Month: April 2009 (Page 37 of 53)

      Is Tiger Woods a poor sport?

      April 10, 2009 /

      Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that Tiger Woods is a ‘poor sport’ and a ‘sore loser’.

      Miss a shot and Woods tosses the offending club in anger. It is a wonder he has not taken a divot out of the shin or forehead of caddie Steve Williams.

      Is that how Jack Nicklaus or Ben Hogan or Bobby Jones believed in playing a game for gentlemen? Should we care?

      The competitive fire in Woods’ eyes burns so hot they can burn a hole through the chest, and Tiger is so intense he has been known to walk past his own mother on the golf course and be blind to her presence.

      On the opening day of the Masters, a sea of red numbers on the leaderboard posted by everybody from Chad Campbell to 50-year-old Larry Mize turned Woods green with envy.
      After an inconsistent round of 70 in which his frustration showed when he slammed a club after airmailing the green on the final hole, Woods was asked what it was about him and the first round at this prestigious tournament, where in 15 tries he has never posted a score in the 60s.

      “Yeah,” Woods said Thursday, barely concealing his disdain, “that’s how I won it four times too.”

      Kiszla goes on to write about how competitive Woods is and whether or not we as sports fans should care whether or not he can be kind of prickly when he’s playing.

      Personally, I could not care less. I think Tiger has been such a phenomenal presence in the sports world over the years that writers are trying to drum up new storylines. That’s not to say Kiszla doesn’t make good points in his article, but it almost seems nowadays that writers are finding ways to criticize Woods’ game anyway they can. The bottom line is that most great athletes have egos the size of Saturn (the planet, not the car company) and they buy into how good they are. Tiger is no exception and considering how competitive he is, it’s no surprise that he’ll toss a club after a bad shot or give a snarky comment from time to time. Most of the great ones hate to lose and Tiger is no exception.

      Golf

      Giants’ Joe Martinez takes line drive off head

      April 10, 2009 /

      I’m not posting this video for the shock and awe of watching a young pitcher being struck in the head by a line drive. I’m posting this video to show the camaraderie of baseball players throughout the league. I watched this game live and was touched by how caring the players were on both teams for this young man’s health.

      Here is Giants’ reliever Joe Martinez being stuck in the head in the ninth inning by a Mike Cameron line drive in San Fran’s 7-1 win last night over the Brewers:

      It’s often said that all baseball players share a brotherhood and this situation proves it. Cameron’s sensitivity and general care for Joe Martinez’s health shouldn’t go unnoticed.

      Hopefully Martinez bounces back and considering he took a line drive to the head and immediately got up, it shows how tough this kid is. I would have laid there for a week after taking a Mike Cameron line drive to the noggin…

      MLB, Video

      Bynum returns, Lakers beat Nuggets

      April 10, 2009 /

      Andrew Bynum returned from his knee injury Thursday night and posted 16 points (on 7 of 11 shooting) and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes, helping the Lakers defeat the Nuggets, 116-102. I watched his first few minutes of play and he looked like his old self, though his stamina still needs work.

      If Bynum comes back at or near 100%, the Lakers are clearly the team to beat in the West. In fact, they’re the team to beat without him, so the addition only pushes them further ahead of the pack. Barring a major setback (to Kobe, Pau Gasol, Bynum or Odom), it’s doubtful that the Lakers will run into any serious problems in the West. Are there teams that can win a few games and maybe push a series to a Game 6 or Game 7? Sure, but I just don’t see anyone in the West upending a healthy Laker squad.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      MLB Daily Six Pack: R.I.P. Nick Adenhart

      April 10, 2009 /

      1. Nick Adenhart will be missed.
      What’s most tragic about Nick Adenhart’s death early Thursday morning is that because of the stupidity of another driver, the Adenhart family, the Angels and the baseball world all lost someone very important. This wasn’t a case of another athlete staying out all night and making a bad decision. Nick was a passenger in a friend’s vehicle that was struck by a minivan of a driver that was under the influence of alcohol and driving on a suspended license. It was senseless and my thoughts and prayers go out to Nick’s family. At 22 years old, Nick should have been enjoying the bright lights of the big leagues and getting ready for his next start. Instead, his family is left to grieve for a young man’s life that was cut incredibly too short.

      2. Here’s hoping Joe Martinez is okay.
      Giants’ reliever Joe Martinez needed just one more out in the ninth inning to wrap up San Francisco’s (eventual) 7-1 victory over the Brewers Thursday night, but Mike Cameron laced a line drive back up the middle and struck Martinez right in the side of the head. Martinez stood up after the ball hit him, but then sat down immediately as trainers rushed to his aid. He eventually left the field under his own power (holding a towel to his bloody face and nose), but he was rushed to the hospital for a CAT scan and so far there is no update. I watched the game live and it was as scary of a moment as I’ve ever witnessed. Players on both sides were visibly shaken, including Cameron, who showed incredible sensitivity to the situation and looked deeply saddened by what had just happened. Hopefully Martinez didn’t suffer any permanent damage and he can return to the field in due time.

      3. Joey Votto is a beast.
      In the Reds’ 8-6 victory over the Mets on Thursday night, Joey Votto hit his second home run of the season and drove in four runs on three hits. Votto is hitting .538 to start the season and it already looks like he’s ready to carry a young Cincinnati team (which also features young, emerging stars in Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce) at the age of 25. Young players like Votto are great for the game and it looks like baseball is quickly breeding another star.

      Continue reading »

      MLB

      Cole Hamels healthy again?

      April 10, 2009 /

      According to the Wilmington Journal, the Phillies are confident that starter Cole Hamels’ elbow is almost fully healthy as he enters his 2009 debut against the Rockies on Friday.

      Cole HamelsFor the past month, Hamels has had the most scrutinized left elbow in the Delaware Valley — and for good reason. To recap: For about three weeks in spring training, he felt persistent, lingering between-innings stiffness during his starts. So, he returned to Philly and underwent an MRI exam that didn’t reveal structural damage. He received an anti-inflammatory injection March 17 and has been insisting ever since that the discomfort is gone.

      Surely, though, team officials still will be holding their breath as Hamels takes the mound here tonight for the opener of a three-game series against the Rockies. Even Charlie Manuel said he’s anxious to see how Hamels responds to the thin mountain air and forecasted temperature in the upper-40s. (Take it from me, it’s chilly here. I walked to dinner last night on the 16th Street Mall and had to bundle up.)

      But after overseeing Hamels’ bullpen session Wednesday at the Bank, pitching coach Rich Dubee believes his ace will be just fine.

      “Physically, I think he’s fine,” Dubee said. “We ran the MRI and all the tests, and we felt very good about the doctor’s evaluation. Cole is feeling much better than he felt a month ago. He’s definitely headed in the right direction.”

      His last spring-training start left some questions, though. Facing the Rays last Saturday, he yielded six runs in six innings, threw 83 pitches and still didn’t crack 90 mph on the radar gun. His fastball maxed out in the high-80s but mostly sat in the mid-80s.

      This is just a matter of the Phils’ coaching staff keeping a close eye on Hamels’ mechanics and his pitch count and going from there. I highly doubt he throws more than 85 pitches tonight and he’ll probably be on a short leash. No need to rush this kid with the entire season still ahead.

      MLB

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