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Now this is a recession beating idea! Must have taken them about nine hours to come up with this one in management brain storming sessions. You have to love the arrogance! I imagine most Phillies fans are happy going back to the city of brotherly love with a 1-1 tie in the bag. That and the free booze.
Hotel Indigo NYC Chelsea, the boutique chain's newly opened first New York City location is celebrating the Yankees entry into the World Series with a special deal for Philadelphians! In anticipation of your misery, the hotel is ready to cheer you up with its "Drown Your Sorrows" champagne promotion. Here's how it works: Book a room for the night of any World Series 2009 game with the Phillies playing at Yankee Stadium. If – as expected – the Phillies lose, then present your ticket stub at the front desk showing your attendance at the game, along with a valid drivers license proving your address in the city of Philadelphia (and that you are 21 or over!). You will then receive a complimentary bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne to help ease your pain.
Unusual picture on the website, most hotels go out of their way to put beautiful, scenic, possibly touched up pictures on their front page. The Indigo? They are happy to have this apparent CSI NY crime scene picture on theirs. Don't like it? Fughettaboutit.
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What is it about English people? They live about 50 miles from Ireland and yet they still can’t understand a word we say. As my brother and I approached Wembley Stadium on Sunday lunch time we paused at the foot of the steps to ask where the ticket collection booth was. The woman I asked, who was wearing a neon bright jacket with ‘Information!’ on the back, holding a card saying ‘Information!’ looked at me as if I was speaking a hybrid version of Farsi. I repeated, slower, ‘Do you know where we can collect tickets with credit card bookings?’ and she was shaking her head before I finished, she interrupted, ‘I have not one clue what you are saying darling, but if you are looking for ticket collection, up to the right, middle section!’. Unbelievable.
Perhaps a clue to the inability of the English to understand the Irish came in a conversation we witnessed in the queue to get into the Stadium proper. Apparently, the Irish just don’t complicate their sentences enough.
The gates opened at three, and before that large queues formed outside each entrance. From the offset it was clear the crowd was going to be massive. Right in front of us were a group of five English NFL fans, all wearing a mix of NFL gear, and gear from their teams in the UK also. Four of the guys were young (late teens early twenties) one was in his thirties. He was hard to miss. About six three or so, and roughly twenty two stone or so, about 300lbs. Most impressive however was his voice. Loud as it was, he was an absolute dead ringer for David Brent, of ‘The Office’. Not only did he sound like him, he even structured his sentences like him. The conversational highlight came as he asked, boastfully, ‘Right then, how many National Championships have you won then?’ One of his younger companions cheekily raised three fingers, to which David Brent replied incredulously, ‘What? No you’ve not! You’ve not won any, have you?’
See, if the Irish simply took the time to construct their sentences like that, well, there wouldn’t be an issue.
The first thing that struck you about the crowd for the Patriots v Buccaneers was the sheer size of it. Walking from Wembley Tube station to the stadium itself there were literally thousands of people swarming towards the event. The variety of NFL jerseys, mixed in with a proud few wearing their own UK and Germany team jerseys was impressive. The most popular teams on show were Green Bay, Oakland, and Indianapolis but there were plenty of other teams on show. We saw literally dozens of Green Bay fans, very colourfully represented many with the full Cheese Head regalia on display. One thing that struck me, plenty of Favre/GreenBay/4 jerseys, apparently the vitriol hasn’t crossed the Atlantic as yet!
The single most represented team was far and away the Patriots, it would be a rough estimate, but at least half of the 85,000 had to be sporting some sort of New England paraphernalia.
The atmosphere in the stadium was nothing short of giddy. There was a festive feel to the event, thousands of Patriots fans absolutely delirious at the prospect of seeing their heroes up close, thousands of other NFL fans just happy to see a real live NFL game and a handful of slightly intimidated looking Tampa fans, who were probably just happy to be there.
The organisers can definitely take a bow on a fantastic opening, the whole initial ceremony before the game was classy, enjoyable and very, very noisy! It didn’t feel much like a regular season game, it almost had a little bit of playoff intensity to it. Wembley and the NFL UK also did a commendable job of making the game look and feel like a Tampa home game. They put everything in place, and the neutrals and handful of Tampa fans lapped it up.
The game looks fantastic up close and personal, you simply can’t beat live sporting events, and the NFL looks beautiful when you get a chance to see the whole field, see the whole play coming. If you watch the Patriots enough you definitely get a feel for the type of plays they like to run, so watching the defensive backs bite on play actions, then chase the wrong hot-route receiver was really enjoyable live.
Brady got quite a bit of heat for his two interceptions. People probably need to just calm down and stop expecting so much. Brady has kind of set the bar ridiculously high with his ’07 campaign, however instead of whinging about a couple of lazy picks, it’s far more enjoyable to watch the man work his way back from a horrific injury to approach something close to the amazing standard he set in ’07. Why do people always focus on the negative?
Brady's inch-perfect pass to Watson for a long touchdown was a thing of beauty
One thing that really stood out was the impressive play of the Patriots young defence. Merriweather, Mayo and McGowan were always in and around the ball, hitting hard or picking off passes. Wes Welker was also a stand-out, both receiving and returning the ball. The Patriots offensive line had a few false start penalties but apart from that played a really good game of football. Watching the linemen attack linebackers on screens and short pass plays, you get the feeling this is really the unit that makes the Patriots tick.
The handicap was never really in danger, even at -15. Brady perhaps should have run the first one he ended up throwing for a pick in, although he proved later in a gutsy belly flop/lunge for a first down that he isn’t afraid to run outside the pocket, even if he is deceptively slow (yes, he is even slower than he looks!).
Overall, job done by the Patriots, and job magnificently done by the Wembley organisers and NFL UK. The atmosphere was fantastic throughout, and the was a really good feel-good vibe around the place from kick off right until it was time to go home.
Bring another game over? What’s the rush? Bring one more good quality game over next season, if it goes well, maybe then think about adding another. For those of you in Ireland, England or Europe that were on the fence this season and ended up not going, definitely go out of your way to attend in ’10, no matter who is playing.
You don’t want David Brent asking you have you been to a NFL game in Wembley, for him to cut you off as you reply saying, ‘No you haven’t, you’ve not been to any!’
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Need a reason not to back the Vikings to win this years Superbowl? We got your reason right here. In pictorial form.
The US press seems to think the weather is going to be a factor, it's really not bad at all, a bit windy and grey, however it's dry and seems, if anything, like perfectly good football weather.
