Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Major League Baseball’

Who is the beast of the NL East? – Part 1

March 16, 2010 By: Reid Salomonsky Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Jimmy Rollins Game 4As we grow closer and closer to April 4, I ask the all important question… What on Earth is happening to the National League East Division?

It seems as if they have broken away from the pack, and are their own super league. Like how everyone watches the American League East for the on going battle against the Yanks and Bo Sox, these five teams are going to slug it out into the last week of the season (yes, even the Nationals).

There are no weak links in the division, and they all beefed up in someway or another. Let’s take a look these squads to see just who has a chance at October.

Philadelphia Phillies

The back-to-back National League Champions are only better than they were last season when they went to the World Series. Their offense focused around extreme power has seen few speed bumps in their road to the playoffs and they finally have the front line pitcher to keep them ahead in the race.

New in town: Unless you’ve been on the moon, deep in a crater, with your eyes closed and your ears plugged you’re aware that Roy Halladay is in the city of Brotherly Love. The Former Cy Young winner is entering the National League for the first time, and coming off a very successful season despite not knowing who was going to play for in 2010. Placido Polanco, is returning to Philadelphia after four outstanding seasons in Detroit including winning his second gold glove this past year. The boys in Red also picked up an extra rotation candidate in Jose Contreres.

He’s Outta Here: Bringing in Roy Halladay would have been nightmare for the rest of the division last July. That was mainly in part to their acquisition of 2008 Cy Young winner Cliff Lee around that time. However, unless your team’s city starts with “New” or “Bos-” it is tough to carry two ace pitcher’s salaries on your back, and Lee was shipped out. The Phils also lost Pedro Feliz, a solid infielder who works well as a spot starter but was used more as an everyday third baseman.

2010 Impact: Are they better than they were in 09? Yes. Much better? No. Halladay is an upgrade over Lee, but not as drastic one. He is an inning eater, and as durable as they come, but relies on a bit more on power pitching than Lee, and Citizen Bank Park is a launch pad for home runs. Expect a higher ERA from him this season. Polanco is a great player in both the field and dugout. He brings a lot of intensity and knows how to lead, but his bat is drifting as he gets older. Contreres is not a serious answer to a big question in the fifth start spot.

Look for big seasons from pitcher Cole Hamels, outfielder Jayson Werth, and a healthy Chase Utley. However, the team overall didn’t improve as much as others in the division and will not waltz back into the playoffs without a fight.

Read Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report by clicking here.

Grab a Philadelphia Phillies 2009 Division Champions Official Clubhouse T-Shirt by clicking here.

Grab a Philadelphia Phillies Replica Home Jersey by clicking here.

Will Work For Food And Millions! Baseballs Remaining Free Agents

February 23, 2010 By: Jeff Porrini Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Jermaine DyeIt is always the most anticipated time of year in sports. The day when the pitchers and catchers blow off the dust and head to Spring Training. Yes Major League Baseball’s 2010 season is right around the corner, and with many of the players ready to report, I can’t help but take a look at some of the names still without employment. I know you will look at some of these guys and think, “Why doesn’t our team get this guy?” It all boils down to dollars, cents, and age. So here is a look at some guys still sleeping in late, waiting for the phone to ring:

RF Jermaine Dye: 2009, White Sox, .251 average, 27 home runs, 81 R.B.I. 36 years old
Dye showed he still has some pop left in his bat, and can prove to be a good bat off the bench or play in a platoon situation. However, he still is seeking big money and a chance to play every day. At 36 his fielding skills are diminished, and he lacks speed. Still the best of the available free agents as far as power. A team in need of a DH could tap Dye by the end of spring.

1B Russell Branyan: 2009, Mariners, .251 average, 31 home runs, 76 R.B.I. 34 years old
It truly feels like Branyan has been around for 20 years. Possibly because he has made the rounds. At 34 years old he is far from ancient, but its his strikeouts (149 in 2009) that always make him a big question mark. When Branyan makes contact he is one of the most powerful hitters in the league. It just remains to be seen how often he can play, and what kind of money he would want after a big season. He will wait it out until some team gets him to settle for very little.

SP Jerrod Washburn: 2009, Mariners, 8-6, 2.64 ERA, 79 K’s Detroit 1-3, 7.33 ERA, 24 K’s 35 years old
Something funny happened on the way to decent money via free agency. Washburn looked washed-out when arriving in Detroit after being traded by Seattle. In 8 games his ERA looked like a phone number and lost all control. Is it possible he was just unhappy with the move, or did the pressure of a playoff contention get the best of him? Whatever the case, it has turned a big plus like being a lefty starter into a big fear of a guy who has lost it. Some team will lose a starter in an exhibition game, and will offer an incentive-laiden deal to Washburn, maybe?

2B Felipe Lopez: 2009, Brewers, .301 average, 6 home runs, 25 R.B.I. 30 years old
Huh? If this was the NFL and Lopez was a running back I would understand. Yes his +300 average came in limited duty, but how can it be that no team will take a chance on this guy as a utility infielder and bench bat? Some fear that his numbers will never be the same, and that he benefited from a powerful Brewers line-up. Say what you like, I am amazed that this guy is still free. Lopez can’t possibly be unemployed forever, can he?

SP Pedro Martinez: 2009, Phillies, 5-1, 3.63 ERA, 37 K’s 38 years old
If anything the crafty vet showed he still had some stuff left. He was big for the Phillies late last season, and pitched decent in the playoffs before some rough outings in the World Series. I don’t quite understand how the Phillies feel they are in better shape with Moyer, Kendrick, or Contreras as the number 5 starter and refuse to lay a 1 year deal on Pedro? Maybe there was more than what we saw last year, or maybe his demands are higher than his worth? Pedro will get a job somewhere in the big leagues, it will most likely be the same way he did last year.

1B Hank Blalock: 2009, Rangers, .234 average, 25 home runs, 66 R.B.I. 29 years old
At 29 a guy like Blalock would seem valuable, am I right? However this guy seems to get hurt looking at a baseball. His 25 homers last year were a big jump from the 2 years before, but mostly because he could not stay healthy. He sure does have a good bat, but may not be a good enough every day fielder for any National League team. However if he keeps his demands low enough, he’s easily a good pick up as a DH and part time player. If he chooses to go such a root is anybodies guess. No one is knocking down is door, but some teams are showing interest.

1B Carlos Delgado: 2009, Mets, .298 average, 4 home runs, 23 R.B.I. 37 years old
It would not be a baseball season without talks of Delgado being at the end of the line. Injury took most of his 2009 season as it did for many Mets. Delgado did manage to hit .271, hit 38 homers and drive in 115 runs however in 2008. Yes he is slower than slow now, and his ability to play the field is all but over, but I still think there is just enough left in that bat if he can stay healthy to DH for a contending AL team. Delgado’s future at this moment is totally up in the air.

SP John Smoltz: 2009, Red Sox 2-5, 8.32 ERA, 33K’s St. Louis 1-3, 4.26 ERA, 40 K’s,
42 years old ( 43 as of May 15).
Starter? Reliever? Pitcher? The post-season king of clutch and future hall of fame guy has us all guessing. Is he the guy that pitched for Boston, or is he the guy that ended the season in St. Louis? Smoltz is certainly at the end of the line, but many feel he can contribute somewhere. No one seems to have interest in the mind game that goes with bringing him in however. He has always been a great strikeout pitcher and always had great stuff, but it looks as if he is hanging it up. Smoltz at best can serve as a set-up guy for most teams, but the money he would command and his lack of desire to take on that role will leave him on the outside looking in.

RP Kiko Calero: 2009, Marlins, 2-2, 1.95 ERA, 69K’s 67 innings 35 years old
It was pretty much a career year for Calero, but a very good one nonetheless. Opponents hit just .180 off of him and he struck out better than a hitter per inning. He did manage to blow 5 saves, and some feel he’s not a clutch reliever. In the days of desperate measures for quality bullpen help I’m surprised that he has not gotten more looks. Will land somewhere, and most likely soon, as most journey-men relievers do.

SP Braden Looper: 2009, Cardinals, 14-7, 5.22 ERA, 100 K’s 35 years old
Don’t let the record fool you. Yes Looper led the league is starts (34) but also led the league in home runs allowed (39) and his opponents .289 batting average was one of the highest amongst starting pitchers. He is an arm, which means something these days, but it is far from the shut down arm Looper once had. Perhaps a return to a bull pen somewhere is what he is looking at in this point of his career. Looper can serve as a decent relief pitcher, just remains to be seen if anyone finds him fit.

INF Nomar Garciaparra: 2009, Athletics, .281 average, 3 home runs, 16 R.B.I. 36 years old
Something went terribly wrong on the way to the Hall of Fame for Nomar. Injuries, trades and constant free-agency now make him a classic, “oh yeah I remember that guy” type of player. He can play some positions, swing an occasional, “okay” bat and is a contact hitter. He does not really strike me as a name you would hear on a World Series club however, and at 36 he is not worth more than a one year filler. I don’t know if his name alone is enough to land him a job anymore. To catch on with someone he will have to show a tremendous desire to play.

SP Mike Hampton: 2009, Astros, 7-10, 5.30 ERA, 74K’s 37 years old
It may be risky to put Hampton’s name here, because there is a good chance he can get injured clicking the mouse to read it. The oft-injured Hampton was serviceable for the Astros last year, but that is a stretch. A guy with all kinds of promise never lived up to the billing and now he is just looking for a chance to pitch. Maybe a year off could help him heal, but at 37 a year off also spells F-O-R-G-O-T-T-E-N. It will be tough for Hampton to get any serious offers, but a minor league deal is not out of the question.

So here are some of the names. No I did not get into Gary Sheffield, nor do I have a good explanation for the fate of Chan Ho Park. I can say this though, grab up that money while you can big-leaguers, because some day it will quickly be gone.

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Read Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report by clicking here.



Inside The Wheelhouse: Understanding the Randy Winn deal

February 02, 2010 By: Wheelhouse Radio Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Randy WinnI have given myself a good twenty four hours to digest the New York Yankees recent signing of Randy Winn. I like many Yankees fan are happy they have finally filled their hole in left field, but I like many Yankees fans, scratch that, like most Baseball fans are wondering the same thing. Randy Winn is your answer for left field?

This was one of the worst free agent markets I can remember in recent years, no team made any real big splashes in the free agent market. Even the Yankees bitter rivals made weird signings like Mike Cameron. You let Jason Bay go and went after Mike Cameron? Ok. The signing even made Red Sox fans like The Wheelhouse’s very own “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause scratch his head. Cause and I have a war raging on which of our teams will have more team strikeouts…from their hitters. It’s going to get crazy!

Back to Randy Winn signing with the Yankees; I liked Randy Winn when he played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (yes back when they had “Devil” in their name) and for the first couple of seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He was a decent player and back in the days of the Rays he would be the best player on the field next to Rocco Baldelli, who was also rumored to be the left field solution in New York. Randy Winn was a decent ballplayer and good role player in the position as a lead-off or #2 hitter.

Randy Winn is now 35 years old and coming off of a decline year in San Francisco. A freaking decline year!? This is your answer to letting go Johnny Damon who gave you four great seasons and had a great season for a guy his age by hitting 24 homers in the new Yankees bandbox in the Bronx. I am not happy with the signing but I’m a Yankees fan and have been spoiled the last fourteen years.

After trying to make sense of the deal and giving myself some reasoning behind the deal I have hopefully come up with something. Randy Winn signs a 1 year deal to play left field in the Bronx where he will probably battle for a job with whom I believe to be very underrated, Brett Gardner. What can I say I like a player that hustles and I don’t believe Gardner gets as much credit as he does for the pinstripes.

