By JIMMY D / Lackey, Papi crappy - Sid the best NHL kid | Jimmy's archive
His nickname is Big Papi, but for Jimmy D’s fantasy baseball team, he was just Big Crappi.
So after getting benched following an 0-for-7 night where he stranded 12 baserunners, David Ortiz was benched in Boston and simultaneously benched by the Grass Gremlins.
We have witnessed pitchers who suddenly couldn’t throw strikes (Steve Blass and Rick Ankiel) and we have seen infielders who suddenly could hit the first baseman with a throw (Steve Sax). But seldom do we see such a great hitter suddenly struggle so mightily at the dish.
In 2006, he clubbed 54 homers and drove in 137. A year later, it was 35 and 117 with a .332 average. In an injury-plagued 2008, he still clubbed 28 HRs in 109 games and drove in 89.
But after 130 at-bats in 2009, the numbers are staggering – no homers and just 15 RBIs. That .332 average from 2007 is a distant memory as he struggles to keep his BA about .200. And Papi sits on the bench (although maybe not for long since his replacement – Rocco Baldelli – is 1-for-13 in his DH spot).
Between Papi’s power outage, Kevin Youkilis’s injury and John Lackey’s inglorious return to action (he threw two pitches in his first start, plunked a guy and got ejected), small wonder the Gremlins fell to third place in Jimmy’s main baseball league.
Then there was the small matter of Tampa Bay screwing up the lineup card so Evan Longoria was unable to play (manager Joe Maddon had both Longoria and Ben Zobrist listed at 3B on the card). Since Longoria was supposed to be the DH, it meant the Rays forfeited the spot and had to use their starting pitcher.
That’s how Andy Sonnanstine earned a win and hit a run-scoring double if you were puzzled by the boxscore. Longoria got into the game later as a pinch-hitter, drew a walk and then got picked off first base. Some days, it’s better to just stay in bed.
Pens vs. Wings Part II
Good news for all you playoff poolies who loaded up on Penguins and Red Wings. Last year’s Stanley Cup final was a one-sided victory by Detroit over Pittsburgh and Jimmy Nation readers can expect the same thing in 2009. Except the one-sided series will be over in four straight instead of six games like last year.
Here are three inescapable truths that have become apparent in these playoffs
1. The Red Wings are by far the best team in the league. Nobody else is even close. If hockey kept time-of-possession stats like in football, it would be 70 per cent to 30 per cent every game. Only the so-so goaltending of Chris Osgood kept the Ducks in the last series. Jimmy is also ready to declare Pavel Datsyuk the most skilled player in the league. Not the best player, but the most-skilled player.
2. Sidney Crosby is the best player in the world. Not Alex Oveckhin, who is the most-exciting player in the world, or Evgeni Malkin who might be the best one-on-one player in the world. Watching Crosby in the Caps series and lining up alongside Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, you go to appreciate the strength, body control, vision and passing skills that raise the level of play of average teammates. Throw in a near complete absence of whining and you have a complete player who is the best.
3. Although he wasn’t nominated for the Hart Trophy, Zdeno Chara is the league’s MVP. Take him out of the Boston lineup and you have a team battling the Sabres and Panthers for the final playoff spot. Just gotta find a way to play him about 37 minutes a night.
Jimmy D
jpoole@herald.ca |
