.J.'s meltdown was the story of the game. After two very good starts, the Bad A.J. is back with a vengeance.
But most New York papers didn't see it that way. After all, A.J. doesn't sell papers the way A-Rod does. So, they featured A-Rod not breaking the record that supposedly nobody cares about, over A.J. Burnett pitching one of the worst innings a Yankee hurler has unleashed all year.
Anyhow, the Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch played Freud today, breaking down A-Rod's psyche with a mess of a column:
This extended drought is bound to raise questions about Rodriguez’s long-term resiliency. It’s crazy to even ask, but the Yankees have to wonder which A-Rod will be occupying the cleanup spot in the postseason.
Will it be the one who was practically unstoppable last October, the one who hit six home runs with 18 RBI? The one who finally broke through as a mainstream Yankee? Rodriguez finally had turned off the spigot on his narcissism, trading in the ego for a World Series ring. Taking down Barry Bonds’ home run was the next soft target.
Is that what it takes to be a great hitter? "Turning off the spigot" on that narcissism thingy? "Trading in the ego for a World Series ring"? Good grief. Geez, if only Reggie Jackson had turned off that narcissism spigot, and maybe he would have hit five homers in a game! And just imagine what Barry Bonds could have done if he could have kept the ol' ego in check!
Klapisch continues:
But the quest for No. 600 has peeled away a few layers of A-Rod’s psychological flesh, revealing the anxious, self-doubting A-Rod of old. Forty-three at-bats are too many to blame bad mechanics. It’s all about anxiety now, nourishing itself one failed plate appearance at a time.
Which one is it, Bob? Does A-Rod need to get rid of the narcissism, or the insecurity? Or are you just throwing around psychobabble to explain a slump? Can you at least be consistent here? Hey, maybe if A-Rod would just turn back on the ego, he'd hit a homer! Yeah, that's it!
My head is spinning now. But wait, there's more from Klapisch. He writes:
Rodriguez actually is fighting a two-front war, both against his nerves and Mother Nature....He’s reached the age that, without chemicals and amphetamines, the muscles no longer fire as quickly.
Ooooh, a two-front war. Spooky! Since he's fighting Mother Nature, who else is involved in the battle - Heat Miser and Snow Miser?
Klapisch also sees all sorts of gloom and doom for the Yankees, opining:
In a perfect world, A-Rod would’ve slammed that historic home run in the ninth inning off David Purcey, jump-starting a comeback to keep the Bombers in first place. But A-Rod’s grounder to Yunel Escobar was the Bombers’ last gasp, and with it, the introduction of a new reality: the Rays are now co-tenants atop the AL East.
While the Yankees aren’t panicking, they’ve long since given up hope of running away with the division as they did in 2009.
A little, perspective, please. Even if A-Rod had hit a homer in the ninth last night, the Yankees would still have been behind by a run, with only one out left, and no guarantee the Yankees would win.
And I guess I missed when the Yankees were running away with the division for the whole 2009 season. Klapisch should know better. Not only do the Bombers actually have a better record this year than they did last year -- 66-39 to 63-42 -- but they're in virtually the same place they were last year on August 3. At that point in 2009, they clung to a slim half-game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the division. And given how much the Red Sox had owned the Yankees last year - they had won the first eight games in a row - sportswriters were very skeptical of the Yanks' chances. But the Yanks swept the Red Sox in a four-game series at the Stadium two weeks later, and never looked back.
So, I'm not going to throw in the towel on the division just yet. I still would like for A-Rod to hit No. 600 soon, though, as I can't take anymore of these dopey columns!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Remembering Thurman Munson - the last photo
Monday was the 31st anniversary of the tragic death of Thurman Munson. And in Sunday's New York Post, there was an article about how a fan took the last photo of Thurman, a photo that was forgotten about for over 30 years.
This photo showed Thurman shaking Reggie Jackson after Reggie hit a homer in the August 1, 1979 game, the last game Munson played in. The New York Post article online doesn't include the picture, but it's online for purchase at the Photofile site, and you can see what it looks like there.
The fan who took the photo contacted "Munson" author Marty Appel a few months ago about the photo, and Appel brought the picture's existence to the attention of the New York Post. Anyhow, you can read more about how the last photo was found by going to the Post web site.
This photo showed Thurman shaking Reggie Jackson after Reggie hit a homer in the August 1, 1979 game, the last game Munson played in. The New York Post article online doesn't include the picture, but it's online for purchase at the Photofile site, and you can see what it looks like there.
