Bonehead plays | The Baseball Zealot

Yankees send out personal info to season ticket holders

The Yankees have had a bit of a security problem it seems. Not the kind with unruly fans (well, maybe they do but that’s not what I’m talking about) but with their email. Seems the team accidently emailed an internal spreadsheet to “several hundred” season ticket holders. The spreadsheet which was attached to the email included personal information about each ticket holder.

From the letter posted on the Yankees site:

Monday evening, April 25, 2011, an employee of the Yankees sent an e-mail to several hundred Yankees Season Ticket Licensees. The e-mail mistakenly attached an internal Yankees spreadsheet that listed the following information associated with your New York Yankees account:

• Your name, and the address, phone number(s), fax number, and e-mail address that you previously provided to the Yankees
• Your seat numbers, Yankees account number, Yankees account representative name, and the ticket package code associated with your account

The letter went on to say no other personal info such as credit card or banking info was included in the spreadsheet.

Needless to say, any time lists like this get out which tie names to email addresses and street addresses, it’s not a good thing. These kind of lists are prime material for those who wish to engage in what is called spear-phishing or targeted phishing schemes.

Plus, now everyone knows where everybody sits. That can’t be a good thing.

No tolerance for smoking hot Reds

Talk about trying to rain on someone’s parade. The health inspector was called in on the matter of a few Cincinnati Reds smoking cigars in the locker room after clinching the Central Division championship.

Players could be seen on TV smoking their celebratory cigars in the locker room handed out by Reds owner Bob Castellini.

Five people called a statewide smoking ban complaint hotline, said Rocky Merz, health department spokesman.

Five people need to get a life. Let’s face it, they were probably Cardinal fans.

Don’t bother Mr Zito, Tim

Last week, it seems like Barry Zito’s entourage (ie a restaurant manager at an upscale place in San Francisco) was a little hasty when shooing away a scruffy supposed autograph hound…

According to the SF Chronicle:

a long-haired kid dressed in skater garb walked into the formal restaurant and brazenly strolled up to him. Well, almost. A restaurant manager immediately cut off the intruder, saying something along the lines of, "Please don’t bother Mr. Zito. No autographs tonight."

It turned out the “kid” was Tim Lincecum.

Bonehead Brett

Indians Blue Jays Baseball In last night’s baseball game between the Red Sox and the Blue Jays in Toronto, rookie lefty Brett Cecil did something so stupid, Little Leaguers were shaking their heads. The umpires were so stupifide that they had to meet before deciding what to do. Cecil had just walked Jason Bay when he noticed a scuff mark on the baseball, so he wanted a new ball, most pitchers would rather just use the scuffed baseball to their advantage, making the ball do pretty much what they wanted it to do, but that wasn’t even the dumb part. Rather than asking the umpire for a new baseball and exchanging spheres with him, Brett simply rolled the live ball into the Jays dugout, without getting timeout. The umpires originally sent Bay to secondbase, but after meeting, decided he should be awarded thirdbase. Jason would score on a one-out single by Mike Lowell through a drawn in infield. Everything seemed to fall apart from there as Toronto committed three errors, as Boston went on to win 8-1.

Cubs’ Fukudome finding leadoff spot quite comfortable

Cubs’ beat writer Carrie Muskat tells us what most Cub fans having been thinking for years now…

…put Kosuke Fukudome or more precisely, anyone other than Alfonso Soriano, in the leadoff spot. In this case, Fuk has fit the bill quite nicely. In the 11 games he’s led off he’s done what leadoff hitters are supposed to do.

Fuk is hitting .317 (13 for 48) in the top spot. More importantly, he’s taking the walk up there, too (6 walks). Yes, it’s a relatively small sample size but it’s a good trend and a sign that the Cubs management is open to change in the matter.

Now, finding a spot where Soriano can excel is key. Soriano is the kind of player who likes consistency… he wants to know he’s penciled in a particular spot every day. Perhaps that’s why he was so wedded to the leadoff role.

One more thought on Soriano and regarding Monday’s game. Give me an 0 for 4 performance and flawless fielding over his 3 hits and his atrocious play in left. The look on Piniella’s face after Soriano butchered that ball… I see that look on my wife’s face sometimes.

