simonzelotes

Well,I'd love to stay and play,but I've got a twig coordinator's meeting to go to ,then an hour of power and some chaff to burn,people to do,places to go,knowles to breathe,verses to retemorize,food to eat etiquettely,the Return to hope for,believing to build,cares to cast,spirits to cast out and a Sunday Service to usher...Peace and Safety...

Raf, I agree...I"ve always believed you could "buy" your way into being a division winner,but it takes that extra spark or chutzpah or mojo or moxie or whatever it is that we can't define into being a champion...It would be difficult for David to slay Goliath in a 162 game schedule....But in a five or seven game series,anything can happen...

Very sad....Much too young to die...Regardless of his lifestyle his fate wasn't deserved,IMO....May he rest in peace...

The guy wins 41 games and loses 12,and his old lady is worried about a wild pitch scored against Happy Jack instead of a passed ball against the catcher...Sheesh....

Uhh,Nika,sweetie,thanks for asking,but let me 'splain something to you Sooners who may be under the impression that the only religion God created is played on Saturdays with an oblong shaped ball that bounces real funny.... There is another sport,or religion,as some of us so affectionately think of it as,where a guy throws the ball as hard as he can to another guy who tries to whack it as hard as he can with a stick,or "bat" as usually referred to,while 8 other guys stand there scratching their privates and picking their noses and thinking about their girlfriends wait and wait and wait for the slim chance that the whacker with the stick might actually hit the ball in their direction,in which case they will try to "snag" the ball with their glove and record a "putout",which is a good thing for the guy thinking about his girlfriend,but bad for the guy who simply wants to whack the ball and then come "home"....It's called "baseball", or "beezbowl" if your name is Chico Esquala,and the league Championships are what Tom Strangelove are talking about...

I can't put my finger on it,but I don't know why it is the Braves seem to get ousted early and often in the post-season...While their team and coaching staff is certainly to be commended for,what is it,15 straight division titles?,their overall playoff record has been dismal,or is the word I'm looking for abyssmal..As these division titles keep piling up with only one Championship ring,it will unfortunately leave Atlanta,and Bobby Cox with a bittersweet legacy of great success on one hand,yet never being able to land the Big One on the other... Boston needs to beat NY to shake their curse and be a true champion...I don't think any back door championship would do the baseball world and the city of Boston justice...Like in boxing,you want to know that you've beaten the best to earn the heavyweight title... And frankly,no offence to Bosox-NY fans,but this hype about their rivalry is getting a little old,and I'd like to see the Bosox get this monkey off their back so the baseball world can find something new to blow out of proportion...Do I still sound bitter?...Gimme another painkiller,Mstar :D--> Card's definitely seem to be the best team,but the 'stros are definitely the hottest,and that's a scary thought for the Redbirds...I'll still pick the Cardinals in six...They can beat you in too many ways,and it's hard to imagine every aspect of their game suddenly going cold on LaRussa...

Thanks for the welcome back.. Haven't seen any of the playoff games yet,but had to comment on something I read in the paper this morning in the NY-Twinkie game...(Since I'm still ....ed about the Cubs I'll be a grouchy overly-critical armchair manager).. Twins were down 7-1 in the sixth and Torii Hunter gets thrown out at third after a double and Corie Koskie gets thrown out at second in the same inning stretching a single????Hunter said it wasn't boneheaded,it was aggressive baserunning???Sorry,Torii,but aggessive baserunning has it's place...maybe earlier in a closer game to spark your team and put the other defense on their heels...But my God,when you are down by six runs you don't risk a thing on the basepaths,the stakes are too high....Nothing would have been gained even if they were both safe...Hate to say it,but that bit of aggressiveness seemed more like acts of desperation and you see that often in teams that doubt their ability to come back...Minnesota probably would have lost,anyway,but better to go into game four with some positive momentum rather than showing signs of desperation...

Tie me kangaroo down sport Tie me kangaroo down Tie me kangaroo down sport Tie me kangaroo down Bury me head when I'm dead,Fred Bury me head when I'm dead And they tanned his hide when he died,Clyde Tie me kangaroo down All together now...

Ummm,all I see are two red x's...And what's LongGone doin' on this side of town?

Okay,I'm back down from the mountains,I've made my peace with the god of this baseball world,and my seven days of mourning are officially over...Time to start tuning into the playoffs... Congrats Bosox!...Sorry,Artie,but at least you made it to the dance your first year as owner...They'll be back... I haven't seen the Dodgers(or any other playoffs for that matter),Dovey,but it may be that Tracy has to develop some playoff managerial experience....Normally,in the regular season,even if your starting pitcher gets rocked in the first inning or so,you have to bite the bullet and try to get at least 4-5 innings out of the guy so you can keep your starting rotation intact and not overwork your bullpen...After all,you got a 162 game schedule and some games you just have to throw in the white flag... But in the playoffs,each game is so much more critical,and you can't afford to even concede one loss...So,I would tend to agree with you,bring in a reliever much earlier in the playoffs if your starter doesn't "have it" before your team digs itself into too big of a hole...IMO,some of the recent series winners,the Marlins,the Yanks,and even the D-backs,prevailed because their respective managers were brilliant in their use of their bullpen,often bringing in other starters for longer relief stints to keep their teams in the game...Seems like some managers don't realize that there's no tomorrow in the playoffs... I liked Finley,also(Bullinger)...The D-backs sorely missed him this year...

Of course,it's only appropos that my post starts page 13...

I hope all you freakin' Dodger fans and Angel fans and Twinkie fans and Cardinal fans and Bosox fans and Yankee fans and Astro fans and Braves fans are real happy right about now ....Isn't God good?...Whattayou so blessed about? ... I'm gonna watch my son play a double header today then I'm going to the mountains for a few days to get my head together....Enjoy watching the playoffs....Really,I mean it...Keep me posted...When you're happy,I'm happy :)-->... BTW,before I put these items on E-bay,anybody out there interested in a Mark Prior glove,a Sammy Sosa corkless bat,a Greg Maddux comemmorative box of Wheaties,a like new Cubs championship banner,a Dusty Baker lunch box or a Kerry Wood toy banjo?...

Hope all goes well,Shipper...

Thanks for the condolences,Mstar...Indeed it is a disappointing season...I don't know if it's the writers blowing things out of proportion or what,but there seems to be a some contempt in Cubtown,which is to be expected after such a big-time choke... One of the people under fire is long-time Cubs color man,Steve Stone,IMO,the absolute best in the business,who evidently was a little too critical of the Cubs' focus and priorities...While his knowledge of the game rivals any great baseball man,I've always been impressed with his perception of the players psyche,and often thought he kept his keenest observations to himself,or at least very diplomatically noted them lest he stir up too much trouble in Cubs camp.... Last year the Cubs seemed much more focused as a team,with less talent than they had this year...To me,a defining moment last year for the Cubs was in a series that they beat St.Louis 4 out of 5...There were ejections,LaRussa and Baker yelling f!#k you to eachother and non-stop excitement...In the only game the Cubs lost,Alou hit a drive with the bases loaded that hit the left field foul line(you could see the powder fly when the ball hit it)that the ump called foul...Antonio Alfonseca,a struggling reliever for the Cubs who was sitting in the Cubs bullpen,lost his temper and was ejected for arguing the call...I think of this as a defining moment for them last year because Alfonseca wasn't burnt by the call,his TEAM was,and in effect,regardless of his personal struggles took one for the team... Ever since then,starting in last year's playoffs when Sosa swung at three straight balls trying to even the score against Josh Beckett for knocking him down earlier in the series instead of taking a walk when the team needed baserunners,it seems like the Cubs are more concerned with their own agendas instead of the team agenda...Latroy Hawkins throwing a ten-year-oldish temper tantrum at the plate ump because the Cards embarrassed him by hitting two homers off him...Or Michael Barret personally challenging Roy Oswalt when the 'stros were dead in the water and pumping life back into them... There's a time to get angry and fight for the TEAM,like when Vitarek and A-Rod went at it...It can inspire a ball club...But for some reason,the Cubbies just never seem to 'get' the team concept versus they're individual focus... Anywho,sorry for the rant...They say it's good for you to let it out...brings about healing...Until then how 'bout a few Percosets for the pain?

Stick a fork in the Cubs,I think they're done...Prior:16 k's,1 er,3 hits in 9 innings,Cubs lose 2-1 in 12...Cubs couldn't score off a Cincy bullpen with an ERA above 6.00...I think they need Father Karras...

You are correct.Tonto...If it were "Yellow",it would be 'dove ....'...

Thanks for the nomination...Make sure you capitalize the "D" in Doctor,the "S" in Simon but not the "z" in zelotes when you do the calligraphy on my certificate.... The Chisox have always been the ugly stepsister in Chi-town,at least in my lifetime...Even as a kid when WGN would broadcast all the Cubs and Sox home games you could tell Jack Brickhouse was merely an announcer for the Sox,but was a passionate fan of the Cubbies...Back in the '60's,the Sox always had a very good fundamental team...great pitching,defense,and a lot of speed,but they were usually the bridesmaid in the AL and not the bride...'Course as a kid,I didn't want to watch good baseball,I wanted to hear Brickhouse yell "Hey-Hey" when Billy Williams or Ernie Banks smacked one over the ivy... I often wondered why the Chisox didn't go the way of the Philadelphia Athletics or the Boston Braves...i.e. move where they would be the only rodeo in town...Sox Park is in a crime-ridden part of the city where you pay somebody ten bucks to watch your car,you watch the game and get the hell outa there...Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville,the surrounding neighborhood bars and memorabelia shops,are like going to a festival at every game... Even tho the Sox have not won a World Series in nearly a century,you never hear about them having a "curse"...It's like nobody really cares...Maybe all of that plays into their psyche...who knows?..I tend to agree w/ you skyfer about their individual talent but lack of "teamness"...There is no "I" in team,but you do have the letters for "me" in team ...In recent years,I think Frank Thomas,a self-proclaimed stat freak,is probably one of the big reasons the Sox never seemed to jell as a team...

:D--> :D--> :D-->

Cubs are 1/2 game behind Houston now,and the Giants are in extra innings....Cubbies have lost three of four since they threw the game away against the Mets...Their mettle is really being tested...Today they simply lost...A great catch on Sosa against the ivy with the bases loaded...blown save...Those things happen...That's why you have to win the ones you should... Skyfer,I'm more than happy to see a small market,low payroll team like the Twinkies in the playoffs...I just wish they wouldn't beat up on the Chisox so much... As to your question about the batting title,Mstar,if Bonds had enough hits to win the batting title if he was 0 for whatever it took to reach 502 at bats,and it was still higher than the highest hitter with enough at-bats to qualify,then he would win the batting title...For example,say he ended the year with 200 hits in 475 at-bats...Add the 27 at-bats to equal 502,but no hits,and he's still hitting about .397,which would qualify him to win the batting title,at least this year...But if the leading hitter with enough at-bats was hitting .399,then Bonds would not win it...Good and confused now?

I here there's a lot of price-gouging in Fla. since the hurricanes....The price of an a$$'s head has gone through the roof...And a third of a cab of dove's dung is now going for threescore cubits and a span...

Somebody give me a Valium,hold my hand and remind me that it's only a game...

Tom,...and the other ten percent in St. Lucie have taken Power for abundant living?...I hope your bowels (of compassion) are moved for those without power...The harvest truly is plentious,but the labourers are few....

Yeah,I feel better....Thanks for askin'...Cubs won and I love baseball again....Zambrano is really becoming their workhorse...He and Maddux have been their most consistent pitchers all year... Yep,this is going to be a nerve-wracking week....I"m all stocked up on Rolaids and old, broken appliances that I can smash with a baseball bat in case the going gets too tough and I can't get ahold of my sponsor.... Oh....and congrats to the Bosox...

This is starting to sound like a support group for broken-hearted baseball fans... Hi...my name is Simon...and I hate !@#$%^#@! baseball...There,I said it...Can I have my pills now Doctor? The good thing is,though,you get to cuss and swear and rant and rave,everybody within earshot thinks your nuts,but hey,nobody gets hurt...Baseball is definitely like those dysfunctional love/hate relationships... Tom,hopefully the stRangers won't disappoint you as long as the Bosox and Cubbies have... I don't know,Mstar...I think every team would like to find whatever that elusive,magical formula or concoction is that makes a champion...How many times have you seen a champagne-soaked ballplayer or manager after winning the championship giving their formula for success to the tv audience then end up in fifth place the following year and out of a job the year after that?...Did they forgot their formula all of a sudden?...They always say "we never stopped believing in ourselves"....Well,no ****,Sherlock....Tell me something I don't know... I believe that even if a team is playing it's best and smartest baseball,they still need a few breaks now and then...I remember seeing highlights of the Bosox-Yankees game a month or two ago where the Sox had the bases loaded,nobody out,and the batter hit a sharp grounder down the third base line...A-rod makes a good play snagging the grounder and falling on third base to force the runner at second,then easily throws out the guy who was at third at homeplate...Now,NY had the play defenced just right(guarding the line)and A-Rod made the play,but a few more inches either way and that's a three-run double instead of the two lead runners being out on a double play...So it's a combination of brains,skill,oomph,or zip as you call it,...and sometimes a little luck... I can accept my team getting beat by a superior team more readily than I can our guys just handing over a game...But that's baseball,I guess...If I didn't love it so much I wouldn't hate it so much...

I'm so goddamn mad I can't see straight...I'll take it out here instead of my television...THE F**KING CUBS DO NOT DESERVE TO WIN THE WILD CARD!!!...Cubs up 3-0,bottom of the 9th one out,nobody on and the Cubs pitcher decides to make the game interesting and walk the next two guys and bring the tying run to the plate...Pitch the ball underhand for Chrissake!...Tell the manager you're nervous as a cat in a Chinese restaurant,and get me the hell out of here...Give up a 500' homer...Anything...Just don't walk two guys and bring the tying run to the plate...They beat this **** into your head when you're a highschool freshman...And a guy who supposedly was good enough to make the major leagues walks two straight guys before Baker says,uhhh,maybe I should yank him....My 15 year old son would NOT have given up those two walks...So the Mets tie it on a three-run-homer and win it in the 11th... Oh,and Sosa?...0-5,four strikeouts including one with one out,bases loaded that would have put the game away in the eighth...And to go along with his four strikeouts,an inning-ending double play w/ two runners on in the 10th...He should be batting eighth,or on the bench...Screw him and his salary...His baseball I.Q. can't be above the third grade level... I don't quite know what this 'mojo' or whatever you're talking is,Mstar,but the Cubs not only do NOT have it,but they're a stupid team that's been playing stupid baseball for the last century and you would hope that even stupid teams will get lucky once every quarter-century...Apparently not... I hate !@#$%$#@$%! baseball....