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Showing posts from May, 2011

The First Player in 90 Years...

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...to be the winning pitcher in a game after starting in the field and moving to the mound: Wilson Valdez of the Phillies. On May 25th, he played the first 18 innings at 2nd base, and then made his professional debut as a pitcher in the top of the 19th inning. He walked one and retired the other three Cincinnati batters he faced. In the bottom of the inning, Raul Ibanez broke the tie with a sacrifice fly, as the Phillies edged the Reds 5-4. And who was the last player to accomplish what Valdez did? Babe Ruth, on October 1st, 1921! http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192110012.shtml

Blast From the Past: 2002

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I found an almost-forgotten disc of 2002 photos that included several from a picture perfect afternoon at the old Yankee Stadium. Before the Yankees host the Twins, a pre-game ceremony with Derek Jeter and some young fans. It turned out to be an historic day -- as Roger Clemens tied the Twins' future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven with his 287th career victory. "The Rocket" threw eight innings of shutout ball and striking out 13. Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless 9th inning in the Yankees 3-0 victory. Check on this picture to magnify it, and check out the message board. Or get the details from Baseball-Reference.com .

Settling a Pitchers Duel

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Jimmy Rollins (seen here in 2010) delivered the tie-breaking 8th inning sacrifice fly tonight as the NL East leading Phillies edged the best-in-the-West Rockies 2-1. Until then, the game had been a terrific pitchers duel between Cole Hamels and Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa. Rollins decided things, with a fly just deep enough to score Wilson Valdez.

Milton the ex-Mariner

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This past week, the Mariners parted company with the talented, but moody and inconsistent Milton Bradley. Back in March during Spring Training, the switch-hitter was expecting to spend his summer in Seattle. But a struggling start for a rebuilding team can make a general manager revise his plans.

A Familiar Face Visits the Auto Show

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Bucky Dent -- beloved here, reviled in Boston -- was a celebrity guest yesterday at the New York Auto Show.