Bleacher Creature Feature

#19: Odds and Sods

15 July 2002

The Raul Mondesi trade is forgivable only because we didn't really give up anything of consequence for him, and he strengthens the bench. Mondesi's stats aren't any better than the Shane Spencer/John Vander Wal platoon he's replacing, but we also still have the platoon, Raul's a defensive upgrade, Rondell White has also been disappointing, and Juan Rivera was hurt. So that was probably a good move.

The Jeff Weaver trade was dumb, stupid, idiotic, moronic, and pointless. Before, the Yankees had six starters, one of whom, Ted Lilly, had the flexibility to move to the bullpen, and was also the Yankees most consistent pitcher all year. They traded him and two of their top prospects to get a pitcher who is a) right-handed instead of left-handed (a lefty is preferable when you pitch half your games at Yankee Stadium), b) isn't noticeably better than Lilly, despite having better press, c) not really a candidate to shift to the bullpen, thus reducing the number of options the Yankees have, and d) doesn't address their age problem because they traded a 26-year-old for a 25-year-old.

This is exactly the sort of panic trade I talked about last time. We gave up too much for a paltry upgrade. Lilly was the Yankees' future. Weaver might be the Yankees' future. What the Yankees needed was both these guys, not exchanging one for the other.

Everyone's in shock about Mariano Rivera's meltdown Sunday night against the Indians, but hey, the man isn't perfect. We got spoiled, especially in 1999 and 2000 when words like "automatic" were used to describe him. There's no such thing as automatic in baseball, really, and it was silly to think that Mo was going to be perfect every time out. He was bound to decline a bit eventually. I'd still rather have him pitch the ninth inning than anyone else in baseball.

Bud Selig is a total frapping moron, the worst thing to happen to the game of baseball since the 1919 White Sox, and he needs to go away. He handled the All-Star Game all wrong (why announce it before the bottom of the final inning when there was a chance the NL would score and make the decision moot? why have no MVP? why constantly bad-mouth your business? why make another dumbshit announcement about teams in trouble but not cite any sources, documentation, or specifics when that trick didn't work with the contraction horseshit last winter?). At this point, you can pretty much count on anything he says to be a lie.

Oh and I really hope the Twins do well this year. I obviously want the Yankees to go all the way, but if they don't, I'm going to be become the biggest Twins fan ever, because I want Selig's imbecilic posturing about how "middle-market" teams can't compete to be shown to the world as the crap that it always was. Cleveland and Seattle are the same size market as Kansas City and Milwaukee. The Royals and Brewers can't compete because they're run by idiots, not because they don't have the Yankees' TV contract.

A telling thing was said by Mike Piazza, of all people: nobody was complaining about the Yankees when they were doing dumb things in the 1980s.

My girlfriend and I were rooting for both Jason Giambi and Sammy Sosa in the home run derby, so it was nice to see them both make the finals so we didn't have to worry about who won.

Best moment of the All-Star Game was Jorge Posada sending his two-year-old (dressed in a Yankee uniform and wearing the black war-paint under his eyes) out onto the field when he was announced before the game. Torii Hunter's catch was a close second. (Hey, Bud! Why not give him the MVP? Or at least give it to someone, since you went to the trouble of naming it after Ted Williams this year...)

Other social commitments kept us from attending all of Old-Timers Day, but I did show up for the opening ceremonies celebrating the 1977 team, which I followed assiduously as a little kid. Seeing Reggie Jackson get his memorial surrounded by many of his teammates as well as Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks, as well as Yankee greats ranging from Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra to Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, and Willie Randolph was an absolute treat. I'd never been to Old-Timers Day before, and I'm really glad I was finally able to go.

A hearty hello to The Regulars, some of whom I finally spoke to at Old-Timers Day (including Tom, who shaved the beard and looks good). Best of all was talking to Da Queen Bee, who is sort of the den mother of the bleachers, and has the seat of Ali Ramirez. Ramirez was the original Creature in many ways -- he was Milton's predecessor as cowbell-ringer -- and after he died, the Yankees put a gold plaque on his bleacher seat in Section 39. Da Queen has it now, and she makes sure the plaque stays all nice and shiny.

One of the guys also loved my Farscape novel. I think it was Mark, but now I'm not remembering because I'm brain-dead from this crazed deadline. I'll get it Sunday at the Red Sox game...

Oh, and check out the Creature's web page at www.section39.com.

Finally, a heartfelt RIP to Darryl Kile, Ted Williams, and Jack Buck. They will all of them be missed.

NEXT: What ... a ... Game!

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