Mets Place Carlos Beltran on DL

The New York Mets placed Carlos Beltran on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, retroactive to July 25th.

Beltran, the regular #3 hitter in the Mets batting order, will be replaced in center by Lastings Milledge, who has hit well since his July 12 call up.

The Mets just got Moises Alou back, but now lose another outfielder in Beltran, who joins outfielders Carlos Gomez and Endy Chavez on the DL, along with second baseman Jose Valentin, relief pitcher Duaner Sanchez, and starting pitcher Pedro Martinez.

Speaking of Pedro Martinez, he will be pitching in his first rehab assignment tomorrow for the St.Luice Mets, a high class A minor league team. Pedro should be back sometime in August, a main reason why they did not trade for any starting pitchers.

Bat Watch: Whysoserious Changed

 

The earlier whysoserious.com, which lead Comic Con Batfans and others on a crazy marketing scheme and eventually to The Dark Knight teaser video, has been changed. Now whysoserious.com redirects you here, to Rent-A-Clown. As of now the site is just a faux clown rental agency with pictures of the people who were involved in the Comic Con marketing adventure. I’ll keep looking around the site and checking around for more news related to it. I’ll keep you posted.

Trade Deadline Ends; Red Sox Add Gagne

With weeks of anticipation and rumors hyping up the trading deadline, there seemed to be a build up for a memorable day. Jermaine Dye, Eric Gagne, Chad Cordero, Adam Dunn, Joe Blanton, Brad Lidge, Mike Piazza, and Sammy Sosa were among elite names possibly on the move.

Eric Gagne was the only one from that list to be moved, as the Texas Rangers dealt him to the first place Boston Red Sox in return for starting pitcher Kason Gabbard, center field prospect David Murphy, and 17 year old prospect Angel Beltre.

                                                                                                                       
Gagne, 31, was once the premiere closer in baseball before countless injuries slowed him down and made many believe that he would never return to be a successful closer. However, he has been the Gagne of old this season, converting 16 saves in 17 chances with a 2.16 ERA. With the Red Sox, Gagne will be team up with Hideki Okajima and closer Jonathan Papelbon for a lights out trio for the 7th, 8th, and 9th inning. Combine that one of the league’s top rotations, and the Red Sox just asserted themselves as the team to beat in the MLB.

The Rangers traded away Gagne’s expiring contract in their quest to bolster their team’s future. Kason Gabbard, 25,  is 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA for the Red Sox this season, and figures to have a spot in the Rangers rotation. Gabbard figured to be the odd man out of the Red Sox rotation once Curt Schilling comes off the DL.

David Murphy, also 25, is hitting .280 with 9 home runs and 8 stolen bases in Triple-A Pawtucket. After the Ranger traded center fielder Kenny Lofton, there could be a place in Texas for Murphy, although I wouldn’t expect him to be in a full time starting role this season. He was not in the Red Sox plans, with star center fielder prospect Jacob Ellsbury waiting in the wings.

Engel Beltre is an intriguing teenager hitting .215 in the rookie leagues. ESPN kept saying he is 16, but they do not know math. He was born in November 1989, thus making him 17. The lefty outfielder has hit 5 home runs and stole 6 bases in 33 games.

The Red Sox were reportedly close to trading for White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, but the deal fell through. The Red Sox were reported to give outfielder Willy Mo Pena and either reliever Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen, but nothing has been heard since.

Some other deals are being reported. The Braves officially acquired relief pitcher Octavio Dotel from the Kansas City Royals for starting pitcher Kyle Davies. The Braves also shipped relievers Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup to the San Diego Padres for reliever Royce Ring.

Joakim Soria figures to get the save chances for the Royals, while Dotel will likely be a set-up man for Bob Wickman. Ledezma and Startup appeared to be afterthoughts in the Braves organization, while Ring has potential, but doesn’t figure to have a prominent role this season.

The San Francisco Giants shipped veteran starting pitcher Matt Morris to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 26-year-old outfielder Rajai Davis. Why the hell do the Pirates need an old, expensive pitcher for their run at 5th place in the NL Central?

The New York Yankees trade work horse relief pitcher Scott Proctor to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit. Betemit’s power bat figures to fill a whole at first base for the Bronx Bombers, and could play third base if Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract at the end of the season. Scott Proctor might be worn out after being used so much, but a change to the NL could provide a surge for Proctor and the Dodgers.

