Month: August 2007

Baseball News Bites

…nice and yummy.

Former bigs SS Jose Offerman goes Marichal on an opposing pitcher in a minor league game and gets charged with second degree assault – AP News

Your Taco Bell cup may be worth a trip to the World Series – Media Post

First the Cubs have a contest for a fan to sing TMOTTB… now you can throw out the first pitch.  Will Ohman need not apply. – MLB.com

Everybody loves a list… Today, MLB’s least durable starters. – Covers.com

Put it in the books… Cox has been ejected 132 times. – USA Today

Easy access to MLB.com for Blackberry users

Rest those thumbs.  Word has it from IntoMobile.com that Major League Baseball is working with RIM to facilitate one-click access to MLB.com from Blackberrys.  Here is the press release.  

Blackberry

Rest those thumbs.  Word has it from IntoMobile.com that Major League Baseball is working with RIM to facilitate one-click access to MLB.com from Blackberrys. 

Here is the press release.

 

Gomes is number one…

Jonny Gomes

(Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

…in the lineup that is.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon is giving Jonny “Heart Attack” Gomes a chance at the leadoff spot.

While Gomes won’t fit anyone’s preconceived notion of a prototypical leadoff man, Maddon’s decision was not made without logic or precedent.

The manager was drawn to Gomes’ .388 on-base percentage against left-handers (second on the team only to Brendan Harris’ .411 mark) on a night the Rangers were starting lefty Kason Gabbard.

That’s nothing new to me.  I have Gomes on my APBA team.  When I’m forced to start him, I lead him off.  With Gomes’ average of .216 from last year, I figger his chances of getting on base will be better with a walk than a hit.

Good move, Maddon.

Boom!

My son was reading about how engineers implode buildings.  I suggested that he do a search on the web for some videos of large buildings being imploded.  The first search result on the list was the Seattle Kingdome which was destroyed in 2000.  Some facts on the Kingdome here.  Anyway, wow!  What a sight!  

My son was reading about how engineers implode buildings.  I suggested that he do a search on the web for some videos of large buildings being imploded.  The first search result on the list was the Seattle Kingdome which was destroyed in 2000. 

Some facts on the Kingdome here. 

Anyway, wow!  What a sight!

 

Baseball Zealot Radio interviews Dr Adrian Burgos, author of Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos and the Color Line

Show Notes for Episode 27:

Hosts: Tom

Summary: University of Illinois Professor of History Adrian Burgos has just come out with his book, Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos and the Color Line, and I thought I’d have him come on and talk about it.  Dr Burgos has done extensive research on Latinos in baseball especially in relation to the Negro Leagues.  More info from the University of Illinois website…

Also, Dr Burgos played an instrumental part in the induction of the class of 2006 Negro League ballplayers.  Again more info…

For those in the Champaign-Urbana area, he will be doing a book signing at the Illini Union Bookstore on September 19 at 4:30pm (note the corrected time).

Thanks for listening!!

Time: 40:41

Date Recorded: 8/11/07

Direct Link to Episode 27

Listen via iTunes

Listen to other BZR episodes

 

Bonds Press Conference Audio: “This record is not tainted.”

You can listen to the Bonds press conference at MLB.com.  It was very cordial on everyone’s part.  The only contentious part was when someone asked Bonds if he felt if the homerun was tainted. You can just see Bonds tense up.  “This record is not tainted…  at all…  at all.  Period.  You guys can say what you want”.  … Continue reading “Bonds Press Conference Audio: “This record is not tainted.””

You can listen to the Bonds press conference at MLB.com. 

It was very cordial on everyone’s part.  The only contentious part was when someone asked Bonds if he felt if the homerun was tainted.

You can just see Bonds tense up.  “This record is not tainted…  at all…  at all.  Period.  You guys can say what you want”. 

And they will.  Twenty minutes after the homerun was hit, ESPN had the author of Game of Shadows on.  I didn’t see the interview but I can imagine how it went.  I’m not becoming a Bonds apologist but there’s a time and a place.

