Baseball's Most Important Man
Bud Selig.
Cooperstown.
Scott Boras.
These names are all as big as any superstar in baseball. They have as much of an impact on the game as Derek Jeter or David Wright.
They are as wise as Theo Epstein or Billy Beane.
They manipulate like Free Agency or Arbitration.
Over the course of my lifetime, there is another name that has catipulted to the top of baseball names. I'm not sure if this guy will ever be in the Hall of Fame but there is a decent part of me that thinks he should.
His impact on the game may be greater than any player.
The mention of his name is scarier than a Josh Beckett fastball or seeing David Ortiz in there with the bases loaded in the month of October.
This man has the ability to make or break a season and even a career.
This man is Dr. James Andrews.
.............................
Dr. James Andrews is maybe the most important thing to come out of the great state of Alabama since Forrest Gump.
He is the man that every pitcher, Quarterback and even blogger sees to repair their elbow or shoulder.
And now, he is the man looking after the man that only needs one name.
Joba.
..............................
On June 4th I wrote:
The Yankees would protect his arm with the secret service if they could for three reasons.
1. He is their ace of the future
2. With the initial failures of Kennedy and Hughes, they need Chamberlain to be great to justify ever using young talent again.
3. They can not get this guy injured. God forbid this guy breaks a toe nail and all of a sudden, the second guessers have all the ammo they need to question the midseason move to the rotation. And then hell breaks loose.
James Andrews is baseball's equivalent to the secret service. You don't see this guy for a dead arm. You see him if you are worried about much worse.
The risks of adding Joba Chamberlain to the rotation this Summer were vast.
But most of these risks have been overcome. Chamberlain has looked great and up until the last couple of weeks so did the Yankees pen.
However, the Yankees remain a third place team, 6.5 games out of first place.
The bullpen looks like a collection Toby Borland's since the All Star Break, with an ERA close to 7.00.
And Joba Chamberlain is now hurt.
The Yankees better pray for the best on this one. Because if Chamberlain is seriously injured then the front office has to be the one to blame. At least that is how the fans and media will perceive it.
I'll be the first to admit, I don't know the physical makeup of the shoulder or elbow. I don't understand why some pitchers can pitch forever while some pitchers get hurt all the time. But it happens and when a pitcher gets hurt, especially a reliever converted to a starter, the average outsider will assume that the cause is an increased workload.
.......................
This Yankees season remains enjoyable.
For the last bunch of years I have said that I would never count the Yankees out of the playoffs until the day the season ends and they don't qualify.
And there are a number of reasons why the Rays can implode.
Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine, all kids, can all tire. Grant Balfour and JP Howell can turn into Aaron Heilman. And Evan Longoria might decide that he is not ACTUALlY the best player in baseball.
But there are a lot of reasons to be confident in the Yankees failures. First and foremost is the starting pitching.
If you were to tell me that entering August this team would have 26 wins from Pettite and Mussina and that Mariano Rivera would be 26 for 26 in save chances, I would have sighed and laughed.
Good old # 26.
But with Wang and potentially Joba out, the Yankees have all their eggs in the basket of a bunch of dudes with loose skin and old balls.
And that doesn't win you ballgames.
If this were four years ago I might alerady be planning a champagne celebration. But as I get older and a little more saner, I can prepare for a pleasant chuckle.
Nothing would make me happier than a DBacks V Rays World Series. Me and 10 of my buddies would take care of 1/2 of the ratings share and would be loving every second of it.
Vaya,
Sip
(pics courtesy of espn.com, about.com)
Cooperstown.
Scott Boras.
These names are all as big as any superstar in baseball. They have as much of an impact on the game as Derek Jeter or David Wright.
They are as wise as Theo Epstein or Billy Beane.
They manipulate like Free Agency or Arbitration.
Over the course of my lifetime, there is another name that has catipulted to the top of baseball names. I'm not sure if this guy will ever be in the Hall of Fame but there is a decent part of me that thinks he should.
His impact on the game may be greater than any player.
The mention of his name is scarier than a Josh Beckett fastball or seeing David Ortiz in there with the bases loaded in the month of October.
This man has the ability to make or break a season and even a career.
This man is Dr. James Andrews.
.............................
Dr. James Andrews is maybe the most important thing to come out of the great state of Alabama since Forrest Gump.
He is the man that every pitcher, Quarterback and even blogger sees to repair their elbow or shoulder.
And now, he is the man looking after the man that only needs one name.
Joba.
..............................
On June 4th I wrote:
The Yankees would protect his arm with the secret service if they could for three reasons.
1. He is their ace of the future
2. With the initial failures of Kennedy and Hughes, they need Chamberlain to be great to justify ever using young talent again.
3. They can not get this guy injured. God forbid this guy breaks a toe nail and all of a sudden, the second guessers have all the ammo they need to question the midseason move to the rotation. And then hell breaks loose.
James Andrews is baseball's equivalent to the secret service. You don't see this guy for a dead arm. You see him if you are worried about much worse.
The risks of adding Joba Chamberlain to the rotation this Summer were vast.
But most of these risks have been overcome. Chamberlain has looked great and up until the last couple of weeks so did the Yankees pen.
However, the Yankees remain a third place team, 6.5 games out of first place.
The bullpen looks like a collection Toby Borland's since the All Star Break, with an ERA close to 7.00.
And Joba Chamberlain is now hurt.
The Yankees better pray for the best on this one. Because if Chamberlain is seriously injured then the front office has to be the one to blame. At least that is how the fans and media will perceive it.
I'll be the first to admit, I don't know the physical makeup of the shoulder or elbow. I don't understand why some pitchers can pitch forever while some pitchers get hurt all the time. But it happens and when a pitcher gets hurt, especially a reliever converted to a starter, the average outsider will assume that the cause is an increased workload.
.......................
This Yankees season remains enjoyable.
For the last bunch of years I have said that I would never count the Yankees out of the playoffs until the day the season ends and they don't qualify.
And there are a number of reasons why the Rays can implode.
Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine, all kids, can all tire. Grant Balfour and JP Howell can turn into Aaron Heilman. And Evan Longoria might decide that he is not ACTUALlY the best player in baseball.
But there are a lot of reasons to be confident in the Yankees failures. First and foremost is the starting pitching.
If you were to tell me that entering August this team would have 26 wins from Pettite and Mussina and that Mariano Rivera would be 26 for 26 in save chances, I would have sighed and laughed.
Good old # 26.
But with Wang and potentially Joba out, the Yankees have all their eggs in the basket of a bunch of dudes with loose skin and old balls.
And that doesn't win you ballgames.
If this were four years ago I might alerady be planning a champagne celebration. But as I get older and a little more saner, I can prepare for a pleasant chuckle.
Nothing would make me happier than a DBacks V Rays World Series. Me and 10 of my buddies would take care of 1/2 of the ratings share and would be loving every second of it.
Vaya,
Sip
(pics courtesy of espn.com, about.com)
posted by Sippy Momo at 11:33 AM
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