Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in dodgersbrooks' LiveJournal:

Monday, January 29th, 2007
6:53 pm	LA DODGERS GO LAS VEGAS FATTY STYLE In a bizarre attempt to turn the bleachers into even more of a spectacle, the Los Angeles Dodgers will now be offering a baseball version of the ever popular Las Vegas style buffet in the right field pavilion. LV buffets cost around $30 and up and for about the same price and less travel you can stuff your face while watching the excitement of Dodgers baseball up close and personal. The best part about this is that if you were one of the Dodgers bleacher fans that used to throw your drink or your popcorn or your award winning dodger dog at an opposing team's fan or player... now you can just go grab a replacement of the item you hucked at that guy from San Diego at no additional charge. Heck... you can grab 4 hot dogs, eat one and throw 3 of them at whomever you want. You gotta give it up for the Los Angeles Dodgers... keepin' it classy like Hometown Buffet. While doing some research for this post I found an excellent source for photos of fat people / fat dodger fans on someone's flickr account. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006
5:41 pm	It Is Never Too Late To Hear Good News... Today was the first time ... It Is Never Too Late To Hear Good News... Today was the first time I have ever heard this story. Good Play Rick Monday! Cubs center fielder Rick Monday rescues an American flag from protesters on the field at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 1976. (Los Angeles Dodgers) Monday's act heroic after 30 years 04/25/2006 10:00 AM ET By Ben Platt / MLB.com LOS ANGELES -- It was 1976, a fun year for America. It was the country's bicentennial, the war in Vietnam had ended a year earlier and everyone really wanted to put all the problems from the 1960s, Watergate and Vietnam behind them and just enjoy the country's yearlong 200th birthday party. On April 25, the Chicago Cubs were visiting Dodger Stadium for a three-game series. Playing center field for the Cubs was Rick Monday, the first player taken in the amateur draft that was created 11 years earlier. Monday was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., so playing in front of his friends and family was always special to him. On this day, fate would hand Monday a moment that people still talk about with reverence 30 years later. Monday recounts the moment in his own words. "In between the top and bottom of the fourth inning, I was just getting loose in the outfield, throwing the ball back and forth. Jose Cardenal was in left field and I was in center. I don't know if I heard the crowd first or saw the guys first, but two people ran on the field. After a number of years of playing, when someone comes on the field, you don't know what's going to happen. Is it because they had too much to drink? Is it because they're trying to win a bet? Is it because they don't like you or do they have a message that they're trying to present? "When these two guys ran on the field, something wasn't right. And it wasn't right from the standpoint that one of them had something cradled under his arm. It turned out to be an American flag. They came from the left-field corner, went past Cardenal to shallow left-center field. "That's when I saw the flag. They unfurled it as if it was a picnic blanket. They knelt beside it, not to pay homage but to harm it as one of the guys was pulling out of his pocket somewhere a big can of lighter fluid. He began to douse it. "What they were doing was wrong then, in 1976. In my mind, it's wrong now, in 2006. It's the way I was raised. My thoughts were reinforced with my six years in the Marine Corp Reserves. It was also reinforced by a lot of friends who lost their lives protecting the rights and freedoms that flag represented. "So I started to run after them. To this day, I couldn't tell you what was running through my mind except I was mad, I was angry and it was wrong for a lot of reasons. "Then the wind blew the first match out. There was hardly ever any wind at Dodger Stadium. The second match was lit, just as I got there. I did think that if I could bowl them over, they can't do what they're trying to do. "I saw them go and put the match down to the flag. It's soaked in lighter fluid at this time. Well, they can't light it if they don't have it. So I just scooped it up. "My first thought was, 'Is this on fire?' Well, fortunately, it was not. I continue to run. One of the men threw the can of lighter fluid at me. We found out he was not a prospect. He did not have a good arm. Thank goodness. "Tommy Lasorda was in his last year as third-base coach before he took over for Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. Tommy ran past me and called these guys every name in the longshoreman's encyclopedia." "A lot of people don't know this, but he beat me to the flag," recalls Lasorda. "I saw Rick start running over from center field to left. I didn't know what it was, but as soon as I saw him start, I took off and I ran out there, and of course, by that time, Rick had picked up the flag and continued running. When I got there, I see these two guys and I told them, 'Why don't one of you guys take a swing at me?' because there were 50-something thousand people in the ballpark and I only wanted them to swing at me, so I could defend myself and do a job on them." Monday continued, "Doug Rau, a left-handed pitcher for the Dodgers at the time, came out of the dugout and I handed the flag to him. The two guys were led off the field through the Dodger bullpen. "After the guys left, there was a buzz in the stands, people being aghast with what had taken place. Without being prompted, and I don't know where it started, but people began to sing 'God Bless America.' When I reflect back upon it now, I still get goose bumps." Thirty years ago, cable television was in its infancy and the Dodgers