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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The BEST you will ever see ...



2007 will go down as possibly the most infamous year in baseball history. Move over Chicago Black Sox, "Shoeless" Joe is about to have some company. His name is Barry Lamar Bonds and he is about to pass Hank Aaron as baseball's all time homerun leader. And maybe, just maybe Barry is the greatest baseball player you will ever see!!!!

Barry enters, what is believed to be his final season, needing only 22 homeruns to pass Hank Aaron as baseball's all-time homerun leader. Last season, he struggled to start the 06 campaign. Between finding his timing and just "trying to hard" Barry looked as if the injuries finally caught up to him. Barry ended the season strong, posting numbers that, for Barry Bonds, were sub par but overall not too bad.
(.270 avg. 26 Homeruns 77 RBI)

This season is a fresh start for #25. Barry entered the Giants camp full of life and ready to play ball like Barry Bonds. In the Giants first workout, on his first swing of his first at bat, Barry showed why he worked so hard this off season. With a small stride, a lightening quick top hand, and a baseball rapidly leaving the ball park, Barry showed everyone why 2007 will not be a replay of 2005 or 2006!!

Growing up in Western Maryland, I loved the Pittsburgh Pirates. I remember when Jeremy, Dave and I would play baseball at Washington Middle School. We all would take the outfield and we would "claim" a player. Dave would be Bobby Bonilla. Jeremy would be Andy Van Slyke. And, of course, I would Barry Bonds. Dude, I would even slap my leg with my glove as I waited to catch a fly ball a la Barry! The Pirates of the early 90's is where my love of baseball began. I can still name that entire team. Baseball was great then.And everyone knew that there was a Superstar to be playing left field for Pittsburgh. A 5 tool player who reminded us of Willie Mays, who even wore #24.

It has been almost 15 years since those days. Barry moved home to the Bay and the Pirates have moved to the basement. Kind of like that 35 year old dude living in his Mom's basement, listening to Motley Crew, proudly wearing a heavy metal mullet, smoking some Winstons and drinking Milwaukee's Best. But Barry's career was taking off! As more media exposure descended upon Barry, many people began to turn on him. He was labeled as cocky, arrogant, hard to please, and a bad teammate. The anti-Barry campaign really took off when he and former teammate Jeff Kent began fighting in the dugout during a game.



On June 25, 2002, cameras were rolling as Barry and Kent were seen engaged in a shouting match that quickly escalated into Barry shoving Jeff Kent. Both were key parts to the Giants success. But clearly the dugout was not big enough for the 2 monstrous egos. Well, it's almost 5 years later and Barry is still in town. Coincidence, I think not! The Giants finally figured out how much of a "tool" Kent is. Kent signed a HUGE contract. In that contract, was a revision that forbid him from riding a motorcycle. Kent decided to ride the bike. Then he pulled a Ben "Toothlessberger," wrecked the bike and messed his hand up, hurting the Giants season in the process.

Barry does not want to be in the lime light. He merely wants to go out, do his job and go home to his kids. Why is Barry stereotyped as a bad person? Charles Barkley had a Nike ad. where he said he wasn't a role model nor did he want to be a role model. Then in another occassion, he got drunk at a bar and threw a guy through a window and he has an admitted gambling problem. Yet, we love him. I could give you a list of screwed up people who we like way more than Barry. (Can you say John Daly?) Barry has every right not to talk to the media or any of us. If I were BB, I would have already tried to run reporters down with my car. If Barry would get on TV and say, "Baseball has been very, very good to me." Would we accept him? As I recall Mark McGwire, Rafeal Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa all testified in front of a Congressional Grand Jury. Big Mac and Mr. Viagra said that they had nothing to do with any performance enhancing drugs. Sosa said he couldn't even speak English. Aren't all 3 lies? Why do we not hear about investigation about possible indictments because of perjury?


If you were to poll most baseball fans, 75% would say that they dislike Barry. If you go to Los Angeles, many would probably wish bodily harm or an STD on the Giants left fielder. Barry takes all of that in stride. It is kind of like he gets stronger as people hate him. ESPN's Pedro Gomez, who seems to be EVERYWHERE Barry is, asked Barry what it is like to be booed in every away stadium. Barry said one of the greatest sports one liners ever. Barry said, "Hey, when you're being booed by 50,000 people, you know you're good!"

