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Buying a Baseball Glove

Posted on Selasa, 06 Desember 2011 | 0 komentar

Buying a great baseball glove make a should make your game far better. You should purchase a glove that has used top notch materials cause they should be far more durable. Also you will need to see that it has the right fit. You consider buying a less expensive glove - it really doesn’t pay as your baseball game could take a hit.

Something that you should look for is multiple models and makers of gloves, and how much one is going to cost you. Find out what glove will give you the most benefit for your money. Come up with a few makes and models that you like then go to your local baseball equipment shop and try on a few. Making sure they feel and fit right is of the up most importance. Here are some things you should look for when you are in the market for a new glove. Once you have found a glove do not buy it at your local store. You are sure to find a much better deal at an online store.

Catchers Gloves

Are you serious about playing baseball or softball or is this just a hobby? This could be the decision maker for you when you decide which glove to purchase as a great catchers gloves run a few hundred dollars or more. If you only play a couple of times a year, then a top quality glove might cost far to much for you. Also consider, the top quality gloves are far better made and far more durable so it will surely last you for at least a decade. The higher quality the glove the better it will feel and age.
When choosing a catching glove you will need to make sure to fit it to the size of your hand. The size of the glove is the measurement from the gloves bottom to where your wrist is to the top of the glove where your fingers begin. A smaller glove for young people usually measures 7” to twelve inches, and a adult glove measures 12 or 13 inches.

Gloves for Women that Play baseball

Softball is for everyone women are joining the American past time in far more numbers then ever before.
There is a difficult challenge for women when shopping for softball equipment and more so gloves. A lot of baseball gear is manufacturer with men in mind, and women, who have much smaller hands, will probably have a harder finding glove with a good snug fit.

When women shop for baseball gloves they need to find gloves designed to fit a feminine hand. If the glove you are fitted with is fitting the size of your hand you should see that you will perform much better. Look for smaller finger holes which should give you far better control. Look for an adjustable wrist strap as it you can adjust for fluctuations in body fluids that make your wrist a larger or smaller.

First Base Gloves

Most first baseman should tell you that first base gloves are of vital importance when it comes to playing first base.
Something you need to look for in a good first base glove is to get the right kinds of materials and webbing that you will need in a glove for playing the first base position.
It is of vital importance to think about how the glove fits. You need to buy a size that feels good and is easy to maneuver. It is so important that you can open and close the glove without any difficulty and your fingers have a snug fit but not too tight.

Getting the right baseball glove can be as important as getting the right baseball shoes. Look around and pick out a nice glove and you will see your game get better.


Breaking The Division Races Down On Memorial Day

Posted on Minggu, 27 November 2011 | 0 komentar

Generally speaking, being in first place on Memorial Day is a good sign of things to come. Memorial Day typically marks the one-third mark for the Major League Baseball season, and by this point you have a pretty good idea of which teams are going to be in the running and which teams are dead and buried.

For instance, it’s fairly common knowledge on May 29 that the Royals aren’t going to be challenging for the AL Central crown at 11-37, 22 1/2 games behind the 35-16 Tigers. Of course, we probably knew that the Royals wouldn’t be contenders entering the season anyway, but now we’re certain of it.

At the same time, there aren’t many people outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth region who expected the Rangers to be in first place come Memorial Day, and I’d be willing to bet that even some of the more loyal Rangers fans would have to be honest with themselves before claiming that they saw it coming.

How good of an indicator of future success is being in first place on Memorial Day? Since 1990 (excluding the strike year of 1994), the 82 division leaders on the last Monday in May have gone on to hold their leads and win their divisions 47 times. That’s a 57% rate.

In 2005, the Marlins, Cardinals, Padres, Orioles, White Sox and Rangers were leading their divisions on Memorial Day. At the end of the year, the Cards, Padres and White Sox held on. while the Braves, Red Sox and Angels rallied up to win theirs.

Three of the six teams leading on Memorial Day in 2004 ended up carrying their divisions at the end of the year as well. Only once since 1990 have all six teams ahead on Memorial Day won their division; that was in 1998, when the Braves, Astros, Padres, Yankees, Indians and Rangers pulled it off. The fewest teams to manage the feat since realignment in 1995 was two, occurring in 1995 and in 2001.

So while a Memorial Day lead is a fairly good indicator, it’s far from a guarantee. Just ask the 2005 Baltimore Orioles, the 2004 Cincinnati Reds or the 2001 Philadelphia Phillies (three teams to suffer huge dropoffs from Memorial Day through the end of their respective seasons).

As of May 29th this season, the Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Mets, Cardinals and Diamondbacks are leading the way. According to the trends of the past 15 full seasons, about half of those teams will end up holding on to win their divisions.

Best Bets

I expect the Tigers, Cardinals and Diamondbacks to hold on their leads.

Though the Tigers only have a two-game lead in the AL Central on the defending World Series champion White Sox, their team is built to hold onto that lead. Detroit's pitching has been superlative, and the Tigers may have a rotation that’s more solid up and down than the White Sox. The Tigers lead MLB with a 3.36 ERA, with the White Sox a distant sixth at 4.13. The Detroit rotation has compiled a 3.39 ERA thus far, led by Justin Verlander’s 2.55 ERA and 7-3 record. Nate Robertson is enjoying a breakout year with a 5-2 mark and a 3.02 ERA. Former 20-game loser Mike Maroth is faring much better in 2006 with a 5-2 record and a 3.56 ERA. Kenny Rogers is 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA. Jeremy Bonderman rounds out the young rotation (other than Rogers), going 5-4 thus far with a 4.61 ERA. In the bullpen, Todd Jones has shown he remains the solid closer he proved to be in Florida last season, saving 16 games with a 3.12 ERA. Joel Zumaya is proving to be the closer of the future, putting up a 3.22 ERA and averaging 10.88 strikeouts per nine innings. It’s safe to assume, based on track record, that the Tigers may be pitching over their heads. The league average for team ERA is hovering around 4.50, meaning that Detroit has pitched a run better than the rest of the league. That’s a historically dominating team pitching performance.

