Archive for October 3rd, 2007
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
We close out the day with our second live blog, though we can’t imagine there are any Red Sox fans who didn’t start working at 5:30 a.m. today to make sure they got out of the office in time for this game. Surely, there are West Coasters stuck. So, to close us out, we pass the mic to Sarah Schorno, Huffington Post contributor and creator of Strike Zones And End Zones. She’ll guide you through all the fun stuff this evening after the jump, and definitely play along in the comments. Playoffs! Fun!
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Preview
Hi folks. I’ll do my best to keep you updated while putting aside my hatred for the Sox.
The Beckett - Lackey match-up should be interesting as both boys have seen postseason action before and are among the top contenders for the Cy Young. Unfortunately the Angels have a horrid record against the Sox having lost 10 of 11against them with Lackey on the mound. There are some heavy bats in both line-ups. One misstep from either of these pitchers will blow the game wide open.
Hopefully this live blog will go much better than this afternoon’s. Note to Bolster: Put down the Penthouse and pay your internet bill. Oh, and don’t be embarrassed that you couldn’t finish. It happens to every guy now and then.
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
Awesome story in the New York Times this morning, detailing the trip Isiah Thomas took yesterday from the courthouse steps after being found guilty of sexual harassment (which won’t cost him a dime) to training camp in Charleston, S.C. Oh yeah: Isiah still has a team to coach! We had almost forgotten.
Of all the amazements the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment case has brought us, the best could still be yet to come. Because the Knicks are appealing, this case — and all the issues that it brought with it — will be hanging around for the next year or so. An issue the Knicks could have resolved and swept under the rug a year ago — surely settling for less than what they paid Anucha Browne Sanders — has humiliated the organization, and not only does no one seem to mind, they’re even appealing to make sure it stays in the news. It’s going to take a decade, at least, to clean up this mess.
The good news: Isiah can now focus on basketball. And that is good news!
Thomas Jets From The Frying Pan Into The Fire [New York Times]
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
Some fans of The Buzzsaw That Is The Arizona Cardinals have had some concern that quarterback (for now) Kurt Warner has been spending too much time partaking in matters of social interaction, and not enough time studying film. And now we’re starting to worry he’s showing up at events just to get out of the house.
Check out the guest list of Phooson!, an Arizona event at the Pinal County Fairgrounds next Friday.
Starring Enrique Iglesias, Jonas Brothers, Lloyd, American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks, Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Matt Leinart and more….
Matt! Come on! Warner wouldn’t even show up to that. Jordin Sparks? Really?
Phooson! [Official Site]
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
On the day the Chicago Cubs begin their quest for their first World Series championship in 100 years, the rival St. Louis Cardinals … have fired their general manager.
Cardinals chairman Bill Dewitt informed Walt Jocketty, architect of the Cardinals for the last 11 years, that he was being let go a year before his contract was out; the Cardinals are expected to hold a press conference in about 20 minutes. No replacement has yet been named. Jocketty has been an odds with the Cardinals brass for two years now, since his scouting staff was replaced.
It is not known whether or not Tony LaRussa will follow Jocketty out the door … but they’ve worked together for 11 years now. You can probably guess where this is going. Is Tony LaRussa gonna be managing your team next year?
Jocketty Out As Cardinals’ General Manager [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
The Mesa Cubs are one of the Chicago Cubs’ minor league teams, playing in Fitch Park, which is just south of HoHoKam Park in Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. The Cubs have trained in Mesa for the last 10 years, so they’ve got a ton of fans over there. Perhaps more than the Diamondbacks do.
Tonight and tomorrow, HoHoKam will be hosting a viewing party for the Cubs-Diamondbacks games. And they’re even allowing D-Backs fans to come!
Hohokam serves as the Cactus League home for the Cubs, who usually lead the league in attendance, so expect a lot of Cub fans at the event. Cubs memorabilia will be available, but Diamondbacks fans also are welcome.
“The city is happy to provide a low-cost, family-oriented option to watch the game,” said Dave Dunne, Hohokam Stadium director. “It’s like going to a drive-in and watching a baseball game.”
We know the D-Backs have a lot of loyal fans … but we can’t imagine a big viewing party for Angels fans out at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester.
