Archive for October, 2009
For all you fans out there, here’s some news about sipp,
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Hey, TV people! Way to balance the schedule today. All those early blowouts were awesome! I was forced to watch ESPNews for entertainment, for cryin’ out loud. (Although, their numerous live look-ins were very exciting.)
Anyway, Ohio State-Wisconsin and Alabama-Mississippi make the afternoon games a little more promising. Hey, and Sam Bradford’s alive! Oh wait … he’s hurt again. Limped off the field after this first possession. Oops. (He did return. For now.)
And since I’m feeling grouchy, here’s another complaint. Stop scheduling all the best games in primetime, ABC! Not only does it leave Saturday afternoons devoid of the most compelling matchups, no one wants to stay home on a Saturday night watching TV. I can’t tell you how many interesting college games I’ve missed over the last few seasons because the rest of the human world doesn’t revolve about Brent Musburger’s schedule.
College football is for SaturDAY. Crying into your beer during last call is for Saturday NIGHT. The end.
.:”
Any response to Your Mid-Afternoon Football Update: Bradford Goes Down. Again. College Football?
Here’s a clip of sipp at his finest:
Tony Sipp rehab
Every day should be opening day when you open up your check-book and see the logo of your favorite Major League Baseball team prominently displayed. All 30 teams available. Coordinating labels and cover are also available. These baseball checks are only $27.90 at DesignerChecks.com
Richard Jones slammed a pinch-hit tie-breaking home run over the RF fence with one out in the top of the 9th, and the Cubs held-on to defeat the Angels 2-1 in AZ Instructional League action at Diablo Park Field #3 in Tempe this morning.
Jones, the Cubs 2009 9th round selection out of The Citadel, was drafted as a catcher, but his #1 attribute is raw power. In fact, after signing with the Cubs in June, Jones hit seven HR in just twelve games for the AZL Cubs (Mesa), before moving up to Boise. (Jones ended up tied for 3rd in the AZL in HR, while playing there only two weeks!). And remember, he did all that while playing in the AZL’s huge minor league complex ball parks with 25-ft high fences, where it’s almost easier to hit a triple than it is to hit a HR.
While Jones was a catcher in college, he appears more comfortable at 1B (or DH) But if he can remain a catcher, his value will be greatly increased, since power-hitting catchers who bat left-handed are always in demand.
Besides working on his defense behind the plate, Jones is also at Instructs to try and learn to make better contact at bat (56 K in 174 PA at Mesa and Boise combined in 2009).
Today’s game was scoreless through five innings, before the Angels broke-through with a run off RHP Nick Struck (Cubs 2009 39th round pick out of Mt. Hood CC) in the 6th, on a walk, a sac-bunt, and an RBI double. (Struck dropped to the 39th round only because he was considered a virtual “lock” to transfer to the University of Hawaii, but the Cubs came up with some additional money and were able to sign him just before the August deadline).
The Cubs came back to tie the score in the top of the 7th with two outs, when Brandon Guyer (yesterday’s hero) lined a single to left (his second hit of the game), and scored on a near-HR RBI triple smashed high off the RF fence by Ryan Flaherty.
23-year old polished college LHP Chris Rusin (2009 4th round pick out of U. of Kentucky) got the start for the Cubs today, and he hardly broke a sweat, allowing just a lead-off bunt single in the 1st (and then he immediately picked the runner off), throwing just 15 pitches (12 strikes) combined over two innings of work. He was on the field maybe seven minutes.
RHP Chris Archer followed Rusin with three shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk on 43 pitches (26 strikes). while retiring the last five men he faced.
One of three pitchers the Cubs acquired from Cleveland for Mark DeRosa last off- season, Archer throws a 92-94 MPH fastball, a curve, and a change-up, and was 4th among Cubs minor leaguers in strikeouts in 2009 (trailing only Jay Jackson, Mitch Atkins, and Chris Carpenter). But he is at Instructs to work on his command & control (he led the Cubs minor leagues in walks in ‘09), and he has indeed shown some progress with his strike-throwing in his last two outings, allowing just one walk over six innings. Of course he also has only one strikeout in those six innings, but he’s not down here to rack up the punch-outs. The Cubs already know he can do that. He’s down here to improve his control and cut-down the number of pitches he throws per inning.
Today’s game also featured three really nice defensive players by the Cubs, including a sliding catch of a pop up in short CF by 2009 #1 draft pick Brett Jackson in the 4th, a full-speed running shoestring catch by 17-year old Korean LF Kyung-Min Na on a pop up in short left-center in the 8th, and a probable game-saving running catch in RF foul territory (and then a flawless a spin & throw to 3rd to keep the base-runner at 2nd base) by 2009 2nd round pick D. J. LeMahieu with no outs in the bottom of the 9th.
