The 24th Season of the CFCL has come to a close. We bring it all full circle with a couple of firsts and a 22nd.
We have a first-time champion – Congratulations to the Kenndoza Line. Despite living and working in the Queen City and letting his son flail about on the floor next to him while he’s on the computer, Kenn ran a strong campaign and executed the necessary trade to put him over the top.
For the first time ever it took the fourth extra inning of the 163rd game of the season to officially crown the CFCL Champion.
For the 22nd time in CFCL history the National League Home Run Champ was not on the CFCL Champion. Prince Fielder joined dad Cecil as the only father/son duos to have over 50 homeruns in a season, but it wasn’t enough to power the Rebels past the powerhouse Copperfields, defending champion Ruffins and new champion Line. There’s a certain logic out there that says “Dudes dig the longball” and therefore will over pay for it. So Pujols goes for .55. In years past McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Strawberry and the ilk would command top penny. The owner providing the winning bid would rationalize that it helped tremendously in one category (HRs, then TBs) and if the guy was hitting that many HRs, then RBIs and Runs must surely come in abundance as well. That would then effectively restrict the salary cap for additional talented players. What’s interesting is that the last two National League Home Run Champions, Fielder and Ryan Howard, were playing at the Minor League Call-Up salary, so Dem Rebels and David’s Copperfields had plenty of other money to spend.
For the first time in history we had two worthy owners completely disappear for no apparent reason. Oh sure, we’ve had owners give up in years past, but they were basically vile, despicable scum. This year’s disappearance is baffling.
For the first time ever we had the top four teams enter the final weekend of the season separated by only 4.5 points with many points in play. The six point spread, 1st-4th, at the close of the day Monday belies how close this race really was. With two games still being played on Sunday (Dodgers and Giants in the 7th inning; the Rockies and Diamondbacks in the 8th inning) the Ruffins still had a chance to gain one point and the Line had a chance to lost two points which would have put both teams in a flat footed tie (has there ever been a tippy-toe tie?) with 92 points. Sunday didn’t end in a tie. The Line led the Ruffins 93 – 90.5. But then we had the Play In game. At the end of the second inning, The Line was up to 95 points and the Ruffins were at 90.5. Going in to the top of the 6th, The Line lost all the points the gained and now there was one point separating the top two spots AND they were deadlocked in Runs with 983. That means that if Adrian Gonzalez scored one more run, we would have a tie at 92.
For the fifth time in CFCL history, nine of us are thrilled that the Cubs will be playing in October. And nine of us are petrified as to what lies ahead in the post-season.
And for the first time in CFCL history, we owners are left with the conundrum of what to do at night without Sportsline’s Live Scoring.
Great season, ten of you! Enjoy the playoffs!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Who's More Lovable?
The world believes that the Cubs are loveable. Usually the word “losers” follows loveable. My mind started to wander to a comparison of 2003 and 2007. Is one more “lovable” than the other? When I think back to my innocence, 1984’s team is much more “lovable” than 1989. Could be that ’84 was the first time the Cubs made the playoffs since 1945, could be they were only, what, three innings away from the World Series.
So below I have a position by position comparison of 2003 and 2007. The criteria for who “wins” isn’t necessarily who put up the best stats. It’s who you (I guess I mean “I”) really enjoyed, could be because of production, could be because he played the game right, could be because he just had “it”, that indescribable quality that made me glad he was a Cub.
Alfonso Soriano vs. Moises Alou This one’s tough. I really liked Alou. Loved his 22 homeruns and 91 ribbies. But then he goes down the leftfield line in October for a lazy foul flyball. Doesn’t catch it so he stamps his foot like my 10 year old and throws a girlie-fit. Soriano has had a couple of good games with clutch hits, but hasn’t given me the warm fuzzies for any particular reason. This one goes to Alou for everything until the 8th inning of game 6.
Jacque Jones vs. Corey Patterson Jones has been maligned and has come back to have a solid year when most guys would pout for the way the fans have treated him and for being on the bench for the beginning part of the season. Patterson was on the come and hadn’t yet become the Corey Patterson we all cringe about. I tell you, for the way Jones has handled himself this year, I give him the edge.
Cliff Floyd vs. Sammy Sosa I’m not even going to be objective. Floyd has dealt with a father who passed away and injuries. Sosa is a moron. I’m sure I enjoyed the homeruns and the hop, but it never really grew on me. Floyd is much more enjoyable and lovable.
Aramis Ramirez vs. Aramis Ramirez Ramirez from ’03 was more lovable. He had just come over, put up solid numbers and was a pleasant change from Bellhorn, Harris, Martinez & Co. Ramirez in ’07 likes to Cadillac his way around the bases and seems to swing at every damn outside pitch that he makes Shawon Dunston look like a patient man. ’03 Ramirez in a rout.
Ryan Theriot vs. Alex Gonzalez I was a big, big Gonzalez fan. Loved him all year long, but c’mon Alex, one damn groundball!!! What is so f***ing hard about that? Theriot is the sparkplug we haven’t had since Bob Dernier. The guy that didn’t have a position when the season started and just played ball all year so that Pinella had to give him the job. How can you not love that? Theriot wins.
Mark DeRosa vs. Mark Grudzielanek I don’t have strong feelings here. Always liked Grud, even before becoming a Cub; but this is about the impression of a ballplayer for the ’03 or ’07 team. I don’t have any excessively great or bad feelings toward Grud, while DeRosa has had a lot of clutch hits so I will give this one to DeRosa and point to my weakened long-term memory. Correction, DeRosa wins in a landslide due to his 5 for 5 game and game winning hit against the Reds on Monday night.
Derrek Lee vs. Erik Karros Isn’t this ironic? Lee was a big reason the Cubs didn’t make it to New York in ’03 and here he is on our side in ’07. I’m not biased here, Lee is awesome. While the power numbers haven’t been there, he is a leader, plays amazing defense and is impossible not to love. Karros was cool and perhaps did the classiest thing any Cub has ever done by taking out a full page ad after the ’03 season, thanking the fans for the opportunity and support. If he was up against anyone but Lee, he’d have my vote.
Michael Barrett vs. Damian Miller Wow, even less interest here than at secondbase. Barrett’s stock keeps dropping with each passing day and he’s not even a Cub any more. Miller wins by default. [Side note – I am basing this all on who played the position most during the year. As we go to press, Barrett still has more ABs than Kendall and Soto may end up being the fan favorite before the year is out.]
Carlos Zambrano & Ted Lilly vs. Mark Prior & Kerry Wood Prior and Wood were the Golden Children. They were supposed to bring us many World Series appearances, and in ’03 it looked like the beginning of great things. Zambrano (also there in ’03 but fourth in the rotation behind the Boys and Clement) is hard to love for his antics. Lilly has been solid and really the ace of ’07. But his name describes his persona; lily white, nothing to latch on to. Wood and Prior win going away.
Bobby Howry, Carlos Marmol, Ryan Dempster vs. Mike Remlinger, Kyle Farnsworth, Joe Borowski People seem to have issues with Howry, though I’ve enjoyed his presence. Marmol has been just a wonderful surprise and Dempster is, well, this year’s Borowski. About the only thing memorable or lovable about the ’03 three is when Farnsworth planted Paul Wilson with the best tackle this city has seen since Singletary retired. I’ll go with Howry, Marmol and Dempster.
Mike Fontenot vs. Randall Simon Having plucked Fontenot from the FA pool and watching him get big hits early in the season might give him an edge, but Simon was The Man when he came over from Pittsburgh. Seems like every time the Cubs needed a double, homerun or simple base hit, Simon was there to deliver. Simon gets the nod here.
Lou Pinella vs. Dusty Baker Neither one captivates me the way Zimmer and Frey did. I will have to admit that Baker seemed to have the magic until he mismanaged the bullpen against Florida. Baker seems to have the edge unless Lou somehow gets the Cubs to be the team that ends the season with a win. If that happens, he’s a god!
I noticed a trend in my mind. I had to keep putting myself back in “2003 Mode”. After ’03 I have come to hate Baker, Alou, Prior and Sosa. But during that year I loved Alou and Prior, didn’t mind Baker so much and probably tolerated Sosa more than I would care to admit. Comments and analysis are welcome on the CFCL Forum.
So below I have a position by position comparison of 2003 and 2007. The criteria for who “wins” isn’t necessarily who put up the best stats. It’s who you (I guess I mean “I”) really enjoyed, could be because of production, could be because he played the game right, could be because he just had “it”, that indescribable quality that made me glad he was a Cub.
Alfonso Soriano vs. Moises Alou This one’s tough. I really liked Alou. Loved his 22 homeruns and 91 ribbies. But then he goes down the leftfield line in October for a lazy foul flyball. Doesn’t catch it so he stamps his foot like my 10 year old and throws a girlie-fit. Soriano has had a couple of good games with clutch hits, but hasn’t given me the warm fuzzies for any particular reason. This one goes to Alou for everything until the 8th inning of game 6.
Jacque Jones vs. Corey Patterson Jones has been maligned and has come back to have a solid year when most guys would pout for the way the fans have treated him and for being on the bench for the beginning part of the season. Patterson was on the come and hadn’t yet become the Corey Patterson we all cringe about. I tell you, for the way Jones has handled himself this year, I give him the edge.
Cliff Floyd vs. Sammy Sosa I’m not even going to be objective. Floyd has dealt with a father who passed away and injuries. Sosa is a moron. I’m sure I enjoyed the homeruns and the hop, but it never really grew on me. Floyd is much more enjoyable and lovable.
Aramis Ramirez vs. Aramis Ramirez Ramirez from ’03 was more lovable. He had just come over, put up solid numbers and was a pleasant change from Bellhorn, Harris, Martinez & Co. Ramirez in ’07 likes to Cadillac his way around the bases and seems to swing at every damn outside pitch that he makes Shawon Dunston look like a patient man. ’03 Ramirez in a rout.
Ryan Theriot vs. Alex Gonzalez I was a big, big Gonzalez fan. Loved him all year long, but c’mon Alex, one damn groundball!!! What is so f***ing hard about that? Theriot is the sparkplug we haven’t had since Bob Dernier. The guy that didn’t have a position when the season started and just played ball all year so that Pinella had to give him the job. How can you not love that? Theriot wins.
Mark DeRosa vs. Mark Grudzielanek I don’t have strong feelings here. Always liked Grud, even before becoming a Cub; but this is about the impression of a ballplayer for the ’03 or ’07 team. I don’t have any excessively great or bad feelings toward Grud, while DeRosa has had a lot of clutch hits so I will give this one to DeRosa and point to my weakened long-term memory. Correction, DeRosa wins in a landslide due to his 5 for 5 game and game winning hit against the Reds on Monday night.
Derrek Lee vs. Erik Karros Isn’t this ironic? Lee was a big reason the Cubs didn’t make it to New York in ’03 and here he is on our side in ’07. I’m not biased here, Lee is awesome. While the power numbers haven’t been there, he is a leader, plays amazing defense and is impossible not to love. Karros was cool and perhaps did the classiest thing any Cub has ever done by taking out a full page ad after the ’03 season, thanking the fans for the opportunity and support. If he was up against anyone but Lee, he’d have my vote.
Michael Barrett vs. Damian Miller Wow, even less interest here than at secondbase. Barrett’s stock keeps dropping with each passing day and he’s not even a Cub any more. Miller wins by default. [Side note – I am basing this all on who played the position most during the year. As we go to press, Barrett still has more ABs than Kendall and Soto may end up being the fan favorite before the year is out.]
Carlos Zambrano & Ted Lilly vs. Mark Prior & Kerry Wood Prior and Wood were the Golden Children. They were supposed to bring us many World Series appearances, and in ’03 it looked like the beginning of great things. Zambrano (also there in ’03 but fourth in the rotation behind the Boys and Clement) is hard to love for his antics. Lilly has been solid and really the ace of ’07. But his name describes his persona; lily white, nothing to latch on to. Wood and Prior win going away.
Bobby Howry, Carlos Marmol, Ryan Dempster vs. Mike Remlinger, Kyle Farnsworth, Joe Borowski People seem to have issues with Howry, though I’ve enjoyed his presence. Marmol has been just a wonderful surprise and Dempster is, well, this year’s Borowski. About the only thing memorable or lovable about the ’03 three is when Farnsworth planted Paul Wilson with the best tackle this city has seen since Singletary retired. I’ll go with Howry, Marmol and Dempster.
Mike Fontenot vs. Randall Simon Having plucked Fontenot from the FA pool and watching him get big hits early in the season might give him an edge, but Simon was The Man when he came over from Pittsburgh. Seems like every time the Cubs needed a double, homerun or simple base hit, Simon was there to deliver. Simon gets the nod here.
Lou Pinella vs. Dusty Baker Neither one captivates me the way Zimmer and Frey did. I will have to admit that Baker seemed to have the magic until he mismanaged the bullpen against Florida. Baker seems to have the edge unless Lou somehow gets the Cubs to be the team that ends the season with a win. If that happens, he’s a god!
I noticed a trend in my mind. I had to keep putting myself back in “2003 Mode”. After ’03 I have come to hate Baker, Alou, Prior and Sosa. But during that year I loved Alou and Prior, didn’t mind Baker so much and probably tolerated Sosa more than I would care to admit. Comments and analysis are welcome on the CFCL Forum.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Honeymoon Is Over
Dateline: Fort Payne, Alabama
This breaking news was reported straight from Dem Rebels Headquarters. Rebel pitching ace, Carlos Zambrano, has been suspended indefinitely by the Rebels.
At a press conference, held Tuesday, September 4th, Rich Bentel, General Manager of Dem Rebels released this statement. “Dem Rebels have determined it is necessary to take the action of suspending pitcher Carlos Zambrano for his comments and actions that we feel are detrimental to our fans and our ballclub.”
This stems from Zambrano’s latest outing in which he made a series of questionable decisions and gave up eight earned runs on seven hits and five walks in four and a third innings.
"When he walked off the field pointing to his head and ears (as the fans were booing), I thought he was telling our great fans: 'I hear you, you're right. I understand why you're frustrated'" said Head Rebel Bentel. "I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then for him to storm after the game into the Rebels Press Pagoda and proceed to rip our fans - the very ones that pay him his exorbitant .30 salary - well that dog won't hunt."
Zambrano showed some contrition the next day admitting he made a mistake. "When I make a mistake I admit it. I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Apparently Bentel isn't that moved. "He SHOULD apologize. We've been dealing with his antics all year long. We pay him good money, gave up a top closer to acquire him in the off season, and all we deal with is crackerbarrel garbage. In his last outing alone we saw him run through his thirdbase coach’s stop sign, stab at a grounder with his barehand and walk off the field showing up the fans. In previous starts he’s broken bats over his knee, bounced around the mound showing up the opposition and smacked himself in the head with his bat. Although I have to admit, when he clocked Barrett (of the rival Copperfields) I didn't mind it none too much."
Bentel continued "But we are in the middle of a heated pennant race. We need Quality Starts and a lot of strikeouts from Zambrano. We don't need him blowing stop signs and reaching for groundballs with his bare hand. If he wants to be part of this winning tradition that we've established for the last three months, he's going to have to prove that he can contribute to the team. Right now Harang and Maddux are carrying his large hindquarters, and that just ain't right."
"We've got El Duque on the sideline and a few other starters that forgot how to pitch. Zambrano needs to step up and show he's worth the coin he's receiving. We can’t afford any stupid mistakes. We’re three points off the lead and until Zambrano can prove to us that he won’t hurt the team more than help it, he’s on the bench. And let me tell you, if he still thinks he gets to ride shotgun in the Rebel Mobile Home Cruiser for the next roadtrip to The Projects against David’s Ruffins, he has another think comin’"
This breaking news was reported straight from Dem Rebels Headquarters. Rebel pitching ace, Carlos Zambrano, has been suspended indefinitely by the Rebels.
At a press conference, held Tuesday, September 4th, Rich Bentel, General Manager of Dem Rebels released this statement. “Dem Rebels have determined it is necessary to take the action of suspending pitcher Carlos Zambrano for his comments and actions that we feel are detrimental to our fans and our ballclub.”
This stems from Zambrano’s latest outing in which he made a series of questionable decisions and gave up eight earned runs on seven hits and five walks in four and a third innings.
"When he walked off the field pointing to his head and ears (as the fans were booing), I thought he was telling our great fans: 'I hear you, you're right. I understand why you're frustrated'" said Head Rebel Bentel. "I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then for him to storm after the game into the Rebels Press Pagoda and proceed to rip our fans - the very ones that pay him his exorbitant .30 salary - well that dog won't hunt."
Zambrano showed some contrition the next day admitting he made a mistake. "When I make a mistake I admit it. I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Apparently Bentel isn't that moved. "He SHOULD apologize. We've been dealing with his antics all year long. We pay him good money, gave up a top closer to acquire him in the off season, and all we deal with is crackerbarrel garbage. In his last outing alone we saw him run through his thirdbase coach’s stop sign, stab at a grounder with his barehand and walk off the field showing up the fans. In previous starts he’s broken bats over his knee, bounced around the mound showing up the opposition and smacked himself in the head with his bat. Although I have to admit, when he clocked Barrett (of the rival Copperfields) I didn't mind it none too much."
Bentel continued "But we are in the middle of a heated pennant race. We need Quality Starts and a lot of strikeouts from Zambrano. We don't need him blowing stop signs and reaching for groundballs with his bare hand. If he wants to be part of this winning tradition that we've established for the last three months, he's going to have to prove that he can contribute to the team. Right now Harang and Maddux are carrying his large hindquarters, and that just ain't right."
"We've got El Duque on the sideline and a few other starters that forgot how to pitch. Zambrano needs to step up and show he's worth the coin he's receiving. We can’t afford any stupid mistakes. We’re three points off the lead and until Zambrano can prove to us that he won’t hurt the team more than help it, he’s on the bench. And let me tell you, if he still thinks he gets to ride shotgun in the Rebel Mobile Home Cruiser for the next roadtrip to The Projects against David’s Ruffins, he has another think comin’"
Monday, September 10, 2007
Paradise Lost
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Even though Kenn is starting to pull away a little, we have had an amazing four team race for almost the entire 2007 season. We also, however, are witnessing two amazing apathetic ways to run a team.
Before I get too deep into this I understand that there are all kinds of reasons owners may "drop out" during the season, ranging from the happy (birth of a child, wedding, etc.) to the mundane (very busy with work or other activities) to the tragic (serious health issues, death of a loved one, etc). There's also the possibility that they've simply lost interest. In all but the most tragic of reasons, you'd at least expect some kind of interaction - or at least a note saying "guys, work is killing me now and I just can't focus on the CFCL." Without that kind of notice, it's natural to assume they've lost interest.
The Splinters and Meisters have disengaged themselves from day to day (hell, even month to month) operations of their franchises. The last Splinter transaction was recorded on 6/22/07 (the last of five transactions all year). The last Meister transaction was recorded on 5/27/07 (also the last of five transactions all year). You may think, ‘So what, Rich. If they don’t want to replace an injured player, they’re just hurting themselves (in Teddy’s case not trying for something better than seventh place) or saving themselves time (in Paul’s case).’ True, but let’s look at the standings:
Meisters .036 behind Copperfields in ERA (He was .02 behind a week ago)
Meisters tied in H/S with Copperfields and four behind Ruffins (a week ago he was ahead of both by 1)
Splinters 3 H/S behind Kenndoza
Meisters .001 behind Rebels in K/BB (a week ago, he was ahead by .04)
Splinters 12 RBI behind Kenndoza
Meisters 14 QS behind Copperfields
Splinters 7 QS behind Ruffins
Meisters .003 behind Rebels in OBP
On the Splinters Roster:
Henry Owens and Jon Lieber are out for season (look at Holds and QS)
On the Meisters Roster
Chris Guzman out since late June
Scott Rolen out for year since 8/28 (look at OBP)
Zach Duke out since 6/28
Randy Wolf out for year since 7/3 (look at K/BB, QS)
Steve Finley released by the Rockies in mid-June
Craig Wilson released by the Pirates in early May
Neal Cotts out of the majors since May 20th
That’s over 30% of the “active” roster that hasn’t been very active.
And it’s not like the Meisters didn't have someone available to replace Finley and Wilson on their roster. On the Meisters RESERVE roster: Nate McLouth (18 SB) and Michael Bourn (also 18 SB). Now I don’t know why McLouth wouldn’t get activated. Bourn could be a different situation. To date Bourn has 111 ABs, so Paul could be holding out hope that Bourn won’t get to the plate another 24 times so his M contract won’t kick in to a D this year. While this is a fact, (Bourn’s ABs) it’s probably more of a serendipitous event rather than a conscious effort.
If the Meisters had replaced Finley and Wilson (0 SB combined) with McLouth and Bourn (36 SB combined), they would have had enough steals to pass the Picts, Stones, AND Copperfields in that category. That alone (at the time we went to press) would have tied the Meisters with the Lambchops and moved the Copperfields down into a tie for third with the Rebels. The Meisters have more SB sitting on their Reserve roster right now than the Splinters have on their Active AND Reserve roster combined! Clearly Paul checked out of the CFCL 3-4 months ago.
Both teams have their full compliment of FAAB ($1.00). But even more amazing or should I say disappointing is that neither the Meisters nor Splinters even bothered to bid on a single player all year long. Contrast that with the Bulls who bid on 29 players and the Kenndoza Line who bid on 26. Are you telling me that Mark Teixeira, Carlos Marmol, Brad Hennessey or Rick Ankiel wouldn’t have been worthy additions for this year or next? Plus the fact, three of those players made their way to two of the top four teams. Where would those teams be without those key additions? Add to that, not one Waiver Claim has been made by either team. [We interrupt our program for this very important message – Keep in mind the Transaction Reporting Deadline was moved to Sunday afternoon largely influenced by the Splinters who wanted the luxury of sitting in bed Sunday morning with his laptop to plot out the upcoming week’s strategy – We now join our regularly scheduled program, already in progress]
And that’s just the influence on the title. There is a battle for fifth and seventh place that’s being influenced by this indifference.
When a team goes through extended periods with disabled or demoted players on their active roster, it does a disservice not only to that team, but to the league as a whole. We're all entitled to a "good race" - which means that we should be able to assume that all teams are making their best effort, despite their place in the overall standings.
Inactive teams need to realize that in a Roto League, it's not just their own teams that are affected by their inactivity. For every point they lose, it means some other team is gaining a point. If that team happens to be a contender, the team that's "given up" is affecting the Championship results. They owe it to the other contenders to create an atmosphere where no team can coast past inactive teams.
Right before the trading frenzy I was a bit put out by what I felt was a lopsided trade between the Stones and Kenndoza Line. Having conversed with both Steve and Kenn over the weeks following the trade, I understand that they each felt they got value from the trade. While I still think the trade could have been made without so many high priced, so called studs making their way to Kenn, that could be peanuts compared the way the standings were affected by Teddy and Paul pulling a Doug Henning and disappearing for the majority of the baseball season.
Throughout the 24 years of the CFCL, owners have dealt with the following: Busy work schedules, their own weddings, births of children, honeymoons, deaths of family members and co-workers, divorces, career changes, birthdays, health setbacks. And these are just the things that I’ve been aware of. Yet somehow owners have persevered through to run their teams to the best of their abilities.
I’m not saying that we all have to spend five hours a day pouring over our team and the league, because none of us has the time to do that – except for Grage who annually makes something like four scouting trips to spring training, three to the Arizona Fall League, seven or eight in season trips to Wrigley or the BOB on top of his four satellite dishes and MLB.com Ultra-Season package.
But I am saying that the twelve owners as a whole, and the history of the league, are deserving of a commitment from each owner to make sure the season is as competitive as possible. It's very possible that Teddy and Paul have very serious, legitimate reasons for their lack of involvement, and no one is saying the CFCL should take precedence over major, life-altering events. If Paul and Teddy have been dealing with serious non-CFCL issues this season, their inaction is understandable and completely excusable. If, on the other hand, they're simply disappointed with the teams they drafted or found something "better" to do rather than look after a second-division fantasy team, then they're letting the rest of us down.
A number of years ago, Cincinnati Bengal football coach, Sam Wyche got on the loudspeaker as Bengal fans were acting out of control, throwing things on the field. His admonition was “You don’t live in Cleveland. You live in Cincinnati!”
My comment to all of us is “You’re not part of some dumbass, generic fantasy league. You’re part of the CFCL! Play like it!”
Before I get too deep into this I understand that there are all kinds of reasons owners may "drop out" during the season, ranging from the happy (birth of a child, wedding, etc.) to the mundane (very busy with work or other activities) to the tragic (serious health issues, death of a loved one, etc). There's also the possibility that they've simply lost interest. In all but the most tragic of reasons, you'd at least expect some kind of interaction - or at least a note saying "guys, work is killing me now and I just can't focus on the CFCL." Without that kind of notice, it's natural to assume they've lost interest.
The Splinters and Meisters have disengaged themselves from day to day (hell, even month to month) operations of their franchises. The last Splinter transaction was recorded on 6/22/07 (the last of five transactions all year). The last Meister transaction was recorded on 5/27/07 (also the last of five transactions all year). You may think, ‘So what, Rich. If they don’t want to replace an injured player, they’re just hurting themselves (in Teddy’s case not trying for something better than seventh place) or saving themselves time (in Paul’s case).’ True, but let’s look at the standings:
Meisters .036 behind Copperfields in ERA (He was .02 behind a week ago)
Meisters tied in H/S with Copperfields and four behind Ruffins (a week ago he was ahead of both by 1)
Splinters 3 H/S behind Kenndoza
Meisters .001 behind Rebels in K/BB (a week ago, he was ahead by .04)
Splinters 12 RBI behind Kenndoza
Meisters 14 QS behind Copperfields
Splinters 7 QS behind Ruffins
Meisters .003 behind Rebels in OBP
On the Splinters Roster:
Henry Owens and Jon Lieber are out for season (look at Holds and QS)
On the Meisters Roster
Chris Guzman out since late June
Scott Rolen out for year since 8/28 (look at OBP)
Zach Duke out since 6/28
Randy Wolf out for year since 7/3 (look at K/BB, QS)
Steve Finley released by the Rockies in mid-June
Craig Wilson released by the Pirates in early May
Neal Cotts out of the majors since May 20th
That’s over 30% of the “active” roster that hasn’t been very active.
And it’s not like the Meisters didn't have someone available to replace Finley and Wilson on their roster. On the Meisters RESERVE roster: Nate McLouth (18 SB) and Michael Bourn (also 18 SB). Now I don’t know why McLouth wouldn’t get activated. Bourn could be a different situation. To date Bourn has 111 ABs, so Paul could be holding out hope that Bourn won’t get to the plate another 24 times so his M contract won’t kick in to a D this year. While this is a fact, (Bourn’s ABs) it’s probably more of a serendipitous event rather than a conscious effort.
If the Meisters had replaced Finley and Wilson (0 SB combined) with McLouth and Bourn (36 SB combined), they would have had enough steals to pass the Picts, Stones, AND Copperfields in that category. That alone (at the time we went to press) would have tied the Meisters with the Lambchops and moved the Copperfields down into a tie for third with the Rebels. The Meisters have more SB sitting on their Reserve roster right now than the Splinters have on their Active AND Reserve roster combined! Clearly Paul checked out of the CFCL 3-4 months ago.
Both teams have their full compliment of FAAB ($1.00). But even more amazing or should I say disappointing is that neither the Meisters nor Splinters even bothered to bid on a single player all year long. Contrast that with the Bulls who bid on 29 players and the Kenndoza Line who bid on 26. Are you telling me that Mark Teixeira, Carlos Marmol, Brad Hennessey or Rick Ankiel wouldn’t have been worthy additions for this year or next? Plus the fact, three of those players made their way to two of the top four teams. Where would those teams be without those key additions? Add to that, not one Waiver Claim has been made by either team. [We interrupt our program for this very important message – Keep in mind the Transaction Reporting Deadline was moved to Sunday afternoon largely influenced by the Splinters who wanted the luxury of sitting in bed Sunday morning with his laptop to plot out the upcoming week’s strategy – We now join our regularly scheduled program, already in progress]
And that’s just the influence on the title. There is a battle for fifth and seventh place that’s being influenced by this indifference.
When a team goes through extended periods with disabled or demoted players on their active roster, it does a disservice not only to that team, but to the league as a whole. We're all entitled to a "good race" - which means that we should be able to assume that all teams are making their best effort, despite their place in the overall standings.
Inactive teams need to realize that in a Roto League, it's not just their own teams that are affected by their inactivity. For every point they lose, it means some other team is gaining a point. If that team happens to be a contender, the team that's "given up" is affecting the Championship results. They owe it to the other contenders to create an atmosphere where no team can coast past inactive teams.
Right before the trading frenzy I was a bit put out by what I felt was a lopsided trade between the Stones and Kenndoza Line. Having conversed with both Steve and Kenn over the weeks following the trade, I understand that they each felt they got value from the trade. While I still think the trade could have been made without so many high priced, so called studs making their way to Kenn, that could be peanuts compared the way the standings were affected by Teddy and Paul pulling a Doug Henning and disappearing for the majority of the baseball season.
Throughout the 24 years of the CFCL, owners have dealt with the following: Busy work schedules, their own weddings, births of children, honeymoons, deaths of family members and co-workers, divorces, career changes, birthdays, health setbacks. And these are just the things that I’ve been aware of. Yet somehow owners have persevered through to run their teams to the best of their abilities.
I’m not saying that we all have to spend five hours a day pouring over our team and the league, because none of us has the time to do that – except for Grage who annually makes something like four scouting trips to spring training, three to the Arizona Fall League, seven or eight in season trips to Wrigley or the BOB on top of his four satellite dishes and MLB.com Ultra-Season package.
But I am saying that the twelve owners as a whole, and the history of the league, are deserving of a commitment from each owner to make sure the season is as competitive as possible. It's very possible that Teddy and Paul have very serious, legitimate reasons for their lack of involvement, and no one is saying the CFCL should take precedence over major, life-altering events. If Paul and Teddy have been dealing with serious non-CFCL issues this season, their inaction is understandable and completely excusable. If, on the other hand, they're simply disappointed with the teams they drafted or found something "better" to do rather than look after a second-division fantasy team, then they're letting the rest of us down.
A number of years ago, Cincinnati Bengal football coach, Sam Wyche got on the loudspeaker as Bengal fans were acting out of control, throwing things on the field. His admonition was “You don’t live in Cleveland. You live in Cincinnati!”
My comment to all of us is “You’re not part of some dumbass, generic fantasy league. You’re part of the CFCL! Play like it!”
Monday, September 3, 2007
Re-ally?
This past Wednesday evening (Thursday morning) Cooper (and his three o’clock feedings) gave me the ability to watch a rebroadcast of the Cubs/Brewers game – not one of the two they won, mind you, the one they lost to Sheets. So while I watched the Brewers take one to our beloved Cubbies for a second time, it got me to thinking. I understand why this is a rebroadcast, because the game was originally broadcast earlier that night.
I have scheduled appointments with clients and then for some reason or other had to reschedule them. That makes sense.
I don’t believe I have ever had the opportunity to lax, so when I’m being told to relax, how can I do something for the second time that I never did the first time? And that leads to trying to figure out why I would need to repeat a statement, comment or question when I’m pretty sure the first time I said it I wasn’t “peating”.
I know when we are all done working, we’ll probably be tired from a long career and working a lot of hours. But is it fair to say we are retiring? When we were working were we really tiring? Or were all of our vacations a preamble of tiring, getting ready for the vaunted retirement?
At the draft when I bid .16 on Ianetta, or Teddy bid .12 on De Aza (you’re never going to get away from this, Teddy) we both wanted to rescind our bids. When did we ever initially scind them?
When I leave in the morning, I will tell my girls (not Cooper yet because he doesn’t understand much) to mind their mom. But when I have to remind them to mind it gets very confusing.
And later this year when our kids are running around the neighborhood saying “Trick or Treat”, going back to the same house would seem to imply a retreat. What Lee did against Grant, really wasn’t a retreat as much as it was a “Get your ass back home and look for a different job.”
Hopefully the Cubs will retaliate against the Cardinals this year for the way that the Cards taliated against us last year.
I have scheduled appointments with clients and then for some reason or other had to reschedule them. That makes sense.
I don’t believe I have ever had the opportunity to lax, so when I’m being told to relax, how can I do something for the second time that I never did the first time? And that leads to trying to figure out why I would need to repeat a statement, comment or question when I’m pretty sure the first time I said it I wasn’t “peating”.
I know when we are all done working, we’ll probably be tired from a long career and working a lot of hours. But is it fair to say we are retiring? When we were working were we really tiring? Or were all of our vacations a preamble of tiring, getting ready for the vaunted retirement?
At the draft when I bid .16 on Ianetta, or Teddy bid .12 on De Aza (you’re never going to get away from this, Teddy) we both wanted to rescind our bids. When did we ever initially scind them?
When I leave in the morning, I will tell my girls (not Cooper yet because he doesn’t understand much) to mind their mom. But when I have to remind them to mind it gets very confusing.
And later this year when our kids are running around the neighborhood saying “Trick or Treat”, going back to the same house would seem to imply a retreat. What Lee did against Grant, really wasn’t a retreat as much as it was a “Get your ass back home and look for a different job.”
Hopefully the Cubs will retaliate against the Cardinals this year for the way that the Cards taliated against us last year.
Monday, August 27, 2007
A Little Ditty 'Bout Paul And His Team
The Monroe Doctrine is proud to present a musical interlude. Sung by the CFCL Madrigal Singers, it is to the tune of My Darling Clementine and offered as a dirge.
Oh, Paul Meisters. Oh, Paul Meisters. Oh Paul Meisters, where’d ya go?
You were drafting then you left us, now your 12th place, Meister Boy.
Drafting old guys, drafting old guys, drafting old guys is what you do.
But when they break down, you don’t switch them, now it’s 18 (active) of 23.
You could have traded, could have traded, could have traded expiring studs
But you held on to Alou and Holliday and have no core for next year.
You’ve got Neighborgall, you’ve got Neighborgall, you’ve got Neighborgall, why is that?
He’d miss water from a boat, can you say Nuke Laloosh?
Oh Paul Meisters, Oh Paul Meisters, Oh Paul Meisters, how are you?
When we write you, you don’t answer. Makes us wonder what is up.
Rumors run wild, rumors run wild, rumors run wild around the league.
Either you forgot the Sportsline website or are Jessie Biel’s adult slave.
Are you plotting, are you plotting, are you plotting for next year?
If that’s the case then why not bid point four three on Mark Teixeira?
Are you crying, are you crying, are you crying for the White Sox?
I don’t blame you for a minute, they really suck this year.
Hope we see you, hope we see you, hope we see you more next year.
We really need twelve owners who are on top of their moves.
But we kid, but we kid, but we kid and mean no harm.
Hope to see you at the banquet, where the sausage will be warm.
Oh, Paul Meisters. Oh, Paul Meisters. Oh Paul Meisters, where’d ya go?
You were drafting then you left us, now your 12th place, Meister Boy.
Drafting old guys, drafting old guys, drafting old guys is what you do.
But when they break down, you don’t switch them, now it’s 18 (active) of 23.
You could have traded, could have traded, could have traded expiring studs
But you held on to Alou and Holliday and have no core for next year.
You’ve got Neighborgall, you’ve got Neighborgall, you’ve got Neighborgall, why is that?
He’d miss water from a boat, can you say Nuke Laloosh?
Oh Paul Meisters, Oh Paul Meisters, Oh Paul Meisters, how are you?
When we write you, you don’t answer. Makes us wonder what is up.
Rumors run wild, rumors run wild, rumors run wild around the league.
Either you forgot the Sportsline website or are Jessie Biel’s adult slave.
Are you plotting, are you plotting, are you plotting for next year?
If that’s the case then why not bid point four three on Mark Teixeira?
Are you crying, are you crying, are you crying for the White Sox?
I don’t blame you for a minute, they really suck this year.
Hope we see you, hope we see you, hope we see you more next year.
We really need twelve owners who are on top of their moves.
But we kid, but we kid, but we kid and mean no harm.
Hope to see you at the banquet, where the sausage will be warm.
Monday, August 20, 2007
The Professor Returneth
In our never ending effort to track down any story anywhere, the Monroe Doctrine dispatched Ace Reporter Bubba Whatly to stake out the Raleigh International Airport for the much anticipated return of The Professor. Bubba was able to pin down The Head Ruffin just after clearing customs. After waiting an extra fifteen minutes for the completion of the Suspicious Orifice Search (on Whatley, not Holian), Bubba came away with this interview.
Bubba Whatly: Professor! Professor! Over here! Bubba Whatly with the Monroe Doctrine? Can I ask you a few questions?
Head Ruffin: I’m just a retired businessman living on a pension. Oh, wait, wrong movie. What’s up, Bub?
BW: It’s Bub-ba. My parents paid extra for the second syllable. What took you to Italy during baseball season?
HR: My wife is an art major so we went to all sorts of museums, The Louvre, the Guggenheim . . .
BW: Isn't the Louvre in France?
HR: You ever been to Europe?
BW: No.
HR: Then shut up!
BW: Okay. Was there anything that surprised you about Italy?
HR: Interesting fact. Most people think Italy has a lot of pasta and wine. Actually they serve diet yoohoo and farva beans.
BW: That could explain why Pavoratti always sounds like he’s in pain when he sings. Were you and your wife able to do any site seeing?
HR: We did a bit of site seeing. I was disappointed with the Coliseum. It's nothing like the one in Los Angeles. Walking around Italy was fun though. The street performances were amazing. Mimes are big over there along with puppeteers and Drew Carey impersonators.
BW: You mentioned the cuisine wasn’t what you had expected. Other than that how was your dining experience?
HR: When we would go out for dinner, the music that played overhead was surprising. I was expecting Dean Martin and it ended up being Jerry Lewis.
BW: I have to be honest. The rest of the league was pretty amazed at the lack of activity on your part during the season as you defend your CFCL title. What gives?
HR: You were expecting me to make a lot of trades at the deadline; that makes sense. But I was predisposed. George Clooney had us out on his banana boat on Lake Como as the deadline expired. I kept saying “George, I’ve got some things to do man. Yeah I know we’re bonding and, yes, I agreed to be in Ocean’s 14, but I have obligations.” Didn’t do any good. He wouldn’t dock the damn thing. Of course the upside is that I’m one of his guys in Ocean’s 14. And let me tell you, Brad Pitt is really, really good looking. I’m just saying.
