What Should Have Happened in Colorado

The Rockies and Padres played Monday night for a chance to be in the major league playoffs. Joe Koshansky blew the ballgame for the Rockies striking out to end the bottom of the ninth. The Padres ended up winning the ballgame in extras - thanks to Koshansky. The Rockies played 162 games in the regular season and 1 playoff game for nothing - thanks to Koshansky.

This should end a career which most would consider dismal by almost any measurement. He went 1 for 11 in 16 games (.091), while striking out more than a third of the time, are not numbers that will put you in the hall of fame. That does not include his K to ruin the Rockies' season.

You will not see Joe Morgan mistaking him for Adam LaRoche anytime in the near future on Sunday Night Baseball. You will have kids ordering Happy Meals from Koshansky mistaking him for LaRoche at his new occupation in the McDonald's located in Chantilly, Virginia. Its going to be good living in the parent's basement again right off of I-66.

We bid you adieu Koshansky; and when you are buffing the wax off of my car while making $9 an hour at your weekend job at the Simoniz Car Wash do not expect a tip because you are a pathetic loser who did nothing for an organization that wasted a sixth round pick and $40,000 on a half ass prospect.

(JK is the wronghander on the right on the magizine.)

More Lawsuit Fun From the Instigator State

South Carolina inmate Jonathan Lee Riches is at it again filing another lawsuit against high profile sports figures. This lawsuit, which is for $42,000,000 in Swiss Francs, accuses Barry Bonds and Bud Selig of trying to increase television ratings and revenue through using steroids.

According to Riches, Selig was Sammy Sosa's puppet for the better part of the last decade. He also argues that Bonds uses Hank Aaron's old bat which contains hidden chambers that supply drugs. Bonds not only carries drugs in his bats he also sells them to nuns allegedly. Instead of having the money delivered to his South Carolina prison in this lawsuit, Riches wants the money delivered to a Des Monies, Iowa postal box if he wins this judgment.

It should be interesting to see who Mr. Riches goes after next. He attacked the biggest villain in sports last week and now is attacking the second biggest villain this week so one might think his work is done. We don't think so; he is going after Matt Millen next before firing a posthumous suit against the notorious Tyrus Raymond Cobb. To Detroit and victory!

Harold, It Feels Like Its Been a Lifetime

A year ago tomorrow morning I got a text message while settling into my cube in Atlanta. My friend Ernie was trying to alert me that my main nemeses in life, Harold Reynolds, had been dismissed from his job. I refused to believe it. Then another text came in came from minor league personality Segal and I decided to check it out, still not believing that Reynolds had reached his day of reckoning. But sure enough, the blogs were reporting that H.R. was out of work. Victory was mine.

The two time Gold Glove winner has now been off of ESPN broadcasts for a year as he was indeed fired year ago today, July 25, 2006. Reynolds is currently suing the television network over the dismissal which he claims was without merit. It was reported that Harold was fired over an 'inappropriate hug' that occurred at an Outback Steakhouse just prior to his termination. This hug is in dispute.

But looking back on it I have realized that I lost. I lost big time. I will be the first to say I miss the bumbling H.R. and yes, I entered the 'Spend a Day With Harold Reynolds Contest' in 2005. I have an Orioles personalized throwback jersey with 'Reynolds 6' on the back of it. I also know that in his only year with the O's in 1993 Harold wore two numbers, 6 and 25. I now will admit I was a fan.

Reynolds was a lightening rod for controversy (at least in my circles) with his commentary often being controversial (in my circles) and difficult to understand (in my circles) on Baseball Tonight which he teamed with John Kruk as the two most dynamic personalities of the show. ESPN has tried many talking heads in an attempt to replace Harold on Baseball Tonight since then, but no one has been able to have the on air chemistry that he possessed with the Krukster. Harold also was a manager on the ESPN hyped celebrity all-star softball game and gave kid friendly broadcasts of the Little League World Series in addition to his duties on Baseball Tonight.

Good luck to Harold on his new job with MLB.com, selling his coaching videos and his 5 million dollar lawsuit against ESPN. We just hope that if he testifies in his trial that someone will give the jury a copy of what he said because Lord knows there is no way they will understand what he's saying.



On that card pictured above Harold notes the following verse from the book of Jeremiah 29:11 "I alone have the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future full of hope."

Mungion Roundin the Bases One Last Time

The Elizabethton Twins had an off day Thursday but their ballpark was still put to good use as a funeral procession entered their Joe O'Brien Stadium and the casket was led around the bases by the Twins coaching staff. The casket contained the body of 61 year old Moe Riddle who was a lifelong fan of the mountain town's Rookie League baseball team.

