FOXBORO, Mass – The New England Revolution became the inaugural SuperLiga Champions after defeating the Houston Dynamo in a shootout that capped off a wild affair Tuesday night in Gillette Stadium.
After 2 hours of play, the 2-2 tie sent the match into a shootout. In the eighth round of penalty shots while tied at five, New England defender Chris Albright put one through, and Dynamo midfielder Cory Ashe hit the crossbar to clinch it for the Revs. Bob Kraft, Head Coach Steve Nicol, and Revs were celebrating with the SuperLiga Trophy on a confetti-laden field at the stroke of midnight.
“We shouldn’t be surprised, our boys pride themselves on the commitment and the passion of the game and to each other, and that was really what got us through it,” Nicol said after the two hour and forty-five contest. “They backed each other up tonight and that is what got us the result at the end of the day.”
Nicol touched on pride and passion a few times in the post-game press conference, perhaps a telling sign of what the players feed off of in the finals of a tournament in front of 9,232 fans that some critics failed to legitimize. But perhaps even the harshest of critics might have conceded that the intensity of the game rivaled any other between the two rivals.
In the 18th minute a defensive lapse in front of New England’s net led to a Nate Jaqua unassisted goal putting the Dynamo up one early on. The Revs would continue the trend of fighting from behind for the rest of the evening.
Right before the conclusion of the First Half, at the 41st minute, Revs forward Steve Ralston caught the rebound of a Mauricio Castro shot, and tied the game at one a piece. No one would score until the two fifteen minute overtime periods began. Then just eight minutes in, Houston would regain the lead when Kei Kamara, who was subbed into the game, caught a pass from Brian Ching that he fired passed Revs Keeper Matt Reis. Steve Alston would contribute yet again. He had a free kick that was re-directed by Shalrie Joseph into the Houston goal in the 102nd minute.
The Revolution had fired the latest shot at the Dynamo in their latest encounter in what has become a storied MLS rivalry.
“Both teams kind of made each other, as far as that’s concerned, [they’re] great professionals, to a man,” added Nicol. “It must’ve been exciting to watch. If we could get a game like that in the MLS Cup Final, between the two teams, I would vote for that as well,” Steve Nicol.
Houston Head Coach Dominic Kinnear would too, he echoed the same sentiment, “I was saying [after the game], I hope we play them one more time this year, and that would be the MLS Cup Final…it would be a nice storyline.”
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
First-place PawSox will be without Moss
PAWTUCKET—The PawSox fell victim to a deadline deal. The first-place Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox will be without the team’s Left Fielder and number-three hitter Brandon Moss.
The International League All-Star was traded along with Red Sox reliever and former first-round pick Craig Hansen, and Third Baseman Andy LaRoche and Class A pitching prospect Bryan Morris from the LA Dodgers to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a part of a three-way trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, and Jason Bay to the Red Sox.
Pawtucket Manager Ron Johnson, who is no stranger to losing his players to the Big League Club is in the middle of an International League pennant race, but he fully understands this part of the job.
“I’m really glad we’re winning, but there’s one place we want to win,” Johnson reasoned in his office after a thrilling 7-6 walk-off win over Rochester on Thursday night. “We want to make sure these guys are prepared to help Tito in the big leagues. So Mossy gets traded, Hansen gets traded, well, they’re our guys, we love ‘em, but the bottom line is that we had a need. Those guys were a part of the puzzle to help [bring in Bay]. They were marketable enough to be guys that someone else would take and put in the big leagues, so that we can acquire [Bay].”
Johnson was without Moss while the outfielder appeared in thirty-four games for Boston this year. He hit .295 and, perhaps most notably, played for an injured J.D. Drew in the Red Sox season opener in Japan where he homered off A’s closer Huston Street to tie the game in ninth.
He was the everyday Left Fielder for Johnson and hit third in the PawSox batting order. He totaled 16 homeruns and 78 RBIs while hitting .282 in 43 games for Pawtucket in 2008.
Although Johnson isn’t asking anyone to come in a replace what most considered a Major League hitter in Moss, PawSox reliever Jon Switzer, a former Tampa Bay Devil Ray, is confident that players will step up.
“I think any time you move a player like him there are spots that open up. It’s great for the guys here,” said Switzer, the winning pitcher in the game Moss was pulled from some three hours before the first pitch. “And the team does it for a reason, they know those spots can be filled. That’s one of the things about this game, the more spots that can be filled, then the better the organization is, and this organization is really deep.”
Switzer is right, all you have to do is take a look at the box scores to see which former Red Sox farm hands are contributing: Dustin Pedroia is fifth in the American League with a .317 batting average, Jacoby Ellsbury’s 35 stolen bases lead the AL, Jon Lester just received the League’s Pitcher of the Month award for the month of July, and their closer is All-Star Jon Papelbon. And this was also the same organization that National Superstar Hanley Ramirez came up in.
To say that Moss has big shoes to fill might be an understatement, but his old teammates in Pawtucket certainly have high hopes for him. “We’re all excited for Mossy to get the opportunity to play in the Big Leagues,” Fellow All-Star Joe Thurston said. And Switzer added, “I think it’s exciting for him, he’s going to go over there and be an everyday player, it looks like, and he deserves it, he’s a great player."
Moss packed his bags and left McCoy Stadium around 5:30pm when he learned of his future. He boarded a flight for Chicago to join his new team as they begin a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
The International League All-Star was traded along with Red Sox reliever and former first-round pick Craig Hansen, and Third Baseman Andy LaRoche and Class A pitching prospect Bryan Morris from the LA Dodgers to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a part of a three-way trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, and Jason Bay to the Red Sox.
Pawtucket Manager Ron Johnson, who is no stranger to losing his players to the Big League Club is in the middle of an International League pennant race, but he fully understands this part of the job.
“I’m really glad we’re winning, but there’s one place we want to win,” Johnson reasoned in his office after a thrilling 7-6 walk-off win over Rochester on Thursday night. “We want to make sure these guys are prepared to help Tito in the big leagues. So Mossy gets traded, Hansen gets traded, well, they’re our guys, we love ‘em, but the bottom line is that we had a need. Those guys were a part of the puzzle to help [bring in Bay]. They were marketable enough to be guys that someone else would take and put in the big leagues, so that we can acquire [Bay].”
Johnson was without Moss while the outfielder appeared in thirty-four games for Boston this year. He hit .295 and, perhaps most notably, played for an injured J.D. Drew in the Red Sox season opener in Japan where he homered off A’s closer Huston Street to tie the game in ninth.
He was the everyday Left Fielder for Johnson and hit third in the PawSox batting order. He totaled 16 homeruns and 78 RBIs while hitting .282 in 43 games for Pawtucket in 2008.
Although Johnson isn’t asking anyone to come in a replace what most considered a Major League hitter in Moss, PawSox reliever Jon Switzer, a former Tampa Bay Devil Ray, is confident that players will step up.
“I think any time you move a player like him there are spots that open up. It’s great for the guys here,” said Switzer, the winning pitcher in the game Moss was pulled from some three hours before the first pitch. “And the team does it for a reason, they know those spots can be filled. That’s one of the things about this game, the more spots that can be filled, then the better the organization is, and this organization is really deep.”
Switzer is right, all you have to do is take a look at the box scores to see which former Red Sox farm hands are contributing: Dustin Pedroia is fifth in the American League with a .317 batting average, Jacoby Ellsbury’s 35 stolen bases lead the AL, Jon Lester just received the League’s Pitcher of the Month award for the month of July, and their closer is All-Star Jon Papelbon. And this was also the same organization that National Superstar Hanley Ramirez came up in.
To say that Moss has big shoes to fill might be an understatement, but his old teammates in Pawtucket certainly have high hopes for him. “We’re all excited for Mossy to get the opportunity to play in the Big Leagues,” Fellow All-Star Joe Thurston said. And Switzer added, “I think it’s exciting for him, he’s going to go over there and be an everyday player, it looks like, and he deserves it, he’s a great player."
Moss packed his bags and left McCoy Stadium around 5:30pm when he learned of his future. He boarded a flight for Chicago to join his new team as they begin a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hall's Well for Captain Pete
Thick blonde mutton-chops, fifth-inning sprints to right-field, keeping score from the bench, and the occasional pinch-hitting appearance used to be synonymous with light-hearted Lions corner infielder Pete Hall.
The burly native of North Canton, Ohio was forced to change the perception of his coaches and teammates, and last season he may have done just that. In 10 pinch-hitting appearances and just two starts Hall finished the 2008 Emerson Lions campaign with four base hits in thirteen at-bats batting .308.
“Pete became a guy that, by the end of the season, we weren’t afraid to give at-bats to,” said Lions Head Coach David Hanley. “He’s been with us since I first got here, he was a freshman, and he’s never lost confidence when he wasn’t getting all the opportunities.”
For three years Hall was blocked at first base, the position he played almost exclusively since he was nine years old in North Canton Little League. Hulking lefty Brian Fennessey, who has twice represented the Lions on collegiate All-Conference teams, manned the right corner of the infield when he wasn’t putting up stellar numbers as a pitcher.
“It’s obviously nothing against Fenn, he was great, but I thought I should’ve been the guy when he was pitching,” said Hall about the lack of playing time.
The go-to guys for Hanley instead were Ken Gold and Kent Anderson. Gold, Class of 2008, joined the team and the College in 2007 touting himself as a lefty pitcher with heat and a power bat. In eleven at-bats mostly off the bench, Gold had zero hits for the 2008 Lions.
“Early on it was mostly Kenny Gold [who’d take over at First], but then I think we all realized he had misinformed us,” said club leader Kent Anderson. “As far as me, I would play anywhere coach told me to. We really had nine starters that would find a position to play, because our offense had struggled against good pitchers, and Coach thought he had no other choice.”
Anderson, also a recent graduate with a Bachelors degree in Print Journalism, sported a .411 batting-average in 2008, was moved from third base to centerfield in 2008, he also appeared in right-field, both corner infield spots, at first, and on the mound for Emerson.
“I think his reputation as a funny guy kind of cost him playing time. We were losing and it’s hard to laugh when you’re losing,” added Anderson on Hall lack of playing time.
“My friends on the team were all gone, and sitting on the bench was driving me crazy. I honestly think that if I didn’t take a lighter look at things I would’ve quit,” said Hall who had a sense of humor that some on the team never quite understood. He realized that and made some effort to shed that side of his baseball personality. “I found that once I started keeping to myself a bit more, and getting everyone to cheer in the dugout, I was looked at as more of a serious player.”
And perhaps it was no coincidence that Hall got more at-bats, and perhaps also that he was more successful than he had ever been in the Lions purple and black.
David Hanley seems to have bought some stock in Hall. In an E-Mail to the team, the Head Coach recently anointed Pete one of the three captains of the 2009 Emerson Baseball Lions.
“Honestly I did want the invisible “C” on my jersey,” jokes Hall, “I was worried that they’d go some other way, especially because I’m not going to be here in the Fall, but I am honestly very happy about that.”
Pete will miss the early fall workouts with the team, the TV/Video Major and Executive Director for Emerson College’s award-winning EIV Unsportsmanlike Conduct TV Show is headed to California for the school’s Los Angeles program.
While not thrilled about one of his captain missing the early workouts, Hanley though, doesn’t think Hall’s absence will hurt his progress too much.
“He worked three years for this, I think he deserves the opportunity to go [to LA]. I know that when he comes back he’ll take care of business and catch up. Over the years he has shown he is responsible.”
And Hall’s former teammates are thrilled that Pete appears to be getting his due.
Robinson Brown, Class of 2009, pitched for Lions in the team’s final season at Club level, he said, “Pete’s the nicest guy in the world, almost to a fault. I think it will work out. If he plays, he will lead by example.”
“Because of his age, and will to play, I think I always thought Pete would take over this team,” said Kent Anderson, a complement in high regard from an Emerson Athlete that was highly successful.
The burly native of North Canton, Ohio was forced to change the perception of his coaches and teammates, and last season he may have done just that. In 10 pinch-hitting appearances and just two starts Hall finished the 2008 Emerson Lions campaign with four base hits in thirteen at-bats batting .308.
“Pete became a guy that, by the end of the season, we weren’t afraid to give at-bats to,” said Lions Head Coach David Hanley. “He’s been with us since I first got here, he was a freshman, and he’s never lost confidence when he wasn’t getting all the opportunities.”
For three years Hall was blocked at first base, the position he played almost exclusively since he was nine years old in North Canton Little League. Hulking lefty Brian Fennessey, who has twice represented the Lions on collegiate All-Conference teams, manned the right corner of the infield when he wasn’t putting up stellar numbers as a pitcher.
“It’s obviously nothing against Fenn, he was great, but I thought I should’ve been the guy when he was pitching,” said Hall about the lack of playing time.
The go-to guys for Hanley instead were Ken Gold and Kent Anderson. Gold, Class of 2008, joined the team and the College in 2007 touting himself as a lefty pitcher with heat and a power bat. In eleven at-bats mostly off the bench, Gold had zero hits for the 2008 Lions.
“Early on it was mostly Kenny Gold [who’d take over at First], but then I think we all realized he had misinformed us,” said club leader Kent Anderson. “As far as me, I would play anywhere coach told me to. We really had nine starters that would find a position to play, because our offense had struggled against good pitchers, and Coach thought he had no other choice.”
Anderson, also a recent graduate with a Bachelors degree in Print Journalism, sported a .411 batting-average in 2008, was moved from third base to centerfield in 2008, he also appeared in right-field, both corner infield spots, at first, and on the mound for Emerson.
“I think his reputation as a funny guy kind of cost him playing time. We were losing and it’s hard to laugh when you’re losing,” added Anderson on Hall lack of playing time.
“My friends on the team were all gone, and sitting on the bench was driving me crazy. I honestly think that if I didn’t take a lighter look at things I would’ve quit,” said Hall who had a sense of humor that some on the team never quite understood. He realized that and made some effort to shed that side of his baseball personality. “I found that once I started keeping to myself a bit more, and getting everyone to cheer in the dugout, I was looked at as more of a serious player.”
And perhaps it was no coincidence that Hall got more at-bats, and perhaps also that he was more successful than he had ever been in the Lions purple and black.
David Hanley seems to have bought some stock in Hall. In an E-Mail to the team, the Head Coach recently anointed Pete one of the three captains of the 2009 Emerson Baseball Lions.
“Honestly I did want the invisible “C” on my jersey,” jokes Hall, “I was worried that they’d go some other way, especially because I’m not going to be here in the Fall, but I am honestly very happy about that.”
Pete will miss the early fall workouts with the team, the TV/Video Major and Executive Director for Emerson College’s award-winning EIV Unsportsmanlike Conduct TV Show is headed to California for the school’s Los Angeles program.
While not thrilled about one of his captain missing the early workouts, Hanley though, doesn’t think Hall’s absence will hurt his progress too much.
“He worked three years for this, I think he deserves the opportunity to go [to LA]. I know that when he comes back he’ll take care of business and catch up. Over the years he has shown he is responsible.”
And Hall’s former teammates are thrilled that Pete appears to be getting his due.
Robinson Brown, Class of 2009, pitched for Lions in the team’s final season at Club level, he said, “Pete’s the nicest guy in the world, almost to a fault. I think it will work out. If he plays, he will lead by example.”
“Because of his age, and will to play, I think I always thought Pete would take over this team,” said Kent Anderson, a complement in high regard from an Emerson Athlete that was highly successful.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
YES to a Four-Game Win Streak
The Yankees are three games out of the American League Wild Card spot. The Bombers romped the Twins Monday on the YES Network.
Michael Kay and Al Leiter had the call on the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network. Kay is a former radio voice of the team. He is now the lead play-by-play voice for the Yankees TV, and also hosts the Afternoon drive-time ESPN Radio show. What a job for a guy who went to Bronx Science High School just a few block away from The Stadium.
Leiter was a Big League pitcher for 19 seasons. The Toms River, NJ native was drafted by the Yankees, he then pitched for the Blue Jays, Marlins, Mets, back to the Marlins, and finally back in Pinstripes on July 17, 2005 for a game in Fenway Park. He is a two-time World Series Champion, two time All-Star, won 162 games after an injury-riddle introduction to The Show. He may remembered best for a 142-pitch performance in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series against the Yankees. The Mets lost that clinching game in extras.
