Monday, September 25, 2006

Professional hockey, like most major sports, believes that meaningless doesn't necessarily translate into cheap.
Despite the fanaticism I displayed last year, as well as my great anticipation of the upcoming NHL season, I’ve realized why I haven’t attended any preseason games, at least as yet. From reading a couple of pieces (notably E.J. Hradek of ESPN's weblog) about how the league manages exhibition contests, it’s all very clear. First of all, teams are only required to dress eight players who are considered veterans.  To add insult to injury, these rarely are stars, or even solid regulars, especially early in the schedule. This brings up another problem with games that don’t count: players like the Pens’ Evgeni Malkin and Jackets’ Sergei Fedorov can injure themselves while playing for nothing in the standings. After all, the majority of players keep themselves in such great shape that extended training camps seem unnecessary. Finally, though, there is one key element that explains why I did not find it necessary to venture to the Pond: cost. My sister and I were given two free seats to the preseason opener last year against San Jose. However, without complimentary passes this time, I faced paying $16.25 at the cheapest, which is the same as a regular season game. Without much in the way of discount at eBay, it’s easy to see why even puckheads like me allow the arena to remain vacant. Not even the team, which aggressively discounted regular season tickets in 2005-06, seems to be interested in filling the seats. I suppose their rationale is that the diehards will actually pay regular season prices for a far lower-quality product. Either that, or they believe that the eventual presence of big names like Teemu Selanne (Anaheim) or Brendan Shanahan (NY Rangers) on the ice will lure customers.  In the Anaheim market, perhaps lack of television coverage might be perceived as another reason for spectators to show up.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets...Giants?
Except for the Jets’ win at Tennessee, which I missed since I spent the day with family at Sea World, I’ve now watched two weeks of New York football. I arrived home in time to see the second half of the Manning Bowl, then spent last Sunday absorbing the pursuits of both teams. Before the hundred or so gathered at Fox Sports Grill in Irvine, the Jets fell behind New England by a score of 24-0. They rallied on the strength of two fantastic plays by receivers Jerricho Cotchery and Lavaranues Coles, then kicked a field goal to bring them within a score. Sadly for me and the fan across the bar wearing a Pennington jersey, this was as close as the Patriots’ offense would allow, as Brady and company ran out all but about a minute of the clock on their final drive.

Still, the story of the day was the Giants. The men in blue were coming off a tough loss to Indianapolis, which featured a more than questionable call late in the game, and New York hardly looked improved during its first two quarters in Philadelphia. However, an insane fumble play in the third resulted in Tim Carter falling on the ball in the end zone for his second career touchdown. A comeback was in progress, although I missed some of the live action since I was in transit to the Grill. After I ran across the street, my eyes turned to the screen in the lobby which almost seems intended to welcome visitors hungry for food and football. I almost immediately saw the Giants tie the game, and seated myself at the bar in time to realize to notice that the Jets were three minutes underway.

My Curtis Martin jersey notwithstanding, I proceeded to divide my attention between the small Jets display on the right hand wall and the Giants, which suddenly became the front and center story. I knew this because the restaurant operators decided to put the game, now in overtime, on the large panel directly behind the bartenders. I concluded last year that the Giants had been my mistress, since I watched many of their games en route to the playoffs on FOX, while the Jets had a forgettable campaign that rarely saw their games televised anyway. Today, it would be the same story: Philadelphia flirted with getting into field goal range, coaxing several Eagles supporters to cheer after each play. However, the Giants regained possession of the ball and with surprising quickness moved into chip shot distance. Suddenly, a holding penalty and subsequent sack of Eli Manning put their potential win in jeopardy. It took a surprising pass from Manning to Plaxico Burress give me my biggest reason to cheer all day. I wonder if the man sitting next to me wearing an Elway jersey saw this as traitorous to my Jets allegiance. Not that I didn’t stick around after Gang Green looked miserable in periods one and two, an act for which the offense rewarded me somewhat.

I’ve been able to reconcile the fact that the Jets are first, and Giants are a sentimental second in my heart. The Jets fandom is largely derived from my dad’s devotion to Joe Namath. Additionally, I have great memories of their 1998 run to the AFC Championship, attended their 2005 first-round win in San Diego, and was heartbroken when they missed several opportunities to beat the Steelers in the next week. Similarly, I still remember the Giants’ playoff loss in San Francisco with bitterness, love watching Tiki Barber, and recall the days of Lawrence Taylor, when I watched one of the first Super Bowls that impacted me as a viewer. I’m certainly a Jets fan foremost, but I relish the chance to witness the exploits of either team.

