Category: MLB General

Best in show

Despite Rickey’s sad sad attempt to hold onto his professional baseball career, we are reminded by Sheriff Sully that the man is one of the most underrated baseball players of all time and one of the best characters in baseball history. They compiled a list of the top 25 Rickey Hendersen quotes and stories. Here are some of our favorites:

#3: In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

#4: [Rickey] called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

#13: The morning after the Sox finished off the sweep against St. Louis last October, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

#21: Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

The rest of the list is hilarious as well.

You’re doing a hell of a job, Bud

As expected, Bug Selig held a press conference on Thursday to announce the start of a probe into past steroid use. The investigation will be lead by George Mitchell, currently a director of the Boston Red Sox, and chairman of The Walt Disney Company, parent of ESPN, who is producing a reality show on Barry Bonds, but Mitchell claims there will be no conflict of interest. Um… ok.

Mitchell will also only initially investigate steroid use from September 2002 forward but has the ability to go back further if need be. Considering Game of Shadows points out that Barry Bonds started using steroids in 1998 and he broke the home run record in 2001, this is ridiculous. It’s like saying someone should investigate the events that led up to 9/11 but only focusing on 2002 and beyond.

In a coincidence of timing, the probe was announced the day that Victor Conte of BALCO was released from prison after four months for distributing illegal steroids. Conte claimed:

I plan to provide evidence in the near future to prove that much of what is written in the book is untrue,” Conte told the AP. He declined to list specific inaccuracies or what evidence he would provide, but said, “It’s about the character assassination of Barry Bonds and myself.

Links:
[AP]: Baseball launches probe into Bonds, steroids; investigation criticized
[Talking Baseball]: Breaking News: Bud Selig announces steroid investigation headed by George Mitchell

It always amuses me the stuff you can bet on. From Pinnacle Sports comes this list of all 30 managers and the odds of them being the first to get fired or resign. Sucks to be Bob Melvin or Buck Showalter.

First AL Manager To Be Fired Or Resign
Buck Showalter (Texas) 5/1
Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota) 6/1
Mike Hargrove (Seattle) 13/2
John Gibbons (Toronto) 7/1
Buddy Bell (Kansas City) 8/1
Terry Francona (Boston) 9/1
Ozzie Guillen (Chicago White Sox) 10/1
Ken Macha (Oakland) 10/1
Jon Maddon (Tampa Bay) 10/1
Sam Perlozzo (Baltimore) 12/1
Eric Wedge (Cleveland) 25/2
Jim Leyland (Detroit) 16/1
Mike Scioscia (LA Anaheim) 16/1
Joe Torre (NY Yankees) 19/1

First NL Manager To Be Fired Or Resign
Bob Melvin (Arizona) 5/1
Dusty Baker (Chicago Cubs) 6/1
Clint Hurdle (Colorado) 6/1
Charlie Manuel (Philadelphia) 7/1
Frank Robinson (Washington) 15/2
Ned Yost (Milwaukee) 19/2
Jerry Narron (Cincinnati) 21/2
Phil Garner (Houston) 13/1
Joe Girardi (Florida) 15/1
Grady Little (Los Angeles) 15/1
Bruce Bochy (San Diego) 15/1
Felipe Alou (San Francisco) 15/1
Willie Randolph (NY Mets) 20/1
Jim Tracy (Pittsburgh) 20/1
Bobby Cox (Atlanta) 27/1

Tony LaRussa (St. Louis) 40/1

Game of Shadows comes out today and more details of the book are coming to light. And by more details, we basically mean more people are being thrown under the bus for steroids use. However, the athletes named aren’t really a shock to anyone. Gary Sheffield, Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, and Bill Romanowski. As the onion headline quipped “Bonds used steroids reports everyone who has ever watched baseball”.

BALCO founder Vic Conte told his clients to claim they were taking flaxseed oil if asked by authorities whether they used “the clear”. Barry Bonds apparently can follow instructions because that’s exactly what he told a grandy jury in 2003. How much time did Lil Kim get in jail for perjury?

We’re waiting for Canseco’s sequel to Juiced where he promises to name even more names.

Related Links:
[AP]: Book: Bonds wanted out of BALCO scandal

I can’t decide whether it was a good or bad thing for the WBC and ESPN that the US got knocked out of the tournament early.  On one hand, Americans might be so pissed off that we weren’t in the finals of our national pastime that we will pay more attention to it next time and demand our good players actually go.  On the other hand, it probably just means no one really saw the finals and the WBC was the big failure we thought it’d be.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of people outside the US that watched Japan beat Cuba in the finals.   The Japanese fans are all pretty excited about winning the inaugural World Baseball Classic.  (I think.  All the blog entries say WBC! but after that I’m not sure because I can’t read Japanese.) The final score was Japan 10, Cuba 6, Washington Nationals -1. Sadly, Cuba couldn’t even keep the extra cut of tournament profits by making it to the finals because they agreed that Castro’s government would not profit from the tournament and to donate their portion to charity. At least they got to keep their free iPod Nanos.

[MSNBC]: Japan beats Cuba for WBC championship

[Miami Herald]: Cuba’s cut to be donated