Can Yankee fans read this headline without vomiting?

Carl Pavano?Leadership?The man dubbed as "American Idle" by the New York press.The man who signed arguably the worst contract in the history of the New York Yankees.I guess for a Yankee fan, a more likely headline would be ...SYNAGOGUE VOTES MEL GIBSON AS MAN OF THE YEARorPETA HIRES SARAH PALIN AS SPOKESWOMANorMICHAEL AND DINA LOHAN WIN PARENTS OF THE YEARJust goes to show you, some people are

With one swing of the bat, so many things go wrong for the Red Sox

When I heard Paul Konerko hit his grand slam while driving this evening, my heart sank. I thought all emotion was over once my team got eliminated... but I guess not.I really wanted Jon Lester to get 20 wins... Not going to happen.I wanted Jon Lester to get Cy Young consideration... Not going to happen.And I wanted the Red Sox to get to 90 wins.Well after this sweep, there's a chance they won't

IN HONOR OF KENNY LOFTON

The well traveled veteran who made a memorable cameo with the Giants in 2002...A man who played in 11 post seasons in his 16+ big league seasons but somehow never won a ring...The lead off man who homered in the Giants Game 1 victory in the 2002 NLCS over St. Louis...But he saved his most heroic moment for last when he singled home David Bell in the bottom of the 9th to end Game 5 and clinch the

IN HONOR OF BRETT BUTLER

The man who was one of the best lead off hitters during the 1980s and 1990s...The man who had to fill Chili Davis' shoes after the 1987 season and did so admirably...The man who led the National League in runs in his first year with the Giants and led the NL in hits in 1990...The man who led off Game 1 of the 1989 NLCS with a single and scored in the first off of Greg Maddux to send the Giants on

I still think 20 wins is cool

Jon Lester goes for win #20 tonight and I really hope he gets it.Of course I want ANY Red Sox pitcher to win and with the Sox still having a shot at 90 wins, I want them win as often as they can now.But 20 for Jon Lester will be sweet.I know we're not supposed to care about win totals anymore.I had someone say they are a meaningless stat.And while I wouldn't go as far as meaningless (Hello! You

IN HONOR OF BILL TERRY

The greatest first baseman the Giants ever had before moving to San Francisco...The man who in 1930 batted .401, had an OPS of 1.071, hit 23 homers with 129 RBI while striking out only 33 times. A good guy to have on your fantasy team...The man who had the unenviable job of replacing John McGraw as Giants manager...In his first full season as manager he led the Giants to the 1933 World Series,

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 30, 2010

September is over after today... teams that are still alive tomorrow can officially say they were in it into October. But how far?Time is running out on San Diego and despite a slew of injuries the Braves just might limp across the finish line. The Giants have all but clinched a better record than the Reds (2 games up with 4 to play is hard enough to make up for Cincinnati... but San Francisco

Rays fans got their money's worth

Free tickets!It turns out Rays fans aren't bad fans... they are just bargain hunters.Try that out in Boston or New York or Chicago or St. Louis... free tickets for a potential World Series team.20,000 of them.Actually Oakland and Pittsburgh should try that out.Hell, San Diego should have over Labor Day. They gave ONE free ticket to me. What's another 19,999 between friends?The Rays offense didn't

Girardi and Vazquez talk on the mound

At one point during a typical Javier Vazquez start (less then 5 innings, more than 5 runs) he got hit by a line from Blue Jays' John Buck.Joe Girardi and the training staff came running out to talk to him.GIRARDI: Javy! Are you alright?VAZQUEZ: I'm fine skip. Let's play ball.GIRARDI: Man this looks bad. You could have been killed.VAZQUEZ: What are you talking about? I picked it up, I threw the

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO - "A Question for Rangers fans" September 28, 2010

IN HONOR OF MEL OTT

The first National Leaguer to hit 500 homers...A devastating power hitter despite his small 5'9" frame...Would be the envy of Sabrmetric fans because along with his homers, he also constantly was among the league leaders in walks...Posted a 1.222 OPS, hit .389 with 2 homers in 1933 World Series win for the Giants...One of those homers came in the top of the 10th of Game 5 that put the Giants

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 29, 2010

All games count equally in the baseball schedule. A game won in April is the same as a game won in September... mathematically. But with less than a week to go, we have entered "You can't afford to lose a single game" territory for some teams.The Red Sox and Rockies are officially done.And look out Padres... 1 game back in the loss column is nothing in April, but quite a big margin with 5 games

2010 Boston Red Sox... Rest in Peace

Play taps.Pay your last respects.The Red Sox are not making the 2010 postseason... it doesn't matter if they throw no hitters the rest of the way and the Yankees only start Javy Vazquez, Joba Chamberlain and A. J. Burnett.They are done.I have a Red Sox fan friend who wrote to me saying "We can't blame the injuries for this season." Which is like saying "We can't blame the ice berg for sinking the

Wasn't that better than watching the Reds clinch on an off day?

Seriously. The Reds could have clinched yesterday on their off day if the Pirates defeated the Cardinals. I am sure it would have been fine for Reds fans who have been waiting since 1995 for a trip to the post season (after falling ever so short in 1999.)I guess when you've missed the playoffs for a decade and a half, you shouldn't get picky.But I am guessing there isn't a Reds fan around who

Remembering September 28th, 1987

23 years ago today, a great moment happened in San Francisco Giants history... and I would be remiss if I didn't pay tribute to it.In 1987, my family moved from the Boston area to the San Francisco Bay Area. I was still smarting from the 1986 World Series when I saw my new local team make an unlikely trip to the post season.The Giants (or the "Hum Babies" based on manager Roger Craig's

1/3 of all MLB have a shot at 90 wins

90 wins is a big number for a team.In a 162 season, teams that win 90 have a legit shot at the post season.90 wins is a mark of excellence.And by that rationale, 10 of the 30 big league teams could be excellent by the time the year is up.Right now the Rays, Yankees, Twins and Phillies have all reached 90.If the Giants and Braves win 2 more they will get to 90.If the Red Sox, Rangers, Reds and

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 28, 2010

The Phillies clinched home field advantage throughout the postseason (and Roy Halladay probably clinched his second Cy Young.) And soon the Phils might be aiming for the title of greatest team in Philadelphia sports history (they MUST be in the conversation!)The Reds couldn't count on the Pirates to beat the Cardinals so they'll have to clinch it themselves. It is better that way.Let's hope Cincy

I don't often quote Don Henley but...

... all I can say to Red Sox fans is "Don't look back, you can never look back."When I saw that Clay Buchholz was showing off his ace stuff and A. J. Burnett was proving that he shouldn't even be allowed to BUY a playoff ticket... I did what every single Red Sox fan on the planet Earth did:Lament what happened last night in the Bronx.3 outs away from the sweep... and tonight we'd be 3 GAMES BACK

IN HONOR OF ROBBY THOMPSON...

The man who was runner up in the 1986 NL Rookie of the Year vote...The man who put the Giants on the board in their come from behind win Game 4 of the 1987 NLCS...The man whose homer in Game 3 of the 1989 NLCS put the Giants ahead for good. (A game attended by yours truly)...The man who was a 2 time All Star, Silver Slugger Award winner and a Gold Glover winner...And a man whose glove was so old

Victor hurt again? Why not?

When it looked like Victor Martinez was going to be taken out of the game last night during that grotesque 10th inning, I thought "Why not?"Seriously... after seeing the stat that among the 19 players put on the Red Sox DL, there were 6 players on the Red Sox opening day starting line up and 9 either former or current All Stars.Victor Martinez was one of the 19, one of the 6 and one of the 9...

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 27, 2010

The playoff picture is a little clearer than it was yesterday...Going into yesterday there would have been a one game playoff whose outcome would determine BOTH National League Division Series match ups... and Red Sox fans had some hope.Well going into the final week of the season, three teams can clinch a playoff spot on Monday. Actually the Phillies already did clinch a spot today, but if they

Yankees read the Red Sox their Miranda rights

So many things went right this weekend...The Sox won the series and avoided elimination...The Sox knocked the Yankees out of first place...The Sox showed some grit and resolve...Jon Lester won #19...Dice-K was great...Rivera was vulnerable...And yet it ended with such a bad taste in my mouth.A bases loaded walk off walk?I never understood how those are possible.LOB IT DOWN THE HEART OF THE PLATE!

IN HONOR OF KEVIN MITCHELL

The man who scored on The Wild Pitch in Game 6 for the Mets and was dealt away the next off season to San Diego...The man who arrived in San Francisco midway through the 1987 season (with Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts) and fit into the Giants team like a glove...The man who famously didn't NEED a glove when he made that amazing bare handed catch in St. Louis...The man whose barehanded catch

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO - Red Sox fans... do the math

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 26, 2010

As we finish the second to last weekend of the season, things are clearer and things are muddier.Congrats to the Texas Rangers who clinched a playoff spot and essentially has no chance to catch the Rays, Twins or Yankees and won't have home field in the Division Series.Get your starters ready and do what you can to get Hamilton back in the line up.Meanwhile the National League race is clearer (

PLEASE TELL ME THE RANGERS GAME IS BEING BROADCAST IN TEXAS

I saw a TV listings of the national Fox games and they did NOT list the A's/Rangers game today.And it didn't list a local channel either.If the Rangers win they will win their first Division Title since 1999.PLEASE tell me that Rangers fans can... you know... watch their team win a championship.You'd think that would be a big deal, even for Rangers fans.

#1 on the Oakland A's

Flipping through pictures in Yahoo Sports tonight I stumbled across this one.A's second baseman Aki Iwamura signing autographs in an empty Oakland Colliseum (I have no clue what its official name is any more.)Do you know what struck me as odd? That #1 was available to a player who was cut by the Pirates earlier this year.Iwamura didn't have a year good enough to stick around on the worst team in

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 25, 2010

Things are shuffling around on the deck of the SS Playoffs... teams are being added and others dropped and playoff match ups are being mixed up.Frankly I wouldn't mind this exact playoff set up in the National League to be the final one. And the top of the American League has three teams with identical win totals and 1 game separating the three in the loss column.Let's see the current match

IN HONOR OF MATT WILLIAMS...

The Carson Crusher...The man who had an amazing NLCS in 1989, including a game winning homer in Game 4...The man who looked like he was going to make a run at Roger Maris when the strike hit in 1994...The man whose trade to Cleveland was KILLED by everyone. Who was Jeff Kent anyway?In HIS honor we will say...THE GIANTS MAGIC NUMBER IS 9!

I thought of another reason to watch the Red Sox/Yankees series

When I wrote my piece about why we should even watch this Red Sox/Yankees series, I forgot one other factor... The Red Sox could pass the Rangers in the standings. For some reason I think I will feel better about our 2010 season if they won 90 games and had a better record than one of the AL Playoff games.Now of course tonight's game was WAYYY more suspenseful than it had any reason to be... but

How bad are Joba Chamberlain and Javy Vazquez?

I know Joba and Javy have been pinatas for me all year... but let's face it, they've earned every single whack the way they've pitched.Don't believe me? Just look at last night... a game where their supposed 8th inning stud and supposed new rotation workhorse were used in their playoff roles: Mop up men.Actually Joba was given the role to get out of a 6th inning bases loaded jam and keep the game

YES... you can be a .500 winner and deserve the Cy Young Award

I heard the panel on MLB last night talk about the American League Cy Young Award today and they unanimously picked C. C. Sabathia, mainly based on his 20 wins.John Hart said that Felix Hernandez had the great numbers but his win total wasn't enough.I don't claim to know more about baseball than John Hart nor the panel.That being said, that is "smearing feces on the wall crazy."And yesterday's

10 Reasons to watch this weekend's Red Sox/Yankees Series

When the 2010 schedule was published showing the season beginning and ending with Red Sox and Yankee series, it sure felt exciting, didn't it?Perhaps there would be a great showdown for the AL East... maybe playoff positioning?When the Red Sox were hovering around contention the 6 head to head meetings over the final 10 games sure looked inviting.Now...Flop.The Red Sox are all but done... the

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 24, 2010

It's getting late and tight.1 game in the loss column separate the Twins, Yankees and Rays... but they are all getting in.Atlanta, Cincinnati, San Diego and San Francisco are all tied in the loss column... and while the Reds are safe, the Braves, Padres and Giants are fighting for 2 spots.Let's see what the match ups are.AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES MINNESOTA TWINS (AL Central Champion)has

A funny thing happened on the Twins off day

The Twins didn't play on Thursday and they are still buzzing from their Division Title clinching.But guess what?With the Yankees losing, New York dropped to 92-61.The idle Twins have a record of 92-60.In the loss column, they are ahead.Can you say it with me?As I type this, the Minnesota Twins are THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL.Just something for Twin fans to savor as they eat their Corn Flakes.

IN HONOR OF JOHNNY LeMASTER...

The man drafted #6 over all in 1973 (waaaay ahead of Fred Lynn and Eddie Murray)...The man whose fielding was so dreadful that it became legendary...The man who tried to defuse the hostile fans by wearing the name "BOO" on his uniform...The man who basically personified the frustrating late 1970s of the Giants...THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 10!

Hey Bochy, stick with this line up

In the last 13 games, as I wrote last night, the Giants have scored a total of 38 runs... a little less than 3 a game.The way they are hitting tonight, they could score 38 runs before the 7th inning.I'm not kidding. 11 runs in 3 innings?The Giants?Take this line up, Bochy and keep starting it.After tonight, there are only 9 regular season Giants games left.The number of games left is the same as

I hope Ron Santo gave someone his car keys tonight

I've been listening to Ron Santo announcing part of the Giants/Cubs game tonight.Let me rephrase that.I've been listening to Ron Santo slurring his words, telling the occasional piece of analysis with many awkward pauses and grumbling "Oh no... Oh man" as the Giants... arguably the worst offense in the bigs right now put up 10 runs in the first 2 innings.He sounded Andy Capp level drunk.It's only

The National League Cy Young Race just got a little clearer

I think it is safe to remove Ubaldo Jimenez from the Cy Young front runner list.He's had a terrific year. I'll go out and say it was the best year a Rockies pitcher ever had. He threw a memorable no hitter, had a mind boggling first half and can still wind up as the first 20 game winner in Rockies history if he can win one more game over the next 2 weeks.But stats wise, he no longer is keeping

Just go Joe... you've already quit

Seriously, what is the point for Joe Torre to stick around?He seems more interested in discussing the Mets managerial position and showing up to Yankee Stadium than having a motivated team take the field in Chavez Ravine.Don't believe me that this team is dead from the neck up?Since August 27th, the Dodgers have lost 17 out of 23 games. They haven't won a single series since. The closest they

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 23, 2010

It's that time of the year when there is no longer any need for analysis. Games are played and you never know what pitching match up will fall apart.Just ask Ubaldo Jimenez, who lost his shot at a 20th win and probably took himself out of the Cy Young race by getting clobbered by the Diamondbacks... not exactly a powerhouse.It's also a crazy time where one minute the Padres are on the outside

The Padres look like champs... against the Dodgers

If Giant fans are looking for any silver lining about this rancid night of baseball for them... they lost another low scoring game and the Padres took over first place because the Dodgers just... don't... care... they can find comfort knowing that tomorrow night, the Padres reign of dominance ends.You see for the past month or so, the Padres are incapable of putting together a winning streak,

Offensive offense

Well, I already made the "Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week To Quit..." joke from Airplane.But I can honestly say right now the Giants need Willie Mays... NOW... at age 79...He could easily hit 6th on this Giants team.They've gone into Wrigley Field and scored a run.One.If Buster Posey's flyball doesn't clear the wall last night they would have been shut out two straight nights.Want a scary stat

Hey look at that! the Red Sox won a game!

