Rainouts stink . . . time for some heckles!
By The Heckler
BaseballBigMouth.com baseball blog
The Heckler had it coming. Just the other day, both Punch N. Judy and I were discussing how few rainouts there were this year with our Tigers. It seemed in past years, when they were miserable, the weather followed suit. But this year? Mostly sunny skies, both on and off the field. Then they go into New York for their first and only visit to Yankee Stadium this year. Two first place teams. The battle for the American League lead – not to mention all of baseball – and Mother Nature decides to play with my perfect evening, postponing the game until tomorrow, when it will be made up in a day-night doubleheader. With an ode to Charles Schultz, The Heckler can only say . . . drats.
All day, I looked forward to seeing the Bengals take on the Bronx Bombers inside the House that Ruth Built. And now? Looks like I’m working . . . again – like I do almost every night. At least I get the chance to try out my new laptop computer. In fact, not that you would notice (unless you’re somehow watching me outside my window . . . you’re not, are you?) but I’m typing on it right now. Blogs are great, really they are, but when you write a number of them on an ongoing basis – on a myriad of topics – sometimes even getting up the gumption to take that long walk up the stairs to my office seems daunting. Oh, I do it – it’s my job – but my having a laptop to now work from as well as my desktop system is surely going to be a Godsend to this writer. I mean, right now, this post here never would have never happened without my new toy. Rainout? Oh well, toss me my laptop and let’s get to work. If nothing else, the inclement weather allows time for a few random heckles . . . watch out. The Heckler is in a foul mood.
TORONTO MANAGER MADNESS: What the hell is going on in Toronto this year? I mean, managers and their players aren’t really supposed to get into actual fights, are they? The near-confrontation between Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin – to me – is legendary because it almost happened, not because a muscular Jackson beat the snot out of an aging yet still-scrappy Martin. So what gives with the Blue Jays manager John Gibbons getting into it with pitcher Ted Lilly? Sure, no cameras caught their altercation, but it sure caught one of Gibbons’ coaches wiping blood from his lip on the bench afterward. What a disgrace. Keep in mind, this was after reports came in that Gibbons challenged now-excised Jay Shea Hillenbrand to a fight in front of the entire team. I like Gibbons, but his actions are not befitting a Major League manager. The Heckler can’t believe he has not only kept his job, but that G.M. J.P. Ricchardi has emphatically said to anyone who will listen that Gibbons would be quickly snapped up by some other team if, in fact, the Jays were to do the right thing and can him. Huh? Again, I like the guy and all, but a manager must lead his team to victories, not physically challenge them to routine bouts of Jack Johnson-style, bare-knuckled fisticuffs. Talk about a hostile work environment. Imagine that happening to you at your place of employment. It’s a joke. I don’t care how well-liked Gibbons is by Ricchardi. He deserves to be removed as the Blue Jays’ boss.
HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN: Man, remember when the Red Sox were the darlings of all baseball? The self-professed “bunch of idiots” even managed to reverse the Ruth curse and actually captured another World Series – at least, that’s what I seem to remember. Doesn’t seem like that long ago, but woe is Boston today. Punch N. Judy swears their downfall began with the signing of Edgar Renteria and trading Orlando Cabrera. And Punch outta know – he of the omnipresent Boston hat that year (he’ll hate me for that, and in fairness he had always had a soft spot in his heart for the boys from Beantown, but let me say here and now that you will NEVER see The Heckler rooting for another Major League team with the same fervor I do for my Tigers. It’s just not in me to do so). Anyway, back to the Sox. After getting swept in FIVE straight games by the Yankees in Fenway recently, word came down today that they are looking to dump pitcher David Wells, slugger David Ortiz is out with heart palpitations and manager Terry Francona was spotted wiping blood into a towel that he had spit up while talking with some of the media (what’s with all these managers and wiping of blood, anyway?) Oh, and they actually have freakin’ Carlos Pena playing first base for them now. Yikes. Gotta say that I never liked the Red Sox, and never did get caught up in the eternal-underdog role they seemed to assume against the Yankees all these years. The Heckler respects the Yankees a great deal more, and only wishes the Tigers had half the World Championships they did. I respect teams that are consistently good, year in and year out. That’s the goal, ain’t it? Loveable losers to me are just that – losers. Looks like the Red Sox are comfortably sliding back into that role, waving the white flag this year (now standing seven games back) and have little hope in the way of prospects on the horizon. Glad to hear it. Stick that in your chow-dah and choke on it, Sox-fan. See ya in another 80-years or so . . .
Thanks for stopping by BaseballBigMouth.com. Here’s to playin’ two tomorrow! Ya here me, Ma Nature? Two!!