BW: Hey cool! You have a cameo in Ocean’s 14?
HR: Who said cameo? Did you hear me say cameo? I have a STARRING role! I’m the 14 in Ocean’s 14. Cameos are for has beens like Ron Palillo and Marlo Thomas.
Anyway, on top of that I had trouble following baseball and the CFCL. The Internet doesn't work the same way over there as it does in the States. I came packing with AC and all they had was DC. The only time I could get online all my screen would say is "It's going to be a belle sera."
BW: Wow that must have been tough not being able to make moves and try to run at the title again. What did you do with your free time?
HR: Well, we watched the local TV programs. Howie Mandel has been syndicated in Italy. He hosts a show called "Deal or No Deal You Can't Refuse".
BW: On behalf of the CFCL, the Monroe Doctrine and your students, Welcome Back!
HR: Tell me the truth . . . Did I get ripped in the Monroe Doctrine while I was gone?
BW: I don’t think so, it’s hard to remember. Hey, somebody text Mahlan quick to see if these things are archived.
Bubba Whatly: Professor! Professor! Over here! Bubba Whatly with the Monroe Doctrine? Can I ask you a few questions?
Head Ruffin: I’m just a retired businessman living on a pension. Oh, wait, wrong movie. What’s up, Bub?
BW: It’s Bub-ba. My parents paid extra for the second syllable. What took you to Italy during baseball season?
HR: My wife is an art major so we went to all sorts of museums, The Louvre, the Guggenheim . . .
BW: Isn't the Louvre in France?
HR: You ever been to Europe?
BW: No.
HR: Then shut up!
BW: Okay. Was there anything that surprised you about Italy?
HR: Interesting fact. Most people think Italy has a lot of pasta and wine. Actually they serve diet yoohoo and farva beans.
BW: That could explain why Pavoratti always sounds like he’s in pain when he sings. Were you and your wife able to do any site seeing?
HR: We did a bit of site seeing. I was disappointed with the Coliseum. It's nothing like the one in Los Angeles. Walking around Italy was fun though. The street performances were amazing. Mimes are big over there along with puppeteers and Drew Carey impersonators.
BW: You mentioned the cuisine wasn’t what you had expected. Other than that how was your dining experience?
HR: When we would go out for dinner, the music that played overhead was surprising. I was expecting Dean Martin and it ended up being Jerry Lewis.
BW: I have to be honest. The rest of the league was pretty amazed at the lack of activity on your part during the season as you defend your CFCL title. What gives?
HR: You were expecting me to make a lot of trades at the deadline; that makes sense. But I was predisposed. George Clooney had us out on his banana boat on Lake Como as the deadline expired. I kept saying “George, I’ve got some things to do man. Yeah I know we’re bonding and, yes, I agreed to be in Ocean’s 14, but I have obligations.” Didn’t do any good. He wouldn’t dock the damn thing. Of course the upside is that I’m one of his guys in Ocean’s 14. And let me tell you, Brad Pitt is really, really good looking. I’m just saying.
BW: Hey cool! You have a cameo in Ocean’s 14?
HR: Who said cameo? Did you hear me say cameo? I have a STARRING role! I’m the 14 in Ocean’s 14. Cameos are for has beens like Ron Palillo and Marlo Thomas.
Anyway, on top of that I had trouble following baseball and the CFCL. The Internet doesn't work the same way over there as it does in the States. I came packing with AC and all they had was DC. The only time I could get online all my screen would say is "It's going to be a belle sera."
BW: Wow that must have been tough not being able to make moves and try to run at the title again. What did you do with your free time?
HR: Well, we watched the local TV programs. Howie Mandel has been syndicated in Italy. He hosts a show called "Deal or No Deal You Can't Refuse".
BW: On behalf of the CFCL, the Monroe Doctrine and your students, Welcome Back!
HR: Tell me the truth . . . Did I get ripped in the Monroe Doctrine while I was gone?
BW: I don’t think so, it’s hard to remember. Hey, somebody text Mahlan quick to see if these things are archived.
Monday, August 13, 2007
500 And 300 - Which Is More?
Another phone call from the brain trust of the Monroe Doctrine (and by that I mean, the DoorMatts). Whenever Matt has time to think and gives me a call, we end up with an article that causes you to think – like the greatest player of each decade. Whenever he’s too busy to call, we end up with silly fluff – like a tribute to the number 4.
The latest call generated this: Twelve of the twenty-one members of the 500 Homerun club are black or Hispanic. And when A-Rod hits his next homerun it will be thirteen of twenty-two.
Zero of the twenty-two members of the 300 win club are black or Hispanic. When Glavine wins his next it will be zero of twenty-three.
Why?
There have been great non-white pitchers. Gibson, Marichal, Newcombe, Jenkins, Pedro, Vida Blue, Dennis Martinez. But none of them have 300 wins (Jenkins is closest with 284).
It could be the black quarterback syndrome wherein a team puts their most talented player at a position where they can display all their “skills” on a daily basis.
It could be that there was/is a sense of racism (in baseball? No way!) such that management didn’t feel comfortable putting the fate of their team in the hands of a person of color.
It could be that teams wouldn’t give pitchers of color as much leeway to pitch out of jams and thus earn wins. Or didn’t allow them to begin their major league career as early so they had a chance at getting 300 wins. Or wore out their arms (Gooden, Gibson, Martinez) so that their careers were cut short.
Certainly the fact that players of color were not allowed to participate in the Major Leagues until 1947, and then at an embarrassingly slow pace, plays into the fact that a lot of careers didn’t blossom to full potential (Newcombe, Paige, Radcliffe). But in our lifetime we have seen Clemens, Maddux, Carlton, Ryan, Sutton, Niekro, Perry and Seaver (and soon Glavine) eclipse the 300 mark. Why no pitchers of color?
Offensively in our lifetime (and by that I mean when we were old enough to pay attention to baseball) we have seen Schmidt and McGwire pass 500. But also there have been Bonds, Palmiero, Sosa, Griffey, Jackson, McCovey, Thomas and soon A-Rod who have joined the 500 club.
Nine new members of the 500 club and seven are of color. Eight new members of the 300 win club and none are of color. What gives? Perhaps it comes from the adage of why there were so many aggressive hitters coming from the Dominican. “You can’t walk off the island.” Unless you throw a ball 105 mph, it may be hard to impress scouts and truly standout. But if you can hit a ball 500 feet and run like the wind, you have more opportunity to catch a scout’s eye. So maybe players of color are themselves deciding to line up on the offensive side of the ball.
At first I thought it could be economics; that a ballclub didn’t want to pay a player of color more than a white guy. But starting pitchers don’t make as much as the offensive stars, so that theory doesn’t fly.
I honestly don’t have an answer with which to end this column. Since Matt pointed this out a couple of weeks ago, I have wracked my brain to come up with a logical answer. The “black quarterback syndrome” is what Matt and his entourage have settled on. Could be. I have no clear cut answer in my mind.
The latest call generated this: Twelve of the twenty-one members of the 500 Homerun club are black or Hispanic. And when A-Rod hits his next homerun it will be thirteen of twenty-two.
Zero of the twenty-two members of the 300 win club are black or Hispanic. When Glavine wins his next it will be zero of twenty-three.
Why?
There have been great non-white pitchers. Gibson, Marichal, Newcombe, Jenkins, Pedro, Vida Blue, Dennis Martinez. But none of them have 300 wins (Jenkins is closest with 284).
It could be the black quarterback syndrome wherein a team puts their most talented player at a position where they can display all their “skills” on a daily basis.
It could be that there was/is a sense of racism (in baseball? No way!) such that management didn’t feel comfortable putting the fate of their team in the hands of a person of color.
It could be that teams wouldn’t give pitchers of color as much leeway to pitch out of jams and thus earn wins. Or didn’t allow them to begin their major league career as early so they had a chance at getting 300 wins. Or wore out their arms (Gooden, Gibson, Martinez) so that their careers were cut short.
Certainly the fact that players of color were not allowed to participate in the Major Leagues until 1947, and then at an embarrassingly slow pace, plays into the fact that a lot of careers didn’t blossom to full potential (Newcombe, Paige, Radcliffe). But in our lifetime we have seen Clemens, Maddux, Carlton, Ryan, Sutton, Niekro, Perry and Seaver (and soon Glavine) eclipse the 300 mark. Why no pitchers of color?
Offensively in our lifetime (and by that I mean when we were old enough to pay attention to baseball) we have seen Schmidt and McGwire pass 500. But also there have been Bonds, Palmiero, Sosa, Griffey, Jackson, McCovey, Thomas and soon A-Rod who have joined the 500 club.
Nine new members of the 500 club and seven are of color. Eight new members of the 300 win club and none are of color. What gives? Perhaps it comes from the adage of why there were so many aggressive hitters coming from the Dominican. “You can’t walk off the island.” Unless you throw a ball 105 mph, it may be hard to impress scouts and truly standout. But if you can hit a ball 500 feet and run like the wind, you have more opportunity to catch a scout’s eye. So maybe players of color are themselves deciding to line up on the offensive side of the ball.
At first I thought it could be economics; that a ballclub didn’t want to pay a player of color more than a white guy. But starting pitchers don’t make as much as the offensive stars, so that theory doesn’t fly.
I honestly don’t have an answer with which to end this column. Since Matt pointed this out a couple of weeks ago, I have wracked my brain to come up with a logical answer. The “black quarterback syndrome” is what Matt and his entourage have settled on. Could be. I have no clear cut answer in my mind.
Monday, August 6, 2007
The Good Stuff - Forget The Bad Stuff
Major League Baseball is a wonderful pastime with plenty to enjoy. But it doesn’t come without its warts. Here’s a look at what is good – and not so good about baseball.
RIGHT: It transcends generations. You can read about what Lefty Grove and Lou Gehrig did and it still means as much today as it did back then.
WRONG: All-Star game decides World Series home field advantage. It should go to the team with the best regular season record.
RIGHT: Derek Jeter
WRONG: Baseball doesn’t have the guts to deal with Barry Bonds (or any other “star” player). Neifi Perez was suspended for 100 games? Let’s see if baseball even notices.
RIGHT: World Series games that start in the afternoon.
WRONG: World Series games that start at 8pm Central Time and end close to midnight.
RIGHT: Hosing down the infield just before game time.
WRONG: Not allowing players of all colors and creeds to participate from the very beginning.
RIGHT: You can play catch with your dad or child (cue Field of Dreams lighting and music) and have a connection. Can’t do that with golf when I hook my drive into the fairway on the left and my dad searches for his ball in the woods on the right.
WRONG: The Minnesota Humpdome and Tropicana Field
RIGHT: Wrigley Field, PNC Park and Fenway Park
WRONG: Interleague play
RIGHT: No time clock. As long as you haven’t made three outs, anything is possible.
WRONG: Wild Card Playoff system
RIGHT: Vin Scully, Peter Gammons, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Stone
WRONG: Chris Berman, Chip Caray, John Kruk, Joe Morgan
RIGHT: Any ballplayer legging out a triple
WRONG: ESPN moving the Sunday Night Game of the Week ahead a couple of hours so they can broadcast the ESPYs in primetime (it’s a tape delay!!!! It’s not even live!)
RIGHT: The crack of a wood bat, the slap of a leather glove.
WRONG: The Gold Glove Award is often times influenced by a player’s offensive production.
RIGHT: Organ music or, even better, just crowd noise for ballpark ambiance.
WRONG: Hard rock music blaring from the speakers.
RIGHT: Twelve guys sitting around on a late March Sunday building for the future and enjoying the camaraderie.
RIGHT: It transcends generations. You can read about what Lefty Grove and Lou Gehrig did and it still means as much today as it did back then.
WRONG: All-Star game decides World Series home field advantage. It should go to the team with the best regular season record.
RIGHT: Derek Jeter
WRONG: Baseball doesn’t have the guts to deal with Barry Bonds (or any other “star” player). Neifi Perez was suspended for 100 games? Let’s see if baseball even notices.
RIGHT: World Series games that start in the afternoon.
WRONG: World Series games that start at 8pm Central Time and end close to midnight.
RIGHT: Hosing down the infield just before game time.
WRONG: Not allowing players of all colors and creeds to participate from the very beginning.
RIGHT: You can play catch with your dad or child (cue Field of Dreams lighting and music) and have a connection. Can’t do that with golf when I hook my drive into the fairway on the left and my dad searches for his ball in the woods on the right.
WRONG: The Minnesota Humpdome and Tropicana Field
RIGHT: Wrigley Field, PNC Park and Fenway Park
WRONG: Interleague play
RIGHT: No time clock. As long as you haven’t made three outs, anything is possible.
WRONG: Wild Card Playoff system
RIGHT: Vin Scully, Peter Gammons, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Stone
WRONG: Chris Berman, Chip Caray, John Kruk, Joe Morgan
RIGHT: Any ballplayer legging out a triple
WRONG: ESPN moving the Sunday Night Game of the Week ahead a couple of hours so they can broadcast the ESPYs in primetime (it’s a tape delay!!!! It’s not even live!)
RIGHT: The crack of a wood bat, the slap of a leather glove.
WRONG: The Gold Glove Award is often times influenced by a player’s offensive production.
RIGHT: Organ music or, even better, just crowd noise for ballpark ambiance.
WRONG: Hard rock music blaring from the speakers.
RIGHT: Twelve guys sitting around on a late March Sunday building for the future and enjoying the camaraderie.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Introducing Cooper Wrigley
There was a time in America when most people thought that black and white TV was enough. But it wasn’t, now we have color/digital/plasma/HD/watch-your-favorite-show-on-your-cell-phone. There was a time when cars that could go 55mph were enough. But it wasn’t and now we have remote key entry/multi CD disc changer/GPS to keep you from getting lost in the parking lot/cars. And there was a time in the Rebel household when the Fair Lady Rebel Kim and her “Boy I Outkicked My Coverage When I Married Her” husband thought that three beautiful daughters were enough.
But the void was always there, and I’m happy to say that last Tuesday (just 17 ½ hours before the trade deadline expired; and I thought Hunter Pence was untouchable) the void was filled when Baby Rebel, Cooper Wrigley arrived. The stem is ON the apple!!! Named for the location of Baseball’s Hallowed Museum and Baseball’s Ultimate Shrine, Cooper arrived exactly 18 years to the day that the Cubs beat Philadelphia (actually the Cubs and Phillies split a doubleheader that night, but I’m focusing on the positive – and to bring things full circle, the Cubs beat the Phillies last Tuesday 7-3) in which Sandberg homered twice and Sutcliffe had a complete game win. Unlike the win that night, Cooper’s delivery was not completed in a snappy two hours and thirty-eight minutes. He made Kim work for 8 ½ hours. And since he arrived nine days before the 19th anniversary of the Cubs first scheduled night game, he also provided me with the best birthday present possible. The lengths Kim will go to not have to go shopping and fight the crowds! Just as we were told in school, the best gifts are homemade, not store bought.
I, being the proud and over-anxious Papa, have already put my name on the waiting list for tickets to next year’s Cub Convention
The girls are beside themselves in maternal joy and cannot wait to teach him things that he doesn’t need to know yet. Like how to hide the cookies for a late night snack, how to throw a Frisbee so that it rocks Papa right in the pills, how to get away with absolute murder with a quick smile and the bat of an eye.
Soon Cooper will round out a formidable lineup during Bentel Infield Practice. With Katelyn covering the hot corner, Ally providing the target at first and Kristi anchoring the keystone, Cooper will fit in very nicely at shortstop (he is, afterall, the shortest of the four).
All the joy and mayhem in the Rebel household has made me truly understand (and unabashedly admit) that I am half the man Dick Van Patten is. Four really is enough.
But the void was always there, and I’m happy to say that last Tuesday (just 17 ½ hours before the trade deadline expired; and I thought Hunter Pence was untouchable) the void was filled when Baby Rebel, Cooper Wrigley arrived. The stem is ON the apple!!! Named for the location of Baseball’s Hallowed Museum and Baseball’s Ultimate Shrine, Cooper arrived exactly 18 years to the day that the Cubs beat Philadelphia (actually the Cubs and Phillies split a doubleheader that night, but I’m focusing on the positive – and to bring things full circle, the Cubs beat the Phillies last Tuesday 7-3) in which Sandberg homered twice and Sutcliffe had a complete game win. Unlike the win that night, Cooper’s delivery was not completed in a snappy two hours and thirty-eight minutes. He made Kim work for 8 ½ hours. And since he arrived nine days before the 19th anniversary of the Cubs first scheduled night game, he also provided me with the best birthday present possible. The lengths Kim will go to not have to go shopping and fight the crowds! Just as we were told in school, the best gifts are homemade, not store bought.
I, being the proud and over-anxious Papa, have already put my name on the waiting list for tickets to next year’s Cub Convention
The girls are beside themselves in maternal joy and cannot wait to teach him things that he doesn’t need to know yet. Like how to hide the cookies for a late night snack, how to throw a Frisbee so that it rocks Papa right in the pills, how to get away with absolute murder with a quick smile and the bat of an eye.
Soon Cooper will round out a formidable lineup during Bentel Infield Practice. With Katelyn covering the hot corner, Ally providing the target at first and Kristi anchoring the keystone, Cooper will fit in very nicely at shortstop (he is, afterall, the shortest of the four).
All the joy and mayhem in the Rebel household has made me truly understand (and unabashedly admit) that I am half the man Dick Van Patten is. Four really is enough.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Decade By Decade
The All-Star Game sparked a lot of things. It sparked a reminder of just how terrible Chris Berman has become. It sparked yet another exciting way for the NL to lose. And it sparked a conversation between the DoorMatts and myself (and here I have to take a timeout a give props to my peeps for planting the seeds of thought for countless Monroe Doctrines. Matt has been a creative contributor to at least five of them).
During the pre-game ceremonies, Willie Mays came out and the announcer made a comment about him being the “Greatest Living Ballplayer”. It got Matt to thinking about about the greatest player from each decade. SIDE NOTE: Our criteria was that the player had to dominate all of the decade. Matt’s contention was that the early years provided easy, big stud winners and that the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s didn’t have the clearcut dominant choice. Here’s what his thoughts and the conversation generated (see if you have any problems with any of these guys being called “The Greatest Living Ballplayer”):
1910’s: Ty Cobb
1920’s: Babe Ruth
1930’s: Jimmie Foxx (This is a Rebel belief although I would be happy with Lou Gehrig. Foxx kicked booty for all ten years, while 1939 was the year Lou had to retire).
1940’s: Ted Williams (A strong argument can be made for Joe Dimaggio, but William’s numbers were just clearly superior.
1950’s: This one boiled down to Musial, Mantle & Mays. When you first look at them during that decade, it seems close. But upon closer evaluation of the top offensive stats, it’s really a two horse race between Musial and Mantle (Mays is a distant third). And for consistency and durability, the 1950’s belong to Musial.
1960’s: Hank Aaron (Willie Mays started to fade at the end of the 60’s although if we had half decades [1956-1965] Mays would most likely dominate).
