Reflections On Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit, Life

I was there. Three words that are oh so satisfying.



I bought the tickets off of Stubhub... well over a month before the game. Well before Derek Jeter was injured, delaying the inevitable milestone. I bought them for my dad, my mom, my sister and myself for Father's Day. I had no idea back then what a momentous occasion we'd be witnessing.

The video above doesn't quite do the job of capturing the euphoria of Jeter's big moment. All the Jeter-haters out there who cry "overrated" won't ever fully understand it, but I know what the Yankee captain's achievement meant to me, and what it probably meant to many others around my age who grew up to be Yankees fans.

You see, the Yankees of my youth were a mercenary organization (and some would argue, still are). They hired the best guns and sluggers from around the league, mostly guys who were too old or had worn out their welcome in other locales. In the late 80s and early 90s, when my baseball fandom was being developed, the Yankees resembled the cast of The Expendables, a collection of action stars past their prime. Sure, there was Donnie Baseball, but back problems signaled his career was near an end.

Then came 1995. I was 13 years old. My Bar Mitzvah theme was "A Night At The Ballpark." For me, that was also the year that cemented the Yankees as my favorite team. I'd grown up rooting for the Mets, against the rest of my family's wishes. My favorite players were David Cone and Darryl Strawberry. But the Mets had betrayed me. By 1992, they'd given away the players I loved. In 1995, The Yankees signed the Straw and Cone. That won me over.

They also briefly promoted a rookie shortstop, Derek Jeter. I identified with the rook, after all, he wasn't much older than me-- only 8 years. I watched his debut against Seattle on TV. The box score says he went 0-5, but I don't remember that. I just remember the announcers saying how much potential he had, how he was a top prospect. Instantly, I imagined myself in his shoes.

I grew up. So did Jeter. He hit his first Major League homer Opening Day, just before I graduated middle school. That summer, I watched him hit his way to becoming Rookie of the Year. I was in the common TV area of my dorm freshman year of boarding school when I saw Jeter hit a deep shot that was caught by a kid just a little younger than me in the home run stands, tying the first game of the American League Championship series. My freshman year of college, for Halloween, I dressed as a Mets fan that had been beaten by Yankees fans-- a tribute to the Subway Series. I won a camera as first prize in my dorm's costume contest, Jeter won the World Series MVP award. This year, as Derek has seemingly entered a new stage in his career, so have I-- I moved in with the girl I love and have come to terms with the fact that at age 29, adulthood is here whether I'm ready for it or not.

So in many ways, it felt like Derek and I grew up together. He was the first player I watched transform from a rookie, to an all-star, and now, in his twilight years, to a legend. In an age where we're reminded daily that sports are a business and the players we love appear on ESPN to announce their departures, it's rare for a fan of any team to be able to watch a player grow up in their backyard. So it was fitting that on the day he reached a milestone only 27 others had reached before, I was in the stands, cheering him on.

I'd seen Derek's 3000th hit before, playing the video game MVP Baseball 2005. In my virtual franchise, it had taken him until 2012, due to injuries (I screamed at my Nintendo Gamecube, "Don't you know Derek never gets injured!?"). With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the bases loaded and down by three, Jeter came to bat. I followed the pitch in and mashed the A button, pushing the control stick right. The ball sailed. An opposite field, grand slam homer. In my head, the crowd roared. The video game announcer congratulated virtual Jeter on the milestone.

Back to reality. Real life doesn't go like that. If it's one thing I've learned growing up, it's that perfect endings only happen in movies. I've experienced many successes and many happy moments, but rarely has my life lived up to the wild fantasies of my imagination.

Jeter's first at bat against David Price, he hit a roller that snuck through the left side of the infield. The type of hit he's been getting recently, as the bat has slowed. The crowd went wild, not because they were impressed with the hit, but because they all were thinking the same thing. He'll be at bat at least 4 more times this game-- I have a shot at witnessing history.

Then came Jeter's next at bat. He worked the count. Fouled a pitch off. The crowd chanted, "Deh-rek Jee-ter!!" over and over again. Price wound up and delivered.

Everybody knew the ball was gone the second Derek swung. It wasn't a grand slam to the opposite field, but it seemed like that, something that happens in video games and dreams, not real life.

Jeter ended the game 5 for 5. Perfect. Won the game single-handedly. And while he may be batting .257 on the year with diminishing range and increasing critics, he looked like the kid I watched when I was just a kid myself, all those years ago.

I was there. So were the others in the stands, screaming their voices out. So were the Yankees fans watching at home. Yes, he's a mensch, and yes, he plays hard, always, but the reason we love Derek Jeter is bigger than that. He's been our benchmark, our standard, a physical embodiment of the best bell curve the course of our lives could follow, from potential, to stardom, to marrying Minka Kelly.

Jeter's 3000th hit wasn't just a milestone for him. It was a milestone for us.


______

The Legend of Sam Fuld Continues...

This note, on Yahoo! today:

Apr 26 OF Sam Fuld, already one of the biggest surprises in the majors, got a surprise of his own Tuesday, as he was included on the All-Star ballot. The Rays were able to add Fuld and shift Johnny Damon to the DH position after the April 8 retirement of Manny Ramirez.

Let's get voting, people! Sam Fuld! Sam Fuld! Sam Fuld! You can vote up to 25 times.

(You can All-Star vote for superjews Ike Davis, Kevin Youkilis, Ian Kinsler, and Ryan Braun too.)

Going into Week 4 of the season, the Major League Jews are in 5th place at 11-9, 2 games back from the leader. Recent additions to the squad include Padres ace Mat Latos, Cubs K-artist Matt Garza, and Marlins lead-off man Chris Coghlan. Not a bar mitzvah in the bunch, but a guy's gotta fill a roster somehow.

Major League Jew Attempts A Comeback

Jewish ballplayer, and former New York Met David Newhan is attempting a comeback after a scary neck injury.

Mazel Tov, David! I could use a few more Jewish utility men on this year's Major League Jews fantasy team (coming soon).

I Would Just Like To Point Out That I Called Derek Jeter's New Contract

On November 24th I wrote:

"If you're Theo Epstein, GM of the Boston Red Sox, you've got to be thinking of offering Derek Jeter more than $45 million for three years... Say $51 million for three years."

According to the AP (on December 4th), Derek Jeter signed a 3 year, $51 million dollar contract with the Yankees this weekend.

When I came up with $51 million for three years (on November 24th), that figure hadn't been reported anywhere. I added 2 million a year to the most recently reported Yankee offer, reasoning that would be more in line with what Jeter felt he was worth.

Clearly, Jeter either reads this blog, or his agent does. I can't think of any other explanation.

Derek Jeter To The Red Sox?


Jeter To Boston?

Let's get this out of the way: It'll never happen. Derek Jeter will never be a Red Sox player, just as black will never be red and Jessica Alba will never sleep with me.

But if you're Theo Epstein, GM of the Boston Red Sox, you've got to be thinking of offering Derek Jeter more than $45 million for three years, which is the New York Yankees best reported offer thus far. Just to screw with your biggest rival.

Now, Derek Jeter is probably not worth even close to that kind of money. The Yankees know it, and Derek likely knows it as well. But teams overpay for veterans all the time. It's nothing new, and Jeter carries with him a certain cachet which makes him more valuable in terms of merchandise and ticket sales.

But let's say Boston does offer Jeter more. Say $51 million for three years. What's the worst case scenario for the Red Sox? Jeter actually accepts. That's not that bad an outcome. Currently, the Red Sox have an infield of Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie (a rising star) and... well Marco Scutaro.

Derek Jeter is an upgrade over Marco Scutaro, at least at the plate. And theoretically, if Pedroia was moved to shortstop, Jeter's defensive liabilities could be covered up some at 2nd base. Jeter's skills have declined, but not to the point where he's a bench player. He could add that spark that Boston was missing last year.

And of course, there's an additional bonus for Boston. Yankees fans would kill themselves. This seems to be the main reason Boston fans would support the move.

But Jeter actually accepting a Boston offer is highly unlikely. He's well aware of his legacy, and he's seen how Brett Favre's life has gone these past few years. The likely outcome is far more favorable to Boston than Jeter putting on a Red Sox uniform.

In reality, a Boston offer would terrify the Yankees fan base and put pressure on Brian Cashman and Hank Steinbrenner to get a deal done. It would give Jeter leverage to get more money or more years, handcuffing the Yankees to a potentially geriatric money pit down the line. And it would energize Boston fans during the offseason, at the very least giving them material with which to effectively taunt their hated enemy.

Theo would be playing a game of chicken, sure. But one in which he could be reasonably certain the Yankees would swerve first. And even if they didn't, he'd have a player who could fill a hole in the Red Sox infield while simultaneously stabbing a hole in the Yankees hearts.

As a Yankees fan, I hope Theo doesn't buy into this diabolical scheme. But it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Overmanaging Cost The Yankees Game 4

WE (win expectancy): The percent chance a particular team will win based on the score, inning, outs, runners on base, and the run environment.

That's right folks. By calling for an intentional walk with two outs, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi REDUCED the chances of the Yankees winning the game. He called for the walk despite the fact that A.J. Freaking Burnett was on the mound, and the less runners on, the better.

Girardi was playing a game called "matchups," a game which pretends that righty batters always can't hit righty pitchers, and left-handed batters always hit right handed pitchers. In "matchup" world, David Murphy will always get a hit against Burnett, and Molina never will.

Murphy does hit better against right-handers, but A.J., on average, has the same success vs. righties and lefties. Let's say, worst case scenario, Murphy does go yard. It's only a two run shot.

You put Murphy on, and according to Win Expectancy, and all other metrics, you increase the chances of three runs coming in. But Girardi called for the walk. You could tell A.J. was pissed. He nearly threw one of the intentional balls away.

How'd that work out?

The next inning, also in match-up land, Girardi decided lefty Boone Logan was a far superior pitcher than Kerry Wood or Joba Chamberlain, at least against the lefty Josh Hamilton. Now, Hamilton batted .404 against righties this year. and .271 against lefties. But Boone Logan has a career 5.10 ERA.

How'd that work out?

This is the playoffs. The fewer runners on base, the better. You play only your best pitchers with the game on the line. This should be common sense. In the real world, it is.

In that world of matchups though, it isn't. Too bad this game happened in the real world.

Let's hope that now, with the ALCS on the line, Joe Girardi will make decisions that help his team, rather than hurt them. A 1.7% reduction in the chances of winning a game doesn't seem like much, but in the playoffs, every little bit counts. In this case, it set the Yankees up for disaster.

Hughes To The Pen, or Vazquez To Mets?

In the offseason, the Yankees picked up Javier Vazquez. By most accounts, they've now picked up Cliff Lee, in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. That leaves the Yanks with six bonafide starters (seven if you include Joba Chamberlain). What are the now pitching-rich Yankees to do? Two options immediately jump out.

1. Move the recently struggling Phil Hughes to the pen, even though he has 10 wins on the year.

2. Trade away Javier Vazquez.

The first option has some merit: the Yankees are trying to limit Hughes's innings this year, and moving him to the pen would accomplish that (however, it could set him back as a starter). Hughes could still be made available for spot starts.

The second option seems more likely. Vazquez's contract is up at the end of the season. While he's turned his season around in recent weeks, the stench of what he did to start the season (and how he performed in his last stint as a Yankee) is hard to forget. There's no denying that in the right setting (i.e. the National League), he can be a superstar. The only question is, what can the Yankees get for him?

Last year for the Braves, Vazquez added 6.6 WAR (Wins Above Replacement Player) in value to his team. So far, this year, he's added only 0.4. But his true value is certainly closer to the 2009 number. A National League team, in the playoff race but in need of a good arm, could certainly use him.

Sounds like the Mets to me.

The Yankees would love to restock their farm system after all the shipping out they've done these past two years (Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, and now Jesus Montero, to name a few). The Mets are not rich in prospects, but they do have pieces that can fit the Yankees nicely. Fernando Martinez, their top outfield prospect, and Wilmer Flores, their top shortstop in the system, could be down-the-line replacements for Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter, respectively. Toss in a few lower-level guys, and you've got a deal.

The Mets could really use a guy like Vazquez to solidify their shaky rotation. He had a 2.27 ERA vs. the NL East last season.

And Vazquez wouldn't have to move, so he'd be happy.

People are saying it'll be Vazquez to the Phillies for Jayson Werth, and certainly, the Phillies GM has shown more aptitude for front office management than Mets GM Omar Minaya. But Werth is a piece that doesn't fit as well into the Yankees plans. He adds some pop for now but doesn't address the Yankees long-term needs. I'd take the prospects.

Jewish Fantasy Baseball 2010 - Anyone Got A Jewish Shortstop???



This season hasn't started off well for my All-Jewish Fantasy Baseball Team. Brad Ausmus and Ian Kinsler started the season on the DL, weakening an already thin squad. And with Khalil Greene (Jew in Name only) washing out of the majors, I've struggled to find a suitable SS replacement (Willie Bloomquist... c'mon man!). The Major League Jews find themselves 1-5, last place in the West Division of MLB League 25184.

Yes, we did win a game.

Here's the current roster:

C- Chris Snyder, ARI. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Chris? But with Brad Ausmus on the DL, the Jew Crew needed a catcher, and "Snyder" is Jewish enough for me.

1B - Kevin Youkilis, BOS. A long-time Kee-pa Kids veteran, The Youk has started out this season in fine fashion, batting .324 with 8 HRs.

2B - Ian Kinsler, TEX. Back from injury and hitting balls like they were Nazis, Kinsler's batting .319 with a HR and 2 SB.

3B - Ryan Zimmerman, WAS. Jewish in name only, but perhaps his teammate Jason Marquis has taught him a barucha or two. That could be the reason he's hitting .311 with 8 HRs.

SS - Uh. Willie Bloomquist, KC. I wish I could tell you there was some stud Jewish shortstop on his way to the majors. Willie's batting .114. Someone get Derek Jeter to convert already.

OF - Ryan Braun, MIL. The prophecies were nearly correct. The messiah has arrived, but instead of walking through the gate at the Temple Mount, he's walked through the gate at Miller Park. And, you know, instead of world peace, he's brought five-categories of fantasy perfection. .333 average, 7 HRs, 9 SBs, 34 runs and 30 RBI.

OF - Gabe Kapler, TB. He's got the best Star of David tattoo in all of baseball. Unfortunately, he doesn't play that much. But his .250 AVG and 1 HR make Willie Bloomquist as jealous as one of Joseph's brothers.

OF - Nate Schierholtz, SF. Nate the great has been hitting .298 with 1 HR and 4 SB. Not lighting any fires, but enough to light the Shabbos candles at least.

UTIL - Ike Davis, NYM. His full name is Isaac Benjamin Davis. Yes, that's right, the New York Mets savior is a Jewish Boy, through his mother. He's already hit 4 Matzo balls out of the park.

Pitching Staff - Texas Rangers. Scott Feldman is the reason I chose the Texas Rangers as my pitching staff. He's had a rough year so far, 2-4 with a 5.90 ERA, but the Texas staff has been solid otherwise.

Bench:

1B - Lance Berkman, HOU. A mainstay of the Hebrew Hammers lineup, this Jew In Name Only is first off the bench if Davis, Youkilis, or Zimmerman struggles. Berkman is struggling himself however, batting .227.

OF - Adam Stern, MIL. A recent call-up, Stern could stick around if injuries to Milwaukee starter Jim Edmonds persist. Stern's been around a while, so maybe this is his chance to be invited to the Major League seder for good.

2B - David Eckstein, SD. He's not Jewish, but with a name like that, he might as well be. He's batting .287 with 1 HR. Now if he only played shortstop...

C - Brad Ausmus, LAD. On the DL, Ausmus probably won't get much playing time even when he does get back. But he's performed many a mitzvah for the Pais Players over the years, and his veteran presence is much needed.

OF - Travis Snider, TOR. I tried to get Adam Lind, who has a more Jewishy sounding name. But the Boston Red Dogs have so far refused to do business, despite my offers of James Loney, Nick Markakis, and Michael Bourn. Snider, however, may be the better player this year. He's on the DL now, but was hot before that, clocking 6 HRs with 3 SBs.

Overall, the Matzo Mashers are not as strong as we've been in the past, but they should hold their own and win some games. And who knows, maybe Jeter will convert after all.

Pettitte Threw A Knuckleball?



In an interview with Yahoo!'s Tim Brown, Jorge Posada reveals that Andy Pettitte was quite the accomplished knuckleballer:

"Andy Pettitte had a knuckleball when he started in the minor leagues. Nasty, too. That was his two-strike pitch in the minor leagues."

(Yes, Pettitte threw a knuckleball for one professional summer – 1991 – in rookie ball and Class-A Oneonta. Posada caught Pettitte in Oneonta. Or, tried. “When I got to two strikes, I was going to throw a knuckler as hard as I could,” Pettitte said. “I struck everybody out with it.” His coaches ordered him to scrap it. One of the coaches was Hoyt Wilhelm, a Hall of Fame knuckleballer. They promised him when he was in the major leagues for 10 years, he could start throwing it again. So? “I can’t,” Pettitte said. “I lost it.” As he recalled, he threw two to Posada. One hit him in the shin, the next in the foot. Posada took off his mitt and warned, “I’m not catching you again if you throw it.” Pettitte: “My nickname was ‘Knucksie.’ I’m not kidding.”)

Knucksie! They do say if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but who wouldn't want to see Pettitte go a little Wakefield on someone's ass? That would be sweet.

Mark Buehrle Is Amazing

Last year, the Chicago White Sox pitcher impressed everyone by throwing a perfect game despite being severely underrated by everyone. This year, he.. well... watch it:



Wow.

Jewish Fantasy Baseball: This Year, A Championship

There's an article in today's New York Times, about Hank Greenberg, superjew baseball hero, and his quest to break Babe Ruth's single season home run record. I'm not sure that I agree with Howard Megdal (author of The Baseball Talmud) that inflated walk rates towards the end of the season PROVE that anti-Semites kept Greenberg from breaking the record, but it does show that it was at least a possibility.

Antisemitism can rear its ugly head anywhere, even in America's pastime. And with that in mind, I'm putting together the Fourth Annual Jewish Fantasy Baseball Team.

My Longtime reader(s) may recall my previous Jewish Fantasy Baseball squads. Since my first Jew Crew, I've seen stars like Ryan Braun, Ian Kinsler, and Kevin Youkilis, all with Jewish heritage in their blood, take center stage in the Major Leagues (and rise up Fantasy draft boards everywhere). I've also seen non-Jewish players with Jewish names, like Ryan Zimmerman, develop into phenomenal players--Coincidence? Or something more?

I'm in the process of assembling the team now. It's a bit harder than usual. Now that most of the mensches are high-round draft picks, I won't luck into getting all of them through the draft. I'm in the process of negotiating several lopsided trades to help everyone I need make aliyah to the Promised Team.

Here's some new Gefilte fans I have my eye on:

Adam Lind, OF/DH, Toronto Blue Jays. I don't know that he's Jewish. But the name fits. This forum includes him with no debate. Then there's this. And his name totally appears on this Reform Judaism website (though not likely the same person.) I'm callin' it like I see it.

Willie Bloomquist, 2B/SS, Kansas City Royals. Willie probably isn't Jewish. But since David Eckstein, the only Jewish (in name only) is only eligible at 2B this year, I need someone to fill the shortstop position. Maxx Tissenbaum is several years away, I'd say, and so is Alex Silver. And I don't know what happened to Jake Wild. If only Ryan Braun, who once played shortstop, had stayed at the position!

Josh Whitesell, 1B, Washington Nationals. A Jew! For realsies! He debuted with Arizona last season after a terrific minors campaign, but now he's on the Nationals, and buried on the depth chart behind Adam Dunn. Will he get another chance to smash a matzo ball out of the park?

Four years ago, I vowed not to finish in last place. This year, I'm setting my sights higher. Nothing less than a championship.

Hey, they once said Israel couldn't defeat the combined armies of Syria, Jordan and Egypt. How did that work out?

Stay tuned for more Jewish Fantasy Baseball team updates. Because as Hank Greenberg said, "Every time a Jew hits a home run, he hits a home run against Hitler."

When Life Throws You A Curveball



Found this on Deadspin today. Awesome optical illusion, that explains why a curveball doesn't really curve, but looks that way to a hitter.

An interesting part of this illusion is the fact that if you focus on the opposite side (not the side with the blue dot), then the ball looks straight. I wonder if the key to hitting a big league curveball is simply focusing your eyes away from the ball, staring at the space opposite the curveball's spin. I'll have to try it next time I'm in the major leagues.

Malcolm Gladwell Won't Shut Up About The Full-Court Press

And to my mind, he shouldn't. He's right.

Gladwell's part of a discussion on ESPN.com today in which he expounds more about the inflexibility of pro teams to adopt unorthodox strategies to win.

It's not just basketball. Last football season, sports commentators went crazy when the Miami Dolphins started using a "Wildcat" offense-- using the quarterback position as more than just a passer or a guy that hands the ball off. The Dolphins strategy paid off-- a team that finished last in the AFC East the previous year suddenly won the division... despite fielding a quarterback that was outright dropped by his former team.

It was impressive enough a display that EA Sports is even including a "Wildcat" playbook in its Madden X game coming out this year.

Of course, while some NFL teams began instituting their own "Wildcat"-style plays (if only as "trick" change-of-pace plays), there was still evidence that the powers that be are reluctant to celebrate innovation: the two-quarterback, 11-receiver A-11 offense was banned by the National Federation of State High School Associations.



I asked blog readers to chime in on their winning sports strategies that are puzzlingly not-used by the pros. No one really offered any. So here's mine:

Golf: Happy Gilmore Tee-offs

There's nothing in golf's rules that say you can't tee off like this:



But, as the New York Times reported yesterday, driving like that can actually increase a drive's distance by quite a lot.

It turned out that Harrington generated about 7 miles per hour more club head speed with his driver doing it Happy’s way, and he increased his usual drive of 296 yards by about 30 yards.

A long video of how it works, here.

Sure, messing up would earn a lot of laughs. But with enough practice, you're telling me that a skilled golfer can't pull this off? If it means turning a Par 4 into a Par 3, then why wouldn't you at least try??

Football: The No-Huddle



The Colts do it. The Patriots do it. They don't huddle before the play, they just launch into the next one. The result? The opposing defense can't get the right personnel in. They get tired. They get confused.

Now, there are times you want to control the clock. Keep your defense off the field for some rest. But why not use the no-huddle more as a surprise? First down, you use a huddle. Second down, you huddle. But then on third and short, you fake walking back to the huddle, but quickly turn around and hike the ball. Chances are, you'll catch the defense sleeping.

Why don't teams do this all the time???

Ice Hockey: Stop Fighting



I never played ice hockey. But I do watch it. And one thing that consistently baffles me is fighting. Don't get me wrong: I love it. Goalie fights especially. But it seems like fighting is a losing strategy.

In today's NHL, starting a fight carries a 2:00 penalty on top of a 5:00 penalty for fighting. That means, at the very least, the team that starts the fight will be a man down for two minutes.

Yet, teams stockpile "enforcers," guys who do little more than skate and punch. They claim its to defend their stars from dirty play. But isn't that what the refs are for? And in what backwards bizarro world does purposely putting your team at the wrong end of a power play get revenge for a cheap shot on your star player?

Most sports tell players to avoid penalties. Hockey is the one sport that signs players who intentionally cause them.

Baseball: Using Your "Closer" Whenever



Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of the last decade. His career ERA is 2.30. He's compiled 488 saves. When he's on the mound, hitters rarely do damage. Yet, the most innings he's ever pitched in one season was 107.2, back in 1996. His ERA that year? 2.09. Oh, and by the way, the Yankees won the World Series that year.

My point? If Mariano is so good, why not put him in when the game is on the line... which isn't always the ninth inning.

On May 6th, Mariano did pitch the ninth... in a tie game against the Tampa Bay Rays. But then the Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, took Mo out in the tenth. Phil Coke promptly let up the game-deciding home run. Why couldn't Mo pitch two innings? Shouldn't a major league reliever be able to pitch more than one inning?

The day before, May 5th, Mariano didn't even get in the game. Although maybe he should have. Against the Red Sox, down 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning, the Yankees still had the game within reach. Then the Red Sox got Jason Bay on base due to an error. Bay stole second. He moved to third on a ground out. To score a run, all the Sox had to do was hit one marginally deep to the outfield. The Yankees walked J.D. Drew to set up a possible double play.

But they stayed with reliever Albaladejo. They didn't go to Rivera, their best pitcher, even though he would only have to get two more outs than he usually would.

Albaladejo gave up the sacrifice fly. And then a single. 6-3 Boston.

Why not put your best reliever in when you need him? Especially in the eigth, when he'd only be pitching 2 more outs than normal. Is that 2/3 of an inning really going to destroy Mariano's arm?

No. Closers should get a new name. I like Stoppers. They stop the bleeding.

Any other winning sports strategies that teams don't use? Drop me a comment.

Yankee Stadium On Sale Today!

The New York Yankees announced today that they've finally reached a deal with the State of New York to sell parts of "The House That Ruth Built."

Apparently, the Yankees still believe people have enough money to pay for $2,500 dollar seats in the new stadium AND $750 for a seat from the old one.

But read the fine print... the $750 dollar "deal" is actually a fraud:

The commemorative seats are authentic seat backs and bottoms with new commemorative arms.

Which means that for $750, you're actually getting only 75% of an old Yankee Stadium seat, combined with a brand new armrest.

So if you really want authentic, a pair of seats goes for $1499.99 (plus $70 shipping), and unlike the solo seats, these are 100% the real thing, not refurbished in any way.

But while seats are undeniably cool (and may even tempt some people in this economy, despite the high sticker), some of the other items up for sale at Steiner Sports are, er... less appealing:

Like, er.. this:


Finally, the Famed Yankee Stadium Goya Beans Sign Can Be Yours!!

Or this:


I Swear Guys, It's From Yankee Stadium! I Have The Certificate Of Authenticity Here Somewhere...

Or this:


Brian Cashman's Filing Cabinet! Just Think Of All The Files He Kept In There!

(Like the ones that said "Don't trade for Johan Santana)

To be fair, there's some cool stuff being offered (The auction price for a "Be Alert Foul Balls" sign is only $200 as of now). And if you have an extra $50,000 dollars lying around, why not spend it on the most ridiculous item of all: the Yankee-logo-emblazoned turf from behind home plate:


Um... So, Okay, Where Do I Put This Exactly?

Your personal 20 x 20 foot piece of Authentic Yankee Stadium Sod from behind home plate with the interlocking NY comes complete with a bag of peat moss, grass seed, and a flag stating its origin: Yankee Stadium. You will also receive a 16x20 photograph of the final game at the original Yankee Stadium, a Joe DiMaggio Diary page along with instructions on how to properly care and maintain the sod, the official interlocking NY logo stencil and white paint. A Yankees-Steiner Letter of Authenticity is included. The grass will be delivered to your house and will be transplanted for you. The highest success for replanting is in the northern regions of the United States.

I guess that means Yankee fans down in Boca Raton are sh*t out of luck.

Can you imagine the discussions with the kid who mows your lawn?

"Yeah, Billy... be extra careful on that $50,000 dollar patch of grass right there."

And... oh yeah; come first snowfall, your investment is going to look like this:


Quick! Roll Out The Tarp!!

For $50,000, I'm expecting the Yankee Stadium grounds crew to come to my home and perform the YMCA:

SI Loves Mike Jacobs

Major League Jews team member Mike Jacobs gets some love on SI.com today. Of course, we here at Adam's Life knew about Jacobs for years. He may not actually celebrate Yom Kippur, but he's fast becoming a staple of Jewish Fantasy Baseball players* everywhere.

*Note: I am the only one.

Jewish Fantasy Baseball: Season Shalosh (3)

Just in time for Passover, the 2009 baseball season is underway. And you know what that means. Another season of Adam's Life Jewish Fantasy Baseball.

For those of you unfamiliar with Jewish Fantasy Baseball, it's played just like normal fantasy baseball. Except my lineup consists of only Jewish Major League Baseball players.

Well, almost.

When I started this two years ago, there were just not enough Jewish players to fill out an infield, much less an entire roster. And there certainly weren't enough starting Jewish ballplayers to make my team competitive. So I allowed for players with Jewish-sounding names. And players who had been mistaken for Jews by various members of the press. And players who simply had the same names of biblical Jewish heroes: like Moises Alou and Elijah Dukes.

Since then, I'm proud to say, some actual Jewish ballplayers have stormed onto the major league scene. Ryan Braun won NL Rookie of the Year. Guys I was previously able to pick up in the late rounds of a fantasy draft, Ian Kinsler and Kevin Youkilis, are being taken in the first two rounds. This year, Ryan Spilborghs earned a starting spot with the Colorado Rockies. And though I'm not sure if he's Jewish or not, Atlanta Braves phenom Jordan Schafer made his MLB debut with a home run in his first at bat.

So does this year's team have a shot to win MLB.com League MLB-40701??



Here's the lineup:

C- Brian Schneider, Mets

Brian is not Jewish. But catcher is a thin position already in fantasy baseball, and with real Jew Brad Ausmus assigned a backup role with the Los Angeles Dodgers, I have no choice but to go with the most Jewishy-sounding starting catcher. Hey, he's in New York. We're all a little Jewish here.

1B- Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox

A long-time Adam's Life Jewish Fantasy Baseball star, the Youk showed off some power last year, smacking 29 dingers and sustaining a .312 average. He's the real deal, both on the field and in the synagogue.

2B- Ian Kinsler, Rangers

Only Kinsler's dad is Jewish, but while the Orthodox may not accept him, the Adam's Life Jewish Fantasy Baseball team welcomes him with open arms and an honorary tallis.

3B- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals

If you type "Ryan Zimmerman," "Jewish" into Google, the first result that comes up is this very blog. The next three results? All say that Ryan Zimmerman isn't Jewish. But I believe Ryan is smart enough to know he has a better chance winning on my team than with the Nationals. So put on a keepa, Ryan. You're our honorary Hebrew at the hot corner.

SS- Khalil Greene, Cardinals

Greene isn't Jewish. But he is a member of the Baha’i faith, the only member of that faith in Major League Baseball. Baha'i was founded in Iran in the 1800s and states that all of the prophets from Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism were given the same message and should be united. So he does sort of believe in Judaism. Sort of. Kind of. Ok. You really want to stick me with David Eckstein again?

OF- Jordan Schafer, Braves

Honestly, I have no idea if Schafer likes gefilte fish or not. What I do know is that he's a 15 HR, 15 steal possibility this year, with potential for more. And with a name like his, there's got to be a bar mitzvah boy somewhere in his family tree.

OF- Ryan Spilborghs, Rockies

Ryan came to my attention last season when I read a Wikipedia entry identifying him as Jewish. And several websites refer to him as such. So I'm going to stick with him as my center fielder.

OF- Ryan Braun, Brewers

Phew. After explaining away my first two outfielders, I'm happy to introduce Ryan Braun, who definitely knows what a Kiddush cup is. Braun batters baseballs like the ten plagues battered the Egyptians.

UTIL- Mike Jacobs, Royals

No word on whether the Kansas City Royals have a Jewish Heritage Day at their ballpark, but if they did, they'd probably honor Jacobs, who is not Jewish, but was honored as a Jew by both the Mets and Marlins, his former employers.

Pitching Staff- The Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks feature lefty reliever Scott Schoenweis, who's definitely Jewish, and Max Scherzer, who might be, maybe.

Bench- C Brad Ausmus (Jewish), 2B/SS David Eckstein (Not Jewish, despite the name), OF Gabe Kapler (Yes), 3B Geoff Blum (No), OF Elijah Dukes (Definitely No), and 1B Casey Kotchman (Nope).

Free Agents: Chris Getz, 2B, White Sox, Nate Schierholtz, OF, Giants. I've got my eye on these two future stars, who may in fact be Jewish.

All in all, a solid fantasy team. Are they champions? Maybe not... but they also said that about Moses and his band of Jewish slaves.

How'd that work out for the Egyptians?

Yankees Do A Bad Joba Starting Joba


Joba Not In Kansas Nebraska Anymore

Joba Chamberlain made his highly-anticipated first Major League start on Tuesday for the Yankees. Hank "The New Boss" Steinbrenner argued with everybody for the first two months of the season, trying to convince everyone to shift the Native American kid with the 100 MPH fastball from the bullpen into the rotation. He finally got his wish.

Joba pitched 2.1 innings, giving up 1 run and walking four in what would eventually be a 9 - 3 Yankees loss.

Immediately, the press jumped all over Steinbrenner's decision. "Joba's 1st Start a Bust as Jays Top Yanks" ABC News declared. The NYPost called Joba "shaky," and "simply disappointing." WCBS New York went even further, declaring: "Joba Start Just Latest In String Of Disasters." Salon.com called it "Joba's first-start disaster." Today, there's reports that several Yankees players are questioning the move.

Here's why they shouldn't.

This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter at the University of Nebraska:
207.3 innings, 3.37 ERA, 232 Ks, 67 BBs, 15 HRs.

This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter in the minors:
84.3 innings, 2.56 ERA, 125 Ks, 27 BBs, 4 HRs.

Those figures are pretty hard to top. What they show is a power pitcher with good command over his pitches, who doesn't give up the long ball. That's a recipe for MLB success. One blog, which uses a conversion chart called MLE to translate minor league stats into major league ones, came up with these major league numbers: 4.07 ERA, 83 Ks, 36 BBs, 10 HRs in 84 innings. That ERA would make him better than any starter on the Yankees other than Mike Mussina, and that strikeout rate would beat all of them.

What has Joba done lately to change this positive outlook? Only 33 Ks in 26 innings-- better than his predicted K rate, and only 1 HR allowed, better than his predicted HR rate. He's actually been better than advertised.

Take away the 4 walks he threw in Tuesday's game, and his control isn't too shabby either: 0.46 walks per inning vs. a predicted 0.42 walks per inning.

And I take away those four walks on Tuesday for good reason. The Yankees set up Joba to fail.

That's right. They made it very, very difficult for Joba to be successful.

By announcing a 65-pitch limit, they basically told the Toronto Blue Jays how to beat Joba. By being patient. Toronto knew Joba's start would end after 65 pitches. So Toronto players took pitches (refused to swing) the majority of the time. When they got ahead in the count, they watched the next pitch rather than being aggressive. They often didn't take the bat off their shoulders until there were two strikes. This game plan is typically used against a pitcher known for wildness-- see Daniel Cabrera-- but in Joba's case, it was simply a matter of Toronto hitters wanting to see as many pitches as possible. “We worked him good, we really did,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. Notice he didn't say "hit him" or "beat him," but instead "worked him." The red light was on for the Blue Jays, and on pitches they may have chased on a normal night, they laid off. They weren't trying to slug against Joba, indeed, no ball was hit significantly hard. The lone run scored on a weak dribbler through the 2nd base-1st base hole.

Toronto forced Joba to throw 38 pitches in the 1st inning.

Now imagine you're Joba. You know you have a limited pitch count. What do you do? You try to make every pitch an out pitch. When the pitches start adding up, you're trying even harder to make every toss count as a strike or ground-out. You start aiming pitches instead of letting them fly. This is not how a pitcher is successful. A good pitcher often purposely throws balls to set up strikes later in the count. A good pitcher is willing to induce contact that leads to ground-ball outs and pop flies. Joba wasn't able to do this. Almost every pitch had to be a strike in order for 65 pitches to last the minimum 5 innings required to be credited for a win.

Putting that much pressure on a 22 year old is a recipe for disaster. But Joba actually did well. 3 Ks in 2.1 innings is in line with his career strikeout rate. He didn't give up any big hits. The four walks were more the result of the Toronto strategy of waiting Joba out.

Not wanting to "waste" pitches, Joba threw his two "out" pitches-- a 100 MPH fastball and a wicked slider--90% of the time, almost completely ignoring his change of pace curveball and change-up. Without half his arsenal, he wasn't nearly as deadly as he could have been.

The Yankees mistake was not in making Joba the starter. It was making Joba the starter before his arm was stretched out to pitch at least 5 innings. Perhaps they should have given him a four-inning relief effort before inserting him into the rotation. The Pettite start on June 2nd would have been a nice time to do it. Pettitte could have easily been lifted after putting two on in the bottom of the 6th, with the Yankees clinging to a 2-run lead. Hell, he could have been put into the game after Pettitte already blew the lead. Had he pitched to the conclusion of the game, he would have pitched nearly 4 innings, which would have stretched out his arm enough to pitch this weekend against the Royals, the weakest hitting team in baseball.

That would have been an ideal first start for Joba. Without a 65-pitch limit, against the light-hitting Kansas City squad, it could have been a legendary start to what still promises to be a legendary career.

The good news? Joba will make his second career start Sunday against the Royals, with a somewhat normal pitch count (90-100 pitches). Plus he'll be pitching to Jorge Posada, who will be back from the DL. If you're in a fantasy baseball league, the time to trade for Joba would be now, before he throws the inevitable shutout/no-hitter.

So Yankees and the media. Cut the kid a break. The guy allowed 1 run in 2.1 innings. He retired the side in order in the 2nd. If he had been given permission to pitch a normal game, that may have been the only run he allowed.

Would he be better as a set-up guy? The Yankees are 23-15 in games NOT started by the number 5 combo of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes (who are both personally on the hook for 7 losses). They needed someone to start winning those games every 5 days.

I'll be at Joba's start Sunday, and I don't expect to be disappointed. As T.O. would say, "Getcha popcorn ready."

How Baseball Can Strike Out The Recession

Four weeks into the 2008 Major League Baseball season, some of the sport's most legendary players are still standing on line at the unemployment office.

That line includes Barry Bonds, holder of baseball's all-time home run record. Sammy Sosa, a member of the 600-club. Kenny Lofton, a ten year veteran who is 15th overall on the career stolen bases list and holder of the record for most post-season steals. And most recently, Frank Thomas, one of the game's best hitters with more than 500 homeruns.

What is going on here?

One word, ladies and gentlemen. A decline in this country's real gross domestic product, or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of a year.

Actually, that's a lot of words. So let's just call it "Recession."

Like millions of Americans, Barry, Sammy, Kenny and Franky find themselves fighting each other for applications to the local Denny's franchise because America's economy is in a funk. Others might blame their unemployment on criminal investigations, old age and cranky demeanors, but I'm calling it like I see it. In an America drowning under the weight of debt and inflation, even our national pastime isn't immune.

Consider: The Yankees, long one of baseball's biggest "spendy" franchises, went the whole offseason adding only two players to their roster: Morgan Ensberg and LaTroy "Call Me Paul O'Neill" Hawkins, neither of whom cost an arm and a leg.

Consider: The Baltimore Orioles, who began the season first place in the AL East, in one of the country's best ballparks, can't fill their stadium.

Consider: A mere year ago, Jose Canseco's book exposing steroids in baseball, "Juiced" sold over 200,000 copies and hit the New York Times bestseller list for eight weeks. But this year, his book on exactly the same subject, containing no new revelations whatsoever, is languishing on the Barnes and Noble discount rack. Two books about the same exact thing, by the same exact author. But the one released during this particular financial quarter fails.

Coincidence? Or evidence of our country's desperate state of affairs?

Clearly, we need to turn this recession around. And fast. The baseball season only lasts until November, and if Barry, Sammy, Kenny and Franky don't have jobs by then, they'll be forced to give up one of their many luxury automobiles. Or worse... be forced to appear in ads for Viagra:


Yes, I Should Be An Ad Executive

Yet, not one of the Presidential candidates has mentioned the plight of these unemployed baseball heroes. If a guy who hits 762 homeruns can't get a job, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Fortunately, I have a solution. It worked for Barry in the past, and I believe it can work for our nation.

Steroids.

That's right. I said it. We need to juice this nation up with some tasty, preferably racehorse-strength hormones. A nationwide program to inject every man, woman and child with some super-charging serum.

Think about it. Why does the economy fail? Well, I'm not sure, I didn't pay attention in economics class. But I read somewhere it has to do with weak performance. A large company doesn't meet its quotas. A huge construction project doesn't get done on time. A shortage of consumer products creates inflation. Money spent doesn't bring back results. Weak, weak, weak.

With everyone on steroids though, imagine the possibilities. If Barry can hit 70 homeruns in his 40s, then Joe Schmo at the plant can churn out four times as many widgets on the assembly line. Bigger muscles for the masses mean increased spending on new clothes and high-calorie food. No one will care about the price of gas: we'll be able to push our cars to their destinations. Suddenly, with our superhuman workforce, we're producing more than enough products to both fill our needs and trade with the world market. Beat that, China.

And we can cut our spending in Iraq in half: One Super-Soldier can do twice the work a regular one can, meaning we can withdraw thousands of forces and keep winning (cough) the war.

Steroids kept Barry in baseball long past his expiration date. And it can get him back in again. Just as it can get us all back to the muscular heights we once enjoyed in those blissful, Soundgarden-filled days of the 1990's.

My slogan: "Stronger People, Stronger Economy."

Hillary, Obama, John: this plan may just make you a winner. I urge you to consider it.

And if it doesn't work, at least we'll all be ripped.

Rudolph The Steroid-Abusing Reindeer

Just in time for the holiday season, Major League Baseball is getting a gift it didn't want-- the results of George Mitchell's steroid invesigation.

Rumors put the number of players named as high as 80. At least one person has said the list of steroid-abusing players will include "Landscape-changing names... Names that will change the way we look at the sport."

Deadspin.com published an unofficial list of players named in the report. We won't know for sure who's on it until 2:01 PM today, when the report is released.

But some of the names stand out. Bary Bonds and Mark McGwire, we already knew. But Roger Clemens? Andy Pettite? Albert Pujols? Pudge? Mo Vaughn? These guys are legends of the game. Roger holds several pitching records. All five are future Hall-Of-Famers.

Aaron Boone is a disturbing name to see there as well. His walk-off homer against the Red Sox in the Division Series is one of Yankee baseball's proudest moments. But was Boone on the juice when it happened?

Suddenly we have to ask ourselves... was Matt Williams pursuit of the home run record in the strike-shortened season a result of some needles? Was Paul Byrd's brilliant shutdown of the Yankees this year due to some extra testosterone? Was John Rocker's famous temper inflamed by roid rage?

How many asterisks do we have to put on this game?

Adam's Life Presents: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (modern version)







UPDATE: The real list of players. Aaron Boone, you're off the hook. So are you, Albert Pujols and Pudge.

Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Larry Bigbie, Brian Roberts, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Josias Manzanillo, Todd Hundley, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris, Matt Franco, Rondell White, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, Jason Grimsley, Gregg Zaun, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Miguel Tejada, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Paul Lo Duca, Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jr., Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, Nook Logan, Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Gary Matthews, Jr., Scott Schoeneweis, David Bell, Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Darren Holmes, John Rocker, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, and Steve Woodard.

Goodness Gracious, Great Balls Of Ire



Yes, I'm very proud of myself for coming up with today's blog title.

Barry Bonds' record tying and record-breaking homerun balls are now in the hands of collectors. But rather than keep the baseballs locked up next to their mint-condition Superman #1 comic books and Honus Wagner baseball cards, both ball owners are letting the public decide their fate.

Graffiti artist and fashion designer Marc Ecko put three options for his record-breaking ball up to a vote: 1) Give the ball to the Hall of Fame, as is. 2) Tag the ball with an asterisk, then send it to the Hall of Fame. 3) Strap it to a rocket and send it into outer space.

Yes... strap it to a rocket and send it into outer space.

[UPDATE] Barry Bonds' response? "He's stupid. He's an idiot. He spent $750,000 on the ball and that's what he's doing with it? What he's doing is stupid."

Ecko is undeterred. He offered to make Bonds a custom T-shirt that says, "Marc Ecko paid $752,467 for my ball, and all I got was this 'stupid' T-shirt."

California entrepreneur Ben Padnos also has a website putting the fate of Bonds' record-tying ball into the hands of the public. His is more simple: Save It? Or Smash It?

Why all this democracy? I say divide the ball into equal pieces and distribute it evenly among the populace. Am I right comrades?

But seriously, if you read my piece on Bonds and his record, then you should know how I feel about this. Put the damn ball in the Hall Of Fame. Then, with great fanfare, move it into the storage closet once someone deserving of that hallowed record finally achieves it.