While it’s safe to assume that the pitching will drop off slightly, it’s also reasonable to assume that Detroit's hitting should pick up. The Tigers are currently 12th in baseball in runs scored, seventh in team batting average and eighth in team OPS. Not shabby by any means, but the team is getting next to nothing out of injured Dmitri Young, a .217 batting average from Brandon Inge, a .254 average from Craig Monroe and just three homers from Ivan Rodriguez. Chris Shelton has cooled off slightly, but that has coincided with the resurgence of Magglio Ordonez. Thus the potential is there for the lineup to be even better.

In the NL Central, no team is on the same level as the Cardinals (unless Houston gets Roger Clemens back). The Cards are second in baseball and tops in the NL with a 3.81 team ERA. The Reds, who trail the Cardinals by four games, are way back in 12th in team ERA at 4.44. St. Louis also is tops in the NL Central in runs scored, batting average and team OPS. Oh, and some guy named Pujols is destroying nearly every baseball thrown to him. The Reds are close, but they can’t make up that gap with the pitching being so inferior compared to the Cardinals’ rotation. Chris Carpenter is on the DL, which hurts, but the Cardinals’ rotation is one of the deepest around with Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, Sidney Ponson and Jason Marquis. In the bullpen, St. Louis is led by Jason Isringhausen and his 16 saves. Adam Wainwright, Josh Hancock, Brad Thompson, Randy Flores and Braden Looper round out a pen that hasn’t skipped a beat despite returning just one pitcher from 2005 (Isringhausen). The Reds may wind up holding on to second place in the NL Central, but they’re not going to unseat the Cards.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are a better team than given credit for, and they have the fortune of playing in a weak NL West. The division has played better this season than in 2005, when the 82-80 Padres made the playoffs. This season, all five teams were sporting records at least at .500 entering Memorial Day. That won’t last, as Colorado will surely finish below .500, as will either San Diego or San Francisco. The team best able to give Arizona a run for its money is the Dodgers, and they’re a shaky bet with the injury risks that dot their lineup.

Arizona is a surprisingly balanced team, sitting in seventh place overall with a team ERA of 4.15 and eighth overall with 262 runs scored. The starters have posted a 4.35 ERA, led by Brandon Webb and his 8-0 record and 2.18 ERA. Webb is one of the better pitchers in baseball thus far, and his control so far has been remarkable (walking nine batters in 82.2 innings). Miguel Batista is 4-2 with a 4.60 ERA and has also been pitching well. Claudio Vargas, Juan Cruz and Russ Ortiz round out the rotation and may be question marks, but Arizona has enough minor league depth to swing a trade for a Barry Zito or a Dontrelle Willis to augment a playoff run (unfortunately for them, the Dodgers have that ability as well). The Diamondbacks' 3.79 bullpen ERA has been a pleasant surprise, though they need more consistency from appointed closer Jose Valverde. He has saved 14 games thus far, but his 5.03 ERA isn’t going to get it done down the stretch.

At the plate, the Diamondbacks aren’t going to kill you with the long ball, but they have a solid lineup. Chad Tracy is building on his superb 2005 with eight homers, a .292 average and a .849 OPS so far. Eric Byrnes may wind up the 2006 comeback player of the year and appears to have found a home in the desert. Byrnes went from Oakland to Colorado to Baltimore in 2005, but in 2006 he’s not going anywhere while hitting .322 with six homers and a .938 OPS. Top prospect Conor Jackson is proving that he can live up to the expectations as he’s hitting .297 with five homers and a .861 OPS. Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez are having their usually solid seasons as well. Arizona also plays solid defense. However, it's not going to be easy for the Snakes to hold off the Dodgers (who are outhitting and outpitching them right now), but Arizona has the potential to get better. Keeping that in mind, as well as the fact that Nomar Garciaparra and J.D. Drew will likely spend significant time on the disabled list this season for L.A., and the Diamondbacks should continue to lead the division throughout.

Worst Bets

The Red Sox, Rangers and Mets are the three teams poised to fall out of their present frontrunning spots.

Boston's lineup was the premier one in baseball the past two seasons. This season, the Red Sox are seventh in baseball with 265 runs scored. They’re trailing AL East contenders Toronto and New York in that department. The Red Sox currently are 13th in team ERA at 4.47, five spots below the Yankees. Boston's rotation isn’t that good (4.78 ERA), and Jonathan Papelbon is about the only saving grace in the bullpen. Manny Ramirez has finally broken out of his early-season slump, but there are still significant weak spots in the lineup. Jason Varitek is only hitting .232, and Alex Gonzalez is hitting .227 (with a staggering .295 OBP). David Ortiz is hitting homers, but not for the same average or OPS as he has in seasons past (he’s at .270 and .915, respectively, in 2006). Coco Crisp was supposed to be the answer in center field, but he’s played just six games thus far. The Sox have been pleasantly surprised by Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Mark Loretta, and they should wind up closer to the top of the league in runs scored before everything’s said and done.

However, Boston's pitching figures to continue to struggle. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have been good thus far, with Beckett putting up a 7-1 record and a 3.80 ERA, while Schilling has managed an 8-2 record and a 3.93 ERA. The rest of the rotation has been unstable. The Red Sox have five guys in the bullpen that they have been relying on, and only two of them are sure things. The Yankees aren’t much better in the pen, but they are pitching and hitting better so far. The Yankees will likely catch up to Boston and overtake their rival.

The Rangers have a surprising three-game lead over the A’s, but they’re only 26-24, and the other three teams in their division should make up ground. The pitching in Texas isn’t very good, as the Rangers are 18th in baseball with a 4.81 ERA. Both the Mariners and A’s are pitching better than Texas. The Rangers are leading the AL West because they’re outhitting the A’s, Mariners and Angels by a significant margin.

Texas is 9th in the league in runs scored with 258. On the other hand, Seattle is 20th with 234 runs, Oakland is 23rd (223) and the Angels are 25th (221). What’s surprising is that Texas isn’t hitting home runs at its typical pace. Kevin Mench leads the team with 10. Mark Teixeira only has five and is hitting just .284. Michael Young is hitting .311, but can improve on that. Phil Nevin has nine homers, as does Brad Wilkerson. Neither of them are hitting that well (.220 and .262, respectively). The lineup is going to be better, but it’s reasonable to assume the pitching will fall off.

The Texas rotation is running basically four deep at this point. Kevin Millwood is supposed to be the ace, but he’s putting up a 4.88 ERA with a 5-3 record. Vicente Padilla, Kameron Loe and John Koronka are all posting remarkably similar numbers. Every starter is in the mid 4.00 ERA range, all are in the 1.35 WHIP range, and all have about 65 innings pitched under their belts. Akinori Otsuka has taken the closer’s job with his 2.31 ERA and eight saves from Francisco Cordero. The Texas pitching isn’t at the level of Oakland's or even Seattle's. Though the Rangers will outhit both of those teams and the Angels easily, the pitching and the bullpen will come back to bite them. The A’s will likely turn it on around midseason and blow past the Rangers en route to a division title.

The Mets are one of the more talented teams in baseball and have a four-game lead over the Braves in the NL East. They’re even outpitching the Braves by a comfortable margin. The Mets are third in baseball with a 3.89 ERA, while the Braves are 10th with a 4.36 ERA. What’s surprising that the Braves are outhitting the potent Mets, scoring 267 runs compared to the Mets’ 246. But considering how much better the pitching has been, it bodes well for the Mets. So why are they in this category? Because the Braves are the Braves. They were trailing the Marlins at Memorial Day in the previous two seasons and came back to take the division. The Mets have gotten superb production out of the middle of the lineup, but the rest of the squad leaves something to be desired. Carlos Delgado has 15 homers and a .263 average, while David Wright is hitting .333 with eight homers. Carlos Beltran is hitting .277 but has an impressive 14 homers. Even Xavier Nady has gotten into the act with nine homers while batting .270. Cliff Floyd has been a disappointment with his .219 average, as has Jose Reyes with his .322 OBP and Kazuo Matsui with his .250 OBP. The fringe guys need to pick up the production for the Mets to maintain first place.

What the Mets won’t have to worry about is the front of their rotation. Tom Glavine is having a fantastic season with his 8-2 record and his 2.59 ERA. So is Pedro Martinez, 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 80 Ks. Behind Glavine and Martinez, things get shaky. Steve Trachsel has compiled his usual 4.99 ERA. Victor Zambrano may never pitch again, so the Mets went out and traded for Orlando Hernandez. Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez shouldn’t be in a big-league rotation, but both have made three disastrous starts. Brian Bannister pitched well in his five starts, but he’s not a guy that the Mets can depend on yet. The bullpen has been solid, with Aaron Heilman and Duaner Sanchez making names for themselves with ERAs below 2.40. Billy Wagner has saved 11 games, but has been shaky of late. He should settle down. Regardless, the Mets need to find starters and a quality leadoff hitter to hold off the Braves. If not, it seems like it will be another year that the Braves beat a more talented team for the NL East crown.


Bob’s venting: I tried to tell you in February!

Posted on Selasa, 22 November 2011 | 0 komentar

Back in late February I was getting nauseous listening to the garbage resonating from the San Francisco Giants training camp in regards to drug user Barry Bonds. He was as usual complaining about his aching knees, when what it really was the withdrawal symptoms from all the “ROIDS” that were being flushed out of his system. I suggested at this time that Barry would not hit over 25 homeruns in 2006, and urged you to place a bet if it was available.

Today it is May 15th and it certainly could not happen to a nicer guy then Bonds as he is struggling big time with a 2.17 batting average , 5 HOMERUNS and a paltry12 RBI’s in 32 games and 88 at bats. There is a great lesson to be learned from the faltering decline of Barry Bonds the former baseball superstar. When he decided a few years ago to prolong his career with the “Clear and the Cream” courtesy of Balco, his goal was to replace Henry Aaron as the most prolific homerun hitter in MLB history.

What he is going to get is a whole lot of grief and be chased from the game, as a less then average major league hitter. The chances of Bond turning this dismal season around, is about the same percentage that the Kansas City Royals have of not losing 100 games this season.

We are all guilty of at least once in our lives of fantasying about some dream scenario, that we have little chance of obtaining. But we all like to do it. As we have seen in Bond’s case, “Be careful what you ask for”!

February article reprint:

BARRY BONDS WILL NOT HIT 25 HOME RUNS!

It would be safe to say that very few people turn me off as much as Barry Bonds does and as I said a few years ago, I wish he would just go away and climb under the rock he came out from about twenty years ago. On the other hand, this is Major League Baseball and as long as someone is lining up with $18 million a year to pay him to play, why would he go away?

What really blows me away is his whining about his bad knee and how there are days when he cannot tolerate the pain. This is Barry Bonds not Jerome Bettis who is a athlete who has been getting pounded by vicious tackles the past fifteen years and plays a game where he actually does hit the grass.

Bonds has been standing in left field the past several years, playing a sport that requires you to stand in the sun for maybe twenty minutes at a time and every once in a while move a few feet to catch a ball or toss it back to the infield. I’m sorry I neglected to mention the 40 or so times he has to trot around the bases after a homerun, or the 100 or so times he must trot to first base after an intentional walk.

In the past three years he has had a total of 13 stolen bases, so I feel sorry for that man that he had to dive on the soft clay surface that at some parks is like a beach when he stole second base. The man made decision years ago to pump himself up with steroids, that resulted in his head swelling to the size of a basketball and gave him that instant gratification that several athletes yearn for.

Now he sits at training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona sounding like a man that just spent ten years on the battlefield in Iraq. I mean give me a break, get your sorry ass to the gym and get in shape like most normal athletes do and that is with sweat and tears.