And here’s where things get interesting. Matt pointed out that each of the previous decades you could point to one massive star (Ruth) or a bunch of really, really great ballplayers (Foxx, Gehrig; Mays, Mantle, Musial; Williams, Dimaggio) and no matter the name - you wouldn’t mind hearing them called “The Greatest Living Ballplayer”. But in the ‘70’s it wasn’t that obvious. Was it because we had seen these guys play and so they weren’t “immortal”? Was it because not only did we see these players in their hey day, we had actually most recently seen them when they were hanging on, unable to consistently catch up on a fastball? Or was the overall talent level lower than previous decades? I would think it’s part of the first two questions. With African-American players and Latin players getting their opportunity, I can’t believe the talent level was lower.
1970’s: This was actually tough to figure out during our conversation. Mike Schmidt came to mind, but the problem is he started slow in the ‘70s and faded in the late ‘80’s. He kicked ass from 1976-1985. Johnny Bench came to mind. Reggie Jackson came to mind. We had decided that Willie Stargell would be viewed as the best of the 1970’s, but statistically evaluating them the same way as Musial, Mays and Mantle, the best ballplayer from the 1970’s was Pete Rose.
1980’s: The issue we face in the 1980’s and 1990’s is that roles seem to have specialized. In earlier decades we had legends that did everything. Ruth led the league in homeruns and batted in the mid .300s. Same for Musial, Mantle, Aaron etc. Once we get to the 1980’s we have Ricky Henderson who dominated in some categories and lagged in others. So for overall performance we narrow it down to Dawson, Brett and Yount. Again, evaluating them the way we did for the other decades, Dawson and Yount tie for the lead. I would love to say “you decide”. But we are all about making a statement here at the Monroe Doctrine, so the selection for the 1980’s is Dawson for year to year consistency.
1990’s: I hate him, he doesn’t deserve what he is about to receive, but in the 1990’s there was no one close to Barry Bonds. I don’t feel bad about including him here because statistically the questions for him arise in 2000 when his numbers should have started to tail off instead of take off.
I would enjoy your thoughts. Don’t agree? I don’t blame you, by tomorrow I may not agree with myself. Post your thoughts to the Forum.
During the pre-game ceremonies, Willie Mays came out and the announcer made a comment about him being the “Greatest Living Ballplayer”. It got Matt to thinking about about the greatest player from each decade. SIDE NOTE: Our criteria was that the player had to dominate all of the decade. Matt’s contention was that the early years provided easy, big stud winners and that the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s didn’t have the clearcut dominant choice. Here’s what his thoughts and the conversation generated (see if you have any problems with any of these guys being called “The Greatest Living Ballplayer”):
1910’s: Ty Cobb
1920’s: Babe Ruth
1930’s: Jimmie Foxx (This is a Rebel belief although I would be happy with Lou Gehrig. Foxx kicked booty for all ten years, while 1939 was the year Lou had to retire).
1940’s: Ted Williams (A strong argument can be made for Joe Dimaggio, but William’s numbers were just clearly superior.
1950’s: This one boiled down to Musial, Mantle & Mays. When you first look at them during that decade, it seems close. But upon closer evaluation of the top offensive stats, it’s really a two horse race between Musial and Mantle (Mays is a distant third). And for consistency and durability, the 1950’s belong to Musial.
1960’s: Hank Aaron (Willie Mays started to fade at the end of the 60’s although if we had half decades [1956-1965] Mays would most likely dominate).
And here’s where things get interesting. Matt pointed out that each of the previous decades you could point to one massive star (Ruth) or a bunch of really, really great ballplayers (Foxx, Gehrig; Mays, Mantle, Musial; Williams, Dimaggio) and no matter the name - you wouldn’t mind hearing them called “The Greatest Living Ballplayer”. But in the ‘70’s it wasn’t that obvious. Was it because we had seen these guys play and so they weren’t “immortal”? Was it because not only did we see these players in their hey day, we had actually most recently seen them when they were hanging on, unable to consistently catch up on a fastball? Or was the overall talent level lower than previous decades? I would think it’s part of the first two questions. With African-American players and Latin players getting their opportunity, I can’t believe the talent level was lower.
1970’s: This was actually tough to figure out during our conversation. Mike Schmidt came to mind, but the problem is he started slow in the ‘70s and faded in the late ‘80’s. He kicked ass from 1976-1985. Johnny Bench came to mind. Reggie Jackson came to mind. We had decided that Willie Stargell would be viewed as the best of the 1970’s, but statistically evaluating them the same way as Musial, Mays and Mantle, the best ballplayer from the 1970’s was Pete Rose.
1980’s: The issue we face in the 1980’s and 1990’s is that roles seem to have specialized. In earlier decades we had legends that did everything. Ruth led the league in homeruns and batted in the mid .300s. Same for Musial, Mantle, Aaron etc. Once we get to the 1980’s we have Ricky Henderson who dominated in some categories and lagged in others. So for overall performance we narrow it down to Dawson, Brett and Yount. Again, evaluating them the way we did for the other decades, Dawson and Yount tie for the lead. I would love to say “you decide”. But we are all about making a statement here at the Monroe Doctrine, so the selection for the 1980’s is Dawson for year to year consistency.
1990’s: I hate him, he doesn’t deserve what he is about to receive, but in the 1990’s there was no one close to Barry Bonds. I don’t feel bad about including him here because statistically the questions for him arise in 2000 when his numbers should have started to tail off instead of take off.
I would enjoy your thoughts. Don’t agree? I don’t blame you, by tomorrow I may not agree with myself. Post your thoughts to the Forum.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Potpourri of Fun
As we enter into the summer season, I offer you a potpourri for your senses.
Homerun call we’d love to hear: Call Pamela Anderson because Bay watches that one fly out of here!
Apparently what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas: Bad news to report – After scouring the World Series of Poker website, I could not see that Bob finished in the money in Event #25. (or Event #27) Since Bob appears to be a rather talented poker player, I can only attribute his poor luck to not having a cool poker nickname. A lot of the top players have great names. There’s Mike the Mouth, Amarillo Slim, The Professor (not our own Dave Holian, but Howard Lederer), The Unabomber, Fossilman. I think that’s what is holding Bob back. So to try and help him out, I’ve come up with some sure winners and a couple of alsorans.
* Plainfield Bob (Doesn’t really have a kick to it, nevermind)
* Insaniac (He is a father of four young ‘uns afterall)
* Red Hot Bob (A tribute to his grandfather and the CFCL all wrapped in one)
* Mr. Amazing (How does a guy convince his wife he should go to Vegas for a week and a half and gamble?)
* Dirty Rat Bastard (First year in the league last year and he finishes ahead of me, not to mention that this year he steals Kelly Johnson from me in the draft so I guess it would be . . . )
* . . . Double Dirty Rat Bastard
Can’t be right all the time: It appears that the Monroe Doctrine doesn’t share the same opinion as vaunted Tribune sportswriter, Teddy Greenstein. Teddy kicked out an article in advance of the Cubs/Sox series giving grades to the four baseball broadcast teams. He grades Santo/Hughes as an A-, even going so far as to laud Hughes for his overpronounciation of Matt Murton. I don’t know that they deserve an A, but I do have to give Hughes credit for taking his traditional 5th inning break while the Cubs were in Texas and therefore letting Corey Provis get the chance to call Sosa’s 600th homerun. Hughes obviously saw that Sosa was due up and anything was possible. But he didn’t bigtime Provis. Of course, if I were Hughes, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Sosa and his 600th.
Greenstein did get one grade right. He gives Farmer/Singleton a D. If Farmer would show half the class and professionalism that Hughes does working with Santo, the Sox radio broadcast would actually be listenable.
Happy Anniverary: Yesterday to Ryne Sandberg and Bruce Sutter. Twenty three years ago marked the coming out party for Sandberg and the Division winning Cubs. And to celebrate, Uncle Lou managed like Don Zimmer in ’89. A good day all around.
Homerun call we’d love to hear: Call Pamela Anderson because Bay watches that one fly out of here!
Apparently what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas: Bad news to report – After scouring the World Series of Poker website, I could not see that Bob finished in the money in Event #25. (or Event #27) Since Bob appears to be a rather talented poker player, I can only attribute his poor luck to not having a cool poker nickname. A lot of the top players have great names. There’s Mike the Mouth, Amarillo Slim, The Professor (not our own Dave Holian, but Howard Lederer), The Unabomber, Fossilman. I think that’s what is holding Bob back. So to try and help him out, I’ve come up with some sure winners and a couple of alsorans.
* Plainfield Bob (Doesn’t really have a kick to it, nevermind)
* Insaniac (He is a father of four young ‘uns afterall)
* Red Hot Bob (A tribute to his grandfather and the CFCL all wrapped in one)
* Mr. Amazing (How does a guy convince his wife he should go to Vegas for a week and a half and gamble?)
* Dirty Rat Bastard (First year in the league last year and he finishes ahead of me, not to mention that this year he steals Kelly Johnson from me in the draft so I guess it would be . . . )
* . . . Double Dirty Rat Bastard
Can’t be right all the time: It appears that the Monroe Doctrine doesn’t share the same opinion as vaunted Tribune sportswriter, Teddy Greenstein. Teddy kicked out an article in advance of the Cubs/Sox series giving grades to the four baseball broadcast teams. He grades Santo/Hughes as an A-, even going so far as to laud Hughes for his overpronounciation of Matt Murton. I don’t know that they deserve an A, but I do have to give Hughes credit for taking his traditional 5th inning break while the Cubs were in Texas and therefore letting Corey Provis get the chance to call Sosa’s 600th homerun. Hughes obviously saw that Sosa was due up and anything was possible. But he didn’t bigtime Provis. Of course, if I were Hughes, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Sosa and his 600th.
Greenstein did get one grade right. He gives Farmer/Singleton a D. If Farmer would show half the class and professionalism that Hughes does working with Santo, the Sox radio broadcast would actually be listenable.
Happy Anniverary: Yesterday to Ryne Sandberg and Bruce Sutter. Twenty three years ago marked the coming out party for Sandberg and the Division winning Cubs. And to celebrate, Uncle Lou managed like Don Zimmer in ’89. A good day all around.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Who's Your All-Star?
We are already at the Mid Summer Classic point of the baseball season. That means we have just finished the voting procedure implemented by baseball that Chicago politics has used for the past century – logging on to our computers and voting 25 times for the candidate we most want.
In a recent Baseball Tonight (seen locally on ESPN), the “experts” were providing their .02 on who should be the final member of the NL squad. Brandon Webb, Carlos Zambrano, Chris Young, Roy Oswalt and Tom Gorzelanny were the choices.
Barry Bonds apologist John Kruk said that Chris Young deserves to go and pointed to Young’s statistics as reasons why.
Steve Phillips says he would take Brandon Webb over Chris Young or others because he is looking at the possible match-ups later in the All-Star game (needing a strikeout late in the game). This is a very intriguing approach. Not surprisingly Phillips looked at it as “building a team” and trying to plan for various game scenarios. The problem is that Phillips is trying to round out the team based on match-ups to win the game and the rest of the team is put together based on popularity. Considering that the winner of the All-Star game dictates home field advantage for the World Series, Phillips’ is probably the best way to approach it, but the whole team isn’t picked that way.
You know, when I started to write this, it was going to be a complaint of how stupid the All-Star game selection (fan vote) is. Usually a city decides that Ryan Doumit deserves to be the starting catcher (much like Cincinnati did back in 1957 by electing seven starters (and leaving off Aaron and Mays). But when I look at the starting line-up for the NL (we’re not going to examine the AL because, well frankly, it’s the AL) I am amazed at how prescient the voters were.
Russell Martin at catcher – The right choice. LoDuca could have gotten the traditional love or McCann could have been voted in because of what he did the last two years.
Prince Fielder at first – This would have been easy for the fans to go with perennial All-Star Albert Pujols. But Fielder, again, is the right choice.
Chase Utley at second – Unless you’re voting for Biggio on the “What he’s done for the past 20 years” plan, again the right choice. Uggla started slow and could have ridden his success from last year, but the fans showed some intelligence.
Jose Reyes at shortstop – A lot of talented shortstops out there, but Reyes is head and shoulders above all of them this year. Rollins started hot, but his .323 OBP doesn’t cut it.
David Wright at third – Probably the best selection. Depending on what statistic you wanted to argue, you could say Cabrera or Ramirez is more worthy, but being close in Runs, RBI and Home Runs AND having 18 stolen bases pushes Wright to the top.
Now we get to the outfield where I have some issues. No, not because Cub Alfonso Soriano didn’t get voted in; but because Bonds did. The Bonds apologists can point to his high OBP, but he’s been streaky (like Soriano) and doesn’t play everyday due to age and injury.
The fans selected Carlos Beltran, Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. Here’s where I think they made some mistakes. Matt Holiday should be starting. Carlos Lee should be starting. I guess I don’t have a problem with Junior, but Brad Hawpe deserves consideration and he didn’t even make the team.
Beltran made it on past performance, not this year’s merit and Bonds made it because baseball couldn’t imagine him not playing in (hopefully) his last All-Star game which happens to take place in his home park. Fortunately the remaining selection process (LaRussa and the players voting) brought Holliday and Lee on board.
Over the years I’ve heard guys argue that there doesn’t have to be a representative from every team. I always thought they were wrong. Not because they were, but because of the tradition. For as long as I can remember, each team has had a representative. But since the rules have changed (the winner deciding who has home field during the World Series) baseball should do away with every team getting a representative. Freddy Sanchez is having a season that wouldn’t be worthy of All-Star consideration in High Rookie Ball, but there he is, headed for Frisco by the Bay. If Pittsburgh has to have a rep, Gorzelanny should be the one going. So with this archaic rule, baseball still can’t get it right.
Then I started thinking from a ballplayer’s perspective. While going to an All-Star Game as a player would be cool as hell, imagine being the Freddy Sanchez (or Robert Fick) example. Forever you would be known as an All-Star but in your mind you would know it was only because you were (supposedly) the best player on a pathetic team. The only accomplishment, wasn’t a great year with superior statistics, it was having signed with a bad team that had to send a representative.
Again, Bud, if you’re going to do it right, do it right the whole way. Look at the big picture and understand that if you want the game to be meaningful (and you created the rule for it to be meaningful) you should give both leagues the opportunity to create a team they feel is best suited to accomplish the goal.
In a recent Baseball Tonight (seen locally on ESPN), the “experts” were providing their .02 on who should be the final member of the NL squad. Brandon Webb, Carlos Zambrano, Chris Young, Roy Oswalt and Tom Gorzelanny were the choices.
Barry Bonds apologist John Kruk said that Chris Young deserves to go and pointed to Young’s statistics as reasons why.
Steve Phillips says he would take Brandon Webb over Chris Young or others because he is looking at the possible match-ups later in the All-Star game (needing a strikeout late in the game). This is a very intriguing approach. Not surprisingly Phillips looked at it as “building a team” and trying to plan for various game scenarios. The problem is that Phillips is trying to round out the team based on match-ups to win the game and the rest of the team is put together based on popularity. Considering that the winner of the All-Star game dictates home field advantage for the World Series, Phillips’ is probably the best way to approach it, but the whole team isn’t picked that way.
You know, when I started to write this, it was going to be a complaint of how stupid the All-Star game selection (fan vote) is. Usually a city decides that Ryan Doumit deserves to be the starting catcher (much like Cincinnati did back in 1957 by electing seven starters (and leaving off Aaron and Mays). But when I look at the starting line-up for the NL (we’re not going to examine the AL because, well frankly, it’s the AL) I am amazed at how prescient the voters were.
Russell Martin at catcher – The right choice. LoDuca could have gotten the traditional love or McCann could have been voted in because of what he did the last two years.
Prince Fielder at first – This would have been easy for the fans to go with perennial All-Star Albert Pujols. But Fielder, again, is the right choice.
Chase Utley at second – Unless you’re voting for Biggio on the “What he’s done for the past 20 years” plan, again the right choice. Uggla started slow and could have ridden his success from last year, but the fans showed some intelligence.
Jose Reyes at shortstop – A lot of talented shortstops out there, but Reyes is head and shoulders above all of them this year. Rollins started hot, but his .323 OBP doesn’t cut it.
David Wright at third – Probably the best selection. Depending on what statistic you wanted to argue, you could say Cabrera or Ramirez is more worthy, but being close in Runs, RBI and Home Runs AND having 18 stolen bases pushes Wright to the top.
Now we get to the outfield where I have some issues. No, not because Cub Alfonso Soriano didn’t get voted in; but because Bonds did. The Bonds apologists can point to his high OBP, but he’s been streaky (like Soriano) and doesn’t play everyday due to age and injury.
The fans selected Carlos Beltran, Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. Here’s where I think they made some mistakes. Matt Holiday should be starting. Carlos Lee should be starting. I guess I don’t have a problem with Junior, but Brad Hawpe deserves consideration and he didn’t even make the team.
Beltran made it on past performance, not this year’s merit and Bonds made it because baseball couldn’t imagine him not playing in (hopefully) his last All-Star game which happens to take place in his home park. Fortunately the remaining selection process (LaRussa and the players voting) brought Holliday and Lee on board.
Over the years I’ve heard guys argue that there doesn’t have to be a representative from every team. I always thought they were wrong. Not because they were, but because of the tradition. For as long as I can remember, each team has had a representative. But since the rules have changed (the winner deciding who has home field during the World Series) baseball should do away with every team getting a representative. Freddy Sanchez is having a season that wouldn’t be worthy of All-Star consideration in High Rookie Ball, but there he is, headed for Frisco by the Bay. If Pittsburgh has to have a rep, Gorzelanny should be the one going. So with this archaic rule, baseball still can’t get it right.
Then I started thinking from a ballplayer’s perspective. While going to an All-Star Game as a player would be cool as hell, imagine being the Freddy Sanchez (or Robert Fick) example. Forever you would be known as an All-Star but in your mind you would know it was only because you were (supposedly) the best player on a pathetic team. The only accomplishment, wasn’t a great year with superior statistics, it was having signed with a bad team that had to send a representative.
Again, Bud, if you’re going to do it right, do it right the whole way. Look at the big picture and understand that if you want the game to be meaningful (and you created the rule for it to be meaningful) you should give both leagues the opportunity to create a team they feel is best suited to accomplish the goal.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Four Your Consumption
As our forefathers provided us with the liberty we currently enjoy and celebrate on July 4th we will forego with the foreplay (something Grage hasn’t seen in a while either) and embark on a journey to enjoy the number 4.
We could start chronologically and recognize that Georgia became the fourth state of the union on January 2, 1788, beating Connecticut by a week. Or we could go back a few months and revisit our draft. Albert Pujols was the fourth player (and most expensive) drafted. Carlos Delgado was the first player that took four minutes to draft. Dustin Hermanson (who?) was the first player drafted for .04. The fourth round took 40 minutes to complete. All of which led to the teams we currently have and The Kenndoza Line being in fourth place.
To be a little less geocentric we could look to the heavens and realize that Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Mars gave the name to March, but April is the fourth month of the year.
Going back to a baseball theme, the Lambchops were the fourth owner (of the current twelve) to join the CFCL but the Splinters and Kenndoza Line are in their fourth year with the CFCL. Four of our owners are single and a fourth of our owners live outside of Illinois. Is it fore-shadowing that the fourth letter in the alphabet is “D” (as in Dem Rebels) and that Mars is known as the Red Planet (Red being the main uniform color of Dem Rebels) that Dem Rebels are on their way to the next fourth of what will hopefully someday be four CFCL Championships? Or has their owner simply had a fourth of vodka to drink?
Lou Gehrig, known as the Iron Horse (Iron being in Period 4 on the Periodic Chart and horse being a four legged equine) and Don Zimmer (who managed the Cubs for four years) both wore number 4.
Keep in mind the reason for the season, our country is celebrating its 231st year of freedom and when you plug that into this mathematical for-mula it reads 2(3-1) = 4!
While I wish each of you a Happy 4th of July I also wish a safe one for you as well. Please come back with four fingers (and a thumb) on each hand.
As we begin our holiday celebration I send you off with the appropriate warning: “FORE!”
We could start chronologically and recognize that Georgia became the fourth state of the union on January 2, 1788, beating Connecticut by a week. Or we could go back a few months and revisit our draft. Albert Pujols was the fourth player (and most expensive) drafted. Carlos Delgado was the first player that took four minutes to draft. Dustin Hermanson (who?) was the first player drafted for .04. The fourth round took 40 minutes to complete. All of which led to the teams we currently have and The Kenndoza Line being in fourth place.
To be a little less geocentric we could look to the heavens and realize that Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Mars gave the name to March, but April is the fourth month of the year.
Going back to a baseball theme, the Lambchops were the fourth owner (of the current twelve) to join the CFCL but the Splinters and Kenndoza Line are in their fourth year with the CFCL. Four of our owners are single and a fourth of our owners live outside of Illinois. Is it fore-shadowing that the fourth letter in the alphabet is “D” (as in Dem Rebels) and that Mars is known as the Red Planet (Red being the main uniform color of Dem Rebels) that Dem Rebels are on their way to the next fourth of what will hopefully someday be four CFCL Championships? Or has their owner simply had a fourth of vodka to drink?
Lou Gehrig, known as the Iron Horse (Iron being in Period 4 on the Periodic Chart and horse being a four legged equine) and Don Zimmer (who managed the Cubs for four years) both wore number 4.
Keep in mind the reason for the season, our country is celebrating its 231st year of freedom and when you plug that into this mathematical for-mula it reads 2(3-1) = 4!
While I wish each of you a Happy 4th of July I also wish a safe one for you as well. Please come back with four fingers (and a thumb) on each hand.
As we begin our holiday celebration I send you off with the appropriate warning: “FORE!”
Monday, June 25, 2007
A Different Look At CFCL History
A wise man once said “It is important to know from whence one came.” I don’t know who said it and if no one did say it, I think I would like to have said it; it sounds kind of cool.
Anyway, in what is becoming a multi-part story, I took a trip down memory lane of CFCL History. Being a statistics and numbers guy (as in Hank Aaron has 755 homeruns and the next active player in line to potentially pass him is Ken Griffey Jr. with 578. If you want to include Bonds and Sosa, then let Aaron’s number be indexed for steroid inflation), I noticed some interesting numbers and information about our current and past owners.
That’s almost as many teams that make the NHL playoffs each year: There have been 34 franchises in the 24 year history of the CFCL.
Two score and many drafts ago: Four teams have been in the CFCL for at least 20 years (Rebels & Copperfields – 24 years; Ruffins – 22 years; Lambchops – 20 years;)
Baker’s (not Dusty, dude) dozen: Of the 34 owners, 13 stayed in for at least 5 years. [Kenn and Teddy, you’re one year away from making it an even fifteen]
One is the loneliest number: Seven teams only stayed around for one year.
A long way to go and a short time to get there: The Bald Eagles were in the league for only six years and yet 90% of the Constitution is written because of him.
And somehow Steve Irwin wasn’t part of the CFCL: Seven franchises have been named from the Animal Kingdom [Big Dogs, Lambchops, Reservoir Dogs, Penguins, Eagles, Swordfish and Bulls]
Richie Daley has nothing on us: Six owners have been related. [Fred, David and Paul Mahlan – Father and sons; Rich and Matt Bentel – Cousins; Ken Welsch – Brother-in-law of Rich Bentel]
Down home country: One team was named for Americana. [Davies Crocketts]
Amazing but true: The now defunct Six Packs have a longer tenure (16 years) than all but five current owners.
Forgive me, father, for I have . . : One team was named for the clergy. [Fred’s Friars]
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas: Even though some anal retentive regulatory boards are trying to call this gambling, only one team had a gambling theme in its name. [Aces to Win]
Man, he looks familiar: One owner named his team, apparently after looking in the mirror. [Bald Eagles – if you knew Bob Monroe you know what I’m talking about. If you never met Bob (consider yourself lucky – that means you weren’t at risk of being coerced into a lopsided trade) check out the history part of the CFCL for Bob’s picture.
Hey that sounds familiar: Two teams are homonyms {not that there’s anything wrong with that}. [Picts and Picks]
Well what did you expect: We should have seen it coming. Of the teams that bailed after one year, the team names should have given us a clue they weren’t long for the CFCL. [The Apollos – named for a defunct space program; The Headless Horsemen – how long can you last without using your head? Aside from the 24 years exhibited by the Rebels, I mean; The Ghostbusters – really, no substance; The Spherechuckers – borderline racist name; Z-28s – a broken down, outdated car]
The question has to be asked: Who in the hell was/is Paul Skupien??! (owner of the Swordfish)
If this trip down memory lane didn’t make you feel old, then here’s this: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you dads out there!!
Anyway, in what is becoming a multi-part story, I took a trip down memory lane of CFCL History. Being a statistics and numbers guy (as in Hank Aaron has 755 homeruns and the next active player in line to potentially pass him is Ken Griffey Jr. with 578. If you want to include Bonds and Sosa, then let Aaron’s number be indexed for steroid inflation), I noticed some interesting numbers and information about our current and past owners.
That’s almost as many teams that make the NHL playoffs each year: There have been 34 franchises in the 24 year history of the CFCL.
Two score and many drafts ago: Four teams have been in the CFCL for at least 20 years (Rebels & Copperfields – 24 years; Ruffins – 22 years; Lambchops – 20 years;)
Baker’s (not Dusty, dude) dozen: Of the 34 owners, 13 stayed in for at least 5 years. [Kenn and Teddy, you’re one year away from making it an even fifteen]
One is the loneliest number: Seven teams only stayed around for one year.
A long way to go and a short time to get there: The Bald Eagles were in the league for only six years and yet 90% of the Constitution is written because of him.
And somehow Steve Irwin wasn’t part of the CFCL: Seven franchises have been named from the Animal Kingdom [Big Dogs, Lambchops, Reservoir Dogs, Penguins, Eagles, Swordfish and Bulls]
Richie Daley has nothing on us: Six owners have been related. [Fred, David and Paul Mahlan – Father and sons; Rich and Matt Bentel – Cousins; Ken Welsch – Brother-in-law of Rich Bentel]
Down home country: One team was named for Americana. [Davies Crocketts]
Amazing but true: The now defunct Six Packs have a longer tenure (16 years) than all but five current owners.
Forgive me, father, for I have . . : One team was named for the clergy. [Fred’s Friars]
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas: Even though some anal retentive regulatory boards are trying to call this gambling, only one team had a gambling theme in its name. [Aces to Win]
Man, he looks familiar: One owner named his team, apparently after looking in the mirror. [Bald Eagles – if you knew Bob Monroe you know what I’m talking about. If you never met Bob (consider yourself lucky – that means you weren’t at risk of being coerced into a lopsided trade) check out the history part of the CFCL for Bob’s picture.
Hey that sounds familiar: Two teams are homonyms {not that there’s anything wrong with that}. [Picts and Picks]
Well what did you expect: We should have seen it coming. Of the teams that bailed after one year, the team names should have given us a clue they weren’t long for the CFCL. [The Apollos – named for a defunct space program; The Headless Horsemen – how long can you last without using your head? Aside from the 24 years exhibited by the Rebels, I mean; The Ghostbusters – really, no substance; The Spherechuckers – borderline racist name; Z-28s – a broken down, outdated car]
The question has to be asked: Who in the hell was/is Paul Skupien??! (owner of the Swordfish)
If this trip down memory lane didn’t make you feel old, then here’s this: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you dads out there!!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Egghead and Hothead
It finally boiled over. The tension between Carlos Zambrano (Dem Rebels) and Michael Barrett (David’s Copperfields) came to a head at Wrigley Field. It has been simmering a while now, 23 years to be exact.
“They’ve been kicking our ass in the standings every doggone year,” states Head Rebel Bentel. “And all with ‘class and charm’, those damn top hats, tails and walking sticks. It’s over! Something had to be done. Barrett has been embarrassing my team all year long with his passed balls and throws into the outfield on stolen bases.”
Zambrano backs up his boss. “When I approached egghead (Barrett) in the dugout to ask him why he can’t catch anymore he looks at me with this dumbass lost look in his eyes. Then he points to the sky saying that he was watching an airplane in the sky while I was pitching. I couldn’t help it, I had to deck him.”
Barrett provides a different version of the story. “Big baby Z, as in last in the alphabet – as in last in all pitching statisitics, comes at me asking me why I missed his latest weakass offering. I pointed to the sky and said ‘I called for a fastball and you throw a wobbling butterfly.’ Then he gets this Pierzynski look in his eye and he throws down. What’s up with that?”
Dugout management tried to break things up and ushered the players into the clubhouse. “I’m minding my own business,” claims Barrett, “popping in Sade into my CD player and then Mr. I Only Care About My Batting Average comes over and sucker punches me, splitting my lip. So off I go to the hospital and now I’m talking like I’m doing Bill Cosby’s dentist routine.”
Copperfield Management has this perspective. “This all goes back to the Mount Olympus days,” says Copperflop. “When Bentel and I shared an apartment he was on my last nerve. Never doing the cleaning, never doing any cooking and always playing that hillbilly music. I mean c’mon, how many times can you listen to Rocky Top? I’ve had it.”
Bentel retorts, “He says it’s from Mount Olympus days? Well he’s probably right. Did he mention how many freaking times I had to double back to the apartment to let him in because he locked his keys inside? Christ, if I had a nickel for everytime that happened I wouldn’t have to work my finely toned ass off running this club. I’d be independently wealthy.”
Mahlan laid out the final word. “I’m sick of being the nice guy all the time. Remember, they attacked us. I called my buddy Sean Connery for some advice. He suggested this: ‘They put one of yours in the hospital; you put one of theirs in the morgue. That’s the Chicago way.’”
“They’ve been kicking our ass in the standings every doggone year,” states Head Rebel Bentel. “And all with ‘class and charm’, those damn top hats, tails and walking sticks. It’s over! Something had to be done. Barrett has been embarrassing my team all year long with his passed balls and throws into the outfield on stolen bases.”
Zambrano backs up his boss. “When I approached egghead (Barrett) in the dugout to ask him why he can’t catch anymore he looks at me with this dumbass lost look in his eyes. Then he points to the sky saying that he was watching an airplane in the sky while I was pitching. I couldn’t help it, I had to deck him.”
Barrett provides a different version of the story. “Big baby Z, as in last in the alphabet – as in last in all pitching statisitics, comes at me asking me why I missed his latest weakass offering. I pointed to the sky and said ‘I called for a fastball and you throw a wobbling butterfly.’ Then he gets this Pierzynski look in his eye and he throws down. What’s up with that?”
Dugout management tried to break things up and ushered the players into the clubhouse. “I’m minding my own business,” claims Barrett, “popping in Sade into my CD player and then Mr. I Only Care About My Batting Average comes over and sucker punches me, splitting my lip. So off I go to the hospital and now I’m talking like I’m doing Bill Cosby’s dentist routine.”
Copperfield Management has this perspective. “This all goes back to the Mount Olympus days,” says Copperflop. “When Bentel and I shared an apartment he was on my last nerve. Never doing the cleaning, never doing any cooking and always playing that hillbilly music. I mean c’mon, how many times can you listen to Rocky Top? I’ve had it.”
Bentel retorts, “He says it’s from Mount Olympus days? Well he’s probably right. Did he mention how many freaking times I had to double back to the apartment to let him in because he locked his keys inside? Christ, if I had a nickel for everytime that happened I wouldn’t have to work my finely toned ass off running this club. I’d be independently wealthy.”
Mahlan laid out the final word. “I’m sick of being the nice guy all the time. Remember, they attacked us. I called my buddy Sean Connery for some advice. He suggested this: ‘They put one of yours in the hospital; you put one of theirs in the morgue. That’s the Chicago way.’”
Monday, June 11, 2007
What It Doesn't Take To Win
A few years ago (ok, it was probably more like ten years ago) I came up with a theory. I shared it with a few of you and my theory went like this: The CFCL team that has the NL Homerun Champion on its roster has never won the CFCL Championship. It’s kind of like the person that wins the car on Survivor never wins the $1,000,000 prize.
Well after much research (and I must insert here that what you see below could not have been done without the amazing record keeping of our League Secretary, David Mahlan. Additionally, when I told David I was on the prowl of a specific Monroe Doctrine topic and needed to access the CFCL Archives, he was able to make the records available within two days. Amazing, amazing stuff) I found out that my theory is not entirely valid. OK, it’s not valid at all. I mean, I was sort of right if you want to consider that no CFCL team has won the title and had the homerun champ while Survivor has been on the air.
But the reality is that in the CFCL’s first year the ForGoetz Me Nots won the whole gonfalon AND owned Mike Schmidt who was the Co-Homer Champion (along with Dale Murphy). Hey, maybe that’s a loophole. No OUTRIGHT homer champion has ever been on a CFCL champion team. Well, no. In 1988 the Copperfields won the title (big surprise – it was the end of their three-peat) AND they owned Darryl Strawberry, SOLE homerun champion. Rats, a perfectly good theory shot to hell.
However, since 1988 (18 full seasons) no one has won the title with the home run champ. And in 21 of 23 years the CFCL Champion has not owned the homer champ. That would mean that any sane/intelligent owner should trade their homerun stud immediately (Prince Fielder leading the NL with 19 homeruns).
Backoff you vultures!!!! I clearly wrote “any sane/intelligent owner” which immediately removes Rebel ownership from that sentence. Prince isn’t going anywhere (quick – what do Proud Papa Cecil and Proud Owner Bentel have in common? Prince doesn’t talk to either one of us.)
Interesting stats from doing this research:
* 13 teams have finished in the money with the homerun champion.
* Many teams owned the homerun champ twice
* The Lambchops had the homerun champion on their team four times (Dem Rebels were second with three champions, and sadly that was a three year run of owning the steroid twins, McGuire and Sosa)
* Only once (last year) was the HR Champ traded during the season. This is especially interesting since the champ almost never ends up on the CFCL champion. Ten years the team with the HR Champ finished out of the money, you would think a couple of those teams would have traded the most productive member of their team to build for next year.
* With only six teams in the league in 1984 and eight teams in 1988, the odds were improved that a homerun champion would emerge on the best team (additionally in ’84 two players qualified as Home Run Champion).
HR Champ CFCL Champ Team owning HR
Champ
2006 – Howard Ruffins Kenndoza Line(4th
Place)/Copperfield (7th Place)
2005 – A. Jones Copperfields Kenndoza Line (3rd Place)
2004 – Beltre Stones Resevoir Dogs (8th Place)
2003 – Thome Lambchops Resevoir Dogs (3rd Place)
2002 – Sosa Lambchops Tenacious B (4th Place)
2001 – Bonds Copperfields DoorMatts (3rd Place)
2000 – Sosa Copperfields Dem Rebels (2nd Place)
1999 – McGwire Six Packs Dem Rebels (8th Place)
1998 – McGwire Ruffins Dem Rebels (6th Place)
1997 – Walker Copperfields ForGoetz Me Nots (7th Place)
1996 – Galarraga Dem Rebels DoorMatts (7th Place)
1995 – Bichette Copperfields Ruffins (4th Place)
1994 – M. Williams Meisters Lamchops (4th Place)
1993 – Bonds Copperfields Kents (5th Place)
1992 – McGriff Copperfields Lambchops (5th Place)
1991 – H. Johnson Bald Eagles Ruffins (6th Place)
1990 – Sandberg Copperfields Lambchops (5th Place)
1988 – Strawberry Copperfields Copperfields (1st Place)
1987 – Dawson Copperfields Penguins (3rd Place)
1986 – Schmidt Copperfields Z-28s (7th Place)
1985 – Murphy Mudville Sluggers Friars (2nd Place)
1984 – Murphy, Schmidt ForGoetz Me Nots Friars (3rd Place)/ForGoetz
Me Nots (1st Place)
Monday, June 4, 2007
A Tragedy and Stupidity
Dateline St. Louis – The father of Josh Hancock has taken it upon himself to protect the image of his son. He has filed suit against the restaurant that served Hancock, the towing company whose truck Hancock ran into and the driver whose car was stalled on the expressway.
That certainly makes sense since Josh Hancock, an adult and professional athlete, was entirely incompetent and at the mercy of the restaurant that was holding his mouth open and pouring the drinks down his throat. There is a complaint that Hancock was handed a drink when he walked in the door and was never without a drink until he left. The implication here is that it’s the restaurant/owner/bartender’s fault that Hancock left the restaurant inebriated. Instead, perhaps Mr. Hancock should have taught his son the power of the word “NO”.
What’s missing in this lawsuit is for Dean Hancock (father) to sue the rental car company (keep in mind that Hancock was driving a rental car because he had banged up his own car a couple of days before under what is suspected to be DUI circumstances) for providing keys that would allow a car’s ignition to start for a driver that had been drinking. Then there’s the cell phone company that was negligent because Hancock was driving while talking on the phone. The cell phone should have been programmed to be inoperable when its use is attempted by an intoxicated, car driving moron.
This is so “Your hot coffee spilled on my lap!” crap. I can’t imagine the pain that the Hancock family is going through, and hopefully as a parent I’ll never be put in that position. But that being said, it is high time for everyone to stand up and take responsibility for their actions. We are a very forgiving society. “I’m sorry” cures a lot of ills and begins the healing process. Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Josh Hancock’s family all want to blame other people because they are idiots.
Thank god that Hancock only killed himself. There was the owner of a stalled out car (caused by being cut off by another driver) and a tow truck driver trying to assist the stalled vehicle that were at risk. There were countless other drivers and pedestrians out and about that night that Hancock could have run into.
When I first heard about the lawsuit, I assumed it was the tow truck company or stalled car driver suing the estate of Hancock because they figured he was a millionaire ballplayer. My gut reaction was “C’mon guys, the guy died and no one else was hurt.” But by comparison, that lawsuit would make a hell of a lot more sense than Hancock’s estate suing a restaurant, tow truck company and driver of a disabled car.
Instead of throwing the case out of court, the judge should rule that Hancock’s estate should make a sizable contribution to MADD.
That certainly makes sense since Josh Hancock, an adult and professional athlete, was entirely incompetent and at the mercy of the restaurant that was holding his mouth open and pouring the drinks down his throat. There is a complaint that Hancock was handed a drink when he walked in the door and was never without a drink until he left. The implication here is that it’s the restaurant/owner/bartender’s fault that Hancock left the restaurant inebriated. Instead, perhaps Mr. Hancock should have taught his son the power of the word “NO”.
What’s missing in this lawsuit is for Dean Hancock (father) to sue the rental car company (keep in mind that Hancock was driving a rental car because he had banged up his own car a couple of days before under what is suspected to be DUI circumstances) for providing keys that would allow a car’s ignition to start for a driver that had been drinking. Then there’s the cell phone company that was negligent because Hancock was driving while talking on the phone. The cell phone should have been programmed to be inoperable when its use is attempted by an intoxicated, car driving moron.
