Houston, you have no problem. That is, you do not seem be crumbling courtside without colossal center, Yao Ming. The Rockets manhandled the L.A. Lakers 95-80 on their own terms at the Toyota Center in Thursday night’s Game 6. The series is even at three a piece and I feel like I’ve been tuning in to the NBA’s version of “Men Behaving Badly”. The six games played so far have been closed to fatal with all the physicality. Houston is down their two biggest players with Ming sidelined and Tracy McGrady on the mend for the remainder of the season. Ming’s absence has not caught up to the Rockets yet. They somehow have been able to connect the dots. A suspenseful Game 7 showdown is set up for Sunday in the Staples Center.
The Rockets sizzled in Game 6, scorching the highlight reel while archly accumulating leads they would not relinquish. Houston’s, Luis Scola, got the Rockets off to a flaming start, hitting 14 of his 24 points in the first quarter. Scola has only recently found his swagger and assaulted the Lakers front court in Game 6. The 12 point first quarter lead was increased to 16 by the midway point. The Lakers made a push for the game lead during the third quarter, getting within two points. Carl Landry, Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier passed L.A.’s test though and the Lakers went limping into the final quarter down by nine. Battier came up with a steal and an offensive rebound late in the third and Brooks assisted on Landry’s three-pointer to maintain a comfortable distance.
Kobe Bryant and his teammates never really threatened or dominated like they did on the road in the 118-78 Game 5 victory. Bryant was called for a technical foul by the referees in the second quarter of Game 6. The league has since rescinded the foul. It would have been Kobe’s fifth of the playoffs, bringing him within two of an automatic suspension. Bryant is now back at four technicals and is the best player on the court for both teams. L.A. also has a head coach with nine championship rings.
Kobe endured a slow start in Game 6, but finished scoring 32 points. After bombing for two games in Houston, the Lakers have a chance to put the Rockets away at home. The series was never expected to go the distance. The Rockets have been pensive shooters and fastidious on defense. Houston is a team recharged and energized, relying on underrated players to be difference makers. The Rockets need to pass and shoot with the poise they showed in games one and four. Houston was smothering on defense and decisive and crisp offensively in those games. Ming is an important low-post presence and it was evident in the Game 5 blowout, the Rockets’ big man was missed. Houston was outscored 59-30 in the combined second and third quarters of Game 5. They did not shoot well from the perimeter or pressure L.A. into making mistakes and errant passes. Los Angeles overwhelmed the offense and was resolute in protecting their court. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are much stronger and have a sizable advantage, but the Rockets were successful when Brooks and Landry injected life into the defense. Landry, after getting shot in the leg, has been truly remarkable. The athletic Landry can jump through defenders, attack the basket and complete reverse layups with grace. Carl had his best game of the series coming off the bench for Rick Adelmann’s Rockets. He scored 15 points on his way to leaping defenders. Chuck Hayes’ clutch play down the stretch helped keep the Rockets rising.
Scola has struggled against Gasol this entire series and looked nervous against the tall defender. Luis came through with a patient effort at just the right time. Scola plowed through Gasol for layups and three pointers. He and Landry finally played well simultaneously for Houston’s depleted offense. The shallow Rockets front court cannot play inconsistently in Game 7, but must infuriate the Lakers defensively.
Bynum did not have a point or a block in the Game 6 drudging. Houston needs to slow down Bryant, space the floor and make every shot difficult for the Lakers in order to prevail. Brooks’ 26 points in Game 6 were just as essential as Battier and Ron Artest wearing down Kobe. Luke Walton has not stepped up for L.A. He keeps drawing fouls and passing up open shots. Walton doesn’t distribute the ball and the Lakers rely too much on Bryant for open buckets. Jordan Farmar had two big three-pointers in the first quarter, and 13 points on the game. He has performed well as of late and has the ability to stop Brooks from running wild. Los Angeles did not hustle or protect the rim in their three losses this series. They need to show up ready to play Sunday.
There were innumerable accounts of L.A.’s dominance in the playoffs, but the series has been anything but Lakers trademark basketball. This seems like a team simply going through the motions, playing without heart. The team needs a vintage Kobe in Game 7 to pull off the 4-3 series win. The winner faces the upstart Denver Nuggets, who are no easy out.
Parting points: My Saturday play list- “Glycerine” by Bush, “You were meant for me” by Jewel, “Half-truism” by the Offspring, “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wright’s Winning Wheels
I love a good ending, even at 1:30 in the morning. It was a wet and rainy night in New York but I was soothed by the colorful commentary of Mets-Giants baseball live from the west coast. The Mets were as aggressive as they’ve ever been on the bases. New York paraded the bags and ran for a franchise record seven swipes. The legs pumped posh after a string of base running blunders leading up to Thursday night. David Wright stole four bases on his own, tying the club record for a single game. David decorated San Francisco’s infield with his number five jersey and leather spikes. San Francisco pitchers were slow to the plate, average 1.3 seconds, and the Mets took full advantage. The Giants couldn’t chase Wright down nor could they prevent him from drilling the game winning RBI single in the top of the ninth. His tie breaking dart gave the Mets a 7-4 victory over the Giants on early Friday morning. It was David’s third hit of the night and second run driven in. Wright is hitting .400 in his last 16 games and the Mets have a two game lead in the NL East over the Phillies.
The Mets embarked on a 10 game road trip Thursday playing shorthanded. The shuffled lineup was without sluggers, Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes. Delgado is out with an injured hip and could land on the DL by Sunday. Reyes was scratched with a stiff calf but is expected back tonight in the second game of the series. J.J. Putz was unavailable for Jerry Manuel out of the bullpen because of an inflamed elbow. Even without three of their prominent players, New York won their ninth game in past eleven chances. The Giants dropped their second consecutive game at home for the first time in 2009. They also could be without Edgar Renteria after the infielder strained his hamstring in the 8th inning.
Gary Sheffield muscled a single in the first inning, scoring shortstop Alex Cora for the game’s first run. The Mets grabbed the early lead and it signaled the first run allowed by starter, Jonathan Sanchez at home this season. Sanchez came into Thursday’s game off one of his worst performances. He matched a season high five runs allowed in a shutout loss to the Dodgers Saturday. The left-hander had not reached the sixth inning in his last three starts. John Maine started on the mound for the Mets and was anything but encouraging in the bottom of the first. He tossed thirty pitches, only 13 for strikes. After acquiring a one-run lead, Maine threw two wild pitches and walked two batters in the inning. Bengie Molina, the burly backstop, fisted a single to center, allowing Giants second baseman, Emmanuel Burriss to score for the first and tying run. It was Molina’s 29th RBI of the year. Right fielder, Randy Winn, hit a sacrifice fly to left center to knock third baseman, Pablo Sandoval in and give the Giants an early 2-1 lead. Maine settled down from there, pitching 6 2/3 solid innings of two run ball. He worked into the 7th before Manuel summoned Brian Stokes from the bullpen. I thought Manuel would have pulled the plug on Maine earlier because John was a bit shaky in the 6th. It was nice to see him stay in the game and fight his way through. Maine was denied the win but was durable and productive overall. He has not gone over six innings at all this year so it was definitely an improvement for the right-hander. Stokes quickly disposed of the Giants with a two pitch punch out for the final out of the inning and the Mets with a 4-2 lead.
