2.28.2009

Not a Leap Year

So the end of the short month is today, February 28. Good news, bad news time. Good news because spring is right around the corner, daylight savings is next week, and baseball season is in sight. Bad because the forecast for the great North Jersey is for a winter storm tomorrow, just when I was looking to get my 10U team outside for some practice. So it is one more week indoors, while I wonder whether my pitching will be ready come the end of March.

Basketball is winding down, and my team finished the regular season at 3-9. No tears though. We lost today in OT by a basket. As a matter of fact, we lost five games by 3pts or less, and another by 4. So we played well, but didn't win. Funny thing is, for most of the season, I have only had 5 boys at most games, meaning everybody plays 100% of the time. The 2 boys who miss (it's usually the same two) are always sick, or lack the intestinal fortitude to come and be with their teammates. My sympathy is at an all-time low.

Don't hate on SoulSlam for his callousness - I am a big believer in doing your best and trying hard all the time - and I understand when a kid gets ill. But how does a kid get ill every Tuesday and Saturday for three months? Strange.

So we have a week to go, play hard in playoffs as the last seed and see what we can do. I'd lay a bet on my boys (the ones who show up) anytime.

2.27.2009

The Jake


I know, I know, nicknames are a dime a dozen. But since Manny Ramirez decided to jake it when he was still with the Bosox last year, he gets the new tag.

A timeline of sorts - Before last year, Manny has a home in Boston. Like a lot of relationships, it's love/hate. But he helps bring two World Championships to the faithful. Fast forward to 2008. Manny dumps his agent and signs with Boras (the Slimy). Prior to that, The Jake had two option years left with Boston at about $20M per. And he was beloved in Beantown. Could do no wrong. But Boras, no doubt figuring that he gets nada unless he gets MR a new contract, has to have an angle. No accusations, but all of a sudden, Ramirez starts loafing and sitting and genuinely becomes a giant PITA. All in an effort to get traded and void the options. And it worked. He moves to LALA land, wears #99, and goes on a tear in August through the end of the season, into the NLDS and NLCS. Wow. The cha-ching going off in his and his agent's heads must have been easy to hear.

So now we are a week or so into 2009 Spring Training, and a guy who may be the most fearsome right-handed hitter of his generation is without a team or a contract. And the news is that he turned down the Dodgers latest offer for two years - what?

As in are you waiting for. The mystery team maybe. Does anyone still fall for that one? So the moral to this story - nobody wants the Jake. Play hard. All the time.

2.26.2009

My Favorite Things

February is Slow Time, except at work. Which is brutal. Don't boo-hoo for SoulSlam though - I have a job, I make a good living, and I am all man, Clyde. I can take anything they dish out.

How about a list of some of my favorite things (cue the showtunes!) - and this doesn't mean my family, etc. Things. Inanimate objects, shows, feelings (HAHAHA), etc.

  • Baseball Glove
  • Sony 46" TV
  • My Pool, an oasis in my backyard
  • Google Earth
  • Macintosh Computers
  • McFarlane MLB Figures (an addiction of mine)
  • MLB Network
  • The NY Mets
  • An Ariens 10HP Snowthrower
  • Quarters
  • Beer
  • Green Mountain Gringo Salsa
  • Lost
  • Fitted Ballcaps
  • Pizza in the NY/NJ area
  • Red Bull (and not that sugar free bs)
  • Bicycles
  • A good airpump
  • The right power tool for the job
  • Snuggies (don't have one but I love the commercial)
  • My Wedding Band
  • Spy Sunglasses (cause every soccer mom wears Oakley)
  • Baseball Memorabilia
  • Most things Irish
  • St. Paddy's Day (while Boyo is at it)
  • Social Distortion
  • The Shore (what most of you call The Beach)\
  • Baseball all the time

    Now that is a long list! Audi.
  • 2.22.2009

    My DR Education

    The NY Sunday papers were rife with stories about A-R*d, steroids, the Dominican Republic, steroids in the Dominican Republic, steroid-tainted trainers, 20 year old DR ballplayers pretending to be 16 years old, etc. (Just click on the link at stories and take your pick of which one to read!)

    And if Mr. Rodriguez thinks this is over - oh boy. You've gotta know that the feds are looking at him now, and they are a patient group. It took them years to get Gotti, but they got 'em.

    So what does he do? He will be vilified like Bonds used to be outside the friendly confines of Steinbrenner Park; he's not a well-liked guy even amongst his peers; and everything he does (or is advised to do)really seems to blow up like a powderkeg.

    And where has Mr. Boras sequestered himself during all this? No doubt he's still trying to convince Manny that foregoing two options at $20M (that would be $40 Million Dollars!!!) was the thing to do; just like Varitek should turn down arbitration at $11M and later sign for $5M. I'm sure they call that addition by subtraction, or something else profound at the Boras Corp.

    2.20.2009

    Late Friday Night

    Just checking my e-mail and whatnot after a full evening of clinic basketball (1st/2nd Grade Boys) and travel baseball practice. Thought I'd type some...

    Did you catch Eastbound and Down? Sunday night on HBO. Funny, almost uncomfortably so. Check it out.

    Lost had it's best episode so far this week.

    College Baseball has begun. Easton has a new CB blog.

    A-R*d is a veritable magnet for the worst, time and time again. Everytime he opens his mouth, it becomes a bigger problem. So who is your friend Alex?

    And now the son of a Yankee VP is a steroid trafficker.

    And finally, since IE eats it big time, my computer froze up and the name of my post should be Saturday morning - maybe Mr. Gates and Mr. Ballmer could fix the holes. What about it fellas?

    2.16.2009

    P-Day

    So now a history lesson. When I was a kid, we didn't have President's Day, we actually had two holidays (at least above the Mason-Dixon Line) - Lincoln's Birthday (2/12) and Washington's Birthday (2/22). Sometime in the 1980's, the two were consolidated to President's Day. Lincoln's Birthday was never a federal holiday, since you couldn't get the confederate states to consent. So Washington's B-Day kind of became P-Day, we rolled Mr. Lincoln in with it, and now you have your February holiday. Since I have the day off I am not complaining.

    Speaking of complaining, let me keep on that subject. As my loyal readership knows (but any of you new to the world of SoulSlam does not), I coach a very talented group of young men (10U) on a travel baseball team. It is what you would consider a "town team" - similar to a town "all-star" team. Boys try out, make the cut, etc. So we start "optional" winter workouts and practices in January. Optional since we are affiliated with the PAL, and it is basketball season right now. Funny thing is, hoops season lasts 5 months, longer than every other season apparently. And we are not what you call a "basketball town". So we workout every other Friday night at an indoor facility - and get a good turnout (10 or 11 out of 12). Every Sunday we have an indoor practice in the gym we have. That turnout is usually 6-7 boys.

    What's my point?

    Although these are not mandatory sessions, they are critical. It gives the boys a base so when we start getting outside in two weeks (dress warm, because if the ground is dry, we are outside), they are ready to go. I stress commitment to the boys, but maybe I should be to the parents as well. When the first game rolls around at the end of February and their son is reduced to an inning at the back end of six, they will come to me and say 'how come Fauntleroy didn't play much today?' My response?

    JANUARY!

    Take heed parents.

    P.S. (after this post) - there have been changes with the blog tool and now the spell check isn't working. Makes the changes in the tool and posts with the mispelt (sic) words. Nice.

    2.15.2009

    One O Three

    Or 103. However you like to look at it.
    Lots of calls for the names (and heads) of the other 103 players who failed the 2003 MLB survey test. A-R*d is the 104th. I have little doubt that one day that the names will come out and some very sorry ballplayers (but not as in apologetic) will be branded with the Scarlet S - like some modern day Hester Prynne.

    Back to the 103. So MLB gets the Players Assn. to consent to a survey test during the heated negotiations in 2002. This survey test had a stipulation that if over 5% of the players tested +, then MLB could institute full testing (albeit weak) in 2004. By all accounts, the fearsome twosome of Fehr and Orza actually snickered when they gave that one up, assuming the rank and file of the association (I refuse to call it a union) would never pass the threshold. Well here is a fact; a good lawyer knows all the answers to the questions being asked, so F&O should have figured the outcome, since they are "great lawyers". But sometimes absolute power and avarice clouds all but the outcome you wish for yourself, and the players tested at 8.8%. MLB prevails, but hold your applause, since they are complicit and late to the dance. So share the blame, Bud.

