810 Sound Off: Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson, Sports Radio 810 WHB
Random thoughts around the sports world, and, of course, here in Kansas City
I couldn’t help but think again about how ridiculous preseason polls are. They make for good talk on the radio and around the watering hole, but really, it isn’t until the BCS poll comes out that we kind of have an understanding of how good teams are. Take, for example, Virginia Tech number 17 in the Nation? Really? A team that has 30, yes 30, players dressing who have never played in a college game.
And right on cue, the Hokie’s lost to East Carolina in the season opener. And the week before Frank Beamer announced the 2-platoon quarterback that got them second in the orange bowl will not fly this year. He announced Tyrod Tayler would Redshirt for Sean Glennon, a move I agreed with and still agree with. Then a blocked punt changed everything, Beamer Ball Backfired Baby--if it was in Blacksburg, we’d have a pretty good alliteration on our hands--now Tyrod Taylor will go from red-shirting to playing this Saturday.
The loss to East Carolina legitimized his decision to red shirt Taylor, not to reverse it. This is already going to be a long year for Tech why not leg Sean Glennon take the lumps and save a year for the quarterback your hoping can take over. Now he’s pressed the panic button. How do you spell Panic, well with that decision you can spell it B-E-A-M-E-R. Any way, Tech is now out of the top 25, and so is Clemson, who was number 9 before losing to Alabama.
How about C.C. Sabathia’s no-hitter this weekend, errr 1-hitter. Sorry, I forgot score keepers have started watching baseball down at the local 3&2 and don’t know what Major League Baseball is anymore. Who ever heard of “Sun-Ball” “you can’t catch what you can’t see” “That ball was in the lights” “That was a tough hop” “he probably should have made that play but it was tough, so no error.”
How about understanding that this is the Major Leagues, and Major League players should be held to Major League standards. So now the Milwaukee Brewers are sending in video of the play to MLB to reverse the call and give C.C. the much deserved no-hitter. Then what? He goes back out on the field and jumps in his catchers arms, they give him the Gatorade shower in warm-ups when they hear the decision.
Let’s ask Kevin Appier or Paul Splittorff how they would feel if tomorrow they got a call and the man on the other end of the phone said, “one of your 1 hitters you threw with the Royals has now been changed to a No-Hitter. Congratulations.” While nice to put on the resume, not the same. The official scorer blew the call, but what else is new.
The Royals have decided to give Kila Kaaihue his much deserved September call-up. This is big news to me for two reasons. One, it shows other minor leaguers in the system if you have a year like Kaaihue, it won’t be ignored and you have the shot at being rewarded with a month in the show. Two, the Royals, theoretically like other Major League Clubs, only call up players for September call-ups if that player has a shot at making the Major League club out of Spring Training the following year.
Great news for Kaaihue and others, who are hoping the Royals don’t ignore numbers from a “Non-Prospect”, like they did with Mike Aviles last year, this spring training and the first two months of the season. Kaaihue, though, should take Aviles out to dinner with his first Major League check. Aviles coming up to the Majors and not peeing down his leg has re-opened the Royals eyes at some “Non-Prospects” in the system, namely Kaaihue.
Kaaihue by the way wasn’t even mentioned in Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook. BA ranks each organizations top 30 prospects and lists the depth at each Position. On that page is where you can spot Kaaihue, listed as a first basemen in the system, behind Justin Huber, who, by the way was ranked 17th this year heading into Spring Training. I wonder where Kaaihue will rank in next year’s edition?
Do the Chiefs really have to make the trip to New England this weekend? Couldn’t they send in a tape of Ivan Drago Vs. Apollo Creed. The Chiefs are going to come out like they have some bullets in the chamber, dancing around the ring with play-actions and bootlegs, but when it’s all said and done they’ll likely get killed.
I can hear Tom Brady now from Gisele’s couch looking at game film, speaking with a Russian accent, “You Will Lose!” Unfortunately, our “friends” to the west in San Diego might be playing the role of Rocky this year, and just like the movie, they’ll more than likely have to beat them on their turf. But don’t count on the Foxboro fans rooting for the Chargers at the end of the game.
