Baseball 180!

By Sean Connolly

15 years ago. That’s when the idea of instant replay was introduced to the fools running major league baseball. When it was introduced teams voted 27-1 against the idea of instant replay. It continued to be shut down by teams like that until 1998 when the Diamondbacks and Rays were brought to the league in which the vote went from 27 to 29-1.Now, half way through the 2008 season, MLB has decided to implement instant replay despite not having it completely figured out. Seems to me that if we’ve waited all this time, we can wait another half season until everything is sorted out.

The talk of bringing instant replay began this season in May when, in a two week span, several home run calls were missed by umpires. Unfortunately for these umpires and the MLB, a few of these games were nationally televised bringing more light to the situation. Not only that but one of the more controversial non-homeruns was hit by a man who may someday break Barry Bonds’ record of all-time homeruns, Alex Rodriguez. All of these missed calls were seen nation wide on ESPN’s instant replay showing the umpire’s blunders. Fans, writers, and anyone in the sports community were at Bud Selig’s door with pitchforks and torches asking for instant replay. Like the coward he is, Selig gave in.

Granted instant replay is the correct choice, believe me I’ve wanted it for years now, but in the middle of the season? C’mon. The best part about it is that everyone is so divided on the whole thing in baseball. The umpires don’t want it, all of a sudden half the MLB teams want it, half don’t (a vote recently said it was 15 in favor, 15 against), and players are begging for it. So, what does Selig do. Without mulling it over with the umpires, players, and owners after the season had completed, he decided that instant replay would be a part of Major League Baseball today. Out of nowhere!!

How can half the season be played under different rules? That’s so insane to me. A hit that was a homerun in May wasn’t, but a hit that’s a homerun in say September or October all of a sudden is. That’s not how professional sports work. When the NFL realized that they needed instant replay, they didn’t implement it in the middle of the season. They tested it out in Europe, discussed their plans thouroughly making sure refs, players, and owners agreed on what was happening and then brought forth the plan at the start of the season.

I want instant replay so badly it’s not even funny. But I refuse to give up my sport ethics for a rule that doesn’t even seem like it’s been figured out. The MLB is saying that instant replay will only be used for homerun calls. There is going to be so much confusion as to whether or not they can use instant replay or not on several types of calls, such as a trapped ball scenario. This will only open up a door of problems for the umpires that they didn’t have to deal with earlier in this season.

The solution is simple people. Use instant replay on a majority of calls, but next year. Train the umpires properly and make sure that all rules are sorted out, and that both managers and umpires know what can or cannot be challenged by instant replay. We’ve waited 15 years for this, don’t you want that wait to be worth something?

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By Sean Connolly

I swear, if I go to a Yankee game in its final season at Yankee Stadium, the cathedral for baseball, and I see Barry Bonds in a Yankee uniform…I don’t know what I might do. I think that’s when I fully comprehend why people run out onto the field. Whether this is a possibility or not is a little unknown, but just knowing that there is talk in the baseball community that the Yankees and other teams may need Bonds’ bat, is getting me a little upset.

BARRY BONDS ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING A YANKEE?

When I think about it, forget the Yankees. I don’t want to see this guy on any team. Be it the Rays, or Diamondbacks or whatever, I never want to see this juiced-up, egotistical, disrespectful disgrace touch a baseball field again. I love that he has wanted to come back this entire year but no one is giving him the offer. This is the best way to get back at him for single handedly ruining the integrity of baseball. But, with the trade deadline looming and with plenty of teams in the playoff race, teams may consider ruining what could be the greatest burn of all time.

If I’ve got baggage, he’s got a whole set of Louis Vuitton.

Milton Bradley on teams not taking Barry Bonds

This whole situation shows just how much no one believes Barry Bonds. O.K., let’s try as hard as we can to forget the whole steroid and perjury issue. I know it’s hard but try. Ok? Ready. Who wouldn’t want a player who recently broke the game’s most respected, sought after record? Who wouldn’t want a player whose on base percentage is so magnificent that that stat alone can make a team a contender? Who wouldn’t want an extra bat who can knock one out of the park at any time? Now, let’s return to reality. No one wants all those eye-popping attributes because they don’t want a loser, that simple.

STAY OUT OF NEW YORK, BARRY.

Barry Bonds should have been the most attractive free agent over the off-season and up until now, but teams are actually doing the right thing and using a thing called morality. Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, now is telling teams that Bonds will play for the league minimum salary, which would be a measly $150,000 for Bonds (I think he spends more on HGH in a year). That’s hilarious, because teams still aren’t biting, and I really hope the Yankees or any other team don’t. It makes perfect sense for the Yankees to go after Bonds. It looks like Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada may be out for the rest of the season and a power hitting, high on-base percentage, high slugging percentage outfielder who can DH would fit magnificently. All the Yankees have to do is find a power hitting, high on-base percentage, high slugging percentage outfielder who can DH whose last name isn’t Bonds.

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By Sean Connolly

I know it’s only May, but maybe it is time to start panicking if you’re a Yankee fan. Everyone says they’re right where they were last year, but look where they ended up last year. They exited early in the playoffs to a Cleveland team they owned throughout the year. If the Yankees are at the same point that they were last year, surely they will end up and the same point, without a championship.

With one of the most potent lineups in recent history, the Yankees are only 16th in hitting in the entire major leagues and 22nd in runs batted in. Both Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada are on the disabled list which takes two huge bats out of the lineup. In Rodriguez’s place has been a platoon of Morgan Ensberg and Alberto Gonzalez who haven’t produced half as much as the M.V.P. in A-Road has. Recently, the Yankees hitting has been non-existent. In the past three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees have produced a measly four runs. If they can’t produce more than four runs against the Rays how do they expect to win against the Red Sox?

With the New York Mets coming up this weekend in the Subway Series, the Yankees have a chance to sort out their pitching rotation. Rasner who has gotten off to a great start this season( 2-0 3.00 ERA), will start the first game of the series. Petite and Wang will follow Rasner which should give the Yankees a fair chance to take at least two out of three in the series against their crosstown rivals. This is a series that can turn around a season and Joe Girardi needs to understand that this can set the tone for the rest of the season. Girardi hasn’t proven to be a great coach so far and has a lot of improvement ahead of him if he wants to be on any level with Joe Torre. Torre’s successes are Girardi’s benchmarks and Girardi needs to keep this in mind. Throughout the Torre years the Yankees used the series against the Mets as a catalyst to several successful seasons. Girardi needs to do the same.

Pitching wins championships and the Yankees pitching this season has been anything but title-worthy. Like their hitting, they are 16th in the Major Leagues in pitching with a 4.23 earned run average. They have only produce one complete game this season and two shutouts. Their young guns in Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, and even the untouchable Joba Chamberlain have been roughed up the entire season, leaving holes in the pitching rotation. Ian Kennedy is 0-2 with an 8.37 ERA, Phil Hughes is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, and Joba who gave up a heart-breaking game winning home run to the Indians has two losses already this year after having none all of last year. Now, they are still developing and should be good pitchers but do Yankee fans have time to wait on these guys? Chamberlain has the least to worry about, but Hughes and Kennedy have shown nothing positive this season. This translates to the hitting in that players know they’re going to have to put up 6,7 runs when either Hughes or Kennedy is on the mound.

May is not the time to panic but it certainly is the time to worry. The Yankees have yet to have a big winning streak and fans are tired of waiting for them to break out. Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi are still below the Mendoza line and are effecting the entire lineup. The pitching has too many holes and it is becoming too difficult to get the ball into Mariano Rivera’s hands. This weekend series against the Mets will define the entire series and a sweep could catapult Girardi and the Yanks to a championship.

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