Clemens issues an apology
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 05, 2008 
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Roger Clemens aplogized to his family and fans today but also denied some of the actions he has been tied to. The story is here if you’re interested.
What a difference a year makes. It was a year ago tomorrow that Clemens popped up in that luxury suite at Yankee Stadium and announced he was coming back to pitch.
Now he has been accused of taking steroids, dragged before Congress and tabloid gossip reporters are chasing him around. Brian McNamee’s lawyers have certainly played their cards well.
You never hear a word about Clemens around the Yankees. No players wears those t-shirts he handed out, his locker has been cleaned out and Andy Pettitte is usually available to the media only after he pitches. He has kept a low profile for the most part.
I can’t say it’s sad because Clemens likely made his own problems. But it certainly is unfortunate.
If last season was it for Clemens (and Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa), the Hall of Fame voters are going to have some interesting decisions to make in five years.
5 years is a long time, if you had shut your mouth from the start of it.
5 years will seem like yesterday, since he stirred up the hornets’ nest.
If you go to the NY Daily News. They have daily updates to the saga. Literally. The McCready story broke on Day 1. She responds on Day 2. The Daly ex-wife story breaks. Very tabloid. I didn’t bother to read it. Voyeuristic rubbish.
Or NOT make as the case may be…
I never liked Clemens…he always struck me as a prima dona and a immature baby at times. But I always respected him. He seemed like a decent family man, and boy could he throw a baseball.
What saddens me is that the greatest pitcher of this or most other generations has revealed himself to be partially a fraud. As with Bonds, you want to believe those numbers are real. You want to think that this type of baseball talent and athleticism is possible. But in the end, it’s all a mirage.
The standard line about baseball is that it’s a mirror to the times. Got that right.
I wonder how pissed Roger will be when Mike Piazza is a first-ballot hall-of-famer 5 years from now and Clemens is in hiding in Houston.
It is sad for the fans, who want to root for their ballplaying heroes.
That’s what happens when players grow up through the Red Sox organization.
this guy is a joke. hes deffenitly finished.
His life is now a soap opera.
The only people I’m sad for are his sons. They can’t control their father’s actions or misdeeds but unfortunely will have to live with the ridicule.
Can’t say I feel sorry for Roger, his ego & lies got the best of him. His dumb lawyer didn’t help either.
I dont know how any yankee fan could have ever liked the guy…clemens is/was the biggest con man in sports…he makes larry brown look like mother teresa. I was so pissed when the yankees traded wells and bush for that d bag. he used the yankees for money and championships. we still win in 99 and 2000 with david wells in the rotation instead of the texas con man
I wish everything Roger Clemens would just go away
“The only people I’m sad for are his sons. They can’t control their father’s actions or misdeeds but unfortunately will have to live with the ridicule.”
Agreed.
Pete, you’ll have a vote by then, won’t you?
Rogers Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa will all get into the HOF.
If there are some cheaters in already you can’t disallow folks who have never been “caught” cheating.
If Gaylord Perry is in the hall then any cheater who puts up great numbers should be in the hall.
Like David Cone always says, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying”
ALAN HORNE getting closer ot return, had bullpen today–
http://tinyurl.com/65aq5s
so the topics of the day are Igawa and Clemens, on top of today being a day off for the yankees.
quick, somebody get Hank to say something stupid!
Clemens has no one to blame but himself. If this was Texas hold-em poker Clemens went “all-in”. By filing the suit against McNamee, it caused his lawyers to start digging in his background in an attempt to create doubt about Roger’s character.
Well apparently they didn’t have to dig too long or too deep to find some dirt.
Either Roger is extremely arrogant or he just isn’t that bright. I don’t know the man but if he knew he had this stuff in his closet why risk ruining what was left of his reputation?
I wonder how he handled it at home? “Well honey, there was just Mindy,then two days later, Well honey it was Mindy and John’s ex”. then the next day…… I swear I am not enjoying this but he has to be one miserable SOB these days.
well, he didn’t say he cheated in baseball. there’s no real evidence that he did. that may change, but right now it’s just the completely unreliable testimony of 1 person that makes up the case.
the saddest thing has been the crappy reporting in the papers, etc. that’s what’s killed Clemens – if the degree of McNamee’s inability to get basic facts straight had been competently reported, Clemens would look much different in the public eye – maybe not cleared, but certainly there’d be doubt.
anyway, i would like to see Clemens sue MLB to have his name dropped from the report based on lack of evidence. i think that would be a more direct way than a defamation suit against McNamee
I realize that the Clemens kids had more money the day they were born than I’ll probably ever have in my life, but I feel really bad for them. It’s not just their father that was brought into this, but their mother as well. A series of stupid and arrogant decisions by both of them is likely putting their sons through a lot of hurt.
Clemens wasn’t dragged to Congress he dragged congress who said before the meeting that they didn’t want that hearing but Clemens pulled strings to get that Hearing.
Clemens, Bonds, and Sosa are no doubt Hall of Famers.
If they aren’t, the BBWAA is an absolute crock of BS.
On the baseball field, those three were three of the best players in the history of baseball.
(FTR, Pete Rose should be in, also).
Don’t know whether Bonds, Clemens, et al get in, but I do believe the voters need to be consistent about the era. Either all the guys with the numbers are in or none are.
As Mitchell suggested, what he was able to report on was the tip of the iceberg and a reflection of how little he had in the way of witnesses available to him and the MLBPA’s utter lack of cooperation.
For my money, everyone who played in the era is culpable. They may not have all used, but they did nothing to bring attnetion to the issue and even less to stop it. In fact, they did all they could to see that the issue was not exposed as they marched in lockstep with Orza and Fehr as the Union became about 1) Getting as much as you can, and 2) Getting away with as much as you can. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. No player opted to be part of the solution so they live with being part of the problem in a problem era for their sport.
Best example I can think of is putting Maddux in and denying Clemens. To me, that would stink to high heaven.
2008 candidates that should (should, not necessarily will) be inducted: Bert Blyleven, Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Mark McGwire – http://seamheads.com/blog/2007.....me-ballot/
V,
Not to nitpick but Goose got in last year. I agree with you about the others.
Apology NOT accepted, Clemens.
Hank just issued a statement: “Igawana is like blue cheese on beans. He better start pitching like My Wang”
Everybody prepare for a no-hitter.
Russell NY….I like where you heads at.
V….I live in Ohio and found an autographed Pete Ros helmet at a sporting goods store. To my amazement it was priced at only $150. I guess even Pete’s signatures and memorabilia isnt worth much to baseball any longer.
Clemens’ kids should rebel and fix the spelling of their names to remove the K’s, true story. Or just make them backwards (insert meaning of your choosing here.)
“The Yankees are the Yankees. They won’t allow kids to learn on the job.”
This will be fun on WFAN.
Cy Rasner
since when was Giese a kid, I can’t believe Mike knows McCutchen’s name.
I wonder if Fatcessa will mention “Jorge” Tabata’s suspension and suggest we trade him for Arroyo before he loses his value.
“I can’t believe Mike knows McCutchen’s name.”
LOL. I know! I almost fell outta my chair.
Mikey did some HW
“I wonder if Fatcessa will mention “Jorge†Tabata’s suspension and suggest we trade him for Arroyo before he loses his value.”
we got Fruitloops for that one
Francessa had Sweeney on his NBC show last night. I’m guessing Sweeney tutored him on the minors and thus the new found knowledge today.
SA did he actually say that? Curious since I don’t listen to them, did he also complain about Ian doing poorly? Does he just change his stance depending on which way the wind is blowing?
Ian needed to be sent down for 2 starts to regain his confidence. I guarantee you if he does well in his two starts, he will be back here no matter what Kei does.
