Just kidding with the headline, of course. It's a shout-out to this episode of "The Simpsons," when Homer tells an annoyed Marge of a similar affection for Mr. Burns' long-lost son, Larry (voiced by the late, great Rodney Dangerfield).
But I do love the Rally Monkey. Have any of you seen it at Angel Stadium? When the Angels are tied or losing in the late innings, they'll run clips from classic movies _ they used "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Austin Powers in Goldmember" last night _ interspersed with their "Rally Monkey," which jumps up and down and holds a "Rally Time!!!" sign. Here is more funny video of the Monkey.
I take my job very seriously, especially during weeks like this. Our goal is to get you the best news and analysis, so that you'll buy the newspaper and come back to our Web site. I don't root for teams because our White House reporter doesn't root for teams, and it's my intent to cover baseball with the same skeptical eye that we use to cover the U.S. government.
But every now and then, like last night, I'm reminded that I cover entertainment. It's a great deal of fun to sit back for a moment, take a breather and watch the Rally Monkey do his hilarious thing.
The Rally Monkey is my favorite in-game entertainment feature of any big-league ballpark. Anyone else have a favorite?
Last night's game was one of their best this year. You're doing something right when you come back against Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez. Most inspiring was the play of Jose Reyes, the night after he showed up Manuel in the first inning of Manuel's first game.
Not only did Reyes get three hits, including the ninth-inning single that set up the game-tying rally, but when he skied a pop fly to shortstop in the seventh, he busted his tail. He was nearly at second base by the time the Angels' Erick Aybar caught the ball.
After being embarrassed by Reyes Tuesday, Manuel seeked out his shortstop and calmly told him that his behavior was unacceptable. Reyes apologized. And look how Reyes played. Whereas last year, when Randolph benched Reyes and yelled at him for not running out a grounder, Reyes essentially shut himself down.
It's very early, but this is something to keep an eye on.
Comments (22)
It was good to see Manuel get in Reyes face...long overdue.
Ken, I didn't like the fact that Reyes pouches to the dugout after he was taken out of the game the other night. Reyes still needs to minture as a player. Bernazard didn't want to response because he knows everybody is ripping him apart and thus he hiding from everybody and shows no guts in the process.
The scary part is that I remember Don Larsen's perfect game
Nice win by the Mets. Though I have to ask: What happened to Frankie Rodriguez? I had not seen him that much this year, but I was shocked by his bloated face last night. Dude has clearly been hitting the donuts and candy bars this year. His normally thin, wiry frame now has a large gut that bulges under his shirt. His stuff looked okay, but Cohen mentioned that his strikeouts are down this year.
Ken
Forgive me if this has been discussed to death but with Randolph and Peterson out of the picture, do you think the powers that be would consider making Heilman a starter again? Or do the people who object to that move still work for the Mets?
It seems to me if they'd ever consider it, next offseason would be a good time to do it since there will definitely be some holes in their starting rotation.
My favorite in-game activity is the game itself.
I will have to buy noiseblocking headphones the next time I go to Shea or Yankee Stadium. It's so bad now that the control tower at LaGuardia is calling Shea to complain about the noise!
I await the all too imminent day that I can turn off my hearing aid (just like shutting off the sound on Michael Kay or turning off John Sterling) and simply enjoy what is on the field as opposed to being forced to experience unneccessary sensory overload and risking deafness or epilespy as a result of baseball's efforts to cater to the lowest common denominator fans.
I blame the union for this!!!!
Do you think the comeback victory made Omar smile considering the mention of that in his press conference?
I think if he has the power to do it, Omar would be a very wise man to fire Bernazard. He's the leading candidate to be the snitch, he's kissing up to the de facto big boss and he's poorly received by the media and fans right now. Plus he's too freindly with the players, management and players don't mix.
Ken -
If we went to the same high school, you probably would have been picked before me for gym activities. Now, not so much.