The San Diego Padres added some bats before the trade deadline in catcher Michael Barret and center fielder Milton Bradley, but they weren’t done. They got third baseman Morgan Ensberg from the Houston Astros and utility man Rob Mackowiak. Enssberg hit 36 home runs in 2005 and has fallen from glory since, and Mackowiak is a great bench player who can play just about anywhere. Solid pickups for the Padres, who didn’t give up much of anything to get them.

The Most Awesome Guys…Evar

Anyone remember the Chuck Norris craze? Ol’ Chuck was one of the baddest mother fuckers for a while. Us geeks worshipped that bastard, every toned muscle on the mans body. A roundhouse kick to the face would be magical. Then, with time, his image faded. Chuck became less of a total badass, and more of a yesterdays man. So people became scared and worried, “Who do we worship now?!” well never fear, I’m hear with the answers. My top list of the most awesome, badass,and just all around cool guys out there.

First up is Stephen Colbert. Who honestly doesn’t love this guy? He nails the enemies of America on a nightly basis and does it with style and class. Right now he’s even doing his show on an injured wrist, what a trooper! Stephen is also really smart when it comes to the tubes, as he makes references to several websites and memes on his show all the time (please reference us Colbert, I swear I’ll totally do whatever you want :] ). I think it’s safe to say that Colbert is just awesome, and he deserves to be on the list no matter what.

 

Next up is someone that I don’t think gets enough recognition, but is truly just a badass. I am of course talking about Steven Seagal, the manliest bastard in the Western hemisphere. Hell according to this article Steven likes to kick guys in the nuts to just see if they are wearing cups. Most filmmakers would just ask, but not Steven. He just goes right in and kicks them square in the babymaker. It’s for this, and his ability to take down several men without touching them, that Steven is truly one of the most badass men ever.

 

The third person on my list is the quirky doctor from the show House M.D….House! House, played by Hugh Laurie, is just an all around badass. Not only is he a manly man (ever see his bitchin motorcycle?) but he’s also smart too. He can solve any medical case, and even if he can’t he has the power to blame it on his colleagues or bury himself in drugs. Addicts are awesome (someone put that on a t-shirt for me). Even at the end of last season House fired his entire staff! Woah, spoiler alert! He basically said, “Fuck you guys, I can do this alone. I’m that damn good.” Yes House, you are that damn good.

 

 

 

 

 

Last on my first list of the most awesome guys ever is Bear Grylls. What is there to say about Bear other than “Wow!” Just look up some videos of him on YouTube (I suggest eating snakes, rabbits, frogs, zebra, and turtles.) and you’ll realize how epic he is. The star of The Discovery Channel’s Man Vs. Wild is just badass. Not only is he amazing on that show he’s also trained in the British Special Forces and he’s climbed to Mt. Everest without an oxygen tank! I’d like to see any of you pansies do that, go ahead I’m waiting. Those reasons, among others (he’s pretty big down there if you get my drift) are why he’s on the list.

 

 

 

If you have any other suggestions for people that should be on the list then leave it in the comments.

 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Ninja Zombie Pro-Am Trailer

 

Yes you read the title right. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Ninja Zombie Pro-Am, or ATHFNZP-A for short, is a new game based off the hit show Aqua Teen Hunger Force from the Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network. Today comes some new footage and a trailer for the game. It seems odd, to say the least, but that’s what we (well I) love about the show. It’s so random and crazy, but there’s a plot in there some where. That’s what the game will be like. It will be a golf game that’s so random and crazy you will only see a smal bit of golf. Anyways check out the trailer here, courtesy of Gametrailers.com.

Celtics Land Star Forward Kevin Garnett

After 12 seasons with the Minnesota T-Wolves, the face of their franchise, Kevin Garnett, has been traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and an undisclosed draft pick.

This is huge news in the world of basketball. KG has produced nine straight seasons of at least 20 points per game and 10 rebounds. He will now be combined with fellow All-Stars Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who was recently acquired from the Seattle Sonics on the day of the draft.

It seems like just yesterday Celtics fans were praying for the lottery to give them Greg Oden or Kevin Durant to rebuild their franchise around. After the luck of the Irish failed miserably, the Celtics got the 5th pick, and traded it in a deal to get Allen. Now, they are in a championship or bust situation.

The Timberwolves now are looking pretty good for the future. Al Jefferson showed signs of a star last year. The 22 year old center averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season, but averaged close to 20 points per game after the All-Star break.

Gerald Green, 20 year old, provides amazing athleticism and has no peak to his amazing potential. Green averaged 10.4 points per game, but shown vast signs of improvement throughout the season, and showed off his dunking skills in the Slam Dunk Contest. 

Point guard Sebastian Telfair, 22, starred at Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, where he was considered to be more talented than cousin Stephon Marbury. He surprisingly skipped college and went straight to the NBA, where he was drafted with the 13th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. However, he has been a great bust, and fell quickly out of the Celtics plans after one horrid season with them. He will play for his third team in his fourth season, the same place where Marbury starred side by side with Garnett.

Theo Ratliff provides a veteran big man with shot blocking ability, but he was added to make the contracts match. Luckily for Minnesota, his contract ends after this season, clearing a great deal of cap space for free agency.

Mets Acquire Luis Castillo

The New York Mets completed a deal in which they acquire second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins.

In return for Castillo, the Twins received catcher Drew Butera and outfielder Dustin Martin.

Castillo’s $5.75 million contract expires at the end of the season, making him a two month rental for the Mets, who recently lost second baseman Jose Valentin due to a fractured right tibia. At the end of the season, the Mets would likely let him go, and take the draft pick they get as compensation.

As a Mets fan, I’m going to drop the objective approach and just give my probably biased opinion. Castillo is a great fit for the Mets in the #2 spot. He hits consistently for a .300 average, and can steal some bases. He won’t provide any power, but he’ll score a good deal of runs. 

However,  I still believe that they didn’t need to make a move there. Ruben Gotay has a .350 average in 52 games this year. He’s a fine young hitter that would have done just fine. I would have been mad if they went after any other second baseman on the market (Jose Castillo, Mark Loretta, Mark Grudzielanek, Ray Durham) since the rest were either bad fits or simply not an upgrade. Castillo at leasts fits the team well, and also will prove to be a great double play combo in the middle with Jose Reyes.

Dustin Martin, 23,  is one of my personal favorites in the Mets farm system. Not only do I share the same birthday as him, but I watched him play a few times last year for the Brooklyn Cyclones. He was the team’s best player, and has continued a high level of performance in high A for the St.Lucie Mets, batting .287 with 52 RBI. He’s a solid prospect, although it’s unlikely to see him in a starting role in the MLB.

Drew Butera, 23, is a solid defensive catcher, but not much of a hitter. He’s hitting .188 so far in AA Binghamton, but had a .258 average for St.Lucie. He’s likely a career minor league at best, unless he improves his plate skills enough that a team desperate for a good glove behind the plate sometime down the road.

The Mets can still use one or two upgrades in the bullpen. Unfortunately for them, their rivals, the Atlanta Braves, are about to make another splash by trading starting pitcher Kyle Davies for reliever Octavio Dotel.

Croc Vs. Shark…The Movie

 ShockTillYouDrop is reporting that New Line Cinemas is looking for a director for a movie that pits crocodiles against sharks. The film, written by Josh Rubin, will take place in an Australian town after a natural disaster. The town will be flooded and apparently all hell breaks loose. It’s weird, I was actually thinking of a movie about a shark fighting some random animal earlier today when I was watching Shark Week on The Discovery Channel.

Now I’ve been a fan of the ”Vs” type movies that we’ve seen lately. Freddy Vs. Jason and Alien Vs. Predator are the first ones that come to mind, but Croc Vs. Shark? It just seems like an odd combo. Are they fighting each other, like in Alien Vs. Predator, or are they more devoted to just killing people, like in Freddy Vs. Jason? I doubt the movie will be as epic as it sounds. This is New Line after all, makers of Snakes On A Plane. We all know how that turned out.

Night At The Museum 2 In The Works

According to Dark Horizons a sequel to last years critically acclaimed family comedy Night At The Museum is in the works. Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, the creators of Reno 911 and many other comedy hits and misses, are writing the script. Thomas and Ben also confirmed that “there’ll be existing characters and plenty of new ones.”

Now I loved the first film, and I love Thomas and Ben’s work, but I just don’t know how this will work. Sure Thomas and Ben wrote the original script, so they can pull it off, but how? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see when it comes to theaters.

Cloverfield Watch: New Image At 1-18-08

Over at 1-18-08.com a new image has been released. Three people from the party in the trailer are taking a picture. I’m assuming they’ll be the main characters, with the two girls who are in the other picture and trailer as well? With new clues coming every week I’m just loving this film more and more.