Please call me if you have anything you would like me to touch so it turns to gold. Things are going my way.
I wouldn't have believed even if I had Grays Sports Almanac from Marty McFly that Riley Nelson would lead a 96-yard game winning touchdown tonight against Utah State. Nor would I believe that Shoppach was going to hit two homeruns and the Rays would crush the Rangers 9-0 holding them to only two hits with a rookie starting pitcher.
Normally, I discount goodwill and intangibles when analyzing a balance sheet. I may need to change my philosophy. Riley Nelson has intangibles. He's anything but fragile physically or mentally. I think a lot of people now know that. With the Yankees game rained out the main sporting event of the night was the BYU game on a little channel you may have heard of called ESPN.
Don't let me wake up from this dream. Go Cougars! Go Rays!
#DoingMoreWithLess
Friday, September 30, 2011
We are who we are
We are who we are and it is what it is.
Does it really surprise anyone that the Rays fought all season and overcame the improbable to make the playoffs and they are throwing out there a starting pitcher in Game 1 of the ALDS with less than 10 innings of big league experience? Only the Rays. Discount baseball at its best.
Does it really surprise anyone that the Rays fought all season and overcame the improbable to make the playoffs and they are throwing out there a starting pitcher in Game 1 of the ALDS with less than 10 innings of big league experience? Only the Rays. Discount baseball at its best.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
September in microcosm
I don't believe what I just watched. I don't. It just couldn't have happened. I now understand what they mean when they say it isn't over till it's over. But, I mean, wow! I don't doubt that it happened. I only doubt the way it happened.
Walkoffs within minutes of each other. Boston must hate Dan Johnson. From nine games back and seven runs down. Crawford misplayed the ball that ended the season for Boston. Should have played the hop and thrown home. And they lost to the Orioles, the first team I ever loved and the first team I ever saw live. I don't believe it. Rain delay, balk, grand slam, extra innings, and walkoffs.
Seven runs down in the eighth. Nobody on and two outs in the ninth inning... IN BOTH GAMES. Things like this just don't happen.
It almost doesn't matter what happens in October. We just won the World Series. That was awesome!
I'll never forget this night as long as I live. I'm not being dramatic. That is the point. I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight. Unbelievable!!!
Walkoffs within minutes of each other. Boston must hate Dan Johnson. From nine games back and seven runs down. Crawford misplayed the ball that ended the season for Boston. Should have played the hop and thrown home. And they lost to the Orioles, the first team I ever loved and the first team I ever saw live. I don't believe it. Rain delay, balk, grand slam, extra innings, and walkoffs.
Seven runs down in the eighth. Nobody on and two outs in the ninth inning... IN BOTH GAMES. Things like this just don't happen.
It almost doesn't matter what happens in October. We just won the World Series. That was awesome!
I'll never forget this night as long as I live. I'm not being dramatic. That is the point. I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight. Unbelievable!!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Move Over, Babe
So Babe Ruth called his shot on a home run but people hit home runs all the time. Try calling your shot on a triple play! Word out of Zobrist after the game is that the Rays met at the mound during a timeout with the bases loaded, down by a run, and nobody out. Zobrist says that Evan looked at him and told him if the ball was hit right to him he was going to go for the triple play and sure enough magic happens. Wow! I had never seen a triple play live before. I probably won't ever again.
Speaking of magic - the magic number is now 2 for Boston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and St. Louis. I liked the roster for Atlanta before the season started and decided they would be my adopted team this year if the Rays fell out quickly. Now I'm cheering St. Louis as I relate with their comeback story.
I was jumping so high that I nearly fell over the rail from the first row of the second level last night when Joyce cleared the fence in the 7th. I'm hoping my voice gets back to normal today. I've heard a lot about this movie Moneyball that came out recently. I think I'm watching it play out in real life and it couldn't have been scripted any better.
Lets Go Rays!
Speaking of magic - the magic number is now 2 for Boston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and St. Louis. I liked the roster for Atlanta before the season started and decided they would be my adopted team this year if the Rays fell out quickly. Now I'm cheering St. Louis as I relate with their comeback story.
I was jumping so high that I nearly fell over the rail from the first row of the second level last night when Joyce cleared the fence in the 7th. I'm hoping my voice gets back to normal today. I've heard a lot about this movie Moneyball that came out recently. I think I'm watching it play out in real life and it couldn't have been scripted any better.
Lets Go Rays!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Game #160
If you were like me you were starting to wear out the "previous" button on your remote last night between the Rays/Yankees game and the Orioles/Red Sox.
They says defense wins championships when they talk about basketball and football. At least the coaches do. But for the most part, even the coaches aren't convinced of that in baseball. But Joe Maddon isn't most coaches.
The defense-to-win correlation is grossly underrated in MLB. Pitching is another and the Red Sox and Yankees undervalue both. In the games I watched last night the two plays that stick out in my mind were both defensive hinges to their respective games. Desmond Jennings made an awesome catch on a Jeter would-be gapper. On the other channel the game changed on a two-out Jacoby drop at the fence that allowed three runs to score on the inside-the-park homerun.
Forget about pitching and defense. This year's Sox team just wants to outscore you. Digest this stat - in the month of September the Red Sox are 2-19 when they don't score at least 12 runs (they have scored 12 runs four times this month and won all four). Lets hope the O's give themselves a good chance tonight by holding Boston under 12. On second thought, who cares what Boston does? All we have to do now is win.
They says defense wins championships when they talk about basketball and football. At least the coaches do. But for the most part, even the coaches aren't convinced of that in baseball. But Joe Maddon isn't most coaches.
The defense-to-win correlation is grossly underrated in MLB. Pitching is another and the Red Sox and Yankees undervalue both. In the games I watched last night the two plays that stick out in my mind were both defensive hinges to their respective games. Desmond Jennings made an awesome catch on a Jeter would-be gapper. On the other channel the game changed on a two-out Jacoby drop at the fence that allowed three runs to score on the inside-the-park homerun.
Forget about pitching and defense. This year's Sox team just wants to outscore you. Digest this stat - in the month of September the Red Sox are 2-19 when they don't score at least 12 runs (they have scored 12 runs four times this month and won all four). Lets hope the O's give themselves a good chance tonight by holding Boston under 12. On second thought, who cares what Boston does? All we have to do now is win.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Stats
I really like stats so I thought I'd start a running post to maintain some of the stats that I come across that I think are the most remarkable or insightful. I'll pull the post to the top of the blog every time I add a stat to it.
161 - It is September and Adam Dunn has the same amount of strikeouts as he does points on his batting average - 161. That is unbelievable. (9/17/11)
The Rays have won 22 straight games when scoring at least five runs. (9/13/11)
Roger Federer was 178-0 when leading two sets to zero in majors until yesterday(6/29/11).
161 - It is September and Adam Dunn has the same amount of strikeouts as he does points on his batting average - 161. That is unbelievable. (9/17/11)
The Rays have won 22 straight games when scoring at least five runs. (9/13/11)
Roger Federer was 178-0 when leading two sets to zero in majors until yesterday(6/29/11).
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hearing Footsteps
So football has the possibility for some violent collisions when receivers run across the field while looking back for the ball. They can't see the defender charging them at opposite, full speed but they can sometimes anticipate the impact if they hear the footsteps. The phrase "hear the footsteps" has become a catchphrase to imply fear. If a receiver drops a pass or slows down a route they often accuse him of hearing the footsteps.
Well, the Red Sox hear the footsteps of the Rays. David Ortiz said yesterday that it is time to panic in Boston. It wasn't unsolicited but it was an admission.
Those same Rays who give us so many walkoffs late in games just started the ninth inning of their season (if you break the season into nine 18-game stretches). We are catching up quickly and gaining confidence and momentum as we roll. This is our time. Be afraid, Boston. Be very afraid.
Well, the Red Sox hear the footsteps of the Rays. David Ortiz said yesterday that it is time to panic in Boston. It wasn't unsolicited but it was an admission.
Those same Rays who give us so many walkoffs late in games just started the ninth inning of their season (if you break the season into nine 18-game stretches). We are catching up quickly and gaining confidence and momentum as we roll. This is our time. Be afraid, Boston. Be very afraid.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
BYU B-ball rolling
The Cougars are 2-0 now in their little tour of Europe for some summer practice. The most recent 114-45 win included everything except an embarrassing brawl.
I'm guessing everyone has heard the old news by now about the Georgetown game in China and the brawl that ended the game. Sad. Word from NPR was that it shouldn't hurt US-Chinese relations because China sensors the media and did not allow the fight to be published. Rather, the front page news was Joe Biden's visit to China.
Glad the Cougars can always be trusted to play without the black eyes that are found all around the NCAA landscape these days.
Go Cougars!
I'm guessing everyone has heard the old news by now about the Georgetown game in China and the brawl that ended the game. Sad. Word from NPR was that it shouldn't hurt US-Chinese relations because China sensors the media and did not allow the fight to be published. Rather, the front page news was Joe Biden's visit to China.
Glad the Cougars can always be trusted to play without the black eyes that are found all around the NCAA landscape these days.
Go Cougars!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Lesson learned: never turn off the Rays
Monday night the Rays had a nice come-from-behind and walkoff homerun. Tuesday I got to go to the game and the Rays basically won it in the first inning and James Shields pitched all nine innings without surrendering a run.
Last night the Rays had chances to tie the game multiple times and couldn't quite get there. I'll admit I lost hope after the Rays gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to go down 7-3. I switched channels to check on the US-Mexico soccer match and saw the ESPN ticker scroll across the screen that the Rays score was updated to 7-5 with one out. I switched back and it was already 7-6 with a pinch runner on first. Upton struck out and it looked like too little too late until Sam Fuld.
Sparkplug Sam shot a triple to right-centerfield. I guess you can't call it a walk off because he did no walking around the bases but it was the last play of the game. Johnson scored from first to tie the game and the relay throw skipped by third base as Fuld made his head-first slide. Ninety feet later he made another head-first slide to end the game as he scored on the overthrow error. Rays win again!!!!
Never give up on the Rays. They never give up.
Last night the Rays had chances to tie the game multiple times and couldn't quite get there. I'll admit I lost hope after the Rays gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to go down 7-3. I switched channels to check on the US-Mexico soccer match and saw the ESPN ticker scroll across the screen that the Rays score was updated to 7-5 with one out. I switched back and it was already 7-6 with a pinch runner on first. Upton struck out and it looked like too little too late until Sam Fuld.
Sparkplug Sam shot a triple to right-centerfield. I guess you can't call it a walk off because he did no walking around the bases but it was the last play of the game. Johnson scored from first to tie the game and the relay throw skipped by third base as Fuld made his head-first slide. Ninety feet later he made another head-first slide to end the game as he scored on the overthrow error. Rays win again!!!!
Never give up on the Rays. They never give up.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
#yep
There have been a few sports-related tweets recently that I wanted to pass on. Some are witty, some are sarcastic, most are concisely accurate of my opinion as well. I think I'll just keep this as a running post and add to it.
***
Jimmer Fredette: "Practice today with the byu guys to get them ready to go overseas. #greecetrip"
***
Did you see the Pirates lose to the Braves in 19 innings on this blown call a week or two ago?
In response, @nvasconcelos threw this tweet out there: "I'm just glad the human element of umpiring is preserved. That's the important thing."
***
Another good one by Dale Murphy recently: "So great to see the #redsox on #espn again...I think it's been atleast...what? One day since they were on last?"
***
I almost did a post about Tiger and Steve but I'm fasting from Tiger for a while so I'll just retweet this little gem from @GenoEspn: "Tiger/Stevie catfight was a sight to behold. Now it's time for everyone to move on--out of respect for Ad Scott." Ain't it the truth.
***
Jimmer Fredette: "Practice today with the byu guys to get them ready to go overseas. #greecetrip"
***
Did you see the Pirates lose to the Braves in 19 innings on this blown call a week or two ago?
In response, @nvasconcelos threw this tweet out there: "I'm just glad the human element of umpiring is preserved. That's the important thing."
***
Another good one by Dale Murphy recently: "So great to see the #redsox on #espn again...I think it's been atleast...what? One day since they were on last?"
***
I almost did a post about Tiger and Steve but I'm fasting from Tiger for a while so I'll just retweet this little gem from @GenoEspn: "Tiger/Stevie catfight was a sight to behold. Now it's time for everyone to move on--out of respect for Ad Scott." Ain't it the truth.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Rookies Rule
Welcome to the future. I like what I see.
The Rays had a day game today so I missed it but that is why they invented mlb.com so I am made aware that a couple of rookies took care of business today.
After going down a run in the top of the 10th, Desmond Jennings homered to tie it up again.
After going down a couple in the 11th, Robinson Chirinos tied it up with a single in the bottom of the inning.
After finally getting through the top of an inning unscathed, Chirinos ended the game with a walkoff in the 12th.
We can't afford to pay the hefty salaries of the established stars so we know the farm system has to continue to churn faster than most and the future looks bright.
Go Rays!
The Rays had a day game today so I missed it but that is why they invented mlb.com so I am made aware that a couple of rookies took care of business today.
After going down a run in the top of the 10th, Desmond Jennings homered to tie it up again.
After going down a couple in the 11th, Robinson Chirinos tied it up with a single in the bottom of the inning.
After finally getting through the top of an inning unscathed, Chirinos ended the game with a walkoff in the 12th.
We can't afford to pay the hefty salaries of the established stars so we know the farm system has to continue to churn faster than most and the future looks bright.
Go Rays!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
You had to be there
I was excited when Mardy Fish made a nice little run at Wimbledon because I expected to see him live on July 22nd. I thought he had a chance to get through Nadal at Wimbledon but he lost in four sets in the quarterfinal match.
Julie and I have tennis in common. I became semi-obsessed with the idea of attending a professional match together in July 2010 when I watched part of the ATP Atlanta Tennis Championships on television. Atlanta is a reasonable 7 hour drive to watch a top-10 professional tennis player.
We purchased the evening quarterfinal match for Friday, July 22nd. Mardy Fish, as the #9 player in the world, was the highest ranked player committed to the tournament so I expected he would have the 7 pm feature quarterfinal match in Atlanta assuming there wasn't some major upset. Fish didn't disappoint.
If you get ESPN3, look for us starting around the 3:40 mark. You can also see us also standing in the back if you look between the faces of Brad Gilbert and Cliff Drysdale at about the 4:00 mark. I haven't watched the whole match over again yet so I'm not sure if we made any other brief appearances on screen but we sat behind the player benches. You can see the folding chairs followed by the green bleachers. We sat in the fifth row of green seats four or five seats to the right hand side of the chair umpire.
We had a blast. Julie felt we were out of our league a bit what with all the fancy cars in the parking lot and the attitude we perceived from the other attendees. It was a bit more exclusive than was my first golf tournament experience in May but I didn't think it had nearly the country club feel like some of our high school experiences. Funny note - the guy next to us commented how nice it would be to have 6 new racquets sitting in your bag on the court like the pros and he seemed a bit turned off when Julie admitted that she has had the same racquet for 15 years;)
Immediately following the match we saw the final quarterfinal match between Ryan Harrison and Rajeev Ram. Both are Americans and Harrison has been touted as the next big thing in USA tennis. We've heard that before about players that never panned out so we'll wait and see how it goes but it was another exciting match. Harrison still has some work left on harnessing his emotion into more positive and professional energy but he is young and we won't throw the first rock and condemn him just yet. The final set tie-break took us all the way close to midnight. Tough way to lose for Ram - the final point at 6-5 in the tiebreak of the final set clipped the tape and eluded his approaching volley. That's tennis for you.
I enjoy watching tennis on television and I can try to explain the contrast to watching it in person, but really ... you had to be there.
Julie and I have tennis in common. I became semi-obsessed with the idea of attending a professional match together in July 2010 when I watched part of the ATP Atlanta Tennis Championships on television. Atlanta is a reasonable 7 hour drive to watch a top-10 professional tennis player.
