On the Corners

By Zach Speers

Opening week is one of the most exciting times in baseball. It’s a time for everyone to start over and begin the journey to try and win a World Series Championship. There are many players who are looking forward to starting over including Cole Hamels, Johan Santana, and even Mark Buerhle.

Buerhle was part of quite possibly the most exciting event in baseball last season: the perfect game. The left-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox came to the ballpark on July 23, 2009 just planning on doing his best out on the mound. His best was perfection. He started his major league career in 2000 with the White Sox and since then he has had many accolades including 4 all-star selections, a World Series championship, a Gold Glove in 2009, and of course the perfect game.

Buerhle’s perfect game was the first since Randy Johnson in 2004, and was helped by a solid defense and an amazing catch made by DeWayne Wise in the 9^th inning to rob Gabe Kapler of the Tampa Bay Rays of a homerun. The odds of pitching a perfect game are 16000 to 1. However, Buerhle struggled through his next few games. After having his performance fall off at the tail end of the season, Buerhle was ready to begin the 2010 season.

And did he ever start off with a bang. He was the starting pitcher for Opening Day for the last 8 seasons and began the 2010 season with 7 1/3 shutout innings. This wasn’t a big deal but his play in the 5^th inning was; in fact it could be the play of the year and yes, it happened on Opening Day.

After receiving his Gold Glove award earlier in the day Buerhle turned himself into an even bigger legend. He was pitching against Lou Marson who hit the ball right back towards the mound. Buerhle kicked his leg out knocking the ball down and then flipped the ball through his legs to first basemen Paul Konerko. It was a spectacular play that was the top play of SportsCenter’s Top 10 and has been said to be the best play of the entire season. Konerko was interviewed mid-game and said he had never seen anything like it. He said he was just yelling to tell Buerhle where he was and knew that if there was a play to be made, Buerhle would make it.

Out of all the spectacular plays that are sure to happen this year, Buerhle’s blind between the leg throw could quite possibly be the best. Just add this onto Buerlhe’s resume of outstanding plays. The man is a living legend and any young boys who dream of being a major league pitcher should take some time to watch highlights of Buerhle because he plays the game the way it was meant to be played; with all your heart. Buerhle could have easily let the ball go and give Marson the base but that’s just not how he was taught to play. Buerhle is one the league’s premier pitchers and demonstrates his love of the game every time he steps on the field.

Happy Hour!

We haven’t filmed one in just about a year, but this week’s addition of Happy Hour features our annual baseball preview. Feel free to agree – or disagree – and let us know!

My Dearest Nomar

There is no replacing you, Nomar. You were the super star, the All-Star… our hero.

For ten years in Boston, and a few more floating around the league – you were that guy. You were hypnotic, and the fans you left behind missed you every day you were gone.

You were our first round pick – we waited three years for you. Then, as if to say you were waiting for us too, your first hit was a home run. But there are so many things we have to thank you for from that moment on.

Thank you for hitting two grand slams in one game – and doing it at home, at Fenway, for all of us to see. Thank you for making the All-Star team… all six times, and for being humble at all times. Thank you for leaving town gracefully.

Most of all, thank you for not being involved in any steroid scandal. Thank you for not having your name in the paper. Thank you for giving us the Garciaparra-Jater matchup we craved. And thank you for loving baseball.

And you know what? Thank you for coming home, and retiring as a member of the Red Sox… this will always be your home.

Love,

The Nation

Sports Try to Help…

Leagues Donate to Haiti

by Corianne Egan

You’d have to live in a box to not know the biggest issue in the world this week – raising money for Haiti after a devasatating earthquake last week. Everyone has joined in the effort – including all of our favorite sports teams. We are proud to annouce UDU has donated to Haiti relief – and although we aren’t one of the “big guys”, every little bit counts… so give whatever you can. Here’s a list of the efforts from the world of professional sports:

– NHL donated $100,000 UNICEF. Across the league, teams like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Calgary have taken it upon themselves to raise more money for the cause. Donation boxes have been set up in every arena league-wide.

– While some NBA stars are donating flat amounts, others are participating in a points-for-cash game. Ten players (Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, Tyreke Evans, and Antwane Jamison to name a few) are planning on donating $1,000 per point they score over the next week. The NBA’s Player Association has already donated $1 million, and the players particpating in the points-for-Haiti donating are expected to add another $500,000. Dwayne Wade and Alonso Mourning have also pledged close to a million dollars through their Athlete’s Relief Fund.

– The NBA’s only Haitian-born player, Samuel Dalembert of the 76ers, has been at the forefront of the relief efforts. Dalembert begged for donations at a Philadelphia home game, saying he would match whatever the stadium donated. He traveled to Haiti earlier in the week, returning to the team only 15 minutes before tip off. Along with filmning public service announcements and going down to see the devastation first-hand, Dalembert has donated more than $100,000 on his own.

– While NFL players have been encouraged to donate on their own, the league took to the airwaves during last week’s playoff matchups to spread the word. They endorsed Red Cross text messages, which reportedly raides over $500k an hour – $6 million after Sunday (and will continue through the Championship weekend and Super Bowl Sunday). Donte Stallworth, as well as Josh Cribbs, have tweeted that they will donate $1 for every follower they gain, and a Chad OchoCinco/Chris Johnson footrace will result in the loser donating his entire paycheck. The league has collectively donated $2.5 million.

– MLB has donated $1 million to the relief efforts, in addition to prominately featuring public service announcements and ways to help on their network and websites. Miguel Tejada traveled to Haiti to help in the efforts. The Yankees pledged $1 million, while the Blue Jays pledged $250,000.

– Sevin-time Tour-de-France winner Lance Armstrong has donated $250,000 towards relief efforts in Haiti through his Livestrong foundation. Radio Shack, who has sponsored Armstrong, has allowed its customers to donate through their purchases to the Livestrong foundation and their relief efforts.

– Boxing promoter Top rank has pledged $1 per ticket they sell through the end of the year. This includes fights at Madison Square Garden, and Manny Paquiao’s March 13th bout against Joshua Clottey at Dallas Stadium.

Past Your Bed Time…

Staying Up Late

by Zach Speers

Every kid dreams about being at bat, bottom of the 9^th inning in Game 7 of the World Series. The bases are loaded with two outs and you’ve got a full count. The next pitch comes and you hit a Grand Slam to end the game and win the greatest game. Being a baseball fan isn’t always easy. Being a fan of the postseason is even harder.

Baseball is a game of ups and downs, twists and turns; things can change from day to day or even pitch to pitch. For the fans of the reigning World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, this was abundantly clear last night in their win over the Colorado Rockies to clinch the National League Division Series. After sweeping the Phillies in the NLDS of 2007, the teams were ready to face-off again in the 2009 NLDS.

Phillies fans watched162 games in which Brad Lidge, who was unbeaten last year, blew 11 saves and had an ERA over 7.00 and eight losses to match; watched him jog to the mound with a one-run lead in the ninth inning. Luckily for the Phils, Lidge was up to the task and secured his second consecutive postseason save and gave the Phils their second trip the National League Championship Series in as many years.

Every Philly fan remembers last year’s epic game 5. The Phillies were on the verge of winning their second World Series in a 126 year history. They won two games in one day, and another that lasted 3 days. Much of this has to do with Major League Baseball’s decision to put games on later at night hoping for better ratings. Most games are played at 7:05pm or 1:05 pm but the postseason takes that standard and throws it away. Games are nationally televised but their times vary. This idea of starting games at 2:37 in the afternoon and 9:07 at night is completely ridiculous. Even more unreal is the idea of having a game time of 10:07 like this past Sunday night.

 Now one could argue that a true fan would stay up for these later starts and that’s true to some extent. I, for one, stayed up for these games but I’m also a college student who, like every other college student, hardly sleeps. Younger kids are missing out on one of the purest sports championships there is to watch. It’s a game where two men throw a ball back and forth while another swings away at it with a stick and yet it’s completely mesmerizing to watch a walk-off home run or to see an unbelievable leaping catch into the stands.

 I can remember being a boy and watching the race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire to have the most homers in a season. It was an unbelievable performance that every kid our age had a chance to see because the games were on at a reasonable time.

Last year, the Phillies won two games in one day. This seems weird since none of the games were scheduled as doubleheaders. In fact, this happened because Game 3 had a start time of 8:35 but was pushed back until 10:06 due to rain. The game ended in the wee hours of the morning on a Monday and Game 4 was scheduled for Monday night and was completed on time. This is a lack of respect for younger audiences who want to watch. Having a game start at 10pm on a Sunday isn’t something that parents are going to let their kids stay up for.  The same has been true of this year’s postseason. Game 3 of the NLDS between the Rockies and Phillies didn’t being until 10:07pm on a Sunday and ended shortly after 2am. Now how many fans around the country really stayed up to watch the entire game, even if they tried to?

As a fan this policy of starting games later to try and get more viewers in the major areas, such as New York and L.A., is ridiculous. They may have the biggest markets but that doesn’t mean we should have to cater to them. It’s something that, as fans, we need to voice our opinions about. If baseball is to really be the American pastime then the game must be played during times when it can be seen.

Miracle In a Bottle…

The Curse Returns

by Corianne Egan

Five years ago, 86 years of championship-less baseball was erased. It was like 86 years of frustration and close calls never happened. 86 years of holding your breathe and praying for mercy of the baseball gods that you knew would never come were negated simply because the Red Sox had won a World Series. Boston fans had bragging rights, something they had never fully enjoyed. Their curse-breaking championship, along with another that came only two years later, made them a real team again, made them whole.

The Red Sox Nation had an inkling something was going on when the man they dealt to the dodgers – the same Manny Ramirez that sealed countless wins for them – came up positive for steroids in May and got himself a 50 game ban. They breathed in a sigh of relief knowing that controversy could have backfired on the team they loved. Theo Epstein dodged a bullet.

But their worst fears were realized when The New York Times reported that not only was Manny Ramirez using steroids in 2003, but the grinning hero of that curse-breaking playoff run was using as well. David Ortiz, the extra-innings hero during the 2004 series against the rival Yankees. The same Big Papi who fans made excuses for – he may have lied about his age (Bill Simmons) or he had eye problems (Red Sox organization) when he slumped after that storybook season. Reality? He was juicing, and he doesn’t deny it.

Then, as if to twist the dagger in the Nation’s heart, Bronson Arroyo opened up in an interview, explaining that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if he was on the list simply because he didn’t know what he was putting into his body at that time.

Any question that Manny was using during that magical run has been answered. But as baseball and the media probe further, it seems as if Boston knew, and circumvented the bigger problem – having one of their players suspended for steroid use. With the understanding that every club knew there was some sort of steroid usage by its players (come on, would you spend $20 million a year without knowing exactly what you were getting?), it seemed Epstein dodged a bullet, but now it’s becoming more evident that Theo Epstein cleaned house in 2008. He got rid of the players any players with links to steroids, including two employees. As for his two prized sluggers – it was up to them: Stop the using or you won’t be here. Ortiz, as the numbers suggest, quit. Manny, well he got traded to L.A., and you all know what happened next.

Epstein did his best to clean up his team, and to get rid of anyone who would implicate them. Arroyo was traded to the Reds in 2006. Manny was traded to an apparently forgiving city of Los Angeles. And while they are still paying top dollar, Papi is on the decline, even though he seems to be hitting better when under this scrutiny. They were the best moves he could make, and he made them to clear his team.

When all is said and done, the Red Sox had a little help on that magical 2004 run, and maybe a little on the 2006 World Series. They juiced, the front office knew about it, and now they are clean. It would be a typical story, if it weren’t the Red Sox. It would have been a natural progression if it didn’t call one of the best World Series runs in history into question. The black cloud hovers, and it’s here to stay.

Progress Reports…

The 2009 First Half

Biggest Surprise: Chicago Cubs / San Francisco Giants
There’s been a lot of talk about Chicago’s lackluster season, but it’s well deserved. They were barely above .500 going into the break with a blooper real to match. Lou Pinella seems to have little control over his team’s emotions, especially the hot-headed Milton Bradley and slumping Alfonso Soriano. The Giants, however, are a welcomed surprise in Major League Baseball. San Francisco looks like a different team – one who has healed from the Barry Bonds era. Their outstanding pitching, highlighted by a no-hitter by their fourth starter, is completely the reason, but with a little more offense they could be a shoe-in for the Wildcard.

Best Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
While many baseball analysts are quick to name Toronto’s Roy Halladay their starter, Lincecum has been nothing but consistent for the Giants. He is still mystifying hitters even a year after his unique style came into the league. We’re pretty sure he would have more wins if the Giants hadn’t lost a couple of his quality starts. He goes deep into games and has been flirting with perfection for a couple weeks now.

Team Defying the Odds
We have to ask, do you think the Dodgers actually missed Manny? The Dodgers have been the top team in baseball for the whole season, and didn’t falter when their star player tested positive for steroids. Now, Ramirez is back and they are continuing their dominance. Rumor has it, they’re even in the hunt for ace Roy Halladay.

 

 

Triple Crown, yes or no?
We don’t think so. Albert Pujols has been shocking baseball fans with his offense, but we’re not so sure we believe he can bring home all three. He’s been struggling keeping his average up, which shows there’s already a small hitch in the plan, but we are begging him to make baseball history and prove us wrong.

Best Thing About 2009 So Far?
We’re still deciding between Sanchez’s no hitter, and the fact that the Red Sox and the Yankees seem to back to a rivalry. Sanchez graced us all with a feat that barely ever happens anymore, and it was a treat to watch. We’re still mad that he didn’t get the perfect game. But now that we’re getting into the second half, Boston and New York fans are going to be checking the standings every day. The race is on again, and it’s about time.

 

 

Best Team Since the All-Star Game?
There may be an outside chance for a repeat. The Phillies have a win streak going, and they are really starting to look good. A rough start has yielded a team that looks together, much like they were last year during the playoffs. Philadelphia has solid offense, a good pitching staff highlighted by rookie phenom J.A. Happ, who is undefeated in eight starts. Jimmy Rollins is hitting, Howard is pulling them over the wall, and the bullpen is beginning to get into a groove. We don’t even know if the Dodgers can stop them.

— Corianne Egan

Mannywood Mania…

A Million People With the Wrong Reasons…

By Corianne Egan

1,343,011. That’s more than the entire population of Detroit, Michigan. That’s only slightly less than the amount of people who attended Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C.

And that’s how many people who voted for Manny Ramirez to play in the 2009 All-Star game.

That’s how many people looked past the contract dispute, the attitude… oh yea, and past the steroid suspension. They looked away when he was found to be using the female fertility drug hCG (fun fact: anabolic steroid users use hCG when they come off of a round of steroids, typically to enlarge their testicles back to their original size). Besides that fun little flag raiser, he has an elevated testosterone lever that raised eyebrows, and numbers to match the juiced test results.

Yet over a million people haven’t blinked.

Up until Monday, an All Star appearance was imminent, but Manny has slipped to 7^th among outfielders in voting. Ramirez holds the last spot seventh spot for National League outfielders, the last spot available, with voting ending tonight.

Who else can you vote for? How about Raul Ibanez, by far the best hitter in the bunch, who shuttered and lashed out when steroids were even mentioned in the same sentence as his name? Maybe Ryan Braun who has turned a corner this month and hit .324 with 53 RBIs. For God’s sake, vote for Kosuke Fukudome, just so I can see his name and giggle to myself.

When reality comes into focus, I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to rely on one guy to make sure that the All Star Game is steroid-free. It’s Manny himself… hell have to sit out, let someone who’s played more than 27 games, to grab a spot at glory.

It’ll take balls, but thanks to hCG, we know Manny has them.

Re-Writing History…

Red Pen in the Record Book

By Corianne Egan

Forget writing another outraged steroid rant of a feature, I just can’t take it anymore. They all lied, they all cheated, and right now, as far as ProPoints is concerned, their records are being deleted. We set out, after the news of Sammy Sosa lying (which we weren’t surprised by), to re-write the record books. What we found is an astounding amount of records to change. Here is the full list, and who will take over the record once again (we took Pete Rose’s records out to make the point).

Hitting Records

At Bats
Most career At Bats: Pete Rose 14,965 (new record holder: Carl Yastrzemski 11,988)

Walks
Most walks in a career: Barry Bonds 2,558 (new record holder: Babe Ruth 2,042
Most walks in a season: Barry Bonds 232 (new record holder: Babe Ruth 170)
Most intentional walks: Barry Bonds 645 (new record holder: Hank Aaron 293)
Most consecutive walks: Jose Canseco 7 (new record holder: Billy Roegel 7)
Most leading seasons: Barry Bonds 12 (new record holder: Babe Ruth 11)

Hits
Most career hits: Pete Rose 4,256 (new record holder: Ty Cobb 4,189)
Most seasons with 200+ hits: Pete Rose 10 (new record holder: Ty Cobb 9)
Most consecutive games with a hit: Pete Rose 44 (new record holder: Willie Keeler 44)
Most consecutive times on base: Barry Bonds 15 (new record holder: John Olerud 15)

RBIs
Most game-winning RBIs as a rookie: Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco 14 (new record holder: Wally Joyner 14)
Most 100+ RBI seasons: Alex Rodriguez 13 (new record holder: Hank Aaron and Lou Gehrig with 13)

Home Runs
Most career Home Runs (Top 50): Remove 1^st Barry Bonds 762 (2^nd – Hank Aaron 755), 6^th Sammy Sosa 609 (7^th Frank Robinson 586), 8^th Mark McGwire 583 (9^th – Harmon Killebrew 575), 10^th Rafael Palmeiro 569 (11^th Reggie Jackson) 12^th Alex Rodriguez (13^th – Mike Schmidt), 17^th Manny Ramirez (18^th Willie McAvoy), 32^nd Jose Canseco (33^rd – Carl Yastrzemski), 48^th Jason Giambi (49^th – Vladimir Guerrero)
Most HRs in a season (Top 50): Remove 1^st, Barry Bonds, 2^nd Mark McGwire, 3^rd Sammy Sosa, 4^th Mark McGwire, 5^th Sammy Sosa, 6^th Sammy Sosa (new 1^st: Roger Maris 61), 13^th Mark McGwire (14^th Luis Gonzalez), 15^th Alex Rodriguez (16^th Ken Griffey Jr.), 22^nd Alex Rodriguez (23^rd Babe Ruth), 29^th Alex Rodriguez (30^th Jim Thome), 40^th Sammy Sosa (41^st Greg Vaughn), 43^rd Barry Bonds (44^th Andre Dawson)
Most HRs by a rookie: Mark McGwire 49 (new record holder: Frank Robinson 38)
Most career HRs by a 1B: Mark McGwire 566
Most HRs in a season by a SS: Alex Rodriguez 52 (new record holder: Ernie Banks 47
Most HRs in a season by a 3B: Alex Rodriguez 52 (new record holder: Mike Schmidt and Adrian Beltre 48)
Most HR by an OF: Barry Bonds 748 (new record holder: Babe Ruth 686)
Most ballparks HR in: Sammy Sosa 45
Most HRs in a month: Sammy Sosa 20 (new record holder: Rudy York 18)
Most HRs in April: Alex Rodriguez 14 (new record holder: Albert Pujols 14)
Most HRs in May: Barry Bonds 17 (new record holder: Mickey Mantle 16)
Most HRs in June: Sammy Sosa 20 (new record holders: Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, and Bob Johnson 15)
Most HRs in July: Mark McGwire 16 (new record holder: Albert Belle 16)
Most HRs in Oct: Sammy Sosa 5 (new record holder: Richie Sexton 5)
Most Home Runs after turning 40: Barry Bonds 79 (new record holder: Carlton Fisk 72)
Youngest to reach 300 HRs: Alex Rodriguez at 27y 249d (new record holder: Andruw Jones at 28y 144d)
Youngest to reach 400 HRs: Alex Rodriguez 29y 316d (new record holder: Eddie Matthews at 31y 185d)
Youngest to reach 500 HRs: Alex Rodriguez at 32y 8d (new record holder: Willie Mays at 34y 130d)
Most two consecutive games with a HR: McGwire – 2, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds 5 (many others including Carl Yastrzemski, Nomar Garciaparra, Ty Cobb and Mike Schmidt with 5)

Misc
Most grand slams in two consecutive games: Sammy Sosa 2 (many new record holders including Ken Griffey Jr., Babe Ruth, and Carlos Beltran)
Players to hit for a cycle with a grand slam: Miguel Tejada, 9-21-01
Highest slugging avg. for one season: Barry Bonds .863 (new record holder: Babe Ruth: .847)

Pitching Records

Most career wins: 9th all time – Roger Clemens 354 (10th Tim Keefe 342)
Most career strike outs: 3rd all time – Roger Clemens (4th Steve Carlton)
Most AL strike outs: Roger Clemens 4167
Most strike outs in one game: Roger Clemons 20 (new record holder: Kerry Wood 20)
Most holds in a season: JC Romero 33 (new record holder: Mike Remlinger 30)

 Also: If one would take all the money back from people accused of steroids who are in the top 50 all-time earners, you would have 1.26 billion dollars. This money would be taken back from: Alex Rodriguez ($198 million so far), Barry Bonds ($188 million), Manny Ramirez ($162 million so far), Jason Giambi ($125 million), Sammy Sosa ($124 million), Roger Clemens ($121 million), Andy Pettite ($108 million), Rafael Palmeiro ($89 million), Mark McGwire ($75 million), and Miguel Tejada ($68 million)

All Records taken from: www.baseball-reference.com

The Yankees and the Red Sox are…

…Lopsided?

By Corianne Egan

162 games in the Major League season, but to Red Sox and Yankees fans, only 18 really matter.

Eighteen games, spread over a long six months, connecting the dots of the long summer season… eighteen games that often mean more than just bragging rights, matching up two of baseball’s most powerful teams in a hundred-year-old rivalry. While, historically, these series are long, strenuous, season-long battles and are often split even, 2009 has been a completely different animal.

The Red Sox have swept the Yankees in three of the first series’, leading to an unprecedented 8-0 record against the boys in blue. They’ve outscored the Yanks 55-31, with four of the five Sox starters getting at least one win.

That’s not to say these games have been one sided. Three of them have been decided by one run, showing clutch closer Jonathan Papelbon is in true rivalry form. Mariano Rivera, however, hasn’t been a factor. In  his only appearance, the former Red-Sox-killer gave up two runs to tie the game before he was pulled. Joe Girardi hasn’t used Rivera against Boston since.

What’s even better than all of that? Alex Rodriguez is 1-9.

The most exciting of the eight wins came in late April, when a rough start for ace Josh Becket translated into the a six run hole for Boston by only the fourth inning. Six Mike Lowell RBIs later (including a homer that gave the Sox the lead for good) and a Jason Varitek grand slam later, the Red Soc were on their way to a 16-11 victory. It took six pitchers three innings to stop the bleeding and end the game.

Last night’s game was equally as nail-biting. Down by two, Boston staged a seventh inning comeback to win 4-3. It was the third come-from-behind win for the Red Sox in the season series.

It’s June, and by all standards, the season series isn’t close to over. But Boston’s dominance is turning  heads. It is, in fact, the first time in 76 years the Sox have won as many to open a season.

For the Red Sox Nation, this is enough to quiet their rivals to the south. For the team, it’s good enough for a two game cushion for first place.