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On Nine-Year-Old-Novas and Other News
August 27, 2008
I have to say; watching A-Rod get booed AND strike out to end the first game of our series in the Bronx put me in a fantastic mood, which means that A) I want to write and B) I want to be in company of Sawxheads. Lately I’ve been scouring Boston headlines to post updates in the news section of this site (as well as for the Pats, C’s, and B’s) and so I’ve been neglecting my blog. What I’ve found though, is that this week in sports has provided me with more news to write about than my fingers can keep up with. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Nine-year-old who was Banned from Little League: Apparently, Jericho Scott is a third grader with a throwing arm so ferocious it got him blacklisted from the minor-minors. At first read, I had to laugh when I saw that an opposing team actually forfeited a game and packed up their gear when Scott took the mound. Unfortunately, this story is no joke. Imagine a Tim Wakefield fastball—only 20 mph or so slower—it’s hard to comprehend, right? Well that’s what Scott is throwing and that’s what parents are worried about; even though he has never hit a batter. The ace is quoted as saying, “I feel sad, I feel like it’s all my fault nobody could play.” Let’s go back to the word “fault” in this statement. Should a nine-year-old be crying into his Oreo-riddled-milk because he’s been blessed with the gift of superior athleticism, and has worked hard to cultivate that gift? I don’t think so. Should the kid get a few extra Oreos, a pat on the head, and maybe a chance to play in the next league up? That’s more like it.
The Implementation of MLB Instant Replay: I’m on the fence about this one. When I consider the times when Youk, Pedroia, Bay, et. al, have been robbed of a four bagger due to umpire oversight, then I’m on board. Unsurprisingly, many of Youks, Pedroias, and Bays in the League are also in favor. Can you even imagine a world where we no longer have to question the balls that take odd bounces off foul poles, miserably constructed outfield walls, or Monsters of any shape or color? It seems like it’s a no-brainer when a miscall can be the difference of a game. So who are the naysayers? It seems that baseball “purists” are vehemently opposed to slowing down the already phlegmatic pace of America’s pastime. Also, they feel that messing with a sport that has stayed so classically low-tech is like tempting fate. What next: Cheerleaders? Sound effects? Jumbo-trons suspended from every… well, due to the lack of ceilings we may not have to worry about this one (except maybe at Tropicana Field, but Tampa Bay is already cutting deals with the Devil, so who cares?).
Drew on the DL/Red Sox Acquisition of Mark Kotsay: Getting our mitts on an outfielder makes me nervous for J.D. Drew. Admittedly, I shed a tear when Trot Nixon brushed the dirt off his Red Sox uni and flew out to Cleveland (actually I bawled), but we fans have been through a lot with Drew and I for one am not ready to see him pull up a chair on the DL. Our clubhouse is certainly talented enough to get through a short stretch without our boy in right, so adding Kotsay to the roster can only mean that a herniated disk in the back is, in fact, as painful as it sounds. The substitution will mean saying “a bientot” to a right fielder with a line of .280 AVG, 19 HR, and 64 RBI, and replacing him with a guy who is batting a solid .289 but with only 6 long balls and 37 RBI. Doesn’t sit entirely well, does it? I suppose that all we Sawxheads can do is wish Drew a speedy recovery and welcome Kotsay with as much optimism as superstitious Bostonians can muster. For my part, I’m even willing to finally get over the fact that J.D.’s name is actually David Jonathan.
Yeah, figure that one out.
-sportsgal
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