Rudy In Freefall

Smell the desperation: Mr. "Immigrants Should Speak English" releases Spanish ad in Florida

Yesterday it was announced that Rudy Giuliani's senior campaign staff ("voluntarily", right) wouldn't be paid for the month of January. Not a good sign. He has also pulled all his paid staff out of Michigan and South Carolina. But it's not helping. In the most recent CNN poll, Rudy is third in Florida with 18%, far behind McCain at 34% and trailing even no money, no organization Mike Huckabee at 21%.

I think it's over for Giuliani, and the writing's been on the wall for some time. However, he still has a few days left to make his signature gaffes. Like this one (from Newsday, via firedoglake):

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Rudy Giuliani loves baseball, but does he know the game?

According to a clip played by sports reporter Jared Max on WCBS-AM Thursday morning, Giuliani spoke about the impact of the steroids scandal on the pursuit of the record for all-time most home runs by Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez.

"Is Bobby Bonds' record a legitimate record that A-Rod should be shooting for," Giuliani asked, "or should A-Rod be judged by the Babe Ruth standard, assuming A-Rod did not take steroids?"

A good question, except Bobby Bonds, long retired from baseball, is the late father of the current homerun record holder, Barry Bonds. It's Barry who is accused of using steroids, though he denies it.

And if Barry Bonds is stripped of his record, it reverts not to Babe Ruth, who had 714 home runs, but Hank Aaron, the former Atlanta player who hit 755 before retiring years ago.

He should have stuck to his usual "Noun, verb, 9/11" script.

Here are some of the headlines in the media about Rudy's flailing campaign:

LATimes: Giuliani is feeling the squeeze
Some staffers forgo their pay as the GOP presidential hopeful bets heavily on a victory in Florida.

Miami Herald: Salary cuts dull Giuliani message

The Weekly Standard: The Giuliani Implosion
From frontrunner to also-ran in eight short weeks.

Melbourne (AUS) Sun:
Rudy Giuliani's nomination snub gamble backfires
ONE-time Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani's high-stakes gamble of bypassing the early presidential nominating contests has stamped a "big L" for loser on his forehead.

Later that day; edited to spell "desperation" correctly, I hope.

'Roger the Red-Nosed 'Roider'

A new holiday video for the steroid era:



hat tip to Over the Monster (actually, to the Mom of blogger Roger Booth who forwarded it to him.)

Barroid Indicted

The Home Run Steroid King has been indicted by the feds in California, four perjury counts and one obstruction of justice, for lying in testimony to a federal grand jury in 2003. I can't decide. Is this a sad day for baseball, or a day of joy? I suppose it's both. Sad that baseball let itself get to this position by ignoring the rash of Mr.-Potato-Head home run hitters in the 1990s, and joy that the most brazen of the lot will be taken down. It's a little like Al Capone being jailed over back taxes, though; we really wish Barry could be charged with being a junkie, but we'll take the lying indictments.

And any excuse to post this picture:

"Ruth did it on hot dogs and Beer. Aaron did it with class. How did YOU do it?"

The Smoking Gun: Barry Bonds Indicted (the indictment itself)

San Francisco Chronicle: Barry Bonds indicted on 4 perjury counts, obstruction of justice

The Sporting News: Bonds indictment: How others see it
Excepts from commentary from news organizations across the web

Dodgers Fans Greet Barroid*

Fans boo the Giants' Barry Bonds as he takes to left field during the first inning Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
(Lori Shepler / LAT)

latimes.com
Brothers Adam, 26, (left) and Marcus Boyd, 30, of Palos Verdes wear their sentiments, directed at Barry Bonds, during the game on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
(Myung J. Chun / LAT)

latimes.com
Dodgers fans let Giants slugger Barry Bonds know their feelings during his seventh inning at-bat, which ended up as a bloop single.
(Myung J. Chun / LAT)


Two baseball fans dress up as Barry Bonds and BALCO founder Victor Conte before the game Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
(Lori Shepler / LAT)

All photos are from this LATimes Photo Gallery.

Mr. Potato Head * Chases Hank

This could be my new favorite of all the anti-Bonds signs. But that Philly left field job....it's close.

UPDATE: Sorry, the photo has been taken down, so I've removed it. It was a picture of a woman wearing a huge San Francisco batting helmet, with a sign saying, "Barry, I found your hat."

hat tip to SPORTSbyBROOKS

Brewers Fans Greet Barroid*: He's No Hank Aaron

Fans on the left field third base side display signs with astericks to protest as San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds goes out to his left field position, as the Milwaukee Brewers come up to bat in the first inning of their National League MLB game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 20, 2007. Bonds is two home runs short of Hank Aarons career record of 755 home runs established on July 20, 1976 going into tonight's game. REUTERS/Allen Fredrickson (UNITED STATES)

John Cutsforth of Poynette, Wis., holds up a sign referring to Hank Aaron's home run record and San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds chase of it before the first inning of a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Giants Friday, July 20, 2007, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A fan holds up a sign as San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds bats during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, July 21, 2007, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Fans hold up signs during a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants Saturday, July 21, 2007, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Barroid Hits 752*, 753*

***********************************************
A baseball fan holds a up a sign referring to San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds after he hit a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 19, 2007, in Chicago. It was Bonds' 752nd career home run.(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

WaPo: Bonds Gets Two Closer
Giants' Slugger Hits Nos. 752, 753

***********************************************

Baseball Censoring Fans

In this file photo Don Regole of Tucson holds a sign expressing his feelings for San Francisco Giants leftfielder Barry Bonds in the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix, Arizona April 17, 2006. REUTERS/Jeff Topping

Page One story in today's San Francisco Chronicle about how baseball is trying to censor fans who come to parks with anti-Barry Bonds signs, concentrating on graphic artist Don Regole.

SFGate.com: STERILIZING THE RECORD
Fans creating signs about Barry Bonds, home runs and steroids are finding their message can be tough to get across

When Don Regole drove 120 miles from his Tucson home to watch his beloved Diamondbacks face the San Francisco Giants in Phoenix, he brought along nine banners directed at Barry Bonds.

The messages had a consistent theme: The Giants outfielder had cheated by using steroids, and that was bad for the game. One sign read, "Thou Shalt Not Covet Impure Gains." Another implored, "Stop inflating records," with a syringe injecting and pumping up the letters. A third, resembling a scoreboard, shouted, "... Bonds needs 756 days in jail," a reference to Bonds chasing Hank Aaron's career home-run record of 755.

But Regole never got to display his banners at Chase Field on April 27. When Diamondbacks employees at the entrance to the ballpark asked to view the signs he had stuffed in his backpack, Regole was told the posters weren't acceptable. The reason: They were in poor taste.

A month later, after Regole had written the team to complain, he got a letter from the Diamondbacks. One sentence caught his attention: "As Mr. Bonds approaches the homerun record, we have been asked by Major League Baseball to carefully screen the signs that are brought into the ballpark by our fans."

[]

While home games at AT&T Park have provided a virtual sanctuary for Bonds, he has felt the wrath of fans on the road. In Boston, he was eviscerated by a chanting crowd that waved paper asterisks and held up signs that read, "Hey Barry! It's Not a Record. You Cheat," and "Call Hank Aaron and Say You're Sorry." In New York, asterisks and signs were ubiquitous, not to mention a steady stream of invective hurled his way. In Milwaukee, with baseball commissioner Bud Selig in attendance, a fan held up a sign that read, "756* Was it Worth it for An *."

At that same game, though, according to USA Today, security confiscated a banner that said, "Milwaukee Loves Hammerin' Hank, Not BALCO Barry."

SFGate.com: STERILIZING THE RECORD; Photo Gallery

Here's my favorite of his anti-Bonds signs:



A fan in Boston makes his own statement:

A Boston Red Sox fan holds up a syringe as San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds (not pictured) exits the field during their MLB interleague baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts June 17, 2007. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The best tribute for Bonds is an *

WaPo: Bonds Hammers His 750th Home Run

Asterisks* for Barroid*

No truly great signs last night, but lots of asterisks. I wish someone would carry a sign with a hypodermic needle (that would be the clear, not the cream).





All of these are from the Boston Globe photo gallery from last night's game.

Barroid's Coming to Town

I hope someone with tickets comes up with a sign as good as the Philly fan ode to Barry Bonds, Barroid the Juicer:



"Ruth did it on hot dogs & Beer / Aaron did it with class / How did YOU do it?"

Barroid Hits #740

ABCNews: Giants Top D'backs; Bonds Hits No. 740
Barry Bonds Moves Within 15 of Homer King Hank Aaron As the Giants Down the Diamondbacks 2-1



"Ruth did it on hot dogs and Beer. Aaron did it with class. How did YOU do it?" was a sign held up by Philadelpha fans in May 2006.

Wisely, Hank Aaron wants nothing to do with steroid cheater Barroid.

WaPo: Aaron Won't Attend If Bonds Breaks Record

I'm with these fans:



Found this great photo on Chappy's League.

Juicer McGwire Rejected by Hall Of Fame Voters

Philly fans held this sign up for Barry Bonds last spring

Here's how McGwire and Bonds and Sosa and all those juicers did it:

But I'm not here to talk about the past.

NYTimes: Steroid Cloud Stops McGwire From Entering Hall

Bill Plaschke, LATimes: McGwire's call to the Hall should remain unanswered

DAN SHAUGHNESSY, Boston Globe: A strong message sent to McGwire

Ronald Blum, AP, WaPo: Don't Expect Hall Call, Big Mac

Philly Fans Rule

Finally found a picture of the entire, stretching across the left field stands sign held up in Philadelphia last month for Barroid* (via cnn):



"Ruth did it on hot dogs and Beer. Aaron did it with class. How did YOU do it?"

715**

715 for Barroid, but double asterisk:

1 * for for steroids

2nd * for hitting it off Byung-Hyun Kim, a headcase pitcher who is thankfully no longer a member of the Red Sox.

Barry Bonds + Steroids = Barroid

Was it the cream, or the clear?

I saw this at Moments in Time. Love the name, Barroid. Juicer.

"Babe Ruth did it on hot dogs and beer. Hank Aaron did it with class. How did you do it?"

WaPo: Bonds Hits 714th Homer, Ties Ruth
Giants Slugger Is 41 Short of Aaron's Record

*'"Babe Ruth did it on hot dogs and beer. Hank Aaron did it with class. How did you do it?"' was on a huge sign held up in left field last week by fans in Philadelphia.

Hub Fans Welcome Kid Back

Best news of a depressing off-season by far:

Epstein to rejoin Red Sox

BOSTON --Theo Epstein is rejoining the Boston Red Sox, 2 1/2 months after he turned down a three-year, $4.5 million offer to remain as general manager.

Epstein and Red Sox management issued a joint statement Thursday saying he will return to the organization full-time, but they did not say in what capacity Epstein would rejoin the team. His return had been rumored almost since the day he slipped out of Fenway Park wearing a borrowed gorilla costume to avoid the media.

"As you know, we have spoken frequently during the last 10 weeks. We have engaged in healthy, spirited debates about what it will take over the long-term for the Red Sox to remain a great organization and, in fact, become a more effective organization in philosophy, approaches and ideals," the statement said.

"Ironically, Theo's departure has brought us closer together in many respects, and, thanks to these conversations, we now enjoy the bonds of a shared vision for the organizations future that did not exist on October 31. With this vision in place, Theo will return to the Red Sox in a full-time baseball operations capacity, details of which will be announced next week."

The statement came from Epstein, principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, president Larry Lucchino and Epstein.

David Ortiz is the American League MVP

MVP! MVP! MVP!

My brother tells me David Ortiz will NEVER win the AL MVP award because he's a DH.

He gives it to Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez (known in these parts as "Slappy McBlueLips").

Besides me, all these folks (many of whom actually vote for the award) disagree:

Ray McNulty, Knoxville News Sentinal: (registration required; use bugmenot.com)
Saluting baseball's best

MVP: David Ortiz, Boston.

I know, he's a DH. And doesn't play defense. And his team didn't win its division. But nobody in baseball got more big hits this season, nobody was more valuable to his team, nobody is more deserving of this award.

Jeff Passan, The Kansas City Star: Red Sox’s David Ortiz the true AL MVP

Tom Hanson, Naples (FL) Daily News: Big Papi deserves MVP

Kevin Hench, FOXSports: Ortiz, not A-Rod, is the AL MVP

Jim Salisbury, Philadelphia Inquirer: Award voters face some tough calls

American League MVP. People like to point out that a designated hitter has never won the MVP, as if defense has carried a lot of weight with voters in recent years. (Witness Barry Bonds. He long ago stopped playing left field the way he once did, yet powered his way to the last four NL MVP awards.)

This might be the year that the prejudice against DHs ends. That's how big David Ortiz has come up for the Red Sox.

Alex Rodriguez has had a huge offensive season for the Yankees, and he has done it while playing brilliant third base. But Ortiz has become baseball's most intimidating hitter with the game on the line.

Take Thursday night, for example. Ortiz tied a game the Red Sox could not afford to lose with his 47th homer in the eighth, then won it with a single in the ninth.

Twenty of Ortiz's homers have tied games or put the Sox ahead. Of those 20, 10 have come from the seventh inning on, with eight of those after the all-star break.

Stats Inc. describes close-and-late situations as ones that occur from the seventh inning on, with the batting team ahead by a run or tied or the tying run on base, at bat or on deck. Ortiz leads the majors with 33 close-and-late RBIs. Rodriguez is not even in the top 50.

The picks: 1, Ortiz; 2, Rodriguez; 3. Travis Hafner, Cleveland.

Jack Todd, Montreal (Can.) Gazette: Gainey makes right call

Oh, yeah, AL MVP? Split it between Manny Ramirez and Papi Ortiz and tell Alex Rodriguez to shove it in his, uh, wallet.

Dennis Deitch, Delaware County Times (Philadelphia): In final voting, here are the award winners

[T]he Red Sox would have been nothing without Ortiz hammering his team through the pitching woes it had all season.

David Borges, Journal Register News Service: Big Papi is at his best when game is on the line

For reasons that extend far beyond the stat sheet and render his status as the Sox DH moot, Ortiz for MVP is a slam dunk - or, as David Wells puts it, "a no-brainer."

He is, as the plaque presented to him by owner John Henry a few weeks ago attested, the "Greatest Clutch Hitter in Red Sox History." He is the straw that stirs the drink in the middle of the Sox’ lineup, flip-flopped with Manny Ramirez from cleanup to the third hole back in May and putting up record-breaking numbers ever since.

He is a magnanimous figure in the Sox’ diverse clubhouse, a jovial presence who unites players from all backgrounds.

Alex Rodriguez might be baseball’s Player of the Year, if such an award existed. But he’s not even the MVP of his own team - that honor belongs to closer nonpareil Mariano Rivera.

David Ortiz is the American League’s MVP.

Salt Lake Tribune: [G]ive the MVP to David Ortiz, who produced a superhuman number of game-changing hits.

Dan Connolly, Baltimore Sun: In tight MVP races, go with your heart

David Ortiz, Boston. I've flip-flopped on this hair-puller three times now. New York's Alex Rodriguez has had the best all-around season -- he has even stolen 18 bases -- while Ortiz leads the league in RBI and dramatic moments. Ortiz probably is more important to his team than any other player in baseball, and that's the difference. However, A-Rod has helped carry the Yankees and he plays a great third base, while Ortiz, a designated hitter, sits throughout most games. That's a compelling argument, Yankee fans. But, simply put, the stats-driven mind says Rodriguez, and the unrelenting baseball heart screams for the never-give-up Ortiz.

David Del Grande, InsideBayArea.com: Ortiz has big edge as MVP in AL

Carl Steward, The Argus, CA:

-Forget the DH argument, there's absolutely no way David Ortiz isn't the AL MVP over Alex Rodriguez, regardless of how the weekend turns out between the Yanks and Sox.

Dave Roloff, OnMilwaukee.com: Roloff doles out baseball honors

Winner: David Ortiz -- despite my feeling about A-Rod dominating both sides of the game, nobody has been more clutch over the past months than Ortiz.

Bob Matthews, Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle: 'Big Papi' deserves MVP honors for sure

Ray Hamill, Eureka (CA) Times-Standard: A great time of the year

[G]ive David Ortiz a deserved MVP award over A-Rod.

And finally, from the home of the d**m Yankees:

Mike Lupica, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (Yes, you heard that right, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS): No one tops this Papi
DH or not, he's MVP

Mike Vaccaro, NEW YORK POST (Yes, you heard that right, NEW YORK POST!): PAPI PULLS AWAY IN MVP BATTLE

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. David Ortiz is the MVP of the American League.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Benjamin Disraeli was right. There ARE lies, damned lies, and statistics. Barry Bond's statistics are the ultimate damned lie.

If I hear one more sportscaster (hello Hazel Mae!) say, in reference to Barry Bonds, "When it comes to Barry Bonds, the numbers don't lie", I will scream.

Hello, THAT'S THE POINT. The numbers of an admitted juicer are all lies. He cheated to get the stats. Therefore, the statistics are lies.

Could we stop saying that, please?