Archive for the ‘Sports Time Radio’ Category

Angels swept in Wrigleyville 

Posted: August 10, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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Jason Hammel back from the bereavement list and searching for win number 12 on the season as the Cubs as a team are looking for their ninth straight win in a row.  The Cubs are taking on Angel Ricky Nolasco looking for just his fifth win of the season.  

Jason Hammel would get a great start to the game retiring the first six batters he faces.  In the top of the third Hammel gets the first out but walks opposing pitcher Ricky Nolasco.  With two outs he gives up a single to Yunel Escobar but he gets out of the inning.  Nalasco gives up a lead off single to Dexter Fowler and walks Ben Zobrist with two outs but no runs score.  He gets through the second, then strikes out the first two batters but it’s Kris Bryant who smacks a double to left.  Anthony Rizzo sends a ground ball scoring Bryant for the first run of the game.  

Hammel gets into trouble loading the bases starting with Mike Trout but gets Nalasco to ground out to end the inning.  Yunel Escobar grabs the only single of the fifth but Hammel strikes out Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout to end the inning.  He does make it a quick top of the sixth adding one more K to his stat line.  

In the bottom of the fifth, Jason Hammel gets a one out single and advances to second on a wild pitch.  Dexter Fowler drives in Hammel with his 21st double of the year.  In the bottom of the sixth, Heyward reaches on a fielding error, then Wilson Contreras singles but Beaz strikes out to end the inning.  

Hammel completes a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, but Ricky is pulled for Deolis Guerra who also completes a 1-2-3 inning.  Hammel completes a full seven innings striking out six on four hits.  Pedro Strop enters the game giving up a single to Escobar.  Travis Wood comes in and gives up a double to Kole Calhoun.  Maddon makes another change bringing in Carl Edwards Jr who strikes out Trout.  Albert Pujols grounds out but Escobar scores.  Edwards gets out of the inning.  It’s now 2-1 Cubs.  JC Ramirez enters the bottom of the eighth getting the first two outs but it’s Addison Russell who adds an insurance run with his 13th home run of the year.  

Aroldis Chapman enters the game in the top of the ninth.  The first out is on a 103 mph fast ball.  He then strikes out former Cub Geovany Soto.  With two outs, Cliff Pennington strikes out to complete a strike out the side Save.  The Cubs complete the sweep of the Angles and make it a nine game winning streak.   

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Let’s Call it Wednesday

Posted: August 10, 2016 by Sports Time Radio in baseball, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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The Chicago Cubs have the best record in baseball at 70-41. Teams have worked there way up to the Cubs and at some points in time may have even passed them, but the Cubs have been the best team in baseball throughout the season. Any time a team gets on a run and looks like they’re a playoff team one of the things you’ll eventually hear someone ask about that team is “Can they challenge the Cubs”. It’s slowly starting to look like the year that the Cubs make there run at a World Series title. There are a couple of things that could derail this season for the Cubs. The most obvious one is injuries. The Cubs have had their share of injuries this season, but luckily they haven’t lost a key piece of their line up or their rotation to injury. It’s always the number one worry a contending team will have and there’s no way they can control it. The other problem is a distraction from a player inside the organization. The Cubs look to have their first distraction with the situation involving back up infielder Tommy LaStella. LaStella who has minor league options left was sent to Triple-A Iowa at the end of July when Utility man Chris Coghlan came off the disabled list.

LaStella made it very clear he was unhappy about being demoted and that’s understandable. LaStella had appeared in 51 games for the Cubs and was hitting.299. LaStella had played both second and third base this season. It appears as though the Cubs went with Coghlan over LaStella because Coghlan offers a little more versatility. Not only can Coghlan play second and third like LaStella, but he can also play both corner outfield spots.They are both left handed hitters, but Coghlan has struggled sine being re-acquired by the Cubs this season. Coghlan was traded to the Oakland A’s by the Cubs just before this season started. Since being brought back Coghlan is hitting .200 in 57 plate appearances. It may nave been the fact that Coghlan can play the outfield or the fact that he was out of minor league options and would have had to make it through waivers to be sent down, but the Cubs choose to keep Coghlan with the major league club. You figure the worst case scenario for LaStella was to go to Iowa play everyday and then come back up when the September call ups are brought up. All in all, he’d spend a little over a month in the minors. Now this is not what LaStella did as he never reported to Iowa. What he decided to do was just go home. The Cubs did their best to try and cover for him by saying there where “family problems”, but that isn’t true. Yesterday the Cubs placed LaStella on the Temporarily Inactive List. I don’t understand why the Cubs haven’t released him; it’s clear that he has no business in major league baseball. It was a pouting selfish move by someone who just wanted to play on the majors and that was it. Why would a player like LaStella think he’s entitled to that. Did I miss the ceremony where he won the MVP award and should be playing everyday.

LaStella’s been a career back up; never playing more than 93 games in a season. I don’t understand why a team like the Cubs in the position that they’re in even give a crybaby like this another chance. There have been some reports that LaStella will only play for the Cubs and that if he’s traded he would retire. This ties the Cubs hands even more and it’s just one more reason that LaStella should be shown the door as quickly as possible. Even for some unknown reason the Cubs where stupid enough to bring LaStella back to the major leagues; who’s going to be the guy losing at bats to him. Are you taking at bats away from your main back up in the infield Javier Baez? How about Kris Bryant? Addison Russell or even Ben Zobrist? Should these guys lose at bats to LaStella. I get it if it’s a day off here or there, but with the way Baez has played there’s really no need at all for the skill set LaStella has. It was a garbage move that LaStella pulled and I still don;t understand even though he is Temporarily Inactive that he’s even considered a member of the Chicago Cubs. Playing major league baseball is a privilege and after this stunt that Tommy LaStella pulled he doesn’t deserve that privilege. Again it’s time for the Cubs to say goodbye to LaStella and fast.  Here’s Maddon on La Stella Video

In what looks like some sad baseball news it appears that Prince Fielder’s career is over after a second neck surgery. Fielder spent 12 seasons in the majors.He spent 7 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers before signing with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent. Fielder played just 2 seasons with the Tigers before he was traded to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler. Fielder was in his 3rd season with the Rangers before this neck injury sidelined him. Fielder was limited to 42 games in his first season with the Rangers due to his first neck injury. It looked like he was over it in 2015 and bounced back with a great season. Fielder hit .305 with 23 home tuns and 98 RBI’s. Fielder played in 158 games mostly as a DH (139 games), but did play 18 games at 1st base. Fielder was struggling this season hitting .212 with 8 home runs and 44 RBI’s in 89 games. Fielder is a 6-time All-Star; he also won the MVP of the 2011 All-Star game. He was voted Comeback Player of the Year for the 2015 season. Fielder finished in the Top 10 of the MVP voting on 4 occasions. In 2007 Fielder hit 50 home runs to lead baseball. 50 home runs in a season is still the Brewers all-time record. Fielder played in 1611 career games and played in all 162 games 4 times in his career. He’s a .283 career hitter and has 319 career home runs. Oddly 319 is the same number of career home runs that Prince’s father Cecil Fielder had. Fielder is still owed about $96 million on his contract and since he is retiring because of a medical issue he’ll receive the majority of that salary. It’s never the way you want to see a good player or for that matter any player go out, but Fielder did have 12 seasons in the majors to look back on.

The Big Jack Follow me on Twitter!

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Angels in Wrigley

Posted: August 9, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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As the Angels of Anaheim travel to play the Chicago Cubs of Wrigleyville Jared Weaver takes to the mound looking to go above .500 for his ninth win of the year.  The Cubs and John Lackey look to stop that as John is also looking for his ninth win of the season.  