The Mets scored in the third inning on a Wright single. Sheffield doubled and strode in on a Sanchez wild pitch in the same frame. Wright stole second on the miscue. Mets catcher, Ramon Castro, had two RBIs on the night. He scored in the fourth inning on Luis Castillo’s double play groundout.
The Mets were playing from behind early in the game. They were able to form a manageable lead by playing small ball and getting quality starting pitching. There were a few opportunities again for New York to increase the lead and put the game out of reach. The Mets were unable to strike a run against San Francisco reliever, Brandon Medders. But injuries notwithstanding, the lineup was in tune and clicking on all cylinders. Neither team would cross the plate again until the 8th inning. In the bottom half for San Francisco, reliever Bobby Parnell, gave up RBI hits to Jose Uribe and Renteria. Fred Lewis and Aaron Rowand scuttled home to even the score at four. Parnell was subbing for the injured Putz as the New York 8th inning setup man. Parnell’s three outs came on a swinging strikeout of veteran pinch hitter, Rich Aurilia, Travis Ishikawa sacrifice back to the mound and a Sandoval groundout. He won the game absorbing a blown save and surrendering 2 runs on 3 hits. Parnell is now 2-0 on the year.
The Mets responded in the top of the ninth against San Francisco closer, Brian Wilson. Reyes replacement, Cora, grounded out to third before Carlos Beltran doubled to deep centerfield. It was Beltran’s second hit of the game. He excelled in last year’s final series against the Giants, hitting .333 with a homer and 8 RBIs. Carlos continues to tear up the league this year and will likely have as much success against the NL West foe this trip. The centerfielder collected his fifth stolen base during the ninth when he stole third. Sheffield induced a walk out of Wilson to put runners at the corners for Wright with one out. David has not come through in these situations as of late. A simple sacrifice fly would score the go-ahead run. Instead, Wright singled to right and the runners advanced. With a 5-4 lead now, Sheffield and Wright managed a double steal to give the team a record seven thefts and three during the inning. First baseman, Fernando Tatis, grounded out to second base for the Mets’ second out. Then, Castro lined the ball to right field to clear the bases for a three run Mets lead. Ryan Church grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 10 opportunities this year. The flamethrower gave up a leadoff double to Molina but retired the next three Giants in order. The Mets beat the home team that only lost 5 of 17 at AT &T Park this year. For San Francisco, Sanchez went 5 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs and three walks. He struck out three batters. Maine both struck out and walked four on the night. San Francisco was scrappy in accumulating hits off Maine, with none being convincing, crashing clunkers. The Mets miffed one throw and a Cora error at shortstop and the Giants were perfect in the field. Defensively, I considered Wright’s 8th inning grab off the bat of Sandoval a game-saver. The ball was fielded crisply and accurately to secure the tie ball game and deter more Giants from scoring. Intuitive Wright hammered the ball, flew around the bases and provided clutch offense and defense all night. Gone is Wright’s apprehensive swing and premature write-off season. The middle of the Mets lineup did well without Delgado, slapping seven hits. Daniel Murphy is lost at the plate, striking out last night while being fooled on a fastball he mistook for a breaker. Murphy is a smart hitter and seems stressful when he slips. I would like to see him move to first base if Delgado has to spend an extensive time on the disabled list. Murphy is a natural infielder and perhaps playing a familiar and comfortable position would translate well to the plate. He still has the training wheels on defensively and needs to work vastly on improving his sense in the outfield if he remains there.
The seven stolen bases are the story of the night. Cora, Beltran and Sheffield pilfered three. Wright’s four tied a record accomplished twice in New York history by Vince Coleman and Roger Cedeno. David reached base in all five plate appearances and raised his batting average to .331. Wright is slugging .524 against lefties this year and seems to have finally found himself again.
Parting points: May 15th baseball notables-according to http://www.thebaseballpage.com
On May 15, 1973, Nolan Ryan of the California Angels hurls the first of his seven career no-hitters. Ryan strikes out 12 batters on his way to a 3-0 victory over Kansas City.
On May 15, 1941, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees starts his record-setting 56-game hitting streak by collecting a single in four at-bats against the Chicago White Sox.
On May 15, 1935, future Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig steals home during the New York Yankees’ 4-0 victory. The run-scoring steal is the last of Gehrig’s 15 career stolen bases of home plate, all of which come as part of double steals.
The Mets embarked on a 10 game road trip Thursday playing shorthanded. The shuffled lineup was without sluggers, Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes. Delgado is out with an injured hip and could land on the DL by Sunday. Reyes was scratched with a stiff calf but is expected back tonight in the second game of the series. J.J. Putz was unavailable for Jerry Manuel out of the bullpen because of an inflamed elbow. Even without three of their prominent players, New York won their ninth game in past eleven chances. The Giants dropped their second consecutive game at home for the first time in 2009. They also could be without Edgar Renteria after the infielder strained his hamstring in the 8th inning.
Gary Sheffield muscled a single in the first inning, scoring shortstop Alex Cora for the game’s first run. The Mets grabbed the early lead and it signaled the first run allowed by starter, Jonathan Sanchez at home this season. Sanchez came into Thursday’s game off one of his worst performances. He matched a season high five runs allowed in a shutout loss to the Dodgers Saturday. The left-hander had not reached the sixth inning in his last three starts. John Maine started on the mound for the Mets and was anything but encouraging in the bottom of the first. He tossed thirty pitches, only 13 for strikes. After acquiring a one-run lead, Maine threw two wild pitches and walked two batters in the inning. Bengie Molina, the burly backstop, fisted a single to center, allowing Giants second baseman, Emmanuel Burriss to score for the first and tying run. It was Molina’s 29th RBI of the year. Right fielder, Randy Winn, hit a sacrifice fly to left center to knock third baseman, Pablo Sandoval in and give the Giants an early 2-1 lead. Maine settled down from there, pitching 6 2/3 solid innings of two run ball. He worked into the 7th before Manuel summoned Brian Stokes from the bullpen. I thought Manuel would have pulled the plug on Maine earlier because John was a bit shaky in the 6th. It was nice to see him stay in the game and fight his way through. Maine was denied the win but was durable and productive overall. He has not gone over six innings at all this year so it was definitely an improvement for the right-hander. Stokes quickly disposed of the Giants with a two pitch punch out for the final out of the inning and the Mets with a 4-2 lead.
The Mets scored in the third inning on a Wright single. Sheffield doubled and strode in on a Sanchez wild pitch in the same frame. Wright stole second on the miscue. Mets catcher, Ramon Castro, had two RBIs on the night. He scored in the fourth inning on Luis Castillo’s double play groundout.
The Mets were playing from behind early in the game. They were able to form a manageable lead by playing small ball and getting quality starting pitching. There were a few opportunities again for New York to increase the lead and put the game out of reach. The Mets were unable to strike a run against San Francisco reliever, Brandon Medders. But injuries notwithstanding, the lineup was in tune and clicking on all cylinders. Neither team would cross the plate again until the 8th inning. In the bottom half for San Francisco, reliever Bobby Parnell, gave up RBI hits to Jose Uribe and Renteria. Fred Lewis and Aaron Rowand scuttled home to even the score at four. Parnell was subbing for the injured Putz as the New York 8th inning setup man. Parnell’s three outs came on a swinging strikeout of veteran pinch hitter, Rich Aurilia, Travis Ishikawa sacrifice back to the mound and a Sandoval groundout. He won the game absorbing a blown save and surrendering 2 runs on 3 hits. Parnell is now 2-0 on the year.
The Mets responded in the top of the ninth against San Francisco closer, Brian Wilson. Reyes replacement, Cora, grounded out to third before Carlos Beltran doubled to deep centerfield. It was Beltran’s second hit of the game. He excelled in last year’s final series against the Giants, hitting .333 with a homer and 8 RBIs. Carlos continues to tear up the league this year and will likely have as much success against the NL West foe this trip. The centerfielder collected his fifth stolen base during the ninth when he stole third. Sheffield induced a walk out of Wilson to put runners at the corners for Wright with one out. David has not come through in these situations as of late. A simple sacrifice fly would score the go-ahead run. Instead, Wright singled to right and the runners advanced. With a 5-4 lead now, Sheffield and Wright managed a double steal to give the team a record seven thefts and three during the inning. First baseman, Fernando Tatis, grounded out to second base for the Mets’ second out. Then, Castro lined the ball to right field to clear the bases for a three run Mets lead. Ryan Church grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 10 opportunities this year. The flamethrower gave up a leadoff double to Molina but retired the next three Giants in order. The Mets beat the home team that only lost 5 of 17 at AT &T Park this year. For San Francisco, Sanchez went 5 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs and three walks. He struck out three batters. Maine both struck out and walked four on the night. San Francisco was scrappy in accumulating hits off Maine, with none being convincing, crashing clunkers. The Mets miffed one throw and a Cora error at shortstop and the Giants were perfect in the field. Defensively, I considered Wright’s 8th inning grab off the bat of Sandoval a game-saver. The ball was fielded crisply and accurately to secure the tie ball game and deter more Giants from scoring. Intuitive Wright hammered the ball, flew around the bases and provided clutch offense and defense all night. Gone is Wright’s apprehensive swing and premature write-off season. The middle of the Mets lineup did well without Delgado, slapping seven hits. Daniel Murphy is lost at the plate, striking out last night while being fooled on a fastball he mistook for a breaker. Murphy is a smart hitter and seems stressful when he slips. I would like to see him move to first base if Delgado has to spend an extensive time on the disabled list. Murphy is a natural infielder and perhaps playing a familiar and comfortable position would translate well to the plate. He still has the training wheels on defensively and needs to work vastly on improving his sense in the outfield if he remains there.
The seven stolen bases are the story of the night. Cora, Beltran and Sheffield pilfered three. Wright’s four tied a record accomplished twice in New York history by Vince Coleman and Roger Cedeno. David reached base in all five plate appearances and raised his batting average to .331. Wright is slugging .524 against lefties this year and seems to have finally found himself again.
Parting points: May 15th baseball notables-according to http://www.thebaseballpage.com
On May 15, 1973, Nolan Ryan of the California Angels hurls the first of his seven career no-hitters. Ryan strikes out 12 batters on his way to a 3-0 victory over Kansas City.
On May 15, 1941, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees starts his record-setting 56-game hitting streak by collecting a single in four at-bats against the Chicago White Sox.
On May 15, 1935, future Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig steals home during the New York Yankees’ 4-0 victory. The run-scoring steal is the last of Gehrig’s 15 career stolen bases of home plate, all of which come as part of double steals.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday Take-Twos
Say goodbye to the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Capitals and Ryan Zimmerman’s 30 game hitting streak in this week’s installment of Thursday Take-Twos.
The Denver Nuggets put the finishing touches on the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 to reach the NBA Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. The Nuggets won the series 4-1. The 124-110 victory occurred in front of the Nuggets’ home crowd at the Pepsi Center. Denver shot 64 percent in the first half to build a 69-55 halftime lead. Carmelo Anthony netted 30, Chauncey Billups bucketed 28 and J.R. Smith scored 18 points for Denver. Billups also led with 12 assists and 7 rebounds while Nene Hilario rebounded 7 and tipped in 17 points. Denver forward, Kenyon Martin, stole four balls and fired 15 shots with success. Anthony hit a 25 foot jumper with 7 minutes left and the Mavericks on his heels to lift the Nuggets. Billups’ drew a technical foul from Dallas’ Antoine Wright to make it a 10 point game. Denver displayed excellent execution and had an answer for everything Dallas drew up. Dirk Nowitzki flicked 32 through the hoop and Jason Kidd added 19 for the Mavericks. The trade for Billups from Detroit appeared to make a difference for Denver this season. Chauncey and Melo are sparks and proven winners for the dark horse Denver team. Both players are forces in generating offense from downtown. The Nuggets are 8-2 in the playoffs and won a franchise tying 54 regular season games. They face the winner of the L.A.-Houston series in the finals. Denver is a championship quality team and will give fits to either of their next foe. An opponent has not beaten Denver at home since March 9th.
Sydney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins closed out their Eastern Conference semi-final series in Washington. Crosby propelled the offense and scored twice as the Pens scorched Washington 6-2 Wednesday night in the marquee match up between the teams. Captain Crosby stole the show with his post-season league-leading 11th and 12th goals. The Penguins skate to their second conference final in as many years. Wednesday, Crosby scored two power-play goals and assisted on the Pens‘ third goal. Sid the Kid wasn’t the only star of the game. Craig Adams slipped in his first goal in 42 post-season appearances. Youngster, Jordan Staal, 38 year old, Bill Guerin and defensive dasher, Kris Letang, both contributed with goals for Pittsburgh. Sergei Gonchar returned for the first time since being sidelined with a knee injury to provide an assist for Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury was nifty behind net with 19 saves and the defense kept the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin in check throughout the deciding game. Fleury fended off a breakaway attempt by Ovechkin when the game as still scoreless that could have provided momentum for Washington had Alex’s puck gone in the net. Ovechkin did score a late goal for Washington to improve his playoff series points to a commanding 14. The total has not been reached by any NHL player since the 1995 season. The Capitals switched goalies after the Penguins pounded in four goals. It was Crosby who struck first about seven minutes into the game. He added his second in the third period after stealing the puck from rival, Ovechkin, and parlayed the puck past replacement goalie, Jose Theodore for a 6-1 Penguins advantage.
