Jameel McClain: boxing fan

I had a chance to chat with Syracuse defensive end Jameel McClain at the Big East media day earlier this week. For Syracuse fans, the big guy may represent the lone bright spot on an Orange team that appears destined to repeat as the conference doormat (apologies to UConn). The 250 lb McClain has been named to the '07 Nagurski watch list (given to nation's best defensive player) after recording 14.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks in '06.

Though he may be a little undersized at 6'1" (believe me, I saw the guy and would hesitate at calling him "undersized" to his face) the pass rusher is currently seen as a third or fourth rounder in next year's draft.

He's also an avid boxing fan. The Philly native trains in North Philadelphia boxing gyms when he goes home, and is friends with Bernard Hopkins' legendary trainer Naseem Richardson (he's also made time to train with former SU defensive end Dwight Freeney in preparation for '07.) He grew up boxing, and competed in the prestigious Philadelphia Golden Gloves as an adolescent. McClain was ecstatic to share his top five favorite fighters after a long day answering questions about the prospects of his final season with Syracuse.

Jameel McCalin's top five boxers:
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (appreciates how willingly Floyd embraces "bad guy" role)
2. Bernard Hopkins (McClain predicts a win by decision over Winky Wright.)
3. Antonio Tarver
4. Ivan "Mighty" Costa (we don't know him either- McClain used to spar with him)
5. Rock Allen

Leave a comment: Who is your favorite boxer now, and of all-time?

Crazy-ass trickery

While this trick shot is absurdly cool, you have to wonder how many times this guy:
A) set it up incorrectly
B) missed
C) has been on a date with a woman

Nats Fans: Save "Da Meat!"

With the July 30th trade deadline approaching, Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young seems to be a popular subject of discussion. After a gruesome leg injury felled Washington's regular middle-of-the-order presence Nick Johnson, Washington GM Jim Bowden pulled "Da Meat Hook" off the free agent scrap pile- handing a Nats uniform to a has-been 250 lb'er who was six years removed from his last .300 season.

The switch hitter responded by hitting .397 in May, .377 in June and .367 so far in July. The 34 year old Young is now a logical trading chip for Bowden, who looks to focus on successfully building his (sort of) small market club the only way possible: by acquiring young talent that can develop.

Nats fans are clearly not excited about this prospect.
A campaign called, "Save da Meat" aims to keep the Nationals scuzzy looking, but lovable 1st baseman in a Nationals uniform. Check it out at www.cafepress.com/dameat- buy a tee or a mug.

While this is an admirable gesture, you have to wonder what the proprietor of these "Meat Hook" goods is going to do with all this stuff if Meat is, indeed dealt.

(Thanks to "Coach," Bill Walsh for finding this on the Washington Post's site.)

Vick Odds!

Wondering if Michael Vick will go to jail? Even money. Will he ever suit up again? You can bet on it. Is dog fighting a lucrative endeavor? You are sick. Thanks to the good folks who run offshore gambling house BetUS.com, we are able to take an educated whack at a few questions circling around the most hideous sports-related story since, ummm... I don't know. Maybe OJ?

Here's a brief sampling of the 39 Ron Mexico-related odds you can lay your money on:

Falcons with Vick
Falcons to Win Superbowl XLII 60/1
Falcons to Make Playoffs 3/1
Vick To Win NFL MVP 08 15/1

Falcons Without Vick
Falcons to Win Superbowl XLII 80/1
Falcons to Make Playoffs 4/1
Falcons Not to Make Playoffs 1/7
Falcons To Win NFC 28/1
Falcons To Win NFC South 9/2

NFL Suspends him: 6/4

Number of games suspended:
Over 3.5 games suspended: 20/23
Under 3.5 games suspended: 20/23
NFL puts him on probation: 1/3

Over/under on money won by Vick on dog fighting:
Over 100k won wagering on dogfights: 20/23
Under 100k won wagering on dogfights: 20/23

Odds that he never plays another NFL game: 20/1
Odds that he is found guilty: 1/2
Odds that he goes to Jail: 1/1
Odds that he serves no time: 1/1

Here are some of our odds on the lefty QB:

- Odds that Vick "shows" at Westminster: 1100/1
- Odds that this pinata will soon be destroyed by angry, dog-loving 4th graders: 1/1
- Odds that he is taught a lesson in the slamma' by a guy named "Mad Dog": 2/1
- Odds that Joey Harrington captures the hearts of Atlanta fans: 25/1
- Odds that karma is hunting down Bobby Petrino for leaving Louisville they way he did: 2/1
- Odds Marcus Vick is alright with being the "stable" Vick all of the sudden: 1/1
- Odds we see Mike Vick striking this pose in the next year: 5/1

Please leave some more "Vick odds" as comments.

Eric Wicks' iPod

The lefty attended the Big East conferences football media day on Tuesday in Newport, RI. There was much discussion of Brian Brohm's Heisman hopes, Ray Rice's new Heisman tchotchke and of course, the Wannestache. To start things off, I chatted with talented West Virginia safety Eric Wicks, who is listed here as the second best defensive player in one of the nation's best conferences. Besides being a ballhawk and the most aggressive blitzing defensive back in the nation (Wicks led the Mountaineers with seven sacks last season), he's also a music aficionado who is plugged into his iPod unless on the field or at a media obligation.

Here are the last 5 songs listened to by Wicks:
- White Girl (remix) by Young Jeezy
- Dear Mama by 2Pac
- Together by Akon
- This is the Carter by Lil' Wayne
- Country Roads by John Denver

Okay, what? "John Denver?" I asked him. "Yeah", he said, "John Denver is classic. Sometimes you just need to keep it simple and classic." I recommended the version by reggae legend Toots and the Maytals. More Big East material on the way...

Feel free to comment below- post the last song you listened to on the iPod (or radio, or whatever).

Josh vs. Posh

One is a Texan who grows bad facial hair and throws a curve ball that defies science. The other is a British diva who has a new hairdo every week and is a Scientologist (note: she's not as good as Beckett at tossing the ball around). Both are icons whose every word and action is documented by an unforgiving press corps. Without further ado, the comparative breakdown of Josh Beckett and "Posh" Beckham.

	Josh Beckett	"Posh" Beckham
Allegiance	Sox (ace)	Soccer (piece of aessh)
Picked...	Drafted #2 overall- June 1999	Married- July 1999 (1st overall)
Impressive Streak	9 wins to start 'o7 season	Has been subject of five reality shows
Known Weakness	blisters	paparazzi, Scientology
Source of Support	David	David
Notable Achievements	2003 World Series MVP (at age 23), winning pitcher- 2007 MLB All-Star game	Released "This Groove" in 2003 (debuted at #3 on UK charts), called "inspiration for anorexics"
Net Worth	$12.1 million made as MLB player	£112 million
Eternal frizzy-haired Link...	Hanley Ramirez	Scary Spice
Favorite Hobby...	Killing Stags	Killer Handbags

Click here to see video of the Beckhams arriving the US (not entirely worth it).
Click here to see a dog with bulging muscles (seriously, do it).

Any likenesses between Josh and Posh that we missed? Feel free to leave a comment.

Note (7/19): (Thanks to Amanda)- "Lopez and her husband, Marc Anthony, are just two of the Beckhams' new Hollywood friends. They've also become close with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, though David insists that his family will not be Scientology's next celebrity converts. "Tom has never even talked to us about it, much less tried to push it on us," he says."

Celebrating the return of "Rickey being Rickey"

Great news baseball fans- the immortal Rickey Henderson is back! Last week, the 48-year old "Man of Steal," told the Oakland Trib that he wanted to play for the A's in September. His 1-for-3 performance in the 2007 Celebrity All-Star game was so electrifying, that it must have caught the eye of Omar Minaya, for the Mets have hired Rickey to be their hitting coach. In celebration, the Lefty offers some Rickey highlights.

Top five Rickey Henderson quotes:

#5 "I like playing for Oakland, they have a very colorful uniform."

#4 "All I'm asking for is what I want."

#3 “Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

#2 "I'm like a branch floating in the breeze." (When asked if criticism from Yanks' boss George Steinbrenner bothered him)

#1 "Rickey's gonna be Rickey. Period. No matter what I'm going to do or play or come here early, I'm gonna be Rickey. Rickey is not going to change and not be himself. I've been in this world too long to try to change Rickey and what he does . My mother don't even try to change me. She raised me, but she ain't gonna change me."

