I really do not like talking too much about this day, but I thought I would remember those who died senselessly; and our soldiers who are fighting a war they do not need to be fighting. Taylor was only a couple months old on this horrible day, which if you were like me you just sat glued to your television in shock of the events that had taken place that morning...

I think that it's only fair to those who died making the ultimate sacrifice that day, we take time to honor them and their families. After all sports will always be here for us to debate, while they will sadly missed and remembered by their families on that day. Osama is dead, that is a fact. But it does not make up completely for that day. Fuck Bin Laden, it should have been sooner.......

For those who have fought and died during these two wars, I want us to remember you on this day as you have made the ultimate sacrifice dying for your country. The good news out of all of this, is a fellow friend has returned to work unscathed. His tour of duty is over, and hopefully he will never be called upon again.

This is apparently the season for the Tigers, as they face the White Sox in Chicago which for the most part is not their problem. They seem to handle them without much problem, but the weekend series against the Indians may determine their postseason aspirations. I would like to believe that they honestly have a chance to win their division, but it's probably going to take a sweep both the White Sox and Indians for this to happen.

Who would have thought they would be the team to decide the Tiger's season? I wish they played the Sox as tough as they do the Tigers.............

Apparently the cardiac kids have not lost their swagger, another game won in the 4th by Stafford who look awful for most of the game.

So bite me Jim Schwartz, you still suck as a coach. If you cannot motivate your team to get it going out of the gate, then maybe bring back Wayne Fonts, because at least his teams played 60 minutes and not 15. I would like to retract one thing I said on FB to Gerry, the 49ers are even better than even I thought even if they had to hang on late. Screw Sanchez and the Jet's even Beezer's high school team could slap the Bill's with 48.

Welcome to the league RGIII, the sleeper pick at QB on one of my fantasy teams. Hey Harvey, I seen your boy Kolb is back at QB. I have to admit, I have an all Texan offense Schaub, Foster and Tate but yet they were playing the Dolphins...

To Sully, Frags and Lanz Brady looked like himself, outside of one highlight when I seen him get peeled off the turf. Oh and one more thing, there is something that I forgot to do.......

Have a Great Week Gabbers, will be seeing you soon.......

Everything in life gives way to all powerful force of eventuality. It builds up right from the very beginning and only gives way to inevitability. The day gives way to the night. The seasons change.

And in baseball, veterans give way to rookies.

Sometimes it is tough to admit when a veteran needs to step aside, and often it takes an act on behalf of management that seems almost cold and unfeeling. But often times, those decisions need to be made by someone in order to do what is in the best interest of the club and the players involved, including the veteran in question.

Such was the case on Sunday when the Boston Red Sox chose to trade third baseman Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox for utility-man Brent Lillibridge and pitching prospect Zach Stewart.

The writing had been on the wall for weeks, as top prospect Will Middlebrooks had made it all but perfectly clear that he was the future at third base for the Red Sox. The slick fielding rookie is batting .326 with 9 home runs, 10 doubles, and 34 RBI in just 41 games with the Red Sox, after hitting .333 with 9 home runs and 27 RBI in 24 games at Triple-A to start the season. He has been the shot of energy that the Red Sox badly needed after an abysmal start to the season and has provided a stabilizing bat on the right side for a left-heavy line-up.

Of course, trading a player like Youkilis comes with its own difficulties. Youk was a fan favorite and a member of two World Series championship teams in 2004 and 2007. His gritty, working-man’s type of play helped build him from a player known for his ability to garner a base-on-balls to a legitimate threat in the Red Sox line-up. Chants of “Yoooouuuukkk” filled Fenway Park on a nightly basis and more often than not, they were rewarded with a key contribution from the three-time All-Star.

However, sentimentality is not a smart way to run a business and Boston had to draw the line somewhere. Youk was struggling when he was in the line-up, something that of its own right had been a difficulty in recent seasons, and the Red Sox were forced to juggle their line-up by moving lead-footed Adrian Gonzalez, a gold-glove first baseman, to right field just to accommodate all the bats in the line-up. Gonzalez’s play was suffering for it, Middlebrooks was losing important at bats, Youkilis was growing unhappy with a reduced role, and that says nothing of the increased issues of playing in National League parks and having to add David Ortiz into the rotation.

