Firstly, pardon the visual mess of the blog layout. It's a work in progress.
Broken news announced that MLB is looking at the accuracy of A-Rod's statements about his steroid use. Will this be just another back and forth with lawyers, agents, and the commissioner? Likely so. Will Alex take the high ground and give full disclosure? Unlikely.
Rodriguez makes more in salary during one game than most of us earn in a year. He's not likely to fall on his sword for ethical reasons, at least until he holds all the holy achievement records in baseball. Just when we're rid of Barry Bonds a new bligh appears.
Baseball will never be the dear sport again until A-Rod resigns/retires. I can't afford good game seats anyway.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Seattle Once Upon a Time
Dave Niehaus, long-time Seattle Mariners radio announcer created the A-Rod moniker. He was also the originator of the Big Unit tag for Randy Johnson, which he later regretted. He tried to shift to RJ, but the locals wouldn't have any of that.
Those were the heydays for the Mariners. They had Junior, Edgar, Bones, The Unit, A-Rod, and the bonus of being managed by Sweet Lou (Piniella). Pitching never got them all the way to the World Series, but they did manage to eliminate the Yankees once.
One of my favorite footnotes to the mid 90"s Mariners was the acquisition of closer Heathcliff Slocum, from the Boston Red Sox. The Mariners traded Jason Varitec and Derek Lowe for Slocum. One of the best or worst trades ever, depending on your allegiance. Boston fans referred to him as Heart Attack. He saved 13 games for the Mariners over 1 1/2 seasons, with a statistical WL record of 2-9. He generally put the first batter on base in relief, which was not a good pattern for a closer. He was big and intimidating. Lots of heat, as they say.
My wife, who keeps unofficial track of such things, named him one of the biggest butts in baseball (1997), on the Kirby Puckett gold standard. One might argue that Tony Gwynn or Rick Garces (El Guapo) both were sitting on that title. Heathcliff's career sadly ended 2 years after his stint with the Mariners with a line drive to the groin while pitching for the Padres. He lost a ball in the play. Off Base hopes he's happily retired in his native Jamaica.
Those were the heydays for the Mariners. They had Junior, Edgar, Bones, The Unit, A-Rod, and the bonus of being managed by Sweet Lou (Piniella). Pitching never got them all the way to the World Series, but they did manage to eliminate the Yankees once.
One of my favorite footnotes to the mid 90"s Mariners was the acquisition of closer Heathcliff Slocum, from the Boston Red Sox. The Mariners traded Jason Varitec and Derek Lowe for Slocum. One of the best or worst trades ever, depending on your allegiance. Boston fans referred to him as Heart Attack. He saved 13 games for the Mariners over 1 1/2 seasons, with a statistical WL record of 2-9. He generally put the first batter on base in relief, which was not a good pattern for a closer. He was big and intimidating. Lots of heat, as they say.
My wife, who keeps unofficial track of such things, named him one of the biggest butts in baseball (1997), on the Kirby Puckett gold standard. One might argue that Tony Gwynn or Rick Garces (El Guapo) both were sitting on that title. Heathcliff's career sadly ended 2 years after his stint with the Mariners with a line drive to the groin while pitching for the Padres. He lost a ball in the play. Off Base hopes he's happily retired in his native Jamaica.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The New York Yanktons
Baseball is good, but is it precious? Certainly the Yankees didn't anticipate that a large number of Wall Streeters wouldn't have enough disposable cash to drop a few G's to see them slug or be drubbed on a regular basis. That center field camera shot of empty seats is more than an embarrassment. It's loss.
Baseball has the longest season in major professional sports, unless you figure in tennis, which just crosses the equator and keeps going. Soccer too, I suppose. Regardless, Off base thinks we'll see a contraction of salaries soon, and hopefully ticked prices as well. The physical infrastructure has become a problem to teams.
Many great ballparks have been built over the past few decades and the public has largely shared in the cost. It's doubly a bite in the ass for fans to shell out such a chunk of cash for attending a game. American League teams have been inflating gate prices when the Yanktons are in town. Your correspondent thinks this is not in keeping with the ethics of baseball, no matter how rosy or dark the socks may be.
Sport is entertainment, and entertainment is a luxury. As a fan, my $1.50 admission to a game between Oaxaca and Veracruz close inside 1st base was just as entertaining and significant as the A's beating the crap out of the Yanktons for $14, home plate advantage.
Baseball has the longest season in major professional sports, unless you figure in tennis, which just crosses the equator and keeps going. Soccer too, I suppose. Regardless, Off base thinks we'll see a contraction of salaries soon, and hopefully ticked prices as well. The physical infrastructure has become a problem to teams.
Many great ballparks have been built over the past few decades and the public has largely shared in the cost. It's doubly a bite in the ass for fans to shell out such a chunk of cash for attending a game. American League teams have been inflating gate prices when the Yanktons are in town. Your correspondent thinks this is not in keeping with the ethics of baseball, no matter how rosy or dark the socks may be.
Sport is entertainment, and entertainment is a luxury. As a fan, my $1.50 admission to a game between Oaxaca and Veracruz close inside 1st base was just as entertaining and significant as the A's beating the crap out of the Yanktons for $14, home plate advantage.
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