Recent Comments by pullmyfinger

NFL Players Will Have Tracking Chips in Shoulder Pads

Re the first comment: How far would Michael Bradley run after a 260 pound linebacker shouldered him in the mid-section? Distance run in a contact sport and distance run in a (theoretical) non-contact sport should be measured quite differently. Has any soccer player (other than place kickers) ever made it in the NFL? Has any NFL football player ever made it in soccer? The closest I can think of is Kyle Rote was a great football wide receiver, and his son was a pretty good soccer player.

posted by pullmyfinger at 08:00 PM on August 03, 2014

Holy Sidd Finch! Minnesota Twins Sign Unknown with 100-Mph Fastball

Wonder if he's related to Ryne Duren. Does he wear coke bottle glasses?

posted by pullmyfinger at 07:40 PM on August 03, 2014

Lakers' Pau Gasol signs three-year extension

Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a three-year contract, running 2011 to 2013 at $20 million a year, plus a $20 million vesting option for 2014. I haven't heard or seen a negative comment about this

Had Halladay signed the exact same contract with the Yankees, Mets or Red Sox, I'd be typing this on page 16 of the comments section following comment after comment about how nobody is worth that kind of money etc. Deep down, the resentment has never been about the dollar amount - just the dollar amount when one of those "evil" teams spend it.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:30 PM on December 25, 2009

Lakers' Pau Gasol signs three-year extension

Why is it that when a baseball player signs for millions, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of negative comments, yet when someone from another sport signs for $20 million plus per year - it doesn't even raise an eyebrow?

posted by pullmyfinger at 05:10 PM on December 24, 2009

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

Did Holmgren visit the Giants last night?

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:01 AM on December 22, 2009

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

I don't know if it's a plus or a minus - but Sawchuk played 20 years sans helmet and mask. Pretty scary, especially for a goalie.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:45 AM on December 10, 2009

Tiger Woods Fined $164 for Careless Driving

Enough about Tiger Woods. The big news is that Ron Wood of the incredable Rolling Stones has been arrested. Now that's newsworthy.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:51 AM on December 03, 2009

Yankees Win World Series

Who is MATH, and what is he doing wrong? I hope it isn't sexual. Oh well - they probably have pills for that.

posted by pullmyfinger at 04:05 PM on November 06, 2009

Yankees Win World Series

OPS isn't a power stat. It's a combination of on base percentage and slugging

In the context of the postings, it is a power stat. Justgary stated that ARod was performing better because he had a higher OPS than Jeter. The slugging factor in OPS is important for a cleanup hitter. It is far less important for a leadoff hitter.

For example, Rod Carew had a rather unimpressive OPS of 822. That's not a bad number, but it hardly qualifys as a great OPS. His 328 BA and 393 OBP are most impressive. His job was not to be a cleanup hitter, but rather to be on base for cleanup hitters.

Example 2. Reggie Jackson's 846 OPS is also rather unimpressive. However, the fact that it's that high with a 262 BA and 356 OBP is very impressive. That 846 OPS drove in a lot of Jeter and Carew type hitters.

The reason that Jackson, with his low BA, and Carew, with his high BA have similar OPS is POWER.

posted by pullmyfinger at 03:31 PM on November 06, 2009

Yankees Win World Series

As far as ARod, his playoff OPS is .977. Jeter's is .863. ARod has performed better in the post season. Only using a small sample size (very recently) backs up the whole ARod isn't clutch idea.

posted by justgary at 09:04 PM on November 05

Is there some point in using a POWER stat to compare a cleanup hitter to a leadoff hitter? ARod is better at driving in runs. Jeter is better at scoring runs. Is that not how it is supposed to be?

