Odd Black Mountain University Magnet

 

ladybruins

Solve this mystery for me.  I found this refrigerator magnet (actually two of them) in my son’s room when cleaning his room with him.  I have no idea where we got them.

With two bats crossed and a smiling bear in the middle, the text of it says:

Lady Bruins

1954

Black Mountain University

Fossil Conf. AAA Winter League

After a web search, the only possible result that matched was a Black Mountain College that was founded 1933 near Asheville, North Carolina.  The school closed in 1957. 

I couldn’t find anything on a Fossil Conf Winter League. 

Keep in mind that it could either baseball or softball (I’m thinking softball).

Odd mystery and even odder that it would show up in my kid’s room.

They Are the Pirates Who Don’t Score Anytime

pirates_dvd_cover There was a Veggietales movie out for kids not too long ago called, The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, but the Pittsburgh Pirates seem to be The Pirates Who Don’t Score Anytime. If only my White Sox could play the Buccos every day. To be honest, I’ve been up in Waupaca the last week, so I haven’t seen the past two games, only the final scores, and Pittsburgh didn’t score a single run in either game. Now today I see Chicago is down in the first inning, I wonder if the White Sox will be sending today’s starter to the minor leagues for allowing a run to the Pirates. I feel sorry for Pirate fans, that once proud franchise has been so bad for so long. Still I have to say, LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

WTLNXTYR Sputtering in Fantasy League

manny Following his dominating, eight-inning pitching performance in a 2-0 White Sox victory against the Pirates at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday, Gavin Floyd hoped he’d finally thumbed to a happier chapter in his “Tale of Two Gavins” story this season. Those first few pages, after all, were pretty frightening. They told the account of a pitcher struggling to find his rhythm, a pitcher whose first eight starts resulted in a 2-4 record with a 7.71 ERA, the second-highest ERA among qualifying starters in the Major Leagues. “I hadn’t been performing very well,” Floyd said. “I was able to mentally block it out and just focus on where I’ve been going. I’ve been working at it in the bullpen and pretty much transferring it in the game. I think I was able to do that tonight.”
That was where the other Floyd showed up — the aggressive, dominant pitcher reminiscent of his 2008 season, when he posted a 17-8 record and 3.84 ERA.

FANTASY BASEBALL – two words that strike fear into thinking baseball fans everywhere. I’ve been following the game since the 1968 World Series. I still remember that epic battle between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers like it was yesterday. Motown’s Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain, Al Kaline, & Bill Freehan, matched up against the Redbirds Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Curt Flood, & Mike Shannon. Taking the knowledge I’ve garnered over the last forty plus years I decided to apply it by matching wits against other baseball geniuses in fantasy baseball.

My team, WTLNXTYR, is in a ten team mixed league format, because I was an expansion team I got to pick from all the discarded players to come up with eight keepers. I chose to keep Kevin Youkilis, Chris Davis, Stephen Drew, Willy Taveras, Roy Halladay, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, & Edinson Volquez. The two high paid free agents I decided to grab were Manny Ramirez & Brandon Webb. I might’ve overpaid for Brian Roberts, but I really wanted him. In addition I decided to pay for three quality closers, Mariano Rivera, Francisco Rodriguez, & Joe Nathan. Then I got into a bidding war for Jason Motte, Carlos Delgado, & Raul Ibanez. I was able to get Vernon Wells, Elvis Andrus, Chan Ho Park, & J.A. Happ after the auction was over. Other bargains on my team were Chin Soo Choo, Mark DeRosa, Paul Konerko, John Baker, & Ramon Hernandez.

As the season progressed I was able to pickup Randy Wolf, Marco Scutaro, Dave Aardsma, Freddy Sanchez, Alberto Callaspo, Juan Pierre, Jair Jurrjens, Ubaldo Jimenez, & Shairon Martis. But in the process, I’d cut loose guys that I wish I could get back, like, Randy Wolf, Dave Aardsma, J.A. Happ, & now Gavin Floyd.

By the 2nd week of the season I was fighting for first place. Then Webb went on the DL & Manny Ramirez got a 50 game suspension. I cut Randy Wolf because despite pitching well, he wasn’t winning. Then I tried, unsuccessfully, to get him back because all of his other numbers were solid. I grabbed Aardsma when Brandon Morrow was hurt, cut him when Morrow came back, and then tried, unsuccessfully, to get him back when he was named Seattle’s closer. Now I cut Gavin Floyd with his 7.71 ERA & 2-4 record, but would like him back after he pitched eight shutout innings last night against the Buccos. Another guy I cut, Happ, is now going to start for the Phillies, so I’d like him back. Then there was Park, whom I cut because he had an ERA over seven with no wins, of course when I cut him, he pitches strong, picking up the victory.

The way fantasy baseball works is like this, there are ten offensive categories & ten pitching categories, you get ranked by how well your team does compared with the other teams in the league. Right now WTLNXTYR is closer to the bottom than to the top, so maybe I’ll end up getting some of my waiver claims, as it goes in reverse order of standings. Fantasy baseball is maddening!

Prodigal Son Returns to San Diego

gwynn Tony Gwynn Sr broke the good news to his son, while his son was eating breakfast, the kid was traded to the San Diego Padres. Gwynn Jr grew up in San Diego, following his father all over Jack Murphy Stadium, while the elder Gwynn was starring for the Friars, on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Although the sequel is seldom as good as the original, Gwynn is hoping a fresh start will help his career.

Tony Jr bounced back in forth between the Milwaukee Brewers and the minor leagues, amassing a .248 batting average in 242 big league at bats. With Nashville this season, he was hitting .309 with a .387 onbase percentage, with 15 stolen bases. The Padres sent outfielder Jody Gerut to the Brewers in exchange for Gwynn.

“From what it sounded like, I was going to get an opportunity to play a lot. I don’t know how that’s going to work out,” Gwynn said. “I’m looking forward to coming home and putting that Padres uniform on.”

As for those inevitable comparisons with his father, Gwynn said he’s not too worried about them and that he understands he has to be himself.

“At the end of the day, it’s my job. If you go out and perform, then all of that pressure is eliminated,” he said. “At this point I think people have seen me enough to know I’m nothing like my father. It’s a different style of baseball. I’m going and playing my game.”

Jake to Chicago After All?

peavy The ball is in Jake Peavy’s court, he has a no trade clause in his contract, the White Sox have supposedly made an offer of Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, & two other pitching prospects for him, now it’s up to Peavy to decide if he’d like to pitch on the Southside of Chicago. Jake almost came to Chicago last season, the Northside, but the Cubbies couldn’t quite hammer out their deal. This might be one of those trades, which helps both ballclubs. The White Sox have been struggling, but are attempting to go for it, while the Padres are rebuilding in San Diego.

Putting Peavy at the front of a Sox rotation, which features Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Bartolo Colon, might be just what the doctor ordered to boost our drooping White Sox. The bullpen for the Palehose has been solid, the longball will come around, the team has good defense (especially when Jayson Nix is at 2B), but small ball will never be a part of this team’s arsenal. San Diego is still a long way from competing, but getting 2007 1st round pick Aaron Poreda, the lefty throws in the high 90s, and University of Michigan product Clayton Richard, would be a step in the right direction.

For those of you who say, Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, & Ozzie Guillen don’t want to win. What are you talking about? But there are economics around running a major league ballclub, sometimes you have to let good players go, like, Aaron Rowand, Joe Crede, Jon Garland, & Javier Vazquez. Hoping that younger, cheaper, talent can get the job done, like, Brian Anderson, Josh Fields, John Danks, & Gavin Floyd. It’s a tough business, where hard decisions need to be made.

LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

Jacoby Ellsbury: Put Me in the Game

jacoby Jacoby Ellsbury tied a record for most putouts, 12, by a centerfielder in a nine inning game, last night in Boston versus the Blue Jays. Ellsbury now shares this record with the late, Minnesota Twins Lyman Bostock, May 25, 1977, and Boston Braves Earl Clark, May 10, 1929.

Marco Scutaro, the first batter of the game, jumped on the second pitch he saw, lining it to Jacoby Ellsbury in center. Aaron Hill drove the first pitch he saw to the warning track, where Ellsbury hauled it in with an impressive over the shoulder catch. Before his night was through, Jacoby would snare a dozen flyballs, including the last out of the game.

“I could feel it a little bit in the legs. It’s just a day’s work, I guess,” said Ellsbury. “I’ll be feeling just the same tomorrow—feeling good.”

Where to go to get info on the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament

From May 20-23, the Big Ten Baseball Tournament will be in full force at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.  For those interested in keeping up on the latest news, here are some good places to start:

Official 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament page

Complete with the tournament bracket, schedule, and I assume, eventually box scores and wrap-ups.

 

Big Ten Baseball Programs

Good places to get the official word on your favorite Big Ten team.

  • Illinois Baseball
  • Indiana Baseball
  • Michigan State Baseball
  • Minnesota Baseball
  • Ohio State Baseball
  • Purdue Baseball

     

    … then there are the blogs.

