Friday, April 30, 2021

HERE WE GO AGAIN

 **Part of the fun of baseball is second guessing the manager's decision. It's fun because you're always right. It's that hindsight thing. In my opinion, Aaron Boone made two bad decisions in the Yankee's game against the Orioles. (1) Following baseball's Rules Of  Engagement, he pinch hit Aaron Judge, a righty for Rougned Odor, a lefty, against a left-handed pitcher. He won't get fired by the front office for making that move, but he didn't win the battle either. Judge went down 1-2-3. Why take Odor out? He seems to be the only Yankee who has consistently come up with the big hit, regardless of who is pitching. Here's where you have to use your head and your eyes instead of your calculator. (2) In the 10th inning with a runner on 2nd base (Stupid rule!) and no outs, again tradition ruled as he has the batter try to bunt the runner to third. Okay I guess except when he had the hitter try with two strikes. Foul ball, the batter is out and a wasted at bat. It was Tyler Wade hitting. Let him swing away. Even if he makes any kind of out, at least you had a shot. It appears to me that Boone is managing just to save his job rather than trying to win a game. This is real baseball, not a Strat-OMatic board game. 

**Yankee pitcher Mike King got sent down again after being called up two days ago from his last 10-day stint at the Alternate Site, which is, I think,  really just the far end of the dugout. He's been extremely effective this year. Will you guys please leave him alone?

 **The umpires made a terrible call in the Milwaukee/Miami game on Wednesday, costing the Brewers a run. The surprising thing is that Angel Hernandez was NOT involved. The umps also made an arbitrary call in the Oriole/Yankee game Monday night and Angel Hernandez was not involved in that one either. What's going on here, is Angel on sabbatical or something?

**I read that the NFL is instituting new rules to try to limit taunting this year. It will include among other acts, standing over an opponent after a play. While you're at it, why not disallow those staged touchdown celebrations, which get crazier every year. It can be easy to stop them: If a flag is thrown for this infraction, disallow the touchdown. That will shut them right down.

**I like baseball. No, I love baseball. We've been to Major League stadiums all over the country just to watch baseball regardless of who is playing. We think of ourselves as baseball fans who happen to root for the Yankees; because it's all about the game. Not Exit Velo (not a word, by the way), not Spin Rate, or Control vs Command. Just because they claim they can measure spin rate, does not mean we have to hear about it. Along with a batters statistics (batting average, home runs, etc), broadcasters now tell you the recent trends for a hitter, such as, "He's 2 for his last 28." This, at least is helpful. It tells you who is slumping and who isn't. A batter who is hitting .320 overall, currently isn't a .300 hitter if he's mired in a 2 for 28 slump.

A word about Exit Velo. Last night, Michael Kay and David Cone on the YES broadcast, tried to justify the need for Exit Velo. "It's important because the harder a ball is hit, the more likely it will result in a base hit." Probably true but it's information after the fact. A batter hits a ball hard for a double, does it really matter if its velocity is 101 miles per hour or 115? Throw in Launch Angle and projected distance and you're taking all the joy out of home runs. By the way, that distance traveled that they come up with is hogwash. Based on where the ball lands and the distance signs on the fences, their numbers make very little sense. So please let us just watch the game. If you have to know all those numbers, go have a beer with David Cone after the game.

***THEY SAID IT***

"The epidemic continues. Sunday, the Dodgers were up on the Padres, 6-1, after six. Dustin May looked strong, allowing two hits, only one walk and striking out 10. But to the delight of the Padres, Dave Roberts pulled him. Three of the next four Dodgers relievers were bombed. In 11, the Dodgers lost, 7-6."  -- Phil Mushnick  [I guess I'm not alone - CP]

"The Pay-Per-View for Wrestlemania 37 would have been much greater is they had taken my advice and arranged for somebody to body slam Tom Brady."  --  Greg Cote

"Tokyo's annual Naki Sumo rite of passage recently ended where parents bring their young to see wrestlers perform in ways that make the tots wail or cry. The American version is taking your kid to a NY Jets game."  -- RJ Currie

"Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. will miss a few games after violating the NBA’s health safety protocols by visiting a Miami strip club. Any possible fines, we assume, will be paid in $1 bills."  -- Dwight Perry

"Ralph Lauren designed the outfits for U.S. Olympians. I can’t tell if he’s dressed the U.S. team for the next space-shuttle mission or an expedition to the South Pole."  -- Pattti Dawn Swansson

"A “report” in the Babylon Bee headlined, “Entire U.S. Water Polo Team Drowns Kneeling for the National Anthem."  -- Sent in by Bill Hoyt

"A Wall Street Journal report said psychologists can consistently pick the loser of a fight by seeing who has the biggest, toothiest smile before they square off. Good luck trying this predictor on NHL players."  -- RJ Currie

"So we’re FINALLY about to be done with months of post-season NFL Draft hype. And now we’re about to be in for months of pre-season NFL Draft analysis."  -- Janice Hough

"Now that MLB seven-inning doubleheader games are here to stay, it’s time to get accustomed to the fifth-inning stretch."  -- Bob Molinaro

" Yesterday evening on the radio Bill Moos said he thinks the Nebraska football team can win nine games next season. Two words come to mind: "Happy Hour."  -- Brad Dickson

"Given that games now regularly include 80 or more 3-point tries — 88 in Tuesday’s Nets-Raptors — I conclude that NBA stands for “Not Basketball Anymore.”  -- Tim Mattice

"CDC guidelines now say you can be outside without a mask if you’re not in a crowd. So Marlins fans should be fine."  -- Janice Hough

Chad Picasner


Wednesday, April 21, 2021

GIMME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION...

 **Anyone who is at all interested in baseball should read Phil Mushnick's column in the April 17th edition of the NY Post. Baseball players and managers should be made to memorize it.

 https://nypost.com/2021/04/17/true-winning-baseball-goes-against-everything-mlb-practices/

Among the many current baseball practices he discusses are these little gems

*You wanna play the shift against us? Knock yourselves out. We have been drilled to beat the shift with ‘other way’ swings.

*Hustle? We will not be out-hustled. If a guy jogs when he should be running, if he home-plate-poses a double or triple into a single, he will immediately be pulled. 

*Our designated hitter, especially with two strikes, will be tasked with putting the ball in play, not striking out trying to hit the ball 500 feet. 

He discusses these items and more in detail and with a sarcastic sense of humor that befits the topic. I'd like to meet him someday and buy a beer...or 5 or 6. Lord knows he deserves it.

**It's interesting that in the last two days (Monday & Tuesday), I've read that two teams known for power hitting aren't hitting for two different reasons. The Cubs can't hit fastballs and the Yankees can't hit breaking balls. Maybe they should switch leagues.

**I haven't heard that Angel Hernandez has blown any calls lately. It can't be because he hasn't missed any, Maybe everyone is so used to it that it's not news anymore.

**MLB is is investigating baseballs thrown by Trevor Bauer to see if they have been doctored, First of all, why just Trevor Bauer? If he can do it, why not others? Secondly, they should keep in mind that they never really caught Gaylord Perry.

**Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim is adding a second son, Former Cornell player Jimmy Boeheim to the team. I'm trying to confirm the rumor that his wife Julie is joining the cheerleading squad. 

**North Texas softball pitcher Hope Trautwein faced the minimum 21 batters against Arkansas Pine-Bluff on April 11 — and struck out all 21, a first in NCAA Division I history. That's better than a game I saw back in the 60's when a pitcher (Richie Pelow) for Oswego High, my high school team, threw a no-hitter against our cross town rivals, Oswego Catholic. The first batter flew out to center field, the last twenty struck out.

**Uh-oh. Brian Cashman has given Yankee manager Aaron Boone a vote of confidence over the teams recent struggles. Isn't that what they normally do before firing a manager? 

