Morning wood | Vote for Manny, make Plaschke nauseous

Posted by Toonces in Random poop on June 1, 2009 | one response

This isn’t just any ol’ Monday morning, Poop Fans. We’re poppin’ the cherry on a brand spankin’ new daily feature here at the Poopoplex. It’s our Morning Wood report, a cavalcade of links and rants guaranteed to make you not want to swerve into oncoming traffic on the way to the office for a change.

OK, so perhaps it’s not the most unique feature in the blogosphere, but what we lack in creativity we more than make up for in cynicism. And off we go! …

- You know who we really love? We love blowhard columnists who take themselves (and everything else) way too seriously. To wit, we offer Bill Plaschke, who just can’t seem to let go of this whole Manny Ramirez/All-Star nonsense. We invite you to read the self-important outtakes of his latest diatribe here (Can’t Stop the Bleeding), or cast your vote for Manny here (MLB.com), if for no other reason than to piss off Plaschke.

- That giant, annoying PING!!!! sound you hear is the din of baseball’s College World Series taking shape. By the time you read this, the NCAA Super Regionals field will be set. One team that won’t be there? Ohio State, following a 37-6 drubbing at the hands of Florida State. Fill in your own BCS/Big Ten joke here ____. (Sports by Brooks)

- A laurel and hearty handshake to Texas pitcher Austin Wood, who tossed 12 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in the Longhorns’ 25-inning win over Boston College on Saturday (MLB.com). Wood’s performance is astounding, but perhaps no less astounding than that of Washington softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie, who followed up a 164-pitch effort in the Huskies’ Sunday afternoon extra-inning loss to Georgia with a complete-game victory over the ‘Dawgs later in the evening to lift Wash U. into the ladies’ World Series final against Florida (she also slugged a grand slam in the nightcap). The words “pitch count” apparently don’t apply to the Canadian-born hurler. Lawrie tossed 395 pitches in a pair of wins over UMass in one day during Regionals. (NewsOK.com)

- Great read on MLB’s biggest draft-day blunders. (Fantasy Pros 911)

- And on a completely and totally unrelated note, ahem, the Nationals appear poised to tap Stephen Strasburg with the first pick in this year’s draft. (MSN/Fox Sports)

- We’re not exactly sure what to make of this, but apparently it’s a criticism of Mike Brown. (Guess Who’s Back)

- Trey Hillman on blast in Kansas City. (Kings of Kauffman)

- Speaking of K.C., the Sports by Brooks gang apparently took the woman in the photo with them there for a road trip this weekend. We have no idea why, but we’re glad they did. (Sports by Brooks)

- And in case you haven’t seen it, check out the video below for further evidence of why TNT’s NBA telecasts are now the hallmark for sports broadcasting greatness. God bless you, Charles.