April 21, 2004
Fantasy Baseball Tip
If you see a rookie from Asia, by all means pick him up. He'll often be ranked low and overlooked by the other league members. And he might just kick ass his first year, since no one will have any experience with him. Think Nomo and Ichiro in their rookie seasons.
This year i picked up Hee Seop Choi and Kazuo Matsui under the radar. Choi is currently tied for fourth place in the NL with 5 home runs. And he's playing for the defending champs, so i expect him to improve as the season goes on. Matsui is hitting a respectable .302 right now, although i may dump him for José ValentÃÂn pretty soon.
Posted by: annika at
12:06 AM
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April 18, 2004
In Which annika Ponders The Question: "Should i Succumb To Peer Pressure And Root For The Home Team?"
The Dodgers have the best record in baseball. They just finished a sweep of the San Francisco Giants, their great rivals. i caught two of the three games on TV. Each game was a one run victory. i don't think i've ever seen the Dodgers sweep a series with San Francisco, although i'm told they did it when Pac Bell opened.
Now my best friend Betty, who grew up here, is needling me to be a Dodger fan. i'm also feeling the pressure from Scof, way over there in Texas. But you know the Dodger-Giants rivalry is bigger than you or me or anyone. It's been going on for 100 years! It just might be the most heated rivalry in all of sports. It's certainly up there with the Yankees-Red Sox, the Raiders-Broncos, or even the Celtic-Rangers rivalries for longevity.
Still, i've never really been a big Giants fan. i always followed them, but i grew up in Oakland and i'm really an Athletics fan, if you wanna know the truth. i still remember vivdly one of the greatest, and most disappointing, events in all of sports history: Kirk Gibson's two strike, two out, pinch-hit walk-off homer, bottom of the ninth inning, game one of the 1988 World Series, off ace reliever Dennis Eckersley, to spur the Dodgers on to upset my A's for the World Championship.
Can i forgive them? Well, they're in different leagues, so i can conceivably root for both my A's and the Dodgers. i do like a team with history, and the Dodgers have that. So, now that i am a resident of Los Angeles, i will give it a try. And it helps, too, that i have Odalis Perez, Guillermo Mota, and Adrian Beltré on my fantasy team. Go Dodgers!
That said, there's no way they deserved to win today. How the hell do you pitch to Bonds with first base open, when he's doubled and homered already against the same pitcher? What kind of Jim Tracy brain fart was that? i could see if Gagne were on the mound, but Jeff Weaver? Come on! The Dodgers were lucky to escape with a one run win today.
Posted by: annika at
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Well, Annika, I'm an As guy, and I was at Cal when Kirk Gibson hit that damned home run and broke our collective green n' gold hearts.
But I have no particular brief for the Giants. I rooted for the A's in the quake series of 1989. And I have gradually come round to the Dodgers; it was Mike Piazza's rookie season in 1993 that did it for me. I don't care much for baseball, of course, so it's easy for me. It's not like I am being asked to switch from Cal to Stanford, or Celtic to Rangers, or the 49ers to the Rams, or Newcastle to Sunderland. Those would be hard. Blithely adopting Dodger Blue is easy.
Oh yeah, and Go Sharks GO!
Posted by: Hugo at April 18, 2004 08:08 PM (TOkNs)
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The Dodgers? The team we love to hate; it seems we're getting to be a lot like the Cubs fans, doesn't it?
We all ridicule them, then go out and die with them. I've been ready to give up my primo four field box seats in aisle 6 for the last five years, but somehow when renewal comes around, my masochistic self won't let me just tear up the piece of paper.
Maybe next year? (Don't ever believe they can stay where they are now with the crap pitching they've got, especially Weaver)
Posted by: shelly s. at April 19, 2004 05:16 AM (rZmE1)
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Isn't it amazing how much stock we put into what teams we root for? I caught myself trying to frame an argument for not rooting for the *spit* Dodgers. LOL
Raiders. Sharks. Giants. Yay!
Posted by: Ted at April 19, 2004 07:12 AM (blNMI)
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Oh happy day! go annika and go dodgers!
Posted by: Scof at April 19, 2004 07:48 AM (XCqS+)
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Yes, Dodgers-Giants is definitely one of the great rivalries, but nothing else comes remotely close to the Sox and the Yankees: that's metaphysical, on a whole other plane. Unless you're a part of it--unless you've melted into the mob at Fenway or, um, that other place somewhere in the Bronx--you simply cannot understand. It is NOT pretty. It's really quite scary.
But that said, Dad's from Brooklyn, and though he never forgave them leaving, he still couldn't hate them for it. Go Dodgers! I'll take my Sox over them in the World Series if it comes to that (and my adopted state's Marlins in the NLCS), but for now I can have my cake and eat it too.
Posted by: Dave J at April 19, 2004 01:01 PM (VThvo)
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Go Dodgers!!
#$%@ the Giants.
The A's are a respectable team that you can be proud of, even though the pitchers don't hit.
Posted by: Steve S. at April 19, 2004 09:26 PM (AT2MA)
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See what I mean annika? Dodger fans have no class.
Posted by: Ted at April 20, 2004 07:14 AM (blNMI)
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"U need a good ********, I need a good **** and as well as your **** I would like to give u a good ******* as well."
Don't we all?
That's a text-sex quote from David Beckham, star of the kick-ball team Real Madrid. i'm not a big kick-ball fan, but i am curious as to how Beck can accomplish those things without using his hands.
Beck is a Sinatra fan too, i see. He also cracks on Singaporean men, how rude.
Alerted to this bit of naughtiness by Breanagh McTavish.
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April 13, 2004
Behold! For a Giant yet walks the earth
i thought tonight might be an appropriate night to re-post my one and only baseball related sonnet:
Behold! For a Giant yet walks the earth.
With shoulders of rock, striding forth he wields
Thirty-two ounce, thirty-four inches girth
Maple Excalibur, from which he deals
Four hundred foot jacks, right side of the plate
Six-sixty-
one homers, five hundred base steals;
Never swings early, nor ever swings late,
Inside the box hit, outside the box wait.
He cares not for me, and cares not for you
Cares not a whit for the bat when heÂ’s through,
And straightening up, and seeing the view
Watches the ball fly until itÂ’s a dot,
And then, only then, begins he his trot
Don’t say to him “bring it” – it will be brought!
More: The very prolific Scorebard says it in haiku.
Posted by: annika at
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Nice work, Annie! I'm not even a baseball fan, and
still I like it!
Posted by: Matt Rustler at April 14, 2004 04:29 AM (of2d1)
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It's amazing what a little Steroids can do for you when it comes to baseball.
Posted by: Tom at April 14, 2004 05:53 AM (HJfl9)
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Tom,
It is entirely possible for a superior athlete like Bonds to decide, later in his career, to put on 40-60 lbs. and become a "power" hitter--without steroids.
Granted, there is circumstantial BALCO evidence against him..but remember BALCO also sold legal nutritional supplements ranging from protein powder to exotic herbs.
I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Posted by: Jason O. at April 14, 2004 06:41 AM (loMDg)
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I think it sucks that no matter what the truth is, this steroids rumor will hang over all of Bonds' accomplishments this year like an untyped asterisk.
Posted by: Dawn Summers at April 14, 2004 07:44 AM (HLOeu)
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Way to go Barry! GO GIANTS!
Posted by: d-rod at April 14, 2004 07:53 AM (N7QC9)
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Bonds always had tremondous talent, it is too bad he was corrupted during his years at that shitty university ASU. That corruption directly lead to his decision to play for SF, where upon arriving he was further corrupted into the beast we know today. I mean who in the hell wants to play for a team dressed like pumpkins that's never won a world series?
And he will never win because Bonds is an egotistical jerk. Bonds thinks of Bonds first, anyone else on the team be damned. So what? Well so what, that's the way he is, staring at his homers as if he's god's gift to the game. Live and let the punk live I guess. What can you do if he refuses to sign autographs so as to keep their value high? Money and prestige are all that matter to him.
Bottom line is people do not gain thirty-five pounds of muscle in their late thirties without a little bit of help. The fact that he can use that muscle very well is a testament to his skillz, but the guy is an anathema to everything good the game is about. He makes it too easy not to root for him, he's a punk yet he is the toughest out in baseball. When all is said and done he'll be remembered with the same reverence that Ty Cobb garners today. He's the Dan Marino of baseball. Give me Ichiro anyday, hands down.
...
...sorry for the grandstanding, but that was just a knee-jerk rant, it had to come out. 'Tis a nice piece of work you wrote annika, i think it aptly expresses the mix of good talent and crappy character that is Bonds. "Never swings early, nor ever swings late,...He cares not for me, and cares not for you" good stuff
Posted by: Scof at April 14, 2004 08:37 AM (XCqS+)
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We'd make ye trashtalkin' scalawag walk the plank up here matey!
