Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Trade, All Star Game, & ESPYs

Been busy at work getting ready for vacation. Thought it odd yesterday afternoon when I heard someone across the office mention JoJo Reyes. Ceil picked me up at work, so I didn’t listen to 680 on the way home. So it was 7 pm before I heard about the trade. Last night was the first time I ever looked at the other city’s newspaper after a trade, to get their reaction. Toronto didn’t seem crazy about the deal.

This week is Will’s team last tourney, a big wood bat tourney at East Cobb with dozens of teams and hundreds of games, supposedly with scouts watching. A game a day Tuesday through Saturday, at least, in Cartersville, Alpharetta, Campbell High, East Cobb, and Alpharetta High, respectively. The Rays are kinda down and not hitting, losing four straight one run games.

Tuesday they lost 1-0. Will DH’d, supposedly resting his arm after he threw 69 pitches Sunday. I took him to hit Monday evening, and he was surprised how good his arm felt. Went 1-3 with an opposite field single, a good sign. Wednesday they lost bad. Will batted third for the fifth straight game and drove in the Rays only run, on a grounder to first. He walked in his other at bat, and played left field and a little third.

Will got his license Friday, and didn’t know why we wouldn’t let him drive to Cartersville alone. Then Ceil said he could go to the river yesterday before his game, which I didn’t think was a good idea. Ceil drove Anna to Augusta to meet Ceil’s parents, so Anna could go to the beach on time. I’m not sure Will had all his ducks in a row to make it to the game on time until I reminded him of several things.

Took Will to hit again last night. He could use a good BP several times a week, because he doesn’t have a feel for his swing…going up the middle or opposite field, whether to hit it hard down the line or in the gap versus poking a single over the infield. Either he hits a ground ball or fly ball, as opposed to line drives. He’s good at making contact, but inexperienced at shaping a hit or lifting the ball over the infield.

On 680 Laurentino keeps asking questions. And Mazzone keeps giving no-nonsense common sense answers. Ratings drop for the All-Star game because they start so late, and the stars only play three innings. Pujols and Wright should play the whole game, along with several others. Nice that McCann finally got to play a long chunk of the game.

As they often do, Sports Illustrated shed new light on “The Decision”. But they only hinted at his personality differences being part of the whole deal. Good idea for LeBron to stay away from the ESPYs, where he was the brunt of many jokes. I don’t mind all the attention Chris Bosh is getting, considering he’s been under a rock his whole career.

The ESPYs had its moments. Funny when the camera would cut to the crowd after a joke, and half the time the person wasn’t laughing. Seth Myers was ok, but my favorite ESPY host was Justin Timberlake. Will Ferrell’s bit was funny. I wasn’t crazy about Tracy Morgan’s Nelson Mandela video. Funniest video was Peyton Manning’s Blind Side spoof.

Marvin’s personality seems to be pretty quiet and low key, not what’s needed to be an elite, cut the opponent’s throat to win athlete, like Kobe or MJ on the other extreme. LeBron is in the middle, but closer to MJ’s end than Marvin’s. Too bad, considering the high draft pick the Hawks used on Marvin. And that was the Chris Paul draft, wasn’t it?

No comments: