Pedro Martinez is from Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. His dream when he left his original home was to be a great Dodger pitcher. I doubt he thought he would become the favorite son of a Nation. On Wednesday night he was returning home, but not to the Dominican Republic. He was returning to Fenway Park, as an opposing pitcher. Although he “returned” on Tuesday, he pitched against the Red Sox for the first time in his career on Wednesday, receiving standing ovations whenever he moved a muscle.

            Some people have been questioning how Red Sox Nation can welcome Pedro back with open arms while we took every opportunity to curse Johnny Damon. The answer seems simple: Pedro plays for the New York Mets. You see, the fact that he still rivals the Yankees and did not put himself in a position to rival the Red Sox makes him immune to boos. It also helps that he is the best pitcher in the history of the Red Sox. But those two sentences do not even begin to describe the feelings of Red Sox Nation for Pedro Martinez.

            While Fenway Park gushed with good feelings for Pedro, he acknowledged and every time he was interviewed, he gushed good feelings for Red Sox fans and for Boston. He did not pull the Johnny Damon trick: “Um, it was great, but I just had to move on.” Meanwhile the moronic LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke downplayed Pedro’s return to Boston, comparing it with Jarrod Washburn’s return to Anaheim (if you do not know who Jarrod Washburn is, don’t worry about it, you are not alone). He said that Pedro’s homecoming was overblown because of Red Sox Nation, that nobody cared outside of New England.

            Let me remind him that this was not just a Pedro reunion, it was the 1986 World Series 20^th Anniversary Reunion. To show you just how pleased everyone was to see Pedro, even Bill Buckner got a pleasant reception from the Fenway crowd.

            The meaning of Pedro Martinez to Red Sox fans is almost indescribable. While David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are both great characters and fun players to have as the face of your franchise, there is nobody quite like Pedro. He is the epitome, the beaming beacon of the greatest era of the storied history of the Red Sox. He is Larry Bird to the Celtics, Magic Johnson to the Lakers, Tom Brady to the Patriots. He to the Red Sox what Frank Beamer is to the Virginia Tech football program. Pedro is what made the Red Sox good in the early 21^st Century. When he came over from Montreal, he brought a Cy Young, and some questions. He was too small, not durable enough. Wrong, his seasons in 1999 and 2000 were the greatest 2 seasons from any single pitcher in anybody’s memory. He won 2 Cy Youngs and was absolutely dominant on a team that was still building. In those two years, he went 41-10 and struck out 597 batters. His ERA was under 2.

            However, it was not the numbers that made him the ultimate Red Sock. It was his heroic performance in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians. In the deciding game, Pedro came in as a relief pitcher with Boston down 8-7 after a terrible start from Bret Saberhagen, who only lasted 1 inning, then 2 more bleeding innings from Derek Lowe. Entering in the 4^th, Pedro halted any thoughts of a blowout. Not only did he shut out Cleveland for the rest of the night, he no-hit the Indians from the moment he came in. In six innings he struck out 8. Pedro became a hero with a little help from Troy O’Leary’s two home runs and led the Sox into the first of 3 ALCS appearances against the Yankees. While the Sox would of course lose that ALCS, Pedro’s performance that night in Cleveland sparked the golden era of Red Sox baseball, and it stopped a great period for the Indians, which would eventually lead Manny Ramirez to leave Cleveland for Boston.

            From 2000 to 2003, it was virtually neck-and-neck in Boston between Pedro and Nomar Garciaparra in the race to be the favorite son. But what we found out is that Pedro did not have to try. While sometimes not the model baseball citizen, he was like a living representation of Red Sox Nation. His explicit quote about Babe Ruth is my favorite soundbyte in the history of sports except for maybe Joe Castiglione’s call of the final out of the 2004 World Series. His beaming of multiple Devil Rays is a sore spot even today, and the brawl it created is hilarious. Another famous bean ball that did not come out of the hand of Pedro started a brawl in which he grabbed the cantaloupe that is Don Zimmer’s head and threw it to the ground, another classic Red Sox moment. I think I would pay to throw Don Zimmer down by his head. Everything Pedro does is pure and natural. He is the Red Sox.

            Nomar left town. Curt Schilling came to town, testing Pedro’s loyalty, as the Sox failed to offer Pedro an extension as he went in to the final year of his deal, 2004. While Pedro was the guy in 2003, the stress was off of him in the championship year. Schilling received the attention for his bloody sock moment, and Pedro was not stellar in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. But he told America that the World Series was over with a 3 hit, 7 inning shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3, in St. Louis. Then, after Game 4, we got the final glimpses of Pedro’s faces and expressions as a Red Sox player. He was done with the Sox, but he had no more to accomplish. Sure, Curt Schilling was fantastic all season. Bronson Arroyo made the season turning pitch, Varitek made the punch, Dave Roberts stole 2^nd, Johnny Damon drove the knife into the Yankees, David Ortiz came through every time, and Keith Foulke got the out, but Pedro Martinez is still the greatest of them all, because Pedro started it all. He was their first. The original Idiot, Pedro’s personality is the model for every stereotype of Red Sox fans and players. The mound in Fenway Park has been home to many great pitchers, but none have ever been able to change the house around them like Pedro. Pedro Martinez may not have had a good night in his return home, but he put the one piece of wallpaper up that matters, 2004 World Series Champions. While he may not be living there anymore, he is just renting his mound out, Pedro Martinez owns Fenway Park. While Pedro did not build Fenway as Babe did Yankee Stadium, Pedro decorated, renovated, saved and filled Fenway. And someday, when his desired stay in Queens is over, he will return to his grand house in Boston and hang one more piece of history there, the number 45 high above right field, and the residents of a Nation will celebrate the greatness of their leader. Remember the Faith. Hokie Hi. Zc

Hokie Pokie

 

            As the final round of Interleague play continues in baseball, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the American League is almost unfairly supreme to the National League. And it is not just unfair to the National League representative in the World Series, whose season will likely end in disappointment, it is unfair to whichever of the 4 great AL teams that will not make the playoffs.

            It is sad that Major League baseball cannot seem to spread the wealth. It is no discrepancy in rules or style of play that has made the bias this way. It is the fact that the most committed and most wealthy owners own AL teams. The AL has the good, the NL has the bad. This is also true in that the East and Central divisions have better teams than the West.

            I can understand the eastern portion of the country being loaded, but the National League has no business being quite this bad. In the ultimate show of which league is better, interleague play, the AL has won 104 games, while the NL has won 64. A 40 game differential. There are just 3 teams in the AL that are under .500 against the NL, and just 2 NL teams over .500 against the AL. Who do you think will win the All-Star Game?

            Even the Devil Rays are 9-3 against NL teams this season. The best team in the NL by a mile, the New York Mets, are a whopping 5-4 against the American League and they take on the Boston Red Sox starting tomorrow in the homecoming of Pedro Martinez. Many could argue that the Mets’ secret to winning is that they play like an AL team. They have a go-get-‘em GM with power in the lineup and stars abound. You won’t see many sacrifice bunts from the 5 hitter here. Unless the Cardinals or Astros come on strong, you will most likely be seeing the Mets in the World Series playing one of 4 AL teams, one of which will not even have the chance to play for it.

            Tigers, White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees. Those are the 4 best teams in the AL. If you stick the Mets in there somewhere, you have the Top 5 teams in baseball. That is not a statement that will get much argument. However, when 8 teams go into the playoffs this year, 4 from each league, one of those teams will not be present. Due to the rule that one team from each division has to make the playoffs, one of the .500-ish teams from the AL West will make the playoffs. Two of those teams will win their division. The Tigers and White Sox will battle for the AL Central, while the Red Sox and Yankees will fight for the East. The fact is, if this is an 8 team tournament by seeding, those teams are all in the top 5.

            I’m not saying that you should combine the leagues, and owners should definitely be able to spend what they want, survival of the fittest. These things make baseball the great sport it is, but the National League needs to play and operate more like American League teams. Stars do not want to go to teams who look like glorified AAA teams due to the large amount of focus put on saving money. The Marlins sell their souls after they win the World Series and look like a great team, the Pirates have not had a star player since Willie Stargell, the Brewers have been a farm club imitation for as long as I can remember. The Rockies can’t get a decent pitcher to come to Coors, and several teams are struggling with bad or inconsistent ownership. Some of the owners consider the teams business ventures, but the problem is baseball teams in this country cannot be run like a suburban fast food franchise. Millions of fans want to see their team do well, not necessarily put the owner in the green.

            While the problems in the National League are not because of the league itself, it does center around the more traditional teams being in the American League. The old champions like the Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers and White Sox all have long histories and owners who are determined to uphold it. The National League just needs one team to win it all, preferably not the Marlins, that will try to continue their history and help competition in the League. The Cardinals, Dodgers and Mets are the teams with a chance to return the National League to dominance. One problem is that the Dodgers are coming out of a down period, the Cubs are headed into one and the Giants are on the cusp of rebuilding. Those are the teams that have to lead the NL. It does not help that Dodgers play on the West Coast and the Cardinals are somewhat boringly good.

            Although the National League still will not produce as many good teams as the AL for a while, I think the teams that go to the playoffs should be decided just like the way they used to decide the team from the League that would go to the World Series, the pre-playoff era. Why have the divisions? For scheduling yes, but for the playoffs, just have the two leagues, and pick the top 4 teams from each. It may give the bad teams less chance to get a team in the playoffs, but the overall competition will be better, and maybe more people will get interested in baseball because of it. To see the best battles of AL vs. NL, watch the Red Sox vs. Mets and Yankees vs. Mets series this week, including the return of Pedro to Fenway Park on Wednesday night on ESPN. Keep the Faith. Hokie Hi. Zc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marlins Win on Big Little Play

 

            Maybe I’m a little too eccentric about little plays in baseball. It is possible that I am the only person on the face of the planet that thought Miguel Cabrera’s game winning single off of an attempted intentional walk was the best play of the year so far, but that is me.

            While you are talking to the person whose favorite baseball players includes Kevin Millar, baseball is a game of little things, and a little thing turned up big for the Florida Marlins last night in Baltimore.

            In the top of the 10^th inning, having just pulled a miracle in the top of the ninth, hitting back-to-back pinch hit home runs to tie the game at five, the Marlins scored the winning run in possibly the most unconventional way imaginable. With a man on second and Miguel Cabrera coming to the plate, Orioles pitcher Todd Williams showed all the signs of intentionally walking Cabrera. When Williams threw the pitch at about 60 MPH to the standing catcher, it floated towards the outside corner of the plate at about shoulder level on Cabrera. Saying that he had missed an opportunity earlier this year, Cabrera was ready and took his opportunity.

            "I said, 'I'm going to get ready.' A couple of games before it was close. I said, 'I'll be ready on every pitch and see what happens.' It feels good. I saw the ball coming to the plate, and I said, 'I have to swing.,'" Cabrera told MLB. Com.

            Cabrera slapped an RBI single straight up the middle and an alert Hanley Ramirez, who reached on a bunt for a base hit, scored from second. I, watching live, suddenly found myself jumping up and down for no reason other than that was the best hit of the season. It scored the winning run on a pitch that 99 out of 100 guys would not have swung the bat at. I have heard that the last guy to do that was Ted Williams. The little things go a long way.

 

Ozzie’s Mouth Runs Too Far

 

            White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is famous for his “tell it like it is” attitude on speaking to the media. However, this week Ozzie is telling it as it should not be told.

            Following a critical column by Chicago Sun-Times writer Jay Mariotti, Ozzie spouted off to a load of reporters, calling Mariotti, among other things, a “fag.” This is of course a derogatory remark aimed at homosexuals.

            Ozzie then proclaimed that in Venezuela, where he grew up, it did not mean that. However, I believe Ozzie knows American culture a little better than that, since he is an American citizen and has lived in this country for 25 years.

            After much media coverage and scrutiny, as well as pressure from the White Sox organization, Ozzie made a terrifically unsuccessful attempt at an apology. He said he was sorry to those who he “offended.” No joke, he did the air quotes. He proceeded to criticize Mariotti for not coming to see him at the ballpark.

            Then, Major League Baseball decided to step in. Bud Selig fined Guillen an undisclosed amount and ordered him to attend sensitivity training class. Ozzie? He burst out laughing while talking about it to reporters.

            While I cannot take away his free speech, baseball needs to do something about Ozzie’s mouth. He cannot go around making slurs about columnists, then defying his punishment. He is free to be who he is with his team, but he has to show restraint in the media.

            Winning the World Series does not make him immune from Selig’s punishment. He will soon be serving a suspension for intentionally plunking a Cardinal hitter, maybe baseball should extend that suspension and retaliate against Guillen the same way he retaliates against columnists and opposing batters.

Hokie Pokie

 

            Pat Riley has led the Miami Heat, with a role playing version of Shaquille O’Neal, to the NBA Finals Championship. The team that was assembled by Riley, full of former superstars relegated to role players trying to win a championship. Guys like Antoine Walker and Gary Payton (two of my favorite players of the generation) came to Miami because Pat Riley convinced them they could get the championship they had never gotten as superstars. Win a championship they did, together.

            However, Payton, Walker and Alonzo Mourning were not the only former team leaders that won this title as role players. The biggest (literally) guy was Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal. This title, while he was not particularly dominant except for one game in the Eastern Finals, is a huge victory for him. While people think he is humiliated because Dwayne Wade was the superstar and not Shaq, O’Neal really has taken the high road and he has won an unspoken war.

            While this is a huge victory for the Miami Heat, this will cause night-sweats for the Los Angeles Lakers. When it was obvious that Kobe either wanted Shaq to leave or he would leave, the second biggest town in America was not big enough for Kobe with anyone else that approached his stardom. I was not really rooting for the Heat or anything, but I now intend to rub it in Kobe Bryant and the Laker organization’s collective face that:

1. Shaquille O’Neal left LA because Kobe is a jerk and wanted the whole team to himself, and Shaq won a championship without being the main guy, without having to be arrogant and take all the publicity.
2. Pat Riley won another championship, something Laker fans love to say, that Riley could not win without the Lakers. Untrue. He pulled a copy job. Just as Kareem took a back seat to Magic to win titles in the late 80s under Riley, O’Neal has taken a back seat to Dwayne Wade.
3. Kobe Bryant is suddenly not the NBA’s featured star. He is not in the discussion as being the next Jordan. Dwayne Wade is suddenly the Air Apparent in the media, and next time a shoe company needs a big endorsement, Kobe is not going to be 1^st on the list, Flash will be.
4. Shaquille O’Neal called Pat Riley the best coach he has ever had. That might make Phil twitch during his meditation.

 

            As many superheroes and comic book writers apparently know, duos work much better than single selfish people with equally great powers. Think about it, aren’t most bad guys just as powerful as the superhero? Yes, but typically in those fantasy movies or shows, they are defeated when they miss their opportunity to rule due to their need to stand and brag about their greatness. This is what Kobe did. He was on top of the world, he had rings and power, but he figured he could be better if he did it without Shaq. So now, although he can score 81 points in a game, his team cannot win a championship because he ran his partners out of town.

            Really, who would you rather win a championship, Kobe and his ego (which I’ve heard gets its own hotel room on the road) or humble Chicago kid Dwayne Wade and the gang of guys who just want a ring? ‘Zo, The Glove and ‘Toine getting their rings along with Shaq adding another is much more likable than Kobe kissing the trophy. Shaq handed the trophy to Wade, Kobe would hand it to his ego.

            While Pat Riley is definitely not my favorite coach of all-time, he certainly has earned my respect with his assembly of this team. He has proved that hunger, experience and great role players are more important than whose star has the most endorsement deals. Suddenly Dwayne Wade is the best player in the NBA according to the media, as winning suddenly makes Wade better. While this sometimes gets a little out of hand, it is the way it should be. Congratulations to Wade, Shaq and Riley. But most of all, congrats to Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker on getting their first rings. While the may have been “role players”, or secondary forces, the Heat could not have done it without them, because guys willing to give up star power for the team are a lot harder to find than superstars these days. Keep the Faith. Hokie Hi. Zc

I am sorry to report that today was quite a disappointment in terms of excitement.

 

Group C

Netherlands 0 Argentina 0- Both knew that they were advancing and both could care less about winning this game. Ruud Van Nistelrooy barely went past the half, Arjen Robben did not play. Hernan Crespo did not step foot on the pitch for Argentina. Argentina wins the group on goal differential, Netherlands finish second.

Ivory Coast 3 Serbia and Montenegro 2- In a game that meant nothing for the tournament, the Ivory Coast put their country into a state of ecstasy by winning their first World Cup game. Neither team will advance.

 

Group D

Portugal 2 Mexico 1- While Mexico lost, they still advance in the second spot behind Portugal.

Angola 1 Iraq 1- Angola missed a golden opportunity to advance, all they had to do was beat Iraq as the Mexicans lost. However this won't do, neither team will advance.

 

So two more matchups are set for the knockout round:

Argentina vs. Mexico

Netherlands vs. Portugal

 

I will be shocked if a Group D team advances past these stellar Group C teams.

 

Picks for Thursday:

Italy over Czech Republic, so that sets the stage for...

Ghana ties the USA, which sends Ghana into the next round.

Brazil over Japan

Australia over Croatia

Two groups were decided today, and we have two knockout round matchups set, here are the final results from Groups A and B.

 

Poland 2 Costa Rica 1- This game was useless in determining anything, both teams are now headed home.

Paraguay 2 Trinidad and Tobago 0- While they did not succeed in making it to the second round, T&T has a lot to be proud of as the smallest country to ever make the World Cup, and they have a good shot at coming back. Neither team will advance.

 

Two games contained the two advancees of each group.

 

Group A

England 2 Sweden 2- England still finishes first after a very late goal from Sweden tied it up, as England still has not defeated the Swedes since 1968, 0-4-8. Group A is won by England and Sweden advances in second.

 

Group B

Germany 3 Ecuador 0- Obviously overmatched, Ecuador will waltz happily into the next round in second place. They probably have a better chance to win against a streaky, searching English team. Germany's Miroslav Klose is the player of the tournament so far. He notched 2 goals today to put him at 4 for the tournament, a very large number in group play. Germany wins and Ecuador finishes in second from Group B.

 

So we have two of the knockout round matchups set:

Germany vs. Sweden

England vs. Ecuador

 

Two more matchups will be set tomorrow, as Group C and D action wraps up. Here are my picks:

Netherlands over Argentina for supremacy in Group C and just a hint, a possible championship game preview, no kidding. This is the game to watch in Group play, should be spectacular. Both will advance, it is just a matter of 1st or 2nd.

Ivory Coast over Serbia and Montenegro in a meaningless game that is pretty much just to see which teams comes home with at least something to hang their hats on. Neither will advance.

Mexico over Portugal in a game that will be serious for Mexico and somewhat cautious for Portugal. The Portugese have a spot locked up in the next round, while Mexico has an outside chance of not making it, if Angola were to beat Iran by a decent margin.

Iran over Angola in a game that really won't matter as long as Mexico wins or ties.

 

Hokie Pokie

 

            I have said that I would not believe the Braves run was over until I see it. I see it. It will take a miracle greater than anything the Braves have ever done for them to win the NL East.

            While it is only June, the Braves are now approaching the entrance to the cellar, typically where they grab the champagne for the Pennant celebration, it is now there place in the NL East. They are on the verge of dropping even below the Florida Marlins, who somehow, while picking kids off of Florida high school teams to play (or at least it seems like it) have put together a winning streak while the Braves have been swept in 2 straight series.

            They have lost seven in a row, are 1-9 in their last 10 games, and have fallen 14 games back of the Marvelous Mets. The Braves stand dead last now, as the young Marlins are on an eight game winning streak. The Braves are the 3^rd worst team in the National League, now 10 games below .500 at 30-40.

            Now many insiders are talking about the hard-nosed John Scheurholz going fire sale and trading names like John Smoltz and Marcus Giles. While I’m sure the Braves would get great future value for their stars, with this team going in the wrong direction, they are likely to lose Andruw Jones as well, a soon-to-be free agent who will likely bolt for a winner.

            While everyone knew it had to happen sometime, I think this sharp downfall could have been put off for at least another year. Maybe they could not have won the division, but they certainly could be in contention for the Wild Card. Atlanta’s problem has been the bullpen, full of young pitchers with inadequate direction due to the stupefying departure of Leo Mazzone. Although the Braves did not force him to leave, they certainly could have made a better attempt to keep the man who was maybe the most instrumental in their huge string of success. In the National League, shut down pitchers with adequate offense will win. Not only Mazzone, other former Braves are having stellar seasons, guys like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. The young guns on offense are not the problem. The lineup is basically the same thing from last year, when they won the division. The only glaring difference is that Bobby Cox is missing his metronome. When you talk about the worst personnel moves of all time, forget Babe Ruth. Add the Braves letting Leo Mazzone walk to the list, the pennants and the records do not lie, the Rocking Man was the key to the Atlanta Braves NL East dynasty. Keep the Faith. Hokie Hi. Zc

A day you could have taken off at the World Cup, two ties and an expected win ruled the show in the middle stages of the group play.

 

Croatia really did not play very well, while Japan had a golden opportunity but blew it. These two teams could not manage to find a result after both lost their first match to the better teams in Group F.

 

 

Brazil is still not impressing the way they should or could be. Ronaldihno is constantly surrounded and seems a bit frustrated. Ronaldo looks out of shape and useless. He whiffed on a volley attempt that would have likely been a goal. However, Adriano is improving and Kaka is running a great show, and Brazil beat the likely companion from their group into the next round.

 

 

France scored their first goal in World Cup play since the 1998 final, but they also allowed South Korea to tie it up in the second half. Korea now will have to have a disaster to not advance, while France still has a lot of work to do. It is a start for France, but Zinedine Zidane is suspended for their next matchup, against Togo.

 

 

Picks for Monday:

Switzerland over Togo

Tunisia ties Spain

Ukraine over Saudi Arabia

In a day of judgement for America, another underdog stole the center stage.

 

Ghana, as I predicted, is not a bad team. They have a chance and they used their speed and energy to score early against the Czech Republic, who was without star striker Jan Koller. Ghana managed to sustain this energy long enough and held off the Czechs, putting themselves on the board in the group with 3 points, which promised that the Italy USA game would neither eliminate nor advance anyone. Ghana now can fly in under the radar and make it to the next round by beating the USA.

