The True Beautiful Game - BASEBALL

I love baseball. Some people call it slow and boring and I can see their point. If you just look at it superficially i can see your point. I, however love the game and I watch it as not only a fan but also a someone who played the game.

When I played, and admittedly not at a super high level but played and played hard. I tried to pride myself on the details. I played the game with competitiveness and for a true passion for the game. Regardless of the level of play, be it Fastball (or windmill) Hardball (traditional baseball) or just a Men’s League Lob Ball (that one is self explanatory). I loved to think the game on the field. As a defensive specialist and Short-Stop I played it as the captain of the infield. I would remember what players did during past at bats, tendencies from past games and align players in positioning and any shifts that needed to be made. It was also a point of emphasis to know where to be at various times during game play. No matter where the ball was hit there is always a place for each player to be. It may be backing up a base or rotating around to cover possible angled throws. I would try to put myself in those positions and also other players as well. There is nothing more annoying when you know you could have gotten an out if a player had they just been in the right position and had their head in the game. It is these nuances that make me appreciate the game both playing an watching. For those who do not have that level of appreciation for the game I can see how watching an entire game may become tedious. Granted a nice cold beer and a hot dog while sitting in the stands does enhance the live experience.

TV slots games to fall into a 3 hour window. Usually a typical game will run about 2 1/2 hours. Get a good pitchers duel or a game with a Roy Halladay type and you can shave nearly a half hour off of that. Those are the games that are fun to watch and are wrapped up into a tight little package. Those are the games that you wish would go longer because they have good pace and are compelling. The better the flow the better the show. It seems that for whatever reason a Red Sox vs Yankee’s game can not go less then 4 hours. It is just the way it is. When those two teams play it is like watching paint dry... but not, that is what makes it strange. The games are usually fun and entertaining and it may not feel like the game is dragging but it still seems to take a ling time to get a game in. Heaven forbid the game goes into extra innings like it did Sunday Night and ended near 12:30am in the East. Maybe it is two many trips to the mound, two many big name players stepping out every pitch so they can be on camera more or longer. Sure it is usually two of the best teams scrapping it out in a fight for first place in the division but that should mean the game should go quicker with the best players available.

I hope that it does not become a trend that baseball losses its young fan base based on games that take to long to be completed. Kids and now even grown ups are in an instant gratification cycle now and everything has to be fast. This ADD/ADHD mentality (TWITTER and TEXTING i am looking in your direction) could be harmful to this beautiful sport and the fate of this great pass time.

The Weekend That Was

It is too bad that the weekend produced nothing to talk about around the water cooler today, a rare miss for the sports world. Unless you count; Game 1 of the Stanley Cup that was a game full of mistakes but was by all accounts a very open game that, if you are a fan of goals you loved this game. 6-5 is not what anyone expected going into the game. You would have thought that with all the time between the Conference Finals and the finals you would have thought that there would be some rust on the teams, or at the very least some close checking as the teams felt each other out...Not So. It was high flying and high scoring, maybe game 2 will settle things down but if the goals still are netted at the rate they were in game one, however and whom ever wins the games will be sure to be great.

Oh, then there was game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals where the good Canadian Steve Nash all but guaranteed that the Suns would take Game 6 and force the Series back to LA. That did not sit well with the Lakers as a team but perhaps more importantly Kobe Bryant. He was not going to allow that kind of talk to come true, not on his watch. Kobe dropped 37 points in guiding his team to a road victory to clinch the West and set up a match up versus the Boston Celtics. When your teammates say things like teammate Lamar Odom said; "Kobe’s so good," "He makes incredible normal for us." It is hard to argue that he is the straw that stirs the drink in the City of Angles. The Black Mamba may once again be on the loose and have his eyes set on the Celtics.

Not enough drama yet? Ok, lets factor in former Ace of the Blue Jays staff, Roy Halladay. We all know that he was one of the best pitchers in the game, a horse, a guy you want on the mound for you. This guy eats up innings as well as opposing batters. It is only fitting that he of all people secured his place in history as one of the greatest by throwing only the 20th Perfect game in Major League history. Zero Hits, Zero runs, Zero Errors and Zero base runners...he faced the minimum 27 batters and none reached first base. Thankfully the currently offensively struggling Phillies managed to put up 1 run for their teammate and even it was on a misplay by the Marlins defence. After all the years in Toronto I guess Doc Halladay learned that without a lot of run support, sometimes you have to do things yourself, and he did! Well done!

