It's All-Star Game Time Once More

Of all the all-star games, I love the MLB's the best. It's a fun two days of home run derbys, skills contests, great pre-game festivities and then the game itself that all add up to a great event.

Here are my all-star picks and some selections for the first half:

Ed’s All-Star Squad
AMERICAN LEAGUE
First Base: Mark Texeira, New York Yankees
Second Base: Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays
Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Third Base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Rays
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Outfield: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox
Outfield: Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels
Oufield: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners
Pitcher: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
MVP: Mark Texeira, New York Yankees
Manager: Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers
Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Best Rookie: Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers
Surprise Team: Texas Rangers
Top Executive: Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox
Disappointment Team: Minnesota Twins

NATIONAL LEAGUE
First Base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Second Base: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Third Base: David Wright, New York Mets
Catcher: Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants
Outfield: Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
Outfield: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
Outfield: Brad Hawpe, Colorado Rockies
Pitcher: Jason Marquis, Colorado Rockies
MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Manager: Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cy Young: Jason Marquis, Colorado Rockies
Best Rookie: Andrew McCutcheon, Pittsburgh Pirates
Top Executive: Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers
Surprise Team: Colorado Rockies
Disappointment Team: Arizona Diamondbacks/Chicago Cubs (tie)

Yo, Meathead!

I know, I know, it’s been a while. But we do what we must to survive.…

So—been enough drama for you already, Mets fans? I mean, I know I expected them to be good, but who could ever predict the kind of soap opera that’s surrounded the team almost from the get-go?

First, they were bad. Then they suddenly got hot—super-hot—winning seven in a row and 12 out of the first 15 in May before coming down to earth hard against L.A. Since being swept in four games by the Dodgers (panic in the streets!), they’ve won six of their last eight, including today’s beating by the Marlins, in which the Mets lost 7–3.

So what’s the deal? Contender or pretender?

Right now, a lot of the Mets firepower is playing hurt or on the disabled list. Somehow, the Amazin’s have won a few on grit and spirit, withstanding stints by Brian Schneider, Carlos Delgado, and Jose Reyes to the DL—although it’s true that they played three against the doormat Nationals this past week that they swept.

Oliver Perez has been a letdown, going first to the bullpen and then to the DL. The Mets sure could use another starter! Thank goodness it’s practically a lock that they win every time Johan Santana takes the mound. The guy is a machine!

Another story has been Carlos Beltran, who has been putting up great numbers despite playing hurt (.352 with 31 RBI so far—not bad!). Mets fans have been waiting for Beltran to assume more of a leadership role on the team—now, is Beltran finally getting ready to step up?

Same goes for David Wright. Is he ready to become the team leader management envisioned when they took him aboard so long ago? I keep hearing from “sources” that Delgado was the team leader (coulda fooled me!), and now that he’s sidelined, these other guys will feel more comfortable stepping up. Give me a break!

This is Beltran’s fifth season with the Mets! And Wright has been a major-leaguer with the Mets for six seasons now! They are only just now feeling comfortable exerting leadership because Delgado is down? I know there’s a pecking order and all, but can’t SOMEONE else lead besides Delgado? He’s a great player—don’t get me wrong. But he leads by example more than anything, and the Mets need a leader with a bit of fire—a bit more fire than Delgado.

Whoever is the leader supplying the “edge” that GM Omar Minaya said is lacking, there can be no denying the Mets’ entertainment value this year. First, you have a team that was ignominiously dumped from postseason qualification on the last day of the season twice in a row—a team with a totally rebuilt bullpen, shoring up a grievous weakness from last year.

Next, you have a manager under scrutiny who knows he better have some success with this team, or else.

Throw in a new ballpark with oodles of new places for the ball to go—giving the Mets oodles of chances to use video replay to aid them in winning their games.

And let’s not forget injuries to key players, despite which the Mets have still found a way to keep on rolling. Even with all the injured, the Mets have managed to win enough games to be tied for first as this is being written. How about that Omir Santos! The Mets’ catcher spot remains a point of intrigue as we head into June.

I say that if the Mets can return to full strength, and those who were injured can play above expectations, the Orange and Blue will be right in the thick of things come October. The Mets look strong enough to hang with Philly all season—it’s entirely conceivable that their overcoming adversity during the season will give them the mental toughness to hold it together down the stretch, rather than folding like a house of cards, as they did the last two seasons.

Good luck, Mets fans! Keep the antacid handy!

Is LA Ready for Barrywood?