 

 

The USA, you could say, got lucky. Because Ghana won, they could not be eliminated, but also because the goal that made it a tie with Italy was not scored by an American, but was an own goal from Italy, an errant attempt to clear. Italy is ok. They just need to beat the Czechs or tie and hope for goal differential. The USA needs Italy to beat the Czechs and they have to beat Ghana, no easy task. All of this Group E action unfolds on Thursday.

 

 

No upset here, Portugal advanced to the second round following a stunning tie from Mexico yesterday. The Portugese avoided a repeat result from their fall of 2002. They took care of Iran to give themselves two wins, 6 points, in the group.

 

 

Picks for Sunday:

Brazil over Australia

Croatia over Japan

South Korea over France

Ok, bascially everything I picked went wrong today. I picked two ties and a big victory. Well, there was a big blowout in a game I predicted a tie, and a tie in the game I predicted a blowout. Two more teams punched their ticket to the knockout round.

 

Let's just say that Serbia and Montenegro's "stellar" defense did not come to the right stadium today. Argentina punched their pass to the next round. Now they showdown with the Netherlands to see who wins Group C.

 

Argentina 6 Serbia and Montenegro 0 I'm not kidding. To put it in perspective, this is kind of like a 52-0 football game.

 

The Netherlands faced up against Ivory Coast, and my Cinderella pick fought, but could not stand up to my predicted champions from Holland/Netherlands, whatever. They bowed out to the same score as they did to Argentina, making my Cinderalla pick wrong. Argentina and the Netherlands will advance from Group C.

 

 

In a shocking upset tie, Angola and Mexico fought to a 0-0 stalemate. With Portugal having beaten Angola, it gives them an inside road to the next round. It also brings Iraq back into reasonable contention. Mexico now has to win another game, against Portugal.

 

 

Tomorrow's picks:

Portugal over Iran

Ghana over Czech Republic

Italy over USA, sorry not happening.

Two big teams struggled to win win today as another surprise cruised to a second round berth.

 

The first game of the day was not close. Ecuador, thought to be good just due to their home field advantage in Quito, has proven to be worthy of a second round berth in the World Cup. They blew Costa Rica out of the water today and guarenteed themselves a spot in the Round of 16, coming out of Group A with Germany. Now it remains to be seen which team will take first place. They square off to find out which will take first and which second as they both will advance out of Group A.

 

 

While the end score belied the real game, England beat Trinidad and Tobago. However it took a late second round strike from David Beckham, off the head of the tremendously tall Crouch to put England on the board. T&T played tremendous defense, coupled with England playing sloppy, often useless offense for most of the game. England was energized by the return of their injured star Wayne Rooney in the second half. They added a cheap goal from Gerrard. England will advance to the Round of 16.

 

 

Sweden, after averaging 3 goals a game during qualifying, could not manage to score on Trinidad and Tobago in their opener. It did not look much different in the first half against Paraguay today, but they did manage to notch one on the board and grab the 3 points for a win, and they will likely advance to the Round of 16 from Group B.

 

My picks for tomorrow:

Argetina ties Serbia and Montenegro at 0

Netherlands over Ivory Coast

Mexico over Angola

 

 

 

 

Hokie Pokie

 

            For once, the best team in the northeast is not the Yankees. It is not my Red Sox. It is the brilliantly constructed New York Metropolitans. Yes, that is the full name for the Mets, the team that plays in Shea Stadium, Queens, New York, New York.

            No matter how skeptical you are, and trust me, I’m not picking them for the World Series yet (just not to jinx them), there is nothing to deny winning. Nobody can tell you that they do not have a 9 and a half game lead in their division over the Phillies, whom they just swept dominantly in Philly, and an even bigger lead on Atlanta. They are the best team in baseball both in terms of record and in many scouts and managers’ eyes.

            This team has the chance to claim supremacy in the Northeast in two weeks, when they will play back to back three game sets in Boston and across town at Yankee Stadium. Most teams would call that a torturous interleague swing, but the Mets should call it time to show off. While it is just a nice streak while dominating the Phillies, Dodgers and D-Backs, beating the Yankees and Red Sox in the most famous stadiums in the world is proof that the Mets have arrived. It is also nice practice for a possible showdown in a little event I like to call the World Series.

            Mets GM Omar Minaya is to credit for their success. Contrary to popular belief, he did not just go out and grab everyone that is a star, luring them in with the New York appeal, what I like to call the Steinbrenner Method. Minaya brought in two veteran guys who might fall off a bit but still form an amazing one-two. You may have heard of Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. He cashed in on the Marlins fire sale and brought in Carlos Delgado. Seeing that Braden Looper was not a viable closer, he lured in Billy Wagner. He also grabbed Carlos Beltran, who was disappointing last year, but this year has returned to 5-tool form with Delgado protecting him in the lineup. Here is what separates Minaya from the Yankees. He also is utilizing a terrific set of prospects from their minor league system and a couple of wily utility veterans. The prospects are suddenly big league stars in David Wright (my favorite non-Red Sox player in the bigs) and Jose Reyes. Many people can tell you, I absolutely love David Wright, I get excited when he is pictured in a magazine. Also, more raw, Lastings Milledge, a young speedy outfielder is being put to the test in the big leagues, playing every other game or so, sharing time with Endy Chavez, who has come in and made great contributions. Many people, myself included, claimed that the Mets were weak at the bottom of the rotation and it would cost them. Minaya goes and grabs El Duque, Orlando Hernandez, former Yankee ace. They will also have Brian Bannister a big young pitcher back from injury eventually, who was pitching very well before being injured running the bases, but he did score.

