Since I'll be at work tomorrow (hopefully in range of a radio) and won't be able to fret about Pedro properly, I made tonight's Tribe-Angels game my honorary Opening Night. You forget the pleasures of keeping score (I did. I'm a nerd.), of seeing old players in new uniforms, and the singular joy of kicking back and letting Jon Miller and Joe Morgan take you through nine innings. And if I saw the real Bartolo Colon tonight, I'm changing my AL Central predictions.
Happy opening day, everybody.
AL East: Last in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. New York. Don’t yell, OK? If I have to make these predictions publicly, I’m not going to be stupid. The cold reality is that the Yankees have at least five proven starters, the (despite last November) best closer in baseball, a star-studded lineup, and the wherewithal to get someone else to come in if the team falters. Are the Yankees perfect? No. The injury bug has been around in Spring Training more than in the past. The intangibles and experience provided by Knoblauch, O’Neill and Tino are gone. Actually, since O’Neill and Knoblauch are gone, there’s only one Yankee left that I hate with all my heart and soul. But I can’t think like that. Someone must stop this team…please?
2. Boston (wild card). I think all good true Sox fans are in the same boat this season, vacillating between starry-eyed optimism and "get in crash position" angst. The key word this season is IF. IF Nomar and Varitek are healthy. IF Grady Little can keep the spacey Manny Ramirez’s head in the game. IF one of the starting projects (Lowe, Burkett, Oliver) can hit 15-17 wins. IF the new ownership is truly committed to do whatever it takes. IF Rickey Henderson ever suits up, and plays the kind of leadoff ball he’s played since 1980. IF Shea Hillenbrand doesn’t flame out after a good rookie year. IF Ugie Urbina is competent as a closer. IF a few of these things happen, the Red Sox can do what they need to do: grab the wild-card and try to do to the Yankees in 7 what they probably can’t in 162. If more than a couple of these things don’t happen….Skylab. Oh yeah, one more. IF Pedro stays healthy.
3. Toronto. Picked by everyone in the universe to finish 3rd, the Jays have enough weapons and enough potential to scare you. The starting rotation of Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay and Luke Prokopec had awful 2001s but all look poised to rebound. The offense still revolves around Raul Mondesi and Carlos Delgado; a lot of teams wish they had that kind of power. The bullpen is iffy (Dan Plesac’s still in the league?!?) but Kelvim Escobar is ready to take over at closer from the departed Billy Koch. There’s no way the Jays will finish below third – if the Red Sox implode early, Toronto could move up a slot.
Note: The following teams are considered a disaster area. Pregnant women, small children, or anyone susceptible to backaches or emotional trauma should not read on. Serious distress can be a result of following these two teams. Not responsibe for psychic suffering.
4. Baltimore. If the Orioles want to be noticed at all this season, I recommend they make Cal Ripken sign autographs before the games. I also recommend Cal be granted an honorary spot on the All-Star team, since every team needs one representative and picking one of the remaining Orioles is a sick joke. The pitching is halfway-respectable; Jason Johnson and Sidney Ponson would each make a #4 starter on a decent team. The offense is just brutal. Try a 3-4-5 of David Segui (who played all of 82 games last year), Jeff Conine, and Marty Cordova. The Orioles signed Cordova for $9 million because he had a nice spring in Cleveland last year. Had they done their homework, they would have seen that Cordova was released from hundreds of teams in the preceding years. Owner Peter Angelos opposes the Expos moving to Washington because it would cut into his fan base. I think the good people of Maryland, Virginia, D.C., and – OK, fine, Delaware -- deserve to see at least one major-league caliber team.
5. Tampa Bay. The opening day starting pitcher is Tanyon Sturtze. Four of the Opening Day starters are making their first ever appearance on Opening Day. Greg Vaughn, who’s untradable even on the Playstation. Actual quotes from skipper Hal McRae, on the Rays’ website…" we just hope he [starting catcher Toby Hall]continues to improve and get better"… "I don't think he [starting CF Randy Winn] established in anybody's mind that he's an everyday player"…" [on the pitching] it won't be easy but we'll just deal with it."…" The pitfalls are there for everyone and everyone's going to experience them". You can order Devil Rays tickets here. Get ‘em before they’re gone.
