What Should Happen To Kerry Fraser

Worst Umpiring Ever

My God, does MLB have egg on their faces. This World Series has been nothing short of a fiasco. This isn't a matter of one big blown call every once in awhile. There have been major mistakes in every game.

Of course it doesn't help matters when the umpire in an elimination game clearly has a different strike zone for Hamels then he has for Kazmir.

UPDATE:

Jeezus. The home plate ump is doing everything in his power to taint any Phillies victory.

Let's Not Pansify The NHL

There is lots of talk about Doug Weight (yes, THAT Doug Weight) absolutely pulverizing Carolina rookie Brandon Sutter with a clean open ice hit. Take a look for your self:



First, very clearly the kid had his head down, and that is always an invitation to get your bell rung.

Second, let's do the math here. Doug Weight is listed at 5' 11", Sutter at 6' 3". Now, you tell me how the kid's head gets hit by Weight's shoulder if he isn't leaning down into it? Also, its very clear Weight did not leave his feet to make that hit.

Third, Weight did nothing else wrong that could have contributed to an injury. For example, some players use the stick during a check. Weight didn't.

The real problem here is you have a 19 year old kid who hasn't yet learned to keep his head on a swivel, otherwise you'll get it knocked off in this league, and not only by accidental shots like Weight's. What the hell are we supposed to do, put training wheels on all the kids in the NHL these days. Or maybe they should all play with a sign announcing "WARNING: Student Skater."

I'm sorry the kid got hurt, but you play like a busher in a mens league and that is bound to happen. Just imagine what would have happened if someone who is known to be a big hitter got the shot on him?

Now That's Baseball

Ruiz' blocking of the plate tonight on the was lovely. Shockingly, Mrs. Southlandish was less than enthralled with my frame-by-frame dissection of his technique from multiple angles. My reference to an earlier blog post on the topic earned me more than a little pity and a pat on the head before she quickly wheeled and headed for bed.

Crap

I hate being forced to root for anything Chicago related. I mean anything. I see a web poll pitting New York Thin Crust Pizza vs. Chicago Deep Dish and I having a rooting interest in New York. That's just the way I am.

Tonight, however, I'm screwed. If DC United are to make the playoffs it would really help if Chicago can beat the Red Bulls. (MLS' ExtraTime is worth watching for a breakdown on the playoff possibilities.)

I'll admit, I'm skeptical that United can go into Columbus on Sunday and get the needed win...but if they can go in having a shot...

Go FIRE!!!!!

Crap. Now I need to take a shower.

Don't Buy The Dream House In Soulard, Dave

Goon alert!

The St. Louis Blues on Tuesday claimed left wing David Koci on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Koci, 27, played in one game with Tampa Bay this season, posting four penalty minutes. The 6-6, 238-pounder has skated in 28 career NHL contests, recording 160 penalty minutes.

This guy hasn't scored a goal in organized hockey since the 2004-05 season of the AHL.

Koci strikes me as an affront to the hockey skills of DJ King whom he is supposed to replace, I think. Either that or we picked this guy up so he can beat the crap out of Henrik Zetterberg on Wednesday and get banned for life.

Hmmm...

In any event, I cannot imagine Koci will be a Blue long.

Fire Up The Stove

I know its a little early to get the real Hot Stove league going, but here is a nice piece on the Cards farm system to ease you into the Cardinals off season.

I particularly liked the sound of this:

The Cardinals one-two punch of third baseman Roberto De La Cruz and righthander Santo Franco ranks among the best duo of Latin American signings by a team this year. I’m quite high on De La Cruz (you may have also heard him referred to as Robert Pina) based on the reports I’ve heard from scouts, who say that his bat is about as good as anyone’s available in Latin America this year. I don’t know if he’ll stay at third base—maybe you’ve heard that about a Cardinals prospect before—but it sounds like his bat has the potential to be valuable at any position.

Dammit. Will March never come?

What? Too early again?

Gawd I Fucking Hate Boston

Just thought I'd share.

Why Is Ryan Hollweg Still In The NHL?

Ryan Hollweg is nothing but a talentless scumbag, whose idea of good hockey is to attempt to injure his opponents. He's played 200+ games in the NHL, has 5 goals, and has 300+ minutes in penalties. He's a career minus player to boot.

I bring this up because Hollweg has just picked up a boarding major and a game misconduct for attempting to injure Blues rookie Alex Pietrangelo. Hollweg was doing this kinda crap during the preseason. Get him out of the league and shoveling horse shit like he deserves.

On the plus side, the Blues used the power play time to erase Toronto's three goal lead. It's now 3-3 after the Blues netted all of their goals in the first 6 minutes of the second.

UPDATE:

Blues take the Leafs 5-4 via the shootout.

No. Really.

I kid you not.

Honestly.

I swear to God.

Thin

Sheesh. We are only two games into the season and the Blues' lack of depth is already being exposed:

Lee Stempniak's knee injury will force him to miss a second straight game today, and it will cause the Blues to alter their forward combinations again.

In Sunday's practice, T.J. Oshie was moved to the left wing on a line with center Andy McDonald and right wing Brad Boyes. Also, center Jay McClement will play in the middle of left winger Keith Tkachuk and right winger David Backes.

