You've Been X'd

All right, so it's not exactly the mark of Zorro, but X is a pretty cool letter to make your point with. It's cooler to X someone than to, say, Steve someone. And if you've been Steve'd, would you really know what happened to you? Would you care?

"Hey, I've been Steve'd."

"Well have you seen a doctor?"

No, it's more marketable to X someone like Xavier Nady did to poor David Weathers (and Todd Coffey) with two HR's, than to Steve someone with six good innings...especially when you're X-ing someone without an appendi-X. Not only is it more marketable, but at this point it's more important to X someone than to Steve someone, when X-ing provides a much needed jump to the bottom of the lineup, which has been a tad flat lately, and lead said lineup to a 9-2 victory.

But let's not forget that Steve Trachsel also provided jump to the bottom or the lineup with a dinger of his own. Trachsel admitted in his in-game interview that this was the first home run of his three career home runs where he was able to watch it go. Unfortunately, Steve Kline called and said that some of the Giants were unhappy with Trachsel's actions, and will in fact throw at him in their next meeting. Trachsel was also efficient on the mound, and he was the starting pitcher in a game that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes. I guess if you really want to "Steve" someone, you make them sit in oppressive heat for four plus hours. It did not come to that tonight.

Then there is to "Pedro" someone, which apparently means to hit his teammates with a red toy bat. I didn't think Martinez could look more uncomfortable with a toy bat than with a real one, but by golly he's done it. I'm guessing that this red bat is a lucky charm...any toy that is by your side two games in a row has to be a lucky charm. If that's the case, is it really a good idea to use a supposed lucky charm to mock the batting stance of Carlos Delgado (who hit a home run of his own tonight)? I can understand using your good luck charm to try and crush walnuts, or a walnut like substance (which Pedro also tried to accomplish), but mocking your teammate? He's lucky he's Pedro Martinez.

Hey, that gives me a fun rookie hazing idea for Lastings Milledge: Give him Pedro's toy bat. Make him mock Delgado's stance in the dugout while he's at bat. Make sure SNY director Bill Webb knows about it so he can catch Milledge in the act and put it on television. Then the next day, count how many articles are written in the newspaper calling Milledge a "problem", or a "cancer", or a "punk". Count how many sports discussion shows mention it. Count how many interviews Milledge conducts explaining himself. Then you can put an over/under on the total number, say...fifteen...and bet on it in the clubhouse. If that's not a team building exercise, I don't know what is.