I wish I could take credit for todays title, but since it is Todd Zolecki's work he gets the credit. It is so appropriate in that Cliff Lee wanted to come here. He wasn't here a long time, but those few months showed him why Philly is the greatest city on the planet, and he viscerally needed to come back.
Some of the sports pundits are making a big deal about the money he left on the table by spurning the Yankees offer. Before we give Lee too much credit, let's understand that he is going to be paid a shitload by the Phillies. $20,000,000 a year ain't chopped liver although at the $9.00 a pound I paid this past weekend for the stuff he should have enough to buy 2.2 million pounds of it a year.
I have hated Ruben since he sent Lee to the Mariners for what amounted to some chopped liver, but atonement has been achieved and all is forgiven unless he trades one of the other studs to be able to pay for Lee. Since Ruben keeps his own counsel we won't have any idea of such a trade until it happens, and then I can hate him again. Now, if he sends Blanton or Kendrick somewhere I could care less, but this long suffering fan wants to hold on to all of our studs.
Can you imagine how tight the sphincters of the other teams will get when they see the candystripers on the schedule? Unlike facing most teams that may have one or two top pitchers on their staffs they have to face a foursome that some are already hyperbolizing as the best rotation in history. To have to go righty, lefty, righty, and then lefty again will leave all but the best of the best feigning injury in hopes of getting a few days off.
As far as them being the best of all time - we'll have to wait and find out, but we have to take a trip on the wayback machine to 1971 to see anything like the potential of our top four. Please fasten your seat belts because the wayback trip to Baltimore might have some turbulence. Ok, here we are on 33rd street about to go into Memorial Stadium to watch the Orioles take on the world. Memorial was a great place to watch a game as no matter where you sat you were close to the field. That team had Brooks Robinson at third, Boog Powell at first, with Frank Robinson patrolling the outfield. More importantly was the rotation of Jim Palmer (20-9 2.68 era), Dave McNally (21-5 2.89 era) Mike Cuellar (20-9 3.08 era), and Pat Dobson (20-8 2.90 era). Four guys winning 20 games may never be seen again, especially in the era of set-up guys and closers. How lucky I was to be able to see them play. They were of course managed by the great Earl Weaver who led the team to 107 wins and the AL pennant.
Weaver was a highly volatile guy who got tossed out of more games than some managers ever manage, and he fought with his star pitcher Jim Palmer constantly. Weaver wanted Palmer to develop a third pitch or at least use something other than his awesome fastball and curve combination. Palmer refused, and could usually be seen laughing at Weaver while Weaver was reading him. It was a sight to behold.
The Orioles lost the series that year 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates who used to be more than a holding pen for other teams.
The Orioles back up catcher that year was none other than long time Phillies backstop Clay Dalrymple. Dalrymple, who played on some of the worst Phillies teams of all time, managed to hit .204 with 1 HR and 6 rbi's in 1971.
As I expected, the NYC tabloids are besides themselves with the news that the Yankees have lost out on Lee. The back page of the NY Post stated: Cliff Stiffs Yanks! One of the writers penned, "The Phillies stunned the baseball world last night when they STOLE Cliff Lee from the Yankees." A typical NY attitude of entitlement - we stole him, because the Yankees wanted him, and the Yankees always get who they want. NOT this time, assholes. In the NY Daily News, Mike Lupica wrote, "The Yankees swing and miss on Lee again." (He was referring to the two gems Lee pitched against in the post-season). Andy Martino writes,"Cliff Lee chases the memory of the series run made in Philly, but he may regret his decision." Martino speaks to the age and eroding skills of the Phillies. Sure, but if you can't hit our guys we won't need a lot of runs to beat you now, will we!
For me this is better than taking all the good stuff out of your kids Halloween trick or treat bag and leaving him with hard candy and Mary Janes. That's right, I inhaled the chocolate and the Good & Plenty. [Editor's note - He owes me about a million peanut butter cups.]
The euphoria of getting Lee back is still not enough to get me to sip the red Kool-Aid, but I've made a list of where to buy it. No gang, despite the awesome rotation (assuming it is kept together) there are still some holes to fill in the pen and a place they call right field. There are still some moves to be made. The talk is that the Phillies are shopping Blanton, Kendrick, and Ibanez. (They ought to call Brian Cashman, as the Yankees need some pitching.) What can be obtained for that unholy trinity remains to be seen, but Blanton could help some teams who need a decent number 4 or 5. I always liked the effort Blanton made, but the goatee has to go. I don't know why anyone would want to pick up Ibanez at the money he makes, but he might look good to a team like the Royals or even the Rays who have seen their line up gutted this off season.
Ruben, you sneaky bastard, you blew me away on this one, so I'll be a gentleman and say thank you lantzman. And thank you too to the gang of seven owners who in the past have tossed money around like it was man-hole covers.
Looking at the calender I see that we still have more than two months to wait until pitchers and catchers report. It will seem like an eternity, but oh how sweet it will be to have a former world series MVP as our number four.
There will be a matter the Phils will have to deal with. What if Lee wants his number 34 back? I don't think MLB will allow two guys to wear the same number. A duel is out of the question, so perhaps we can conjure up a non-lethal contest between the two uber studs to see which one of them gets to wear the number. And think about how each one of them wants to be considered the man, the guy, the juice, the truth, the ace of aces. That competition should have both of them pitching better than before - which will be a treat to watch. I can't wait - can you?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
It's Deja Vous All Over Again!
I wish I could take credit for tonights title, but the credit belongs to a master of malapropism, Lawrence "Yogi" Berra.
But, yeah, I've been here before - over and over and over again. During the past baseball season I warned all you red kool-aid sippers not to give your heart to the candy stripers, well gang tonight I am issuing a major alert regarding sipping green kool aid. Don't set yourself up for the heartbreak of the Fat Andrew finding a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Don't think that I am not extatic over tonight's win over the Cowboys. When the Eagles go to the house that Jerry built and beat them there, you have had a good day. And despite my misgivings about Reid, I have to give him credit for having McCoy run during last 5 minutes. AND HOW 'BOUT THE O LINE, who for my money are the heroes of the night. Sure it looks great to the skilled guys do well - but tonight the holes were big enough to drive Jerry Jones ego through it.
Herrmans was a bulldozer out there tonight. He was knocking guys to the ground - pancaking them on running plays. The suffering fan was an O lineman in both high school & college, when I watch a game I watch the line play. I can watch the replay for the total picture. My game ball goes to the Big Uglies!
I would be remiss if I didn't praise Michael Vick. The guy is significantly better than the guy who got all the headlines. He used to be as inaccurate as McNabb, but this season he has been tossing lasers. He is playing with a lot of heart and with an aplomb never shown by McNabb.
I'm not talking about Vick's character, because the only thing I believe he is sorry for is having been caught which made him have to "go away". His handlers are slicker and smarter than dog poop and if he does what McNabb could not do here - he will be able to name his price, and Lord Jeffrey will have to pay up. I mean even after beating the 'Boys' at their house would you hire Vick to walk your dog? Next issue!
If you haven't seen the film of the Metrodomes roof collapsing - you need to. The symbolism is priceless. I mean the ex-coach sends guys down to beg Favre to come back, and he stinks things up so bad that the coach gets fired, the team can't do shit, and then the roof caves in. There is a god!
Favre is a pathetic, self indulgent asshole who truly believed he could find the magic one more time - despite the bad ankle, and the fact that he is 41. Favre is still the Friday night hero who was the small town hero. He still thinks that he is in high school back in Mississippi. I love all 17 of his 2010 interceptions - every last one of them. Bret needs to go back to Mississippi and stay there. I hope and pray that no network gives him a broadcast job. How bad would that be?
But again, please don't drink the green kool-aid yet! As I write my sources confirm that the football gods are meeting to plan how to make Andrew The Large blow it again. I mean, maybe they'll have him name Kolb the starter for the play-offs stating that he has been saving this deadly weapon to use at just the right time. Whatever, the gods have been creative in the past, and who knows what they may be able conjure up this time. Having McNabb puke in the huddle during the Super Bowl was a nice touch, and maybe they'll be able to top it this year.
I was hoping to be able to write about the candystripers tonight, but there is n't anything to write about. Oh yeah, they picked up somebody in thew rule 5 draft. Of course I can't remember the guys name or anything about him. Sure, they signed some spare parts, but I'd feel a lot better if they would sign Durbin and maybe another outfielder. I guess Ruben will make some moves, but they won't involve any body of any real importance.
The Cliff Lee saga is almost over, and suspect he has already made his mind up. I'm hoping that my beloved Kansas City Royals man up and offer him all of the Kaufman family's money, but I'd settle for him to stay in Texas. If he does that I will make it a point to read the NYC tabloid press. It will be awesome!
