{"id":586,"date":"2008-07-23T09:55:17","date_gmt":"2008-07-23T16:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/07\/23\/further-musings\/"},"modified":"2009-03-18T20:30:27","modified_gmt":"2009-03-19T03:30:27","slug":"further-musings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/07\/23\/further-musings\/","title":{"rendered":"Further Musings"},"content":{"rendered":"

With six days of baseball after the All-Star Break, the author had a lot of ideas, but none deep enough to fill an entire column.\u00c2\u00a0 Here are some more random musings\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>The Mets Won Ten in a Row\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong>before dropping a game to the Reds last Friday. As evidenced by the ugliness of last night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s loss to the Phillies, where the Mets bullpen, sans Billy Wagner, gave up six runs in the ninth inning to blow a 5-2 lead, if this team ever hopes to win it needs to grow up.\u00c2\u00a0 A lot.\u00c2\u00a0 These issues still run back to the firing of Willie Randolph.<\/p>\n

The Mets are a talented team supposedly comprised of veteran leaders and young talent.\u00c2\u00a0 On paper, they have pitching, defense, speed, and power.\u00c2\u00a0 The fact that before they went on their run, they found themselves mired in third place was a travesty.\u00c2\u00a0 At the heart of the situation, there was a clubhouse divided into two warring factions.\u00c2\u00a0 Rumors pointed to the idea that the Latin players and the Caucasian players did not get along.\u00c2\u00a0 Jose Reyes, one of the fastest men in the league consistently lollygagged his way around the field.\u00c2\u00a0 Carlos Delgado looked like he was 904 years old.\u00c2\u00a0 Nobody scored runs for Johan Santana.<\/p>\n

One of the most important duties a major league manager has is to manage the clubhouse.\u00c2\u00a0 Game strategy, pitchers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 mechanics, batting stances and approach can all be left in the hands of the assistant coaches.\u00c2\u00a0 Managers have to resolve clubhouse issues and get as much as they can out of their respective talent, without stepping on anyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s toes or wounding egos.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a thankless and complex job, but when done wrong, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pretty clear.<\/p>\n

Willie Randolph did it wrong.\u00c2\u00a0 Last season, his team completed the biggest choke job.\u00c2\u00a0 Ever.\u00c2\u00a0 Was it entirely his fault?\u00c2\u00a0 No.\u00c2\u00a0 Was the firing of Willie Randolph horribly botched and classlessly executed?\u00c2\u00a0 Of course.\u00c2\u00a0 Omar Minaya should never have let Randolph go at 3:15 Eastern time.\u00c2\u00a0 Randolph should not have traveled 3,000 miles to manage one game and lose his job. \u00c2\u00a0Before last night, did it seem like Jerry Manuel was a better man for the job?\u00c2\u00a0 Ten in a row and eleven out of thirteen speaks for itself.<\/p>\n

Look at the Mets\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 roster.\u00c2\u00a0 David Wright and Jose Reyes are two of the best players at their position.\u00c2\u00a0 Beltran is a top 20 outfielder.\u00c2\u00a0 Delgado has been red hot, and is showing signs that he may still have a respectable year.\u00c2\u00a0 Johan Santana has been the best pitcher in the league for multiple years.\u00c2\u00a0 Billy Wagner is a top ten closer.\u00c2\u00a0 The fact that the Mets have languished around .500 for most of the season falls not on the manager\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulders, but the players\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 No matter the person at the helm, the players get paid to play\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand they get paid a lot.\u00c2\u00a0 The Yankees hated Casey Stengel.\u00c2\u00a0 They still won multiple World Series for him.\u00c2\u00a0 At the end of the season, many of the Mets need to do some soul searching.\u00c2\u00a0 Either consciously or not, they sabotaged their manager.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately, the Mets organization needed a change, and in the business of professional sports, it is much easier to replace a manager than player personnel.\u00c2\u00a0 Willie Randolph and his staff took the blame for his players\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 malaise.<\/p>\n

