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College Football

Oct 9 in Sports History: The biggest ass whoopin’ of all time



Coach John Heisman

In 1916: There are blowouts, and then there are BLOWOUTS. And then there are B-L-O-W-O-U-T-S. And after that we have what Georgia Tech did to tiny Cumberland University of Lebanon, TN in a college football game. Georgia Tech, coached by the legendary John Heisman (some award’s named after him, I don’t know), led 63-0 after the first quarter, 126-0 at halftime, slowed down in the third quarter at 180-0, and called off the dogs (I’m not being facetious, they cut time off the clock in the second half). When all was said and done, Tech impressed the pollsters with a 222-0 close shave in Atlanta. According to a game account by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, neither team made a first down; because Cumberland did not have a gain longer than 10 yards and Tech scored before they ever needed one. Tech’s Jim Preas kicked 17 out of 18 extra points. In the first half. (Heisman used a different team in the second half ). Cumberland.edu

In 1919: The Cincinnati Reds finished off the Chicago White Sox five games to three in the World Series. The Reds first World Series championship would quickly become tainted as some of the White Sox players admitted to hooking up with gamblers and throwing the series for money. The “Black Sox” Scandal would cast a shadow over baseball for decades. Eight White Sox players would be banned from baseball for life. (baseball-almanac.com)

In 1906: The first-ever World Series played in one city pitted the powerful Chicago Cubs, winners of a record 116 games, against the Chicago White Sox, affectionately known as the “Hitless Wonders.” The first game got underway under snowy skies, with the White Sox winning 2-1. They eventually shocked the Cubs and took the series. The games were so popular in Chicago that the two teams would meet at the end of every season for the next decade or so, even if they were not pennant winners. (baseball-almanac.com)

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MLB General

Sep 19 in Sports History: Better Times for the Cubs and Mariners



2001 AL MVP

In 1906 and in 2001: The Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners, who are tied for the ML record for wins in a season, both clinched on the same day. The Cubs were the earliest team to ever clinch a pennant and the Mariners led the AL West Division wire to wire (the Detroit Tigers were the last to do it, and they also clinched their division on this day in 1984. While both franchises won 116 regular season games, each failed to win the World Series.

In 1994: Stan Humphries and Tony Martin of the San Diego Chargers hooked up for an NFL record-tying 99 yard touchdown reception in a win over the Seattle Seahawks. Also, in 2005, Ladanian Tomlinson of the Chargers broke the NFL record by scoring a touchdown in 18 consecutive games.

In 1968: The day after the Cardinals were no-hit by Gaylord Perry of the Giants, St. Louis pitcher Ray Washburn returned the favor and tossed a 2-0 no-hitter against San Francisco. It was the only time in baseball history there were no-hitters in consecutive games in the same park.

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MLB General

The Full Count: Shutouts galore



2H, 1BB and 12K in 8 innings

1. Shut down and shut out: There were an inordinate amount of shutouts last night in the big leagues. Pitching prevailed as seven teams put up straight zeroes on the day. Let’s start with the American League, where three teams got blanked. The AL Wild Card race was affected, as the Twins won 8-0 while the White Sox lost 1-0. For the Twins, Johan Santana won his 17th game to take the lead in each of the pitching Triple Crown categories. The Sox lost to the Red Sox in David Ortiz’s return. Ortiz went 0-3 but the Red Sox escaped thanks to Kason Gabbard’s nice start. Elsewhere, the team that has allowed the most runs this season shut out the team that has scored the most. That’s right, it was Royals over Yankees, 5-0. For KC, Todd Wellemeyer went for a very long save, going 3.1 innings and striking out five. The Yankees still lead the Red Sox by 8 games while the Twins have opened up a 1.5 game lead on the White Sox.

2. Shutouts, NL Edition: There were way too many shutouts last night to contain in just one article. The Cards took on the Nats, winning 2-0 behind Albert Pujols’ 5th homer in 3 days. That gives him 44 on the season, more than last year when he won the MVP. Milwaukee crushed LA with a Doug Davis complete game. Davis allowed just four hits while striking out eight on the day. Claudio Vargas helped the D-Backs earn a shutout win of their own as he outdeuled the Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis. And finally, Bronson Arroyo of the Reds surged back after his recent inconsistency, going for a complete-game blanking of the Giants while his ERA dropped to 3.33. According to Elias Says, this was only the seventh time in major league history that there were seven or more shutouts in a single day.