The more I think about Jason Werth getting paid $126mm to sign with Washington, the more I am convinced that utter madness has descended upon us from some alien culture. Werth isn't worth that kind of money, but he got it. Stephen King couldn't make this up, and that boy has a rather interesting imagination. At least I hope it is his imagination we see, and that he doesn't have a nasty pooch telling him to bring Michael Vick to Maine.
More musings soon, but for now this long suffering fan is out.
But, yeah, I've been here before - over and over and over again. During the past baseball season I warned all you red kool-aid sippers not to give your heart to the candy stripers, well gang tonight I am issuing a major alert regarding sipping green kool aid. Don't set yourself up for the heartbreak of the Fat Andrew finding a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Don't think that I am not extatic over tonight's win over the Cowboys. When the Eagles go to the house that Jerry built and beat them there, you have had a good day. And despite my misgivings about Reid, I have to give him credit for having McCoy run during last 5 minutes. AND HOW 'BOUT THE O LINE, who for my money are the heroes of the night. Sure it looks great to the skilled guys do well - but tonight the holes were big enough to drive Jerry Jones ego through it.
Herrmans was a bulldozer out there tonight. He was knocking guys to the ground - pancaking them on running plays. The suffering fan was an O lineman in both high school & college, when I watch a game I watch the line play. I can watch the replay for the total picture. My game ball goes to the Big Uglies!
I would be remiss if I didn't praise Michael Vick. The guy is significantly better than the guy who got all the headlines. He used to be as inaccurate as McNabb, but this season he has been tossing lasers. He is playing with a lot of heart and with an aplomb never shown by McNabb.
I'm not talking about Vick's character, because the only thing I believe he is sorry for is having been caught which made him have to "go away". His handlers are slicker and smarter than dog poop and if he does what McNabb could not do here - he will be able to name his price, and Lord Jeffrey will have to pay up. I mean even after beating the 'Boys' at their house would you hire Vick to walk your dog? Next issue!
If you haven't seen the film of the Metrodomes roof collapsing - you need to. The symbolism is priceless. I mean the ex-coach sends guys down to beg Favre to come back, and he stinks things up so bad that the coach gets fired, the team can't do shit, and then the roof caves in. There is a god!
Favre is a pathetic, self indulgent asshole who truly believed he could find the magic one more time - despite the bad ankle, and the fact that he is 41. Favre is still the Friday night hero who was the small town hero. He still thinks that he is in high school back in Mississippi. I love all 17 of his 2010 interceptions - every last one of them. Bret needs to go back to Mississippi and stay there. I hope and pray that no network gives him a broadcast job. How bad would that be?
But again, please don't drink the green kool-aid yet! As I write my sources confirm that the football gods are meeting to plan how to make Andrew The Large blow it again. I mean, maybe they'll have him name Kolb the starter for the play-offs stating that he has been saving this deadly weapon to use at just the right time. Whatever, the gods have been creative in the past, and who knows what they may be able conjure up this time. Having McNabb puke in the huddle during the Super Bowl was a nice touch, and maybe they'll be able to top it this year.
I was hoping to be able to write about the candystripers tonight, but there is n't anything to write about. Oh yeah, they picked up somebody in thew rule 5 draft. Of course I can't remember the guys name or anything about him. Sure, they signed some spare parts, but I'd feel a lot better if they would sign Durbin and maybe another outfielder. I guess Ruben will make some moves, but they won't involve any body of any real importance.
The Cliff Lee saga is almost over, and suspect he has already made his mind up. I'm hoping that my beloved Kansas City Royals man up and offer him all of the Kaufman family's money, but I'd settle for him to stay in Texas. If he does that I will make it a point to read the NYC tabloid press. It will be awesome!
The more I think about Jason Werth getting paid $126mm to sign with Washington, the more I am convinced that utter madness has descended upon us from some alien culture. Werth isn't worth that kind of money, but he got it. Stephen King couldn't make this up, and that boy has a rather interesting imagination. At least I hope it is his imagination we see, and that he doesn't have a nasty pooch telling him to bring Michael Vick to Maine.
More musings soon, but for now this long suffering fan is out.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!!!!!
I wasn't planning on writing tonight. Normally on a dance night, I am too tired when I get home to write, and my feet hurt. Given my current state of mind I probably ought to just padlock the fridge and go to bed, but I'll give it my best shot - and am not responsible for typos, misspellings, poor grammar, or for swearing!
So I get home, and am told by a certain friend that I will spending my day tomorrow shopping. I don't want to face the crowds who are starting to froth at the mouth, and I certainly don't want to have to hear Xmas music all friggin' day. I can't tell you how much I hate hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry. Jingle Bells is another one that annoys the hell out of me, but I'll do my best at not screaming when the music loop has assaulted me two or three times.
The ironic thing about me and Xmas music is that a few years ago I started selling a Xmas CD of R&B Xmas songs, and I have been burning CD's to fill some orders. While I'm doing this I'm listening to MLB network to see what Ruben didn't do today and I hear that the Yankees have offered Cliff Lee $140,000,000 to play in the Bronx. That one didn't make me crazy since when I heard of that offer I hadn't learned of the cruel fate that awaited me tomorrow.
When I heard that the Red Sox had signed Carl Crawford for a gazillion dollars, euro's, pound sterlings, or whatever I lost it. Carl Crawford is a very nice player, and he would have looked real good in candystripes, but he isn't anywhere near deserving to be the highest paid player in baseball. He just isn't!
In the past 36 hours, the Red Sox have committed to pay over $300,000,000 to 3 players. Sox management has definitely jumped all in, and the gang in the Bronx must be soiling their shorts thinking of how much more they are going to pony up for Cliff Lee. If I'm Lee's agent I've already called Hank Steinbrenner to ask him what it was he didn't like about a 7th year.
I just heard that Crawford is the now the highest paid outfielder in MLB history. That is so sick.
Back to the Bronx. The Yankees have to know that if they don't get Lee, they are truly in deep doo-doo. Are they wondering why they just spent what they did to bring back an aging shortstop and a 41 year old closer who might start losing some of his magic because of age. The joy of the stress in the Bronx almost mitigates tomorrows agony. I said almost.
The whole thing is getting out of hand - it really is. I mean I just heard Clint Hurdle (or whoever is the new Pirate manager) say that he is excited about the core players he has, and that they plan to be creative so they can be competitive. Who the hell is he kidding? The core players will be gone before the trade deadline, the team will finish 103 games out of first and will have an average attendance of about 1,534. Or, how would you like to be Joe Madden, having to watch every good player on the Rays being allowed to leave? He is already reserving tee times for late August when he figures he'll be fired because the team is 12 - 74.
All this started because the schmuck in Washington decided to grossly overpay Werth. Crawford and Lee and Gonzalez and a few others need to put Werth on their Xmas card list. The guy who will need to really thank Werth is Pujoils. He must be laughing his ass off, because if Werth merits $126, and Crawford does the $140 thing, then he knows that his number will be large enough to fund NASA.
The Cardinal brass must be on life support by now, because they have no clue how they are going to pay Puljois. They don't have the beer money to tap into anymore, and while Puljos (maybe I can spell his name right and choose not to) might give the Cards a hometown discount, he'll still rightfully be able to demand a contract that would make him the highest paid player ever.
I've normally been ambievelent about the Cards, although I showed the proper Philadelphia hate towards Drew and Rolen. St Louis, however is not one of my favorite stops. There is no way I could ever feel good about a city that allows both Bob Costas and Joe Buck to call it home.
Now, as I write, Ruben Amaro is sitting in his hotel room muttering obscenities under his breath. If Ruben drinks he is probably shit faced, and plans to stay that way until his wife makes him check into rehab.
He is running out of decent players to try and get to play RF, and the issues with the pen are still hanging over his head. Ordonez is still available, but Ruben doesn't have the kind of money to pay him to leave Detroit (but the Angels do!). Even Francoeur got a one year deal with KC at a price Ruben can pay. (Now starting in RF for your NL East Champion Phillies is Ross Gload/Ben Francisco) Amaro is probably afraid that people will start throwing stuff at him, even though he doesn't decide how much to spend. He'll take the heat. Shit, he's probably so desperate that he started scouting the reenactors.
If I just landed at PHL from another planet and the first thing I did was to turn on Sports Center I wouldn't believe you when you told me that the country was in the throes of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. How could I? Baseball mirrors the society in general in that the rich keep getting richer, while the rest of us fight for the crumbs. At some point the whole thing will collapse like the house of cards that it is, but until then LET"S PLAY BALL ALREADY!
So I get home, and am told by a certain friend that I will spending my day tomorrow shopping. I don't want to face the crowds who are starting to froth at the mouth, and I certainly don't want to have to hear Xmas music all friggin' day. I can't tell you how much I hate hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry. Jingle Bells is another one that annoys the hell out of me, but I'll do my best at not screaming when the music loop has assaulted me two or three times.
