I’m a substitute for another guy.  I look pretty tall but my heels are high.  The simple things you see are all complicated.  I look pretty young, but I’m just back-dated, yeah.  -The Who

Back in 2008, Greg Dobbs was a member of the World F’n Champion Phiadelphia Phillies.  Back in 2008, Greg Dobbs proved his pinch-hitting prowess by completing back-to-back seasons leading the majors in pinch-hits.  Not just any pitch-hits mind you.  Big pinch-hits.  Clutch pinch-hits.  Big, clutch pinch-hits that were a vital part to the Phillies late-inning offense.  But next thing you know, old Jed’s a millionaire Dobbs went from setting a Phillies franchise pinch-hit record to going flat at the plate.  Next thing you know, old Jed’s a millionaire Dobbs went from being a fickle Phillie fan favorite to a forgotten figure.  Next thing you know, old Jed’s a millionaire Dobbs was sent down to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.  From champ to pig.  Just like that.  When I move, you move.  Just like that.  Hey DJ, play that back.     Read More »

Because it’s murder by numbers, one, two, three.  It’s as easy to learn as your ABC’s.  Murder by numbers, one, two, three.  Easy to learn as your A-B-C.  -The Police

What’s crack-a-lacking sports fans?  I’ll tell you what’s crack-a-lacking.  Baseball’s crack-a-lacking.  Ahhhh baseball.  Like my main man Terrence Mann always says, “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers.  It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again.  But baseball has marked the time.”  It certainly has.  As kids we marked the time by keeping score at the ball park.  Nowadays, that type of thing is done for us.  It’s all ballbearings now.  Statistician Seymour Siwoff of the Elias Sports Bureau once said,   “Anybody with a pencil could be a statistician back then (19th Century).”  Now?  Not so much.  Now, statistics are the lifeblood of the game.  No other sport studies, dissects and analyzes their numbers as vigilantly as baseball.  So who am I to go against the grain?  Nobody!  That’s who.  So let’s take a peak at some interesting 1st half numbers, shall we?  Sure we shall!          Read More »

By the time I was ten, playing baseball got to be like eating vegetables or taking out the garbage.  So when I was 14, I started to refuse.  Could you believe that?  An American boy refusing to play catch with his father?  -Field of Dreams

Like my main man, the late great Harmon Killebrew always says, “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, You’re tearing up the grass.  We’re not raising grass, Dad would reply.  We’re raising boys.”  Last night, Will Venable hit his first career leadoff home run.  Hooray Will Venable!  His father, Max, hit two leadoff home runs in his major-league career (1990 and 1991). Hooray Max Venable! Just so you know, the only other father/son combination featuring an active player in which each player hit a leadoff homer is the Brantleys. Mickey hit one for the Mariners in 1987; Michael had one last season.  Now, with this being so close to Father’s Day and all, I thought I’d give a shout-out to some of the Baseball father’s in the house: Read More »

This must be love, fits like a glove.  Well it must be love, it must be love – fits like a glove – fits like a glove.  -Kiss

Shhhhh.  It’s around the corner.  Baseball’s around the corner.  Smell it?  Hooray baseball!  I love baseball.  I’m Like Carl Yastrzemski:  “I think about baseball when I wake up in the morning.   I think about it all day and I dream about it at night.  The only time I don’t think about it is when I’m playing it.”  And considering I don’t play much of it anymore, I’m thinking about it all the time.  Today I’m thinking about the best defensive players in the game today.  What’s glove got to do with it, got to do with it?  Everything.  Always has.  Always will. Read More »

What does it take to be number one?  Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.  What does it take to be number one?  Hey hey hey hey..  -Nelly

Opening day is just two weeks away.  Ahhhh, baseball.  The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.  America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers.  It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again.  But baseball has marked the time.  I know it’s a little early.  I know what Bill Veeck said.  I know he said, “This is a game to be savored, not gulped.  There’s time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings.”  I don’t care.  I want it all.  I want it now.  I want to know what the Big Fundamental wants to know.  “Good, better, best.  Never let it rest.  Until your good is better and your better is best.”  Who’s good?  Who’s the best?  Today we will discuss who’s the best.  We’ll discuss who’s the worst.  And we’ll discuss everything in between.  So, without further ado, let’s hand out the hardware:          Read More »

