[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“333” caption=“I’m not actually as happy as I look in this photograph at all. Actually, I’m kind of bummed about the end of the Rays season (Photo courtesy DJOtaku)”] [/caption] It’s not completely over, since I will still watch games in the playoffs and the World Series, but for the teams that I truly care about the season is over. ...
[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Part of our woes come from this man hitting the DL (and his lack of performance)”] [/caption] The Marlins have dropped seven straight games, dropping them five games behind the Phillies and now two behind the Atlanta Braves and it’s been agony to experience. Losing Josh Johnson was a problem, but we’ve even had great pitching performances from our starters (including one of his replacements) that the Fish have botched. The loss of Hanley Ramirez also doesn’t help things, although his presence has yet to really be felt at the plate. I’m hoping that this DL stint will fix whatever’s been ailing him. ...
Just last week it happened again. A high-profile celebrity revealed what a dirtbag he was in the most public way possible and it brings up the same question it always does. Am I supporting his/her ideologies by supporting their art? Am I a bad person by proxy? Back around when The Passion of the Christ was released, Mel Gibson’s previous scandal arose out of him blaming Jewish people for all the woes of the world. Most everyone dismissed it as loony, drunk talk and his career wasn’t ruined, but I found myself cooled toward the actor and I started trying to avoid Mel Gibson’s work. When Apocalyptico came out, I purposely avoided it on principle. ...
It’s All-Star game time again! This year the game is being played in sunny Southern California, down in Anaheim. Thanks to the peculiarities of baseball scheduling and the east coast focus of television, the game is actually being started in daylight hours, 1700 PST. The liveblogging experience of the year is about to begin yet again! Expect updates throughout the evening and night. Time: 1944 My cable woes are keeping me from watching the MLB Network this year (I hate you Comcast!), so instead I’m watching ESPN’s coverage, which has been somewhat interrupted with news about George Steinbrenner’s death by massive heart attack. It’s an odd thing to not have him around the Yankees anymore, even if he hasn’t really running things for two or three years. Despite my dislike for the Yankees, he will be missed as a figure in baseball. ...
[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“333” caption=“Maybe next year, Hanley”] [/caption] It came down to the wire, but my boy Hanley Ramirez couldn’t topple Big Papi, David Ortiz, on the national stage for the Home Run Derby. Now, I don’t really care about the derby, which is why I don’t live blog it, but tomorrow is the MLB All-Star game and you can bet I’ll be typing like a madman to catch every minute of the action. Even though I haven’t quite finished moving yet, I wouldn’t dream of missing a minute of the game tomorrow night. Expect regular programming to slowly resume over the course of the week and get ready for that All-Star game. I have a feeling this is finally the NL’s year. ...
[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“It’s from the Baltimore series, but there was no way I could make it to Puerto Rico for this one. “] [/caption] Leo Nuñez likes giving everyone near heart attacks. He blew the save last night, but Florida still managed a win thanks to Dan Uggla. 29 June (David’s Birthday!) NPB Yomiuri Giants (12) at Hiroshima Carp (9). Six Giants homered (Ramirez homered three times) to put the Giants way ahead of Hiroshima who managed quite an offense themselves. An ugly game that puts them at 27-40-2. At this rate Yakult might pass them. ...
[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Home of the (evil) Philadelphia Phillies”] [/caption] Believe it or not, I didn’t always hate the Phillies. One of my earliest baseball memories is watching Darren Daulton in the 1993 World Series, don’t ask me why that name sticks out, but it just does. I was even on a little league team that took the name Phillies (even though I desperately wanted to play on the Marlins). My childhood hatred was mostly directed toward the Atlanta Braves, the most dominant team in the NL East, and baseball in general, throughout the 90s. It wasn’t until I was in college that I began hating the team, mostly due to a co-worker’s insane degree of love for the Phils. Now that I live in Maryland, the proximity of the state of Pennsylvania doesn’t help things either, meaning I have to deal with fans of Philadelphia teams all year round. Couple in their bad fan reputation and their winning ways the past five years and you’ve got yourself genuine hatred for the division rivals. ...
After embarrassing the team, acting like a primadonna, insulting the manager, and making everyone involved look bad, Hanley Ramirez either apologized to his teammates or the team has decided not to make a fuss about it, because he was back in the lineup last night doing fairly well. Thank god that’s over. The Marlins are rarely in the news, but I don’t want them in there because of this. ...
[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“I love this shot of Abe “] [/caption] Josh Johnson tosses a shutout and the Rays win, but the red teams I love (Eagles, Carp, to a certain extent, the Nats) lose. 18 May NPB Hiroshima Carp (2) at Orix Buffaloes (11). Somehow I don’t think Hiroshima is going to win the Interleague title. The Carp drop to 16-26-0 in fifth. Their only saving grace is that the Swallows have been absolutely sucking recently, keeping them out of last. ...
The Lions went and slaughtered my precious Golden Eagles, leaving them with something to think about over the next two off days. It was not a great day for my favorite baseball teams. 05 May NPB Rakuten Eagles (3) at Seibu Lions (19)! The Lions really dished out some punishment. Rakuten is still miraculously in fourth place with its 16-21-0 record, but that’s no real consolation since there’s a three-way tie for first 6.5 games up. ...