SUNDAY COLUMN ROUNDUP:Gordon Edes looks at the new Sox management team...Pete Vecsey likes Ben Wallace...Thomas Boswell rhapsodized on baseball defense...T.J. Simers found out about the Clippers...Ron Cook is already looking forward to the Pirates' 2003 season...Tony Massarotti says New York baseball teams have the most money...Bill Conlin breaks down the Phils...Mike Lupica likes Mike Piazza...Phil Mushnick hates everything.
So it's Maryland and Indiana for the national title. The game's played Monday night. Why they couldn't play the Final Four on Friday and Sunday is beyond me; I'd hate to think these scholar-athletes will miss an extra day of class.
AL Central: Fifth in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. Minnesota. Never underestimate a team with its back to the wall. Especially when the franchise is literally hanging by a thread (OK, that’s not literal, but you know what I mean). It’s hard not to pull for this team, with legitimate young stars like Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones and Corey Koskie in the lineup, plus a fantastic top 3 in the rotation of Radke, Milton and Mays. Question marks include how the Twins respond to new a manager after 66 years of Tom Kelly, and whether Eddie Guardado will be a legit closer. Not to mention the everyday worry of whether tonight’s game will be the last. If Bud Selig turns up in the Metrodome (not bloody likely), expect to see a very nervous Twins team.
2. Chicago. With the Big Hurt hurt big all of 2001, the White Sox’ stay at the top of the AL Central was a short one. Other than Thomas, there’s little doubt about the lineup; Ray Durham, Jose Valentin and Paul Konerko are solid players, and Magglio Ordonez just keeps getting better and better. Mark Buehrle looks poised to become a dependable starter, but the rest of the rotation looks a little iffy. New leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton will have something to prove in his first year on the other side of the AL Central Sox/Indians "rivalry"
3. Cleveland. There’s no truth to the rumor that the Indians will hold a Turn Back the Clock Night and only allow 3,200 fans in to simulate the crowds of the 80s. The way this team is going, they’ll get it soon enough anyway. Roberto Alomar and Kenny Lofton are gone. Manny Ramirez was replaced ably by Juan Gonzalez; now he’s gone, replaced by Matt Lawton. Unless Travis Fryman or the ancient Ellis Burks becomes a big-time slugger, expect to see Jim Thome pitched around all year. The pitching will depend largely on second-year phenom C.C. Sabathia and a bullpen that literally looks like it was assembled on the streets of Cleveland.
4. Kansas City. Picking between the Royals and Tigers is like choosing to be eaten by piranha or barracuda. The Royals made a commitment to sign 1B Mark Sweeney longterm. I wonder if Mark regretted that the next morning. If you can name 3 Royals without checking the Web, you’re a better baseball fan than I. I did check the web, and was mildly impressed with the numbers of Carlos Beltran, Neifi Perez, and ace (I use the term advisedly) Jeff Suppan. The fact that they brought Chuck Knoblauch in to energize the team should tell you something. Good luck, Sweeney.
5. Detroit. Since the strike ended and the 1995 season began, the Tigers have lost 644 games. That’s 92 losses a season. If you were to watch
Condensed Games of all 644 losses, with 5-10 minutes in between to use the restroom, it would take 13.41 days to watch all of those losses. Egads. And the Tigers don’t seem to be heading in the right direction. The new Tiger Stadium is supposed to be pitcher-friendly, so the Tigers have built a rotation around Jeff Weaver, Jose Lima, and knuckleballer Steve Sparks. Good luck to ‘em. The Tigers open the season against the Devil Rays, so don’t be fooled when they get off to a hot start.
Next: The AL East.
The Herald reported today that the Red Sox are actually looking into considering planning ways to think about reducing scalping. One line in the article cracked me up:
Boston police brass claim the decline in scalping arrests is due to a recent federal court injunction barring the Boston police from arresting nonprofessional scalpers reselling tickets at or below their face value.
I'm no criminologist, but I think I've got a pretty good radar for telling who are the "nonprofessional scalpers reselling tickets at or below their face value" and who aren't. Here's a hint. If he's at the steps of the T stop yelling, he's a pro. If he's looking to both buy and sell tickets, he's a pro. If he wanders around talking to other scalpers, he's a pro. If he's a little shy and hanging in the background, he's probably not a pro. If I can tell this, just from walking into Fenway and the Fleet Center a few times a year, it should be a cinch for professional lawmen.
