Send Ichiro to New York

It's time to let Ichiro go. He's been exiled on Mariner Island far too long. During his time in Seattle Ichiro has won rookie of the year, AL MVP, Allstar MVP, 9 gold gloves, recorded 9 consecutive seasons with 200 hits, and broken the record for most hits in a season. All this production has generated exactly 1 playoff appearance and 4 winning seasons. This is hardly Ichiro's fault. Blame management for poor decision making and botching free agency. You don't surround hall of fame talent with the likes of Willie Bloomquist, Scott Spiezio, and Richie Sexson. Ichiro has wasted ALL his prime years in Seattle with nothing to show for it. What's done is done. Now it's time for the organization to do what's right and let Ichiro ride into the sunset as a champion. There's no better place than New York. The Yankees are odds on favorites to win it all without him but with Ichiro at the top of their lineup Vegas would stop taking bets on who will win the 2010 World Series. Ichiro has been loyal to seattle for many years. It's time for the Mariners to return the favor.

Always Take The Superstar Player Over The Coach

As the title of this blog suggests I always take the superstar player's side in a conflict with management irregardless of the circumstances. Although I fully understand that athletes are often headcases and superstars often have no grasp on reality they are superstars nonetheless and you have to treat them as such. If anybody could do what they did they wouldn't be superstars right? Enter Hanley Ramirez and Fredi Gonzalez. By all accounts Hanley was clearly in the wrong for dogging it on a booted ground ball and the manager was correct in his decision to discipline him. Then it got ugly. Hanley took his benching personally and called out the manager publicly. As strange as it sounds it's up to the manager to apologize and smooth things over from here on out. The Florida Marlins aren't going to trade their superstar shortstop with the 2009 NL batting title at his house. It's just not that easy to find another one of those. On the other hand do you think they can find someone else to sit in the dugout and eat sunflower seeds? Hanley was out of line on this one but what can you do? Superstar preferential treatment has it's drawbacks but in the end you always have to take the talent. Except for T.O. of course.

The Best 1-2 Combos in Baseball

If your team has 2 aces at the top of their pitching rotation you should feel pretty good about your chances to stay in the playoff hunt. A dominant 1-2 punch gives a team an identity and a foundation to build around. It sets the tone for everything that happens in the future. You always feel better going into a contest if you expect to win. Right now these are the top 5 1-2 combos in baseball:

5. Roy Halladay/Cole Hamels Phillies. Roy Halladay's ERA is a microscopic 1.59 and Cole Hamels is starting to return to his dominant 2008 form. Both of these guys will pitch a ton of innings and keep pressure off the bullpen.

4. Cliff Lee/Felix Hernandez Mariners. Felix has got command of all his pitches and big strikeout numbers. Cliff Lee is coming off a stint on the DL but has looked like his normal Cy Young self the last 2 starts. If the Mariners could score any runs these 2 could anchor a playoff run in a weak division.

3. C.C. Sabbathia/Phil Hughes Yankees. You get what you pay for and in this case that translates into productivity and wins. Phil Hughes is 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA right now.

2. Matt Garza/David Price Rays. It's no wonder Tampa Bay sits atop the AL East with these 2 young guns. With a 2.49 and 2.03 ERA respectively they have the attention of the rest of the league.

1. Tim Lincecum/Barry Zito Giants. With 3 Cy Youngs between the 2 of them they are the odds on favorites to win the NL West. It's good to see Zito return to his dominant form after the Alyssa Milano fiasco.

If I Were A Pro Athlete Who Would I Be?

Certain positions in the world of sports fit my personality. I would excel at these positions given my mental make up and background. If I were a pro athlete here's who I'd be:

5. NBA 12th man. Great seats, summers off, and all the perks of being an NBA player without the wear and tear on my body.

4. NFL Back up QB. The real unsung leaders of a football team. A guy who knows all the plays and how to execute them. Has to be ready at a moments notice to step in and produce.

3. Professional golfer. Thursday through Sunday shift playing in the sunshine. I could potentially earn $50,000 a weekend.

2. MLB Closer. The terminator, the executioner, the undertaker, whatever you wanna call me is fine. When I enter the game it's the start of your ending. When I leave the game it's a quick interview, sign a couple autographs, and off to the limo.

1. Hockey goalie. The last line of defense. My cat quick reflexes and superior hand eye coordination would make me a hall of famer. Patrick Roy would be just another guy if I played.