The Great Train Robbery

I went to Wal-Mart after work to pick up some supplies the night of November 13, 2012. Before I entered, Bob McCown of Prime Time Sports said that Serena Williams was due on the popular Canadian syndicated radio show at 6:20pm.

Once inside the store, my android phone started buzzing and ringing like crazy! What happened, I thought, as I checked my phone in the frozen food section. At first, I misread everything on the screen, and thought the following:

"Oh, we picked up Josh Johnson. How about that?"

When I returned home, and the reports from MLB.com, Facebook, and Twitter tweets poured in, I realized just how big and massive this trade turned out to be.

Toronto Blue Jays acquire:

• SS Jose Reyes; three-time all-star, 40 stolen bases last year, 2011 batting title winner (.337 BA, 1st in National League), due to make $92 million over next five years
• SP Josh Johnson; 8-14 win-loss record on one of the worst teams in the NL, 3.81 ERA, one year left on his contract
• SP Mark Beuhrle; 13-13 last year, fastball throwing lefty, gutsy, 33 years old, threw 2 no-hit games.
• 2B Emilio Bonifacio
• C John Buck

PEACE OUT! Former Marlins star Jose Reyes, pictured above, joins JJ, Beuhrle,
Bonifacio, and Buck on the trading block to Toronto
 in blockbuster deal between the two clubs.

Miami Marlins acquire:

• SS Yunel Escobar
• SS Adeiny Hechavarria
• SP Henderson Alvarez
• C Jeff Mathis
• Minor league prospects Anthony DeScalfini, Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino

What does this mean for baseball fans in Toronto? For the first time since 1993, when Toronto was last in the postseason and this happened, the Blue Jays are legitimate playoff contenders in the American League, if not in all of Major League Baseball. Their division, the American League East Division, is wide open: The Yankees are vulnerable with the health status of Derek Jeter and their starting rotation up in the air, The Red Sox and new manager John Farrell are rebuilding (sidenote: John Farrell sent Blue Jays fans a friend request LOL), the Rays are in steady decline, and the Orioles are a wild card o_O Now, or maybe next year, is the time for Alex Anthopoulos to make his move.

Before everyone goes bananas on pitchers' win-loss records, please bear in mind that statistic is a double-edged sword. They are a basic level understanding of a pitcher's ability, however a more advanced understanding of the game will tell you a pitcher's wins and losses are more a reflection of a team's performance behind him, and a minor reflection of the opposition the pitcher faces with every outing. The Miami Marlins finished the year 69-93, which is good for dead last in the National League East Division, so Johnson and Buerhle combined for 21 wins; that's thirty percent of the Marlins' win total between two pitchers: The former coming off tommy john surgery in 2011, while the latter started 31 games and won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove from the pitcher's mound. The pride of the Blue Jays pitching staff is to have groundball pitchers, or pitchers that throw down in the zone, which is a key asset in the ultra competitive, hard-hitting AL East, so Buehrle and Johnson are a nice addition ^_^

I'm a little disappointed the Blue Jays lost SS Hechavarria and SP Alvarez, because they represented the future of the organization, similar to their prospects. I wish them the best of luck in a town, which according to Twitter, is full of vitriol for the Marlins organization for going through with another "fire sale". Without the world championship his Marlins won in 2003, Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria probably wouldn't have a team with which to sell all its star players, nor would he have a baseball-only stadium with a retractable roof built with taxpayers' money.

Nevertheless, it feels good to be a Jays fan today ^_^ Any chance the season can start tomorrow? o_O

GIANT WINNING ^_^

AL Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera (right) of the Tigers walks away
dejected as San Francisco Giants teammates Buster Posey (left) and
Sergio Romo (54) celebrate the team's second world championship.

You know something? That jersey doesn't look half bad, when you win.

MAJOR LEAGUE GOOFBALL congratulates the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. My early season chastising of your road uniform modification did little to phase your postseason ambitions, and you came through with flying colours. The Giants won Game 4 of the best-of-seven series against the Detroit Tigers by the score of 4-3 after ten innings of play to close out the baseball season with an emphatic four games to none series win. This is the second world championship won by the Giants in three years; their earliest coming in 2010 when they defeated the Texas Rangers in five games to win their first since moving the ball club from New York to the Bay Area in 1958, and their second under manager Bruce Bochy ^_^

GIANT FIGHT BACK II

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, winners of the National League Championship Series, who defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in the seventh and final game. They will host the American League champion Detroit Tigers in San Francisco for the first two games of the best-of-seven series.

Aside of the offensive explosion by the Bay Area baseball players in the penultimate game, the San Francisco Giants make history as they six consecutive elimination games during this year's playoff campaign. What does that mean? On six occasions (three against Cincinnati, and three against St. Louis), the Giants had to win the game otherwise they would be eliminated from the playoffs (Oh, right). What made the night so memorable for the Giants and their fans was the torrential downpour, which on a normal evening of baseball, would bring a halt to the action. The umpires allowed play to continue, and we saw the most memorable 9-0 finish in baseball history ^_^

The World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers begins tomorrow at 8pm Eastern time, and I might say a couple things about that series, as well as congratulations to the winning team. For right now, however, it is time to bring another season for the GOOFBALL to a close.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for making this blog so successful this year. This year we reached more baseball fans in more countries than in previous years, and the prospects for next year are higher still. I write all about baseball for you guys, and if you were not around, then none of this would be possible. There will be plenty to talk about in 2013, and I'm still holding to my "all designated-hitter" prediction that I made at the start of the year. If there is a playoff race, and a team qualifies with the luxury of a designated hitter in their lineup ahead of another that does not, then there will definitely be all-DH baseball for 2014. In the meantime, I still believe in all-DH baseball for 2013.

So, thanks again for all your support. I'll occasionally add a couple things to the blog during the winter months that are worth mentioning, but other than that enjoy the World Series, and I will see you all next year!

Bye! ^_^

Oh wait o_O I almost forgot: OZZIE GUILLEN GOT FIRED! O_O WHAT?!

Farewell Farrell

Back in RED: John Farrell makes his return to the
Boston Red Sox organization as manager in 2013.

Game 6 of the National League Championship Series is tonight at 7:30 ET between the St. Louis Cardinals and the hometown San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals lead three games to two in the best-of-seven series, and missed a glorious opportunity to close out the series at home in the previous game, but Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito stymied the Redbirds in over seven innings of work to secure a 5-0 Giants victory.

The big news of the day, however, is the Boston Red Sox signing of former Blue Jays manager John Farrell as their next bench boss. Toronto excused Farrell from the last year of his contract so he could take the Boston job. Going with him is pitcher Dave Carpenter, but in return the Blue Jays picked up infielder Mike Aviles.

I should be angry and flip a nearby table, but I'm not. This was a deal between the two basement dwelling teams in the American League East Division: One decimated by injuries and under performing pitching to finish below the expectations of management and fans alike, the other with enough in-fighting and threatening behaviour from its former manager Bobby Valentine to provide more drama than an ABC soap opera. Farrell's laid back approach is a contrast to the fiery, button pushing Valentine, who wilted under the intense media pressure found in Beantown; Farrell has enough friends and cohorts in the Red Sox organization to do well, so you wonder why it took so long to get him? For more on this story, click here for Ian Browne's column in MLB.com

According to reports through baseball, Farrell was to be Terry Francona's successor, but by the time of the infamous September collapse of 2011 and Francona's firing John Farrell already finished his first year of the three year stint with the Blue Jays. Unable to sign him away from my Jays, Boston went with "Bobby V", who was caught in the ultimate "Catch-22":

• WIN: Media spins story Valentine won with Francona's crew
• LOSE: Rumours of secret meetings with management and angry players, volatile radio interviews, and ambiguous Twitter statements calling for the removal of Bobby Valentine get national exposure. Oh, by the way, Valentine gets fired.

Personally, I would hold out until Boston traded Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in exchange, so to get only Mike Aviles on top of giving up another pitcher confuses me, o_O seeing as the Red Sox wanted Farrell so badly! Alas, what's done is done. Look for the microscope of criticism to fall heavy on Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous, staff, and players in 2013.

Phil's thoughts: If the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013, I'm going to throw up.

Tigers Gone Bananas

Heartfelt congratulations go out to the Detroit Tigers, who defeated the New York Yankees 8-1 in the fourth game of the American League Championship to win the best-of-seven series four games to none, and will represent the American League in the World Series later this month ^_^

This is the second AL pennant for the ball club since the 3x Coach of the Year, future Hall-of-Fame manager Jim Leyland took over the ball club in 2006. Oddly enough, that was the same year the Tigers won their first pennant with Leyland, and their first as a ball club since 1984.

Congratulations Detroit ^_^ By the way, is there any chance you can hook me up with a celebratory American League Champion Detroit Tigers hoodie?

No? Oh, okay... :[

(All images courtesy of Major League Baseball)

What's Wrong With the Yankees?

A-BENCH for A-Rod! LOL!

The New York Yankees are mere moments away from their third game against the Tigers in Detroit for the American League Championship, and I am conflicted. I am conflicted because the Tigers are leading the series two games to none, and I expected this to be a lot closer and compelling.

Dozens of my friends are fans of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; the two most prominent baseball franchises since the Strike of '94, if not in all of baseball. The former, in particular, gets the most exposure, television coverage, postseason accolades, individual awards, and notable players. The late George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1973 for a ridiculous seventeen million dollars; according to the March 30th edition of Bloomberg Businessweek, the Bronx Bombers' franchise value is $2.85 billion. The Yankees even have a television channel devoted to showing Yankee games all the time o_O

What I Do Hate About The Yankees: Nick Swisher and his constant, over-the-top celebrations for EVERYTHING!

Many dudes call in to the local sports radio show in Toronto, and argue for a salary cap in baseball, but only in the rarest of rare cases are those dudes Yankee fans. The team you despise the most is usually the one with the deepest pockets, are always on television (see Dallas Cowboys), have the best players (see Los Angeles Lakers), are constantly building on their illustrious history (see Manchester United), or have one of the biggest trophy cases in all of professional sports (see New York Yankees...oh wait!). There are loads of us "Yankee Haters" that would love nothing more than to see the New York Yankees suffer in grandiose style. However, for me anyway, to actually watch it happening is kind of sad.

To their credit, none of the Yankees make excuses for the lack of offensive output (maybe A-Rod). Offence is sexy, exciting, intimidating, and puts fans in the seats; since the days of the Babe and Joe Dimaggio, Yankee Nation takes pride in their team for its offensive prowess and defensive artistry (see The Flip).

Something Else I Hate: The Yankees lose two games, and all of a sudden there are parallels to 1996. Totally different team (2012 is not 1996), more money, Twitter, this is the ALCS (not World Series), and they are playing the Tigers (not Atlanta Braves).

A-SMILE for A-Rod! LOL wait, what?

The perfect setup would be for the Yankees to reach the penultimate stage, and blow it in true "Red Sox style" fashion. If they had an eighty-six year history of failure and jinxes, I would be the happiest Blue Jays fan in the world. The game of baseball would be better for it, without question! However, for the sport to be compelling and dramatic as it is, we need the New York Yankees to be the actual "New York Yankees" of old. That separates our lads from the "evil empire", and the more disdain we feel for the enemy the more love and respect we have for our team. That is systematic for all professional sports, and not just baseball. Hopefully, the Yankees will get some of their magic back against Scott Verlander and the Tigers tonight, so we can see the Bronx Bombers blow it in game seven! What?

It must feel good to be a Detroit Tiger player though; that team flew right under the radar, and are playing loose as a goose!

(All images and video are property of Major League Baseball. You may also notice a reduction in links to sites such as Wikipedia or YankeesBaseball.com for team information; all you need to do is ask a Yankees fan, and they will tell you everything you need to know about the Yankees.)

Jeter, Yankees, Postseason

For Yankee haters like me, it is unfortunate that you can't separate the three. There are only a few great New York Yankee players I would want on my all-time team: Derek Jeter is at the top of that list.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi (right) and the team doctor aid
Derek Jeter off the field following his left ankle fracture.

So, to see one of the all-time competitors go down to injury is impossible! Jeter fractured his ankle fielding a ground ball during Game 1 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers yesterday. Team doctors affirmed the fracture is season-ending, as it is the same ankle Jeter had difficulty with all season.

The 6-4 defeat to the Tigers was secondary to the loss of team captain Derek Jeter, whose presence will be missed in the locker room, in the starting lineup, and on the field for the Yankees.

(All images are property of Major League Baseball.)

Washington Nationals: Wait, What?

Cardinals show Washington, world why they are the
"Defending world champion St. Louis Cardinals"

Davey Johnson Shuffles Deck, Deals Away NLDS to Cardinals

Apparently, I went to bed too early Friday night, along with hundreds of Washington Nationals supporters, and a few fans of the St. Louis Cardinals that gave up when the Redbirds were down to the Nats 6-0 at the end of the third inning.

The season ended like it began for the Nationals: Bizarre, improbable, and unexpected. Not even management expected the Nats to play competitive baseball in October, hence Stephen Strasburg suited up in April rather than May, and used up all 160 of his "doctor prescribed" innings pitched. Would there even be the need for a fifth game against St. Louis Cardinals if Washington believed in their ball club, and started Strasburg in May so he could pitch into the postseason?

Michael Morse's pump fist in the (ahem) third inning,
after his 2-run homerun gave the hometown Nats a 6-0 lead.

In his lone game against the St. Louis Cardinals this season, Strasburg left the mound on September 2nd after pitching six innings, striking out nine batters, surrendering only two hits, and leaving the game with the Washington Nationals leading 2-0. Reliever Sean Burnett coughed up the lead in the seventh inning, therefore Strasburg did not get the win as the Nationals fought back in the later innings to win 4-3. It was that championship fight back the Cardinals are known for, and it made another appearance last night at the worst possible moment for the Nationals.

My question is, if Tyler Clippard is the closer, then how does Clippard pitch the eighth inning ahead of Drew Storen, who pitches the penultimate final inning? Both are right-handed pitchers, so why didn't Clippard end the game as in games past; did manager Davey Johnson mess up his pitching lineup? Maybe the Cardinal batters in the eighth inning were too much of a test for Drew Storen, so Johnson installed Clippard in his place?



Clippard vs STL, 2012 regular season: Six batters faced, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, .000 opponent BA

Daniel Descalso and David Freese on the verge of an EPIC
comeback win for the Cardinals.

Storen vs STL, 2012 regular season: Ten batters faced, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 stolen bases, .400 OBA

From what I can tell, Tyler Clippard pitched better against the Cardinals than Drew Storen. What the statistics don't tell you is Clippard pitched against the same batters he faced last night in the eighth inning: Daniel Descalso (Hit solo home run to bring Cardinal within a run at 6-5, as a matter of fact), Pete Kozma (pop out to shortstop), Matt Carpenter (struck out swinging), and Jon Jay (fly out to center field). In the ninth inning, the non-closer Storen pitched against perennial all-stars like Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and last season's playoff MVP David Freese; there are even at least six Silver Slugger Awards between the four of them! It was no wonder that the Cardinals came back to tie, take the lead with four runs in the ninth, and go on to win the game.

NLDS Game 5 Nats starter Gio Gonzalez ponders what might have been,
after a shaky postseason, and shocking early exit after defeat to the Cardinals.

If Tyler Clippard is the closer, then he should close out the game. You can't win a baseball game in the third inning (Hi Michael Morse) or the eighth inning, so if Drew Storen dealt with the bottom of the lineup guys here, then Tyler Clippard could throw his best stuff against the best the Cardinals batters could offer in the ninth. The best versus the best, as it should be. It's all doom and gloom, according to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, whose article had this to say.

Yadier Molina (4) shows everybody when is the right time
to celebrate a trip to the NLCS.

The season ended as it began with a bizarre and shocking result, except the Nationals lost when it looked like they would do nothing but win. Today's moral of story: Expect the Unexpected.

Something About Game 3

Pablo Sandoval of the Giants (left) and the Reds' Brandon Phillips
on a close play at third with the umpire and fans looking on.

I'll be short with this today, but I wouldn't put too much faith and words into the performance of postseason teams in Game 3.

After playing the first two games of the Division Series, teams like the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds, and the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers travel cross-country to play at their opponent's ball park. The flights were long, bumpy, suitcases got lost, someone forgot their lucky monkey, and then comes the jet lag! =_=



There are two ways a series could go after such an experience: In the case of the Cincinnati Reds, the need for sleep, to close out a series, and entertain the home crowd provided the Giants a stay of execution as San Francisco rallied through ten innings to defeat the Reds by a slim 2-1 scoreline. This could be a minor chip in the armour of the Red Machine as they look to close out the series tonight in Game 4. Then again, if you are following the Detroit Tigers, then the experience will completely throw you for a loop as the vindicated Coco Crisp and Oakland Athletics look to rebound and draw level with the staggered Tigers. Maybe there was more to Oakland's resurgence than "Alburquerque's Kiss"? ^_^

All images, videos, and associated material are property of Major League Baseball.

Four spot of Baseball ^_^

I didn't write anything for yesterday because our family had Canadian Thanksgiving on Sunday. Plus, I was enjoying watching the Forty Niners destroy the HoriBills.

ALDS - Yankees vs Orioles: Game 1

Russell Martin (left) puts the Yankees ahead with
a solo homerun, the first of five runs scored in the ninth inning
to give the Yankees the victory over the Orioles in Game 1 of the ALDS

I thought home field advantage meant playing the first two games of the series at your ballpark, but this year that isn't the case as the AL East Champion New York Yankees stole their first game against the Baltimore Orioles by a 7-2 scoreline. I say "stole" because, until the top of the ninth inning, both teams were tied when normally reliable Oriole closer Jim Johnson gave up five runs to the Bronx Bombers, including a solo home run to Canadian Russell Martin to put the Yankees ahead o_O

Johnson never had a year quite like 2012: An MLB best fifty-one saves, 2.49 ERA, and a lights out 1.02 WHIP put Johnson among the year's elite relief pitchers. The postseason is a different matter, however, and if the Yankees were a heavyweight boxing champion they would be "Smokin' Joes". I call this a rare misstep by Johnson, but for many of the Baltimore Orioles the playoffs are virgin territory. I expect them to rebound tonight with Wei-Yin Chen starting for the Birds in Game 2 against...Andy Pettitte?! Oh dear o_O

ALDS - Athletics vs Tigers: Game 2

Coco Crisp's uncharacteristic error was the keynote play
in the Athletics' Game 2 defeat to the Tigers yesterday. Oakland
heads westward down two games to none in their American League
Division Series with Detroit.

Verlander pitched the Tigers to a 3-1 victory in Game 1; it was an expected Tiger game played on Saturday with no nonsense pitching and clutch hitting. Game 2, however, ended in dramatic fashion with a walk-off sac fly by Don Kelly in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a 5-4 victory. Critics argue the game would have a different ending had Coco Crisp's pathetic, running attempt at a basket catch on a short fly to center field by Miguel Cabrera not gone awry. The gaffe scored two Tigers base runners, gave Detroit the lead, and left Triple Crown winner and hands down MVP Miguel Cabrera with a shocked look on his face! Rangers star Josh Hamilton misjudged a similar flyball to the Athletics a week ago, which gave Oakland the AL West division title. This attempt at Willie Mays mimicry was a careless mistake, plain and simple.

NLDS - Nationals vs Cardinals: Game 1

Nats pinch-hitter Tyler Moore (57) watches his clutch hit
sail to right field to score two runs, and give Washington
the lead for good in Game 1 versus the Cardinals.

