I'm in the midst of a tough battle against the No. 1-ranked squad in my baseball league, and I'm just trying not to get struck by USSR Lightning.
My all-time classic comeback victory on Sunday left me with the reward of facing Lightning, a team which employs devastating home run hitters (Giambi, Dye, Thome, Uggla) with lights-out starting pitchers (Lincecum, Hamels, Lee).
The score is 6-4 in my favor, with WHIP, ERA, Saves, OPS, HRs and RBIs in my favor. He leads in Runs, SBs, Ws, and Ks. I didn't start Aaron Harang last night simply for the fact that my relievers have allowed only two hits in 7 1/3 innings of work this week. Since I employ only three starters and am not willing to sacrifice my relievers for any other scrub starters, it doesn't make sense to try to compete with Lightning in Ks and Ws. He has seven starters, including a couple who start twice this week, so I feel like I'd be a dog chasing its tail by trying to compete in those areas. I'll take the chance that my relievers won't blow up often enough to let Lightning gain an advantage in either pitching average.
I have the lead in three of five pitching categories, leaving my offense to take control of the scoreboard. I'm dependent on my team winning in at least two of HRs, RBIs and OPS, but likely all three considering Lightning has Runs won and holds a one steal advantage in SBs. My team is built around RBIs and OPS (Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, David Wright), so if I'm going to win, it's going to be my offense that carries me; hence, Sunday afternoon, when my guys belted eight homers and 12 RBIs. I'm willing to live-and-die with my power hitters.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
What's eating Gilbert's knee?
Doesn't it feel like Gilbert Arenas's knee is going the way of Grant Hill's ankle? Gilbert had his third operation in 17 months on his left knee today, where doctors cleaned out "floating debris."
Arenas originally tore the lateral meniscus in his knee in April 2007 and it's been a rough ride ever since. He rehabbed too quickly the first time, forcing him to miss most of last season. And now he's expected to miss at least the first month of the impending season as he tries to fully rehab his main "pushoff" knee. Arenas is right-handed and he prefers to drive to his right with his dominant hand dribbling the ball. To do that, he has to gain leverage by being able to push off his left foot to get his first step. Obviously, a healthy left knee allows him to display his quickness, enabling him to beat his defender off the dribble.
Gil is known as a guy cut from a different cloth, so who knows what sorts of things he's done on his own time to speed the recovery of his knee. The guy is an insanely hard worker and he, more than anyone, is likely to be motivated by the people who doubt he can regain the athleticism and quickness he had pre-injury. He may actually thrive on it as he's made it his goal to prove the doubters wrong for his entire collegiate and professional careers. I just hope this isn't the case of an athlete fighting an eternal uphill battle, the way Grant Hill did when he lost the prime years of his career to a balky left ankle.
Arenas originally tore the lateral meniscus in his knee in April 2007 and it's been a rough ride ever since. He rehabbed too quickly the first time, forcing him to miss most of last season. And now he's expected to miss at least the first month of the impending season as he tries to fully rehab his main "pushoff" knee. Arenas is right-handed and he prefers to drive to his right with his dominant hand dribbling the ball. To do that, he has to gain leverage by being able to push off his left foot to get his first step. Obviously, a healthy left knee allows him to display his quickness, enabling him to beat his defender off the dribble.
Gil is known as a guy cut from a different cloth, so who knows what sorts of things he's done on his own time to speed the recovery of his knee. The guy is an insanely hard worker and he, more than anyone, is likely to be motivated by the people who doubt he can regain the athleticism and quickness he had pre-injury. He may actually thrive on it as he's made it his goal to prove the doubters wrong for his entire collegiate and professional careers. I just hope this isn't the case of an athlete fighting an eternal uphill battle, the way Grant Hill did when he lost the prime years of his career to a balky left ankle.
Watching the Mets fans run like the Japanese in a Godzilla flick
They're running to Connecticut! I love watching these Mets fans squirm here in New York City. Half the guys in the Bullpen at MLB.com are Mets fans. The doorman in the building of my full-time job is a Mets fan. Plenty of people I pass on the streets or share a subway car with are probably Mets fans. And almost all of them are sweating it out even as the weather in the city cools in mid-September. I love it.
After losing Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, it seems Mets fans were on hard enough times. But then last summer came and the Amazin' Chokers blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining to the hated division rival Phillies.
Now, they might drop another division title to the Phillies. They were up 3.5 games with 17 contests remaining, but now remain a game behind the Phils with only 12 games left (13 for the Phils).
And what sucks for Mets fans is that Johan Santana was supposed to be the missing ingredient they needed to put them over the top. Instead, Santana has been merely spectacular, not dominant. Billy Wagner is out for the season, leaving an already shaky bullpen without its most reliable arm. John Maine is done for the year, Pedro is unpredictable and even the offense has been a mess. Fernando Tatis is out for the season with a separated shoulder and that is actually a disappointment for the Mets. Did any Mets fan think, coming into the season, that losing Fernando Tatis would be disappointing? Probably not, since he wasn't on the team entering the season.
Carlos Delgado, for all his NL MVP talk, is hitting just .271 with a .330 on-base percentage since his five-hit game on Aug. 21. Sure, he has nine homers and 20 RBIs in the 22 games played since then, but eight of those homers and 16 of those RBIs have come in just four (four!) of those games. That means he has one home run and four RBIs in 18 of his other 22 games. And that's supposed to be MVP-worthy?
Mets fans play the part of younger brother in their regional "rivalry" with the Yankees. Yanks fans, the older brothers, are so self-assured that the only teams they worry about are those in the Yanks' division. Mets fans constantly measure their accomplishments and circumstances against the Yanks and their fans. And many Mets fans, although caring very much about the Phils and Brewers right now, are loving that the Yankees are all but officially eliminated from the playoff race. This was supposed to be their year to reclaim a part of the New York baseball spotlight. Instead, they might be on the outside looking in when the calender turns a page, to October.
For me, a Dodgers fans, I love nothing more than to watch New York fans squirm. They deserve it for being so boisterous when their teams win, although it is worth noting that many Mets fans this season treat every win with some sort of caution. It's probably because they've been so disappointed the last two seasons that they almost expect another letdown this time. And they just might get it.
After losing Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, it seems Mets fans were on hard enough times. But then last summer came and the Amazin' Chokers blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining to the hated division rival Phillies.
Now, they might drop another division title to the Phillies. They were up 3.5 games with 17 contests remaining, but now remain a game behind the Phils with only 12 games left (13 for the Phils).
And what sucks for Mets fans is that Johan Santana was supposed to be the missing ingredient they needed to put them over the top. Instead, Santana has been merely spectacular, not dominant. Billy Wagner is out for the season, leaving an already shaky bullpen without its most reliable arm. John Maine is done for the year, Pedro is unpredictable and even the offense has been a mess. Fernando Tatis is out for the season with a separated shoulder and that is actually a disappointment for the Mets. Did any Mets fan think, coming into the season, that losing Fernando Tatis would be disappointing? Probably not, since he wasn't on the team entering the season.
Carlos Delgado, for all his NL MVP talk, is hitting just .271 with a .330 on-base percentage since his five-hit game on Aug. 21. Sure, he has nine homers and 20 RBIs in the 22 games played since then, but eight of those homers and 16 of those RBIs have come in just four (four!) of those games. That means he has one home run and four RBIs in 18 of his other 22 games. And that's supposed to be MVP-worthy?
Mets fans play the part of younger brother in their regional "rivalry" with the Yankees. Yanks fans, the older brothers, are so self-assured that the only teams they worry about are those in the Yanks' division. Mets fans constantly measure their accomplishments and circumstances against the Yanks and their fans. And many Mets fans, although caring very much about the Phils and Brewers right now, are loving that the Yankees are all but officially eliminated from the playoff race. This was supposed to be their year to reclaim a part of the New York baseball spotlight. Instead, they might be on the outside looking in when the calender turns a page, to October.
For me, a Dodgers fans, I love nothing more than to watch New York fans squirm. They deserve it for being so boisterous when their teams win, although it is worth noting that many Mets fans this season treat every win with some sort of caution. It's probably because they've been so disappointed the last two seasons that they almost expect another letdown this time. And they just might get it.
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