NL East: Still A One Horse Town

The National League East had been owned by the Atlanta Braves for so long, the previous division winner won when the Braves were still in the NL West. The reign of Atlanta may be over, but this division remains a one team division. The owners may be further up the East Coast, but essentially nothing has changed.

Dominant Teams
New York Mets: You would think the Mets could have learned a little something from their crosstown rivals -- ancient rotations do not win championships. I'm not talking about '06, when injuries caught up with them. I'm talking about the team they set up this year. The Mets should once again win this division -- no one can stop the hitting. But come playoff time, I see them bounced in the first round, just like their brothers from another borough.

Teams with Potential
Philadelphia Phillies: For the past several years, this team has been hyped as being on the verge of taking the division. And every year they fall short. Ryan Howard is a terrific ball player and one day I hope to see him win one in Philly. But he will need a better cast around him -- one that doesn't fade in August and September as his current teammates seem to always do.

Atlanta Braves: The fact that they are still a decent team with a legitimate shot at a wildcard speaks volumes about the man on running the show, Mr. Bobby Cox. Forget Torre. Forget LaRussa. Forget Randolph and Leyland. Cox is the best there is. Andruw Jones is going to have an MVP-type season in 2007.

Also Rans
Washington Nationals: Too much needs to be done at the top of this organization for anything to function fully at the bottom. Frank Robinson had done a respectable job keeping this team competitive through years of no ownership and rented homes. Until those issues are resolved, the Nats will not contend.

Florida Marlins: This team should be breaking attendance records year-in and year-out. They should be one of the best teams in baseball every year. The city of Miami has so much potential as a baseball town. But all that is ruined because of their owner. Jeffrey Loria is as bad for baseball as Barry Bonds and steroids. If players can be banned, then so should owners -- especially this embarrassment. Last year, he had the NL Manager of the Year. And he was fired before winning the award. He is a fool. And the Marlins will flounder.

A Stroll Down Trauma Lane

This past weekend, Claudia and I enjoyed a couple of days visiting New York City. It'd been a while since we spent a weekend in the Apple, so we were looking forward to it. We wined and dined like royalty (Sparks Steak House, Casa Mono and Otto). We saw a great exhibit down at the Seaport. In all, it was a terrific weekend.

Except for one portion.

We took the 4 train down to Fulton Street (by the Seaport) and decided to turn west first. We walked to the big hole in the ground that was the former site of the World Trade Center. As we approached, the sense of "vacation" left us. From that moment, and until we left, it was a time of reflection, a time of sadness, and a time of our personal memories of that particular day five and a half years ago.

The first thing we noticed was the sign along the fence. It gave a moment-by-moment account of the events of 9/11. The time each plan took off from their respective airports all the way through the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Claudia noted how she and I had our own accoount of what happened -- I as an all-too-close witness and she as a wife out of communication with her husband as the events unfolded around her.

We pointed out to each other what we were doing when the first plane hit, when the second plane hit, and so on. We'd heard it from each other so many times before -- since moving to Milford where the events were witnessed from television, Claudia and I have been asked to retell our stories numerous times. This time, however, we were telling it for each other.

We looked up names of the people we knew who had died that day. Michael Lynch, a friend of Claudia's who was a firefighter. Joe Riverso, a Kantor Fitzgerald employee who also tended bar in White Plains and was there when Claudia and I first met.

Slowly, we became aware of the people around us. We didn't notice at first -- I think we were too struck by our own memories. Then we saw them. Tourists still came to take pictures. I saw people photographing themselves in front of the fence as if it were the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Then I saw the leetches, those who were selling photographs of the World Trade Center and the events of the day. They sickened me.

Perhaps I was more angry than I should have been. Maybe the fact that 9/11 was more than an historic event to Claudia and me clouds my opinion on the subject. But I saw the future in the actions of the people around me. 9/11 is losing its place as a tragic event in American history. It's becoming an attraction.

And for someone who has lived through it, I find that to be a tragedy in itself.

NL Central: Mediocrity At Its Finest

The National League Central is home to the World Series Champs and the last three NL Champs. You would think that a division with this much success would be considered one of the more dominant divisions. Not when the division winner last year won a mere 83 games. Still, the success this division has had in the postseason makes what will likely amount to a three-way race seem all the more important as we near October.

Dominant Teams
None. Not one of these teams can be considered a standout. Even the Cardinals are no guarantee.

