Laser's Random Thoughts...

2008-03-24T19:54:00.002-04:00

OK...so here goes, on the eve of the Red Sox and Athletics kicking off the 2008 baseball season half a world away in Japan, here are the official Ludlowlaser baseball predictions for the 2008 baseball season:

AL East - New York Yankees
AL Central - Cleveland Indians
AL West - Seattle Mariners
AL Wild Card - Detroit Tigers

NL East - New York Mets
NL Central - St Louis Cardinals
NL West - Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card - Philadelphia Phillies

My playoff picks are:

AL Division Series - Yankees over Tigers and Indians over Mariners
NL Division Series - Mets over Cardinals and Phillies over Dodgers

ALCS - Yankees over Indians
NLCS - Mets over Phillies

World Series - Yankees over the Mets in 7...Santana wins 2 in the Series but its not enough to take out the mighty Yankees in the farewell to the House that Ruth built.

Been a long time...

2008-02-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a long time since I last posted on this blog. Looking back on my last post, I guess I was a little off with my baseball predictions. Good thing I'm not in the business of making predictions. I'd be out of work!

Well, there are 2 reasons for posting this, number one, I'm bored out of my skull this afternoon, and I figured I'd give this blogging thing another try. Second, and I don't think this will ever get old, is to let out a obnoxiously loud shout out to the Super Bowl XLII champion NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS!

If there is still anyone who reads this, they are most likely fans of the 18-1 New England Patriots (IF i have any kind of readership, it's probably in the single digits) but to you out there reading this, and you know who you are, I'm not going to gloat, its not in my nature, but hopefully the pain and disappointment you're feeling right now rivals the pain and disappointment that I felt back in October when the hated Red Sox won the World Series.

I for one am going to take this all in and let this feeling of happiness linger for the foreseeable future and look forward to the lack of Patriot clad people walking around Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. "EIGHTEEN AND ONE" has now replaced my "1918" chant (God, I miss that one!)

And in the not too distant future I will post my (hopefully better than last year) baseball predictions...remember pitchers and catchers report in 10 days.

Til next time...

oh yeah...

Play Ball...

2007-04-02T10:49:00.000-04:00

Opening Day is here.

And since its been a while since I last posted, all I can say that I'm really really really looking forward to the new baseball season. First, Carl "Medicare" Pavano is taking the hill for my beloved Yankees this afternoon, and I'm curious to see how he is receieved by the fans in NY and even more curious to see if he makes it through the game without pulling some kind of something and hitting the DL. Second, I'm very interested in seeing how A-Rod is greeted. After his comments on WFAN this pre-season and his possible free agency at the end of this season. And lastly, I'm torn about how I feel about the Yankees starting a season for the first time in a loooong time without Bernie Williams on the roster.

So, with that being said, I am going to post my predictions for this upcoming season:

AL East - New York Yankees
AL Central - Detroit Tigers
AL West - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
AL Wild Card - Minnesota Twins

NL East - New York Mets
NL Central - St Louis Cardinals
NL West - Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card - Atlanta Braves

My playoff picks are:

AL Division Series - Yankees over Twins and Tigers over Angels
NL Division Series - Mets over Cardinals and Dodgers over Braves

ALCS - Yankees over Tigers
NLCS - Dodgers over Mets

World Series - Yankees win in 6 over the Dodgers to avenge they 1981 World Series.

Til next time...

NY vs boston ... Part I

2006-12-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

With the signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka by the red sox last night, I’ve decided to put together the first (and probably not last) look at the matchups between the New York Yankees and the boston red sox.

Starting pitching:

NY: Pettitte, Mussina, Wang, Johnson, Pavano

bos: Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, Papelbon, Wakefield

I take Pettitte in a big game over anyone on the boston staff any day of the week and twice on Sundays, he’s a lock for at least 15 wins. Mussina and Wang are solid. Wang may very well be the ace of this staff after a 19 win season last year. The back end of the Yankees rotation is a HUGE question mark with Randy “I’m 135 years old” Johnson and Carl “American Idle” Pavano (credit must be given to the NY Daily News reporter who constantly refers to Pavano by that name, and I love it!!).

Schilling is not the Schilling of old, no matter how people in boston try to spin it. He’s not a #1 anymore, but he’ll probably pitch on opening day so I’ve listed him atop the sox rotation. Beckett is yet to be seen if he can adapt to the American League. Had a decent season last year, but not as good as what was expected of him in boston. Matsuzaka, from all indications, has what it takes to be a superstar, time will tell, he could turn out to be the best of the bunch. Papelbon as a starter? Who knows how he’ll hold up, could be great. Wakefield, aka rubber arm, is a more than serviceable #5 starter, you can pencil him in for 12 wins and 12 losses every year.

Advantage: right now, I gotta give it to the Yanks…too many question marks on the boston side.

Lineup:

NY: Posada, (1b unclear), Cano, Jeter, Rodriguez, Abreu, Damon, Matsui, and Giambi at DH

bos: Varitek, Youkilis, Pedroia, Lugo, Lowell, Drew, Crisp, Ramirez and Ortiz at DH.

Behind the plate it’s a wash…1b we’ll have to wait and see who the Yanks end up playing there, so right now we gotta give it to the sox. 2b, ss, and 3b are not even close, Yanks, Yanks, and Yanks. Same goes for rf and cf. In left, Manny gets the advantage offensively while Matsui is a better defensive outfielder. And finally at dh, Ortiz over Giambi.

Advantage: offensively the Yanks have a better lineup (regardless of who plays 1b)…defensively the edge is to the Yanks as well, with very little if any arguments from even the biggest red sox fan.

Bullpen: I’m going to reserve comparing these until a later time…currently the red sox don’t have a closer, so until the bullpen picture becomes clearer, I’ll withhold judgement.

Coaching: I won’t even dignify that with any kind of comment…if you can’t distinguish between one of the best managers in the game and Terry Francona, you know less than I thought you did.

Well, that’s the first of what I’m sure are more baseball postings to come. Many things may/will happen between now and spring training…where will Roger go? Is Manny gonna be Manny in boston or somewhere else. Will A-Rod still be in NY??? Only time will tell…after all pitchers and catchers don’t report for another 60 days or so.

Til next time…

Veterans Day

2006-11-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

On this Veteran's Day weekend, I'd just like to extend my thanks, gratitude, admiration and respect to all of those who have served our country and put themselves in harm's way to defend the our country and our way of life.

I have friends who have served in the military during war time and peace, and to them I say thank you. I have friends who are currently in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other corners of the world doing what they do...and to them I say thank you, and come home safe!

To anyone reading this, when you come across a veteran, take the time to acknowledge their sacrifices, dedication and services...shake their hand, give 'em a hug....say THANKS!

Til next time...

Up and Down Weekend...

2006-09-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

I didn’t have an opportunity to update this weekend, so here’s what I have to say regarding the double day-night double headers between the Yanks and the Sox.

Judging by both the lineups in Saturday’s games, you’d think Joe Torre and Terry Francona have both come to the conclusion that this weekend’s games really didn’t mean a whole hell of a lot. I mean, I tune in Saturday afternoon and was disappointed that neither manager decided to play their A-team. Anyways, the Sox take the first game, the Yanks take the nightcap.

Sunday, we’re in for more of the same, 2 sub-par lineups and the Sox take the afternoon game. (So much for my prediction of the good guys taking 3 of 4 and clinching the division at home). I confess that I didn’t watch much of the Sunday afternoon game, as I had more of an interest in watching the Giants get beat up for 3 quarters against the Eagles, only to watch Eli and Big Blue pull out an amazing come from behind victory in overtime. I did manage to see Sloppy hit a HR and the Yankee bullpen blow another game, way to go Villone. Sunday nights game was in hand until once again the Yankee bullpen was up to no good, way to go Farnsworth!!! Anyways, as we end the season series, which the good guys won yet again, the Sox remain 9 ½ games out of first and a mere game and half ahead of the 3rd place Blue Jays.

It’s inevitable that the Yanks will clinch the AL East once again in the next few days, and the Sox have a long off-season of watching the Yanks in the playoffs (and hopefully the World Series) and bitching and moaning about Ortiz once again not winning the MVP award…he’s a DH people, so, let it go!!!

Well, I’m a little disappointed my predictions were a ways off, and even more disappointed that the Yanks bullpen looked a lot like the Sox pitchers of the last month or so giving up hit after hit after hit after hit after run after run. But all that will be forgotten when yet another division title is clinched at some point this week. In the meantime, I’m enjoying a Monday reading all the wonderful things sports reporters across the country have to say about Eli Manning and the G-Men’s comeback victory yesterday.

Next week, Big Blue @ Seattle 4pm EST…Eli’s line 26-39 295yds 2 TD 0 INT and Big Blue improve to 2-1……Oh, and the Sox fall to Minnesota and drop to 3rd place…hahahaha…

Til next time…

Last Go 'Round ...

2006-09-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

Well, the very last series between the Red Sox and my beloved Yankees of 2006 is upon us. Four more games between the hated rivals, and for some reason no one in New England seems to give a crap! Its a wonder what a month and an 11 game lead will do to the "die-hard" Red Sox fans.

Well none of you so-called Red Sox fans may be paying any attention to the next 4 games in this rivalry, which is why I will be here daily to recount the happenings of said series. There actually are some interesting sub-plots to this weekend's series. Like, will this be the last time Manny "my team's out of contention so I'll play when I feel like it" Ramirez appears at Yankee Stadium in a Sox uniform? Same goes for several other Sox players. The next time the Sox show up in the Bronx, the roster may look completely different. Will A-Rod finally have a good series against the Sox? My bet is he does, I mean, the Yanks DO have an 11 game lead, so the series is otherwise meaningless, and that's when A-Rod's at his best.

The most interesting thing, for me, this weekend will be how David Ortiz is treated by the Yankee fans. As you have probably heard, Ortiz commented on why Derek Jeter shouldn't be voted MVP this year, by saying something along the lines of "...he's not a power hitter, he's not an RBI guy, I am, so I should be MVP." Hey, no one can take Ortiz's numbers away from him, he hits the ball a mile (and often), he drives in runs, and he's a bonafide Yankee killer! That being said, he's a DH, and I have a fundamental problem with a DH being considered a MVP. The "P" means player!!!! A DH only plays half the time, no defense! Just like a pitcher shouldn't be considered for the MVP award, sorry Johan Santana, neither should a DH (unless he's FAR and AWAY superior to his closest competitors. That being said, just for ha-ha's here are the nubmers (including Jermaine Dye of the White Sox and the Twins' Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau) :

Ortiz .282 48 HR 128 RBI .401 OBP .621 SLG 145 H 105 R
Jeter .346 13 HR 93 RBI .422 OBP .489 SLG 195 H 105 R
Dye .323 41 HR 114 RBI .388 OBP .637 SLG 160 H 94 R
Mauer .347 11 HR 78 RBI .433 OBP .502 SLG 163 H 77 R
Morneau .325 33 HR 121 RBI .380 OBP .582 SLG 171 H 87 R

All of these guys have good numbers, and 4 of the 5 are playing games that matter in the last month of the season (sorry Big Sloppy). I know who I would vote for based on the above...but let me know what you think, and what you think about this weekend's series.

Prediction: Yanks magic number is 6 for clinching the AL East, and they take 3 of 4 to clinch Sunday night with the Sox in the opposing dugout.

Til next time...

Never Forget...

2006-09-11T14:52:00.000-04:00

On this, the 5th anniversary of the darkest day in American History, I'd just like to remind everyone out there to say a prayer for all the innocent people who were lost on that day, for their families and loved ones left behind, for the heroes in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon, for all the FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority officers who were lost in lower Manhattan, let us never forget!

It doesn't get much better than this...

2006-08-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

So...4 days ago, I wrote on how the Yanks were going to take the first 2 games of the 5 game series. Those 2 games happened to go in favor of my beloved Yanks and I felt pretty good about the Yanks chances of winning the series. And I'll be honest, I'd be lying if I told you that I thought that either team had a realistic chance of sweeping all 5 games, but since the good guys did, now I can rejoice.

And it's not so much the fact that the Yankees pretty much put a stranglehold on the AL East, up 7 in the loss column, or that Jeter made a pretty good case to be in the discussion of AL MVP, or that Ron Guidry and Reggie Jackson were able to witness "Boston Massacre Part 2" (they were players on the '78 team that beat the BoSox 4 straight to tie for the division lead). All those things are fun, and all those things bring a large smile to my face...but what makes it even better is witnessing the mood in "red sox nation" from Thursday night when the Yanks lost to Baltimore, to Monday afternoon when the lead jumped to 6 1/2. It makes me smile.

Anyways, now that its over, and both teams are out on the west coast (sucks, cuz neither one of them ever do well out there...and the 10pm starts suck too), I would like to leave you with probably my favorite moment of the weekend....

On Monday afternoon, David Wells (listed on espn.com as 6'3 248lbs) pitching to Sal Fasano (listed on espn.com as 6'2 246lbs). Two of the most unathletic looking guys making millions of dollars on a baseball diamond. Only in America!!!

Til next time...

4 Down...

2006-08-21T11:29:00.000-04:00

I couldn't help but wake up this morning and watch SportsCenter a few times and then tune into NESN a few times to see the highlights of the Sunday night baseball game. And it'd been pretty hard wiping the perma-grin off my face all day today. That being said, I'm really really hoping the Yanks take today's game too...that would just be perfect. They called the debacle in '78 the Boston Massacre when the Yanks came into Fenway down 4 in the division and swept a 4 game series that ultimately led to Bucky Dent's heroics...so what do you call this one??? 5 games in 4 days and so far the Yanks take 4. What do you call it if they take 5? hmm...

Well, I'm not one to say "told ya so" but I did call the first 2 games and I did warn you Red Sox fans that Hansen, Delcarmen and Lester are not what you think they are and sorry to break it to you, you're NOT A PLAYOFF TEAM!!! Anyways, I want to thank Theo for standing pat at the trade deadline. I'd like to thank Francona for constantly throwing these dead arms out of the bullpen...and I'd like to thank all the Red Sox fans who are already looking forward to the NFL season for your silence and indifference in the baseball season...life is grand.

Til next time...

3 Down...

2006-08-20T10:09:00.000-04:00

Ok...after 3 games of this 5 game series...good guys are 3-0...And if I do say so myself, did I call the doubleheader or what?!?!? Me and a couple of others who were sitting around the bar watching the 2nd game on Friday coulda pitched for either side in game 2. Well, this series is another example as to why Theo mad a mistake not making a move at the deadline. Delcarmen, Lester, and Hansen are NOT who you think they are, Sox fans...and its not just this Yankee fan saying it...read Hench on dirtdogs.

Anyways, tonite's game is shaping up to be a great pitching matchup. Mussina, the Yanks' ace goes against Schilling, the Sox's best pitcher. These are the kinds of games these 2 get geared up for. So, I'm looking for both of them to keep it close going into the 7th or so...and then the Yanks layin the smack down on the Sox bullpen and taking the 4th in a row...

Til next time...

Here we go again....

2006-08-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

OK...I'm posting BEFORE the big 5 game series in Beantown this weekend...this is gonna be way too much fun. The baseball gods must have worked some magic because a few days ago the Yanks go into a series with Baltimore who had just gotten smacked around by the Sox, and we're up 3 in the division. Now Baltimore travels to the ballpark in the Bronx and proceeds to beat up my boys...not fun!!! Now the lead is 1.5 games with 5 big ones this weekend.

I'm gonna leave the smack talking til after the Bombers smack around the hometown 9, and I'll leave ya with my prediction. YANKS take game 1 today (c'mon Jason Johnson???). Game 2, who knows...I think I may be called in to pitch tonite so I'll say Yanks take game 2 but its close, unlike the afternoon game.

Back tomorrow for insight on game 3 of the series...

Enjoy...this is what baseball is all about!!!

Til next time...

If you work in a cubicle...you'll love this...

2006-08-08T17:58:00.000-04:00

ok..so i'm not a big fan of the song in this little clip...but i think this whole thing is hilarious...and watch it til the end...its great at the end...

from our friends at BREAK.COM

Rubber Match...

2006-05-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

So, Sox win one, Good guys win one…comes down to tonight’s game. Tonight could be interesting, the Big Unit has been struggling as of late (and “struggling” is putting it nicely), and Clement, well, you never really know what he’s gonna give you. So, at first glance we could be in for some football scores tonight with about a dozen pitchers going in tonight’s game. That being said, watch it be a 1-0 game in the late innings.

Anyways, last night, our buddy P8 finally did something against his old team, leading off the game with a HR and later doubling, A-Rod finally got a hit that mattered (even though he had no idea where the ball was when he hit it…clown!) and Sheffield, although being held hitless for the game, apparently is over his wrist injury judging by his swings. Thankfully, he’s back, because an outfield of Melky Cabrera, Terrence Long (who??) and Bernie Williams isn’t going to win many games in 2006. Manny (clown!) did his thing staring at a HR for 15 seconds before deciding to ‘trot’ around the bases. I wonder if “CY YOUNG” Beckett has any objection to that, considering he had so much to say when Hillenbrand did it for Toronto.

There was a moment towards the end of last night’s game that was baseball at its best. Game on the line, NY’s best pitcher (Mariano Rivera) vs the 2 biggest Yankee killers in recent memory (Big Sloppy and Ramirez). NY’s best vs Boston’s best and this time around Mo got the better of Sloppy and allowed an RBI single by Manny (he ran that one out), on his way to a 5 out save. It was definitely fun to watch.

Well, here’s hoping the Unit shows up looking more like RJ of 2001, and the good guys pull out one more in Beantown. KC is up next and it’ll be a while before these 2 face off again…too bad, I could get used to NYY-BOS every week.

Til next time…

It's Been a While...

2006-05-23T13:54:00.000-04:00

So it’s been a while since I’ve updated anything, so here goes. I wasn’t able to catch yesterday’s game until the 9th inning when I got home from Home Depot after purchasing some stuff to spruce up my new house. Anyways, I turn the TV on and I see Terrence Long now plays for the Yankees. WOW!!! Thank God, I read this morning that Sheffield is coming back to the lineup today against the soft throwing (that’s putting it nicely) 2003 ALCS MVP. And let’s hope A-Rod’s “heroics” (thanks for that Kirk), actually mean something tonight.

I know, and anyone who knows anything at all about baseball knows that 2.5 games out on May 23rd means absolutely nothing, but I think there’s reason for concern if the Yanks don’t come back and win the next 2 or at least go on a little streak once they leave Boston…KC is up next, THANK GOODNESS!!!

Til next time…

I called it...

2006-05-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

Did I call it or what? sox win a game, talk talk talk talk talk…people leave comments…Yanks win a game, its awfully quiet ‘round these parts. sox win game 3 of the series, and just as I predicted, the comments from stink sox nation magically appear. Wouldn’t expect anything less from you people…

Anyway, onto what was a bigger loss than just a baseball game in May. Aside from losing the game (where once again the Yanks make 2 more errors…they’re beginning to make a habit out of throwing the ball around the ballpark like Little Leaguers), they lose Hideki Matsui for, what Joe Torre says “at least 3 months”. Chances are pretty good though that he’s played his last game of the 2006 season. And we all know that wrist injuries for a hitter are never a good thing. Can you say Nomar??

Well, the marathon game finally came to an end with the sox taking it 5-3, and 2 out of 3 in the big ballpark in the Bronx. In a week and a half we get to do it all over again at Fenway…maybe by then the Yanks will have one of their corner outfielders back.

Til next time…

The Morning After...

2006-05-11T10:49:00.000-04:00

Just as I expected, after “Ketchup” Schilling got rocked yesterday there were 0 comments from the previously very talkative red sox faithful. Not a peep out of these people, amazing isn’t it? Oh well, just goes to show…

Anyways, quick commentary on last night’s game. Ketchup got rocked, pretty much sums it up. Moose pitched a heck of a game, after a shaky start in giving up a shot to Big Sloppy and one to Lowell. Then the Yankee bats woke up and Giambi, A-Rod and Jorgie hit dingers of their own. Heck, even P8 got a RBI last night. And ya gotta love the look on Ketchup’s face in the dugout after the 5th inning…hahahaha…head in his hands…great stuff!!! Proctor (having a great year) came in, got out of a bases loaded jam and got sox captain Varitek to ground out to third (A-Rod makes the play, phew!). Then it was Mo, 12 pitches and drive safely…and just like that the world seems to have returned to normal. The grass looked greener this morning. The air was crisper, the birds sang a little louder…ahhh, nothing like the morning after…

On to tonight’s game…assuming the weather cooperates, I see Chacon picking up right where Moose left off last night. The 2003 ALCS MVP, gets smacked around, Yanks put up a couple field goals and a safety, good guys win 8-2. Kirk, enjoy the game, and I accept any and all souvenirs from in and around Yankee Stadium.

Then we wait a couple weeks til we do it all over again…

Til next time…

You See....What Happened Was....

2006-05-10T10:49:00.000-04:00

So, because I said I would post after every game, regardless of the outcome, here I am to look back at a painful experience last night, and look forward to a game where our true Ace comes up big and evens the series at 1.

I must say I do appreciate the comments, especially the ones coming from somewhere in red sox nation…I hope you’re big enough to comment when the outcome isn’t so favorable…but I digress…

So, Randy “not so big unit” Johnson decided that the fans in the front row behind the plate needed to get to know Jorgie Posada a little better, so he started to throw to the backstop. A-rod didn’t really feel like actually FIELDING ground balls, and Melky (who names their kid Melky??) Cabrera wasn’t too fond of shagging fly balls. Put this all together with the Yankee bats falling asleep after the first inning and you have what happened yesterday. A disgraceful performance by the hometown Bombers…

Now, looking forward:

I can pretty much guarantee that a 14 run outburst (with 6 un-earned runs) won’t happen again. First of all, it was one of those games where everything that could go wrong, went wrong. That being said, I see Moose coming out having a lights out performance tonite. He goes 7. Offensively the Yanks bang out a few hits in the first few innings steal a run here and a run there...win 4-1. (I can change my predictions whenever I want by the way).

And I’ll reserve updating my prediction on the matchup between Chacon and the 2003 ALCS MVP until after game 2….for now, yesterday’s prediction still stands!!

Til next time…

Here We Go Again...

2006-05-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

Here we go again…Sox-Yankees for 3 days this week. The pitching matchups are great. Josh “Redneck” Beckett vs Randy Johnson tonight. Curt “Ketchup” Schilling vs Mike Mussina tomorrow. And the series closes with Tim “2003 ALCS MVP” Wakefield vs Shawn Chacon on Thursday.

Here’s how I see it going…

Beckett schooled the Yanks in 2003 in the stadium to win the World Series with the Marlins, and Johnson is 5-0 against the Sox. So this one should be good. I don’t think Beckett does it again, and Johnson gets a no decision as the Yanks win 3-1. Rivera gets the save.

Game 2 is probably the best pitching matchup of the series. Ketchup has been pitching well, but Moose is having his best start in years. I can see this one being a 1-0 or 2-1 game. Yanks take it 2-1. Rivera gets another save.

In game 3 the 2003 ALCS MVP lasts about 3 innings as his knuckleball doesn’t knuckle and 4 lucky fans in the bleachers get souvenirs off the bats of P8, the Giambino, Bernie and yes even Bubba Crosby gets a dinger. Chacon doesn’t fare all that great either, but he holds on for 6 innings and the bullpen comes in and saves the day in the Yanks 11-7 win.

That’s how I see things going in the next few days…got a problem?? Feel free to opine below…

Til next time…

The Day After...

2006-05-02T10:35:00.000-04:00

OK…so the recap of the Yanks win over the Red Sox is going to have to wait until the Yanks actually beat those bums. That being the case, there are some things I want to mention about last night’s game.

There’s a reason why I don’t like P8. It has nothing to do with the fact that he looks like the missing link, but this guy had the opportunity last night to shut up 34,000+ fans that booed him, and what does he do? He goes 0-4!!!!!

Another thing about the booing…I think he deserved a little more cheers than he got for all he did while in that God forsaken place. Although I cannot blame the fans who did boo him, I think I would’ve done the same if the shoe were on the other foot.

Yet another thing from P8’s performance last night. What’s with trying to be nice to everyone? He tips his cap to the fans, that’s fine, some cheered. He tips his cap to the Sox dugout??? What is that?? He waves at the pitcher he’s facing?? What the …? Why didn’t he just run out there and give ol’ Timmy a big kiss? So he proceedes to pop up his first at bat…ok, so run back to the dugout and get ready to take the field for the bottom of the 1st. Naaah, that would be too easy, lets run by Timmy again and touch his butt. This P8 guy is worse than I thought.

Anyways, there were other things going on last night that I’d like to move on to:

The wind…wow!!! Last nights game coulda been a high scoring affair but mother nature decided that every fly ball would go nowhere near the warning track.

Mike Myers…what this guy has to do is cut and dry, get out Big Sloppy. That’s it. George is paying you a whoooole lot of money to get 1 guy out. There are hundreds of baseball players in the major leagues, and your job is to get 1 of them out. You are not asked to go out there and face 30 batters a game, you are asked to face 1, and not allow him to hit a ball that if the wind weren’t blowing in would’ve gone halfway to Worcester.

P8…did I mention this bum went 0-4?!?!?

Finally, as a Massachusetts resident and a Massachusetts taxpayer, I’ve got a real problem with what happened last night. The Sox trade for Doug Mirabelli (from this Yankee fan’s point of view, they shoulda never got rid of him). So the guy flies from San Diego last night, and a Massachusetts State trooper picks him up at the airport and drives him to the ballpark to play in last night’s game. I’m glad to know the state doesn’t have money to pay for teachers in Springfield, but they’ve got someone (a state trooper) on stand-by to pick up a baseball player and rush him to the ballpark.

For tomorrow (assuming the weather holds out) … Beckett gets Bombed!

Til next time…

The Time Has Come...

2006-05-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

The time has come...P8 makes his first trip back to Beantown as a member of the New York Yankees. Personally, I don't like the guy. I'm a Yankee fan but I find it very difficult to root for him. I still see him as an "idiot" from the Red Sox. Not the type of guy who the Yanks typically have in their clubhouse. That being said, he's having a pretty decent start to this season. He's not a Jeff Weaver/Javier Vazquez type who can't play in the limelight. I'm glad he's producing, I just have a hard time rooting for him when he does well.

But that's besides the point, the point of today's (long) overdue update to this blog, is how is this guy going to be received by the Boston faithful? It's the question that's been asked all over the baseball world for the last few days (ok, so maybe only in NY-Boston).

I think, he gets a rousing ovation when he gets introduced, and then booed from his first at-bat on. Which I think is only appropriate. I mean, he's a member of the Yankees, you can't expect Boston fans to root for him during the game do you? I mean they gave Orlando Cabrera a standing ovation when he returned to Fenway for the first time, ORLANDO freakin' CABRERA. Who is he??!?!?!?

Like I said, I think the appropriate "welcome" would be cheers pre-game, and boo's once the first pitch is thrown.

What do you think...comment below.

Coming up tomorrow: Recap of the Yanks win in Fenway.

Til next time...

WHAT DO YOU THINK???

2006-02-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

With the start of Spring Training, I'm starting to get baseball fever again. I'm psyched that George guaranteed a Yankees World Series victory, but I'm not so happy that they signed that centerfielder, who, by the way from now on will be referred to as P8 (thats #8 on your scorecard).

Anyways, let me throw out this scenario and you tell me what you think will happen.

OK...1st meeting of the year between the Red Sox and the Yankees at Fenway Park...P8 is leading off in the top of the 1st inning and he goes yard in his first trip back to Fenway Park in his first at bat.

What is the most likely to happen? (leave a comment)

(a) P8 makes his way around the bases flipping all 33,000 fans the bird.
(b) Jeter gets drilled with the next pitch.
(c) Sometime before the end of the game, some drunk Sox fan jumps out of the bleachers and proceeds to beat up P8 (or throws something at him).
(d) Nothing, Sox fans are considerate fans and hold no ill will towards one of their "idiots" signing with the enemy.
(e) Other

My opinion...I say if Schilling's pitching, he drills Jeter, cuz Curt's a pansy. But the most likely to happen is C...I think some drunk Sox fan throws something at P8 in the outfield...and we all know D is a joke, so that won't happen...

Ahhh....I can't wait for this baseball season!!!! hahahahahaha...it's gonna be fun!

til next time...

Now that it's over...

2006-02-15T10:54:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, and in the Valentine's Day spirit, I figure I'd throw out a "Question of the Day"...

What's the best (or worst) Valentine's Day gift you've received? Leave a comment...

Useless Observations ... Volume IV

2006-01-31T14:54:00.000-05:00

Useless Observations ... Volume IV

* 3 weeks til pitchers & catchers report.
* Why would someone put a toilet in the corner of their living room?
* This has got to be the most boring week before a Super Bowl in a long time.
* Companies outsourcing jobs to India, SUCKS!!!
* Does anyone really care about the World Baseball Classic, and who A-Rod plays for?
* TUI (texting under the influence) is pretty bad!
* I find myself reciting lines from Anchorman after watching it this weekend for the 39th time.
* Referring to myself in the 3rd person, didn't last very long. (much to everyone's delight)
* Beer really is good food!
* Can't wait to see what this year's crop of Super Bowl commercials brings.
* My favorite Super Bowl commercial is the Bud Light one where the horse farts in the couple's face in the carriage. (what's yours? leave a comment)
* I love it when women's college basketball coaches get angry!!!
* Age is just a number.
* What do you think an autographed picture of Luis Tiant is worth?
* Just a few short months before the New England Classic Poker Tournament.

til next time...

Crossing the Line...

2006-01-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

Crossing the Line...

Ok...Earlier this week, there was a little episode in Chicago that's been getting a whole lot of air time on sports radio, sports news shows, and lots of attention at the water cooler. Antonio Davis who plays for the NY Knicks went into the stands during a timeout in the Knicks-Bulls game the other night because he saw his wife involved in an incident with another fan. As a sports fan, and as someone who's attended numerous sporting events, I find it a little disconcerting the ease with which Davis was able to get into the stands and how far up the stands he went (about 15 rows) before security got there. As a man, however, I cannot fault him for what he did. He looks up in the stands and sees his wife (who's attending the game with their 2 children) involved in a "situation" with another fan. Davis says the man grabbed his wife's arm, he jumped over the scorer's table and went to his wife's aid. What's wrong with that? I think 99.9% of the people I know would've done the exact same thing.

Now, the NBA decided yesterday that Davis should be suspended for 5 games for his actions. This is the part that bothers me. I know, that after last year's debacle in Detroit, that there are stiff penalties for players who go into the stands, but this guy felt that his family was in harm's way, and he intervened. He gets punished for that?!?!?! He got ejected from the game, fine, the punishment should've ended there. This guy is paying for what Ron Artest did last year. If the incident in Detroit never happened, Antonio Davis would've been up for Husband of the Year award for going to his wife's side, but unfortunately the NBA doesn't see it that way.
I could be wrong, I rarely ever am though, but Davis should not have received the punishment he received and the fans who directed vulgarities at his family should be dealt with appropriately.

As an aside to that last comment, for any of you reading this who've either attended a game with me or been with me while watching a sporting event, know that I could get a little animated at times, and I've yelled my share of 'comments' at professional athletes, but I refrain from that when there are children or players' family members in the general vicinity. It's ok to critique an athlete's performance on the field, but going after his wife/kids, well then you deserve a 7 footer coming after you.

til next time...

Useless Observations (3rd Edition)

2005-12-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

USELESS OBSERVATIONS (3rd Edition)

First of all, I want to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and wish all a safe and Happy New Year...no onto my ramblings:

* I still can't get over the fact that they Yankees signed that "centerfielder"...I still don't like it.
* Leave it to Eli Manning and the Giants to possibly blow a shot at winning the division in the last 2 weeks of the season.
* Leave it to the NFL to sell Giants NFC EAST DIVISION CHAMPIONS tshirts and hats when no one has clinched the division.
* It's scary to think how fast this last year has gone by. 2006 is right around the corner and that's scary.
* 2006 will be the year I turn 30, now THAT'S scary!!!!
* Our indoor soccer team still is winless, but we've broken our cherry and scored some goals...and we actually look like a team every once in a while.
* Vegas in February anyone?
* House hunting stinks by the way!
* Can't wait til the new season of the Soprano's starts again.
* Christmas is a great time to replenish the supply of booze in one's house, and this year was a good one!!!
* This has got to be the least productive week of the year!!!
* Hopefully MNF on ESPN will have better matchups than ABC threw at us the last few years.
* My new favorite comic: Carlos Mencia.
* Newsflash: I STINK at making football picks this year!!!!
* I love the Law & Order marathons on TNT.
* This time of the year, say a prayer for our troops who can't be home for the Holidays. God Bless you guys, and come home safe!

Til next time...

Mixed Emotions

2005-12-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

MIXED EMOTIONS...

So last night, after watching another excellent episode of Law & Order: SVU on NBC, I'm getting ready to go to bed and get a few hours of sleep before having to come back to work here, when I hear through the television the following: "Breaking News from the world of baseball, Johnny Damon has signed a 4 year deal with the Yankees". I've been waiting for the Yankees to make some kind of news this off-season, but certainly this whole Johnny Damon thing wasn't what I expected.

I definitely have some mixed feelings about this whole thing. First of all, I don't like Johnny Damon. I don't like the "idiot" Johnny Damon. He's a very good leadoff hitter (he claims to be the best leadoff hitter in the MLB, which I have a hard time believing). He throws like my grandmother. He gets on base a lot. He scores a ton of runs (Since 1999 only A-Rod and Jeter have scored more). But he was the face of the Red Sox for the last few years. He's the guy who went off in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. I don't like him. I refuse to like him. So much so, that from this point forward, he will be referred to as "the Yankees' centerfielder".

I don't like the guy, but there is definitely an upside to this signing. First, it makes George happy cuz for the next few days, he owns the back pages on the NY papers. Second, he won the bidding battle against the Red Sox (he loves that). Third, there are a lot of angry Red Sox fans this morning, calling "the Yankees' centerfielder" names, but we'll get to that in a second. Lastly, but most importantly I think, is this KILLS the Red Sox. They have a huuuuuge hole at the top of their lineup, a huuuuge hole in the clubhouse, still no shortstop, and this has got to piss off an already pissed off Manny. All of this of course, makes me happy. :-)

Ok, now back to the point I was making earlier about Red Sox fans calling "the Yankees' centerfielder" a mercenary, a traitor, and a few other choice names that I choose not to publish here. These are the same people who cheer for Curt Schilling. I got news for you, he's a mercenary!!!! These are the same people who are actually rooting for Roger Clemens to come back to Boston. Guess what, has there ever been a guy who's burned his bridges like Roger? Hey, don't get me wrong, Schilling had a good year, despite Heinz 57 in his sock, and the Rocket is the best pitcher in our lifetimes, but both of them followed the almighty dollar not caring who they left behind. Curt left Philly, went to Arizona, and then to Boston. Roger left Boston, went to Toronto, NY and then Houston. "The Yankees' centerfielder" is just another in a long list of guys out to make money and not give a shit about anything else. Is it right? Who knows. You can't blame the guy for taking the money, but....

The Yankees lineup for next season will be nasty, Buster Olney called it the modern day "Murderer's Row" if they stay healthy, you'd think that would have me smiling ear to ear. Well, it doesn't. Part of me really doesn't like "the Yankees' centerfielder", but part of me knows that it definitely changes the balance of power in the AL East. Oh yeah, and it pissed off a whole lot of Boston Red Sox fans...Now, THERE'S a reason to smile!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Til next time...

Funniest Thing I've Ever Seen in My Life

2005-12-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

FUNNIEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE

This past Friday night, I witnessed probably the single funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I saw midgets wrestle. That’s right!!! I spent Friday night at a bar in Chicopee watching 3 midgets wrestle. These guys call themselves the Half Pint Brawlers, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I had heard about this a few weeks ago and thought that it was all a big joke, but on Friday night, I get a phone call that a bunch of people are going to ‘midget wrestling’. I could NOT pass this up. We get to the bar and there’s a wrestling ring in the back corner of the bar, and we’re told that in 30 minutes the midgets were coming out to fight. In the ring there’s a garbage can, a waffle ball bat, a glass picture frame, a snow shovel, a cookie pan, among other things (later on there would be beer bottles, a crutch and a staple gun involved too). Needless to say, this definitely beat WWE!!!

Anyways, these guys come out and proceed to wrestle and the whole place is going nuts. Once the match was over, these midgets were going around the bar high fivin’ people, and it was just hilarious watching all of this happen. And I loved it when they’re calling everyone “long legs”.

In one corner of the bar, there was a table set up selling the DVD’s, hats, t-shirts (my favorite was the one that read GOT MIDGETS?).

Anyways, the link to these guys is above, and if you ever have the chance to see this, these guys put on a great show, and everyone had a blast!

Til next time…

I'm Back...So Here are More Ramblings

2005-12-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

I'M BACK...SO HERE ARE MORE RAMBLINGS

* Sitting on the 9th floor of an office building in downtown Hartford during a snowstorm, and not being able to see the street below is a little freaky.

* I can't remember a baseball off-season with so little news out of the Bronx. What's up with that?!?!?!

* Today's my Christmas (uh, I mean, Holiday) Party at work...I'm NOT going until they rename it CHRISTMAS PARTY again!!!

* 3 weeks into our indoor soccer season, we've had more injuries than goals scored...hmmm, that's never a good sign!

* 9 more days before I think about beginning Christmas shopping!

* Add one more show to my list of favorites: Without A Trace on CBS.

* Larry the Cable Guy ROCKS!!

That's it for today...I've got to go brave the elements on I-91 so I can get home before I get shut-in at work...

Til next time...

Salute to Veterans

2005-11-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

Salute to Veterans…

Yesterday I received an email from a very good friend of mine, Alfredo. Alfredo and I went to school together in East Newark, NJ, and have known each other since kindergarten. We grew up together, played sports together, got in trouble together, and all the other stupid stuff you do when you’re a kid. When I moved to Massachusetts we lost touch, and about a year or so ago I heard that he had come back from his first tour of duty in Iraq. I didn’t even know he was in the service!! Well, I got in touch with him and we emailed back and forth for a while and he told me he was going back for his 2nd tour. A few months later I got another email from him where I found out that he was back stateside after being injured. I was glad to hear that he was back home, and that his injuries weren’t life threatening and that he was safe.

Now, back to that email. The subject line on the email was “FWD: please read”. Nine times out of ten, when I get one of those emails, I open them, read the first few lines of a chain letter that tells me if I want the love of my life to call me, I should forward the message to 20 people in 10 minutes or else…

So I open the message, and it starts off about some guy who’s waiting in line in the airport and how pissed off he is because people are moving slowly and he just wants to get home to his family. He boards the plane and the plane goes nowhere…the passengers are told that they’re waiting for some ‘special’ people. To make a long story short, the ‘special’ people that the plane was held up for were several US Marines who had just returned from Iraq. The plane erupts in applause for the Marines and the guy telling the story feels bad about being angry for the delay and being selfish, etc.

I don’t know if this story is true or not, but that’s not the point, halfway through reading that email, I got the chills. I remembered back to the end of the first Gulf War, and being at Westover when the troops were being welcomed home. I was 15 or 16 years old. I’ve had the privilege of knowing some of these extraordinary men and women who have been in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world serving our country, and I salute them for doing what they do…

On this Veteran’s Day, I salute our veterans, past and present. To the ones who’ve served in the past, THANK YOU…for the one’s serving now and the one’s currently in harm’s way, THANK YOU and keep up the good work, and know we’re all behind you, and come home safe.

And to Alfredo…Thanks, buddy…and thanks for the email.

Til next time…

2005-11-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

MORE USELESS OBSERVATIONS

* I will never ever ever be confused for a Red Sox fan, but I still can’t figure out why Lucchino didn’t swallow his pride and sign Theo and keep his big mouth shut.
* Watching the Revs-MetroStars game on Saturday night in the snow was a blast.
* Although I want to believe the hype, I’m trying to keep a level head about my NY Football Giants.
* According to the CNN article, W, doesn’t keep anything in his pockets, strange.
* It’s not as easy as I thought it was going to be to put down a 22 oz Ribeye.
* I don’t care that the NBA season started.
* I love the new NHL.
* I still think there’s nothing like a chick with a baseball cap and an oversized sweatshirt!!!
* 21 days before we lace ‘em up for this year’s installment of indoor soccer.
* I’m still trying to qualify to be the lucky one to make the Celebrity Poker Tour on Bravo.
* This off-season for baseball is going to be interesting (where’s Manny go, how’s George going to (over)react to not winning a World Series again, etc)
* Trick or treaters over the age of 18 should not get any candy.
* Less than a week before college basketball starts!
* Did I mention Duke is ranked #1?
* I might be getting sucked back in to watching Monday Night Raw, AGAIN!
* I miss Thursday morning dart emails (and I know you do too)!

Til next time…

2005-10-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Get to know your bloggers…

Saw this on Liz’s blog, and since I think we’ve all received those "Get to know your friends" e-mails, I figured I’d answer these and let you get to know this blogger…

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you:
--Angelina Jolie, Noah Wylie, Dr. Ruth…interesting group we are huh?

2. Where was your first kiss?
--In the bedroom of a house on Grant Ave. in East Newark, New Jersey. I'm a romantic from way back! HAHAHA.

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
--Depends on what you consider “seriously vandalized”. Heeeheee. Just kidding.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
--Other than fighting with my cousins when I was a kid, no. I have not, nor will I strike a woman, ever. I’ve felt like some have deserved it on several occasions, but I think a man who beats a woman is not a man!

5. Have you ever sang in front of a large number of people?
--Uh, it isn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve been known to lay the smack down on some random karaoke nights.

6. Whats the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
--First thing lips, then somwhere between the belly button and the chin. ;)

7. What really turns you on? What doesn't?
--Turn on’s: sense of humor, and that area between a woman’s belly button and her chin. Turn offs: B.O.

8. What do you usually order from starbucks?
--I hate starbucks.

9. What is your biggest mistake?
--I’ve made many, but I’d say letting ‘one’ get away would be my biggest.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
--No! That would just be silly.

11. Say something totally random about you.
--I’ll do anything for a free pair of underwear. (someone out there WILL get that, and you know who you are).

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
--Believe it or not, I have been mistaken on several occasions for Michael Jordan…hahaha…NO!!!

13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
--No kiddie movies or tv shows for me.

14. Did you have braces?
--Yes.

15. Are you comfortable with your height?
--I’m comfortable with 5’9, sure why not.

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
--Cooked and served me dinner wearing nothing but one of my button-down dress shirts.

17. When do you know it's love?
--Ya just know.

18. Do you speak any other languages?
--Yes, Portuguese, Spanish, and a little French.

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
--I have not, nor do I have any plans on visiting one anytime soon, if ever.

20. What magazines do you read?
--Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Details.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
--Yes, several weddings, and several “nights out on the town”.

22. Has anyone you were really close with passed away?
--Yes, 2 grandparents.

23. Do you watch mtv?
--Sometimes…MTV ain’t what it used to be. They used to have music on there!

24. What's something that really annoys you?
--Stupid people. Stupid people bother the hell out of me. The only thing worse than a stupid person is a moron doing 10 mph UNDER the spead limit in the passing lane, but then again I’d classify that jerk as a stupid person too!

25. What's something you really like?
--Women.

26.Do you like Michael Jackson?
--I think he’s an a$$hole and should be in jail.

27. Can you dance?
--Can I dance? Can I dance? What kind of a question is that, gimme a 6-pack and I can do ANYTHING!

28. What's the longest/latest you have ever stayed up?
--For no other reason other than I was in college and I had nothing better to do than drink beer followed by more beer drinking, I (along with others) was up for 28 hours.

29. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
--Not really.

30. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
--No.

31. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
--I do. Although I think they’re sometimes silly, I find myself drawn to them. I fill them out, I read other people’s. I may just be obsessed with these ‘surveys’.

Well there you have it…this has been the get to know LUDLOWLASER brought to you by our friends at (fill in your favorite alcoholic beverage here). Hope you leave here enlightened. Feel free to leave a comment or even answer some or all of these yourselves.

Til next time…

2005-10-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

WTF???

I've heard way too much about this to not have a comment for it today. As I was driving to work this morning, listening to the same radio show I listen to every morning on my commute into work (Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio), the big story was David Stern's proposed dress code for NBA players. This story was followed by a whole bunch of opinions and emails from listeners and commentators weighing in on whether or not this is "right". Now before I give you my take on this, let it be perfectly well known that I am in no way shape or form an NBA fan. Actually I really really don't like watching NBA basketball because its nothing more than 1 on 1 while 8 other guys stand by and watch. Give me a good college basketball game and I'm happy (I'd rather watch WNEC vs Westfield State than Knicks vs Bulls).

But I digress:

I actually heard Alan Iverson say that he's 30 years old and that he should be able to wear whatever he wants when he's not playing. Ok, Al, I agree. When I'm not working I wear whatever I damn please. One difference, Al, when you're on the bench during a game that you're not "playing" in, you're representing your team (that pays you waaaaaay too much money), and you're representing the league. So, if they tell you to wear a polo shirt, or nice pants or a suit (God forbid), just do it. You know the rest of us who work for far less money than you do, have dress codes at work. I can't show up to my office wearing jeans and a Metallica t-shirt (that's for you Neal, hahaha). I have to wear appropriate attire for the workplace, which in my case is business casual, much like what the NBA wants you to wear Al. A listener emailed into the show this morning and said that it was "un-American" for the league to tell its players what they can and can't wear. Reeeaaaally???? Al has many choices if he chooses not to abide by the NBA's new dress code. He can CHOOSE another profession. Or is being an NBA player a right he has? I chose to do the job that I do, if my boss tells me I can't wear jeans, I don't wear jeans. If I don't agree with what he wants me to wear, I do one of two things, swallow my pride and do what he says, or leave. I have that choice, so do you Al. Then I read where Marcus Camby chimes in with the "brilliant" idea of giving the players stipends to buy suits. Marcus, buddy, are you friggin serious??!?!?!? You make 8 million dollars a year, and your team's gotta give you money to go out and buy a suit? Gimme a break!!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another thing that's driving me nuts: Human rights groups are concerned about the fairness of Saddam Hussein's trial??? Read that again, go ahead, I'll wait. Ok, did ya get it? Does that make sense to you. If there's one person still walking the face of the earth who cared less about human rights its that jack-ass! And there are actually people CONCERNED about whether or not his rights are violated? ARE YOU SERIOUS??!?!?!?! How do these hippies sleep at night? Hang the SOB and get it over with, with the atrocities he committed, the trial should take 2 minutes and would go something like this:

Judge: Would the defendant please rise.
(Saddam stands)
Judge: Would the defendant please state his name.

Saddam: Saddam Hus--
(Judge interrupts)

Judge: Guilty as charged! Let's proceed to the sentencing phase of this trial. Sentence is death! Court is adjourned.

Done!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you tell I'm in a pissy mood today?

Til next time...

2005-10-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

USELESS OBSERVATIONS

* This is the first time in a long time, that there isn't meaningful baseball in October for Yanks & Red Sox fans. Kinda depressing isn't it?
* My mood right now is a lot like the weather around here, IT SUCKS!
* I think it's hilarious watching 75 year olds sing karaoke while an audience of twenty-something college students throw back beers like prohibition is coming back.
* Journey's coming to Hartford...a must see show.
* More and more these "off-shore" consultants we have around here are pissing me off.
* The Minnesota Vikings players definitely know how to throw a party!
* I recently met the future mayor of Springfield, MA, Tom Ashe, and he actually seems like he's a very nice guy. Good luck Mike.
* I need a new recliner.
* This weekend's USC - Notre Dame football game promises to be a great one.
* Recently received my "Rutgers Football" gear in the mail...I'll be there when they take on UCONN in E. Hartford next week. Go Scarlet Knights!
* I hate computers.
* I love long weekends.
* Say what you want about "the call" in the Angels-White Sox game the other day, Josh Paul, the Angels' catcher blew it!
* One month before we lace 'em up again at the Coliseum for another fun filled winter of co-ed indoor soccer.
* George isn't dumb enough to fire Joe Torre is he?
* Manny being Manny in Queens in 2006?
* I hope this weekend's trip to Foxwoods is more fruitful than the last one.
* I'm really bored right now, therefore these useless ramblings...

til next time...

2005-10-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

NOW THAT IT'S OVER...

I don’t know where to start. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so disappointed. I feel angry, sad, cheated by this team that boasts one of the best left handed pitchers to ever play the game (so what he’s 42), the best player in the game today (yes as much as it may pain you Sox fans out there, A-Rod is the best player in baseball, he really is, his playoff performance notwithstanding), the epitome of clutch and class (the Captain), and the manager that everyone wished they had in their team’s dugout.

How could they lose to the Angels? The Angels who have a knack for scoring 2 runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. The Angels who lose their 21 game winning pitcher in game 5 and put their season on the arm of a 21 year old rookie. I’ve heard this morning on sports radio shows that there’s plenty of blame to go around for last night’s game. Here’s my take on it:

Game 2, Wang pitched well, his defense let him down. No reason the Bombers should’ve lost that game.

Game 3, Randy Johnson laid an egg!!! He was awful in game 3. This guy was brought here to win games like game 3. (Remember game 7 of the 2001 World Series? He’s the reason Arizona wins that game, not “Heinz 57” Schilling).

Game 5, I don’t know who should’ve gotten to that fly ball in right center field yesterday (Crosby or Sheff), but what I do know is ONE of them should’ve made the catch. That to me was the turning point in game 5. That call at 1B when Cano struck out and the ball got away from Bengi Molina, was probably the worst call I’ve ever seen in a game of baseball. Apparently running ON the baseline is against the rules in southern California. But in the end it all came down to bringing runners home. The Yankees out-hit the Angels in game 5, but when it counted, when there were runners on base, A-Rod, Giambi, Sheffield and Matsui couldn’t come through.

Now, here’s looking forward to the 2006 season position by position:

C – Jorge Posada … he’s got one/two more years behind the plate, George, start looking for a replacement for 2008.

1B – Jason Giambi … need your bat pal, but put the glove away and stick to DH’ing.

2B – Robinson Cano … hopefully he’ll be our 2B for years and years to come. This kid is good!

SS – Derek Jeter … Captain Clutch! Enough said.

3B – Alex Rodriguez … he’ll be back in 2006 and back to his .320 50hrs 130rbis in the regular season, but to make his mark as a Yankee, its all about what you do in October.

LF – Hideki Matsui … I hope George has enough sense to sign this guy.

CF – Bernie Williams … I loved Bernie on this team and he’s been one of the classiest Yankees ever, but his time in pinstripes is most likely over, I’ll miss the BERN BABY BERN calls from Sterling on the radio. Thanks for the memories, Bernie!

RF – Gary Sheffield … one of the most feared hitters in baseball, hopefully he’ll be healthy enough to put up the numbers he’s capable of one more time.

SP – Randy Johnson … hope the 42 year old has another year left
SP – Mike Mussina … hope Moose is healthy
SP – Chien Ming Wang … future Yankee #1
SP – Jaret Wright … Can we get Leo Mazzone to work with this guy, he could be very very good again.
SP – Carl Pavano … big question mark
SP – Shawn Chacon … pleasant surprise in 2005, hopefully he’ll do it again in ‘06
SP – Aaron Small … 10-0 in his first year as a Yankee, can he do it again?

RP – Mariano Rivera … STILL the best closer in the game, bar none!
RP – Al Leiter … see ya Al
RP – Alan Embree … see ya Al
RP – Tom Gordon … see ya Tom
RP – YOU GET THE POINT!!!!!!!!

We’ll see what George decides to do with Torre (bring him back!!) and Cashman (bring him back!) now that pitching coach Stottlemeyer is gone (Jimmy Key anyone?!?!).

And with the Sox and all their question marks on whether or not Caveman Damon comes back, who Manny’s gonna wanna play for next season, whether Francona is still managing the Sox, and whether or not Theo re-signs, it will certainly be an interesting off-season up and down the I-95 corridor.

Til next time…

2005-10-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

GAME 2

It’s Thursday morning here in the wonderful city of Hartford, CT, and right about now I could use a nap. Why on earth would the TV execs schedule a playoff game at 10:00pm EST???

In order to stay awake for the entirety of the Yanks-Angels game last night, I went to bed when I got home from work, woke up in time to watch the game and went back to sleep after 1am this morning. Having done that, I didn’t watch the Sox-Sox game, but I did wake up in time to see the last out of the game being recorded. And through the magic of ESPNEWS I was able to catch all the highlights (including the 2nd coming of Bill Buckner…and for all of you who for the last month or 2 have been trying to argue that Graffanino is a better ball player than Cano: SHHHHHHHH!!!!!) prior to the start of the game in Anaheim. Now, I’d be lying if I said that the outcome of the Hosiery Bowl didn’t put a smile on my face while I lay in bed at 9:57pm waiting for Derek Jeter to step into the batter’s box against John Lackey, but at the same time, its getting more and more probable that one of, if not BOTH the Yankees and Sox miss the ALCS this year. And that definitely wouldn’t be a good thing.

So, there I am smiling after the BoSox blow a game, fully expecting the Yanks to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, and what happens???? The Yankees start acting like the baseball has the cooties!! I’ve never seen such silly errors. Now, A-Rod may very well end up winning the MVP (he’s got my vote, not that it means a hill of beans), he’ll win the gold glove at 3rd and he’ll win the Silver Slugger award at 3rd too…by all accounts, an EXCELLENT season, then I watch him make the stupidest of errors that ends up costing the Yanks a run. Very disappointing…

So, we sit here on the day after, looking forward to Friday’s game 3’s, and I can’t help but feel like it’s OK, I mean we got RJ taking the mound at home. I think we’re fine…to my friends up I-84, well, good luck on Friday (although I won’t be all torn up about it if you lose).

And while we’re at it, the NHL is back and I’m going to have to take advantage of this while I can, GO RANGERS!!! Great come from behind win last night against Forsberg and the Flyers. Yanks are in good shape, Rangers are undefeated hahaha, Giants are 3-1 going into the bye, Sox on the verge of elimination, Patriots stink, Bruins 0-1…does life get any better?????

Til next time…

2005-10-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

GAME 1

Now, I’m not going to recap what happened in the ALDS game between my beloved Yankees and the Angels, or what transpired in the windy city in the battle of the colored hosiery, but I will say this, I awoke this morning in a fantastic mood knowing that the Bronx Bombers are up 1-0 and the hated BoSox are down by the same margin.

Now, obviously it is one game and only one game, and by no means is either series over yet, I mean in 2002 the Yanks beat the Angels in Anaheim in game 1 of the ALDS and ended up losing the series to the Halos. And as every single one of my Red Sox friends will remind you, the Sox were down 3-0 to the Yanks last year and won the series (somehow I have no recollection of that happening, but I guess I’ll take their word for it).

All that being said, I am going to enjoy the quiet atmosphere while it lasts, I’m going to enjoy walking around the office and not hearing these people boasting about how well the Sox did last night. I’m going to enjoy not having visitors at my desk gloating about how David “Big Poopie” Ortiz should win the MVP (did you see how Contreras made him and Manny look foolish yesterday?). But most of all, I’m going to enjoy listening to my XM radio here at work and hearing John Sterling’s call (Thaaaaaaaa Yankees WIN) every 20 minutes on sports updates this morning.

Of course, all of this could change after tonight’s game 2’s, but until then…NA NA NA NA NA NAAAAAHHHHH.

Til next time…

2005-10-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

The Day After...

Happy Monday morning! I just went back and read the Friday post and my predictions were a little off, but we won’t get into that now. The Yankees won the AL East, and the Red Sox take the wild card after Cleveland tanked to Chicago and got swept just as I had hoped. Now we have the Red Sox visiting the White Sox in one series and the Yankees making the west coast trip to face off against the Angels.

Even though I am a Yankees fan and under normal circumstances wish nothing but the worst for that baseball franchise in Boston, I’m hoping to meet up with them again in the ALCS, but not until the Sox & Sox play 5 games in their ALDS and every game goes to 19 innings!!!

In the other ALDS series, I’m looking for the Yankees to avenge their elimination from the playoffs a few years ago to the Angels, and come out of this series to host the Red Sox for the pennant.

Seriously, would anyone watch a White Sox-Angels series??? Does anyone care? It’s gotta happen, I mean, what’s October baseball without the 2 best teams in the league playing in the LCS? I love sitting around with Boston fans arguing A-Rod vs Ortiz for MVP, or whether or not Schilling had Heinz 57 in his sock last October. It’s what baseball is all about. Anything less than that and I would be greatly disappointed, and have very early bedtimes in the month of October.

So, here are my official predictions, Red over White in 4, and Yanks over the Angels in 5. I’m not going to get into the National League playoffs, because whoever they throw out there in the World Series is bound to get smacked around, so I won’t waste my time.

On another note, HOW ABOUT THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS!!!! 3-1 into the bye week, and Eli is starting to come into his own. 9 TD’s, 2 INT’s…he’s putting up Peyton type of numbers. The Giants finally have an offense that can put up points (sadly, they’re going to need it, because their defense looks pretty bad…400+ yards to Bulger this week…OUCH!)

Enjoy the baseball playoffs, enjoy the 3-1 Giants, and for all you anti-New Englanders, enjoy the Pats in the midst of a losing streak!!!! HAHAHA!

Til next time…

2005-09-30T14:38:00.000-04:00

THIS IS IT!!!

Ok…so for those of you that know me, you already know where my baseball allegiances lie, I’m a die-hard Yankees fan who happens to be surrounded by many many many Red Sox fans. This weekend has shaped up to be an excellent weekend of baseball with 3 teams vying for 2 playoff spots. Now, I’m posting this on Friday afternoon several hours before the first pitch of the Wang vs Wells game. After an entire day of running through all of the possibilities on who wins what and who faces who and whether or not there will be a playoff game on Monday, here’s how I am hoping this weekend plays out. Yanks win tonite, go up 2 games with 2 to play. Yanks win tomorrow to clinch the AL East. Sunday’s game then would have little importance to my Bronx Bombers, therefore Schilling and the boys could take that one. Now, that being said, you’re probably thinking I would like to see the Sox not make the playoffs. Au contraire!!!! I actually hope the White Sox sweep the Indians so the Sox win the wild card spot by a game. Seriously, what are the playoffs without a Yanks-Sox ALCS???

Well, here’s hoping that this weekend’s series is all its being hyped up as, and here’s to both teams making the playoffs so we can spend a couple weeks in mid-October glued to the tv watching the Sox and Yanks play for the pennant one more time.

My official predictions are below:

Friday
NYY 5
BOS 3

W – Wang
L – Wells
S – Rivera

Saturday
NYY 2
BOS 0

W – Johnson
L – Wakefield
S – Rivera

Sunday
NYY 11
BOS 13

W – Hansen
L – Sturtze
S – Timlin

See ya Monday….

2005-08-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

IS HE OR ISN’T HE?

Let me begin by making one thing perfectly clear…I think these friggin French commies who run L’Equipe and the Tour de France are still really pissed off that Lance Armstrong took it to them 7 years in a row after beating the shit out of his testicular cancer.

Now that we got that out of the way…allegations of doping in cycling has been going on forever, but ever since some bonehead Conte in San Francisco got caught for distributing steroids to track athletes and baseball players, among others, the question of who’s on what? has bothered the hell out of me. Now assuming we stick to the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”, lets look at some of these clowns ( I mean, athletes ) and ask “IS HE OR ISN’T HE”

Lance Armstrong – the most tested athlete in the world. He won 7 straight Tours and has been tested just about every time he gets off his bike, no one’s ever found anything. (until some commie bastards tested 6 year old urine and allege that its his…I hate these clowns)…for more on this check out T’s comments.

Barry Bonds – as far as I know, he hasn’t tested positive for steroids, but he has also said he’s never KNOWINGLY taken steroids. Ummm, RIGHT!!! He’s 184 years old, hits 73 home runs in a season and his head is 5 sizes bigger now than it was 10 years ago…it may just be me, but umm, Barry, cut the shit.

Jason Giambi – ok, I’m a Yankees fan, and I happen to like Giambi. I own a Giambi jersey, I like the guy, but when look like you can bench press a dump truck and hit moonballs for several years, then all of a sudden get sick with a mass growing on your pituitary gland, you think that had anything to do with HGH?? Nah…couldn’t could it? HAHAHA…not to mention that his “leaked” grand jury testimony says he did ‘em…oh yeah from that same guy that gave them to Barry!!!

Gary Sheffield – like I said, I’m a Yankees fan…Sheff, never warmed up to him, but he’s a hell of a ball player. This guy I have to give a little bit of credit to though…he says he used “the clear” or “the cream” or something on his knee after knee surgery. He says he didn’t know it was a steroid. Ok, just like I didn’t know that doing 85 in a 40 was gonna cost me a speeding ticket. This guy’s got his own cook (umm…HAD, Barry stole the cook away after a summer of “off-season training” with Barry), you mean to tell me that someone who has their own cook, doesn’t know what he’s putting into or on his body? Please!!!

Rafael Palmeiro – HAHAHAHA…I’m not even going to justify this one with more than a few words…I hope they make an example out of this clown…to sit there in front of a Congressional panel and blatently lie about his drug use...JERK!!!

Sammy Sosa – This one, in my opinion, is easy too…hits a ton of home runs a Wrigley, goes to a bandbox of a baseball stadium in Baltimore, and all of a sudden his power numbers are down? Why’s that? Has nothing to do with random steroid tests in baseball does it? Hmmmm.

I could go on and on and on with names and whether or not I think that they are or have been on some kind of performance enhancing drugs…but I’ll leave the list as it is for now…ummm, after ONE MORE…

David Wells – If Budweiser and cheeseburgers are performance enhancing drugs, this guy’s definitely guilty!!!! But then again, if that's the case…so am I!!!!

***NOTE*** The views expressed in the previous posting do not necessarily reflect the views of any one person in particular…they are my own opinion and most of the time reflect as little factual information as possible. That being the case, leave a comment, add a name to the list, do something...

Til next time...

2005-07-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

I’M PISSED

Ok, so for those of you that don’t know, I work in IT. I won’t mention for who because it’s irrelevant, but I’ve been there for over 7 years and I’ve actually enjoyed the majority of my time in Corporate America. I mean it has its good days and its bad days, but for the most part, I’ve enjoyed my time here. So why the title “I’M PISSED” for this rant?

Well, as anyone who has had any contact with Corporate America can attest to, decisions are made with one thing in mind: the bottom line! I mean it’s all about money right? Makes sense, I mean we’re in it for the money, they’re in it for the money. But a disturbing trend is taking place that has me all sorts of fired up: outsourcing.

Apparently someone has decided that it would be advantageous to have some of our work done overseas. And by overseas I mean India. Now, I’ve called my credit card company’s customer service line and had someone with an Indian accent claim to be named ‘Sandy’, (yeah right!), and it never really bothered me, but now that it has hit home, it’s really starting to get to me. These people (it may not be PC to refer to them as “them” or “these people” but anyone who knows me, knows that PC really isn’t my style), are everywhere now. They travel in packs, and I swear they look at us and have that “I’m here to take your job” look on their face. I don’t want to get into the reasons as to why someone thinks having these people around is a good idea, the point of this was to just state how pissed off I am that this is happening.

American jobs will be lost, and it’s sad…sad and it angers me and many others in similar positions…I just hope that someone in some kind of position of power does something before its too late.

Til next time…

2005-06-30T17:08:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Reasons growing up in East Newark kicked ass!!!!

10. Walking to "the esquina" (or Alex's in E. Newark) for bread and milk.
9. Telephone poles served as endzone markers for our football games on Mulock Place.
8. Tio Horacio hated my guts!!!
7. Walking to school and picking everyone up on Presidents Street, John Street, etc...
6. Rita the crossing guard.
5. Driving around the block 9 times before mom or dad found a parking spot.
4. Lucas...the big ass doberman across the street.
3. Our own little WWF wrestling tournaments during family functions.
2. Ferry Street on Dia de Portugal!

and the #1 reason growing up in Newark/East Newark kicked ass....

Lunch at grandma's house every single sunday turned into dinner at grandma's house every single sunday!!! God, I miss that!

--ok...so most of you have absolutely no idea what 99.9% of this last post means...but for the select few that may view this and have it bring a smile to their face...thats what that was for! Like someone told me when I left a long time ago...'you can take the kid outta Jersey, but you can't take Jersey outta the kid.'

2005-06-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

BURNING ISSUE...

Ok...so I figured that my first "real" post on here would be some kind of drunk rant, but then I realized how hard it is to type in complete sentences when one happens to be under the influence of alcohol (yummy!). Since I couldn't accomplish that, I figured I'd spend this time to write about something that I feel really strongly about.

While I was channel surfing last week, I heard something about an proposed amendment to the Constitution where it would make burning the flag illegal. I was thinking to myself, it's about time they did something like this. Then I started hearing and reading opposition to this amendment. People were saying that burning the flag is a form of freedom of speech. Hmmm...

Now, I didn't serve in the military, but I consider myself a very patriotic American. Being the son and grandson of immigrants who came to this country, I see the way my grandfather looks at the US flag, the flag of a country not his own, but one he loves as much as the one he left over 35 years ago. I look at the pride my father has when he raises the American flag out in front of his house, and I take it as an extreme insult when I see one of these idiots burning our flag.

I, for one, am in favor of this amendment. Are there other more pressing issues that our government faces today that they could be working on instead of this? Sure there are, one would be stupid to think this was the most important issue facing this country. But, I'm glad they finally did something to preserve the symbol of this great country of ours.

til next time...

2005-06-24T13:42:00.000-04:00

Ok...I've never done this before, but all the cool kids are doing it, so as of right now, I guess I am a "blogger". I've been called a hell of a lot worse, that's for sure.

I guess this is where I'll post my useless random thoughts, that are sometimes funny, sometimes stupid, sometimes controversial, sometimes drunken rants, but I'm sure someone out there will enjoy them...

I'm not very inspired right now, after all I am sitting at my desk at work and should probably be doing something productive, but it is Friday, and I just want to go home...

So, til next time, when I have more to say....