Dedguy, that’s great news on Horne but he won’t be an option until atleast late July.. he has 2 starts one good one not so good in AAA, so now he has to start all over atleast have 5 – 8 starts under his belt, sad how this injury held him back this season. Great news that he is going to throw off the mound on Wedensday.
“Francessa had Sweeney on his NBC show last night. I’m guessing Sweeney tutored him on the minors and thus the new found knowledge today.”
not a good thing he’s going to have them on the trade market so quick..
It’s not just if Clemens, Bonds, Sosa will be in the HOF. It’s also how they get in (if they get in). They are obvious first ballot HOF based purely on numbers, but it’s interesting to see what they get that first year. I laughed sooo hard when McGwire only got 25% that first year. If he gets in later, that means our perception of this era has changed. But for someone with such amazing numbers and to only get 25%? Hahahah! I hope Bonds gets less than 10% that first year.
Jennifer-About not letting the kids not learn on the job? Yeah he said it.
He definitely goes with whichever way the wind is blowing. It’s quite funny
He still thinks Hughes and Kennedy are part of the plan for the Yankees..but the Yankees are now on plan B
I love how nobody has told Mike Francessa that it is JOSE Tabats…. not Jorge. Guy is pretty funny.
He still calling him Jorge Tabata. He actually thinks the Yankees have abandoned their plan by sending Kennedy down. Does he realize that Joba and when Hughes comes back they still will have 2 kids in their rotation?
i say all of the ‘steroid guys’ will get in, pretty much together, but not for 10 or so years after they become eligible. there will come a time when the voters will just accept that steroids happened but there were still great players who deserve the hof during that era.
Fruitloops preaching patience I can’t make this up….
id be very interested to know what the astros are asking for oswalt.
nothing it was made up
So I guess the phrase for the day on M&MD is “merit system”
I think Mike said it 12 times already today
So when does McCutchen get promoted?
And isin’t it funny how they keep referring to Giese as a “kid”? He is 33 years old and has bounced around for years, he actually pitched for Dog’s Giants last year as a reliever.
I saw Mike’d Up last night. He had Sweeney and Mark Feinsand on. They provided all of the information. All Mike kept saying was that the Yanks need to trade for a pitcher. He kept pushing for Bronson Arroyo – but it is too early to trade, so he asked Sweeney and Mark who was available besides Rasner and Igawa until the Yanks could trade.
I don’t want Bronson on this team. I dont’ believe he has done well this year at all. Plus how well do you think he and Alex would get along?
That’s how little Francesa knows about the minors that he refers to Giese as a prospect. They probably never heard of Horne either. I’m surprised he knew about McCutchen.
meritocracy?
Jennifer – I agree about Arroyo, but that must be the only name Mike knows because that name came out of his mouth many times last night.
one of these guys will step up and take the #5 spot, we dont know which one it is yet, but one of them will and after the asb the yanks will have too many starters.
“meritocracy?”
beats me
im totally down with that idea. i said on here this morning that all the SP’s in scranton and trenton should know they are trying out for mlb starts every time they go out now. someone will jump up and grab the ring.
Thanks, Pete.
I was wondering if you were going to address this.
I believe Roger made his bed, now he has to lay in it.
He didn’t need to go on 60 Minutes or file a suit against McNamee, but he did, so he asked for it.
I’m only sorry the Yankees hired him back last year. Otherwise, he would be Houston’s mess but since we had him the last, he is forever connected to us. Ugh!
why do people want Blanton …do they forget what Billy Beane is about and why is Bronson Arroyo in this discussion
8.63 ERA, PT/S 615-364(37% for strikes) has surrendered 8 HR and has 24 ER in 6 games ….WHY !!!!!!!!!
I’m only glad to hear that the mike and the mad dog program is starting to submit to the idea of Joba in the rotation. The way the bullpen has been performing you can’t really make the robbing peter to pay paul argument anymore. We need a starting pitcher, and need Joba to be there. Joe Blanton? Let’s clog up some more spots in the rotation with mediocrity, awesome.
I am SICK of hearing about Johan. He is good, but why in god’s name are we still talking about this guy.
NOW sTEvE THE KoOky MeTs FaN
Those of you listening to MMD – did you hear the guy just call in screaming about how the Mets have more of a “youth movement” than the Yankees…too funny (just how animated the guy got)
Brandon both of them (Mike and Chris) make no sense. Yankees aren’t getting Blanton. Beane will ask for the moon. But also Hughes is going in the rotation obviously when he gets back and Joba is moving there.
Blanton doesn’t make much sense.
*CORRECTION
why do people want Blanton …do they forget what Billy Beane is about and why is Bronson Arroyo in this discussion
8.63 ERA, PT/S 615-364(59% for strikes) has surrendered 8 HR and has 24 ER in 6 games in the NL ….WHY !!!!!!!!!
That guy Steve needs help. He calls WFAN and 1050 ESPN all the time with some of the craziest ideas
Yankee Youth Movement: Cano, Wang, Melky, Joba, Rock and ROhlendorf, Duncan, AG all guys on the roster and contributing. That doesn’t mention Phil Hughes, IPK. Count Chris Britton or Jon Albaladejo and thats between 8-12 of the roster under 30 and from the farm system. You can deny that is a youth movement?
8.63 ERA, PT/S 615-364(37% for strikes) has surrendered 8 HR and has 24 ER in 6 games ….WHY !!!!!!!!!
Small sample size!
In his career Arroyo has been above average. We don’t need him but if we did he’d be a pretty good option.
“Those of you listening to MMD – did you hear the guy just call in screaming about how the Mets have more of a “youth movement†than the Yankees…too funny (just how animated the guy got)”
that’s StEvE tHe KoOkY mEtS FaN, hE SAid oNe DaY tHaT tHE mEtS hAd tHe nExT mArIaNo iN HEiLmAn AnD tHeN oNe dAy cAlLeD hiM tHe nExT NoLaN rYaN iF hE WeRE a stArTeR. FoR hIm To pUt PaGaN aS a YoUtH mOvEmeNT
lol Patrick loves Arroyo.
Steve the Mets fan is special
“That guy Steve needs help. He calls WFAN and 1050 ESPN all the time with some of the craziest ideas”
what do you expect from someone who starts his calls w/ the greeting “wats up brother”
These fans are funny: “melky is the best player we have” lol
“lol Patrick loves Arroyo.”
Honestly before last week I thought he sucked. Once I heard Francessa start talking about him I looked up his stats and they are surprisingly good. Obviously he is off to a slow start and Rasner looks like a decent option right now so theres no point in getting him unless there are more injuries.
I think Arroyo is just being used as an example of a guy who is on a team not likely to be in contention, could become available, has AL experience and would’t cost the farm.
There are probably 10 others who could fit the same criteria but they would be just as likely to elicit as strong a negative response from people here.
I agree with you Arroyo is absolutely better than what Rasner can be, I just don’t see giving up a legitimate prospect to get him. I can’t see Jockety just giving him up for peanuts which is what i’d be willing to give for him. If we can do what we did for Abreu and give Cin. some spare parts like Chase Wright and some other non-factors than i’m all for it. Just funny cuz you and Mike Francessa always bring up Bronson.
Oh. And he was on that red sox team. I still don’t really care for johnny damon for that grand slam.
“These fans are funny: “melky is the best player we have†lol”
hitting w/ RISP
Jetes- .313/.339/.319
Matsui- .324/.411/.491
Bobby- .306/.363/.452
Melky- .291/.359/.505
Damon- .295/.394/.527
Melky’s been solid but it’s been Matsui who has been our best player hitting.
“Just funny cuz you and Mike Francessa always bring up Bronson.”
I only brought it up because people were ripping Arroyo. I just wanted to point out that he’s a bit underrated around here. I never said he would give us more than Rasner. It is likely but I’d like to see more of Rasner.
“I just don’t see giving up a legitimate prospect to get him”
That depends on your definition of a legitimate prospect but yeah I’m not really pining for Arroyo. He’s worth probably kennedy ++ but I would never give that much for him. Frankly I don’t think the Yankees need him right now as long as Rasner continues to pitch decently.
someone please give me the good w/ Arroyo this season, because I can’t find one and 5 IP in the NL per start is not a plus.
Matsui is terrible in the field though, and to be a “best player” I would think you have to be offering good defense as well as the offense. Godzilla’s defense has cost more runs than the extra hits he has had.
Michael Kay hates Kennedy. Because he’s been compared to Mike Mussina.
“Matsui is terrible in the field though, and to be a “best player†I would think you have to be offering good defense as well as the offense. Godzilla’s defense has cost more runs than the extra hits he has had.”
don’t let CB catch you saying that
“someone please give me the good w/ Arroyo this season, because I can’t find one and 5 IP in the NL per start is not a plus.”
There is no good in Arroyo yet this season. Sometimes pitchers have bad months. Arroyo over the past 4 years has been good so it is likely that he will bounce back and be an average to slightly above average pitcher this season.
Mike: Gagne walked Ensberg for Houston for the game tying run
Oh why’d you have to remind me?
I almsost put it out of my mind.
I was at the Yankees game yesterday so didnt see the game on TBS but am just reading that Jim Kaat was one of the announcers is this correct and if so I thought he retired is hedoing more than 1 game and if so why not have him come back to YES for a few games. I know they already have a ton of announcers but he is sorely missed
“There is no good in Arroyo yet this season. Sometimes pitchers have bad months. Arroyo over the past 4 years has been good so it is likely that he will bounce back and be an average to slightly above average pitcher this season.”
ohhhh so blind faith like the Scott Proctor thing, cool
The YES network has a contact page. Maybe if enough people complained to them about Kay, the YES network would DFA Michael Kay.
One can always dream…
Id rather the yankees trade for millwood…after this season, we will have wang, joba, ian and phil as potenital 09 starters…we could use a veteren like Millwood in the roatation…how long is he signed for?
If Andy does well enough this year, he could return to Open the new Stadium.
So we are back to the Wang is not an Ace discussion?
In other news.”Yanks fan charged with murder in Sox fan death.A woman accused of running down a man in her car after a Red Sox-Yankees argument in a bar never hit her brakes as she accelerated toward the small group he was in, a prosecutor said Monday.fox”
Can someone please tell this women its only a game. We dont have any stock in this. Its not the end of the world if they beat us. Cant we all just get along?
memo to self. Read the above suggestions and follow.
No on Arroyo. He would get owned in the a.l. east. How about wait till the trading deadline and see whats out there. Maybe a Burnett? But by that time we should have Joba and maybe one of the other 2 back up here.
Show Wang some love Russo.
“Id rather the yankees trade for millwood…after this season, we will have wang, joba, ian and phil as potenital 09 starters…we could use a veteren like Millwood in the roatation…how long is he signed for?”
Why… 08:$8.5M, 09:$11M, 10:$12M
how many times a day does Russo say “scenario”?
“Maybe a Burnett?”
what would you give Toronto and why would Riccardi trade him to NY AL….if he’s smart he should trade him to the Braves Phillies or Mets…and hold them up.
How about a Greg Maddox to mentor the young pitchers? Iv heard Smolts rave about how informative he is and that he once called a game for Smolts(i believe) and he pitched 7 shut out innings. He’s going to be a good coach some day.
Oh my goodness gracious!
“Show Wang some love Russo”
That’s never going to happen. Not the way he killed Wang.
Brandon,
Its the final year of his contract. Im not saying we would be the first choice. But he’s going to lose him at year end. If they are out of it by then and we have the best package to offer. Why not?
SOS: He called the game for Brad Penny, Dodgers.
“Brandon,
Its the final year of his contract. Im not saying we would be the first choice. But he’s going to lose him at year end. If they are out of it by then and we have the best package to offer. Why not?”
final year of his contract, FA after that, injury prone, would cost prospects…should I go on ?
Speaking of signings. Whats worse?
a.Signing Igawa?
b.Passing on Lilly to sign Igawa?
Lilly’s e.r.a. is over 5.97. Last year at 3.83. Dont forget its the n.l.
Igawa just sucks.
“Maybe a Burnett?”
There is no way Toronto is trading Burnett to the Yankees. None. Besides Toronto has the best pitching staff in the majors I believe, they will be in contention all year. If they get some hitting they are dangerous.
“SOS: He called the game for Brad Penny, Dodgers.”
Thanks.
Brandon,
Your right. Im flip flopping. Rather go after injury prone Sheets instead.
“If they get some hitting they are dangerous.”
We’ll give them Giambi for Burnett straight up. We’ll even throw in Betimet. Do we have a deal Riccardi?
LOL, do it Riccardi.
S.o.S.27
May 5th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
“If they get some hitting they are dangerous.â€
We’ll give them Giambi for Burnett straight up. We’ll even throw in Betimet. Do we have a deal Riccardi?
I can’t do the deal without Jorge Tabata. I heard he could be a really good outfielder someday.
“We’ll give them Giambi for Burnett straight up. We’ll even throw in Betimet. Do we have a deal Riccardi?”
if he takes that deal back up slowly & when he turns around run quickly.
“I can’t do the deal without Jorge Tabata. I heard he could be a really good outfielder someday.”
I could picture something like this, JP signs a sheet that saids and Yankee prospect Jorge Tabata how quick would the Yankees look for a player w/ the name Jorge Tabata in the amateurs Indy to sign and give to Toronto
What to do..
Do I switch over and listen to Michael Kay or stick with crazy and crazier on WFAN?
Decisions, decisons.
Maybe I’ll just listen to some music.
“You can deny that is a youth movement?”
To a degree you can. 7 of the 9 in the everyday lineup are 32+. So is the #2 starter and the teams most important pitcher. Certainly the Yankees have done well putting together some arms who can help, including a couple of elite arms in Hughes and Joba up now and a couple more Brackman and Betances some years away. In terms of position players, I wouldn’t count on an everyday player coming from the system before 2010…if Jackson pans out.
“What will the Yankees (and us fans) do with ourselves on the off day?â€
-Maybe Hank will talk to the press again and we can talk about that?
-Discuss Phil Hughes and his injury some more
-Talk about the weather?
-Pine for Santana
-Debate whether or not Wang is an ace
-Talk about the Clemens scandal du jour
-Trash Igawa before he even hits the Bronx (not!)
-Have Steinbrenner hold a press conference where declares that he saved Moose’s season
-Hear more about how Giambi should be DFA’d
-Hear M&MD discuss why Joba needs to be in the rotation with Igawa coming up
-Fans try to guess Clemens’ latest fling
–Defend my thesis.
-Try to guess how Kim Jones is going to reword her questions for the next series
-Watch the baby Bombers in action
-Discuss how Carl Pavano is going to get injured again
-Rooting for the Sox to lose in Motown
- listen to M&MD call Jorge Tabata’s name and a AA CF in trades again
- listen to McCutchen trade rumors, listen to Horne rumors
- find out that Pavano got hurt again
- hear how Giambi will turn it around
- the failed deal for Santana who can’t even go past the 6th inning
-listen to Met fans call into WFAN tomorrow and scream that Willie should be fired(they always seem to do that)
-ponder who would win in a fight between Hank and Hal(my money is on Hal..the quiet ones are dangerous)
-Cry about the Rangers loss
-check this blog numerous times throughout the day for any updates
-Work on my Josh Beckett voodoo doll
-Discuss what happened to the best division in baseball-the (cough) AL Central
-Discuss that trade for Bronson Arroyo who had a great outing today. B Arroyo (L, 1-4) 1.1 7 7 7 1 0 1
-Figure out how Micah Owings has a batting average just under the combined total of Giambi, Cano, and Duncan.
