Author: Vin

Vin is a Philly boy who shouldn't be invited into your house because he'll judge you on your book and music collection. He owns Dawkins, Utley, Iverson, and Lindros jerseys, which is all you really need to know about him. He can be reached at [email protected].

Categories
MLB General

Odds and Ends for Wed May 10 2006: Game of Shadows authors could face jail time



Lucky Jake

The two guys who wrote Game of Shadows, Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada, could face jail time if they don’t fess up to their sources. Of course, this is a time honored tradition of journalists refusing to name sources and courts threatening them with contempt… blah blah blah. In the end, the journalists and first amendment rights usually win out.

In other news…

[SignOnSanDiego]: Pink bats for mothers day. How sweet.

[US Weekly]: Another snowboarding medalist lands a celeb. This time, Gretchen Bleiler and Jessica Alba. Oh wait, that’s just a fantasy. It’s Gretchen and that Brokeback guy.

[Screwballs!]: Billy Wagner makes more friends in Philly

[The Hater Nation]: Phil Mickelson really should be the spokesperson for Victoria’s Secret sports bras

[Lakers Blog]: Kobe vs Sir Charles in text message wars

Categories
Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals: adding insult to insult


It’s not easy being in the Royals front office these days. First, a longtime fan sells his Royals fandom for $278 and now a minor league team thinks they can win more games than you. Oh, and the fact that your team is 9-22.

The Brockton Rox of the Canadian American Association thinks they can win more games than the Royals despite playing only 92 games compared to the Royals 162 games. The Rox president contacted the Royals to set a bet — $500 vs $5,000 to be donated to the local YMCA. The Royals VP of communications said he had no response to that.

Sure, it’s a publicity stunt but it’s still insulting.

Links:
[Kansas City Star]: Independent team throws down gauntlet

Categories
General Sports

The Weekly Sports Roundup Podcast for May 9 2006

Welcome to another episode of the Sportscolumn podcast. If you’d like to be a guest on the podcast (which is recorded Tuesday nights) or you want to suggest a topic, drop me a line at [email protected].

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 35 mins) or subscribe to the feed.  

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

  • NBA playoff picks
  • NHL Playoffs
  • the hometown discount
  • selling your team loyalty

Hope you guys enjoy the podcast.  If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating below so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email ([email protected]) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.

Categories
MLB General

Full Count for Wed May 10 2006: 50 game suspension for Young

1. 50 is enough: Delmon Young, now possibly the most famous minor league player ever after throwing his bat at an umpire (video), finally received his suspension for the incident. 50 games without pay — which seems like enough for this incident. The guy is losing $145,000 because of this, and he also needs to do 50 hours of community service. Though Young didn’t join Ron Artest and earn a season-long suspension, this incident will certainly go down as one of the worst in baseball history.

2. 3 runs and 3 errors: That is what the Yankees’ stat line looked like after Tuesday’s humiliating 14-3 loss to rival Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Josh Beckett completely outpitched Randy Johnson, but Johnson didn’t get much help from his defense. Though Johnson allowed a horrific total of 7 runs, only two of them were earned as the Yanks committed 3 errors (two by A-Rod). The bullpen didn’t do much better, allowing a total of seven runs to the prolific Red Sox offense. Manny Ramirez hit his 6th homerun, and even Alex Gonzalez went yard for Boston. Beckett pitched well, allowing three in 7 innings, two of the runs on a homerun by Jason Giambi (11). This gave the Red Sox a game lead in the divisional race, though the Yankees could easily make that up sometime during the three-game set.

3. The Other Rivalry: Though the Yankees-Red Sox will get all of the attention, the Mets and the Phillies should be an excellent matchup this year. The Braves have struggled against both teams (though they crushed the Marlins last night 10-2), making this the rivalry that could decide the NL East. On Tuesday, the Phillies won the first game of the season series. Brett Myers outdueled Pedro Martinez, but this game came down to the ninth inning. Though the Phillies came into the 9th with a 4-2 lead, Carlos Delgado helped to erase that with his 2-run blast. But the Phillies scored on a crucial error, winning the game 5-4. Now they are only 3 games back of New York for the division lead.

4. ALCS Rematch? No contest: Coming into this year, you might have thought that the three series between the White Sox and the Angels would be the most competitive games in the AL. Scratch that–the searing White Sox have defeated the Angels four times already on the year after last night’s 9-1 domination. LA scored in the first inning but never again, as Freddy Garcia (5-1) pitched a gem, allowing only that one run through 8 innings. Jim Thome did the damage offensively for Chicago, hitting his 14th homerun and driving in 4. The win pushed the White Sox to a major-league best 23-9, as they are the only team with single digits in the loss column. The Angels, a perennial playoff contender, are in last place.