LeMahieu played SS at LSU, but I think it’s fairly obvious that the Cubs think that the athletic LeMahieu’s future is at 2B. He has spent many hours at Instructs working with minor league infield instructor Franklin Font on his DP footwork from the second-baseman’s side of the bag (which requires different footwork and an altered rhythm than is the case when turning the DP from shortstop), and hopefully he will take what he has learned at Instructs into the 2010 season, where he will probably begin the year at Daytona.
Here is today’s abridged box score (Cubs players only):
LINEUP:
1a. Logan Watkins, DH #1: 1-3 (1B, L-9, L-1 DP)
1b. Richard Jones, PH: 1-1 (HR), R, RBI
2. D. J. LeMahieu, 2B: 1-4 (4-6-3 DP, 1B, F-9, L-8)
3. Brett Jackson, CF: 0-4 (F-8, F-8, F-8, F-7)
4. Brandon Guyer, RF: 2-3 (1B, F-8, 1B), R, CS
5. Ryan Flaherty, SS: 1-3 (F-7, 4-3, 3B), RBI
6. Michael Brenly, C-DH: 0-3 (P-3, P-6, P-8)
7. Jovan Rosa, DH-C: 0-3 (K, 6-3, K)
8. Matt Cerda, 3B: 1-3 (P-2, 1B, 4-3)
9. Justin Bour, 1B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, 4-3)
10. Kyung-Min Na, LF: 0-3 (F-9, K, L-6)
PITCHERS:
1. Chris Rusin - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0Â R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 PO, 2/1 GO/FO, 15 pitches (12 strikes)
2. Chris Archer - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4/5 GO/FO, 43 pitches (26 strikes)
3. Nick Struck - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 BALK, 2/2 GO/FO, 30 pitches (19 strikes)
4. Jose Rosario - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 15 pitches (7 strikes)
5. Steve Grife - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 2/1 GO/FO, 18 pitches (9 strikes)
ERRORS: NONE
CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Michael Brenly - 0-1 CS
Jovan Rosa - 1 PB
WEATHER: 70’s & overcast first-pitch, then mostly sunny by noon
ATTENDANCE: 21
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I have always been a big fan of DeRosa, I have to say, seeing stuff like this gives me mixed feelings.This will be shocking news for DeRosa fans, but some of you who will say that you saw it coming from a long way away. I can’t say I’m all that surprised though. DeRosa is spectacular, I hope this doesn’t affect the rest of the team.
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You either saw the fair ball hit by the Twins‘ Joe Mauer that was called foul by LF umpire Phil Cuzzi last night, or you’ve heard about it. The reason MLB has outfield umpires in the postseason — something they don’t do all year — is to get calls like this right. Cuzzi blew it, and it might have cost the Twins the game, since Mauer would have been on second base (the ball bounced into the stands and would have been an automatic double) and the next two hitters singled. True, the Twins also blew a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation by not scoring, but they shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.
Yahoo’s Jeff Passan writes about this today and makes what I think is exactly the right suggestion:
Take the cue from football. Use a red replay flag. Each team gets two per game. If the manager throws them too early, or misuses them, and canât overturn a poor call later, itâs his mess. MLB likes to render decisions on home-run calls now in two or three minutes. One gameâs replays, if all played, would consume 10 to 12 minutes â and might save time, too, presuming umpire-manager confrontations over blown calls would dip dramatically.
Back in July, a major league manager said this: “Iâve said all along that I want a red flag.”
It was Ron Gardenhire. He manages the Twins. They had lost a brutal game, and he was tired of the lack of accountability. He wouldnât bite on the replay question Friday. So instead, Gardenhire and the rest of the Twins unloaded on Cuzzi. His lone job as the left-field umpire â a position, along with right-field umpire, used only in the postseason â was to judge fair-foul calls down the line. Nothing more.
I couldn’t agree more. For one thing, this would introduce more strategic decisions into the game, something that would enhance, not take away. Let’s say a play like this happens in the second inning of a scoreless game. Does the manager throw one of his red flags then? Or save it for later? Good managers would learn how to manage their two challenges. It would virtually end the screaming matches we see when controversial calls are made, and eliminate the ejections and possible suspensions of players. Don’t extend this to ball-and-strike calls, but anything else is fair game. Try it in spring training next year to see what happens. The existing replay system — letting umpires look at disputed home runs — has worked well. It could be decided later whether this would come under the “red flag” system or be separate.
But replay works well in the NFL and NHL and doesn’t drag games out too long. Especially when the stakes are as high as they are in a postseason series, it’s way past time to do it. (And especially when there were several blown calls in the Red Sox/Angels series, too.)
Complete info on today’s games after the jump.
Dodgers at Cardinals, 5 pm CDT. TV: TBS. Announcers: Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos and Dodgers site True Blue LA.
Phillies at Rockies, game postponed until 9 pm CDT Sunday. TV: TBS. Announcers: Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row and Phillies site The Good Phight.
The Denver-area forecast and snow already falling caused the postponement:
Tonight: A slight chance of snow and freezing drizzle before midnight. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. East northeast wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Brrr. Not baseball weather.
If an overflow is needed, please post it in the FanShot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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I have always been a fan of lee, but I have to say, seeing news like this gives me mixed feelings.This will be shocking news for lee fans, but some of you who will say that you saw it coming from a long way away. I’m pretty surprised though. lee is sweet, I really hope this doesn’t affect the rest of the team.
Take a peek at a video of lee:
ESPN Fantasy Baseball commercial featuring Geddy Lee of Rush
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Lee hasn’t really made me a fan. I think we’d be fine without him -
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If you’ve been reading Da Box over the past four or five years, you know one of the sidelight features in Baseball’s Hall of Names deals with players who share(d) certain initials. We’ve assembled teams for every possible double-initial, as well as many other obvious ones like MD, PR, BS and others.
Recently I got to thinking about baseball initials … you know, the kind you scratch on your scorecard during a game, abbreviations like HR, RBI and HBP. Forget building a roster of these guys — it’ll be hard enough to find representatives for all the obvious baseball abbreviations we can think of. So go ahead, play along … what initials are missing? And who would be better to fill a role in the existing All-Baseball-Initials roll-call that follows? …
Let’s kick things off on the mound …
There’s only one “natural ERA” in baseball history, that is, a player whose first-middle-last initials were ERA. That’d be 1975 World Series controversy epicenter Ed Armbrister (a Cincinnati OF who hit .245, 1973-77) whose full name is Edison Rosanda Armbrister.
Apologies to some guy in the current Yankee infield, Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, but AER doesn’t work, and to Edward John “Rube” Albosta, as the nickname makes the abbreviation E”R”A … and ooh, you just missed out, Elden Le Roy Auker! So Eddie Armbrister is it, apparently.
If our pitcher wants to plunk (not “Eric Plunk,” jut hit ‘em straight up) someone, there has never been a major league player with the natural initials HBP. Although those initials became well-associated with the aforementioned ‘75 Armbrister controversy, the closest we get is Harold William “Buddy” Pritchard, an .091-hitting middle infielder with the 1957 Pirates, who has that whole nickname thing going again. But as a bonus, the “B” could stand for two different things, his nickname of “Buddy” or a shortened form of his given middle name, “Bill.”
Woo, we’re off to a rip-roaring start, huh?
Of course, a pitcher’s primary concern is probably his W-L mark. Believe it or not, there has apparently never been a big league player who was both given and went by a W.L.-initialed name. Oh, you can make arguments for three All-Star pitchers in lefty William “Spaceman Bill” Lee or righties William “Big Bill” Lee and William “Billy” Loes but all three went by B.L. names, as did Negro League Hall of Fame 1B Walter “Buck” Lee.
That win/loss mark matters more if the innings pitched number runs up higher, of course, so what about IP players? (And no, that has nothing to do with intellectual property, legal beagles.) In fact, there are only two candidates — and one, John Lloyd “Ike” Powers, a RHRP for the 1927-27 Athletics — only gets there via the nickname route. That leaves us with Irv Porter, an outfielder who singled in four at-bats in his only game with the 1914 White Sox.
If our pitcher wants to intentionally pass a batter to first base and is tired of the H”B”P route, there’s only two options, that is, players with the initials IBB … Isaac B. Benners, an outfielder who hit .185 for two teams in 1884 (and, most intriguingly, has a career line showing one homer and zero RBI … is that possible?) and Isaac Burr Butler, a RHSP who was 1-10 with a 5.34 ERA for the 1902 Baltimore Orioles. Makes sense to go with the pitcher …
Now, from the offensive side, using the newfangled metrics of the Jamesian age, there has NEVER been a big league player with either the initials OPS or OBP. But the old tried-and-true pre-sabremetric measure of greatness, the home run, still provides us with numerous options, including an All-Star middle infield in 2B Harold Reynolds and the still-active shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
Lost in the didn’t-go-by-it haze are a couple of former Dodger greats in another shortstop, Harold “Pee Wee” Reese, and OF Harold “Pete” Reiser. A more recent All-Star OF, Henry Rodriguez, does qualify, but Hall of Fame SP Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, not so much. With all those HRs on the board, shockingly there is only one natural RBI in big league history, 1990s Tigers/Twins OF Riccardo Benay Ingram. Still, even with the lack of RBI, there is only one man “left on base” (LOB) in big league history, in Luther Owens Barnes, a .243-hitting middle infielder for the 1972-73 Mets.
We should note that we are ignoring even the most common one-letter abbreviations (like H and K and E) — there would simply be too many possibilities and we’ve gone down that road previously anyway, building Hall of Names rosters back in 2004-05 for teams of players whose last/family names began with each letter of the alphabet. (Well, except “X” — there has never been a big league player with a last name starting with “X” … Oh, 1985-90 minor league catcher Joe Xavier, why couldn’t your talent vault you to the big leagues?)
Still, there are plenty of other abbreviations out there that do call to mind some significant All-Star, even Hall-of-Fame-level players. For instance …
- GB (Games Behind) … HOF 3B George Brett
- SO (Strikeouts) … All-Star RHP Steve Ontivero
- BB (Walks/Bases on Balls) … All-Stars like Bert Blyleven? Bobby Bonds? Barry Bonds? Bob Boone? Bill Buckner? Many others … again, we have done an entire roster just of the double-initial BB players …
- SB (Stolen Bases) … All-Stars like Steve Busby? Steve Blass? Sal Bando?
- AB (At-Bats) … With an eye on 2009 rookie All-Star Andrew Bailey and a nod to Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick, let’s go with Albert Belle …
- SS (Shortstop) … More double-initials! Sammy Sosa? Scott Sanderson? Steve Sax? Steve Stone?
- LF (Left Field) … A number of All-Stars you’ve never heard of (Lou Fette, Lou Finney, Larry French), so let’s go with Lonny Frey, a fine three-time All-Star 2B who hit .269 over 14 seasons between 1933-48.
- CF (Center Field) … A huge number of All-Stars you HAVE heard of, including Cecil Fielder, Chuck Finley, Chone Figgins, Cliff Floyd, Curt Flood (arguably the most influential player in the history of the game OFF the field) and Carl Furillo. Oh, and one Hall of Famer, Carlton Fisk.
- RF (Right Field) Jammed with HOFers including non-qualifying pitchers like Robert “Bob” Feller, Rube Foster and Red Faber, which leaves us with a battery of Rick Ferrell and Rollie Fingers along with guys who were “just” All-Stars like Ryan Franklin, Rafael Furcal, Ron Fairly, Robert Fick and Ray Fosse. All that said, we’ll go with Fingers … hands down (Har!).
- DH (Designated Hitter) … Sorry, “Doc” Halladay, we’re left with All-Stars like Danny Haren, Dave Henderson, Don Hoak, Dave Hollins and Dick Howser. You’ll remember that last guy more as a manager than a shortstop, which he was, but his combined success in those two areas — he started at shortstop in the All-Star Game as a 1961 rookie AND managed a World Series champ in the 1985 Royals — earns Howser this spot.
- SP (Starting Pitcher) Apologies to many fine candidates, but can this be anyone other than the greatest Starting Pitcher who ever lived, Satchel Paige? (I know, I know, that’s a nickname. So sue me.)
- RP (Relief Pitcher) Rafael Palmeiro? Roger Pavlik? Let’s go with Rico Petrocelli.
- CL (Closer) Clem Labine or Cliff Lee? It will probably be Lee in the long run, but it’s a tossup now and given what the abbreviation stands for, we’ll go with the 96 saves (and two NL save titles) racked up by Labine.
- PH (Pinch-Hitter) Pete Harnisch or Pat Hentgen? This is a Blue Jays site, I’m not dumb. It’s Hentgen, and pretty easily.
- LCS (League Championship Series) There have only been two, and with all due respect to the 19th century utilityman Leonard Clark Stockwell, we’ll look sideways past the nickname rule and Louis Francis “Chief” Sockalexis, the fine young OF from whom, legend has it, the Cleveland Indians took their name.
- NL (National League) This one’s pretty easy — Hall of Famer Napoleon Lajoie.
- AL (American League) Options are surprisingly limited, so here’s to another former Jay in Al Leiter.
- MLB (Major leage Baseball) A number of players had these most generalizable of all baseball initials, but the best, such as they were, ended up being 1990s RHRP Melvin Lynn Bunch Jr., 1980s-’90s RHSP Michael Lawrence Birkbeck and our leader in the clubhouse, SFG OF Marvin Larry Benard, who hit .271 with 54 homers from 1995-2003.
