PERIOD # 15. "Bulldogs Days of Summer."

KOMMISH RANT:

The quote on the right from JVB was after his last outing on July 16, when the 27 year old prospect gave up 9 earned runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 hit batsmen in 2 innings. And that included hitting the lead-off batter with the first pitch of the game! This leaves John with an 0-4 record and 8.17 ERA after six starts. Ya know, I don’t think this town has seen a sports figure deflect responsibility away from themselves like that since the previous Pitt head football coach made a habit of it.

Surely you remember……. Walt “not my fault” Harris!

Hey, are you excited about another one of Jim Tracy’s stepsons from his days in Los Angeles being acquired?

Who do you think will be the PTBNL? ESPN-1050 in Chicago is saying it is Zach Duke. Even though Duke is struggling this year, if it’s him, they ought to dismiss David K. Littlefield on the spot. My guess is either Duffy or McLouth. Cubs still searching for someone out in CF. Felix Pie (pronounced “Pea-aye”) has been a disappointment, but of course the Duffster has been no prize either.

And while speaking of YOUR Buccos, the link below is provided by one Mr. Alan Cotton.

http://bugsandcranks.com/pittsburgh-pirates/requiem-for-a-team/


NPL ADMIN BUSINESS:

I’ll remind you before I go on vacation regarding Bob’s phone number and e-mail address, but in TWO Wednesdays from now, the Big Train will be conducting the Wednesday Night (Aug 1) transactions, from the Train Station in Franklin Park.

SHORT- HOPS:

If you look at the DL’ed players on the league rosters, you will note that we have exactly 25 players on the DL. That’s like an 11th team. Of those 25, 12 are Starting Pitchers. That’s like another team and a half of SP’s. And of those 12 SP’s, 5 are BULLDOGS. And remember, one of those that can be a big difference maker if healthy is Pedro Martinez. And speaking of Mets…. Tony offered up BUD Harrelson, the former Met as an answer to the question about former Buddy’s or Buds in Major League Baseball.

Interesting race going on, with the BIG TRAIN keeping the ROCK CATS back at about a buck and a half or so. Train members Utley and Rowand really tore it up this week and the R Cats pitchers were 8-2 in 11 Starts

Meanwhile, the ALABAMA SLAMMERS, OWLS and KOOPERSTOWN KIDS continue to leap-frog each other on a daily basis for 3-4-5. Curtis Granderson of the A.S. hit .587 this past week. What a nice early season pick-up he was. Must be Lloyd McClendon’s tutelage helping the young man in Motown.

The Owls were pumped about the Jason Kendall trade to the Cubbies. John said as the wind blows out more often in late summer, Kendall could end up with 5 Jacks this season!!

Here’s some consistent play at the corner infield spots for the Kids in week 15… The two 1st basemen totaled 83 points and the two 3rd basemen had all of 22.

The HORNS are LOCKed in a suddenly tight match for his 6th place spot with the T & E Paulino Bulldogs. While the Dogs lead the league in Saves, the Horns had a blown save in a very unusual way. Jeremy Accardo gave up the “Walk off Balk” to earn one for the B.S. category. But Harv has the top scoring pitcher (NPL points) in all of baseball, and since today (July 21) is CC’s 27th birthday, Harv rewarded Sabathia with a little party for his efforts.


The PITTSBURGH O’s are quietly moving up in the standings, coming in under the radar. One big reason is the comeback of the #1 overall pick, Albert Pooholes. The big man has got his groove back.

What has happened to the 69’ERS? In week 9 they were top score and stood in 4th place. Now, they are the # 1 target of the H-Bombs. The longest period of time you can check STATS are for 28 days. Taking a look at the Niners for that period has possibly yielded the answer. 39 GAMES STARTED (only 15 Quality Starts) and only 7 WINS. Piff may need to overhaul the staff. But, with an additional 12 SP’s already on our rosters from the DL, in addition to the 80 active, it’s not always easy to find guys there. I guess that’s why everyone jumps on the next big thing to come up from the minors as a starting pitcher. But Piff’s not worried. The wife and daughter are dropped off up in Michigan for the annual summer visit, and Piff is no doubt reading this from his laptop at Club Erotica!!! (Ha-Ha, just kidding Nadine!) Or am I?

Coming off a 559 point week, the H-BOMBS have been rejuvenated. And Big Daddy says he doesn’t want to finish in 10th. That’s why he is shooting at the team with 69 on their jerseys. B.D. is even helping others….. After the Dogs took BoSox hot shot rookie Kason Gabbard this week, Mr. Schoming stated…… “Good pick, I turned Tony and Eddie onto Gabbard.”