Though Barry is being booed by 50,001 people. The last and possibly most important person is baseball commissioner Bud Selig. The following are 3 ideas that I have about the whole Bud Selig/Barry Bonds circus.

1. He does not want Barry Bonds to break this record.
Selig hates Barry. Selig was not in attendance when Barry passed Willie Mays. Selig was not in attendance when Barry passed Babe Ruth. It may be safe to say that Jack Bauer may be called in to foil a terrorist plot when Barry gets close to 755. Plain and simply, Bud wishes Barry would just go away!

2. Bud Selig feels a connection to Hank Aaron.
Hank Aaron has been and will continue to be a great ambassador for the game of baseball. Hank broke the record for the Atlanta Braves. Who were the Milwaukee Braves. When Milwaukee finally got a team again, the Brewers, they were owned by Bud Selig. Does it feel like that 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon game yet?

3. Former owners of baseball teams shouldn't be allowed to have ANY power!
Remember the debacle of the All Star game a few years ago that ended in a tie in the 11th inning? Yeah that was Bud Selig's fault! Would it be fair to say that as he was the Chief Executive of the Milwaukee Brewers, perhaps Bud would dislike a franchise or 2? Are there teams or players Bud has animosity towards? Like, for instance, Theo Epstein (I know he does not own the Red Sox!) would ever become the Commissioner of Major League Baseball would he treat the New York Yankees fairly? Or would he come up with an "A Rod Clause." A clause stating that psychologists, tanning products, hair gel, and playoff success was a banned substance. As funny as that seems, it would not be very fair!
Still not convinced that former owners should not be allowed to have any high ranking power .....
NEED I SAY MORE ....


But you know what? Bud Selig NEEDS Barry! Like him or not, thousands of people flock to see him. They cheer him or they boo him, regardless, Barry puts butts in seats. Thus, making a lot of money for Mr. Bud Selig as well as all owners. Bud must find a way to coexist with Barry. C'mon, how long did David Stern put up with Dennis Rodman? I think Bud can put up with Barry for a season or two. These 2 remind me of Ricky Bobby and Jacques Girard.
"God needs the Devil. The Beetles needed the Rolling Stones. Even Diane Sawyer needs Katie Couric. Can you be my Katie Couric?"


Barry Bonds will break Hank Aaron's record. And yes, Barry Bonds will always have the BALCO stuff and other negative press surrounding him. But in a day and age where he is targeted for steroids, but yet a 40+ pitcher who can still throw mid 90's for 6 or 7 innings is not questioned (I'm looking at you Roger), he is still the best player you will watch!!!

Along with my blogs, I am going to start doing surveys.

Today's survey:

Can you pick out the real Bud Selig?




OR













Smile on people ...smile on!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Take me out to the ballgame ....




I don't care that we were blanketed with 6 inches of fresh snow. It's baseball season! I don't care that my basketball team just had it's first game. It's baseball season! I don't care that the Red Sox haven't even played an inter-squad game. It's baseball season. Do you want to know why I am so overzealous? Do you want to know why I am acting like a hyperactive kid on a caffeine bender? 1 word. 2 syllables.
MANNY.

Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez showed up to camp on Friday. Now, I know what you're saying, "So what, everyone else was already there." And that is very, very true. But you see Manny had "special permission" to tend to the medical needs of his mother. His tentative arrival in Fort Myers was scheduled for Thursday March 1, at the earliest. But to the delight of the entire Red Sox Nation, Manny showed up 3 days earlier than expected. This simply means that either Manny is ready to start playing ball or he just got confused where he was and arrived at the facility on accident. (Let's go with the first idea!)

Manny enters season # 7 with the Boston Red Sox. Though this year, Manny is in an unfamiliar role. Comeback. Every "professional" baseball writer has Manny Ramirez losing his game, heck, he is even losing value in most fantasy baseball leagues! This season Manny will show everyone why he is the most feared right handed batter in baseball today still and a sure fired 1st ballott Hall of Famer!