            Frankly, I think this team is perfect. Let me rephrase that: As perfect as a modern day team can get. It does not involve running an All-Star team out there with and ego cloud rising over the stadium. It involves bringing in talented, driven guys who get excited about playing baseball. That is why I love David Wright so much. Every time he is interviewed, he talks about how much he loves to play baseball, and it shows. Omar Minaya has found the magic formula, of course, it will not be patented until this franchise wins another World Series. This season is the 20^th anniversary of their last Series Championship, you know the one that I can barely speak of because of a certain ball that trickled through a certain man’s legs named Buckner. But it is over, my Sox have won their World Series, and I now see a connection to the teams, besides Pedro, an inexperienced manager, and a brilliant young GM. Both teams have chemistry in addition to talent.

            Maybe when someone says there is a formula to building a winner, it is correct, but most people do not understand that chemistry is still the most important thing to put a team over the hump in a team sport, although a great closer doesn’t hurt. While I am not picking the Mets yet, I do believe they have the right formula and the right chemist mixing the elements, but we still need to watch the reaction. There is a new power brewing in New York. Zc

In the most exciting day of World Cup action so far, two games were decided in stoppage time, and one before halftime. The last four teams made their debut today, Spain vs. Ukraine and Tunisia vs. Saudi Arabia. After that, one of the most heated rivalries in the Cup started off teams playing their second games, Germany vs. Poland.

 

Spain is the most tortured country of the World Cup. They constantly have formidable, often favored, teams but they cannot manage to win the whole thing. Disappointment abounds and the Spanish lovingly dread their team's World Cup appearances. Today they could rejoice for the great team they have, which makes it worse if they lose, but whatever. Today, Spain popped out and scored 2 in the first half off of a Ukraine team that is completely reliant on Andriy Shevchenko, their best player and the best scorer in all of Europe. He is a phenomenal scorer, but the midfield for the Ukraine was completely over matched as Spain was constantly on the attack. They scored 3 goals with Raul on the bench, then another when he came in. Spain was by far the most impressive team of the first round, beating the living daylights out of a more than decent Ukrainian squad. The Ukraine still has a chance to get out of the group, but Spain is going to cruise up to a game eventually with Brazil, and you know what, they might just be able to do it, a la 2004 in Boston, every streak must end eventually.

 

 

Who knew that the most exciting game of the first round would be the matchup between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. It may not be a big deal to the world, but to the Saudi's this is national pride. It started badly for the Saudis, as Tunisia got one good opportunity and cashed it in on a flying kick from Tunisia to put them ahead. The Saudis countered with a goal and tied it up, as it would stay until very late in the game. Suddenly, at about the 80th minute, both teams got a fire under them, more on the Saudi side. The Arabian side brought in wily veteran legend Al-Jaber and he scored on a wide open run perfectly timed down the middle. As stoppage time was winding to a close the announcers began talking about how huge the win was for Saudi Arabia, that they would likely advance to the knockout round. Just then, a seemingly useless free kick came into the box and was headed down into the goal, tie game and both teams get a point. I'd say this was disappointing for both, but more so for Tunisia, the team that is more experienced and somewhat expected to advance with the Ukraine's debacle.

 

 

After police in Dortmund made arrests for fights and "disturbing the peace" arising from a large number of Poles and Germans in the same place, the matchup on the field was also a slug fest. It was a game of hard tackling and fudged offensive opportunities, mostly from Germany. The Germans constantly seemed to be attacking but failing to completely convert. As is their style, the Germans wore the Poles down and with a 0-0 tie still on the board past the scheduled 90 minutes, the German substitutes stepped up. Still fresh against a worn down defense from constant runs at goal in the last 5 minutes, speedy David Odonkor made a run down the right sideline, crossed about 5 yards before the out line and another substitute, Oliver Neuville, slid and batted the ball down and forward into the near corner. A perfect play made by perfect substitutes from Jorgen Klinsmann. I give all the credit in the world to Odonkor, who came in and rejuvenated Germany's attack with speedy runs down the line followed by great crosses. Host country Germany, barring some sort of ill-fated miracle, is headed to the next round.

 

 

So now it is time for my wrap up of the first round of the group stage. Even though the second round of matches has begun, here are the standings and my thoughts:

 

Group A

Germany (6 points)- As I said, basically home free to win the group.

Ecuador (3 points)- A bit of a surprise, I think they lose to Costa Rica tomorrow and fall into third.

Costa Rica- No points yet, but I see them going through to the next round to face England, and we all know how that will work out.

Poland- Going home early to fight amongst themselves barring a miracle.

 

Group B

England should get out easily, but after that it is wide open. Trinidad and Tobago probably won't be able to pull off another point, and Sweden looked disappointing. I have Paraguay advancing, even though they are without a point.

 

Group C

Still the most intriguing group to me, with great matchups coming up between the Netherlands and Ivory Coast. Right now the Dutch and Argentinians are on top as expected. But I predict a tie between Argentina and Serbia and Montenegro and a loss to the Netherlands for Argentina. Ivory Coast will beat Serbia and Montenegro and tie the Netherlands and get through on goal differential. I think that works. I don't care, I think Ivory Coast and the Netherlands will advance out of this group.

 

Group D

I like to call this the boring group. It is almost blatanly obvious that Mexico and Portugal will advance and then immediately lose to whoever comes out of Group C.

 

Group E

As much as I would like to say the USA has a chance, they do not. Ghana on the other hand, might have a fighter's chance at taking out the Czechs and advancing with Italy.

 

Group F

A very exciting group to watch, but I will be stunned if Australia and of course, Brazil do not make it to the next round.

 

Group G

Perhaps South Korea's advance in the 2002 World Cup was not just home field advantage. With France playing as poorly as they are, Korea simply needs to win one more and they will advance, but it would help if they could manage to knock off France and earn the top spot in the group which would put them up against a much weaker team. The second place team in this group will likely meet their death against Spain.

