OK... Here's The Thing...

On August 2, Billy Butler hit his seventh Home Run of the season, the next day, Mike Aviles did the same. I thought, "Wow... our young guns are finally going to show something!" So I started my tracking of their HR's.

ALL MONTH LONG, they didn't hit another... until Billy hit a couple more the last weekend of August. So I'll end my HR tracking, RIGHT HERE!

... It's A Jungle Out There ...

Mike (Smiley) Aviles vs Billy (Bam Bam) Butler

Mike (Smiley) Aviles & Billy (Bam Bam) Butler, are young guys with similar swings. Both enter the Twins series (starting 8/8/8) with Seven Home Runs each. So I wonder, "Which will hit the most Dingers this year?" So, I'll be updating their slug success, right here.

Mike (Smiley) Aviles

7 HR - 08/03/08
Billy (Bam Bam) Butler
7 HR - 08/02/08

RLBLUE Ride

So here's some pics of my Royal Blue Mini-van (It's not my fault, the lady in the SUV smashed my full-sized van!)... OK... I'm OK... it just sometimes comes out like that. The shrink says it'll stop one day (or not). Surely I'll be OK with being in the mini-van generation someday (or not).

Front View (note the plates)

Rear View (duh)

Show Room Angle

And now for the part that cost more than twice the amount of the vehicle:

So the van pulls into the driveway

The door opens & ramp begins sliding fron below the floor

Meanwhile the back of the van neels

The ramp drops to the ground

And the fat old man gets out of the van... Independence... that's what it's all about, baby!

When's the game?

The Nicest Bunch Of Guys To Push Around!

That’s the attitude teams have had about the Royals for the past decade or more.

At the risk of sounding like a biased, profiling bigot… I say, “Bring On That ‘Dominican Tude’!”

Year, after year, after freaking year the Kansas City Royals have been one of MLB’s doormats. There’s a close call to be made… the other team gets the call. A Royals’ batter gets hit… no retaliation is expected. The team goes on a long loosing streak; they all go out for a rousing night of “Cookies N Milk”. What a nice bunch of guys!

Well… now we’ve got some guys who aren’t afraid of stirring the pot! Young guys make stupid mistakes then bow their head… in the past they got hugs from their Captain… Now They Get Called Babies! A batter gets hit… AGAIN… in the past they take their base (with no repercussions)… Now The Batter Charges The Mound!

This year, pitchers have retaliated by hitting the opponent’s batter… that didn’t happened in the past.

Do I support beanings, brawls and nasty play? No! But at the same rime, rolling over time and again has gotten old. And I like the new fire in this team!

Ultimately, the game comes down to pitching, defense and run production… if doing it with a chip on the shoulder helps that process… BRING IT ON!!!