Calzaghe Reigns Supreme (43-0)

Joe Calzaghe just smoked Manfredo, by way of a 3rd Round TKO. Calzaghe may very well be the quickest fighter in the world right now.

The referee obviously stopped this fight prematurely, but the difference in talent level has never been more apparent.

Calzaghe landed 61 of 210 thrown punches, while Manfredo landed a mere 16 of 73 total punches thrown.

Sunday Night Television Hits For The Triple Crown

Are you kidding me?? The below programs are more than 24 hours away, yet I cannot control my anticipation...

8 PM -- Sunday Night Baseball (Boston at Texas)

9 PM -- The Soprano's (Season Premiere of Part II of Final Scheduled Season)

10 PM -- Entourage (Season Premiere)

...if only there was a reality TV show, starring Mike Tyson, scheduled for 10:30...

In "Grand" Fashion

In front of 50,510 fans at the Bronx Zoo, A-Rod put on a show today.

3-for-4, 2 HR's, 6 RBI's, 4 Runs scored.

With the Yankees trailing 7-6, with 2 outs (and a 1-2 count) in the bottom of the 9th...A-Rod CRUSHED his 14th career grand slam to deep center -- off the usually lights-out, Chris Ray.

Upon reaching the dugout, Jeter shoved A-Rod back on the field for an explosive curtain call. Game over! Statement made!

Flavor of Love Marathon

Currently on VH1, a Flavor of Love Marathon is being aired. I, for one, cannot get enough of Flavor Flav. He is reality TV gold - he's outrageous, spontaneous, and uneducated.

The above photo is of Nicole Alexander, aka "Hoopz", the winner of Flav's heart in the 1st Season. As expected, she split from Flav a mere minutes after the show ended (thus, prompting a 2nd Season) - and moved on to more "youthful" athletes and/or rappers.

However, the main reason for this post is to remind all the readers whom the best looking female in reality television history is...Hoopz! Quite simply, the girl has got it goin' on...

As a side note, when is Mike Tyson going to make his reality TV debut?? Why hasn't this happened yet??

I'm a Simple Man

Nothing too exciting in this post. I just wanted to let everyone know that I plan on drinking about 23 of these today. That's all.

It's sooo good when it hits your lips.

I'd Rather Kick Myself in The Balls....

...than watch a professional hockey game. I'm going to give college hockey a pass, just because I don't really feel like having to do the elephant walk should I ever go pah-ty again at Boston College. The NHL is a complete debacle. Hockey, itself, is probably in the worst shape a sport has ever been in since I've roamed this miserable earth. I couldn't name more than 3 players on the Boston Bruins...nor do I give a rats ass. I actually turned down FREE Bruins tickets at least half a dozen times this year, because to be honest with you, I'd rather sit home and watch the Real World than go to the TD Banknorth Garden and watch a bunch of jerk-offs on skates completely fail to gain my attention. Remember when hockey was exciting? Neely, Bourque, Moog...hell, I'd even scream at the top of my chubby lungs when Rosie Ruzicka would score, do his fist pump, and smile with only one decayed tooth in his entire head. I honestly don't think I watched more than 10 minutes of total NHL hockey this season....and 9 of those were because I put a ton of money on the Bruins because I was bored (they lost 7-3 to Florida....in typical gay fashion).

Hey NHL....smaahhhhhhhten up. You want to eliminate fighting? Ya, that sounds like a great idea....the only good thing about hockey is watching two goons smashing each others faces just to get their primadonna goal scorers fired up.

Do us all a favor....go back to having just 6 teams....and I'll watch them pound the snot out of each other all year long....because frankly, at this moment, I'd rather watch Beaches than the Bruins....well, maybe that's just because Hockey is about as cool as August.

Bring Your Birth Certificate

Adam Loewen, currently pitching vs. the Yankees with the Baltimore Orioles, was supposedly 6'4", 180 lbs. in Little League (AS A 12 YEAR-OLD). Re-read that sentence!

It goes without saying that Loewen led his Canadian squad (their SS was probably Steve Nash) to the Little League World Series.

That is insane - imagine facing him...how far "out of the bucket" would you be stepping?

The 22-year-old Loewen is currently listed at 6'5", 235 lbs. He is a former #4 overall pick by Baltimore in the 2002 draft. Loewen's problem?? Much like young pitching prospects and/or projects...LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Is There or Isn't There?

MTV's The Hills star Lauren "LC" Conrad is putting rumors to rest that she and former Laguna flame Jason ever made a sex tape, and that no such tape can or will be released. Only one emotion can describe the way I am feeling right now....anger. I mean I would absolutely love to watch LC get drilled for all the times I have watched Laguna Beach and The Hills (sometimes by free will, sometimes against my will). This girl is a serious clam. She has to be the most miserable broad on the West Coast. Sweetheart, you are famous....have your own show....drive a sick beamer and have a nasty job....would it kill you to friggin smile???? If I were a girl, I'd punch LC....check that, I'd give her one of those serious girl slaps that leave a hand print on her cheek. But since I'm not....here's to hoping there is a video where Jason breaks her back and she actually cracks a happy face.

Coco Crisp is the Anti-Christ

Big ups to my main man Jesus on this Easter weekend. That's where i segue into the Judas of the Boston Red Sox squad this season...the Anti-Christ that is Coco "Covelli" Crisp. After hitting a crappy gay single today, Mr. Crisp managed to RAISE his average to .154. I swear to God this guy is just a complete abortion at the plate. He sucks, he's miserable....in fact, I'd trade him right now for an Almond Joy, and a bag of Ranch David's Sunflower seeds....and a Diet Pepsi. I hate Coco Crisp more than life itself. He doesn't do anything. He rarely does anything besides hit an Ichiro-esque single somewhere....in a situation that is absolutely meaningless to helping the Red Sox win a game. And what's the deal with his Red Sox Nation commercial? I'd like to smack his bald head right off his stool and tell him he needs a cycle of steroids to be a shell of his former self.

Hey Coco....I am Red Sox Nation....you suck buddy. But with Jacoby Ellsbury (who's gonna be naaaaaaaaaaaaaasty) looming in the background....I can only hope your days here are numbered. I'll drive you to the airport....please, just leave....you're a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$50 Contest: This Year's MLB Award Recipients

We at "The Win Column" are proud to announce our first cash prize contest. The rules are simple. Answer who you believe will win the following awards in the 2007 MLB season. The person with the most correct will take the prize. The categories are:

MVP (AL, NL)
Cy Young (AL, NL)
Rookie of the Year (AL, NL)
Home Run Leader (AL, NL)
Batting Champ (AL, NL)

Please enter your selections by posting a comment to this post. Deadline is April 15th.

God Absolutely Hates Me

You would think that having a glass of red wine with an attractive young female at 3:30am would usually be a good thing....that is until you wake up 3 hours later.....only to find that you had completely soiled yourself and make that walk of shame home.......completely soaked.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen....you heard it here first...."Simply Suds" just cannot handle hard booze. I mean...i took enough shots last night to kill an entire orphanage. Sambuca, bacardi and diets, Jaeger....you name it...and I threw it down my fat Esophagus last night. What the hell for????? It was a god damn Thursday night....but after watching my main man Dice-K toss seven innings of stiff erection baseball......I had an appetite for destruction....and I felt like getting sauced out of my tits......I'm a grown ass 25 year old man.

The moral of the story is to use the restroom before you go to bed......otherwise....you'll wake up in one of the most awkward situations of your life. Take it from a kid that's done this well over a dozen times......you drink hard booze.......you lose.

Answer: First MLB Player to Earn a Million Dollars

Nolan Ryan was the first player to sign a million dollar contract in 1981. Ryan, though, is not the first player to earn a million dollars. Albert Goodwell Spalding is the first MLB player to earn a million through his brother Walter's Spalding sporting goods empire in the late 1800's (the company started while Albert was still a pro ball player).

Jay Buhner will Check your Oil

What is going on here? While teammates, did Harold Reynolds teach Dr. Buhner this technique??

FYI: Jay Buhner's real last name is "Edwards" -- "Buhner" was just a nickname that stuck.

(The above photo comes courtesy of deadspin.com)

Jim Rice Needs a Muzzle

Be to honest, I've never understood the fascination with Jim Rice. He was a very good ballplayer, evidenced by his 8 All-Star selections...and MVP season in 1978 (in which he batted .315 with 46 HR's and 139 RBI's).

However, his career numbers simply are not Hall of Fame worthy. In 16 seasons, Rice batted .298 with 382 HR's and 1451 RBI's. His career OBP was average, at best -- .352. He was subpar in the field (much better suited as a DH). And, he didn't produce in his 3 career postseason series (18 games in total) -- as indicated by his .225 postseason AVG and modest 2 HR's and 7 RBI's. Again, very good player -- but, certainly not among the all-time greats.

With all that said, I have a newfound interest in him because of his following comments - which were made during a PawSox luncheon this past week. According to Joe McDonald's article in Thursday's Providence Journal, Rice was quoted saying the following:

"This is my 36th year of marriage to the same woman," Rice said. "If I had to do it all over again, I would have been divorced 10 years or 20 years ago because I would have been at the ballpark. There is so much money now to be made in the game of baseball, and you have this ability to play the game, why not take advantage of it? It's out there. Go get it. They're not going to give it to you; you've got to earn it.

"Who says you have to play for the Boston Red Sox?" he added. "You've got so many teams. If you put the numbers up, you've got a chance to play for someone else. The whole thing is to say, I 'played' major-league baseball. I don't care if I played for the Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox or Detroit. I spent 15 years in the major leagues and enjoyed it."

Rice went on to explain how players can make it to the big leagues, but the hard part is staying there. "You have to learn how to stay," he said. "What do I have to do? If I've got to cheat, I got to cheat. I don't care. I want to be in the big leagues. I'm not talking about steroids or anything like that," he said. "It's like this here. This is what I mean by cheating in baseball. Men, I don't know about women because you guys are pretty and can always find a boyfriend. Anyway, men, if you're fighting and this kid is taking your lunch money every day, are you going to cheat? Yeah, I'm going to bring my baseball bat in the next day. That's cheating. So it's the same thing with baseball."

Amazing stuff! Is there any wonder as to why Jim Rice's son has turned out the way he has??

Win a championship and then...

Tony LaRussa has had a tough last 2 weeks. First, he gets arrested for DUI on March 22nd.

And, now this..."If I was the opposite gender, I'd be chasing him. I'd be dating him. But I'm not, so I don't. But I'm making the point. This guy's got a ton of personality. He's really a neat guy. The players have enjoyed him from Day 1. He's smart and he's funny. I really appreciate everything about him." -- Tony La Russa on So Taguchi

Did You Know?

At the ripe age of 22, Jonny Gomes suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve, 2002. At the time of incidence, Gomes was said to be in the best shape of his life. He had no family history of heart trouble.

Per Howard Troxler's column..."To this day, they have no idea why it happened," Gomes says. "They knew what happened, but they had no idea why it happened to me."

Down goes, "Hibachi"...

If you know me, then you know that I'm in pain just typing this post. Gilbert Arenas - aka "Agent 0", aka "Hibachi" - is one of my favorite athletes, any sport. Today, Arenas had season-ending surgery as an MRI showed a lateral meniscus tear in his (left) knee.

I sweat Arenas because he an energetic killer on the court. He wants the ball when the game is on the line. He's silky smooth and he let's his peers know about it - if you're going to talk the talk, then you must walk the walk. He's a former 2nd Round pick which has worked his way into becoming one of the most deadly scorers in the league (and top 10 overall player). He holds grudges against players/coaches which have slighted him in the past, thus, providing him with that much more extra motivation.

No Arenas + no Caron Butler = Early 1st Round exit for the Wizards

Random thought...if you were a Habachi grill, whom would you prefer to promote the product: Arenas or Manny "Ebay" Ramirez?

Get well, Gil...and come back even stronger next year!

K-Rod is a CHEAT

Last year in the playoffs, it was Kenny "The Gambler" Rogers. Now, K-Rod has followed in his footsteps. In two separate appearances vs. Texas this past week, K-Rod was caught blatantly cheating (see the obvious white substance under the brim of his cap).

When it comes to cheating, why do pitchers get a pass? Statistics indicate that just as many pitchers use performance enhancing substances as hitters, yet fans disregard most pitchers' bad-doing.

The answer is simple...fans and pundits, alike, only care about offensive numbers and records. Baseball (offensive) stats are considered sacred - and fans don't want any cloud of suspicion surrounding such benchmarks.

Baseball needs to do something about this. But, bet on it...Bud Selig will push this matter under the rug. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL BUD SELIG STEPS DOWN! By the way, how the hell did Bud Selig earn $14.5M in 2005?? There's no longer any wonder as to why / how Gil Meche and Gary Matthews, Jr. signed outrageous $50M+ contracts this past offseason.

(Credit must be given to The Cheaters Guide to Baseball Blog for the above photo)

HAND BALL!! HAND BALL!!

In my personal opinion, this photo exemplifies soccer (aka, "futbol") perfectly. No further words necessary...

15 Days Until I Rock Out

For many who know me, I am a simple man. I enjoy sports, sports, bud light, bacardi and diets, and the Dave Matthews Band. So imagine my excitement to sit 15 rows from the stage at the everyone Wang "Chung tonight" Theater in the heart of Beantown. There is a decent chance that Friday April 20th will be the greatest day of my life. Booze, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds singing acoustic jams for 3 hours, booze, and thousands of smokin' hot college girls getting soaked at the sound of "Crash Into Me" blaring over the loud system.

I am gonna look Dave Matthews right in the eye and give him my best "F-in A" thumbs up and let him know it is time to pah-tay. It's goin down in the theater district in 15 days....mark my words.....I am taking the Wang Theater hostage....it's go time.

The "Pride of Providence"

Before I rip into and dissect this upcoming fight (this Saturday night -- Peter Manfredo vs. Joe Calzaghe -- free viewing on HBO at both 5 PM and 10 PM), let me preface what I'm about to say by making it known that I am one of Peter Manfredo's biggest supporters. I absolutely love everything Rhode Island -- Manfredo, Rocco Baldelli, Cuttino Mobley, Herb Hill, Ryan Gomes, the list goes-on-and-on (OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but you catch my drift).

With all that said, this fight is going to be over very quickly. Quite honestly, Manfredo would be better matched as Calzaghe's sparring partner than his fighting foe. Calzaghe is one of the top 5 overall fighters in the world, any weight class - the southpaw sports a current record of 42-0, 31 KO's. Simply put, he is an absolute beast! Calzaghe is coming off a defining defeat (last March) of the formerly renowned Jeff Lacy, in which he clearly demonstrated his utter dominance.

Yeah, yeah...you can say all you want about how Manfredo is more comfortable at 168 lbs. and how Freddie Roach has transformed Manfredo's career. You are right, as both of the aforementioned decisions have immensely benefited Manfredo - I've been fortunate enough to witness his progression live at the jam-packed Dunkin Donut Center. Along with Manfredo's fame via 'The Contender', his sound defeats of Scott Pemberton and Joey Spina (both glorified stiffs) have positioned Manfredo for this fight - in Wales (Calzaghe's homeland).

For Manfredo's sake, I hope this fight landed him a large payday - because he may not walk to see another day. The current oddmakers have this bout at 12-to-1 odds (I've seen some bookmakers slate the odds at 50-to-1), in favor of Calzaghe. Truth be told, the odds should be closer to 100-to-1. Again, I repeat that this fight is stationed in Calzaghe's backyard. As Calzaghe recently said, "I have been through the years of frustration of not being given the big fights and not really getting the credit and respect by a lot of people. Now, I am fighting in front of big worldwide audiences and getting that recognition. If you can't get motivated to fight in front of 35,000 people, there is something wrong with you."

In turn, Manfredo recently stated, "I have not spent 12 weeks away from my family to come here and be an opponent. I am here to be champion and I am not afraid of Joe or his reputation." As I speak on behalf of all Rhode Island, we can only hope...

End result: Unfortunately, Calzaghe in a blood bath. Too experienced. Too smart. Too skilled. Next up for Calzaghe...Mikkel Kessler.

Sports Trivia Question of the Day

We have all heard in recent months the story of Matt White - potentially, Major League Baseball's first billionaire.

After White purchased 50 acres of land in western Mass. from an elderly aunt, he surveyed the land and found a windfall of potentially $2 billion worth of stone on the property. The 9-year journeyman has appeared in only 7 major league games and undoubtedly will be known more for his rock quarry than for his pitching ability.

The question of the day is:

"Who is the first major leaguer to earn a million dollars?"

Say it ain't so Asante

Recent reports coming out of the Patriots' camp say that Asante Samuel is extemely unhappy that the conversations to extend his franchise contract to a long term deal have stalled. He had this to say to the NFL Network last night:

“This is to let everybody know that I’m not happy anymore and things are not going well,” Samuel said. “At first I thought it was going well, but it’s not. We have a difference of opinion in my value. They think I’m worth one price and the other teams think I’m worth a lot more. If a long-term deal can’t be done at fair numbers for me and New England, then I want to be traded.”

Ok, ok, I get it...the Pats do this to all of their players...in Bill we trust...yada, yada yada. But come on! This guy lead the NFL with 10 picks last year on a team where the secondary has more holes in it than Tom Boyce's underwear. With the sick acquisitions the Pats have made to the defense, now is not the time to piss off the best player you have in the secondary. So please, pretty please......MAKE ASANTE HAPPY!!!

The Next 6 Months Just Got A Whole Lot Better...

According to this morning's New York Times, "cable subscribers will once again be able to watch out-of-market Major League Baseball games, ending their fears that the Extra Innings package would become the exclusive domain of DirecTV for the next seven years."

"M.L.B. and InDemand — a consortium that is owned by the cable operators Comcast, Time Warner and Cox — agreed last night to restore Extra Innings swiftly to their systems as a free preview through sometime next week, after which it will cost a discounted $159 for a short period."

This very well could be the best news I have heard in the past year! As a diehard Yankee fan, I had resorted to the idea of watching the Yankees (and other out-of-market games) thru the use of my laptop for the next 6 months. One word...AWFUL! The size of the baseball screen was much smaller than my calculator -- and the last thing I want to do when in the confines of my home is to sit upright on my couch, only to squint while watching America's pastime.

Also, in a less discrete way...this transition has further guaranteed my run at fantasy baseball greatness (a run which has become a Dynasty) - as I now have the added benefit of scouting enticing pitchers and/or prospects.

So, to Robert Jacobson (InDemand's President) - from me to you...here is a resounding thank you! And, to all my fantasy baseball league participants...thanks for another year of fruitful contributions!

Roll the Dice-K

As I still feel the tranquil effects of Tina Cervasio....I can't help but realize that there is only one thing that matters to me today....Mr. Dice-K. Mat-su-zaka. The talk of the town. Don't get me wrong....I don't know a god damn thing about Japan...besides the fact that Mr. Miagi owns anyone that tries to practice Karate in Okinawa....but I'd be willing to bet my right testicle that Dice-K will probably have 139 strikeouts today. Who can hit a gyro ball? What the hell is a gyro ball? I think of gyro, and my fat mouth waters with the thought of delicious Greek meats fried in a delicate tortilla roll.

