Purdue Baseball This Friday Night -- Like You Have Anything Better To Do

And who doesn't love Gary, IN at night? Amirite??

Regardless, just put on your bulletproof vest and head on up I-65 (or down it, if you're a Chicagoan) and support your Boilers as they take on Valpo on Friday night in the start of the NCAA baseball tourney. Your Boilers are technically hosting the regional but thanks to "construction delays," their new stadium -- which was supposed to open this season -- is not yet ready. Well done, as always, Purdue athletic department! (And spare me any excuse-making for them -- I'm sure it's everybody else's fault, as usual.)

It's good to see ESPN is consistent towards the Boilermakers across all sports. This article discussing the seeds and matchups has nary a mention of Purdue -- though, interestingly, Purdue's opponent, Valparaiso, is mentioned as being in a regional for the first time since 1968.

Here's hoping the Boilers make enough noise so that they simply cannot be ignored.

The schedule for each regional is here. The winner of the Gary regional will play the winner of the Eugene, Oregon, regional, meaning that if the seeds hold, our Boilers get to face Oregon again. Like we haven't seen enough of those quacks in recent years.

"Home" of the Boilermakers!

Grab Your Balls, Boiler Fans

I'm talking Boiler baseball, of course.

Your Purdue Boilermakers -- outright Big Ten champs -- are now in the throes of the Big Ten baseball tournament as the #1 seed. They defeated Ohio State yesterday 5-4 with some late inning heroics by Big Ten Player of the Year Kevin Plawecki, the Boilers heart-and-soul catcher and with the save locked down by their Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Joe Haase.

The BT baseball tourney is double-elimination (bracket is here) and the top seed gives you a deserved reward in the sense that a bye past the first day, followed by two victories puts you in the tourney championship game.

Of course, because this is how life works out, our Boilers play #2-seed IU tonight to go straight to the championship game. The loser of this one goes to a game which becomes a must-win (obviously, with double-elim and all) and, if won, routes them right back to the championship game. So it's quite possible the Boilers and Hoosiers will be meeting again this weekend.

Tonight's game against IU is at 7 PM and is scheduled to be broadcast -- along with all Big Ten tourney games -- on BTN. Unless, you know, a transmitter in the BTN truck gets ice cream spilled on it or something.

The train is a-coming. Plenty o' seats on the bandwagon. Go Boilers.

Your ALCS and NLCS Non-Sequitor Post

It was cute when I put up my predictions for the first round and got told -- by some -- that they would have gone the other way on all four series picks I made.

I also got the most static from Reds fans who claimed I was overlooking them and they belonged, dammit! They were for reals, yo!

As it turns out, I got 3 out of 4 correct and if the Rays hadn't thrown the baseball around like a drunken Curtis Painter in Game 5, it might have been 4 for 4.

Anyway, your championship series breakdown goes like this.

NLCS: San Francisco Giants versus Philadelphia Phillies

Yes, I know everyone is in love with SF's pitching. However, Philly has Roy Halladay, who is unreal, and then they have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, both of whom were machines down the stretch. And SF's young guns are a tad overrated. Lincecum is excellent, but Cain's record didn't do much for me. Oh, and then there's this: the Phillies can hit. And hit and hit and hit. And San Fran cannot. That should just about do it. Phillies in 5.

ALCS: New York Yankees versus Texas Rangers

This one is definitely intriguing. The two teams split the regular season series 4-4, but the Rangers swept the Yankees in Arlington a month ago. And they keep bringing that up, because Mariano Rivera hit a batter in one of the games for a walk-off win for the Rangers. Let me explain something: uhhhh, so what? That doesn't matter. Not one bit. Mariano Rivera is a bit different in the playoffs. And if the Yankees have a lead in the later innings, the Rangers will be thinking about him looming.

That said, the Rangers do have weapons and they do have that nonsencial baserunning style. It worked against Tampa because Tampa threw the ball into the outfield. The Yankees probably won't do that, but they're not good at throwing guys out, either.

I think this series is going the Yankees direction, largely because Cliff Lee can only pitch two games, with one being Game 7 (assuming they don't bring him back on short rest earlier). If the series goes 7, the Rangers probably win (again, assuming Lee isn't brought back to pitch Game 6 on short rest, for example). I respect Lee and I respect the Rangers offense. But I think the rest of the pitching favors the Yankees and New York's offense takes a backseat to nobody. Yankees in 6.

BEISBOL!!

I know how much you all love it when I talk about baseball. I take some abuse, especially for being a Yankee fan, but hey, that's life. I grew up a half hour or so from Yankee Stadium, so that's my excuse.