 

Group H

Put Spain through the group and at least the first round of the knockout round. They looked spectacular without Raul and they probably were not even throwing everything they had out there. Go figure on who will finish 2nd. I think Tunisia got a wake-up call and will advance to the knockout round.

 

Picks for tomorrow as the second round of group play goes into full swing:

 

Costa Rica over Ecuador

England over T&T

Paraguay over Sweden

 

Today the World Cup premiered the team that is hyped to be the "star" of the show. The Samba stars of Brazil kicked off against the most likely challenger in their group, Croatia, but that is later.

 

The first game of the day was surprisingly entertaining as Togo, most likely the weakest team in the Cup, came out firing against a South Korea team that came out rather slowly. Togo actually put the ball in the net first, but fouls would do them in as Korea scored on a direct free kick and then later on a brilliant shot recently after a free kick.

 

 

France did not score in a pathetic, winless attempt to defend their title in 2002. Today, they looked to change that, taking on their frequent opponents Switzerland. In two matches before this World Cup this year, France and the Swiss had tied twice. Today would not be any different. A nil-nil tie was highlighted by French frustration and futility. There was no teamwork to speak of between Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Henry, the lone striker, could do nothing, getting no opportunities created and not putting himself in a good position. The Swiss had several good opportunities to take the lead, but squandered them. However, the Swiss are very happy to get a point out of this match, while it is disappointing for a French team that now has to worry about scoring their first World Cup goal since 1998, getting out of a group they now trail Korea in, and avoiding the hatred of their own fans for their lousy teamwork. The French men might be in trouble.

 

 

Odds on favorites and defending champs Brazil opened their tournament today against the Croation team. It was not easy for Brazil, not a blow out filled with Ronaldinho magic. He was impressive, but fellow midfielder Kaka did the scoring, tallying his first career World Cup goal in the first half. It was all the Samba Stars would need, but there were weaknesses in their game. The defense was spotty and sometimes slow to get back, and Ronaldo was comfirmed to be out of shape and slow. The 3rd all time goals leader was a nonfactor and Brazil's forwards were very ineffective. The midfield of Kaka and Ronaldinho is going to have to carry this team, but that does not seem like an unlikely task.

 

 

Picks for Wednesday:

Spain over Ukraine: Watch out for Ukraine. If Shevenko can get his shots in, he was the leading scorer of the UEFA Champions League, but he had much more talent around him. If this team is just decent, he can carry them through this round.

Tunisia over Saudi Arabia

Germany over Poland in the first game of the second round of the group stage.

 

Remember the Faith. Zc

Hokie Pokie

 

            Today, the USA soccer team came out flat and sloppy in their World Cup opener. Against a banged up Czech Republic team, the USA team managed to do nothing offensively. They were unorganized and hesitant. Many opportunities were abandoned due to sloppiness. Now, what few people had hopes for the World Cup have probably turned off the World’s Largest Sporting Event after ESPN analysts basically declared it impossible for the USA to advance.

            I’m not here to promote optimist and faith as I do with my Red Sox. I’ve been declaring the USA dead in the water since the start. I do not believe they have a chance to beat Italy and make a miraculous run into the second round. I’m not sure they can even win a game anymore after watching Ghana play against Italy. On Saturday, the USA will go up against Italy. We might score a goal, as their defense was easily penetrated by Ghana and their goalkeeper is not the great Petr Cech. However, even if we do score, our defense is not as easily fixable. Italy is a better scoring team than the Czechs. The Czechs probably would have had 4 or 5 if their main scorer, Koller had not gone out in the first half. We will likely have to score 4 or 5 to beat Italy if our defense improves. Reality is, I think we lose to Italy and tie Ghana. And that is probably very pessimistic towards the cause of this column.

            America is missing out on a great sport. The football (soccer) that goes on in Europe is phenomenal. The UEFA Champions League (the top club soccer competition) reaches its peak in a rather boring time of the sports year in America. Ending around the time baseball starts, this top league features the top teams from each country’s league in Europe. I cannot say I follow the sport very closely, but I intend to now. America really could get some entertainment out of the Champions League if it were televised more frequently. ESPN 2 often shows fishing shows at times that it could be showing these games. They could re-air them at night instead of showing the 2004 World Series of Poker for the 14 billionth time. I did watch the final this year, FC Barcelona (featuring Ronaldinho) vs. Arsenal (featuring Thierry Henry). Ronaldinho and Barcelona came out on top, taking a Super Bowl like crown. While it was on at 2:00 in the afternoon, there are ways that ESPN, who owns America’s broadcasting rights for the UEFA, could make it more visible. This past season they showed one game a week.

            An increase in the visibility of this top soccer league could stimulate the growth of American soccer. There are plenty of great players out there, but they choose other paths due to the uncultivated soccer culture in America. Soccer is actually the most played sports by children before age 13 in America. If Americans could get as interested in European soccer as we are in Poker, or steroids for that matter, then the American team would be good enough to win the World Cup. Right now, Americans need to be in awe of the other countries, and the club teams to grow our soccer program.

            It is not a boring sport unless you have no idea what is going on. Again, more visibility could fix the dumbfounded looks on people’s faces when they watch soccer. I am not talking about showing more MLS games. While the league is growing, it is not worth watching. The best American players are in Europe save Landon Donovan. Aaron Beasley is with PSV Eindhoven. Kasey Keller is with the newly American owned Manchester United. While they are like the Yankees of British soccer, Man U could be the most important factor in raising American soccer fans. Go figure, I have decided to cheer for rival Chelsea in UEFA soccer. It was not because of that, it was because of players on Chelsea like Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and John Terry. Those players are on the Netherlands, Ivory Coast and England, not America. Kids of America will embrace the stars, even if it means following Real Madrid for the David Beckhams and Ronaldos.