Teams With Potential
St. Louis Cardinals: They have won five of the last seven division titles. They boast the game's best player in Albert Pujols. Veterans like Jim Edmonds, David Eckstein and Scott Rolen make this lineup dangerous. Plus they can handle the glove. The Cardinals' soft spot is on the mound. With a hardly recognizeable rotation and bullpen, the defending champs go into 2007 with many tough questions. They still have enough to win the division, but everything needs to line up just right for them.

Chicago Cubs: This will be the Cubs' 99th season without a championship. Finally, ownership decided to make some moves to change the futility. They spent Yankee-like money in the offseason, bringing in guys like Alfonso Soriano and resigning the likes of Aramis Ramirez. For once, it seems the team's success will not rely on the fragile bodies of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Still, Lou Piniella will have his work cut out for him to turn a last place team to a contender.

Houston Astros: Never count out these Astros. They are a gutsy team. They made it to the World Series in 2005, then lost their best postseason player (Carlos Beltran). Despite that, they were only a game and a half from supplanting the Cardinals for the division last year. The Astros would be the clear favorites for me if they had signed Andy Pettitte. With Pettitte comes Roger Clemens. They would have had the rotation to beat anyone down the stretch. Without them, they are going to have their hands full.

Also Rans:
Cincinnati Reds: They had an exciting run for about half a season last year. Truth is, however, the Reds are not going anywhere. They still lack a rotation and a quality bullpen. As dangerous as Adam Dunn can be, he strikes out way too much. Junior Griffey should have just stayed in Seattle.

Milwaukee Brewers: For the past few seasons, I saw them as being the surprise team that was going to take everyone by storm. It turns out they are a big disappointment. It's a shame, really. The people of Milwaukee deserve better. That stadium deserves better.

Pittsburgh Pirates: People across the country are gathering in an attempt to retire Roberto Clemente's number league-wide. I fear that the only excitement Pirate fans will have in 2007 is listening to the arguments for or against Clemente.

Of Bats And Balls

Can't you just smell the springtime in the air?

OK, if you are in the northeast -- or most of the country for that matter -- you likely can't. But trust me, it is here. How do I know? Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday.

And with the beginning of spring training comes the first round of bold predictions. I will proudly place them here. Some notes on last year's predictions: I was right on four of six divisions, plus I correctly had the Dodgers in second (to take the wildcard). While I was far from perfect, bettors can take note. And while my AL and NL champs faltered in the playoffs, no one could have predicted the Tigers or the injuries to the Mets pitching staff.

Looking on to this year, we may see some great milestones -- Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson are approaching the vaunted 300 win plateau. Both are first ballot hall-of-famers. The Yankees look to grab their tenth consecutive division title. And all fans are going to have to deal with the eventual record-breaking home run by Barry Bonds -- and the controversy that surrounds it.

Remember, since his last at-bat, it has come out that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Bud Selig is in the unenviable position of having to decide what major league should do with respect to the record. I'm sure we'll be spending the better part of the chase honoring the great Henry Aaron -- something that is long overdue. Unfortunately, before the pennant races heat up, the greatest of all sports records will have fallen to one of sports' dirtiest, most vile and contemptible men.

Tomorrow I'll begin my 2007 predictions. I've decided to do it in a different order this year. I'm going to continue division-by-division, however I'll go from least exciting division to the most.

No matter. Grab your glove and a bat. It's time once again to play ball.

Enough Already

Last night while flipping through the channels, we came upon one of the many entertainment magazine shows. There was a clip about one of the dozen or so end of/beginning of year award ceremonies for actors and films. I hadn't heard of this one before and I wondered to myself, do we really need all of these?

The Oscars, the first and most glamorous of the film awards, is fine. Why must we have all these others? What exactly are we honoring here? Art? Usually not. Most winners are big studio, big budget, big name films. They are pop music, not cutting edge.

In addition, do these celebrities really need another award ceremony to thank their agent and their hair dresser?

I was reflecting on the Hollywood clique and their lifestyle. They make millions to say a few lines, maybe cry, in front of a camera which affords them ample opportunity to keep trying until they get it right (unlike those on stage who must perform their lines in front of an audience of several hundred every night). They are pampered by assistants hired by others.

They live in a world free from real responsibility (do you really think if they had any responsibility the divorce rate among these people would be so high?). Their biggest concern is the papparazzi, which is despised until they have moved on to the next celebrity. And when the celebrity has moved out of the spotlight long enough (three weeks), articles are sent to the tabloids and magazines heralding a marvelous comeback that is about to happen.

