Me personally, I’d take my time
Take a second to read this...
WALL STREET JOURNAL-In case New Yorkers needed another way to compare Derek Jeter to Alex Rodriguez, we've found something new. When Mr. Jeter hits a home run, it takes him 20.19 seconds to round the bases, the second-fastest time among Yankees starters. Mr. Rodriguez needs 24.94 seconds, the slowest mark on the team.
To determine which Yankees are the slowest to circle the bases during their home-run trots, Take a Number clocked how long every 2009 home run took. The average for current Yankee starters with at least 10 home runs last year is 22.1 seconds—all of Mr. Rodriguez's home-run trots were slower than that.
The average home-run time in the majors is 21.89 seconds, according to Marquette University data coordinator Larry Granillo. As a team, the Yankees are the 12th-fastest, edging the Mets by two-tenths of a second.
Outfielder Curtis Granderson is the fastest Yankee at 18.81 seconds, but that's partly because many of his home runs barely leave the yard—he runs quickly because he doesn't know where the ball will end up.
Most of Mr. Rodriguez's home runs are sure things. Maybe that's why he pauses for a second to admire them.
First things first. Should The Wall Street Journal even have a "SPORTS" section? Last time I checked, there were no sports being played on Wall Street. Must be a slow news day I guess. Wait, no, there's actually a lot going on in the world of sports. NHL Playoffs, NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft analysis, World Cup storylines, impending NBA free agency, Tiger Woods, among thousands of other relatively important stories.
However, David Binderman felt the need to ignore those and stick to what matters: The average time it takes individual Yankees to round the bases following a home run. And what do the times prove? Nothing. It's meaningless information. It's meant to imply and insinuate. Jeter rounds the bases quicker than most Yankees because he's an all-go-no-quit kind of guy. Rodriguez takes a little longer to round the bases, ergo, he's an arrogant sack of shit.
He even gave us a handy-dandy chart:
How handy!
And even if A-rod takes 2 seconds longer to go from home to home, who cares? Does it have an effect on the outcome of the game? Do pitchers really resent waiting an extra few seconds? No, they're too busy cursing themselves for letting a meatball float towards the fat part of the plate.
I don't care if you're a major leaguer. Do you know how hard it is to hit a 90-MPH fastball 380 feet away from you? Please, if I was blessed with the ability to do so, I would moon-walk around the bases every time I did so. Screw the unwritten rules of the game. It's a game remember?
In fact, I would pull a "Hulk Hogan" each time I walked to the plate. Putting my hand to my ear egging on the cheers. My at-bat music would be "I Made It" (see previous post) and I would LOVE the attention. Too many players go to great lengths to avoid the appearance of having any fun. Stone face, rigid personality, business-like all the time. Dude, have some fun. You're being paid thousands of dollars per plate appearance to FAIL 70% of the time. Lighten up.
12 games in…
This sucks. For the last 25 minutes I've wracked my brain trying to find something I should be worried about with the Yankees.
Nothing.
Well, that's not necessarily true. There are a few things. But it's nothing that cannot be worked on throughout the course on the season.
For example: Javier Vasquez. When the Yankees made the trade for Vazquez, I felt like I was the only one who backed it. I heard a lot of "But Melky was super-clutch for us" and "Do you remember what Javy did for us back in '04?" Yes, I remember. But if you also remember, he was asked to carry a heavier burden into that year. With the likes of an always hurt Kevin Brown, Jon "Who?" Lieber, Mike Mussina, and Lord-knows-their-real-ages Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras, obviously a lot was put on Vazquez.
And who really cares about the grand slam he gave up against Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS? The Yankees were down 2-0 and Brown loaded the bases before Vazquez eve got a chance to throw one pitch. New York was destined to lose that game. Javy just happened to become the scapegoat.
He's their fourth starter now. A guy who's going to get matched up against the Tim Wakefields, Scott Bakers, and Scott Kazmirs of the world. He can afford to make mistakes. And he won't make many. Granted, the National League is far inferior to the American League, but leading the league in strikeouts was no mistake. The man misses bats. His 0-2 start is merely a detoxification of his exodus from the National League. It's about him readapting to the AL. Which he will. I'm not worried. You shouldn't be either.
Worry No. 2: Mark Teixeira. 44 at-bats in: .114 AVG, .291 OBP, .205 SLG. Yikes. Big yikes. The man has 9 total bases. 9! Even Brett Gardner has 10. Sure he's bad right now. But this is eerily similar to last year. And the year before. And the year before. He's just a slow starter. Maybe he doesn't like the cool weather. Maybe he needs to get his reps in. Or maybe his steroid cycle doesn't kick in until mid-May (kidding). But who knows. I'm pretty sure by the end of the season, his numbers will be close if not better than his yearly averages.
This 9-3 start has been nice. I'd be surprised if they keep up this pace for long. Having 3 of your pitchers with sub-3.00 ERA's doesn't normally last. Having 5 everyday players with .400+ OBP doesn't normally last.
I'll be sure to panic as soon as they lose two in a row.
An Anxiety-Free Season
Is it wrong for me to feel content right now? Because I am. Very much so, in fact. It's about 11:15am here on the East Coast. Meaning we're about nine hours away from the start of the 2010 Major League Baseball Season. And the two teams that will be playing to ring in the new season will be the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
Now, in previous years I would be pacing around the house, biting my nails, and climbing walls until the first pitch. And why not? There was so much to worry about. The Yankees pitching staff, their bullpen, Arod, the Red Sox, and the fact that they hadn't won a World Series in more than five years.
But now, coming off a World Series win in 2009, I am completely content. Absolutely so. Since Mariano Rivera got Shane Victorino to ground-out to Robinson Cano until now, I've kept the Yankees at a healthy distance. My opinions of the departure of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon were muffled. As well as my thoughts on the super-important Phil Hughes-Joba Chamberlain-Fifth Starter controversy. Don't get me wrong, I care. Just not as much as in years past.
No matter the outcome of this season, I have no reason to complain as a fan. I'm only 22 years old and have been lucky enough to experience five World Series Championships. So the key word for 2010 is "gravy". I'll still root as hard as I ever did, but with more reasonable expectations.
Anyway, here are my picks for the 2010 MLB award winners. (In bullet-point form, of course)
- AL CY Young Winner: Felix Hernandez. Can you believe this guy is only 23 (24 on April 8th)? It could easily have been argued that he should have won the award last season but a certain Zach Greinke stood in the way. I mean, the guy went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA on a terrible offensive team. Now granted, their offense isn't exactly better, but given his talent, he'll dominate just the same.
- NL CY Young Winner: Roy Halladay. Let's see: he's owned the AL East since 2002, he's coming off one of his best statistical seasons and he's moving to the NL East on the best offensive team in the league. Sure, I'll take him. I wonder what Tim Lincecum is thinking. He had the award sewn up for the next 5-6 years, then Mr. Halladay decides he wants a ring. Touche Roy. Touche.
- AL MVP Winner: Evan Longoria. We're looking at 40 home runs, 120 RBIs, .900+ OPS, 15+ SB's, and a Gold Glove for the Rays third baseman.
- NL MVP Winner: Albert Pujols. He should be the default choice until he retires. The man leads the planet in OPS, OPS+ and has topped 500 at-bats every year of his career. The only way he doesn't win this award is if Hanley Ramirez maximizes on his talent and destroys NL pitching.
- AL Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson. This is a bitter-sweet choice. Obviously, up until last fall, he was the would-be future center fielder of the New York Yankees. Then he was traded to the Tigers for Curtis Granderson, the current New York Yankees center fielder. It would be nice to see him succeed though. It would show that the Yankees still have some eye for talent, just not an eye to keep it.
- NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward. Did ya hear? Heyward once hit a ball so far, it hit the umpire in the back of the head. Well, not really. But hyperbole has been utilized when describing Jason Heyward. "He's got Hank Aaron's hands, Mickey Mantle's power, and Ted Williams' eye." So sure, I'm going to buy into the hype and say he'll win the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year.
Fantasy Baseball Live Blog, among other things.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm seriously slacking with these posts. A lot has been going on in my life. I have a job and a car and I have to pay bills. I mean, these are things that no one else has to deal with. So it's understandable that I haven't been updating this little old blog of mine as much.
That being said, this post will be enormous. I'll try to kill eight birds with one stone. I'll be live blogging my fantasy baseball draft which is set to begin in five minutes while at the same time discussing my night out, thoughts on food, love, and allergies. You know, the usual.
I won't time stamp each little tidbit because it's really annoying to constantly look down to the bottom right corner of the screen before every paragraph. My eyes just can't handle the strain. A dash (-) will suffice. Deal? Let's go.
-Let's see. I have the fifth pick. Eh. Obviously I would have loved to have the first pick. Mr. Pujols himself can carry a fantasy team just as well as he carries his own team.
-Pujols, Mauer, Ramirez, Rodriguez. I could have easily taken Utley, Kemp or Braun. But I decided on Evan Longoria. No fooling, he's going to be a super-stud. A fantasy juggernaut.
-I did little to no research in preparation for this draft. I'm essentially doing this blind. I know who's good and who's not, but I'm clueless on sleepers or reliable pitchers. This is going to be interesting.
-2nd round: Ian Kinsler. Full disclosure. I just made my first two picks from the comfort of my toilet. Hey, when nature calls, you have to answer. Even if it means placing the laptop on your bare legs as you taken care of business.
-3rd round: Zach Greinke. This draft is going a lot quicker than expected. It's nice when everyone actually shows up on the proper time. Too many times I've sat through 2 hour drafts just because a few guys decided to ignore their draft and not have the decency to put it on auto-pick. (This is clearly nerd talk)
-Remember that time when I said I was never going to bars again? Well, I lied. But the sentiment still remains. With music that loud, how am I supposed to speak to girls? I'm not going to yell at them. Which is exactly what I end up doing when I'm at a bar. "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!" "WHAT?!" "DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL?!!!" "THAT'S CRAZY!" And I can't dumb myself down enough for the vapid conversations that take place at these establishments. Look, I would love to get to know you, but telling me about your roommate makes me want to put myself in a sleeper hold.
-4th round: Jayson Werth. Solid fourth rounder in my opinion. Super reliable. Hits for power and steals a decent amount of bases.
-5th round: Johan Santana.
-6th round: Nick Markakis. Jesus, spring is here. Currently, I'm sitting at my dining room table with a pile of used tissues that's nearly covering my monitor. My nose is a leaky faucet. My lips are dry, my eyes itch and I'm sneezing every thirty seconds. All because a flower sprouted in my backyard. I wish it were winter. Just kidding.
-7th round: Carlos Pena.
-8th round: Adam Jones. I'm liking my team so far. A lot of power, speed, and a solid 1-2 punch. I have no catcher or relief pitchers yet. Those are late round pickups anyway. Got to stock the shed with some ammunition, yaknowwhatIsayin?
-9th round: Joakim Soria. Screw that philosophy. Soria is a relief stud. Low ERA and WHIP and converts saves, bottom line.
-10th round: Elvis Andrus. Ever go a whole day without eating? I wanted to try that today. Just liquids. I've been slacking big time on my diet. Last night I had a few Italian combo sandwiches. That's right, a few. And God are those delicious. Throw roasted sweet peppers on anything and I'll talk dirty to it.
-11th round: Rick Porcello. He went to Seton Hall Prep. I went to Seton Hall University. So I felt a connection.
-12th round: Russell Martin. Doesn't Martin look a lot like Russell from Survivor? And holy crap! They have the same name. Creepy. By the way, if you haven't been watching Survivor this season. Shame on you. It's The Sopranos and The Wire rolled into a honey wheat wrap and stuffed with roasted sweet peppers. It's that good.
-13th round: A.J. Burnett.
-Can you believe I went to bed before watching the best game of the tournament? And of course it was called by Gus Johnson. I'm literally kicking myself. I guess the highlights will have to do.
-14th round: Brad Hawpe. I can't bring the laptop back in the bathroom, can I? Once is ridiculous. Twice is...what? Flat out unacceptable, right? Screw it.
-Live from the bathroom here. I really shouldn't do this. Not because it's disgusting. But because of where I'm putting the laptop. It's super close to my no-no area. That can't be good. I know that technology has improved over the years, but I'm not 100% certain that I'm not microwaving my balls right now.
-15th round: Leo Nunez.
-16th round: Rafael Furcal. These are more or less the garbage rounds. But some would argue that these late round players can separate the men from the boys fantasy-wise. I disagree. Call me crazy, but I just don't think Jeff Niemann will decide this fantasy season.
-17th round: Mark Buerhle. Are there really six more rounds of this? Man. I got things to do today...kind of.
-18th round: James Loney.
-19th round: Michael Wuertz. I don't even know who this guy is. But he had a .95 WHIP and 102 K's last year. Good enough for me.
-Skip to the end.
-20th round: Todd Helton
-21st round: Justin Duchscherer
-22nd round: Jermaine Dye
-23rd round: Randy Winn.
Oh Thank God. It's over. That was far too long. An hour and a half. Now what usually happens is that I barely update it and I end up in dead last by the third week. Fantasy baseball is like homework.
Spring (ahhhh!) Training Assessment: My Yankees
It's been a real long while since I've discussed the Yankees at all. To be honest, I'm still reveling in their championship. Still feels good. So as much as I want the 2010 season to begin, I know on April 4th at 8:00, the Yankees will automatically become "defending" World Series Champions. And that's a lot of pressure. Especially for me. Because I take on all of the emotional support for the team while contributing nothing to the outcome of games. It's an uneasy position to be in.
I've stated this before, but when I write about the Yankees, my thoughts become jumbled and I can barely form proper sentences. That's why I reserve the right to write in bullet points so this post doesn't appear like it came from the diary of a psychopath. I'll do my best to leave blatant homerism out of this, but I can't promise anything.
- Today, Joba Chamberlain allowed five runs, three hits, and three walks in 1.1 innings. Mmmmm, don't you just love it? I certainly do. It's so great that he's struggling. You know why? Because he shouldn't be a starter! Not now! Not ever! Can the Yankees please stop with this charade? Phil Hughes is the fifth starter. Joba is the set-up guy. Done! Finished! Let's go get a drink! I hope Joba never gets out of the first inning at all this month. He should be in the bullpen where he belongs. A place where he can properly gather all his rage and take it out in the form of chin-high fastballs and knee-buckling sliders. Chamberlain doesn't have the mental make-up to start games. Hughes, on the other hand, does. Very much so actually. He's calm, cool, smart, and patient. Those attributes don't necessarily apply to Joba. It's a no-brainer Yankees. Do the right thing.
- During the off-season, I was undecided on whether or not I wanted Johnny Damon to sign a new contract with the Yankees. I like to root to for the Yankees under the illusion that they play within the confines of some sort of budget. So when Damon and Boras were asking for 4 years, I scoffed. "Heck no!", I said. Then the Yankees signed Nick Johnson to DH and probably bat second. Damon and Boras realized there were no takers, and Johnny inevitable struck a 1-year deal with the Tigers. Up until today, I was indifferent. I like Nick Johnson. I think he's a great hitter. Works pitchers to death and gets on base, bottomline. That's when he's healthy. So here we are 3 days into Spring Training and Nick Johnson is sitting with a bad back. Johnny? Where are you? Come back! Please, come back! Ugh, did Johnson have a bad back all off-season? Nope. Apparently he wore spikes on the artificial turf patch that covers the dirt in the batter's box and subsequently hurt it. Johnny Damon may be a little simple, but he's not that stupid, or injury prone. I bet Damon has a huge year for Detroit and rubs it in our face. Can't wait.
I'll update with these types of posts as Spring Training continues. The regular season can't come soon enough.
Move over Melky!…Literally, go to Left.
Following the World Series, I thought we didn't need to make any changes. Even with the apparent departures of both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, I thought we could get by with a Cabrera, Gardner (Jackson), Swisher outfield.
Then the name "Curtis Granderson" came up in trade talks. I immediately thought, "Throw the farm at the Tigers!"
And now we have him. In a three way trade, the Yankees had to give Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks, and Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers. There are some Yankees fans out there who aren't too crazy about giving up Jackson (Their top prospect) and even Coke. To them I say, you really don't know what you're talking about.
I've read scouting reports on Austin Jackson for two years and from what I gather, at best, he'll be Curtis Granderson. Sure, he's only 22 years old and has had steady progress since being drafted in 2005, but a .759 OPS in the International League in 2009 isn't good enough.
I feel as if my my fellow Yankee fans are not sufficiently pumped for this trade. Granderson is perfect for this team and this stadium. It's weird to think that with his speed, he only had 20 stolen bases last season. With Girardi as his manager, I expect him to steal upwards of 40 bases in 2010.
In regards to home-runs, everyone can expect his total of 30 in 2009 to sky rocket in the tee-ball field that is Yankee Stadium.
Trust me, this is a great trade for the Yankees.
Yup
Today I have to write an essay, take a test, do the dishes, take out the garbage, and probably get stuck in traffic.
I miss the Yankees
I'll say it again: I miss the Yankees. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Oh poor Sean! Being a New York sports fan must be hell! Trying to juggle all those championships must be a full time job!"
