The Doc was dealing

Ask any fan of the Jays, ask them if they thought someday the Doc would be perfect.

The answer would have been from 99 % of the polled, "he's already perfect".

What's not perfect ?


Well he showed the baseball world last week what any Toronto fan has known since he arrived in this area, "could have told that", Doc is special, and we all here expected this, just always hoped it would be for us, not the red clad National Leaguers from Pennsylvannia.



There were the assortment of close strikes, bang bang plays at first, and diving catches, but it was mostly vintage Doc, dealing from "the have to", that thing Gary Busey referred to in Little Big League, that place inside you that tells you it is up to you to deliver.


He was rarely in those 3-1 counts, and got so many ground balls, you'd wonder if this a spring training exercise. He also got the benefit of some strike calls that umpires tend to give when they have expanded their own personal zone, so do most quality veterans.


We now have a ever growing list of perfectos, and 2 this year is remarkable, and is this the dawning of a new era , the post steroid generation, power down, stealing up, emphasis on small ball, pitchers now attacking the strike zone, instead of expecting bulky bombers with biceps bashing the biscuit out of the ballpark.

He's coming soon !

We have almost reached June of the 2010, and the only thing now stopping the Washington Nationals bringing up Steven Strasburg is their own greed.

But on June 8th the kid they nicknamed " TheWashington Monument" will finally arrive.

He has regularly hit 100 mph on the gun, so my guess is the Nats will watch his pitch counts, and his innings, because nobody expects him to maintain that speed at his age. Because he is the franchise, at least until the Nats draft Bryce Harper and arrives next June, then they'll share the spotlight. Who knows, these 2 kids might be the "battery of the decade", and both have All Star potential.

Nationals president Stan Kasten was on the local radio arm of the Rogers empire and discussed the long term agenda for Strasburg , and he had this to say,

" he go a maximum of 150 to 160 innings, and that includes the 50 he has thrown in the minors so far, so we're looking for him to throw 100 ish innings in the majors. That's what we expect "

Up until June, if the Nats had brought up their phenom pitcher, he would have started his arbitration eligibility clock and while I can argue this kid will make millions, I guess the frugal Nats have the luxury of a winning record entering June, something they have never had.

Well that is not true, their predecessors the Montreal Expos had winning records, coulda shoulda won the while thing in 1994, but the strike ended that year.

This kid is special, real special, and DC is going to have a new superstar, move over Obama, the kid is coming.

All about me

By now I have a grand total of 12 people that semi - follow my scribblings on a routine basis, so while I have topics ready for delivery, this day I wanted to write about what makes me tick.

I am 54 years old, and still collect the odd baseball card, still trying desperately to recapture what was discarded in my youth.

You see I did not grow up with the Internet, or cable TV, or MLB TV, or any of those immediate media outlets.

I grew up with the radio, the daily newspaper, and the NBC Saturday Game of the Week with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek. In black and white mind you.

The Chicago White Sox had really White Sox, and the Yankees road grey uniforms were just that, grey and dirty. Then in 1969 we lucky folks Canada got our first team, and hell, it had to be in Montreal, but give Jean Drapeau and the Quebec government credit. Still I now had 2 games to watch, thanks to the CBC.

In my memory the World Series was played during the day, and if we were lucky, we would get home before the game was over, eat and then go out play ball hockey until the school lights were off. My first colour TV came in 1971, and suddenly the Cincinnati Reds were red, so was were the Red Sox, and the game changed.

I had those small samples of players in uniform in the form of Topps or Opee Chee and felt ripped off when a player had just a head shot, it was the only time I saw what they looked like.

So other than these cardboard images, we had only the sports section of the Toronto Star.

Until one day I ventured further and bought my first Sports

Illustrated, and Street & Smith. Colour pictures, and articles about Pete Rose, Frank Robinson, Canada's own Fergie Jenkins, and Rusty Staub and the Expos.

So about me again, I had the passion for hockey that is bred into every Canadian boy as a birthright, but I had a love for baseball that allowed me to find a true year round balance.

Hockey starts in October, just as baseball finishes, and hockey finished in April, early May, just as baseball begins. A nice balance for me. I tossed in my Argos, my lovable losers, and I was set. For a short while I even adopted the Buffalo Braves basketball team, but they moved west and became the Clippers of LA, and well that ended that.

Baseball was different than hockey, and as it turned out better for me, as I was a poor skater. I found out you just cannot play the game on concrete the same way you can on ice.

However baseball, and softball allowed me the chance that hockey couldn't, a chance to participate, and even excel. I could hit, and even better I could run, and I could field, so important if you want to avoid getting picked last.

What is my deepest love, it is my wife and kids, and having them in my life is thee most important thing in the world.

I have though this wonderful love of the old past time, and now I write about it, how lucky I am to have the opportunity to say what makes the game grand to me.

People have asked me why I do not write about hockey, and it is a hard one to answer, but it might come down to a few simple numbers, and why they stick out.

56

714

1.12

42

3000

I recognise all these numbers,

56 - DiMaggio's hitting streak

714- Ruth retired with 714 home runs

1.12 - Bob Gibson's 1968 earned run average

42 - Jackie Robinson wore that jersey number

3000 - it is a mark of excellence, but in my mind it represents the number of hits Clemente finished with.

Throw out the hockey numbers, how many goals did Howe or Orr finish with ?

What was Bobby Hull's 1st jersey # ?

What is the # of consecutive scoring ?

The only 2 numbers I still have is 103, which was Terry Sawchuck's shutouts and 14, Dave Keon's number, neither truly memorable

What makes me tick, I guess it is the ability to conger up something fabulous baseball wise in my head and when it happened, and replay it at my leisure.

Stats, columns, moments, and history of baseball make me tick, and always will.

Shades of 68

There are currently 25 full time pitchers who entering this past Tuesday with earned run averages under 3.00, and according to theElias Sports Bureau, we have not seen this this since 1997.

Ubaldo Jiminez has an era of 0.99.

Jamie Garcia is in at 1.28

Doug Fister is at 1.96

Doug Fister ???? Jamie Garcia, not household names, but MLB reports that hitting for average is down by .12 at .256 so hitters are not hitting, but 25 pitchers are reaping the benefits, or are they causing part of that downturn.

A little of both, because if we judge a season on 45 games, it is unfair but Halladay and Lincecum are both under 2.50, but there are the Clayton Richards and Rickey Romero ( pre blow up in East LA ) so it is a mixed bag.

No they did not raise the mound, but geez, not a bad idea, those who would like to see the 2 hour game, I hear a group of college kids snuck onto Wrigley to measure the mound, sorry lads, it;s regulation, and your Cubs just suck, no conspiracy.

In 1968 Bob Gibson finished the year with a 1.12, best in the last century, in any league, especially post the dead ball era.

That year Denny McLain of the Tigers went 31-6 and pitched 336 innings. He posted an AL era of 1.96, and that did not even lead the AL for era, Luis Tiant, or El Tiante spun a 21 - 9 record with a 1.60 era in 258 innings and 32 game starts.

Pitchers nowadays pitch in 5 man rotations, and have specific bullpen helpers, and complete games are a rarity, so let's see how Jiminez and the other under 3 achievers fare.

It is 2010, but this beginning reminds me of the 1968 and the it would be wonderful to have some sub 2 era's reached.

News and Notes around the League

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

INF Ty Wigginton is the team's everyday second baseman with 2B Brian Roberts on the disabled list. But with the lack of production from the Orioles' first basemen this season, Wigginton could be earmarked for an occasional start at first with INF Julio Lugo playing second. Wigginton is likely to play first in an everyday fashion once Roberts returns from the disabled list next month. Wigginton went 1-for-5 as the No. 3 hitter Monday, striking out with the go-ahead run just 180 feet away in the ninth. Well, a .310 batting average and 12 dingers, guess what, they find a place for you hit.

