Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 850 of 1503)

      Ryan Zimmerman’s hitting streak reaches 29 games

      May 12, 2009 /

      There isn’t much positive news coming out of Washington these days when it comes to the Nationals…outside of Ryan Zimmerman’s now 29-game hit streak, that is.

      Zimmerman went 4 for 5 with two homers for the Nationals, including a solo shot in the sixth off Johnson and a three-run shot in the ninth. He wasted no time extending the longest hitting streak in the Nationals’ brief history and the longest by a third baseman in a quarter-century when he slapped a first-inning single.

      “He’s a big man. I’ve got legs and arms and everything coming at me,” Zimmerman said of Johnson. “His slider looks pretty good, just like it does on TV. I can see why he’s been so good.”
      With his ninth-inning shot off the tin covering on the right-field arcade, Zimmerman improved to 48 for 126 (.381) since the streak began.

      What’s rather impressive about Zimmerman is that he stands away from the plate, which leaves the outside corner exposed (or one would think). But Zimmerman is anticipating pitchers trying to work the outside corner and he’s just going with the pitch. He’s not trying to do too much with the pitch and he’s not trying to pull the ball like so many batters (on all levels) do. He’s seeing the ball incredibly well right now and the 3-run dinger he hit last night at AT&T Park was impressive given how high the ball must travel over the wall at that stadium.

      He’s got a long way to go to catch Joe DiMaggio’s 56 games, but it’ll be fun to watch Zimmerman try to extend his streak on a nightly basis.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Marlins option Cameron Maybin Triple A

      May 11, 2009 /

      The Marlins optioned potential five-tool outfielder Cameron Maybin to Triple-A New Orleans.

      Maybin, the Opening Day center fielder, was out of the starting lineup for the third straight day on Sunday. He came in during the ninth inning as a pinch-runner and got caught in a rundown, punctuating a difficult start to the season. His .202 average is the primary reason he’s going to the Minors.

      “I’ve got some things I’ve got to go work on,” Maybin said, “and I’m going to try to get back as fast as possible.”

      Maybin has said he doesn’t feel any pressure to perform because of who the Marlins traded away to get him in a six-player deal in December 2007 — franchise cornerstones Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.

      Instead, he noted another Tigers player, center fielder Curtis Granderson, who led the American League in strikeouts during his first full season in 2006.

      “Look at what he’s doing now,” Maybin said.

      Hopefully Maybin can build his confidence in the minors, because he has the potential to be the next Granderson (maybe even better) if he can work out the kinks. The Marlins have no need to rush him, although chances are he’ll be back up at some point this season.

      MLB

      Vikings’ president says team is still interested in Favre

      May 11, 2009 /

      Team president Mark Wilf reiterated that Minnesota is still interested in signing Brett Favre, although he won’t confirm if any meeting has been established between the Vikings and the grizzled vet.

      “Certainly a player of Brett Favre’s (credentials), a Hall of Fame quarterback, with the competitive he has, that is a player that we would have interest as we would have other players,” Wilf said. “But, again, its process of evaluation and a variety of factors that go into it and that has to play itself out and I defer to our coach and our personnel people to really evaluate those issues.”

      Wilf said he and the ownership group entrusted such decisions to head coach Brad Childress and player personnel vice president Rick Spielman and their respective staffs.
      Asked directly if anyone from the organization has met with Favre in the last week, Wilf said, “I’m not aware of any meeting.

      “But, the fact is, like I say, any football personnel matters, medical matters ,those types of issues, are really issues that we don’t typically discuss publicly,” Wilf said. “. And I hope the fans and the media can appreciate that. Because that’s the right way, we feel, to get the best product on the field and get our ultimate goal of a Super Bowl championship.”

      Since ESPN reported last Tuesday that Childress was planning to meet with Favre, the Vikings have been mum on the matter, which has become the central NFL story in a usually quiet period of the offseason.

      The Vikings don’t need to rush into any decision regarding Favre because they seem to be the only team competing for his services. By all accounts, Favre only wants to play for the Vikings, which means the team can take its time analyzing his health and whether or not pursuing him is the right move for the 2009 season. (Any consideration past 2009 wouldn’t be worth discussing since Favre changes his mind more than a 16-year old girl in possession of her father’s credit card while at the mall.)

      NFL

      Spot open for favorite Rachel Alexandra to run at Preakness

      May 11, 2009 /

      A spot has opened for odds favorite Rachel Alexandra to run in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, ironically thanks to the owner of Triple Crown contender Mine That Bird.

      Mine That Bird owner Mark Allen said Monday he wouldn’t enter colt Indy Express into the second jewel of the Triple Crown. That clears the way for the Kentucky Oaks winner to enter the field of 14 for Saturday’s race at Pimlico.

      Allen had considered entering Indy Express — winless in nine career starts — over the weekend to take a spot from Rachel Alexandra, but he reconsidered after talking to Mine That Bird trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. and co-owner Leonard Blach.

      The race is limited to 14 starters, with preference given to those already pre-nominated to the Triple Crown.

      Good for Allen. He would have been vilified had he entered a winless Indy Express just so that Rachel Alexandra (Mine That Bird’s chief competition) couldn’t run in the Preakness.

      Rachel Alexandra has been flawless so far in 2009, winning seven of her last nine races. She would add a little excitement to the Preakness, especially after Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago despite being a 50/1 long shot.

      General Sports

      If Manny was juicing in Boston, are Red Sox championships tainted?

      May 11, 2009 /

      When you put aside the notion that he cheated the game of baseball for his own personal gain, what most people are generally upset about in regards to Barry Bonds and steroids is that he broke Hank Aaron’s home run record. Not only was he allegedly juicing, but in doing so, he also broke one of the most sacred records in all of baseball and most are calling for his name to be scratched from the record books.

      In the wake of Manny Ramirez’s 50-game suspension, there’s another topic that should be broached, similar to Bonds’ home run record. Considering Manny hit cleanup for the Red Sox’ two championship teams this decade and also won MVP of Boston’s World Series sweep of the Cardinals in 2004, should the BoSox’ titles be considered tainted if Ramirez was on steroids?

      To get the semantics out of the way first, no, Manny didn’t test positive for steroids. He only tested positive for a women’s fertility drug that is often used by athletes and bodybuilders to restore testosterone levels after steroid cycles. To be fair, Ramirez has never tested positive for steroids and therefore anything linking him to PEDs should be considered speculation.

      However, if we’re truly being fair, Bonds never tested positive for steroids either. Yet, because his head grew to the size of a small watermelon and his physique went from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk over the course of only a couple of years, it’s safe to say that Bonds was on some kind of human growth hormone and therefore his accomplishments should be questioned and criticized.

      And so should the Red Sox’s two World Series titles.

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      MLB

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