Duke #1?; Douche-ness; All-Star Slam; New Car Day; Snow?!?

Duke #1?
With the top four teams in the ranking all losing this week (#1 Kansas at K State, #2 Ohio St. at Purdue, #3 Texas at Nebraska, #4 Pitt at St. John's), is Duke the new #1 in America?

Based on a segment I saw on ESPN this morning, Duke is not the best team in America - in fact, the teams that lost this week all were mentioned - not Duke.  Which is fine, because I believe they are a good team but not the best team in the country.  They still have a chance to shock the world - a la 2009, when they won 18 of their last 19 en route to a National Championship.

Just saying.

Douche-ness
Although our ride in to work was a quick one today (it is only a little over a mile), I overheard a topic being talked about on Z100 - popped collars:  douchey or not douchey?

That was a fashion made famous back in 1902, when men and women often wore stiff collars when it was referred to as an "upturned collar".  I guess it went away for a while before reemerging as "popped collars" several years ago.  In any event, whenever I see a guy with a collar turned up, I immediately think he's a douche.  Call it judging a book by the cover, but often times, these individuals also have blowouts, fake tans, and all white sneakers on.  Jersey Shore-ish.  Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, and The Situation all can pull it off - that's who they are - but they don't even pop their collars - they wear t-shirts. 

So, to those of you who wear the collars popped as a fashion statement, you're a douche.  And to those who do it to keep the sun off their neck, you're misconstrued to being a douche - just wear sunblock!

All-Star Slam
Kobe took it right at LeBron on a fast break dunk, staring at the King before throwing it down just before it would have been blocked.  As soon as he landed, Kobe gave James a pat on the ass, as if to say "I got you sucka!"  The West won 148-145 in a game that featured stellar defense from bo...oh wait, this is the lamest All-Star game going.  It's basically a big game of pick-up basketball with big names going head to head to see who can fill up the highlight reel.

New Car Day
Well, today we'll head out to LI to a Honda dealer and pick up our new 2011 CR-V.  My father went out there yesterday, bargained with the guy, and called me to let me know to come get it today.  Going to see Anthony.  From what it seems, the EX model (the one we're getting) has 6-disc changer, tinted windows, sunroof, 17" wheels, air bags all over, and a black interior.  Very excited to pick up Lindsay's "Mom Mobile" - our first new car as a married couple.  Awesome.

Snow
And just when you thought it was over, down comes another 3+ inches of snow.  I woke up and thought it looked foggy - it was snowy.  Son of a bitch.  Wasn't it just 65° on Friday?  So much for this global warming crap.

Trending Now; THE Ohio St. Loses, Again; Duke at 7:45; Shower Success

Trending Now
As per my (randomly) recurring post topic, I will review the topics being trended  upon on BING.com. 

1. Daytona 500 - 500 mile NASCAR race.  Generally regarded as the race, the Daytona 500 is a long and grueling race.  It is close to being over, but I have not watched one lap of it.  Typically, I don't watch.  David Ragan is in the lead, but they're on Lap 204 of 200 since they're racing under a yellow flag (caution laps).  Stay tuned, unless you're me.

2. Blake Griffin - NBA star and Dunk Contest champion.  Last night was the Dunk Competition (which I did not watch) and Blake - a man-child - won it.  No one really doubted the fact that he'd win.  His last dunk was impressive, although everyone who watched said it wasn't his best - dude jumped over a car to dunk (a Kia).  If you haven't watched this guy or watched ESPN, it's time to check him out.  As much as I despise the NBA, this guy is gold.

3. Alex Pettyfer - English actor and model.  The "I Am Number Four" star apparently broke up with his girlfriend and co-star, Dianna Agron.  This guy might be a little fruity - just saying - it wouldn't surprise me.  That's enough about this shlep.

4. Brooke Ann Coats - Bullrider.  This is a sad story.  16-year old Brooke Ann Coats was thrown from a bull and kicked in the chest during a rodeo in Tampa, Florida.  She walked away from the scene, but later on had trouble breathing and collapsed.  Everyone involved understand the risk involved in bullriding - you're messing with a large, mean animal.  Here is a link to her GuestBook - I dropped a line on this.  No one deserves this.  Very unfortunate.  But if she was doing what she loved, I am sure she had no regrets.

