By Governor X
Lets face it. Steve Finley Was Here's current format is played out. It served us well during the first six months, but we've come to a crossroads. We could continue to bring you the same kind-of up to date coverage of the Dodgers and A's that you expect or we could "go away and dream it all up again" as Bono once said.
SFWH is not going to turn into Springsteen on my watch dear readers reader. I will not sit idly by as we turn out the same posts for years eagerly awaiting praise from the critics. No, we're going to be taking some fucking chances. For example: Don't get the title of this post? Get used to it. We aren't spoon feeding you anymore.
So what will the new format be like? Who knows. We're just going to take it as it goes. Things may get a bit too "real" for some readers, while others appreciate us taking things up a notch. This is no longer a blog. This is a living breathing work of art. Art like a Jackson Pollock drip painting.
By Governor X
Dear Diamondbacks,
Please go on a tear and win this shitty division already.
The Dodgers, for all intents and purposes, are dead, but you have thus far been unable to pull away and end our pathetic chances at a playoff berth. Every win here and there teases us with hope as we inch within a game or two of you for the division lead.
Deep down, I know better. This particular group of Dodgers players (I can't call them a "team") are not going anywhere, but when I look at the standings and see them a game or two back, my irrational fan side takes over and I have brief visions of Manny hitting homers for them in October.
This won't happen though. The Dodgers of 2008 are destined for mediocrity. If you don't shape up, we risk Colorado going on another winning streak and none of us want to see that again. We all remember how they embarassed the National League in the World Series last year.
So, I beg of you, just win 5 or 6 in a row and effectively put the Dodgers out of their misery. A sweep this weekend would be a good start.
Regards,
Governor Gray Davis
By Governor X
Suffering their second sweep of the season to San Francisco (really?) on Sunday, the Padres locked down a losing record for the 25th time in team history. Its only fitting that the Giants helped secure this for them since the Friars have replaced the Giants as the laughing stalk of the NL. San Diego is currently on pace to lose 102 games. Well done.
By ,
I've enjoyed watching the Olympics for the past 2 weeks. It has distracted me from the craptastic second half the A's are having, and it has allowed me to watch something other than whatever programming the networks roll out during the summer to fill time before the new fall season starts...I was really starting to question my sanity the day I caught myself watching "America's Got Talent."
Anyway, I thought I'd recap a few of my favorite moments from Olympic competiton - in no particular order...
1. The U.S. men's gymnastics team wins the bronze medal. Some Olympic athletes are not satisfied with silver or bronze (case in point - that wrestler dude who threw a fit when he won the bronze medal). Now, don't get me wrong, I can understand why someone would be disappointed with a 2nd or 3rd place finish if they busted their ass for 4 years with the intention of winning gold, but it's nice to watch athletes when they're genuinely thrilled with winning a medal - no matter what color it is. The U.S. men's gymnastics team lost their 2 best team members to injury, and they didn't let that distract them. They came out like a bunch of rowdy frat guys - thumping their chests and shouting "Sup America?" into the camera- gave it their all, and came away with a bronze medal that not many thought they could win. And they were stoked. I was thoroughly entertained watching this team.
2. Shawn Johnson's balance beam gold. She won a boat load of silvers, and she was very gracious about it. And then she does a kick-ass routine on the beam and finally wins her gold medal. Also, a shout out to Nastia Liukin for her Olympic success - as well as her classiness when she had to settle for silver on the uneven bars because a possibly-underage Chinese gymnast won the gold in some confusing tiebreaker. Why can't they give 2 golds if gymnasts get the same score again?
3. Usain Bolt. Call him a show-boater all you want, this guy can run. And he's pretty fun to watch.
4. The Redeem Team Redeems Themselves. They ate it at the 2002 World Championship, won the bronze in Athens, lost to Greece in the semis of the 2006 World Championship, and then came back to win gold in Beijing. LaBronze, you now have La Gold...
5. The men's 4x100 relay (swimming). When are people going to learn?? Don't talk smack until it's over. Alain Bernard talked smack, and when all was said and done, Jason Lezak swam the relay leg to end all relay legs, and the U.S. won the gold - keeping Michael Phelps on track to break Spitz's record. And while we're on the subject of talking smack, what was up with that British runner taunting the other runners in the 4x400 relay trials? I'm pretty sure they ended up not getting a medal in that race. Again, don't get cocky until it's over.
6. The U.S. men's (indoor) volleyball team wins gold. Coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law was murdered the day after the opening ceremony. His mother-in-law was critically injured. A few minutes after the team won, McCutcheon walked off the court for a minute or so - probably trying to gather his emotions. I'll be honest - when I saw that, I teared up. Coach, I am so sorry for your loss, but so happy you and your team won gold.
