Month: June 2008 (Page 32 of 40)

Monday Morning Baseball Musings

June 9, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Rangers 6, Rays 3. After a hot start to the season, the Rays are playing only .500-ball in their last 10 games. Worse yet, they’re not only fighting other teams, but they’re fighting each other too.

Cubs 3, Dodgers 1. When a club is playing well they usually get production from the most unlikely sources. The same rings true for the Cubs, who are likely getting way more than they expected from Mark DeRosa (.303, 8 HR, 39 runs, 34 RBI). Brad Penny is now 0-6 in his last seven starts.

Yankees 6, Royals 3. The Yankees got a better effort from youngster Joba Chamberlain in his second career start. He wasn’t lights out by any means, but he was solid nonetheless, striking out five in 4.1 innings of work. He also only walked one batter, which was significant because he walked four in only 2.1 innings in his first start.

Red Sox 2, Mariners 1. J.D. Drew is on an absolute tear. Thus far in June, he’s hitting .519 (14 for 27), with four dingers, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored and only two strikeouts. Big Papi who? Youngster Justin Masterson had another solid outing, lasting 6.0 innings, fanning four and only surrendering the solo run. He’s now 3-0 on the year with a staggering 2.59 ERA.

Phillies 6, Braves 3. Have a day Ryan Howard – 3 for 5, three doubles, four RBI as the Phils sweep the Braves in Atlanta.

Padres 8, Mets 6. The Mets are a funny club. Right when you think they’re getting hot, they get swept by the lowly Pads. Pedro Martinez struggled in his second start since returning from injury, allowing 10 hits and four runs in just 5.0 innings pitched.

DVD Review: “Shea Goodbye: 45 Years of Amazin’”

June 8, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Written by Scores Report Contributor Mike Farley

Overview
It’s really hard to believe that Shea Stadium is being torn down, but 45 years is a good run for a sports complex. This DVD captures many of the great memories of Shea, mostly good memories, and does a really nice job of interviewing a wide array of Mets and Jets, fans, commentators and enthusiasts. The magical seasons of 1969, 1973 and 1986 are well documented, as are the Jets’ Super Bowl run in 1969, the very early years at Shea when Casey Stengel was manager, the Mets’ pennant winning season of 2000 and the almost-pennant-winning season of 2006. Among those interviewed are Ron Swoboda, Rusty Staub, Cleon Jones, Ed Charles, Ralph Kiner, Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry and plenty more too numerous to mention.

What’s Interesting?
The way they weave everything together on this DVD is really impressive. It’s not chronological, and that’s what makes watching it so compelling. Seeing some great Mets that I’ve forgotten about was really cool, especially the likes of Swoboda, Jones, Ed Kranepool, and Tommie Agee. They even interviewed the guy who flew into Shea on a parachute during the ’86 World Series and high-fived Ron Darling. Is that attention to detail or what? It’s also worth noting that two of the most memorable Shea characteristics talked about are the planes from nearby LaGuardia Airport flying overhead, and the fact that the stadium literally shook during a few playoff moments. It’s also interesting that the Shea scoreboard was groundbreaking at the time, but would be dwarfed by today’s video technology. And they did pay tribute to the fact that Shea has hosted concerts such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Police over the years.

There was a great tribute to Tug McGraw and his “Ya Gotta Believe” mantra that helped propelled the Mets to the 1973 World Series. But my favorite part was a video clip of Mike Piazza asking then-coach Mookie Wilson, “Were you gonna beat Buckner to the bag? Come on dude, tell me, it’s just us.”

Best Feature
There are quite a few special features, including moments featuring lesser-known stars like Benny Agbayani, Bobby Jones and Shawon Dunston. But the best ones are the highlights from ’69, ’86 and 2000.

Could Do Without
They had these “It’s amazin’ that….” bits that segued various parts of the DVD into others, but a lot of those were not very interesting.

What’s Missing
There was no mention of that infamous moment of the 2000 World Series when Roger Clemens threw a splintered bat at Mike Piazza. Come to think of it, there were no moments from that Series at all on this DVD. There was also no mention of the 1988 NLCS versus the Dodgers, as much as Mets fans would like to forget about that.

Overall
Every Mets fan should own this DVD, and it would make a great Father’s Day gift. There is just so much magic from Shea that is captured here, including a few obscure moments. It’s a terrific tribute and a great way to usher in the new era of Citi Field in 2009.

General Sports, MLB, Television

Forgone conclusion Big Brown wins Triple Crown? Whoops.

June 7, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Less than a week ago, trainer Rick Dutrow said it was a “forgone conclusion” that his horse Big Brown would win the Belmont Stakes and therefore, horseracing’s Triple Crown.

And then Big Brown finished last. Here’s what Dutrow had to say about his horse pulling up lame:

At least he didn’t make any excuses. Da’Tara won the Belmont Stakes and let’s just say that anyone who placed a wager on him had a decent day. A $2 bet on Da’Tara to win paid $79.00, while a $2 superfecta paid $48,637.00.

Daddy could have bought a new car and all it would have cost him was $2.

General Sports

Terry Porter to coach Suns

June 7, 2008 / John Paulsen

ESPN is reporting that GM Steve Kerr has decided on Terry Porter as the new coach of the Phoenix Suns.

Porter coached the Milwaukee Bucks for two seasons and was an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons this season.
The 45-year-old Porter played in the NBA for 17 seasons, mostly with Portland, and was a teammate of Kerr’s in San Antonio.
“He’s got a great combination of leadership skills,” Kerr said in a telephone interview. “He’s a great communicator. And his coaching experience, two years as a head coach, is important to me. The fact that he’s sat in that chair, that was a key factor. He’s very tough-minded.”
Porter was interviewed twice, most recently on Monday. He is expected to sign a three-year deal worth about $7 million, and he likely will be introduced at a news conference early next week.

As a former successful player in the NBA, Porter should have the respect of a veteran Suns team.

NBA

Big Brown’s chief competition for Triple Crown scratched

June 7, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Those who follow horse racing (I don’t think I qualify) note that Big Brown has three potential threats standing in the way of winning the 2008 Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown: 1) History. It’s been 30 years since the last Triple Crown winner. 2) A slight crack in one of his hooves. 3) A Japanese Horse named Casino Drive.

One of those threats has been distinguished.

Now that Casino Drive is out, it would be a major upset if Big Brown doesn’t win the Triple Crown. (Or at least that’s what those in the know tell me.)