Sticking with baseball. Most of us when we were kids imagined being up in the ninth inning with the bases loads looking for a chance to win the game with a walk off - just imagine that dream coming true as a major leaguer. Wouldn’t it be awesome, wouldn’t it feel great!? You bet it would, unless you are Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendry Morales (not to be confused with Esai or Bob Morales) who, after hitting his first career grand slam, fractured his lower left leg, landing awkwardly on home plate while being mobbed by teammates. Maybe this will change the dog pile mentality that teams have after teammates do something to win a game. Maybe stick with the high 5 and not "Jump Around" like they are featured in a House of Pain Video!

The potential for a tragedy was nearly avoided in the Indy 500 when Mike Conway was flown to an Indianapolis hospital for evaluation following a horrific crash at the end of the Indy 500. Conway was battling Ryan Hunter-Reay for position between turns three and four when the two collided. The 24 car flew up into the catch fence then fell back toward the track the car disintegrated while he was strapped into the "fuselage" and managed just a leg injury. It was horrible looking and for the car that drove under the air born 24 nearly taking out that drivers head. It is a wonder that there was no fatalities after this crash.

No House Call For Doc This Year

You can blame the economy and you can blame global politics for a lot of things but I didn't think that they would be blamed for not allowing the "Doc" Roy Halladay to make his big return to Toronto. After being traded in the off season to the National League Phillies, by luck of the draw they were scheduled to play an inter-league series versus each other...that unfortunately is not to be.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced that the Phillies-Jays series will be played in Philadelphia because of the G20 Summit. The three-game series scheduled for June 25-27 will be relocated from Toronto's Rogers Centre to Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park because of security issues for the G20 Summit. World leaders will gather at a convention center near the Toronto ballpark.

It is too bad that a) Fans won't be able to give their salute to a player who not only did a lot for the team on the field but maybe just as much of it off it, along with his wife in their charitable work in the community. and b) a chance to draw a very big crowd to the Rogers Center which has seen some of the lowest attendance in the majors and all time low in the stadium's history be lost with this re-location. Having the Doc in town for 3 days would likly been a good shot in the arm for the turn styles at the Rogers Centre.

Maybe the schedule maker will provide a make good next year and have the Phillies come to TO so Doc can get the reception that he deserves.

Around The Horn

Don’t Call It A Comeback, He’s Been Here For Years! Roy Halladay can now be pencilled in as the National League Cy Young winner. Since moving to the Phillies in an off season trade with the Blue Jays he has amassed a record of 5 wins-1 Loss,1.47 ERA in 49 innings - 3 Complete Games and 2 shutouts with 39 strikeouts.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see him get into the 20’s in wins with the lineup he has around him. If only Toronto could have fielded a better team in his time there. His numbers would likely be out of this world. He has even learned how to handle a bat a little bit. After looking awkward and tentative early on he looks a little better in the box and now has managed 4 hits.

The Windsor Spitfires were on a 3 game losing streak going down 0-3 versus the Kitchener Rangers then after an amazing comeback they took the series 4-3. Now in the OHL Final the Spitfires have won the first 3 and are on a 7 game winning streak and are up 3-0 in the series versus The favoured Barrie Colts. They might be a tough team to face should they advance to the Memorial Cup as they look to defend the title they won last year in comeback fashion.

Floyd "Money" Mayweather took down "Sugar" Shane Mosley on the weekend in decisive fashion. Sure he may be pound for pound the best fighter out there, and after this bout it is hard to dispute. All that is left is for Mayweather to take on Manny Pacquiao. Just to put any critics and fans questions to rest this match needs to happen. Either Mayweather needs to drop his demand for a blood and urine test or Pacquiao needs to suck up his "Fear of Needles" and just get this done. Quit the ducking and just fight. Boxing is in enough trouble with MMA on its heals it needs to keep any momentum that has going.

The Thorpedo may be looking to make a comeback in the pool for the 2012 Olympics.
Ian Thorpe was the world’s highest-profile and at the time the best swimmer in the sport until American Michael Phelps came onto the scene, and had a list of lucrative endorsement deals. He admitted in February that he had financial problems after his personal savings were affected by the global economic crisis, This was most likely his motivation for a possible comeback. It was reported that Thorpe talked to several of Australia’s leading sprinters recently about a potential return for the 400-metre freestyle relay. Thorpe retired after the 2006 Olympics and is now 27. It would be interesting to see both he and Phelps in a pool at the same time.

Best and Worst Of The Wekend

Best: Toronto Raptors guard Jarrett Jack’s brought the ball up the court when he noticed that his shoelace was undone. At that point he tucked the rock under his arm while the clock continued to run, bent over and tied it back up... not a single Bulls player tried to steal or knock the ball away. No Bulls player even made an effort to approach him. The Bull wound up losing the game by 32 points. I guess they were lacking a little bit of hustle.

Worst: Colt McCoy of the Texas Longhorns who not only probably cost himself a Heisman Trophy after a very average game but almost cost his team a shot at a National Championship opportunity. At the end of the game Saturday night versus Nebraska, Colt lost track of time or something and ran an ill-advised play before throwing the ball out of bounds. He, by the slimmest of margins, managed to stop the clock with at best 1 second on the clock. They did get the chance to win the game with a field goal but had he held it for a fraction of a second longer the huge underdog Cincinnati would be in the BCS Championship game.

Best: Although it happened on Friday, the 100th anniversary for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre was what it was expected to be...Well done, moving and a great tribute. The Ceremony was about 90 minute but did not seem overblown or drawn out at all. It was great to see all of the Old Time Greats that have played on that historic teams over the years. In addition to the celebration they also retired 2 numbers to two of the most elder members of the Canadians hockey family. Elmer Lach’s No. 16 and Emile (Butch) Bouchard’s No. 3. (In a class move Ryan O’Byrne pulled off his #3 jersey and gave it to Bouchard as he changed his number to #20). Having Mr.. Hockey Gordie Howe come out with a "Rocket" Richard jersey was great. It was interesting that only 3 got a special intro. Jean Beliveau I get, even maybe Guy Lafleur but Patrick Roy? He got his own and received one of the biggest ovations. I agree that maybe he deserves it as I was and still am a huge Roy fan but it just seemed interesting that he would get special attention.

Worst: Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left patella. First off are there many injuries that sound more painful then a fractured patella? Secondly this looks like it is going to be an ongoing issue as he has already had some major issues with his legs. Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, missed the entire 2007-08 season due to a micro fracture surgery on his right knee. He then missed time last season with foot and knee injuries. I though going into his draft year that he was a risky pick, especially so high just based on his play and his perceived potential. I thought the was going to be brittle at the NBA level but that isn’t even the case, it was just doing average moves. You never will expect to jump and break your leg.

Best: Blue Jays Pitcher Roy Halladay, who only has one year left on his contract and doesn’t seem to want to re-sign with the club. He has a no trade clause. He has said that he only wants to go to a team that trains in Florida so he can be close to home. He wants to be moved to a winner/contender. If there isn’t a deal done by spring no deal. Those aren’t very restrictive demands now are they?? By my math that pretty much just leaves Boston New York, New York Mets and maybe Philadelphia. Granted he may be more up-front with his reasons to want to move but is what he is doing really that much more different then what Dany Heatley did in Ottawa? Sure the optics are a little better for Doc but in the grand scheme of things the two are very similar. It happens is all pro sports, it is the nature of the beast. Heatley was a lot more secretive and that was the main difference but all things considered it is all very similar. I say Dany is now vindicated in his move.

Worst: Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. In his first game behind the bench the Flyers managed to rise to the occasion and lose 8-2. Granted that was aided by Dan Carcillo who was just suspended four games for his role in a fight that earned him 19 penalty minutes and a game misconduct. The 9 min. power play given to the Capitals may have helped seal the fate of the Flyers. Something tells me that Carcillo may already be in Laviolette’s dog house and may not be on the roster for much longer, especially if he pulls a stunt like that.

Winter Meetings

With World Series just beginning to fade in your mind, MLB GMs are already focusing on next season. The baseball GMs have come together in Chicago for thier winter meetings and it is no different then any other year. Sure they will talk about the business of baseball but unless there are some huge changes in schedules or rules or maybe even the expansion of instant replay most fans don’t relay care or pay attention to it. What they do pay attention to is the time in between and after the "formal meetings". This is a great place will all the big decision makers to get to talk 1 on 1 and perhaps get a positive dialogue going in terms of making a possible off season deal.

With the World Series over we now know who is available on the Free Agent Market and teams will have a good idea on who is out there and who they may need to target from other teams. Last year my Braves dipped their toes into both areas in getting some new players. Unfortunately they chased a few that got away and were shunned buy some others but that is all part of the game. They worked on the starting rotation last season, now it looks like they are looking for a bat and may be willing to move one of their top starters to get someone to help bolster the lineup. That has been the knock on the Braves for years, always known for a strong rotation but maybe not the most consistent lineup top to bottom.

The Blue Jays are also in an interesting position at these meetings. With a new young GM this will be his first meetings while leading the team. The team is in shambles and the direction unclear at this time, not a good position to be in. That being said, if he want to put his mark on the team now may be a great chance to do that. With Roy Halladay only signed to the end of the year, the opportunity for a deal involving some major prospects or quality talent may be out there and at these meetings may be an opportunity to get some talks going. There are also some other players that if they are able to purge somehow could start a positive rebuild. Lyle Overbay could be on the move and is movable, Vernon Wells needs to be moved but is unlikely to be able to be moved because he has so much money owed and so much time remaining that he may be virtually un-moveable.

We will all watch with interest and see how things shake out.

The Underrated All Star

I know what you are thinking, but no this is not about Roy Halladay, this is about the National League's representative to have this title. Tim Lincecum. This is one special pitcher and one to watch for many years to come. I don't know if this helps or hurts him but he is a dead ringer for 2 other young up-and-coming-stars - Mitch Kramer (from Dazed and Confused) and Kelly Leak (from The Bad News Bears)



One of the best pitchers in baseball is also one of the most unknown. The fact that he plays in San Francisco does not help his overall exposure on TV or in the media. Not unlike Halladay who is hurt by being in Toronto and not getting the coverage he deserves, Lincecum, playing on the West Coast doesn't get the same viewers or publicity that he probably deserves from those in the East. That actually is only 1 thing that connects him with Halladay...they were almost teammates at one time. There was a very good chance a season or 2 ago that the Jays may be willing to move a then very good young prospect in Alex Rios to San Fran in exchange for Lincecum. If I am not mistaken it was the Jays who were the ones who balked at the proposed deal (my how hindsight is 20/20). For San Francisco the best deal was the one never made.

Tim Lincecum has emerged as a great young throwback fireballer who is looking like the real deal. He has that old throwback style with his delivery with the full leg kick and arm motion. This is the type of delivery that allowed the old school guys like those from the 30's, 40's and 50's to be capable to throw complete games, in short rotations and win more games without breaking down and have long careers. In this age of specialization and limited pitch counts it is nice to see a pitcher that is taking an old school approach. His dad is the one who worked with him to throw in that style and is probably the best pitching coach he will have during his career. There is a reason why pitchers threw that way. Good mechanics are effective in a game and on a career (just look at the Jays who have started 12 different guys in the rotation this year and have probably more injuries to starting pitchers then any other team in baseball history).

Lincecum just picked up his 10th win Thursday, allowing three runs over 6.2 innings against the Padres. In addition he actually took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, when his 29-inning scoreless streak ended....29 innings, that is like over 3 full games without allowing a run. The 149 K's is nothing to sneeze at either! He has fast become the most dominant starter in baseball all at the tender age of 25. After this years All Star game there is a good chance that his time flying under the national radar will be over and fans will see just how good he really is.

Now if we can just get him to trim up the mop top he will have the total package.

Quick Hits

The Tour De France is now in full force which means we should hear about a bunch of positive drug tests, Lance Armstrong allegations and criticisms, poor North American ratings and if all goes well 1 or 2 huge crashes. Other then that there is little to hold ones interest until the last day...when it is over.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly shopping the service of ace Roy Halladay, guess that is the white towel we have been waiting for. Halladay is almost the only pitcher on the team without a broken wing and can actually throw strikes so I guess it is time for him to move on. It is too bad that they can’t rid themselves of the albatross that is Vernon Wells and his massive contract.

The Reds managed to loose last night 22-1 to the Phillies. That is the worst loss in team history. This is not an expansion team either that means it was the worst loss in some 119 years, not good. The Phillies plated 10 in the first inning, not a great way to set the table for the rest of the game.

Remarks by Maple Leafs’ head coach Ron Wilson on a Toronto radio station could prove to be very costly. The Leafs are being investigated for tampering as it relates to the Vancouver Canucks Sedin twins. Wilson stated "You’re hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there’s a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let’s just speculate there."
This they investigate but they look the other way when Brian Burke was rumored to go to the Leafs as GM. Seems like the NHL only investigates things that they feel like sometimes. Guess that is how 1 owner can lend money to the prospective buyers of a team or another can buy a team with no money. Guess It is very selective and subjective.

A Great Halladay This Summer

With all the playoff fever of late and the ongoing Championships in both the NBA and NHL baseball has slid a bit under the radar. Once the two leagues crown the winners there will be a clear lull as far as sports goes and that will be baseballs time to shine and take a hold of the sports viewership. After all it is the Great American game, America’s Pass time and may well be one of the best sports out there. With that said, I would like to give the casual viewer something to keep an eye on and give out some credit where credit is most defiantly due to an under appreciated player:

He is probably the best, most durable, most dominant pitcher in baseball today. He is the throwback pitcher like they used to have in the game before specialization and lefty righty match ups became en vogue. He is the Doc.

Roy Halladay could very well be one of the most underrated pitchers in all of baseball. He consistently is either leading or at the top of the list when it comes to complete games on a yearly basis. His innings pitched and pitches thrown are among the league leaders as well. For lack of a better term he is a horse, the stud of the Blue Jays pitching staff. When he goes to the mound every 5th day you know that you are at the very least going to have a chance to win and that he is going to give you a quality start and save a few innings on your bullpen.

I find it a bit of a shame that he has not been given more to work with under JP Riccardi and the Jays organization over his time. Sure being in the East versus the Sox and the Yanks the hope of gaining a championship is next to impossible but it would be nice if he could get a little more of a reward or more recognition at least on a personal level. Sure he has won a Cy Young and is a front runner for one this year after a 9-1 start. He just doesn’t seem to get lumped into the same league with other top name pitchers despite probably being better. Halladay set a personal best of 14 strikeouts this week in a victory over the Angels and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He is a pro’s pro - he even seemed to be one of the best pitching coaches since he had managed to turn around the often wandering attention and consistency of AJ Burnett

Jays fans know that Roy is Roy. I just hope that other baseball fans can appreciate him just as much.

The Doctor Is In... He’ll Cure What Ails You.

Last night Roy Halladay faced off versus former teammate and friend AJ Burnett. Lets be clear on this...this was Doc vs AJ not the Yankees vs the Jays and Halladay prevailed in showing his former young protege that he was still the master.
In his first 2 years in Toronto all that you would hear on the talk shows was how bad a signing it was to acquire him for such a large amount of money. In his 3rd year (where he had an opt-out clause) he blossomed into a good pitcher and one that could potentially cash in if he so chose...and that he did just that in New York.
Last night marked the first time facing his old team and the first time that he would be pitching back at the Roger’s Center.

I figured that before the game that with it being a Tuesday night game that the crowd would be good but I was shocked to see that the place was packed with over 43,000 in attendance and as loud as it used to be back in the days when they were winning World Series. Former catcher Daren Fletcher said that he had not seen the building with as much enthusiasm ever and he had been with or around the team since 1998. For a divisional game in mid May it was something to be seen, it was as close to a playoff atmosphere as the team has seen in well over a decade. By all accounts the people got their moneys worth. Jays win, Doc get a complete game win, AJ and the Yankees lose and Aaron Hill continued his hitting assault with 2 hits including a home run off Burnett. The game length was a mere 2h:22min, typical of an efficient start by Halladay. He is probably the best pitcher in baseball and is now 7-1, perhaps even on his way to another Cy Young.