This was less about Washington's first postseason victory since 1933, and more about missed opportunities by the St. Louis Cardinals to start their NLDS against the Nationals on a winning note. The visiting Nationals won 3-2 over the defending world champions thanks to a pinch-hit single by Tyler Moore in the eighth inning. One short half inning before, the Cardinals had the bases loaded with no outs with Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus on the hill. On paper, if you work the count against Mattheus, you can score runs (12.00 ERA in only three innings pitched in bases loaded situations for Mattheus), but Allen Craig and Yadier Molina each hacked at the first pitch they saw resulting in a force out at home, and an inning-ending double play respectively. St. Louis has the experience and bat strength to win Game 2; hopefully, they can even the series. As for the remaining three games in Washington, I don't know.

NLDS - Reds vs Giants: Game 2

Cincinnati Reds players celebrate another postseason victory,
and head back to Ohio with a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five ALDS with
the San Francisco Giants.

Finally, the most complete team effort this postseason coming out of PNC Park in San Francisco, but it wasn't the Giants! Brandon Phillips' stellar leadoff performance in Game 1 got the Reds rolling to a 5-2 win; Bronson Arroyo also kick started their Game 2 victory with seven innings of mastery in their 9-0 drop kicking of the Giants fanning four batters, and relinquishing only one hit and one walk.

Perhaps it's just me, but there is something to be said about dudes named Phil. What do you say, Brandon Phillips? ^_^

Wild Card, Anger Management

The new playoff format is a hit, and gives baseball the added drama we haven't seen since the Rays/Red Sox race to the postseason a year ago. Wild Card Friday was shaping up to be sweet, but a couple of incidents left many fans with a sour taste.

Flip Table: National League Wild Card Edition

Braves fans are a tad disappointed with
the controversial "infield fly" ruling,
and voiced their opinions all over the field

Atlanta Braves fans are still reeling over the controversial finish and premature exit from postseason play yesterday as the St. Louis Cardinals doubled the Braves 6-3 at Turner Field. With the Braves down by three runs in the eighth inning, and runners on first and second with one out, Andrelton Simmons pops a short fly toward left field. Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma ventured back to left field and made a late signal to catch the ball, but thought he heard teammate and left fielder Matt Holliday call for the ball behind him, and broke off his run. The ball dropped for what appeared to be a hit, which advanced the runners, but the outfield umpire gave the "Infield Fly" signal. This takes away the hit and calls Simmons out at first, but the runners stay.

Adron Chambers (left) scores after a bad throw to home plate
by shortstop Andrelton Simmons (not in picture). The Cardinals
scored four unearned runs on three Braves errors to win 6-3.

This was too much to take for Braves fans as they tossed bottles and debris onto the field prompting a nineteen minute delay. As you can tell from the video below, Braves manager Freddy Gonzalez was not too pleased with the ruling, and protested the game to no avail. As an observer, I find it fanciful the Atlanta Braves were the better team on the night. The Braves committed only eighty-six fielding errors during the 2012 campaign to rank among the best overall in the National League; that night, they committed three errors scoring four unearned runs. If you take those away, the Braves would be playing the Nationals on Sunday. Second, the Atlanta Braves left twenty-one runners on base, so for all their at-bats during the game no one could seal the deal. Finally, the emotion of the game did get the best of both players and umpires. St. Louis, however, used the nineteen minute delay to steady their nerves, prepare their closer Jason Motte to pitch the eighth and ninth innings, and win the game.

Flip Table: American League Wild Card Edition

I think the Texas Rangers are snakebitten. They had success within their grasp numerous times during the final two weeks of the season, but their offense could not seal the deal. It doesn't help matters when the lone left-handed starter turned reliever Derek Holland is pitching three times in seven days, and giving up costly hits, too.

O's, for Pete's sake! D:

The visiting Orioles outlasted the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers 5-1. After Yu Darvish struck out seven Baltimore batters and held them to only three runs, Ron Washington played the percentages and called in the tired Derek Holland to pitch to lefty leadoff hitter Nate McLouth (McLouth was 1-3 versus Holland, but a combined 0-3 versus prime relievers albeit righties Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara). One wild pitch to move an Oriole baserunner to third, and a hit to left field with two outs later, the Orioles were on their way with a 3-1 lead.

A few of my friends are Rangers fans, so after the game I wrote as my status on Facebook about how each of us were flipping tables over and being surly. I should progress and move on, but the recent history of the Texas Rangers has me thinking there is something weird going on o_O To come within a catch of winning the World Series in Game 6 against the Cardinals, within a strike zone of winning in Game 7, to lose a five-game lead over the Athletics with nine to go for the American League West Division on the final day of the regular season, and then fall apart against the Baltimore Orioles two days later has me thinking there is a new "hoodoo" on the likable losers from Texas.

Are the Texas Rangers the new "Charlie Brown" of Major League Baseball? I don't want to think about that; all I want to do is this:  (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

(All images and video are property of Major League Baseball and MLB Network)

Are The Rangers Snake Bitten?

An image far too familiar to Texas Rangers fans of late.

Last year, some of my friends and I decided to support the Texas Rangers in their World Series bid because we like Josh Hamilton, so when we watched Game 7 on the church projector the three of us were a little...miffed with what we saw.

Cardinals pitcher throws ball.
Ball lands off plate.
Umpire calls strike three.
Phil flips table.

It takes a lot for Andrew and Bryan to get angry, but I remember Game 6 and Game 7 being very trying experiences.

Flyball to right field.
Nelson Cruz to catch ball & win World Series.
Nelson Cruz lets ball drop.
Phil flips table.

I respect the Texas Rangers a great deal, so when they lined up against the Oakland Athletics for the penultimate game for the American League West Division championship, once again, I decided to pull for the Josh Hamilton, Ron Washington, starting pitcher Ryan Dempster, and the rest of the Texas Rangers.

David Murphy wears knee socks;
that means he's good.

Third inning begins.
Rangers rally for five runs.
Rangers on course leading 5-1.
Phil feels good.

I remembered former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster was pitching this very important game. Since the trade, his ERA progressively rose higher and higher with each start, and was barely pitching past five innings. Naturally, as his pitch count neared sixty heading into the fourth inning, I was concerned.

Fourth inning begins.
Dempster allows two runs to score after facing four batters.
Dempster leaves game with two on, and no outs.

Phil upon learning Dempster will pitch:
I have a bad feeling about this...

Phil finds table.

That's alright. Manager Ron Washington usually finds a way out of these situations. You don't win back-to-back American League Championships, and beat the best in the AL (Yankees, Tigers, etc.) just passing through town. Washington will find a way.

Washington brings Derek Holland into game.
Starter Holland pitching on two days rest.
Holland gives up game-tying double to right on first pitch.
Phil flips table.

The horses officially left the barn, and the game is tied at 5-5. Once again, I'm stressed, but with two Athletics on base, and two out with Yeonis Cespedes at the plate, I draw comfort there is a lot of game left, and Texas can "get out of Dodge (City)" and recover. Then, this happened.

NOOOOOOOO! D:

Cespedes pops ball up to centre field.
Favourite player Josh Hamilton runs to catch.
Hamilton drops ball.
Phil flips table.

Really? REALLY?! Nine batters faced, six runs scored, three doubles, two singles, two walks, one fielding error to bring in two unearned runs that give up the lead, and the Oakland fans are going crazy!

I love Josh Hamilton to death, and what he said in the post game interview is true. When you are running in the outfield to catch a steady flyball, you set your feet so the image of the baseball doesn't "move" as you stand still. There will be times when a diving catch is required, and you will know these times when a girl you like is sitting in the stands watching you play outfield. I'm not nearly as miffed about Hamilton's error as some Rangers fans I know might be (Hi Berent >_< ] ...Hi Tony >_< ] They flipped their tables, too).

Nelson Cruz in WS 2011, and now
Josh Hamilton in Game 162 vs Oakland in 2012.

I already stated "the horses already fled the barn", so if Hamilton makes the catch to end the inning, a tired Derek Holland remains in the game to pitch into the seventh inning and gets tagged with the loss. Although Holland is the losing pitcher, Dempster got the ball rolling with a disastrous fourth inning meltdown pitching down the middle on pitchers' counts. I don't know why Washington would call on Holland at that time, in his state of little rest, to end the inning? Does anyone know? Are the Rangers snakebitten?! o_O

The Rangers play a one game playoff at home to another surprise team, the Baltimore Orioles, tomorrow. I'm hoping the Texas Rangers can put this behind them as superstar Yu Darvish will start for the Rangers on Friday.

Now, if you will excuse me: Phil flips table.

(All MLB baseball images and content are property of Major League Baseball, and are linked to various websites which hold ownership rights.)

Washington Time Warp

Washington Nationals mistake the club house for the shower, and
douse what they think is water on their clothes in celebration
of their city's first post-season berth since 1933.

The 2012 MLB Postseason is upon us, and what better way to return to a formal writing schedule than by writing about this year's surprising Fall Classic? ^_^

Look for loads of new content and insight as I follow the baseball playoffs leading up to the World Series ^_^ I'm excited! The Washington Nationals are quite a story; this is the first time a major league ball club out of Washington will play a postseason game since 1933, when manager Joe Cronin's Senators (AL) lost to John McGraw's New York Giants (NL) in the World Series. According to Wikipedia, lots happened in 1933, including...

• Prohibition ends.
• Amidst the Great Depression, Franklin Delanor Roosevelt's "New Deal" legislation kicks in.
• The first major league "All-Star Game" takes place at Chicago's Comiskey Park.
• Wiley Post becomes the first man to fly solo around the world; aww :(
• The first "Krispy Kreme" doughnut shop opens in Nashville, Tennessee.
• James Brown and Yoko Ono are born.
• RKO releases some gorilla monster movie called King Kong. I heard it was alright.
• In only her third picture, a young actress named Katharine Hepburn wins the Academy Award for Best Actress playing the role of Eva Lovelace in Morning Glory (RKO).

For the latest on the Washington Nationals' winning the National League East Division Championship, click here!

It's My Last Day: Yunel Escobar

In preparing to write this piece, I made a quick study of my writing career. Nothing too elaborate, mind you, I took an account of the number of years I wrote about life, people, events, sports, baseball, and other various things. I made writing "my thing" after a meeting with my English professor in 2004; his name was Mr. Jacobs, and he encouraged me to write, because he thought I could be very good at it. That was really BIG for me, because up until that point I didn't think I could write at all o_O

Moving on, I decided to list the number of years, give or take, I spent writing and separated them by field and/or topic since 2004:

Academic writing: 4 years
Sports writing: 4 years
Baseball writing: 5 years
Life writing: 5 years

Blue Jays shortstop Escobar NOT wearing eye black.

That's eighteen years worth or written work o_O I'm surprised I don't have carpal tunnel LOL All kidding aside, there are a few times when writing became really difficult. For example, when I wrote about abortion about three years ago, I did not experience or feel like my life was under threat, praise God, but I worried I would lose my ability to write professionally. I am still writing, which is great, but I am constantly under threat that my words could harm someone emotionally or physically. Yes, it do receive feedback, both positive and negative. Sometimes, I receive feedback within a half hour of posting what I wrote (Hi Nichole LOL). I am happy for the positive feedback, but I must admit it isn't all roses and daisies; I lost friends over things that I wrote as well, from times I took a stand for what I thought was right according to my faith, beliefs, and so forth, to times when I was a complete jerk for which I spent many weeks and months apologizing for afterward. It's that last point I want to dwell on, because when you take the time to think what to write about, find a writing utensil, find a piece of paper or fabric to write that thought out, and then showcase it for many dozens and hundreds of people to see you are bound to run into problems.

Case in point: Last Saturday, the Toronto Blue Jays were losing another home game to the visiting Boston Red Sox during their weekend series. The game would take on added significance when a fan's photos of Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar revealed an inflammatory, controversial, and derogatory slur written in his native Spanish on his eye black. Toronto is a multicultural city, and the largest city within a country proud of its multiculturalism and diverse population; to call out any particular group of people with a written, derogatory term, take a public stage, and transmit that image to many thousands of people paints the person (Escobar), his teammates, his coaches, his team (Blue Jays), his management, his organization (Rogers), his city (Toronto), his province (Ontario), and country (Canada) in a bad and inaccurate light.

Since the leaking and duplication of the controversial photo on the internet and the story's publication on various social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, The Toronto Blue Jays organization and Yunel Escobar came forward, and Escobar publicly apologized saying it was "a joke", and it was "not meant to offend anyone". Escobar received a three-game suspension for his conduct from a "collective" of baseball people such as the Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, coach John Farrell, commissioner Bud Selig, and Public Relations officials, according to AA on Canadian radio hours after the press conference, but to many critics and fans of the game it is not enough.

No Laughing Matter: Escobar received a three game ban
for displaying an inflammatory slur on his person during last Saturday's
game against the Red Sox.