Just saw The Dark Knight\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong>It was one of the better movies I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen in years.\u00c2\u00a0 It totally lived up to the hype.\u00c2\u00a0 In my opinion, it transcended the genre of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153comic book movie.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 It was an insanely intense crime movie, where the protagonist just happened to wear a mask and a funny costume.\u00c2\u00a0 From Chris Nolan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s refusal to rely on CGI to Gary Oldman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s understated performance of Jim Gordon, this was a movie grounded in reality.\u00c2\u00a0 Everything about it worked to perfection.<\/p>\n

Then there was Heath Ledger.\u00c2\u00a0 He stole the show.\u00c2\u00a0 Legendary actors, such as Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, along with modern cinematic dignitaries, such as Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, all turned in fantastic performances, but you just couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take your eyes off Ledger.\u00c2\u00a0 Beneath the make-up, facial tics, and body language, it was impossible to discern the actor from 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Tale, or Monster\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ball.\u00c2\u00a0 He thoroughly inhabited the Joker.\u00c2\u00a0 All due respect to Cesar Romero, Mark Hamill, and Jack Nicholson, but no performer has ever done what Ledger did with the Joker.<\/p>\n

It just goes to prove my theory: take a strong script, combine it with a good director and good actors, and chances are that you will have a movie that people will want to see.\u00c2\u00a0 Honestly, I should be in Hollywood.\u00c2\u00a0 These ideas would revolutionize the town.<\/p>\n

The\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>Texas<\/strong> Rangers Scouts Know Offense\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ian Kinsler: .324 BA<\/u>, 14 HR, 59 RBI, 85 R<\/u>, 24 SB<\/u>, .908 OPS
\nMilton Bradley: .309 BA, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 55 R, 1.014 OPS
\n<\/u>Josh Hamilton: .308 BA, 22 HR, 98 RBI<\/u>, 61 R, .911 OPS<\/p>\n

Now, if only they could evaluate and afford pitching\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Race for the A.L. East\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong>is tightening.\u00c2\u00a0 The Yankees have proven right those who argued that they were a second half team.\u00c2\u00a0 The Red Sox continue to play good baseball, and may soon get David Ortiz back.\u00c2\u00a0 The Rays are starting to hear footsteps.\u00c2\u00a0 As of this moment, they lead Boston by a half a game, and New York by three and a half.\u00c2\u00a0 At home, the Rays are 39-16, and 19-25 on the road.\u00c2\u00a0 Of the 63 games they have remaining, more than half will be on the road.\u00c2\u00a0 The Sox have about ten less road games than both the Yankees and Rays.\u00c2\u00a0 The way things are shaping up, New York and Tampa will probably duke it out for the Wild Card, and in that fight, experience gives the edge to New York.<\/p>\n

How Do the Twins Do It?\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>Every year, this team contends.\u00c2\u00a0 This winter, they lost beloved son Torii Hunter to free agency, Francisco Liriano to injury, and brought in a thousand-and-two-year old Livan Hernandez to anchor their pitching staff.\u00c2\u00a0 Hernandez leads the team with 10 wins.\u00c2\u00a0 He also possesses a 5.39 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 The Twins have a payroll of about $57 million\u00e2\u20ac\u201dabout $75 million less than the White Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 Nevertheless, they find themselves only two losses behind the Chicago White Sox, and in eminent contention.<\/p>\n

The Incredibly Intense N.L. Central\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong>Since the All-Star Break, the Cubs have lost four of five, the Brewers have won five of five, and the upstart Cardinals have won four of six.\u00c2\u00a0 With the trade for C.C. Sabathia, Milwaukee pushed all its chips to the middle of the table.\u00c2\u00a0 They were willing to trade some of their future for a shot at the present.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a gamble.\u00c2\u00a0 It seems to have paid off.\u00c2\u00a0 Sabathia has energized the team.\u00c2\u00a0 Seeing the management put it all on the line for success this year, seems to have convinced the players to lay it out there as well.<\/p>\n

