Looking at the Game of Baseball from all ends of the Spectrum
Pedro Feliz, San Francisco Giants 5 for 5, 2 2B, 3B, 4 runs Deivi Cruz, San Francisco Giants 5 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis When one player goes 5 for 5, it’s pretty special. When two players do it on the same team in the same game, that’s extraordinary.
Pedro Feliz, San Francisco Giants
5 for 5, 2 2B, 3B, 4 runs
Deivi Cruz, San Francisco Giants
5 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis
When one player goes 5 for 5, it’s pretty special. When two players do it on the same team in the same game, that’s extraordinary.
#1- Dominic Valila, the New York Mets groundskeeper, is expected to lose his job because he has been part of a Mafia-run gambling ring. He allegedly used the Mets phones to place bets. According to Dominic himself, “What happened is I started gambling and betting on games,” Valila said. “People would see me go nuts watching … Continue reading “Baseball Oddities- They Abound”
#1- Dominic Valila, the New York Mets groundskeeper, is expected to lose his job because he has been part of a Mafia-run gambling ring. He allegedly used the Mets phones to place bets. According to Dominic himself,
“What happened is I started gambling and betting on games,” Valila said. “People would see me go nuts watching football. They’d say, ‘Listen, would you put $20 down for me?’ … It’s a guy thing. It’s in my blood.”
He avoided jail by pleading guilty to the crime.
#2- When Nats pitcher Livian Hernandez threw his glove into the stands in a frustrated fit, he wanted it back. It seems the fan that retrieved it wasn’t so willing to give it back up. The team offered him an autographed jersey and glove.
That didn’t seem to be enough. The fan’s asking price?
My two thoughts:
I hope the playoff tickets aren’t for the Nationals.. and $18,000? wow, that fan’s got some brass cajones.
Hernandez’ appropriate response?
”He can have it,” Hernandez told the newspaper. “He thinks it’s my lucky glove, but I’m not superstitious.”
#3- The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League are holding a “Hairiest Back at the Ballpark” contest.
Winner gets a laser hair removal service worth $2500.
Jonny Gomes, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1 for 1, HR, run, rbi, 3 HBP
Without a little investigation into the box score, Gomes’ linescore may look a little confusing as he played the whole game yet only had one at-bat and no walks. Gomes was hit 3 times, twice by Wright and once by Rivera. In between, he hit his 16th homerun.
His dinger was a solo shot. That’s no surprise. He has a tendency to do that.
Dave Williams, Pittsburgh Pirates 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (Win) Another Pittsburgh pitcher makes the LSOTD. Williams is now 10-8.
Dave Williams, Pittsburgh Pirates
9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (Win)
Another Pittsburgh pitcher makes the LSOTD. Williams is now 10-8.
Last night I got together with my buddy Brando for the first time in weeks. It was six hours of total baseball. The Shot Heard ‘Round the World We sat down and watched The Shot Heard ‘Round the World. That’s the HBO Sports movie about Bobby Thomson’s homerun against Ralph Branca. Very good documentary. I’m … Continue reading “A Night of Baseball”
Last night I got together with my buddy Brando for the first time in weeks. It was six hours of total baseball.
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
We sat down and watched The Shot Heard ‘Round the World. That’s the HBO Sports movie about Bobby Thomson’s homerun against Ralph Branca. Very good documentary. I’m a sucker for watching any footage about baseball’s past and this one didn’t disappoint. Check it out if you get a chance.
By the way, I never heard about the controversy regarding the Giants stealing signs during the 51 season and playoffs. That charge was levied by NYG catcher Sal Yvars and denied by everyone else. Anyway, that was new to me.
For those interested, here is the box score of that game.
Cubs/Cards game
After that we settled down to watch the Cubs defeat the Cardinals. The Cubs managed to eke a victory out. Up by a run, Demster managed to force Pujols to ground out with a runner on second.
Far be for me to spit at success but Brando and I got into a discussion about whether it was the right move to pitch to Pujols. Brando felt strongly that Pujols should have been walked intentionally. I’m not a big advocate of the intentional walk especially when it puts the winning run on base. But as an APBA league manager who has had Albert on his team since he was a rookie, I knew what Brando was getting at. A.P certainly should not have gotten any good pitches to hit and the second Dempster pitch looked pretty juicy.
For what it’s worth, Bleed Cubbie Blue felt the right decision was made to pitch to Pujols.
Hindsight is 20/20 and the Cubs went 3-1 for the series.