The two are naturals for the job they now have on the YES Network. Kay could tell you seemingly any baseball fact, not just Yankee stories, almost at will. And Leiter loves to talk about the game, of course talk about pitching, and some might say he just loves to talk. Towards the end of his career, when his teams didn't make the playoffs he was a favorite guest analyst for FOX Sports' Post-Season coverage.
If announcing a baseball game on TV is supposed to feel like two pals sitting around talking baseball for (what is now) three hours, then Kay and Leiter have the formula down to a tee. That's what it felt like watching Monday's game against the Twins. They are friendly off the air, and the viewer could tell they don't stop discussing baseball once the red-light goes off.
Kay got his news items in as well. The big story for the Yankees was that All-Star catcher Jorge Posada was placed on the DL, and might require season-ending surgery. Leiter and Kay went back and forth pretty much all game on the attributes of back-up catcher Jose Molina, ultimately surmising that he's the kind of guy "like the guy across town in Endy Chavez" where the more at-bats he gets, the more you'd see why he is a back-up. They did make mention of his defensive ability, but all in all they were very fair on that subject.
Meanwhile the Yanks threw up 8 runs in the first 3 innings in a game started by Sidney Ponson. They chased the highly-touted Nick Blackburn out of the game after he got just 5 outs. As Minnesota tried to climb back into the game, the race was on at least from the TV booth, to see how Ponson would hold up, or if he would for that matter. He did.
There were some great All-Star stories along the way, including an "Ernie Banks is such a friendly guy" one, that seems to be going around and around. They highlighted Twin's All-Star catcher Joe Mauer. Kay said he his biggest thrill at the All-Star Game was finally getting to meet and talk with Yogi Berra. And because Mauer was drafted first overall by his hometown team, they got into a conversation about the pressure involved in that situation.
With a visit to Feway coming up on the Yankee schedule, the two got into a discussion about the rivalry. Kay asked Leiter if he really did feel different pitching against the Phillies, the Braves, or the Red Sox. Leiter politically stated that "a pitcher should", not really giving an answer. So Kay brings up Leiter's performance in 2005 in his first game back as a Yankee in Fenway Park "when everyone thought you were finished", Kay said. Leiter admitted he was pumped. That was a bit surprising to me, that he couldn't just come out and admit it right away. He always seemed like a real gutsy, emotional pitcher. Kay then asked if he was relaxed when Mariano was on the verge of blowing it in the ninth. Leiter said, "no, (aside from it being Mariano) it was out of my hands."
This apparently brought up a long-running argument between the two as to when a player should be more nervous: when he has control or when he doesn't have control. Kay took the former.
We were able to follow all of the riveting action of the 12-4 Yankee rout. Three Yankee hits left the yard, so we also got the obligatory Michael Kay "(outfielder's name) back, at the track, looking up, See Ya!!".
It looked like a fun night in the Bronx, but a fan didn't have to be there, because Kay and Leiter provided the fun for the folks at home.
Michael Kay and Al Leiter had the call on the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network. Kay is a former radio voice of the team. He is now the lead play-by-play voice for the Yankees TV, and also hosts the Afternoon drive-time ESPN Radio show. What a job for a guy who went to Bronx Science High School just a few block away from The Stadium.
Leiter was a Big League pitcher for 19 seasons. The Toms River, NJ native was drafted by the Yankees, he then pitched for the Blue Jays, Marlins, Mets, back to the Marlins, and finally back in Pinstripes on July 17, 2005 for a game in Fenway Park. He is a two-time World Series Champion, two time All-Star, won 162 games after an injury-riddle introduction to The Show. He may remembered best for a 142-pitch performance in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series against the Yankees. The Mets lost that clinching game in extras.
The two are naturals for the job they now have on the YES Network. Kay could tell you seemingly any baseball fact, not just Yankee stories, almost at will. And Leiter loves to talk about the game, of course talk about pitching, and some might say he just loves to talk. Towards the end of his career, when his teams didn't make the playoffs he was a favorite guest analyst for FOX Sports' Post-Season coverage.
If announcing a baseball game on TV is supposed to feel like two pals sitting around talking baseball for (what is now) three hours, then Kay and Leiter have the formula down to a tee. That's what it felt like watching Monday's game against the Twins. They are friendly off the air, and the viewer could tell they don't stop discussing baseball once the red-light goes off.
Kay got his news items in as well. The big story for the Yankees was that All-Star catcher Jorge Posada was placed on the DL, and might require season-ending surgery. Leiter and Kay went back and forth pretty much all game on the attributes of back-up catcher Jose Molina, ultimately surmising that he's the kind of guy "like the guy across town in Endy Chavez" where the more at-bats he gets, the more you'd see why he is a back-up. They did make mention of his defensive ability, but all in all they were very fair on that subject.
Meanwhile the Yanks threw up 8 runs in the first 3 innings in a game started by Sidney Ponson. They chased the highly-touted Nick Blackburn out of the game after he got just 5 outs. As Minnesota tried to climb back into the game, the race was on at least from the TV booth, to see how Ponson would hold up, or if he would for that matter. He did.
There were some great All-Star stories along the way, including an "Ernie Banks is such a friendly guy" one, that seems to be going around and around. They highlighted Twin's All-Star catcher Joe Mauer. Kay said he his biggest thrill at the All-Star Game was finally getting to meet and talk with Yogi Berra. And because Mauer was drafted first overall by his hometown team, they got into a conversation about the pressure involved in that situation.
