Bleacher Report - Articles by Andy Katz

Dodgers/Sox Would Make For A Bizarro Series

Andy Katz — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:35:42 -0400

Game Seven of the World Series, Fenway Park. Bottom of the 12^th Inning.

4-3 Dodgers.

This could really happen.

Joe Torre yawns and strolls to the mound to make a pitching change. Derek Lowe emerges from the bullpen and struts across a frosty Fenway outfield, engulfed by chants of “Derek, Derek, Derek.”

Joe Buck comments, “Though Lowe has been inconsistent in September, he has risen to the occasion in this postseason. They say his sinker is sometimes most effective when he is fatigued.”

Bill Mueller, Dodgers special assistant to the GM, sits behind the Dodger dugout next to his special guest (Dave Roberts).

Manny Ramirez, having hit a go-ahead home run off Manny Delcarmen in the top half of the 12^th, lurks in the left field corner like he never left.

Nomar Garciaparra nervously yanks at the lacing on his glove at first base, and prepares himself to squeeze the game-winning out.

As Lowe throws his warm-up tosses, the Fenway crowd is serenaded by Low Rider.

“All my friends know the low rider. The low rider is a little higher. Low rider don't use no gas now. Low rider don't drive too fast.”

You could almost see a small grin creep across Dr. Charles Steinberg’s (now Dodger Chief Marketing Officer) face, knowing he would have lined up a similar selection for such an occasion.

The Sox are down to their last out. Kevin Youkilis is at third base, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Coco Crisp (having pinch run for Mike Lowell) takes his lead off second. Jason Bay digs in at the plate. Buck and McCarver mention the Ramirez/Bay trade for the 151^st time. And, the Fenway crowd stands as one (cheering with fervor and fear).

Two clubhouses are wrapped in plastic and stocked with champagne, Bud Light, and goggles. The Red Sox bullpen’s instruments are frozen to their hands. Players on both sides stand across the top steps of their dugouts. Lowe toes the rubber…and delivers. Crack…

This could really happen. A series for the ages.

The Dodgers hold a four-game lead over the Diamondbacks in the NL West, and are as good a bet as any in the National League, having won 12 of their last 13 games (remember the Rockies of 2007). The Sox lead in the wild card is even more safe (five games in the loss column), and they have the make-up for a deep run in the playoffs.

Red Sox/Cubs…Red Sox/Mets…neither holds a torch to what would be the perfect storm of baseball match-ups. It will be a long overdue return to Fenway for Nomar and D-Lowe. What will their reception be in the context of a World Series? It will be an uncomfortable reunion with Manny—think seeing a girlfriend too soon after she broke up with you. You still have feelings for her but you want her to be miserable.

Ramirez vs. Bay. Francona vs. Torre. LA’s chance for redemption after the NBA Finals.

This could really happen.

Andy Katz is the senior writer at Andy Katz 360

Anything Is Possible For Patriots New QB1

Andy Katz — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:29:31 -0400

Will the Patriots make the playoffs? For the first time in several years, my answer to this question is: "It will be interesting."

With Tom Brady likely out for the season with an ACL tear, the Pats can win 6 games. They could win 13 games. Of course I wasn't rooting for Tom Brady to get injured. But now that we're here, it's exciting.

We get to find out how good Belichick's system really is. Will Randy Moss drop into cruise control? Will we see Doug Flutie, Vinny Testaverde, or Matt Saracen in a Patriots uniform before season's end?

Though they may be afraid to admit it, I think that many Pats fans are thinking the same way. Maybe in a time when Boston teams didn't win championships every year, we'd be wallowing in our own misery(ok...we definitely would be). But let's get real. Times have changed.

Boston fans are playing with house money. 3 Super Bowls, 2 World Series rings, and an NBA title. Let's see if they can pull off a miracle with a 2nd string quarterback. Every week is an adventure. And as Kevin Garnett put it, "Anything is possible."

I recall it was pretty exciting when TB did it in 2001.

Andy Katz is the senior writer at Andy Katz 360

Will the LPGA's English Requirement Help Golfers Connect with Fans?

Andy Katz — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:57:25 -0400

The LPGA announced that it will be require its players to learn English or they will face suspension from the tour.

The rule applies to LPGA members who have been on tour for two years, and a first round of evaluations will be conducted at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

This mandate seems to be aimed at the South Koreans, who have become a dominant force on the LPGA in numbers (45 of 121 international players) and competitively.

In a five-week span this summer, the winners of LPGA tourneys were Seon Hwa Lee, Yani Tseng, Eun-Hee Ji, Inbee Park (US Open), and Seon Hwa Lee again.

Hilary Lunke, president of the Player Executive Committee, summed it up,

“The bottom line is, we don’t have a job if we don’t entertain. In my mind, that’s as big a part of the job as shooting under par.”

The LPGA is looking to its stars to cater to sponsors, communicate with the media, and appeal to the general English-speaking public. Is this an unreasonable thing to ask?

Pro golfers probably interact with 'outsiders' more than in any other sport. During the week of an event, they are called on to play in Pro-Ams with corporate sponsors, give clinics to fans, and attend other functions.

During the tournament, pros and fans share air. In what other sport do so many fans have such close access to the athletes? Because of all this, I can see why speaking the language of your fans and your sponsors is even more important in golf than in other sports.

Beyond that, it's not a coincidence that this is happening simultaneously with the retirement of the LPGA's media darling (Annika Sorenstam). Who is going to fill her shoes as the face of women's golf? I can assure you it's not going to be somebody with a translator.

Could the LPGA have taken this issue on without a press release? You better believe it. Professional athletes in all sports have speaking coaches to help them with interviews and other public appearances. The LPGA could have done this behind closed doors but instead decided to make it a public debate.

They had to know it would create a whirlwind of media coverage. Hmmm...not such a terrible thing for a league looking for some ummm...media coverage.

The LPGA has to be careful not to alienate their athletes. They need to be sure not to piss off sponsors, who might not like the negative press that this story generates. But, my sense is they know exactly what they are doing and have already prepared their partners for this news.

What do you think? Will this bold move pay off for the LPGA?

Andy Katz is the chief writer at Andy Katz 360.

MLB's Crack Problem

Andy Katz — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:54:12 -0400

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the dangers of maple baseball-bats. SI described the danger:

"In recent years, right-handed pitcher Rick Helling, while pitching in the minor leagues, was impaled in the left arm by a broken bat, a 15-inch shard penetrating three inches into his arm."

Alex Rodriguez expressed his concerns:

"I've never seen anything like it. Even if I'm 140 feet away [at third] base, I'm in danger. In the last year or two, I've seen more bats break. Why not ban them? They've banned everything else."

A lot can be said about that A-Rod quote, but let's focus on the topic at hand.

An MIT grad is saying he has a solution to the maple bat problem in the form of a new bat he designed. Ward Dill's "Radial Bat" is made in a way that it will not suffer a "catastrophic break."

Even if Dill has solved the safety issue, will the bat's performance be similar enough to bats used today? A college player who tested the bat commented that it had more pop than traditional bats. Would modern-day stadiums be able to contain the power potential of these bats?

Cost is another issue. The retail price of a maple Radial Bat for an adult is $150, and it's $130 for the ash model. MLB could probably float the bill, or buy the company. But those price points would have to come way down to become viable for amateur and scholastic teams.

The bats can still crack, meaning a team of 20 players could conservatively need 100 bats to get through a season.

MLB has not been afraid recently to implement change. A new steroid policy...instant replay...will bats be next?

Other articles from this author [andykatz360.blogspot.com]

New bat designed to take 'ping' out of baseball [SportingNews.com]

The danger of maple bats is a major problem for MLB [SI.com]