We purchased the evening quarterfinal match for Friday, July 22nd. Mardy Fish, as the #9 player in the world, was the highest ranked player committed to the tournament so I expected he would have the 7 pm feature quarterfinal match in Atlanta assuming there wasn't some major upset. Fish didn't disappoint.
If you get ESPN3, look for us starting around the 3:40 mark. You can also see us also standing in the back if you look between the faces of Brad Gilbert and Cliff Drysdale at about the 4:00 mark. I haven't watched the whole match over again yet so I'm not sure if we made any other brief appearances on screen but we sat behind the player benches. You can see the folding chairs followed by the green bleachers. We sat in the fifth row of green seats four or five seats to the right hand side of the chair umpire.
We had a blast. Julie felt we were out of our league a bit what with all the fancy cars in the parking lot and the attitude we perceived from the other attendees. It was a bit more exclusive than was my first golf tournament experience in May but I didn't think it had nearly the country club feel like some of our high school experiences. Funny note - the guy next to us commented how nice it would be to have 6 new racquets sitting in your bag on the court like the pros and he seemed a bit turned off when Julie admitted that she has had the same racquet for 15 years;)
Immediately following the match we saw the final quarterfinal match between Ryan Harrison and Rajeev Ram. Both are Americans and Harrison has been touted as the next big thing in USA tennis. We've heard that before about players that never panned out so we'll wait and see how it goes but it was another exciting match. Harrison still has some work left on harnessing his emotion into more positive and professional energy but he is young and we won't throw the first rock and condemn him just yet. The final set tie-break took us all the way close to midnight. Tough way to lose for Ram - the final point at 6-5 in the tiebreak of the final set clipped the tape and eluded his approaching volley. That's tennis for you.
I enjoy watching tennis on television and I can try to explain the contrast to watching it in person, but really ... you had to be there.
New collective bargaining agreement
So the NFL now has a new collective bargaining agreement. The NBA is now on the clock. Still, I can't help but consider the similarities between NFL owners locking out the players and politicians locking out Americans in the current debt ceiling debate. This isn't a politics blog but I'm just saying...
Would the equivalent of a new CBA be amending the constitution or dissolving most regulatory agencies and starting over?
Would the equivalent of a new CBA be amending the constitution or dissolving most regulatory agencies and starting over?
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Walmart of the MLB
So Julie and I went to the Rays game and were grateful to be there. There is always a bit more on the line when the Yankees come to town (Take that Boston!).
The Rays are kind of the Walmart of MLB. Julie kept reminding last night when I would complain about the talent differential that it is much more gratifying to earn the win than to buy the win.
Robinson Chirinos was called up yesterday to play in his first major league game (because another rookie catcher got hurt the night before in his first career start). He doubled in his first at bat. Derek Jeter walked over to him from shortstop and congratulated him on his first career hit. The Yanks have a guy with 3,000 hits and the Rays have a guy with one career hit.
Later in the game the Yanks were batting in the ninth inning of a tie game. The bases were loaded and there were two outs. Alex Torres had just been called up from the minors and due to how the game developed and the length of the game on Sunday he was pitching. You could tell he was a bit rattled after walking a guy so Chirinos went out to the mound to calm him down. It was then that I realized I was watching a catcher in his first major league game talking to a pitcher pitching in his first major league game and their job was to defeat an opponent full of established, hall of fame guys. It was a David versus Goliath. Hey rookies - welcome to the majors against the Yankees in a tie game on national television in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, two outs, and a full count (No, really. That's what it was.)
Julie is right. If we had won that game, imagine the satisfaction and accomplishment those kids would have felt playing in their first game in the major leagues. Goliath won last night but I'm still glad I'm not a Philistine.
Remember Sam Fuld? Remember when the Rays only won one of the first nine games to start the season and built themselves a huge hole. Then came the spark that was Sam Fuld. That flame burned out pretty quick and was replaced by Matt Joyce who was hot for a while. Kotchman has been the most consistent spark.
Play it again, Sam. We need another spark plug. I don't care who it is but somebody step up fast before this thing gets away from us.
The Rays are kind of the Walmart of MLB. Julie kept reminding last night when I would complain about the talent differential that it is much more gratifying to earn the win than to buy the win.
Robinson Chirinos was called up yesterday to play in his first major league game (because another rookie catcher got hurt the night before in his first career start). He doubled in his first at bat. Derek Jeter walked over to him from shortstop and congratulated him on his first career hit. The Yanks have a guy with 3,000 hits and the Rays have a guy with one career hit.
Later in the game the Yanks were batting in the ninth inning of a tie game. The bases were loaded and there were two outs. Alex Torres had just been called up from the minors and due to how the game developed and the length of the game on Sunday he was pitching. You could tell he was a bit rattled after walking a guy so Chirinos went out to the mound to calm him down. It was then that I realized I was watching a catcher in his first major league game talking to a pitcher pitching in his first major league game and their job was to defeat an opponent full of established, hall of fame guys. It was a David versus Goliath. Hey rookies - welcome to the majors against the Yankees in a tie game on national television in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, two outs, and a full count (No, really. That's what it was.)
Julie is right. If we had won that game, imagine the satisfaction and accomplishment those kids would have felt playing in their first game in the major leagues. Goliath won last night but I'm still glad I'm not a Philistine.
Remember Sam Fuld? Remember when the Rays only won one of the first nine games to start the season and built themselves a huge hole. Then came the spark that was Sam Fuld. That flame burned out pretty quick and was replaced by Matt Joyce who was hot for a while. Kotchman has been the most consistent spark.
Play it again, Sam. We need another spark plug. I don't care who it is but somebody step up fast before this thing gets away from us.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
You're all quite short
The subject line is another movie quote but it is just what I thought when I caught a glimpse of the Japan team at the Women's World Cup (WWC). I hit up Google and tried to find the heights of the starting lineup. The only thing I could find was an article that claimed the average height of their team is 5'4" so there you go.
I'm enough of a patriot that I've watched a little more than just highlights the last few weeks but I decided it wouldn't be worth a blog post until the gold was within reach. Here we are. Great match yesterday. The US certainly played better against Brazil but it was still good enough to win yesterday and at least the officiating seemed fair.
I'm excited for the WWC Final even though it is on Sunday so I won't be watching. I think it has the potential to be a very exciting match-up. It's no secret that in any sport I like an "undersized" team that wins with grit, precision, and determination rather than just trying to overpower the opponent. That is Japan and it is a fun brand of soccer to watch.
USA, USA, USA!
I'm enough of a patriot that I've watched a little more than just highlights the last few weeks but I decided it wouldn't be worth a blog post until the gold was within reach. Here we are. Great match yesterday. The US certainly played better against Brazil but it was still good enough to win yesterday and at least the officiating seemed fair.
I'm excited for the WWC Final even though it is on Sunday so I won't be watching. I think it has the potential to be a very exciting match-up. It's no secret that in any sport I like an "undersized" team that wins with grit, precision, and determination rather than just trying to overpower the opponent. That is Japan and it is a fun brand of soccer to watch.
USA, USA, USA!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I was there when...
Everyone is talking 3,000 hits because of Jeter. Congrats to Jeter. He won the game for NY today. It was a great back-and-forth game. It is a big deal for sure to get to 3,000. There had been as many guys tally 3,000 as there are outs recorded by a pitcher in a perfect game - 27. Now there are 28.
Reminds me of a story.
In high school I had one of the greatest job a high schooler can have. I sold dippin dots ice cream at Rays baseball games. Well, they were the Devil Rays then but same thing. I could get into the games (well, I had to be there) 30 minutes before gates opened to the public so I got to watch part of the Rays batting practice in a pretty empty stadium. Sometimes I would go down close and talk to the guys or get an autograph. Fred McGriff was nice and so was Wade Boggs. The one guy I couldn't stand and who was never nice was Jose Canseco (probably not a huge shock to most people).
So I worked the game when Boggs was at 2,999 hits. I worked out in the food court area with another person who didn't care as much and let me run into the nearest section to watch each time Wade came to bat. It was electric in there. I remember well standing there with another food vendor and predicting the home run. Sure enough. Home run. The crowd went wild. I don't think I really appreciated it at that age but it was pretty cool to watch live a guy get his 3,000th hit.
Now there are two guys who hit home runs for their 3,000th hit. I wasn't in Yankee Stadium today but I was there when Boggs jogged around the bases for his moment in history.
Reminds me of a story.
In high school I had one of the greatest job a high schooler can have. I sold dippin dots ice cream at Rays baseball games. Well, they were the Devil Rays then but same thing. I could get into the games (well, I had to be there) 30 minutes before gates opened to the public so I got to watch part of the Rays batting practice in a pretty empty stadium. Sometimes I would go down close and talk to the guys or get an autograph. Fred McGriff was nice and so was Wade Boggs. The one guy I couldn't stand and who was never nice was Jose Canseco (probably not a huge shock to most people).
So I worked the game when Boggs was at 2,999 hits. I worked out in the food court area with another person who didn't care as much and let me run into the nearest section to watch each time Wade came to bat. It was electric in there. I remember well standing there with another food vendor and predicting the home run. Sure enough. Home run. The crowd went wild. I don't think I really appreciated it at that age but it was pretty cool to watch live a guy get his 3,000th hit.
Now there are two guys who hit home runs for their 3,000th hit. I wasn't in Yankee Stadium today but I was there when Boggs jogged around the bases for his moment in history.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Old sports injury
Most people can claim at least one old sports injury that lingers for years and flares up on occasion. I have mine.
This story takes us back to freshman year of high school. I didn't apologize for being 4'8" when I started high school. Nor did I consider myself athletically inferior for weighing in at a whopping 70 lbs.
I was committed to joining the high school basketball team. After all, I could rain three pointers all day and accumulate steals constantly at church pick-up games and I knew most of the guys who had already been hand selected by the high school coach in middle school to make the team.
Maybe unapologetic, but I wasn't unaware that the shortest freshman who wound up making the team was 15 inches looking down at me. Maybe I had watched Rudy too many times but I figured I could compensate for size with determination.
My determination caused my injury. I'm not sure if I regret it or not. I was never much of a weight lifter so I was a little hesitant when my friends who would eventually be on the team invited me to work out over the summer at the high school weight room. I didn't really know what I was doing but they took me under their wing and showed me what to do. It didn't take too many curls with the barbells before I strained my forearm and it has never quite been the same.
The story stops there because this post is about sports injuries and not about life lessons of getting cut from high school basketball teams (didn't MJ get cut from his high school team). Point is I can't seem to shake it. I still feel the strained forearm whenever I use it with much significance and I've learned to be careful with it.
Which leads us to the next blog post... bowling.
This story takes us back to freshman year of high school. I didn't apologize for being 4'8" when I started high school. Nor did I consider myself athletically inferior for weighing in at a whopping 70 lbs.
I was committed to joining the high school basketball team. After all, I could rain three pointers all day and accumulate steals constantly at church pick-up games and I knew most of the guys who had already been hand selected by the high school coach in middle school to make the team.
Maybe unapologetic, but I wasn't unaware that the shortest freshman who wound up making the team was 15 inches looking down at me. Maybe I had watched Rudy too many times but I figured I could compensate for size with determination.
My determination caused my injury. I'm not sure if I regret it or not. I was never much of a weight lifter so I was a little hesitant when my friends who would eventually be on the team invited me to work out over the summer at the high school weight room. I didn't really know what I was doing but they took me under their wing and showed me what to do. It didn't take too many curls with the barbells before I strained my forearm and it has never quite been the same.
The story stops there because this post is about sports injuries and not about life lessons of getting cut from high school basketball teams (didn't MJ get cut from his high school team). Point is I can't seem to shake it. I still feel the strained forearm whenever I use it with much significance and I've learned to be careful with it.
Which leads us to the next blog post... bowling.
Duckpin Bowling
I'm feeling the old sports injury after five games of bowling on Wednesday night. I hadn't bowled in a few years so I forgot how sore my forearm gets after just three games. Typing isn't bad but even gripping a pencil to write is tough.
But this post won't be about sports injuries. This post is about bowling. I was actually on my high school bowling team.
My bowling is similar to my tennis. My pedigree includes some experience but I received no formal training in either sport. My grandmother taught me how to love tennis and a decade of losing to my dad prepared me to compete in high school. Bowling I also picked up from my dad who was a professional duck pin bowler for a few years in Maryland. Like any good story, I'd like to embellish it a bit for you but he actually did a pretty good job of that himself describing himself as an up-and-coming star before he left for his mission. His name was often in the Washington Post with his scores and he made a few bucks at it to help pay for college.
Unless you are an old(er);) man from the northeast you may not be familiar with duck pins. A duckpin ball is a little larger than a softball so you grip it around the exterior rather than using finger holes as you would with a traditional bowling ball. The pins are arranged on the lane identical to normal bowling but the pins are a little shorter and lighter so that it is more difficult to achieve a strike in combination with the smaller ball. You track the score similarly. However, due to the difficulty you are allowed three attempts instead of two in each frame. You can read more at wikipedia.
So add another to my bucket list - go duck pin bowling at least once in my lifetime.
But this post won't be about sports injuries. This post is about bowling. I was actually on my high school bowling team.
My bowling is similar to my tennis. My pedigree includes some experience but I received no formal training in either sport. My grandmother taught me how to love tennis and a decade of losing to my dad prepared me to compete in high school. Bowling I also picked up from my dad who was a professional duck pin bowler for a few years in Maryland. Like any good story, I'd like to embellish it a bit for you but he actually did a pretty good job of that himself describing himself as an up-and-coming star before he left for his mission. His name was often in the Washington Post with his scores and he made a few bucks at it to help pay for college.
Unless you are an old(er);) man from the northeast you may not be familiar with duck pins. A duckpin ball is a little larger than a softball so you grip it around the exterior rather than using finger holes as you would with a traditional bowling ball. The pins are arranged on the lane identical to normal bowling but the pins are a little shorter and lighter so that it is more difficult to achieve a strike in combination with the smaller ball. You track the score similarly. However, due to the difficulty you are allowed three attempts instead of two in each frame. You can read more at wikipedia.
So add another to my bucket list - go duck pin bowling at least once in my lifetime.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Move over Vlade Divac
It's about time I do a Jimmer post!
So I've never really sat down and done a formal list but I've always kind of compartmentalized teams into three categories in my head: teams I like, teams I don't care about, and teams I dislike.
Here are some examples. I like the Rays, Cubs, BYU Cougars. I'm neutral on the Royals, the Washington Capitals, the Denver Broncos. I dislike the Nuggets, the Yankees, the Cowboys.
Up until the evening of June 23, 2011 the Sacramento Kings were on the margin between teams I dislike and teams I don't care about. They switched margins during the first round of the NBA draft.
I tried to think of a Kings player I've enjoyed watching in the past and I came up with Vlade Divac. He drove me kind of nuts but in the same way I enjoyed watching Dennis Rodman play basketball, I enjoyed watching Vlade play basketball. He knew how to do it.
And now without ever playing a single minute for the Kings I have a new favorite Kings player of all-time: Jimmer. I'm curious if I become a full Kings fan or just a Jimmer fan but assuming he gets some good playing time I think I'll actually become a Kings fan.
All I know is that I'll be at the game when the Magic host the Kings next season as long as it isn't on a Sunday. Never say never. Never say always. But I'm pretty sure.
I know it is just sports. But this is a sports blog. And as far as sports go, Go Jimmer!!!!
So I've never really sat down and done a formal list but I've always kind of compartmentalized teams into three categories in my head: teams I like, teams I don't care about, and teams I dislike.
Here are some examples. I like the Rays, Cubs, BYU Cougars. I'm neutral on the Royals, the Washington Capitals, the Denver Broncos. I dislike the Nuggets, the Yankees, the Cowboys.
Up until the evening of June 23, 2011 the Sacramento Kings were on the margin between teams I dislike and teams I don't care about. They switched margins during the first round of the NBA draft.