In the past, as July 31st<\/sup> approached, the Brewers started saying their good-byes to players with expiring contracts and future stars.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, they bring in a Cy-Young winner.\u00c2\u00a0 With Sabathia and Sheets at the front of their rotation, they will be a force through the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

The Cubs countered by acquiring Rich Harden.\u00c2\u00a0 His addition to the team has not been the same morale boost as that of Sabathia, but he shores up a strong starting rotation as well.\u00c2\u00a0 Assuming he stays healthy, which is always a concern, the Cubs\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rotation now runs five deep, depending on how Jason Marquis feels on any given day.\u00c2\u00a0 The Cubs have outscored their opponents by a league best 102 runs and look to get Alfonso Soriano back by the beginning of August.<\/p>\n

The biggest obstacle the Cubs face right now is that of the self-fulfilling prophecy.\u00c2\u00a0 Cubs fans expect to get burned.\u00c2\u00a0 They look for the play that will tank their season.\u00c2\u00a0 No matter what the players say in public, knowing that a key error has the possibility of deflating an entire fan base must weigh heavily in their minds.\u00c2\u00a0 Add to that the fact that the Brewers are playing like a team possessed, and the Cardinals simply will not go away, and the stretch run in the Central looks to be an intense one.<\/p>\n

If the A.L. East is Ralph Cifaretto v. Tony Soprano, where the size and strength of the Yankees and Sox will eventually overwhelm the groin kicks, frying pan shots, and insecticide sprays of the Rays; then the N.L. Central is the car chase scene from The Dark Knight, where everything has the possibility of being blown up, nobody knows what will happen next, and an eighteen wheeler could flip end over end.<\/p>\n

A-Rod, Madonna, and Kabbalah (I just referenced US Weekly to get the spelling of that correct)\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>I have avoided writing on this for a number of reasons.\u00c2\u00a0 1)\u00c2\u00a0 It has nothing to do with baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 2)\u00c2\u00a0 It has been quite clear for some time that, on a personal level, A-Rod is a jerk, who has dogged his wife for years, possesses a ginormous ego that often requires stroking, and is somewhat socially awkward (Watch him during a walk-off celebration some time.\u00c2\u00a0 He clearly is excited and wants to show emotion, he just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to know what to do with his hands, where he should run to, who he should slap on the back, or if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s appropriate to hug someone.\u00c2\u00a0 His involvement in any celebration brings the awkwardness to an eleven.).\u00c2\u00a0 3)\u00c2\u00a0 If he continues to drive runners in, and earn his paycheck, why should any of us comment on his private life?\u00c2\u00a0 We all know people that are jerks, have decently sized egos, and partake in some morally questionable activities, but unless we are friends, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t intervene.\u00c2\u00a0 The only time an intervention occurs is when that person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s private life affects his or her work.<\/p>\n

That being stated, this situation reflects a larger cultural issue in professional sports.\u00c2\u00a0 As Karen said to me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When a woman marries a sports star, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s basically signing up for an open marriage.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Why is it news or a surprise when we find out that a professional athlete, who has money, fame, and constantly travels, has extramarital relationships?\u00c2\u00a0 Our sports stars possess wealth, power, status, and visibility in a society that exalts all of those ideals. \u00c2\u00a0Like it or not, there are people out there who will get close to these stars basically for the story and the possibility of their fifteen minutes.\u00c2\u00a0 Unfortunately, the professional athlete that has remained faithful to his spouse is the minority.<\/p>\n

Do I condone this behavior?\u00c2\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00c2\u00a0 Is it something I have grown to accept?\u00c2\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00c2\u00a0 Much like players using steroids and PEDs, the suspicion will always be there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With six days of baseball after the All-Star Break, the author had a lot of ideas, but none deep enough to fill an entire column.\u00c2\u00a0 Here are some more random musings\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}