Jul
26
Oh please let this deal get done
July 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
Via AmazinAvenue comes talk of a trade that could go down as the most monumental deal in the history of sports. According to Ken Rosenthal, there are talks between the Mets and Royals. The names on the Mets side: Jeff Francouer, Luis Castillo, and Oliver Perez. On the Royals side: Jose Guillen, Gil Meche, and [...]
Jul
13
Two Yankee legends pass
July 13, 2010 | Comments Off
Just two days after legendary PA announcer Bob Sheppard died comes this news: George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning, a person close to the longtime New York Yankees owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made the announcement. The New York Daily News reported that [...]
Jul
6
All-”Star” game shenanigans
July 6, 2010 | 2 Comments
It isn’t worth getting too worked up over some of the, errr, strange All-Star game selections made by Joe Girardi and especially Charlie Manuel. (Omar Infante? Really?) In Manuel’s case he’s probably never going to manage another All-Star game, so let him take “his guy” Ryan Howard over other guys who actually deserve to be [...]
Jul
2
Michael Steele – the Jerry Manuel of politics
July 2, 2010 | 2 Comments
The New York Mets have had a really nice run over the past month or so. Most Mets fans were expecting the team to finish at about .500, but they now sit nine games over the .500 mark, and are right in the thick of things, only a couple of games back of the Braves [...]
Jul
1
Awww, that’s too bad
July 1, 2010 | Comments Off
Poor dear. All right, I shouldn’t take delight in Chase Utley’s misfortune. After all, he is one of the best players in the game and one of the few guys on the Phillies who is not completely overrated. In fact, if anything, he seems to be under-appreciated. Ah well, at least the Phillies’ rotation is [...]
Jul
1
Trade David Wrong!
July 1, 2010 | 2 Comments
Oh, that was the mantra of the typical pinhead calling into WFAN about a month ago. David Wright, coming off a mediocre (by his standards season), was “struggling,” and by struggling I mean striking out a lot while still putting up pretty decent numbers. So as we approach the mid-point of the season, guess what [...]
Jun
23
O ye of little faith
June 23, 2010 | 4 Comments
Despite some good-natured (and maybe not so good-natured) ribbing of soccer fans lately, I am honestly interested in the World Cup. So I listened to most of the game today between the US and Algeria, a game the American needed to win in order to advance to the next round. But with the game still [...]
Jun
21
Well that was underwhelming
June 21, 2010 | Comments Off
I caught the last couple of hours of the U.S. Open last night, and what struck me – aside from the bizarre looking greens – was the wretchedness of play. Among the six or seven guys at the top of the leaderboard, I think I saw two, non tap-in putts made. I understand that one [...]
Jun
17
Gee, who could have seen this coming
June 17, 2010 | Comments Off
As much joy as I get from the suffering of the Skins and their fans, even I admit to being a bit outraged by Albert Haynesworth’s shenanigans. The man will collect a guaranteed $41 million, and he’s throwing a hissy fit because his team is daring to make a change to their defensive alignment from [...]
Jun
11
The most hyperbolic statement I’ve seen in decades
June 11, 2010 | 7 Comments
Here’s the opening of a story about tomorrow’s World Cub soccer game between the US and Great Britain: The most anticipated American sports event in many years, perhaps decades, is about to take place. Since last December, many Americans have been looking forward to Saturday’s World Cup match with England in South Africa. Finally, it is [...]
Jun
9
Great night for the rookie
June 9, 2010 | 5 Comments
So that was a pretty awesome night for the rookie. I know there was a lot of hype surrounding him, but so far he has definitely lived up to expectations. Of course I am referring to Ike Davis, who hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning to give the Mets a 2-1 victory. Oh, [...]
Jun
7
I guess I am the exception
June 7, 2010 | Comments Off
In a post otherwise dedicated to the debut of some guy on the beloved DC baseball team – the Natinals – Joe Posnanski opens with this: The story, at heart, is about Christmas morning. Isn’t everything in sports these days about Christmas morning? Think about it: When you hear someone reminiscing about their happiest moments [...]
Jun
4
Leadership
June 4, 2010 | Comments Off
Jennifer Granholm has issued a proclamation declaring that Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game. That is just really super awesome. These are the sorts of tough, not at all meant to be mindless pandering, actions we want our elected officials to make. By the way, the Michigan unemployment rate is now just a smidge under [...]
Jun
2
Jim Joyce (Updated)
June 2, 2010 | 5 Comments
Like Jackie Slater some 25 years ago, he’s got to be the sickest man in America right now. Watching live, I really hoped that the replays would show the runner to be safe. Umm no. Not even close. Of course, it’s not even been an hour and we’re getting calls for replay, and it is [...]
Jun
1
Jerryball, or: We laugh because otherwise we’d cry
June 1, 2010 | 1 Comment
This is a pretty good summary of Jerry Manuel’s reign of terror. Yes, the Mets’ problems go deeper than the manager, and the organization will not be righted until both Manuel and Minaya are shown the door. But I don’t understand the logic of keeping a guy on just because the alternatives aren’t so hot. [...]
May
25
It’s about time
May 25, 2010 | 4 Comments
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. No, I am not singing Christmas carols in May, but rather expressing what I hope happens during Super Bowl XLVIII: “Super Bowl 48, in February of 2014, will be played in New York-New Jersey”. These are the words of Roger Goodell as he made the announcement just [...]
May
3
Make my day
May 3, 2010 | 3 Comments
I love baseball. I have been watching the game since the age of seven. Anyone even remotely familiar with me knows my passion for the game. But I will not hesitate for one second to completely ditch the game that I love if Major League Baseball actually take this idiot’s advice and removes the 2011 [...]
Apr
29
Get off my lawn you stats nerds
April 29, 2010 | 8 Comments
I have to admit that I receive a certain enjoyment from reading columns written by grumpy old sportswriters who complain about those newfangled statistics and how they are ruining the game. After all, this blog is called the Cranky Conservative, so naturally I sympathize with any form of written crankiness. (Speaking of which, certain new [...]
Apr
27
Competition for Omar and Dayton
April 27, 2010 | Comments Off
The Philadelphia Phillies are two years removed from a world championship. They have won back-to-back National League pennants, and are very possibly headed for a three-peat. If Cole Hamels can re-learn how to pitch, they might even be the prohibitive favorites to win it all. Meanwhile, I root for a team that collapsed two years [...]
Apr
14
Jason Fry: It’s Not Early
April 14, 2010 | 10 Comments
Jason Fry captures why the “small sample size” excuse won’t work for the Mets. These are all problems we’ve know about for some time. I agree nobody should be jumping off bridges. (Ever.) But when you think about the problems afflicting the Mets, they’ve been obvious a lot longer than seven games. * Gary Matthews [...]