5. The Badminton League: Jason Kendall seems pretty upset that he is being suspended four games for charging the mound on May 2. Actually, VERY upset. After multiple sources said Kendall wouldn’t get his suspension reduced, he dropped his appeal and ripped the MLB. Kendall said the MLB has `turned into a badminton league’ and it is `embarrassing’ that you `can’t defend yourself.’ Kendall’s actions likely deserved the suspension, as he charged the mound and wrestled pitcher John Lackey to the ground. His point, though, was that Lackey should have been further punished because he verbally provoked Kendall into charging the mound. Whatever really happened, we can’t wait for the next time these two face each other in a game.

Categories
NBA General

Charles Barkley is … DROWNED ALIVE!

You know how David Blaine lost 50 lbs and trained with Navy Seals to prepare for his attempt to break the holding your breath underwater record of 9 minutes? Well Sir Charles gained snacked on twinkies and trained with bacon for the same feat.
As you might have expected, Charles didn’t exactly make it and blamed Kenny for making him laugh.

Ernie Johnson promises another attempt tonight. Can we bet on how long Barkley could go this time?

Categories
Pittsburgh Steelers

Hines Ward talks trash about Peyton

In an unprovoked attack, Hines Ward decided to talk a little trash about Peyton Manning.


This is fun. I love the treatment. When you can walk in and see all the players from other teams, there’s nothing they can say to you. You’re on top that whole offseason. I’ve been all over, to L.A., to Vegas, to Miami and seen all the players from all over. Hey, Peyton Manning, I know you’re great and all, but you don’t have a ring. You can be all this, all world, but you don’t have a ring. I have a ring. There’s nothing you can say to me right now.

Damn, Hines, where the hell did that come from? It would’ve been better if Hines talked trash about Eli and Archie at the same time. Just take the whole family down.

Indy isn’t on Pittsburgh’s schedule this year so perhaps they’ll see each other in the playoffs. Too bad they both play offense.

Links:

[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]: Steelers’ Hines Ward still basking in the MVP glow

Categories
MLB General

Full Count for May 9 2006: Who are people I couldn’t pick out of a lineup



Name this player

1. Who dat?: Some of the names atop the leaderboards this season are in unfamiliar territory. The AL batting leader so far is…drum roll…Alex Rios! He is hitting .384, exactly 100 points higher than his career average. While usual stud Edgar Renteria leads the National League in batting, the next three in this category are Brad Hawpe, Brad Ausmus, and Brian McCann. Who??? And while the NL homers and RBIs lists feature a lineup of past and present superstars, the AL lists feature a certain Tampa Bay duo. Johnny Gomes is second with 12 homers and Ty Wigginton is also second with 30 RBIs. If anyone outside of Tampa Bay has heard of these two before the season started, you are probably a writer for the Baseball Encyclopedia. Actually, considering Tampa’s fan base, I don’t think anyone in Tampa has heard of them… By the way, the Yankees probably wish they had kept Jose Contreras, who is 5-0 with a league-leading 1.41 ERA.

2. Time for a Holliday…: The Rockies and Cardinals might seem like one of the biggest mismatches in the NL, but actually the teams have identical 20-13 records. When the two teams met in front of another sellout at Busch Stadium, the Rockies prevailed, 6-2. Behind strong pitching from Jeff Francis, who allowed one run in 7 strong innings, the Rockies were able to shut down Albert Pujols and company. Francis is 2-2 this year with a 3.16 ERA, production the Rockies haven’t seen in a while from a starting pitcher. The offense was powered by Matt Holliday, who hit two solo homeruns to give him 9 on the year. More good news for the Rockies: Todd Helton was back in the lineup on Monday night (though he was held to 0-5).

3. …and for a Halladay: On Sunday, Johan Santana took a no-hitter through seven innings. Yesterday, it was Roy Halladay’s turn, as he allowed his first hit in the sixth inning in a complete game performance. On the night, Halladay allowed one run and only 4 hits, leading the Blue Jays to a 4-1 win over the Angels. The win gave Toronto a 3-1 series win over the struggling Angels (14-19), who are nearly last in the AL West. Meanwhile, some of those offseason acquisitions have helped Toronto to a decent 17-14 record, only two games behind the deadlocked Red Sox and Yankees.

