2005 Season

                                        Official Publication of

                                        The Bronx Bombers

                                                                    Special Edition of

                                      From the Bullpen

                                                  Guest Editor:  Mouse

   2005 Season

Edition No. 19

   July 19, 2005     


“You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball; and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” Jim Bouton Pitcher 1962-1970


Once again, my turn with the pen follows the All-Star game, unlike last year I am not in 10th place, but actually enjoying a little of the luck that the pen seems to bring. I’m not sure what the rest of you thought about the All-Star game but I found it somewhat boring this year as it seems to be more of a PR stunt than a baseball game. I must admit that I did not sit down and watch most of the game but the few innings I did catch and my updates from Wells did not leave me pining to see the game. To name Tejada the MVP because of his first inning homer kind of tells you the game was lacking excitement. Or maybe it’s because the American League has the better players. Or could it be they want the World Series home field advantage more than the National League? Not!! What a dumb idea that is. They should consider a rule that the winning League gets one year of no steroid testing and see what happens! Should Kenny “Slugger” Rogers have been able to be at the game? And what exactly is he appealing ? He did the crime, so do the time!! And the Home Run Derby contestants being selected by Country is another dumb idea. But I was duly impressed by Bobby Abreu. Wow, was he in a groove!! At least the Celebrity Softball game was exciting!


All- Star Game Points

 

Bombers

96.0

Skipjacks

94.5

Reds

90.0

Redbirds

85.5

Senators

84.0

Tigers

73.0

Blues

54.0

Cubs

50.0

Irates

40.0

Chiefs

40.0

Tribe

30.0

Wahoos

24.5

 

 

I can only hope that the All-Star game points are a true indicator of the final League point standings!! I know what you’re all thinking, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to dream does it? It’s not often that I get to view things from the upper division!

There are three things the average man thinks he can do better than anyone else: build a fire, run a hotel and manage a baseball team.” Rocky Bridges Infielder 1951-1961


Weekly Standings

 

Skipjacks

414.0

Bombers

380.5

Tigers

355.0

Tribe

325.5

Redbirds

308.5

Irates

303.0

Senators

302.0

Reds

270.5

Chiefs

269.0

Blues

265.5

Cubs

218.5

Wahoos

154.0

 

 

YTD Standings

 

 

Skipjacks

5515.5

Redbirds

5494.5

Bombers

5195.5

Chiefs

5142.5

Reds

5046.5

Irates

5027.5

Blues

4996.5

Senators

4979.5

Tigers

4902.0

Cubs

4812.5

Wahoos

4784.5

Tribe

4656.5


Last year at this time the Wahoos were running away with the league with a pont total of 5763.5, 133.5 points ahead of the second place Skipjacks, followed by the Senators with 5501.5 points. At the other end of the spectrum, the Tribe had already packed it in for the year with their 3936.0 points, 1827.5 behind the Wahoos. This year is setting up to be a dogfight to the end as only 859 points separate the Skipjacks and the Tribe. And all the teams are just one good week from moving up in the standings. So put on your batting helmet and do a cup check, as it’s gonna be a fun ride! See you in September!

 

As for the trip, it’s not that I don’t have the “nads”, it’s because... “I never mingled with people in Philadelphia. I developed a bad taste for the city because of the fans. They cheered when you did well, but when they got mean, they were meaner than anyone else.  They booed Gus Zernial when he was being carried off the field with a broken shoulder- and he was our most popular player! They used to throw beer and mustard at the players’ wives from the upper deck. My wife almost had a nervous breakdown because of that.” Joe DeMaestri Infielder 1951-1961


Mouse’s Minute
 

If I haven’t bored you to death with my selected quotes, you should consider getting the book “The Quotable Baseball Fanatic” which has hundreds more to read. Speaking of books, another quick read is “Coach”, a feel good book by Michael Lewis of “Moneyball” fame. What trades are more collusional, the Tribe and Irates or the Wahoos and Reds? Do they split the prize money? Is Raffy Palmeiro a first ballot HOF? Only the fourth player ever to join the 3000?500 club. Didn’t he play in the College World Series in Omaha? Are the White Sox for real and can they win it all? Who is your pick to win the World Series? Schilling as a closer?? Can Derrek Lee win the Triple Crown? Will the Skipjacks continue their black magic to add yet another crown to their owner or will the Red Birds finally break their 10 year hex? Things to ponder while we continue to peer through the available free agent lists looking for “lightning in a bottle”


But baseball is a very humbling game. Just when you think you are on top and feel like you are big and nobody can get you out, you go into a slump and everybody gets you out.” Bernie Williams Outfielder 1991-

                                                                                                                 Mouse

 

***************************************************

 

SKIP'S BLIPS

 

**

Since Possum stiffed us on last week’s guest edition of our little newsletter, I was not able to share with you all last week my wonderful experience in seeing a game in Anaheim one week earlier, between the Angels and the Mariners.  Although I was staying in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles in preparation for a deposition of a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon the following day, I was willing to make the two-hour trek to travel 20 miles on the magnificent L.A. freeway system to catch a ballgame at the Big A.  However, as I learned when I got to the ballpark, they don’t call it the Big A any longer.  They also don’t call it Edison Field any longer, because their former sponsor has apparently filed for bankruptcy, a la Enron Field in Houston, so they had to change the name of the park once again. 

 

Anyway, my trip to Angels Field was a total joy for a rabid baseball fan, and I have to compliment the current ownership on the level of excitement that he has been able to generate with this club.  All of the beer vendors seemed happy and cheerfully willing to accept your $7.50 for a cold brew, ditto with the brät vendors for six bucks, and ditto with the people in the souvenir shops.  I was also quite impressed with how accessible the Angels players seemed to be in terms of giving out autographs during batting practice, and by the overall good feel of the ballpark and all of the people in it. 

 

Now, a few random notes from Angel Field: 

 

 

--

Bartolo Colon has got to be the widest ballplayer of all time.  He and Norm from Cheers could wear each other’s pants with no problem. 

 

 

--

Alfredo Griffin coaches first base for the Angels. What is the connection there?  Once you’re in the Club, you’re in to stay, I guess. 

 

 

--

Not everybody looks good in a baseball cap.  Big Guy and I are living proof of that.  Darin Erstad also doesn’t look so hot in his Angels lid, because his grape is just too darned long.  The hands-down winner of the “Looks Bad in a Baseball Cap” Award has to go to Bartolo Colon.  It looks like somebody took a bad, misfitting rug and glued it to the bottom edge of his hat.  Take a closer look sometime when he’s pitching on TV.  Not pretty.  If I was his agent, I’d be pushing hard for him to shave his head or at least get someone to give him a new ’do. 

 

 

--

It’s surprising that Vladdy doesn’t tear ribcage cartilage every at-bat, as hard as he swings the stick.  Cheated, he doesn’t get. 

 

 

--

Why do people who once looked normal start looking so strange as they age?  I mean, pretty much everyone but me.  Take Bob Kerrey, for example.  He was once considered to be a handsome, very eligible bachelor, when he was in his 40s and living in the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln.  Now, some 25 years later, he looks like a Martian prisoner-of-war.  How that skinny neck supports that enormous globe which rests atop it, I’ll never understand.  Not to pick on one of our own, but the older one of our beloved brethren in this league gets, the more I wonder if he isn’t a shirttail kin of Wolfman Jack.  Owww-oooh!

 

 

--

If you have to watch baseball, Angels Field isn’t the worst place in the world to be.  Unless you have something against young, tanned blonds in robust health.  Women, that is.  Just an observation, mind you.  I’m not in the market. 

 

 

--

On the opposite side of the ledger, I should add, is the troublesome practice of not having beer vendors patrol the stands to hawk their product.  What’s up with that?  Must be a Southern California thing. 

 

 

--

Everybody got on Curtis Ledbetter for botching a foul ball in the Huskers’ elimination loss to ASU, but Richie Sexson and second baseman Which-a-ma-digger Lopez of the Mariners just pulled a boner which looked even worse, colliding on an Adam Kennedy foul ball that clearly should have been caught.  It happens, even in the big leagues. 

 

 

--

Nothing like seeing my ex-Senator Randy Winn go deep into the right field bleachers for a home run, when he couldn’t hit squat while on my roster.  Loser. 

 

 

--

Man, Richie Sexson is a tall unit. 

 

 

--

Hal the usher has turked at least ten people in my section tonight.  U-Bob would be white-knuckled, even if he was sitting in his rightful seat. 

 

 

--

What would possess a portly, middle-aged Jewish gentleman to spend half of the game jockeying for an autograph from Scott Spiezio.  You got me.  Is Scott Spiezio one of the chosen ones?  I know this, he sure is much smaller than I thought he was. 

 

 

--

The Angels organization must be a hotbed of political correctness.  When walking toward my seat, I heard the announcement over the loudspeaker that, “When expressing your feelings for the Angels or their opponents, please be considerate of your neighbor.”  You won’t hear them say that at Yankee Stadium, will you? 

 

 

Much more to say, but the press time looms.  Thanks to Mouse for his mirthful observations, and most of all, for getting them to us in a TIMELY FASHION. 

 

 

                                                                        Skipper

 

 

 

 

TOP 15 HITTERS

 

1.

Derek Lee

483

2.

A-Rod

446

3.

Brian Roberts

422

4.

Albert Pujols

421

5.

David Ortiz

409

6.

Michael Young

404

7.

Miguel Tejada

403

8.

Bobby Abreu

398

9.

Miguel Cabrera

395

10.

Manny Ramirez

389

11.

Gary Sheffield

384

12.

Mark Teixeira

381

13.

Andruw Jones

369

14.

Alfonso Soriano

364

15.

Jeff Kent

342

 

 

 

 

TOP 15 PITCHERS

 

1.

Pedro Martinez

402

2.

Chris Carpenter

398

3.

Roy Halladay

383

4.

Chad Cordero

375

5.

Roger Clemens

373

6.

Mark Buehrle

347

7.

Roy Oswalt

346

8.

John Smoltz

324

9.

Dontrelle Willis

323

10.

Mariano Rivera

307

11.

Scott Shields

307

12.

Jake Peavy

304

13.

John Garland

299

(T)

John Santana

299

15.

Livan Hernandez

286

 

 

 

 

 

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