Oh those darn Cubs...
Most of you may know that I read ESPN.com like a madman. I go there about 18,341 times a day if I'm on the internet. And when I'm not on the internet, I think about what they have at ESPN.com. You might say I'm in love with ESPN.com. Anyway, enough about my infatuation. I was reading a story at ESPN. com by Jayson Stark, the baseball expert. The article was his year end article of "Strange but true facts" about this years baseball season. It was a great read, especially if you like weird trivia stuff, and especially if you love baseball as I do. I suggest checking it out. The reason I am commenting about this article is because those loveable losers, yes, my Chicago Cubs get mentioned quite a bit for their futility this season. Well, actually, it was mostly the suckiness of Latroy Hawkins. So glad he is gone. WORST 9TH INNING PITCHER EVER. No lead was ever safe with him coming in. Anyway, here are some of the things Stark mentioned about Hawkins and my Cubs and some of my other favorites. Check out the whole article though, it's really good. Stark article
• Momentum Is A Myth Dept.: On back-to-back days at Wrigley Field, the Cubs won a 14-0 game against Florida, then found themselves behind 15-0 the next afternoon.
• It's too bad those games don't last 26 outs sometimes. Thanks to LaTroy Hawkins' allergic reaction to the ninth inning, the Cubs lost three games in a row with two outs in the ninth inning (May 4-6).
• Don't Try This At Home Dept.: The Phillies scored two runs on a line drive back to the pitcher in their May 6 visit to Wrigley Field. Here's how that happened: LaTroy Hawkins caught it and tried to double the runner off first base (Jose Offerman) -- but hit him in the helmet. Next stop for that baseball? A trip into the stands. That allowed the tying and winning runs to score in the most unusual blown save of the year.
• Royal Flush Dept.: The Yankees got swept in a May 31-June 2 series in Kansas City by a Royals team that (a) had the same record at the time (13-37) as the '62 Mets, (b) hadn't swept any of its previous 78 series, (c) was starting three pitchers who had combined to win one game all season and (d) was facing three Yankees starters (Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano) with 523 career wins.
• Cruel Intentions Dept.: Steve Kline was charged with a June 27 intentional walk in which he threw no pitches out of the strike zone intentionally. To pull that off, he had to get ejected after the 3-and-0 pitch. After which Jorge Julio came in and was ordered to throw ball four intentionally -- a walk that will forever remain on Kline's permanent record.
• Mission Impossible Dept.: Giants reliever Scott Eyre had a May 2 outing in which he had a strikeout and gave up a run even though (according to the box score) he recorded no outs and allowed no baserunners. How'd that happen? Let's just say he owed it all to a passed ball on a third strike.
• Momentum Is A Myth Dept.: On back-to-back days at Wrigley Field, the Cubs won a 14-0 game against Florida, then found themselves behind 15-0 the next afternoon.
• It's too bad those games don't last 26 outs sometimes. Thanks to LaTroy Hawkins' allergic reaction to the ninth inning, the Cubs lost three games in a row with two outs in the ninth inning (May 4-6).
• Don't Try This At Home Dept.: The Phillies scored two runs on a line drive back to the pitcher in their May 6 visit to Wrigley Field. Here's how that happened: LaTroy Hawkins caught it and tried to double the runner off first base (Jose Offerman) -- but hit him in the helmet. Next stop for that baseball? A trip into the stands. That allowed the tying and winning runs to score in the most unusual blown save of the year.
• Royal Flush Dept.: The Yankees got swept in a May 31-June 2 series in Kansas City by a Royals team that (a) had the same record at the time (13-37) as the '62 Mets, (b) hadn't swept any of its previous 78 series, (c) was starting three pitchers who had combined to win one game all season and (d) was facing three Yankees starters (Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano) with 523 career wins.
• Cruel Intentions Dept.: Steve Kline was charged with a June 27 intentional walk in which he threw no pitches out of the strike zone intentionally. To pull that off, he had to get ejected after the 3-and-0 pitch. After which Jorge Julio came in and was ordered to throw ball four intentionally -- a walk that will forever remain on Kline's permanent record.
• Mission Impossible Dept.: Giants reliever Scott Eyre had a May 2 outing in which he had a strikeout and gave up a run even though (according to the box score) he recorded no outs and allowed no baserunners. How'd that happen? Let's just say he owed it all to a passed ball on a third strike.
posted by J. Wallace at 12:21 AM
1 Comments:
Wallace, I've added you to my blog roll! Welcome aboard! Hope things are going well for you! You should post to your blog more often!
Post a Comment
<< Home