Barry Larkin was the lone entrant for the class of 2012, but who really cares about that. The best part about the Baseball Writers of America is seeing the random guys that they vote for, or even the random guys that are on the ballot at all.

Seriously, why even put Tony Womack on the ballot? If there were a HOF fame awful eye brows or awkward on-field interviews (remember in 2001 when Joe Buck asked Womack if that was his mom standing to his side? It was his wife…) he would get in first ballot, no question.

But seriously, voting for Bill Mueller??? I realize he will always have that magical year of 2003 where he finished 12th in the MVP voting, but really? Not only did Muller get a vote, he got four. Eat your heart, Phil Nevin!

All I know is that if R.A. Dickey wants to throw puss down the middle of the plate, Mueller is going to piss on it!

Maybe Mueller to the Hall of Fame isn’t that crazy of an idea!?!

A 66 game ban for that? Is the Venezuelan league serious with that ruling. 66 games for shoving a guy in the face who is wearing a mask. To get 66 games I feel you should have to drop the ump with one punch, throw your dip on his unconscious face, kick him in the nuts then walk off doing a dance. 66 games for Yorvit for that? Vlade Divac and every soccer player in the world thinks that umpire was selling that shove too much. Dude started staggering away like he got caught with a right hook to the jaw.

I’m sure Yorvit is distraught that he can’t play in the Venezuelan league for 66 games. It must be a shame to not have to ride on old 70′s Greyhounds to games or fly in a plane like the one in Major League. Oh well, looks like Yorvit will have to go back to the majors where you fly in private jets and get to berate the staff because your prime rib is too dry. Sucks for you Yorvit.

After the St Louis Cardinals “communication breakdown” in game 5, yesterday was a great day to avoid talking heads. Seriously, how many ways can you analyze how manager Tony La Russa can fix the problem? It took esteemed baseball writer Tom Verducci 1,787 words to spit it out in a column. ESPN brought in guys like former Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone to break it  down. And of course Mike Golic went all football guy and dissected the shit out of how crowd noise can effect a phone call. Like I said, great day to avoid the talking heads, and that was hardly the half of it.

But then I remember we are talking baseball, thus we are talking about a sport that refuses to evolve (thanks Bud!). All it takes to solve this new-found problem in baseball: send a text message! I’d bet if you waltz into your favorite Spencer Butte Middle School class this morning you would find a few kids flipping out texts during this week’s Bill Nye episode. If they can do it, Tony can.

(Beat Tom by 1,608 words and offered an easy fix)

It’s late October!

So inevitably the cool nights have me migrating towards the darker beers and passing by the IPAs until Spring of 2012. Yup … drunken rodent text droppings coming up … you know life hasn’t been the same since the last post … ADMIT IT!!

Buckle up … going on a fun ride … a relaxing ride to the tune of Tribe … so just chill bro …

[a tribute to the release of their documentary]

Let’s begin with BASEBALL!! You heard me!!

Let me preface this tasty section with the knowledge that I have not watched one inning of MLB playoff action since Ryan Howard folded to the ground like a drunk stumbling over a street curb at last call. Yeah, this 2011 ending has left a horrible after taste for all Phillies’ fans. The mere thought of watching baseball right now is hurl inducive. On to my controversial point …

Give me LaRussa or give me shit!

Tony LaRussa is the GREATEST MLB manager of all-time … IMO. Six WS appearances, two WS championships … two different teams … two different leagues. Dude is right there with Sparky Anderson. With the one exception, Tony ain’t done.

[please don't fire back with Joe Torre, with all due respect, who couldn't win with that payroll/talent of NY?]

LaRussa is a dick … a defender of his players to no-end … a guy that probably doesn’t laugh at a lot of jokes … but a baseball manager, he is … the best in my feeble (slightly intoxicated) mind. If I could replace Charlie Manuel with Tony LaRussa I wouldn’t hesitate. And you shouldn’t either.

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This just in!!!