Top Six Rickey Henderson Moments (I needed six):

#6 After striking out as a Seattle Mariner in 2000, a teammate heard Rickey say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”

#5 By hitting a homer on Ocober 5, 2001, Rickey broke Ty Cobb's 73-year old career record for runs scored. To commemorate the feat, he slowly rounded the bases, then slid into home plate.

#4 The phone call Rickey made to Padres GM Kevin Towers in which he left this voice message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

#3 After his 73 game stint in 2002 with the Red Sox (at age 43) Sox Chairman Tom Werner asked Rickey what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Bad move. Rickey wanted Werner's Mercedes. When the Red Sox made the gesture of buying Rickey a red T-Bird, he asked “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

#2: When Rickey was unsatisfied with his contract in 1992, he told the Sacramento Bee, "'I'm not happy, so I'm going to ask to be traded. It's been going on too long. I don't think I'm treated fairly. They don't deserve what I do." The next day, he said, "You are fools. It's a big joke. Rickey tricked everybody. Thank you all."

#1 And of course, when #24 broke Lou Brock's all-time stolen base record he addressed the Oakland fans with, "Today, I am the greatest of all-time." Lou Brock was standing next to him. He also handed out commemorative certificates to anyone who would take one that read, "I was there when Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock's all-time stolen-base record of 938 with steal number 939." Classy!

Important note: Special Thanks to Baseball Almanac, a new Rickey article from from Newsday's Jim Baubach and a February post from the Random Burrito for supplying a wealth of "Rickey being Rickey" moments and quotes.

Fun with the "Nickname Generator" on the slowest day in sports

So, I was running something (work related) through the trusty reference site, thesaurus.com and a typo resulted in a funny list of recommended alternative words. After a little experimentation, I found that this simple spell-checking device is like a "nickname generator". Mmmyeah, obviously this kind of thing happens when we don't have anything interesting to pay attention to in the sporting world. Here are some early results:

Hideki Okajima- Hideous Outcome

Albert Pujols- Alert Populous

Jorge Posada- Joke Post

Cole Hammels- Hole Harmless

Manny Acta- Man Acid

Oliver Perez- Silver Prize

Grady Sizemore- Great Seizure

Freddy Sanchez- Ready Snatch

Give it a whirl and comment below with your best effort.

Elisha and the Fitness Council

Pardon me if you are already aware of this, but I was just stumbling around the ol' intranet and #1- found that Eli Manning's real first name is "Elisha". (From the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports:)

"Elisha 'Eli' Manning of New Orleans, Louisiana – Mr. Manning was the number one pick of the 2004 NFL draft. In his first full season of play..." (Note: I dug a little and it turns out that "Elisha" is actually his Pops' Archie's middle name- not sure if runs deeper in the Manning bloodlines)

And #2- On a more important note (actually- maybe not) what the heck is going on with the President's Council on Physical Fitness? Of course, we could debate Scooter Libby's pardoning, or the continued occupation of Iraq, or any of these funny quotes, but the Lefty's blog is a sports blog!

The purpose of this council is as follows: "to recommend programs to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services which will encourage nationwide participation in physical fitness, physical activity and sports activities. In making these recommendations, the Council will seek to enhance blahblah blah- who cares. "

The only active athletes that were selected by the President for this council are Elisha and Andy Roddick. I guess I'm okay with Roddick, but if you have two choices to represent physical fitness, you choose Elisha Manning as one of them? Look at the guy.

If I'm forming this stupid-ass council, it would be made up of the following five (I figure that -with me making six- this would be a good number for wiffle ball on the White House lawn).

• Tom Brady: Duh. If he says I should run, I believe him. If he says I should bite the head off a dead bat, I'd probably believe him.

• Mark Philippoussis: A way better choice than Andy Roddick. Regardless of who is a better tennis player, Mark's crafty work with the kittens and cougars on NBC's "Age of Love" proves the guy is a fitness expert.

• Peter Gammons: I think an elder statesman in the group would make the council seem more "legit" if we were ever asked about what we actually "did". Gammons is in Cooperstown for being believable.
  

• Sonya Thomas: We definitely need a woman on our council. I'd add Thomas- the world's greatest female eater. The 99-lb. "Black Widow" once ate 167 chicken wings. Awesome.

• John Daly: The fat chain-smoker could be referred to by the other members of the council as a visual aid. "If you don't stay fit, you'll grow a mullet and look like John here." Plus, I imagine Daly would be fun if the council decided to go to one of Elisha's parties.
  

Who am I missing? Leave a comment.

eBay item of the Day: Hideki Irabu starting lineup

After the relative interest in my Pete Rose chewing gum post (a few sites linked to it, including this San Antonio columnist), I've decided to periodically post items that catch my eye from the internet's junkyard- eBay.

Today, we feature item #110147312799 - a Hideki Irabu Starting Lineup figurine. Beautiful. The seller sure is on the money with his pitch:

"UP FOR AUCTION IS THE 1998 YANKEES HIDEKI IRABO ROOKIE STARTING LINEUP OF THIS GREAT SUPER STAR"

Right now, the bidding seems to have stalled at $0.99. Lets see if we can push it over the $1 mark! What happened to these things? In my adolescent head (twenty years ago), I envisioned myself eventually parting with the plastic figurines in exchange for a briefcase of large, unmarked bills.

A quick glance at eBay reveals that my collection- still sealed in their Kenner time capsule packaging- is worth less than I originally bought them for. When you consider that the $7 I forked over at the time was usually 100% of my weekly income, the investment seems even more Worldcom-esque. Sure I can understand how my "Bip" Roberts isn't valuable enough to exchange for a new car, but by now, I figured my John Olerud rookie would at least be able to help me make a down payment on a mansion or a helicopter.

I suppose the only way to help these four-inch icons bounce back as financial commodities is to show the world that there is still a great interest in them. C'mon- lets see who can get this Irabu rookie back up into the $5 where he belongs! No? Okay, then at least leave me a comment telling me about your favorite starting lineups.

I'll start- I melted Al Toon in the microwave.

"Granderson is rounding second, heading for history..."

One of baseball's most impressive achievements with half a season in the books is going largely unnoticed. Heading into the All-Star break, Curtis Granderson has 15 triples in 85 games. Let's put that into perspective:

Chief Wilson set the single season record for triples with 36 in 1912. However, baseball was an entirely different game ninety-five years ago, so its pointless to even use Wilson's total when looking at what Granderson is doing. According to baseball-reference.com:

"Forbes Field was the top place for hitting triples, the 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates hit so many that they would have led the league even if Wilson hadn't hit any that year, and the National League as a whole hit 685 triples that year, still the record."

Since baseball was integrated in 1947, Dale Mitchell's 23 triples in '49 are the most in a single season. The Tigers center fielder is on pace to hit a staggering 26 three-baggers if he plays in 155 games this season (he played in 159 in '06). In the last half century, only two players have hit more than 20- White Sox CF Lance Johnson hit 21 trips in 1996 and Willie Wilson also legged out 21, in 1985.

So, a 26 triple season by Granderson would represent a 25% increase over any amount hit in a single season over the last half-century. For a player to achieve such a leap in other statistical categories, one would have to reach the following plateaus:

- 91 home runs (Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001)
- 206 RBI (Manny Ramirez drove in 165 in '99)
- 163 stolen bases (Rickey Henderson stole 130 in '82)
- 328 hits (Ichiro rapped out 262 hits in '04)
- 74 doubles (Todd Helton hit 59 in '00)

You get the idea. Can it be said that hitting 26 triples would be as impressive as a player pounding out 263 hits? Of course not. However, Granderson's historic pace should be recognized as one for the ages.

Note: As he mentions on his ESPN blog, Granderson's myspace page (the official one) crashed when he tried to "send out multiple birthday greetings to friends". Just so you are aware.

The Lefty's first half MLB awards

For the usual non-official first half honorees (MVPs, Cy Youngs...) check out Jason Stark's list. For a list of the important first half winners, keep reading.

- The Rusty Kuntz Cup (best name): Had to consider Coco Crisp, but "Coco" is technically Covelli Loyce Crisp's nickname. Jared Saltalamacchia had to be considered for his record-breakingly lengthy tag, but not good enough. The Kuntz cup goes to... Reds reliever Jon Coutlangus. This is a deceptively filthy name in the tradition of Mr. Kuntz and the great Dick Such.

- The Rob Deer Trophy (outstanding achievement in the field of striking out): Adam Dunn. Dunn has 105 whiffs at the break. While he flirted with the 200 K mark in 2004 and narrowly missed breaking his own record in 2006, we believe '07 could be the year Adam Dunn hits two hondo.

- The Pascual Perez Award (ugliest look): With apologies to Julian Tavarez, Randy Johnson and Jay Gibbons,who have taken the natural approach to looking absolutely terrible, the Perez award goes to Scott Speizio (right). He has purposely grown a four inch crimson rat-tail underneath his lower lip. If Astros minor leaguer Ezequiel Astacio makes it back to the bigs, he'll no doubt walk away with season-ending honors.

- The Pavano Award (player who is doing wonderfully for a team nobody cares about, but will no doubt crumble if brought to a place that actually watches baseball): The award goes to... Tampa Bay 1st baseman Carlos Pena. Pena hadn't contributed to a major league club over any substantial stretch since '04. This season? He has inexplicably outproduced almost every 1st baseman in the game- crushing 20 HRs while driving in 52 for the D'Rays. However, you get the feeling that if Carlos left the Trop, his magical powers would "Pavano" into a sticky mess.

- The John Heder Trophy (colossal disappointment) Alex Gordon, Royals. Though he flashed some of his uber-prospect potential in June (.325 BA , 14 RBI), Gordon has stumbled badly in his first major league season, hitting .232 while whiffing a Dunn-like 73 times. Not only was Gordon nominated for the Deer trophy, but was considered for the Perez Award with his interesting "could be 'roids, could be weed" look. Regardless, Gordon- the '05 Golden Spikes award winner and top draft pick of the same year- was supposed to be one of the game's most exciting young talents. Julio Lugo and his .197 batting average could have easily won this award, but he has stolen some bases (22) and driven in 40 RBI.

If you have any other award nominees of your own, please feel free to comment!

Vacationland!

For my "lefty loyalistas", I won't be posting anything further until Monday. I'm vacationing in Vacationland- a return to my home state of Maine. To prove it (like you need proof or something), here are some snapshots the little woman took of a traffic jam- Maine style. This was yesterday. (Go ahead and click on them for a bigger view)

Meet the "Hagadone"!

Doesn't "Hagadone" sound like a large omnivorous dinosaur? Whatever the case, I found Nick Hagadone roaming around Fenway Park earlier this week, before he signed this deal with the Sox. It was the first visit to the Fens for the Sox' top pick in the '07 draft. The 6'5" 21 year old southpaw recently closed out a distinguished career at U. Washington where he teamed with SF Giants phenom Tim Lincecum to form one of the nation's scariest collegiate flame throwing tandems. He was used effectively as a starter and closer, going 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 72 Ks in 68.1 IP for the Huskies in '07.

Here's what the large, baseball loving species known as the "Hagadone" had to say:



As he tells us in the interview, his first stop in pro ball is class-A Lowell, where he reported Tuesday.

Double your pleasure- forget Bonds ball!

Note: Another referral from deadspin- the lefty's blog is cookin'! Much appreciated, Leitch!



There's been plenty of talk regarding the value of the inevitable Barry Bonds 756th home run ball, which means that- amidst all the madness- some astute memorabilia collectors could find some pretty sweet deals on gems like this.


On eBay, Rose's A-B-C gum is selling with an autographed helmet and an empty RC cola can that bears his resemblance. Who cares? You get the man's DNA! At last check, 5 people have bid on the hit king's gum. Apparently, Rose "spit the wad out in disgust" after striking out. The sad part is that Rose probably couldn't afford to buy his own gum off eBay if he wanted to.

Rangers secret weapon?

What do you get for the country that has everything? On this day- the 231st birthday of the good ole' U.S. of A, I offer up Texas Rangers CF Kenny Lofton pitching. While goofing around prior to batting practice on Monday (July 1), Kenny decided to get all Frank Tanana on us. He was throwing to Victor Diaz, who seemed mildly impressed by Lofton's repertoire (featuring a knuckle ball, slider, change and a fastball that wasn't too different from the change-up). By the way, The Bry Guy shot this- be a pal and check out one of the best boxing blogs on the web. By the way America- if my Lofton offering isn't a solid birthday present- maybe you'll like my new ink better.


Lofton pitching: is it entertaining? Maybe not. Is this the only blog where you'll find it? Yup.

Dressing kids- a major league challenge

The wives of Jason Varitek, Ron Mahay, Joe Borowski and Doug Mirabelli (how did this crew assemble?) created this website, after confronting the unenviable task of spending "a long time trying to outfit their kids to attend baseball games".

Holy friggin' crap. I'm imagining Tatum Borowski furiously rummaging through her kids' mammoth walk-in closets trying to spot something "comfy and chic." See, this is difficult, because "Children of athletes endure the public eye and are always looking for the newest ways to show support to their parents as well as look adorable." I tried to add an html code that would allow you to puke in a tidy box somewhere within this blog post, but I couldn't find it.

Note: Deadspin- The giant of sports related sarcasm has linked to lefty's blog. Awesome.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Runs fast, speaks softly

The word "phenom" tends to be tossed around fairly liberally in baseball circles. It's a slang term used to describe a young talent who has exceptional skill. Well, I suppose that possessing the ability to run like Clark Kent in his prime earns you such a tag. Jacoby Ellsbury made his big league debut this weekend,and the 2005 first round selection of the Boston Red Sox showed why he is regarded as the finest athletic talent to come through the Boston system since the pre-Mia days of Nomar. Earlier today, I was part of a chat that the soft-but well-spoken rookie had with six or seven media members who surrounded him near his locker (which doesn't even have the official nameplate yet!).

Note: Joe Haggerty of Hacks with Haggs, the Boston Metro, ESPN radio and just about every other media outlet that exists in New England was in this media scrum as well. He asked the most pointed questions- regarding Ellsbury's speed, and what he learned from his time spent on an Indian reservation (the 23-year old is Navajo Indian). On a related note, Haggs offered this blog's first official "shout out", which is much appreciated.

Q: What’s the biggest difference between AAA pitching and the bigs?

Ellsbury: Everything happens a little quicker. Pitchers are making adjustments and hitters are making adjustments a lot quicker as well, so the adjustments, I’d say are the biggest difference.

Q: The center field at Fenway is so different than it is in Pawtucket (AAA) or Portland (AA)- Are you getting your bearings out there?

JE: I’ve been working on it. The dimensions are a lot different than most ballparks, but, just like any new ballpark, I try to get a feel for it as soon as possible.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from this locker room since you’ve been here?

JE: Just to go out and have a good time. Play like you have and have a good time. It’s the same game, (smiles) just a little bit more people watching. My first game- the drive up here I was more nervous than once I got to the field, once I got to the clubhouse, once I stepped on the field, I felt at home- I felt comfortable- a comfort zone. It’s been a great experience, big league debut at Fenway ballpark in front of a sellout crowd- ya know- a great experience.

Q: How do you feel your speed will help you (at this level)?

JE: It gets me on base. Infielders have a tendency to rush throws. They have to come up and charge the ball to throw me out. And defensively, it puts pressure on the defense. If I hit a ball in the gap, it forces them to rush their throw, and it can create extra base hits.

Q: Who are some of your idols growing up?

JE: Ken Griffey Jr. By far. Him being left handed, and being from the Northwest, being a center fielder,

Q: Players talk about their “welcome to the Big leagues” moment. Have you already had that, or are you still waiting for it?

JE: Getting that first hit. The standing ovation from the crowd was a great moment. Stepping on the field for the first time. There has been a lot of great moments so far. I’m still waiting to get that first win, that’s the biggest thing.

Q: Are the rumors of the 4.2 second 40-yard dash speed true?

JE: I’ve run a 4.2 (second) forty (yard dash), and a sixty as well. Six-two. I did it at scout day in college, I ran a 6.29 in the sixty (yard dash), but I haven’t run a forty of late.

Q: Have you picked up some speed since then?

JE: I think from the training I’ve been doing in the off-season, I’ve put on some weight (goes on to say that he hasn’t really gained weight, but has gained strength). I don’t know if I’ve gotten faster, but I’ve definitely maintained that. Maybe I’m a little bit quicker.

Q: What’s the toughest part of transitioning from college ball to pro ball?

JE: I’d say the toughest thing is preparing your body to play every day. Mentally and physically. That’s the biggest thing- you play three times a week in college, and in pro ball you play every single day.

Q: What are you passionate about, besides baseball?

JE: In the off-season, I like to relax. Golf. Not really do too much. I’m from a small town, just that small town atmosphere in the off season is what I like.

Q: Can you tell us how proud you are of your Navajo heritage?

JE: I’m very proud. I had the chance when I was younger to live on an Indian reservation. It opened up my eyes to a lot of different things. I’m definitely proud of it and I’m working with my mother, learning Navajo. My mother speaks it fluently, so I’m looking to improve on that.

Q: What kinds of things did you learn on the Indian Reservation?


JE: Just cultural differences. I mean, even my high school was a one third Hispanic, a third white and a third Native American, so from that perspective, you just see different cultures and how they interact, and language barriers, so at a young age I was exposed to it so it’s helped me out just to understand people from different nations. Latin communities and I think it’s a positive thing.

Q: How much did that help you when you got to the college level, and pro level?

JE: I’d say the biggest thing is just relating to them. Being open to them right away- introducing yourself, and then being comfortable with them. When you look around Major League baseball, there’s a lot of races and ethnicities, and its something that’s easy for me to deal with.

Note- After tonight's 7-3 victory over the Rangers, Terry Francona said that Coco Crisp will likely be ready to rejoin the Sox lineup on Tuesday, when the Sox host Tampa Bay. Crisp has been nursing a sprained thumb. According to Francona, Coco's thumb only "hurts when he first puts his glove on." The return of Crisp casts doubt on how much longer Ellsbury will enjoy his current stint with the big club.

Trivia question: Only one other major league baseball player in the last half-century is Native American. Who is he? (submit comment below- winner gets a tube sock)

I don't see Theo breaking the bank for this import:






While this is funny, wouldn't it be much more hilarious if that guy with the aluminum bat rocked a liner back into this joker's chest? No? Okay.

Analyzing the AL East- as motorcoaches

I believe it was Peter Gammons who said, "On the road of life, there are passengers and there are drivers." Actually, wait- no. I think that was a Subaru ad. Whatever the case, here is a comparison of the current state of American League East teams and automobiles.


Boston Red Sox (1st place, 49-30)- TOYOTA AVALON- We haven't gone with a model this, well, Japanese before. This thing works better than we thought! I mean, yeah, we paid for the nicer model with the extra features, but I didn't didn't think I'd be so happy with it. And if we feel up to it, it still has room for upgrades (Lester, the annual shortstop replacement). Still, we can't be certain how well it'll perform once the weather starts to turn in October.



Toronto Blue Jays (2nd place, 39-41, 10.5 games back, 7.5 back in Wild Card race)- VW GOLF- Safe, dependable, foreign. While always pretty decent, nobody is envious of a product that has a couple nice features (Vernon Wells, Halladay, good gas mileage), yet rarely turns heads. For the record, I drive a golf and I am not a jays fan. Probably time for a new "whip".





New York Yankees (3rd place, 37-40, 11 games back, 8 back in Wild Card race)
- ANY LATE MODEL JAGUAR- Are parts that cost this much money supposed to break down so often? While once the finest that money could buy, deep-pocketed yet impractical ownership has led to a product that just doesn't carry the same luster it used to. Will always have its loyal supporters, but sure doesn't resemble its classy, dominant forefathers.




Baltimore Orioles (4th place, 35-44, 14 games back, 11 back in Wild Card race)
- HUMMER H2-This was cool idea at first. Big price tag, highly visible. Then, after commuting regularly in this money-pit, you realize that you've invested everything in a stunning combination of high cost/poor performance. Too bad 36 monthly payments still exist. Where can I park this thing?



Tampa Bay Devil Rays (5th place, 33-46, 16 games back, 13 back in Wild Card race)- HYUNDAI TIBURON- Sure it looks hot, but it's still a Hyundai anyway you cut it. Don't fool yourself into thinking its a sporty alternative, this is not something you want to have anything to do with. They even both have weird, undiscernable "fishy-like" logos. Some major malfunctions (Edwin Jackson, Rocco).