A view from the Bleachers.........

26th April 2008......

MLB 2008 and all that
By Marmaduke McMarmalade

Before I witter on about the forthcoming Major League Baseball Season, I am afraid I am duty bound to mention the proceeding season. Let’s start off with the World Series 2007. I would describe it as excruciatingly dull, which is indeed high praise. I’m not going into the nitty gritty details of the Autumn Classic (Classic my Ar**e) because having to recall those turgid games makes me feel quite sleepy. I don’t actually remember how or why the Colorado Rockies actually got to the World Series, but quite clearly they were meant to be elsewhere i.e. on a beach in Cancun getting some winter sun. . It was as if the Boston Red Sox had instigated some sort of Faustian pact so the Rockies were fast tracked into the post season. The magic of course ended there though as Colorado were beyond pathetic. The real story of last season was, steroid injecting, perjuring, pill popping, players and Barry Bonds. Allegedly there is some connection? Baseball probably more than any other professional sport takes great pride in its history, it's players and their achievements. Alas Bonds and Co have done great job in tainting those great achievements and there is yet more dirt to be unearthed in this saga. A fair number of the more famous ballplayers could end up in infamy by the end of it all.  The Commissioner and MLB have got to get their house in order to make sure this never happens again.

To matters present. The 2008 Season is underway and tediously but predictably Boston are atop the A/L East; nice to see the Orioles in second place. It’s been a long time since Baltimore have had anything to shout about. They haven’t touched Post season since 1997 and the golden days of Ripken, Murray, Palmer etc seem eons ago. Not suggesting they are going to be pulling up trees, but somebody needs to step up and break up the Yankees-Red Sox duopoly before we all die of boredom. ESPN's (East Coast Sports Network) ultimate nightmare would be the likes Toronto or Tampa Bay getting some success whilst the beloved Yankees and Boston flounder 15 games back in the division. We can but dream. Back to reality, the Yankees have A-Rod back in Pinstripes. Payrod as he is known to his fans did test the waters of free agency to see what his options were if only briefly. Rumours out of LA were that the Dodgers were in the market for a 3^rd Baseman who could both field and hit (Which has been unheard of in LA since Ron “The Penguin” Cey patrolled the Hot Corner in the 70’s and early 80’s) On that basis, it has to be concluded that the consequence of a competent 3^rd Baseman in a Dodger uniform is such an alien concept, perhaps so radical that it would  probably tear a hole in the space time continuum, ending our universe. A-Rod thus took the tough decision to stay in the Bronx and take Steinbrenner’s reported $275 million 10 year contract..How sweet!