2008 September

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Sox Slam Their Way To Playoff

September 29, 2008 on 10:38 pm | In Memorabilia, Baseball | No Comments

Alexei Ramirez and the Chicago White Sox slammed their way into a tie for the American League Central lead Monday and a one game playoff with the Minnesota Twins Tuesday to decide the Central and the AL’s final playoff spot. The Southsiders beat up on the lowly Detroit Tigers 8-2 early Monday behind strong pitching from youngster Gavin Floyd, a pair of RBIs from Jermaine Dye and a sixth inning grand slam from Ramirez that sealed the victory and extended Chicago’s regular season for the second consecutive day. Even though Ramirez’s slam all but ended the game as well as Detroit’s miserable season, it was the six innings of five-hit baseball by the 25-year old Floyd that really paved the way for Chicago’s improbable playoff push to roll on.

L.A.’s Playoff Run Must Be Extra Sweet For Torre

September 26, 2008 on 6:57 pm | In Memorabilia, Baseball | No Comments

If living well really is the best revenge, imagine how it feels to be Joe Torre. A little under a year from being shown the door of Yankee Stadium by the Steinbrenners, the future Hall of Fame manager is preparing his Los Angeles Dodgers for a run at October while George, Hank and the rest of the Yankee brass watch on television. The situation must be all too sweet for a manager that took New York to 12 postseasons in 12 years as manager, highlighted by six trips to the World Series and two victories in the Fall Classic. The days of fighting off questions about his job security must seem long gone, like one of Manny Ramirez’s 17 home runs since joining the club back on August 1st. Oh that Manny guy, is he still hitting out there on the west coast? You bet. Ramirez has played 50 games for Torre’s Dodgers since being traded from the Boston Red Sox and the numbers speak for themselves: a .398 average, 17 home runs and 53 runs batted in. If Manny had played the entire season in Los Angeles, not only would he’d be the National League’s Most Valuable Player, guys like James Loney and Andre Ethier, who’ve thrived since Manny’s arrival, would probably be building him a statue out on Chavez Ravine.

Twins Draw ChiSox Closer

September 25, 2008 on 3:45 pm | In Memorabilia, Baseball | No Comments

With each September comes at least a handful of extremely compelling stories as we enter the final week of baseball’s regular season. Even though I’m tempted by yet another collapse by the New York Mets, a new single-season saves record by Francisco Rodriguez and the closing of Yankee Stadium, there’s no better entertainment this week than the AL Central-deciding series between the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. The Twins entered the series down two-and-a-half games to Chicago but after two electrifying victories at the Metrodome, Minnesota has whittled the White Sox lead down to only one half-game. As the Boston Red Sox possess a seven game stranglehold on the AL’s Wild Card race, this is a win or go home series for both teams. So far, it’s been Minnesota behind the hitting of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, looking like the team that wants to keep playing past this weekend. The series will conclude tonight when the Twins send 23-year old righty Kevin Slowey (12-11, 3.85 ERA) to the hill against Chicago’s most consistent starter this season, right-hander Gavin Floyd (16-8, 3.84 ERA).

Giants Suspend Burress For Two Weeks

September 24, 2008 on 2:30 pm | In NASCAR, Football | No Comments

The New York Giants are rolling. Coming off of a dramatic Super Bowl victory and a 3-0 start to the regular season, there might never be a better time to be a member of Big Blue. That is ofcourse unless you’re Plaxico Burress. Burress, who reeled in the Super Bowl XLII-winning catch from Eli Manning, was suspended for two weeks by the team after failing to report to practice on Monday and giving no explaination for his absence. The 6″5 receiver will only miss next Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks as the Giants have just entered their bye week. It’s an odd story, especially given the fact that Giants’ general manager Jerry Reese refused to shed any light as to why his star receiver flaked on a day of practice. Unlike the previous very public arguments that have surrounded this team, whether it may Tiki Barber’s critiques of Eli Manning or Michael Strahan, I’m going to chalk this one up to simply poor judgment.

Could Mussina Finally Win 20?

September 23, 2008 on 5:46 pm | In Memorabilia, Baseball | No Comments

268 career victories but never more than 20 in a single season. That is a usual knock against New York Yankees starter Mike Mussina. The Moose might never get to 300 career wins but he is definitely a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher. He sports a lifetime record of 268 wins to only 158 losses and has a career 3.69 earned run average despite playing in the power-heavy American League East. On top of those numbers, he’s struck out almost four times more batters than he’s walked (2804 to 783) and has 23 career complete game shutouts. Still, the knock on Mussina is his lack of one defining career year where he’s won at least 20 games. He’s won 18 games four times and 19 twice and at age 39, he may never have a better chance to win 20 than in his next two starts over the next five days. Mussina currently sits at 18-9 with two starts remaining before the end of the regular season, one against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight and then one against the Boston Red Sox on either Saturday or in Sunday’s season finale. He’s had moderate success against both teams this year, combining to go 2-3 in six starts against the Jays and Sox. If Mussina can get some run support in tonight’s game and lower his 4.57 ERA against Boston so far this season, the Moose may have his career-defining season finally in his rear view mirror.

