Tagged: Abreu
For them, it’s a Fall Crisis
Multiple-choice quiz time:
Who is most tortured by a Phillies-Yankees World Series?
(a) Mets fans, who have their crosstown rivals on one side and their braggadocio NL East rivals on the other.
(b) The Cleveland Indians, who must watch Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia light it up, no Chief Wahoo in sight.
(c) The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are watching their cross-state rivals in their third World Series since they last had a winning season.
(d) Bobby Abreu, whose Angels lost to the Yankees and who now must watch his two former teams play on.
Tough choice. Don’t think any of the above will be the life of any World Series-viewing party. …
So we’ve had a couple of 583-homer men making news lately. Alex Rodriguez, getting into his first World Series. And Mark McGwire, getting back into the game as the Cardinals’ new hitting coach. …
This postseason has been anything but a yawner — unless we go by some of its principals. The cameras repeatedly caught Sabathia yawning on the Yankees’ bench and Mariano Rivera doing the same in New York’s bullpen. And then Ryan Howard admitted not having seen all of the riveting Game 5 of the ALCS — won by the Angels 7-6 — because “I fell asleep at the end.” …
In case you were wondering, the World Series will end during Week 11 of the college football season. …
Flash forward: Cooperstown?
Ever think of Tom Gordon as Hall of Fame worthy? Doubtful. But maybe you should.
Nope, the durable right-hander who is in the D-backs’ camp trying to make the eighth team of his 21-year career won’t enter Cooperstown as anything but a tourist.
Yet he’s unique among the modern dual-career guys who’ve started and closed, the distinction which ushered Dennis Eckersley — 197 wins, 390 saves — into the Hall.
Gordon, who has made 203 starts (the last for the 1997 Red Sox) and 684 relief appearances, has 159 careers saves and 138 wins.
Besides Eck, of the 59 pitchers with 159-plus saves, only two had more wins: ’60s guys Lindy McDaniel (141) and Hoyt Wilhelm (143), who is also in the Hall of Fame.
Pretty good company for Flash. …
OIL CAN BOYD: So he’s thinking of making a comeback at 49, 18 years after throwing his last pitch, for the 1991 Rangers. Good for him. Any mention of the hyper Boyd brings to mind the late and great Gene Mauch, who used to refer to him as “Dip stick” Boyd. …
BOBBY ABREU: I’ve seen some reference to the Angels digging him out of the “bargain bin.” Huh? The guy is 34, has driven in 100-plus six straight seasons and seven of the last eight, has a lifetime on-base percentage of .405 and is the only active player with 300-plus steals and 200-plus homers. The bargain bin at Tiffany’s, maybe. …
ATLANTA: The Rodney Dangerfield of MLB cities. A.J. Burnett, Rafael Furcal, Jake Peavy, Ken Griffey, even John Smoltz have shown it no respect. The city hasn’t been dissed as much since Sherman blazed through it. …
Insomniac’s Ball
As a kid, I’d often leap out of bed in the morning, excited by the dawning day’s possibilities. Now that same anticipation at times keeps me from even sleeping.
In any case, the sheep have left the barn. So …Â
SAY it ain’t so, Jack: Addressing the other day the likelihood of bringing back Ken Griffey Jr. so he could close the circle and end his career in Seattle, Mariners GMÂ Jack Zduriencik said, “I don’t want to make any move based on sentiment.”
Wow. Sentiment has always been as big a part of baseball as red stitching. It brought Hank Aaron back to Milwaukee, Don Sutton to the Dodgers, Pete Rose to the Reds, Â Eddie Murray to the O’s and on and on.
Without sentiment, it’s just tiddlywinks on the lawn. …Â
NEVER mind Jose Canseco vs. Danny Bonaduce (Freak Show vs. Game Show; Bonaduce briefly was a host on GSN ). Give me Jeff Kent vs. Barry Bonds in the ring. There’s a pay-per-view I’d spring for. …
ROGER Clemens: Such a poignant, precipitous fall from grace. I’d love to be a fly on his wall to get the real read on how he feels about the whole spiral. Then again, maybe not — I’d hate to be taken out by such a ridiculous weapon as a flyswatter. …Â
THE NATS will be really catching some ZZs if, as GM Jim Bowden suggested the other day, 22-year-old righty Jordan Zimmermann is ready for The Show. Zimmerman (Ryan) and Zimmermann? Maybe they could also hire Don Zimmer.
Bowden could be right: Â In two seasons as a pro, Zimmermann has gradually climbed the ladder with a record of 15-5 and the icing of a 1.14 ERA.
GENERAL manager: Got to be the easiest job in the world, with so many people offering their help. How did GMs get along before blogs, anyway?
BILL JAMES: The “Nutrition Facts” requirement on the box of baseball. I just want to enjoy my cereal, don’t need to know the atomic composition of those Cheerios. …Â
GIVE me an outfield of Garret Anderson, Bobby  Abreu and Manny Ramirez — all still hawking on the free-agent market — and I’d take my chances in any division. …Â
AND NOW for something completely different, check out this page, Tracy Ringolsby’s favorite. Just don’t hold it against me. I was young and living in Hollywood, where I thought you couldn’t even get a driver’s license without making at least one movie.
Hey, maybe that’s what keeps me awake?!…
IN TRUTH, I did try for two. Wrote a baseball screenplay which went nowhere, perhaps because the best thing about it was the title: Diamonds — A Love Affair with Balls. …
Change for a Nickel 