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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Put this Series out of its misery
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This World Series certainly has gone to hell in a handbasket, hasn’t it?
It had such promise, such freshness. The upstart, youthful Tampa Bay Rays having triumphed over super powers Boston and New York to win the AL East. The Phillies, trying to bring Philly its first pro-sports title in a quarter-century, or at least since Rocky.
But rain, cold, an antiseptic dome, poor umpiring, post-8:30 p.m. starts and midnight-or-later finishes, one absurd post-10 p.m. start, a couple of slumping Tampa Bay sluggers, and more face time for Bud Selig than for David Price have all conspired to turn this into the World Series that most people outside of Tampa-St. Pete would just like to see end as soon as possible.
And if you’re a baseball fan who doesn’t want to admit you’re not interested in this World Series, well, don’t be ashamed. Plenty of major league players feel the same way.
Take Braves free-agent reliever Will Ohman, for instance.
“I’m as far away from game right now as can possibly be — I’m not even tivo’ing the Series,” Ohman said this afternoon, when I called him at his home in Mesa, Arizona, to ask him about free agency and other matters.
He said if he walks in a room and a postseason game is on, he’ll watch. Other than that, he’s not paying any attention.
As for free agency, he said he nor his agent hasn’t heard a thing from the Braves, as far as he knows. But before anyone jumps to any conclusions and assumed the Braves have decided their best left-hander (and most dependable reliever, period) from last season is too expensive to keep, don’t.
The 15-day free-agent filing period begins the day after the World Series, and in that period a team retains exclusive negotiating rights to its own free agents. Other teams can call, but they’re not supposed to talk contract.
(But plenty do, routinely. As long as both sides agree to keep it quiet, teams generally don’t get in any trouble for talking dollars with other teams’ free agents before they’re supposed to.)
Anyway, he’s heard a couple of other teams that might be interested, but nothing yet from the Braves.
Ohman reiterated what he said several times from before the July 31 no-waiver trade deadline through the end of the season: He hopes the Braves make him an offer. He enjoyed his time in Atlanta, and particularly playing for Bobby Cox, and would like to return if the Braves make a competitive offer.
His experience with the Braves was far better than the one he had for several years in Chicago with the Cubs, who traded him to Atlanta at last year’s Winter Meetings in Nashville.
“I loved it there,” Ohman said of Atlanta. “The only downsides are location, just because it makes it harder to see my family [in Arizona], and the other one is not knowing if Bobby is going to be back beyond next year. So there’s a little uncertainty in what was a certain world down there.
“But if those are the two knocks, it’s not bad. Everything else I loved. The guys on the team, the stadium, the fans … everything was good.”
Ohman also, by the way, gave a ringing endorsement to the possibility of trading for Jake Peavy. He has heard all those rumors, and said it would be a huge pickup for the Braves, to get an ace under contract for four more years, or five if the option is picked up.
“They you could sign Derek Lowe,” he said. “Imagine that potential rotation in 2010 - Hudson, Jurrjens, Peavy, Lowe ….”
With that, Ohman was back to his current occupation - playing Mr. Mom, as he put it. He sent his wife Allyson on a three-day trip to an Arizona resort in another part of the state,
“Sent her to a hotel and spa,” he said. “I get all my road trips during the season, so she gets a three-day trip when I get back.”
He told Allyson not to worry, that he’d take care of their twins, Jack and Annabel, who are about to turn 3.
“I have lots of kids,” said Ohman, who interrupted the phone call to tell his son that he’d banged away enough on the piano and that it was time to get ready for his nap.
Wait, he has “lots” of kids?
“Well, it’s just two,” Ohman said. “But it’s a lot. It’s just me here with them. It’s amazing the amount of work involved with it. Got to get ‘em up, get em ready for school, everything.”
OK, that’s it for this one. Gonna keep it short today, folks. I have a feeling. We’re about to get busy if this Series ends tonight. Free agency is going to be interesting in more ways than one for the Braves, who are starting to find out which players and pitchers are not having options picked up or who are opting out of options and becoming free agents.
The new Ryan Adams CD, Cardinology, is very good. Not as good, as say, Hearbreaker or his stuff with Whiskeytown, but very good. Mostly rootys tunes, a couple of semi-rockers.
Going to see the movie Rachel Getting Married right now, before tonight’s “game.” Anybody seen that movie yet? I’ll let you know what I think. Oh, and has anyone seen Pride and Glory yet? I’ve seen mostly modest or worse reviews. That’s too bad, with that cast I thought it’d be a great flick.
“PIDGIN ENGLISH” by Elvis Costello
There’s a young girl with her old man who’s too sick to mention
She’ll be turning twenty seven as she draws her widow’s pension
But he couldn’t catch a common cold he couldn’t get arrested
Too terrified to answer back
Too tired to have resisted
Many hands make light work
Shorthand makes life easy
When he’s out on night work
Make sure no one sees me
It all ends up in a slanging match with body talk and bruises
A change is better than a rest
Silly beggars can’t be choosers
One of a thousand pities you can’t categorize
There are ten commandments of love
When will you realize
There are ten commandments of love
I believe, I trust, I promise, I wish love’s just a throwaway kiss
In this Pidgin English
If you’re so wise use your lips and your eyes
Take it to the bridge she sighs
You go cheep cheep cheep between bullseyes and bluster
Stiff as your poker face
Keener than mustard
From your own back yard to the land of exotica
From the truth society to neurotic erotica
Silence is golden
Money talks diamonds and ermine
There’s a word in Spanish
Italian and German
In sign language, morse code, semaphore and gibberish
Have you forgotten how to say it
In your Pidgin English?
One of a thousand pities you can’t categorize
There are ten commandments of love
When will you realize
There are ten commandments of love
I believe, I trust, I promise, I wish love’s just a throwaway kiss
In this Pidgin English
P.S. I love you
Jack and Annabel, twins
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