Lynx righty reliever Joe Bisenius is wringing some positives out of the final two weeks of this season. The two scoreless innings he threw in tonight's 5-4 walk-off loss (boxscore, play-by-play) in Syracuse gave him four straight appearances without a run allowed. Over that stretch of six innings of work, he's had 10 strikeouts against just one walk and three hits allowed.
Speaking as a fan, that's great to see from a pitcher whose season has been largely a write-off due to shoulder troubles. (And the home office in Sioux City, Iowa is happy too.) Bisenius, who turns 25 next month, had his major-league debut with the Phillies but this has been an up-and-down season for him, to say the least, with stints on the disabled list and periods where the command of his pitches has been rather ephemeral.
Syracuse won the game in the last of the ninth when John-Ford Griffin singled Adam Lind home with two out off Anderson Garcia (1-4). On the previous play, Ryan Roberts, who had tripled with one out, stayed in a rundown long enough for Lind to reach second base after Brennan King fielded Lind's grounder and threw to the plate. Anyone who saw Lind run the bases at Rogers Centre this year would gather that it had to be a pretty prolonged rundown for him to reach second base.
No RBI for Gary Burnham tonight but he did push his on-base percentage up to .396 by getting two hits and drawing a walk. He's alone in second in the International League.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
TACKLING THE CIS: MANITOBA BISONS
The Canadian university football season is starting soon, and Out of Left Field is here to provide a look at all 27 CIS teams. Presenting: the Manitoba Bisons.
Players to watch: DE Justin Cooper, WR Terry Firr, RBs Matt Henry and Karim Lowen, QB John Makie, DT Simon Patrick, DE Justin Shaw
Head coach: Brian Dobie (12th season)
Co-ordinators: Stan Pierre (defensive), Jeff Stead (offensive), Vaughan Mitchell (protections and run game)
In '06: 9-1, lost 32-15 to Saskatchewan in conference final
Last league title: 2001
Big ones: Sept. 22 vs. Saskatchewan, Oct. 6 at Alberta
On the web: umanitoba.ca/bisons
Strengths: The Bisons pick up where they left off last season. Only four starters are gone from the team which ran off nine straight wins before losing to the U of S Huskies in the Canada West final. The team is deep in fourth- and fifth-year players and there's a feeling of having something to prove after the disappointing playoff loss to the Huskies.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... The Bisons have talent but must avoid putting themselves behind the eight-ball. They played turnover-free football in 2006 (only eight lost fumbles and interceptions in the regular season) but were the second-most penalized team (112 yards per game) in the country and gave up a 95-yard punt return touchdown in a home playoff game vs. Regina. If those are the biggest nits to pick, though, they must be doing well.
OFFENCE
Centre Terry Watson is the only player gone from an O-line which enabled the Bisons to led the CIS in scoring while being nearly mistake-free in the passing game last season (Makie threw just two interceptions and was sacked only eight times in more than 200 pass attempts). Tackle Darryl Conrad and 6-foot-3, 300-lb. guard Ryan Karhut each spent time in CFL camps, which bolsters the argument the Bisons might have the country's best line, or at least the best one outside of Quebec. This seems to be where having a coach, Vaughan Mitchell, as the "protections and run game co-ordinator," pays off huge.
The skill position guys aren't slouches. Henry and Lowen provide a true 1-2 punch at tailback (1,345 yards, 19 TD in '06). Six-foot-five slotback Simon Blaszczak should have a bigger role as Terry Firr draws most of the defensive backs' attention. It's a good group, to put it mildly, although wideout Randy Simmons has ben put under team suspension.
Jordan Witzel, a former weatherman with the Canwest Global, is trying to make the Bisons as a fifth receiver. It's not a publicity stunt -- Witzel is 6-foot-6, 235 lbs. and he was a tight end for NCAA D-1 Temple University in Philadelphia at the turn of the decade. Former Queen's QB Max Bruce has transferred in to compete with Nate Friesen to be Makie's backup.
DEFENCE
The Bisons are deep: Linebacker Cory Huclack, the Can West defensive player of the year, is gone, but projected starting 'backers Kenton Onofrychuk (fourth year), Jeff Alamoholda (fifth) and Jim Jeavons (third) have each been around the program for a while. The Bisons' only other losses on D were two players from last season's defensive tackle rotation, which means ends Justin Cooper and Justin Shaw (six sacks each in '06) might see more double-team blocks. Veteran Simon Patrick is back at the tackle spot and the secondary returns basically intact.
The D was the best in Canada West vs. the run and the pass last season. There's a fair bit to work with here.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Peter Scouras, the kicked and did some of the punting in 2006, has competition for each job. Scott Dixon, who set a Canadian Junior Football League scoring record with the Nanaimo Raiders (he also kicked the winning field goal in the CJFL final), has joined the Bisons. Dixon can also punt. Fifth-year wideout Brad Black was the primary punt returner last season.
NEED-TO-KNOW
The Bisons typically play the chaser's role in Canada West. In sports, that can foster a brash confidence that only lasts until the pressure's on against an equally strong opponent (see, Senators, Ottawa, any year before this one).
That's how it might be for Dobie's Bisons until they knock off the Saskatchewan Huskies in a playoff game, but if they are ever going to do it, this would be the year. Their lone regular-season meeting with Saskatchewan is at home, so there will be less fear of the unknown if there's a rematch in the Canada West final on Nov. 10. This is the favourite but it's a team that can be labelled as one that has to ignore the hype.
Canada West's champion will host the OUA winner in a national semi-final on Nov. 17. The Bsons could be on a collision course with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, who are a similarly veteran team built around an experienced passer and a tight defence.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Players to watch: DE Justin Cooper, WR Terry Firr, RBs Matt Henry and Karim Lowen, QB John Makie, DT Simon Patrick, DE Justin Shaw
Head coach: Brian Dobie (12th season)
Co-ordinators: Stan Pierre (defensive), Jeff Stead (offensive), Vaughan Mitchell (protections and run game)
In '06: 9-1, lost 32-15 to Saskatchewan in conference final
Last league title: 2001
Big ones: Sept. 22 vs. Saskatchewan, Oct. 6 at Alberta
On the web: umanitoba.ca/bisons
Strengths: The Bisons pick up where they left off last season. Only four starters are gone from the team which ran off nine straight wins before losing to the U of S Huskies in the Canada West final. The team is deep in fourth- and fifth-year players and there's a feeling of having something to prove after the disappointing playoff loss to the Huskies.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... The Bisons have talent but must avoid putting themselves behind the eight-ball. They played turnover-free football in 2006 (only eight lost fumbles and interceptions in the regular season) but were the second-most penalized team (112 yards per game) in the country and gave up a 95-yard punt return touchdown in a home playoff game vs. Regina. If those are the biggest nits to pick, though, they must be doing well.
OFFENCE
Centre Terry Watson is the only player gone from an O-line which enabled the Bisons to led the CIS in scoring while being nearly mistake-free in the passing game last season (Makie threw just two interceptions and was sacked only eight times in more than 200 pass attempts). Tackle Darryl Conrad and 6-foot-3, 300-lb. guard Ryan Karhut each spent time in CFL camps, which bolsters the argument the Bisons might have the country's best line, or at least the best one outside of Quebec. This seems to be where having a coach, Vaughan Mitchell, as the "protections and run game co-ordinator," pays off huge.
The skill position guys aren't slouches. Henry and Lowen provide a true 1-2 punch at tailback (1,345 yards, 19 TD in '06). Six-foot-five slotback Simon Blaszczak should have a bigger role as Terry Firr draws most of the defensive backs' attention. It's a good group, to put it mildly, although wideout Randy Simmons has ben put under team suspension.
Jordan Witzel, a former weatherman with the Canwest Global, is trying to make the Bisons as a fifth receiver. It's not a publicity stunt -- Witzel is 6-foot-6, 235 lbs. and he was a tight end for NCAA D-1 Temple University in Philadelphia at the turn of the decade. Former Queen's QB Max Bruce has transferred in to compete with Nate Friesen to be Makie's backup.
DEFENCE
The Bisons are deep: Linebacker Cory Huclack, the Can West defensive player of the year, is gone, but projected starting 'backers Kenton Onofrychuk (fourth year), Jeff Alamoholda (fifth) and Jim Jeavons (third) have each been around the program for a while. The Bisons' only other losses on D were two players from last season's defensive tackle rotation, which means ends Justin Cooper and Justin Shaw (six sacks each in '06) might see more double-team blocks. Veteran Simon Patrick is back at the tackle spot and the secondary returns basically intact.
The D was the best in Canada West vs. the run and the pass last season. There's a fair bit to work with here.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Peter Scouras, the kicked and did some of the punting in 2006, has competition for each job. Scott Dixon, who set a Canadian Junior Football League scoring record with the Nanaimo Raiders (he also kicked the winning field goal in the CJFL final), has joined the Bisons. Dixon can also punt. Fifth-year wideout Brad Black was the primary punt returner last season.
NEED-TO-KNOW
The Bisons typically play the chaser's role in Canada West. In sports, that can foster a brash confidence that only lasts until the pressure's on against an equally strong opponent (see, Senators, Ottawa, any year before this one).
That's how it might be for Dobie's Bisons until they knock off the Saskatchewan Huskies in a playoff game, but if they are ever going to do it, this would be the year. Their lone regular-season meeting with Saskatchewan is at home, so there will be less fear of the unknown if there's a rematch in the Canada West final on Nov. 10. This is the favourite but it's a team that can be labelled as one that has to ignore the hype.
Canada West's champion will host the OUA winner in a national semi-final on Nov. 17. The Bsons could be on a collision course with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, who are a similarly veteran team built around an experienced passer and a tight defence.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
TACKLING THE CIS: SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES
In our continuing effort to eliminate Eastern bias within our lifetime, we're working West to East to preview the 2007 CIS football season. Presenting: the Saskatchewan Huskies.
In '06: 9-3, lost 13-8 to Laval in Vanier Cup
Players to watch: S Dylan Barker, LB Gabe Mackasey, SB Scott McHenry, RT Jordan Rempel, RB Scott Stevens, QB Bret Thompson
Head coach: Brian Towriss (24th season)
Co-ordinators: Mike Harrington (offensive), Ed Carleton (defensive), Cal Hobbs (special teams)
Last year they didn't win the league title: 2003
Big ones: Sept. 22 at Manitoba, Sept. 29 at UBC, Oct. 27 vs. Regina
On the web: huskies.usask.ca, The View From The Stands (Snake Wilson's blog)
Strengths: Thanks to the strong junior programs in the province, the Huskies are pretty much always assured of being experienced at every spot, although there's always an adjustment from juniors to the CIS game. The offensive line and the linebacker groups give the Huskies stability on each side of the ball. Most of the skill position talent returns.
Potential problems: Some unfamilarity on the offensive line early on could be unresolved by the time the Huskies enter their back-to-back road trips to Manitoba and UBC in weeks 4 and 5. The secondary seemed to be less than the sums of its parts in '06, giving up 213 passing yards per game.
OFFENCE
The U of S stays strong year-in, year-out in part due to the approach to the offensive line, stockpiling big bodies like a NCAA team (think Nebraska in the Tom Osborne era) in the days before scholarship limits. The program's tradition and the university's relatively low tuition (at least in the eyes of this Ontario boy) makes it an attractive place for good-sized Prairie lads, even if playing time is hard to come by. The Huskies carry so many O-linemen they actually need two coaches for that position group, so they have a fallback for the loss of three regulars from the '06 squad. Hubert Buydens, who's shifting from guard into the left tackle spot vacated by graduated all-Canadian Chris Sutherland, and right tackle Jordan Rempel anchor the group.
Thompson should be past the interception issues that dogged him early last season (he had 10 picks in just 186 attempts). He's ready, willing and able to run around (and into) defenders, putting another dangerous runner on the field to complement tailbacks Scott Stevens and Tyler O'Gorman. Last season's leading receivers, McHenry and wideout Leighton Heron, also return.
DEFENCE
There will be at least two new starters in the secondary and all-Canadian end Brian Guebert will also have to be replaced. Tyler Dueck, who was a special teams dynamo last season, has a bead on the departed Rick Vandenameele's cornerback spot. Mackasey and Chad Guidinger anchor a front seven that should be able to play the run better if it doesn't have to give the secondary too much help. Lyndon Boychuk, a second-year linebacker, was getting a lot of work with the first team during pre-season practices.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Veteran Braden Suchan gives the Huskies little to worry about. He led Canada West in punting last season, was second in kickoff average and was a respectable 10-of-15 on field goals. Cornerback Paul Woldu handled most of the punt return duties last season and the coverage teams are usually strong due to the surfeit of backup players auditioning to get more reps on offence or defence.
OVERVIEW
The regular season pretty much comes down to that Week 4 rematch of last season's Canada West final in Winnipeg against the U of M. The Huskies, who open vs. the three non-playoff teams from a year ago (Alberta, Calgary, Simon Fraser) might end up losing that game and becoming a stronger team in the long run. Around the U of S, it's a Vanier Cup appearance or bust and the Huskies don't fret too much about losing a few of the little games if it can work its way to the big ones.
(Huskies blogger Snake Wilson of A View From The Stands was invaluable in helping write this and several other Canada West previews.)
In '06: 9-3, lost 13-8 to Laval in Vanier Cup
Players to watch: S Dylan Barker, LB Gabe Mackasey, SB Scott McHenry, RT Jordan Rempel, RB Scott Stevens, QB Bret Thompson
Head coach: Brian Towriss (24th season)
Co-ordinators: Mike Harrington (offensive), Ed Carleton (defensive), Cal Hobbs (special teams)
Last year they didn't win the league title: 2003
Big ones: Sept. 22 at Manitoba, Sept. 29 at UBC, Oct. 27 vs. Regina
On the web: huskies.usask.ca, The View From The Stands (Snake Wilson's blog)
Strengths: Thanks to the strong junior programs in the province, the Huskies are pretty much always assured of being experienced at every spot, although there's always an adjustment from juniors to the CIS game. The offensive line and the linebacker groups give the Huskies stability on each side of the ball. Most of the skill position talent returns.
Potential problems: Some unfamilarity on the offensive line early on could be unresolved by the time the Huskies enter their back-to-back road trips to Manitoba and UBC in weeks 4 and 5. The secondary seemed to be less than the sums of its parts in '06, giving up 213 passing yards per game.
OFFENCE
The U of S stays strong year-in, year-out in part due to the approach to the offensive line, stockpiling big bodies like a NCAA team (think Nebraska in the Tom Osborne era) in the days before scholarship limits. The program's tradition and the university's relatively low tuition (at least in the eyes of this Ontario boy) makes it an attractive place for good-sized Prairie lads, even if playing time is hard to come by. The Huskies carry so many O-linemen they actually need two coaches for that position group, so they have a fallback for the loss of three regulars from the '06 squad. Hubert Buydens, who's shifting from guard into the left tackle spot vacated by graduated all-Canadian Chris Sutherland, and right tackle Jordan Rempel anchor the group.
Thompson should be past the interception issues that dogged him early last season (he had 10 picks in just 186 attempts). He's ready, willing and able to run around (and into) defenders, putting another dangerous runner on the field to complement tailbacks Scott Stevens and Tyler O'Gorman. Last season's leading receivers, McHenry and wideout Leighton Heron, also return.
DEFENCE
There will be at least two new starters in the secondary and all-Canadian end Brian Guebert will also have to be replaced. Tyler Dueck, who was a special teams dynamo last season, has a bead on the departed Rick Vandenameele's cornerback spot. Mackasey and Chad Guidinger anchor a front seven that should be able to play the run better if it doesn't have to give the secondary too much help. Lyndon Boychuk, a second-year linebacker, was getting a lot of work with the first team during pre-season practices.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Veteran Braden Suchan gives the Huskies little to worry about. He led Canada West in punting last season, was second in kickoff average and was a respectable 10-of-15 on field goals. Cornerback Paul Woldu handled most of the punt return duties last season and the coverage teams are usually strong due to the surfeit of backup players auditioning to get more reps on offence or defence.
OVERVIEW
The regular season pretty much comes down to that Week 4 rematch of last season's Canada West final in Winnipeg against the U of M. The Huskies, who open vs. the three non-playoff teams from a year ago (Alberta, Calgary, Simon Fraser) might end up losing that game and becoming a stronger team in the long run. Around the U of S, it's a Vanier Cup appearance or bust and the Huskies don't fret too much about losing a few of the little games if it can work its way to the big ones.
(Huskies blogger Snake Wilson of A View From The Stands was invaluable in helping write this and several other Canada West previews.)
TACKLING THE CIS: REGINA RAMS
In our continuing effort to eliminate Eastern bias within our lifetime, we're working West to East to preview the 2007 CIS football season. Presenting: the Regina Rams.
In '06: 4-5, lost to Manitoba in Canada West semi-final
Players to watch: WR Chad Goldie, RB Graham Mosiondz, OL Brendon LaBatte, QB Teale Orban, LB Steve Wilson, DB-KR Steve Ryan
Head coach: Frank McCrystal (24th season, including junior football)
Co-ordinators: Bernie Schmidt (offensive), Paul Dawson (defensive), Steve Warnecke (special teams)
Last league title: 2000
Big ones: Sept. 21 vs. UBC, Oct. 6 vs. Calgary, Oct. 27 vs. Saskatchewan
On the web: reginarams.com
Strengths: Rumour has it the reason the CIS has shifted to a 24-second clock for basketball is to avoid having teams be outscored by the Rams' Teale Orban-led offence. They're never out of a game, although both star pass-catchers from last season have gone to the CFL.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Teams typically find that the best way to bottle up Orban is to keep him on the sidelines. The Rams couldn't stop the run last season, giving up 213.8 yards per game and allowing more first downs along the ground than all but Toronto and Simon Fraser, last season's two winless teams.
OFFENCE
It can be assumed the Rams' run-pass ratio was unbalanced last season since they were throwing the ball so well -- why run just for running's sake? Mosiondz and rookie tailback Taylor Kidby might get more touches since the Rams might be trying not to put too much pressure on their defence.
Orban has a good group around him on offence. The line returns almost intact, while receivers Jordan Sisco and Chad Goldie put up numbers last season when they were the No. 3 and 4 receivers next to dearly departed Chris Bauman and Chris Getzlaf. Keep an eye peeled for rookie wideout Kolten Solomon, who might see the field straight out of high school after leading his school to provincial hoops and football titles.
Orban, meantime, could become the first Canada West passer in several seasons to put up 2,500 yards in back-to-back seasons.
DEFENCE
Much will depend on how well the defensive line can keep blockers off a group of linebackers that includes Steve Wilson (the CIS leader in tackles last season) and newcomers Matt Nesbitt and Scott Magee. The Rams lost tackles Sean Brimacombe and Jon Labonte, which means it might have trouble getting stops when it's second down and less than five yards for a first down. The secondary should benefit from Ryan's decision to play a fifth season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rams have another Ryan in this area. Former standout Jon Ryan is punting for the Green Bay Packers and his brother Steve thrives at returning punts -- he took two back for TDs in '06. Perri Scarcelli handles all the kicking for Regina. Nesbitt can also long snap.
OVERVIEW
Canada West has two clear heavies -- Manitoba and Saskatchewan -- and four teams having it out for third and fourth place. The Rams will get two of those teams, UBC and Calgary, at home. Those games, along with the home-and-home vs. Alberta, will decide how far they go. McCrystal's teams always have a lot of talent on offence and know how to use it, but this team might be a year or two away from really being a contender in Canada West, since it's using a lot of young players.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
In '06: 4-5, lost to Manitoba in Canada West semi-final
Players to watch: WR Chad Goldie, RB Graham Mosiondz, OL Brendon LaBatte, QB Teale Orban, LB Steve Wilson, DB-KR Steve Ryan
Head coach: Frank McCrystal (24th season, including junior football)
Co-ordinators: Bernie Schmidt (offensive), Paul Dawson (defensive), Steve Warnecke (special teams)
Last league title: 2000
Big ones: Sept. 21 vs. UBC, Oct. 6 vs. Calgary, Oct. 27 vs. Saskatchewan
On the web: reginarams.com
Strengths: Rumour has it the reason the CIS has shifted to a 24-second clock for basketball is to avoid having teams be outscored by the Rams' Teale Orban-led offence. They're never out of a game, although both star pass-catchers from last season have gone to the CFL.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Teams typically find that the best way to bottle up Orban is to keep him on the sidelines. The Rams couldn't stop the run last season, giving up 213.8 yards per game and allowing more first downs along the ground than all but Toronto and Simon Fraser, last season's two winless teams.
OFFENCE
It can be assumed the Rams' run-pass ratio was unbalanced last season since they were throwing the ball so well -- why run just for running's sake? Mosiondz and rookie tailback Taylor Kidby might get more touches since the Rams might be trying not to put too much pressure on their defence.
Orban has a good group around him on offence. The line returns almost intact, while receivers Jordan Sisco and Chad Goldie put up numbers last season when they were the No. 3 and 4 receivers next to dearly departed Chris Bauman and Chris Getzlaf. Keep an eye peeled for rookie wideout Kolten Solomon, who might see the field straight out of high school after leading his school to provincial hoops and football titles.
Orban, meantime, could become the first Canada West passer in several seasons to put up 2,500 yards in back-to-back seasons.
DEFENCE
Much will depend on how well the defensive line can keep blockers off a group of linebackers that includes Steve Wilson (the CIS leader in tackles last season) and newcomers Matt Nesbitt and Scott Magee. The Rams lost tackles Sean Brimacombe and Jon Labonte, which means it might have trouble getting stops when it's second down and less than five yards for a first down. The secondary should benefit from Ryan's decision to play a fifth season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rams have another Ryan in this area. Former standout Jon Ryan is punting for the Green Bay Packers and his brother Steve thrives at returning punts -- he took two back for TDs in '06. Perri Scarcelli handles all the kicking for Regina. Nesbitt can also long snap.
OVERVIEW
Canada West has two clear heavies -- Manitoba and Saskatchewan -- and four teams having it out for third and fourth place. The Rams will get two of those teams, UBC and Calgary, at home. Those games, along with the home-and-home vs. Alberta, will decide how far they go. McCrystal's teams always have a lot of talent on offence and know how to use it, but this team might be a year or two away from really being a contender in Canada West, since it's using a lot of young players.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
TACKLING THE CIS: ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS
We're working West to East to preview the 2007 CIS football season. Presenting: The Alberta Golden Bears.In '06: 4-4, missed playoffs
Players to watch: QB Quade Armstrong, LB Dan Bass (pictured), SB Damon Fraietta, RB Tendayi Jozzy, LT Simeon Rottier, S Scott Stevenson
Head coach: Jerry Friesen (7th season)
Co-ordinators: Rick Walters (offensive), Darryl Draudsen (defensive)
Last league title: 1981
Big ones: Sept. 8 vs. Reginia, Sept. 29 at Calgary
On the web: bears.ualberta.ca
Strengths: The Bears will be able to run the ball on offence -- and plan to spread out the carries. With Bass fronting their 3-4 defence, they should be able to stop the run and get some pressure on the passer.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... It's going to take Zen-like patience to wait for the defensive backs to gel. Four of the five starters are new and there's a chance the U of A will go with a second-year player and a true freshman as the cornerbacks. Suffice to say, stopping the pass might be problematic and completing passes could be tough. Armstrong, a second-year starter, was below 50 per cent last season.
OFFENCEThe Bears have tweaked the offence after becoming a little too reliant on Jozzy (pictured), who gained 897 yards in '06 but became less productive late in the season. Walters, the former Edmonton Eskimos receiver, is planning to put in a two-back set to keep him rested. Newcomers Bobby Rau, Tyler Budinski and John Smeysters will get a chance at the tailback and fullback spots. Rookie Duncan Hankinson, a slash player, is also in the mix.
Armstrong and the U of A passing game has nowhere to go but up, and he will have three new starters along the offensive line blocking for him. Fraietta (450 yards on 36 catches in '06) is the main target. Rottier is expected to get CFL attention.
DEFENCE
The main question seems to be how well the Bears can defend the pass. Stevenson is the lone starter back in the secondary, where projected starting corners Randon Ralph (cousin of the Ticats' Brett Ralph) and Chris Muchena are in their first and second seasons. The Bears also had to shift a couple receivers over to this area, which is usually a dead giveaway that there's a lack of depth.
With covering for young defensive backs, the usual rule of thumb is to add pressure, not coverage. The Bears can do this with Bass and a veteran line anchored by fifth-year seniors Dwayne Kumpula and Derek Krinke. Special teams standout Greg Whelan, who's one of the Bears' fastest players, could be more of a full-time defensive player. There's no givens, but Bass should get all-Canadian recognition.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Bears are putting the kicking and return duties in new hands and feet. Rookie Hugh O'Neill, who booted a 48-yarder in high school last fall, has an inside track on doing the punting and placekicking. Fellow newcomer Hankinson is expected to become a dangerous return man in good time.
(UPDATE, Aug. 26: O'Neill booted an 85-yard kickoff single in Alberta's exhibition game vs. Calgary. He has a big leg.)
NEED-TO-KNOW
Friesen and the Bears have their work cut out them after being close to a long-sought Canada West championship not so long ago. The schedule is tough, with Saskatchewan as a home-and-home opponent and no bye week during the regular season (the Bears' open week is the last week of the regular season). The Bears might (stress, might) end up being that team that is physical and doesn't give up anything easily, especially on defence, but might lack for playmakers at the skill positions. Alberta has an outside shot at the playoffs if they can keep teams in low-scoring games, but it won't come easily.
(Photos courtesy Uwe Welz photography.)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
TACKLING THE CIS: CALGARY DINOS
In our continuing effort to eliminate Eastern bias within our lifetime, we're working West to East to preview the 2007 CIS football season. Presenting: The Calgary Dinos.
In '06: 2-6, missed playoffs
Players to watch: LB Andrea Bonaventura, DL Tim Burris, DL Josh MacDonald, LB Chase Moore, SB K.C. Prince, RB Anthony Woodson
Head coach: Blake Nill (2nd season at Calgary, 10th overall)
Co-ordinators: Greg Vavra (offensive), John Stevens (defensive)
Last league title: 1995
Big ones: Sept. 29 vs. Alberta, Oct. 6 at Regina, Oct. 26 vs. UBC
On the web: godinos.com
Strengths: For one, they're stronger. Much of the pre-season talk surrounding the Dinos revolved around the off-season training program Nill installed to bulk up his team, which seems to draw more 18- and 19-year-old rookies straight out of high school, rather than junior football recruits who are in their 20s. It should also reduce the injuries that reduced Calgary to a M*A*S*H unit toward the end last season.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Likely starting QB Casey Brown, an American, has never played a down of 12-man, wide-field Canadian football (although he will get to play an exhibition game vs. Alberta prior to the opener). Accounting for all that space and that extra defender can make it chaotic for a passer. Calgary is also a very young team.
OFFENCE
It's nice to picture what Nill will have in 2009 when Woodson will be in his fourth season, star QB Dalin Tollestrup is back from a two-year Mormon mission and there will likely be a good offensive line to block for them. Anthony Woodson -- his dad, of the same name, played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the '80s -- is an all-purpose tailback who's big enough, has speed and can contribute to the passing game. He gained 751 yards from scrimmage last season despite starting just half the games on a weak team.
Prince is the team's top receiver; it's tough to get an idea what to expect from Brown, who threw only one pass (which he did complete) last season at Santa Ana (Calif.) Junior College. The offensive line, which gave up 29 sacks last season despite blocking for a fast and agile quarterback, is a deeper group than it was a year ago, returning six players who have started games for the Dinos, including former Canada West all-star Tim O'Neill.
DEFENCE
The Dinos are SMU West -- nosetackle Tim Burris, end Deji Oduwole and Bonaventura have each followed Nill out from Halifax. Along with Concordia transfer McDonald, they'll be looked to beef up the front seven. The force unit also includes the most aptly named player in the country, linebacker Chase Moore -- who naturally, led the Dinos in tackles last season.
The Dinos lost their best defensive back, five-year player Drew Carpenter, but the other four starters return. They will be pushed for playing time by the likes of Casey Woodley (another SMU transfer) and cornerback Juan Van Der Merwe, who made four interceptions a single game last fall playing junior football with the Vancouver Island Raiders, among others.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Aaron Ifield had a good rookie year as the field-goal kicker (14 of 16). He struggled with kickoff distance, ranking eighth in Canada West (which only has seven teams). Prince and fellow receiver Adam Bunz, among others, are candidates for the returner spots.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Nill seems to be doing what's necessary to pull the Dinos up from also-ran status -- add depth at each position, see to it that the players get physically stronger and keep his own backyard from being a happy hunting ground for other teams' recruiters. On the last count, he did draw two hometown talents, receivers Anthony Parker and Matt Little, to the U of C, and each should be fairly seasoned when Tollestrup returns in two years.
Calgary's being pegged as the program on the rise in Canada West. A .500 record and a return to the playoffs this season is doable. Calgary gets rebuilding Simon Fraser as one of its home-and-home teams and its single games against Alberta and UBC are both at home. The showdown against the Golden Bears also comes after a bye week.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
In '06: 2-6, missed playoffs
Players to watch: LB Andrea Bonaventura, DL Tim Burris, DL Josh MacDonald, LB Chase Moore, SB K.C. Prince, RB Anthony Woodson
Head coach: Blake Nill (2nd season at Calgary, 10th overall)
Co-ordinators: Greg Vavra (offensive), John Stevens (defensive)
Last league title: 1995
Big ones: Sept. 29 vs. Alberta, Oct. 6 at Regina, Oct. 26 vs. UBC
On the web: godinos.com
Strengths: For one, they're stronger. Much of the pre-season talk surrounding the Dinos revolved around the off-season training program Nill installed to bulk up his team, which seems to draw more 18- and 19-year-old rookies straight out of high school, rather than junior football recruits who are in their 20s. It should also reduce the injuries that reduced Calgary to a M*A*S*H unit toward the end last season.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... Likely starting QB Casey Brown, an American, has never played a down of 12-man, wide-field Canadian football (although he will get to play an exhibition game vs. Alberta prior to the opener). Accounting for all that space and that extra defender can make it chaotic for a passer. Calgary is also a very young team.
OFFENCE
It's nice to picture what Nill will have in 2009 when Woodson will be in his fourth season, star QB Dalin Tollestrup is back from a two-year Mormon mission and there will likely be a good offensive line to block for them. Anthony Woodson -- his dad, of the same name, played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the '80s -- is an all-purpose tailback who's big enough, has speed and can contribute to the passing game. He gained 751 yards from scrimmage last season despite starting just half the games on a weak team.
Prince is the team's top receiver; it's tough to get an idea what to expect from Brown, who threw only one pass (which he did complete) last season at Santa Ana (Calif.) Junior College. The offensive line, which gave up 29 sacks last season despite blocking for a fast and agile quarterback, is a deeper group than it was a year ago, returning six players who have started games for the Dinos, including former Canada West all-star Tim O'Neill.
DEFENCE
The Dinos are SMU West -- nosetackle Tim Burris, end Deji Oduwole and Bonaventura have each followed Nill out from Halifax. Along with Concordia transfer McDonald, they'll be looked to beef up the front seven. The force unit also includes the most aptly named player in the country, linebacker Chase Moore -- who naturally, led the Dinos in tackles last season.
The Dinos lost their best defensive back, five-year player Drew Carpenter, but the other four starters return. They will be pushed for playing time by the likes of Casey Woodley (another SMU transfer) and cornerback Juan Van Der Merwe, who made four interceptions a single game last fall playing junior football with the Vancouver Island Raiders, among others.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Aaron Ifield had a good rookie year as the field-goal kicker (14 of 16). He struggled with kickoff distance, ranking eighth in Canada West (which only has seven teams). Prince and fellow receiver Adam Bunz, among others, are candidates for the returner spots.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Nill seems to be doing what's necessary to pull the Dinos up from also-ran status -- add depth at each position, see to it that the players get physically stronger and keep his own backyard from being a happy hunting ground for other teams' recruiters. On the last count, he did draw two hometown talents, receivers Anthony Parker and Matt Little, to the U of C, and each should be fairly seasoned when Tollestrup returns in two years.
Calgary's being pegged as the program on the rise in Canada West. A .500 record and a return to the playoffs this season is doable. Calgary gets rebuilding Simon Fraser as one of its home-and-home teams and its single games against Alberta and UBC are both at home. The showdown against the Golden Bears also comes after a bye week.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
TACKLING THE CIS: SIMON FRASER CLAN
The Canadian university football season is kicking off soon and Out of Left Field is providing a look at all 27 CIS teams, from west to east. Presenting: the Simon Fraser Clan.
In '06: 0-8, missed playoffs
Players to watch: QB Jason Marshall, RB Jaiden Smith, K-WR Chris Passaglia, OL John Reeves, DB Stuart Milton
Head coach: Dave Johnson (1st season)
Co-ordinators: Johnson (offensive), Lou DesLauriers (defensive), Jamie Clayton (special teams)
Last league title: 2003
Big ones: Aug. 31 vs. Calgary, Sept. 4 at UBC, Oct. 6 vs. UBC
On the web: sfu.ca/athletics
Strengths: There's a fair bit of football knowledge among the new coaching staff, plus the opportunity for quick advancement has netted some decent recruits. There is some skill position talent such as Marshall, Smith and fullback Josh Havey in the backfield that should help keep SFU in some games.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... It will take time for the Clan to become competitive again. A short three-day turnaround between the first two games (Aug. 31 vs. Calgary and and Sept. 4 at UBC), followed by a trip to Saskatoon to play the Huskies, adds to the task at hand.
OFFENCE
Marshall, a fifth-year senior, probably won't find himself being SFU's leading rusher by default again. The Clan brought in Smith, who rushed for close to 5,500 yards in his junior football career. It also gets back tailback Owen Geier (who missed all of '06 with a knee injury). John Reeves, another former junior standout, joins an O-line that already has Brian Thiessen, who played in last spring's CIS East-West Bowl.
Receivers Chris Passaglia (son of the legendary Lui Passaglia) and Aaron Hargreaves should each see a lot of passes, especially on a team which might have play more catch-up than a guy who just registered for Facebook.
DEFENCE
Former UBC head coach Lou DesLauriers, the new defensive co-ordinator, might want to clean house. Milton, linebacker Dan Chabot and versatile linebacker/defensive back Thomas Pearce are the main holdovers from last season's defence. For the most part, SFU is starting from scratch after a defensive nightmare last season, but it does have a minimum of four games vs. teams who have new starting quarterbacks.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Like his famous father did in his days at SFU, Chris Passaglia adds kicking and punting to his duties as a wide receiver.
NEED-TO-KNOW
The school on the hill has been in the valley of indecision -- play Canadian schools, or play U.S. schools since its football program left the NAIA for the CIS in 2002? That, among other things, contributed to the bottoming-out over the past few seasons. The upshot is that the athletic administration at Simon Fraser is trying to build ties with ex-players from the program's bygone glory of the 1970s and '80s, when it was an assembly line to the CFL, and restore the program. On Sunday, the program is holding an alumni scrimmage -- a little bonding exercise Gary Barnett instituted when he pulled Northwestern up from Big Ten doormat to a Rose Bowl appearance in the mid-'90s.
Simon Fraser's best chance to break an 18-game losing skid might come in the opener since Calgary has a first-time starting quarterback, Casey Brown.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
In '06: 0-8, missed playoffs
Players to watch: QB Jason Marshall, RB Jaiden Smith, K-WR Chris Passaglia, OL John Reeves, DB Stuart Milton
Head coach: Dave Johnson (1st season)
Co-ordinators: Johnson (offensive), Lou DesLauriers (defensive), Jamie Clayton (special teams)
Last league title: 2003
Big ones: Aug. 31 vs. Calgary, Sept. 4 at UBC, Oct. 6 vs. UBC
On the web: sfu.ca/athletics
Strengths: There's a fair bit of football knowledge among the new coaching staff, plus the opportunity for quick advancement has netted some decent recruits. There is some skill position talent such as Marshall, Smith and fullback Josh Havey in the backfield that should help keep SFU in some games.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross... It will take time for the Clan to become competitive again. A short three-day turnaround between the first two games (Aug. 31 vs. Calgary and and Sept. 4 at UBC), followed by a trip to Saskatoon to play the Huskies, adds to the task at hand.
OFFENCE
Marshall, a fifth-year senior, probably won't find himself being SFU's leading rusher by default again. The Clan brought in Smith, who rushed for close to 5,500 yards in his junior football career. It also gets back tailback Owen Geier (who missed all of '06 with a knee injury). John Reeves, another former junior standout, joins an O-line that already has Brian Thiessen, who played in last spring's CIS East-West Bowl.
Receivers Chris Passaglia (son of the legendary Lui Passaglia) and Aaron Hargreaves should each see a lot of passes, especially on a team which might have play more catch-up than a guy who just registered for Facebook.
DEFENCE
Former UBC head coach Lou DesLauriers, the new defensive co-ordinator, might want to clean house. Milton, linebacker Dan Chabot and versatile linebacker/defensive back Thomas Pearce are the main holdovers from last season's defence. For the most part, SFU is starting from scratch after a defensive nightmare last season, but it does have a minimum of four games vs. teams who have new starting quarterbacks.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Like his famous father did in his days at SFU, Chris Passaglia adds kicking and punting to his duties as a wide receiver.
NEED-TO-KNOW
The school on the hill has been in the valley of indecision -- play Canadian schools, or play U.S. schools since its football program left the NAIA for the CIS in 2002? That, among other things, contributed to the bottoming-out over the past few seasons. The upshot is that the athletic administration at Simon Fraser is trying to build ties with ex-players from the program's bygone glory of the 1970s and '80s, when it was an assembly line to the CFL, and restore the program. On Sunday, the program is holding an alumni scrimmage -- a little bonding exercise Gary Barnett instituted when he pulled Northwestern up from Big Ten doormat to a Rose Bowl appearance in the mid-'90s.
Simon Fraser's best chance to break an 18-game losing skid might come in the opener since Calgary has a first-time starting quarterback, Casey Brown.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
TACKLING THE CIS: UBC THUNDERBIRDS
So we were thinking... wouldn't it be good if a blog previewed the Canadian university football season, team by team? We didn't necessarily mean that we'd have to be the ones to do it, but either way, here we go: 27 team previews by the time all four conferences begin play on Sept. 7. As part of the effort to eliminate Eastern bias within our lifetime, we're starting on the West Coast. Presenting: The UBC Thunderbirds.
BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDS
In '06: 4-5, lost 35-16 to Saskatchewan in conference semi-final
Players to watch: RB Chris Ciezki, QB Doug Goldsby, DL Scott McCuaig, DL Ryan Thomson, DB C.J. Stephenson, WR Darren Wilson
Coach: Ted Goveia (2nd season)
Co-ordinators: Goveia (offensive), Dino Germia (defensive), Clint Uttley (special teams)
Last league title: 1997
Big ones: Sept. 21 at Regina, Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan, Oct. 13 at Manitoba
On the web: gothunderbirds.ca
Strengths: Ciezki (pictured) is a Hec Crighton candidate and all four starting receivers have returned. Goldsby, the quarterback, has some speed, so the T-Birds might be a threat to have a few broken-play touchdowns.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross: Some new offensive linemen, a first-year starting QB and the loss of D-lineman Tommy Buchmann to an Achilles tendon injury for at least half the regular season offsets some of the advantage afforded by opening the season with three straight home games. As well, as Goveia said in the spring, "we're going to play a lot of young people." That makes UBC the X factor in a competitive conference.
OFFENCE
Doug Goldsby is the type of athlete whom coaches know has to be get on the field on some capacity. He started safety as a rookie last season and saw nominal action at QB behind now-graduated Blake Smelser. His running ability will probably be needed a bit since the T-Birds will have some new blockers.
The changes along the line might be a drag on Ciezki's numbers, but he is the best back in Canada West, bar none, having averaged an eye-popping 9.1 yards per carry last season. That quartet of returning receivers -- Wilson, Tyler Hamade, Alan Pepper and Braden Smith -- each had at least 342 yards last season. Goldsby might not spread the ball around that well right off the hop.
DEFENCE
Buchmann's injury in the East-West Bowl last spring and D-back Konrad Wasiela signing with the B.C. Lions will hurt. UBC returns seven starters, including McCuaig, who had a team-best five sacks in '06. Linebacker Braydon Hobbs, the 2005 Canada West rookie of the year who had a medical redshirt last season, makes it eight. Stephenson, Tyler Codron and Corey Hamade are expected to anchor the secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The T-Birds are settled in this area. Shawn McIsaac handles all kicking and was a Canada West all-star pick in '06. Return man Derek Townsend was also an all-conference pick and is looking to lead the conference in punt return yardage for an unprecedented third straight season. Tyler Hamade can also return kicks.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Call it a Canadian conundrum . The large, academically elite universities in Canada's most prosperous cities -- the U of Alberta in Edmonton, the U of T in Toronto and McGill in Montreal -- haven't done so well on the football field. UBC has been no different, going title-less since its 1997 Vanier Cup, but there's no lack of good players close to home and the school has the wherewithal to recruit outside its own region.
(Goveia said he would go into Saskatchewan for players after last season's playoff loss, but ultimately lost out out two defensive standouts from the junior Saskatoon Hilltops, LB Thomas Irving and DE Bryce Papic, who each stayed home, in one in junior, one in the CIS. But he's trying.)
Bottom line: The Thunderbirds seem to be building something. There is some youth on the team, which makes it the wild card in Canada West, but a 5-3 record is reasonable.
(Photo courtesy of UBC Athletics -- sincere appreciation to Marc Weber, sports information director.)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDSIn '06: 4-5, lost 35-16 to Saskatchewan in conference semi-final
Players to watch: RB Chris Ciezki, QB Doug Goldsby, DL Scott McCuaig, DL Ryan Thomson, DB C.J. Stephenson, WR Darren Wilson
Coach: Ted Goveia (2nd season)
Co-ordinators: Goveia (offensive), Dino Germia (defensive), Clint Uttley (special teams)
Last league title: 1997
Big ones: Sept. 21 at Regina, Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan, Oct. 13 at Manitoba
On the web: gothunderbirds.ca
Strengths: Ciezki (pictured) is a Hec Crighton candidate and all four starting receivers have returned. Goldsby, the quarterback, has some speed, so the T-Birds might be a threat to have a few broken-play touchdowns.
Mountains to climb, rivers to cross: Some new offensive linemen, a first-year starting QB and the loss of D-lineman Tommy Buchmann to an Achilles tendon injury for at least half the regular season offsets some of the advantage afforded by opening the season with three straight home games. As well, as Goveia said in the spring, "we're going to play a lot of young people." That makes UBC the X factor in a competitive conference.
OFFENCE
Doug Goldsby is the type of athlete whom coaches know has to be get on the field on some capacity. He started safety as a rookie last season and saw nominal action at QB behind now-graduated Blake Smelser. His running ability will probably be needed a bit since the T-Birds will have some new blockers.
The changes along the line might be a drag on Ciezki's numbers, but he is the best back in Canada West, bar none, having averaged an eye-popping 9.1 yards per carry last season. That quartet of returning receivers -- Wilson, Tyler Hamade, Alan Pepper and Braden Smith -- each had at least 342 yards last season. Goldsby might not spread the ball around that well right off the hop.
DEFENCE
Buchmann's injury in the East-West Bowl last spring and D-back Konrad Wasiela signing with the B.C. Lions will hurt. UBC returns seven starters, including McCuaig, who had a team-best five sacks in '06. Linebacker Braydon Hobbs, the 2005 Canada West rookie of the year who had a medical redshirt last season, makes it eight. Stephenson, Tyler Codron and Corey Hamade are expected to anchor the secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The T-Birds are settled in this area. Shawn McIsaac handles all kicking and was a Canada West all-star pick in '06. Return man Derek Townsend was also an all-conference pick and is looking to lead the conference in punt return yardage for an unprecedented third straight season. Tyler Hamade can also return kicks.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Call it a Canadian conundrum . The large, academically elite universities in Canada's most prosperous cities -- the U of Alberta in Edmonton, the U of T in Toronto and McGill in Montreal -- haven't done so well on the football field. UBC has been no different, going title-less since its 1997 Vanier Cup, but there's no lack of good players close to home and the school has the wherewithal to recruit outside its own region.
(Goveia said he would go into Saskatchewan for players after last season's playoff loss, but ultimately lost out out two defensive standouts from the junior Saskatoon Hilltops, LB Thomas Irving and DE Bryce Papic, who each stayed home, in one in junior, one in the CIS. But he's trying.)
Bottom line: The Thunderbirds seem to be building something. There is some youth on the team, which makes it the wild card in Canada West, but a 5-3 record is reasonable.
(Photo courtesy of UBC Athletics -- sincere appreciation to Marc Weber, sports information director.)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
UP AT 6... DEAD SOLID PERFECT; A GRAND ACCOMPLISHMENT
On further review, there really should be a Jessica Alba photo any time she's referenced... please forgive us. - The humminest sumbitch who ever batted out a sports column, Dan Jenkins, might start blogging with his daughter Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. Your Internet connection might not be to handle that much awesomeness.
- Curtis Granderson hit two triples in that Tigers-Yankees marathon that didn't end until 3:30 a.m. (due to a rain delay and extra innings plus the Yankees' dragging ass in the name of "gamesmanship"). That made him the first American League player since 1949 to have 20 three-baggers in a season while playing his home games on a grass surface.
Granderson also needs four homers for the rare 20-20-20 season (doubles, triples and homers). George Brett was the last to do it with the 1979 Royals. - The big game in the Premiership today is the early-season surprise Manchester City vs. Arsenal. If City wins, Liam and Noel Gallagher from Oasis will get drunk and fight each other for the 1,000th time.
(Here's an article Noel wrote in 2000 about being a long-suffering City fan.) - FIBA Americas: Canada 93, U.S. Virgin Islands 83. Shouldn't Tim Duncan have been playing for V.I.? It was a nice enough win, but now it's Canada vs. the U.S. today. It's a good day to go fishing.
- CFL: Blue Bombers 15, Argonauts 13. The only way Toronto gets in the end zone these days is when defensive guys come over and join the offence.
- Compare this Hockey Hearsay post from yesterday with an article by Philadelphia Inquirer hockey writer Tim Panaccio. It's just brutal this goes on.
Lastly, it's true the Yankees take a lot of pitches and draw out games, but still playing at 2:45 a.m.? That's an all-timer.
Friday, August 24, 2007
LYNX: STAYING DOGGED, IN THE DOG DAYS
It's late in the year, it's the fourth game in two nights between two also-ran teams, and Brennan King is still grinding out at-bats for the Lynx. King fought back from an 0-2 count to force a full-count walk that set up Jim Rushford's tiebreaking three-run double in the sixth inning of tonight's 6-4 win (boxscore, play-by-play) over Syracuse in tonight's twinbill. Earlier, King had a nine-pitch at-bat before hitting a sac fly.
Joe Thurston apparently got wind of our musing over whether he or Gary Burnham should be the Lynx: He was 5-for-8 across the two games with a homer and three RBI. Burnham should be in second place in the IL in on-base percentage. He's at .394, even with Toledo's Ryan Raburn (who's been in the majors since early July). He's up to 80 RBI, five off the record with 10 games remaining.
Leadoff man Javon Moran is an 0-for-20 skid across the past five games.
Earlier, the gnats got to right-hander Gary Knotts in his Lynx debut, the 5-3 come-from-ahead loss (boxscore, play-by-play) to Syracuse in Game 1 of the double-dip.
Knotts was staked to a two-run lead but was extended in the fifth, which started when the Chiefs' 8-9 hitters, ex-Lynx/ex-Blue Jay Howie Clark and our working class hero of the week, Canuck catcher David Corrente, each got aboard to start the inning. An inning later, the lead reduced to 3-2, Adam Lind homered in the sixth before Clark singled ahead of Corrente crushing a game-winning home run for the second straight day. Right now the ball must look like it's the size of a volleyball to him.
(Corrente, from a long line of coaches, helped coached the Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks to an Ontario high school boys volleyball championship last fall. Thanks to a reader for the info -- and the corrections.)
Joe Thurston apparently got wind of our musing over whether he or Gary Burnham should be the Lynx: He was 5-for-8 across the two games with a homer and three RBI. Burnham should be in second place in the IL in on-base percentage. He's at .394, even with Toledo's Ryan Raburn (who's been in the majors since early July). He's up to 80 RBI, five off the record with 10 games remaining.
Leadoff man Javon Moran is an 0-for-20 skid across the past five games.
Earlier, the gnats got to right-hander Gary Knotts in his Lynx debut, the 5-3 come-from-ahead loss (boxscore, play-by-play) to Syracuse in Game 1 of the double-dip.
Knotts was staked to a two-run lead but was extended in the fifth, which started when the Chiefs' 8-9 hitters, ex-Lynx/ex-Blue Jay Howie Clark and our working class hero of the week, Canuck catcher David Corrente, each got aboard to start the inning. An inning later, the lead reduced to 3-2, Adam Lind homered in the sixth before Clark singled ahead of Corrente crushing a game-winning home run for the second straight day. Right now the ball must look like it's the size of a volleyball to him.
(Corrente, from a long line of coaches, helped coached the Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks to an Ontario high school boys volleyball championship last fall. Thanks to a reader for the info -- and the corrections.)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
LYNX: BACKUP CATCHERS ARE OUR HEROES
Tonight's Lynx doubleheader loss in Syracuse turned up a new Canadian baseball name to remember.
Jays prospect Adam Lind was a single shy of hitting for the cycle -- he only got three at-bats in the seven-inning doubleheader game in the Chiefs' 7-1 romp (boxscore, play-by-play) in the second game. He was on deck with two out in the bottom of the sixth but Joe Bisenius got an inning-ending strikeout.
Lind isn't tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A -- .801 on-base plus slugging, although he's hitting better with runners on base than with the bases empty.
Meantime, in Syracuse's 7-3 win (boxscore, play-by-play) in Game 1, backup catcher David Corrente of Chatham got to start since it's a twinbill. He ended up hitting a two-run homer, his first in Triple-A, off Lynx righty Matt Childers (7-3) in the fourth inning that put the Chiefs ahead for good.
The 24-year-old Corrente isn't a big-time prospect. He's one of dozens of catchers hoping to win a major-league job on his defence and professionalism, the kind who usually gets a bit of cult following if he stays with a team for a while. Backup catchers are always easy to root for, especialy ones from Ferguson Jenkins' hometown.
Corrente will be a minor league free agent after the season, so the Jays will have to decide if he should stay in the organization. After his go-ahead homer, the Chiefs salted away the game with three unearned runs in the fifth. It rained before the game and the wind was gusting throughout the game, so that might have played a role in a Gookie Dawkins throwing error and a two-out fly ball to deep centre field that fell in and bounced over the fence for an automatic double. Childers then failed to get the fifth out of the inning when John Hattig belted a three-run homer.
Gary Burnham accounted for of all of Ottawa's runs on the night -- he scored the only one in the second game after hitting a three-run homer to account for all the damage in the opener. He's seven RBI shy of tying the club single-season record with 12 games left, barring any games that are cancelled due to rain or widespread ennui.
Another doubleheader on Friday? Grrrrreat.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Jays prospect Adam Lind was a single shy of hitting for the cycle -- he only got three at-bats in the seven-inning doubleheader game in the Chiefs' 7-1 romp (boxscore, play-by-play) in the second game. He was on deck with two out in the bottom of the sixth but Joe Bisenius got an inning-ending strikeout.
Lind isn't tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A -- .801 on-base plus slugging, although he's hitting better with runners on base than with the bases empty.
Meantime, in Syracuse's 7-3 win (boxscore, play-by-play) in Game 1, backup catcher David Corrente of Chatham got to start since it's a twinbill. He ended up hitting a two-run homer, his first in Triple-A, off Lynx righty Matt Childers (7-3) in the fourth inning that put the Chiefs ahead for good.
The 24-year-old Corrente isn't a big-time prospect. He's one of dozens of catchers hoping to win a major-league job on his defence and professionalism, the kind who usually gets a bit of cult following if he stays with a team for a while. Backup catchers are always easy to root for, especialy ones from Ferguson Jenkins' hometown.
Corrente will be a minor league free agent after the season, so the Jays will have to decide if he should stay in the organization. After his go-ahead homer, the Chiefs salted away the game with three unearned runs in the fifth. It rained before the game and the wind was gusting throughout the game, so that might have played a role in a Gookie Dawkins throwing error and a two-out fly ball to deep centre field that fell in and bounced over the fence for an automatic double. Childers then failed to get the fifth out of the inning when John Hattig belted a three-run homer.
Gary Burnham accounted for of all of Ottawa's runs on the night -- he scored the only one in the second game after hitting a three-run homer to account for all the damage in the opener. He's seven RBI shy of tying the club single-season record with 12 games left, barring any games that are cancelled due to rain or widespread ennui.
Another doubleheader on Friday? Grrrrreat.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
SENDING IN THE CARLETON SWAT TEAM
A Carleton-style little play helped keep Canada afloat early in the second half of a stirring 80-73 win over Venezuela at the FIBA Americas tourney tonight.
(It's Leo Rautins' first international win as coach -- a modest start on a long road.)
Dave Smart's Ravens always seem adept at going after a long offensive rebound and swatting the ball out to the perimeter to reset their offence. It's got them more than a few second-chance three-pointers that have broken an opponent's will, even though it's not even noted in the boxscore. Tonight, Canada and Venezuela were tied 37-37 just after the half when Jesse Young got his hand on the ball after and tapped it out to Carl English, who swished one of his four threes. On the next trip, English paid Young back with a nice bounce pass for a fast-break layup to give Leo Rautins' team a five-point edge.
That wasn't the whole game, obviously, but it was neat seeing one of Carleton's hustle plays make its way into the national team's reportoire. (Of course, even a dunce like me can notice that they're running some of Smart's system.) That five-point swing set up Canada to take Venezuela's best shots for the rest of the quarter and early part of the fourth without falling out of contention. It wasn't an A-plus effort.
They scored 12 of the last 15 points over the last 2:25 after Samuel Dalembert made a game-saving play when he used one of his Inspector Gadget arms to block what looked to be a sure layup by Venezuela's Luis Bethelmy. Dalembert (18 points) finished inside on the next two possessions. Jermaine Anderson, who had a tough miss on a driving layup that would have put Canada up by 7 late in the third quarter (Venezuela drew a third foul on Dalembert seconds later and started to take over the game), closed it out by scoring the final six points on his way to 17 for the game.
Canada had five guys score at least eight points (including English with 14 and Young with 10). Each one heated up for short stretches, which is another Carleton hallmark. Ravens guard Ryan Bell's seven-minute shift in the first half also coincided with an 8-0 Canadian run. So far he's played 20 minutes in the tournament without turning the ball over once. Best of luck, meantime, to Osvaldo Jeanty as he embarks on playing in Germany.
(UPDATE: The Syracuse Post-Standard's Mike Waters reports that Andy Rautins will miss the entire season.)
Related:
Jeanty signs deal to play in Germany (Martin Cleary, Ottawa Citizen; via cishoops.ca)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
(It's Leo Rautins' first international win as coach -- a modest start on a long road.)
Dave Smart's Ravens always seem adept at going after a long offensive rebound and swatting the ball out to the perimeter to reset their offence. It's got them more than a few second-chance three-pointers that have broken an opponent's will, even though it's not even noted in the boxscore. Tonight, Canada and Venezuela were tied 37-37 just after the half when Jesse Young got his hand on the ball after and tapped it out to Carl English, who swished one of his four threes. On the next trip, English paid Young back with a nice bounce pass for a fast-break layup to give Leo Rautins' team a five-point edge.
That wasn't the whole game, obviously, but it was neat seeing one of Carleton's hustle plays make its way into the national team's reportoire. (Of course, even a dunce like me can notice that they're running some of Smart's system.) That five-point swing set up Canada to take Venezuela's best shots for the rest of the quarter and early part of the fourth without falling out of contention. It wasn't an A-plus effort.
They scored 12 of the last 15 points over the last 2:25 after Samuel Dalembert made a game-saving play when he used one of his Inspector Gadget arms to block what looked to be a sure layup by Venezuela's Luis Bethelmy. Dalembert (18 points) finished inside on the next two possessions. Jermaine Anderson, who had a tough miss on a driving layup that would have put Canada up by 7 late in the third quarter (Venezuela drew a third foul on Dalembert seconds later and started to take over the game), closed it out by scoring the final six points on his way to 17 for the game.
Canada had five guys score at least eight points (including English with 14 and Young with 10). Each one heated up for short stretches, which is another Carleton hallmark. Ravens guard Ryan Bell's seven-minute shift in the first half also coincided with an 8-0 Canadian run. So far he's played 20 minutes in the tournament without turning the ball over once. Best of luck, meantime, to Osvaldo Jeanty as he embarks on playing in Germany.
(UPDATE: The Syracuse Post-Standard's Mike Waters reports that Andy Rautins will miss the entire season.)
Related:
Jeanty signs deal to play in Germany (Martin Cleary, Ottawa Citizen; via cishoops.ca)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
BENCHWARMERS' MINDS SOMETIMES TURN TO ANOTHER KIND OF "EXECUTION"
Wouldn't it be something if the media, along with gathering opinions from prominent African-American sports figures -- Stephon Marbury, for instance -- also sought out marginal white athletes at random and asked what they really think about Michael Vick's dogfighting conviction?Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, it's not necessary, in one case. A couple Big Ten college football players from the University of Illinois, quarterback Jimmy Garza (top picture) and wideout Jack Eastman (second picture), have apparently been kind enough to start a group entitled All Those in Favor of Drowning Mike Vick and Then Electricuting Him! (That's their spelling.)
A Jimmy Garza is listed as "electricutioner" and a Jack Eastman is listed as "creator" of the group, which has almost 3,700 members as of this morning. Neither player is on the two-deep chart for Illinois, which has won only eight games across the past four seasons. Garza is stuck behind a talented African-American QB, Juice Williams, and Eastman plays a position typically dominated by black athletes in big-time U.S. college football. Evidently, the two guys whose path to success is blocked by black players also really, really despise Michael Vick, or think he's fodder for their sick so-called senses of humour. Funny how that worked out."Normally, I would be very much against any further mistreatment of animals. But I wouldn't mind seeing his dogs starved for a week, then let loose on Michael with his hands tied behind his back. We'll see how fast Michael Vick can really run."
Granted, these guys are benchwarmers, but they do represent a university and its values. (For the record, it would take something a lot more offensive to get this kind of article written about a CIS athlete. They are lower profile and most Canadians are too polite.)
It's one thing to get drunk on the odd weekend. What does it say about about developing qualities such as civility, expressing forgiveness and an ability to form an intelligent opinion - things that are part of being educated -- when you start a Facebook group that (at the least) jokes about Michael Vick being forcibly drowned, and no doubt help it spread like to thousands of likewise sick-minded people who need to get a life for Christmas? It doesn't say much, although it might say quite a bit to these two guys' African-American teammates.
These illiterati might say, "it's just for fun." But there's nothing about the words, "I wouldn't mind seeing his dogs starved for a week, then let loose on Michael with his hands tied behind his back," that suggests this is good old college humour.
No one's asking anyone to defend Vick, or forgive him, but joking about having him drowned? Get a grip. Oh, and anyone who thinks what happens on Facebook stays on Facebook has another think coming. It's right there smack dab in the middle of Reality.
It's just funny to see the ugly thoughts of young people are supposed to be getting an education out in the open like this. Sports thrives on control, especially college football. Thanks to a couple of, A-hole B-teamers, it's all out in the open. The Great American Football Machine has about as much chance vs. Facebook as Illinois does of winning the Big Ten this season.
(In case anyone has concerns about mistaken identity: The profile pic for the group's creator matches the one of Jack Eastman at CSTV. The "electricutioner's" profile picture depicts four young white men in jerseys that are Illinois' shade of blue. One wears No. 12, Garza's number, and the others wear Nos. 19, 16 and 14. A roster check matches those numbers to other quarterbacks, each of whom is white.)
Related:
Vancouver MP receives chilling threat on Facebook (globeandmail.com)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
UP AT 6: AT LEAST SOMEONE FROM TEXAS IS SCORING...
What, do you need a designated driver?
- Follow baseball long enough and you'll see everything, but enough about the Texas Rangers scoring 30 runs against the Orioles: A woman said no to a scoreboard marriage proposal at a game in Houston the other night.
That's probably on the top 10 things you dream of seeing first-hand at a baseball game, below a no-hitter but above the infielder actually touching second base on a double play. - As for the Texas Rangers' 30-3 win over Baltimore, Oriole Post puts it best: "No one was really upset, it was mass laughter and utter disbelief concerning the situation." Ah, prom night all over again.
Oh, and the Rangers scored more runs in one game than the Jays scored in an entire nine-game homestand. - Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star: "It's amazing, at least here, that after decades of miserable moments from NFL owners and players, one star's participation in a disgraceful pastime, namely illegal dogfighting, is the league's biggest PR nightmare."
Related question: how many Facebook groups are there calling for the NFL to increase disability payments for retired players? There are few good white folks who need a cause -- and a life. - The Senators' new sweaters are supposed to intill "increased confidence and attitude." That will keep them going until Martin Gerber makes his first regular-season start.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
GETTING A CHARGE OUT OF BELL'S CONTRIBUTIONS
Greater minds can handle the serious hoops analysis, of course, but it looked like Carleton Ravens guard Ryan Bell made a good case for more minutes in Canada's otherwise disappointing opening 75-67 loss to Brazil tonight at the FIBA Americas championship.With Andy Rautins (pictured), who plays regularly with the Syracuse Orange, gone after seriously injuring his knee (more on that in a bit), Bell helped Canada go on 16-6 run early in the fourth quarter that, however briefly, erased a 10-point Brazil lead. It was pretty much the only stretch all night when Canada got the ball inside with any regularity -- Samuel Dalembert scored six of his 10 points in that span -- and moved it around with alacrity. (That Dalembert putback dunk was set up by Bell throwing a great entry pass to Juan Mendez in the low post.)
The 6-foot-4 Orleans native also helped create a four-point swing when he drew a charge on one of Brazil's best bigs, Tiago Splitter, to deny an easy basket on a 3-on-1 fast break. That also led to Splitter fouling out in the final four minutes. Nenê, the mononymed forward who plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets, fouled out less than a minute later but Canada could not take advantage. That's the kind of night it was for Leo Rautins' lads.
Bell didn't take a shot in a 13 minutes on the floor (he had two assists and no turnovers). Ultimately, he was part of a unit with Dalembert, Mendez David Thomas and Carl English that seemed to work well together.
That was only one small part of the game, of course, in the larger story that Mark Wacyk at cishoops.ca is 10 times better at telling. Steve Nash's Suns running mate Leandro Barbosa put up 30 points and his unmatched stop-and-start ability contributed to the terrible knee injury to Andy Rautins.
Rautins was covering Barbosa on the left wing, off the ball, early in the second quarter when the Brazilian Blur feinted a move toward three-point range and cut toward the basket. There probably aren't six guys in the NBA who can stay with the Brazilian Blur when he does that. Rautins, who had checked during the quarter break, went for the first move. He tried to stop to cut off a pass to Barbosa and his knee bent in a way that was not what his maker had in mind. It looked bad.
That's terrible for the Rautinses to have that happen in the very first game of the tournament. It hurts two teams near and dear, the national team and the Syracuse Orange. (There's a sneaking suspicion pere Rautins' choice in corporate sponsors might have ticked off the karma police.) Canada's showing was promising enough in light of Dalembert's early foul trouble, poor foul shooting (only 19 trips to the line and 11 makes) the injury and a glut of empty possessions across the final minutes. This team bears watching tomorrow vs. Venezuela (6 p.m. Eastern, The Score).
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
A'S-JAYS: ROGERS CENTRE, ON THE SHORES OF LAKE FLACCID
Wednesday -- A's 4, Jays 1: Someone should figure out a way to have Mike Wilner host every post-game show in Canada -- or at the very least, get the guys who handle those duties for Senators broadcasts on The Team 1200 and say, "This is how a real broadcaster does it."
Wilner opened today by calling the Jays offence "flaccid" and it got better from there. He coined a new word: "Frustcination."
Frus-ci-nat-ion (noun)
The genius manager continued to act on his belief the Brians (Wolfe and Tallet) are something more than innings eaters and consequently, another another winnable game fell by the wayside.
Reed Johnson was 0-for-5, struck out three times and made the final out in the wake of Richard Griffin's passionate plea about the need for his small ball skills (scroll down). Oh-for-five?
Dick Griffin writing a column that's completely crackers is nothing new, but what spurred him on in this case is a mystery. Maybe Johnson showed him a Ghostbusters lunchbox full of Dick drawings.
Monday -- A's 6, Jays 4: Making a list is better reading than a recap of a game that had about as much intensity as Monday night mixed slo-pitch, with countless errors, Shaun Marcum getting jocked (law of averages) and Dustin McGowan appearing as a pinch-runner.
Wilner opened today by calling the Jays offence "flaccid" and it got better from there. He coined a new word: "Frustcination."
Frus-ci-nat-ion (noun)
- State of being a fan of a team that's ninth in the league in runs scored.
- Watching a .500 team that has the second-best park-adjusted ERA in baseball.
- Having to be Mike Wilner and trying to talk sense to a guy in Markham who bases his argument on the musings of "Richard Griffin of the Toronto Sun." Apparently the Jays had a five-year plan since one of Paul Godfrey's lucky-sperm-club spawn so said on Off The Record years ago. Who the hell cares? Ass.
- A not uncommon reaction to watching Esteban Loaiza shut down a team in his first start all season.
The genius manager continued to act on his belief the Brians (Wolfe and Tallet) are something more than innings eaters and consequently, another another winnable game fell by the wayside.
Reed Johnson was 0-for-5, struck out three times and made the final out in the wake of Richard Griffin's passionate plea about the need for his small ball skills (scroll down). Oh-for-five?
Dick Griffin writing a column that's completely crackers is nothing new, but what spurred him on in this case is a mystery. Maybe Johnson showed him a Ghostbusters lunchbox full of Dick drawings.
Monday -- A's 6, Jays 4: Making a list is better reading than a recap of a game that had about as much intensity as Monday night mixed slo-pitch, with countless errors, Shaun Marcum getting jocked (law of averages) and Dustin McGowan appearing as a pinch-runner.
- The Tao of Stieb (thanks again for all the help) picked up on context that needs to be given during the Jays' summer of craptacular hitting: Home runs are down.
Team home runs per game, American League:
2003: 1.101
2004: 1.150
2005: 1.075
2006: 1.123
2007: 0.975
The last time the average AL team hit less than one homer per game was 1993. It seems like Frank Thomas' comment last week about deadened baseballs is more than the whelp of a declining designated hitter.
This doesn't get Jamie Campbell off the hook for commenting, "Boy, if the fences were moved in 15 feet for this game, the Blue Jays would be winning 8-2," during Sunday's flyball fest vs. Orioles right-hander Jeremy Guthrie. Which park has a 385-foot centre-field marking again?
Worth looking at: Hardball Times showed earlier in the year that opposite-field home runs as a percentage of all home runs has dipped steadily across the past decade. Yet the Jays are still built around the home run. - The Star's Dick Griffin wrote a panegryic for Reed Johnson and his "true top-of-the-order skills in the art of small ball" being left on the bench last night.
For (probably) not the last time, it's not about small ball, it's about production. The Jays had very good output from the leadoff spot in 2005 and '06 when Johnson hit there the lion share's of the time, but calling that "small ball" is a little rich.*
Johnson just flat-out hit in 2006. The difference between his .366 batting average on balls in play (BAbip) last season and the league average of .308 wasn't all bunts and bloopers. This season's been a write-off for him after the hernia surgery and subsequent rehab. He's still decent when he puts the ball in play -- his BAbip is .336 (through Monday's play).
Emphasis is on the last part. His batting eye -- which is a big part of the art of small ball -- is shot to hell in the wake of having undergone major surgery. Johnson's drawn nine bases on balls in 178 plate appearances -- about one per every 20 trips to bat. He's struck out once every five times.
How is a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio small ball again? Do you really want a guy who's pressing and trying to make up for lost time with one swing or one big game hitting leadoff?
The Jays have had better-than-average production from the leadoff spot across the entire season with Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and 39-year-old Matt Stairs filling in there. It's the 3-4 slots that have killed them, as J.P. Ricciardi correctly pointed out.
The fact Johnson's BAbip has not fluctuated too much in light of what's gone wrong for him this season gives hope that he will be fine next season. He's a grown man who should be able to wait his turn and besides, he'll have a new manager and hitting coach to prove himself to next spring in Dunedin. - A personal irony to Griffin, who occasionally reminds readers that he coaches kids' teams, writing in praise of Johnson and his small ball skills: In August 2005, good friend Jeff Dertinger and I took in a Jays-Tigers game in Detroit. It went to extra innings and Johnson was called on to bunt after Russ Adams ripped a double (you know it was a while ago when...). He popped up his bunt attempt, Brandon Inge caught it, the Jays didn't score and eventually lost.
So a couple nights later during a dinner break, I stopped by the ball diamond across the street from the Simcoe Reformer office. Right at that moment, another youth baseball coach was holding bunting practice for some 11- and 12-year-old kids, mentioning they would "need to play small ball -- you can't just hit home runs all the time" when they got into late-season tournaments. Guess who he cited as an example of how not to bunt?
Reed Johnson. And with god as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly.
(* Others would have said, "it's a Dick move," but that's just not right.)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
UP AT 6: EDDIE GRIFFIN AS TRAGEDY
While you were screaming your best friend's name from the rooftop...- It's somewhat wrong to impose sentiments posthumously on Eddie Griffin (pictured), the NBA forward whose death in a fiery SUV-train collision was confirmed last night. Nevertheless, in death Griffin is a tragic figure. He was given more than he could handle -- talent, and money -- and it broke him. It's important to keep that in mind whenever it seems like pro athletes come by it all too easily. It's hard to shake where one comes from and Griffin, by every account, accumulated serious amounts of baggage that he didn't purge.
He probably threw away the chance of 10,000 lifetimes and now he's an eternal reminder of the savage undercurrent in the saga of the elongated Eliza Doolittles who make it to the NBA. Free Darko's take is that Griffin "was doomed from the beginning. In some ways, he might as well have never been an NBA player. His demons were going to run him down sooner or later, and that wondrous game of his? In the end, it existed only to remind us all how little it actually mattered." - Vikings fans will take whatever we can get when it comes to reasons to look forward to this season. Watch Adrian Peterson run from last Friday vs. the Jets. Kissing Suzy Kolber is calling him Purple Jesus, a phrase I haven't thought of in a football context since attending Queen's Golden Gaels games as an undergrad about 10 years ago. (You know what I'm talking about.)
Wow, it looks like Vikings coach Brad Childress' offence is getting more imaginative in his second season. The Vikes are actually running the ball to the right side now. - So sweet that you had to brush your teeth twice afterward: All-time crybaby suck Mike Mussina was knocked out in the second inning of the Yankees' 18-9 shellacking at the hands of the Angels on the same night that his Orioles record for most strikeouts in a season was matched by Eastern Ontario's own Erik Bedard.
In fairness, Mussina was ODB'd by Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay. The Yankees were losing by 10 runs with two out in the ninth and Alex Rodriguez homered off 29-year-old rookie mopup man Marc Gwyn, who was making just his second major-league appearance -- and Kay still did that little "See Ya!" home run call.
Well, that homer did get the Yankees within a run of Garrett Anderson's tally for the evening. Fair enough. - Carleton Ravens guard Ryan Bell -- he's that rangy, quietly effective player who was next to Oz Jeanty for four seasons -- will play for Canada at the FIBA Americas championship; cishoops.ca notes that as the only true point guard on Leo Rautins' roster
Aaron Doornekamp, as expected, was left off the roster since Canada needed more depth in the backcourt.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
LYNX: BURNHAM'S BIG DAY
Today's 4-2 Lynx win boxscore, play-by-play drew some attention to cleanup man Gary Burnham's pursuit of a couple club marks.
Burnham's game-tying RBI double in the fourth and the bases-full walk he drew in the seventh — Buffalo lefty Rich Rundles (2-4) handled out free passes like he was the L.A. Galaxy's ticket manager, walking five straight to force in the winning runs — brought him up to 75 RBI, ten away from Shane Andrews' club record set in 1994.
(See? The Rich are almost the most generous. Five straight walks? That was ballsy.)
RBI are an overrated stat, but a club record is a club record and Burnham by all accounts is a deserving kind of guy. He has 14 games (10 against Syracuse's struggling pitching staff) to tie or beat the mark, so if the top of the order — that means you, Javon Moran, Joe Thurston and Jason Jaramillo — can get on base for him, there's an outside chance.
Burnham's on-base percentage was .389 entering today and he pushed it up a couple points by getting on base three times in four plate appearances. Does anyone know what the Lynx single-season record is and what constitutes a full season (i.e., minimum number of plate appearances to qualify for the IL batting title)?
Jack Cust, now thriving with the Oakland A's had a .422 OBP in 2003, a season where he appeared in only 97 games and had less than three plate appearances per team game played. The '02 Lynx, the last one to make the playoffs, had Endy Chavez and Joe Vitiello put up respective OBPs of .392 and .390.
Burnham's double was his 31st — seven off the club mark set by Luis Ortiz in that '02 playoff season. Matching that is a longshot.
Geoff Geary (2-1) got the win today with a couple scoreless frames. The Lynx (51-78) will likely get the franchise's 1,000th win during the eight-game, seven-day road trip that begins tomorrow with a doubleheader in Syracuse.
Burnham's game-tying RBI double in the fourth and the bases-full walk he drew in the seventh — Buffalo lefty Rich Rundles (2-4) handled out free passes like he was the L.A. Galaxy's ticket manager, walking five straight to force in the winning runs — brought him up to 75 RBI, ten away from Shane Andrews' club record set in 1994.
(See? The Rich are almost the most generous. Five straight walks? That was ballsy.)
RBI are an overrated stat, but a club record is a club record and Burnham by all accounts is a deserving kind of guy. He has 14 games (10 against Syracuse's struggling pitching staff) to tie or beat the mark, so if the top of the order — that means you, Javon Moran, Joe Thurston and Jason Jaramillo — can get on base for him, there's an outside chance.
Burnham's on-base percentage was .389 entering today and he pushed it up a couple points by getting on base three times in four plate appearances. Does anyone know what the Lynx single-season record is and what constitutes a full season (i.e., minimum number of plate appearances to qualify for the IL batting title)?
Jack Cust, now thriving with the Oakland A's had a .422 OBP in 2003, a season where he appeared in only 97 games and had less than three plate appearances per team game played. The '02 Lynx, the last one to make the playoffs, had Endy Chavez and Joe Vitiello put up respective OBPs of .392 and .390.
Burnham's double was his 31st — seven off the club mark set by Luis Ortiz in that '02 playoff season. Matching that is a longshot.
Geoff Geary (2-1) got the win today with a couple scoreless frames. The Lynx (51-78) will likely get the franchise's 1,000th win during the eight-game, seven-day road trip that begins tomorrow with a doubleheader in Syracuse.
Monday, August 20, 2007
LYNX: MORAN TOASTS THOSE BUFFALO BURGHERS
Lynx lefty J.A. Happ continued to make his case for a September stint with the Phillies in tonight's 5-3 win (boxscore, play-by-play) over the Buffalo Bisons but: He scattered one walk and six hits across six innings, striking out five and leaving the game with the lead.
Javon Moran was a catalyst in the leadoff spot: 3-for-5 with two runs on the night. He scored the game's first run and got a one-out single that set up Joe Thurston's game-winning sac fly in the home half of the eighth, then scored a tack-on run thanks to a wild pitch and the third Bisons error of the evening. Moran seems to have it it out for Buffalo; it was the third time since his callup he's had at least three hits in a game against them. I take he didn't root for the Bills while growing up in Valdosta, Ga.
Lynx righty John Ennis (4-4, 3.39, 1.48 WHIP) takes on Bisons righty Sean Smith (9-7, 4.31, 1.41 WHIP) tomorrow night at 7:05.
Once again, much obliged to father-and-son guest bloggers Carl and Zechariah Kiiffner of Ottawa Lynx Blog for their work over the past fortnight. Carl and son classed the joint up, for a time, but now we're back to leave our empties all over the place, leave our dirty socks on the floor and fall asleep with the TV on.
Javon Moran was a catalyst in the leadoff spot: 3-for-5 with two runs on the night. He scored the game's first run and got a one-out single that set up Joe Thurston's game-winning sac fly in the home half of the eighth, then scored a tack-on run thanks to a wild pitch and the third Bisons error of the evening. Moran seems to have it it out for Buffalo; it was the third time since his callup he's had at least three hits in a game against them. I take he didn't root for the Bills while growing up in Valdosta, Ga.
Lynx righty John Ennis (4-4, 3.39, 1.48 WHIP) takes on Bisons righty Sean Smith (9-7, 4.31, 1.41 WHIP) tomorrow night at 7:05.
Once again, much obliged to father-and-son guest bloggers Carl and Zechariah Kiiffner of Ottawa Lynx Blog for their work over the past fortnight. Carl and son classed the joint up, for a time, but now we're back to leave our empties all over the place, leave our dirty socks on the floor and fall asleep with the TV on.
THE STATE HAS LAST LICKS ON VICK
East Coast Bias has an important reminder about the Michael Vick plea that's supposed to go down. Any deal would only apply to U.S. federal charges -- the Commonwealth of Virginia apparently has "every intention of prosecuting (Vick's) case once his witnesses are freed up from the federal proceedings."
Bottom line, Vick screwed up royally, he pissed away his football career, and yet that doesn't fully excuse the element of the population which thinks it has a special claim on moral high ground.
Bottom line, Vick screwed up royally, he pissed away his football career, and yet that doesn't fully excuse the element of the population which thinks it has a special claim on moral high ground.
RIGHT, ALANIS?
Raptors fans should keep an eye open for new swingman Carlos Delfino during the FIBA Americas championship.The word out of his home country is that Delfino tweaked his knee playing for Argentina over the weekend. Canada doesn't play the Argies in the prelim games, but Raptors NBA TV is supposed to have all games from the tournament in Las Vegas.
It's kind of ironic that international play is proving kind of hazardous to the NBA team that's the most international in outlook. (Injuries forced Chris Bosh to withdraw from Team USA.)
It's kind of ironic that international play is proving kind of hazardous to the NBA team that's the most international in outlook. (Injuries forced Chris Bosh to withdraw from Team USA.)
LYNX: WE'RE SO GLAD WE HAD THIS TIME TOGETHER
I had a great time guest blogging the Lynx over here, but it really is time to leave. I rarely delve into game "analysis" (and it may fairly be said that I still haven't) so this was a unique opportunity. Thanks Neate.
Ottawa fans turned out in good numbers yesterday and got to see a pretty decent ballgame (boxscore, play-by-play), but in their continuing fear of commitment, fewer than 800 would stick around for a few minutes afterward for a world record attempt. Strange.
Landon Jacobsen (2-7. 5.02 ERA) (pictured) settled down after giving up a pair in the second inning - going five innings with 3 Ks. He did more than enough to keep the Lynx in it, but the bats just couldn't produce when it mattered most. Twice Ottawa had the bases loaded with one out and came away empty handed.
OoLF moment of the game: After losing his grip on the bat for the third time, with the final miscue rolling up to the foot of the visitor's dugout, a helpful Buffalo player threw out some pine tar towards Carlos Leon as he retrieved his misplaced lumber.
This evening's matchup features J.A. Happ who will try to give the Lynx another quality outing and win 996.
Gratuitous shot of my blog assistant, Zechariah, working yesterday's game.
(Photo credit: John Bradley [used with permission, all rights reserved])
AARON ON THE SIDELINE...
Odessa's own Aaron Doornekamp and his Ravens teammate Ryan Bell might be in tough to be selected to Team Canada for the Olympic qualifying tournament, by cishoops.ca's reckoning.
Canada's first game is vs. Brazil, 8:30 Eastern on Wednesday.
Canada's first game is vs. Brazil, 8:30 Eastern on Wednesday.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Why We Love: Chris Young (D-Backs Version)
Hello, friends. Ted from APABR here for Sunday duty at Neate's place, and telling you why you should (theoretically) love a ballplayer not in the top tier of MLB hierarchy. Today, we do Chris Young. Wait, you say - we've already done Chris Young. However, THIS is a different one - we earlier did Chris Young of the Padres, a rather large and impressively skilled hurler. Now we're doing Chris Young of the divisional rival Diamondbacks, a smaller but nonetheless skilled OF who has 5 HR and 5 RBI in a 9 for 23 stretch across the last week for Arizona. Didja know the Snakes have the best record in the NL? I didn't. But hey, that's just me. Mr. Young, the floor is yours:- Love him because he went to Bellaire High School in Houston (n.b. I taught in Houston for two years and had friends who taught there), the alma mater of such people as Randy Quaid, John Lucas III, Bubba Crosby, Emeka Okafor, and Chuck Knoblauch.
- Love him because he coulda been relevant sooner. Young was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, but traded after the 2005 (read: World Series) season in the Orlando Hernandez deal. Imagine if Young had been a Geoff Blum esque sparkplug for the '05 Sox.
- Love him because he might be the NL Rookie of the Year. Consider: on August 17th (also known as "Friday"), he hit his 23rd HR of the season, setting a new Arizona rookie record in the process. He currently has 24 HR - tied with Ryan Braun in terms of rookies - as well as 20 SB, which leads all rookies. He's fourth in RBIs behind Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, and Kevin Kouzmanoff, and has a halfway decent .295 OBP. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are in first.
- Love him because his September 5, 1983 birthday means he's six years younger than Rosevelt Colvin and Nazr Mohammed, a decade younger than former Marilyn Manson flame Rose McGowan, and was born 14 years to the day before the death of Mother Teresa.
- Love him because his MLB debut - August 18, 2006 - happened to be the 26th birthday of New York Giants outspoken tight end Jeremy Shockey, whom we can only assume celebrated with several buxom women.
- Love him because he plays arguably one of the harder positions in baseball - CF - and is young, yet his defense and offense have been invaluable to the Diamondbacks in their Mariners-esque quest for the playoffs.
Jays - Orioles: By the skin of their beaks
Sunday - Jays 3, Orioles 2 (in 10): Stop us if you've heard either of these stories before. The first one goes like this: Roy Halladay pitches lights out over nine innings, bearing down and stymieing the opposition after a couple of early runs. The other is the one about how the Jays offense barely scrapes more than a couple of runs together.
We probably don't even need to do game recaps at this point. The win keeps the Jays at 6.5 back in the Wild Card, if you're still tracking that sort of thing.
We'll take a win any day, but this seemed like the most passionless walkoff win we've ever seen. It just all seemed very "meh". (Then again, we weren't listening to Jamie Campbell, who might have been having kittens in the booth after Aaron Hill hit the lazy sac fly).
Milestones
Both Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus hit round numbers in RsBI this afternoon, with Wells driving in his 70th and Glaus driving himself in for his 50th with a fifth inning homer. With six weeks to go in the season, it would appear that neither player will get a sniff at 100 RsBI, a situation that is of obvious concern.
On the other hand, it is plausible that the Jays will end the season with three players driving in 90 or more. (Frank Thomas, 73; Wells; and Rios, 67.) We're not sure if you can fit faint praise like that onto an ice cream cake, but we'll look into it.
We probably don't even need to do game recaps at this point. The win keeps the Jays at 6.5 back in the Wild Card, if you're still tracking that sort of thing.
We'll take a win any day, but this seemed like the most passionless walkoff win we've ever seen. It just all seemed very "meh". (Then again, we weren't listening to Jamie Campbell, who might have been having kittens in the booth after Aaron Hill hit the lazy sac fly).
Milestones
Both Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus hit round numbers in RsBI this afternoon, with Wells driving in his 70th and Glaus driving himself in for his 50th with a fifth inning homer. With six weeks to go in the season, it would appear that neither player will get a sniff at 100 RsBI, a situation that is of obvious concern.
On the other hand, it is plausible that the Jays will end the season with three players driving in 90 or more. (Frank Thomas, 73; Wells; and Rios, 67.) We're not sure if you can fit faint praise like that onto an ice cream cake, but we'll look into it.
LYNX: STRANGE GAME INDEED
Most peculiar. Poor Fabio Castro (5-5, 3.76 ERA) goes from being stood up one night, and then hit on incessantly the next (boxscore, play-by-play). Unfortunately for Fabio, the ones hitting on him last night were in Bisons unis ([cough] not that there's anything wrong with that). Unsuspecting fans witnessed two oddities last night - an inside the park home run and a triple play. The former occurred when Lynx right fielder, Matt Padgett, was unable to field a fly ball cleanly in the fourth inning. The ball took a strange, hard bounce off the wall and caromed away from Matt at a 90 degree angle. By the time the ball found its way to the infield, Buffalo's Joe Inglett made it all the way around. The first triple play for the Lynx since 1999 was the result of some very savvy baseball by Lynx second baseman, Joe Thurston. With men at first and second, Joe intentionally let an infield fly rule ball fall in front of him. Both baserunners were either confused by the tactic, or didn't hear the ump call batter Ben Francisco "out"; they both left the safety of the bags they were on and got tagged out. For today's tilt, centrefielder Javon Moran has promised to catch a fly ball in his hat.
OoLF bright spot: Gary Burnham kept the pressure on with a 2 run shot to right centrefield in the 9th. He now takes the club lead from Brennan King with 11 HRs.
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