Sunday, August 8, 2004

Dog Days Ditties

*Roger Clemens was thrown out of his son’s youth league baseball game for arguing a call. Word is he contested a call against his son’s team, approached the umpire, and spit sunflower seeds in his face. Clemens was thrown out of the park. Wow. I guess this is what he meant by “spending time with his kids” when he “retired” from the Yankees last year.

*Is there any pro franchise with worse luck right now than the Miami Dolphins?? First, another tank job in the late season. Second, hiring Dan Marino as a….uh….well….as “Dan Marino”. In the process, stabbing your head coach and former GM in the back. Then Marino quitting after everyone joked about him being a figure head. Then…still retaining Wannedstadt….albeit on quite a tight leash. Then, a week before camp opens….Ricky Williams quits. So, now David Boston….their big acquisition….tears up his knee in practice and is out for the season. Maybe he can pull a Pat Riley and “retire” a week before the season starts.

*Is the new Cubs’ double play combo of Nomar Garicaparra and Mark Grudzielanek have the longest combined name ever??

*I think Florida did an excellent job at the trading deadline. They got pitchers Rudy Seanez, Ismael Valdez and Guillermo Mota. Mota and Seanez could give them the late season push that Ugi Urbina did last year. They got Juan Encarnacian back to be a pitch hitter….and Paul Lo Duca as their catcher. He’s not as offensively gifted as Pudge was….but he is a leader, and may be the best catcher in the National League.

*As for the favorites to get to the World Series….I think the Cubs are back in the fray. Yeah, the Cards added Walker [and, boy is that lineup stacked] and other teams added some bats just like the Cubs…..but the Cubs have the better pitching staff, if healthy.

*The Dodgers let Piazza go…and the Mets now got him. No, I’m not a few years behind. The New York Mets acquired Tommy Piazza from the Los Angeles Dodgers and assigned him to the Gulf Coast League. Tommy is Mike Piazza’s 22-year old brother.

*Congrats to John Elway and Barry Sanders for the Hall Of Fame inductions.

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