Time For A Break

We slide in to the 2008 All-Star Break with some CFCL Notes, some Non-CFCL Notes and a combination of both.

The Red Hots “win” the Sabathia bidding. Nothing against Bob, but here’s hoping the Brewers sign Sabathia to a nice long contract (at least one that lasts past Opening Day, 2009). I want to see Bob work his magic with 2.05 to spend on 22 players (9.3 cent average).

At the close of games on July11th, BEHOLD! The DoorMatts led the league! He’s there without the help of his best outfielder for more than half the year so far and by trading one of the best starting pitchers in the NL.

At the close of games on July 12th, BEHOLD! The DoorMatts were tied for first with the Stones. Three short weeks ago the Matts were in 6th place, 14 points behind the Stones. This is shaping up to be perhaps the best CFCL season yet.

The Stones have posted a few times on the Live Scoring Board “How am I still in first place?” For a while I wondered the same thing (no offense, Steve). But it all became obvious with the Cubs game on Saturday against the Giants. The Cubs at one point were leading 7-0, but more importantly entered the 9th inning leading 7-2. They led by FIVE RUNS!!!!!! Lou – I have to ask, “Why in the hell is Marmol pitching in the 9th?” Marmol has pitched 51.1 innings in 48 games already this year. Last year he pitched 69.1 innings in 59 games.

Marmol is on pace to pitch in 101 games and 118 innings. Some of the Rebel starters won’t pitch that many innings! If his arm doesn’t fall off, Marmol will end up pitching more than twice as many innings this year as last. And the kicker is WE DIDN’T NEED HIM SATURDAY!!!! We had a five run lead!!! Send in Lieber, send in Marshall, hell send in DeRosa. Lock Marmol in his house and say “we won’t be using you for a while.” Sure he’s been ineffective lately. Could it be he’s worn out?

And here’s where it all made sense for me. EVEN THE STONES HAD THE SENSE TO BENCH MARMOL!!!!! I fully expected to see the Stones drop to third after Marmol’s hellacious outing. But no, they’re still perched in first. Why? Because they used their god-given brains and said HE NEEDS A REST!!!

Tuesday is the All-Star game. Thank heaven because the Rebels, Bulls, Stones and Ruffins need some salary relief. However there are some things wrong with Tuesday’s game. King Bud-dumber has decreed that the game will have importance if it decides who has home field advantage for the World Series. He didn’t change anything else, like having retarded fans vote for the starting line up. Fukodome and Soriano were elected to start, despite not deserving it. Oh wait – this just in. It’s not just the fans fault. Marmol is going to the All-Star game. Marmol is a wonderful young pitcher, but there isn’t much that he has done in the last month and a half that says “All-Star”.

What Bud-dumber out to do is have the teams picked by the managers and a committee of National League veterans and American League Veterans. Say people like Tony Gwynn, Tommy Lasorda and Joe Morgan (hate to increase his ego, but he played when the players cared about winning the game). On the other side you could have Cal Ripken, Frank Robinson and Sparky Anderson. Maybe throw in Peter Gammons to be a voice of reason as well. And don’t make it a requirement that every team be represented in the game. That works if it’s an exhibition, but since this matters, it should be the best 25 players in each league coming to compete. And they may not all play. Some guys may ride the bench the whole game.

Better yet? Don’t change a thing other than taking the home field advantage off the outcome of the game. Give it to the team that finishes with the best record.

On a sad note, Bobby Murcer passed away on Saturday. Bobby became a Cub in a controversial trade that sent Bill Madlock to the San Francisco Giants. My lasting memory of Murcer is going to Wrigley in August of ’77 for my 11th birthday. Murcer hit a solo homerun to right. As an eleven year old fan, I went nuts, as did the whole crowd. The cheers were starting to die down as he rounded third and I decided that he needed a big cheer as he touched home plate. So as his foot hit the dish, I yelled out from the upper deck “Way to go, Bobby!!!” The people seated in the row in front of me looked around trying to figure out why I was so much further behind the rest of the crowd. Little did they know that Bobby needed a special cheer since he hit a homerun for my birthday that was two days away.