SAN DIEGO — Baseball’s version of death — falling out of contention — is rapidly approaching. So it got me to thinking, as did the news that the guy who inspired “The Bucket List” died at 47.
Before this season gets put to bed, I’d like to see:
• Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner admit “Tommy Boy” is loosely based on his life story.
• The Dodgers show up in lab coats just to mock the perception their problem is chemistry. This team has issues beyond personalities. The pieces just don’t fit. Even Joe Torre, who is more a public face and media figure while third-base coach Larry Bowa does a lot of the heavy lifting, could tell you that.
• Rays president Matt Silverman declare that he will cut any player on the spot who plays the “no respect” card in the playoffs. Leave those lyrics to Aretha Franklin. That’s one sports cliche that needs to go the way of bell-bottom jeans and the Pet Rock.
• The Rockies acknowledge they can’t win next season without keeping Matt Holliday. He’s become a superstar, leaving Garrett Atkins the roster victim to find a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation starter.
• Maple bats banned. Somebody is going to die from a flying shard. Baseball has always been reactionary with its policies. This needs to be addressed before a fatality occurs involving a fan or a player.
• Jim Bowden explain his employment. The Nationals’ GM is Teflon — nothing sticks to this guy despite a litany of accusations and poor decisions.
• Red Sox fans stop whining when it’s revealed Josh Beckett won’t pitch in the postseason. No one has flexed their muscle and money more this month than the Red Sox, acquiring Paul Byrd and Mark Kotsay. Beckett’s return to the rotation has been delayed three times because of elbow discomfort. The Yankees lost Joba Chamberlain from their rotation, so it’s even.
• Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi junk his radio show. It’s been Jerry Springer-esque in his clashes with callers. What was once funny is getting awkward and ugly.
• CC Sabathia have a decent career after this season. The Brewers are milking him for every pitch he’s worth as they try to reach the playoffs.
• Prince Fielder demand a correction over the “Where’s the beef?” lines and announce he’s a meatatarian.
• A.J. Pierzynski enter synchronized diving in the 2012 Olympics after his beautiful dive last week in a win over Tampa Bay.
• Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully look directly into a camera and tell Jeff Kent where to go. Kent taking on Scully is the equivalent of a Catholic picking on the Pope.
• Brad Lidge clinch the Phillies’ NL East title. After the postseason pain Lidge endured as an Astro — remember Albert Pujols’ shot heard around the Southwest? — the Cherry Creek alum deserves a new defining snapshot.
• Manny Ramirez’s next contract to have incentives for hustling. Every time he clocks more than five seconds to first base, he’s docked $50,000.
• Tim Lincecum win the Cy Young Award. Brandon Webb is currently more deserving. But if Lincecum somehow reaches 20 wins, he could surpass him.
• The Cubs win the World Series. If that 100-year curse is broken, funerals will become booming business in Chicago, with many folks dying happy.
Giant feat.
Giants closer Brian Wilson is a story of faith and perseverance. He lost his father as a teen, then lost his way for years. He was a wild child, covering his body in tattoos. His career on the brink, Wilson found God in the minor leagues. Usually that creates rolled eyes from reporters, but it provided stability in his life.
Now, the only thing crazy is his talent. Wilson leads the National League in saves with 36 saves. In a four-out save against the Rockies last week, he routinely hit 98 mph. Wilson made an important decision in the minors, telling one of his first managers to move him to the bullpen. He knew his personality couldn’t deal with the four-day hiatus between starts.
“I am much more comfortable knowing I can be out there all the time,” Wilson said.
Footnotes.
Any argument about the game’s top rotations ends with the Cubs. They have the best 1-2-3 punch with Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden. Dempster lives in Golden, and it would be nice to see the Rockies make a serious run at him this offseason as a free agent. . . . Matt Herges would like to return to Colorado next season, but he will have to finish strong to even be under consideration. . . . The Rockies need to call to see what it would take to get Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, of whom manager Clint Hurdle has long been a big fan. Uggla figures to get too pricey on a team filled with arbitration-eligible players. The A’s Mark Ellis is another second-base option that should be considered.
Eye on …
Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees
Background: History follows Rodriguez like a puppy dog. He was the first selection of the 1993 draft. By the next summer he was starting at shortstop for the Mariners, only the third 18-year-old to man the position in the last century. He defected from the Mariners, signing a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers. They never reached the playoffs with him on the team and shipped him to the Yankees, paying $66 million of his remaining contract to facilitate the deal. Rodriguez, always a magnet for criticism, was roundly booed for opting out of his contract during the eighth inning of the World Series last fall.
What’s up: The Yankees are likely to miss the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. That in and of itself is shocking. That it could happen with A-Rod in uniform is telling. Since joining the Yankees in 2004, he’s twice been MVP. But he’s developed a reputation for failing in the clutch. Rodriguez has four hits in his last 41 postseason at-bats with no RBIs, not exactly conjuring up memories of Reggie. He is 1-for-10 with the bases loaded this season.
What’s next: A-Rod is more closely associated this season with TMZ than RBI. His well-publicized divorce and Madonna connection would be amusing if he was having a big year. The Yanks are wilting under expectations, with A-Rod the target of criticism.
Renck’s take: When I’ve been around A-Rod and interviewed him, he’s always struck me as a guy who tries too hard to be cool. He’s more of a follower than a leader, though his contract casts him as a pivotal clubhouse figure. The reality is this: Rodriguez should go down as one of the greatest players ever, as the all-time home run leader, helping scrub away the stained legacy of Barry Bonds. All those numbers, however, won’t matter if he never wins a World Series in New York. A-Rod is in danger of becoming a George Costanza breakup line: it’s not them, it’s him.
At issue
Use of replay long overdue as long as time is on our side
What: Re-Play Ball! Major League Baseball has begun using video replay to determine if balls go over the fence, if they are fair or foul and if fan interference is involved. The crew chief of the umpiring crew will decide whether a play is reviewed. The concern is the possible delay and how it would affect pitchers.
When: Replay went into effect Thursday, with no calls reviewed entering the weekend. The support for replay by players has been overwhelming. Rockies slugger Matt Holliday summed it up, saying, “If we have a two-minute delay, so what? It is too big of a play not to get the call right.” But will it only be two minutes? Or will kids be celebrating birthdays waiting for a ruling?
Background: The umpires will have access to every feed of the game — the TV broadcasts and in-house cameras — from a mini TV located just off the playing field.
Renck’s take: Given that you can film a movie with your phone, clearly the technology is in place to use replay, which is long overdue. The Rockies have been involved with six botched home-run calls the past two years. Here’s the possible pitfall. What if the delay takes so long a pitcher loses his rhythm? It has happened in the playoffs at Yankee Stadium during excruciating long seventh-inning stretches while Ronan Tynan sings the dance-mix version of “God Bless America.” Will teams howl about this as much as they do about blown calls? The No. 1 priority is to get the call right. But I believe they should put a limit on the reviews (playing Styx’s “Too Much Time on My Hands” throughout the stadium would be a clever touch). Simply put, if a decision can’t be made in five minutes, then the evidence is inconclusive and the call should stand.
Ups and downs
THREE UP
1. Indians: First team in four years to post both 10-game winning and 10-game losing streak.
2. Cubs: Treated Pirates like speed bag, going 14-4 against them this season.
3. Rockies: Ian Stewart provided punch and power in the middle of the lineup.
THREE DOWN
1. Dodgers: Trip through Philly and D.C. couldn’t have gone worse if Clark Griswold was driving.
2. Royals: Fowler’s Luke Hochevar shut down for season with rib injury.
3. Yankees: Losing series to Red Sox puts them in position to miss playoffs.