John does start off quickly with an out and then gives a solo home run to Kole Calhoun.  He gets the next two outs and continues that streak into the second retiring five straight with the last two outs of the second being strikeouts.   Lackey continues to strike out the first two batters in the top of the third and retires his eighth straight batter. 

Weaver would give up a full count walk to Anthony Rizzo but he would end the inning trying to steal second base.  Jason Heyward grabs a two out single in the bottom of the second but doesn’t cross the plate.  Weaver makes it a quick bottom of the third but not before giving up a leadoff solo home run to Wilson Contreras.  

Lackey starts the top of the fourth and makes it a quick and positive one, striking out Mike Trout.  Rizzo leads off the fourth with a double.  Rizzo scores on Ben Zobrist’s double.  Jorge Soler pushes him to third but Heyward pops out.  Addison Russell sends a fly ball to Trout for a sac fly scoring Zo.  Cubs are now up 3 – 1.

The top of the fifth starts and Lester gets the first two outs.  But Ji-Man Choi’s ground ball out is challenged by Mike Sciocia and is overturned for the first hit for the Halos since the home run in the first.  Lackey gets the next two outs to end the inning.  Lackey leads off the bottom half of the inning with a ground out and Dexter Fowler pops up the first pitch he sees, but he’s out on fan interference.  Kris Bryant takes the first pick yard for his 28th home run of the year.  Rizzo then takes a 2-1 pitch for his 34th double of the year.  Zo grabs a base on balls for Jorge Soler who sends a soft grounder to Pujols who tosses it Weaver who drops it for an error allowing Rizzo to score.  Heyward goes down swinging to end the inning.  

Cliff Pennington leads off the sixth with a walk and with one out gets caught trying to steal second which would have worked out better if he had waited on Kole Calhoun’s single to right.  Jarod Weaver does not make it to the bottom of the sixth being replaced by Mike Morin and catches Russell watching strike three for the first out.  Lackey gets called out on strikes to end the inning.  

John gets right back into the groove by getting two batters to ground out and the last to line out.  Fernando Salas joins the Halos in trying to hold off the Cubs in the bottom of the seventh getting Fowler to ground out to start it off.  He then strikes out Bryant and Rizzo to end the inning.  

Lester remains in the game for the top of the eighth making it a quick 1-2-3 inning.  Another Angels pitcher A.J. Achter retires the only three batters he sees.  Pedro Strop replaces Lackey in the top of the ninth getting the first out quickly.  Almost as quickly comes the second out and with Chapman warming up, just in case the crowd gets out the seats and gets loud as Trout steps in the box and gets called out on strikes.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Sweep The A’s

Posted: August 7, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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Wrapping up their trip to Oak Town, Kyle Hemdricks gets the nod trying to grab his 11th win of the season.  He’s taking on A’s 24 year old Valparaiso, IN native, Sean Manaea who’s looking for his fourth win of the season.

Manaea would give up a singe I’m the first to Kris Bryant but ends up picking him to end the first inning.  The second inning would see Ben Zobrist doubling and Jorge Soler singling but no runs score.  The third inning would see Matt Szczur doubling and Dexter Fowler and Bryant walking to load the bases.  Zo would ground into a double play to end the inning.  Manaea would retire six straight to make it through five unscathed.

Through five innings Hendricks gives up a single in the first and second but then retires the next nine batters straight.  Bryant leads off the top of the sixth with his 27th home run of the season for the first run of the game.  Kyle retires his 12th straight batter in the bottom of the sixth.

Jorge Soler leads off the seventh with his seventh home run of the season.  This prompts A’s skipper to make a call to the pen and bring in Ryan Dull.  He gets the first out but gives up a single to Javier Baez who does get caught stealing.  Szczur singles on a close play but is challenges and over turned to end the top of the seventh.  Kyle adds three more to the list after not allowing a hit since the second inning.  

