Knuckle Curve » joe torre

Manny Ramirez Apologizes to Teammates

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:49:25 +0000

Manny Ramirez, the superstar outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers who was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball, apologized to his teammates on Friday. Gathered with his teammates and coaches at a hotel conference room in Miami, a reportedly anxious Ramirez went around and shook each of his teammates’ hand and told the group that he was sorry.

Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (Image: Newscom)

Ramirez’s manager Joe Torre said that Ramirez was uneasy prior to the meeting.

Said Torrie: “We spent some time together before we went into the meeting room and he was a little anxious. That’s the human side of this thing. He basically went around, shook everybody’s hand. I think guys were happy to see him. I think there was a little uneasiness on both sides.”

Most teammates who spoke to the media following the event said that they accepted Ramirez’s apology. Prior to his suspension, Ramirez was hitting .348 with six homers and 20 RBI.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Favorite Baseball Teams in 2008

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:02:59 +0000

I’m an admitted bandwagon baseball fan. I love the sport of baseball but I don’t love any specific team. The last team I loved was the Montreal Expos — and we all saw what happened to the Expos. However, each year I latch on to a few teams and watch those teams a little bit more. Who are my favorite baseball teams in 2008?

Los Angeles Dodgers
The combination of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez trying to climb the mountain all the way to the World Series is a good story. Those two long-time rivals are now fighting for the same cause on the other side of the country.

Chicago Cubs
The lovable losers are actually winners this year. This is one of the best Chicago Cubs teams in a long time. If the Cubs are ever going to end their World Series drought, wouldn’t this be the perfect year?

Texas Rangers
The Josh Hamilton story is just too cool not to follow. Hamilton has gone from heroin to hero in record time. Although the Rangers don’t have much of a chance to make the postseason, they have an puncher’s shot.

Tampa Bay Rays
Who can’t love what the Tampa Bay Rays are doing. In years past, the Devil Rays were one of the worst franchises of all-time. Seemingly overnight, the Rays are now making a run at the American League playoffs.

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Video of Joe Girardi Getting Ejected

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:55:37 +0000

While the New York Yankees aren’t winning many games this season, at least their manager is doing a good job getting ejected. I give Girardi a B+ for his eruption that led to his ejection against the Baltimore Orioles. You can see a video of the ejected Joe Girardi at the end of this entry.

Not everything is fun and games for the Yankees right now. In fact, the last place Yankees could be in real trouble. While they got off to a slow start last year as well, the Yankees can count on another second half push — especially with Joe Torre in Los Angeles.

How can the Yankees solve their woes? Here are the KnuckleCurve Yankee winning solutions.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

New York Yankees in Last Place – Solutions?

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:24:20 +0000

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees on Thursday to send the Yankees into last place. The Rays won the game 5-2 behind a strong pitching performance from Scott Kazmir and a two-run homerun by backup catcher Shawn Riggans.

The Yankees are now 20-22 and in last place in the AL East. The Rays, with a record of 24-17, are in first place.

How can the Yankees turn save their season?

1. Get Healthy
The Yankees are dealing with a number of injuries at the moment. Most prominently, the team is without Hall of Fame third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez has a strained quadriceps that has kept him out of the lineup for the entire month of May. In that time, Rodriguez has only been seen choking in the delivery room. Besides Rodriguez, veteran catcher Jorge Posada and young starter Phil Hughes are also battling injuries. Posada has a shoulder injury, while Hughes has a broken rib.

2. Get Hitting
The Bronx Bombers are more like the Bronx Bunters this year. No player on the team is having that great of a season at the plate. Jason Giambi leads the team with seven homeruns – but he also has a batting average of .184. Veterans like Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter are having decent but not great seasons. Young players like Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera haven’t lived up to their potential. The Yankees need a hot bat to emerge.

3. Get Pitching Depth
Chien-Ming Wang has been very good for the Yankees this year. Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte have had their ups and downs but overall they have been good enough. The problem is the rest of the rotation is in shambles. The Yankees were hoping that Hughes and Ian Kennedy could be the other two starts, but Hughes is hurt and Kennedy has been ineffective. Whether it’s a trade or a young pitcher stepping up, the Yankees need a more balanced rotation.

4. Get Torre?
While the Yankees are struggling, Joe Torre has the Los Angeles Dodgers at 21-19. Could the Yankees be showing signs of missing Torre? Perhaps. George Steinbrenner and his twin son Hank Steinbrenner won’t give current manager Joe Girardi as much leeway as they gave Torre. If the Yankees don’t turn it around ASAP, Girardi might be sent packing.

Does Joe Girardi Hear Joe Torre’s Footsteps?

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve