I Love a Good A-Rod Story

And this is a good one:

I AM A CENTAUR!


HAHAHAHAHA

Happy Samhain.

Even Up Redux on Planet Slam

I would be a bad host, particularly in the eyes of the Yankee fans who wait patiently for my blah-gs if I didn't mention that the team from NY beat the Phillies last night. Great pitching all around. Pedro was all anyone could ask for and Burnett put on his best ever in a big spot.

Is Girardi's plan to go Mo for a deuce everytime it's close? Bad plan Joe. He's not a wizard, folks.

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Now it's the night before Halloween, so here's a redux of last year's post. Enjoy!

So what did you call it when you were a kid? The night before Halloween I mean...

In my neck of the woods, we called it GATE NIGHT - and people give me a quizzical look when I say that name. And apparently, the yuppies and new citizens of my little slice 'o' heaven in North Jersey have won out because the kids call it GOOSEY NIGHT, which I always found a little fem. But c'est la vie, right?

So I started asking people at work, around town at the Shop-Rite, wherever - "what did you call it oh so long ago?" So here is a list:

GATE NIGHT

GOOSEY NIGHT

MISCHIEF NIGHT

EVILS NIGHT

CABBAGE NIGHT

HELL NIGHT

Let me know if you have a good one. Funny, I had a friend named Flanagan and he called it 'same as every other night - and I still have to get me Da' at the precinct house!'. Poor Flanagan.

And a word to the wise... even though I've grown up, I still play the game tonight. On defense. Like Jack Lambert, but better looking.

SoulSlam 2008.

Full Speed Ahead

Cause a diesel engine named Cliff Lee came runnin' through the Bronx last night and dropped off a can 'o' whoopass on the EE (Evil Empire).

Since I am like Switzerland on this one, here's some thoughts:

Chase Utley is an old school ballplayer, like a modern day Ty Cobb

The Phillies can hit!

CC pitched well, just not well enough

Jeter is money

A-Rod looked a little tight in Game 1

There sure were a lot of empty seats at the House that the Taxpayers of NY Built

Chicken or Egg - Has Giradi lost confidence in the bullpen or has the bullpen lost confidence in Girardi

Uncle Charlie looks like a good guy to have a beer with

What was Matsui doing on the infield grass?

Game 2 tonight. Pedro vs. AJ. One for the ages? All the Yankee fans are pretty boisterous about a win tonight. We'll see...

The Lesser of Two Evils

For all of you new to the island, you may or may not know that SoulSlam is a Mets fan. And like any right-minded Mets fan subjected to the news and sportstalk radio in the greater Metropolitan area, one is forced to pick a side.

Nope.

First off, let's think back. We've had a Braves-Yankees WS haven't we? I didn't pick a side then either, and Atlanta has has more of my scorn heaped on them than the Phillies, who are only a year or so into my void.

I can't root for the Yankees although I recently had this great epiphany. I don't hate the Yankees. They are a great baseball team, and if I watch them play baseball without that uniform, I can see that. So who do I hate? The Yankees fans - not everyone of them, but a good portion; the fans who think it is a birthright, who don't want to hear about outspending the next closest team by $75M, the fan who somehow thinks he's part of the team. That is who I hate. My only comfort is when some thug perpetrates some horrendous crime in NYC, he is inevitably photographed with a Yankee cap on.

I also dislike Rudy Giuliani and his NYY/FD combo cap. And his pinch-faced wife.

The Phillies are a National League team with a great line-up - but I can't root for them either.

So I hope for the following:

Game 7 about to begin. Both teams have fought a valiant effort to win three apiece. It's a see-saw battle, to be decided with one final game. Then the earthquake hits. Yankee Stadium is swallowed whole, along with all the ballplayers, umpires, Yankee Fans, Kate Hudson, and Fox broadcasters. Series is declared a draw.

Now that would be something.

Rain Date and Other Stuff

Supposed to have travel baseball tryouts today, but the monsoon has hit the East Coast, postponing that until next week.

So I'm sitting here thinking of things and thought I'd post a few goodies I find interesting.

Michael Jordan's kid is having a sponsorship dilemma

Steve Phillips has interesting (re: strange) taste in women

Yankees need to win game six for their own good

A Phillies-Yankees World Series will be hard to root for anyone on a personal level

Nick Swisher seems like a real thinker

ND over BC today

People who work in libraries rarely have a sense of humor (more on that later)

iDon't like Droid already

Complete 360

Months ago, journalists of all ilk were reporting the Wilpons are in dire financial straits due to losing upwards of $600M in the Madoff scheme.

Now, the reports are coming in that they actually made money to the tune of almost $50M!

Throughout the whole saga, the Wilpons have remained quiet, basically saying any transactions don't affect the Mets.

Now people are calling for the money to be returned. Have they seen my team? We need the capital folks! We're looking at signing some top free agents! Gotta have priorities!

Bad Calls

Guess what? Umpires make bad calls. Little League, Cal Ripken, Travel Baseball, High School Baseball, College Baseball, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball. Get over it.

Before the advent of the high-def capabilities of cameras, we'd watch the tube in grainy slo-mo while the announcers said something like this:

"I don't know Jerry, looks like his foot might have been on the bag"
"Yeah, Don, but the ump was in perfect position, so I guess he got it right"

Now, these poor slobs are scrutinized every which way. Swisher is 100% out at 2B on a daylight play. Called safe. Then Swisher gets called out leaving the bag early on a tag, when apparently he didn't leave early. Since the ump wasn't actually watching (unless he's got one of those lazy eyes), people say it's a makeup call. Whatever.

My favorite gaffe was this one:


Everybody's out!!! Classic.