With a visit to Feway coming up on the Yankee schedule, the two got into a discussion about the rivalry. Kay asked Leiter if he really did feel different pitching against the Phillies, the Braves, or the Red Sox. Leiter politically stated that "a pitcher should", not really giving an answer. So Kay brings up Leiter's performance in 2005 in his first game back as a Yankee in Fenway Park "when everyone thought you were finished", Kay said. Leiter admitted he was pumped. That was a bit surprising to me, that he couldn't just come out and admit it right away. He always seemed like a real gutsy, emotional pitcher. Kay then asked if he was relaxed when Mariano was on the verge of blowing it in the ninth. Leiter said, "no, (aside from it being Mariano) it was out of my hands."
This apparently brought up a long-running argument between the two as to when a player should be more nervous: when he has control or when he doesn't have control. Kay took the former.
We were able to follow all of the riveting action of the 12-4 Yankee rout. Three Yankee hits left the yard, so we also got the obligatory Michael Kay "(outfielder's name) back, at the track, looking up, See Ya!!".
It looked like a fun night in the Bronx, but a fan didn't have to be there, because Kay and Leiter provided the fun for the folks at home.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I Can't Stand Jon Papelbon
Preface: I'm from New York, and I don't "root root root for the Red Sox".
Jonathan Papelbon has been a phenomenal pitcher, probably all of his life, and certainly since he was brought up to the Big Leagues in 2005. BUT...The Closer Jonathan Papelbon, makes me sick. It's ironic that "Big League" and "Papelbon" are in the same sentence, because although he's got Big League heat and a Big League Splitter, everything else he does is Bush League.
Let's start with the little grimace he does on the mound when he stares in for a sign. To me, this look is a complete joke. It looks extremely forced, like he's trying to be something he's not. He seems to be going for intimidation. He's 27, he doesn't look a day over 17, and still probably couldn't grow a beard, and he's trying to intimidate Major League batters with his face? Come on now. The fact that the guy throws in the upper 90's should be enough, right? Not with Paps, everything he does is overkill. As a fan I'm dying for someone, anyone, to ask for time, step out of the box, and just burst out laughing at what a pathetic display of "I'm the closer, hear me roar" the pitcher is trying to exude.
Obviously if someone were to do that, it would admittedly take some guts, because they would run the risk of Craps blowing a 95 mph fastball right in front of the batter's eyes. I couldn't really fault him for that though, but I would have to tip my cap.
Now for what I'll call the Crap Dance. To be fair (at least in this instance), if a guy doesn't give up any runs on the way to saving 4 play-off games, 3 in the World Series alone including the nail-biting clincher, I'll be the first to say he could celebrate pretty much any way he wants. But that doesn't mean I can't ridicule him for choosing to celebrate the way he does. While some might look at Papelbon and see a brash, fun-loving, lights-out pitcher who's got a little swagger in his step, I just see a punk. I'm glad he's having a good time, but unfortunately speaking as a front-row witness to the '07 World Series Parade, it also comes off as forced, not mentioned idiotic.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching the greatest and classiest closer of all time on my local TV, but maybe not. I understand that people are different, Papelbon's younger, and they came from different backgrounds and up-bringings, but that doesn't make him right. The fact is that Mariano Rivera set the bar for how a closer should perform on the mound. Perhaps even bigger than that, Mariano very well could have taught a generation of young athletes how to win, and how to act when you win. Sure Papelbon doesn't have to be just like Mo, but in behaving the way he does, in my eyes, he sets his position back twenty years.
Close the All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium? Please. Terry Francona mediated that one real quick.
The truth is I am surprised that I haven't heard or read more stuff about Craps rubbing people the wrong way. Last year in New York we certainly did about Lastings Milledge, who kind behaves on the same line. The difference is that Papelbons produces, once he stops it'd be easy to see New England turn on the Crap Dance real quick.
This year's Home Run Derby was a great show, the All-Star Game was even better. And while I feel for his wife-no pregnant woman should feel threatened in any way, ever-I do find it a little amusing that the only one who didn't have a good time was ol' Jon-boy. Yes you want to share these moments with your loved-ones, but in retrospect it doesn't seem like the wisest of moves.
Then again, no one talks about how wise he is...
Jonathan Papelbon has been a phenomenal pitcher, probably all of his life, and certainly since he was brought up to the Big Leagues in 2005. BUT...The Closer Jonathan Papelbon, makes me sick. It's ironic that "Big League" and "Papelbon" are in the same sentence, because although he's got Big League heat and a Big League Splitter, everything else he does is Bush League.
Let's start with the little grimace he does on the mound when he stares in for a sign. To me, this look is a complete joke. It looks extremely forced, like he's trying to be something he's not. He seems to be going for intimidation. He's 27, he doesn't look a day over 17, and still probably couldn't grow a beard, and he's trying to intimidate Major League batters with his face? Come on now. The fact that the guy throws in the upper 90's should be enough, right? Not with Paps, everything he does is overkill. As a fan I'm dying for someone, anyone, to ask for time, step out of the box, and just burst out laughing at what a pathetic display of "I'm the closer, hear me roar" the pitcher is trying to exude.
Obviously if someone were to do that, it would admittedly take some guts, because they would run the risk of Craps blowing a 95 mph fastball right in front of the batter's eyes. I couldn't really fault him for that though, but I would have to tip my cap.
