Buy and Sell, 7/21/08

Buy:

Padraig Harrington: Two in a row in the British Open.

Greg Norman: Who cares if he didn’t win? It was a great story nonetheless.

A.L.: Winners of eleven of the last twelve all-star games, now that it really matters, it’s nice to have a run like that.

Sell:

Professional Sports: Tiger-less golf, boring baseball is really all there is to watch right now. I’m football deprived!

Washington Redskins: Losers of two players for the season on the first day of camp! That just sucks.

Boston Red Sox: Go into break up .5, and then blow three at Anaheim. Not a good way to start the second half.

Buy and Sell, 7/14/08

Buy:

Boston Red Sox: In about one week they went from 5 down to the Rays to .5 up.

Philadelphia Soul: The Soul cruised to become Arena Football champions with a whoppin’ 70-35 win over Cleveland.

Tiffany “Hot Chips” Michelle: The last woman standing in the World Series of Poker in on a roll into the later rounds.

Rick Rhoden: Winner for the 7th time of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. I guess some people are good at whatever they do.

Sell:

Tampa Bay Rays: Last week’s big buy dove quickly. Losers of seven straight going into the all star break, can they come back and keep this up for the second half of the year?

Green Bay Packers: Should they let Favre back? Should they release him? Should they keep him as backup? No matter how you look at it, this can only bring bad PR to a well-run, well-respected fanchise.

Tony Romo: Placing third in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, can this guy do any better than almost winning something important?

The Home Run Derby: The derby is supposed to bring people to baseball. It should consist of household names. Big Stars. Great Players. Hello people! A-Rod is not competing in NY! Does that make any sense? Shame on the MLB for caring too much! We want to see stars, not guys who are having a career year!

Tampa Declining

The date: July 5th, 2008. The Tampa Bay Rays sat comfortably in first place, 5 games over the second Red Sox, 9 over the Yankees. They were the winners of seven straight, including a sweep of the Sox. Everything was perfect, nothing could go wrong . . .

Today is July 13th. The Rays have just lost their seventh straight. If Boston defeats Baltimore, a game that they’re winning 2-0, they will hold first place going into the all star game by half a game.

Now here is the real question: Which Rays are the real ones? The winners who seem like the only they are doing more than winning is having a good time, or the Rays who had their streak, but really are a second or third place team at heart?

GYA out

Tampa, don’t look now, but . . .

The Tampa Bay Rays have been the darlings of the MLB for almost two months now. However, after their 13-2 loss to Cleveland today they’re only up a game and a half over the steadily approaching Red Sox. Even as a Sox fan it’s been great to watch the Rays this year (and keep my fingers crossed that the Yankees don’t make the playoffs, and finish in third), but can they keep it up? They’ve lost four in a row, including two key games against the Yankees, which could have catapulted them to a much more comfortable lead in the AL East. This may just be a cold streak, and will wear off after the all star break, but they are a young team without much experience, and is it possible they’re hitting the rookie wall?
As far as the answer? Only time will tell.
GYA out

A Few More Notes on the All Star Game

I know I’ve already written an epic on the MLB all star game, but here’s a couple more notes:

1) Why is Jeter anywhere near the top of the balot? I know, he’s Derek Jeter. He’s a god sent down to the Yankees, but look at his numbers this year: his average is .281, he has 4 homers, and 37 RBI’s. He doesn’t even have 100 hits. There’s no reason for him to be there other than the fact that there are so many fans in NY.

2) A bunch of people are asking why Jason Varitek made the all star team. He’s not a starter like Jeter, but he’s just .18 over the Mendoza Line, and he only has 7 home runs, and 20 more RBI’s. The reason–he was voted in by the managers (Francona couldn’t vote for him). Varitek is a guy that keep a locker room together. He also is the best pitch-caller in the MLB. He’s practically the Red Sox’s assistant manager, and the team looks at him and respects him that way.