Woo. That’s enough of that! But what other baseball initials or abbreviations can we use on this list, and who are the best players to bear those initials? Is there anyone missing from the above list? Over to you, Bauxites …
.:”
I’m willing to bet nobody saw that coming! Any thoughts?
Here’s a vid of Lee:
Lee Varsity Baseball
Every day could be opening day when you open up your checkbook and see the logo of your favorite MLB team proudly displayed. All 30 teams available. Matching labels and cover are also available. These MLB checks are only $27.90 at DesignerChecks.com
lee should be traded:
When you read this, keep in mind it is written with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
The Cardinals got swept out of their Division Series with the Dodgers and looked, in doing so, just about as bad as the Cubs did in a similar sweep a year ago.
Common thread? It has to be Mark DeRosa, the only former Cub on St. Louis’ Division Series roster (Todd Wellemeyer wasn’t on that roster). DeRosa played in 13 postseason games with the Braves from 2001-2003. His team won eight of them. But since DeRo became a Cub, his team has lost nine straight postseason games (ten, if you include the final game of the 2003 Braves/Cubs NLDS). It’s got to be his fault. Even DeRosa himself joked about it:
“It might be me,” former Cub Mark DeRosa said afterward as he saw Chicago media headed his way. “It better not be because I’m not retiring for a while.”
Then he thought and added with a slight smile:
“This is three years in a row. It is me.”
Gee, and the Cubs might think about bringing him back as a free agent?
Of course, DeRosa could more easily have blamed his teammates, because he had more hits in the series (five) than any other Cardinal, including Albert Pujols.
“It is what it is,” DeRosa said. “I’ll keep grinding.”
Taking my “facetious cap” off, obviously, the Cardinals had problems that started at the end of the regular season, losing 8 of their last 10 games. As the link above states, DeRosa had a fine series, hitting .385. In fact, he hit .333 in two division series for the Cubs (7-for-21 with two doubles and a HR) and overall in 58 postseason at-bats, he’s hit .358/.414/.566, numbers any team would take over a total of 22 games. And yes, I’d take DeRosa back as a free agent if the price were right.
Speaking of the Cardinals, Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan are free agents. Supposedly, the internal rift between them and Cardinals management has been healed, but Phil Rogers says the Reds might be interested in them; ex-Cardinal GM Walt Jocketty, of course, is now in charge in Cincinnati. Rogers also writes:
The Brewers are telling teams they don’t plan to trade Prince Fielder. They hope to get pitching back in trades for shortstop J.J. Hardy and possibly third base prospect Mat Gamel, a .302 hitter in five minor league systems who has been made expendable by the emergence of Casey McGehee, claimed on waivers from the Cubs last fall.
J.J. Hardy? Would the Brewers take Sean Marshall and maybe a pitching prospect for Hardy? I’d do that. Hardy had a down year and wound up in Triple-A for a while, but he is only 27 and just one year removed from a fine offensive season.
Complete info on today’s playoff tripleheader after the jump.
Angels at Red Sox, 11 am CDT. Angels lead series 2-0. TV: TBS. Announcers: Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster and Angels site Halos Heaven.
Yankees at Twins, 6 pm CDT. Yankees lead series 2-0. TV: TBS. Announcers: Chip Caray and Ron Darling
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Twins site Twinkie Town and Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.
Phillies at Rockies, 9 pm CDT. Series tied 1-1. TV: TBS. Announcers: Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row and Phillies site The Good Phight.
Once again, no overflows scheduled today. If you need one, post it in the FanShot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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I wonder how this is going to effect the rest of the team!
Every day should be opening day when you open up your check-book and see the logo of your favorite MLB team proudly displayed. All 30 teams available. Coordinating labels and cover are also available. These baseball checks are only $27.90 at DesignerChecks.com
News about choo -
Both schools’ bands continued to play as the opposing team lined up on offense, despite repeated warnings from officials and—gasp—the public address announcer. Conference rules prohibit the bands from playing after a team breaks from the huddle, but who are they to cut “When The Saints Go Marching In” off in the middle of the song? The schools received only a reprimand, but a second violation would ban the band for a game, and a third would suspend them for the rest of the season. Think that’s not a strong deterrent for a fairly effective distraction? I’ve been to a Grambling game. Without the band, there’s really no reason to go.
The epic Grambling State and Prairie View rivalry was taken to absurd new heights last week, as each team’s marching band attempted to disrupt the other team’s offense. Seriously, this is the most exciting story on SWAC football in years.
2 College Bands On Notice For Music At Wrong Times AP.
Post your replies below!
Take a look at a video of choo:
Choo Choo’s 2nd Annual Hamburger Eating Contest (7/27/08)
Every day can be opening day when you open your check-book and see the logo of your favorite MLB team proudly displayed. All 30 teams available. Matching labels and cover are also available. These baseball checks are only $27.90 at DesignerChecks.com
Look who is in this news again - lee! This time, Crosstown Classic, Instructs Style. To make things easier, we have a summary: In the AZ Instructional League, Chicago’s ”Crosstown Classic” is West-Side versus East-Side rather than North-Side versus South-Side, but it’s still Sox versus Cubs, and such was the case today, as about 20 White Sox youngsters boarded a couple of maxi-vans at Camelback Ranch in Glendale and traveled 30 miles east down the Papago and Red Mountain freeways to meet the Cubs at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.
And the Cubs probably wish the West Side Hit Men had just stayed home at the ranch, too, because the Cubs surrendered 12 runs on 15 hits, five walks, two HBP, a balk, four stolen bases, two errors, a passed ball, and 11 wild pitches.
Meanwhile, the Cubs offense could muster just four runs on only five hits (albeit three of the hits were for extra bases), four walks, and two stolen bases (plus the aid of two Sox errors). And the White Sox pitchers didn’t throw anywhere near 11 wild pitches, either. In fact, they didn’t throw any.
2009 1st round draft pick Brett Jackson (Cal) got the start in CF for the Cubs, and went hitless, although he did draw a walk in his 4th and final AB. Jackson has been nursing a sore right wrist for the past six weeks, and he played today with a pressure sleeve on his right forearm and a tightly wrapped right wrist (he bats left-handed, but throws right-handed). He looked rusty at the plate.
Lanky 6′6 Taiwanese RHP Tzu-An Wang made his Cubs debut today, and the 18-year old really struggled, allowing three runs on four hits, while also throwing three wild pitches and committing a balk, in 1.2 IP. He was unable to finsh his second inning of work. Wang received a reported $350K signing bonus earlier this year. T. A. Wang has a similar frame as fellow lanky Cub minor league right-handers Chris Huseby and Toby Matchulat.
2009 3rd round pick LHP Austin Kirk (Owasso HS - Owasso, OK) worked 2.1 IP and struck out three, but he also allowed two runs on three hits (two triples and a double), as he had trouble keeping his pitches down. But when the stocky left-hander puts the ball where he wants to put it, he can be filthy.
3B-turned-catcher Jovan Rosa had another tough day behind the plate, allowing a PB and four SB, while gunning down only one runner (and that was on a pitch-out). Rosa was also absolutely helpless to block the many wild pitches uncorked by the Cubs pitchers. Rosa needs to work on both his throwing AND his receiving (and ball blocking) skills, and he has a long way to go to that end.
Plus, now Rosa appears totally lost as a hitter, too, probably because his mind is jammed with all of the things he needs to learn and remember as a catcher. Hopefully Rosa will turn the corner in time for the 2010 season.
IF-OF Brandon May (2009 36th round pick out of U. of Alabama) also has had lots of problems (so far) learning the art of catching, and Jae-Hoon Ha has had some difficulty re-learning the position (the Cubs signed Ha as a catcher, but then immediately moved him to the OF). And youngster Sergio Burruel (2009 19th round draft pick out of Trevor Browne HS in Phoenix) is a promising power-hitting lefty swinger, but he is raw behind the plate. Same goes for “HR or Bust” lefty swinging Richard Jones (2009 9th round pick out of The Citadel), who looks more comfortable at 1B (or DH).
Among the six Cubs catchers at Instructs (not counting Welington Castillo, who is at Fitch Park to prepare for the start of the AFL season next week, and Matt Cerda, who has been moved back to the infield), only Michael Brenly looks like a real, legitimate catcher. (And Brenly will almost certainly be the #1 catcher at Daytona next season).
Logan Watkins (triple, walk, and a stolen base) and D. J. LeMahieu (a single and a stolen base, two runs scored, plus one RBI) provided most of the Cubs offense today. Ryan Flaherty also had an RBI on a double that just missed going over the RF fence for a HR.
LeMahieu is the best pure hitter at Instructs, ripping line drives all over the yrard (although he has yet to demonstrate a HR swing), and if he can master the DP turn at 2B (the position the Cubs would prefer he play), he could move VERY quickly through the system.
2B Logan Watkins and SS Hak-Ju Lee (the likely 2010 Opening Day 2B-SS combo at Peoria) have also had impressive showings, Rebel Ridling has provided a reliable RBI bat and OK defense at 1B, and Ryan Flaherty displays lefty plus-power (probably annual 20+), with the versatility to play almost anywhere on the diamond except pitcher and catcher.
