The Dog Days

July is almost over and football season is closing in. But for now, it is just baseball. Which I have no problem with. Some random thoughts as we're a week away from the trade deadline...

* I'm a Red Sox fan and I'm supposed to hate the Yankees. And I do. But there hasn't been a specific player to raise my hatred level in recent memory like Joba Chamberlain has done. The guy just smells like a total punk. On Friday night, he out-did himself... doing his absurd fist pump and primal scream after recording a strikeout to end an inning. The fifth inning. Against the last-place A's. On July 24th. Take it easy man. I can't believe I'm saying this, but act like a Yankee.

* The Red Sox apparently put on a full court press to sign Jason Bay to an extension during the All-Star break. And I like Bay, he's a nice player. But give me Matt Holliday during the offseason, please.

* It makes me laugh that there is a soft core porn on Cinemax that is called "The Davinci Coed" -- and my cable provider accidentally gives the description for the Tom Hanks movie when I press the info button on my remote.

* The Phillies are downright insane if they don't trade J.A. Happ and 2 minor leaguers for Roy Halladay.

* That said, I've always thought Halladay was overrated, and I still do.

* Clayton Kershaw is just like Jon Lester in his first couple of years. Hard-throwing lefty, has trouble keeping his pitch count down. The kid is going to be great.

* Speaking of which, I don't see how the Dodgers aren't making it to the World Series this year. And I think they'll be playing the Red Sox. And when they arrive at Fenway for Game 1, Manny is definitely going to report to the home clubhouse.

* My prediction for 2009 season awards? AL MVP and Cy Young will be Teixeira and Beckett. NL will be Pujols (shocker) and Dan Haren. But Ryan Howard will make it closer than it should be for the MVP race.

* I think Jonathan Papelbon will be saving games for another team in 2011. And Daniel Bard will make it easier on us.

* If the Red Sox don't win the division, but it means they get to play the Angels in the ALDS... well, I'll take it. And I'll see you in the ALCS.

* Several months ago, I went on a book-buying binge because I wanted to read more biographies on famous figures. I have a stack in my room of biographies on John Lennon, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Bob Knight, Slash, Eric Clapton and a historical book on D-Day -- in that order. To this point, I have learned about John Lennon's early childhood. This is what happens during baseball season and your team has a game EVERY night.

* I think I really, really want college basketball schedules to start coming out.

* I have the 2nd pick in my fantasy football draft and I have absolutely no freaking idea who to pick. I want to be bold enough to pick Maurice Jones-Drew, but I'm not sure if I have the guts to do it.

* Julio Lugo got traded. It was a glorious day. Then he went and homered and tripled in his first game with the Cardinals. I hope this gets Cardinals fans hopes up. Then they can soon learn to hate him like I do once he begins failing on a regular basis. Except the Red Sox will be paying him, not the Cardinals. So actually, Cardinals fans won't care that much at all.

* When you're just sitting around and using the computer, you can't go wrong at all when Superbad, Knocked Up or Forgetting Sarah Marshall is on. And if none of those is on, just put on a Pink Floyd album and you're good to go.

* Did I mention that when Joba Chamberlain struck out an A's batter to end the fifth inning of a game in July, he acted like he had just made a touchdown-saving tackle on the last play of the Super Bowl? What a little bitch.

* Speaking of the Super Bowl, are you as excited for another season of Raiders football as I am? Now that the Celtics are good again, the Raiders are the only one of my favorite teams I don't expect anything from. And I can't figure out if that's good or bad. But I'm pretty sure it is bad.

* I know Papelbon pumps his fist a little bit too much, so I'm not being a total hypocrite here... but at least Papelbon's inning-ending fist pumps sew up a win. Plus, he delivers in October. Pitchers who regularly deliver in October have earned the right to get excited in less-than-special situations.

* If Florida is laying 50 points vs Tennessee in September, I think I'm still putting at least $100 on the Gators, just so I can celebrate it when they win 66-7. And I want Lane Kiffin to cry. Or at least get punched in the face by somebody. I don't ask for much, but Lane Kiffin failing spectacularly at Tennessee would make me very happy.

* And speaking of punching in the face, some of my co-workers and I have batted around this idea: who are the four faces on your Mount Punchmore? That is, which four sports figures would you most like to punch square in the face? I think mine has Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Brady, Mike Shanahan and J.J. Redick on it. But I reserve the right to change it. In fact, that just might be the subject of my next post...