Thursday, April 13, 2017

NOT ENOUGH BASEBALL FOR YOU, WELL...

That's the thing about professional sports: they can always find something else to start a controversy. Now it's the flu bug. Even though clubhouses have trainers, assistant trainers, personal trainers and even doctors all looking out for the health and well-being of these coddled athletes, illnesses still creep in to decimate a ball club.
The flu bug has hit the Boston Red Sox the hardest - at least it's the most publicized. Buck Showwalter of the Baltimore Orioles is not impressed. His team has players with the bug but he and his players refuse to talk about it. He also said every team has a problem with the flu. Buck has often denigrated other teams just to motivate his own team. He especially likes to pick on the Red Sox and the Yankees, citing their extremely high payrolls in comparison to the Orioles modest one. This may be just one more building block for Buck.
The Twins have jumped on the bandwagon, too, Having the visiting clubhouse in their stadium fumigated after a visit from the Red Sox. Was that real or just another jab at Boston? Not to be outdone, the Sox had their own clubhouse fumigated after they left on a road trip. Was that to prove that the flu bug was an actual problem or just a response to the Twins.
So far, the only Yankee to be affected severely has been first baseman Greg Bird, who has missed a few games for that and a sore toe from a foul ball. I wonder if foul ball injuries will become epidemic.

Statistics gone wild.
David Cone, a self-proclaimed sabermetrics nut, has gone over the edge now. When listening to a David Cone analysis of a Yankee game, I noticed two things: the repeated use of the phrase "Without a doubt," (Annie-O and I actually count them), and his penchant for explaining every activity with some kind of statistical percentage. A typical Cone comment: "Montgomery has a miss rate on pitches of 19%. The major league average is 10%." Rickie Weeks of the Rays, didn't miss one pitch, blasting a two-run shot in the first inning off of Montgomery, which is a statistic that actually meant something. 
Later in the game, Aaron Judge, the Yankee linebacker, er...Right Fielder, smashed a homer into the netting over Monument Park in center field, over 400 feet away. After a couple of minutes to compile his numbers, Coney announced that the ball traveled 436 feet. Thank you, David. Oh, but wait, he wasn't done. The exit velocity was 107 mph and the ball reached a height of 110 feet. Thank you David, you've earned your paycheck today. If you really want to impress us with numbers, tell how much that paycheck is for.

Speaking of line backers...
Yankee outfielder and Rays first baseman  Richie Weeks had a horrific collision at first base yesterday when Weeks stepped into the baseline to retrieve a dropped throw right in the path of Gardner. You don't often see that vicious hit in football where they're actually trying to do that. Minor injuries for both combatants which is good news. Just think if that had been Aaron Judge involved; they probably would have had to peel Weeks off of Judges chest. And they might have to tell Judge that he was involved in a collision. 

Anything you can do... 
We're all familiar by now with all the shenanigans that college athletes get involved in, drinking sexual assault, abuse of women, stealing, etc. Let's not forget the ladies, who obviously can hold their own when it comes to scandals. Coastal Carolina University cheerleaders have been suspended amid allegations of running a prostitution ring and working as strippers. Gives new meaning to the phrase, a 'good head on their shoulders.' Move over Baylor, you have competition. So far, we've have scandals involving players, coaches, assistant coaches, Athletic Directors and even University Presidents. Now the cheerleaders have gotten involved. What's left? Mascots? I can hardly wait.

A new trend? 
This is a good thing - until something goes wrong. In a rare effort to connect with the fans, some players have taken to actually playing catch with a fan while warming up before the game. This has got to be very exciting for some kid in the stands. Aaron Judge is one player who has been doing it. I hope no fan misses a throw and gets hit, followed by the inevitable lawsuit and a strongly worded dictum from Commissioner Manfred prohibiting this event. That would be typical behavior for baseball: Let's not be having any fun out there.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Colin Kaepernick is still unsigned. He’s rumored to have turned down an offer from Regina to backup QB Vince Young; but said he may be interested in coming here just to kneel for the singing of O Canada."  -- TC Chong
"So many meaningless games at the end of the NBA season.   Differing at least in intensity from the meaningless games during most of the NBA season."  -- Janice Hough
"The man who holds the world’s consecutive free throw record (Tom Amberry) has died at age 94. His top mark was 2,750 in a row. That beat Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA best by only 2,748."  -- Jim Barach
"According to several sources, the 2017 N.Y. Yankees lack left-handed power. This continues a tradition of Bronx Bombers reviews dating back to 1935. Ruthless."  -- RJ Currie
"So we revisit the new catchphrase that explains it: “The game of baseball has changed,” a half-thought that, if completed, would conclude, “but not for the better.”  -- Phil Mushnick
"Tim Tebow has now homered twice in the minors. He is not so happy with his fielding though, complaining that his throws from the outfield to home plate keep getting intercepted by the shortstop or second baseman."  -- TC Chong

CP-







 

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