Baseball season started!

[Chrome]

They're really embarassing themselves and showing a total lack of class.

Speaking of which, here's a nice quote from King George from John Donovan on SI.com:

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner equated his team bouncing back from a 22-0 loss to the Indians last week with New York rebounding from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "I wanted to show the fans that we have the same courage and the same attitudes all New Yorkers have had in fighting back from that terrible episode on 9/11," The Boss said in a statement. Ugh.

[Chrome]

Anyone know what's up with this? It was on MLB.com.

Urbina's mother kidnapped

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Four unidentified men disguised as police officers kidnapped the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina in his native Venezuela, police said Thursday.

The men took Maura Villareal from a house owned by Urbina in a Caracas suburb on Wednesday, said Joel Rengifo, the director of the country's anti-kidnapping police force. The men have not contacted family members, he said.

The Tigers, in a statement released Thursday, said: "Ugueth Urbina has left the club to return to his native Venezuela to attend to the kidnapping of his mother. The Detroit Tigers organization is working with Major League Baseball and its contacts in Venezuela to assist Ugueth."

God how horrible! Hopefully everything will be fine!

I've been out of the loop for a couple days, anything new on this?

I haven't seen anything much newer this this, from the Detroit Free Press ... not very encouraging:

AROUND THE HORN: No leads in Urbina mom's kidnapping

September 7, 2004

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The top investigator for Venezuela's federal police said Monday no suspects have been identified in the kidnapping of Maura Villareal, the mother of Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina.

"There's really nothing new so far," Henry Zerpa told the Associated Press by telephone.

Last week, Villareal was kidnapped by four men disguised as police officers. The men took her from a house owned by Urbina in suburban Caracas.

Zerpa said the kidnappers have not contacted family members.

Urbina left the Tigers last week to go to Venezuela, and manager Alan Trammell said Monday that the team had not heard from him since he departed.

"I haven't got a call from him," Trammell said. "It's a scary thought to have one of your parents kidnapped. I'm just praying and keeping my fingers crossed that everything is OK."

The Tigers are trying to work with major league baseball and its Venezuelan contacts to assist Urbina.

[sheldonm]

Anyone know what's up with this? It was on MLB.com.

Urbina's mother kidnapped

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Four unidentified men disguised as police officers kidnapped the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina in his native Venezuela, police said Thursday.

The men took Maura Villareal from a house owned by Urbina in a Caracas suburb on Wednesday, said Joel Rengifo, the director of the country's anti-kidnapping police force. The men have not contacted family members, he said.

The Tigers, in a statement released Thursday, said: "Ugueth Urbina has left the club to return to his native Venezuela to attend to the kidnapping of his mother. The Detroit Tigers organization is working with Major League Baseball and its contacts in Venezuela to assist Ugueth."

God how horrible! Hopefully everything will be fine!

I've been out of the loop for a couple days, anything new on this?

I haven't seen anything much newer this this, from the Detroit Free Press ... not very encouraging:

AROUND THE HORN: No leads in Urbina mom's kidnapping

September 7, 2004

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The top investigator for Venezuela's federal police said Monday no suspects have been identified in the kidnapping of Maura Villareal, the mother of Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina.

"There's really nothing new so far," Henry Zerpa told the Associated Press by telephone.

Last week, Villareal was kidnapped by four men disguised as police officers. The men took her from a house owned by Urbina in suburban Caracas.

Zerpa said the kidnappers have not contacted family members.

Urbina left the Tigers last week to go to Venezuela, and manager Alan Trammell said Monday that the team had not heard from him since he departed.

"I haven't got a call from him," Trammell said. "It's a scary thought to have one of your parents kidnapped. I'm just praying and keeping my fingers crossed that everything is OK."

The Tigers are trying to work with major league baseball and its Venezuelan contacts to assist Urbina.

Man, that sucks !

[Tjazz]

Just noticed that the Dodgers and Angels have the same win/lost record.

But the Dodgers are in 1st and the Angels are still trying to get a playoff spot.

[Dave James]

Dan,

Hello my friend. Harold here. If you've been looking for me recently, your chances of finding me PEEKING out from under a rock would have been fairly good. It's been a tough week in the Bronx. After Kevin Brown did a number on his own hand the other night, I felt like booking passage on a slow boat to China (destination: PEKING) to let this all blow over. But, I'm here now to take my medicine. Your boys continue to execute well and while the Yanks are still maintaining their slim lead, pitching is bound to become an issue in the not too distant future. Usually, my faith in the Yanks is unshakable, but, given the tenuousness of our situation, I'm starting to feel a bit, shall we say, PEAKED.

Up over and Harold.

[Dan Gould]

I have to say, I heard about Brown right before going to bed the night before the hurricane arrived, and it was the first deep belly laugh I'd had since the hurricane started bearing down on us.

[PHILLYQ]

I guess my friend "Harold" doesn't have too much to say at the moment ...

But I will say that the Yankees insistence that the Devil Rays should forfeit the game they couldn't leave Tampa in time for is just plain pathetic. They're really embarassing themselves and showing a total lack of class. And as John Kruk said on ESPN, "would the Yankees be asking for a forfeit if their starting pitching weren't in disarray?"

I guess when the choice is, start Loaiza, or try desperately to be handed a victory through a bogus forfeit claim, go for the desperation ploy-you've got a better chance of winning that way.

Dan,

There is a backstory to this episode. Last year, with a hurricane or its remnants approaching Baltimore, the Yanks asked MLB to postpone the game. MLB flatly said NO and threatened the Yanks with a forfeit. They played the game on a very wet field with about 1000 crazy fans.

In this recent situation, MLB claims that they TOLD Tampa Bay to leave on Friday, as the Tigers did and got out just fine. Tampa Bay claims that MLB SUGGESTED they leave on Friday. I think the Yankee response is to a double standard, that last year they were forced to play in horrible conditions and threatened with a forfeit, and in a similar situation MLB seems to have sat on their hands.

There is also one other striking similarity in both situations: THE TICKET BUYING FANS GOT SCREWED ROYALLY. In Baltimore last year, they had to sit through a wicked storm, and this year, they showed up for a 1:00 game that started at 7:00.

[Tim McG]

Just noticed that the Dodgers and Angels have the same win/lost record.

But the Dodgers are in 1st and the Angels are still trying to get a playoff spot.

Yeah...but the difference is the Angels are cool.

[Death to dodger blue. Grrrrr!]

Edited September 9, 2004 by GoodSpeak

[Dan Gould]

Dan - Talk to me after your boys have played Anaheim, Texas and Oakland in consecutive series.  That may tell the tale.

Okey dokey.

Swept the Angels.

Two out of three from Texas.

Swept the A's in Oakland.

That's 20 wins in their last 22 games. 2 back in the East; 5 up in the Wild Card.

Did you hear about the T-shirts Kevin Millar distributed this week? Borrowed a line from "Tombstone":

Tell Them We're Coming (front)

And We're Bringing Hell With Us (Back)

Cowboy Up!

Edited September 9, 2004 by Dan Gould

[Dave James]

Dan,

Oops...3 1/2 back. Guess the BoSox forgot they have to beat the bad teams as well as the good ones.

By the way, I've heard the expression before, but exactly what does COWBOY UP mean?

Up over and Harold.

[Dan Gould]

Dan,

Oops...3 1/2 back. Guess the BoSox forgot they have to beat the bad teams as well as the good ones.

By the way, I've heard the expression before, but exactly what does COWBOY UP mean?

Up over and Harold.

Well, Harold, had to happen at some point. But Schilling goes tonite, and for Baltimore, I believe its the kid who shut out the Bombers last time.

As for "Cowboy Up," Millar started using it last year as you remember. I didn't know what it meant either, but apparently its something that rodeo cowboys use when its time to suck it up and get the job done.

Personally, I think he did a better job this year, borrowing the line from the film.

[Dan Gould]

Not that I don't want to catch the Yanks and win the division, there might actually be an advantage to getting matched up with Oakland in the playoffs rather than the Twins (assuming the A's hold on).

Its clear that both the Sox and the Yanks have the A's number this year, while the Twins should have no trouble getting their rotation so that their ace, Santana(?), who is a very strong Cy Young candidate, would pitch twice in a five game series.

So I guess the ideal situation would be for the Sox to win the East and the Twins to have the second best record of the division winners. Then it would be Sox vs A's and Yanks vs Twins.

OR

Sox win the wild card and A's have the second best record, then it would be the same matchups, except the Yanks would have the home field and the Sox wouldn't.

Interestingly enough, the Twins will have something to say about how the East plays out, because the next to last series is at Minnesota, so Minnesota should be getting their rotation set and the Yanks will face their best starters getting their final tune ups.

[Tim McG]

Dan,

I just have to tell you...I love that avatar

Sorry for the interjection...carry on, Gents.

[Tim McG]

699!!!

Edited September 13, 2004 by GoodSpeak

[Big Al]

Rangers sweep the Jays and hopefully the momentum carries them through the next few weeks as they face the A's & Angels. I was all set to write 'em off after they lost 3 of 4 to the ChiSox, but now..... things have gotten interesting again! This is gonna be a stomach-churning week!

GO RANGERS!!!

Edited September 13, 2004 by Big Al

[Tim McG]

Rangers sweep the Jays and hopefully the momentum carries them through the next few weeks as they face the A's & Angels. I was all set to write 'em off after they lost 3 of 4 to the ChiSox, but now..... things have gotten interesting again! This is gonna be a stomach-churning week!

GO RANGERS!!!

It will be the same in the NL West, my friend.

Anybody's game now.

Oh...and GO A's!!!

Edited September 13, 2004 by GoodSpeak

[Big Al]

Oh...and GO A's!!!

Did I mention I didn't miss you?!?!?

Seriously, I think I smell a new rivalry brewin' around here!

But to keep things consistent and so I don't accidentally jinx my boys, the Rangers are notoriously horrible on the road and they're about to face one of their biggest obstacles. I don't hold out much hope.

(Why should Goodspeak have all the space?)

Just kidding, of course! Revenge will be ours!!! GO RANGERS!!!!

[ghost of miles]

A big weekend in the Bronx coming up for Yankee & Bosox fans: a three-game meeting between the two teams, to be followed by another tripler next week in Fenway. With 16 games to go, the Yanks are up by three and a half; could be a real nailbiter for both sides.

[Dan Gould]

Except of course that both teams are virtually assured of the playoffs.

Can I lay it out for you?

Sox take two of three this weekend. The deficit is 2.5

Pick up a game next week when Lilly beats the Yanks. That's 1.5

Sweep at Fenway. That's a 1.5 game lead.

Minnesota helps out by taking two of three from the Yanks following the Massacre at the Fens.

Sox clinch the AL East and home field advantage throughout the playoffs on the last Friday of the season in Baltimore.

Sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it?

[Dan Gould]

OUCH! That one HAD to hurt.

2-1 lead, Rivera on the mound, its over, right? Wrong.

In fact, when you talk about Aura and Mystique, those famous strip club dancers, Rivera really doesn't have it against the Sox, I'd wager. Since the start of the 2002 season, Rivera has now blown five out of 13 save chances against the Sox. He's still a great closer, but the Sox won't lay down against him, not since Mueller in July and Damon yesterday.

BTW, my two of three prediction was predicated on the Yanks winning last night, so I guess I'll have to go out on a limb and predict a sweep now.

2.5, 2 in the loss column, 16 to play.

[maren]

Mr. 700:

[ghost of miles]

BTW, my two of three prediction was predicated on the Yanks winning last night, so I guess I'll have to go out on a limb and predict a sweep now.

Hold onto that limb... you're off to a bad start today, my friend.

[Dan Gould]

BTW, my two of three prediction was predicated on the Yanks winning last night, so I guess I'll have to go out on a limb and predict a sweep now.

Hold onto that limb... you're off to a bad start today, my friend.

Jesus Christ, you aren't kidding. Lowe is a flipping moron.

But I'll still take 2 of three ...

[BFrank]

#701

[Dan Gould]

Well obviously I was wrong. Now I'll hear Yankee fans tell me how by all rights it should have been a sweep.

Well, I concede nothing, least of all the division. Obviously we'll need a little help, but with three to play at Fenway and three other series, including the Yanks having to face Minnesota as they line up their starters for the playoffs, anything can still happen.

Enjoy it for now, Harold.