Month: April 2009

Halos Hurler Adenhart Killed in Crash

nickadenhart_1_400 Hours after holding the A’s scoreless for six innings, 22 year old righthander Nick Adenhart was killed in a car crash. The accident occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department. Several witnesses told police the driver of a red minivan ran a red light at the intersection, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four passengers. Two people in the Mitsubishi were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, authorities said. Two others also in the Mitsubishi were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, Brower said. The driver of the minivan fled on foot, but police found him about a mile away and took him into custody on suspicion of hit-and-run, Brower said. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues, he said.

This is a tragedy beyond baseball, it puts things into perspective, what’s really important in life, how very precious life is, and how it can end at any time. Please take the time to enjoy your life, reach out & touch those you love, and remember Nick Adenhart.

I still remember, forever young, 27 year old righthander, Paul Edmondson, a starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, who died in a Santa Barbarba car accident February 13, 1970 (one day after his birthday) on a rain soaked highway 101.

4/8/09: Linescore of the Day

gallardo1 Yovani Gallardo hit a three run homer off The Big Unit and as a result, outpitched him, allowing only two runs over six innings to pickup the victory. It was the first home run Randy Johnson has ever given up to the opposing pitcher in 506 at bats. Johnson tried to get Gallardo fishing on a two strike, two out, high heater, but he didn’t get it high enough, and this big fish was biting. Yovani got all of it & tattooed it out of the park. Gallardo was injured much of last year, but looks good to go!

Yovani Gallardo 1 for 2, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 SO

Yovani Gallardo (1-0) 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

IBR interviews UM blogger before upcoming Illini series

In anticipation of Illinoisā€™ series with Michigan this coming weekend up in Ann Arbor, Iā€™ve done a Q&A interview with a blogger from Varsity Blue, a most excellent UM sports blog. 

You can find the Q&A over at Illinois Baseball Report.

Michigan is the defending Big Ten champs but VB will be the first to tell you that theyā€™ve lost more than a few players over the off-season.  So far, they are 18-10 (3-3 in the Big Ten).  Yet, they are still Michigan and it doesnā€™t help that we are playing on their home turf. 

Update: And yes, I did an interview with Varsity Blue where I give them the scoop on the Illini.

Go Illinois!!

Scientific American interviews UI professor on the physics of baseball

Just in time for the start of the baseball season, Scientific American has published an interview with University of Illinois physics professor Alan Nathan on his favorite topic:  The Physics of Baseball. 

Way back when at a time when we had the time to do a podcast, we interviewed Dr Nathan on Baseball Zealot Radio.  Iā€™m sure the physics of our sport havenā€™t changed too much so take a listen.

4/7/09: Linescore of the Day

Angels White Sox Baseball It was worth the wait, the White Sox home opener was postponed Monday because of snow. Then on Tuesday Gil Meche outpitched Mark Buehrle and KC was leading Chicago 2-1 going into the bottom of the 8th inning. But there was hope as Kyle Farnsworth, ex-Cub, was brought in the game replacing Meche to face the Good Guys in Black. Josh Fields got it going with a bunt single, he went to 3rd on Chris Getz’s hit & run single, things looked bleak when Carlos Quentin went fishing, striking out for the 2nd out of the inning, this was after Dewayne Wise failed to bunt Fields up, earlier in the inning. Designated hitter Jim Thome stepped in and took a 2-0 heater right down the pipe for strike one, Farnsworth must’ve thought Thome was overmatched as he tried to double up on Jim, not a good idea. Trying to get a fastball past Thome is kind of like trying to sneak the Sun past a rooster, it just ain’t gonna happen. Thome launched it up & out over the leftcenterfield fence for a three run bomb, Bobby Jenks retired the Royals in the top of the 9th, and just like that, we have a White Sox winner, the White Sox are in first place, and there are alot of happy humans on the Southside of Chicago.

Jim Thome, 3 for 4, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored

4/5/09 Linescore of the Day: Opening Day

Derek Lowe 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (Win)

There was only one game on the docket (not including the Dodgers and Giants who were still finishing up their Cactus League action) but Atlanta Brave starter Derek Lowe made the LSOTD pretty easy to select. 

Lowe shut out the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies for eight innings allowing only 2 hits and NO walks.  He struck out four batters. 

In three previous Opening Day starts, he was 0-3 with a 8.44 ERA so I guess he was due. 

The mercy rule… Kentucky-style

On April 1, the Kentucky State baseball team probably wishes it hadnā€™t gotten out of bed. 

According to AP, they allowed 22 runs to Eastern Kentucky, in the first inning.  After the first five innings, the score was an incredible 49-1.  At that point, the game was cancelled and so was the second game of the doubleheader. 

Donā€™t blame EKU Coach Jason Stein.  He did right by putting in second-string players after the first inning.  But the runs kept coming.

Since the game was cancelled, you wonā€™t find an official boxscore out there.  However, Jayson Langfels of EKU went 7 for 8 with 2 homers and 11 rbis.  It was also reported that Kentucky State committed 9 errors which in their coachā€™s eyes, ā€œwas generousā€.

Itā€™s quite a story.  Iā€™ve certainly heard of the mercy rule being invoked before.  But Iā€™ve never heard of it affecting future games (in this case, cancelling the second game of the doubleheader).