Mar 31, 2010

wouldn't you want to play Commissioner of Baseball? Part III

Issue number 3:  Inter-league play!  Simple-END IT!!!!!  I for one cannot take another Indians-Reds home-and-away series of games.  I definitely am old school on this.  I loved not seeing the NL (we are an AL city) until the All-star game and World Series.  (I know w/our track record, not many opportunities with WS, but I digress)  With the advent of free agency and player movement all over the place and all the time, do I need to see the Brewers, when part of the team had former AL'ers on it?  Would I rather have more games with Red Sox and Yankees instead of San Diego; Pittsburgh; Florida; etc?  Heck yes!!  Warm weekday evening in the summer and the visiting team is...Yankees or Astros?  Give me the Yankees ANYTIME and EVERY TIME!!!  If I as new MLB Commish cannot get rid of DH and the two leagues are different on this subject, then let's not merge them, even if it for a little time in mid-season.  No DH, no inter-play; DH, still not inter-league play.  Let the WS really mean a test between the two best teams from the two leagues!  BRILLIANT!! (if I say so myself).  So, New Rule #3 (oops...sorry Bill Maher)..no more inter-league play.

Mar 29, 2010

wouldn't you want to play Commissioner of Baseball? Part II

Issue number Deux (#2 for those who could care less):  "Designated Hitter" or "No DH"! With no offense to Ron Bloomberg, I as the Commish have to decide what to do, oh what to do?  Keep the DH and have offensive onslaughts instead of 2-1 games decided by the "double switch" (is there a triple switch?) with the pitcher now batting in the clean-up position?  Have the batting order hole exploited w/batters #8 and #9?  Or would I want to have a line-up where there is no easy out and the #9 hitter could be someone with 15-20 hrs and 70 RBIs? (No, it is not RBI, it is RBIs!) What benefit does the game get with a pitcher coming to the plate, watch his opponent's knuckle-curve for pointers, and then parade back to the pines?  There are only 27 outs scheduled per team per game, so why give 1-2-3 away?  But on the other hand, how thrilling is to watch a masterful pitchers' gem, like Carmona v. Yankees in 2007?  Those at the Jake (will not call it the Prog) absolutely on the edge of each seat as each pitch becomes more and more important?  Yet, how does that compare to, oh let's see, a 12-something lead disappear into an extra inning win of say 15-14 (remember Omar in extra innings v. Seattle)?  You are not out of the game, (well some teams are not out of it), when a crooked number is placed on the scoreboard, and your team is up to bat? Remember Paul Sorrento and his homer in the last inning to overcome a 9-0 lead by the Blue Jays for the win?  Or how about Bob Gibson and Denny McClain in the '68 World Series going head to head, with neither giving an inch?  Damn it is a hard call, but I as Commish will give you edict Numero Dos, both leagues use the DH! Sorry Bobby Cox; Tony LaRussa; and others.  I for one do not like those gosh awful "double switches"!  They're gone and the DH lives on.  That's for you Ronny!!

wouldn't you want to play Commissioner of Baseball?

In a few short days, summer will officially be here. Maybe not by the calendar, but when the first cry of "Play Ball" is heard, for me, summer is upon us (and my little associate!!).  We are now officially out of the house, taking in all the sights; sounds; and feelings so compelling when watching a baseball game.  The NFL may have the lock on the money generated; basketball may show us remarkable athleticism, but for me, trying to hit a 3" round object coming at you at 90+ MPH and you trying to hit it with a round object 34 oz in weight and only 33" long and trying to be successful .333 percent of the time, is mesmerizing.  But if you could play Bud Selig for a year, what would you do?  There are a few things I would do, and I'll start this by my first step.  Bring back Double Headers!!  Sure, single games bring in more revenue but remember the days when the games were Friday night; Saturday afternoon; and the Sunday Double Header?  I would love to have them back, even if it meant paying a double cost for the game, or clearing out the park between games and coming back in with a second ticket. No Thursday games or Monday games, wrapped around Fri-Sat-Sun to make a four game series; could be used for make-ups; shorten the season so games don't start in snow and end in snow!  Decreased travel and accommodations for short stays.  With baseball the ONLY game played without a clock and MLB trying to speed up a game that has been based on no limits, shorten the season will speed up the season and to me, bring the game back to its glory years; when going to the game was the highlight of a weekend or time to step away from the rat-race we are constantly in.  That's my first installment-more to follow, all leading up to Opening Day at the ol' ballyard.

Mar 28, 2010

are you ready for THIS final four?

OK, the final four is set for next weekend.  Butler v. M.S.U.; and Duke v. W.V.U.. Only one #1 in final four, and I think the winner will be.....?

so far so good on Elite Eight picks!!

Okay, got lucky with Butler and West-by-God Virgin-nnia!  But had seen Butler this year and they are for real..duh..what an understatement!  Have always liked Huggie Bear, even when at U of Cincy.  So for today...Baylor to upset the Dukies, and the Big 10 to be represented by MSU over UTenn!  Therefore, no #1's to the Final Four!  Time for the tube!!

Mar 27, 2010

I still have to post the Elite Eight :=(

So, OSU gets hammered and is out; Cavs lose at Spurs; and MHS Cards lose in State Semi.  Not a very good day for me, but here goes with Elite Eight:

MSU/Tenn -  MSU
But/K ST - on a limb, Butler
UK/WVU - Please Bob Huggins, WVU
Duke/Baylor - Baylor (very much a surprise team)

If this holds, no #1 to the final four.  Final Four posted this week. 

Mar 25, 2010

I gotta set "Sweet Sixteen" picks

OK:  Join in for the "Sweet Sixteen" picks:

Northern Iowa/Mich St-UNI;
Tenn/OSU-OSU;
Syr/Butler-Syr;
XU/K-State-K-State;
UK/Cornell-UK (ugh!);
Wash/WV-WV;
Duke/Purdue-Duke;
Baylor/St. Mary-St. Mary.

Elite Eight posted on Saturday!  Join in!!

Mar 21, 2010

are your sweet sixteen sour?

This will be short, but not sweet.  Have two good picks going into "16" OSU and Butler.  But the big East (notice the small big) played havoc on my brackets (remind me next year to avoid them).  But gotta love Northern Iowa, since I did not, repeat, did not have Kansas going to Final Four (had MSU beat them).  So, it is time to rest and regroup for next weekend.

Mar 19, 2010

are your brackets toast too???

Ahhh, March Madness, Day 1!  Overtime games! Double Overtime games! Buzzer Beaters! Double digit slotted teams win and one, THE Ohio University get a double digit win over a very-who-gives-a-hoot! Georgetown Booyas!!!  Great to see, but ohhh my bracket!  Then I get my Butler Bulldogs to come through, only to see another "great" BB league team fall flat on their Commodore faces (thanks Vanderbuilt and SEC)!  Can you say, O-VER-RATED!!!  But, isn't this why March Madness is so....Mad!!!  You pick an upset, then get an upset at the same time.  Did you watch many games?  Comon' be truthful!  NCAA has live streaming of all games, so you have to be watching!  If not, then you must tell the truth and you're home sick (or having a vasectomy); resting your bones (and other body parts) taking in large quantities of cold liquids (yeah, of course have to stay hydrated, ya know) and keeping the body still so it does not disturb all the medicinal items taken to help with your bout of whatever bug is going around (should only be about a 24-48 hour one this time). So, take good care of yourself, your family and boss are depending on you being back at your slave station on Monday, all rested; eyes bright; and on top of your game, ooppps.. on top of your job skills!  Now let's go OU!  Still time for an OSU - OU match-up for Buckeye State bragging rights!

Mar 17, 2010

do you feel a cold coming on, say around Thursday?

Okay, in a little bit more than 48 hrs, the madness will begin.  Office production may take a little decline, but we have been declining for months anyway, so what the hell a little more won't hurt.  Lunch hours will be extended, for those who get a lunch break!  Streaming on line will go up, if you have uninhibited internet access.  And finally, sick time use may be on the rise, again, if you have paid sick time.  And this is all for what?  Three weekends of blow-outs or close games; high profile student-athletes, okay, maybe just athletes, making unbelievable plays, one that this short white guy can only dream about.  Students cutting classes to travel to distant places for one, maybe two games to cheer on their future alma maters, and never forgetting the experience of being there.  How do I know?  Well 40+ years ago, I and four other classmates, made the trip from Dayton to New York to take in the UD Flyers in the '68 NIT.  Back then, the NCAA only took in 20 or so teams and those "on  the bubble" got invited to the NIT, at Madison Square Garden, in New York, New York. Thought we would be there for a weekend, or a game.  Turned out we stayed all tournament long; missed just one class (how is another story) and celebrated UD's win over Kansas on a St. Pat's weekend in NYC.  Now that was a college class that I got no credit!  So, let the games begin and I will turn my head when my son says he is going to BeeDubs for a game, even if the game is at Noon on Thursday!!  Good Luck to all.

Mar 15, 2010

are you not sure of your brackets, too?

Okay, saw the tons of bracket shows yesterday and still not sure what to do with mine, except to make my picks.  I've entered the "Mike and Mike-Sheets of Integrity" at ESPN.  Here is one, yes one, of my sheets.  I do only two or three, so don't hyperventilate or throw up in your mouth.  Click the link below and join me with yours.

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/entry?entryID=1295230

Mar 13, 2010

are you ready for the "Dance"?

Sunday evening, all the dancing partner's cards will be filled and they will know who they are dancing with.  Unlike DWTS (Dancing With The Stars, for you uninformed media avoiders), these dancing partners get one dance then move on with a new partner.  New steps; new locations; new style; but not new outfits (Thank goodness..could not imagine Evan Turner in Gold sequins).  Then there is the travel to be taken into account.  Never staying in the same place for more than two dances; going from different parts of the US of A; battling time zones; body clocks (not the Flav-R Flay clocks) and anything else that can be a missed step in the dance routine.  With that being said, here are my favorite dancers, well before the dancing begins.  1. Kansas  2. Kinntucky   3.  Siracuse  4.  West-by-God Virginnia  Some partners to emerge may include THE Ohio State University; GeorgiaTown; and Hey Butler!.  Any way, it is  slowing becoming "March Madness" and let the dancing begin.

Mar 10, 2010

do you have "The Nightmare"?

With kudos to Connie Wolski, who for whatever reason, is on the same wave length as I am, responded to "The Dream" post with a "The Nightmare" post possibility.  Yes, I had this lying in wait and was going to do the opposite of "The Dream".  So, here it goes.  Unlike "The Dream" you can cite an actual nightmare, either as a witness; there live or via media; or as a participant.  There have been many "Nightmares" in this championship depraved town, and the list could go on for pages.  But one and only one is to be listed; the most agonizing, gut wrenching, "I can't believe what I just saw (thanks Jack Buck)" moment.  This may take awhile since there have been so many.  Here is mine.

As I recalled in "The Dream", "The Nightmare" is the exact opposite and I saw it unfold once and will not see it ever again.  You know what I mean.  The Jose Mesa debacle (thanks LaBron).  Sitting at home, at 1:00 AM going into the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game of the '97 World Series.  Series tied at 3-3.  Tribe up by one run, and the closer Jose Mesa comes in.  Not a clean inning to begin with, but finally two outs and one out away from the first WS win since, oh  my birth year, 1948.  Johnson the batter.  Mesa blows two strikes by him, with absolutely no effort from Johnson.  Sandy Alomar calles for the heater-but wait!  Mesa shakes him off!  Again fastball called, with Mesa shaking off the pitch again.  Finally Mesa shakes his head and throws...A SLIDER?!?!?!?!?  Or was it A CHANGE-UP/!?!?!?!?!?!?  Whatever the pitch, I see it foating into RF and the tying run scores.  Sadly the rest is history.  Tribe the first team in WS history to take a lead into the last inning of the last game of a WS and LOSE!!!!!!  All because of six inches!  Yep, the six inches between the left ear and right ear of Jose Mesa.  He is not to think on the mound, he is to pitch on the mound.  Once he started thinking, that was it.  To this day, I have not watched any replay of the seventh game of that series, same a Mike Hargrove.  That does not feel good, it still hurts!

Mar 9, 2010

do you have "The Dream"?

Every kid, guy or gal, who has played some kind of sport has had what I call "The Dream".  Y'all know what that is!  Bottom of the ninth, seventh game of the World Series.  Team is down by a run, two outs and you're up.  Man on 1st and 2nd. The best closer is marching in from the bullpen to close out the series. You watch his warm-ups. Fastball's blazin'.  He throws that curve that looks like it fell off the table's edge!  Ump calls "play ball" and you step in.  Right this instant, no one else in the sports world has as many eyes upon them as you right now.  Here's the pitch!  Everyone has had "The Dream".  You visualized mine, so what's yours?


PS:  Got a double in the gap and the tying and winning runs scored and I'm mobbed at 2nd base!

Mar 8, 2010

do you really have a team you hate!

Yes, it is true "I hate the Yankees...always have...always will!!", but do I REALLY hate the Yankees?  Truth be told...hell yeah!!!  Especially the fans!!  OMG, going to a Tribe game and see all that NY garbage splashing over the crowd makes one want to...puke!  Then that word "puke" really and I mean REALLY takes me to the team I HATE--REALLY HATE!  That is the Pittspuke Stealers!  Spelling is correct!  To those who wear the coal and urine colors, they think professional football started in 1970.  Funny, but before that year seems to me, a team in Cleveland had won four NFL Championships (same league the Stealers failed to hit the .500 mark in) and four titles in the old AAFC (league that included the 49ers).  So that makes 8 titles, albeit in two leagues.  But I digress.  Did you ever see a game at old Forbes Field? Horrendous for football.  Then they move to the bagel bowl on cement.  Guess with a hard head and no brains, who cared what you played on.  Then the steal a game from both the Raiders and the Oilers, to get to what is now called the Super Bowl.  Then because they have such putrid beer, what is it called, Iron City Beer, (tastes like the color of urine-see the link) they have to come to C'Town to take in the Stealers/Browns game since the place was better; the beer was and is better; and you could get something better than just a perogi sandwich.  So, I may hate the Yankees and will always hate them, there is a little sence of respect in my feelings.  With the Pittspuke Stealers, the hate is real and if ever the NFL needs to contract teams, Roger should look very closely at them.  Whew, that felt good!!!

Mar 7, 2010

do you see what I see?

Finally, two, yes count them, two days in a row and the sun is shinning (get me my shades)!  And to make it even better, my  Tribe has won two straight games in Cactus League play!  As some one recently said, "Whoo Hooo"!  Yeah, I know it is spring training and nothing counts.  Well, after the past two years, there has to be a starting point, and these are small (okay, microscopic) steps in the right direction.  Earlier posts acknowledged my feelings for Eric Wedge as a big league manager.  No knock against him as a person, but as a manager, I think my son could have accomplished the same as he.  (My son, oh he just started his teen years!!  Only kidding dude, I know you are old enough to drive and drink, better not be together tho!)  Any way, there were times at the Jake when we took in games and guessed what Wedge was going to do, not in a positive way, but in a critique of Wedge's managing skills (or lack thereof).  More than not, we were right on point!  So what does that tell ya?  Either I am in the wrong profession, or Wedge was!  Since I am still a season ticket holder, the answer lies with Wedge.  Does Manny Acta give me and other fans hope and optimism?  Why not?  When you are at the bottom a division that has the KC Royals, you search for SOMETHING!  Even if it is two meaningless spring training games.  The purpose of spring training is to wet the juices of the fans, not get the players ready for the year.  Hell, baseball like all other professional sports is a year-round activity.  No more ending the  season; rest through the winter, get to spring training and get in shape for the season.  Too much money floating around to act the old way.  One of the reasons the Tribe went back to Arizona was the climate and more players live in the area year-round.  So give them the best complex for the  off season and get rid of the old off season.  And the Tribe is not the only team doing this.  But back to my Tribe.  Another step in the right direction, is Manny being Manny (not that Manny, but our Manny).  He is the mgr. and he is going to do what he feels is correct.  First thing, take the only established star (Grady) and move him into a better line-up slot to take advantage of Grady's skills.  Bravo Manny!  Good move and don't stop there.  Put Jo-hanny Peralta in the line-up at 3rd and tell him, produce or sit the pines.  Screw his ego.  I for one have had enough of his matador defense at SS (you know waving at a feeble ground ball and say, O-lay!) And let's stop this STUPID-STUPID idea of having 9 guys in the line-up who can play all nine positions, but not one well!!!  Where ever did Wedge get that genius of an idea.  Find the best position player at each position; put them there and tell them to play! Period!  That does not seem like rocket science to me.  How about you?  Finally, just give me a team of players who want to play; give the extra to learn; and get on the field and do it.  No more DeLucci/Michaels tandems that can't even combine to hit .230+, 10 HRS and 50 RBIs. Example-who is a starting OF for the Mariners?  Couple of seconds more.  None other than Franklin Guiterriz!  Where did they get him...oh yeah, Cleveland.  Wedge just never gave him a long stretch in the line-up without FG feeling one misstep and he is back riding the pines, or steel whatever a bench is now made of.

So, keep the sun a shinning; keep the Tribe a winning, and I'll keep a believing cause that is all we can do right now.

Mar 4, 2010

do you follow another team?

As sports fans (BTW: short for fanatical), we all follow certain teams, usually in our home town, or current town (maybe).  With that said, who do you follow other than your fav team?  Or, what team would NEVER EVER ABSOLUTELY NOT follow?
I'll start:  MLB-gotta love the Cubbies, especially after taking in a game at Wrigley. No need to state my off the wall comments about the Yankees!  NFL: Hard one, since I follow FB but not as diligently as MLB.  But if I must choose it would be the NY Giants-love the old school uniforms.  Close second would be Minn Vikes.  NBA-Have had a love-hate feeling w/Celtics.  Follow them to see them lose, so that's my NBA pick.  NHL: No team here so follow Penguins.  Not really into C'Bus Blue Jackets, so Pens get the pick.  Close second-NY Islanders, BGSU/Olympic grad Ken Morrow played with Isles and that kept me watching.  Now yours!

Mar 2, 2010

are you too, tired of the snow?

Now that it is March, that means three things.  One snow should be ending, I hope!  Two, opening day is less than 4 weeks away! And three, "MARCH MADNESS"!!! IMO, the four weeks devoted to this tournament is the best event spread over a few weeks and weekends.  Unknown teams take on the Big Names (last year-Cleveland State v. Wake Forrest for example) always spark the early draws and games.  Further the march goes, the more the Big Names prevail.  With that said, and the brackets not up yet, who do you see as an unknown team making a big splash?  What big name team makes the big splash by getting dumped!  Who is your favorite right now and will you change it as the brackets will be formed?  Will you play a bracket sheet? One or Many?  OK..get ready..tipoff is just a week away!  Go Flyers!!!