Through one period of Game One of the Stanley Cup finals and the refs are not allowing the Red Wings to interfere off the puck, trip the goaltender, or hold Penguins up after they dump the puck in.
In other words, they are actually calling the game as the rulebook says they should.
Miracles do happen.
This was the headline the Post-Dispatch chose for the game story about Thursday night's assault on the San Diego Padres: "Pujols: 'It did bother me.'" The headline for the same story on Stltoday.com was "Pujols: 'It's tough. It's real tough.'"
Let's look past the pronoun 'it,' lonely without any antecedent to claim for its own in either headline. Instead, let us ask ourselves whether the lede of this story should be El Hombre's reaction to his line drive hitting Padre pitcher Chris Young.
In the story's third paragraph, we learn that
The gruesome aftermath traumatized Pujols, who admitted having little desire for the remaining innings of his team's 11-3 win.
Young suffered a fractured and lacerated nose but never lost consciousness. He was assisted from the field and taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he remained overnight.
What do you do with a #4 draft pick?
Oh, you could go for the tried and true methods: A) Pick someone you declare the "best player available," or B) Pick a player who "fills a need for us at the position," or C) Pick a player you believe will sign for near the league minimum (I'm looking at you Cozma).
However, the Blues will have the opportunity to go off the board when the NHL Entry Draft rolls around. The Blues could attempt to corner the market...the Danish hockey player market that is. I'm suggesting the Blues take this guy:
It didn't take Mikkel Boedker long to adjust to the North American game.
Boedker, an 18-year-old from Denmark, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean in the fall to suit up for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League.
The trip was a huge success for both Boedker and the Rangers.
Boedker has developed into one of the top prospects for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and his coach thinks he is one of the players most ready to step into the NHL next season.
"He's been outstanding," said Peter DeBoer, the Rangers' coach and general manager. "He's proven that he's a top-10 NHL pick. He might be as ready to step right into the NHL as any other forward in the world other than (Steven) Stamkos."
DeBoer admitted he wasn't sure what to expect when Boedker arrived. DeBoer was building a team that would challenge for the Memorial Cup and didn't have time for projects. But Boedker put those fears to rest by becoming an impact player for his team almost immediately.
"You never know how players are going to adjust when they come from different countries and different systems, but this kid is pretty special," said DeBoer, whose Rangers are playing host for May's Memorial Cup. "He's a big, strong kid. He doesn't play a typical European game."
It’s hard to imagine things getting worse for the hapless San Diego Padres.
They did.
One day after reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Peavy was placed on the disabled list, pitcher Chris Young and catcher Josh Bard sustained injuries that knocked them out of Wednesday night’s 11-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Young and Bard were injured within a span of two batters in the third inning. Young had his nose broken and cut when Albert Pujols lined a shot off his face in the third inning that sent blood streaming down the front of his jersey. Bard sprained his left ankle on a play at the plate when Pujols slid into his leg.
“When I hit it, I thought it was going over his head,” Pujols said. “But it hit him right in the face. “There was blood all over the place and I began to pray about it and make sure it was all right.”
...
After a few minutes of sitting on the grass, Young walked off holding a bandage on his face with blood on the front of his jersey.
“It was a pretty tough night,” Pujols said. “After that, I couldn’t concentrate on my other at-bats. I kind of had flashbacks thinking about that at-bat.”
Pujols’ shot ricocheted to the left side of the infield for a single and loaded the bases with one out. After Cla Meredith replaced Young, Ludwick’s grounder knocked in one run and advanced the runners. Glaus then lined a single to right to score Miles to put St. Louis up 3-2.
Brian Giles’ throw arrived at the plate at the same time as Pujols, who slid and caught Bard’s left leg. Bard went down and stayed on the ground for a few minutes before he was helped off the field, dragging his leg.
“It’s a pretty tough night to take,” Giles said.
Yadier Molina is a bad man: Molina dispute may incur a penalty
A day after Yadier Molina shed his catcher gear and left it at home plate in apparent protest of an ejection, the Cardinals were still waiting to hear whether those actions would cost him any additional time out of his equipment.
"We'll hear something," manager Tony La Russa said. "It's not going to go unnoticed."
A Major League Baseball official said the league was looking into Monday night's incident in Milwaukee to determine whether it merited a penalty, which could range from a fine to a suspension, or both. Any ejection draws the same attention. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Tuesday night he had not spoken to anyone with MLB about Molina.
Molina said he not been approached to discuss the first ejection of his big-league career. He declined to say anything more.
Ebbsfleet United, to which GASL has devoted comprehensive and thoughtful coverage beginning one year ago this week, took the FA Trophy on Saturday in a match against Torquay as the sporting world stilled to listen.
The BBC had a live stream via BBC Devon, which featured the Torquay announcers. Set aside, if you will, thoughts of the empty void that is this scribe's life given that he spent a goodly portion of his Saturday morning on English Conference soccer. I actually enjoyed listening to it despite the fact that I couldn't name a player on either club and the only thing I know about English Conference Football is that Ebbsfleet is fan owned and I stupidly failed to buy a share last year.
I was vaguely rooting for Ebbsfleet, weighing my scant knowledge of their club against the fact that I once drove through Torquay (frequently the deciding factor in who I root for in European soccer). So I hardly had enough passion to warrant wasting 90 minutes of my weekend on this. Yet, I kept listening. What made it enjoyable wasn't the match itself, which I could barely follow. Rather it was following the slow descent into despair of the Torquay announcers. Their club was the favorite and after Ebbsfleet snagged a late first half goal, their second half demeanor kept reminding me of something familiar that I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then it hit me. I was enjoying the English version of one of my favorite guilty pleasures -- following the emotional meltdown of a certain announcer as his team pisses away yet another game. I know taking delight in the suffering of legless diabetics is not on most top ten lists of virtuous behavior, but still....
Its déjà vu all over again with Izzy. And as for Duncan, I got this e-mail today from The Goat.
From the Post-Dispatch:
MORE TIME FOR DUNCAN
Chris Duncan did not start Friday night's game but will be in the lineup the next three games, all against right-handed starters, La Russa said.
Duncan entered Friday riding a 0-for-11 skid that dragged his average down to .247. He pinch hit in the seventh inning and struck out swinging. Asked what Duncan needs to break his recent funk, La Russa said simply, "At-bats."
I died so the Aaron Miles' of the world might plague baseball as heroes.*Aaron Miles, an infrequent starter but valued by La Russa for his energy in day games...Just when I was going to give up and throw it to the general public (our three weekly readers) for suggestions, it hit me. Phil Fucking Rizzuto's actual HoF Plaque:
Phil Rizzuto overcame his diminutive size to anchor a Yankees dynasty... The Scooter was a durable and deft shortstop, skilled bunter and enthusiastic base runner who compiled a .273 lifetime batting average....Upon retirement, he spent 40 years as a popular Yankees broadcaster.For those keeping score at home "enthusiastic baserunner" had Rabbit Maranville turning over in his grave.....with joy. When Scooter's plaque was unveiled, Rabbit got the monkey off of his back as the HoF member most damned with the faintest of praise.
PLAYED MORE GAMES, 2153, AT SHORTSTOP THAN ANY OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYER. AT BAT TOTAL, 10078, SURPASSED BY ONLY ONE NATIONAL LEAGUER, HONUS WAGNER. MADE 2605 HITS IN 23 SEASONS. MEMBER OF 1914 BOSTON BRAVES "MIRACLE TEAM" THAT WON PENNANT, THEN WORLD SERIES FROM ATHLETICS IN 4 GAMES.Of course, Rabbit harbored twin shames. He neither inspired alliteration on his HoF plaque - "durable and deft" - nor parlayed his mediocrity into a four decade career announcing. Aaron Miles, on the other hand, still has the chance to be the Moon Man of his generation....
An image that intimates nothing whatsoever of Southlandish's behavior after
I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.More notes from the lunatic fringe: Arrest after Stags owner attack
A man has been arrested after the owner of Mansfield Town was attacked following his side's defeat in a crucial League Two relegation match.
Police confirmed they were called to the club's boardroom just before 1700 BST on Saturday after an attack on Keith Haslam.
He suffered minor head injuries and was released from the King's Mill Hospital following treatment.
A 45-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of assault.
He was being questioned at Mansfield police station on Sunday afternoon.
The Stags were defeated 1-0 at home to Rotherham and are now almost certain to be relegated to non-league football.
Richard Butcher scored the only goal as Notts County beat Wycombe to end their relegation worries.
Butcher converted a pass from Jason Lee after Myles Weston opened up the visiting defence with a great run.
Wycombe, who rested several players with the play-offs in mind, had almost scored after two minutes but Scott McGleish headed against the post.
Notts keeper Russell Hoult denied Delroy Facey, while Wycombe's Sam Stockley saw red for a second booking.
Here is how the wild and woolly world of English League Two looks at the moment.
P GD PTS
1 Milton Keynes Dons 44 44 93
2 Peterborough 44 40 89
3 Hereford 44 26 82
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4 Rochdale 44 23 78
5 Stockport 43 18 78
6 Darlington 44 26 75
7 Wycombe 44 14 75
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8 Chesterfield 44 21 68
9 Bradford 44 4 62
10 Morecambe 44 -3 59
11 Brentford 44 -14 59
12 Rotherham 44 2 58
13 Barnet 44 -7 57
14 Bury 44 -5 55
15 Grimsby 44 -6 55
16 Lincoln City 44 -15 55
17 Shrewsbury 44 -9 48
18 Accrington Stanley 44 -34 48
19 Macclesfield 44 -18 46
20 Chester 43 -17 44
21 Notts County 44 -17 44
22 Dag & Red 44 -24 43
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23 Mansfield 44 -17 42
24 Wrexham 44 -32 37
Because Dag & Red play Mansfield on the last match day Wrexham is already relegated. For Notts it works this way:
Scenario #1: Mansfield wins both remaining games to finish at 48 points. Dag & Red could do no better than 46, leaving Notts two points from safety.
Scenario #2: Dag & Red wins both of its games to finish at 49 points. Mansfield could do no better than 45, leaving Notts one or two points from safety, depending upon goal differential.
Scenario #3: Dag & Red and Mansfield both end with a win and a draw ending the season at 47 and 46 points respectively, leaving Notts two or three points from safety, depending again upon goal differential.
Scenario #4: Dag & Red and Mansfield each end the season with two draws, leaving Notts needing one point for safety.
Any other results and Notts is already safe.
Banjo hitters galore
