MLB Playoffs Musings

First off the NLCS

I will start off by saying that while I have been following the NLCS I have hardly been hanging on any pitch. So anything I miss feel free to bust on me for. That being said there are a few things that have struck me.

1. Manny is a frikken beast

I may hate ManRam for the way he left Boston and turned his back on fans that put up with unreasonable behavior for years, but that doesn't change the fact that this man is an absolute beast in the batter's box. Anyone who saw his home run in game one of the NLDS or game two of the NLCS can see that this man more than anyone other than possibly Vlad can hit ANY ball out of the park. And anyone he can't, he puts in a gap. The difference between Manny and Vlad, however, is that Manny can do it, and has done it in October.

I don't know if Manny is worth 80-100 million over 4 or 5 years, but what I can tell you is if one of the real franchises (Sox, Yanks, Mets and Cubs (I know, but they got dough)) can sign this guy and keep him happy it will be worth it for the time being.

That being said, I believe the sports media has dropped the ball on their coverage of Manny's tank job in Boston. Obviously as a Sox fan I may be a bit biased, and it scares me that I find myself agreeing with Tim McCarver, but what Manny did in Boston was despicable. Effectively, a man making 20 million dollars a year went on strike and carried on in a way that forced Boston's hand in making a trade. While the media has focused on the fact that the deal seems to have worked out great for both the Sox and Manny, the focus should be on the ethical questions raised by a man who faked a knee injury in order to put pressure on his team to trade him. Manny has gotten away with his inappropriate actions. Not only has baseball not been able to pin anything on him, but the media has not only let his actions slide, but are so infatuated with the way he is playing in LA that they are making him out to be a good teammate. I think there are 40 or so people in Boston that would disagree with that assessment. I hope the baseball owners take a stand (though I don't hold out much hope) and refuse to pay this man and send a message to the prima donna players out there to keep this from becoming a reoccurring theme in baseball.

2. I love Shane Victorino

This guy is a ball player. Fast, plays defense, smart at the plate, flair for the dramatic and a great nickname. What more can you ask for.

Don't have much more to say, but i feel like he needs more press.

3. Derek Lowe

In the NLDS someone (I can't remember who) at ESPN described Derek Lowe as a big game pitcher. That's like calling Matt Stairs a big game hitter. Yes DLowe has won some big games, but he has also been an inconsistent pitcher for his entire career. I know he hasn't been awful, but its no surprise he has no wins in this series.

Alright, Now for the ALCS

1. The Rays are good

Who knew? Come on, we all assumed that the swoon would happen eventually. First it was just an early season streak, then it was that in the second half they will fade. Then the Red Sox were gonna pass them for the Division. Then they reach October and they were supposed to wilt under the pressure of the post season, and then there was no way they could beat the defending champs. Now, however, with a 2-1 lead and Tim Wakefield on the mound for the Red Sox for Game 4 the Rays seem to have World Series written all over them. Whats important about this though is that unlike the Colorado Rockies, this team does not appear to be a fluke. They have a deep young lineup a strong rotation and a stronger bullpen and an incredibly deep farm system filled with high draft picks acquired during the teams years of abysmal play.

If the Rays can continue their success in the coming years they will show that parody is possible in baseball if you have competent people in charge of personnel. It will be interesting to see if the worst teams out there can follow the Rays blueprint and create a shake up at the top of the league. I doubt it, but who knows, and it will be interesting to see.

2. Seriously Papi?

Really, nuff said.

3. Is it over, or is the fat lady still on deck.

Everything seems to indicate going into Game 4 that this series is over, but the Red Sox have been here before. Down 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004 and 3-1 to the Indians last year the Sox found ways to come back and reach the World Series. The question this year is, with their new run manufacturing offense, can they score enough to beat this well balanced Rays team. I suppose only time will tell. Enjoy the game tonight and comment away if you happen to see/read this entry.

Boredom wins out and makes me a member of the blogosphere

Hello all,

Friend and foe alike come and bask in the greatness of my quickly assembled and utterly simplistic sports blog. After years of convincing myself people on the blogosphere are simply blowhards who can't get real journalism jobs I've decided I'm either wrong, or I'm right, but no one else cares, so I may as well have my ridiculous opinions heard as well. In today's 24 hour a day news network world ESPN has become less of a sports information source and more of a CNN Headline news for puffed up stories about TO crying and A-Rod getting divorced. And I'm sure I don't need to remind any of you of the nauseating nonstop coverage of Brett Favre's midlife crisis. In any event most of the people that appear on TV to analyze sports either don't know what they are talking about or are told to dumb it down for the most simple minded viewers.

What we are left with is a watered down product that tells us nothing about sports. Sports is far from rocket science, sure it can be unpredictable, but it is not nearly as surprising or volatile as people like Jay Mariotti and John Madden might have you believe. So my hope in starting this blog is to write some posts that will show that sports analysis is not that hard, and that the professionals should be held to a higher standard.

I hope you all enjoy the posts that will begin to roll out of the coming days and weeks and please join up as a season ticket holder and read and comment regularly.

PS. Jaws is an awesome analyst and should not be considered a target of my rant..."Let's take a look at the Visa Skycam."