The ironic thing about me and Xmas music is that a few years ago I started selling a Xmas CD of R&B Xmas songs, and I have been burning CD's to fill some orders. While I'm doing this I'm listening to MLB network to see what Ruben didn't do today and I hear that the Yankees have offered Cliff Lee $140,000,000 to play in the Bronx. That one didn't make me crazy since when I heard of that offer I hadn't learned of the cruel fate that awaited me tomorrow.
When I heard that the Red Sox had signed Carl Crawford for a gazillion dollars, euro's, pound sterlings, or whatever I lost it. Carl Crawford is a very nice player, and he would have looked real good in candystripes, but he isn't anywhere near deserving to be the highest paid player in baseball. He just isn't!
In the past 36 hours, the Red Sox have committed to pay over $300,000,000 to 3 players. Sox management has definitely jumped all in, and the gang in the Bronx must be soiling their shorts thinking of how much more they are going to pony up for Cliff Lee. If I'm Lee's agent I've already called Hank Steinbrenner to ask him what it was he didn't like about a 7th year.
I just heard that Crawford is the now the highest paid outfielder in MLB history. That is so sick.
Back to the Bronx. The Yankees have to know that if they don't get Lee, they are truly in deep doo-doo. Are they wondering why they just spent what they did to bring back an aging shortstop and a 41 year old closer who might start losing some of his magic because of age. The joy of the stress in the Bronx almost mitigates tomorrows agony. I said almost.
The whole thing is getting out of hand - it really is. I mean I just heard Clint Hurdle (or whoever is the new Pirate manager) say that he is excited about the core players he has, and that they plan to be creative so they can be competitive. Who the hell is he kidding? The core players will be gone before the trade deadline, the team will finish 103 games out of first and will have an average attendance of about 1,534. Or, how would you like to be Joe Madden, having to watch every good player on the Rays being allowed to leave? He is already reserving tee times for late August when he figures he'll be fired because the team is 12 - 74.
All this started because the schmuck in Washington decided to grossly overpay Werth. Crawford and Lee and Gonzalez and a few others need to put Werth on their Xmas card list. The guy who will need to really thank Werth is Pujoils. He must be laughing his ass off, because if Werth merits $126, and Crawford does the $140 thing, then he knows that his number will be large enough to fund NASA.
The Cardinal brass must be on life support by now, because they have no clue how they are going to pay Puljois. They don't have the beer money to tap into anymore, and while Puljos (maybe I can spell his name right and choose not to) might give the Cards a hometown discount, he'll still rightfully be able to demand a contract that would make him the highest paid player ever.
I've normally been ambievelent about the Cards, although I showed the proper Philadelphia hate towards Drew and Rolen. St Louis, however is not one of my favorite stops. There is no way I could ever feel good about a city that allows both Bob Costas and Joe Buck to call it home.
Now, as I write, Ruben Amaro is sitting in his hotel room muttering obscenities under his breath. If Ruben drinks he is probably shit faced, and plans to stay that way until his wife makes him check into rehab.
He is running out of decent players to try and get to play RF, and the issues with the pen are still hanging over his head. Ordonez is still available, but Ruben doesn't have the kind of money to pay him to leave Detroit (but the Angels do!). Even Francoeur got a one year deal with KC at a price Ruben can pay. (Now starting in RF for your NL East Champion Phillies is Ross Gload/Ben Francisco) Amaro is probably afraid that people will start throwing stuff at him, even though he doesn't decide how much to spend. He'll take the heat. Shit, he's probably so desperate that he started scouting the reenactors.
If I just landed at PHL from another planet and the first thing I did was to turn on Sports Center I wouldn't believe you when you told me that the country was in the throes of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. How could I? Baseball mirrors the society in general in that the rich keep getting richer, while the rest of us fight for the crumbs. At some point the whole thing will collapse like the house of cards that it is, but until then LET"S PLAY BALL ALREADY!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
SOMEBODY WAKE RUBEN UP!
Last night I was watching the MLB network when none other than our man - Ruben Amaro was interviewed by the clones of the guys who were doing the interviews during the previous hour. Ruben spoke like the true politician he is and basically said nothing during his 5 minutes in front of the camera. He did, when asked about Jayson Werth, say that the Phillies had made Werth an offer, but nowhere near the numbers he got from Washington.
Before I roast Amaro I must say that he and his bosses would have been crazy to pay Werth the kind of money he is going to get from the Nats. Hey look, Werth is a nice player who has basically only played three seasons because of his various injuries; has hit over .300 once; and has only exceeded 30 HR's once; and has been named to one All-Star team once and that was because Charlie Manuel picked him. He is not worth Ryan Howard kind of numbers, even though he got it.
I wish him well in the District. I hope he hits about .234 with 14 HR's and drives in zero runs from the beginning of July through the end of August when the team will be buried in last place.
As for Amaro and his bosses., the one thing Amaro did say was that the Phillies fan base has the expectation that the club will make a big free agent or trade move every year. Ruben quashed that one pretty quick by flat out stating that it wasn't going to happen. It isn't in the cards.
Despite all of the money the team has spent, and is committed to spending over the next few years I feel that we fans have the right to expect them to try and keep the team on top - by any means possible. I don't believe that the proposed two-headed right field combo of Francisco/Gload will allow the team to compete for the title and it appears that Domonic Brown is not quite ready for prime time. Amaro said that his focus would be the bullpen - well I haven't read where Durbin has been re-signed, now did I? Durbin's re-signing would be a good start. They need a left-handed reliever desperately - so maybe Ruben ought to make the necessary moves.
The Phillies certainly do not have the resources of the Yankees, Red Sox, or even the Mets, but this is not a team that can honestly cry poverty as they are making money hand over fist. The faithful have crammed the stadium to overflowing for over a season during a time when ticket prices are starting to become unaffordable for many fans. They charge $4.00 for a bottle of water that can be had at any convenience store for 50¢, and could retire the national debt of Peru with what they charge for a 7,000 calorie sandwich which should be served hot - but isn't.
There is another matter I must remind you of. This is the same team that told us before they got their new stadium that they would not go after free agents until and unless we the people gave them a new stadium. They cried poor while they were blackmailing us. Well guess what - if you live and pay taxes in the Commonwealth you are currently and will for most of your lifetimes be paying off the bond issues floated to give the Phillies their new playground.
Fairness requires me to acknowledge that they did put some money up to sign and keep players, but it isn't our fault that Ibanez turned out to be a stiff, or that Rollins and Utley would begin a slide towards mediocrity. I certainly didn't agree to give Blanton the money he is making, but now I feel that we are being asked to suffer the consequences by having to watch what I believe will be a team that has seen its last playoff for quite a long time.
As long as they are playing in front of sell out crowds in a stadium they didn't have to pay for, the least they can do is continue to put the best product on the field - and they are not going to do it - and that pisses me off. Sure, we have a very good 1-2-3 starting rotation (Did you hear that Hamels?), but the rest of the staff is suspect at best and that includes Lidge.
If I'm right that the team, despite its pitching at the top is on the downslope then they need to make some moves like getting rid of Rollins and Utley so they can bring in some younger players who can produce. Hell, I'd even get rid of Hamels if it meant I could bring Lee back. No, I am not high, and I know that none of this is going to happen, but at least it's a plan that could keep the club competitive for years to come.
What set me off today was a rumor that the Nats were not finished shopping. It is said that they are going to make an attempt to sign Cliff Lee - that the Lerner brothers are prepared to go all in to bring a winner to Washington. Can you imagine how pissed we would all be if that happened, and how much better the Nats would be in 2012 when Strasberg comes back.
Ruben, it is time for your smug Mr. Cool act to end and for you to do something to justify the latest hike in ticket prices - and by that I don't mean signing Jeff Francouer. Give Carl Crawford a call, I hear he's available.
Before I roast Amaro I must say that he and his bosses would have been crazy to pay Werth the kind of money he is going to get from the Nats. Hey look, Werth is a nice player who has basically only played three seasons because of his various injuries; has hit over .300 once; and has only exceeded 30 HR's once; and has been named to one All-Star team once and that was because Charlie Manuel picked him. He is not worth Ryan Howard kind of numbers, even though he got it.
I wish him well in the District. I hope he hits about .234 with 14 HR's and drives in zero runs from the beginning of July through the end of August when the team will be buried in last place.
As for Amaro and his bosses., the one thing Amaro did say was that the Phillies fan base has the expectation that the club will make a big free agent or trade move every year. Ruben quashed that one pretty quick by flat out stating that it wasn't going to happen. It isn't in the cards.
