Masters Recap: Tiger's Roller Coaster, Rory's Meltdown (and, Oh Yeah, That Charl Schwartzel Guy)

In what has to be described as one of the most thrilling final rounds in Masters history, 26 year-old South Arfrican Charl Schwartzel became the fourth consecutive first-time Major champion, captializing on an epic four-hole stretch to capture the coveted Green Jacket.  Schwartzel, who hadn't won on the PGA Tour prior to Sunday, kick-started his round with a sensational birdie from well right of the first green, then followed that up by holing out for eagle on the par 4 3rd.  However, his defining moment may have been the four-hole home stretch, as he made birdie on each of the final four holes, en route to his first victory on American soil.

However, we'll probably soon forget the name Charl Schwartzel.  After all, we fans have bigger fish to fry.

First up, Tiger Woods.  In my opinion, Woods, who hasn't won since the Australian Masters in November 2009, struck the ball better than he has in the past 18 months.  He looked like Tiger Woods circa 2000, and not the controversy-laden, swing-tinkering Tiger.  Unfortunately, as all golfers can attest to, you win and lose tournaments on and around the greens.  Recently, Tiger has been changing putters more often than most of us change clothes.  Desptie the changes, the results have been very similar: poor putting, leading to no wins.

Put it this way: when Tiger was in his heyday (around, say, 2000 and 2001), he was spraying the golf ball all over the golf course, just as he's been prone to do in recent months.  Casual fans never noticed this for two reasons: first, Tiger Woods was, and still is, unquestionably the greatest golfer in history when it comes to recovery shots, and second, Tiger Woods could drain 40-foot putts with unbelievable regularity.  Look at the putt he made on the 17th hole during the 2000 PLAYERS Championship.  You can give every Tour pro 100 balls from that exact spot, and they would be lucky to make one.

Tiger doesn't have that stroke anymore.  And it doesn't look like he's close to getting it back (case in point, Tiger's four-foot eagle putt on 15 Sunday).

Now, on to the 54-hole leader, 21 year-old Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy.  From the very beginning of the final round, he looked rattled, if not downright scared.  He was able to survive the front nine relatively unscathed, but completely came off the rails on the par 4 10th, snap-hooking a drive 150 yards left, and scuffling his way to a triple bogey seven.  After that, McIlroy was totally unhinged, winding up with a fianl round 80, the highest score of a 54-hole leader in Masters history.  This was certainly a dark day for the 21 year-old, but anyone who thinks he'll somehow be damaged because of this is sorely mistaken.  He has the game and the mindset of a champion, and his day will come sooner rather than later.

Other musings from Augusta:
-Adam Scott is playing the best golf of his life, thanks in large part to his new long putter.  The 30 year-old Australian, widely considered to have one of the best swings in the world, is finally seeing his game round into form as he reaches the prime of his career.  Look for Scott, a former PLAYERS Champion, to break through on the Major stage.

-If you don't know who Jason Day is, learn, and learn fast.  The 23 year-old Aussie is young, talented, and incredibly fearless, a quality needed for superstardom on the Tour, as well as in the Majors.

-One of these days, Korean K.J. Choi will break through on the Major stage.  He's too solid and too undaunted to not get it done.

-Food for thought: with Schwartzel's win on Sunday, no American-born player currently holds a Major title (Graeme McDowell/Northern Ireland/U.S. Open, Louis Oosthuizen/South Africa/British Open, and Martin Kaymer/Germany/PGA Championship). 

What are your thoughts?  What did you take away from the Masters?

What I'm Listening To:  Jason Mraz -- Sleep All Day.  A pre-stardom Mraz song.  A very underrated Mraz song.

Kiss it Goodbye: Manny Has No Chance at the Hall

On Friday, the bizarre career of 12-time All-Star slugger Manny Ramirez came to an abrupt end when he announced his retirement from baseball.  A key member of the two Red Sox World Championship teams in 2004 and 2007, Ramirez leaves Major League Baseball as one of the game's greatest hitters ever.  During his 19 seasons in the Bigs, Ramirez had a career .312 batting average with 555 home runs (14th all-time) and 1,831 runs batted in (18th all-time).  Those numbers, coupled with his 2,574 career hits, would undoubtedly make almost any player a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

But this isn't just any player.  This is Manny Ramirez.

This is the same Manny Ramirez who often drove his teammates, manager, and fans crazy with his off-the-wall antics, carefree attitude, and, at times, lack of effort.  His behavior was so erratic (and so frequent), that, whenever anyone asked for a reason, everyone would say it was just "Manny being Manny".  What no one dared to say was that "Manny being Manny" was simply a euphemism for "Manny being allowed to do whatever the hell he wants because, if we said differently, he might react like the child that he is: poorly".

For the Red Sox, they finally reached the point of no return with Ramirez in the summer of 2008, when he quit on the team, refusing the run out ground balls and, at times, simply refusing to play.  After being traded to the Dodgers, he flipped a switch, a single-handedly carried an average Dodgers team to the playoffs, compiling what may be the greatest two-month stretch in the history of the sport.

However, this L.A. honeymoon was short-lived.  After not accepting the only formal offer on the table until March 4th, Ramirez violated MLB's Drug Policy by testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, leading to a mandatory 50-game suspension.  When he returned in early July, he was clearly a shell of his former self.  Later that year, it was learned that Ramirez was one of 104 players who had tested positive during a 2003 survey test done by Major League Baseball, further tarnishing his legacy.

After another subpar season split between the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox, Ramirez signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, hoping to revive his career playing mostly as a designated hitter.  However, five games into his run with Tampa, and upon learning he had tested positive for a second time, he retired, opting not to face the mandatory 100-game suspension.

In my opinion, this seals his Cooperstown fate.  What little chance Ramirez had of getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is now gone.  His second positive test has put the nail in the coffin.

Compare Ramirez to two Hall of Fame-eligible players also linked to steroid use.  Rafael Palmeiro, who famously wagged his finger at a Congressional committee denying his steroid use, then tested positive mere months later, received only 11% of the votes in his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot, well short of the 75% needed to make it to Cooperstown.  Keep in mind that Palmeiro hit 569 homers (14 more than Ramirez), and is one of three players to record 500 home runs and 3,000 hits during his career.  Plus, he only tested positive once, one time fewer than Manny.

Now, look at Mark McGwire.  The posterchild for steroid use in baseball also put up better numbers than Ramirez, and he never tested positive for a banned substance, yet only received 19.8% of the vote in his most recent go-round, despite having 583 career homers and the lowest home run to at-bat ration in Major League history (one homer every 10.61 ABs).

Ramirez has two positive tests, and far more baggage than Palmeiro and McGwrie.  I don't think he'll ever get in, but what do you think?

What I'm Listening To:  Matt Wertz -- Don't Come Easy

Judgment Day (On Long Island and in DC)

Since the February 11th massacre on Long Island, every Penguins fan I know has been waiting for the rematch with the hated New York Islanders.  They've been waiting for nearly two months to get their revenge on the men who, in defeating the Pens 9-3, created a "Slapshot"-like atmosphere on nearly every shift.  Every Pens fans wants a piece of Matt Martin, Trevor Gillies, and the master puppeteer, interim head coach Jack Capuano, and wants their boys in black and gold to get even with the emeny.

Everyone except me.  I've been scared to death of this game for weeks now.

Was I mad at what happened that fateful February night?  Absolutely.  Usually, 9-3 games create more apathy for me than the pure venom that was coarsing through my veins that night.  Do I think the Islanders should have to pay for their actions on the ice, instead of in a boardroom?  No doubt.

Do I want all this all to happen tonight?  No.  No.  No.

The most important thing to remember is this:  The Penguins are sitting relatively healthy (sans Sidney Crosby) and in prime position to make a deep playoff run.  The Islanders, meantime, are in 14th place with nothing to play for.  Nothing, except to make the Pens' trip to Long Island a living nightmare.

