TimLemkeSports.com

Yeah, Baseball Is Pretty Good

The great Joe Posnanski penned a great blog post today in which he argues that baseball is as good as ever. It serves as something of a rebuttal to recent columns by Tom Verducci and Frank Deford that suggest modern baseball is missing something.

Posnanski acknowledges that baseball still moves too slow, and that the patient approach of hitters is not always conducive to crisp ballgames and great viewing. But he makes one central point that I agree with entirely: that the quality of play is as high as it's ever been. Hitters are better, and that's forced pitchers to be better, and the overall game is just a lot....better.

Posnanski writes:

"Joe Mauer, a catcher, has won three batting titles — never happened before. Zack Greinke provides endless entertainment. Chase Utley does everything. Dustin Pedroia gets under your skin. Carl Crawford is just cool. Derek Jeter, in aura, is today’s DiMaggio. Ubaldo Jiminez, Neftali Feliz, Jonathan Broxton, Joel Zumaya, Daniel Bard, Mark Lowe, Matt Lindstrom and many others have thrown a pitch 100 mph this year. Ryan Howard has hit 198 home runs the last four years. And so on and so on and so on."

I've appreciated baseball more this season than perhaps any other, perhaps because I've deliberately sought an escape from the anxieties unemployment. And I say that even though most of the baseball I've watched has involved the Orioles, who have stumbled out to the worst record in the league. Due to my proximity to Baltimore, I watch a lot of the Orioles and feel like they're not that bad, which backs up my belief that the overall quality of play league-wide is very high. If the Orioles, with 8 wins, can seem not that bad, then baseball must be in good shape.

I would make one additional point that Joe doesn't make, which is that thanks to drug testing and increased punishments, fans can reasonably believe that players are not getting by with the help of steroids or other performance enhancers. Now, I am not naive enough to believe that everyone is clean, or that players aren't turning to HGH or other undetectable things. But the culture of performance-enhancing drugs isn't as pervasive as before. We can have a reasonable expectation that young guys coming into the league aren't habitual cheaters, because it's no longer something that is generally accepted practice. It's clearly against the rules, there are strict punishments for doing it, and most guys probably won't even think to go there. At least that's my surprisingly non-cynical take on the issue. 

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As a new effort to provide some fun and interesting content on this site, I present to you the following cool links: 

D.C.-area eating champion Sonya Thomas eating 43 jalapenos in a minute.

Great profile on one of the most legendary broadcasters of all time. 

Roger Ebert's review of Battlefield Earth. (Not new or anything, but it's something I refer to frequently whenever I need a laugh.)

This youtube video, which features the most relaxing voice you'll ever hear in your life. You simply can't watch this video without getting the urge to go to sleep. 

SBNation's Sports Meme Power Rankings, an always-fascinating look at the most talked about sports stories of the week.

This amusing Deadspin post about how Canada seems to have its act together, sports-wise, while the U.S. flounders about. 

For you lacrosse fans, Patrick Stevens'  look at the key games this weekend with just a couple days before the NCAA chooses who makes the postseason.

Apparently, people over the age of 45 don't have sex all that often. Also, the sun rises in the East and Luis Castillo doesn't hit a lot of home runs.

Ernie Harwell and The Legacy of Great Broadcasters

Ernie Harwell was the topic of choice on sports talk radio this morning. There was discussion about his great career and life, but also an intriguing back and forth about whether the era of great broadcasters is coming to an end. Mark Viviano of 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore suggested that the newest crop of fans don't find themselves attached to broadcasters in the same way as years past, and that current and future broadcasters will not have the same amount of longevity and emotional impact.

I'm more optimistic than he is.

Will there be broadcasters to replace people like Harwell, Harry Kalas and Vin Scully? I believe so. Baseball's not going anywhere, and neither is live coverage of it. What may change is the impact of radio broadcasts on peoples lives, and the romantic stories of hearing broadcasters on summer nights at the beach or on the back deck may go by the wayside.

 Perhaps instead of sneaking a transistor radio under the covers, kids will now sneak their iPhones and tune in using the MLB@Bat app. Instead of listening to the game while grilling out, people will just bring out their iPads. (Radio will probably still remain the medium of choice for those trapped in their cars, however. At least I hope so. God forbid we start projecting transparent game broadcasts onto windshields or something crazy.)