ODD FACT: On this date (July 21) in 1975, Joe Torre of the Mets grounded into 4 double plays in a 6-2 loss to the Houston Astros. Felix Millan had 4 singles but was wiped out each time by Torre.

SATURDAY:

Off tonight to see Humberto Cota's #11 get retired, and pitching for the Astros is recent Slammer acquisition Magic Wandy Rodriguez. Even though Harv says Wandy does not pitch well on the road, Al kept him around this week because of this very match-up. Anyone know the lifetime numbers of Wandy vs. Izturis????

Catch yins later….

PERIOD # 14. "All About All-Stars."

--Before we get to the 2007 NPL All-Stars, here are some All-Star Break odds and ends.

Total 1st half points scored in 2006: 65,258

Total 1st half points scored in 2007: 62,984


In 2006: H-Bombs were in 1st place at the break, with The Big Train in 10th.

In 2007: Big Train is in 1st place at the break, with The H-Bombs in 10th.


Standings based on Points Scored FROM the All-Star Break in 2006 - TO the All-Star Break in 2007.

1. Train .......................12,334
2. Lockhorns.............. 11,963
3. Owls........................ 11,835
4. Rock Cats................11,704
5. Bulldogs.................. 11,608
6. Slammers............... 11,602
7. K Kids......................11,388
8. H-Bombs................ 11,377
9. 69’ers ......................11,296
10. Pittsburgh O’s..... 10,832


The 2007 N.P.L. All-Stars.

This is not based on opinion, just cold hard NPL points scored to this date. The leading NPL scorers at each position to fill a 26 man NPL roster. And isn’t it ironic that the two starting pitchers in the All-Star game (Peavy & Haren) are not on this team.

26 man roster, same set up by position, the same as our regular season roster.
27 players on this list due to a tie for 8th place among SP points. So, we have 9 SP’s listed.

CATCHERS: (2.)

Victor Martinez (Clev). KOOPERSTOWN KIDS. 5th Round.
.323, 16 – 68.
316 points

Not that I would plan to move him, but he also has 10+ games at 1st base.


Russell Martin (Lad.) BIG TRAIN. 10th Round.
.306, 11 – 60.
314 points

Leads all Dodger hitters in NPL points.


1st BASE: (2.)

Prince Fielder (Mil.) BIG TRAIN. 15th Round.
.284, 29 – 70.
383 points

Leads N.L. in HR and Slugging Pct, and is 2nd in RBI.


Justin Morneau (Minn) BIG TRAIN. 2nd Round.
.295, 24 – 74.
355 points

That 31 point day on July 6th, jumped him ahead of Big Papi.


2nd BASE: (2.)

Chase Utley (Phil) BIG TRAIN. 1st Round.
.324, 15 – 68
382 points

Leads N.L. in Doubles with 34


Dan Uggla (Fla.) OWLS. 8th Round.
.246, 17 – 52
338 points

2nd leading Owls hitter, behind A-Rod.


SHORTSTOP: (2.)

Jimmy Rollins (Phil) LOCKHORNS. 6th Round.
.286, 16 – 53...... 15 SB
367 points

N.L. Triple leader with 10.


Hanley Ramirez (Fla.) ALABAMA SLAMMERS. 6th Round.
.331 14 – 35..... 27 SB
355 points

On his way to the 30-50 club


3rd BASE: (2.)

Alex Rodriguez (NYy.) OWLS. 1st Round.
.316, 30 – 86
442 points

His 442 points are 59 more than the 2nd highest scorer in the NPL (Fielder).


Miquel Cabrera (Fla.) H-BOMBS. 1st Round.
.324, 18 – 61
337 points

Teams with H-Ram for a dynamic left side of the Fish infield.


OUTFIELD: (6.)

Gary Sheffield (Det.) BULLDOGS. 6th Round.
.302, 21 – 58
379 points

The old guy even has 12 Swipes.


Magglio Ordonez (Det.) BULLDOGS. 15th Round.
.367, 13 – 70
378 points

Leads A.L. in Batting Average, OBP, and Doubles


Grady Sizemore (Clev) ALABAMA SLAMMERS. 1st Round.
.280, 15 – 46..... 24 SB
371 points

The heart and soul of the Tribe.


Matt Holliday (Col.) ROCK CATS. 3rd Round.
.340, 15 – 69
364 points

Leads N.L. In Total Bases. Todd who?


Vladimir Guerrero (LAa.) 69’ERS. 2nd Round.
.324, 14 – 75
344 points

Your 2007 HR Derby Champ!


Carlos Lee (Hou.) ALABAMA SLAMMES. 3rd Round
.296, 16 – 73
342 points

Loves the short porch in LF at Minute Maid. Your National League RBI leader.


STARTING PITCHERS: (9)

C.C. Sabathia (Clev.) LOCKHORNS. 7th Round
12-3, 119 K’s, 2 CG
349 points

The big man has 119 K’s and only 18 Walks issued.


Johan Santana (Minn.) ROCK CATS. 1st Round
10-6, 125 K’s, 1 CG
310 points

And he doesn’t really get going until the 2nd half!!


Justin Verlander (Det.) BIG TRAIN 13th Round.
10-3, 97 K’s, 1 No-Hitter.
307 points

For the record…… A Big Daddy discovery!


Cole Hamels (Phil.) 69’ERS 8th Round.
10-4, 124 K’s, 2 CG
304 points

1 K behind NL leader Jake Peavy.


Erik Bedard (Balt) ALABAMA SLAMMERS 7th Round
7-4, 149 K’s, 1 CG
289 points

MLB leader in K’s. Check his history in ’07. Probably the toughest luck of any SP.


Daisuke Matsuzaka (Bos.) KOOPERSTOWN KIDS 2nd Round.
10-6, 123 K’s, 1 CG
288 points

Boston offers good run support


Kelvim Escobar (LAa.) ROCK CATS 15th Round.
10-3, 88 K’s, 2 CG
288 points

Just don’t call him “Pablo” Escobar.


Josh Beckett (Bos.) BIG TRAIN 8th Round
12-2, 92 K’s
272 points

He even missed time due to a stint on the DL


Carlos Zambrano (Cubs) H-BOMBS 3rd Round
10-7, 107 K’s
272 points

Best thing to happen for him was the Michael Barrett incident.


RELIEF PITCHERS: (2)

Francisco Rodriguez (LAa.) OWL 7th Round
2 Wins, 24 Saves, 53 K’s
323 points

Hard to believe he has a Blown Save against the Pirates


Francisco Cordero (Mil.) BULLDOGS 13th Round
2 Wins, 27 Saves, 49 K’s
319 points

What are the odds, the top two RP’s would both be named Francisco?

--------------


Well, there you have it. The 27 player NPL All-Star Team.

Of the 10 1st round draft picks, only 5 are in this group. The top three picks of Pujols, Howard and Soriano are not there.

Representation by NPL teams:

6 – Big Train
4 – Alabama Slammers
3 – Rock Cats
3 – Owls
3 – Bulldogs
2 – Kooperstown Kids
2 - Lockhorns
2 – 69’ers
2 – H-Bombs
0 – Pittsburgh O’s

27 Total.

And for mandatory representation we can add for the Pittsburgh O’s

Ken Griffey Jr.
.285 23 – 59
327 points

Ranked 12th among OF’s in NPL points.

Joe Borowski
1 Win 25 Saves 29 K’s
294 points

Ranked 6th in scoring among NPL Closers.


2nd half coming..... Lets's get it started!!

PERIOD # 13. "Fun at the old ball park."

Greetings at the half-way point of 2007.

NPL owners were seen at professional ballparks this past week. Pictures of the Altoona fantasy camp adventure of our week 13 leading scorer Larry Ott (the Altoona fantasy camp MVP) have circulated. Did you know the Big O was a lefty? (More pics from Altoona will be seen in the next couple of weeks!)


And of course June 30 was the big “walk-out” day at PNC Park. A number of NPL guys were there. And I’ve been informed that at that game, our own Alabama Slammer had a foul ball chance. I’m also told the scene in Al’s section looked a little like this……


Unfortunately the ball hit Al in the worst possible place. Right in the hands!! The ricochet then got him in the noggin. But not to worry according to Big Daddy, who reported….. “Other than still being a little dizzy, he’s Okay.”

Then, at the end of the 3rd inning, Al and the Rock Cat proceeded to pick up their Walkie Bobbles and take part in the protest.