This is so “Your hot coffee spilled on my lap!” crap. I can’t imagine the pain that the Hancock family is going through, and hopefully as a parent I’ll never be put in that position. But that being said, it is high time for everyone to stand up and take responsibility for their actions. We are a very forgiving society. “I’m sorry” cures a lot of ills and begins the healing process. Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Josh Hancock’s family all want to blame other people because they are idiots.
Thank god that Hancock only killed himself. There was the owner of a stalled out car (caused by being cut off by another driver) and a tow truck driver trying to assist the stalled vehicle that were at risk. There were countless other drivers and pedestrians out and about that night that Hancock could have run into.
When I first heard about the lawsuit, I assumed it was the tow truck company or stalled car driver suing the estate of Hancock because they figured he was a millionaire ballplayer. My gut reaction was “C’mon guys, the guy died and no one else was hurt.” But by comparison, that lawsuit would make a hell of a lot more sense than Hancock’s estate suing a restaurant, tow truck company and driver of a disabled car.
Instead of throwing the case out of court, the judge should rule that Hancock’s estate should make a sizable contribution to MADD.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Would You Take a Mulligan?
If we could all channel our inner Adam Sandler and “click” the rewind button back 2 ½ months, would we do anything different?
Would the Rebels have cut Ryan Theriot during Winter Waiver? No, dear god, no, no, no. Not when the alternative ended up being Jamey Carroll.
Would the Splinters have bid .12 on De Aza? We can only hope so. Certainly as columnist and editor for the Monroe Doctrine it has worked out great. De Aza has provided the one consistent piece throughout the year. And it wasn’t the bid amount (.12) that made De Aza the hit of the season. It was Teddy’s preamble to the bid and then his increased consternation when everyone else passed – and throughout the remainder of the draft. Turns out it was the best Draft Day experience since the Brett Barberie Incident.
Would the Picts still spend .55 on Pujols (.359, 18 runs, 23 rbi, 66 TB)? Yeah, that will probably work out.
Would the Ruffins have traded Vizquel (.283, 17 R, 12 RBI, 3 SB, 42 TB) to the Copperfields for Heilman (3.78, 4H, 3.33K/BB, 1.02 WHIP) during spring? Most assuredly. The Ruffins had a glut of MI and had to move one of them. Renteria is hot as a firecracker right now and Vizquel is showing his age. But since he’s on the Copperfields, I have no doubt that Vizquel will magically perform like he is 15 years younger.
Would the DoorMatts have had their best friend place 20 bucks while in Vegas on the Cubs to win the pennant? Why not? It’s only 20 bucks. And if the Cubs actually won the pennant the tough decision would be whether to cash in the ticket or have it framed.
Would the Rebels have traded David Weathers for Carlos Zambrano? Zambrano just finished up a week for the Rebels in which EACH of their starting pitchers gave up at least seven runs. It is the wrong time to be asking THAT question.
Would the Lambchops have decided to go back to their good luck charm, John Lemon and dump current GM Paul Mahlan? No way, PM is quality. The Chops are just in a drought right now.
Would the DoorMatts have decided to sign Pujols for an extra year? (ok, this exceeds the three month look back) Shoot, I would suggest he sign him for two extra years. This might have prevented the Matts from acquiring Jorge Julio.
Would Da Paul’s Meisters have decided on a different plan of attack than drafting (and keeping) really old ballplayers and former American Leaguers? Nah, that’s Paul’s MO. If he’s cool with it, who are we to judge?
Would the Stones decide on a different Draft Plan? (He admitted his 2007 Draft Plan was “not to blink”) Can’t judge that one. Steve’s won one more CFCL title than I have in the last ten years.
Would the Rebels have bid .17 on Angel Pagan? Two things regarding that. 1) It depends what is revealed in this week’s Report regarding the next highest bid, and 2) I came thisclose to claiming him on waivers earlier in the season!! Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Would the Picts (currently 11th place) have decided to not return to the CFCL this season? We certainly hope not. As one of the 12 beating hearts of the league and a big part of its soul, Nick would be a near irreplaceable cog in the CFCL machine.
Would the Rebels have cut Ryan Theriot during Winter Waiver? No, dear god, no, no, no. Not when the alternative ended up being Jamey Carroll.
Would the Splinters have bid .12 on De Aza? We can only hope so. Certainly as columnist and editor for the Monroe Doctrine it has worked out great. De Aza has provided the one consistent piece throughout the year. And it wasn’t the bid amount (.12) that made De Aza the hit of the season. It was Teddy’s preamble to the bid and then his increased consternation when everyone else passed – and throughout the remainder of the draft. Turns out it was the best Draft Day experience since the Brett Barberie Incident.
Would the Picts still spend .55 on Pujols (.359, 18 runs, 23 rbi, 66 TB)? Yeah, that will probably work out.
Would the Ruffins have traded Vizquel (.283, 17 R, 12 RBI, 3 SB, 42 TB) to the Copperfields for Heilman (3.78, 4H, 3.33K/BB, 1.02 WHIP) during spring? Most assuredly. The Ruffins had a glut of MI and had to move one of them. Renteria is hot as a firecracker right now and Vizquel is showing his age. But since he’s on the Copperfields, I have no doubt that Vizquel will magically perform like he is 15 years younger.
Would the DoorMatts have had their best friend place 20 bucks while in Vegas on the Cubs to win the pennant? Why not? It’s only 20 bucks. And if the Cubs actually won the pennant the tough decision would be whether to cash in the ticket or have it framed.
Would the Rebels have traded David Weathers for Carlos Zambrano? Zambrano just finished up a week for the Rebels in which EACH of their starting pitchers gave up at least seven runs. It is the wrong time to be asking THAT question.
Would the Lambchops have decided to go back to their good luck charm, John Lemon and dump current GM Paul Mahlan? No way, PM is quality. The Chops are just in a drought right now.
Would the DoorMatts have decided to sign Pujols for an extra year? (ok, this exceeds the three month look back) Shoot, I would suggest he sign him for two extra years. This might have prevented the Matts from acquiring Jorge Julio.
Would Da Paul’s Meisters have decided on a different plan of attack than drafting (and keeping) really old ballplayers and former American Leaguers? Nah, that’s Paul’s MO. If he’s cool with it, who are we to judge?
Would the Stones decide on a different Draft Plan? (He admitted his 2007 Draft Plan was “not to blink”) Can’t judge that one. Steve’s won one more CFCL title than I have in the last ten years.
Would the Rebels have bid .17 on Angel Pagan? Two things regarding that. 1) It depends what is revealed in this week’s Report regarding the next highest bid, and 2) I came thisclose to claiming him on waivers earlier in the season!! Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Would the Picts (currently 11th place) have decided to not return to the CFCL this season? We certainly hope not. As one of the 12 beating hearts of the league and a big part of its soul, Nick would be a near irreplaceable cog in the CFCL machine.
Monday, May 21, 2007
You're Either In Or You're Out, Right Now
I am sick and tired (“The worst beating I ever got was when my mom said ‘I am sick’ and I said ‘and tired.’ I don’t remember anything else that day.” – gratuitous Cosby reference) of Roger Clemens and his ilk. For at least the second year in a row he has kept baseball and at least three teams on edge with “Will I or Won’t I” retire. He is asked about it after each season and he says he won’t make a decision until late spring of the following year, allowing the spotlight to shine on him while he is doing nothing.
He decided that he wants to sporadically play baseball this year for the Yankees. It’s not enough to make that decision, but he has to take the microphone and announce it during the seventh inning stretch from Boy George’s suite. Roger’s ego is officially larger than his ass, which is appropriate because that’s what he’s acting like. After negotiating with the Yankees to not only get more money for doing less work (did Roger have dinner with Pat Hughes the night before the announcement?) but also be able to disappear for family time whenever he wants, he couldn’t hold a press conference after the game. No, he had to make the announcement during the game. I’m sure Steinbrenner had something to do with it, but instead of trying to fit in with the team, Roger had to take the focus off of the field and put it on himself.
Now I’m sure Yankee Stadium was electric when he announced his intentions and the place went up for grabs, but I’m sick of the athletes that have to have the glow of the fans adoration and the TV lights in their eyes and do anything to get it.
Clemens and Brett Favre are two that come to mind that can’t seem to make a decision without having people chase them for months. You may feel more strongly against Favre (he is a Packer afterall) since he was holding one team hostage from making important personnel moves until Green Bay knew of Brett’s intentions, but the big picture is the same. These self-righteous guys are deciding that they are more important than the team.
Clemens started this whole thing when he actually MADE a decision to retire. Remember, he left the field during the playoffs against the Red Sox? Everyone rose and applauded a phenomenal (steroid filled?) career. The Red Sox even applauded when he was taken out of the game. The Yankees gave him a Longhorn burnt orange Hummer. Then during the following baseball season he decides that he wants to come back as an Astro.
He joined the likes of Michael Jordan, any professional boxer and Bobby Howry in deciding to retire and not making it stick. (Actually Howry’s problem was that he couldn’t retire any of the Phillies batters).
One argument that I’ve heard from the talking heads that like to play Devil’s Advocate (an interesting position during a discussion, but a lousy movie) is that Clemens (and Favre, et. al.) have earned the right to handle things this way.
The truly classy athlete (or individual for that matter) may have earned the right, but they would never exercise it.
He decided that he wants to sporadically play baseball this year for the Yankees. It’s not enough to make that decision, but he has to take the microphone and announce it during the seventh inning stretch from Boy George’s suite. Roger’s ego is officially larger than his ass, which is appropriate because that’s what he’s acting like. After negotiating with the Yankees to not only get more money for doing less work (did Roger have dinner with Pat Hughes the night before the announcement?) but also be able to disappear for family time whenever he wants, he couldn’t hold a press conference after the game. No, he had to make the announcement during the game. I’m sure Steinbrenner had something to do with it, but instead of trying to fit in with the team, Roger had to take the focus off of the field and put it on himself.
Now I’m sure Yankee Stadium was electric when he announced his intentions and the place went up for grabs, but I’m sick of the athletes that have to have the glow of the fans adoration and the TV lights in their eyes and do anything to get it.
Clemens and Brett Favre are two that come to mind that can’t seem to make a decision without having people chase them for months. You may feel more strongly against Favre (he is a Packer afterall) since he was holding one team hostage from making important personnel moves until Green Bay knew of Brett’s intentions, but the big picture is the same. These self-righteous guys are deciding that they are more important than the team.
Clemens started this whole thing when he actually MADE a decision to retire. Remember, he left the field during the playoffs against the Red Sox? Everyone rose and applauded a phenomenal (steroid filled?) career. The Red Sox even applauded when he was taken out of the game. The Yankees gave him a Longhorn burnt orange Hummer. Then during the following baseball season he decides that he wants to come back as an Astro.
He joined the likes of Michael Jordan, any professional boxer and Bobby Howry in deciding to retire and not making it stick. (Actually Howry’s problem was that he couldn’t retire any of the Phillies batters).
One argument that I’ve heard from the talking heads that like to play Devil’s Advocate (an interesting position during a discussion, but a lousy movie) is that Clemens (and Favre, et. al.) have earned the right to handle things this way.
The truly classy athlete (or individual for that matter) may have earned the right, but they would never exercise it.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The best day of the summer, so far, occurred last Wednesday when I sat at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva with two of my daughters to watch the Kane County Cougars play. First I have to do some parental bragging. The reason we went on Wednesday evening was that both Katelyn (age 10 yesterday) and Ally (age 7) read the required amount of minutes or books to be part of the Ozzie Reading Club. As a result, they each received a ticket to the game and I was only too happy to accompany them.
Before the game began, all the students and their parents were allowed to parade around the warning track of the field. I can’t speak for the girls, but being able to walk on a professional baseball field is awesome. The players are right there warming up, others are sitting in the dugout preparing for the game. Walking through the bullpen, ambling alongside the first and thirdbase lines made my mind wander to “What would have happened if I could have hit a curve ball?”
After the parade the girls grabbed a hotdog and we settled in our seats. Katelyn was intent on learning the game’s subtleties, and more than once pointed out to me that “the bases were loaded” [That’s my girl, yo!] Ally was consistently amazed at the sight of all of her friends and various teachers in the stands.
As an added treat, the girls each received an Ozzie Reading Club T-Shirt and the tradition has become that all the kids sign each others shirts with a Sharpie (both girls were able to snag Ozzie’s autograph as well). Some fortunate kids in Katelyn’s class even received my autograph which went thusly: “Mr. B. Derrek Lee is a stud! Cubs.” I had trouble concentrating on the game for the long line of autograph hounds.
The game itself had a little bit of everything. Amazing defensive plays, poor defensive plays [at one point in the game, the Cougars line score resembled a druken man’s vision of Hank Aaron’s uniform: 4 4 4] and a building no-hitter. The home town Cougars were being no hit until the 5th inning. The crowd really came to life in the 5th, not when the Cougars erupted for four runs, but when the P.A. system blared “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” And the crowd yelled back “SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!”
During the seventh inning stretch we all rose and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and when the line came to “root, root, root for the Cougars” Katelyn looked at me and said “Why did they say Cougars? They were supposed to say ‘Cubs’”, I just smiled the smile of a father who knows he’s done his job well.
The lower 40 degree temperature and wind gusting in from centerfield eventually did us in by the 8th inning, but a good time was had by the girls and an incredible time was had by their dad. Oh yeah, the Cougars ended up winning 5-3.
Before the game began, all the students and their parents were allowed to parade around the warning track of the field. I can’t speak for the girls, but being able to walk on a professional baseball field is awesome. The players are right there warming up, others are sitting in the dugout preparing for the game. Walking through the bullpen, ambling alongside the first and thirdbase lines made my mind wander to “What would have happened if I could have hit a curve ball?”
After the parade the girls grabbed a hotdog and we settled in our seats. Katelyn was intent on learning the game’s subtleties, and more than once pointed out to me that “the bases were loaded” [That’s my girl, yo!] Ally was consistently amazed at the sight of all of her friends and various teachers in the stands.
As an added treat, the girls each received an Ozzie Reading Club T-Shirt and the tradition has become that all the kids sign each others shirts with a Sharpie (both girls were able to snag Ozzie’s autograph as well). Some fortunate kids in Katelyn’s class even received my autograph which went thusly: “Mr. B. Derrek Lee is a stud! Cubs.” I had trouble concentrating on the game for the long line of autograph hounds.
The game itself had a little bit of everything. Amazing defensive plays, poor defensive plays [at one point in the game, the Cougars line score resembled a druken man’s vision of Hank Aaron’s uniform: 4 4 4] and a building no-hitter. The home town Cougars were being no hit until the 5th inning. The crowd really came to life in the 5th, not when the Cougars erupted for four runs, but when the P.A. system blared “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” And the crowd yelled back “SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!”
During the seventh inning stretch we all rose and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and when the line came to “root, root, root for the Cougars” Katelyn looked at me and said “Why did they say Cougars? They were supposed to say ‘Cubs’”, I just smiled the smile of a father who knows he’s done his job well.
The lower 40 degree temperature and wind gusting in from centerfield eventually did us in by the 8th inning, but a good time was had by the girls and an incredible time was had by their dad. Oh yeah, the Cougars ended up winning 5-3.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Baseball History
I recently listened to Ken Burns’ Baseball Documentary on tape. Going through the history of baseball is always fascinating. But the thing that struck me, the way the tape was narrated, was the changes that baseball made and how ridiculous the changes before or after seem.
For example: in 1973 the designated hitter was adopted in the American League, blemishing baseball. The way the narration went was “and from this point forward baseball would be played by two sets of rules”. When I heard those words, my first thought was “Who would ever agree to that?” What sense does it make to have played baseball for over 100 years with everyone following the same rules and then decide that there would be two sets of rules from now on? It doesn’t. It’s stupid.
In 1961 an amazing race was on between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Maris, as we all know, eventually won the race over Mantle to surpass Ruth’s single season homerun record. But Commissioner Happy Chandler decided that an asterisk should be used to denote the fact that Maris needed eight more games in a regular season to reach 61. Funny, but no one ever considered the need to put an asterisk next to Cy Young’s name even though the rules allowed him (or made him) pitch underhand, putting less stress on his arm.
Another stupid factor is (and I know baseball wasn’t only at fault here, it was the whole country) that only white ballplayers could play in the major leagues until 1947. Interesting note from the Baseball tapes: During the off-season it was common for the Negro League ballplayers to barnstorm against the Major Leaguers. In fact they played against each other over 300 times. The Negro League teams won over 200 of those contests.
Here’s a random thought on the whole Jackie Robinson celebration night. I get the fact that baseball wanted to honor Jackie Robinson and his accomplishment on the 60th anniversary of him breaking the color barrier. But if baseball decided to honor Jackie, doesn’t it make sense to honor him AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? By that I mean, someone thought of the idea and then baseball waited around how ever much time until the 60th anniversary rolled around. Blacks were made to wait an ungodly amount of time to join their white brothers and then there are more delays to honor Robinson simply because of a convenient round number (60).
If you’re celebrating an accomplishment (like a wedding anniversary or the CFCL’s 25th year in existence) it makes sense to wait until the appropriate date. But if you want to celebrate something long overdue, why wouldn’t you do it RIGHT AWAY?
Another thought from the tapes. Pete Rose, obviously, has been banned for life for betting on baseball. Pete even, finally, admitted betting on his own team. I don’t particularly care for Rose now or when he played, although he was a hell of a player who accomplished things with his hard work and talent – as opposed to McGwire, Bonds, Sosa and a host of others who had to use steroids and HGH to produce their gargantuan numbers. The thing with Rose is, he’s banned from baseball for betting on his own team, yet John McGraw, one of the greatest managers in baseball history, also was known to have bet on his team back in the day.
And yet with all the stupidity and inequity in baseball, after listening to the tapes and picturing Mays running down Vic Wertz’ deep fly ball, and Hank Aaron chasing Al Downing’s pitch over the left field wall and hearing about Fisk using his body english to make the ball hit the foul pole ----- Baseball is the greatest sport in the world.
For example: in 1973 the designated hitter was adopted in the American League, blemishing baseball. The way the narration went was “and from this point forward baseball would be played by two sets of rules”. When I heard those words, my first thought was “Who would ever agree to that?” What sense does it make to have played baseball for over 100 years with everyone following the same rules and then decide that there would be two sets of rules from now on? It doesn’t. It’s stupid.
In 1961 an amazing race was on between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Maris, as we all know, eventually won the race over Mantle to surpass Ruth’s single season homerun record. But Commissioner Happy Chandler decided that an asterisk should be used to denote the fact that Maris needed eight more games in a regular season to reach 61. Funny, but no one ever considered the need to put an asterisk next to Cy Young’s name even though the rules allowed him (or made him) pitch underhand, putting less stress on his arm.
Another stupid factor is (and I know baseball wasn’t only at fault here, it was the whole country) that only white ballplayers could play in the major leagues until 1947. Interesting note from the Baseball tapes: During the off-season it was common for the Negro League ballplayers to barnstorm against the Major Leaguers. In fact they played against each other over 300 times. The Negro League teams won over 200 of those contests.