Let's keep it short and sweet. Here's to you Dice-K...you ugly bastard. Get the job done today....or I'm gonna have you trimming banzai trees at Plymouth Farm and Garden by days end.

the swings of baseball

as i sat in my cubicle clicking refresh every 15 seconds, i found myself thinking about how i'm not the one to blame for me being down boatloads of money this week. i put the blame on the men and women, probably men, who made the schedules for the baseball season this year, and every year for that matter. do they really expect me to not bet on daytime baseball during the week? am i expected to sit back and click refresh just for the love of the game?..........my response to that is absolutely not. there is nothing like being in a cubicle where no one can see you biting your nails 'til they bleed, swearing under your breath, and thinking terrible thoughts of punching the wall so hard the cubicles collapse and kill the fat bastard old man sitting next to me. these are the joys of my day. the best part of my day came when i left my cubicle to go to a meeting with the marlins up 6-1 in the 6th inning against the lowly and embarrassing nationals. anibal sanchez was pitching a gem, of course, so i figured i could at least split my bets (aj burnett is the anit-christ.....i took the bjays). well i happened to return just in time for the 9th to watch jorge julio, the big dumb f*cking dominican prick, blow a 2-run lead and lose in the 9th, officially putting me on suicide watch. so, my point is that i should not be held responsible for these bets. espn, peter gammons, and those motherf*ckers who created daytime weekday baseball should be paying my tab. i will be sending out a letter asking peter gammons to call my bookie and square up with him because i am not paying shit. did i mention - i hope aj burnett gets hit by a f*cking truck, preferably driven by juan guzman and tony fernandez? i want to go on record and say that dominican relief pitchers are about as useless as "simply suds" dick after a fifth of bacardi. go to hell bookies across the country, for i will have my day in the sun soon enough............

Me Sooooooo Horny

I don't want anyone on this site to even mention the beating that the Red Sox put on the orphans that are the Kansas City Royals.....I mean.....was there any doubt?

Let's focus our attention to the only thing that caught my attention in last nights game....Miss Tina Cervasio. Maybe it was the Bacardi talkin'......but for some reason....I couldn't help but think that Tina's mouth on my 3 incher would feel like a hot face cloth run under the faucet for about 45 minutes. I never think of her in this way....but last night...with that lower cut top....and those jiggly jugs.....I swear to Jesus Christ himself that I thought about whipping my pants down at the bar and showing Tina what being Italian is all about.

Tina....I'm all man baby...and I can drink enough Bacardi to ruin your Easter.....so let's cut to the chase and get it done!

What is Jerry Remy's deal tonight?

Why on earth was Jerry Remy fixating on the random "hairy" Royals' fan chest/back hair (which he kept referring to as Austin Powers)?? This conversation lasted a good inning. I couldn't have been the only one which thought this was extremely awkward? What does Jerry Remy know about "manscaping" (his word)?? I mean...has he looked in the mirror lately - he has a Ron Jeremy 'stache?

Has Remy been shaving the chest of his 'roid monkey of a son this past offseason?? I can't come up with any further explanation...

Santana's Trend from Mediocre Start to Magnificent Season Continues...

Take note. The data doesn't lie. Johan Santana, the inarguable the best pitcher in major league baseball, has a downside (especially in fantasy circles). Santana, since 2004, has put up mediocre stats the first three starts of each season (with the exception of 2005 - when in games 2 and 3, he totalled 21 K's and allowed only 2 earned runs per game). Since 2004, including his start on Monday in which he allowed 4 earned runs in 6 innings (not exactly the stats you would expect from a top 5 fantasy player), he has an overall ERA of 5.03 in his first three games of the season (this even takes into account games 2 and 3 of 2005). Compare that to his regular season ERA of 2.75 since 2004 and you find a 183% increase in ERA in the first three starts of the season. A key side note, Santana went on to win the Cy Young in both 2004 and 2006. Fantasy owners take note...if you are in a non-competitive league (competitive league participants already know this trend before drafting him), TRADE FOR HIM NOW. You will not get another chance to land him anytime after his 3rd start of 2007, if not before. Take one last note. Johan will dominate opposing hitters for most of the year, usually just not until after mid April.

Vic Mackey Saves Television

As the title of this blog would indicate, our primary focus is obviously sports. However, there are a few exceptions - and, 'The Shield' is certainly one of them. Why? Because I view Vic Mackey as the Albert Pujols of television.

While 'The Sopranos' and '24' are in the midst of "jumping the shark", the season premiere (Season 6) of 'The Shield' did not disappoint. As expected, Mackey (whom could easily pass as Billy Packer's son) is on a possessed mission to hunt down Curtis Lemansky's killer. And, what about Shane?? He has completely lost his marbles - is he the new Christopher (from 'The Sopranos')?

Last night's episode set up the forthcoming season perfectly. Unlike the aforementioned shows, 'The Shield' writers have clearly not run out of new plot lines.

Until next week, I leave you with this: "I hope you know the rules of the game" (as Mackey so eloquently explained to Lt. Kavanaugh)...

Nate Robinson in Cleats

Your boy, Bill Hall has some serious bunnies in those springs. However, he did not come up with the grab -- he's no Gary Matthews, Jr. Then again, Hall hasn't been accused of being on the Barry Bonds diet.

Must Win Baby

Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
8:10 pm EST
Kaufman Stadium - Kansas City, MO


Although the sight of Gil Meche mowing down Red Sox hitters still burns a fire under my ass every time I think of it, I was ready to hold off on pushing the panic button....until about 5 minutes ago. Can you imagine the humiliation of losing the opening series of the season to the friggin Kansas City Royals????? Their lineup is absolute buttcheeks - I'm talkin about stiffs such as John Buck, Tony (mi Padre looked like a retard behind the plate) Pena Jr., oh and don't forget about the always dangerous Mark Grudzielanek. I just threw up in my mouth. But have no fear....Odalis Perez is here!!!! How this pooh jabber is still in the big leagues is beyond me. I've seen pitchers with better stuff at the 9 year old special olympics game. I mean he's from Las Matas de Farfan, Dominican Republic.......and I have no idea where that is...but I'm sure there isn't any running water and it probably smells like low tide all day long.

It is time for Josh Beckett and the boys to get a "W" tonight, and at least bring some sort of relief back to the fans of Boston. Yankees fans everywhere are licking their chops for the chance to rub it in our faces that we lost the first series to the Royals. I really don't feel like listening to them at this point of the season....in fact...they can all go to hell for all I care.

Go Sox!

New York State of Mind

As the 2007 MLB season begins, the Yankees find themselves chasing after a remarkable 10th consecutive AL East crown. However, no Yankee fan (or pundit, for that matter) wants to hear about divisional titles -- with a payroll closing in on $200M, the Yankees take on a "championship or bust" mentality every spring. And, Brian Cashman has positioned the Yankees, better than any other GM, to ride off with #27 come October.

Come playoffs, good pitching beats good hitting - but, the same does not hold true in baseball's regular season. The Bronx Bombers will slug their way to another 95-100 wins in '07 - and should flirt with 1,000 runs scored over the course of the season (as they beat up on the Odalis Perez's of the world).

Yes, I'm well aware that "Glass" Carl started Opening Day this past Monday - and, predictably, left more to be desired, as he continuously left the ball up in the zone. But, make no mistake about it...barring a miracle, Pavano will not be in this rotation by mid-summer (via injury, demotion, and/or trade). Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina comprise a very consistent 1,2,3 punch. Kei Igawa, the "other" Japanese pitcher, projects as a favorable #4 in the bigs -- it's worth noting that Igawa is only 27 years old (only 1 year the senior when compared to Dice-K, the latest $100M investment by Sox management) and recorded only 3 fewer wins and a mere 6 fewer strikeouts than Dice-K last year in Japan. And, Philip Hughes boasts as the top pitching prospect in the game. Hughes' stuff is filthy - give him 3 years (he's only 20), and you will be talking about him in the same breath as Johan Santana.

Yet, this still doesn't even begin to discuss Clemens' future. Take this to the bank...Clemens will pitch in 2007. And, it will either be in Houston or New York. There is a 0% chance that Roger ends his career in Boston. With every game that the Houston 'pen gives away (it's April 4th...and this scenario is already 2-for-2), the chances of seeing Clemens in 'stripes increases tenfold.

All-in-all, this constructed Yankee team (all the way down to the farm system) is very good -- and they hold the necessary ammunition (Steinbrenner's cash and an array of highly touted prospects, thanks to Cashman) to dominate as the season progresses.

Baseball is upon us -- it doesn't get much better than this...