3B Miguel Tejada will not be moved back to shortstop to replace struggling SS Cesar Izturis, manager Dave Trembley said. Trembley said he believes Tejada has adapted better than expected to his new position. It remains possible, though, that if the club were to recall slugging 3B Josh Bell from Class AAA Norfolk, Tejada would move aside for the team's top prospect. Tejada was 2-for-5 with an RBI Monday but grounded out with a chance to win the game in the team's last at-bat. Watch that kid Bell in the minors, when he hits the ball, it just flies off his bat.

BOSTON RED SOX

Jonathan Papelbon made the slow walk from the mound to the dugout after allowing the game-winning two-run home run to the Yankees' Marcus Thames on Monday night in New York.

But the Red Sox closer refused to dwell on it.

"It's just like any other blown save," Papelbon said in a quiet clubhouse after the Red Sox fell to 19-20, 6 1/2 games behind the second-place Yankees in the American League East. "As soon as I get out of here, I'll forget about it and move on to the next pitch. Us closers, it's just the way we go about our business. You forget about it. You move on."

Papelbon had been virtually unhittable lately for the Red Sox. Using his overpowering fastball and mixing in an effective slider and splitter, he had converted nine straight saves this season. Overall, Papelbon had successfully closed 22 straight games and hadn't blown a save since July 30, 2009.

Blowing saves is acceptable in Beantown to the Blue Jays, or the Tigers, but never to the Yankees, so come on Pap, it hurts more to lose that way to the Yankees.

DH David Ortiz continued his May revival when he belted a two-out, solo home run to right field off Yankees RHP Phil Hughes in the fourth inning. After a dreadful April, Ortiz is batting .348 (16-for-48) with six home runs and 14 RBI in 12 games in May. Entering play Monday night, only Baltimore's Ty Wigginton and Toronto's Jose Bautista had more home runs in May than Ortiz, who has done much of his damage after his first at-bat. He was batting .360 (9-for-25) with two home runs and eight RBI when facing a pitcher for the second time in a game.


LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Angels have seen the kind of damage Vladimir Guerrero can do at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. But now they're on the receiving end.

The Angels are facing their former star for the first time as a Ranger in a two-game series Monday and Tuesday at Arlington, where Guerrero was batting .397 this season and .395 in his career before going 2-for-4 against the Angels on Monday.

"He hit well in a lot of parks, but I think that park was pretty special," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Guerrero's history in Texas.

Vlad, when motivated, and when his knees stopping acing is scary good, and a dead fatball hitter, and the best bad ball hitter since Manny Sanguillen of the Pirates.

Speaking of the Pirates........they still suck

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Phillies welcomed back leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins on Monday night. And manager Charlie Manuel promptly inserted Rollins into the lineup's three hole.

Come again?

Rollins, who missed 29 games due to injury, was critical to the Phillies' 12-2 victory over the Pirates. The All-Star shortstop and former National League MVP had not played since tweaking his hamstring April 12 in pregame warmups.

He filled the spot usually occupied by Chase Utley, who was unavailable due to flu-like symptoms. Shane Victorino remained in the leadoff spot he inherited when Rollins got hurt.

The last thing anyone wants is a clubhouse dilemma for a team that sits atop the NL East standings having won 12 of its last 15 games and four in a row.

For the Phillies, who are batting .335 (52-for-155) in their last four games, it's apparent that Rollins' place in the order is of little relevance. He's going to get his hits because, well, everybody has gotten hits.

Even starting pitcher Cole Hamels.

"This lineup is so versatile," said first baseman Ryan Howard, who went 3-for-5 Monday. "I mean, (Sunday), Cole went out and got a base hit, got an RBI and helped the cause. One through nine, everybody's contributed. I think it's a pretty good problem to have."

Rollins agrees ... sort of.

Manuel said he hadn't made a decision as to who would hit where and when. But if Rollins has his druthers, he'd be No. 1. And soon.

"We've just got to see where it goes," Manuel said. When you start losing, Charlie, you change Jimmy R back to his regular spot.

