Dodgers Fans Do Something Angels Fans Can't...

I cannot believe I overlooked what possibilities the Los Angeles Dodgers-Boston Red Sox exhibition game held at the LA Coliseum would bring.

100,000 fans, majority of which would be Dodgers fans, and majority of which would be Mexicans, sitting with obnoxious, snooty Red Sox fans.



I love how the camera man, or someone next to him says: "there is an Angels fan..."

Red Sox fans waltz into Angels Stadium and do as they please whenever they visit. At worst peanuts get thrown at the Red Sox fans.

But not with Dodgers fans ... they will break off Red Sox fans if they feel slighted in even the littlest bit.

I should have attended the game disguised as a Dodgers fan and pointed out every Red Sox fan that said something to my vato hermanos and watched the beauty that ensued.

Schilling To Spend The Season Eating

Curt Schilling could be spending much of next season on the bench with shoulder problems according to a report out today.

The Boston Globe and Boston Herald are reporting that Schilling has a shoulder injury that has the right-hander and the club in a dispute over whether he needs surgery and the Red Sox have at least investigated to see if they can void his 2008 contract.

That is bad news for Schilling, even if they cannot void his contract, because his contract has bonuses for keeping his weight down. There is no way the "baconator" keeps the pounds off if he is on the shelf for much of next season.

The one good positive from a possible disabled list destination for Schilling is that we would not hear from him for a while because his mouth will be too full of bacon-wrapped goodies.

That being said, I forgot he has a blog in which he can type and eat at the same time. Dude better get a keyboard endorsement deal if that becomes the case... the grease is going to kill those keyboards.

Bacon.

Baseball Winter Meetings

It is that time again.

The time when all baseball fans wonder and dream about moves that their favorite baseball team will make in the offseason. So many expectations all filled with hope.

Who will they sign? Who will be traded? What rumors will come true?

Johan Santana is on the trading block and the AL East rivals, Boston and New York, and fighting for his arm. But will a wild card team pick him up? Does he want to stay on the East Coast versus the West Coast? What about his no-trade clause?

Boston or New York will pay the money to give Santana the extension he is seeking if he is traded. There is no better way to stick it to your rival than to sign the best pitcher in the majors. Like I said in the past, Boston is the new evil empire. Ultimately I think that Boston has the upper hand on a deal over the Yankees. They have the young, talented center fielder in Jacoby Ellsbury to roam around in place of Torii Hunter.

And how about Miguel "Jabba the Hutt" Cabrera?

I think he ends up with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by the end of this week. Arte Moreno has said that they had a deal in place and was frustrated over the talks.

"I've felt we had a deal with them twice," Moreno said of the Marlins, who apparently cut bait and decided they needed more in exchange for the 24-year-old slugger.

Do not mess with a frustrated Mexican. This deal will get done. They have plenty of young talent for the Marlins and have multiple players that play the same position that will not hurt the Angels too badly.

Andruw Jones? Word around the block is that the Dodgers are hot on Jones, with the outfielder seeking the money that Hunter got from the Angels.

Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada are said to be on the trading block as well. Both will help any team, especially Bedard and his strong arm.

There will be some happy fans and some disappointed fans no matter what, and lots of hope will be lost.

Have fun at the bar arguing with your buddies about why your team will be making the best moves. I know I will.

Rocks Swept Under The Rug

The Boston Red Sox proved me wrong by completing a sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Sunday night. Mike Lowell was named MVP, as the Red Sox won their second championship in four years.

The playoff road was similar to their 2004 championship: ALDS sweep, ALCS comeback, World Series sweep. These Red Sox were on their game, doing something that the Rockies could not, getting hits with runners in scoring position. They could not do any wrong.

Shoot, even Ronald McDonald Bobby Kielty got in on the action, hitting a solo shot in the eighth inning, proving to be the winning run.

The thing that sucks for Boston haters is that this team will be good for years to come. They have a solid bullpen, good starting pitching, and guys that can swing the bat. Kind of crazy how it looks like the Yankees are going in the opposite direction (more on that later).

I do not think the Rockies would have faired much better even if they did not have that long layoff... the Red Sox are just that good.

Congratulations to the Rockies for making that improbable run and to Ben Affleck. Your team won! Yeah right, you are a douche Affleck... sit next to me at Angels stadium and we will see how long you last.

I cannot believe JD Drew and Eric Gagne are getting World Series rings. Ah, I just threw up a little in my mouth.

