The Sports Chick Blog

Poor Scott Proctor was the product of Bullpen abuse my former Yankee manager Joe Torre. If there was one flaw in the Torre-era, then it was his bullpen management. Torre seemed to have a few relievers that were part of “Torre’s Boys”. He would constantly go back to the same relievers game after game, and by the end of the season they were burnt out. Classic examples of this were: Proctor, Tanyon Sturtze, Jeff Nelson, etc.

But Proctor arm was actually gonna get aome rest. And no it wasn’t becasue Torre gave him some days off. He wound up being part of a trade-deadline deal that sent Proctor to the LA Dodgers in exchange for SS Wilson Betemit. The trade seemed to be going well for both parties, and I’m sure Proctor was glad to leave the Bronx Bullpen and the New York Media (**cough - YES Network baby momma drama - cough). While in LA Proctor had a line score of:

W          L          ERA          G           IP          H          R          ER          BB          K

3          0          3.38          31          32.0       25         14          12          15          27

Proctor and the Dodgers failed to make the playoffs, and seemed to be quiet during the playoff stretch. HOWEVER, The are various reports that Joe Torre will be announced as the new Dodger manager. So good luck to Scott Proctor’s right arm, beacsue we all know that it will be used and abused once again if Torre does manage the Dodgers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3086202�

As a Yankee fan I have to stomach the fact that the Boston Red Sox just won the 2007 World Series. So congrats Boston (and yes my fingers were crossed when I said that!). But If you flick on Sports Center and watch their coverage the World Series there is another baseball story weaved in and out of the Boston coverage.

“A-Rod has opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees … leaving him a free agent.”

Now any Yankee fan who has truly studied and watched the team this year would have to know that this day was coming. In fact I placed bets with people that A-Rod will be slugging in Wrigley Field under Sweet Lou as a member of the Chicago Cubs. But shame on you A-Rod/Scott Boras! Shame on you for making your big exclusive announcement during the bottom of the 8th inning in game 4 of the World Series! This was not exclusive!

Reportedly A-Rod turned down a 5 year / 135 million dollar contract extension from Steinbrenner & Co. Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden from the NY Daily News write, ” ‘It’s clear he didn’t want to be a Yankee,’ Hank Steinbrenner told the Daily News last night. ‘He doesn’t understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field … I don’t want anybody on my team that doesn’t want to be a Yankee.’ ” That is probably the greatest quote I’ve ever heard/read from a senior member of Yankees mangement this year.

By A-Rod turning down the extension he has basically said that championships don’t matter to him. All that matters is the money. So shame on you A-Rod for tainting the great pinstripes, you will never win a championship with the attitude of money first, never! Good luck with your swimming pool of 100 dollar bills, and if you thought the boos at Yankee Stadium were bad when you sucked in 2006, just wait ’til you come back in a Boston Red Sox uniform! (Which is now what I think will happen)!

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/10/28/2007-10-28_hank_steinbrenner_says_goodbye_to_arod.html

If there was one person that was the face of the over 50 male Yankees 1990’s dynasty it was former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Mayor Giuliani was constantly seen in his great Yankee Stadium seats right next to the Yanks dugout. He was constantly seen with a Yankees cap, and truly reflected the inter-locking “NY” during the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Fast-forward to 2007 and the current White House race. Rudy is one of the front runners to represent the Republican party to become the next President of the USA.

However cantstopthebleeding.com, has reported that during a recent campaign stop in Massachusetts, Rudy proclaimed that he is rooting for the Boston Red Sox to win this year’s World Series. WHAT?!?!?!

Ok, I understand trying to win votes, but Rudy will lose every Yankee fans vote with this recent proclamation.

http://www.cantstopthebleeding.com/?p=11416

 The recent wildfires in the state of California have affected teams in more ways than you think. Most of the public is aware that the NFL’s San Diego Chargers have been forced to practice in the Arizona Cardinals facilities. And right now it stands that the Chargers will play the Houston Texans in San Diego, but Commissioner Goodell and team representatives are discussing a change of venue, or date. Some options include: playing the game in Los Angeles, Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium, Texas Stadium in Dallas or Reliant Stadium, the Texans’ home field. On the collegiate side the BYU v. San Diego State college football game has been rescheduled because Qualcomm Stadium is being used as an evacuation center. Much like the Superdome was used during Hurricane Katrina. According to recent reports some SDSU athletes have visited Qualcomm to pass out blankets and food to evacuees. Times like these make the public aware that not everything in life centers around sports, and that sometimes we need to put sports on hold and take care of life.

The Cleveland Indians got spanked by the Boston Red Sox last night sending Boston to the World Series, but that was the least of starting Cleveland pitcher Paul Byrd’s problems.

Right before Game 7 a report was published indicating that Byrd used Human Growth Hormone (HGH). The finding was made public after a raid of the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center during the ongoing Government investigation.

But unlike most Athletes’ whose names are s l o w y starting to leak, Byrd has publicly admitted his steroid use. However, his use of HGH was for medical reasons and not for performance enhancement. He writes,

“At the insistence of a close friend, I went and had my hormones checked, which I thought was something only a menopausal woman did. After all, I didn’t need to take off my sweater or turn down the air conditioner when no one was looking. “To my surprise, the doctor told me that I was producing very little growth hormone and prescribed a dosage to help me out. I didn’t like sticking a needle in my inner thigh each night but I sure did enjoy the sleep that occurred afterwards.

“My life changed during that time and I was able to work out more, experience less fatigue and recover quicker from pitching. Like the other temptations that I’ve mentioned in this book, I had a new one to deal with one night when I stuck that needle in the hormone filled bottle.

“I wondered if I doubled my prescribed dose, whether or not I would throw harder and have a better and possibly longer career. After all, I had a prescription. Some strange silent voices ran across my brain and had conversations with me as I pulled back the syringe. I remember having thoughts that doing better on the field could mean more money for my family, my charities and even supporting Churches.

“Then I prayed and realized that God was in control of my life and He wouldn’t want me making money through cheating the system. I told those stupid voices that masquerade as smart ones to shut up! I am not unaware of the Evil One’s schemes.”

–Paul Byrd

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 According to multiple reports the New York Yankees have offered Joe Torre a one year contract to Manage the 2008 season. However, Mr. Torre has decided to decline the offer, leaving the Yankees manager-less.

The contract was a “joke” cutting Torre’s pay from 7.5 million (in 2007) to 5 million. The cut was basically the Steinbrenner form of punishment. Torre did the right thing in walking away instead of being made a fool, by pay-cut or termination.

As a Yankee fan I knew this was gonna happen. Joe Torre is the only manager I’ve seen manage the Yanks. Granted I’m well over 12 years old, but I never really watched the Yanks religiously until their great run in the 1990’s. Players such as Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, and Bernie Williams have all left the Yanks in recent years, and I’ve accepted that. But Mr. Torre leaving is the final nail in the coffin: a coffin called the Yankee Dynasty. Will the Yankees win without Torre? Of course. And will the new Manager (maybe on Mattingly or Joe Girardi) be successful? Maybe. But only time will tell if the Yankees can move past the Torre-era, and succeed in the future.

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 Tiger Woods has just signed a new deal with Gatorade to develop his own sports drink. His compensation for the new deal is … $100 MILLION!

With this chunck of change Tiger has now surpassed 1 Billion dollars in endorsements, making him the first ever athlete to do so.

“Gatorade Tiger” will be available in March with flavors such as cherry, citrus, and grape.

So maybe if you drink one, your golf game will be better right?

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Jim Boheim is still the Head Coach of the Syracuse Orange Men’s Basketball team. However, when he retires the University already has his successor bound to a contract. Mike Hopkins has signed a contract that will be effective once Boheim retires. SU personally allowed Boheim to pick his successor, and Hopkins was a no-brainer. Hopkins said that the position is a “dream-job.” But I guess he’ll have to keep sleeping another couple years.

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The 2005 Yankee season has been over for 2 years now. But did you know that they had players such as Johnny Drama, Simon Phoenix, Bruce Almighty, Ricky Ricardo, Joe Saturday, Sam Adams, Richard Long, Turd Ferguson, and Austin Powers playing for them? It’s true according to Seattle Hotel records!

Athletes always use funny alias’ to cover up they’re true identities from the public. Feel free to comment on any other funny athlete hotel alias’ you know. (more…)

LPGA pro Michelle Wie’s agent, Greg Nared, had quit after only 1 1/2 of work. Nared was hired by the William Morris Agency to manage Wie’s career, if you want to call it a career.

Wie has been slowly heading in the direction of Anna Kournakova-ism. She has a pretty face, good and bad press, and an even worse game. Most recently Wie finished 19th in a 20 player field at the Samsung World Championship. And that event seemed to be the final straw for Nared.

Nared quietly endured the heavy criticism that followed Wie during her most tumultuous year. He was the in middle of her biggest controversy at the Ginn Tribute in South Carolina in the spring, conferring with her on the 16th tee moments before she withdrew. Wie was 14 over par through 16 holes when she quit, and it appeared as though she was trying to avoid the LPGA’s “Rule 88,” in which nonmembers are ineligible for one year if they shoot 88 or higher.

Wie then showed up at Bulle Rock two days later to practice for the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, and Annika Sorenstam harshly denounced the move as disrespectful. (more…)