Josh Beckett didn't pitch badly last night in his final start of 2010. He pitched out of trouble twice early, and allowed one run for the first six innings. But then the White Sox put up three in the seventh, and coasted to a 5-2 win. Mike Lowell hit what could be his final MLB home run in the 8th.
Beckett ends a very disappointing, injury-riddled season at 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA.
But Jon Lester will go for Red Sox history tonight. (I mistakenly written he'd be going for it on Friday night earlier this week on this blog. The Mighty Quinn regrets the error.) He will try for win number 20, and become the first Red Sox lefty since Mel Parnell to win 20 in a season. Parnell turned the trick 57 years ago, in 1953.
It's been a rather sad week. The Red Sox were eliminated on Tuesday night, we lost iconic figures George Blanda, Gloria Stuart, Eddie Fisher, Arthur Penn and Tony Curtis, and my late friend Joyce would have been 50 years old tomorrow.
Life does move on.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Trivia Q&A: September 28
We had a big crowd in for Trivia Night on Tuesday, 22 teams in all. Nice to see it bounce back after tailing off a bit last week.
The scores for Q Are You? were a bit low, but they went back up for True or False Trivia. We had a tight contest going into IQ Trivia, with the top five teams just three points a part.
The IQ round had some of the highest scores in quite a while, as most teams got 10 or more points. (IQ Trivia's numbers had been on the low side the last few weeks.) Two teams ran the table in the last round, and one of them, The Marcellus Shale Don't Like to Be Fracked By Anybody Except Mrs. Shale, wound up the winners by three points. (We had a three-way tie for second place, an extreme rarity.) Nice job by Rob and his crew on getting the win.
Best Team Name: Segway To Heaven
Current Events
1. Paris Hilton was denied entry into this foreign country last week, where she was going to support her fashion lines, over her pleading guilty to drug charges in Las Vegas days earlier.
2. The college football teams Notre Dame and Navy will meet each other for the first time on foreign soil in 2012 when they will play in this foreign country.
3. A 50-year-old kinescope of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series was found recently in the home of this late actor/singer of the 1930s and '40s, who also happened to be a part owner of the champion Pittsburgh Pirates.
4. The founder of this web site last week made a $100 million donation to the city of Newark, NJ to help improve its school system.
5. This comedian testified before Congress last week, discussing immigrant farm workers in character as a conservative commentator.
6. Teresa Lewis became the first woman in nearly 100 years to be executed in this state last week for murdering her husband and stepson to collect insurance money.
7. Two members of the pop group Abba have threatened to sue a far-right wing political party in Denmark for using this hit song of theirs at their rallies.
Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Hamilton, ONT in 1950. He's an actor, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known for his comedy work on two NBC variety series, as well as many hit comedy films of the last 20 years and recently did a dramatic turn on the FX series "Damages."
2. This man was born in Newark, NJ in 1972. He is currently the oldest player in the NBA, has been a 15-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2-time scoring champion, and will play for his 6th team this upcoming season.
3. This woman was born in Arlington, VA in 1957. She is a journalist who has had a distinguished career, working on such shows as "60 Minutes,""The Today Show" and "Dateline NBC," and she's the first female to anchor an evening news program on the 3 traditional broadcast networks.
4. This man was born in New Orleans, LA in 1925. He is a novelist and screenwriter. He began writing westerns, but gained fame writing suspense and crime fiction. Many of his works became films, such as "3:10 to Yuma,""Get Shorty" and "Jackie Brown."
5. This man was born in Toronto, ONT in 1945. He is one of the most influential singer/songwriters of his generation. He's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with his original band and solo. He performed at Woodstock and co-founded Farm Aid in 1985.
6. This man was born in The Bronx, NY in 1940. He is an Oscar-nominated actor who has roles as varied as a murdered mobster, a dying football player, an L.A. cop with an alien partner and a crooked U.S. marshal.
7. This woman was born in The Bronx, NY in 1942. She's an actress, producer and director. Her first claim to fame was in two hit sitcoms of the 1970s. But after the last one ended, she has become a respected director and one of her first films was the first one directed by a woman to gross over $100 million in the US.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Woman blink their eyes twice as much as men do.
2. Water contracts when it freezes.
3. Mickey Mouse's original name was Mortimer.
4. The first orange trees were grown in France.
5. When applied to litmus paper, acid makes it turn blue.
6. Mikhail Gorbachev was the last president of the USSR.
7. Duckpin bowling uses a ball withoout holes.
8. The "57" on a Heinz ketchup bottle really represents nothing at all.
9. The Philippines has the most islands of any country in the world.
10. Florida is the first state to see the sunrise in the US everyday.
General Knowledge
1. How many US presidents have been killed by assassins? ( 1 pt)
2. What country owns the island of Bermuda? ( 1 pt)
3. What southern city did General William T. Sherman capture and burn in September 1864? ( 1 pt)
4. What temperature scale has 100 units between the freezing point and boiling point of water?
(2 pt)
5. John Travolta played a mobster named Chili Palmer in what 1995 film? ( 2 pt)
6. What entertainment company owns ABC and ESPN? ( 2 pt)
7. What famous naval commander uttered the memorable phrase, "I have not yet begun to fight!"? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. In 1970, who became the first professional actor to be named an English lord? ( 4 points)
2. What author's book "Happiness Is a Warm Puppy" was a bestseller in 1963? ( 5 points)
3. In 2004, what item did Jerry Seinfeld donate to the National Museum of American History, which was made famous on his TV show? ( 3 points)
4. Serving 11 years, who was the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century? ( 4 points)
5. Jello Biafra and Ralph Nader were presidential candidates in 2000 for what party? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Japan; 2. Ireland; 3. Bing Crosby; 4. Facebook; 5. Stephen Colbert; 6. Virginia; 7. "Mamma Mia."
Q Are You?
1. Martin Short; 2. Shaquille O'Neal; 3. Katie Couric; 4. Elmore Leonard; 5. Neil Young; 6. James Caan; 7. Penny Marshall.
True or False ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false, expands; 3. true; 4. false, China; 5. false, red; 6. true; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, Indonesia; 10. false, Maine.
General Knowledge
1. four; 2. United Kingdom; 3. Atlanta; 4. Celsius; 5. "Get Shorty;" 6. Disney; 7. John Paul Jones.
IQ Trivia
1. Laurence Olivier; 2. Charles Schulz; 3. The puffy shirt; 4. Margaret Thatcher; 5. Green Party.
The scores for Q Are You? were a bit low, but they went back up for True or False Trivia. We had a tight contest going into IQ Trivia, with the top five teams just three points a part.
The IQ round had some of the highest scores in quite a while, as most teams got 10 or more points. (IQ Trivia's numbers had been on the low side the last few weeks.) Two teams ran the table in the last round, and one of them, The Marcellus Shale Don't Like to Be Fracked By Anybody Except Mrs. Shale, wound up the winners by three points. (We had a three-way tie for second place, an extreme rarity.) Nice job by Rob and his crew on getting the win.
Best Team Name: Segway To Heaven
Current Events
1. Paris Hilton was denied entry into this foreign country last week, where she was going to support her fashion lines, over her pleading guilty to drug charges in Las Vegas days earlier.
2. The college football teams Notre Dame and Navy will meet each other for the first time on foreign soil in 2012 when they will play in this foreign country.
3. A 50-year-old kinescope of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series was found recently in the home of this late actor/singer of the 1930s and '40s, who also happened to be a part owner of the champion Pittsburgh Pirates.
4. The founder of this web site last week made a $100 million donation to the city of Newark, NJ to help improve its school system.
5. This comedian testified before Congress last week, discussing immigrant farm workers in character as a conservative commentator.
6. Teresa Lewis became the first woman in nearly 100 years to be executed in this state last week for murdering her husband and stepson to collect insurance money.
7. Two members of the pop group Abba have threatened to sue a far-right wing political party in Denmark for using this hit song of theirs at their rallies.
Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Hamilton, ONT in 1950. He's an actor, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known for his comedy work on two NBC variety series, as well as many hit comedy films of the last 20 years and recently did a dramatic turn on the FX series "Damages."
2. This man was born in Newark, NJ in 1972. He is currently the oldest player in the NBA, has been a 15-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2-time scoring champion, and will play for his 6th team this upcoming season.
3. This woman was born in Arlington, VA in 1957. She is a journalist who has had a distinguished career, working on such shows as "60 Minutes,""The Today Show" and "Dateline NBC," and she's the first female to anchor an evening news program on the 3 traditional broadcast networks.
4. This man was born in New Orleans, LA in 1925. He is a novelist and screenwriter. He began writing westerns, but gained fame writing suspense and crime fiction. Many of his works became films, such as "3:10 to Yuma,""Get Shorty" and "Jackie Brown."
5. This man was born in Toronto, ONT in 1945. He is one of the most influential singer/songwriters of his generation. He's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with his original band and solo. He performed at Woodstock and co-founded Farm Aid in 1985.
6. This man was born in The Bronx, NY in 1940. He is an Oscar-nominated actor who has roles as varied as a murdered mobster, a dying football player, an L.A. cop with an alien partner and a crooked U.S. marshal.
7. This woman was born in The Bronx, NY in 1942. She's an actress, producer and director. Her first claim to fame was in two hit sitcoms of the 1970s. But after the last one ended, she has become a respected director and one of her first films was the first one directed by a woman to gross over $100 million in the US.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Woman blink their eyes twice as much as men do.
2. Water contracts when it freezes.
3. Mickey Mouse's original name was Mortimer.
4. The first orange trees were grown in France.
5. When applied to litmus paper, acid makes it turn blue.
6. Mikhail Gorbachev was the last president of the USSR.
7. Duckpin bowling uses a ball withoout holes.
8. The "57" on a Heinz ketchup bottle really represents nothing at all.
9. The Philippines has the most islands of any country in the world.
10. Florida is the first state to see the sunrise in the US everyday.
General Knowledge
1. How many US presidents have been killed by assassins? ( 1 pt)
2. What country owns the island of Bermuda? ( 1 pt)
3. What southern city did General William T. Sherman capture and burn in September 1864? ( 1 pt)
4. What temperature scale has 100 units between the freezing point and boiling point of water?
(2 pt)
5. John Travolta played a mobster named Chili Palmer in what 1995 film? ( 2 pt)
6. What entertainment company owns ABC and ESPN? ( 2 pt)
7. What famous naval commander uttered the memorable phrase, "I have not yet begun to fight!"? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. In 1970, who became the first professional actor to be named an English lord? ( 4 points)
2. What author's book "Happiness Is a Warm Puppy" was a bestseller in 1963? ( 5 points)
3. In 2004, what item did Jerry Seinfeld donate to the National Museum of American History, which was made famous on his TV show? ( 3 points)
4. Serving 11 years, who was the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century? ( 4 points)
5. Jello Biafra and Ralph Nader were presidential candidates in 2000 for what party? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Japan; 2. Ireland; 3. Bing Crosby; 4. Facebook; 5. Stephen Colbert; 6. Virginia; 7. "Mamma Mia."
Q Are You?
1. Martin Short; 2. Shaquille O'Neal; 3. Katie Couric; 4. Elmore Leonard; 5. Neil Young; 6. James Caan; 7. Penny Marshall.
True or False ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false, expands; 3. true; 4. false, China; 5. false, red; 6. true; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, Indonesia; 10. false, Maine.
General Knowledge
1. four; 2. United Kingdom; 3. Atlanta; 4. Celsius; 5. "Get Shorty;" 6. Disney; 7. John Paul Jones.
IQ Trivia
1. Laurence Olivier; 2. Charles Schulz; 3. The puffy shirt; 4. Margaret Thatcher; 5. Green Party.
157
The end came for the Red Sox playoff hopes on Tuesday night, as New York won in Toronto, 6-1. That was it, and it didn't matter what happened to the Sox in Chicago.
The White Sox came from behind and beat the Red Sox, 5-4, in case you were curious.
In the beginning of this month, I would never have thought the Red Sox would still have a playoff pulse on Tuesday, September 28th. It took until Game 157 for the end to arrive.
It's a great tribute to manager Terry Francona that the Red Sox were still going this late. They've made the Nation proud. I'm sad tonight, but I am glad to see them end it this way. Fighting tooth and nail.
There are still a few things to shoot for. Jon Lester goes for number 20 and Clay Buchholz tries to win the ERA title this weekend.
For those of you who are sad like me that 2010 did not result in a postseason berth, there is something that I know will cheer you up. "The Tenth Inning", the "Baseball" follow-up by Ken Burns, debuted tonight, and part 2 is on Wednesday night. (I DVR'd tonight's episode.) And part 2 will feature The Comeback.
Popcorn and chills down my spine are expected when I watch it.
The White Sox came from behind and beat the Red Sox, 5-4, in case you were curious.
In the beginning of this month, I would never have thought the Red Sox would still have a playoff pulse on Tuesday, September 28th. It took until Game 157 for the end to arrive.
It's a great tribute to manager Terry Francona that the Red Sox were still going this late. They've made the Nation proud. I'm sad tonight, but I am glad to see them end it this way. Fighting tooth and nail.
There are still a few things to shoot for. Jon Lester goes for number 20 and Clay Buchholz tries to win the ERA title this weekend.
For those of you who are sad like me that 2010 did not result in a postseason berth, there is something that I know will cheer you up. "The Tenth Inning", the "Baseball" follow-up by Ken Burns, debuted tonight, and part 2 is on Wednesday night. (I DVR'd tonight's episode.) And part 2 will feature The Comeback.
Popcorn and chills down my spine are expected when I watch it.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Complete and Utter Disgrace
Evan Longoria is pissed off, and I don't blame him.The Tampa Bay Rays, who have the second best record in baseball and the best one in the AL, were on the verge of clinching their second ever postseason berth in three years against the Baltimore Orioles last night in St. Pete. (Baltimore won so it didn't happen.) They have a young, exciting team, something every true baseball fan, especially ones who support teams not going to the postseason, would envy.
So what kind of crowd do they get on what could have been an historic night? A whopping 12,446. (And there were some O's fans among that number as well.)
That is beyond disgraceful. The Tampa Bay fans should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for such lack of support. The Rays have been averaging about 23,000 for the season, which is still on the lower end of the MLB scale. But they drew just half of that!
I don't want to hear the usual excuses I hear for that: it's a lousy ballpark, it's a school night, etc. Longoria actually stopped short of ripping the fans, but for Rays players, it has to be beyond embarrassing, especially when they play their rivals in Boston and New York and see very few empty seats.
Longoria: "It's a tough situation for us. A lot of the visiting teams come in and wonder where are all the fans. It's actually a little bit embarrassing for us. We're one game away from clinching a postseason spot. We have enough guys in this room to celebrate with, but we'd love to celebrate it with the fans, too."
More and more, the Tampa Bay area does not deserve an MLB franchise. They are in a small market, but small market clubs like the Minnesota Twins, who also have put out a quality club on a relatively small budget, consistently fill their ballparks.
Tampa is a football town. I totally agree with Longoria. He called the fans out, and rightfully so. They need to get their asses to Tropicana Field and show they care about their franchise. Hell, where are the bandwagon fans at this time of year?
If...
The Boston Rasputins simply refuse to die, and they won in Chicago, 6-1, last night. With New York's 7-5 loss to Toronto (with A. J. Burnett giving yet another quality performance), the Sox continue to breathe another day.
Clay Buchholz made his Cy Young candidacy all the more stronger, pitching eight innings and allowing just one run in getting his 17th win. He will pitch one more time, this weekend against New York at Fenway.
I never would have believed after Dustin Pedroia went on the DL for the second time that on the final Tuesday the Red Sox would still be mathematically alive. It's a tribute to the amazing job Terry Francona has done under the worst of circumstances. He is constantly overlooked when it comes to the discussion of MLB's best managers, but not any more.
Last night's win makes the loss on Sunday all the more glaring. Makes me play the "What If" game all the more.
BTW, today is the 50th anniversary of one of Fenway's greatest moments: Ted Williams homers in the final at-bat of his historic career. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times recalls the day.
Clay Buchholz made his Cy Young candidacy all the more stronger, pitching eight innings and allowing just one run in getting his 17th win. He will pitch one more time, this weekend against New York at Fenway.
I never would have believed after Dustin Pedroia went on the DL for the second time that on the final Tuesday the Red Sox would still be mathematically alive. It's a tribute to the amazing job Terry Francona has done under the worst of circumstances. He is constantly overlooked when it comes to the discussion of MLB's best managers, but not any more.
Last night's win makes the loss on Sunday all the more glaring. Makes me play the "What If" game all the more.
BTW, today is the 50th anniversary of one of Fenway's greatest moments: Ted Williams homers in the final at-bat of his historic career. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times recalls the day.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Good News, Bad News
As far as football went this past weekend, it was a case of good news/bad news, being a fan of Notre Dame and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Fighting Irish got wiped on the floor by the Stanford Cardinal, 37-14. (Why is Stanford called "The Cardinal" and not "The Cardinals?" Maybe a Stanford alum can fill me in on that.) Stanford showed why they are the 16th ranked team, and laid it into the Irish, especially in the second half. I only watched the first half, as my Saturday night softball game awaited me.
It was ND's third straight loss, and Boston College awaits them this Saturday night. But here's an interesting article from the South Bend Tribune that implies that there still is hope for the Irish season despite the slow start.
I didn't see any of the Vikings game against Detroit at home on Sunday. They won 24-10. It looks like they won in spite of Brett Favre. His numbers may look decent: 23-for-34 for 201 yards and a TD, but he threw two more interceptions. But it was the man whose the real leader of the offense, Adrian Peterson, who took charge and got the Vikes the W.
Peterson had his best day in over a year, rushing for 160 yards on 23 carries, including an 80-yard TD run in the second half. It was one of AP's two TDs on the day.
Beating Detroit was just about a gimme, as they have now lost 22 straight on the road, the third longest streak in NFL history, and thirteen straight at the Metrodome. Matthew Stafford, the Lions QB, was out. But with the Vikings being run by a QB who looks very much like an old man, absolutely nothing is a taken for granted.
The Vikings are now 1-2, and have the off week this week. They return to face the NY Jets at the New Meadowlands Stadium on October 11th. And the next six games after that are particularly brutal: Dallas, at Green Bay, at New England, Arizona, at Chicago, and Green Bay.
The Fighting Irish got wiped on the floor by the Stanford Cardinal, 37-14. (Why is Stanford called "The Cardinal" and not "The Cardinals?" Maybe a Stanford alum can fill me in on that.) Stanford showed why they are the 16th ranked team, and laid it into the Irish, especially in the second half. I only watched the first half, as my Saturday night softball game awaited me.
It was ND's third straight loss, and Boston College awaits them this Saturday night. But here's an interesting article from the South Bend Tribune that implies that there still is hope for the Irish season despite the slow start.
I didn't see any of the Vikings game against Detroit at home on Sunday. They won 24-10. It looks like they won in spite of Brett Favre. His numbers may look decent: 23-for-34 for 201 yards and a TD, but he threw two more interceptions. But it was the man whose the real leader of the offense, Adrian Peterson, who took charge and got the Vikes the W.
Peterson had his best day in over a year, rushing for 160 yards on 23 carries, including an 80-yard TD run in the second half. It was one of AP's two TDs on the day.
Beating Detroit was just about a gimme, as they have now lost 22 straight on the road, the third longest streak in NFL history, and thirteen straight at the Metrodome. Matthew Stafford, the Lions QB, was out. But with the Vikings being run by a QB who looks very much like an old man, absolutely nothing is a taken for granted.
The Vikings are now 1-2, and have the off week this week. They return to face the NY Jets at the New Meadowlands Stadium on October 11th. And the next six games after that are particularly brutal: Dallas, at Green Bay, at New England, Arizona, at Chicago, and Green Bay.
Current Stars Take Center Stage On Tuesday
This week's Trivia Night sees the return for this month's installment of "Q Are You?" trivia, which has proven in the past to be a popular category. For the uninitiated, I give you clues to the identity of a current celebrity, and you have to tell me who I am talking about. Easy enough, no?The Q Train lightning round will be "True or False Trivia."
The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What country owns the island of Bermuda?
We get going at 9 PM on Tuesday night. I hope to see many of you then for what should be another great night of Trivia.
I'm Proud Of These Boys
OK, a sweep in New York didn't happen, and the Red Sox elimination number is now at 1.
I'm proud to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox tonight.
They fought tooth and nail, and didn't bag the season once their best players went down. They made the New York fans sweat this weekend.
Didn't like the way the game ended tonight, with Papelbon blowing yet another save. But they hung another blown save on Rivera, the so-called Greatest Closer of All-Time.
Thanks for going down fighting guys.
I'm proud to be a Sox fan. Now and always.
I'm proud to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox tonight.
They fought tooth and nail, and didn't bag the season once their best players went down. They made the New York fans sweat this weekend.
Didn't like the way the game ended tonight, with Papelbon blowing yet another save. But they hung another blown save on Rivera, the so-called Greatest Closer of All-Time.
Thanks for going down fighting guys.
I'm proud to be a Sox fan. Now and always.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Enjoy the Schadenfreude
My friend Allan over at The Joy of Sox has a wonderful post on his great site that you who enjoy Yankee misery over the last few years might want to check out. He's got all kinds of great newspaper headlines over the last few years highlighting great Red Sox wins and brutal Yankee losses, mostly from the Boston and New York papers. (Of course, it also includes a generous supply of Clemens and Slappy headlines as well.)It was Allan's 100th "schadenfreude" post today, and it's well worth checking out.
Of course, the one above is a favorite (and I have that actual copy saved, and for eternity), and the other one I have here below I like too, because those assholes at the New York Daily News had to eat their words after the Sox won it all again in 2007:
Thanks for sharing those great memories again, Allan.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
19-8
No, I'm not writing about that hideous Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS. (Doesn't that game seem like a generation ago?) The title of this post is the current win-loss record of one Jon Lester, who turned in a magnificent performance over New York on Saturday.He retired the first 12 hitters and didn't allow a hit until the sixth (just like his last performance in the New Toilet back in August). And the Sox gave Lester plenty of support beating up on rookie Ivan Nova for three runs in the third and they knocked him out in the fifth.
J.D. Drew and Victor Martinez hit solo shots, and David Ortiz had two RBI singles. Curtis Granderson and Slappy both hit inconsequential home runs for the other guys.
Jon Lester will go for his 20th win next week, either Thursday night in Chicago or Friday night against New York at Fenway.
The Red Sox have now tied the season series with NY, 7-7, and have taken the season series at Yankee Stadium, 5-3, with one still to play there.
Tampa Bay won tonight, so New York falls to 1 1/2 games out in the AL East. They lead the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games in the Wild Card race. The two Sox wins now means that New York cannot eliminate the Red Sox this weekend from the postseason.
The Red Sox are making me proud the way they are fighting and not giving the Yankees one inch. And I LOVE the way they are making those NYY fans sweat.
"I Don’t Have Any Words That Aren’t Four Letters"
And that post quote comes from one Josh Beckett, who actually pitched fairly well for the first six innings last night in the Bronx, as the Spoiler Sox put a hurting on Andy Pettitte and the Yankees, 10-8.I'd hate to hear the type of language he uses on nights when he doesn't win.
But the Beckett, whose been getting lit up by New York this season to the tune of an ERA over 11.00, got hit as the game got to the seventh, allowing four home runs in total.
The Red Sox gave Beckett plenty of offense against Pettitte. Jed Lowrie hit a three-run shot in the second, and went 4-for-4 on the night, and Bill Hall hit a three run shot in the fourth that basically but the game on ice early.
New York scored six runs in the sixth and seventh and cut the deficit to three, 10-7. Alex Rodriguez hit a homer off Scott Atchison that brought it to that score, Slappy's second of the night.
Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon allowed just a Mark Teixeira home run (New York's sixth on the night) to make it a 10-8 final and get his 37th save.
Scary moment in the fifth when Mike Lowell got hit off the right side of his head on a ball Curtis Granderson hit that took a strange bounce. Lowell crumpled to the ground, but got up moments later and stayed in for the rest of the inning. He came out in the sixth for precautionary reasons.
The Red Sox are still breathing, and their elimination number for both the East and Wild Card is three. Jon Lester goes in quest of his 19th win this afternoon in the Bronx.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is now done for the season, as he has ligament damage in his thumb and may need surgery on it.
In a curious move, the Sox picked up ten-year veteran infielder Felipe Lopez off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. I can only imagine they did because he is a free agent after the season and is a Type B free agent, and the Red Sox would get a compensatory pick should he sign somewhere else in 2011.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Class and Professionalism
Those are two words that sum up Mike Lowell, and as he is about to call it a career, the Red Sox will honor him next Saturday, October 2nd, on what is being called "Thanks, Mike Night."Here's more about it from Redsox.com.
You can also leave Mike a farewell message at MLBlogs.com.
I will be repeating my post about Mike Lowell that I wrote back in March when it appeared he was being traded next weekend.
BTW, guess which American sports team was selected as The Most Hated Sports Franchise in a recent article at Bleacher Report?
And a new article is up at Hauls of Shame about the number of treasures being discovered stolen from Baseball Hall of Fame going up at an alarming rate.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
No, The Sox Didn't Lose The Season Series to The Orioles
But it could have happened if the Red Sox had dropped another to the hot Birds on Wednesday night. With John Lackey going, I thought it was a very real possibility, and a Baltimore sweep at Fenway loomed large.
But Lackey acquitted himself fine, allowing just one run in seven innings. David Ortiz hit a three-run shot, and Josh Reddick hit his home run of 2010, as the Sox cruised, 6-1.
They split the 18 games with Baltimore, 9-9. (A big reason the Sox are going home early, the record against the AL lightweights.)
From having visions of another World Series win in April, to just not losing a season series to a team that looked like a sure bet to drop 110 games back in May.
Time has a way of radically altering expectations sometimes.
But Lackey acquitted himself fine, allowing just one run in seven innings. David Ortiz hit a three-run shot, and Josh Reddick hit his home run of 2010, as the Sox cruised, 6-1.
They split the 18 games with Baltimore, 9-9. (A big reason the Sox are going home early, the record against the AL lightweights.)
From having visions of another World Series win in April, to just not losing a season series to a team that looked like a sure bet to drop 110 games back in May.
Time has a way of radically altering expectations sometimes.
Buchholz: Six Innings, No Earned Runs
And the title is all I will write about last night's Red Sox game.
Trying my best to stay positive, as The End is approaching.
Trying my best to stay positive, as The End is approaching.
Trivia Q&A: September 21
We had 14 teams in for Trivia Night on a lighter night than I expected. There was a strange vibe in the bar. We couldn't find the mic for my Trivia Night until just moments before we got going. I thought it might be a night when I might have to ask questions walking up and down the bar. I don't want to think about that.
The scores throughout the night when generally on the high side, especially for "In Q's iPod." We had a close match the entire night (we had a seven-way tie for second place after round 1). IQ Trivia had scores a bit lower, and only team got as many as four out of five right. But that team, Suck It, Hasselhoff, wound up the winners, and by three points.
And my thanks to Matt, who corrected me on one of the IQ Trivia answers that I actually got wrong. Yes, The Omnipotent Q isn't perfect.
Best Team Name: I'm Not In The Tea Party, But I Have Dabbled In Witchcraft
Current Events
1. Ticketmaster was ordered to repay over 1,000 fans of this rock star after the US Federal Trade Commission found they used bait and switch tactics to sell tickets to a concert in 2009.
2. Casey Affleck admitted in the New York Times last week that a documentary he was making about the decline of this Oscar-nominated actor was all a hoax.
3. This talk show host announced last week he will lead a rally in Washington DC next month called "Rally to Restore Sanity" in hoping people will "stop drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler."
4. This Hollywood actor and his wife were arrested on burglary charges last weekend after they were living in their former home without permission of the current owner.
5. This East Coast city honored the late rock star and native son Frank Zappa last Sunday with a bust of him dedicated and a street there named after him.
6. A French athlete named Philippe Croizon became the first quadruple amputee to accomplish this feat last weekend, accomplishing it in just under 14 hours.
7. The director of Glastonbury Abbey apologized after an uproar occurred when he let this Hollywood actor promote his upcoming film from the site said to be the grave of King Arthur.
September 21st Trivia
1. On this date in 1897, a famous editorial appeared in a newspaper answering a child's question, called "Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus." In what American city was the paper located?
2. On this day in 1964, Malta became an independent country, and in 1981, Belize also became independent. Both gained their freedom from what European nation?
