The Rain Maker Sports

Sports Bytes - June 23, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:43:00 +0000

Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett has surrendered so many bombs lately that "A.J." should stand for "Another Jack." Burnett lost again Monday, leaving him with an 0-4 record and a 10.00 + ERA in his last four starts . . .

Gracious is not a word often used to describe the French, so I imagine many nations are gleefully celebrating France's elimination from the World Cup . . .

Methuselah has done it. Last night Jaime Moyer tied Robin Roberts' MLB record for most homers surrendered in a career (505) when he served up a dinger to Cleveland Indians 1B Russell Branyan in the second inning . . . More importantly, Moyer held the Indians to just two hits over eight innings to earn his 266th career win, tying him with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey . . .

The Tigers are learning first-hand how good the Mets are Citi Field. Last night in a rain-delayed contest, New York battered Justin Verlander and three relievers to wallop Detroit 14-6 . . .

Overheard at a Father's Day barbecue I attended on Sunday: "Ichiro's having a bad year. He's only batting a .337" . . .

The Texas Rangers continue their furious pace. Last night they defeated the Pirates for their ninth consecutive win . . .

Tampa Bay evidently doesn't believe in home cooking. Yesterday the Rays lost to the Padres 2-1 to drop their record at home to 18-16 . . .

Yesterday a Colorado Rockies pitcher shut down the highest scoring team in baseball (Boston Red Sox) and his name wasn't Ubaldo Jimenez. Jhoulys Chacin (try pronouncing that) earned his fourth win of the season by blanking the Red Sox for 6.2 innings. Loser John Lester also pitched brilliantly, surrendering only a single run in six innings. It was Lester's first loss since April 18. The final score was 2-1 . . .

Add WR Steve Smith to the list of pro athletes who do boneheaded things in the offseason. Smith broke his forearm on Father's Day while playing flag football. Apparently Smith fell and tried to brace himself with his left hand. The Associated Press reports that "it's an activity that could violate the terms of his contract, although Smith is expected back before the start of the regular season and may avoid serious punishment by the team." I hope so for Smith's sake . . .

Here's something you golfers might find interesting. I am publicizing " PHIL MICKELSON: SECRETS OF THE SHORT GAME," which will premiere Thursday, July 1 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on pay-per-view via cable systems and satellite providers. The two-hour program was recorded in High Definition and will be closed-captioned (where available) and available throughout the summer. It will also be available on video on demand on many cable systems. The suggested retail price is $19.99. Here is what Mickelson has to say about his tutorial: "My ideas about the short game are very different from a lot of the instruction I see out there," said Mickelson, "so it was a lot of fun to put this together with Terry and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. The goal here is help golfers build a foundation so that their practice time directly correlates to improved scoring on the golf course" . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 21, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:03:00 +0000

The Jets have become so concerned about lukewarm PSL sales and potential NFL "blackout" restrictions that they have slashed PSL fees for some parts of the stadium. I have two friends who purchased 5K PSLs for only to 2.5K . . .

A very impressive, and very important, series win for the Yankees over the weekend. Just when it looked like the Bombers were merely bottom-feeders who padded their record against the league's worst teams, they take two out of three from the white-hot NY Mets. Saturday's victory ended the Mets eight-game winning streak. Yesterdays shut out of the Mets gave the Yanks their 43rd win of the season, the most in baseball . . .

The Texas Rangers have won eight in a row and nine of their last 10 games. Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero are two big reasons why the team is rolling:

Both are among the AL's top-10 hitters: Josh Hamilton (.337) and Vladimir Guerrero (.327)
Both are among the AL's top six home run leaders: Josh Hamilton (16) and Vladimir Guerrero (15) . . .
Both are among the AL's top-three RBI leaders: Vladimir Guerrero (57) and Josh Hamilton (52)

I wouldn't blink if I were the Tigers or the Twins. The White Sox have won six in a row and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. That should make even Ozzie Guillen smile . . .