-Discuss who to root for, Mets or Dodgers for tomorrows game.
-Discuss how the D-backs can possibly be the best team in baseball?
The day is pretty much going according to script…
mel, Hank has been surprisingly quiet
what an atrocious comment section
I’m pretty bummed.
I just found out that Scarlett Johanssen got engaged. I could just wait until she gets divorced, but then she’ll probably have a lot of emotional baggage.
I guess it’s on two my #2 choice, Ivanka Trump.
mel,
Nice post! I have to say though.Igawa does suck.
You forgot.
Joba staying or going?
Moose learning to pitch like a lefty.
Cano being replaced at second with Gonzalez.
Hughes is another Pavano.
Brandon,
They sedate him 6 days a week. On the 7th day he climbs up the mountain (owners box) and makes his proclamations like he’s Moses.
The worst part? He thinks his little hissy fit got them wins. As if they were trying to lose those close games.
I really like how we haven’t been blown out too many times this season. If the starting pitching can be stabilized then the other players can fill their roles and play up to their expectations with all the pressure.
Sometimes I think that owners like the Steinbrenners and Mark Cuban kill their teams with pressure. Who can play with their necks in a guillotine?
com’on we saw it coming
the futre Mr. Johanssen
scarlett johanssen has BOMBS!!!
future *
“To a degree you can. 7 of the 9 in the everyday lineup are 32+. So is the #2 starter and the teams most important pitcher.”
Wang is 28.
That crash you just heard was Mike Lupica falling off his soapbox! lol
Thank God for that crack NY Daily News “I Team”. Otherwise, I might have to go back to buying The Enquirer to get all the latest gossip.
mel, I agree some what but Moose picked it up after Hank crticized him, and Hank has done nothing wrong agaisnt his baseball people’s wishes.
SoS,
I threw out the question yesterday and the comments lit up the board. I just cut and pasted it because it’s funny how predictable the comments can be.
I predict that the Spurs’ pride will propel them to victory tonight. Did they forget how young and athletic the Bees were? Shut down Paul and victory is yours.
the spurs are the most boring basketball in the league….probably why theyre so good…God, I hate the Spurs
Brandon,
You make a point, but Moose (as stubborn as he is) is a brilliant man. He is a Stanford alum, after all. And Hank didn’t get him his first 250 wins.
mel (and everyone):
I have successfully defended my thesis!
Whoo!
“ohhhh so blind faith like the Scott Proctor thing, cool ”
No, not blind faith. It’s making logical projections based on past performance. By your logic Cano should be cut immediately because he’s been hitting poorly for the first month. What good has he shown this season because I haven’t seen any? Obviously it’s just been a bad month, just like Arroyo. After pitching well for four years all of a sudden Arroyo is a terrible pitcher because of one month? If you believe that you are a dope.
“I agree some what but Moose picked it up after Hank crticized him”
Maybe Hank should tell Igawa to pitch like Sandy Koufax this weekend.
I just can’t wait for the look on Susan Waldman’s face when Kei Igawa appears in Steinbrenner’s box tomorrow night and annouces in Japanese ” I baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!” LOL
mel,
Im a little concerned with the Spurs. Why is Horry even on the team? Im not concerned as much about Paul as i am about West and Stoyakavich. Duncan needs to guard West and Bowen needs to hang on Stoyakavich. They need a win today. Hope Pop isnt as stubborn this time around.
Your boys are looking very good. Best team so far.Be concerned about the rebound differential. If they start hitting their shots this might be a long series.
Igawa is going to throw a CG 4 hit shutout with 12 strike outs against the tigers
True, Matsui is not great defensively, his value lies in his offense, clutch hitting and decent base running. Since he does not play the field 85% of the time now, he IS one of the most valuable contributors on this Team.
Peter:
I’m no big Clemens Fan, but he IS a Hall of Famer. He was even before the steriods/HGH controversy. He likely pitched against teams who all fielded steriod/HGH users themselves, so where do you draw the line?
“the spurs are the most boring basketball in the league….probably why theyre so good…God, I hate the Spurs”
Ginobli and Parker arent boring. Winning titles makes everyone hate you.lol
“Since he does not play the field 85% of the time now, he IS one of the most valuable contributors on this Team.”
this is a little backwards.
i like Matsui, but not being able to field a position makes you LESS valuable, not more valuable.
but yeah, he’s been one of their best hitters so far, and that’s ok with me.
Francis the Mantis,
You might be right, but only if he pitches against the Hanshin, not Detroit, Tigers lol
What are the chances we can get a naked Hank Steinbrenner cutout with 80 removable articles of clothing into the Yankees locker room?
Im a Knicks fan…I hate all teams lately….even the sonics because at least they have a super duper star, perennial allstar/mvp candidate in the making in Kevin Durant.
The crack NY Daily News “I Team” has yet another scoop!
Kei Igawa is going to hand out t-shirts to the first 15,000 fans in attendance. They will read “Duck!!!” lol
Rebecca,
Congrats! Serious Congrats.
Ray,
“Kofakusu? Dare desuka? Shiranai. Kofakusu? Hanku wa crazy desu.”
SoS,
Love Big Shot Rob. He won us a few big games. They’ll be okay. They outfoxed that spectaculous Steve Nash (seriously, he can’t operate with Shaq in the paint).
Re: Jazz. I’ll take the low shooting percentage by them over the rebound battle.
“No, not blind faith. It’s making logical projections based on past performance. By your logic Cano should be cut immediately because he’s been hitting poorly for the first month. What good has he shown this season because I haven’t seen any? Obviously it’s just been a bad month, just like Arroyo. After pitching well for four years all of a sudden Arroyo is a terrible pitcher because of one month? If you believe that you are a dope.”
I don’t believe Cano should be cut, where are you getting that from ? he actually shown remarkable comback ability and is still young.
Bronson Arroyo before his Boston years had a horrible statline his ERA was 6.40, 5.09, 4.00, he ‘s now 30 yrs. old, not known as a hard thrower and is not that crafty
109 R, 99 ER in 07′ already in month # 1 of 08′ he has 1/3 of that amount on his statline. All I’m saying is it doesn’t look good.
Congrats Rebecca!!
“Im a Knicks fan…I hate all teams lately….even the sonics because at least they have a super duper star, perennial allstar/mvp candidate in the making in Kevin Durant.”
more like Jamal Crawford’s twin.
“Kei Igawa is going to hand out t-shirts to the first 15,000 fans in attendance. They will read “Duck!!!†lol”
spit out my coffee on this one
any possible way the knicks can trade for Durant? Give them their first round pick (should be around 5th overall) an expiring contract and maybe anothre player….I know they will never get him, but one can dream.
“Kei Igawa is going to hand out t-shirts to the first 15,000 fans in attendance. They will read “Duck!!!”
Is that going to be because the hitters won’t be able to get a good swing on his unhittable pitches and will be fouling things off left and right?
I want some in depth reporting on Manny. He should be in prison.
Brandon…you are bananas if you think Kevin Durant is anything like Jamal Crawford.
please give Derick Rose before I look at Durant, hell I’ll take OJ Mayo before him.
Brandon, Im going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say youre being sarcastic.
Mel,
You lost me after “Kofakusu? Dare desuka?”, come again?
“I don’t believe Cano should be cut, where are you getting that from ? he actually shown remarkable comback ability and is still young.”
