NFL Draft

Who would you pick first? We all know Everette Brown should be the first DE taken even if he won't be. I like Sanchez more than Stafford, but neither of them are all that impressive. Sure they're good, for college ball, but I don't think they should've entered the draft just yet. If they waited til after next year I think they would be better off, but that's just me. I'm definitely not watching the draft though, way too boring for me.

Kinda Cool But...

A 12 year old girl through a perfect game against an all boys little league team in New Jersey. That's pretty cool and all but now she's going to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Mets game. The day after she pitched she was all over TV and on morning shows and what not. Good for her. But, does anyone see anything wrong with this? I once through a perfect game in little league, and all i got was a pat on the back and a "good job." Although it is harder for a girl to achieve the same feat in athletics as a man, this whole thing is a little bit sexist. Females always say they wanted to be treated equally, but whenever a girl does something that a man should be better at, they get so much attention. There are probably thousands of little boys who have thrown a perfect game within a couple weeks of when this girl did, but none of them are on the national news. It's on the home page of Yahoo.com as soon as my internet comes on. That's a little ridiculous. Congrats to the girl but I think the amount of recognition she is getting is outrageous.

The NFL is Making a Huge Mistake

The NFL is talking about having the Superbowl in London within the next few years. This pisses me off. One, football is an American sport, in Europe and all over the world they play soccer (which they call football over there). Why would you want to play America's biggest sporting event, in a place not in America? Hardly any Americans would get to go to the game and it's not like a bunch of English folk are gonna be watching an American football game that they care nothing about. Some people are going so far as to saying they will never watch football again if it comes to this.

"If the Super Bowl is ever played outside this country, i’ll never watch
the NFL again." - FireAndyReid21

"While we’re at it, how about we move the
Washington Monument to someplace in France or Germany?" - Ulysses

"That’s our game…and yeah, I am selfish. Go kick a soccer ball." - killwithme

"Maybe the following November they can elect our next president for us too." - I Aint No Tatum Bell

"I will boycot the NFL if they do something this stupid. I can’t believe we evenwaste one game out there. Keep it where it belongs. What a freakin joke. USA!! USA!!
USA!! USA!! USA!!" - stallan54

These people are very angry about this. I'm not going so far as to say I will boycott football myself, but I will be very angry if this goes through. I hope that they decide it is a stupid idea and they won't do it, it would be a bad move for them. They won't make money from the super bowl in England, and then people here will resent them for doing it and then won't buy tickets. I'm not hating on England or other countries, I just believe that football is an American sport and it should stay here, other countries don't like football anyway.

Albert Pujols is "The Machine"

ESPN has a commercial depicting Albert Pujols as a machine. They weren't very far off. This "man" is incredible at hitting. When he's healthy he makes his team so much better and is with out a doubt the best hitter in baseball. In his last game he hit 2 home runs and scored 4 runs and he stole a base. Sounds like a good game, but what's the big deal? Well in the last 50 years, there's only been 5 first basemen to do that. First basemen don't steal bases and score runs, they sit back and just smash the ball. But, that's where Pujols is different. He'll hit in the mid 300's for average with over 30 (even over 40) HR's and 130 RBI and around 100 runs. That's just ridiculous. He won't steal very many bases, if any, for the rest of the season. But, his game was amazing and actually a very big feat for a man like Pujols.

Who the Hell Cares?

Brian Cashman of ESPN.com seems to think that home runs are traveling further than they did last year, by 8 whole feet. Who cares? What does that have to do with anything? Were only 3 weeks into the season and if the home runs are going a little bit further than last years first 3 weeks that doesn't mean that now all of a sudden the ball is different or bats or different or that everyone has just started taking steriods in the last 6 months.

But Cashman also said home runs are traveling about eight feet farther so far
this year compared to last season. "It's possible that the ballpark is a home
run-type park," Cashman said in an interview before his talk. "We'll see. The
ball is going farther in every park, not just ours."

