Not So BIG Papi

Give me a break Peter Gammons! What do you mean no one knows what is wrong? How could you say Terry Francona has no clue? The Red Sox and Theo Epstein are uncertain how to handle this?

David Ortiz was and obviously is no longer a steroid user. In the wake of the Mitchell Report his batting average dropped nearly 100 points. I don’t want to hear about his ailing wrist and I don’t want to hear about Manny Ramirez being traded. The guy was user plain and simple. Anyone who does not see that is blind. All of the sudden he can no longer hit? Give me a break.

One thing we have learned from all this: those who protest the most are most likely guilty themselves. Anyone who spoke out against steroids after the Mitchell Report was released as did Ortiz can kiss my pale side. Including you Curt Schilling. Each and every player had an opportunity to speak out against this long before they were forced to admit what they did after having been caught and Ortiz is no exception.

Wake up everyone. Dont believe the hype and dont let the spin ESPN puts on it cloud your vision of the truth.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Free “O”

Here we go again. The ink is not even dry yet on Manny Ramirez’s contract and this morning we learned that our favorite media darling, Terrell Owens, has been released by the Cowboys. I guess we are not really too shocked by this but I can tell you for sure Tony Romo is the saddest cowboy on the plain. But who cares about him? All I want to know is: Where is T.O. going now?

There are 31 other teams out there that surely would love to have his numbers injected into their offense but only a handful would find it worth it. As well an even smaller group have enough to lure him in. Further still even less would take the risk.

So who are they? Well, first you would have to weed out the pretenders. T.O. is not going anywhere a rebuilding is in progress. Certainly he is not going anywhere there is no QB with a resume. That leaves teams with coaches that have job security as well as stability. But Philly is out and Parcells disciples Coughlin and Sparano surely would not have him.

I do not think that Atlanta or Baltimore would risk the progress of their young starting QB’s by bringing Owens in to help. The Vikings could certainly use his services. However, they do not throw the ball in an offense built around Adrian Peterson nor do they have a QB to get Owens the ball.

The Jets? HAHA

How about the Redskins, Saints or Chargers? Hey why not right. The Redskins and Dan Snyder have proven they will spend money on anything. Owens would love the chance to remain in the division and now stick it to Philly and Dallas. Given the way he regularly torches the Giants that would mean six games worth of great potential from Owens. The Saints have the high powered offensive attack that would suit Owens wants as well as his need to be with a big time QB in Drew Brees. But is there room for him and his ego among all those other big names? Shockey Bush Colston etc. San Diego might be the best fit. He becomes the number one option for Phillip Rivers who is probably salivating as we speak. It would take pressure off Antonio Gates and his big toe. As well this would open up a running lane or two for Ladainian Tomlinson and allow him to be L.T. again.

Allow me to just throw this out there: X Y Z – Owens Welker Moss. Get your pop-corn ready!

Shame Shame Shame

Alex Rodriguez has tested positive for steroids. Shocked? I mean really now. Does anyone even care? I never thought that MLB would be the biggest joke in professional sports. Certainly now if it was not already MLB has no credibility. There is only one way to fix our national sport. First MLB needs a new commissioner, one with a backbone and no allegiance to either players or owners. I suggest me. Second the MLBPA needs to be busted. Clearly, the union, like any other union is to provide a safe working environment for its members as well as insuring fair practice. They have failed. Third the owners must all be forced to sell. An arbitrator should hold bids for each franchise and settle fair market value for all. Lastly all players and coaches at the major league level should be sent packing. They can all receive full contract value from revenue collected when the teams are sold. Baseball could continue with the stars of tomorrow: today! In less than five years no one will remember or care about A-Rod, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez or any other aging cheating superstars.

Manny To The Yankees

Manny Manny Manny

Where for art thou Manny? HA! Well, I thought for sure they would have done it. I thought for sure Manny would be a Yankee by now. At one time I could not stand him. Now I find myself wondering why I am upset I could not wish my fellow Yankee fans a “Manny Christmas”. Offensive, is it not?

Well, Manny sure brings plenty of offense. How this guy could be so productive at the plate and not yield a contract in New York by now is beyond me. Yankees, Mets, even the Braves or Orioles I thought would make a run or have a shot. Now that the market has fallen out from beneath him Manny is looking at playing somewhere for far less money than he could have imagined or playing for a team that will give him his money but that he does not want to play for.

Good luck San Francisco. You deserve him! Maybe you can “inject” him into your line-up the same way you did Barry Bonds.

What do you think? Do you want Manny on your team?

Phillies vs. Dodgers Intriguing Matchup for 2008 MLB Playoffs

There is one big reason I believe that this Series is huge. That is the fact that both teams making it to the World Series would be great stories.

First off, the city of Philadelphia hasn’t had a championship professional team in forever. So the Phillies getting to the World Series on that alone would be a great story. And if they lost, it would be another gut-wrenching blow to the fans of Philadelphia. And although they were good and it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see them win based on performance, people would still make a scene about it.

For the Dodgers, it would be a slap in the face to George Steinbrenner and the Yankees if the man they let go, Joe Torre, wins it all. And I don’t know what the Redsox were thinking, but if Manny Ramirez carries this team all the way to the title, then that too would be great to watch. Imagine that! A former Yankee and a former Redsox player may have combined to win a title for another team.

As for the Rays, they are interesting because of their surprising success, but they have no real back stories or drama-filled transactions to talk about. On the other side of the AL, the Redsox already had their story when they finally broke the Curse.

So I wonder what people think of that.

The Boston Red Suxs (Red Sox)

The Boinger

The only disgrace in Boston is Boston is itself! The organization, both ownership and front office personnel,  the media and team. Especially Curt Schilling the most outspoken advocate in the world for egregious acts of wrong doing against athletes who mysteriously remained quiet during his entire tenure as a teammate yet somehow found a way to delicately trash Manny on “The Big Show with Glenn Ordway”. Are we to believe that they suffered for the last 8 years with Manny Ramirez? The guy was a disgrace to the uniform before they brought him in. He loafed and complained and could not play LF when he was in Cleveland, what made you think it would be any different in Boston? Now that he is hitting .400 yes FOUR HUNDRED in L.A. and single handedly carrying that team to the playoffs they want to throw him under the bus and claim somehow they are the victim here. You did it to yourselves!
Now certainly we all know that this guy made the Red Sox. When they all embraced him and his idiocy in 2004 they made that their identity calling themselves the “idiots”. That was their mantra; HELLO? Earth to Boston. You did not create the monster, you let it out of the cage. Here we are four seasons and two World Championships later and somehow all of the sudden he’s not worth it anymore. Why?
Shawn Chacon shoved Astros GM Ed Wade to the ground and was immediately suspended from the team. Let me repeat that: IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED FROM THE TEAM! A day after his suspension the Astros put Chacon on waivers so they could release him and terminate his contract. Now who knows what really happened or why it happened. It does not matter. You shove a team official to the ground and your are out of here. Imagine going to work one day and just shoving the guy who hired you to the ground would you expect to be back the next day?
A week later in Houston Manny Ramirez shoved traveling secretary Jack McCormick to the ground over an “unfortunate misunderstanding” regarding tickets. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is the same Manny Ramirez who took a swing at Kevin Youkilis in the dugout in Boston just a few weeks prior. Why was he not immediately suspended from the team and sent on his way? WHY? Why was Boston even allowed trade this guy and get something back in return for him? If this were the NFL do you think Roger Goodell would have stepped in regarding “personal conduct”? Where was Curt Schilling during all this? Oh right he was still talking about leaving Boston and going to pitch for the Yankees because he was upset with the organization too. I guess they must have kissed and made up.