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For baseball fans, there probably isn't a more universally disliked player than Alex Rodriguez.

He is almost too easy to dislike. He plays on a team in which few people outside of their fans root for. He has been involved with performance enhancing drugs, He has gone 'Hollywood' and isn't ashamed about it. He makes more money than a lot of businesses in your hometown.

He just doesn't leave baseball fans with a good taste in their mouth.



Now, reports about him playing poker in high stakes games have surfaced. ARod was warned after being involved in poker games in 2005 by Major League Baseball.

Some reports are that he has been back playing to as far back as 2007. If the reports are true and the investigation comes up with more evidence, without a doubt, ARod will be suspended.



From a fantasy point of view, it makes an ARod decision easy for me in the future. No matter the bargain price he may come at, I won't be selecting him.

Whether he is naive, stupid, or thinks he is above rules, no matter the reason, I can see ARod 'pulling a Manny' and again use performance enhancing drugs once he realizes that he can't play the way he used to.

And that time may come as soon as next year.



I'm of the opinion that sports fans in one town are no brighter or dumber than sports fans in another town. Most games have a conglomeration of folks who range from not fans of baseball at all to the baseball geeks who are yelling out loud that Managers are making the wrong move.



Last night may have changed my opinion a little bit.

I was listening to the Cubs-Pirates game. Marmol was brought in to close out a 1-0 lead for the Cubs. Derek Lee, the Pirates new acquisition (and what new acquisition doesn't become an immediate hero for local fans?) lead off the inning. The count goes 3-2 and on the next pitch, Marmol hits Lee with the pitch.

First, I could not believe that Pirates fans booed. But, it was how loud they booed that grabbed me. Like most of the ballpark booing. What?

To you and I, Lee is the leadoff tying run and we know, in no uncertain terms that Marmol did not want to plunk Lee. To you and I, there is a chance that Marmol will be wild again and that the Pirates chances of winning increase.

Many, many Pirates fans could not see that.



The Rockies have had great Septembers the last few years. Being amidst Rockies fans, I am amazed how many of them COUNT on them playing better in September and coming back into the National League race.

Sometimes the naivete of the common fan drives me crazy. Last night a Rockies faithful asked me if maybe the Rockies may start their run a little earlier this year. I couldn't hold back.

The Rockies scored six, count 'em, SIX runs against the best pitcher in baseball today and couldn't win! What about that inspires you to think that the Rockies will go on any kind of run at all?

The reply was simple, "Because they always do."

I gave up.



I think one team is gonna get gypped this off season.

I like Albert Pujols as much as the next guy, but I feel he has peaked as far as his production goes.

As it should. Pujols turns 32 this off season.

Pujols is going to want and will receive a long term contract. Probably anywhere from seven to 10 years. And most likely, that team will be paying for yesteryear's stats more than his upcoming stats.



Since Jim Hendry is the industry leader in giving out these type of contracts to players that have already peaked, I would make the Cubbies the favorite to sign Pujols.



Finally, there wasn't a baseball game I enjoyed watching more this year, than the Angels-Tigers game last Sunday.

It was reminiscent of a Marichal-Koufax game.

Justin Verlander and Jerad Weaver were in control of that game and the hitters.

Ordonez, Guillen, Avila, and Aybar were all either taunted, stared at, or threatened by both pitchers.

The hitters knew who the bosses were.

Guillen and Aybar already know that they will be hit on the tush the next time they face these guys.

It's the baseball code. A code that is lost on a lot of the lesser pitchers in the league.



[ August 04, 2011, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

.



I'm of the opinion that sports fans in one town are no brighter or dumber than sports fans in another town. Most games have a conglomeration of folks who range from not fans of baseball at all to the baseball geeks who are yelling out loud that Managers are making the wrong move.



Last night may have changed my opinion a little bit.

I was listening to the Cubs-Pirates game. Marmol was brought in to close out a 1-0 lead for the Cubs. Derek Lee, the Pirates new acquisition (and what new acquisition doesn't become an immediate hero for local fans?) lead off the inning. The count goes 3-2 and on the next pitch, Marmol hits Lee with the pitch.

First, I could not believe that Pirates fans booed. But, it was how loud they booed that grabbed me. Like most of the ballpark booing. What?

To you and I, Lee is the leadoff tying run and we know, in no uncertain terms that Marmol did not want to plunk Lee. To you and I, there is a chance that Marmol will be wild again and that the Pirates chances of winning increase.

Many, many Pirates fans could not see that.



