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It Could Be Worse
August 5, 2008
So the Sox can't beat the heat in Kansas City, Papi popped his wrist again, Lowell is limping, and our Dominican scouting supervisor was fired for allegedly skimming signing bonuses. We've had better days. Don't hang your heads just yet though, Sawxheads. One thing that I've learned in life is that somebody’s always got it worse than you. Cheerful, right?
Let me remind you that we’re not the only team with trade woes, in-house fights, or injury issues: I took a look around the majors and found a few clubhouses who also wouldn't find themselves featured on an episode of Best Week Ever.
MILWAUKEE: Tension is apparently riding high in the Brewers dugout. Their delightfully rotund first baseman, Prince Fielder, recently had to apologize to pitcher Manny Parra following exchanges of words and pushes. I had assumed that Fielder was frustrated because he hadn’t eaten in an hour or so and must have met with protests after starting to nibble on Parra’s throwing arm, but the scuffle was reportedly initiated by the Brewers’ recent losing streak. The loss was the team’s seventh in nine games, including a sweep by the Cubs in a four-game series last week, and they’re now left with only a half-game lead in the NL wild-card standings.
CINCINNATI: It seems the Reds just can’t let go. Both the team and the fans are in a funk over Griffey’s absence. From the articles I’ve read, it sounds as though nobody at Great American Ball Park can look over at Junior’s empty clubhouse stall without getting choked up. Adam Dunn, who nearly fell victim to trade talks himself, is written to be unable to ignore Griffey’s old corner of the clubhouse "It's definitely weird, seeing that locker empty," Dunn said. Dusty Baker is hoping that his ballclub will put down the Kleenex and start winning games in the upcoming stretch of games to get the Reds within reach of a playoff berth. ESPN calls this “Wishful thinking;” I say, “For God’s sake it’s Griffey, what WERE you thinking?”
SEATTLE: Need I say more than, this team is 27 games out of the AL west? The Mariners’ sparkling season schedule includes two, seven game slides. Mr. Batting Title, Ichiro Suzuki might be hitting .305, but for a guy who’s gone .331 on his career, this is one of worst averages he's had in eight seasons. The Mariners should have embraced the trade deadline with arms open and ready to shove off at least half of their team. Somehow though, both Ibanez (who would have maybe looked good in a Sox uniform?) and Washburn stayed stuck in Seattle. Rival GM’s are calling this team "leader-less" and AL executives have dubbed them “a train wreck."
NEW YORK: Jason Giambi showed up at Yankee stadium Monday, sans-mustache. This was great news for me and bad news for, well… who the hell cares if anyone is actually upset by this. Giambi had a hot hand when he began to sprout the facial-atrocity, but now that he's bordering on Slumpsville (hitting .234 with three homers in July and going 0-for-9 through three games in August) he's decided to return to the razor. Giambi isn't the only one in pinstripes who's worried about the team. Girardi has confirmed the negative forecast for Chien-Ming Wang, saying that the right-hander will not return this year. I hear that the general media reaction was to smote one's forehead and say "duh." In other negative news, last night the Yankees front office staff grasped their wallets in horror when Joba Chamberlain came out in the fifth inning with shoulder pain. As it was Joba that shut down the Sox at my first ever Yankees game at Fenway, I couldn’t help but do an obnoxious, Tiger Woods-style fist pump to hear this news. Speaking of the Yankees’ pitching struggles--their big bullpen addition, Damaso Marte, surrendered a walk-off Grand Slam to the Rangers' Marlon Byrd last night.
Nothing really Earth-shattering there, I thought I'd throw it in.
So you see, Sawxheads, things aren’t that bad for Boston right now. Things can always be worse--just remember--as long as there’s a hungry Prince Fielder out there (which is always), other teams will have more serious issues to chew on.
-sportsgal
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