Just Stick A Bloody Sock In His Mouth!

Sixth months removed from leading the Red Sox to their first World Series Championship in 86 years and six months removed from using that success as a fulcrom to launch his public endorsement of George Bush on Good Morning America as though his pitching abilities equated to political intelligence, Curt Schilling is back in the news and at least this time, it's baseball-related.

Now that he's back on the DL, joining another big mouth in David Wells, and will miss at least two weeks with a bone bruise on his surgically repaired right ankle, Schilling has decided to launch an attack against the Devil Ray's beloved manager Lou Piniella.

"The problem is when you're playing a team with a manager who somehow forgot how the game is played, there's problems," the Bush monkey accused after two bench clearing brawls and six ejections in a Red Sox-Devil Rays game on Sunday. "This should have been over a little bit ago. Lou's trying to make his team be a bunch of tough guys, and the telling sign is when the players on that team are saying, 'This is why we lose 100 games a year, because this idiot makes us do stuff like this.' They [Rays players] said that on the field."

Schilling is 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA this season. Speaking out of frustration perhaps?

Of course, Lou Piniella was not mum on the subject when he learned of Schilling's comments.

"Forget how the game is played? I have forgotten more baseball than this guy knows," Piniella said. "If I were Curt, I would be really embarrassed at the cheap shot he took and get the story correct. I'll tell you I've always admired his pitching ability and competitiveness, but I can honestly tell you I've lost a lot of respect for him. I'm looking forward to talking to Curt myself and get this matter cleared up," he said.

Piniella also told the St. Petersburg Times that the Red Sox pitcher should be more concerned about his tough start this season than blaming Piniella for the two bench-clearing incidents in Tampa Sunday.

"I think he should just concern himself with pitching and not worry about what other managers do or don't do," said Piniella. "I don't think I've forgotten how to play the game. I know exactly how the game should be played, and why."

Although it's cheap entertainment, sometimes you just have to wonder why Curt Schilling thinks anyone gives a rip about his opinions, be they on sports or politics. YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE BLOWHARD, NOW SIT DOWN ON THE DL AND SHUT UP.

Christ, you'd think he'd learn. Remember back when Schilling made a bunch of unfounded allegations about steroids in baseball and was then asked to testify before Congress about it?

Suddenly, baseball's second biggest big mouth was "confused" about steroids and then managed only to back down like a coward after he came to his senses and joined the rest of baseball in blaming Jose Canseco as the problem rather than steroids.

So anything Curt Schilling says should be taken with a grain of salt. He seems more enamoured with the sound of his own voice than he does in his hideously disfigured wife, Shonda.

Reading Bits

Introducing the Five Worst Teams to Root For.

Armandogeddon Goes to DL

and to keep him company, the NL Central-leading Cardinals have lost closer Izzy to the DL but Mark Grudzielanek hit for the cycle and the Cards won anyway, their 6th in a row. They will face the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field next.

Nats blinded by sun and Phillies

In the battle of young studs, Chacin outduels Kazmir. Chacin improved to 4-1, limiting Tampa Bay to two runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. The former Met who was traded for chum like Victor Zambrano, Kazmir (0-2) remained winless in five starts, allowing four runs on nine hits in six innings.

Jumping ahead in the lead for the Poor Bastid Department, Indian Jake Westbrook fell to 0-5 for 2005.

And yes, it's finally happening! Chien-Ming Wang is finally joining the fabled Yankee starting rotation!

As I am wont to point out, even though he's Chinese, "Chien" is French for Dog and although his surname is spellt "Wang" it is pronounced "Wong" for some reason known only to Chinese linguists. So it's Dog Wong on the mound for the Yankees! Go get 'im boy! He is scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Pitching Menu

Although there aren't any real attention-grabbing match ups tonight, on Friday night, two certain Hall of Fame pitchers AND 300 game winners will face each other when Chicago's Greg Maddux will face Houston's Roger Clemens in what should be somewhat of a match of the night from an historical perspective.

Maddux is 0-for-4 in his starts so far this season, and stuck on 305 career wins. The right-hander is coming off his longest and best outing so far. He held the Pirates to two runs on four hits over eight innings while striking out three in his last start. Clemens received a no-decision in his last outing, at St. Louis on April 23. He allowed four hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA to 0.32 and pushing his scoreless streak to 23 innings, but he was thwarted for the third straight time in his bid for his 330th win.

On the other hand, Mark Mulder, LHP (2-1, 3.10) Cardinals (14-5) will face former A's teammate Tim Hudson, RHP (2-0, 0.96) Braves (13-9) on Friday night also so the choice will be a hard one unless you fancy watching the D Train put the Phillies down.

Champions League

In what seemed at some stages more like a warm up to the rematch at Anfield next week, Chelsea and Liverpool drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge last night. Controversial Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was delighted at the result and he should know, having managed the Champions League Champion last season.

"I think it's a very good result," Mourinho said, beaming. "It's not the result we fought for. We tried to win the game but in a Champions League semi-final it's a very good result.

"We need to win or draw with goals...I think we can score goals. I'm very confident we can go to the final."

Mourinho said the result mirrored his experience in last year's semi-finals when Porto drew at home and won at Deportivo Coruna.

NBA

With another two months to go in the playoffs, who cares where everyone stands at the moment? Why doesn't Congress hold hearings on why the NBA season is so bloody long?