It will be interesting to see if anything comes of this.
AL West: Fourth in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. Oakland.The AL West is tough to pick. The top two and the bottom two are (to me, at least) obvious, but which will finish where is tough. I give the A’s the nod on pitching alone. Mulder, Zito, Hudson…these guys could be scary good. Rookie phenom Carlos Pena is set to replace Ja$on Giambi at first, and has already told manager Art Howe he would have slid on that Jeter play. Young bats Eric Chavez, Miguel Tejada, Terrence Long, and Jermaine Dye (we still consider him young) are all getting better. Don’t be surprised to see new closer Billy Kock whiff Giambi to end the ALCS and put the A’s in the World Series.
2. Seattle. The 2001 M’s proved that regular season wins are like Russian rubles; you can pile them up, but they’re not really worth anything. The Mariners didn’t lose anything that significant (yeah, OK, Aaron Sele) except another year to old age. Olerud, Moyer, and even Edgar are no spring chickens. And anyone who really thinks Bret Boone and Ichiro will duplicate 2001, raise your hands. Ruben Sierra is listed as the starting left-fielder, making this the 643rd player the M’s have tried out there in the last five years. Jose Canseco, Pete Incaviglia, Tim Raines, Mel Hall, Kevin Bass, take note…the job may be opening up soon.
3. Texas. Why HBO hasn’t started a series following the 2002 Rangers is beyond me. What happens when certified Froot Loops Carl Everett, John Rocker, and a newly-Viagra-crazed Rafael Palmeiro stop being polite and start being real?. New GM John Hart has created a souped-up version of his mid-90s Indians teams; they’ll pound the ball all over Arlington, but the pitching staff has more question marks than that infomercial freak. If Hart could import the guy with the drum and the dismal mid-90s AL Central, the Rangers would have a shot. But he can’t. So they don’t.
4. Anaheim. The big question for the Halos is whether they’ll rise to Mo Vaughn’s gracious parting shots and find a team leader. They’ve added aging pitchers Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele to go with a wildly inconsistent (not you, Troy Glaus) lineup. While nothing’s certain on the field, at least they’ve ditched the silly Disneyfied uniforms. I think by July, Mo Vaughn will recall his days of playing for a hopeless team in front of a listless crowd a little more fondly. When even www.rallymonkey.com has shut down, you know your team’s in trouble.
Next: The AL Central.
The Saints today signed former Patriots (and other, irrelevant teams) linebacker Bryan Cox yesterday. I just hope that his presence doesn't unstabilize the calmest, most professional locker room in sports </sarcasm>. Cox was the ultimate home-town favorite. I loathed him when he played for the Jets and Dolphins, but I admit his presence in the Pats' organization last year was huge in terms of take-no-prisoners attitude and team togetherness. I'll wish him well, but I feel bad he has to buy a new ironing board to stick in the back of his jersey.
NL West: Third in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. San Francisco. The Giants aren’t a spectacular team – their pitching is solid but not too notable – but there aren’t any serious holes, and that may be good enough. Jeff Kent’s injury may mean a slow start, but enough offensive production should come from Rich Aurilia, J.T. Snow, and that guy who hit 73 home runs last year. 73? My spellchecker flagged that one. But, yes, as long as Barry Bonds is in the lineup and Dusty Baker is running the show, you can count on the Giants being involved in the playoff hunt.
2. Arizona (wild card). Two big reasons the D-Backs won’t be complacent after winning it all: Randy and Curt. When Pedro Martinez is healthy, Arizona still has two of the three best pitchers in baseball, and I’m not stupid enough to publicly proclaim who actually fits in which position. Everyone’s concerned about the Snakes’ age. But youngsters Junior Spivey, Danny Bautista, and David Dellucci will join a still-formidable core in the lineup. The question marks are the psychological health of closer Byung-Hyun Kim and the ability of either Brian Anderson or newcomer Rick Helling to establish himself as the clear #3 starter.
3. Los Angeles.The health of the starting rotation holds all the keys to this team. If Kevin Brown, Andy Ashby, and new/old Dodger Hideo Nomo stay healthy, they’ll be in for the long haul. If they struggle with injuries, L.A. will quickly turn to football. Except they don’t have a team. Oh well. The offense will miss Gary Sheffield, says the Department of the Obvious. It’s hard to see Brian Jordan replacing Sheffield’s numbers, so the pressure rests on Shawn Green and the remains of Eric Karros. It all adds up to another fall with baseball played far away from Chavez Ravine.
4. Colorado. A lot of interesting stats and stories came out of the 2001 season, but here’s one you may have missed. Did you know the Colorado Rockies played 162 games last year? It’s hard to believe; I never saw them. Did anyone out there actually witness a Rockies game (or part of one) last year? Larry Walker, Todd Helton, and some outfielder named Juan Pierre put up good numbers last year, but I assumed they were from an APBA game and not produced on the field. Their top two pitchers are Denny Neagle and Mike Hampton, according to a few websites. If you’re interested in learning more about Rockies baseball, they’re allegedly playing in Saint Louis and Los Angeles the first week of the season.
5. San Diego. Their starting pitching includes names like Brian Lawrence, Kevin Jarvis, and Brian Tollberg. Their projected lineup includes future Hall-of-Fame visitors Phil Nevin, Ryan Klesko, and Mark Kotsay, who are now too old to be officially considered prospects. They do have a legit prospect in 3B Sean Burroughs, but the 1998 NL Pennant seems like a looong time ago, doesn’t it?
Next: The AL West.
The 2002 NFL schedules are out. The Pats open at home against Pittsburgh on Monday Night, allowing John Madden to make (I believe) his second trip to Foxboro in roughly 76 years of broadcasting. Your Superbowl champs also get a Monday nighter in Tennessee, a Sunday night home game against the Jets, and another Sunday nighter in Oakland. That oughtta be fun. For more National TV fun, they go to Detroit on Thanksgiving.
The C's absolutely escaped a dismal upset tonight. They've already lost to the Warriors once, as well as the Bulls, the Hawks (twice), the Rockets (twice), and probably some other bottom feeders in the league. Can you tell I'm slightly down on this team right now? They won their 41st game tonight, clinching their first .500 season in years, and yet I have a terrible feeling about them.
I hate to say this, but the Jim O'Brien afterglow has worn off. He was the absolute savior of this team, stepping up after King Rick the Wicked abdicated his throne last season. But even though his team is much improved...I just don't trust him. He's seemingly abandoned Vitaly Potapenko in favor of Rodney Rogers, who I'm not sold on yet. He's left rookies Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte to rot on the bench, when they might be able to pick up a few minutes and raise the energy level. He not only allowed the team to fire 3's from all over the court -- even when they're patently the wrong shot to take -- but encourages this. In some ways, they don't look much better than the team Pitino started with.
I look at all the potential first-round matchups and don't like any of them. Milwaukee and Orlando are better at the C's game than the C's are. Philly has just killed them the last few years, and even if Iverson is out, they have nothing to match Dikembe Mutombo. Ugh. Charlotte is peaking at just the right time. Maybe Indiana would be a good match (there's the Isiah Thomas factor, for one), but I'm not counting on anything.
ESPN's Jim Caple wrote an absolutely mesmerizing account of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. I actually got goose bumps from reading this. Would it have been such a great game if the Yankees hadn't been the ones to lose it? I don't know and I don't care.
The Florida State baseball team had $7,000 worth of equipment stolen from a university van during a road trip to North Carolina. (You know what's coming next.) Fortunately, two members of the Seminoles' football team were able to replace the stolen goods for $39.95 at a Tallahassee sporting-goods store.
Edward at bambinoscurse.com has some really good insight on Bud Selig's online press conference. (Here's the transcript.) Bud dodges a lot of the questions and goes to the official Party Line too often.
One thing of interest was the idea that baseball relign along revenue lines; that way, one team from the bottom half of the economic pyramid will always be in the World Series. It won't work because it doesn't differentiate between the teams that really don't have the money, like K.C., and the teams that could have the money but are cheap or poorly-run, like Baltimore. Bud's answer is way off the mark; he talks about ruining traditional rivalries, conveniently forgetting that his interleague play has brought the world "rivalries" like the Marlins/Blue Jays, Padres/Mariners, and Expos/Devil Rays.
Not to mention that the Padres finally play the Orioles this year...one year too late for Gwynn and Ripken to be involved.