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:23 AM on November 06, 2009

Yankees Win World Series

How long has Don Mattingly been away from the Yankees? Just wondering how long it took his curse to dissipate...

posted by MeatSaber at 03:40 PM on November 05

Just so you know, Donny Baseballs last season was 1995. The Yankees have 5 world series rings since then. What exactly is your point?

posted by pullmyfinger at 04:35 PM on November 05, 2009

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Not true at all, Finger. When the Texas Rangers secure the next World Series title, I will gladly entertain invitations for my favorite team to receive fornication.

posted by rcade at 11:35 AM on November 05

I've got a great idea, rcade. Lets halt all profanity until the Rangers win the world series. Kerrycindy's son will probably be old enough to collect social security by then. Oh - was I supposed to put this comment in the locker room? Locker room language, yah, that's the place for it.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:00 PM on November 05, 2009

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

kerrycindy, boss rcade isn't being quite accurate. On this site, it's OK to use any profanity that you wish, as long as it is anti-Yankee profanity.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:33 AM on November 05, 2009

Utley ties Reggie's World Series Record

Jeter also won the Hank Aaron award for being the American League's best hitter, even though he's not close to being the best hitter on his own team.

The question shouldn't be whether or not Jeter diserves the Hank Aaron award as the American League's best hitter. A better question would be - why is the American Leagues best hitter award named after Aaron. First, Aaron played all of 2 years in the AL. Second, does anybody on this planet think Aaron was a better HITTER than Williams, Cobb, Ruth, (AL) or Musial, Hornsby (NL)

As for Jeter winning the award this year. Certainly there are a few others who could have received the award. However, Jeter is a leadoff hitter who finished second in hits (behind Ichiro as usual), 3rd in BA, 3rd in OBP and 4th in total bases. Is that not exactly what a leadoff hitter is supposed to be? Hitting home runs is not the only thing to consider when naming someone as the best HITTER.

posted by pullmyfinger at 09:16 AM on November 04, 2009

Yankees Even Series Behind Burnett, Rivera

In this particular case, the result would have been correct. The runner, Posada, would have been safe at second base because of Howards terrible throw. Likewise, Damon would have been safe at first for the same reason. However, your reasoning is correct. Baserunners and fielders continue, or stop, a play based on what the umpire initially rules. Instant replay can't decide what would have happened if ruled differently by the ump.

In the case at hand, the runners and fielders continued the play exactly as they would have had it been correctly ruled as a trap. The runner at first ran to second base, and the firstbaseman tried to get the lead runner at second. A good throw would have easily gotten Posada at second, but Howard made a very bad throw.

posted by pullmyfinger at 04:44 PM on October 30, 2009

Yankees Even Series Behind Burnett, Rivera

If Howard caught it, he would simply have touched first base to complete the double play. The fact that he threw to second to get the forceout pretty much proves that he knew he got it on the hop. Personally, I don't need any more confirmation than that. The first baseman knew he didn't catch it on the fly.

posted by pullmyfinger at 01:51 PM on October 30, 2009

Yankees Even Series Behind Burnett, Rivera

Gee! A whole article about a game without any reference to umpire goofs. One would think that the first base umpire would have realized that Howard didn't catch Cano's liner when Howard threw to second to try and get the force out - rather than take 3 steps and step on first base to double-up Posada.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:29 AM on October 30, 2009

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

I guess I'm more ignoranter than Debo. What the he!! is arch???

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:17 AM on October 30, 2009

The Great Willie Mays could have been a New York Yankee

My guess is that the Yankees passed on Mays because they had a minor league center fielder, the same age, named Mantle. Now that kid Banks. Much as I always liked Rizzuto, give me Mr. Cub anyday. However, being a Cubs fan in the NL, I'm glad the Cubs signed him.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:43 PM on October 27, 2009

Yankees, Phillies Meet Again in World Series

During an August 17, 1957 game, Ashburn hit a foul ball into the stands that struck spectator Alice Roth, wife of Philadelphia Bulletin sports editor Earl Roth, breaking her nose. When play resumed, Ashburn fouled off another ball that struck Roth while she was being carried off in a stretcher.[2] Ashburn and Roth would maintain a friendship for many years and her son later served as a Phillies batboy.

Copied from Wikipedia, but I remember it well.

One oft-told story is that on short flies to center or left-center, center fielder Ashburn would collide with shortstop Elio Chacn. Chacn, from Venezuela, spoke little English and had difficulty understanding when Ashburn was calling him off the ball. To remedy matters, someone in the Mets organization taught Ashburn to say "Yo la tengo," Spanish for "I've got it." When Ashburn first used this phrase, it worked fine, keeping Chacn from running into him. But then left fielder Frank Thomas, who didn't speak a word of Spanish, slammed into Ashburn. After getting up, Thomas asked Ashburn "What the heck is a Yellow Tango?"

Also from Wikipedia. Well, that's the last of my favorite Richie Ashburn stories. I'd have copied the one about the woman in the stands that took a shot at Ashburn the day after he announced his engagement. However, I can't seem to find any reference of it to copy - so I won't mention it.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:46 PM on October 26, 2009

Yankees, Phillies Meet Again in World Series

Thanks rcade. Old farts like me love those old 1950's films.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:21 PM on October 26, 2009

Phillies Move on to World Series

forgive it since you're a fan of such an hard-luck, woebegotten baseball team.

How the HE Double L did you know that the Cubs are my favorite National League team. Have you been peeking at my profile back when I was Drevl?

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:55 AM on October 24, 2009

Phillies Move on to World Series

Hey guys. Note the first word of my reply was historically. The comment that I was replying to indicated that the Yankees were "historically" massive choke artists. Hence my reply refers to Yankee history. Isn't that what historically means? Until 2004, I had never heard anyone refer to the Yanks as massive choke artists, let alone historically massive choke artists.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:37 AM on October 24, 2009

Phillies Move on to World Series

I think the Angels coming back would be stupendous... the Yankees would cement their reputations as historically massive choke-job-artists. :)

Historically massive choke-job artists!. In the last 89 years, the Yankees have won 39 pennants. Does that mean, to your small mind, that they choked the other 50 years? To choke, you have to be in a position to win. Perhaps your team, whoever that is, rarely gets in a position to win anything - therefore they don't get a chance to choke.

I've been a Yankee fan since I was a kid in the early 50's. I've lived through many great seasons and a few really terrible seasons (most notably the CBS years). In all that time, the only true CHOKE year was 2004. In 1960, Maz broke my heart. However, one good swing to snatch away a world series championship - bad as it felt - wasn't what I would call a choke. Just one bad pitch and one good swing.

PS: Feel free to keep up such rediculous statements. It does a Yankee fan proud to know that you Yankee haters believe that anything short of a world series championship is failure. That's a pretty high bar to set.

posted by pullmyfinger at 03:28 PM on October 23, 2009

Seats of Gold

The waiter comes to my seat, which is three rows from the field, right next to the Yankees dugout. I'm close enough to see A-Rod choke.

Aren't you glad you're not that guy. He spent all that money to see A-Rod choke. Well, he's 0 for 2 waiting for that to happen.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:52 AM on October 10, 2009

Seats of Gold

Do the ballparks still have fences with knotholes we can peer through, like in the '30s?

There was a report in the local paper of a knothole in the nudist colony fence. The report stated that "The police are looking into it".

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:35 AM on October 10, 2009

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

Thanks. I was just about to turn on sports center to see if it was true.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:25 AM on October 09, 2009

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

Apparently they've just traded for Trent Edwards, so no biggie.

I don't think they would trade for a QB for just one game - especially against the Raiders. If this trade is true, it appears that Eli is hurt worse than I've heard. That would be a biggie.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:07 AM on October 09, 2009

Babe Ruth the way you've never seen him before

Thanks, cjets. You made my day.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:11 AM on October 09, 2009

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Some things last forever. I still have Bill Mazeroski nightmares. He out-dented Dent. The world series was on the line, not just a post season appearence.

posted by pullmyfinger at 09:58 AM on October 09, 2009

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

A former player with no coaching experience, a history of disciplinary problems and an infamous temper is exactly what the Raiders need.

As opposed to the success they have had with experienced, disciplined, mild tempered coaches of late?

Baseball once had a manager who had no prior coaching experience, had a history of disciplinary problems and an infamous temper. His name was Billy Martin. Twins, Tigers, Rangers and Yankees all improved significantly under him. The A's, not so much.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:07 PM on October 06, 2009

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

OK - just being a tiny bit facetious. However, Super Bowl rings did seem to follow him around.

