Beware the $100 Million MLB Man: If there’s any enduring lesson from Pujols’s increasingly scary-looking contract, it’s that teams would do well to build farm systems so flush with talent that those teams don’t need to even consider breaking the bank for aging stars who’ll likely disappoint.

posted by justgary to baseball at 08:55 AM - 0 comments

The Evolution of World Series Celebrations: After the final strikeout of the 1950 World Series, the Yankees immediately run off the field; the catcher initially goes toward the dugout, then veers slightly toward the pitcher, who runs right past him into the dugout. The rest of the team, along with some non-uniformed humans, follow them toward the dugout. Players navigate past assorted ragamuffins and besuited gentlemen to reach the dugout. "We won, now get me into this doggone dugout!" they all shout excitedly.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:29 AM - 3 comments

Giants Sweep Tigers to Win World Series: Marco Scutaro knocked in the winning run with two outs in the 10th giving the Giants a 4-3 win and their second championship in three years. Pablo Sandoval was voted World Series MVP.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:22 AM - 14 comments

With small ball, Giants win 2-0 for 2-0 WS lead: And everything seems to be going their way.

posted by justgary to baseball at 10:50 AM - 1 comment

Giants Reach World Series: The San Francisco Giants, once down 3 games to 1 to the St. Louis Cardinals, take decided game 7 to win the National League pennant. They face the Detroit Tigers in game one of the World Series Wednesday night.

posted by justgary to baseball at 07:49 AM - 1 comment

Giants beat Cardinals 6-1 to force NLCS Game 7: Vogelsong strikes out a career-best nine to bring the Giants back even with the Cardinals. Game 7 is tonight with the Cardinals Kyle Lohse facing the Giants Matt Cain.

posted by justgary to baseball at 10:46 AM - 10 comments

Giants Win Game 5: Barry Zito, considered a major disappointment since coming to the Giants from the Athletics in 2007, gave up six hits an no runs while striking out 6 in 7 2/3 innings. The series returns to San Francisco for game 6 sunday.

posted by justgary to baseball at 09:01 AM - 11 comments

Tigers One Game Away from World Series: Justin Verlander goes 8 1/3 innings allowing 3 hits and 1 run for the win. The Yankees turn to ace CC Sabathia tonight to try and stave off elimination.

posted by justgary to baseball at 09:35 AM - 16 comments

Giants Even Series with Cardinals: Giants not real happy with Matt Holliday's late slide into second baseman Marco Scutaro, while the Cardinals are frustrated by a missed call. Game three is Wednesday evening.

posted by justgary to baseball at 04:44 PM - 0 comments

We Have a Race in the American League East: Recalling the Red Sox of 2011 the Yankees' 10 game divisional lead is now history. Tied with Baltimore and only a game and a half ahead of Tampa Bay, the Yankees start a critical 4 game series with the Orioles Thursday. Hal Steinbrenner is frustrated, some blame injuries, and hitting coach Kevin Long believes bunting more might help.

posted by justgary to baseball at 05:01 PM - 15 comments

MLB Testing Advanced Replay Systems During Games: Despite Commissioner Bud Selig's constant denial for the need of replay two systems (one radar, the other camera) have been recently tested in live games.

posted by justgary to baseball at 12:50 AM - 10 comments

Ernie Els Rallies to Win British Open as Adam Scott Collapses: Adam Scott was four shots ahead with four holes to play but bogeyed them all allowing Ernie Els to claim the championship. Tiger Woods shot a triple-bogey on the sixth hole and finished at 3 under.

posted by justgary to golf at 03:36 PM - 3 comments

Miami Heat One Win Away from NBA Championship: LeBron James fought through leg cramps to help the Heat go up 3 games to 1 in the best of 7 series. A team leading by 3-1 in the Finals has never failed to win the championship.

posted by justgary to basketball at 09:35 AM - 19 comments

Why Wrigley Field Must Be Destroyed: Destroy it. Annihilate it. Collapse it with the sort of charges that put the Sands Hotel out of its misery in Vegas. Implosion or explosion, get rid of it. That pile of quaintness has to go. Not merely the structure, but the ground on which it stands.

posted by justgary to baseball at 08:33 AM - 31 comments

Hank Williams Jr. Dropped from Monday Night Football: Are You Ready for Some Football is being pulled from ESPN's intro to Monday Night Football after Williams recently compared President Obama to Hitler.

posted by justgary to football at 07:26 PM - 32 comments

Andy Pettitte to retire: Next up, the Hall of Fame question.

posted by justgary to baseball at 07:39 PM - 13 comments

Ichiro makes history, Jeter makes trouble in leading Gold Glove team: Lots of familiar names.

posted by justgary to baseball at 11:30 PM - 8 comments

Giants Take Game 4 to Move within 1 Win of World Series Crown: Twenty-one year old rookie Madison Bumgarner threw 8 innings of 3 hit ball for the win. The Rangers will now turn to Cliff Lee to try and take the series back to San Francisco.

posted by justgary to baseball at 03:16 AM - 8 comments

Giants Take Game of 1 of NLCS 4-3 Over Phillies: Tim Lincecum outduels Roy Halladay in highly anticipated matchup.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:18 AM - 8 comments

Rangers even ALCS with 7-2 victory over Yankees: Texas bullpen rebounds to hold early lead. Game 3 is Monday night

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:05 AM - 3 comments

NY stuns Texas in Game One of the ALCS: Ranger bullpen fails to hold early lead as Yankees score 5 runs in the 8th to win 6-5.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:41 AM - 10 comments

Hanley benched for lack of hustle: But he's not apologizing: "We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don't apologize."

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:29 PM - 15 comments

Cleveland Indians: Most hated team in baseball.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:12 PM - 15 comments

Calculating Charlie Brown's Wins, Losses, & Other Stats: The 1950s was a tough decade for Charley Brown's team; the 1960s not much better: On April 10, the team loses its first game of the season 123-0. Afterwards, the entire team goes home to cry. In a Sunday strip on July 23, Lucy drops the ball and gets chewed out by Charlie Brown. In the first panel of the strip - the so-called "throwaway panels" because they aren't published in every newspaper - Linus mentions "If she catches it, we win the game!" We therefore have to consider this a lost game, even if the focus of the strip isn't on it.

posted by justgary to baseball at 04:11 PM - 4 comments

The Dirtiest Player: Say this for Marvin Harrison: He tried to be his own person. He succeeded on a level that most of us can only dream of reaching. But he either never realized or flat-out denied the destabilizing effect of his presence in a poor and desperate part of the city. Much as he insisted that he was a normal working person like any other, he was never going to be seen that way. He was always going to be a target for the hopes, resentments, and ambitions of other people, a reality that rippled and swirled around him in unpredictable ways. And the proof is still there, scattered across the city, for anyone who cares enough to look.

posted by justgary to football at 04:03 PM - 6 comments