American Hooligans

Well, so much for that.

J-Bla and I were talking about this and I was genuinely in favor of keeping him around to rattle pitchers. If he can go to a full count and go down swinging after fouling one off, he can obviously still get the bat around enough to stand up to MLB pitching, so this could work.

Basically, we all know pitchers are emotional basketcases that are easily shaken. Hell, look at the Yanks’ own Joba Chamberlain and the midges. So imagine it’s the bottom of the ninth, their lights-out closer is in the game, and who do the Yanks send to the batter’s box but a 60 year old Catskills comedian that you loved in City Slickers? You’re there trying to pitch and Billy Crystal is digging in with his spikes and jabbering a mile a minute. You’re trying to get him out and trying NOT to get jacked up and in the mean time, he’s working the count out to full and riffing. “Oy, you call that a fastball? I had more heat in my colon last time I had chili. Ha-cha-cha-cha-cha!”

You’re telling me that wouldn’t effect someone?