I just read an article by Ben Lindbergh about the surprising long-term friendship between Brian Cashman and Billy Bean. It stems from their shared belief in the sabermetrics put forth by Bill James, but they practice it from different angles. Interesting article - "Moneyball with Money" by Lindbergh

***THEY SAID IT***

"Friend just told me a great story about someone saying of COVID-19 vaccine “I won’t put anything in my body where I don’t know what’s in it.” And they got the response “You eat hot dogs don’t you?”  -- Janice Hough 

 "MLB hired former WWE "sizzle planner" Brian Stedman for league strategy and development. Soon, instead of a manager sitting a pitcher down, he'll come out and hit him with a chair"  -- RJ Currie.

"President Biden says he will not throw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals home opener. So it you want to see a 79 year old pitcher, you'll have to watch the Baltimore Orioles."  Brad Dickson

"A fan in Anaheim threw an inflatable trash can onto the field during an Astros-Angels game.Three players on the Houston bench immediately yelled, “Pitch-out!”  -- Dwight Perry

"The good news is I picked the Bulldogs and the Bears in my finals. The bad news is that it was Georgia and Cal."  -- Alex Kaseberg

 "After Thursday’s MLB games, the first-place teams in the American League today are the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, just like everyone thought it would be. -- Jeff Passan

"World champion boxer Floyd Mayweather fought Connor McGregor, a guy who had never been in a boxing match in his life.  I am surprised that it was not arranged for the winner here to face 65-year-old Hulk Hogan in a Steel Cage Texas Chain Saw Death Match."  -- Jack Finarelli

"If basketball players were confections, I'm thinking Kevin Durant would be brittle."  -- RJ Currie

"I'm not looking forward to Zach Wilson’s possible NFL-draft destiny. The Jets are to quarterbacks what Larry King was to marriage."  -- Doug Robinson 

"When Marc Leishman suddenly was one back in the Masters, we were told he was playing “under the radar.” Whose radar? That was another way of saying that CBS hadn’t much bothered to pay him much attention."  -- Phil Mushnick 

Chad Picasner 








 

 

 UH-oh

Thursday, April 08, 2021

PROOF THAT I'M A GRUMPY OLD MAN

**It's time to take stock of the Yankee's biggest problem: They don't have a reliable shortstop. Gleyber Torres made an error last night that led to a run. Officially, it was his 2nd error of the year, but in my mind, it was his fourth. He's not hitting up to his potential, but he will so that's not an issue. There's no way to have him change positions without losing an excellent player and the DH slot is filled with Stanton. The only player I wouldn't mind seeing gone is Aaron Hicks, but can Torres play center? A trade, perhaps? I guess we'll have to wait to see if Cashman can work some magic.

** I read an article yesterday that had this headline: MLB umpire Angel Hernandez called out for another brutal game. A twitter account - Umpire Auditor -  claims that Hernandez missed 24 separate calls in the Houston/Los Angeles game on Tuesday. Only 24? Did they quit counting after the third inning? When is MLB going to do something about this? 

**Here we go again. Aaron Judge was held out of Wednesday night's game because of "left side soreness." Manager Boone said, "It's not serious, we're just being cautious." They said he is available to pinch hit - he didn't. He will be able to play again Friday. Now they say he may not. Is this another drag-out injury where in three or four days we'll be told he actually pulled a muscle or something and he'll miss 10 days. Where are all these medical people that are supposed to keep the players on the field? Not only aren't they doing that, they can't even figure out what's wrong with them. They should just put them out there and tell them to play. As my Aunt Kay used to say if you complained about a hurt, "Oh, I don't feel a thing."

 **I'm sure the Houston Astros were hoping the COVID year of reduced games and no fans in the stands, would act as a buffer for their transgressions of sign stealing, but it doesn't appear that that happened. In Monday nights game in Los Angeles against the Angels, trash bins were thrown onto the outfield grass by the fans. The Astros are also being showered by boos at every turn.  Manager Dusty Baker of the Astros is  not happy. "How many in the stands have never done anything wrong in their life? We paid the price for it. How many people have not cheated on a test or whatever at some point in time." Sorry Dusty, but it doesn't work like that. You can't just say you're sorry and let it go like that. Saying, 'Well, everybody does it.' isn't a good excuse either. You screwed around with the integrity of the game and now you're paying for it. It's certainly not up to you to determine how long this will go on. It's up to the fans and there are still 27 more stadiums you have to play in so grit your teeth and take what you deserve.

**LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has finally admitted that Tiger Woods car crash was caused by speeding. This took six weeks. The car missed a turn, went thru a guardrail, hit a tree, went airborne, down a bank and landed on it's side. Does that sound like something going 40 MPH?  This is not his first accident. If he dies in one of these, that's one thing. What if he kills some innocent person? They should take his license away from him.

**The Boston Red Sox have unveiled a new uniform as part of MLB's City Connect Series, a program to push for alternate designs of uniforms. Abandoning the traditional white uniform with red lettering, the new one in yellow with blue lettering. I'm not a Red Sox fan, but I think messing with one of the most iconic uniforms is asinine. See for yourself below. Said chief revenue officer Noah Garden, "It was front and center and this is why we did this deal. You take two iconic brands and you put them together and you have one and one make three." A sentence which makes about as much sense as this program.

***THEY SAID IT***

 "April 8 starts the “Frozen Four” finals for the NCAA championship in men’s ice hockey. Not that most Americans, including me until last week, could name the teams involved."  -- Janice Hough

"The Rover is searching for water on Mars. They should’ve sent me there with my golf clubs. I’d have found water by my third tee shot."  -- Argus Hamilton

" Russian bodybuilder Kirill ‘Popeye’ Tereshin is facing a bunch of surgical repairs after injecting his arms with petroleum jelly to make his muscles bulge. Wouldn’t it have been much safer just to eat lots of spinach?"  -- Gary Bachman

"After his 11th-seeded team’s ugly 51-49 victory over top-seeded Michigan in the East Regional title game: “Stats are for losers … You can crumble up that stat sheet tonight."  -- UCLA coach Mike Cronin 

"Eight years ago at Augusta, Tiger Woods got in trouble for an improper drop. And for once it wasn't his pants."  -- RJ Currie

"Working title for a documentary about MLB managers’ worst umpiring nightmare: “Angel’s In The Infield.”  -- Dwight Perry

"Gov. Greg Abbott has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in the Lone Star State, meaning the Texas Rangers’ home opener might be a sellout. The rules there are now so lenient that even catcher’s masks aren’t mandatory."  -- Dwight Perry

"It should be no surprise that Baylor gunned down previously unbeaten Gonzaga 86-70 to win the NCAA Tournament. Hasn't Texas always been big on the right to arm Bears?"  -- RJ Currie

"The Spike Lee/Barkley/Jackson spots during the NCAA Tournament are dumbed down more than usual which I thought was impossible. They're geared toward viewers with the intellect of a garden rake."  -- Brad Dickson

Chad Picasner



Thursday, April 01, 2021

IT'S OPENING DAY

 If you've followed baseball religiously, as I have since 1954, this is your favorite day. This will be my 67th opening day and I'm ready to go. I've been in training and I can still eat a hot dog and drink a beer and never miss a pitch. Of course, these days I'll be asleep for the seventh inning stretch, but that's what ESPN is for. 

**A couple of rule changes from last season will remain in effect such as both games of double headers will be seven innings. I prefer the old minor league system: First game 9 innings, second game 7 innings. Unfortunately there will be no universal Designated Hitter. That will be used only in American League parks. That's too bad since I feel the biggest asset is that it keeps older players in the game longer. I don't care for starting a runner at second for extra innings, that one will be there. There will be others but these three are the biggest.

**Angel Hernandez has lost his discrimination suit against MLB. Angel got shut down quite decisively by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. "The explicit reason MLB offers -- that according to Torre, Hernandez 'has not demonstrated the leadership ability and situation-management skills in critical high-pressure roles on a consistent basis' -- is presented in clear and specific terms." In other words, Hernandez did not perform well in high pressure situations. I think that's wrong. I don't think Hernandez  performs well in any situation. How can one person make so many glaring errors and on national television no less.

**Texas Governor Greg  Abbott has lifted the state' mandatory mask policy and the Rangers Globe Life Park in Arlington will allow 100% capacity (aprox. 40,000 fans) for opening day, however fans will be required to wear masks. No other club will allow more than 50% capacity, some as low as 12%. At least the Governor will be safe up in his mansion.

**Speaking of Opening Day, I love the way schedule makers like to show us how important they are. Either that or they are devious little people. Why, for example, do they do this: NY vs Toronto - In New York not in Toronto's dome? Atlanta goes to Philadelphia? The Dodgers get sent to Colorado - they should have the last blizzard cleared out by then. Houston is going to Oakland. Well, the weather will be no problem but nobody likes to play in Oakland - not even Oakland. They did send Minnesota down south - all the way to Milwaukee. Baseball tradition was the first game of the season was in Cincinnati. This year the first game will be in New York. It will also be the first game postponed on account of weather.  It doesn't matter; just hoist one of those $15 beers and play on!

**One more weekend of college basketball. Two games on Saturday and the Championship game on Monday. This year it's all Texas (Baylor-Houston) vs all West Coast (UCLA-Gonzaga). To hear my friend Janice Hough tell it, we here in the East don't really care. Actually I would love to see Gonzaga vs Baylor for all the marbles.

**In the world of high finance, players continue to ask for outrageous amounts of money. Francisco Lindor wanted $32 million a year from the Mets but owner Steve Cohen said no way. You'll take $34 million a year and like it. I'm glad he's not doing my taxes. (Actually. Lindor asked for 12 years, Cohen gave him 10 years)

**A quote from my favorite fighter, from Dwight Perry's column: 

The late Marvelous Marvin Hagler didn’t need his fists to land a good jab. In 1985, when Thomas Hearns opened a cut above Hagler’s eye during their celebrated middleweight fight, referee Richard Steele called time to check it out, and this ensued: Steele: “Marvin, can you see?”Hagler: “I ain’t missing him, am I?”

***THEY SAID IT***

"If these CBS and Turner NCAA Tournament voices are so word-slick, why hasn’t “punched their ticket” become “scan their ticket”?"  -- Phil Mushnick

"A startled golfer plunged into a 5.5-metre sinkhole that opened up beneath him on an Illinois fairway. Talk about a free drop."  -- RJ Currie

"I know coaches never like to look ahead … but Oregon needs only five more forfeits to win the national title."  -- John Canzano

"How competitive is the NCAA Tournament? Oregon State plays Loyola Chicago tomorrow and tonight OSU fans are burning Sister Jean in effigy."  -- Brad Dickson

"Hope it isn’t a bad sign that Opening Day is also April Fool’s Day."  -- Janice Hough

"Syracuse needs its 3-point shots to fall to win this game; not happening in 1st half.  In the second half, Houston was almost playing “Box-and-1” on Buddy Boeheim."  -- Jack Finarelli

"Brian Cashman, GM of the Bronx Bombers, pays his ex over $1 million annually in their divorce settlement. So Yankee Stadium isn't his only costly diamond."  -- RJ Currie 

"Ohio State safety Marcus Hooker was arrested on DUI charges after he passed out behind the wheel while waiting in a McDonald’s drive-thru line.Defense lawyers can’t decide whether to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or “I deserve a break today.”  -- Dwight Perry

" So as March Madness continues, who are casual college basketball fans going to root for, now that the game’s most well-known star is gone from the tournament? Talking of course about Sister Jean."  -- Janice Hough

"Krispy Kreme is offering a free glazed doughnut to anyone who gets a vaccine. The problem is that Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts are actually worse for you than Covid."  -- Brad Dickson

"The Houston Rockets finally snapped their long losing streak — 20 games — with a 117-99 win over Toronto. That sound you hear is ex-Washington Generals popping Champagne corks."  -- Dwight Perry

Chad Picasner