So eventuality gave way to inevitability.

The Red Sox made the tough decision of trading Youkilis for the best package they could get in return. But the trade was more about peace of mind than it was about pieces in return. Youkilis needed a fresh start, Middlebrooks needed the playing time, and everyone needed to move on. Boston is not a fun place to play when the media speculation is running rampant and it was increasingly apparent that the team and Youkilis wanted the speculation put behind them.

As a fan of the Red Sox, I can see the reasoning behind the move, and I can even voice my personal agreement with making it. Still, I cannot help but realize that another of the good guys got abruptly shown the door as well. The Red Sox handled the situation poorly; with Valentine dancing around with Youkilis through the media when things began to truly sour. Then the team chose to send out an email to fans to try and sell ticket to Youkilis’s return to Boston when the White Sox visit Fenway in a few weeks’ time, showing just where the line between sentimentality and business truly lies with a classless ownership group.

This is just another in a string of moves where the Henry/Lucchino/Werner group strung along a situation in order to build its production quality and in turn try and turn a profit from it. Youkilis deserved better than this. Wakefield and Varitek deserved better than to be strung along throughout Spring Training.

Strung out until eventuality eventually won out.

Hey Gabbers. Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I also hope that mixed in with giving your thanks you had some good times and good BBQ. We had a mass of ribs and drumsticks topped with some Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce. The only thing missing was my traditional stuff jalapeno treat. I halves and seed a few peppers then stuff them with a mixture of cream cheese, sausage, and some shredded cheese for effect. I used to try to wrap them in bacon and grill them to soften the cheeses, but that is tough and a little time consuming. I’ve found that serving them chilled is just as good for most folks.

In the midst of all of this, I got to listen to a few Tigers games. Things started on a down note as the team got swept by the Indians that so many thought we’d demolish. I figured we’d at least get a win with JV on the mound, but our offense stayed quiet.

Of course, the Tribe and Tigers have something else to worry about (as BOB mentioned): the Chi Sox and a resurgent Paul Konerko. What’s more their number 4 starter Chris Sale has been about as good as most thought he could be this year. He’s currently 6-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 61 strike outs. Keep in mind, this is their fourth starter. His last three games have been real smooth with 3 wins, 2 earned runs, and 15 strike outs against Tampa on the 28^th. Of course, Peavy has had a bit of a rebound as he sits as the Sox ace with a 6-1 record and an Era just over 3. He’s been logging a lot of innings too with most of his exits coming in the 6^th and two complete games. Luckily the Tigers don’t see the White Sox again til the second half when hopefully we’ve figured out our hitting and bull pen.

For my own listening pleasure, things got better as of the Holidays. I was able to listen to the Tigers get a comeback win over the Twins. I could smile as I ate my ribs knowing that the White Sox handled the Indians. Of course, this series with the Red Sox hasn’t gone any good for Tigers’ fans. Leyland has been animated as hell of late, but it can’t get our bats going.

A few of us have mentioned the umpires as of late. They did kind of hurt the Tigers by not giving us that third out against the Red Sox Monday. It’s never a good thing when these guys get so much press. Jeff’s ideas can’t go into effect quick enough. We need to get these guys to air things out.

The refs are even taking over the NBA playoffs. Granted, I haven’t been watching much, but I was watching last night. I saw Doc Rivers get the first of what would be five (5!!!) technical fouls for the Celtics. What did Doc do? He just looked at an official after a tic-tac foul and said “Come on, Eddy”. I’ve heard worse. I know that ref has. Still, Doc got the tech. The Heat could have bagged potentially 10 unanswerable points from techs. The Heat won the game on their own; I’ll give them that, but that many techs can really slow a team down. While the Celtics have vowed to be more physical down the line, but it won’t do them much good if they keep getting those kind of fouls called on them. Stern’s gotta rein that crew in.

While you’d think the Lions were on Hard Knocks by the amount of bad press they’ve had it’s actually been revealed that it will be the Miami Dolphins who will star on the ill-fated HBO show. I bet that fan base is thrilled. Did we get any good free agents? How’d we do in the draft? HRRRMMMM…we got on Hard Knocks though? With the level of fan unrest you already have, will exposing that your players are world class douches (Cromartie style) really help the situation? I have a hard time trying to see why teams still agree to do this show. I would think it puts too big a strain on your team and makes camp unnatural. You need a strong camp to bring the boys together and get your chemistry started out. Last thing you need are camera crews and reporters all over. Miami just seems like much too weak of a team and in a rough place to try to fit this in. I know BOB is pissed.

Well, that’s it for me this week. I’d like to once again thank all of the servicemen and women and those here at The Gab who have served or have family members serving. I hope the weekend found them safe and able to communicate. I got to talk to my buddy Dave who is over in Germany and will be deployed to Afghanistan soon. In the meantime, he had his new wife over to Germany and has been enjoying some sight-seeing. He tells me he’s already bought a handful of steins. Here’s hoping the next weekend will be just as awesome but maybe with less rain/heat.

Oh, if you are a comic nerd like me and have enjoyed the music I’ve been sampling, then I highly recommend you check out the Old Man Logan stop motion comic on YouTube. Old Man Logan tells the story of what happens to Wolverine following the day that the villains team up and finally defeat all the super heroes. Wolverine, a broke and desperate farmer, agrees to see Hawkeye, now blind, across the remnants of the US (all of which are owned by various super villains) to deliver precious cargo to a resistance group. It’s a great story with spectacular art and a great sound track. Be sure to find the ones by ImOldManLogan. There’s about eight of them and they run about 9 minutes each.

I leave you with our word of the week.

holiday hangover, noun

And who says baseball isn't fun? Well maybe not for fans in San Diego, Kansas City, Houston or the North Side of Chicago but it's pretty damn exciting everywhere else. April 21 had two very entertaining games depending on whom you ask and both games are at the opposite ends of the thrill meter. On one hand, you have the 'The Rivalry' in the Yankees and Red Sox and on the other, a seemingly ordinary matchup between the White Sox and Mariners. Little was left to the imagination when thinking that both of the Sox teams would end on different ends of the excitement bar.

After the rough start by the Red Sox so far, most recently having their dreaded rivals in the Yankees ruin the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park behind the arm of winning machine Ivan Nova. But today was a different tale, as non-winning machine Freddy Garcia, journeyman Clay Rapada and rook David Phelps gave up nine runs to the suddenly resurgent BoSox offense while Felix Doubront dominated against the potent Yankee lineup. He only gave up a solo homer to Mark Teixeira, who by past experiences, has shown he can have some fun. But then the 7th inning happened...

Need I say more?

Anyways, it was not all bad for a team with the word Sox in their name. The South Siders were battling the M's in Nintendo America World with a young pitcher by the name of Philip Humber as the starter. He has jumped around from team to team but never was able to stick to one. Then the White Sox gave him a chance but he did not really stand out. Then this happened.

Going from a guy who had trouble to a single baseball team to throwing something that only 20 other men have done throughout the long history of Major League Baseball is nothing to overlook. Humber has shown that, on a given day, he has the stuff to get the job done. Pure unadulterated joy.

   Well folks, it's been a while, but I'm back at it once again here at the Gab. I'm filling in for the one, the only, OlHarry today. Best wishes to his daughter as she prepares to head off and fight for the freedoms we all enjoy each and every day, and as always, thanks to her and to every other soldier out there risking their lives on a daily basis so we can enjoy life in this great nation of ours.

   Starting next week, I'll be returning to the weekly featured blogging grind, joining the Beeze on Mondays. Looking forward to having the opportunity to blog alongside one of the best in the business.

   Been an odd month here in the homefront. Started working for a cell phone refurbishing company, worked there for a month, and the douchebags ran out of phones for us to refurbish... so I was then laid off! So, back to the ol drawing board there. On the plus side, though, I'm mere days away from closing on our new house... steal of a deal at $16,000. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, basement and a bigassed garage. Plenty of space for my man cave! After that, it'll be a few weeks of home improvements, then another fun moving day... hopefully the last one of those we'll be doing for a long, long time!

   On to the world of sports, which is what brings us all together here in the first place. One of the bigger stories out there today is the trade that brings Mangina Ramirez to the White Sox... basically just for the privilege of the Dodgers being rid of her! My take on the trade... just a piss poor move for the Sox, and probably the best thing that is going to happen to the Dodgers all year! Look, Ramirez is not just a complete and total douche on and off the field, he's also a cheat. He got away with it for years, and now that he's caught, he's suddenly injured a lot and has suddenly lost much of his power... the only thing that made dealing with his stupid shit worth it in the first place. Sounds a lot like a couple other guys you might remember... you know, McGwire, Sosa... The only positive here for the White Sox is that he isn't under contract for next year, so at least they've only got to babysit her for a month or two... mostly when they DON'T make the playoffs at the end of the year. In the meantime, hopefully she doesn't get knocked up, slap around any 60 year old staffers, or cut off any throws in center field.

   And since we're talking about 'roid cases, why not talk about Roger Clemens for a while? Yeah, looks like Clemens is headed up the river for lying during his overblown autograph/cocksucking session with Congress. I'm all for putting this jackhole behind bars, but if you do it to Clemens, you need to follow that up with a few more names. First on the list, Mr. Finger Wag... Raffy Palmero. Next, Mr. No-Speaka-English Sammy Sosa. Finally, Mr. I'm Not Here to Talk About the Past McGwire. If Clemens goes down, all three of those douches need to go with him.

  With the baseball season winding down, and pennant races wrapping up, it's about time to start talking awards. As far as the AL MVP goes, there's nothing I'd like to do more than just vote for Miguel Cabrera and be done! The guy has just been a monster all year long... but I don't think the Tigers record is going to do him any favors. He'll probably finish second or third, but that leaves the question of who is the MVP. The obvious choice is clearly one of the Beeze's favorites, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. How about a Chicago White Sox... Paul Kornerko? He's been mashing all year long, been consistent, and is one of the main reasons the White Sox still have a shot at the AL Central crown. I know Hamilton has the sappy comeback from a fuck up story and all, but Kornerko deserves a bit of love as far as the AL MVP race goes.

  AL CY Young- C.C. Sabathia and his 18 wins are probably going to take the award (the whole "plays for the Yankees" thing probably won't hurt him either), but there are a few other guys to think about. How about David Price, Carl Pavano, and even C.J. Wilson.

  AL ROY- Austin Jackson of the Tigers is likely going to win the award hitting .307 with 150+ hits, stealing 20+ bases, and playing a stellar center field in spacious Comerica Park.

  NL MVP- it's a three man race between Pujols, Joey Votto and Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. Seems to me the winner right now should be the first baseman for the team that wins the NL Central. Right now, that means Votto is the NL MVP.

  NL CY Young- Adam Wainwright. It was Jiminez hands down at the break... but Wainwright has been lights out the entire second half. Roy Halladay will probably get some votes as well, but how about a little love for Tim Hudson of the Braves? Guy is leading the NL in ERA, has 15 wins, and is the leader for a Braves staff that is leading the NL East right now over the heavily favored Phillies.

  NL ROY- That will probably go to Jason Heyward of the Braves... and I honestly can't think of anyone else to even mention here.

  In other sports news, how about those Lions? 2-1 in the preseason so far. The best thing about that... only one more week of pointless preseason bullshit to get through before the real games begin! Honestly though, it's been a good preseason so far for the Lions... the offense has looked good with an improved line, Jahvid Best running hard, and Megatron catching passes from a much more confident Matt Stafford. On defense they've looked a lot better too, getting pressure on the QB, making tackles, and even getting a few big plays out of the secondary. All that being said, I'm not expecting anything amazing this year... maybe .500. But the way things have looked so far this preseason, and hopefully they'll play the same way for the season, it looks like they're a few pieces away from having a legitimate contender in the Motor City.

  Even college football is getting ready to kick off... and with that, football is back in force! I like baseball and all, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing quite like a good 'ol football game to get the juices flowing again.

  Before I go, how about a weird story to finish things off? Head and Shoulders, the shampoo company, has insured Steelers S Troy Polamalu's hair for a reported $1 million dollars!

  That's it for me this time folks. Thanks as always for reading, and for any comments you leave on the way out.