Boilerdowd is on vacation this week at some all-male, nudist retreat somewhere in the Carolinas, but he took the time to say, "J, you have to do a post about the baseball playoffs."

"Fine, fine," I consented. "I'll do it. And stop pointing at my over this skype connection."

So let's get to it... how's it gonna go? Here's what I think.

New York Yankees versus Minnesota Twins

I know the Twins really played well this year. I know they play great in their new ballpark. I know the Yankees played like poop down the stretch and let Tampa back into the division when they should have closed them out. But I also know the Twins are 2-9 in their three ALDS series against the Yankees. And I know the Twinkie Dome was supposed to be this huuuuuge advantage where it was, like, sooo loud you couldn't hear yourself think. The Yankees may not have been able to think, but they were able to win, going 6-0 in the Metrodome in the playoffs. Would I be shocked in the Twins pulled it off this year? No, I guess not, but I just don't see things suddenly changing. Yankees in 4.

Texas Rangers versus Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are really good. Like, kind of scary good. I've felt this way all season and was pleasantly surprised the Yankees held first place as long as they did. The Rays have offense, defense, speed, pitching and good managing. They've got some youth in some key spots, but most of this team also played in their deep postseason run two years ago, so I don't put much stock in the youth factor as a wide-eyed negative thing. I know the Rangers have Cliff Lee, but they then rely on CJ Wilson next. And the Rangers have never won a playoff series. I'm pretty sure they're the only MLB team that has never won a playoff series. Sure, that doesn't mean anything, really, but it's fun anyhow. I think they're just happy to be there and whenever you have two talented teams like this, I'd go with the manager who looks like he has frosted tips over the guy who looks like a crackhead. Rays in 4.

Cincinnati Reds versus Philadelphia Phillies

The Reds won their division because the Cardinals crapped the bed. Cinci is a nice story but can you name more than Joey Votto in their starting lineup? Sure, they have a guy who has touched 104 MPH on the gun. Can he pitch 40 innings this series? I doubt it. The Phils, on the other hand, are freaking loaded... and talk about a scary team. Offensively, they're stout, but pitching-wise, they're freaky. Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, all pitching like machines. Thanks for stopping by, Cincinnati. Phillies in 3.

Atlanta Braves versus San Francisco Giants

Is it me, or do most of the NL teams seem like they're there because somebody else couldn't seal the deal? Both Atlanta and SF got in because San Diego spent September falling down the stairs and collapsing in a heap at the bottom. SF got the division away from them and Atlanta clung on to the Wild Card. I look at Atlanta and have a hard time seeing them as a playoff team. San Francisco was destined to get back to the playoffs with their pitching, but I think most people thought they might be another year or so away. Regardless, I don't think Atlanta has the horses to keep up with SF's impressive pitching staff. Giants in 4.

College Baseball Frivolity

In case you haven't seen this, check it out.



All this tells me is that neither team practices...baseball, anyway. This might be the most entertained I've been by baseball players in a decade. Thoughts?

Worthless MLB Predictions, Part 2

Alex loves himself more than anybody.

Part 1 was the National League and was yesterday. Now on to the American League.

AL West

LA Angels – They barely have to show up and they win this division every year.
Oakland – Billy Beane hasn’t impressed people in a while, though Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi will help. Not enough, though.
Texas – Plenty of offense, not enough pitching. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Seattle – Awful 2008 team lost good players and didn’t add anyone good. Not a good formula.

AL Central

Cleveland – Even without CC, they’re a good, evenly balanced team. Enough to win the Central.
Minnesota – No matter what, they always mystically compete. Credit Gardenhire.
Detroit – Remember last year when everyone thought they were WS favorites? Hee!
Chicago White Sox – Ozzie Guillen is a crazy nutball leading an aging team. Decline time.
Kansas City – Still a year or two away, though there is an opening this year with no dominant team in this division.

AL East

NY Yankees – Overloaded with talent, they have to win or Girardi loses his job.
Boston – Overloaded with talent, but like to pretend they are Tiny Tim to the Yankees.
Tampa Bay – Overachieved last year and won’t be able to duplicate it.
Toronto – Poor Blue Jays. Would win any NL division but can’t get a sniff in this one.
Baltimore – One of the poorest-run franchises in pro sports. Irrelevant.

Worthless MLB Predictions, Part 1

I love baseball, but when I put up detailed baseball posts/previews, they don’t get a whole lot of response. Maybe it’s because this is a Purdue site and so you aren’t here to talk baseball. But I’m not about to start a baseball blog when I’ve got access to this site. One of you should start one and then invite me on to guest-author posts. And pay me. Lots.

Anyway, I still want to do my annual predictions so I’m going to rattle of the places with a statement about each team. It will be hard for me to limit myself to a line about each team but I know longer posts are hard for guys like B-dowd to make it all the way through.

Today, the National League.

NL West

LA Dodgers – A full season of Manny should be enough for this division.
Arizona – LA’s closest competition will have the horses but not quite enough wins.
Colorado – Yes, their World Series run in 2007 was unfortunately a fluke.
San Francisco – So they cut Bonds loose and they still suck? Interesting approach.
San Diego – Shouldn’t be a last place team, but for some reason are.

NL Central

Cubbies – Too talented not to win a lot of games in the regular season. Will, of course, flop again in the postseason.
Houston – Despite terrible play in the preseason, they had a great second half last year. If they fire Cecil Cooper soon enough, they have a chance at the Wild Card.
Cincinnati – Hard to remember them being good, but they have a LOT of talent on this team.
St. Louis – Even with that World Series win, they’ve been not much more than a mediocre .500 team for most of the past two decades.
Milwaukee – Huge step back for this team. They barely made it last year with Sheets and Sabathia pitching like mad.
Pittsburgh – I keep hearing they have to get good at some point. It won’t be this year, though. Consecutive losing season #17.

NL East

Philadelphia – Why do people keep picking the Mets? Granted, Philly would be nothing if the Mets could close anything out, but still.
NY Mets – Sure, they could win the division. With Daniel Murphy in LF and Ryan Church in RF. Would you be confident?
Atlanta – They always find a way to be in the mix.
Florida – Always scrappy enough to ruin other teams’ seasons in September.
Washington – It’s amazing how DC-based teams have sucked for years.

I'm Glad The Rays Won

Obviously, I'm glad the Rays won... because I don't like the Sawx, their fans, their players, etc. But more than that, seeing the joy exhibited by the Rays players after they won last night was just one of those really cool things in sports. They were thrilled, relieved, joyful.... and many of these guys were part of the worst team in baseball last season.... and to be part of that journey has got to be just amazing.

And as much as I hate the Red Sox, I do have a grudging respect for them. Bill Simmons, who jumped the shark a long time ago in most peoples' eyes, wrote a column after the 2001 World Series, when the Yankees lost in seven games to the Diamondbacks on a bottom-of-the-ninth rally. Simmons wrote about how much he respected the Yankees and that you can tell the mettle of a champion not only when they win, but in how they are toppled. Like when a dynasty ends, the mark of a champion is in how hard they fight to the bitter end. Those Yankees struggled to push that series to seven games and almost pulled it out in the end... and they fought to the last second.

The same can be said of the 2008 Red Sox. Through the Manny disaster and trade, Ortiz slumping badly this season, Lowell not even being on the ALCS roster, injuries all over the places, etc... this team still played hard to the end and did not give the Rays anything. Down 7-0 in the 7th inning of Game 5, with TBS and everyone else already talking about the Rays versus the Phillies, and with Sox fans (who likely became Sox fans in about October 2004) the Sox players had to be the only ones who still believed they could do it. And they almost freaking did. Incredible.

Back in October of 2004, on my old site, when the Yankees were initiating their collapse to the Sox, I wrote that you couldn't ever take your boot off the Sox throat. Here's what I said on October 18, 2004:

"The Sox are a team I just don't feel comfortable around until they're gone.You need to run them over with the bus, then back over them, then run over them again. And then get out and hit them with the tire iron. Repeatedly. And then back over them again."

And they're still that team. They're still hungry, they still believe they can win no matter what the situation. And last night, if a few things had bounced their way... or if Drew wasn't called out on strikes on a pitch a foot outside that even the pitcher said he thought was a ball in the postgame.

I still don't like them or a lot of their players, but they refused to give up their throne easily and I respect them for that.

"Dude! I know! We was rahbbed! I can't believe the Sawx lost! I'm gonna go home and beat my girlfriend now... should cheeah me up."

Yankees Continue to Corner the Market on Aging Stars

The Yankees agrees to trade Kyle Farnsworth back to one of his previous teams, the Tigers, in exchange for another player who used to be really good, Pudge Rodriguez.

Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair. IRod is hitting .295 this year and clearly isn't washed up. And with Posada done for the season, the Yanks do need a decent catcher and there really aren't many good ones out there, and even fewer who are available. I heard this morning that Pudge wasn't happy in Detroit and that's really surprising to me. This is a guy who signed his deal with them when they were absolutely terrible and I remember people wondering why he'd do such a thing. Then they made it to the World Series and he looked a little less crazy. And now somehow he's not happy.

Regardless, even though I poke fun, this is a good move for the Yanks. Pudge's contract is up at the end of the season and if he's anywhere near the leader/spark he's been for the '03 Marlins World Series team or the '06 Tigers run, then he's more than worth Kyle Farnsworth, a guy the Yankees couldn't have given away last season. Farny has been a lot better this year and Cashman traded him at what's likely his peak value. Sure, the Yankees now need someone to pitch the 8th inning, but hey, nobody entirely trusted Farnsworth still anyway.

This is kind of a disturbing trend, though. While I like the Pudge deal, I don't like the Richie Sexson pickup. Sure, he's not costing them much of anything, but he's kind of a malcontent and he's just no good anymore. When you're 6'8" and you develop holes in your swing, well, they're pretty big holes. Plus, I think the Yanks have enough DH/1B-type guys.

A co-worker of mine said this "isn't the Yankees anymore, not with guys like Sexson and Ponson." Well, whatever that means, it's kind of on point.... the Yankees, while still not trading away their prospects and mortgaging their future, are starting to look kind of desperate. Maybe it's warranted, with the pitching staff having issues... but is it worth a noted clubhouse problem like Sidney Ponson? Can Barry Bonds be far behind?

Elsewhere in MLB

Today is the MLB trade deadline and Ken Griffey, Jr. appears to be on the move to the White Sox, even though the Sox reporters I heard on the Dan Patrick Show this morning don't seem to have any idea where Griffey will play. He's too immobile to play center field anymore, and they've got Dye and Quinten in the corner outfield spots. You could move Swisher to first and play Griff in center but then you're downgrading defensively in the outfield and taking ABs away from Paul Konerko. Of course, Konerko kind of sucks now, so maybe that's okay. If I were managing that bunch, I'd DH Griffey, play Thome at first and leave the outfield as-is. Konerko can sit his .214-hitting ass. Of course, this all might be moot because, really, does Ken Griffey at age 38 make the difference for the ChiSox? They can barely hold off a mediocre Twins team and if the Tigers hadn't completely bumblef-cked the start of their season, the Sox wouldn't be in first anyway. We'll see how it plays out.

In Boston, the growing tide of "Manny is about to be traded" has continued to swell. It's hard to believe it's possible and last week a lot of people were pointing out that this happens almost every year now... and then Manny's still a member of the Red Sox. It's true that Manny's a doofus and lollygags sometimes and clearly doesn't take the game as seriously as some people would like. He also has mad jazz hands:



However, and bear in mind that I hate the guy, he's fricking amazing. He's an incredible hitter and perhaps the most impressive RBI machine we'll ever see. Look at his career numbers -- as well as what he's doing this year -- and tell me how the Sox could possibly be better without him. His career 162-game average is .312/40/132 and his OPS+ this season is 140. That's ridonkulous.

Hell, I love the idea of them trading him, because there's no possible way they'll get fair value for him and it will only weaken the Boston lineup. Ortiz won't see as many good pitches and the Sox simply won't have as productive of an offense. And besides, they've put up with Manny being an imbecile for 7 1/2 seasons -- what's another two months?

The BS MLB Preview -- Part 2

And you thought I forgot about the American League. Or maybe you didn't care. Either way, Part 1 of the MLB Preview was last week and covered the NL. Here's Part 2.

AL East

New York Yankees – Yes, I’m biased. But I think this team is going to be better than people think. They have as much offense as anyone would ever need and that’s been the case for a while. Pitching has been the weakness but now they’ve got some young, talented pitchers and a deadly bullpen. Also, get ready to hear about Yankee Stadium's rich history for seven months. One Big Question: Did you need another reason why Don Mattingly shouldn’t have been named manager?

Boston Red Sox – I know everyone else is picking them to win the division. But I think they might get off to a rough start because of their 16,000 mile road trip, the distractions of being the defending champs, etc. They could be mid-pack by the end of April and if the Yanks don’t stumble it’ll be hard to catch up. One Big Question: Will Terry Francona have faith in Curt Schilling, whose rapid aging is shocking in this photo?

Toronto Blue Jays – Poor Toronto. Excited about picking up guys like Marco Scutaro. They do have Roy Halladay, though, and an overall talented team. They’d steamroll pretty much any NL division, but due to their placement they’re permanently relegated to third place. One Big Question: After getting popped in the snout by Ted Lilly a couple years ago, will John Gibbons pick any more fights?

