In a Catch-22

You would think as the leaves start to turn shades of red, and yellow, that a diehard sports fan like me would be jumping for joy. After all, the playoff race for a chance at playing in October is heating up. College and pro football are underway, and as usual have not disappointed. The dog days of summer are long forgotten, and now we can spend sundays debating over whether we want to watch a crucial baseball game where one error could cost a team a playoff spot, or if we want to watch to see what celebration Chad Johnson is going to come up with next. This is the beauty of sports in the fall, but this year is different. What started with the NBA referee allegations of assisting gamblers in fixing some NBA games, got me a bit skeptical. Recently, it was found out that the Patriots were videotaping the Jets in sunday's blowout victory, stealing their signals. What is going to come out next? Is an umpire going to randomly eject a pitcher if a ball brushes the inside of the plate, because he has a side wager? The integrity in sports leaves the fans and the players in a powerless situation. From a player's perspective, at least they are making millions of dollars, but from a competitive standpoint you have to wonder. These guys are the most physically gifted athletes in the world, as well as some of the most competitive by nature. No matter how much money a guy makes, when everything is said and done he wants to win the game. This isn't possible if the outcome is already decided by an outward source. How about us fans? We pay endless amounts of dollars for going to games and paying for parking, as well as buying all the sports packages on directv so we can follow our passion, and route hard for a team, with the hope that our cheering is making the difference. Ignorance is bliss, and I just wish I was a young kid again so I could watch a game without having to think about any of this tainted world anymore.

Boston, bite your nails

14 and a half games, cut to 4? Red Sox nation it is time to start sweating bullets. What looked to be the end of the Yankees hope when Eric Gagne was dealt to the Sox before the trading deadline, has turned into a blessing in disguise for the Yankees. Okajima, and Papelbon have been the best 1 2 duo in the bullpen all around baseball this season. Here comes Gagne, who has destroyed that fire by blowing up in his few appearances since being in Beantown. Yesterday against the Orioles was a perfect example. The Red Sox up 3-1 in the bottom of the 8th. Okajima walks one guy, and in comes Gagne. When you acquire such a big name, it is your responsibility as a manager to enter that player into a game in a bigtime situation. It looks like Gagne's Dodger days are long gone, and the best bullpen in baseball has some serious questions that have to be answered. What is in Gagne's future on the Red Sox? Is he going to be continued to be trusted on in late game situations, or could we have a Kyle Farnsworth here? I am jumping to conclusions here, but tell me what you are going to do if you are Terry Francona right now. He has a catch-22 on his hands. On one hand, he wants to do what has worked like a gem for him all year. Okajima in the 8th, Papelbon in the 9th, easy as pie. Now what? Is Gagne going to be the 7th inning guy? I dont think the Red Sox can trust him in that spot right now. Lets not forget, although Gagne had a very good season with the Texas Rangers, his last four appearances were nowhere near respectable. All I can say is that its a darn good thing that Brian Cashman didnt deal for Gagne and get rid of Melky Cabrera and one of our young guns in the bullpen. I think from the Yankees point of view, we are looking at a possible 1996 all over again. I am not comparing Chamberlain to Rivera after only two appearances. However, I think Chamberlain could be the set up man that Rivera was for Wetteland during that so cherished run. He could also be the Krod of the days when he set up Troy Percival. That Angels team won the World Series as well. I am a diehard Yankees fan, but I am also realistic. The Red Sox will still win the division, but the Yanks will get that wild card spot, and from there its Yankees baseball time. World Series here we come....

Predictions !

Saturday August 11th 2007. The New York Yankees are currently tied for the AL wild Card with Seattle. They are also only 5 games back of the Boston Red sox. Everyone seemed to count out the Yankees all year long. Questioning that they are too old and don’t have enough pitching. Even questioning Joe Torre as a manager. Saying he is too old and cant get the job done anymore. The Yankees sure are showing everyone. Since the all star break the Yankees have been by far the best team in baseball. If you count the suspended game against Baltimore the Yankees are 22-8 since the All Star break. I wrote an article on July 11h predicting how the Yankees would turn their season around and have a huge second half. I predicted the offense to become hot and take the lead for most runs in the league. Since we have seen an offensive explosion. I said the pitching would come around. Since the pitching has been phenomenal. I predicated them to make the Playoffs at a point when they were 8.5 back of wild card and 10 of the division. Since then they have cut the division lead to 5 and are tied for the Wild Card. Now that we are getting closer to the playoffs I have some new predictions.
Their will be a great race for the AL East. The Yankees and Red Sox and the Two best teams in baseball who happen to be in the same division. As for the Yankees, although they have had an offensive explosion winning the division is still a very hard task. Don’t forget they aren’t just chasing any first place team they are chasing the team with the best record in baseball. With the Yankees hitting and new addition to the bullpen Joba Chamberlin plus the now healthy Phil Hughes it is very possible for them to win the division. However ,Boston has great pitching and they only play 6 more times this year. Even if the Yankees don’t win the division they will definitely win the wild card. Seattle’s line up is not that strong. Their bullpen might be great, however their starting pitching isn’t very strong. As for Cleveland and Detroit I believe Detroit will end up winning the Central. They are a much more talented team then Cleveland. The Angles will win the West. Yankees win the East and Boston wins the wild card. The Yankees and Red Sox could be flipped around, but any way you look at it the four teams who will make the playoffs in the AL are the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Angels. They are the four best teams in baseball and are all in the AL.
The National league is very hard to predict. So many teams are so close to each other. In the West alone 4 out of 5 teams are fighting for the division. In the East 3 out of 5 and the Central 3 out of 5 as well. I definitely believe the Cubs are going to catch Milwaukee and take the Central. The Cubs have a great line up and are now only .5 back for the division lead. I wouldn’t be surprised in Milwaukee had a complete collapse and even the Cardinals pass them. The west is wide open. Arizona San Diego, LA, and Colorado can all capture the division. I Don’t think Arizona is good enough to win it. Amazingly, they are 14 over .500 but have been out scored this year by 21 runs this season. San Diego has great pitching but not enough hitting to make the playoffs. Colorado can definitely score runs but their pitching is probably the worst in that division. I believe the race will be very close all year with the Dodgers coming out on top winning the division. However, that division is definitely up for grabs. Any team can run away with it. The East is also very complicated. With Mark Teixeira coming to the Braves they dramatically improved their offense. Philadelphia despite injuries all season has been staying in the race. The Mets are on top of the division by 3 games. I predict 2 out of 3 teams will make the playoffs in the NL East. Wild Cards in both leagues coming from the East. Although Atlanta has a great line up I don’t believe they have enough starting pitching to make it to the post season. Besides Smoltz and Hudson they pretty much have no one. In a shocking upset I predict Philadelphia to somehow win the East and Mets win the Wild Card. My NL Playoff teams are Philly’s, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers.