Despite all of the money the team has spent, and is committed to spending over the next few years I feel that we fans have the right to expect them to try and keep the team on top - by any means possible. I don't believe that the proposed two-headed right field combo of Francisco/Gload will allow the team to compete for the title and it appears that Domonic Brown is not quite ready for prime time. Amaro said that his focus would be the bullpen - well I haven't read where Durbin has been re-signed, now did I? Durbin's re-signing would be a good start. They need a left-handed reliever desperately - so maybe Ruben ought to make the necessary moves.
The Phillies certainly do not have the resources of the Yankees, Red Sox, or even the Mets, but this is not a team that can honestly cry poverty as they are making money hand over fist. The faithful have crammed the stadium to overflowing for over a season during a time when ticket prices are starting to become unaffordable for many fans. They charge $4.00 for a bottle of water that can be had at any convenience store for 50¢, and could retire the national debt of Peru with what they charge for a 7,000 calorie sandwich which should be served hot - but isn't.
There is another matter I must remind you of. This is the same team that told us before they got their new stadium that they would not go after free agents until and unless we the people gave them a new stadium. They cried poor while they were blackmailing us. Well guess what - if you live and pay taxes in the Commonwealth you are currently and will for most of your lifetimes be paying off the bond issues floated to give the Phillies their new playground.
Fairness requires me to acknowledge that they did put some money up to sign and keep players, but it isn't our fault that Ibanez turned out to be a stiff, or that Rollins and Utley would begin a slide towards mediocrity. I certainly didn't agree to give Blanton the money he is making, but now I feel that we are being asked to suffer the consequences by having to watch what I believe will be a team that has seen its last playoff for quite a long time.
As long as they are playing in front of sell out crowds in a stadium they didn't have to pay for, the least they can do is continue to put the best product on the field - and they are not going to do it - and that pisses me off. Sure, we have a very good 1-2-3 starting rotation (Did you hear that Hamels?), but the rest of the staff is suspect at best and that includes Lidge.
If I'm right that the team, despite its pitching at the top is on the downslope then they need to make some moves like getting rid of Rollins and Utley so they can bring in some younger players who can produce. Hell, I'd even get rid of Hamels if it meant I could bring Lee back. No, I am not high, and I know that none of this is going to happen, but at least it's a plan that could keep the club competitive for years to come.
What set me off today was a rumor that the Nats were not finished shopping. It is said that they are going to make an attempt to sign Cliff Lee - that the Lerner brothers are prepared to go all in to bring a winner to Washington. Can you imagine how pissed we would all be if that happened, and how much better the Nats would be in 2012 when Strasberg comes back.
Ruben, it is time for your smug Mr. Cool act to end and for you to do something to justify the latest hike in ticket prices - and by that I don't mean signing Jeff Francouer. Give Carl Crawford a call, I hear he's available.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Carl Crawford says "Thank you, Jesus!"
According to Bill Conlin in todays Phila Daily News Carl Crawford is now on his knees saying, "thank you Jesus". Crawford, the Tampa Bay free agent star ought to put Scott Boras on the top of his Xmas list for setting the free agent market with the 7 year $126mm deal secured for his client, Jayson Werth. Crawford, who is younger than Werth and who is considered at the top of the free agent market should benefit greatly from the Werth Deal.
This long suffering fan is glad that the Hot Stove stuff is starting to get interesting as I was getting tired of nothing happening and having to listen to the fools on MLB talk about pretend deals - especially those proposed by Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal is in the HOF for making shit up, and should be tasered every time he lies - which would be every time he opens his mouth.
But lest this turns into a screed on the media, lets talk about the deals announced this weekend.
The Sawx made their move with the deal about to come down with the Padres which will bring Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for a bunch of prospects that most of us have never heard of. (Kind of reminds me of the guys we got for Cliff Lee.) The Yankees, as expected did deals with both Rivera and Jeter, and Jeter will now make less than Werth.
All of the above happened before the winter meetings even started - so maybe we will be entertained with a deluge of deals and gross amounts of money being paid to guys who could never even make the minimum in the real world - but MLB is not the real world.
Our boy Ruben has stated that the Phillies had made a signifigant offer to Werth - reported to be in the neighborhood of $60mm. (This is the same Ruben who a couple of weeks ago tried to tell us that Ibanez and Werth were comparable players. Uh huh!) Sixty million dollars is a lot of money, but $126mm is a whole lot more. Ruben now has a problem which I'll speak to in a bit.
For his part, Werth said that the negotiations with the Phillies made him feel unwanted here, and that he no longer felt part of the teams plans for the future. Poor baby felt unwanted! Gang if anyone ever offered me any amount of money to play in the show I would feel very wanted.
Werth now gets to play for the Nats, which means of course that he goes from first to last and will play in front of a more than half empty stadium in front of Ryan Zimmermans family and a few lobbyists who go to the park to celebrate bribing a few congresspeople to let the banks do what ever they want. Contrast that with playing in front of a packed house of true baseball zealots which include tons of women who thinks he has a nice ass. The bottom line of course is that the Nats made Werth a godfather offer - which Werth had to take. Yes, it's that simple - money talks and everything else doesn't matter squat.
That Werth signed the 13th largest contract in MLB history doesn't bother me in the least. The fact that he will be playing against our beloved candystripers 18 times a year doesn't bother me either, especially since we still have the aforementioned Raul Ibanez, and the untouchable Domonic Brown.
You remember Brown. He was the guy that Ruben said was absolutely untouchable as far as trades were concerned. Ruben told us that Brown had all the tools and the potential to be a superstar for many years. I wonder if this is the same Domonic Brown who went 2 for 29 in the DR, and was just sent home due to his being tired and exhausted from playing so much baseball over the past year. (Duh) The guy coming back from the DR can't be the same guy who was going to be our right fielder for the next ten years and make us forget Jayson Werth. No, this must be someone else, because our guy could hit, and this guy showed when he came up this past season that he can't hit ml pitching, and had no clue how to play defense. No, our guy is in hiding somewhere because so far this 2 for 29 guy hasn't shown this long suffering fan that he can replace Eric Bruntlett let alone Jayson Werth.
So now our boy Ruben has his work cut out for him. Let's see.....a right fielder, some middle relief, and more suckers to pay 5.00 for a friggin Hatfield hot dog. The challenges are daunting for Ruben, and we'll just have to wait and see just what he'll come up with. I know it won't be Carl Crawford.
On other fronts. I watched my NFL Red Zone yesterday and saw several players get penalized for making horse collar tackles. The mamby pamby league ought to just outlaw tackling all together and fit everyone with a flag. I, like most who watch the NFL look for and want vicious hitting. I live for a good chop block, and have a hard time with the whole concept of protecting "defenseless players". It's bad enough I have to watch grown men run around in silly looking uniforms, but if I can't see guys go down like they have been shot I'll look for something else to occupy my time on Sundays.
On a high note, while I didn't see it, I was thrilled to see Tiger go into the last day of his tournament with a lead and have him blow it. Tiger, you remember is the guy who likes waitresses and has until yesterday never lost a tourney when he had the lead going into the last day. His loss yesterday meant that for the first time since turning pro in 1996 he went through an entire season without a victory. Makes me believe that there are gods of golf out there somewhere.
Growing up in the greatest city in the world when I did meant that you got to see some of the greatest basketball on the planet. I mean we had it all.
There was of course the Big Five. Big Five doubleheaders were played at the Palestra twice a week in front of capacity crowds. Nationally ranked teams would come to the Palestra and go home wondering what the hell had just happened to them. To go along with the colleges, the Philadelphia Public League was fielding some of the greatest teams of all time with the likes of Overbrook, West Philly, Gratz and Bartram. Graduates of these schools could be found all over the NBA.
Then of course we had a 76ers team that not only featured home grown talent like Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain and Wally Jones, but also contended for championships every year. It was a special time, and no one loved it more than a guy named Phil Jasner. Phil Jasner grew up in Wynnefield, attended Overbrook High School and Temple University at a time when both 'Brook and Temple played great basketball. Phil couldn't play the game very well, but he could sure write about it and became the 76ers beat writer for the Daily News, a post he had since 1981 until his death the other day at the all to young age of 68.
I met Phil back in the early 80's when we joined the now defunct Gamma Swim Club. Most of the members were people who had grown up in West Philly, Wynnefield, or Overbrook Park, and most of us knew most of the members since childhood. While Phil and his wife were not part of our inner circle of friends, everybody knew the guy from school or the old Jewish 'hood we grew up in.
Phil was always approachable and would talk basketball at any time with anyone. I always enjoyed his inside stories of Wilt, Billy C, and the Doc. He never gave up dirt, but always humanized these stars. As a writer, Phil had an integrity not always found by sportswriters today looking to make a name for themselves. Unlike fools such as Gonzo (a real bad toupee?) or Eskin, Phil's writing wasn't about making Phil look good. Rather it was about reporting the facts and getting them right. If you read something in Phil's column you might not agree with him, but you knew that he had done his homework. He didn't print it if he couldn't verify it.