rarely, if ever, televised a home game. A Super 8 film of the incident would not surface until 1984, so the moment might have been captured only by Vin Scully's vivid description of it on radio. Luckily, in the photographers' well that day was the late James Roark, who was shooting stills for the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Roark had the perfect angle and snapped the now-classic photo of Monday whisking the stars and stripes away just as one of the protesters was going to light it on fire. "James Roark took the picture, and it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize," said Monday. "This past winter, my wife and I had been looking at a lot of photos that had been in the archives, and one of the photos we came across was a picture of James Roark and I standing together, holding up the photo that he took. The 30th anniversary means a lot because it was a moment captured in time by James, who is no longer with us, and he has been greatly missed over the years." Monday, who played for the Dodgers from 1977-83 and has been one of the team's broadcasters since 1993, then recalled the impact the moment had on a country that was wanting so badly to show its patriotism again. "The letters I've received from that day have run the gamut of emotions. They've been from children who were not born yet and had only heard about it. They've been from Vietnam veterans, including one yesterday. This soldier wrote that there were two things that he had with him in two tours of Vietnam. These two things kept him in check with reality. One was a small picture of his wife. The other was a small American flag that was neatly folded. The picture was folded inside the flag and in the left breast pocket of his uniform. "He would be in mud for weeks and months at a time. Those two things were what he looked at to connect him with reality, other than his buddies, and some of them were lost in battle. He wrote in the letter, 'Thanks for protecting what those of us who were in Vietnam held onto dearly.' "That means something, because this wasn't just a flag on the field. This was a flag that people looked at with respect. We have a lot of rights and freedoms -- not to sound corny -- but we all have the option if we don't like something to make it better. Or you also have the option, if you don't like it, [to] pack up and leave. But don't come onto the field and burn an American flag." Later that year, Monday was given the flag by the Dodgers' general manager at the time, Al Campanis. It hangs proudly in his home in Vero Beach, Fla. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:43 am	EPL Part IV The final leg of the relay, as it were, was the hardest. As much as I'm like to purport myself as an expert on all things soccer, I can't lie. Although I look at the league tables, etc. I have absolutely no feel for either Sheffield United or Watford. So you're guess is as good as mine. NAME: Sheffield United HOMETOWN: Sheffield, smack in the middle of England FOUNDED: 1889 MANAGER: Neil Warnock, hired 1999. This should be fun. Apparently this guy doesn't care about acting like a jackass and starting fueds. Can't wait until they play Mourinho and Chelski. 2005/6 RECORD: 26-8-12, 90 points, second place in the League Championship, automatic promotion. SILVERWARE: First Division Champs: 1897-98; FA Cup winners: 1899, 1902, 1915, 1925 NICKNAME: The Blades GROUND: Brammell Road, capacity 33,000. It's the oldest contiously used ground in all of England. It first hosted a cricket test in 1855. Thats five years before the American Civil War. I'm sure the toliet facilites, especially the ladies' room are quite charming. RIVALS: Sheffield Wednesday (Steel City derby) IN: David Sommeil (Manchester City, free); Claude Davis (Preston North End, undisclosed); Christian Nade (Troyes, free); Mikele Leigertwood (Crystal Palace, £600,000); Li Tie (Everton, free); Rob Hulse (Leeds United, £2.1million); Ian Bennett (Leeds United, undisclosed) OUT: Craig Short, Brian Deane, Garry Flitcroft (all retired); Bruce Dyer, Alan Wright (both released); Simon Francis (Southend United, free); Luke Beckett (Huddersfield, undisclosed); Phil Barnes (Grimsby, undisclosed); Ian Ross (Notts County, six-month loan); Kevan Hurst (Chesterfield, six-month loan). KEY PLAYERS: GK: Paddy Kenny; Def.: Chris Morgan (capt.), David Unsworth; Mid: Phil Jagielka, Nick Montgomery, Paul Ifil; For: Ade Akinbiyi, Danny Webber STARMAN: Phil Jagielka was voted best player outside the Premier League by FourFourTwo magazine. That's good enough for me. ONE TO WATCH: Admittedly, there's not a ton of compelling stuff around the Blades, but pudgey Irish keeper Paddy Kenny should be up for some funny moments, in between a barrage of shots. FAST FACT: Sheffield United owns a team in China -- the Chengdu Blades -- which they wouldn't sell for all the tea in China. Zing! REASON TO LIKE: Blades is a cool nickname since it reminds me of Bennie Blades. ... REASON TO HATE: ... Their proper name reminds me of Gary Sheffield. AMERICAN CONNECTION: Get back to us on that. AMERICAN EQUIVILENT: If the Canton Bulldogs still existed, they'd be Sheffield United, with or without leather helmets. BEST CASE SCENARIO: Somehow, and I do me somehow, manage to avoid the drop. 17th place never smelled sweater. ... Warnock makes it through the entire season without getting suspended. WORST CASE SCENARIO: The Drop. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.sufc.co.uk/ SUPPORTER SITE: http://www.sheffieldunited-mad.co.uk/index.asp LAST WORD: Face it, the Sheffield United kit looks eerily similar to that of Sunderland, who were arguably one of the worst outfits ever to grace the EPL, when they finished last season with three wins in 38 games. They could somehow pull off a Wigan, but with the talent level on the roster one-and-done looks like an odds-on favorite. NAME: Tottenham Hotspur HOMETOWN: North London FOUNDED: 1882 MANAGER: Martin Jol (hired 2004); Jol is a pretty sweet dude, with a funny Dutch accent. Plus he's managed to make Spurs into a force to be reckoned in a short amount of time earning "Tony Soprano" status around the Lane. Did we mention he has brothers named Cock and Dick? Seriously. "I am not a tiger, I'm a crocodile. I want success yesterday, not tomorrow. Yesterday. I love the team and I love to work with them, and if they do what we want and if they perform I'm easy going. If they don't then it's not just my business, it'll be their business as well." 2005/6 RECORD: 18-9-11, 65 points, sixth place, two points behind bitter rival Arsenal for the final Champions League spot. Many blame this on food poisoning suffered by much of the team the night before the final game against West Ham, an eventual loss. SILVERWARE: First division: 1950-51, 1960-61; FA Cup: 1900-01, 1920-21, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1990-91; League Cup: 1970-1, 1972-3, 1998-99; UEFA Cup: 1971-72, 1983-84 NICKNAME: Spurs/Yids GROUND: White Hart Lane, capacity 36,240. People don't tend to wax poetic about the Lane. It seems like a cool place to watch a game since the stands on the sides appear to hang right over the field. RIVALS: Arsenal (North London Derby), West Ham United IN: Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen, £10.9million); Reto Ziegler (Wigan Athletic, loan return); Dorian Dervitte (Lille, undisclosed); Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Lens, undisclosed); Didier Zokora (St Etienne, undisclosed); Wayne Routledge (Portsmouth, loan return). OUT: Mido (Roma, loan return); Goran Bunjevcevic (released); Noureddine Naybet (released); Stephen Kelly (Birmingham City, undisclosed); Mounir El Hamdaoui (Willem II, undisclosed); Johnnie Jackson (Colchester United, free); Dean Marney (Hull City, undisclosed); Michael Carrick (Manchester United, £18.6million). KEY PLAYERS: GK: Paul Robinson (England No.1); Def: Ledley King (Capt.), Young-Pyo Lee, Paul Stalteri, Michael Dawson; Mid: Edgar Davids, Aaron Lennon, Didier Zokora, Wayne Jermaine Jenas; For: Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov STARMAN: With a nod to my friend Suppe, I'll go with his junior-man-crush, Jermain Defoe. (Although Robbie Keane is basically the same player, except white and Irish.) How Defoe was left off the England roster for the 2006 World Cup is a mystery on par with who built the pyramids. ONE TO WATCH: All eyes will be on Ivorian International Didier Zokora as he tries to replace midfield fulcrum Michael Carrick, who really drove Spurs most of last campaign. ... Nautrally most of Merry Old wants to see how pacey winger Aaron Lennon progresses. FAST FACT: Last season, in a 3-1 victory vs. Charlton, Tottenham fielded the youngest ever team in the EPL -- nine of which were English. KARMA WATCH: It bears noting Tottenham switched shirt sponsors from Thomsen, which had a winking smiley face logo, to Mansion, an online casino with an ungodly ugly "M" logo. MEL GIBSON UN-APPROVED FACT: Due to the high Jewish population in North London many assume Tottenham to be a Jewish club. Whatever the real facts may be the fanbase have adopted the persona of the 'Yid Army', foreskin status or not. REASON TO LIKE: Tottenham were fun to watch with a captial F last season. ... Again, you can't dislike Martin Jol and his gaped tooth smile. "He's got no hair and we don't care." ... REASON TO HATE: You're an Arsenal Fan. ... The fact ESPN.com's Bill Simmons arbitrary chose Spurs as his team to follow this year. .... Also ESPN VP John Skipper, the man responsible for Davie O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa, is a Spurs man. AMERICAN CONNECTION: None. (Steve Nash is a big fan, but he's a Canuck.) AMERICAN EQUIVILENT: Los Angeles Dodgers. Always a good team with strong support. A decent history that dates back a long time, but not a ton of winner's trophies. Plus both are known for their white uniforms. Larry David even used the London high-occupency lane to attend a game at White Hart Lane last year. (Not true.) BEST CASE SCENARIO: Find a way to improve on last year's ultimately disappointing fifth place. ... A good, deep run in the UEFA Cup. WORST CASE SCENARIO: Europe wears them thin. ... Last year proves to be all smoke and mirrors as they tumble down the table. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/ SUPPORTER SITE: http://www.tottenhamhotspur-mad.co.uk/index.asp LAST WORD: Spurs queitly came out of nowhere last year. They've got a lot of talent, but replacing Carrick will be very difficult, meanwhile Berbatov should replace Mido, though not his swarthiness. On the plus side Jol convinced fellow-Dutchman Edgar Davids to stick it out in North London another season. Also, I'm sure Spurs fans are expecting huge things from Aaron Lennon. If he couples with Jenas on the wings, they'll maybe be the fastest team in the league when you add in Defoe and Keane. NAME: Watford FC HOMETOWN: Watford, a suburb west of London. FOUNDED: 1881 MANAGER: Adrian Bothroyd, hired 2005. 2005/6 RECORD: 22-9-15, 3rd in League Championship, won promotion playoffs (beat Crystal Palace, Leeds United) SILVERWARE: Nothing of note, though they were in the Premier Leauge in 1999. NICKNAME: The Hornets GROUND: Vicarage Road, capacity 22,000 RIVALS: Luton Town IN: Damien Francis (Wigan Athletic, £1.5million); Scott Loach (Lincoln City); Richard Lee (Blackburn Rovers, loan return); Sheku Kamara (Charlton Athletic); Claude Seanla (Tottenham Hotspur); Chris Powell (Charlton Athletic, free); Danny Shittu (QPR, £1.6m); Tamas Priskin (Gyori ETO, undisclosed), Ben Foster (Manchester United, season loan). OUT: Jamie Hand (Chester, free). KEY PLAYERS: GK: Def: Danny Shittu, Jay DeMerit, Chris Powell; Mid: Damien Francis, Gavin Mahon (capt.), Ashley Young; For: Marlon King, Darius Henderson STARMAN: Marlon King, Jamaican scored 21 goals in 40 games last season to help the Hornets into the top flight. ONE TO WATCH: Ashley Young. Only 20 years old, if he puts in work with the Hornets this year, a nice transfer could be in his future. Can be used on the wing or up top. FAST FACT: No. 1 shirt (although not the first choice) Alec Chamberlainn will be 42-years-old during the season. He also serves as the keepers coach and got his start with Ipswich Town in 1981. FUN FACT FOR MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS: Pop diva Sir Elton John bought the Hornets in 1976, he later sold then and bought them back. He's honorary life partner err, life chairman. Under his watch Watford was near-unbeatable on Saturday Nights (alright for fightin'). REASON TO LIKE: Plucky underdogs. ... Goofy-looking moosehead crest just makes you smile. REASON TO HATE: Eye-jarringly hideous home kits. AMERICAN CONNECTION: Jay DeMerit, Wisconsin-born American defender made it into the starting lineup after basically going to England and trying out for a bunch of teams. A true American success story. He even scored in the promotion playoff final against Leeds. Put it this way, this guy couldn't find a job in MLS. AMERICAN EQUIVILENT: Olkahoma City Hornets/Sonics. I've hear Watford dismissed as the lamest place to live in England. Well, sorry Oklahoma City, only tornando fetishist would want to live in your city. BEST CASE SCENARIO: This year's Wigan. WORST CASE SCENARIO: This year's Sunderland. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.watfordfc.com/ SUPPORTER SITE: http://www.gloryhorns.co.uk/ LAST WORD: Walking to the Arena Auf Schalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany I encountered an English bloke that supported Crystal Palace. Obviously he had a handle on the Championship last season. When I asked him how Watford, a team with questionably marginal talent, managed to eek into the Premiership he cited, "good team spirit." That and a couple haypennies will get you relagated pretty quick. Yet, for some reason the scrappy Hornets survive the executioners blade this year, at least. These seems like guys you could get behind. (That's not an Elton John joke, either.) NAME: West Ham United HOMETOWN: East London FOUNDED: 1895 MANAGER: Alan Pardew, hired 2003. Good manager, great dancer. Traded words with Aresene Wenger when the Frenchman started a lineup without any English players in a Champions League match. Wenger called Pardew a racist. Pardew defended himself by saying his wife is a Swede. 2005/6 RECORD: 16-15-7, 55 points, ninth place and they qualified for the UEFA Cup after reaching the FA Cup Final (losing to Liverpool in PKs in a classic game); All and all not a shabby season in the return to the top flight. SILVERWARE: FA Cup winners: 1964, 1975, 1980, NICKNAME: The Hammers/The Irons GROUND: Boleyn Ground, capacity, 35,647 (It looks kinda funny with some castle turrets on the outside.) RIVALS: Millwall (Fiercer than some wars); Chelsea, Tottenham IN: Lee Bowyer (Newcastle United, undisclosed); Jonathan Spector (Manchester United, £500,000); Carlton Cole (Chelsea, undisclosed); Tyrone Mears (Preston North End, £1million); John Pantsil (Hapoel Tel Aviv, £1million); George McCartney (Sunderland, £600,000 plus Clive Clarke); Robert Green (Norwich City) OUT: Lionel Scaloni (Deportivo La Coruna, end of loan); Yaniv Katan (Maccabi Haifa, season loan); Elliott Ward (Coventry City, £1million); Chris Cohen (Yeovil, undisclosed); Shaka Hislop (FC Dallas, undisclosed); Carl Fletcher (Crystal Palace, £400,000); Clive Clarke (Sunderland, as part of George McCartney deal) KEY PLAYERS: GK: Roy Carroll; Def: Danny Gabbidon, Paul Konchesky; Mid: Nigel Reo-Coker, Mathew Etherington, Yossi Benayoun; For: Dean Aston, Marlon Harewood STARMAN: On a purely talent basis, it's got to be young Isreali-midfielder Youssi Benayoun. Though small in stature, this guy is a maestro dribbler and passer. He has been linked with a future move to Arsenal. ... A lot of Hammers fans would want record-signing and new England call-up Dean Aston (and his receeding hairline) to be their main star, however he injured his ankle in training during his first England call-up and will be out 12 weeks. Too bad. ONE TO WATCH: Marlon Harewood. At 27, he's not a spring chicken, yet he's a mountain of a man that scored the decisive goal in last year's FA Cup extra time semifinal win over Middlesboro. Plus, you've got to love a guy that captain Nigel Reo-Coker dubbed, "Black Homer Simpson." FAST FACT: West Ham prides itself as the "Academy of Football" for its vaunted youth system. Current heavy-hitters Rio Ferdinand, Paul Konchesky, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe have all come through its ranks. In the past, Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff Hurst are Academy grads. AAPR FACT: Teddy Sheringham, the 40-year-old striker is the second-eldest field player to appear in the EPL. SONG WATCH: Irons supporters are famous for singing, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles." There is probably a reason for it. But I'd personally rather leave it in the category of why is grass green? REASON TO LIKE: Cool uniforms. Good, devoted, slightly demented fans. Solid football. REASON TO HATE: The film "Green Street Hooligans" made it decidedly uncool to be an American supporting the Irons. AMERICAN CONNECTION: Former ManU player Jonathon Spencer signed with the Irons in the transfer season. AMERICAN EQUIVILENT: Philadelphia Flyers. There seems to be a certain amount of grit associated with both teams. BEST CASE SCENARIO: It'll be tough to surpass last season, but at best this team can threaten for Europe. WORST CASE SCENARIO: Europe wears them out and they finish middle of the pack. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.whufc.com/ SUPPORTER SITE: http://www.westhamonline.net/ LAST WORD: West Ham returned to the top flight last season and made no apologies. They won 3-1 vs. Bolton on the first matchday and never looked back. The sequel, though, is always more difficult, but Pardew just might be able to coax hammer a little more magic from this bunch. NAME: Wigan Athletic HOMETOWN: Wigan, Meat Pie capital of England, part of greater Manchester. FOUNDED: 1932, didn't gain "League" status until 1978. MANAGER: Paul Jewell (hired 2001) Has seen Wigan promoted twice on his watch. A rarity in English football, as it seems no one has anything bad to say about him. Jewell also helped small Bradford into the Prem in 1999. 2005/6 RECORD: 15-17-6, 51 points, 10th place. Absolutely shocking to most English pundits who expected the Latics to finish 20th. SILVERWARE: Nothing of major note, although they did make the League Cup final last season. NICKNAME: The Latics GROUND: The JJB Stadium, capacity 25,138 RIVALS: The English Press IN: Fitz Hall (Crystal Palace, undisclosed); Tomasz Cywka (undisclosed); Emile Heskey (Birmingham City, £5.5million); Chris Kirkland (Liverpool, six-month loan); Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar, undisclosed); Emmerson Boyce (Crystal Palace, £1million); Luis Antonio Valencia (Villarreal, season loan) OUT: Stephane Henchoz (released); David Thompson (released); Reto Ziegler (Tottenham Hotspur, loan return); Jimmy Bullard (Fulham, undisclosed); Jason Roberts (Blackburn Rovers, undisclosed); Damien Francis (Watford, £1.5million). KEY PLAYERS: GK: John Filan/Chris Kirkland; Def: Pascal Chimbonda (for now); Arjan de Zeeuw (Captain), Matt Jackson, Leighton Baines; Mid: Denny Landzaat, Graham Kavanagh, Luis Antonio Valencia; For: Henri Camara, Emile Heskey STARMAN: Wigan owns about as many standout stars as a black hole. Pascal Chimbonda is probably Wigan's best player, but who know how long he'll stick it out with the club. ONE TO WATCH: Leighton Baines. He's young, has a terrible name and great pace. FAST FACT: The nickname 'Latics' is short/slang for Atheltic. Fas-cin-ating. EVERYBODY "HATES" WIGAN: The word most associated with Wigan Athletic is "unfacied." It seems a lot of snooty British writers looked down their noses at the Latics, they were founded in the 20th century afterall. Most cited Wigan as a "rugby league" town and came up with tons of excuses why they weren't worthy to grace the Prem. Well, Jewell and Co. showed them and finished a remarkable tenth spot. KARMA WATCH: Afro-superstar Pascal Chimbonda came completely out of nowhere to earn a spot in the EPL's best XI. Yet, immediately after the final game of last season he handed in his transfer request in the locker room -- still in uniform. Tottenham have been heavy for him, but at the time of this posting, he's still with the Latics. Will this kill Wigan's Jewell-mentum for a year ago? REASON TO LIKE: Being "unfacied" by the British press earns them lovable loser status in my book. Is there anything worse than the alternately stodgy/sensationalistic British journos? REASON TO HATE: You're a snob that doesn't recognize teams founded outside the 19th century. AMERICAN CONNECTION: Nein. AMERICAN EQUIVILENT: A dose of the Memphis Grizzlies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams with minimal history, but have managed to put themselve in better position than many established squads. BEST CASE SCENARIO: Repeat of last season, or maybe just maybe sniff out that final European spot WORST CASE SCENARIO: Last year was a fluke. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/ SUPPORTER SITE: http://www.wiganathletic-mad.co.uk/ LAST WORD: Wigan. Wigan. Wigan. The Latics did some savvy moves in the summer, like adding Landzaat and Valencia, as well as getting Chris Kirkland on a loan deal. Of course, most will boil down big-time signing Emile Heskey, a rather beefy lad that formerly represented England. Those gents in the press have had a field day with him coming to the meat pie capital of Merry Old and the fact Wigan shelled out so much dough for a guy with four goals in 34 games last season for Birmingham. It seems impossible, on paper, to top last season but Jewell seems like a great boss and might be able to pull it out. Well, folks, that be it. Enjoy the season. Last chance for Fantasy Football. League ID: 1519 Password: jumble form -- "ENPLIL". Adios. In case you missed it: Part I, Part II, Part III, (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
11:03 am	An Inconvenient Truth Everyday, I listen to idiotic New York sports fans on my drive to work. That imbecile, Joe Benigno -- a former idiotic New York sports fan himself before becoming an idiotic New York sports broadcaster after winning some contest or something -- fields dozens of phone calls from Mets fans. "This is the year," they say. "Will the Mets sell replica versions of the 2006 World Series Championship ring?," they ponder. "Good thing the NL lost the All-Star game, we'll sweep and win it at home," they announce. "Will Carlos Beltran marry me?," they ask. But there is a problem. It's a very real problem, one that Mets fans already doing the scouting on the Detroit Tigers rotation are refusing to acknowledge. The problem, Mets fans, is this man. Thomas Michael Glavine. Glavine, the Mets' "ace," is 40 years old. Despite a very solid start, he's lost a fair amount of luster since June, typical of an aging pitcher who's struggling to keep up with baseball's rigorous schedule. At 11-4, his decent win/loss record only obscures the cold, hard facts. He's got an ERA that has become perilously close to 4.00 and is a .500 pitcher since July 15. He's getting tired. His arm is getting sore. Being 40, you can't blame the guy. He's been playing professional baseball for 19 years. So, let's play the Mets' favorite game: counting chickens before they've hatched. Let's say that the Mets do win the National League East. This may be surprising or even confusing to some Mets fans who haven't seen the post-season in so long, but the MLB playoff structure is a curious thing. Before the NLCS, the Mets will have to play a five game series. Let's say, as an example, they'll play against the league's Wild Card team, and let's go ahead and say that team is the suddenly-surging Los Angeles Dodgers. Presumably -- maybe a Mets' fan's favorite word -- the Metropolitan's starting rotation would begin with Glavine, Martinez, Hernandez. Let's continue to say, as an example, that the 40-year-old Tom Glavine, despite a lot of rest down the stretch, has a bad outing. It's not that much of a stretch, considering Glavine's last post-season outing. Let me jog your memory. The year is 2002, and the Atlanta Braves faced the pill-popping San Francisco Giants in the first round of the playoffs. Glavine, being the Braves' ace, starts Game One. Things didn't go very well for Tom. He gets rocked for six runs in five innings and costs the Braves the game, 8-5. But the Braves win the next two games, and Glavine has a chance to redeem himself by starting Game Four with a chance to put the series away. This time, Glavine gets positively torched. He manages just 2.2 innings pitched, gives up seven runs on seven hits. The Braves lose the game, 8-3, and go on to lose the series. On that chilly October night in San Francisco, Glavine is a relatively young 36 years old. So, let's say the Mets make it to a five game series against the Dodgers. Let's say, hypothetically, that Glavine has a bad start for Game One. Pedro's sore hip flairs up for Game Two, and the Mets lose a heartbreaker at Shea. On the flight to Los Angeles that night, Willie Randolph might have trouble falling to sleep. His entire season -- the Mets' dream season, the 20 year anniversary of 1986, the year where everything was supposed to work out -- relies completely on the arm of Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, a man that might be 45 years old. All those Mets fans suddenly forget all the scouting they did on the Santana, Ortiz and Wang. They're about to get swept out of the first round. Things look good now for the Mets, no question. But five game series are crazy things. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Yankees' stretch of four World Championships in five years isn't the World Series victories themselves but the fact they managed to even make it that far. Any team can get knocked out of a five game series. Any team. Don't count your Manhattan victory parades before they've hatched. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:02 pm	Cubs Trade Maddux To the Dodgers for SS Izturis Legendary right-hander Greg Maddux is leaving the Chicago Cubs after all: He's headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired him seconds before the trade deadline Monday for shortstop Cesar Izturis.read more | digg story (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
10:01 pm	The National League Long Shots One of the beautiful things about baseball is that playoff spots are hard to come by. It’s one of the things which separates the game from sports like basketball and hockey, where you have to be truly awful not to have a shot at the playoffs come January. Sure, it can be nice if you’re the fan of the team sitting three games under .500 that has the eight and final seed in the Eastern Conference, but come on, do you really believe you deserve that spot? That doesn’t fly in baseball. Even with the wild card, just eight of the thirty teams make the playoffs. Those wild card teams usually push ninety wins, if not more. Bottom line, you’ve got to be good to get in. The years of the .500 playoff teams taking divisions are few and far between. The trade off? The season’s length. Because there is still another two months to go, unless you’re 10 games back, you’ve got a chance to make up ground. Of course, if you’re under .500 at this point, then odds of a turnaround are not high. But while it’s not likely, it has happened before and will happen again. And a key trade, like the Astros’ acquisition Carlos Beltran in 2004, can be the catalyst to that. So today, we look at those floundering squads who sit on the distant edge of contention in the NL; the long shots. Los Angeles Dodgers (47-51, 4 back of Giants for NL West, 5 Back of Reds for wild card): Despite playing in one of the best pitchers parks in baseball, the Dodgers are fourth in runs per game in the league this year. Maybe that’s because Dodger Stadium hasn’t live up to its rep this year; it’s actually been the seventh best hitter’s yard this season. That and the team’s sub .500 record would lead you to think the pitching has stunk, but it’s actually middle of the pack. So what’s the Dodgers’ problem? Part of it is luck; they are four wins below their expected win total but the other truth is their back of the rotation has been a mess all year. Odalis Perez, Jae Seo and Brent Tomko have all come and failed, with Seo exiled to Tampa Bay and Perez now begging his way out. The Dodgers need an arm, preferably a middle of the rotation guy, since Brad Penny’s outrageous home rate of .57/9 won’t continue. Mark Hendrickson and Aaron Sele are only stop gaps. As Zach mentioned in response to the first part of this series , Gil Meche could be an option for someone if the Mariners fall out of it. Greg Maddux might also find his way to LA, since they’re one of the three teams he’d accept a trade to. (Padres and Brewers being the others) The Dodgers should finish the year over .500, but unless they make a move, not much better. Since the Wild Card does usually take 88-90 wins, it makes them a long shot, albeit the best one, to make the postseason. They do get help by playing in the NL West. Milwaukee Brewers (46-52, 10 back of Cardinals for NL Central, 6 Back of Reds for wild card): The offensive talent is there, but the rotation after Chris Capuano and Dave Bush is pretty much a black hole. Help could come in the form of Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka, but they could use a decent fourth guy to shore up the back end for that inevitable next Sheets injury. However, unlike some teams, a definite option is out there; Maddux. The future Hall of Famer declared the Brewers one of three teams he’d play for thanks to fact his brother Mike is pitching coach. The Brewers also need help in the pen, since closer Derrick Turnbow has gone into meltdown mode and the rest of that crew don’t inspire much confidence. There is always available help at the deadline, just don’t go to the Nationals for it. They’ll ask for Carlos Lee back. The Brewers were many people’s sleeper pick this year. The first half was a disappointment, but they can still turn it around with a few moves. On the other hand, they could easily be sellers at the deadline and ship Lee elsewhere for good young talent. Sheets’ next two starts could well determine the Brewers’ fate this year. Should he pitch well and escape healthy, they could take a shot at a playoff run. Atlanta Braves (45-51, 13.5 back of Mets for NL East, 6 Back of Reds for wild card): Their hot streak has many forgetting about their awful first three months. They aren’t that good and have many holes, but who wants to bet against them? There’s nothing wrong with the offense, scoring 5.35 runs per game, the second most runs in the NL behind the Mets. It’s all pitching. The pen isn’t great, but not as bad as people think, especially with the acquisition of Bob Wickman. However, the starters outside of John Smoltz have been awful. Did Oakland put something in Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder’s Gatorade that made them so dominant? John Thomson has returned to the fifth starter he was up until 2004. They need a top arm and fast. They usually have the players to deal, but it’s unlikely the Marlins trade within their division and both the A’s and Braves have to be gun shy after the lousy haul both teams got in the Hudson trade. So the Braves will likely have to settle for the best of the rest. Perhaps they will venture down an old road and make a move for the Indians’ Paul Byrd. Some will suggest Maddux if they really get close to the wild card in the next two weeks, but I don’t think that’s an avenue either side wishes to explore again. They could hypothetically look towards Philadelphia if the Phillies start dealing arms, but one wonders if the Braves have a pitcher that could fit Citizen’s Bank Ballpark. Fly ball inducing Chuck James wouldn’t seem to be much of a match; though if the Braves were willing to give up reliever Joey Devine, perhaps the Phillies would be willing to talk. Their ten year divisional run is over (sorry, ’94 counts Braves fans), but the playoff run can still continue. If they can get someone for the rotation then they should be looked at as the favorites. If not, consider them near finished. Philadelphia Phillies (44-50, 13.5 back of Mets for NL East, 6 Back of Reds): Atlanta Braves/Milwaukee Brewers redux; all hitting and no pitching. The Phillies are in an interesting position because they would deal Bobby Abreu and thus would be willing to give up a great talent for an arm. Before the season there was talk of an Abreu/Mark Prior swap. With the Cubs dead that’s probably off the table but someone, especially in the AL, might be willing to part with a young pitcher in exchange for the right fielder. Much like I detailed for the Reds, the Phillies need a groundball pitcher for that park and he’d better be an extreme one. Jake Westbrook or even Chien Ming Wang would be great fits, but it’s doubtful the Indians would trade for Abreu and the Yankees have a love affair with Wang. (Since right now the back of their rotation features Sidney Ponson and Jaret Wright, it’s probably the right choice) In the end, the Phillies just might have to acquire a prospect and hope that player pans out down the stretch. I didn’t call this section the “long shots” for no reason. Houston Astros (46-52, 10 back of Cardinals for NL Central, 6 Back of Reds): The Astros’ pitching isn’t great, but the real joke is their offense. Somehow, despite playing in one of the best hitters parks in baseball they are third to worst in the league in runs per game. They currently start two of the worst offensive regulars in baseball, Adam Everett and Brad Ausmus. If there was any team screaming out for a hitter, or three, it’s Houston. There are lots of hitters out there and the ‘Stros never shy away from a big deal. Could Alfonso Soriano be this year’s Carlos Beltran? Maybe freeing Todd Helton from Colorado (with the Rockies picking up a portion of his deal) is an option. Sean Casey? Jeromy Burnitz? There are just loads of mediocre hitters out there who would be upgrades over the Astros’ current crop of position players. Outside of Lance Berkman no one in that lineup scares you. Houston’s offense is about inept as can be and it’s doubtful even a player of Soriano’s caliber could save them. Still if they did manage to pull of a couple of moves, they’d have a shot at getting the wild card. Colorado Rockies (45-51, 5 back of Giants, 6 Back of Reds): A great story in the first half, the Rockies have faded of late. Their pitching has been the big surprise so far, with their much maligned arms actually performing quite well, to the tune of 3rd best in runs allowed per game in the National League! However, their bats actually have not been as advertised, as they have averaged below five runs per game. While I have my doubts as to their pitchers’ ability to maintain their current production, if they want to compete, the Rockies have to bring in another bat. Just getting someone mediocre isn’t going to cut it this season; Coors isn’t playing like the hitter’s park it normally does this year. Their weakest position is centerfield. Perhaps they could send Ryan Shealy and a couple of prospects to the Royals for David DeJesus. There’s a new regime there who may not love the center fielder as much as Allard Baird did. Also in need of an upgrade is shortstop, where