Oh, please. We gotta watch McClement try to act the playmaker he isn't, again? It isn't as if we had lost another center to injury.

It's frustrating. The Blues obviously needed another scoring forward to fill in this season, yet they never landed anyone. Maybe they were interested in Brendan Shanahan, and then again maybe that was just the Blues brass blowing smoke. Either way the product on the ice is going to suffer without a little help. The saddest part is there are guys sitting around still waiting for offers. (I'm thinking Mark Parrish could be had pretty cheaply. A world-beater? Well, no. But the idea is to get some depth, and who else is out there who is only 31 and has six 20+ goal campaigns to his credit?)

If the Blues decide to just go with what they got, they will be shifting around constantly and any offensive cohesion will evaporate quickly.

The Cardinals' Way

Just wanted to point to the nice obit for Kissel in the Post today. Go read it all, but I'll give you the precis:

"There's only one way to play baseball," Kissell once said, "the Cardinals' way."

R.I.P.

George Kissell, RIP

One of the moments that gives my brother goose bumps to this day is recounting how, during a Spring Training visit to Jupiter a few years ago, he got to stand behind Kissell and Fernando Vina as they sat in a golf cart on the sideline talking animatedly about the finer points of playing second base. It was pure baseball porn to him and he'd have killed to have been able to pull up a chair next to them and take part.

I Thought About Writing Something Exactly Like This

Really, I did:

You know how I know STL is a baseball town? Last night at the gym, as many as 20-25 people let out a simultaneous yell when the Dodgers took the lead on a grand slam against the losers. Sorry Jayson Stark. So sad Rick Reilly. You’re rah-rah this is the year bullshit yesterday looks a bit more asinine today. God, I really do hate the Cubs. And so do many of you.

As I said to my wife the night the Dodgers swept the Cubs, "There is only one thing better then watching the Cardinals win a postseason series, and that is watching the Cubs lose one."

Now, if the Angels can come back to beat the Red Sox in five I'll almost be happy.

Extra Notts County Insight

Just what you were wanting, but were afraid to ask for, a Notts County player's blog. Self described "journeyman" Gavin Strachan is writing a blog for the BBC about his trials and tribulation with my beloved Magpies, effectively doubling the amount of reading I need to do weekly to follow them from afar. (Gavin...you rat bastard.)

But thanks to Gavin we can now all enjoy insights such as...

At this stage of the season it is amazing what just one win can do. We have now sneaked into the top half of the table and needless to say the mood around the camp is a lot better. That is all apart from our fitness coach who during our recovery swimming session on Monday somehow managed to end up in the swimming pool with us... fully clothed. I am not prepared to disclose the identity of the two people who pulled poor Sven into the pool but I have been informed that they will be made to pay come the next running session!

That crazy Sven!

I bet you all can't wait for more.

What To Do? What To Do?

Norm Sanders on the Blues blueline:

Losing Erik Johnson on defense for an entire season because of knee surgery has a ripple effect on the entire Blues organEYEzation.

The team was counting on Johnson to be its cannons shot from the point on the power play, the puck-moving defenseman the Blues have lacked ever since the team decided to allow Chris Pronger to leave via free-agency. He also was another source of offense on a team that needs all the goals it can get.

After making another round of roster cuts Tuesday, the Blues were left with 28 players. Three of those are injured (Johnson, Jeff Woywitka and Jonas Junland), so there are just 25 healthy skaters.

Johnson's injury opened up an opportunity for several players within the Blues' system, most notably Steve Wagner, Roman Polak, Jef Woywitka and Jonas Junland. Wagner and Junland are both offensive defensemen, while Polak has captured the coaching staff's attention with his skating speed, strength and decent offensive skills.

Woywitka was lost for at least a month with a cracked bone in his foot, the result of a blocked shot last Friday against Atlanta. It's the latest chapter in the team's incredible run of injuries on defense.

“What are you going to do?” Blues President John Davidson said. “It’s just part of sports and we’ve got to deal with it. It’s opportunity for other people — and we’ll see what they’ll do with that opportunity.”

Then there's the two wild cards to the equation — making a trade for an established power-play defenseman, or making a decision on whether or not to use 18-year-old recent No. 1 draft pick Alex Pietrangelo.

The Blues are taking a long, hard look at the talented rookie. Because of his age and status, Pietrangelo either would have to be kept on the NHL roster for at least a nine-game trial, or returned to his junior team.

As much as part of me would like to see Pietrangelo stay up, I really think it makes more sense for him to head to juniors another year. From early returns he doesn't seem to look out of place on the ice, but given the fact we probably won't be making the playoffs this year (if experts are to be believed) I think I'd rather focus on Polak, Wagner, Woywitka and Junland. We need to find out which of these can really be top six d-liners on this team. Given where he was drafted, we can assume that Pietro is going to be a top six guy one of these days, so he really doesn't need to be evaluated at this level at this time.

Pietrangelo staying up merely as a result of Johnson's going down doesn't strike me as good enough. Now, if he plays his way on, that can be a different story, but we would need it to be a situation where Murray will not just stop playing the kid come mid-season. Under Murray, I really cannot imagine such a situation coming about, thus I'd like to see him sent back to juniors.

Sorry to say it Blues fans, but the future is not now.