Now that Manny Ramirez has screwed up in one of the worst ways imaginable--getting caught taking a substance banned by baseball--maybe the Dodgers should think about hiring their old nemesis and sticking him in left field. Juan Pierre is not a bad player and I'm not going to bash him here, but the team lacks power and Barry Bonds still has enough left in the tank (and in the syringe?) to provide some.
Actually, although I am very disappointed with Manny's Mishap, I have long said that MLB should just let players take whatever they want to enhance their performance. If an athlete is willing to risk his health, why not let him? Operatic singers looking to hit those high notes used to clip their you-know-what's many years ago, and Roman gladiators would do all kinds of strange things to their bodies to be stronger and faster, so why shouldn't baseball players do the same?
Let them take whatever they want. That way no one can cheat. Of course, it will change the game as we know it. Big, bulky hitters will be smacking 550-ft. HR blasts on a daily basis, and pitchers will be throwing fastballs at 120 mph, but who cares? It will be fun to watch, and those teams with the better pharmacists will be the most successful.
But, back to the subject of the Dodgers signing Barry Bonds. Just think of all the buzz it would create. It would piss off both Giants and Dodgers fans. Barry would embrace Hollywood and vice versa. It would be a great "forgive and forget" moment, a feel-good scenario unlike anything we've ever seen. And in the end, if Bonds can mean a few additional victories for the Big Blue, why not at least give it a try?
Think about it, Ned Colletti. I believe that L.A. is ready for Barrywood. At least until July 3rd, when Mannywood returns to the fold.

Yo, Meathead!

Okay, as promised, here are my predictions for the 2009 Major League Baseball season:

AL East winner: Boston Red Sox
AL Central winner: Chicago White Sox
AL West winner: Anaheim Angels
Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays

NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Chicago Cubs
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers (This one’s for you, Ed!)
Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies

AL pennant winner: Angels
NL pennant winner: Mets

World Series winner: Mets

Two other big New York sports stories that I have mixed feelings about:

The first is the Giants dumping Plaxico Burress. From a standpoint of right versus wrong, I think the Giants made a good move. Burress was a distraction and a me-first type who put his own needs ahead of those of the team. But he was a really good receiver. The Giants are too classy an organization to have kept Burress on in the long run, even though General Manager Jerry Reese was considering it. I’m sad in the sense that the guy who caught the winning TD pass in the Super Bowl a year ago is gone, but I’m glad from the position of wanting the team to be able to focus and move forward. So long, Plax! It’s been real!

The second is the Mets acquiring Gary Sheffield. Man, the guy is a jerk! But when he’s right, man, the guy can swing the bat! The Mets needed a right-handed batter, so Sheffield fills that role, but can he even still play the field? I sure hope GM Omar Minaya knows what he’s doing! A few obnoxious words from Sheffield can tear a locker room apart. He’s like Terrell Owens that way.…

Yo, Meathead!

I know Ed’s chomping at the bit for me to make my baseball predictions, but I had to post this first. I guess these (ahem) “shields” have been around for over a year, but I never heard of them until a couple of days ago. This was just too funny to pass up, so I had to post it. This comes from the blog of MLB.com’s Benjamin Hill. Hysterical!

I’ll make sure to have my predictions posted by Sunday, Opening Night. Until then, enjoy! Ha ha ha!

A Subtle Way to Curb Ballpark Emissions
posted by Benjamin Hill on Ben’s Biz Blog, March 24, 2009

Whether it’s the Fifth Third Burger or a run-of-the-mill hot dog, who doesn’t like to indulge themselves at the concession stand during a Minor League Baseball game?

But all actions have consequences, and concession stand indulgence can often lead to temporary bouts of digestive distress. This, in turn, can sometimes lead to the emission of less-than-pleasant odors.

I’m just telling it like it is here, and my newfound candor has been directly inspired by the Lake Elsinore Storm. On Monday, the club issued a press release that, in its comedic potential, is almost too good to be true. In the first two paragraphs, the Storm tout the great value of their weekly “Fat Tuesday” all-you-can-eat special. That’s the set-up, and here’s the punchline:

“You can probably deduce that All-You-Can-Eat ballpark food might lead to substantial gas emissions, which is where corporate sponsor Subtle Butt enters the picture. Made of activated carbon fabric, each disposable 3.25” square shield is held onto the inside of the underwear with two self-adhesive strips. Subtle Butt effectively filters flatulence, absorbing and neutralizing its odor.”

Therefore, the first 250 fans in attendance at every “Fat Tuesday” ballgame (the first is on April 14, mark your calendars) will receive a free product sample of Subtle Butt.

Once again, this is real. Gloriously, hilariously real.

Recognizing a good story when I see one, I made a few calls in order to better understand how this unprecedented partnership came about. First, I spoke with Storm media relations director Steve Smaldone, who soldiered through our conversation despite the fact that several of his co-workers were listening in and laughing at him.

“We wanted to help people out, because no one wants to clear out their section,” he said. “We’re going to promote this enough so that most people know what [Subtle Butt] is and what we’re doing, and we think it’s going to go over well.”

Smaldone then summed up the team’s attitude in more colorful terms.

“We’re just going to grab the bull by the horns and let it rip.”

Subtle Butt is the latest product from Garment Guard, a company whose signature product is its eponymous disposable underarm shield. The leader of this fearless operation is—surprise!—a woman.

“Our office is full of girls, and all we do all day long is talk about [flatulence] and sweat,” said Kim Olenicoff, Garment Guard’s founder. “We’ve never partnered with anyone before, but in Minor League Baseball we might have found the perfect niche.”

This ideal pairing came about through the wonders of social networking.

“I grew up with one of the guys [assistant GM Allan Benavides] who works at the Storm,” she said. “Through the magic of Facebook he found me and saw what it is I do. He called me up and explained that he thought this would be a good fit.”

Of course, Olenicoff hopes that the Storm’s “Fat Tuesday” promotion is just the beginning, and that Subtle Butt will one day develop into a well-respected, internationally-known product. But, for now, she’s content to take things one step at time.

“We’ll see how it goes,” she said. “If it goes over well, then great. If not, then at least it was still really funny.”

My 2009 MLB Picks

To see who I selected to win it all in '09 go to my Web site: http://thisgreatgame.com/opinion3-09.html.

I can tell you one thing, if the season goes as I have predicted, Meat will be one happy man!

Yo, Meathead!

My goodness, sports fans, I have to apologize! I can’t believe I haven’t had a chance to post in like six weeks! But you can blame it on the economy. See, I got offered a couple of different jobs right while I was in the middle of a big project. Since I work for myself, I don’t want to turn anything down in this economy. So for the last six weeks, it’s been three to four hours of sleep a night and constant scrambling to get the jobs done. Now, I finally have a breather, so here I am, posting on Sports on the Street again!

A lot has happened since my last post. We’re only a week away from Opening Day of baseball. The United States lost in the World Baseball Classic and the (presumably) steroid-free Japanese won the whole shebang. We sadly lost two NFL players in a boating tragedy. The Broncos are having trouble with their quarterback because they tried to trade him for Matt Cassel. Cassel got traded to the Chiefs, so Tom Brady better be up to snuff when the NFL season opens in September. Terrell Owens got cut by the Cowboys (ha ha ha) and signed with the Bills. A-Rod had hip surgery. Lance Armstrong broke his collarbone. Not to mention that the NFL is considering adding one or two games to its season. The list goes on.

As the economy suffers, it will be interesting to see how many fans show up for this year’s baseball season—especially at the new Yankee Stadium. Seems that the Yanks are having trouble selling their premium seats—you know, the ones that are going for $350 to $2,500 a pop. That New York ball club is showing that it’s incredibly blind, deaf, and dumb as far as how the economy might affect fans. But I guess that’s no surprise, considering how lavishly they spent on free agents this off-season….

One story I’ll be following this spring is the reception that Jason Giambi will get now that he’s back with the A’s in Oaktown. I know a bunch of Oakland fans that are excited, but I can tell you this—if I was still back in the Bay Area, I’d boo Giambi’s steroid-taking butt every chance I got. Remember, folks, just because he’s back doesn’t erase the fact that he sold his soul to go play for the Yankees and then had all those problems with the juice. True, he was an MVP with the A’s, and he was basically a seven-year bust in New York (no rings for you, Giambino!), but the truth is that he left for the greenbacks when he had team chemistry and a huge number of fans in Oakland. With the steroid usage, which plainly began in Oakland, I don’t exactly think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I think he should quietly retire and give back baseball to those who haven’t used performance enhancers (or at least haven’t been caught).

Of course, we’re also in the midst of March Madness. Can you believe how much attention has been paid to President Barack Obama’s selections for his NCAA tournament brackets? I guess Coach Mike Krzyzewski was bitter that Obama didn’t pick Duke to win. To that, I say two things. The first is: we should feel lucky that our president is cool enough to even fill out a set of brackets—I had serious doubts that President Bush even understood most American sports, though he was purported to be a baseball fanatic. The second is: ya shoulda picked UConn, Barack!