WARNING!!! WARNING!! Annual off-topic baseball thread!!

[dblref]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

I tried to help you. . . but did you take my advice? Noooooooo!

My son's dog had a slight "run-in" with a skunk Monday night. Wanna know who won? The dog takes after my son -- nobody can tell either of them anything,

[dblref]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

...except if you're not sure your gas tank is empty...

...or you've recently stopped at Taco Bell.

[ChrisSportsFan]

And at least the Cubbies are a game over .500. Well, as of now. It's too bad I still have to listen to Cardinal fans. I'm (almost) hoping if the Cubs don't make it, that Houston catches them, just so I can be a sore loser and rub it in. [/B][/QUOTE]

Here in St. Louis we are hoping to see a Cardinals vs White Sox World Series. Who will the Cub fans pull for then?

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
And at least the Cubbies are a game over .500. Well, as of now. It's too bad I still have to listen to Cardinal fans. I'm (almost) hoping if the Cubs don't make it, that Houston catches them, just so I can be a sore loser and rub it in.

Here in St. Louis we are hoping to see a Cardinals vs White Sox World Series. Who will the Cub fans pull for then? [/B][/QUOTE]

The Bears.

Well, ok, I might get heck for saying this, especially when I get back up to the city, but I would have to pull for the Sox. When I grew up in the area, the big rivalry was obviously Cubs vs. Sox. My best friend growing up was a Sox fan, and the first game I ever went to was a Sox vs. Tigers game at Comiskey Park, so I never really learned to "hate" the Sox as much as Sox fans "hate" the Cubs. Then, it wasn't until I moved downstate that I learned about the Cubs/Cardinals rivalry. And about loud-mouth Cardinal fans. So, that's when I learned how to root for two teams: the Cubs, and whoever plays the Cardinals. By the way, how did that World Series thing go last year?

Yep, I know - I'm just a bitter, petty old Cub fan. And proud of it.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

The Bears.

Do you mean "Da Bears"?

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Do you mean "Da Bears"?

Dose are dem.

[Dan_ref]

August 10, 2005
Fan Arrested After Jump at Stadium
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
An 18-year-old man leaped from the third deck behind home plate onto the mesh netting above the lower seats at Yankee Stadium in the eighth inning last night.

Detective Louis Camacho, a police spokesman, identified the fan as Scott Harper of Armonk, N.Y. Camacho said that Harper was taken to Lincoln Medical Center and treated for minor injuries and that he was under arrest. Camacho said it was not known if Harper was intoxicated.

Sgt. Lenny Tobie of the New York Police Department said at Yankee Stadium that the fan would be charged with reckless endangerment, and Camacho confirmed that that was a charge Harper would face.

"According to witnesses, he just jumped," Camacho said. "He was with three other friends, and he just jumped over the railing."

Harper and his friends had been discussing how much weight the screen could hold, Detective Kevin Czartoryski said, and Harper decided to see for himself.

Harper tore a gash through the netting but did not fall through. He held his head for a few moments as fans snapped pictures and yelled at him from below.

The game was stopped for about four minutes as he tried to decide how to leave. Eventually, he crawled to the back of the screen and into a box on the loge level, where the police and security officials were waiting.

The fan made his jump as Derek Jeter was putting down a sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning. Another fan made the same jump a few years ago, Manager Joe Torre recalled.

"I was hoping I wouldn't see it again," Torre said. "You can break your neck. That's the first thing that crosses your mind."

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

[tjones1]

Originally posted by Dan_ref
August 10, 2005
Fan Arrested After Jump at Stadium
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
An 18-year-old man leaped from the third deck behind home plate onto the mesh netting above the lower seats at Yankee Stadium in the eighth inning last night.

Detective Louis Camacho, a police spokesman, identified the fan as Scott Harper Donny Baker of Armonk, N.Y. Camacho said that Harper was taken to Lincoln Medical Center and treated for minor injuries and that he was under arrest. Camacho said it was not known if Harper was intoxicated.