On Monday nights game, former NPL owner TomVandergrift was spotted on TV during the final 3 innings sitting in the front row of the Home Plate Club seats in a bright yellow shirt, talking on his cell phone and wearing the upside down rally cap in the 9th inning of a Milwaukee blow out over the Bucs. And at that same game, my youngest son Mike (age 19) was sitting in the first row behind the visitor’s dugout. He was wearing a Brian Urlacher #54 Bears jersey. He said the famous Pittsburgh vendor “T.C.” was selling his product and you know T.C. likes to have fun with the fans. He looked at Mike (again, age 19) and said….. “Hey Urlacher, Bud Light?”


ODD FACTS & STATS AT THE HALFWAY POINT – Some regarding statistical categories that are not part of NPL scoring….

THE BIG TRAIN is #1 hitting points and #2 in pitching. Early in the season when JJ Putz was struggling, Bob was considering dropping him. Now he has 24 saves and the best ERA (0.90) and best WHIP (0.57) among all pitchers – SP’s and RP’s.

ROCK CATS lead the NPL in TEAM ERA 3.55 and TEAM WHIP 1.22 along with being 1st in Wins, K’s and overall pitching points.

The OWLS Jason Kendall is on pace to slug 4 HR’s this season!!! John leads the league right now in the categories of HBP and he was 2nd with that in ’06. Owls also lead in SB and RUNS SCORED thus far in 2007. John also led those two ranking in 2006. I think John likes the scrappy type of batters.

KIDS lead the league in Home Runs with 184. Didn’t expect Alex Rios to have 17 by the 4th of July.

The LOCKHORNS lead the NPL in Triples, and he doesn’t even own Curtis Granderson!! Horns SS Jimmy Rollins leads majors in AT BATS with 374, which is 22 more than the guy in 2nd place – the Owls Juan Pierre.

The ALABAMA SLAMMERS are the only NPL team still looking for that first Shut-Out but have the SP who leads the league in “Quality Starts” with 16 of his 18 starts being of quality. And despite one of Al’s co-workers saying after the draft that…. “I don’t like the pick of Grady Sizemore in the first round”, the Tribe centerfielder and 9th overall draft selection is the 6th best overall point scorer in the NPL.

Those 69’ERS lead the league in Complete Games with 8 despite ranking 8th in total pitching Wins. And some thought Vlad Guerrero was on the down side, but Piff’s 2nd round draft pick is 9th in NPL batting points.

The BULLDOGS thus far in 2007 have the most SAVES but the least amount of WINS. Another up and down statistic for the Dogs is that they have the best NPL Team Batting Average at .291, which is a full 10 points ahead of the 2nd best team (Niners) but then they have the worst Team ERA at 4.35.

Did you know the PITTSBURGH O’s have a team leading 86 Quality Starts? In the last 14 days, big guns Pujols and Griffey Jr are hitting .378 and .351 respectively. Big O says right now he would not trade Harv Xavier Nady for Jason Bay.

The H-BOMBS just can’t seem to get the roster to where he is happy with it. We draft 26 players, 16 hitters and 10 pitchers. So far Big Daddy has had 29 different hitters and 23 different pitchers on the roster - 52 total. Exactly double the number of players we start with. B.D. currently has used 24 of the allotted 30 DROP moves. Of course, he’ll get 4 more come September 1st.

DAVE'S MOVE REQUESTS - 4th OF JULY

KIDS - One move attempt:

DROP: 3B, Akinori Iwamura (T.B.)

MOVE: Kevin Youkilis (Bos.), from 1B to 3B.

(Youk now has 10 games at 3b.)

ADD: 1B: 1st - Carlos Pena (T.B.)
2nd - James Loney (LAd.)
3rd - Dan Johnson (Oak.)
4th - Ryan Garko (Tribe)

That's it for me......

--Dave

CELEBRATING THE GOOD TIMES, INDEED!

Having just finished watching The Sopranos finale once again on OnDemand, I trudged up to my own war room to post on the NPL Blog, wondering what to write about. When I saw Dave's headline on the website about celebrating the good times, not 15 minutes after hearing A.J. "Fredo Wannabe" Soprano saying the same thing (not that we should use A.J. as a role model), well, let's just say that inspiration came upon me.

First off, a salute to Harv for his back-to-back weekly wins which has put him in fifth place and smack in the middle of the money chase. While Harv resides in fifth place, he is a significant 125 points ahead of sixth place Piffy. Also, it should be noted that only 62 points separate the Owls, Kids, and Lockhorns in the 2-3-4 spots.

Whilst on vacation, the Train was able to maintain his first place lead over John's Rock Cats. It has been a tenuous lead, some days 70+ points, others, such as this morning, only 39. No one is being measured for NPL Pennant rings just yet, that is for sure. I can only hope that my boy, Jim Leyland, doesn't burn out the magical arms of Verlander and Bonderman in the last half of the season.

