Maybe in time I’ll see things in a different way, but all I can think about is right now and right now you let me down.  Right now you let me down.  You let me down.  -Black Flag

There was a time Adam Dunn was one of the premier left-handed power hitters in all of baseball who showed great patience at the plate.  I know, I know, this cat has been known to stike out a lot, but he has nonetheless compiled a career on-base percentage above .380.  In fact, coming in to this season, Dunn has been one of the game’s most prolific sluggers going for seven consecutive seasons with at least 38 bombs and a  hefty .850 OPS.  That’s why Billy Williams and the White Sox signed him for all that money.  The White Sox, reeling from their 2010 finish when they failed to win the AL Central, desperately wanted a left-handed bat.  Desperately seeking Susan.  They tried several times during the summer to trade for Dunn, but couldn’t reach an agreement with the Nationals. They even entertained the idea of bringing back DH Jim Thome, who helped the Minnesota Twins to the division title last season.  But no, they ultimately signed Dunn.  Like my main John Belushi always says, “I came out here, I didn’t have to.  I could have stayed in my dressing room, by myself, and let you die out here alone.  But nooooo!  I gotta come out here and help you, and what do you do?  You turn on me like a shark!”      Read More »

Mark the month and all its anniversaries.  Put away the draft of all your eulogies.  Clear the way for all your private memories.  -Suzanne Vega

In case you missed it, yesterday marked the 10-year anniversary of Adam Dunn’s first major-league game. On that day of Adam’s first game, he recorded his first Major League hit.  Hooray Adam Dunn!  Wait!  Not so fast!  On that day too, he also recorded his first Major League strikeout.  Boooooo Adam Dunn!  And so it has gone for most of his career.  Yesterday, Dunn reached his 10th anniversary with 363 home runs, the fifth-most in major-league history at the 10-year anniversary of a player’s big-league debut.  The four players ahead of him: Albert Pujols (408), Eddie Mathews (371), Ralph Kiner (369) and Alex Rodriguez (366).  Yesterday Dunn also reached his 10th anniversary with 1,756 career strikeouts.  That, by far, is the highest total in Major-League history 10 years to the day since a player’s first career game.  Nobody else is within 300 strikeouts of that record.  Nobody.  Not Reggie Jackson.  Not Sammy Sosa.  Not Jim Thome.  Not nobody.  In fact, Bobby Bonds own second place on that list; he whiffed 1,422 times in his first decade in the majors (1968-1978).  So hey, happy anniversary Adam Dunn!

Peace out homies. Six two and even!

I know we’ve come so far, but we’ve got so far to go.  I know the road seems long, but it won’t be long ’till it’s time to go.  So, most days we’ll take it fast, and some nights lets we’ll take it slow.  I know we’ve come so far, but baby, baby, we’ve got so far to go.  -Hairspray

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking it’s too early for this.  Like Sean Penn and Chaz Palmenteri, too Hurly Burly for this.  Don’t call me Shirley for this.  That’s what you’re thinking.  It’s not what I’m thinking.  I’m thinking what Yogi Berra is thinking.  I’m thinking, “It gets late awfully early around here.”  Heck, we’re already 36 games into the season.  That’s 2/9 of all games.  That’s 22%.  22% mental.  The other half physical.  Let’s get physical, physical.  I wanna get physical.  Let’s get physical and see what’s what.  Like Stan the Man Musial always says:  “I never realized that batting a little ball around could cause so much commotion.”  These cats are causing a commotion.  A loco-motion.  My little baby sister can do it with ease.  It’s easier than learning your a b c’s.  So come on, come on, do the loco-motion with me.  Come on with me and let’s take a peak at the All So Far Team, shall we?  Sure we shall!           Read More »

Hey young world, the world is yours.  Hey young world, the world is yours.  Young world, young world, the world is yours.  -Slick Rick

Ok, here we go!  You know what the man says.  The man says pitching wins championships.  The man says you’re only as good as your next starter.  Sparky Anderson says, “If I ever find a pitcher who has heat, a good curve, and a slider, I might seriously consider marrying him, or at least proposing.”  Well, I found some guys.  Sparky better go buy a ring.  Heck, he should go all Big Love and buy five of them.         Read More »

Okay, if knowledge is the key then just show me the lock. Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock. With speed, I’m agile plus I’m worth your while. One hundred percent intelligent black child. -Tribe Called Quest

Here it comes.  Here comes baseball.  Like my main man Joe DiMaggio always says:  “You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid.  You think something wonderful is going to happen.”  I’m looking forward to it.  I think something wonderful is going to happen.  I live for this!  What’s crack-a-lacking sports fans?  I loved Lou Brock.  Put you in shock.  Stealing bases around the clock.  A virtuoso like my main man Johan Sebastian Bach.  I loved Willie Wilson.  Looking good in those baby blues.  Faster than Deja Vu.  Quicker than any cheetah in any zoo.   I loved Rickey Henderson.  Probably the best lead-off hitter I’ve ever seen.  The best base stealer there’s ever been.  I loved Tommy Harper, Rock Raines, Firecracker Vince Coleman.  I loved them all, they’re the stolen base kings of the game we call baseball.  Joe Morgan once said:  “A good base stealer should make the whole infield jumpy.”   So that’s what we want to know.  Who in 2011 makes the whole infield jumpy?         Read More »

Our long national nightmare is over:  Robin Ventura is safe. 

For this we owe a big thanks to Florida International University infielder Garrett Wittels, who on Friday night failed to get a base hit for the first time in 56 games, thus preserving Ventura’s Division I NCAA record of 58 consecutive games with a base hit.  Wittels put up an 0-4 performance against Southeastern Louisiana, although he was the victim of a great defensive play in his third at bat.  Perhaps Wittels mind was elsewhere, but none the less it brings to an end one of the great stories of the recent college baseball landscape.  Scratch that, the ONLY great story of the recent college baseball landscape, which means that Wittels will fade away into obscurity in no time.  Unless of course Florida International’s head basketball coach Isiah Thomas (yup Knicks fans, the same Isiah that brought you Jerome James) decides to give him a look.  I mean hey, can we really put anything past Isiah at this point.

The silver lining in all of this though, it gives us an excuse to watch this video again:

You can’t disrespect it, I’m the resurrected.  Back from the dead just to mess with your head.  -House of Pain

Remember him?  Remember Jermaine Dye?  There was a time Jermaine Dye was shooting for an MVP.  His powerfull throwing arm was legendary.  In 2006, his late inning heroics in Chicago were cutting edgendary.  In Kansas City, as a budding superstar, he was being compared to Dave Winfield.  He ended up being more like Greg Luzinski.  Not bad, but not great either.  Ultimately, on November 6, 2009, Dye’s $12 million contract was bought out by the Chicago White Sox making him a free agent.  He hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since.  Now, according to Fox’s Ken Rosenthal, Dye says, “If nothing gets done by the end of the spring, I may call it a career.”  I thought it already was a career.  I thought it was already a career when nobody called last year.  Who’s gonna call now?  Ghost Busters?  Dye didn’t play in 2010 because he was unwilling to accept the economic reality of the baseball landscape.  He’s not gonna play this year because he is a 37 year-old DH in the age of no steroids.  Happy trails Jermaine.  Happy trails to you.

Peace out Jermaine.  Six two and even!

Stat of the day, who will it be? Your vote will hold the key.  It’s up to you. Tell us who, will be stat of the day.  -Community Auditions

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  While I was watching the San Diego game last night, I thought to myself, “Myself,” I thought, ”I really really believe the Padres got the best of this trade.”  Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love.  Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love.  I thought the Padres got best of the trade that sent Jake Peavy to Chicago for Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda.  I thought this because last night Richard earned himself a win.  He earned himself a win while striking out 10 batters and driving in two runs for the Padres.  Hooray Clayton Richard!  That’s when I saw this:  Since 2000, only one other San Diego pitcher had that trifecta in a game was … you guessed it … Jake Peavy.  How about that? 

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

Everyday the sun’ll shine.  Took this dream and made it mine.  I’m gettin down one thing that I know.  What!  We’re untouchable.  -DMX

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go!  Edwin Jackson.   On the attackson.  Cutting no slackson.  We all saw it from here to the Iraqson.  We all saw Jackson complete the hat trick last night by victimizing the Tampa Bay Rays and making them the first team in major-league history to be no-hit three times within a one-year span.  We all saw the first major-league pitcher to throw a no-hitter after having begun that game with at least 15 previous starts that season and an overall ERA of 5.00 or higher.  Unbelievable, right?  Tremendous, stupendous, incomprehendous, right?  Wrong.     Read More »

One way or another, I’m gonna find ya. I’m gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha. One way or another, I’m gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha. -Blondie

Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! As we all know, in baseball, charging the mound is when a batter assaults the pitcher, usually the result of being hit by a pitch or nearly being hit by a pitch.  Here endeth the lesson. Above, is a video of a Cuban mound charging that has been making the rounds today.  Cue the Benny Hill music. Lisban Correa, a catcher for Inudstriales, a team based in Havana, ends up chasing the pitcher round and round while holding his bat. After the jump, enjoy some more memorbale mound charges.             Read More »