Summer, as The Cars once sang. It turns me upside down. ...
Best trade deadline moves
|
|
| CC Sabathia is owning the summer in Milwaukee. (AP) |
4. Cubs acquire pitcher Rich Harden: Shrewd move would rank even higher if his physical worries were such that Cubs could take off the yellow caution light, change it to green and ride him harder.
3. Angels acquire first baseman Mark Teixeira: Finally, Angels make bold statement in trade market. And that statement is, "World Series tickets on sale soon."
2. Dodgers acquire slugger Manny Ramirez: That Boston is paying his entire salary makes this the most ridiculous no-risk deal for the Dodgers since they acquired Chavez Ravine property for nothing from the city before leaving Brooklyn.
1. Brewers acquire pitcher CC Sabathia: Channeling his inner Doyle Alexander, Sabathia, the pitcher who might make Milwaukee famous, is 8-0 with five complete games since the Brewers nabbed him.
Signs the steroid era has passed
5. More bats breaking when connecting with baseballs, fewer being snapped over knees in fits of anger.
4. Eric Gagne, setup man.
3. No more midseason comebacks for Roger Clemens.
2. AL home run leader is Chicago White Sox's Carlos Quentin. All due respect.
1. Kayak traffic in San Francisco's McCovey Cove more flat than national housing market; owner of City Kayaks in San Francisco even took a vacation earlier this month during a Giants homestand.
Overrated
5. Curt Schilling "leaning heavily toward retiring:" You mean he hasn't already? Retired, I mean?
4. The new Yankee Stadium: Top tickets to go for more than $2,000. The ghosts in the current Yankee Stadium will choose to opt out.
3. Tropical Storm Fay: Nothing can stop this year's Rays, and good for them.
2. Alternate jerseys: Bad reminders of hideous 1970s-era unis. Mango-colored Friday night top, anyone?
1. Barry Bonds collusion theories: Collusion, intelligent design by 30 different clubs ... whatever, dude. What goes around, comes around. Treat people the way you'd want to be treated, people always will welcome you. Don't, and they won't.
Underrated
5. The Florida Marlins' rotation: I know, I know ... it ranks 13th in NL with a 4.88 ERA. But Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez are back, Ricky Nolasco can be a stud, Chris Volstad is nasty and Scott Olsen can bring it. Don't count the Marlins out ... if they can catch the ball, which is never a given.
4. Ron Santo as radio broadcaster: Why is it that when he groans and gasps on Cubs broadcasts, it's charming -- and when other homer broadcasters do it (hello, John Sterling in the Yankees' booth) it's more grating than the AFLAC duck?
3. Bringing food into the ballpark: Especially the newer ballparks, with the really high ticket prices, and really, really high concession prices.
2. Anybody who plays for the Minnesota Twins: Particularly Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, etc., etc. ...
1. San Francisco's Tim Lincecum: Overlooked because his team sucks. And that's your loss.
Summer songs
|
|
| Kid Rock, like Scott Miller, is a product of the great state of Michigan. (Getty Images) |
5. Anything by Jimmy Buffett, especially It's Five O'Clock Somewhere and Changes in Latitudes.
4. I Kissed a Girl, Katie Perry. Fluffy, summertime bubblegum. ...
3. Girls in Their Summer Clothes, Bruce Springsteen. Would rank higher except I already wore it out last fall and winter.
2. Viva La Vida, Coldplay. Not a huge fan of the band, but they nailed it on this one.
1. All Summer Long, Kid Rock. Ah, memories ... "it was summertime in northern Michigan" ... or, in my case, southern Michigan. Great song.
Road restaurants
5. Miller's Bar, Dearborn, Mich.: The cheeseburgers are exquisite and, cool thing is, it's all on the honor system. After your meal, there is no check. You simply tell the barkeep what you had on the way out, and he charges you accordingly.
4. Tomaso's, San Francisco: Any North Beach joint you walk into is great. I'm just partial to this one because my brother recommended it and the pizza is fabulous. Plus, the great film director Francis Ford Coppola hung out here and even worked the kitchen from time to time.
3. Pappadeaux: It's a Cajun chain, mostly located in Texas, and the crawfish etouffee and crawfish bisque are phenomenal.
2. Il Vagabondo, New York: Bonus points for in-house bocce ball court.
1. Gates or Arthur Bryant barbecue, Kansas City: Lots of folks swear by one over the other, like Kansas or Kansas State. I'll happily go to either. I just wish the Royals would become a story -- I haven't been to Kansas City since 1999.
Players I never tire of watching
5. Torii Hunter, Angels: Him covering center field is like watching a Jaguar glide across a parking lot.
4. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox: Even if the scouts didn't have much use for him and can't figure out his success.
3. Greg Maddux, Dodgers: Still hits his locations, and the guy even stole a base this summer!
2. Derek Jeter, Yankees: Even if he's having a down season, his instincts and baseball IQ remain fantastic.
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals: Others may play the game as hard, but nobody plays harder. This guy is out to win with every move he makes.
Ice cream
Because what's summer without it? ...
4. Coldstone: Over-priced and too sweet to be ranked higher.
3. Dairy Queen: How can you pass one without stopping on a summer's day in the Midwest?
2. Baskin-Robbins: Thirty-one flavors, try 'em all before summer ends.
1. Ben & Jerry's: Phish food ... mmm.
Best owners
6. George Steinbrenner: Come on, admit it: You wish someone who wanted to win this badly owned your team.
|
|
| Arte Moreno runs a smart, expensive ship in Anaheim. (Getty Images) |
4. Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox: Steady.
3. John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino, Red Sox: Werner gets points subtracted for his embarrassing run at owning San Diego in the early 1990s, but the brains and get-it-done flair of Henry and Lucchino are assets.
2. Mark Attanasio, Brewers: Rich enough to provide terrific resources, smart enough to allow his baseball people to make key decisions. And whenever did you think the Brewers would be in position to strike for a pitcher like Sabathia?
1. Arte Moreno, Angels: Deep pockets and really smart. That's a dangerous combination in an owner.
Worst owners
3. Tom Hicks, Rangers: Duped into giving Alex Rodriguez, Chan Ho Park and others ridiculous amounts of money. Mistreats some of his people and thinks he knows more than he does.
2. John Moores, Padres: Years have proven him to be a phony. Master of the bait-and-switch management style. As soon as fans catch on to one problem area, lures their attention with false promise elsewhere. Moores doesn't spend as much as he led fans to believe when Petco Park opened? Club needs to build through drafts! Club screws up drafts (partly because owner won't pay going rate for first overall pick in '04)? Club needs to beef up presence in Dominican Republic! As they say in Texas, all sizzle, no steak.
1. Peter Angelos, Orioles: Remember when Baltimore was a model organization?
Biggest diamond pleasures
7. Ryan Theriot, scrappy Cub.
6. Watching Josh Hamilton hit. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon ordered him intentionally walked with the bases loaded the other day. He's that dangerous.
5. Arizona pitcher Brandon Webb's sinker.
4. Tampa Bay's young talent.
3. Toronto's Roy Halladay, another complete game.
2. Minnesota's small ball. Bunting, sacrificing, running … smart baseball well-executed goes a long way.
1. The Angels' base running. They go first-to-third better than anybody. It isn't all in the speed. It's in the intelligence, instincts and teaching, too.
Ballparks
5. Safeco Field, Seattle: Better than the city's coffee.
4. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: Stunning, even if the team isn't (or if the team is stunning in the wrong way, if you get my drift).
3. AT&T Park, San Francisco: So sweet I would even allow my phone bill to be hiked up by, say, 1 percent.
2. Fenway Park, Boston: They call it "America's Most Beloved Ballpark." Maybe, and it's splitting hairs, but for me that title belongs to. ...
1. Wrigley Field, Chicago: Can't beat baseball under the sun.
What I'm thinking as they demolish Tiger Stadium
|
|
| Feeling nostalgic about Tiger Stadium. (US Presswire) |
4. First big league game ever, July 1970, with my mom and dad and Baltimore in town. Orioles win 6-5 when Paul Blair ends game robbing Al Kaline of a home run.
3. Driving with teacher and yearbook moderator Brother Ron and Sam, Wilds, Ollie, Eebs, Jerry, Bob and many other high school buddies to dozens of games in the 1980s.
2. Box seats next to vistors' dugout, front row by the field, with my mom, dad and brother for games two years running in the 1970s with the Brewers in town. Figured out later that's part of how corporate America works: Season tickets for games with the crappy teams in town get given away and passed down. Our gain!
1. Left-field seat, Game 3, 1984 World Series, Alan Trammell belts two home runs.
Best managing jobs
7. Ned Yost, Milwaukee: Yes, a 1-2 punch like Sabathia and Ben Sheets never hurts.
6. Tony La Russa, St. Louis: Look, the Cardinals aren't this good.
5. Ron Washington, Texas: Rangers were 9-18 on April 29 and headed for, it sure looked like, a managerial firing.
4. Fredi Gonzalez, Florida: Marlins continue to hang around.
3. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota: Twins lost Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Carlos Silva ... wait. Losing Silva might have been a blessing.
2. Maddon, Tampa Bay: Bravo.
1. Mike Scioscia, Angels: The best in the game today.
Best summer baseball memories
3. Pickup games in the park.
2. Pedaling with the baseball glove slung over the handlebars of my old Schwinn.
1. The frosty root beer mugs at the A&W drive-in following Little League games.
Best stretch-run series
4. Boston at Tampa Bay, Sept. 15-17.
3. Milwaukee at Cubs, Sept. 16-18.
2. Cubs at Milwaukee, Sept. 26-28.
1. White Sox at Minnesota, Sept. 23-25.