Now for what I'll call the Crap Dance. To be fair (at least in this instance), if a guy doesn't give up any runs on the way to saving 4 play-off games, 3 in the World Series alone including the nail-biting clincher, I'll be the first to say he could celebrate pretty much any way he wants. But that doesn't mean I can't ridicule him for choosing to celebrate the way he does. While some might look at Papelbon and see a brash, fun-loving, lights-out pitcher who's got a little swagger in his step, I just see a punk. I'm glad he's having a good time, but unfortunately speaking as a front-row witness to the '07 World Series Parade, it also comes off as forced, not mentioned idiotic.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching the greatest and classiest closer of all time on my local TV, but maybe not. I understand that people are different, Papelbon's younger, and they came from different backgrounds and up-bringings, but that doesn't make him right. The fact is that Mariano Rivera set the bar for how a closer should perform on the mound. Perhaps even bigger than that, Mariano very well could have taught a generation of young athletes how to win, and how to act when you win. Sure Papelbon doesn't have to be just like Mo, but in behaving the way he does, in my eyes, he sets his position back twenty years.
Close the All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium? Please. Terry Francona mediated that one real quick.
The truth is I am surprised that I haven't heard or read more stuff about Craps rubbing people the wrong way. Last year in New York we certainly did about Lastings Milledge, who kind behaves on the same line. The difference is that Papelbons produces, once he stops it'd be easy to see New England turn on the Crap Dance real quick.
This year's Home Run Derby was a great show, the All-Star Game was even better. And while I feel for his wife-no pregnant woman should feel threatened in any way, ever-I do find it a little amusing that the only one who didn't have a good time was ol' Jon-boy. Yes you want to share these moments with your loved-ones, but in retrospect it doesn't seem like the wisest of moves.
Then again, no one talks about how wise he is...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Recaps all Happy in Mets 9th Straight Win
Game stories are what they are. If a particular game had a great story, then the recap certainly seems to have a little more zest to it. The only intangible, I believe, a writer can bring to the table in re-hashing a game's information, is to make the readers feel like he was there, or in the case that they didn't see the game--to make them feel they didn't miss anything. Anyone could just check out the box score, and see the results, but the writers--with the aid of quotes and stats--have the opportunity to tell even more of the story.
The game stories I reviewed were from the Mets-Rockies Sunday Night game, the last contest heading in to the 2008 All-Star Break. Behind eight shutout innings from starter Mike Pelfrey and a first-inning Carlos Beltran 3-run Home run, the Mets beat the Rox 7-0. In the process they won their ninth straight game, moving a half-game behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.
So for this reason, the three stories I looked at were all "Happy Recaps" to borrow a line from Mets Legend Bob Murphy.
Adam Rubin's story in the Daily News seemed to be peppered with the most opinion. He starts off by talking sarcastically asking whether the Mets really do have to take the All-Star Break. Then he hits the reader with the basic game details, and the current division standings. His first quote is from Beltran, but it's not about the home run or the game for that matter, the subject was back to the rough start the team got off to. Beltran says the other teams in the division didn't take advantage of the way they were playing, because of that they hung in there, and now he's happy where they're at.
Other details were the longest winning streaks by Mets pitchers, Pelfrey has won six in a row, and how his ERA has shrunk thanks to his 16 straight scoreless innings. And within his big-picture look in the single-game story, Rubin did highlight the double-play Damion Easley turned with two on in the fourth. He then opined that Easley was making injured second basemen Luis Castillo an afterthought. Rubin also quoted Pelfrey and Jerry Manuel in the article. Pelfrey's quote were actually about the game, where Manuel was talking about heading into the break.
Dave Skretta in the AP started his recap off also writing about the team heading into the All-Star break, but not surprisingly he takes a more optimistic approach. He wrote that Jerry Manuel said the break is coming at a good time, because players can rest up. "Care to reconsider?" was his question, and Manuel said that he is looking forward to getting back, and he's excited about the second half. I'll take that as Manuel saying he's not worried about coming out of the gate slow on Thursday, like Rubin might have been worried about in his News article.
Skretta then really gets into Pelfrey's performance, and the ovations he was recieving. He gets in a Pelfrey quote about how he was booed last year, and he never thought he wasn't capable of getting cheered. He counters those graphs with the other point of view. He provides some information about Rockies starter Mark Redman, including a quote from the lefty. Skretta gives a stat that Colorado now has the third-worst Pre-All Star Break record of any World Series team (in a non-strike year).
The reader then gets the info about the big double-play Easley turned in thr fourth, and he ends with Clint Hurdle saying the break is coming at a good time for his team, they've lost four in a row.
Long time Mets writer Marty Knoble on Mets.com gave the most passionate and detailed article. He opened up on the subject of the star of the game, Mike Pelfrey, and it seems finally, the reader would have been able to know that the Shea faithful were standing and chanting "Pelfrey...Pelfrey...", and the Mets starter took a curtain call after his eighth inning of work. Watching the game, it was the moment that made it. He quoted the righty with the power sinker with him saying how it sounded cool, and the whole night was really cool. Knoble even wrote "Pelfrey made the night, period," which was absolutely true.
He included all the game details, and went back a little further too, not as far as Rubin however. Knoble quoted Closer Billy Wagner talking about the three straight wins in Philadelphia changed the team. He had Manuel quotes, this time including that the manager said Pelfrey might leapfrog over some pitchers on the staff. He mentioned the team calls Pelfrey's sinker and bowling ball, and somewhere it was mentioned that Long Island's own Billy Joel will have a tough act to follow when he plays Shea on Wednesday.
I obviously liked Knoble's story the best. He met what i take to be the criteria of a good game story, as he really did a good job of capturing the game for the fan that didn't see it. The truth is, after reading the three articles, I can't say I am surprised. I don't think Rubin's a bad writer, but he took a slightly more pessimistic approach to the game story, and that's a huge problem that New York has--glass half-empty kind of sportswriters. The AP story was kind of basic, which again was not surprising, Skretta had to write the story for both Colorado and New York fan bases, and as far as that he did also did a good job in getting the details out there.
The game stories I reviewed were from the Mets-Rockies Sunday Night game, the last contest heading in to the 2008 All-Star Break. Behind eight shutout innings from starter Mike Pelfrey and a first-inning Carlos Beltran 3-run Home run, the Mets beat the Rox 7-0. In the process they won their ninth straight game, moving a half-game behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.
So for this reason, the three stories I looked at were all "Happy Recaps" to borrow a line from Mets Legend Bob Murphy.
Adam Rubin's story in the Daily News seemed to be peppered with the most opinion. He starts off by talking sarcastically asking whether the Mets really do have to take the All-Star Break. Then he hits the reader with the basic game details, and the current division standings. His first quote is from Beltran, but it's not about the home run or the game for that matter, the subject was back to the rough start the team got off to. Beltran says the other teams in the division didn't take advantage of the way they were playing, because of that they hung in there, and now he's happy where they're at.
Other details were the longest winning streaks by Mets pitchers, Pelfrey has won six in a row, and how his ERA has shrunk thanks to his 16 straight scoreless innings. And within his big-picture look in the single-game story, Rubin did highlight the double-play Damion Easley turned with two on in the fourth. He then opined that Easley was making injured second basemen Luis Castillo an afterthought. Rubin also quoted Pelfrey and Jerry Manuel in the article. Pelfrey's quote were actually about the game, where Manuel was talking about heading into the break.
Dave Skretta in the AP started his recap off also writing about the team heading into the All-Star break, but not surprisingly he takes a more optimistic approach. He wrote that Jerry Manuel said the break is coming at a good time, because players can rest up. "Care to reconsider?" was his question, and Manuel said that he is looking forward to getting back, and he's excited about the second half. I'll take that as Manuel saying he's not worried about coming out of the gate slow on Thursday, like Rubin might have been worried about in his News article.
Skretta then really gets into Pelfrey's performance, and the ovations he was recieving. He gets in a Pelfrey quote about how he was booed last year, and he never thought he wasn't capable of getting cheered. He counters those graphs with the other point of view. He provides some information about Rockies starter Mark Redman, including a quote from the lefty. Skretta gives a stat that Colorado now has the third-worst Pre-All Star Break record of any World Series team (in a non-strike year).
The reader then gets the info about the big double-play Easley turned in thr fourth, and he ends with Clint Hurdle saying the break is coming at a good time for his team, they've lost four in a row.
Long time Mets writer Marty Knoble on Mets.com gave the most passionate and detailed article. He opened up on the subject of the star of the game, Mike Pelfrey, and it seems finally, the reader would have been able to know that the Shea faithful were standing and chanting "Pelfrey...Pelfrey...", and the Mets starter took a curtain call after his eighth inning of work. Watching the game, it was the moment that made it. He quoted the righty with the power sinker with him saying how it sounded cool, and the whole night was really cool. Knoble even wrote "Pelfrey made the night, period," which was absolutely true.
He included all the game details, and went back a little further too, not as far as Rubin however. Knoble quoted Closer Billy Wagner talking about the three straight wins in Philadelphia changed the team. He had Manuel quotes, this time including that the manager said Pelfrey might leapfrog over some pitchers on the staff. He mentioned the team calls Pelfrey's sinker and bowling ball, and somewhere it was mentioned that Long Island's own Billy Joel will have a tough act to follow when he plays Shea on Wednesday.
I obviously liked Knoble's story the best. He met what i take to be the criteria of a good game story, as he really did a good job of capturing the game for the fan that didn't see it. The truth is, after reading the three articles, I can't say I am surprised. I don't think Rubin's a bad writer, but he took a slightly more pessimistic approach to the game story, and that's a huge problem that New York has--glass half-empty kind of sportswriters. The AP story was kind of basic, which again was not surprising, Skretta had to write the story for both Colorado and New York fan bases, and as far as that he did also did a good job in getting the details out there.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Scully, Still the Best
The Braves opened up a three-game set in Dodger Stadium on Monday night. If you were watching in the LA area, or fortunate enough to have to the MLB Extra Innings package you would have heard the call from Baseball Immortal Vin Scully on FSN’s Prime Ticket broadcast.
Scully is Eighty years old, and he doesn’t sound a day over 60, and well, twenty years younger ain’t bad. He still seems sharp as a proverbial tack, and equally as sharp are is broadcast journalism skills. And in a day in age, where the lines might blur between announcer and journalist, it’s clear Scully is still investigating the stories of players some sixty years his junior.
After years of watching baseball on various networks around the country, it seems when announcers introduce players at the start of a series he might tell you how the player’s season is going, some other facts on the press sheets, or a story that might have gone around the league and is invariably mentioned each time the players goes into a new town. The Immortal Scully seems to always scoop the others on stuff you just couldn’t imagine.
He brilliantly describes every nook and cranny of the each game’s story. And complete with fifty-eight years of first-hand experience, the Vin-man single-handedly (that is without a color guy to try and play off of) manages to bring the game even closer to the fans at home, with other nooks and crannies about each player. He does this to the degree that by the time the visitors leave town, they’re not just players on the ballfield, they are added to the games list of colorful characters, because Vin made it that way.
Yunel Escobar would be a great example. The 25 year old shortstop for Atlanta was born in Cuba, and defected to the States in 2004. This is the basic story you’ll hear from every other announcer. On a night the infielder batted-in three of his teams nine runs, Scully managed to tell the story in much greater depth. It turns out Escobar, who also had whistling problem in the Minors that especially annoyed Jeff “Frenchy” Francoeur (one of the best college safeties in the country during his own time at Clemson), traveled on a twenty-five foot long boat carrying twenty-five other defectors for two days through 8-10 foot waves until finally reaching the shores of Miami, Florida. He was later signed by Atlanta and has been a starting infielder on the team for two years now.