For most of his tenure, the Sixers sucked, but he never let that get in the way of his reporting, and unlike people like Stephen A. Smith who wrote angry, Phil stuck to the facts and always gave up quality reporting. I'll miss his columns, but I'll miss the man more.
Phil and I were not close friends. He was always cordial whenever we bumped into each other long after the swim club days were over. I'd bump into him at the Genuardi's in St. Davids from time to time and always enjoyed our 5 minute chats while picking out tomatoes. Phil's wife suffered from Lupus and despite his grueling travel schedule he found time to do the grocery shopping and other such mundane chores for his family.
The sports world and the human race lost a mensch the other day, but this long suffering fan is glad that I had the opportunity to know the man just a little.
This long suffering fan is glad that the Hot Stove stuff is starting to get interesting as I was getting tired of nothing happening and having to listen to the fools on MLB talk about pretend deals - especially those proposed by Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal is in the HOF for making shit up, and should be tasered every time he lies - which would be every time he opens his mouth.
But lest this turns into a screed on the media, lets talk about the deals announced this weekend.
The Sawx made their move with the deal about to come down with the Padres which will bring Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for a bunch of prospects that most of us have never heard of. (Kind of reminds me of the guys we got for Cliff Lee.) The Yankees, as expected did deals with both Rivera and Jeter, and Jeter will now make less than Werth.
All of the above happened before the winter meetings even started - so maybe we will be entertained with a deluge of deals and gross amounts of money being paid to guys who could never even make the minimum in the real world - but MLB is not the real world.
Our boy Ruben has stated that the Phillies had made a signifigant offer to Werth - reported to be in the neighborhood of $60mm. (This is the same Ruben who a couple of weeks ago tried to tell us that Ibanez and Werth were comparable players. Uh huh!) Sixty million dollars is a lot of money, but $126mm is a whole lot more. Ruben now has a problem which I'll speak to in a bit.
For his part, Werth said that the negotiations with the Phillies made him feel unwanted here, and that he no longer felt part of the teams plans for the future. Poor baby felt unwanted! Gang if anyone ever offered me any amount of money to play in the show I would feel very wanted.
Werth now gets to play for the Nats, which means of course that he goes from first to last and will play in front of a more than half empty stadium in front of Ryan Zimmermans family and a few lobbyists who go to the park to celebrate bribing a few congresspeople to let the banks do what ever they want. Contrast that with playing in front of a packed house of true baseball zealots which include tons of women who thinks he has a nice ass. The bottom line of course is that the Nats made Werth a godfather offer - which Werth had to take. Yes, it's that simple - money talks and everything else doesn't matter squat.
That Werth signed the 13th largest contract in MLB history doesn't bother me in the least. The fact that he will be playing against our beloved candystripers 18 times a year doesn't bother me either, especially since we still have the aforementioned Raul Ibanez, and the untouchable Domonic Brown.
You remember Brown. He was the guy that Ruben said was absolutely untouchable as far as trades were concerned. Ruben told us that Brown had all the tools and the potential to be a superstar for many years. I wonder if this is the same Domonic Brown who went 2 for 29 in the DR, and was just sent home due to his being tired and exhausted from playing so much baseball over the past year. (Duh) The guy coming back from the DR can't be the same guy who was going to be our right fielder for the next ten years and make us forget Jayson Werth. No, this must be someone else, because our guy could hit, and this guy showed when he came up this past season that he can't hit ml pitching, and had no clue how to play defense. No, our guy is in hiding somewhere because so far this 2 for 29 guy hasn't shown this long suffering fan that he can replace Eric Bruntlett let alone Jayson Werth.
So now our boy Ruben has his work cut out for him. Let's see.....a right fielder, some middle relief, and more suckers to pay 5.00 for a friggin Hatfield hot dog. The challenges are daunting for Ruben, and we'll just have to wait and see just what he'll come up with. I know it won't be Carl Crawford.
On other fronts. I watched my NFL Red Zone yesterday and saw several players get penalized for making horse collar tackles. The mamby pamby league ought to just outlaw tackling all together and fit everyone with a flag. I, like most who watch the NFL look for and want vicious hitting. I live for a good chop block, and have a hard time with the whole concept of protecting "defenseless players". It's bad enough I have to watch grown men run around in silly looking uniforms, but if I can't see guys go down like they have been shot I'll look for something else to occupy my time on Sundays.
On a high note, while I didn't see it, I was thrilled to see Tiger go into the last day of his tournament with a lead and have him blow it. Tiger, you remember is the guy who likes waitresses and has until yesterday never lost a tourney when he had the lead going into the last day. His loss yesterday meant that for the first time since turning pro in 1996 he went through an entire season without a victory. Makes me believe that there are gods of golf out there somewhere.
Growing up in the greatest city in the world when I did meant that you got to see some of the greatest basketball on the planet. I mean we had it all.
There was of course the Big Five. Big Five doubleheaders were played at the Palestra twice a week in front of capacity crowds. Nationally ranked teams would come to the Palestra and go home wondering what the hell had just happened to them. To go along with the colleges, the Philadelphia Public League was fielding some of the greatest teams of all time with the likes of Overbrook, West Philly, Gratz and Bartram. Graduates of these schools could be found all over the NBA.
Then of course we had a 76ers team that not only featured home grown talent like Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain and Wally Jones, but also contended for championships every year. It was a special time, and no one loved it more than a guy named Phil Jasner. Phil Jasner grew up in Wynnefield, attended Overbrook High School and Temple University at a time when both 'Brook and Temple played great basketball. Phil couldn't play the game very well, but he could sure write about it and became the 76ers beat writer for the Daily News, a post he had since 1981 until his death the other day at the all to young age of 68.
I met Phil back in the early 80's when we joined the now defunct Gamma Swim Club. Most of the members were people who had grown up in West Philly, Wynnefield, or Overbrook Park, and most of us knew most of the members since childhood. While Phil and his wife were not part of our inner circle of friends, everybody knew the guy from school or the old Jewish 'hood we grew up in.
Phil was always approachable and would talk basketball at any time with anyone. I always enjoyed his inside stories of Wilt, Billy C, and the Doc. He never gave up dirt, but always humanized these stars. As a writer, Phil had an integrity not always found by sportswriters today looking to make a name for themselves. Unlike fools such as Gonzo (a real bad toupee?) or Eskin, Phil's writing wasn't about making Phil look good. Rather it was about reporting the facts and getting them right. If you read something in Phil's column you might not agree with him, but you knew that he had done his homework. He didn't print it if he couldn't verify it.
For most of his tenure, the Sixers sucked, but he never let that get in the way of his reporting, and unlike people like Stephen A. Smith who wrote angry, Phil stuck to the facts and always gave up quality reporting. I'll miss his columns, but I'll miss the man more.
Phil and I were not close friends. He was always cordial whenever we bumped into each other long after the swim club days were over. I'd bump into him at the Genuardi's in St. Davids from time to time and always enjoyed our 5 minute chats while picking out tomatoes. Phil's wife suffered from Lupus and despite his grueling travel schedule he found time to do the grocery shopping and other such mundane chores for his family.
The sports world and the human race lost a mensch the other day, but this long suffering fan is glad that I had the opportunity to know the man just a little.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A VERY SPECIAL NUMBER - 32 THAT IS!
When we were kids we usually had a favorite number. We might have loved the number 20 if we were Mike Schmidt fans, or perhaps it was 44 if we adored Hank Aaron or Reggie. Both of those numbers have been worn by many great athletes, but neither approach the number of superstar athletes who have worn the number 32. I have discovered 16 members of various HOF's that have worn that magic number, and a few who will join them when their careers are finished.
For the sake of my point let me list them. (Take notes as there will be a quiz later)
Baseball: Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Dave Winfield, Elston Howard, & Chuck Klein.
Football: Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, O.J. Simpson,
Basketball: Magic Johnson, Bill Walton (w/Portland), Julius Erving (w ABA Nets), Kevin McHale, Shaq (w/ Magic), Karl Malone, Billy Cunningham
Soccer: David Becham (I hate soccer)
Other: Roman Chechmanek (I needed a hockey player), a former Flyer will not be in the HOF, & Johnny Gray, a pitcher with the 1954 Phila A's, also a non HOF player, but I wanted a Philly A's guy.
The above list is quite formidable, and I was fortunate to have seen many of them play in person.
It was very sweet when Philadelphia had a pro basketball franchise. I was privileged to have been able to watch Doc and Billy C lead the Sixers to two separate titles. Cunningham was called The Kangaroo Kid for his ability to jump. This product of Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall H.S. could shoot, rebound, pass, and play defense like a man possessed. It was said that he was only white on the outside. Doc was Michael Jordan before Jordan was Jordan. He could practically fly, and nobody could do the acrobatic dunking thing like he could. In one game to avoid a Celtic defender he actually went into the air traveling behind the pole only to emerge on the other side of the basket to score without ever touching the court. Jordan never did anything like that. (I loathe Jordan)
And who could forget the artistry that Steve Carlton practiced with his slider. It was sick how much the ball broke when he had the going right. There were nights when hitters begged a game off so that they wouldn't be made to look bad by Lefty. Sure, Carlton was whacked out of his head, but he was the greatest pitcher ever to wear the candystripes - and that includes Halladay and Roberts.
Dave Winfield deserves mention (despite having played for the Yankees) as being one of the greatest athletes of all time. The guy terrorized the AL for years, but how many know that he was a three sport star at the U of Minnesota and was drafted by both the NFL & the NBA? Elston Howard (also a hated Yankee) was the first black player to play for the Yankees and he forced Berra to become an outfielder because of his catching ability.
Before turning to the running backs I must mention just how great Magic Johnson was. After leading his Michigan State Spartans to an NCAA title over Larry Bird & Indiana State he became one of the top 5 NBA players of all time in my not so humble opinion. He was the first of the 6'9" guards. How sick is that - a guy that big who could put on the moves of an Oscar Robertson and be the floor general for the great Laker teams of the 80's and who, by the way, could shoot and rebound with the best of them. Yes, Virginia the Magic man COULD play defense. (Sit down Jordan - we have Magic - your services are not needed)
The only game I could play with any amount of skill was football, so I've saved the gridders for last. Sometime I'll tell the story of being run over by Cheltenham's Reggie Jackson in a H.S. game in 1963.
There may one or two of you wondering why I have not anecdoted David Beckham's greatness. Quit while you are ahead. He is a soccer player, which means I have never seen him play - nor will I ever see him play. I know that billions of people around the world love and play the game. I know that 79 pro soccer leagues have attempted to make a go of it in this country failing in each attempt. I know that Philadelphia now has a team called the Union, and I know that they sell out and that they suck. They don't even play in Philly for heavens sake - they play in Chester where the locals' favorite sport is to shoot at each other. David Beckham has movie star looks and probably gets laid more than any of us, but so what. The only good thing about the whole sport is Andres Kantor, who has never scored a goalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll !
Last comment on soccer. I know that there are a lot of youth leagues out there, especially out on The Main Line. All that proves is that a bunch of spoiled parents are afraid to let their spoiled kids play the real game of football. My god, Kyle might mess up his $12,000 orthodontics work. Screw Kyle and his parents. I hope he gets hit in the head with a soccer ball.
Now back to a real game and real superstars. There are 4 members of the football hall of fame that wore the number 32. I'll start with Marcus Allen who came out of USC and tore up the NFL for years. The guy was fun to watch as he could at one instant remind one of Gayle Sayers before turning into a bruising heads on runner who had deceptive strength. He was as graceful as a ballet dancer and played for the Raiders when the Raiders were the Raiders - when Al Davis knew he owned a football team.
Next on our list of running backs is a guy who is now starring in a real-life remake of the Longest Yard. Juice was a "slashing" kind of runner (I couldn't help myself). He was as quick on the field as he was with a blade in his hand, and like Allen played collegiately at USC. Putting his several personality and behavioral issues aside the guy was a joy to watch on the field. Playing in the hellhole of Buffalo - neither rain nor sleet nor snow could stop the guy. He was the first runner in NFL history to run for over 2000 tards in a single season. That was a truly amazing feat.
Our third HOFer to sport #32 was a kid out of Rancocas Valley NJ. For college he chose to wear the most beautiful uniform in college football history. His running style for the Nittany Lions was as no frills as was his uniform. Plain and simple - you gave Franco Harris the ball and he ran over people. The fancy running was done by his teamate Lydell Mitchell, but Franco was the bull. He never got hurt and he helped lead Penn State to not one, but two undefeated seasons.
Not satisfied with the great success he had at PSU he the had an amazing career as the feature back for the great Steeler teams of the 1970's. Trust me when I say that those guys could win today in the NFL even though they were much smaller than the players of today. They were hard core hitters and could beat you with Franco running the ball or with a passing attack that had Terry Bradshaw throwing to the tandem receivers of Stallworth & Swan. I still enjoy watching films of these guys beating the Cowboys in two Super Bowls. (I do hate the Cowboys) My Italian friends always had a bit of a problem with him because he is half Black & half Italian. As such he wasn't fully embraced as a hero by some Italo-Americans who are a bit sensitive to their own genetic heritage (see Dennis Hopper for more information). Whenever Harris is brought up many invoke the "one drop" rule and change the subject. (They don't like talking about the great Dodger catcher Roy Campanella either).
Our final running back who wore #32 is none other than the greatest collegiate lacrosse player of all time. (Don't even talk to me about some the Gait brothers as they couldn't carry my guy's sticks) Jim Browns first athletic love was lacrosse. His second was football. After tearing up the competition on Long Island Brown went to Syracuse on a combination lacrosse/football scholarship. The lacrosse coach loved him and had no problem playing the first African-American major college lacrosse player. Ben Schwartzwalder, the football coach, was another matter. Big Ben was a racist. He swore that this "nigger" would never take a spot away from one of his boys. True to Ben's word, when Brown joined the Syracuse varsity eleven he was listed as the third string fullback. Being the third string fullback meant that you never had to worry about preparing for a game because you weren't going to play - not even on special teams - unless both of the guys listed ahead of you got hurt.
The Gods Of Gootball were not amused with Schwartzwalder's racism and - lo and behold - arranged for both the first and second string fullbacks to suffer season ending injuries. The rest as they say is history. Brown got his chance and terrorized all he played against. First of all he played at 230 lbs which for the mid 1950's was the size of linemen, not running backs. Secondly, he was fast, quick, and strong. In college he was virtually unstoppable and he parlayed his collegiate success into becoming the first round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns.
Once he hit the playing fields of the NFL he again became the best of the best. He played only nine years for the Browns and was named ALL-Pro in each and every season. He never missed a game because of injury although many a defender had to leave the game after being hit by Brown. Brown could not usually be brought down by one tackler - most often it took two or three guys to get him down.
Brown had the ability of running through you or around you, and he played angry. He was an early participant in the civil rights movement by his own account was not very fond of white folk. He made them pay on the field.
In his nine seasons Brown gained 12,312 yards on 2359 carries. For you non math majors that translates into 5.2 yards per carry. Brown played in only 118 games (the season was 12 games long until 1960, then 14 until the end of his career in 1965 - not the 16 games of today) Again non math majors that translates into a per game average of 104 rushing yards per game. Today's greats can't even hope to average 100 plus yards a game - look it up. He scored 106 rushing TDs and for the cherry on top he added 20 passing TDs. He did fumble from time to time. In fact he fumbled a total of 57 times or once every 41 carries.
It is very clear that Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the history of the game. But wait long suffering fan - how can you say that - Emmitt Smith holds the rushing record with 18355 yards. Yes he does Cowboy fans, but not so fast with the accolade as best running back of all time. Smith played in 226 games. Even good Republican math shows that he played in 108 more games than Brown which means a career per game average of 81.2 yards per game. His per carry average was 4.1 yards - more than one yard less per carry than Brown. Smith also had the advantage of playing on teams with multi-faceted offensive threats. What I mean you closeted Cowboy fans is that Aikman had people to throw to whereas when you played the Browns you knew that Jim Brown was the Browns offense. Emmitt Smith wasn't even as good a running back as the guy who took Browns place when he quit football to make the movie "The Dirty Dozen" (I'm referring to Phillys own LeRoy Kelly).
I've saved my favorite #32 for last. On my wall next to my computer is an autographed photo of a pitcher who refused to pitch on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, even when his Dodgers were playing in the World Series. He hailed from Brooklyn and was signed out of the University of Cincinnati by his hometown Dodgers for what was then a princely sum of $20,000. That amount qualified him as a bonus baby and that meant that the Dodgers had to keep him on the parent club before he was ready to play in the show.
While Sandy Koufax was indeed a member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers team he didn't contribute to the teams only World Series win while in Brooklyn. The Dodgers were befuddled by his lack of success. Here was a guy with a 90 mph curve ball, a 90 mph change-up and a fastball that observers of the time swore exceeded 100 mph who had a 36-40 won loss record from 1955 until 1960 and never had an ERA below 3.00 with most years coming in above 4.00. The problem was his control, and his pedestrian pitching days ended when catcher Norm Sherry convinced him to throw slower - which allowed Koufax to gain control over his pitches.