3. This woman became the first female US Supreme Court justice on this day in 1981.
4. In 1780, this infamous American general handed over the plans to West Point during the American Revolution.
5. This actor/comedian, who starred in many hit comedy films in the 1980s and '90s and was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for "Lost In Translation," was born on this date in 1950.
6. Liam Gallagher, lead singer of this English rock group of the 1990s, was born on this date in 1972.
7. On this day in 1993, this Russian president suspended parliament and scraps the constitution, setting off the constitutional crisis of 1993.
In Q's iPod (Answers)
1. The Beach Boys--Good Vibrations
2. Marvin Gaye--I Heard It Through The Grapevine
3. Billy Joel--We Didn't Start The Fire
4. Booker T & The MGs--Green Onions
5. CCR--Proud Mary
6. Blondie--Rapture
7. Chuck Berry--Johnny B. Goode
8. Phil Collins--In The Air Tonight
9. Bruce Springsteen--Born In The USA
10. Prince--Let's Go Crazy
General Knowledge
1. What European country fought a civil war between 1936 and 1939? ( 1 pt)
2. In what month of the year do the French commemorate Bastille Day? ( 1 pt)
3. What gangster was imprisoned for tax evasion in 1931? ( 1 pt)
4. What metal is typically found in both sterling silver and bronze? ( 2 pt)
5. Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his 1988 Olympic gold medals after failing a drug test, represented what country? ( 2 pt)
6. Whoopi Goldberg won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for what film? ( 2 pt)
7. Which Ernest Hemingway novel is centered around events at the bull running festival at Pamplona, Spain? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What is the largest Mediterranean island, both in terms of area and population? ( 3 points)
2. At the time of the Civil War, what was the most populous city in the Confederacy? ( 4 points)
3. A blackback is the name of what type of male animal for the first eleven years of its life? ( 4 points)
4. What 1970s New Wave rocker won a Grammy Award in 2001 for a classical album called "Symphony No. 1?" ( 5 points)
5. What American city was founded in the 17th century on the Shawmut Peninsula? ( 4 pt)
Answers
Current Events
1. Bruce Springsteen; 2. Joaquin Phoenix; 3. Jon Stewart; 4. Randy Quaid; 5. Baltimore; 6. Swim the English Channel; 7. Nicolas Cage.
September 21st Trivia
1. New York; 2. United Kingdom; 3. Sandra Day O'Connor; 4. Benedict Arnold; 5. Bill Murray; 6. Oasis; 7. Boris Yeltsin.
General Knowledge
1. Spain; 2. July; 3. Al Capone; 4. copper; 5. Canada; 6. "The Color Purple;" 7. "The Sun Also Rises."
IQ Trivia
1. Sicily; 2. New Orleans; 3. gorilla; 4. Joe Jackson; 5. Boston.
The scores throughout the night when generally on the high side, especially for "In Q's iPod." We had a close match the entire night (we had a seven-way tie for second place after round 1). IQ Trivia had scores a bit lower, and only team got as many as four out of five right. But that team, Suck It, Hasselhoff, wound up the winners, and by three points.
And my thanks to Matt, who corrected me on one of the IQ Trivia answers that I actually got wrong. Yes, The Omnipotent Q isn't perfect.
Best Team Name: I'm Not In The Tea Party, But I Have Dabbled In Witchcraft
Current Events
1. Ticketmaster was ordered to repay over 1,000 fans of this rock star after the US Federal Trade Commission found they used bait and switch tactics to sell tickets to a concert in 2009.
2. Casey Affleck admitted in the New York Times last week that a documentary he was making about the decline of this Oscar-nominated actor was all a hoax.
3. This talk show host announced last week he will lead a rally in Washington DC next month called "Rally to Restore Sanity" in hoping people will "stop drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler."
4. This Hollywood actor and his wife were arrested on burglary charges last weekend after they were living in their former home without permission of the current owner.
5. This East Coast city honored the late rock star and native son Frank Zappa last Sunday with a bust of him dedicated and a street there named after him.
6. A French athlete named Philippe Croizon became the first quadruple amputee to accomplish this feat last weekend, accomplishing it in just under 14 hours.
7. The director of Glastonbury Abbey apologized after an uproar occurred when he let this Hollywood actor promote his upcoming film from the site said to be the grave of King Arthur.
September 21st Trivia
1. On this date in 1897, a famous editorial appeared in a newspaper answering a child's question, called "Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus." In what American city was the paper located?
2. On this day in 1964, Malta became an independent country, and in 1981, Belize also became independent. Both gained their freedom from what European nation?
3. This woman became the first female US Supreme Court justice on this day in 1981.
4. In 1780, this infamous American general handed over the plans to West Point during the American Revolution.
5. This actor/comedian, who starred in many hit comedy films in the 1980s and '90s and was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for "Lost In Translation," was born on this date in 1950.
6. Liam Gallagher, lead singer of this English rock group of the 1990s, was born on this date in 1972.
7. On this day in 1993, this Russian president suspended parliament and scraps the constitution, setting off the constitutional crisis of 1993.
In Q's iPod (Answers)
1. The Beach Boys--Good Vibrations
2. Marvin Gaye--I Heard It Through The Grapevine
3. Billy Joel--We Didn't Start The Fire
4. Booker T & The MGs--Green Onions
5. CCR--Proud Mary
6. Blondie--Rapture
7. Chuck Berry--Johnny B. Goode
8. Phil Collins--In The Air Tonight
9. Bruce Springsteen--Born In The USA
10. Prince--Let's Go Crazy
General Knowledge
1. What European country fought a civil war between 1936 and 1939? ( 1 pt)
2. In what month of the year do the French commemorate Bastille Day? ( 1 pt)
3. What gangster was imprisoned for tax evasion in 1931? ( 1 pt)
4. What metal is typically found in both sterling silver and bronze? ( 2 pt)
5. Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his 1988 Olympic gold medals after failing a drug test, represented what country? ( 2 pt)
6. Whoopi Goldberg won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for what film? ( 2 pt)
7. Which Ernest Hemingway novel is centered around events at the bull running festival at Pamplona, Spain? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What is the largest Mediterranean island, both in terms of area and population? ( 3 points)
2. At the time of the Civil War, what was the most populous city in the Confederacy? ( 4 points)
3. A blackback is the name of what type of male animal for the first eleven years of its life? ( 4 points)
4. What 1970s New Wave rocker won a Grammy Award in 2001 for a classical album called "Symphony No. 1?" ( 5 points)
5. What American city was founded in the 17th century on the Shawmut Peninsula? ( 4 pt)
Answers
Current Events
1. Bruce Springsteen; 2. Joaquin Phoenix; 3. Jon Stewart; 4. Randy Quaid; 5. Baltimore; 6. Swim the English Channel; 7. Nicolas Cage.
September 21st Trivia
1. New York; 2. United Kingdom; 3. Sandra Day O'Connor; 4. Benedict Arnold; 5. Bill Murray; 6. Oasis; 7. Boris Yeltsin.
General Knowledge
1. Spain; 2. July; 3. Al Capone; 4. copper; 5. Canada; 6. "The Color Purple;" 7. "The Sun Also Rises."
IQ Trivia
1. Sicily; 2. New Orleans; 3. gorilla; 4. Joe Jackson; 5. Boston.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Umps You Can Root For
Today at the fine Foley's Pub and Restaurant in midtown Manhattan, the Association of Minor League Umpires did a really nice thing. They presented a check to Ed Randall and his "Bat For The Cure," which seeks an end to prostate cancer, for $5,000.
During Father's Day weekend, the 200 members vowed to donate 1 cent for each pitch thrown. Their parent organization also matched what the umpires raised as well. The AMLU represents about 200 umpires in 16 domestic professional minor leagues.
Ed Randall, who has a weekly radio show on WFAN and appears at the BLOHARDS meetings along with me, has been at head of the fight to end prostate cancer, as he is a survivor of the disease himself.
Here's something I rarely write on this blog: nice job, umps! Seriously, it was a really terrific thing those umpires, who don't make big money calling games in the minors, did for something that has taken the lives of thousands of men every year.
Please click this link for more information about Ed's fight to strike out this deadly disease.
During Father's Day weekend, the 200 members vowed to donate 1 cent for each pitch thrown. Their parent organization also matched what the umpires raised as well. The AMLU represents about 200 umpires in 16 domestic professional minor leagues.
Ed Randall, who has a weekly radio show on WFAN and appears at the BLOHARDS meetings along with me, has been at head of the fight to end prostate cancer, as he is a survivor of the disease himself.
Here's something I rarely write on this blog: nice job, umps! Seriously, it was a really terrific thing those umpires, who don't make big money calling games in the minors, did for something that has taken the lives of thousands of men every year.
Please click this link for more information about Ed's fight to strike out this deadly disease.
Doormats No More
The Baltimore Orioles came into Fenway Park last night with a 27-17 record under new manager Buck Showalter and showed why they are no longer to be taken for granted any more by anybody: a 4-2 win over Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox.
They came within one pitch of winning the series from New York over the weekend, and the O's broke through with two in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. The Evil Dice-K made yet another appearance at the Fens, walking five with two of them scoring. When he starts nibbling like he did last night, he's dead.
The Red Sox have now split the first 16 meetings with the Orioles this season. You can point to the injuries all you want as to why the Sox aren't going to the postseason, but their record against the inferior clubs of the AL is an even bigger reason why the golf game begins for the Sox on October 4th.
They came within one pitch of winning the series from New York over the weekend, and the O's broke through with two in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. The Evil Dice-K made yet another appearance at the Fens, walking five with two of them scoring. When he starts nibbling like he did last night, he's dead.
The Red Sox have now split the first 16 meetings with the Orioles this season. You can point to the injuries all you want as to why the Sox aren't going to the postseason, but their record against the inferior clubs of the AL is an even bigger reason why the golf game begins for the Sox on October 4th.
"Four Days In October"
My buddy Red over at Surviving Grady put up a post about a film I didn't even know was coming out. It's called "Four Days In October" and it's about the most historic comeback in the history of MLB: Your Boston Red Sox coming from 0-3 down to win the 2004 American League pennant.
The film is part of ESPN's "30 For 30" sports films series, and it will air the first time on October 5th at 11PM on ESPN2. It will also air on October 7 at 11PM (ESPN Classic), October 11th at 7PM (ESPN2), November 7 at 9PM (ESPN Classic) and November 18th at 9PM (ESPN Classic).
Here is a sneak peek at the upcoming film. One of my favorite snippets is seeing that notorious front-runner and media clown Spike Lee say "I'm nervous" before Game 7. And I absolutely love the bug-eyed Yankee fan seeing the Choke completed at the very end of this clip. Classic.
Boy, I can't wait to see this. Thank you, Red.
Enjoy:
The film is part of ESPN's "30 For 30" sports films series, and it will air the first time on October 5th at 11PM on ESPN2. It will also air on October 7 at 11PM (ESPN Classic), October 11th at 7PM (ESPN2), November 7 at 9PM (ESPN Classic) and November 18th at 9PM (ESPN Classic).
Here is a sneak peek at the upcoming film. One of my favorite snippets is seeing that notorious front-runner and media clown Spike Lee say "I'm nervous" before Game 7. And I absolutely love the bug-eyed Yankee fan seeing the Choke completed at the very end of this clip. Classic.
Boy, I can't wait to see this. Thank you, Red.
Enjoy:
Monday, September 20, 2010
iPod Tunes Makes Its Return
This week's Special Category for Trivia Night will be another round of this day in history: "September 21st Trivia." Seven questions connected to the day in question in some way, shape or form.The Q Train lightning round will be the second edition of "In Q's iPod." It's like Name That Tune, in that I will play the opening few seconds of ten songs that are actually in my own iPod, and you will tell me the artist and title of the song, so each tune will be worth two points apiece. Everyone loves audio rounds, don't they?
The Sneak Peek question will be this week:
In what month of the year do the French celebrate Bastille Day?
We get going at the usual time of 9 PM. The crowd have been getting bigger lately, and that's good to see. I must be doing something right! Hope you can make it out on Tuesday night.
Still On Pace For 20
Jon Lester got even with the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway on Sunday (remember his last game against Toronto there: 2+ innings, 9 earned runs), shutting them down for seven innings as the Red Sox salvaged the final game of the series, 6-0.
J.D. Drew belted a two-run shot, Victor Martinez had a solo shot, and the Sox piled in five runs in the fifth to back Lester. Jon got out of two bases loaded jams unscathed. His streak of ten strike out games ended at four, as he struck out just four Blue Jays.
Lester has at least two more starts in 2010: Saturday in New York, and Thursday in Chicago. It will be interesting to see what Terry Francona would do should Lester not get the win over New York on Saturday. He could move him up to Wednesday night against the White Sox on three days rest, and should he win that one, let him pitch the final game of the season against NY. And obviously, should he not beat the White Sox on Wednesday, that would be his final start of 2010.
If he makes 20 wins, Lester would be the first Red Sox lefty to win 20 since Mel Parnell turned the trick in 1953.
New York and Tampa Bay both lost, so the Red Sox trail the Rays by 6 1/2 games with 13 left to play. Not that it really matters much anymore.
J.D. Drew belted a two-run shot, Victor Martinez had a solo shot, and the Sox piled in five runs in the fifth to back Lester. Jon got out of two bases loaded jams unscathed. His streak of ten strike out games ended at four, as he struck out just four Blue Jays.
Lester has at least two more starts in 2010: Saturday in New York, and Thursday in Chicago. It will be interesting to see what Terry Francona would do should Lester not get the win over New York on Saturday. He could move him up to Wednesday night against the White Sox on three days rest, and should he win that one, let him pitch the final game of the season against NY. And obviously, should he not beat the White Sox on Wednesday, that would be his final start of 2010.
If he makes 20 wins, Lester would be the first Red Sox lefty to win 20 since Mel Parnell turned the trick in 1953.
New York and Tampa Bay both lost, so the Red Sox trail the Rays by 6 1/2 games with 13 left to play. Not that it really matters much anymore.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tavaris Waiting In The Wings?
Count me in the group that feels the Minnesota Vikings will go nowhere near a Super Bowl with more efforts like the one Brett Favre gave today in the Metrodome against Miami.