Found it odd to see Sports Guy (Bill Simmons, ESPN) worrying that UK fans might boo the Patriots, if that's the feeling in the States, you are in for a shock, London is jammed packed with Patriots fans this weekend. We have seen dozens in the airport, the hotel and the surrounding areas. You can't underestimate the pull of a Boston/New England team in Ireland and England.
By contrast, haven't seen one single Tampa fan as yet. Plenty of neutrals, couple of 49ers fans, couple of Bears fans, but zero, zilch, squat, nada on the Tampa front.
The line is moving, since Friday when it was -13.5, and then -14, it is now -15 this morning. Pretty clear to see where the money is going. The basic fact is it is hard to see how Tampa are going to score points, whereas you have to be confident the Patriots are going to be good for over twenty close to thirty maybe more. All things considered, this feels like Patriots 36-10.
Speaking of lines, The Vikings and Falcons look tasty today, +5.5 and +4 respectively.
By the way, haven't seen one dissenting voice about this game being played in the UK, can't believe someone hasn't tried to make a name for themselves by slamming the NFL being played in a 'Foreign country'.
Plenty of press given to English NFL fans, no one has touched on the swarms of Irish and European NFL fans that have touched down in the UK for the weekend. Boston Irish has seen fans from Germany, Italy and knows dozens of Irish NFL fans attending the game.
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Goodness gracious me, how about those horrendous, horrific, Halloween special calls last night in the ALCS? How on earth do the umpires get it this badly wrong? Honestly, if the calls made last night were replicated in Irish league baseball, there would be an uproar. So, how is it happening in the Major Leagues?
How bad was this call? The umpire is staring right at it! There is clear daylight! How many exclamation marks is it going to take!!
How about this one, which will go down as one of the all time playoff clanger calls. The Angels catcher tagged both runners as they were off the bag, and yet one was called safe. Horrifically bad call.
In other news, how freakin fat is CC Sabathia? Do the Yankees pay him in donuts and cheeseburgers? I heard that and dismissed it as an urban myth, however, I am rethinking that now.
Well now what do we have here, nothing much, just an ALCS tied at 4-4 in the ninth inning all the way from home of the Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States. To give them their full name, of course.
To bring you up to speed, not much has happened so far. Only about seventy five solo shot home runs, fifteen hundred base running mistakes by the Angels, seventy billion sycophantic Yankee references from the Fox commentary team, thirty two billion throws to first by sixty four year old Andy Pettite, many, many concerned, furrowed brow-looks by Mark 'My wife lets me know where I am playing baseball' Texiera and me remembering how much I hate the New York Yankees.
Apart from that. Not much. And absolutely no ape like fist thumping celebrations from Jibba Jobba Flabba Chamberlein, as he was slapped around like a rag doll.
Let's cut the chit chat and get right down to action
Top of the Ninth New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
If you had to say which team had the momentum right now, at this very point, you would have to say New York. They tied it with a solo shot off the bat of Jor-Gay Posada and then they threw Bobby Abreu out at second to completely deflate the Angels in the bottom of the eighth.
So now here we are, in the ninth inning of the game that might decide whether the ALCS is a decent series, or the most boring ALCS since the dawn of time. Fuentes, the Angels 'closer' decides to tease everyone who isn't a Yankees fan by getting an easy first out, Johnny Damon grounding feebly to second.
One away.
The Fox crew are still salivating over Jeter tagging Abreu out at second in the big play in the bottom of eight. Buck's sycophantic ramblings know no bounds.
Fuentes is acting like an honest to goodness, bona-fide closer as he strikes out Texiera. A-Rod up, and Fox immediately replay A-Fraud's pop-up/home-run two nights ago. Is it just me or is A-Rod getting a little pudgy? Those pin stripes getting a little snug around the waistline? I don't know, what do you think?
Oh no wait that's A-Rod when he was married, not with his wife in a night club. Fuentes walks A-Fraud, possibly just to make sure A-Fraud doesn't try to slap the ball out of his hand running down the first base line. Fuentes then, and let's give the man his due here, absolutely abuses an completely over matched Jerry Hairston on three pitches, and we go to the bottom of the ninth. Joe Buck could not be less excited. Seriously, huge out, the Angels fans going nuts, and Buck completely dead-pans, 'and there's a big out, we go to the ninth yawn yawn'. For all baseball fans around the globe, who want to see a good game and are not sexually aroused by Derek Jeter or A-Fraud, as it would appear Buck needs to be, in order to make a decent, lively call, fuck you Joe Buck, Fuck you, go to bed, let someone else call the game if you aren't in the slightest bit interested.
Seriously, get this gimp, this completely deluded and ineffectual 'commentator' off the air. I wasn't angry tonight until his awful, truly terrible call on Aybar's double earlier on, when he barely raised his voice at all.
Also, Buck, lay off the spray tan, you look like a ripe orange.
Bottom of the Ninth New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
Reasons why sports coverage in the States sucks - reason 4,654; I do not care that the new episode of 'House' is on Fox after the game. I do not give a flying fuck. Joe Buck, I tell you this much, Joe Buck is not going to get me interested in watching 'House' even if I was watching American Television!! Joe Buck!! Joe Buck couldn't get me interested in watching my own death, live on Television! If anything I would fall asleep, infected with his special, unenthused, dead drone of a voice.
Before I even get out of that mind set the Angels have made two quick outs. This game stinks like extra innings. Will the Angels have the testicular fortitude to make it out of extras? Well, we're about to find out, as the player formerly known as Bill Simmons favourite fantasy baseball sleeper, Howie Kendrick, pops it up. Way up. Too high, as they say. Extras.
Top of ten New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
Hey, hey, it's Jor-Gay! And then about fifteen really sleazy, unsettling and awkward seconds of Kate Hudson who appears to be sitting in the Yankee dugout? Maybe not in the dugout but it sure looks like it. Wait, why are they showing Hudson when Jor-Gay is at the plate? Isn't she A-Fraud's squeeze? Maybe she is playing the field, and, maybe that's why she is completely hated amongst the Yankees wives? Maybe we're on to something here. Maybe I should pay more attention to the game you say, well, I would, if Fox would stop shoving Kate Hudson in my face.
Okay. I would actually fight Joe Buck if he was here right now, spray tan on my hands be damned. The Angels strike out Jor-Gay, a huge out, the crowd goes ballistic, and Buck dead-pans 'Yawn, stretch, that's - covers his mouth and yawns - a big out'. I would like to punch Joe Buck right in the face, right now.
Cano grounds out, and there's two away faster than you can say 'Kate Hudson'.