I also wouldn't blink if I were the Yankees. The Boston Red Sox have won six in a row and eight of their last 10. They have as many wins as the Yankees and sit only a game out of first place in the AL East . . . Boston GM Theo Epstein pulled an ace out of his sleeve when he signed Adrian Beltre to a one-year contract. Insiders complimented Epstein on upgrading defensively at third base, but few expected Beltre to make much of an impact at the plate. Fast forward three months and Beltre is fourth in the AL in hitting (.336) and eighth in the AL in RBIs (48) . . .

The Dodgers were incapable of winning a single game over the Red Sox this weekend. Maybe the team was still celebrating the Lakers' NBA Championship victory . . .

It bugs me to see Carl Pavano's name among the league leaders in wins . . .

Just to clarify. Of all the women I'd like to see in their underwear, Lady GaGa is not one of them . . .

Philly.com reports that according to an E-Poll Market Research survey published by Forbes, Michael Vick has been voted the most disliked sports figure for the second year in a row . . . Also finishing in the top-five were Al Davis, Ben Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods, and Jerry Jones . . .

Is the World Cup over yet? . . .

As I've mentioned before I am not a golf fan. However, yesterday I was forced to watch the U.S. Open at the Father's Day barbecue I was attending. The course was ridiculously difficult, so much so that no matter how many times leader Graeme McDowell faltered in the final round, the rest of the pack was unable to catch him . . . The ugly mottled-colored grass at Pebble Beach made the greens look as if they were suffering from eczema . . .

Sports Bytes - June 18, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:53:00 +0000

According to Fightnews.com, 7 ft Russian giant Nikolay Valuev has been offered $1.5 million to challenge WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko. Valuev refuses to fight for less than $2.5 million. I can't blame Valuev for holding out. If I were a below average fighter whose only advantage was my size and I were going to be punished by Klitschko, I'd want a bigger payday too. Unfortunately for Valuev he doesn't have much negotiating leverage with Klitschko's promoter K2 since he looked so disappointing in his last two bouts. In Dec 2008 he was given a gift decision over Evander Holyfield, and in Nov 2009 he lost to David Haye. My advice to Valuev is take the $1.5 million and run before K2 changes its mind . . .

The Ubaldo Jimenez express continues to roll through major league baseball. Yesterday afternoon Jimenez won his 13th game after surrendering only one run in eight innings to lead the Rockies to a 5-1 victory over the Twins. With the dominating performance Jimenez's ERA has fallen to 1.15 . . .

The only downside to the excitement surrounding Stephen Strasburg is that Jimenez's incredible season is not getting the attention it deserves . . .

Don't think the obsession with pitch counts has become ludicrous? Here's how Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman plans to handle Strasburg's development: "Don't expect to see double-digit strikeouts too often. He's going to be more of a groundball pitcher, like Ubaldo Jimenez, than a strikeout pitcher like Roger Clemens or Kerry Wood [who both fanned 20 men in a game]. It's better to get three outs on 12 pitches than three strikeouts on 18" . . . Jim, don't fix what isn't broken . . .

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker may want to consider making P Bronson Arroyo an everyday player. Besides only giving up one run in seven innings, Arroyo homered and assisted in three double plays to lead the Reds to a 7-1 victory over the LA Dodgers . . .

Led by Miguel Cabrera the Detroit Tigers won their sixth straight game yesterday, pounding out 19 hits to defeat the Washington Nationals 8-3 and sweep the three-game series . . . Cabrera now leads the majors in homers (19) and RBIs (59) . . .

I hope Vladimir Guerrero makes the American League All-Star team. Any doubts about whether he is still an impact player have been erased. Guerrero is sixth in the American League in hitting (.335) and second in the majors in RBIs (55) . . .

On June 5 Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman fought in the first boxing match to be held at Yankee Stadium in 34 years (1976: Ali-Norton). Today, two weeks later, the stadium's outfield grass looks horrendous, and the damage was apparently caused by the boxing event. If hosting a fight is going to result in that type of damage, the Yankees should wait another 34 years before they allow boxing to return . . .

Speaking of the Yankees, in the last 18 innings they have accumulated a grand total of nine hits and four runs. Not surprisingly they lost two of three to the Phillies . . . This is a very important series against the Mets this weekend. As of late the Yanks have become a team that beats up on lesser opposition while playing sub-par baseball against winning clubs. Now they face a red hot cross-town rival that has won seven in a row . . . Derek Jeter is now 0 for his last 15. Yesterday he struck out twice. Talk about a swoon . . .

Newsday reports that the NY Jets appear ready to offer Darrelle Revis a $100 million contract. That's a lot of PSLs to sell, Woody . . .

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan says that an Albert Haynesworth trade is possible provided that a portion of Haynesworth's bonus is returned. Don't hold your breath, Mike . . .

Sports Bytes - June 17, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:39:00 +0000

There is not a single boxing match on the horizon that interests me . . .

Overheard in the Yankees locker room late last night: Rinnnngg! "Hello, A.J. Burnett? This is your local Hallmark representative. Since Sunday is Father's Day and the Phillies lineup was your 'Daddy' earlier tonight, we would like to offer you a discount on Father's Day gifts" . . . . Burnett was awful last night, surrendering six hits and four walks in just 3.1 innings. In his last three starts Burnett is 0-3 and has given up 16 runs . . . The Yankee lineup was of little help, scoring only two runs in eight innings off Methuselah, aka Jaime Moyer . . .

The Mets just keep winning. Last night they racked up their fifth consecutive win behind a strong performance by Jonathon Niese who only gave up three runs in seven innings. The boys from Flushing are now 9-1 in their last 10 games . . . David Wright raised his NL-leading RBI total to 52 . . .

Interleague play was more competitive yesterday as the American League only bested the National League 8-6 in games . . . Somehow the Mariners managed to defeat the Cardinals and avoid a sweep; otherwise, the two leagues would have split . . .

The Associated Press reports that NFL owners and union officials discussed the possibility of increasing the number of NFL regular season games to 18 while cutting the number of exhibition games to two. Clearly ownership believes they can generate more revenue by adding regular season games and dumping exhibition ones. But if you're a players representative, how can you seriously consider lengthening the season beyond 16 games when players are already physically battered come playoff time? More games will mean more injuries--and shortened playing careers . . .

Washington Post "Redskins Insider" columnist Jason Reid posted a good column about the mess surrounding Albert Haynesworth and the Washington Redskins. Reid says he was informed by head coach Mike Shanahan that Shanahan "spoke with Haynesworth in February and gave Haynesworth permission at that time to find another place of employment. The team was willing to release Haynesworth if he would forgo the $21 million bonus he was due. But Shanahan said Haynesworth was only given until April 1 to locate another potential team." However, Reid then reveals that "team spokesman Zack Bolno later clarified that the Redskins would have released Haynesworth had he found another team, presumably one that would be willing to help with the large bonus Haynesworth was due." Better get your stories straight, gentlemen. Believe me, I feel no sympathy for Haynesworth. If he took the $21 million bonus on April 1, then he should shut his mouth and play. Nevertheless, the Redskins look foolish, and disingenuous, when the team spokesman and the head coach offer differing versions of events to the media . . .

As if expectations for the NY Giants this season were not already limited, the team's fortunes took a big slam as WR/KR Domenik Hixon tore his ACL in practice Tuesday. Hixon was the Giants first kick return threat that I can recall since I began following the team in 1980. I should have known better than to be optimistic. Now it's back to cheering when a Giants returner manages to get tackled outside the 20 yd line . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 16, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:58:00 +0000

Interleague play was not kind to the National League yesterday. The American League won 10 of the 14 games played . . .