So the Sox didn't get swept by the Orioles. It's been that kind of stretch run where THAT is the branch I cling to so I can feel better.A nice good old fashioned not close win. A few homers. Some nice pitching from Lackey. Boom! A win.There are 10 games left including 6 with the Yankees that, barring one of the most staggering collapses in baseball history, will be meaningless.Here's all I want

Cardinals vs. Reds could be the rivalry of the 2010s

Hey baseball… want to do something SMART regarding the marketing of your sport?OK, I didn’t think so.But in case you do, let me point out something that is going on. The two most popular teams remain the Yankees and the Red Sox and yes, most of the TV and marketing attention is being pushed towards them.However, the rivalry is getting a little stale… and this is coming from a die hard Red Sox fan

The sun is setting in Boston

There's no reason to breakdown last night's game. There has been enough breaking down.The Red Sox lost a game to the Orioles 9-1.Read that sentence again.I know the Orioles have played better since Buck Showalter has arrived but I don't care if Earl Weaver is the manager, the days of losing to the Orioles 9-1 should have retired with Cal Ripken.It is almost over... what a shame that the two

Walk away if you win #28, Joe

Hey Joe Girardi… take a good long look at what has happened to the legacy of Joe Torre. Only Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel had ever managed three straight World Series winners before Torre and he brought class and dignity to the Yankee clubhouse along with his titles.And today he is being portrayed as a manipulator, a man with a tarnished legacy and even those are questioning whether he belongs

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 22, 2010

Everyone was back playing and despite some exciting games... no changes.Except of course the Twins ARE in... they are the Central Champs. And with a 7 game lead over Texas with 11 to play, they have all but clinched home field in the Division Series.The Yankees are padding their lead, the Rangers have let the A's and Angels pick up 3 games on them and the Rays don't have to worry about the Red

Anticlimax at the clincher

The Minnesota Twins clinched the American League Central Division tonight. The moment it happened the crowd was... indifferent.And the players on the field... shook hands and quietly walked off the field.Because the Twins weren't playing when they clinched the Division. They had already come from behind against Cleveland to win their came and cut the magic number to 1.And the A's were beating up

IN HONOR OF JIM DAVENPORT

A terrific fielding and hitting third baseman...A member of the original 1958 San Francisco Giants...An All Star in 1962 when he batted a career high .297 with a Gold Glove...Helped win the first pennant in San Francisco that year and played all 13 seasons of his career by the Bay...Briefly a manager and still with the front office...In his Honor we announceTHE GIANTS MAGIC NUMBER IS 12Keep

IT'S THE MONOLITH!

When I saw the Gigantic block that suddenly appeared at Yankee Stadium and saw all the people walking up to touch it, I immediately thought of the Dawn of Man in 2001.Come on! I can't be the only one who thought of that!I love how George's monument dwarfs that of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Miller Huggins, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth's.Were we expecting something SUBTLE?Don't complain folks.

It's always dopey in Philadelphia

I'm going to get the disclaimers out of the way early here.I like the Phillies. I think they are a cool team made of some good home grown stars and I think the mini pseudo dynasty that they are creating s good for baseball.And I like a lot of Phillies fans. A lot of my cousins grew up in Delaware and are Phillies fans. I have friends from comedy and TV who are all Philadelphia sports fans and

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 21, 2010

With the NL West napping before the autumnal equinox, there was some jockeying for position in the National League while the Twins are creeping ever so quietly to possibly join the Yankees for "Best Record in Baseball."If the Yankees lose and the Twins win, they will both have the best record in the game.And the Phillies, who haven't lost in over a week, may also lay claim to that title before

The Buck (and the losing) stops here

As a selfish Red Sox fan, I don't like what I am seeing in the American League East.It used to be so simple... as recently as 2007 this was what playing in the AL East was like:The Yankees... man they are tough. The Sox can play well against them, but it is always a dog fight and the season series is always close.The Blue Jays... they have a few good players and can beat you if you are napping.

A crazy idea... why not start Cole Hamels game 1?

Seriously... the way Cole Hamels has been pitching recently, I say throw him game 1 of the Division Series.He's clearly not the nervous wreck who just wanted 2009 to end. He is channelling his inner 2008. Remember THAT Cole Hamels? The one who won the NLCS AND World Series MVP... putting him in the company of Willie Stargell, Darrell Porter, Orel Hershiser and Livan

NL West race is going to top ROCKY II

It is appropriate that one of the teams involved in the NL West race are called The Rockies, because I am reminded of one of the Rocky films when I look at how the division is winding down.Each team, the Rockies, Giants and Padres, get a breather today.That’s bad news for the Rockies (who have an extra day to mull how they blew a 6 run lead and a chance to force a 3 way tie in the loss column.)

Is it worth 52 seconds to get a call right?

In the 11th inning of yesterday's Dodgers/Rockies game, Rafael Furcal grounded into what looked like a double play but was called safe.Jim Tracy came out to argue and less than a minute after the play was made, the instant replay showed that Furcal was indeed out.It was 52 seconds.All the people screaming "it will slow down the game" need to answer to this.Less than a minute later we saw the call

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 20, 2010

It is officially late September... and if your team is included in the little collage I made above, then you can have no beef with your GM nor your farm department.They bought the groceries for a team that made it all the way to the last 1/3 of September in line for an October date.It's up to each team to survive the next 14 days.And guess what? I have the logos for the Rockies and the Padres

IN HONOR OF EDGARDO ALFONZO

The man who took over for Jeff Kent and had a dynamic second half of the 2003 season...The man who crushed a grand slam off of Kerry Wood on July 30th, 2003 to power the Giants to victory...The man who batted .529 with an OPS of 1.320 in the 2003 Division Series against Florida...And the first player in New York or San Francisco Giants history to wear such an unlucky uniform on his back..THE

Jayson's Werth

Remember how at the Trade Deadline it was a foregone conclusion that Jayson Werth was going to be dealt for bullpen help. He is going to be a free agent and hey! Domonic Brown would take over in right field. He got uniform #9... just like Roy Hobbs.I wonder if anyone was thinking that today when Werth clubbed that 2 run walk off 9th inning shot in Philly.Forget bullpen help... Werth closed the

See Luke Scott's face?

This is the face of a man who knows that he just hit a game tying 9th inning homer off of Mariano Rivera.This is the face of a man who knows that no matter what bar or family barbecue he ever goes to, he will have the COOLEST story.Game tying shot off a certain Hall of Famer putting up awesome numbers?If I hit a homer like that, it would be on my business card.Hell, it would be how I preface a

THE RED SOX ARE STILL IN IT... AND THEY ARE GOING TO WIN IT!

I am writing it down now...The Red Sox are winning the 2010 World Series.Lester picked up win #18, the Sox bats woke up, Rivera blew another save and the Rays fell apart to the Angels.The Sox picked up a game on both. And guess what? The Rays and Yankees are playing each other... so if they win tomorrow they will pick up a game on ONE of them.They are 7 games back in the loss column with 13 games

Is there an East Coast Bias in Awards voting?