NL Central: Second in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. St. Louis. Naturally, the Cards will miss the presence of Mark McGwire in the lineup. They know that. But they have two potentially superstar hitters in (the still-vile) J.D. Drew and (barring a sophomore slump) Albert Pujols. The only starter that’s a household name is Rick Ankiel, and more for his emotional issues than his pitching, but they have a real solid staff. Oh, yeah, that guy they got to replace Big Mac? Tino? Do you think he has something to prove to his old boss?
2.Houston. A new beginning of sorts for the Astros, the Minnesota Timberwolves of baseball (a first round exit every year). Gone are the presence of Enron and the stormy tenure of Larry Dierker; in are the loopy Jimy Williams and a pitching rotation to keep an eye on. It’s hard to get my mind around the fact that Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are now officially Old Vets. But a young outfield of potential stars Richard Hidalgo, Daryle Ward, and Lance Berkman should give the grizzled vets some help in the lineup. Someday these guys will win a playoff series. But not this year.
3. Chicago. The Central really is a tale of two divisions. I don’t really think the Cubs will contend for a playoff spot, but they’re years ahead of the weak sisters to follow. There’s some stuff to watch; Sammy Sosa wants the home run record, Kerry Wood might actually last a whole season, and rookie pitcher Mark Prior is touted as a real prospect. But I just don’t see it happening for some reason. The Cards and Astros are too good; the rest of the division is hopeless. The Cubbies will comfortably settle in 3rd by Memorial Day.
4.Cincinnati. Out of the three Central bottom-feeders…why not? They do anticipate that Junior Griffey will be healthy, and slugger Adam Dunn is predicted to hit anywhere between 50 and 3,000 home runs, depending on who you ask. But, oh, that pitching! Joey Hamilton was named the Opening Day starter last week; I wonder if that announcement sold any tickets to any fence-leaners. The bullpen looks adequate. They’ll need to be, since it’s hard to imagine Hamilton, Elmer Dessens, or Jose Acevedo going 8 innings regularly.
5.Milwaukee. It’s a common sports-ism to say that a good, but flawed, team is "one player away" from contending. Well, the Brewers are about six players away. You look at some of the names on their roster – Ben Sheets, Richie Sexson, Eric Young, Geoff Jenkins – and you start to imagine they might all be All-Stars in three years. Maybe, but they’ll be playing in New York, L.A., and Arlington at the time. But the Brewers did make money last year. And in Bud Selig’s America, that’s considered a successful season.
6. Pittsburgh. What’s the point of buying a million-dollar mansion if you’re going to just throw your thrift-store furniture around the place? The Pirates opened up spectacular new PNC Park last year and it vaulted to the top of my must-see park list. Fortunately, the view and the amenities kept Pittsburgh fans from focusing on the dismal product on the field. The most fun activity at the Confluence this year might be trying to figure out who’s gone into Operation Shutdown and who just sucks. Gamers Brian Giles and Jason Kendall deserve better; don’t be surprised to see them traded before long.
Next: The NL West.
SUNDAY COLUMN ROUNDUP: Gordon Edes gets Tony LaRussa to say nice things about Rickey...Peter May reminds us that the Wizards still have the #1 pick in last year's draft on the roster...Tony Massarotti looks at the fight to be the Sox' 24th and 25th men...Mike Lupica tells Mariano Rivera to look in the mirror...Bill Plaschke sings about the unsung Ziggy Palffy...Pete Vecsey is all over the map...Sam Smith says Pippen's a Hall-of-Famer (then so are Cartwright and Steve Kerr)...Dan LeBatard says the Panthers will suck with or without Pavel Bure...Phil Mushnick hates everybody.
NL East: First in a series of 6 divisional previews.
1. Atlanta. Some day, we won't be able to automatically pick the Braves to win the division. But as long as Maddux and Glavine anchor the rotation, face the fact that they won't be going anywhere soon. The addition of Gary Sheffield gives a so-so offense some real talent to build around. And having a consistent John Smoltz to nail down games will be a godsend for Braves fans used to the roller-coaster bullpens of the Wohlers and Rocker eras. Every year, skipper Bobby Cox looks more like Lyndon Johnson; every year, we see him in October. And is it just me, or do the Braves play 120 home games every year?