Recent Developments around the league

Following Tuesday's loss to the Reds, Brewers manager Ken Macha dodged questions about whether Trevor Hoffman would be removed from the closer role.

Macha said he would need to talk to Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson before addressing Hoffman's status as the closer. While taking responsibility for his poor performance, Hoffman didn't exactly sound like someone who was ready to step aside. "I can’t worry about that," said Hoffman. "I feel prepared and ready to go out there. I’m just not getting it done." Fans shouldn't give up on Hoffman quite yet, but those desperate for saves could do worse than grab Carlos Villanueva just in case.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella said there's no timetable for Carlos Zambrano to the starting rotation.

"We're going to stretch him out to get back in the rotation and we'll see exactly when he's ready," said Piniella. "... I don't know how long it will be. We'd like to get him two or three appearances out of the bullpen stretched out." Zambrano is available to follow Carlos Silva on Tuesday. It's possible he could throw a simulated game on the team's off-day next Monday. There's no obvious candidate to be replaced in the rotation, but, as of now, Tom Gorzelanny seems like the odd-man out.

Stephen Strasburg's start for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday has been postponed due to rain.

He'll pitch the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader against Rochester (Twins) on Wednesday. Being pushed back a day shouldn't do anything to affect the possibility of his major league debut on June 4 against the Reds.

I can hardly wait to see what this kid can do in The Show, maybe July is the month, stay tuned.

Finally I leave with this hissy fit story.

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez hasn't committed to whether Hanley Ramirez will return to the starting lineup on Wednesday.

"We'll see," said Gonzalez. Ramirez has yet to apologize to the team for some rather pointed comments following his benching on Monday night. He's blown off enough steam already, so hopefully cooler heads will prevail and the team will be able move forward without any additional public drama.

At the quarter pole we come

Baseball has 162 individual skirmishes to it's long season, and experts tend to find it necessary to chop up the segments, like "after the All Star break", and " September ball ", amongst the many ways to see what can be learned or predicted. It is always thought certain players perform better after 81 games have past, and some pitchers fade like a bad black and white photo in September.

Not a lot can be seen after 40-41 games are in the books to demonstrate how teams will finish, some get an early lead and never relinquish it. Such a team was Sparky Anderson's 1984 Detroit Tigers, who inexplicably surged to a 35-5 start. Unheard of in modern day, these were not the 27 Yankees, nor the 1970 Cincinnati Reds, a good team, but they had a great jump after 40 games, and rode it to a division championship. Beat the Padres in the World Series.

So we look at the standings, and find the Tampa Rays heading the Yankees in the east, the Twins and Tigers at the top of the Central, and the Rangers , and Angels and A's all lumped into a 3 team morass in the west. For now, forget about the National League, because I want to make a remark concerning the Jays, one that I never thought would creep into the discussions this year. They are not that bad. A 24-17 record with no Halladay, and Lind and Hill not hitting .250, I mean come on, not a chance. That Zepper-Chinski dude on the shelf, no Litsch, still no Dustin McGowan and Jason Fraser has lost his closer role after 2 weeks. You put these facts down and you would have to conclude we having a clunker of a year.

Last year at this time the team was 27-14 and tied for the best record with the Dodgers of LA. They had great performances from the bullpen, and the Doc was fabulous, and then it all went to hell in a hand basket, and they rattled off 10 straight losses, and that was the season, they stumbled, and bumbled until October came, and they ran out games.

What is noticeable is as follows, Wells is healthy, and they have received long ball support from 2 unlikely sources, shortstop Alex Gonzalez and 3B/OF Jose Bautista, with 10 and 11 big flies, so the part that worries me about their success is their team batting average is woe full, but their power says "over achievers ", and would due for a drop off.

The nay sayers like me would point that out, but the positive thinkers would remind me that they Aaron Hill and Adam Lind to begin to offer major contributions, so we have many half empty cups, and half full cups in the same sentence.

The truth is generally somewhere in the middle. Most are never as bad as they appear in a losing streak, and some not as good in a winning streak.