Roger Clemens, Houston Astros 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Surely with an effort like that, the Rocket would have gotten a win for his trouble, right? Unfortunately for him and the Astros, he is still getting little backing from his teammates. He left the game after 8 innings. The … Continue reading “8/13 Linescore of the Day – Roger Clemens”
Roger Clemens, Houston Astros
8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Surely with an effort like that, the Rocket would have gotten a win for his trouble, right? Unfortunately for him and the Astros, he is still getting little backing from his teammates. He left the game after 8 innings. The first batter up in the ninth, Jack Wilson, hit a solo homer off of Brad Lidge for the deciding (and only) run of the game.
It was the sixth time the Astros have failed to score with Clemens starting the game.
Gregg Zaun, Toronto Blue Jays 2 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis Yes, I know, David Ortiz had 6 ribbies on Friday. But Gregg Zaun had 5. You just don’t expect that kind of production from him. That said, Zaun has already has career highs this season in homeruns (8) and rbis (48). … Continue reading “8/12 Linescore of the Day – Gregg Zaun”
Gregg Zaun, Toronto Blue Jays
2 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis
Yes, I know, David Ortiz had 6 ribbies on Friday. But Gregg Zaun had 5. You just don’t expect that kind of production from him.
That said, Zaun has already has career highs this season in homeruns (8) and rbis (48).
His effort (along with the rest of the Jay’s offense) may have been overkill as the Jays won handily 12-0 behind Josh Towers’ fine complete game performance. Josh spread out 9 hits (but no walks).
I’m back from vacation and rarin’ to go. Thanks to the guys for keeping the flame going while I was gone. I went to a family reunion in beautiful Wisconsin. After that, we hit Wisconsin Dells. I asked a friend who had been there what he thought of the place. He hesistated and said “Well, … Continue reading “Aaahh! It’s good to be online again!”
I’m back from vacation and rarin’ to go. Thanks to the guys for keeping the flame going while I was gone.
I went to a family reunion in beautiful Wisconsin. After that, we hit Wisconsin Dells. I asked a friend who had been there what he thought of the place. He hesistated and said “Well, it’s a bit developed”. That’s an understatement! But we knew that going there.
On our drive to the Dells, the kids were doing the “Are we there yet?” bit the whole way. On I-94, my 8 year-old son saw a billboard for a mini-golf place and said, “Daddy, are we close now?”. Nothing gets by him.
No, I never made it to a wireless cafe due to lack of time and dearth of wireless hotspots. Maybe I just didn’t know where to look.
I managed to avoid baseball while I was gone too. Probably a good thing since the Cubs lost every game while I was gone until the day before I got back. Sheesh! They’re kickin’ the Cards now but by now they’re 17 back.
Back to combing the boxscores…
Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3 for 4, 2 HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis Tough day to choose a LSOTD. Fifteen players had 3 or more hits. And Ortiz had an interesting outing against the Braves. Vlad is doing his best to reward his fantasy owners with yummy stats after being out with … Continue reading “8/2 Linescore of the Day – Vladimir Guerrero”
Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3 for 4, 2 HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis
Tough day to choose a LSOTD. Fifteen players had 3 or more hits. And Ortiz had an interesting outing against the Braves.
Vlad is doing his best to reward his fantasy owners with yummy stats after being out with the injury (yeah, I’m sure fantasy owners are foremost on his mind :-P).
Note: You probably won’t see any posts from me for a week or so. I’m going on a well-deserved vacation. The site will be left in the capable hands of the Baseball Zealot staff who will be posting in my absence. I’ve told my wife that we need to schedule stops at wireless cafes so I may peek in and see how things are going.
until then,
TBZ
A quote from a local sportswriter from the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette: “There’s not much to love about this Rafael Palmeiro mess but maybe it gets us a step closer to asterisks for baseball’s cheaters.” Seriously, as a sportwriter, do you really want to go there? We already have the North Dakota Senate (who must have already solved … Continue reading “No Asterisks”
A quote from a local sportswriter from the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette:
“There’s not much to love about this Rafael Palmeiro mess but maybe it gets us a step closer to asterisks for baseball’s cheaters.”
Seriously, as a sportwriter, do you really want to go there? We already have the North Dakota Senate (who must have already solved all of the state’s problems) passing a resolution asking Bud Selig to re-instate Roger Maris’ 61 homeruns as the major league record. This attempt to write and amend baseball history goes overboard, in my opinion.
Do I favor the use of steroids in baseball? No. But to institute an asterisk system would be a logistical nightmare if nothing else. To do so now is too late. Major league baseball should have nipped this in the bud when they suspected it was happening years ago instead of closing their eyes and hoping the fans wouldn’t care.
Now it’s too late. Crack down now. Make them pay. But what has happened, happened. Don’t close your eyes again.