Mid-Week Musings

I’ve always wondered why batters drop the bat when they charge the mound, rather than take the bat with them. Well, someone finally took the bat with them and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. This almost beats the time when Izzy Alcantrara, a Red Sox minor leaguer, kicked the catcher in the facemask before he charged the mound, punched the pitcher, and then challenged the rest of the team to a fight. I was living in Boston at the time and just thinking about that one makes me smile. Here, check it out on YouTube. But anyways, the lesson in this case is that Jose Offerman is a maniac.

I think the next over the top thing we’ll see is a batter helicopter a bat at the pitcher’s head after getting hit with a pitch. That would be pretty crazy. I nominate Milton Bradley the only guy insane enough that he might actually do it…

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the new format. Here are some highlights:

From Cousin Cathy who’s in Vietnam:
“Excellent! You have been officially linked to gastronomy. Too bad you can't blog at work!”

In case you’ve been out of the loop, Gastronomy has been blowing up over the past few months, even getting recognition in one the Philadelphia websites on an article about food blogging. And since Cathy is nice enough to link the LamLogs to Gastronomy, I will link Gastronomy to the LamLogs. Here you go.

And from Cousin Michael who’s starting is freshman year at San Francisco State: “Nice fucking blog.”

Michael said that he partied with his brother last night and puked on his brother’s floor. Something tells me this is going to end with a newspaper headline reading: “SFSU Freshman Taken to Hospital to get Stomach Pumped”…

A couple of months ago I finally broke down and got an Xbox 360. I started a couple Madden franchises with the Bears and that didn’t work out (Old school LamLoggers know that I’m never the Chargers in Madden because I totally jinx them. Plus I like to be a cold weather team so I can play in the snow and whatnot). But yesterday started a franchise with the Browns, simulated the first season where they were 3-13 which gave me the fourth pick in the draft, traded for Vince Young, signed Terrell Owens, Dante Stallworth and Michael Westbrook, drafted some defensive end with a 92 speed rating and suddenly my team is stacked.

We lost our first game though. Here’s how I described it over email to El LamGal:

Me: “I played my first game with my new team. I was winning and then they came back and won on the last play of the game. I punched a hole in the wall.”

ELG: “You didn’t really punch a hole in the wall did you?”

Me: “I think I just dented it with my punch. It was the kick that actually made the hole.”

ELG: “Did you really make any kind of hole or dent in the wall?”

Me: “Yes. Now when you’re in the changing room and I’m on the couch we can see each other and it won’t seem like we’re so far apart.”

ELG: “You’re kidding me. Why would you do that?”

Me: “It was a back and forth game. I took an early 14-6 lead. The Ravens came back, getting it to 14-12 and eventually took the lead 20-14. With about two minutes left in the game I drove downfield taking the lead with about 30 seconds left in the game. Then the freaking cpu drives like 70 yards downfield and kicks the game winning field goal with like 6 seconds left. So I reacted like how any 29 year old adult male would react.”

ELG: “I dont even know what to tell you. I am very disappointed. It makes me very sad. I try really hard to keep our home nice and you punched a hole in the wall because of a Video game? I’m going to cry. I’ll see you later.”

Since she threatened me with the worst possible thing a woman can ever do to a man without actually physically touching him, I told her that I didn’t actually punch a hole in the wall.

The End.

In any matter, the new Madden comes out today or tomorrow so unfortunately I’ll have to start all over. No skin off of my back though, the Shawn Alexander Madden was kind of crappy anyways. I’d tell you why but it’s a moot point now…

I’ve decided to that this year, I’m going to throw myself into the NBA. I’ve always been a Laker fan, but now I’m giving myself a chance to become an NBA fan. The reasons are: a) I need something to do during the week during football season, and b) since I’m becoming more and more uninterested in baseball, I need a sport to follow for the first half of the year. So far I’ve been following all the offseason moves, learning about the salary cap, and reading all of Bill Simmon’s NBA columns. I even have a group of guys I’ve been emailing with regularly about the Lakers.

Today, to summarize, we talked about the general crappiness of Laker GM Mitch Kupchack and how for the past 14 months the guy:

1. Didn’t get Baron Davis when the Hornets were offering him for 55 cents on the dollar.
2. Passed on the Jason Kidd for Andrew Bynum deal.
3. Couldn’t close the deal on Garnett even though the players he could have offered were better than the players the Celtics gave up.
4. Drafted two point guards (none of which can step in and start) with his two number one draft picks.
5. Has been unable to trade for Jermaine O’Neal whom the Pacers are will willing to deal.
6. Can’t get Mike Bibby even though the Heat are about to get him for an erratic point guard who refers to himself as “White Chocolate.”

The last point is what spurred the conversation. No wonder why Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. And even a bigger point is: What the hell did I do to deserve Kevin Towers and Mitch Kupchack? If this is punishment for that time in preschool my cousin and I urinated in a bucket and dumped it on some kid then I’m sorry ok? Kevin Towers and Mitch Kupchack? Thank God for AJ Smith. He is truly the Tom Cruise to my Kate Holms. I unquestionably believe in everything he says or does.