08.31.05
Posted in Baseball, Religion
at 5:55 pm
Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy once described golf and God as the biggest distractions faced by his players. Lord knows what he’d make of the pregame prayer sessions undertaken by several devout members of the Boston Red Sox. From the Globe’s Bob Hohler (thanks to Mac for the link) :
Trot Nixon, Mike Timlin, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Curt Schilling, Doug Mirabelli, Bill Mueller, Matt Clement, John Olerud, Mike Myers, Tony Graffanino, Chad Bradford: Each Sox player considers himself an evangelical Christian who believes in the sacred authority of the Bible and the promise of Jesus Christ as his savior.
”In terms of coming to Bible study and chapel, this team has more guys involved than any team I’ve ever been with,” said Olerud, who has played for five teams over 17 seasons in the majors.
The evangelical Sox believe in sharing the ”good news” of their faith, as they demonstrated after their remarkable comeback last October when they climbed out of a three-game chasm against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series and swept the Cardinals in the World Series.
”I wanted to be able to glorify God’s name when all was said and done,” Schilling proclaimed after he won Game 2 of the World Series while bleeding through his sock because of an experimental medical procedure that enabled him to pitch with a dislocated ankle tendon.
Win or lose, Schilling and his fellow evangelicals said, the message remains the same.
”This is our platform, our place to speak our faith and live our faith,” Timlin said. ”This is a special gift from God, to play baseball, and if we can spread God’s word by doing that, then we’ve almost fulfilled our calling.”
Schilling and Timlin share a corner of the Sox clubhouse with Varitek, Wakefield, Mirabelli, and Bradford. Most of the other evangelical Christians occupy lockers across the room in a row with players who do not attend chapel. And the players who are not evangelicals have praised those who are for their inclusive influence.
”Everyone is very respectful of one another and what they choose to believe in,” said Gabe Kapler, who is Jewish. ”The guys in this clubhouse live in harmony when it comes to that kind of stuff.”
Nixon suggested it would be sinful for Christians to do otherwise.
”It would be terrible for me or anyone else to look down on someone who may not come to chapel or Bible study,” he said. ”We love and care about everyone a great deal.”
The Sox evangelicals said they often have been asked if they believe God wanted them to win the World Series rather than the Yankees or the Cardinals.
”I don’t know what he thinks,” Myers said. ”If I knew that, I’d be God.
Regardless of when they discovered their faith, the Sox evangelicals have converged at a unique time in franchise history. Nixon said the organization’s religious tolerance has dramatically improved under the new ownership. Under the previous regime, Day was not allowed in the clubhouse, as he has been since former manager Grady Little helped clear the way after the team changed hands in 2002. Day’s access to the clubhouse has increased his opportunity to meet with players. Previously, chapel was held outside the clubhouse, as it continues to be.
”That has made a huge difference,” Nixon said. ”The organization has become more receptive to our faith.”
Unavailable for comment : Derek Lowe.
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Posted in Rock Und Roll
at 5:21 pm
….but Jimmy Gestapo has aged pretty well.
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:49 pm
I read an interview in which Nurse With Wound’s Steve Stapleton (above) claimed to pay no attention to any reviews of his work, be they print, internet, etc. Perhaps Stapleton has a valuable life lesson to teach Indians reliever Bob Wickman, who in the words of reader Mike Jordan, will be thinking about sports talk radio when he signs his next contract.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Burt Graeff : (thanks to Mike for the link)
“I hear a lot of what it said about me on those shows,” said Wickman, who leads the American League with 35 saves, “and it really ticks me off.
“Guys who call and blast me will have an effect on whether I want to come back here next season. My kids hear this stuff and it makes me mad.”
Not to get all Phil Mushnick on you or anything, but what kind of parent allows their children to listen to sports talk radio? (Alex Reimer, please put your hand down).
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Posted in Basketball
at 1:33 pm
C Yao Ming has re-upped with the Rockets for another 5 years. ESPN.com’s Ric Bucher is amused that Yao didn’t have the entire league jumping through flaming hoops over the summer.
Didn’t he read the manual? Doesn’t he know this was his chance to hold the franchise hostage and make sure everyone in Dubya’s stomping grounds danced to Yao’s xiao*? To induce GMs around the league to prostrate themselves before his size 18s and shower him with gifts and expound on how magnificent he would look in their uniforms? (Heck, even Tim Duncan went the sampler route.)
To inspire media and fans to speculate and chatter and raise a general ruckus about where he should go and why? (Several sources say Lakers rising exec Jim Buss — son of owner Dr. Jerry Buss — thought he could lure Yao to L.A. but is now targeting LeBron James.)
Yao could’ve been the center of attention for at least a month, if not an entire year, had he played out his option — and, instead, he does this. Quietly negotiates a max extension. Quietly arranges to call from China to make the announcement. Quietly hitches his wagon to a franchise and a market that, quite frankly, are not big enough to fully exploit his worldwide drawing power.
Here’s how it’s done: Keep a checklist of grievances and see this as the perfect time for full-bore payback. Poke fun at those who tagged him a bust before his first NBA game. Steal the spotlight from those who insinuated his All-Star starts are bogus because he comes from a country of 1.3 billion people. (As if that’s something he should be sorry for, especially considering a billion are not believed to have Internet access.) Drop hints about how honored he’d be to follow in the purple-and-gold pivots of Kareem, Wilt and Shaq. That might’ve even induced Phil Jackson to say how much better suited Yao is than the Diesel for the triangle offense. Or how much New York reminds him of his native Shanghai. Or how he might just have to leave the league entirely if the referees don’t start cutting him a little more slack.
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:05 pm
So much for due process. Though the Dodger outfielder faces no criminal charges at the moment, the LA Daily News’ Steve Dilbeck says enough is enough.
It is time for the Dodgers to make a stand and cut Milton Bradley.
Time to make it known they will no longer tolerate his unpredictable behavior. To make a statement that their recently proclaimed fondness for character is not just lip service. To admit to a mistake and move past it.
There should be no hiding behind a too-convenient knee injury. No vague comments of support. No condoning Bradley’s failings by not speaking and acting against them.
Bradley’s unpredictability as a player never translated off the field. He seemed the emotional man-child, earnest and so immensely likeable one moment, outrageous or enraged the next.
Now comes a report from the Daily Breeze that Bradley’s anger issues exceed throwing a plastic bottle at the foot of a fan at Dodger Stadium or calling a black reporter an Uncle Tom during the postseason.
Three times this summer police have responded to domestic-violence calls at his Redondo Beach home, the newspaper reported, including one where he allegedly choked his pregnant wife, bloodied her lip and threw a cell phone against the wall.
No charges were filed against Bradley or his wife, but the police report is unnerving, particularly in light of his past public battles with anger.
At the beginning of the season, when he seemed on the right track, you pulled for Bradley, hoped he could overcome his anger issue and find happiness on his home team, but it proved too foreign.
Bradley clearly has bigger concerns than his knee to overcome. The Dodgers have been more than patient. Now they clearly need to be decisive.
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Posted in Football
at 12:04 pm
From the Guardian’s Barry Glendenning and Sean Ingle :
Upon hearing that 20,000 Geordies had assembled inside St James’s Park today, the Fiver assumed it was a typically over-the-top send-off for Jermaine Jenas, who’d just agreed to a £7m move to Spurs. The truth turned out to be even more disturbing: the gullible hordes had come to welcome an England striker who only signed for them as a last resort. Even more worrying was the sight of Sky Sports News presenter Jim White abandoning any semblance of journalistic impartiality as he whipped the aforementioned mob into a waheying frenzy in his role as cheerleading MC for the latest gag-packed extravaganza at Newcastle United Comedy Club.
