When Will People Learn?

I hope that someday, people figure it all out. I am not talking about the stuff about being nice to each other and accepting other people's religious beliefs and ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientation and stuff like that (not right now anyway); I am talking about the little disclaimers that get in our way on a daily basis. I realize there was once a time when not every car had a seatbelt, but in this day and age, I do not need to be told how to buckle up every time I go on an airplane. I get that companies do not want to get sued, but at this point, you have to be an idiot to be shocked that the cup of hot coffee you ordered is hot. I cannot wait for the day when Youtube and Hulu stop putting the "Press Esc to exit full screen mode" message right in the middle of the screen. Youtube videos have been a mainstay in American culture for a good five years now, and I think it is safe to say that if you can figure out how to put a video in full screen mode, you can figure out how to make it normal again. I do not want that stupid message blocking the picture I just made the to fit the full screen to see it better. I just want a world where we do not need disclaimers for things everybody knows how to do. Is that too much to ask?

How I Am Your Father

I have a new idea for a sitcom.

The name of the show is "How I Am Your Father". It is narrated by James Earl Jones (never seen on camera) playing the role of Darth Vader as he retells the story of the Star Wars prequels from his point of view and some of the funny stories that happened along the way that did not make it into the movie. It would be a combination of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Star Wars" with Neil Patrick Harris in the supporting role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan's Jedi bachelor pad would look something like this, with the armor of a storm trooper he killed up on display to impress guests.

I would also like to have guest appearances by Star Wars stars like Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Dee Williams but have them not play their original characters for the sake of irony.

I am well aware that this show would make many a Star Wars fan angry, but I still think it would be funny and I would find it delightfully entertaining.

Who is the real Mr. October?

Once upon a time, there was a baseball player named Reggie Jackson who played his best baseball and made his best hits during the playoffs--in the month of October. Performing at a high level in the postseason for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees during his Hall of Fame career, Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October". Before and since Reggie Jackson, there have been many players who elevated their game to higher levels in the playoffs. Who else is deserving of the "Mr. October" title? Let's discuss.

Pedro Martinez- Pedro was my favorite player as a kid. Even now, he ranks right up there with Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Derek Lowe, and Trot Nixon as one of my all time favorite Red Sox players. The others on that list won me over with their work ethic and intense gamer mentality, but Pedro had much more than that. He was so good at what he did. Pedro was a freak of nature, a power pitcher with a small frame (I'm a little surprised that people have not been comparing Tim Lincecum to Pedro yet for that reason). He was so dominant that Red Sox Nation would have forgotten all about Roger Clemens completely if Clemens was not wearing pinstripes. In fact, the Sox only victory in the 1999 ALCS came when Pedro faced Clemens, a game Billy Crystal called "Cy Young vs. Cy Old", and Pedro was dominant. Pedro put up numbers in the height of the Steroid Era that pitchers in the Dead Ball Era or any era would envy. He faced Clemens again in 2003, this time in Game 7, but a certain boneheaded manager prevented Pedro from being the hero, prevented a juiced-up Clemens from ending the season (which he said at the time would be his last) in shame, and prevented The Curse from being wiped off the books a year early. In case you had not noticed, that game still makes my blood boil. A year later Pedro redeemed himself and asked the Evil Empire the rhetorical question, "Who's your daddy, now?" He has said numerous times that he would not trade his one World Series ring in Boston for three anywhere else. Last year at the age of 38, he pitched admirably for Philadelphia, but it was sad to see that his magic had run out. He might be the greatest pitcher of all time--he certainly was the best pitcher I ever watched when he was in his prime--but somehow he found a way to turn it up yet another level when the leaves started to change color.

Derek Jeter- I feel a little guilty putting Derek Jeter in this conversation, but I would be daft not to. As long as I have been following baseball religiously (in 1998 I started watching and listening to every Sox game I could and my dad would leave a note at breakfast with the score and highlights if it ran past my bedtime), Derek Jeter has been the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. I resented him for starting the All Star Game in 2000 even though Nomar Garciaparra got more votes (Joe Torre was managing the American League and he chose to start Jeter because Nomar had started the year before). My dislike turned into respect over the years, though. His hustle from short to foul territory to on the first base side to pick up an overthrown ball and flip to Jorge Posada to tag Jeremy Giambi who did not think to slide into home was one of the most frustratingly spectacular plays I have ever seen. With five World Series rings and seven World Series appearances, Jeter is one of the best clutch performers you will find in any sport.