3. What’s going on?: The Tigers lost again last night. The team that has held the best record in the majors for so long finally finds itself and its starting pitching in a slump. Detroit has only won 4 of their last 13 games and just 9 of their last 27. While the Tigers still hold the best record in the major leagues and Kenny Rogers is on fire, many are now questioning whether this team really is “for real.” Jeremy Bonderman blew a three-run lead last night and has not looked like himself for the past month and a half. Bonderman has a 5.05 ERA and a .280 opponents’ batting average since the break, and he along with Nate Robertson and Zach Miner declined in August. But the Tigers have plenty of time to solve their problems before the postseason begins–if they can hold on to their playoff spot.

4. Now they’re the worst: Could things get any worse for Cubs fans? How does a loss to the Pirates sound? That’s what happened last night, as Pittsburgh won their second game of a four-game series. The Pirates’ Jason Bay had one of his best games of the season, with 2 homers and 4 RBIs. He is just shy of his career highs in both categories, set last year. The Cubs declined to the notorious title of “worst team in the National League.” Basically, considering how relatively bad the NL is, they’re the worst team in the majors. The 55-83 Cubbies have gone 1-9 their last ten to cement this dishonor.

5. Hell does not freeze over: And the Cincinnati Reds’ Key Griffey is hurt again. For Griffey, who last played a full season in 2000, this shouldn’t be news. But he is a major contributor to a contending team, so this could be important. Girffey’s current malady is a dislocated toe that leaves him out indefinitely. The 36-year old has no guess as to when he might be back. Source: http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9640364/rss

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MLB General

The Full Count: Jered Weaver finally goes down



What losing feels like

1. Finally defeated: One of the greatest streaks this baseball season is finally over. Jered Weaver of the Angels, who had won his first 9 career decisions, lost for the first time yesterday to the Boston Red Sox. But Weaver didn’t have a bad start; in fact he allowed only one run and four hits in six innings. His only fault was allowing a David Ortiz homerun, Ortiz’s 46th of the season. But he lost due to lack of run support as the Angels put up no runs with him in the game. The broken streak left him tied with Whitney Ford as the only pitchers who won their first 9 games as a rookie. Boston’s 2-1 win gave them the series win over the Angels after their disastrous 5 game sweep against the Yankees last weekend. They stand 5.5 back from New York still in the division.

2. Showing off: In terms of talent level, the Twins might be the most solid all-around team in baseball. With their excellent starters, MLB-best bullpen, and dangerous young hitters, they can do everything well. The only thing they need is a new stadium and some fans to go along with it. Yesterday, they dismantled the Orioles 11-2 in an offensive outpour. Joe Mauer, who leads all batters with a .361 average, had 3 hits and 4 RBIs on the day to lead the charge. Justin Morneau hit his 32nd homer, while Michael Cuddyer went 4-4 and drove in 4 runs. The Twins won their second straight and 7th out of 10, though they still trail Chicago by a half-game. The White Sox won again yesterday over Detroit. The two teams will start a pivotal three-game series today.

3. Call it a draw: We now have co-division leaders in one division. That’s the NL Central, as the Reds and Cardinals are now tied with both teams going in different directions. That’s another way of saying the Reds are hot while the Cards are sucking it up. St. Louis got swept by the Mets yesterday when New York defeated them 6-2. Meanwhile, Cincy started off their series against San Fran well, with a 6-3 victory. The Cardinals will look to start winning against their rival Cubs over the weekend, while the Reds will play the Giants three more times as part of a 10-game West Coast trip.

4. Losing team, winning pitcher: Where would the Cubs be without Carlos Zambrano? Even further down the standings, most likely. They are 40-68 in games the Zambrano does not record a decision, while his record is 14-5. He got his NL-leading 14th yesterday against the Phillies, and now Zambrano is one of the leading Cy Young candidates in the league. He ranks first in wins and strikeouts in addition to innings pitched and opponent’s batting average. His 3.31 ERA isn’t in the top 5 but that doesn’t really matter in a year when no NL pitcher is below 2.90. In the end Zambrano will be a leading Cy candidate and will face off with the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Webb for the honors.