The slower throwing (95 mph fastball) Koufax went 129-47 from 1961 through his last season of 1966, and had three seasons where his ERA was below 2.00. How sick is that? During that period he threw 35 shutouts, struck out 1713 while only walking 412, and completed 115 games. (Halladay had 9 this year as a basis of comparison) In three of those magical years he pitched over 300 innings and in 1965 he struck out 382 batters.
The most money Koufax ever made was in his last year when he ws paid $125,000. Today, only the Yankees could afford to pay him, and whatever Cliff Lee gets would be chump change compared to what Sandy would command.
The long suffering fan was a bit long winded today, but how could I not be given all of the great athletes who have worn #32 on their uniforms. Look it up if you care to, but no other uniform number is as represented in the various Halls Of Fame as is 32. There may be others wearing numbers other than 32 who are better than some on today's list, but that is a discussion for another day, on another birthday!
Happy Birthday Son, I love you very much and wouldn't trade you for anybody.
For the sake of my point let me list them. (Take notes as there will be a quiz later)
Baseball: Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Dave Winfield, Elston Howard, & Chuck Klein.
Football: Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, O.J. Simpson,
Basketball: Magic Johnson, Bill Walton (w/Portland), Julius Erving (w ABA Nets), Kevin McHale, Shaq (w/ Magic), Karl Malone, Billy Cunningham
Soccer: David Becham (I hate soccer)
Other: Roman Chechmanek (I needed a hockey player), a former Flyer will not be in the HOF, & Johnny Gray, a pitcher with the 1954 Phila A's, also a non HOF player, but I wanted a Philly A's guy.
The above list is quite formidable, and I was fortunate to have seen many of them play in person.
It was very sweet when Philadelphia had a pro basketball franchise. I was privileged to have been able to watch Doc and Billy C lead the Sixers to two separate titles. Cunningham was called The Kangaroo Kid for his ability to jump. This product of Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall H.S. could shoot, rebound, pass, and play defense like a man possessed. It was said that he was only white on the outside. Doc was Michael Jordan before Jordan was Jordan. He could practically fly, and nobody could do the acrobatic dunking thing like he could. In one game to avoid a Celtic defender he actually went into the air traveling behind the pole only to emerge on the other side of the basket to score without ever touching the court. Jordan never did anything like that. (I loathe Jordan)
And who could forget the artistry that Steve Carlton practiced with his slider. It was sick how much the ball broke when he had the going right. There were nights when hitters begged a game off so that they wouldn't be made to look bad by Lefty. Sure, Carlton was whacked out of his head, but he was the greatest pitcher ever to wear the candystripes - and that includes Halladay and Roberts.
Dave Winfield deserves mention (despite having played for the Yankees) as being one of the greatest athletes of all time. The guy terrorized the AL for years, but how many know that he was a three sport star at the U of Minnesota and was drafted by both the NFL & the NBA? Elston Howard (also a hated Yankee) was the first black player to play for the Yankees and he forced Berra to become an outfielder because of his catching ability.
Before turning to the running backs I must mention just how great Magic Johnson was. After leading his Michigan State Spartans to an NCAA title over Larry Bird & Indiana State he became one of the top 5 NBA players of all time in my not so humble opinion. He was the first of the 6'9" guards. How sick is that - a guy that big who could put on the moves of an Oscar Robertson and be the floor general for the great Laker teams of the 80's and who, by the way, could shoot and rebound with the best of them. Yes, Virginia the Magic man COULD play defense. (Sit down Jordan - we have Magic - your services are not needed)
The only game I could play with any amount of skill was football, so I've saved the gridders for last. Sometime I'll tell the story of being run over by Cheltenham's Reggie Jackson in a H.S. game in 1963.
There may one or two of you wondering why I have not anecdoted David Beckham's greatness. Quit while you are ahead. He is a soccer player, which means I have never seen him play - nor will I ever see him play. I know that billions of people around the world love and play the game. I know that 79 pro soccer leagues have attempted to make a go of it in this country failing in each attempt. I know that Philadelphia now has a team called the Union, and I know that they sell out and that they suck. They don't even play in Philly for heavens sake - they play in Chester where the locals' favorite sport is to shoot at each other. David Beckham has movie star looks and probably gets laid more than any of us, but so what. The only good thing about the whole sport is Andres Kantor, who has never scored a goalllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Last comment on soccer. I know that there are a lot of youth leagues out there, especially out on The Main Line. All that proves is that a bunch of spoiled parents are afraid to let their spoiled kids play the real game of football. My god, Kyle might mess up his $12,000 orthodontics work. Screw Kyle and his parents. I hope he gets hit in the head with a soccer ball.
Now back to a real game and real superstars. There are 4 members of the football hall of fame that wore the number 32. I'll start with Marcus Allen who came out of USC and tore up the NFL for years. The guy was fun to watch as he could at one instant remind one of Gayle Sayers before turning into a bruising heads on runner who had deceptive strength. He was as graceful as a ballet dancer and played for the Raiders when the Raiders were the Raiders - when Al Davis knew he owned a football team.
Next on our list of running backs is a guy who is now starring in a real-life remake of the Longest Yard. Juice was a "slashing" kind of runner (I couldn't help myself). He was as quick on the field as he was with a blade in his hand, and like Allen played collegiately at USC. Putting his several personality and behavioral issues aside the guy was a joy to watch on the field. Playing in the hellhole of Buffalo - neither rain nor sleet nor snow could stop the guy. He was the first runner in NFL history to run for over 2000 tards in a single season. That was a truly amazing feat.
Our third HOFer to sport #32 was a kid out of Rancocas Valley NJ. For college he chose to wear the most beautiful uniform in college football history. His running style for the Nittany Lions was as no frills as was his uniform. Plain and simple - you gave Franco Harris the ball and he ran over people. The fancy running was done by his teamate Lydell Mitchell, but Franco was the bull. He never got hurt and he helped lead Penn State to not one, but two undefeated seasons.
Not satisfied with the great success he had at PSU he the had an amazing career as the feature back for the great Steeler teams of the 1970's. Trust me when I say that those guys could win today in the NFL even though they were much smaller than the players of today. They were hard core hitters and could beat you with Franco running the ball or with a passing attack that had Terry Bradshaw throwing to the tandem receivers of Stallworth & Swan. I still enjoy watching films of these guys beating the Cowboys in two Super Bowls. (I do hate the Cowboys) My Italian friends always had a bit of a problem with him because he is half Black & half Italian. As such he wasn't fully embraced as a hero by some Italo-Americans who are a bit sensitive to their own genetic heritage (see Dennis Hopper for more information). Whenever Harris is brought up many invoke the "one drop" rule and change the subject. (They don't like talking about the great Dodger catcher Roy Campanella either).
Our final running back who wore #32 is none other than the greatest collegiate lacrosse player of all time. (Don't even talk to me about some the Gait brothers as they couldn't carry my guy's sticks) Jim Browns first athletic love was lacrosse. His second was football. After tearing up the competition on Long Island Brown went to Syracuse on a combination lacrosse/football scholarship. The lacrosse coach loved him and had no problem playing the first African-American major college lacrosse player. Ben Schwartzwalder, the football coach, was another matter. Big Ben was a racist. He swore that this "nigger" would never take a spot away from one of his boys. True to Ben's word, when Brown joined the Syracuse varsity eleven he was listed as the third string fullback. Being the third string fullback meant that you never had to worry about preparing for a game because you weren't going to play - not even on special teams - unless both of the guys listed ahead of you got hurt.
The Gods Of Gootball were not amused with Schwartzwalder's racism and - lo and behold - arranged for both the first and second string fullbacks to suffer season ending injuries. The rest as they say is history. Brown got his chance and terrorized all he played against. First of all he played at 230 lbs which for the mid 1950's was the size of linemen, not running backs. Secondly, he was fast, quick, and strong. In college he was virtually unstoppable and he parlayed his collegiate success into becoming the first round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns.
Once he hit the playing fields of the NFL he again became the best of the best. He played only nine years for the Browns and was named ALL-Pro in each and every season. He never missed a game because of injury although many a defender had to leave the game after being hit by Brown. Brown could not usually be brought down by one tackler - most often it took two or three guys to get him down.
Brown had the ability of running through you or around you, and he played angry. He was an early participant in the civil rights movement by his own account was not very fond of white folk. He made them pay on the field.
In his nine seasons Brown gained 12,312 yards on 2359 carries. For you non math majors that translates into 5.2 yards per carry. Brown played in only 118 games (the season was 12 games long until 1960, then 14 until the end of his career in 1965 - not the 16 games of today) Again non math majors that translates into a per game average of 104 rushing yards per game. Today's greats can't even hope to average 100 plus yards a game - look it up. He scored 106 rushing TDs and for the cherry on top he added 20 passing TDs. He did fumble from time to time. In fact he fumbled a total of 57 times or once every 41 carries.