Overshadowed

Last night Barry Bonds broke what many call most prestigious record in all of American Sports. In his third trip to the plate already 2-2 with a double and single Bonds blasted his 756th Home Run into the night time sky at AT&T Park off of Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mike Bacsik. This is a moment that will always be remembered. However, unlike when Hank Aaron hit 755 Bonds home run is overshadowed by steroids. Many people have many different feeling towards Bonds. Some were excited to see him break the record, some think no matter what he isn’t the legit Home Run king. No matter what people think last night August 7th 2007 Barry Bonds became our new Home Run king.
Although Bonds has always been a great play through out his entire career when we look at his numbers clearly something doesn’t make sense. Bonds hit 445 home runs in his first 14 seasons. That is an average of 31.78 a season. Then Bonds turned 36 a time when most baseball players either retire or play a much smaller roll on a team Bonds then became a home run machine. He hit 49,73,46,45,45. From the age 37-41 he won 4 consecutive National League Most Valuable Player awards. In an HBO interview a BALCO chemist Patrick Arnold claimed he and BALCO founder Victor Conte provided Barry Bonds with a Steroid called the clear that was undetectable in tests. Arnold claimed this steroid would not only make a player hit more Home Runs but, their entire game would improve. From Average, RBIS, Slugging Percentage. Everything would be improved after taking this steroid. From physical appearance alone you can tell Bonds had to have taken a steroid. His body changed dramatically over the years. Looking at Barry bonds you can understand why he took steroids. He has always had an ego to be the best and he was watching other players such as Mark McGwire take steroids and blast Home Run after Home Run.
The biggest shame in this entire scandal is Commissioner Bud Selig. Selig wasn’t even their last night when Bonds broke the record. Selig hasn’t been the biggest supporter of Bonds as he has been going after history. Isn’t It funny that Bud Selig now seems to have a problem with someone using steroids but didn’t when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought back the popularity of baseball using steroids during the summer of 1998 when they chased Roger Maris and baseball history .Selig should be blamed more then anyone. He looked the other way back then and so did baseball. Almost 10 years later we are finally finding the skeletons in baseballs closet. The problem with the “Steroids Era” is baseball is Americas past time. The game has been around since 1845 when Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules of the game. In 1871 the first professional league was created. By the start of the 20th century almost every large city in the eastern part of the United States had a professional team. The game of baseball is different from the other four major professional sports in the United States. football, basketball and hockey because baseball is Americas pastime . The game should be respected and players should be honored for their accomplishments . The biggest shame of the steroid era was a game that started over 150 years ago is being disrespected. Many of today’s athletes have forgotten about the past and history of the game and only care about their own accomplishments and mostly about making a lot of money. Bonds isn’t the only one to blame for doing steroids because it was a time when many players were taking steroids and it was being over looked by all of baseball. The problem begins with Baseballs testing policy.
Baseball has a very weak steroids testing policy. Although they have made some improvements they still need to be stricter. They don’t test very often and especially not in the off season in which players are most likely to “cycle.” Under today’s policy if caught a player would be suspended for 10 days. Second time offenders are suspended for 30 days. Third time offenders a 60 day suspension and fourth time a year. I believe this policy isn’t strict enough. Testing should be more frequent and punishment more harsh .
Bob Costas said it perfectly “I regard him as one of the greatest players of all time who got an inauthentic boost and then became a superhuman player.” Bonds was a bound for the Hall before he took steroids. Before the 1999 season he won MVP in 1990, 1992, 1993 and Gold Gloves in 90,91,92,93,94,96,97, and 98. When he started taking steroids his numbers became ridiculous however, many players have taken steroids and not one player has had the numbers Bonds has. I believe if Bonds didn’t take steroids he would of never broken the record and Hank Aarons 755 home runs as well as hit 73 home runs in a single season. The facts show it all his numbers got better dramatically better at a time when most players are on the decline of their career. Any way you slice it like bonds or not he is our home run king for now. I believe in around 5 years we will see Alex Rodriquez ( A-ROD) or as I like to call him A-GOD break Bonds record and possibly even reach 800 home runs without ever putting a steroid in his body.

