rings and mOney

It's funny how some players who betray whatever colors they may have to play for Yankees -- and tap down a few extra million in process -- get to parade through Canyon of Heroes and before drunken horde...


Image via Sports Illustrated
While others must be content to sit and count their stash.

Come again all you baseball sophisticates and explain again to Wayward O how it's all just business.

a nice place tO get thumped in

Wayward O went up to new Yankee Stadium last night and told ticket guy, "I'd like something in $50 range, I guess that's the terrace section."

Ticket guy said, "I've got one for $5."

And Wayward O said, "Scuse me?"

Anyway so you can get cheap seat at the House of Two.



Wind Tunnel
It was also hat night. Again ... pretty good for $5! Wayward O gave it to kid on Subway Train on way home. Wayward O has no use for Yankee hat. Just holding it made Wayward O feel weird and queasy ... kind of like how Frodo felt in Lord of Rings.

Early reports of stadium being "pin ball machine" -- as guy behind Wayward O said after three consecutive right field jobs (two cheap, one legit) in 2nd inning against Jeremy Guthrie -- are oh so very true.

The prevailing weather pours over walls that surround the stadium to west -- near home plate -- and then drops into jet stream that gets sucked out to center. The pennant flags in right fly inward toward CF, as do flags in left field. All that air funnels out via "Yankee Stadium" sign in center, hence wind conditions.

While usual gang of drunk, albeit happy, louts is in attendance, Yankees clearly have made efforts to make new place friendlier toward families and kids. Everywhere are customer service people holding "Can I help you?" signs. It's almost as if old vibe has been temporarily given fresh coat of white paint.

But of course there were a couple fights and one bleacher creature was asked to depart premises.

Concourses are wide and clean and signage is serviceable though not fancy. There are inumerable beer stations. Which is good if you are fan of Team. Easy to drown sorrows, especially if you're feeling flush, having saved $45 at gate.

Over years and decades, Wayward O guesses, New Stadium will take on beer-soaked veneer of the Old. And as courtesy brigade vanishes, so too will it take on vibe of old place. But still it is hard not to give place high marks.

Re game: Guthrie's night Wayward O didn't mind. He was hitting 95 on house radar gun, which normally he tops out around 94.

But soon enough umpire screwed him over, awarding walk to John Damon that sparked game's first run.

Incidentally Wayward O got a laugh when Damon threw out Melvin Mora at 2nd base. Yankee fans were heard in stands to say, "Uh oh he's testing Damon's arm." As if there is any rhyme or reason to Team's never-ending penchant for making soft outs on base paths.

Also Guthrie definitely plunked A-Rod and Teixeira on purpose by accident.

But there was a general feebleness about Team last night -- it has a lot to do with Robert Andino -- and while there was some spirit and life as they clawed back to 5-3, Aubrey Huff's fly out to medium deep CF with a man on and two out in the eighth was where all hope ended. That was Aubrey's pitch but he got under it a little.

questiOn and answer...

question: how many times out of three did Team beat Rich, Fat Yankees in opening series?

answer:



yes! that is correct! thank you weirdly attractive possibly hebraic masn lady!

Opening day remarks

yerkee fans did NOT take over yard ... it's the ECON SQUEEZE son no extra loot

rich yankee first baseman was BOOed with venomous lust that lifted hearts across DelMarVa

izturis played sweet D, picked off nady and hit home run

adam jones went nutz and couldn't be contained

and MANHORSE came through late, putting game out of reach

overall it was a lovely day as team took down yankee fat ace

Team has old skool batting helmets again thank goodness

back On their side...

very interesting quote & confirmation from bossman macphail in el papel del sol today re: the teixeira business:

"we made our offer, indicated that we were flexible and there was never any engagement back on their side."

in other words, tex did not want to play in baltimore and fans who blame macphail for failure to sign him should revise and extend their remarks.

snOrting like a bull

as more fun details of yankee years emerge, wayward O was pleased to see following posted prominently on MLB.com friday:


YIPPEE FANCY ORIOLES!
meanwhile "Mr. Torre" went on Larry King --- Larry King!! --- to feign shock at reaction his book has generated.

anyway here is smattering of actual comments this morning on N.Y. Daily News boards re: whole thing

"for the life of me I do not know why he would do this"

"Judas Joe Torre"

"Joe proved his point by winning the division in LA and the Yankees didn't make the playoffs. Secondly I doubt Joe needed the money so why stoop like this."