I've been supporting Felix Hernandez as the Cy Young winner even though I think voters will vote for C. C. Sabathia and his 20 wins (even though King Felix has him beat in every other category.)But some people, including the good folks at Emerald City Diamond Gems, think that the fact that Sabathia plays in New York will tip the scales his way.I've heard this before... the votes ALWAYS slant

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 19, 2010

More shuffling in the NL and no doubt some position changing will be happening in the AL soon enough.It's amazing to see with all the hard charging done by the Giants and the Rockies that neither would be in if the playoffs started today.It is still mid September. But after today it will be LATE September... and teams still in the mix need to find one more good run in them... operation "Big Push.

Looks like the Giants picked the wrong week to quit hitting

How tight is this National League West race?Well the Giants went into Friday night's game in first place by themselves on route to home field advantage in the Division Series.If all goes wrong tomorrow, they will end Sunday in third place out of the playoff picture all together.Once again the Brewers pitchers shut them down as their entire run production for the weekend so far can be listed in

Suck it up, Giants fans... this is your friend now

Remember how crappy it felt, Giants fans, when the Hum Babies lost a game despite letting up only one hit this week?Remember how you ground your teeth to the gums knowing the Giants couldn't get a run off of Clayton Kershaw?Well guess what? He's your best friend in the world now. Turn off all instincts of rooting against Los Angeles and supress any memories you have of the 1 hit loss.Kershaw is

Hey Adam Wainwright. Now would be a good time to WANT that Cy Young

At one point Adam Wainwright looked like the Cy Young Front Runner...He was 17-6 with an ERA of 1.99 on August 11 and it looked like a 20 win season and a sub 2.00 ERA were in his future.Then it looked like he decided to make a conscious effort to hand it over to Roy Halladay.He had been 1-5 since and his ERA has jumped up .51 points.Now of course he is still in the mix for the Cy Young and some

The season may have been picked off at first

I know you can never play the whole "alternate universe" scenario. You can't say "That double play killed us because the next batter hit a double" etc etc. You don't know how a pitcher would throw differently or how the defense would be set up if a play unfolded in a different way.That being said, I am only human and when Ryan Kalish got picked off and that was promptly followed by Victor

Felix Hernandez's win total is reason FOR his Cy Young Candidacy

I've been making the case for Felix Hernandez to win the Cy Young Award for about a month now and I have been alone.Yes he leads the league in a lot of statistics that I don't completely understand...Win Probability Added... Situational Wins... Base Out Wins Saved... Adjusted Pitching Wins... I am still learning how to quantify them. But King Felix leads all of those categories, which is

HOORAY! WE GET TO PLAY THE DODGERS AGAIN!

Laugh it up, Rockies. You are playing the Dodgers... a team that can't even be bothered to turn on "Auto Pilot."They aren't phoning or mailing it in. Heck they aren't even Tweeting it in.The Dodgers are playing the intensity of a cashier at Burger King right now and it wouldn't surprise me if Joe Torre just skedaddles to Hawaii and lets Don Mattingly get a head on his managerial career.Either way

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 18, 2010

Things are brewing and it could even crazier in the NL. While the AL top spot keeps flip flopping between the Rays and the Yankees, the 4 teams are all but set... especially with the Red Sox lost last night.But with 2 games in the loss column separating the Braves, Giants, Padres and Rockies for 2 playoff spots, this October is promising some true insanity.So here are the match ups going into

Never Cry Wolf

OK, Giants fans, that kind of sucked.Yeah the magic number went down because the Padres are continuing their Wile E. Coyote impersonation and the Reds also lost...And you have to tip your cap to Randy Wolf and the Brewers for a well pitched complete game shut out...But there are only 15 games left. There's not a lot of time for cap tipping.And guess what? The Rockies won again. The Dodgers

IN HONOR OF BOB BRENLY...

In 1987, my first year living in the Bay Area, I went to the last regular season Giants game on October 4, with my friend Tim Brislin.The Giants were tuning up for their first playoff appearance since 1971 and Candlestick, possibly the worst place in the history of humanity, was rocking.In the bottom of the 10th, it truly rocked to its foundation when their former All Star catcher and all around

It may not be over... but I think the bartender yelled "Last Call"

The Yankees were down to their last out against the lowly Orioles and the Red Sox scored 9 runs.Would every Red Sox fan on the planet take that scenario for the night?Sure.What could POSSIBLY go wrong?How about everything?How about A-Rod crushing a game winning tater and John Lackey being dreadful?The Red Sox are 7 back in the loss column for a playoff spot with 15 games left to play. I didn't

Don't take the gig, Donnie Baseball!

Joe Torre is stepping down from the Dodgers gig, never reaching the goal of leading L.A. to the World Series and having the last laugh over the Yankees.Why is he stepping down?Is it because he is too old? Please. Yeah he's 70 and is the same age that Casey Stengel was when HE was fired by the Yankees. But he's in great shape and clearly still wants to win.He's leaving because he has surveyed the

I guess I have to address the Derek Cheater incident

Derek Jeter did the whole Caddyshack "Ow my arm" routine a few days ago and frankly I didn't give a damn.Yeah, I thought it was kind of silly but all I cared about was the Yankees lost the game.Of course if the Yankees WON the game (and they took the lead after Granderson's homer) I would probably be a little P.O.ed, but I saw it as karma.But man, if you read my e mail box, you would have thought

The Giants win on June 7th looms large now

I bet when the Giants came from behind to beat the Reds on June 7th of this year, neither Giants nor Reds fans thought it was a big deal.There was still 2/3 of a season left to play and who was going to remember a game that Enerio Del Rosario let up a go ahead RBI single to Juan Uribe?It looks pretty important now...Hear me out.Right now, I think nobody in the National League wants to face the

IN HONOR OF HARRY SPILMAN

... The pinch hitter specialist from the 1987 NL West Division Winners... a left handed hitter who hit over .400 in two different months that year... the man who homered in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the 1987 NLCS to pull the Giants to within one of St. Louis... the man who wore #16 that year... THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR THE GIANTS IS 16.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 17, 2010

This is why I love the day in and day out of baseball and why, at least in my mind, no sport will ever match it.Football you have to wait a whole week to see how playoff scenarios can change.In baseball? Miss a day and you'll see everything shuffle.As the Twins put the White Sox away (and now are only 1/2 a game back of the best record in all of baseball) the only remote suspense in the American

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 16, 2010

The playoff picture is confusing and jumbled and seems to be changing by the hour. And trust me it will look different EVERY morning.So the staff here at Sully Baseball has decided to list the current playoff match ups every morning.Blink and it will change. The American League teams are pretty much set. The Twins win last night over the White Sox all but did them in and the Rangers' Magic Number

SOME OF YOU GIANT FANS MIGHT BE CONFUSED

You see when Emmanuel Burris ran across that pentagon shaped thing in the dirt, he doesn't have to stop there. It is what is called in baseball a "run" and if you get more of those than the other team, you win the game.18 innings and the Dodgers have 1 earned run off of Giants pitching... And the Giants are lucky they aren't on the verge of getting swept.Go for three runs tomorrow Giants.Why not?

Why won't the Reds use Aroldis Chapman as their closer?

I remember when I saw the movie Amistad, I was frustrated that Steven Spielberg didn't use his cast effectively.He gave several of the movies biggest and most emotional moments to Matthew McConaughey... and as I wrote before, McConaughey is good at SOME things, but he was out of his element delivering the big moments.Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman was in the cast and given virtually nothing to do. Now

Pawtucket completes the sweep!

