2011 NLDS Game 3/ALDS Game 4 Live Blog

Playoff baseball all day and all night.  This will be a fun night.  It will be an even funner night if the Phillies win.

Game 4: Rangers vs. Rays 2:00 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Phillies vs. Cardinals 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 4: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 3: Brewers vs. Diamondbacks 9:37 (TNT - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

2011 ALDS Game 3 Live Blog

It's taken awhile, but we are finally going to see the full Sabathia-Verlander showdown.  Wait, there are showers in the forecast in Detroit tonight?  Son of a.....

Game 3: Rangers vs. Rays 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

2011 NLDS Game 1/ALDS Game 1/ALDS Game 2 Live Blog

Who is ready for 9 hours of Tinie Tempeh's Written In The Stars and advertisements for re-runs of , er, I mean, the second day of the MLB Playoffs!  

Game 1: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 2:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 1: Cardinals vs. Phillies 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 2: Rays vs. Rangers 7:07 (TNT - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 1: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 ALDS Game 1 Live Blog

The playoffs are finally here!  The 2011 ALDS kicks off tonight with Game 1 of both series.  And yes, in the mind of Bud Selig, it makes perfect sense to play the game in Arlington, Texas three-and-a-half hours before the game in New York.

Game 1:  Rays vs. Rangers 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 1: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Re-live September 28, 2011 In One Awesome 12-Minute Video

Has there ever been a more dramatic, chaotic, and improbable 20 minutes in the history of sports?  There have been classic games in the past, but what happened last night, was not just one classic game.  It was the finale of a 162-game season like no finale ever before.  The chaos of last night was more than just one game, it was the frantic switching back and forth between stations ultimately culminating with two historic collapses coming complete in the span of twenty minutes and two walkoffs literally separated by three minutes.  There are few times where it feels like time just stops.  Last night was one of those nights.

Last night was an Fredi Gonzalez incredibly allowing Scott Linebrink to pitch to Hunter Pence who would ultimately hit the game-winning RBI with Michael Martinez on deck.  Last night was a last place Baltimore Orioles going nowhere way too fast celebrating like they won the World Series.  Last night was Dan Johnson, he of the .119/.187/.202 slash line in 31 games in 2011 hitting the game-tying home run with the Rays down to their last out and their last strike.  Last night was Evan Longoria.  Last night was the mathematically improbable coming to fruition.

And this is last night, condensed into one 12-minute, 5-second video.



Given the numbers in the above link, to say this was the most improbable night in sports history is not that much of a stretch.  In fact, it may be a reality.  For the Cardinals and the Rays, it is a comeback they will always remember.  And for the Braves and the Red Sox, it is a collapse they will never be able to forget.

MLB Last Day Of The Season Live Blog

Has there ever been a last day of the MLB Season better than this?  Two races, both tied up, with both the Braves and the Red Sox trying to survive a collapse of Mets-ian proportions.  If not on your regional sportsnet, all these games can be seen on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNJIP, ESPNThe17th, and I am pretty sure ESPN Français will pick up some exclusive footage as well.  Join us for the fun!

2010 MLB Playoffs Day 7 Live Blog

Game 5: Rangers @ Rays 8:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo, Buck Martinez, and Ron Darling, SR: Marc Fein)

2010 NFL Season Week 5 Live Blog/2010 MLB Playoffs Day 5 Live Blog

Game 4: Rays @ Rangers 1:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Marc Fein)

Game 3: Giants @ Braves 4:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 3: Phillies @ Reds 8:07 (TBS - Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson, SR: David Aldridge)

LIVE BLOG OVER HERE

2010 MLB Playoffs Day 4 Live Blog

Game 3: Rays @ Rangers 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Marc Fein)

Game 3: Twins @ Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling, John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

LIVE BLOG OVER HERE

2010 MLB Playoffs Day 2 Live Blog

Game 2: Rangers @ Rays 2:37 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Marc Fein)

Game 2: Yankees @ Twins 6:07 (TBS - Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling, John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 1: Braves @ Giants 9:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Tom Verducci)

Live blog is over here.

2010 MLB Playoffs Day 1 Live Blog

Game 1: Rangers @ Rays 1:37 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Marc Fein)

Game 1: Reds @ Phillies 5:07 (TBS - Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 1: Yankees @ Twins 8:37 (TBS - Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling, John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

When Clinching A Playoff Spot, The Rays Had The Help Of A Philadelphia Lucky Charm

Pictured above is Tampa Bay Rays' broadcaster Todd Kalas conducting an interview after the Rays clinched a berth in the 2010 Playoffs. Look down at his right hand. See what he is wearing for the first time all season?

It's his father's 1980 World Series ring. Talk about a heck of a good luck charm.

(Hat tip to Rays Index)

The Tampa Bay Rays Still Harbor Animosity From The 2008 World Series

Some people just harbor so much of inane bitterness that it comes out in most ridiculous ways. Surely the umpiring was not the best during the 2008 World Series and sure I could see how the Rays may not be totally chill with the Phillies, but is that any reason to root for a team over a thousand miles away from you in a championship of a different sport?

Joe Maddon and his Tampa Bay Rays are fairly well-known for their themed road trips. So when they go up to Toronto on Monday, they are making this road-trip a hockey themed road trip. So whose jerseys is this Tampa Bay Ray team going to where on their road trip to Toronto for a baseball series? They are going to be wearing Chicago Blackhawks jerseys, of course! From USA Today's Daily Pitch.

Maddon, who previously has asked his players to dress appropriately for "white-outs," a Western trip and even a Johnny Cash trip, decided hockey jerseys would be in order since next week's trip begins in Toronto.

"It's the national pastime of Canada," he said, noting that the NHL's Stanley Cup finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers begin Saturday.

Maddon was planning to wear a St. Louis Blue jersey and other players were scrambling to find hockey garb.

Enter pitching coach Jim Hickey and the Blackhawks. Chicago native Hickey has a nephew, Jacob Tuton, who works in the Blackhawks ticket department. A couple of e-mails later, a sign was posted today in the Rays clubhouse that the Blackhawks would make jerseys available for anyone who wants them.

"I think we're going to get 20, maybe 25 guys to do it," Hickey says. "Nothing like a little pro-Chicago, anti-Philadelphia sentiment. I thought we could share our mutual dislike for Philadelphia sports teams."

Chicago has a dislike of Philadelphia sports team? Huh? Since when is there a big sports rivalry between Philadelphia and Chicago to begin with anyway? Does Santa Claus make a part-time home in Chi-town? All I know is that my feelings toward Chicago are not the same. I have no problems with Chicago sports teams. Heck, one of my childhood best friends and old neighbor was originally from Chicago, lived here for a few years, and then moved back to Chicago. This "dislike" of us from Chicago sports teams is certainly news to me.

As far as the Rays go, I think it is an appropriate time to borrow a phrase Charlie Manuel used when talking about Jim Tracy and the Rockies accusations of sign stealing: Stop crying. No, Rays, seriously. I don't hate you guys, but you are embarrassing yourselves now and are best off not carrying a grudge the rest of your lives.

Why do I all of a sudden feel like I am going to get a call soon from some TV producer calling me Dr. Phil, Jr.?

(Hat tip to Puck Daddy)

Mr. Perfect, Mark Buehrle

Whenever I am not watching or following other baseball scores for a day, just assume that something great is going to happen, okay folks? I was working all day with no TV in site and no computer of my own to use and look at what happened today. Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched the 18th ever perfect game in MLB history. Not only is a perfect game a no-hitter, but in a perfect game, the opposing team does not get any base runners at all in the game. That's exactly what happened today. The Rays were unable to get a base runner the whole game. Simply unbelieveable. And because posters on YouTube suck and I can't find a good quality video of the 3 9th inning outs without random people filming their TV screen screaming their lungs out, I have 2 videos instead. The first one is the first out which may be one of the greatest catches that I have ever seen period and the 2nd one is the last 2 outs courtesy of Awful Announcing.




Simply unbelieveable. What a catch by DeWayne Wise and congratulations to Mark Buehrle on a perfect game and his 2nd career no hitter. Let me tell you what, enjoy that video because that is not something you say everyday. And according to SportsCenter, Mark Buehrle has in fact received a phone call from Washington D.C.'s favorite baseball and Chicago White Sox fan, President Barack Obama!

Chris Wheeler Has Some Pretty Strange Thoughts In The Booth

We always have a good laugh whenever an announcer says something seemingly normal to a sport, but out of context can be something rather sexual (i.e. "he hits the hole hard"). But when an announcer says something rather sexual and it's not out of context, then the results are absolutely hilarious. Case and point, last night, during the Phillies 10-1 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Rays, Phillies analyst Chris Wheeler declared to Philadelphia that one of his favorite songs is, "Rock Around The Cock Tonight"! No jokes, no out of contexting, just pure hilarity!



Too funny! Either he likes that song way too much, or that is the name of perhaps an upcoming porn movie he is about to shoot, in which case, I think I speak for all of Philadelphia when I say that nobody wants to see that.

Chris Wheeler's Freudian Slip (Awful Announcing)