Jon Lieber Has Had It With Society’s Conventions

Automobiles are usually bought to help people get from point A to point B and sometimes point C. Some people even buy them as a status symbol, getting leather seats, mini TVs and other perks. And then there’s Phillies pitcher Jon Lieber, who doesn’t cowtow to polite society:

Lieber rumbled into spring training yesterday in his 2-week-old Ford F650 SuperTruck, a customized blue-and-black beast, 9 feet, 2 inches tall and 25,000 pounds, with six doors, 45-inch wheels, seating for seven, a satellite dish and customized leather interior. It cost him $211,000, more than twice the $94,000 base price.

$211,000 was more than what my parents bought their rather large home for…it’s more than what most people make in 4 years. He has a SATELLITE DISH on his automobile. A SATELLITE DISH. I will cease to feel bad for the guy if he is dealt in the middle of the season to a last-place team. This is the sort of toy that makes people turn on athletes, and give a bad name to all the good ones out there.

And now for the other side of the coin: So what? It’s his money, let him spend it how he wants, no matter what he buys. That’s definitely true, but there is such a thing as restraint and a better use of money. He couldn’t have bought the $94 K model?

Here’s a warning for all the boo birds out there: don’t get on Jon’s bad side. You may just end up roadkill.

New Jersey To Dump Its Trash In Philadelphia?

Apparently so:

 Milton Street just held an impromptu press conference in City Hall to announce that he’s running for mayor in the Democratic primary.

According to Daily News City Hall bureau chief Mark McDonald, Street says he’s motivated by a desire to fight the easy availablity of guns. He also said he believes candidate Dwight Evans should not run for mayor, but stay in Harrisburg to help support gun legislation.

As for the pesky matter of his recent federal indictment for tax fraud? He said he didn’t know why that would be an issue, since, in his words, he hasn’t done anything wrong. He pointed out that he hasn’t been convicted of anything.

Reporters also asked him about the residency requirement to run for mayor. Street seems to live in New Jersey — that’s where reporters tracked him down on the day of that indictment. He didn’t directly answer that question, saying instead something to the effect of, “I sleep where I sleep.”

Don’t vote for the qualified candidate.  Don’t vote for the honest candidate.  Don’t vote for a resident.  Vote for Milton!

Why You Shouldn’t Sign Relievers To Long-Term Deals

The Phillies recently tried out Dustin Hermanson, the man who helped the 2005 White Sox win the World Series. He was simply lights-out at the backend of that bullpen, and the Phils were hoping some of that magic remained:

The Phillies took a look at free-agent righthander Dustin Hermanson, who was limited to 62/3 innings with the Chicago White Sox last season because of back problems. Hermanson looked intriguing because he went 2-4 with 34 saves and a 2.04 ERA with the White Sox in 2005. But the Phillies were not impressed with his workout and have no plans to sign him.

This comes as no surprise to me, simply because of how up and down relievers can be. One season they can be unhittable, and then the next they are worn-out and throw batting practice. Let’s look at the 2005 Chicago White Sox bullpen:

Dustin Hermanson, Neal Cotts, Cliff Politte, Damaso Marte, Luis Vizcaino, Bobby Jenks, Shingo Takatsu

This bullpen was one of the major reasons the White Sox won the World Series. They shut down the last third of games, and ensured that leads were kept. Hermanson, Cotts and Politte all had ERAs right around 2.00, with corresponding numbers.

So then what happened?

Dustin Hermanson got hurt last season, pitched about 6 innings, and can’t find an invitation to a team’s Spring Training, let alone a roster spot. Cliff Politte flamed out last season with an ERA over 8 in 30 innings and has only been able to find himself a minor-league deal. Bobby Jenks saved a bunch of games for the White Sox, but did so with a decent amount of wildness and a WHIP near 1.40. Shingo Takatsu didn’t even pitch in the majors in 2006. Neal Cotts saw both his ERA and WHIP balloon in 2006, and saw his homers given up yo-yo between 04-06 from 13 to 1 to 12. The only two that have gone on to new teams and have succeeded were Vizcaino and Marte, and Marte’s WHIP was over 1.40.

Who knows what any of these guys will do in 2007? But this is why you don’t sign that reliever long-term after that breakout season. The only guy over age 32 was Takatsu, so they all could have easily asked for multi-year deals. No one saw any of these sub-par seasons coming really.  But teams can prepare for them by not tying tons of money to either one pitcher or their bullpen.  There’s nothing wrong with experimenting with AAA pitchers who you have tied up for cheap.

Your 76ers Think Three Jerseys Are Not Enough

Apparently they want your money for a fourth:

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, Philadelphia 76ers fans will have an opportunity to witness the “Return of the Red,” as the Sixers unveil a new second road uniform with red as the predominant color accented by the team’s other official colors of white, blue, black, silver and gold. This will mark the first time the team will wear red uniforms since the 1996-97 season.

“We feel we have created a uniform that respects and recognizes the rich tradition of 76ers basketball while also focusing on its future,” said President Billy King. “Our second road uniforms feature elements that maintain our team’s identity in a very unique way – one that we wanted to unveil first for our fans in Philadelphia.”

The Sixers will wear the second road uniform for minimum of six games during each season and up to a maximum of 15 games, in addition to the standard black road uniform. It marks the first introduction of a second road uniform since 1999-2000 season.

Whoopie? The red is pretty bland looking if you ask me. And my wallet doesn’t want to buy your stinkin’ jersey!