Random Thoughts

Do you think Jason Giambi is on a mission to prove that steriods were not the only reason he was one of the most feared hitters in the AL his last few years in Oakland and first year or two in NY? He just came off a 14 homer month in July and is looking like he’s added a few pounds. Perhaps he was sicker than we realized last year. Giambi’s 14 homers were the most by a Yankee in a month since The Mick hit 14 in July 44 years ago… Sticking with the Yankees, they really made the Angels bullpen look bad over the weekend. Do you think the Angels are feeling the heat from their division foes to the north? Mike Scioscia’s group did not have one of their best weeks…

Who’s hotter – Oakland or Houston? That’s like trying to decide between Pam Anderson and Carmen Electra. Both are playing excellent baseball. For Oakland this is nothing new. The only difference is that they didn’t wait until August to start their run. Eric Chavez and Barry Zito have really turned their seasons around. And the arrival of Jay Payton has added some unexpected punch to the lineup. The Astros on the other hand are doing what they did last year. The difference this year is that there was no managerial change and no Carlos Beltran added to the lineup. The offense has finally taken some pressure off of possibly the best pitching staff in baseball at the moment. Can anybody match Clemens, Pettitte and Oswalt right now? Throw in Brad Lidge and you’ve got 4 of the best on one team. That’s going to be awfully tough to beat in the post-season. Of course they have to get there first…

The Twins’ loss of Tori Hunter ends their season as far as I’m concerned. Did anybody see their Keystone Kops impression Friday night in Boston? Check it out on mlb.com. Click on “Damon’s RBI single”. It’s pretty funny…

And lastly, “The Greatest Show on Dirt” is under way this week in Crystal Lake, IL. The 15yr old CABA World Series runs from 7/30 thru 8/7. There are 42 teams participating including a team each from Canada, Puerto Rico and Japan. If you live in the Chicagoland area it’s worth it to make the trip and spend the day. This year globalsportsnetwork.net is webcasting the games. This allows players’ families and friends who are unable to make the trip to watch the games.