Here is today’s abridged box score (Cubs players only):
LINEUP:
1a. Logan Watkins, 3B: 1-2 (BB, K, 3B), 2 R, SBÂ
1b. Brandon May, 3B: 0-0 (BB)Â
2a. D. J. LeMahieu, 2B: 1-3 (FC+E4, 3-U, 1B), R, 2 RBI, SBÂ
2b. Ping-Chieh Chen, 2B: 0-1 (4-6 FC)Â
3. Brett Jackson, CF:0-3 (3-U, F-8, F-9, BB), RBIÂ
4a. Rebel Ridling, 1B: 0-3 (L-6, F-8, 5-3)Â
4b. Richard Jones, 1B: 0-1 (K)Â
5. Ryan Flaherty, SS: 1-4 (2B, 1-3, 6-3, 5-3), RBIÂ
6a. Jovan Rosa, C: 0-2 (P-4, K)Â
6b. Michael Brenly, C: 0-2 (F-9, 6-3)Â
7. Bobby Wagner, LF: 1-3 (P-5, 2B, K, BB)Â
8a. Wes Darvill, DH #1: 0-3 (6-3, 4-3, E-3), RÂ
8b. Runey Davis, PH: 0-1 (K)Â
9. Sergio Burruel, DH #2: 1-3 (6-3, 4-3, 1B)Â
10. Kyung-Min Na, RF: 0-3 (1-U, 4-3, K)
PITCHERS:Â
1. Alberto Cabrera â 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 2 WP, 4/0 GO/FO, 43 pitches (22 strikes)Â
2. Tarlandus Mitchell â 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 2 WP, 2/1 GO/FO, 22 pitches (12 strikes)Â
3. Tzu-An Wang â 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 3 WP, 1 BALK, 1 GIDP, 4/0 GO/FO, 24 pitches (16 strikes)
4. Austin Kirk â 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 2/2 GO/FO, 36 pitches (22 strikes)Â
5. Jose Rosario â 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 3 WP, 1/0 GO/FO, 23 pitches (10 strikes)Â
6. Corey Martin â 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1/0 GO/FO, 24 pitches (18 strikes)
ERRORS: (2):Â
1. Rebel Ridling (E-3) â batted ball caromed off glove into RF with runner on 2nd base and two outs in the top of the 2nd inning, allowing the runner at 2nd base to score an unearned run.Â
2. Ryan Flaherty (E-6) â overthrow at 1st base on infield single (H+E) leading off top of the 4th inning, allowing batter to advance to 2nd base.
CATCHERS DEFENSE:Â
Jovan Rosa: 1-5 CS, 1 PB
WEATHER: 80, partly cloudy, some scattered showers
ATTENDANCE: 14 (mostly scouts)
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This will be shocking news for lee fans, but there are those of you who will say that you saw it coming. I can’t say I’m all that surprised though. lee is awesome, I really hope this doesn’t affect the rest of the team.
Take a look at a video of lee at his best:
Baseball Card - Takegami, Zender, Lee, Madrigal
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At first this reads like the further pussification of sports, where a fan gets arrested for heckling a player. But it quickly takes a turn into Annie Wilkes territory.
Brittney Jane Mears, a 22-year-old Iowa student, was arrested during Saturday’s game for constantly yelling at defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Turns out she has an unhealthy obsession with him:
According to a previous third-degree harassment charge, the alleged contact with Clayborn began on June 28 when Mears was given a warning against making contact with him. After that Mears continued to drive past Clayborn’s workplace while staring at him, police said. According to a criminal complaint for a July 27 alleged offense, Mears sent Clayborn a lewd text message.
Honey, raise your standards for stalking. Try a pro athlete, not college. If you must, then try a big football school. At least try better than a defensive end.
Reader Brandon, who sent this along, asks the obvious question: Is this woman a) crazy? b) carrying the player’s baby? c) trying to give him a route-running tip? or d) all of the above?
Mears is still being held, in lieu of only $1,000 bond, which is pretty pathetic.
Fan Arrested During Game For Harassing Hawkeye Player Iowa City Press-Citizen
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I have always been a fan of choo, but I have to say, seeing news like this gives me mixed feelings.This will be shocking news for choo fans, but there are those of you who will say that you saw it coming. I’m pretty surprised. choo is cool, I hope this doesn’t affect the season.
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Noone can top Francisco nowadays -
MJ will be a special assistant to the Americans at this weekend’s Presidents Cup, but he won’t have his signature cigar in hand. Why not? Liberals!
