HAPPY HOLIDAYS

**Some people got an early Christmas present, Tony LaRussa for one. In a plea deal, he got his DUI charges reduced to Reckless Driving.  La Russa was sentenced to one day of home detention and fined nearly $1,400, and he is required to complete 20 hours of community service. Let me get this straight. He goes from DUI to DWI - Driving When Incompetent, and as a punishment, they sent him to his room for a day. I sure hope he's learned his lesson.

 **The Toronto Blue Jays have an interesting problem while trying to sign free agents. No, it's not the money that's creating the problem. Free agents want to know if the Blue Jays will be playing in Toronto. It seems Canadian officials haven't given the Blue Jays permission to play regular season games in Toronto yet. Toronto did play a number of regular season games in Buffalo at the end of last season. I don't think Toronto will go along with that again. especially if MLB decides to allow fans to attend the games.

 **Still no signings of the big money free agents. One of the problems facing both the players and the clubs is how long the season will be. If they only play 100 games for example, clubs will be reluctant to sign big contracts because they could go broke. Players don't want to sign reduced contracts, especially long term. Some of the major big money players are considering signing one year deals and wait till the 2022 season when things may open up a bit. Historically, however, no big signings take place during the holiday season, so nothing will be resolved until January.

**MLB has decided to alter the Negro Leagues status to Major league status and incorporate the statistics into the historical record. The Negro Leagues had some phenomenal players, no doubt, but the record keeping is somewhat spotty. Scheduling was so irregular, it was difficult to determine which games were official and which ones were exhibitions. There were many leagues and players often played for different clubs in different leagues in the same season. There is no way to determine level of quality since statistics and even players names were lost. I don't think this will ever be resolved and that is a shame since players like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige definitely belong in the same conversation as baseball's best white players. I still maintain that people should make every effort to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Only then will you understand the heritage of the Negro Leagues and their players. 

**The Yankees have non-tendered two relievers who have been very effective in the past. Jonathan Holder has signed with the Cubs and Tommy Kahnle with the Dodgers. Most analysts believe that with the Yanks starting pitching so iffy, they'll need a strong bullpen. This isn't how you go about it. 

**This is very nice. People say bad things about the Yanks and complain because they have (and spend) so much money. This past season, they lost money, just like all the other clubs. Instead of whining about it, this is what they did:

The Yanks announced their economic support of local businesses.  Gave out 10 $5000 awards to local businesses, to be paired with a Community-Based Org. to provide food and services to the community. They donated 68,000 lbs of food for children in need. Also donated $200,000 worth of food vouchers for families preparing holiday meals. All for the area surrounding the Stadium. The Yanks also donated toys to children directly in the area, since their annual Winter Wonderland extravaganza where free food and toys were distributed to local families had to be cancelled due to the COVID. 

That's impressive.

***THEY SAID IT***

" The Consumer Price Index claims the 12 Days of Christmas today would cost $170,298. That's about $62,000 less than the Angels pay Mike Trout — per game."  -- RJ Currie

"The Washington Football Team QB Dwayne Haskins has apologized for a picture posted to social media, taken of him Sunday night, in a strip club, without a mask. You can take the stupid embarrassing name off the team, but apparently you can’t take the stupid embarrassing behavior off the team."  -- Janice Hough

"Buffalo clobbered Denver 48-19 in Mile High City. The Broncos all-orange Color Rush uniforms got trampled into Orange Crushed."  -- RJ Currie

"After the N.O. Saints 31-3 win over the hometown Denver Broncos, "I really felt bad for the cardboard fans.""  -- Saints Coach Sean Peyton 

"Big Ten officials just announced that Northwestern players must play the second half with one arm tied behind their backs. Anything to help Ohio State."  -- Brad Dickson

"What's it like watching your team lose 43-6 to the Falcons? When you go to the dentist and have to have your teeth pulled out. Pretty much like that." -- Raiders coach Jon Gruden

"After the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole for $324 million, they also announced that beer at the stadium will now cost $734."  -- Blogger Eric Stangel

"Nothing is certain but death, taxes, and the Falcons blowing big leads against Tom Brady."  -- Janice Hough

"Marco Wilson, the Florida DB who picked up an LSU player’s shoe and hurled it downfield to keep the Tigers’ winning drive alive. Who would’ve guessed that blaming a defeat on somebody throwing a shoe would involve a football game and not a horse race?"  -- Dwight Perry

"I want to be watching college basketball on a night when the fan cutouts storm the court."  -- Bob Molinaro

"So, last season Browns DE Myles Garrett, already fined for dirty play, ripped off the helmet of Steelers QB Mason Rudolph then clubbed him with it. This season Garrett is the Browns’ nominee for the Walter Payton Award for superior character, on and off the field. Wonder who finished second."  -- Phil Mushnick

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS

Chad Picasner

 

IN THE HEART OF THE SILLY SEASON

 **Let's start with something really silly, the annual Army-Navy game. Not the two services or the pageantry of the game, but the way this particular game was played. Army won the game 15-0 and it was a hard-fought game. Oh, not on the field, on the sidelines. There were 10 penalties, a lot of pushing and shoving, a sideline brawl and, if the reports are true, more trash talking than a Raiders game. Both teams played to not lose instead of winning. Because the game was played at West Point, Army lived up to it's training as ground forces, running the ball 53 times and passing only once. One pass...for 28 yards. Navy ran the ball 35 times with only 7 passes. Navy was severely handicapped because there was no water on the field, and their battleship wouldn't fit through the gate.  Hey, if you wanted passing, you should go watch an Air Force Academy game.. This was like watching two armies going into battle armed with pop guns. And we used to laugh at Woody Hayes' game plan of "three yards and a cloud of dust."

At least the uniforms were impressive. 

**No big free agent signings yet but plenty of posturing. The Yanks and LeMahieu are playing a game of high stakes brinkmanship. The two sides are supposedly $25 million apart. That sounds like a lot but lets wait until Hal Steinbrenner gets back from lunch with his credit card.

The Mets say they are open to a blockbuster trade but no names have been mentioned. The Dodgers name is listed as a possibility for every big name free agent. Sports writers are proposing trades and signings that make no sense, but then, that's their job. 

**MLB has decided to alter the state of the Negro Leagues and incorporate their statistics into an historical record. This is a big story, but that's for another posting. As  side note, Anne and I spent a few hours visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, MO. Very impressive and well run with some terrific exhibits. Well worth the time and the $10 admission fee. 

**The NY Giants and the Washington Football Team keep trading spots at the top of the NFC East.  I think they're both embarrassed to be there so they keep switching. This is kind of a reverse musical chairs. A lot of joy currently in my household since most of the family are Bills fans and the Bills look like a major player in the AFC. 

**From Phil Mushnicks column: "Still, the best idea never adopted was when former Reds infielder Chris Sabo ran a new minor league club in Florence, SC. Interviewing Sabo, Dan Patrick suggested they be called the Florence Hendersons."

***THEY SAID IT***

"Cardboard cutouts of six “Sopranos” characters — Tony Soprano, wife Carmella, henchman Paulie Walnuts, daughter Meadow, nephew Christopher and consigliere Silvio — were sitting courtside at Rutgers’ basketball game against Syracuse on Tuesday night.But no, Tim Donaghy wasn’t reffing the game."  -- Dwight Perry

"The death of legendary test pilot  Chuck Yeager — the first to break the sound barrier —  at age  97: “But if ANYONE could be in heaven before the Devil knew he was dead …”  -- Janice Hough

"Fox, with startling, screaming and a repeated bright red graphic: “BREAKING NEWS: Chiefs have clinched the AFC West.” Idiots."  -- Phil Mushnick

"Well at least losing 40-3 against the Seahawks meant no last second heartbreak this week for Jets fans."  -- Janice Hough

"A recent survey found men know far more about cars than sex. I can't claim to know much about either, but none of my cars has failed to start due to a headache."  -- RJ Currie

 "The LSU Tigers — they of the 3-5 record — have self-imposed a one-year bowl ban over improper booster payments to players.The 0-12 New York Jets, not to be outdone, immediately vowed to turn down any and all NFL playoff invitations."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner

 

 

 

 

AND WE'RE OFF AGAIN

 **Try this in the USA

The Fujian provincial Department of Education have rules for Women's Soccer that would never fly here. One of their rules state, "Athletes are not allowed to dye their hair, grow long hair (for boys), wear weird hairstyles, or wear any accessories." Tattoos are also not allowed. The rules are strictly adhered to. Their hair must be black. And not just black, it has to be the right shade of black. Several women on the Fuzhou and Jimei Universities did not have black enough hair, so they dyed it to meet the requirements. Oh no you don't. At the game, the players were deemed to have violated the rule that prevents them from dying their hair, were declared ineligible and the team had to forfeit because they could not field a full team. I hope NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't learn this little trick.

**The free-agent signing logjam

None of the premier free agents have been signed yet and the logjam isn't the usual one. In the past, everyone waited for one or two of the top notch players to sign to set the bar on the salary levels. Not this year. The teams don't want to commit to high-number, long-term deals because they don't know if there is going to be a season and if so, how long will it be and will fans be allowed in the stadiums. All reasonable questions. All the teams lost money this year because they couldn't count on the ticket revenue. It's almost impossible to get a read on how much teams get from that since no one wants the fans to know what that number is, and they especially don't want the players to know. I'm guessing about $1.70 million in tickets and another $300,000 in concessions (incl parking). So that's $2 million and that's a pretty healthy chunk of income to lose, so naturally the teams are reticent to commit to large contracts. 

**The "Old-Boy" network is in full swing

First we had the White Sox sign Tony LaRussa, fresh from a DUI charge, now the Phillies have hired Dave Dombrowski as their President of Baseball Operations. Does this seem like a good choice? He has run the Montreal Expos, record of 271-279 in 4 years, nine years as GM of the Florida Marlins, 627-764, 1082-1123 in fourteen years with the Detroit Tigers, and 4 1/2 years with the Boston red Sox, 396-277, finally a winning record. Of course, in those years,  he traded away their best players including arguably the best player in baseball, Mookie Betts. He also decimated their farm system and who knows how long it will take to replenish it. But he won. I wonder if Red Sox fans are happy with the "win-at-all-costs" method. From the King of MLB to the Clown Prince. Good luck Philadelphia.

**Speaking of Philly...

There was a rumor last week as reported by Buster Olney, that the Phillies were shopping their ace, Zack Wheeler. Owner John Middleton dispelled that rumor by phoning Olney and claiming that Wheeler was NOT going to be traded, in fact, he told Buster he wouldn't trade Wheeler for Babe Ruth. If his reason was that Babe has been dead for 72 years, then it's a smart move. So I guess Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Lou Gehrig are also off the list. On the other hand, who would you rather have, Babe Ruth or Dave Dombrowski?

**Please stop this

I've been a NY Giants fan for over 60 years, but I get embarrassed every time the NY sports reporters brag about how the Giants are in first place in the NFC East. This would go over a bit better if the Giants at least had a winning record instead of 5-7. They  have to finish the season at 3-1 just to end up at .500. 

**A sad note 

Former Philly Dick Allen has passed away. He had a reputation for not being an easy guy to deal with. Of course, pitchers couldn't deal with him either; he was a real professional hitter. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1964 and the AL MVP in 1972. He never made it into the Hall of Fame, but maybe he should have.

**I have a question.

Syracuse Univ. basketball team has five players suspended  and under quarantine because of exposure to COVID, including the coach's son, Buddy Boeheim. Since Buddy lives at home, how come coach Boeheim hasn't also been quarantined? At least the fans are wearing masks.

'

STAY SAFE EVERYONE!!

***THEY SAID IT***

"After watching Philadelphia's backup QB Jalen Hurts come in for Carson Wentz against Green Bay, I suggest a new motto for the Eagles. Love Hurts."  -- RJ Currie

"When people said at the beginning of the year that the Ravens would lead the AFC North, who would have imagined it would be in positive COVID-19 tests?"  -- Bob Molinaro

"Eastern Market Brewing Co. has stopped sales and production of “Same Old Lager” after Lions legend Barry Sanders — pictured on the can in team colors without his consent — threatened to sue.Apparently it was a little too Lions: It went flat the minute you opened the can."  -- Dwight Perry

"LSU says they will self-impose an NFL bowl ban this season over improper booster payments. LSU is 3-5."  -- Janice Hough

"After trying hypnotism to correct his funky, hitchy golf swing, " All I got was a good nap. I woke up with the same crappy swing."  -- Charles Barkley

"Wear a mask. It's not like we're asking you to wear a Skatchewan Roughriders hockey jersey."  -- Sign in front of a Winnepeg Church

"Scientists say video evidence has proven fetuses can yawn hundreds of times in the womb. Thousands of times if Mom is a New York Jets fan."  -- RJ Currie 

" Could anything in sports be more 2020 than holding the Maui Invitational in Asheville, North Carolina?"  -- Bob Molinaro

"After watching six consecutive quarters of Kentucky football: “Hoping if I’m ever convicted of a major crime this will count as time served."  -- Ryan Brown, Birmingham WJOX Radio

"Cavaliers guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on a gun charge in Ohio after he crashed his car and investigating officers discovered a loaded firearm inside. Apparently he was on his way to the morning shoot-around."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner

 

THE SILLY SEASON AND MORE

 **Congratulations to the two winners of the MVP title, Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. I am passionate about words and to me, MVP means Most Valuable Player. Not the best hitter or the pitcher with the most wins (even that title has lost some meaning), but the player without whom the team would not have won. Therefore, by definition, your team HAS to win for you to be valuable. A General Manager on a last place team back in the 50's, while in negotiations with his star player, told him, "You're not getting a raise. We lost with you and we can lose without you."  So, both winners had very good years and while neither MVP winner played on a team that won the World Series, they played on teams that made it to the playoffs and that's good enough for me. 

**Analysts continue to amaze me. They can't seem to speak English. Here's the latest one from that wordsmith, Chris Collingsworth. He has come up with a new, long-form term for receivers: “Catchers of the football.” Pretty soon we'll have "Inhibitors of defenders" for blockers. How about "Hasten the hurler" instead of rushing the passer. Gee, I hope Collingsworth doesn't procure these. Baseball has them, too. The Yankee hasn't had a starter all season, but, according to David Cone,  they have had "Garrit Cole on the bump."

**As always, sports writers are the biggest contributors to "The Silly Season." They don't care if their predictions make any sense, they just make them as outrageous as possible and as many as possible. So far this year, Yankee Beat Writers have had Gary Sanchez, Traded to the Mets, spent extra time with a hitting coach, released outright, sent back to the minors and be relegated to back up status. I'm surprised they haven't put him in charge of the post-game refreshments. Maybe they have; he doesn't look like he's passed on too many hot dogs.

On the other hand,sometimes these pretend words come in handy. With the possibility of Trevor Bauer joining the Yanks to form a 1-2 punch with Garrit Cole, they didn't want to start a possible feud by fostering the bad relationship the two of them had in college, so they now call them "Frenemies."

**Theo Epstein, once GM of the Boston Red Sox, has stepped down as General Manager of the Cubs. 10 years ago , He and Brian Cashman of the Yankees were hailed as the two brightest (and youngest) GMs in baseball. Epstein says he'll be back but not this year.

Sadly, Dodgers icon and Hall of Famer, Tommy Lasorda, has been hospitalized with heart complications. He 93 and we wish him well.  