This morning, I posted on my Facebook wall that I could forgive Escobar for this incident, but anything less than suspension for the year would be unacceptable, and I stand by those words. Contrary to preceding and comparable incidents (See Ben Chapman, John Rocker, Delmon Young), Escobar thought, planned, and executed this act, and to make matters worse did it in 2012 with Facebook and Twitter and Google+ and Pinterest and nationwide television audience and so on...! My reaction and judgment would be the same had another player write the N-word on the baseball cap: If anyone did the same thing in their line of work, whether he was the world's greatest CEO or the assistant to the junior mail room executive, he would have their things in a box taking them out to his car! The debacle that was the press conference, the less than appropriate three game ban handed down not by the GM, but a "collective", and the weird apology Escobar made without taking proper ownership of his actions probably made me angrier than I was this morning, hence all the exclamation points and run-on sentences >_<

I'm sorry you had to read this. I would rather discuss other things baseball, or rant about the precedence of the WHIP statistic over win-loss record, but I must write about the hot topic issue of baseball at the moment. It saddens me, too, because when the Toronto Blue Jays traded for Yunel Escobar from the Atlanta Braves two years ago I was excited. He did a lot of highlight reel things on the diamond, when he started playing here, and although 2012 was a rough year I was more than willing to give the Blue Jays a pass. Now, I'm not so sure anymore -_-

No doubt you noticed there are no pictures of Escobar doning the controversial eye black in question. I did that on purpose; I thought about, planned, and executed it with the purpose of not transmitting those  images on my blog. No, I'm not sorry.

Beckett Decked

I don't know what is more embarrassing for the Dodgers' recently traded, 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett; actually, I listed some here that all occurred in the past year.

• 5-12 record with 5.23 ERA in your last year as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox :(
• Being booed by your fans after leaving the mound with an injury in your last home game as a member of the Boston Red Sox
• Traded out of the American League with another high priced free agent signing to the only club with new found money, and looking to spend it in the midst of a postseason run.
• Picked off at first base on a ground ball to *cough right field.
• Returning to the Dodgers bench after the event to find your teammates laughing at you.

In Josh Beckett's defence, the hit to right field rolled directly to 2012 All-Star, and three-time gold glove recipient Carlos Beltran. The thirty-five year old outfielder played shallow during Beckett's infamous at-bat, and his throw to first baseman Allen Craig was on the money.

Call it what you will, but for a man that some compared with Roger Clemens for his fiery approach and take care of business attitude to undergo an embarrassing series of events this season would be more than most people could take. When he broke into the league with the Florida Marlins in 2002, and manhandled the Yankees on the way to winning the Marlins' second World Series title in 2003, the way seemed clear for another pitching ace to take over the game.

Josh Beckett (LAD) winds up for the Dodgers, strikes back at his critics.

However, this was still "steroid era baseball", and the home runs and statistics are clear evidence of that. Nowadays, kids as young as high school need breaking pitches and curveballs to get ahead of the batters, but they also need delicate number of pitches and inning counts. Individually, they may prolong careers like those of Stephen Strasburg, whom the surprise playoff contender Washington Nationals shut down (again) earlier this week. Nevertheless, the new science behind pitching should improve the game, yes? Should we not see this generation's pitching phenoms winning 30-games in a season like Denny McLain? How about the Bob Gibsons, Sandy Koufaxes, and Don Drysdales pitching close to 150 pitches in a 2012 Major League Baseball game? Josh Beckett and other like him were next in line for that future, but it wasn't to be.

Beckett has alright stats for the Boston Red Sox since joining the club in 2006 with ten or more wins in five of his first six seasons with the baseball club, as well as another World Series championship ring he won in 2007. 2012 was not kind to him, however: If an inflated ERA of 5.23 in twenty-one starts doesn't move you, then a .266 OBA and 1.33 WHIP will o_O His highest totals in those categories since 2010. With playoff aspirations for Boston in the dust, and amidst terrible in-fighting and managerial controversies with the embattled Bosox lead man Bobby Valentine, the trade would help Josh Beckett's numbers, and they have...I guess. What he doesn't need is a "Welcome to the National League" message sent direct from right field, and then forwarded from his club house by his new teammates T_T

Beltran made a heads-up play, and didn't give up just because the ball made its way into the outfield; that's what you preach to kids on the practice field to "play to the whistle". However, for Josh Beckett, one would hope someone would blow the whistle on 2012.

Statistics and footage provided by MLB.com. All rights reserved.

Summer Lessons from First Base o_O

I'm genuinely sorry things on this blog were dry this past summer, but work and extra curricular things got in the way of writing on here. One of those extra-curricular things was another season of baseball (slo-pitch) in my hometown ^_^

During the spring, more than a few of my friends talked me out of retirement to play one more year in a coed slo-pitch league. I thought my knees couldn't take the strain, after what happened to them last year, yet reluctantly I decided to give it one more go. As the season progressed, I decided to ditch the knee pads, and I was in much better shape over the course of the summer than I was last year. My arm, however, had other ideas o_O

Bill Buckner: Pressure and Forgiveness

One night after practice, our team decided to meet at a Vietnamese restaurant ^_^ I remember that trip, not because the moment we all entered "Pho Mi 99" a thunderstorm erupted outside casting billions of raindrops and knocking the power out in the restaurant, but my elbow seized up on the drive. I told my teammate Brendan, who was with me in the car, and he said "Uh oh". Quick note: If you tell a baseball dude that you feel the muscles in your elbow are tightening or you feel it's in pain, and he responds with "Uh oh", that's not good o_O Up until that point, I returned to form as a stalwart left-fielder (What's wrong with stalwart? Nathan, stop laughing), but I was throwing a lot more than I did last year. So our team captain Tony switched me to first base.

I played first base twice before in the last four years, but there is a lot resting on your shoulders. I remember my first game as a starter at first base, o_O and yes, I did make that face. The fortunes of the infielders, the team, and even the season hinge on one's performance; the ability to make your teammates all-stars and give them big time assists on plays, which come from nothing, and then simply catch the ball when it's thrown is quite a burden to bear o_O Our record was 1-5 up until that point in the season, so there was little room for error with only six games left to play. When our team takes the field, to relax and support the infielders, I went to each one and touched gloves. It's a trick I picked up from my days at shortstop, and knowing "the gun wasn't at our heads" I did it to calm down, and not think about...you know o_O Shockingly, the first ball hit came off the end of the bat right to me! The ball surprised me as it skipped along, so I chose to knock it down and keep it front of me. A second later, I picked up the dead ball and stepped on first for the out ^_^ Phew!