I think some of these professional bloggers are just stupid. They get paid to talk about nonsense all day every day. I bet most of them have never even played baseball except for maybe some tee ball when they were 5. It's rediculous; start talking about stuff that matters, not the fact that you THINK that home runs are going a couple feet further than last year. But, since we are talking about it, one blogger did his research on the subject to try and combat Cashman's stupid statement. He found that there has been quite a bit more home runs hit this year than last year, but that the homeruns have been on average ONE foot further. Wow!!! So that means absolutely nothing. The average last year was 396 feet and this year is 397 feet. So the difference between the two is only about .25%. That's so miniscule that you can't possibly creat a correlation to state that the balls are going really any further than last year. Until I see around a 2-3% increase I might actually care, but probably I still wouldn't. I don't understand these people who have nothing better to do than to disect the game, and still get it wrong. I say we watch and appreciate the game and stop caring about the stupid little things that don't change any games. The fact that there have actually been a decent amount more home runs hit this season is kind of interesting to me. There have been about 50 more HR's this year in about 20 less games than last year, now that's a big difference.

Rays Getting It Together Finally

Last night against the Mariners, the Rays actually looked like the AL Championship team of a year ago. The Rays have been struggling to get their offense in a rhythm. Last night they got 15 hits and 9 runs. All nine runs were scored without a home run, which is pretty good. They Rays had exactly 50% of their runs scored prior to last night come from the long ball, that's the most in the majors. It sounds like a good thing, because home runs are cool right? But, it's not good to only have runs scored from home runs, that means that you're not manufacturing runs. When you're hitting as many home runs as the Rays were hitting you should be scoring a lot more runs. They're not scoring more runs than other teams really, they've just been hitting a lot of solo shots that give you only one run. When a team is doing well offensively, it's when they can get guys on base and hit them in. The Rays have a lot of speed, so what their offense should look like is this: Lead off hitter gets on with first, he steals second and then the second batter gets a hit and drives him in. That's Rays baseball. What they did last night was exactly that, they played Rays ball. They got hits and moved the runners around the bases with "small ball." I like home runs just as much as the next guy, but I understand that if you want to make it through the whole season you have to manufacture runs with good base running and getting hits when you need them most. The pitching for the Rays also looked pretty good. Nieman pitched 5 and 2/3 and pitched very well, he had a perfect game going into the 5th. When they took him out the bullpen combined to let up only one hit and one walk, while striking out four. This is the Rays team that I know and love.

Scary Scary

He got a boo boo.

People Just Can't Get the Jerseys Right

A few days ago, the Nationals had their named spelled "Natinals" on two of their players. Now the Rangers have a guy wearing the completely wrong jersey. This pitcher, O'Day, wore a jersey with the name Gabbard on the back. Sounds like just another moronic episode, but this story isn't as bad as the "Natinals." O'Day was just picked up on waivers earlier that day and they didn't have a jersey for him yet. Since Gabbard is now in the minors, he didn't really need his jersey, so they let O'Day wear it for the game. It confused many people who were unaware of the trade, seeing how O'Day is a right handed pitcher and Gabbard is a lefty. But, I'm sure it's all settled now and he can get his own jersey by next game.

Tenacious Texters

This is pretty crazy.

100 Year Old Birthday Celebration

Pretty cool birthday, I mean, if you actually like the Red Sox.

Guy Just Can't Catch a Break

Umpire Danley (don't know his first name) was taken off the field Tuesday on a stretcher after being hit in the head with a piece of a broken bat. Hank Blalock broke his bat when he hit a pop up during the 6th inning of the game, the piece that broke off came back and hit the ump right in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. Both team's trainers came out to help the guy out a little bit and then he was taken to the hospital. They said he had a concussion, most likely, but he never lost consciousness. Being an umpire is sometimes very dangerous and Danley is a perfect example of that. Almost one year ago, Danley was knocked out of another game. He was the home plate umpire just like he was Tuesday; he got hit with a Brad Penny fastball right in the head. Brad Penny throws very hard, as if other pros don't throw hard enough to knock you out. But, Danley was released from the hospital the next day, however he didn't return to work until June, more than a month after the incident. Also, in June of 2006 Danley got hit in the collarbone by a pitch that knocked him out of the game as well. It slipped right between the chest pad and the helmet and got the collar bone dead on. That is pain right there. He's probably not the only umpire to be knocked out of several games in his career. Being an umpire can be very dangerous, especially behind the plate. Every pitch could be a disaster, if the pitcher lets one get wild, it could come at your head, the batter could foul-tip the pitch back at you, which is even harder to get out of the way of, or ,as in Tuesday's game, you could have half of a bat being hurled at your head by Hank Blalock.