Do the Yankees actually know, are they aware, that Nick Swisher plays for them? They're comfortable with this, seriously?
Okay, someone needs to get Joe Buck off the air. Bolger drops a sweet, sweet, spinning curve on Swisher for the big strikeout, and we get nothing, nothing from Buck, who simply continues on talking as if nothing just happened. It isn't even funny at this stage. Get Joe Buck off the air and let us enjoy big plays in the baseball postseason, even if the Yankees don't make them,
Bottom of the tenth New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
This is, even if Joe Buck doesn't want to admit it, a great game. This could, possibly, reignite an otherwise dead horse of an ALCS.
Hughes to Mathis. Mariano warming up in the 'pen. The Angels might want to get a runner or nine on before Mariano comes out.
Hey, need base-runners? Mathis smashes a big double to dead center. Runner on, no outs. Beautiful. I don't even care that Buck barely even raised his voice yet again, the enthusiastic Angels crowd actually drowned him out. Come on now halos, get the run home. All is forgiven for trashing the Red Sox like they didn't even exist. I am even willing to embrace the rally monkey.
Now for some drama, here comes Mariano!
You couldn't set this up better. Runner on second, no outs, the Angels fighting for their playoff lives, the greatest closer of all time on the hill for the Yankees.
Aybar up first. Strike one painted on the outside corner. BUNT, Mariano fields it, spins and throws to third, and throws the ball away!! Goodness gracious. It's in the dirt and A-Fraud can't pick it. Safe at third, safe at first. Wait, Mathis is still running? Surely the Angels have a spare catcher on the bench, no?
Runners at the corners no outs! This is more like it, welcome to the 2009 ALCS!
Ground ball to first, hit so hard that the big fat catcher at third has to stop and hold - I repeat - WHY ARE THE ANGELS NOT PINCH RUNNING HERE!! If that run doesn't score we could be watching the greatest choke in ALCS history. Oh no, wait, that was 2004, but, this would be close.
Buck and Carver suddenly realise Mathis is not being pinch-ran for and start freaking out, really calmly, if that makes sense. One away, intentional walk, bases juiced with Halos. By the way, 'House' is coming up next, except on the West Coast.
How symmetrical and beautiful, Tori Hunter is the batter to face Mariano with the Angels season on the line. Ball two, Hunter draws two inside and Mariano is going to have to challenge him. Cutter inside, two and one. Sweeping cut fastball outside, 2-2 just like that. Ground ball to first and suddenly the Angels are in deep, deep trouble. All of a sudden there is two away. Big Bad Vlad is the man at the plate.
Ball inside, will Vlad be patient?
No, big messy, off balance swing on the second pitch, 1-1.
Chopped to the right side, simple ground ball to first. The Angels completely and utterly choke the inning, and possibly the game away. Godzilla like momentum swing towards the Yankees.
Top of the eleventh New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
Still can't believe the Halos didn't pinch run for their slow, fat catcher. First and third, nobody out, and they can't get a run in. That's not going to get the job done.
Ervin Santana to the hill for the Halos. he better get some quick outs here or its game over for Anaheim. Melky Cabrera grounds feebly to second for the first out, a welcome sight for all baseball fans around the globe. Jeter, one pitch, second out. Santana might swing this back in the Angels favour.
...and he does with a 'K' to end the top of the inning.
Bottom of eleven New York 4 The Los Angeles Angels of the county of Anaheim in the State of California in the country of the United States 4
Okay enough screwing around Angels, get the job done this time. I have had enough of Joe Buck's lifeless 'commentary' for one night. Juan Rivera first up, he who does not lay out for pop ups down the left field line, if you recall.
Can someone move Scott Boras from behind home plate? I am tired of seeing his fat, ugly head during every at bat. Thanks!
Rivera grounds out to Jeter.
The game hits 4:13 mins.
Morales pops up, two away. Hey, hey, Howie, how about knocking one out? Howie Kendrick at the bat. Interesting move now, a case possibly of Joe Girardi micro-managing? The Angels looked clueless against Dave Robertson however Girardi (is there a less likeable manager in baseball?) takes him out. Kendrick smashes the ball up the middle, and the Yankees suddenly realise they only have Chad Gaudin left in the 'pen.
Jeff Mathis at the plate.
BOMB to left field, smashes against the left field wall, what a drive by Mathis, Kendrick charges around third and LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE HAVE OURSELVES AN ALCS! Yes! Nice job by Mathis! Let us never forget the horrible job of micro-managing by Joe Girardi!
What a way to win, the sound off the bat as Mathis drove the ball was worth hanging around for itself!
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Sometimes it's much more interesting to hear what the opposition media has to say after a big game, than the Boston Herald or Globe. Take for example the insane 59-0 blow-out the Patriots hung on a crestfallen Tennessee outfit on Sunday night. There wasn't much the Boston media could say about the game, other than heap praise on Brady and a rejuvenated Maroney.
Smiley happy people
The Tennessee sporting media? Well they had plenty to say.
David Climer of the Tennesseean left little to the imagination in his piece, which went as far as calling the Titans the worst team in the NFL (I can think of a few teams worse than the Titans!);
''Based on what we saw on Sunday, it's now a losing trifecta. The Titans have no offense, no defense and no pride.''
''Jeff Fisher has a dangerous situation on his hands with 10 games left. His team looks like it has no interest in playing, and the coaches aren’t giving the players any reason to believe''
Q: Do you think they ran up the score at all, 45 nothing in the 3rd quarter? JF: No, that was their plan going in, why are they going to change their plan?
Jeff Fisher nipped that one in the bud, but with Brady coming out of the game just after the half, how could you accuse the Patriots of running up anything?
Great follow up comment by Fisher to another less than brilliant question' Q: What was the demeanor like in the locker room, Jeff?JF: It was less than celebratory.
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Since 2005, the annual individual Irish League awards given out to the players in Irish baseball have had an Irish Flavour in an effort to pay homage to the great Irish players who played in the Major Leagues from years gone by. For example, instead of the traditional Cy Young Award being given to the League's Top Pitcher, recipients are presented with the 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award.
Saturday night passed in Dublin saw the Irish Baseball League end of season party and awards night.
The Dublin City Hurricanes, after a superb 13-3 regular season and Irish League pennant, were disappointed to lose the playoff finals to the Spartans, however received a big lift when two of their players took the two big individual awards on the night.
The Irish League MVP award, called the Andy Leonard award, went to 'Big Game' Andy Martin. The Irish League best pitcher award, called the Tommy Bond award, went to Cormac Eklof.