I will miss you baseball, the focus of MLB will shift to awards and rumors.

Orioles Fans, You Out There?

What do you think about Kevin Millar throwing out the first pitch in game 7 of the ALCS for the Boston Red Sox? Running out of the Red Sox dugout and playing footsies with David Ortiz.

First, does he not know that his current team, the Baltimore Orioles, are in the same division as the Red Sox? Second, how did this guy get the honor to throw out the first pitch of game 7 in the ALCS?

Yes, he won helped them in 2004, but that was ONE World Series. "Well it was the first in 86 years!" Who cares? Why not bring back a Red Sox player from the past. You know, guys who were not fortunate enough to win a ring, yet they played their asses off for Red Sox nation.

If I am Orioles fan, I am pissed right now. Not only because of the first pitch, but because of this video that was aired before game 5:



What the hell. Millar, you do not play for Boston anymore. Try to get a contract with them if you want to play with them so bad. What's that? Oh you can't because you will not make the roster? Then get off their nuts! Stay true to the team you are signed with.

And Red Sox, get over your comeback of 2004. Okay you came back from 0-3 against the Yankees, and yes, it was the first time ever in MLB history. But damn, move on... you too Millar move on.

I understand it if Millar was retired and they brought him back to throw the first pitch. But he is still playing in the MLB, in the SAME division.

It's not 2004 anymore dude. Whatever Millar, keep "cowboying up."
Tell Heath Ledger to not mess up the sequel to Batman Begins and Jake Gyllenhaal to stop trying to kid everyone.

World Series Game 1

Josh Beckett was at it again last night, pitching the Red Sox to another victory in the 2007 postseason.

Okay, maybe the rust was present in the Colorado lineup, but Boston is just clicking on all cylinders right now. Shoot, even Eric Gagne pitched a perfect inning last night.

They are coming through with hits when runners are in scoring position, fielding the ball well, and their pitching is lights out. It is quite sickening to watch this team hit double after double, scoring run after run. Even Julio Lugo could not be kept off the bases as we went 3-for-4 and had a walk.

The game was over by the fourth inning and should have been called after the fifth. It got so out of hand we even had a Alex Cora sighting.

All the game really was after the fifth was background eye noise, as music was turned up and attention away from the game.

Know doubt Boston fan thought that game was a "wicked pissah!" and will proclaim the series is over already.

Game was the anticlimatic that any non-Red Sox or Rockies baseball fans hate to watch. You want a competitive game to watch if your team is not in it.

Beckett is completely killing it in the playoffs. He dropped his career postseason ERA to 1.73, third on the all-time list for those with 70 or more innings. This year he has gone 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA while striking out 35 to issuing two walks. I need to write that again. In his four games this postseason, 35 have struck out against him, while only two have drawn a walk.

Was anyone else freaked out by Ashanti's hand during the seventh inning stretch? Her hand looked like the prosthetic hand of Happy Gilmore's golf coach, Apollo Creed Chubbs Peterson.

Game 2 tonight, 8PM ET.

World Series 2007

The 2007 Fall Classic is set to begin tomorrow evening at Fenway Park in Boston, with the Red Sox facing the Colorado Rockies.

So here it is. Wally the Green Monster v. Dinger. Soxtober v. Rocktober. AL. v. NL.
Personally I think the "Rocktober" slogan has a much better ring to it. Why does Boston have to copy?

As you may know by now, I am not a big fan of anything out of Boston. They have turned into monsters, not their players, but their fans (okay, some of their players).

Boston fans have essentially turned into what they hate, Yankees fans. But they have surpassed the Yankees fans in being more obnoxious, rude, and arrogant. Five years ago? I would have taken Red Sox fans over Yankees fans any day of the week.

Today, I would take Yankees and Dodgers fans in the same room with no way out, over three Red Sox fans in an empty stadium.

Oh yes, the World Series (I guess you can tell by now who I am rooting for).

The Rockies are coming off an eight-day layoff after their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Red Sox completed their series comeback versus the Cleveland Chokers Indians. Like I said in the past, I am not a fan of the long days off between games. I feel sorry for the Rockies.

The following are the pitching matchups for the first few games:

Josh Beckett v. Jeff Francis
Curt Schilling v. Ubaldo Jimenez
Daisuke Matsuzaka v. Josh Fogg
Josh Beckett v. Aaron Cook

The Red Sox have to love their chances with Beckett potentially starting three games in a seven game series (due to the fact that Tim Wakefield is not on the World Series roster). But I like the game 4 pitcher of Cook pitching against Beckett, saving Francis for game 5.