That's the range of topics being searched.  Personally, I had only heard of two of the four prior to doing a little research for this post. 

THE Ohio St. Loses, Again
For the second time in three games, THE Ohio State University lost in men's hoops.  They were number one - briefly - and no one thought they could be caught in the Big Ten.  Purdue had other ideas.  They avenged their earlier 23-point loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.  Ohio St. now holds a one game lead in the standings, over a hot-and-cold Purdue team.  They look like world beaters some days (read: at home) and others decide not to show up (read: on the road).  The Big Ten is a great conference, probably running second to the Big East.

Ohio St. finishes the season at home against Wisconsin.  Purdue has three of their last four on the road.  They had better learn to win away from Keady Court or they have no chance to win the Big Ten regular season.

Duke at 7:45
The Duke Blue Devils are home (and 20.5 point favorites) against Georgia Tech at 6:45 tonight.  GT is 11-14 overall and have only played one ranked team (at the time of the game), #9 Syracuse and only lost by four.  They had a pretty easy tune-up last game, beating Chattanooga by nine.

I am guessing Duke wins, but underestimates a Georgia Tech team that always seems to give them trouble.  Hopefully the Cameron Crazies get loud and crazy.  86-71 Duke.  Why not?

Shower Success
The baby shower yesterday was great.  Lindsay had an awesome time and based on the look of our apartment, this baby has more stuff than either one of us.  There's diaper cakes (diapers formed to look like a giant cake), a changing table I still have to assemble, a stroller, clothes, rattles, more clothes, bibs, socks, and a Diaper Genie II, among a lot of other things.  Nathan seems to be put off by all the gifts - I hope he isn't the jealous type.  If he is, he might find himself a new residence in LI with my parents.

Just wanted to thank everyone who attended (and those who didn't) for their generosity.  Baby D will never be short on stuff.

I'm done.  Going to help Lindsay get some of it away before the Duke game.

Trending Now; Blue Bloods; Blue Fingers; Blasting Music

Trending Now
According to the world's favoritest search engine, BING.com, the following topics are the most trended for today.  Here we go...

1. Olivia Wilde - Actress and model.  So I guess she's going to be back on the market after divorcing her husband of eight years.  The story broke courtesy of "MTV News" - I mean that channel doesn't even play music anymore.  The TRON: Legacy actress is also a staple on House M.D.  Tao Ruspoli is a filmmaker and musician and a complete tool.

2. Cavaliers - NBA team.  The one time home team for LeBron James, the Cavs have fallen on some tough times lately.  They set a league record for futility by losing their 25th straight game Monday night, 99-96 to the Dallas Mavericks.  Antawn Jamison is the King of Shitsville, averaging a team-high 17.2 ppg.  He needs to average 37.2 ppg for them to be good.  Maybe their owner should look himself in the mirror.  I feel bad for the guys on the team, no one should have to go through this - but I guess their salaries aren't too bad.  Go Cavs!  Just get a win.

3. Selena Gomez - Actress, singer, and UNICEF Ambassador.  The #1 Belieber (even though they aren't an item) is starring in the upcoming film "13 Reasons Why", which will be her first leading role.  She's a Disney star I guess, but all I ever see is her hanging on Bieber's coattails (and his hair) or making out with the little guy.  No shocker here - MTV reported this story as well.

4. High-Speed Rail - Passenger rail transport system.  Apparently, Obama plans on spending $53B for a national high-speed rail network, according to several reports.  In his January State of the Union address, he announced his goal of providing said rail for 80% of Americans withing 25 years.  Good luck with that one Barack.  I am guessing this is sort of an Amtrak thing, but faster.  Cool idea.

5.  Scientology - A "new" religion.  Apparently, they're being investigated for human trafficking.  Couch-jumping Tom Cruise is a member, as is fat/not-fat/fat Kirstie Alley.  The basic belief of this religion is that man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes.  I don't really care, so I'll end it at that.  Human trafficking.  Very illegal.  As is couch-jumping.

The five points above will surely make that long ride in an elevator with a stranger more pleasant - at least you can spout off a few ice-breakers.  And if you don't like elevators, just start talking to a stranger about one of these things.

Blue Bloods
Tonight is UNC vs. Duke.  The rivalry in college basketball.  If you're a fan of college hoops, you watch this one even if you can't stand either team.  I get to sleep in tomorrow since we have a mandatory day off, so I hope I can make it through the game.  As an appetizer, Syracuse hosts Georgetown in another great game at 7 pm, I'm guessing on ESPN.

Watch these games, for the love of sport.

Blue Fingers
That's what you'll have if you stay outside in this brutal cold for too long.  I walked in this morning and kept my hands in my pockets the entire time, but they were still freezing cold when I got here.  I ran them under hot water, which some say is a bad idea, but for me, it was the only idea.  Frostbite felt like it was about to set in.  And living by the Hudson River doesn't help - the wind rips off that sucker and funnels into the back of our building.  Global warming my ass!

Blasting Music
Had a pretty good workout this morning and the playlist was quite random, as the shuffle feature would indicate.  Here's a rundown, with links, of the 8 songs that got me through my morning routine:

1. Muse - "Resistance"
2. Nine Inch Nails - "Into The Void"
3. Kid Cudi - "Down & Out "
4. Brand New - "Sowing Season"
5. Every Time I Die - "Apocalypse Now and Then"
6. This is Hell - "Destroyer"
7. Cancer Bats - "Raised Right"
8. glassjaw - "When One Eight Becomes Two Zeros"

If that doesn't pump you up, go back to sleep.

My Wednesday feature is coming later on, but for the time being, like the Terminator said, I'll be back!

Watch This Video; UConn Ballhog Problem; Syracuse Looks to Right the Ship

Here's a story from ESPN on Kevin Laue, a one-handed basketball player here at Manhattan.  Even though they're going through an awful season (3-17), it's still good to see a kid like Kevin get a chance at to play at the highest level of amateur basketball - Division I.  Seeing him almost every day and speaking to him from time to time, I can tell he's a great kid with his head on straight who knows that attitude is everything. 


UConn has a ballhog problem.  And his name is not Kemba Walker.  It's Shabazz Napier.  #23 Louisville escaped the northeast with a 79-78 win over #5 UConn.  Kemba Walker got the final shot - from 35' away.  Napier was hoisting up three-pointers like they were going out of style - 5 for 13 on the game.  Sure he had 23 points, Jeremy Lamb had 21 (1-9 on threes) and Kemba had 20 (on 7-28 shooting).

The game was lost because of their transition defense (or lack thereof) and the fact that the big shots was taken by Napier, a freshman, and not by Walker, the leader of this team.  Regardless of who's hot and who's not, the (arguably) best player in the country should have the shot to win the game from closer that 35'.  A tough loss in the Big East will only help the Huskies, but still, heartbreak is heartbreak.  They need to regroup when they host #9 Syracuse at home next Wednesday.

Syracuse has a tough road test today with Marquette at 3:00 pm - they're trying to avoid a four game losing streak.  They started the season 18-0 before losing to Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Seton Hall.  A loss today could drop them to ninth or tenth in the Big East standings.  Seeing how the Big East has seven teams in the Top-25, they still aren't out of it, but they could have made their road to March a little easier by simply beating a mediocre-at-best Seton Hall team at the Carrier Dome.

Exciting day of college hoops today.  My nap has been cancelled due to the fact that I can't keep my eyes closed with all these good games on.  Chocolate milk time.  Oh yeaaaaahhhhhhhhh.

Lou Holtz...

...really?  Was he an all-time great coach?  Yes.

But ESPN, I cannot stand listening to his lisp/slurring/wet-sounding commentary.

Dinner time at Dinosaur BBQ.  May get the Big Ass Pork Plate.  Or will the Ode to Elgin win out?

Watch Out!!!

G-T-L Thursday

Gym.  Train.  Lunch.  I'm not from Jersey - actually, neither are any of those fools on Jersey Shore!

Today started with our fourth straight morning workout, something I've felt the need to initiate seeing how I am turning into a heavier, less motivated version of my former athlete self.  My legs felt like bags of sand attached to my hips - but I persevered.  Lindsay has been doing the prenatal workouts I've been researching online and is sore as well.  (As I type this, we're watching SportsNation's "101 Jeers" of 2010).  After the workouts were complete, we headed down to Broadway to take the silver bullet down to NYC.  It was very, very windy out there, my hat and gloves were clutch.  Lindsay had gloves as well, so don't go thinking chivalry is dead.

We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts - I got an iced coffee.  Cold weather can't stop me.

Subway ride was quite uneventful, besides the kid with these gross looking dreads hanging from him head.  He also had on a trench-length crinkled leather jacket - not sure how he got it so wrinkled.  I know little about fashion, but this guy made me feel like that guy on Bravo who throws out all those other people's clothes.

Got off the train and headed over to the tree in Rockefeller Center.  Snapped a few photos and got the hell out of there - way too crowded.

Continued our journey uptown via Broadway, picked up a few last minute Christmas items, and stopped for lunch at a place we saw recently on "Best Thing I Ever Ate" - Bar Boulud.  The show was discussing brunch items, and former NYT food critic Frank Bruni chose the Croque Monsieur - pictured below.  It's a warm ham, gruyère cheese and béchamel sandwich - and it was awesome!

 As we were leaving, the hostess offered to take the bag of the woman who was walking in as we were walking out.  Lindsay turned to me and asked why no one asked to take her bag.  I looked at who the woman was with, turned to Lindsay and said, "Because that's Ron Howard."  (The woman he was with was his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard).  Richie Freakin' Cunningham.  The man who produced some great movies (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Cocoon, Frost/Nixon, to name a few).  We turned and left, and I nearly lost my lunch trying to wrap my head around how much money that guy is sitting on.  Oh well, that was our celebrity sighting for the day.  Didn't get a picture but sent an e-mail to US Weekly - maybe it'll get in their VIP Scene blurb column next issue (I'm guilty - I read it in the bathroom).

Walked uptown some more, passed numerous people peddling Christmas trees on the streets of Broadway.  Not sure how many more trees these guys are going to sell with Christmas only 2 days away, but good for them for keeping their spirits up.

Hopped on the 1 Train at 72nd Street and came back to the Boogie Down to see our dog Nathan.  Took him over the the dog park and tired him out again, even though he was sleeping for 6 hours while we were gone.  Dogs have some kind of life - eat, poop, pee, sleep, scratch, repeat.

Once again, thanks to all of you who whose to follow WRT.  I look forward to keeping your interest.

Ho Ho Ho!  Happy Holidays!

College Football (& Baseball) Saturday

We had our first prospect clinic down at Gaelic Park - it went well.  Got a little cold once that sun went down but for most of the day it was a great day here in the Bronx.

On to football.  I was going to go without a post today, but there was one game (OK, two) that really opened my eyes.  One I am watching as I type, the other I saw on the ESPN ticker.

We'll start with the one currently airing on Versus - #1 Oregon at Cal.  8-7 at the half, Oregon has been held in check (only 155 yards of offense).  If I'd never seen Oregon play, I'd wonder how the hell they are #1 in the country, but they're athletic, they play fast, play smart, and play hard.  Not to mention they're #1 in different uniform combinations.  The one thing that is driving me nuts is this "Oregon Time Between Plays" clock they keep putting up on the bottom right hand corner.  They're blabbing about the offense and how fast they work, but the few times I've seen them put it up, it takes them anywhere from :26 to :35 seconds in between plays.  That, my friends, is called a "play clock".  Oregon has to come out better in the second half, and I'm sure they will.  If not for a 2-point conversion on their punt return TD, they'd be tied.  Staying tuned.

The next one is mind-blowing.  Mind. Blowing.  Let me preface - Indiana is a basketball school.  #6 Wisconsin is a football school (although their hoopsters aren't bad - receiving votes for Top25).  83-20.  Football score.  Let me repeat.  83-20.  I am having a hard time remembering the last time a Division I school scored 80 points.  They scored 10 offensive touchdowns.  They scored one defensive touchdown.  Their kicker was 2-2 on FG's and kicked 11 extra points.  No receiver had more than 3 catches or 79 yards.  Their two running backs (their best running back John Clay was out for the game) ran for 167 yards and 3 TD and 144 and 2 TD.  They did not punt the ball away.  Their QB's were 17-21 combined for 260 yards.  598 yards of total offense to go with 30 first downs.  83-20.  I'm mystified.  They only had the ball for 32:27 (math time - 32 minutes divided by12 offensive drives = approximately 2:40 per drive).

WOW.

Notre Dame wound up beating #14 Utah - shows you what I know.

Hanging with the Nater, Linds is away with the girls.  She'll be back tomorrow.  Wooooooooo!

83 to 20.  Are you kidding me?

Happy Birthday's

  A segment I've gotten away from a bit happens to be one of my favorites.  It allows me to dig up some random facts on whoever has a birthday on a specific date.  Today's date is October 25th, and I have yet to look up to see who shares this day as the day of their birth, but here goes:

  The General, legendary college basketball coach Robert Montgomery Knight turns the big 7-0 today.  He is most known for his intensity, outbursts, witty comebacks, sweaters, and serious temper (not to mention the whole chair throwing incident in 1985 against Purdue).  The leader in NCAA Division I men's basketball coaching wins (902) currently is employed by ESPN as an analyst and color-commentator.  There is no one I'd rather listen to than him when watching my Duke Blue Devils on TV (except well-known Dukie Dick Vitale).

  Happy birthday coach!

  Everyone's favorite California Gurl, Katy Perry turns 26 today.  Fresh off her marriage to comedian Russell Brand just off a tiger reserve in India, the singer is probably toying around with her wedding gift from Brand, a baby Bengal tiger.  Not to be outdone, she gave Russell a baby elephant as a token of her love.  Odd as it may seem, nothing surprises me when it comes to Russell Brand.  The dude is hilarious.

  Maybe it's just the British accent or the fact that I understand only 25% of what comes out of his mouth, but either way, happy birthday Katy Perry.  Keep on with the wacky outfits, but I swear if I hear California Gurls one more time on the radio, I am going to lose it.

  Lots to do today, so I gotta get a move on.  Happy birthday to all, and to all, a good day.

  Oh, and how about those Raiders?!  a 59-14 ass-whooping of the Broncos.  Kyle Orton is getting all this love all season for throwing for so many yards, maybe because his team is terrible (2-5) and they are down every game, thus forcing the offense to call more passing plays.  Regardless, the Raiders are 3-4 (2-0 in AFC West) and for once look like a professional football team.  They host the Seahawks next week before a huge game with the 1st-place Chiefs.

  Let's keep it rolling, don't fall into the trap-game mentality.  .500 this late in the season might as well Christmas in October.  But seriously, a Halloween game, in Oakland, with a chance to get to .500 - look out.  The Black Hole is normally like Halloween every home game for the Raiders, but I have a feeling they got their mojo back by the bay.  Silver and Black are back, baby.

  Bye now!

No TV

  Day 10 of no program television is now upon us.  Things are going well, besides not being able to check out some high quality prime-time shows (all of Lindsay's shows, plus MLB baseball, SportsCenter, American Pickers, Pawn Stars to name a few).

  Netflix has come in handy as of late, movies come and go on about a three day schedule.  We watched Step Brothers the other night, hilarious freaking movie.  Lindsay's first viewing, my second.  Still entertaining.  Will Ferrell has to be one of the funniest actors alive.  Hands down.  Then we sent away for Up In The Air.  George Clooney is awesome in that one, and I'm not generally a huge fan.  But the premise was great, it was funny, and it had won awards out the ass.  I say those awards were well deserved.  Two nights ago, Jesse came over for dinner with me, Linds, and Nathan because Julia was in St. Maarten with her sister.  We ate, and watched JUNO.  Same director (Jason Reitman) as Up In The Air, and just as funny if not funnier.  The language is hilarious, the words they use.  If you haven't seen JUNO, go see it.  It also won plenty of awards from the press and media.  Well deserved.  Just because DirecTV sucks the big one doesn't mean they can damper my television viewing experience.  I still got DVD's sucker!!

  On the baseball, the Yankees are once again tied with the Rays for first place in the AL East.  Both teams share the best record in baseball (78-48) but the Red Sox are still hovering, only six games back.

  Lindsay kicked my ass at Scrabble last night, 296-216.  What an absolute drubbing it was.  I was out of it from my third turn.  I had seven consecutive turns where I had at least 5 vowels on my rack.  Needless to say, 1-point letters when your down 50 points are useless.

  It's getting muggy in the office, per usual.  I share my office with the entire student-athlete population, so the traffic is high and some of the odors are pretty horrific.  Gonna take a stroll and take care of some things on campus.  Meeting with broker today - hope things work out for this new place.

  Fingers crossed. 

Case of the Monday's

   While Andre Dawson was busy getting inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, I was busy taking care of business for the Pelham Mets.  I dominated the Collegians to the tune of 5 IP, 3 H, 9 K.  We won 12-2, in a game shortened because we were kicking their ass.

   I happened to catch clips of the induction on ESPN and there was no one there.  I mean granted the class consisted of the "Hawk", former manager Whitey Herzog, announcer Bob Miller, NL umpire Doug Harvey, and the NY Daily News' own Bill Madden, but still, it is the Hall of Fame induction.

   This kid is awesome:

   Feeling utterly uninspired today, so bye for today.

ESPY's

   Perhaps the line of the night was just before they went off air, when Seth Meyers said, "Stay tuned to ESPN for an encore presentation of 'The Decision.'"

   The man was pure genius all night, I was literally laughing so hard I couldn't breathe at points.  The song was a little lame, as was the "Best Moment" going to Landon Donovan for the goal that prolonged the anticipated suffering the team endured by losing to Ghana - where they kick rocks around instead of soccer balls.

   I just took a look at the gift bag that nominees and presenters got.  It's nuts how those who make all the money get it free, and those who don't, probably will never enjoy 90% of what's in the bag.

   Brett Favre has no sense of humor, as was evident during his lack of emotions when cameras panned to him during Seth Meyers' jokes.  Retire!!  He took home "Best Play" after the wide reciever made the best catch of his life.  Fordham baseball player Brian Kownacki's Superman leap over the catcher was the best play I saw all year.  The kid jumped over another player in an actual game, and was SAFE.  Brett Favre, you media whore.

   Tennessee Titan RB Chris Johnson was somewhat inaudible and incoherent, both when he won his award for "Best Breakthrough Athlete" as well as prior to the show with Erin Andrews. 

   Peyton Manning is still the funniest athlete alive, regardless of who writes his material.  Will Ferrell is quite possibly the funniest man alive, and Seth Meyers was the best ESPY's host alive.  Tracy Morgan is the funniest black man alive, and I'm pretty sure I can listen to him speak for days on end.

   So glad to see that the world finally recognized WRW Jr. as the "Best Bowler" last night.  At 50 years old, Walter Ray Williams Jr. is the world's #1 rated bowler according to the PBA.  This guy rolls 225's like they're going out of style.  He's rolled 80 career 300 games - for you casual bowling fans, that's the equivalent of a perfect game, albeit against inanimate pins.  His career earnings from bowling... $4,087,222.  That might not seem like a lot, spread out over 30 years, but it's over $136,000 a year.  Not bad for a bowler.  Yee-haw!

   And finally, although he's stuggling through his round today, "Lefty" Phil Mickelson was named "Best Male Golfer".  Well, the fans got that one right.  Not really a big year in golf as Seth Meyers put it, "Tiger Woods got into a little car accident". 

   That was only the beginning of his Tiger and LeBron bashing and honestly, I could have listened to that all night long.  Seth Meyers did a great job. 

   It's so damn hot in here, I can't even think.  Having a hard time typing with sweat dripping from my brow onto the keyboard.  Not to mention the sweat in my eyes.  And this damn fly keeps cruising around, time to swat his ass.