Obviously you don’t because he’s a Yankee but if you applied your same logic to Cano that you do with Arroyo then you would be blasting Robbie.
Bronson Arroyo before his Boston years was more than 5 years ago. What possible conclusions can we make on work he did 5 years ago? Look at the last four seasons. He has thrown 178+ innings in each season (with 200+ in the last 3 seasons) with an ERA+ of 121, 100, 142 and 110. By your logic 1 month of work is more important than the last 4 years. Why should that be true with Arroyo and not Cano? Neither player has shown signs that they all of a sudden forgot how to play except for one month of bad play.
This is the stupidest argument ever.
“Brandon…you are bananas if you think Kevin Durant is anything like Jamal Crawford.”
I saw Crawford as a rookie
chucks and ducks
plays little D and has his every once in awhile steals
goes streaky w/ his shot
yeh sounds like Crawford = Durant to me. Let him show something before super anything is put on him.
I really hope IPK gets it together and comes back up. He has the ability to pitch up here and he just didn’t show it early this season. I doubt McCutchen or Horne will make it up this year.
“This is the stupidest argument ever.”
I agree when Bronson Arroyo bombs this season we won’t hear this arguement again.
I agree when Bronson Arroyo bombs this season we won’t hear this arguement again.
I guess it’s just blind faith telling you that Arroyo will bomb because you have yet to show any evidence pointing to that outcome.
“Kofakusu? Dare desuka? Shiranai. Kofakusu? Hanku wa crazy desu.â€
Koufax? Who’s that? I don’t know (him). Koufax? Hank’s crazy.
“109 R, 99 ER in 07′ already in month # 1 of 08′ he has 1/3 of that amount on his statline. All I’m saying is it doesn’t look good.”
Especially true when you consider Kennedy can offer the same for far less money.
“I guess it’s just blind faith telling you that Arroyo will bomb because you have yet to show any evidence pointing to that outcome.”
what is it w/ you and Bronson Arroyo ?
Why are we even discussing the merits of Bronson Arroyo? He may be good, but nothing to abandon the plan for. Arroyo? Seriously, who brought him up first? ‘Fess up.
Drive and mel: Thanks! You guys don’t have to listen to me mope about it any more!
Well at least until I start my MA thesis
Anyway, when do we get to talk about how Micah Owings has an average just under the combined total of Giambi, Robbie and Shelley?
Congratulations Rebecca! I can only imagine the tremendous sense of relief and excitement you must be feeling right now. (when you take the bar exam, you have to wait months to get the results). We all know you worked hard on it (in between Yankee games), and I know you went to a top notch high school, so your success is well-deserved. Have fun celebrating!
Arroyo is terrible…..he can stay in the NL and be horrible.
Congratulations, Rebecca!
Mel,
Thanks for the translation. Not only are you one of the funnier posters here but you’re multilingual, who knew?
Motown: Hah, you’re the only one here that knows just how top notch the high school is
This is certainly off topic, but apparently a Yankees fan ran over and killed a Red Sox fan after being harassed in a bar in New Hampshire. I hate it when the rivalry turns deadly.
THIS IS BS ON SO MANY LEVELS
Good Job Rebecca!!
Now step away from the computer and go out and enjoy your last few days as a college student.
Rebecca,
What can you say? I’m sure the D-backs were aware of his hitting abilities and that should squash any Cash-bashers’ claims that we could’ve gotten Owings if we had sent more money with RJ.
Is it true that all of Cano’s hits against Silva have been homeruns? I hope he snaps out of his funk. He had a homerun earlier but he continued to struggle.
Giambi. Sigh.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3382644
.
This is just so insane. Our prayers need to go out to this man’s family. Baseball is just a silly game. It’s fun to get into a rivalry, but when it’s all said and done, it’s nothing that ever needs to be life changing. This lady needs to be sent to prison for a VERY long time, IMHO.
Did I just read that Jacque Jones was DFA’ed?
I’m surpised Millwood name hasn’t come up.He is overrated and expense but I think to be better then a hurt Hughes and Kei Igawa isn’t hard to be better then that.I rather give up money then prospects and MIllwood isn’t doing that bad this year.
And I can’t believe Arroyo name is in peoples mind.He has a 8 Era in the A.L.At least get a bullpen guy so Joba can be put in the rotation.
Rishi: For real?
If they can DFA him, can we DFA Giambi? If we ask real nice?
“Did I just read that Jacque Jones was DFA’ed?”
you can’t be surprised
Mark Alan,
What are you talking about?
—————————–
Ray,
Like most people, I understand more than I can speak.
—————————–
Law and Order,
That really is sad. And what’s crazy is that when I see a car with any Red Sox insignia on it or see a person with a Boston hat I get violent thoughts that disappear immediately. But I won’t deny they’re violent thoughts.
What’s the backstory? Not saying someone had to die or get hurt, but was she really getting harrassed?
The difference between Jones and Giambi is the $$$$
Call me old fashioned, but I believe if Roger Clemens said the following sentences way back in the whole beginning of this process, the day after Mitchell’s Report was released, his winter of 07/08 would have been very different:
WHAT ROGER SHOULD HAVE SAID:
“I, like many other athletes playing during the last quarter century, did some things and made some decisions I now live to regret.”
“Had I done things differently, I may not feel the guilt I do now. I apologize to my family, my agent, my handlers, the teams that have employed me and paid me good money for an unhonest performance. And, of course, most of all, the fans of baseball. I’m sorry to the fans of baseball for the mistakes I made during my career.”
“I accept full responsibility for what I have done, and again, insist that had the playing field been different, I would have possibly taken a different course in life. Unfortunately, I cannot change the past, but I will devote time and financial resources to the future to hopefully help stop a growing problem among young athletes in this country.”
“Again, I’m sorry for my role in this mess, and I will do what I can to help end a problem I was a part of…”
See, now if Roger said that, and pulled a disappearing act for five years, he’d have a possible shot at the HOF. Had he said those words, even though not fully coming out and saying what he did, I would still respect him a whole hell of a lot more than I do today.
And he wouldn’t be looking at jail time, a divorce and banishment from the HOF.
“The difference between Jones and Giambi is the $$$$”
yeaaaaahhhh that’s the reason why
Brandon,
Relax. The reason the Red Sox let Lowe leave is because of his extracurricular acrivities. The guy is a party animal. If he couldn’t contain himself in Beantown, can you imagine the damage he would do in the Big Apple?
Also, he turns 35 in June.
It’s just another Red Sox writer stirring up the beanpot.
Rishi
Leyland said he was going to shake things up with the team. Jones must be shake number 1.
And he wouldn’t be looking at ‘POSSIBLE’ jail time, a divorce and banishment from the HOF.
Arroyo? Ugh. Millwood? Ugh.
Derek Lowe? yeah… like Tony Assarotti of the Beantown Herald knows who the NYY will be suitors for in the offseason free agnet class…
He’s the fifth best ‘columnist’ in his market, and he’s supposed to have the Yankees scoop? Please…
what is it w/ you and Bronson Arroyo ?
Perhaps if you actually read my posts you would know that I have no desire to trade for Arroyo. It just bothers me that you and others dismiss him outright. I really don’t care about the guy and when Francessa brought him up I thought it was a horrible idea. Instead of dismissing the idea I looked up his stats and was surprised at his production. I’m just trying to be objective about him and any other players. Instead of actually looking at his stats with any type of objectivity you say I have blind faith and other nonsense.
“What’s the backstory? Not saying someone had to die or get hurt, but was she really getting harrassed?”
Supposedly, she was in Crock Sox country and made the mistake of mentioning that she was a Yankees fan. They started saying stuff like “Yankees suck, etc”. Typical stuff that happens when you are in “enemy” territory. Nothing to get too crazy about, right? Well, when she went to leave, she saw them gathered around in a group and decided that she should get into her car (that had a Yankees decal on it, BTW) and run them over.
