Underdog Dodgers Can Make the Show

For the fourteenth straight year, Joe Torre will be managing in October. The New York Yankees, however, will be watching Torre on TV instead of playing for him.
In a move comparable to the junior varsity coach who cut Michael Jordan, the Yankees last off-season gave Torre an unacceptable offer and let him go.
Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada claimed they’d leave the Yankees too if he left. They sold out and resigned. Torre on the other hand, as always, stood tall.
Now, he will be standing at the top of the dugout at Dodger Stadium managing the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series
Though they enter the playoffs as a long shot, the Dodgers strong rotation, solid bullpen and dred-locked left fielder will carry the Dodgers past the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series.
Starting pitcher Derek Lowe is 6-1 in his last 10 starts with a 1.27 earned run average and starter Chad Billingsley has 16 wins, 199 strikeouts and a team low 3.14 ERA. The addition of future hall of famer Greg Maddux gives the Dodgers rotation depth and experience.
The Dodgers bullpen has four relievers with an earned run average under four and a now-healthy closer Tasaki Saito.
Jonathan Broxton and Joe Biemel give the Dodgers the edge. This righty, lefty combo is reminiscent of the way Torre used Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton in the Yankees World Series victories in the late 90s.
As for the Cubs, Ryan Dempster has been consistent but that has not been the case with the rest of the rotation or bullpen.
Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter, then didn’t make it out of the fourth inning his next two starts. Ted Lilly has given up 32 home runs this season and outside of Carlos Marmol, getting the ball to first-year closer Kerry wood has been difficult at times.
The Cubs weak and inexperienced ’pen does not have a shut-down left handed pitcher to stop Dodger sluggers Andre Ethier and James Loney from getting on base in the late innings.
As for the Cubs lineup, last year against the Arizona Diamondbacks in round one, Chicago’s heavy hitters were contained and Arizona took the best-of-five series.
Beside pitching, what tips the scale for the Dodgers is the trade-deadline acquisition of Manny Ramirez.
In 53 games with the Dodgers Ramirez hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 runs batted in. But more importantly, Ramirez has 24 career playoff home runs, two world series championships and had a .508 on base percentage in the 2007 playoffs.
For Torre, working with the former Red Sock Ramirez must feel like Republicans getting support from former Democrat turned Independent Joe Lieberman, a little strange, but beneficial none the less.
On the other side of the bracket, the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers will face off in a series likely to set NLDS records for home runs.
C.C. Sabathia has dominated since being traded to the Brewers, but struggled in his playoff past. In four playoff starts, he has a 7.17 earned run average.
The Phillies starting rotation is weaker, but lefty J.C. Romero and closer Brad Lidge have been the kind of stoppers that the Brewers lack. Romero allowed just 41 hits in 59 innings and Lidge did not blow a save in all of 2008.
Though the Phillies will likely win the division series, hitting doesn’t get you to the world series, just ask the Yankees.
The Dodgers swept the Phillies in late August by shutting down the left handed power hitters Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
Twenty years after the Dodgers won the world series under Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre will lead them back. All while Hank Steinbrenner sits on his pinstripe throne pouting behind his shades.

This is what baseball is about!

With the White Sox winning the most important game of their season, we now find ourselves watching the beauty of baseball... the one game playoff.

From Bucky Dent to well, Bucky Dent, these crucial one game/do-or-die/heart wrenching season makers can lift the team to the playoffs or well end the season one day later.

Though I always loved the feel of that crucial one game. It helps define which team is truly ready and which players can step up to the plate and make those critical plays. Alexei Ramirez showed that last night. Who knows maybe Denard Spann will be it tonight.

Say Sez: "I was the Red Sox bullpen catcher in '78. Man, they have some really good chowder in Boston."

Baseball Regular Season Wrap up

Today marks the last day of regular season play in baseball and it’s great to reflect on how amazing of a year it has been. We’ve seen dominance from the usual suspects, careers develop and standings look like a contrast from the normal.

Yesterday we saw the dominance of Johan Santana pitching a complete game three hitter to keep the Mets in the playoff hunt. This guy went from small market to large market and did not suffer a lapse in his ability, truly showing off his stuff. Speaking of pitching in a not so talk about local in the north, Roy Halladay is going to lose the Cy Young to Cliff Lee. Halladay is working so many complete games and just shuts down every offense powerhouse, but he suffers from playing on a team that does not have it to be a playoff team in the AL East.

That brings us to Cliff Lee, who will win the Cy Young, hands down. He went from being a mediocre 3-4 starter on what should have been a pennant contender to being an ace on a collapsing AL Central team looking to stay above five hundred. Due to an intense off season work out schedule and hunting wild animals, he is in amazing shape and posting up the stats, winning 22 games.

The greatest thing about this season has got to be the teams going to the playoffs. For the first time since 1993 (well 1994 since there were no playoffs) the Yankees will not be in October. So since 2000, there will be another year with no Yankee World Series wins. It is so sweet, because its nothing against the players, it’s their fans. They have the dumbest/ignorant/self-righteous/warped fans in the world of organized sport. Boastful hockey parents and soccer moms are better informed than Yankee fans.

Tampa Bay, the team Yankee fans always bragged about being better than, are going to the playoffs. It had to eventually happen, the Diamondbacks won the World Series, along with the Marlins. Last years NL Champions were the Colorado Rockies, so who knows maybe the young, versatile Rays might beat the perennial power house Red Sox and Angel teams for the pennant. They got my favorite player, Evan Longoria doing wonders as a rookie. To think that last year the buzz was about rookie Dustin

Pedroia being tops amongst AL rookies and doing so on a World Championship club.

The Sox are back in the playoffs. Honestly this team is as good as last year, while not having Manny being Manny. These are 25 guys who are just out there to win, a great feeling for those paranoid Boston fans.

Paranoid, but not in a sadistic way, Cub fans won the division again. It’s nice to see Pinella doing a great job with that team, especially with all the expectations placed on Fukudome. Even with Fukudome not playing as well, everyone else has stepped up.

This year has been an amazing ride. Tampa Bay can finally have fans find pride in their team before maybe they get moved to Montreal or some other city in America that has no need for Major League Baseball. Maybe they will move the Marlins to Los Angeles and turn them from a baseball team to a football team.

Sal Says: “I was the starting tailback for the 1999 San Francisco 49ers.”

A Legend in Lost (1925-2008)

Saturday was quite a day for College Football. Lots of upsets that should scramble the BCS, but the day seemed a bit out of place. The world of sports seemed less manly.

This may be a website dedicated to sports, but I think this person falls somewhere in that category. Paul Newman passing away took something away from sports or rather sporting men.

Apart from his birth in Shaker’s Heights, Ohio, I really admired Newman for that life he led. He was ultra manly, playing manly parts in great men movies (Cool Hand Luke, Slapshot, Butch Cassidy) and he acted like a man.

When Newman retired from films he spent time racing (quite manly) and made great food products (new, modern manly), while he was married to one broad for many years. Oh did I mention he was from Ohio.

In all serious, we lost someone who helped define what the twentieth century man was. Newman was cool, handsome, smart and had all around talent. He was also smart by despising the Hollywood attitude. That is a real man there. Modern actors take notice.

Sal Says: “I went as Paul Newman for Halloween 1960-1974,1976-88. I went as Roger Moore in ’75.”

Hockey will be back in Rochester soon! OP-ED

Last night the Sabres played the Canadiens in a little rink in Canada. Apart from the fact they lost to a team The Hockey News said should be number 1 in the East, it means one thing... one really awesome thing.


HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!

This is a great time. Hockey is gaining respect again and partly because the league got off their asses and started doing something about it. No two line passing rule, no obstruction, letting players score goals for once.

Though this means the Florida Panthers will have the Amerks as a farm club. This is sad since the Sabres and the Amerks could not agree to terms for a what should have been an affiliation for life. Instead most fans might not want anything from the Amerks since the affiliation for Buffalo is no longer a local connection but rather Portland, Maine. I'm hear to tell you guys to keep supporting the Amerks.

Hockey has always had a special tie with this city. RIT went from a dominant D-III program to a full fledged D-I team in the playoffs most years. Don Cherry came here and coached strong Amerks teams with Gerry Cheevers in net. Don Stevens on the mic... timeless. The Old War Memorial and Blue Cross Arena have been the staple for years. Even local kids getting a chance to play in the NHL now, Marty Reasoner, Brian Gionta and Ryan Callahan are showing that believe it or not New York state is developing a lot of strong American pro hockey players. If this continues we could challenge Minnesota and Michigan.

The thing is the players may have contracts with the Panthers and if we don't support the Amerks and go to game (which are fun, might I add), then what kind of attitude are we showing them. We still have professional hockey in Rochester. This isn't an IHL team or an ECHL team. No, this is a bona fide AHL team, no franchise that has been ingrained in the games history.