As I mention in the title at the top of the page, I seriously hope that any sportsbook offers a proposition wager on whether Barry will hit over or under 25 homeruns. Most people would think that if he suits up for 100 games, hitting that number is a foregone conclusion, I beg to differ. This guy is going to get booed right off the field and hopefully he leaves the game for good, as professional baseball in America, has enough problems as it is!

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting


LA Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves

Posted on Sabtu, 17 September 2011 | 0 komentar
The Braves loss a game against the Padres that only had two hits and they still manage to get the victory. It was the second time since 1985 that the Padres win a game with only two hits although the Braves had 5 hits only scored once in a game that was played in one of the toughest field to score the Petco Park.

The Braves are having a regular season so far. They are in third place in the NL East just behind the Mets and Philadelphia and if they want to have a chance to reach any of those two teams they’ll need to start playing better baseball. They are having some problems in the bullpen especially with Sosa that hasn’t been the pitcher he was last season at all.

If Sosa manages to play like he did last year that will bring some depth to the bullpen that can give some continuity to this team. Hopefully they’ll get into a winning streak that allows them to get closer to Philadelphia and New York.

Lineup
1. Marcus Giles, 2nd B. 2. Edgar Renteria, SS. 3. Chipper Jones, 3rd B, 4. Andruw Jones, CF. Jeff Francoeur, RF. 6. Ryan Langerhans, LF. 7. Brian Jordan, 1st B. 8. Todd Pratt, C. 9. Jorge Sosa, P.

It seems that lately the Dodgers like to beat up the teams the play against. Last week against the Rockies Kenny Lofton hit a two-run triple, J.D. Drew tripled home another run and the Dodgers extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with an 8-1 victory on Tuesday night.

"It's nice to know that we're going to put up some runs out there," starter Brad Penny said. "You knew Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal were going to come around and start hitting the ball, because they're too good not to. Our defense is playing real good right now. We're not making the stupid mistakes we were earlier, and we're not making the stupid mistakes as pitchers that we were earlier when the team wasn't hitting."

They’re in second place in the NL West behind Arizona and if they continue to play like they’ve been playing, they will certainty reach first place. It should be a good season for the Dodgers that have a great team; they just needed some important hitters like Kenny Lofton, Rafael Furcal and Jeff Kent to come around.

This match up between the Dodgers and Braves will be very exciting for all the sports betting enthusiasts to make some bets, since both teams need the victory it should be a great game.

Lineup
1. Rafael Furcal, SS. 2. Kenny Lofton, CF. 3. Nomar Garciaparra, 1st B. 4. J.D. Drew, RF. 5. Jeff Kent, 2nd B. 6. Willy Aybar, 3rd B. 7. Andre Ethier, LF. 8. Russell Martin, C. 9. Brad Penny, P

Houston Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on Sabtu, 10 September 2011 | 0 komentar
PNC Park

The Houston Astros got back on track Friday night behind an unlikely standout and the return of an old one. Adam Everett hit a two-out, three-run double in the eighth inning and closer Brad Lidge retired three straight in the ninth to get the save in the Houston Astros' 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

It was about time for the Houston Astros to get a victory. It was a much needed one because after the sweep they suffered at home the players weren’t that motivated. With the victory at least the Astros got a little boost in their morale to continue fighting for that first place in their division.

"I was just trying to prolong the inning and get the next guy up there," said Everett, who bats eighth. "It's one of those at-bats that I'll always remember because it was my first game-winning hit. That's pretty exciting."

Oswalt pitched 6 strong innings allowing a season high 11 hits, but with all that he did a pretty good job and got the victory fro m the Rangers.

Lineup

1. Willy Taveras, CF. 2.Craig Biggio, 2nd B. 3. Lance Berkman, RF. 4.Morgan Ensberg, 3rd B. 5. Mike Lamb, 1st B. 6. Brad Ausmus, C. 7.Preston Wilson, LF. 8. Adam Everett, SS. 9.Roy Oswalt, P.

Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a loss against a very focus and talented Indians team lead by C.C Sabathia. The Pirates went down 4-1 on Friday night. “The way (Sabathia) was throwing, it felt like we were down by 10," said Pirates left fielder Jason Bay, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and had a 10-game hitting streak stopped.

Zach Duke pitched 7 innings for the Pirates; he got 4 hits, 3 runs and 3 errors that cost them a lot. Duke allowed only one hit over his final six innings but lost his third consecutive start. He issued two walks in both the fourth and fifth innings but escaped those jams in his first career start against an AL team. The left-hander walked six and struck out six over seven innings.

"I made bad pitches in the first inning, but I was very happy with the way I pitched after that," Duke said.

This week the Pirates match-up against the Astros and they have the opportunity to add some victories that will do a lot of good to this team that’s struggling in NL Central. So if you like a sport betting this is a good opportunity to bet in what many expect to be a very exciting game.

Lineup

1. Jose Bautista, CF. 2.Jack Wilson, SS. 3.Freddy Sanchez, 3rd B. 4. Jason Bay, LF. 5. Craig Wilson, 1st B. 6. Ryan Doumit, DH. 7. Jeromy Burnitz, RF. 8.Ronny Paulino, C. 9.Jose Castillo, 2nd B.

Oakland A’s vs. Texas Rangers

Posted on Jumat, 02 September 2011 | 0 komentar
Barry Zito from the A’s is looking now like in his best days back in 2002 when he won the Cy Young award. Zito allowed eight hits over seven scoreless innings and the A's patiently battered Jamie Moyer in their third straight victory 7-2 over the Seattle Mariners last week.

"I just have a mentality where I'm going out there and not trying to be too fine, not thinking too much," Zito said. "I'm just letting my stuff work for me. Just trust my stuff, trust myself."