Here’s a random thought on the whole Jackie Robinson celebration night. I get the fact that baseball wanted to honor Jackie Robinson and his accomplishment on the 60th anniversary of him breaking the color barrier. But if baseball decided to honor Jackie, doesn’t it make sense to honor him AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? By that I mean, someone thought of the idea and then baseball waited around how ever much time until the 60th anniversary rolled around. Blacks were made to wait an ungodly amount of time to join their white brothers and then there are more delays to honor Robinson simply because of a convenient round number (60).
If you’re celebrating an accomplishment (like a wedding anniversary or the CFCL’s 25th year in existence) it makes sense to wait until the appropriate date. But if you want to celebrate something long overdue, why wouldn’t you do it RIGHT AWAY?
Another thought from the tapes. Pete Rose, obviously, has been banned for life for betting on baseball. Pete even, finally, admitted betting on his own team. I don’t particularly care for Rose now or when he played, although he was a hell of a player who accomplished things with his hard work and talent – as opposed to McGwire, Bonds, Sosa and a host of others who had to use steroids and HGH to produce their gargantuan numbers. The thing with Rose is, he’s banned from baseball for betting on his own team, yet John McGraw, one of the greatest managers in baseball history, also was known to have bet on his team back in the day.
And yet with all the stupidity and inequity in baseball, after listening to the tapes and picturing Mays running down Vic Wertz’ deep fly ball, and Hank Aaron chasing Al Downing’s pitch over the left field wall and hearing about Fisk using his body english to make the ball hit the foul pole ----- Baseball is the greatest sport in the world.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Admitting a Problem is the First Step
‘Welcome to Sportsline Live Scoring Fantasy Game Center Addicts Support group.’
“Hi, my name is Rich”
‘Hiii Rich’
“I think I may have a problem. Sportsline updates the standings to my fantasy baseball league, the CFCL, pitch by pitch! I can’t believe it! I watch each night as my team moves up and down the standings. I can’t get enough of it.”
‘Admitting you have a problem, Rich, is the first step to recovery. This support group for Addiction to Sportsline Live Scoring Fantasy Game Center (ASLSFGC) is designed to help fantasy owners with the issues that you have expressed. In fact, you may recognize that guy in chair number two. He’s here because he would rather look at the Game Center than his own son.’
“Hey, Kenn. How’s it going?”
‘If you’re serious about getting help, we are happy to assist you. Are you familiar with the “12 Steps”?’
“Not in detail.”
‘OK, let’s review them.’
1) Admit we are powerless
“Gotcha. I am powerless. Every night I find myself clicking on my bookmarked page to see how my team is doing and then just sit there entranced until the final out of the evening is recorded. I also admit that I am powerless to the fact that Grady Little won’t play Wilson Betemit so Willie can work his way out of his slump.”
2) Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity
“I’m not sure how this will help. The power of Derrek Lee’s swing and Aaron Harang’s fastball is what got me in trouble to begin with.”
3) Made decision to turn our will and lives over to God
“I’ve always viewed Hank Aaron as a baseball god. He’s been through much more than I have ever been and currently has to deal with this whole Bonds mess, so I’m willing to turn over my life and will to him. No problem with two out of three so far.”
4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
“I think I’m okay here. I made a few deals during the off-season and morally I feel good. Some may have questioned the legitimacy of Zambrano for Weathers, but given the opportunity Weathers currently has and the fact it saved the DoorMatts .22 for the draft, I’m comfortable with it. Moral inventory – check.”
5) Admit to God, ourselves and others exact nature of our wrongs
“Hank, I should have drafted you last year. Finishing last without pulling out all stops, that was just flat wrong.”
6) Ready to have God remove all defects of our character.
“By all means, please. And while you’re at it, can you remove the defects from Sportsline’s website? I mean, not being able to view a Waiver List is insane. And what’s with the IBB column? Like we have to be told that the pitcher Issued a Base on Balls. Is there any other kind of Base on Balls other than one that was issued by the pitcher? And HA?! Of course the pitcher Allowed a Hit! Is there also a column for Hit Not Allowed? . . .Oh man, I’m only half way through the list and already I’m going back to my bad place.”
7) Humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings
“Hammer, don’t hurt me.”
8) Make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all
“Okay, let’s see, there’s Kim, Katelyn, Ally and Kristi. Am I still harming them if I mainly have this addiction at night after they’ve gone to bed? Never mind, I’ll probably slip up on a weekend afternoon. Make amends – check.”
9) Make direct amends to all such people, except when to do so would injure them or others
“I’m glad you point this out. While I don’t want any bodily injury to come my way, although I think it’s inevitable, I’m concerned that the frying pan directed at my head may miss me and smack one of the girls.”
10) Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it
“Wow, you’re good. Step number 10 and you’ve already caught me. Between Steps 8 and 9 I clicked over to find that I’m still in second, now only ONE point behind the Copperfields. Back around Step 2 I was three points behind.”
11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we know him
“Now I lay me down to sleep, Hank Aaron takes Al Downing deep. If I dream before I wake, let Prince Fielder a cycle make.”
12) Have a spiritual awakening of these steps we try to carry this message to others afflicted with ASLSFGC
“The other ten of you are welcome to join Kenn and me at the next meeting. Internet connectivity is strictly forbidden.”
“Hi, my name is Rich”
‘Hiii Rich’
“I think I may have a problem. Sportsline updates the standings to my fantasy baseball league, the CFCL, pitch by pitch! I can’t believe it! I watch each night as my team moves up and down the standings. I can’t get enough of it.”
‘Admitting you have a problem, Rich, is the first step to recovery. This support group for Addiction to Sportsline Live Scoring Fantasy Game Center (ASLSFGC) is designed to help fantasy owners with the issues that you have expressed. In fact, you may recognize that guy in chair number two. He’s here because he would rather look at the Game Center than his own son.’
“Hey, Kenn. How’s it going?”
‘If you’re serious about getting help, we are happy to assist you. Are you familiar with the “12 Steps”?’
“Not in detail.”
‘OK, let’s review them.’
1) Admit we are powerless
“Gotcha. I am powerless. Every night I find myself clicking on my bookmarked page to see how my team is doing and then just sit there entranced until the final out of the evening is recorded. I also admit that I am powerless to the fact that Grady Little won’t play Wilson Betemit so Willie can work his way out of his slump.”
2) Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity
“I’m not sure how this will help. The power of Derrek Lee’s swing and Aaron Harang’s fastball is what got me in trouble to begin with.”
3) Made decision to turn our will and lives over to God
“I’ve always viewed Hank Aaron as a baseball god. He’s been through much more than I have ever been and currently has to deal with this whole Bonds mess, so I’m willing to turn over my life and will to him. No problem with two out of three so far.”
4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
“I think I’m okay here. I made a few deals during the off-season and morally I feel good. Some may have questioned the legitimacy of Zambrano for Weathers, but given the opportunity Weathers currently has and the fact it saved the DoorMatts .22 for the draft, I’m comfortable with it. Moral inventory – check.”
5) Admit to God, ourselves and others exact nature of our wrongs
“Hank, I should have drafted you last year. Finishing last without pulling out all stops, that was just flat wrong.”
6) Ready to have God remove all defects of our character.
“By all means, please. And while you’re at it, can you remove the defects from Sportsline’s website? I mean, not being able to view a Waiver List is insane. And what’s with the IBB column? Like we have to be told that the pitcher Issued a Base on Balls. Is there any other kind of Base on Balls other than one that was issued by the pitcher? And HA?! Of course the pitcher Allowed a Hit! Is there also a column for Hit Not Allowed? . . .Oh man, I’m only half way through the list and already I’m going back to my bad place.”
7) Humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings
“Hammer, don’t hurt me.”
8) Make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all
“Okay, let’s see, there’s Kim, Katelyn, Ally and Kristi. Am I still harming them if I mainly have this addiction at night after they’ve gone to bed? Never mind, I’ll probably slip up on a weekend afternoon. Make amends – check.”
9) Make direct amends to all such people, except when to do so would injure them or others
“I’m glad you point this out. While I don’t want any bodily injury to come my way, although I think it’s inevitable, I’m concerned that the frying pan directed at my head may miss me and smack one of the girls.”
10) Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it
“Wow, you’re good. Step number 10 and you’ve already caught me. Between Steps 8 and 9 I clicked over to find that I’m still in second, now only ONE point behind the Copperfields. Back around Step 2 I was three points behind.”
11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we know him
“Now I lay me down to sleep, Hank Aaron takes Al Downing deep. If I dream before I wake, let Prince Fielder a cycle make.”
12) Have a spiritual awakening of these steps we try to carry this message to others afflicted with ASLSFGC
“The other ten of you are welcome to join Kenn and me at the next meeting. Internet connectivity is strictly forbidden.”
Monday, April 23, 2007
What's in a name?
There was a lot of talk in recent years about team nicknames. Is the Cleveland American League Baseball Team being disrespectful of Native Americans by using the nickname Indians and having a logo with an Indian caricature? Is the University of Illinois being disrespectful by calling their teams the “Fighting Illini” and having Chief Illiniwek do a traditional dance on the basketball court at halftime? Was the Washington Professional Basketball Team really promoting violence in the nation’s capital by naming their team the Bullets? (Sure they were, so let’s fix the problem by changing the team name to the Wizards. That shouldn’t cause any issues in a city that is predominantly African American.)
We (as a country) basically commit genocide and then want to use “Indians”, “Braves”, “Redskins”, “Fighting Illini” and say that these tribes and people are being “honored”. Perhaps we should have honored them from the beginning by not taking their land, attacking them for no other reason than they had what we wanted and making them basically a Third World Country when they were, in fact, a great nation.
Even the team names a little closer to home can come into question. Dem Rebels can be viewed as a politically incorrect name, especially with the sabers on the logo (coupled with the fact that in the original Rebel logo, from years ago, a modified version of the Stars and Bars) and that somehow the Rebels support racism and slavery. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rebel was the first (and only) word that came to mind when I put my initials together (REB). Certainly I was in a hurry to come up with a great name and get away from the colossal mistake of the Electric Eels from 1984 (Full name: BEN T’s ELectric Eels).
The decision makers on whether a mascot or team name is offensive should be the group that the team name represents, NOT the US Government, PETA, Oprah or any other group trying to get their name in the papers.
Personally I think that alcohol and guns should be outlawed and NEVER used. But then I don’t drink and am not into firearms. If those two items were to be outlawed – no skin off my nose, I wouldn’t even miss it. But if someone came along saying that Fantasy Baseball and Red Licorice are bad for society, I would be picketing, sitting in, and fighting THE MAN any way I could think of. Point is, the people doing most of the bitching about team names and mascots:
A) Aren’t from that ethnic group,
B) Don’t have much intelligence, and
C) Don’t care if the mascot/team name goes away because they are not tied to it.
College football, baseball, professional football and any other organized sports group should sit down with leaders from the groups whose names, nicknames, culture is being used and find out if the leaders and their nation/society/people are offended. If they are, change the team nickname. If they aren’t, use the nickname and everyone else shut the hell up.
We (as a country) basically commit genocide and then want to use “Indians”, “Braves”, “Redskins”, “Fighting Illini” and say that these tribes and people are being “honored”. Perhaps we should have honored them from the beginning by not taking their land, attacking them for no other reason than they had what we wanted and making them basically a Third World Country when they were, in fact, a great nation.
Even the team names a little closer to home can come into question. Dem Rebels can be viewed as a politically incorrect name, especially with the sabers on the logo (coupled with the fact that in the original Rebel logo, from years ago, a modified version of the Stars and Bars) and that somehow the Rebels support racism and slavery. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rebel was the first (and only) word that came to mind when I put my initials together (REB). Certainly I was in a hurry to come up with a great name and get away from the colossal mistake of the Electric Eels from 1984 (Full name: BEN T’s ELectric Eels).
The decision makers on whether a mascot or team name is offensive should be the group that the team name represents, NOT the US Government, PETA, Oprah or any other group trying to get their name in the papers.
Personally I think that alcohol and guns should be outlawed and NEVER used. But then I don’t drink and am not into firearms. If those two items were to be outlawed – no skin off my nose, I wouldn’t even miss it. But if someone came along saying that Fantasy Baseball and Red Licorice are bad for society, I would be picketing, sitting in, and fighting THE MAN any way I could think of. Point is, the people doing most of the bitching about team names and mascots:
A) Aren’t from that ethnic group,
B) Don’t have much intelligence, and
C) Don’t care if the mascot/team name goes away because they are not tied to it.
College football, baseball, professional football and any other organized sports group should sit down with leaders from the groups whose names, nicknames, culture is being used and find out if the leaders and their nation/society/people are offended. If they are, change the team nickname. If they aren’t, use the nickname and everyone else shut the hell up.
Monday, April 16, 2007
San Diego steals another one
Another talented Chicagoan was signed by the San Diego Padres recently. Not only did Greg Maddux sign with San Diego, but now Andy Masur will provide play by play and color commentary on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM and 105.7 FM). This is a well deserved opportunity for the talented team player. An opportunity I wish he was receiving at WGN.
In my opinion this was a huge loss for the Cubs and WGN. On the Cubs broadcast side Masur always did a fantastic job filling in for Pat Hughes during Pat’s 7th or 8th inning breaks. I was always amazed at how this guy could do score and baseball news updates throughout the game and then sit in Pat’s chair for a half inning at the end of the game and sound like he had been calling the whole game. [THIS JUST IN – Pat Hughes, in his negotiation of his new contract, asked for and received an additional half inning break. So now he only calls eight innings. Imagine sitting down with your employer and stating that you would like to keep working for them (at a raise in pay no doubt) and do 11% less work?!! Don’t anyone tell me that the Sandberg deal, when they signed him for $7 million a year and the previous high in baseball was $5 million per, was a bad negotiation.]
Until the Cubs signed Hughes to a long-term deal I had secretly hoped (and expected) that Masur was being groomed to take over. Hughes has never really done it for me. “Welllll, what kind of beverage are you drinking there, Ron?” gets kind of old by May. Oh sure, he’s a talented play by play man and just won the 2006 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year Award, but when you’re up against Harrelson, Singleton and Joniak you BETTER win the award.
I had even heard that at one point in the 2005(?) season Hughes sat down with the then Program Director of WGN and said “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I need a break. I’m exhausted. I need a vacation.” Exhausted from sitting at a ballpark and talking with a close friend? I know the travel isn’t as romantic as one might think, but “exhausted”? From sitting in a shaded booth with endless supplies of food and drink? The bellhops carry the bags and while Masur was around, Hughes didn’t even have to remind Ron to pack his toupees or other accessories.
Based on that conversation I assumed the Cubs might move in a different (Masurly) direction once Hughes’ contract came up. But that didn’t happen. Could be because the Program Director changed before Hughes’ contract expired. Could be that Hughes was rejuvenated over the last season or so by doing more Pilates in the off season to prepare him for the 162 game grind (although with Pat’s new clause of “one inning off per game” Hughes won’t broadcast 162 innings this year – the equivalent of 18 GAMES!!!!). Who knows? All I know is that Chicago lost another talent to the San Diego Padres.
In my opinion this was a huge loss for the Cubs and WGN. On the Cubs broadcast side Masur always did a fantastic job filling in for Pat Hughes during Pat’s 7th or 8th inning breaks. I was always amazed at how this guy could do score and baseball news updates throughout the game and then sit in Pat’s chair for a half inning at the end of the game and sound like he had been calling the whole game. [THIS JUST IN – Pat Hughes, in his negotiation of his new contract, asked for and received an additional half inning break. So now he only calls eight innings. Imagine sitting down with your employer and stating that you would like to keep working for them (at a raise in pay no doubt) and do 11% less work?!! Don’t anyone tell me that the Sandberg deal, when they signed him for $7 million a year and the previous high in baseball was $5 million per, was a bad negotiation.]
Until the Cubs signed Hughes to a long-term deal I had secretly hoped (and expected) that Masur was being groomed to take over. Hughes has never really done it for me. “Welllll, what kind of beverage are you drinking there, Ron?” gets kind of old by May. Oh sure, he’s a talented play by play man and just won the 2006 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year Award, but when you’re up against Harrelson, Singleton and Joniak you BETTER win the award.
I had even heard that at one point in the 2005(?) season Hughes sat down with the then Program Director of WGN and said “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I need a break. I’m exhausted. I need a vacation.” Exhausted from sitting at a ballpark and talking with a close friend? I know the travel isn’t as romantic as one might think, but “exhausted”? From sitting in a shaded booth with endless supplies of food and drink? The bellhops carry the bags and while Masur was around, Hughes didn’t even have to remind Ron to pack his toupees or other accessories.
Based on that conversation I assumed the Cubs might move in a different (Masurly) direction once Hughes’ contract came up. But that didn’t happen. Could be because the Program Director changed before Hughes’ contract expired. Could be that Hughes was rejuvenated over the last season or so by doing more Pilates in the off season to prepare him for the 162 game grind (although with Pat’s new clause of “one inning off per game” Hughes won’t broadcast 162 innings this year – the equivalent of 18 GAMES!!!!). Who knows? All I know is that Chicago lost another talent to the San Diego Padres.
Monday, April 9, 2007
A pat on the back with a hand in the pocket
The rebirth of the Monroe Doctrine has provided a few things. It has provided me many flashbacks to the early days of the CFCL where I would sit at my pretend job at the Savings and Loan and do the serious work of cranking out the Monroe Doctrine, looking for any way possible to insult the resident CFCL punching bag, Bob Monroe. It has re-opened a creative outlet for the few remaining grey cells between my ears which I am hoping you all will enjoy over the course of the season.
In fact, I have been overwhelmed with the kind words about my early submissions. Amazingly . . . these kind words have been immediately followed with trade offers and proposals.
And mind you the e-mails don’t lead with the trade proposal and follow with a cast off line of “Oh yeah, read the Monroe Doctrine. Nice.” The lead-in is how much the Monroe Doctrine is being enjoyed: “Can’t wait to read the next one,” “I skip past the rest of the report to read the Monroe Doctrine first”, and then the trade offer comes. So while I’m awash in the glow of adulation, I’m thinking “Gee that Matt is a swell fellow. I should do business with such a nice guy.”
And I know that you vultures KNOW THIS!!! So here I am looking at Augie Ojeda for Derek Lee and Prince Fielder, thinking “Hmm, this seems a little lopsided. But I must be missing something because he wouldn’t be trying to screw me. I mean ‘He likes me, he really likes me!’”
So just as I am about to pull the trigger on the deal, my five year old (Kristi [named for Mathewson] Grace [named for Mark]) glances over my shoulder and says “Papa are you nuts? You have to at least get a 4th round draft pick in return as well!” And then . . . the spell is broken.
I come to my senses and say “Hah! Your flirtatious overtures WILL NOT work! Oh sure, I traded a young stud in the making to the Current CFCL Champions for a guy that couldn’t be successful in Colorado before they installed the humidors. But last year he found himself! He likes the dry, desert air instead of the thin, mile-high air. 271 Totals Bases and 25 steals. I know, I know, past performance is not indicative of future returns, I mean I’m not a total idiot. And Dave even said how much he enjoyed reading the Monroe Doctrine and that if I ‘was able to crank them out amid life’s other distractions he would read ‘em.’ Can you get over that? A tenured professor, busy trying to make sense of the crazy Presidential Race that will be decided in 22 short months saying that he will find time to read my meager words. How can you not trust a guy that a UNIVERSITY has entrusted with the minds of the next generation?”
Helloooo my all-too-familiar home, 12th place.
In fact, I have been overwhelmed with the kind words about my early submissions. Amazingly . . . these kind words have been immediately followed with trade offers and proposals.
And mind you the e-mails don’t lead with the trade proposal and follow with a cast off line of “Oh yeah, read the Monroe Doctrine. Nice.” The lead-in is how much the Monroe Doctrine is being enjoyed: “Can’t wait to read the next one,” “I skip past the rest of the report to read the Monroe Doctrine first”, and then the trade offer comes. So while I’m awash in the glow of adulation, I’m thinking “Gee that Matt is a swell fellow. I should do business with such a nice guy.”
And I know that you vultures KNOW THIS!!! So here I am looking at Augie Ojeda for Derek Lee and Prince Fielder, thinking “Hmm, this seems a little lopsided. But I must be missing something because he wouldn’t be trying to screw me. I mean ‘He likes me, he really likes me!’”
So just as I am about to pull the trigger on the deal, my five year old (Kristi [named for Mathewson] Grace [named for Mark]) glances over my shoulder and says “Papa are you nuts? You have to at least get a 4th round draft pick in return as well!” And then . . . the spell is broken.
I come to my senses and say “Hah! Your flirtatious overtures WILL NOT work! Oh sure, I traded a young stud in the making to the Current CFCL Champions for a guy that couldn’t be successful in Colorado before they installed the humidors. But last year he found himself! He likes the dry, desert air instead of the thin, mile-high air. 271 Totals Bases and 25 steals. I know, I know, past performance is not indicative of future returns, I mean I’m not a total idiot. And Dave even said how much he enjoyed reading the Monroe Doctrine and that if I ‘was able to crank them out amid life’s other distractions he would read ‘em.’ Can you get over that? A tenured professor, busy trying to make sense of the crazy Presidential Race that will be decided in 22 short months saying that he will find time to read my meager words. How can you not trust a guy that a UNIVERSITY has entrusted with the minds of the next generation?”
Helloooo my all-too-familiar home, 12th place.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Draft Day - A Rebroadcast
Draft Day – A Rebroadcast
Another successful CFCL Draft was completed on (no joke) April 1st 2007. In a short seven hours and 34 minutes (not counting time for potty breaks) 140 players were acquired Auction style. Here are some of the highlights. Almost all of them are true.
11:45pm (Saturday) – Rebels go to sleep with the sudden realization they have no idea who they need to draft and what it will take to build a championship team. At least there’s hope for election to the Executive Committee.
7:45 Draft Day starts with rules conversation and player movement.
7:56 Da Paul Meisters arrive
7:57 EC Election of Dave Mahlan, Dave Holian, Rich Bentel – the Maniacal Triumvirate is in place. Eric Lamb loses a close election by making the fatal error of not bringing the Krispy Kremes.
7:59 Dave Mahlan brags about his tripod and The Professor notices how nice the Head Rebel smells, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
8:02 Ruffins start the race by bidding on Rollins; Lambchops surprise all by outbidding Stones at .38
8:18 First request of “What’s the Bid” goes to Matt Grage on Jason Bay
8:23 First “Asleep at the Wheel” instance, the Stones on Andruw Jones
8:27 An owner notices Kenn standing and hopping up and down and inquires if Kenn has to use the washroom. Kenn reports that he’s had too much caffeine and can’t sit still. This bodes well for the rest of the draft.
8:36 Steve admits his plan - “Not to blink”
8:47 Stones spend more on the last two players (Delgado .41 and Oswalt .43) than the DoorMatts had available for their whole team
9:27 Teddy bids .12 (and acquires much to his dismay) the “Light Sabre Dude”
9:31 Round 2 Ends
9:35 For what will be the first of many, an owner is heard on the cell phone telling his GM “I love you”.
10:07 DoorMatts join the party in Round 3 by acquiring John Smoltz. They cringe at the realization they could have had two hours more sleep!!
10:14 Rebels make mistake of mentioning “squishy balls” a theme that will run throughout the rest of the draft.
10:24 Lambchops are the first team to be knocked out of bidding due to not enough money (Pat Burrell).
10:36 Rebels make critical error by spending .09 more than their entire budget on catchers for Chris Iannetta (.16).
11:09 Round 4 Ends
11:54 Red Hots exercise the first Home Town Discount of the day (L. Gonzalez for .05)
12 BELLS as we enter Round 6 with the opening bid of .01 on Kelly Johnson
1:17 Rebels ground into a mass of uncertainty playing the HTD game against Bob for Adam Everett. The Red Hots leap through the Door of Opportunity opened by Bentel and snag Everett for .03.
1:21 Teddy takes a shot at Kenn claiming that Kenn is five years old because he wants Matt G. to wear his fire hat next year.
1:23 First .01 player acquired by Red Hots (Alex Gonzalez)
1:42 Graging Bulls are the first team completing their draft by acquiring Craig Counsell. Little do they know that they have another two hours to wait before they can acquire their next player in the Rotation Draft.
2:41 Bentel makes the room laugh by saying that with Kenn and Nick trying to bounce the rubbers balls in distracted unison, they are an ugly version of Blue Man Group.
2:47 CFCL goes down the dark path of drugs bidding on Josh Hamilton
3:14 Nick (the Nebraska-look-a-like of Josh Groban) notices that “Christ”, brought up by the Rebels, is good for getting a bunch of saves. In actuality the Rebels were MASSIVELY frustrated at having to settle for Ausmus as their last roster spot.
3:27 With a flurry, the Lambchops, Meisters and Copperfields wrap up their drafting back to back to back.
3:36 CFCL DRAFT DAY 2007 ends with the Red Hots selecting Brad Thompson for .01
3:45 Kenn goes on line to see if perhaps TWA has a later flight out of O’Hare to the Queen City. He doesn’t seem phased by the fact that TWA stopped flying planes 15 years ago.
4:07 While waiting for the Copperfields to select their next player in the rotation round, The Professor quietly practices a few phrases to use while ordering wine from the peasants during his summer sabbatical at his villa in Italy.
4:48 Having failed to get Neil Cotts, Stones select Robbie Hammock
5:33 The final player is selected and a general sigh of relief is exhaled. Handshakes and well wishes are exchanged. On the commute home, each owner mentally analyzes their performance in the draft and secretly wishes they had a couple of do-overs. Only time will tell if Teddy stole the show with De Aza or if he created the sequel to the “Ramon Martinez Incident” [see CFCL Draft History 1992]. De Aza is officially the new currency of the CFCL, as in “I had to pay three De Aza’s at the toll booth; this promises to be much more enjoyable than what Orestes Destrada did to the CFCL minted greens [see CFCL Draft History 1993].
Another successful CFCL Draft was completed on (no joke) April 1st 2007. In a short seven hours and 34 minutes (not counting time for potty breaks) 140 players were acquired Auction style. Here are some of the highlights. Almost all of them are true.
11:45pm (Saturday) – Rebels go to sleep with the sudden realization they have no idea who they need to draft and what it will take to build a championship team. At least there’s hope for election to the Executive Committee.
7:45 Draft Day starts with rules conversation and player movement.
7:56 Da Paul Meisters arrive
7:57 EC Election of Dave Mahlan, Dave Holian, Rich Bentel – the Maniacal Triumvirate is in place. Eric Lamb loses a close election by making the fatal error of not bringing the Krispy Kremes.
7:59 Dave Mahlan brags about his tripod and The Professor notices how nice the Head Rebel smells, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
8:02 Ruffins start the race by bidding on Rollins; Lambchops surprise all by outbidding Stones at .38
8:18 First request of “What’s the Bid” goes to Matt Grage on Jason Bay
8:23 First “Asleep at the Wheel” instance, the Stones on Andruw Jones
8:27 An owner notices Kenn standing and hopping up and down and inquires if Kenn has to use the washroom. Kenn reports that he’s had too much caffeine and can’t sit still. This bodes well for the rest of the draft.
8:36 Steve admits his plan - “Not to blink”
8:47 Stones spend more on the last two players (Delgado .41 and Oswalt .43) than the DoorMatts had available for their whole team
9:27 Teddy bids .12 (and acquires much to his dismay) the “Light Sabre Dude”
9:31 Round 2 Ends
9:35 For what will be the first of many, an owner is heard on the cell phone telling his GM “I love you”.
10:07 DoorMatts join the party in Round 3 by acquiring John Smoltz. They cringe at the realization they could have had two hours more sleep!!
10:14 Rebels make mistake of mentioning “squishy balls” a theme that will run throughout the rest of the draft.
10:24 Lambchops are the first team to be knocked out of bidding due to not enough money (Pat Burrell).
10:36 Rebels make critical error by spending .09 more than their entire budget on catchers for Chris Iannetta (.16).
11:09 Round 4 Ends
11:54 Red Hots exercise the first Home Town Discount of the day (L. Gonzalez for .05)
12 BELLS as we enter Round 6 with the opening bid of .01 on Kelly Johnson
1:17 Rebels ground into a mass of uncertainty playing the HTD game against Bob for Adam Everett. The Red Hots leap through the Door of Opportunity opened by Bentel and snag Everett for .03.
1:21 Teddy takes a shot at Kenn claiming that Kenn is five years old because he wants Matt G. to wear his fire hat next year.
1:23 First .01 player acquired by Red Hots (Alex Gonzalez)
1:42 Graging Bulls are the first team completing their draft by acquiring Craig Counsell. Little do they know that they have another two hours to wait before they can acquire their next player in the Rotation Draft.
2:41 Bentel makes the room laugh by saying that with Kenn and Nick trying to bounce the rubbers balls in distracted unison, they are an ugly version of Blue Man Group.
2:47 CFCL goes down the dark path of drugs bidding on Josh Hamilton
3:14 Nick (the Nebraska-look-a-like of Josh Groban) notices that “Christ”, brought up by the Rebels, is good for getting a bunch of saves. In actuality the Rebels were MASSIVELY frustrated at having to settle for Ausmus as their last roster spot.
3:27 With a flurry, the Lambchops, Meisters and Copperfields wrap up their drafting back to back to back.
3:36 CFCL DRAFT DAY 2007 ends with the Red Hots selecting Brad Thompson for .01
3:45 Kenn goes on line to see if perhaps TWA has a later flight out of O’Hare to the Queen City. He doesn’t seem phased by the fact that TWA stopped flying planes 15 years ago.
4:07 While waiting for the Copperfields to select their next player in the rotation round, The Professor quietly practices a few phrases to use while ordering wine from the peasants during his summer sabbatical at his villa in Italy.
4:48 Having failed to get Neil Cotts, Stones select Robbie Hammock
5:33 The final player is selected and a general sigh of relief is exhaled. Handshakes and well wishes are exchanged. On the commute home, each owner mentally analyzes their performance in the draft and secretly wishes they had a couple of do-overs. Only time will tell if Teddy stole the show with De Aza or if he created the sequel to the “Ramon Martinez Incident” [see CFCL Draft History 1992]. De Aza is officially the new currency of the CFCL, as in “I had to pay three De Aza’s at the toll booth; this promises to be much more enjoyable than what Orestes Destrada did to the CFCL minted greens [see CFCL Draft History 1993].
Monday, February 5, 2007
Winter Waiver Recap
Another Winter Waivers is in the books with some interesting developments. Nick Hansen was the big spender dropping almost .70 in new salary, including picking up the highlight of the 2006 Draft – Jac-Que! Jones. Here’s what is fun/scary about that move. Funny: I have no doubt that when Nick opened the CFCL report on Friday and saw that Jones was his, he threw his arms in the air, swished his hands quickly back and forth and proclaimed “Jac-Que!” Scary: He claimed a former Rebel and had to beat out the Copperfields to do it! What is going on that a former Rebel would garner such action? Actually, I’m concerned for the entire league. In the first round two players waived by the Rebels were claimed BY TWO TEAMS EACH! (Theriot and Thorman). Add Jacque from round two (and for fun, let’s not forget that the Copperfields also claimed – and received – Yadier Molina). All this from a team that last year finished so far down in the standings we almost had to create a different league for them. It was only with a strong push at the end of the season that Dem Rebels were able to crack the 20 point mark.
Now the more likely answer to the above conundrum is that Rebel Management has no understanding about talent vs. value and may have given up some major producers for 2007 in exchange for the Always Sexy Kerry Wood, ROY Heartthrob Andre Ethier (although Ethier got major play from two other owners [Current Champion Ruffins and Always Champion Copperfields]), Doug (I’m now Randy Johnson’s Valet) Davis and Jeff Francis because what would a WW be without taking a flier on a Colorado pitcher?
Interestingly two owners stayed completely out of the fray. Kenn Ruby who is probably getting the hang of two o’clock feedings and diaper changing (notice that Red Hots Guru, Bob Boryca, was right in the middle of things even though his child was born within days of the Rubys’ – with three other children under five, Bob has learned how to type with one hand and either feed or change babies with the other). The other team deciding not to partake of the table scraps is Da Paul Meisters. Paul operates on stealth. He comes to the draft, grabs his players, makes a few moves throughout the season, doesn’t trade, finishes the season in the middle of the pack, and cuts down for WW by keeping three American Leaguers and the 80 year old Jaime Moyer.
But as always, Winter Waivers bring joy and trepidation. Joy in that we now know that Spring Training is about a month away; trepidation because, as David always reminds us, there is value in them thar names. The trick is trying to figure out which player with 54 at bats last year or 33 innings pitched is going to break out, be worth grabbing and taking up a Final Cut Roster Spot. That’s the joy of being a CFCL owner. Endless possibilities.
Now the more likely answer to the above conundrum is that Rebel Management has no understanding about talent vs. value and may have given up some major producers for 2007 in exchange for the Always Sexy Kerry Wood, ROY Heartthrob Andre Ethier (although Ethier got major play from two other owners [Current Champion Ruffins and Always Champion Copperfields]), Doug (I’m now Randy Johnson’s Valet) Davis and Jeff Francis because what would a WW be without taking a flier on a Colorado pitcher?
Interestingly two owners stayed completely out of the fray. Kenn Ruby who is probably getting the hang of two o’clock feedings and diaper changing (notice that Red Hots Guru, Bob Boryca, was right in the middle of things even though his child was born within days of the Rubys’ – with three other children under five, Bob has learned how to type with one hand and either feed or change babies with the other). The other team deciding not to partake of the table scraps is Da Paul Meisters. Paul operates on stealth. He comes to the draft, grabs his players, makes a few moves throughout the season, doesn’t trade, finishes the season in the middle of the pack, and cuts down for WW by keeping three American Leaguers and the 80 year old Jaime Moyer.
But as always, Winter Waivers bring joy and trepidation. Joy in that we now know that Spring Training is about a month away; trepidation because, as David always reminds us, there is value in them thar names. The trick is trying to figure out which player with 54 at bats last year or 33 innings pitched is going to break out, be worth grabbing and taking up a Final Cut Roster Spot. That’s the joy of being a CFCL owner. Endless possibilities.
Monday, January 29, 2007
For Cub Fans Only - A Book Review
For Christmas, one of the things I received was a book called “For Cub Fans Only”. It’s a compilation of many Cubs fans stories of how, why, how long they are fans. Mostly the fans are everyday people with just a few celebrities (if you can call Tom Dressen a celebrity).
I can’t tell if it’s a good book or not. For the most part I enjoyed the tour through Cub history because while I was reading all of these stories and recollections, my mind drifted to my own experiences at Wrigley; growing up and racing home from school to catch the last three innings of a game; etc. But there are some glaring issues.
One interesting one is that the author, Rich Wolfe, apparently interviewed people using a tape recorder and then just transcribed the material into the appropriate chapters. The book reads the way the people talk, which is cool until you read someone’s contribution who sounds like a regular caller to the SCORE. Additionally Wolfe makes no attempt to correct the mistakes people make in their stories. One fan claims to have been at Wrigley the day that Ernie Banks hit his 513th homerun. From what I remember about Cub history, the NEXT homerun Ernie hits will be 513.
There are some cool nuggets of information scattered throughout the book. Here are a few:
Brent Musberger was the home plate umpire when Tim McCarver made his pro-baseball debut for Keokuk in 1959
In 1977, the first year of existence for the Seattle Mariners, the distance to the fences was measured in fathoms rather than feet
More NFL games have been played at Wrigley Field than any other stadium in the country. Mile High Stadium was second until it was demolished
Sadly, Ernie Banks and O.J. Simpson are cousins. Their grandfathers were twins
In 1916, the Giants had a 26-game winning streak. When they started the streak they were in fourth place and when the streak ended they were in . . .fourth place
And even though the pain is still strong from 2003 (and actually even stronger after reading the book, since it was written during the off-season between the 2003-2004 seasons and the Championship series is something almost everyone comments on), this partial list of Letterman’s “Top10 messages left on Steve Bartman’s answering machine” is pretty hilarious:
“You owe me $7.50 for the beer I threw at you.”
“I’m with Century 21 – heard you might be moving.”
“Hey I just got back in the country – how was the game?”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get another shot at the World Series in 2098.”
“Hey, it’s Don Zimmer. Thanks for taking the heat off me.”
“Hi, this is Mike from Hasbro. I’m calling to verify some information for your Trivial Pursuit question.”
“Hey, it’s Bill Buckner. Want to hang out?”
I can’t tell if it’s a good book or not. For the most part I enjoyed the tour through Cub history because while I was reading all of these stories and recollections, my mind drifted to my own experiences at Wrigley; growing up and racing home from school to catch the last three innings of a game; etc. But there are some glaring issues.
One interesting one is that the author, Rich Wolfe, apparently interviewed people using a tape recorder and then just transcribed the material into the appropriate chapters. The book reads the way the people talk, which is cool until you read someone’s contribution who sounds like a regular caller to the SCORE. Additionally Wolfe makes no attempt to correct the mistakes people make in their stories. One fan claims to have been at Wrigley the day that Ernie Banks hit his 513th homerun. From what I remember about Cub history, the NEXT homerun Ernie hits will be 513.
There are some cool nuggets of information scattered throughout the book. Here are a few:
Brent Musberger was the home plate umpire when Tim McCarver made his pro-baseball debut for Keokuk in 1959
In 1977, the first year of existence for the Seattle Mariners, the distance to the fences was measured in fathoms rather than feet
More NFL games have been played at Wrigley Field than any other stadium in the country. Mile High Stadium was second until it was demolished
Sadly, Ernie Banks and O.J. Simpson are cousins. Their grandfathers were twins
In 1916, the Giants had a 26-game winning streak. When they started the streak they were in fourth place and when the streak ended they were in . . .fourth place
And even though the pain is still strong from 2003 (and actually even stronger after reading the book, since it was written during the off-season between the 2003-2004 seasons and the Championship series is something almost everyone comments on), this partial list of Letterman’s “Top10 messages left on Steve Bartman’s answering machine” is pretty hilarious:
“You owe me $7.50 for the beer I threw at you.”
“I’m with Century 21 – heard you might be moving.”
“Hey I just got back in the country – how was the game?”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get another shot at the World Series in 2098.”
“Hey, it’s Don Zimmer. Thanks for taking the heat off me.”
“Hi, this is Mike from Hasbro. I’m calling to verify some information for your Trivial Pursuit question.”
“Hey, it’s Bill Buckner. Want to hang out?”
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