Author: Christopher Glotfelty (Page 41 of 67)

      Bolt wins 100-meter race; sets new world record

      August 16, 2009 /

      It’s just unfair. Sprinters already receive little national coverage as it is, so the IAAF World Championships and the Olympics are really the only times millions can witness their ability. In Beijing, Usain Bolt set world records for both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. Going into the world track and field championships in Berlin, Bolt’s record time in the 100-meter was 9.69 seconds. Still, many assumed his time would have been faster in Beijing if he hadn’t pumped his chest towards the end. His main threats going into this race were fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay. If you listened to the television commentary, Bolt was heavily favored to win.

      He did just that, setting a new world record in the 100-meter with an unbelievable time of 9.58 seconds. Bolt, Gay, and Powell all got great jumps, but Bolt never surrendered his lead. It’s interesting how far .12 seconds separates two individuals when they are running at such a speed as Bolt clearly wasn’t in danger of losing. Gay, who took second, ran a time of 9.71, which is the third fastest ever recorded in this race. Still, Bolt’s performance overshadowed everything. He is the first man to run under 9.6 seconds in the 100-meter and simply continues to break his own records.

      Both Gay and Bolt will compete in the 200-meter at the IAAF World Championships. Round 1 begins Tuesday.

      General Sports

      Is John Smoltz worth the risk?

      August 15, 2009 /

      smoltz

      It’s funny, because nobody was asking this question at the beginning of the season. Every baseball fan thought the Red Sox made a wise move in signing Smoltz. Unfortunately, after a disastrous return from the DL, the Red Sox decided to place the future Hall of Famer on waivers. Down but not out, the 42 year-old Smoltz is essentially saying, “F-that” and is looking for a new team.

      The Dodgers, Rangers, Cardinals and Marlins are among the teams that will be interested in Smoltz if he becomes a free agent, sources said.

      A trade is possible because Smoltz has cleared waivers, but the bonuses in his contract would complicate negotiations with the Red Sox.

      A release is more likely, according to major-league executives.

      Smoltz receives about $35,000 for each day he is on the active roster and other appearance-based bonuses. He also receives a $500,000 bonus if he is on the active roster and not the disabled list on the last day of the season and a $500,000 bonus if he is traded.

      If Boston releases Smoltz, the Red Sox will be obligated to pay the remainder of his one-year, $5.5 million contract he signed in the offseason.

      Wow. Looks like Smoltz and his agent worked out a pretty sweet deal during the offseason. In the twilight of my career, I’d love to make $35 grand a day and not have to do anything. Joking aside, I know Smoltz still wants to play. Just because he came back and was disastrous as a starter doesn’t mean he couldn’t help a playoff contender in a relief role. People forget that before joining the Red Sox, Smoltz had spent his entire career in the National League. He has plenty of experience as both a starter and closer. In 21 seasons, Smoltz has earned eight All-Star selections, 212 wins, 154 saves, 3,044 strikeouts, a Cy Young award, and a World Series ring. Not to mention, as we head down the stretch, the guy has more post-season wins than any pitcher in the history of baseball. Hmm, I think somebody will pick him up.

      But who? It’s obvious no American League team will take a crack at him considering how hitters in that league owned him. He’s still owed a couple million dollars from his contract, so Smoltz is only desirable to a serious World Series contender from the NL. That being said, I doubt the Rockies, Giants, Brewers, Cubs, Marlins, or even the Braves, his old club, will bite. The way the Phillies have been playing, they look like the most stable team in the National League. Even though Brad Lidge is currently as good as a human tee, manager Charlie Manuel has kept his faith in the troubled closer. Besides Lidge, the rest of the Phillies relief has been solid. As for the Marlins, they could use Smoltz in the closing role, as both Matt Lindstrom and Leo Nunez have been shaky all year. Still, they are the Marlins, and I can’t see them spending the money. That leaves the Cardinals and Dodgers. Ryan Franklin has been a pleasant surprise as the Cardinals closer, but the team could use Smoltz in their middle relief. I just wonder how much much they’re willing to invest in a risk like Smoltz, especially after picking up the $6 million left on Matt Holliday’s contract.

      Before the trade deadline, the Dodgers acquired Orioles closer George Sherrill for next to nothing. He’s currently being used as a setup man for Jonathan Broxton. After being so dominant at the beginning of the season, Broxton is now struggling, and the Dodgers are in need of another reliever familiar with high-pressure situations. This is where John Smoltz and the Dodgers make sense. When Manny Ramirez was suspended earlier this season for steroid use, he had to return $7.7 million of his contract to the Dodgers. This money could be used to sign the veteran pitcher.

      I’d love to see Smoltz pitch again in the playoffs so I hope a deal gets done. We’ll find out soon enough, as the Red Sox need to either trade or release him by Monday.

      MLB

      2009 world track and field championships start today

      August 15, 2009 /

      track

      In the same way Michael Phelps has rejuvenated interest in swimming, Usain Bolt’s world record-breaking 100 and 200 meter runs at the recent Olympics gave track and field a needed shot in the arm. Since American favorite Tyson Gay was unable to compete, many have waited to see if he can hold his own against Bolt, who is currently at the top of his game. For those who follow the sport, even minimally, the 2009 IAAF World Championships are what they’ve been waiting for.

      Assuming the field holds to form and body parts hold up, they should go head-to-head for the first time in more than a year at the world track and field championships, which start Saturday in Berlin and run through Aug. 23. The 100 begins with two rounds Saturday and the semifinals and final Sunday.

      The Bolt-Gay showdown never materialized in Beijing last year after Gay pulled a left hamstring muscle in the U.S. Olympic trials the month before the Games. His training and acceleration compromised, he was a non-factor, faltering in the 100 semifinals. The last time the two met was May 2008 in New York, where Bolt shocked the track world with the first of his two 100 world records, 9.72 to Gay’s 9.85.

      In Beijing, Bolt made a mockery of the sprints despite being a neophyte in the 100 after years as a 200 specialist. He set a world record of 9.69 in the 100 and won by 0.20 despite thumping his chest, looking around and coasting the final 20 meters. In the 200 he broke Michael Johnson’s supposedly untouchable mark of 19.32 from 1996 with a 19.30, winning by 0.66 seconds.

      Just when Bolt, 22, appeared to make every other sprinter in the world irrelevant, Gay, 27, has produced a comeback season.

      Gay rates himself “in the best shape of my life,” despite a nagging groin injury that could require postseason surgery.

      Word is both Gay and Bolt easily won their quarterfinal races. They will race in different heats in the semis tomorrow. Granted they both advance, they will meet in the anticipated final later in the day.

      Some of you may remember Usafa Powell, also from Jamaica, who was once a world record holder in the 100. The Jamaican team originally wanted to cut him because he did not attend a mandatory training camp earlier in the year. Thankfully, as those realize he is the only legitimate threat to Bolt and Gay, the IAAF insisted Powell compete. He has advanced into the semis as well.

      You can catch the championships, including other track and field events, today on Versus at 7 PM ET.

      General Sports

      Ozzie Guillen warns opposing pitchers

      August 9, 2009 /

      Guillen

      White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is sick and tired of his batters getting beaned, intentional or not.

      Guillen was upset Sunday after Paul Konerko, Scott Podsednik and Gordon Beckham got hit by pitches by the Cleveland staff a night earlier in Chicago’s 8-5 win. Guillen acknowledged he didn’t think the Indians were throwing at them, but he’s had enough of watching his players get hit.

      “Yesterday I get upset, they hit one guy and they throw in into another guy. I got upset. I know for a fact they’re not throwing at nobody, but enough is enough,” Guillen said. “I have Konerko bruised all over the place. Around the league, be careful because we’re going to hit people. I don’t care if I get suspended because I need to protect my players.”

      The White Sox have been hit by pitches 45 times this season, fifth in the majors. The Indians have been hit 65 times, most in the majors.

      I feel like this “retaliation” is happening a lot this season. When players get hit, the other team later throws at their star player. This seems to be happening even in games where the outcome is a forgone conclusion and I’m not sure why. The issue is only getting worse. When Prince Fielder was hit by Guillermo Mota, he tried to confront Mota in the locker room after the game. Of course, Mota only threw at Fielder because the Brewers hit Manny Ramirez.

      I know Ozzie Guillen is trying to protect his batters by issuing this warning, but he should care about being suspended. Teams need their managers and Guillen knows this. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf can’t be too pleased. He’s paying Guillen to manage games, not get thrown out of them.

      If a player is crowding the plate then fine, brush them back. Guillen’s right in that if the pitcher is unable to do that without hitting the batter, then he shouldn’t even attempt it. It just makes for messy baseball and umpires need to wise up. They’re beginning to crack down on pitchers, but they’re going to need to be even stricter if this continues.

      MLB

      Ortiz represents our immunity towards steroids

      August 9, 2009 /

      Steve Buckley of The Boston Herald thinks that fans will just have to deal with the fact that some of these players may not have known what substances they were actually taking in the past. Since the players might have been in the dark, the fans will never get answers.

      In what continues to be a complicated issue in which facts and innuendo collide, creating an awkward, interpretative truth, it comes down to this: Anybody with an interest in baseball, from fans and media to industry employees and the players themselves, is forced, in the end, to make a judgment call about all this.

      It’s a little like viewing an abstract painting: What you see, what you feel, may be far different from what the person standing next to you is seeing, feeling.

      And so it is with David Ortiz.

      But perhaps some Yankees – and some of Big Papi’s teammates – viewed the entire scene from afar, wondering if their name will be the next released.

      It’s the world in which the players now live.

      It’s the world in which anyone who follows baseball now lives.

      I hate all this pussyfooting. If a player took a supplement that “may or may not have contained steroids,” I view the issue in the same light as just doing the real drugs. It’s like finding a paper bag full of money hidden in a bush. You know that money is there under shaky circumstances, but you might take it anyway and walk away with an unexpected payday. Still, it’s not kosher. These players knew they were getting into some risky business when they walked into these “stores” or “doctor’s offices” and are willing to feign ignorance.

      Find a picture of David Ortiz from the height of his career. Now look at Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez from theirs. Now go find a photo of Hank Aaron from any point of his career. Case closed.

      If guys like David Ortiz really cared about “keeping it clean,” they would have made sure the substance didn’t contain a steroid. Whatever he was taking, it allowed him to put up bloated numbers that he’ll never again be able to replicate. To me, that’s evidence enough. I hope I’m proven wrong. Then again, like most real baseball fans, I take the last 15 years of the game with a grain of salt.

      Hank Aaron never hit over 50 home runs in a season. However, he did hit 755 in his career, but none of them went over 500 ft. into impossible territory. I don’t think too much about the suspicion surrounding Ortiz because I already know the answer. None of those guys were for real.

      MLB

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