Posted by: d-rod at April 14, 2004 10:05 AM (CSRmO)
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Bonds's personality doesn't matter: but he should respect the game. There's a segment of baseball (& the media) that still holds a grudge against MLB for segregation & the negro leagues. I believe Bonds holds the Babe's record in utter disdain because sluggers like Josh Gibson were not allowed in MLB. Which is fine: That's his opinion.
Perspective: When the Babe hit 60 in '27 that was something like 14% of all home runs in the american league that year...Bonds would have to hit 400+ to equal that.
Furthermore, Bonds (and every other black player in MLB) sees the giant check every 2 weeks because the Babe made the game of baseball popular like no other athlete has even come close to doing in any sport with just maybe the exception of Pele.
The Babe wasn't even the best Yankee ever: That's Lou Gehrig who, without his disease, would have put up the scariest numbers in MLB history. Ruth was the most important person ever in baseball, however, and Bonds's disdain shows his naivete.
Posted by: Jason O. at April 14, 2004 10:59 AM (loMDg)
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This asshole doesn't deserve this much attention. He is a thug.
Posted by: shelly s. at April 14, 2004 12:44 PM (AaBEz)
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One thing about it, whether you grow big and strong by using steroids or not, you still have to be able to hit the ball ... period. Nothing assists in that task.
Posted by: Kang A. Roo at April 14, 2004 04:45 PM (JCxVY)
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"I mean who in the hell wants to play for a team dressed like pumpkins that's never won a world series?"
Get a clue, and go check some baseball history. The Giants have worn black and orange for nearly a century, and they've won a respectable number of World Series.
Posted by: Ted at April 15, 2004 06:27 AM (blNMI)
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Ted you could use the clue:
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~scofield99/images/giants_trophy.jpg
The SF Giants have never won a world series and I don't see how they ever will.
Posted by: Scof at April 15, 2004 10:26 AM (XCqS+)
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Impressive talent with words there, but no mention about Bonds' steroid use? His HEAD is two sizes bigger.
Regarding Bonds being a "jerk," I disagree. He's not a social animal, more like a loner. Doesn't talk to media much, doesn't mingle with fans. Prefers his own company. This does not make one a "jerk," does it?
Posted by: Mark at April 16, 2004 05:21 PM (Vg0tt)
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Everyone gets bigger in their 30's and 40's. I weighed 195 when I played competitively and 230 now. Age and beer are the cause -- never took a steroid in my life.
As to Bonds, he was the greatest BEFORE he got bigger. Why isn't anyone questioning Annika? I have a pic of her in 2001 with skinny arms. Now her biceps would make Bonds proud. Don't tell me she put on all that beef "working out"
Posted by: Wolf at April 03, 2005 06:42 AM (JzmnO)
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Green Jacket Dinner
i was so happy to see Phil Mickelson finally win a major, and
in such an exciting way last Sunday. His family had a tough time last year, but he never whined about it or used it as an excuse for not winning. He seems like a really great guy.
And his favorite dish happens to be lobster ravioli. i love lobster ravioli, too. i had a great one in San Francisco last weekend. Here's a recipe i googled, from Emeril. i may give it a try someday when i'm feeling ambitious. With lobster meat, not live lobster, of course. i'm too squeamish to kill the poor things myself.
Posted by: annika at
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I've never had lobster in any form. I am a huge fan of ravioli, so I might be pursuaded to one day try this. I
think I could bring myself to start out with live lobsters.
Posted by: Annika (the other one) at April 13, 2004 10:20 PM (YZTVQ)
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Phil's winning the Master's was a great thing to watch. In fact, the entire broadcast was probably the best golf I've ever seen on television.
Two holes in one on 16 within ten minutes time, K.J. Choi's holing out a 5 iron on the 11th hole, Ernie Els making two eagles, and of course, Phil's stellar play.
Looking back, if Phil doesn't make that par putt on 10, he's looking a bogey or worse. That putt was key, allowing him to make birdies coming in, capped off with a courageous putt to win on the 18th.
Two predictions: one, having won his first, Phil will have the confidence and know he can and will win numerous majors; and two, look for lobster ravoli on next year's Masters Champions dinner menu.
Posted by: joe at April 14, 2004 05:06 AM (e2tKl)
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Mmmmmm...lobster. The sound it makes soon after it goes into the boiling water is not REALLY screaming; it just kind of sounds like it. :-p Thanks for the recipe, since anything even remotely connected to New Orleans is bound to be a culinary delight (even though the smaller lobsters native to the Gulf aren't as good for eating as the Atlantic ones).
Posted by: Dave J at April 14, 2004 07:28 AM (VThvo)
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