He was simply putrid. He may have thrown for nearly 200 yards, but he also threw three interceptions and fumbled in the end zone that Miami fell on for a gift touchdown. (He was also interecepted a fourth time, but that was nullified by a Miami penalty.)
It brought back memories of Favre's last four games in a Jets uniform back in 2008. He looked like an old man who should have retired and stayed that way.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and showed in the fourth quarter why he is one of the elite players in the NFL. But he couldn't win the game all by himself, and was stopped on the one-yard line on 4th down with just over two minutes to play. (Did anyone else notice in that entire drive that Favre never threw the ball once, and just kept giving AP the ball?) It was an excruciating 14-10 loss.
Favre was picked off only twice in all of 2009 at home, and the Vikings were behind just a little over 20 minutes at home the entire season. But today it was another struggle for the Vikings to score points. (And the rush defense didn't look all that dominating either. The Vikings have lots of problems, on both sides of the ball.)
It all comes down to Favre. More thoroughly rotten efforts like this and the Vikings won't even be in the playoffs. I don't think the Vikings will bench Favre in favor of Tavaris Jackson (who leaves me with no confidence either). But after more games like this, who knows?
The road doesn't get all that easy the next six games: Detroit, NY Jets, Dallas, Green Bay, New England and Arizona.
A bad start. Just what the Vikings needed.
He was simply putrid. He may have thrown for nearly 200 yards, but he also threw three interceptions and fumbled in the end zone that Miami fell on for a gift touchdown. (He was also interecepted a fourth time, but that was nullified by a Miami penalty.)
It brought back memories of Favre's last four games in a Jets uniform back in 2008. He looked like an old man who should have retired and stayed that way.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and showed in the fourth quarter why he is one of the elite players in the NFL. But he couldn't win the game all by himself, and was stopped on the one-yard line on 4th down with just over two minutes to play. (Did anyone else notice in that entire drive that Favre never threw the ball once, and just kept giving AP the ball?) It was an excruciating 14-10 loss.
Favre was picked off only twice in all of 2009 at home, and the Vikings were behind just a little over 20 minutes at home the entire season. But today it was another struggle for the Vikings to score points. (And the rush defense didn't look all that dominating either. The Vikings have lots of problems, on both sides of the ball.)
It all comes down to Favre. More thoroughly rotten efforts like this and the Vikings won't even be in the playoffs. I don't think the Vikings will bench Favre in favor of Tavaris Jackson (who leaves me with no confidence either). But after more games like this, who knows?
The road doesn't get all that easy the next six games: Detroit, NY Jets, Dallas, Green Bay, New England and Arizona.
A bad start. Just what the Vikings needed.
Now It's Over
On a number of occasions over the past few weeks, the Red Sox appeared to be on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason, not in terms of actual numbers, but in the sense that the hope was gone. But they kept finding ways of hanging in there, and getting us to believe that a comeback rivaling the 2004 ALCS was a possibility.
That was shot all to hell last night. I'm only glad one of my acting jobs kept me from witnessing it.
No clutch hitting, stupid baserunning and yet another subpar performance from a starting pitcher doomed the Red Sox last night.
Josh Beckett continued his season of stealing the Red Sox money as he allowed four runs early to the Blue Jays, and the Sox came up short. Ryan Kalish was picked off first with one out in the ninth and the Sox down by one, and sure enough, Victor Martinez tripled off the wall in left-center. He died on third when Adrian Beltre grounded out to end it.
Beckett and John Lackey are now 5-12 since the All-Star break. (Thanks Jere.) Imagine where the Red Sox might be now if they earned their keep.
Tampa Bay and New York both won. 8 back in the East and 7 1/2 behind in the Wild Card with 14 to go. So now it's time for football season.
And on that subject, Notre Dame lost a real heartbreaker at Michigan State, as a fake field goal in OT was turned into a TD that gave the Spartans a 34-31 win. It was a big day for Dayne Crist, who threw 4 TDs and for 369 yards. Crist hit Michael Floyd for two of them.
I'm glad I missed this one, too.
The road gets even tougher for the 1-2 Irish next week, as they return home for a meeting with 3-0 Stanford.
That was shot all to hell last night. I'm only glad one of my acting jobs kept me from witnessing it.
No clutch hitting, stupid baserunning and yet another subpar performance from a starting pitcher doomed the Red Sox last night.
Josh Beckett continued his season of stealing the Red Sox money as he allowed four runs early to the Blue Jays, and the Sox came up short. Ryan Kalish was picked off first with one out in the ninth and the Sox down by one, and sure enough, Victor Martinez tripled off the wall in left-center. He died on third when Adrian Beltre grounded out to end it.
Beckett and John Lackey are now 5-12 since the All-Star break. (Thanks Jere.) Imagine where the Red Sox might be now if they earned their keep.
Tampa Bay and New York both won. 8 back in the East and 7 1/2 behind in the Wild Card with 14 to go. So now it's time for football season.
And on that subject, Notre Dame lost a real heartbreaker at Michigan State, as a fake field goal in OT was turned into a TD that gave the Spartans a 34-31 win. It was a big day for Dayne Crist, who threw 4 TDs and for 369 yards. Crist hit Michael Floyd for two of them.
I'm glad I missed this one, too.
The road gets even tougher for the 1-2 Irish next week, as they return home for a meeting with 3-0 Stanford.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Another Lackey Stinkbomb
The Red Sox fell into a 10-2 hole by the sixth inning, courtesy of yet another subpar performance by John Lackey, who allowed 7 runs in less than five innings.
They tried valiantly to get back in it, getting two in the eighth and two in the ninth, getting the tying run to the plate in Victor Martinez. V-Mart hit two home runs earlier in the game, but flied out to end it.
I have to give the Sox a lot of credit. They are playing hard and there is no quit in this club. That's a tribute to Terry Francona especially.
New York won on two Slappy home runs, including one in the ninth, and Tampa Bay lost at home to the L.A. Angels. So NY is back in first by a half-game. The Sox trail them by 7 still, and Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race by 6 1/2 games.
Tough night. 15 games to play and the Sox lost ground tonight. Ungood.
They tried valiantly to get back in it, getting two in the eighth and two in the ninth, getting the tying run to the plate in Victor Martinez. V-Mart hit two home runs earlier in the game, but flied out to end it.
I have to give the Sox a lot of credit. They are playing hard and there is no quit in this club. That's a tribute to Terry Francona especially.
New York won on two Slappy home runs, including one in the ninth, and Tampa Bay lost at home to the L.A. Angels. So NY is back in first by a half-game. The Sox trail them by 7 still, and Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race by 6 1/2 games.
Tough night. 15 games to play and the Sox lost ground tonight. Ungood.
A Brooklyn Tornado?
Last night, I was in Manhattan at Professor Thom's doing a special night of trivia for a private party. As I was leaving my house around 5 PM, the skies began getting darker and a storm was on its way.
It was raining by the time I got off the subway, but it wasn't too bad, so I didn't think too much of it. But later I heard that funnel clouds were reported in Brooklyn and Queens, and the quick-moving storm did some serious damage. (My neighborhood was basically untouched.)
A few years back, we had a tornado touch down in Bay Ridge, and that caused some damage as well. This morning, I found a clip on YouTube that a couple of guys who saw the funnel-like storm and captured it on film. I believe this is in Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn.
BTW, lots of four-letter words and "dudes" in this clip:
It was raining by the time I got off the subway, but it wasn't too bad, so I didn't think too much of it. But later I heard that funnel clouds were reported in Brooklyn and Queens, and the quick-moving storm did some serious damage. (My neighborhood was basically untouched.)
A few years back, we had a tornado touch down in Bay Ridge, and that caused some damage as well. This morning, I found a clip on YouTube that a couple of guys who saw the funnel-like storm and captured it on film. I believe this is in Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn.
BTW, lots of four-letter words and "dudes" in this clip:
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Interesting Random Stuff
I went to MCU Park this past Monday night, as the Brooklyn Cyclones were in the New York-Penn League Championship Series against the Tri-City Valley Cats. It's been a banner year for the Cyclones, who went 50-26 (the league's best record) and were an amazing 30-8 at home. (I saw seven games there in 2010 and they won them all.)Unfortunately, the rain showed up, and it came down really intensely at times. When it finally stopped around 7:30 PM, Cyclones manager Wally Backman and other officials toured the field, and some Cyclones players were on the warning track behind home trying to clear the water that had built up.
But, the field was pretty unplayable, so they called the game. I got an exchange of my ticket for Game 3 for Wednesday night, as I was doing my Trivia Night on Tuesday and couldn't go then. The Cyclones were down 1-0 in the Best of Three, and I looked on the computer at Thom's for updates Tuesday.
But a title wasn't in the cards, as Tri-City won, 5-1. It was a great year in Brooklyn for baseball, and I'm sorry to see end this way. Still, a nice job by a few terrific young players who I bet we'll be seeing at Citi Field a few years down the road.
My friend Pete Nash has yet another interesting article from his terrific site "Hauls of Shame." It's a monthly update, but it also includes an interesting tidbit, from the picture featured on this post. Apparently all the jerseys used in this 1985 Sporting News cover photo were all fakes, from the late Barry Halper's collection.
My friends over at The Fresh Air Fund are recruiting runners and sponsors to be a part of their team to run at the NYC Marathon on November 7th. If you'd like to take part, please go here for more information. They raised over $100,000 during the NYC Half-Marathon back in March, and I'm sure they'll top that this November!
Could someone tell me why the MLB Extra Innings package is showing just 5 of the 6 games in the majors today? The game they are bumping is the Dodgers-Giants game in San Francisco tonight, which is probably the best of the lot. I have had the package for 4 years now, and I have never been able to figure why certain games get bumped off. Sometimes they are really good matchups, but sometimes not. EI has left me scratching my head many times.
I'm sure there maybe a good reason why that game won't be on tonight, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out. I hope the MLB Network will pickup some of the live broadcast tonight.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
13 Straight
No, the Red Sox haven't won thirteen in a row, but with tonight's 5-1 win over the Mariners in Seattle, they clinched a winning record, and for the 13th consecutive year will have a record over .500. (The last non-winning season was the very forgettable year of 1997. Doesn't that seem like about 50 years ago?)
Adrian Beltre hit another knee-on-the-ground home run, a blast into the left field seats that tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning. Clay Buchholz had given up a homer to Russell Branyan in the first inning. But Clay settled in after that.
He was the polar opposite of his last start in Oakland, when he went just one inning and allowed the A's five runs. He went seven innings tonight, allowing just the one run in getting his 16th win. Hideki Okajima and Scott Atchison pitched the final two innings in preserving the W.
Victor Martinez drove in two runs with an RBI double (he's now hitting over .400 against lefties this season). David Ortiz scored the tie-breaking run on Chone (Don't Call Me Chone) Figgins' error with two outs in the sixth. Ryan Kalish drove in the final run with an RBI triple in the 8th.
New York lost to Tampa Bay tonight on Dan Johnson's two two-run homers (nice to see him terrorize some pitchers not wearing Red Sox uniforms), 4-3. The Rays are back in first by a half-game, and the Sox trail New York by 6 in the Wild Card.
The Sox keep gaining ground every day, slowly but surely. But the calendar's running out with just 16 games to play. The Red Sox now return home, with a weekend series with the Blue Jays beginning Friday night.
BTW, here's an interesting article from the New York Times about how criminals love wearing Yankee caps. Draw your own conclusions.
Adrian Beltre hit another knee-on-the-ground home run, a blast into the left field seats that tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning. Clay Buchholz had given up a homer to Russell Branyan in the first inning. But Clay settled in after that.
He was the polar opposite of his last start in Oakland, when he went just one inning and allowed the A's five runs. He went seven innings tonight, allowing just the one run in getting his 16th win. Hideki Okajima and Scott Atchison pitched the final two innings in preserving the W.
Victor Martinez drove in two runs with an RBI double (he's now hitting over .400 against lefties this season). David Ortiz scored the tie-breaking run on Chone (Don't Call Me Chone) Figgins' error with two outs in the sixth. Ryan Kalish drove in the final run with an RBI triple in the 8th.
New York lost to Tampa Bay tonight on Dan Johnson's two two-run homers (nice to see him terrorize some pitchers not wearing Red Sox uniforms), 4-3. The Rays are back in first by a half-game, and the Sox trail New York by 6 in the Wild Card.
The Sox keep gaining ground every day, slowly but surely. But the calendar's running out with just 16 games to play. The Red Sox now return home, with a weekend series with the Blue Jays beginning Friday night.
BTW, here's an interesting article from the New York Times about how criminals love wearing Yankee caps. Draw your own conclusions.
Jed, Papi Bust Out The Whoopin' Sticks
The Red Sox keep on keepin' on, as they busted out the lumber in getting a 9-6 win over the Mariners at Safeco Field last night.Jed Lowrie hit two home runs, and he now has six on the year. David Ortiz hit his 30th of this season, and became the third Sox player in team history to do it six times. He tied Manny Ramirez with six, trailing only Ted Williams, who did it eight times.
Not bad for guy who was clearly washed up at the end of this past April.
Papi's home run was especially huge, as the Red Sox were trailing 5-4 in the 8th with two outs and two on. The Sox added two big runs in the 9th on RBIs by Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick.
Daisuke Matsuzaka went six innings, allowing five earned runs. The bullpen shut down Seattle the rest of the way (Jonathan Papelbon gave up a meaningless run in the ninth). Rich Hill, in his Red Sox debut having just been called up from Pawtucket, got the final out in the 7th and got the win.
The Red Sox now trail Tampa Bay by 6 1/2 games in the Wild Card, as they lost to New York last night. Still hangin' on. Clay Buchholz goes for his 16th win today as the Red Sox look for a sweep to end the road trip.
The Red Sox will open the 2011 season in Texas on Friday, April 1st (yes, the MLB season opens on a Friday in 2011), as next year's schedule was released yesterday. They will open the home season on Friday, April 8th against New York.
Trivia Q&A: September 14
We had a terrific turnout on Tuesday, as we were joined by 22 teams for Trivia Night. Hopefully the crowds will continue to be coming out, and it was nice to see many new folks in Thom's as well.
We had some strong scores for Q-Tip Trivia and General Knowledge. They weren't bad for 1-10 Trivia either.
But the IQ Trivia numbers were among the lowest I've seen in a really long time. We had nine teams that completely struck out, and only one team that got as many as three of the five correct. (I honestly didn't think it was that hard when I wrote them. OK, I was wrong.) And that team, Blackboard Bungle, wound up coming from fourth place to winning the night by just one point. Nice job, guys.