I don’t know if you were listening to the Cubs or Pirates broadcast on radio, but I was watching on TV. There were a lot of Cubs fans in the crowd, as there always are in Pittsburgh. And although I’m sure you are correct that many Pirate fans were booing, probably were hoping to see DLee hit a home run; my guess is that every Cubs fan in the house was also booing. Especially after having seen the 2-2 pitch that was clearly strike three (by way of Pitch Trax) called a ball.

I was listening on the radio, Russel.

A good point on the Cubs fans in attendance.

The boo's were enormous. I had to look down at the radio to make sure they were in Pittsburgh.



By the way, it is par for the course to compare Ron Santo to whomever had the task of taking over his seat.

I have tried to listen to Keith Moreland with an open mind most of the season.

In listening to that series the last three nights though, I have come to the conclusion that the guy is just straight out dull whether replacing Santo or not.



I don't know whether it is happening across America or whether it is just me and this area, but the Cubs have lost a lot of their mystique and 'loveable loserness'.

WGN isn't one of the few places to see Major League games anymore. Harry Carey is gone. Santo is gone. Day games are fewer. And the Cubs themselves offer little hope even in April and May. The only thing that remains is Wrigley Field and the ivy.



I don't think it is too late to recapture some of their 'loveableness' though. The first step is to get new leadership on the baseball side of things, without that, the downward spiral continues.

There is a lot of truth to what you say.



Moreland is in a tough spot following Santo. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be the Rah-Rah ‘come on guys’ broadcaster that Santo was, and I do want my color guy to provide some insight and strategy, but he is way too analytical. There just never seems to be a light moment with this guy. He has to learn that at times when the Cubs are losing 10-1 in the 8th, I don’t need to hear the fine details of every pitch. Talk about some baseball in general while weaving in the details of the current game into the conversation.



As for the Cubs themselves, Is the mystique gone? Maybe.



But I don’t think it’s any less than it is for baseball as a whole. And I can’t really put my finger on why. It would be easy to blame it on the money, but money has been an issue for baseball in one form or another for the past 40+ years .

{Side Note. HBO is running a wonderful documentary right now called; The Curious Case of Curt Flood. }



Attendance is down. Although the Cubs remain very high on the list of percentage of seats sold both at home and on the road, just like they are every year.



As for my own personal feelings, some of that loveable loser feeling is gone. Five years ago I was lucky enough to become a season ticket holder for the Cubs. And so now instead of letting my attention wan come late August and September , I’m kinda obligated to watch the team fade on the field like the ivy on the wall.



And even though each October I stand there with my friends and say “Wait til next year”, It gets harder and harder to say it.

I'm not a big Arod guy....but if it were jack hanahan playing at a poker game no one would care less

I think this fits under JUNK.



The average Main 1st place is 118 rank points.

Second 110.5, Third 103 fourth 97.5





The only two first place teams under 106.5 are both in New York (Ny3 home of "keyser soze" at 87th overall is the lowest overall standing league leader and Ny4). Twenty-two second place teams have more points and so

does 11 third place teams and three 4th place teams.



The top two point getters and ones over 131.5 are both second weekend Las Vegas (lv2 & lv4) and they are the top two overall - former champion Lindy Hickelman's Bob Enzyte and Zefurs.2



Online two from weekend 2 has only 6 points seperating fourth from first (107,106,104 &101).



LV3 weekend 2 has .5 difference between 1st & where the NFBC defending Champ Quahogs sits (18th Overall) in 2nd, three other leagues are seperatered by one (Online 2-weekend 2, Stl & Lv5 - 2nd weekend).



Chi2 is tied between 3rd & 4th place.



Online 3 from the first weekend has two teams at 125 or better and they are 5th and 6th in the overall - G&B Enterprisede and Eric's Liver (Formerly Red Sox Nation)



The Pale Kings at 21st and 22nd Overall are second in AC2 and Online 3 - 2nd weekend.



The top Chicago team in the Overall is at 33.



AC2 has three teams in the top 25 overall.



[ August 04, 2011, 02:13 PM: Message edited by: Head 2 Head ]

Originally posted by JEagle:

I'm not a big Arod guy....but if it were jack hanahan playing at a poker game no one would care less If somebody at the game dropped a half million in one night, Hannahan couldn't afford the stakes.

My point was not whether it was ARod or a lesser player or if it were to make news if it were a lesser player.

My point was that ARod continues in making bad life decisions. Thus, making my decision not to draft him in the future an easy choice.



[ August 04, 2011, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]