Fans Can Watch D-backs, Cubs At Hohokam Stadium [Arizona Republic]
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
OK, the playoffs are here, and you’re stuck at work. Worry not!
We’ll be live blogging all the day games this week, and we kick you off with today’s Phillies-Rockies tilt at Citizens Bank Park. It’s Cole Hamels for the Phillies and Jeff Francis for the Rockies. And your live blogger is John Bolster, sports editor at Penthouse magazine. After the jump, enjoy, and, of course, play along in the comments. (You can also email him right here)
Top of the Second Inning
Welcome to the playoffs, Todd Helton. He greets Hamels with a first pitch triple. Atkins drives him in. Torrealba drives him in with a bloop single to center. A walk to Matsui loads the bases. Hamels walks in a run. … More glitches folks. Sorry. Hamels strikes out Holliday to end the inning but the damage is done.
Rockies 3, Phillies 0
Bottom of the First Inning
Technical difficulties, folks. Sorry. Jeff Francis struck out the side–Rollins, Victorino, Utley.
Rockies 0, Philllies 0
Top of the First Innning
Cole Hamels is a beast, with a wicked fastball, curve and changeup–and a hot wife in former Survivor girl Heidi Strobel, but this is easily the biggest game of his career. He gets Kaz Matsui on a grounder to short, then makes Troy Tulowitzki look silly on a changeup. Two down. Matt Holliday dribbles one down the first base line, tough play for Hamels and he doesnt look likely to make it. Ryan Howard bails him out with a nice pickup and lunging tag. 1-2-3 for Hamels.
Rockies 0, Phillies 0
Pregame
And a good day to you all, Deadspinners! Welcome to the first game of the 2007 playoffs. But of course for these two teams it seems like the playoffs have been going for weeks now. They’re each riding a tidal wave of momentum, and as long as one or both of them isn’t completely drained, this should be a bang-up series.
Hey, in our MLB Preview (April 2007 Penthouse) we picked the Phils to win the NL East. Outside of Jimmy Rollins, we were pretty much the only ones to make this call. Of course the Rockies and their entire organization–huge fans of ours–are well aware of this:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/rockies/2006-05-30-rockies-cover_x.htm
So it’s gonna be Schmidt’s in here all afternoon, no Coors Light.
We’ve got a man at Citizens Bank Park to file on-site reports, but he’s having technical difficulties right now. We’ll keep you posted.
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Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
The playoffs are about to start, and we’re gonna be in for precisely six more champagne celebrations before this whole business finishes off.
But we must not forget the celebrations that got us to this point, and Flyers Fieldhouse ranks the best ones. The Yankees, being so used to this business and all, rank as the worst, and, not surprisingly, the shitshow of madness the Phillies pulled off after the clinched the National League East on the last day of the season was rated the best.
We feel bad for the Yankees: Their celebrations will always be tempered by the fact that nothing they do is good enough. The champagne doesn’t taste as good when you know if you don’t win your next game, everyone’s going to call you a failure. (Or, you know, run pictures on the front page of the paper with you and a she-male, muscular type).
Baseball Players Know How To Party [Flyers Fieldhouse]
Continue Reading October 3rd, 2007
We are all in the midst of Rockies Fever — oh, and Phillies Fever; we’re in the midst of that too — so we take a time out to remember manager Clint Hurdle’s finest moment: The time he was arrested for trying to bring a little love to the planet.
Via Storming The Floor, we present the tale of Hurdle’s 1992 arrest for shoplifting.
CLINT HURDLE, a former major league player and the manager of the Mets’ top farm team at Tidewater, has been charged with stealing some Valentine’s Day items worth $1.79 from a grocery store, the police in Williamsport, Pa., said. The 34-year-old Hurdle was arraigned on a charge of retail theft and released on $200 bail after his arrest Monday.
Even in 1992 dollars, $1.79 wouldn’t get you very many Valentine’s Day goodies. Maybe a few of those awful chalk candies.
We haven’t been able to find much more detail about the arrest, but today, it’s good to know that if you’re a Rockies fan, you’re rooting for a man with much love in his heart.
Clint Hurdle 1992 Arrest [NY Times] (Via Storming The Floor)
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