Valadius

Tony Gwynn has an Urkel-like quality to his voice. Never made the connection before.

Jeter clearly made an error. Ugh. Wahoos go up 1-0!

Bosox sweep.

Having been a fan of Frank Caliendo's for a few years now, I'm excited for his new show, but come on, TBS. This is extreme over-saturation of these commercials.

Red Sox have dealt possibly the finishing blow to the Halos. 9-0 Sawx in the 8th.

It's called Steinbrenner going senile.

Game 3 underway.

He wrote an incredible article a few years ago about spending Spring Training as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays that I thought was one of the greatest pieces of sports journalism I've ever read.

Senile Steinbrenner to get rid of Torre if they lose the ALDS: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTMmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDQ5NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 ] The Boss to Torre: Win or else Sunday, October 7, 2007 By IAN O'CONNOR STAFF WRITER Joe Torre's 12-year run as manager of the Yankees will likely end if his team does not rally to beat the Cleveland Indians in the AL Division Series, George Steinbrenner told The Record on Saturday night. "His job is on the line," the Yankees' owner said in a phone interview. "I think we're paying him a lot of money. He's the highest-paid manager in baseball, so I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series." Torre is in the final year of a contract worth $7 million this season. He has led his team to four World Series titles and 12 consecutive playoff appearances and was universally hailed this year for weathering a 21-29 start. "He's been good for us over the years," Steinbrenner acknowledged. But down 0-2 in the best-of-five series with Cleveland entering tonight's Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, and facing the prospect of a first-round postseason exit for the third consecutive year, Steinbrenner -- who nearly fired Torre after last year's Division Series loss to Detroit � is running dangerously low on patience. Earlier Saturday, at a Stadium news conference, Torre had said, "We certainly need to find out what we're made of. ..." "I think that's a good statement," Steinbrenner said. "They'd better show what they're made of." Once known for his blustery, omnipresent approach, the 77-year-old Steinbrenner has been an increasingly distant figure in Yankeedom, inspiring speculation about his health. He has stayed away from the Stadium and reduced most of his public comments to pre-packaged statements released through his spokesman, Howard Rubenstein. But with his team teetering on the brink of a knockout, the old Steinbrenner came out swinging on Saturday night, putting Torre on immediate notice and ripping into umpire Bruce Froemming, the veteran crew chief from Friday night's Game 2 who declined to stop play despite an infestation of Lake Erie gnats. "The umpire was full of [expletive]," Steinbrenner said of the retiring Froemming. "He won't umpire our games anymore." In the wake of that Game 2 defeat, Steinbrenner said the Yankees had complained to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about the decision to play on. "[selig] just said, 'That's in the umpires' hands,' " Steinbrenner said. "But Jesus Christ, it was terrible. It messed up the whole team, [Derek] Jeter, all of them." If the bugs also messed up Alex Rodriguez, the superstar forever burdened by October angst, Steinbrenner said A-Rod's struggles won't temper his desire to re-sign the free agent-to-be, who will likely seek a contract worth more than $30 million per year. "I think we'll re-sign him," Steinbrenner said of Rodriguez. "I think he's going to have a good run the rest of the [postseason]. I think he realizes New York is the place to be, the place to play. A lot of this [postseason] is laying on his shoulders, you know, but I think he's up to it." Despite the recent organizational promotions of his son, Hal, and son-in-law, Felix Lopez, Steinbrenner made it clear he will be the one who decides how much to offer Rodriguez and whether to offer Torre anything at all. "I have full control," Steinbrenner said. The owner maintained that rumors of his declining health were false. "I'm doing all right," he said. "I'm fine." Steinbrenner said the first two games in Cleveland left him disappointed, not defeated. He believes the Yankees will win three consecutive sudden-death games to advance to the American League Championship Series. "I think we're going to be OK," he said. "I just think we've got the team. We can hit; I think our hitters got that out of their craw [Friday] night. "We'll see how good our team is [tonight]." In Game 3, the Yankees won't just play for their season. They'll play for their manager's job.

