I told the Rangers to start Cliff Lee

As I wrote on Thursday, this is not a second guess. Cliff Lee should have started Game 4. He didn't go 5 innings in Game 1 and this could have been a series changing game.Yes I know Madison Bumgarner pitched brilliantly, but who is to say he would have pitched as well knowing how little margin for error he would have with Lee pitching for the other team.Maybe Lee goes more than 4 innings and

What did YOU do at age 21?

When I was 21 I was finishing up my junior year at NYU, eating too much Chinese food, renting movies at Kim's Video on Bleecker street and sharing a tiny apartment with a guy whose name escapes me right now.When Madison Bumgarner was 21, he pitched 8 shutout innings in the World Series on the road against an amazing offensive team to put the Giants to within one game of their first World Series

Japanese Cherry Blossom Tattoos

Japanese Cherry Blossom TattoosJapanese Cherry Blossom Tattoos

Uppoer Back Butterfly Designs

Uppoer Back Butterfly DesignsUppoer Back Butterfly DesignsUppoer Back Butterfly Designs

Unique Butterfly Tattoo Today

A lot of people are flocking to the tattoo parlors these days to get inked. Why do people get inked in the first place? Some say it is for recognition, other for attention, & yet some people need to follow the crowd. No matter what your reason is for getting inked, be sure you actually browse through a reputable gallery of designs before you select on what you need. You cannot erase a design you

Lower Back Tattoos Flowers Tattoo

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Lower Back Butterfly Tatoo Part II

Lower Back Butterfly Tatoo Part IILower Back Butterfly Tatoo Part II

Lower Back Butterfly Tatoo

Lower Back Butterfly Tatoo

Sparkling Tattoo

Sparkling Tattoo

Lower Back Tattoo Ideas With Cherry Blossom Tattoo Designs

Lower Back Tattoo Ideas With Cherry Blossom Tattoo Designs

Almost first pitch...

You know where MY head is.

I want tricks, not treats from the Giants

Let's make this Orange and black day a good one for the Giants.If not, my dad might egg Jonathan Sanchez's house.

A scary Halloween thought for Giants fans

Want to hear something that should send chills up the spine for any Giants fan?Game 7 starter Jonathan Sanchez.Pretty spooky, eh?Better win these games!

Hope you Giants fans who wanted an exciting series are happy

You've got a series now... you've got drama and tension and a Game 3 starter named Sanchez who looks rattled.My father described it best. "He sh*t on the floor and p*ssed on the furniture."So I don't want to hear from any Giant fan friends that they want more drama. As if this season and the entire existence of the San Francisco Giants was the equivalent of General Zod bellowing "Is there no one

Who is my dad more mad at? Panda or Sanchez

When Pablo Sandoval grounded into a double play in the second, my dad who had been predicting Sandoval wetting the bed all day, just shot me a look that dripped of the phrase "I told you so."He's been saying that Rowand should be the DH. And so far who can argue.When Jonathan Sanchez walked Molina with 2 outs, my dad kept saying "He's going to let up a 3 run homer and put the Rangers right back

The Texas Rangers - A film by Clint Eastwood

The Texas Rangers story this season has unfolded like a movie... but not just any kind of movie.Specifically it has been a Clint Eastwood film.I'm not talking about the Spaghetti Westerns, the Dirty Harry films or even the Clyde the Orangutan movies.I'm talking about the respected Clint Eastwood films of the 1990s and 2000s.You know, the ones he churns out about once every 8 months. The ones

Haven’t you earned this, Giants fans?

I remember when my Red Sox won the 2004 and 2007 World Series, I got flack from a few of my Giant fan friends.One of them, let’s call him Greg Lee… because that is his name… said “You couldn’t have been excited by those World Series. They were blow outs.”I responded “Don’t blame the Red Sox for making those World Series boring. Blame the Cardinals and Rockies for not winning a game.”The person we

This series is OVER! (So were these)

A team that gave their fans generations of frustrations and a heart stopping playoff stormed into the World Series, out slugged the favored opposition one day, out pitched them the next and beat the other team's marquee ace (who was gone after 5.)Now they knew they had their two aces available fully rested for Games 5 and 6. Just split the next two and they'd be in the drivers seat for the World

My son Aidan noticed something

I was watching the game last night and my son Aidan sat with me.At one point he looked at the TV and had a confused look on his face.They cut to the Giants dugout...And Aidan observed "They are all wearing my hat."And with THAT moment, Aidan felt a one on one connection with the team.He took his first step into a larger world.

I don't think Eli Whiteside is getting into a game

I hope you are enjoying the playoff experience, Eli Whiteside. If you couldn't make a cameo in a 9-0 game, then it is clear that Bochy isn't going to use you.It's tough to bust into a box score when Buster Posey is the #3 hitter. And it is important to keep a catcher on the bench invcase of an injury.So enjoy the view. It's the best in the house. After Guillermo Mota pitched yesterday, it made

I know I won't be the only person to say this

And it was high school friend Marina Franco who posted this on Facebook...The Texas Rangers were indeed walkers tonight.I was rooting for the Giants of course... but wow. Derek Holland's appearance was special bad.13 pitches and 1 strike in zero innings pitched?I may not understand all the new stats people use, but I am pretty sure that throwing 0.07% of pitches for strikes is a bad ratio.That

Not a second guess

Note time and date that I am typing this.With Cliff Lee pitching less than 5 innings in Game 1, Ron Washington HAS to throw him in Game 4.As it stands right now, if the Rangers split Games 2 and 3, then they will be handing the ball to Tommy Hunter to prevent it from being a 3-1 hole.Cliff Lee versus Madison Bumgarner is a mismatch and (assuming Texas wins games 2 or 3) would give the Rangers the

Yes we Cain

Going into the World Series, I felt that if the Giants could be tied 2-2 after four games, they would be in terrific shape. So after last night's stunning offensive output, The Hum Babies are almost at the point where 2-2 would be the worst case scenario after 4 games.All it takes is a kick ass Matt Cain outing (because we ALL know the Giants aren't scoring 11 runs again.)Hands up if you would