The A’s decide to bring in Andrew Triggs for the eighth to see Dexter Fowler who leads off with a single.  Kris Bryant reaches first on a walk promoting another pitching change.  Marc Rzepczynski enters the game to try prevent the Cubs from adding to the board but he gives up an RBI double to Anthony Rizzo.  Ben Zobrist grabs an intentional walk to load the bases and Liam Hendriks is brought in to strike out Addison Russell, then  Jorge Soler.  Wilson Contreras grounds out to end the inning.  

Marcus Siemen takes Kyle out of the game after 100 pitches as he hits a one out solo home run.  Kyle gets a standing Ovation from all the Cubs fans in attendance as Pedro Strop enters the game to end the eighth.  

Chris Smith, first star since 2010 enters the game to hold the Cubs from adding to the board.  He gets the first out but Szczur lays down a bunt for a hit.  Fowler gets called on strikes.  Kris Bryant gets into a full count, takes the next three pitches foul but flys out to end the inning.  Aroldis Chapman to enter the game for the save opportunity.  He gets the first two batters to ground out. Stephen Vogt steps into the box and takes would be strike three to left for a single.  Khris Davis gets called out a 104 mph fast ball for the save.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Two an’ Oakland!

Posted: August 6, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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Both teams donned throwback jersey honoring Oakland’s 1981 days.  Jake Arrieta looks to get back into form and start August off with a winning record as he seeks win number 13.  Sonny Gray steps to the mound  trying to get a little closer to .500.  

Both pitchers have a quick first inning.  The second is followed by a couple base runners but no runs.  It’s the top of third that starts with back to back single to Wilson Contreras and Dexter Fowler but Gray gets the next two outs.  Ben Zobrist at the plate and he sends a line drive to center driving in both Contreras and Fowler.  The Cubs grab two runs to help put Jake a little closer to that first win in over a month.  The bottom half goes by quick.  

Gray bounces back in the fourth not allowing a base runner where Jake allows a walk.  The same for the fifth as Gray again doesn’t allow a runner but Jake gives up a single.  Manager Bob Melvin decides to bring in Liam Hendriks who starts the inning off by giving up a double to Anthony Rizzo.  He then scores on Addison Russell ground ball to third.  Russell scores on Jorge Soler’s double.  The Cubs grab runs three and four to put Arrieta that much closer to a W.  

Jake for the first time since May 14 goes eight innings only allowing four base runners on three singles and a walk with four strike outs 

The Cubs would see Patrick Schuster and John Axford.  In those three innings the Cubs reach on three walks but don’t add anymore runs to the board.  Cubs take two in Oakland and have one more before heading back home.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Lester beats the A’s

Posted: August 6, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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The Cubs head West for a short three game series in Oakland.  Jon Lester searching for  his 12th win of the season and he hopes to get that against the A’s as Dillon Overton looks for his second win of his young career.

It doesn’t start off to well for Dillon as he gives up a leadoff home run to Dexter Fowler for the first run.  He gives up a one out single to Anthony Rizzo and them a two out single to Addison Russell.  Fresh off the DL, Jorge Soler cranks his sixth home run of the season putting the Cubs up by 4.  He gives up two singles in the second but no more runs.  In the top of the third, Bem Zobrist would leadoff with a double, then hits Russell.  Soler reaches but on a force out of Russell at second.  Jason Heyward drives in Zo to add to the board.  Javier Baez drives both of them in putting the Cubs up by 7.

Through three innings, Lester would only give up one hit to Khris Davis but gets caught stealing second base.

Andrew Triggs joins the A’s in the top of the fourth getting all three batters out.  As Lester continues to go through the A’s line up.  Triggs gives up a single in the top of the fifth but gets a double play and a strikeout to end the inning.  Lester continues with his one hitter going through the fifth.

Daniel Coulombe enters the game for the top of the sixth against the Cubs starting with Baez but gets he, David Ross and Folwer out on a strikeout and two ground outs.  Brett Eibner leads off the bottom of the sixth with a home run.  Lester strikes out Tyler Ladendorf for the first month but gives up a double to Bruce Maxwell.  Maxwell scores the second run for the A’s on Marcus Semiens ground ball single to center.  Jake Smolinski grabs a single, prompting a visit to the mound.  It seemed to help because Lester strikes out the next batter but an argument ensues and Danny Valencia is tossed from the game.  Lester gets out of the sixth and that would be the remainder of the scoring for the night.  

Lester goes seven full innings giving up the two runs on six hits but strikes out eight.  Carl Edwards Jr and Joe Smith both provide an ininning of work with Smith allowing one batter with a walk.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

How was your week?

Posted: August 5, 2016 by Sports Time Radio in baseball, basketball, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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I, what most NBA experts saw as a surprise, saw Russell Westbrook sign a 3-year contract extension to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Most if not all of the experts that cover the NBA expected Westbrrok to follow Kevin Durant out of Oklahoma City when his contract expired after the 2016-17 season. Even though Westbrook has a new deal there’s no guarantee that he’ll be with Oklahoma City long term. Westbrook’s new contract replaces the final year of the deal he was under. He’s also signed for the 2017-18 season and has a player option for the 2018-19 season. We see a lot of these player options in contracts now because of the escalating salary cap number. With the new contract Westbrrok gets a raise for the 2016-17 season. He was originally due to make $17,769.374 for this coming season, but under his new contract that salary jumps to $26.5 million. That will also be Westbrook’s salary for the 2017-18 season and it would also be that for the 2018-19 season if he doesn’t opt out of the contract.

Westbrook played in and started 80 games for the Thunder last season. He averages 34.4 minutes per game. He averaged 23.5 points per game, 10.4 assists per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. On average he took 18.1 shots per game, but with Durant now wearing a Golden State Warriors uniform look for that number to go up. Westbrook is a 5-time All-Star and has finished in the Top 12 of the league’s MVP voting in four of the last five seasons. With Durant gone  Oklahoma City is clearly Westbrook’s team and I expect him to take full advantage of that.  Westbrook is a triple-double waiting to happen and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him win the league MVP award in one of both of these next two seasons he’ll be under contract to the Thunder. RW’s Career Page

Oklahoma City is going to have a different look this season than in the past. Not only is Durant gone, but the Thunder traded Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis on draft night. Besides getting the #11 pick Sabonis in a trade with the Magic the Thunder also made a deal with the Denver Nuggets to acquire Daniel Hamilton the 56th pick in the draft. Oklahoma City was 55-27 and the 3rd seed in the Western Conference playoffs under 1st year coach Billy Donovan. The Thunder made it all the way to the Western Conference finals where they lost to Golden State in 7 games. Even in the tough Western Conference; the lost of Durant and the trading of Ibaka the Thunder should still be a playoff team. Can they get to the conference finals again? and if they did could they find a way to get past Golden State and into the NBA Finals?

New York Yankees 1st baseman Mark Teixeira announced this week that he’ll be retiring after the 2016 season. Teixeira is 36 years old and is in his 14th major league season. He currently has 404 career home runs and is one of just five switch hitters with 400 or more career home runs. Teixeira is a 3-time All-Star and a 5-time Gold Glove winner. His best season may have been his first one with the Yankees. He hit .292 while leading the league in home runs with 39 and RBI’s with 122. He finished 2nd in the MVP voting that season to Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins. Teixeira was the 5th overall pick of the 2001 draft by the Texas Rangers. He made his major league debut April 1st of the 2003 season. Injuries have really taken it’s toll on Teixeira the last 5 seasons. He hasn’t played in more than 123 games in any of those seasons and only played 15 games in 2013 due to injury. Besides the 404 career home runs Teixeira is a career .269 hitter and has driven in 1281 runs over his 14 seasons. Tex career stats While I don’t think Teixeira has the career numbers to get into the Hall of Fame he has been with the Yankees for 8 seasons and that can help a player in the voting.

Has anyone broken out as the National League MVP to you? Before Clayton Kershaw got injured it seemed as tough he was the front runner for the award even though he’s a pitcher and it’s a cop out to vote that way. There are some contenders, but I don’t think anyone has separated themselves from the field as of yet. Daniel Murphy is having a great season for the 1st place Washington Nationals. Murphy is leading the NL with a .356 average along with 21 home runs and 81 RBI’s. With Bryce Harper having what is considered a down year Murphy has been a huge piece for the Nationals. What about Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies? Gonzalez has good numbers this season with 23 home runs, 75 RBI’s and is hitting 320. Will there be questions about his numbers because he plays in Colorado. What may hurt Gonzalez more than anything is that it doesn’t look like the Rockies will be a playoff team. Colorado is 8 games out of the NL West lead and trail by 4 games in the wild card race. It may seem odd to talk about the standings when your looking at the MVP race, but they actual matter to the people who vote for the award. Could Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers be a surprise candidate. Seager is the front runner for NL Rookie of the Year, but with his .303 batting average, 19 home runs and 51 RBI’s could MVP also be included. Seager also plays shortstop and he plays shortstop for the Dodgers. With the injury to Kershaw and some of the other issues the Dodgers have dealt with Seager may get some consideration for MVP. Don’t forget Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs. Someone on the Cubs is going to get MVP votes with the year the team is having and Bryant may be the guy. He’s currently 2nd in the NL with 26 home runs; just one behind the league lead. He has also driven in 68 runs and is hitting .284 this season. It should also be taken into consideration that Bryant has played multiple position for the best team in the NL. Bryant has played most of his games at 3rd (68 games), but has played the outfield in 57 games. He has also played 5 games at 1st base; he DH’d in 1 game and even played an inning at shortstop this season. With Kershaw out of the running for this award could the cowards that can’t make a decision on an everyday player run and hide behind another pitcher. Is there a chance they turn to another Nationls player and get behind Steven Strasburg. Strasburg is 15-1 with an ERA of 2.63 in 20 starts this season. He’s struck out 161 batters this season while walking 38 guys. He has given up 13 home runs and teams are hitting .194 against him this season. Are one of these five players the NL MVP? or is these someone else out there? If you had a ballot; who do you have a top of it?

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When the official MLB Scorer got it wrong!

Posted: August 4, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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When it comes to scoring in the MLB it can be very confusing especially to someone new to the sport.  If there is anything, I am so confident in knowing, is how to score a baseball game.  This isn’t something that I googled to understand, I learned how the art of scoring back when I was 9 years old which I hate to admit was almost 30 years ago.  As a kid, my dad worked nights and my mom worked days and with day baseball being a Cubs thing, and my favorite cartoons being on WGN, they were preempted for the Cubs.  We also did not have cable.  During the summer I watched just about every Cubs game.  I was also fortunate enough to receive the superstation TBS, which carried Braves games and a station out of New York that carried the Mets.  Oddly I couldn’t tell you which channel the White Sox were on as I never watched them.

Watching game after game after game and reading the newspaper and the one score card from my first Cubs game, I learned to keep score for baseball.  I made my dad make hundreds of copies of my one score card and from there on I kept score of every game I watched.  To be honest, I wish I still had these packed away in a box in my parents basement.  I literally kept score of every game including the entire World Series starting with the Battle in the Bay, the Oakland Athletics vs the San Francisco Giamts combining with the Braves domination in the 90’s.  It was so important and fun to me I even recorded the games on VHS, when I knew I would miss a game because I had a baseball game.

This to me is an art as not everyone understands the rules of scoring and I would say my level is close to expert, as I would be an expert if I worked for Major League Baseball.  So needless to say it really irritates me when the “Pros” get the call wrong, like in  the Cubs/Mariners game on Sunday, July 31st.  Jon Lester place a perfect bunt that went back to the pitcher but was just out of reach causing the pitcher to scoop it up with his glove and for the toss home with Jason Heyward scoring in walk-off fashion.  With today’s replay reviews, Lester had to run it out and reach first base which he did.

Another instance takes us back to June 6, 2016 with the Cubs in Philadelphia.  In the fifth inning Matt Szczur would pinch hit for Jorge Soler, laying down a bunt in almost the same exact fashion as Lester on July 31st that scores Kris Bryant.  There is no play on Szczur and he reaches first base without a challenge.  When I heard the Cubs broadcast team give the official scoring of the play, I fell out of my seat and immediately tweeted them.

But of course, I did not receive a tweet back, either telling me I’m right or even wrong.  I think what really gets me, these are the pros.  I can’t be mad at them because well if you click the links above to both games where the non sacrifice happened, the official scorer got it wrong and did not correct it.  Now of course you’re saying, is your head that big that you can’t be wrong?  Well I’m prepared to answer that with the actual MLB rule.  

Rule 9.08 Sacrifices 


I know not everyone truly understands legal talk so here goes.  The official scorer has freedom to interpret the rule as they would call for.  However, when it comes to sacrifice bunts it clearly states that before two outs, if a bunt is put into play and the runners, already on base, advance to the next base and no effort was put into throwing the batter out at first base, then the batter shall be credited with a one-base hit.  

In both cases that I brought forward, that is the situation.  Both batters Matt Szczur and Jon Lester laid down bunts that went back to the pitcher.  In both situations not only did the runners advance to the next base, the batter reached first base without so much as an attempt to throw the batter out at first.  Both times, the play was scored as a sacrifice bunt, when it clearly was a single as sacrifice bunt.  The whole idea behind a sacrifice is giving something up.  In baseball, an out is what’s given up, hence the need for MLB Rule 9.08 Sacrifices.  

Am I looking to deep into it?  Am I too big of a baseball nerd? Whatever you think is up to you but I can say I love this game.  Like I said earlier, I may not be an “expert” but when it comes to baseball I do consider myself an expert.  

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Wild Walk Off!

Posted: August 3, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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The series finale between the Cubs and Marlins has John Lackey looking for just his ninth win of the season.  He is looking to start this month off on a positive note as he takes on Tom Koehler who also seeks his ninth win of the season.

Lackey starts off the game giving a leadoff single to Dee Gordon who snags his eighth stolen base of the year and then scores on Chritian Yelich’s double to left field.  Through the next six innings, Lackey only allows three singles and is looking very sharp.  He starts the seventh inning off with a strikeout for the first out but hits Derek Dietrich who takes first base.  Jeff Mathis would step into the box and takes a two-seam fastball and launches to left center field for a home run giving the Marlins the lead.  Lackey does allow another hit but gets out of the inning.  Through seven innings, Lackey gives up seven hits, no walks and strikes out eight but does give up three earned runs.

Tom Koehler through five innings would only allow one walk and three hits with no runners scoring.  it wouldn’t be until the sixth inning that he gives up a single to Anthony Rizzo to right.  Rizzo advances to second on Koehler’s wild pitch and then to third on a ground out by Ben Zobrist.  Wilson Contreras drives in Rizzo with a ground ball to center field.

Kyle Barraclough enters in the bottom of the seventh for a 1-2-3 inning.  Joe Smith makes his debut for the Cubs in the top of the eighth getting the first out but gives up a solo home run to Christian Yelich putting the Marlins up 4-1.  Smith gets the second out but gives up back to back singles prompting Joel Maddon to bring in Carl Edwards Jr. to end the inning.  For the bottom half former Cub, Fernando Rodney steps to the mound giving up back to back singles to Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant.  With Fowler on third and Rizzo at the plate, Rodney throws a wild pitch allowing Fowler to score the Cubs second run of the game.  Rizzo would walk and Zo would advance both runners with a sac bunt.  Wilson strikes out and with two outs and two men on, Jason Heyward grounds out to shortstop to end the inning.

Justin Grimm enters the game in the top of the ninth.  He gets the first two outs but gives up an infield groundball hit to Dee Gordon who is 3 – 3 on the day all infield hits.   He then walks Martin Prado with two outs.  With Christian Yelich at the plate both runners advance on a wild pitch by Grimm but he gets Yelich to go down swinging.

A.J. Ramos takes over for the Marlins in the top of the ninth giving up a lead off double to Miguel Montero who is pushed over to third as Javier Baez singles to left.  Ramos then loads the bases walking Matt Szczur.  Dexter Fowler sends a fly ball to Stanton for an out but advances all three batters to put the Cubs down by one.  One out, Kris Bryant at the plate gets called out on strikes.  What could be the last chance for the Cubs, Rizzo steps in the box to receive the intentional walk to load the bases for Ben Zobrist who takes five pitches to draw the walk to tie the game at four for Wilson Contreras who takes the first pitch for a strike.  The 0 and 1 is wild, Szczur scores, Cubs Win! CUBS WIN!

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Marlins game 2

Posted: August 2, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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Jason Hammel is hopefully eating a ton of potato chips for this game as it should be a hot one and he needs to retain as much as H2O as possible.  He went 3-2 in the month of July and looks to take his win streak to 4 games with the possibility of a career high 11th win.  He is taking on Jose Fernandez looking for lucky number 13 in his second career start against the Cubs.  He went seven innings giving up only one run on four hits, but strikes out 13 giving Hammel his fourth loss of the year.

Hammel doesn’t start off too smoothly as he walks the bases loaded with two outs to start the game but on the sixth batter he gets out of the inning.  Fernandez tosses one up for Fowler allowing him to bag a triple his fourth of the year.  Wilson Contreras derives him in with a single to shortstop.  After Rizzo strikes out and Ben Zobrist ends the inning grounding into a double play. 

Addison Russell singles in the second but no one scores in the second.  In the bottom of the third, Dexter Fowler leads off with a single and steals second with Contreras at the plate and makes it to third on Wilson’s line drive to left.  Fowler scores again as Anthony Rizzo flies out to left.  Wilson would try to take second base but is thrown out ending the inning.  Cubs up by two.  

Chris Coghlan leads off the fifth with a ground ball single to center.  Fernandez gives him second base as he balks.  He gets the next two outs but it would Fowler who steps in the box and drives in his first run of the game with a single to right.  Contreras and Rizzo both walk but Zo strikes out to end the inning.  

After Hammels rocky start to the game, he would only allow three more base runners through the top of the sixth.  He would strike out three walking two with four hits as Maddon brings in Pedro Strop in the top of the seventh.  He gives up a single to Derek Dietrich who ends up at third as Chris Johnson sends a ground ball back to Strop who throws it away as he try’s to get Derek out at second.  Adeiny Hechavarria sends a ground ball to left scoring Derek.  J.T. Realmuto sends a grounder to right scoring Johnson putting the Marlins within one run.  Strop strikes out Martin Prado but that would be enough for  Maddon to take the trip to the mound bringing in Travis Wood to end the inning.  

Kyle Barraclough replaces Fernandez in the seventh only allowing one base runner.  Hector Rondon joins the game in the bottom of the eighth striking out Giancarlo Stanton.  Marcell Ozuna sends a line drive to right but gets picked off for the second out of the inning.  Rondon gives up a single to Dietrich but ends the inning when Johnson lines out to left.  

Mike Dunn enters the game in the bottom of the eighth getting the first two outs but Matt Szczur breaks it up by singling but Javier Baez goes down swinging.  

Maddon of course brings in Aroldis Chapman to close out the game.  He gets Hechavarria to ground out for the first out.  Then he strikes out Jeff Mathis.  J.T. Realmuto ends the game by grounding to third giving him second save for the Cubs.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

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