4. San Diego…Super Padres: After a down start in which their pitching was as bad as Ron Zook’s coaching, the San Diego Padres are back in the hunt for the NL West division lead. After an 8-3 win over the Cubs last night, they have won 9 in a row. They are still behind the Rockies and Diamondbacks for the division lead, but that is expected when you start out a horrendous 8-15. Brian Giles and Mike Cameron drove in 3 runs apiece against the Cubs, and Dave Roberts even swiped 3 bases. Greg Maddux, everyone’s darling after a 5-0 start, was hit with his second straight loss after allowing 7 runs in less than 4 innings pitched. The Cubs (14-17) are back at 5th in the loaded NL Central.

5. Bonds sits, Giants win: The Giants didn’t need a Bonds homer to power them on Monday, as they were just fine without the slugger in a 7-5 win over the Astros. This game wasn’t even supposed to be played; it was rescheduled due to two earlier rainouts in the season. Pedro Feliz hit a homer and 3 RBIs. Bonds will have to wait for upcoming series against the Cubs and Dodgers (both at home) to get 714 or possibly 715.

Categories
Philadelphia Phillies

ESPN gets it wrong… again



Crap

We try to keep our ESPN bashing to a minimum but today’s Daily Quickie focuses on the reception that Billy Wagner will get upon his return to Philly tonight. The Big 5 today is a list of the most hated athletes in Philly. T.O.? Check. Billy Wagner? Check. Kobe? Check. Tom Brady? What? Tom Brady? Can someone tell Dan Shanoff’s that just because his life revolves around the New England Patriots doesn’t mean everyone else’s does.

Tom Brady doesn’t even register in the top 50 of athletes Philly fans hate. The comment “Everything the city isn’t” is just Dan Shanoff looking down on the city of Philadelphia. So Philly isn’t a winner, good looking, nailing hot actresses? Neither are you, Shanoff.

Here are some suggestions on some other athletes that should’ve made the list:

  • J.D. Drew: refused to play for the Phillies
  • Scott Rolen: left town and called St. Lous “baseball heaven”
  • Brett Favre: too much hype, hasn’t delivered in years
  • Tie Domi: once got into a fight with with a Flyers fan in the penalty box

Categories
MLB General

Baseball franchise… Get your own baseball franchise here


There’s a new baseball league coming in 2007 and it’ll only cost you $100,000 for your own franchise. Imagine being the George Steinbrenner of… Lawrence, KS.

Former major leaguer Jay Johnstone is the face for the new Continental Baseball League, which will launch a 6-15 team league next year. (The CBL should not be confused with the Continental League, the proposed third major league in 1959.) The CBL will have a salary cap of $120,000, or about what A-Rod makes in 3 at-bats. Players would make between $4,000 and $10,000 a year, or about what A-Rod makes while applying mascara before the game.

The mission of the CBL is to bring affordable baseball to small communities. Ticket prices will be between $5 and $12 and all concessions will be kept under $3.50… except beer. Dang. Why can’t we have $3.50 beer?

The league is going to have one gimmick though. (No, not He Hate Me.) In the seventh inning, all home runs by the trailing team will count double. So a grand slam could be worth 8 runs. Seems kinda hokey, like the 10 point basket on MTV. Just give us $3.50 beer and we’ll do without the gimmicky homers, thanks.

Links:
[SignOnSanDiego.com]: This wacked-out idea is a 7th-inning stretch
[LJ World]: Lawrence on list for startup baseball league

Categories
General Sports

Why is Stu Scott such a tool?


Flipping through the channels between the Sharks-Oilers game and the Suns-Clippers game, we stumbled upon David Blaine’s aquaman event. The actual stunt was pretty stupid but we jumped in during the pre-taped magic portions. You gotta admit the trick where David Blaine removes a woman’s canines, chews em up and spits it back intact into her mouth was pretty mindblowing. Not so much for the trick itself but how he could convince the woman that her teeth were actually gone.

Well, that got us hooked. Until we started hearing a familiar, yet irritating tones of… who is it… can’t quite figure it out… mental calculation… ESPN… ABC… oh f’ing hell.. it’s Boo-Ya Scott. Why ABC/ESPN still think people enjoy hearing Stu Scott cover anything is beyond us. At one point, describing the damage that could happen to David Blaine’s hands as a result of the water logging, Stu asked us to imagine anyone who made a living with their hands: a concert pianist, a surgeon…. Tiger Woods. What the? Tiger Woods? Way to drop some knowledge on us, Stu.

Stu Scott, thankfully, left the “holla at your boy” and “underwater like the okey-doke” schtick at the ESPN set, but that didn’t stop us from hating ESPN, ABC, and Stu Scott for ruining more of our watching experience.

Among the great unanswered questions in our lives are: how is Keith Richards still alive and why does Stu Scott have a job?