Home Run Derby

The Yankees have taken their stand with A-Rod.  No way they will deal with him now that he has opted out of his contract, costing the Yanks their $21MM subsidy ($7MM/year) from the Texas Rangers.

Yesterday, however, the Yankees picked up the 2008 contract option on Bobby Abreu at the low, low price of $16MM.  This, of course, begs a question.

If Bobby Abreu is worth $16MM/season to the Yankees, is $30 million a season for A-Rod unreasonable?

I say no.  Take a look at the numbers.

The data clearly shows, as most would expect, that A-Rod had a much better season than Abreu. I didn’t necessarily think that A-Rod would slug 200 points better than Bobby, but is that necessarily worth extra $14MM a season?

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Happy halloween everybody!! 

Pumpkin carving is a combination of sport and art form at my house.

So let’s take a stroll around the front doorsteps of baseball fans around America and check out some artwork dedicated to their favorite teams and players …

Baseball Pumpkins!!  Baseball Jack O’Lanterns!!

The MLB logo is looking pretty sharp in this guy’s kitchen.

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The best player in baseball has decided to opt out of his contract and test the free agent waters, despite the threat of Yankee dollars not being available to him if he did exercise that opt out (boy is it nice to see someone put the Yankees in their place - it brings a smile to my face). 

That announcement came during Game 4 of the World Series, much to the Chagrin of MLB and Red Sox Nation. 

The response to the timing of the announcement has been terse and directed mainly at Uber-agent, Scott Boras, also known as Darth Vader in the baseball world.

Look at the reaction of Bob DuPuy, MLB COO:

“We were very disappointed that Scott Boras would try to upstage our premier baseball event of the season with his announcement”

Boo-Frickin-Hoo, Bob. 

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October 18, 1977 - Game Six of the 1977 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

Reggie Jackson made history.

World Series History.

Baseball history.

Can you believe that it’s been thirty years since Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in a World Series game?

Making that feat more impressive is that he did it in three consecutive swings in that game. Even more amazing is that he hit a Home Run on his last swing of Game Five.

Four Swings. Four Home Runs.

Watch the Video (won’t work in Firefox)

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We’re big fans of the movie Major League here at Home Run Derby.  Especially Bob Uecker’s portrayal of world-weary Cleveland radio broadcaster Harry Doyle …

So when someone dubs Doyle’s call of the final out of the ninth inning of the tiebreaker playoff game from the movie (between the Yankees and the Indians) over the final out of the series-clinching ninth inning in Game 4 of the 2007 ALDS (between the Yankees and the Indians) … well, we’re gonna post it.

Here’s video of the dub …

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I got nothing today.  Something good is in the works, but it ain’t ready yet.

So here’s some places to spend your surfing time.

• Roger Clemens cost the New York Yankees $24,766,578 this season.  Was it worth it?
• Speaking of the Yankees’ pocketbook, they’ve spent over a Billion dollars since their last World Championship seven years ago.
• There’s no crying in the press box.
• The Yankees have some fun Hotel psuedonyms.
• Last Yankees link - The Yankees don’t seem to win the World Series when Don Mattingly is around.
• This is the first postseason for the Humidor at Coors Field.
• Ivan Rodriguez will be back with the Tigers next season … for $13 Million.
• George Steinbrenner might replace Joe Torre with Tony LaRussa.
• The Rockies’ farm system is paying off
• Cubs fans knew how bad a broadcaster Chip Caray is.  Now everyone else does.
• Peeing in the bleachers is not limited to men.
• Mark Cuban, Bleacher Bum.
• Okay I lied, there was one more Yankee link.  Video actually …

Apparently $6 is too much for some Indians fans to pay for a beer in Cleveland, even during the Playoffs. It’s still $6 at Jacobs Field for a Budweiser, right?

Too bad it’s not Buzz Beer.

Because in the following video clip you’ll see an Indians fan (all the way to the right) take a healthy swig of some beverage (probably not beer) that he brought from home.

Out of his binoculars.

I’ve been to countless sporting events and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone use a binocular flask. AKA Barnoculars.

Dude, the camera catches everything. The Indians would like to talk to you about your season ticket privileges.

Funny thing is, it’s the Yankees fans who needed a stiff drink during that game.

If you look hard enough, you can find the 2007 Division Championship T-Shirts over at MLB.com.  Well, that’s no surprise, as the Angels and Indians have already clinched …

What?  They’ve got shirts up for teams who haven’t clinched yet? 

Yep.  Until they discover we’ve discovered them (Mets link is down already).  

National League Central (Cubs or Brewers)

I just jinxed my Cubbies by posting that pic, didn’t I? 

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So two weeks ago, we took a stroll into the jewelers and looked at some rings. World Series Championship rings, to be exact. The Ultimate in Baseball Bling.

But I’m kinda cheap. I don’t have the scratch for a World Series Ring. So I asked if there was anything … uh … a little less expensive. You know, maybe some Cubic Zirconia or some Diamonoids or something?

Turns out there is … League Championship Rings! Because for some reason, players get a ring if they lose the World Series.

In reverse order …

2006 - Detroit Tigers

Whoa. That’s pretty sharp.

White Gold with a huge “D” made of Blue Sapphire set on a field of plenty of Diamonds. This piece of bling could easily pass for a World Series Ring.

I think I like this ring more than the Cardinals 2006 World Series Ring.  Then again, the Cardinals’ ring says “World Series Champion” on it.  This one doesn’t.
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