Random Baseball

• 06/23 - I was on Wiki looking and I came across a link to former major league pitcher Rod Beck. Today, June 23rd, is the 2nd anniversary of his death. One of the great stories in baseball focuses around Beck and his stint with the Iowa Cubs. He set up his RV in the parking lot and welcomed any and all comers to sit and talk and share his beer. He was truly a nice guy and down to earth despite great success in baseball.
  
  
• 06/25 This is a phenomenal double play.
  
  
• 06/26 - Say it ain't so, Geo!
  
  I don't put this here to criticize or embarrass the Cubs catcher, last year's NL Rookie Of The Year. Yes, Soto is in a rough sophomore slump but he is still a great catcher. He's still a successful major league baseball player. The demon weed hasn't destroyed his life. It hasn't made him a couch potato and a drain on society.
  
  Geo smokes dope. So what? He's one of 30 - 45 BEST BASEBALL CATCHERS IN THE WORLD. (I actually think he's one of the top 5 but even if he was the worst starting catcher in the majors, that still makes him one of the best in the world.)
  
  
• 06/29 - The media is coming for the Cubs. At the Tribune, Phil Rogers calls for waiving and trading Zambrano. Rosenbloom is tearing Piniella and the team and organization a new one on a regular basis. I don't say the team doesn't deserve it. They are under performing and being over paid for it.
  
  
• 06/29 - Mariano Rivera, super star closer for the New York Yankees Evil Empire, got his 500th save last night against the Mets. Despite this being his 15th season in the league he took only his 3rd career at bat last night. He was 0 - 2 for his career. He drew a bases loaded walk to also get his first career RBI.
  
  
• 07/03 - I was at the Cubs game yesterday and one of the guys with me asked how many players are in the majors from Japan. So I did a little looking:
  
  
  
  1. Koji Uehara - Baltimore
     
  2. Daisuke Matsuzaka - Boston
     
  3. Hideki Okajima - Boston
     
  4. Takashi Saito - Boston
     
  5. Kosuke Fukudome - Chicago Cubs
     
  6. Tomokazu Ohka - Cleveland
     
  7. Kazuo Matsui - Houston
     
  8. Ken Takahashi - NY Mets
     
  9. Hideki Matsui (Godzilla) - NY Yankees
     
  10. Ichiro Suzuki - Seattle
      
  11. Kenji Johjima - Seattle
      
  12. Akinori Iwamura - Tampa
      
  
  In addition Shin-Soo Choo on Cleveland and Chan Ho Park on Philly are from Korea. Chien-Ming Wang on the Yankees is from Taiwan.
  
  
• 07/05 - "[He] leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor." - Hary Doyle.
  
  Not really, but 1 week before the All Star Game Albert Pujols leads the NL in most categories: HR: 31 (1st), RBI 82 (1st), AVG: .336 (tied, 2nd), Runs 64, (1st) OBP: .460 (1st), SLG: .739 (1st), Total Bases 206 (1st), IBB 28 (1st).
  
  
• 07/06 - The Tribune and the Ricketts family have reached a deal for the sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field. It has been argued that the Cubs' hands have been tied with the pending sale and not able to make personnel moves. I'm less convinced. They already have the 3rd highest payroll in MLB and lots of high priced, under performing players. Still, I'd expect MLB to make a quick approval and we'll see if the team can make any moves to improve for the 2nd half of 2009.