JRock
I've hated the loud music, exploding scoreboards, dancing girls on top of the dugouts (Shea Stadium), goofy mascots and extremely annoying PA announcers (not to mention the terrible TV and radio announcers) for many, many years. It's getting worse, not better. The early pre-game music is so offensive to the ears that it is almost unbearable. I guess the owners think fans need these things since the game isn't entertaining enough on its own. Too bad.
I assume your reference to the union bearing the blame was tongue in cheek, Bob. I know certain people would like to blame the union for hot weather, rain and traffic around stadiums, too.
Jim:
I agree completely. Are fans so stupid that they need to be told when to cheer or clap their hands?
It always gets to me when I am at Yankee Stadium and the message to CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP comes on the scoreboard.
Fans can't just go to watch a game they have to be a part of a "total entertainment experience." Personally, I liked it years ago when I could talk to the person next to me in a regular conversation or even read the paper or a book in between innings. Those days are gone. We also must stand up now whenever a pitcher has two strikes on a batter, even in the first inning. Another annoying development. Dancing grounds crew members are another laughable innovation.
Another complaint: Years ago I could get into Yankee Stadium hours before a game and watch the Yankees take batting practice. No longer. No, most of the time even the visiting team is through doing it. The owners really don't care about fans. They don't care about young kids falling in love with the game.
We used to know when to cheer. Nobody prompted the "Let's Go Mets" or "Defense" chants, the fans started them on their own. As well as "Goodbye Allie, Looie, Tommy etc.". Now some moron on a screen has to tell you it's time to cheer or a recorded organ has to play two chords sounding like DEE-FENSE to get you to say it?
When I was growing up, baseball was a pretty quiet game and we had fun. Jane Jarvis or Eddie Layton played the organ. Now it's at ear-splitting decibles of hard rock or rap music and the PA Announcers also have to scream, except for the PA Announcers at Yankee Stadium. Hopefully at the new one, or when Bob Sheppard is gone, they don't replace him with a loud guy and keep it professional. OTOH are the NBA and NHL screaming mimis :( Every single one of them has the same lousy schtick.
Baseball has change for the better or the worse. A lot of things have change over the years, and the game has change.
I like the players. Don't like Selig and many owners. Can't stand most announcers or what goes on with the stadium music and all the other distractions. Dislike the loss of doubleheaders, not getting to watch BP, not being able to sit in the stands after a game for a while (now security starts breaking chops for everyone to leave immediately), traditional organ music (I met Eddie Layton at a BBWAA dinner - he was quite a guy - great sense of humor), etc. Yes, Charles Comiskey was bad as an owner (he largely caused the Black Sox scandal according to the book Eight Me Out), but many of today's owners stink.
Everybody Clap Their Hands!!! Damn you Donald Fehr and your Genius!!! Bob we actually agree. I hate that there is noise during every stoppage (and during play in the NBA). It's like a soundtrack in a comedy, not needed.
Ken, this is the problem with quotable sources. Where I work, I have been blamed for giving a quote. It drives me nuts because there is no way I'm going to put my ass on the line for a Newsday reporter (no offense). Yet I will be looked at even though its not me. Where is my proof? All I can and always have said is, "Wasn't me." (I had put up the Shaggy Wasn't me video but thought it might be too racy)
So when you and the rest of the media reported that Willie will be immenently fired, both Jeff Wilpon and Tony B. became suspects. And most likely one of them was innocent.
It's an industry problem that causes unfair scrutiny to those who dont give anonomoys quotes.
I am impressed the Rays signed No. 1 pick Tim Beckham to contract this quickly, including a $6.15 million signing bonus. He's only a high school senior, but it shows the Rays are serious. Maybe Loria is keeping his hands off operations and letting his very good staff do their thing.
Now the feds are going after Greg Anderson's wife in the BALCO/Bonds case. This is incredible. Aren't there heavy duty criminals that the government could better spend its money going after? This indicates to me that they will stop at next to nothing to nail Bonds.
Jim:
As Bonds' attorney Michael Rains said, It has been U.S. v. Bonds the entire way. And the feds, be it the SF DA's office, Jeff Novitzky or our esteemed members of Congress have behaved in a ghastly fashion.
Remember that when the players went to testify to the grand jury, they were all given a chance to review the BALCO and Anderson documents that related to them - Benito santiago got 3 hours to do so with Novitzky...all di, except fort Barry Bonds. And Michael Rains responded "they're tryint to set up my guy"....one of the interesting pieces from "Game of Shadows" p. 200 and 204.
Also, Novitzky was assigned to be Bonds' driver that day he testified. He dropped Bonds off in the front of the building in the media circus, not in the garage as agreed.
Ken, any thoughts on how the conversion of Joba Chamberlain from reliever to starter is going? To my admittedly poor eyesight it is going about as well as can be expected. Having it done while the Yankees are playing weak teams like the Padres is either brilliant planning or sheer good luck.
and this is what Novitzky did to get the CDT/Quest player tests..
Susan Ilstion is the judge in the Bonds trial..
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=li-ilstonnovitzky021008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Why have Ilston and so many other judges publicly denounced Novitzky’s conduct? On January 16, 2003, the government served a subpoena on CDT and, “Asked for every drug testing record of every Major League player,” said Elliot Peters, who represents the Players Association in the case. “We said, ‘Oh come on.’ “
After extended negotiations, Peters said the government then asked for 10 names. “We asked if they’d withdraw the (subpoena for every record of every player),” Peters said. “They never did.”
Peters said the Players Association remained unconvinced that the government had any intention of holding to the reduced list. On April 6, 2004, two days before the union and the testing lab were required to respond to the grand jury subpoena for 10 players or be in contempt, the union told the government it intended to file a motion to quash the subpoenas.
It was filed the next day. On that same day, knowing there would be an early hearing on the government’s right to obtain the testing data, Novitzky and the Justice Department applied for search warrants from federal magistrates to search testing offices and labs in Long Beach and Las Vegas.
On April 8, accompanied by 11 federal agents, including a computer expert, Novitzky raided Comprehensive Drug Testing’s Long Beach office. By noon, Novitzky learned that his fellow agents had “discovered a hard-copy document with names and identifying numbers for all MLB players.” Meanwhile, a distraught lab director handed the agents a document with drug test results for the 10 BALCO players – seemingly what the subpoena had requested.
But Novitzky didn’t stop there. His group copied a massive computer directory called Tracey, containing hundreds of files on CDT’s wide-ranging sports drug testing programs. There were 2,911 files that had nothing to do with MLB drug testing, as well as MLB files that had “information on 1,200 players with multiple test results.”
By boldly raiding the testing lab’s office, Novitzky and the Justice Department defied the ongoing court proceedings, grabbing tests and information they never would have obtained through the still-active subpoena process.
Hey, everyone. Sorry, another long travel day.
Andy, as long as Minaya is running the Mets, I don't see Heilman going to the starting rotation. He's going to have to wait until free agency (another two years (after 2010) until he can find a team interested in employing him as a starter.
Jim C., I've been so absorbed with the Mets than I saw only Joba's first start in person. But based on stats and observations, the transition seems to be going well. (and sure, it'll be more interesting once interleague play ends). Meanwhile, the bullpen has stabilized, with Girardi spreading opportunities around. Dennis, are you still upset over this move?
I agree with you guys over the feds' pursuit of Greg Anderson's wife. How disgraceful.
Me Bad. Sorry guys. I don't know what planet I was on earlier today when I wrote that Loria was the owner of the Rays. I meant Stuart Sternberg, "the guy from NY." I wonder at what point does he start making noise about moving the team?
The move of Joba to the rotation is looking better and better. I can't believe Girardi has the guts to puts Farnsworth into the game in the 8th inning after he gave up the HR Weds night.