Archive for May 2008
No Peanuts at the game? Not in THIS section
As I was reading up on local sports during work hours, I came across this article about how my local MLB team will have a section for fans to sit who are allergic to peanuts. No peanut consumption will be allowed in this section.
At first I thought this was a little silly…at first.
Tell me what you think.
I guess this really doesn’t bother me at all. I happen to be a cigarette smoker, and by no means has it ever bothered me when they banned smoking in the seating section at the stadium. (I also do not smoke in my home, nor does it bother me to sit in a smoke-free resteraunt)
As a true fan of baseball, and also a father, I would never want a child (or adult for that matter) to NOT be able to go and enjoy a game where they have to worry about having a reaction where they could, at the least NOT enjoy the game,or the worst, possibly die.
Anyhthing to make the game more fan friendly, by all means, do it!!!
Instant Replay for MLB next year?
Peter Gammons was on his weekly guestspot to Mike and Mike in the Morning a few days ago, and was asked about the chances for instant replay in the MLB next year. He stated that it IS likely that MLB would probably give it a try in the Arizona Fall League next year.
He also said that he only sees them using it for homeruns ONLY!!!
I think this is the correct move. Homeruns are hard to see around the foul poles and when it hits just over the wall with fans being in reach and cloggin up a clear line of vision.
I would hope that they would NEVER use it for issues of balls and strikes, or baserunners being tagged out. MLB is concerned about the length of time for a game, and I agree with them.
Bruce Bowen Knows The Score
By J.A. Adande | ESPN.com
SAN ANTONIO — There aren’t many NBA players who can walk out of the arena with their heads held high when their man outscores them 30-5. For Bruce Bowen that counted as a quality day at the office Sunday. Sure, Kobe Bryant got 30 on him. But only one of those points came from the free-throw line, it took 23 field goal attempts for Kobe to get there, none of Bryant’s teammates had a big night, and the Spurs won.
“People will look at me like, ‘Yeah, Kobe killed you,’” Bowen said. “That’s part of the game. He’s the MVP. Michael Jordan did it to me early in the league, and look at him. Whatcha gonna do?
“My thing is just not putting him on the free-throw line. That’s what I don’t want to do …. He’s good, but you don’t want to give him everything.”
In the previous series against Utah, Bryant feasted at the free-throw line, taking 96 attempts in six games. Now the free throws are as hard to come by as food on an airplane these days: six in three games versus the Spurs.
Bowen’s thinking is that fewer free throws means more field goal attempts for Bryant. “If he’s taking all those attempts, then others aren’t getting involved,” Bowen said. “Now, some of those guys can’t operate on seven shots, especially when they only hit two of them. Now it becomes more difficult, now they get it, it’s like ‘I’ve gotta hit this.’”
Think of it as Bowen’s version of help defense, even though he has to stay on his man. The better play by the supporting cast this season makes Bowen’s job harder, because his teammates aren’t free to come double-team Bryant. No complaints from Bowen. Just another night of work.
Yes, you can count Bryant among the Lakers’ collection of international players that also includes Sasha Vujacic from Slovenia, Pau Gasol from Spain, Vladimir Radmanovic from Serbia and Montenegro, DJ Mbenga from the Congo and Ronny Turiaf from France.
From age 6 to age 13, Bryant lived in Italy while his father played professional basketball in Europe.
Bill Russell once said of Bryant, “I came to the conclusion he’s a foreign player. You can’t talk to him like he’s from L.A. Because if you do, you’re going to have difficulty.”
Maybe that explains why Bryant is more integrated with this team than with any other Lakers squad in his 12 seasons in L.A. Not only was he a teenager among grown men when he came into the league as an 18-year-old, he also was a cultural outsider on a roster made entirely of Americans. Bryant’s curiosity and hunger for knowledge are just as insatiable as his desire to be the best basketball player ever to lace ‘em up, and foreign players have something to offer Bryant: new words, new customs and new information. Bryant likes to speak to them in their native languages, showing an ever-increasing vocabulary. It’s as if he’s adding a new move to his repertoire.
“What we have is a collection of players that come from all over the place; everybody wants to learn about the culture, the language,” Bryant said. “It makes things more fun in the locker room.”
It’s a little counterintuitive. More people from different backgrounds improving unity? Well, that’s the way it’s working.
“Every guy is bringing something different,” Radmanovic said. “Once you put it all together, you get a nice atmosphere and guys just enjoying being around each other. Once you have that, that’s one of the biggest and most important parts of playing well.
“You can have the 10 best players in the world on the floor, but if they don’t get along with each other, I don’t think it’s going to work out. What we have right now, it’s beautiful.”
Latroy Hawkins Suspension
LaTroy Hawkins has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for his actions in Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday, which I think is th correct thing to do.
Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch three innings earlier in the game, so it was perceived as a “protecting you own” pitch.
Now I am all for protecting your teammates. Hell, I have done it in the past, but not by throwing at someone’s face. You can kill a person with a baseball. Hawkins is not some junk ball pitcher. The man has some heat. If you are going to go down that route, put it in theor ribcage, or right in their backside. It is still going to hurt, AND send the message of “Hey dude, you ain’t going to get way with throwing at MY teammate.”
Of course, the rules implented these days already handcuff pitching staffs of both teams. An umpire has the authority (and usually exercises this) to warn BOTH teams after the first hit batsmen at any point of the game. He can warn both teams that the next pitcher will get thrown out if he hits a batter.