Riddle had down syndrome but still attended nearly every game in recent years. He was known for his antics such as wearing a football helmet in the stands and could be heard cheering throughout the small ballpark. Riddle would tell other fans that it was his birthday every game and then ask for money endearing himself to fans whom knew it was not his birthday as he had told them the same thing last week.

Towers Laughs at Social-Norms

Toronto Blue Jay Josh Towers is a revolutionary as it is clearly illustrated in the picture to the left. See, Towers is a pitcher and wears the number 7. In the baseball world this is the equivalent of a shortstop wearing the number 103. Pitchers can't wear a number below 15, let alone a single digit number.

You might argue that pitchers can wear lower numbers, in fact some very good players did. Babe Ruth wore number 3 and he was the a heckuva pitcher before he was the greatest slugger of all-time. That was back in the day and uniform numbers had just been invented. It was acceptable at the time but the equipment managers would soon come to their senses.

Roger Clemens wore 12 when he joined the Yankees in free agency the first time in 1999. We can only assume that Steinbrenner flipped his sh!@ when he realized what was going on and wouldn't allow his organization to give out the number anymore to a pitcher. Clemens now wears 22 for the Yankees.

We hope this will not be the start of a trend in baseball. The sport has a number of problems already including steroids, lack of interest in the game and soaring salaries. Baseball doesn't need controversial numbers becoming a hot button issue as well. But we do wish good luck to Josh Towers and his quest to give single digit numbers worn by pitchers viability in the eyes of players, owners and fans. We will continue to follow Towers and his numerical mission.

Its Been a Tough Decade

On Monday the Orioles fired manager Sam Perlozzo who saw the team to a dismal 122-164 under his watch. This will do absolutely nothing positive for the Orioles in the present or future. The organization is in complete and utter disarray these days from top to bottom. The O's have gone from a team in the 60's and 70's that clubs modeled their teams after to a laughing stock that is hard pressed to get fans to beautiful Camden Yards these days. The minor league system is in shambles, the Nationals just moved into D.C. what could be next?

Well owner Peter Angelos could make things worse by going out and signing a former Cubs General Manager, that would be horrible. Wait what did he do? He goes out and hires Andy McPhail that built the forgettable teams of the late 1990's for the Southsiders. If you think things can't get worse in Charm City, wait until a man that ran the Cubs now runs your team.

Joe Girardi interviewed for the job this morning and with all due respect, he is crazy for even considering this position right now. Girardi is an up and coming manager and the last thing he needs to do is throw himself in the middle of the dead end job that is the Orioles managerial position right now.

Clemens Signed With the Yankees?

I think we might have missed the headlines, but when did 44 year old Roger Clemens sign with the Yankees? I thought he was retired watching his son Koby toil in the minors. Evidently that's not the case as he signed a prorated $28 million contract for one season. I guess I missed the first three starts that the Rocket made in the minors that were covered on ESPN. The crazy thing is that when I tried to watch him pitch against the hapless Pirates Saturday in the MAJOR LEAGUES, ESPN was showing billiards, spelling bee or something from the 'E' Entertainment of 'ESPN.' I checked Fox and SportsSouth without any success and finally realized he was only the local YES Network. Memphis Comcast does not supply the YES Network surprisingly.

Now if ESPN gave the whole country access to three starts IN THE MINORS you think that they might send a D level announcer like Rick Sutcliffe to Yankee Stadium to help there viewing public out and take over the contract from the YES Network. Send Jim Rome to give his 'take', he's under contract. Heck, they were showing Clemens in Trenton, New Jersey the other night and you couldn't even see him through on the field through all of the Jersey fog (read pollution.) ESPN back at it again.

Earl Weaver Giving the What For

Great video on Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles. (It has some cursing in it.) Earl doesn't like being told he blew more World Series than he won evidently...



We would probably pay $41 to hear what Bobby Cox says to get run when he finally gets the all time record.

Cobb - The Lueker Incident

On May 15, 1912 the Detroit Tigers were in town to play the New York Highlanders (who would become the Yankees.) Great day at the ballpark for everyone including Ty Cobb until hometown fan Claude Lueker showed up. During the first three innings Cobb and Lueker went at it verbally as Cobb sparred with the fan who was sitting just above the visitor's dugout. Sam Crawford the Tiger's rightfielder asked Cobb if he was going to take such abuse and as soon as he did Lueker let loose with an insult implicating Cobb's mother and a black man having intimate relations or Cobb being black depending on the account of the story. Being from Royston, Georgia at the turn of the century Cobb took extreme exception and climbed into the stands to attack Lueker. The problem for Lueker was that he was a cripple who had no hands and thus could not fight back against Cobb.

Needless to say Tyrus Raymond Cobb won the fight beating Lueker to a pulp and was suspended indefinitely. Be on the look out for more entertaining Cobb stories that make Barry Bonds look like a great citizen and humanitarian in the future.