I’m a casual Oregon Ducks football fan. And to be frank … this season sucks when it comes to watching Ducks football … from a casual-point-of-view that is. Yeah, I understand you die-hard Eugene-living-bleed-green-Ducks fans … you watch every minute of every game. But us ‘casual’ fans don’t. So when the Ducks get up by 21 … which has been a lot this season … I grab the remote and flick over to another game. Take a look at the schedule … every game has been shit for the casual fan … even the LSU game because the Tigers had that in hand before the 4th qtr. Meaning, every game this season … the casual fan has not watched a FULL Ducks game yet.

Just my way of saying I’m looking forward to Washington & Stanford.

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The Indianapolis Colts are 0-6 … if Peyton Manning doesn’t win MVP … the voters should throw themselves off the nearest bridge.

While on the Colts … how sick would it be if Andrew Luck became a Colt and had to sit under the tutelage of Peyton Manning? Could we see the first TWO-QB backfield in the NFL? Who would the snapped ball go to??

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Tick-tock-tick-tock … the arms on the NBA clock keep spinning around and no season is in sight … oh well … the BETTER game which is NCAA hoops has a chance to shine for 2011-2012. Go get your preseason magazine now, you’ll thank me in December.

Oh … and before i jump off the NBA train … what a dick Bryant Gumbel is. Sure NBA Commish David Stern can come across as a high fah-lutent cock … but the dude is a damn Jew … how can you call him a “plantation overseer” ?? Sorry Gumbel, I brushed off your ridiculous opinions after hearing this …

Seriously dude? When was the last time you actually sat in the stands? You strike me as the type that sends the waiter (of the corp-suite) off to the local sushi joint if the salmon isn’t fresh. How bout this Bryant … go F urself you pompous ass-clown.

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[on a side note ... I began this post with 2 Ninkasi Oatmeal Stout bombers ... finishing with DeSchutes Jubelale bottles ... even an AIDs-riddled-desperate-for-money hooker would say both beers taste better than Bryant Gumbel's shriveled cock if she was offered a grand in cold-hard-cash]

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Don’t git ur hopes up!!

I’m talkin about all this super-conference shit goin down right now. Money grabbing all over the place … ACC, BIG-12, SEC, BIG-EAST … all adding squads … doesn’t mean the MONEY-GRUBBING NCAA Prezs will suffice to a tournament … you don’t really believe that do you?

Don’t be that chick that falls for ‘just the tip’.

Ain’t gonna happen. Too much money in bowls for those teams that finish JUST over .500.  Cuz MONEY bro … is what Big-Time NCAA football is all about now. Not integrity, not tradition, not academics … no way chief … keep dreaming about a tournament. Maybe year 2019, when high school players are big enough to go from 12th grade to NFL practice squads … just maybe then you’ll see a tournament.

Which spawned the next question … will there be an NIT for the mid-majors like Boise St and such?

[I know, don't call me genius, just Nostrameerkat]

So I will leave you with this … just breathe dude …

The man responsible for the destruction of the Tampa Bay Rays’ payroll last off season ($41.9 mil down from $71.9 mil in 2010) isn’t pleased with his business model:

“We replicated last year and our numbers were down,” Tampa Bay owner Stuart Sternberg said. “The (television) ratings were down. The rubber has got to hit the road at some point. We’re four years into winning. We’re getting to the point where we don’t control our own destiny. This is untenable as a model.”

Ah, poor baby. I have a feeling executives at Fortune 500 companies who salary dumped laid off thousands of employees over the past couple years didn’t expect revenue to magically soar.

“When I came in here in ’05 and ’06, I saw the stars, and I was confident that we could put a winning product on the field — and I was told by you guys and others that all we needed was a winning team,” said Sternberg, who assumed principle control of the franchise in 2005. “Well, we won. We won. We won. And we won. And it didn’t do it.”