Also on Tuesday night in LA, the Braves actually managed to put a bunch of runs on the board, and routed the Dodgers 9-3. Rookie Jair Jurjjens, whose teammates we learned call him J.J. and speaks five languages, struck out six in six innings of work, while giving up a run on five hits to push his record to 9-4.
All-Star catcher Brian McCann, from a baseball family (his Dad runs a baseball school in Georgia and was an infielder from Upstate New York, he turned down an offer from the Twins to go to Mississippi State, while his brother was drafted by the Marlins out of Clemson) hit two solo-homers giving him 17 on the year.
Mark Kotsay, still recovering from a sore back, collected three hits and scored twice, but the hard-nosed Centerfielder might be remembered by the folks who know him best as the one-time Number One ranked BMXer in the world.
And of course it was Atlanta, and what’s a Braves game without a Bobby Cox story? Well apparently the all-time leader in manager ejections also argued for his eventual wife’s phone number the first time they met. It was 1977 in Rome, Georgia, and Bobby along with three other minor league teammates were in a clothing store. It seems in the days before this particular one, suits were being stolen from the store at an alarming rate. When Bobby’s gang came in, the store manager, called the police. They came and realized they had not been stealing suits and they were in fact ball players. Bobby said to the store manager Pam, “well look, you almost got me arrested, the least you could do is give me your phone number.” She did, and they married soon thereafter.
So well into Wednesday morning on the East Coast, the youngest voice ever to call a World Series at the age of 25 was still entertaining, humanizing the athletes on the field in a way that just isn’t done any more. Instead, as I flipped the channel over to an Angels-Rangers game, the color “analyst” was begging for Garrett Anderson to “hit a single just like ya did earlier.”
Vin wouldn’t do that, he’s too busy informing the audience, covering as much ground as he could, and telling as much about the game and its players for as long as there are outs to go.
Scully is Eighty years old, and he doesn’t sound a day over 60, and well, twenty years younger ain’t bad. He still seems sharp as a proverbial tack, and equally as sharp are is broadcast journalism skills. And in a day in age, where the lines might blur between announcer and journalist, it’s clear Scully is still investigating the stories of players some sixty years his junior.
After years of watching baseball on various networks around the country, it seems when announcers introduce players at the start of a series he might tell you how the player’s season is going, some other facts on the press sheets, or a story that might have gone around the league and is invariably mentioned each time the players goes into a new town. The Immortal Scully seems to always scoop the others on stuff you just couldn’t imagine.
He brilliantly describes every nook and cranny of the each game’s story. And complete with fifty-eight years of first-hand experience, the Vin-man single-handedly (that is without a color guy to try and play off of) manages to bring the game even closer to the fans at home, with other nooks and crannies about each player. He does this to the degree that by the time the visitors leave town, they’re not just players on the ballfield, they are added to the games list of colorful characters, because Vin made it that way.
Yunel Escobar would be a great example. The 25 year old shortstop for Atlanta was born in Cuba, and defected to the States in 2004. This is the basic story you’ll hear from every other announcer. On a night the infielder batted-in three of his teams nine runs, Scully managed to tell the story in much greater depth. It turns out Escobar, who also had whistling problem in the Minors that especially annoyed Jeff “Frenchy” Francoeur (one of the best college safeties in the country during his own time at Clemson), traveled on a twenty-five foot long boat carrying twenty-five other defectors for two days through 8-10 foot waves until finally reaching the shores of Miami, Florida. He was later signed by Atlanta and has been a starting infielder on the team for two years now.
Also on Tuesday night in LA, the Braves actually managed to put a bunch of runs on the board, and routed the Dodgers 9-3. Rookie Jair Jurjjens, whose teammates we learned call him J.J. and speaks five languages, struck out six in six innings of work, while giving up a run on five hits to push his record to 9-4.
All-Star catcher Brian McCann, from a baseball family (his Dad runs a baseball school in Georgia and was an infielder from Upstate New York, he turned down an offer from the Twins to go to Mississippi State, while his brother was drafted by the Marlins out of Clemson) hit two solo-homers giving him 17 on the year.
Mark Kotsay, still recovering from a sore back, collected three hits and scored twice, but the hard-nosed Centerfielder might be remembered by the folks who know him best as the one-time Number One ranked BMXer in the world.
And of course it was Atlanta, and what’s a Braves game without a Bobby Cox story? Well apparently the all-time leader in manager ejections also argued for his eventual wife’s phone number the first time they met. It was 1977 in Rome, Georgia, and Bobby along with three other minor league teammates were in a clothing store. It seems in the days before this particular one, suits were being stolen from the store at an alarming rate. When Bobby’s gang came in, the store manager, called the police. They came and realized they had not been stealing suits and they were in fact ball players. Bobby said to the store manager Pam, “well look, you almost got me arrested, the least you could do is give me your phone number.” She did, and they married soon thereafter.
So well into Wednesday morning on the East Coast, the youngest voice ever to call a World Series at the age of 25 was still entertaining, humanizing the athletes on the field in a way that just isn’t done any more. Instead, as I flipped the channel over to an Angels-Rangers game, the color “analyst” was begging for Garrett Anderson to “hit a single just like ya did earlier.”
Vin wouldn’t do that, he’s too busy informing the audience, covering as much ground as he could, and telling as much about the game and its players for as long as there are outs to go.
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