Your Zito-Jones Update And A Thought About The Derby

Now your favorite Monday blog entry!!!

Your Barry Zito-Andruw Jones update.  Both make somewhere near $14 million a year and for what?   Both have the most insane contracts in baseball when one looks at what they are paid contrasted with their production.  Zito is a former Cy Young Award winner who had a 94 MPH fastball and a curve ball that rolled off a table.  Jones hit 51 home runs a couple of years ago.  Now?  Zito's fastball is now around 80 MPH and his curveball now resembles a broken flattened comma.  Jones is on pace to strike out twice as many times as getting a hit.  

Well worth the money.  Sad that any fan paying for a ticket, buying merchandise, and watching the Extra Innings packages are paying for it.  But, hey don't worry we are all paying for a war that was supposed to have won five years ago and $4 million a gallon for gas.

BARRY ZITO:

Barry got "demoted" to the bullpen right after the last post.  He stated in the local media that his problems on the mound were mostly "mental" and that he was not injured.  Either way he is mechanically all over the place.  I don't think that he is injured physically.  I just sense that his brain is not connected to his body and his mechanics are completely haywire (not using his legs for increased velocity).  There has been no change in his numbers since he has not been used for nearly ten days now.

W-L:   0-6           ERA:    7.53             SO:  11             WHIP:  1.95

ANDRUW JONES:

The Dodgers had their eight game winning streak snapped by Colorado on Sunday.  Andruw was a complete non factor going 3 for 16 with no homers and five strike outs.  He got the day off on Thursday and on Sunday, but according to his manager, Joe Torre, he will continue to play regularly in order to get our of his slump.  Andruw's slump is now over a month long and he is on track to strike out 186 times and hit five home runs.  Interesting stat?   Jones has 16 hits and 15 walks as well as 34 strike outs.  I will not rest until he is introduced as a Las Vegas 51 (the Dodgers Triple AAA team) where he will swing at curve balls nine feet off the plate (instead of five feet now) against a Sacramento Bee.  The other question I have is:  If Andruw stops hitting homers what will his hot girlfriend do (see above pic)?   Because everybody knows:  "Chicks dig the loonnng balllll" 

AVG.:   .163           HR:   1              RBI:    4            OBP:    .274

Just a note on the tragedy at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday evening which was incredibly sad and surreal.  On one side we have the unfiltered joy of a victory for the owners, trainers, and jockey for Big Brown after a clearly dominant and decisive race.  As we saw pictures of celebration and joyful interviews in front of TV cameras, Eight Belles was being euthanized right on the track.  Incredibly sad and surreal.  Even more jarring for me is hearing the trainer for Eight Belles, Larry Jones clearly indicate that she "gladly gave her life" to racing.  I need your help with this.  I don't know much of anything about horse racing.  I don't know much about horses period.  So I am not going on a rant about racing being unethical, inhumane, or dangerous.  I don't know enough to make a cogent opinion.  It's just that my immediate reaction to Mr. Jones was to say "WTF!  A horse chose to give her life to racing???   Am I crazy or just naive???"  Please tell me if I am off base.  The other thing that I have found out that the mortality rate on the track of race horses is 1.9 deaths per 1,000 races.  With as many races that go off around the country each day that translates to two deaths a day.  Does this make sense?  Is this acceptable?  Help me.