The sports nation outside of Colorado is giving the Rockies no chance at winning this series, and based on what we saw in last year's World Series I do not blame them. Let me say this though, this Rockies team is not the same as the Detroit Tigers of yesteryear that lost to the St. Louis Cardinals after their long layoff.

The Tigers were still the favorites going into the series even though they had a seven-day layoff. The Rockies would still be the underdogs even if they had won their NLCS matchup in seven games. It is always a dangerous thing to place a chip on the shoulder of a talented team.

These Rockies fought their way into the playoffs and they will be the first to tell you that they are not done.

Do not believe the hype, this series is going six or seven games.

My breakdowns:

Batting lineup
Boston has the two big bats of Ortiz and Ramirez, with Lowell capable of cleaning it up. And Colorado has five guys that hit 90+ RBIs during the season. The patience of the Red Sox gives them the edge. Red Sox.

Starting pitching
Boston has a veteran, playoff battled pitcher in Schilling, and a young playoff stud on a tear in Beckett. Colorado has a nifty lefthander in Francis and a hard-throwing young cat in Jimenez. It will be interesting to see how Aaron Cook pitches in his first postseason appearance this year. Based on the way Beckett is dealing I have to go with Boston. Red Sox

Bullpen
I know what you are thinking, Boston by far. But hold on Voltaire. The Rockies made their miraculous run into, and through the playoffs thanks to its bullpen play over the last month. As hot as they are, there is no denying their effectiveness. Rockies.

Intangibles
Yes, the Rockies are going in with eight days off, but like I said, they have a different makeup. Every night they have a new hero emerge during their current run. And that is a real intangible. Boston mystique, blah, blah. Rockies.

Mascots
On one hand you have a purple dinosaur representing the Rockies, and on the other you have a "Green Monster" representing a green monster wall. Although Dinger the dinosaur has a girlie purple color, I say he can beat up the Green Monster of Boston. Plus, Wally the Green Monster would not come down to my seats to face off against me when he was in Anaheim for game 3 of the ALDS. I called him down and he walked away. Coward. Rockies

With my heart I am picking the Rockies in seven.
With my head I am picking the Red Sox in six.

Normally I do not want the NL team to win it all unless there is a certain AL team in the World Series. Yes, you guessed it, that team is the Red Sox.

Go Rockies!

I Blame Red Sox Nation

Colorado Rockies fans are irate today over the internet sales of World Series tickets.

The ticket sales had to be suspended due a failure of the computer system. Many fans secured tickets in the system but were unable to go through the checkout process.

That has to be the worst feeling ever. Bad enough you have to sit on your computer in a panic; clicking away, heart pounding, and mind racing (I guess I have gone through it before). And it all comes crashing down when you get an "error" screen.

It has to be Red Sox nation hacking into the system and directing those from the Colorado area to the error screen. Expect to see 20,000 Red Sox fans at Coors Field when the series shifts to Colorado.

The Red Sox fans will no doubt get their tickets from season ticket holders of the Rockies. I saw this first hand with the Angels.

Outside the stadium a gentleman started talking to me and later revealed that he was a Red Sox fan. He was not wearing any Red Sox gear, saying he did not want to disrespect, so I just continued to talk to this man from Vegas. We talked for a few more minutes and told me he bought his tickets off of an Angels season ticket holder. He then had the audacity to ask if we had a good following here. Was that a real question, or sarcasm?

Poor Colorado, you do not know what you have to deal with. Good luck, do not take any crap.

The Angels playoff tickets were a mess as well. The computer systems did not crash, but you had to win in the "playoff lottery" for a chance to guy tickets. Luckily I had season tickets or else I would have flipped my noodle.

Go Dinger.

Cleveland Rocks Chokes!

Well, the Cleveland Indians completed their choke job last night by losing game 7 at Fenway Park, after holding a 3-1 series edge.

Granted, the Red Sox played well, but it comes down to Cleveland giving the series away. 3-1 series lead and all they had to do is win one game out of three. Their two aces were pitching games 5 & 6, and they came up short.

Travis "Pronk" Hafner what happened to your bat? You are the DH and cannot go 1-for-19 in the final five games of the ALCS. This young team either ran out of gas at the wrong time, or they got ahead of themselves with a 3-1 series lead.