   Good day!

Seal Island

   I as just watching a segment on ESPN about Seal Island, off the coast of South Africa, and the chain of command down there.  The dense population of fur seals is what leads to the prevalence of great white sharks.  Heading into the water down there would be insanity - something I would never even consider doing.  Just seeing those beasts flying out of the ocean and snagging a meal mid-air is amazing.


   Speaking of getting thrown into the sharks, here is my list of 2010 All-Star game snubs.  These are the guys who fell off the vote-boat.  (Answers will be at the bottom)


   1.  Position Player Snub:
   1.  Player A:  .318 BA, 21 HR, 59 RBI, .599 SLG%, 1.017 OPS
   1.  Player B:  .305 BA, 20 HR, 60 RBI, .567 SLG%, .981 OPS
   1.  Player C:  .291 BA, 16 HR, 51 RBI, .517 SLG%, .902 OPS
   1.  Player D:  .296 BA, 15 HR, 59 RBI, .502 SLG%, .852 OPS


   Three of these players are on the squad and one is not, an to me, it's not even close.  There is one guy (Player A, cough cough...) that should have been a lock.  Fans don't know players in smaller markets, and it's sad because this players team is actually competing for a change.

   I mean the Marlins tried to bribe fans with 2 free tickets to a game if you punched all Marlins to the All-Star Game on at least 200 ballots.  Doofs!



   2.  RHP Starter Snub:  9-4, 2.62 ERA, 91 K, 0.96 WHIP, .193 BAA


   His team is at the top of it's division and he has the lowest WHIP in his league and the lowest BAA in baseball.  His stuff is dirty and he's a huge dude (6'6", 225 lbs.)


   3.  Reliever Snub: 
   3.  Player A:  2-0, 22 SV (2 BS), 2.04 ERA, .241 BAA
   3.  Player B:  3-0, 17 SV (2 BS), 2.02 ERA, .231 BAA
   3.  Player C:  3-1, 12 HLD, 2 SV (1 BS), 1.03 ERA, .122 BAA, ZERO HITS to LHH


   Granted you want closers in the game, and seeing how the Pirates are so bad that their lone rep was a middle man (Evan Meek), I guess there was no room for a guy who knows how to shut down an inning to get it to the closer.  Plus, he's had four arm surgeries - this guy is known as "The Cockroach" in the clubhouse.   This guy hasn't let up a hit to a LHH - all year - in 10.1 IP.  He is a specialist.  I hope Player A or B comes in when a LHH comes up and serves one up - if only Player C was available.  Or they'll use their only other LHP, who's like 100 years old.



   That is all I have time for today, but these are three of the guys I feel got thrown to the sharks off the coast of Seal Island.  Two are in lesser markets, one is in a big market, but either way, the best players should get in.  (I'm not going to make a push for Stephen Strasburg, because he has just six appearances under his belt and I feel that although he does give the NL a good chance to win, he hype doesn't get you in to an All-Star Game)


   Oh yeah, here are the answers and players listed above:


   #1 - Position Player Snub:  Player A - SNUBBED - JOEY VOTTO, Player B - Albert Pujols (STL), Player C - Adrian Gonzalez (SD), Player D - Ryan Howard (PHI)



   #2 - RHP Starter Snub:  Mat Latos (SD)


   #3 - Reliever Snub:  Player A - Brian Wilson (SF), Player B - Jonathan Broxton (LAD), Player C - SNUBBED - HONG-CHIH KUO (LAD)


   Alright, time to go.  I hope you don't get snubbed.  And remember, if you want to see sharks up close, stand two feet from your television during Shark Week on Discovery Channel.


   Happy 34th Birthday 50 Cent, G-Unit, we in here, party like it's your birthday.  If you see him in the club, bottle full of bub.  Word, yo.

José Lima...

...Rest In Peace.  This post is dedicated to the passing of former-MLB pitcher José Lima, 37, who died last night in his home in Pasadena, CA of an apparent heart attack.  "Lima Time" will no longer be observed during a game, but will never be forgotten.

