Baseball's over ... what now?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 8:05 AM PDT
By Rick Woodson, columnist
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe Boston Beer Party was still rockin' and rollin' when I sighed and said to my wife, "Only four months 'til spring training."
It always hits home when the World Series is over. Baseball, like the trees in this part of the world, is dormant ---- well, that is, except for all the off-season hoopla over free agency, trades, players retiring, and fired and hired managers.
The hitting and pitching, though, are on vacation.
As irritating as it is that the playoff games start so late and last so long, it's always a downer when the Grand Old Game makes its final out of the year.
It means that winter is on its way and the golf clubs are whining because they know they're not far from the basement.
So what now?
Yeah, I enjoy football and I watch it, but I don't eat, sleep and breathe it. I make a point to watch the Buffalo Bills and, whenever possible, the New Orleans Saints, but it's more interest than anything else. With me, fan isn't short for fanatic. I am more "oh well" than obsessed.
Any good movies on TV tonight?
No sports team or athlete ---- except, of course, one of my kids or grandkids ---- makes or breaks my day. Which reminds me, what was the score of the last Super Bowl?
Anyway, the NHL season is off and skating, NBA season tipped off Tuesday, but for me it's still the off-season. Boredom reigns. Still, there are a couple of things in the wide world of sports I would like to happen in the next year.
Such as ...
• World Series Most Valuable Player Mike Lowell to announce that he will return to the Red Sox and keep this great Boston team intact. Lowell's four-year, $32 million contract expired when the final out was made Sunday and he is a free agent. I would love to hear him say, "I am living quite well on $8 million a year. I am thrilled to be playing for the Red Sox, so I'm not going anywhere."
I remember when former Boston Celtics star Robert Parish re-signed with the Celtics one year even before the season was over. I asked him about it and he said, "I've already got more money than I'll ever need. Besides, I didn't want the (contract) hassle."
Too bad more players don't have that attitude instead of guys like Latrell Sprewell, who was making $14 million-plus and he couldn't play for something like $8 million because "I've got my family to feed." Disgusting.
• NBA commissioner David Stern meaning what he said during the off-season, that the league will eliminate "palming the ball" ---- that is, players starting a dribble with their hand under the ball instead of on top of it, then taking two steps before the ball hits the floor again. Let's hope he does it.
Last season on Allen Iverson's Web site, there was a photo of him driving to the basket from the top of the key and the ball was practically tucked between his forearm and his torso. He looked like a halfback on an end run wearing shorts and sneakers.
And then there is traveling, moving what was once known as the pivot foot and shuffling the feet. Throw in the rampant rap sheets that taint pro hoops and that referee who bet on games he was officiating, and the odor makes me ill. There was a time when I loved pro basketball, but those days have long since been gone.
• The PGA Tour either move or bag ---- no pun intended ---- the six ho-hum, who-cares tournaments held after the President's Cup competition in late September. All the big guns are chilling out on their yachts somewhere or shopping around for another mansion or contemplating whether to buy a two- or three-engine private jet plane.
That while the semi-anonymous Tour players are fighting for their Tour lives. If those events were held before the President's Cup, then maybe Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, etc., would show up. That would make them more interesting to those of us who saw that Daniel Chopra won the weather-delayed Ginn Classic on Monday and asked, "Who's Daniel Chopra?"
• Alex Rodriguez sign with any team other than the Red Sox ---- unless Lowell decides to go play third base for another team. Then, BoSox, grab him! If that happens, Terry Francona, and you guys get back to the World Series in 2008, put A-Rod way down in the batting order. And if that hurts his feelings, show him his stats from this year's postseason and ask him what he would do if he were the manager.
Personally, I hope A-Rod hits the road and goes to the National League. Out of sight, out of mind. It seems that the chemistry on the Red Sox is too good to mess with and signing Rodriguez would mess with it.
If all else fails, let's hope he goes back to the Yankees ---- because it would sure help the Red Sox in the '08 playoffs.
Rick Woodson is a former sports editor of The Daily News. He can be reached at rwoodson@rochester.rr.com.
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