Sunday Sports
Most every Sunday, my wonderful employers at the Asbury Park Press give me the day off to regroup and recharge for the upcoming week. And I make sure the recharging time well.
After, uh, exerting my energy on a Saturday night, I like to spend my Sunday watching whatever game catches my eye, mixed in with some random ventures outside if its nice (which it kinda was today, although a little cold). It's pretty crazy how much noteworthy stuff happens in a heavy day of sports, and today was that to the extreme.
So without further ado, here is the first installment of Man-to-Man "Sunday Sports."
As I've stated before in this spot, I am a Seattle Mariners fan and that being the case, I was looking forward to the final two games of the four-games with the Yankees, starting with today's affair. And with Darrell Rasner and Matt DeSalvo starting for the Yanks, I was especially excited. But with Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista and the M's offense involved, I wasn't that excited.
The game starts off a mixed bag. Washburn came in with an ERA of 2.88 and has done an admirable job limiting damage. He's an odd player for a fan, because he's clearly overpaid at about $9 mil per year, but he gives you a good, honest effort. He's nothing special, but at least you can appreciate his professionalism (nice to know $36 million buys you "professionalism").
Washburn gets through four scoreless innings, by making the Yankees look impatient - not an easy task. He stumbles a bit in the fifth, giving up the first run on a single by Derek Jeter, which scored Public Enemy #2, Josh Phelps. Phelps scored after barrelling over cathcher Kenji Johjima, who never came close to getting the ball. Notice I say "after." Phelps, a former cathcher mind you, missed the plate to run over Johjima, then went back to tag home after trying to kill Joh.
Phelps is only Public Enemy #2, because Scott Proctor stole #1 from him. After Phelps justifiably got hit in the bicep by Washburn as retaliation (to Phelps credit he took it like a man and in so many words admitted after the game he probably should have slid into home), Scott Proctor threw behind M's shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, as some sort of extra retaliation.
This is wrong on so many levels. First of all, Phelps got hit as retaliation, both benches were warned, that should be the end of it. Proctor throwing at Yu-Bet is not settling any score, it's starting a new one. Secondly, Betancourt had nothing to do with anything that happened earlier.
Third is that we are talking about a pitcher, and a team as a whole, who didn't have the stones to dust off Manny Ramirez for totally showing him up last year. After hitting a bomb off Proctor and standing at home plate to admire it as Manny tends to do, it was assumed that Proctor had the green light to let Manny know what he thought about it by knocking him on his rear.
And what did Proctor do the night after the first bomb? He served the ball up on a tee, and Manny homered again. I was embarassed for him, because he got totally punked out by Manny.
Fast forward to Sunday, and all of a sudden, Proctor is a tough guy. He won't throw at Manny for showing him up, but he has no problem throwing at 5'7" Betancourt for no good reason, then dares him to come see him at the mound. Just a totally transparent, classless act by an organization that thinks it exudes class just because they don't wear last names on the back of their jerseys.
Speaking of showing up the opposition, the Yankees decided to turn their baseball game into a Roger Clemens press conference. If I was a Yankee fan, I would be ashamed of my team today. They played the role of bully during the game, then effectively turned that game into a circus. I'm still fighting off my nausea.
The only thing more nauseating were the M's at bats coupled with their defense. They swung early in the count against a quadruple-A pitcher and made him look like an all star. Hopefully, the bench-clearing altercation with Proctor lights a fire under them.
With the Mariners doing their thing at the plate, I figured I'd catch the end of the Cavs-Nets Game 1. The ending wasn't bad, but judging by the score and some of the numbers, it looked like an ugly game. The Cavs are an interesting team in that they probably have the most broad range of performance of any team left in the playoffs. They did nothing to impress against Washington in the first round, but they got their sweep. They shot poorly against an average defensive team playing on short rest, but they still won game one. They've been my pick to come out of the East from day one, and while they have raised some doubts about their ability to do that, the Cavs seem like a team that is learning how to win and if they start shooting well, could be dangerous.
The Phoenix-San Antonio series was originally interesting to me, and after watching game one, it's looking like a classic. The Spurs were impressive in winning, especially Tim Duncan, but they will win games on Tony Parker's jumpshot. Parker said it himself after the game. Parker got his 32 points because he forced the Suns to respect his jumper. Once they had to put a hand up, Parker had free reign to get to the basket and distribute (eight assists). The Suns will get their wins when Parkers' shot doesn't fall, which happens from time to time. If Game 2 is not one of those games, though, Phoenix will be in trouble.
When Parker and Steve Nash colided, it looked like the Spurs were in trouble. The whole team ran out to attend to Parker and there was immediate specualtion about his arm and then his head. Two minutes later, Parker was on the floor, and Nash couldn't stop the cut on his nose from bleeding. The Suns were still playing from behind even with Nash, but I'd say playing from behind without the best point guard in the game on the floor is quite a handicap.
I had Phoenix winning this series in seven, and I'm going to stick with the pick, but this isn't a good start. Duncan is going to whatever he wants, but the good news for the Suns is, they can do what they want on offense as well. Again, it comes down to Parker. If his shot is on, that's too much for a pedestrian Suns defense to handle.
I have the night off Tuesday, so I'll get a chance to watch game two, and perhaps do a game log similar to the Tim Lincecum log. But for now, attention shifts to Colts Neck High School Monday, where the Cougars Boys Track Team will attempt to hand CBA its first dual meet loss since 1996. I'll be there for the virtual Class A North championship, while keeping an eye on the Rumson at Shore meet that will decide B Central. You'll all that as it happens.
After, uh, exerting my energy on a Saturday night, I like to spend my Sunday watching whatever game catches my eye, mixed in with some random ventures outside if its nice (which it kinda was today, although a little cold). It's pretty crazy how much noteworthy stuff happens in a heavy day of sports, and today was that to the extreme.
So without further ado, here is the first installment of Man-to-Man "Sunday Sports."
As I've stated before in this spot, I am a Seattle Mariners fan and that being the case, I was looking forward to the final two games of the four-games with the Yankees, starting with today's affair. And with Darrell Rasner and Matt DeSalvo starting for the Yanks, I was especially excited. But with Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista and the M's offense involved, I wasn't that excited.
The game starts off a mixed bag. Washburn came in with an ERA of 2.88 and has done an admirable job limiting damage. He's an odd player for a fan, because he's clearly overpaid at about $9 mil per year, but he gives you a good, honest effort. He's nothing special, but at least you can appreciate his professionalism (nice to know $36 million buys you "professionalism").
Washburn gets through four scoreless innings, by making the Yankees look impatient - not an easy task. He stumbles a bit in the fifth, giving up the first run on a single by Derek Jeter, which scored Public Enemy #2, Josh Phelps. Phelps scored after barrelling over cathcher Kenji Johjima, who never came close to getting the ball. Notice I say "after." Phelps, a former cathcher mind you, missed the plate to run over Johjima, then went back to tag home after trying to kill Joh.
Phelps is only Public Enemy #2, because Scott Proctor stole #1 from him. After Phelps justifiably got hit in the bicep by Washburn as retaliation (to Phelps credit he took it like a man and in so many words admitted after the game he probably should have slid into home), Scott Proctor threw behind M's shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, as some sort of extra retaliation.
This is wrong on so many levels. First of all, Phelps got hit as retaliation, both benches were warned, that should be the end of it. Proctor throwing at Yu-Bet is not settling any score, it's starting a new one. Secondly, Betancourt had nothing to do with anything that happened earlier.
Third is that we are talking about a pitcher, and a team as a whole, who didn't have the stones to dust off Manny Ramirez for totally showing him up last year. After hitting a bomb off Proctor and standing at home plate to admire it as Manny tends to do, it was assumed that Proctor had the green light to let Manny know what he thought about it by knocking him on his rear.
And what did Proctor do the night after the first bomb? He served the ball up on a tee, and Manny homered again. I was embarassed for him, because he got totally punked out by Manny.
Fast forward to Sunday, and all of a sudden, Proctor is a tough guy. He won't throw at Manny for showing him up, but he has no problem throwing at 5'7" Betancourt for no good reason, then dares him to come see him at the mound. Just a totally transparent, classless act by an organization that thinks it exudes class just because they don't wear last names on the back of their jerseys.
Speaking of showing up the opposition, the Yankees decided to turn their baseball game into a Roger Clemens press conference. If I was a Yankee fan, I would be ashamed of my team today. They played the role of bully during the game, then effectively turned that game into a circus. I'm still fighting off my nausea.
The only thing more nauseating were the M's at bats coupled with their defense. They swung early in the count against a quadruple-A pitcher and made him look like an all star. Hopefully, the bench-clearing altercation with Proctor lights a fire under them.
With the Mariners doing their thing at the plate, I figured I'd catch the end of the Cavs-Nets Game 1. The ending wasn't bad, but judging by the score and some of the numbers, it looked like an ugly game. The Cavs are an interesting team in that they probably have the most broad range of performance of any team left in the playoffs. They did nothing to impress against Washington in the first round, but they got their sweep. They shot poorly against an average defensive team playing on short rest, but they still won game one. They've been my pick to come out of the East from day one, and while they have raised some doubts about their ability to do that, the Cavs seem like a team that is learning how to win and if they start shooting well, could be dangerous.
The Phoenix-San Antonio series was originally interesting to me, and after watching game one, it's looking like a classic. The Spurs were impressive in winning, especially Tim Duncan, but they will win games on Tony Parker's jumpshot. Parker said it himself after the game. Parker got his 32 points because he forced the Suns to respect his jumper. Once they had to put a hand up, Parker had free reign to get to the basket and distribute (eight assists). The Suns will get their wins when Parkers' shot doesn't fall, which happens from time to time. If Game 2 is not one of those games, though, Phoenix will be in trouble.
When Parker and Steve Nash colided, it looked like the Spurs were in trouble. The whole team ran out to attend to Parker and there was immediate specualtion about his arm and then his head. Two minutes later, Parker was on the floor, and Nash couldn't stop the cut on his nose from bleeding. The Suns were still playing from behind even with Nash, but I'd say playing from behind without the best point guard in the game on the floor is quite a handicap.
I had Phoenix winning this series in seven, and I'm going to stick with the pick, but this isn't a good start. Duncan is going to whatever he wants, but the good news for the Suns is, they can do what they want on offense as well. Again, it comes down to Parker. If his shot is on, that's too much for a pedestrian Suns defense to handle.
I have the night off Tuesday, so I'll get a chance to watch game two, and perhaps do a game log similar to the Tim Lincecum log. But for now, attention shifts to Colts Neck High School Monday, where the Cougars Boys Track Team will attempt to hand CBA its first dual meet loss since 1996. I'll be there for the virtual Class A North championship, while keeping an eye on the Rumson at Shore meet that will decide B Central. You'll all that as it happens.
posted by Matt Manley at 2:42 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home