Selig's expression says it all

Saturday night when Barry Bonds hit his 755th homerun and tied Hank Aaron as the all time home run king, the cameras focused on the commissioner of the MLB, Bud Selig. While Bonds rounded the bases, Selig had a blank expression on his face. Not only did he look confused, but somebody in front of him had to motion for him to stand up. Over the last few weeks Selig has been in a catch-22 regarding whether or not to support Barry Bonds while he chased history. He made the decision to attend most of the Giants games lately. As much as I can't stand Barry Bonds and the fact that this record should have an asterisk next to it, I am angered that Bud Selig didnt at least clap a little bit or show some kind of acknowledgement towards Bonds achievement. After all, the pitcher who gave up the 755th homer to Bonds, was Clay Hensley who had tested positive for steroids in the minor leagues. What if Hensley had somehow thrown a no hitter or a perfect game on this day? Obviously the odds are slim to none, but I can almost guarentee that Selig would be clapping after the achievement. In this day of age it is hard to tell who has juiced and who hasnt. The outspoken Curt Schilling claims that during the Diamondbacks 2001 World Series run he couldnt even pat his teammates on the behind due to the bruises of where the steroids were injected. So even though it is obvious that Barry Bonds took steroids, nobody can be sure of how many pitchers who gave up these homers to Bonds weren't juicing themselves. Everytime I see Bud Selig, it pisses me off to see how clueless the guy is on all occasions. In the past year or so, Selig said that he would embrace the chasing of the home run record. However, for the guy to sit there and then stand up and put his hands in his pockets, just shows how insecure of a person he is. He bases his actions off of others opinions and I think it is time for him to step down as the commissioner of the MLB. Don't show up to Bond's games if you arent going to show any signs of emotion. Selig should be ashamed of himself for a lot more than this. He is the reason that all these steroid problems started in the first place. He didnt realize that something was fishy when McGwire and Sosa had their monumental home run chase in 98? When guys hit 70 and 66 homers out of nowhere isnt there somewhere inside of you where you question the integrity of how those homers were hit? Selig only decided to do something after Jose Canseco went on 60 minutes and told the world of the problems with steroids in the majors over the past 15 plus years. Selig however did not do this on his own, it took a couple angry senators who saw that 60 minutes episode to start pushing Selig to help get investigations started. Selig is so pathetic because this investigation is really leading down a dead end. This generation of ball players will always be marked as the steroid era. Who knows what people will think 50-100 years from now when they look back at this time. Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player to reach 500 homeruns on Saturday. As of now, Arod is clean and it will be interesting to see if he can reach Bonds within the next decade. Unfortunately Jose Canseco claims that he has some dirt on Arod that will come out in his next book. Canseco called out many players in his first book, and his accusations must have all been true or else don't you think Canseco would be getting sued up the ass? I am intrigued by the future of baseball, and sports in general. Steroids are not the only form of cheating that has been going on. Tim Donaghy, an NBA official has been accused of fixing games to erase some debts. There is no doubt in my mind that this has gone on in the other professional sports as well. This is where the saying "ignorance is bliss" really has meaning. As a passionate sports fan I am doing everything in my power to ignore all this chaos and just go about watching sports as if nothing is wrong. However, as time goes on this is getting harder and I dont know what direction sports are heading. We are a greedy culture by nature, and this is evident in the multi million dollar contracts that these athletes get for playing a simple game. Those big contracts have led players to start juicing. That little extra power can turn a flyout into a homerun. A minor league player who is struggling to make it to the majors without taking performance enhancing drugs might decide to start juicing in order to fulfill his dream. The way I see it, if players want to hurt their bodies for my own entertainment, then so be it. There has to be justice in the sense of everybody has to be on fair playing ground. If one person is taking steroids then everybody should be taking them. However, this is not fair for players who have no interest in taking the harmful drugs, and it is especially not right when going to the record books of players from past generations. Then again we have no proof that players from the past have not taken some kind of drugs to enhance their performance. Former Phillies start Mike Scmidt admitted to taking emphedamines. He played back in the 1970s and 1980s. Sports are the most culturally diverse activity besides the army, and people from all over the world are entertained by them on a daily basis. The only thing we can do as fans is continue to be passionate about our teams and just hope that everything is running smoothly.