So, my advice to the Pens would be this: stay out of the fracas.  Stay above all the madness that is sure to come.  And, most important, stay healthy.  We need all hands on deck come playoff time (yes, even you, Mike Comrie).

Now, on to a far more important issue: the pending government shutdown.  Hey, DC, get your act together.  That is all.

What I'm Listening To:  Queen -- Killer Queen.  I don't know, today just feels like a Queen kind of day to me.

"Hello Friends"...A Masters Preview

If you don't get the title reference, shame on you.

Starting Thursday, the top golfers from around the world will take their talents to Augusta, Georgia, in their annual attempt to conquer golf's greatest and most prestigious challenge: The Masters, played, as always, at Augusta National Golf Club.  This year, three-time champion Phil Mickleson will be looking to defend his title and match Tiger Woods by winning his fourth Green Jacket.  But as has been the case since Tiger's "transgressions", the young guns on the PGA Tour will be looking to make a splash on the sport's biggest stage.

As always, most fans will be paying attention to the marquee names, such as Woods, Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, and Steve Stricker.  All except Westwood and Stricker have major championships to their credit, and thus have the game and the experience to get the job done and wear the Green Jacket come Sunday evening.

Some twentysomethings to keep an eye on include 2010 PGA Rookie of the Year Rickie Fowler, Nick Watney, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Anthony Kim, and Hunter Mahan (Ryo Ishikawa would fall into this category, but he's technically not a twentysomething).  Some (like Watney and Johnson) have contended in major championships recently, and will look to use their prior pressure-packed expreiences to finally reach the top of the mountain.

Then, there's a crop of players, such as Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Ross Fisher, Paul Casey, and Ian Poulter, who have Tour wins to their credit, but are looking to break through to the elite class of the golfing world.  These guys are looking to play the role Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman played in 2007 and 2008: solid veterans who finally broke through on golf's biggest stage.

Who do I like to win?  Though it's equally tempting to pick guys like Woods and Mickelson, or young up-starts like Fowler and McIlroy, I'm going to pick defending PLAYERS Champion Tim Clark.  The 35 year-old South African has had some success in the past at Augusta, finishing second alone behind Mickelson in 2006.  I except Clark to build on winning golf's "Fifth Major" last year into a Major victory on Sunday.

What I'm Listening To:  Will Hoge -- Hard to Love.  He finished recording his most recent studio album "The Wreckage" after being hit by a van while riding his scooter in Nashville, and recovering from multiple broken bones, lacerations, and subsequent reconstructive surgeries and rehab sessions.  Truly a great story.

It's Just One Start

I got a text last night from a long-time friend and fellow Pirates fan who happened to be watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN.  He was detailing how the panel was comparing Buccos pitcher Charlie Morton (and, more specifically, his sinker), to a very well-known pitcher.

A VERY well-known pitcher.

Roy Halladay.  Two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay.  Seven-time All-Star Roy Halladay.

I don't normally laugh out loud when reading a text.  But, my God, I nearly drowned in my tears of laughter.

Let's paint this picture, shall we?  Charlie Morton, who had all of two wins last season, had an ERA of 12.57 in the month of April, and, until last night, hadn't won a road game since September 30th, 2009, being compared to Roy Halladay, perhaps the best pitcher in game for the past decade?  Spare me.

I'd expect this sort of stupidity from a fickle, short-sighted Yinzer looking to turn a 3-1 start into a reason to begin uncorking the champagne.  Not from so-called "experts" on the most-watched baseball highlight show on television.

I mean, sure, we Pirates fans have heard from the organization (or really just GM Neal Huntington) that Morton possesses all the qualities of a front-of-the-rotation starter: ideal size, an electric arm, and movement on all his pitches.  Heck, we even saw flashes of it after being acquired in the June 2009 Nate McLouth trade with some nice outings near the end of the season.  And as one of the most ardent Pirates supporters out there (yeah, I know, all five of us), I really want to believe the hype.

But I can't.  I'm a cynic, after all.  It is my blessing and my curse.

Is there something to take away from last night's season debut?  Absolutely.  Not many guys can make Albert Pujols look downright mediocre at the plate.  His sinker was near unhittable, and he got a ton of ground-ball outs.  But should we automatically annoint him the ace on a staff that clearly has none?  By no means.  He still walks far too many guys (5 last night), he still puts himself in too many tight spots, and he still throws too many pitches for not enough innings (97 pitches in 6 innings last night).

But the most important thing to take away from last night's start: for once, the positives far outweighed the negatives, leading to the victory.

For one night, anyway.

What I'm Listening To:  Dave Barnes -- What We Want, What We Get.  Extremely talented musician, and hilarious entertainer all in one.  Do yourself a favor and type in "Dave Barnes Christmas Extravagan Za" on YouTube and check out the videos.  Just awesome.

Police Never Die.

Raise the Jolly Roger? Yeah, Right

Forgive my skepticism.  I've been burned too many times before.
History lesson: the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates had a winning season, in 1992, I was three years old.

It's 2011.  I'm 22 now.

It's too painful to try to build up some enthusiasm and excitement at the start of each Pirates season, knowing full well that they'll be out of the race by the All-Star Break.  But maybe, just maybe, this year will be different.

For starters, I have ZERO expectations for this year's edition of the Buccos.  Therefore, I cannot possibly be disappointed or distraught if (or should it be when?) they finish dead last in the NL Central.

That being said, I am mildly excited about the addition of manager Clint Hurdle.  As the manager of the Colorado Rockies, his instructional prowess helped turn Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki into bona fide superstars at the plate.  Last season, as the hitting coach for the American League champion Texas Rangers, he contributed to the hitting success of AL MVP Josh Hamilton, and gave rookie Mitch Moreland the tutelage and the confidence needed to become an everyday first baseman at the Major League level.  There's no doubt that his instruction will prove to be an enormous help for the club's young stars, such as Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, and Jose Tabata.

Another bright spot has to be the "Core Four" of Alvarez, McCutchen, Tabata, and Neil Walker.  McCutchen is undoubtedly the most polished of the bunch, and is already regarded as one of the premier center fielders in the game.  Watch for him to take the next step to elite status in his second full season.

Alvarez is considered to be the crown jewel of the young quartet.  The number two overall pick in 2008, the former Vanderbilt Commodore showed flashes of his prodigious power, highlighted by a walk-off 3-run home run in a ten inning affair with the Rockies on August 8th.  Not surprisingly, he also showed his strikeout vulenability in his 4 months in the Bigs.  Expect Pedro to benefit the most from Hurdle's tutelage, and don't be shocked to see him surpass the 30 home run mark in his first full season.

Tabata and Walker were also nice additions to the Pirates last season, providing two consistent bats at the top of the order.  The expectation is for Tabata, only 21, to develop some power as time progresses, but don't expect a marked increase this season.  However, if he contributes as he did last season, there will be no complaints from Pirates fans or front office.  Walker, a Pine-Richland grad, proved to be a true surprise, playing only his second season ever as a second baseman, and providing a consistent bat from both sides of the plate.  With his confidence at an all-time high, look for Walker to build upon a solid rookie campaign.

The trouble, however, lies with the pitching.  While the back end of the bullpen appears to be locked down by Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan, there are still a myriad of questions in middle relief, and especially the starting rotation.  Other than James McDonald, who was a pleasant surprise after being acquired from the L.A. Dodgers at the Trade Deadline, the rotation has four guys (Paul Maholm, Kevin Correia, Ross Ohlendorf, and Charlie Morton) who would be hard-pressed to make any other rotation in the Majors.

So, in conclusion, I will live as a Pirates fan, uttering only one phrase in relation to the team: show me Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie, then we'll talk.

What I'm listening to:  Ben Rector -- The Beat.  I just saw him open for Matt Wertz (another Ried-and-React favorite) at Club Cafe on Wednesday.  Great sound.  It's even better live.