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Baseball News from L.A. Times
Dodgers owner says if fans vote him into the lineup, ‘It’d be a great honor.’
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said he would like to see Manny Ramirez play in the All-Star game if fans vote him into the National League’s starting lineup.
Continue reading on L.A. Times
Major League Baseball has gone soft on its interpretation of the rules of the game. Baseball, for all intents and purposes, has not changed its rules in over 30 years. This comes as a stark contrast to other sports such as basketball and football that are constantly evolving their rules which inevitably allows the calls made by the ref’s and officials to impact the outcome of the game a little bit more.
In baseball, there are really only a limited amount of calls that can be made by the umpiring crew. Balls, Strikes, Outs, Home Runs, Ground Rules, etc. Although balls and strikes have a written definition (Width of the plate from the letters of the jersey to the knees) each strike zone is individualized to the umpire who is behind the plate in a particular game. The “Rules” I am referring to the unwritten rules. No showboating after a big home run, no bunting to break up a no-hitter in the 8th inning, no stealing bases when your team is up by a lot in the late innings.
These unwritten rules are not up to the umpiring crew to enforce, but have almost always been left up to the players themselves. Times were, if you hit a home run and walked around the bases, you could expect a fastball in your back the next time you stepped up to the plate. Nowadays, if the umpire deems your hitting of the batter “intentional” that becomes grounds for possible ejection and eventual suspension from league officials.
Baseball, more than any other sport, is a game full of pride, steeped in tradition, and governed by the unwritten rules of the players. When the umpires and league officials begin to step in and police that themselves, it takes away a big part of the game that I have come to love. A major reason that home run numbers are up over the past few years (Besides Steroids) and that pitcher’s ERA’s are through the roof, is that the league is taking away some of the intimidation factor that pitchers once had. Batters are now allowed to crowd the plate because they know that the pitchers are afraid to throw inside because of the risk of ejection and suspension. Although the rules of the game are the same, the strategies are changing because of poor interpretation of some of the game’s rules. Baseball is one of the only sports that attempts to judge “intent” when making calls on the field. There is no rule in baseball that says you are not allowed to hit a batter, there is a consequence for hitting him in that he is awarded first base, but that’s written into the rules.
Imagine that basketball, for instance, started officiating based on intent. We would never see another free throw again! In the NFL, it would be the same way. Except in rare cases, no offensive lineman really “means” to hold the opposing player’s jersey, but it happens. All the technological advancements used in officiating today will never be able to properly judge the intent of a player, but yet that is what is driving most of the ejections and suspensions of players in the game of baseball today.
I am not calling for removing all rights of an umpire when it comes to ejecting players, there comes a point when the safety of the players supersedes any of the written rules. All I am asking for is some consideration for the pitchers and the players who thrive on strategy and mental fortitude to be able to play the game the best way that they can. If that means plunking a few players to get them to back off the plate, then so be it. If a punk kid straight out of the minors tries showboating or stealing signs, teach him a lesson. Let’s protect the integrity of the game here.
So your team just came off of one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Ticket sales are projected at an all time low for the upcoming season. The team’s superstars are grumbling and upper management is enforcing strict parking space rules at the practice field. What can the franchise do? How do they erase the sting of a horrible season in the player’s and fan’s eyes alike? Simple…You change your logo.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the Detroit Lions unveiled their super amazing stimulus plan for their follow up to a disastrous 0-16 season and along with overpaying for Matthew Stafford, a quarterback who has never taken an NFL snap, they redesigned their football jerseys and logo.
So this led me to think - what is the actual effectiveness of changing the team’s logo’s, color schemes, and uniforms after a dismal season.
We will take a look at the last 2 uniform changes in each of the 3 major sports, and the impact it had following their prior season.
The Team: Tampa Bay Rays
The Year: 2007
The Record: 66-96 (.407)
What they Changed: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays decided to see if they could get God on their side and removed the word “Devil” from their official name.
The Result: It appears that God was pleased as he beamed down a 97-65 record on them, leading them towards the promised land of the World Series. They eventually lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, but recorded the highest win total in franchise history.
The Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Year: 2006
The Record: 76-86 (.469)
What they Changed: The D-Backs finally joined the 20th century and got rid of the Teal and Purple that had been their main color scheme since inception. They went with what is described as “Sedona” red and black as their main colors. Even if it didn’t mean more wins on the field, the color change definitely meant that less Diamondback’s fans got beat up for wearing their team’s colors.
The Result: Diamondbacks fans had something to cheer at as their team went 90-72 and took first place in the National League West. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS, but eventually ran into a buzz saw called the Colorado Rockies…who ironically have purple uniforms.
The Team: Atlanta Hawks
The Year: 2006-2007
The Record: 30-52 (.366)
What they Changed: The Atlanta Hawks have had countless uniform changes over the years, but have predominantly displayed a bright red and horrible yellow look prior to their most recent change. Their new basketball jerseys incorporate Navy Blue, Red, and Silver as well as a more menacing image of a hawk.
The Result: While not as positive as the changes for the D-Backs and the Rays, Atlanta did improve their record in the 2007-2008 season, squeaking their way in to a playoff berth and promptly getting eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
The Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Year: 2002-2003
The Record: 17-65 (.207)
What they Changed: After coming off, arguably one of the worst seasons in the history of organized, professional sports, Cleveland needed a face lift. They decided to ditch their clip art style basketball logo with a more accurate representation of their mascot.
The Result: The 2003-2004 season showed almost a complete turnaround for the Cavaliers as they were able to pull out 18 more wins than their previous season. While we would like to attribute this to their uniform changes, I think that the 2003-2004 season for the Cavs will be remembered more for the addition of Lebron James rather than some much needed color changes.
The Team: Atlanta Falcons
The Year: 2002
The Record: 9-6-1
What they Changed: Despite a very successful season which included a playoff win over the Green Bay Packers before eventually losing to the Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia Eagles, the Falcons decided to change their logo and represent a fiercer, bolder bird of prey on the side of their helmet.
The Result: The uniform change turned out to be all for show as the Falcons proceeded to go 5-11 the following year, finishing last in their division.
The Team: Denver Broncos
The Year: 1996
The Record: 13-3
What they Changed: The Broncos decided to ditch the royal blue and pale orange look for a fiercer, more defiant color scheme of navy blue and dark orange. Despite, their stellar record in 1996, they felt they needed a little push to get them that playoff win and a uniform change was just the boost they needed.
The Result: It turns out that this insane thinking in the Mile High City turned out to be ok as John Elway and his Broncos eventually won the Super Bowl over the Green Bay Packers, despite finishing with one less win than the previous year.
So what can the Lions hope to expect with this brash new uniform change? Well, unless Matthew Stafford turns out to be the Lebron James of the NFL, I don’t see this team crawling out of the NFC North Cellar any time soon.
Baseball News from L.A. Times
Rodriguez and Broxton look just fine in their closer roles, but starters Peavy, Sabathia and Webb struggle. The Angels would not start their season for another five hours, but the time had come for K-Rod. Scot Shields sat at his new locker, the one Francisco Rodriguez had occupied for the last six years, and watched on television. Continue reading on L.A. Times
We’ve all played sports video games before. From the original sports games like RBI Baseball, where you could bunt for a homerun, to Tecmo Bowl where you could literally kill a quarter with a single running play. The question still remains…Will they ever be able to create a sports video game that gets everything right? Let’s face it, no matter how advanced the computer’s AI gets, it’s still a computer with a finite amount of movements and reactions to your input on the controller. Don’t get me wrong, video games have come a long long way in the past few years, not only graphically, but with advanced controls.
Looks Amazing, But Something Doesnt Feel Right
There are so many things you can do now with the controllers that just weren’t possible with the old NES and SEGA Controllers, but despite the spin moves, jukes, alley oops and curveballs can a sports video game ever make you feel like you are there?
Is there ever a real “Home Field Advantage” when playing these games? I have yet to see home field really make that much of a difference; in fact, if you took my combined stats of every sports game I’ve played at home and on the road, it would probably be statistically even. In my opinion, the lack of arena influence on the game is one of the biggest reasons why sports video games have not progressed to their fullest potential yet. Sure, the controller vibrates in a tough situation but is that really a substitute for the Cameron Crazies yelling obscenities at you and jumping around as you shoot free throws with the game on the line?
You Cant Match This Intensity Without Help from Your Drunk Roommates
Is there any way to match what you are feeling during game 7 of the World Series? What it feels like to have millions watching you as you kick the winning field goal of the super bowl? And the answer is simply no…Video games have their place, don’t get me wrong, I love playing them almost as much as anyone but they are no substitute for the real thing. Playing Mario Baseball with your roommates can be fun for a while, but is there any question that if you leave one out over the plate that Bowser is putting it in the upper deck, much to the chagrin of Waluigi.
This is not a knock on sports video games; I own lots of them and like playing them. I just wonder if there is more that developers can do to make you feel like you are there. Get the crowd involved, let the good coaches make the right decisions when the game is on the line instead of having the players do what they have done since the first quarter. Kids can play all the video games they want, but it is no match for the character they build by being out on the court or field, depending on teammates, persevering through pressure and much more.
Every year or so, a sports movie comes out that is supposed to make you feel good, tell a captivating tale, break your heart, or keep you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, I always walk away disappointed which is why from this day forward - with the exception of The Sandlot - I will never watch another sports movie.
I hesitate to even put The Sandlot in the “sports movie” category because it is really more of a story about growing up, getting into trouble, facing your adversity, and learning the hard way that sometimes a knock on your neighbor’s door is the best way to handle things. The grab bag of crazy characters take turns talking trash, kissing lifeguards, chewing tobacco, and playing ball under the fireworks. They even come together and beat an organized team that had their own baseball jerseys. Yes, this movie is a classic and one of my personal, all-time favorites.
But the other sports movies out there are what really grind my gears. I don’t want to take anything away from the talented actors, they are fine at what they do, but let me say this…with very few exceptions you had two choices growing up. Your first option was to play sports which many of us did. Your second option was to take drama or theater classes which some of us did. Those that excelled in drama classes, probably weren’t so hot on the basketball court or the baseball and football fields. So why is it that I am forced to watch actors look like uncoordinated 6th graders out on the court or field every time I watch a sports movie? Oh, and have you ever seen Tom Cruise throw a ball? Good form there. You really put the Short in Shortstop by the way.
Anybody who has ever watched an actual sporting event knows that there is enough drama in the game to make it exciting without having to add players breaking their leg but triumphantly returning to the court for the game winning shot. Real sports fans know that it takes talent and chemistry all year long to win a championship, you can’t start liking and trusting each other in the huddle on the last play of the game and expect to get anything done.
Also, do they ever lose? Is there any doubt as to the outcome of a sports movie? Did you watch Mr. 3,000 and really think that Bernie Mac wasn’t going to get his 3,000 hits and get into the Hall of Fame? If a team ever does lose the championship, do they ever show it? No they end on a good note and run the story of how they lost just before the closing credits.
To me, sports movies are a horrible rendition of what actual sports are like. Horrible acting, horrible drama, predictable endings. I would love to hear of any sports movies you’ve seen that break this mold. The challenge is out!
Baseball News from L.A. Times
Joe Gordon, a second baseman who made his major-league debut in 1938, is selected by a veterans committee for enshrinement. But three stars with ties to the Dodgers are denied. Joe Gordon, a nine-time All-Star second baseman for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians from 1938 to 1950, was elected today to the Hall of Fame by a vote of a veterans committee. But former Dodgers stars Gil Hodges and Maury Wills and current Dodgers Manager Joe Torre all fell short of enshrinement.
Continue reading on L.A. Times
Baseball News from L.A. Times
Pitcher slips on an ice-covered step outside his Pennsylvania home. The injury adds another question mark to a depleted rotation. Chad Billingsley fractured a bone in his lower left leg when he slipped on an ice-covered step outside his Pennsylvania home Friday night, adding another question mark to a depleted Dodgers rotation that is set to lose Derek Lowe and Brad Penny this winter.
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FoxSports.com ran a story today about the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball, but it’s unclear how they came up w/ their list.
As evidenced below, their rankings don’t quite match up w/ how well each player has actually performed. Total home runs is certainly a valid metric to consider, but At-bats per HR would seem to be the most accurate gauge of who the best MLB home run hitter is thru 8/7/08.
Below is a list of the players that FoxSports ranked as the Top 18 Home Run hitters, but I’ve rearranged them according to their At-bats per HR statistics (vs. whatever the hell FoxSports used) - FoxSports original rankings are in quotes. I’ve also include a few comments beneath several player’s stats.
Clearly, this pick was right on. Dunn is tied for the league lead in HR and has the best ratio of at-bats per HR. Dunn has also avoided the dubious distinction of having the most strikeouts this year (so far) - Ryan Howard has that honor.
Ludwick has made news this week w/ a game winning HR, but his stats speak volumes for how valuable he’s been to the Cardinals. FoxSports’ ranking might be a little more accurate than this #2 ranking, considering that Ludwick is only in his 2nd season - time will tell if this is a fluke or the real thing.
If there was ever a “is he or isn’t he” question about performance enhancing drugs, Quentin would certainly be on the list of “is he?”. With only 5 HR’s last year, he leads the AL this year (completely out of the blue).
Howard leads the league in strikeouts and is only batting .239, so I’m not sure how valuable he is overall. Clearly, he’s a talented player and a likely superstar, but having Pat Burrell and Chase Utley on your team doesn’t hurt either - both are on this list also.
The second Phillies player in the Top 10.
A-Rod is struggling a bit this year, but will still reach the 40 HR mark in my opinion - the same cannot be said for many of the players on this list. Rodriguez is the most inaccurately rated player by FoxSports, since he is actually much better according to the stats.
Carlos Lee — Astros — 28 HRs
Games: 114 — At-bats: 436 — At-bats per HR: 15.57
Carlos Lee is living up to that big contract, having a career year for the struggling Astros. (FoxSports Rank: 7)
Here’s another guy who is prone to strikeout a lot, which can probably be attributed to his age and experience. He’s only 6 strikeouts behind Howard, but is really the only offense threat the D-Backs have.
Ramirez has been tearing it up for the Dodgers, so it may only be a matter of time before he climbs higher on the list.
A great 1st round Home Run Derby performance is no reason to crown Hamilton as the game’s best HR hitter (which FoxSports has wisely avoided). He was supremely strong in the 1st half of the season, but has cooled since the All-Star game. A couple home runs in consecutive games will slingshot Hamilton higher in the rankings, so there’s still a shot he ends up in the Top 10 by season’s end.
The Atlanta Braves have given up on this season, as evidenced by the trade of slugger Mark Teixeira, to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. For the Braves, who have Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson on the DL, and virtually no shot at a division title or wild-card berth, the time had come to shed payroll and plan for next year.
Teixeira adds more offense to an already potent lineup in L.A. I would assume that he’ll bat 3rd before Vlad Guerrero or 5th (after him). The trade moves probably doesn’t affect Torii Hunter or Garret Anderson a bit further down in the lineup. It will be interesting to see if they use Mark as the DH or put him on the field, although it’s been pointed out that the Angels did trade their 1st basemen for Teixeira, so he will probably play 1st base primarily. While I’m sure he’ll get a bit of both, I see him more in the DH role for the Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels already have the best record in baseball. That didn’t stop them from making a bold move two days before the trade deadline. With their sights set firmly on the World Series, the Angels pulled off a blockbuster deal Tuesday to acquire slugger Mark Teixeira from the fading Atlanta Braves.
My Arizona Diamondbacks were also in the running for Mark Teixeira, so I am a little upset that we did not make a big enough play to acquire him. The D-Backs are severely lacking on offense, so a bat of Teixeira’s caliber would’ve done wonders in Phoenix. It seems like they never have the balls to make a big move, despite the obvious need. There’s still a chance that they’ll make a deal, but the type of player they can get now has diminished. Kudos to the Angels for pulling the plug… it doesn’t hurt that they have a bigger budget to work w/ either though.
The New York Yankees bolstered their chances of making the playoffs by acquiring Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the Pirates. The trade gives the Yankees another outfielder who will improve the batting lineup and a reliever who will be a welcome change to the bullpen.
While the trade is by no means a guarantee that New York will reach the playoffs, it puts them a leg up for the 2nd half of the season. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are showing signs that they’re just not ready to lead the division and the Boston Red Sox are going through some “Manny” problems, so the Yankees are primed to take over.
Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte were with the Yankees and ready to play against the Boston Red Sox after New York finalized a six-player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The Yankees are sending top outfield prospect Jose Tabata and minor league right-handers Dan McCutchen, Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf to Pittsburgh.
The Boston Red Sox helped usher in a new 500 Home Run club member this weekend, as outfielder Manny Ramirez clubbed his 500th and 501st home runs against the Baltimore Orioles.
Manny Ramirez trots around bases after 500th home run
The historic 500th home run came against the Orioles Chad Bradford, who up until Saturday night, had given up very few home runs in the past 2 years. Manny had been swinging early in the count for several days, trying to be aggressive and to reach the milestone, but it was against Bradford, when Ramirez finally came through.
“I’m happy, you know, about everything I accomplished in life,” Ramirez said afterward. “Not everybody has the chance to go and get to 500. I’m just proud to do it.”
Manny Ramirez becomes only the 24th player in MLB history to reach the 500 home run mark. Ramirez had been trying to reach the milestone for several weeks - he was at 496 on April 19th and took approximately 34 games to 500.
With the feat, Manny also joined another illustrious group:
The 500-home run club has only two dozen members, but Ramirez also joined an even smaller fraternity. He is only the seventh player in baseball history with 500 homers, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 walks, 475 doubles and a .300 batting average. The others are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams.
Once the monkey was off his back, Ramirez quickly notched home run number 501 on Sunday, leading the Red Sox to a sweep over the rival Orioles.
Fellow Red Sox players were ecstatic for Manny Ramirez after he reached the 500 home run mark. He received greetings & handshakes, as well as high praise from current and former teammates. Despite the game being played in Camden Yards (Baltimore), Ramirez also received quite a bit of support from the fans as well.
While many detractors have labeled Manny as lazy and/or an uncaring superstar, it’s clear that they just don’t know the real guy, as evidenced by recent statements and reactions from his teammates and coaches. We’re witnessing one of the greatest hitters in baseball history - we just need to pay more attention…
Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada has come out of the closet - well sort of.
It seems that Tejada has been lying about his age ever since coming to the big leagues at “17″ (he was really 19) - Tejada is now 33, or 31, or 33… sh**, he’s probably still lying about it just like most people think Dikembe Mutombo (of NBA fame) is. While the 2 year age difference really doesn’t make much of a difference, unless you’re the GM of the Astros and you just signed him to a long-term deal (ha-ha), it’s still remarkable that Miguel Tejada was able to get away with it for so long.
Jim McIssac/Getty Images
What I take from Miguel’s announcement is this… Tejada is a liar (the word “cheater” also comes to mind, but he hasn’t admitted to that yet). Did he take steroids? Probably… Is he going to admit it? No… Does it really matter in the scheme of things, since MLB has assured players mentioned in the Mitchell report a “free pass” to not get in suspended or penalized for their actions.
Home run champ and hated teammate Barry Bonds appeared in court Friday to plead “not guilty” to 4 counts of perjury and an obstruction of justice charge. All charges stem from Bonds testimony against a grand-jury about his ties to steriod usage in MLB. It was the first time in about 3 weeks that Barry has made a public appearance. No trial date has been set, but rumors put it after the upcoming baseball season or even in 2009.
Barry Bonds has denied all involvement from day 1, so it’s really no surprise to see him do the same in court. It’s still not 100% clear whether Bonds is telling the truth, however, due simply to his heavy involvement w/ BALCO and Conte, it’s founder.
The legal defense for Bonds claims there are errors or unclear information in the charges - they’re trying to get the case dismissed altogether. However this ends, you just hope that we get to hear the truth at some point…