At this point, I will not provide the in depth analysis as does our esteemed Kommish, and there is no new episode of the Sopranos to rehash, and who wants to discuss the wretched Pirates, so let's just reach into the treasure chest filled with good memories and....

CELEBRATE ONE OF THE GOOD TIMES

Dave's mention of being at the Forbes Field the day they dropped the final curtain at that hallowed yard, prompted me to come up with an "I was there" of my own.

The year is 1966, and the Pirates are in a three way pennant race with the Koufax-Drysdale-Wills Dodgers and the Mays-McCovey-Marichal Giants. As August rolls to a close, the newspapers are talking about an impending milestone: Roberto Clemente will soon be recording his 2,000th major league hit. On the morning of September 2, with the Great One sitting on 1,999, my dad announces that he has scored tickets from his office for that night's game, and he and I are going to Oakland to catch the Bucs take on the Cubs. The pitching matchup was also a good one: Ferguson Jenkins "and his Orchestra" vs Big Bob Veale. Not only might we see Clemente's get his historic hit, we might also get to see a strawberry thrown through a locomotive!

Our seats at Forbes were field boxes on the third base line looking directly into the short right field porch of Forbes Field. Clemente was 0-for-1, when he came to bat in the fifth inning with two runners on base, the Bucs leading 1-0.

I can't tell you what the count was, but Clemente soon unloaded on a Jenkins pitch and sent the ol' horsehide covered sphere into the upper deck in right field, and we could follow that ball all the way. What a way to get a milestone hit! Funny the things that you remember, but I recall distinctly the guys in the Pirate bullpen running out into the field in right and waiving to the fans in the upper deck to bring the ball down to the field.

As I said, this was a very special memory of a milestone hit in Clemente's career, but it is never mentioned or remembered. It was not noted in the David Mariness biography of Clemente that was published last year. I suppose the fact that Roberto went on to get 3,000 hits, and the fact that that hit was the last one before his tragic death, has obscured the 2,000th hit.

Clemente won the MVP that season (.317, 29 HR, 119 RBI). Had the NPL existed back then, some lucky owner would have tallied 628 points by having Roberto on his squad. Alas, the Pirates were eliminated from the pennant race on the next to last day of the season in a double header loss to the Giants (I was also at that game with my Dad. It was cold and rainy, a memorable day, but not necessarily a happy one.) To this day, though, the '66 team remains one of my all-time favorite Pirates squads. Stargell, Alou and Clemente in the outfield. Clendenon, Maz, Alley, and Bailey in the infield. Pagliaroni behind the dish. Mota, Pagan, Lynch, and May on the bench. And how's this for a starting staff:

Bob Veale 16-12 (in the days before he became a mentor to Big O)
Vernon Law 12-8
Woody Fryman 12-9
Steve Blass 11-7
Tommie Sisk 10-5

All five of those guys were products of the Pirates farm system, just like the five starters from today's 2007 team (so how come this team stinks?).

Roy face, Pete Mikkelson, and Al McBean were the stalwarts of the bullpen.

What a team! Good times, indeed.

Oh, as for that September 2 game, the Pirates beat the Cubs that night by a score of 7-2. Veale won to boost his record to 14-9. He went 6.1 innings and had 6 K's - a 21 point game! Jenkins was the loser and his record fell to 2-7 that night. Better days were in store for Fergie in the years ahead. Clemente had the only round-tripper that night, but extra base hits were recorded by Bob Bailey, a triple, and a double was hit by reliever Don Cardwell, of all people. Cardwell recorded a save that night by pitching 2.2 innings in relief of Veale. No "set-up specialists" in 1966.

Only 13,677 were at the game that night. No give-aways or fireworks in 1966, either.

Six Hall-of-Famers played in that game that night: Clemente, Stargell, and Maz for the Bucs, and Jenkins, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams for the Cubs. Pretty cool!

Oh, and one final note of special interest to John Frissora. The starting left fielder for the Cubs that night (1-for-4 with 2 RBI) was a young player by the name of John Boccabella. As Mel Allen would say - How about that!!

Hope you enjoyed "remembering the good times" with me. Kommish Dave will be back in the Web master's seat next Thursday.

PERIOD # 11. "And speaking of........."

Administrative Item:

Remember guys, in TWO weeks – Wednesday, July 4, we do moves in a different way due to the Holiday. You e-mail or call me with your move(s) and list in the order you want things, and when I get home later that evening I’ll put it all together. But more on that as we get closer to the 4th.

Around The North Park League Diamond…..

In addition to all the praise I heaped on the LOCKHORNS within the CBS Sportsline front page news article, let me throw out this interesting nugget about the 7 day scoring period. We know Harv had a good hitting week. It also helps that his AT BATS total for the week was huge. 402 At Bats compared to the 2nd highest (Kids) of 372 and the low team were the Cats at 321. So that’s 81 more at bats than another team in the league for a 7 day period. Harv said he had a strange voice mail left for him today. A lot of noise in the background. Sort of like a baby crying and the caller saying just one sentence --- CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BIG WEEK, HARV. He couldn’t make out the voice, but when looking at Caller ID, there was not a number listed, but instead a name…. It just said “The War Room.”

And speaking of…… the H-BOMBS…… Big Daddy was happy to acquire Yovani Gallardo. In fact, B.D. actually said…. “This is the guy I’ve been waiting for.” Hmmm, wonder what Heather would have to say about that!! B.D. also is looking at some NPL history. Saying that what Bob did last year has him motivated. That is, Bob was in last place in 2006 at the All-Star Break and ended up in 5th. B.D. says he wants to do the same thing. Wants to be like Bob….. Said Bob is his NEW mentor. It used to be Al.

And speaking of.............. the ALABAMA SLAMMERS…….. The Slams have a player you don’t hear much about, but this guy is under the radar – having an outstanding year. It’s Curtis Granderson of the Tigers. Along with his 9 HR’s, he has 22 Doubles and an amazing total of 13 Triples already. He’s on pace for close to 50 Doubles and 28 Triples for a single season. He was a pick-up back on April 11th for Luke Scott. Al just happens to have Bucco tickets for the game on June 30. You may have heard that is the game in which some Irate Fans are organizing a staged “walk out.” Ironically a walk out on Bob Walk bobblehead night. Al said if it’s a total walk out of the park, he may just take his Walkie Bobble and head home. But if it just to walk out into the concourse, that would just mean spending more money at Nutting’s concession stand. What to do? Al may ask himself….. “What would Rob Pratte do?” Also having tickets to this game with Al is our own John Stasko…….

And speaking of............... the ROCK CATS………… John got the Johan Santana Shut-Out on Tuesday. You may be surprised to know that this was Johan's first Shut-Out tossed since the 2005 season. John loved it when Santana in the 8th inning told Twinkies manager Ron Gardenhire…. “Unplug the bullpen phone Skipper, I’ll finish this one myself.” What is it with The Raven and his Cubs players getting suspended? This year the Cats Derrek Lee gets 5 games and in 2006 John had Michael Barrett when he got 10. This week, Michael Barrett just got traded to the Pods. Barrett belongs to Piffy.

And speaking of ............. the 69’ERS…………Piff made his move on Wednesday from the popular west suburb restaurant of Armstrongs. Garrett Atkins is finally starting to heat up for the Niners as they try to hold off the Horns and catch back up to the Kids and Owls. Piff is also looking for the Owls owner to give him some kind words on the next MOASP report as he celebrates the San Antonio Spurs….

And speaking of......... those OWLS……….. While everyone seems hungry for all the young pitching pheenoms that come up each week, John went “old school” with his picks of Kenny “The Gambler” Rogers and Paul Byrd. Byrd-man was a Bomber earlier this year on two separate occasions and an Owl from past seasons. These picks had to be made as the Birds were hit hard with pitching DL’s. About the same as the Big O was…..

And speaking of............ the PITTSBURGH O’s…….. First off, kudos to Larry for going to Altoona Curves Fantasy Camp, and as we predicted here in this Blog, the O brought home the MVP hardware….. O was getting ready to step into the batters box on Wednesday when we spoke, so I should have more details later, and Laura… If you can, please e-mail me any good photos!! While O was having his MVP day on Sunday, the fantasy team responded as well with a 126 point day on the strength of 3 Wins and 2 Saves. Strange week for suspensions and Pirates with the O’s….. Chris Young suspended. Matt Capps starts to serve his suspension. Ian Snell burns hand cooking chicken, misses a start, and Jack Wilson endures an embarrassing benching….. Oh, those Buccos!! As you know, we also have another NPL team that is Buc heavy…….