5. Back to the Past: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play baseball in the pre-World Series era? When a walk was six balls, a foul didn’t count as a strike, a hit batter was only a ball, and the umpires were addressed as “sir?” Well, here’s your chance. Former major league pitcher Jim Bouton announced the creation of the Vintage Base Ball Federation, or VBBF. The teams will play using pre-1900’s rules and equipment. They will play games over the course of an unspecified season and will play a VBBF World Series next August. Now there’s something to get excited about!

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Chicago Cubs

The Full Count: The NL’s Worst Team

1.Bottom of the Barrel: It might not be the Pittsburgh Pirates anymore. In fact, the Chicago Cubs could be considered the worst team in the majors. They haven’t been able to buy a win, literally. Despite a payroll that borders on $100 million, they have a 31-54 record on the year. And their offense, which is last in the league in homeruns, OPS, and runs scored, provided another dismal performance on Thursday. Facing Chris Capuano and the Brewers, the Cubs were held to just 6 hits and no runs on the day. Capuano, who finished second in the NL Final Man voting, pitched like he was an All Star. He is now 10-4 on the year with a 3.21 ERA and 112 strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Cubs now only have a record one game better than the Royals’. Now that’s what we call bad.

2. Nomar and AJ win Final Vote: The voting for the final two All Stars is in. Nomar Garciaparra of the Dodgers and AJ Pierzynski of the White Sox were the last two players to make the cut. Garciaparra was clearly deserving as he is second in the NL in batting average. But with Pierzynski, the only reason he got voted in was because of the White Sox’s substantial fan base. The other AL nominees–Ramon Hernandez, Travis Hafner, Francisco Liriano, and Justin Verlander–probably would have made better picks. Anyway, we personally find all this talk of All Star snubs and players that shouldn’t be on the team quite ridiculous. Does anyone remember that eventual Cy Young winner Johan Santana wasn’t on the AL team in 2004? Few do now that he is a perennial All Star. So we expect Liriano, Verlander, Hafner, and Hernandez will have plenty of future opportunities to make the team. As for Pierzynski, he probably won’t get much playing time anyway with Joe Mauer also at backup catcher.

3. Derby time: The Home Run Derby participants have been finalized, and this will be the first derby in two years without any gimmicks. Last year, every player was from a different country as part of an effort to promote the World Baseball Classic. In 2004, every active member of the 500 Home Run club participated. But this year, we will go back to the tried-and-true selection process of, well, just about anybody who can hit the long ball. For the NL, David Wright of the Mets, Ryan Howard of the Phillies, and Miguel Cabrera of Florida have confirmed their participation. Albert Pujols, who is tied for the NL lead with Howard at 28 homers, withdrew from the event yesterday due to injury risk. He will be replaced by two-time Derby vet Lance Berkman, who came in second in 2004. the AL will feature 2004 winner Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz (last year’s runner-up), Troy Glaus, and Jermaine Dye. It should be one of the more fun competitions in sports as usual, and Full Count will be there live from Pittsburgh to tell you about it.

4. Ready for the Derby: David Ortiz seemed plenty ready for the Derby in his game yesterday. Facing the Devil Rays, the slugger jacked two homeruns, giving him 29 on the season. Ortiz hit a grand slam in the ninth to seal the deal on the Red Sox’s 12-5 victory. His 6 RBIs gave him 82 on the season, the major-league high by a wide margin. The win helped the Red Sox avoid a four-game sweep in Tampa. They lead the AL East by 3 games.

5. Thome performs too: Jim Thome exactly equaled David Ortiz’s impressive line in a bizarre statistical occurrence. Thome jacked two homers, six RBI, and a grand slam for the White Sox against the Orioles. According to Elias Says, that is the first time two players have had that stat line on the same day since July 28, 2003 (Marcus Giles and Rafael Palmeiro). Thome’s two jacks tied him for the major-league lead at 29 with Ortiz. Fellow All-Stars Jermaine Dye and AJ Pierzynski also went deep for Chicago, who won 11-8. By the way, White Sox starter Javier Vasquez’s run support is becoming one of the more interesting developments of the year. The White Sox have averaged 9.03 runs in his starts, a full run more over everyone else. That has given him an 8-4 record despite a 5.15 ERA.

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MLB General

Dusty Baker is on his way out



Wish almost granted

We’ll never forgive Dusty Baker was completely mismanaging Game 6 of the 2002 World Series and then hightailing it out of town after the season. So we knew it was a matter of time before the Cubs figured out that Dusty is a horrible manager that had the benefit of coaching a team with Barry Bonds at the prime of his career.