Andy (left) and Cormac (right) in some typical Irish baseball weather
For more on the players the awards were named after, check out the very bottom of this piece.
Ironically In 2004 Big Game Andy won the 'Silver Slugger' award, given to the best batter in the league that season, whilst Eklof won the best pitcher award that season also. Perhaps in 2013 they will replicate the double-win feat yet again.
Andy's award is testament to an absolutely superb season both at the plate and in the field.
''The stand out offensive performance of the Hurricanes ’09 season was, as it often is, Andy Martin’s amazing season with the lumber. Once again Andy was a terror to pitching all around the league, leading the ‘Canes in hits, runs, walks, doubles and OBP. Andy knocked 16 base hits, crossed home plate 20 times, walked 18 times and cracked 7 doubles. Andy’s on base percentage was a simply sensational .581, meaning he reached base in almost 6 out of 10 plate appearances. You can’t make that kind of stuff up.''
Martin also made several sensational plays in the field through the course of the season. This from the 'Canes 10-2 win over Greystones in late August;
''The play of the day was made by Andy Martin. A Mariner hit a roller to short that took a wicked hop up towards Andy's right shoulder, away from his glove. Andy hopped, grabbed the ball with his bare hand as it tried to loop past him, and fired a strike to first for the out. There isn't one single player in Irish baseball that would have made that play any sweeter than the 'Canes veteran infielder did.''
''Bottom of the sixth, we tied the game. As we walked to the infield (Andy at 3b and me at ss), Andy said and I quote 'sorry you're not going to get another at bat today'. Bottom of the seventh, Andy comes up with one out and Vegas on second. I don't even pick up my bat or go through my pre-bat routine. i just stand there and watch Andy smash a ball to right field to knock in the winning run. That's Andy Martin.''
More amazing yet, Andy played the entire season without a belt. To this date, no one knows why.
Meanwhile, Eklof snuck past other worthy pitchers such as Niall Rowen and Andrei Apostaoie in the race to the Tommy Bond award. He posted an 11-1 record in the regular season and will reportedly now be endorsing Red Bull and Advil in the offseason.
More on the players the awards are named after
The 'Andy Leonard 'League MVP Award Andy Leonard from Co Cavan, was indeed one of the nine "First Boys of Summer" and the only Irish-born player on the World Champion Cincinnati Red Stockings team of 1869 and the very first in professional baseball. He continued his feats and helped create and sustain the original Boston Red Stockings championship dynasty from 1872 through 1876 and again in 1878, competing all tolled in six world championships. He had the joint 2nd best career average for an Irish player of .299. He was said to be the finest left fielder of his generation.
The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award Tommy Bond was born in Granard in Co Longford in 1856. He became the first triple crown pitcher when he led the National League with 40 wins, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.11 ERA for Boston in 1877.
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At one stage late on Sunday evening, into the first quarter at The Razor in the showdown between Tennessee and New England, the Patriots were -6.5 in running, and the 'over' was 24.5. True story.
Sporting highlight of the weekend, apart from Brady's six touchdowns in seemingly a two minute spell? The Sunderland goal that, well, it bounced in off a big red beach ball. Thrown onto the pitch by a teenage Liverpool fan. You can not make this stuff up.
Before any idiot Liverpool fans start complaining about the incident, this comment from the Liverpool Echo newspaper;
''A two or three goal victory would not have flattered Steve Bruce's energetic side (Sunderland) and serious questions must be asked''
RTE's Kenny Cunningham asked on Saturday night why Liverpool 'keeper Reina was tracking the big red ball, as opposed to the smaller white one? Lots of work required on the training ground it would appear.
Meanwhile, there's a couple of brilliant pictures doing the rounds on the Internet related to the incredibly bad quality of the online feed of the Ukraine v England last week.
It's funny that MLB TV and the NFL Game Pass can deliver high definition, excellent quality feeds on a weekly basis but The English FA can't organise a one off match without literally thousands of complaints.
Very, very low definition!
How about those J-E-T-S eh? Remember a few weeks ago they danced a merry jig of joy upon beating the Patriots, after having spent the entire previous week talking trash and calling the game their Superbowl? Turns out the text I got from a friend that night really was accurate. It said; ‘’I guess they won their Superbowl’’
Last night the Jets didn't so much lose as hand the game to the Bills. Maybe Rex Ryan forgot to leave the voice mail for the season ticket holders this time? Well, guess what, Jets fans, you are now 3-3 and dropping faster than a lead balloon, second in the AFC East and heading D-O-W-N on the back of a tasty three game losing streak. Hope you enjoyed your Superbowl!
The more you take them, the more you appreciate them.
It can start on a quiet, sunny Saturday morning. Walking from the southside of the river Liffey to the shiny new Luas that departs from famous old Connolly station with it's rustic facade and constant construction work all around. Walking up the quays on the way to the Luas it's quiet, there isn't much going on around the financial centre of Dublin at 9am on a Saturday. The closer you get to the Customs House, Busaras and Connolly Station the busier it gets. The zombified late night revellers returning home. The homeless guys hanging out on the steps of the majestic Custom House. The few, angry looking white collar staffers on their way in on a weekend, and not happy about it at all, at all.
Dublin's Custom House
Lugging a sports bag that far leaves you with a welt on your shoulder. Adjust it a few times, consider grabbing a Subway, or maybe a coffee if you are still dragging after staying up to 3 am to watch MLB on TV. Getting on the LUAS heading out to the Red Cow Inn stop you pass right through the heart of Dublin City, right around Houston Station and out into the 'burbs.
If a team-mate is good enough to offer you a ride, you end up on any number of routes. For me the most prevalent is up the beautiful Royal Canal. There were many a sunny Saturday morning where TK and myself would stumble out of the apartment out to Gordy, who was sitting patiently listening to the great Damien Dempsey waiting for us two chug monkeys to get our stuff together. We would drive up through Baggot Street and the early morning traffic, up through Harold's Cross and finally Crumlin, before getting to Newlands Cross and the gas station where we would stop to stock up on water, powerade, donuts, packaged Mexican salads, bad sandwiches, popcorn, chocolate, pringles crisps, hot dogs and, if you are feeling lucky, lottery tickets for that nights coming draw.
The Hurricanes at Corcaigh Park
Then there's the stroll to the field, where you adrenaline starts to pick up. Parking is in an adjoining estate, and you walk up to the entrance past the single file row of baseballers cars. Then there's the beautiful green fields of Corcaigh Park as you make your final walk up to the O'Malley Fields and your destiny on the day. A bad day at the plate? A tremendous days work off the mound? Two doubles and a few stolen bases or a 'five and dive' where 'their bats just found the ball'. Who knows, but it's all ahead of you at this point.
Irish baseball supremo/legend Mike Kindle being interviewed by 'Emerald Diamond' director John Fitzgerald with the beautiful O'Malley Fields behind him
The trip home can take a few shapes or sizes.
The canal can be an entertaining experience on the way home. With Vegas Valkys at the wheel recently a couple of us watched in amazement as a Dublin criminal ran from the Gardaí just feet from our car which was stopped in traffic. We watched in amazement as the skinny criminal ran and leaped full stretch into the Canal. The two perplexed Gardaí watched, literally scratching their heads, before calling backup which arrived in seconds. We had to move on at that stage, but our previously silent journey became a cacophony of debate and conjecture.
Then there's the days where it all does not go to plan. Baseball in Ireland is a funny little show. The veteran players, it means too much to us. We have become organic parts of our clubs and our friends on the teams are people we just don't want to let down. So, on a wet, damp, grey Dublin day where things don't go right, it can be a long trip home from the O'Malley Fields. You can get dropped at the Luas and sit silently amongst the sweaty GAA fans on their way to a big inter county game, or failing that amongst the obese Saturday shoppers. Fat people in America? Holy mackerel, Ireland can't talk. Take the Luas any Saturday and check out the percentage of obese people. It's eye opening. The Luas drops you in town and then you can either put the head down and dash home, or you can opt to wander around, maybe pick up something to eat or call in to a shop on the way home.
With the latter, you spend a half hour on the Dart stewing internally, your mind going over the game and what you could have done better, differently even. Then the Luas pulls up in town and you go from relative peace and quiet to being sucked into the Saturday heaving throng. Bustled by over laden shoppers and groups of burly Eastern European men, stepping over beggars, your ears assaulted by teams of noisy, high pitched teens wearing the kind of clothes strippers would be embarrassed to go out in.
Lower Abbey Street, on a Saturday, is probably reasonably close to Hell.
O'Connell Street, by comparison, is relatively peaceful, if only because of it's wide open spaces. The crowds are different too. Colourful tourists and grey drug addicts mix freely, the Gardaí watching amused from their perch against the walls of the GPO. You adjust your heavy sports bag on your shoulder and narrowly avoid knocking out a woman pushing a pram, she doesn't notice though because she's too strung out to care, and her boyfriend/husband, who is walking beside her like a hobbit with a bad hip, is too busy talking on his stolen phone about their next fix to notice. Then you turn a certain way and you are looking straight at the GPO and you wonder what Padraig Pearse would have thought about his City, that so many died for in 1916, being over run by scum bags, addicts, pushers and thieves.
Fun and games on O'Connell Street
Then there's the bus trip home from that side of the City, one of many buses that enter the City from the Houston Station side and trundle slowly down busy Dame Street. The bus first encounters traffic like opposition around Christchurch, the oldest and one of the most graceful parts of Dublin City. Dame Street is crowded too. The bus makes a couple of stops along it so depending what you are doing next, you could get off and just melt into the colourful throng in Temple Bar, or alight around the regal Trinity College and make your way up to Grafton Street.
The front gates at Trinity College Dublin - one of the greatest meeting places in the world!
You can start the rehab after a bad game with the help of Dublin City. Get off the bus at Dame Street, the cheerful 'Thanks mate' from the friendly bus driver something you don't get in every city around the world. Head down to Temple Bar, stop at Di Fontaine's for a good Pizza slice, maybe slip into Eamon Doran’s for a cold pint of whatever it is that does it for you. Heineken please.
Pick your bag up, head back into the crowds, your spirit refreshed a little, you can do it again next week and this time you will do it better. It takes a while to realise it, but making your way out to and back from the O'Malley fields, you really get to know your city a little bit better. It's all part of the journey, as they say.
It's a confusing city, sometimes superb, sometimes turgid, however it is an integral part of the Saturday Baseball Ireland experience. Like the games itself, sometimes it is awful, sometimes it is beautiful. It's always an experience.
Here we are again, that bitter-sweet end to the baseball season. On Saturday the Dublin City Hurricanes lost the finals of the Irish baseball league to 'Andrei and the Spartans'. No, that's not a dodgy Romanian wedding band, that's a baseball 'team'. The 'Canes went a magnificent 13-3 on the season and, when the disappointment of losing the finals wears off, will remember 2009 as being a season of great games, a stack of quality wins (including going 3-1 against 'Andrei and the Spartans' in the regular season) and a fun filled trip to Prague.
The 2009 Dublin Hurricanes
In the meantime, as we said in 2006, season over, Grover, and now for our annual review of the 2009 Hurricanes season player by player, with a look into what they got up to in the coming years!
Steve Divito – Captain SS/DH/1B Hurricanes skipper Steve Divito led the way during one of the most challenging seasons in Hurricanes history. He managed the team, the trip to Prague, the weekend lineups, State Street international, a growing family and also a side project as the leader of a Southern Italian branch of the Mafia. In 2014, Divito would go on to become the President of the United States, and would make wearing Oakley sunglasses in the oval office cool.
Chris Foy – Synergy consultant 1B/RF The boy Foy brought his usual brand of positive energy to the Canes in '09, managing to harmonise the synergy of the team while balancing his high profile successful business life, a martini and a cigarette all at once. By 2015, Foy would be a business consultant to Steve Divito in the White House, and he would have the very latest iPhone and it would be really cool.
Tom Kelley – C/CF TK played the single best season of Center Field baseball the Irish baseball league had ever seen, all the way right up to the final, during which he was posessed by the fielding spirit of Matt Stairs. After the finals, TK went back to working on his latest venture, a project to bring hordes of American girls to Ireland at which stage he would interview them one by one of the position of PA for 'The Dublin Pub Crawl'. It would be a lengthy, time consuming process, giggidy, giggidy.
Andrew Martin – 3B/SS Big Game Andy had another banner season with both bat and glove in ’09, so much so that in late 2010, with the Red Sox struggling to hit yet again, they pulled of a trade with the Hurricanes. Big Game Andy was sent to Boston for a case of Heineken, a box of Cuban cigars and $500 cash-money. He made an instant splash in Boston, batting .297 for the season with a stack of doubles and runs scored. He also sued successfully for the sole rights to use the name ‘Big Game...’ before his own name. The Judge ruled that Andy was ‘way, way more clutch’ than Tampa Bay’s James Shields.