The Fish Have Been Fantastic

The Marlins are off to an amazing start this season (11-1). They've shown that they have the components of a championship team. They lead the NL east by 5 games with the Braves and Mets tied for the second spot at 6-6. Being a Braves fan, I sincerely hope that the streak the Marlins are putting on right now doesn't last. But, even if they don't last I still have to worry about the highly talented Mets with their ace Johan Santana thirsty for another Cy Young award. So, even though the Marlins are off to a great start, we'll just have to wait and see if they can keep it up through the grueling 150 games left ahead. Baseball cannot be conquered by a team that goes on good streaks, but only by a team that can be consistent. It's not a 16 game season where a couple good or bad games can change the outcome. It's a full 6 month season where the teams play almost every single day, and you need to be able to stick it out through the pain to make it to the top. If the Marlins can do that then they definitely deserve to be talked about as a great team, until then, they are just on a great streak.

Was It A Fluke?

After a horrible loss to the White Sox, one can only wonder: What last year's success by the Rays a complete fluke? Being a Tampa Bay native, I'd like to think not. I'd like to think that we're just slumping and that everything isn't clicking right just yet. Other than Friday, we haven't been putting up very many runs. If you look at our lineup, it just doesn't make sense. The Rays have a pretty good looking order coming to the plate every game. The last two games we've given up a lot of runs, but the three before that were a manageable amount. The pitching staff for the Rays is definitely a very good one, one of the best in the league if you ask me, but they need to be a little bit more consistent. A few good games then a few bad games, is not going to work later in the season when every game matters. Overall, I think (and hope) that the Rays are just having a little trouble getting back into the swing of things this season. It's only April and I don't want to be one of those people who predicts October's turnout and the 2 week mark of the season. The last place Rays will make a run soon enough to make it to the top where they belong

Old Dog Same Tricks

The big man's still got it.

Stupid Suspension

When Josh Beckett got suspended the other day for "throwing at Abreu's head," I thought it was rediculous. Now they reduce his suspension from 6 days to 5. Therefore he won't even miss a start or anything. It's kind of stupid but, I didn't think he needed to be suspended anyway. Some people think he deserved worse, but that's only because he doens't understand that just because a pitch almost hit the guy, doesn't mean he meant to hit him. I hate it when people who have never even played the game of baseball act like they know everything about it and then decide to ridicule professional players non-stop. It's rediculous.

I Can Buy What I Want

MLB.com is not allowing the sale of Nick Adenhart jerseys at that moment. They say it's something wrong with their system, well then fix the system. People should be able to honor Nick by wearing his jersey if they feel the need to. Some people are angry that this is going on. I just think it's kind of stupid.

The Nasty Nats

Since when is helping out a bunch of kids a reason to get fined?

Yankee Fan Not Allowed to Pee

Last year the Yankees were honoring the September 11th attacks by a singing of "God Bless America." During the song a man decided he wanted to go to the bathroom, he got thrown out of the game. Sounds a little rediculous to me. But, the owner of the Yankees set forth a rule saying that you can't get up during the song because people complained of disruption so many times. So, therefore, the guy broke a rule that the owner of the franchise set up. You're in his stadium, you follow his rules. Also the cops who through him out said that he was cursing and yelling while he was sitting down and reaked of alcohol. So, I can't say it was wrong he was thrown out. I believe he should honor the attacks by staying seated for 4 mintues, but he doesn't have to because America is a free country. But, when you're in a stadium where the owner set it as a rule, you have to abide by it. The man is suing the Yankees and NYPD for the incident last year. Do you think he deserves money? I don't think he does. Yeah he doesn't have to respect the song, but he has to resepect the rules. Also why does he deserve money? He got kicked out of a game, so what? I can see maybe a refund for his ticket and that's it.

John Madden Steps Down

No more of the Brett Favre fanatic.

The Kid Returns Home

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the best ball players to come throught the 1990's. He came up as a young man to a Mariners ball club that wasn't very well know as being a contender. He blew up the 90's with homeruns and crazy defensive plays, making him a certain future hall of famer. When he left the Mariners for the 2000 season to go to the Reds, he was never the same. He could still hit like Griffey but he kept getting injured. He hasn't played a full season in what seems like forever. I grew up watching Griffey, idolizing him, immatating his stance when playing ball with my friends, wearing my hat backwards when hitting because that's what Griffey did. He was projected to smash Hank Aaron's homerun record, but he never got the chance to. I'm just glad he's back in the place he belongs and he can finish his hall of fame career in good fashion.

Hall of Famer Needs to Retire

Tom Glavine is a great pitcher, a sure fire hall of famer, but his career might be over. His career boomed with the Braves many years ago with other big names like Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. After being away from his beloved team for years, he has come back to finish his career where he belongs. I, being a braves fan, was happy to see him back. I know he's old but he has a great command and I knew he could contribute as the 5th starter. But, his shouler just won't let him play. His rotator cuff on his left arm, his throwing arm, has been inflamed as of late. He is getting fet up with rehabbing after he had shoulder and elbow surgery. He says he'll give it a couple more weeks but that's it. If he's not ready to take the mound by early May, he may never take the mound again. He would rather retire then, "have to start all over again." I don't disagree with him on this fact, he's had a wonderful career and there's no reason for him to continue to struggle with his health in order to pitch a couple more games. Even though I wanted, and Braves fans around the country wanted, to see Glavine pitch for the Braves one last season, I'm not going to be upset that he would retire. He has left his mark with the organization, and with the MLB as a whole, and he will hold his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame forever.

A Day to Honor a Legend

Today every single person who touches the baseball diamond, including coaches and umpires, will be wearing the number 42 on their back in honor of Jackie Robinson. I think it is a very special day that baseball was integrated 62 years ago. But, the fact that they are MAKING every person wear the number is a little off to me. I think it's great that some people CHOOSE to wear it, but when it becomes mandatory I think it's a little too much. Also, I know that when Jackie came into the majors he broke the color barrier, but blacks weren't the only race being discriminated against in sports. There were no Asians, Hispanics, etc. I think they should at least give other races some respect and not only focus on black athletes, especially seeing how black baseball players are slimming down to a small percentage. The influx of latinos and asians have made black ball players a very small part of a large baseball community. It seems only appropriate to honor all races, not just one. I think Jackie Robinson did an amazing thing 62 years ago, and he should be honored, I'm just saying that it might be a little much what they are doing.

Bad Call

Josh Beckett is suspended 6 games for the incident with Bobby Abreu the other day. It's absolutely rediculous that they would suspend him for something they can't outright say was intentional. They don't know his intentions and niether do I, but I'm saying it's unfair to suspend someone without a clear-cut reason. Beckett's shocked, and I am too. It's just stupid.

Dirty Players

Celtics vs. Cavs, Cavs win. We saw it, Cavs dominated. But that's not the purpose of my post. The Celtics are at the freethrow line and Varejao of the Cavs tries to box out Ray Allen for the rebound. After neither of them get it, Ray Allen has his arm tangled up with Varejao's, only to have Varejao throw Allen to the floor in a totally un-needed act of unsportsmanship. Ray Allen immediately responds with an elbow to the groin of Varejao. Some say that was too far and Allen deserved to be thrown out of the game, and Varejao shouldn't have gotten anything. I call those people Cavs fans. Boston fans would see the opposite. I, being neither a Cavs fan nor Celtics fan, can offer an unbiased opinion, they were both wrong. They both got technicals which was comepletely deserved, if anything Varejao should've gotten worse than Allen because he started it, Allen was simply just pissed off that he got tossed to the ground for no reason. I would of hit him back too if I were Allen. They both did something wrong, they both got penalized. Get over it!!

Mickelson Maniac

Beer will make you do stupid stuff sometimes.

Head Hunter

Abreu up to bat, Beckett on the mound, good match up. When Abreu calls time, the umpire grants his request, only Beckett didn't get the signal in time. He through the ball and it sailed right over Abreu's head, causing an argument and the benches to clear. A couple players got suspended after a second bench clearing incident. But, was Beckett going for his head? Or did he just get messed up by the time out. I'm sure it's a disrupting scene when you go to pitch and see people moving around by the plate because of a time out. The count was 1-2, meaning Beckett could've been wasting a pitch. A great waster is a high and tight fastball, setting up for low outside off speed. It's possible Beckett could've been going for that move but missed when he was disrupted by the commotion, causing the ball to be a little more high and tight then he'd hoped for. We will never know if it was intentional or not, I just think it should be though through before people start blaming Beckett for trying to take off Abreu's head.

Philly Fans? or Foes?

At the ring ceremony for the Phillie's' World Series victory, Adam Eaton was booed by Philly "fans." It's understandable that they could be disappointed with Eaton, and they definitely don't have to like him. Everybody on the team gets a ring, including people who sit the bench. People who don't even play baseball, they just work for the club, get rings. So what makes you think that Adam Eaton doesn't deserve a ring? He's a major league pitcher, sure he did bad for the Phillies, but does that mean you have to boo him in one of the most prized moments of his career? He will remember that day for the rest of his life and what he'll remember the most is the fact that the "fans" booed him on his way to get his ring.
I guess this shouldn't be surprising, seeing how Philly is know for having some of the most ruthless fans in the country. In 1968, at an Eagles game, they booed Santa when he came out during halftime. Not because Santa did something wrong, no, just because they are angry about the fact that they weren't good. It's not just like a few people booed either, a lot of fans booed. How can people boo the one icon that stands for cheer and happiness? Because they are Philly fans.
Even their own players don't like them. In an interview on "The Best Damn Sports Show" Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard display their problems with Philly fans. When asked, Howard agrees that they are "rough." This isn't so much of a diss on Philly, but Rollins takes it a step further. He calls Philly fans "front runners," meaning that they only cheer for you when you're winning, but as soon as you start to lose, they turn on you. This is one thing a fan never wants to be called by a member of their team, especially not their MVP. He was telling the truth. Everybody knows that Philly fans are mean. Rollins then talks about how fans from St. Louis are very loyal always. I think, and Rollins thinks, maybe Philly fans should wise up and try to be like St. Louis fans more often, or just try to not be so "Philly" all the time.

Rays Pitching Staff

The "Team Report", on Yahoo, for the Rays talks about the first few starts this season for the Rays. Because of a shaky start from Sonnanstine it says that it shows "how fragile their rotation is." This "fragile" rotation consists of the the AL Championship MVP, Matt Garza, and the Rays starters were known as the best starting rotation in the playoffs last year. I don't think that because of two losses you can say that the Rays staff is fragile.

Braves Bullpen Needs to Step It Up

The Braves are off to a decent start this year, and their offense has looked good. But, their bullpen needs to step up big time. Every game it seems the pen gets into a jam and the offense has to get them the win. This won't last all season, lets go Braves!

Pitchers Beware

Joe Martinez can tell you a little something about danger. He couldn't quite get the glove up in time to save his head from being crashed into by a 100 mph baseball coming off of a Mike Cameron hit. He went to the hospital, but he doesn't have any serious injury.

Nick Adenhart RIP

Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart's death has come as a shock to the baseball nation. The Angels will be commemorating their fallen teammate by wearing a patch on their jerseys for the rest of the season. Some people say that they should retire his number, I don't think it's appropriate. Wearing the patch in honor of him is what I believe they should do. It shows that they will remember him but they also need to move forward.