Volume 2 Issue 67
May 6, 2003
Another Strike for Baseball
NJ doesn't want old people to go to the DMV, Bob Graham offically joins the ballclub, and happy 50th to Tony Blair
Can baseball do anything right? Whenever there is a glimmer of good news on the horizon, they quickly go do something to screw it up. This season, the good idea has been the plan to give home field advantage during the World Series to the league that wins the All-Star Game, therefore ensuring it won't end in a tie again like last years debacle. That's the good news. The bad news is that a new proposal shows the players union would like to get in on ruining the game as well.
As baseball has expanded, the three division with wild card playoff format was inevitable, after all you want a stable percentage of the teams in the playoffs, though I don't really like the fact that in some of the smaller divisions, teams with sub-.500 records can make the playoffs in some situations. But now the players want to add more wild cards to the system, and have 12 teams play in a post-season tournament of sorts, similar to the playoff structure in basketball and hockey. The main proponent of this idea is Mets pitcher Al Leiter who says, "I'm a perfect example of why the playoffs should be expanded. I'm not a hockey or basketball fan, but when the playoffs come I watch." Yes Al, let's think about that statement. Why do you watch the playoffs in hockey and basketball...perhaps it's because the regular seasons mean squat? When 40% of teams can make the playoffs, is there anything really special about making them? The beauty of baseball was that only the best made it in. Since MLB has already overexpanded to the point where pitchers can be in the starting rotation with ERA's over 5.00, expanding the playoffs would only make them less exciting, not more.
Another interesting idea for Al to consider is the fact that playing all these additional playoff series would push the season to absurd lengths. Take what they've done to hockey for example. The Stanley Cup Playoffs, for a sport played on ice, that originated in the winter...will end in June. Even in Montreal, June is not exactly hockey weather. In 2001, when baseball canceled a weeks worth of games due to the terrorist attacks, the World Series got pushed back into November. With Leiter's brainchild, we may even be hearing Christmas carols before we have a World Series champ. Can you imagine playing games in Boston or Chicago in December? These are cities that get snow in October! Of course, baseball fans wouldn't have to wait too long for the proverbial next year, because pitchers and catchers would report in mere days after the end of the season! They could even just catch a plane from Game 7 of the World Series and head to Florida.
Leiter's other reason for the destruction of baseball is that it will allow teams to play until the end, with no "Yankees clinching with three weeks to go." OK, first, the Yankees are mutants. No other team plays that well, and in most divisions there is competition. Boston can even compete for the wild card slot now, and the rest of the AL East sucks so that's not an issue. Secondly, under Leiter's system, the Yankees won't clinch with three weeks to go, they'll clinch with three months to go. Because so many will get in, they'll clinch some sort of spot early, making the rest oft he season moot for them practically. And not all the teams will suddenly have a reason to play to the end. I didn't see the Cleveland Cavaliers or LA Clippers busting their butts too much towards the end of the NBA's season this year...
Sadly, as the article above points out, if the player's really are for this, the money grubbing owners will do it, seeing visions of additional dollars from ticket and TV sales during an expanded playoffs. Hell, maybe they can even get a new set of stadiums north of the Mason-Dixon line with roofs, so they can play year round. Of course, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig could stop it, but as a pawn of the owners (oh wait, he is an owner too...) I wouldn't count on it. After all, they've been trying to move the Expos for how long now? This is just one more reason why Bud Selig has to go. Given current evidence, I'd say he's even more a threat to America than Saddam Hussein was...speaking of which, George W. Bush once made it known that he'd be interested in being baseball commissioner...hmm...well, while I won't back W for President ever, I'd back him for commissioner any day. I'd back anyone for commissioner any day other than Selig. Speaking of which, where is that Iraqi information minister?
Onto the rest of today's insanity...
At least they admit it: Sometimes I really can't add anything...here's the lead from this story about NJ's new driver's licenses: "The state may allow motorists older than 70 to opt out of the coming digital drivers-license program because many might not be able to handle the physical stress of going to a motor-vehicle agency." Why are we just stopping with those over 70?
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5794745.htm
A Billion Dollars buys off a lot of foreign leaders: Did Saddam and his sons escape with a billion dollars?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/international/worldspecial /06BANK.html?pagewanted=all&position
Where are the WMD's? Nick Kristof explains why actually finding the Weapons of Mass Destruction is important. He also shows the intellectual capacity of most Americans through their e-mail to him -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/opinion/06KRIS.html
Army Waste: Even George Bush can do something right. His intransigence with Congress and quick suppression of dissent has had one good effect...reigning in the Army Corps of Engineers, the most costly, corruption ridden, wasteful agency in government -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082577/
And I thought that the Army leaving chemical weapons near where I went to college was bad -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5793384.htm
Free Speech No More: People, you have got to let this go....2 DJ's in Colorado were suspended after playing the Dixie Chicks on their station -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19571-2003May6.html
Look Who's Running for President: Bob Graham formally announced his campaign today. He's been low key so far, though ABC's The Note comments: "Despite the fact that he is the ultimate vice presidential candidate bridesmaid, it seems in one sense almost a certainty that Graham will be on the ticket in 2004 — if not at the top, then in the second slot." Who knows, but so far Bob hasn't been too impressive as a candidate. Here's the AP dish on his announcement -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/05/06/national0418EDT0453.DTL
Look Who's Running for President 2: Teresa Heinz must keep John Kerry's staff up at night -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17760-2003May5.html
Look Who's Running for President 3: No one is winning in Iowa, though Gephardt is still the man to beat -
http://www.dmregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/21138602. html
In New Hampshire, Kerry is still ahead with 28%, with Dean trailing at 21%.
Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day:
No, no, it's OK, my face always does this when I eat fruit.
Plan For Domination: Microsoft is developing a toilet -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/05/06/BU135929.DTL
Slamming down to Earth: Turns out it was a software bug that caused the Soyuz craft to have a rough landing over the weekend -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/05/06/soyuz.landing.ap/in dex.html
But it was still a wild ride -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17992-2003May5.html
The End of the most commonly held Government Security: Paper Savings Bonds, a staple of baby showers and first Communions for decades, will be phased out over the next few years, though you will still be able to purchase them online...hey, at least you'll know what you have and not discover missing bonds in a shoebox or something -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/technology/06BOND.html
Gambling Bill: Why did the Casino's rat out Bill Bennett?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082574/
But a piece in the NY Times hits what we should really be mad at Bennett for. He plays the slots, which to a true gambler is an insult. -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/opinion/06MCMA.html
Tabloid Trash of the Day: Joey Buttafuoco and his wife are getting divorced -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Buttafuoco.html
Talk about 9 lives: A Cat in England has inherited an estate and $1 million -
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TINKER?SITE=NJCAM &SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
The Most Annoying Ads on TV: Can someone please tell AT&T to fire Carrot Top?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082430/
Comic Ali: Our favorite Iraqi Information Minister is back in the news...a British man has mixed his words into a new hit song. No word though on where the mystery man may be...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/05/06/britain.sahaf/ind ex.html
Happy Birthday, Mr. Prime Minister: Tony Blair turns 50 today. I am a big fan of Blair's, but this photo today in the London Evening Standard was a bit shocking -
Have a great day!!!