            While I may be wasting my time trying to persuade all of you into following soccer due to the limited TV coverage, I’m not going to quit. You will be getting periodical UEFA Champions League updates and reports when the season starts. Plus, I will have links to the outstanding websites for soccer following on my blog. The internet is an easy access way to follow soccer.

            So even if you watch just a couple matches a year, or you never watch except for the World Cup, encourage others, they might just surprise themselves when they have fun watching football, or soccer, or whatever. Once again, go Netherlands or Holland, what is with the dual names! Remember the Faith. Hokie Hi. Zc

Today showed some very interesting things, many of them not good for America.

 

In the first game of the day, Australia fell behind early to Japan. The game then settled in and excitement took a nap. Then suddenly with less than 10 minutes to go, the Aussie substitute Tim Cahill beat the Japanese keeper as he charged from the net. That was Australia's first ever goal in the World Cup. Well, apparently Cahill liked the feeling, as he put another one in the net, this time from 20 yards out, less than 5 minutes later. John Aloisi added another to the Aussie tally in the 90th minute and now Australia has become a favorite to accompany Brazil out of the group. I would like to say that I picked that.

 

 

The United States made its so called highly anticipated debut today against the Czech Republic. Apparently they did not respond well to the hype, as they fell flat on their face. Many speculated the USA would use a strategy similar to that of the Netherlands which stresses ball control and quick movement on first and second touches. Those people speculated incorrectly, although they might be the smart ones. The USA got into a match in which they could not control the ball and left Casey Keller high and dry many times. The Americans could not move the ball intelligently and a banged up Czech Republic team made the USA look stupid. I really do not think the USA can win a game in our group barring a major improvement and strategy change. Watching the next match I will talk about, I think we will be lucky to tie Ghana.

 

 

Ghana and Italy was much more hotly contested than the score shows. Ghana got off 14 shots and had many more opportunities that will likely be converted into goals against teams like, oh say, the USA. Michael Essien of Ghana is a do-it-all midfielder who brought energy and organization to the Ghana attack and defense. With his help, Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan will likely be able to find the net several times in this Cup. Ghana defenseman John Mensah was excellent in covering Luca Toni and others, making sure no shots came from his side of the field. Goalkeeper Richard Kingson was great after early excitability. On one goal he was left out to dry and on the other he had a heavy screen and a deflection to deal with. It is very conceivable that Ghana could win 2 games in this group. It is not likely, but this team is very good for being the country's first appearance. Italy will likely win all 3 group games, but their defense is too penatrable and they will not go past the round of 16.

 

 

Picks for Tuesday:

Korea over Togo

France over Switzerland

Brazil over Croatia

No shockers here, so I'm not going to take long. The only game that had a chance to be competitive was Mexico vs. Iran. Mexico scored first then took over in the second half. The Netherlands dominated Serbia and Montenegro, getting a goal from Arjen Robben early then just playing keepaway.

 

 

 

 

My picks for Monday's games:

 

Australia over Japan

Czech Republic over USA (sorry, but it is true)

Italy over Ghana

Day two of the World Cup, if I do say so myself, far out did day one. There were two slow paced games, one made history, and one that you could not blink during. To the games!

 

England and Paraguay started the day at 9 AM Eastern time and if you figured you would wake up at 9:30 and not miss much, you were badly mistaken. A few minues cost you everything, as the only scoring action came in the first 5 minutes. On a seemingly harmless free kick just over midfield, David Beckham sent the ball right to the top of the mass in front of the goal. Paraguay's captain made an errant attempt at a clearing header and hit the ball into his own net. There would be no more scoring and this game became the first 1-0 game in World Cup history decided by an own goal.

 

 

Seemingly the game during which you could take a nap, the Trinidad and Tobago (now referred to as T&T for this blog) and Sweden game proved to be quite intriguing. The smallest country ever to make a World Cup, T&T even admitted to being "happy to be there" and their fans were there to "see how many goals they could hold Sweden to." Well, happy surprise to T&T, they allowed a big goose egg, zilch, nada, nothing! That is right, T&T got a point for the standings in a huge upset in their first ever World Cup match. This was probably the most exciting 0-0 tie in the history of the world. T&T stunned Sweden and may have opened the door for Paraguay to go on to the next round for the 3rd consecutive time despite the loss to England. Sweden looks very disappointing and slow to the ball. T&T second string goalkeeper inexplicably was inserted into the starting lineup minutes before kickoff and Shaka Hislop put on a clinic, stopping 6 Swedish shots on goal and seeing 18 shots fired from Sweden. T&T managed just 6 shots total and their forward, Dwight Yorke, was noted for his defense.

 

 

Argentina and Ivory Coast are very different soccer programs. Ivory Coast is in its first World Cup and the country is stopping a civil war to watch. Argentina expects nothing less than to win it all for the first time in 20 years, with Diego Maradona in the stands. Ivory Coast and expert striker Didier Drogba put pressure immediately on Argentina's defense and got many chances, but could not capitalize. Argentina used the aggressive offense against them and scored to goals in the first half. The second half was dominated by Argentina until Drogba turned up the intensity and put one in the goal, Ivory Coast's first ever goal and important in a tie break, to make it 2-1. That is how it would finish, as it was too little too late. However, this game was amazingly fun to watch. It was not the type of game that has averted America from soccer, it was fast paced and flashy. I still think Ivory Coast has a chance to go through to the next round.

 

 

My picks for tomorrow's games:

 

Netherlands over Serbia-Montenegro

Mexico over Iran (The USA Public Enemy Game)

Portugal over Angola

 

Remember the Faith. (Go Netherlands!)