I hope that Soriano felt the wrath from Lou later.

OZZIE – OH NO! NOT VAZQUEZ!

Before the first postseason game between the Rays and the White Sox down in the Sunshine State, I was feeling pretty good. Tampa Bay had lost 90 or more games for ten straight years, although this year the Devil Rays minus the Devil were able to put their losing ways behind them, and somehow win the AL East. I’m a math guy, so somehow 9=8 doesn’t make sense to me, but whatever works.

I’ve been lucky enough to be on hand at the Cell to witness first hand, what’s been working, and what hasn’t. I came in from Waupaca to watch Javier Vazquez spit it out, yet again, on Saturday vs the Indians. Which forced the Pale Hose into a jam whereby they needed to win three straight games against three different opponents to salvage a playoff berth. When the wheels came off and Vazquez was removed from the game, I screamed BOO louder than I’ve ever done so before. Let me explain something here. I am not a fan, who cheers a player on the top, and then boos them when they fall apart. Javier Vazquez has great stuff, probably the best stuff on the staff. But he refuses to trust his stuff and will not pitch inside. Often times he tries to be cute, enticing batters to swing at pitches just outside, falling behind in the count, and then getting clobbered. It’s maddening.

Anyway after winning the three games needed to get into postseason, it was time for the playoff series to begin. The Rays have a solid rotation, so I wasn’t sure whom they’d throw in game one, but I was positive the White Sox would start Mark Buehrle. Even though Vazquez has the best stuff, Buehrle is our #1, no doubt about it. I realized my Buehrle tee shirt was down in the dirty wash, pulled it out, but was shocked to find out, reading the paper, that Javier Vazquez was starting game one for Chicago.

This is the same Vazquez that Ozzie Guillen called out, saying, he was a choker & not a big game starter. That strategy didn’t work before Saturday’s game, so now he was showing him the ultimate confidence by starting him in the playoff opener. Wasn’t Ozzie paying attention, hadn’t he been watching this guy pitch? Surely Buehrle would’ve been pitching on three days rest, but he’d been doing it down the stretch, with positive results. With off days there was the possibility we wouldn’t have to see Javier start at all in the playoffs, but here he was, out there getting ready to get pounded by the lefthanded heavy lineup of the Rays. I was resigned to the fact, we’d be down 1-0 to a team that had never been to the postseason, giving them momentum.

Of course Vazquez did get pounded and the White Sox are now in a hole in a must win game #2 with Buehrle on the bump. A rookie lefthanded reliever Clayton Richard was brought on to relieve Javy, totally dominating the Rays batters, and I had to think, what might have been. The good thing is that Javier won’t be starting any more games in this series, hopefully not any more in a White Sox uniform (I purposely pictured him in a Yankee uniform, because I can’t stand seeing him in ours), but it might be too late. Hopefully the White Sox can climb out of this hole, with their backs against the wall, and defeat Tampa Bay.

Pujols 8 for 8 in 100 rbi seasons… but the Cards still fall to Cubs

Albert Pujols: 1 for 5, 2B, run, rbi

Eight 100 rbi seasons to begin his career

Albert had what should had been a memorable game. I guess it was but not for the reasons it he’d like it to be.

In the sixth inning against the Cubs, Albert Pujols hit an rbi double. That rbi put him precisely at 100 for the season and he’s now had eight consecutive seasons where he’s reached that mark since he’s come to the bigs.

Unfortunately, the press won’t be talking about that so much. Pujols made a costly error which turned a potential DP into a 2-0 Cubs lead.

In addition, Pujols popped up to end the game against the Cubs, who eventually won the game 3-2. That reminds of a kid cartoon I saw was a child. I think it was a "Tiger" comic. The kids were playing a baseball game and the first kid is up and swings, "Steeerike Three! Yeeer Out!" The second kid is up. "Steeerike Three! Yeeer Out!". Then Tiger is up. "Steeerike Three! Yeeer Out! Game Over!" In the final frame of the cartoon, the first two kids look at Tiger and say in unison, "It’s your fault we lost!".

Ok, not so funny but it makes a point. Winning is a team effort and though the Cardinals as a team only scored two runs, Pujols (literally) makes headlines for making the last out.

By the way, Albert’s in pretty good company with his eight season record. Only Al Simmons and Ted Williams have accomplished that. Simmons streak extended to eleven years.

Big Z: Searching for a win

Call it the Curse of the Long Term Contract or maybe The Curse of the Rainout. Either way, since Carlos Zambrano has signed his five year contract (and pitched 3 innings of perfect ball only to have the game called because of rain), he has been less than effective. Ok, that’s putting it nicely. Quite … Continue reading “Big Z: Searching for a win”

bigz

Call it the Curse of the Long Term Contract or maybe The Curse of the Rainout.

Either way, since Carlos Zambrano has signed his five year contract (and pitched 3 innings of perfect ball only to have the game called because of rain), he has been less than effective.

Ok, that’s putting it nicely. Quite frankly, he’s stunk. He has a 8.29 ERA and 0-5 record over that period. Not only that, he’s close to 6 walks per 9. Hopefully, Monday’s game is the bottom of the barrel for him and he can start climbing out of his funk. After his baserunning boner, he fell apart against Dem Bums and allowed 8 runs.

The media came out strong against Zambrano’s blast of the fans. Maybe it’s me but I don’t think he was THAT out of line. Derrek Lee came out against the booing and I’m glad he did. Bonus: he took Big Z for missing the stop sign.

Zambrano did apologize:

“I’m a grown man. I know when I make a mistake. I know what I’m doing. I know when I have to come to whoever I offended. I don’t think somebody has to tell me what to do,”

I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt. I’ll bet Z had a nice chat with Rothschild and Piniella. Hendry says that nobody told him what to say. For some reason, I’m dubious.

Zambrano has been inconsistent all year and this is the time of year we really need him. The timing of this downturn doesn’t help his cause.

Zambrano is a different personality. Do I expect him to come forward and be a team leader in the way that Derrek Lee is. Probably not. But I do expect him to pitch effectively and consistently. Whatever it takes to get him to that point, be it a missed start or whatever, Lou needs to do it.

And fans, get off his case. I don’t think the booing helps.

Update: Cubs are now up 4-2 and Lilly pitched well allowing 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Maybe we can salvage this last game.

Memphis Redbirds forfeit game against the Iowa Cubs

A Cardinals farm team learned the hard way they need to pay more attention to the books. Because they used Kelly Stinnett, who was ineligible, the Memphis Redbirds had to forfeit a 7-6 win against the Iowa Cubs. Stinnett was placed on the MLB restricted list but was used anyway as a pinch hitter. Stinnett … Continue reading “Memphis Redbirds forfeit game against the Iowa Cubs”

A Cardinals farm team learned the hard way they need to pay more attention to the books.

Because they used Kelly Stinnett, who was ineligible, the Memphis Redbirds had to forfeit a 7-6 win against the Iowa Cubs.

Stinnett was placed on the MLB restricted list but was used anyway as a pinch hitter.

Stinnett singled and drove in a run.

Brilliant Show by the Cubs

I’m not in the habit of agreeing with my Sox fan friends especially when it comes to Cubs/Sox issues but I have to hand it to my good buddy Teddy Ballgame. He’s right about Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson. Someone needs to take his mike away. Don’t ask me why but Sunday I turned on Comcast … Continue reading “Brilliant Show by the Cubs”

Don’t ask me why but Sunday I turned on Comcast to watch the Cubs-Sox game. That was about the time that Juan Uribe was called for interference. I think that Ford Frick nominee Ken Harrelson said “This is BS!” about 3 time then guaranteed that the protest would be upheld. All this, of course, before he even heard what the final ruling was.

I’m not sure what Hawk meant by BS. Maybe he meant Bad Series by the Sox who eventually dropped all three to the Cubs. Or Blundering Shortstop Juan Uribe who committed the interference infraction.

I eventually got smart and changed the channel to WGN. Len and Bob to the rescue.

The Cubs have won 4 in a row (including the one tonight that got away and they roped backed in) and are 14-8 since according to the media Piniella had “lost control of his team”.

Yet, as good as the Cubs are doing, Milwaukee is doing that much better and remain 7 1/2 ahead.

What we need right now…

a Brewers Slump.