Buy tickets for the home opener Oct 10th. I assure you, I will be there.

Sal Says: Go Amerks! Also, bring back Sean Mc Morrow.

The Streak is OVAH!!! NOMMMMMAAAAARRRR!!!

Oh yes Lady's and Gent's this is a glorious day. The Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians last night, extending a Rays-Sox lead in the AL East. What this means is yes, say it with me people, THE YANKEES WILL MISS THE PLAYOFFS!

Say it slowly, the New York Yankees... who have the highest payroll, the dumbest fans and the worst hometown announcing crew in the league, will miss the 2008 Major League Baseball Postseason for the first time since 1993. That was when crappy players like Kevin Maas and Steve Sax were on the Yankees. Oh don't forget about the 1980's when they had really crappy players and young players they would unload in the 1990's.

The last game at Yankee Stadium was in September which is bittersweet. It's sad because it is the most important park in baseball history. However and for those who were on Deadspin last week, it was home to the biggest bunch of idiot fans who honestly thought the sun only rose each day for a Yankees win. In a related note, the sun didn't rise for the Yankees during the 2004 Playoffs through the present day.

At Sal's 401K, again, located in Rochester, NY, we argued all year long that teams such as Tampa Bay could not exist as the perennial cellar dwellar (save that now for Baltimore). That team is good and showed it when key players went down.

Also, they had to realize that as much as most people hate Red Sox fans, they are right that the Red Sox are wicked hard! These guys play to win. The Yankees are really a bunch of hired fielders with huge salaries and do not deliver in the clutch and play around a miserable pitching staff complete with wash ups, has beens and never will be's. Also they have a few good players here and there.

Let it be told that we might actually see Yankee fans realize that New York is not home to the best baseball. Los Angeles is making a strong case now along with Boston and Tampa. Oh let's not forget Chicago.

Sal Says: Nomar Garciaparra is still a member of the Red Sox in his eyes. Of course that does mean missing 30 games and swinging on every first pitch.

Instant Replay Needs Out

Jay Cutler rolls left. He turns to throw up field and loses the handle on the ball. it’s a fumble! Chargers recover, they can kneel down and win the game! Right?
OK the coach threw the red flag, but it was a fumble, it was obvious, right? Wrong.
Referee Ed Hochuli trots out and announces that its an incomplete pass. 10 million people went, WHAT!!?? Broncos then throw a touchdown, go for two and win the game.
Each and every week of NFL football, I become more and more baffled at why there is still instant replay challenges.
After some shady refereeing in the late 90s, the NFL finally decided to put in instant replay in 1999. At the time, I agreed with the move. But after seeing it put into practice, well, the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.
What I didn’t anticipate was that the game would come to a ten minute complete stop after a red flag was tossed.
The ref has to walk over to the coach, have an intimate conversation about the play, their kids school play and maybe even how to fix that leaky kitchen sink. 3 minutes elapse.
Then, the ref walks slowly over to a video booth, stands for 3 more minutes watching all 263 camera angles, talks to the people, “Upstairs,” and finally comes to a decision.
All the while, we the viewer are watching commercials. You know what makes me enjoy a football game? Commercials.
We already get commercials after an extra point, then again after the kickoff, then again half way through the drive for a, “TV timeout.”
But seeing the same boring Family Guy punch line 43 times isn’t the only problem.
There are hardly ever any challenges that get overturned. Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs had only 7% of his challenges overturned. The league on average only gets 2 out of every 10 overturned.
So eight of out ten times, we’re wasting our time.
If it wasn’t already confusing enough, there are plays that are, “Not reviewable.”
You can review if a receivers foot was in bounds, but you can’t review if he was forced out. Sometimes you can review if a player was down by contact, sometimes you can’t. And the one I never understood, you can’t review if a field goal was good or not. WHY?
Coaches have also gotten rather clever when it comes to replay. They know that if they take a timeout to stop a teams momentum, it will be 30 seconds and back to it. If they challenge a play, it will be the aforementioned 10 minute delay.
Its kind of like the way college basketball coaches use timeouts, only ten times the length and there is a possibility of getting a flunky referee to overturn the play.
Major League Baseball has just started introducing instant replay, only on home runs so far, but who knows where that will lead. For baseball fans, this should be a (excuse the pun) a red flag.