She said that she wanted to scare them. Sounds like she accomplished her goal. Sad story.
too bad Pete doesn’t cover the White Sox. he think Girardi is touchy with the media?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3382020
Guillen observed that Chicago still loved the Cubs, even though they have not won a World Series since 1908, but the White Sox — winners of the 2005 World Series — did not receive the same affectionate support.
“We won it a couple years ago, and we’re horse[bleep],” Guillen said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “The Cubs haven’t won in [100] years, and they’re the [bleeping] best. [Bleep] it, we’re good. [Bleep] everybody. We’re horse[bleep], and we’re going to be horse[bleep] the rest of our lives, no matter how many World Series we win.
“We are the [bleep] of Chicago. We’re the Chicago [bleep]. We have the worst owner [Jerry Reinsdorf]. The guy’s got seven [bleeping] rings, and he’s the [bleeping] horse[bleep] owner.”
It sounds like the lady was being harrassed by a bunch of guys in a bar. Who would take a woman outside for a bar argument??? Once outside, the crowd picked up on her Yankee insignia on her car and started chanting “Yankees suck”.
OBVIOUSLY, what she did was wrong.
But if you live in New England, like I do, you see every day how mean spirited the Red Sox “Nation” has become. Loud mouth and arrogant doesnt even begin to describe them. I see it all the time at work where there is a bunch of Yankee fans. There’s now a pack mentality now to the “Nation”.
I’m not surprised to read this unfortunate incident occurred. Shes totally in the wrong,more so than the drunks that chased her out the door.
Yes, the story of a dead Sox fan is up at prosportsdaily.com.
A woman in Nashua, NH was being taunted in a bar, and then followed outside and taunted, so she ran over a bunch of drunken Sox fans with her minivan.
Couldn’t find the link to what paper it was published in, but its a forum topic on PSD.com.
stupid woman, no offense ladies but also reportedly she drank and got behind the wheel to use a scare off tactic, most of you can’t drive fast and stop so why the hell…let me stop.
I agree Drive 4-5. I live on the coast of Maine and run a bar. These Sox fans have let their egos get awful big.
I see so many ‘sports’ brawls at the bar scene up here during the summer when people (Yankees fans) from ‘Away’ come to visit and go out for a drink to watch the game.
Idiot Saux fans. Pats fans are just as bad. Now with the Celtics winning, they’ll hop on that bus too.
But none of them give a damn about the Bruins! Fair-weather fools!
Congratulations Rebecca, hard work and talent will go a long way. Good show and happy days ahead. 27/08.
Whose trying to the next Micheal ? Neyo or Chris Brown ?
Chris Brown
bronxbomber77,
So you’re like me then, not the least bit surprised something like this could happen. What a sad story. Add alchohol to the pack mentality and it gets dangerous.
My daughter lives in Manhattan. You see a lot of Red sox hats in New York. Nobody really pays them any mind. I wore my Yankee hat visiting my in laws outside of Boston. It was an entirely different reaction than New Yorkers give.
I “hate the Red Sox, but what drives Red Sox fans nuts is to dismiss them as the wannabes they really are.
Neyo
OT: Whose trying to be the next Micheal ? Neyo or Chris Brown ?
I HATE WordPress! I swear 50% of the time I try to post a comment, not just on LoHud but other WordPress-powered blogs, it NEVER appears! I’ll wait five minutes, come back, refresh, find my comment is still not there, try to post again, and WordPress yells at me for double posting! Sometimes I’ve noticed it takes a long time for comments to post but the other half they never do. I don’t get it. This message probably won’t even make it.
Drive 4-5,
This whole incident makes that espn spec commercial even less funny than it already was.
We all agree that some fanbases are crazier than the other. Have the Boston fans reached this obnoxious, verbally abusive level after 2004? From many accounts (even Bill Simmons) this new breed of Boston fans is quite embarassing.
I sense a great thesis (Rebecca!), documentary, or Dateline investigation here. Undercover cameras following mild-mannered Yankee mark into hostile territory.
I think people would be embarrassed to see how they treat others because of the apparrel they wear.
Mass. is the bandwagon capital of the world. What’s amusing is they’re proud of it.
Generations of hate NYC has been handed down and now to the silly “Nation” thing.
Wake up in denial and go to bed with denial.
“Instead of actually looking at his stats with any type of objectivity you say I have blind faith and other nonsense.”
I understand what your saying Patrick. But we can only have one red sox in the closet(hope i worded it right)at a time. He has one more year on the team. Thats the only stat i see.
No schilling. No Fugly at first. No face mask man. No sam from lord of the rings. No pee break man in left field. No mr.d.l.in right.
NO MORE EX SOX ON THE TEAM!
1050 espn radio keeps saying the Yankees called up Kei Igawa. Why in the world would they call him up now, when they don’t need him till Saturday? They also didn’t say we went down in his place.
brandon, i don’t know about those guys, but i recently got my hands on a copy of the new Al Green album. amazing.
Nobody could pay me enough to care about the Clemens fiasco.
I have to confess that one could pay me enough to give the appearance of caring, but I still wouldn’t really care.
The interest quotient took a quick nose dive into the negative numbers right from the start, so I’m staying out of that one.
Brandon – When will you post some GOOD music, hmm? ;D
Just got in – congratulations Rebecca.
bill withers is the man
rvajames let me reach into my 1980′s crate
“I did NOT have sex with that woman when she was 15. Well, what I mean is that even though she told me she was 15, I didn’t believe her. Did you see Mindy McCready when she was 15? Hot DAMN! she looked a lot older. That counts, right? I mean, it depends on what the meaning of the word ‘misremembered’is.”
trisha tell me he didn’t say that
HIGHLY recommend
Bill Withers “Lovely Day”
mel: Pay me or get me an apartment in Manhattan and I might consider it
thought i’d share this before i left work for the day. huh-huh…
speaking of work, as of today i’ve been with this same company over 10 years
I’m more an old school pop, R&B, soul type of person, who stays open to alot of music, MJ was the man before he became the woman then it.
I went to college in Boston 30 years ago. I often said before 2004 that the Red Sox should never ever win anything because if they did their fans would be totally insufferable. They were awful even before 2004, and have gotten even worse since.
I remember Red Sox fans getting all excited and coming up to me to gloat when they had a one game lead in April or May. “How ’bout them Sawx??!!” And those were years when the Yankees would end up winning!
There’s a reason I hate that team more than any other. Before I went off to school, it was the Mets. After being in Boston for just a few weeks, it was the Sawx. The fans were nuts, the press got all excited about every minor thing in a way I’d never seen in NY. Just crazy.
I’ve often joked that if the Red Sox played a team from Al Qaeda, I’d root for the Red Sox … but not very enthusiastically!
But a joke is a joke. Killing someone because they taunted you is just crazy. Assuming those really are the facts and there’s nothing more to it, that woman should go to prison for a very long time. That’s beyond awful.
Saucy -
That’s awesome! 10 years with the same company is not something you hear about much anymore.
gayle…bill withers lean on me the great hits is an album I listen to just about daily from beginning to end…it has all the great ones on like Grandmas Hands, Use Me, Lovel Day, Aint No Sunshine, Saturday Night in Harlem ect…
Ok so having the comment problem again……. ugh, WORDPRESS!!!!!!!!
Check this video out (he shares my birthday and is a Yankee fan):
ATCQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUxYw7rShEo
Brandon, nah! You had to read between his roid rage lines to get that out of it! I think the behavior and attitude of red neck Roger, though, is personified by my humorous post.