On a side note, here are the people he considered heroes or looked up to growing up:  Muhammed Ali, Bill Cosby, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and of course, Willie Mays. 

The More You Know.

By the way, keep listening to the audio clip… there’s an interview with Mike Bacsik, the pitcher who gave up #756. 

 

Crunch time for Illini in the Summer Leagues

Don’t look now but Illini pitchers Aaron Martin and Ben Reeser are 1-2 in victories in the Coastal Plain League. It’s playoff time in college summer leagues and ten Illini will be enjoying the fruits of postseason play.   Check out the details at the Fighting Illini website. Looks like Joe Bonadonna is two steals away … Continue reading “Crunch time for Illini in the Summer Leagues”

Don’t look now but Illini pitchers Aaron Martin and Ben Reeser are 1-2 in victories in the Coastal Plain League.

It’s playoff time in college summer leagues and ten Illini will be enjoying the fruits of postseason play.   Check out the details at the Fighting Illini website.

Looks like Joe Bonadonna is two steals away from the Northwoods League record held by former Illini Ryan Rogowski.  He currently is seventh on list with 46 walks.  The record is held by (yes, an Illini) Ryan Hastings who had 57 in 2004.

Good luck to all!

Catching up with Shawn Roof in A ball

I heard from Shawn Roof.  He shot me an email today.  Roof, former shortstop for the Illini who really knows how to hustle, was drafted by the Tigers this year and currently plays for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in high A ball.  Roof says he’s getting adjusted to minor league ball and is really enjoying … Continue reading “Catching up with Shawn Roof in A ball”

I heard from Shawn Roof.  He shot me an email today.  Roof, former shortstop for the Illini who really knows how to hustle, was drafted by the Tigers this year and currently plays for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in high A ball. 

Roof says he’s getting adjusted to minor league ball and is really enjoying himself.  Obviously, the competition is better but he’s certainly holding his own after couple months in the minors.

The Flying Tigers have gotten to face former Illini ‘mate Toby Gardenhire and will see Eric Eymann in a couple weeks. Speaking of the Illini, Shawn follows Illinois baseball news and looks forward to a great team next year.

Tonight, the Flying Tigers play the St. Lucie Mets and who is pitching but none other than Pedro Martinez who is making a rehab start.  Certainly, that will be an exciting game.  Get a hit, Fours!  Heh, even better, I told him to steal a base when PJ wasn’t looking.

Good luck, Shawn!! 

Lakeland Flying Tigers website

Shawn Roof’s minor league stats

Hit Tracker: a web site dedicated to the Home Run

A screen cap from Hit Tracker When I’m cruising the web, I’m always on the lookout for unique sites, that is, sites that show me something I can’t get anywhere else.  Hit Tracker definitely fits that bill.  I haven’t seen anything like it.  It is essentially a database of all homeruns hit this year.  I’m … Continue reading “Hit Tracker: a web site dedicated to the Home Run”

Hit Tracker

A screen cap from Hit Tracker

When I’m cruising the web, I’m always on the lookout for unique sites, that is, sites that show me something I can’t get anywhere else. 

Hit Tracker definitely fits that bill.  I haven’t seen anything like it.  It is essentially a database of all homeruns hit this year.  I’m impressed to the extent that they are filtered and sorted.  On this site, you can see homeruns:

  • sorted by distance
  • sorted by speed off the bat
  • sorted by “No Doubts” (ball cleared the fence by at least 20 vertical feet AND landed at least 50 feet past the fence)
  • sorted by “Lucky Homer” (A home run that would not have cleared the fence if it has been struck on a 70-degree, calm day)
  • sorted by “Just Enough” (ball cleared the fence by less than 10 vertical feet)

and a host of other interesting stats. 

The database is interactive… you can click away to your heart’s content.  One added bonus, each homerun in the database has link to MLB’s video of the blast. 

I’m probably not doing it justice, so head on over to Hit Tracker and take a look for yourself.