Aroldis Chapman Throws 104 MPH

 

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Pujols to Appear at Glenn Beck Rally

I know that Mr. K already linked to this, but I figured that it was interesting enough to write a piece about. According to St. Louis Today both the Triple Crown contender and Cardinals Manager Tony Larussa will be attending Glenn Beck's "Dream" event.

"I made the point several times: What is this about?" La Russa said Thursday, noting an understanding that invitations were 'sent out across party lines, different disciplines, all kinds of stuff.
"I don't know who's going to be there, who's going to accept it. But the gist of the day is not political. I think it's a really good concept, actually."
The rally is expected to include a faith-based message, something that squares with Pujols' commitment to his faith as well as his Pujols Family Foundation.

Apparently, Pujols and Beck are friends. It's a small world.

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Roger Clemens Perjury Charge

Formerly great (and very angry) pitcher Roger Clemens appears to be in some trouble with the law for his statements under oath regarding his steroid use. Clemens was an All Star for the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros and won over 330 games. But now it appears to be catching up to him after lying about the juice.

The indictment comes nearly two and half years after Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNameetestified under oath at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, directly contradicting each other about whether Clemens had used the banned substances.

The committee held the hearing in February 2008, just two months after McNamee first tied Clemens to the use of the substances in George J. Mitchell’s report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. After Mitchell released the report, Clemens launched an attack on McNamee, saying he made up the allegations.

Story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/sports/baseball/20clemens.html?_r=1

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Spain destroyed the Netherlands to Win the World Cup.........

.....Just kidding!

The cowardly* Spaniards defeated the emasculated Dutch this evening one to nothing to win the 2010 South Africa World Cup; and our allies across the world wonder why we Americans just hate Soccer, the worst game ever invented in human history.

1-0 in Soccer: Boring. 1-0 in Baseball: Thrilling. Speaking of Baseball, what does everyone think about the NL All-Star team this year?

Consider this the official post-World Cup bash Soccer Open Thread.

* - After the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the Spaniards surrendered to our common Islamist foes who murdered thousands of their citizens in a deliberate act of intimidation before Spain's national election that was just ten days away.

P.S. - For those who don't know, the National League hasn't won the MLB All-Star Game since 1996.




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Strasburg Mania vs. World Cup Mania.

In this afternoon's baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Cleveland Indians, Steven Strasburg, a much anticipated rookie starting pitcher, will be pitching in only his second career professional baseball game against the Cleveland Indians and also in his first nationally broadcasted performance as well.

Leaving us with one very important question this morning: Which game will had been watched by more American sports fans when the television ratings are released: Strasburg Mania on TBS at 1pm this afternoon, or World Cup Mania (Team USA vs. England), which took place yesterday afternoon?

If we were discussing the Olympic Games (regardless of location), the World Baseball Classic, or even the yearly NFL game hosted in London, England, and then I compared it's television rating to a single Major League Baseball game featuring the most talked about rookie pitcher in years, I would be called a loon.

But I'm talking about Soccer, which is about as popular in the United States as BP is or as disgusting French cheese. Now compare Soccer to Baseball; America's national past-time, as American as Ma and Apple Pie: and the popularity of Soccer falls even further - to US Congress levels on a good day!

I'll be watching Steven Strasburg in his start against the Cleveland Indians this afternoon, and if you're anything like me - World Cup Soccer, Team USA or otherwise, was not on your TV dial and I can almost guarantee that when the ratings are released Strasburg in Cleveland will slaughter Team USA in South Africa.

Your thoughts?

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Why the MLB Must Give Armando Galarraga a Perfect Game

By now most of you have heard what happened in last night's Tiger-Indian game: Armando Galarraga retired 26 batters consecutively, throwing a perfect game into the ninth inning with two outs. The twenty-seventh batter, Jason Donald, grounded out to first, but Jim Joyce made an incorrect call and ruled Donald safe. The perfect game, as well as the no-hitter, was broken. After the game, Joyce admitted that he made the wrong call.

In normal circumstances, the MLB would simply let something like this stand; human error is part of the game, after all. However, in this extreme case and with this blatant of a blown call, here are some reasons why Major League Baseball must decide to give Galarraga a perfect game and overturn the on-field call:

1. He Earned It/The Missed Call Was Blatant

Possibly the simplest reason of all, Galarraga, if the play was called correctly, would have thrown a perfect game. The fact that the call was missed is one thing; bang-bang plays are commonly missed, but those are borderline cases where the correct call is only obtained through slow-motion replays and repeated viewings. Mr. Joyce, quite simply, blew the call. It was not close. There is no excuse for Joyce to have missed the call, which leads me to point number two.

2. The Legacy of Jim Joyce

Every account that I have heard is that Umpire Joyce is one of the best in the business. He is respected and has given decades to the game. Yet if Galarraga is deprived of his perfect game, Joyce will be forever remembered as the umpire that blew the call. Don Denkinger, another Major League umpire, is an example of this. Despite his career, Mr. Denkinger is only remembered for the call he missed in the 1985 Cardinals-Royals World Series. Joyce is destined to have the same fate if his call isn't overturned.

3. The Perception of Major League Baseball

Today, many people see the MLB as unmoving and behind the time. The fact that instant replay, which many have called for, is still not implemented exacerbates the problem. If the MLB doesn't get the perfect game correct, the entire incident may be perceived as the epitome as an uncaring sport that refuses to do the right thing.

4. Big Upside, No Downside

Should the MLB give Galarraga his perfect game, they would prove that they care and are on top of the game. Not only this, but they would get the call right and most likely receive a large amount of good press. There would be hardly any downside to getting the game right. If the MLB does not overturn the call, people would continue to lambaste the league.

5. The Pine Tar Game


Major League Baseball has reversed calls after the fact; the infamous Pine Tar Game is one example.  George Brett, who hit a home run against the Yankees in 1983, was ruled out because it was determined that he had too much pin tar on his bat.  Yet the MLB reviewed the decision, reversed it, and awarded Brett the home run he deserved.

6. It Would Have Been the Last Out of the Game


If Jason Donald was ruled out, the game would have been over.  Thus, if the MLB goes back and reverses the call, there would be no more of the game left to play.  The point is, there would be no possible different outcomes; the blown call didn't happen in the sixth or seventh where the game's outcome could be completely altered.  Donald was the last out.

The fact of the matter is that the MLB has to step up here and get the game and history right. From the press, to legacies, to perception itself, Major League Baseball must give Armando Galarraga the perfect game he rightfully deserves.

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Ken Griffey Retires

Ken Griffey Jr, one of the best players in MLB history is retiring at the age of 40. He has over 600 home runs and will be missed. No HR this year, 630 total.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Griffey,_Jr.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffke02.shtml

1989	19	SEA	AL	127	506	455	61	120	23	0	16	61	16	7	44	83	.264	.329	.420	.748	108	191	4	2	1	4	8	*8	RoY-3
1990	20	SEA	AL	155	666	597	91	179	28	7	22	80	16	11	63	81	.300	.366	.481	.847	135	287	12	2	0	4	12	*8/D	AS,MVP-19,GG
1991	21	SEA	AL	154	633	548	76	179	42	1	22	100	18	6	71	82	.327	.399	.527	.926	155	289	10	1	4	9	21	*8/D	AS,MVP-9,GG,SS
1992	22	SEA	AL	142	617	565	83	174	39	4	27	103	10	5	44	67	.308	.361	.535	.896	149	302	15	5	0	3	15	*8/D	AS,MVP-17,GG
1993	23	SEA	AL	156	691	582	113	180	38	3	45	109	17	9	96	91	.309	.408	.617	1.025	171	359	14	6	0	7	25	*8D/3	AS,MVP-5,GG,SS
1994	24	SEA	AL	111	493	433	94	140	24	4	40	90	11	3	56	73	.323	.402	.674	1.076	170	292	9	2	0	2	19	*8/D9	AS,MVP-2,GG,SS
1995	25	SEA	AL	72	314	260	52	67	7	0	17	42	4	2	52	53	.258	.379	.481	.860	122	125	4	0	0	2	6	8/D	AS,GG
1996	26	SEA	AL	140	638	545	125	165	26	2	49	140	16	1	78	104	.303	.392	.628	1.020	153	342	7	7	1	7	13	*8/D	AS,MVP-4,GG,SS
1997	27	SEA	AL	157	704	608	125	185	34	3	56	147	15	4	76	121	.304	.382	.646	1.028	165	393	12	8	0	12	23	*8/D7	AS,MVP-1,GG,SS
1998	28	SEA	AL	161	720	633	120	180	33	3	56	146	20	5	76	121	.284	.365	.611	.977	150	387	14	7	0	4	11	*8/D379	AS,MVP-4,GG,SS
1999	29	SEA	AL	160	706	606	123	173	26	3	48	134	24	7	91	108	.285	.384	.576	.960	139	349	8	7	0	2	17	*8/D	AS,MVP-10,GG,SS
2000	30	CIN	NL	145	631	520	100	141	22	3	40	118	6	4	94	117	.271	.387	.556	.942	133	289	7	9	0	8	17	*8	AS
2001	31	CIN	NL	111	417	364	57	104	20	2	22	65	2	0	44	72	.286	.365	.533	.898	124	194	8	4	1	4	6	8/D
2002	32	CIN	NL	70	232	197	17	52	8	0	8	23	1	2	28	39	.264	.358	.426	.784	103	84	6	3	0	4	6	8/79
2003	33	CIN	NL	53	201	166	34	41	12	1	13	26	1	0	27	44	.247	.370	.566	.936	145	94	3	6	1	1	5	8/D
2004	34	CIN	NL	83	348	300	49	76	18	0	20	60	1	0	44	67	.253	.351	.513	.864	122	154	8	2	0	2	3	8/D9	AS
2005	35	CIN	NL	128	555	491	85	148	30	0	35	92	0	1	54	93	.301	.369	.576	.946	144	283	9	3	0	7	3	*8/D	MVP-24
2006	36	CIN	NL	109	472	428	62	108	19	0	27	72	0	0	39	78	.252	.316	.486	.802	99	208	13	2	0	3	6	8/D
2007	37	CIN	NL	144	623	528	78	146	24	1	30	93	6	1	85	99	.277	.372	.496	.869	119	262	14	1	0	9	14	*9/D	AS
2008	38	TOT	MLB	143	575	490	67	122	30	1	18	71	0	1	78	89	.249	.353	.424	.778	102	208	13	3	0	4	14	*98D
2008	38	CIN	NL	102	425	359	51	88	20	1	15	53	0	1	61	64	.245	.355	.432	.787	104	155	7	2	0	3	13	9/D
2008	38	CHW	AL	41	150	131	16	34	10	0	3	18	0	0	17	25	.260	.347	.405	.751	95	53	6	1	0	1	1	8/D9
2009	39	SEA	AL	117	454	387	44	83	19	0	19	57	0	0	63	80	.214	.324	.411	.735	95	159	6	1	0	3	2	D/79
2010	40	SEA	AL	33	108	98	6	18	2	0	0	7	0	0	9	17	.184	.250	.204	.454	28	20	3	0	0	1	0	D
22 Seasons				2671	11304	9801	1662	2781	524	38	630	1836	184	69	1312	1779	.284	.370	.538	.907	135	5271	199	81	8	102	246

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