Wow. I expected better from Verducci.

Who are you rooting for?

Since no one made a Game 3 IGT, I guess it can go in here - revenge is totally sweet. Phuckers go down in flames!!!

99 years and counting. Year 100 of the "Lovable Losers" coming up.

Nickeas at least has a decent arm. He threw out 26 of 58 base-stealers this year. He needs to hit a lot better, though.

I finished my picks, so see above. I also thought we could also do the Silver Sluggers, so... NL Silver Sluggers: 1B - Prince Fielder 2B - Chase Utley 3B - David Wright SS - Hanley Ramirez OF - Matt Holliday OF - Adam Dunn OF - Carlos Lee C - Russell Martin P - Micah Owings AL Silver Sluggers: 1B - Carlos Pena 2B - Placido Polanco 3B - Alex Rodriguez SS - Carlos Guillen OF - Magglio Ordonez OF - Curtis Granderson OF - Vladimir Guerrero C - Jorge Posada DH - David Ortiz

D-Rays to officially become the Rays on November 8.

Did this ever get done?

I didn't bring up Albert Pujols as another example for why I think Juan Gone deserves enshrinement, but just as another "what if?" Now I want to make the case for another player who had a shortened career - Dick Allen. He had a career OPS+ of 156 - tied for 20th all-time with Willie Mays, ahead of Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Robinson, Honus Wagner, and Mike Schmidt. He led his league in OPS 4 times. It looks like he's the only eligible retired player to have done that and not be in the Hall of Fame. From 1964 to 1974, he was a monster at the plate. During this time, his OPS+ was: 1964 - 162 1965 - 145 1966 - 181 1967 - 174 1968 - 160 1969 - 166 1970 - 146 1971 - 151 1972 - 200 1973 - 177 1974 - 165 I think he satisfies the Ralph Kiner Exception by having at least 10 exemplary seasons.

Found this article on Yahoo Sports - basically, what if Wally Backman hadn't been fired from the Diamondbacks? http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AkvShggdMpqd1vxeod5yTIQRvLYF?slug=jp-backman100707&prov=yhoo&type=lgns ]The one left behind By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports October 6, 2007 Deer-hunting season opened in Oregon about a week ago, so Wally Backman stocked his RV with food and ammo and headed for Pueblo Mountain. It's serene up there � about 6,000 feet above sea level, only eight miles to the Nevada border and a world away from the National League playoffs. "Did the Diamondbacks win Game 2?" Backman asked Friday night. The TV in his RV has no cable, and he only knew that Arizona had beaten the Chicago Cubs in the NL division series' first game because a friend told him. Yes, he was informed, the Diamondbacks had won the second as well, leaving them a Saturday victory at Wrigley Field from the NL Championship Series. "OK," Backman said, and he sounded neither excited nor disappointed. More plaintive, which about fits a man who thinks he should be on his way to the NLCS instead of eyeing a buck that exceeds his 12-point best. Had all of his past misdeeds not been exhumed � the DUI, the domestic-violence rap, the bankruptcy � Wally Backman would, in all likelihood, still be managing the Arizona Diamondbacks. He would yell one minute and strategize the next, kick and scream to motivate, his devil and angel working in concert, his face turning the special hue that Crayola might name Wally Red. With a cache of young talent and Backman's track record of winning with such, he would have the Diamondbacks in the same spot as now � home-field advantage in the NL and the inside track to a World Series appearance. Instead, Backman got fired four days after the Diamondbacks hired him in November 2004, the New York Times report on his legal issues sealing his fate, and replaced him with Bob Melvin, reserved and gentlemanly � the antithesis of how the public perceives Backman. From a mountaintop, literally, Backman wants to shout down such detractors. It's that stigma, he believes, that has kept him from getting another job with a major-league organization. The DUI was seven years ago. He claims the domestic-violence incident stemmed from his wife's friend breaking his arm with a baseball bat, and that he never struck anyone, though the indictment indicates otherwise. Backman said he was guilty only of using coarse language, shown in his guilty plea of misdemeanor harassment. "When you get hired and fired in four days, you've got to look out there for some hope," Backman said. "I made some mistakes. But I've admitted to my mistakes. I've tried to turn the page and go forward. Some of the things that happened are almost 10 years ago. "All I need is an opportunity. If I can get face to face and talk with people, they're going to understand what happened, the circumstances. That's what I'm hoping for." Now 48, Backman returned to baseball last season with the South Georgia Peanuts of the South Coast League, a six-team independent start-up. He missed the first game of the season because he had committed to an out-of-state autograph session, which was probably a good thing since the skydiver floating in with the game ball crashed into the outfield fence and the lights illuminating the stadium died. The antics didn't end there. In one game, Backman, angry with a call, got ejected and deposited 22 bats on the field. When a coach who was out sick for the game heard a radio announcer call Backman's display unprofessional, Backman went to the press box after the game and confronted the announcer. Another ejection earned him an eight-game suspension. And then there was the episode where Backman quit � or did he get fired? � and returned three days later, all forgiven. "He's one of the more fascinating characters I've ever seen � television, movies, wherever," said John Fitzgerald, a director who followed Backman for the entire season filming a reality show, "Playing for Peanuts." "After being with him for a year, I'd compare him to a Lou Piniella type of guy. He'll kick dirt on home plate. He'll go out and get ejected. It's not just about motivating the team. If he thinks it's a bad call, he'll argue it. It's not about show. People get the wrong idea about it. "He played on the Mets when they were brash and arrogant and actually won things. He's part of this lore in New York sports, and yet he's a down-to-earth guy, incredibly funny and has this wit about him. We had microphones on him the whole time. It was like he was doing stand-up and managing circles around the other team." Naturally, the Peanuts won the league championship and Backman snagged manager of the year honors. His players believed in him, even if he refused to soften his demeanor. Most threatened to leave during Backman's three-day vacation. This was a group of cast-offs, has-beens, never-would-bes, or at least that's how the baseball world regarded them, and yet a handful of Backman's players latched on with organizations. Deep down, Backman wished he could do the same. If only they would listen to his players � to Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson, who has said he learned as much from Backman as anybody, and to Carlos Quentin, the Diamondbacks outfielder, with whom Backman went 86-54 at Class-A Lancaster in 2004. "That's what I try to tell everybody," Backman said. "You ask the players that played for me. You ask the people I worked with � even if it's minor leagues. I had a great rapport with all those guys. The only time I got thrown under the bus is in Arizona." So often it goes back to Arizona, and how couldn't it? Backman's goal, his dream, snatched like prey in a snake's jaws. Backman's reputation, his standing throughout the game, tarnished as well. Backman's agent is sending his r�sum� out these days. Mostly affiliated teams, a few independent leagues up north. He sees Tony La Russa keeping his job after an alleged DUI and managers throwing hissy-fit temper tantrums. Why can they skate? For once, Backman went silent. He needed to tend to the grill with his son. Too much thinking about baseball stresses him anyway. This was a hunting trip. On Sunday, when the Backman clan returns home, he could worry about baseball. "I think I'm going to watch the NLCS," Wally Backman said, and the whole time he'll be thinking about what could have been, what he could have been, what the Arizona Diamondbacks could have been under him. And about how these nights could have been so much better spent. On their bench.

I think this game was a game of destiny. If the Indians ever have to change their name, I swear to God, it's gotta be the Insects.

I just think that the process by which players are judged for the Hall of Fame is weighted too much towards quantity and not enough towards quality is all. There can be multiple ways to define greatness.

Frank Caliendo is one of the funniest people on the planet. Probably the world's greatest impressionist.

Rockies win!

Um, 50 years is a Golden Jubilee. This would be the Centennial.