Just how bad of a person does it make me that this morning when I first heard that Ken Caminiti had died that I immediately assumed that Phil Garner’s inability to figure out the double-switch in the Astros’ game four loss to the Braves was responsible? You have to figure that after years of the side-effect ravages of cocaine, crack and anything else he could snort or smoke, that Caminiti’s heart was basically holding on by a thread anyway. Then, he sees Garner botch the double switch twice in twenty minutes…
Garner, of course, had defensible reasons for both moves. The first one, involved bringing in Mike Gallo and Jason Lane and batting Lane in Craig Biggio’s spot at the top of the order. This move only saved Garner one batter. But when asked why he did it, Garner said simply, “Defense.” Come on, we’ve seen The Beege chase flyballs. I’ve seen kids chasing fireflies with an open jar who take straighter routes than Biggio does.
The second one involved Brad Lidge, and it was a big one. Garner’s point was that the game was on the line right there in the eighth, and that he couldn’t double switch because Jeff Kent had made the last out and he didn’t want to lose Kent’s bat in a tie game. But this is Brad “Freakin'” Lidge here. When you bring him in, you assume the Braves will not score for the amount of time he’s in the game. You don’t bring him in to get two outs in the eighth and then go bye-bye. Take Kent out. It’s not like over his career he’s been Mr. Clutch. Except when he’s falling off his dirt bike and pretending his bum knee was a car wash injury…but that’s another story altogether.
It’s funny how fate conspired against the Astros yesterday. Four things broke horribly wrong for them. If any of them went the other way, they’d be getting ready for St. Louis right now.
The first thing was Roger Clettitte going on three days rest and not being able to go in the sixth inning. It was a combination of Fat Roger being 42 years old, and of him crapping his brains out for three days last week with a stomach virus. He left with a 5-2 lead and four batters and one out into the top of the sixth it’s a 5-5 game.
In the bottom of the eighth the Astros face John Smoltz and he gets two quick outs. Then, Brad Ausmus hits one just out of the reach of Rafael Furcal. Jason Lane, in the game because of the first double switch hits a fly ball to right field that JD Drew couldn’t get to. Drew fires wildly (and Sosa-like) to third base for no apparent reason. This brings up Lidge’s spot. Now if you are Garner, you can’t let Lidge hit. Lane’s single actually forced the closer out of the game. Garner’s defense was that Orlando Palmeiro had good career numbers versus John Smoltz. Apparently 1-2 with no RBI is “good” enough for Garner.
OK, so already Clettitte’s diarrhea and Lane’s single have conspired against the Astros, surely Palmeiro won’t do anything dumb. He hits a chopper to the right of Adam LaRoche that inexplicably, LaRoche tries to field, leaving first base unoccupado. Second baseman Marcus Giles grabs the ball and fires to the unoccupied base as John Smoltz swoops in out of nowhere and beats Palmeiro to the bag by a half step to end the inning. How did Smoltz beat Palmeiro to the bag? He had help. Palmeiro slid into first! On the replay you can see him begin to slow so he could start his slide just before Smoltz enters the picture. If he just runs, he probably beats the play, giving the Astros the lead. He doesn’t. They don’t have it.
So now we’ve got Clettitte’s runs, Lane’s single and Palmeiro’s slide. What’s the fourth?
Russ Springer (yes, that Russ Springer) is entrusted with the 5-5 tie in the top of the ninth for Houston. He strikes out both Eddie Perez and Justice Charles Thomas and all is well in Houston. But oops! With two strikes he hits Rafael Furcal. On the first pitch (like everybody didn’t know this was going to happen), Furcal steals second. The pitch to JD Drew was called a strike, but even the Anti-Christ, Joe Morgan begins to suggest that Garner have the righthanded pitching Springer walk the lefty Drew to get to struggling righthander Giles. Granted, JD was struggling, too, but if that’s your decision you try and get him out. Instead, Garner suggests the always dangerous “unintentional” intentional walk. Springer misses high and away with fastballs to make it 2-1, then he throws a curve ball that just misses to run it to the three balls and a strike. This is where something goes against the Astros…again. He throws the same pitch, in the same spot and home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth (not making that up) calls it a strike. You could almost see Ausmus’ shoulders slump at the strike. Now it’s a full count and JD Drew is sitting fastball. Inexplicably, he gets it and singles Furcal in with the go-ahead run. Springer then strikes out Giles.
In the ninth, a Garner move almost saves the day. With one out and Lance Berkman up with pinch runner Adam Everett and his enormous ears in at first for Jeff Bagwell, Garner puts the hit and run on. Berkman hits what would have been a double play grounder to Furcal, only Furcal’s on his way to cover the bag for Everett’s steal attempt. It’s a single and Everett ends up on third. That brings up Jeff Kent! Garner is now feeling like the manager of the year. His hit and run has set up the guy he gave up Brad Lidge for and all Kent has to do is get a big hit. Instead he grounds to Furcal for a 6-3 double play and everybody’s flying back to Atlanta, not just the Braves.
The good news for the Astros is that Jaret Wright is pitching for the Braves. The bad news is that Roy Oswalt is going on three days’ rest. Oswalt made one start on three days’ rest and beat the Brewers in August. The Braves ain’t the Brewers.
—-
Ken Caminiti is dead at 41. The former NL MVP and owner of the one of the most inexplicable great seasons in baseball history died in New York of an apparent heart attack. In 1996 he showed an incredible improvement over his 1995 season. In only three more games played he hit 14 more homers, drove in 36 more runs and his slugging percentage went up .108. The next year his homers went down by 14, his RBI’s by 40 and his slugging percentage by .113.
A couple of years ago, Caminiti admitted he used steroids during his career, especially in 1996. He accused half of the league of using steroids. Then he got arrested in a Texas motel doing crack. Just Tuesday he pled guilty to a parole violation of testing positive for cocaine…again. Only he didn’t have to serve time because he was sentenced to 180 days and had just served 189 in jail and a treatment facility.
It’s a sad, sad story, and one that no doubt will hang heavily on former teammates Jeff Bagwell and The Beege tonight.
—-
The Angels and Dodgers are both out of the playoffs. They combined to win one game in the postseason and it was a four-hit shoutout by Jose Lima. What are the freakin’ odds on that? The Angels would have been up two games to one instead of over at 3-0 if two things had happened against Boston. 1) They needed to field the ball. 2) K-Rod needed to not suck. See you in the Cactus League, boys.
The Dodgers could have advanced had one thing happened. 1) Cardinals plane crash.
It’s now apparent that the only thing standing between the Satanic Fowl and a world title is the winner of the ALCS, because the Astros and Braves are in no shape to do the job in the NLCS.
—-
In Saturday’s Tribune, Seabiscuit’s Jockey writes the most damning piece yet on Sammy Sosa.
It details what we suspected all along. That not only are Sammy’s teammates tired of him, but that the organization has pulled out all the stops to motivate him to agree to a restructuring of his 2006 option year so that he can be traded without it automatically kicking in. Sammy, according to Billy Barty here, asked for a trade, then was incredulous when the Cubs told him he’d have to re-do his option to make it happen.
We’re not dealing with a Mensa member here. There are certain things we can be sure about with Sammy and a) him giving back money isn’t likely; b) he cannot be on the 2005 Cubs because c) he cannot function when he’s being criticized.
I’m not saying that the Cubs need to try and trade him this offseason. I’m saying that they either need to trade him, or they need to release him and hope they win the inevitable lawsuit from his agent claiming that by waiving him they are liable for his 2006 option and not just the buyout.
It’s one thing if the fans had turned on Sammy. Fans are fickle. A couple of three homer weeks and we start cheering again. But Dusty doesn’t want him around, his teammates don’t want him around and you can’t fix either of those things.
The Cubs aren’t led by Sammy. They’re led by Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Mark hasn’t hidden the fact that the Cubs are sick and tired of dealing with Sammy. Do you make one player unhappy or 24? Even I can do that math.
Can Sammy be traded? Of course he can. If Todd Hundley can find a new home, Sammy Sosa can. Sammy could make it very easy. Using Manny Ramirez’s contract as a guide, it seems as though the Players’ Association has no power to stop a player from giving up non-guaranteed compensation. If a player wishes to give up a trade “kicker” he can do it. What killed the A-Rod trade was the fact that A-Rod was trying to give back guaranteed money. Money he was due even if he hit .114 or blew out a knee and ended his career.
Sammy won’t make it easy. He won’t give up a cent. He’ll try and get the Cubs to trade him and find a patsy to swallow the $18 million option for 2006, or force the Cubs to pay him to go away.
In the most likely scenario, the Cubs will find a taker for Sammy and end up paying anywhere from 50-70% of Sammy’s money the next two years. If they find a taker and can play less than that, it’s because that team (for example, the Mets) have given the Cubs one or two bad salaries (two of Mike Piazza, Cliff Floyd or Mike Cameron) to swallow.
In the most unlikely scenario, the Cubs simply waive Sammy and are on the hook for his $17 million in 2005 and the buyout of his 2006 salary. Nobody will claim him meaning that once he’s cleared, Sammy can sign a new deal for the veteran’s minimum with any team in the league and basically get a raise for the trouble as he’ll be paid by the Cubs and his new team.
There is another scenario that is at this point unclear. What if the Mets or Royals wanted Sammy for just 2005? Could the Cubs waive him, let that team claim him and assume his current contract without the 2006 option kicking in? The Mets or Royals could then trade a bad salary player (Piazza, Floyd, Cameron or Mike Sweeney) to the Cubs for a middling prospect, then buyout Sammy’s contract for 2006 and try and sign him to a deal after that.
For those of us who still harbor some good feelings for Sammy, this is still an easy parting. He needs to go away. He had 12 mostly great years with the Cubs and we’ll always appreciate them. Trying to push it with a 13th will only tarnish something that’s already starting to crust up on the edges.
So where do the Cubs go after Sammy? Who plays right field? The Cubs will chase Carlos Beltran around with a truck full of money, but he seems destined for the Yankees. JD Drew is an attractive, although ricketty option, but you have to think the Braves will try and keep him. Won’t they? And if they don’t, what does that say about him?
Brace yourselves for the possibility Cubs fans, that in order to find a home for Sammy, that the Cubs might eat so much of his salary that they end up turning to another one-year stopgap in the outfield. You could very well have an outfield that looks familiar. Moises Alou – Corey Patterson – and a Jason Dubois/Todd Hollandsworth time share in right. I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m just saying it could.
—-
Groucho with some particularly entertaining notes this week.
Mariotti puts down the doughnut and writes a column without the words Dusty, or Sosa or Cubs. I didn’t think he could do it.
The worst thing about the new Bulls is that I might end up liking guys from Duke.
Are the Red Sox five outs better?
Peter King with a strange MMQB. First he drops Bill Simmons’ name. Ooh, impressive. Then he writes this…
“A slice of subway life, Oct. 6, 2004:
I’m on the subway, the Lexington Avenue line, around 9 a.m., on the way to HBO Studios for Inside the NFL. There are four girls, I would guess 17ish, maybe senior-in-high-school age, in the center of this very crowded car. One girl is applying her morning makeup. One girl is holding Makeup Girl’s shoulders steady. One girl is holding the mirror. One girl is watching.
Makeup Girl says: “I am soooo pale!” She spends three stops, my length of time on the train, applying the makeup, and just before I get off, Mirror Girl says: “You’re a little white here, a little streaky.” Makeup Girl moans, agrees, evens out the color.
Behind them is an advertisement for Manhattan Mini-Storage, which shows a man sitting on a narrow chair, eating a plate of steaming pasta with a pained look on his face. The plate is sitting right in his lap. The ad shouts: “Imagine having room for a table instead of burning your crotch!”‘
What the hell was that?
Ray Allen wants to do “something special” with the Sonics. Special for the Sonics would be holding another team under 115 points in a game.
Spanish-yes.com with Kelly Dwyer on the Knicks.
Texas Tech 70 – Nebraska 10. What went around is coming around, Husker fans.
Superman’s dead! Again. Great, who’s left to fly around the earth backwards?
America’s finest news source with the story of a Mobile man who’s personal relationship God is getting too public again.
I speculated on the waive / vest idea for Sammy a few days back. Short of calling Adam Katz, any way to determine what’s what on this contract? Any historical precidents?
If Nebraska could play Illinois, that might be one of the ugliest football games between two state schools ever.
To honor the passing of Ken Caminiti, I will get drunk before managing tonight’s game. And no one will notice.
Opening with a lame joke about Ken Caminiti’s death? I would try and explain why that is so utterly classless, but, god forbid, when anyone rags on Andy he either erases them, exposes them, whines or all three.
That’s right #4. Now go write some more funnies for the end of Rozner’s columns next week.
