Month: February 2007

Haig intent on Illinois

Phil Haig: Who’s in charge now? Phil Haig had made up his mind. I think. The multi-skilled athlete has just signed a letter of intent for the University of Illinois last weekend. Not only does he play quarterback but he intends to try out for Hartleb’s baseball squad. QB Clint Brewster renounced his intent to … Continue reading “Haig intent on Illinois”

Phil Haig

Phil Haig: Who’s in charge now?

Phil Haig had made up his mind.

I think.

The multi-skilled athlete has just signed a letter of intent for the University of Illinois last weekend. Not only does he play quarterback but he intends to try out for Hartleb’s baseball squad.

QB Clint Brewster renounced his intent to join the Illini and went with his father who joined the coaching staff of Minnesota. Haig, who is also a quarterback and saw competition on the Gophers, decided to go with the Illini. Did the Illini at least get a PTBNL?

Seriously, Haig seems like quite the athlete. I haven’t done enough research to know what position he’ll play for Hartleb’s squad but given his high school record, he should do well. At Henry Sibley HS, he was all-conference in four sports (football, baseball, wrestling and tennis).

 

HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC

David Price – Vanderbilt Joe Savery – Rice Just got these great shots of the Houston College Classic from my friend Jim Pierce. Jim is a freelance baseball photographer who does some work for Baseball America. Thanks Jim! In case you’re not familiar with the two lefthanders pictured above, you will be. They are two … Continue reading “HOUSTON COLLEGE CLASSIC”

David%20Price%20Vanderbilt%201.jpg
David Price – Vanderbilt

Joe%20Savery%20Rice%201.jpg
Joe Savery – Rice

Just got these great shots of the Houston College Classic from my friend Jim Pierce. Jim is a freelance baseball photographer who does some work for Baseball America. Thanks Jim!

In case you’re not familiar with the two lefthanders pictured above, you will be. They are two of the top starting pitchers in college baseball. Both David Price & Joe Savery pitched for 2005’s Team USA. Price was 5-1 with a 0.20 ERA, 61 strikeouts and only seven walks, in 44 innings, helping Team USA achieve the Gold Medal. In addition to Savery being a quality pitcher, 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA for the Owls in 2006, he is also an outstanding hitter, named tournament MVP, hitting .400 (6 for 15), with a HR, five RBIs, four walks, & seven runs scored.

The Houston College Classic was held in Houston over the February 9th weekend. In addition to Vanderbilt & Rice, other teams that competed in the Classic were Texas A&M, ASU, Baylor, & Houston.

Friday’s results
Arizona St. 5, Texas A&M 4
Houston 4, Baylor 2
Vanderbilt 7, Rice 3

Saturday’s results
Vanderbilt 7, Arizona St. 6 (11)
Texas A&M 3, Houston 2
Rice 7, Baylor 0

Sunday’s results
Arizona St. 11, Houston 1
Vanderbilt 7, Baylor 4
Texas A&M 4, Rice 2

Friday, August 22, 1958

My Dad took me (age 9) to my first Major League game on this date. Pirates – Cubs at Wrigley. A little over 8,000 in attendance. The Upper Deck was closed during the week in those days. Pirates won 8-2. Hank Foiles took Marcelino Solis deep for the only home run. When the ball was … Continue reading “Friday, August 22, 1958”

My Dad took me (age 9) to my first Major League game on this date. Pirates – Cubs at Wrigley. A little over 8,000 in attendance. The Upper Deck was closed during the week in those days.

Pirates won 8-2. Hank Foiles took Marcelino Solis deep for the only home run. When the ball was hit, my Dad quietly observed, “There it goes.” I don’t know whether he meant the ball or the game.

George Witt got the win and Vern Law pitched the final 3 innings for one of his few career saves.

Dice-K swallowing swill during shill

Here’s something you won’t see very often. A baseball player doing an ad for a beer company, drinking the beer during the ad WHILE wearing the baseball uniform of an MLB team. Ok, technically Matsuzaka’s not wearing the Red Sox outfit while actually drinking the beverage. But it’s featured prominently during the ad. And the … Continue reading “Dice-K swallowing swill during shill”

Here’s something you won’t see very often. A baseball player doing an ad for a beer company, drinking the beer during the ad WHILE wearing the baseball uniform of an MLB team.

Ok, technically Matsuzaka’s not wearing the Red Sox outfit while actually drinking the beverage. But it’s featured prominently during the ad.

And the Sox aren’t happy.

The deal was made in Japan before Matsuzaka was signed by Boston.

I’m not going to just post an ad of D-Mat without also posting a video of him pitching, too. That just ain’t right. So here’s a video of him pitching for the Lions.

Man, the defense behind him kinda stunk.

 

Illinois Baseball: You wouldn’t know it but it’s 1 week away

University of Illinois begins their season one week from tonight. Anyone who has seen the weather in C-U lately knows it has to be a road game. Sure enough, the Illini will be playing at Louisiana-Lafayette. Here is their schedule for 2007. Fighting Illini.com has posted a helpful pitchers and catchers preseason review.

University of Illinois begins their season one week from tonight. Anyone who has seen the weather in C-U lately knows it has to be a road game. Sure enough, the Illini will be playing at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Here is their schedule for 2007.

Fighting Illini.com has posted a helpful pitchers and catchers preseason review.

KWOOD, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE

Kerry Wood Whoever had February 12th in the “Kerry Wood Injury Pool” is the winner! Kerry Wood bruised his ribs when he fell out of his hot tub at his home on Monday night. You knew it was going to happen, but I don’t even think the most cursed filled Cub fan would’ve thought Kerry … Continue reading “KWOOD, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE”


Kerry Wood

Whoever had February 12th in the “Kerry Wood Injury Pool” is the winner! Kerry Wood bruised his ribs when he fell out of his hot tub at his home on Monday night. You knew it was going to happen, but I don’t even think the most cursed filled Cub fan would’ve thought Kerry would fall prey to an injury this quickly.

The quote from Wood is classic. “I’m just getting ready for Spring Training, feeling good,” Wood said. “I [got out of the tub] and landed on my stomach and my chest and didn’t feel too good. It’s that time of year for me.” What time of the year is Kerry referring to, the baseball season? He’s due to be out five days.

6/25/70: STEVE HAMILTON & THE FOLLY FLOATER

Steve Hamilton My father and I went out to the ballpark to see MY White Sox on a Friday night. Not many other fans had the same idea, attendance 3,826. We had VERY good box seats, it was a special treat. My father has never been a baseball fan, so looking back on this night … Continue reading “6/25/70: STEVE HAMILTON & THE FOLLY FLOATER”


Steve Hamilton

My father and I went out to the ballpark to see MY White Sox on a Friday night. Not many other fans had the same idea, attendance 3,826. We had VERY good box seats, it was a special treat. My father has never been a baseball fan, so looking back on this night has special meaning, here’s a man, who after working heavy labor as a carpenter, 40 hours per week, plus side jobs, to make ends meet, was happy to take his young baseball fanatic out to see some baseball. Some very bad baseball, to boot! The White Sox were enroute to a 56-106 season.

It was a beautiful night. Andy the Clown offered me a flower, but when you grabbed the stem, that’s all you had, the flower was still in Andy’s hand. Throughout the empty ballpark you could hear Andy urge, “COME ON YOU WHITE SOX!” The “Things go better with Peanuts” vendor came down our aisle, I still can see his SMILE, his nephew Maurice sells beer in the CF Fan Deck of the new Comiskey (and is a good friend of mine).

Of course the White Sox would lose the ballgame 3-2, but the thing I’ll never forget is when Chicago brought on newly acquired relief pitcher Steve Hamilton. Hamilton was an aging 34 year old relief pitcher who was picked from the NY Yankees, with whom he pitched the majority of his career. With his skills to get big league hitters out diminishing, Steve came up with a gimic, the eephus pitch, or as he called it, the Folly Floater.

Some of the fans in the stands had heard of what might be coming, but I had no idea. Hamilton pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits, and striking out two. I’m sure both strikeouts were on Folly Floaters, I think a basehit might have come that way as well. But I can still see the frustration some of the Milwaukee Brewer hitters had with the slow pitch and the smiles on the fans faces as this secret weapon was unleashed.

ALFONSO SORIANO: LOST IN THE IVY

Alfonso Soriano What are they thinking? Before last year Soriano was a poor fielding secondbaseman, then he was traded to DC, and shifted to leftfield. If you remember Alfonso balked at playing the outfield, even stating how he wouldn’t do it. As you know he did play leftfield, looked a little lost at times, but … Continue reading “ALFONSO SORIANO: LOST IN THE IVY”


Alfonso Soriano

What are they thinking? Before last year Soriano was a poor fielding secondbaseman, then he was traded to DC, and shifted to leftfield. If you remember Alfonso balked at playing the outfield, even stating how he wouldn’t do it. As you know he did play leftfield, looked a little lost at times, but had 22 assists (11 errors), probably because everybody ran on him, testing his arm. This guy had a .969 fielding percentage, roughly the same as his fielding percentage at 2B. Jacque Jones had an object thrown at him from the Bud Lite Bleachers while playing in the Friendly Confines, because of his inept fielding, he posted a .976 mark in RF (same as Sammy Sosa’s career RF fielding pct). Now for the folly, the Cubbies are talking about moving Soriano to CF, frankly they might be better off with John Foggerty out there. I’m sure Budweiser sales will go up as fans try to forget about Juan Pierre and his 2006 1.000 fielding percentage, but maybe perfect is overrated. And maybe the guy who wrote the book about how defense up the middle is important, didn’t know what he was talking about. This all came to mind when I looked at the picture of the front page of today’s Sun-Times Sports section. It’s a picture of Alfonso (who arrived five days early) fielding a flyball. Honestly it looked like the little kid in Little League, who you tried to hide in rightfield, and you hoped a ball wouldn’t be hit there.

6/20/78: A DAY TO REMEMBER

Jim Breazeale CLuke & Teddy Ballgame were there, sitting in the RF upperdeck at Comiskey Park, when history happened. The Seattle Mariners were in town, battling the White Sox, 13.057 were in attendance. Paul Mitchell defeated Steve Stone 4-2, with Enrique Romo picking up the save. But the reason this game will forever be etched … Continue reading “6/20/78: A DAY TO REMEMBER”


Jim Breazeale

CLuke & Teddy Ballgame were there, sitting in the RF upperdeck at Comiskey Park, when history happened. The Seattle Mariners were in town, battling the White Sox, 13.057 were in attendance. Paul Mitchell defeated Steve Stone 4-2, with Enrique Romo picking up the save. But the reason this game will forever be etched in our memories is Jim “BoBo” Breazeale. Breazeale went yard, not once, but twice in the game! Those were the first two homers Jim hit for the Sox, he would hit one more, one week later. On this day, excitement ruled, what if this guy could get 500 at bats in a season!