7. Dara Torres. She's 41 years old. She has some wacky training routine where people squish her muscles. She was one one-hundredths of a second away from winning gold in the 50m free. Dara, you're inspiring. You made me believe that I could win an Olympic medal when I'm 40, too. Of course, you've been swimming for decades, and the closest I've come to swimming is doggy-paddling in the pool down the street, but whatever...You're still inspiring.
8. Michael Phelps. Do I really need to say anything about this? Kid is amazing. However, I will say one thing - there were times when I really wished Phelps would pull up his swimming pants. He may have 8 gold medals, but I still don't want to see his ass crack.
"Dude, pull these up"
By Governor X
Dr. Maddux needs to sit him down and teach him that a 99 mph fastball doesn't mean shit if you can't throw it for a strike...
By ,
Last night's battle of the bottom of the AL West (wow...there had to be a better way for me to say that. Oh well.) had the A's eeking out a 2-0 victory over Seattle. It turned out to be quite the pitcher's duel - mostly because both offenses are about as stale as the month-old Cheerios in my kitchen cabinet. But seriously, I shouldn't hate. A win is a win.
And by the way, Seattle announcer - our reliever's name is JOEY Devine - not Andy Devine. Sheesh.
In other A's news, they put Duke and Sean Gallagher on the 15-day DL, which means the A's have now used the DL a record 23 times during the season. They used it 22 times last season.
Here's another fun fact: As of today, the A's appear to have the lowest team batting average in the league - the Nationals are ahead of them. And the Reds.
There are no words.
Oh wait - yes there are..."More alcohol, please..."
"Good job, Bobby! You've only been on the DL once this season!"
By Rich Funk
Recognize the guy above?
You shouldn't. That's Bobby Thigpen, the current record holder for most saves in a season.
Francisco Rodriguez of the Anaheim Angels has 48 saves with 6 weeks to go. Not only will he most likely break Thigpen's record, he's on pace to completely shatter it.
So we ask the eternal question: If someone breaks the single-season saves record, but it happens in the toilet of Anaheim Stadium, does anyone care?
By Governor X
Old news right? What has he done this time? He insulted baseball legend Vin Scully.
Jeff has never exactly been a fan favorite. The cop stache, attacking younger better players at every turn, being a former Giant, and generally being an asshole has caused Dodger fans to tolerate him when he's playing well (which he hasn't in years) but never embrace him.
Attacking Vin Scully is akin to attacking puppies or moms. Its just not done in polite society.
By Rich Funk
Being a Cubs fan, I haven't really ever had any interest in most teams here out west. But all of that has changed this season. Now that the Dodgers have clawed their way back into the NL West picture, I have to root for them.
Why the sudden change of heart? It's purely for selfish reasons.
If the Cubs win the NL Central, chances are that they'll have the best record in the NL. And since it looks like the Wild Card winner is also going to come out of the NL Central, the division winner will get to play either the East or West winner, whoever has the worst record.
So if everything goes according to plan, the Cubs will wind up playing the Dodgers in the NLCS. If that happens, for at least one game, the Cubs are coming to California, which gives me at least one more chance to see them.
So I'll root for the Dodgers to succeed, even though things between Manny and I aren't very good right now.
Does that also mean that I'll root for the Angels to make it to the World Series so the Cubs would have a chance to come back again if they were to make the Series as well? God no! A man has to have
some kind of standards.
By ,
Brad Ziegler's scoreless streak ended today at 39 innings when he gave up a run in the top of the 9th during today's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. His ERA now stands at .22...That's still pretty damn good if you ask me.
So Ziegler, congrats on your awesome, record-breaking scoreless streak. May you continue to kick ass out of the bullpen...
In other news, the A's have won 4 games since the ASB, and unless my math is wrong, they've scored 3 or fewer runs in 19 of their 25 games since the break.
What? I should have another beer? Ok...
By Governor X
A lot of things have been going on lately, but as you can tell, no one has posted anything here. I can only assume my cohorts, like the rest of the world, are pretending to give a shit about women's 200 meter underwater archery in Beijing. Xiao Jan Tu got the silver? Boo!
I have no excuse other than laziness, so here is a comprehensive update from the world of Finley...
Nomar is back, AndrEw is gone
Nomar Garciaparra returned from the DL Tuesday night ending Angel Berroa's reign of terror, at least until this Saturday when he goes back on the DL after contracting foot and mouth disease. He went 0 for 3 last night.
To make room for Nomar, a flimsy excuse was created to send AndrEw Jones to the DL. Good riddance.
My soccer team is in shambles.
LA Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit quit and the team fired Alexi Lalas on Monday. Cobi Jones will coach the team for the rest of the year. What?
People expecting an MLS Cup this year seem to have forgotten just how bad they were last year. A healthy and old David Beckham alone was never going to put them over the top. This year under Gullit they were nothing if not exciting, scoring and allowing goals like there was no tomorrow.
Firing Lalas may be an odd move, but at least it shows ownership isn't willing to just sit on a bad team and rake in all that Beckham money.
The Spanish basketball team offends 1 billion Chinese people.
The People's Liberation Army is marching on Madrid as I type this.
By Governor X
The Dodgers' medical staff has concluded that like Barbaro here, Jason Schmidt is beyond repair and its time to send him off to the glue factory. Remember Jason Schmidt? Think WAY back and you may recall one of his 83 mph fastballs getting hit out of Chavez Ravine.
Schmidt looks like he is officially done for the year, but honestly, did you really expect him to ever pitch for the Dodgers again? With a three year deal worth $47 million, Schmidt has made a total of 6 starts for LA, but hasn't seen a big league field in over a year. If you're curious, that works out to $7.83 million per start.
By Rich Funk
It's August, so time to make some crazy claims about the rest of the season out West. If I'm right about any of them, I'll rub it in everyone's faces. If I'm wrong, I can just delete the post. It's really win-win for me. And it's win-win for you, the reader because A) I'm awesome and B) you get to read the awesome stuff I'm writing. So if you and I are doing all this winning, who's losing? Why the Mariners, of course!
Prediction #1: Manny's Arrival Will Not Get The Dodgers Into The PlayoffsIf you look at the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, they have basically the same team. Run differentials, home/road records, number of players that have dated Alyssa Milano...all pretty much the same. The D-Backs are looking for a spark from Max Scherzer coming back, while the Dodgers are hoping Brad Penny can make a return.
So you gotta look at the schedule. Starting Monday, August 11, the Dodgers have to host Philly (4 games), Milwaukee and Colorado, and then head up to Philly for 4 more against the Fightin's. I would not be surprised if the Dodgers went 4-11 over those 15 games. As soon as that's over, they get Arizona the next week. Seeing how the Diamondbacks are starting to hit at home again...watch out.
Besides, I'll take Harden and Webb over Lowe and Billingsley any day.
2. Texas will finish behind Oakland in the AL West.Check out Texas' run differential. It's currently at -27, meaning that on the season, Texas has been outscored by their opponents by 27 runs. According to some math equation that I won't even pretend to understand, Texas
should have a record of 54-59 right now, and the A's should be at 58-53. Throw int he fact that Oakland should play better now that the trade deadline is past, and Texas can expect to be in 3rd again this season.
3. The Padres Will Continue To Chase The Mariners For The Best Record In BaseballOh, by "best record", I really mean "worst record". It's opposite day. Wait...no it's not. Yes it is. Wait...
By ,
Gio Gonzalez - one of the pitchers the A's got in the Nick Swisher trade -
has been called up, and will start tomorrow against the Blue Jays.
Gio is 8-7 with an ERA of 4.24 in AAA (not the American Automobile Association) this year. And although those numbers aren't too stellar, he seems to be improving - in his last start, Gio went 8 innings, giving up 2 hits and no runs with 9 K's. Legit!
I'm really excited. The A's are really struggling right now, and it'll be nice to see one of the young guys pitch. The A's say they're in "rebuilding" mode, so let's see what "the future" can do.
Just don't expect much of any run support, Gio. At this point, I think myself, my neighbor's Labrador, and the homeless guy that hangs out by the gas station down the street could score more runs in a game than the A's offense right now.
By Rich Funk
Knock it off right now. Seriously, just stop. You know who you are.
All those people in Orange County at their laptops and typewriters or whatever spewing forth this bile that K-Rod sould be the MVP? They can all die in a fire.
No.
No.
Stop it. Don't even think about it.
Seriously...stop it.
By ,
"Dude, why am I terrible?"When Daft Funk came home from
Thunderfist 2008, I was bombarded with tales of stolen motorcycles, Butch Walker, and losing one's eyebrows in Vietnam. But although I tried to listen, there was something else on my mind - the Oakland Athletics are playing some lousy baseball. They have won 2 games since the All-Star Break. They have scored 2 runs or fewer in over half of their games since the break. Chavy is out for the season. And although our pitching has been alright (with the exception of a few bad outings...But you can't be perfect every time), you can't expect to win a ton of games if you can't score more than 2 runs. And what's going on with Huston Street? Argh...Why don't they just change their name to the Oakland Awfuletics?
Anyway, after we were swept by the Red Sox over the weekend, I decided that I had 2 choices - I can either develop an ulcer, or I can start looking on the bright side. I don't have the money to pay for medical treatment, so I chose the latter. This was
supposed to be a re-building year. We were
supposed to finish in the basement of the AL West (although thanks to Seattle, that prediction probably won't come true). I think I just got my hopes up because the A's had a surprisingly good first half. But now I'm beginning to get a picture of what the A's were
supposed to play like, and it ain't pretty. But there are bright spots to focus on...
1. The bullpen: Brad Ziegler has yet to give up a run since he made his debut in the majors - he's had a 0.00 ERA for over 30 innings. Jerry Blevins has an ERA of 1.23. Joey Devine is back. Santiago Casilla seems to be returning to form - he hasn't given up a run in his last 6 appearances. Huston Street is well...um...nevermind. Let's move on...
2. The young guys. Ryan Sweeney has an average that hovers around .300. Kurt Suzuki has been hitting the ball well. Carlos Gonzalez is looking good in center field. Watching those guys gives me hope that the A's will develop into a good, young team over the next couple of years. Which leads me to one more bright spot for the A's...
3. The farm system. Ours seems to contain quite a bit of talent. Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio, Aaron Cunningham, Adrian Cardenas. I am excited to see what these guys can do. Or maybe Beane can flip some of the prospects he got in his various trades for a stud hitter. (although I think I'd be peeved if he traded away Cahill, Anderson, or Cunningham). Either way, I think the future is looking pretty bright.
So although the A's currently cause me to drain 6-packs of Schlitz (what? I'm broke), I will keep watching games and focus on the good. Besides, anything is better than watching ESPN give minute-by-minute Brett Favre updates. Ugh.
By Governor X
The Dodgers have never picked up the name on the block at the deadline before. Frankly, they've never even been in the mix. I have a boner right now. I don't even care if he sucks. We got him for two bits of garbage and Boston is picking up his salary.
*Note: See the Casey Blake post on Ned Colletti's outfielder hoarding. LA now has 5 outfielders. DFA Jones today please!
By ,
Yes, I know it's called Qualcomm now, but I refuse to buy into that corporate sponsor crap. And while we're on the subject, it was always Candlestick in the Bay Area, dammit.
Oh, and as for the "backyard" part, the concert wasn't actually "in" the stadium. The stage was set up on a giant lawn behind the stadium...With a majestic view of the trolley track and an IKEA. I know, I know. I couldn't think of a better concert setting, either. At one point during the evening, Daft mused whether or not Weiland was backstage saying "I can't believe I'm playing next to a fucking IKEA!" I, too, could picture Weiland refusing to share the stage with reasonably priced Swedish furniture.
Um...I guess I should mention the point of this post now...Daft Funk and I saw Stone Temple Pilots on Sunday, and we're posting our review of the show. Sorry, with the way the A's offense has been playing lately, I start drinking early on game days.
Anyway, onto the review...Daft and I got there kind of early, and were able to get a pretty good spot on the grass (it was general admission). Here's a sign that I'm getting old: College E-Claire would've said "Let's push our way to the front so Weiland can spit in my eye!" Mid-twenties E-Claire with a bad knee said: "Let's hang back a little because I don't want any rowdy teenagers to smack into my bad knee." Oh, 20, where have you gone?
The first band to take the stage was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They came out wearing leather jackets and sunglasses, and looked like a group of guys I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley without my mace. They were very good, though. Here's a link to their myspace page if you're interested in checking them out...
Next up was Wolfmother. They kicked ass. Some of their songs have very Zeppelin-esque guitar riffs, and they made a lot more noise than you'd think 3 people could make. Seriously, my ears were ringing after their set. The lead singer also has crazy hair. I also enjoyed the fact that he told me we were witnessing "rock and roll history." Right on, guy...
