Winning Without a Pitch? Try This!: Alan Embry has been one-upped, as a former Washington Nationals pitcher wins one after having been traded. It's hard enough for a Nats pitcher to get a win; too bad they have to give one to someone several hundred miles away.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 06:12 PM - 7 comments

The Last DiMaggio Brother is Dead: Dominic DiMaggio, the last survivor of the 3 baseball brothers died early this morning at his home. While he may have been overshadowed by his more famous brother Joe, he was a very talented player and a member of the Red Sox teams that featured Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 06:07 PM - 4 comments

Phoenix Coyotes May Move: The Phoenix NHL Franchise has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, meaning that they wish to reorganize, not that they will liquidate. Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie wants to buy them and move them to Southern Ontario, probably to the Hamilton area.

posted by Howard_T to hockey at 05:11 PM - 14 comments

Player traded for Bats Found Dead: In what is a sad end to what to most of us was an amusing story, John C. Odom was found dead on November 5, 2008, from an overdose of drugs. Did the notoriety affect him, or was it only a part of his troubles?

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 11:27 AM - 4 comments

Is US High School Basketball Really Behind the Times?: The author, a high school and youth basketball coach in England, thinks that high school basketball in the US needs a significant change in the rules. I think his argument makes sense. (I also wish I'd been around to see that tournament game he writes about.)

posted by Howard_T to basketball at 04:42 PM - 5 comments

The Knicks Shed Some Cap: It looks like the Knicks are trying to dig out of the Isaiah Thomas mess by shedding salary. This is not going to help the Knicks' performance this year. When I watched their game against Boston, Jamal Crawford appeared to be the only player interested in playing.

posted by Howard_T to basketball at 06:30 PM - 8 comments

What Might Have Been:: My first impression upon seeing Herb Score pitch (on TV) was, "The Red Sox will never beat this guy." Those who knew him best sum it up when they say he would have been better than Koufax or any other left-hander.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 02:13 PM - 3 comments

100 Years ago, he "pulled a Merkle": September 23 is the 100th anniversary of what was, at the time, the biggest bonehead play in the history of baseball. Or, as Bob Ryan points out, maybe it wasn't such a dumb play.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 05:11 PM - 0 comments

Title IX, Curse or Blessing?: Title IX opened a door for women in athletics. Its impact has been great, and has led to more and more opportunities for women to excel. Particularly at the high school level, I have seen many young girls become confident young ladies from their participation in athletics. Many feel that Title IX has led to decreased opportunity for male athletes. In this article, the author raises many valid questions concerning the way in which Title IX is interpreted.

posted by Howard_T to culture at 02:39 PM - 38 comments

Buzz Bavasi - The Beginning: Buzz Bavasi's death on May 1 at age 93 prompted this article from the Nashua, NH Telegraph. Bavasi's impact on the game has been recognized, but not much has been written about where and how he started.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 12:42 PM - 1 comment

Bite Me: NY Giants and former Patriots offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer has an interesting part-time job. Please be advised that this is not for the weak-stomached.

posted by Howard_T to football at 03:05 PM - 19 comments

How Do You Get to 16 - 0?: In a recent thread, some questioned how the New England Patriots were able to achieve an undefeated regular season record. This article from SI.com gives an insider's view.

posted by Howard_T to football at 11:16 AM - 56 comments

Farewell to Another Great: : Tom Johnson, Stanley Cup winning player and coach has passed on at the age of 79. Kevin Paul DuPont has written this memorial to a man who lived for his sport.

posted by Howard_T to hockey at 11:11 AM - 1 comment

BB Hall of Fame Scavenger Hunt: : Although this is somewhat Red Sox centered, it is an interesting look at the methodology of selecting the artifacts to be included in a Hall of Fame exhibit. I particularly liked the practical joking mentioned in the first part of the article. Does anyone else have any HOF stories to share?

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 10:49 AM - 2 comments

A Look Back at the Nashua Dodgers: The Class B Nashua Dodgers of 1947 had some well-known baseball names associated with them. Here is the story in a feature celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Nashua Telegraph.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 02:06 PM - 5 comments

NFL Sets Limits on Web Content:: The camel attempts to stick his nose into the tent. After MLB tried to limit the use of statistics in fantasy leagues, now the NFL wants to limit the content that newspapers may use on their web sports coverage. Will they get away with it? How far will this go? (Posted to "football" only because there's no category for "media".)

posted by Howard_T to football at 12:33 PM - 7 comments

Did the wrong team leave town?: Eric Wilbur included a link to this gem from the Boston Phoenix in his Boston Globe blog this morning (5/14). It is a lengthy read, but is one that any Braves fan, regardless of city, will find worth the time. There were a number of "I didn't know that" moments, even for this old Boston Braves fan.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 09:48 AM - 17 comments

Another Opinion on the BCS: Just to keep the BCS controversy going, here is an interesting column from "The Washington Post"

posted by Howard_T to football at 01:51 PM - 17 comments

Foot game has made giant strides over the years in NFL: This is a bit lengthy, but it is an interesting look at the evolution of special teams, particularly kickers, in the NFL. There are a few somewhat surprising statistics comparing field goal kickers then and now.

posted by Howard_T to football at 08:04 AM - 7 comments

Telling Signs Can Tip Scales on Mound: It seems to be "Let's look at pitching" week in the Boston Globe. Is it really an advantage to know what the pitcher is about to throw? Some say it is, others say not. The David Ortiz approach seems to me to be the most valid, ``I just see the ball and hit it. Don't bother me with that other stuff."

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 08:14 AM - 12 comments

First rule with pitchers is: Handle with care: Bob Ryan has an interesting slant on pitching and its evolution over the past several years. I have never understood why today's pitchers can't start every 4th day, and routinely are pulled after the magic 100 pitch mark. If Warren Spahn could do it, why can't ... (insert name here)?

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 02:27 PM - 27 comments