The Best Team Name: I Lost My Virginity But I Still Have The Box It Came In (I'll be featuring that every week now.)
Current Events
1. Singer Susan Boyle walked off the TV show "America's Got Talent" and left in tears after she was refused permission by this singer/songwriter to use one of his songs because he wasn't a fan of hers.
2. A former bodyguard of this pop star filed a lawsuit last week claiming she sexually harassed him and abused her children.
3. This Hollywood actor was granted a restraining order from a woman who claimed to be his wife and carrying his child, but the actor has said he has never met the woman.
4. The USA won the 2010 World Basketball championship, 81-64, over this country on Sunday, which also happened to be the tournament's host nation.
5. Kevin McCarthy, a TV and movie character actor who made over 200 appearances in film and TV but is best known for his starring role in this classic 1956 science fiction film, died last Saturday at the age of 96.
6. The White House announced that Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, who served in Afghanistan, will be the first living person since the Vietnam War to be awarded this.
7. This pop singer was sentenced to 8 weeks in jail in London today after he crashed his car into a shop last July while under the influence of drugs.
Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the MLB Hall of Famers never played on a World Series champion? a. Ted Williams; b. Ernie Banks; c. Tony Gwynn; d. Carl Yastrzemski.
2. Which of the following became president after the death of another president? a. Calvin Coolidge; b. Grover Cleveland; c. William McKinley; d. Harry Truman.
3. Which of these NYC subway lines is never regularly scheduled to travel into Brooklyn? a. 1 train; b. G train; c. 7 train; d. D train.
4. Which of these musical artists won an Oscar for Best Song? a. Elton John; b. Carly Simon; c. Frank Sinatra; d. Bruce Springsteen.
5. Which of these European countries were behind The Iron Curtain before the fall of communism in the late 1980s? a. Austria; b. Hungary; c. Poland; d. Switzerland.
6. Which of these bridges connects Brooklyn to Manhattan? a. Triborough; b. Verrazano; c. Marine Parkway; d. George Washington.
7. In poker, which of the following hands beats a Four-of-a-kind? a. Full house; b. Flush; c. Straight Flush; d. Straight.
1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. On the TV series "Seinfeld," George Costanza wanted to give his first-born son this number for a first name.
2. Pearl Jam and LL Cool J both had this number for an album title.
3. The number LeBron James will be wearing with his new team, the Miami Heat.
4. This is the atomic number of helium.
5. In the Book of Revelation, there were this many "Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
6. In baseball, this many innings have to be played at minimum for a game to be official.
7. Gemini is this number sign of the Zodiac.
8. This number of judges sit on the US Supreme Court.
9. An octagon has this number of sides.
10. The only players in soccer and hockey who can wear this number are goalkeepers.
General Knowledge
1. The Upper Peninsula is found in what US state? ( 1 pt)
2. The Staples Center is an arena found in what US city? ( 1 pt)
3. Joe Strummer was the lead singer of what band that formed in 1976? ( 1 pt)
4. How many Oscars did John Wayne win in his storied career? ( 2 pt)
5. "Angela's Ashes" won a Pulitzer Prize for what Irish author? ( 2 pt)
6. In 1934, which infamous bank robber was shot dead by the FBI outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago? ( 2 pt)
7. What Ray Bradbury novel is about a future where all books are banned? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. Norris and Ross McWhirter were the founders and editors of what reference book? ( 3 points)
2. In 1868, astronomer Pierre Janssen discovered which chemical element? ( 4 points)
3. Charles Darrow is credited with inventing what, after losing his sales job following the Stock Market Crash of 1929? ( 5 points)
4. Alan Reed was best known as the original voice of which cartoon character? ( 4 points)
5. Which famous revolutionary led the "26th of July Movement?" ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Lou Reed; 2. Britney Spears; 3. Leonardo DiCaprio; 4. Turkey; 5. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers;" 6. Medal of Honor; 7. George Michael.
Q-Tip Trivia
1. all; 2. a & d; 3. a & c; 4. a, b & d; 5. b & c; 6. none; 7. c.
1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. seven; 2. ten; 3. six; 4. two; 5. four; 6. five; 7. three; 8. nine; 9. eight; 10. one.
General Knowledge
1. Michigan; 2. Los Angeles; 3. The Clash; 4. one ("True Grit"); 5. Frank McCourt; 6. John Dillinger; 7. "Fahrenheit 451."
IQ Trivia
1. "Guinness Book of World Records;" 2. helium; 3. The board game "Monopoly;" 4. Fred Flintstone; 5. Fidel Castro.
We had some strong scores for Q-Tip Trivia and General Knowledge. They weren't bad for 1-10 Trivia either.
But the IQ Trivia numbers were among the lowest I've seen in a really long time. We had nine teams that completely struck out, and only one team that got as many as three of the five correct. (I honestly didn't think it was that hard when I wrote them. OK, I was wrong.) And that team, Blackboard Bungle, wound up coming from fourth place to winning the night by just one point. Nice job, guys.
The Best Team Name: I Lost My Virginity But I Still Have The Box It Came In (I'll be featuring that every week now.)
Current Events
1. Singer Susan Boyle walked off the TV show "America's Got Talent" and left in tears after she was refused permission by this singer/songwriter to use one of his songs because he wasn't a fan of hers.
2. A former bodyguard of this pop star filed a lawsuit last week claiming she sexually harassed him and abused her children.
3. This Hollywood actor was granted a restraining order from a woman who claimed to be his wife and carrying his child, but the actor has said he has never met the woman.
4. The USA won the 2010 World Basketball championship, 81-64, over this country on Sunday, which also happened to be the tournament's host nation.
5. Kevin McCarthy, a TV and movie character actor who made over 200 appearances in film and TV but is best known for his starring role in this classic 1956 science fiction film, died last Saturday at the age of 96.
6. The White House announced that Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, who served in Afghanistan, will be the first living person since the Vietnam War to be awarded this.
7. This pop singer was sentenced to 8 weeks in jail in London today after he crashed his car into a shop last July while under the influence of drugs.
Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the MLB Hall of Famers never played on a World Series champion? a. Ted Williams; b. Ernie Banks; c. Tony Gwynn; d. Carl Yastrzemski.
2. Which of the following became president after the death of another president? a. Calvin Coolidge; b. Grover Cleveland; c. William McKinley; d. Harry Truman.
3. Which of these NYC subway lines is never regularly scheduled to travel into Brooklyn? a. 1 train; b. G train; c. 7 train; d. D train.
4. Which of these musical artists won an Oscar for Best Song? a. Elton John; b. Carly Simon; c. Frank Sinatra; d. Bruce Springsteen.
5. Which of these European countries were behind The Iron Curtain before the fall of communism in the late 1980s? a. Austria; b. Hungary; c. Poland; d. Switzerland.
6. Which of these bridges connects Brooklyn to Manhattan? a. Triborough; b. Verrazano; c. Marine Parkway; d. George Washington.
7. In poker, which of the following hands beats a Four-of-a-kind? a. Full house; b. Flush; c. Straight Flush; d. Straight.
1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. On the TV series "Seinfeld," George Costanza wanted to give his first-born son this number for a first name.
2. Pearl Jam and LL Cool J both had this number for an album title.
3. The number LeBron James will be wearing with his new team, the Miami Heat.
4. This is the atomic number of helium.
5. In the Book of Revelation, there were this many "Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
6. In baseball, this many innings have to be played at minimum for a game to be official.
7. Gemini is this number sign of the Zodiac.
8. This number of judges sit on the US Supreme Court.
9. An octagon has this number of sides.
10. The only players in soccer and hockey who can wear this number are goalkeepers.
General Knowledge
1. The Upper Peninsula is found in what US state? ( 1 pt)
2. The Staples Center is an arena found in what US city? ( 1 pt)
3. Joe Strummer was the lead singer of what band that formed in 1976? ( 1 pt)
4. How many Oscars did John Wayne win in his storied career? ( 2 pt)
5. "Angela's Ashes" won a Pulitzer Prize for what Irish author? ( 2 pt)
6. In 1934, which infamous bank robber was shot dead by the FBI outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago? ( 2 pt)
7. What Ray Bradbury novel is about a future where all books are banned? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. Norris and Ross McWhirter were the founders and editors of what reference book? ( 3 points)
2. In 1868, astronomer Pierre Janssen discovered which chemical element? ( 4 points)
3. Charles Darrow is credited with inventing what, after losing his sales job following the Stock Market Crash of 1929? ( 5 points)
4. Alan Reed was best known as the original voice of which cartoon character? ( 4 points)
5. Which famous revolutionary led the "26th of July Movement?" ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Lou Reed; 2. Britney Spears; 3. Leonardo DiCaprio; 4. Turkey; 5. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers;" 6. Medal of Honor; 7. George Michael.
Q-Tip Trivia
1. all; 2. a & d; 3. a & c; 4. a, b & d; 5. b & c; 6. none; 7. c.
1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. seven; 2. ten; 3. six; 4. two; 5. four; 6. five; 7. three; 8. nine; 9. eight; 10. one.
General Knowledge
1. Michigan; 2. Los Angeles; 3. The Clash; 4. one ("True Grit"); 5. Frank McCourt; 6. John Dillinger; 7. "Fahrenheit 451."
IQ Trivia
1. "Guinness Book of World Records;" 2. helium; 3. The board game "Monopoly;" 4. Fred Flintstone; 5. Fidel Castro.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Welcome to Lester City
Jon Lester continued to strengthen his case for the AL Cy Young Award last night, with a devastating performance against the Seattle Mariners.
Lester is red hot right now, getting his 17th win of 2010, and he still has a good shot at winning 20. He went eight innings last night, striking out 12, allowing just one run in the 5-1 Red Sox triumph.
Lester went over 200 mark in strikeouts, and he's now at 208. He also made some team history as well. He became just the fifth Sox pitcher to have back-to-back 200K seasons, joining Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Smokey Joe Wood and Pedro Martinez in accomplishing that feat.
Lester also became the first Sox lefty to strikeout 10 or more in four straight games. He also became the first AL pitcher to turn that trick since Johan Santana did it in 2004. Only Pedro Martinez has ever struck 10 or more in five straight games for the Sox.
The kids from Pawtucket did the offensive damage last night. Daniel Nava and Lars Anderson had RBI doubles, and Ryan Kalish blasted a two-run shot that iced the game late. Daniel Bard finished up in the ninth.
New York lost to Tampa Bay last night in 11 innings, so the Rays took over first place by a half-game. Anyone else notice New York is free falling right now, having dropped 7 of 8? The Sox trail them by 7 with 18 to go in the Wild Card race. They still have six games between them later this month and in early October.
Yeah, I know. I'm dreaming. But weren't the Mets up by 7 with 17 to go in 2007?
Monday, September 13, 2010
0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 Correct. You Decide.
This Tuesday night's Trivia will feature as the Special Category the September edition of "Q Tip Trivia," where I ask you seven questions about general knowledge that can have anywhere from none to four correct answers. But of course, you have to be careful, as any incorrect choices nullify the entire answer and no get no points.The Q Train lightning round will feature the return of "1-10 Trivia." There will be ten questions where each answer will be a number between 1 and 10. (There will be no repeats.)
The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
The Staples Center is an arena located in what US city?
We will begin the night at 9 PM, so I hope many of you will come for a great night of Trivia on Tuesday.
Bats Bail Out Beckett
Going into Sunday's game the Oakland A's had one of MLB's best records in the daytime, and the Red Sox had one of the worst. So what happens?
The Sox win.
It didn't look that way early on, as Josh Beckett completely lost his command, as he walked four batters in the third, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead. (Good Lord, yet another bases loaded walk.) The damage was minimum, but they scored two more in the fifth to make it 3-0.
The Red Sox finally got on the board in the sixth, and scored four runs, all with two outs. J.D. Drew, who got nailed overrunning first base on a single earlier in the game, doubled in two, and Ryan Kalish hit a pinch-hit double that brought in two to make it 4-3.
Beckett went the first six innings, but the bullpen pitched the best. Scott Atchison and Jonathan Papelbon retired the final nine hitters in order, with Pap getting save number 36.
The Red Sox trail Tampa Bay by 7 1/2 in the Wild Card, and it would take a stunning miracle for the Red Sox to catch them. Right now, I would just settle for a dignified finish to 2010.
A sweep was avoided in Oakland, and now the Sox head for Seattle with three with the Mariners to conclude the west coast trip.
The Sox win.
It didn't look that way early on, as Josh Beckett completely lost his command, as he walked four batters in the third, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead. (Good Lord, yet another bases loaded walk.) The damage was minimum, but they scored two more in the fifth to make it 3-0.
The Red Sox finally got on the board in the sixth, and scored four runs, all with two outs. J.D. Drew, who got nailed overrunning first base on a single earlier in the game, doubled in two, and Ryan Kalish hit a pinch-hit double that brought in two to make it 4-3.
Beckett went the first six innings, but the bullpen pitched the best. Scott Atchison and Jonathan Papelbon retired the final nine hitters in order, with Pap getting save number 36.
The Red Sox trail Tampa Bay by 7 1/2 in the Wild Card, and it would take a stunning miracle for the Red Sox to catch them. Right now, I would just settle for a dignified finish to 2010.
A sweep was avoided in Oakland, and now the Sox head for Seattle with three with the Mariners to conclude the west coast trip.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tough Day
Didn't see any of Notre Dame's 28-24 loss to Michigan yesterday, but Michigan QB Denard Robinson was a one-man wrecking crew, accounting for 505 yards of offense, including an 87-yard rush for a TD in the second quarter, which was the longest run from scrimmage in the history of Notre Dame Stadium.
Is that really true? No running back has ever run for at least a 90-yard TD in that fabled place? I was shocked to hear that.
Anyway, ND is now 1-1 and faces Michigan State in East Lansing next weekend.
I got home last night to see another Red Sox defeat in Oakland. They left runners everywhere, including the bases loaded in the first. John Lackey pitched six shutout inning before allowing 3 runs in the seventh, and the A's went on to a 4-3 win. The season can't end soon enough for me.
Before I hit the sack, I saw Mariano Rivera's meltdown in Texas, as he walked two batters, and the so-called greatest closer of all-time gave up a game-tying double to Ian Kinsler, then hit Jeff Francoeur with the bases loaded on the first pitch to give the Rangers the victory.