It was a great story to follow. Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals was silenced at the plate for the first time in 30 consecutive games Wednesday. The Nats’ gnat, Zimmerman ,was collecting hits with currency in one of baseball’s hard-to-accomplish acts. It’s difficult enough to get a week’s worth of hits but thirty in a row is quite the accolade. It’s rare in today’s game too because when hitters start getting hot, pitchers intentionally walk them more often. Joe DiMaggio holds the record with his famed 56 game tear in 1941. Only 44 players in MLB history have a hit in 30 games. Moises Alou was the last to secure 30 in his 2007 stint with the Mets. Six players can claim a hitting streak of 40 or more games. Ryan drew two walks and went 0-3 against the San Francisco Giants in the National’s 6-3 win. Zimmerman faced another “z” last name major leaguer. Birthday boy, Barry Zito, was on the hill. I love Zito and am happy he is quietly turning his season around. Hopefully this indicates a return of the old curveball master from his Oakland days. Zimmerman did score a run in the 6th but fell short of the franchise record 31 games streak held by Vladimir Guerrero. Zimmerman grounded into a force with runners on first and second base in the ninth inning during his final at-bat. His streak began April 8th with a 6th inning double against the Florida Marlins. April 13th, he clobbered a 9th inning homerun in Philadelphia to keep the streak alive. An 8th inning shot on May 9th kept it going for 27 straight in a one-run Washington win over Arizona. The 24 year old third baseman batted .382 during the streak. He had 8 frozen ropes and 26 RBIs.
Parting points: I hear the music of Cracker; listening to “Low”.
The salacious story out of USC is making headlines. Did basketball coach, Tim Floyd, pay Rodney Guillory? According to former sportswriter for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Louis Johnson, he did. Johnson is penning a book about O.J. Mayo and he accused Floyd of paying Guillory to help deliver Mayo to the Trojans program. Who should we believe? I am fascinated by stories involving college compliance. I will follow the ongoing drama from Hollywood and if the accusations turn out true, we could also be saying goodbye to Floyd.
The Denver Nuggets put the finishing touches on the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 to reach the NBA Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. The Nuggets won the series 4-1. The 124-110 victory occurred in front of the Nuggets’ home crowd at the Pepsi Center. Denver shot 64 percent in the first half to build a 69-55 halftime lead. Carmelo Anthony netted 30, Chauncey Billups bucketed 28 and J.R. Smith scored 18 points for Denver. Billups also led with 12 assists and 7 rebounds while Nene Hilario rebounded 7 and tipped in 17 points. Denver forward, Kenyon Martin, stole four balls and fired 15 shots with success. Anthony hit a 25 foot jumper with 7 minutes left and the Mavericks on his heels to lift the Nuggets. Billups’ drew a technical foul from Dallas’ Antoine Wright to make it a 10 point game. Denver displayed excellent execution and had an answer for everything Dallas drew up. Dirk Nowitzki flicked 32 through the hoop and Jason Kidd added 19 for the Mavericks. The trade for Billups from Detroit appeared to make a difference for Denver this season. Chauncey and Melo are sparks and proven winners for the dark horse Denver team. Both players are forces in generating offense from downtown. The Nuggets are 8-2 in the playoffs and won a franchise tying 54 regular season games. They face the winner of the L.A.-Houston series in the finals. Denver is a championship quality team and will give fits to either of their next foe. An opponent has not beaten Denver at home since March 9th.
Sydney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins closed out their Eastern Conference semi-final series in Washington. Crosby propelled the offense and scored twice as the Pens scorched Washington 6-2 Wednesday night in the marquee match up between the teams. Captain Crosby stole the show with his post-season league-leading 11th and 12th goals. The Penguins skate to their second conference final in as many years. Wednesday, Crosby scored two power-play goals and assisted on the Pens‘ third goal. Sid the Kid wasn’t the only star of the game. Craig Adams slipped in his first goal in 42 post-season appearances. Youngster, Jordan Staal, 38 year old, Bill Guerin and defensive dasher, Kris Letang, both contributed with goals for Pittsburgh. Sergei Gonchar returned for the first time since being sidelined with a knee injury to provide an assist for Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury was nifty behind net with 19 saves and the defense kept the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin in check throughout the deciding game. Fleury fended off a breakaway attempt by Ovechkin when the game as still scoreless that could have provided momentum for Washington had Alex’s puck gone in the net. Ovechkin did score a late goal for Washington to improve his playoff series points to a commanding 14. The total has not been reached by any NHL player since the 1995 season. The Capitals switched goalies after the Penguins pounded in four goals. It was Crosby who struck first about seven minutes into the game. He added his second in the third period after stealing the puck from rival, Ovechkin, and parlayed the puck past replacement goalie, Jose Theodore for a 6-1 Penguins advantage.
It was a great story to follow. Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals was silenced at the plate for the first time in 30 consecutive games Wednesday. The Nats’ gnat, Zimmerman ,was collecting hits with currency in one of baseball’s hard-to-accomplish acts. It’s difficult enough to get a week’s worth of hits but thirty in a row is quite the accolade. It’s rare in today’s game too because when hitters start getting hot, pitchers intentionally walk them more often. Joe DiMaggio holds the record with his famed 56 game tear in 1941. Only 44 players in MLB history have a hit in 30 games. Moises Alou was the last to secure 30 in his 2007 stint with the Mets. Six players can claim a hitting streak of 40 or more games. Ryan drew two walks and went 0-3 against the San Francisco Giants in the National’s 6-3 win. Zimmerman faced another “z” last name major leaguer. Birthday boy, Barry Zito, was on the hill. I love Zito and am happy he is quietly turning his season around. Hopefully this indicates a return of the old curveball master from his Oakland days. Zimmerman did score a run in the 6th but fell short of the franchise record 31 games streak held by Vladimir Guerrero. Zimmerman grounded into a force with runners on first and second base in the ninth inning during his final at-bat. His streak began April 8th with a 6th inning double against the Florida Marlins. April 13th, he clobbered a 9th inning homerun in Philadelphia to keep the streak alive. An 8th inning shot on May 9th kept it going for 27 straight in a one-run Washington win over Arizona. The 24 year old third baseman batted .382 during the streak. He had 8 frozen ropes and 26 RBIs.
Parting points: I hear the music of Cracker; listening to “Low”.
The salacious story out of USC is making headlines. Did basketball coach, Tim Floyd, pay Rodney Guillory? According to former sportswriter for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Louis Johnson, he did. Johnson is penning a book about O.J. Mayo and he accused Floyd of paying Guillory to help deliver Mayo to the Trojans program. Who should we believe? I am fascinated by stories involving college compliance. I will follow the ongoing drama from Hollywood and if the accusations turn out true, we could also be saying goodbye to Floyd.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Roy, Rios & Rolen Rebuttal
Roy Halladay retired seventeen batters in a row and bested his former Toronto teammate to win his league leading 7th game of the season. The Yankees fell to 15-17 on the year and A.J. Burnett suffered his first loss in pinstripes. Burnett walked four batters in the 5-1 loss. Three of the four went on to score runs for the first place Jays. Third baseman, Scott Rolen ripped three hits and three RBIs Tuesday for Toronto. Doc Halladay tactfully threw a complete game, going the distance on a five hit gem.
The division rivals got on the board first when Rolen’s 3rd inning double produced two tallies. Vernon Wells, who Burnett walked earlier in the frame, scored on the double by Rolen. Alex Rios also crossed the plate for Toronto after leading off the inning with a double of his own. Adam Lind scored from third base one out later on a Rod Barajas sacrifice fly to Melky Cabrera in right field. Fill-in catcher, Kevin Cash, dropped the one-hop throw from the right-fielder and the Jays grabbed a 3-0 lead. Cash is filling in for the injured, Jorge Posada and Jose Molina behind the plate.
The Yankees were also playing without starting shortstop, Derek Jeter. Jeter was scratched from the lineup with a torn oblique. Ramiro Pena replaced him on the field and batted ninth in Joe Girardi’s pedestrian lineup. The team facing Halladay last night was not one radiating with command. Brett Gardner leading off went 0-4 and is only batting .214 this season. Gardner’s speed and astuteness defensively do not make up for his offensive deficiencies. Alex Rodriguez, the clean up hitter, is batting the same as Gardner in just his first week back from surgery. Arod accounts for RBIs and has the hardware to do damage. I am not worried about the third baseman coming around with his right-handed bat, but he sometimes comes up empty in the big spot. Johnny Damon and Mark Texieria hit between Gardner and Rodriguez, respectfully. Damon clubbed two base hits Tuesday but Texieria had another o-fer against the top pitcher on the mound. Hideki Matsui was slated behind Arod but left the game in the fifth inning with a tight hamstring. He is listed as day to day. Matsui always reminded me of Paul O’Neill because he hit to all parts of the field and for high average. Age has caught up to him very quickly though. Matsui is not the same product the team first signed from Japan. Nick Swisher hit DH for Matsui and is also a replacement player for the sidelined Xavier Nady. Swisher is capable of lighting a fire, figuratively speaking. His confident persona and charismatic clubhouse candor create comic relief. Nick is like the Miguel Cairo or Luis Soho of the 1990’s Bomber teams to me. Girardi’s bottom of the order last night was helpless and halfhearted. Robinson Cano, Cabrera, Cash and Pena went a combined 2 for 12 as the bottom four Yankee hitters.
This team is not assembled as a coercing one right now. There are many injuries and the team is having a hard time overcoming fallen players. Injuries are not an excuse when it comes to wins and losses, however. Teams can accomplish plenty even with backup players. Yankees fans should be concerned about this team’s inability to comeback and the fact the bullpen cannot uphold leads. They lack an affirmative outlook, play imprudently and appear unable to string together wins. The only time the visitors scored yesterday was on Rodriguez’s seventh inning single. Damon’s one out double in the 7th broke Halladay’s streak of 17 consecutive batters retired, but Texieria went down looking on a called third strike from the ace. The first baseman is progressing at the speed of a snail. I thought by now Mark would be hitting his usual .300 as the stern off-season addition to the team.
The 23-13 Bluejays got a solo homerun to left field from Aaron Hill. Hill’s batting average is .357. Rolen went 3 for 4 in the team’s third straight victory and 8th in their last 11 tries. Prior to last night, Rolen was hitless off Burnett. Scott lined an RBI single in the 8th inning that scooted down the line. The third knock from Rolen gave Halladay the comfortable win and cushion he would need in notching his 41st career complete game. Roy’s ERA is 2.95 and he did not allow a walk in yesterday’s effort. His location was dead on again. I did not expect Yankees would score many runs against a pitcher who has completely owned them throughout his career. He is 15-5, including 5-1 in 2008, with a 2.86 ERA against the Bombers but is beatable. Even though they were up against a dominant starter, the Yankees were lackluster at the plate. The hitters failed to get the ball out of the infield. The bats were helpless and have been lifeless save for a few players. Damon has been on fire and the most aggressive Yankee by far. He was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double during the first inning Tuesday. Johnny has a .338 average against Halladay with 6 extra-base hits and 9 walks. Damon could emerge as a leader and spokesman with Posada on the bench. The fiery and hard-nosed outfielder may be the spark the clubhouse needs to amend their attitude but should not be the one carrying the club.
I don’t know whether age is the biggest issue or not, but the Yankees need to improve or they will not be talking playoff baseball in 2009. Jeter and Posada’s skills have diminished but with the wear and tear of baseball, that is probable. The Jays are a real division threat, and the Red Sox and Rays are not laying low in the AL East either. When the cream of the crop is sifted in September, will the Yankees be included? Burnett pitched decently but he still allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. Burnett tossed 110 pitchers and struck out three. A.J. has not won now since the middle of April.
Quality pitching, including the bullpen, is imperative. Just getting by isn’t good enough anymore with the hitting talent in the league. I am down on the pitching even though the Yankees on paper still boast a stellar starting five. Pitching is the template for success in baseball. Joba Chamberlain’s velocity, Andy Pettitte’s longevity, C.C. Sabathia’s exactness and Phil Hughes’ makeup concern me. Wang may be back after another minor league start and pitching coach, Scott Aldred, feels his slider is outstanding all of a sudden. The bullpen inconsistency and streaky offense augment and exacerbate my frustrations and uneasiness. The holes do not stop with the pitching and offense. Arod had a fielding error last night and the backup position players are not defensively sound. Fans can speculate all they want about how legitimate the Jays are. Just compare their record to New York’s. It’s not so hard to comprehend which team is in better shape right now. The picture is quite graphic and doesn’t bode well for the Yanks.
The Yankees look to even the series at Rogers Centre with procedural Pettitte on the hill tonight. But, the Jays are countering with a pitcher the Yankees have never faced before in Scott Richmond. Historically, the Bombers have struggled to slash the ball against first time hurlers.
Parting Points: Song of the day is “Karma Police” by Radiohead
The Mets and Braves are in extras here in NY in what has been a back and forth battle all afternoon.
The division rivals got on the board first when Rolen’s 3rd inning double produced two tallies. Vernon Wells, who Burnett walked earlier in the frame, scored on the double by Rolen. Alex Rios also crossed the plate for Toronto after leading off the inning with a double of his own. Adam Lind scored from third base one out later on a Rod Barajas sacrifice fly to Melky Cabrera in right field. Fill-in catcher, Kevin Cash, dropped the one-hop throw from the right-fielder and the Jays grabbed a 3-0 lead. Cash is filling in for the injured, Jorge Posada and Jose Molina behind the plate.
The Yankees were also playing without starting shortstop, Derek Jeter. Jeter was scratched from the lineup with a torn oblique. Ramiro Pena replaced him on the field and batted ninth in Joe Girardi’s pedestrian lineup. The team facing Halladay last night was not one radiating with command. Brett Gardner leading off went 0-4 and is only batting .214 this season. Gardner’s speed and astuteness defensively do not make up for his offensive deficiencies. Alex Rodriguez, the clean up hitter, is batting the same as Gardner in just his first week back from surgery. Arod accounts for RBIs and has the hardware to do damage. I am not worried about the third baseman coming around with his right-handed bat, but he sometimes comes up empty in the big spot. Johnny Damon and Mark Texieria hit between Gardner and Rodriguez, respectfully. Damon clubbed two base hits Tuesday but Texieria had another o-fer against the top pitcher on the mound. Hideki Matsui was slated behind Arod but left the game in the fifth inning with a tight hamstring. He is listed as day to day. Matsui always reminded me of Paul O’Neill because he hit to all parts of the field and for high average. Age has caught up to him very quickly though. Matsui is not the same product the team first signed from Japan. Nick Swisher hit DH for Matsui and is also a replacement player for the sidelined Xavier Nady. Swisher is capable of lighting a fire, figuratively speaking. His confident persona and charismatic clubhouse candor create comic relief. Nick is like the Miguel Cairo or Luis Soho of the 1990’s Bomber teams to me. Girardi’s bottom of the order last night was helpless and halfhearted. Robinson Cano, Cabrera, Cash and Pena went a combined 2 for 12 as the bottom four Yankee hitters.
This team is not assembled as a coercing one right now. There are many injuries and the team is having a hard time overcoming fallen players. Injuries are not an excuse when it comes to wins and losses, however. Teams can accomplish plenty even with backup players. Yankees fans should be concerned about this team’s inability to comeback and the fact the bullpen cannot uphold leads. They lack an affirmative outlook, play imprudently and appear unable to string together wins. The only time the visitors scored yesterday was on Rodriguez’s seventh inning single. Damon’s one out double in the 7th broke Halladay’s streak of 17 consecutive batters retired, but Texieria went down looking on a called third strike from the ace. The first baseman is progressing at the speed of a snail. I thought by now Mark would be hitting his usual .300 as the stern off-season addition to the team.
The 23-13 Bluejays got a solo homerun to left field from Aaron Hill. Hill’s batting average is .357. Rolen went 3 for 4 in the team’s third straight victory and 8th in their last 11 tries. Prior to last night, Rolen was hitless off Burnett. Scott lined an RBI single in the 8th inning that scooted down the line. The third knock from Rolen gave Halladay the comfortable win and cushion he would need in notching his 41st career complete game. Roy’s ERA is 2.95 and he did not allow a walk in yesterday’s effort. His location was dead on again. I did not expect Yankees would score many runs against a pitcher who has completely owned them throughout his career. He is 15-5, including 5-1 in 2008, with a 2.86 ERA against the Bombers but is beatable. Even though they were up against a dominant starter, the Yankees were lackluster at the plate. The hitters failed to get the ball out of the infield. The bats were helpless and have been lifeless save for a few players. Damon has been on fire and the most aggressive Yankee by far. He was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double during the first inning Tuesday. Johnny has a .338 average against Halladay with 6 extra-base hits and 9 walks. Damon could emerge as a leader and spokesman with Posada on the bench. The fiery and hard-nosed outfielder may be the spark the clubhouse needs to amend their attitude but should not be the one carrying the club.
I don’t know whether age is the biggest issue or not, but the Yankees need to improve or they will not be talking playoff baseball in 2009. Jeter and Posada’s skills have diminished but with the wear and tear of baseball, that is probable. The Jays are a real division threat, and the Red Sox and Rays are not laying low in the AL East either. When the cream of the crop is sifted in September, will the Yankees be included? Burnett pitched decently but he still allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. Burnett tossed 110 pitchers and struck out three. A.J. has not won now since the middle of April.
Quality pitching, including the bullpen, is imperative. Just getting by isn’t good enough anymore with the hitting talent in the league. I am down on the pitching even though the Yankees on paper still boast a stellar starting five. Pitching is the template for success in baseball. Joba Chamberlain’s velocity, Andy Pettitte’s longevity, C.C. Sabathia’s exactness and Phil Hughes’ makeup concern me. Wang may be back after another minor league start and pitching coach, Scott Aldred, feels his slider is outstanding all of a sudden. The bullpen inconsistency and streaky offense augment and exacerbate my frustrations and uneasiness. The holes do not stop with the pitching and offense. Arod had a fielding error last night and the backup position players are not defensively sound. Fans can speculate all they want about how legitimate the Jays are. Just compare their record to New York’s. It’s not so hard to comprehend which team is in better shape right now. The picture is quite graphic and doesn’t bode well for the Yanks.
The Yankees look to even the series at Rogers Centre with procedural Pettitte on the hill tonight. But, the Jays are countering with a pitcher the Yankees have never faced before in Scott Richmond. Historically, the Bombers have struggled to slash the ball against first time hurlers.
Parting Points: Song of the day is “Karma Police” by Radiohead
The Mets and Braves are in extras here in NY in what has been a back and forth battle all afternoon.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Lindi's Limerick
Literary nuts, rejoice. It’s National Limerick Day! Here’s mine:
There was a sports fan from New York
Who followed her favorite teams like a dork
She called herself Lindi
And wore a hat when it was windy
That fit on top her head like a cork
There was a sports fan from New York
Who followed her favorite teams like a dork
She called herself Lindi
And wore a hat when it was windy
That fit on top her head like a cork
Great Giro
The Giro d’Italia long-distance bike race is one of the three grand tours in professional bicycling. The other two, the Tour de France and World Cycling Championship, complete the triple crown of cycling. In translation, the three week race means “Tour of Italy” and occurs in May and June each year. The Tour of Italy began last Saturday in Venice. I didn’t know at the time, but when I went to research the event, I discovered this is the 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia.
The first race was held in Milan and encompassed 1,521 miles of terrain. The leader after each stage of the Giro, or the biker with the fastest time up until that point, wears a pink jersey. Dubbed the “maglia rosa”, the jersey is similar to the yellow one awarded during each stage of the Tour de France. The cyclist with the lowest time at the end of the race obviously wins the event.
Points are awarded throughout the mountain stages of the race to riders who reach the top first. This is known as the climbing competition and riders who win are given a green jersey. The steepness, classification and length of the hills provide how many points are distributed. There is also a points competition to reward cyclists during determined checkpoints during the stages of the Giro.
White jerseys are worn by the best young riders.
Andrew Hampsten is the only American rider to win the race since 1909. He did so when biking over a snowy Gavia pass in 1988.