See, the Presidents Cup is being held in Harding Park, which is a public park. And there’s no smoking in public parks in San Francisco. The city was sure to let the PGA know:
You mean about Spare the Air Jordan?” said Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
“I’ve already sent off an e-mail to the PGA Tour director,” Ginsburg said. “It was sort of a gentle nudge reminding them that smoking is illegal and that we would appreciate their support.”
Apparently the message has gotten through to Jordan.
PGATOUR.COM: What’s the over and under on cigars per round this week?
MJ: Well, that depends because I heard this is a public place so they limit what you can smoke. I’m not even supposed to be smoking but this was a practice round and no one said anything. So I’ve been very cognizant of that to some degree. But I would say, if they allow me to, I would say a three-cigar round. I would try to keep it at a minimum of three.
Luckily for Jordan, San Francisco doesn’t have a ban on being a selfish, egotistical jackass.
Michael Jordan Caught Smoking SF Chronicle
Q&A: Jordan on golf and The Presidents Cup PGATOUR.com
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Tell us your opinion.
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It seems like all the news has been about Wood:
For those refined gentlepeople who prefer the cerebral grace of baseball to the plebian savagery of football, October is the greatest of months. Will Leitch looks at each of the eight playoff combatants. Now up: The Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox clinched their postseason berth at 1 a.m. on September 30. They’d just lost to the Blue Jays and had to wait for the Rangers to lose their West Coast game until they could “celebrate.” It was not exactly a wild bash. Here is how the Red Sox went crazy:
“Once the Red Sox lost, there was a bizarre feeling in the clubhouse. Some players packed up and went home, while others milled around and watched the Rangers-Angels game on television. Ortiz said he would go out to a local establishment and then return to Fenway if the Rangers gave him reason to celebrate. Rookie reliever Daniel Bard went to his apartment across the street to have a late-night dinner, but he was prepared to return and enjoy the clinching moment with his teammates.”
It has been that sort of season for the Red Sox. They have chugged along, winning enough to outlast an uninspiring group of wild-card challengers, never really making the Yankees sweat, as uninspiring as a 95-win season can possibly be. Almost every Red Sox fan I talk to is far from optimistic about the postseason. It just doesn’t have that feel, one told me.
This is a unique luxury for Red Sox fans, this notion that this year’s team isn’t the team, one that no other team’s fans can possibly understand. (And after a year off from the postseason, that includes the Yankees.) It’s a privilege to make the playoffs, a rarity, and that Pink Hat Nation generally seems more exhausted by his season than invigorated speaks to just how far they’ve come since 2004, since Johnny Damon was bearded, since that incredibly brief time in human history where the rest of the nation found the Red Sox likable. It doesn’t have that feel. Please.
That is to say: Bah! The mad rugby scrum that is the baseball postseason has no time or patience for protestations of what is RIGHT and what is POSSIBLE. Certainly — here comes the Cardinals reference! — there are other teams than the 2006 version of the Cardinals that I would have desired to win the big pennant-spiky trophy. That didn’t stop me from losing my shit when they pulled it off. The tsunami can strike anyone at any time. If the Red Sox beat the Angels and make the ALCS, who will even remember the regular season? Who will even remember it by ALDS Game Two?
I’m about to write something that will make you nauseous, so I apologize in advance. But: Doesn’t this decade deserve another Yankees-Red Sox ALCS? Isn’t that where all this is going? This has been the decade of Tiger Woods, of Lance Armstrong, of Tom Brady, of Favre of Favre of Favre, the decade in which we recognized brilliance, and then we recognized it again, and then we bashed it against the wall and pushed it in everyone’s faces over and over and over again. This has been the decade of overkill, the This Is The Greatest Super Bowl Ever and This Is The Greatest Gunslinger Ever and This Is The Greatest Rivalry Ever. It wouldn’t be right to end this decade with a modest Twins-Angels ALCS. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry transmogrified into the pulsating, tentacled mega-monster this decade, and it changed everything. It caused the sports networks to ignore any time west of the northeast corridor. It raised baseball salaries to unimaginable levels. It inspired everyone to start using steroids, and then pretend like they were stopping. It has dwarfed everything else in baseball over the last 10 years. None of us has been able to escape it. It has been the one part of baseball that resembles football. It is not humble and welcoming. It is loud and exclusionary. It is AROD AND JETER VERSUS PAPI AND MANNY TONIGHT ON FOXXXXXXX!!!!! It is exceptionalism and imperialism and everything that makes you want to throw your television across the room.
That all happened this decade. Doesn’t it have to end that way? Could it possibly end any other?
See? Told you you’d get sick.
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Any thoughts on MLB Postseason Preview: Boston Red Sox Mlb?
Here’s a vid of Wood at his finest:
Boner Bats - Rock Hard Wood Baseball Bats - Commercial 1
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