Looking at the Game of Baseball from all ends of the Spectrum
Juan Pierre, Florida Marlins 4 for 6, 2B, 3 runs, 2 rbis, 2 SB Leadoff man Juan Pierre got all this production from a double and 3 singles (not to mention 2 stolen bases). A relative newcomer in his 6th year, Pierre has already accumulated 225 stolen bases.
Juan Pierre, Florida Marlins
4 for 6, 2B, 3 runs, 2 rbis, 2 SB
Leadoff man Juan Pierre got all this production from a double and 3 singles (not to mention 2 stolen bases).
A relative newcomer in his 6th year, Pierre has already accumulated 225 stolen bases.
There’s a new blog covering the gamut of MLB. Check out A Baseball Fiend. He’s not afraid to tell it the way is. Definitely worth a look.
There’s a new blog covering the gamut of MLB. Check out A Baseball Fiend. He’s not afraid to tell it the way is.
Definitely worth a look.
The University of Illinois has named Dan Hartleb the new Illini Baseball Coach. Hartleb has been signed to a four-year contract and replaces Itch Jones who has retired.
Hartleb has been the pitching coach for the Illinois team for the entire 15-year tenure of Jones. He has sent 15 pitchers to professional ball during those 15 years and has much recruiting experience.
“I would like to thank Itch Jones for bringing me to Illinois and for providing Gina and I the opportunity to stay in the community and take over where he left off,” said Hartleb. “The Champaign-Urbana community and the Illini Nation have provided our program with great support. We look forward to the exciting crowds and the home-field advantage that we have here at Illinois Field.”
Good Luck, Coach Hartleb!
While I was browsing The Baseball Analysts, I ran across an article on Bob Gibson and just how good he was in 1968.
Well worth a click, especially for you Cardinal fans.
Finding a good scouting report on the players picked in last week’s MLB draft is hard to do. Most of the mainstream press do a cursory summary at best.
Leave it to the boys at The Baseball Analysts to get the job done. Team by team, they report on the players they picked. Pretty thorough.
Chris Carpenter, St Louis Cardinals 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Carpenter pitches his first one-hitter of his career. He led the league in shutouts in 1997 and 1999.
Chris Carpenter, St Louis Cardinals
9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Carpenter pitches his first one-hitter of his career.
He led the league in shutouts in 1997 and 1999.
Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels 4 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis Vlad has been tearing it up since he came back from the DL. Here’s Vladimir’s rookie baseball card. Skinny li’l runt, huh?
Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels
4 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 5 rbis
Vlad has been tearing it up since he came back from the DL.
Here’s Vladimir’s rookie baseball card.
Skinny li’l runt, huh?
Maybe others saw this coming but this came as a surprise. UI Baseball coach Richard “Itch” Jones has decided to retire after 15 years as Illinois coach and 39 years of college coaching. Then again, there’s something to be said for getting out while you’re on top. Itch led the Illini to a Big Ten … Continue reading “UI Loses the Itch”
Maybe others saw this coming but this came as a surprise.
UI Baseball coach Richard “Itch” Jones has decided to retire after 15 years as Illinois coach and 39 years of college coaching.
Then again, there’s something to be said for getting out while you’re on top. Itch led the Illini to a Big Ten title and he won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2005.
Jones is 13th all-time among Division I coaches in wins with a 1,240-752-6 record. His other achievements:
Coaching Honors
2005 Big Ten Coach of the Year
1998 ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year
Big Ten Coach of the Year
1990 NCAA Division I Diamond Baseball Coach of the Year
1978 The Sporting News National Coach of the Year
1971 Adirondack National Coach of the Year
Team Accomplishments
2 Big Ten Regular Season Titles (1998, 2005)
1 Big Ten Tournament Title (2000)
8 Missouri Valley Conference Titles (1975, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’81, ’84, ’86, ’90)
3 College World Series appearances (1971, ’74, ’77)
12 NCAA Regional Appearances (1970, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’81, ’86, ’90, ’98, ’00)
Hall of Fame Inductions
American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame
MacMurray College Hall of Fame
Illinois High School Association Baseball Hall of Fame
Illinois High School Association Basketball Hall of Fame
Jacksonville High School Hall of Fame
Herrin High School Athletic Hall of Fame
(Source: fightingillini.collegesports.com)
He managed 40 players who went on to play professional baseball including 22 major leaguers.
I always had a good view of Coach Jones from where I stood at ball games since Jones was third base coach. I enjoyed hearing him yell back encouragements, suggestions or perhaps even comments on the umpiring back to the home dugout.
Thanks, Coach!
Eric Chavez, Oakland Athletics 5 for 5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 runs, 4 rbis Most similar batter to Chavez though age 26: Scott Rolen
Eric Chavez, Oakland Athletics
5 for 5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 runs, 4 rbis
Most similar batter to Chavez though age 26: Scott Rolen
I got a chance to meet Wild Bill Holden. For those who missed my earlier post, Wild Bill is a Cub fan who is walking from Arizona to Wrigley Field and raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) along the way. He’s made it all the way to Illinois and through public events and donations over the web, he’s raised over $75,000.
Wild Bill’s stop on Friday was at a Culver’s Frozen Custard and Butterburgers Restaurant in Morton, Illinois. My buddy Brando and I were traveling through town so we made plans to stop. We got there around 6:30 and the only signs that anything special was happening were 1) Culvers’ workers were wearing Cubs hats, 2) there was a table with some items for auction and most evident 3) there was a line of (mostly) guys in (mostly) Cubs hats and shirts waiting patiently in line to have a few minutes with man dressed in Cub blue sitting at a table enoying a double cheeseburger and fries.
Here is Bill sitting with two reporters while trying to squeeze in a bite or two.
Wild Bill granted an interview to a local TV new station. Before the interview started, he spotted me in my Chicago Cubs 1908 World Championship T-shirt. “Hey, nice shirt!”, he said.
In the background, they have the This Old Cub video playing. This Old Cub is the story of former Cub thirdbaseman Ron Santo. Wild Bill says he was inspired to do his walk by this video.
Finally, I got a chance to spend a few minutes with Wild Bill. I found him to quite charming. He spoke of the Cub fans’ “ownership” of the team which he feels is unique to the team. He related a couple stories of Cub fans he has met throughout his journey.
I asked him how his knees were holding up. He said they were fine but I could tell by the way he moved that I bet he’s getting a bit sore.
At the end, he favored me with a photo which you see above.
Rumor has it that Wild Bill will be throwing out the ball at Wrigley Field on July 1 and will also be leading the crowd in Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Finally, if you have any dollars left in your budget, please consider donating or purchasing the This Old Cub video which helps the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.