Clint Barmes is suffering through a sophomore slump. The pen could use some arms as well. The Rockies are fading so they might not be around come the deadline in a week and a half. If they are there, the temptation will exist to do something. Heck, does anyone remember the last time this team was respectable? Florida Marlins (44-52, 14.5 back of Mets, 7 back of Reds): If any team had the ability to reel off a nice long winning streak, it would be this Marlins squad. They’re full of young players who have performed a better than most expected. But remember, many of these kids were excellent prospects; they likely haven’t hit their ceilings yet. Plus they’re expected win total suggests they were unlucky in the first half. Unfortunately, this team would have had to be in first place for them to actually go out and trade for anyone. Despite probably having more talent than the Astros, Braves and Rockies, (and perhaps even a better record) they will end up being sellers at the deadline. They will look to deal closer Joe Borowski, which is a shame since the pen is their weakest area. You’d love to see what this team could do if they got a piece here and there, but alas, it is not to be. At least they won’t be dealing Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. Still, it’s been a good run for these Fish. Maybe they’ll continue to surprise and make a charge no one expects. A real long shot is the Nationals even with their revamped lineup. They’re improved, and one never knows what Jim Bowden will do but ten games should be too much ground to make up. Plus, their starters aren’t doing them any favors, unlike last year. And that’s the NL. On Monday, we’ll look at the American League, starting with the long shots over there. Stay tuned. (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:53 pm	Your Newest (And Oldest) Chicago White Sox While reports indicate that the White Sox are close to pulling the trigger on a deal that would bring Alfonso Soriano to the defending champs, they've already made two smaller moves. First they acquired Sandy Alomar Jr. from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they just added reliever Mike MacDougal from the Kansas City Royals. In both deals the Sox gave up minor league prospects - BJ Lamura for Alomar and Tyler Lumsden/Daniel Cortes for MacDougal. As I said earlier, I like the Alomar deal, both for he knows our pitchers and, despite limited action, he's batting .323 so far this season. As for MacDougal, he's had a history of arm trouble - just recently returning from the DL this season - and control problems. Still, he has a 97MPH fastball and a pretty nice hook to go with it, and White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has a history of fixing those same types of problems. One need not look past what he's done for Matt Thornton this year. As far as Soriano, I don't know that I like the potential deal. The Sox don't really need another bat in the lineup, and having to give up Brandon McCarthy isn't an idea I like too much. Plus there's the fact that Soriano is a free agent after the season, so it's not like it's a guarantee we'd keep him. Also what would they do with Scott Podsednik? Move him to center and bench Brian Anderson? This would cause the outfield defense to suffer. Unless they were planning on moving Pods I don't think it makes any sense. Still there is speculation that the Sox are only trying to get Soriano to keep him from the Tigers, and once they acquire him, will ship him somewhere else for pitching help. THAT idea I like. (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:51 am	MLB: Yankees Trounce Indians By VOA Sports 15 June 2006 The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 6-1 Wednesday in major league baseball action. Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson had a strong outing but was ejected in the seventh inning after throwing a pitch that just missed Cleveland batter Eduardo Perez. Perez angrily stalked towards the man dubbed "The Big Unit," and both benches cleared - but no punches were thrown. Yankees manager Joe Torre was ejected along with Johnson. Wednesday's other American League winners include Toronto, Texas, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Kansas City, and Oakland. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Houston, Colorado, Florida, the New York Mets, San Francisco, and San Diego were the National League victors. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3. The Texas Rangers trounced Chicago White Sox 8-0. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-1 in 12 innings. Minnesota's Justin Morneau hit a grand slam home run to help the Twins to an 8-1 rout of the Boston Red Sox 8-1. The Kansas City Royals eked out a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 7-2. In the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-7. Cincinnati's Adam Dunn hit a three-run home run in the 11th inning to lead the Reds to a 3-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Houston Astros downed the Chicago Cubs 5-4. Colorado's Jamey Carroll hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, and the Rockies went on to a 14-8 victory over the Washington Nationals. The Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 in 10 innings. The New York Mets trounced the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 for their seventh consecutive win. Barry Bonds hit his 717th career home run, and teammate Steve Finley hit his 300th homer to help the San Francisco Giants to an 11-4 thrashing of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Finely is the sixth player in major league baseball history with 300 home runs and 300 steals, joining fellow Giants Barry Bonds, Barry's late father Bobby, and Willie Mays. And the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3. This story originally ran at VOANews.com This story was originally posted here. (Comment on this)