Let me start by saying that the entire Cubs 40-man roster is goin' to the All-Star game. Those a-holes and their fans totally stuffed the ballot boxes!
Oh, and the Red Sox, too. F*ckers.
(Starters in bold.)
AL
1B: Kevin Youkilis, BOS
2B: Dustin Pedroia, BOS
3B: A-Rod, NYY
SS: Derek Jeter, NYY (gag!)
OF: Josh Hamilton, TEX (1st selection) YAY!! Love him! Sober since Oct. 2005. Glory be to God!
OF: Manny Ramirez, BOS (gag! so sick of this bitch)
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
DH: David Ortiz, BOS (Milton Bradley will be takin' his spot)
C: Joe Mauer, MIN
P: Scott Kazmir, TB
P: George Sherrill, BAL (who?!?!)
P: Roy Halladay, TOR
P: Mariano Rivera, NYY
P: Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
P: Justin Duchscherer, OAK
P: Joe Nathan, MIN
P: Joakim Soria, KC
P: Cliff Lee, CLE
P: Francisco Rodriguez, LAA
P: Ervin Santana, LAA
P: Joe Saunders, LAA
Reserve: J. D. Drew, BOS
Reserve: Jason Varitek, BOS
Reserve: Joe Crede, CWS
Reserve: Carlos Quentin, CWS
Reserve: Grady Sizemore, CLE
Reserve: Carlos Guillen, DET
Reserve: Justin Morneau, MIN
Reserve: Milton Bradley, TEX
Reserve: Ian Kinsler, TEX
Reserve: Michael Young, TEX
Reserve: Dioner Navarro, TB
NL
1B: Lance Berkman, HOU
2B: Chase Utley, PHI
3B: Chipper Jones, ATL (YAY!)
SS: Hanley Ramirez, FLA
OF: Ryan Braun, MIL
OF: Alfonso Soriano, CHC (been out since June 7 after being hit in the hand by a Jeff Bennett pitch)
OF: Kosuke Fukudome, CHC (there's no way in hell this dude should start the All-Star game. Carols Lee or Corey Hart should get the nod before this wanker. That just goes back to the ballot-stuffin' in Chicago...)
C: Geovany Soto, CHC
P: Aaron Cook, COL
P: Tim Lincecum, SF
P: Dan Haren, ARI
P: Ben Sheets, MIL
P: Carlos Zambrano, CHC
P: Brandon Webb, ARI
P: Ryan Dempster, CHC
P: Brian Wilson, SF
P: Edinson Volquez, CIN
P: Kerry Wood, CHC
P: Brad Lidge, PHI
P: Billy Wagner, NYM
Reserve: Brian McCann, ATL
Reserve: Aramis Ramirez, CHC
Reserve: Matt Holliday, COL
Reserve: Dan Uggla, FLA
Reserve: Miguel Tejada, HOU
Reserve: Russell Martin, LAD
Reserve: Nate McLouth, PIT
Reserve: Albert Pujols, STL
Reserve: Ryan Ludwick, STL
Reserve: Adrian Gonzalez, SD
Reserve: Cristian Guzman, WAS
What the fuckity fuck is Brian McCann doin' a reserve!? And where the fuckity fuck is Jair Jurrjens?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!
How could Dan Heren be a selection while JJ's not even an honorable mention!? Not. Happy.
I'm sure we're all sick of hearin' it, but it bears repeating: What a story Josh Hamilton is!
In his first start after being recalled from the minors, Atlanta Braves pitcher Chuck James allowed only 4 hits by the Los Angeles Dodgers today. One of those hits was a homerun by Andruw Jones* (his first of the season). *More on Druw below.
James actually dropped his ERA from 18.00 to 7.87, and evened his record at 1-1. The Braves won 4-1 and will be pullin' out the brooms tomorrow afternoon.
Woo hoo!
I am in no way hoppin' on the "Chuck"-(band)wagon (haha, funny) but I just wanted to acknowledge that I was wrong about him possibly pitching like shit today.
Since the Braves have actually put together a string of good games, winning 5 of our last 8 and 3 in a row, I was expecting the other shoe to drop this afternoon. That's typically what happens with my team -- kick ass for a few games, get my hopes up, then they lose 3 or 4 in a row.
I know they "can't win 'em all", but when these dudes get ugly, THEY. GET. UGLY.
Oh, Yunel Escobar is ridin' a 12-game hiting streak into tomorrow, the Braves've only allowed 2 runs in the last 3 games, and Chipper Jones is hittin' .6-0-9 in his last 7 games. Niiiiice!
*Druw has been shown nothin' but love since he's been back in ATL this weekend. Not only did he park is car in the Braves lot today (without gettin' the boot by security), but his parents got to enjoy the game from John Smoltz's luxury box. And after his homer today, the classy ATL fans gave him a standing ovation.
We all still love you, Druuuuuuw! It just ain't right seein' you in Dodger blue....
Back from 2 FAN-TAB-U-LUSS weeks in Florida where I gladly let the sun trespass where I won't even let The Hubster. Just what I needed...relaxation, baseball & beer.
As I told ya before I left, I wasn't gonna have internet access at the resort so I couldn't blog, check email or visit my fave porn sites (kidding!) while away. Doesn't look like I've missed much since I've been gone.
Mike Hampton exited from his second start of the spring with an injury today. Just a sign of the "nagging crap" yet to come this year, I'm sure.
The strained groin isn't supposed to be serious and he's not expected to miss much mound time, but for the love of God! Is this man made of paper?
"Hopefully he can make his next start," manager Bobby Cox said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed. ... He had great stuff again. If we can stay away from the nagging crap."
Sounds familiar....Hampton's not the only fragile geriatric on the team.
Chipper Jones tweaked a hammy earlier in the week -- I'm really hopin' these pepaws get their aches & pains out in spring training (although all those bitches *best* be on the field on March 20 when I'm attendance at the Braves/Tigers game in Lake Buena Vista!)
Pitchers & catchers report to spring training on Valentine's Day, while position players report Feb. 19. So the more geeked I get about the start-up of the 2008 MLB season, the more baseball posts you'll see here at the Kastle.
In my trollin' the 'net for all things baseball, I came across this nice little piece from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Furman Bisher. He gives a well-written overview of the Braves' pitching situation (Mike Hampton included, of course) and our perceived question marks for various positions, i.e. Mark Kotsay replacin' Andruw Jones in CF, Yunel Escobar becomin' our starting SS after losin' Edgar Renteria.
But I have to give the "Dan Dierdorf Award" to the AJC's Dave O'Brien for his "10 keys to success for the Braves in 2008." You know how Dierdorf was famous for stating the obvious when he was in the booth for Monday Night Football back in the day? (For example, something to the effect of, "the Rams have *got* to convert on 4th down if they want to get a fresh set of downs.") Well, O'Brien pretty much does the same thing in this story.
We know we have to keep our starters healthy. We know we have to keep Chipper "I'm Made of Glass" Jones off the DL. We know we need a strong, steady bullpen with an established closer. We know we need Kotsay to not play like shit. Duh!
I digress...
I'm a little excited about Javy Lopez signing a minor league contract with the club and being invited to spring training. If he makes it, it'll be good to see him in a Braves uniform again. Or out of one...
Since I've segued into shirtless baseball players, can someone tell me who the hell was behind THIS photo shoot?!?!
Apparently, back in the 90s, Sports Illustrated did a story on shortstops. For some reason, dudes took off their shirts. This is bothersome.
Derek Jeter probably came up with the idea because he loves himself so much, and A-Rod went along with it just so he could see Jeter topless. But I can't believe Rents agreed to do this shit!
Aiight, so Andruw Jones was signed by the Dodgers today. Whoopty-whoop.
Funny enough, I don't have much to say about this. Had he sold out for the Mets or Yankees, I woulda been pissed. But Los Angeles...? Eh.
I *can* say DAYUM to the $36 millz for only 2 years, considering he was a .222 hitter last season. Of course, he did hit 26 HRs and drive in 94. I knew 2007 was just an off-year for him.
Now, watch him come back & kick the shit outta the Braves next year. He'll prolly OWN Tom Glavine. And he may play some part in puttin' Mike "I'm Made of Paper" Hampton back on the shelf. No matter how it happens, it'll happen: Jackie Paper will wind up injured. Again.
Damn you, Joe Torre. Damn you all to hell!
I don't care how much shit I talk about Druw, I'll still miss is sorry ass in CF. He's been the cornerstone of our outfield for lots o' years and I'll miss his defensive prowess (I've always wanted to say "prowess".) Seriously. I'm gonna miss homegirl.
Anyhoo, I guess he won't be takin' in any more Atlanta Hawks games. He & Raphael Furcal can go watch Kobe do whatever the hell it is that he does.
Oh, and they can make fun of former teammates, like this yay-hoo (cuz I'd sure as hell whoop his ass if I ever seen him wearin' this gayer-than-gay visor. A *visor*?! Dude. Seriously.)
All right, folks....the Braves have GOT to win tonight. About 20 minutes till game time: Giants at ATL. Currently, my Bravos are 3.5 behind the first-place Mets and a .5 game behind the Phillies. We're only 3 games over .500 at home and right now, there is *no* consistency in anything we're doin'. Our offense, defense, starting pitching, relief pitching...hell, even our confidence and attitudes are inconsistent! I'm gettin' sick of it.
Chipper's been on fire most of the season, but poor Andruw sucks it up. Homegirl's battin' .195 at home this year! .1-9-5. Unacceptable! At least it's a walk year for him. Hate to see him leave ATL, but shit. We can't afford to pay him $14 million/year for production like that. Yea, he's got 74 RBIs but I don't know where the hell they came from. 
Smoltz is on the mound for us tonight, lookin' to take his record to 11-6. His last outing wasn't bad in New York, but our bullpen blew it for him. Typical. Not to mention, we loaded the bases in the 9th with 0 outs against Billy Wagner and couldn't do shit!
C'MON DUDES!!! Time to go on a tear & put the Mets away for good!
Game on! I'm off to mlb.tv......more later.......maybe.