I predicted a grand total of 67 wins, and I am man enough to admit that I was wrong. Adding Freddy Lewis was a genius stroke, and provided the team with a true lead off hitter, and Kevin Gregg has been wonderful as new closer. My Lord even John Buck is hitting well over .260 with 8 homers and a bunch of key timely hits. But the pitching has kept them around, and ahead of the Red Sox, and only a handful of games behind Tampa and NY, so while there are hills to climb, at the quarter pole, they are further in front than I expected.

I cannot take back the 67 win prediction, and while I still caution that it is only May, while you don't win the pennant in May, a poor start can leave you making plans for the next year.

It is a long horse race, but so far Jays fans, it still that, a race, and your team has the leaders in sight. You know there was one team that stayed close with those 35-5 rampaging Tigers, and for a brief glimpse were trailing them in mid June by 2 and half games.

Ladies and Gentleman, that was your Toronto Blue Jays.

There is always the unexpected.

The reviews are in

Thumbs are up, way up for the play in San Diego, where most ardent predictors had the Swinging Friars finishing dead last in the NL west.

Well, maybe they had better rethink this choice, the Padres are getting better pitching than San Fran, and better offense when it counts than the Dodgers.

If they could just resist using those camouflage uniforms when the fleet's in the harbour.

Over in Washington DC, the Feds are up to their hips in pork barrels, but those Nats are surprising many in the NL East with their ability to come from behind and with different heroes each game. Thumbs are way up for them.

Thumb is down for Arod, I am sorry but yet again the world's most annoying playing does his best to piss in someone else's pot. I know baseball etiquette sounds pretty stupid, but the game is built on traditions, that's why it isn't football ! Arod runs over the pitcher's mound is like spitting on the guy's mother's grave, it is a sacred place, just jog around it.

Arod ( seen here ) hard at work....

Dallas Braden and his Grandma both got up in arms over Arod's dissing ( Geezus H , I hate saying " dissing " ) but the Braden clan is justified, so sorry Arod, my thumb is down for you.

My thumb is down to ESPN - Baseball Tonight.

I recently read that the talking heads over in ESPN created a montage of slow base running clips involving Bengie Molina, and to the point where it was way past good taste. Moina's mother , and the poor woman does not speak a word of English was asking Yadier M , what the announcer was saying about my Bengie ? I mean, they had to lie to her, but I think she figured it out herself. He of the 3 Molina's, and my God, the woman has given baseball 3 catchers, pretty damn good stock. Anyhow, there was no point making a youtube moment about Bengie, we all know he cannot run fast, but this guy has been a true pro in so many ways. Did we need the 3 Stooges mock video , can't we just report the news, not create our own ! So my thumb is down to ESPN, maybe Danny Schulman will try and repair some damage the next SF game he broadcasts.

Thumbs are both up for Vernon Wells of your Toronto Blue Jays. Take a good look at his performance this year, and Vernon ( who kept his mouth shut all last year when critics were rightly getting on 2009 numbers ) is at the top of almost every offensive category fot the Jays.

What to go Vernon ! tell em' to take a hike....

My thumb is also up for Ozzie Guillen, as he has the stones to call out Bud Light and why MLB is allowing the 2011 All Star Game to be played in Arizona. The game claims to be blind to politics, oh really, yet it placates the Senate, and Washington all the time. The newly minted Arizona immigration laws are blind to reality, and MLB should boycott Arizona, and threaten to move the game to , I don't know, how about Canada... sure we'll take it, we got screwed by the G8/20 Summitt and MLB moved the Phils/Jays series to Philly in late June, so MLB owes us one.

And of course my thumb is so far up for the weak kneed Jays and MLB for deciding a month before the games that the 25th-27th series from Toronto to Philly, any chance for the locals to see ex jay Doc Halladay is gone. If you have to deliver the bad news, why not do it once the schedule is made up, it's not like these G20 summits are thrown together like a backyard BBQ !

They take months to plan and plot and prepare, etc, so the fans here got screwed over.

Jeff Francouer of the Mets weighed in on this one, claiming that it is not fair that Philly gets 3 more home games. MLB says, the Jays will act as the home team, and to that I say Big Whup, the games are still in Pennsylvania not Ontario, and Jimmy Rollins will sleep in his own bed, and the Blue Jays will be in the downtown Marriott. Sounds trivial, but wait until the heat of a pennant race and someone points out those 3 wins the Phils got in late June when they are nursing a 2 game lead.

The Fens

Geez, it's always fun when your team visits Fenway Park and the Green Monster, Yawkey Way, Pesky Pole, and if you are a good hitter, there's something inviting about the contours of the park. The Bermuda Triangle in left centre, and way the stands jut out down the third base line, where many a ball has steered into foul territory then ricocheted off the stands back into the outfield.

As I say, it's fun, unless you are a pitcher, and a pitcher with no control, intimidated by the short porch, it's pure hell. You'd have more fun feeding the bears at the zoo, dressed as a salmon than pitch here. Ask many a Yankee, Jay, Ray, Oriole or Tiger. Ask the Mariners, ask the A's, the White Sox, they'll all tell you, oh it's a historic park, but when you have a 5 run lead in the 7th, that lead ain't safe.

Back in 1984 , Jack Morris on his way to a World Series with the Tigers saw his 8 run lead dissipate in the bottom of the 8th with 6 home runs, and 3 doubles, and 3 walks. He served up fresh taters to Tony Armas, Jim Rice, and Dwight Evans. The bullpen was far worse. 8 runs gone faster than fresh doughnuts at a policy station.

I do remember even the Red Sox sitting on an 8 run cushion to your beloved Jays on June 3, 1989, the Jays overcoming a large Red Sox lead to come back and win 13 to 11 in 12 innings. No lead is safe and if the winds are swirling, all bets are off, and bet the "over".

Tonight the Jays are down after 4 and half 4- doughnut, but a lot can change.

Around the diamond and we find the San Diego Spendthrifts leading the NL West, and the Washington Nationals 4 games above .500. In May, you continue to see weird stats, and teams in unusual places. While the Cubs and LA Angels ( 2 bigger budget squads ) flounder, and sputter, the Rangers and Tigers are winning because of their pitching, and that was not expected. The Mets are well, the Mets, and the Dodgers cannot score with or without Manny in the line up.

I was hoping the Dodgers would add more offense because this is Vin Scully's last year at the microphone, and when he retires, that truly is the last of a bygone era..

So while Fenway invites pitchers into it's Venus Flytrap, and swallows up ERA's and spits out crooked numbers, runs are down in Yankee Land, and it Denver, and Seattle and in Pittsburgh, they are down and while we only have scant stats to theorize with, players are running more and banging less. Is it cold weather, better pitching or new drug testing, but it is noticeable so far.

But not in Fenway, Pythagoras would go nuts trying to visualize the vagaries of this baseball formula, it's like Vin Scully , a throwback, and thankfully we still have it. Unless you are a pitcher, then it's a Tim Burton nightmare.

El Perfecto

Yesterday it was Mother's Day, so naturally I was watching baseball, NOT. I missed this 19th perfect game tossed by an unlikely hero, Oakland A's starter Dallas Braden. Unless you are an A's fan, or a Rays fan, this Sunday afternoon tilt was a 4 pm ( EST ) game that just ran into the normal course of mother pampering, and gets missed.

Heck I did not even consider recording this game, even though I have James Shields ( Braden's mound opponent ) in 2 fantasy leagues. I wonder if prior to the Red Sox/Yankee game, Alez Rodriguez had it on in the clubhouse. Maybe, since his pinstripers are a scant 1/2 game behind the Tampa Rays. If so , I can imagine the chiding the Yanks were giving him.

Recently, this unlikely duo are engaged in a jar fest over Arod's apparent dissing of Braden after he had the nerve to run over the mound after a ground out that ended an inning. I don't get that etiquette at all, but never having played the game at that level, there appears to be many idiosyncrasies.

So meanwhile back on the left coast, Braden played soft toss in preparation for his start against the East Division leaders from Tampa. Tampa is not the 27' Yanks, but they are not the 69' Padres either. Longoria, Pena, Bartlett, Crawford, some pretty decent hitters in their line up.

Braden normally is not a hard thrower, it would take something for him to crank it up and keep it in the low 90's consistantly, he relies on super good control, a neat collection of ground ball outs, and what is this year a wonderful change up. Today the fastball was good, the chahnge and curve were fantastic, and the Rays were swinging and not making much contact. Oh there were some great defensive plays made, Pennington made a few of them, as did Kouzmanoff, but largely it was Braden keeping the hitters off balance. Which is the art of pitching really.

So he became the 2nd A's picther to acieve the El Perfecto, last performed on May 8th, 1968 bu James Hunter, better known as The Catfish. Almost 42 years to the day ! Braden's on May 9th, Hunter's on May 8th. Coincidence, no I think not, but pitchers aroung the majors ( for the most part ) are still having good success.

Catfish tossed his against the 68' Twins, against such memorable Twinkies as Cesar Tovar, Rod carew, Harmon Killebrew, and Tony Oliva, so there were some batting title winners in their line up. No cheapies these guys.

In the line -up for the A's were Campy, Reggie, Bando, Rick Monday and Joe Rudi, but guess who was the hitting hero ?

No, not Reggie Jackson, and no not Sal Bando, it was Catfish going 3 for 4, with 2 doubles and 3 ribbies. Take that Braden !

Blog follower Brad informs that lately the perfectos are beibng hurled by lefties ( Buerhle, Randy Johnson, Dave Wells, Kenny Rogers, and Tom Browning ) represent 6 of the last 8, but I think that is mostly coincidence.

The first recorded perfect game was by this guy named Cy Young, the guy, not the award. Only once in post season, Don Larsen for the Yankees.

While I am a fan of offense, I wish I had watched this game, as Dallas Braden is now part of an elite group of 19, the El Perfecto Club.

The Fans are Fanatical

Many web sites are asking fans " Was the Philly Park Ranger entitled to Taser those numskulls"
Easy, why not , I am personally sick and tired of idiot drunken young men disrupting the game. Maybe if they get zapped like mosquitoes on a summers evening, they might think twice about going anywhere near the field.

Tasers are not fatal, cruel, but not fatal, but once you've had 12 beers, how much do you think these dudes could feel.

I just want to ask fans "What makes you think you are entitled to make as ass of yourself in front of 50,000 fans, and millions on TV ? "

Twitter, youtube, Facebook and cellphone videos, the local news, TMZ, I mean we have allowed people to act out and get noticed. The ESPN highlight of the night, page 3 of the NY Daily News, or the top 10 weird fans list, Letterman,. Leno or Kimmel, they all garb these clips, make fun of the morons, but the morons got their 10 minutes of fame.

So, taser them now, execution is next, because I am pretty fed up with the delays.

Paving the way for a generation

Curt Flood
A misunderstood man, but if Jackie Robinson paved the way for his race, somebody should be reminded that Curt fought for the right to play where he wanted to.


1968. It was a historic year and most will remember it as such for the great American tragedies that defined it: the assassination of Dr. King in April of that year followed by the June murder of Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy. But it was also a historic year for revolutionary black athletes and three amazing photos document it. In the most familiar two, Muhammad Ali appeared on a 1968 Esquire cover impaled-after his controversial refusal to be inducted into the US Army and Tommy Smith and John Carlos quite literally fired up the Olympics with the Black Power fist salute the world has never forgotten. Yet, the world may have forgotten too quickly another signature cover shot that ironically set the stage for one of the great revolutionary stands in major sports: Baseball great Curt Flood on the August 19, 1968 cover of Sports Illustrated as ‘Baseball’s Best Centerfielder.’

By August of that year, Flood, a St. Louis Cardinal, was arguably having his best career performance in a thirteen year career in Major League Baseball. A two time World Series champ, three time All Star, and five-time Gold Glove Award Winner, Flood held the Major League fielding record for most consecutive games without an error--226--and most consecutive chances without error--568. He had already achieved something that his legendary competitors, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, had not yet--a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000. When he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Flood was in elite company as one of the magazines few covers featuring a black baseball player. Flood, however, was about to become famous for more than his stats on the field.

The 1968 baseball season ended with the Cardinals squaring off against the Detroit Tigers in its third World Series appearance with Flood. Flood, the team’s co-captain, was having an ‘all-star’ performance in his best World Series performance until he misjudged a fly ball in the seventh inning of game seven. The Cardinals ended up losing. A year later, baseball underwent a series of changes and St. Louis began some restructuring efforts of its own, putting Flood at odds with the organization. Though Curt won his seventh Gold Glove, in October of 1969, after his twelve years with the team, the Cardinals decided to trade Flood and three teammates to the Phillies under baseball’s standard Reserve Clause. The reserve clause was a part of players’ contract that bound the player, one year at a time, in perpetuity, to the club owning his contract. So began the battle that made Flood, the “father of free agency.” In a dangerous career move, Flood famously resisted the trade, sacrificing a $100, 000 salary and the continuation of his storied career. After consulting with the Players’ union, Flood submitted a landmark manifesto to baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, demanding that he be declared a free agent: He stated, “It is my desire to play baseball, in 1970 . . . I have received a contract from the Philadelphia Club but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs . . .”

His request was denied in favor of the Reserve Clause. Curt Flood took his fight to another level and sued MLB on the grounds that it had violated anti-trust laws. Flood stirred up baseball diehards and critics by likening the reserve clause to slavery. Flood was traded but sat out the 1970 season, refusing to be ‘the property of’ the Phillies or the Cardinals. Flood vs. Kuhn ended up in the Supreme Court, which ruled five to three in favor of MLB, upholding an earlier 1922 decision preserving the primacy of the Reserve Clause. Flood was subsequently traded again, this time to the Washington Senators with a $110.000 contract, but he came back to a hostile climate. 1971 was Flood’s last year in Major League Baseball. That same year Flood, who painted a portrait of King that hung in Coretta Scott King’s house, wrote the story of his battle in The Way It Is. He lost his lawsuit but won the battle for future baseball players; in 1975, two white players played a year without a contract and the court reversed its earlier position on the reserve clause.

Today, baseball players enjoy unprecedented financial and physical flexibility. Meanwhile, baseball continues to hold its grudge against Flood for taking on America’s pastime. When he died in 1997, Flood was still being ignored year after year by the Baseball Hall of Fame. And he still is. When we recall revolutionary black athletes, we should remember Curt Flood, one of the game’s best defensive players, and keep number 21’s legacy alive: After twelve years in the Major Leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system, which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States . . .”

Trust me, I watched this guy patrol, centre field for years and he covered more ground than the 5th armed division over Europe.

The millions made be the stars nowadays would not have made squat without his sacrifice.

So Long Folks, hope you enjoyed the game

Ernie Harwell has spent more than half a century broadcasting sports events. His career dates back to 1940 and his major league broadcasting career began in 1948. Harwell worked with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants and the Baltimore Orioles, before becoming the voice of the Detroit Tigers in 1960. A graduate of Emory University, Harwell's first on-air experience was as a sports broadcaster for WSB/Atlanta. He also served as a journalist for the Atlanta Constitution and broadcast more play-off games than any other announcer in baseball history. In 1981, Harwell became the first active play-by-play announcer to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, and has also been inducted into the National Sportscaster's Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998. Harwell will retire from broadcasting Detroit Tigers baseball at the end of the 2002 season. We lost Ernie today, and he will be fondly remembered. Ernie made every feel better for tuning in, and you just wanted the game to go on forever. He called World Series, no hitters in the same fashion, with passion as if it was his first broadcast. If I had my druthers, I would listen to Harwell, or Cheek, or Herb Score ( in Cleveland ) or Vin Scully than turn on the TV. So long old pal, there are All Stars in the sky awaiting your first telecast.