Well, I thought it was pretty funny…
saucy,
That was funny. Favorite line from Beavis and Butthead.”I need t.p. for my bunghole”.
So my wife got me a book of Donald Trump to read. I have read 1 third of it so far. Work in something you enjoy doing. Do something you always wanted to do. Well iv done this line of work for 13 years now. I like what i do when the money is rolling in. Right now its not. So i think im going to listen to Mr. Trump and become a sports gambler. The guy from 2 for the money was on the radio a couple weeks ago and predicted the Rockets and Suns would make the next round. I predicted the opposite. I think that makes me capable of gambling. I plan on using you guys on helping me decide. Thanks in advance. Hope i dont lose the house and kids.
Saucy: Wow! That is some commitment! Hope they give you one hell of a retirement plan!
and on that note be back later people
“Mass. is the bandwagon capital of the world. What’s amusing is they’re proud of it.”
Aside from the Giants, people showing up for pro sports teams around here has pretty much always hinged on winning. We’re kidding ourselves if we don’t believe that 20K or so of the people who show up at the Stadium aren’t the “flavor of the month” crowd. I agree with your statement on Boston, but it’s true everywhere with the Giants, Redskins and Cubs being about the only exceptions in the nation.
As a long time Sox fan, I have to say that moronic “Yankees Suck” cheer is beyond embarassing. Never did it, but always wanted to yell out “If they suck what the f*@k does that say about the Red Sox?”
My mother always told me not to argue with crazy people though.
SoS,
Good luck on your new endeavor. You know where the sure money is.
I’ve never bet a dollar in my life. It would totally spoil the sport of sports. Well, maybe I’d gamble if I had Trump’s money. Heck if I had his money, I’d own some kind of team.
(from earlier, Ivanka? Seriously? Tiffany Trump, Melania Trump, hell even Ivana, but Ivanka? Her & the brother look like clones. Too scary.)
Roger Clemens wouldn’t recognize truth if it hit him in the head with a baseball. Can’t you just hear the conversation in the Clemens house? “Deb, yeah I did have sex with Mindy a few times but those were on the days when you and I were fighting real bad. Don’t you remember the time you were upset with me and said you were thinking about leaving? If you don’t it’s because you’re misremembering it. Well I thought I was going to just about die when you said that and I thought you really meant it and that we were through for good. I was feeling real bad about life. Fact is I drank almost a quart of whiskey that night and Mindy was having her own problems and she was drunk too. So it just happened. Mindy told me the next morning I called her Deb the whole time and begged her not to leave me. Deb, don’t ever make me feel that bad again. You caused the whole thing!”
SOS, good luck on whatever you’re being wished luck. I will have to read the whole blog when I get back home. I actually love off days because it gives me time to catch up with life a bit.
Going roller blading now!
Sic transit gloria Clemens.
mel,
Thanks. I have an addictive personality. Hope it doesnt hurt me if i do end up doing it. I guess games wont be as fun watching knowing that its more than a game. I dont think ill be betting on games my teams are playing. Got to stay away from being bias.
Ill be asking for your input. Not on the Lakers though. You would have me go all in on them. Speaking of the Lakers. Just heard that Bynum is going to get a doctors oppinion on his knee. Not good. I feel for this kid. He was going to have a monster year and IMO they tried rushing him back. Hope he recovers for next year. They are going to be darn right scary when he comes back.
Roger was always too good to be true. It’s obvious that he had an incredible sense of entitlement. I was totally blindsided by his ladies in every city. I don’t know why I thought that he was above this type of behavior.
Thank you Trisha. Sports gambler. Ill need it.
I think Andy Pettitte’s relationship with Clemens is what made us all think he was a good, family man. That’s part of what did it for me, anyway.
you guys NEED to read this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....ast/080505
I scored two tickets above the Green “Mawnstah” for the first Yankees/Sox game this year (the game that CMW pitched the complete game). I took one of my best friends who is also a huge Yankees fan. We were both wearing Yankee hats (no jerseys, just hats) and sitting with all the supposed New England “yuppies” up in the thousand dollar ticket Monster seats.
My friend is of Indian decent, and let me tell you, the amount of racial abuse these New England yuppies hurled in his direction was outrageous! I guess we brought it upon ourselves because we had the nerve to get up an clap when Wang had a strike-out or the Yankees scored a run. My friend was actually more calm about the racial taunts than I was, and said that he had experienced it before while sitting in the bleachers at Fenways. Ridiculous!
I guess he didnt mind because they were calling him a “terrorist” and asking him “when did you get out of guantanamo”. our explanations that he was indian and not middle eastern were ignored.
and even if he was middle-eastern, they would be waaaay out of line.
i’ve seen crazy stuff happen at Yankee Stadium, but i’ve never seen vicious racial taunting.
Thanks Rebecca
And CONGRATS!!!
The ultimate in obsession is hearing fans in Foxboro at a Patriots football game with their team holding a decent lead in the 4th quarter and hollering chants of “Yankees suck”. That is beyond obsession, that’s psychobabble.
SoS,
I’ve heard many different stories. The kicker is supposedly the bone bruise is the one giving him trouble. The good news is that there’s no swelling, although there is pain.
I dunno. He could have had surgery and been back already. They were very cautious with him and he has sought his own medical opinions. There’s no rush now.
I’ve got mixed opinions on this horse race. I didn’t see it live. They say NBC botched the coverage of Eight Belles.
I know it’s a part of racing, but is there a reason why they put the horse down immediately without contacting the trainer? The jockey came to the trainer telling him to make them stop. That’s when the trainer found out what had happened. The trainer supports the decision, but still.
I can’t wait to Jets and Giants fans chanting 18-1 come September…
“I can’t wait to Jets and Giants fans chanting 18-1 come September…”
Would seem a little hollow from Jets fans, since their team stinks and all, no???
Too bad the G-men don’t see the Patriots this year (unless they’re both in the SB again). That would be a fun game their fans.
Hey– great link, great piece on Page 2. Thanks for the link, Optimist.
The bats will come around. The pitching will even out.
The NYY will make the playoffs, as they always do.
“this is a little backwards.
i like Matsui, but not being able to field a position makes you LESS valuable, not more valuable”
Hmmm:
Its not backwards at all when you consider that DH is now an important position in the American League – Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, Ortiz, etc. to name a few that have made valuable offensive contributions to their team.
When you subtract Matsui’s defensive liabilities from the lineup and replace him with better defensive play, one could argue that his offense only makes him more valuableto his Team.
Speaking of Matsui, I just saw this old article on The Onion.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/54214
It was old and Im sure most of you have probably seen it. But I found it a touch rude and classless, even for the Onion, which I generally like.
Anyway, check it out…
Hey, check out my web-site:
http://www.yankeesbaseball08.blogspot.com
young journalist with love of the yankees, plz comment and keep it going
Disabled List Offers Carl Pavano Two-Year, $8 Million Extension:
NEW YORK — Carl Pavano, the right-handed pitcher who has spent the last few years of his career on the disabled list, is now considering accepting a recent two-year, $8 million offer from the DL that would keep him not playing through the 2008 season.
“I couldn’t even imagine the DL without Pavano — over the years, he has become the face, stiff right elbow, strained subscapularis muscle, and inflamed Achilles tendon of our organization,” said Mark Prior, manager and longtime former member of the DL, which is currently rebuilding by claiming young arms such as Kerry Wood, Ben Sheets, and Mike Maroth.
“We firmly believe that Carl’s best injuries are still ahead of him.” While Pavano’s agent says the pitcher is exploring his options, experts predict that it is “inevitable” that Pavano will return to the DL and, with the loyalty he’s shown in the past, likely finish his career there.