    Buckeye Nine Tourney Central

    Chris Webb has brought online a repository of information surrounding the Tourney.  Great articles, info, links, and reviews (including one of Illinois written by yours truly).  Great idea by the Ohio State blogging contingent. 

     

    The Buckeye Nine

    I’m sure Chris will also be updating his Buckeye-specific The Buckeye Nine for all you OSU fans. 

     

    Big Ten Hardball

    Brian DeCaussin will continue to cover Big Ten baseball in the excellent way we’ve been accustomed.  If I want to get past the hype, I go to BTH.

     

    Behind the Plate

     

    Inside Pitch 

    Two blogs covering University of Indiana baseball. 

     

    Illinois Baseball Report

    Of course!  I’ll be at the tournament (leaving early tomorrow) and will be updating the site daily on the goings on from an Illini perspective.  I’ll be snapping photos and uploading like crazy.

     

    So let’s have some fun and go Illini!!

  • Hillenbrand is Dr. Dolittle

    shea This story was first reported in June’s Phoenix Magazine, about Shea Hillenbrand. No, the former big league star is not attempting a comeback, he’s practicing giving back, which is much more important. In 2007 Shea & his wife Jessica started Against All Odds, a non-profit group, which takes care of more than 150 rescued & rehabilitated animals, ranging from emus to a zonkey (cross between a zebra & a donkey). They have more than 50 animals at their own house, including kangaroos and miniature cows. They bring kids’ groups out to interact with the animals, from child crisis to disadvantaged youth to disabled children to inner-city kids. The Hillenbrands say, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, with both the children and the animals benefiting. They have put over one million dollars into the project, most of the money going toward veterinary care. It’s great to see someone putting his money toward making this world a better place, both for the animals and the children.

    Cub Cult Hero: Bobby Scales

    bobby-scales He was drafted in 1999 by the San Diego Padres out of the University of Michigan in the 14th round, the 442nd player taken. Now ten years later, Scales seems to have found a home with the Chicago Cubs, albeit off their bench. As a 21 year old kid with the Wolverines, Bobby batted .371, with 9 homers, 20 doubles, & 4 triples, in only 248 at bats. 2008 would be the first time as a regular his average would rise again above the .300 mark, .320, with 15 home runs, 20 doubles, & 2 triples, at Iowa, earned him his first shot a the big leagues.

    Since being called up to the Cubs May 4th, this switch hitter has made the most of his opportunity. The next day he got his first hit, a single, off Cy Young Award Winner Tim Lincecum, on May 8th he picked up his first triple, on the 12th the kid knocked his first ball out of the park as he sprinted around the bases in record time, and then on 5/14 he ripped two doubles & drove in four in a win over the Padres.

    Bobby Scales is like a breath of fresh air!

    White Sox Drooping

    white-sox The White Sox don’t look nearly as good as the ones pictured here. Not even one quarter of the way through the 2009 season and they’ve already been shutout six times. Their offense has been missing in action, with an all or nothing approach, for the most part it’s been station to station base running. There is very little team speed, when runners are on base, the chance for a doubleplay comes up more often than a timely longball. And if it’s conceivably possible, the starting pitching has been worse. The young starters have been disappointing, to say the least, while the old guys have been worse, the only guy who can be counted on has been Mark Buehrle.

    You may be asking yourself, is there any hope? Is anything working? Well, so far the bullpen has been solid, anchored by closer Bobby Jenks, with his setup men, Octavio Dotel, Matt Thornton, & Scott Linebrink. Jermaine Dye has shown outstanding defense in RF, with a potent bat. Brian Anderson, when he was healthy, demonstrated his defensive abilities in CF, while holding his own with the bat. A.J. Pierzynski needs to go out there and kick some ass, telling his pitchers that if their not going to attempt to hold runners on, he’s not even going to throw down on attempted steals.

    So, what do the White Sox need to do? Bring up Gordon Beckham & Aaron Poreda, they couldn’t do any worse than Brent Lillibridge & Jose Contreras. Hitting is contagious, so are slumps, sometimes one hitter can turn a lineup around. Right now the White Sox lineup seems to have a few dark holes, Brent Lillibridge, Josh Fields, & Alexei Ramirez (who seems to have hit a sophomore jinx). Another good arm in the rotation can help turn a pitching staff around.

    It might not be the time panic yet, but it’s getting close. Teams seem to build on their successes, as well as on their failures. I’ve been out to the Cell twice this year, total score was Bad Guys 20, Good Guys 0. Neither time did I see any sign of a pulse, I’ll be out there again, and I’ve got a trip with friends planned to Cincinnati to watch the Sox battle the Reds. I’d hate to make that trip for nothings.

    LET’S GO WHITE SOX!