And speaking of........... THE BIG TRAIN……… Two weeks in a row the BT score exactly 530 points. The young men did alright with the owner down at the shore…. Bob was evidently in deep meditation with the calming sound of the ocean waves….. When speaking with the Sproule’s on Wednesday night, Marilyn couldn’t get Bob to come to the phone….. She said….. “He just stares out into the ocean. Kind of like Michael Corleone staring out onto the lake at the end of Godfather – Part II.”


One reason this team is in first place is the slugging of 1st baseman Prince Fielder… Is Prince this year’s version of Ryan Howard for the Big Train? This season, Howard is toiling for yours truly……

And speaking of........... the KOOPERSTOWN KIDS……. This week I curse Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. I hate you Theo!!! I’m sure you know why. But at least I discovered a new young pitcher from the Cubbies this week… Whatever happens with this guy, it should be fun……

In my Transaction write up Wednesday night, I mentioned what may have sounded like some dissention between our NPL team with the dual ownership……..

And speaking of.........the BULLDOGS……… I understand a sit-down took place between the two owners and they talked out their differences……

The Tony & Eddie team picked up a new outfielder this week…… The OF’er they cut last week – Chris Duncan was claimed Wednesday by Harv. And Harv had a message for T&E this week about their new acquisition – Reggie Willits… Harv is informing us that even though it sounds like the dude is a black guy with that name – he’s actually a white guy and a former Oklahoma Sooner………

Thank you, Mr. Harvey!!

PERIOD # 10. "Baseball, a game Made in America."

The Baseball Episode…..

As the BIG TRAIN chugged into first place late Tuesday night on the strength of the 87 point Velander game, somewhere in an Air-Conditioned Baseball War Room in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh, an owner was watching Sports-Center with a wry smile….. You see, about a month ago, the owner of the H-BOMBS told me and also his post-office brothers that his prediction for the winner of the NPL in 2007 was The Big Train. And on the night the BT moves into first, it was due to a young man that was a John Schoming discovery during a pick-up night in early April of 2006. Justin Velander helped the Bombs win a title; can he do the same for a Train?

But let’s not jump the gun and count out the ROCK CATS just yet….. Remember, this is a 3-time league champion and the Jake Peavy led Cats are not going to go away. John will work the roster and he usually comes up with good roster additions. In fact, this week he grabbed Brendan Harris of the D-Rays when a number of teams were looking to get him in the second round.

The 69’ERS also got a guy other teams wanted in RP Takashi Saito of the Dodgers. Piffy then added a couple of new bats as he presses the Kids and Owls for 3rd/4th. And its good news for the Niners that Mr. Soriano is heating up. 3 HR’s in one game!! Piff says root for the San Antonio Spurs to bring home the NBA title. It’s important to him!!

The KIDS have been pretty steady lately and currently in the first division, but I had two worst case scenarios take place this week. Curt Schilling 8 2/3 innings of No-Hit ball before banjo hitting Shannon Stewart gets a single and on the same Thursday, B.J. Upton goes down injured but the D-Ray management waits until late Wednesday night to DL the guy. Thanks!

The OWLS were living the high life this week with his Yankees beating up on the poor pathetic Pirates.

Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu led all NPL hitters with 47 and 45 points respectively. And John only had 1 Pitching Win this week out of 10 starts but he made it a good one. A Shut-Out from the on-again / off-again member of the Owls staff – Carlos Silva. Carlos gave John a nice going away gift on his way out the door after his 2nd one week Tour of Duty as a Bird. This was the first Owls Shutout since 2005. Who would have guessed Carlos Silva? Is this a great game, or what? On a different note, I’m sure John is happy to hear that the former McKees Rocks Boxer and Criminal - Paul Spadafora, is now a permanent resident of Erie, PA!!

The PITTSBURGH O’s get a boost by the return of a BIG STICK this week….

In other news from the O’s camp……. Albert the Great is regaining his batting stroke, Ian Snell notches a Complete Game for the O’s but at the same time, Larry is starting to wonder what Tracy is doing with Jack Wilson. And this Sunday, L.O. is off to Altoona for Curves Fantasy Camp. There is an individual MVP Trophy there for the taking and the Big O wants to bring home the hardware.

Big Daddy had punched out 13 moves total in the previous two weeks. While B.D. was relatively quiet this Wednesday, the ALABAMA SLAMMERS picked up the slack with 6 transactions. However, Al didn’t get all the players he wanted and seemed a slight bit cranky about it, giving me the following messages to pass on……..
“Tell Tony and Eddie they shouldn’t be making any more moves, they’re not going anywhere with that team.” And for Harv……. “Tell Harv that Kenny Chesney is Gay!” Among those moves, Al drops a discovery in Kevin Slowey. Said he wouldn’t have taken him if he knew he was from Upper St. Clair, but discovers young Andy Sonnanstine. Keep an eye on Alex Gordon….. He could be a sleeper among the pick-ups, showing signs of finally breaking out.