“You’ve done so much in football but this must be one of your proudest moments,” simpered Jim to Magpies boss Graeme Souness, whose numerous high-profile trophy wins as a player and manager (of other teams) clearly pale into insignificance compared to securing a Real Madrid reject nobody else wanted on a four-year deal. “We’ve really done the business today,” agreed Souey, adopting a turn of phrase not heard around St James’s Park for several months. “He was my first choice, we’ve got him and the supporters will love him. He’s an honest up-front guy as well as a top-class footballer.”
And as hordes of in-no-way-fickle Newcastle fans chanted the name of a manager they wanted sacked as recently as last Sunday, the object of their affections was quick to pay homage to the man who really runs first-team affairs. “Alan [Shearer] reminded Michael he had this same decision a decade ago when he left Blackburn and could have gone to Manchester United. He chose Newcastle and look what it’s done for him,” insisted Souness, presumably alluding to the extra low premiums Shearer pays on insuring the contents of his trophy cabinet.
As expected, midfielder Jermaine Jenas has moved to Tottenham as the transfer deadline hits. QPR can take considerable solace the morning after being trounced by Wolves in their acquisitions of West Ham midfielder Steve Lomas and one-time R’s fixture Richard Langley (above), the latter returning to Loftus Road after a spell at Cardiff City.
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Posted in Medical Science
at 10:55 am
From Reuters :
A Dutchwoman, the world’s oldest person on record who swore by a daily helping of herring for a healthy life, died on Tuesday aged 115.
Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, a former needlework teacher born on June 29, 1890, died in her sleep at a nursing home in the northern Dutch town of Hoogeveen.
“In the last few weeks she became weaker but she was bright up until her last. She was ready to say goodbye,” Johan Beijering, director of the Westerkim nursing home, told Reuters.
“She thought it was great she was the world’s oldest given that she weighed only three pounds when she was born. She was an optimistic woman.”
With the passing of Andel-Schipper, the World’s Second and Third Eldest Persons each move up one spot on the charts.
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Posted in Baseball
at 9:52 am
Newsday’s Jon Heyman bravely directs his sights towards those Mets fans who aren’t packing Shea Stadium…neglecting to mention, of course, how many major league ballgames he’s paid his own money to see recently.
This is a contending Mets team, one that has as good a chance as anyone of winning the National League wild card.
Ya Gotta Believe, no?
Maybe if the team makes the playoffs, it will sell out then.
Maybe not.
The only games that fill Shea Stadium lately are the ones that guarantee the merengue, the Latin appreciation nights. How about some plain ol’ baseball appreciation nights? Maybe the better business model is to 86 the baseball and salsa their way through September.
If something doesn’t change, the Mets’ September will be filled with meaningful yet rarely seen games.
They returned from a hugely successful 5-2 trip, after finally proving they can win away from Shea and put a nice streak together, to face the wild-card-leading Phillies and a too-empty house. I wonder which was more demoralizing, the unoccupied seats or the first-inning home runs by Phillies Kenny Lofton and Pat Burrell.
No matter, the Mets bounced back from both, erasing a 4-1 deficit to win, 6-4.
“I think they’re missing something if they don’t come. This is a very exciting team they should be proud to come see,” manager Willie Randolph said. “I don’t know who’s here and who isn’t, as long as there’s a few.”
The players’ performance was typically enthralling last night. The fans’ performance was abysmal. The announced crowd was 36,505. That’s 20,864 less than it should have been.
“The weather didn’t help us tonight. I would be more upset if the weather was perfect,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said. “The weather’s been threatening all day. There’s a hurricane out there.”
Wilpon was talking 15 minutes before game time, and Shea was mostly empty. There were a decent number of late arrivers. Yet, even after everyone filed in, the green mezzanine section was nearly half empty and the red upper-deck section was half empty.
This team isn’t a mirage. The fans need to stop treating it like one. This team deserves your attention, your patronage, your respect.
Sure, Mets fans are skeptical after enduring the Mo Vaughn Era, which partly coincided with the Art Howe Error. That’s understandable.
But 130 games have been played. It’s time, Mets fans.
It’s time to forget the past, to embrace the present, and to realize the Mets are worth your time.
Mike Cameron made it to the ballpark yesterday. If Cameron, who broke his face diving and colliding for a liner, can make it to Shea, you can make it, too.
George Will made it to the park, and he brought family members. Davey Johnson made it to the ballpark to promote the Viagra Comeback Player of the Year award. What, you were expecting Rafael Palmeiro?
Much as I appreciate Heyman’s acknowledging that the Mets are a legit contender, this is much ado about zilch. Mike Cameron, George Will and Davey Johnson have far nicer walk-up seating options than the average Mets fan. OK, maybe not Davey, but you get the idea. Heyman wonders why the Cyclones can sell out but not the Mets, yet the capacity and ambience of the respective ballparks answer that question for him, if not the ticket prices. And 36K on a Tuesday isn’t that embarasing. Were the Mets to sell that many tickets every game, their annual attendence would be just shy of 3 million. Not the rarified air of the Yankees, but a more than acceptable sum for a club that hasn’t won anything in 5 years.
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Posted in Baseball
at 9:33 am
….or King’s X tickets have gone on sale. Writes David Roth,
Not that we’re terribly likely to be seeing him again this year, but here’s a Piazza photo to keep handy in case you need it. Like in case he embarrasses himself at a Soulfly concert or something.
As for last night: awesome, an absolute me-high-fiving-my-girlfriend Mets moment. I think you’re right on in your post, but while it’s hard to imagine Castro staying on this sort of pace, a month-long emergence of just one bottom of the order hitter — Jacobs may not be it, but Castro or Diaz could easily be, and my dark-horse is Matsui (admittedly a very, very dark horse) — changes the whole equation. Good times, for the time being.
Thanks, David. Though for the record, it should be stressed that Milton Bradley says he was just high-fiving his wife, too.
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Posted in Baseball
at 12:44 am
(Mike Cameron, recovering from the laundry list of injuries suffered in his face to face collision with Carlos Beltran last month in San Diego, congratulates Ramon Castro)
At yesterday’s close of play there were 4 National League clubs with a total of 62 losses, each flawed in one way or another. Of those playoff hopefuls, the New York Mets’ resilience since the loss of their everyday right-fielder and catcher has been astonishing. Ramon Castro provided the heroics Tuesday night, hitting a 3 run HR off Philly’s Ugueth Urbina, to give New York a 6-4 win at Shea. Jae Seo, who came back to earth slightly sooner than Shawn Chacon, allowed first inning HR’s to Kenny Lofton and Met-killer Pat Burrell, but Carlos Beltran (described by Keith Hernandez as “tentative” early in the broadcast) would reply with a first inning solo HR, a subsequent RBI single and a crucial outfield assist, gunning down Lofton trying to score in the visitors’ 5th.
Of the clubs contending for the NL Wild Card, Houston have the easiest remaining schedule….and it is very hard to imagine the Mets continuing to get as much mileage from the bottom half of their batting order as they have during their recent surge. But not nearly as hard to envision, however, Beltran, Cliff Floyd and David Wright fashioning a deadly 3-4-5 combination over the season’s final month.
Apparently, it would take more than leaving Chicago for Joe Borowski to morph into Mariano Rivera. More than a dye job for Curt Schilling to morph into Curt Schilling, too.
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Posted in Gridiron
at 12:12 am
From the Arizona Republic’s Senta Scarborough, Richard Obert and Josh Kelley : (link courtesy Kevin Murphy)
The head coach of the Arizona Rattlers arena football team admitted snorting cocaine behind a Mesa business early Tuesday and faces possible drug charges, police said.