You own a baseball franchise in an area populated by people who are not interested in baseball. You play in a division with the two most popular teams in the league. You have a demented view on what “winning” is (four years of winning? winning what?) You dump some of your most entertaining players. Half of your state’s population hits the early bird special and falls asleep by the 3rd inning. And it’s widely accepted that if baseball will ever get in touch with reality and CONTRACT, that both Florida franchises should be the two to go.

Oh, and your most popular fan is Dicky V. And you’re NOT making money!?

What a shock.

Heck yeah suckers!!!

Your favorite alcohol saturated rodent is back with a platoon of Rogue American Amber Ales to make an assault on your feeble sports mind. Yeah, you heard me.

Let’s get this party started as DMX would …

Go FUCK yourself Mother Nature!!!

Damn effin rain has given the Stankees a slight advantage by taking Verlander (the best pitcher in baseball) out of the equation for game 1. That sucks. And in a 5 game series that is huge.

Whatevah.

As long as my guy Doc doesn’t pull a CJ Wilson and throw up all over the pitcher’s mound Saturday afternoon … I will be happy and get over Mother Nature’s obvious slight to Motor City

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How ’bout that Jose Reyes!! Dude gets a hit and sits for the rest of game 162 to ensure he’s the NL batting champ of 2011. I’m kinda on the fence about this one. Because on one hand we got teams playing backups at the end of the season (or end of game) like the Yankees (against Tampa) because their season is decided.

Really … what is the difference?

If Jose has the BA lead after 1 at bat in game 162 … what is the big outcry? I know … I know … dude coulda played 4 ABs like a man … but really? Now I’d be pissed if he had the BA lead with 3 games left and he sat the final 3 games. But the last game? Uhhhh … I’ll say he’ll never be mistaken for El Capitan, but he’s also no weasel … he’s somewhere in between … right?

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BRACKETBUSTER!!!!

Yup, the Suck for Luck tournament has a big game this Sunday. The 0-3 Vikings play the 0-3 Chiefs. The loser of this game will certainly downshift their winning efforts for the rest of the season to take pole position in April.

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Moneyball kicks ass!

I saw it opening weekend and it was much better than I expected. Very impressed. In fact, it is my favorite movie of 2011 so far. Which obviously makes it a top 7 baseball movie of all time.

[let's hope that Stake can count/read this time]

Alright, before you go and get all nit-picky, there are a couple minor historical items about the film that may bug you down the road … but that is only if you are a die-hard sports fan … meaning, the avg movie-goer will not be bothered or even notice. But the flip side says all the little details they did secure in the film accurately … you’ll be impressed by. Seriously, sports movies, especially a baseball movie, is gonna be nit-picked down to the most minute item possible. And Moneyball did an awesome job with those details.

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Whoa!!! Speaking of Moneyball … how bout them Rays!?!?! Sorry Sawx fans … I know there may be a couple on this site … but really … what an awesome ending to the MLB season. If I was living back on the East Coast still I might have driven down (during rain delay) to Baltimore to sneak into Camden Yards to catch the end of that instant classic (for some, granted).

For one night, MLB was the talk of the nation in September during football season.

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My God!!!

After hearing about Ken Goe’s article about Chip Kelly’s obvious lack of love to the media, fans, boosters I couldn’t help and think how gangsta Chip apparently is. I mean … I would not be surprised if i saw Chipper pullin a 3 mile wheelie on I-5 in the middle of the week.

Yo, Kelly just don’t care no mo.

Does Chip tie on a bandana and jam out to DMX while breaking down film?

Chip has taken his status of PAC-12 big-man-on-campus to a new level. Chippa don’t care about you … he’d rather sit in his office and watch film on the next opponent … and as long as he keeps winning … you’ll put up with it.

Face it … Ws get your dick hard.

Sounds like Mr. Kelly has become the Bill Bellichick of the NW.  Let’s say … Chip Kellichick?!?!?!

[and go F urself if you didn't think that I thought about Photoshopping a Chip Kellichick image for ya]

Ohhhh, but if Chipper loses 3 games in a row some day … the hater-mob will be roaming the streets of Eugene looking for a head to roll because the Chip-man showed no-love to the everyday fan and bottom-dwelling-booster.

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Anyone notice there is an NBA lockout going on?

Nope, probably not. Please inform me ONLY when the lockout ends … because I was once a die-hard college basketball fan. And if the lockout continues into 2012 … I won’t care much. Because NCAA basketball will be in full swing and getting much deserved love. Even if my favorite Big East conference is not the same as once before.

If you live in the Portland area you should purchase Portland Pilots tickets … at least one or two games … it’s the best hoops ticket in town … trust me.

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DMX from here …

Is ya’ll niggaz crazy? (what)
I’ll buss you and be swazy (what)
Stop actin’ like a baby, (what)
mind your business lady (what)
Nosy people get it too(what), when you see me spit at you (what)
you know I’m tryin’ ta get rid of you (what)
Yeah I know it’s pitiful (what)
That’s how niggaz get down (what)
Watch why niggaz spit round (what)
Make ya’ll niggaz kiss ground (what)
just for talkin’ shit clown (what)
Oh you think it’s funny (what)
then you don’t know me money (what)
It’s about to get ugly (what)
fuck it dog I’m hungry (what)
I guess you know what that mean (what)
come up off that green (what)
Five niggaz or a fiend (what)
don’t make it a murder scene (what)
Give a dog a bone (what)
leave a dog alone (what)
let a dog roam and he’ll find his way home (what)
Home of the brave, my home is a cage(what)
and yo I’ma slave til’ my home is a grave (what)
I’m a pull capers, it’s all about the papers(what)
Bitches talkin’ paper, then how they wanna rape us (what)

Kinger:

ALDS: Rays over Rangers, Tigers over Yankees

NLDS: Phillies over Cardinals, Brewers over D-Backs

ALCS: Tigers over Rays

NLCS: Phillies over Brewers

World Series: Phillies over Tigers in 6

SKI:

ALDS: Rays over Rangers, Tigers over Yankees

NLDS: Phils over Cards, D-Backs over Brewers

ALCS: Rays over Tigers

NLCS: Phils over D-Backs

World Series: Phils over Rays in 7

Braga:

Doesn’t care. It’s football season.

Bryan:

ALDS: Yankees over Tigers, Rangers over Rays

NLDS:  Phils over Cards, D-Backs over Brewers

ALCS: Yankees over Rangers

NLCS: Phils over D-Backs

World Series: Phils over Yankees

Stake:

ALDS: Tigers over Yanks, Rays over Rangers

NLDS:  Phils over Cards, Brewers over D-Backs

ALCS: Detroit over Rays

NLCS: Brewers over Phils

World Series: Detroit over Brewers

3D:

ALDS: Rangers over Rays in 4, Tigers over Yankees in 5

NLDS: Phils over Cards in 3, Brewers over D-Bags in 3

ALCS: Tigers over Rangers in 7

NLCS: Phils over Brewers in 6

World Series: Phils over Tigers in 5

Lots of Phillies love (ugh) and it’s understandable. They have accrued quite the collection of elite pitchers that are too afraid to compete in the American League, and are odds on favorite to cruise through the NL. Looks like most of us don’t just watch the uniforms, but the players in them, and the match-ups. I would guess that is the reason behind 4 of the 5 picking the Yankees to bow out in the Divison Series. The Tigers rotation could do pretty well against a Yankee lineup that has 2 regulars hitting above .262.  I’m guessing that Snakes and Beer Makers series will be one of the most entertaining series no one watches.

Anyways, enjoy the playoffs.

And with that miss Carl Crawford capped a great collapse. A couple hours after complaining about baseball’s shortcomings, the sport delivers a great regular season finale with playoff berths on the line.

Btw – Jose Reyes has to be the happiest man today. The great night of games overshadows how big a pussy he was for coming out of the game to protect his league leading batting average.

Ichi finally gets time in his home country:

AP—The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open next season in Japan with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29.

Seattle and Oakland had been scheduled to play there in March 2003, but the series was scrapped because of the threat of war in Iraq. The A’s will be the home team in both games, the commissioner’s office said Wednesday. The series could feature a pair of Japanese stars, the Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki and Oakland’s Hideki Matsui, who is eligible for free agency.

This will be the fourth Japan opener, following the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (2000), the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), and Boston and Oakland (2008).

Major League Baseball and the players’ association said the series will be dedicated to assisting rebuilding in Japan following this year’s earthquake.

Memo time! Bud: a natural disaster is not required for you to market your two best Japanese assets in their own country. Especially after the bigger of the two names will be swinging-bunting his way into the hall of fame.

Free agency will tell whether we see Hideki-san in Japan for the opener next season. With player loyalty to the league at an all time low, and the importance of “feeding the family” at an all time high, I wouldn’t expect Matsui to sign with Oakland solely for the sake of appearing in Japan next March. Hell, I could see him signing with a team in Japan and riding his career out at home. Ichiro too, in the future.

On a side note, MLB is a disaster right now. I couldn’t have paid less attention this year. Full disclosure: 48 hours ago I could not have told you who was winning the NL West, Central, and Wild Card races, that the season ended on a Wednesday and not a Sunday, and who leads the league in hitting, bombs, & RsBI. I give my beloved Mariners a ton of blame for that 13 or 14 or 15 game losing streak right in the middle of the season (while sitting at .500 and in the mix, nonetheless). What a fucking kick to the nuts to the fan base.

I also blame the product. The games are played at an excruciatingly slow pace. I don’t care to watch the batter step out, the pitcher step off, rinse, and repeat before each pitch. (Just put a fucking shot clock on the guys!) I love that pitching is up and check swing, broken bat bombs are down, but pace of play is a huge deterring factor for me.

LA Times. Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley was arrested for the second time in less than a year, this time for an alleged battery in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Bradley, 33, was booked Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of felony battery at the Van Nuys jail, authorities said. The details of the incident were not immediately available, but officials said he was arrested by officers with the LAPD’s West Valley Division at a residence in the 5300 block of Oak Park Court.

That is the same address where Bradley was arrested by the LAPD on Jan. 18 for allegedly making threats against a woman. In that case, authorities did not identify the woman, the nature of their relationship or release details of the alleged threats.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office announced the next month that they would not file charges in the case but instead brought Bradley in for a hearing to discuss “the most appropriate course of action” to resolve the case.

Bradley has been released on bail and is due back in court Oct. 18.

Bradley, who last played for the Seattle Mariners before being released earlier this year, has a history of anger-management issues on and off the baseball field.

In November 2004, Bradley was arrested after he allegedly confronted a police officer during a traffic stop in Ohio.

The Dodgers traded Bradley to the Oakland A’s in 2005 after he threw a plastic water bottle toward fans at Dodger Stadium and had a clubhouse confrontation with former Times reporter Jason Reid.

Never saw this coming, not in a million years. After he was unceremoniously and unfairly scapegoated, cut and blackballed by the Mariners earlier this year, we were all led to believe he had changed.  We were told he was a man trying to get back on the right track and working to recapture the magic of 2008, a year that saw him finish 17th the the MVP voting. I guess you really can’t teach old dogs new tricks, and Milton, is a dawg.

It’s always sad when one of a franchises biggest free agent acquisitions ever turns into such a bust, but what makes it even more sad, is when it’s a man you believed in. Seattle believed in you, Milton. Sodo Mojo was going to be recaptured, the historic October of 2001 was so close they could taste it. The nucleus of Felix, Smoak, Carp, Figgins, Wily Mo and Bradley was one the reverberated throughout the league. The 1927 Yankees they were not, but you felt like they had the chance.

Another tragic story involving a beloved athlete. An official end of an era, really.

Hey there Milton, what’s in like in LA County, I’m a thousand miles away but tonight your swing looks so pretty…