Carlton Fisk- Eighty-six years is a long time. A really long time. It was a championship drought so long that Red Sox fans were willing to revel in whatever moral victories they could get. Carlton Fisk's walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series was the finest hour in Boston eighty-six year championship drought. After 2004 and 2007, it does not seem like much, but Red Sox fans for generations went to the grave thinking this was the greatest moment of their lives. It was the most memorable event of the Series, and you can make the case that Fisk should have been the World Series MVP instead of Pete Rose (that series certainly was not what defined Rose's career). Forcing a Game 7 against the Big Red Machine, with a homer off the left field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning was enough to legitimize Fisk wearing a Red Sox cap on his plaque in Cooperstown when he played more years with the White Sox. Moments like that today do not feel the same once you have experienced a championship. When a struggling Jason Varitek hit the game winning home run in Game 6 of the 2008 ALCS, it was largely forgotten when the Sox lost Game 7 the next day.

Jack Morris- One of the greatest Game 7s in baseball history occurred in the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. Jack Morris took the mound for Minnesota and faced John Smoltz in one of the greatest pitchers duels of all time. Morris got the win, pitching all ten innings before Minnesota scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the 10th. Morris was the one of the star pitchers of his generation, was a five time all star, and won four World Series with three different teams (the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays), and yet he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet.

Kirk Gibson- Gibson holds the distinction of being the only National League MVP to never appear in an All-Star Game, but that is not what people think of when they hear his name. The current Arizona Diamondbacks interim manager could barely walk from the injuries he suffered getting to the 1988 World Series, but he could stand long enough in the batters box to pinch hit. His wrists worked just fine as he hit a home run off A's Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley. No matter if the D'Backs decide to keep him as manager or what he does with the rest of his life, Gibson will always be remembered for his pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the '88 World Series. It was his only at bat in the series, but he made the most of it.

Johnny Damon- Red Sox fans were wrong to boo him, even if he signed with New York. He did too much when he was with the Sox to deserve that. His long at bats, fouling off pitch after pitch until the pitcher finally caved and gave up a double is something the Red Sox have lacked consistently since he left. He went all out for the team. He nearly killed himself colliding with Damian Jackson in the 2003 ALDS against Oakland. His grand slam in Game 7 of the ALCS in 2004 was one of his greatest moments. In 2009, he showed us that he still has a knack for the heads up play in clutch situations. Stealing second and third in the same run because he noticed nobody was covering third because of the infield shift was the turning point in the World Series which caused Brad Lidge to lose his composure and the Phillies to lose their confidence. It was at that moment that everyone realized that the Yankees were going to win the World Series. He missed the playoffs playing for the Tigers this year, but perhaps he will get a chance to work his magic again next October.

Derek Lowe- Whenever the Sox needed to clinch a series, Lowe was there in 2003 and 2004. Here he is pictured with catcher Jason Varitek, whom he was traded to Boston from Seattle with in 1997. Getting those two, who were still in the minors at the time, in exchange for inconsistent closer Heathcliff Slocumb, was one of the best trades the Red Sox have ever made. Everyone remembers the bloody sock and the drama behind Curt Schiiling in the 2004 playoffs, but it was Lowe who was pushed out of the starting rotation in the ALDS, but ended up getting the win in Game 3 against the Angels, Game 7 against the Yankees, and Game 4 against the Cardinals. Derek Lowe went on to be the ace of the Dodgers rotation after that season, and is now the ace for the Braves. He may have lost to Tim "The Freak" Lincecum last night, but he pitched really well. As long as he has been in the big leagues, Derek Lowe has elevated his game when the season is on the line for whichever team is employing him.

Roy Halladay- Is it too soon to put him on the list? I think not. Roy Halladay has waited his entire career to pitch in the playoffs, and this week, he finally got his chance. In his first playoff game on Wednesday, Halladay pitched only the second no hitter in playoff history. As the Phillies pursue their third consecutive pennant, Halladay started them off in the right direction. Only time will tell if he will have a reputation of being a strong playoff performer, but so far, he has been unhittable in October.

Arcade Fire Rocks in "The Suburbs"

Arcade Fire has been one of my favorite bands the last few years, and their latest release did not disappoint. "The Suburbs", the Montreal based band's first album since 2007, has a different feel than their earlier work, but maintains the high quality standard that I have come to expect from them.

Like their previous albums, "The Suburbs" uses a good mix of conventional rock instruments like drums, piano, and guitar as well as violins and horns. This album has a more upbeat feel to it than "Funeral" or "Neon Bible" did. Wikipedia tells me that the lyrical content was inspired by front man Win Butler's growing up in a suburb of Houston. It is not meant to glorify or condemn suburban life, but rather be a "letter from the suburbs." They have been working on this album since 2008, but the wait was well worth it.