**More sad news. Robinson Cano, current Met and former Yankee has tested positive for using PEDs for the second time. He's been suspended for the 2021 season and has blown his $24 million salary for that year. The Mets are still on the mark for his last two years at $24 million. Some writers have said that he's probably blown his chances at the Hall of Fame too, but that's a while off. With so much at stake - the money and more importantly, his legacy - why would a player do something so crazy? 

**This is the strangest Silly Season I've ever seen. Because of the pandemic, no crowds were allowed to attend the regular season games and every team, who still had to pay the players, front office personnel and stadium crews, lost money. With no guarantee that the COVID-19 situation will be resolved by next season, sports writers are talking more about who WON'T be offered big money contracts and what players who will be released outright, than who will be traded and and what teams will spend money. This is no fun.  How am I going to argue with my friends over what big trade or signing my team is going to do? Come on sports writers, start with some juicy rumors.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. 

 ***THEY SAID IT***

"Raiders now have 11 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as they prepare to host Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. So what happens in Vegas stays off the field in Vegas?"  -- Janice Hough

"Tommy Tuberville — the former Auburn football coach and newly elected senator from Alabama — rattled off the three branches of the federal government as “the House, the Senate and executive.” At least he didn’t say offense, defense and special teams."  -- Dwight Perry

"The NYC Marathon has considered erasing Lance Armstrong's result from the 2006 race. Armstrong finished 868th. Can you imagine the excitement for the runner who finished 869th?"  -- RJ Currie

"ESPN reporting that LSU ignored sexual assault complaints against several football players. Gosh, you mean the school prioritized football over protecting women? I am shocked, shocked…"  -- Janice Hough

"NBCneeds to replace the retiring Doc Emrick on it's hockey broadcasts, which is like trying to replace Frank Sinatra as a lead singer."  -- Steve Simmons

 "After Notre Dame upset Clemson in South Bend, thousands of Irish fans stormed and covered the field. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta called this Notre Dame’s Spread Offence."  -- Bill Littlejohn

"Social-distancing went out the window when giddy Notre Dame football fans stormed the field after their team’s double-OT win over No. 1 Clemson.There went any plans for the school’s “Notre Dame Fighting Virus” public-service ad campaign."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner

 

A LITTLE MORE BASEBALL NEWS

 **Baseball has announced the winners of the Manager Of The Year award in both leagues. Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins, in the National League, Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays, In the American League. Both are fine managers and Mattingly is a gentleman who respects the game and all it's participants. Kevin Cash, I'm not so sure about, but congratulations to both.

**White Sox manager, Tony LaRussa, will be in the news often this coming season as he is not one to shy from controversy. Lets hope Chicago never gets into a feud with another team because LaRussa tends to over-react in these situations. If one of his players gets hit by a pitch, it's okay to want to protect your players, but rather than try to diffuse the situation, he tends to exacerbate the problem: "You hit one of my players, I'll hit two of yours." This is an exact quote and will certainly not help calm any tempers. Now I see that Tony is already in the news being charged with a DUI in October of this year. According to police reports, he had an interesting response to questioning by police officers: "I'm a Hall of Famer baseball person." Another quote. It is the second drunken-driving arrest for La Russa, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI in Florida in 2007. Well, I see we're off and running.

**The Mets new owner, Steve Cohen is making waves already, cleaning house in the front office and setting a goal of a World Series title in 3-5 years. He also intends to spend money to better the team. “This is a major market team and should have a budget commensurate with that.” He also pledged to let his baseball people make the baseball decisions. New York fans are familiar with this promise and the actual result from the George Steinbrenner years with the Yankees. Do you know of any billionaire who got where they are by letting other people make decisions? 

**The Red Sox have officially rehired Alex Cora as their manager. In his press conference, he actually acknowledged his wrong doing with the Astros and apologized for it. "I deserved what happened this year. I'm not proud of it. ... In the end, I got my penalty and served it." I don't think I've ever heard a professional athlete say that before. Usually they talk about their mistakes as though they don't understand what everybody is upset about ("If anyone was offended, I  apologize"). I'm impressed, Alex.

**This is the advent of what I call, THE SILLY SEASON, where all 30 teams think they are just one player short of being favored to win their division. We'll have to discuss this in more detail in the future.

***THEY SAID IT*** 

"Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald once instituted a mandatory nap for his Wildcats prior to games. Not to be outdone, Adam Gase's NY Jets frequently take naps during games."  -- RJ Currie 

"Mets President Sandy Alderson says with new owner Steve Cohen he wants to turn the team into an “Iconic franchise.” Well, for comedy writers, they already are."  -- Janice Hough 

"The Alabama-LSU game has been canceled due to Covid. It's just as well. Bo Pelini's defense probably couldn't hold 'Bama to under 100 points."  -- Brad Dickson

 "During Michigan St.-Michigan, Fox’s Gus Johnson said that MSU RB “Ricky White is having a career game. He was a freshman, playing his second game."  -- Mike Panasuk, Boston, MA

 "As always, follow the TV money. Saturday’s Arizona St.-Southern Cal will begin here at noon, 9 a.m. West Coast time, for Fox money. This allows students the opportunity to be hungover by 1 p.m."  -- Phil Mushnick

"Federal agents are questioning USC football players in connection to a fraud investigation. Penalties may be stiff. Some pf the players may be forced to attend classes."  -- Alex Kaseberg

"A question for Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger: "Was it easier to win the World Series when the other team wasn't cheating.""  -- Jimmy Kimmel

"In a response to inquiries from New York Jets and Houston Texans fans, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta informed them that they must continue to wear masks, even under the paper bags over their heads."  -- Bill Littlejohn

"The NFL suspended Bears receiver Javon Wims for two games cheap-shotting the Saints’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson — one game for the blows and, presumably, another game for being stupid enough to repeatedly punch a guy’s helmet."  -- Dwight Perry

"Packers beat San Francisco 34-17 Thursday night: The Niners put up a struggle but, with eight starters out of the lineup from the outset, they brought brass knuckles to an ax fight."  -- Jack Finarelli

Chad Picasner

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RECYCLING

 Baseball has a history of recycling managers, and not a proud one. Every time a manager gets fired, clubs delve into the list of out-of-work managers fired from other teams. Sometimes they have been fired by the teams who are currently looking. The most famous, of course, is Billy Martin, who was hired and fired five times over the space of 13 years.

Currently, the Boston Red Sox are looking and, of course, are considering rehiring Alex Cora who was fired early this year over a cheating scandal. The Chicago White Sox just rehired Tony LaRusso, who last managed the team in 1986.

But this is no longer the norm. Usually, out of 30 possible jobs, you might find two or three rookie managers. This year, only 9 of a possible 29 jobs are held by men who have managed at least one other team. Baseball used to be considered to be an Old Boys Club, but no more. The biggest reason for this is the reliance on computer-driven statistics. When potential managers are being interviewed, there is a major concern by the front offices that the candidate is committed to the sabermetrics currently in vogue. Outside of a few "legends of the past," such as Joe Maddon or Tony LaRusso,you have little chance of being hired if you think a laptop is where you let girls sit. The days of using only your eyes and experience of making decisions is long past. If you want to see a good example of this, watch the movie "Moneyball," especially the first half hour.

Even coaching is feeling the brunt of the new metrics. You used to judge a pitcher by things like, how good is his curve ball or how hard does he throw.  Now you need to know spin rates, arm angles and BABIP, which is Batting Average of Balls In Play. Hitting coaches have to know bat speed, time in the zone and launch angles. Base running coaches need to know...a different career, since the new metrics frown on stealing bases. But don't worry, there are plenty of other jobs. It used to be that a manager had a first base coach, a third base coach and a pitching coach. Not any more.  A manager has that plus:

Fielding Coach      Outfield Coach    Throwing Coach       Catching Coach    Bench Coach

Bullpen Coach       Hitting Coach       Asst Hitting Coach   Strength Coach    And some I missed

And let's not forget the translators, since ballplayers no longer feel the need to learn English. The Yankees Masahiro Tanaka has been with the team for seven years, but if a coach goes out to talk to him, the Japanese interpreter is right with him. Here's a question for the ages: Gary Sanchez, Yankee catcher, needs a Spanish interpreter during interviews. When he goes to the mound to talk to Tanaka, how do they communicate? And why do they cover their mouths? Bad breath? There's a question I'd like to hear in an interview.

