A Blog
Just like last week, severe weather hit Columbus the same night as Lost. But unlike last week, we didn’t have color-coded weather maps clogging up the screen.
It’s nice to have new episodes of Lost. I liked last week’s episode, but aside from the flashbacks, I liked this week’s episode better. I’m not sure what I learned, but I know I learned something.
Note from the King: This post was conceptualized before the Yankees announced Joe Torre wouldn’t be fired.
So I was talking with a Red Sox fan today about the possibility of the Yankees firing Joe Torre. He mentioned that Torre might be a good choice should Boston can their manager.
That thought, combined with some of Torre’s moves in the ALDS made me think, maybe, like another certain Yankees employee, that Torre was trying to get fired.
Still, like I said yesterday, my preference is that the Yankees keep Torre- for one more year. I’m glad they’re keeping him (if nothing else, it shuts up Mike Lupica), meaning the team will have some stability while they make other changes.
Like every other Yankees fan out there, I’m very disappointed by the way they played the last three games of their season.
I’m also disappointed that for me, the winter begins now and we’re left waiting on the front office to make its news.
Until it makes that news, there’s nothing to do but talk about what should be done. Even though the Kingdom isn’t a sports bar and I don’t have an advanced degree in sabermetrics, I still have some ideas about what should be done. And since this is the king’s blog, the king gets to write them.
There’s talk that the Boss wants to fire Joe Torre. That’s his call to make, but I’m not sure that should be done. Sure, Torre made some dumb moves (trusting the Sheff at first in three games, having Rodriguez play musical chairs in the lineup), and Joe seems to have gotten complacent, but these Yankees are his team. And I trust Cashman to make the right moves (without too much interference from Tampa) to get this team on track for next year.
That being said, the only person I’d want to see replace Torre is Lou Pinella.
Changes also need to be made on the field as well.
It was great that Gary Sheffield was willing to try out first base in his last few weeks before free agency. I’d let him be a free agent, and play Melky Cabrera in left, with Matsui DH-ing.
I would NOT trade Alex Rodriguez. Like everyone else, he didn’t produce in the post-season. But you know what he can do, and it would scare me to see that on another team.
Mike Mussina has an option year. I’d say bye-bye to the pitcher who resembles the title character from the “Princess and the Pea.”
And then there’s Randy. The only thing I can do is beg him to retire. He’s said if he feels like he wouldn’t be able to contribute next year, he’d hang ’em up. Please do that Randy. You can’t contribute anymore. I’d love for you to prove me wrong, but I know you won’t.
I’d also let Jared Wright go (I think the team has an option on his contract) and pull a Womack-like disappearing trick with Carl Pavano.
Of course, that leaves your rotation with Wang and a few rookies who threw a few games late in the year, so I’d use the freed-up money to sign Barry Zito and/or Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka. I’d also give the aforementioned rookies (I originally typed that as “aforementioned wookies”) a shot to hold down the fort until prospects Philip Hughes and Tyler Clippard are ready to play in the big leagues.
I don’t know who else is out there, free agent-wise, but I don’t think that’s where the Yankees need to concentrate. I think they need to continue on their track of getting younger in the spots that are open. And as for those players who you can’t get from within, acquire them wisely.
So how many days until pitchers and catchers?
So I have the Internet again and power has been restored to the Kingdom.
It’s been an entertaining past two weeks. Got married and moved.
The wedding was great. Everyone had a great time.
The move is over. I’m slowly getting used to a brand new version of everyday life which I like better than the previous everyday.
And the new place is fun.
Although, today, there was some extreme severe weather in central Ohio. I’m talking about huge hailstones, thunder and lightning and possible tornadoes.
As the tornado sirens were going off, the Civee and I tuned into one of the local news stations to get the scoop. The meteorologist was going over the warning, and listed only one street in all of Columbus in the tornadoes’ path: West Sixth Avenue.
I now live on West Sixth Avenue.
Like I said, it’s been an entertaining two weeks.
For a few reasons, I don’t expect this entry on the Lost season premiere to be that long.
…until the Yankees play the Devil Rays in Tampa.
Well, actually, something else is happening on Saturday.
I’m getting married. Strangely, I don’t feel nervous, just a strange mixture of calm and excitement.
Because of the goings-on, I won’t be around Internet land for a while. And it’ll take a week or two to get cable and Internet at the new place, so this may be the last Kingdom update for a while.
Even though I won’t be around, the core principles of the kingdom will stand. Those principles being:
-Weezer rocks (and is not broken up).
-The Yankees Rule (And Jack Nicholson can wear whatever cap he wants)
-You don’t mess with Jack Bauer (and to those of you looking for the First Lady of Cleavage, thanks for visiting!)
-Flight 815 crashed onto an island of Homer Simpson worshippers
(Pneumatic Tubes are the only thing that make sense on mystery island)
I thought I had more to say than that, but I don’t. So, I’ll see you all soon. And I’ll leave you with the immortal words of Dr. Frasier Crane, which spell out my views on this weekend:
You know, on the way over, I decided to listen to a rock station to get into the mood. And I heard a line in one of those tribal passages that I thought was the keynote for this evening. “Everybody have fun tonight. Everybody Wang Chung tonight.”
I forgot today was Talk Like a Pirate Day until I saw a co-worker with a Pirate Pez dispenser.
But I made up for it by saying “Ahoy!” to enough people to make them think there was something wrong with me.
Too bad they couldn’t have made the day September 23rd instead of the 19th.
A few weeks ago, the Civee and I watched Chinatown. We weren’t impressed. My faith in Jack Nicholson, however, is restored after reading this (from contact music):
Lifelong New York Yankees fan Jack Nicholson refused to wear a baseball cap sporting the badge of his team’s rivals for his role as a Boston, Massachusetts, gangster…Director Martin Scorsese suggested the movie legend wear a Boston Red Sox cap for one pivotal scene, but backed down when New Yorker Nicholson insisted he wouldn’t wear the head gear out of loyalty to the Yankees.
Works for me. Red Sox fans have already proven to me that they can’t handle the truth.
The last month has seen two of my favorite wrestlers say goodbye to the business.
A few weeks ago, the WWF/WWE released Kurt Angle.
Now, The Rock is saying he’ll never wrestle again. From insidepulse:
Is The Rock done with wrestling? According to reports at WrestlingObserver and PWInsider from Dwayne Johnson’s appearance on ESPN2’s “Cold Pizza” this morning, the answer is yes. On the show, he said that he had no plans to return to wrestling even though he misses performing in front of the live crowds, since he has accomplished all he could in the sport that he loved and grew up in. The Rock went on to say that he wanted new challenges, and realized four years ago it was time to move on.
Even in limited doses, like his last appearance, at WrestleMania XX, where he had a few weeks exposure prior to the event, the Rock is gold. He had a great interview before the match, and an amazing match (for a 2-on-3 tag match).
And Angle could wrestle a baseball bat and put on a great show.
Between the two of them, Chris Jericho retiring, and Chris Benoit jobbing to Bradshaw, I don’t have much to look forward to. Good thing I don’t watch every week like I used to.
A new red light camera went up on a major street near where I live.
The city has been putting in a lot of these cameras lately. Usually, I wouldn’t think anything of it, especially since I’m moving in less than a month.
However, the camera is pointed right at the spot where a fitness club holds some intereting promotions periodically.
I hope that’s not an abuse of power or anything.