George King Embodies Everything That Is Wrong With Sports Journalism
When he's not making up fake trade rumors, he's making insane theories about which player is better than another, but only if you completely ignore any and all numbers you geeks. Phelps has numbers; Phillips should get jobI can already taste the bile forming... Josh Phelps has won the numbers battle with a better spring than Andy Phillips. But Phillips deserves to be Doug Mientkiewicz's backup at first.Battles are not about numbers, people! Battles are about guts and intangibles and things that cannot be proven with any type of statistic! That's a battle! For all the geeks who live in the black and white world of baseball, Josh Phillips has to be the Yankees’ backup first baseman over Andy Phillips. Yet, the choice here to play first when Joe Torre sits Doug Mientkiewicz is Phillips.I'll translate that for you: for anyone who can look objectively at baseball, understands the game, and wishes to have their team comprised of the best possible players, Josh Phelps (yes, I see that George King doesn't even know one player from the other) has to be the Yankees' backup first baseman over Andy Phillips. Yet, for some soon to be described insane reason, I, George King, declare the better choice to be Andy Phillips. Do not look at numbers! If you do you are a geek! And you have poor eyesight ... and ... acne! I wonder if King knows one can use a "com-pew-ter" to read his articles. Why? Doesn’t Phelps’ .438 average (14-for-32) with three homers and 10 RBIs this spring count for something? Yes and no. Fall in love with spring training numbers at your own risk. Nothing can be more hollow than March digits.No, not "yes or no." Yes. Statistics do count for something. That was kind of the reason to have a roster competition. Otherwise the Yankees should have just said "fuck Spring Training!" and headed right for the Bronx with 25 guys and played exhibition games against the Newark Bears for as few weeks. However, here is the real reason it should be Phillips over Phelps despite Phillips’ 190 (4-for-21) average after fanning four times Tuesday against the Twins: his swing is shorter than Phelps’ and that fits into a bench player better than Phelps’ long hack.George King, complaining about hacks. Will irony never cease? King describes some very valid reasons for Phelps to make the team here, as Phillips has been downright awful this spring. But at least it's only spring, and those statistics don't matter, so we should instead look at Phillips' regular season results, right? Oh yes and also because his swing is shorter. And there is more. No doubt Phillips’ 2005 season in which he batted .240 in 246 at-bats was a disappointment. Yet, his wife battled cancer all summer so that had to be on his mind. Phillips is a better fielding first baseman and has minor league experience at all infield positions. Alright. George King already proved that he doesn't know which player is which. Now he compounds it by showing that he doesn't even know what year it is. Phillips only had 27 ABs in 2005. Those are 2006 stats, George. Also Friends is off the air, that's not the first Bush in the White House, you cannot buy a brand new Datsun, and man has developed the internal combustion engine. Hope that catches you up. Yes, Phillips is better defensively. However the Yankees already have a defensive first baseman who is not a good hitter. First base is the easiest position to defend and it's where you can stash the fielder who is just not good enough to play elsewhere in the infield. In addition the Yankees have Miguel Cairo (who also cannot hit) but can play all four infield positions. Phelps has done everything asked of him and he can catch in an emergency. But that swing isn’t going to cut it against the Johan Santanas, Tom Glavines and Scott Kazmirs he is going to face after extended pine time.Tom Glavine? This is still 2007, right? Phelps should be fearful of Tom Glavine? If Phelps looks silly against Santana, so be it. Everyone looks silly against Santana. But is he really worried about Scott Kazmir (who hasn't put it all together yet) or Tom Glavine? Wouldn't a "long" swing be better suited to a guy who throws a 35 mph heater? The Yankees’ bench is better with Phillips than Phelps because spring training numbers have never been a true indicator of the real deal.I'm George King and I just reiterated my premise without giving you any reason why it should be so! I don't have to because I write for the New York Post! Go screw yourselves, stat nerds! Labels: andy phillips, douchebag, eyechart, george king, josh phelps
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 8:40 PM
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So Much for Ugie Urbina Being a Sleeper on my Fantasy Team
I guess I'll have to waive him as he's expected to be in a Venezuelan prison until 2021: Former Major League Baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina was Guilty or innocent, I have no idea, but at least he should fit right in with the lifestyle. ![]() Labels: criminal athletes, ugeth urbina
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:06 PM
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Say Goodbye to Andy Phillips
The handwriting is on the wall for homegrown-player Andy Phillips. Although considered a Torre "favorite," it's hard to imagine any scenerio in which he wears a Yankee uniform this year. He entered Spring Training in a positional battle with Josh Phelps for the "platoon" first base position with Doug Mientkiewicz. Well, by all accounts, he's lost that battle:
The Yankees are definitely going to keep Eyechart on the roster (even if I was against his signing to begin with.. and still am). This means that they lose either Phelps or Phillips. Phelps was a Rule V pick from Baltimore, which means if he doesn't make the roster he must be offered back to the Orioles. Phillips is out of options - if he is sent down to Scranton, he must pass through waivers (which he may or may not do). If no team claims him, he could be outrighted to Scranton, but where does he play? Eric Duncan is going to be the first baseman at AAA. Phillips has shown that he's not a great defender at third or second, and I'm sure the Yankees would rather groom or showcase higher profile prospects there anyway. Unless he decides to become a AAA utility man, I don't forsee any scenerio in which George Andrew Phillips remains with the organization, and may just be granted his outright release. While I'm sure that there are some who would miss his mop-haired good looks, there's simply no room for him on the team or with the organization. Labels: andy phillips, eric duncan, eyechart, josh phelps, spring training
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 1:51 PM
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So, Papelbon's Closing Again in Boston