The fan who took the photo contacted "Munson" author Marty Appel a few months ago about the photo, and Appel brought the picture's existence to the attention of the New York Post. Anyhow, you can read more about how the last photo was found by going to the Post web site.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Mets honor '86 greats, then get started on 2010 Hall of Shame
When Davey Johnson was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame this afternoon, he told the crowd, "if you don't win, you don't really like us a lot." Johnson went on to say that the fans inspired the 1986 Mets. Unfortunately, the celebration of the Mets' last championship did nothing to inspire the current team, which put on a dismal display that left the booing crowd not really liking them a lot.
I'm glad that Squawker Lisa and I were there for the ceremonies. The actual game, not so much. At least, unlike the last game at Shea Stadium, the festivities were held before the awful game, when fans were still in a good mood.
By the end of the game, I was hoping for another ceremony - inductions into the 2010 Mets Hall of Shame, along with the following acceptance speeches:
GM Omar Minaya: Frank Cashen spoke of how his Met teams set attendance records. As I look around at the empty seats, I wonder if we, too, are closing in on a record - biggest attendance decline in the second year of a new ballpark.
But I couldn't have done it alone. I work for a team that doesn't want to spend more money, but claims that it does, which makes me look like the one who just couldn't get a deal done at the trade deadline.
Then again, if my hands weren't tied, I probably would have done something like trade Angel Pagan for Jake Westbrook.
At least I was able to stack this year's roster with retreads like Mike Jacobs, Gary Matthews Jr. and Frank Catalanotto.
Manager Jerry Manuel: Omar, you may have provided the pieces, but I was the one who batted Mike Jacobs cleanup on Opening Day and started Gary Matthews Jr. over Angel Pagan at the beginning of the year. I made John Maine my number two starter coming out of spring training. And I'm the one who pitched Fernando Nieve every day until he lost his effectiveness.
Jose Reyes, your uniform says 7, but you'll always be a number 3 hitter to me. And then there's my bullpen strategy - if you can call it that. (laughs)
Second baseman Luis Castillo: I would not be here were it not for the people on this stage. Jerry, thanks for batting me second so many times this year. And Omar, I want to thank you and ownership most of all for not eating my contract. Instead of my poor performance getting me quietly designated for assignment, your insistence on keeping me around has turned me into the Mets' version of Eddy Curry. (quickly looks down the stage) Oh, I'm sorry, Ollie - didn't mean to step on your toes.
(At the mention of Ollie's name, the fans start booing.)
Finally, I want to say that there is no greater thrill than winning a ring in New York. And I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to do just that - when the Florida Marlins clinched the 2003 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Pitcher Oliver Perez: Dwight Gooden said that the fans' rhythmic clapping inspired him to get that third strike. I am also fortunate enough to get a strong fan response every time I take the mound.
(The crowd boos.)
When I hear that sound, it's as if you are saying Ooooooooooooh! So that's what a $36 million pitcher looks like!
(The boos get louder.)
Look, I know I've gotten a lot of grief for not wanting to pitch in the minors, but I don't see how people can criticize me for not wanting to pitch in the minors when I'm willing to pitch for the Mets!
(The booing gets so loud that Mr. Met covers his ears.)
Okay, maybe that came out wrong. But do you really want to trade me for Carlos Zambrano? His contract is a lot bigger and he's even crazier than I am! And, well, this franchise hasn't exactly had good luck with Zambranos in the past.
(The crowd starts chanting "We want Zambrano!" Security drags Ollie off the stage.)
Howie Rose: Our final induction into the 2010 Hall of Shame, is...
Met fans.
Management responded to the calls for the team's history to be honored, but when the biggest names of 1986 finally got their long-overdue induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, there were too many empty seats.
Photo by Jon Lewin.
Mets at trade deadline: No news is good news
I'm glad the Mets made no desperation moves at the trading deadline. Apparently, someone remembers Scott Kazmir in 2004 as well as the panic trade of Xavier Nady for Roberto Hernandez in which the throw-in of Oliver Perez first seemed like a steal and ended up as a curse on the team.
But I'm tired of hearing how the Mets are willing to spend, but didn't see anything worth spending on. The Mets talk an awful lot about spending, but cut payroll in the offseason and have not added any since. And how's passing on Bengie Molina for Rod Barajas working out now?
I'm also tired of the Mets's spin that the process shows that the Mets have young players that other teams want. Is Omar Minaya, who infamously traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips to rent Bartolo Colon a few years ago, suddenly a good GM because he has figured out that he should hold on to Ike Davis and Jonathon Niese?
At least the Mets are not spinning that they are still in the race.
On a more positive note, Squawker Lisa and I are going to the game today for the Mets Hall of Fame induction. Squawker Lisa seems to think that there's some question as whether Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are Met or Yankee icons. I look forward to seeing her face during their speeches today! Here are some quotes from Saturday:
"We're going into the Mets' Hall of Fame, and that's Cooperstown for me," Strawberry said before the Mets' 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks last night.
"The Mets will always be No. 1 in my heart," [Gooden] said. "I always wanted to come back here. This is where I started."
But I'm tired of hearing how the Mets are willing to spend, but didn't see anything worth spending on. The Mets talk an awful lot about spending, but cut payroll in the offseason and have not added any since. And how's passing on Bengie Molina for Rod Barajas working out now?
I'm also tired of the Mets's spin that the process shows that the Mets have young players that other teams want. Is Omar Minaya, who infamously traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips to rent Bartolo Colon a few years ago, suddenly a good GM because he has figured out that he should hold on to Ike Davis and Jonathon Niese?
At least the Mets are not spinning that they are still in the race.
On a more positive note, Squawker Lisa and I are going to the game today for the Mets Hall of Fame induction. Squawker Lisa seems to think that there's some question as whether Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are Met or Yankee icons. I look forward to seeing her face during their speeches today! Here are some quotes from Saturday:
"We're going into the Mets' Hall of Fame, and that's Cooperstown for me," Strawberry said before the Mets' 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks last night.
"The Mets will always be No. 1 in my heart," [Gooden] said. "I always wanted to come back here. This is where I started."
Why A-Rod will hit No. 600 today
I'm calling it now -- Alex Rodriguez will hit his 600th career home run this afternoon. How can I be so sure of this? It's because I will miss watching his at-bats for the first time since he hit #599. I will be at the Mets game today with Squawker Jon, watching Met (or is that Yankee?) icons Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry get inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. So, it seems to me that A-Rod will hit No. 600 today, and not only will I miss seeing it live, but I'll have to hear Mets fans boo when the home run is announced on the scoreboard! Good grief.
Anyhow, the big news in Yankeeland -- besides the huge Rays/Yankee series, that is (Robby Cano, doncha know!) -- are the newest Yankees. Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns, and Kerry Wood, come on down! You're the next contestants on "The Price Is Right"!
I think Berkman is a decent pickup. As DH, he'll be taking the place Nick Johnson was supposed to do. Johnson was one of Brian Cashman's biggest follies as GM; how Cash thought Johnson would stay healthy is a question for the ages! (Not to mention not re-signing Johnny Damon. I'm still peeved about that!)
But anyhow, I also really like Berkman's personality -- he seems like a well-spoken, funny guy, so he should fit in well in New York. And Squawker Jon and I have decided he looks like country singer Vince Gill. Just sayin'.
I guess Austin Kearns should be okay, but I'm not all that excited over him. As for Kerry Wood, I have some concerns about his injury history. But as long as he can stay healthy, he has to be better than Chan Ho Park, who got DFAed yesterday.
Anyhow, I'll tape today's Yankee game. And I fully expect to come home and watch A-Rod's 600th career homer. You heard it here first.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Anyhow, the big news in Yankeeland -- besides the huge Rays/Yankee series, that is (Robby Cano, doncha know!) -- are the newest Yankees. Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns, and Kerry Wood, come on down! You're the next contestants on "The Price Is Right"!
I think Berkman is a decent pickup. As DH, he'll be taking the place Nick Johnson was supposed to do. Johnson was one of Brian Cashman's biggest follies as GM; how Cash thought Johnson would stay healthy is a question for the ages! (Not to mention not re-signing Johnny Damon. I'm still peeved about that!)
But anyhow, I also really like Berkman's personality -- he seems like a well-spoken, funny guy, so he should fit in well in New York. And Squawker Jon and I have decided he looks like country singer Vince Gill. Just sayin'.
I guess Austin Kearns should be okay, but I'm not all that excited over him. As for Kerry Wood, I have some concerns about his injury history. But as long as he can stay healthy, he has to be better than Chan Ho Park, who got DFAed yesterday.
Anyhow, I'll tape today's Yankee game. And I fully expect to come home and watch A-Rod's 600th career homer. You heard it here first.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
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