To me, this is crazy!!! Say I am in the pennant race against the team they are playing, and their pitcher is their best pitcher, a power pitcher, who needs to be able to throw inside. Well, what I would do, is start a pitcher from my bullpen, have him hit one or two batters in the first ininng with high heat, and hope the umpire warns my team and the other team. If my pitcher get ejected, so what…I will already be have my REAL starting pitcher warming up already.
Let’s say that Randy Johson is pitching for the other team. Well I just took away his potent inside pitch, at least by a little bit. He would be thinking in the back of his head that he needs to make that he does not hit a batter for the rest of the game, therefore my batters have a better chance of sitting on an outside fastball. I have neutralized Randy’s effectivness.
Rough Day against Pujols
Last night the Padres took a turn for the worse in their already dismal season that they have had so far.
Albert Pujols came up to bat in the third inning and nearly took off the pitchers head with a line drive comebacker that him Chris Young right in the nose and broke it. Blood starting spewing out of his face immediatly, however he was coherent the whole time.
Two batters later Pujols came home hard into the catcher and knocked out of the game and on to the disabled list with a bum ankle.
http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/sports/baseball
The Best and The Worst NBA Playoff Games Last Night
If you tuned into the NBA playoff games last night, you are probably feeling the same way I did last night. I saw the “ying” and the “yang” of playoff baseketball.
First, the worst…Cleveland vs. Boston….boy, I hope the advertisers get some kind of refund or credit. That was one of THE WORST PLAYOFF GAMES EVER!!! I actually got more enjoyment sorting my socks out of the laundry while watching that garbage they called a game last night.
Now…for the Best!!!…New Orleans vs. San Antonio.
Thank God for Tivo!!! I wasn’t able to watch the game when it started, due to getting the kids to bed for the night and other things that needed to be done. But when I sat down to watch the game, everything else in my universe ceased to exist (except for that halftime snack that had to be made and consumed.)
I can not remember the last time that I saw so many elements in one game that caught my attention.
Tony Parker and Chris “CP3″ Paul – both had comparable offensive numbers. Chris Paul had 35 points and 9 assists. Tony Parker went for 31 points and 11 assists. Now there stats pretty much offset each other, but the matchup could be considered one of the best of all time. Tony Parker played at the same level that garnished him the MVP award for the finals last year. Jon Barry said it best that Chris Paul “plays with the mind of Magic Johnson and the body of Isiah Thomas”.
The energy level of this game by both teams was one for the ages. What I mean by that is watching both teams not only on the fastbreak, but when they were in their half court offense. Neither team never stopped moving, constantly running their offensive play without ever getting flat-footed. New Orleans ran more give and go’s than I could count.
The Spurs winning came down to a couple of issues. One, the Spurs were able to hit their open shots, something they had problems with in the first two games of the series. Second, out side of Chris Paul and D-west (23 points, 12 rebounds) they were able to contain the rest of the team. Bruce Bowen did what he does best…he shut down Peja Stojakovic. Peja had only 8 points in 35 minutes, way below his norm. Bonzi Wells was his usual self, a waste of space and a waste of money.
The Spurs are the oldest team in the league, but they are also the defending chanps, and they showed that last night. The old crew did what they were brought in to do. Michael Finley was hitting his 3 pointers, Bowen was a defensive monster with HIS 3 pointer on target, and Kurt Thomas providing valuable minutes and rebounds.
Oh yeah, a couple of guys Duncan and Manu pitched in also.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Those Hornets are no joke. They are for real!!! Chris Paul is the real deal. D-West has turned into a basketball monster this playoff year; a defensive power forward body, with the skills of an offensive small forward. the Spurs still haven’t figured out how to slow him down. The rest of the team, save Bonzi Wells, compliments those two with knowing what their rolls are.
Three games down, and I hope there are four to go. Next game is Sunday evening, on TNT. I’ll be there.
Dude, You Are Too Old For MLB!!!
Barry Bonds isn’t the only big-name player that hasn’t gotten a major league contract this season. Here are some others:
Player Pos. Last Team
Barry Bonds OF SF
Roger Clemens RHP NYY
Kenny Lofton OF TEX
Jose Mesa RHP PHI
Mike Piazza C OAK
Sammy Sosa OF TEX
David Wells LHP SD
Why the following aren’t signed:
Barry Bonds: Age 44, clubhouse cancer, can’t play every day anymore.
Roger Clemens: Age 45, Couldn’t stay healthy last year. Other reasons, well I don’t need to go into that.
Kenny Lofton: Age 40, career based on speed and not nearly as fast as he was. Still could be useful in a pennant race (most likely to be signed of this group)
Jose Mesa: Age 41 (Maybe. His kid would have been born when he was 13), 7.11 ERA in 56 games in 2007.
Mike Piazza: Age 39, can’t catch anymore, played in only 83 games. Useful only as a DH. *Maybe* at 1B
Sammy Sosa: Age 39, 112 strikeouts in 114 games last season. Career based on power, doesn’t have it anymore. Also known to cause conflicts in the locker room. Very selfish.
David Wells: Age 44, 5.43 ERA in 2007. Doesn’t know when to shut up: “I pitched my perfect game half drunk”
http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/sports/baseball
