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CALLING SIGNALS |
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STRIKES AGAIN  JOE TORRE ...now a Dodger |
Bucky empties his quiver
of slings and arrows
of TheColumnists.com
Yea: Joe Torre. As soon as Joe tore out to Los Angeles, we West Coasters cheered. The Yankee-Red Sox grip on ESPNation just loosened. Besides landing the superstar skipper, L.A. is sure to lasso A-Rod. Guaranteed the third baseman follows Torre in trading pinstripes for Dodger blue. The No. 2 city is back on the map.
Boo: The Angels. Their rise in Dodger Domain crashed amid the Torre story. Mike Scioscia should’ve been the manager replacing Grady Little, as I predicted in this space in August. Now Scioscia’s staying with a team that looks a lot more Anaheim than Los Angeles.
Yea:
Jon Papelbon. I’m from New York and live in the L.A. area,
so the way I see it, Boston sux. But I love a pitcher who has
two moves--rock and fire. Don’t bug him with touchy-feelies
out of the zone. Which is what led Eric Gagne to walks and right
out of the bullpen rotation at crunch time in the World Series.
Papelbon imitates Bob Gibson, who in 1967 broke Boston with this
act: Give me the ball and get out of the way. No wonder that
40 years later Boston stands atop baseball.
Boo:
True freshman. That term sets the record for broadcast bile.
How about fake freshman, while we’re at it? Or since so
many college sports guys don’t go to class, let’s try
sham sophomore, junior, senior. Here’s another option for
radio and TV types: Think originally and say freshman, period.
Yea:
The Missouri Tigers. My school has never aced football or basketball.
Now we’re testing off the charts in blocking and tackling.
If Mizzou gets another shot at Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game,
promise we win. That could push the Tigers to the national championship
game. Head of the class, baby.
Boo: Football
cheating. Or as it’s called warmly, timeouts to freeze the
kicker. Maybe you saw it in September: Florida coach Urban Meyer
breathed timeout into a ref’s ear just before Auburn’s
Wes Byrum nailed a 43-yard field goal with :00 left. So Meyer’s
trick erased the kick. Byrum stuck it to Meyer by making it again
for a 20-17 Auburn triumph. But what a lousy way to play. Pro
coaches have pulled the same bull. It’s time to pull the
plug on this loophole. Want to freeze the kicker? Call time 30
seconds before he lines it up. Make coaches practice what’s
right. Or as it was once called, sportsmanship.
Yea:
ESPN Classic. Watching the 1969 Mets finish off Baltimore in
Game 5 of the World Series is an amazing time trip. The Baseball
Centennial patch on the sleeves. The stirrups and high knickers.
No batting gloves. Every male fan in white shirt and tie. The
2-1 pitch to Davey Johnson, fly to Cleon Jones and Miracle celebration
at Shea. I’m no fan of the ESPN monopoly. But games like
this make the boys in Bristol winners.
Boo:
Rainbow garb. Real Dodger fans wear blue caps. Genuine Angel
backers don red hats. Stores can sell all the pink, green and
brown they want, but buyers of those variations are the same
people who play beach ball at stadiums.
Yea:
Harold Reynolds. Great to see him back
on the screen--on MLB.com. Can’t beat his baseball breakdowns.
Never forget the way he rated Derek Jeter the best shortstop
five years ago while the Bill James gang drooled over A-Rod and
Nomar. Reynolds sneered at the geek numbers and called it right.
Jeter is still money at big-buck Yankee Stadium.
Boo: Last year ESPN booted Reynolds for evidently fondling a woman. What a loss for fans. Now ESPN traipses out Eric Young and Eduardo Perez, who treat syntax like a sin tax.
Yea: Mike Huckabee. The man laps Notre Dame chubberoo Charlie Weis, Kansas tubberoo Mark Mangino and every other sow leader in the weight room. Huckabee lost 110 pounds when he was governor of Arkansas. He did it by dieting and marathoning. Now he’s running for president. So Huckabee’s direction is opposite of Al Gore, the chubby butt of Maury Allen’s recent column on this site. Here’s to the Huck.
©2007 by Bucky Fox. This column first
posted Nov. 5, 2007.
You can visit Bucky Fox's
website at www.BuckyFox.com
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on this column online. Please address your message to either
"The Editors" or Bucky Fox. To send an email, click
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