Public Knowledge

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.  -Albert Einstein          

Public Knowledge:

• Remember Shea Hillenbrand?  Remember when he wrote in the Blue Jays clubhouse “This is a sinking ship?”  Looks like he got his comeuppance.  Looks like his ship is sinking.
• Where’s the beef?  Where’s the beef in that dreaded Yankees line-up?  If you want to know what ails the Bombers don’t look to the pitching staff.  For the first time since 1984, the Yankees have allowed three or fewer runs in each of three consecutive games and lost them all.  Who gets to wear the thong now?  Melky, I’m looking at you kid.
• Who says you can’t go home again.  Not Baron Davis.  Not the Clippers.  Point guard Baron Davis, the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, agreed in principle to a five-year contract worth a reported $65 million with the Los Angeles Clippers.  Good news for the Clippers.  Not great new.  Not Kevin Garnett news.  But better news than they have gotten in a while.  And I haven’t seen a smile that pretty in a while.  Bringing in Davis and re-signing Elton Brand make the Clippers relevant again.  They won’t be the Lakers, nor will they ever, but this team will be heard from.
• Swing batter batter.  Swing baaaaaatter.  Last night, Milton Bradley extended his strikeout streak to six consecutive plate appearances.  Last night, Milton Bradley lowered his batting average to .315.  So what?  Who cares?  The last player with an average that high after six straight strikeouts was the Big Cat.  The last player with an average that high after six straight strikeouts was Andres Galarraga in 2000.  Here some Big Catnips.  First Venezuelan-born player to win a batting title.  First Rockies’ player ever represented at an All-Star Game.  Won the three Triple Crown categories, although in different seasons.  Became the first player in history to win two NL Comeback Player of the Year Awards.  And if you never saw the docudrama Galarraga: Nothing But Baseball, you must.
• There’s something that’s been bugging me for a while.  Tugging at me for a while.  Pulling the rug out from under me for a while.  Jon Barry.  Jon Barry was riding the Celtics’ jocks all playoffs.  Good.  Nice.  Fine and dandy.  No it ain’t.  It ain’t fine and it ain’t dandy.  In case you don’t remember.  In case you forgot.  Jon Barry was a Celtics first round draft pick.  Jon Barry refused to play for the Celtics.  Jon Barry forced a trade with the Bucks.  Jon Barry can go to hell. 
• Bill James says there’s no such thing as clutch.  Tell that to Jeff Kent.  Jeff Kent hit a bomb last night.  Hit a bomb in the eleventh.  That 11th-inning home run gave the Dodgers a 7-6 win over the Astros.  Hooray Dodgers!  Kent now has a career total of twenty-nine RBIs in extra innings.  That is now the highest total among active players.  That just broke a tie with Manny and A-Broad.  That’s pretty damned impressive if I damn say so my own damn self.
• In and out.  In and out.  Like my main Alex always says, “No time for the old in-out, love.  I’ve just come to read the meter.”   Aaron Cook’s just come to read the meter.  Short Order Cook needed only 79 pitches for a five-hit shutout over the Padres last night.  Over the last three seasons, no other pitcher has thrown fewer than 80 pitches in a nine-inning complete game.  No other pitcher.  Short Order Cook has.  Short Order Cook also did it last season against the Padres. 
• WNBA talk?  Sure.  Why not?  Supersub.  Supersub Candice Wiggins.  Minnesota Lynx supersub Candice Wiggins.  You may remember her as the all-time leading scorer in Stanford women’s basketball history.  You may remember her as the all-time leading scorer in the Pac-10 Conference women’s basketball history.  Last night, Wiggins came off the bench to score a team-high seventeen points for the Lynx.  Wiggins, who has started only one game this season, has scored 259 points as a sub, by far the highest total in the WNBA.  The Sixth Man Woman Award is hers for the taking.
• A little football talk.  A very little.  Shaun Alexander.  Shaun Alexander will be heard from.  He will sign with somebody.  He will be Comeback Player of the Year.
• Yankees still suck.   Ha ha ha!

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

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