It is very clear that Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the history of the game. But wait long suffering fan - how can you say that - Emmitt Smith holds the rushing record with 18355 yards. Yes he does Cowboy fans, but not so fast with the accolade as best running back of all time. Smith played in 226 games. Even good Republican math shows that he played in 108 more games than Brown which means a career per game average of 81.2 yards per game. His per carry average was 4.1 yards - more than one yard less per carry than Brown. Smith also had the advantage of playing on teams with multi-faceted offensive threats. What I mean you closeted Cowboy fans is that Aikman had people to throw to whereas when you played the Browns you knew that Jim Brown was the Browns offense. Emmitt Smith wasn't even as good a running back as the guy who took Browns place when he quit football to make the movie "The Dirty Dozen" (I'm referring to Phillys own LeRoy Kelly).
I've saved my favorite #32 for last. On my wall next to my computer is an autographed photo of a pitcher who refused to pitch on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, even when his Dodgers were playing in the World Series. He hailed from Brooklyn and was signed out of the University of Cincinnati by his hometown Dodgers for what was then a princely sum of $20,000. That amount qualified him as a bonus baby and that meant that the Dodgers had to keep him on the parent club before he was ready to play in the show.
While Sandy Koufax was indeed a member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers team he didn't contribute to the teams only World Series win while in Brooklyn. The Dodgers were befuddled by his lack of success. Here was a guy with a 90 mph curve ball, a 90 mph change-up and a fastball that observers of the time swore exceeded 100 mph who had a 36-40 won loss record from 1955 until 1960 and never had an ERA below 3.00 with most years coming in above 4.00. The problem was his control, and his pedestrian pitching days ended when catcher Norm Sherry convinced him to throw slower - which allowed Koufax to gain control over his pitches.
The slower throwing (95 mph fastball) Koufax went 129-47 from 1961 through his last season of 1966, and had three seasons where his ERA was below 2.00. How sick is that? During that period he threw 35 shutouts, struck out 1713 while only walking 412, and completed 115 games. (Halladay had 9 this year as a basis of comparison) In three of those magical years he pitched over 300 innings and in 1965 he struck out 382 batters.
The most money Koufax ever made was in his last year when he ws paid $125,000. Today, only the Yankees could afford to pay him, and whatever Cliff Lee gets would be chump change compared to what Sandy would command.
The long suffering fan was a bit long winded today, but how could I not be given all of the great athletes who have worn #32 on their uniforms. Look it up if you care to, but no other uniform number is as represented in the various Halls Of Fame as is 32. There may be others wearing numbers other than 32 who are better than some on today's list, but that is a discussion for another day, on another birthday!
Happy Birthday Son, I love you very much and wouldn't trade you for anybody.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Happy Happy
HAPPY CHANUKAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, it's December already - which means it's time to eat latkes and spin the dreidel.
Of course it also means that spoiled Main Line Jewish kids will or the most part have their sense of entitlement heightened by the swag they receive over the next 8 days. I imagine a lot of electronic shit being given to kids who won't really appreciate the stuff and will wonder why they didn't get more.
Oh well - "why not," I say. Somebody has to get the shit, so why not Jewish kids? Of course many of them will also do the Xmas thing and will cruise into the new year dreaming of their next big score.
The brighter among you may have noticed that my spelling of the holiday begins with the letter C instead of the letter H. Everywhere I go I see Chanukah spelled Hanukah or Hannukah. In my opinion the newer spelling is a Hallmark-led conspiracy to force we members of the tribe to further assimilate ourselves into the world of Wonderbread, mayonnaise on hamburgers, Republicanism, and other such horrors.
I for one will not bite into that shit sandwich (with Miracle Whip). I don't wear polyester either - so take that DuPont!
I intend to continue spelling this holiday with a C as the first letter. While I believe in maintaining certain traditions and discarding others, the keeping of the letter C in front of hanukah is important for security and identification purposes.
No, the long suffering fan has not slipped over the edge. By placing the letter C in front there is created a CH sound that non-Jews cannot pronounce properly. No matter how hard they try, they find it impossible to pronounce it correctly. I have tried to teach my non-Jewish friends the proper way, but they always fail. Most make the sound of the letter K, which tells me immedietly that they are gentiles (goyim to those who can pronounce it correctly). That doesn't make them bad people or anything like that - it just means that they are of a non-Jewish ethnic group and will be forever CH-challenged. Sorry gang, but there is no medication to fix this problem.
All Jews have a genetic ability to pronounce this sound correctly (unless they have been raised in an ultra-reform tradition which teaches them how to pray like their gentile neighbors. These folks will not pronounce it properly, and almost surely will name their kids Kyle, or Sean.)
The proper pronunciation of the sound allow us to identify other Heebs, especially those who have had their names changed so as to hide the fact that they are from the tribe. We used to be able to check a guys 'junk' (just like Hitler's friends used to do) but now fully 70% of American men have had a snip job, so now we have to rely on the CH test.
Chanukah isn't the only word which gives us a good ID check. My lady friend who is by no means a member of the tribe has known me for 5 years and still calls me a smuk instead of schmuck. She just can't pronounce it correctly, but I do understand that when she mis-pronounces that word it means that there will be no joy in Mudville that night. (Why do women stay pissed longer than guys? Another one of those mystery questions of life.)
I'll close by attempting to teach those of you who are CH-challanged how to properly pronounce it. Good luck. The proper pronunciation has a similar sound as when you are bringing up a big juicy gob of phlegm. The sound begins in the throat, gang, just like the loogie you bring up. Now when I watch people try, they usually can make the phlegm sound, but fail when making it flow into the rest of the word. I urge you to practice because if you get it right you will be allowed to celebrate the holiday and not have to wait until Xmas to get your shit, and can experience the joy of assembling things for your kids twice in the same month.
Wow, it's December already - which means it's time to eat latkes and spin the dreidel.
Of course it also means that spoiled Main Line Jewish kids will or the most part have their sense of entitlement heightened by the swag they receive over the next 8 days. I imagine a lot of electronic shit being given to kids who won't really appreciate the stuff and will wonder why they didn't get more.
Oh well - "why not," I say. Somebody has to get the shit, so why not Jewish kids? Of course many of them will also do the Xmas thing and will cruise into the new year dreaming of their next big score.
The brighter among you may have noticed that my spelling of the holiday begins with the letter C instead of the letter H. Everywhere I go I see Chanukah spelled Hanukah or Hannukah. In my opinion the newer spelling is a Hallmark-led conspiracy to force we members of the tribe to further assimilate ourselves into the world of Wonderbread, mayonnaise on hamburgers, Republicanism, and other such horrors.
I for one will not bite into that shit sandwich (with Miracle Whip). I don't wear polyester either - so take that DuPont!
I intend to continue spelling this holiday with a C as the first letter. While I believe in maintaining certain traditions and discarding others, the keeping of the letter C in front of hanukah is important for security and identification purposes.
No, the long suffering fan has not slipped over the edge. By placing the letter C in front there is created a CH sound that non-Jews cannot pronounce properly. No matter how hard they try, they find it impossible to pronounce it correctly. I have tried to teach my non-Jewish friends the proper way, but they always fail. Most make the sound of the letter K, which tells me immedietly that they are gentiles (goyim to those who can pronounce it correctly). That doesn't make them bad people or anything like that - it just means that they are of a non-Jewish ethnic group and will be forever CH-challenged. Sorry gang, but there is no medication to fix this problem.
All Jews have a genetic ability to pronounce this sound correctly (unless they have been raised in an ultra-reform tradition which teaches them how to pray like their gentile neighbors. These folks will not pronounce it properly, and almost surely will name their kids Kyle, or Sean.)
The proper pronunciation of the sound allow us to identify other Heebs, especially those who have had their names changed so as to hide the fact that they are from the tribe. We used to be able to check a guys 'junk' (just like Hitler's friends used to do) but now fully 70% of American men have had a snip job, so now we have to rely on the CH test.
Chanukah isn't the only word which gives us a good ID check. My lady friend who is by no means a member of the tribe has known me for 5 years and still calls me a smuk instead of schmuck. She just can't pronounce it correctly, but I do understand that when she mis-pronounces that word it means that there will be no joy in Mudville that night. (Why do women stay pissed longer than guys? Another one of those mystery questions of life.)
I'll close by attempting to teach those of you who are CH-challanged how to properly pronounce it. Good luck. The proper pronunciation has a similar sound as when you are bringing up a big juicy gob of phlegm. The sound begins in the throat, gang, just like the loogie you bring up. Now when I watch people try, they usually can make the phlegm sound, but fail when making it flow into the rest of the word. I urge you to practice because if you get it right you will be allowed to celebrate the holiday and not have to wait until Xmas to get your shit, and can experience the joy of assembling things for your kids twice in the same month.
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