I’ve been reading a book titled Wrigleyworld by Kevin Kaduk, in which the author admits to rooting for Chicago’s White Sox as well. I find the baseball season too long to root for a second team with much enthusiasm, and the competitive nature of the Mets/Yankees games in recent years has made it even more difficult for anyone considering backing both franchises, and I’ve grown to regard the team from Queens as a rival. Furthermore, the Yankees have enjoyed so much success; in contrast, Kaduk figured that supporting a duo of clubs would double his chance at a championship. For the record, the Sox had not yet won their title at the time of publication. This whole scenario made me feel a little better, even if I never had much insecurity about taking an interest in a second team. Even in hockey last year, I followed the Ducks more than ever due to the number of free tickets I received to their games. Nevertheless, we all know what jersey I’ll be wearing at their November 1 matchup with the Rangers.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Travis Hafner is out for the season. There is no God.
Yes, it's true. I've spent a mostly carefree day of exercise, spending time with the family, and watching triumphs for both the Yankees and Golden Bears. Now, however, I'm confronted with the news that what was once a bruised right hand for the Indians slugger is broken and will end his 2006 campaign. What's the big deal, you ask? Hafner isn't on New York, the injury isn't regarded as threatening to his career, and it might not even require surgery, according to those close to the situation.

In the end, it all boils down to one word: fantasy. Like millions of other Americans insane enough to believe they can create and manage their own make-believe franchises, I expected that the same team that led me to a superior regular season record would make its appearance in the playoffs. Sure, there's never any guarantee that a team, whatever its quality, will win on any given week, leaving me to confront the possibility that I could finish 23 and a half categories ahead and still be defeated in single-elimination postseason play. Still, you at least get your best shot with your finest players, and let the chips fall where they may.

I like to think that, above all other preseason draft selections, I stole Hafner from my league by the name of Orange County Championship '06. While it's true that he only qualifies as a designated hitter under Yahoo rules, I obtained a hitter at the end of the fourth round who, up until September 1, compiled a .308 batting average with 42 homers and 117 runs batted in. Taking a page from baseball analyst Bill James' book, I've looked at some other numbers. His on-base percentage of .439 and slugging of .659 add up to a whopping OPS of 1.097. Without question, one of the very best batters in this or any other era.

Like some of my league mates, I was proud to have gotten some other relative bargains down the line. Derek Jeter, Vernon Wells, Jason Giambi, and Mike Mussina all turned out to be positive selections for yours truly, but Hafner was my crown jewel. I still remember remarking to a non-participant attending the draft that I hoped he'd still be around when my turn to select rolled around. After I called the name, ecstasy ruled the day within my baseball-stitched mind.

Pronk, an odd but endearing nickname given to Hafner by his teammates, made me very happy during the course of the year. He even tied a big league record by crushing six grand slams for Cleveland. Those bright, sunny summer days seem so long ago now. Like the second place finisher in the season, my Big Stein's Calzones have gotten a reprieve from taking part in the playoffs for this week. However, once Monday arrives, my team will need to win in two consecutive weeks to take home the hardware. My starting pitching has gone through some trouble, Giambi has injuries of his own to deal with, and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon may also be lost for the year. I've shored up the relief pitching by adding Pittsburgh's Salmon Torres and Mike Timlin, the Red Sox replacement for the time being. Still, my team feels a little less insulated from the pressures that come from trying to succeed in a myriad of statistical categories (HR allowed, RBI, fielding percentage, to name a few), each and every week.

Not that I have much to complain about, from an injury standpoint. Sure, I lost second baseman Marcus Giles to the health bug, but he was largely ineffective during the time I actually kept him. I am heartened to know that his recent heart trouble appears to be under control. Still, my dad's team fared far worse, proving that luck may be the number one factor determining how far a particular fantasy franchise can travel. We were watching on television as his first baseman Derrek Lee was injured on a freak play against the Dodgers early in the year. A recent grand slam notwithstanding, Lee has played too few games, and less effectively that one would expect given his production in seasons past. Third baseman Eric Chavez, usually a true stalwart at the hot corner, also proved to be a detrimental selection, but you can't blame my dear father for banking on a player who usually shows up healthy wherever the All-Star game is played.

It's possible that I've been listening to too much R.E.M. recently. Perhaps losing Hafner isn't the end of the world as I know it. It does free up a roster spot so I can activate Mussina from the disabled list in time for next week, and I have several batters who can slide into the utility role. Still, there simply is no replacing Hafner's power. Who knows? In baseball, you never can be sure. There's a chance he could have had a poor showing next week even if he were physically perfect.

Really, though, there's a reason I got upset to begin with: I doubt it.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Being September, not every baseball playoff race is up for grabs anymore. Still, that hardly lessens the overall drama in the final month of the 2006 regular season. Of course, at this stage franchises are motivated by different factors. I've provided a few examples, using yesterday's contests to illustrate.

