Lazy 2nd Round Sunday
Finally, the Cavaliers will start their 2nd round game (though game 3 will not occur until SATURDAY!), so it’s time to rattle off a quick LS:
The headline in today’s PD – “Indians’ losing skid reached two games” – precludes any of the articles from the PD from inclusion (not that there were any must-links). I know that the writers have nothing to do with the headlines, but come on.
It’s reminiscent of the PD headline leading up to the Browns’ Draft – “Browns will pick player”. The front page that day, I think, read, “The Sun will set tonight”.
Sheldon Ocker checks in with his weekly dose of irresponsible writing with some ridiculous conjecture. If you make it all the way through, you wasted more time than I did.This column appeared in an actual newspaper from an Indians’ beat writer? Ugh.
The headline in today’s PD – “Indians’ losing skid reached two games” – precludes any of the articles from the PD from inclusion (not that there were any must-links). I know that the writers have nothing to do with the headlines, but come on.
It’s reminiscent of the PD headline leading up to the Browns’ Draft – “Browns will pick player”. The front page that day, I think, read, “The Sun will set tonight”.
Sheldon Ocker checks in with his weekly dose of irresponsible writing with some ridiculous conjecture. If you make it all the way through, you wasted more time than I did.This column appeared in an actual newspaper from an Indians’ beat writer? Ugh.
Back in the realm of quality sportswriting, Ken Rosenthal examines the two different paths that the Milwaukee Brewers and the Indians have taken to their hot starts.
Apparently, Rosenthal also reports that the Yankees asked about Paul Byrd.
Sorry Sheldon, no mention of your C.C. for A-Rod nonsense. See, this is how credible writers use SOURCES and not just wild imagination when reporting on baseball.
Jim Ingraham checks in with some ex-Indians. Let’s see – Wickman and Thome are injured, Kouzmanoff may have lost his job to…wait for it…Russell Branyan, Omar is being dropped to batting 8th in the lineup, and Ben Broussard is simply not playing in Seattle.
Not mentioned is that Kevin Millwood just hit the 15-day DL, as well as Bob Howry injuring himself moving a grill.
The folks in Detroit have noticed that the Indians are winning despite not playing their best baseball, even if that news hasn’t reached the Indians’ press box.
Elsewhere in the AL Central, could the South Siders be considering a fire sale?
Off to watch some basketball, where the current incarnation of the Cavaliers attempts to replace these guys as my favorite Cavs team:
Go Cavs…and beat the Orioles, Indians…please? C.C.?
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I took a bus trip to Yankee Stadium today. Here are some reflections, respectfully submitted.
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Today I made my first (and hopefully last) visit ever to the place where baseball goes to die, Yankee Stadium. A Yankees game is truly an abysmal demonstration of the most perverted kind of baseball fandom ever seen.
I could start at the beginning, but there’s not really that much to say. Monument Park is kind of nice, but I wouldn’t know, because even though I was the fourth person in there today, the ushers try to get you out as soon as possible. Every male Yankees fan has a just-below-the-surface total man-crush on Derek Jeter, and they’re developing one on Alex Rodriguez now, as well. Two events really shaped the day for me, though, so I’ll just get to those.
The reports on Yahoo! Sports said that there was a “big announcement” after the seventh inning stretch. That is untrue. They cut off “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at “crowd” in the second line, for an “important message from the owner’s box”. The organ player hadn’t even stopped before Roger bleepin’ Clemens’ fat old face filled up the video screen to announce that he’s rejoining the Yankees. The crowd went nuts. Weren’t these the people who hated his guts when he “retired” and then joined the Astros? Yankee fans must be very forgiving, or they have extremely short memories. Either way, they’re made for each other. Mr. Clemens was also kind enough to announce the “Cotton-Eye Joe” in the eighth, wearing an idiotic Yankees cowboy hat.
In the bottom of the eighth, during the last Jeter-morons lovefest of the afternoon, I made my way to the men’s room, and as I was getting out of my seat, I hear “Indians Suck!” (Of course I was wearing my Major League-era spring training shirt and my “I” hat – what else do you wear to a baseball game?) I tipped my hat to the gentleman as I walked down the (very steep) stairs, and considered the matter a done deal. When I came back, though, he was back at it, so I asked him to name four current Cleveland Indians. His friend started with a couple, but I insisted on the original gentleman. He stumbled down the steps, put a greasy, cheap-beer-y hand lightly on my back, and said something to the extent of, “Why don’t you sit down, before I put you down?”