3) Welcome back Chipper! Chipper jones, hitting .388, is back in the all star game for the sixth time. What an accomplishment, and what a story.

4) I can’t say enough about how disappointing I believe it is that the fans vote on a game that matters. When the all star game was meaningless, it was great that the fans got to choose. But home field advantage in the World Series is important, and the fact that the best players from each league can’t play for it is awful. I’ve even heard of many people voting for the players in the other league of their favorite team in second or third, in hopes that their team, if they’re in the world series, has a better chance at home field.

GYA out

All Stars or No Stars?

Major league baseball announced the All Star lineups yesterday. Since it’s the fans who vote on which players get to play in an important game (tell me how many things are wrong in that last sentence, I dare you), let’s break these teams’ starters down.

A.L.

C, Joe Mauer (Minnesota): Completely agree with this selection. Mauer has a .415 on-base percentage, and he’s hitting .325. Furthermore, he’s huge with runners in scoring position and late in games, so there’s no denying he has heart. Great selection by the fans.

1B, Kevin Youkilis (Boston): Fielding wise, this guy in an obvious choice. Earlier this year he broke his streak of more than a season without an error. He has a really high slugging % at 534, and he’s hitting .311. While that’s not great, (not bad, but we’re talking about All Stars here) the next guy, Justin Morneau, is only hitting .307, and only slugging .481, so Youke was the right choice.

2B, Dustin Pedrioa (Boston): The 5 foot 9 small guy from Boston just got in by less than 40,000 votes, but the position should have gone to Texas’s Ian Kinsler. Kinsler has 5 more homers, is hitting .20 points better, and his on-base percentage is .36 points better. This is a perfect example of how a guy from a big market town can get a couple more votes because of where he plays to get in over someone who deserves it more. Shame on you Red Sox fans.

3B, Alex Rodriguez (New York): The leading vote-getter (almost 4 million) is not putting up the same numbers as last year, but he’s still hitting well. With 18 homers, 50 RBIs, and an incredible slugging percentage of .606, he definitely deserves this this one. Obvious choice.

SS, Derek Jeter (New York): Huh? What? Who? You’re telling me that Jeter, who’s hitting .281 with just four lousy homers got in over Texas’s Michael Young? Young has a better hitting percentage, more home runs, more RBI’s, a better slugging percentage, and a better on-base percentage. Tell me that’s right? Absolutely robbed. Just because Jeter’s in the big apple doesn’t mean he necessarily gets a bigger bite of it.

OF, Josh Hamilton (Texas), Manny Ramirez (Boston), Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle): I’m fine with these selections. I think J.D. Drew of the Red Sox deserves it a bit more than Manny, and Milton Bradley of the Rangers instead of Hamilton, but the differences between the sets of teammates are negligible. Good selections all around.

DH, David Ortiz (Boston): Okay, I know Ortiz is hurt, and people are upset over this selection, but I’m okay with it. DH in the A.L. this year is weak, and Ortiz put up pretty good numbers after his early slump.

N.L.

C, Geovany Soto (Chicage): Soto has a high lugging percentage (.527), but a low batting percentage (.287). Normally I would say if you’re not hitting .295 or above, you should not be starting in the All Star game, but considering the other catchers in the N.L., he was the clear choice.

1B, Lance Berkman (Houston): Here’s a guy who deserves what he got. Lance is hitting .349, with 69 RBI’s, .436 on-base percentage, and .667 slugging percentage. Wow. Considering those are all considerably better than the numbers of Prince Fielder (Milwaukee), thank you fans for voting for the right guy, not the more popular guy.

2B, Chase Utley (Philadelphia): Some argue that Mark DeRosa (Chicago) deserved it more, and their batting percentages are almost even, but Utley has hit 13 more home runs and has 18 more RBI’s.