And, I was at Ground Zero yesterday. It was another difficult, emotional day, with a very large turnout on a beautiful day.
I was proud to be there.
Is that really true? No running back has ever run for at least a 90-yard TD in that fabled place? I was shocked to hear that.
Anyway, ND is now 1-1 and faces Michigan State in East Lansing next weekend.
I got home last night to see another Red Sox defeat in Oakland. They left runners everywhere, including the bases loaded in the first. John Lackey pitched six shutout inning before allowing 3 runs in the seventh, and the A's went on to a 4-3 win. The season can't end soon enough for me.
Before I hit the sack, I saw Mariano Rivera's meltdown in Texas, as he walked two batters, and the so-called greatest closer of all-time gave up a game-tying double to Ian Kinsler, then hit Jeff Francoeur with the bases loaded on the first pitch to give the Rangers the victory.
And, I was at Ground Zero yesterday. It was another difficult, emotional day, with a very large turnout on a beautiful day.
I was proud to be there.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
3000
This is the 3,000th post of The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, and I realized back in July that we were approaching an historic number. And of course, I knew it could only be about one subject, and one subject only.And it could only happen on this day.
For the ninth consecutive year, I will be at Ground Zero this morning for the ceremonies to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center of September 11, 2001. I will be there with my friend Deborah, who has been with me at every one as well, and it's been a blessing that she's a part of my life. For us both, it is a sacred day at a sacred place, to remember our dear and lovely friend Joyce Carpeneto, as well as the other beautiful souls who were taken from us that terrible morning.
September 11, 2001 completely changed my life. It's like a great dividing line, between everything that happened before it, and everything that happened after.
I can't be any other place in the world on the morning of September 11th but in Lower Manhattan at Zuccotti Park, where the ceremonies have now been held the last four years, after the construction really got going at the actual site. I've always said that if I am 10,000 miles away from New York on September 10th, I will be in Manhattan the next day. It's like a holy day of obligation.
And I will be there every September 11th for the rest of my life.
There's been plenty of controversy at the site this year, but today is not a day for that. Today it should just be a day to remember the victims. Period.
Here are my previous September 11 tributes from the past four years from my blog:
2006: "Forever Missed. And Forever Loved."
2007: "Never Forget. Ever."
2008: "We Can Be The Ones Who Remember"
2009: "The Most Sacred Of All Days"
And I will conclude this post with these two quotes:
"Good days, bad days, but never a boring day on this job. You do what God has called you to do. You show up, you put one foot in front of the other, and you do your job, which is a mystery and a surprise. You have no idea, when you get in that rig, what God is calling you to. But He needs you, so keep going. Keep supporting each other. Be kind to each other. Love each other. Work together. You love the job. We all do. What a blessing that is." --Father Mychal Judge, dedicating a firehouse on September 10, 2001, one day before his death
"It's been 233 days since September 11th. I've been to 28 funerals and memorial services and I should have gone to more, but some days I just couldn't face it. 233 days and in a few weeks it's going to be over. Everyone and everything that was going to be found will have been found. Won't be any place to dig. And then we are just going to have to walk away. And there will be a park with a marble monument with names that will slowly stop seeming like real people. Soon enough it will be just us. We will be the ones who remember. That's what we can do to honor the people we loved and lost. We can be the ones who remember." --Bruce Weitz, from the TV series "Third Watch," May 6, 2002
Say a prayer for those lost nine years ago today. And especially for their loved ones who had their lives shattered and are trying to move on without them.
We love you, Joyce. And all the 3000 who were taken from us.
We'll never forget. Ever.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Rust Shows As Vikings Come Up Short
As soon as I saw the Vikings would be playing their opener on September 9th in New Orleans a few months back, I didn't have a good feeling about it.But it was a tough, grind-it-out opener to the 2010 season, but the Vikings ultimately came up short to the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, 14-9, in the Superdome last night.
At first it looked like it might be a blowout from the first New Orleans drive, as Drew Brees attacked the Vikings defense with crisp passes, ending with a 29-yard pass to Devery Henderson in just over two minutes to put the Saints up 7-0. The Vikings got the ball and went three and out, and I thought this was really going to be a long night.
But the defense got its bearings. They ultimately held New Orleans to just the two TDs, the lowest scoring output in a victory in the Sean Payton-led Saints era (since 2006).
The Saints also played good defense as well, and held Adrian Peterson to 87 yards rushing on 19 carries. Brett Favre actually looked pretty good in the first half, but came out looking rather rusty in the second half, as his first seven passes in the third quarter were incomplete. He was 15 of 27 for 171 yards on the night, which included a 20-yard TD pass to Visanthe Shiancoe with 50 seconds left in the half that gave the Vikings a 9-7 lead (the extra point was blocked).
The Vikings turned the ball over just once, when Favre was picked off by Jonathan Vilma on an ill-advised short pass in the second quarter.
The Saints got a TD with 6 minutes left in the third, when Pierre Thomas went in from one yard. It was the final score of the game, but last year's hero, kicker Garrett Hartley, missed two rather makeable field goals that would have given New Orleans a bigger lead.
Overall the Vikings looked rusty on offense, and you have to wonder if the loss of Sidney Rice for half the season will be greater than originally feared. The defensive line recorded just one sack, and Jared Allen seemed to be AWOL all night.They now have nine days to get ready for their next game, which will be their home opener against Miami at the Meterodome on September 19th.
And a note to the Saints: you don't put up three banners when you win a Super Bowl. Forget the "NFC South" and the "NFC Champions" banners. You did better than that and you won the ultimate prize. Let that one stand alone. And why do the NFL champions insist on calling themselves "World Champions?" It's a misnomer. "Super Bowl" or "NFL" champions makes much more sense.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Showing Some Fight, and Some Dignity
It was a strange series the Red Sox just concluded with the Tampa Bay Rays: three straight blowouts.
After the Sox laid it on hot and heavy Monday night, they took it on the chin Tuesday night, as Daisuke Matsuzaka went back to his nibbling routine and got burned for eight earned runs, and an 14-5 ass whipping. (I figured we'd see righty specialist Bill Hall before the game was all over.)
And it looked like it was going to continue on Wednesday night, as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the second. But the Sox still showed they have some fight and some dignity, as they came marching back, courtesy of two Marco Scutaro home runs (and four hits), and solo shots by David Ortiz, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre.
The Red Sox coasted to an 11-5 win, with Tim Wakefield getting his 4th win of 2010, his 179th in a Sox uniform, and he also became the oldest pitcher in team history to get a victory.
Josh Reddick had three hits, and Lars Anderson got the first two of his MLB career, and his first RBI as well.
The Red Sox now trail Tampa Bay by 6 1/2 with 22 games to play. I know I'm dreaming...
And if the Mets don't have enough problems. Three players skipped a visit with the injured troops at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC on Tuesday. The three, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, felt they had better things to do. Perez and Castillo are goners after this year anyway, but Beltran has a totally untradeable contract. The Mets are very angry with the three, and doing something like this makes a bad season look even worse.
Castillo's explanation for his absence was extremely lame and inexcusable:
"Sometimes when you see people with no legs and no arms, when they go to fight for us and they're in the hospital like that, I don't like to see that."
I'm sure our returning injured vets really appreciate that sentiment from some overpaid, pampered athlete. Castillo ought to be ashamed of himself. And hopefully he's an ex-Met after this season.
After the Sox laid it on hot and heavy Monday night, they took it on the chin Tuesday night, as Daisuke Matsuzaka went back to his nibbling routine and got burned for eight earned runs, and an 14-5 ass whipping. (I figured we'd see righty specialist Bill Hall before the game was all over.)
And it looked like it was going to continue on Wednesday night, as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the second. But the Sox still showed they have some fight and some dignity, as they came marching back, courtesy of two Marco Scutaro home runs (and four hits), and solo shots by David Ortiz, Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre.
The Red Sox coasted to an 11-5 win, with Tim Wakefield getting his 4th win of 2010, his 179th in a Sox uniform, and he also became the oldest pitcher in team history to get a victory.
Josh Reddick had three hits, and Lars Anderson got the first two of his MLB career, and his first RBI as well.
The Red Sox now trail Tampa Bay by 6 1/2 with 22 games to play. I know I'm dreaming...
And if the Mets don't have enough problems. Three players skipped a visit with the injured troops at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC on Tuesday. The three, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, felt they had better things to do. Perez and Castillo are goners after this year anyway, but Beltran has a totally untradeable contract. The Mets are very angry with the three, and doing something like this makes a bad season look even worse.
Castillo's explanation for his absence was extremely lame and inexcusable:
"Sometimes when you see people with no legs and no arms, when they go to fight for us and they're in the hospital like that, I don't like to see that."
I'm sure our returning injured vets really appreciate that sentiment from some overpaid, pampered athlete. Castillo ought to be ashamed of himself. And hopefully he's an ex-Met after this season.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Last Sunday On Governor's Island
Here's a photo of Yours Truly from last Sunday's 5K WTC Run To Remember on Governor's Island. It was taken as I was reaching the finish line by Keelin Daly of the Stamford Advocate. I had spoken to her and a reporter from the newspaper named Kate King (yes the press always finds me!) just as I was walking to the starting line for the race. My thanks to both of them.
It was a gorgeous day in New York, and I was so proud to have taken part in the run.
And on the far left, you can see the Statue of Liberty in the background.
Here's the story of the run from GreenwichTime.com.
Trivia Q&A: September 7
I wasn't anticipating a big crowd on Tuesday night, as I thought the completion of the Labor Day weekend on Monday night would keep some folks away. But we had 17 teams come out, and I was pleased to see so many regulars take part as well.
The scores were a bit low for Name the Decade Trivia (a little too difficult maybe?), but they picked up for Celebrity Real Names Trivia, as those scores were pretty solid.
The top five teams were just three points apart going into IQ Trivia, and this was a rather difficult round. But we had a rare event happen last night, as we had a team outside the top 5 have the best round of any team and leap frog over everyone and win. The team of Come To Think Of It, I Have Seen Something Like The Mighty Quinn go from being tied for 7th place and win the night, getting 3 of the 5 IQ Trivia questions right and win by two points.
Nice job by Rob and Melinda getting into the winner's circle!
Current Events
1. This Pacific nation was hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last Saturday, which caused some damage to buildings but no reported deaths.
2. Three cricket players from this Asian country were suspended last week after being accused of fixing matches for money and are facing a possible lifetime ban.
3. This web site closed its adult services section last weekend after attorney generals from 17 states said it couldn't adequately block ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking.
4. This rock star said in a recent interview that it's unlikely he will ever reunite with his classic rock band mates, because he says he "no longer has anything in common with them."
5. This man, who has just written his memoirs, was greeted at his first public book signing in Dublin by protesters, some of which hurled shoes and eggs at him.
6. This Hollywood star requested a Bahamas judge drop the charges against two people accused of trying to extort money from him last year.
7. Former ELO cellist and founding member Mike Edwards was killed in a freak accident last Friday when this tumbled down a hill onto a road in Devon, England and crashed into his van, killing him instantly.
Name The Decade Trivia
1. America launches its first manned mission into space.
2. The iPod is first introduced to the American public.
3. Iraq invades Kuwait, which leads to the first Gulf War several months later.
4. Baseball has its first players strike, with the first week of games that year canceled.
5. The 18th amendment to the US Constitution, which brings prohibition to the US, goes into affect.
6. The Communists take over China, forcing Chiang Kai-Shek to exile in Taiwan.
7. MTV makes its debut, with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" the first video shown.
Celebrity Real Name or Not Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. John Grisham
2. Sylvester Stallone
3. Neil Diamond
4. Anne Rice
5. Sandra Bullock
6. Barry Manilow
7. Kate Winslet
8. David Bowie
9. Christina Aguilera
10. Michael Caine
General Knowledge
1. In which country is Stonehenge located? ( 1 pt)
2. Which sport is the Ryder Cup given for? ( 1 pt)
3. In which sea would you find the Cayman Islands? ( 1 pt)
4. Who is the author of the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey? ( 2 pt)
5. Syd Barrett founded what rock band? ( 2 pt)
6. Which is the most common element found on the sun? ( 2 pt)
7. "Saturday Night Live" broke what TV show's record this year with its 126th Emmy nomination? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What US president won back-to-back elections with an Electoral College score totaling 1014-62? ( 3 points)
2. Shirley Dinsdale was the very first winner of what award, in 1949? ( 5 points)
3. What pop singer currently has the most followers on Twitter, over 5.7 million? ( 4 points)
4. Where on the human body would you find the glabella? ( 4 points)
5. What profession appeared in more Monty Python sketches than any other, with a total of 51 appearances to its credit? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. New Zealand; 2. Pakistan; 3. Craigslist; 4. Robert Plant; 5. Tony Blair; 6. John Travolta; 7. A giant bale of hay.
Name The Decade Trivia
1. 1960s (1961); 2. 2000s (2001); 3. 1990s (1990); 4. 1970s (1972); 5. 1920s (1920); 6. 1940s (1949); 7. 1980s (1981).
Celebrity Real Name or Not ("The Q Train")
1. yes; 2. yes; 3. no (Noah Kaminsky); 4. no (Howard Allen O'Brien); 5. yes; 6. no (Barry Pinkus); 7. yes; 8. no (David Jones); 9. yes; 10. no (Maurice Micklewhite).
General Knowledge
1. England; 2. golf; 3. Caribbean; 4. Homer; 5. Pink Floyd; 6. hydrogen; 7. "ER."
IQ Trivia
1. Ronald Reagan; 2. Emmy Award; 3. Lady Gaga; 4. face; 5. police officer.
The scores were a bit low for Name the Decade Trivia (a little too difficult maybe?), but they picked up for Celebrity Real Names Trivia, as those scores were pretty solid.
The top five teams were just three points apart going into IQ Trivia, and this was a rather difficult round. But we had a rare event happen last night, as we had a team outside the top 5 have the best round of any team and leap frog over everyone and win. The team of Come To Think Of It, I Have Seen Something Like The Mighty Quinn go from being tied for 7th place and win the night, getting 3 of the 5 IQ Trivia questions right and win by two points.
Nice job by Rob and Melinda getting into the winner's circle!