2. New York. It's no big secret that the Mets plan to score some runs this year; what's a little more suspect is how they're going to stop opponents from doing the same. They added Robbie Alomar, Mo Vaughn, and Jeromy Burnitz (who must feel like he's been let out of jail, leaving Milwaukee), so there are no questions about the lineup. The double-play combination of Alomar and Rey Ordonez will keep ESPN's Web Gems editors busy. Unfortunately for the Mets, so will the offense allowed by their pitching rotation. It's now listed as Al Leiter/Pedro Astacio/Shawn Estes/Steve Trachsel/Jeff D'Amico. Each of these guys is capable of pushing 15-20 wins, but each is also highly capable of lasting 2 1/3 innings per start. Get bleacher seats if you're going to Shea this year.
3. Philadelphia. Scott Rolen is going to scare a lot of people this year. Scary for opponents, because there's nothing like a pure hitter, coming into his prime in a contract season. Scary for the Phillies because there's nothing like losing a superstar due to conflict with the organization. The Phils shocked almost everyone by hanging around in the 2001 playoff race to the end. They won't be able to sneak up on anyone this year, though. They'll have to do it with real talent. The talent is there, if a bit thin on the pitching side. But having Mike Lieberthal healthy will go a long way towards centering the mound staff. An interesting subplot may involve Doug Glanville's quest to become the most quotable player in the majors (there are some doozies here).
4.WashingtonMontreal. Do you get the feeling the Expos will be happy to worry about baserunners and pitch counts, instead of the future of the team? Skipper Frank Robinson has an interesting task ahead of him, trying to keep this team focused on the present. GM Omar Minaya has a very interesting year ahead of him, considering his 29 rivals also control his pursestrings. My guess is that the 'Spos will remain more-or-less intact; they have a pretty good core of young talent that the league may want to keep together, to jumpstart interest in the D.C. area next year. But I also can't help suspect that the Yankees have secretly issued Vlad Guerrero a uniform, ready to be worn in a hurry should the Yanks hit a 3-game losing streak. Another interesting note: to save time, the Olympic Stadium PA announcer will announce the spectators instead of the players.
5. Marlins. This is the proverbial "team to watch" in the NL. Their rotation of Brad Penny, Ryan Dempster, AJ Burnett, Josh Beckett, and Matt Clement look like they may be the next Oakland staff. If things go their way, they could contend. I don't have as good a feeling about their offense. Preston Wilson strikes out so much they can turn down the A/C at Joe Robbie, and none of the bats in the infield (including Charles Johnson, who could be the first catcher to qualify for a DH replacement) impress me that much. Closer Antonio Alfonseca's health is suspect. But this could be a real interesting team.
Next: The NL Central.
A somewhat acceptable showing by the C's on National TV today. The knock on them all year is that they've launched 3-pointers to the point of lunacy, but it's hard to take it inside on a day when the Pistons' Ben Wallace gets 28 rebounds and six blocks. Detroit scares me; they have Wallace and Clifford Robinson terrifying you inside and Stackhouse always looming as a 40+ point threat. Color me impressed with the surprisingly-good Pistons. Of course, they still have the little weenie Jon Barry and the legacy of evil from the Laimbeer years. So it will take me a long time to truly admire them.
After a disappointing spring training with the Dodgers, former Sox slugger Dante Bichette announced his retirement today. My favorite memory of him is seeing him hit a BP home run at Comiskey -- swinging the bat with one arm. Thanks for the memories and good luck, Dante. Even if you always did kinda look like the Elmer's Glue guy.
Two quick Arizona Diamondback links. (Quick Chris Farley impression: Do you remember when they beat the Yankees last fall? That was awesome.) ESPN's Jim Caple spent time in the Champs' clubhouse and has some real funny stories to tell.
And scroll down to the last question in this interview with Mark Grace. Maybe the funniest baseball anecdote I've ever seen.
The Herald today reports that the Red Sox may keep plucky infielder Lou Merloni on the roster at the expense of Official Bust Jose Offerman. (Thanks to bambinoscurse.com for bringing this to my attention.) I love it - Sweet Lou is a local kid, a guy who's given the team everything they've asked for while they've jerked him around (he's commuted to and from Pawtucket roughly 432 times since '99). A good personnel start from Skipper Grady and the new regime.
The computer whizzes at Diamond Mind have run and rerun simulated 2002 seasons and come up with a projection for how the year will go. They say the Yanks will run away with the AL East, but the Sox will grab the wild card spot. I think we all knew that. They did run one simulation where the Sox won 109 games and still lost the division.
