Freese Cardinals

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Don't ride around Dallas in a convertible!

Seriously, Packer Mobile. There is a bad precedent for that in Big D!

Speaking of that, I found this tourist photo op to be interesting.

Roethlisberger's head goes back... and to the left.

Back... and to the left.

(Too soon?)

New Sully Baseball Video - "A Parody of Parity"

Football has parity?

The same baseball teams win every year?

That's what conventional wisdom tells us... but which sport actually has the greater variety of champions?

It's the subject of the latest Sully Baseball video.

Breakup Girl Valentines... send the valentine gift of Sully

Taking a quick break from baseball, let me turn your attention to a great friend of Sully's: Breakup Girl.

Breakup Girl is the creation of Lynn Harris, one of my closest friends from my stand up comedy days and who I consider to be family, and the brilliant illustrator Chris Kalb.

They've created adventures in the world of dating and relationships on line, in books and even on TV in an animated cartoon.

And guess who has a character, "Paul the Intern", based upon him in the adventures?

That would be me.

Yup, during my single days, my insecurities and dating problems became part of a comic strip series.

It was good to know that even if I flopped with a girl, it served a noble purpose.

But is also created a strange insecurity.

Eventually they made my character very thin... thinner than me!

Do you know how frustrating it is to get down to "My comic strip weight"?

Well with Valentine's Day approaching, let me plug something else from Lynn and Chris:

The new funny Breakup Girl valentines.

And one of them features... yup. Yours truly.

And seeing that I am not about to make a Sully Baseball valentine any time soon, this would be the best way to send the gift of Sully to your loved one.

And I can't think of any better gift to give this February.

So check out Breakup Girl... and do yourself a favor and buy the original book He Loved Me, He Loves Me Not by Lynn and Chris.

It holds up and is hilarious.

OK... back to baseball.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Pettitte to retire? Now Cashman's failure is complete

One of the most disastrous off season in recent Yankee history will reach its mindboggling conclusion.

The Yankees, in desperate need for pitching depth and starters who can eat innings, are going to enter spring training with a worse rotation than the one they had last year and a pitcher in Bartolo Colon who can evidently eat everything EXCEPT innings.

Andy Pettitte is going to retire.

And who can blame him? He doesn't have a lot to play for. He has his rings, his fortune, his adoration of New York fans and his integrity for actually saying "Yeah, I used the stuff."

And that admission will probably end whatever slim Hall of Fame hopes he had so why not stay home and retire the way Mike Mussina did? Still a good pitcher and not embarrassing himself.

But Cashman and company can not POSSIBLY spin this into a good winter.

With the Yankees you ASSUME your own stars will come back.

Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter returning doesn't make this a positive winter.

And now one of the key parts and links to the championship years are gone.

Pettitte was the middle square on the bingo card for the rotation. You ASSUMED he was going to be there. Add in Cliff Lee and you have CC Sabathia, Pettitte and Lee... BOOM! The A.L. Pennant is won.

Now, the Yankees will have A. J. Burnett as the #3 starter. Ivan Nova at #4. And the "Hey we were good in 2005" bunch for #5.

Plus a bullpen with Rivera, Rafael Soriano (with 2 elbow surgeries in the last few years) and the artist formerly known as Joba Chamberlain.

How the Yankees with their budget and prestige and near lock on a post season berth whiffed so badly in building up their rotation is nothing short of amazing.

And, as Subway Squawker Lisa Swan pointed out, Hal Steinbrenner has offered Brian Cashman a vote of confidence, which must be as reassuring as Michael's kiss of Fredo.

At this point I am not even sure a World Series victory will save Brian Cashman's job.
They don't have the prospects to trade for a big pitcher.
And there is nobody left on the market.

The music stopped and the Yankees are left without a seat.

Not that I am gloating.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A Historic Fluke? My latest for The Hardball Times

In my latest article for The Hardball Times, I take a look at a historic oddity regarding Jim Leyland, Mike Scioscia and Ozzie Guillen.

Each of them managed a World Series winner without a clear Hall of Famer on their playoff roster. And the only other teams to have won the World Series without a future Hall of Famer (the '81 and '88 Dodgers and the '84 Tigers) had Hall of Fame managers.

So is this a fluke? Or are Leyland, Scioscia and Guillen putting together Cooperstown resumes?

You can read the article here.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Looks like the Rays have a 2005 fetish as well

First the Yankees had their odd 2005 obsession.

Now it is Tampa's turn.
Damon and Manny are teammates for the first time since 2005.

I am not saying the Red Sox don't have some holes. I am not saying the Red Sox off season has been flawless.

But their off season requires a lot usage of the phrase "If they played like they did 6 years ago..."

The Yankees are obsessed with 2005!

A few days ago, I wrote about how the Yankees seemed to be obsessed with signing players who were good in 2005. I mistakenly wrote that they had picked up ’05 All Star Justin Duchscherer. It turns out he was courted by the Yankees but signed with the Orioles.

No worries. The Yankees got Freddy Garcia today. Guess when he had one of his best seasons, logging in 228 innings to an ERA of 3.87, going 3-0 in the post season including a complete game in the ALCS and winning the World Series clincher?

That would be 2005.

Since then? He’s been battling injuries, missing most of 2007, 2008 and 2009 before winning 12 games last year for the White Sox.

It is an improvement. Unlike Colon and Prior, Garcia hasn’t missed an entire season!

But the 2005 fascination continues with the Yankees.

Hey! Kevin Millwood is still out there. In 2005 he threw 192 innings for a 2.86 ERA as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

Granted last year he posted a 5.10 ERA and opponents his .292 off of him. It doesn’t matter. All that matters to the Yankees these days is “How did he do in 2005?”