My Kingdom For A Clean-Up Hitter

Toasty Joe likes to think of himself as a patient man, but he has just about reached his limit with Mr. Carlos Juan Delgado. Last night, in his latest abominable performance - this time in a big game against a division rival - our "clean-up hitter" hung a 0-for-4 with one strikeout and a huge 4-6-3 double-play that squelched a potential early rally. He is now hitting a paltry .209 through 41 games with 3 HRs and 23 RBIs. (Yes, he has 23 RBIs. Do you remember any of them, other than the 2 against the Cubs on the ground ball single that barely made it into the outfield? I sure don't). And now there are rumblings from Willie himself that Delgado's skid is screwing up Beltran, as Carlos #1 is getting a steady diet of curveballs (kryptonite to Carlos #1) because pitchers have no problem facing Carlos #2.

Folks, 16 seasons, 1,700 hits and 400 home runs earn one a lot of good will. But how much? Two months' worth? Three? When is it time for Willie to reshuffle the lineup and try something new? When is it time for Carlos himself to take a few days off? I don't know, but all I know is, we aren't charging into October without a clean-up hitter. Who knows, maybe Carlos busts out this week in a huge way, making me look stupid (wouldn't be the first time), but at this point, I can't even watch his at-bats any more. Going to the bathroom and/or watching my toenails grow is a far more rewarding process.

(1) This whole "hey, check it out, we're the Braves' bitches again!" thing is getting old fast. I know it shouldn't matter so much, because, unlike 1992-2005, we're actually in first place now - but it still sucks.

(2) This one really felt like it was over in the second inning, probably after Delgado's DP, and most definitely after Sosa began to crack in his old stomping grounds. I do not think it's a coincidence that his only bad outing was in Atlanta. If he's anything like Glavine, we can expect Sosa to suck at the Ted for the next 3 years.

(3) I watched most of this debacle in the cozy confines of the Gael Pub on Third Avenue, engaging in a spirited round of Tuesday Night Bar Trivia with teammates Flitgirl and Friend of Flitgirl. Alas, much like the Yankees' destiny this year, we finished in fourth place. I was most disappointed by my performance in the Sports Round, wherein our team (the Bella Carmines) got only one right out of ten. Sounds pathetic, I know, but keep in mind that every other question was about horseracing, golf, or the olympics, none of which is my forte. I nailed the Tyler Clippard question, though.

Finally, I have to mention the big-time bush league play I witnessed last night by that nancy-boy third-baseman in the Bronx. For those of you who missed it, A-Rod slid cleanly into second base on a double-play ball hit by Jughead, but when he popped back up, he gave Dustin Pedroia a forearm shiver right into the family jewels. We'll see if Schilling exacts some revenge tonight. (Video here, until they take it down).

Interestingly, this is now the second time Alex has slapped at a Red Sox's ball.