I tried to think of a Kings player I've enjoyed watching in the past and I came up with Vlade Divac. He drove me kind of nuts but in the same way I enjoyed watching Dennis Rodman play basketball, I enjoyed watching Vlade play basketball. He knew how to do it.
And now without ever playing a single minute for the Kings I have a new favorite Kings player of all-time: Jimmer. I'm curious if I become a full Kings fan or just a Jimmer fan but assuming he gets some good playing time I think I'll actually become a Kings fan.
All I know is that I'll be at the game when the Magic host the Kings next season as long as it isn't on a Sunday. Never say never. Never say always. But I'm pretty sure.
I know it is just sports. But this is a sports blog. And as far as sports go, Go Jimmer!!!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Walkoff
Walkoff - Baseball term used to describe the home team winning the game in its final at bat forcing the loosing team to ‘walkoff’ the field. Most prominently and dramatically used along with homeruns but can be used along with any event(homerun, double, single, walk, balk…) that concludes the game. (from urbandictionary.com)
A blog post is close to useless (so really I don't know why I'm trying) at describing the emotion of seeing a walkoff live. I've now been to six in the last two seasons.
Let me tell you about the most recent one.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Here is a good picture for you. The picture is a graph of the percentage chance of the Rays winning the game based upon historical data as the game progresses. The game usually starts somewhere near 50% but not necessarily because it is based upon pitching matchups and home field advantage and overall records and a number of things. So this graph shows what the odds were from the first pitch to the last and you can see the roller coaster we witnessed.
The game was similar to the game I blogged June 11th because it was a back and forth affair and each team had at least one lead during the game.
It was quick baseball to start as the pitchers each made quick work of the opposing lineups.
And then... Here's Johnny! Johnny Damon gives the Rays a lead with a homerun.
The fangraph guys jump our odds of winning over 70% which makes sense considering David Price has a perfect game through 4 innings and we are at home (even though we have a much better record on the road than at home this year). The perfect game gets broken up by an error:( but Price continues to cruise until we reach the 8th inning.
Upton gets nervous about the wall and turns a double into a triple for Stubbs. Renteria ties the game. Price still had enough stuff to get through the next two while keeping Renteria in check. This is when I was hoping Joe would pull Price but he doesn't. There are a lot of possible reasons - Price had dominated Votto so far in the game, Price hates to get pulled if he isn't in line for the win, Joe doesn't trust the bullpen. Either way 115 pitches is too many to leave a guy in against such a good hitter as Votto and Votto won that battle with a double. Renteria may not have scored from first but the double came after Price was so concentrated on Votto that he forgot about Renteria and let him steal second.
You could feel the energy seep out the doors or maybe through the roof of the dome. Fangraphs swings to favor the Reds at this point and the Rays are down 2-1.
The Never-Say-Die Rays are at it again in the bottom of the 8th. Leadoff strikeout by Upton followed by a single to Jaso (two days removed you wouldn't think I'd remember it so well). Ruggiano pinch runs but doesn't steal. Fuld comes to the plate but doesn't bunt. Fuld singles up the middle. At this point I was hoping for a double steal with two of our faster guys to give us a tying run on third with one out and go-ahead within a single of the plate. Nope.
You've heard the phrase about blessings in disguised. That might be applied to Brignac's fly to left because runners don't go on contact with few than two outs and there is no way we score both the tying and go-ahead runs on Damon's flair to leftcenter that gets deflected 20 yards or so away on a diving attempt to end the inning.
Johnny comes through again. Hope is restored and replaced with confidence all in one play as we flip the graph and the one-run deficit back to the Reds.
Farnsworth falls behind Bruce and the ball was crushed to dead centerfield. Tie game. Are you kidding me?
Close to 50/50 chance with no outs and a tie game in the top of the 9th but it didn't feel that way. It felt like all the momentum flooded the Cincinnati dugout and spread to the 5,000 or so Reds fans in attendance.
Back on our heals, we pitch well to get to the bottom half of the inning.
Evan had the same look on his face taking his warm-up swings as Johnny did taking his in the 4th before his homerun. I mentioned to my dad sitting next to me that I hadn't ever seen an Evan walkoff.
Walkoff! (this is the far right side of the graph where the odds of winning jump to 100%) It was sweet!
A blog post is close to useless (so really I don't know why I'm trying) at describing the emotion of seeing a walkoff live. I've now been to six in the last two seasons.
Let me tell you about the most recent one.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Here is a good picture for you. The picture is a graph of the percentage chance of the Rays winning the game based upon historical data as the game progresses. The game usually starts somewhere near 50% but not necessarily because it is based upon pitching matchups and home field advantage and overall records and a number of things. So this graph shows what the odds were from the first pitch to the last and you can see the roller coaster we witnessed.
The game was similar to the game I blogged June 11th because it was a back and forth affair and each team had at least one lead during the game.
It was quick baseball to start as the pitchers each made quick work of the opposing lineups.
And then... Here's Johnny! Johnny Damon gives the Rays a lead with a homerun.
The fangraph guys jump our odds of winning over 70% which makes sense considering David Price has a perfect game through 4 innings and we are at home (even though we have a much better record on the road than at home this year). The perfect game gets broken up by an error:( but Price continues to cruise until we reach the 8th inning.
Upton gets nervous about the wall and turns a double into a triple for Stubbs. Renteria ties the game. Price still had enough stuff to get through the next two while keeping Renteria in check. This is when I was hoping Joe would pull Price but he doesn't. There are a lot of possible reasons - Price had dominated Votto so far in the game, Price hates to get pulled if he isn't in line for the win, Joe doesn't trust the bullpen. Either way 115 pitches is too many to leave a guy in against such a good hitter as Votto and Votto won that battle with a double. Renteria may not have scored from first but the double came after Price was so concentrated on Votto that he forgot about Renteria and let him steal second.
You could feel the energy seep out the doors or maybe through the roof of the dome. Fangraphs swings to favor the Reds at this point and the Rays are down 2-1.
The Never-Say-Die Rays are at it again in the bottom of the 8th. Leadoff strikeout by Upton followed by a single to Jaso (two days removed you wouldn't think I'd remember it so well). Ruggiano pinch runs but doesn't steal. Fuld comes to the plate but doesn't bunt. Fuld singles up the middle. At this point I was hoping for a double steal with two of our faster guys to give us a tying run on third with one out and go-ahead within a single of the plate. Nope.
You've heard the phrase about blessings in disguised. That might be applied to Brignac's fly to left because runners don't go on contact with few than two outs and there is no way we score both the tying and go-ahead runs on Damon's flair to leftcenter that gets deflected 20 yards or so away on a diving attempt to end the inning.
Johnny comes through again. Hope is restored and replaced with confidence all in one play as we flip the graph and the one-run deficit back to the Reds.
Farnsworth falls behind Bruce and the ball was crushed to dead centerfield. Tie game. Are you kidding me?
Close to 50/50 chance with no outs and a tie game in the top of the 9th but it didn't feel that way. It felt like all the momentum flooded the Cincinnati dugout and spread to the 5,000 or so Reds fans in attendance.
Back on our heals, we pitch well to get to the bottom half of the inning.
Evan had the same look on his face taking his warm-up swings as Johnny did taking his in the 4th before his homerun. I mentioned to my dad sitting next to me that I hadn't ever seen an Evan walkoff.
Walkoff! (this is the far right side of the graph where the odds of winning jump to 100%) It was sweet!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The beginning of the end?
I like headlines. I came up with a few subject titles for this Wimbledon blog post:
Round Up the Usual Suspects - I meant to but didn't get around to predicting the top 4 mens seeds advancing to the semifinals (and probably predicting none of the top 4 women advancing) but then Roger lost so there went that predication and the headline.
The Fed Falls - but I didn't want Ron Paul enthusiasts to hijack my post in the comments section.
Transition - close but that implies a knowledge of the future
The Beginning of the End? - the winner and here is why...
Julie and I have a movie line that is often quoted between us that goes like this - "Confidence is key." That statement is contradicted in this article but that is beside the point of this post.
