Do Not Knock The Byrd Man

I hardly followed Paul Byrd prior to the 2005 baseball season, the year the Angels signed him.

Did you know? He went 17-11 for the Kansas City Royals in 2002, when the team lost 100 games? A poor mans Greg Maddux. Poor in accolades, yes. Poor in fan love, no.

Byrd immediately became one of my favorite pitchers on the Angels pitching staff. Down-to-Earth, excellent control, no over powering stuff, hardly walked anybody, great teammate, the list could go on... He is the real deal.

I remember watching him pitch a shutout in Boston in September. The whole time I was watching I was thinking to myself, "this guy needs to stay with the Angels forever. Why did it take so long for me to follow this man?"

Poor guy, his son does not even think he is a stellar pitcher.

I bet you his son is happy to gloat about his dad at school now.

Now everyone do the Byrd flap. Get them Red Sox!

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.

October Beisbol

The New York Yankees made their third straight exit in the first round of the playoffs after losing to the Cleveland Indians last night. And if the "boss" was being honest, the exit may cost Joe Torre his job as the Yankees manager.

This was the only series I predicted right on the nose, with the Indians ending the series in four games. The Indians outplayed the Yankees in every aspect of the game.

Alex Rodriguez may get the most criticism, but the Yankees nation can look at their captain, Derek Jeter, for some answers. Jeter went 3-for-17 in the series, batted into three double plays, and drove in one run.

It makes no difference though. The Indians hit the ball from top-to-bottom in the lineup, and their pitchers kept the Yankees offense at bay.

League championship series predictions to come.

In other baseball news... I am a little late on this one, but thought it was pretty nuts.

A Cubs fan decided to hang a goat carcass from the Harry Caray statue at Wrigley Field in an attempt to rally the Cubs in the NLDS. (Youtube is not allowing to embed the video, so its the link.)

It obviously did not work and am rooting big time for the Cubs to win it all in 2008. If that happens it would be their first World Series title in 100 years.

R.I.P Angels. Hey TBS, Fox, ESPN and every East Coast bias medium out there, you got your wish! The Red Sox made it to the ALCS.

Someone Buy Back The Rights...

to the divisional series and the one league championship series that Turner Sports bought. TBS is in the first year of their seven year contract that allows them to air the division series of the playoffs.

The announcers in the Los Angeles Angels-Boston Red Sox series have been horrible. Their East Coast bias and obvious love for the Red Sox should not be aired on television. In the first game of the series they were already talking about the prospect of a New York Yankees-Red Sox matchup in the ALCS, in the SECOND inning.

I do not know where they found these guys, but they need to slapped around. They obviously do not watch any West Coast teams based on their gushing for the Red Sox.

They are not the only guilty party. The production team is favoring the Red Sox as well. I cannot even count on my hands and feet combined the amount of times that they did not show their "pitchtrax" when Angels pitchers got a questionable call from the homeplate umpire (a whole other issue that makes my blood boil).

But they conveniently continued to show the "pitchtrax" each time the Red Sox pitchers were on the mound.

I do not think I have seen a more screwed up strike zone than the one lat night. I understand that the first couple of innings has a loose strike zone, but later in the game it is supposed to tighten up.

Homeplate umpire, Dan Iassogna, was the second Red Sox player behind the plate. His strike zone mysteriously turned to the size of DVD case when Angels pitchers were on the mound. Yet, somehow when Red Sox pitchers were pitching, the strike zone became the size of a oversized beach towel.

It was the worst pitch calling I have ever seen. In a key at-bat, Kevin Youkilis got away with five strikes looking and ended up drawing a walk on balls. A ball thrown to Chone Figgins that was clearly outside the strike zone (they actually showed this one on "pitchtrax") was called a strike, and would have issued a walk to Figgins.

And now onto the devil... I hate you forever Danny Vinik


Jeff Mathis would have caught that ball if it weren't for the extra wall made for the photographers in the playoffs.

Tomorrow its on.