From what I remembered of José Lima, he was a wacky, fun, and very average pitcher for most of his 13-year MLB career.  His 1998 and 1999 seasons with the Houston Astros were two of his best.  In '98, he went 16-8 with a 3.70 ERA and in '99 he won 21 games, posting a 3.58 ERA.  He was also a singer, and sang the National Anthem at his own Dodgers game once.

I always recall seeing a game on TV or watching highlights on SportsCenter and noticing José Lima's hair being different colors and his facial hair changing almost daily.  He was eccentric and unscripted, unlike these guys now, with their antics after a big out or save.  His teammates loved him and the fans loved him - and one manager in particular had a great line, "He was an animated guy and a fierce competitor and he got people excited," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.  When people remember you for those aforementioned traits, you left your mark.

Lima played for the Tigers, Astros, Royals, Dodgers, and Mets during his 13 seasons, as well as spending the beginning of the 2003 season with the Atlantic League's Newark Bears.  His career ERA of 5.26 is nothing special, but he brought something to the park that stats did not  indicate - a love for the game and a man who had a great time playing the game.  He respected baseball - and you don't often see that today (see: Hanley Ramirez).

José Lima will be missed.  RIP and it'll always be "Lima Time".

Here's a little photo gallery of images I've scoured the internet for of José Lima:

Blah Blah Blah

Mr. Softie just stopped by - well, we stopped him, he was parked down the block.  Lindsay got herself a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate.  I didn't get anything, times are tough here in the Bronx, I had $4 in my wallet.  Pathetic, I know.  Gotta provide for the wife and kid (or in our case, Nathan).   She ate the ice cream coated in the chocolate and fired the rest in the garbage.  Oh well, next time I'll ask Mr. Softie if he can coat the ice cream in layers.

Just started reading a new book, my favorite author, Chuck Klosterman.  The book, Downtown Owl, is a novel about the small town of Owl, ND.  He's written for The NYT Magazine and The Washington Post and his previous books have covered topics ranging from the relationship of rock music, mortality, and love (Killing Yourself to Live:  85% of a True Story) to the history of glam metal (Fargo Rock City:  A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural Nörth Daköta) to previously published columns and articles on pop culture (Chuck Klosterman IV).  I just like his writing style, give him a shot.  You'll probably chuckle to yourself like I do.  Nathan's been trying to learn to read Downtown Owl:

Yankees vs. Mets - not looking too good for the Yankees so far.  Bay kills the Yankees.  Stupid throw by Russo out in LF - C.C. needs to get out of this jam - I hate José Reyes, stupid hair, nonchalant actions - just stay on the DL foo!  Damn, 2-0 Mets.  Alex Cora, seriously?  See, there goes Bay, HR to deep left-center.  Crap!  I'm going to switch topics, this game isn't going how I had anticipated.

Today's Birthdays:

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks!! Happy Birthday to comedian Drew Carey, who's 52 today.  I think he's still the host of the new The Price is Right.  When I'm home weekdays (which is never), I'd watch it.

Author, sports-columnist, radio-personality Mitch Albom, who's books my mother loves, is also 52 today.  I hate his hair, it's always covering his ears and just looks stupid, but he's great on "The Sports Reporters" on ESPN.  Keep up the good work Mitch, and cut the hair over your ears.  But Happy Birthday nonetheless.




Game's on - C.C. singles, Jeter singles, Gardner is so fast but hits into the 4-6-3 DP.  Will someone please step up and get some hits off Santana?  Teixeira blows!  Game's off - channel surfing instead. 

Back to work tomorrow.  Graduation was a success, everyone walked across the stage for the first time ever.  It was about 100° in the gym, but they had 8 fans that cooled off the faculty.  Parents, family, and friends suffered in the sweltering humid gym.

Flipped it back on and back off - Joe Morgan is a moron.  I was hoping his new job as special advisor for the Reds would help ease him off the SNB set, but no such luck.  Him and Jon Miller - match made in heaven for a black and white silent film.

I'm done with this game for good - Food Network is going on, even if it means I have to watch "Down Home with the Neely's". 

Monday tomorrow - time for some zzzz's.