With five key players on the disabled list after a rash of injuries, the A's are back above .500 at 20-19 and in a first-place tie with Texas in the AL West. Despite those injuries, they’re a team that has plenty of talent and will to get back to the winning side of the record. If they play good with all there key players injured imagine what they will play like once everybody is back and healthy.

Lineup

1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2.Jason Kendall, C. 3.Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4.Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6.Nick Swisher, 1stB. 7. Jay Payton, LF. 8. Bobby Kielty, RF. 9.Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.

After an impressive game held on Tuesday against the Yankees in which the score was 14-13 in favor of the Yankees, the Rangers fell again on Tuesday 4-3. It wasn’t such an exciting game like the one on Tuesday but it still was good. It seems that the games between this two are becoming more and more interesting because both teams play really good against each other.

The Yankees were winning 4-1 in the in the seventh, but Gary Matthews Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Texas, cutting it to 4-3. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.

"It's tough to lose like that. I didn't think they hit me very hard. They just found holes at opportune times," Loe said. "I felt like I was making my pitches. I felt like I was in control. Maybe my pitch selection could have been better."

In both games the Rangers were very close to get the victory but the powerful offense of the Yankees was better than theirs. Maybe they can change the story this week as they face the Oakland A’s, a team with a lot of injuries right now. That can give some advantage to the Rangers, so if you like sports betting this is a perfect opportunity to bet on a great game as I’m sure it will be between these two teams.

Lineup

1. Gary Matthews Jr., CF. 2.Michael Young, SS. 3.Mark Teixeira, 1st B. 4. Phil Nevin, DH. 5. Hank Blalock, 3rdB. 6. Kevin Mench, RF. 7.Brad Wilkerson, LF. 8. Mark DeRosa, 2nd B. 9. Gerald Laird, C.

New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Posted on Rabu, 17 Agustus 2011 | 0 komentar
Busch Stadium

Tom Glavine from the Mets had a great game against the Phillies that ended a nine game winning streak; Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night.

The Mets pounded Phillies starter Cory Lidle (3-4) early, with eight players getting hits and all nine scoring while building a 10-0 lead through three innings. The NL East-leading Mets pushed their lead back to four games over the second-place Phillies, who were on their longest winning streak since a 13-game run in 1991.

"It was a nice game for me to have an early lead and have the guys keep tacking them in the way they did," Glavine said.

It was a great game that showed everybody why they have the best record in the NL East; they have a powerful offense and great pitchers that can get this team very far this season.
"That's the way we have to play, come out and be aggressive and make things happen," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.

Lineup

1. Jose Reyes, SS. 2.Paul Lo Duca, C. 3. Carlos Beltran, CF. 4.Carlos Delgado, 1st B. 5. David Wright, 3rd B. 6.Cliff Floyd, LF. 7.Xavier Nady, RF. 8.Kazuo Matsui, 2nd B. 9. Tom Glavine, P.

Pujols hit his major league-leading 18th homer and Jeff Suppan won his fourth straight start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-4 victory against the Rockies last week. Juan Encarnacion also homered for the Cardinals, who took two of three from the NL West leaders and have won five of six overall.

"I'm being patient at the plate and just taking what they give me," Pujols said. "There's nothing secret."

It’s impressive the way the Cardinals offense is playing, they have the one of the highest run scoring record in the league; and they will have it as long as the offense keeps playing like they are playing now. Lead by Pujols they also have great players like Encarnacion and Rodriguez that can have RBI’s in any game and any situation which has been a great formula so far for them.

So expect this game against the Mets to be a heart pounding one, filled with emotion and excitement. Most sports book will have lines and props for the game and the whole series; you can start your study and take your pick in this great match up.

Lineup

1. David Eckstein, SS. 2. John Rodriguez, LF. 3. Albert Pujols, 1st B. 4. Jim Edmonds, CF. 5. Scott Rolen, 3rd B. 6. Juan Encarnacion, RF. 7. Gary Bennett, C. 8. Aaron Miles, 2nd B. 9. Jeff Suppan, P.

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers

Posted on Senin, 15 Agustus 2011 | 0 komentar
Casey Blake from the Indians drove in two runs and extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games to help lift the Cleveland Indians to a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.

"I don't really know why I did it," Blake said of his surprise bunt single in the second inning. "I guess when you feel confident you just do things without second guessing."

Aaron Boone also had two hits as the Indians won their third in a row and delivered the sixth straight loss for the Royals. Cliff Lee (3-4) overcame a first-inning dizzy spell to pitch six-plus innings for the win. Avoiding a career-high fourth straight loss and improving to 7-2 in his career against the Royals.

This Cleveland team is playing better every day and they’re improving their game as the season goes by. If they continue with this regularity throughout the season they can get back to being one of baseball best like they were a few years ago.

Lineup

1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2.Jason Michaels, LF. 3.Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4.Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Casey Blake, RF. 6.Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7.Ronnie Belliard, 2nd B. 8. Aaron Boone, 3rd B. 9. Kelly Shoppach, C.

Detroit Tigers with one of the best season starts in years are at the peak of their game so far. Detroit Tigers haven't had a winning streak like this in more than a dozen years. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco homered and the Tigers won their seventh straight game beating the Minnesota Twins 5-3 last week for their longest winning streak since 1993.

"It's pretty good, but nobody will care about that tomorrow," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who has made all the right moves in his first season back in the dugout in seven years.

Detroit it’s 27-13 now and competing for the first place overall with the defending World Champions White Sox, nobody thought the Tigers would have such a good start in the season, but this young and talented team has proved to everybody that they are up for big things this year.

This series against a rising Cleveland Indians promises nothing but great baseball giving the opportunity to the entire sports betting community out there to enjoy a great series between these two.

Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, CF. 2. Placido Polanco, 2nd B. 3. Ivan Rodriguez, C. 4. Magglio Ordonez, RF. 5. Carlos Guillen, SS. 6. Chris Shelton, 1st B. 7. Marcus Thames, DH. 8. Craig Monroe, LF. 9. Brandon Inge, 3rd B.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on Minggu, 10 Juli 2011 | 0 komentar
Miller Park

The Philadelphia Phillies ended their longest winning streak since a 13 game streak in 1991. Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night, snapping the Phillies nine-game winning streak.

It had been quite a turnaround for the Phillies, who opened 1-6 and finished 10-14 in April. The winning streak began on April 30 with a 5-1 victory in Pittsburgh that avoided a three-game sweep against the woeful Pirates.

"We just have to throw this one out the window and bounce back tomorrow," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

In other news Cole Hamels is no longer only in Philadelphia's future plans. The Phillies will call up the 22-year-old Hamels, their first-round pick in 2002, to make his major league debut Friday against the Cincinnati Reds and the Phillies hope this new prospect will help them to get a place in the playoffs.

Lineup

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS. 2.Chase Utley, 2nd B. 3. Aaron Rowand, CF. 4.Bobby Abreu, RF. 5.Pat Burrell, LF. 6. Ryan Howard, 1st B. 7. David Bell, 3rd B. 8. Carlos Joaquin Ruiz, C. 9.Cory Lidle, P.

Milwaukee didn’t have a good time against the Padres last week. Losing on Wednesday night 3-0 in a game that was completely dominated by Chan Ho Park who didn’t allowed any runs in the 6 innings he pitched.

Park credited outfielders Mike Cameron and Brian Giles for making great catches. "And also, I had a good catcher back there calling the right pitches, so that helps and makes me more comfortable and confident," Park said.

The Brewers that have a 17-17 record were playing really good baseball up until they faced the Padres, which outplay them in two of the three games of the series. The Brewers had a phenomenal season start but lately they’re in a hole and might get down the .500 average.

Milwaukee will face this week against Philadelphia in a series that will be very exciting, since both teams need to win. Expect nothing but great baseball games between these two in this series. If you like sports’ betting this is a great opportunity to give more emotion to the All-American sport by making some bets on the series.

Lineup

1. Rickie Weeks, 2nd B. 2. Bill Hall, SS. 3.Geoff Jenkins, RF. 4.Carlos Lee, LF. 5. Prince Fielder, 1st B. 6. Corey Koskie, 3rd B. 7. Damian Miller, C. 8.Brady Clark, CF. 9.Chris Capuano, P.

First French Club to Lift Europe's Top Club Trophy Now Under Investigation for Faul Play

Posted on Sabtu, 18 Juni 2011 | 0 komentar
Former Marseille midfielder Jean-Jacques Eydelie told French sports daily L'Equipe that the whole Marseille team, except striker Rudi Voeller, received an "injection" before the 1-0 win over AC Milan. According to him the Marseille players were asked to stand in a line to receive an injection before the match.

He also said doping and match-fixing was commonplace during his time at Marseille. He was also involved in the match-fixing scandal in which Marseille was stripped of its 1993 league title for bribing opponents before a match. Eydelie said he was ordered to give money to the wife of former Valenciennes player Christophe Robert to convince him to lose the match in 1993 against visitors Marseille.

According to Bernard Tapie, former president for Marseille soccer club, Eydelie tried 18 months ago to bribe teammates for money threatening to take reprisals if they said no, so he says this could all be seen as a set up. He also denied the allegations and said he plans to take legal actions against Eydelie but the European soccer's governing body would have to investigate the allegations first. If these allegations were proven to be correct the UEFA would.

Marseille beat Milan 1-0 to become the first French club to lift Europe's top club trophy. . The team included goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and captain Didier Deschamps - both of whom won the World Cup with France in 1998.
On the other hand Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger described former Olympique Marseille chairman Bernard Tapie as a bad influence for French soccer.

Wenger said it did not surprise him, he also said it was the worst period that French football has been through. He assured it was “gangrenous from the inside because of the influence and the methods” of Tapie at Marseille
Marseille won 1-0 and clinched their fifth consecutive title. They were stripped of the championship the following year and demoted to the second division after the scandal erupted. They were also banned from defending their European title.

Making All City

Posted on Selasa, 10 Mei 2011 | 0 komentar
Toward the end of my junior year at Weequahic High School in Newark New Jersey, I started hearing from my friends that I was going to make All City. How did they know I asked myself? In my usual mood of high esteem I was thinking that there was no way I would make the all city team. “Vailburg’s catcher was better than me” is what crossed my mind. I make the grade – No way. I told you I had high self esteem.

The two best teams in the city at the time, Barringer and Vailsburg would receive the most recognition for their players. We were 3-15. And our record did not display how really bad we were. I think I was the only player that batted over .300. Well maybe Dashell Meeks hit over 300 as well.

In the last game of the season we were playing Central High School in Unterman Field. They were a poor to average team at best. But they had Richie Glenn. An above average pitcher with speed to burn and a curveball that was, well I’ll get to that curveball in a minute. I went up to bat thinking home run. I was so determined to hit a home run I remember standing closer to the plate thinking I could reach an outside pitch. Most if not all of my hits that year were singles. While I had power I had not displayed much of it. I dug in deeper ready to smack one when Richie let loose with one that was very high and very tight. A curve ball without the curve in it.

So tight it stuck in my ear. I guess it did not curve like I thought. Down I went. Out like a light. While the ball did not stick in my ear it made quite an impression in my head. I think some thread from the ball is embedded in my ear and lobe to this day.
I was slowly escorted to Coach Ginsburg’s office. When I finally awoke which seemed like hours, but was really minutes, Mr Ginsburg told me I had made the Star Ledger All City Baseball team. I was elated and soar. I was happy and groggy. I was proud and queasy at the same time.

At the time it seemed like the beaning I received made whoever voted for The All City team vote for me. They felt sorry for me and gave me a place on the team. I told you I had high self esteem.

Wow what a day. I wonder if Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig ever went through something like this.

Falcons Finally Have a Chance to Get Off to a Good Start in the Opening Month

Posted on Minggu, 20 Februari 2011 | 0 komentar
There are seven clubs that are candidates for rebound status in 2006 the seven flopped relatively miserably in 2005, averaging only 6.6 victories and three of the clubs finishing in last place in their divisions. They are: Atlanta, Green Bay, Minnesota, the New York Jets, Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Diego. All made the postseason in 2004, and the Eagles played in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The Atlanta Falcons have never won consecutive campaigns in the 40-year history of the franchise. The Falcons are under intense pressure from ownership to win big in 2006 and probably we will find the truth about them two polarized very polarized performances. The consequence of owner Arthur Blank's off-season spending and the all defensive renovations promulgated by general manager Rich McKay and Mora could be, even in what figures to be a fiercely contended NFC South, a rebound return to postseason play.

Team officials have made no pretense about their snooty expectations for 2006. Although, the Falcons seem to be flying undetected, management expects the team to ascend, and much of the off-season actions that the team has taken about their roster and trainings, particularly on the defensive side, were designed to produce immediate results.

Despite the fact, the Falcons face eight 2005 playoff teams, including the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, their schedule ranks as just the 15th most difficult in the league. The NFC South has become a challenging division. So the Falcons will get an early measure of their worthiness. They face all three divisional foes, including a season opener at Carolina, in their first three outings.

The Baseball Family

Posted on Senin, 07 Februari 2011 | 0 komentar
In the pre dawn hours of October 21, 2000, I shook my two sons out of their bunk beds and led them – still stumbling and puffy eyed – into my blue Chevy Cavalier. They didn’t know it yet, but we were starting off on an eight-hour road trip up Route 81 to my father’s house. This was the first game of the Subway Series. And I wanted three generations of Mets fans to root together that day.

Baseball, more than any other sport, is passed from generation to generation. I can still remember leafing through an old photo album not long after my grandfather passed away. A yellow newspaper clipping fluttered down to my lap. I had to smile and shake my head as I unfolded and read a story from the Daily News about the 1986 Mets. Baseball and family.

According to the Baseball Almanac, more than 100 Father-Son teams have made the Bigs; Bobby and Barry Bonds, Felipe and Moises Alou, Tito and Terry Francona, Bob, Aaron, and Brett Boone, and the Griffeys to name a few. But perhaps more significant, and more incalculable to the game has been the impact of unnumbered parents bringing kids to Little League games, trips to the ballpark, and endless discussions of strategies, stats, and standings around the dinner table.

It’s no secret that Major League Baseball is struggling to market the game to youth. But I think they are ignoring the obvious; Baseball is inherited more than sold. If MLB wants young people to adopt the game, they need to bring out the families. That’s a challenge when a family outing at the park can leave a two-hundred dollar hole in your mitt. But it’s a problem the league will need to address if they’re truly concerned about the future of America’s Pastime.

Boston Red Sox Tickets

Posted on Senin, 17 Januari 2011 | 0 komentar
The arrival of the spring awakes the citizens of the red nation of Sox and annual research for a victory of series of the world by the nine buildings. They started in 1901 like the pelerines of Boston of the lately formed American league. They gained the first series of the world in surplus 1903 that Pittsburgh pirate. In 1908 they changed their name into red Sox. 1912 they entered the new park of Fenway, where they play always today. In 1918, red Sox gained their fifth series of the world, thank you partly in a jug gauchist to hold the first role called Babe Ruth, which could also strike ‘ know you what ‘ out of the ball.

After the season 1919, the owner Harry Frazee de Sox sold Ruth in New York Yankees. During the 86 years to come in spite from durable fidelity by nation from Red Sox the team suffered a variety from tearing off disappointments of intestine and aucunes victories of series of the world. After the exile of the baby towards New York, thirteen years futile followed including/understanding nine last place campaigns. Reappearance started in 1933 when the millionaire Tom Yawkee bought the team, transformed the park of Fenway, and the money exhausted for large named players.

By the Forties and the Fifties, the team continuously competed with for the flag but they were thwarted several times, often by the Yankees. In 1946 they gained their first flag since 1918 but were beaten by the cardinals of St Louis of the series of the world. They passed by another dull period of the end of the years ‘ 50 until “to the rêveuse team” impossible of 1967; carried out per incredible triple season of crown of Karl Yastrzemski’ S. The love affair between the ventilators with baseball of the England News and red Sox was Renee. Since the magic park of Fenway of the season ‘ 67 was uniformly filled with the capacity.

In following years Sox gained flags in 1975 and 1986, captured three divisional championships, and made four aspects of wild-card. In winter of 2002 the era of Yawkee finished with the sale of the team to a group carried out by Henry of John of owner of principle. In 2004, eight decades of immense sorrow were purged for always. In A.L. Championship Series, Sox descended the three apparently impossible plays to any to the Yankees. Surprisingly they reversed the tide and overcame new Yorkers four times right to take the flag. Four plays later with St Louis, when the soulagor Keith Foulk fielded the bouncer of Edgar Rentaria¹s of shortstop of cardinals to the monticule, and threw the ball with Doug Mientkiewicz at the first base, Boston Sox that red were finally again the champions of the world of the baseball.

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Bonds’ alleged cheating scandal hurting baseball history

Posted on Jumat, 14 Januari 2011 | 0 komentar
Having just finished reading Game of Shadows – the alleged tell-all book in which the authors claim to have records detailing Barry Bonds’, as well as other athletes’, use of performance-enhancing drugs – it has become crystal clear that Bonds cheated, continues to cheat, and could not care less about it.

Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present. And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.

When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.

But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition. It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.

For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third. Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.

Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.

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Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.

One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.

As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.

And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?

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Italian Pride Hit with the Sentences for the Calcio

Posted on Sabtu, 25 Desember 2010 | 0 komentar
After they won the World Cup, Italy finds itself in one of the biggest match fixing scandals in the decade. Four of the biggest clubs on the Continent have been recently found guilty of paying to have the marches fixed and the severe punishments include demotion and points deductions.

Juventus, the champions, where relegated from Serie A to Serie B and they were given a 30 point deduction for next season. Fiorentina was also relegated to Serie B and hit with -12 points for next season; Lazio, relegated to Serie B and docked seven points. Milan docked 44 points in last season's standings, dropping them to eighth place and outside the qualifying places for European competition, the Milan was not relegated and they will start next season with -15 points.

The scale of the punishment is difficult to comprehend for many. Only Roma among the champions of the past 15 seasons remain untouched. Those four have won all but two of the past 20 titles. But the response to the sentences has been mixed within Italy. It definitely strikes around 20 million fans of the soccer in that country, since their best players are now forced to play abroad.

Some say that the sentences are not fair since the sport of soccer as a whole is not corrupt, and some thought that this kind of justice is what it takes to clean the calcio from corruption. And some say that the next step should be to rewrite the rules of Italian soccer in order to prevent this from happening again.

NFL Releases the 48 Underclassmen Eligible for the April Draft

Posted on Rabu, 22 Desember 2010 | 0 komentar
The NFL released this week its official list of the 48 underclassmen granted eligibility for the April 29-30 draft, this list includes cornerback Youboty, Santonio Holmes, safety Whitner, Reggie Bush and Vince.

Holmes’s was not a surprise. Every day there are more and more lists that have Holmes rated as the top receiver in the draft. But there were more questions about the draft status of Whitner and Youboty. Youboty rates fourth-best defensive back. Youboty is 6 feet 1, 188 pounds and he is a solid tackler this brings him good possibilities since this is what the NFL likes. The recent history of OSU cornerbacks in the NFL might help, as well.

Donte Whitner said his decision to forgo his senior season at Ohio State in favor of entering the NFL draft was not an easy call.

There was speculation that he could be a late second- or third round pick, but he said he has gotten enough feedback from confidants to believe he could be a late first- to second-round pick.

Whitner believes he could run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds, which would impress NFL scouts and now that he is no longer in school he can concentrate on his workouts. He also said he turned down a couple of paid autograph offerings before agreeing to do some for Ohio Signatures Unlimited four days ago, which effectively ended his college eligibility. Other notables who declared for the draft were North Carolina State DE Mario Williams; running backs Maurice Drew of UCLA, Brian Calhoun of Wisconsin and Laurence Maroney of Minnesota; wide receiver Devin Hester of Miami; and defensive back Ko Simpson of South Carolina.

Investigation of steroid use in Baseball Sports World

Posted on Minggu, 07 November 2010 | 0 komentar
A deep investigation has been developed in the Baseball world after the use of steroid by Barry Bond, as the Major League Baseball reported.

According with the information given, the baseball player has been taken steroids, human growth hormone and insulin for the last five seasons, since 1998.

Two recent books have revealed the case, these are: ‘Game of Shadows” written by two Chronicle reporters from San Francisco and “Love me, Hate me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero” by Jeff Pearlman.

The investigation will be headed by the U.S Senate majority leader George Mitchell. Additional declarations have confirmed that baseball player Bonds and any other player that is a part of this investigation will be allowed to play while the case is developing.

On the other hand, according to an unknown source of the New York Daily News, the baseball player does not want to cooperate with the investigation.

In Baseball there were no tests for performance-enhancing drugs until the 2002 season. It would be hard to penalize any baseball player for the use of these substances before September 30, 2002, when the joint drug agreement was created. Baseball players’ tests started in 2003 and the penalty followed in 2004.


About the author

Jill Woods is part of the skill writers’ team on sports for the gambling industry at I Bet IAS Sportsbook. Feel free to reprint this article just as it is posted.

Since when we don’t see a triple play!

Posted on Jumat, 29 Oktober 2010 | 0 komentar
Last Sunday the Chicago White Sox made the first triple play in the majors in more than a year, in the sixth inning of the game, winning 9-7 over the Minnesota Twins.

Some of the Chicago players worked very hard for the team as Jermaine Dye and A.J Pierzynski; the baseball team had been outscored 18-5 in two losses to start the four-game series.

With a 9-7 defeat, it seemed like the Twins were concentrated in the match when Nick Punto led off with a bunt single and Shannon Stewart walked. With the team's best hitter, and one of the AL's best bunters, at the plate in Luis Castillo, the Twins tried to move the runners over.

Punto and Stewart took off at the pitch, but Castillo made a bunt down the first-base line. White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko charged in and made a shoestring grasp then turned and threw to Tadahito Iguchi at first to get Stewart. Iguchi then fired to Juan Uribe to get Punto at second base.

But, all the Minnesota team efforts where just a waste of time because something unexpected and wonderful happened that night for the White Sox.

It was the first AL triple play since July 7, 2004, when the White Sox did it against the Angels. The Twins were tripled up for the first time since Sept. 8, 1996, also against the Angels. And in 2005 the St. Louis Cardinals made a triple play on May 5th against the San Diego Padres

Patriotism is a Feeling Standing out in the World Baseball Classic

Posted on Rabu, 20 Oktober 2010 | 0 komentar
Dontrelle Willis is quite a professional baseball player; he has participated in the World Series, pitched in an All-Star Game and nearly won a Cy Young Award in his brief but brilliant career. But, he has still never played for his country, but that comes to an end when the Marlins pitcher will play with Team USA take the field against Mexico in a first-round game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in Phoenix.

Playing for your country means a lot more than just playing. You have to play hard; you have to make the people feel proud that is why patriotism takes up on this World Baseball Classic event. Miguel Cabrera is another example of an MLB player who will be experiencing some of these feelings playing for his country, Venezuela, in its WBC debut this afternoon wondering what it would be to lead his home.

For all that patriotism, though, Cuba is one of the teams that is compromised to make a good show. Their history of three-time Olympic championships and 25-time World Cup wins clearly makes them the best amateur team, but they have never played a team of top professionals aside from a pair of exhibitions against the Baltimore Orioles seven years ago.

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