Losing Touch

cairo-reds

Sometimes I want to puke. Here’s is a quote from Miguel Cairo from the USA Today: “I haven’t made a ton of money in this game. But I’ve cashed a lot of playoff checks.” Huh? Miguel he has made the playoffs on in five different seasons, but that about the other part of that quote – I haven’t made a ton of money in this game. This explains, explicitly, just how out of touch some athletes are. According to BaseballReference.com, Cairo has made $7.075 million in his career. First off, the guy should be praying to the gods for their support since it’s amazing that a guy who owns a pathetic .267/.316/.361 career line has been paid that much dough. Secondly, are you kidding me here Mr. Cairo? You’ve made more than seven m-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars in your career. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average median household income in 2009 was $49,777. That means, in just a few short years – 142 to be exact – the average U.S. household will be able to make as much money as Cairo has in his 15 season baseball career. Get a clue Mr. Cairo.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Roy Halladay won his 20th game for the Phillies last night. He became the first Phillies’ hurler to win 20 since Steve Carlton in 1982, as well as becoming the first Phillies’ righty to win 20 since Robin Roberts in 1955. It was the third 20-wins season for Halladay, his career-high is 22 back in 2003. He also won 19 games back in 2002.

The Orioles went 32-73 when Dave Trembley was the manager. Since they switched over to Buck Showalter they have gone 29-17. That means the club has more than doubled its winning percentage since the managerial change was made going from a team with a .305 winning percentage to a .630 club. That’s truly amazing.

After a bit of a slow start CC Sabathia has really kicked things into gear. Not only has he won 20-games for the first time, you can read about that in Three’s Company, he has also gone bonkers over his last 21 starts going 16-3 with a 2.52 ERA for the Yankees.

Wandy Rodriguez was having a down season as well causing him to be found on plenty of waiver-wire’s in shallow leagues around mid year. Over his last 16 starts all he has done is go 8-2 with a 1.93 ERA to reward those that picked him up, or had patience and held on to him all year.

I know this is a baseball site, but I like to think of myself as a bit more well rounded. I’m no Leonardo Da Vinci or Michaelangelo, but I do write about football (NFL Player Rater: Week 2) and hockey (Frozen Pucks: Camp Begins) all the time. However, it’s a note from the world of basketball that simply blew me away.

According to Reid Cherner of USA Today, Dan Gilbert hates, an I mean with a passion, LeBron James (Gilbert owns the Cleveland Cavaliers). James, who in the mind of Gilbert is a turncoat of immense proportions for choosing to leave the Cavaliers to join the Heat, had his Fathead sign lowered in price from $99.99 to $17.41. Why the massive drop in price? Gilbert also owns Fathead, and to show his outright contempt for LeBron he chose to put LeBron’s sign on sale for $17.41 to reflect the year that American traitor Benedict Arnold was born. Think I’m full of it? Here is the link to the LeBron is a traitor article. That’s one serious man who is charge of the Cavs and Fathead.

By Ray Flowers

All Over the Place

Today was a long flipping day for this kid. As a result, my thoughts are a bit scattered as I write this (perhaps having something to do with the secondhand smoke I inhaled at a Nickelback concert last night – and yes, it wasn’t all cigarette smoke). Still, I hope this entry makes sense. If it doesn’t, perhaps I’ll go “bake” something else tonight. Oh stop it, you know I’m kidding.

Ryan Hanigan is hitting .272 this season, just one point below the .273 mark he has posted in his career. The man has all of two home runs in 224 at-bats this year, a terrible total, but it’s his shockingly pathetic mark of nine RBI this season that is so dreadful. Moreover Hanigan, who owns a superlative 1.29 BB/K mark, saw his average plummet before he ended up on the DL with a concussion (he should return next week). Hanigan was hitting .338 on July 17th only to finish the month on a 4-for-23 spell (.174) which then led into a .143 mark in August. Ugly.

Brandon Phillips isn’t a doctor, and apparently he didn’t pay much attention in school either. I have no ax to grind here, just being honest. Read his owns words. “My wrist is not broken. I didn’t mean to say broken,” Phillips said. I know I didn’t say ‘broken.’ I said ‘fracture.’ I didn’t know ‘fracture’ and ‘broken’ meant the same thing.” Really Brandon? I didn’t know that a homer was the same thing as home run either. Regardless, Phillips’ wrist injury has been part of the reason that he has gone deep only four times in his last 42 games. Still, he is on the verge of yet another 20/20 season with 18 homers and 22 steals on the year.

Speaking of moronic statements, no list would be complete without a reference to Chad Ochocinco who dropped this one on us the other day. “I’m going to carry the whole city just like Kobe (Bryant) carried the (Los Angeles) Lakers and LeBron (James) carried Cleveland. I’ve always wanted to be that guy. Now it’s time for me to do it…” Uh huh Chad. Anyone besides me think that maybe, just maybe, Chad doesn’t belong as the third leg of that triangle that is made up of Kobe and LeBron?

Ted Lilly has looked terrific since returning from surgery allowing just four runs in 27.2 innings to lower his ERA down to 3.17. He may have only 10 victories but with a 1.08 WHIP he has been a fantastic fantasy option.

The Giants bit the bullet and called up Buster Posey since Bengie Molina just can’t get over the hump with his quadriceps injury. The original plan was for the youngster not appear with the big league club this season, and in fact, there was some thought being given to Posey not even being with the Giants next year until after the All-Star break. Those plans were dashed when the Giants astutely realized that they need offense where they can find it, even if it comes from the youngster. Posey doesn’t figure to play more than a couple of times a week at best, Molina should return “soon,” so even in NL-only leagues Posey doesn’t merit much attention at this point. Still, Posey has hit .325 with 18 homers, 80 RBI and a .947 OPS in 422 minor league at-bats this season, so the kid can certainly mash.

You ever get the feeling that no matter what you do, you just don’t have a shot to win? I know that’s how I feel. On one club I have Alex Rios hitting .167 since he joined the White Sox 16 games ago, and my utility hitter, Jim Thome, is now nothing more than a pinch hitter with his trade to the Dodgers. Now comes word that the rock of the left side of my infield, Michael Young, will miss at least a couple of weeks with a strained hammy. He has often beaten estimates as they pertain to his return from injury in the past, but I wonder if it will matter for my squad. I do know this. Young will have to return and produce 15 hits for a seventh straight 185 hit season, and he could fall short of his career best total of 24 home runs as well (he has 22).

Miguel Tejada was hitting .362 on June 2nd making his current .298 batting average simply shocking. Tejada hit .298 in June and .307 in July so that is still perfectly fine, but his .212 mark in August has clearly dashed any hope he had of posting a career best in the batting average category (he hit .330 in ’06 and has a .288 career mark).

By Ray Flowers