Hamilton a hero?

Anyone who passed on Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby missed quite a show last night.

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton set a derby record by launching 28 homers in the first round. And they were some moon shots ... huge, towering, 500 foot drives.

For those of you who don't know ... Hamilton's story will be made into a movie someday.

He was the top pick in the draft, but eventually blew all his money on drugs, missing almost two full seasons due to a heroin addiction.

Now, he's back, fighting his demons, and an MVP candidate. A remarkable turnaround.

However, the Hamilton story brought up a pet peeve of mine. The overuse of the word "hero."

I consider "heroes" to be people who put their lives on the line every day ... soldiers, police officers, firemen ...

So, no, I don't consider Hamilton to be a hero.

I do think he's an inspiration, though. If hitting long ball after long ball last night convinces one person battling their addictions to get their life back together, then he's accomplished much more off the field than he has on the diamond.

I just hope that when his movie script is eventually written ... it has a happy ending.

Oh, and if you want to read more on Hamilton, by writers much better than I, check out these stories today:

Peter Gammons' take

Jayson Stark's story

Steve Buckley's article

Hey Blockhead!

Well, that didn't take long.

I've officially hit the stage of this blog where I'm not real sure what to write about.

Nothing terribly interesting is happening in my world. Still waiting for an employer to sweep me off my feet and make sweet paycheck love to my bank account.

So, that leaves me plenty of time to do household chores, and generally worry about my future.

But, I don't really want to put that into print. Nor do I want to discuss other aspects of my private life.

So, unfortunately, that leaves me with a very boring blog.

Still, I'm one post ahead of Romona Robinson.

Who has a job.

Who's blog is older than mine.

And, yes, I went there.

So, help me out here ... how do I cure blog writer's block?

My Tax Dollars At Work?

So, yesterday, I finally joined the ranks of Americans who received their "economic stimulus" check from Uncle Sam.

While I'm grateful for the $600, it was a long, strange trip in getting here.

You see, I was supposed to get my check in late May, since I used direct deposit for my return.

However, I found out that a "glitch" would keep those of us who used both tax software AND direct desposit from getting our money that way. We would have to wait for the paper checks.

Well, since my Social Security number ends in ... oh, let's just say the last possible number combination it could end in ... that pushed my rebate back until July.

Interestingly enough, I heard in the last couple of weeks from friends and family that "warning" letters were going out ... letting people know that their checks would be arriving soon.

I had not gotten one yet, but just assumed it wasn't my turn. Well, imagine my surprise when I opened my mailbox yesterday to find the check.

Then my warning letter arrived. Today. A day AFTER the check.

My folks actually got both their check ... and their warning letter ... in the same delivery.

So, thanks to the government for the cash, I'll never say "no" to free money. But, you have to wonder if all of Washington, DC is this inefficient.

Seeya CC

Well, it had to happen. And it did. By all reports the hammer has dropped on the Indians trading CC Sabathia to Milwaukee.

I'm a realist about baseball. You can't get too attached to the players you love, especially in a market like Cleveland.

That being said, I'm a little sad to see CC go.

He and I go way back. In fact, the first time I saw him pitch, was for the Akron Aeros back in 2000. I was working overnights at the time, and the Aeros were playing an afternoon, weekday double-header. The attraction ... Sabathia was pitching Game 1, and Danys Baez (the Tribe's hotshot Cuban signing) was starting Game 2.

CC looked HUGE in person ... and I remember an even bigger batter taking him yard. Still, it was pretty impressive. (By the way, Baez got ejected in Game 2 for throwing at a batter.)

I also remember being at then-Jacobs Field the very next season for CC's major league debut. He was just 20 years old, and had made the team out of spring training. Even more fun than watching CC on the hill, was sitting a few rows behind his mother, who was cheering as loud as she could for her little boy.

CC didn't win that day ... but he quickly won over the crowd.

So, now, CC is a Brewer. Probably never to return. The economics of the sport make deals like this happen ... and they'll keep trading favorites unless Mark Cuban buys the team.

So, I wish CC well ...

Oh, and by the way, if the names we're getting in this trade are correct, I think Mark Shapiro got fleeced. I'm ok with the stud hitter (LaPorta) ... but a lousy AAA pitcher and a closer-in-waiting in "A" ball ... I think we could have done better.

If that's the real deal ... and I'll wait to see if it is ... I am considering renouncing the Indians until Wedge and Shapiro are gone.

In the meantime, Go Cubs!

(EDIT: After posting this, new reports came out that a young 3B/2B may be the PTBNL in the deal. If that's the case, I may hold off on renouncing my fandom. Consider it in limbo right now.)

A Real Writer

You know ... I'm trying this blog for fun ... but it's great to read the works of REAL writers.

One of them ... a sportswriter named Joe Posnanski ... just wrote a column about both drivers and the Indians that blew me away.

Joe is linked to the right ... but here's the link to his most recent work ...

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/07/04/the-grady-chronicles/#comment-22163

Glaring at rockets

Happy 4th of July to everyone ... hope you enjoy your holiday.

I'll confess, it's one of my least favorite ones. But, I have my reasons.

It's a good day to get together with friends and family, enjoy a barbecue, and generally have fun, don't get me wrong.

However, I'm just not that big of a fan of fireworks. Sure, the professional shows have their merits, but I have too many memories of being caught in post-work traffic jams to really enjoy the pyro.

But, that's not really my beef with the 4th. What really gets me mad is folks who decide to set off fireworks in their backyards.

I'm not talking bottle rockets or sparklers ... those are fine ... I'm speaking of the super-duper, mega-professional rockets, that somehow, Joe Sixpack gets his hands on, and decides to do a show for the neighbors.

See, my neighborhood is an old one, cookie-cutter homes built in the early 1950's, all pretty close to one another. But, without fail, each and every year, the guy on the corner shoots off a massive display.

Fireworks that launch over the homes of other people.

My neighbor laughed the first year they moved in, which was a particularly dry June. Why? I was outside hosing down my roof. He asked why ... I said ... "You'll see."

I saw him the next day, and all he could say was "Holy Crap ... you were right. It sounded like Baghdad out there."

So, my message to all you amateur pyrotechnicians on this holiday is ... leave the big stuff to the pros ... and let your neighbors live in peace.

This is MY team?!?!?!

OK ... so I've pretty much established how geeky I am about baseball. That's why this Indians season is absolutely killing me.

As I sit here and write this, the Tribe has slipped to last place, 10 games below .500, and 11.5 behind the first place White Sox.

In case you're wondering, there are only 4(!) teams in all of baseball with worse records.

Friends know about my baseball geekdom ... and ask me what the team should do. I'm not real sure.

Here's the problem as I see it ... most small-market teams, like the Indians, have a small window to win it all. And as I see it, the Tribe's window is slamming shut.

Trading guys like Sabathia, Byrd and Blake is probably a good start. But, let look into the crystal ball for 2009 ... I'm not real hopeful.

Let's start with the good. Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore should continue to be special players. That's about it.

Now, the not-so-good. Around the infield, we have a 1B in Ryan Garko that doesnt generate a ton of power or average. We have question marks at 2B regarding both Asdrubal Cabrera and Josh Barfield. Jhonny Peralta doesn't look to be a "special" player at shortstop. And 3B is a black hole, unless Wes Hodges comes along FAST.

Besides Sizemore, we have Ben Francisco, Shin-Soo Choo and Franklin Guiterrez in the OF. No offense to any of them, but they ALL feel like fourth outfielders to me.

And, I have to be honest (without using the dreaded "S" word), I think Travis Hafner is done.

The starting rotation is in shambles. You have to assume Sabathia and Byrd are gone, and with Jake Westbrook out for a year ... that leaves Fausto Carmona, Cliff Lee and Aaron Laffey as your 1-2-3. Yikes. Carmona was showing severe control problems this year, and I love Laffey as a 5, but not as a 3. Oh, and Jeremy Sowers isn't a major-league quality arm. Let's just accept that.

Did I mention we won't have a closer either?

So, what would I do? I'd start playing for next year NOW. Give Andy Marte consistent playing time at 3B, to see what you have. If he flames out, cut him and don't worry about the consqeuences.

Or, shift Peralta to third, Cabrera to SS, and Barfield stays at 2B (when they're healthy). I'd seriously think about moving Victor to 1B, and giving Kelly Shoppach more time behind the plate.

You can't tinker too much with the rotation, other than hoping you get a close-to-ready hurler in return for Sabathia, and pray that David Huff or the perenially-injured Adam Miller are close to ready.

As for the pen? Shift Kobayashi to closer NOW ... to see if he can do the job. That way you can set up the pieces for next year.

But, there's what makes me mad. I think the front office is too concerned about the fans and attendance (and they probably have to be) to do what's right. Sabathia should have been traded in the off-season ... in order to reap the benefits.

Take a look at what the White Sox did. They traded one of their top starters to fill a hole at shortstop. It worked. They gave up a minor-league prospect for Carlos Quentin. Check. Oh, they took advantage of the "sell-mode" A's to pick up Nick Swisher. Not a big win yet, but for what they gave up, not bad.

The A's also managed to rebuild in one season ... by trading some key pieces.

C'mon Mark Shapiro ... have the guts to do something aggressive, no matter if the fans scream. You know what, I'd be open to trading anyone on this team, short of Sizemore, if the deal was right.

I'll always be a Tribe fan, but it's getting harder to do.