Celebrity relations with drugs and alcohol are also different. If Joe or Jane Anyone got drunk and coked up on a Tuesday night, had their exposed crotch photographed a mere months after giving birth to a second child, and made a horrific scene, Joe or Jane would be scorned, likely fired, and would risk losing everything. For the same offense, the celeb gets a six-week vacation at a spa and returns with a PR campaign about how much rehab meant to them.

What frustrates me about celebrities, their lifestyles and their consistent need to pat themselves on the back through all these award shows isn't that they can do it and I can't. I can barely sit through two minutes of the Oscars, or anything else of that nature. No, what frustrates me is how many of us -- the real people -- actually care about these celebrities.

Last week a drug addict died in a hotel room. Her son overdosed a few months earlier. She recently had a daughter, but had no idea who the father was. If she was from the South Bronx, or Compton, or Bridgeport, none of us would even know she died. Nor would we care. But because she looked a little like Marilyn Monroe, had a spread in Playboy and had a pretty good publicist, her death has supplanted even the war in the news.

Anna Nicole Smith is not unlike many of the celebrities we read about in these stargazing magazines. They live in the spotlight. They have the fame, the fortune and the glamour. What they lack, and what I and many like me have, is fulfillment.

The Breakfast Club

Yet another example of how much things have changed.

The movie whose name I borrowed for the title of this rant was the quintessential angst film of its era. The central them was how much boys and girls were different from each other, yet how much the same they were. There were two female "members" of the Breakfast Club, and three male "members". They were each a representative of a stereotype of five cliques one would see in schools in most towns across the country.

The three males were the geek, the jock and the metal-head. They had their own distinct interests and styles and all three actors (Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson, respectively) played their roles perfectly. Certainly, in my high school, these were three cliques that were active, among others.

Which brings me to the youth of today. As I have written here many times, Jonathan is very much the athlete -- the jock. He's a multi-state Tae Kwon Do champ and a slugger on his baseball team. He would, it seems, be the modern day Andy from the movie.

But wait...

The other day I took Jonathan to the mall to walk around and "air him out" from a day in the house. I brought him to FYE, the music store, and asked him to pick out two CD's for us to listen to on the way home. He listened to (you can do that now) and chose Metallica's Master of Puppets and Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists. Maybe he's the metal-head.

And yet this morning Jonathan began a new routine. Today was his first day in the Chess Club. Oh, my. He's the geek too.

Truth be told, I am so excited for Jonathan to learn and play chess. It is the ultimate strategy game. It will help him to use his mind in so many ways. He'll think more clearly when doing school work. It can help him in social and work settings. And it will help him to use strategy in Tae Kwon Do.

There is obviously a little bit of the geek, the athlete and the metal-head in my son. I'm guessing he isn't alone. I don't see today's youth being segmented as we were in my generation. It will lead to a more well-rounded individual.

Besides, now Jonathan can teach me to play.

Rooting For The Soldiers In A Bad War

How many times have we heard the notion that being against the war is being against the troops. Failure to show solidarity to the war effort -- even an illigitimate one -- destroys troop morale and effectively hurts the very people we claim we are supporting.

Rubbish.

Time Magazine has an article on the politicizing of exactly this subject. Senators Lieberman and McCain are the antagonists in the article. Lieberman particularly comes out looking rotten. Any self-respecting Nutmegger could have told you that (most Nutmeggers are self-respecting -- he didn't win the majority, despite winning the election).

Politics aside, it is crucial that we as Americans show solidarity and support for the men and women of the armed forces. To me, any less is unjustified.

The veterans of Vietnam were treated awfully by their fellow citizens. What happened then was shameful. I hope that we as semi-intelligent human beings have learned a great lesson.

But that has nothing to do with seeking out alternative solutions to this crisis. Being against the notion that sending more and more troops will help doesn't hurt morale. True, I am not a veteran, but the fact is neither is Joe Lieberman.

Senator McCain is a veteran, yes. He also suffered greatly as a prisoner of war. Surely, his views would be at least partially guided by those awful experiences. Still, if the anti-war demonstrations at home were so demoralizing to the soldiers, why would there still be Medal of Honor recipients during that time?

I asked a veteran -- my father -- if it affected morale. He said that, while he fought in 1965 rather than 1968 when anti-war feelings were at its climax, it didn't affect him. "The truth is, you fight for each other."

Insinuating that vocalizing an opinion that differs from that of the Bush Administration (something that Lieberman and McCain appear unable to do) is somehow hurting American troops -- and therefore hurting America -- is in itself un-American. It goes against the very foundation of our great nation -- that we are entitled to (no, expected to) voice our opinions. The fact that some in positions of power cannot admit failure should not sway our resolve to try to do what is right -- for American and for our soldiers.

I leave you with this about morale. It comes from a very dear friend of mine about his wife's cousin:

"(He) was just awarded commendation with valor for his actions in Afghanistan. He was working the turret gun on top of a humvee in the midst of a battle with the Taliban. He had to reload 6 times over an hour while they awaited air support- all the time with bullets flying around him. After all was said and done, when they inspected the area there were bullet holes all around the area where he was positioned. He was fortunate. He took out several Taliban as well as one on the top 20 list."

What is demoralizing is that this hero was forced to pay $20 for the honor that he earned on the battlefield. That is how much the government charged him for his medal.

Ode To Pizza

As a foodie, I've been able to dine in some of the best restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, London, Santa Fe and many other places. I've been served some of the best meals by chefs whose names are recognized all over the world.

Still, there is a place in my heart (and my stomach, of course) for pizza. That marriage of dough, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil is as perfect a combination as anything we eat. Pizza is "fast food", but it is also anything but.

The origin of pizza is up for some debate. It's been said that the ancient Phoenicians or ancient Greeks invented pizza. Since the tomato was not available to either civilization, I beg to differ. They may have made the forerunner, but true pizza was invented in Campania, Italy.

The pizza we eat here in the northeastern United States is the grandchild of Neapolitan pizza, specifically Pizza Margherita. This is the perfect pizza -- tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic and a nice thin crust. It's a slice of heaven -- no pun intended, of course.

I've enjoyed pizza from Lombardi's in Manhattan -- the first pizzeria in America. I've had Frank Pepe's in New Haven. I've had other great pizzas, like Sal's in Mamaroneck. I've unfortunately had my share of bad pizzas as well (Domino's and anything in Milford, CT, except Franco's). I've tried unique styles of pizza, like Colony in Stamford or the more high end California-style made by Wolfgang Puck.

Three pizzerias stand out to me as my favorites. The best is not surprisingly in the Bronx. On Allerton Avenue there is a small place called Dominick's. Big slices, lots of cheese, nice crust. You cannot call yourself a pizza fan until you've eaten there.

Second is just a couple of miles north on Lincoln Avenue in Mount Vernon. It's called Johnny's. The thing about Johnny's is you cannot get a slice -- you must order a whole pie. And if you go, you'll be glad you did. By far, the best sauce on any pizza ever.

Third goes to the pizzeria around the corner from the house I lived in when my son was born. It's called Broadway Pizza in White Plains. It's the blend of great sauce and cheese and crust that gets me. We moved out of the neighborhood almost five years ago. Still, we've been known to come back from time to time and grab a few slices.

So there it is, my take on the perfect food.

Now, run out there and grab a slice.

A Letter To Young America

Times are desperate here in America.

We have, as you know, a President who doesn't care about the Constitution or the very principles on which our nation has been founded. We have an administration that is now responsible for more American deaths than al Qaida. And despite the recent victories by the Democratic Party in the House and Senate, there are still more than enough Republicans in office to keep Congress from making a significant statement against the war.

The generation that grew up during Vietnam is weary. They've been through a crisis like this before, and they know how it can divide the country. Besides, they've "grown up" since then, they made money in the eighties and nineties and retirement is more pressing an issue.

My generation -- X -- was, is and always will be too small in number. We were cynical in our youth, having learned (incorrectly) that we cannot make a difference.

But you, the youth of America, are the difference-makers here. You can do something. By simply following one rule, you can create such a problem for the Bush administration even the Democrats couldn't be as effective.

All you need to do to help make this country right again is to follow one simple rule: do not enlist.

This is by no means a commentary on the military life. Those of you who have read me long enough know I have nothing but the utmost respect for our soldiers, sailors and marines. But the fact is the one thing Bush needs that he simply cannot take or bully or steal is you.

Stand up against this war. Stand up against all that has gone wrong in the last six years. Stay out of the armed forces. Force George Bush's hand. He cannot fight a war without you.

You can make him stop.

You can make a difference.

XLI: The Day After

I've had the night to digest the game. Certainly, it was one where we would all call "peculiar". Here are some thoughts I had about the Colts-Bears match-up.

• Super Bowl XL was the most boring close Super Bowl ever. So, it only makes sense to follow that up with the most exciting lopsided Super Bowl the next year.
• From the pre-game I realized how terrific it was to see a Super Bowl affected by the weather. Football is supposed to be the hard-nosed tough guy game. But playing the championship indoors or in sunny and warm weather defeats the purpose. So seeing all that rain was refreshing.
• That said, CBS could have done a better job covering the camera lenses. On several plays, the offensive and defensive lines looked like a white and black smudge.
• The opening kickoff return for a TD started what may have been the most thrilling first ten minutes in Super Bowl history. Incredible.
• Hats off to Tony Dungy. He is a class act and he has finally won the big game.
• The Bears need a new defensive coordinator. I don't particularly buy into the idea that they had a great defense this year. They kept guarding against the big play and subsequently got burned on little plays all game long. That they failed to adjust is embarrassing.
• Peyton Manning deserves all the praise in the world. He is a class act. He is a great quarterback. And by winning a Super Bowl, has launched himself into the next level. One can legitimately call him the best of his generation now. He's years away from being compared with the best ever (Montana and Elway), but he's certainly done what he needed to do to step up when it mattered.
• Which also leads me to this: Peyton Manning can not be compared to Dan Marino. Marino is no Manning. He couldn't win the big one.
• Still, Manning did not deserve the MVP. No single player contributed more to the Colts' success last night than Rex Grossman.
• I wanted the Bears to win. I didn't like how the press hammered away at Grossman and I hoped he would win and shut the media up. Instead he proved them right. And in the process, made guys like Patrick Ewing and Alex Rodriguez look not so bad in the clutch. Neither of them singlehandedly cost their teams a championship.
• Let it be said that anyone saying this is the Colts' second Super Bowl victory is categorically wrong. The Indianapolis Colts have won only one Super Bowl. What happened in Baltimore stayed in Baltimore. When a team moves, they lose the right to their history. That history stays in the city it had abandoned. The San Francisco Giants never won a World Series. The Oakland Athletics won four, not nine, championships. And Indy has one Lombardi trophy.
• Which still is one more than my beloved Eagles.

Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Me?

The newest report on global warming has been released, and scientists from 113 countries have stated their case that warmer temperatures throughout the planet are, in fact, caused by man-made greenhouse gases.

In other words, as if it's no surprise, we are responsible for global warming.

I'm well aware that there are people out there who still don't believe that. They think it's some "liberal" attempt to weaken the oil industry and empower their friends on the environmentalist front. It's really not worth our time or effort discussing this topic with such people. They'll still argue that Al Gore is the devil as their skin burns off because they forgot to lather up generously in SPF 97.

Ocean levels are rising. The world is getting warmer. Climates are changing. This is going impact our lives in so many ways. It already has.

As a child, and even into my teens, it was not uncommon for me to wear suntan oil in the summertime while at the beach or the pool. Sometimes, usually early in the summer, I might get a bit of sunburn. But usually, my skin turned a golden brown as my hair lightened. Today, I don't go outside for extended periods of time without SPF 15. And if I know I'll be in a place where the sun's rays are stronger, I'll go higher.

Ponds and lakes that were once dark and murky are now bright green with algae. It's so think in places you think you could walk on it. Anyone who understands photosynthesis can figure out why. The result, of course, is that the plants underneath die off from lack of the same necessary sunlight. And the fish in the lakes die from lack of oxygen in the water.

I'm curious how long it's going to take before New York City becomes the Venice of the New World. I have decided to take Jonathan up north to Canada or Alaska in the next few years so he can see a glacier. There is a significant chance his children will only know about glaciers from books. What will happen, I wonder, when dammed-up rivers like the Housatonic and the Connecticut begin to overflow the other way, as water entering the river from the Long Island Sound push past the dams? And don't even get me started on the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies.

These things are going to happen. It's inevitable. No, it's not going to happen tomorrow -- or even next year. But the damage we've caused is done and there really is no turning back.

There are two things we need to do. First, we need to begin to prepare for the inevitable disasters. It's a matter of coming up with alternatives to things we take for granted because many of those things will no longer exist at some point -- perhaps in our lifetime.

Second, we have to stop debating about the envirnment and start taking action.

This isn't about saving the earth. No, the earth is going to be just fine. Warm, perhaps, but fine.

It's about saving ourselves.