Very quietly, the San Fransisco Giants announced over the weekend that Barry Bonds will NOT be playing for them next year: while I understand their reservations, the fact is Bonds is the only reason they have drawn fans since 2002, when they went to the World Series. Some American League team is about to cash a check for the playoffs next year: the man is 400 years old, and STILL has hit 28 HR's in 337 AB's. The fact he's the poster boy for performance enhancing drugs doesn't bother me: the fact that I'm afraid some of my Red Sox players are going to be outed does. I don't fault the players: I fault Selig and the owners. They turned a blind eye for so many years, and now they are on the verge of reaping the whirlwind.
I wrote a few times this season about Josh Hamilton: unless you've been living in a cave, you've heard his story before, so I won't get into it again. But after all the crap we heard this year about the likes of Ankiel, Spezio, Bonds, etc.., following this young man's season was one of my favorite things to do. For the year, he has 19 HR's, 47 RBI's, and is hit .292 in 90 games: however, his season ended on 9-13-07 with a bad hammy. I'm not Bill James, but if you project those numbers over a 162 game season, he'd end up with around 35 HR's and 110 RBI's. Not bad for a guy in his FIRST full season of MLB ball. The bigger accomplishment? He's alive. Good for you kid: I'll be pulling for the Reds as my National League team next year.
Next up? Beckett: my first ever post at this train wreck of a blog was about him, and I got it right: yes, I'm fully aware that even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then. But Joshua Patrick Beckett has epitomized the Boston Red Sox this year. Tough, ornery, and unflappable: if he doesn't win the AL Cy Young, I'm paying for Tex's plane ticket to New York so she can stand outside Selig's office with a sandwich board sign demanding a recount.
Forget his 20 wins for a second: as a fan, you LOVE to see your ace stomping and cursing around the mound when he makes a mistake, yet by the time he's ready to throw the next pitch he's forgotten about the screw up and is ready to go. You like to see that ace in the post game press conference take responsibility for a loss, yet praise his teammates for a win. Sure he may drop a few F bombs every now and then: at least you know he cares about what he does.
Finally, unless you are a member of the White Sox organization, Beckett forever endeared himself to the rest of MLB and all of RSN when he uttered the infamous "FYYO!" to A.J. Pierzynski this summer. Unless you root for the bad guy at the movies or think Donald Trump is a swell fella, you had to cheer this moment. Pierzynski, for those of you reading this who may not know, conjures up emotions in most people that cause you to go to confession.
I'm really glad today is the last off day of the season. I'm ready to finish it out, win the division, and start the march toward the World Series.
Mostly, I'm ready for a Sox game to write about: this took WAY too much thinking for me to get through it.
8 comments:
ted, I'm feeling much better these days about our boys, but I'm not sure I'm ready for all the late nights and heart attacks to come in the next four weeks.... Oh, well, I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead.
I still feel a little awkward about asking why Hayes and candaon were sharing a computer...I really thought you were pulling my leg. Please let them know I meant no harm. You sure seem to know everything that's going on. For someone who says you have no friends you're very well connected. :-)
Oh, and the Reds are most definitely my NL team... the old hometown, and all. :-)
Becks, I didn't find out until we were all emailing each other before the Baltimore get together: C went to MA to visit, several phone calls, emails, etc.. and a love connection was born!
I don't have to let them know: you just did: C says he reads this thing everyday, so I guess we'll see! Don't feel bad: I think you can tell it caught a lot of people off guard! And I'm sure they know you didn't mean anything by it.
And I'm with you: a loss by the Yankees makes me have a much more positive outlook. I'm just glad I'll be done with our trade show before more than 3 playoff games are played: usually I'm a sleep deprived maniac in October.
I remember you saying you were from Ohio: With Bronson, Bellhorn,Gonzo, and Hamilton, I've almost FORCED to pull for them!
I misread your title as "... the final day of the season" and thought 'Ted's always accusing me of coming from the future.' :)
My postseason starts with two weeks holiday and a tour of the South Island, glaciers and all. Internet access might be a bit spotty and might easily dictate how long I stay in any given place.
I'll still manage to keep the faith though and should be back for the WS.
You know what I love most about Joshy? The difference between the raw talent we saw last year, that left us with some combination of amazed by the what he was able to bring to the mound, one more home run given up away from being institutionalized, fearful that he wasn't going to ever live up to the hype (or would start a merry-go-round DL experience with the blister thing), and hopeful for what he might one day become for us. And now "one day" is here. i never would have thought the transition would be so abrupt. This kid is something else.
Now I just hope that JD Drew & Matsuzaka can somehow experience the same sort of adjustment metamorphisis during this off season...
I just realized something that kind of frightens me:
You seem to know every Sox player's middles name.
Dude, I'm not sure I know your middle name.
Ok, that's not true, but still...you frighten me.
And before anyone cracks on me for being "home" at 1:00. I'm not. I took the wango tango to work today so I could get some work done. So there, Bub.
Horsham, that's pretty funny: however, you ARE from tomorrow. Have a great vacation, and take some pictures of the glaciers and email me: I'd love to see them.
Dawn, I saw your comment in the last post: glad you have decided to make this a stop. Ignore the typos OK? And Trot Nixon is the type of ball player I'd like my sons to one day be. And I think Drew and Daisuke will have good years next year. First year in the AL for Drew and first year in MLB for Matsuzaka: theres a learning curve there that they just have to go through.
Oat Bran, you know all those Euro hocky guys names, so don't bust on me too bad! What can I say? I remember really goofy things.
BTW, nobody's buying the "I'm at work" nonsense.
Post a Comment