Cleveland Sports Forum

Beltré wins it for the Rangers with a walkoff single up the middle.

Tigers get the win that puts them into first on a double play that wasn't made (infielder at 2nd ate the ball when slid into by runner Andy Dirks) and the lead run therefore scored. Dirks slid toward the fielder rather than the bag, and in fact never touched the bag during the play. One of those cases where the ump COULD have called the batter out as well if he thought the throw could have gotten to first in time. (An accurate throw would easily have beaten Peralta going down to first.)

Well anyway I hope the Tigers prevail in the end, but maybe it is true what I heard during the Tribe-Sox game--They're using replacement refs out there.

BIG LEAGUES

Vizquel apologized for comments critical of the manager Farrell

Omar Vizquel apologized to his fellow Blue Jays for telling a newspaper that the team is not doing enough to correct repeated errors of his players.

[Forget about Omar managing the Indians. He's too squirly]

Reds' Homer Bailey tosses no-hitter

by Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Sports Updated 6m ago

Homer Bailey, expected to be on the fringe of the Cincinnati Reds' playoff rotation, thrust himself into the limelight on Friday night when he pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first for the franchise since Tom Browning's perfect game in 1988.

Bailey missed a perfect game in the 1-0 victory only because third baseman Scott Rolen committed a third-inning error that enabled Clint Barmes to reach base, and then Bailey walked Andrew McCutchen in the seventh.

Otherwise, Bailey was dominant, striking out 10, walking none and firing first-pitch strikes to 19 of 29 batters faced on a night in which his considerable potential finally came together.

Bailey, 26, the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, has after years of starts and stops put together a consistent season. Friday night, he won his career-best 13th game, crossed the 200-inning barrier for the first time and lowered his ERA to 3.75.

For all this, Bailey figures to be just the fourth starter in the Reds' playoff rotation, behind Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos.

Friday, he looked like their ace, needing very little from the Reds' defense as he mowed through a Pirates lineup that featured potential National League batting champion McCutchen batting third.
McCutchen was the only one to earn his way on, walking in the seventh, stealing second, but then getting caught trying to steal third.

Bailey didn't miss a beat after that. In the ninth, he struck out pinch hitter Brock Holt and got another pinch hitter, Michael McKenry, to pop out to left field. Finally, Alex Presley popped up to second baseman Brandon Phillips, and the celebration was on in Pittsburgh.

Bailey joined a fraternity that seems to grow less exclusive by the month: He pitched the seventh no-hitter in the major leagues this season, and the 15th since the start of the 2010 season.

Cespedes' presence has meant so much to this relentless A's team, which is 79-46 with him in the starting lineup and 12-22 when he isn't. His go-ahead home run in the eighth on a 1-2 pitch from Shawn Kelley gave him 23 on the year,

Cespedes has to be my most favorite ballplayer right now followed closely by Josh Hamilton, Yu Darvish, Brandon Phillips, and Aroldis Chapman.
Very nice rookie season for Cespedes. Very nice start to a professional career.

I forgot to add Bryce Harper to that list.

An Out Well Worth Waiting 7 Years For

By ANDREW KEH

Published: October 2, 2012


MIAMI — It ended rather predictably, the sixth-inning meeting between R. A Dickey, one of the baseball’s best pitchers this year, and Adam Greenberg, the player on a feel-good, one-day contract making his first major league appearance in seven years.


Dickey fired three of his signature high and fast knuckleballs — his secret weapon during his Cy Young bid for the Mets — and Greenberg, after taking the field to thunderous applause, looked at the first one and then swung and missed the next two, bringing his plotline to an abrupt, unceremonious end.

But the applause for Greenberg was just as loud as he walked to the Miami Marlins’ dugout; all things considered, he may be the happier of the two.

Dickey allowed three runs in six innings of a 4-3 Mets’ loss in 11 innings, failing to add a final bit of luster to his Cy Young candidacy. His final numbers are impressive — a 20-6 record, 2.73 earned run average, and 230 strikeouts over 2332/3 innings — but his fate rests in the hands of the voters.

Greenberg, meanwhile, fulfilled his dream of getting a second major league plate appearance, and first at-bat.

Earlier in the day, he was careening through a whirlwind of news conferences, television interviews, introductions and reunions, handshakes and smiles, and, not to mention, the rigorous preparations for a game. But when he came upon a jersey with his name and number on it, he took a moment to reflect, to think, “That’s me,” and to consider just what that meant.

“Seeing my name and my number, that’s a dream come true,” he said of seeing a jersey with his name and number on it. “Every little thing: Putting on this hat the first time. This shirt. The little things. Nice socks. New shoes.”

He added: “And then to see the jersey. That was the whole goal, to get that jersey.”

Greenberg, 31, garnered national attention this year because of an online campaign by Matt Liston, a filmmaker. Greenberg’s first plate appearance came with the Chicago Cubs on July 9, 2005. He was hit in the back of the head by the only pitch he saw, a 92-mile-per-hour fastball. The incident derailed his career and left him with intense headaches, vision trouble and vertigo for two years. He played 674 games through 2011, all in the minors and most for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish in Connecticut.

Last month, the Marlins granted Greenberg his wish, agreeing to sign him to a one-day contract.

Greenberg addressed the perception that his one day with the team was a sideshow or for publicity, and that it undermined the hard work of other players who fight for the same chance to play.

“I didn’t start this campaign; I didn’t ask for it,” Greenberg said, adding, “They wouldn’t have made this decision if I couldn’t run the bases or couldn’t swing the bat at a level that warrants being at the big league field, and I earned that seven years ago.”

Also in attendance was Fred Van Dusen, the first and only other player before Tuesday to have a hit-by-pitch in his only plate appearance in 1955, and to never play the field.

Greenberg said he hoped Tuesday would not be an end, but a starting point. Such an outcome may prove unlikely. But for a day, he was accepted as part of the Marlins. He chose to keep individual messages from his temporaryteammates personal. But he said, “Seeing their facial expressions, that says it all, and they’re smiling.”

And acceptance as a teammate meant being subjected to its rules and rituals, including rookie hazing.

“I’ve got to go sing and dance in front of them like a real rookie, dress up a little bit,” Greenberg said. “That, to be honest, is what I’m more nervous about. I’ve lost more sleep over that than the at-bat.”

Red Sox assured of last place with 12-inning loss to Yankees



NEW YORK — Bobby Valentine never expected his first season — and perhaps only — with Boston to end in last place.

Raul Ibanez tied it with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning, then had an RBI single in the 12th, helping the Yankees remain a game up on Baltimore in the AL East with one game to go by beating the Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night.

With their season high-tying seventh straight loss, the Red Sox dropped to 69-92, ensuring they will finish in last place for the first time since 1992.

“We didn’t start the season to finish fifth ... or fourth, or third, or second ...,” Valentine said.

Valentine signed a two-year deal to manage Boston after its September collapse last season cost Terry Francona his job. But the Red Sox were beset by injuries and underperformance this year. They fell to 16-41 since Aug. 1, and many are calling for Valentine to be fired.

Boston took a 3-1 lead into the ninth Tuesday, but closer Andrew Bailey, who missed much of the season after having surgery, gave up a two-run homer to Ibanez in the ninth to tie it.


Ibanez then had an RBI single off Andrew Miller (3-2) in the 12th to give New York a win to stay atop the division. The Yankees need a win or Orioles loss on the final day of the season to secure their 13th division title since 1996. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 1-0 earlier.

If the teams end up even after Wednesday’s games, they’ll play a tiebreaker Thursday in Baltimore.

The Yankees kept missing chances on a misty night. They were 0-58 when trailing after eight innings this season before rallying in the ninth.

Curtis Granderson led off with a single off closer Andrew Bailey and Ibanez lined a shot to right field to make it 3-all.

“I’ll have a long offseason,” Bailey said. “I’ve let the team down a couple of times.”

Ibanez came up again with two outs in the 12th after Francisco Cervelli walked in his first plate appearance of the year and Granderson drew a walk from Miller.

Ibanez hit a grounder out of the reach of shortstop Jose Iglesias and Cervelli flopped into home plate. The Yankees ran out to first base to mob Ibanez, who had a tying two-run homer against Oakland in the 13th inning on Sept. 22. He was doused with a bucket of water during a postgame interview.

“We stuck together. We stayed after them, and we were able to pull it out,” Ibanez said. “I was trying not to do too much, and it found a hole.”

Derek Lowe (9-11) pitched two innings for the win.

While the Orioles were chasing the Yankees in the standings, Lowe’s outing was delayed briefly in the 12th by another kind of bird. A member of the grounds crew, using a bucket, chased a bird that landed on the infield and was reluctant to fly off.

The Yankees had at least one hit in each of the first six innings before the top three in the batting order went out successively in the seventh against Junichi Tazawa.

They loaded the bases against Bailey in the ninth but Mark Melancon relieved and got Mark Teixeira to pop up to an outfield playing in and Robinson Cano to ground out.

Managing as if this were a playoff game, manager Joe Girardi used much of his well-rested bullpen. He called on Rafael Soriano for the ninth, trailing 2-1, and the closer gave up a leadoff homer to James Loney, rankling many of the 41,564 who stayed through the rain.

He also pitched the 10th, walking one batter. It was the first time this season Soriano pitched more than 11∕3 innings. He threw 43 pitches, his most since Sept. 25, 2005.

“Hopefully, he feels OK tomorrow if I need him,” Girardi said. “I’ve said it all along and I’ll say it again: trying to win the division.”

Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia were back in Boston’s lineup a day after sitting out of a 10-2 loss and immediately made an impact. Ellsbury, who sat against left-hander CC Sabathia, singled and scored from first on a double to right-center by Pedroia, playing with a broken left ring finger. Cody Ross added a sacrifice fly against David Phelps for a 2-0 lead.

Valentine said that he fell off his bicycle when he read the text from his staff saying that Pedroia was able to play. The second baseman went 2 for 5.

“He had great at-bats all night. He’s an amazing character,” Valentine said.

Eduardo Nunez had an RBI single off Jon Lester after Granderson reached on an infield hit, advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Pedro Ciriaco on the play and then stole third base.

NOTES: Boston entered the game 24 games out of first place. The previous time they were that far out was after games of Sept. 22, 1969. ... Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6) faces New York’s Hiroki Kuroda (15-11) in the regular-season finale.

I'm rooting for Miguel Cabrera to win the Triple Crown tonight. Hell of an accomplishment.

I've mellowed.

It has been 45 years since I rooted against Yaz as he won the crown much to my disgust as a Red Sox hater.

I was rooting for Yaz and Petrocelli and Santiago and Conigliaro and Lonborg and and and

Poor Tony C

Cabrera's coronation: Detroit Tiger claims Triple Crown

Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY

10:56PM EST October 3. 2012 - There were no such thing as cellphones, Twitter and even the Internet the last time it happened, but Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown feat Wednesday still seemed lost in the dark ages.

Cabrera became the first player in 45 years to win baseball's Triple Crown, and only the 14th player in history, but the conclusion to what became an inevitable feat this week hardly resembled a coronation.

"Miguel has long been one of the most accomplished hitters in the game, and this recognition is one that he will be able to cherish for the rest of his career in baseball and beyond," said Commissioner Bud Selig.



Three national baseball writers were in attendance to document the event Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo., where a spirited crowd dutifully recorded Cabrera's at-bats with their smartphones.

ESPN, however, did not cut in to Cabrera's at-bats, sticking with live coverage of the New York Yankees' chase for a division title.

We might see the Yankees win another 27 World Series titles before another Triple Crown.

"I don't think people realize what a special accomplishment it really is," Tigers President David Dombrowski said. "To lead all three categories the same year, to win the Triple Crown, is something most of us have never seen, and maybe will never see again."

Cabrera, hitless in two at-bats in his final game, led the American League in batting (.330), homers (44) and RBI (139), if not notoriety.

"To win the Triple Crown, and do it on a first-place team is absolutely heroic," La Russa said. "I hate to get on my soap box, but this should have been the lead story every day. It's magnificent what he's done."

Said 1967 winner Carl Yastrzemski: "I am glad that he accomplished this while leading his team to the American League Central title."

Yet the Triple Crown, detractors say, simply doesn't have the same significance in today's baseball world. Sabermatricians believe that WAR (wins above replacement) is a much more accurate gauge of value. Further, batting average does not include walks, and RBI can largely depend on opportunity.

"I don't understand that; I really don't," Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig said. "Every player is in awe of what he did. But people tend to put more attention on other stats."

Yet Cabrera's accomplishment, players and managers say , is far more difficult now.

"Back in the day, you would see a pitcher four times in a game," said Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, who finished second to Cabrera in home runs with 43. "Now you're lucky to see him two or three times. . The game is different."

Apparently, so is the interest.

I'm glad he won it.

No big surprise, Valentine is out of Beantown:

http://www.boston.com/sports/2012/10/04 ... ml?camp=fb

rusty2 wrote:I was rooting for Yaz and Petrocelli and Santiago and Conigliaro and Lonborg and and and

Detroit sucks.



Yaz in Beantown far surpasses a drunk Tigger who beat his wife and happened to stat across the board in an off year of stats.