Tampa Bay Rays – Just the Rays. No more Devil. They’ve decided to adopt sunshine as their logo… while playing in a dome. That’s perfect. They also should win more games this year than ever before. I see 75 wins as a nice step up. One Big Question: Who is this happy little fellow and could he beat Mr. Met in a fight?

Baltimore Orioles – They might be as bad as we all thought the Nationals were going to be last year. I am going to guess their win total as between 58 and 65 games. Traded away Tejada and Bedard and got nothing worthwhile back. They’re terrible. One Big Question: As bad as they’re gonna be, why not bring back this equally ridiculous logo?

AL Central

Cleveland Indians – Tim will be mad that I am putting the hex on them, but here they are. If fatty Sabathia pitches like you know he wants to in his contract year, this team is a World Series contender. Remember, they were one win away from it last year (sorry Tim) and would have crushed the Rockies, too. One Big Question: Why aren’t the Indians wives hotter?

Detroit Tigers – Biggest splash in the offseason doesn’t always lead to success. It just adds pressure. Plus the Tigs bullpen is a disaster. It’ll be an awesome battle with Cleveland all summer and the Tigers surely could do it, but I just think the Tribe will come out ahead. One Big Question: Do you realize Pudge Rodriguez is so old, he was involved in that famous Nolan Ryan-Robin Vetura beating?

Minnesota Twins – The Twinkies recently dumped a truckload of money in Joe Nathan’s driveway to keep him in town. Of course, they also traded away Johan Santana, so there will presumably be fewer games for Nathan to save. I guess this was Minnesota’s way of telling their fans they haven’t given up but they might as well in this division. Twins and Jays fans could start a support group. One Big Question: Do the Twins have the gayest mascot in MLB?

Chicago White Sox – No, Ozzie Guillen is not some kind of savant. He’s a wack-job whose team had everything go right for it in 2005. They’ll continue their downward spiral and will be lucky to stay ahead of the Royals, something they barely achieved last year. One Big Question: When will Ozzie finally come out?

Kansas City Royals – They’ll get better soon, I think. But the problem is, again, they’ve got two powerhouses in their division, plus an always competitive Minny team. So they better beat up on the Sox while they can. One Big Question: Should the Royals go back to these monochromatic wonders to garner some attention?

AL West

Los Angeles Angels – The only thing that makes me waver a bit on this is that Kelvim Escobar might be out for the season and John Lackey is already out a month. That’s like 37 wins from last year. That said, though, Mike Scioscia always seems to find a way, despite his mouth-breathing, fully jacketed ways. (Seriously, you never see the guy in just his uniform top – he’s always got a jacket, and it’s always zipped all the way up. You play in southern Cali, dude! Watch for it this season.) One Big Question: Will somebody please shut the Rally Monkey up?

Seattle Mariners – I keep hearing people pick the Mariners. I know they had a good run last year but they completely petered out in the thick of the Wild Card race and wound up 88-74. Not bad, but nothing magical to make us think they’re on the verge of breaking through. They might be in first for a while thanks to the Angels aforementioned issues, but I don’t think they stay there. One Big Question: What can’t Ichiro do (besides draw walks once in a while)?

Oakland Athletics – Somehow this team always seems to rise up. They have Harden and Blanton, as well as Huston Street and, I don’t know. This team could go 74-88 or 92-70 and I wouldn’t be surprised either way. One Big Question: Can somebody explain why the “Athletics” mascot is an elephant? Are they particularly athletic or something?

Texas Rangers – One thing I find really funny now that I live in Texas is that nobody takes the Rangers seriously. I go to Dallas for work a lot and everybody there scoffs when I mention the Rangers. They make derisive comments about it not being “real baseball,” etc. I kind of find that hilarious that even the fans in the hometown area simply detest the franchise. Well-done, Tom Hicks! One Big Question: Why can’t I think of a good “Walker, Texas Ranger” joke here?

-------------------------------

So to sum up, the division winners in the NL: Mets, Brewers, Dodgers, and I'm picking the Braves as the Wild Card.

In the AL, it's Yanks, Tribe, Angels, with the Tigers getting the Wild Card.

That's all. Be sure to come back to this page on Oct 1 and make fun of me.

The BS MLB Preview -- Part 1

That's right, it's only part 1, bitches. But I know there are some baseball fans among you. There have to be. It's a long time from the end of college basketball to the beginning of college football so I know you pass the time somehow.

So today, I'll be putting up my ramblings on the National League. Below you'll find a blurb on each team, with them listed in the order I think they'll finish. Also, while I've labeled this the "BS MLB Preview," it's really just what I think. Tim usually disagrees with me about everything related to baseball and Boilerdowd likes to make fun of baseball while writing about exciting topics such as open-wheeled racing. I always knew he was a gay European.

Please feel free to correct my order of who wins what in the comments.

NL East

New York Mets – Santana fixes everything! Omar is a genius! Mets fans have short memories if they really think this erases last year’s epic meltdown, the fact that their first baseman (Delgado) and left fielder (Alou) are like a hundred and declining, their number 2 pitcher’s (Pedro) arm might fall off and they have a manager who will probably be canned if the Mets don’t make the Series this year. One Big Question: With Yankee Stadium across town taking all the press, will anyone notice this is the last year for the toilet the Mets play in?

Atlanta Braves – Could easily win division if the Mets choke. Glavine and Smoltz, together again, falling asleep on the bench next to Bobby Cox thanks to their age. They lost Andruw Jones but have Mark Teixeria now for a full season. Isn’t that kind of a wash? One Big Question: Will the Braves wear their fugly ‘70s jerseys at all this year?

Philadelphia Phillies – Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Brett Myers… sounds like a good team. They are good but they’re not good enough, plus the Phillies always find a way to disappoint. They have the goods to win the division and I’d tempted to pick the Mets to stumble, but Philly never seems to come through in a big spot. In any sport. Here’s hoping Charlie Manuel actually fights a reporter this year. One Big Question: Will Charlie Manual talk about being “flusterated” again (50 seconds into clip)?

Florida Marlins – Surprisingly better than they’re ever expected to be, the Marlins will challenge everybody in the division and probably win more games than they should. But once again, in offloading Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera this offseason they took two dumps – a salary one and one on their fans hearts. If they have any fans left. One Big Question: Is there any doubt the Marlins are the most attractive team in the bigs?

Washington Nationals – When your hopes are pinned to Dmitri Young duplicating last year’s comeback player of the year routine, you know things are bleak. That said, Manager Manny Acta is at least thinking like a sane person. One Big Question: Once the new stadium chicness wears off, will the primary entertainment in DC be how ridiculous Young is capable of looking?

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers – I keep thinking the Brew Crew will actually break through one of these years and since this division sucks so badly, I’ll again say they do this time. Ben Sheets, Ryan Braun, Fatty Prince Fielder, Eric Gagne… this team looks like the plot to a movie about castoffs and fat dorks with glasses. Major League IV? One Big Question: Will Prince Fielder’s clever ballet-move approaches to sliding be successful?

Houston Astros – Tejada and Clemens on the same team? That would be awesome, and not just because I live in Houston now. Tejada, if he isn’t distracted by all the ‘roid talk, could easily hit 50 HRs playing in the little league field I can see out my office window. Sure, their pitching after Oswalt is weak, but they’re going to score 8 runs a game so who cares? One Big Question: Will Luke Scott continue to insist that his penis be involved in all home plate celebrations?

Chicago Cubs – No, they’re not going to win the World Series. They’re the Cubs, for crying out loud. And they eeked out a division title last year because nobody else wanted it and then they got obliterated in the playoffs by a marginal team. One Big Question: Will Sweet Lou ever win a singing contest with the umps?

St. Louis Cardinals – Tony LaRussa is officially overstaying his welcome. The Cards are not very good, Chris Carpenter isn’t going to be a savior and poor Albert Pujols won’t be on another winner for a while. One Big Question: Will Albert finally get fed up with people talking about his “poo holes”?

Cincinnati Reds – Dusty Baker is kind of an idiot, who has been noted for talking about “clogging up the bases” on many occasions. The man actually thinks on-base percentage is overrated. Have fun watching him destroy your team, Cinci fans. One Big Question: Will Dusty Baker ever realize that on-base percentage and scoring runs are not mutually exclusive things and actually do have a direct relationship?

Pittsburgh Pirates – I didn’t even know Pittsburgh still had a team. I don’t think most of Pittsburgh knows this, either. They’ll continue to suck. For years. One Big Question: Should they just sign Bonds for the attendance/press bump?

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers – Why not? I really want to see Joe Torre do well, partly because I really like him and partly to shut up the morons who claim Joe was only a winner in NY because of the team around him. That’s about at stupid a sentiment as it gets. One Big Question: Will Joe Torre ever successfully teach Dodgers ownership the foxtrot?

San Diego Padres – Pads got ripped off in the one-game playoff last year (Holliday was out) and they’ll continue to be a good team that could easily win this division. We’ll see. One Big Question: Will yarmulke giveaway night be a hit?

Colorado Rockies – Remember, last year they were a fourth-place team as late at September 17. Then they went on that ridonkulous run where they went 14-1 to end the season, won a play-in game, then swept their way to the World Series… and then got walloped. I would love to see them do well for a full season but I don’t think it’s in the cards. One Big Question: Will Todd Helton and the Rockies simply assume crash positions and go down in flames right after getting their fans’ hopes up?

Arizona Diamondbacks – The D-backs made the playoffs last year as the division winner but they were the very definition of a statistical anomaly. They were outscored for the season by twenty runs, which usually means you’re going to be a lousy team. But they got a lot of breaks and one-run wins and it all held together in a cruddy division. It won’t happen this year. One Big Question: Is it too much to ask for some rich jackass to get plunked on the head by a ball while lounging in that ridiculous pool in the outfield? (Yeah, just what most of us want… to put on a swimsuit in front of thousands of people.)

San Francisco Giants – I have them in last place but they might surprise people. No, they’re not good, but they got rid of the albatross that is Barry Bonds. Barry Zito still sucks and will continue to be an anchor, dragging them to the bottom of the bay. But this team might look happy for the first time in a while. One Big Question: Why would a helmet need to wear work boots?

Besbol!!!

That's right, Boilerdowd and other non-baseball fans, baseball got underway last night... err, or this morning, or whatever... with your World Champion Red Sox taking on the Oakland A's of Moneyball fame in Japan at 6 AM, Eastern Time, this morning.

The Sawx won it 6-5 in ten innings, with Fatsuzaka starting the game and promptly giving up a home run to the second batter, Mark Ellis.

More importantly, though, I thought Terry Francona was told not to wear his stupid-looking nightie anymore and that he had to wear a jersey top? Now, in addition to the top, MLB will have to keep a close eye on Terry Francona's feet, too, since he's apparently going to wear shower shoes while managing. I guess when you win two World Series in Boston, you begin to think you can do anything. Pretty soon we'll see him wearing boxer shorts and smoking a cigar while lying in an adirondack chair.


The Red Sox have become baseball's traveling circus... they play one more game that officially counts tomorrow morning in Japan, then come back to LA and play three meaningless exhibition games against the Dodgers (including one in the Coliseum, with weird-ass dimensions for baseball), and then re-start their season against the A's in Oakland. What does this do for pitching rotations? Who the hell knows?

I saw something today though that I hadn't even thought about. Because of the Sox winning the World Series last year, Terry Francona will be the AL manager in the All-Star Game this year, which is being played in Yankee Stadium in honor of the old ballpark's last year. That ought to be interesting.

More baseball preview info coming soon. I know you can't wait.

Another Brilliant Idea By The Best-Run Franchise is MLB

Oh, sure, you thought you wouldn't have to deal with my inane ramblings on baseball. Sure, sure, you thought you could duck it. But you can't. And pretty soon, college basketball will be over and it'll be wall to wall baseball. And you know you'll read because you're just as bored at work as anyone else.

Anyway, in case you haven't heard, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are at least considering signing Barry Bonds.

Oh, that's just brilliant. I think the "Rays," as they now insist on being known, would consider this. I mean, an aging superstar clouded in controversy and well-known to be a complete prick who demands leather recliners and multiple lockers... yeah, he sounds like a perfect fit for a team that has finished in last place 9 out of the 10 years they've existed. He's definitely the final piece of the puzzle for a title run.

What the hell are the Rays thinking? From the article...

Manager Joe Maddon said Monday he knew "little" about what was going on, but acknowledged some thought has been given to the career home-run leader.

I think you could just stop that sentence at the comma.

It gets even better, too, because the Rays brass is apparently huddling and considering offering contracts to Kenny Lofton (almost 41 years old) and Mike Piazza (40 in September and completely washed up). I think they should sign them all. And maybe lure Fred McGriff out of retirement so they could have an outfield that all falls asleep during games because they're so old.

What else do you expect from a franchise that renamed itself because old people in Florida didn't like "devil" in the name of the team and then chose to rename themselves after sunshine rays despite playing in a dome?

That Was Frigging Awesome

Sometimes I try to explain to non-baseball-loving people why I love baseball so much. Yes, I understand the complaints about it -- slow-moving at times, long games, interminably long season... steroid users, etc. But there is also a far longer list of things to love about baseball. Rather than go into that list now, I'll just point to last night's one-game playoff between the Padres and Rockies in Denver as just the latest exhibit for why baseball is so fricking awesome.

The two teams finished the season tied with 89-73 records and thus had to play a one-game playoff to decide who gets the Wild Card in the National League. After 162 games, six months and about 3,000 combined innings of baseball this season, these two squads now had one game to decide if they get to go to the magical land of the playoffs or if they simply go home and sit for five months. It's only the seventh one-game decider.....ever.

The Rockies were almost eliminated in mid-September, but then went on an absolute tear, winning 13 of 14 to close the season and force this playoff game. The Padres were an out away from locking up the Wild Card on Saturday night when their closer Trevor Hoffman, the only man with more than 500 saves in baseball history, blew the game against the Brewers. The Pads lost, the Rocks won and to a one-game playoff we went.

I have to admit I was completely rooting for the Rockies, a team that has been terrible for most of its existence and simply couldn't shed this label of a sham of a team that only had marginal success because its home games were played at high altitude and thus home runs flew out of the park like at softball games. Concurrent with this was that pitchers hated playing in Coors Field because, hey, who wants to try to negotiate a future contract when you have a 6.50 ERA?

Anyway, the Rockies, hot as they've been, came storming out of the gate and went up 3-0 early. I was pleased with this. But the Padres aren't a dislikable team (now that Milton Bradley's gone for the season) and so when Adrian Gonzalez came up with the bases loaded and his team down 3-0, I took notice. Gonzalez was on my fantasy baseball team and I had noticed he finished the season on Sunday with 29 homers and 96 RBIs. Since this one-game playoff actually counts towards regular season stats -- another cool quirk of baseball -- Gonzalez had a big opportunity here in several ways. And he cashed in, crushing as Josh Fogg pitch for a grand slam. Suddenly it was 4-3, San Diego and Gonzalez now had hit the 30-homer and 100-RBI plateau. Not a bad season in that at-bat.

The Rocks were not deterred though, and this is what a team looks like that has won 13 of 14, including an 11-game winning steak. They simply believe they're going to win no matter what befalls them. Giving up a grand slam to blow a 3-0 lead in a one-game playoff might completely finish a lot of teams, but to the Rockies credit it didn't even slow them down.

They fought back, taking an eventual 6-5 lead into the 8th inning, when the Padres rallied again. Matt Holliday, who has had a great year and may win the NL MVP, misplayed a ball in left field and let it go over his head... an unfathomable play in such a big game. And suddenly it's 6-6. And the game moves along and nobody scores... and we go into extra innings of the final game of the season... the only game being played on this night. All of baseball is watching this game.

In the top of the 13th, the Padres appeared to put it away when Scott Hairston (Scott Hairston?) hit a two-run bomb to put the Padres up 8-6. The Pads dugout was going bananas. They still had Trevor Hoffman, perhaps the best closer ever, waiting to close out the game. Excellent game management by manager Bud Black. Save your closer in case you get the lead since it's a road game.

Hoffman comes in and Troy Tulowitzki, who should be the Rookie of the Year, hammers a 3-2 pitch into the gap to drive in Kaz Matsui and make it 8-7. The crowd was just thunderous at this point and I cannot imagine being there for such a wild game. Matt Holliday then comes up and hits that drive to the right field wall where Brian Giles, who was just laying it on the line, goes crashing into the odd, hard-to-play right field wall at Coors Field, just missing the ball... it rattles away and Holliday gets to third with a triple. Now the Rocks have the winning run on third with no outs so it doesn't look good for San Diego. I would think the move here would have been to walk the bases loaded and then throw low pitches to try to induce a groundout where you can get the force at the plate. But Cory Sullivan, who hit .290 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs this season, rocketed a liner to right field that Giles caught and then fired home... Holliday, despite there only now being one out, decided this was his chance and stormed for the plate. Michael Barrett, catching for the Pads, made an absolutely perfect foot block of the plate. Holliday made an awkward headfirst, chin-bloodying slide and his wrist looked like it twisted backwards as it connected with Barrett's foot. What happened next might be debated for a while.

Barrett's foot moved and so maybe -- maybe -- Holliday's hand touched the plate, but it doesn't look like it did. Barrett, though, dropped the ball... the umpire, Tim McClellan, makes no signal, which usually means nothing has happened yet -- i.e., nobody touched the plate and nobody made a tag so, you know, somebody do something. Barrett picks up the ball and then McClellan signals safe. Which is good for the Rockies because Holliday appeared too dazed to get up and try to touch home. To see it, try going here.

To their credit, I haven't seen much about the Padres bitching about that call. Fact is, the Rockies put the winning run on third with no outs so the odds were significantly stacked against the Pads already at that point.

Regardless, the Rockies are in the playoffs and continue their run on Wednesday against Philadelphia, maybe the only team playing as hot as them. Should be a good one. And that's just one reason I love baseball.