Saturday, April 09, 2005

DID MIKE HARGROVE BLOW ONE TODAY?

It is always easy to second guess, but on both of these occasions while I sat at Safeco Field I fore guessed and then the moves didn’t work.

1) When Jamie Moyer was already over 100 pitches and clearly struggling why did Hargrove let him pitch to Sandy Alomar in the 6th? Alomar hits from the right side so it only makes sense that if you are going to go to Shiggy you should do it right away. Furthermore, Moyer in the second start of the season is not in physical condition to be stretched.
2) Why Eddie Guardado on back to back days when he didn’t even have a spring training? Eddie hadn’t pitched a single high level game until he pitched on opening day. The question is who else would have you gone to. With a three run lead why wouldn’t you just stay with Shiggy. I understand that Eddie is the closer and will be the guy, but it is clear he is not ready yet to go back to back days. Heck, he was only registering 84 on the gun today.

Otherwise it was a very positive day at Safeco. Jamie showed he can keep this team in a game. The offense is going to crush the under belly of teams bullpen’s.

Friday, April 08, 2005

FRIDAY'S FIRINGS

FRIDAY FIRINGS

The Lakers suck, the Lakers suck. It just sounds so good. The best part is the storied franchise of the Lakers is now no different than anyone else; they have quit at the end of the year also. This is an infliction that is supposed to only impact the Hawks and the Clippers of the world now the Lakers are doing it also. I love it …….. The hot team in the NBA is changing week by week and it is all based on health …. It was the Spurs then Duncan got hurt, then it was the Rockets and the injury to Juwan Howard is limiting them significantly and now the hot teams are the Mavericks and the Nuggets. It is because they are the only teams that are healthy.
Saturday the Sonics face George Karl’s Nuggets and you will shocked when you watch the Nugs. George’s offense is everything he hates about the NBA. They send one to one side and all 4 to the other and the one backs his way into the basket and then all of a sudden the four guys break off into routes and the possessions maybe has one or two passes. So much for North Carolina basketball. But you do what you have to win and George is certainly doing that.
From the Sonics standpoint this is the best time of the year to have the injuries. If this team had been hit like this in the middle of the year they could have lost their confidence. Instead, they have been able to win games all season, because they thought they were supposed to. THINK ABOUT THIS – THE SONICS WILL WIN THE NORTHWEST DIVISON TONIGHT. That was the most absurd thought in the world to start the season. This should really be a day of amazing celebration for Sonics fans. For Coach Nate to take this group to 50+ wins and a division title in a division with Minnesota, Denver and Utah all teams expected to be great is really remarkable. That is why Nate should be the coach of the year. Enjoy this win tonight over the hapless Lakers and while it may have felt anti-climatic enjoy the division title it is an awesome accomplishment.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

LOCKED ON SPORTS BLOG STYLE

Locked on Sports expands again. This time into the blog world.