Yo, Meathead!

I am in the midst of one of the worst weeks of my life in terms of being a sports fan. Weeks like this don’t come around too often. The stars have to align perfectly—in this case, perfectly badly.

Just to make things clear at the outset, I root for the Mets and A’s in baseball; the Giants and Dolphins in football; and the Knicks in basketball. Anyone who understands sports loyalties and rivalries will now understand why things are so bad for me.

Let’s start with football. First off, the Giants lost to the Cardinals. That in itself was hard to bear, especially after the previous week’s blowout loss to New Orleans. We Giants fans want to see Big Blue mix it up with the big boys, not act the bully to the weaker teams in the league, then fold against the real competition. Besides, Giants fans are also used to the Cardinals being pushovers—the Jints had won 17 of the last 19 against Arizona, dating back to when the teams were division rivals in the old NFC East. To see the Giants on a two-game losing streak with a game against Philly this coming weekend is enough for a fan to get weak in the knees. The Giants must find a way to beat the Eagles or risk having their once-promising season spiral out of control.

The rest of the league didn’t cooperate one bit. Dallas and Philadelphia won, making the division race even tighter. And over in the AFC, Miami let a 21-point lead over the Saints evaporate into a humiliating loss. Compound that with wins by the Bills, Jets, and Patriots, and I can’t think of one thing that went right for me this weekend, other than the fact that the Redskins lost. But since they lost to the Eagles, it is a moot point, at best!

The crowning travesty is this mockery of a World Series that I must suffer through, along with my fellow Mets fans. I had already given up the season by mid-June, but this series is the final insult added to injury.

The Phillies versus the Yankees.

Which team do I hate more?

It’s a tough call. I have almost always hated the Yankees, and especially their fans’ sense of entitlement when it comes to winning championships. But over the last couple of years, Philadelphia has overtaken the Braves as the most hated team in the NL East, and the Mets should be chafing at the idea that their division rivals are in the Big Dance for their second year in a row.

There is no easy answer. I want them both to lose.

The rotten cherry on this steaming mess of melted ice cream is the Knicks. I just have no words for that team anymore.

Hockey, anyone?

Jim Gentile

Jim Gentile, also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left-handed batter who played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1957-58); Baltimore Orioles (1960-63), Kansas City Athletics (1964-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Cleveland Indians (1966).

A powerful slugger listed at 6' 4", 215 lb, Gentile languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges in first base. Traded to Baltimore, Gentile enjoyed his best season in 1961, hitting a career-highs .302 batting average, 46 home runs, 141 runs batted in, 96 runs, 147 hits, 25 doubles. 96 walks, .346 on base percentage, .646 slugging average and 1,069 OPS. He was considered in the MVP selection (third, behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris). In addition, Gentile hit five grand slams -- including two straight in one game --setting an American League record that stood until Don Mattingly belted six in 1987.
Following his major league career, he played one season in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1969. Gentile managed the Fort Worth Cats when they returned to baseball in 2001 and 2002.

He’s currently is hitting coach for the Schaumburg Flyers.

What pitchers gave you a hard time? “For some reason, I had a lot of trouble from Jim Perry, Gaylord Perry’s brother, I don’t know why, but he owned me. I knew that I was in for a battle every time I faced him. You have your good days and bad days, but they were always on me about Whitey Ford. Every time I faced him, I was having a bad day. One day he struck me out and I broke my bat on home plate, so since then they were saying I couldn’t hit Ford. I did take him down town three times in my career, so I don’t mind it so bad. I beat him in a game 2-1 in Baltimore, which was satisfying.”

Talk about your batting technique: “To tell you the truth, I tried to hit what I could see—which is probably why I was a career .260 hitter. If the pitch was close and I could see it, if I thought it was in the strike zone, I’d swing at it. Today they tell ‘em all how to choke up and change their hitting style with two strikes. I never did. If I was playing today, I’d probably take a different approach, but back then I just got up there and hit. Back then they didn’t have specialized individual coaching, trainers, physical therapy, videotaping, etc. If they had taught me how to swing in and out, the way Jeter does, I’d have been a better hitter. That’s what the Red Sox are doing with Ortiz right now—they’re trying to get him to hit the other way. But, back then I had one thing on my mind and that was driving in runs. I hit a few home runs opposite the way, but I never got many base hits that way, that’s for sure. Back then, all they would throw me was sliders inside. They were asking me to pull all day long.”

Tell us a funny story: “We were playing in Kansas City and I guess I didn’t have a very good day. So, I was sitting in the clubhouse and I wasn’t normally a beer drinker, but that day I just felt like a cold one on a hot day. So, I had a beer. So, I was sitting in my locker, facing my locker and Paul Richards (Orioles manager) was across the room, right behind me. I was sitting there keeping to myself for what must have been 15-20 minutes, when Richards said, “Hey, Jim.” So, I turn around and there’s Richards, all dressed and ready to leave. So, he asks me to come over and speak with him, so I walked over to him. He says, “Look Jim—you’ve been in this game all long time. And you know we all have good days and bad days. We’re going to play a doubleheader tomorrow and you’re going to come out and have a real good day. So, don’t give it a second thought.” So, I said, ‘Okay, Paul.” I turn around to walk back to my locker, and I suddenly see 20 beer cans stacked under my chair. Richards thought I was sitting there getting soused. My teammates had set me up good!”