The NY Mets earned one of those four victories for the National League, though they nearly imploded. Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez entered the game in the ninth inning with a three-run cushion, but surrendered a two-run homer to Cleveland Indians pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan. Rodriguez rebounded from the blast to get the final out by enticing Trevor Crowe to fly out to left field . . . Note to Mets fans and NY media: You've ripped David Wright for not being the home run threat you want, but the classy 3B now leads the NL in RBIs with 50. Not too shabby . . .

The Yankees and Phillies began their three-game series last night at Yankee Stadium. C.C. Sabathia earned the win after pitching seven innings and only giving up three runs. Teixeira, Swisher, and Granderson all blasted homers off Halladay to lead NY to an 8-3 victory. Halladay gave up six runs in six innings . . . Mea culpa: Mark Teixeira is now in his second season with the Yankees; yet, it wasn't until yesterday that I realized I've been spelling his name wrong. Talk about a mental block . . .

Despite lasting only five innings, Tampa Bay southpaw David price won his AL-leading 10th game yesterday as the Rays swamped the Braves 10-4. Price should thank the Braves for contributing mightily to his victory. Bobby Cox's crew was limited to four runs despite tallying 13 hits. They also committed four errors . . .

The Red Sox are getting an opportunity to pad their stats over the next few days as they battle the major leagues worst pitching staff: the Arizona Diamondbacks (ERA: 5.45) Last night Clay Buchholz and David Ortiz led the Red Sox's offensive charge with homers. Pedroia, Ortiz, Youklis, and Drew all had multiple hits in the 6-3 win . . .

It may have started later than usual, but it has started nonetheless. The Blue Jays have begun their annual free fall. Yesterday they lost to the Padres, leaving them 3-7 in their last 10 games . . .

Maybe the Orioles will break the 20-win "plateau" before the All-Star break. Yesterday they downed the San Francisco Giants 4-1 for their 18th victory . . .

Speaking of the All-Star Game, let's see which MLB players are selected for this annual popularity contest . . .

The North Korean soccer team may want to consider defecting after losing to Brazil 2-1. Remember North Korean dictator Kim Jong II is not the most psychologically stable individual. Upon returning to their East Asian homeland, those players may discover that the location of their next soccer match is the 38th Parallel . . .

Rumor has it that the Jets inability to sell PSLs (Personal Seat Licenses) is what is preventing the organization from increasing their contract offer to All-Universe DB Darrelle Revis. Sorry, they'll get no sympathy from me. And neither will the other occupant of the Meadowlands, my favorite team --the NY Giants. Ultimately, PSLs are ownership's way of saying that access to tickets is a privilege that should be paid for. My recommendation is that both Giants and Jets fans tell their respective teams to "go scratch". Unless you're someone who uses those tickets to entertain clients, save your money and watch the games from the comfort of your living room . . .

Incidentally, Revis insists that he truly was feeling light-headed at practice the other day, which is why he had to skip the 11 on 11 drill. Perhaps he was dizzy from trying to count the difference in dollars between what he is demanding from the Jets and what they are willing to spend . . .

In a surprise to nobody, Washington Redskins DE Albert Haynesworth has announced that he wants to be traded and that he will not attend the Redskins mandatory mini-camp . . .

Does anyone else not care that Chad "the wide receiver formally known as Johnson" has arrived at Bengals training camp? . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 15, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:41:00 +0000

Maybe it's just me but I'd like to blow one of those vuvuzela horns when I hear our politicians regurgitating their misinformation . . .

Who cares what conference NCAA football teams participate in? PAC-10. Big 12. There are more NCAA conferences than there are U.S. Penal Code laws . . .

I didn't witness it myself, but I was told that some fans booed Stephen Strasburg in his last start because he surrendered two runs and walked five. Idiots . . . Strasburg was named the NL Player of the Week for going 2-0 and striking out 22 batters . . .

Even monsoon-like conditions in Colorado could only raise Ubaldo Jimenez's ERA to from 0.93 to 1.16 . . .

Red Sox P Daisuke Matsuzaka must be made of the same brittle material as Yankees DH Nick Johnson . . .

Could we be seeing the beginning of the end of Alex Rodriguez's playing career? It's only a matter of time before a steroid user begins to show the physical effects of his usage. Perhaps the chickens are coming home to roost for Rodriguez . . .

Forgive me if I don't equate the U.S. tying Britain in a soccer game with the U.S. defeat of the Soviet Union in hockey . . .

Yankees 2B Robinson Cano's major league leading .371 batting average is 21 percentage points higher than his nearest competitor (Justin Morneau: .350) . . .

The NY Mets have won a league best four in a row, while the Pirates have lost a league worst eight in a row . . .

The Yankees now have a major league best run differential of +103 . . .

63 games into the season and the San Diego Padres pitching staff still has an ERA below 3.00 (2.97). Amazing . . .

If I were Tennessee Titans ownership, QB Vince Young would be gone by Independence Day. It's bad enough that Young is not, and never will be, a franchise quarterback. Now the organization has to contend with him allegedly hitting an antagonist at a strip club. Cut him loose. Addition by subtraction . . .

NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan better hope his team lives up to expectations this season considering all the hype surrounding the team. Between last season's AFC Championship run and HBO's decision to feature the club on its "Hard Knocks" series, Jets fans expect a Super Bowl appearance. Good luck to Ryan if he doesn't deliver it . . .

Now that the Lakers are facing elimination, how many of those pseudo-Lakers fans from Hollywood will attend Game 6? . . .

Paul O'Neill is developing into a very good baseball analyst on the YES Network . . .

It's pretty clear Johnny Damon will say anything to support whatever team he is currently playing with. When he signed with Detroit Damon informed everyone that the Motor City was where he wanted to play all along. Now Damon has told the Detroit Free Press that teammate Miguel Cabrera is a better player than both Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz were in their primes. In fact, he said Cabrera is in a "class by himself". No surprise. Let's face it, if he had signed with Atlanta he'd probably be saying the same things about Jason Heyward . . .

Sports Bytes - June 11, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:41:00 +0000

I'm as excited as anyone about Stephen Strasburg, but even I think the Hall of Fame is jumping the gun. The Washington Post reports that the Cooperstown, NY museum has requested an "artifact from his [Strasburg] 14-strikeout first major league start" . . .

The last time I saw this much hype about a rookie pitcher not from NY was when Fernando Valenzuela broke into the league in 1981 . . .

I guess the Bible is right when it advises that "This too shall pass". The Baltimore Orioles finally defeated the NY Yankees . . .

Somebody's a little full of himself. Ben Roethlisberger compared his "Big Ben" alter ego to that of Clark Kent and Superman. "Big Ben just kept building up. It ended up coming off the field. It kept taking over. Superman kept taking over Clark Kent and you just never saw who Ben Roethlisberger was any more." Easy there, Ben. You weren't leaping over tall buildings in a single bound . . .

Before blasting any NFL players for sitting out mini-camps because of contractual issues, fans should remember that unlike MLB contracts, NFL contracts do not guarantee money unless it is specified. In other words if a player is cut by a team and the remaining money on his contract is not guaranteed, the contract is voided. There is no safety net in the NFL, so the players need to maximize their earnings while they can. Ian O' Connor of ESPNNewYork.com has written a very good piece about this issue . . .

Lady GaGa attended yesterday's Mets game and displayed just how classless an individual she is by flipping the bird at Mets fans who booed her. Too bad she didn't do that in Philly. Maybe someone would have tasered her . . .

Former USC football coach Pete Carroll says he is "absolutely shocked and disappointed" by the NCAA-imposed sanctions against USC for "improprieties surrounding running back Reggie Bush." Is it just me or does Carroll's declaration sound as genuine as Claude Rains' "shock" in "Casablanca" when he discovers that there is gambling in Bogart's nightclub? . . .

Red Sox CF Jacob Ellsbury will miss several more weeks of playing time after it was discovered that he has another fractured rib. What is Ellsbury doing in his off-time that is causing these recurring rib injuries? Sparring with fellow-New Englander Micky Ward? . . .

Only in LA-LA Land. According to LA Times columnist Bill Shaikin, Frank and Jamie McCourt once paid a Russian "scientist and healer" named Vladimir Shpunt "to help the team win by sending positive energy over great distances." I kid you not. Shaikin reports that "in the five years he worked for the Dodgers, he [Shpunt] attended just one game. Instead, he watched them on television in his home more than 3,000 miles from Dodger Stadium, channeling his thoughts toward the team's success." . . . The McCourts should have instead used Shpunt's positive energy to save their marriage . . .

Sure two pitchers have pitched perfect games this season, but let's see another major leaguer do something as difficult as Cleveland Indians 3B Andre Marte did last night. Marte managed to commit three errors in one inning . . .

The Reds appear to enjoy playing with their backs against the wall. Yesterday, they won in their final at-bat for the 12th time this season. They also have 21 comeback wins overall. . .

After being limited to two hits in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the Padres, the Mets responded by one-hitting San Diego in the nightcap. The Padres won game one 4-2, while the Mets won game two 3-0 . . .

The St. Louis Cardinals had the day off yesterday, which is probably a good thing since they've lost four straight . . .

Sports Bytes - June 10, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:52:00 +0000

Fightnews.com reports that yesterday the "Nevada State Athletic Commission heard arguments on the merits of mandatory blood testing from United States Anti-Doping Agency." Considering the physical dangers boxers face each time they enter the ring, mandatory blood testing for PEDs is a no-brainer . . .

Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia is off. He has six wins this season, but four of them are against the bumbling Baltimore Orioles. Against the rest of the league, he is 2-3 with an ERA of 4.69. What is most glaring about Sabathia is his inability to spot his fastball, which has resulted in him throwing a greater number of pitches per batter. He is consistently reaching full counts before he retires hitters--if he retires them. It's still early, but if Sabathia doesn't solve his control problems he could find himself with a tired arm come September . . .

If Job were alive today he'd be a Cubs fan. Last night the Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1961, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. So now the Cubs are the only Chicago franchise that has not won a title in the past 25 years. The Bears won the Super Bowl in January 1986; the Bulls won six championships during the 1990's; and the White Sox won the World Series in 2005. Alas, poor Cubbies!! . . .

Did someone forget to remind the Red Sox they had a game yesterday?

The Rays are back on track. Last night they hammered the Blue Jays 10-1. It was the Jays fourth consecutive loss . . .

Mike "Merlin" Scioscia has waved his magic wand again and his players have responded. The Angels have won eight of their last 10 games and sit only 1/2 game out of first place . . .

The San Francisco Giants have the fourth lowest ERA in baseball, but are 25th in runs scored. Perhaps the Yankees or Red Sox could lend them a few runs . . .

Seattle Mariners ownership should do their fans a favor and end the season today. That team is an embarrassment considering its talent. 13 games under .500. Pathetic . . .

If the Yankees continue to play teams like the Orioles and Indians, Robinson Cano will be the first hitter since Ted Williams to bat .400 . . .

The Oakland Raiders were forced to cancel the last two OTAs (Organized Team Activities) after allegedly "exceeding the amount of contact allowed under official rules".

When Celtics SF Paul Pierce predicted that the NBA Finals would not return to Los Angeles, maybe he meant that the Lakers would sweep all three games in Boston . . .

If that toddler was drinking beer at the Phillies-Padres game over the weekend, he should have saved it for last night's Flyers Stanley Cup-eliminating loss to the Blackhawks . . .

I have no interest in the World Cup or in the U.S. Soccer Team, and I suspect that most American sports fans feel similarly . . .

How ridiculous has NY's wooing of LeBron James become? James Gandolfini, aka Tony Soprano, asked James to come to NY while presenting a trophy at the "Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards" . . . Although Gandolfini did have a funny line for LeBron. "If you miss Cleveland, you just have to drive across the bridge to New Jersey, it’s pretty much the same thing” . . .

Years ago I watched Howard Stern's short-lived television program for one reason: Stuttering John. I used to laugh at his impromptu interviews with unsuspecting celebrities. For ex., John once asked the Dalai Lama if people ever greeted him by saying, "Hello Dolly." ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel has his own "Stuttering John," and his name is Guillermo. Guillermo is a Mexican security guard who is also very funny. SI.com's "Extra Mustard" links to a clip of Guillermo at NBA finals Media Day, asking Lakers and Celtics players about the film "Sex and the City 2". It is hilarious . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 9, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:42:00 +0000

I can't imagine Alex Rodriguez is enjoying himself very much right now. Although the Yankees pounded out 15 hits last night to punish the Orioles 12-7, the Yankee 3B went 0 for 5. It's a frustrating feeling watching your teammates pile on the hits while you prove incapable of getting on base even once. It may have only been Little League in my case, but I did experience that feeling once before. My team won 25-3, but I was 0 for 3. I wanted to be happy that my team won, but I couldn't shake my disappointment with my own performance. It wasn't long after that I started pressing at the plate, which is something Rodriguez is already doing . . .

Yankees reliever Chad Gaudin's nickname should be "Hanging" because that is what most of his pitches do. Yesterday he was rocked for five hits and four runs in just two innings of work . . .

14 strikeouts in seven innings pitched, and a fastball that reached 100 m.p.h. more than once. I would say that Stephen Strasburg's introduction to the "Big Leagues" was successful . . .

The Red Sox continue to win. Last night in Boston's 3-2 win over the Indians, Tim Wakefield threw 7 1/3 innings to propel himself past Roger Clemens into first place for the most innings pitched in Red Sox history. Wakefield has now pitched 2,777 innings in a Red Sox uniform, one more than Clemens . . .

We haven't reached Father's Day yet and the Orioles are already 22 games out of first place . . .

However, the O's can find solace in that their -112 run differential is not the worst in baseball. That "accomplishment" is held by the Pittsburgh Pirates (-136) . . .

The Phillies scored 10 runs yesterday against the Marlins. Lately 10 runs is a week's worth of production for the defending NL Champions . . .

The Mets winning ways at Citi Field continue. Last night they won their ninth straight home game when Ike Davis hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 . . .

Mike Pelfrey earned his eighth win of the season, which puts him in a tie for second place with about 40 other pitchers for "Most Wins" in MLB . . .

Toronto has hit the most homers in the majors (97), while Seattle has hit the fewest (33) . . .

The San Diego Padres are the only team in baseball whose staff ERA is under 3.00 (2.99) . . . Arizona's ERA is 5.50 and opposing clubs are batting .286 against them. The only pitching staff with a worse "Batting Average Against" percentage is the Milwaukee Brewers (.288) . . .

According to ESPN.com Dallas Cowboys RB Marion Barber played the last 13 weeks of the 2009 season with a torn quad muscle. Barber is a punishing running back who enjoys steamrolling defenders as much as eluding them, so the toughness he displayed in playing with a severe injury is no surprise. I just hope his sacrifice for the team doesn't result in a shortened playing career. I have yet to see an NFL franchise reward a player for his willingness to play through injury. Those players are just as likely to be unceremoniously released when they no longer perform at the same level . . .

Here's an interesting NFL.com poll question. " Which 30-and-over running back will have a better 2010 season?" The choices are Larry Johnson, Chester Taylor, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, and Ricky Williams. Of the 57,226 respondents, 36% selected Ricky Williams. Tomlinson finished second with 32% . . .

The NY Jets' 27-acre complex in Florham Park, NJ is featured in the June 2010 issue of Inc magazine . . .

