Bobby Valentine as Red Sox Manager? Doesn't Sound Right

I don't know why but, when I heard this morning that Bobby Valentine probably will be the next Red Sox manager, I did a double take. Yes, I am aware that his name has been mentioned as a candidate for some time now. But, for some reason, I never thought he would actually get the job.

People are calling this a perfect fit. They are saying he will restore order to the Red Sox Clubhouse, he is the exact opposite of Terry Francona, he will out-manage Joe Girardi, and, he will put a spark in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Really?

I don't know much about Valentine. I only know what I remember seeing when he managed the Mets: the mustache incident, the weird way he had his first basemen play first base with a runner on, and that creepy smile. He has a reputation for thinking "outside of the box." Call me crazy but, I don't think his is a personality that fits well with Boston. If I were a betting woman I would totally bet against it. Would you? Click here for your online sportsbook.

Of course, if the Red Sox win, none of this will matter. But, if they don't, watch out, Bobby. You'll be ripped to shreds faster than you can say "Steve Phillips."

10 Baseball Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

On this Thanksgiving Day Eve, I thought I would take a moment and come up with some things to be thankful for as a baseball fan. So, here they are, in no particular order, 10 Baseball Things To Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving:

10.  The new CBA. For years, baseball fans were the ones suffering through work stoppages and threats thereof. Now, with this new agreement, we can be assured of uninterrupted baseball through the 2016 season. Congratulations to both sides for getting it done!

 9.  Jackie Robinson. Need I say more?  If not for him, so many players in MLB today wouldn't be there. Thank you, Jackie.

 8.  MLB Network. Wall-to-wall baseball coverage, all day, every day of the year.

 7.  Social Media.  Thanks to sites like facebook and Twitter, fans can interact directly with their favorite players (or, the reps of those players).

6.  Sportstalk Radio. It has its drawbacks, but there are few things more entertaining than listening to fans and show hosts argue over the finer points of the game.

 5.  BaseballReference.com. Chock full of information, this site is the go-to place for anyone even remotely connected to baseball.

 4.  Tony LaRussa.  The careers of guys like Mariano Rivera might have turned out totally different had it not been for LaRussa's innovations.

 3.  Ballbug. I discovered this site years ago when, while checking my blog statistics, I noticed they had published a link to one of my blog posts. If you're looking for one place with links to all the baseball stories on the web, this is the place to go.

 2.  Bud Abbot and Lou Costello's "Who's On First" Routine. Still funny, no matter how many times I listen to it.

 1.  The (Insert favorite baseball team here.) For me, of course, that team is the New York Yankees. I hope your team has made you as happy as mine has made me.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

100 Days 'Till Pitchers and Catchers!

For a die-hard baseball fan, especially one who doesn't closely follow other sports, the off-season can be a very restless time of the year.  I find myself in that boat right now but, yesterday I welcomed good news via a couple of tweets from a few Yankee beat writers:

100 days 'til Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training

Pitchers and Catchers report date: 2/19

First Workout: 2/20

Position Players report date: 2/24

First Full Squad Workout: 2/25

Music to my ears! 

This news, with the fact that the off-season awards will be announced starting on Monday is enough to make me forget about the horrible news week it has been. Well, almost. My thoughts and prayers go out to both the Penn State victims and to Nationals Catcher Wilson Ramos.

On Brian Cashman's Plans To Help The Homeless

As the off-season continues to heat up, Yankees GM Brian Cashman's plans to talk to the agents of CJ Wilson, Roy Oswalt and Mark Buehrle have made news.  They've also made me wary. The only one of the three that I think has some promise is Buehrle. I just hope that, if they make an offer to him, it isn't for too much money or too many years.

Another of Cashman's plans this month makes me very happy.  Cashman is on the board of directors at Covenant House, an organization committed to helping homeless youth. You may have already heard that, on the night of November 17th, as part of his involvement with Covenant House, Cashman will sleep outside in a cardboard box, to call attention to and raise money for homeless kids. He and 49 other CEOs and top executives will participate in the Solidarity Sleep Out. They hope to raise $500,000 for this great cause.

Long time readers of this blog know that the subject of homelessness is very personal for me. Two years ago I announced in a post that I had been forced to join the ranks of New York City's homeless population. Over the next few months I posted the occasional update about my condition and was very happy when I was able to post that I was leaving the shelter system and moving into an apartment.

Homelessness came to me as an adult and, because of the City's shelter system, I never had to sleep on the streets. However, those months were very trying for me.  I can only imagine how much worse it is for children and teenagers who are outside without a roof over their heads. That's why I'm so glad Brian Cashman is participating in this event. I am not in a position to donate money to it but I hope that someone who reads this post is, and finds it in his or her heart to do so.  For more information click here.

Thank you and best of luck to all the participants.