Sgt. Lenny Tobie of the New York Police Department said at Yankee Stadium that the fan would be charged with reckless endangerment, and Camacho confirmed that that was a charge Harper would face.

"According to witnesses, he just jumped," Camacho said. "He was with three other friends, and he just jumped over the railing."

Harper and his friends had been discussing how much weight the screen could hold, Detective Kevin Czartoryski said, and Harper decided to see for himself.

Harper tore a gash through the netting but did not fall through. He held his head for a few moments as fans snapped pictures and yelled at him from below.

The game was stopped for about four minutes as he tried to decide how to leave. Eventually, he crawled to the back of the screen and into a box on the loge level, where the police and security officials were waiting.

The fan made his jump as Derek Jeter was putting down a sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning. Another fan made the same jump a few years ago, Manager Joe Torre recalled.

"I was hoping I wouldn't see it again," Torre said. "You can break your neck. That's the first thing that crosses your mind."

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Edit: In case you're wondering, it's a Bob & Tom reference.

[Edited by tjones1 on Aug 10th, 2005 at 02:18 PM]

[M&M Guy]

I was watching that game last night, because they were playing the White Sox (the OTHER team from Chicago...). The announcers initially weren't sure he he had fallen, or had jumped on purpose. What kinda surprised me was the fact they did show him on camera; I know there's usually a policy in place that they don't show on camera the idiots who run out on the field. I guess that's what made me think he might've fallen.

Obviously a Yankee fan.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by M&M Guy
I was watching that game last night, because they were playing the White Sox (the OTHER team from Chicago...). The announcers initially weren't sure he he had fallen, or had jumped on purpose. What kinda surprised me was the fact they did show him on camera; I know there's usually a policy in place that they don't show on camera the idiots who run out on the field. I guess that's what made me think he might've fallen.

Obviously a Yankee fan.

I was surprised the YES network kept the camera on the guy too. In fact they replayed it. The initial reaction from the announcers was that he fell. I cannot imagine jumping from the upper deck to that net, it's a looooooong way down...and besides those are pretty good seats!

[ChrisSportsFan]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

Here in St. Louis we are hoping to see a Cardinals vs White Sox World Series. Who will the Cub fans pull for then?

The Bears.

Well, ok, I might get heck for saying this, especially when I get back up to the city, but I would have to pull for the Sox. When I grew up in the area, the big rivalry was obviously Cubs vs. Sox. My best friend growing up was a Sox fan, and the first game I ever went to was a Sox vs. Tigers game at Comiskey Park, so I never really learned to "hate" the Sox as much as Sox fans "hate" the Cubs. Then, it wasn't until I moved downstate that I learned about the Cubs/Cardinals rivalry. And about loud-mouth Cardinal fans. So, that's when I learned how to root for two teams: the Cubs, and whoever plays the Cardinals. By the way, how did that World Series thing go last year?

Yep, I know - I'm just a bitter, petty old Cub fan. And proud of it. [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, you are right, the Cards picked the wrong week to play bad. I wish they would have won but I didn't lose one bit of sleep over it. I suppose it goes with out sayin; but we had a better World Series then all the teams in MLB except one.

[ChuckElias]

Former Negro Leagues Star Dies at 103

CHICAGO - Former Negro Leagues star Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, believed to be the oldest living professional baseball player, died Thursday. He was 103.

Radcliffe, given his singular nickname by sports writer Damon Runyon after catching Satchel Paige in the first game of a doubleheader in the 1932 Negro League World Series and pitching a shutout in the second game, died from complications after a long bout with cancer, the Chicago White Sox said.

[M&M Guy]

Did anyone happen to see how the A's beat the Angels yesterday?

I haven't seen that since Little League!

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/gamece...050811_ANA@OAK

Angels lose control of AL West when closer drops the ball -- literally
Aug. 11, 2005
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports



OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jason Kendall and the Oakland Athletics didn't steal the lead in the AL West.

Francisco Rodriguez and the Angels simply dropped it.

Kendall alertly dashed home from third base with the winning run when Los Angeles' miffed closer flubbed the throw back from his catcher, putting one of baseball's strangest finishes in years on Oakland's 5-4 victory Thursday.

The A's took sole possession of first place for the first time this season with their second straight comeback win against the Angels' outstanding bullpen. That achievement would be remarkable enough -- but nobody in either clubhouse ever remembered an ending as odd as this one.

"I've never seen that in my life, but that stuff happens in baseball," Kendall said. "You learn early on that you're supposed to always follow the ball. I saw it rolling away, and I didn't think he'd get it back in time. Fortunately for us, I was right."

With Eric Chavez at the plate with two runners on and two out, Rodriguez's first pitch was called a ball. The right-hander stared in and nonchalantly stuck out his glove for catcher Jose Molina's throw, but it glanced away.

Almost nobody in the Coliseum was watching -- but the A's were ready.

"I pointed at the ball, and by the time I looked at Kendall, he had already taken off," said Bobby Crosby, who reached second base on defensive indifference a moment earlier. "I was in shock. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'"

"We were all in the dugout yelling, 'Run, Forrest, run!'" outfielder Nick Swisher said.

Kendall sprinted home and beat the throw, sending the A's roaring from the dugout to celebrate their 20th win in 23 games since they trailed Los Angeles by 8½ games on July 18.

Chavez hit a tying three-run homer in the seventh for the A's, who rallied from a four-run deficit. They took two of three from their California rivals, but not even the freewheeling A's could have predicted such a lucky finish -- and the Angels couldn't believe it either.

"A 5-year-old could have caught it," said Rodriguez, who was charged with an error. "I should have caught the ball. It's unfortunate that we lost the game like that, but what can you do?"

Until the bullpen blew it for starter Paul Byrd, the Angels seemed likely to keep their hold on first place, where they had been for all but six days this season.

Vladimir Guerrero homered and drew three intentional walks, including a free pass with nobody on base in the ninth, while Byrd allowed eight hits over six innings and left with a 4-0 lead.

But the Angels' relievers collapsed for the second straight day in front of a thrilled crowd at the Coliseum, where the A's drew more than 117,000 fans for the three-game series.

The Angels' clubhouse was predictably tense after the game, with teammates struggling to find the proper words for their closer's gaffe. Los Angeles has lost 10 of 16.

"I haven't seen a game like that, ever," said Byrd, who's winless in his last five starts. "It's disappointing he didn't make them earn it. It's unfortunate the way the last few innings turned. You don't want to take any credit away from them, but it's a gift."

The bullpen's struggles began in the seventh, when Jay Payton homered on Brendan Donnelly's first pitch. After Mark Ellis and Kendall singled, Chavez cleared the bases with his 20th homer of the season deep into the right-field stands.

Scot Shields blew a lead in Los Angeles' 4-3 loss Wednesday night, allowing three runs in the seventh. Donnelly and Shields are the busiest relievers in the Angels pen, which led the majors in ERA in each of the past three seasons.

And Shields (7-8) blew it again in the ninth, allowing two singles before Rodriguez took over.

"We have the utmost confidence in those guys," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We just need to hold leads and close guys out."

All-Star Justin Duchscherer (6-2) pitched two hitless innings to win for the second straight day.

Los Angeles was in control when Steve Finley hit a two-run double in the seventh. Joe Blanton yielded six hits and four walks in six difficult innings for the A's, and Joe Kennedy gave up Finley's hit in his only inning of relief.

Finley, who has struggled with slumps and injuries in his first season with the Angels, hit his first homer since June 10 late in Los Angeles' loss Wednesday night. But with two outs and two runners on in the ninth Thursday, Finley popped out.

[M&M Guy]

And now there's a new curse to worry about:

The Red Sox have not won on Ben Affleck's birthday (8/15) ever since "Good Will Hunting" came out, 8 years ago. Last night, I thought the curse was broken, but, alas, Mr. Shilling kept it alive and well.

Is it the Curse of the Benbino?

[mick]

The Tigers hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Champs and still ended up 3 runs short.