In the final 6 weeks of the 2006 Season, Manny only played in 8 games. However, Manny wasn't the only Sox player to be banged up. Varitek was missed (See our pitching staff). Coco Crisp was playing injured. Papelbon, who was "lights out' during the first half, was out due to injury and Jon Lester was out with Cancer. But you see these things tend to go around full circle. Manny will be Manny. Varitek is healthy (Enter a cheer from the pitchers). Coco will be making us ask who Johnny Damon is by July. Papelbon is about to take his spot in the best rotation in Major League Baseball. And most importantly, Jon Lester is cancer free.

Now, I am well aware that it is early. For goodness sake's it's not even March yet and I am already "giddy" about this season. Though I am trying to curb my enthusiasm, especially after last year's collapse, I know now that baseball is a marathon and not a sprint. But we are out of the gate and in a hurry! Apparently we have the same trainer as Ben Johnson and Marion Jones!

But c'mon, give me a break. I have plenty of reasons to be excited:

Dice K - At first I was a little apprehensive about this whole thing. It cost 50 million dollars just to talk with the guy. However, I am slowly coming around on the notion of Dice K. The Red Sox will easily get the money back in jersey sales as he will become a global commodity.Though, I thought one thing was funny. After Dice K, Francona and Theo had the press conference holding up the #18 Sox jersey, the Red Sox website was quickly trying to make a quick buck. The site said, "Get your official Dice K jersey." They weren't official jerseys! They were recycled Johnny Damon jerseys !!! One more thing about my new favorite Japanese player, the gyroball. Is this thing legit or is it the result of a long night of sushi, karaoke and Japanese beer?

Curt Schilling - Is there anything that Curt is not an expert about? Well he can't predict the futre! The Red Sox opted not to re-sign Schill until after the season. I believe this is a smart move. Make Curt earn the 10-15 million he will be asking for. In the past 2 seasons he is 23-15 with an ERA of 4.86. Seriously, would you pay that much for this production? But Red Sox fans don't fret, Curt will be back. And he will be making his weekly rants on WEEI. Want to know why? He has made it painfully obvious that he has aspirations to run for some kind of office in Massachusetts. (Oh my gosh, I just had a vision .... Ted Kennedy and Curt Schilling together. I need a hug and a shower!) But Curt will go out and have a monster year, because there will be a check waiting for him!

Big Papi- Now I have not been to Fort Myers. But I have been reading reports and seeing video tape of David Ortiz and dude is ready to play. Big Papi must have joined that weight loss system that Dan Marino is selling. Papi reported to camp in the best shape of his playing career. OK, this is for you New York, Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Manny is focused (by baseball not just shiny things) and Papi is in better shape. Your ERA'a are about to go up as high as Rosie O'Donnell's cholestorol!

JD Drew- The signing of "injury proned" Drew came under more fire than the Dice K negotiations. Yes, JD Drew has had his share of injuries. However, JD says those days are far behind him. Apparently JD has started a new dietary program. One that is solely based on eating foods found in the scriptures of the Bible. Let's hope for JD that this "divine diet" produces "heavenly health." Think about it ... Manny, Papi, and JD Drew pretty darn good!

CoCo Crisp- Seriously, I feel for this guy. He comes into Boston with the responsibility of making us forget all about Johnny Damon. Though injuries prevented us from finding our new Centerfielder. I believe CoCo has the most to prove in Boston in 2007. However, he has given us glimpses of what he can do. Last season, the Sox were playing the Mets at Fenway. Mets third baseman, David Wright sent a laser into the left/center gap. Coco sprints and makes possibly the second best catch of the season! He's going to be healthy this year folks. And he is going to do some remarkable things. Just you watch!

Jon Lester- This story is far more than just about a baseball player. Lester overcame Cancer and is now preparing to pitch this season.The organization backed him, his teammates backed him and the Red Sox Nation backed him. Jon Lester is Boston. Jon Lester exemplifies what Boston is. And if Jon Lester gets traded for Todd Helton or Chad Cordero after this ... I will feel stupid!

Let's go "idiots" ... "Cowboy Up" .... "We Believe," do whatever you have to do. We want another ring wicked bad!

PS. I'm missing the "Dirt Dog" already!