From The Desk Of… “Instant Reblog”

Picture courtesy of http://bbroskeworth.wordpress.com/

I had to share this here with everyone:

 

Though it does look like he is in need of a mushroom.

The heap. Remembers 9/11

I’m sure we all remember where we were and what we were doing seven years ago when the news broke of attacks on our country. I, for one, had my Godfather working in the rubble to rescue those who were inside the building when it collapsed. I know others that had loved ones in there. I’m sure in one way or another, you heapsters may be connected indirectly with the events that transpired. Perhaps a roommate or friend was simply from the NYC area. It was a day that challenged our way of life, and a day which has since shaped the dynamics of US global diplomacy. It woke up many of the uninformed here in our removed Western Hemispheric bubble. We now knew of the quotidian acts of terrorism which plague areas of Europe and Asia.

Today, we remember those who died as innocent victims of a gravely and fundamentally distorted, misinterpreted belief. We remember those who died trying to save others in the rubble and ash. We remember the fallen soldiers in a war launched as a response to this instance of adversity. And we continue to remember and pray for those still overseas. Whether you support or denounce our current state of war, a life is a life, and it is life that we support.

“Damn Yankees”

Just in case you have YET to check out the Rays page for all you vital information, here are the current American League East standings.

Rays 75 – 48           – GB

Red Sox 71 – 53     4.5 GB

Yankees 66 – 58      9.5 GB

Blue Jays 64 – 60     11.5 GB

Orioles 60 – 63       15 GB

According to ESPN’s crazy calculations, the Yankees have an 8.1% chance of making the playoffs this year as of today! And well, the Rays? 91.1%. I like these odds. So, in celebration of the possibility of the Yankees NOT making the playoffs since the 90’s, I present to you Yahoo!’s list: 10 Reasons Why the Yanks Won’t Make the Playoffs!

By Bob Birge
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Writing off the New York Yankees is always a dangerous proposition. Until the Yankees actually miss the playoffs – something that has not happened since 1993 – they never can be counted out.

However, here are 10 reasons why the Yankees could be facing the prospect of no postseason baseball in their final season at the House That Ruth Built:

1. A ridiculously difficult schedule over the final two months of the season that includes two 10-game road trips – one in August and one in September – 10 games against the Angels and, starting on Monday, a stretch in which they will play 16 of 19 games on the road.

After John Lackey came within two outs of pitching the first no-hitter against the Red Sox at Fenway Park in 50 years on Tuesday, the Angels improved to 7-1 against Boston this season. But following Wednesday’s game, the Red Sox won’t see the Angels again in 2008 – unless they meet in the playoffs.

2. A ridiculously favorable September schedule for the Red Sox, with only nine road games. The Red Sox have lost four of their last five home games to the Yankees and Angels, perhaps removing – or at least lessening – their aura of invincibility at Fenway Park. But even with the mini-slump, Boston still boasts the American League’s second-best home mark at 37-15 (Tampa Bay is first with a 40-16 record at Tropicana Field).

3. Tampa Bay and its stable of young pitchers aren’t going away. The Rays’ starters are young, and they still have to go through August and September in their first pennant race, which is always a concern. But they aren’t rookies. They’ve taken some lumps for the last couple years, and now they could be ready to reap the benefits. For example, Matt Garza out-dueled Toronto ace Roy Halladay on Tuesday with his first career shutout.

The Rays’ September schedule is not as favorable as Boston’s, as they play 17 of their 27 September games on the road, including the final eight. However, the Rays seem to have recovered from their seven-game swoon prior to the All-Star break. In the second half, they are 7-5.

Also, Tampa Bay has 45 wins from its starters, tied with Boston and Toronto for the second-highest total in the AL.

4. Forty percent of the Yankees’ rotation is still comprised of Sidney Ponson (whom the Red Sox battered on Sunday) and Darrell Rasner (who is just 2-7 in his last 10 starts).

5. Mike Mussina may be ready to take a second-half fall. It’s not just because he was hit hard by the Orioles on Monday; every pitcher is entitled to an occasional bad start, and Mussina has had very few this year. It’s because of his track record. Here are Mussina’s win totals in the last four seasons: 12, 13, 15 and 11. He already is at 13 this year. The Moose has not won more than 15 games since going 17-8 in 2003.

6. The injuries (no Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui and Chien-Ming Wang) could finally catch up to the Yankees.

7. Eventually, the Yankees are going to have to pay for the seemingly indifferent manner in which they approach the first two months of the season. In three of the last four years, they have been under .500 in June or beyond: 2005, 31-32 on June 14; 2007, 43-44 on July 13; 2008, 30-31 on June 6.

8. Joe Torre, who guided the Yankees to playoff appearances in all 12 of his seasons in the Bronx, is no longer the manager, and the Steinbrenners are going to be punished by the baseball gods for mishandling his contract situation last year.

9. Nothing lasts forever. The Yankees are going to miss the playoffs at some point.

10. Given the state of the economy, a $200 million payroll doesn’t go as far as it used to.

How about that? My favorite is #10 hehe. It must be noted that the article is a little old- about half a month… when the Yankees were actually in the rearview mirror of the Red Sox, who lead at the time, and the Rays, who have lead for the majority of the season. Here’s to hoping for a miracle! Or rather, that the perennial miraculous climb up the standings does NOT occur. Rays are home for a 3 game set against Major League best LA Angels of Anaheim. Winner of the series leaves with the best record in the ML.

And now some anti-Yankees propaganda!

Bay Watch II

And we have a winner. B-R-E-T-T is going to the Jets Jets Jets. The New York Jets and the Pack have come to an agreement which will send Brett Favre to the Jets and NOT to the Bucs. Fox Sports broke the story, and senior writer Jay Glazer already has a nice little article which you can read here, which explains the situation. Both teams come out winners, as the Jets upgrade at the quarterback position (especially in durability) and the Packers unload Favre to the AFC. A deal to the Bucs would have resulted in one guaranteed meeting, since the Bucs and Packers play this season, and perhaps a post season showdown as well.

I feel that the Bucs come out on top as well. Jeff Garcia is enough of a locker room presence, and a proven leader. Oh yeah… he’s not too bad at playing football either. His frustration with the situation has been publicized, but he’s been as classy as you can be. We, of course, here at the heap., love it when a trash is met with class. Today at camp, after the afternoon session, as reported by Bucs blogger Roy Cummings as Garcia was walking to the locker room, a reporter yelled out that Garcia was walking the Green Mile, to which he resonded, “Yeah, Dead Man Walking. We can only hope that despite the clear interest in Favre, the Buccaneer quarterbacks can put it behind them and continue to gel and develop. As for the Jets… adios Chad Pennington.

I’ve been getting some comments about the heavily sports themed posts. Not to worry, we’ll begin much different content tomorrow!