Red-Hot Biffle Takes Dover

September 22, 2008 on 6:14 pm | In Memorabilia, NASCAR | No Comments

After going winless in NASCAR’s 26-race regular season, Greg Biffle has swept the first two events of the Sprint Cup Chase to the Championship. One week after taking the checkers at the Chase’s opening race at New Hampshire last Sunday, Biffle held off Roush Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards to win yesterday’s Camping World 400 at Dover International Speedway and close to within 10 points of the Championship lead. As “the Biff’s” championship aspirations have kicked into high gear, Chase-favorite Kyle Busch has all but lost the handle. Busch ran only 172 of 400 laps Sunday before an engine failure sent his team packing. The 23-year old who won seven of the season’s first 26 races finished 43rd and has fallen all the way back to 12th in points, 210 behind Chase-leader Carl Edwards. The Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship rolls on this coming Sunday when Biffle, Busch and the rest of the Sprint Cup Series visits the Kansas Speedway for the Camping World RV 400.

Yanks Set To Close Stadium’s Doors For Final Time

September 19, 2008 on 4:10 pm | In Memorabilia, Baseball | No Comments

In one of the downright-coolest events a professional sports franchise has ever undertaken, the New York Yankees will allow fans to walk on the field of Yankee Stadium three hours before the famous ballpark’s final game against the Baltimore Orioles. The fans will be allowed to walk along the same warning track once patrolled by greats like Joe DiMaggio and Roger Maris, behind the left field wall often conquered by legends such as Reggie Jackson and Lou Gehrig and to down to home plate, where Babe Ruth belted many of his 714 career home runs. This open house of sorts is a great show of appreciation for a franchise often viewed as all too stoic and uptight. The Stadium’s finale will cap a month that’s witnessed Mariano Rivera become the second-leading closer in baseball history along with the captain Derek Jeter passing the legendary Lou Gehrig for most hits in Yankee Stadium history. The finale will begin at 7:05 p.m. Sunday evening with the national broadcast featuring spots with former Yankee greats Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, Graig Nettles and Goose Gossage in the broadcast booth.

Edwards The Favorite As Chase Heads To Dover

September 18, 2008 on 9:43 pm | In Memorabilia, NASCAR | No Comments

Carl Edwards will look to continue his Dover dominance when NASCAR heads to the Monster Mile this Sunday for the second race in the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. Edwards, who has finished in the top-three in three of the last four visits to Dover, is the defending champion of the race and has a career finishing average of 8.2. Reclaiming the checkers at the concrete oval won’t be easy. Four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon and fellow veteran Mark Martin are tied for most victories among active drivers with four apiece heading into Sunday. Jimmie Johnson, who shares the Championship point-lead with Edwards, has three victories in only 13 career starts at the track. Despite the past win totals, I just can’t look past Carl Edwards for one simple statistic. In the three trips to Dover with NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow template, Edwards has racked up a series-best 510 points along with a victory in this race one year ago.

Colts Lose Sanders For Six Weeks

September 17, 2008 on 2:50 pm | In Memorabilia, Football | No Comments

A strong point of an otherwise underpowered defense, Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders may miss up to six weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the team’s week two victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Injuries are nothing new for the hard-nosed Colts’ safety as knee injuries in both 2004 and 2006 kept Sanders out of a combined 14 games. The 27-year old rebounded nicely in 2007, recording 96 tackles and being named the Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year while leading the Colts to a Super Bowl victory. Even though he’s played with injuries previously, high-ankle sprains always seem to give athletes, especially football and basketball players, larger-than-expected problems. What was originally diagnosed as an injury that’ll keep Sanders sidelined for two weeks has already graduated to a possible six-week absence. The 1-1 Colts will be missing their premier defender this Sunday when they welcome in Maurice Jones-Drew and the run-heavy Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mets Lose First, Tatis In Lose To Nats

September 17, 2008 on 1:00 am | In Baseball | No Comments

Trying to fend off the demons of their late-season collapse of a year ago, the New York Mets offense took a night off. Wasting a solid eight-inning performance from Mike Pelfrey, the Mets were shutout by youngster John Lannan and fell 1-0 to the Washington Nationals Tuesday evening. The loss drops New York to second place in the National League East behind the rival Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Atlanta Braves to take sole possession of first in one of the Majors most hotly-contested divisions. Along with their bats ringing silent, the Amazins also lost utility outfielder Fernando Tatis for the remainder of the season after Tatis separated his shoulder attempting to make a diving catch in the fifth inning. An outstanding right-handed bat off the bench, Tatis was hitting .297 with 11 home runs and 47 runs batted in in 92 games. The Mets will look to rebound Wednesday evening when they send Olympic bronze medal winner Brandon Knight to the mound for the third of a four-game set against the Nationals at the new Nationals Stadium in Washington.