Perhaps you will agree that he is the "dirtiest" LB since Sam Huff. See, I knew we could agree on something. Perhaps we can also agree that the Raiders could use a bit of Romanowski-like attitude.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:13 AM on October 06, 2009

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

Not a bad idea. The best LB since LT may be just what that creampuff team needs to get back to old fashioned smash-mouth football.

posted by pullmyfinger at 09:27 AM on October 06, 2009

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

Minneapolis Lakers - about as sensible a name as one can imagine. Los Angeles Lakers??? The closest thing to a lake in Los Angeles is some billionaires swimming pool. Then again, it is California.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:37 AM on October 05, 2009

Book: Cryogenics Workers Batted Around Ted Williams' Head

I admit that I know absolutely nothing about cryogenics. However, if I were to take a shot in the dark - I'd like my entire body frozen. There are parts of my body that I'd much rather have regenerated than my brain. My giant brain may let me think of great pleasure, but other parts have been known to let me FEEL great pleasure.

posted by pullmyfinger at 07:59 PM on October 02, 2009

Rio De Janeiro Awarded 2016 Olympics

Just so's you all know, the US of A never had a chance. The totally corrupt international IOC hates the far less corrupt US IOC. Our bribes don't come close to the standards set by the international IOC. Even Chicago's gangster Mayor Daley couldn't compete with the true international mafia. We're still babes-in-arms when it comes to worldwide graft. Even ACORN couldn't prepare our president to deal with these thugs.

posted by pullmyfinger at 07:48 PM on October 02, 2009

The Profound Stupidity of Football

billsay, you are probably right. It's just that I tend to doze off during soccer hilights and only awaken when they show the fighting in the stands. I wouldn't exactly refer to it as "infrequent". That is a good word for our 4 major sports - not international (and not so international) soccer.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:45 PM on October 02, 2009

Sports' First Billion Dollar Man

FoxSports (who never gets anything wrong) puts the Schue at career earnings of a measly $700 million.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:32 PM on October 02, 2009

Sports' First Billion Dollar Man

Gotcha. I take it all back:-)

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:28 PM on October 02, 2009

Sports' First Billion Dollar Man

don't mean to be too critical, but didn't spofi cover this a couple of days ago?

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:19 PM on October 02, 2009

The Profound Stupidity of Football

I'm not too good at foreign languages, but I think I got the drift of this article. I'm not a soccer fan. I thought it was only the soccer fans in the stands who were miles below middle-class, not the players themselves. Most of the soccer hilights that one sees on the sports news is of fans beating each other to a pulp. (I was going to write smithereens, but I don't know how to spell it).

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:13 PM on October 02, 2009

Yankees Stadium Will Host Bowl Game

I guess you're right zyx. Who could doubt that the 4th best big east team playing the 7th best big 12 team could be anything but an exciting nailbiter. Please accept my most humble, whining apology.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:40 AM on October 02, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Ya know, I was considering that. I couldn't find them on my keyboard.

posted by pullmyfinger at 08:18 PM on October 01, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

T = tongue,
I = in,
C = cheek

Tongue in cheek = sarcastic f**ken remark - just like this one.

posted by pullmyfinger at 04:31 PM on October 01, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

PS to my PS - this whole thing was tic.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:45 AM on October 01, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Hey, I grew up near Hartford - which is probably the murder capital of the US of A (per capita, of course). I trust the Olympic Committee has sense enough not to ever, ever consider Hartford.

BTW the (tic) at the end of my comment stands for tongue-in-cheek. That means sarcastic remark. FYI, the BTW stands for by-the-way. Oh yea, the FYI stands for for-your-information.

PS: Just having fun with you. PS stands for post script - meaning added as an afterthought.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:04 AM on October 01, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Gee, what city could be safer than Rio - where the cops carry machine guns to control any violence (tic).

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:36 AM on October 01, 2009

Yankees Stadium Will Host Bowl Game

It sure looks like the worst 50-yard line seat in the history of football. However, a bowl game featuring the 7th best team from the big 12 vs the 4th best from the big east may well be the worst bowl in the history of football. They deserve each other. If it was the 4th best team in Big East Basketball (mens or womens) one could expect a half decent team to show up, but big east football?

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:26 AM on October 01, 2009

Cleveland Indians Fire Manager Eric Wedge

Why on earth didn't they let him finish managing the last 6 games before announcing that he is fired. Are they big on humiliation in the mistake-by-the-lake?

