West Coast Bias » BG

CWS Winner To Be Crowned Tonight

BG — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:41:00 +0000

Big game from the Big O tonight–go home sick, take a half-day, do whatever you’ve got to do to catch Georgia take on Fres-YES at 4:00 today (ESPN). Last night’s game saw a redonkulous amount of metal-bat-powered offense including a total of 29 runs, 35 hits but shockingly only two home runs. That’s a lot of action on the bases.

In the Bigs, Lowe got roughed up by the White Sox and the Dodgers remain 4 games behind Arizona.

Tuesdays Suck

BG — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:47:00 +0000

To recap some of our items from yesterday:

The Fresno State-Georgia game was nothing short of amazing as Gordon Beckham, the 8th overall pick of the Amateur Draft (White Sox), hit a two run bomb in the bottom of the eighth, keying a four-run rally and giving Georgia a 8-7 win. Gordon also made a terrific play in the top-half of the inning to kill Fresno State’s rally by snagging a line shot and applying a diving tag on some fool who’d wandered too far off of second base. He still looks like Steven Drew v. 2.0 to me but the kid can obviously play. A-Town’s Ryan Overland also hit a jack. Big day in the Big O, Game Two is this afternoon on ESPN.

Tell me you didn’t drive to work today with “Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes” in your head. Amazing that Fu-Schnickens never made it big.
And finally, the NBA Draft is Thursday â€” probably my favorite not-an-actual-sport-but-related-to-a-sport-nevertheless, Rose and Beasley are a lock for 1 and 2 (probably in that order) but after that it’s looking thin like Manute Bol.

Time to Update the Ol' Resume

BG — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:50:00 +0000

Seriously, tell me reading this ad doesn’t make you want to rush out and move to Bismark (sic).

Director of Sales – Dakota Wizards (Bismark, ND)

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The NBA Development League Champions are seeking a passionate, committed and energetic person to join our championship team as the Director of Sales. With four championships in eight years, two Gatorade NBA Call-Ups during the past season and our head coach joining the Memphis Grizzlies during the off season, the NBA dream really does start in Bismarck!
We are looking for one more qualified person to add to our team and help us continue to set the example for all other D-League teams. Are you ready? Apply for this position

Am I ready? You’re damn skippy I’m ready! According to our friends at Wikipedia, In February 2007, Bismarck broke the U.S. world record for most snow angels made in one place. A total of 8,962 participants showed up at the capitol grounds for the event. Wow. And you’re going to PAY me to be a part of this? Dream come true.

Things to do Today

BG — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Here are a few updates to get your Monday started right, if there is such a thing:

First off, big game in Omaha tonight as Fresno State takes on Georgia in the Battle of the Bulldogs as the Championship round kicks off in the CWS (ESPN2 at 4:00 PST). Omaha may well be somewhere in the middle of America but outside of Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek Records in general, this is about the best that they have to offer so enjoy it before it’s gone.

Secondly, HUGE HUGE news here that NOBODY saw coming. Too:many:jokes:all:running:through:brain:at:same:time:
Third, the Dodgers managed to play the Indians tough over the weekend but were lucky to walk away with only one win. The silver lining is the Snakes were swept by the Twins and the Dodgers gained a game; LA now sits three games back and like Joe T said, the door is wide open in the West.

Pick your Soto: Lindsay Vs. Geovani

BG — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 03:25:00 +0000

Every sports blogger seems to fall madly madly in love with the precocious Erin Andrews, and with good reason. For my money though, it’s all about Lindsay Soto. Erin gets the big boost by appearing to a national audience on ESPN throughout the year but it’s Soto appearing on the much less ballyhooed Fox Sports Net and often finds herself in the unenviable position of finding something exciting to say about the least-exciting-good-team-in-sports, the Angels. I was watching her post-game show yesterday and I remember thinking, “You know not only is LS retardedly good looking but she really has some great insight going here” so I figured I’d blog about her today but now I can’t remember a word that she said. Nor do I care.

Oh, and then there’s Geovani Soto, the catcher for the Cubs. I think I’ll stick with Lindsay.

I'm Back Baby!

BG — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:14:00 +0000

Since I’m purposely taking myself out of the sports loop this week (sort of) I thought it would be cool to do something different and I decided to write a season-preview of the WNBA. Imagine my shock when I went to wnba.com and found that the season started about three weeks ago. So much for that idea. Apparently there is a team called the Atlanta Dream. They are 0-11 so far, here’s hoping they can get off the schneid soon.

Did you know this is Season 12 of the WNBA? That is about 12 years longer than I would have guessed it would have lasted. Big news this year though: the league maximum salary has increased to $100,000 per year; roughly what Alex Rodriguez makes for rolling out of bed in the morning.

The NBA slipped a few WNBA commercials in during the finals (you may have missed them sandwiched between the ads for Hancock, The Hulk, Batman and Hellboy 2) and the their new catchphrase is, “Expect Great”. Personally I would have gone with, “I could do that” but that’s probably not the direction they’re looking to go. The ads feature what I assume are WNBA players (I can only name three of them) speaking into the camera interspersed with spastic clips of “greatness” which include a variety of finger rolls and the iconic Lisa Leslie dunk heard â€˜round the world. Tremendous stuff, really.

Sadly I don’t think the WNBA is going to fill my sports-void this week and the siren song of a Dodgers sweep of the Reds (we would be 142-20 if we could play them every game, losing only when Edinson Volquez pitches) is luring me back, like a drunk walking past a bar and hearing the sounds of nightlife inside:geez, why even fight it. I’m back, baby!

I've Blogged Myself Into a Corner

BG — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:04:00 +0000

I gave up on the Dodgers yesterday. Well, “gave up” isn’t quite right but I’m not interested in their wins and losses so much at the moment (they did win today, by the way). The Lakers are done. The Angels have the second best record in the AL but play the most boring brand of baseball I’ve ever seen and their run differential suggests they’re closer to a .500 ball club, so I’m expecting a regression. I’ve decided to take a rest this week from fantasy baseball, as my team has dipped from third place to fifth and any point I gain in one category I give back in another.

So what’s a boy to do? The College World Series is always an option and I’d have no problem rooting for Fresno State to go all the way but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough for me, seeing as how they don’t play again until Friday. The surf is flat, there’s no new TV shows on, the new Death Cab CD sucked, I’m at a complete and total loss. In fact, I’m sitting on the couch right now with Jessica while she watches Sex and the City and I can’t even find the strength to complain. Why go on?

Dead and Burried

BG — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:12:00 +0000

According to Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” it’s never too early to start thinking about your obituary. With that in mind, I’m going to write about the demise of the 2008 Dodgers, even though it’s only mid-June.

After being swept by the Tigers and dropping their last 5 straight, the woeful Dodgers have fallen 5.5 behind the stunningly mediocre Diamondbacks and look absolutely dead in the water. There’s no real mystery to the team’s struggles eitherâ€”they’re currently 22nd in the league in runs per game and 25th in defensive efficiency. Russell Martin, the only Dodger playing worth a damn, is surrounded by a few guys who are essentially league-average players (Loney and the Beefcake) and a bunch of stiffs. The prolonged absence of Furcal has crippled the Dodger “attack” and exposed us all to the offensive black hole combo of Berroa and Hu. Furcal, who has been out for more than a month (and figures to not play until after the ASB) is TIED for the team lead in runs scored (with Martin) with 34. Take a second and wrap you brain around that.

From a pitching standpoint, Brad Penny has flat out sucked this season. No other way to put that. Scot Proctor has also been a silent killer, matching Penny’s negative value on the mound. What is sickening is that the Dodgers’ best pitcher has been reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, who Torre seems inclined to use only in mop-up duty and blowouts. Meanwhile in a tight ballgame he has no qualms about ushering in Proctor who is currently sporting hideous numbers out of the bullpen. Does Torre have these stats on hand? Who is his computer tutor, John McCain?
So what to do? I’ll tell you what not to do: trade Kemp. The Dodgers aren’t winning this year so don’t get rid of a guy for a half-season rental of Jason Bay or Adam Dunn, they’re not making a difference and besides, is ANOTHER outfielder really the answer? Haven’t we been down this road before? Play LaRoche at third (or even second if/when Kent needs a day off) and prepare for 2009.

Dodgers are Impotent

BG — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:05:00 +0000

By my math the Dodgers have scored either 0 or 1 run in 12 of their last 22 games. No positive way you can put a spin on that, my friends. I watched most of the game at a sports bar downtown in hopes of taking a drink every time they scored a run off of Detroit’s Armando Galarraga. And I stayed sober just like the old nun.

On the heels of this current slide comes word that the Dodgers may be looking to shop Matt Kemp. I’m pretty sure if they keep him he never reaches his potential and ends up playing in Japan by 2012. If they deal him however he will go 40/40 every year as a perennial All-Star. Out of the list of names Rosenthal lists as potential suitors for Kemp, Matt Holliday is the only one who appeals to me (yes I know his OPS is way better at home)–Jason Bay has been barely above average for 3 straight years before putting it back together this season and while I love Magglio Ordonez he probably only has another 2 great season left in him before beginning the twilight of his career. Who knows what Neddy is thinking though. The lesson, as always, never trust a man with a mustache.

2008 NL West Standings

TEAM	W	L	GB	RS	RA
Arizona	37	31	-	324	284
LA Dodgers	31	36	5.5	281	280
San Francisco	30	38	7	278	313
San Diego	30	39	7.5	258	314
Colorado	26	41	10.5	284	352

Like You Need Another Reason to Start Drinking

BG — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000

I spent the better part of today thinking of Dodger Drinking Games. Why? Because I was at work, that’s why. The following are the best that I could come up with, along with pictures of how you will probably look if you play.

1. Every time Matt Kemp strikes out, drink.

2. Every time you think about packing in the season and becoming an Angels fan, take a drink.

3. Every time a runner is left in scoring position, drink.

4. Every time you go to the waiver wire to see which free agent pitchers are going against the Dodgers the next day so you can spot start them in your fantasy league, drink.

5. Every time Scott Proctor puts the leadoff man on, drink.

6. And finally…every time the Dodgers score a run, drink.