* “not playing through the 2010 season” *
Another story from the Onion. I admit, I changed the name from Prior to Pavano. But I thought it worked…
Sportsline has a piece today in which it shows stats indicating that Giambi and Cano are the two unluckiest hitters in baseball. Rationale is based on percentage of balls in play (at bats – K’s and homers) that are base hits. The norm is around 30%. Giambi is at 12%. Cano is at 16%.
Good things to come????
“Giambi is at 12%. Cano is at 16%.
Good things to come????”
Fredo: I don’t think so. At least for Giambi. His problem is the shift. That shift is not going to move and his rate is not going to get better if he doesn’t change his approach. It’s not back luck for Giambi. Its a bad approach.
Rebecca –
The chant when the Pats come to town should be:
19?? 18!!
19?? 18!!
19?? 18!!
19?? 18!!
19?? 18!!
Doesn’t that sound more familiar? Doesn’t that sound more like something that would irritate fans from that area for generations?
Fredo: From Canò, sure, but Giambi is stuck as long as he keeps hitting into the shift.
Zach in Port Jeff: Somehow that doesn’t surprise me too much
At least, according to the 2000 census, Massachusetts was 89.8% *edited out*, while a few other New England states have even higher percentages (Vermont was at 98.6%, New Hampshire 98%, and Maine 98.4%). New York/New Jersey were at 74.4% and 79.3%, respectively.
You can guess the race in question, but my goal was more towards pointing out the homogeneous aspect, not any one race in particular
BB77, that’s one of the funniest bits of plagiarism I’ve ever read! Keep up the good work … you should get a good grade in spite of it!
Thanks, ANSKY!
It was another old bit piece on The Onion, I just switched the headline and lead name from Prior to Pavano. I figured some Yankees fans in here could use the humor.
Yeah, the folks up here in Maine are REAL ACCOMODATING to ethnicities other than white. Real patient and mild mannered, let me assure you.
At least Vermont is made up of mostly dirty hippys, smoking tree and hugging tree. They seem pretty passive.
But the undercurrent of racism and hatred I’ve witnessed for the last 25 years in Massachusetts and Maine, the two states I’ve lived in, is surprising and horrifying at the same time…
Of course its bound to happen everywhere. But in states that are predominantly caucasion, its close to the surface.
IMHO.
Zach in Port Jeff-that’s horrible and frankly just sad.
Alrighty. Go Tigers
Clemens has less credibility than a politician.
“Would seem a little hollow from Jets fans, since their team stinks and all, no???”
Yes, but it’s all we got.
Giambi will continue to bite chunks because he won’t hit against the shift. Ever.
Cano’s just on his annual early-season cold streak. His percentage will improve in the 2nd half.
Matsui’s not as bad in the field as people think. He just doesn’t look like Carl Lewis when he’s running down fly balls. But he never did. At least he can run again, which is something he couldn’t do last year and is a large part of what’s behind the ‘defensive liability’ rep that still lingers over him.
Giambi, on the other hand, is as bad in the field as people think.
That’s it! Pavano is virtually gone, Igawa is away for now, but he’ll come up from Scranton then he’ll be labeled (cofirmed?) a bust again and cast away. I usually have one whipping boy and Giambi is my main man now.
If the other team moved their 3B and SS behind their 2B and 1B, staggering them and all 3 OFs at various depths between the RF power alley and the RF line, (making the shift about 2/3 as narrow an angle as it already is) he’d still hit directly into the shift. He’s already got a better chance of going bowling and missing all the pins without rolling a gutter ball. The only way he could get a hit is if he could somehow play all 7 fielding positions when he hits.
Rebecca -
Thanks for that link. Helps give a little shift to the perspective, you know?
“Sportsline has a piece today in which it shows stats indicating that Giambi and Cano are the two unluckiest hitters in baseball.”
Neither Giambi nor Cano are as “unlucky” as they may appear to be from their batting average of balls in play (BABIP).
BABIP is a relatively new statistic and there’s a lot of misunderstanding about it.
It was first developed to look at pitchers and how lucky and unlucky pitchers were.
In general for most pitchers BABIP is a pretty good index for two things – how good the defense is behind the pitcher and how “lucky/ unlucky” the pitcher is.
BAPIP has now come to be used more and more for hitters – again with the idea to look at how “lucky” the hitter has been.
For hitters however it’s not that clear cut. There is definitely some component of skill to what a hitters BABIP is. For instance, ARod hits the ball much harder than Alberto Gonzalez so there isn’t a great reason to think both should get hits 30% of the time they put the ball in play.
However it’s often assumed that all hitter should have a BABIP of around .300 – the idea being that 30% of all contact should turn into hits.
That’s a rule of thumb that isn’t a very good one for hitters because it assumes that a BABIP is completely luck – that there’s no skill involved.
One thing that’s come up with BABIP is that each hitter will likely settle into his own BABIP range and that range will depend on how he generally hits.
The one quantitative rule people have come up with for an expected BABIP for a particular hitter is their % of line drives + .12.
But even that is a general rule of thumb. For instance Jeter’s BABIP year in and year out is much higher than his LD% +.12. Ichiro is much, much higher because he gets so many hits using his legs.
With Giambi – he’s just not hitting many line drives. Only 13% of his contact is resulting in line drives. That’s probably his single biggest problem right now as a hitter. He’s just not making good contact and isn’t hitting that many line drives. 13% LD isn’t awful but it’s not good.
So off the bat Giambi’s expected BABIP is only .250 – not .300 as it was assumed in that CBS sportsline article.
Then on top of that is the issue of the shift. In essence, Giambit is only using 1/3 of the infield area. So his ground balls/ low line drives are going to be hits less often than expected. Similar things for his fly balls but not as dramatic.
So you could guess that Giambi’s expected BABIP may only be .200 – .220. Maybe lower given his complete lack of speed. Right now his BABIP is only .108 so there is some component to Giambi being unlucky but not by as much as you’d ordinarily think. Even if Giambi’s luck turn he may only wind up hitting .230-250 the rest of the way.
With Cano it’s a different picture. There’s definitely more of a component to him being “unlucky.”
But right now Cano is hitting 18% of his contact as line drives. So his expected BABIP is .300.
However, every year he’s been a pro Cano’s BABIP has been much higher than .300. If he settles in at a BABIP of .300 he’s not going to have nearly as good a year as he’s had in the past.
Right now Cano’s BABIP is .152 so there is a significant component of bad luck going on with Cano.
But it’s not as much bad luck as you’d think looking at his expected BABIP of .300 vs. .152.
The most troubling thing with Cano right now and the major thing that makes his low BABIP misleading is how often Cano is popping up.
Cano is hitting 15% of his contact as infield pop ups – that is very high. That doesn’t even count for the balls he pops up that make it just out of the infield.
There’s no reason to think that popping up the ball is “bad luck.” It’s just poor contact.
Last year Cano hit only 5% of his batted balls as infield pop ups so he’s popping up three times as often as he did last year.
Cano is also hitting fewer ground balls and more fly balls – not a good thing necessarily for someone who is not a power hitter.
Cano’s “luck” will change – but that probably will not be enough for him to turn around his season. This isn’t just a spell of things going badly for him.
He’s not making good contact – that’s got to change in order for him to have the type of season we’ve come to expect.
CB
I think I agre with your points. It seems like a highly scientific wasy of saying basically the same thing I said about Giambi, which is:
He’s already got a better chance of going bowling and missing all the pins without rolling a gutter ball. The only way he could get a hit is if he could somehow play all 7 fielding positions when he hits.
However, your way makes you sound far more schooled on the game than mine makes me sound.
Good stuff there, BB77… nice laugh out of that.
Jason Michaels won`t face Andy, he`s been dropped by the Tribe.
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