The second batter hit a grounder to our third baseman (Hi Marcus...Ivan...and Brendan LOL). The joke was use in practice is "Six foot four", which is my height; it's also a hint to our fielders about throws in the dirt. Unfortunately, when Marcus threw to me, I was still nervous o_O and it skipped past and hit the fence behind me O_O As the batter rounded first, I ran to the ball which was closer than I thought it was, so when I turned to throw to second the runner wasn't even halfway! A rundown ensued, and we tagged the runner out for out #2 ^_^

Buckner, from his Cubs days

A couple more pitches later, I caught a pop fly for out number three, and that was that ^_^ We escaped with our first three up, three down (-ish) inning in recent memory, and that started us off on our run to the championship game. In our next eight games, we only dropped one, and we became "a team of destiny" ^_^ I was never on a "team of destiny" before, so I didn't know quite how to react o_O All I could think about was Bill Buckner.

There are majestic names in baseball like Babe Ruth, heroic names like Jackie Robinson, and even some scumbag names like Barry Bonds. As in every avenue of life, unfortunately, there are tragic names like Bill Buckner. Part of my fear about playing first base was thinking about not being "the goat" or "that dude that cost us the game" or "the reason we sit at the runner's up table and not at the champion's table". It was wrong to envision me not playing like someone because of an unfortunate incident, which never should have happened to begin with (Neyer, Rob. "John McNamara Falls Asleep" in Big Book of Baseball Blunders, P.226-229).

The first baseman I should admire and wish to play like is Bill Buckner: 2715 hits (more than Hall of Famers Ted Williams (2654), and Ernie Banks (2583)), NL batting title winner in 1980 with the Cubs (BA .324), 1981 All-Star, and part of two league pennant winners (1974 Dodgers, 1986 Red Sox). Forget baseball, save for a moment, but if we approached baseball and life like Bill Buckner, with the forgiveness, grace, and humility that he gave us after what happened that night at Shea Stadium, in New York in 1986, I think we would all be better people.

In the meantime, my arm is a little better. I don't plan on wearing a giant pad over it when I play next year (Yes, my friends, I'm playing next year. Kevin, stop clicking on the like button so much LOL).

All Hail The King (Shouldn't he play in KC then?)

MAJOR LEAGUE GOOFBALL congratulates Seattle Mariners star pitcher Felix Hernandez, who threw the 23rd perfect game in the modern history of baseball ^_^ King Felix fanned twelve Tampa Bay Rays on his way to a complete, nine inning game with twenty-seven outs, no runs, no hits, no walks, and no errors scored against him in the nail-biting 1-0 victory (did I miss anything? Nope ^_^) .
As you can see, it took him awhile o_O LOL

Mariners star pitcher Felix Hernandez celebrates saving
a bunch of money on his auto insurance by switching, I MEAN,
throwing only the 23rd perfect game in modern major league history.

I didn't understand how the 2010 Cy Young Award Winner adopted the title of "King" Felix in the first place. I thought "royal" titles were for member of the Kansas City baseball club, or members of that royal family across the pond? Hernandez is a Mariner, so maybe he is tied to the Atlantis court? No, I'm just making that stuff up ^_^ ...or am I? o_O DUH DUH DUH!

Congratulations Felix Hernandez ^_^ Send your congratulations to King Felix on Twitter; he answered a bunch so far, so he might answer yours, too!

Trade Deadline Day: Are We Safe Now?

I'm sorry I disappeared from this blog for so long. I have a genuine baseball-themed reason for that, which will be the subject of an upcoming post soon enough.

They Call Him Mr. Stubbs

Since the end of the All-Star Break, the Cincinnati Reds are on a tear closing down, if not beating, the Pittsburgh Pirates for the lead in the National League Central (Carpet) Division. The player with a huge hand in the Reds' Resurgence is the National League's newest co-player of the week Drew Stubbs (Wait, what?). Consider what Stubbs accomplished in his last ten games, including the opener in their series at home against the Padres: Twelve hits, four homeruns, eleven RBIs, eleven runs scored, and a 300 BA. What is more perplexing to me is the title of "Co-Player of the Week" for Cincinnati's clutch outfielder. Who made this indecisive move, Bud? -_- (head shake) Crown the man, and stand on the decision! Indecision removes the luster from a worthy title such as that, otherwise it's not too far off of "Everybody Gets A Trophy Day" where every game ends in a tie, and everything you do in the context of the game is meaningless.

Deadline Deals

Former Mariners great Ichiro Suzuki addresses the media
following his surprise trade to the New York Yankees

Ichiro to the Yankees

Most Twitter folk missed this one LOL, but the Yankees' psuedo farm team sends another of its stars to New York for minor leaguers and loads of cash only the Yankees could provide. Ever so humble and polite, Ichiro Suzuki was solemn yet respectful to the Mariners and Yankees for making this deal.

Dempster Deep in the Heart of Texas

At the death, the Chicago Cubs traded one of its popular faces to Texas: Canadian Ryan Dempster will pitch for the Rangers for the remainder of the 2012 season. One can assume Cubs general manager Theo Epstein will spare no expense in making the team in his image; proof that no one is safe!

Notable Changes

Former Marlins and Phillies stars respectively Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino are now officially members of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. What?

Quick Pitch!

Greinke Tossed

Y U NO LET ME PLAY? Zac Greinke (right) pleads his case for umpire Sam Holbrook
moments after being ejected for dissent.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Zac Greinke lost his cool, and then his place on the mound after being ejected in the first inning against the Houston Astros. On the play in question, Astros second baseman hit a grounder to Brewers first baseman Corey Hart, and Greinke ran over to first base to field the subsequent throw from Hart. Altuve reached safely, however, and that allowed teammate Jordan Schafer to score from third base for the game's first run. Umpire Sam Holbrook called Altuve safe, and in frustration Greinke fired the baseball into the ground; Holbrook saw Greinke's reaction as dissent, and ejected the pitcher from the game. Greinke was apologetic, but the damage was done. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke argued the call, and threw in some choice words for Holbrook, who proceeded to eject Roenicke as well (I never liked him anyway).

Both of the Milwaukee Brewers' broadcasters sided with Greinke and Roenicke, but under the rules open dissent is grounds for ejection (See Brett Lawrie from 2012, Yadier Molina from 2011). Both broadcasters agreed the umpire made the right call, but to lambaste him for ejecting Greinke is cynical. I expect MLB to come down on them like they did White Sox fan/broadcaster Ken Harrelson earlier this season. Taking your frustration out on a baseball isn't the smartest thing to do either. Milwaukee went on to lose to Houston 6-3, yet the difference in the game was losing Greinke, who the scorers credited with the loss, in the first inning after throwing only four pitches. What are your thoughts?