I don’t think the BULLDOGS apprecriated hearing those comments from the Slammers. One of the Dogs owners said that at this point they’re not too concerned about finishing at the top, they just want to BEAT AL!!! Magglio continues to rake and now David Wright is coming along. 4 dingers this week. Tony make an interesting point about the No-No’s this season. We’ve had two, and one belongs to the first place team and the other the last place team.

The LOCKHORNS working the DL list with the addition of “Rocco.” Is he the guy from the Pirates post-game show on 104.7 FM? And Kevin Kouzmanoff – or as Harv calls him….. The Suckin’ Russian, doesn’t seem to like playing for the Horns. He was bad at first, Harv cut him and he got good. Harv picks him back up and he sucks again, and on his way out the door Wednesday night after knowing he was released by the Horns, he goes off for a 10 point game. Some players and owners are just not meant for each other!

The MADE IN AMERICA episode……

Let’s look at that ending first, and then other aspects of the final hour.

My first impression of the cut to black screen was like “what the heck….” But as a couple of days went on and I re-watched it again (the final scene 3 or 4 times) I now like it. Although in a way, it’s a different way to end one of the all-time great shows by getting the reaction of…. “Oh geez, my cable just went out.”

So, leave it to you’re imagination as to what happened next… By now you’ve probably read and heard these things over and over, but…… the main question is… was he shot in the restaurant or not?
Why maybe yes --- My son Pat remembered this right away and I later read it elsewhere as well…… In the first episode of this season when Bobby and Tony are at the lake house in a boat, they talk about what being shot must be like. Bobby says, “You probably don’t even hear it when it happens, right?” Then, the 2nd to last episode at the very end, Tony is laying in bed holding the gun Bobby gave him from that episode and flashes back to that scene of Bobby, again saying, “you probably don’t even hear it when it happens, right.” In that final scene, Tony hears the door open. Each time the bell jingles, camera shows Tony looking up, it then it switches to his perspective. The final time this happens, we anticipate it is Meadow walking through the door. The door jingles; camera shows Tony looking up and then switches to his perspective, which is a black screen because he has just been shot in the head. Because “he didn’t even hear it when it happened.” It’s just one theory on what could have been… But the counter argument is that Bobby no doubt heard it when he got whacked, as well as Silvio. If you also read anywhere that the suspicious guy at the counter was billed as Nick Leotardo (Phil’s nephew) and therefore almost a given that he would have shot Tony, I read from a credible TV critic that this is false information. The guy at the counter was billed as “The guy in the Members Only Jacket.” That actor never had a role in the show before.

But I’m more in the camp of
Why he didn’t get shot…. If he was really getting shot at the end, I think they would have showed the guy come out of the men’s bathroom, even for a split-second. Here’s a theory that I like better which I read somewhere on-line…… Every time someone came through the door Tony had to take a cautious glance. After watching Tony do this four, then five times, you realize that he will always live with that “uh-oh, who’s this?” fear hanging over his head. Life of a mobster, goes with the territory. But I think I’ll watch this ending again. Amazing how they were able to build the tension. Really well done.

Some other thoughts……..

The last two episodes of this season ….. Tough to beat those for heart pounding drama.

Music and lyrics have always been an integral part of The Sopranos. Right up to the end with Don’t Stop Believing from the jukebox.

A.J. therapist… Legs crossed like Melfi. And Tony opening up to her about HIS issues, his mother, etc… The look on Carmela’s face……. Priceless!

The hit on Phil… Perfect. The whole thing with the SUV running over his head, grand-kids in the backseat…. Wow!

Tony saying to Uncle Jun…. “This thing of ours.”

FAVORITE LINE:
A.J.: “The Army’s probably good for my career.”
TONY: “You don’t have a career!”

Paulie and the Cat – it kept starring of the picture of “Christaphu.” Hilarious. Maybe it was Adrianne reincarnated.

And lastly……

Who would have guessed that Agent Harris has a Goomah?? But looking back, Harris saved the day for Tony with the tip of where to look for Phil.

Well, that’s it….. didn’t think I was going to make this a weekly feature, but you know…… once you start something…..

Later,
Kommish.