by Dennis Rizzo
Hall of Fame Honors for The Hawk: Where Do I Sign?
Andre Dawson was recently voted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Good for him. A really good ballplayer who appeared 
not to be on steroids (note: Mark McGwire garnered a whopping total of 23.7% of eligible votes…..see more on Big Mac below). When I think about Dawson, what comes to mind was his free agency year in 1987. The Expos did not want to pay up and apparently, due to the owner’s collusion, no other team was interested. He meets with the Cubs and tells them to hand him (Dawson) a blank contract! He signs it and tells the Cubs to fill in the amount later. I seriously doubt Scott Boras would let that happen today. Dawson went on to bash 49 HR’s and take the MVP that year.
This Just In- Belly Full of Steroids?
Mark McGwire admits to steroid use “on and off for 10 years.” Don’t know about you, but when his neck got to be the size of Buddha’s stomach, I didn’t need a Congressional panel to figure out that he was juicing.
David Segui’s Family Hands Him a Hall of Fame Vote
Kevin Appier, Pat Hentgen and David Segui each secured one vote this year. Appier was a solid starter and Pat Hentgen won the 1996 Cy Young Award but why the hell is Segui’s name there?! He must have a sportswriter relative somewhere in this great country.
Red Sox Road to Nowhere
Mike Cameron and John Lackey signed with the Red Slobs. Lackey should get hurt as a fly ball pitcher in that park and Cameron is very capable of striking out with abandon in all parks.
Straight Out of Left Field
Many people consider drugs a large sports issue and it should be. But the main issue about drugs is that the pain is 
self-inflicted. Guns on the other hand, generally hurt, mutilate and kill others. Gilbert Arenas and his friendly teammate, Javaris Crittenten brought their firearms to the workplace recently to settle a sports debt. Nice guys, huh? Let’s hope they get several decades in a state penitentiary. Twenty years ago, they’d be part of a team called the Baltimore Bullets (whose name changed due to the negative connotation it put on the city). They’re joined on the list by several noted gun-toting folks: Scotty Pippen, Plaxico Burress, Ben Johnson, the former Net Jayson Williams, Willie Mays Aikens, Cesar Cedeno, Ruben “Hurricane” Carter and many other Emmy Award winners who committed crimes without the use of a gun.
by Dennis Rizzo
New York Mets Moving in Wrong Direction. Again!
It can’t be too hard to be a GM, can it? Assuming Omar Minaya is not being 
directed (like George used to do with the Yanks), and realizing that the new Citi Field is a cavernous, pitcher’s park, why would the first free agent signing be Jason Bay? Typical Mets blunder. Get a pitcher!! John Lackey would’ve been perfect, since he comes from that real league (the AL) and would basically be pitching against minor leaguers in the NL. Oh, sorry, Minaya did sign Kelvim Escobar, who may have to pitch left-handed this year.
John, Paul, George, Ringo and The Bachelor. The Bachelor?
Don’t you wish you were “The Bachelor” (right), even for just a month or so? What kind of women cry within an hour of meeting a man? Yes, the women 
that attended the Beatles concerts started crying as soon as the Fab Four stepped on stage. But, c’mon; they were The Beatles. These “Bachelor” ladies, however, were saying things like, “I was picturing our lives together.” What?! I’d toss any girl that a)said the word “like” more than once per sentence; b) was from California (they’re all nuts) or c) had made “poor male choices” for 8 years in a row.
What A Difference A Decade Makes
Tiger Woods is so 2009! Randy Johnson retired. He is so 1999.
Naturally Unnatural
Speaking of Johnsons, I read today that Casey Johnson, the 30 year-old heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, died of natural causes. Natural causes? Sorry, it’s not natural to die at 30 years-old. Please!
New York Knicks Achieve Addition By Subtraction
Is Stephon Marbury still playing basketball? After a quick check on nba.com, he’s nowhere to be found. I guess the Knicks made more good moves than we initially thought. They’ve won a few games and play exciting ball; they kicked Marbury and his nasty attitude to Beantown and they have all this salary cap room. Break out the Knicks jersey from the closet, I’m buying back in.
Broadway Blues Land A Top Dog
The NY Rangers’ Marion Gaborik is really, really good. Reminds me of a mixed-breed dog. Sort of a Jaromir Jagr/Pavel Bure/Mike Gartner combo, except, you won’t find him in a shelter.
Championship Series Preview
Well, much to the chagrin of longtime Sawx booster and Brooklyn Eagle columnist, Tom Kane, we called the 
Angels-Red Sox series perfectly. We had the Yanks in 4 and the Phils in 5, one game off on each. We couldn’t have been more wrong about the Cardinals-Dodgers, though, as we were reminded by Moonlight reader, Ken Jankowsky. That the Dodgers were not only able to overcome the Cards’ starting rotation was impressive enough but to do it in three straight was something not many saw coming. It bodes well for Joe Torre’s boys going forward, especially with a potential Game & scheduled for Chavez Ravine. Let’s take a look at the two matchups that’ll give us our 2009 World Series, disregarding for a minute the drooling Fox executives offering up their souls for a Yankees-Dodgers Fall Classic.
Angels vs. Yankees- Have to love the Yankees deciding to ride their big horse, C. C. Sabathia, in three games if the series goes seven. Unfortunately for the Bombers, Mother Nature doesn’t look like she’s planning to cooperate. Sabathia likely won’t get the chance for that third start, however, as the Angels should wrap things up beforehand. While Alex Rodriguez finally busted out of a career long postseason slump, he did it against a pitching staff far inferior to that of the Angels. Mike Scioscia’s boys play the game as fundamentally sound as anyone and won’t make the same silly mistakes that did in the Twins. Expect Derek Jeter to continue to shine while ARod and Teixeira will struggle. Vlad Guerrero walks off with the MVP award as Los Angeles takes the title in five games.
Phillies vs. Dodgers
Tough break for the Phillies as Cliff Lee won’t go until Game 3. Philly manager Charlie Manuel keeps his fingers crossed that Cole Hamels can dig himself out of his season long funk and give his club a decent start in the opener. Can’t see it happening. As for the Dodgers, their starter, Clayton Kershaw, had the lowest BA against in the NL. Their bats have awakened at just the right time and Manny Ramirez is always lurking. Get to know these young Dodgers; Ethier, Kemp and Loney, as they will be the elite of the National league for a long time. The Phils should enjoy a little success in their home park but not enough to win. The pick here is the Dodgers in 6.
With the season wrapped up, it’s time to turn our attention to the business of the post season. We’ll get back to our off 
season Fantasy baseball advice in a week or two but, for now, we’ll preview the Major League Baseball playoffs and how we see ‘em.
First, it’s important to point out that, while there’s still alot of baseball to be played, Moonlight’s pre-season prediction of a Twins-Phillies World Series is still alive. I’m about to pick against it but, I wanted to point that out. On to the picks.
National League Playoffs
Phillies vs. Rockies- The Rockies have been the NL’s best team since Jim Tracy took over and almost came all the way back to take the NL West. There are problems in the rotation, however, as Jason Marquis has been relegated to the bull pen off of his poor second half performance and Jorge de la Rosa is iffy after leaving his last start. No such problems exist in Philly, as their rotation goes five deep. It’s the bullpen where the defending champs are uncertain, with Brad Lidge sporting a 7+ ERA and Ryan Madson failing to take hold of the job. Does Charlie Manuel have the stuff to go with Brett Myers in a playoff series? Stay tuned. Phillies in 5.
Dodgers vs. Cardinals- The trading deadline acquisition of Matt Holliday solidified the St. Louis lineup and allowed them to coast in the NL Central. They have the best pitching in the game behind Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter while the Dodgers rotation has been inconsistent through much of the second half; especially Chad Billingsley. Look for the Cards’ hurlers to stifle Manny’s bat. Cards in 4.
American League Playoffs
Yankees vs. Twins- It was a long, uphill climb for the Twinkies as they made up seven games in four weeks without former MVP Justin Morneau. That climb may have taken too much out of them, however, to mount any kind of challenge vs. MLB’s best team. The Bombers will feast on the Twins’ young hurlers and dominate Minnesota in the playoffs the same way they did while going 7-0 during the regular season. Yankees in 4.
Angels vs. Red Sox- Yes, I’m well aware that the Red Sox seem to have the Angels’ number over the last few years; back to 1986 to be more precise, actually. But I love the way the Angels play, love their resiliency and determination and think Vladimir Guerrero is going to have a big October. For the Sawx, Beckett has struggled for over a month and Jon Lester’s health is a question. Angels in 3.
By Moonlight Graham
It’s been a disappointing Major League season for those fans that enjoy September pennant races 
as each division seems to be locked up and only the NL Wild Card spot is still being contested. We might see one more divisional race if the Twins can sweep the Tigers this weekend but, with their pitching, it’s not likely. For baseball purists, the final month has been a letdown.
The absence of close races will have a bearing on Fantasy Baseball owners also, as they’ll be forced to keep an eye on star players that are vital to their Fantasy Baseball teams being rested as their MLB team preps for the post season. So, if you’re looking to pick up an important point or two in the W or ERA categories, be aware that C.C. Sabathia or Chris Carpenter might be passed over in order to get a little more rest before the playoffs. Likewise, dependable veterans on teams out of the mix; guys like Paul Konerko and Miguel Tejada, to name two, may find a seat on the bench as their teams audition younger players. The bottom line is, if you’re lucky enough to still be in the running for your league title, it is more important to keep an eye on the box scores now than at any other point in the season.
Streaking
Arizona’s Juan Gutierrez is making a case to be the D’Backs’ 2010 closer with 4 S and 1 W in September… Tommy Hanson has a 0.45 ERA over three September starts for Atlanta… Kansas City’s Robinson Tejeda is 2-0 over three starts with 18 K. When did you ever think he’d be a piece of your puzzle?… Seattle’s Ryan Rowland-Smith has gone 7 IP in each of his last four starts while posting a 2.61 ERA…
Stalling
Houston’s Miguel Tejada will see his playing time decrease as the Astros audition Tommy Manzelli at SS… Chad Billingsley’s most recent turn in the rotation was skipped as he has struggled over the last month… Despite extended rest, Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo was ripped in his last start and could be shut down for the rest of the year… Even though his last outing was a strong one, Chris Tillman may be shut down by the Orioles as they try to limit his IP… Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona is 1-5, 5.48 in his last nine starts… Jorge Posada will miss the weekend after being suspended for his ridiculous display during the Yankees- Blue Jays game on Wednesday… A.J. Burnett continues to struggle, going 1-4, 6.75 over his last six starts. It’s been awhile since any of his teammates hit him with a pie… Take the 5-0 record given you by Pedro Martinez and run. In his last start, the fragile Martinez threw 130 pitches, the most he’s thrown since 2002. That followed a 119 pitch game in his previous outing. You can’t expect him to hold up under the strain…
Sick Bay
Washington C Jesus Flores is done for the year after shoulder surgery… Justin Morneau will be out for the year with a stress fracture in his back… Kevin Youkilis has missed three straight with back spasms and could be out through the weekend… Detroit’s Jarrod Washburn is out with a bad knee… Yankees’ starter Andy Pettitte will miss a turn due to shoulder fatigue… Texas OF Josh Hamilton may miss the rest of the year with back issues…
