I’m taking the day off to play Mr. Mom as my boys have end-of-year activities today.

Have a great weekend!

During batting practice, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols drilled a home run that knocked the lights out of the “Big Mac Land” sign on left field’s second deck. Pujols blasted the “A” in “MAC,” though it wasn’t apparent until the game had started and the lights for the letter were dark.

By now, everyone reading this blog should know how I feel about Bob Sheppard, his voice, his presence and how much I hope he’s able to open TNYS next season. There’s an encouraging interview with Sheppard here and it’s worth a read, even if it devolves into a religious discussion on the 2nd page. (I’ll skip the religious discussion since you’re not coming here for that and frankly, I’m the wrong person to discuss that sorta stuff with anyways.)

I type this with a bit of trepidation. I type this only as it was asked to me at work yesterday. I’m about to become a reluctant skeptic and it doesn’t make me feel so hot.

What’s gotten into Jason Giambi?

The question drips with accusation, implied guilt, unfair treatment. It’s also a question in direct violation of “small sample size“. But, how does a player flick the switch as acutely as Giambi’s done this month? I don’t want to hear more about the thong, or that gawd-awful moustache. But how do you explain it? Is it just a guy getting hot for a stretch, or do we have to consider something more insidious given his history?

Remember, too, that this is a guy likely playing for another contract, somewhere, as the Yanks will most likely not exercise his $22M option (paying a $5M buyout).

The evidence
March/April 2008: 23 games, 5 HR, 12 hits, .164 BA, .315 OBP
May 2008: 20 games, 6 HR, 21 hits, .339 BA, .481 OBP

(click here for more splits that are pretty amazing thanks to the always interesting Baseball-Reference.com)

What’s also interesting is that Giambi’s monthly splits are eerily even across his career:

Today, we give Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland the “Too Much Information” award as he shares too much about 3B/SS/1B Carlos Guillen’s, um, sensitive condition:

What I wouldn’t have given to be at least a fly on the wall at this soiree….

• “When the pitchers are young and just starting, they are always a little scared when they face big-league hitters. They’re afraid to throw strikes. That’s what I see with Hughes and Kennedy.”
• “Jorge Posada is a key…it’s tough for pitchers, especially the young guys, to work with backup catchers.”

Haven’t posted many of these in recent weeks, but if you are even remotely familar with the most famous YouTube videos, you’ll get a kick out of this new music video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI&hl=en]

It’s mid-5th inning and the Yanks-Orioles are playing Home Run Derby. So far, 9 HR, five by Baltimore and 4 by the Yanks. Giambi, Abreu, Damon, ARod. Millar (2), Scott, Mora, Hernandez.

The Yanks were up 4-0 before Kennedy gave up a 4 spot in the bottom half of that inning. Yanks stretched it to 8-4 before the O’s cranked 3 HR in the 5th (so far), against Ohlendorf.

Might as well set up a tee and have an extra OF tonite. yeesh.

Of course, that is only a perfect reason to post one of the great stories from an on-the-mound conference ever, courtesy of baseball lifer Mark Grace:

What’s your funniest baseball story?

Grace: One day Rick Sutcliffe gave up back-to-back home runs in Cincinnati. And in Cincinnati, they shoot off fireworks after a Red hits a home run. And Sutcliffe was pretty intense on the day he pitched. So Eric Davis takes him deep and Paul O’Neill takes him deep right after that. So Sutcliffe is all pissed off, and Billy Connors comes out to the mound and Sutcliffe yells at him, “I know I gave up f—ing back-to-back home runs and get your f—ing ass back in the dugout and tell Zimmer to f—ing settle down there, too.”

Billy looks at him and says, “I know you have everything under control, Rick. I just wanted to give that guy running the fireworks a little time to reload.” I blew a snot bubble on the mound I was laughing so hard.

Two non-baseball posts in one day? Must be a slow day around the diamonds…

The “working title” of this posting was “Great Moments In Missing The Point” but that became too wordy…. but the point’s the same….

Maybe you saw this, maybe not. When I first read the headlines, I simply thought “Yawn, another ballplayer arrested for marijuana use and an open can of beer in public…” Which is pretty much my standard answer for when pro athletes get nailed for such things. I’ve become numb to guys flaunting their fame to do whatever they want, whenever they want. NBAers happen to be among the most public of potheads though I have no doubt each sport has their fair share.

As it turns out the player, Joakim Noah, is the son of Yannick Noah, the 1983 French Open winner. Yes, the same Yannick Noah who “created a sensation a few years before when he told a magazine writer he smoked marijuana.” The elder Noah does the best (er, worst) job of defending his son by offering these ultra-enabling words:

Yannick Noah is perplexed by “all that fuss” surrounding the arrest of his basketball player son, who was charged with marijuana possession and having an open container of alcohol.
……
“I don’t understand all that fuss for just drinking a beer on the street,” Yannick Noah said Tuesday at the French Open.

• Making rationalizations for their irresponsible behaviors
• Ignoring the problems caused by the addict’s use
• Accepting their excuses or believing their lies
• Not getting help for yourself

Just a quick note of congrats to the Boys in Orange, as they won their 10th lacrosse title over the weekend. They beat Johns Hopkins for the title and in doing so, became the winningest mens lacrosse program in NCAA Div 1 (Johns Hopkins had been tied with them with 9 titles, too).

I was there when the Gait Brothers won three straight titles and while it was neat, I had little interest in it having never played lacrosse (not offered in my high school). Though, we did make some extra money for textbooks (um, yeah) making t-shirts celebrating the three-peat.