Former 49ers linebacker Todd Shell was shirtless and sweating profusely when an officer found him pacing around his Land Cruiser about 1 a.m. behind a business near Ivy Street and Greenfield Road, Mesa police Detective Tim Gaffney said.
Shell told the officer he owned the business and kept looking north. When the officer asked why he was looking in that direction, Shell told him he was alone but said a “guy wearing camouflage is in the tree,” police said. The officer found no one else in the area.
At first, Shell, 43, of Mesa, said he found the bag in the parking lot but later admitted the substance, which he identified as cocaine, was his. He said he had an “eight ball,” or an eighth of an ounce.
Shell told the officer he went behind the business to use the cocaine, and told the officer he had only used cocaine three times and he had obtained the drug from a friend.
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08.30.05
Posted in Rock Und Roll
at 7:41 pm
Have you ever said to yourself, “classic tunes by AC/DC, and Black Sabbath would sound so much better if they were performed acappela by an aging dude with considerably less range than Bon Scott covered in dirt?” Me neither. But if you’re curious, the Rawker should sort you out (culled from WFMU’s Beware Of The Blog.)
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Posted in Baseball
at 6:58 pm
From KBLT.com :
The St. Paul Saints are adding “peanut-free” seating for Friday night’s game against Sioux City at Midway Stadium.
The Saints first tried in July to offer an area of seats where people with peanut and other food-related allergies could sit without worry. But that game against Gary was rained out.
The “peanut-free” seats are the top rows of Section K, a non-smoking area located behind first base. The reserved seats cost ten dollars.
To ensure the safety of those buying the seats, the Saints will leave a row of seats empty in front of the group.
The team has worked with the Food Allergy Support Group of Minnesota on the event.
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Posted in Baseball
at 6:27 pm
From the AP :
Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle called the Texas Rangers cheaters on Tuesday, claiming that the team signals pitches to batters through a high-tech light system in center field.
Buehrle suggested Monday night that the Rangers knew what he was throwing during Chicago’s 7-5 loss, and he repeated the accusation before Tuesday’s doubleheader.
“I’ve heard rumors, so it’s not just me saying this,” Buehrle said. “I’ve heard it from tons of people. It’s not just me saying this. … Something’s going on because they hit so good at home. The way they hit here, you’d have to raise an eyebrow to figure something’s going on. Look at the stats. I’m not just making this up.”
Texas entered Tuesday batting .285 with 125 homers at home, compared to .256 with 86 homers on the road.
The Rangers dismissed the allegations – in some cases with a chuckle.
“It’s crazy and it’s funny,” said Rangers home run leader Mark Teixeira (shown homering off Buehrle, above). “It’s an outrageous comment, an outrageous claim.”
Texas DH Phil Nevin jokingly asked Rangers manager Buck Showalter why the lights weren’t working when he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday night.
Hopefully MLB will take these accusations seriously…and they’ll figure out what sort of high tech chicanery has been employed letting the visiting teams know actualy what pitches Texas’ hurlers are about to deliver.
Seriously, though, Buck’s sneaky ways are paying dividends again this evening, with the Rangers leading the White Sox, 8-6 through 7 innings in the front end of a double dip Mark Teixeira, clearly struggling with Jon Garland’s savvy pitch selection, already has 2 HR’s, a double and 6 RBI’s.
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Posted in Baseball
at 6:03 pm
At least no one can accuse Frank McCourt of disregarding character in the makeup of the Dodgers’ clubhouse. From the LA Breeze’s Larry Altman :
Police have responded to the Redondo Beach home of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley three times this summer on domestic violence calls, including one instance in which he allegedly choked his pregnant wife, bloodied her lip and hurled a cellular telephone into a wall.
On Monday, Bradley — out for the season with a knee injury and not accompanying the team to Chicago — angrily dispatched a reporter from his driveway.
“You come here snooping around,” he yelled from his upstairs balcony. “Get off my property. Write that down. Get off my property.”
No charges were filed against Bradley or his wife stemming from any of the three police responses. In two of the cases, police officers counseled the couple. In a third, Bradley was not home when police arrived.
Bradley’s wife, who was four months pregnant at the time, told officers she and her husband had argued about “relationship issues.” Bradley, she said, grabbed her right hand and pushed it against her mouth, causing her to hit herself. The inside of her lip began to bleed, the crime report said.
He then grabbed her cellular telephone from a bedroom table and threw it toward a wall. The phone hit a headboard, struck the wall and shattered into several pieces, the report said.
Bradley picked up the phone and walked into the hallway, followed by his wife.
“Victim said her husband turned around and used his right forearm and pushed her against the wall,” an officer wrote. “Victim stated (Bradley’s) forearm was against her throat and she was having a difficult time breathing.”
When Bradley let go of her, she ran to the bathroom and vomited.
“Victim said her husband went around the house and picked up all the cell phones, house phones, her car keys and credit cards and left the location,” the report said.
A police officer said Bradley’s wife was crying and upset when she answered the door. Her lip was bleeding.
Officers found a scuff mark on the headboard and a small dent in the drywall above the bed from where the cellular telephone hit, the report said.
Lt. Dangle of the Reno P.D. was unavailable for comment.
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Posted in olympics
at 5:47 pm
From the Associated Press :
The future of Romania’s storied gymnastics program is in question after two top gymnasts violated their contracts by leaving a training camp over the weekend to attend a birthday party.
Catalina Ponor (above), winner of three gold medals at last year’s Olympics, and teammate Floarea Leonida were seen at a birthday party for a male gymnast Saturday night.
That led Romania’s gymnastics federation to disband its women’s team Tuesday. Adrian Stoica, the federation’s secretary general, said all gymnasts would now train at their own clubs.
Ponor, 18, told a Romanian television station that only athletes were present at the party. She denied reports that she drank alcohol and vowed to train hard for the world championships in November in Australia.
“I hope I will prove that it’s possible to perform well even without the tough restrictions at the training camp,” Ponor said.
Another gymnast on the team, Daniela Sofronie, has threatened to retire.
All this talk of lady gymnasts brings back happy memories of Rufus From Queens, who used to regale the hosts of WNYU’s evening sports yack show with his ferverent desire to “fuck Mary Lou Retner up the ass.” Either WNYU has since employed a 7 second delay, or Rufus has retired.
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Posted in Baseball
at 2:02 pm
From today’s Chicago Tribune (link courtesy Scott Comeau) :
America’s sweetheart, Drew Barrymore, behaved like a drunken sailor at a recent Mets game–drinking, smoking and cussing up a storm in front of an appalled family, one former fan of the actress claims.
Michael Delvecchio, who was in an adjacent luxury box, told the New York Daily News: “Her image is of this sweet, down-to-earth girl, but she was the exact opposite. She was drinking and smoking like a chimney with her boyfriend [the Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti] and their friends, so we asked the security guard to tell her to put out her cigarette because there were young children present, but she just kept on doing it.”
Delvecchio also said Barrymore berated one of his friends for taking her picture.
(Ms. Barrymore, shown here preparing to kill the family-friendly vibe at a Toronto Blue Jays game, circa 2004)
Could there possibly be more shocking news that a famous actress and rock musician were seen drinking and cursing at a Mets game? Celebrities or not, what else are you supposed to do when Danny Graves is pitching?
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:06 pm
Round Rock are only 2 games behind Oklahoma with 7 remaining in their chase for the PCL’s National Southern pennant, but they’re gonna lose the league’s leading HR hitter just the same, writes the Houston Chronicle’s Jose De Jesus Ortiz.
The Astros recalled hot-hitting outfielder Luke Scott from Class AAA Round Rock on Monday after waiving relief pitcher Chad Harville.
Scott, 27, the Astros’ opening-day left fielder following a hot spring, struggled with big-league pitching in April and joined Round Rock on May 3, where he hit .286 for the Express with a Pacific Coast League-leading 31 home runs, along with 87 RBIs and 25 doubles.
“That hopefully will be an offensive boost for us,” general manager Tim Purpura said. “(Scott) has played very well. He leads the league in home runs. He’s really been steady. Hopefully, we’ll get some offense out of him. (His role) to be determined. I’m sure he’ll get some starts.”
Trying to make the jump to the majors straight from Class AA didn’t go well for Scott. After playing in 14 games and hitting only .154 (6-for-39) with one RBI, he was demoted to Round Rock.
The Astros have 38 players on the 40-man roster and 11 pitchers on the 25-man roster, leaving two slots to be filled soon. Class AAA Round Rock catcher Raul Chavez, who was taken off the roster last month, likely will be added to the 40-man roster soon.
A former Indians prospect, Scott’s final at bat for the Express resulted in an 8th inning 3 run HR Sunday night, giving Round Rock a 4-3 win over Nashville, former Mets reliever Scott Strickland collecting the save.
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Posted in Football
at 12:37 pm
In a move that should end discussions about Michael Owen returning to Liverpool for at least another 2 years or so, Newcastle United have announced the signing of the England striker following his physical exam earlier today. From the Times :
Newcastle United pulled off a sensational transfer coup when they finally managed to persuade Michael Owen, the England forward, to keep his World Cup dreams alive on Tyneside.
In a move which dashed the hopes of former club Liverpool of securing the 25-year-old’s return, the Magpies completed their club record swoop – believed to be in the region of £16million – for the Real Madrid star to hand Graeme Souness, the Newcastle manager, a massive boost.
Owen underwent a medical this afternoon after agreeing a four-year deal and the club has now confirmed that they will present him to the media at a press conference at St James’ Park at noon tomorrow and then afterwards to the fans.
“Bringing Michael to St James’ Park will rank alongside the signing of Alan Shearer as my proudest moment at Newcastle United,” chairman Freddy Shepherd told the club’s official website.
(that’ll be £37.99 please, though the lettering is extra)
Presumably a prouder moment than being quoted as calling the women of Newcastle “dogs” or bragging about the mark-up on replica shirts.
Aston Villa have found sufficient cover in the wake Martin Laursen’s knee problems, signing PSV Eindhoven defender Wilfred Bouma (above) in £3.5 million transfer deal. Bouma will join other recent arrivals including Milan Barros, Kevin Phillips and Patrick Berger, as David O’Leary shows he’s as adept at spending money as he was at Leeds.
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Posted in Basketball
at 12:17 am
From the NY Post’s Richard Johnson :
Who knew there was a VIP line at the Department of Motor Vehicles? One frustrated driver, financial analyst Marty Kindler, tells PAGE SIX that when he was trying to register a change of address at the DMV in Peekskill, he spotted Knicks president Isiah Thomas cutting the line with DMV employees’ approval. “I am outraged that Isiah did not have to wait along with the general public,” Kindler declares. We tried to contact the DMV in Peekskill but — surprise! — we couldn’t get through to a human there. A faxed request for comment went unanswered.
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Posted in Baseball
at 12:01 am
Despite his fantastic showing against the Giants last Friday night, there’s no room in the Mets’ starting rotation for Steve Trachsel. The New York Times’ Ben Shpigel reports the Red Sox might have a spot available in theirs.
A major league executive with knowledge of the discussions between the Mets and the Red Sox said that no deal seemed imminent, although the two teams might talk again. If the Red Sox were to acquire Trachsel, they would presumably want to do so by midnight Wednesday, because any player acquired after that point would not be eligible for the postseason. And if Trachsel has previously cleared waivers, no team could move to block the trade by claiming him before a deal is made.
The executive who acknowledged the discussions between the two teams said he did not want to be named because he felt that doing so might jeopardize chances, slim as they might be, for a deal.
Although a trade for Trachsel makes sense for the Red Sox, whose pitching is in disarray, it is not clear what players Boston could afford to offer the Mets who would be of immediate help in the National League wild-card race.
Like many teams, the Mets could use bullpen help, but the Red Sox bullpen is not in particularly good shape, either. The Mets could also stand to upgrade at catcher, first base and second base, areas of depth in the Boston farm system, but the Red Sox may not want to trade a solid prospect for what could be merely a stopgap acquisition. Nor is it clear that the Mets would want to surrender Trachsel now for someone who could not help them for the rest of this season.
The Red Sox may be willing to part with the backup third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who is 26 and does have potential as a major league hitter, but the Mets already have a rising star at third base in David Wright.
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Posted in Baseball
at 11:25 pm
From the Sporting News’ Ken Rosenthal :
Look for the Red Sox to finally trade LF Manny Ramirez this offseason. A thin free-agent market for sluggers will intensify the demand for Ramirez, and the Sox likely will be willing to pay some of the $57 million remaining on Ramirez’s contract through 2008 and/or take back salary in return.
The Mets, Marlins and Rangers are potential suitors for Ramirez. And don’t rule out the Nationals under new ownership — especially if Jim Bowden remains general manager.
Implosion of the week, by the way, comes courtesy of Manny’s teammate, the Sultan Of Sloth.
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Posted in Baseball
at 6:51 pm
From the Sports Network :
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood has decided to undergo surgery on his troublesome right shoulder, the team announced Monday, which will signal the end of the oft-injured right-hander’s season.
Wood (above), who has spent two separate stints on the disabled list this year, will have the procedure Wednesday at Beacon Orthopedics in Sharonville, Ohio. Cincinnati Reds team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek will perform the operation.
The Cubs expect Wood to be at full strength in time for spring training and is slated to return to the starting rotation in 2006.
…with a return to the DL scheduled for sometime in May of next season.
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Posted in Baseball
at 3:03 pm
From MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince :
“Hey Casey,” the Pirates fan screamed from the upper deck at PNC Park in the ninth inning on Sunday. “I don’t care where you’re from. You still stink!”
Pittsburgh native Sean Casey didn’t hear the catcall. But he responded, nevertheless, taking John Grabow’s very next pitch 457 feet out to center field for a two-run home run that put the final stamp on the Reds’ 7-2 win over the Pirates.
“That’s great,” Casey said when informed of what had transpired. “That’s classic. You gotta love when that happens.”
The Reds have a lot to love about the way they’re playing lately.
They’ve responded from their well-documented struggles of the season’s first half much in the same way Casey responded to that jeering fan.
Yeah, except Casey wasn’t responding to that jeering fan. As Castrovince notes above, Casey couldn’t hear the guy in the upper deck. In fact, it is hard to figure out how Castronivce could hear him.
Of course, properly equipped, the hardcore fan does have the power to affect the outcome of such a contest.
Permalink
Posted in Baseball
at 1:21 pm
Waxing poetic about Roger Clemens’ lack of run support from the Houston Astros, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney :
Roger Clemens has been well-liked by teammates during his career, for his intensity and his attention to detail and his emotional investment in others on the days he doesn’t pitch.
Olney must be refering to the Rocket’s “emotional investment” in someone other than his ballclub. The provision allowing Clemens to stay at home for road series in which he’s not scheduled to pitch has been mentioned time and time again.
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:06 am
Being shut down by Cal Eldred in the year 2005 is pretty rough. But Jim Bowden can take some solace in knowing that his Nationals won’t have to face Donovan Osbourne, James Baldwin or Frank Castillo down the stretch. Well, probably not. From the Associated Press :
Jim Bowden strode into the Washington Nationals clubhouse, the door slamming shut behind him.
The general manager had just finished watching his team get shut out for the second straight game against a surprise starter, and his defense and pitching weren’t exactly stellar, either, in Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Several minutes later, on a ramp below the stands at RFK Stadium, Bowden described himself as “angry, frustrated, disappointed” and ripped his team’s performance.
“It was pathetic,” the GM said. “We gave them this game today. This is embarrassing. We gave them those runs.”
Turning his attention to the hitters, scoreless over 21 innings, Bowden said: “This isn’t a problem of one guy or two guys. We have an embarrassing problem of all eight. Zero offense.”
By contrast, the New York Mets managed plenty of offense over the weekend against San Francisco, scoring a grand total of 3 runs in 3 games while dropping two of three to the Giants.
This just in : L’equipe has named Jason Giambi the AL’s Comeback Player Of The Year.
Orioles pitchers issued a staggering 11 walks to Oakland yesterday en route to a 10-3 beating, Baltimore’s 8th loss in their past 9 games. None of those walks were issued by formerly popular actress Geena Davis (shown above). Temp manager Sam Perlozzo has been around the game long enough to know that you don’t catch many flies with vinegar. On the other hand, sparing the rod can spoil the child. I don’t know how many children or flies Perlozzo has hanging around clubhouse, but I can’t help but think he’s keeping a seat warm for Lou Piniella.
“If I had thought going in there and yelling at these guys would make them get a hit, I wouldn’t be able to talk to you right now,” he said. “These guys are not stupid. They’re trying. They’re putting pressure on themselves, but they’ve got to get over it.
“What would I yell at them for? For not getting a hit? They’re trying. When they quit trying, when they get lazy, I’ll yell at them.”
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08.28.05
Posted in Football
at 9:56 pm
(”And what are you wearing?”)
Which is the more fascinating subject, England’s forthcoming World Cup qualifier with Wales (Sept. 3) or manager Sven Goran Eriksson’s zipper problem? The oversexed Swede would prefer that we not pay much attention to the latter, writes the Times’ Matt Dickinson.
“I think it’s fair that the critics are hard when you lose a football game like we lost in Denmark,” Eriksson said. “On non-football issues, I’m sorry to read weekend after weekend rubbish, things that aren’t true. Obviously someone is out there trying to disturb my job.
“But if they think they can disturb the harmony in the England team they are totally wrong. If people are to write about my private life they should at least try to make it right. Is that asking too much to write the truth? Someone is out there trying to make me leave the country,” the Swede said. “I can promise you that I won’t.”
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Posted in Baseball
at 2:37 pm
Lisa Olson in today’s New York Daily News:
Willie Randolph’s mark on a team that has a number of unschooled players in the field – among yesterday’s starters were catcher Mike DiFelice, first baseman Mike Jacobs, second baseman Kaz Matsui, right fielder Victor Diaz – is undeniable. Dignified and reticent and unafraid to take dares, Randolph deserves to be considered for Manager of the Year.
Though Olson would’ve been correct in saying Randolph has gotten plenty of mileage of out previously unheralded players, it is a considerable stretch to characterize a 10 year veteran of Japanese baseball (Matsui) as “unschooled”. Likewise, 2005 marks Mike DiFelice’s 10th year of major league service — the Mets are his 9th club since 1996.
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Posted in Baseball, The World Of Entertainment
at 2:25 pm
From Newsday’s Jon Heyman :
Jose Canseco isn’t quite done wreaking havoc. Hollywood sources tell Newsday that Canseco met this past week with Oliver Stone to discuss a baseball movie about, you guessed it, steroids.
More specifically, the movie is about a steroid conspiracy, with the team owner and commissioner in on the steroid scam (while the movie will be considered fiction, Canseco wrote in “Juiced” that then-Rangers owner George W. Bush had to know).
Canseco is spouting more steroid tales to anyone who’ll listen. Specifically, he’s changed his tune on how often he shot up Mark McGwire with ‘roids. It’s no longer “once or twice”; now it’s “more times than I can count.”
Who knew he could count?
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Posted in Hockey, Sports Journalism, Sports TV
at 2:15 pm
In addition to dumping all over John Sterling in this morning’s New York Post (as thought there’s anything revelatory about Mr. High-Far-Gone being a supercilious pain in the groin), Phil Mushnick actually tells a joke.
And just as soon as the NHL figures out what its new national TV deal is all about, it’ll get back to us. Meanwhile, the Outdoor Life Network is discussing partial ownership with the company that owns Outback Steakhouse. If the deal gets done, the network’s name will become the Outhouse Channel.
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:52 pm
On the same night Bronson Arroyo and Jon Pabelbon were doing their best to make raise Detroit’s collective batting average, injured Boston closer/bbq enthusiast Keith Foulke was working his way back to the parent club with a stint in the birthplace of Jack Kerouac. From the Boston Herald’s Jeff Horrigan :
Keith Foulke quietly began a minor league rehabilitation assignment last night with the Lowell Spinners that the Red Sox hope will propel him back to active duty for the pennant stretch.
The closer, who hasn’t pitched for the Sox since July 4, worked 1 2/3 innings against Tri-City at LeLacheur Park and allowed an unearned run on three hits, while striking out one batter. Foulke is scheduled to pitch one inning today for the Spinners and at least one more Tuesday before his status is re-evaluated.
Foulke displayed great arm strength during recent workouts, which is why the Sox felt confident enough to schedule him for back-to-back relief outings for the Spinners. Francona said Foulke will be asked for an honest assessment of his work, which will determine whether or not he remains in the minors for more work or is activated from the DL.
With steroid-free David Wells on the mound, Boston are leading Detroit 3-1 after two innings this afternoon. Longtime radio/TV voice of the Red Sox, Curt Gowdy (WHDH, 1951-1965) was honored in a pregame ceremony. In an unrelated note, Bob Montgomery was seen purchasing a pack of Certs from an area Store 24 earlier in the day.
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Posted in Baseball
at 11:21 am
(as an in-studio guest of WFMU’s Tom Scharpling, the Chicken takes calls from listeners eager to debate the Burger King/Slipknot dispute).
A more predictable manager might have used his precious time with the news media to discuss his team’s Wild Card chances, or perhaps obbied for the Cy Young candidacy of his electrifying young right-hander, Dontrelle Willisl. Marlins skipper Jack McKeon, however, spoke to the Palm Beach Post’s Joe Capozzi about The Famous Chicken.
“I didn’t think he was very funny,” McKeon said as he sat with reporters in his office, smoke rising from a stogie. “His act is fine, but don’t think you’re bigger than us.”
McKeon, 74, is no curmudgeon when it comes to mascots. After all, he says he’s a fan of Billy the Marlin. “He doesn’t bother nobody,” McKeon said.
But the Chicken? He mimicked Rose’s headfirst dive, engulfed kids’ heads in his beak and lifted his leg near the umpires, mimicking a dog at a fire hydrant.
“Fans liked him,” McKeon said, choosing his words carefully. “Ah, the Chicken is all right. Do your act, and get the hell off the field.”
Jack, we get the feeling there’s more to the story.
He recalled a game in 1985 when the Chicken went too far. A St. Louis pitcher took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The game was interrupted so the Chicken could ride a horse in the outfield.
The horse stopped to do his business, and when it finished, the Chicken had a tough time getting the beast off the field. Then the grounds crew needed time to clean the turf. When the game resumed, it didn’t take long for the Padres to break up the no-hitter.
The Chicken “was out riding a damn horse in left field, then he can’t get him off the field,” McKeon said. “Go out and do your thing, but don’t interfere with the game.”
The Chicken arrived in 1974. Five years later, he was famously hatched out of a 10-foot wide Styrofoam egg at a 1979 game while the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey played.
In 1984, the Padres went to the World Series with a roster McKeon helped build. But one season-ticket package featured games at which the Chicken would appear.
“We win the pennant and they want to make the Chicken bigger than the team,” he said. “Marketing people thought he was the reason we were putting people in the ballpark. Once you see him 10 or 12 times, come on.”
Part of the Chicken’s shtick was to perform skits with players.
“I wouldn’t let my players participate in that bull,” McKeon said. “They’re trying to get your guys in the bullpen… playing guitars on broomsticks.”
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Posted in Baseball
at 3:31 am
From the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan :
Jerry Hairston was back in the leadoff spot Saturday following the trade of Matt Lawton to the Yankees, leaving the Cubs right back where they started.
The Cubs have used Hairston, Corey Patterson, Neifi Perez and Lawton as leadoff men in 2005 but continue to struggle in that area. Manager Dusty Baker said the Cubs will “mix and match and do what we can” to fill the position the rest of the season.
The Cubs are expected to pursue Rafael Furcal, Atlanta’s free-agent shortstop, who is 27 years old and will command a three- or four-year deal for around $8 million per season. Despite a slow start in ‘05, Furcal has a .339 on-base percentage leading off, with 38 steals. He’s also fifth in the NL in fielding percentage and has great range at shortstop. Furcal’s agent is Paul Kinzer, who has a good relationship with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry.
Hendry said Saturday that the “only viable” leadoff man in the system is center fielder Felix Pie (above), who will wind up missing the final 21/2 months with Double-A West Tenn with a severe ankle injury. Pie will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic and is expected to compete for a roster spot next spring, but the Cubs can’t count on him being the leadoff man.
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Posted in Baseball
at 3:17 am
While there’s no shame in the Mets coming out on the short end of yesterday’s Tom Glavine/Jason Schmidt duel, it’s sobering to note that in the same week New York scored 32 runs in two games against Arizona, they’ve also been limited to just 2 runs in their past 18 innings, 5 in their past 27.
The 6 (or is it 5?) man rotation has worked out nicely this week, Steve Trachsel’s astonishing showing on Friday night ranking amongst his finest hours. But David Wright (shown above after taking a called third strike against Armando Benitez in the 9th inning) aside, the heart of the Mets batting order is far too quiet…and it might be time to consider flipping Wright and Beltran, or perhaps moving the latter to the 2 spot.
Making little progress in his rehabilitation efforts, Mike Piazza’s Mets tenure might’ve already ended writes Newsday’s David Lennon :
Earlier this week, Piazza was optimistic about returning as soon as he was eligible to come off the disabled list, which is Friday. But after seeing a physical therapist in the Bay Area yesterday, Piazza discovered that not only is the small pisiform bone at the base of his thumb broken, but the ligaments in his left wrist and forearm have been affected.
“It’s not feeling any worse, but it’s not feeling better,” said Piazza, who will seek a second opinion tomorrow in New York. “It’s just not responding the way I’d hoped.”
Piazza practiced throwing to second base before Thursday’s game in Arizona, but he became discouraged when he had trouble handling pitches from Mets catching instructor Tom Nieto. With his wrist still hurting, Piazza couldn’t turn his glove, and if he can’t corral 40-mph throws from Nieto, he has no chance of getting behind the plate in a game.
Yesterday’s diagnosis basically put the clock back to zero on the healing process. Piazza, who now must wear a hard plastic brace, expects to do nothing but rest for at least the next week.
Other than anti-inflammatory medication, that’s the only course of action at the moment. Piazza is resigned to hoping the pain somehow will disappear while the Mets shoot for the playoffs without him.
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Posted in Football, Sports TV
at 1:05 am
The Observer’s Richard Wachman reports on British Telecom’s bold new plan to invade sports TV.
BT is to challenge BSkyB by bidding for the rights to televise Premier League football when the current contract expires in 2007.
The plan is being masterminded by BT chairman Sir Christopher Bland, who was boss of London Weekend Television before it was taken over by Granada in 1994.
Bland is determined to build up BT’s newly established entertainment division, headed by Andrew Burke, which aims to offer video-on-demand and pay-TV to every UK household in five years.
Part of Bland’s project involves bidding for the rights to screen Premier League and other British and European soccer matches.
BT is unlikely to go head to head with BSkyB in a bidding war for the entire Premier League contract. Instead, the company is basing its plans on the assumption that the European Commission will rule that the number of Premier League matches shown by BSkyB be limited. That would allow other broadcasters and organisations to get a slice of the highly lucrative pay-TV soccer market.
An observer said: ‘BT reckons the rights to televise Premier League matches will be auctioned off in two, three or even four parcels. It could then pick and choose, but would probably avoid a head-on clash with BSkyB.’
The synergetic possibilities are endless. A ringtone of Andy Gray shouting, for instance.
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08.27.05
Posted in Baseball, Sports TV
at 6:15 pm
“What Ben Gibbard is to Death Cab For Cutie, Jason Marquis is to the Cardinals on 3 days rest.”
Which could mean that a) Gibbard is surprisingly effective or b) rational adults find Marquis’ cloying offerings so insufferable, they’d sooner make a cyanide smoothie than listen to him.
I suppose you could make a case for either.
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Posted in Baseball
at 5:34 pm
From the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan :
During a batting-cage discussion with Cubs coaches Friday morning, ex-Cub Lenny Harris jokingly referred to Wrigley Field as “Ghost World.”
The idea that the Cubs are haunted in their North Side home may be an old wives’ tale, though booing is certainly a familiar sound at Wrigley these days.The Cubs heard it early and late on Friday in a 7-5 loss to Florida, their 10th loss in their last 15 home games.
They’re now 31-33 at Wrigley Field, despite being on a record attendance pace.
“That happens,” said Nomar Garciaparra, who played third base in place of the injured Aramis Ramirez. “I’ve been on teams that way too. Baseball is hard to explain. Sometimes that happens to good teams.”
And it happens frequently to the Cubs too.
Ben Schwartz, however, refuses to raise the white flag — no matter what Steve Albini thinks.
That a Chicagoan is giving up this early on the Cubs — we’re only 19.5 games out in late August for chrissakes — was disheartening to say the least. I did see the Shellac show the nigh before on August 20th, however, and Weston-Trainer-Albini remain the greatest steroid-free band in rock.
Though today’s 2-1 loss to Florida is no doubt fresh in Ben’s mind, it should be stressed that blind faith in the Cubs isn’t a prerequisite for Chicago residency (supposedly there’s an American League club in town as well, but I’ll have to get the research department on that one). And while not wishing to deny Shellac their place in the Steroid-Free Wing of the Rock’n'Roll Hall Of Fame (boycotted by Little Steven on account of a trio getting in), here’s a vote for Virginia’s Pelt, whose latest untitled compact disc offering has been a unique distraction while trying to spell-check Alex Reimer’s comments.
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Posted in Rock Und Roll
at 12:39 pm
Dennis “Piggy” D’amour, guitarist for Quebec quartet Voivod, has passed away at the age of 45.
Along with vocalist Snake, drummer Michel Langevin and original bassist Jean-Yves Theriault (later replaced by Jason Newsted), Voivod’s late 1980’s recordings were a heady mix of prog metal, modern thrash and futuristic subject matter. On paper, yeah, that does sound downright awful, but the band were genuine boundary-smashers in an otherwise stodgy scene, and were pretty ferocious live, to boot.
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Posted in Baseball
at 9:36 am
From the Orlando Sun Sentinel’s Steve Gorten :
A huge fan of the rock band Staind, Marlins closer Todd Jones became close friends with its members after they invited him to stand on stage with them during a 2001 concert in Biloxi, Miss. Two years later, after Staind played a gig in Houston, guitarist Mike Mushok called Jones.