3B, Chipper Jones (Atlanta): Has there ever been a more obvious choice? Chipper is .388. Let me repeat that: .388! Couple that with 18 home runs, and 50 RBI’s, and you’ve got an obvious all star selection.

SS, Hanley Ramirez (Florida): He’s hitting a fine .304 with 21 homers and 43 RBI’s, a bit above average, but by no means does he have monster numbers, but just like Geovany Soto, there’s no one else to replace him. The best at his position, and that means good choice.

OF, Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Alfonso Soriano (Chicago), Kosuke Fukodome (Chicago): Braun has a low batting percentage (.284), but a bunch of homers (21) and RBI’s (59). When he hits it, it flies, but that’s a big “when.” Am I okay with it, yes, but tentatively. Soriano is the pick that I agree with, with 40 RBI’s and a great fielding percentage and arm. However, Kosuke Fukodome? I know, he’s all the rage, he’s Japanese, but come one people! He has just 7 homers and 35 RBI’s. The only way he could redeem those numbers was if he was hitting at least .300 like his fellow Japanese Ichiro (Seattle), but he falls way short (.287). Someone explain to me how he made it in Corey Hart (Milwaukee) has twice as many home runs, 20 more RBI’s, and he’s hitting nearly nine points better (.296).

DH: Oh wait, there’s no DH in the N.L., but that is for another time . . .

Overall grade for fans this year in voting for the all star teams: A-

Pretty good job, but a couple inexcusable mistakes. Four Yankees, seven Red Sox, seven Cubs, perhaps I should just expect likewise from now on . . .

GYA out

Buy and Sell, 7/7/08

GYA here, introducing a new section coming to you hopefully every Monday called Buy and Sell. Basically, in the world of sports, who’s stock rose this week and who’s dropped.

BUY:

Tampa Bay Rays–Winners of seven in a row, and leader of the AL east by 5 games over the Red Sox, this team just keeps on rolling.

Rafael Nadal–Finally getting over the hump and beating Roger Federer in the match of the century, doesn’t get much better than that.

The Williams Sisters–Venus and Serena both made it to the finals of woman’s singles at Wimbledon, and the champions of woman’s doubles.

Spain–First the Euro and now Wimbledon, Spain is the winner of both large international major championships this week.

SELL

Seattle Mariners–Now 18 games under .500, and 18 back in their division, this team is a mess.

Chicago Rush–The regular season arena football champs lose at home in the divisional playoffs to the Grand Rapids (who finished the regular season 7-9) 58-41.

MLB Allstar Rosters–If this game now means something, stop letting the fans vote and send the actual best players from each league. The winners of a popularity contest play for something important, not the ones who deserve it most based on performance.

Roger Federer–Winner of five straight Wimbledon titles couldn’t defend his terf agains the young gun. 1-13 on break points didn’t help him. Neither did 52 unforced errors.

GYA out.

Not a no-no

Jeff Weaver pitched a hitless 6 for the Angels last night, and his bullpen achieved the same feat. Yet, he lost, and the team was not awarded a no-hitter. Why? After giving up a run on two errors and two stolen bases in the fifth, the Dodgers did not bat in the bottom of the ninth. And by major league rules, if 9 complete innings aren’t pitched, it’s not a no hitter. Can you think of an odder rule? Why should you have to play nine for you to be awarded a no-no? In an entire game, the Angels did not give up a hit, so why shouldn’t they be awarded a no-hitter. People have thrown no-hitters and lost in the past, just they pitched nine innings. It’s ridiculous. I know, when it comes down to it, all that matters is the W, but it’s still very odd.

GYA out

The Crazyness of Baseball

Just when we thought the AL East would stay the same forever . . . Yanks in last, and Rays battling for first. Talk about “doing more with less”, and “you can’t buy championships.”

Go Sox!

GYA

as if it wasn’t crazy enough the day after this post the Yankees begin to bounce back, the red sox begin to fall and the orioles suck again.

this that and the other guy, the cynical realist