Is the MLS doomed to mediocrity for the foreseeable future? Oh, and a little baseball talk.

 

 

 

Freddy Adu just left; David Beckham’s here; too bad we would be better off the other way around.  Adu’s MLS career is a failure and Beckham’s following his lead in that department. I know it’s too early to pass judgement, but it doesn’t look good for Beckham turning things around in America.  Missing games right out the shoot, although legit with his shaky ankle, is a terrible thing for the league, as it will create disenchantment with an already apathetic American market.  And after all, Becks isn’t here to win the MLS Cup, he’s here to win Americans over to futbol.

 

Meanwhile, Adu is headed to Portugal, and the true hope for American soccer rising soon went with him.  Other than winning a World Cup, the best way to spread the popularity of MLS is for an American star to burn holes in the back of the net, and control the game the way Sidney Crosby and LeBron James are currently doing in hockey and basketball.  Too bad.  Hopefully someone new comes along with less hype and more substance than Freddy, and soccer takes the leap.

Johan Santana recently said that he doesn’t really see much of a future in Minnesota since all the organization ever worries about is, ironically enough, the future.  This could be huge.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johan backtrack in the off-season, but if he doesn’t the Twins really must move the guy, and there will be no shortage of teams looking to acquire the left-handed version of Red Sock Pedro Martinez (more like Pedro’s little brother who never quite is as good as the big bro but is still damnnnnn good).  I can’t really even imagine how much the guy would be worth.  His contract will be gigantic so only major market teams can consider him, but ALL of them should do just that.  Whoever gets him will probably agree to a gigantic extension that will start in 2009 and pay Johan well over $20 million a season for 6 years or so.  I would say it would cost probably a team’s top two prospects, and one must be a potential ace, plus other guys, and the top tier guys must be in AA or above for sure.  Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson, and Dustin Pedroia: think something along the lines of that offer, maybe more or less depending on what other teams throw out there, and that would be a haul, much better than what Minnesota just got for Garnett.

Another guy who is likely to garner similar attention is Miguel Cabrera, who is basically like Albert Pujols, only younger.  He has less power, and has a growing weight issue (I personally think he just wants to look like Bartolo Colon, which he’s well on his way to doing),

 

 

 

but could develop consistent 40-homerun power, maintain his mid .300 batting average and other sexy offensive numbers, or possibly do both.  He also can play multiple positions, anywhere on the corners in the infield or outfield.  The bidding will be similarly high on the guy.  Both Santana and Cabrera could be big risks as trade acquisitions if their agents choose to take them to the open market to stretch every dollar out of their newly found free agency, but I still expect teams to go after the two guys fervently if they become available.

 

With the impending departures of Curt Schilling, Matt Clement’s contract, Manny Ramirez, and others, the Red Sox, with their slew of pitching prospects, may be in play for one or both of these guys one way or the other over the next couple of years, and I think Miggy might look dece qualls replacing Manny in front of the Monster. 

Sox Appeal is boring.  The Bronx is Burning is way better.  At least in this case, the Yankees win, theeeeee Yankees win.

A guide to living with a sports fan

This is meant mostly for girlfriend types, but non-sports fans can make use of it too if they’d like.

1. Let him watch the game…I know you think there’s “always” a game, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that he wants to watch THAT game.
2. Listen to him when he talks about sports, he knows you don’t really care, but if you show you’re willing to listen to his crap he’ll love you for it and listen to you about your job and your girlfriends and other things he doesn’t particularly want to hear about.
3. NEVER walk in and stand in front of the TV.  Creep into the room and observe for a few seconds, and once you’ve taken in the game and understand the situation, take a seat and ask an intelligent question.  This will seriously make you the coolest girl any of the guys in the room has ever known.
4. Remember this: 95% of the time, in baseball, basketball, and hockey still? (football and soccer are exceptions, so find out what your team does), the home team is wearing white (the pants at the very least in baseball).  There are occasions where teams wear alternate jerseys, but you can’t really be faulted for that, so please check that out before you ask where’s the game?  Also, memorize what your hometown venue looks like.
5. Don’t make comments about how much guys get paid.  That’s just annoying, I’m aware that a basketball player probably doesn’t “deserve” more than $20 million a year, but I’m sorry, teachers are never going to be making more than professional athletes, so get over it.  We live in a market society, so that means that there is enough demand to pay outrageous salaries, which really means they aren’t outrageous at all, but what they should be.
6. Take him to a game once a year, this should get you taken to whatever your favorite outing is at least once a year as well.  Reciprocity is dope.
7. If you’re free and he’s somewhere that he doesn’t want to be while a game is on or you happen to hear some big trade, send him a text with the score or who went where and you will be getting a romantic dinner cooked for you sometime soon.
8. Don’t jump on the bandwagon.  That’s the worst.  Pink Sox hats, saying the Yankees suck, all that jazz, it’s a wack over-simplification of things.  It’s like saying the Trojans sucked, go Spartans.  There’s a lot more to the story than that.  Take your time to get to know the history before you claim allegiance based on a relationship that isn’t marriage, and even then, proceed slowly.
9. NEVER say anything when his team loses, EVER.  Just give him time, no conversation is needed unless he starts it, and even then you really ought to just listen.  It will save a lot of stupid fights that need not occur.
10. Use his obsession with something you find potentially pointless to your advantage.  Do something productive and fun for you while he wastes his time; get him to understand that if he doesn’t do some damn cleaning then he’s not going to get to watch the game in peace; be so damn cool that he just loves you even more and wants to make you the happiest woman he can.