Is Roger losing his grip on one of his most important qualities? I haven't had a chance yet to watch the match but I hope to watch some of it, if not just the highlights. What I have seen out of Fed so far on the grass courts (edit to the bucket list post is I'd love to play on grass courts before I die), Federer has played remarkably.
He is still one of the best in the world along with two other guys but I don't know if he still expects to win and and it is a very opportunistic point in the careers of all three.
I'm excited to see how it plays out. Will three dominate the sport or will two dominate going forward or can one take home the majority of the hardware the next couple of years and which one will it be? I've read and heard plenty of arguments for all three but I'm excited to savor the pudding and find the proof in the months and years ahead.
There is certainly some legacy to create, improve, and elevate for all three.
Round Up the Usual Suspects - I meant to but didn't get around to predicting the top 4 mens seeds advancing to the semifinals (and probably predicting none of the top 4 women advancing) but then Roger lost so there went that predication and the headline.
The Fed Falls - but I didn't want Ron Paul enthusiasts to hijack my post in the comments section.
Transition - close but that implies a knowledge of the future
The Beginning of the End? - the winner and here is why...
Julie and I have a movie line that is often quoted between us that goes like this - "Confidence is key." That statement is contradicted in this article but that is beside the point of this post.
Is Roger losing his grip on one of his most important qualities? I haven't had a chance yet to watch the match but I hope to watch some of it, if not just the highlights. What I have seen out of Fed so far on the grass courts (edit to the bucket list post is I'd love to play on grass courts before I die), Federer has played remarkably.
He is still one of the best in the world along with two other guys but I don't know if he still expects to win and and it is a very opportunistic point in the careers of all three.
I'm excited to see how it plays out. Will three dominate the sport or will two dominate going forward or can one take home the majority of the hardware the next couple of years and which one will it be? I've read and heard plenty of arguments for all three but I'm excited to savor the pudding and find the proof in the months and years ahead.
There is certainly some legacy to create, improve, and elevate for all three.
Bucket List
Note to self: Before I die I'd like to attend a baseball double header. I saw a day game at Wrigley and got to Milwaukee for a night game one day (part of 15-day story probably worthy of a separate blog post) but I'd like to see a traditional double header some day and it isn't going to happen with a dome stadium in Tampa Bay. The end (to steal a line from my favorite person).
The List
Attend a double header
Play a game of duckpin bowling
The List
Attend a double header
Play a game of duckpin bowling
Friday, June 17, 2011
Feel-good story
Tiger who?
So my dad calls me into his office around lunch time to watch Rory hit from the rough on the 18th. We suffered with him through that last hole but it wasn't going to overshadow an awesome round. His tee shots were good and his approach shots brilliant in a round that actually left a few shots on the course with some missed putts inside 10 feet.
So I guess this is what they call a feel-good story because I feel good for Rory. Awesome round today even if it ended with a bit of a thud. The future of the PGA is in good hands. I was rooting all the way for McIlroy in April but maybe his Masters meltdown was a positive thing because it took my admiration for him to a new level to witness his humility and class after the wheels came off. Make it 5 great rounds out of 6 in 2011 Majors so far for Rory. Here's to him getting it done on Sunday.
Two of my favorite players in golf paired in this grouping but Rory is surely my favorite golfer right now and the one guy I was bummed didn't play at TPC.
Watch the highlights
So my dad calls me into his office around lunch time to watch Rory hit from the rough on the 18th. We suffered with him through that last hole but it wasn't going to overshadow an awesome round. His tee shots were good and his approach shots brilliant in a round that actually left a few shots on the course with some missed putts inside 10 feet.
So I guess this is what they call a feel-good story because I feel good for Rory. Awesome round today even if it ended with a bit of a thud. The future of the PGA is in good hands. I was rooting all the way for McIlroy in April but maybe his Masters meltdown was a positive thing because it took my admiration for him to a new level to witness his humility and class after the wheels came off. Make it 5 great rounds out of 6 in 2011 Majors so far for Rory. Here's to him getting it done on Sunday.
Two of my favorite players in golf paired in this grouping but Rory is surely my favorite golfer right now and the one guy I was bummed didn't play at TPC.
Watch the highlights
Rays throw no-hitter
Folks in Mobile, Alabama got more than they bargained for when they showed up to a minor league baseball game. Matt Moore threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Rays AA minor league team, the Montgomery Biscuits.
It must have been a magical moment. I wonder what it felt like. To make it even better is the fact that for the first time this season his parents, brother and sister-in-law had flown in for the game to watch him pitch.
And that is all we'll say about the Rays from last night.
It must have been a magical moment. I wonder what it felt like. To make it even better is the fact that for the first time this season his parents, brother and sister-in-law had flown in for the game to watch him pitch.
And that is all we'll say about the Rays from last night.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
TPC
I'd probably self-categorize as marginally more than a casual golf fan. It isn't the top of my list but I can really get into it during the majors.
With the rest of humanity I've been mesmerized by Tiger's domination up until his US Open injury. I haven't seen anything like it since MJ hijacked basketball. I didn't think I could ever get into golf as much without Tiger in the field. It has been a slow recovery the last couple of years but I think I just discovered last month that my sobriety is complete and I'm no longer a Tiger addict. I'm over it and the cure wasn't what I expected.
Last month my dad and I cashed in his 2010 Father's Day gift and we drove to Ponte Vedra, FL to watch The Players Championship at Sawgrass. TPC is dubbed the 5th major. It is about 3.5 hours from our house and is famous for their island green on the Par 3, 17th.
I had never been to a professional golf tournament. IT WAS AWESOME. Being there live is what converted me from a Tiger fan to a golf fan.
Predictably, I followed Tiger's injury leading up to the tournament and checked regularly to see if he had entered the field. Just my luck he signed up to play. We decided to go for the second round. Tiger dug himself into such a deficit thru 9 holes on Thursday (and aggravated his injury) that he withdrew before we ever got within 200 miles of the course. Just my luck again, but it took a day to realize it.
Now it would have been nice if Tiger was still playing because he would have diluted the rest of the crowds on the golf course but it really wasn't that busy anyway and I didn't have the temptation to spend the whole afternoon following him around.
We saw every hole at least once. The 17th didn't disappoint. We saw plenty of splashes to accompany our many personal miseries on the golf course. I was really excited to see the 18th because I'd seen so many times in past years the risk and reward of how far left to aim your tee shot. Nobody took much risk on a Friday at the 18th except those outside the cut line with nothing to lose and those were some pretty remarkable shots. The 16th really had the most reward for the risky and David Toms hit an awesome second shot on 16, especially considering the pin placement on Friday. We probably watched 10 groups play the 13th during the day. It was a par 3 and we sat probably 5 feet from the back edge of the green and saw some awesome shots during the day. I can and do still walk the whole course in my imagination.
The personalities and egos were interesting to observe. Some were spot on with my expectations and some were surprising. There could be a lot of factors that go into that and I may go another day and have a totally different experience.
A few examples of guys that I'm less of a fan of after watching in person:
Dustin Johnson
Graeme McDowell
Jim Furyk
Anthony Kim
Davis Love
Lucas Glover
A couple of examples of guys that I'm more of a fan of after the human experience:
Padraig Harrington
David Toms
Phil (last name not necessary)
Sergio Garcia
Jason Day
Ian Poulter
Bubba Watson
The US Open starts today. I'm sure I'll tune in a bit and now I'll be watching through a totally different lens.
With the rest of humanity I've been mesmerized by Tiger's domination up until his US Open injury. I haven't seen anything like it since MJ hijacked basketball. I didn't think I could ever get into golf as much without Tiger in the field. It has been a slow recovery the last couple of years but I think I just discovered last month that my sobriety is complete and I'm no longer a Tiger addict. I'm over it and the cure wasn't what I expected.
Last month my dad and I cashed in his 2010 Father's Day gift and we drove to Ponte Vedra, FL to watch The Players Championship at Sawgrass. TPC is dubbed the 5th major. It is about 3.5 hours from our house and is famous for their island green on the Par 3, 17th.
I had never been to a professional golf tournament. IT WAS AWESOME. Being there live is what converted me from a Tiger fan to a golf fan.
Predictably, I followed Tiger's injury leading up to the tournament and checked regularly to see if he had entered the field. Just my luck he signed up to play. We decided to go for the second round. Tiger dug himself into such a deficit thru 9 holes on Thursday (and aggravated his injury) that he withdrew before we ever got within 200 miles of the course. Just my luck again, but it took a day to realize it.
Now it would have been nice if Tiger was still playing because he would have diluted the rest of the crowds on the golf course but it really wasn't that busy anyway and I didn't have the temptation to spend the whole afternoon following him around.
We saw every hole at least once. The 17th didn't disappoint. We saw plenty of splashes to accompany our many personal miseries on the golf course. I was really excited to see the 18th because I'd seen so many times in past years the risk and reward of how far left to aim your tee shot. Nobody took much risk on a Friday at the 18th except those outside the cut line with nothing to lose and those were some pretty remarkable shots. The 16th really had the most reward for the risky and David Toms hit an awesome second shot on 16, especially considering the pin placement on Friday. We probably watched 10 groups play the 13th during the day. It was a par 3 and we sat probably 5 feet from the back edge of the green and saw some awesome shots during the day. I can and do still walk the whole course in my imagination.
The personalities and egos were interesting to observe. Some were spot on with my expectations and some were surprising. There could be a lot of factors that go into that and I may go another day and have a totally different experience.
A few examples of guys that I'm less of a fan of after watching in person:
Dustin Johnson
Graeme McDowell
Jim Furyk
Anthony Kim
Davis Love
Lucas Glover
A couple of examples of guys that I'm more of a fan of after the human experience:
Padraig Harrington
David Toms
Phil (last name not necessary)
Sergio Garcia
Jason Day
Ian Poulter
Bubba Watson
The US Open starts today. I'm sure I'll tune in a bit and now I'll be watching through a totally different lens.
One Boston win too many
My friends tell me I shouldn't root for anything Boston since I'm from the Bay area. That brings up another point - my wife tells me the Bay area is in California.
Anyway, sports often comes down to who you dislike the least come playoff time. I decided to dislike Boston the least after the Lightning stopped.
The Boston team I wasn't cheering for last night was the team that probably deserved a no-hitter against the Rays last night. I'm not a big Youkilis fan so I'm glad it was his defense that prevented the no-hitter.
Price pitches tonight in the rubber game of the series. Go Rays!
Anyway, sports often comes down to who you dislike the least come playoff time. I decided to dislike Boston the least after the Lightning stopped.
The Boston team I wasn't cheering for last night was the team that probably deserved a no-hitter against the Rays last night. I'm not a big Youkilis fan so I'm glad it was his defense that prevented the no-hitter.
Price pitches tonight in the rubber game of the series. Go Rays!
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Bruins are up 4-0
You'll recognize that post subject if you watched the New Hampshire GOP debate tonight on CNN. Contrary to what my siblings might think, sports is not the only way I spend my time and attention.
They say the higher you are the farther you fall. The world is about as complicated as ever and all the advances in wealth, knowledge, and technology only seem to add to the complication and danger.
I was impressed with a few of the candidates tonight. Most had at least one good comment. Julie had a point that it is a shame that the advent of modern communication almost certainly guarantees that we will never again have a shy, frail, or ineloquent president no matter how good his ideas. As a wise man once said - It is what it is.
There are certainly some serious parts to life and some serious decisions for which to plan. And that is part of why I love sports, games, recreation, and fun. To all things there is a season - and if you like enough sports the seasons overlap into a perma-season;)
They say the higher you are the farther you fall. The world is about as complicated as ever and all the advances in wealth, knowledge, and technology only seem to add to the complication and danger.
I was impressed with a few of the candidates tonight. Most had at least one good comment. Julie had a point that it is a shame that the advent of modern communication almost certainly guarantees that we will never again have a shy, frail, or ineloquent president no matter how good his ideas. As a wise man once said - It is what it is.
There are certainly some serious parts to life and some serious decisions for which to plan. And that is part of why I love sports, games, recreation, and fun. To all things there is a season - and if you like enough sports the seasons overlap into a perma-season;)
Inspiring what practice can become
I'm not a Winter X fan by any means but whether it is at the piano, at a Broadway performance, or on a snowboard I'm almost always amazed by the hidden talent exposed after what I assume is considerable practice. Hard work really can reveal some spectacular potential and magnificent gifts. I stumbled on this and had to share. (wait for the advertisement to pass. I got it from ESPN.com)
Remember, Remember
The Cubs are the best example but I've supported a lot of teams empathetic to this plight. I watched a lot of Cubs games growing up. Usually around June I could spot a few signs in the bleacher seats that all were some variation of "Wait Til Next Year." In a good year the signs wouldn't emerge until after the Summer Classic and in poor years we might even see the signs in May. With over 100 years between World Series titles I'm sure there are some sarcastic signs that find their way into the stadium on Opening Day.
Having endured such seasons makes it all the more important to remember and appreciate the winning years.
Under the leadership of Coach Rose, BYU basketball has built a winning tradition but this year had a little something extra. I think it was the combination of fairy-tale heroism from Jimmer, the sudden rush of national attention justifying an attention-starved fanbase, and the late climax that appeared tragic when the ladder got knocked out from underneath us with the reports regarding Brother Davies.
You weren't paying attention this year if you still believe the common phrase that there are no moral victories. BYU enjoyed moral victories on multiple levels and the season ended with heads held high rather than confidence beaten down.
And so with the NBA Finals behind us and the draft about to remind us, let's take a minute (or 13) to remember.
Having endured such seasons makes it all the more important to remember and appreciate the winning years.
Under the leadership of Coach Rose, BYU basketball has built a winning tradition but this year had a little something extra. I think it was the combination of fairy-tale heroism from Jimmer, the sudden rush of national attention justifying an attention-starved fanbase, and the late climax that appeared tragic when the ladder got knocked out from underneath us with the reports regarding Brother Davies.
You weren't paying attention this year if you still believe the common phrase that there are no moral victories. BYU enjoyed moral victories on multiple levels and the season ended with heads held high rather than confidence beaten down.
And so with the NBA Finals behind us and the draft about to remind us, let's take a minute (or 13) to remember.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Another June Baseball Game
I have a wonderful wife. Most who might tune in to see my sports thoughts are people would are already of the same opinion that she is wonderful. She taped the Rays game for me tonight and what a game it was (is).
I picked up the game in the top of the 4th with the Rays up 1-0. David Price was pitching against BYU-product Jeremy Guthrie.
I was hoping the one run would hold as I could use the stats of a complete game shutout on my fantasy team from my Cy Young runner-up from last season. When the Rays tacked on 2 more I felt very comfortable.
Then adversity strikes. I've never really liked or had reason to like Mark Reynolds. I think there might be some subconscious to that because his is a low-average, power hitter and I played the game by speed and design rather than power. Either way, Reynolds irked me again tonight knocking a home run in consecutive innings. The latter gave the O's a 4-3 lead.
Side note, until the Rays came to existence I was a big Orioles fan because even though I don't have the memory to support the fact, the Orioles were the first team I saw live when in my first three years of life growing up in Maryland. My mom could tell you more because I really don't remember. But the O's were my AL team growing up and the Cubs my NL team because of the distribution of Cubs games through WGN. Being an infield guy my favorite middle infield would be Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken even though I really liked Ozzie's backflips.
Back to tonight. Guthrie was probably done anyway after the top of the 6th. He was on the hook for the loss but after the bottom half of the inning he was actually in line for the win. Lady luck reversed course in the top of the 7th when the Rays managed to tie it up and again without making a pitch Price was relieved as being the pitcher of record and you knew either way he wouldn't come back bottom 7 with where his pitch count stood.
At this point the game is really getting good because each team has lost a lead already. It is like a playoff series - they say it isn't a series until each team has won a game.
Also, this is where the subject of the post comes from. All these games in the middle third of the season get lost in the longevity of a 162-game season but can become so important.
The Rays have sputtered the last month or so. They've fallen from first in the AL East to third. Dropping another last night left them 4 games out of first and a Boston win today meant they needed to equalize with a win to hold serve and keep pace at 4 games out. Now all is not lost if we drop to 5 games and the urgency is not lost if we win but the season can certainly turn on small hinges and these kind of games do a lot to team psyche. A team can spiral downhill fast and while a division can't be won before the All-Star break it can certainly be lost by that time.
Back to the game. The O's crush my hope with a run in 8th. Peralta had Reynolds up with runners second and third and one down. He had him 2-2 and I was just hoping he left nothing close to the zone. Reynolds had to know the plan was to get him to chase or give him first to set up the force with runner third and less than two outs but after fouling off a pitch out of the zone low and away Peralta hung a slider on him that must have surprised Reynolds as much as it did me because he froze for a called third strike rather than a third homer for the game. No surprises on the next batter and he pitched him cautious with an open base in a tie game. After going to a full count Peralta gave up a walk which isn't bad independent of the next at-bat. He went 3-0 before a gimmie strike and walking in the go-ahead run. A nice play by Brignac got us out of the inning but it felt like part of the hinge for our season might have been tonight and the door was swinging the wrong way.
Enter the ninth and hope is restored. The Rays really are a late-inning team. I've been at the Trop for two walk-offs already this year and multiple last year. So Zobrist gets us going again with an awesome head first slide for a triple on a ball that probably should have been caught but that's baseball. They give Joyce the walk because they want no piece of him even with Longoria behind him. No problem - right. Like missing a free throw, Evan pops out to the infield and momentum shifts back to the home crowd. One out from the end and guess who comes through in the clutch - Casey Kotchman. Casey played for my high school a few years after I graduated.
It is the bottom of the 10th right now and I don't know who is going to win but this has been a fascinating game and this is why I love baseball (I just wish they had bunt base hit with BJ in the top of the ninth with Joyce on third. He didn't get a pitch that it would have worked on but I would have loved the call and Upton could totally beat it out. I should do a blog post some time on the lost art of the bunt base hit.).
I picked up the game in the top of the 4th with the Rays up 1-0. David Price was pitching against BYU-product Jeremy Guthrie.
I was hoping the one run would hold as I could use the stats of a complete game shutout on my fantasy team from my Cy Young runner-up from last season. When the Rays tacked on 2 more I felt very comfortable.
Then adversity strikes. I've never really liked or had reason to like Mark Reynolds. I think there might be some subconscious to that because his is a low-average, power hitter and I played the game by speed and design rather than power. Either way, Reynolds irked me again tonight knocking a home run in consecutive innings. The latter gave the O's a 4-3 lead.
Side note, until the Rays came to existence I was a big Orioles fan because even though I don't have the memory to support the fact, the Orioles were the first team I saw live when in my first three years of life growing up in Maryland. My mom could tell you more because I really don't remember. But the O's were my AL team growing up and the Cubs my NL team because of the distribution of Cubs games through WGN. Being an infield guy my favorite middle infield would be Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken even though I really liked Ozzie's backflips.
Back to tonight. Guthrie was probably done anyway after the top of the 6th. He was on the hook for the loss but after the bottom half of the inning he was actually in line for the win. Lady luck reversed course in the top of the 7th when the Rays managed to tie it up and again without making a pitch Price was relieved as being the pitcher of record and you knew either way he wouldn't come back bottom 7 with where his pitch count stood.
At this point the game is really getting good because each team has lost a lead already. It is like a playoff series - they say it isn't a series until each team has won a game.
Also, this is where the subject of the post comes from. All these games in the middle third of the season get lost in the longevity of a 162-game season but can become so important.
The Rays have sputtered the last month or so. They've fallen from first in the AL East to third. Dropping another last night left them 4 games out of first and a Boston win today meant they needed to equalize with a win to hold serve and keep pace at 4 games out. Now all is not lost if we drop to 5 games and the urgency is not lost if we win but the season can certainly turn on small hinges and these kind of games do a lot to team psyche. A team can spiral downhill fast and while a division can't be won before the All-Star break it can certainly be lost by that time.
Back to the game. The O's crush my hope with a run in 8th. Peralta had Reynolds up with runners second and third and one down. He had him 2-2 and I was just hoping he left nothing close to the zone. Reynolds had to know the plan was to get him to chase or give him first to set up the force with runner third and less than two outs but after fouling off a pitch out of the zone low and away Peralta hung a slider on him that must have surprised Reynolds as much as it did me because he froze for a called third strike rather than a third homer for the game. No surprises on the next batter and he pitched him cautious with an open base in a tie game. After going to a full count Peralta gave up a walk which isn't bad independent of the next at-bat. He went 3-0 before a gimmie strike and walking in the go-ahead run. A nice play by Brignac got us out of the inning but it felt like part of the hinge for our season might have been tonight and the door was swinging the wrong way.
Enter the ninth and hope is restored. The Rays really are a late-inning team. I've been at the Trop for two walk-offs already this year and multiple last year. So Zobrist gets us going again with an awesome head first slide for a triple on a ball that probably should have been caught but that's baseball. They give Joyce the walk because they want no piece of him even with Longoria behind him. No problem - right. Like missing a free throw, Evan pops out to the infield and momentum shifts back to the home crowd. One out from the end and guess who comes through in the clutch - Casey Kotchman. Casey played for my high school a few years after I graduated.
It is the bottom of the 10th right now and I don't know who is going to win but this has been a fascinating game and this is why I love baseball (I just wish they had bunt base hit with BJ in the top of the ninth with Joyce on third. He didn't get a pitch that it would have worked on but I would have loved the call and Upton could totally beat it out. I should do a blog post some time on the lost art of the bunt base hit.).
Friday, June 10, 2011
Paging MC
Anyone seen Mark Cuban lately? He is due on stage soon if things go according to plan.
Out of sight out of mind, I guess. I hadn't thought about him so far during the NBA Finals until last night as I watched Lebron lose the biggest game of his life (his words, not mine).
I'm not your typical fan. I enjoy sports playoffs more in the early rounds than toward the championship because more often than not my team isn't one of the final 2 or 4 teams and there aren't as many underdogs (likable teams) around.
So this year is a little different because I kind of like the Mavs even if I thought the most intriguing Final would pit the Bulls against the Thunder. We'll never know if I'm all talk or not but I think I would have watched all of that series.
Anyway, I started to reminisce some of my favorite NBA playoff memories and the Mavs come to mind a lot. I enjoyed their battles with Pheonix back in the day and I was disappointed they couldn't disappoint Shaq when the Heat beat them in the Finals a few years ago.
The more I thought about the Mavs the more my memory was filled with the distraction that is Mark Cuban.
But I can't think of one time in the 2011 playoffs that I've seen him on the bench or on the court or in the media, which is a bit out of character so I'm assuming it is by design. Seems to be working. I wonder if all that pent up MC is going to pop on Sunday or Tuesday if the Mavs get this done.
Out of sight out of mind, I guess. I hadn't thought about him so far during the NBA Finals until last night as I watched Lebron lose the biggest game of his life (his words, not mine).
I'm not your typical fan. I enjoy sports playoffs more in the early rounds than toward the championship because more often than not my team isn't one of the final 2 or 4 teams and there aren't as many underdogs (likable teams) around.
So this year is a little different because I kind of like the Mavs even if I thought the most intriguing Final would pit the Bulls against the Thunder. We'll never know if I'm all talk or not but I think I would have watched all of that series.
Anyway, I started to reminisce some of my favorite NBA playoff memories and the Mavs come to mind a lot. I enjoyed their battles with Pheonix back in the day and I was disappointed they couldn't disappoint Shaq when the Heat beat them in the Finals a few years ago.
The more I thought about the Mavs the more my memory was filled with the distraction that is Mark Cuban.
But I can't think of one time in the 2011 playoffs that I've seen him on the bench or on the court or in the media, which is a bit out of character so I'm assuming it is by design. Seems to be working. I wonder if all that pent up MC is going to pop on Sunday or Tuesday if the Mavs get this done.
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