Brad Lidge is the most recognizable name involved in the 5-player deal between the Astros and the Phillies this week. Lidge is the guy who gave up the colossal home run to Albert Pujols in the playoffs a couple of years ago to spark the Cardinals win over the Astros in that playoff series. Some folks still believe that home run ball has not yet returned to Earth from orbit; according to my calculations – based on the physics classes I took in college – it indeed has returned to Earth sometime in the last couple of days.
Phillies’ fans have experienced what it is to have their closer give up a big home run at a most inopportune time in the playoffs. Recall for a moment the Mitch Williams/Joe Carter confrontation in the World Series. Carter’s shot may not have been in danger of going into orbit, but it did cost the Phillies dearly – it eliminated them from the World Series. And in that small vignette is a cautionary tale for Brad Lidge.
For at least 5 years after Mitch Williams’ faux pas, he would have been well advised to have hired a food taster if he were going out to dine in the Philly area. In Houston, fans may have been angry or disappointed in how Albert Pujols took his pitch out of the park; but in Philly, that level of anger/disappointment would not even register on their seismic instruments.
Welcome to Philadelphia, Brad Lidge…
Right after Senator George Mitchell was named to head up baseball’s “wide ranging study” of the use of performance enhancing substances, I wrote that George Mitchell was part of an “iron triangle”. You can read that essay at www.sportscurmudgeon.com by going to 6 April 2006. I must admit that I had not anticipated the potential for the huge real or perceived conflict of interest that Senator Mitchell finds himself in at the moment.
The final report will supposedly be made public in December 2007. Let’s assume for the moment that date is for real. And let’s also assume that there are players named in the report who may become subject to some kind of disciplinary action by MLB up to and including suspensions – but not a lifetime ban from baseball. Presumably, Senator Mitchell knows the names of the players identified in that report by now; there has to have been a draft report done and circulated for editing and concurrence of the committee members already. Did I hear someone ask, “So what’s the big deal?”
Senator Mitchell is a director of the Red Sox – in addition to lots of his other real and honorary positions – and the fact that this is free agent hunting season makes it really important for GMs to know if one of the free agents they covet might be “on the list” for a suspension by MLB down the road. And in that case, would it surprise anyone if the Red Sox just happened to have some special access to that kind of information which might not be available to the rest of the MLB clubs? It would not surprise me. In fact, I think Senator Mitchell might be duty bound in his responsibilities as a Red Sox official to advise the Red Sox if they were “barking up a wrong tree”.
Since I just mentioned one of the connections between baseball and politicians, here is another one I ran across while perusing one of the Internet sportsbooks last week. The odds for the Devil Rays to win the World Series next year are listed at 100-1; that’s not a good bet because their real chances are more like 10,000-1. On the same site, the odds for Dennis Kucinich to win the Presidential Election in 2008 are also listed at 100-1; that’s not a good bet either unless you believe that the Mother Ship of the UFO he spotted years ago will spread a thought control beam across the US on Election Day and sweep him into office as a write-in candidate – - – ‘cause it ain’t happening any other way.
I got a missive from a friend and long-term reader of these rants about Joe Torre leaving the Yankees and heading west to manage the Dodgers. Understand that this friend/reader is a lifelong Red Sox fan as you contemplate his message to me:
“Torre will fit right in with the Dodgers. There will be no learning curve for him. Remember, the Dodgers haven’t won a world series either in this millennium…”
That same friend/reader is the antithesis of a Roger Clemens fan. He still harbors resentment over Clemens leaving Boston those many years ago – and he would never allow him to return to the Red Sox even for a moment. Regarding Clemens recent decision to “retire” and act as a “consultant” to the Astros, my friend points out Roger Clemens’ shortcomings in critically important games. Here’s his evidence; I have not checked it out to verify its accuracy:
“When his team is facing elimination in the playoffs or the world series, Roger Clemens has one win in seven games and a 5.28 ERA in those seven games. The one win came in October 1986 – that’s 21 years ago.”
There are three really good games on the NFL schedule for this weekend:
Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Are the Browns for real? This weekend ought to go a long way toward answering that question. The Steelers are undefeated at home this year and they crushed the Browns in the first game of the season; so even if the Browns don’t win here, they can identify themselves as a seriously improved team by making this a close/competitive game.
Indy at San Diego: Are the Chargers contenders or pretenders? At 4-4, the Chargers have already lost twice as many games in 2007 as they did in all of 2006. Given the miserable state of the AFC West, it would be hyperbole to say the Chargers do not dare lose another game lest they not make the playoffs, but this is a yardstick game for them.
Dallas at Giants: Dallas clobbered the Giants in Week 1 and the game had a stratospheric score. Both defenses are improved since then and it’s hard to see how this game will similarly go into the 70s. A Dallas win puts them in control of the NFC East; a Giants win makes that division a dogfight to the end.
There are two NFL games this week that should have the fans throwing Milk Bones onto the field by halftime:
Chicago at Oakland: Who stinks more? Here are two teams heading downhill. Absent a tie at the end of five quarters, one of them will win this game and will delude their fans – and themselves – that good times are just ahead. They are not.
Atlanta at Carolina: Who cares less? I wonder if Bobby Petrino is quietly eyeing the potential openings for coaches in NCAA football and thinking about how badly he has to coach the Falcons to get his butt fired at the end of this season. That would not be a completely irrational way for him to think. Oh, and Carolina is going nowhere either.
I checked out the new Dennis Miller sports commentary show on Versus earlier this week. It’s not great by any means. But it is a light-year better than Best Damned Sports Show is and than Cold Pizza was. If the mavens at Versus decide to try to give it a push, I wonder if they would put it on after NHL games to bring that audience to the show or after a fishing show. Such are the dilemmas facing the movers and shakers at Versus…
Finally, here’s a comment from Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle about players seeking to move to new teams:
“Hey, look, it’s a diva garage sale! Bonds, A-Rod and Kobe Bryant! Any buyers? Bonds might wind up sharing an outfield with Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco. Rodriguez might sign with the Rangers, awash in cash since A-Rod opted out of his $27 million Yankee contract, $21 million of which would have been paid by the Rangers. And Kobe, it just seems like he would be a good fit with the Knicks.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports…