Thursday, November 24, 2011

Turkey Day Podcast Test Run

A sonic shout-out to anybody who is caught listening:
Happy Thanksgiving.
I'll be baking some Arab Spring Stuffing
And mixing up a pot of Chili-Occupied Smashed Potatoes
While waiting for a fellow reliever
To pitch something on this here blog.

Bullpen Podcast, test run
 
"Uncloudy Day" by John Fahey

Thursday, November 17, 2011

In a Race to Get Reyes



With all due respect to the author of the post "Colorado Dreamin'", you gotta be more than a mile high if you think there's any chance in hell the Rockies would get (or even pursue) Jose Reyes. Or that a high profile superstar, having played his entire mlb career in New York, would have the slightest interest in leaving the Big Apple to chill out in Denver during his prime years as a sizzling shortstop who'd be forced into playing second base for a mid-market team and for an almost exclusively white, middle-class, family-friendly fanbase in the Rocky Mountains.


No way!


Jose Reyes needs to play for their division rivals, the San Francisco Giants.


               The race is on!




The photo of Reyes below, probably taken during or after another Amazin' defeat at some point over the past few years, clearly shows him longing for the West Coast ... and the chance to play loose and free baseball once again, this time with the Misfits -- the 2010 World Champs -- playing for fun, and playing in front of those unmistakeably wacky fans, in the coolest city in the country.




Reyes would be a much better fit with the misfits

San Francisco's eclectic mix of deadheads, deadbeats, southpaws, transplants, and various Bay Area bizarros needs the electricity and exuberance of a player like Reyes. It would set that stadium on fire. The ground would tremble like it was 1989.

The triumphant return of Profesor Reyes and his bigscreen, between-inning, Spanish language lessons would only be the beginning. Beard-growing challenges, psychedelic play on and off the diamond, The Freak and a Kung-Fu Panda at his side.

Now that's a wonderfully strange brew I'd like to get drunk on for the next few years.

But let's get out of the sky and back to the diamond. Other than Omar Vizquel (from '05-'08), have the Giants ever had a cool and/or good shortstop since their move to San Francisco? Don't say Royce Clayton. Or the likeable Shawon Dunston, who never played more than 90 games in any of the three seasons he played by the bay. Simple fact is, the Giants historically need a cool shortstop as much as they immediately (and desperately) need one.

And the thought of bringing old teammates back together, Beltran and Reyes -- two great players plagued by unfortunate injuries -- warms the heart of any baseball fan who sympathizes with those who love(d) the Mets.

In Queens, Reyes was "the face of the franchise" as the fella says. The Mets would be crazy to let him go to this new Miami team. But if he wants to head West for the Golden Gates of Unlimited Devotion, then they'd really be doing something great for the country of baseball by thanking him for what a long, strange trip it's been, and wishing him well.

Sorry, New York, this race is a steal-your-face.





Tuesday, November 15, 2011

What a Week for Wilson Ramos

¡Accent on the O!
Los Nacionales beisból trackings




What a week for Wilson Ramos,
who was kidnapped
by Colombians
before gametime in
Aragua

Whisked away 
to the mountains of 
Carabobo.

An elderly couple
provided food and water
while he waited
and he must've wondered
"¿Qué es ésta weá?"

He'd been taken
at gunpoint
and they wanted some
dinero

Or perhaps
to capture a catcher
to hit cleanup on
La Selección
de béisbol
de Colombia

 Baseball
is the most popular sport
en Venezuela

A
15 minute
shootout
to rescue Wilson
in an airlift operation
tuvo éxito

Baseball
is the not most popular sport
en Colombia

Wilson Ramos
was naturally
relieved
It was a
final feliz

His friend
Miguel Cabrera
was the first to call
his sister
with the 
buena noticia

She did not believe him

Sure! 
Just call the 
Venezuelan
Ministro del
Poder Popular para
las Relaciones
Interiores
y
Justicia


And it was so

Eleven Colombians
have been arrested
of whom only 6
showed their
máscaras faciales

The papers didn't say
if they played
béisbol
nor
beisból


The papers did say
his abductors
were linked to
"grupos de secuestro"

But c'mon, Colombia

Gotta 
kidnap somebody better
than Wilson Ramos
no?

The very next day
Ramos finished a distant 
fourth
for
the
NL 
RoY

What a week for Wilson Ramos




Colorado Dreamin'


The Colorado Rockies need to be active this off- season. The Rox have David Wright in the crosshairs, which would be expensive but exciting. They're reportedly also interested in Martin Prado and Grady Sizemore. But consider this unlikelihood from an alternate reality: the Rox should sign Jose Reyes to a multi-year deal instead.

Why, you may ask, when they already have Tulo at SS? Well, besides the fact Reyes is about the coolest player in the game, and the Miami Marlins seem to be on the same wavelength (with Hanley Ramirez at SS), here are some less subjective reasons...

1) Because Reyes can play 2B. Thankfully, the Rockies let their old friend Jamie Carroll sign with Minnesota, and last year's pickup Mark Ellis signed with the Dodgers. The Rockies are now left with Eric Young Jr. - who for whatever reason isn't the guy they believe in.

2) Because Reyes is a switch-hitting lead-off man who won the NL batting title and steals lots of bases. The Rockies haven't had a good lead-off hitter since Eric Young, Sr back in the mid 90's. Imagine what Reyes could do at Coors! Triples, homers, doubles, oh my!

3) Because the Rockies need versatility in the infield. For whatever reason, Colorado infielders are consistently getting injured. EY and Herrera and Stewart and Tulo and Helton, all spend lots of time on the DL. And perhaps Tulo's 10 yr. contract and 6'4", 220lb frame suggests he may have to move to third base at some point down the road. Although make no mistake: he's currently the best defensive shortstop in the majors. Even if that's a ridiculous non-concern right now, think of how versatile the Rockies infield would be with Reyes able to play 2b, 3b, and more-than-adequately fill in for Tulo at SS. Unless of course Reyes himself gets injured. Again.

4) Because the Rockies will obviously never have good pitching. But emphasizing stellar defense, speed, and incredible hitting (a faster version of the Blake Street Bombers, with multiple batting title winners and perennial MVP candidates) might just be enough to win the NL West and return to the playoffs.

5) And most importantly, because their lineup would be the fastest, most exciting, and most fun to watch in all of baseball. Dexter Fowler could return to the two-hole where he's said several times he feels more comfortable. And if they're serious about giving Ian Stewart another shot, then drop him to 8th in the order and take a lot of the run-producing pressure off. The lineup looks amazing...


1. Reyes - 2b
2. Fowler - CF
3. Gonzalez - LF
4. Tulowitzki - SS
5. Smith - RF
6. Helton - 1b
7. Pacheco/Iannetta - C
8. Stewart - 3b
9. Pitcher

Otherwise, if the Rockies are completely unwilling to go all-out for Reyes, they're gonna have to sign both Prado and Sizemore -- as it looks like Seth Smith would be part of the Prado trade -- needing not only a solid starting outfielder to replace Smith, but also an above-average infielder like Prado (seeing as how there are gaping holes at both 2b and 3b).

In that case, the lineup could look like this...

1) Fowler - CF
2) Prado - 2b
3) Gonzalez - LF
4) Tulowitzki - SS
5) Sizemore - RF
6) Helton - 1b
7) Pacheco/Iannetta - C
8) Stewart - 3b
9) Pitcher

Hmmm...that ain't too shabby either.

In the third scenario, one that also looks pretty damn good, the Rockies get David Wright and allow EY Jr. (and perhaps Jonathan Herrera) to man the keystone position.


1) Young - 2b
2) Fowler - CF
3) Gonzalez - LF
4) Tulowitzki - SS
5) Wright - 3b
6) Helton - 1b
7) Pacheco/Iannetta - C
8) Smith - RF
9) Pitcher


Bottom line is that the Rockies gotta do something. Getting the affordable James Loney, whom the Dodgers don't give a shit about, would be a smart move. The dude loves hitting at Coors (.337/.385/.581) and has a good enough glove to replace the ancient (but capable) Todd Helton. But that'll never happen as long as Helton gets paid tens of millions of dollars yet again this season.

Here's one more lineup to ponder over...

1) Young - 2b
2) Sizemore -RF
3) Gonzalez - LF
4) Tulowitzki - SS
5) Prado - 3b
6) Helton - 1b
7) Iannetta/Pacheco - C
8) Fowler - CF
9) Pitcher

Pitching will forever remain anathema to Denver baseball fans. Signing Colorado-native Brad Lidge on the cheap might be a good idea, thus letting closer Huston Street walk. But starting pitching will be a huge problem for the Rox. JDLR won't be ready until May and none of our highly-touted prospects look ready to be in a major league rotation. We gotta go after Wandy Rodriguez, C.J. Wilson, and Edwin Jackson. Then we might just have a competitive rotation.

But I fear that the hot stove will soon burn all these half-baked ideas into a cloud of smelly smoke...and the Rockies will once again end up dishing out silly one-year deals to guys like Ty Wigginton and Jose Lopez.

May the winter meetings have mercy on us all.