Not a lot of choices for the quotes part of the blog. Most writers were concerned with the political end and I only include sports related quotes, But there were still some good ones.

***THEY SAID IT***

 "Don’t believe what you see: At the end of three quarters, Saturday, Fox’s Joel Klatt praised Nebraska’s defense for being quick and alert. At the time, Ohio State was up, 38-17, with nearly 400 yards gained."  -- Phil Mushnick

"A majority of ESPN’s NFL headlines are about COVID-19, tests, penalties, mask violations cases. Well, NY fans have to be glad at least they aren’t about the Giants or Jets"   -- Janice Hough 

"Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, 76, became just the third 75-or-older manager in MLB history when the White Sox hired him last week. Hey, it was either that or a cardboard cutout of Connie Mack."  -- Dwight Perry

"In case you missed it, National Fossil Day was on October 14. It will not be on November 28th, the revised fight date between retirees Mike Tyson and Roy Jones."  -- RJ Currie

"Now that the troublesome Antonio Brown is joining Tom Brady’s Bucs, people need to stop saying that everybody deserves a second chance. By rough estimate, this is Brown’s fourth."  -- Bob Molinaro

"Heading into this weekend's Dallas game, the Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFL is most sacks given up. The Cowboys lead the league in giving up."  -- RJ Currie

 "Meanwhile NFL is looking at a 16 team playoff if more games get cancelled due to COVID. If they keep this up we’ll soon be looking at almost all teams in the NFC except the NFC East."  -- Janice Hough

"A bettor plunked down $8,600 on No. 1 Clemson — at minus-1,000 odds — to beat Syracuse and collected $8.60 from FanDuel for his troubles. That’s like shelling out for the Kobe beef and Maine lobster just to get the after-dinner mint."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DODGERS

 With the Dodgers perennially a force to be reckoned with, it seems impossible that it's been 32 years since the last time they won. Here's an interesting note: The Dodgers have now won the championship seven times, three times they beat the Yankees. 

The Dodgers rode a powerful lineup, great starting pitching and a strong bullpen to the Championship. I believe they won the battle of the managers, too. They displayed good sportsmanship at the end and throughout the series. They kept their mouths shut and played like professionals. I congratulate them.

MANAGERS SHOULD NOT TRY TO OUT-THINK THE GAME

Originally, I was going to use this headline, but I felt it would take away from the Dodgers accomplishment, so I'll use it as a sub-headline.

Between Commissioner Manfred and baseball analytics, they are changing the sport. I feel they are ruining it. Yes, those statistics, however complicated, have their place, but they shouldn't completely control they way the game is played. Last night, Tampa Manager Kevin Cash, backed solely by those analytics, lost the game for the Rays when he pulled his starting pitcher with one out in the fifth. Snell had allowed only two hits and no runs.  Cash's defense was that he didn't want Blake Snell to face the Dodger lineup a third time since statistics showed that a teams batting average was significantly higher the third time they faced a pitcher in a game. He should have used his eyes instead of his notebook. Even the Dodgers admitted after the game that they weren't even close to hitting Snell. In fact, they were energized by his removal. The on-deck hitter, Mookie Betts, even looked into the dugout and smiled when cash removed Snell.  Cash claimed he had complete confidence in Anderson to shut the Dodgers down. He couldn't have known that; what he DID know was that Snell was currently untouchable. Add to that the knowledge that every time you bring in a reliever, you run the risk of that pitcher not having his good stuff. Snell wasn't done, he was still on top of his game. Watch the game, Kevin, watch the game.

Statistics say that trying to steal a base is not a profitable enterprise. but look at the pressure it puts on the pitcher. Are there any stats on how effective a pitcher is when he is trying to prevent a stolen base? Isn't stealing second a good thing? If not, why did baseball change the rules and start a runner on second base in extra innings? I have yet to see this stat - RTP (Reacts To Pressure). That would be just as foolish as WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Maybe (Maybe!!) a substitute will be more effective, but by how much? Sabermetrics tries to put an exact number on this and rely on this number to run the game. 

We could argue this all day and night and I won't change the sabermetric fans and they certainly won't change me. How about this stat:

In 1968 Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals, started 34 games, was 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA. He threw 23 complete games. If Kevin Cash was his manager that year, he would have completed none, and probably wouldn't have won 22 games either, which the sabermetrics people say doesn't matter anyway, since wins don't count when evaluation a pitcher. Tell that to the 268 people he struck out that year. Bob Gibson counts.

Well, baseball is over for this year. Hopefully, next season will be played without COVID-19 hanging over our heads. 

**Here's another puzzlement for you. Why did we need to have two "travel days" built into the World Series schedule. All the games were played in Arlington Texas!  How far away were the hotels?

**Are they putting something special in the Gatorade?

I noticed the last few weeks in baseball, it seems that no one in the dugouts  wear masks except the manager and the staff. Why is that? In football - pro and college - the head coaches wear their masks below their noses or even around their necks. These are brave (stupid) men who don't care about the people around them either.

Sorry, I couldn't let this go: The Yankees beat the Dodgers in the World Series eight times.

***THEY SAID IT***

"Antonio Brown has signed with Tampa Bay. As if Tom Brady weren’t reason enough to hate the Buccaneers."  -- Janice Hough

"Belichick won the Breeders Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. And despite rumours to the contrary, the horse wasn’t wearing a hoodie."  -- RJ Currie

"Nebraska — vocal critics of the Big Ten shutting down its football season in August — now opening on the road under the revamped schedule as 26-point underdogs at Ohio State: “This is almost like a modern version of the old TV show from the 1950s, ‘You Asked For It."  -- Jack Finarelli

"The Nebraska football team is ranked by USA Today! Sure, the team is ranked 57th in the nation, only 19 spots below Appalachian State, but it's a start."  -- Brad Dickson

"Rays pulled Snell in Game 6 of World Series. I don’t think Bruce Bochy would have dared even TALK to Madison Bumgarner on the mound in that situation."  -- Janice Hough

"As if Green Bay losing 38-10 to the Bucs last Sunday wasn’t bad enough, Jamaal Williams’ pants tore open during the game, exposing his right buttock. So how do they list him on the Packers’ roster now — running back or split end?"  -- Dwight Perry

"Last week in Maine, competitors raced in the North American Wife Carrying Championship. Or as some people call it, Wife in the Fast Lane."  -- RJ Currie

"Predicting the outcome when the Eagles (1-4-1) and Giants (1-5) met on Thursday: “Eagles 20, Giants 10, Interest 0.”  -- Mike Hart

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR

We're almost to the end of the 2020 baseball season, truncated though it was. I have a few observations that make sense to me, at least. 

**It was a good idea to expand the playoffs to include more teams, but to run the seven-game series without any off days made for some funky moves. Teams using seven pitchers in a game and making a lot of those pitching changes during the inning makes for long delays and many more commercials. Lord knows we need both of those. The broadcasters accepted it without question because everyone knows that managers know the "best" way to run these games. 

They're trying to keep pitchers fresh because, you know, there are no days off. I think we heard that phrase at least 10 times a game. So the way to do that was to use everybody for a short amount of time, right? Get the starting pitcher out of there as soon as possible because the bullpens are strong, right? Bring in six relievers in a game and you know somebody is going to have an off night and there goes the ball game. This is a lesson that Kevin Cash learned in Game Six of the AL Championship. He took Snell out in the fifth, having thrown just 82 pitches to bring in his top reliever and bye-bye ballgame.

Here's a scoop: If an idea is wrong but a lot of people do it, then a lot of people are wrong. It reminds me of a line out of "Moneyball," when the manager explains to the GM why he makes certain moves. "I'm managing so I can explain my moves when I interview for a job in the off season." It doesn't matter if it's the right way, only that it's the accepted way.

**I noticed that for the most part, the only people in the dugout wearing masks are the manager and the staff. Not only don't the players wear them, they do everything but kiss each other on the mouth in celebrations. No mention of this from any of the broadcasters, of course.

Speaking of broadcasters,  is anyone else as sick of Ron Darling as I am? There was a rumor earlier that MLB was going to use Davis Cone but they haven't. He can be wordy but at least he's insightful and funny. Ron Darling sometimes sounds like he's putting himself to sleep. 

**Just a suggestion that may only interest Yankee fans. There is a suggestion mentioned by a few analysts that the Yanks should trade Luke Voit, move LeMahieu to first, move Torres to second and sign a shortstop. Makes sense because Gleyber Torres is no major league shortstop. If you saw him play in 2019, you know he wasn't much of a second baseman either. I have a suggestion: move Torres to first base and leave the gold glove winner LeMahieu at second. But that's just me.

Yeah, and bring back Didi Gregorious!

***THEY SAID IT***

"Biologists claim Washington is one of 24 states with proven cases of the so-called "Zombie Virus." As good an explanation as any for the Seattle Mariners."  -- RJ Currie

"Sunday has been declared LeBron James Day throughout Red China. All Nike factories will remain open late."  -- Phil Mushnick

"The LSU-Florida game has been canceled. Not sure if this is due to Covid or somebody realized that Bo Pelini's defense can't tackle anyone so what's the point?"  -- Brad Dickson

"Will the Red Sox bring back exiled manager Alex Cora, banned this past season for his role in the Astros’ signal-stealing scandal?A lot of signs certainly point to it. And advocates are banging the drum for him. … OK, sorry."  -- Dwight Perry

"We recently lost  Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and other Hall of Famers this year. Nice try, 2020, but these guys are immortal."  -- Argus Hamilton

"The Giants (0-5) play Washington (1-4) Sunday. Chances are very good that one team will win the titanic clash … But it’s hard to see how."  -- Bob Molinaro

"Bad news for the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos – due to positive COVID-19 cases, their Sunday game was postponed. Worse news for the 0-5 Atlanta Falcons, their Sunday game wasn’t."  -- Janice Hough

"Washington against NY Giants - Here we have the third game in the dead-heat as the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  You almost have to root for a tie game here because neither team gives any indication that it deserves to win one"  -- Jack Finarelli, The Sports Curmudgeon

Chad Picasner

 

 

 

 

 

HERE WE GO AGAIN

**Back in the day in my old neighborhood, the rule was if you can't win the game, win the fight afterwards.

Giant wide receiver Golden Tate and Rams defensive back Jalen Ramsey got into a little fisticuffs just as their game ended on Sunday. For the record, the Giant's lost the game but the fight was a draw. So, for the year, the Giants are 0-4-1. You guys would never make it in Oswego.

**Maybe I'm old fashioned (MAYBE?), but I prefer my sports described in English. My playesr jump, they do not elevate. Running north and south only works if the stadium is facing that way. In my day, if someone punched your ticket, either you were allowed into the stadium or you got killed. You did NOT advance to the next round. Jessica Mendoza, in an effort to show she belongs, told us about a "non-competitive breaking ball." I can't dispute this one because I have absolutely no idea what that is. 

**Sometimes,  what's said doesn't make sense in any language. Consider this bit of double talk from the master, Alex Rodriguez: “Strikeouts don’t matter, it’s just an out, as long as you hit with enough power.”  A few minutes later: "Putting the ball in play is essential, strikeouts don’t create scoring opportunities."

When he worked games, Joe Garagiola used to say, "I'm gonna shut up. The crowd will tell what happens." Of course, now there's no crowds, so they must feel they have to fill the void with nonsense.

**A few weeks ago, Tampa Bay & the Yanks played one of those series where everybody was being thrown at. This doesn't make for good baseball, it's just macho madness. In the playoffs, when the season is up for grabs, teams usually go back to serious baseball. Monday, these two teams square off for the right to play for the AL Championship. The sports writers won't let it go. They keep bringing up the "Feud" in every story they write. Both managers have indicated that they have no time for this bull, they are there to win the game. But that's not a big enough story for the writers. They won't let it go. Tonight is the deciding game and so far there hasn't been any brawls and I doubt we'll see one.

**David Schoenfield wrote a column for ESPN today asking, "How should you feel about the Houston Astros playing in the AL Championship". It's a long article but it came down to this: They cheated and we're mad they made it this far - or - we're Astros fans and we're thrilled. Other than Atlanta, the remaining teams have all indicated that they feel the Astros won because they cheated and want to beat them badly. 

Whoever iit is, I hope they succeed.

***THEY SAID IT***

 "I know it’s not currently cool to root for the Astros after the cheating scandal. But if anyone in baseball deserves a ring, it’s Dusty Baker. Life is complicated."  -- Janice Hough

"On Tuesday, MLB Network flatly reported that the Astros’ George Springer had surpassed Babe Ruth for total “postseason home runs.” Makes sense. Ruth went homer-less in wild-card, divisional championship and league championship games."  -- Phil Mushnick [Side note: Mickey Mantle hit 18 World Series homers, a record that will never be broken. - CP]

"The Yankees - for the first time in their 120-year history - hit into 5 double plays and committed 4 errors in the same game, a 4-3 loss to the Marlins. Or as the 1962 Mets used to call this occurrence - Friday."  - Dwight Perry

"An 88-year-old man has completed a walk around the world. Bad news: somewhere along the way he lost his keys and now he has to retrace his steps."  -- Brad Dickson

"A streaker who disrupted a high school football game in Florida avoided security by climbing over a chain-link fence. The bad news is police found him. The good news is the school choir has a new soprano."  -- RJ Currie

"If I tried to tell you that I understand the reasoning behind most of the Texans’ off-season moves, I would be a big enough liar to run for the US Senate.”  -- Jack Finarelli

"Asked why Mississippi State had to open the season at No. 6 LSU? Because New England, Green Bay and the Chiefs already had somebody scheduled."  -- Coach Mike Leach

"LSU is going to stop temperature checks for fans entering the football stadium this weekend, AND start selling alcohol. What could possibly go wrong?"  -- Janice Hough

"The only thing more shocking than the Marlins making the NL playoffs? They also tied for the MLB lead in home attendance."  -- Baseball writer Jim Street

"Alex Rodriguez returned to insulting even the moderately intelligent, anointing Gary Sanchez a “great hitter” no matter what he’s batting. Well, he was batting .147, which is why Aaron Boone benched him."  -- Phil Mushnick

"The Cubs’ Willson Contreras pinwheeled his bat high in the air after hitting a three-run homer against the White Sox, then got drilled in the back his next time up. Adding further insult, bench-jockeys are now referring to Contreras as Flip Willson."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner

 

 

 

 

 

 

HERE AND THERE

** I've commented in the past about the very brief costumes women wear to compete in various events such as track, pole vaulting and beach volley ball, but now I've run across the ultimate: Italian Women's water polo team. Of course, once they're in the water, none of this is visible, but what could possibly be the reason for this?

 ** Franciso Cervelli, former Yankee catcher now with the Miami Marlins, went on the IL a couple of weeks ago with a concussion. That's his SEVENTH concussion. He's a very tough guy but he's 34 and 7 concussions are way too many. He really needs to retire but he won't. The Marlins would have to release him and no other team sign him to save his life. I hope that happens.

**I am really glad the YES Network live broadcasts of the Yankee games are over. Yesterday, Michael Kay tried to explain who the Yanks could play and got so tangled up in the possibilities, I wasn't sure if the Yanks were playing Chicago, Cleveland or Oswego High School. He ended by saying there were 64 permutations on how the season could end up. Sorry I asked. Wait, I didn't.

**Well, the MLB playoffs begin tomorrow with 4 games on the schedule, from 2:00 PM thru 7:00 PM, in four different cities, on three different networks. Not enough baseball for you? 

On Wednesday, there are eight games scheduled in eight different cities at eight different times on four different networks. Of course, the games will overlap, so no matter what game you choose, you will end up seeing parts of 4 games, maybe even 5. Add in pre-game and post-game shows and it becomes about 15 hours of baseball.

Thursday is the same, except there are no times scheduled,  no networks programmed and not all of the games may be necessary.

**I know baseball managers always try to stay positive in post game press conferences, but can get pretty ridiculous. In the midst of the Yankees 10-game win streak, they administered a real shellacking to a couple of teams. These are actual quotes from the managers of the losing teams:

"I'm proud we made them use their closer."

"We did a nice job of getting his pitch count high."

What's left to say? "We sure had their tongues hanging out from running the bases. They'll think twice about scoring that many runs against us next time."

** I'll say this one more time. When is MLB going to do something about umpire Angel Hernandez? Some of his mistakes are so egregious that you can't believe someone pays him to do this. Joe West may have rabbit ears, look for arguments and have a quick thumb, but he really doesn't make that many mistakes. Not so with Angel. By the second inning, BOTH teams were furious with him. 

**The Boston Red Sox has this to say about manager Ron Roenicke: "Do not diminish how strongly we feel about Ron. He is a man of the highest character who cares about our players and the Red Sox organization."   Then they fired him. Wonder how he feels about the organization now?

***THEY SAID IT*** 

"Because of the Coronavirus restrictions, only 1000 fans per day will be allowed into this years French Open in the 35,000 seat Roland Garrus Stadium. In other words, plenty of good seats not available."  -- Dwight Perry

"So along with the college football polls after this week’s games, can media also publish a list of the top five universities for COVID-19 cases?"  -- Janice Hough

"Bill Belichick in ads for Subway sandwiches? I figured he’d endorse something closer to his persona, like a stool softener."  -- Phil Mushnick

Asked what he thought about a Yankee game in the playoffs in Chicago: "Oh yeah, great restaurants in Chicago. I can't wait to have a deep dish pizza."  -- David Cone [Sorry David, they're playing in Cleveland - CP]

"Scott  Bayless teams with Shannon Sharpe on FS1 in a concocted debate show format called Undisputed.  The program name is ironic in the sense that Bayless and Sharpe never agree on anything including: 1)The day of the week 2)The compass point at which the sun sets3)Who put the ram in the ram-a-lam-a-ding-dong."  -- Jack Finarelli, The Sports Curmudgeon

"A robot created by high school students recently threw the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game. The pitcher lacked polish but had good mechanics."  -- RJ Currie 

"The Big Ten announced Ohio State and Wisconsin are the Cornhuskers’ first two opponents. After getting a look at the schedule, Nebraska parents are heading back to court seeking an injunction to stop the football season.”  -- Brad Dickson

"Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler had to be scratched from a start after he tore the nail of his right middle finger while putting on his pants. As any good Philadelphian knows, what good is a guy if he can’t use his middle finger?"  -- Dwight Perry

 "The Washington Football Team played like a group of guys determined to make a name for themselves.”  -- Rob Maaddi, AP

Chad Picasner

MAYBE I SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY...

I think I watch baseball a little differently than most people. I watch the little things: What's the third base coach signaling, is the batter guessing or just overpowered, does the umpire consistently miss a certain pitch location, etc. I sometimes use these little clues to make predictions which seem to work out. 

Paying attention to the Yankee/Mets series this weekend, I noticed two things which the YES broadcast team missed. 

1) In the first game of last Sunday's doubleheader,the Yankees scored on a great slide by Urshala. The YES broadcasters made a big issue out of it (which they should have), but missed the fact that the umpire came around the play and positioned himself perfectly to make the correct call. If he hadn't moved, he might have made a wrong call and it might have been overturned. The broadcasters never mentioned it.

2) Also in that game, Thairo Estrada almost got thrown out at third in the 7th during the NY rally that ultimately tied the game. Well, the YES team kept railing that Estrada made a BIG mistake trying to take third with two outs and the Yanks trailing by three runs. He could have cost them the game. Instead,  it was the third base coach, Phil Nevins, who screwed up. The play was behind the runner. In that situation, the runner has to rely on the coach to tell him to go or stay. Nevins never gave him any signal. He just stood there the whole time with his hands at his side. Neither "expert" (Cone and O'Neill)ever mentioned it.

Speaking of Thairo Etrada, what is the story with the Yankee's fascination with him? He's hitting a whopping .182 with an on-base percentage of .250. With Urshala out, it's a perfect opportunity to give Andujar some at bats. He's already proven he can hit and has just started to break out. It's hard to drive in runs from the bench. Wake up Aaron Boone.

Speaking of Boone, I love whenever a reporter asks about a player who is slumping, Boone's response is, "Oh, he's close. He's ready to go on a run."  No, he's not. He's been saying that about Sanchez for 10 days and we're still waiting for him to start. .

Yankee beat writer, Ken Davidoff, said in his column yesterday that basically the Yankees were lucky to win the game because they made three errors and failed to hit with men on base. I believe Davidoff does not like the Yanks because he is very negative in his columns. The Yanks are human; they will make errors from time to time. They are facing major league pitchers who will occasionally get it right and then they will overpower hitters. Good teams win games they probably shouldn't. Go cover the Mets, Ken, they're used to bad press.

 I see, the Twins Sergio Romo was suspended a game because he got into a long distance argument with the Indians Franciso Lindor. No punches thrown and nobody got thrown at, just words. But Lindor and Romo both got fined and Romo suspended. Hey Commissioner Rob Manfred: what happened to "Let the kids play?"

Sad note: Pablo "The Panda" Sandoval was released by the San Francisco Giants. It's the end of an era. In his day, Pablo was very good around the plate - both home plate and the dinner plate.

Is anybody else annoyed with Michael Kay's catch-phrase "Free baseball?" 

I'm in Rochester, NY. This is Buffalo Bills country. If the COVID-19 actually shuts down pro football this week, Buffalo could actually finish the season undefeated. And no champagne for the Miami Dolphins!

***THEY SAID IT***

"Saturday, CBS presented a WNBA game, Who Knows? vs. Ya Got Me. The only things on the screen to identify the teams were unfamiliar, small team logos. After roughly 20 minutes, we learned it was Dallas vs. Indianapolis."  -- Phil Mushnick

"Okay, who predicted on Sept 8 that SF Giants would have a better record than Yankees? Now all you liars put your hands down."  -- Janice Hough

"On the news tonight all they talked about were boycotts, protests, riots, violence, dissension, disease, lawsuits and court cases. And that was just the sportscast"  -- Brad Dickson

"That 6½-foot asteroid hurtling our way has only a 0.41% chance of striking Earth, astronomers say. Or, to put it in terms a baseball fan can understand, there’s a 99.59% chance that Angel Hernandez would call it a strike."  -- Dwight Perry

"The Red Sox boast one of the AL’s worst records.They are irrelevant, in other words. Somebody remind ESPN’s programming department."  -- Bob Molinaro [Note: Sunday, the Red Sox play the Yankees. Any takers on this being the ESPN Game Of The Week? -Picasner]

"The 2020 NFL season kicks off tonight. I'm really looking forward to the next 12 days until the 2020 NFL season ends."  -- Brad Dickson

"If the Blue Jays DO somehow win the AL pennant or even the World Series, do they raise the flag in Toronto or Buffalo?"  -- Janice Hough

"The Packers had a record three punts blocked — two for touchdowns — in their 1975 season opener. This is harder to do than building something from IKEA.”  -- Mike Hart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 "Sorry Houston Texans: 20 points wasn't enough to beat the Chiefs on Thursday Night. And it wouldn't have been enough to beat the Atlanta Braves, who scored 29 on Wednesday."  -- RJ Currie

"Over 100 brides in Belgrade recently donned wedding dresses and running shoes in a race for a free wedding. Call me a bitter divorcé, but in marriage there's always a price to pay."  -- RJ Currie

Chad Picasner

I'M JUST SAYIN'...

