Jim Joyce, PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE. What a JACKASS!!!

Armando Galarraga was one out away from the third perfect game of 2010 and the second in less than a week, until Jim Joyce ripped it away from him.

After retiring the first 26 batters in succession, Indians shortstop Jason Donald was called safe on an ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Replays showed that Galarraga clearly beat Donald to the bag while receiving Cabrera’s toss, but Joyce called him safe.

Despite the call, Galarraga finished with the first complete game and first shutout of his career — a one-hitter — as the Tigers beat the Indians, 3-0, in the second of three games.

But this fat tub of shit, excuse me, Jim Joyce, should never ump in the big leagues again.  I’m sorry, if you can’t even make the easy plays when they count the most, how can we trust this utter moron with any call in the MLB?!?  The umps are there to correctly call the game, not to decide it.

Worst call in Don Denkinger.  FACT.

Jim Joyce Robs Armando Galarraga With The Worst Call Since Don Denkinger is a post from: The Baseball Chick - Baseball News, Updates, Fantasy Advice, Rumors & Gossip

It is rumored that Curtis Granderson is on his way to the Yankees in a three-team deal that would also involve pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy going to Arizona.  In return, exciting young pitchers Daniel Schlereth and Max Scherzer would be sent to the Tigers.  What all this means for Johnny Damon’s and Melky Cabrera’s days in New York is still an open question.

My first impression is that this deal is a big “thumbs up” for both the Yankees and the Tigers.  However, I think I would even have a hard time dealing Jackson and Kennedy for Scherzer and Schlereth in my fantasy league this upcoming season.  I mean, Jackson did well last season, but I got him nearly at the end of my draft when some other morons were trying to choose between J.R. Towles and Josh Bard.  Get it?  Total fluke.

The Rich Get Richer: Granderson Headed to Yankees??? is a post from: The Baseball Chick - Baseball News, Updates, Fantasy Advice, Rumors & Gossip

Jim Leyland was asked for his reaction to the David Ortiz steroid saga this weekend.  This is what he had to say:

“I don’t condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don’t think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don’t like baseball.”

“Do we want to peck until we get every last name out? What’s the difference? I don’t condone any form of cheating, but I’m tired of press conferences about steroids. Who am I to judge? It’s none of my business.”

“I’m not trying to prove (baseball) innocent. We’ve made some mistakes. The worst era in baseball was when guys were found guilty of using cocaine and other (bleep) because they could’ve gone out there and hurt someone.”

Thank you wise old man!  This is now my favorite geezer since Santa Claus.  My favorite old guy used to be Morgan Freeman until I found out he was bangin’ his step-granddaughter.  But I digress…

The media is really trying to push the idea that steroids and other performance-enhancers are irrevocably damaging the relationship between the fan and their teams.  This constant bombardment of stories regarding new players and new allegations is trying to tell us that, yes, this information really MATTERS to us.  And while I too do not appreciate nor condone professional athletes creating legends built on some degree of lies, I am not naive enough to think performance enhancer usage is some new, controversial phenomenon.

As early as the 1960s, it became clear that professional athletes of all sorts, including Olympians, were utilizing amphetamines (“pep pills”), tranquilizers, cocaine and other drugs in elite sports in order to gain some sort of edge in competition.  However, the definition of cheating has changed throughout history. Today’s athletes use air-inflated soles on their spikes, they run on fast artificial surfaces and they wear aerodynamic body suits. Moreover, even training in many instances was considered cheating in the early nineteenth century.

I guess the question is, does the media simply have the wrong idea in thinking baseball’s fans care so deeply for this issue or is the media intent on making us care?  The fact of the matter is that after all is said and done, the Mannys and the A-Rods of the world go back to the cheers of millions.  Maybe the everyman baseball fan just has an understanding of the situation that the media will never allow itself to have: “cheating”, by some definition, will always exist. 

I know that if my entire livelihood and success depended on it, I’d gladly take a needle in the butt!

Jim Leyland Sounds Off On Steroids is a post from: The Baseball Chick - Baseball News, Updates, Fantasy Advice, Rumors & Gossip