With the world still reeling over the death of McNair, there isn’t much new out there. Here’s a rundown of what there is.
- Via Kuharsky, PFR names the “All Decade Team” with 18 and 63, but with 88 on the second team. It’s based on more reasonable criteria than “so and so won a bunch of Super Bowls”.
- BBS gives us this awful piece by Mike Lupica. McNair’s death was tragic. At this point, however, it does not appear to be about guns. It seems he died because of our “infidelity culture” rather than our “gun culture”. It was horrible, but men and women have been killing each other over sex for thousands of years. 1000 years ago, we would have read about our “dagger culture”. Before that our “poison culture”. Before that our “bashing each other in the head with rocks culture”. People don’t kill each other because of guns. We kill each other because we are evil. Guns just make it more efficient. Making McNair’s death about gun control is bizarre. For the record, I’m a non-gun owning pacifist, so there’s no political rant there. I just think the one thing has nothing to do with the other.
- Things I wish I had written weeks ago: Trade Bronson Arroyo. I’ve been thinking it, but never said it here. Damn. I’d look smart now.
- The Reds dropped two of three to STL this weekend. Dusty gave away the first game. By my count, he blew at least 4 chances to win the game:
1. Homer Bailey’s turn at the plate comes up in the bottom of the 7th. I screamed: PULL HIM! Dusty says, “He’s thrown 7 great innings, lets roll the dice in the biggest series of the year!” MISTAKE! I screamed.
2. HoBo gives up a single in the 8th. PULL HIM! I scream. Dusty says, “His ERA is over 5, we’ll stick with him!” MISTAKE! I screamed.
3. Homer walks the next hitter. Dusty breaks the mystical connection with the spirit of Grady Little and pulls his starter. Unfortunately, Arthur Rhodes walks his only batter to load the bases. That’s not on Dusty. Rhodes has been great. Now, with the bases loaded in the 8th up 3-0, Albert Pujols comes up. Dusty can choose between Coco Cordero, the Reds lone All-Star, or David Weathers. Versus Weathers, Pujols was 9-18 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, and no Ks. Versus Cordero, he was 3-8 with three singles and a K. BRING ON THE CLOSER! I beg. Dusty goes with Weathers. MISTAKE! I scream.
4. Now, Weathers is facing Pujols with the bases loaded and a three run lead. WALK HIM! I plead. Dusty says, “The next guy up is an RBI guy too! (Ludwig has 41 RBIs to Pujols’s 81). The result? Grand slam. Cards 4 Reds 3.
I proceed to bash my head against the wall for an hour. Thanks Dusty, you ruined my Friday night.
- Even so, the top 5 teams in the NL Central are separated by 2 games in the loss column. Wow.
- Andy Roddick. Sigh. You had him, man.
- Old news, but the quote is great.
- CHFF mentions offhandedly that a case could be made for McNair in ’03. That would be interesting. In 6 years, no one has made one yet. I’d love to hear that case.
- I’m going to be getting the new Footballoutsiders book on Wednesday (hopefully)! Here’s a preview.
It makes me feel something like this!
- Kuharsky talks McNair. Sounds like he agrees with me about the 2003 season.
- Brown makes the list of top 20 Rookies. Not bad for a guy picked 27th.
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