His early years: “I started my career as age 18 in Class A for the Dodgers. They were thinking that if I didn’t play well, they’d send me down to Class B or C. But, I led the league that season with home runs, and the next year, they sent me right back there. Nobody in the Dodgers minor system at this point moved very far within the minors, because they were loaded with all the great stars. I hit 36 dingers that year, so they sent it to Fort Worth the next year, and I hit 40 that season. They had always been telling me that it would take 3-4 years to make it to the big leagues, and I figured I should get a shot, especially because I traveled to Japan with the Dodgers that off-season and I led the team in everything; every category and home runs everything. I was thinking now I am finally going to get a shot. They were talking about moving Gil Hodges to third base to bring me up. Well, it never came around. So after that, all I wanted was just to get a shot to play in the big leagues; for any team, I didn’t care. I wanted to get a couple of at-bats, to find out for myself if I could hit in the big leagues. If I can’t do it, then I’d just accept the fact that I was a minor leaguer. I was blocked for playing with the Dodgers by Gil Hodges for 7 years. Two in Single A, 2 in Double A and 3 in Triple A. They had so many players that I never got a chance. They kept us around for a long time, going up and down, up and down, but they never gave me much of a shot. They never changed that infield for 7 years.”

Playing briefly with the Boys of Summer: “They were all nice fellas on the Brooklyn Dodgers. Great guys. Every time I came up to play for the big team, they treated me real nice. Snider, Jackie Robinson, Campanella, Pee Wee Reese--they were all class acts. But, they had their cliques, so you kind of stayed with yourself, as a new player coming up late in the season. The one guy who was especially nice to me on the Japan trip was Campanella. He was the one who gave me my nickname ‘Diamond Jim’.” He called me "a diamond in the rough" during the Dodgers' 1956 tour in Japan, but my performance there didn’t get me any closer to the majors.”

Yo, Meathead!

In case anyone was wondering where I’ve been (not that anyone would…), I long gave up on the baseball season since the Mets found a way to yet again disgrace themselves and the A’s haven’t been worth watching since April. To make things even more frustrating, once again, the other New York team has somehow managed to make an incredible dash to first place and stay there. Wow, wonder what it’s like to only be out of the playoffs for a year or two before making it back? I’m sure Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya have no clue.

The long and short of it is that this baseball season hasn’t really given me much that I want to write about. Now that I’m back, to keep myself from writing an entire column on my bitterness with the Mets (they’re becoming the Knicks of Major League Baseball!), I’ll take up the subject of the next sport on tap: football! Yes, it’s that time again!

“Knock-knock!”

“Who’s there?”

“It’s football!”

It’s been a while since I’ve greeted the advent of the NFL season with quite this much enthusiasm. After all, my basketball team has been wandering in the dysfunctional wasteland for about a decade now. Suddenly, after three years of painful and embarrassing failures of one type or another, it’s become more apparent than ever that one of my baseball teams is headed toward that same purgatory.

Why not welcome the chance to watch my New York Giants play for 16 or more games now? The G-men represent one of the classiest franchises in professional sports, and let’s not forget that they have played only 16 games since they captured arguably the most exciting Super Bowl championship ever. They are everything in sports that the Knicks and Mets are not.

It’s true that there are no guarantees, and Big Blue could have a lousy season—most everyone is picking the Eagles or Cowboys to win the NFC East—but I’ll stick with my boys any day, and I will bet that Eli will help lead his crew to a winning record, a playoff berth, and the division crown. In fact, with their reloaded defensive line, the Jints have a chance to win the NFC. As long as everyone stays healthy, the sky’s the limit. A shaky start might be in the making, due to some injuries in the secondary, but by midseason, I expect the Giants to be in fine form.

But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. I’m just thankful that tomorrow, at 1:15 pm, I’ll be able to plant my butt in front of the TV and watch the start of the football games that matter to me this year. Win or lose, it will be good to see the greats of the gridiron break out the ol’ pigskin once again.

Go Giants!

Schmidt Happens! But Can It Happen Again?