"easy to slam A-Rod and David wells and Kevin Brown....why not call it like it is?"

why indeed? and why are dodgers putting up with Jellus Joe?

Friends, it's a fine day to be Os fan! Sure we roided (a little) and sure we can't win baseball games, but at least we're not saddled with Chemical Bankees!

Oh and remember .... IT'S NOT MUSSINA'S FAULT!

it's nOt his fault

it's not yankees fault! it's nobody's fault!!!!


Shit-eating grins via NYT
it's kind of like global warming: IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT! so go ahead, leave the dryer on all day and crank up the a/c just to negate it!!!

there is NO MORAL COMPONENT TO FREE AGENCY!!!!!


or IS there???

idiOcy

mark teixeira hasn't signed anywhere yet. he's busy soaking teams for a couple extra million despite fact that orioles have offered him:


chance to be star in his home town ~and~
more money than he'll ever be able to spend
but -- you know -- like they say on camdenchat -- IT'S NOT HIS FAULT! just like it wasn't the traitor's fault for, you know, taking that extra couple million to play for the enemy!

after all, if one restaurant owner offers you cheesecake after dinner but another offers you CHEESECAKE, CREME BRULEE, ICE CREAM and BAKED ALASKA ..... OF COURSE YOU WILL EAT THEM ALL. it makes perfect sense!

if peter angelos doesn't want to pay a patently ridiculous sum, maybe someone else will. and it's all HIS FAULT.

how can you blame mark for not taking 7 yrs/$140 million to play for his favorite team? that would be crazy ... he is blameless wayward O is sure.

this is why gOd made the dh

dear yankess,


You know you want him!
Signed,
Wayward O

adiOs...

Bye Bye

dOne

don't take it from wayward O .... take it from johnny damon, chief among the dozen or so traitors who comprise the pinstriped allstars

“It’s going to be a bit strange, because we definitely thought we would be
pushing for a playoff spot,” Johnny Damon said. “But we owe it to the fans and
the Stadium to go out there and play hard. There’s definitely some pride aspects
to go out and play for.” [NYT]

get out there and play for pride ... very proud to be member of a $200 million bust!

we did them a favOr. why?

wayward O thinks trembO is good manager and only wants to see best happen over next two years or so.

here at t.w.o. world HQ we have visions of an emotional trembley leading team into postseason sometime soon (after team signs a starter and a 1B who can hit and a SS who can field).

however wayward O would like to ask trembO for one small favor:

PLEASE -- NO MORE JAMIE WALKER PITCHING TO RIGHTIES. AND BY RIGHTIES WE ESPECIALLY MEAN ALEX RODRIGUEZ.

thank you.

as an addendum to request, please note that walker is a fine person and probably can still benefit team as a left-hand one out guy in 6th or 7th inning. but it's clear walker has no chance to get out righties anymore -- at least this year or until he "reinvents" himself or something.

especially guys like the a-rod who, despite being in a hitting slump, can see walker's offerings like it was slow-mo. or instant replay even.

please also note that team lead 4-3 last night after 7 innings and rocky cherry has all of 6 innings pitched all year? it's not like you were going to ruin him keeping him in for another inning. that at least would have given team a *prayer* of holding out for jim johnson in the 9th.

as it was .... we never even got to see JJ. and this is what happens when babes in the woods like kam mickolio inherit walker's messes:


Sun Photo
I think you see my point. Not a bad manager. But some less-than-stellar bull penning last night.

bOring text entry

just a couple four thingers this morning.

• good story in washpo about trade aspirations -- mlb teams no longer look to Os as dopey trade deadline palookas. Os have nice core and will ask for real value
• aubrey huff is golden deity, tied with alex r. in home runs but aub. had game-winner last nite and a-rod had a boo boo on his arm
• the ascension of daniel "big bird gotham" cabrera is reawakening like the c'thulu ... FACE THE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE!
• kevin millar is wayward o's daddy
• robinson cano is a surly jerk who strikes out in big spots
• the tex trade makes it 6.3% LESS LIKELY he'll ever come to baltimore. current odds of team signing local boy stand at 12.45%. O's will offer carlos lee money; someone else will offer slightly less than a-rod money. in maryland we teach our kids to not give away $50 million just you know because maryland is so nice ... or do we? time will tell

dennis sarfate gets ball at 1 p.m. in da bronnix today. is sweep too much to ask? probably...

funny, like the Offense itself

we've all heard the weaver rant, right? so how did it bleed into a live yankee broadcast?




(via some other blogs)

wayward O isn't 100% sure this actually happened. but fairly sure. 92% sure. did anyone actually witness this?

watch your back, crow. earl was joking when he recorded the rant but your job status ain't funny right now.

eight bucks fOr what?

Wayward O urges diaspora to read this revealing article in today's Daily News:

Secret Papers Show How Yankees Became Richest Team in Sports

fascinating.

now if you want to argue about how Yankees are ... um ... basically raping New York City to tune of hundreds of millions, you can, for sure. counter argument would go along these lines: Yankees bring uncounted revenue back to city by creating other streams of revenue besides just rent on Stadium. like for example, just think about MIKE MUSSINA'S TAXES!

fire, brimstOne and grilled meats!

team is religious!!! did you see young savior's cross glint in baltimore twilight after he took second on AROD's ERRANT THROW?

wayward O is ON BOARD!!!

were SEVEN SINGLES a SIGN? what about SEVEN RUNS?

YOU TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!

WHO WILL STAND BEFORE BIG BIRD'S MIGHTY FASTBALL AND PROFESS TO WIELD BASEBALL BAT??


Sun Photo

NOT THIS GUY...


NY Post Photo

SMITED. SMITTEN? smOte!

are we FINALLY WITNESSING ........

the
ascensiOn
???

WHAT DANIEL HATH WROUGHT LET NO YANKEE PUT ASUNDER!

the hOuse that ruth built

want to hear funny story? wayward O purchased some tickets last year through yankees so he could go to bronx and watch team play here in new york city. somehow yankees took this to mean wayward O is yankee fan! because yankees sent wayward O a fancy brochure entitled 'THE FINAL SEASON' encouraging wayward O to come see many games in bronx this year. here is front page...


at first wayward O thought they meant "Mussina's Final Season," but upon further review it turns out Yankee Stadium is being REPLACED by NEW STADIUM next year for yankees.

anyway wayward O normally would put such a piece of literature into recycling bin and immediately sprinkle entire body with OLD BAY SEASONING to CHASE AWAY NASTY SPIRITS. but it was kind of a boring, cold, rainy march day so WTF we took peek inside and we were pretty AMAZED by table of contents....


way more FORTHRIGHT than your average sales brochure, no? anyway Wayward O found it to be PRETTY COMPELLING ... see you in the Bronx this summer!

chemical bankees

yes, it's true: every team is guilty. but some teams are GUILTIER THAN OTHERS. but don't take it from Wayward O, who is clearly biased. what follows are words and images from NYC and national sports media:

"The Yankees haven't won a championship since 2000. That championship appears to be chemically enhanced." - Len Berman, Channel 4 Sports, NYC. 13 December 6:21 pm


AM New York
"It was a depressing day for the Yankees, whose sustained run of success was smudged by the revelations." - Jack Curry, New York Times


Metro New York
"Many of the proudest moments in New York's baseball history will have to be reassessed ..." - Nicholas Wapshott, New York Sun


Daily News

"There were Yankees everywhere in this report, enough of them to taint their run a bit in the late 1990s and early 2000s." - Filip Bondy, Daily News


Trentonian

"You might as well call it the Clemens report." - Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated

larry the canary

now that senator mitchell is done fixing ireland, he is fixing baseball with report!!

wayward O read report last night with great fervor. there were so many facts in there! mostly they established that YANKEE GREAT ROGER CLEMENS was SO MAD at RED SOX that he CHEATED HIS ASS OFF in order to prove former team wrong.

here is concise re-cap of winner and losers:


~BIG WINNER~ Adobe Acrobat Reader
~BIG LOSERS~ New York Chemical Yankees*
&
LARRY the CANARY

What's up with Larry's lame accusation? (Please turn to pg. 158 in your report)...

Roberts and Larry Bigbie were both rookies in 2001. According to Bigbie, both
he and Roberts lived in [David] Segui’s house in the Baltimore area during the latter part of that season. When Bigbie and Segui used steroids in the house, Roberts did not participate. According to Bigbie, however, in 2004 Roberts admitted to him that he had injected himself once or twice with steroids in 2003. Until this admission, Bigbie had never suspected Roberts of using steroids.

Not cool, big guy.



something tells me B-Rob cannot beat up Larry the Canary WITHOUT JAY GIBBONS' HELP. but now that gibbons is basically finished, he can be an MLB ENFORCER like how WASHED-UP HOCKEY PLAYERS stay in their league for couple extra years.

NOTE TO B-ROB: If you still live at Segui's house, you should probably move out.

* More on how Mitchell report is devastating to cheating Yankees later....

red sOx win

you saw that coming, dint ya? if not, then (in parlance of david letterman) you might be one of them "dumb guys" people talk about! wow was that a shtoonking. wayward O isn't sure if rockies even knew what they were up against. clint hurdle managed poorly but it probably wouldn't have mattered even if he'd run his team with a sense of urgency.

rockies are so fraudulent, not even mascot is real deal. to wit:

REAL DINGER


FAKE DINGER


dinger the dino, probably drunk, pops a hammy on coors field dugout while dinger the rivercat busts out the classic jamzzz! the colorado rockies are definitely buggin'.

changing subject slightly -- it was very silly to see Alex Rodriguez' mug on the TV show as Red Sox were on cusp of winning WORLD SERIES. yes. wayward O imagines scott boras engineered all of it with crisp timing. leave voice mail on cashman's phone. call ken rosenthal next. give ken big scoop for broadcast. get more publicity for very famous baseball player!!

does everyone remember how kenny boy used to work at Baltimore Sun? and how he had BIG DREAMZ of scoops during world series? he must feel like a MAN IN FULL this quiet tuesday. but wayward O still thinks it was silly. wayward O wonders if ROCK will follow in K.R.'s footsteps.

and then during postgame scrum -- was it fox's own chris myers? -- somebody asked red sox owner john henry -- he of the leather glove held in the air like a fascistic fisticuff -- so what about a-rod? but john henry is a nice man, or so is the image he cultivates, and he said, 'we're enjoying a championship right now.' or something to that effect. oh sure!

meanwhile, a-rod continues to gulp all available oxygen ... for example check out mlb trade rumors. i mean how many a-rod stories can you write?? he's the britney sprears of MLB. nobody even reads about RENTERIA TRADE ... see below.

and wayward O thinks big offseason baseball story is CROP of CENTER FIELDERS ripe for signing shiny spanking new free agent contracts...

andruw jones, corey patterson (yes, indeed sir!), aaron rowand and torii hunter all are likely to be on merry-go-round! where she stops, nobody knOws ...

jones, once thought to be among the top four or five players in MLB, put together a hideous 2007 on offense (please don't mention steroids). patterson has never been known as a legit power threat (he once was known as potential power threat) but he is absolute vaccuum cleaner in center and he gets on and steals bases. rowand had career year in phillydelfia and one would think he'd stay but who knows? and hunter merely drove in 107 runs this year and may be premier center fielder in baseball.

if a-rod is worth $30 million per year -- which he's probably not but nevertheless if -- then what's torii worth? wayward O isn't sure what andruw jones is worth, either, but apparently braves are fully embracing youth movement; they've already traded edgar renteria to detroit for two prospects, including a guy who might be the next andruw jones in the ATL.

will leave you with following THOUGHT: wayward O has mentioned this too many times but he remains stunned by the accuracy of his new "certainty points" playoff ranking system.

put a fOrk in him

memo to the traitor re: defecting to yankees for ring

dear mr. mussina. no soup for you. thanks for playing.

have nice life counting your loot pile.

-- the wayward O

cc: orioles fans

edgar allen pOe

this poem's for the trait'ros moose
who left for yankees over pay
we love to see mussina lose
it should happen every day

he never really had ferocity
although he is a wily one
now he seems to lack velocity
his time in baseball's almost done

sunday it was jason kubel
his homer satisfying
mike can buy the kit 'n' kaboodle
but money will not buy a ring

take the mound and lose the game
and give the ball to mister torre
don't forget this sweet refrain
you belonged in balti-morey

O you belonged in balti-morey!

nOt backing trembley (yet)

today is wayward O's birthday. isn't that neat?

lord help wayward O for saying this. maybe it's cake and ice cream talking. but wayward O is kind of starting to like dave trembley a teeny tiny little bit. unlike fired guy, interim manager does not sit in dugout with look on face like marie antoinette with angry mob outside gates; he has smile on face and good countenance. he also looks like guy you wouldn't want to try and shove around, which is what spoiled overpayed orioles did to other guy. of course, some would argue he's already being shoved around but wayward O will get to that.

wayward O knows it's a bit early and maybe first impressions are not always accurate.

trembley is already taking heat among some of the diaspOra because of decision to let miguel tejada bunt and leave game. wayward O says trembley is not in pressure position to win games immediately as team (10 out of wild card with seas of talent ahead of them) is done for 2007 (barring a miracle seen only perhaps twice in MLB history) nor is trembley going to end up on the organizational hot seat for decision, since he currently is only manager on interim basis. wayward O says if trembley were real manager he would not allow tejada such weird leeway.

that said, one poster on roch's blog made comment which strikes strong chord with wayward O:

it's crap like this that gives talking heads like Kruk and Phillips reason
to say this organization is the worst in baseball and any managerial candidate
would be nuts to take the job here. -- steve

steve is right, sadly. espn can say orioles is team where crazies run asylum and where streaks are more important than winning. based on years of evidence, who can contradict that? only thing though, kruk is more of a talking stomach than a talking head. oh and also, it does not matter what orioles do, espn is racist against them and kills them for everything. if orioles ever get good again, we'll see if espn comes around.

bigger mistake than tejada-gate was kissing girardi's ass, knowing full well all NY guys and half of world was blowing up his cell phone urging him "don't go to baltimore" probably massive collusion took place but we'll never know.

wayward O was not in least bit surprised that joe girardi did the feather boa tease dance and then hung orioles out to dry. why wouldn't he? any time a new york baseball guy gets any kind of power of AL East rival team, he will use it to hurt team and help yankees. girardi probably never intended to take job but now he knows what orioles are planning and he's gabbing it to the YES people and they of course are obligated to share intel with yankee team.

Os should have left girardi on shelf for a few weeks then talked to him. this is all angry angelos acting impulsively behind scenes. he probably feels sting of fan hate more than anyone. and deservedly so. talking to girardi first and hyping girardi in balto. media was a mistake; a bigger mistake than the tejada thing.

orioles don't need new manager just because he's got a name in the league. for example, if dave trembley is the man, then he's the man. wayward O's top choice is still davey johnson, head and shoulders above rest of rumored pool of candidates. although there is this from pioneer press:

It would be surprising if new Baltimore Orioles President Andy MacPhail
doesn't inquire as to the availability of his former manager with the Twins, Tom
Kelly, who led Minnesota to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.

OK now business of brain-stimulating team incites is over, and you've had your bran flakes, now time for treat:

YANKEES SWEPT BY ROCKIES and yankees will be joining orioles on scrap heap of 2007 failures soon enough. it's a wonderful way to spend summer, watching this.

The Rockies now have more victories against the American League East
than the Yankees do, with nine. That oddity points out the Yankees’ early misery
and the Rockies’ surprising surge during interleague play. Colorado has won 9 of
its past 12 games, all against teams from the A.L. East.
-- New York TimeZ game story

don't tell wayward O that doesn't make heart sing!! Orioles have SIXTEEN GAMES vs. janquis to take out frustrations and damage pinstripe egos. if nothing else, this is what wayward O is living for.

the traitOr's lament

massive old testament-style incites today; early it's true but wayward O cannot remain silent -- like the january-birdless night -- any longer. or perhaps not so early because the disabled list is no longer more than just a chilly night away....

wayward O saw the traitOr's watershed debacle on the hill vs. red sox and saw his face when manny ramirez, the savant of the bat and grill, simply decided enough of this 82 mph junk and deposited baseball in left field near monuments of dead yankee greats.

wayward O is angry today, friends.... angry the way one can only be when a long friendship goes sour and when one learns the true colors of a man once admired.

and when said friend's inevitable downfall can't even provide joy to quench the endless sense of betrayal and worse ... the sense of what could have been ... in baltimore.

watch the birdie! traitOr had his chance to make mark on world, and he choose to leave nest, fly to new york city, earn a couple extra million dollars, and get a "ring" and now with his career in its twilight wayward O has a few things to say:

THERE
WILL BE
NO RING

THERE

WILL BE

NO H.O.F.

THERE

WILL BE

NO FANFARE

There will be no more 30-start seasons.

There will be no 3.xx era. No more 19-9's or 18-11's.

Here's what there will be:

BITTER FEELINGS
of a man who failed at life

DARKNESS of SOUL
With no salve to quench the pain

A PERCH in HADES

In booth next to the Dark Cherub

and...

A PLACE in histOry

With Your Fellow Mercenaries

Who are also going to leave the Bronx Ringless.

Wayward O especially feels like it's important for The Young Savior, Buh Dard, the Wing-Man, Brian Roberts, Chris Ray and one or two OTHER CURRENT HOME-GROWN, Rich, Talented, WELL-FED ORIOLES to ABSORB THIS LESSON of History.

DO NOT
BE LIKE MIKE

Yes. The Evil One May Be a Hideous Wart on the Arse of Satan. But that does not mean you abandon your mates and wander in search of gold and treasure.

The Traitor's story makes this plain.

wretched Os fanZ ... take pleasure in yankee pain!

sunday update wayward O cannot get image of striker robinson cano's excellent ball handling skills out of his birdie brain...

...as chelsea yankees boot away another ball game!!! premiership baseball!!!

the best boot wayward O has seen in like maybe five years!! you would almost mistake this for bicycle kick except mitt is DEAD GIVEAWAY!!

for second time this year, orioles move from basement to 2nd place with single, skid-ending victory. wayward O is sure that's some kind of dubiOus first-time achievement.

but wayward O did not come here to tell you about boring win vs. baseball wizards that baez and ray -- chief on-field culprits of mother's day massacre -- nearly squandered. wayward O won't talk about nats right now. he likes many nats such as dmitri yOung and that kid at 3rd base and he likes the eagle mascot too and wonders if eagle guy can maybe play 2nd base.

no. wayward O chirps from his little branch of the blogOsphere this fine saturday simply to leave you with this image & story link, from the new york daily news...

only ten games out with a $200 million payroll?!? you can do better than that ... by end of may wayward O thinks it could be 12 or 13... how now, jeffrey maier????