Allie - Ball

         I dialed Acc as I walked down 7th Avenue late this afternoon.  The Yankee game would definitely be over by now.  He was at the game, and if he didn’t come back with a win I was going to hold him personally responsible.  No answer.  This was disturbing.  I wasn’t reading into it at all, but the kid knew I needed some sort of update.  I was on a train for a good part of the afternoon, and when I stepped out at Penn Station, I was hoping to get some news.  I got nothing.  Next call; Tony Sherry.  He’s usually listening to day games as he drives around Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island doing whatever he does.  “What’s up Krimp?”  “What’s up dude.  What are you doing?”  “I’m on the back nine at Silver Lake.” I knew it.  The freaking kid was out playing golf, having a rousing old time.  “So you don’t know who won the Yankee game?”  “No idea.  Did you call Acc?”  “I did.  He’s ‘Mr. Useless-with-no-information-who-isn’t-answering-his-phone’ to me.”  “Well I'm about to hit.  Call me back and let me know who won when you talk to him.”  “Okay Reggie.  Hit’em hard.”  I strolled past the always confusing “Mustang Harry’s” and “Mustang Sally’s” bar & grills, and down towards F.I.T.  Finally Acc calls me.  “Talk to me, dude.”  “Yankees won, bro.  Things got weird, though.  Weird.  Randy Johnson pitched awesome; it looked like he was going to pitch a complete game.  Then he started the ninth, let up two runs, and Mo came in and shut ‘em down.” The first question in my mind was – why is that weird?  That pretty much sounds like the exact formula to win a million games.  Or at least this one.

         And so it was.  Apparently Allie Boy decided to get nuts again.  I’m pretty sure as I tap the keys he’s on the phone with Vermont Teddy Bear, ordering a “thanks for the bear-ry fat pitches bear” for Jeremy Bonderman.  Good for Allie Boy.  Take your curtain call, bro.      

         So the Yanks took two of three from the Tigers, five of seven on the season.  Do you know why?  Because they’re better than the Tigers.  No question.  You see what the Tigers do.  They get quality starts, competent relief, and just enough offense to make the other two count.  It’s the same formula the A’s have made famous.  The White Sox were similar last year.  But the starters aren’t durable enough to last through the end of October (or maybe even September), and that’s ultimately going to doom their season.  Bonderman hasn’t won since July, Verlander is cooked, and Kenny Rogers is 75 years old, and therefore should only really be playing a three-month baseball season.  As far as the offense goes, you keep waiting for the big name stud to come up and start hammering the ball, and he just never does.  So you get what you get.  The Tigers got two walk-off miracles against the Yanks this year for their only wins against them, and neither featured Mariano.  I wouldn’t feel too great about the match-up if I were the Tigers.   

         The way I see it, the Yanks and the AL Central comprise the AL pennant race right now.  Of the Tigers, White Sox, and Twins, I don’t know who’s in and who’s out, but your ALCS lies in there somewhere; probably between the Yanks, Twins, and White Sox.  The White Sox will be in the playoffs.  The other spot will be between the Tigers and Twins.  If the season started today and lasted 30 games, it would be the Twins.  But the Tigers have that nice lead.  We’ll see.  I’m not discounting the A’s, but their lineup is kind of sad.  They are the only first-place team to have the lowest team batting average in the league this late in the season, according to Elias.  The lowest.  Whoa.  So I don’t see them going all the way.

         That speck you see way in the distance is Theo Epstein, sitting on top of the Green Monster, waving the white flag.  David Wells’ locker was cleared out and his nametag removed before the clubhouse opened today.  Terry Francona remarked that he had never seen that before.  He is obviously going to be traded, to San Diego if reports are correct, but the precursor was a bit harsh, I think.  I don’t know how fans in Boston are going to react to this whole “giving up” bit.  Theo better be getting something super-size-french-fries legit back for this, not this minor league catcher hitting .228 they’re talking about.  I know they’re out of it, but I still don’t think the Sox fans are going to want to thrown in the towel so blatantly.  I don’t know if any trade could cloud the stench of quitting. 

        I wonder if Theo is regretting his decision to come back.  The BPS made the point last winter.  Leaving while he was on top was the right move.  His legacy would have been secure.  The mere mention of his name would have raised glasses from Boylston to Needham.  But he blew it.  Nowhere to go but down.  I imagine Theo Epstein isn’t having much fun right now.  He would be having more fun if he was Juan Epstein, chilling with Vinnie B, Horseshack, and Freddy “Boom Boom.”  Look-ing good, Mister Kotteeeeerrrrr….

         Not a lot more to say.  Now would be a good time to take down the Twinkies.  Not those twinkies, Acc…