 **The YES announcers have talked a couple of times about Homer Bush, a utility infielder who was with the team in 1997 & 1998. "When Homer would come into the game as a pinch runner, everybody in the ballpark knew he was there to steal a base.  It seemed like he came in every other game and stole second. It was his contribution to the team."I finally got around to checking it out. It's funny how the mind plays tricks on you. In those two years, Homer appeared in exactly 55 games. He stole only SIX bases and was caught stealing THREE times. That's nine attempts in two years. Not exactly every other game, is it?

**I read that CC Sabathia has come out with a new line of men's clothes. If you've seen him in his uniform, you have to wonder if they come with tent poles already attached?

 **Another discussion over baseball's "Unwritten Rules." I understand why most of them exist, but fly in the face of competition.The current discussion revolves around an incident in the Rangers/Padres game on Monday. With one out in the 8th inning and the Padres ahead 10-3, Fernando Tatis,Jr was at bat with a 3-0 count. He hit the next pitch for a grand slam and that's where the trouble started. The Rangers thought he should have taken the 3-0 cripple and not swing away. I don't see what difference it made, since the next two pitches would have also be "cripples" too. It's still baseball's ultimate goal - Win The Game.

I never liked unwritten rules that basically say, "Don't hurt me anymore." Rules like:    Don't steal any bases late in the game if you have a big lead or  don't bunt late in the game if the opposing pitcher is throwing a no-hitter. The idea here is that you don't want to pile on runs when the game is basically in hand. But why does the other team get to take advantage of that? They don't hold the runner on 1st and the infielders don't bother to cover 2nd base. They put a big shift on trying to keep a batter from batting a base hit instead of playing a more normal position. I guess they want to have their cake and make the other team feed them too.

**Here we go again with the injury bug striking the Yankees. They have three of their best players on the IL - Stanton, Judge and Le Mahieu. Why does this keep happening? I have no answers and the people that should, seem to be clueless too. Supposedly well-conditioned athletes can't seem to run from here to there or swing a bat without pulling or bruising something. If nothing else, you'd think that insurance companies might be a little interested.

**Trevor Bauer, the outspoken Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher, may have gone a little too far. He tweeted that he intended to wear special cleats during his start against the Kansas City Royals. The custom made cleats featured a picture of the pouting Joe Kelly, the suspended reliever of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on one side and "FREE JOE KELLY" on the other. MLB quickly informed Bauer that he would be fined and removed from the game if he actually wore the cleats in question. Bauer has backed down and will be selling the cleats with the proceeds to go to any charity designated by Kelly. I guess it's okay to do bat flips, pose and other things to embarrass your opponent but don't do it to Commissioner Manfred and his cohorts.

**And the hits just keep on coming. Yankee reliever Zach Britton left the game last night favoring his left hamstring. He's now on the 10-day IL. Let's recap: New York has now lost their leadoff hitter, their two biggest sluggers and their closer. Is this God's way of keeping the season more competitive?

***THEY SAID IT***

"The University of North Carolina abruptly stops ALL in-person classes. This might be a bad omen for college football, if ACC players were actually expected to attend classes."  -- Janice Hough

"I just saw a replay of a home-run-saving grab by Angels sensation Mike Trout. Probably not the last time Trout is the catch of the day."  -- RJ Currie 

"Seattle Seahawks cut Kemah Siverand after the rookie cornerback was caught on video trying to sneak a woman - dressed in Seahawk player gear - into the team's hotel. That's what you call disguising your coverage."  -- Dwight Perry

"If you built your life around Mid America Conference football this is going to be a disappointing fall. Actually, if you’ve built your life around MAC football, you’re probably used to disappointment in life.”  -- Brad Dickson

"Indians pitcher Zach Plesac violated health and safety protocols by leaving the team hotel in Chicago and going out with friends. You’d think a sport that’s so big on Unwritten Rules would do a better job of following written ones."  -- Janice Hough

--Chad Picasner

THE MACHINE...AND OTHER NICKNAMES

Yankee 2nd baseman, DJ LaMahieu, is nicknamed "The Machine" because of his penchant for multi-hit games, regardless of who is pitching. He hits fast balls, curves, changeups, sliders...anything. There is even a rumor that a batboy once tossed him a rosin bag and DJ promptly sliced a double down the right field line, but I can't verify it. I don't know who slapped that label on him but at least we know why. Those are  always  questions where nicknames are involved: who gave it to them and why? 

Here are a few classics and a few head scratchers:

Ted Williams - The Splendid Splinter - Obviously a great hitter and a very slim frame. No clue who gave it to him, probably the Boston press

Joe DiMaggio - The Yankee Clipper - Likely from his smooth running and hitting styles. I believe this came from the New York press.

Paul & Lloyd Waner - Big & Little Poison - Not the most elegant  nicknames. The story is that the fans in the Polo Grounds called them 'Poison,' mispronouncing person. Seems a bit of a stretch to me. Interesting note: Paul hit .300 every year (averaging about .330) for his first 12 years in the majors. He was also a notorious drinker, often playing drunk. In 1938, he was convinced to stop drinking...and promptly hit .280. He also needed glasses but gave them up because, "I could see the ball too clearly and it was harder to hit."

Jim Hunter & John Odom - Catfish & Blue Moon - Two Oakland A's whose nicknames were given to them by owner Charlie Finley, because...well, just because he thought ballplayers should have them. He also encouraged his players to grow large handlebar mustaches.

Stan Musial - The Man - Supposedly came from a game where Musial had three hits. When he came to bat a forth time, a beat writer for the opposing said in the press box, "Oh no. Here comes that Man again," and it just caught on. 

My favorite nickname has always been Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell. For years I wondered where it came from and the answer turned out to be very simple. He was from Vinegar Bend, North Carolina.

There are hundreds more , too many to go into all at once. I might make it a recurring feature.

Tonight begins a three game series between the Red Sox and the Yankees, arguably the biggest rivalry in sports. Alas, it isn't right now. The Yankees have more talented players than they know what to do with and Boston can't get out of their own way. Plus they've lost some key players this year: Chris Sale is on the Injured List and Mookie Betts and David Price have been traded to the Dodgers. Still the games will be hard fought just on emotion alone.

Joe Kelly was suspended for 8 games (reduced to 5) for an incident in the Houston-Dodger game last week. Hasn't cooled Kelly off any. In a recent interview, he called the Astro's "cheaters, snitches and liars." He couldn't say everything he wanted because he was on national TV. Can't wait for the next Dodger/Astro series.

Headline on ESPN: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is everything MLB could want in a superstar. Basically true, but let's start with having him PLAY!  There's a chance he won't be playing this weekend because of "lower body tightness." I 'm not even sure what that is, but if it's strange and different, Judge will find a way to get it.

