Kendry!

One of the best things this sumer for me has got to be one Kendry Morales, who has just gone bonkers replacing Mark Teixeria in Anaheim. I change the channel from BB After Dark to Fox Sports, and on the first pitch I see (an 0-2 submarine from Brad Ziegler) Kendry hits a 3-run jack to cap a 2-HR night, propelling my fantasy team to a much-needed margin in the weekly matchup. Love this guy. Compare these 2 stat lines:

.306, 29 HR's, 69 R's, 90 RBI's
.295, 29 HR's, 80 R's, 96 RBI's
.286, 31 HR's, 78 R's, 97 RBI's........

Which stat line do you prefer? Doesn't matter, right? Pretty much the same? Well, those are the stats (in order) of Morales, Justin Morneau, and Mark Teixeria. The difference? Morales didn't get to start every day, and he didn't require a 2nd-3rd round pick. More like a 20th round. Awesomeness personified, this guy. Savior comes to mind: don't know where I'd be w/o him. And this guy's batting 6th in the Angels lineup? Looks like their best hitter to me.


Other summer man-crushes:
Randy Wolf: Proof that baseball allows for renaissance seasons. Only complaint is the meager win total, but not his fault. Has been money down the stretch, especially for a guy who's 33.

Joe Blanton/ Jonathan Sanchez/ Jorge De La Rosa: proof that my "take starting-pitchers-last or even just straight off the waiver wire strategy" works. These guys were all available mid-season despite being high-K guys on winning teams, I snatched them up and enjoyed the ride. Props to Sanchez for a perfect game, props to the Aztec Warrior for three multi-digit K games. Keep it up guys, you have my undying love.

Chris Coghlan: Where'd this guy come from? Overtook Brandon Phillips in my book, he's eager to prove himself so he can get traded out of Florida to a real major-league team. Excited: He definitely can hit, this guy, even if his name sounds like one of a certain big-boned pitcher called Bartolo.......


Big Brother update:

Have been absolutely addicted to this season, have watched every episode and even get bored in the episodes from having already seen something through BB AfterDark. Having Showtime is gonna ruin me.......

I have similar views w/ BB8's Eric Stein, who posts weekly thoughts on the houseguests here:
http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem/2259-eric-stein-sizes-up-the-big-brother-11-houseguests-week-7

I still want Michelle to win cuz like she herself claimed, she resembles Eric's gameplay in many respects, with all the floating ingredients needed for a sustained stay in the house, not as much pull as Eric except she's actually a better competitor than Eric and can win the House-related questions in the game. Needs to survive this week, though, cuz Jeff and Jordan inexplicably have turned on her and now trust Kevin and Nat.

Here's my take on Jeff: my friend absolutely hates him now because he's sort of let the power rush to his head (as has happened many times in BB history), but I'm just disappointed in him. Not very strategic, this guy, taking out Russell who at the very least has been with him for weeks on end, Jeff turning on him simply because "word got around" to him from the self-preserving mouths of Natalie and Kevin that Russell wants to target him. OF COURSE Russel wants to get close to Michele, Jeff, you and Jordan are attached at the hip, what's wrong w/ having a final 2 deal? You just want everyone else to not talk to each other and try to work together while you're the only person who's allwed to have a definite final 2? It just doesn't make sense to jump Final 4 alliances because you're not improving yourself, the alliance is only still gonna get you down to the final 4 people, PLUS the fact kevin and nat had more guaranteed votes in the jury house already, so they're more likely to win. I buy the argument that Russell was the biggest threat in the house, but that's again going w/ the "alpha male= threat" argument. If you look at what Russell won vs. what everyone else won, Kevin might be more dangerous, and Michelle is DEFINITELY more dangerous w/ questions, which will definitely encompass the Final four Veto competition, one of the most important in the game, plus 2 of three games in the Final HoH. The only way to justify axing Russell was for personal reasons, and that's no way to win Big Brother.

Plus, I'm disappointed in Jeff because he fell for Natalie's little ploy. I HATE Natalie, always have, always will. First of all, there's been at least 3 Natalie's now in BB history, WAY too much for one first name. Whereas i still like Jeff (and I'm sure most of America still does, hotness gets you a long way in life), I'm disappointed in him. This disappointment is NOTHING compared to hating Natalie and her gameplay. I just want to scream at the screen for everybody else in the house to compare notes and expose Natalie's lies (she's even lied about what Kevin's doing), and she's gone. But admittedly, she's been going on a Dr. Will route and convinced everyone else of everything. If only a smart, dedicated, fun-loving, competition-ready, student-of-BB like myself were in the house to out this girl ( instead of the nothing that is Jordan, which from thi

Btw, I relish in the fact that Lydia won no competitions during her time at BB, as predicted (if you don't count the ridiculous Unitard she won for herself.) So far, BB has somehow made it so that all wearers (4) of the red unitard have been women. They're due for a guy to fall into it......(it'll be just my luck if i go in the house and get it. But, I'd gladly wear it the whole time if they told me I could be in the house......)

Ahh, the sacrifices we make. To get a better education and a professional degree (and hopefully a well-paying job after all of it), I went to law school and took on tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Let's hope it pays off.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan