September 29, 2010

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments

I played golf at the weekend with a guy who works as a club builder for Taylor Made. For the golfing equipment geeks out there, he had some interesting stuff to say about Goosen's clubs. Apparently they are borderline unhittable for normal people - and conversely, Goose can only hit a massive hook with "normal" clubs. Every club in his bag (apart from his putter) is bent 4 degrees flat. The guy I met says he broke four heads trying to get the driver done. The shafts are all super stiff (HD6s in the triple X flex if that's not getting too technical) and the grips are so thick, they would be more at home on cricket bats.

Suddenly it made me understand his swing better. I've always wondered why he doesn't hook it more given his smothering action into impact. Turns out that's exactly what he's doing in order to get it to go straight. I also used to wonder why seemingly good looking swings resulted in him popping it up in the air to the right. If you've ever wondered the same thing, now you know.

[/golf equipment geekery]

posted by JJ at 08:09 AM on September 29, 2010

So, all it will take to turn me into a top golfer is to find someone who will make special clubs to correct my swing, right?

Right?

posted by owlhouse at 09:15 AM on September 29, 2010

Ummmmmmmm... yeah. Sure. Pretty much.

posted by JJ at 09:23 AM on September 29, 2010

In Ken Burn's documentary, The 10th Inning, last night, Thomas Boswell let slip what sounded like a potential bombshell about a current hall of famer. Wezen-ball investigates.

posted by trox at 11:33 AM on September 29, 2010

The problem with the phrase "Jose Canseco milkshake" is that almost NOBODY takes steroids orally.

In fact, I'd be surprised if that "milkshake" wasn't anything more than creatine or andro (neither of which are illegal or against the rules at that time).

posted by grum@work at 12:07 PM on September 29, 2010

You're probably right grum, but that was a moment that sort of leapt out at me while watching it, and enjoying it greatly.

posted by trox at 12:40 PM on September 29, 2010

Has anyone come up with good drinking game rules for The 10th Inning yet? All I've got so far is this. I'm looking forward to the second part, but I'm worried the Red Sox slobbering will be unwatchable.

posted by yerfatma at 01:18 PM on September 29, 2010

Cito Gaston says thanks for the memories

posted by tommybiden at 01:27 PM on September 29, 2010

I thought part one handled Atlanta's run and the Yankees multiple world series pretty well. I'm thinking that slobbering over these may have rankled quite a few.

posted by trox at 01:57 PM on September 29, 2010

Cito Gaston says thanks for the memories

I'm upset that I can't make it into Toronto tonight to be part of the send off. If the work by Cito and Murphy is what turned Toronto into a home run hitting machine, then it just adds to his popularity in Toronto.

posted by grum@work at 02:36 PM on September 29, 2010

I thought part one handled Atlanta's run and the Yankees multiple world series pretty well.

Me too, but remember Ken Burns is a Sox fan. One of the Globe writers suggested it was a little too much, but he may just be sick of the Boston media people who always show up in these things.

posted by yerfatma at 02:44 PM on September 29, 2010

Payback's a bitch.

posted by graymatters at 06:29 PM on September 29, 2010

The guy who fought the septuagenarian at the U.S. Open tennis tournament has been arrested for beefing with a neighbor who dissed him to the media.

posted by rcade at 08:56 PM on September 29, 2010

It's been 50 years since Ted Williams played his last game, homering to right in his last at bat. Here's one Williams story from Peter Abraham in the Boston Globe. The 1960 John Updike piece in the New Yorker on "The Kid's" last game is a classic piece of writing.

I remember watching the game on TV instead of doing EE homework. It was my 3rd year in college. Have I really gotten that old?

posted by Howard_T at 09:17 PM on September 29, 2010

So what did Contador eat?

posted by tselson at 10:23 PM on September 29, 2010

One has to wonder if Armstrong would have received the same treatment (immediately accepting the excuse) if he had tested positive, even at such a low amount.

posted by graymatters at 10:47 PM on September 29, 2010

It's been 50 years since Ted Williams played his last game, homering to right in his last at bat.

From Baseball-Reference:

Wednesday, September 28, 1960, Fenway Park Attendance: 10,454

It's pathetic that a city like Boston has a baseball team, and can barely draw 10,000 people to see one of the greatest players of all time in his farewell game.

;)

posted by grum@work at 12:23 AM on September 30, 2010

On the plus side, hundreds of thousands claim to have been at the game.

posted by yerfatma at 08:23 AM on September 30, 2010

Yerfatma: I was at that game despite only having been conceived a few weeks earlier!!! And 'living' in suburban NJ and not having parents who were ever in their lives Red Sox fans.

posted by billsaysthis at 06:12 PM on September 30, 2010

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