Sunday, April 24, 2011

Alex Rodriguez, Bud Selig and Dice-K

Last night, Alex Rodriguez hit his 22nd Grand Slam, passing Manny Ramirez and is now just one behind Lou Gehrig's all-time record of 23.  ARod may have had his ability in the "clutch" questioned over his career, but 22 grand slams show, if the bases are loaded, he's one of the greatest threats in baseball history.

Last week, Bud Selig announced the expansion of the baseball playoffs.  This is good because it will make teams compete through the end of the season because it will be better to win your division instead of just settling for the Wild Card.  It will also prevent a team in 3rd place in their division while the division winners of the other 2 divisions make the playoffs with worse records.  Granted, it doesn't happen to often, but it has happened more and more as of late.  Expanding the playoffs is bad though, because unlike the other major sports where half the teams make the playoffs, making the playoffs in baseball is tough to do.  The playoffs shouldn't expand, but Selig and Company want money, and this is the next logical step.  Just make it a one and done game - punish the Wild Card teams by having them use their Aces in that game and finally give an advantage to the team with the best record.  Until now, there's been no real benefit from facing the Wild Card team in the first round, maybe that will change.

Also last week, Bud Selig said all the records by Barry Bonds and the other big headed, back full of acne, steroid users would stand.  I'm torn on this.  It's good because it's hard to tell who actually used PEDs so you wouldn't punish everyone.  However, you need to punish who you can.  The baseball Commisioner has what's called "best interest of baseball" power.  Kenesaw Landis did this in 1920 banning the Chicago White Sox members who took money to throw the 1919 World Series for life.  Gambling was huge back then and a major problem in baseball but Landis was willing to put the best interests of baseball ahead of anything else.  Selig, needs to man up and do the same with those who have tested positive or admitted to using PEDs (whether that use was knowingly or unknowingly, simply to "recover from injury and get back quicker" or whatever lame excuse the players offer).

Daisuke Matsusaka is on a roll for the Boston Red Sox right now.  But if I was a Red Sox fan, I wouldn't get too excited.  Dice-K is not a very good pitcher because he allows too many baserunners.  Right now, he's able to strike guys out, but don't be surprised if in his next start he reverts to form.  That's been his biggest problem in his career - lights out one start, lights don't even come on in his next.

So, do you agree or disagree?  Comment below.

7 comments:

  1. I hate expanding the playoffs to ten teams. That means that you either have to cut down the season, or start it earlier, which will run you into the risk of snow and very cold weather in the northern cities. If you leave the season as it is, you will have playoff baseball going into November, which nobody wants.

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  2. they've already started earlier, beginning this season, but it all depends on if it's a one and done or best of 3...if it's best of 3, they'll have to do something to get the World Series in by November

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  3. One and done? Best of three? What happened to the Five-game or seven-game series? Are they going to get rid of those too?

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  4. wild card versus the wild card will be one and done or best of 3. best of 5/7 is for the later rounds

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  5. That's for sure how it is going to work when the MLB playoffs switch to ten teams making the playoffs?

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  6. that's what they need to figure out

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