On July 4th, Cubs GM Jim Hendry announced that he would use the All-Star break to determine whether the club needed a complete overhaul. Hmmm… at 30-53 and a $95M payroll, the inevitable answer is: Yes. It looks like Baker and coaches Gene Clines, Larry Rothschild, Gary Matthews, and Juan Lopez will be gone as early as next week. Dusty Baker’s contract will expire in 133 days (thanks to the folks at FireDustyBaker.com for that countdown clock.) but that’s not soon enough to get rid of him.

Here are some reactions from the Cubs blogosphere:

“I still maintain that it is absolutely pointless to put some interim guy — and it’s been suggested that if Baker and the coaching staff were dumped, Chris Speier might be the only one retained and he’d be that “interim” guy — in to finish out this morass of a year, and then conduct a search in the offseason, as they did in 2002. Is that what you all want? Three months of another Bruce Kimm? What’s the point?” — Bleed Cubbie Blue

“I am anxiously awaiting the firing of the Dusty Bunch, but I also want to see my Cubbies start playing well again. I am conflicted internally, because if the team does really well, I worry that Dusty will keep his job. On the other hand, I feel like a traitor for hoping that the Cubs do so miserably that Hendry can’t possibly justify holding onto Baker for another minute. The reality is that I truly can’t stand the lame politics that are keeping the Dusty Bunch in power. It is all about Hendry/Tribsters saving face, and nothing to do with what is best for the team, and that is that saddest part of this entire mess of a season.” — Chicago Cubs Online

“But it is not all Baker’s fault. Hendry is not innocent as well. He had to know that Wood and Prior was shaky at best. If he knew that. A good arm was need to be added. Instead he relied on young pitching and it showed. The Cubs really slowed down after Maddux hot start finally and predictably cooled off. Marshall,Williams and Rusch was not enough. And if Hendry thought otherwise, well he was just fooling himself.So he is as much at fault as Baker. Except on difference, Hendry has stated publicly that he was wrong for doing what he did with this team. But I’ve yet to hear Baker condemn himself for the bad play of this team in the last two and half months.” — Firing from the Bullpen

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Chicago Cubs

Ari Gold tells Cubs fans to hug it out

Jeremy Piven is a longtime Cubs fan so he was asked to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before Sunday’s game against the Tigers. Before he did so, he yelled out “Hey Cubs fans, let’s hug it out, you little bitches!” The Cubs were not pleased. Well, they actually were pleased but they had to pretend they weren’t and issue an apology for the profanity during the 7th inning stretch.

Either Jeremy Piven has got a little bit of Ari Gold in him or he’s a great comic actor. Ari has got to be the best character on TV right now. In honor of this…um… momentous occasion, here is the best of Ari Gold.


– Is that the way they drive in Tiananmen Square, bitch?

-Just so you know, your girlfriend, when she was in the mailroom, offered to blow me. True story.

-You know what they feed people on an indie set, Vinnie? Nothing! They don’t give you a trailer. They tell you to go sit on an apple box. Ever try to bang an extra on an apple box?

-I’m ready to go here, all right? It’s like R. Kelly at recess.

-Got Milf?

-All right, when you talk to Dana, tell her I’m going to take the pictures from Cancun, and start a website called imahollywoodexecutivewhore.com and there will be no password or fee required, and I will take out a full page ad in the LA Times promoting it. Give me a fucking call back.

– Listen, Lloyd, I want you to put all my files, folders, binders, *everything* into a box! If you find a used condom, an executioner’s mask, and a fucking spike paddle, don’t think, just pack that bitch! Chop suey!

– I drove to work in an $80,000 Mercedes, and Im going home in a prop car from the fast and the furious, I just dont see it Lloyd.

-That was a good speech, Lloyd. If I was 25 and liked cock, we could be something.

Links:

[WGN]: Video of Jeremy Piven singing the 7th inning stretch
[Chicago Tribune]: No hugs for Piven at Wrigley

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: No no-no

1. Denied again: Chris Young was twice denied a no-hitter in two excellent opportunities last week, and on Monday it was Carlos Zambrano’s turn. Zambrano, one of the majors’ most underrated pitchers, allowed no hits to the Houston Astros through seven innings. Then Preston Wilson broke up the chance at history, but the Cubs still won 8-0. The Cubs haven’t had a no-hitter since 1972, and this was likely the closest shot they’ll get in a while. Zambrano not only pitched excellently, but also homered and drove in four runs. The Cubs used two other homers to complete their rout of Houston.