Viviano may be right about one thing, which is that these legendary broadcasters were provided the freedom to tell stories and to speak colorfully. Nowadays, broadcasters are a bit more homogenized, and any attempt to come off as folksy comes off as disingenuous. Scully may be the only broadcaster left capable of speaking with the kind of poetic style and eloquence that Harwell mastered. 

Baseball, more than any other sport, is a part of peoples' lifestyles. Yes, the NFL may be more popular here in America, but it doesn't offer the same kind of day-in, day-out comfort that baseball can. From April to October, there is baseball being played every single day, giving fans a feeling of certainty, stability and security as they go about their busy lives. 

Tough day at work? It's ok, just get home and turn on the ballgame. Relationship troubles? Don't worry, baseball is always there for you. 

It's because of this relationship with the game that fans also develop relationships with the broadcasters. And sometimes broadcasters becoming legendary not necessarily because of any special talent, but because they are simply there, game after game, year after year. The best broadcasters, of course, combine longevity with excellence. But was Ernie Harwell objectively the "best" play-by-play man when he was still doing games in his mid-80s? Was Kalas perfect on every call toward the end of his run? Not really. But no one cared, because they were the voice of their teams, and that's all that mattered. 

Among the current breed of young broadcasters, it's unclear who will emerge as the next legend. But if they stick around long enough, there are a bunch with a shot of earning that label. 

The Kentucky Derby and the Letter "S."

I've decided that my new strategy when betting on the Kentucky Derby is to put all my money on a horse whose name begins with the letter "S." And if there are two S's in a name, even better.

In the 37 years since Secretariat's performance in 1973, there have been 13 horses that won the Kentucky Derby with names that began with S. And four of those had "double S" names. 

Here's the list: 

1973: Secretariat

1977: Seattle Slew

1979: Spectacular Bid

1983: Sunny's Halo

1984: Spend a Buck

1985: Swale

1989: Sunday Silence

1991: Strike the Gold

1993: Sea Hero

1997: Silver Charm

2004: Smarty Jones

2007: Street Sense

2010: Super Saver

I have no idea if this means anything, other than maybe horse owners are drawn to the letter S for some reason. 

But what's perhaps most interesting is that from the Kentucky Derby's debut year in 1875 to Secretariat in 1973, there were only four horses--Spokane in 1889, Sir Barton in 1919, Shut Out in 1942 and Swaps in 1955--with names that started with "S" 

Next year at Churchill Downs, put your money on an "S" horse. It's about as sound a betting strategy as any other I've seen.

On Coors and the NFL

Several media outlets are reporting that Coors will no longer be the official beer of the National Football League. 

MillerCoors, the parent company of Coors, has sent a memo to its distributors that it was unable to agree on a new deal. Coors was the official beer of the NFL for the last nine years. 

SportsBusiness Daily is reporting that Anheuser-Busch will return as the official beer in 2011. A-B was willing to double Coors price for the sponsorship, according to SBD. 

On one level, this is a bit surprising, as many believed that A-B would scale back its sports sponsorship after being acquired by Belgian brewer InBev. But the partnership between Coors and the NFL never quite seemed to work, because A-B has been the official beer for the previous 13 years and continued to buy a lot of advertising. Coors may have been the "official" beer of the NFL but A-B always seemed to get more attention from its commercials, especially those airing during the Super Bowl. 

Tuesday Haiku

Steve Nash and the Suns

Have Never Reached the Finals

Could This Be Their Year?

SBJ: FedEx Drops Orange Bowl

Sports Business Journal reports today that FedEx will not renew its title sponsorship of the Orange Bowl, ending one of the most recognizable partnerships in sports. 

SBJ reports that the decision comes as ESPN, the new broadcaster of the Bowl Championship Series, is seeking long-term commitments at higher prices than what Fox had been asking. 

From SBJ:

"While the game itself was important to FedEx, the company was not interested in a larger college football platform. ESPN is reserving bowl game entitlements for companies that buy a lengthy and more expensive college football package starting in September."

FedEx in 2009 ended a 12-year run of buying Super Bowl commercials, as it has cut back on its sports advertising to cope with the recession. It still is one of the biggest sports advertisers in the country. SBJ reported that FedEx spent $51.6 million in sports advertsing in 2009, ranking it 48th among companies. 

