Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cheering a Brave, thanking a Yankee

The All-Star Game is always a trip to the bizarro world of baseball.

You're rooting for players who you normally jeer, because they're on the same team as your team's players, and you want your team's league to win. There are many more players on the roster, and players come in and out of the game with often no rhyme or reason.

And, oh yeah, this exhibition game determines which league gets home field advantage in the World Series, which has been won by the "home" team in 11 of the last 15 years.

This year's game was no different for Mets fans, who watched David Wright continue his All-Star dominance with two hits and a stolen base. He is 11-for-16 as an All-Star in his career.

But perhaps the highlights of the game — won by the National League for the first time since 1996 — were seeing an Atlanta Brave getting the key hit, and watching the Yankees manager sabotage his team's chances with mismanagement.

Braves catcher Brian McCann delivered the winning hit, a bases-loaded double. Here's hoping that's the last clutch hit he gets all year.

But Joe Girardi deserves a fruit basket from Charlie Manuel and the rest of the National League for his bungling of the game.

How on earth is David Ortiz allowed to run the bases? Alex Rodriguez was available to pinch hit or pinch run. That A-Rod was the only player left on the bench is a testament to Girardi's incompetence. With 34 players on the roster, and the World Series home field advnatage on the line, how do you not keep three or four players available at the end?

Tom Verducci breaks it down tremendously in Sports Illustrated, noting that Girardi selected A-Rod to the team, and claimed that A-Rod was healthy (so why not use him?) but a source says A-Rod's thumb was "sore" and that Girardi wanted "four days off for our big guy."

Meanwhile, Adrian Beltre played with a sore hamstring. Nice.

Verducci also doesn't let Manuel off the hook, noting that he pulled Albert Pujols too quickly and sent Chris Young up to pinch hit for Andre Ethier.

In any event, at least the Mets know that if they make it to the Series, they'll have the Citi Field advantage on their side!

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A note about George Steinbrenner. It's amusing how we're reading so much about how he was the greatest owner in sports.

Don't get me wrong: The man was passionate about winning (and not losing) and spent tons of money to win. Fans love that. But remember that this was a guy who paid a lowlife money to dig up dirt on his own player, who hired and fired 17 managers in 17 seasons, who didn't see the consistent success until after he was banned from the game, when his front office started running things the right way without him.

And when they did build a farm system and develop young players, what did George do? He spent more money than anyone else, because he could.

An absolute must-read: New York Times columnist Dave Anderson's 1980 piece on the press conference announcing the "execution" of Dick Howser.

Howser was fired in November, a month after the Yankees won 103 games but were swept in the playoffs by the Royals. He was treated miserably by King George.

Howser went on to win a World Series with the Royals five years later, and two years after that, died of a brain tumor.

3 comments:

  1. Even on a ton of Morphine I have watched the Mets lose 3 straight against the Giants while scoring 0 runs twice and an Ike Davis 2hr game when u know the Mets cant hit as a team. How often does the Met offense continue to struggle...No Reyes well he's hurt I hear...well guess what he's always hurt..Trade him!! Get some value for him while u can.....Beltran looks scared playing defense and is running gingerly as expected so then what's the use of putting him out there everyday..give him some baby steps but the ball that dropped in cf on him should have been caught if he laid out but i'm guessing his knee is still botthering him and that is why he's hesitating. Also do we really need to carry 3 catchers...enough is enough get rid of santos..I know we won't because we are los mets so we're more likely to do nothing or even worse randomly get rid of the young guy with the nice swing who i can't think of his name right now for some reason. Takahashi I thought would be able to hold the 5th spot but thats looking suspect so maybe he goes back to the pen where he will be more effective and had so much success....but I don't want to hear how Ollie had a good game in triple A while allowing 3er in 6 innings with more walks around and his veocity down...he's done trade him or get rid of him whatever but he's done. I can't wait for tomorrw's game with Santana pitching because if they get swept in this 4 game series heads will roll and the papers will be having a field day....16 hits in 3 games is unacceptable...(i need to hit the morphine drip again)....Jerry of course is smiling in his post game press conference and is talking takahash right now he seems concerned....beltrain 2-4 3b, and a run scored...nice to see...again sit him out some more games though don't rush him...he;s another soft player....Wright Ike Beltran nice middle of the order....if Bay ever gets going and we need that to make the playoffs then we'll have a good chance....but the hitting as usual scares me...how much did we pay bay?? i just hit the morphine....We have to win the division cause we are not winning the wild card....ha prince fielder got blasted in the back...watch his reaction hes such a homo.......Anyways phils win and so did the marlins.......we need some wins...i've been calling 4th place it looks like it'll be third......48-43 hardly something to be excited about...OH yeah KROD does suck....his stupid beard i root against him everyday....i'll take Roger Mcdowell or Jesse pig anyday over him....Ridiculous how he acts on the mound...Los Mets are done and I will be until we remove the los mets jerseys for once and for all....and are just called what were are supposed to be...THE METS!!....Los METS...(MORE MORPHINE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Sorry for the rant but 3 straight nights in a hospital to watch this but at least i got 5hrs til some british open action...or THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP which they now call it which also sickens me......Dbacks and dodgers in the next week after this final game against S.F...not liking it....Jerry has no clue on SNY right now...u can telll he hates Ollie........Gnight......LETS GO METS....Whooo...........where did the whoo come from......sickened....MORPHINE!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. wow its annoying posting comments on this site....also.....i hate it when sny has the little diamond showing the baserunners and then a guy hits a double and they try to update it in real time while the runners are running.....its really annoying.....for example pagan just hit a double to drive in the runner and it shows 1st and 2nd on the little diamond when there was just a guy on 2nd......its pretty annoying it sucks...but not as bad as yes mo which is yankees slow mo replays.........i'm getting like mushnick sitting here watching all these games.......anyways the reason pagans ground rule double scored a run was because santana made a productive out moving the runner over and busting down the line.........unfotuntately he's our pitcher and our everyday players rarely do it......LOS STINK i say....more morphine!!

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  3. even worse wright hits a hr...and they light up all 4 bases.........so lame.....

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