***THEY SAID IT***

"Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman reportedly paid his ex-wife $1.75 million as part of their divorce settlement. Probably the biggest hit he's ever taken in the pocket."  -- RJ Currie

"Owner Jerry Jones says Dallas Cowboys intend to play all their home games with fans in attendance. New slogan “People are dying to watch the Cowboys.”"  -- Janice Hough

"Prince Harry & Meghan Markle bought a home in Santa Barbara that has 16 bathrooms. Most sports arenas don't have 16 bathrooms."  -- Brad Dickson

 "After a coronavirus outbreak in a San Diego gym that was operating illegally: “My god, people, you have the perfect excuse not to work out. Use it.”"  -- Alex Kaseberg
  

"Just wondering.If the Blue Jays win the World Series, will they be treated to a championship parade through the vacated streets of Buffalo?"  -- Dwight Perry

 “How bad is it in Major League Baseball? 37 cardboard cutouts of fans placed in the stands just tested positive for COVID.”  -- Brad Dickson

 Chad Picasner

 

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS

 I've been following baseball again - in between notices and facts about COVID-19. It seems to me to be an impossible situation. I'm told that there can be a lengthy incubation period between infection and discovery. So if one member of a team tests positive, it really doesn't solve anything to immediately test the rest of the team, does it? I can't see how MLB is going to solve this and it certainly doesn't help to have  "Maladroit" Manfred at the controls. Good luck to the players and the fans.

Another St Louis Cardinal player has tested positive so the Cubs/Cardinal weekend series is cancelled.  I won't say postponed because that word assumes that it has a reschedule date...which it doesn't.

How's that new rule - Start with a runner at 2nd for all extra innings - working out? Houston & Oakland went 13 innings before the A's managed a hit with the bases loaded to win it. In other words, it took 8 chances before they managed to end the game. Shall we try TWO men on base to start the extra innings?

A game in Pittsburgh was delayed because an unauthorized drone flew over the field.  I'm trying to determine if it was just advertising Papa John's Pizza as I heard. That guy will try anything.

Michael Kay, Yankee announcer, keeps talking about the "vaunted" Yankee lineup.  Find a new adjective, Michael. In the last two games, the Bronx Bombers have managed a total of 6 hits. How about the "vacant" Yankee lineup?

Dodger outfielder Mookie Betts is out with a swollen middle finger. Fans in Philadelphia think he's an amateur.

U.S. Olympic champ Katie Ledecky just posted a video of her freestyling the length of a 50-meter pool with a glass of chocolate milk on her head. Right now, Las Vegas Pool Waitresses are complaining, "Great! Now they'll expect us to do that."

Anne & I have often wondered if perhaps the YES Network  has hidden microphones in our living room. I would make a comment and then they would say something similar in the program. Happened again last night. I mentioned that I didn't like the way Stanton was hitting. He was moving around too much and his left foot looked out of control.  A few minutes later, Paul O'Neil made the same comment. 

The Yankees have to do something about Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres. Both look totally lost at the plate. Torres especially looks overanxious and jittery at the plate. In one at bat last night, he swung and missed twice - at the first pitch. Sanchez is swinging thru pitches he normally belts. I'm waiting for Aaron Boone to say to reporters, "They're close. They're very close." No, they're not.

***THEY SAID IT*** 

"If the Miami Marlins lose another player to a positive COVID-19 test, is there any truth to the rumor that Dr. Anthony Fauci automatically moves into the starting rotation?”  -- Patti Dawn Swansson

"What's the difference between a CFL player and the Canadian Mint? The Mint isn't making pennies."  -- RJ Currie 

"Starting with a runner on second has not prevented batters from trying to hit home runs instead of playing small ball. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him bunt."  -- Phil Mushnick's take on the automatic runner at 2nd base in extra innings. 

"There was a delay  today caused by a drone flying overhead at Target Field. Anyone checked to see if Houston Astros are scheduled to play the Minnesota Twins soon?"  -- Janice Hough

"Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes vanished from the team hotel in Atlanta before finally announcing hours later that he was opting out of the 2020 season. In other words, the old hidden-ballplayer trick."  -- Dwight Perry

"Rutgers is going to limit stadium capacity to 500 fans. That's down from the normal 525 fans who normally attend Rutgers games."  -- Brad Dickson

Everyone please stay safe.

Chad

 

 

 

 

I'M BAAAAACK!

It's been over 13 months since I've posted anything,but I guess I'll try and get back into it again. Two reasons: (1) One friend is shaming me into going at it again, (2) There is enough silliness going on in sports that I should have no trouble finding topics.

When I started this years ago, I didn't want to just recap games or report scores. I wanted to comment on activities and use sarcasm and exaggeration to do it. People who are naturally funny have no problem doing this, the rest of us have to work at it. It's not easy and I felt like I had dried up and couldn't continue. I don't know how people like Dwight Perry and Brad Dickson do it, but I'll give it a try.

One of the silliest things happening now is MLB's attempt to play a season in spite of the problems of COVID-19. Five Major League games were "postponed" yesterday. That means at least 300 professional ballplayers were unable to play...and probably shouldn't have. That's in just 10 days. Look, I'm a Yankee fan and the team is loaded. Nobody wants the season to go on more than me but I don't want anyone getting sick. No one I know has come down with the virus and they all claim to practice every safeguard that's recommended so where's the problem?  Some people are obviously ignoring the rules. As my wife says, professional athletes think they are invincible. Scott Boras, uber agent (not the Windows app, but the king of the sport agent), believes the teams should each hire a monitor to ensure the safety of the players. This is great. Now Scott can organize the monitors and be the first agent to represent babysitters. ("My client must be paid extra to monitor minor leaguers, too.")

I've been following baseball  for 65 year - yes, I am that old - both on TV and live. The games are just too long now. In my mind, there are three reasons:

1) The commercial breaks between innings are too long. With the ease of DVR, you don't have to suffer through the commercials. I sure don't. You guys are wasting your money. YES network has these "And now a quick word from ***** .  Five seconds and we're back to the game. I watch these. Try it.

2) Batters - STAY IN THE DAMN BOX! Why do you have to wander all over the place between pitches? One of these days, I'm going to time the wandering just to see how much time is wasted.

3) Why do pitch counts end up so high? I watched Don Larsen in person pitch 9 innings and only threw 94 pitches. These days, that's the pitchers count after 5 innings. The games took 2 hours and 6 minutes. And that includes the time it took for Yogi Berra to run out and jump into Larsen's arms.

That's enough for now. I'll be watching games with a different focus from now on. Let's hope there are more games.

One final note. We are currently playing a new game here at home. We're about to have our place repainted so my wife is taking this opportunity to purge the house. Here are the rules:

Wife: Do you still use this?

Me : Uh, no, I guess not.

Wife: Do we need to keep this?

Me: Well, no I...yes, I've...do what you want.

Wife: What is this? I'm throwing it out.

Me: But I....okay.

The questions may vary but these are the only acceptable answers.

***THEY SAID IT***

"If the Miami Marlins lose another player to a positive COVID-19 test, is there any truth to the rumor that Dr. Anthony Fauci automatically moves into the starting rotation?"  -- Patti Dawn Swansson, The Ricer City Renegade (A recently discovered blogger from Winnipeg)

"Canada was No. 4 on a new world ranking of peacefulness. No. 1 when they excluded Don Cherry."  -- RJ Curry

"I’m so old I remember the days that positive tests meant PEDs."  -- Janice Hough

"There is no sex allowed in the NBA bubble. OK, I'm giving this another 48 hours before it completely collapses."  -- Brad Dickson

"The Jays released left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski. He was hampered by a high pitch count and a low vowel count."  -- RJ Curry

"You know the world is messed up when Mariano Rivera is attending the White House briefing and Dr. Anthony Fauci is warming up to take the mound at a major-league stadium."  -- Brad Dickson

"I don’t know how baseball people were able to judge the greatness of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays without knowing the launch angle and exit velocity of their home runs."  -- Bob Molinaro

"If the Blue Jays win the World Series, will they be treated to a championship parade through the vacated streets of Buffalo?"  -- Dwight Perry

"How bad is it in Major League Baseball? 37 cardboard cutouts of fans placed in the stands just tested positive for COVID."  -- Brad Dickson

"16 Marlins players tested positive for COVID-19: “And they said the Marlins’ fielders couldn’t catch anything.”"  -- Alex Kaseberg

STAY SAFE EVERYONE!