The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.
Even sadder is flushing it all with a drug addiction. Still, the sadness is tempered when you realize a rich, athletically skilled adult wilfully chose to do drugs.
People aren’t born a drug adict; it doesn’t just happen to a person.
Society needs to stop feeling sorry for these people that go out and find this "illness" on their own and fund it with their own money.
I feel badly for your family and fans, but for Ken personally, it’s too bad he didn’t clean himself up and stop waiting for the heart explosion. RIP, Kenny.
I would have thought nobody would try and joke about the death of a 41-year-old troubled former MVP and father, let alone the author of a feature that reaches literally a dozen people.
I can still hear Harry pronouncing it "Camaneetee". It’s a shame that a guy who played his ass off on the field had to live like a dumbass off the field.
I think the Astros have a better shot at beating the Cardinals than the Braves. But watching games the past few days just pisses me off even more because I see the talent level of most of these teams (particuarly starting pitchers) and I know the Cubs are better. I hope they’re watching and they’re pissed off, too.
A new low? Thats not even in the top ten. Desipio actually likes Ken.
DK 57, baby!
Hey, buddy! Today’s Daily Dose was supposed to be about me, buddy! I don’t like the inference, buddy, that people who took steroids might die young, buddy.
Now talk about me some more, buddy. You know you love me, buddy.
My head exploded and it didn’t kill me.
By the way, I can’t wait until I get to see that motherf@#$er Steve Stone again!
Hey #4, I’d say the "joke" in the opening was more about me than Ken. Thanks for being so sensitive!
Yeah, this was especially unfeeling and classless, this was just horrifically brutal. Maybe you can read more than one paragraph next time #4…
"Ken Caminiti is dead at 41. The former NL MVP and owner of the one of the most inexplicable great seasons in baseball history died in New York of an apparent heart attack. In 1996 he showed an incredible improvement over his 1995 season. In only three more games played he hit 14 more homers, drove in 36 more runs and his slugging percentage went up .108. The next year his homers went down by 14, his RBI’s by 40 and his slugging percentage by .113.
A couple of years ago, Caminiti admitted he used steroids during his career, especially in 1996. He accused half of the league of using steroids. Then he got arrested in a Texas motel doing crack. Just Tuesday he pled guilty to a parole violation of testing positive for cocaine…again. Only he didn’t have to serve time because he was sentenced to 180 days and had just served 189 in jail and a treatment facility.
It’s a sad, sad story, and one that no doubt will hang heavily on former teammates Jeff Bagwell and The Beege tonight."
I would love to discuss the opening paragraph, but trying to explain humor to Andy is like trying to describe the nuance of color to Stevie Wonder.
Didn’t I make a career out of joking about the "Big One" before a Big grabber killed me?
Dave B., please stop beating the "Cubs are better than most of these playoff teams" drum. The Cubs had 162 games to prove they were better. They weren’t.
C’mon, #15, you’re gonna get this shit pulled out from under us, and the people who think he IS funny lose out.
If I read this right, defending Caminiti is like defending Elvis, Lyle Alzado, or Janis Joplin. Or Mama Cass. You can admire the talent, but if you’re defending the memory of a drugged-out sot against so-called tasteless humor, I believe YOU’RE the one lacking a funny bone.
So go choke on a ham sammich, already.
Hey, I’m not whining about the Cubs. I’m mad. They should be mad and embarrassed that they’re not there. It was a major underachievement.
Did anyone see Lassie celebrating in his 80’s style cut-off shirt last night? Also his golden sombraro was awesome too. I still am mad about Carlos’ heaters not landing on Lassie’s snout.
Caminiti gets 3 paragraphs and I get one stinking line?
San Francisco column on Sosa—
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/09/SPG0596B841.DTL
Another San Francisco column
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/10/SPGOA96HJN1.DTL
Interesting throw away line in the Bruce Jenkins article:
"Enough second-guessing over managers leaving their closers (Joe Nathan and Brad Lidge) in playoff games too long. The postseason is all about urgency."
The second-guessing regarding Lidge is that he was removed too soon, not left in too long. Is this guy even watching the games?
To be fair to Jenkins, he wrote his column on Saturday.
"Mike Krukow never second-guessed Baker to the point it started a feud, as Steve Stone did this year" – John Shea
Mariotti Award Nominee for Comentary on Things Not Witnessed.
Stone "First Guessed" Baker so often it could have been Hollywood Squares with Baker only agreeing or disagreeing.
In that case, never mind.
Are we still going to pretend that Steve Stone is the smartest guy around?
The whole, "Ooh, a slider here in the dirt and he’ll go down swinging" thing is like a magic trick that somebody’s already explained to you.
If that’s all it takes to sound smart, I wish all life were that easy.
I think Steve’s a good announcer, but come on.
No respect, Rodney…
Damn that Peter King, now I’ve to drop his name in MY next column.
I watched the Yanks/Twins game Saturday on Fox. I think that Josh Lewin would be a good replacement for the tv gig. He made dealing with a jackass like Lyons look easy.
Andy,
after spending a weekend listening to the in depth analysis provided by Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver and Steve Lyons, I’m ready to say that Steve Stone is one of the smartest color men around.
I do find it quite interesting that a rotation of Williams-Marquis-Morris-Suppan could be enough to win the NLCS. Then again, if starting pitching were the only thing that mattered, the Braves with their SuperRotation (TM) would probably have won more than 1 WS in the 13 years they’ve won the division.
The Ghost of Jimy Williams still haunts Minute Maid Park, apparently. He is hiding in Phil Garner’s moustache (or maybe it’s Jeff Kent’s pornstache). For the Astros sake, hopefully Dr. Venkman took care of that slimer before the road trip.
Don’t cross the streams, Ray.
Straw — As long as the "TV gig" in question was "Son of Svengoolie," I totally agree.
There is no way lispin’ Josh could say "Son of Svengoolie."
And really, why doesn’t Comcast Sports add Svengoolie to that wasteland afternoon coaches’ show schedule they currently run?
Somebody else looks at why the Cubs didn’t make the playoffs. He can’t figure it out, either.
http://seriousbaseball.blogspot.com/2004/10/question-why-arent-cubs-in-post-season.html
Who’s pretending?
My fave was the game against the braves where Stone said that the matchup of Brave hitter (can’t remember whom) vs. Cub pitcher (same) was with the batter 5-6 lifetime against the pitcher. Stone said he wouldn’t have set taht matchup.
Result: RBI Single.
I’m not suggesting Steve is a savant of some sort. I’m suggesting that a writer who says Stone was second guessing wasn’t watching the games.
I thought bashing columnists for lack of proper reporting was appropriate around here.
That matchup was the Dunn v. Remlinger matchup. Dunn was 5-6 against Remlinger, Stone pointed out that Remlinger was better against righties than lefties, and called it a mistake. Dunn singled up the middle, but no RBI. Eventually, he scored.
Thanks for covering my, Brian. I ‘gotch yer back on the next go ’round.
In fact, it was after that game that Stone made the "I guess that’s why he gets the big bucks" statement and then went on Sports Central to say that Dusty managed a poor game. For those interested, I’ve posted the Sports Central interview on my website. http://cubsnow.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_cubsnow_archive.html#109675491118451259
That damn Mariotti, "horribly coached team". That is stating the obvious there. Way to go out on the the limb there Jay. What is the over/under on my firing?
Cubs news: Wavin’ Wendell is gone. Clines is now the hitting coach. Sarge to coach first, baserunning and outfield. Everybody else stays. No new 3rd base coach yet. I’d say that’s a nice start to the off-season.
Wave Wendell Goodbye!
ParisCub Speaks the truth.
Since Wendell’s being sent home, maybe I should have him suffer the same fate as many a Cubs baserunner sent home under his watch. I should throw him out.
Good news! Wendell just won the World Leg Wrasslin’ championships, so he’s got plenty of dough stashed away.
Just what do you think that spot in the carpet behind Wendell is? Eww.
I’ll still get to see Wendell when I go to my other job at Arlington Race Track.
That pic is known as a Number 6.
You know what a Number 6 is.
Oh, you’re not familiar with that one…
Well, that’s where we go a-ridin’ into town, a whampin’ and whompin’ every livin’ thing that moves within an inch of its life. Except the third base coach, of course.
You spare the third base coach?
NAW. We rape the s#!t out of him at the Number 6 Dance later on.
Marvelous.
Outfielder coach, huh? When I played here, wasn’t I known for my clutch hitting and ADVENTUROUS outfield defense?
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