Here we are down the stretch and the box score tonight looks like one of those split squad games in spring training.It's safe to say that when the season began with images of playoffs dancing in our heads, we weren't expecting Daniel Nava, Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Darnel McDonald, Josh Reddick, Yamaico Navarro and Scott Atchison to be big contributors.But here they

This State Farm® Commercial is the bane of my existence

Every once in a while there is a commercial that simply gets under my skin. And this State Farm® commercial is one.And I guess falling into their trap, I am going to show you a commercial on my blog.This commercial is shown CONSTANTLY on MLB Network... the channel that if my home was a Nielsen Family, you would think was the most popular network on TV.I am not a State Farm® customer, and who

Welcome home Rich Hill

Boston native Rich Hill made his Red Sox debut today and it looked like a true mop up roll. They had blown a 4-2 lead and the newly acquired lefty finished up the 7th inning facing one batter.Naturally he got the win.Now people who hate the win stat will say "Was throwing to that one batter worth a win while David Price and CC Sabathia threw brilliantly yesterday and neither got a win?"And I

Hey! The Giants threw a one hitter!

Seriously, when a team in the heat of a pennant race keeps their archrival down to 1 hit an no earned runs, you've got to be happy, right?Oh wait...The Giants offense went away again and made Vin Scully mention Clayton Kershaw and Fernando Valenzuela in the same breath.And oh yeah, suddenly the Padres remembered how to win.Find those bats, Giants. Visit BALCO if you have to.There's a pennant to

Oh come on! Let Livan finish the game!

Hey Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman, I've got a bone to pick with you.Livan Hernandez was pitching tonight and also hitting quite a bit.It was a game against Atlanta so it has playoff ramifications for both the Wild Card and the NL East... just not for the Nationals.The Nats don't have a lot to play for this year anymore. They are trying to avoid 90 losses and probably will reach that total

If this is a playoff preview, this is going to be a fun October

So we have had one game where it was a 1-0 extra inning classic pitchers duel.And we had a wild blown 6 run lead, gone into extra innings, big home runs and bizarre 9-5 double play to end it game.Seriously if the ALCS is indeed going to between the Yankees and Rays and it is anything like THIS, then we could be looking at an awesome series... not awesome enough to have me not notice the Red Sox

100 win teams bounced in the Division Series

100 wins is still a magical mark for a season. It means you are an elite team and chances are one of the great teams in your franchise’s history.And when a team wins 100 in the regular season, there is no doubt they are thinking beyond the Division Series. They are thinking they are a legit World Series contender… a pennant will have to be beaten from them.But there have been teams that have won

It's your move, Giants

In a very twisted way, I felt the Padres victory over the Rockies last night was the best thing to happen to the Giants.Hear me out.The Rockies were on fire on their 10 game winning streak and closing in on both the Giants and the Padres for the NL West.Now of course if the Rockies had won, the Giants would be in first place by themselves going into tonight's game with Los Angeles.I am less

The Last Stand for an A.L. Division Race is in Chicago

There are plenty of legit playoff races happening in the National League right now. The Phillies currently have the National League's best record and would have home field advantage through the World Series... and yet are only 2 games in the loss column away from missing the playoffs all together. The Braves, Phillies, Padres, Giants and Rockies are all within 4 games of each other and 2 will be

Can the Red Sox make up a week in 19 games?

The Red Sox trail the Yankees by a week of games... 7 to be exact.There are 19 games left... and that is darn near impossible to make up that many games.The Red Sox haven't exactly shown the killer instinct this year and the Yankees are loaded with talent. The only way that can happen is if the Red Sox win a bunch of games and the Yankees lose just as many.But have you noticed something?The

Man, Price and C. C. sure LOOKED like Cy Young contenders tonight

I've been singing the praises of Felix Hernandez to win the Cy Young Award since August.And Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports agrees with me.And I know I am not supposed to be seduced by David Price's and C. C. Sabathia's win loss total.But holy cats they looked like a pair of aces tonight.8 innings, no runs 9 strikeouts for Sabathia?8 innings, no runs, 3 hits 2 walks for Price?In a game for first

Who else is blogging about the Royals now?

The Royals scored 6 runs before the White Sox even came to bat on Sunday's game.The result? THEY were blown out, losing 12-6.It's been that kind of a year for the Royals.They aren't the worst team in baseball. That would be the Pirates.They aren't the worst team in the American League. That would be the Mariners and the Orioles.They aren't even the worst team in the AL Central. Right now the

It's a big series! (Or is it?)

On the surface, the Rays vs. the Yankees looks like a clash of Titans. The two best teams in baseball going head to head... whoever wins tonight will be in first place by themselves with the best record in the bigs.Each team is throwing their Cy Young candidate. Sabathia vs. Price. Each team is coming off of recent losses where their bullpen coughed it up and will be looking to right the

Giants passed a lot of tests

Well, both Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum passed their tests today with flying colors... and both former Cy Young winners gave their team the right to have visions of pennants dancing in their heads.But man oh man did the Giants as a team show the NL West they are for real this weekend.They were 2 back (3 in the loss column) when they showed up at Petco.They leave tied (1 back in the loss.)Remember

Just keep winning and hope the Rays and Yankees keep losing

Yeah I know the odds are against the Red Sox. In fact they are damn near impossible. They are 8 games back in the loss column with only 19 games left to play.You don't have to be a math whiz (and I am not one) to see that their chances are not THAT much better than the Pirates chances. And the Pirates were eliminated around Cinco de Mayo.The only remote way the Red Sox can ever get anything done

I have an idea for the Rockies next year

When next season starts, hire a hypnotist to convince the team that it is already September.And when April ends, tell them May is September.If they can play all year the way they've played in September 3 of the last 4 years, they would make the 1927 Yankees look like chumps.They might clinch the Division by the Fourth of July.Or as they would call it "The Fourth of September."10 in a row?Folks

Unlike Robert E, THIS Lee can beat the Yankees

It's safe to say that whatever shot Lee took worked. And let's just say let's not ask too many questions to what it was.Ron Washington handed Cliff Lee the ball and basically said "Look, we've been wearing out our bullpen. I know you haven't pitched since August 31 and you haven't pitched more than 5 2/3 innings since August 16th... But could you PLEASE give us a few innings? And oh yeah, we're

Dusty... you've got to do something about the closer role

I was listening to the Pirates broadcast of the Reds/Pirates game (forgive me, I don't know their names) and one of them said about Francisco Cordero "This does NOT look like a premier closer."He's right.All closers blow games from time to time. Hell, the great Mariano Rivera spit the bit last night.But Cordero imploded against the Pirates today and allowed Andrew McCutchen to clear the bases

Carlos Gonzalez could win the Triple Crown!

Am I the only one who didn't know that?I mean I knew he was having a terrific year... and I knew that with the Rockies doing their typical late season charge that he had inserted himself into the MVP discussion.But I was about to write a post about Joey Votto and how his walk off homer yesterday may have been the walk off moment for the MVP. And I was going to list how his stats are so dominating

I COMPLETELY understand why Ron Washington let Harrison pitch to A-Rod

I was listening to Sterling and Waldman call the Yankees-Rangers game tonight and they were perplexed why Ron Washington let lefty reliever Matt Harrison (not the Lower East Side filmmaker) pitch to A-Rod with the bases loaded, 1 out and a 2 run lead.A-Rod hit a bases clearing double that gave the Yankees the lead and Washington lifted him for the next batter.In practice and theory it seemed odd.

Big day for the 2008 Cy Young winners

Both Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young Award in 2008.Tim won another one last year while Cliff was making it known he was a post season stud.Both pitched wonderfully in 2010 before stumbling in the second half.Tomorrow is gigantic for both of them... let's just say I won't be paying any attention to the NFL with the ramifications of their two starts.Cliff Lee? He is coming off of a

Wait... was that Mike Hampton?

It think it is.The middle reliever for the D'Backs who let up the go ahead sacrifice fly... the lefty out of the pen. That was Mike Hampton. The same Mike Hampton who helped pitch the Mets into the World Series and then signed with the Rockies in one of the worst contracts in baseball history.The guy who missed nearly 3 seasons to injuries.The guy who I put on the Mets Home Grown vs. Acquired

A good effort comes up short... a microcosm for the season

When Ryan Kalish made a diving attempt for Rajai Davis' drive to center field, I couldn't help but admire the effort.He wanted to keep that run off the board and he was willing to give up his body in a mid September game with the Sox season making funeral arrangements.No questioning his heart.In fact I don't question the heart of this Red Sox team. They've tried their best... and have had 19

How I want the National League races to end

With the season winding down, the playoff picture in the American League seems pretty clear. Unless the Twins and Rangers simply collapse and give the White Sox and A’s some life, then we can be pretty sure that the Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Twins will be playing in October.But there is a chance that the National League could be right down to the wire.I want there to be total anarchy by the end…

Don't make today worse

I usually stick to baseball and whatever silly obsession has my attention... but I can't let today just come and go.Last year I wrote about how I hated this day on the calendar. I feel this day should be one for reflection and to not take things in life for granted.And more importantly it is a day to remember that the worst events can bring out the best in people. As someone who lived in New York

King Felix wants his Cy Young

There is a Cy Young front runner pitching in Anaheim tonight and it is NOT the dude with 15 wins.Ervin Santana is having a nice year but so far Felix Hernandez has been dominating everything but the win-loss column.I really hope the Mariners win and more specifically Felix wins tonight. I want that win total around 14. I don't want a nitwit sports writer to NOT vote for the most dominating

The Yankees lose in an unusual way but with the usual pitchers

I mentioned last weekend that the Yankees hadn't lost game that they were leading in the 8th inning or later since July 10th... before the All Star Break.Well now you can change July 10 to September 10 as the Yankees coughed up an early 4-1 lead, an 8th inning lead and an extra inning loss.While the result was surprising, you can hardly say the culprits were.The Yankees took a 4-1 lead after 3

Hey! The Angels game is over!

Bobby Abreu finally had enough and hit one out.I have a question for you Angels fans who were actually still there in the 14th.Did you get any reward by the Angels for sticking around?A pin. A ticket. A stuffed monkey.If you were there to the end, then you don't need to prove your loyalty to the Angels in any other way.

Burnt to a Coco Crisp

Our old friend Coco Crisp did us in tonight.Going 3 for 3 and stealing a homer?How could you Coco?Don't you have any sentimentality?The Sox were done early tonight and the people of Alderaan put up more of a fight than my boys did.And Trevor Cahill moved closer to 20 wins as Clay Buchholz stays stuck on 15.Cahill will probably start 4 more times in the A's final 22 games this year. If he goes 4-0

Oh just stop playing, Angels and Mariners!

The Angels and Mariners are in the 13th inning in the town of Los Angeles of Anaheim.2 dead from the neck up and going nowhere in a hurry playing out the string in mid September are 13 innings into this game.There must be a rule to just end this game.I mean if Bud Selig can end an All Star Game as a tie, can't they step in and say "Folks... this won't affect the standings or the history of either

ROOM AT THE TOP

Now my dad has always told me that when you look at the standings, you don't first look at the Games Behind column. You look at the loss column. A team can make up wins, but they can't take away losses.So often I'll try to cheer my dad up by saying "The Giants are 3 games back" and he would mumble "4 back in the loss column."So I know my dad is scanning the standings like crazy and now his Giants

The All "He played in the postseason with WHAT team?" Roster

Frank Thomas had his number retired in a ceremony in Chicago and was rightfully remembered as one of the greatest White Sox players of all time.He played 16 of his 19 big league seasons in the South Side and will no doubt have the letters S-O-X on his cap when he gets his Hall of Fame plaque.And no doubt it will surprise baseball fans in the future that he actually had his biggest post season

Pettitte's biggest thrill in his career...

Andy Pettitte knows a thing or two about pressure packed games.He won Game 5 of the 1996 World Series, dueling future Hall of Famer John Smoltz 1-0 in a must win game.He won the clinching games of the 1998 and 2009 World Series for the Yankees. He also pitched 7 solid innings in the clinching game of the 2000 World Series.In the wake of Sept. 11th, he was the MVP of the 2001 ALCS, winning twice

I wish there was a New York Post like sports section in San Francisco

The Giants won a must win, titanic game in San Diego (in front of empty seats). Everything worked. They got homers... they got timely hits... they took the crowd (as it was) out of it and they got a terrific performance from Matt Cain who pitched into the 9th inning.Now I like the sports sections in the Bay Area... the Sporting Green... the Mercury News... they are all good. But you just don't

Cue the Rockies wild dash for the playoffs...

You can't blame Nick Masset. He looked more confused than a tourist trying to read a subway map when Chris Nelson made the single ballsiest play of the year.The game was tied, runners on the corners and Nelson made a break for home. Obviously someone yelled "HE'S RUNNING" and he looked to second.Obviously nobody was trying to steal HOME! Except Nelson did.That play doesn't work in LITTLE LEAGUE!

The Pirates should TRY to sign Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is going to be a free agent at the end of this year and it is a foregone conclusion that he will resign with the Yankees.He's given the Yankees 16 seasons and is only 102 hits away from being the first Yankee to reach 3,000.And of course he is the most beloved New York sports star in the last quarter century. (Seriously, who has come close?)All of that being said... this should not be

Why doesn't MLB want my money?

This past Labor Day weekend my family took a weekend trip to the lovely city of San Diego... and while I was there I ran smack dab against a Major League Baseball rule that didn't make a lick of sense to me.Bear with me.We were staying in a hotel right across the street from PetCo Park, a stadium I hadn't seen yet. Now the Padres were playing the Rockies Friday night, Saturday afternoon and

Thanks for caring, Dodgers

3 runs.That's all the Dodgers could get against a Padres team that was reeling in a historic losing streak.3 runs... TOTAL... over 3 games.Then again it was 3 runs total over 2 games as well. Tonight they hung a big ole donut on the scoreboard.A Padres team that was flopping like a salmon on the deck suddenly will welcome the Giants emboldened by a three game sweep.The Giants took 2 of 3 in

Where were all of these homers off of Matt Garza in 2008???

Don't get me wrong... I love a nice blow out win. And I like to see the Sox show some pride... but think about it. I would have traded this game in a heart beat for ONE of four homers off of Garza to be hit in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS.Seriously, a chance to go to Back to Back World Series... probably win another title...I thought of that with every homer hit.Yeah I'm greedy.Of course I would trade

Nice to see Bob Davidson act out the end of "...And Justice For All."

It's not often that you can see a grown man lose his God Damn Mind.But once again, in a night where we should be celebrating baseball, an umpire's ego takes center stage.Bob Davidson tossed out a player, Brewers outfielder Chris Dickerson.He tossed out a coach, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan.He tossed out Brewers manager Ken Macha.And finally he tossed out a fan who was sitting up close and

Sneaky Twins

Twins can be very sneaky.Trust me... I am the father of two of them and they work in tandem sometimes to get what they want.Well guess what? There are some sneaky Twins in Minnesota.Now while we have all be looking at the Yankees and Rays and seeing who will get home field advantage and I've been hoping the White Sox make the AL Central another "decided via 1 game playoff" year for the third

I figured out who my anonymous Javier Vazquez fan is

My readership has been growing steadily over the last few years. I have some regular readers and commenters and I have a few people who don't always like what I type.Pirate fans seemed to get ticked at me because I wouldn't praise the great work of Neal Huntington who in three short years transformed the Pirates from a bad team to the Worst Team in Baseball.Some Twins fans wrote some nasty things

The Giants have their ace back

It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting the Bengie Molina trade and wondering if Tim Lincecum was ever going to pitch like an ace again.The Giants needed him to come up big as an ace and all throughout his gruesome August, he came up small.But his last game was solid... and tonight he was terrific. Oh he's had better games over all, but he started perfectly, pitched into the 7th, struck

What the hell kind of season is Dallas Braden having?

It is a strange season for him, no doubt about it.He has had surreal controversy regarding A-Rod walking on his mound.He had the heart warming Mother's Day perfect game and his grandmother telling A-Rod to stick it.He did a good job delivering a Top Ten list on Letterman.He's got 5 complete games plus 2 shutouts (which lead the AL).So he has the aura of being a good pitcher.But he has a losing

Folks... that might be it

Poor Robert Manuel. The guy is trying to log in some big league innings and what does he do?He let's up 3 homers in 1 1/3 innings.He got 4 batters out and let up 3 homers.I don't understand EVERY new stat thrown at me, but I am sure that is a bad ratio.I am sure his WAR is bad.Heck, I think Manuel wouldn't compare favorably if he was replaced by Manuel from Fawlty Towers.At least there was no

I TOLD the Red Sox to get Dayan Viciedo!!!!

I was watching the Tigers/White Sox blow out on MLB Network while helping my son out with his homework. (Don't look at me like THAT! We did it all!)By the end of the game Ozzie was basically looking down the bench and yelling "Who hasn't played yet?" and made the box score cluttered with September call ups like a split squad Spring Training Game.I looked up and saw a house of a dude at the plate

Giants... let Lincecum do what he needs to do

Tim Lincecum is about to make arguably the biggest start of his career. After a month or so when the Giants couldn't get any decent starting pitching, suddenly things have turned around.And a lost season is looking more and more found as the Giants remain 2 back in the loss column for the NL West lead and 1 game in the loss column for the NL Wild Card with 24 to play. (And a possible season

Glass Half Full for the A's

The A's are a sub .500 team and are 7 games out of first place... a whole week behind with only 25 games to play. And they aren't exactly playing barn burning baseball, going 5-7 in their last 12 games.Their disabled list is filled with people who you might have heard of (Eric Chavez, Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer) and when Daric Barton and Kevin Kouzmanoff are your top offensive threats after

Well THAT wasn't so hard, was it Red Sox?

A nice, no doubt about it win (save for that inning where Robert Coello's major league debut left a lot to be desired) and Jon Lester matched his career high for wins.Actually there was something a lot of fun about last night's win.The youth.Ryan Kalish, 22, hit a grand slam.Josh Reddick and Yamaico Navarro are 23 and 22 respectively.Lars Anderson, who seems like he has been a Sox prospect

Taking stock as the season winds down

I took stock on the season at the 1/3 mark, and then at the half way point.I had promised to do so on Labor Day as the season goes into its final lap and here I am.There's not much suspense for the Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Reds who all seem to have their playoff spots locked up.But looking at San Diego and their current implosion shows you can never be 100% sure who is going to end up where. (

I'm pumped for Red Sox and Rays! Oh who am I kidding...

For God's sake, the Red Sox are in third place. Not just for the Division but in the Wild Card hunt. The White Sox leap frogged the Red Sox this weekend.My team is 8 games back in the loss column on Labor Day. And last time I checked, the Rays aren't the Padres and won't be dropping 10 games any time soon.It's time to play for pride and count down our TRAGIC number.So in honor of Fred Lynn, the

Witnessing the collapse from a block away

I've had a wonderful weekend in San Diego with my family as we've been staying just across the street from Petco Park. It's a lovely part of a truly beautiful city and I've been witnessing first hand a really tremendous collapse.The first place Padres have dropped their last 10 (TEN!!!) and I've witnessed that daze of the fans walking around the Gaslamp Quarter as they can't believe their team is

Did I miss when Colby Rasmus became a big star?

There's a big story going around about Colby Rasmus not happy with his playing time.Colby Rasmus wants out of St. Louis.The press wants to know Colby Rasmus' thoughts."Hey Albert Pujols, what's YOUR take on Colby Rasmus?"I even had a reader write me and say, I am quoting you dear reader... "You MUST have an opinion of Colby Rasmus!"Um yeah. He's an OK outfielder with 2 years experience. He had a

Did I get what I wanted this weekend?

Maybe I should rephrase the title "Did ANYTHING happen the way I wanted it to this weekend?"I made a wish list for the weekend... let's see how awfully it turned out.RED SOX vs. WHITE SOXI wanted the Sox to sweep. They did. Unfortunately it was the WHITE Sox who did the sweeping. The Red Sox season is basically done... but the White Sox are rampaging.YANKEES vs. BLUE JAYSI wanted the Jays to

Was it REALLY necessary to end a game like that?

A thrilling game was played today with post season implications in Minnesota.The Rangers and the Twins are both fighting for home field advantage in the Division Series (which might be huge in trying to upset either the Yankees or the Rays in the first round.)The Twins were going for the sweep... the Rangers were rallying in the 9th.It is everything that you want in a meaningful September Labor

THE PLANETS ARE ALLIGNING FOR THE GIANTS

The Padres have lost a comical 10 games in a row.The Phillies got bombed early and the Brewers let their early lead stick.Even the Braves lost.Things are lining up in a way where Giants fans wouldn’t dare dream.No need for a dream now.Focus Giants…If Jonathan Sanchez and the Giants can beat Hiroku Kuroda and the Dodgers… the Giants will be 2 games back in the loss column for both the West AND the

Can there be ANYTHING good taken from today's game?

This was rough.REALLY rough.The Rays lost... the Yankees lost... The Sox got a come from behind lead and an OK start from Josh Beckett...And EVERYTHING went wrong in the 9th.Here's a note. If you give up 5 walks in the 9th inning, chances are something TRULY horrible is going to happen.I guess if ANYTHING positive happened today is that they didn't LOSE any ground.Oh who am I kidding?Evidently

Once again, I compare Javy Vazquez to a stand up comic

Back when Javy Vazquez was dealt to the Braves in 2009, I compared him to a stand up comic who had one good set and was coasting on this reputation.Well, Vazquez brought back memories of my stand up comedy days this morning. I remember there were many times I would see a comic absolutely EATING it on stage.I'm not just talking about not getting laughs. I am talking hostility from the crowd.

Cheer up Roy... I think you should win the Cy Young Award

Last night's performance by Roy Halladay was far from his best this year.Then again, he threw a perfect game earlier this year... safe to say he isn't topping THAT any time soon.He struggled early and put the Phillies behind 2-0 and 3-2... then he settled down. He gave the Phillies 7 innings and allowed them a shot to win. Which he did.For those who are in love with wins, he has 17, the same as

3 is a big number for the Giants right now

The number 3 is retired at AT&T Park in San Francisco for former New York Giant great Bill Terry. He was a Hall of Fame first baseman and was the player/manager for the 1933 World Champion Giants.I bet most Giant fans have no clue who he is.But they should be thinking about his number in regards to the playoff push.They were sunk tonight in Los Angeles... down 4-0 in the 7th... down 4-3 in the

Did I just have a Deja Vu?