Mike Johnson – LF/P Canadian Mike became the first Hurricane to be ejected from a game since the early 1920's with his expletive laden tirade in a game earlier in the season. Mike took on the biggest umpire ever in Irish baseball, and stood his ground. Years later, Mike would go down in history as the first man ever to beat Chuck Norris in a fist fight. Mike would then lose his entire fortune on a poker hand. He had K/3 unsuited and went all in, losing to a straight flush.
Rafael Diaz – RF/DH International man of mystery Rafael managed to fit in a few games in '09 in between sending obscure texts from Budapest, Prague and Paris. Years later he would become the center of an international conspiracy of global proportions. When reached for comment, he would reply simply 'Dude, I am in Budapest!'
Dioni Guerra – 2B/DH Stunningly handsome ladies man Dioni Guerra was a constant thorn in the side of all opposition pitchers in the Irish league in ’09. His ability to slip on base without them even noticing would make him one of the toughest outs in Irish baseball. After the season, Guerra would pursue a career in modelling and acting, and would come tenth in ‘People’ magazines ‘Worlds sexiest man’ awards in 2011. His paragraph in the magazine started with ‘We don’t often call men ‘beautiful’ however it is entirely apt in the case of Dioni Guerra’. Guerra would also become known as ‘the best party host Western Europe’ (Playboy magazine, 2013).
José Gomez – DH/1B José Gomez just loves to hit, and ’09 was no break from the norm, as José bashed Irish league pitching around all season long. With the season over, José would go on to become a hit on the ultra competitive Salsa dancing circuit in Dublin, winning several competitions and starting his own Salsa dancing classes, attended by thousands of adoring females fans. In 2013 José would break into the European charts with a Latino beat version of popular Irish World Cup song, ‘Olé, Olé’, replacing the words with ‘José, José’. It would go on to be a number one in both Ireland and the Czech Republic.
Eric ‘Vegas’ Valkys – 3B/2B In September 2010 Eric ‘Vegas’ Valkys would become the first person ever in Ireland to hit a home run in baseball, catch a touchdown pass in football and have 25 assists in basketball, all in the same single weekend. Eric would astutely have a $10 treble on this and would retire from the hotel business on the $2.4 million dollar returns.
Daniel Barry – C Hurricanes catcher Dan Barry had a superb ’09 season, earning a name for collecting big hits and throwing almost every attempted base stealer out, often by a wide margin. In 2011 the Boston Red Sox, desperate to stop teams stealing against them, would pull off a stunning trade with the Dublin Hurricanes. The Sox would land Barry for Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and a keg of Heineken. Barry would go on to throw out 93.7% of all attempted base stealers while with Boston. He was also involved in the play that ended A-Rod’s career. With the Yankees losing game seven of the ’11 ALCS, A-Rod attempted to score from third on a fly ball to left. Jason Bay made a superb throw and Barry blocked the plate. A-Rod unwisely tried to knock Barry over, only to break a collar bone, leg and arm in the collision. This effectively ended A-Rod’s career. Barry would go on to become a legend in Boston.
Jeremias Osio – 3B Incensed by an umpire challenging him to a fight in the ’09 season, Jeremias would hit the gym in ’10 and find that he had the perfect disposition to be a cage fighter. By 2013 Jerry would be fighting under the name ‘Jerry Guns’ and would be UFC champion in both ’14 and ’15, driving crowds of both men and women alike crazy with his saucy, suggestive entrance to the ring accompanied by smooth Latino grooves.
Jeff Burrows – C The Hurricanes got a boost from Jeff’s arrival in ’09 and the Irish air force would get a boost from Jeff’s business contacts in ’15. Using his Texan charm to its utmost, Jeff managed to wrangle a deal with President Divito to have 24 decommissioned F16 fighters sent to Ireland in return for some genuine St Patrick’s moss and 5,000 kegs of Guinness.
As a sports fan, you get that kind of a weekend from time to time. We all have our own combinations and variety-box selections of favourite teams from various sports, and every so often, well, the wheels come off.
Take the weekend just past for example. Top of the list naturally is my own team, the Dublin City Hurricanes, who lost the finals of the Irish Baseball League on Saturday to the Spartans (and congratulations to them). More on that as we move through the week. That alone would have been a bitter weekend pill to swallow. Naturally, when the wheels come off, they tend to do so in style.
The Boston Red Sox didn’t just exit the playoffs, they crashed, in flames, they exploded out of the playoffs. If anyone is ever asked to direct a crash-bang-wallop movie representation of the Sox demise it will be Michael Bay, of Transformers fame. Boom! Loud explosions. What a (expletive deleted) disaster. Insert your own expletive actually. You would have to be creative to come up with a combination of expletives that accurately depict just how much of a cluster (expletive deleted) of an inning that ninth inning was.
How about the Patriots? Leading 17-7 in Denver, they succumbed to a Kyle Orton led come-back of all things. Their demise in over-time was as predictable as it was ugly. Their loss to Denver has negated the good work they did the last few weeks against Baltimore in particular. Instead of keeping momentum going they are now back firmly at the drawing board.
Ireland? In their attempt to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, Ireland gave us on the island nation one hell of a big tease Saturday night. They played the World Champions Italy off the park for sections of the match, and took a crazy, dramatic lead with a truly uplifting diving header in the last minute. At 2-1 with only a handful of injury time to be played, you would assume a team coached by a defensive minded Italian would sit back and get eleven men behind the ball, right? Not at all! Not this (expletive deleted) weekend. Ireland poured forward and you just knew what was coming, Italy hit us with a sucker-punch on the break. 2-2 draw. Gone any hope of winning the group. Instead, Ireland will have to play a two game, home and away playoff against a big team. Knowing our luck we get France in the draw next week.
It didn’t stop there. Friday night the pride of Irish rugby, the Heineken Cup winners Leinster were beaten at home by an (expletive deleted) English team. To rub salt in the wounds, another English team beat Munster on Saturday. The figureheads of Irish rugby beaten back to back to get their Heineken Cup campaigns off to a terrible start. Both times by English teams, no less!
What special torture is this?!
Naturally, we’re all smart people in here. There is of course bigger things in life than sports. After a weekend of sporting disaster like that, however, it’s a little hard to remember that very fact. Once that misty haze of disappointment fades and clears the reality that life is bigger than some bad sporting results will dawn and everything will be okay.
Saw a tiny gap in the haze on Saturday night, spending time with great friends off the Hurricanes. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it? It’s not the prestige, it’s not the winning or losing even, and it definitely isn’t the crumpled up bookies docket tossed angrily at the television. It’s being out in the open air, pitching until your shoulder is about to fall off and then bashing back a few beers with the best friends you could care to wish for.
See, that haze is already lifting!
The 2009 Hurricanes - the best 'team' in Irish baseball
Doesn't really matter who you root for, well, as long as they have been somewhere near the playoffs in the last decade or so. Kansas Royals fans need not apply basically. However, most MLB fans have been here at some stage or another. This year, Twins, Sox and Cardinals fans are going through it right now.
Anxiety. Palpable, sweaty, desperate anxiety.
Why does it hurt in the stomach like a good swift round-house kick? That's simple, it has to be because you fall in love with a team over a 162 game stretch and for them to suddenly get dumped out of the playoffs before you get a decent run, it hurts like stomach cramps.
The Red Sox loss last night brought back that old feeling. Johnny Lester can stand tall today, he pitched his heart out, however the boys in the Sox lineup have some serious amends to make, after a completely lethargic, punchless evening's 'work'.
Tonight, Red Sox Nation's lonely eyes turn to Commanded Kick A$$ of the F**k Yeah brigade in the hope he can put the Red Sox on his back and carry them back to Fenway with a 1-1 tie.
''....This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Commanded Kick A$$ of the F**k Yeah brigade; you're my only hope. ...''
The Sox are no stranger to 0-2, and oddly enough it seems to almost suit them. Oakland had us in an 0-2 hole. Cleveland and Anaheim have both had us in an 0-2 hole. The Yankees? They thought they had us finished off at 0-3. For some reason this Boston ball club, the last decade, has often done its best work when down 0-2 and seemingly out for the count.
It would be nice, however, to get working from a 1-1 foundation, somewhat less dramatic and definitely less panic inducing.
Woah, woah, steady on there fellas. The sports pages are awash with references to the mighty Yankees 'vanquishing October demons' and otherwise righting their ship by sweeping all before them in the playoffs. The eulogistic rubbish flooding the sports.coms this morning is astonishingly pre-emptive.
Vanquishing October demons? Really? After nine innings of playoff action that's where we are at already? Frankly, the Yankees should be embarrassed the only won 7-2 last night.
Think about it.
How could the Yankees lose last night?
They were at home
They had their ace on the mound
They were playing a team they went 8-0 against in the regular season
They were playing a team that started a rookie
They were playing a team that finished an emotionally draining extra inning playoff game the night before!
With all those factors in their favour, how on earth could anyone expect anything but a Yankee white-wash last night? With that in mind, why oh why are the bobbing head idiots already crowning the Yankees on the basis of one playoff game?
It is getting increasingly hard to find decent sporting journalism online. The knee jerk, reactionary rubbish that flows like sewage seconds after something happens is hard to stomach. It's Fox News like in its vacuousness. The Yankees beat a tired team that just travelled after a tough game the night before?! Good God, let's call them World Champions right now! Get it done already!
If last night’s sensational Twins v Tigers playoff game was anything to go by, we are in for one seriously entertaining October stretch of playoff baseball.
Let’s break down the NLDS and then the ALDS and try and sort out who is going to progress.
NLDSCardinals v Dodgers
The most straight forward show-down on the NL side of affairs. The Cardinals are going to see the Dodgers off fast and without much of a mess. Have you tried backing the Dodgers at all in the last couple of months? Marvelous collection of talent, sure, but, gutsy, nailed-on winners? Not so much. The Dodgers are infuriatingly inconsistent. The makeup of their lineup leads to games where they look like world beaters, and games where they look like John Wasdin could throw a two hit shut-out against them, no sweat. With Manny struggling since he was suspended for drugs usage (gosh, I wonder why he is suddenly finding it hard to hit?!) the Dodgers are simply not as fearsome as they were in 2008.
Now they have to face Capenter, Wainwright and Pujols, and that’s a task this Dodgers team is simply not up to. Cardinals take it in walk-in-the-park fashion, just a vastly superior, fundamentally sound baseball club with strengths all up and down the lineup.
Pick: St Louis Cardinals
Bombs away
NLDSRockies v Phillies
The shock of the first round. You heard it here first, the Rockies are going to take down the World Champion Phillies. Why so confident? A number of factors. First things first, Cole Hamels is not the pitcher he was last season. Heavy lies the crown, and there is no doubt Hamels has struggled to live up to his 2008 billing as NLCS MVP and World Series MVP to boot. Hamels went 10-11 with a 4.32 ERA in 2009. He is still a great pitcher, however the Rockies will not be quaking in their cleats if Hamels doesn’t find his 2008 form from somewhere, fast. Secondly, it is wildly difficult to win back to back World Series. The Phillies will be playing with a bullseye on their jerseys for the 2009 playoffs. Meanwhile the Rockies will be playing with the reckless abandon afforded by being the team with, Twins apart, the most momentum heading into the playoffs. Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes will provide more than enough offence for the Rockies, while a healthy Jorge De La Rosa (wait until you see this kid pitch!) would also be a huge boost to Colorado. The relative youth, exuberance and momentum of the Rockies will carry them through in what could be a nail biter of a series.
Pick: Colorado Rockies
Get a load of this kid dealing if you can
ALDSTwins v Yankees
It would be nice to think the Twins can give the Yankees a game, or at least stretch them a little, however, don’t be fooled into thinking this can even be a close series. The problem lies in the Twins starting pitching. There is simply no one on the Twins staff that will strike anything close to resembling fear.
Carl Pavano? Don’t make me laugh. Brian Duensing? I wonder how many of the Yankees even know who he is? I have seen Nick Blackburn get absolutely shelled a couple of times this season, and he doesn’t have the kind of stuff to scare the Yankees.
Another major issue for the Twins is the energy expended in simply making the playoffs, Momentum is nice, but how do you think the Twins lineup is going to enjoy facing big CC Sabathia’s 97mph missiles only hours after an emotionally draining extra inning playoff game against the Tigers? Keep an eye on this one, if CC is up for the game, he might cause some serious damage against a tired Twins lineup.
This one looks seriously lop-sided. The Twins only hope is to get involved in high scoring affairs, to a stage where their bullpen might actually match up against the Yankees huge big glaring weaklink, their bullpen. However, the Yankees starting pitching and big bats should see them home without breaking a sweat. Pick: The New York Yankees
CC probably won't have to break a sweat tonight
ALDSRed Sox v Anaheim
This will probably turn out to be the closest series in the first round. Two good teams, two good sets of starting pitchers, two great lineups, two good managers and two great bullpens. Only if you break it down section by section do you start to see a gap between the two competitors. Start with the pitching. The Angels are going to be sending three competent starters up against the Sox lineup (Lackey probably the standout of the bunch). The Red Sox are throwing two guys in particular on who the series outcome may rest. If Josh Beckett and John Lester pitch 70-80% close to their best, this could be a very short series. Boston’s two aces have the make up and stuff to dominate any lineup, even the speedy Angels. If they are on, it’s goodnight Anaheim.
The bullpen is another area the Sox look to be superior in. In the ninth inning of a playoff show down, who do you want on the hill, Brian Fuentes and his 3.93 ERA and 1.40 WHIP or Jonathan Papelbon? (1.85 ERA 1.15 WHIP)
Wagner and Bard form a terrific 100mph fireballing setup crew, if Anaheim don’t have a lead by the 7th inning, they may never get one.
Time and time again you hear the old refrain, pitching wins championships, and for this ALDS, the difference in pitching may separate two otherwise tightly matched teams.
On Saturday night the Irish soccer team takes on Italy in a crucial World Cup 2010 qualifier. We do so without the services of one of the most talented midfield players available, Sunderland's Andy Reid.
Reid has been drawing praise from all corners of the football community for his excellent performances for Sunderland this season. He is at the top of his game, both scoring and creating goals, and tracking back for defensive duties also.
Steve Bruce/Sunderland manager; ''He has arguably been our best player for a month'' Niall Quinn/Irish legend; "Andy's statistics are frightening in terms of the ground he is covering and that work rate allied to his quality makes him a key player," John O'Shea/Manchester United and Ireland; ''I was trying to get him to stay out wide a bit more often and he kept disappearing on me and creating goals and stuff.''
Now is your chance to put pressure on the Irish football association to in turn put pressure on the Irish manager to get Reid back where he belongs, in the Irish squad.
By simply signing this petition you can perhaps help get Andy Reid slinging in pin-point crosses for the Irish strikers, providing cross field passes our current 'grafters' in midfield could only dream about.
If you were disgusted with our abysmal performance in Cyprus, and yearn for some creativity out of the Irish midfield, sign this petition now, and then pass it on to every Irish soccer fan you know to do same
On Saturday 3rd October the Dublin City Hurricanes met the Greystones Mariners in the Irish Baseball League semi-finals, the winner of which would go to the Irish league finals starting Saturday 10th October. The game would turn out to be one of the great Irish playoff games, with more twists and turns than a country back road.
The day started in showers and ended in Indian-summer like sunshine, with both teams throwing everything into the game in an attempt to make the finals. The Hurricanes had an spectacular 13-3 regular season and wanted to keep that rolling, whilst the young, talented Greystones squad were trying to make the finals for the first time in their history.
The Hurricanes took an early lead with some of the patient at bats that have been a feature of their 2009 season. Steve Divito singled in Mike Johnson and Jeff Burrows singled in Andy Martin. 2-0 'Canes. Credit to Mariners young pitcher Dennis Donnelly, he never panicked and managed to get himself out of some sticky situations without too much damage. Down 2-1, the Mariners made their charge in the fourth and fifth. Piecing together bunts, bloop singles and good base running, the Mariners stormed to a stunning 4-2 lead by scoring two in the fourth and once in the fifth. The damage was only limited by Hurricanes right fielder Jeff Burrows throwing a runner out at home plate with an absolute rocket of a throw. Hurricanes catcher Dan Barry held on to the ball despite a hard (clean) hit from the Mariners base runner.
The veteran Hurricanes lineup did not panic and in the 6th inning, with their season on the line, they struck back scoring twice to tie the game 4-4. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jeff Burrows lifted a fly ball to right that three Mariners chased after, however none could get a glove on. Two Hurricanes scored tying the game dramatically, 4-4.
The ‘Canes got through the top of the 7th without any major drama and then went to work in the bottom of the inning. Chris Foy worked a vital one out walk. Eric Valkys grounded into a fielders choice and was moved to second by another walk worked this time by Mike Johnson. Enter Andy Martin.
‘Big Game Andy’ drove a hard line drive single to right field, scoring Eric Valkys with the winning run and the Hurricanes were in the finals.
The big bats won the game, but some banner defensive work laid the foundation for Big Game Andy and the boys to get those runs across. Jeff’s superb throw to Dan was big. However the biggest play might have come with two on in the Mariners half of the 5th, there was a fly ball to center/right that could easily have fallen in. Through the season Tom Kelley has made dozens of highlight reel plays, and his superb slide and catch to make the crucial out there was right up there with the best of them. We have said it here before, but we will say it again, TK is playing the greatest center field defensive baseball ever seen in Irish baseball right now in 2009.
Now the Hurricanes advance to the best-of-three Irish Baseball League Championships, starting this Saturday 10th October with a double header at the beautiful O’Malley fields in Corcaigh Park, Dublin.
For the Greystones Mariners, this superb semi-final show-down should serve as inspiration to them to keep doing what they are doing. They are a very talented young team with a shining bright future. They are the second toughest lineup one through nine in the league, with a very tricky two through five in their order for pitchers to navigate.
If they keep that squad together and keep improving, they could dominate Irish league baseball for the next five years.
Great semi final, dramatic stuff. Good testament to the level Irish baseball is at as we speak. Now for the finals..
Well now. How about this. Joe Mauer, the Twins catcher, cheating, quite clearly, on camera. In the Twins huge show down with the Tigers, Mauer was caught on video giving signs to the batter as to what pitch was coming next from Tigers stud starter, Justin Verlander.
Issue A with this, what the hell are you thinking Mauer? Are you trying to get the batter killed? Don't you know Verlander packs genuine 100mph heat? Imagine one of those in the ear-hole?
Issue B, there are some out there in the Internet world who are trying to argue this is not cheating. It certainly is cheating, what the Twins were doing is absolutely cheating, sadly Detroit made it easy for them to do, however it is still cheating. If you leave your door unlocked and a guy comes in and takes your big screen TV, is that stealing, or is it not stealing because you left the door unlocked?
The same goes here, the Tigers should have mixed their signs up, however just because they didn't, does this make what the Twins were engaged in any less reprehensible and pathetic, and any less of a theft?
With all the above in mind, I am absolutely stunned that Detroit did not come in high and tight on Mauer in last nights game. If anything the Twins were actually more aggressive, brushing back Marcus Thames a few times over the course of the crucial series. Is old school veteran manager Jimmy Leyland awake while all this is happening? It is hard to believe he is willing to allow his young team to be pushed around.
The Twins are denying everything, naturally, however, the Sporting Karma Gods have no doubt taken notice, and will take a terrible revenge on Joe Mauer the cheat, and his cheating heart friends too.
