|
|
 |
|
|
JANUARY 3, 2004
2004 All-Star Break Scrawlings
By Steve Lombardi, NetShrine.com
With the 2004 All-Star break upon us, it's time to look at what's been scrawled on the scorecard after watching the first half of this season go into the books.
Is Angel Berroa going the Pat Listach route?
Both the Expos and the Mariners have won only 13 games on the road so far this year. Ichiro wishes he could pull a Vlad.
With all the big names in the Bronx Bombers line-up, at the end of the day, Hideki Matsui was their most valuable hitter in the 1st half of this season. It's a shame he gets lost in the crowd.
Think the A's miss Frank Menechino right about now?
Only three teams in the A.L. had winning records on the road this 1st half: Yankees, Angels, & Twins.
I'm still predicting a huge 2nd half homer binge for the Cubs' Derrek Lee.
After what the Diamondbacks got in return for Curt Schilling, how can they demand anything for Randy Johnson?
Earth, meet Mr. Juan Pierre.
The Astros are 10+ games back in the N.L. Central and have 8 teams ahead of them in the Wildcard race. They should start "selling" now.
Ted Lilly is the reason why you develop position players and trade for, or sign, pitchers.
Anyone wonder if Boston regrets shipping off Tony Womack and going with Pokey Reese?
Why does anyone pitch to J.D. Drew when they're facing the Braves?
The Expos will have a new home before the BALCO chips fall where they may.
If the Chisox win the A.L. Central, Paul Konerko deserves a fair share of AL MVP votes.
Barry Bonds' On Base Average is .628. If that keeps up (and why wouldn't it?) it will become the #1 baseball record never to be broken.
How come everyone gushes over Scott Rolen and hardly ever looks at Mike Lowell?
Tampa Bay should trade Rey Sanchez to the Red Sox. Manny and Pedro need haircuts.
Show of hands, how many really saw Jake Westbrook coming this year?
Halo fans must want to have Bartolo Colon's middle name legally changed to "Stinky."
Whatever contender misses on the Big Unit trade race should then set their sights on B.J. Ryan. He could be just as valuable to a team in the hunt over the remainder of the season.
How is Dontrelle Willis-mania doing these days?
Bob DuPuy did not look good when giving Miggy Tejada the trophy after the 2004 Homerun Derby. Bud should start feeding him more spiders.
See that guy over there pondering where his next meal will come from? It's Derek Lowe's agent.
Are Jose Jimenez and Mel Rojas related? More so, has anyone ever seen the two of them in the same room at the same time?
Jason Bay is this generation's Jay Buhner. (Now the Expos, Mets and Padres know how the Pirates and Yankees felt.)
What are the odds that the Yankees do not re-sign Mike Mussina when his contract is up?
By the way, in case anyone forgot, the Seattle Mariners had the best record in the Cactus League Spring Standings this past Spring Training.
Billy Beane's 2004 tombstone will read "Rhodes traveled Dotel My Legacy."
The N.L. Wildcard team will come out of the N.L. West.
Where on earth is Joel Pineiro? (The one we knew.)
I picked the Angels to win the A.L. West back in March and I am sticking with that one now.
All-Star break 2004: Carlos Zambrano & Matt Clement are the studs of the Cubs' rotation. Go figure.
If the Yankees & Cardinals meet in the World Series, and St. Louis wins in seven, will LaRussa quit and sign with NY (after Torre is fired)? It is the 40th anniversary of 1964, after all.
How are the Phillies in first place with Kevin Millwood and Brett Myers in their rotation?
If I'm trying to build a winning baseball team, the first thing I do is hire Buck Showalter.
For a 33rd round pick, and after being castoff by the Tigers & Dodgers, TJ-surgery survivor Jason Frasor is looking good about now.
The Dodgers should win the N.L. West. The Giants and Padres fattened up on weak teams in the 1st half of the year.
Brad Radke has been in total "command" so far this year - awesomely so.
At the end of the day, everything about the New York Mets screams ".500 team." That's just about where they will finish this year.
Akinori Otsuka and Miguel Cairo may just be the best Free Agent pick-ups this season.
Enjoy the All-Star Game this evening. And, of course, enjoy the second half of 2004! There should be lots to scrawl about in the upcoming three months. Stay tuned. Same SOTS time. Same SOTS channel.
Steve Lombardi is the Creator & Curator of NetShrine.com. Scrawling On The Scorecard appears regularly during the baseball season and sporadically during the off-season. Steve can be contacted at sots@netshrine.com
Scrawling On The Scorecard Archive
Discuss this column at: http://www.netshrine.com/vbulletin2/showthread.php?t=15526
© Copyright 2004 NetShrine.com. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of NetShrine.com content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.