Back to my reasoning on the Winn signing; 1 year deal, 35 year old decent role player. 2011 who becomes a free agent you might ask that would make a great left fielder? The answer would be Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays. I got this idea after reading a great article from bleacherreport.com and it makes absolute sense.

Crawford is entering his contract year in Tampa. Tampa doesn’t spend money and surely has probably some amazing prospect talent in Triple-A which can easily replace Carl Crawford in left field. They will have no probably saying farewell to Crawford.

I’m a big fan of Carl Crawford. Anytime I play a Baseball video game he’s a guy that I want on my New York Yankees ballclub. Which I’m sure is the same reasoning Brian Cashman will have when he eventually approaches Crawford in the 2010 offseason.

Crawford is a gamer and has shades of similar ability as Johnny Damon. Decent fielding ability, extremely quick on the base paths and puts the bat to the ball when he gets up. Carl Crawford in pinstripes would make me a very happy boy.

So here is to hoping that is the reasoning behind not re-signing Johnny Damon and signing Randy Winn of all people to fill the left field void this season. If Carl Crawford is the answer I will take it. I will miss the time Johnny Damon put in his time in pinstripes, never thought I would like a ball player who at one time would destroy while playing for the Red Sox but he quickly became a fan favorite for his attitude. Farewell Johnny D!

Randy Winn or Brett Gardner please do well this season…somebody do well!

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ” Jeff Peck on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Click here for the New York Yankees: Essential Games Of Yankee Stadium DVD.

Click here for the New York Yankees Baseball Dynasty – History Of The New York Yankees DVD.

Before Steroids, Baseball Had Dock Ellis and LSD

January 14, 2010 By: Jeff Porrini Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Dock EllisForget the admitting of steroid use by many of todays big time players. Let’s not even ponder thoughts of what the game would be like without them because, as much as we hate to digest it, it is real. Forget the Cansecos, McGwires, A-Rods, and the hundreds of others with the “cheater” label now casted upon them. Yes, long before all of this some 40 years ago to be exact, there was Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis, and LSD. You think towering home runs are a feat? How about throwing a no hitter while on drugs? Yes the colorful Ellis made, “bizarre” an art form.

The day was June 12th, 1970 in sunny San Diego, California. The Pittsburgh Pirates are scheduled to play a double header against the Padres, and the pitcher for the first of those two games was Ellis. The only problem was that Ellis was out partying all through the night and into next morning with friends from the area. In fact it was the girlfriend of one of his pals that had reminded him that he was scheduled to pitch that day.

“I remember her flipping through the newspaper and saying, baby you are pitching today”. So Ellis, still high as a kite from hits of LSD, got himself to the ballpark, and in fact made his way to the mound. The claims stem out like crazy. Many would go on to say that Ellis was straight up tripping right on the mound. He has stated how he scored drugs from a regular San Diego connection who was sitting in the first row at the stadium that day. Ellis himself claimed ” – http://www.baseballreliquary.org/ellis.htm

“I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher’s) glove, but I didn’t hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn’t hit hard and never reached me. I recall covering first base and catching the ball and tagging the bag all in one motion and thinking to myself Touchdown!” – http://www.baseballreliquary.org/ellis.htm

In the end of said nightmare Ellis would end up with a no-hitter, despite his ugly stat line of eight batters walked, three batters hit by pitches and six strikeouts. He stuck to the claim that the game was pretty much one big acid trip. He had made claims about covering first base on a ball that was not even in the infield. His teammates had to constantly let him know he was at the ball park and that he was throwing a no-hitter, because as he claimed “I had to count my own pitches and keep track of my own stats”. It was the simple fear of failure that lured Ellis to his drug stages while pitching in the majors.

Ellis was a cagey right-hander, an outspoken racial hero for the African American athlete. He ended his career with 138 wins and 119 losses and an ERA of 3.46. He was elected to the 1971 All-Star game but elected not to start against fellow black pitcher and American League All-Star Vida Blue stating “there is no way baseball will ever let 2 soul brothers pitch against each other in a game like this”. Ellis went on later that year to win a World Series with the Pirates.

His controversial stand did not end there. In 1972 he hit Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson with a pitch in the face and called it retaliation for Jackson’s long home run he hit off of Ellis in the ‘71 All Star Game. In 1973, Ellis began to wear curlers in his hair to the ball park, after an article in Ebony magazine blasted him for his constantly crazy hair styles, and also got heat from baseballs commisioners office for turbulence he had caused throughout baseball. Then in 1974, Ellis made a statement to, “revive listless and less hungry teammates” by vowing to hit every member of the Reds line-up with pitches. In one inning he plunked Dan Driessen in the back, threw 4 balls at the head and jaw of Tony Perez, then threw at the head of Johnny Bench. Although he was quickly removed from that game, it seemed to make a mark on his teammates and they went on to win the division once again.

In 1976, a seemingly more subdued Ellis was named baseballs Comeback Player Of The Year, after finishing 17-8 with a 3.19 ERA for the New York Yankees. He also won game 3 of the League Championship Series against the Royals Less flare, less press, but the same Dock Ellis.

Some years after his playing days, Ellis, who was always seen as a trouble maker, militant and rebel, actually served good in the community. He was an anti-drug crusader and spent much of his post-baseball days speaking to prisoners and kids about the dangers of drug use. “For me I just stopped, I knew it would kill me if I didnt” Ellis claimed. Pill popping and acid hits were quite common for Ellis, as was excessive drinking, which led to his diagnosis of Cirrhousis in 2007. Ellis passed away in 2008 from liver failure.

Stats courtesy of Snopes.com.

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Read Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report by clicking here.



Inside The Wheelhouse: A new look at the Summer of ‘98

January 12, 2010 By: Wheelhouse Radio Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Mark McGwire and Sammy SosaWhen news broke that Mark McGwire did steroids during his homerun record breaking season in 1998 I stopped everything I was doing and nearly fell to my knees due to being overcome with shock & disbelief. The guy had the largest arms in Baseball, hit 70 homeruns and could hit a ball over 500ft. How is it possible that he took steroids? These were questions as I was asking myself as the news broke.

If you believed that first paragraph then stopped reading right now because you have got to be kidding me!

Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa saved baseball in 1998. Their homerun race in 1998 captivated an entire country with America’s pastime back in the limelight after it left most fans with a bad taste in their mouth following the 1994 strike. I clearly remember how much fun it was watching Baseball knowing that we were in the middle of history taking place.

All Baseball fans were giving Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa standing ovations in AWAY ballparks every time they came up to bat. I remember Mark McGwire coming to Shea Stadium in New York and hitting two homeruns to reach 50 homeruns in August. You would have thought it was 1986 when the Mets won the World Series or when the Beatles played on America soil for one of their first times. McGwire had Baseball in the palm of his hand.

Yankee fans, including this one, were sporting red t-shirts with #25 McGwire on the back. He was at the time a phenomenon in itself. The summer of ‘98 was going down as one of the most intriguing and exciting seasons in Baseball history and thanks to the All-American, apple pie eating, role mode & hero in Mark McGwire.

Never in our lifetime will we remember a primetime Baseball game on a national network on a Tuesday night all because America waited for one man to break the single season homerun record. Everything he was doing was too good to be true. The homeruns, the story, the Americana that he portrayed and sadly it was too good to be true.

McGwire admitted to one of the worst kept secrets in Baseball. He obviously got a lie off of his chest that had been sitting there for 11 years. When the news broke and I found out I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed. Despite knowing that McGwire more then likely did steroids in 1998 and for a good portion of his career, I felt like that period of time in my childhood was all a lie in the end.

He captivated a country and gives young kids like myself at the time a joy in watching the game of Baseball again. In little league when we would hit a homerun we would do the fist pump embrace that McGwire did, we would try to swing the bat with one arm like he did and try to emulate a person in the eyes of my generation at the time, a hero.

It’s sad to know that when we look back at the summer of ‘98, McGwire & Sosa, it will be nothing more then a big lie to entire nation and the rest of the world. It should teach a new generation of kids that in the end cheating really never does prosper in our country and true heroes & role models are hard to find these days.

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ” Jeff Peck on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Read Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report by clicking here.



The Ultimate “Unit” Of Measurement – Randy Johnson

January 07, 2010 By: Jeff Porrini Category: Major League Baseball, Sports

Randy JohnsonAs the 2009 MLB season drew to a close, many were already wondering about big name free agents, and wondering about certain plyaers that may or may not be able to help their teams in 2010. A name that many had to consider, much the way they had for the last 20 years, was the ageless wonder, 6 foot 10 inch Randy Johnson. Yes he is 46 years old, but he still had that same mound presence last year as a member of the San Francisco Giants. The only problem here is that Johnson has decided to hang it up, and end a brilliant but often misunderstood career.

For four games in 1989, the Montreal Expos, who seemed to be a glorified minor league grooming ground for future big time stars, introduced Johnson and the numbers spoke for themselves: four games, 3-0 record, three complete games, a 2.42 earned run average. He was a total intimidator on that mound from first sight. Tall in stature, a side-whinding delivery that looked as if the baseball had just disappeared to hitters, only to have Johnson slinging it close to 100 M.P.H past them and off to the dugout they would go.

From there Johnson had moved on to Seattle, then made stops in Houston, Arizona, where he played in his first and only World Series in 2001. Johnson then moved on to New York, another stop in Arizona, then his last stop with San Francisco. In those years Johnson had become this generation’s best left handed pitcher in the eyes of many. A 303-166 career record, 4,875 strikeouts which is second all-time behind only Nolan Ryan, a 3.29 earned run average, five Cy Young awards, 10 all-star games, and of course a no-hitter and a perfect game. Johnson held opposing hitters to an amazing career batting average of .221, in a time of rumored “juiced baseballs” and of course alleged “juiced athletes.”

He was often seen in the eyes of reporters and opposing fans and players as an angry, ruthless type of guy that would do anything to own “his plate”. Memories that surround him are moments in the All-Star game when he was seen throwing two pitches clear over the head of John Kruk. The screaming fist-pumping mad-man that treated a big strikeout like winning the lottery. He would place the glove in his face, and all you would see were those eyes, sizing up every pitch, to every hitter, like a painter eyes up canvas. His pitches were not always the prettiest, but usually the most effective.

So as we look at the Hall Of Fame ballots, and see this years entry of Andre Dawson, we also realize that in a very short time we will also be seeing Johnson. Greg Maddux made pitching look pretty and had the good numbers. Johnson made it look ugly, and look like hard work, but his numbers are amongst the best ever. Always outspoken, always brash, but in his words through a conference call Tuesday “usually misunderstood”. Johnson in so many words even apologized for not seeming like a good guy, for not being there for the press and the fans and the game. He thanked everyone and anyone that took the time to hear him out as he said what we believe to be his final good bye.

In these times when it’s considered a huge feat for a pitcher to pitch seven quality innings in a game, a man like Johnson will sorely be missed.He would go nine innings as easily as any position player would. In the mind of a true sports fan we don’t really need our athletes to be all that media-friendly anyway. Let the talking be done through the work on the field, not in post-game interviews and not in a locker room. I will have many great memories of watching Johnson pitch. I for one will tell my grandkids about one of the truly best pitchers of “my day”, and his name will be Randy “Big Unit” Johnson.

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Grab discounted official MLB jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.



    User:
    Password:

    | Register | Lost password?

  • Categories

  • Archives


  • blog advertising is good for you
  • Recent Posts



  • Recent Comments

  • Pro Wrestling Radio


    Subscribe To The PWR Podcast
    Pro Wrestling Radio Podcast

    Sports blogs

    Sports


  •  

    March 2010
    M T W T F S S
    « Feb    
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728
    293031  

Bad Behavior has blocked 3109 access attempts in the last 7 days.