“I remember saying to Todd, `I can’t imagine what it’s like walking out of the bullpen into people that are against you and the pressure it must be on you to come out and get three outs,’” Mushok said. “I know what it’s like to walk out to people that were rooting for us and wanted us there. I couldn’t imagine if they were against you.”
At Wrigley Field on Friday as Jones’ guests, the band members, part of an announced crowd of 38,902, saw how the 37-year-old closer does it.
Jones entered in the eighth with two outs and two on, facing MVP candidate and former Marlin Derrek Lee and trying to save what three innings earlier had been a seven-run lead.
Jones struck Lee out swinging and pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th consecutive save as the Marlins beat the Cubs 7-5.
“This has pretty much exceeded everything I ever thought about this year,” said Jones, adding that he wants to carry the Marlins to the postseason.
“The good thing is we’re at where we’re at. You re-evaluate your goals and set new ones now … Get on [my] back and go to the playoffs.”
(the fun-loving Jonesy does his impression of Randy Johnson on Depo-Provera after the game)
Without saying anything to diminish the accomplishments of sexual libertine Todd Jones, I would like to assure Mr. Mushok that his band does indeed, have people — perhaps tens of thousands — rooting against them.
Permalink
Posted in Baseball
at 9:17 am
In a display of camraderie not seen since Michael Jackson told O.J. Simpson, “Don’t worry, I’ll watch the kids”, Orioles 1B Rafael Palmeiro has spoken on behalf of teammate Sidney Ponson. From the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebic :
“He didn’t come up to me or question me about anything,” said Palmeiro. “He put his arm around me, and he stands with me, and he supports me. I’m going to do the same with him. I’m going to help him in whichever way I can help him. I’m his teammate. I feel like I’m family with him. We’re all human and we all make mistakes, and we’re all here to help him if he needs our help.”
Palmeiro, who was vocal in his support of Ponson earlier this season when the Orioles seemed ready to trade him, said he was not sure what causes Ponson’s off-the-field issues, but he did not deny that the Aruban needs help. Thursday’s arrest was his third in the past nine months.
“Maybe he’s reaching out for help,” Palmeiro said. “I don’t know. Maybe we haven’t paid close enough attention. I love Sidney as a teammate. I respect him. He’s the kind of teammate I want. … Someone needs to be there for him. I know he doesn’t have family here. So some of us need to help come in and do whatever we can to help.”
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Posted in non-sporting journalism
at 12:01 am
From the Daily Texan’s Adam H. Covici and Clint Johnson :
You could say Colton Pitonyak had a rough summer.
In June, he served 20 days in jail for a previous cocaine charge. A month and a half after he got out, he was charged with committing the most brutal campus-area crime in recent memory.
The 22-year-old student, charged with murdering Jennifer Cave, 21, dismembering her body and fleeing to Mexico, previously spent a month in drug rehab. He has a drug problem. That much is clear.
Jenna Jasso, a UT mechanical engineering senior, dated Pitonyak’s friend, Juan Montero, and knew Cave from her high school in Corpus Christi.
She describes Cave as an outgoing person who wanted desperately to fit in, and may have used her sexuality to get attention from guys.
“She came to school halfway through senior year after everyone had already made friends, and started doing some scandalous things to fit in,” Jasso said.
Note to all female CSTB readers —- try very hard not to be brutally murdered & hacked up, because a local newspaper might track down a high school classmate who will imply you were asking for it.
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08.26.05
Posted in Baseball
at 11:40 pm
Voices in my head (that sound suspiciously like Jayson Stark) claim the Yankees are on the brink of acquiring OF Matt Lawton from the Cubs in exchange for an undisclosed prospect.
Lawton, a free agent next season, would bridge the gap between bumbling Bernie and New York’s inevitable run at Johnny Damon.
For Lawton, the Yankees will be his third team of the year and 5th in 9 campaigns.
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Posted in Football
at 8:06 pm
Knicks and Rangers fans were horribly teased earlier today, when news of the owner of a professional sports franchise being gunned down hit the wires. Alas, said killing took place in Bulgaria, where Lokomotiv Plovdiv would otherwise be looking forward to their UEFA Cup tie with Bolton Wanderers. From the Times :
Lokomotiv Plovdiv owner Georgi Iliev, 39, was killed on Thursday after the team beat OFK Belgrade in the cup. Mr Iliev, who ran hotels and clubs, was killed as he talked on a mobile phone at one of his bars by the Black Sea.
It was the latest in a series of shootings and bombings that have been blamed on Bulgaria’s underworld. The criminality has scarred the country’s image as it vies for entry to the European Union in 2007.
Police said that Mr Iliev had faced criminal charges in the past. His brother, a suspected mob boss, was murdered in 1995. Boiko Borisov, of the Interior Ministry, said yesterday: “We had several operations on drug-trafficking, especially of cocaine, and we have operational data which leads to him.”
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Posted in Baseball
at 7:41 pm
Followng his third arrest in the past 9 months, the Baltimore Orioles are searching for ways to rid themselves of boozy Sidney Ponson, writes the Sun’s Dan Connolly and Roch Kubatko. In addition to his recent DUI incident, watching O’s games from the dugout hasn’t been comfy enough for Sidney.
Even if Ponson, 28, who is on the disabled list with calf and thumb injuries, remains with the team, he could be facing a suspension for leaving the bench and going to a club level suite at Camden Yards during Wednesday’s game.
According to several ballpark sources, Ponson left the clubhouse in uniform pants and an Orioles pullover jacket during the first half of Wednesday’s game and joined friends in the fourth-level suite No. 22, which he periodically rents.
He stayed between one and two innings before rejoining the team. One ballpark source said he was drinking soda and not alcohol while in the suite. It was at least the second time he has visited the suite during a game, another ballpark source said.
Interim manager Sam Perlozzo said he still needs to set some team policies, but, “I would assume if you are here and in uniform, you are on the bench.”
He did not notice Ponson’s absence from the dugout Wednesday but said when informed of the report: “If that’s true, I would think that is grounds for a suspension.”
It’s Joe Blanton vs. Bruce Chen tonight at Camden Yards, Oakland leading Baltimore, 2-0 after 2 innings.
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Posted in College Spurts, Gridiron
at 7:20 pm
The LA Times’ Gary Klein on the scholastic grind Trojans QB Matt Leinart is about to endure. Presumably, Advanced Going To The Movies was full.
Leinart, who announced in January that he would forgo a chance to turn pro and would return for his final season of eligibility, is taking only one course: ballroom dancing. The elective fulfills the final units Leinart needs to graduate with a sociology degree.
Leinart makes no apologies for a light load that will keep him light on his feet.
“I put in my work to get my degree,” he said. “I came back for my fifth year, and I’m taking what’s necessary for me to graduate. And that’s two units.”
Permalink
Posted in Baseball
at 7:06 pm
Before you send your playoff ticket deposits to General Delivery, Flushing, stop for a second to consider the quality of the opposition faced by the Mets this past week in Phoenix. If that’s too much, the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro has done so for you :
Perception: The Diamondbacks have the worst bullpen ever.
Reality: It may not quite be the worst of all time, but it’s well on its way to being the worst in more than 50 years. So far, 19 pitchers have taken the mound in relief, and they’ve combined to post a 6.24 bullpen ERA. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that would be the highest since the 1950 St. Louis Browns had a 6.62 bullpen ERA.
Still, wins against the terrible teams count in the stands just like playing the Cardinals, as I’m sure David Roth, quoted below, is aware.
An infield made up of Wright, Reyes, Keppinger/Anderson Hernandez/Cairo and Mike Jacobs is 1) cheap, 2) very productive and 3) likable. Depending on where you fell on the Mo Vaughn issue, Mets fans haven’t seen even one of those three over the last few seasons. So while I may not believe that this is the year they’ve got the teamwork to make the dream work, I do believe that I’m pretty fired up by the group of hungry and happy young dudes starting in the infield. If Beltran gets into one of those late-season kicks and knocks off the Brian McRae imitation, I might just have to drink up on some kool-aid.
Not since Merv Griffen last visited our comments secton has there been so much enthusiasm for hungry and happy young dudes. David’s Brian McRae comparison, while cringeworthy, is very much on target. Beltran’s had his adjustment period, the stint on the DL, the cautious spell not wanting to blow out the hamstring, and now the comeback from the collision with Mike Cameron. The Mets cannot realistically expect their 7-8-9 hitters to produce down the stretch the way they have earlier in the week. Fred Wilpon’s modest dream of “meaningful games in September” is about to become a reality, but Beltran might have more to say about the outcome of those contests than anyone else.
For those who were wondering, yes, I throughly enjoyed my 24 hours in Phoenix, AZ, truly one of America’s finer cities. I had an engrossing conversation with an Eric Roberts lookalike who had recently been released from jail where he’d served a short stretch for violating a restraining order. It does seem quite unfair that in the supposed land of the free, a well-tanned, heavily perspiring citizen can be incarcerated merely because he left an answering message for his old lady (who had previously attacked him with a knife, not that the judge even cared).
Permalink
Posted in Rock Und Roll
at 6:37 pm
Writes Jim Laasko,
We were all justifiably moved by Eddie Vedder’s I’ll-have-this-mohawk-til-we-stop-killing-people-abroad thing a few years ago. But now that he’s won that battle, what is he fighting for by becoming Barry Gibb?
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Posted in Sports Journalism, Sports Radio
at 10:53 am
Short of following the recent Milton Bradley / Lt. Dangle spat, I’m not sure there could be a dispute more difficult from which to choose sides than the Phil Mushnick / Michael Kay war of words. From the former’s NY Post column on Friday :
Jorge Posada batted in the fourth inning Monday, Michael Kay, calling the game on YES, grew indignant.
Posada, the previous game, Kay told us, had a ground-rule double, his 1,000th career hit. But — and get this, folks — the fan who caught the ball wanted $20,000 for it. Imagine! Kay mocked the greedy creep, told how Posada essentially told the guy to take a hike and made other what has the sports world come to? noises.
Kay even cracked that the “fan” should try his luck on e-Bay.
“Now,” said Kay, as if Aesop, on his deathbed, had beseeched Kay to carry on, “he’s got a baseball worth $8.”
Yeah, what a jerk.
In December, you might recall, Kay, on his ESPN Radio show, advertised and endorsed an autograph session that would star Alex Rodriguez and that paramount of baseball virtue, Barry Bonds. Kay also seemed mighty proud of the fact that he had been selected — hired — to host that session. And the cost of admission was only $7,500 per person.
And when Kay took heat in this column for lending (leasing) his name, presence and reputation to such a pig roast, he didn’t take it well. He hollered that he was comfortable with his decision and loudly rationalized that the Rodriguez/Bonds gig would pay him more for one night’s work than sportswriters “make in a week!
We made the point then; we’ll make it again. You can’t hop on the greed train, then make believe it was an accident, that you tripped and fell up a flight of stairs.
When Kay accepted that ugly gig — and he had enthusiastically voiced commercials for high-priced autographed stuff prior to that — he painted himself in. For whatever his financial take, it wasn’t worth it; there would be too many times when he’d either have to ignore the tidal wave of greed — and no credible sports commentator would do that — or grow inured to his hypocrisy.
Some creep held Jorge Posada’s 1,000th hit baseball — an $8 ball — for ransom? The nerve!
Muschnick’s online entries, once the home of Google ads for ticket touts and “nutritional supplements”, now feature banner ads for Stephen A. Smith’s “Quite Frankly”.
Permalink
Posted in Baseball
at 7:28 am
Mets 3, Diamondbacks 1
Celebrating their first sweep of a 4 game series in 5 years, the Mets ran their record to a season-high 7 games over .500 with last night’s victory at the Church Of The Subgenius Stadium. Though taking a no-hitter into the sixth, Pedro Martinez walked 4 and was falling behind Arizona hitters from the begining of the night. Martinez’ pitch count hit 100 in his final inning, in which he allowed hard singles to Tony Clark and Luis Gonzalez ; his ability to survive that scare was slighty less improbable than Robert Hernandez’ high wire act in the 7th, in which the D-Backs ran themselves out of the inning after having Royce Clayton (lead off triple) on third and Quinton McCracken on first (HBP) with none out. Though Hernandez allowed a line drive HR to right off Chad Tracey in the 8th, New York made the lead stand up, Braden Looper setting Arizona aside with a rare (for him) 1-2-3 9th inning.
The Mets also continue to get tremendous results from guys that no one would’ve predicted to be factors in a playoff race last spring, Victor Diaz’ solo HR and sacrifice fly in the 2nd and 8th innings respectively, the latter run set up by Mike Jacobs’ opposite field single which moved David Wright to 3rd base. Jacobs appeared halfway human on Thursday (no HR’s, dragons slayed, diseases cured), but still displayed the sort of poise which has been in short supply from Mets first basemen this season.
I would like the local Chamber of Commerce and advertising standards councils to be aware that the “Knife & Fork Footlong Chili Cheese Dog” on offer at the Phoenix home of Arena Baseball, does not in fact, come with a knife or fork.
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:25 am
From the Associated Press :
Boston Red Sox left-hander David Wells said Thursday that he believes there are major league players probably still using steroids.
“There’s no question in my mind that there’s a lot of guys out there still that are probably on them,” Wells said in an interview on WSKO in Providence. “I mean, they’re just playing Russian Roulette.”
Wells said he has been tested for steroids three times this year “and, quite frankly, I’m starting to lose my cool.”
He added that the testers should “go to the guys who have been losing weight dramatically, are not as big as they were last year, listen to their excuses” and test them.
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08.25.05
Posted in Baseball
at 1:50 pm
If Dean Wormer (above) were still alive, he’d remind us (again) that “fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.”
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Posted in Baseball
at 1:39 pm
From the Boston Globe’s Kelsie Smith :
Kevin Millar probably expected some attention. Lots of high fives, some hugs, a couple of slaps on the back.
After all, his drought — 182 at-bats with no home runs — came to an end off Kansas City’s D.J. Carrasco in the second inning last night. Millar laced an 1-and-0 pitch, hitting the left-field foul pole in Kauffman Stadium, and embarked on his first home run trot since June 4 (against the Angels’ Scot Shields).
As Millar jogged the bases, his teammates got ready to greet him. But David Ortiz had another idea, waving at the team to sit down, keep quiet, and ignore Millar upon his return. And so Millar, never one to shy from attention, entered a silent dugout and took the brunt of Ortiz’s joke.
(looks like Dale Sveum didn’t get the memo)
The first baseman known in the clubhouse for his sense of humor did not avoid questions about his hitting throughout his struggles to hit the long ball. After using a fantasy football analogy to compare himself to Tom Brady earlier this month, Millar showed up for the Aug. 8 game against Texas to find the enlarged Globe article containing the quotes taped to his locker, which had inside it, a Brady jersey. Millar suited up in his Brady garb and took the field, where he played catch with a football before the game. Manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein were responsible for the gag, Millar said.
It could be worse. They could show a video of Millar miming to Springsteen on the Jumbotron. One that was filmed last month, I mean.
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