After a two-year medical ordeal and a blooper-reel first inning that prolonged the agony, Jason Schmidt pitched the Dodgers to victory Monday night.
And who thought that would ever happen again? Surely not I. I figured Schmidt was finished a long time ago, but evidently there’s still a little something left in the tank. He will undoubtedly never be the dominant hurler he once was, but if he can win a few games down the stretch for the Dodgers as their fifth starter, we’ll take it!
If Schmidt can step up, it means the Dodgers may not have to trade for another starting pitcher prior to the trade deadline. Which, in my opinion is a good thing—why should they have to give away the farm for Ray Hallady, when he can then demand a trade after this season? Toronto is trying to rape some poor contender for Hallady, and it’s a joke, I believe. Hasn’t anyone learned from the Barry Zito debacle that pitchers’ are like milk—they can go sour in a millisecond!
Schmidt's first Major League start since June 16, 2007, turned into a 7-5 Dodgers comeback win over the Reds, matching his previous total of Dodgers victories. This one included Manny Ramirez's 537th career home run, moving him past Mickey Mantle and into sole possession of 15th place on the all-time list, and a solo shot by Andre Ethier, his club-high 19th.
In five innings, Schmidt struck out two but was wild enough to walk three and hit one. All three runs were scored in the first inning and he allowed only one batter as far as second base after that.
Manager Joe Torre reiterated after the game what he said before the game, that Schmidt figures to remain in the rotation at least for another start.
"The consideration is to send him back out there again," said Torre.
Schmidt made 91 pitches against the Reds, none faster than 89 mph, most of his fastballs hovering around 87 according to MLB.com's pitch tracker (the readings on the Dodger Stadium radar gun were erratic all night).
Yet, Schmidt said the decreased velocity is only partly the result of two operations on a 36-year-old shoulder, but also his intentional adjustment to the mysterious workings of his body.
"If I aired it out from pitch one to 100, I could get to 91 or 92, but when I try to throw harder even a little bit, I can't control it," Schmidt said. "So, I have to pitch like it's an easy bullpen [session]. I don't like doing it that way, but it's the only way that works and I've been getting people out during the rehab like that and I'm living with it.
"Winning tonight is very exciting. But it's still a little frustrating knowing what I used to be able to do. I feel like I'm kind of handicapped. I want to challenge hitters with every pitch. That was my intimidation before, that I could blow it by anybody, and it doesn't work that way anymore. I was a bull in a china shop. Now I have to be cool and collected, throwing breaking balls with two strikes when I used to throw fastballs. It's like night and day."

Yo, Meathead!

Some musings at the All-Star break.…

(Sorry, Ed, but I was too upset at the Mets' freefall to pick my own set of All-Stars!)

Let’s start with the All-Star Game itself. I almost never watch the All-Star Game. I think the last time I saw the game from start to finish must have been at least ten years ago. But this year, I was curious to see what our dear president, Barack Obama, would add to the spectacle on Tuesday night.

I was a little excited, and a little disappointed.

It was fun to see Obama throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Albert Pujols, though I’m not sure why Pujols was backstopping. I get the idea that the game was in St. Louis, but Yadier Molina, a Cardinals catcher, was also on the roster, so why not have him receive the pitch? Well, no big deal—Pujols certainly is deserving of the honor. I think it’s pretty silly that people are being critical that Obama floated the pitch—at least he made it to the plate! And though this is a sports blog, not political commentary, I find it interesting that our previous president, who used to own the Texas Rangers, never was asked to throw out the first pitch at an All-Star Game. There’s a lesson there, but I’ll let you figure out what it is.…

Obama made it the broadcast booth with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver for the bottom of the second. He kept the banter light, discussing his ceremonial pitch, the White Sox jacket he was wearing (was there, perhaps, a bit of Kevlar underneath?), and the season in general. I was definitely entertained but was hoping that Barack would stick around for more than just a half-inning.

Being something of a National League baby myself, since the NL plays the purest form of the game, I was a little bummed that the American League won yet again, but what can you do? It only rubs salt in the wound that the game now decides home-field advantage for the World Series. I always hated that rule—home-field for the championship should go to the team with the better record, plain and simple.

But it was a good game, for what it’s worth. It was close, and the pitching and defense were mostly worthy of an All-Star Game. The AL won fair and square, and Tampa’s Carl Crawford got the MVP, mainly due to an outstanding catch that robbed Brad Hawpe of Colorado of an almost-certain home run. It was the first time that the MVP went to a player who did not score a run or have an RBI.

A few other notes:

Everyone knows by now that my allegiance is with the Mets in the NL and the A’s in the Al. However, now that I live outside Seattle, it’s much harder to keep up with the A’s this year because they’re so bad. (As of this writing, the A’s were the third-worst team in all of baseball. Yeesh!) If I still lived down in Oakland, I’d be going to the games, and I’d be on top of the nitty-gritty details of the team. Here is Washington, I know the A’s stink, and so it’s more difficult to pay attention. Imagine my chagrin when I heard that the lone A’s All-Star was Andrew Bailey. My first thought when I heard this was, “Who?” Now I know he’s their new closer, but it was quite a jolt to realize that the team who I’ve seen live perhaps five to ten times more than any other team was sending a complete stranger to me to the Midsummer Classic.

How about Pedro Martinez going to the Phillies? As a Mets fan, how could I possibly hope to find anything positive in that development? As much as I like Pedro and wish him the best on a personal level, I can’t help hoping that Pedro crashes and burns as a Phillie, perhaps allowing the Mets to climb back into contention in the second half after all their injuries left them struggling as they went into the break.

The biggest surprise so far must be the Texas Rangers, who, after years of awful baseball, are only a game and a half out of first behind Anaheim in the AL West. Kudos to the Angels for being able to focus so well after the death of one of their starting pitchers, Nick Adenhart, in April.

So here we go into the second half. Everyone buckle up!

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!