Current Events
1. This Pacific nation was hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last Saturday, which caused some damage to buildings but no reported deaths.
2. Three cricket players from this Asian country were suspended last week after being accused of fixing matches for money and are facing a possible lifetime ban.
3. This web site closed its adult services section last weekend after attorney generals from 17 states said it couldn't adequately block ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking.
4. This rock star said in a recent interview that it's unlikely he will ever reunite with his classic rock band mates, because he says he "no longer has anything in common with them."
5. This man, who has just written his memoirs, was greeted at his first public book signing in Dublin by protesters, some of which hurled shoes and eggs at him.
6. This Hollywood star requested a Bahamas judge drop the charges against two people accused of trying to extort money from him last year.
7. Former ELO cellist and founding member Mike Edwards was killed in a freak accident last Friday when this tumbled down a hill onto a road in Devon, England and crashed into his van, killing him instantly.
Name The Decade Trivia
1. America launches its first manned mission into space.
2. The iPod is first introduced to the American public.
3. Iraq invades Kuwait, which leads to the first Gulf War several months later.
4. Baseball has its first players strike, with the first week of games that year canceled.
5. The 18th amendment to the US Constitution, which brings prohibition to the US, goes into affect.
6. The Communists take over China, forcing Chiang Kai-Shek to exile in Taiwan.
7. MTV makes its debut, with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" the first video shown.
Celebrity Real Name or Not Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. John Grisham
2. Sylvester Stallone
3. Neil Diamond
4. Anne Rice
5. Sandra Bullock
6. Barry Manilow
7. Kate Winslet
8. David Bowie
9. Christina Aguilera
10. Michael Caine
General Knowledge
1. In which country is Stonehenge located? ( 1 pt)
2. Which sport is the Ryder Cup given for? ( 1 pt)
3. In which sea would you find the Cayman Islands? ( 1 pt)
4. Who is the author of the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey? ( 2 pt)
5. Syd Barrett founded what rock band? ( 2 pt)
6. Which is the most common element found on the sun? ( 2 pt)
7. "Saturday Night Live" broke what TV show's record this year with its 126th Emmy nomination? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What US president won back-to-back elections with an Electoral College score totaling 1014-62? ( 3 points)
2. Shirley Dinsdale was the very first winner of what award, in 1949? ( 5 points)
3. What pop singer currently has the most followers on Twitter, over 5.7 million? ( 4 points)
4. Where on the human body would you find the glabella? ( 4 points)
5. What profession appeared in more Monty Python sketches than any other, with a total of 51 appearances to its credit? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. New Zealand; 2. Pakistan; 3. Craigslist; 4. Robert Plant; 5. Tony Blair; 6. John Travolta; 7. A giant bale of hay.
Name The Decade Trivia
1. 1960s (1961); 2. 2000s (2001); 3. 1990s (1990); 4. 1970s (1972); 5. 1920s (1920); 6. 1940s (1949); 7. 1980s (1981).
Celebrity Real Name or Not ("The Q Train")
1. yes; 2. yes; 3. no (Noah Kaminsky); 4. no (Howard Allen O'Brien); 5. yes; 6. no (Barry Pinkus); 7. yes; 8. no (David Jones); 9. yes; 10. no (Maurice Micklewhite).
General Knowledge
1. England; 2. golf; 3. Caribbean; 4. Homer; 5. Pink Floyd; 6. hydrogen; 7. "ER."
IQ Trivia
1. Ronald Reagan; 2. Emmy Award; 3. Lady Gaga; 4. face; 5. police officer.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Finally, Some Life
The Red Sox won't die just yet, as they hit Randy Niemann's kid Jeff for six runs in the first two innings and were on their way to an rather easy 12-5 win at Fenway on Labor Day Night. (Or should that just be called Labor Night?) Niemann has been simply awful since he returned from the DL, and the Sox took advantage of him on Monday night.
Jon Lester won his 16th game, and still has a shot at a 20-win season if he can run the table the rest of the way. Lester looked shaky in the first, giving up a run to Tampa Bay while throwing nearly 30 pitches. But he settled in, and David Ortiz got the Sox a first inning lead they would not give up, belting a two-run shot down the right field line. Adrian Beltre then blasted one into the Monster Seats to make it 3-1.
The Sox added three more in the second, and put the game on ice in the fourth when Ryan Kalish hit his second grand slam of his young career to make it 11-2. Lars Anderson made his MLB debut at first, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Lester went six and allowed just two runs in getting the victory, while striking out ten. But Robert Coello, making his MLB debut following Lester, walked in two runs, and Dustin Richardson walked in another in the seventh. That makes 7 walked in in the last 2 games.
The Sox now trail TB by 6 1/2 in the Wild Card. The funeral hasn't begun just yet.
And off the subject slightly. I have the MLB Extra Innings and enjoy it very much. Can anyone tell me what they have against the San Diego Padres? They bumped them off the package once last week, and tonight's game against the Dodgers is not on, as well as Tuesday night's game against LA. (The MLB Network is showing part of the game right now as I right this.)
I have never been able to figure out exactly the reasons why the games they don't carry are. They carry EVERY game by the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees (that aren't carried by Fox or ESPN), but the Padres seem to get bumped a number of times.
That's no way to treat a first-place team!
Jon Lester won his 16th game, and still has a shot at a 20-win season if he can run the table the rest of the way. Lester looked shaky in the first, giving up a run to Tampa Bay while throwing nearly 30 pitches. But he settled in, and David Ortiz got the Sox a first inning lead they would not give up, belting a two-run shot down the right field line. Adrian Beltre then blasted one into the Monster Seats to make it 3-1.
The Sox added three more in the second, and put the game on ice in the fourth when Ryan Kalish hit his second grand slam of his young career to make it 11-2. Lars Anderson made his MLB debut at first, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Lester went six and allowed just two runs in getting the victory, while striking out ten. But Robert Coello, making his MLB debut following Lester, walked in two runs, and Dustin Richardson walked in another in the seventh. That makes 7 walked in in the last 2 games.
The Sox now trail TB by 6 1/2 in the Wild Card. The funeral hasn't begun just yet.
And off the subject slightly. I have the MLB Extra Innings and enjoy it very much. Can anyone tell me what they have against the San Diego Padres? They bumped them off the package once last week, and tonight's game against the Dodgers is not on, as well as Tuesday night's game against LA. (The MLB Network is showing part of the game right now as I right this.)
I have never been able to figure out exactly the reasons why the games they don't carry are. They carry EVERY game by the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees (that aren't carried by Fox or ESPN), but the Padres seem to get bumped a number of times.
That's no way to treat a first-place team!
Monday, September 06, 2010
Know Your Stars' Aliases This Week
This week's Trivia Night on Tuesday will feature "Name The Decade Trivia" as the special category. I will give you a famous event from the recent past and you will tell me which decade it occurred in ('50s, '70s, 2000s, that sort of thing). It will also be worth double points, as if you can give me the exact year for each, you will get another point as well.The Q Train lightning round will be "Celebrity Real Names Trivia." I will give you the names of ten current celebrities and you have to tell me if it is their real name or a fake (stage) name.
The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
In what country is Stonehenge located?
We will get going at 9 PM. I hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day weekend, and I hope many of you can top it off by coming out for a night of Trivia on Tuesday.
The Spaceman's Back In The Win Column Again
Bill Lee made his return to professional baseball on Sunday, as a member of the independent Brockton Rox, and pitched splendidly.
The Spaceman, who is now 63, pitched 5 1/3 innings against the Worcester Tornadoes, giving up just two runs on five hits, struck out one while walking none. He threw 63 pitches as the Rox got a 7-3 win.
My buddy Jere was at the game yesterday, and has some great pictures of the game, like the one in this post. BTW, did you know that the Worcester manager is our old friend Rich Gedman?
Well, now you do.
Congratulations, Spaceman!
479
I did the 5K WTC Run To Remember yesterday on Governor's Island, and it couldn't have been a nicer day. The temperature was around 70 game at race time, which was about 10 AM.I did some race preparation earlier in the week, running about have the length of the race, and I was still feeling it going into yesterday. (As you can tell, I am no running professional.) But I decided to suck it up and get out there and run the course.
I took the ferry over from Manhattan, and about 1,000 people took part. I really didn't know anyone else running, but I did have the pleasure of meeting Mary Fetchet, who runs the Voices of September 11th, the group I was running for. I told her about the funds I was able to raise, and she was pleased to hear that. I also talked to a couple of reporters from Connecticut who were covering the day. (The press always finds me!)
I was pleasantly surprised to run into Christina, one of my Trivia Night regulars, who was also running yesterday, and her father. It was nice to know I was wasn't running totally alone.
I made a decision not to try to top the number I put up last year, and that I was going to take it easy and just have a good run. I put on the iPod and hit the road. And it went really smoothly. I stopped twice for water, and the course was really nice, mostly through the tree-lined section of the island. (It was more in the open spaces last year.)
When I got to the finish line, I could see that my time was about a minute longer than last year, and that was fine. When I crossed, the race's host announced each finisher's name. When I finally stopped, I felt a thousand times better than I did last year, and I really felt like I could keep going. Out of 626 runners who took part in the 5K event, I finished 479th.
Nothing to shout from the mountains about, but I'm still glad I did it.
Awards were handed out after the race, and the winners' times were about half the time I finished in. But I was really proud to have taken part in the run for the second straight year, and I'll be back again next year. And I thank you all from the bottom of my heart who supported me and helped me raise some money for a very worthwhile cause.
And you have until September 12th if you'd like to make a donation. Please follow this link to do so.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Your New AL Leader In Blown Saves
It is now seven, by future ex-Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Yet another embarrassing 9th inning performance by Papelbon, in flushing away a three-game home series to Chicago. And it was capped off by some stiff named Robert Manuel (not to be confused with Richard Manuel, who committed suicide many years ago by hanging himself) who walked in the two winning runs after Papelbon coughed up the lead. The last four Chicago hitters who got on all reached on walks. Pathetic.
Papelbon was charged with all four runs in the ninth. He didn't cover second base when Carlos Quentin saw it was uncovered on his hit to center, and took it. Frankly, Papelbon simply can't carry Mariano Rivera's jockstrap right now.
White Sox 7, Red Sox 5.
"No, we don't want to win this game. Here, you guys take it."
Nice way to embarrass all your loyal fans, guys.
Yet another embarrassing 9th inning performance by Papelbon, in flushing away a three-game home series to Chicago. And it was capped off by some stiff named Robert Manuel (not to be confused with Richard Manuel, who committed suicide many years ago by hanging himself) who walked in the two winning runs after Papelbon coughed up the lead. The last four Chicago hitters who got on all reached on walks. Pathetic.
Papelbon was charged with all four runs in the ninth. He didn't cover second base when Carlos Quentin saw it was uncovered on his hit to center, and took it. Frankly, Papelbon simply can't carry Mariano Rivera's jockstrap right now.
White Sox 7, Red Sox 5.
"No, we don't want to win this game. Here, you guys take it."
Nice way to embarrass all your loyal fans, guys.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
The Brian Kelly Era Gets Under Way
It was a successful day on Saturday for Brian Kelly in his debut as Notre Dame head coach, as the Irish took on rival Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium and came away with a 23-12 victory.It was also a good start for QB Dayne Crist, who threw for 205 yards and a touchdown in his first start as an Irish quarterback. He threw his TD to T.J. Jones in the fourth to put the game on ice. Armando Allen scored the first TD in the first quarter on a 22-yard run, and Irish were up by 10 points at the half.
Cierre Wood was impressive in the backfield, running for 58 yards on 7 carries, and each of his first four rushes were for 10 yards or more.
But the defense was even more impressive. It was ND's Achilles heel last year, but they had four sacks and two interceptions on the day, and held Purdue to three points at halftime.
The Fighting Irish have a big one next week, as they take on longtime rival Michigan at South Bend next Saturday.
And no, I won't be seeing that game at Professor Thom's next weekend. (Many of you may know that Thom's is a hangout for Michigan fans. I wouldn't dare show up in my Irish gear on game day there.)
Well, So Much For Dragging Me Back
There were two games with the White Sox in Boston on Saturday in some glorious weather, after Hurricane Earl blew through the region on Friday.
So what do we get? Two 3-1 losses. No life in 18 innings at the plate. It was the first time since 1976 that the Red Sox have scored just one run in both ends of a twinbill.
Despite Tampa Bay's loss in Baltimore, the Red Sox are now...oh, why bother.
Time to concentrate on football now.
But I will forever respect Mike Lowell. Turns out he's been playing with a broken rib since August 20th. He continues to be the dictionary definition of a professional baseball player.
So what do we get? Two 3-1 losses. No life in 18 innings at the plate. It was the first time since 1976 that the Red Sox have scored just one run in both ends of a twinbill.
Despite Tampa Bay's loss in Baltimore, the Red Sox are now...oh, why bother.
Time to concentrate on football now.
But I will forever respect Mike Lowell. Turns out he's been playing with a broken rib since August 20th. He continues to be the dictionary definition of a professional baseball player.
Friday, September 03, 2010
I Hope They Keep Pulling Me In
Just when I thought I was out...They pull me back in. The Red Sox still refuse to go quietly into that good night, and beat the Orioles again last night, 6-4. New York won again (I am paying as a little attention to them as possible these days), but Tampa Bay was idle, so the Red Sox gained a half-game, and are 6 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race.
Adrian Beltre continued to be the Red Sox MVP, blasting a home run to open up a 5-run second inning, and Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five good innings before faltering in the sixth, as the O's tagged him for 4 runs.
But Scott Atchison came to his rescue and retired all six hitters he faced. Jonathan Papelbon gave up a single and a double to open the ninth, but got out of it without further damage in getting his 35th save.
Old friend Manny Delcarmen made his Colorado Rockies debut last night against the Phillies in Denver last night, but got hammered for four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning, which included a two-run home run hit by Jayson Werth. New home, same act.
Speaking of old friends, Manny Ramirez makes another stop in Boston tonight, as he comes in with his new club, the Chicago White Sox. (Rumors have it he's coming in with his barber as well.) Not so much hubbub about it as last June, but Hurricane Earl may put a damper on the game tonight. Clay Buchholz, tonight's scheduled starter, was chosen as AL Pitcher of the Month for August, as he went 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in the month just gone by.
28 games to go. It's not over. Well, not yet anyway.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
13-0
It looked like a repeat of the Toronto game from a few weeks ago, as Jon Lester was giving up 4 runs in the first inning, and another in the second. (Remember that game? Lester gave up 4 more in the third and was gone, allowing 9 runs in total in just over 2 innings. I've done my best to forget that.)
But Lester hung in there. He settled down, and went six innings, and allowed the Orioles nothing more on the board. Marco Scutaro and J.D. Drew banged home runs, and the Red Sox scored six in the seventh, capped by Adrian Beltre's three run shot, after David Ortiz was walked intentionally to get to him.
Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon went the final three to get a 9-6 win. It was Pap's 34th save of the season.
But it was a very unlikely win for Lester. He continues to own the Orioles, and is now 13-0 lifetime against the Birds. He was getting belted around in the first two frames, giving up six hits and five runs, but he then retired 11 straight when he settled in. He's now 15-8 on the season.
29 games remain. The Red Sox showed me some passion last night and no quit in them. They still trail New York by 8 in the East and Tampa Bay by 7 in the Wild Card.
It looks like the end of the road for 2010 for Dustin Pedroia, as he will have a screw inserted into his foot during an operation scheduled for Friday. Get well soon, Pedey.
But Lester hung in there. He settled down, and went six innings, and allowed the Orioles nothing more on the board. Marco Scutaro and J.D. Drew banged home runs, and the Red Sox scored six in the seventh, capped by Adrian Beltre's three run shot, after David Ortiz was walked intentionally to get to him.
Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon went the final three to get a 9-6 win. It was Pap's 34th save of the season.
But it was a very unlikely win for Lester. He continues to own the Orioles, and is now 13-0 lifetime against the Birds. He was getting belted around in the first two frames, giving up six hits and five runs, but he then retired 11 straight when he settled in. He's now 15-8 on the season.
29 games remain. The Red Sox showed me some passion last night and no quit in them. They still trail New York by 8 in the East and Tampa Bay by 7 in the Wild Card.
It looks like the end of the road for 2010 for Dustin Pedroia, as he will have a screw inserted into his foot during an operation scheduled for Friday. Get well soon, Pedey.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
"The Big One" Has Been Dropped
As much as I would like to post a clip of John "Bluto" Blutarsky rallying the Deltas and talking it not being over yet, I just don't have it in me to do so. (Or as Dennis Simpson Day said, "War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.")
A rather dispiriting loss to the reborn Baltimore Orioles last night by the Sox, 5-2, has made it pretty clear that the Red Sox will play their next meaningful game next April. Josh Beckett didn't pitch badly, but the offense wasn't there, as they could only manage a two-run home run by Jed Lowrie.
Let's face it gang. It's just not going to happen in 2010. The injuries have just been too much to overcome. The pitching disappointments doomed the Sox to a third place finish in the East. And one of those disappointments, Manny Delcarmen, was shipped off to Colorado yesterday for a single A righthanded starting pitcher named Chris Balcom-Miller.
Delcarmen lived the dream of almost every Boston kid: play for the Red Sox. And also won a ring in 2007. But he had fallen so far down the depth charts that the Sox figured they could get something for him on the postseason waiver deadline, and it sounds like Balcom-Miller is a legitimate prospect. Manny is a decent guy and I wish him all the best in Colorado.
And the Jeremy Hermida experiment was officially declared a failure yesterday, as he was officially released by the Red Sox, as he had been playing at Pawtucket.
A rather dispiriting loss to the reborn Baltimore Orioles last night by the Sox, 5-2, has made it pretty clear that the Red Sox will play their next meaningful game next April. Josh Beckett didn't pitch badly, but the offense wasn't there, as they could only manage a two-run home run by Jed Lowrie.
Let's face it gang. It's just not going to happen in 2010. The injuries have just been too much to overcome. The pitching disappointments doomed the Sox to a third place finish in the East. And one of those disappointments, Manny Delcarmen, was shipped off to Colorado yesterday for a single A righthanded starting pitcher named Chris Balcom-Miller.
Delcarmen lived the dream of almost every Boston kid: play for the Red Sox. And also won a ring in 2007. But he had fallen so far down the depth charts that the Sox figured they could get something for him on the postseason waiver deadline, and it sounds like Balcom-Miller is a legitimate prospect. Manny is a decent guy and I wish him all the best in Colorado.
And the Jeremy Hermida experiment was officially declared a failure yesterday, as he was officially released by the Red Sox, as he had been playing at Pawtucket.
Trivia Q&A: August 31
As we all watched the Red Sox season fade into the west on Tuesday night (at least I won Jere's contest to guess who would score the final run of August for the Sox: Jed Lowrie), we had 15 teams in on a slower night than usual night in the bar. It looks like a few folks are already getting the jump on their Labor Day weekend plans.
It was a good contest, with three teams fighting all night for the top spot. The scores of Q Are You? were pretty strong (I didn't make it particularly tough), but the scores on True or False Trivia were a bit lower.
The three top teams were only separated by one point, but one of those teams, Bed Bugs Kills AIDS, got four of the five questions correct and wound up winning by three points. Nice job by Joe and his crew in capturing the Trivia Night champions title for this week.
Current Events
1. Forbes magazine reported that this country, which bans social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, did not set up accounts on those sites to promote itself, and it was all a hoax.
2. The city of Barcelona, Spain fined this superstar rock band $22,000 for rehearsing too loudly and beyond their schedule time when they played a gig there in June 2009.
3. This NFL team, which recently opened a new ballpark, was ranked number one among all NFL clubs in total worth by Forbes, a staggering $1.8 billion.
4. This Australian actor, who currently lives in the US, has been banned from leaving Australia, where he was attending his mother's funeral, until he settles a multi-million dollar tax bill.
5. This comedy series, in it's first year on TV, won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series last Sunday night.
6. This man secured the release of an American being held in prison by North Korea for illegally entering the country earlier this year, last weekend.
7. Last week, this MLB player became the 47th player in MLB history to hit 400 home runs, and the third youngest ever to reach that milestone.
Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1937. He is a comedian, actor, author, producer, educator and musician. He has won 4 Emmy Awards, 9 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 for his TV work and a Doctor of Education from UMass in 1976.
2. This man was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1926. He's a director, writer, actor and producer. He's one of only 12 people who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy award. Three of his films are in AFI's list of the Top 100 comedy films of all-time.
3. This woman was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1933. She's a comedian, actress and TV personality. She won an Emmy Award for Best Talk Show host in 1990, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a documentary about her life came out earlier this year.
4. This woman was born in New York City in 1945. She's a singer, songwriter and author. She's won two Grammys, an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. Her 1973 #1 hit single is one of pop music's great enigmas, as she won't publicly say who the subject of the song actually is.
5. This man was born in San Diego, CA in 1970. He's a professional golfer who has won 38 PGA Tour events, and four major titles, his first at the 2004 Masters, getting the "majors monkey" famously off his back.
6. This man was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1967. He's a TV host and comedian. He was the co-host on two shows on Comedy Central before he landed his current gig on network TV, and won an Emmy Award for Best Game Show Host in 1999.
7. This man was born in Alexander City, AL in 1973. He's a 6-time Pro Bowl selection and a 5-time All-Pro selection at wide receiver. He holds or shares several NFL records, but he's been very controversial and created firestorms with the 5 teams he's played with.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Tootsie."
2. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.
3. Three times more people were killed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake than in the Titanic disaster in 1912.
4. You can still be executed for certain crimes in England.
5. Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam" in the film "Casablanca."
6. In space, it is impossible to cry.
7. Singing in the shower can lower your cholesterol.
8. Men are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.
9. If a month starts on a Sunday, it will contain a Friday the 13th.
10. John is the most common first name in the world.
General Knowledge
1. What two colors are a part of Israel's flag? ( 1 pt)
2. Wicket keeper is a position in what sport? ( 1 pt)
3. "Hungry Like the Wolf" was the first Top 40 single in 1983 by what British rock group? ( 1 pt)
4. Garry Shandling won an Emmy Award for writing in 1998 for what HBO series? ( 2 pt)
5. The Palme d'Or is given to the best movie in what annual film festival? ( 2 pt)
6. Bratislava is the capital of what European country? ( 2 pt)
7. What famous doctor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his "great achievement in the field of medicine?" ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What is the only Beatles number one US hit single whose title is the name of an actual place? ( 4 points)
2. The River Liffey runs through the center of what major city? ( 4 points)
3. Name 1 of the 2 South American countries whose mainland you'll fly over when heading due south from Miani, FLA. ( 3 points)
4. What 1998 movie was the first film that Robert Redford both directed and starred in? ( 4 points)
5. What Pulitzer Prize-winning author once ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City? ( 5 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. North Korea; 2. U2; 3. Dallas Cowboys; 4. Paul Hogan; 5. "Modern Family;" 6. Jimmy Carter; 7. Albert Pujols.
Q Are You?
1. Bill Cosby; 2. Mel Brooks; 3. Joan Rivers; 4. Carly Simon; 5. Phil Mickelson; 6. Jimmy Kimmel; 7. Terrell Owens.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false, it's actually the other way around; 4. false, England no longer has the death penalty; 5. true; 6. true; 7. false; 8. true; 9. true; 10. false, Mohammed.
General Knowledge
1. Blue and white; 2. cricket; 3. Duran Duran; 4. "The Larry Sanders Show;" 5. Cannes; 6. Slovakia; 7. Jonas Salk.
IQ Trivia
1. "Penny Lane;" 2. Dublin, Ireland; 3. Ecuador and Peru; 4. "The Horse Whisperer;" 5. Norman Mailer.
It was a good contest, with three teams fighting all night for the top spot. The scores of Q Are You? were pretty strong (I didn't make it particularly tough), but the scores on True or False Trivia were a bit lower.
The three top teams were only separated by one point, but one of those teams, Bed Bugs Kills AIDS, got four of the five questions correct and wound up winning by three points. Nice job by Joe and his crew in capturing the Trivia Night champions title for this week.
Current Events
1. Forbes magazine reported that this country, which bans social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, did not set up accounts on those sites to promote itself, and it was all a hoax.
2. The city of Barcelona, Spain fined this superstar rock band $22,000 for rehearsing too loudly and beyond their schedule time when they played a gig there in June 2009.
3. This NFL team, which recently opened a new ballpark, was ranked number one among all NFL clubs in total worth by Forbes, a staggering $1.8 billion.
4. This Australian actor, who currently lives in the US, has been banned from leaving Australia, where he was attending his mother's funeral, until he settles a multi-million dollar tax bill.
5. This comedy series, in it's first year on TV, won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series last Sunday night.
6. This man secured the release of an American being held in prison by North Korea for illegally entering the country earlier this year, last weekend.
7. Last week, this MLB player became the 47th player in MLB history to hit 400 home runs, and the third youngest ever to reach that milestone.
Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1937. He is a comedian, actor, author, producer, educator and musician. He has won 4 Emmy Awards, 9 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 for his TV work and a Doctor of Education from UMass in 1976.
2. This man was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1926. He's a director, writer, actor and producer. He's one of only 12 people who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy award. Three of his films are in AFI's list of the Top 100 comedy films of all-time.
3. This woman was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1933. She's a comedian, actress and TV personality. She won an Emmy Award for Best Talk Show host in 1990, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a documentary about her life came out earlier this year.
4. This woman was born in New York City in 1945. She's a singer, songwriter and author. She's won two Grammys, an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. Her 1973 #1 hit single is one of pop music's great enigmas, as she won't publicly say who the subject of the song actually is.
5. This man was born in San Diego, CA in 1970. He's a professional golfer who has won 38 PGA Tour events, and four major titles, his first at the 2004 Masters, getting the "majors monkey" famously off his back.
6. This man was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1967. He's a TV host and comedian. He was the co-host on two shows on Comedy Central before he landed his current gig on network TV, and won an Emmy Award for Best Game Show Host in 1999.
7. This man was born in Alexander City, AL in 1973. He's a 6-time Pro Bowl selection and a 5-time All-Pro selection at wide receiver. He holds or shares several NFL records, but he's been very controversial and created firestorms with the 5 teams he's played with.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Tootsie."
2. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.
3. Three times more people were killed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake than in the Titanic disaster in 1912.
4. You can still be executed for certain crimes in England.
5. Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam" in the film "Casablanca."
6. In space, it is impossible to cry.
7. Singing in the shower can lower your cholesterol.
8. Men are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.
9. If a month starts on a Sunday, it will contain a Friday the 13th.
10. John is the most common first name in the world.
General Knowledge
1. What two colors are a part of Israel's flag? ( 1 pt)
2. Wicket keeper is a position in what sport? ( 1 pt)
3. "Hungry Like the Wolf" was the first Top 40 single in 1983 by what British rock group? ( 1 pt)
4. Garry Shandling won an Emmy Award for writing in 1998 for what HBO series? ( 2 pt)
5. The Palme d'Or is given to the best movie in what annual film festival? ( 2 pt)
6. Bratislava is the capital of what European country? ( 2 pt)
7. What famous doctor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his "great achievement in the field of medicine?" ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What is the only Beatles number one US hit single whose title is the name of an actual place? ( 4 points)
2. The River Liffey runs through the center of what major city? ( 4 points)
3. Name 1 of the 2 South American countries whose mainland you'll fly over when heading due south from Miani, FLA. ( 3 points)
4. What 1998 movie was the first film that Robert Redford both directed and starred in? ( 4 points)
5. What Pulitzer Prize-winning author once ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City? ( 5 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. North Korea; 2. U2; 3. Dallas Cowboys; 4. Paul Hogan; 5. "Modern Family;" 6. Jimmy Carter; 7. Albert Pujols.
Q Are You?
1. Bill Cosby; 2. Mel Brooks; 3. Joan Rivers; 4. Carly Simon; 5. Phil Mickelson; 6. Jimmy Kimmel; 7. Terrell Owens.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false, it's actually the other way around; 4. false, England no longer has the death penalty; 5. true; 6. true; 7. false; 8. true; 9. true; 10. false, Mohammed.
General Knowledge
1. Blue and white; 2. cricket; 3. Duran Duran; 4. "The Larry Sanders Show;" 5. Cannes; 6. Slovakia; 7. Jonas Salk.
IQ Trivia
1. "Penny Lane;" 2. Dublin, Ireland; 3. Ecuador and Peru; 4. "The Horse Whisperer;" 5. Norman Mailer.