The ghost of George visits Hank and Hal

(Hank and Hal Steinbrenner sit in their Tampa offices. The TV is on showing the Giants and Rangers playing in the World Series. Each are reading over details of Joe Girardi's contract offer. They both look up when they hear a strange rattling.)HANK:What the hell was that?HAL:Who's there?(The ghost of their father, George M. Steinbrenner III, appears.)GHOST:I am thy father's spirit,Doom'd for a

Poll Results from the Live Blog

During Game 1 of the World Series, I did a Live Blog. And along the way, I would give quick polls to the participating readers.Let's see the results of the polls:When Tim Lincecum looked shaky in the first few innings, I posted this poll.When Linecum forgot to throw to third on a run down, I asked this question.I posed this one after the Giants just looked over matched in the first few innings. A

A win is a win... no matter how ugly

Giant fans should be really happy they don't have style points for World Series wins. Because this was Jabba the Hutt ugly.In what everyone and their moose thought was going to be a classic pitchers duel devolved into a sloppier than Oscar Madison's bedroom fiasco.You had Lincecum, who pitched the first two innings like he was as high as Cheech and Chong during the car scene from Up in Smoke.In

LIVE BLOG OF WORLD SERIES GAME 1

Sully Baseball World Series Game 1

Man... this pre game coverage is making me miss the Bay Area

Don't get me wrong.Southern California is beautiful... but man the shots of San Francisco is making me want to move back up North.Either that or makes me want to eat a crap load of Rice a Roni.

LIVE BLOGGING OF WORLD SERIES GAME 1 - Tonight

I am going to try something new today. I am going to write a live blog on Sully Baseball for tonight's World Series Game.I'll be able to include some of your comments as well for this evening.Stop on by during the game. I'll try to give a different insight than what Tim McCarver can offer.

POST SEASON MVPS WHO BEGAN THE SEASON WITH A DIFFERENT TEAM

When Cody Ross broke camp with the Florida Marlins this spring, I think it is a safe bet to make that he DIDN’T think he was going to become a folk hero for the Giants in 2010.I would say he is one of the great mid season waiver wire pick ups of all time (the greatest STILL being Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1926… who the Cardinals picked up from the Cubs and he clinched the World Series that

Johnny Podres was a Padre?

How did I not know that before tonight?He was a member of the 1969 Padres.... their first season.And I am convinced the GM signed him for the Abbott and Costello esque confusion of "Who's pitching for the Padres?" "Podres." that must have happened that year.It's a tragedy that Billy Brewer never played for Milwaukee.

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO "Giant Torture for my Son" October 26, 2010

Chinese Extrem Tattoos Design 2010

Tattoo Chinese tattoo is also the most in the search by many people because of its unique and interesting so that they are very fond of tattoos tattoo lovers and there are some examples of these tattoos ...

Peacock Cufflinks - Animal Themed Formal Wear

Beautiful peacock themed cufflinks which are available at Amazon. Suitable for any peacock themed formal occasion.

It's FISH versus WIFE

My playoff predictions this year were off... As they always are. (So much for my Phillies/Tampa Bay rematch.)I got the predictions of my two kids, my sister in law and a random coin toss. None of us got a Rangers/Giants match up.Do you know who DID pick the Giants and the Rangers to win the pennant?MY WIFE, LISA!(She picked the Giants because inactive left hander Barry Zito does yoga and the

A few observations about Brian Wilson

When my wife and I were watching the post game from last night's pennant win, MLB Network flashed a picture of Brian Wilson without his beard.Lisa saw it and said "It's Christopher Meloni!"He does indeed look like Stabler wearing a fake beard... maybe undercover.I will say with the big beard and the strange post game interviews, he is reminding me of Joaquin Phoenix and this whole odd new fake

THIS is why people hate the Yankees

I've had some interesting exchanges with people regarding the whole "people other than Rangers fans are going to take pleasure with the Yankees losing" concept.One person, whose name I will NOT say but you know who you are, kept trying to defend the Yankees saying "Hey, they had a terrific year and you have to give them that."As if people were saying "Man, Joe Girardi led a rag tag bunch of

Bruce Bochy - Hall of Famer?

Don't laugh... Bruce Bochy already has a pretty amazing resume as a manager. If he wins 4 more games as a manager this year, it might be time to start whispering his name around Cooperstown.Don't believe me?Well first of all he has already padded his resume with some solid credentials.He took over a Padres team after the 1994/1995 strike/lockout.Remember the Padres were a team lost in the woods

A message from my son Aidan

What can I say, Rangers fans? I WAS WRONG!

Lots of people doubted the Texas Rangers.Guess who was one of them?ME!I didn't buy them in the first half...I didn't buy them in the second half...I didn't pick them in the Division Series...I didn't pick them in the ALCS...I didn't think they'd recover from Game 1 of the ALCS...And I wondered if they had fans.And guess what?I was wrong every time.I tip my hat to the Rangers and their fans (who

BIGGEST POST SEASON SERIES UPSETS OF WILD CARD ERA - Updated to include 2010 NLCS

Last Friday I wrote a blog post about the biggest post season upsets in the Wild Card Era.And I implied that if the Giants somehow could beat the mighty Phillies that they would have to be included in that list of upsets.Well guess what?The Giants did... and they SHOULD be included.Want to read something creepy?When proposing that the Giants COULD pull off the upset in the NLCS, I tried to make a

GIGANTIC!

Oh there is lots to write about... but I am so happy for the Giants and for my dad.So let's go Giants... 4 more wins and there will be no more grumbling about Dusty Baker handing the game ball to Russ Ortiz!HUM BABY!