“That’s fine,” I said, thinking even if he were to follow through, a broken nose might get me out of some finals, and I would gladly press an assault charge for the glory of my team. “But name four current Cleveland Indians.”
“Okay. Well, you got Sizemore in center.”
“That’s one.”
“Okay. Gimme a minute.”
Over the next minute in a half, he struggled to come up with anyone. While in the restroom, I had envisioned this exact situation in my head, although originally I would have said three current Indians. I changed my mind to four, just in case he could get Sizemore, Hafner, and “trade-bait” Sabathia. Now I know two would have worked just fine. “Well?” I said.
“Uh… who’s your first baseman?”
Admittedly, it took me a couple seconds to remember where Casey Blake and Victor Martinez are playing this week. “Garko.”
“Oh, yeah… Garko.” He had no clue who that was. I could have said Ban Ki-moon or Bruce Drennan. “Okay, you got me.”
I went back to my seat, and even though the idiots won – and got their big idiot back – I enjoyed the glow of a small moral victory.
You lived out one of my dreams. Thank you.
Nicely done RJ.
From Wednesday's post:
"It’s time to give JD his walking papers and call up Edward Mujica, who is destroying AAA hitters to the tune of 12K’s in 10 scoreless IP while amassing 6 saves. I can deal with Hernandez’s struggles because he has a track record of success, regardless of his age. JD has only a track record of unfulfilled potential and disappointment."
And now this:
http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2007/05/westbrook_on_dl_davis_designat.html
It's been real Jason Dangerously. Good luck wherever you end up.
Excellent tale, RJ!
With Mr. Dangerously, it's sad, but indeed had to happen. I remember back to when he first came up CC said "JD" had the best stuff on the staff, I was thrilled.
But from the back and forth to whether he'd be a starter or reliever, to the seemingly lights out or nothing at all of the past few years, it was time.
i've seen it all...on BBTN kruk just made fun of someone and said he was dumb for losing his focus after hitting a guy in the head. he then proceeded to call orel dumb. orel stuck up for him. and then phillips started busting on bowling green. did i really just witness that chain of events?
sorry to go off-Tribe here, since the Lebrons are up 1-0 in the second round...
Today in some poking around on cavs.com I discovered the motherload! Last I knew, they only had two Cavs jingles on cavs.com. Apparently some time in the past year they've put ALL of them up! The Joe Tait calls is also a must listen.
I know Michael Stanley's "Tonight's the Night" would be one most people love, but this was the first time I've heard "Go Cavs Go!" in eons! ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL, TALKIN' CAVS BASKETBALL... CAVS! GO CAVS GO!
There's a couple I dont remember, maybe they were the songs when I was away at college, but one funny thing is that "Off and Running" and "Rock You Tonight" are the same background track but one with Stanley singing and one with different words and some other guy singing. Good stuff!
Songs:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/multimedia/theme_songs.html
Tait calls:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/multimedia/Joe_Taits_Greatest_Calls-59408-44.html
Well, the day you've been waiting for, Grady on the cover of SI
wow, i spoke too soon about the lack of attention. grady is on the SI cover this week. and that means its only a matter of time before the sheep at the worldwide leader of media overkill and turn their focus from Roger to Grady.
if anything even remotely close to a cover jinx occurs, i will personally organize a road trip to NYC.
Nice tidbit I found today. PC, I didn't know you heckled in RF and liked balls so much...
"Ballplayers take different approaches in dealing with the loud drunks sitting in the outfield cheap seats. Josh Hamilton wins them over with his honesty, while Curtis Granderson passes the time looking for funny signs. Toronto's Vernon Wells, though, actually fires back.
From the Toronto Sun via Home Run Derby comes this funny story about a group of hecklers in Cleveland: :
"It was the usual stuff," Wells said yesterday. "Stuff like 'You suck' or 'You like men'.
"One guy was also yelling at me to give him a ball. He said that Torii Hunter (of the Twins) had given him a ball."
So Wells decided to do something. Between innings he got a new ball and wrote a message to the fan, then when he went back on the field the next inning he tossed it to him.
The message?
"Here's your ball, now please tell me what gas station you work at so I can come and yell at you when you're working. Please sit down, shut up and enjoy the game. From your favorite centre fielder, Vernon Wells."
Not surprisingly, it worked: the fans went from obnoxious hecklers to Wells' personal cheering section just like that. It's an awesome strategy, since most of the time all the hecklers really want is to get some kind of reaction out of a player. But will it work now that everyone knows about this? Seems to me that he might be setting himself up for an endless stream of abuse from fans who suddenly feel entitled to some free swag."
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