Bleacher Report - Articles by Luigi Tollis

Andruw Jones Thrown Out on His Fat Ass

Luigi Tollis — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:35:46 -0500

Well, we all knew this day would, or at least should, come. Andruw Jones was told to hit the bricks. Or, if you like Biff Tannon, make like a leaf (of course that would be one big f'ing leaf).

No response as of yet from the normally ubiquitous players union. Want to know why?

.158

No, that's not how many pounds overweight he was when he showed up to camp.

No, its not the amount of dogs he choked down during the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Independence Day.

Although, it could be the Richter Scale if he attempted a diving catch in CF.

You know it's bad when Jason Varitek his for more avg and power than this once sure-fire HoF'er. I mean, Jones just fell off the earth. Here was a guy who you could count on to hit 20+ dingers. Between 1999 and 2008 Jones hit over 25 HR every year.

Funny side note, baseball-reference.com has his weight listed at 170 lbs. Espn.com has it at 210. At any rate, we can all agree that neither number is right, and that buffet owners start filing the Chapter 11 paperwork when they see him around the corner.

But what happened? What makes a guy just lose it like Jones? He had all the talent in the world. I remember when he hit two dingers in a WS game against the Yanks like it was yesterday.

Maybe it could just be chalked up to the injuries he sustained last year. After all, he did have knee surgery early in the season. Prior to last year, you could bank on the fact that he would be patrolling center field for about 155 games.

Last year? 75 games.

That's $241,333.34 per game. Or, $68,952 and change per hour per game played (I used three and a half hours as an approximate time). I'm really bad at math, so I think I'll just divide 18.1 mil by the three home runs he hit to show is 'true' value.

So, what's left for Jones to do?

I hear Stephon Marbury has some free time, maybe they could get together, play some xBox, eat some bon-bons, and talk about how they both were once great players.

Now however, they're both great wastes of talent.

MLB 2008 Preview: Five Trends to Follow

Luigi Tollis — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:57:16 -0400

It's almost here.

I can almost smell it.

95 mph heaters, cutters, sinkers, splitters, sliders, unbelievable breaking balls, the knuckler. Splintered bats, singles, doubles, triples, dingers, bunts, bloop hits, infield singles. Diving catches, web gems, stolen bases, caught stealing, pick-offs, balks, walks, and everyone's hated enemy, errors. Hot dogs, crackerjacks, sausages, beer, pizza, and peanuts.

That's right people—Opening Friggin' Day is around the corner. Soon enough we'll be in the midst of the tourney, NBA playoff races will be coming down to the wire, and the boys of summer will be out to play.

God, I love this time of year.

This year will be a bit difficult to catch the first game of the year. It will air at 6am EST. As I currently live in a central time zone, I'd have to get up at a quarter to five am to even watch the game live. It's a sacrifice I just might make.

I don't necessarily approve of MLB opening its season in Japan, but hey, what can I do? Really though, why is America's pastime beginning its season in the Land of the Rising Sun? Is it only about marketing, and money? If so, then a league that is awash in cash apparently can't satisfy is appetite for greenbacks (or yen, they're probably worth more seeing as how the dollar is in the crapper).

It doesn't matter though, its about baseball people, and I don't care if they play in Mongolia or Timbuktu.

Just thinking about the game makes me want to pick up the glove and toss the ole' pill around. I'd probably throw out my elbow screwing around with curve balls, but that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Even if your team isn't in the mix this year (I'm talking to you A's fans) there's still a good deal to look forward to. Will the Yankees return to the glory land? Can the Red Sox repeat? Do the Mets have what it takes? Or the Phills? Can the Cubs break the curse? What are the Angels chances? Will John Kruk be wrong as always on baseball tonight?

The answers to these questions and more will come forth with the fast approaching baseball season.

Here are some of the things that I'm looking forward to this year in no particular order (even though they're numbered)...

1) Will Chad Billingsley emerge as a potential ace this year?

If you've been paying attention to his career to this point, this question seems like a hanging curve.

Granted he was not-so-impressive in his debut in 2006, but that was due, in part, to the fact that the Dodgers rushed him to the majors. Last year, in 147 innings, Billingsley went 12-5 with a 3.31 ERA.

The kid's got the stuff required to be a good, if not very good pitcher in the bigs. His fastball is between 92-94 and he has a 12-6 uncle charlie. Add an improved changeup and this kid could be mowing down lineups on the Senior Circuit.

2) Will Jon Lester break out this year?

Lester is an interesting story to keep your eye on.

We all know how he beat cancer two years ago. How he won game four of the World Series last year. And most Red Sox fans know about his control problems and seeming inability to pitch past five innings.

Now a year and a half removed from his bout with cancer, Lester seems poised to take a permanent spot in the rotation. He's pitched well this spring, and is following through on his pitches with better control as the result.

The Red Sox are going to need him to break out this year if they wish to repeat as champs.

3) Will the De...err Rays (I'm still getting used to it) win more than 75 games this year?

That's right, I said it.

The only time that those pesky Rays have ever won more than 70 games is when Lou coached the hell out of them. This year will probably be different, barring substantial injury to their pitching staff, which is among the best young staffs in the majors.

Shields just signed a lucrative deal this offseason, and is worth every penny they inked him to. Kazmir needs to avoid the DL this year, but should otherwise give the Rays the second component of their 1-2 punch with Shields.

Carl Crawford is a great asset to the team and is either over or under rated depending upon who you talk to. Carlos Pena has had a productive spring, and seems poised to show that last year was no fluke. Upton is looking to avoid the sophomore blues, and put together a similar season to last year.

Add a call-up a month into the season of a potential ROY candidate in Evan Longoria, and these Rays are going to be a little more than just pesky. They'll be the fierce creatures that instill fear into the hearts of crocodile hunters everywhere (what, too soon?).

4) Can the Nationals be more than just gnats? (I know, bad pun)

With a new ballpark, with quite possibly the largest flat screen in the world, the Nats are going to have to put asses in the seats somehow.

Winning is generally acknowledged as the best way, but there have been other methods tried (see: Disco Demolition Night).

The Nationals have an interesting lineup this year, but no pitching staff. Ryan Zimmerman should put up better power numbers than last year, as he's no longer swinging in cavernous RFK. Lastings Milledge has had a big spring, and everyone is expecting him to show why he was the Mets best prospect a few years back.

I, for one, have no idea why he was traded for such low value (Ryan Church and Schneider). If Steve Phillips wasn't on baseball tonight, I'd think he was the one who pulled the trigger on that deal.

5) Assuming the Braves' talented lineup gets them to the playoffs, will fans in Atlanta actually go to playoff games?

To me, this was a terrible sign, and made me sick. When the Braves were on the tail end of their incredible playoff run, the stadium wouldn't be sold out for NLDS games.

Granted they would lose those rounds, but what else to people in Atlanta have to do? I mean, dog fights are fine if you're into that sort of thing, but we're talking about the playoffs.

If the Braves can put it together this year (and I think they can), I'd assume the fans will return to the ballpark. If you look at this team, they have a better chance of returning to the playoffs than the Phillies do.

The lineup is about as potent as you'll get in the National League. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are poised to be this year's fantasy sleepers, with Escobar looking like he'll fill the void left by the departure of Edgar Renteria. Teixeira will put up his usual big numbers. Francoeur will provide a big bat in the middle of the lineup, and McCann is going to have another big year.

The pitching staff, while a little old, is at least good enough to get this team to the first round of the playoffs.

Well, there are a litany of other things I'm looking forward to, but that's a story for another day.

I'd also like to think that the first time Josh Hamilton breaks his bat, he'll turn to the batboy and say, "Pick me a winner Bobby."

Georgia Bulldogs: This Year's Cinderella? Not Likely

Luigi Tollis — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:30:57 -0400

Ahh, the first day of the tourney. The day where everyone shuns worker productivity to watch basketball. The day where brackets are ruined. The day where you're annoying co-worker who chooses teams picked on no knowledge whatsoever puts himself in the lead of the office pool. Or maybe its your girlfriend who chooses on criteria such as school color, mascot deathmatch challenge, or states where they know people.

But its alright. You've studied this all year. You know basketball, you know a sixteen has never beaten a one seed and so on. Hell, sometimes, you'll even watch a NIT game if there is nothing on TV.

The first day, where Cinderella teams march on to cement their names in the psyche of fans. Everyone remembers the teams. Gonzaga a few years back, George Mason, and even those Georgetown teams of the late seventies. The question is, will Georgia add their name to the list?

Most people know how Georgia fought their way to the tourney. How they beat two teams in one day in their conference championship (and perhaps how they knocked Arizona State out of the tourney). Everyone also knows how tired those kids must be, and how they must be dazed after a whirlwind few days.

To be honest, no one really thinks a lowly fourteen seed Georgia can knock off a three seed in Xavier. Well, no one outside the state of Georgia that is.

Then the opening tip off happened, and Georgia started off strong. Their lead turned into eleven. Could they do this? Would they do this? Would they ruin brackets across the country? More importantly, would they ruin my bracket? They can't do that. My bracket is supposed to win.

Phew, Xavier made a run. The lead slimmed to six, and then four. Yeah, that's right, Xavier is winning like they're supposed to, up three. But how did they get here?

Defense, that's how. Georgia started committing turnovers and taking poor shots. Xavier kept within the plan, got a couple of good bounces, and more importantly, got to the charity stripe. With five minutes to go int eh second half, Georgia had only gotten to the free throw line twice. That's just not going to cut it. Conversely, Xavier at that point in the game had made twelve straight from the line.

And yet, I want Georgia to win. Why didn't Georgia take a time-out when Xavier went on their run? What's going on here? Why am I rooting against my own bracket?

I'd like to see them continue the streak and beat the mid-major. I mean, I don't really like Georgia, or Georgians for that matter (no offense to the state of Georgia itself, I think this stems from the lack of playoff attendance at Braves games). I still want them to win though. Unfortunately, I fear that they will keep the game just close enough to make me a bit disappointed when they end up losing by three to five points. It will be a strange feeling when my bracket is still in tact, and I'm disappointed. Oh well, I guess the satisfaction I'll get from winning the pool will soothe my bitter disappointment.

Every year I go through the same feeling during the first and second days of the tourney. Call it the dichotomy of man for you former liberal arts majors. Call it stupidity for all you real world working-class, unproductive adults.

Well, whatever it is, that feeling of disappointment is creeping into my stomach. You know what I'm going to call it? The realization of a foregone conclusion.

Red Sox to Boycott Game: Let's Play None?

Luigi Tollis — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:31:00 -0400

The lineup has been posted, the starting pitchers have been chalked in, but there's not one player are on the field.

Today's Grapefruit League Game between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays might not be played. It's not an issue of weather. The field is in perfect playing condition.

Could this be the game that doesn't get played?

Well, it's still up in the air, but the Boston Red Sox players have just voted to boycott today's game and refuse to board the plane for Japan this evening if their demands are not met.

They are insisting that the coaching staff should receive the same compensation as the players (the amount of $40,000) for the trip.

Dustin Pedroia has taken the field to do a few sprints. But no word has yet come down as to whether or not Major League Baseball has acquiesced to the team's demands.

This wasn't an issue brought by the coaches. Granted, Terry Francona was incensed when he found out about this issue a few days ago when he contacted club officials of the Oakland Athletics.

But it was in a player-only meeting that the athletes voted to boycott the game in a show of solidarity.

To be honest, it's really strange to see both teams in their dugouts, the umpires ready to call good pitches, balls, and pitches a foot outside strikes.

It looks as though a multi-billion dollar industry just can't manage to pony up a couple of million dollars to adequately compensate the coaches for both the Sox and the Oakland A's.

WEEI's Joe Castiglione reports that the total cost per team needed to meet the players' demands would be somewhere in the range of a half a million dollars.

While Curt Schilling is listed on the 60-day DL with a bum shoulder, his mouth is apparently in perfect working order. Among the topics he discussed with the press was the negotiating phone call between the team and MLB.

According to Schilling, MLB officials made oral promises that the coaches and training staff would receive the same compensation as the players. That promise, like many others discussed that day, has gone the way of the thirty-game winner.

Also according to Castiglione, Oakland GM Billy Beane was not aware that the coaches and training staff would not be compensated until dinner last evening.

It appears now that even if the demands are met, Dice-K will not be pitching in today's game, and will instead pitch in a minor league game at 1:00 PM.

It has also been reported that Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester will not accompany the team to Japan regardless, as he is now scheduled to start a minor league game tomorrow afternoon.

As the players have all gone back into the clubhouse, it seems pretty clear that no game will get played today.

There is no joy in Mudville. Major League Baseball has struck out.

* * * *

UPDATE: Well, it's now 1:10 and the first pitch has been thrown. The compensation package is in place and the fans are being given their money's worth.

Celtics Down Rockets: Tracy McGrady Unimpressive in Loss

Luigi Tollis — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:11:19 -0400

Today is national hangover day. The day after St Patty's day, is also the day that most Americans awake with a butterfly in the stomach, and a jackhammer in the head.

The Celtics were impressive on St Patty's day, coming back from being 22 down against the defending champion Spurs. There were fears that they too would be suffering from a hangover.

The greatest thing about this evening's win is the fact that as sports fans, we no longer need to hear prognostications about Houston's win streak. It was a remarkable run by the Rockets, but did anyone really think they'd keep it up past this current stretch of games?

The Celtics won tonight, based mostly on their vastly improved defense which held Tracy McGrady to eight points, seven boards, and eight dimes. Respectable for a sixth man, dissappointing if you're a superstar.

It's easy to look at the box score and figure out that the C's won on the back of KG or Pierce, or even Leon Poe's contribution off the bench. It probably was those factors, but the real story hear was the C's defense. The Celtics held the Rockets to 41% from the field, which is right on track with their league leading opponent fg % of .417. The Rockets couldn't even get any help from beyond the arc, hitting 26% of their attempts, down from their season avg of .345.

The Celtics are now 8-1 in the month of March, and on pace for 65 wins. They may not reach 65, and hell, I hate projected win totals or even saying a team or player is on pace for something. But, its an interesting stat considering this team did nothing last year to make the bitter cold of a New England winter any less bleak. Now most of that team is losing in another city, and Boston is anticipating banner 17 getting raised to the rafters.

A word of warning C's fans, don't reserve your seats at the victory parade just yet. If anything, the Pats gave the region a hard lesson in humility in the first week of February.

The Celtics will still have to beat the Pistons and Cavs in the playoffs, with the possibility of Orlando looming on the horizon as a potential upset. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but a nagging injury or two, some bad calls and your 2008 NBA champion may be...the Orlando Magic?

No, the Magic won't be holding the trophy as the confetti falls. I was lying. They really don't have a shot in hell of surviving the East, never mind upsetting a team like the Lakers or Hornets. I'm also pretty sure that David Stern has rigged it so the Lakers play the Celtics in the finals to divert everyone's attention away from the fact that a team is being stolen from the good fans of Seattle and brought to that basketball haven, Oklahoma City. It's alright though, because the Celtics are playing the Lakers! The NBA, where the cloth getting pulled over your eyes happens.

A few quick notes from tonight's game:

Rajon Rondo was 0 for his first 7 shots. He finished the game 4-12, or for you math challenged, he hit his next 4 of 5 shots.

James Posey had zero points. He did, however, have ten boards and played some great defense.

Luis Scola had 15 and eight, and one technical foul when he sent Tony Allen crashing to the floor when Allen went in for a dunk along the baseline. Allen did not play the rest of the game after hitting both free throws. It appeared that he had a bruised tail bone, but don't hold me to that.

Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston) had twelve points and only one assist.