    OK - now the waiting begins. The names will come out, mark the word of SoulSlam. And I'm sure we will scratch our heads at some of the names. Since we are six years past, some of these guys may be coming up for HOF consideration. They better hope they get in before the reveal.

    Someone's knockin' at the door....

    2.13.2009

    Friday the 13th

    It's a good thing we have Friday the 13th, otherwise you couldn't see the cinematic adventures of one Mr. Jason Vorhees. And now we have a remake. I would have went with the customized hockey mask myself.

    School is out for a couple of days to include the very important President's Day. Important because it is in the midst of the winter, when the cabin fever is really setting in. Fear not though Flanagan, St. Paddy's is only 31 days away. So in honor, enjoy a little Thin Lizzy - the original Irish Rockers!



    Out. Don't step under a ladder if your the supersticious type.

    2.12.2009

    He Hate Microsoft

    Why, of why, does anyone still use Microsoft products?

    So MS sent out the latest updates (I think it's 3,567 since Jan. 1) - and upgraded my IE 8 beta to the full blown release. And now I have nothing but problems. Including the infamous "Internet Explorer has stopped working". Duh - I KNOW THAT!!!

    I use an IBM PC for work with Vista (terrible) and I need to use IE for certain web applications we foster. So I am stuck. I now have Google Chrome and FireFox installed just so I can browse the web, check e-mail and generally have a grand old time on the laptop.

    Life was so much simpler back in the day.

    Pitchers and Catchers - the eve is here. Baseball. Beautiful.

    2.07.2009

    Wow

    The saga of A-Rod continues...

    Dope.

    A Keen Observation

    Why do incredibly enormous women insist on wearing clothes too tight, too small and too short? And why do the vast majority of them (at least from what SoulSlam sees) have a tattoo somewhere visible. Put down the Whopper w/Cheese and order the salad ladies.

    2.06.2009

    The Short Month

    That is what this baby is... 28 days unless it's a leap year, so if you have goals and objectives in your professional or personal life, you get less days to do it in February. Coupled with a holiday smack dab in the middle and the time gets short.

    I despise this cold and barren month - it is usually the cr**piest of them all - full of cold, cold, howling wind, snow, sleet and the Pro Bowl. Hate the Pro Bowl.

    On the plus side - spring training begins in Feb. This year it is Valentine's Day for pitchers and catchers. Sweet.

    So short is short and you count the days to month's end and March roars in and Spring is around the corner; the crack (ping) of the bat and the sweet aroma of freshly oiled gloves.

    Time to sleep.

    2.03.2009

    Deja Vu

    Is some weathercaster waking up again today in Punxatawney, PA. reliving yesterday over and over again?

    Back to reality - just as I suspected, the feel-good stories of the Super Bowl are over on Sports Talk Radio, at least in the greater metropolitan area, where WFAN was ripe with baseball talk today. Hallelujah!

    The Caribbean World Series is on live on MLB Channel in case your jones for hardball knows no bounds.

    I have discontinued watching 24. Done.

    Fringe is on tonight. My Tuesday show. Try catching up.

    Snowing again here in NJ. And that dang groundhog (the one in the aforementioned town) saw his shadow. The one in Staten Island bit the mayor. Good for you little g-hog!

    2.01.2009

    No Patience

    If you are going to tell me about the TV commercials during the SB - don't bother. I don't care. And I have little patience when anyone is going to go on and on... it is a football game, that should be the sole merit. I hate the pageant that accompanies it.

    Speaking of which, even if I am a Jersey Guy, I am no fan of Mr. Springsteen. Don't care for his music for the most part. I do like a couple of songs, just as I do for U2, but that is another group I could do without. So I will miss the halftime show. If Vegas is laying odds on that - bet big!

    And since I'm the honest type - I can't wait for this to be over, since it means I have one more day of talk-radio blather and then we start talking about the greatest game ever invented. 14 days to Pitchers and Catchers.

    Prediction - Arizona 24, Steelers 19

    Enjoy the game.