American and 7 time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, heads a strong Astana cycling team this year. Armstrong is supported by teammates, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner of the USA. This is Lance’s first appearance in the prestigious race, while Leipheimer finished 18th in last year’s Tour of Italy. Other riders for team Astana include Jani Brajkovic, Steve Morabito, Daniel Navarro, Yaroslav Popovych, Jose Luis Rubiera, and Andrey Zeits.
Tyler Farrar, the 24 year old rider for team Garmin-Slipstream, is one to keep an eye on throughout the tour. The American excels at sprinting is a relatively good climber. Farrar’s teammate, Christian Vande Velde, held the pink jersey after stage won a year ago. It marked the first time since Hampsten an American wore the shirt. Vande Velde crashed out of the race Monday in an unlucky break for the USA. Italian, Danilo Di Luca won the 2007 Giro and rides for LPR Brakes in the centenary Giro. He was suspended after winning and leading the UCI tour but returns strong two years later. Another Italian, Marco Pinatti, held his own during the 2008 Giro and won the 21st stage. He races again in 2009 with three Italian national time trials under is belt. Ivan Basso enters as one of the race’s favorites but needs to find his form after a two year layoff. Basso represents a tenacious team Liquigas and is exceptional at climbing.
Armstrong moved up to fifth place in the Giro on Monday. The third stage ended with Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi in the overall lead. Petacchi overtook Britain’s Mark Cavendish for the proud pink jersey. Cavendish is part of Columbia-High Road while Alessandro is racing for the LPR Brakes team. Mark won four stages during the Tour de France in 2008. Armstrong finished with the same time as 35 year old Petacchi in the stage and only 31 points behind the Italian in the overall standings. Lance is riding with authority after returning from a broken collarbone in March. He missed over three years of competition but is poised to place near the top trekkers. Armstrong is revved up and reactive race is a reasonable reckoning. Tuesday tribulations for the Texan feature a 100 mile mountain stage beginning in Padua and ending with a climb atop San Martino di Castrozza.
The 35 year old Leipheimer is considered one of the Tour’s favorites because he is a powerful mountain rider and has credible time trials. He’s won all three races he’s entered this year. Leipheimer won the tune-up race, the Tour of Gila, and has the energy to earn the maglia rosa for Astana. Entering Monday, the California native Levi was in 18th place, 40 seconds behind Cavendish. Leipheimer factors to be a fantastic finisher in the final frames of the Giro. This is the national tour event for the Italians, and they will be hard to defeat.
Parting points: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”. “It’s déjà vu all over again”….Happy Birthday to Yogi Berra.
The first race was held in Milan and encompassed 1,521 miles of terrain. The leader after each stage of the Giro, or the biker with the fastest time up until that point, wears a pink jersey. Dubbed the “maglia rosa”, the jersey is similar to the yellow one awarded during each stage of the Tour de France. The cyclist with the lowest time at the end of the race obviously wins the event.
Points are awarded throughout the mountain stages of the race to riders who reach the top first. This is known as the climbing competition and riders who win are given a green jersey. The steepness, classification and length of the hills provide how many points are distributed. There is also a points competition to reward cyclists during determined checkpoints during the stages of the Giro.
White jerseys are worn by the best young riders.
Andrew Hampsten is the only American rider to win the race since 1909. He did so when biking over a snowy Gavia pass in 1988.
American and 7 time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, heads a strong Astana cycling team this year. Armstrong is supported by teammates, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner of the USA. This is Lance’s first appearance in the prestigious race, while Leipheimer finished 18th in last year’s Tour of Italy. Other riders for team Astana include Jani Brajkovic, Steve Morabito, Daniel Navarro, Yaroslav Popovych, Jose Luis Rubiera, and Andrey Zeits.
Tyler Farrar, the 24 year old rider for team Garmin-Slipstream, is one to keep an eye on throughout the tour. The American excels at sprinting is a relatively good climber. Farrar’s teammate, Christian Vande Velde, held the pink jersey after stage won a year ago. It marked the first time since Hampsten an American wore the shirt. Vande Velde crashed out of the race Monday in an unlucky break for the USA. Italian, Danilo Di Luca won the 2007 Giro and rides for LPR Brakes in the centenary Giro. He was suspended after winning and leading the UCI tour but returns strong two years later. Another Italian, Marco Pinatti, held his own during the 2008 Giro and won the 21st stage. He races again in 2009 with three Italian national time trials under is belt. Ivan Basso enters as one of the race’s favorites but needs to find his form after a two year layoff. Basso represents a tenacious team Liquigas and is exceptional at climbing.
Armstrong moved up to fifth place in the Giro on Monday. The third stage ended with Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi in the overall lead. Petacchi overtook Britain’s Mark Cavendish for the proud pink jersey. Cavendish is part of Columbia-High Road while Alessandro is racing for the LPR Brakes team. Mark won four stages during the Tour de France in 2008. Armstrong finished with the same time as 35 year old Petacchi in the stage and only 31 points behind the Italian in the overall standings. Lance is riding with authority after returning from a broken collarbone in March. He missed over three years of competition but is poised to place near the top trekkers. Armstrong is revved up and reactive race is a reasonable reckoning. Tuesday tribulations for the Texan feature a 100 mile mountain stage beginning in Padua and ending with a climb atop San Martino di Castrozza.
The 35 year old Leipheimer is considered one of the Tour’s favorites because he is a powerful mountain rider and has credible time trials. He’s won all three races he’s entered this year. Leipheimer won the tune-up race, the Tour of Gila, and has the energy to earn the maglia rosa for Astana. Entering Monday, the California native Levi was in 18th place, 40 seconds behind Cavendish. Leipheimer factors to be a fantastic finisher in the final frames of the Giro. This is the national tour event for the Italians, and they will be hard to defeat.
Parting points: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”. “It’s déjà vu all over again”….Happy Birthday to Yogi Berra.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday Mail
The price of postage went up again today. I won’t mail this letter out, but I did write one to Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig. In the letter, I address my concerns about the league he is governing.
Dear Mr. Selig
It was great to see all the players decked out in pink for Mother’s Day. Baseball does a wonderful job of giving back to charities. It’s always nice when professional ballplayers acknowledge and support other people.
I am still upset with several issues in the sport. As you know, one of the biggest sluggers and proven champions was caught using performance enhancers last Thursday. Manny Ramirez has been household name in all the cities he played in, and most knowledgeable and casual fans are familiar with him. He deserves to be suspended and punished for testing positive for the banned drug. It’s quite evident there are still players using masking agents and steroids despite the league rules. The player’s association should be commended for having more tests performed to inhibit the use of substances. However, not enough is being done. The game is tainted and the fans are now unable to trust any player when it comes to steroid use. This paints a very dismal picture for the future of America’s pastime. Do we want baseball to be portrayed as mere theater, or do we want to keep it established as a platform for talented athletes who use their natural ability to compete? I think the latter is the consensus choice. We all realize there is no quick solution to cleaning up the sport. But, testing should be more frequent and penalties more severe for positive testers. Manny claimed to be using a fertility drug not intended to enhance his performance at the plate. Whatever the truth may be, players need to be informed which drugs are allowed and which aren’t. Everyone involved in developing young players must have a list readily accessible so excuses will not be tolerated. There are probably going to be athletes who still try to gain an edge by trying new, unknown steroids. Maybe the more they are tested, the more they will be discouraged from trying to cheat the flawed system.
