Picasner is Such a Romantic!

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve checked up on what mischief Picasner has been up to, and, of course, our pontificating seer of seers, oracle of opinionated outrages, and the rector of rumor has not disappointed.

I always expect a Burn Up the Bullpen Rag, but two days in a row? Yo, P, please tell us who is your manager of choice in running a bullpen correctly? You’re pissed at Torre - best record in baseball and, yea, we know it’s the NL West, pissed at Girardi – 3^rd best record in baseball - because he uses his closer in the top of the 9^th if tied at home (just like every other manager in major league baseball), matches up with hitters in the late innings when possible (just like every other major league manager when they can) and Terry Francona – 2^nd best record baseball - must drive you nuts the way he parades in relievers more often than Mo spits out luggies.

What is it with strikeouts, you ask? The obvious answer, and one that those trusted with the well being of the game would rather no one notice, is the huge dilution of talent in the bloated major leagues. Nick Swisher commands $5.4 million to play a mediocre right field, hit .240, and lead his team in strikeouts. Does he play because of 14 dingers or because even the well-heeled Steinbrenner Corp. doesn’t have a better option?

Welcome to the midpoint of the season. Great to see the Yankees and Red Soxs moving in opposite directions. It will be an interesting week with the Sox playing losers at home and the Yankees, on the road, playing teams with winning records, including their nemesis the Angels.

Derek Jeter is called out at 3^rd because, according to the umpire, the ball beat him to the bag. No tag necessary! What’s really unusual about this play is that the 3^rd base umpire was stupid enough to tell the truth about what we already know; umpires use shortcuts to avoid making tough calls and umpires are stupid.

Just saw P’s annual The All Star Game is a Farce post. Dear Picasner, so what, who cares, and get over it. Major league baseball is a business. It is all about the Benjamins. If the owners could make more money with a coin flip, they would. They were able to make more money ignoring drugs in the game, so they did.

Please, stop making comments that begin “Part of the problem…”. It’s not a problem, it’s just business. And it was business “back then”. But “back then” the owners controlled players with the reserve clause, a not particularly sophisticated form of indentured servitude. Ah, for the good old days that never were.

By the way, “tie games” is plural. That means more than one. Hasn’t happened. And if there is another, so what, etc.

What do you think the “original intent” of the All Star game was? It was an exhibition game, i.e. a marketing event designed to show off the product, played to make money. I would think that a devoted acolyte of the Steinbrenner Corp. would understand that and that focus has changed not at all. Picasner says he is not watching the game. So what, etc. When Derek Jeter or Mo decide to ignore it, then we’ll know it’s time to pass.