The Baseball Chick

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.

Just as sure as the sky is blue, the sun rises in the east, and Tom Cruise is gay, Brad Lidge is certain to choke when it really matters.  Actually, it’s a relief because sometimes, when the world feels all topsy-turvy, I know I can look to Brad Lidge for the consistency my life lacks.  I can simply turn on the TV during the spring, summer or fall and a wave of relief will wash over me as I am assured that, yes, everything is as it should be.  Just as long as Brad Lidge is up there on the mound in the 9th inning, ripping the hearts out of fans from coast-to-coast, I know there is always a reason to smile.

Lidge said after the game, “I felt good.  I felt like it would be one of those innings that would be a good quick inning.”  Traveling out of the Never-Never Land Mr. Lidge resides in, what really happened is stated below:

[Damon] fouled off three consecutive nasty sliders. Lidge then missed with two fastballs. Then he threw two more fastballs, which Damon fouled off…. But Damon wouldn’t go away.

Damon’s single to left seemed innocent enough, but the urgency of the inning immediately was turned up when Damon broke for second on the first pitch.

Whatever the explanation, Lidge lost it. All that nasty stuff he had for the first three batters of the inning was gone. He immediately plunked Teixeira on the elbow. Alex Rodriguez then came to the plate. Second base was open — with Mariano Rivera looming in the bullpen, it didn’t really matter if the Yankees scored one or two or three runs — so Lidge could have pitched around Rodriguez. He wanted to pitch him inside. His second fastball was inside, but not far enough. Rodriguez smoked it into the left-field corner for a two-run double. (Fanhouse.com)

 As avid a National League supporter as I may be, there is something so wonderfully silly and ridiculous about the obscene amount of chances Brad Lidge has been getting.  Why is he cut so much slack?  Did he save a bunch of orphans from a building engulfed in flames?  I guess it really just goes to show how low the overall talent level is amongst Major League relief pitchers.  Even Jeff Fassero had a long MLB career!

Get out the Stella Artois and Oreos, because I’m camped out in front of the television watching the heated Red Sox-Yankees rivalry all weekend…. not.  This is a mass conspiracy orchestrated by Fox and ESPN in order to convince us that this rivalry is the most important thing in sports… like the rest of America doesn’t even exist.  The next weekend I am force-fed a weekend of Yankees-Red Sox baseball, I’m going to the zoo to punch a baby seal in the face.  Don’t tempt me.

Call me what you will, but I could watch Don Zimmer get thrown to the ground for 5 straight hours and the smile would never leave my face.  I mean, what a senile retard.  What did his old ass think he was actually going to do to Pedro Martinez?