THE '08 WORLD SERIES...
"This is a real strong coincidence, though not quite irony," My Brother Scout, Braves' Fan and Source For All Things Baseball begins, "But do you remember how the '08 All-Star Game was decided?"
"I remember Uggla's awful game...and didn't Lidge blow the save...or the game?"
"Lidge, (the Phillies' closer obviously), lost the game for the National League when he came on in the 15th and gave up two singles and a one-out walk to J.D. Drew before Michael Young hit a first-pitch fastball for a sac fly to score the winning run...for the winning pitcher...?"
"Kazmir, right? The Ray's Scott Kazmir. And they didn't even want him to pitch, remember?"
"Right...he had pitched the previous Sunday, and it was Terry Francona, the Red Sox' Manager who had to go against the Rays' wishes and throw the Tampa lefty when the game went into extra innings and the AL ran out of arms..."
"What a silly way to eventually directly decide home field advantage in the Series, huh?"
"At least it worked out the right way this time," Scout concludes.
"I can't remember what Guzman did? He didn't...or...no that's right..."
"Guzman played really well...at third, right?" Scout asks.
"That's right, he came in late, as a runner (for Aramis Ramirez)...and then had to stay on to play third...I believe...for the first time in the Majors...(ed. note - "Acc. to baseball-reference.com, it was Guzman's first time playing third.")
"He made a few big plays! I remember you screaming about Guz!! Guz!!"
Yeah, I'm trying to forget this season."
"The season isn't over." Scout says.
If you agree with Scout, check out the SB Nation's World Series Hub...
NATIONALS NEWS...
Hey Expos' fans! Guess who MLB.com's Bill Ladson says is under consideration for the Nationals' First Base Coach position in his article, "Nats need to assemble coaching team"? Hint: It's not Delino DeShields, though this former Expo is forever linked in my mind with DeShields...Any guesses?...It's Marquis Grissom!
"Was he really known as an Expo?" Scout asks.
"Are you gonna just join in every section tonight?"
"Sorry, just thought he started his career in Montreal, but he's best known as a Brave, really, right? Or maybe just because he went to the playoffs with Atlanta?" Scout says/asks.
"Yes, like every great former Expos' player, he started out Montreal and went on to enjoy success elsewhere..."
"Your team was like a farm system for the rest of the league," Scout laughs.
"Yeah...and thanks for putting it that way, real succinct and hurtful, thanks!"
AFL Update...
After all the DC prospects got in the game last night, Leonard Davis was the only Nationals' prospect on the field of play today when the Peoria Saguaros defeated the Surprise Rafters 8-1 in front of 175 in the eighty-six degree Arizona heat. Starting in left, Davis was 2 for 4 with a HR, 1 RBI and 2 runs scored, taking Indians' prospect Chuck Lofgren deep in the home half of the eighth for the eighth and final run of the game. Davis ends the day hitting .333, with 13 hits in 39 AB's, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR and 8 RBI's in AFL action. The win lifts the Saguaros to 9-5, still tied for first in the AFL American division with the Mesa Solar Sox.
(Coming Soon at federalbaseball.com) -
Nationals' Projections from The Bill James Handbook 2009 (ed. note - "Once I figure out how to make tables...")
Federalbaseball.com's youtube.com debut...
The first video segment from the interview with Matt Iseman of Versus' Sport Soup is online, this segment features Nicholas Doblick from PSAMP. (ed. note - "That's me in the shirt and tie...these are edited to feature the individual blogs...so I swear I don't just nod and laugh the whole time...the video featuring federalbaseball.com is supposed to be online soon...")