My second concern involves the cost of games. The economy is shot and we all are cutting back on expendable income. I think baseball owners should cut fans a break. Instead of raising ticket prices and charging an arm and a leg for concession stand items, why not at least maintain them? At the very least, fans should be able to enjoy sports without using their charge card for a hot dog. I understand owners have bills to pay, but with all the revenue the sport takes in, there has to be a way to alleviate the rising prices at the turnstiles. Yankee Stadium and CitiField are beautiful new venues in New York, but the locals can hardly afford to see more than one game a year. Fans are at a disadvantage if they do not have a high income. I never thought I would see the day Yankee Stadium was empty behind home plate but it is becoming an everyday theme in the Bronx these days.
Can we please schedule more day games? Baseball is a sport for children and most cannot stay up late on school nights to see their teams on TV. It’s pretty pathetic when the clock strikes midnight and the game is only in the bottom of the fifth inning. The games should either start earlier or be scheduled more often during the day. Summer is coming and people have more time to watch TV during the day. The weather is warmer and fans might just want to attend games too. Prime time TV will suffer but baseball will gain in the long-run with the return of day games.
Finally, I don’t know about you, but I would like pitchers to last a little longer in their scheduled starts. There is no need for managers to pull the plug on a pitcher after four innings of work. Today’s logic seems to dictate once a guy throws 100 pitches, he has to come out of the game no matter how well he is performing. Well, maybe we can raise the mound again. That way, balls won’t be flying out of the park quite so often and pitchers can throw fewer pitches. I like a classic pitcher’s duel, where the score is close. Too many relief pitchers are being installed early in games. This depletes the team bullpen and wastes solid starts. Pitchers are winning fewer games because they are not even throwing an adequate amount of innings. There are exceptions, of course. But more often than not, quality starts are not occurring. Some of the newer ballparks are so-called “bandboxes”. The new Yankee Stadium is already in that category. Pitchers need to be trained to go the distance. Nolan Ryan is doing a commendable job seasoning the Texas Rangers. Endurance should not be a hard concept to grasp. Please find a way to address this to today’s baseball minds.
I hope to hear from you soon. I know you have plenty on your agenda this time of year and my concerns are not of highest importance. I also know changes are not around the corner, but will be a patient fan. I love the sport with all my heart, Mr. Selig. Since I am trying to save on postage, I will kindly ask you to read my online blog and respond accordingly.
Thanks,
Lindi
Parting points: “I’ve got two turntables and a microphone”- Beck
Dear Mr. Selig
It was great to see all the players decked out in pink for Mother’s Day. Baseball does a wonderful job of giving back to charities. It’s always nice when professional ballplayers acknowledge and support other people.
I am still upset with several issues in the sport. As you know, one of the biggest sluggers and proven champions was caught using performance enhancers last Thursday. Manny Ramirez has been household name in all the cities he played in, and most knowledgeable and casual fans are familiar with him. He deserves to be suspended and punished for testing positive for the banned drug. It’s quite evident there are still players using masking agents and steroids despite the league rules. The player’s association should be commended for having more tests performed to inhibit the use of substances. However, not enough is being done. The game is tainted and the fans are now unable to trust any player when it comes to steroid use. This paints a very dismal picture for the future of America’s pastime. Do we want baseball to be portrayed as mere theater, or do we want to keep it established as a platform for talented athletes who use their natural ability to compete? I think the latter is the consensus choice. We all realize there is no quick solution to cleaning up the sport. But, testing should be more frequent and penalties more severe for positive testers. Manny claimed to be using a fertility drug not intended to enhance his performance at the plate. Whatever the truth may be, players need to be informed which drugs are allowed and which aren’t. Everyone involved in developing young players must have a list readily accessible so excuses will not be tolerated. There are probably going to be athletes who still try to gain an edge by trying new, unknown steroids. Maybe the more they are tested, the more they will be discouraged from trying to cheat the flawed system.
My second concern involves the cost of games. The economy is shot and we all are cutting back on expendable income. I think baseball owners should cut fans a break. Instead of raising ticket prices and charging an arm and a leg for concession stand items, why not at least maintain them? At the very least, fans should be able to enjoy sports without using their charge card for a hot dog. I understand owners have bills to pay, but with all the revenue the sport takes in, there has to be a way to alleviate the rising prices at the turnstiles. Yankee Stadium and CitiField are beautiful new venues in New York, but the locals can hardly afford to see more than one game a year. Fans are at a disadvantage if they do not have a high income. I never thought I would see the day Yankee Stadium was empty behind home plate but it is becoming an everyday theme in the Bronx these days.
Can we please schedule more day games? Baseball is a sport for children and most cannot stay up late on school nights to see their teams on TV. It’s pretty pathetic when the clock strikes midnight and the game is only in the bottom of the fifth inning. The games should either start earlier or be scheduled more often during the day. Summer is coming and people have more time to watch TV during the day. The weather is warmer and fans might just want to attend games too. Prime time TV will suffer but baseball will gain in the long-run with the return of day games.
Finally, I don’t know about you, but I would like pitchers to last a little longer in their scheduled starts. There is no need for managers to pull the plug on a pitcher after four innings of work. Today’s logic seems to dictate once a guy throws 100 pitches, he has to come out of the game no matter how well he is performing. Well, maybe we can raise the mound again. That way, balls won’t be flying out of the park quite so often and pitchers can throw fewer pitches. I like a classic pitcher’s duel, where the score is close. Too many relief pitchers are being installed early in games. This depletes the team bullpen and wastes solid starts. Pitchers are winning fewer games because they are not even throwing an adequate amount of innings. There are exceptions, of course. But more often than not, quality starts are not occurring. Some of the newer ballparks are so-called “bandboxes”. The new Yankee Stadium is already in that category. Pitchers need to be trained to go the distance. Nolan Ryan is doing a commendable job seasoning the Texas Rangers. Endurance should not be a hard concept to grasp. Please find a way to address this to today’s baseball minds.
I hope to hear from you soon. I know you have plenty on your agenda this time of year and my concerns are not of highest importance. I also know changes are not around the corner, but will be a patient fan. I love the sport with all my heart, Mr. Selig. Since I am trying to save on postage, I will kindly ask you to read my online blog and respond accordingly.
Thanks,
Lindi
Parting points: “I’ve got two turntables and a microphone”- Beck
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