I had planned on giving my take on this, but PeteAbe said it best: Tony La Russa drives in a straighter line than the Red Sox. Labels: cardinals, lies, peteabe, redsox
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 7:53 PM
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More Silly A-Rod Trade Rumors
The local radio stations here in Southern California have been all over this completely unsubstantiated trade rumor for a couple of days now. It involves Alex Rodriguez (of course) to the Angels, and Arte Moreno extending A-Rod's current deal by 3+ years. Halos Heaven seems to believe there's more to it than just more idle spring musings, however: After reheating the A-Rod to LAA rumor mill yesterday, whatDustin Moseley, Jose Molina and Jered Weaver? Well I can say I've heard (a lot) worse offers proposed, but as far as I can tell, none of those guys can play third base and the Yankees don't exactly have a ML-ready prospect to fill in. Cashman is waiting to see if people boo A-Rod in order to trade him? I can't possibly imagine Cashman ever doing business in that manner. Besides, the Angels are absolutely loaded with SS/3B prospects. If this deal were legitimate, you can bet one of them would be involved. I really can't wait until the season begins, and we can put all of this trade nonsense behind us. Until July, at least. Labels: a-rod, angels, trade rumors
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:55 AM
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Blasts From the Past, Chapter 1
Periodically throughout the season (and hopefully beyond) I'm planning on taking a look back at the history of the most fabled franchise via videos not often seen by most people. What better way to kick it off than with this 8mm "home movie" filmed during Game 6 of the 1958 World Series between the Yankees and Braves, by a fan who was lucky enough to get a ticket and a press pass. The quality is pretty good considering the era (no sound, of course) and the access level is fantastic. Of course, these days the guy would probably have been arrested, his camera confiscated, and Bud Selig would be suing him for copyright infrigement. Labels: videos, yankee history
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:22 PM
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Olbermann: Trade A-Rod Now Due to Spring Slump
On today's Dan Patrick Show, frequent guest and self-absorbed political commentator Keith Olbermann tried to make the case that the Yankees need to trade Alex Eodriguez "now" because he looks so "tight" in spring training. A paraphrase: "It's one thing if you stand looking at a 3-2 pitch that(Olbermann doesn't recall 2004.) "But to be so tight in spring training and to just stand there when runners are He then went on to say that there are too many cliques and that it must be hard for Posada and Rivera and Jeter and Williams because so many new guys were coming in who were superstars, and practically defended the reason for the "cliques." Translation: Rodriguez misjudged a pitch proving he "can't handle the pressure" of spring training, and because his Captain is not a good leader and there are too many "cliques", trade the bum. Just go back to your lame MSNBC talk show, Keith. You've lost all touch with the sports world. Labels: a-rod, douchebag, olbermann, trade rumors
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 1:41 PM
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$20 Says He Could Still Outhit Doug Mientkiewicz
Andy Pettitte threw a simulated game in Tampa today, and had an unusal defense behind him. Throw Cano at 2B and I would honestly be surprised if this infield wouldn't be better than the current one. Posada caught Pettitte. The infield was A-Rod, Jeter, minor-league second baseman Kevin Russo and a slightly older, slick-fielding first baseman named Donald Arthur Mattingly. Labels: andy pettitte, don mattingly, yankee history
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 12:56 PM
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Sometimes I Actually Agree With Jim Caple
.... but rarely. Today is one of those rare circumstances. The first part of the article on Alex Rodriguez is Caple once again attempting to be funny and failing, but it gets much better about halfway down, when he gets serious: I mean, what has he ever done that is so bad? Despite his best efforts at living a clean, responsible life, he has a worse reputation than Terrell Owens. I know I've mocked him as much as anyone, but now I mostly feel sorry for him. He's one of the best players in the game, and people act as if he's Bubba Crosby. Enough is enough. Forget the soap operas that stem from his silly insecurities -- any day now I expect him to shave his head -- I'm going to root for A-Rod this season. No more cheap shots, no more easy punch lines … from now on, I'm his No. 1 fan. Not quite like Kathy Bates in "Misery," but I'm pulling for him all the way.Caple is still an unrelenting Red Sox schill, but I don't know if I've ever agreed with something written on ESPN more than I agree with what is written above. Maybe the fact that A-Rod is no longer playing the "say the right things and pretend everything is hunky-dory" game with the whole Jeter situation, some in the media who have been bashing him for years are finally starting to ask themselves "why?" I mean not Peter Gammons, who had to pull a story from 2006 out of his metaphoric ass in order to try and bash A-Rod: Team USA players like to tell the story of Francoeur confronting Alex Rodriguez during the WBC for trashing a clubhouse kid who brought him the wrong sandwich. (You would think that if Team USA players "like to tell a story" that the story would have been told before spring training 2007, wouldn't you?) So perhaps Gammons is giving a bit of retribution on behalf of his pal Jetes, but maybe some sports writers are coming around. Ok, Caple, I'm going to give you a chance, but I'll be watching you. Labels: a-rod, douchebag, gammo, jim caple, wbc
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 6:17 PM
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Help Wanted: Proofreader in Bristol, CT
Must be capable of reading English at a minimum of a 4th grade level. Clemens repeated that if he played, it would for with either Houston, Boston or the Yankees.There are many other instances of poor grammar and lazy, junior-high level language usage. Hell I wouldn't even publish this in the junior high newspaper, much less the "Worldwide Leader in Sports."
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:08 PM
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Calling all Trolls
Your day has come. Do your worst.
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:36 PM
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