FIRE MEL ANTONEN: THE PICTURE OF BITTERNESS AND DECEIT

Mel stepped in it today on Charley Steiner's show saying:

• "John Smoltz told me that 1 inning pitched in October is like 2 innings pitched in the regular season."

Charley agrees, & being the only 1 on the station who'd bring up the obvious, he does. Charley says:

• "That brings up again the remarkable performances of Mariano Rivera."

Antonen is horror struck and tries to change the subject:

• "Well, the Yankees have depth." AFTER HE SETS UP HIS OWN POINT WHICH IS COMMON SENSE ANYWAY, ABOUT SMOLTZ' REFERENCE TO PITCHING IN THE POST SEASON, HE DUMPS ON MARIANO.

Charley has started to catch on that every "writer" will dump on Mo, so he clarifies,

• "But I mean you mentioned the post season pitching and that's what Rivera has done so much of."

Now, Antonen is desperate, so he throws out some lies:

• "Well, Torre never uses him more than 60 or 70 innings so he's always well-rested. He's good and everything, but the Yankees have a lot of back-up for him. He IS RESTED." Emphasis his, with anger as well. And you think there's no bias? MEL, MARIANO LEADS THE MAJORS WITH 69.0 IP BY LATE INNING RELIEVERS. THE ONE WHO SHOULD GET A REST IS YOU.

Charley changes the subject. Why do you allow people like this to keep their jobs? Antonen has just said THE OPPOSITE of the truth. If anything, as anyone WHO'S NOT TOTALLY OBSESSED WITH THE YANKEES AND THEREFORE DETERMINED TO LIE ABOUT MARIANO knows, Rivera has typically been OVERUSED.

• 2006 to date, with 69.0 IP, Rivera leads both leagues for late inning relievers (Mel, did you see Farnsworth the other day? Really great back-up).
• 2005 regular season, Rivera had 78.1 IP.
• 2004 regular season, 78.2 IP, 12.2 IP post season=91.1 IP total.
• 2003 regular season, 70.2 IP.
• 2002 -injured part of the year--only pitched 46.0 reg.--SEE 2001
• 2001 96.2 IP, 80.2 regular season, 16.0 post season
• 2000 regular season 75.2, post season 15.2= 91.1 IP total
• 1999 regular season 69.0, post season 12.1= 81.1 total

RESTED, MEL? This is how he rested in bringing his team from behind to win the pennant in 2005, you moron:

• In September 2005 HE SAVED OR WON 6 1-RUN GAMES IN A 2-WEEK SPAN IN A BRUTAL PENNANT RACE.
• HE PITCHED 3 DAYS IN A ROW TWICE IN THIS 2 WEEK PERIOD, 6 OUT OF 8 DAYS, FORCED IN DESPERATE SITUATIONS TO MAKE UP FOR BLOWN LEADS BY THE OFFENSE OR BAD RELIEF IN THE BULLPEN.

LOOK IT UP, MEL, PRINT A FRONT PAGE APOLOGY AND RETRACTION. THE REASON YOU STILL HAVE A JOB AT ALL IS THAT BASEBALL FANS ARE TOO LAZY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU. P.S. Enjoy your hallowed Baseball Writers awards voting--if it's not cancelled due to lack of ethics of people like you.

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon