A. B. B.

So, how is everyone enjoying the playoffs? Aren't these games just thrilling?  Naw, not to me. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I root for the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers. The key word here is "Bombers." I don't mind seeing an occasional 1-0 or 2-1 game, but only occasionally. During these championship series, I've been forced to listen to the announcers talk about "...the masterful pitching job" that so and so is doing, and the "...the complete domination of hitters exhibited" by so and so. Okay, they are great pitchers, but I want runs. I was brought up on five o'clock lightning, tape measure home runs and the BIG inning. It ain't happening.

When Shane Robinson of the Cardinals hit a solo shot in the seventh inning against the Dodgers to make the score 4-2, analyst Nomar Garciaparra talked about how big that was, that a 2-run lead was like a 5-run lead. It sure is when the games being played right now, average only 4 runs a game total.

Think about this: those four teams have played 7 games and there have been only 28 total tuns scored and 11 came in one game, a 6-5 win by the Red Sox over the Tigers. Take that away and in six games, we've seen 17 runs, less than 3 runs a game. You can't even say they are well-played games because they aren't. Guys are getting picked off and there have been 6 errors charged. Outfielders can't seem to decide who should catch a fly ball, so no one does. Is this the best that MLB has in terms of talent?

Yes. I know I'm in the minority, but where are the big bombers? Where is the three-run homer? If David Ortiz hadn't belted a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game two, I might have thought that Selig had banned home runs for the playoffs.

The games remind me of my youth playing sandlot ball at age 13, 14 or 15. Any pitcher who could throw the ball to the catcher without an arc would dominate the games. Better baseball? Maybe. But we had more fun playing pick-up games with scores of 21-19. I suppose if your favorite team is still playing, you're enjoying the games, but in our household, we're not, mainly because of the title of this posting:
Anybody But Boston.

## Can't have a baseball blog these days without some mention of A-Rod. Here's today's bit of slimy information. The two lawyers involved in the hearing almost came to blows last week. A-Rods lawyer, Joe Tacopina, and Anthony Bosch's lawyer, Jose Ayala, had a heated verbal exchange outside the courtroom which, some observers said, might have become physical except for the intervention of cooler heads. I'm finding it hard to believe that ANY 'heads' are involved in this, let alone 'cool' ones.

***THEY SAID IT***
" A group of idiot Texan fans have been showing up at Matt Schaub's house to harass him. You know your season is off to a bad start when you take out the garbage and get sacked."  -- Brad Dickson
"The Sharks’ keen, green, teen goal machine, Tomas Hertl is the only guy in the NHL who is missing his front teeth because they haven’t come in yet."  -- Scott Ostler
" The Lakers and Warriors are playing two exhibition games in China: They’ll see overcrowding, traffic congestion and air pollution. And once out of California, it’s on to Beijing."  -- Alan Ray
"Usually the Giants lose on Sundays, but they wanted to get it in early this week so they could enjoy the weekend."  -- Jimmy Kimmel
"On Sunday, the Chiefs sacked Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor 10 times. The first two times during pregame warmups."  -- Brad Dickson
"The Plymouth (Ind.) High School band has been banned from playing “Rocky Top” at Rockies sporting events because the song’s third verse includes a moonshine reference. Next up on the prohibition docket: No more road games in Champaign, Ill."  -- Dwight Perry
"A referee at a high-school football game in Covington, La., tried to eject a police officer who intervened in a sideline spat — and got himself hauled off to jail instead. Apparently “offsetting penalties” didn’t apply in this case."  -- Dwight Perry
"ALCS teams Detroit and Boston led the majors this season with a combined 3191 hits. They've put more men in scoring position than Paris Hilton."  -- RJ Currie

"The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly been using ball boys as scout team wide receivers in practice. The worst part: On Wednesday, a ball boy burned Jaguars' defensive backs for five TD receptions."  -- Brad Dickson

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