ESPN's Rick Reilly is Cramping My Style

Ok so I don't want to toot my own horn here too much, but seriously Reilly... Pat Venditte?! Dude I was all over that EXACTLY three years and one day ago, when my ambidextrous boy Pat was still in college. Here's me on 5/5/2006...

I always wondered about this. I knew there wasn't any active switch-pitcher in the major-leagues, but I was curious as to whether or not it would be possible and also whether or not it would be in accordance with the rule book. Although Division I baseball doesn't necessarily follow the same rules as the MLB, I'm still happy to have learned that there is such a thing as a switch-pitcher.

"Pat Venditte Jr., isn't your ordinary college pitcher. He's the only active switch-pitcher in NCAA Division I. Venditte employs his ambidextrous abilities as a reliever for Creighton University. In a game last week against Kansas, Venditte retired six batters, three right-handed and three left-handed, and he recorded a strikeout with each arm. Through Wednesday, Venditte had a 2.51 ERA in 46 2/3 innings. " [via MLB.com]

...and here's Reilly on 5/6/2009...

His name is Pat Venditte, he's 23, and he's pro baseball's only ambidextrous pitcher. This living piece of history is more than a YouTube star; he's throwing almost daily for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees' Single-A club. And he's not just throwing: He's blowing through hitters like a Cub Scout through Skittles. At one point in April, the closer's ERA was 0.00 in 6 1/3 innings, and he hadn't blown a save in five games. [via ESPN.com]

...so, ESPN, why aren't I working for you yet? In case you're still curious, here's a video from the CBS Youtube Channel:


Picture courtesy of Iblogtoblog.com

Mama Chamberlain: Meth Slinger (allegedly)

Oh this is just too good to be true. According to TMZ, Joba Chamberlain's mom was arrested for attempting to sell methamphetamine to an undercover cop. Ha! Is the Chamberlain family the new Lohan family?

via TMZ.com
image courtesy of TMZ.com

The Other Side of RemDawg

It's a couple weeks old, but I just found this profile of Red Sox announcer and former second baseman Jerry Remy by Neil Swidey of the Boston Globe. You should read it. Witness:

Remy, with just seven home runs and one All-Star appearance during his 10-year Major League career, will never be anything but a paying visitor to Cooperstown. Improbably, though, this long-retired undersized second-baseman-turned-TV-commentator with the smoker's laugh, heavily lined face, and even heavier accent ("us" is "uz" and "of course" is "acourse") has managed to become a more popular figure in Red Sox Nation than [Jim] Rice, [Luis] Tiant, and all but a few living Hall of Famers, as well as most members of the current roster.

I never knew that much about Remy besides his on field stats and in booth persona, so it was interesting to read a bit of a different take on his life. This was one of my favorite anecdotes from the piece:

[Jerry and his friends would] laugh about their exploits, like the time Remy and his pal Henry Velozo took their girlfriends to a local amusement park. When they got back to the parking lot, they found Henry's Pontiac had a flat tire, which neither Jerry nor Henry knew how to fix. So the two of them headed back into the park, figuring a stranger would be more willing to change a tire for a couple of girls traveling alone. From the top of the giant slide, they watched as a random guy dutifully jacked up the car, and they chuckled at how perfectly their plan was working -- until the random guy got in the back seat and their girlfriends drove off with him.

Go read the story! Now!

via the Boston Globe
photo courtesy of the Boston Globe

Jacoby Ellsbury steals home, and the Red Sox sweep the Yankees

Ok so this was just awesome. I love NY/Boston series, especially in Fenway and ESPECIALLY when the Red Sox sweep!

via MLB.com

Terry Francona tweeted me!

In case I didn't tell you already (I mean, I told practically everyone I know), Terry Francona sent me an @reply on Twitter today in response to my birthday wishes to him!! I'm all hot and bothered!

Some tremendous doucher harrases the Jonas Brothers!

Who else thinks that Curt was the one who initiated this photo-op... and that the Bros were more than a little creeped out by him? Leave them alone Schilling they're only children!!!

Via Boston Dirt Dogs

Curt Schilling Strongside/Weakside

Well I was perusing The Onion Sports Network after my last post and I found this awesome picture there:

Hahahaha this makes up for any small part of me that might have cared about what they said about J.D. Drew. I particularly like "Main goal in fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease is to get it named after him instead" and "Role of Curt Schilling in life story will probably be played by that guy who played the pirate in Dodgeball." Hahahaha what a doucher.

Image courtesy of The Onion

The Onion disses Drew... and I'm strangely ambivalent about it...

Check out this post from the Onion Sports Network:

Bobby Abreu's angry reaction to a purpose pitch from Boston ace Josh Beckett triggered an ugly fracas Sunday that saw both teams' benches and bullpens cleared, with the notable exception of Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew. "They looked like they had it under control; don't want too many cooks in the kitchen," said Drew, who could be seen yawning and flicking sunflower seeds into a nearby water cup during the fight. "I thought about getting in there for a second, but then I thought, nah. It didn't really directly concern me. I mean, yeah, they shoved a bunch of my teammates, but it's not like they were gonna die or anything. If someone was in mortal danger, I'd step in there. Yeah, I'd probably do that." Drew then turned his attention to perusing his contract for opt-out clauses. (from The Onion)

My first reaction when I read this was to say "hey The Onion, don't diss my Red Sox boy!" but then I thought... "my boy? Drew....? I'm not so sure..." Strange how right they might be about the very ambivalent nature that seems to surround Drew. He's a good player but, I mean, he's a good player. End of story.

Photo courtesy of The Onion

Curt Schilling Douche Bag of the Moment Awards: Joba Chamberlain (Final Edit)

Ok I figured it out!! Technology and I are friends again... until my evil nemesis BSoD shows up again! Anyway here it is... the FINAL edit of the (now obsolete, but it's ok) Curt Schilling Douche Bag of the Moment Awards!!!!! WATCH IT!!




More info on Octomom's douchbaggery
More info on Joba's douchebaggery
More info on that Shamwow dude's douchbaggery (careful, graphic photos ahead)

Tigers legend Mark Fidrych dies at 54

What a sad week in baseball. The latest news: one of my favorite historical figures in baseball has left the world. Massachusetts native Mark Fidrych was found dead under a dump truck on his hometown farm. I'm truly sorry I wasn't around to see all of "the Bird's" legendary 1976 season myself, but I've seen enough of his interviews and highlights to know that this was one of the most charismatic, interesting, and strange pitchers ever to take the mound (and that's saying a lot). He immediately endeared himself to me the first time I ever saw a story about him on ESPN, and I spent a good amount of time researching his oddities and fantastic pitching talent (not to mention his tragic fall from the spotlight due to injuries). This man was a treasure of the sport, and he will be missed.

Image courtesy of Windy City Musings

Curt Schilling Douche Bag of the Moment Awards: Joba Chamberlain (Remix)

I think I solved the volume problems. I really just need a new cam (hint, hint, donations accepted!). Anyway here's the remix!




More info on Octomom's douchbaggery
More info on Joba's douchebaggery
More info on that Shamwow dude's douchbaggery (careful, graphic photos ahead)

Nick Adenhart, we hardly knew ye

Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart died this morning after a hit and run forced his car into a light pole. It was just hours after the beast pitching performance of his major league career. More later.

Curt Schilling Douche Bag of the Moment Awards, 4/9/09

More info on Octomom's douchbaggery
More info on Joba's douchebaggery
More info on that Shamwow dude's douchbaggery (careful, graphic photos ahead)

The Green Monster Mural is Complete

Well it took a few weeks... ok months... and a hospital visit or two but the green monster mural my friend Matt and I painted on his baby son's wall is finally done! He's only one but I hope he likes it!







What do you think?

Choke Choke Sabathia

So CC Sabathia certainly started his Yankee career with a bang... as in "I dropped the soap in the Em City shower and Chris Merloni banged me in the ---." I cant' really say I'm surprised by his 4.1 inning, 6 earned run, 5 walk and 0 strikeout performance. The guy has never been a big game pitcher, as evidenced by his career 7.92 ERA in the post-season and 13.50 ERA in the All Star Game.

During the regular season with the under-the-radar Indians Sabathia was Cy-Young incredible. During the last half of the 2008 regular season last year with the even lower-key Brewers Sabathia was the best pitcher on the planet. That's all well and good, except that the team that forked over $161 million to make Sabathia their new ace is the most over-the-radar (?) team ever. Every game the Yankees play is a huge, post-season caliber affair. They pack stadiums wherever they go, and those road fans are gonna be hurling boos at Sabathia like the Toronto fans hurl baseballs at Curtis Granderson. The Yankees fans are loud too, and they're only gonna cheer for CC for about as long as it takes for him to not strike out the side in the first inning against Cleveland on April 16th - the day the Bronx opens it's purty new Yankees Stadium. As if that's not going to be a big game atmosphere. The Yankees might as well throw Sabathia to the dogs (and Brian Cashman, while they're at it).

Sabathia's horrendous performances under big game pressure has me thinking about some other famous choke artists.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: It take so long for the players to utter the name of their team to Boston sportswriters, they're simply out of breath by the time they are asked to actually play the Red Sox in the Division Series.

Rocky Balboa: So they made a movie about this supposedly talented boxer and they give him an unbelievable chance at the heavyweight title...and he goes and loses?! Damn you Stallone, you've foiled me again!

A-Rod: Too easy...

Tony Romo: Yea there was that fumbled snap back in January '07, and yea he hasn't brought the 'Boys to a conference championship game, but his worst offense: of all the women he had his choice of he goes and picks the one famous beauty who was destined to become just another stupid fat chick.

Kelly Wiglesworth: You just had to abandon the Tagis didn't you. You were the most physically dominant contestant in the first season of Survivor and you still couldn't save the world from making an old naked fat man famous. Thanks.

The Southern United States: I mean, come on. Slavery, the Civil War, pork rinds... you guys have dropped the ball just a few too many times. Worst offense? Helping make a world destroyer president...again...after seeing the economy of our nation already begin to collapse underneath us.

Image courtesy of NY Times