I hope it is the latter because you have to man up and bring your game to take your team to the World Series. Actually, both reasons are unacceptable, but they happen. Just ask Tracy McGrady.

The Indians had a great season and may be there again next year, but you never know. A long season and injuries can make anything crazy happen. This may have been their only shot, and that is not good news for Kenny Lofton. Another lost chance at his first ring.

World Series predictions coming tomorrow.

In the mean time, enjoy this classic sound bite from Major League which includes an "F" bomb from Pedro Cerrano: You no help me now. I do it myself.

Three dreams broken for me in these MLB playoffs: the Philly Phanatic getting his spotlight in the playoffs, the Angels getting to the World Series, and the chance to hear, "the Indians win it, the Indians win it. Oh my God! The Indians win it! AHuhhahamwahaha!"

Dealing...

It is never a bad thing to have Josh Beckett pitching for your team in the postseason.

Beckett pitched eight innings of one-run ball last night, helping the Boston Red Sox win game 5 and move the series back to Boston in hopes of extending the series to game 7.

Beckett improved to 3-0 in the this postseason and dropped his ERA to 1.17. He now has a career playoff record of 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA.

Like I said after his ALDS start, you can put the AL, NL, and Japanese all-stars in the batter's box and they still would not manage more than one run off the guy. If, and I really mean if, the Red Sox somehow win this series, Beckett is the sure-fire MVP of the ALCS.

But, that of course will not happen because I picked the Cleveland Indians to win in seven games.

There was some drama in this game of course:

· Beckett did not take kindly to Kenny Lofton flipping his bat, after what Lofton thought was ball four. Beckett got Lofton to fly out on the next pitch and yelled something at him as he ran to first base. Lofton chirped back and jogged towards the mound after the ball was caught. No punches were thrown and Beckett continued to dominate the Indians. Respect your elders Beckett.

· Manny Ramirez was up to being Manny again. He turned a near home run into a 390-foot single because he was slow to get out of the box. Well at least you looked good getting that single Man Ram. To his credit it was a mere inches from being a home run, but that still does not excuse him from trotting around the bases, or base in this case.

· Another Manny being Manny? Why yes of course. In the first inning, Manny tried to score from second base in the first inning on a single to right field. Indians' right fielder Franklin Gutierrez gathered the ball and threw home, but the throw was high to catcher Victor Martinez. The good thing for the Indians was that Manny was running the bases, because instead of sliding home, he came in standing up and was tagged out by Martinez. Weird dude.

Game 6 will be tomorrow, Schilling v. Carmona.
No word yet on whether Schilling will bring his red Sharpie marker for his sock.

Did You Know?

That former Boston Red Sox first basemen Bill Buckner of 1986 World Series fame, is set to make his debut on the big screen in the film The Comebacks this weekend.

Good for him. To have that one play on your reputation for the rest of your life has to be miserable. Yet, he is making a move towards forgetting it by taking this role to reenact that infamous play for everyone to see on the big screen.

With the Red Sox down 5-2 in game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, and trailing the California Angels 3-1 in the series: did you also know that Buckner helped the Red Sox immensely by leading off the ninth inning with a single to set up a comeback in the that game and the series? Dave Stapleton pinch ran for Buckner, and scored a run on Don Baylor's home run, bring the Red Sox within one run and allowing them to come back on the Angels in the series.

So cut the guy some slack, because without him the Red Sox may have never reached the World Series in 1986.

The following is an eight minute video reenactment of the Buckner error via RBI Baseball, with commentary by legendary announcer Vin Scully:

"No, No... it's too high, it's too high"

This guy just does not get it. Really. He really is on his own planet... or better yet, he thinks he is the center of the universe.

Manny Ramirez did not get the memo in the sixth inning, but his TEAM, the Boston Red Sox, were down 7-3 after his solo shot that he posed for in the picture shown. He posed like his home run made a difference in the game... like it was a walk off home run.

Well Manny, in case you forgot to check the scoreboard, the Indians were up 7-3 at the time, thanks largely to a THREE-run homerun (not a solo shot) by Jhonny Peralta in the fifth inning.

Paul Byrd gave up two runs over five innings, on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox, leaving them one victory away from their first World Series appearance since 1997. That is right, Byrd has done it again. He proved all the naysayers wrong by handling the Red Sox lineup.