I hate to say "I told you so"... no wait! I LOVE saying "I told you so"

10 days ago I wrote a blog post... basically calling Joe Girardi's pitching rotation for the ALCS insane. I thought that lining up the rotation so Sabathia would not be available to pitch Game 7, flip flopping Hughes and Pettitte so Andy faced Cliff Lee and throwing A. J. Burnett in Game 4 gave the Rangers a clear and almost unfair advantage in Games 3, 4 and 7. In other words, Girardi had set

Hey Yankee fans... the Rangers MASCOT is mocking you

Are you going to TAKE THAT?(Savor this feeling, Rangers fans. If it is 1/3 as awesome as 2004, then it is sweet indeed.)

Rangers fans might not want to be throwing stones here

Hey, it's a clever sign... but remember something, Rangers fans:You are the same team that had Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Pudge Rodriguez when he was VERY pudgy.And A-Rod admitted he did the stuff while in Texas.(Oh yeah, they traded for Jose Canseco as well.)Best watch out while throwing those stones.Your walls are made of glass.

Giants fans... this glass is HALF FULL

Before Giants fans go all nuts about losing that game the other day, let's pull a Superman and spin the world backwards and go back in time.Let's spin in alllllll the way back ONE WEEK!If I told you as the NLCS was about to start that the Giants would be still alive after 5 games, I am guessing you would have ALL TAKEN THAT, right?Most experts, including me, had the Giants losing in 5 games. So

Cream Peacock Wedding Bouquet - MADE TO ORDER

My personal favorite peacock wedding bouquet also from Etsy.

PEACOCK WEDDING Bridal bouquet (large) - made to order

This gorgeous bridal bouquet has been accented with peacock feathers. These are custom made and you can get them here from Etsy.

THE RANGERS DID IT! Mariners and Nationals... you are on the clock

The Texas Rangers are going to the World Series.Those words look strange being typed out.I honestly thought they would never make it in their history. But here they are.And I am thinking about Washington for several reasons.The Rangers WERE the second version of the Washington Senators before they moved to Arlington.The team currently in Washington, the Nationals, are one of only two franchises

Yankee haters... give them 24 hours. Yankee fans... expect to get it BADLY

I urge my fellow Yankee haters to not taunt Yankee fans tonight. In fact give them 24 hours to grieve.Out of courtesy.Out of dignity.Unless of course if you are a Texas Rangers fan.Then by all means let loose. But you must also supply a photograph of you wearing a Texas Rangers hat PRIOR to 2010.Preferably a picture of you with some classic Rangers player. Maybe with Ruben Sierra or Rusty

SPAM IS FUN!!!

Most of my readers who post stuff on the comment sections are either my faithful followers or anonymous posters wondering if I am a homosexual because I want instant replay in baseball.(Still can't figure out the connection there.)But every once in a while, I'll get a piece of spam.And today was no different.Personally, I love Spam when it is honest.I'll check the mailbox and say "Hey! Someone

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO "Needing a Bad Guy" October 21, 2010

Of COURSE you couldn't make this easy, Giants!

We all thought it, didn't we? When Halladay was taken out for Ross Gload and he lined into a double play, everyone watching the game thought "This is the turning point... 1 run game... Halladay is out... the middle relief can be exposed... this is going to be the night!"And when Lidge came in... admit it you thought "Oh man... he can blow it can't he?"So now they have to go to Philadelphia and

There's at least ONE family in the Bay Area not excited about tonight

The Giants are on the verge of clinching the National League pennant in what would have to be considered one of the greatest upsets in the Wild Card era.The Bay Area is going nuts and is partially in shock as Tim Lincecum will take the mound with a chance to not only win the Pennant, but set up the rotation while the Rangers and Yankees will battle deep into the weekend.You would think that the

Off sync with the Giants and my parents

I called my parents the second Juan Uribe won the game for the Giants last night to get their thoughts on the Giants somehow taking a 3-1 lead.SULLY:Some game! Up 3-1!SULLY'S DAD:I love it.SULLY'S MOM:It's great but watching it out of sync is driving me crazy.SULLY:(As confused as you)Wait. Are you watching it live or on DVR? Do you not know how it ends?SULLY'S MOM:Oh we watched the ending. But

A mystery that will perplex scientists and historians for generations to come

Why the hell did Roy Oswalt throw Juan Uribe an off speed pitch?Seriously... the guy has a busted wrist and looked overpowered on the first few pitches. He wasn't going to get around on one of those fastballs.And oh yeah, the winning run was on third with less than 2 outs.I would call that a situation where you needed a strikeout.Off speed pitch... deep fly to left... and somehow the Giants with

It is feeling a lot like 1992 around here

A franchise that had been a post season monster was on the verge of losing the ALCS 4-1 in their home park.A franchise that had never ever won a post season series had stunned the biggest and baddest team in baseball to take a 3-1 lead in the ALCS.The proud recent champion sent their stud ace to the mound... and he held serve. The big bad recent champs won Game 5 convincingly and sent the series

You are damn right Giants fans should cheer Barry Bonds

Barry threw out the first pitch yesterday afternoon in San Francisco, and no doubt people will fret over it... wondering what message it will send the kids.Funny, the other night when Andy Pettitte pitched a wonderful game against Cliff Lee, I don't remember people saying how disgusting it was that he was playing.He used the stuff.He followed Clemens from New York to Houston and back again.He

10 thoughts about Game 4 of the 2010 ALCS

Thought 1: A. J. Burnett wasn't good.There will be some defenders of his outing... that he was effective until the 6th inning and that he pitched better than expected.But let's get down to brass tacks. It was only his jaw droppingly low expectations that made this game look good by comparison.6 innings, 5 runs, 6 hits and 3 walks is not a good line. That is a 7.50 ERA. They needed a quality start

How mad were opponents of instant replay tonight?

They should be enraged!Lance Berkman hit a home run! The umpires called it that way on the field... and another one confirmed it.Umpires make calls and whether they are right or wrong and whether or not we have the technology to make calls correct and reward players for what they actually do and not for what they DON'T do... we should NEVER use that technology.That's the HUMAN ELEMENT, right?So I

Regarding A. J. Burnett

He's already thrown 2 more shutout innings than I thought he was going to throw.Color me impressed.

Show of hands, Giants fans...

If I told you at the beginning of the NLCS that the Giants would beat Roy Halladay AND Cole Hamels, raise your hand if your would take it.That if in Game 4, the Giants would face Joe Blanton, who hasn't pitched in nearly a month, and throw Madison Bumgarner, raise your hand if you'd take that.Now how about if I told you that if EVERYTHING goes wrong in Game 4... they lose 20-0 and are no hit...

The Giants leave a special message for Tim Lincecum

But whatever wins the game is fine.

I am a petty little person

My team is out of the playoffs but I am getting great joy in rooting for the Giants, my dad's team.But I am getting another perverse pleasure that I am not proud of... but I admit is there. It is always fun to not only see the Yankees lose, but to read the abject panic that happens in Yankee land by way of the New York press.It's truly difficult to understand what the New York media or any

The Bronx Job

With all of the breaking down of how Game 3 could have unfolded and how the Rangers would do and how the Yankees would do, we all seemed to forget one key factor of the game last night:Cliff Lee was pitching for a paycheck.Remember he is a free agent this off season and will be the most coveted name on the board.And if you get the Yankees lusting after you, then you can basically ask for any

Mr. Girardi... please let my son play in the game

Well it is looking less and less likely that Ramiro Pena and Austin Kearns will get any at bats this series. I mean if they don't get a mercy at bat in an 8-0 blow out, then chances are they'll be sitting along with with Javier Vazquez in the "Have Fun Watching The Game In Uniform" bench.

Wins and Losses can be unfair

Well there is no doubting who WON the game tonight. Heck, when the announcers start bringing up Sandy Koufax in their comparisons with Cliff Lee, you know you are in good company.But Andy Pettitte pitched a GREAT game tonight. He deserved better.I mean he threw 7 solid innings, let up 2 runs, all in the first inning.Technically he lost the game... but let's get down to brass tacks. The Yankees

Cliff Lee can't lose? Neither could THESE 5 guys!

It seems like a foregone conclusion by anyone NOT named Lisa Swan that Cliff Lee will win tonight in Yankee Stadium and put the Yankees in a 2-1 hole.He's awesome! He's unbeaten in the post season!He can NOT lose!Where have I heard THAT before?Oh yeah... many times and believe it or not with people with more impressive post season credentials than Cliff Lee.I am going to pull out five examples of

What if Thurman had lived?

On August 2, 1979, I was in the front yard of our home doing what I did on most summer days... playing whiffle ball with my brother Ted. My dad came out and told me that Thurman Munson had died in a plane crash.The 7 year old version of me took a moment to process this information. I remember the first question I asked was "Will he be buried in Cooperstown?"I don't know why that seemed important

Sully Baseball Honors Freddy Sez

This has been a rough year for Yankee mainstays.Bob Sheppard passed away.The Boss, George Steinbrenner is gone.And now the Freddie Sez guy is no longer with us.For those of you who don't know who he was, Freddy Schuman was a die hard Yankee fan who was at just about every Yankee game there was.(He was at all of them that I went to, and I went to a lot.)And for those of you too young to remember,

A silver lining for Giants fans

Hey!It wasn't a one run game!They've had 6 post season games and the first 5 were one run games. At least with this one Giants fans don't have to grumble about that one play or that one bad break.Yeah it was close most of the game... but 6-1 is 6-1.The Giants got out of Philadelphia was a split.Move on.Nothing to grind your teeth over with this one.

Why should umps have different strike zones?

I'm watching the Giants/Phillies game and already one of my big pet peeves in baseball has reared its ugly head.Dan Iassogna, the home plate umpire, called ball four on Jimmy Rollins to drive in the lone run of the game so far. It looked knee high down the center of the plate.An inning late, he called a pitch lower than the one thrown to Rollins a called third strike on Fontenot to end the

Anything happen in baseball while I was away?

I went to Big Bear Lake this weekend with the family...Went on walks, went kayaking, and reconnected to nature just like Emile Hirsch in Into The Wild.Anything happen in baseball?Oh nothing... except the very balance of the post season was thrown into disarray.The Rangers? Well they made the ALCS a best of 5 series with Cliff Lee pitching in 2 of the remaining 5 games on full strength.Like I said

The Yankees are partying like it is 1999

A team that has struggled to get out of the Division Series (and had a sad tendency of getting swept) crawled their way into the ALCS.They had to win the final Division Series on the road and use their ace... but the ace finished the game and the series and it was a sweet victory.But they now had to face the Yankees... a team that had tormented them over the years... and couldn't use their

Don't look for the silver lining, Rangers. It's not there

It's funny. In a strange way, nothing unusual happened tonight.Sabathia is the Yankees best pitcher and everyone on the planet expected the Yankees to win Game 1.And they did.So why does this feel like a watershed moment of devastation for the Rangers?Because it was all falling into place so wonderfully.A win in Game 1.Knocking Sabathia out early.Taking control of the game and knowing the WORST

The Don of the Phillies

I am rooting for the Giants as is my dad in the NLCS. But I have a soft spot in my heart for the Phillies because of my many relatives who lived most of their lives in the Philadelphia area.This series is going to be an interesting one because my Uncle Don, my dad’s brother, is the biggest Phillies fan of them all. I wonder what their correspondence will be like during the NLCS.Now my Uncle Don

Texas Dragonslayers

You want to slay dragons this off season, Texas… then there’s no better way to do it than this.When my Red Sox slew their many dragons in 2004, they had to go through New York to do it… facing down fears and demons that brought down the franchise for so many generations.Well, so far the Rangers have reached heights that the franchise has never scaled before. They are in the ALCS.They still haven’

BIGGEST POST SEASON SERIES UPSETS OF WILD CARD ERA

I admit, it doesn't look good for the Giants.I am rooting for them to win the National League Pennant and any team that has Tim Lincecum pitching twice in a series can't be counted COMPLETELY out.But it will be a longshot.There is NOTHING the Phillies can't do now and their lineup is a little more fearsome than the Braves.A safe bet would be the Phillies winning in 5 games.But every once in a

Are the Yankees insane?

Let's say you are organizing the entertainment at a casino.While putting the line up of shows together, you realize that you can have Frank Sinatra perform three nights... but you say "Nah... we only want Frank for two nights. We need to save his voice, so we'll book Steve Lawrence instead for a night."And when lining up the shows you say "We won't have Sinatra in our biggest show. We're booking

Circling the bases with Bill Mazeroski 50 years ago

Today is the 50th anniversary of Bill Mazeroski's homer that ended the 1960 World Series. I've seen pictures and clips of it since I was a kid. And I've always been struck by something in this famous celebration picture.There were kids running up to congratulate Mazeroski. There were also his teammates. Then there is a blue collar guy right behind Mazeroski.Then... there's this guy.The guy in the

How did we do with our picks? (And how did the fish do?)

Before the playoffs began, I made my post season picks… and compared them to the picks of my wife Lisa, my sister in law Debbie, my sons Matty and Aidan, a coin toss and which direction my fish Red swam.With the Division Series over, let’s see how we all did.SULLY’S PICKSPHILLIES over REDSGIANTS over BRAVESYANKEES over TWINSRAYS over RANGERS3 out of 4SULLY’S WIFE LISA’S PICKSREDS over

COMPLETE GAME VICTORIES TO CLINCH DIVISION SERIES (Updated with Cliff Lee)

A few days ago I wrote a post about pitchers who threw a complete game victory to clinch the Division Series.I felt it was such a rare occurrence that it was worth noting.Now it has happened twice in three days and Cliff Lee has added his name to the list. It just goes to show you, I shouldn't write lists like this until the round is OVER!Let's update it.Complete Game Division Series

Updating the No Hitter Post

Earlier this year, I wrote up a list of each teams most recent no hitter... and I should update it each time a new no hitter is thrown.And I forgot to when Roy Halladay threw his last week.So dutifully, here is the updated list of each team's most recent no hitter.THE MOST RECENT NO HITTERSFOR EACH FRANCHISEPHILADELPHIA PHILLIESRoy Halladay - October 6, 20104-0 over Cincinnati. (Playoff Game)

Once again, I feel badly for Cleveland

Cliff Lee was the Cy Young winner for Cleveland in 2008.Cliff Lee was the post season pitching stud for Philadelphia in 2009.Cliff Lee has pitched the Rangers into the ALCS with a dominating performance against the Rays this year.You can't ask for more from him... but could you imagine if the Cliff Lee of '08, '09 and '10 was even 75% there in '07?The Indians nearly made it to the World Series

THE DIVISION SERIES MVP... Updated for 2010

If there is one thing that makes less sense than having no instant replay in baseball, it is the fact that there is NO MVP for the Division Series.It's bonkers. The announce the player of the game for spring training games, but a player who has some post season heroics can't get some hardware?Well, in 2008 I had the honor of awarding THE DIVISION SERIES MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS..Last year I did it

Am I high or did Bengie Molina just steal a base?

I SWEAR I've never used a hallucinogenic... but I my eyes are telling me that Bengie Molina stole a base... and my brain can't handle that.Maybe I dropped acid earlier today and didn't know it.If he did steal that base, it takes the sting out of the triple he hit against the Red Sox last July.Then again, maybe I'm high.I'll ask the dragon I am sitting next to if he saw it too.

SULLY vs. A FISH

Earlier this month made my picks for the post season series... as did my wife.When I made MY picks, I compared them to the picks of my kids (who just liked the sounds of certain teams) my sister in law (who was more interested in which players were vegans) a coin flip (always reliable) and my fish, Red.When Red made his choices, I held up a picture of the logo of each team playing in the series

Teams that avoided the big collapse

One of two things are going to happen today at the Trop:The Rays will complete a remarkable comeback in a series where they were 5 outs from elimination and looked dead from the neck up.OrThe Rangers will have fought off a gigantic scare and win their first ever post season series.Both are pretty dramatic.We hear a lot about the teams that have come back from deep holes to win the final 3 games

The Bobby Cox Post Season Home Grown vs. Acquired Roster

I've never been a big Bobby Cox fan. In fact other than their World Series trips against the Yankees, I have always rooted against the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. I can't explain why.But I have tons of respect for Bobby Cox for putting so many winners on the field.Yeah he has had critics... most of them morons."He only won one World Series!" That's as many as Leo Durocher won... that's as

The Braves couldn't sell out the game

Think about that for a second...This is a potential elimination playoff game.The first three games in this series have been down to the wire nail biters with late lead changes.It is could be the FINAL GAME of the Bobby Cox era, the greatest run in the history of Atlanta sports.And if you wanted to go to the game, just go up to the ticket window before the game and say "One Please."That, my dear

GET A HIT, GIANTS!

I love you Derek Lowe... but I do NOT want you throwing a no hitter tonight.The way the Giants bats have been all year, it is almost startling to realize that they haven't been no hit yet.It's a clinching game, Giants.Bat on the ball... let's go!I am getting in my car to go home now. By the time I get home, I expect to see a few hits on the board.

Can't Evan Longoria afford a new cap?

Seriously... if he lost his hat, buy a new one! He signed a $17 million contract. Go on line and get a new one.Why chase down that poor schmuck to a helicopter?And why is some yahoo going to Rays games (and taking public transportation) getting on a private helicopter?Sorry, but these things bother me.

Brooks had a very bad day

Yeah yeah yeah... three errors including 2 that produced runs in a 3-2 game.Lest we forget he ALSO screwed up a sacrifice bunt in the 8th inning.I feel very bad for him.9 years in the minors... he scrapped and clawed his way to the big leagues.... he played 5 different positions in the minors trying to get a big league shot... He gets to the big leagues... hits a dramatic walk off grand slam

Complete Game Victories to Clinch the Division Series

Cole Hamels gave the Division Series a wonderful exclamation point and helped the Phillies continue to serve notice:They intend to roll over the National League.Last night, Hamels gave the Phillies their second complete game shutout in 3 games. (Granted, Halladay’s was more impressive.)But a clinching complete game shutout is nonetheless pretty dang cool.And RARE.In this day and age of high paid

Yet another inning for Bobby Cox to regret

Back in 2007, I wrote about the post season innings that Bobby Cox must grumble and grind his teeth over.Whether it was Lonnie Smith not scoring on Terry Pendleton's double or Leyritz's homer or the Astros come back in 2005... there have been many innings where if the breaks went slightly differently, Bobby Cox might have more than one World Series ring.Well throw tonight's top of the 9th on the

Best Text I Got Today

My friend and Giants fanatic Greg Lee sent me a text today."There are nights I am really happy I am NOT Brooks Conrad. This is one of them."Poor bastard.But at least his defense is distracting people from his .100 series average.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES

The Rangers are still looking for their first home playoff win in their history... and after being 5 outs from sweeping their way into the ALCS, they are forced to play a winner take all game and either get eliminated or win but not have Cliff Lee ready for games 1 or 2 of the ALCS.Is there ANYONE who thinks the Rangers could actually beat the Yankees?And if the Rays win, they'll be throwing

Teams that played only one home post season game

Reds fans have been waiting since 1995 to see a playoff game in their hometown.And guess what? If they don't win today, all they'll get is a single playoff home game.It seems almost unfair. A fan base gets pumped up and expects to have a ton of October memories... and then blink, it is over.So I wondered how many teams made it all the way to October baseball and then gave their teams only one

Jim Thome and Kenny Lofton’s post season luck

So it goes for the Twins… their post season losing streak at 12 and they have been swept out of the playoffs again.Homefield advantage?New ballpark?No difference.And it also goes for Jim Thome, who in his 20 seasons, is still in search of his first World Series ring.His luck has been truly rotten.He’s appeared in 9 post seasons, including 2 trips to the World Series (1995 and 1997 with Cleveland.

Nobody focuses on the Giants like my dad

My dad (aka Poppy) can tell you anything you want to know about the Giants.He can casually rattle off the 1954 Giants' roster...He can give you a scouting report on the current team...When new players come up from Fresno, he is anticipating their arrival...When prospects are tearing up San Jose, he has his eye on them.He is NOT a casual baseball fan. Far from it.But he is unique.He has Giants

Hey Tommy Hunter... no pressure

All you have to do is win today.And oh yeah, get the Rangers to forget the fact that they were 5 outs away from winning the first post season series in the history of the franchise.Oh yeah, if they don't win tomorrow, then they have to go BACK to Florida and face David Price in a do or die game.The direction of the franchise is at stake.So no pressure. Just win.Relax.

Which Twins would put up a bigger fight against the Yankees?

The Minnesota Twins... or MY Twins?Don't answer right away.It's a tougher question than you think.

It has come to this...

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Girardi is not so dumb now, is he?

When the Yankees and Rays were going down the stretch, there were a lot of Yankee fans killing Joe Girardi for not playing all of his veterans in every game. "They HAVE to win the Division!" was the rallying cry.I heard one person KILLING Girardi for not using Mariano Rivera in both games of a double header in the last meaningless weekend of the series.The Rays won the Division... the Yankees are

Were there four games played last night?

It really felt like there were more than 2 games played, didn’t there?The Reds and the Phillies played two games yesterday… in the first game the Reds showed some serious guts. They came right out swinging, homering in the first at bat.Bronson Arroyo was in control, Roy Oswalt was faltering, Chase Utley was a mess in the field and the mighty Phillies were vulnerable.Then they played ANOTHER game

Of course it was Troy F---ing Glaus

The MVP of the 2002 World Series... the man who sunk the Giants that year... OF COURSE he's the guy starting the gut punch double play to kill the rally in the 10th.Bad things happen when he plays the Giants.

There goes the "Instant Replay Slows Down The Game" argument

Another day... and once again any argument against instant replay becomes more and more moot.After Chase Utley was put on base as the tying run in the 7th inning after he WASN'T hit by a pitch, there was a bang bang play at second base.The runner was called safe, prompting Dusty Baker to come out and argue... and slow down the game. An argument that would never have happened if a replay official

I’ve heard this song before…

The Giants finished the regular season as Division Champs and got home field advantage in the Division Series. And drew the Wild Card team from the East.They won Game 1 with a complete game shutout from their ace and looked like they were cruising in Game 2.Everyone had their eyes set for the League Championship Series… and maybe if luck with have it a match up against Dusty Baker’s squad.And

That didn't take long for the Reds to show some life

I was wondering how long it would take for the Reds to get their first hit of the 2010 post season. If they went 1-2-3 in the first, I thought "Maybe it won't happen."Nope.One batter in, Brandon Phillips said "You may be a Roy, Oswalt... but you are NO Halladay!"Who knows? Maybe the Reds took their day off and decided not to be humiliated.They are already showing more guts than I thought they had

Posey was out

Hey, I'm THRILLED the Giants won... but there is a sour taste in that they won 1-0... and the only run was scored by Buster Posey who was in scoring position because he stole second base...And he was out.The replay showed it.Very easily fixable. The game pauses after a stolen base. The replay ump could have said "Hey! He was out. I just saw it."Not that it was important... in a playoff game that

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO - Rampaging Phillies

THIS IS THE GREATEST RANGERS TEAM OF ALL TIME

This team has already scaled the Mount Everest of the Rangers franchise.They've won 2 post season games.In fact the 11 runs they've scored in the first two games are pretty damn close to the 18 runs they scored in the franchise's first 10 post season games combined.Look, I know the Rangers have bigger fish to fry... and they are one win and one Twins loss from having home field advantage in the

A SULLY BASEBALL VIDEO - What does Fox want?

Lincecum picks up the gauntlet

My dad and I were talking about the Giants game this afternoon. My dad said "people are going to be expecting Lincecum to throw a no hitter on the heels of Halladay."Well, he took care of THAT thought with the first batter.I knew my dad was AT the game and when I saw he let up a lead off double, I thought "Oh man... please don't get rocked."He didn't throw a no hitter... but DAMN he did the next

Michael Young swung

Yup...He struck out.The video showed it.Instead they had to strike him out AGAIN and he hit a three run homer to break a playoff game wide open and possibly sink the Rays.Now were the Rays winning this game if Young struck out?We don't know.But we DO know is they unraveled after they were denied the strike out they earned.Remind me why Qualls needed to get FOUR strikes again?Oh yeah... the HUMAN

The Great Irony about the Tampa Bay Rays and today's game

All year long, the Rays played great baseball but the fans didn't show up.Today, fans packed the Trop but the Rays didn't show up.

Once again, if you are against instant replay... you are wrong

It is to the point where people who are against instant replay sound a lot like people who would insist the world is flat.They have nothing to back up their claims except tradition and an inability to accept new ideas.There isn't a logical reason to be against instant replay.Even one of the people who comment on my blog against instant replay admitted that.But we saw in the final game between the

FRANCISCO LIRIANO IS THROWING A NO HITTER AFTER ONE INNING!

Let's stay on our toes people... something MORE can happen tonight!

I'm calling this series over... Phillies have advanced to the NLCS

You know on election night, sometimes they call certain races with less than 1% of precincts reporting?On the surface it seems unfair. You can say "Hey! How do you know who won until you've read EVERY ballot."But there is the practicality. If a drag queen is running in Salt Lake City... or a Bible thumping "It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" loon is running in the Castro district of San

The Rangers matched their greatest post season ever

The Rangers went into today's game with a grand total of one post season win in their history.Now they have two.To understand how insane that is to double a team's post season success in one day, just imagine if the Yankees played a post season game... and in the process won the World Series 27 times in that day.Thus the storied history of the Rangers just got some story to it!Equally nutty...

Wow... a packed house in Tampa Bay for a playoff game!

I wonder how many of those tickets were free.

My picks... my sister in law's picks... my kid's picks... a coin toss and a fish

The playoffs are starting in less than an hour and it is time to make my official picks.Now my picks tend to suck... despite my following EVERY team in baseball and thinking way too much about, my powers of prediction leave a lot to be desired.So this year I am comparing my picks to Debbie Zambetti, my wonderful Sister in Law and a health and nutrition counselor who maintains a wonderful website

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... October 6, 2010

Oh wait!They DO start today!!!In fact they start in a few hours.Isn't this the best part of the sports year?

My wife is picking the Giants... her logic is sound

Every year I ask my loving and adoring wife for her picks in the playoffs. In 2006 she got every single playoff series correct (including each of the Cardinals upsets.)The thing is that she doesn't follow baseball. Her logic isn't always sound (she picked the Cardinals over the Tigers because Tony LaRussa is involved in animal shelters and Jim Leyland smokes.) But who cares about the method if

Coaches looking for their first ring

When the World Series is over each year, we recognize that the players on the team have their World Series rings... and accomplished the great goal that every player wants to achieve.And the managers as well are praised for reaching the promised land.But what about the coaching staff?A lot of times you see long time veterans win their first ever World Series ring as a player.I remember Harold

Real Yankee fans should be rooting for the Giants in the NL

It's very easy to be a Yankee fan now.They've won a ton of titles and are almost always playing in October. They are THE marquee franchise and virtually every huge star passes through the Bronx.Celebrities are at the games and the new Stadium is the crown jewel of baseball.20 years ago... that wasn't the case. For some people who are young fans or casual fans, this might be something startling to

A guide for Red Sox fans in picking a playoff team to root for

So the playoffs are starting and the Red Sox are on the golf course.Does that mean we Red Sox fans should just NOT watch the playoffs?Of course not... just because our team is dead doesn't mean our interest should be.Seeing that I was too young to remember 1975, I never saw the Red Sox play in October until 1986, when I was 14. Yet I never missed a post season... I would just temporarily adopt a

The Life of Brian's Beard

Whose beard looks more awkward?Brian Wilson, or the women in disguise during the stoning sequence of "Life of Brian"?

See you next season

For 22 teams, today was it. The end. And those fans go back to the drawing board hoping for a better 2011.It is an important day of the baseball calendar. If opening day is the time where optimism is abound, the last day is where some sobering reality kicks in.When you come out today, that's it. The baseball card's stats for the year are done.Some players have played their last games with a team

No person I'd rather watch a clinching with than Poppy

My dad was in town this weekend and we watched a lot of baseball. That wasn't the original plan... the plan was we'd watch his Giants clinch on Friday night and spend the rest of the weekend in L.A. County with my kids.As it turned out Cain got bombed and Barry Zito blew his chance to redeem his contract in the eyes of Giants fans.So we were glued to the set today... and watching a game with my

I can’t call the Padres chokers

I know it would be easy to call the Padres choke artists… heck you might even have the numbers to back it up.On August 25th, the Padres looked like a team of destiny. They improved their record to 76-49. They were up by 8 games in the loss column over San Francisco with 37 games to play.The Padres had a better record than anyone else in the National League by 5 games in the loss column and were

"Hey I have as much managing experience as Don Mattingly as well"

And I bet Hasselhoff would know how to fill out a line up card and what constitutes a trip to the mound.Hey Joe... you are getting out at just the right time.

IN HONOR OF JEFFREY "HAC MAN" LEONARD

An All Star for the Giants in 1987...Won the NLCS MVP in 1987 despite being on the losing team...The good news is he hit 4 homers, batted .417 and had an OPS of 1.417 against the Cardinals and sent the Giants fans into hysterics with his one flap down home run trot...The bad news is none of those 4 homers came during Games 6 and 7 when the Giants were shut out...And a man who had another nickname

Dolphin Tattoo Designs Pictures

Dolphin Tattoo Designs Pictures

Butterfly Upper back Tattoo Designs Arts

Butterfly Upper back Tattoo Designs Arts

Hey Tampa... you are welcome

A disappointing season has come to an end. Devastating injuries, some subpar performances and the fact that the Rays and Yankees were just better did the Sox in.All things considered, 89 wins and not being eliminated until the last week wasn't too shabby.But hey, the Sox won 4 of their last 6 against the Yankees (and the two losses were extra inning losses.) So they showed a little bit of heart

Sexy Cute Tattoos For Girls With Butterfly Upper back Tattoo Designs Arts

Sexy Cute Tattoos For Girls With Butterfly Upper back Tattoo Designs Arts

Rose Tattoo Designs Many Meanings In One Simple Flower

Rose Tattoo Designs Many Meanings In One Simple Flower

Hey Mariners... let's compromise on Felix Hernandez starting

So the Mariners are at home for the last day of the season... and I guess it is fitting for a year where many people picked them to win the AL West and instead lost 100 games that they are giving their fans nothing to cheer for on the last day.Felix Hernandez, looking to cement a Cy Young resume that has everything except the eye popping win total (although winning 13 games on a 100 loss team

The Red Sox said good bye to a beloved player properly

The World Series MVP became an official award in 1955 and only two Red Sox players have ever received it.Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell.One had his Red Sox career end so badly that he couldn't be more hated in Boston if he took a crap on Paul Revere's statue.And the other got to have a dignified day in his honor to celebrate all he meant to the club.Not bad for a guy who was the expensive

The Mariners truly appreciate their fans

Thank you fans! Now please enjoy the game that we are waving the white flag in before it even starts.Thanks for supporting a team that thought Milton Bradley would be a good power source. Thanks for cheering a team that couldn't put one 20 home run hitter, one 70 RBI man and only one .250 hitter.And seeing that the only thing left to cheer for is King Felix Hernandez, we'll take THAT away from

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... October 3, 2010

Here we are... the last day of the season... and not one single Division Series match up has been set.The Yankees played a combined 20 innings yesterday and very well might have lost the Division in the wee small hours of the morning. And the Twins may have lost homefield advantage in the Division Series and ALCS with a poorly timed losing streak.But that is NOTHING compared to the potential

Oh PLEASE start A. J. Burnett in the playoffs

Not only did he finish the season with a nifty 5.26 ERA and lost 15 games on a team that has won 95 games (he's the REVERSE of Felix Hernandez) but last night pulled a classic Chuck Knoblauch... arguing a call without calling time and letting a run score.Seeing the Yankees lost the game in the 10th inning, it is safe to say the run was important.And seeing the loss may have cost the Yankees home

Look at that! The Red Sox won a game!

Christ, I forgot what that even felt like.Well a night where the Red Sox and Yankees played a combined 20 innings, it is nice to know they had one more comeback and one more walk off win.Granted it was the Red Sox JV team beating the Yankees JV team... but think of THIS, lovers of Schadenfreude... if the Rays win a game against the 94 loss Kansas City Royals tomorrow, they will be AL East

Are the Giants and Braves drunk?

Seriously... did they start celebrating when they realized all it took was one Padres loss and they'll be October bound?The Giants are playing with the urgency of a temp checking their Facebook page.The Braves got shut down twice by the Phillies and haven't yet faced a starting pitcher named Roy.The only Phillies pitcher the Braves offense has gotten to was Mike Zagurski, who not only won't be on

Now pitching for the Red Sox... Ted McGinley

Have you ever flipped around the channels on TV and landed on a show you really liked. And you start watching it because, well, you love the show.Then you realize it isn't an episode from one of the good seasons... and it is very clear from the beginning that, while it is the same show, you aren't going to get any pleasure out of watching it.Like finding an All in the Family episode, but it isn't

Chances are there will be an upset in the Division Series

As we get ready to start the second to last day of the season, not one single Division Series match up is official yet… and that’s pretty cool. All four AL participants are in, but will it be Rays/Rangers? Yankees/Twins? Rays/Twins? Yankees/Rangers?It can’t be Yankees/Rays… the logic of which will be questioned in another post.And we know the Phillies and Reds are in… but the game of musical

Go for 20, Ubaldo

Remember when Ubaldo Jimenez was 15-1 at the All Star break? It looked like not only was he a lock for the Cy Young Award but had a legit shot at 30 wins.He got his 15th win on July 8th.If I told you that in the second half, the Rockies would have a 10 game winning streak and Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez would enter the MVP race, you'd think he'd have AT LEAST 25 wins going into the last

Was it really necessary to play a double header between the Orioles and Tigers yesterday?

Did even the fans in Baltimore want to see these two games?I mean I guess the 20,000 fans who paid to see the games must have been happy to see the birds win both games. But it is one team that played well to avoid 100 losses playing a team that has to run the table to finish about .500.One lousy team versus an underachiever who has as much chance to play a meaningful game this October as the

NOBODY can blame Freddy Sanchez

Normally when someone gets doubled up at first on a fly ball in the 9th inning of a potential clinching game with your team down, you get pissed.But I can't get pissed at Freddy Sanchez. Everyone on the Planet Earth thought that was a triple in the corner. Why the hell Ludwick was playing there I have no idea. So instead of a run in and they tying run at third with nobody out, it was 2 outs,

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... October 2, 2010

The only change in the playoff match ups came from the weather. The Red Sox and Yankees were rained out and the Rays couldn't take advantage and lost ANOTHER to the Royals.And the Twins couldn't take advantage and lost again themselves.Am I the only one who has noticed that the American League pitching for the playoffs has been pretty lousy this week, save for Cliff Lee, David Price and CC

Even God doesn't want to see this Red Sox/Yankees game

Man... ending the season with a Red Sox/Yankees showdown looked so good on paper, didn't it?Now it has all the pleasure of a trip to the DMV.Don't stop raining...

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... October 1, 2010

September is over after today... teams that are still alive tomorrow can officially say they were in it into October. But how far?It is now October and only 2 National League spots are locked up while all four playoff teams in the American League have clinched.However by the end of the day, the two Division Series could be set in the National League while nobody could know who is playing who in