Arcade Fire never ceases to amaze me. I am still waiting for them to get the nod to perform at the Super Bowl, which would be a huge improvement to last year's halftime show (But then again, anything would have been better than last year's halftime show. For more information, read my review of the Super Bowl from February). This album for them, is just business as usual. Every album is different, and every time I listen to a specific Arcade Fire album, I think that one is the best, then I will listen to another and think that one was better than the last. This album only adds to that legacy.

The Quest Begins Now

As soon as time expired in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last spring, with the Boston Bruins squandering a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 game lead in the deciding contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, hockey season could not come soon enough. With all the moves the Bruins made during this long summer, I got more and more excited by the week. Dennis Wideman is gone. The puck fumbling defenseman who the Boston sports media blamed for most of the teams problems was traded to Florida in exchange for scoring winger Nathan Horton and grinding center Gregory Campbell. Then Tyler Seguin was drafted with the second overall pick. In a year where they could have blown the team up and rebuilt, the Bruins retained most of their free agents. Ageless veteran wing Mark Recchi signed on for one more year. Enforcer Shawn Thornton signed for another two. Dennis Seidenberg, Mark Stuart, and Johnny Boychuk all re-signed so the Bruins will be expected to stay solid in the defensive zone. All three captains (Zdeno Chara and alternate captains Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi) are in the final year of their contract, and the Bruins appear to be putting everything in for this season. As the team gets ready to open their season in Prague, I am looking forward to this season more than ever.

The Bruins are not the only team that made big moves to challenge for the Stanley Cup this summer. The Detroit Red Wings signed veteran center Mike Modano to add to an already talented veteran squad. The San Jose Sharks added Antii Niemi, the hero of last year's playoff tournament, in net to replace Evgeni Nabokov, who went back home to make more money in the KHL. The Habs traded away their playoff hero, goaltender Jaroslav Halak, to the St. Louis Blues to make Carey Price their #1 goalie. With all the transactions that were made this summer, it will certainly make for an interesting season across the NHL.

For the Bruins, this season will be about redemption. They were the top seeded team in the East two years ago. They were sixth in the East last year, lost four games in a row after being up three in the series, and had the second lowest number of goals in the league during the regular season. This year, all the players should have a chip on their shoulder as the young guys have another playoff year under their belt. Every guy on that team has something to prove, as individuals and as a group. Critics are claiming that Tim Thomas' Vezina Trophy and Zdeno Chara's Norris Trophy from 2009 were flukes, and that everyone's performance that year was just lucky. Last year they were carried into the playoffs on the backs of Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask. This year, everyone should be trying to prove their worth in the NHL. Rookies Tyler Seguin and Jordan Caron have s good supporting cast to fall back on, but a lot will also be expected of them in the 2010-11 season. Could this be the year? I can only hope. The Bruins quest for the Cup has taken them to Belfast and Prague, and likely through Washington, Pittsburgh, or New Jersey, but as a fan, I am looking forward to the journey.

2010 MLB Season Follow Up

You may remember that back in March, I wrote about my predictions for the upcoming baseball season and, as promised, I am following up on that entry as baseball season comes to a close. The regular season is wrapping up and there is only one playoff race still in effect so now is a pretty good time to talk about the season and who should win the individual awards before playoff performances start to influence my opinions.

Where I went wrong...

As always, there are times when i pick a team that nobody believes in and I am rewarded by getting to say "I told you so" all winter. Last season, I did that so much that everyone else decided to pick Minnesota to win the AL Central too.

I thought the Mariners were going to win the AL West. I thought if they kept Junior around for one more year, and they added Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee to a team that made a huge turnaround from 2008 to 2009, they would be able to compete with the best of the American League. It turns out that the "Jr." in Ken Griffey's name is a misconception and he actually is quite old so he was retired by May and Cliff Lee was traded away in July, and Figgins forgot how to play baseball or something. Also there was the Milton Bradley factor which could have gone either way and it went the wrong way. They tried to build their team on pitching and defense, but they could not score enough for it to matter. At least they have King Felix and Ichiro or this entire team would have been demoted to the minors.

My apologies to the San Diego Padres. I wrote them off, like most people did and counted down the days before Adrian Hernandez would get traded to Boston starting in March. I guess I was wrong. Bud Black deserves some serious consideration for Manager of the Year but the ten game losing streak that let the Giants climb back into the race hurts his chances. As of today, they are still in it when they were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball along with Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.

Opps. I thought the NL Central would be won by either the Cardinals or Cubs. My bad. The Cincinnati Reds are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. I honestly know very little about this team, but I am excited for the playoffs because of all the teams that are going to be in it that usually are not. No wonder Dusty Baker is smiling in this picture.