I was out to dinner with the wife and kids tonight and I checked my phone to see the Red Sox score from the second game of the double header.Oddly they were still listing the score from the FIRST game, the 3-1 loss to the White Sox, but they were strangely listing the game as still in progress.Then it dawned on me.They were losing 3-1 AGAIN!It was history repeating itself. And one set of Sox were

The Padres might not win another game this year

I am watching the Padres play the Rockies right now and I have seen no evidence that this team has another win in their system in the next 29 games.Seriously, if I told you at the beginning of the season that the Padres were going to go 76-86, you'd probably say "That's better than I thought."Well guess what? If they keep playing like this, that might be their final record.

Only one group of Sox are showing any life

It isn't looking good.Buchholz let's up 2 runs... and that's more than enough to beat the Sox.And oh yeah, the Yankees put Vazquez in the rotation, he STINKS and the Yankees STILL win.It's stuff like that that makes things like "a potential all time great comeback" less and less likely.At least Manny is acting contrite. That's nice... but that doesn't help the team NOW!It's time to update the

Hey Adam... why don't you want to win the Cy Young Award?

For the second straight start, Adam Wainwright can't make it to the 6th inning and the chance for win #18 goes down the toilet again. Unless the Cardinals go on a mongo comeback, he'll have lost his 5 straight decision.So when he was 17-6 with a 1.99 ERA, the Cy Young was his to lose.Barring a Reds bullpen collapse he will be 17-10 with a 2.34 ERA... great numbers to be sure, but not good enough

Bonnie Hunt should manage the Cubs

The Cubs have started their search for a new manager and we know 3 things... it won't be Lou Piniella, who retired to take care of his mom... it won't be coach Alan Trammell, whose experience as a big league manager and being a World Series MVP I guess disqualified him... and it won't be interim manager Mike Quade, who is a placeholder.So now you've heard the names being mentioned as who will be

SAN DIEGO! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?

I am in San Diego this weekend, staying near the ballpark.It is Labor Day weekend.The weather in San Diego is PERFECT.Not too hot but certainly summer weather.The dining in the Gaslamp District is terrific. Trains run right to the ballpark.The Padres are struggling but still in first place. They come back home... TO A HALF EMPTY BALLPARK!What the hell is the matter with you San Diego fans???You

A disturbing stat for Yankee haters

For those of us who are saying "Oh please don't have the Yankees repeat this year" (and it isn't just Red Sox fans saying that), I figured out something that refers the Schadenfreude of watching the Yankees blow a game.The Yankees are on a roll now, winning 7 in a row despite no A-Rod and uncertainty in their rotation.And they still aren't blowing games. Sure they've lost a few, including 13 in a

Here's what I want to have happen this Labor Day weeekend

As we enter the last part of the season, there is a full slate of games for this weekend.Here's what I hope happens in each series.RED SOX vs. WHITE SOXI want to see the White Sox win the division... but not at the expense of MY Sox. Look, I realize the Red Sox are probably going to fall short, but I want the Yankees and Rays to EARN their playoff spot. Obviously I want a sweep... but I wouldn't

90 wins and missing the playoffs in the Wild Card era

Since baseball adopted the Wild Card format and sent 8 teams instead of 4 to the post season each year, 90 wins has been a pretty safe goal to play in October.Gone are the days where the 1993 Giants could win 103 ballgames and be playing golf in October.If you win 90, chances are you are either taking the division or the Wild Card.But not every time.This year's Red Sox are on pace to win 91 or 92

The Phillies could be a runaway train

On July 21, the Phillies lost to the Cardinals and were in the midst of a 4 game losing streak... and were just 2 games over .500.They looked dead and I wondered if there was an Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario happening in Philly.They've played 40 games since then...and have gone 28-12... a .692 percentage.Today they played and fell behind 7-3 late today... all the while the Braves had

HEY! The Red Sox picked up a game on the Rays!

It was a typical Dice-K performance. Really terrific except for one grotesque inning... but it was good enough for win #9.It wasn't a pretty game, right down to the heart in your throat 9th with Papelbon.But it was a win.A series win. And yes, the Red Sox are closing in.OK, they are still 7 games back in the loss column with 28 games to play... so the chances are kinda sorta against them.But as

Welcome to Colorado, Manny Delcarmen

It's a cruel place, Coors Field.Old friend Manny Delcarmen, whom I paid tribute to the other day, let up a game tying homer to Jayson Werth in his first appearance as a Colorado Rockie.The thin air stinks sometimes.Bear down Manny... you still have a friend in Sully.

Love Tattoos Designs Pictures Gallery

To show deep feelings that you have for a certain individual, the use of Love tattoos can be one of the best ways for this. Regardless of the person you want to depict these feelings to, Love tattoos can be made for different persons. On a different perspective these tattoos can also be used to show how one is fascinated and charmed by the emotion of love. If you use Love

Female Tattoo Gallery – Pics and Ideas for feminine Lovely Tattoos

Normally a female tattoo gallery would have many photos of female or feminine tattoos in it but this one is different. This tattoo gallery was created to help ladies make good choices about getting a tattoo and choosing the perfect design. Female tattoos and feminine tattoos are becoming increasing popular and socially acceptable mainly because many female movie stars and entertainers have

GET UP GIANTS! THERE'S A DIVISION TO WIN!

This is no time to be lying around, Giants... there's an amazing thing that is happening:The Padres are falling apart.Worse than falling apart.They've dropped a WEEK of games down the stretch.Sure the Giants are only 2 games back of the Phillies for the Wild Card... but the Phillies are suddenly healthy and looking more and more like the 2 time defending NL Champs.And the Phillies are chasing the

A little thing called pride showed up in Baltimore

The Red Sox are not going to win anything this year... and as September begins it is clear that 2010 is a transition season.But are they REALLY going to lose a series to the Orioles?When they were down 4-1 and 5-2 after 2 innings with Jon Lester on the hill, it really looked like they were going to.It looked like the team was just going to fold like Robert Shaw SHOULD have on the train in The

Most 20 game winners in 90 years? It’s possible

In 2006, when 16 wins was good enough to lead the National League, it seemed like the 20 game winner was going the way of the Dodo and the Liberal Republican.But win #20 is making a comeback in 2010... or at least it COULD be.Now, of course, I know the win total isn't the end all and be all of a pitcher's greatness.I've been advocating Felix Hernandez to win the Cy Young Award even though his

Have you noticed...

Have you noticed that the Cardinals haven't won since Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols appeared at Glenn Beck's vague rally?They've lost two to the Nationals and all three to the Astros... not exactly world beaters.Just making an observation.I am sure people in Cincinnati are glad they showed up.

I am very good at picking who WON'T win the NL Central!

Everyone in the planet seemed to be picking the defending NL Central champ to cruise to another October date... everyone except your pal Sully.Your Pal Sully took a look at the Cincinnati Reds and thought "Hey! THIS team is exciting, packed with young talent and the defending champ is overrated."So before the season began, I stuck my neck out and said "THE IS THE YEAR FOR THE CINCINNATI REDS! I

White Sox for Sale

I told teams to scout White Sox lefty Chris Sale... but they didn't listen.The guy was in college this spring... now he has his first big league save in the middle of a pennant race.My first job out of college was delivering papers for The Financial Times.Sale's job is cooler.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... September 1, 2010

It is now September... rosters are expanding and some teams are realizing it just isn't going to happen this year.And scoreboard watching is part of the daily activity and asking the question "Who is in if the playoffs started today?" isn't so absurd.So as we enter the final full month of the regular season, let's look at who is in... IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY. (Team with home field advantage