Top 12 of 2007

Everybody does top 10 lists at this time of year. I have so many favorite moments from 2007, I had to expand the list to 12. I was going to present them in order of importance, but really, what's important to me may not be important to you. So I decided to list them alphabetically, starting with the second letter of the third word from each. Very random. Hard to offend that way. But what if an entry only has two words? I'd suddenly be limited, constricted. That wouldn't be fair to me. So, after moments of soul searching and flogging myself with a box of dry noodles (thin Ronzoni linguini), I elected to show my top moments to you on a month by month basis, starting with January and ending with December. We know there are 12 months and my list is 12 strong, so if I use "March" as a header and March is the third month, you should know that it is my third entry. Are we clear? Thought so.

Thus, Jimmy Scott's Top 12 of 2008, presented by the Months of the Year:

JANUARY

My favorite New York franchise signs former Milwaukee outfielder Felipe Lopez to a 7-year, $103 million contract. Felipe goes on to hit an underwhelming 17 home runs, drive in 66 and suffer from the wrath of fans all season long.

FEBRUARY

My favorite New York franchise is sold to former Manhattan congresswoman Joan Delaney. Mrs. Delaney calls 2007 her "wait and see" season. She waits all season to watch us win and sees we can't when half of the starters, including yours truly, go down with injuries.

MARCH

On the first day of spring training (sing Twelve Days of Christmas along to this one) our union gave to us, a lecture on how to save cash. (stop singing) We all know that 2008 is the final season under the current labor/management agreement, and with a wee bit of tension on both sides, union leader Howard Phillips felt it prudent to tell us to save our money should there be a lockout or strike at some point in 2008. All I can tell you now is nobody's talking. Not because anybody's mad, but because the current agreement expires on October 31, 2008. I know a meeting is scheduled for the first full week of January in New York. I'll be attending. Hopefully all will be cordial. If not, expect to hear war drums beating from coast to coast on both sides.

APRIL

Ahh, spring. When Hope blooms for every big league team. Only hope for a certain favorite New York franchise, one in "wait and see" mode, really only lasts up until the first pitch of the season. It was then that the wheels fell off for me, personally and professionally. Home run ball on pitch one. Elbow explosion on pitch two. I never threw a pitch three. Still haven't. We go on to win 77 games in a season in which many "pundits" predicted we'd win 92. My replacements, all five of them, can't come close to the 14 games I was projected to win (they win a combined 6). Unfortunately, they blow away the number of games I was projected to lose (7) by reaching 15. I have surgery on April 12 - my birthday - and can't comb my hair until mid-May. My head rebels and starts to go bald. Not a good year for New York baseball.

MAY

Things get worse for my favorite New York franchise before they get better (which doesn't happen until December). Former two-time MVP, third baseman Willie Fernandez, goes down with a knee injury and doesn't play another game all season. Reconstructive surgery spells the end of a career in which Willie hit 375 home runs, won three rings, and got divorced twice. A great teammate with a wonderful wardrobe, Willie will be our third base coach in 2008. Once you're in the game, it's hard to get out.

JUNE

Continuing unpleasantness surrounds a team that only wins 10 games in April and 12 in May. (On June 15th, we're 27 and 48.) Derek Henderson enters the pre-game locker room on June 15th and makes three mistakes. First, he carries a firearm with him. Second, it's loaded. Third, he discharges it. Nobody is hurt, but a water pipe directly above his head is maimed beyond recognition. Flooded out of the clubhouse for two games, the team is forced to dress in the press room. Henderson is cut on June 18th and doesn't play another big league game all season. Mrs. Delaney uses the flooded locker room as an excuse to begin asking for a new stadium. Apparently, all the new ones have bulletproof piping.

JULY

Lyman Gaye gets the game-winning hit in the 13th inning of the 83rd annual All Star game, this one held in Pittsburgh. Lyman, not voted in or chosen but a player by default because five other players ahead of him in the pecking order either suddenly come down with hamstring strains or the need to spend time with "family" in the Dominican, goes on to have a solid season. He hits .305 and wins the Defensive Achievement Award for excellence in right field. Kansas City, his team, wins 59 games and dismantles the club beginning 5 days later. Lyman is the last to go. He claims to have never owned a loaded firearm in his life. Good enough for us, we trade for him in December.

AUGUST

Mrs. Delaney's husband is indicted for tax evasion. Rather than hide, Mrs. Delaney goes on a media offensive. Charges are never dropped, but we suddenly have one of the most vocal owners in the sport. Her "wait and see" attitude wanes and General Manager Roddy McEllroy is fired and replaced by Alvin Kirby, the first black GM in New York baseball, not a big deal until Alvin's wife brings it up in her own media offensive. On November 3rd, Alvin files for divorce.

SEPTEMBER

In an outburst still playing 127,000 times a day on YouTube, now former/then current manager of my favorite New York franchise, Larry Picketts, goes on an obscenity-laced rampage. Unfortunately, he does it during his daily WTEM (You're on The Team!) radio call in show. A frustrating season gets worse. Larry is fired with 10 games remaining in the season...

OCTOBER

...And replaced by everybody's favorite New York sports television personality and 1996 MVP runner up, Rick Churches. While Rick has never managed or coached a game in his life, we've known for years that he can talk a good one. A former player with two championship rings, #1 draft choice in 1983 out of Wichita State and that one incredible season in '96 when he hit 25 home runs, drove in 111 and stole 55 bases, the pedigree is there. He just has to put it to good use.

NOVEMBER

I start my blog. My fatness is exposed (along with the news of my scalp deciding to bare itself to the world). Rather than accept the team's generous contract buyout offer, I opt to play one more season. We get mad at each other and meet in a locker room duel with Derek Henderson serving as referee. We settle our differences somewhat amicably, but the locker room needs a whole new piping system now before opening day.

DECEMBER

I haven't spoken on this much, but having a year off, basically, gave me more time to spend with the Jimmy & Vanessa Scott Foundation. We raised more money for M.S. and Lyme Disease in 2007 than we had in 2005 and 2006 combined, over $4 million. Much of that money will go to research, although I may embezzle some to pay for the security system we're putting in around our house to discourage vandalism. It's been quiet on that front for the last week, but all crooks and vandals take the holidays off to "recharge" their batteries. Vandalism Season starts January 2nd. I hope we don't have as good seats as we did last year.

So there you go. My top 12 "happenings' for 2007. Listen to me Friday afternoon around 3:05 on The Team sports radio to discuss my list, my blog, my rehab, and my balding scalp (I'm not fat so much anymore, so I can't complain about that). Charity events this weekend and a quiet New Year's Eve on Monday.

Have a Happy New Year and healthy 2008!

- Jimmy Scott