Great Hitting Pitchers in MLB

Previously published in Baseball Digest Daily on July 15, 2008.

It’s the bottom of the 6th inning with two outs and a man on base for the Arizona Diamondbacks who trail the visiting Houston Astros 7-5. The raucous crowd of Diamondback fans at Chase Field rise to their feet as the pinch hitter digs in, awaiting the delivery. The pitcher Dave Borkowski, confident, rears back and fires the ball, challenging the hitter.

The ball is greeted with a solid crack of the bat and the crowd erupts as the ball sails into the right field seats for a two-run pinch hit homer to tie the game.

In a matter of seconds, one pitch, one crack of the bat. . . and two runs on the board for the Diamondbacks.

Unusual? This time it was.

July 30, 2008 | Read the story »

Fat Lady Warming Up Her Mic For The Braves

Previously published in Baseball Digest Daily on July 29, 2008.

ATLANTA – At All-Star break the Atlanta Braves were poised to make a run. Their schedule allowed them a realistic opportunity to create a tight, four-way race in the NL East.

Being in the hunt for a playoff spot would put the Braves in the position most analysts expected them to be in throughout this season. Being in the hunt could also convince Braves GM Frank Wren to stop accepting calls inquiring about a Mark Teixeira trade.

On July 16 with the Braves sitting 6.5 games behind first and the last-place Nationals coming to town, it wasn’t time for the Fat Lady to sing just yet.

July 29, 2008 | Read the story »

Stern Must Rebuttal Whistle Blower Ref Donaghy

David Stern is getting more predictable by the interview. When he gets in front of the microphone, he is sounding like an old, warped vinyl-repeating the same few lines over and over again.
When questioned about NBA officiating and conspiracy theories, Stern is quick to give yet another rundown of referee Tim Donaghy’s criminal record, his [...]

July 25, 2008 | Read the story »

Top 10 Reasons Players Want To Be Traded To The Pistons

HUMOR–The Top 10 Reasons Players Want To Be Traded To The Detroit Pistons . . .
10. You know ahead of time you can plan family vacations just before the Finals.
9. You will never have the most technical fouls on the team.
8. You get to hang out at a Palace with a guy named Prince.
7. Great chance of attending a . . .

July 20, 2008 | Read the story »

Another Esposito In The NHL?

Published in The Hockey News.

ATLANTA – IN THE 1970′S, Esposito was a household name in Canada and the United States, the name made famous by two NHL legends who loved the game of hockey.

All-Star Phil Esposito, a record-setting, Hall of Famer rewrote the record books in the NHL during the peak of his career, becoming the first NHL player to break the 100 point barrier in a season when he beat the record by a landslide, tallying 126 points in 1969. Later he would score a record-shattering 76 goals during the 1970-71 season.

Decades later, another Esposito is emerging, hovering over the NHL, pursuing the opportunity to make a name for himself.

July 18, 2008 | Read the story »

Braves Need Early Win Streak To Save Teixeira

Previously published in Baseball Digest Daily on July 16, 2008.

ATLANTA- Now that we’ve taken a few days to come down from the adrenaline rush furnished by the longest game in All-Star history that included appearances from Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones and Brian McCann, it’s time to take a look at the importance of a strong Braves start to begin the second half.

As the Braves come out rested after the break, two issues seem to be of interest. One, closing the gap on the NL East leaders and two, GM Frank Wren seems to need a reason to keep clean-up hitter Mark Teixeira past the July 31 trade deadline.

July 16, 2008 | Read the story »

Demoted Francoeur Joins Dontrelle Willis

Previously published in Baseball Digest Daily.

DETROIT – This year, star MLB players are learning there are no guaranteed positions on the rosters. Despite receiving enormous salaries and long-term contracts, All-Star players and fan favorites are being forced to trade chartered flights to MLB cities for trips to away games on a bus.

Dontrelle Willis (29 million over three years) discovered that in June when the Detroit Tigers sent the All-Star left-handed pitcher to their Single A affiliate in Lakeland. Willis was given that assignment after posting an 0-1 record with the Tigers over four starts, lasting a total of 11.1 innings. He experienced severe control problems in those games, walking 21 (almost two per inning average) and posting an ERA of 10.32.

July 5, 2008 | Read the story »