12/21/24
October 02, 2012
SportsFilter: The Tuesday 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.
Ontario man wins $725,274 thanks to botched Packers-Seahawks call
posted by tommybiden at 10:07 AM on October 02, 2012
Apparently the wedding bouquet toss play is a thing in high school football. But it's not the greatest misdirection play of all-time.
posted by yerfatma at 10:15 AM on October 02, 2012
Really? Complete game, 2-hit, 15 K game for James Shields, at home, and the Rays lose to the Orioles? Unbelievable.
posted by dyams at 09:40 PM on October 02, 2012
No kidding- I'm no fan of "Big Game James", but that's about as hard luck a loss since Harvey Haddix. In a way, the Rays should be happy they were eliminated the day before; imagine if that had been the game that ensured they didn't make the playoffs?!?
And a critical win for the O's; that keeps them in the hunt for the division title, especially when friggin' New York came back with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie up their game against Boston to push it to the 12th (so far). And after giving up the tying 2-run HR, the Sox intentionally walked the bases loaded with just 1 out, and somehow kept the game tied...
What a sport, man. What a sport.
posted by hincandenza at 11:00 PM on October 02, 2012
As an alternative to individual hard luck losses, there's always the case of Dave Steib, who was good for maybe an entire season's worth.
Somewhere in his career, there was a stretch when the only time he won was when he pitched a complete game. The Jays were scoring something like 2 1/2 runs a game for him that year.
Perhaps a certain Jays fan has the grim details.
posted by beaverboard at 11:17 PM on October 02, 2012
Fucking Red Sox, man. Fucking hell...
posted by hincandenza at 11:18 PM on October 02, 2012
posted by grum@work at 11:41 PM on October 02, 2012
As an alternative to individual hard luck losses, there's always the case of Dave Steib, who was good for maybe an entire season's worth.
All you need to know about "hard luck" for Dave Stieb is this:
Dave Stieb holds the record for most one-hit complete games in a season (3, 1988).
Dave Stieb holds the record for most consecutive no-hitters broken up with 2 outs in the 9th inning (1, 2).
posted by grum@work at 12:42 AM on October 03, 2012
Perfect end to the Sox season: give hope for just a teeny bit of joy, add to the hope with another run in the top of the 9th, snatch the hope away but not completely - they could still win in extra innings, nail the coffin shut. There's going to be some long years of rebuilding for that lot.
posted by kokaku at 03:55 AM on October 03, 2012
All you need to know about "hard luck" for Dave Stieb is this:
tahoemoj hit a clean single to left field in a recreational league softball game about ten years ago. Doing the traditional "turn and look" around first, I realized that the ball was in the first baseman's mitt when I heard it snap. The goddamn left fielder, one Dave Stieb, had thrown it in behind me with the ball never getting more than seven feet off the ground. He also hit three home runs over a 320 foot fence. Guy was a hell of an athlete.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:38 AM on October 03, 2012
He also hit three home runs over a 320 foot fence. Guy was a hell of an athlete.
Stieb was drafted as an outfielder by the Jays, and converted into a pitcher.
posted by grum@work at 01:40 PM on October 03, 2012
He actually told me that over beers after the game. He said the pitching coach watched him throw a few from the outfield to the catcher on a rope and told him that he was wasting his potential.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:05 PM on October 03, 2012
One of the things I liked best about Stieb was his almost nonchalant delivery. He opened up so naturally and easily as he came to the plate - no excessive strain or exaggerated motion. Probably one reason why he was able to routinely go nine innings.
posted by beaverboard at 02:47 PM on October 03, 2012
He said the pitching coach watched him throw a few from the outfield to the catcher on a rope and told him that he was wasting his potential.
Heh. I'm sure that's true, but it wasn't like he was showing much potential as an outfielder at the time.
posted by grum@work at 03:01 PM on October 03, 2012
There are now 20 men who have sued the Boston Red Sox, claiming they were abused by longtime clubhouse manager Donald Fitzpatrick.