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:15 AM on October 01, 2009

Mike Blowers sees the future

His predictions are better than Daniel Negreanu's at the poker tables. He ought to use his talent to pick the power ball numbers (for me).

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:31 PM on September 30, 2009

Zambrano thinking retirement?

He's got two silver slugger awards. Maybe they should make him a relief pitcher/pinch hitter.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:05 PM on September 30, 2009

Shawon Dunston: Cubs Owe Me an Education

Sorry guys. The (aparently bad) joke was about his name, not his color. If it was about a white guy named Billy Bob Dunston, I'd have made the same joke. BTW, I'm a Cubs (NL) and Yankees (AL) fan and have been since the 1950's. Thought Dunston was the greatest ss since Mr. Cub played short.

posted by pullmyfinger at 03:05 PM on September 25, 2009

Shawon Dunston: Cubs Owe Me an Education

I wonder why my comment referring to a PG-13 Jason Alexander movie "Dunston Checks In" was deleted by the sportsfilter censor. Oh, I get it. It wasn't censored, it was FILTERED.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:52 AM on September 25, 2009

Mark Reynolds Sets New Single-Season Strikeout Record

Babe Ruth "either hit the long ball or he struck out swinging" Do you come from a parallel universe? Ruth averaged 86 strikeouts (weighted to a 162 game schedule). The most he ever struck out in a single season was 93. BTW his lifetime BA is 342. Pretty hard to do for someone who either strikes out or hits a homer.

posted by pullmyfinger at 08:47 AM on September 25, 2009

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Thanks Holden - you made my day.

I hope Posada gets a 5 game suspension. It's a long season for a 38 year old catcher. He should take a good rest before entering the post season. Here's hoping it's #27 for the Yanks.

posted by pullmyfinger at 12:30 PM on September 16, 2009

Weekend Buzz: Strong acquisitions put BoSox, Phils ahead

dfleming, re: your 8/3 11:50 comment. Buchholz's 2007 stats are spectacular, mainly because his 22.2 innings includes a no hitter. In 2008, however, he averaged 1.2 hits and .5 walks per inning. His 2009 figures are even worse at 1.5 hits and .6 walks per inning.

Masterson, in 2008, averaged .8 hits and .5 walks per inning. In 2009 he is at 1.0 hits and .3 walks.

Both years he pitched better than Buchholz. Once again, as a Yankee fan, I'm very happy that the Sox kept Buchholz and traded Masterson.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:33 AM on August 04, 2009

Weekend Buzz: Strong acquisitions put BoSox, Phils ahead

As a Yankee fan, I hated to see V. Martinez go to the Red Sox. The closest thing to a silver lining is that the Sox kept Buchholz and traded Justin Masterson. Both are young, but Masterson seems to keep on getting better whereas Buchholz seems to get worse. I don't know about Bryan Price, but Nick Hagadone is a very promising prospect. For this season, however, getting Martinez is exactly what the Sox needed to do. It doesn't bode well for my Yanks.

posted by pullmyfinger at 10:12 AM on August 03, 2009

T.O.'s a judge of character?

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" He did the crime. He did the time. Let the SOB play, if anyone will have him.

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:43 AM on July 27, 2009

Ah, umm ... I'm sorry!

Thanks for the info, jerseygirl. I hadn't come across that item. Now we know that Manny had SYNTHETIC TESTOSTERONE as well as hCG. The hCG is "best known among male steroid users as a substance that can help kick-start the body's production of natural testosterone, which is stymied when using synthetic testosterone (aka steroids)."

Manny dropped his appeal of the suspension when this report came to light. None of the above theories (ie: ED, impotence, low sperm count etc) had anything to do with the facts.

posted by pullmyfinger at 01:45 PM on May 12, 2009

Ah, umm ... I'm sorry!

BI, in four of your comments above you refer to hCG use for erectile disfunction. What is it that you know about ED that I can't seem to find in any of the medical sites I've looked at. I have yet to find an actual medical reference site that links hCG to erectile disfunction. Either Manny is trying to normalize his testosterone levels from ending steroid use, or he is trying to get pregnant. Which of the two do you think he is trying to do?

posted by pullmyfinger at 11:51 AM on May 12, 2009