Playing for pride
There's no getting around it--the Washington Nationals are hopelessly out of contention, even when you consider the relatively weak records of National League Wild Card hopefuls. It was a bit hard to believe that, though, after seeing a postgame picture of GM Jim Bowden handing a bottle of champagne to starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz. Why the enthusiasm? Ortiz no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals for eight innings before allowing a single to lead off the ninth. He eventually was lifted after giving up a solo homer to Albert Pujols with two out. To add to his big afternoon, Ortiz also hit his first career long ball against Jorge Sosa in the 4-1 victory. Sure, there was no 2006 implication for such a display (at least on the winning side), but certainly Bowden hopes to build on this sort of afternoon. It is, after all, only the team's second season in the nation's capital. I doubt that being hopelessly out of contention makes losing a whole lot easier, anyway. Apparently the champagne was intended to celebrate an Ortiz no-hitter, but the Nationals toasted him in spite of the near-miss.

Playing for perks
Large divisional leads mean that some teams have all but printed playoff tickets. Nevertheless, there are often reasons to label their future games, to a degree, meaningful. First of all, there is home-field advantage: the team in each league with the best record is guaranteed to begin at least the first two playoff series in its own ballpark, should it advance that far. Because of the American League's late victory in this year's All-Star Game, the Junior Circuit's representative potentially gets to start all three series at home, as long as it survives. At this moment, the Detroit Tigers own this advantage, while others fight in the hopes of seizing this privilege.

One of these teams, the Oakland Athletics, lost 8-1 to Texas on Labor Day. The New York Yankees, who are closest in record to Motown, seemed to be headed down a similar path at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Royals had chased Chien-Ming Wang after five and two-thirds innings, and took a 5-1 lead into the eighth. To that point, Kansas City starter Luke Hudson had snuffed out several potential New York rallies in his seven innings of work. Jimmy Gobble was the first delegate from the Royals' bullpen to appear in the eighth, but three more would follow. Three walks, seven hits, and ten runs later, Ambiorix Burgos walked off the mound, his team having handed the Yankees a reprieve from falling farther behind in the home field advantage race. Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano accounted for four of the frame's base knocks, including one longball apiece. Posada had the distinction of driving in runs with both. The final: 12-5, New York.

This provided a snapshot of recent success for New York, who rose to a season-best 28 games over the .500 marks. Despite the Royals' good series against several contenders in August, the most recent bullpen performance reminded observers both of the team's futile record and its legendary difficulties in relief. More importantly, though, the Yankees stayed just a game behind the Tigers in the loss column, and two overall.

Playing for everything
When I arrived home last night, the first image I saw upon turning on SportsCenter was a soaring home run toward a warehouse in left field. Yes, the Padres were home, and PETCO Park looks especially sharp in high definition. The opposing Rockies had been in a position to win, thanks to a very early two-run bomb by Todd Helton, and Troy Tulowitzki's first major league round-tripper in the fifth. San Diego had kept it interesting thanks to a three-run third that included an RBI double by Josh Barfield and just the 12th homer by Brian Giles. Entering the bottom of the ninth, the purple and black clung to a 5-4 advantage, sending closer (and former USA Representative in the World Baseball Classic) Brian Fuentes to the hill. Russell Branyan had homered earlier, but he flied out on a full count against Fuentes. After Mike Cameron and Mike Piazza walked, also on 3-2 pitches, Barfield stepped to the plate and fell into a 1-2 count. The next pitch was the aformentioned shot to left. Fuentes walked off the field rather calmly for a man who had just thrown the decisive pitch in a 7-5 San Diego triumph, but there was more at stake than a single victory or defeat in the standings.

What had transpired reminded me vaguely of a game I attended at PETCO earlier in the season. I had gone with friend of mine who drove down from West L.A. to meet me in Orange County with the eventual purpose of watching his Dodgers play in San Diego. Los Angeles held a 5-0 lead entering the ninth, but a spate of walks and shaky outings by both Lance Carter and Danys Baez allowed the Padres to tie it. Tim Hamulack surrendered the winning run in the 10th, by which point we were shaking too much to say a whole lot about the proceedings. To lose a game on the road, to a division rival and annual nemesis, by blowing a five-run lead, when you had not only bought a ticket to the game but driven over a hundred miles to get there, is a lot to bear.

The Padres were behind in the standings at that point, but rode a wave later in the summer and took first place for a time. Meanwhile, the once-surging Dodgers fell into last place by the end of July. Several roster moves by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti may have just been what the doctor ordered, as Los Angeles won nearly every game for more than two weeks afterward and eventually took back first. Entering Labor Day, their lead in the West was three games over, naturally, San Diego. The Friars, for their part, held a lead of a game and a half in the Wild Card even as they hoped to overtake their competitors to the north. Indeed, the team's newest slogan (Mission: October) can be accomplished in more than one way.

In the end, free passes issued by a closer helped the Padres rally to win at home in the ninth. Like my experience at PETCO, the game against Colorado gave San Diego a chance to advance on the Dodgers, who had dropped a game on the road to struggling Milwaukee. The Padres shored up their playoff hopes a bit by maintaining their lead in the Water Closet (as Rob Neyer calls it) while climbing within two of the Angelenos.