Showing posts with label World Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Series. Show all posts

Thursday, November 5, 2009

World Series Champs

People that really know me realize how tough this next article will be for me to write. It is not that I am a Yankees hater, but I am not exactly a fan of their fanbase.

That will be another article, on another date. Right now, I want to congratulate the New York Yankees on their World Series victory.

There is a certain level of congratulating with this roster and personnel of Yankees though. I will point them out right now.

Congrats to:

Phil Coke, Brett Gardner, David Robertson, Alfredo Aceves, Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Robinson Cano for being mostly homegrown young Yankees that got their first taste of being a champion.

Brian Bruney, for not being punched out by someone on the field this season.

Chad Gaudin and Jerry Hairston, for being the type of pickups the Yankees would of made in the 98-00 Era.

Jose Molina, for becoming the last of the trio of catching brothers to get a ring.

Damaso Marte, for saving his only quality pitching with the Yankees since last July, in the ALCS and World Series.

Eric Hinske, for getting even with the Phillies in the World Series the very next year.

Nick Swisher, for coming in and loosening up a clubhouse that was in much need of exactly that.

CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and AJ Burnett, for living up to the 400 million in contracts they received, and winning in Year One.

Johnny Damon, for the moment that I thought won the World Series. That was one of the best 4-5 at bats I ever seen. Even better than Shawn Dunston's dozen pitch single to lead off the Robin Ventura Grand-Single game. Then coming up with a clutch, hustle play that is usually reserved for Derek Jeter in Yankee folklore.

Hideki Matsui, for abusing Phillies pitching and winning Game 6 by himself in what might be his Yankee swan song.

Alex Rodriguez, for getting that monkey off his back. He is now offically, a real Yankee.

Brian Cashman, for being able to tell Randy Levine where to go now.

Joe Girardi, for being able to get out of that shadow that was Joe Torre.

George Steinbrenner, for one more moment of glory before riding in the the sunset. The best owner sports might of ever seen.

Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, for showing their father that his baby in his in very good hands for a long time.

But, most of all, these four:

Congrats to Jorge Posada, who has gone from a rookie that rarely played for his first ring, and coming full circle as the unoffical Team Captain for his 5th ring.

To Andy Pettitte, for being a slightly lesser verison of Whitey Ford in this era of pinstripes. He might of left for three seasons, but he was always a Yankee. I still feel that the game that really cemented the first dynasty was Pettitte's 1-0 gem against John Smoltz in 96 at 24 years old. This Game 6, on 3 days rest at the now rugged age of 37, might of been the game that catapaulted the Yanks into their next one.

To Mariano Rivera, for being the Grim Reaper to an opposing team at the end of the game. No pitcher ever has put the fear of God into an opponent in the playoffs like you.

And finally, to Derek Jeter, for enchancing your mythical being in Yankee history. Of all the great players and future Hall of Famers on this team (At least 3, Minimum), Jeter is the one that stands out. He is the closest thing to what Mantle, Mays, Snider were in the eyes of how my father and his generation saw ballplayers. They were heroes. Icons. Jeter has that feel to him, and it is the only player in baseball today that comes close to that.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Weekend Wrap-Up

Another solid weekend of sports are in the books. We have our World Series matchup, the BCS is already driving fans crazy, and the NFL is, well the NFL. All I have to do in thie blog is not piss Larry Johnson off. I could not survive the Twitter backlash.

Last night, the New York Yankees finished off the Los Angeles Angels in a tough 6 game series to get into the World Series for the first time since 2003.

I found it amusing that Yankee fans react like six years without being in the World Series is the end of the world. Talk about spoiled. Even the Modell's Sporting Goods stores were open throughout the night after the victory for the merchandise. Yes, people were going to a sporting goods place at 4am! I am shaking my head as I type this.

Regurdless, I have the Yankees winning the series in five games. The AL is so much more superior than the NL play. I say the Phillies win Game 3 behind Cole Hamels and that is it. Yankee Stadium has become a huge home field advantage with that crowd right now.

How bad do you feel for Boise St.? They go to Hawaii and destroy them 54-9 in the gambling Bailout Game that must of made Vegas cry until the sun came up, and they drop four spots in the BCS.

Now, I can feel bad for Boise St., but it is justified. TCU went into nationally ranked BYU, and saying they blew them out would not give it enough justice. Iowa plays the toughest schedule of the undefeated. Cincinnati is whitewashing opponents. There is just too many undefeated for Boise St. to stake a claim in a weak conference and schedule. If Oregon beats USC this week though, it really jumpstarts Boise St. in the computers.

I know TCU will not make the National Title game, but I would love to see this defense go up against any of the top 8 in the BSC. They are just as fast as Florida and USC on defense. In my most humble opinions of course, they beat Iowa, USC, Cincinnati on a neutral field. I will not include Boise St. in this, because I know TCU would beat them by at least 10 points. DE Jerry Hughes may not win a Heisman, but what a NFL player is will be.

Alabama dodged a serious bullet on Saturday. That was the definition of a Trap Game. Tennessee off a bye week, giving defensive guru Monty Kiffin two whole weeks to stop that Bama offense. The Tide's title hopes are still alive thanks to Mt. Cody.

Can we offically kill the Tim Tebow for Heisman campaign? I do not care if he were Jesus Christ, no one should win the Heisman with more Int's than TD passes. Although, I did say the same thing about Texas QB Colt Mccoy last week, and he finally went out and had a great game.

Am I the only one that thought the end of the Saints-Dolphins game was the most fishy thing you have ever seen? For those who did not see the game.

It was excellent. Big props to the Dolphins coming out and punching the Saints in the mouth, and to the Saints, for surviving it.
Game is already over, Dolphins are down 12 with 15 seconds left, Chad Henne completes a pass down around the Saints 10 yard line. Everyone gets down there, and the Fins spike the ball with 1 second left.

The refs then huddled up for about three minutes and decided that a Dolphin player was not set properly and they called the game over. Seriously, does this game end this way if the line was not Saints -7 and with 1 second left, the Dolphins can cover?

Think about it for a second. If say for example, the Raiders down 38-0 to the Jets had 1 second left on the Jets 10 yard line, would the refs pull that maneuver? I might be paranoid, but that was awfully fishy.

Brett Favre finally lost!!! Do we have to hear how amazing he is from the press anymore? Although I will say, Favre played well against a staunch Steelers defense, making completions on throws that made my jaw drop. Someone get Chester Taylor some Stick'Em. That was an awful drop and cost the Vikings the game. No Chester, we do not care if your hands look like you just jacked off an elephant. (The Replacements humor).

It was a little ironic that one Bay Area #1 overall pick QB sun was rising, and another one's was setting. In the early games, the 49ers bench QB Shaun Hill after halftime for 2005 #1 overall pick Alex Smith, who lost his job and was going down as one of the all time draft busts. Smith came out in the 2nd half and threw three TD passes and almost pulled out a comeback victory for the 49ers. Meanwhile, in Oakland, the Raiders finally benched Jamarcus Russell after tossing 2 Int's and some other awful decisons with the ball. I know the Raider offense, mainly OLine is brutal, but the way Russell talked and acted after the game just showed all of us how much of a baby is really is. Congrats Russell, you set the Raiders back five years.

Once in a blue moon, you get one of those football games where one team just destroys the other in every single facet of the game. While I could say the Jets did that to the Raiders, I am talking about what the Bengals did to the Bears.

The Bears for years have had the mentality of, win or lose, you are going to have to earn it. Well, the Bengals came out, and kicked the crap out of the Bears on the scoreboard, and physically. That was a statement game for the Bengals, especially Cedric Benson, who smoked his old team for 189 on the ground.

Who do I like tonight? How can I pick for the Redskins in these times? They are a mess. But, how can I pick the Eagles after that pathetic loss to the Raiders? If you bet this game tonight, you are a lemon, and are asking the book to take your money. Eagles I guess cannot afford to lose two in a row.

Eagles 20, Redskins 6.

Last note. Last night, I did the Sports Geeks Fantasy NBA Draft. I suggest that you take a gander on their site. They do solid articles and podcasts.

Anyway, I wound up with the 3rd pick, and I had a hard time deciding whether to take DWade or Durant. I think Durant is going to easily win the scoring title, or I could not pass up on DWade on a contract year.

My team has a nice blend of rookies and seasoned vets. Here is my team, send some comments on how you think I did.

Wade, Nash, Duncan, B. Lopez, D. Harris, Z. Randolph (sucks for real, 20/10 monster in fantasy), J. Green, B. Griffin. A. Randolph (A freak!), J. Richardson, B. Miller, S. Curry, and B. Jennings.

Now, I am hungry and going to go grab a hot dog with Mark Sanchez. Enjoy the game tonight.