uggghhh!

Dodgers lost eight in a row. Shit!

Wrigley Field

I apologize for such a long break in between posts.
Anyways I wanted to share some photos from my trip to Chicago. Although this was about a month ago, I wanted to give some props to the Chicago Cubs for having the best record in the MLB (85-50) after today's victory.

The Cubs are roaring! There are no talks about curses, black cats, or Bartman. But the real question is can they keep going? Their bullpen is pitching phenomenal, and that's going to be a real help for them as they roll into October.

Wrigley Field is one of the oldest stadiums in the MLB. When I went there I was asking where the jumbotron is. HA! There isn't one, and perhaps that's whats makes the field so beautiful and legendary. The scoreboard is done manually, also one of the oldest stadiums that operates their scoreboard by hand. It is just an overall great experience. Cubs fans are loyal and friendly. If anyone has the chance to go to Chicago, its worth the trip to Wrigley Field!

Olympic talk

A couple of surprises I would like to discuss:

1. Both the women's and the men's 4 X 100 relay team dropped the baton...in the opening rounds!

It was disappointing to see the men drop the baton in the first place, but then to have the women do the same thing was just out of the ordinary (both teams dropped it during the final handoff). The women's team was the best, probable to win, and it looked like it too. But in the end it turned to disappointment. Lauryn Williams failed to catch the baton from Torii Edwards. What's even more ironic is that the same thing happened to Lauryn Williams in 2004 in Athens. She was heartbroken, about to burst into tears during an interview conducted immediately after the race. She mentioned that there must be some kind of voodoo on the Americans right now. Somewhat true--the U.S. went 0-for-6 in the sprint races.

2. The women's softball team lost! What?

This loss to Japan is certainly a disappointment as well. The softball team seemed unbeatable, which is a reason why softball is no longer going to be in the Olympics, at least not anytime soon. The Americans dominated the sport, and there was no one even close to beating them. Before Thursday night, the Americans hadn't lost since Sept. 21, 2000. Through eight games in Beijing, the Americans outscored their opponents 57-2. They batted .348 while their opponents batted .054! They had everything--pitching, offense, defense. But they just couldn't get it done.

It will be a game that no one will ever forget, but could it be their last? One thing is for sure...it proved that the U.S. is beatable, so maybe it will one day bring softball back to the Olympics.

Pure Laziness

It really makes me mad when ballplayers are lazy. They're getting paid millions of dollars. It's their job to play hard, both during practice and games.

B.J. Upton of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays looks like he just doesn't care. Why this from a player on a team with the best record in baseball? (note: the Rays had the worst record in baseball last season and this season things turned 180)

Upton has been benched three times in the past two weeks for not hustling and that's a well deserved punishment.

On Monday he casually ran to second base thinking he had an easy double, but was thrown out. I laughed. He looked like he was in shock.

Last night he did manage to run hard to first base on a ground ball that was overthrown. But the umpire thought he made a move to go to second base, and he was tagged and called out. Again, Upton looked like he was in disbelief.

Upton is going through some tough times, but I think he will pull himself together. And come on, he needs to, his team is on the right path toward the World Series.

Dodgers...rollin!

I'm going to have to give some props to my hometown, favorite team, the LA DODGERS. Four wins in the past five games...it's looking promising for the Dodgers as the hunt for October is approaching.

Andre Ethier's walk-off homerun on Sunday gave the Dodgers that extra confidence they need as they battle with the Diamondbacks for a first-place spot.

The Dodgers are definitely in a good position in a horrible NL West division. The addition of Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake have proved to be favorable for the Dodgers. Ramirez is batting .424 in 16 games. He adds intensity and makes everyone around him better. Blake adds the defense that is needed at the corner spot.

The Dodgers just need to keep playing a hard nine-innings and success will follow. Their bats are on fire and everyone seems to be making a contribution. Let's hope that is continues.

Deja vu?

It seemed like deja vu after the Yankees blew a 6-3 lead going into the eighth. In fact, it seemed like deja vu during the eighth inning of the Yankees-Twins game on Tuesday night.

Again, Damaso Marte came in as a reliever to pitch the eighth. The first batter batter, catcher Mike Redmond, doubled. Hello, Girardi...that's a sign to take the guy out!

But again he didnt, and after Justin Morneau flied out, the third batter, Randy Ruiz, singled, putting runners on the corners.

So once again, Marte allowed two runners to reach base, and finally Girardi came to his senses and put in Mariano Rivera.

However, it apparently wasn't Rivera's night. Delmon Young hit a 3-run homerun, giving Rivera his first blown save of the season. He was 28-28 in save opportunities leading up to this point. After getting out the inning you could tell Rivera was very pissed and disappointed in his performance.

Luckily, things ended up working out for the Yankees, but not until the 12th inning. A-Rod and Xavier Nady came in clutch, each homering and giving the Yankees a 9-6 lead and win. The win ended New York's four-game skid, the longest this season.

It would have been more disaster for the Yankee ballclub had they lost this game. They just got lucky. In an eighth inning situation like this game, Girardi needs to know when to take out his pitchers.

The Yankees are playing tight. They need to relax but they have so much pressure on them to win. And it doesn't really help either when your owner says, "We're going to win it next year." What do you think that says? Come on, are you already giving up on this year?

Yankees...playoff worthy?

After watching the Yankees get swept by the Angels this weekend, I asked myself whether they can come together and push their way to the playoffs. Or will they collapse and fail to reach the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year? I have to wonder if they are still adjusting under new head-coach, Joe Girardi. Or is it him that is making the wrong decisions in crucial game-time moments? The last two games of this series, the Yankees blew the lead.

Saturday's game was tied going into the eighth inning. But, the Yankees gave up eight runs in the eighth. Reliever, Edwar Ramirez gave up five of those runs. I think Girardi needs to make smarter, better decisions on when to take out a pitcher.

On Sunday the game was tied as well going into the ninth. Girardi should have taken out Damaso Marte after the first batter reached base. Instead, Girardi left him in and Marte walked the next batter. It was then that Girardi decided to put Mariano Rivera in. And sure enough, Chone Figgins hit a dinky bouncer past second-baseman Robinson Cano that gave the Angels a walk-off victory. Marte is 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA. And you know, if Girardi never moved Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation it would be Chamberlain coming out and pitching the 7th and 8th innings of relief.

Not to mention the Yankees got rid of Kyle Farnsworth thinking that they would be okay without the right-hander. NOT! Since the trade happened the Yankees bullpen has a combined 8.16 ERA in nine games.

The Yankees keep slipping. Boston and Tampa Bay, especially, keep soaring. It's just a matter of how long it will take for the Yankees to hit the bottom. But there is a part of me that thinks they will somehow rise to the occasion. They have to, right? They're the New York Yankees.