The Bronx is Burning

I find it ironic that the show "The Bronx is Burning" is based on thirty years ago this summer. The Bronx is really burning now. The Yankees stand 4 games out of the wild card and 8 games out of the division lead. As of late the Yanks have caught fire and have played inspired baseball. Unfortunately, you have to shake your head after this pathetic trade deadline. Up north the Red Sox basically made themselves invincible the rest of the season by trading for the rejuvinated and recovered Eric Gagne. The guy is sporting a 2.16 ERA with 16 saves and a 2-0 record. The seventh through ninth innings will be lights out now with Okajima, Gagne, and Papelbon. It is time for Brian Cashman to own up to his mistakes and step down as GM of the Yanks. With Steinbrenner's health getting worse, Cashman has been able to call all the shots lately, and they have all been the wrong ones. Kyle Farnsworth is one of the worst relievers I have seen in awhile. We go and trade away Proctor, our most used reliever for a guy that is batting .231 this season who plays first base? Wilson Betemit is going to be the answer for the Yankees to make the playoffs? Give me a break! The guy is a utility player and Andy Phillips has been playing inspiring baseball lately. Add this to the fact that Jason Giambi will be returning soon, I just cant understand that move. We needed bullpen help desperately. Our 8th and 9th innings have been automatic lately with Vizcaino and Rivera, but with our starting pitchers at the age they are, we need more relief help badly. Wilson Betemit never plays first base, and we sure as hell are not going to put him at third, short, or second base. Brian Cashman do us all a favor and get the hell out of the Bronx. The world championships you won so long ago was all because of George Steinbrenner anyway.

Ignorance is Bliss

After recent allegations about a former NBA referee fixing NBA games have come out, I have become even more paranoid that this is not the first time that this has happened. One thing that I am almost certain about is that games are not fixed by players. In today's day of age, players make way too much money for fixing a game to be worth their while. Add this on to the fact that to be a professional athlete, they have to be competitive by nature to the point of doing whatever it takes to win. I dont think I am being naive here either. Before a couple decades ago I am sure many players threw games all the time. Back when the mob scene was a lot more prominent and players didn't have multi million dollar contracts. The people who are in most control of games are the refs, umps, whatever you want to call them. These guys call the shots, and they are not the ones living in the multi million dollar mansions. I am worried that after these recent allegations, that many more are going to come out in the future. Professional sports will always be tainted from this angle. This is where ignorance is bliss. As a fan, you can only turn the other way and pretend like everything is legitimate in the world of sports. Unfortunately, every time I flip on a sporting event my first thought after a bad call is that the game is fixed. I know that these refs and umps are critiqued with every step they take, every strike and ball they call in baseball, every flag they throw in football, every foul and non call in basketball and every penalty in hockey. However, Tim Donaghy's rating this year went up as a ref! I realize that these refs have their own zones that they focus on in games and its hard for them to critique their fellow refs. Come on people, this is beyond appalling! If one guy is doing this, what are the odds that there aren't more out there doing the same thing. I hope that this one case will put these guys on power trips in their place, but the sad thing is what can possibly be done? Sure the FBI found out about this individual case, but how many cases have gone unnoticed over the years. David Stern claims that this is an "isolated" incident, and that no other refs are involved in the fixing of games. The guy has to say this. You think the usually collected and stern commissioner isnt biting his nails down to the bone right now? The commissioners in all sports should be just as concerned. Last year I went to the Yankees Tigers playoff series at Comerica Park in Detroit. I am a diehard Yankees fan and there was not once instance that I was able to cheer for my team. Sure I give the Tigers credit for shutting down our hitting, but I found it ironic that the umps completely turned that series around. After the Yankees won game one, the always patient yankees hitters started swinging at pitches in the dirt. Was this because every Tigers pitcher was throwing nasty sinkers? No, the umpires were calling strikes that were obviously balls. This was only happening when the Yankees were at bat, and in turn made every Tigers pitcher look like Sandy Koufax in his prime. Right after witnessing the Yankees lose that series I was convinced that sports were fixed by the guys that are making the least money on the field. Is it remotely possible that every game we are watching is in someway fixed? You can't say no anymore. Tim Donaghy was an official for 13 years! So this shit has been going on for well over a decade with only one guy? You are being very naive if you think this is the only situation in which this has happened. This is something that time will never heal. We will find out over the next couple weeks as Donaghy, the selfish prick that he is cooperates with officials to get a lighter sentence in prison who if anybody else comes up in this scandal.