Some folks may think the above video crosses the line. Some folks may think the above video is in bad taste. Those folks are probably right, but it sure is funny. Just so you know, I’m digging the Onion’s Sports Dome. Just so you know, I haven’t laughed this hard at sports anchors since Chet Harper said, “Tonight at the Alamodome, he gets Happy-Go-Jackie on the big white guy like a donkey eating a waffle! Sweet Sassy Molassey! Get out the checkbook and pay grandma for the rubdown as the Spurs beat the Heat, 86-79! So tune in, tell ‘em the Public sent ya. You won’t be disappointed.

Peace out homies. Six two and even!

A curve ball’s what my pitch is.  So here we here we come like dum ditty dum, I keep all five boroughs in stitches.  -Beastie Boys

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  The Giants win the World Series!  The Giants win the World Series!  Casey Stengel said, “Good pitching will always stop good hitting.”  Warren Spahn said, “Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.”  Satchel Paige said, “My pitching philosophy is simple – keep the ball way from the bat.”  In this here World Series, the San Francisco Giants’ good pitching stopped the Rangers’ good hitting.  In this here World Series, the San Francisco Giants upset the Rangers’ timing.  In this here World Series, the San Francisco Giants kept the ball way from the Rangers’ bats.          Read More »

Here come a riddle, here come a clue.  If you were really smart, you’d know what to do when I say, “Why am I going out of my head, whenever you’re around?”  The answer is obvious, love has come to town.  -Talking Heads

Public Service Announcement:  Back in July, the Texas Rangers signed Cliff Lee.  Back in July, the Texas Rangers signed Cliff Lee for one reason and one reason only.  They signed him for this moment.  Like that chick from Steel Magnolias always says, “ I would rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”  The post season is wonderful.  So much wonderful, Rangers’ fans will need plastic surgery to remove their godamn smiles.  They’re gonna be whistling ‘Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah’ out of their assholes!  Now that’s wonderful.  39 lost seasons of wonderful.  But none so wonderful as Cliff Lee.         Read More »

(TBS 6PM ET)  MLB Playoff Baseball.  The Thrills.  The spills.  Oh, the humanity!  I’m watching this game for one reason and one reason only.  I’m watching this game for Roy Oswalt.  I always liked this dude.  I liked him back in 2005.  In the postseason that year, Oswalt started 4 games and went 3–0. His two seven inning one-run performances netted him the NLCS MVP award, including a three-hit seven strikeout gem in game 6.  Expect more of the same tonight.

Oswalt is 23-3 (.885) in his career against the Reds in the regular season. That winning percentage is the highest among active pitchers with at least 15 decisions against a particular opponent. Meanwhile, Bronson Arroyo is 1-5 against the Phillies in the regular season with a 5.54 ERA, his highest earned run average against any National League team. But this isn’t about Broncon Arroyo. I mean, I like Bronson too. His getting girly slapped by A-Broad was a moment I’ll always cherish. But no, this is about Roy Oswalt and his Vulcan change-up. I just wanted to say Vulcan change-up. May you live long and prosper. Get your popcorn ready!

Peace out homies!  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:  Maybe you’re like Billy Batts.  Maybe you didn’t hear about it, you’ve been away a long time. They didn’t go up there and tell you.  I’ll tell you.  I’ll tell you Cliff Lee is good.  How good?  Yesterday, he registered four strikeouts while walking two batters (equaling his season high) in his loss to the Angels.  Big deal you say?  Whos cares you say?  I say Lee’s strikeout-to-walk ratio took a hit and still stands at 13.1-to-1 this season.  I saythat puts him on pace to post the highest ratio for a qualifying pitcher within one season since the modern walk rule was instituted.  I say the highest to date was by the Mets Bret Saberhagen in 1994 (11-to-1).  I say the Phillies were out of ther cotton pickin’ minds when the didn’t hold on to this guy.

Public Spectacle:

Peace out homies. Six two and Even!