It was the best of both worlds at MMP on Tuesday.
http://tinyurl.com/2eu7xzr
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Berkman Return Good Night
Arguably, but not by many, the third greatest everyday player in the history of the Houston Astros came back to town Tuesday wearing an enemy uniform. Lance Berkman was back. And despite his protestations that he is not in much different shape that he was during last years injury plagued season he DOES look better.
Start with the arms. Muscle bulging.. a trimmer appearing mid section. Even a face much less full. His weight may be at the 222 it was in 2010, but muscle weighs more than fat. Lance DOES have more muscle.
I am not one to blame lack of condition as a reason why Berkman had a sub par 2010. The arthroscopic surgery he had in March was the major single reason.
Lance knew if he wanted to keep playing major league baseball the off season was going to make or break him. The Cardinals are paying him $8-million this season, but only for THIS season. Even they were not sure what they were getting.
What they got was a player of great talent, aging, and coming off injury, but who wants to stick around for awhile. So far he has been proving his point.
Start with the arms. Muscle bulging.. a trimmer appearing mid section. Even a face much less full. His weight may be at the 222 it was in 2010, but muscle weighs more than fat. Lance DOES have more muscle.
I am not one to blame lack of condition as a reason why Berkman had a sub par 2010. The arthroscopic surgery he had in March was the major single reason.
Lance knew if he wanted to keep playing major league baseball the off season was going to make or break him. The Cardinals are paying him $8-million this season, but only for THIS season. Even they were not sure what they were getting.
What they got was a player of great talent, aging, and coming off injury, but who wants to stick around for awhile. So far he has been proving his point.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Old Pitchers and Old Players Big Story in Baseball This Week
So now Pedro Martinez says he might like to come out of retirement and pitch a partial season with preferably the Phillies, Yankees or Red Sox. Chances are he has no chance with the Phillies. Their starting staff is loaded. Not neccesarily so for the Yankees. Heck they are even gonna give former Cub Carlos Silva a shot. Silva was so unimpressive to the Cubs they are eating most of his $11.5 million contract plus next year's $2-million buyout. Silva has agreed to try to get in shape in the Yankees minor league system.
Recently retired--29 year old Ian Snell--is having second thoughts. The pitcher most noted for never quite getting it together with the Pirates was dropped after a spring tryout with the Cardinals. Now he says he is available if someone is interested.
Meanwhile Doug Drabek's son, Kyle, picked up his first major league win over the weekend for Toronto. He trails Doug by 154 wins.
Why are the Red Sox off to such a poor start? Look at the team ERA. Last in all of baseball at 7.09 into Sunday's action. That makes it easy to see why the club was 1-7. Also shows why the Astros are also 1-7. Their team ERA is only one step above.
The Twins will be without second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka for about six weeks. The first year MLB infielder broke his fibula on Thursday. He was the Japan Pacific League batting champ last season and is costing the Twins about $14-million this season. Minnesota says they will wait for his return and not make any deals...just cover the spot with people already in the system.
The big story was the announced retirement of Manny Ramirez from Tampa Bay after apparently failing a substance test. Chances are he would have been suspended 100 games anyway, so Manny said that he had played enough
Recently retired--29 year old Ian Snell--is having second thoughts. The pitcher most noted for never quite getting it together with the Pirates was dropped after a spring tryout with the Cardinals. Now he says he is available if someone is interested.
Meanwhile Doug Drabek's son, Kyle, picked up his first major league win over the weekend for Toronto. He trails Doug by 154 wins.
Why are the Red Sox off to such a poor start? Look at the team ERA. Last in all of baseball at 7.09 into Sunday's action. That makes it easy to see why the club was 1-7. Also shows why the Astros are also 1-7. Their team ERA is only one step above.
The Twins will be without second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka for about six weeks. The first year MLB infielder broke his fibula on Thursday. He was the Japan Pacific League batting champ last season and is costing the Twins about $14-million this season. Minnesota says they will wait for his return and not make any deals...just cover the spot with people already in the system.
The big story was the announced retirement of Manny Ramirez from Tampa Bay after apparently failing a substance test. Chances are he would have been suspended 100 games anyway, so Manny said that he had played enough
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pardon My Pride, but I Really Love the Butler Story
Am I envious that Astros radio man Brett Dolan will see the Butler Bulldogs take on the Connecticut Huskies for the NCAA Men's Basketball title at Reliant Stadium Monday night? Do I think MLB.com Astro writer Brian McTaggart has a good thing going by attending the game, too? You bet I am. I am the one who graduated from Butler in...uh let's just say a number of years ago. I am a former radio play by play announcer for the 'Dogs when the bulldog mascot was named Sam and lived in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house-- my fraternity. Could I have pulled a Dolan or McTaggart and flown back to Houston? Sure, but I am doing something different (and sneaking in a visit to my mother in Indiana as well) that I am looking forward to doing.
I will attend the final game and watch on multiple big screen TV's set up on the basketball court at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse along with thousands of others. That number will include former classmates and my old radio partner from back in the day, Gary Nash. Hinkle Fieldhouse most fans know has great history. Not only was it the largest arena in the world when constructed and opened in the 1920s. It held 14,953 for years. Recent improvements--like taking out most of the bench style seating and putting comfortable modern seats-- have cut the official capacity to about 11,000. But it still looks the same--this massive brick building looming over the north side of Indianapolis. It used to be a real fieldhouse with indoor track and field plus other events besides basketball. But it is known for hoops. Bobby Plump (Jimmy Chitwood) hit his famous shot for Milan (Hickory) high school in 1953. The movie "Hoosiers" was filmed at Hinkle. The building itself is named after Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Tony Hinkle, who was a product in multiple sports under famed Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago. Hinkle came to Butler as an assistant and stayed as head coach in three sports and athletic director until required to retire at 70 after almost 50 years in Butler blue.
I was lucky to be at the microphone for Hinkle's 500th win and for a major upset of then #1 Michigan and Cazzie Russell.
The building was re-named to honor Hinkle even before his career ended. It had been known simply at Butler Fieldhouse and was actually the first building on campus when Butler relocated from another part of the city. Other history? It was the site of the first American Basketball Association All Star game. Larry Brown was MVP. Yes, that is the same Larry Brown who has coached seemingly forever. I attended that game along with about 12,000 others.
So having the chance to watch Butler win the Big One in the fieldhouse so famed on the campus where my career was formed is too good to pass up.
Now if we can just all take part in one heck of a post game celebration that would top everything off.
I will attend the final game and watch on multiple big screen TV's set up on the basketball court at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse along with thousands of others. That number will include former classmates and my old radio partner from back in the day, Gary Nash. Hinkle Fieldhouse most fans know has great history. Not only was it the largest arena in the world when constructed and opened in the 1920s. It held 14,953 for years. Recent improvements--like taking out most of the bench style seating and putting comfortable modern seats-- have cut the official capacity to about 11,000. But it still looks the same--this massive brick building looming over the north side of Indianapolis. It used to be a real fieldhouse with indoor track and field plus other events besides basketball. But it is known for hoops. Bobby Plump (Jimmy Chitwood) hit his famous shot for Milan (Hickory) high school in 1953. The movie "Hoosiers" was filmed at Hinkle. The building itself is named after Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Tony Hinkle, who was a product in multiple sports under famed Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago. Hinkle came to Butler as an assistant and stayed as head coach in three sports and athletic director until required to retire at 70 after almost 50 years in Butler blue.
I was lucky to be at the microphone for Hinkle's 500th win and for a major upset of then #1 Michigan and Cazzie Russell.
The building was re-named to honor Hinkle even before his career ended. It had been known simply at Butler Fieldhouse and was actually the first building on campus when Butler relocated from another part of the city. Other history? It was the site of the first American Basketball Association All Star game. Larry Brown was MVP. Yes, that is the same Larry Brown who has coached seemingly forever. I attended that game along with about 12,000 others.
So having the chance to watch Butler win the Big One in the fieldhouse so famed on the campus where my career was formed is too good to pass up.
Now if we can just all take part in one heck of a post game celebration that would top everything off.
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