1. I really like what The Sporting News has done the past few years, but last week's issue had Orlando Pace on the cover, holding a Bears helmet (apparently he plays for them). I'm just trying to figure out how this will help sell a single copy.
2. Micah Owings didn't come to the plate once during the Reds' six-game road trip in AL parks. In a word, that's fucking stupid. Can't you stick John Gomes in left field to get your best hitters in the lineup? Owings is one of their nine best hitters, plain and simple. And isn't that the idea of the DH position -- to put your nine best hitters in the lineup?
3. A gentleman by the name of Tim Marchman, while writing for Sports Illustrated's Internet website, SI.com, came up with a list of MLB's best and worst 2009 free agents. Not surprisingly, Willy Taveras was considered the worst. Sweet! And the Reds have him next year for $3 million! Walt Jocketty needs to be held accountable for the awful contracts he handed Mike Lincoln and Willy Taveras. With Lincoln, I've said everything I need to say. With Taveras, owever, I've held off. Until now.
Do you realize Taveras entered 2009 with 80 extra base hits in over 2,000 at-bats? 80! That's it. Throw in only 116 walks over that same period and you're looking at a player who proved time and again to be a pretty lousy offensive player. As for the defensive side of things, I can't speak to his reputation as a center fielder entering 2009. But I can't imagine he was anything special, because he's been awful this year, routinely screwing up routine plays and often failing to track down the most trackable of balls.
Two years, $6 million. That's what Walt Jocketty offered Willy Taveras in the offseason. Translation: 600 at-bats in 2010. Horny? I thought so.
4. I was paid to see the New Kids on the Block show Saturday night, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing (except I kind of could). You'd have thought -- based on the maniacal behavior of every 32-year-old white woman at the show -- that it was 1964, and The Beatles were sweeping through America for the first time.
Women are bat shit crazy.
5. You know me well enough by now to know I'm 100 percent on board with Lance Stephenson coming to play ball at UC. I don't care about his past -- good or bad -- I really don't. To the best of my knowledge he hasn't raped my sister, and that's good enough for me. I just want him to run high and jump fast and contribute to victories. When and if this happens -- and if he's eligible to play, which I assume he won't be -- I'll devote more of my time to this subject.
Stay tuned.
-Brad Spieser (Brad@TwinKilling.com)
6/29/09
1 comments:
Taveras just never seemed to hit at all. When he was with houston he was great in center field and could steal bases, but it didn't matter. The Reds paid him too much and the Astros paid Kaz Matsui too much. I have to say that Bourn has been a big surprise. He has made alot of improvement at the plate, but I thought he was gonna turn out to be another Willy.
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