2. Blasted away: The first game of the Red Sox-Yankees series could have developed into a pitcher’s duel, with Beckett vs. Mussina being the matchup. But the Yankees offense didn’t let that happen, scoring 8 runs in the first two innings and 13 in the first three. Beckett was removed after allowing 8 runs and only recording 4 outs. Jason Giambi and Andy Phillips both hit three-run shots in the second off Beckett to break the game open. Despite Derek Jeter not playing and sluggers Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield being on the DL, the Yankees offense rolled to their 12th straight game with at least 10 hits. That breaks their former franchise record. New York starter Mike Mussina didn’t have his best performance, allowing 4 runs in six innings, but he did strike out 8 and improved his record to 8-1 on the season. The two teams are virtually tied for first place now.

3. Around the world: Ken Griffey has been a great power hitter for a long time, and on Monday night he set another record. Griffey tied Fred McGriff for the most stadiums to homer in with 43. He has rounded the bases in every active major league park now. But that wasn’t even Griffey’s most memorable homerun of the night. That came when he hit a game-winning shot off of Jason Isringhausen. The 9th-inning homerun gave Cincinnati an 8-7 win, snapping a 5-game losing streak. St. Louis is now only two games ahead of the Reds in the NL Central.

4. Ready to roll: Roger Clemens is pitching again, but it’s not for a major league team. Clemens, who will take a few rehab starts before his return to the Houston Astros, will pitch tonight for the Lexington Legends. His son, Koby, will play third base for the Legends as the take on the Lake County Captains. This will obviously be the most anticipated game in Legends history, as seats were sold out hours after becoming available. Clemens will make two more minor league starts before his anticipated return on June 22.

5. On the clock: The Kansas City Royals need all the help they can get, and they will have an opportunity to nab a top prospect in tonight’s draft. The Royals, who have the number 1 pick, are projected to take pitcher Luke Hochevar in this mock draft. North Carolina standout starter Andrew Miller is considered the top talent in the draft, but the Royals won’t be able to afford his contract. Not many other teams could either, as Miller is projected to #11 (Arizona). The baseball draft is always a hit-or-miss extravaganza, as some #1 picks never make the majors while others become superstars.

Categories
New York Yankees

Odds and Ends (06.1.06): Randy Johnson love child fund



I am reluctantly your father

Can we start a fund for Randy Johnson’s love child? Maybe then she can afford to finally meet her father who won’t even return her phone calls. An Arizona couple won a charity auction to have dinner with Randy Johnson, his wife Lisa, and 20 of their friends. Ironically, the auction was to benefit the notMYkid organization. (You couldn’t make this stuff up.)

It’s too bad we didn’t know about this sooner. I’m sure all the sports bloggers could’ve raised more than $7,000, won the auction, and then invite Randy’s love child to dinner. That, friends, would be high comedy. (via The Hater Nation / Photo from Boston Dirt Dogs)

In other news…

[Yahoo]: Shocking! Sean Taylor gets special treatment and cops a plea

[ESPN]: Avery Johnson’s wife could be charged with assault for mixing it up with Suns fans

[Fire Dusty Baker]: Bad groundskeeping reason for Cubs losing

[Mr. Mack]: The All-Rotten Hall of Fame

[Off Wing Opinion]: Goalie scores all the way across the pitch

Categories
Chicago Cubs

Odds and Ends for Fri May 26 2006: Barrett gets 10 game suspension

Michael Barrett was suspended for punching A.J. Pierzynski in the jaw after a home plate collision. Most major leaguers would give Barrett a bonus for punching A.J., one of the most hated athletes in sports but MLB decided a 10 game ban was in order.

In other news…

[ESPN]: Amare to change jersey number from No. 32 to No. 1

[Reuters]: Timmy Smith (most rushing yard in a Super Bowl) gets 2 1/2 years in jail for selling cocaine

[Lingering Bursitis]: Liveblogging the disappearance of integrity [both ESPN’s and my own]

[XM MLB Chat]: Bonds fatigue: Even the Giants’ local market cares 37% less than it did 2 years ago