After Wolfmother, it was time for STP. The lights went down, the crowd started roaring, and then STP came out and started the show with a rousing rendition of...Big Empty? Really? Look, I don't mind that song - and we had heard that they had started quite a few of their others shows with it- but it just doesn't seem like a good opening song that'll get the crowd pumped up. I understand you've gotta save the big stuff for later, but I might've opened with something a little more rockin' - like Wicked Garden or even Vaseline. Anyway, after I got over that puss opening song, the show was good. Weiland sounded good, didn't forget the words to any of the songs, and spared me losing my dinner by not taking his shirt off until near the end of the show. They basically played a greatest hits show - as was expected - with a few other songs thrown in. I think my favorites of the night were Vaseline (probably my favorite STP song), and Dead and Bloated, which they played as the first song in their encore. And no matter how many times I've heard it on the radio, I still enjoy Plush. One thing I didn't like: Towards the latter third of the show, the band went into this weird jam session, with Weiland mumbling the words to "Redemption Song." Although I love Bob, it really killed the mood. I was also baffled by some of the things Weiland said between songs (however, I might've been more baffled if his musings had actually made sense). I remember him telling us to stop watching reality television and get "fucking" involved. Don't judge me, Mr. Weiland. I do enjoy Rock of Love and Farmer Wants A Wife, but I am quite politically knowledgeable, thank you very much.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable show, and I'm glad I got to see STP. Here are a few other random notes:
- There was a guy there who looked just like Joe Maddon. He seemed like he was both drunk and high, and almost got into a fight with another seemingly drunk and high guy. However, between bands, he seemed to be wowing those around him with his story-telling. Perhaps he was asking if any of them could pitch left-handed out of the bullpen.
- There was another guy there that started out wearing a button-up shirt, but later took it off when it got hot. Holy crap, did he have the worst B.O. I've ever smelled. It was freaking awful. Daft and I actually had to move. My nose still hasn't recovered. They used deodorant in the 90's, you know...
- There was another guy there wearing an STP shirt, Converse, and flannel shirt tied around his waist. I hope he was being ironic...Wait, no I don't....
Daft Funk: Being a fan of all three bands playing, I was totally psyched for this show. Yes, I said 'psyched'. Welcome to the 1990's again.
It's cool to see a lot of things never go out of style at concerts, like the "shirtless, long-haired dude". Sure, he may smell sometimes, but it's not a rock show until this guy shows up. Plus, there's always a good chance that he'll be the one to crack a beer bottle over the head of the emo kids that get in his way.
Black Rebel Motorcycle club came up first and were better than I expected. These dudes meant business, with sunglasses, biker jackets, black shirts, black pants and a surly "fuck off" kind of vibe. If Johnny Cash were alive and started a blues-rock band, it would be BRMC.
Wolfmother knocked my dick in the dirt so hard that it actually bounced back up onto my body. Seriously, I didn't think just 3 dudes could make that much sound. I know it's kind of sacrilege to say, but I think their triple play of Woman, Colossal and Joker And The Thief to end their set was better than any 3 consecutive songs that STP played. Not that STP didn't rock in their own right, but Wolfmother was just that good.
Yes, I was a bit worried that Scott Weiland would cancel the show considering they were playing directly behind an IKEA. But what I didn't take into account was that there was also a very lovely Lowes next to it. And there was a nearby IHOP. Pancakes, appliances and cheap furniture? That's right in Scottie's wheelhouse!
The venue definitely wasn't an arena-sized area, but you wouldn't have known it from the way STP performed. Besides a few pacing issues due to a strangely ordered setlist, the show was everything that I expected and more. If Weiland was stoned or messed up in any way, he hid it well enough for me. And I'm glad he shaved off all of his nasty greased-back hair. He looks much more human now.
The most underrated part of the show? I never realized how damn good Dan DeLeo is on the bass. He was an absolute monster and had fantastic stage presence (Could I sound any more gay? I think not...).
I'd be more than willing to see another show at Qualcomm becuase getting out of the venue after the show took all of 5 minutes. The amount of time it takes to leave a show is a huge factor for me. When we saw Def Leppard at Cricket Wireless Arena, it took about 2 hours to leave. Fuck that place. You're dead to me.
By Governor X
Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti suffers from the same pathology as those crazy cat ladies you read about, but in his case he hoards 3rd basemen and outfielders. While I was getting in touch with nature over the weekend, crazy cat hoarding Ned picked up Casey Blake from Cleveland. Clearly, the platoon of Nomar, Blake DeWitt, and Andy LaRoche can't get it done (honestly, they can't, but I doubt Casey Blake is the answer). LaRoche and DeWitt are back in the minors and Nomar was so upset over the news he may have injured himself again. More on that when the results of his MRI are made public.
Meanwhile, that NL West team that isn't poorly run, may be close to landing Mark Teixeira. If they pull that off, the rest of the division should just start scheduling those October tee times.
By ,
And surprisingly, it wasn't for most strikeouts in a game, or fewest runs scored since the beginning of time...
Yesterday, Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler (I know what you're probably thinking..."Who?") passed the modern big league record for consecutive scoreless innings at the start of a career. He broke a record that was over 100 years old.
So nice job, Ziegler. Considering how craptastically the A's have been playing since the All-Star break, at least you've given fans something to celebrate...