Memo to ESPN: you should have never proclaimed that the series was in Boston's hands after ONE victory.

Manny seems to forget that this is not about posing for meaningless home runs, but to reach the World Series. WOW. You hit a home run and your team is still down four runs. You have a reason to pose on national television. You did it, guy... you did it.

I hope that pitchers around baseball are taking notice of this guy's antics, because he should be beaned by each team next year... including interleague play. You know it is bad when my grandmother even takes notice and hates the dude... and that is coming from the sweetest lady on Earth.

C.C. Sabathia, do the nation a favor and knock the Red Sox out of the playoffs on Thursday. Do it for Harry Doyle and Monte... even Monte has hit the Jack Daniels in the press box waiting for the Red Sox to be eliminated (ten points if you know who Harry and Monte are).

League Championship Series

The Colorado Rockies completed the sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last night at Coors Field. They now face an eight-day layoff as they await the winner of the ALCS.

I picked them to win the NLCS, but I did not expect them to sweep the Dbacks. They are playing at an insane level right now. Every move that they Rockies are making are the right ones. Rockies Seth Smith pinch hit in the pitchers' spot in the bottom of the fourth inning and drove in two runs with a bloop hit.

Who is Seth Smith? Exactly. He does not even have a player profile on the ESPN website.

I do not like the eight days off for the Rockies, even though they assured the nation that they would be alright. It just reminds me of the Detroit Tigers last year, and how their bats went cold as they waited for the Cardinals.

Onto the ALCS...

Jake Westbrook and the Cleveland Indians took a 2-1 lead over the Boston Red Sox and their $100 million investment, Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Kenny Lofton continued to be the ageless wizard for the Indians, hitting a two-run home run off of Dice-K in the second inning after taking his time getting into the batter's box, much to the dismay of Jason Varitek. That'a'boy Lofton.

The Red Sox proved me right too... one of my keys to this series was to stay out of double plays. The Red Sox drove into three, including one each by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

I read a recap on ESPN in which it proclaimed that the "Indians, who haven't won it all since 1948, are in control of a best-of-seven series that seemed to belong to Boston after the opener."

So Boston was in the driver's seat after just one game? Ridiculous.

Game four is tonight with my buddy, Paul Byrd, pitching for the Indians.
Do that Byrd flap.

American League Championship Series 2007

The ALCS starts in a few hours between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. The Red Sox will throw potential Cy Young winner Josh Beckett against his biggest competition for that title, Eddie Harris C.C. Sabathia.

Both are rock solid this season and look to get their respective teams out to a great start. It should be a low-scoring game with the wind blowing into the park today at Fenway.


Josh Beckett v. C.C. Sabathia
Curt Schilling v. Fausto Carmona
Daisuke Matsuzaka v. Jake Westbrook
Tim Wakefield v. Paul Byrd

Everyone is making a big deal about the bats of Boston and Cleveland, but the real story is about both teams pitching. Cleveland has a nice 1-2 punch of Sabathia and Carmona, and Boston counters with Beckett and Schilling. Both tandems were stellar in their ALDS starts.

I think the format of 2-3-2 favors the Indians because I see a split in the first two games of the series. Allowing the Indians to go home tied at 1-1. From there they would essentially have to win two games at home and bank on one of their aces when the series shifts back to Boston for the final two games.

Analysts are doubting game four starter, Paul Byrd, even though he had a good outing against the Yankees. Like I said before, this guy is the realness.

Both lineups are solid and get men on base all the time. Its going to be all about staying out of the double plays for each squad. Ladies somehow always pick the series winners correctly, and Grady Sizemore is a ladies man. Listen to the women.

INDIANS in SEVEN

Major League is on the all-time best movies ever list.

The Truth Comes Out

This video was brought to my attention at a wonderful tailgate party this past weekend. For all his showboating after hitting home runs, Manny Ramirez sure looks a little too comfortable playing the woman role with Julian Tavarez.

Here is the link to the video . I love how the Red Sox fans are apologetic to the video: "HILARIOUS! Manny being Manny", "thats my boy manny!"

I am disappointed in the Angels pitchers for not beaning one of the Red Sox hitters, especially since Manny posed after his home run on Sunday, and more importantly, since Vladimir Guerrero got hit in the previous game.

*UPDATE* Julio Lugo was spotted getting a manicure and pedicure to pretty up for the ALCS. Maybe Manny can paint his nails too. Source.