GET ALL OF IT! Yankees left fielder Andruw Jones circles the bases
for one of his two homeruns in the first game of the double bill against
the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, which they won 6-1.

Double Sized Treat ^_^

The hometown Boston Red Sox and their rivals, the visiting New York Yankees, treated both sets of fans to a rare double bill at Fenway Park this afternoon. The Yankees won the first game 6-1 thanks to a stand-out performance from Andruw Jones. After belting two homeruns on consecutive pitches, Jones assisted on a double play by snaring a fly ball from left field and doubling up Bosox baserunner David Ortiz at first base, with Yankee first baseman Mike Teixeira making a key, yet artsy, grab on the relay.

Pedro Ciriaco (right) receives congratulations after
plating another run during Boston's 9-5 comeback victory against
the New York Yankees.

Fans of the Rebel Alliance, er, Red Sox can take heart as Boston won the second game of the double header thanks to a pair of minor league call ups from Pawtucket ^_^ Mauro Gomez and Pedro Ciriaco combined for seven hits, four runs, and five RBIs in front of a less than stellar Yankee defense, which gave up four errors in the . Ciriaco also flashed the leather from shortstop (not too shabby); if we see more of those kinds of plays from him, we might see more of Pedro in the big leagues.

Jury on Jays: Midseason Analysis

Ricky Romero pitched a stellar six innings ^_^ Yet, Jays lose 2-0 T_T

My Toronto Blue Jays lost to White Sox 2-0 in Chicago, and spoiled a rare gem from lefty Ricky Romero. With one game left in the series before the All-Star Break, the Jays look to finish the first half of the season with an even .500 record with 43 wins. This is shades below what most fans in Toronto expected from their ball club; slugger Jose Bautista is returning to form, after his slow start, and hit a league-leading twenty-seven homeruns. One of the major disappointments about the 2012 campaign is decline and fall of Adam Lind in the No.4 spot; he returned from triple-A Las Vegas to find his form that was good to him in 2009, the year in which he won the Silver Slugger Award. We'll see if it did any good after the Break.

Blue Jays pitching is also in dire straits. Rife with injuries, what is left of the starting rotation reminds me of the  infamous story of the Oakland Athletics of early 1980s (See Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders). Pitchers like Ricky Romero, Brendan Morrow, and Brett Cecil has stellar campaigns, yet suffered from an inconsistent bullpen that could not close the door (namely Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch, both are now toiling with the New York Mets).

The All-Star Break will signal the beginning and ending of winning and losing streaks with the inactivity of regular season play, and this could the change of fortune Toronto needs to get back to winning ways in time for the pennant, er, playoff race.

ANNIVERSARY of 100 POSTS!

Happy Anniversary!

Ninety-Nine posts previous to this, I began a baseball blog to share my love and passion for all things baseball at home, aboard, and on the major league level. Who could imagine HITS AND ERRORS, as I named it then, and MAJOR LEAGUE GOOFBALL, which is its current name, would survive this long? Thank you to all my faithful readers who supported this blog since its inception; if you are new to this blog, thanks go to you as well for stopping by. Hopefully, I will hearing from you very soon.

Reds Appreciation Day!

On a more serious note, one of my friends is feeling down in the dumps. There isn't a lot I can do in this situation, however I do know this friend loves the Cincinnati Reds ^_^ By love, I mean she REALLY loves the Cincinnati Reds (Headgear + Jackets + T-shirts + season tickets (?) = IN LOVE). Johnny Cueto doing things in style against the Minnesota Twins as the Reds shut them down, and shut them out 6-0.

To my friend, I hope you feel better soon ^_^ As long as they don't get in the way of my Toronto Blue Jays, go REDS!

Before I go...

Thome (25) wins another for the Phils, about to receive
an MLB modern-era record thirteenth celebratory beatdown at home plate

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies' star batter, and all-around good guy Jim Thome, whose walk-off homerun at home against the Tampa Bay Rays also ties him with Sammy Sosa for seventh place in the all-time career home runs list (609), but he is also number one all-time among batters in the modern era (1900-present) with career walk-off home runs (13). Not only is baseball the most recorded, categorized, and statistical team sport, but it also records stuff hardly anyone thinks of o_O LOL ^_^ 

Clemens: The Saga Continues?

Acquitted of all charges, "Rocket"
Roger Clemens speaks to the media
Tuesday (Maine News Daily).

After being cleared of perjury charges on Tuesday, former baseball star and suspected performance-enhancing drug user Roger Clemens stepped into the Washington streets with family in tow a free man. According to Canadian sports radio hosts Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt that afternoon, Clemens was found "not guilty" of committing perjury to a grand jury about taking performance enhancing drugs, yet he was not found "not guilty" of taking performance enhancing drugs by his former trainer Brian McNamee.

When the Boston Red Sox said goodbye to the "Rocket" in the mid 90s, many thought the game past him by. However, with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997, Roger Clemens responded to his critics by leading the American League in wins, lowest ERA, and strikeouts: The first real "Triple Crown" winner of the Cy Young Award that year. It was during that time in Toronto McNamee claimed Clemens used steroids to return to his old 80s form, when he fanned an MLB record twenty Mariner batters for the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park in 1986.

McNamee's reputation and character came into question when poor medical procedures and testimony from his former wife at that time came into light, thus throwing the Clemens case into limbo. With no credible leg for the prosecution to stand on, the judge could only acquit Clemens of all six perjury charges.

What this does for Roger Clemens in the future is uncertain. His chances of getting into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame are slim, but he won 354 games, threw 4672 strikeouts over his career with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros (Don't forget a pair of World Series championships with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000).

There is one other statistic that you will not find in any record book: When Roger Clemens flirted with retirement, he returned to Fenway Park for the last time, and left the game with another quality start and a standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful of Boston. FOX broadcasters stopped the game, and even held an on-field interview with Clemens, even broadcasting it over the speakers in the stadium. The most notable and odd thing about the interview is that Clemens was wearing a New York Yankees jersey at the time.

If you get in, Mr. Clemens, which team will you sport on your hat?

I can count on one hand the number of Yankees players honoured with standing ovations by Red Sox fans.

I don't think Clemens would make the Hall-of-Fame on the first ballot, or even in his first year of eligibility. I believe fans already moved past the witch hunt, and want to return to watching baseball games instead of sitting through baseball players testifying to grand juries, which is sad because entertainment and "safety" became more important than the values we cling to as individuals. Clemens like other players suspected of taking HGH, steroids, and other performance enhancing drugs might get into the Hall-of-Fame, but will it be under clouds of indifference and politics, or under blue skies?