Mock me all you want. But it IS tough. Sure, I get to relish in the greatness that is the New York Yankees. I'll admit that I'm spoiled. Having my favorite team spend the GDP of Morocco every season just so they win some piece of shit trophy is fantastic. And I don't mind the hatred that comes in every direction from competing teams fans. I'll put up with it. They're playing within the confines of that fabulous collective bargaining agreement and until they start cheating, I won't apologize for their expenditures.
But that season is over. It's in the past. And in case you haven't noticed, I root for the Jets, Knicks, Seton Hall Basketball, and Notre Dame Football. Still think I'm spoiled? I thought so.
Sure, the Jets came into the season with relatively low expectations. But those expectations went out the window as soon as Rex Ryan opened his mouth. Sure it was fun to listen to. I was right there with him as he ranted and raved about not kissing Belichick's rings or kicking Channing Crowder's ass. It was great. All this talk was great as the Jets took care of the Texans, Patriots, and Titans through the first three weeks. It was a good time to be a Jet fan. I actually had the opportunity to gloat in front of Patriots fans. Big mistake. And as soon as Mark Sanchez realized he was a rookie quarterback, and Rex Ryan realized he was a rookie coach, and Leon Washington's ankle ripped in half, and Braylon Edwards forgot he had hands, they were 4-5.
Now, our head coach is tearing up in front of team on a Monday before a Week 10 game. And I have no problem with showing emotion. We're all human. And hopefully it motivates the Jets to victory on Sunday. But that's what I've been reduced to. A season that started off with such promise has me clinging to hope for a victory that would make them 5-5.
Secretly, I hope they lose out and set themselves up nicely in the draft.
And how about those Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ask me why I am a fan and I won't have an answer. Maybe it's because my grandfather and father always watched them growing up. Maybe it's because every single one of their games is on television. Maybe it's because I like the movie Rudy. Or maybe it's because I'm Irish. Whatever the case may be, I'm stuck. I'm stuck with this perennially underachieving mess of a football program. Up until last season, they hadn't won a bowl game since 1993. This is the Irish we're talking about! Remember when they were good? No? Me neither. And that's the problem. They haven't been consistently good for a few decades. What recruits would want to go there? "Let's see. I could play for a school in southern California with a cool, hip coach and beautiful girls or I could play for a school in Indiana for a fat coach with a barely acceptable winning percentage".
And that brings me to my next point. Fire Charlie Weis. Whoa, I just had deja vu. Oh, that's because I've said that before. A thousand times. From what I've read, after last week's loss to Pittsburgh, things are being set in motion for Charlie is go "bye-bye" and someone else being put in his place. Thank Touchdown Jesus! Long overdue. I need not say anymore about him because his play-calling does all the talking.
And the Knicks. If it were up to all Knick fans, they would ask to be put in a vegetative state until July 2010. This season has absolutely no meaning whatsoever. Well, not necessarily. No free agent would like to sign with a team that's counting on Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallanari to reach their potential. But if any young player shows signs of life, maybe, just maybe they could hook some fish. It's been argued that it's a foregone conclusion that Lebron James will bolt Cleveland as soon as the season is over and declare for free agency.
I think that's a given also.
But where he ends up is anyone's guess. If he's looking to further his "brand", he'll end up in New York. If he's looking to appease his friends, he'll end up in New Jersey/Brooklyn. And if he's looking to win, he'll end up anywhere else.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Right now, I have to put up with the Knicks who have one shiny win in 10 games and are looking to sign Allen Iverson. I'll take anyone right now. Anyone who puts fannies in the seats, makes this team interesting, and maybe help win a game or to. Anything to make the transition from now to July any easier.
So this is what I have to put up with. From April to October, I am a content man. The Yankees fulfill all needs. But from November to March, I'm lost. Looking to grasp onto any success. 5-5? I'll take it. Allen Iverson? Bring him on! Any other coach than Charlie Weis? You know it!
Like I said, this is what I've been reduced to. A Cleveland sports fan.
- taking a shower with the door open. /house to self.
- Golf ball sparks fire. http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=5517195
- My vacation, summarized: http://seanbfitzgerald.com/2010/08/30/pozzallo-a-retrospective/
- I would go to grad school if it didn't sound so fucking awful.
- RT @jjarrigo: first day of class tomorrow. if there's no hot girls in them i'm droppin out
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