Monday Haiku

The Phils Exploded

Off of Johan Santana

First Place, Theirs, For Now

For Caps Fans, The Sun Will Rise Again

That low, murmuring sound you hear in the Washington area is that of Capitals fans curled up in a ball on the floor, weeping. It's a dark day if your a fan of D.C.'s hockey franchise, and there is good reason to be upset after the top-seeded team blew a 3-1 lead in its opening playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. 

Entering the postseason, there was a feeling that this was the Capitals' best shot, that the stars had finally aligned and that nothing--not the pressure, not the Pittsburgh Penguins, not the ghosts of history--would get in the way of a Stanley Cup. And now, there is surely a feeling that the Capitals may never get an opportunity like this one, and that the franchise is doomed to head back to mediocrity and dismay. 

To that, I say, take heart. It's important to realize that championships don't always come according to a predicted schedule, that the best team doesn't always win, and that glory often comes when you least expect it. 

It's frustrating to know that the Stanley Cup will be won this year by a team that was inferior to the Capitals during the regular season. But on the flipside, Caps fans should realize that the simple act of making the playoffs gives every team a chance to win it all, and that as long as the team continues to remain competitive, there will be plenty of opportunities to give it another shot. 

The Capitals are not an aging team with a small window of success. Many of the players who got the team to this point will be back for many seasons to come. This was not a do-or-die year. 

It's true that some teams, despite consistent regular season success, never seem to get over that hump to win it all. The Philadelphia Flyers come to mind. The Dallas Mavericks are another example. But there are other examples of teams that miss out on championships during their best seasons, only to come back and win it all in a year when no one expected them to. 

In 2004, the St. Louis Cardinals were the best team in baseball, reeling off 105 wins. But they hit a juggernaut Red Sox team in the World Series and were swept away. In 2005, they came back with 100 wins, only to lose to the Astros in the National League Championship Series. It was heartbreaking for Cardinals fans, who also saw the team make the playoffs in 2000, 2001 and 2002 but fail to reach the Fall Classic. But then in 2006, something strange happened. The Cardinals eeked into the playoffs with a mere 83 wins. They were a flawed team by every measure. But they played their hearts out in the postseason, knocking off three clubs with better records en route to the championship. 

The lesson fro Caps fans is this: hang in there. As long as Ted Leonsis continues to try and put a competitive team on the ice year in and year out, there will be opportunities galore. And when the team finally hoists the Stanley Cup, the victory will seem so much sweeter.

Flaw fixed

I've fixed a lingering flaw with my blog, which is that the url http://timlemkesports.com did not forward properly, requiring people to always type in the "www." This is no longer a problem, so hopefully this will make finding the blog a bit easier if you don't have it bookmarked. 

Stay tuned, also, for some news about a potential design tweaks and new exposure for this blog, as well as possible news on the full-time employment front. 

Trevor Hoffman's Struggles

Is this the end of the line for Brewers' closer Trevor Hoffman? 

He blew his third save in six chances last night, giving up five runs on four hits and a walk against the downtrodden Pirates. 

His ERA now stands at 13.50, and he's given up five home runs (three more than the total from all of 2009) while striking out only four. Suffice it to say, if you've given up more home runs than you have punch outs, you're not getting it done. 

For now, the Brewers insist that they're sticking with the future Hall of Famer, and he's certainly earned the right to try and get back on track. Hoffman is 42 and his fastball barely reaches the mid-80s, but he is coming off one of his best seasons. And he is arguably better than anyone at not letting past failures affect future performance.

It's not a problem with control, as he has walked just two batters on the year, one of them intentionally. Though it's worth point out that his biggest mistake Tuesday night was getting behind Ryan Doumit 2-0, setting up the big Grand Slam. 

There have been some suggestions that Hoffman is throwing too many fastballs and needs to get back to using his trademark changeup. But from what I can tell, it's more about where he's locating his fastball. Hoffman told MLB.com that it has more to do with getting into unfavorable pitch counts, and there's evidence to back this up, as two of the other homers he's given up--against Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday--came on 2-1 counts. In an effort to get an elusive strike, he threw two fastballs right over the plate, both of which were deposited over the fence. 

If Hoffman can locate his fastball better, his results will probably improve. Ken Macha will be wise to have LaTroy Hawkins ready, but odds are that Hoffman will right the ship and remain in the closer role.