I could complain about the Celtics' shot selection, their clock management, or their free-throw shooting after tonight's disappointing loss. But what's really got me steamed is the snotty attitude of 1510 sports-radio host Marty Terrell. He spent my whole ride home explaining that, while he admires Allen Iverson's basketball skills, he thinks Allen is a terrible person because he was involved in a rumble in high school and showed a lack of decorum during a recent National Anthem. Oooh. Why is Marty watching Iverson during the anthem, instead of watching the singer or the flag?
I would take Iverson for any team of mine in a heartbeat. Not only is he one of the most skilled, exciting ballhandlers and shooters I've ever seen, but he has such a competitive fire and spirit that I'd trust him to run my team anytime. I think it's amusing and a little disheartening that America still can't seem to see beyond the cornrows and the tattoos (is it still 1957?) and see that Allen is a better player, and maybe a better person, than Kobe, Vince, or any of the anointed ones that the NBA tries to pass off as heroes. But that's just me.
In less aggravating basketball news, SportsGuy Bill Simmons (have I mentioned that he's the best sporswriter in America?) sat down with The Godfather of Basketball and got an earful about Celtics history and the state of the game today.
Apparently, the Bruins are actually in first place in the East. I can't really process this right now, because A) I know how unimportant top seedings are in the playoffs (Hi, Ottawa!) and B) I still don't understand how a team can get a point for losing in overtime. So I look at the NHL standings the way I look at the Dow Jones listings; they're presumably important to someone, but damned if I can figure out what they mean.
I know that if the NBA and NHL seasons ended now, the Bruins would play Les Habs and the Celtics would get Philly. Talk about a chance to see some old friends. The Pats exorcised the Raider and Steeler demons this year, so there's all kinds of hope. And only 7 more months till the Sox-Yanks ALCS. Can you hyperventilate for 7 straight months and live?
One thing I've always disliked about the NCAA Tournament (other than the fact that one of my Final Four picks gets bounced quicker than the token old lady on Survivor) is that you always know who's going to be in at the end. It's just like Presidential elections. Sure, you may get excited about a John McCain or a Gonzaga, but it always seems like the same tired old Bob Doles and Arizonas in the end.
So I was pleased today. Watching Duke lose always feels almost as satisfying as watching the Yankees lose. I'm pulling for Kent State to win it all. Not only because they're the Cinderella team (since Holy Cross lost), but because it would be nice if Kent State were famous for something else. Maybe if the Golden Flashes win, we can thaw out Neil Young and he can write "Ohio '02 (featuring Puff Daddy)":
Gold Flashes and Huffman's coming
Dick Vitale is about to blow
Major conference foes are bumming
Final Four in Ohio
Of course, it would be nice to see Indiana go all the way in the first post-Bobby season, too.
You've got to love this Celtics team. Wednesday was Paul Pierce bobblehead night, and he let his doll do the talking for him.
Pierce used the doll to jokingly answer questions from reporters. Then, when former Celtic Bryant Stith came in to say a quick, ''Hello,'' Pierce asked his doll, ''Can B. Stith guard Paul Pierce?'' The Celtics swingman pulled the doll's head to the right so it snapped back and motioned ''No.''
Skipper Grady Little announced that Rickey Henderson and Johnny Damon will frequently bat 1-2 to jumpstart the top of the lineup. The good part of this? Jose Offerman can now bat 9th.
The bad part? If Rickey and Damon are playing outfield, and Manny's DHing, that puts Tony Clark (probably) at 1st and leaves Brian Daubach in no-man's-land. That's a real downer; Daubach's one of the original Dirt Dogs and has been a real stand-up guy for the team. Of course, someone will undoubtedly get hurt, and he'll be back in the lineup every day. This is why it doesn't pay to overreact to every story that comes out of Spring Training.
In slacker news, ESPN's Rob Neyer tells the wonderful tale of the Pirates' Derek Bell. Bell, famous for the quickest career collapse since Dexy's Midnight Runners, may be forced to compete for an outfielding job this year. You might think that after hitting .173 last year, Bell would feel lucky and honored just to be allowed in the state of Florida during spring training. But he doesn't want to have to fight for a job, and said he'll commence "Operation Shutdown" if he's not shown the respect he feels he deserves.
Exactly how one could tell that Bell has shut down isn't clear. But the Pirates are on the hook to pay Bell $4 million anyway. I'm sure Pittsburgh management is kicking itself for not trading him to Dan Duquette when they had the chance.
It looks like New Orleans feels pretty confident that the Hornets are coming their way next season. The article lists civic leaders' ideas about the Big Easy's attractions for the NBA.
"Business and political leaders ... told the visitors the state has invested in biomedical and other technology industries. Foster also has pushed plans to upgrade port facilities along the Mississippi."It also won't hurt that every potential NBA free agent (now that A.C. Green has retired) might be willing to play in a city with 24-hour nightlife and bars and strip clubs as far as the eye can see. Maybe we'll even get another Dennis Rodman comeback.
A sweet old-fashioned blowout from the Celts tonight. My dad has told me many times that in their glory days, the C's would let even the league's bottom-feeders hang around in the first half. Then they would go out after halftime and annihilate the scrubs. And that's what they did to Cleveland tonight, laying a 22-1 run on the hapless Cavs early in the 4th. Cleveland was, in the words of Dr. Emmett Brown, "erased from existence".
Sports Illustrated owed us. They put Nomar Garciappara on the cover of their 2001 Baseball Preview issue, thus invoking the SI Cover Jinx and dooming Boston to another agony-filled summer. But this year, they chose Jason Giambi, the latest beneficiary of the Yankees' "but...but...but we don't buy championships" mentality. With the jinx in mind, I would have chosen a Yankees team photo with a close-up inset of Roger Clemens' cheekbone; but we'll take what we can get.
My unresearched and unscientific predictions for the 2002 baseball season? In the AL, the Yankees (dammit), Twins and Oakland, with the Red Sox winning the wild card. In the NL, the Braves, Cards, and Giants, with Arizona eking out the Mets for the fourth spot. I'd like to pick a surprise team, but this is baseball. The Royals and Marlins will be lucky to be still playing in September.
An interesting series of articles in the Boston Herald yesterday and today about the scalpers who patrol local venues. Apparently they're all linked to crooks (no!). The cops, due to some unstated reason, don't care about stopping them. Well, that's just shocking. Personally, I went to a couple of Sox games last September, after the disasters that were the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 Red Sox, and it was nice to see the scalpers looking totally desperate. Nobody with tickets was excited about going, and nobody was even remotely interested in buying on the spur of the moment.
An inauspicious start to the SportsBlog. Tonight, a 13-year-old girl in Ohio died from injuries she sustained when she got hit by a puck at a Blue Jackets-Flames. Yikes. I don't know what kind of disclaimers NHL teams make about potentially lethal objects flying into the stands. I know they mention this grim possibility at baseball games. So I can't help but wonder where the justice is in this world, considering that Jeffrey Maier is still roaming the streets.
Why a BunkoSquad SportsBlog? Doesn't BunkoSquad have enough sports stuff? Well, yes and no. I want to do daily (or so) updates; but I feel that obsessing about Celtics and Red Sox minutiae would just alienate anyone who goes to BunkoSquad for things like...well, the things they usually go for. And believe me, such minutiae tend to occupy most of the part of my brain that should be responsible for daily updates.
So let me briefly tell you my sports-fan background. I'm a local yokel all the way; my teams are, in order, the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Patriots, and the Bruins - though I grew up somewhat of a Hartford Whaler fan. And yes, I have the Whale fight song on MP3.
A list of my all-time favorite athletes would start with Larry (well, duh), and include (in no particular order) McHale, DJ, Mike Greenwell, Pedro, Nomar (wow, is this predictable or what?) and probably Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. If I had to pick players that had no pro Boston connection, I'd go with Dr. J, Mark Grace, Bo Jackson, Jeremy Roenick, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Tony Gwynn.
My all-time Hated Player Hall of Fame? The first induction ceremony would include Bill Laimbeer (actually, the whole '91 Pistons), Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Scottie Pippen, Deion Sanders, and most everyone who's been associated with the Yankees, 49ers, Lakers, Jets, or Mets in the last 20 years.
I don't really care much about college sports. Or boxing. Or NASCAR. Or tennis. I consider golf a sport the same way I consider checkers a sport. That's just my opinion; go to blogger.com to start your own blog if that bothers you.