Wow, we've played 25% of the season already! And we'll have a little Sopranos action at the end, so here's a tease on that.... Remember a couple of episodes ago when the family was discussing Meadow's "mystery date?" Well, the NPL Blog has a picture!! But first, let's take a look at the league with some......
QUICK HITS:
It looks like the race is on. The ROCK CATS hope the new bats at the corner infield spots will help, and Reyes, D. Lee and Smoltz are battling the Day-to-Day bug, but the Cats lead on the Northbound BIG TRAIN is currently at 91 points. The Train is now the leader in overall hitting points. In addition to the big bats of Utley, Hardy and Fielder, a young man by the name of Hunter Pence is starting to emerge. Bob got a break with Wednesday being the day Bonderman and Tracy were DL'ed but the Josh Beckett blister situation is still clouded.
The LOCKHORNS are locked in a struggle for 3rd/4th place with the YANKEE OWLS, currently seven points apart. But Harv gets Felix back and if this Jack Cust guy can keep it up, the Harvster will be happy. Meanwhile, JF's team is # 3 in overall hitting and # 4 in pitching points. John gave a long list of SP's for his move this week, although he probably really didn't expect it would go down to the # 4 guy, but that's how the moves played out as his top three SP choices were grabbed in basically the order John listed. Did you know Yankee Owls Jeter & Posada are 1 -2 in the A.L. batting race, with Yankee Owl A-Rod checking in at # 8?
I take it you have guessed by now that Piffy likes Bowling!!! But anyway - keeping it to baseball, the Cole Hamels draft pick may be a steal from the 8th round. He had the perfect game going late vs. his 69'ERS teammate Jeff Suppan, but settled for the Win and a bunch of K's. Last week on the ESPN Sunday Night game, Jon Miller said the scouts stated that Hamels has the 2nd best Fastball - Change-up Combo in MLB. 2nd to only Johan Santana.
The BULLDOGS currently lead a pack of five that are trying to claim at least Piffy's 5th place spot. The five-some is separated by approximately 105 points - 6th thru 10th. So far playing shorthanded at the Starting Pitcher spot hasn't statistically hit the Dogs yet. If you look under STATS, and then TEAM TOTALS, the "Games Started" category is led by the Owls and Dogs, both with 67. Tony has directed that Eddie travel to Roger's minor league starts and scout them in person. So, Ed will be in Tampa (class A) this week and Trenton (AA) next week. But hey Ed, minor league games are actually a lot of fun!
The ALABAMA SLAMMERS are the only NPL team that has yet to get a Complete Game in this first quarter of the 2007 season. But Al almost saw one in person on Saturday night as Chuck James was mowing down the Pirates - No Hitter style until the 7th inning. Grady Sizemore shook off the Sports Illustrated cover jinx to finish the week strong and looking at the A.S. roster, there are some good performers who seem to be under the radar. How about Carlos Lee at 9-37, .327 and the American League ERA leader in Dan Haren (1.64) and K leader Erik Bedard (63). As for the KOOPERSTOWN KIDS, I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm 9th in Year-to-Date Hitting points, but I lead the NPL in Home Runs with 80.
The PITTSBURGH O's were the Comeback O's this week, making a move, getting some production from the Pitchers for a change and even doing something Jim Tracy and Littlefield (David K.) haven't been able to do yet ----- show Paul Maholm the door. The O's are back with the bunch and kicking it up a notch. And The Roadhouse was off this week. After 3 scheduled games last week, the men needed some additional time to get their legs back!!
Before we talk about the H-BOMBS, let me first say a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kylee P. Schoming, who is exactly one year old today, the day I write this (May 17). If you recall last year at this time, the 17th was a Wednesday and what a wacky Wednesday it was, with Big Daddy making baseball moves while poor Heather was in labor!! John had a rough week and bottomed out in the NPL but he's not worried. Says that after winning the league last season, he's on a "Free Pass" in 2007. The Bombers plucked one of my former pitchers off the waiver wire this week in Jose Contreras. Good luck with him B.D. I found out from personal experience that Contreras is like the Kirsten Dunst of pitchers. When he's looking good, he's looking real good.......
But when he's going bad............
Well, not so much.......
THE SOPRANOS:
May 13, 2007: "Kennedy and Heidi."
The title is the name of the two teenage girls who were (almost) involved in the accident with Chris & Tony. David Chase always has references in this show. Kennedy?? Don't you think this could be for Ted Kennedy, who's auto accident off the road (or bridge) killed Mary Jo Kopechne? Just a thought....
About the car accident.... Just before it happens Christopher puts in a CD for "The Departed" (soundtrack), saying to T.. "This Departed soundtrack is a F***ing killer." Wow, Departed is right on the nose along with the killer description. Some further observations.....
Christopher even gets Paulie's goat in death with the competing wake. And now Paulie is "stuck with 500 prayer cards." That's tremendous!
Favorite Line: From Paulie: "He had a heavy foot that kid. Almost put me through a billboard one time." Because with Paulie..... it's always about Paulie.
If you watch it again, look for the moment Kelli screams and drops the phone upon getting the news. In perfect harmony, the TV in the background has Letterman and Paul Shaffer laughing just as she screams.
Kelli coming into the funeral home - Diva style, all sunglasses and cleavage with Tony saying.. "Jackie Kennedy."
With Chris going down at the hands of Tony, think about his other "friends" who met the same fate directly from T....... Big Pussy, Ralphie, Tony B (also his cousin) and it would have been Furio too if he could have got his hands on him!!
Can they all be killed off?? In an interesting thought, Al has one theory that New Jersey & New York all kill each other off and the two Jason's and that gang of Rutgers thugs becomes the new Mafia!
The whole Las Vegas scene with the girl and the drugs was sort of weird. But when he started winning at Roulette, was he laughing cause maybe he though C.M. being gone has changed his luck?
And don't know how many watch Entourage too, but how odd was it that the endings of the two shows were somewhat the same, although Entourage is a comedy. With Tony looking over a dessert canyon and then screaming out to no one in particular ("I get it.") while Johnny Drama in a similar venue, dropped on his knees, raised his arms and yelled "Victory" at the top of his lungs, which is the mantra from his cancelled TV show "Viking Quest."
"I get it." ??? Not sure if I did, but maybe John Frissora described the Las Vegas visit the best with one sentence......... "I thought I was watching a Jim Morrison documentary."
Now...... For the picture that I promised of Meadow's mystery date.........
Wonder what Tony would think of this guy????
Catch yins later.....