And the award goes to...

Now for the awards. First MVP.

Josh Hamilton is one of those feel good success stories that make sports fun for more than just the sport itself. His story of going from superstar high school prospect to drug addict and alcoholic out of baseball to recovery and starting over in baseball to superstar center fielder will make a great movie someday if they cast the right actor. He has had a tremendous season and he helped Texas make the playoffs for only the fourth time in their history. The next most deserving player is Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, but playing on a team that fell out of the pennant race early hurt his chances. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays will also get a lot of votes for his impressive breakout season.

Troy Tulowitzki played really well down the stretch, but it was not enough to get the Rockies into the playoffs this time. Brian McCann had a great season for the Braves. Placido Polanco had a great season for Philadelphia. Albert Pujols is in the discussion. This year was Joey Votto's year though. Votto helped lead the Reds to their first division championship in fifteen years and flew under the radar for a while doing it.

Now for Cy Young...

The American League is a tough one because there are so many good pitchers. C.C. Sabathia had the most wins, but he also had the best lineup in baseball providing run support for him. The Cy Young Award in recent years has been rewarding good pitchers on bad teams (The last time the Cy Young winner in either league was on a playoff team was in 2007. Sabathia and the Indians got to the ALCS that year and Jake Peavy and the Padres were eliminated in a one game playoff against Colorado for the Wild Card spot). Clay Bucholz and Jon Lester of the Red Sox are up there as well as Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and David Price of the Rays. Hernandez has a losing record on the season but had the worst run support pitching for Seattle. My prediction during spring training was Lester, who made his first All Star appearance this year. This one is a real toss up, so I am sticking with Lester.

In the National League, Tim Lincecum pitched admirably but not well enough to three-peat the Cy Young Award. His teammate Matt Cain pitched well, too. Tim Hudson has resurrected his career after Tommy John surgery and has restored his reputation as a big time pitcher as he and his teammates prepare for Bobby Cox's final playoff run. Ubaldo Jiminez had a phenomenal season for Colorado which included the first no hitter in franchise history. The National League Cy Young Award will instead go to Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. Halladay, who was the victim of playing on a bad team his entire career before the 2010 season, threw his first perfect game and is going to pitch in October for the first time in his career.

Now for Manager of the Year...

There are several deserving candidates. This award is basically anyone's in the American League.

Ron Gardenhire led the Twins to yet another division title. He has not won this award yet. This is probably his year. That umpire might not vote for him, but Gardenhire deserves it for keeping his team consistently competitive year to year. Maybe this year will be his chance to improve his post-season record.

Ron Washington became only the second Rangers manager to make the playoffs. He had that issue with the drug test in the off-season and many were surprised that he was able to keep his job. He could also be eligible for "Comeback Manager of the Year" for that.

Bob Geren got a lot more out of the Oakland A's than anybody expected. Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game and they were competitive in the West for most of the season. The A's are heading in the right direction and Geren deserves credit for turning them around.

Terry Francona did what I believe was his best job this season. He had to deal with several injuries to critical personnel including Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek. He kept the Sox competitive and they were the last team to get eliminated with very little help from the front office.

Ozzie Guillen had to manage Manny Ramirez. I felt bad for him after that. He is also great for sound bytes and he gets as much as he can out of that poorly constructed White Sox team. With what seems like half the managers in Major League Baseball retiring after this season, Ozzie will be the undisputed biggest dugout personality in the big leagues in 2011.

Cito Gaston has not been to the playoffs since the his Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series, but this season he pointed them in the right direction. In the toughest division is baseball, Gaston's Jays finished fourth but were the toughest non-contender all season long. They were never pushovers against the Yankees, Rays or Red Sox this season. Gaston is retiring at the end of the season and his three year return to the Toronto dugout only enhanced his legendary reputation in that city.

In the National League there are also several deserving managers.

Bobby Cox is going out in style. He is likely getting the Braves back into the playoffs. The Manager of the Year Award would be a nice lifetime achievement thing for him.

Dusty Baker led the Reds to the playoffs for the first time in a while. Perhaps this is the year he gets back to the World Series.

Bud Black turned the Padres around this season. He may lose this award because of their struggles down the stretch and the inexcusable mistake of putting a different team out of the field than it said on the lineup card back in the spring.

Bruce Bochy deserves the award for all of the close games that the Giants won with pitching and defense (a team that actually got that strategy to work? I cannot believe it!). The offense in San Fran has been limited, but the pitching has been spectacular.

The season is not over yet. There are still the playoffs to look forward to. There are a lot of story lines to be excited about. As long as the Yankees do not win again, I will be happy.