Tell me this isn't an endorsement commercial just waiting to be filmed. Seahawks WR Golden Tate was nearly arrested on Saturday after being "caught trespassing in a Top Pot doughnut shop at 3 a.m." Tate was hungry and was looking for a late-night snack , so he allegedly snuck into the shop to swipe a few donuts. When he was asked why, he profusely apologized and confessed that the donuts are "irresistible" . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 8, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:15:00 +0000

If at the start of the Stanley Cup Finals you asked the Chicago Blackhawks whether they'd be satisfied returning home for Game 6 with a 3-2 games lead, I'm fairly certain they'd have eagerly accepted it . . .

Yankees SS Derek Jeter will not be recruiting LeBron James to play in NY, insisting that his opinion doesn't matter since the two athletes play in different sports. He compared it to Magic Johnson recruiting him to play for one of the Los Angeles baseball teams. "If I were going to another baseball team, how would a basketball player help?" Jeter said. "I don't play basketball. I have nothing to do with that." Although Jeter probably does feel this way, I think there's a bigger reason why he is not getting involved in the LeBron sweepstakes. Professional athletes like Jeter probably find the suggestion that they participate in the ridiculous hoopla surrounding King James insulting. I know I would if I were a future Hall of Famer in my own right like Jeter . . .

Colts owner Bill Polian says that although Peyton Manning's contract with the team expires after this season, he expects to re-sign the franchise QB before then. Does anyone seriously believe Manning will finish his career anywhere other than Indianapolis? It's about as likely as Derek Jeter retiring in a uniform without pinstripes . . .

The NFL has demanded that the Baltimore Ravens cancel the final week of OTAs (Organized Team Activities) as punishment for "violat[ing] the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills conducted on the club's organized team activity days" . . . Now that's a team that wants to win . . .

There never seems to be a lack of sports "experts" who live-and-die by how good teams look on paper. No matter how many times a team fails to live up to expectations, those same experts will drink the Kool-Aid and pick them as eventual champions. For ex, in the early 1980s the Dallas Cowboys were picked perennially to win the Super Bowl because of their stacked roster. They were loaded from top to bottom. Danny White, Tony Hill, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, etc . . . Yet, despite the household names the team failed to get past the NFC Championships from 1980-1988 (Coach Tom Landry and most of that group were no longer with the team after 1988) I raise this point because I see the same mentality today with respect to the San Diego Chargers. For ex., NFL.com columnist Steve Wyche has listed his predictions for the 32 NFL teams and, lo and behold, the Chargers top his chart. How many times do the Chargers have to be embarrassingly eliminated from the postseason before the experts accept that the Bolts will always be the bridesmaids and never the bride? . . .

I confess that I enjoy watching the glitz-and-glamor Lakers lose. Just seeing the disappointed faces of Hollywood at courtside makes it worth it . . .

Boxer Yuri Foreman will undergo knee surgery to repair the meniscus he tore in his bout Saturday against Miguel Cotto at Yankee Stadium . . .

Here's hoping that Stephen Strasburg is not MLB's version of Ryan Leaf . . .

The Boston Globe website features some of history's most famous (infamous) blown calls by officials. Not surprisingly, four of the eight incidences selected involved the Yankees receiving the benefit of the bad call. It is a Boston newspaper after all . . .

Although obnoxious sports fans are found in every city and every stadium, Philly fans argue that they are unfairly labeled as exceptionally loathsome. Unfortunately for the City of Brotherly Love, incidences continue to arise that support this less than flattering view of Philadelphians. For ex., video has surfaced showing a young boy (maybe four or five years old) apparently drinking from a beer bottle during Sunday's Phillies-Padres game . . .

Sports Bytes - June 7, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Congrats to Miguel Cotto who stopped Yuri Foreman in nine rounds on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Foreman tried to stay out of Cotto's punching range by moving laterally, but in round seven he collapsed to the canvas after his right knee buckled. He valiantly tried to continue on one leg, but was unable to neutralize Cotto's relentless pressure. Referee Arthur Mercante, Jr waved a halt to the bout in round nine after Cotto dropped Foreman with a left hook to the body. Cotto was comfortably ahead on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage: 79-73 (twice) and 78-74 . . . