Rain delay......

My apologies if anyone is actually reading this blog consistently. I have recently bought a house and the Hawks are in the middle of an amazing playoff run (game 7 vs the Celtics tomorrow!). This will be my last chance to post for a week, but once we are moved next week I plan to post as often as possible. Since I haven't posted in quite some time I thought I would give you the highlights and thoughts around the league from the past 2 weeks (in no particular order).

1. Micah Owings 

  - My "man crush" on Micah dates back to August 18, 2007 (the "man crush" will no doubt be a topic of a future post). I went to Turner Field to see a D'Backs vs Braves game and Owings was pitching. Owings threw well, however it was his 4-5 2HRs 6RBI line that won my heart. We actually stayed into the 8th inning of a blowout loss in 95 degree heat to see Owings bat one more time (since he was a triple away from the cycle - sadly he lined out to first).

   - Flash forward to this week. D'Backs down by 2 in the 7th, and Owings comes in to pinch hit. The Astros change pitchers to get a better matchup against a pitcher, and Owings still hits an opposite field jack to tie the game (I swear this should be the ending of some Major League movie). 

2. Curtis Granderson

  - Holy cow did the Tigers miss this guy. Since his return the Tigers have resembled an actual major league baseball team. Granderson is getting on base, making plays in center, and it I would argue, helping to settle down the rest of the lineup. There is a lot to be said for missing your leadoff hitter, especially when your team really doesn't have another typical leadoff hitter. I am still optimistic about the 08' Tigers - since no one in the AL is really running away to hide and the bullpen MASH unit may be ending soon (a healthy Zumaya and Rodney are better than any midseason trade for bullpen help).

3. John Smoltz

 - The one time Tiger farmhand is headed back to the bullpen - but not in the same way Barry Zito is headed to the bullpen. Smoltz is coming off the DL and stepping into the dominant closer role he previously occupied. I am not sure how I feel about this. I know the Braves have blown several games late, and having a dominant closer is a great great asset in a playoff race. However, I worry about their rotation sans Smoltz. Hudson can be great and dominant - however he has been somewhat up and down in the ATL. After Hudson, Jurrgens and Glavine can be solid but the back of the rotation is full of question marks. I am not totally against the move, but I wouldn't be shocked if in August/September the Braves really wish the balding guy with a nasty slider and 3000 career K's was throwing every 5th day.

4. Miguel Tejada

 - He is out to prove that he isn't washed up, he just really hated Baltimore (it aged him considerably). On Friday Miguel not only talked the talk, he walked it as well. Before the game Mr. Steroid-cloud-birth-certificate-forging-former-AL-MVP promised a sick young child that he would hit him a home run. And then in the 6th innning - he delivered. This is beyond phenomenal. This is heroic. For a guy who has been in the press for all the wrong reasons recently - I think this deserves some press. And most importantly we get to relive the Seinfeld when Kramer promised a sick child that Paul O'Neil would hit 2 home runs during a Yankees game (O'Neil hits the first and it looks like an inside-the-park-home run has fulfilled a promise for a sick young boy.....when it is ruled a triple with an error).

Enjoy the week in baseball - Tigers are on ESPN (when the always seem to play bad) as they take the long slow walk to respectability.