The 2009 Oscars

What you always wanted, my opinion on a non-baseball related event three days late! Hopefully you went to Vegas and put your hard earned money on my Oscar picks, you would have came up big as I got 20 out of 24 predictions correct (83%). Much higher
than my forecast for last year (14 of 24 – 58%). Neither Waltz with Bashir or The Class
won
Best Foreign Film, which was shocking, but other than that, no surprises. It highlights the lack of spontaneity this year – I shouldn’t have been able to predict 20 winners. No real underdogs won, which the Academy usually makes sure happens in one major category. Hugh Jackman was a success (a guy infamous for his off-the-cuff antics when he hosts the Tony Awards seemed restrained here) but the Oscars at the end of
the day was too long. I enjoyed that previous winners spoke about each nominee for the four acting categories, but that was major reason this went on until midnight. Promising a shorter show, it lasted 3 ½ hours, longer than the 2008 and 2007 telecasts. The Academy pledged major changes but it was all cosmetic, it still ended up being the same awards show I hate to love.

A-Rod booed, hits home run, subsequently applauded

During his first official at bat in Spring Training, A-Rod was absolutely able to hear the crowd’s derision in Dunedin, FL, the home of the Blue Jays. “A-Roid!” “Cheater!” The works. He walked. At his next at bat, in the middle of similar ridicule, he pounded a homer to left center. The Yankee fans in attendance applauded and gave him a standing ovation.
 
A small amount of my distress regarding Alex possibly not being emotionally stable on the field has subsided, and he went as far to even joke around in the post-game press conference, saying “The fans weren’t that bad actually. I’d like to invite a bunch of them out to Fenway this summer.” The real test, of course, will be when he’s in the Bronx.

Since it never end with A-Rod in the ballpark, Peter Abraham (who incidentally has great taste in music) reported that the infamous cousin, Yuri Sucart, was behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Suburban that picked A-Rod up from Dunedin Stadium. Er, not sure how good that looks, Alex. I would assume someone should have instructed A-Rod to not keep in touch with Yuri for the time being. But then again, these are the same people telling him it would be a good idea to lie about what he knew involving the PEDs he was taking.

Other musings on the Yankees’ first game


Brett Gardner leading off the game with a home run on the second pitch? Uh oh, Melky is in trouuuuble.  Also of note, Nick Swisher battled back from an 0-2 count with the bases loaded to draw a walk. Sounds like in a nutshell everything I’ve heard about Nick Swisher. Kevin Cash, who dips well below the Mendoza Line, went two for three with a stolen base. Keep it up, buddy! The Yanks will need three catchers in the dugout when the season starts.  

Hideki Matsui: Today’s blunt comic relief

An unintentionally funny quote from Matsui, also from the files of Peter Abraham:

The WBC is a huge deal in Japan. Reportedly tens of thousands of people showed up to watch their national team practice about 10 days ago. They’ve been getting ready for three weeks and it would hardly be a surprise if they defend their title.

Meanwhile Kei Igawa toils away here for the Yankees, unwanted and unloved. He’ll probably be in the Scranton rotation.

One of the Japanese reporters in Tampa covering Hideki Matsui was asked why Igawa was not considered for the WBC roster. He searched for the right words.

“They think … he is not so good.”

Ah, priceless.

Manny Ramirez gets a new offer from the Dodgers

MLB.com reported that Manny was offered a guaranteed $45 million for two years ($25 million the first year and $20 million the second) on Wednesday. Please, please let this be over with. I’m sick of SportsCenter and the MLB Network dedicating countless minutes to regurgitating non-existent Manny updates. Outside of being selfish, this will also let Dodger fans breathe an exponential sigh of relief while relishing in the probability that Giant fans have angry balled fists.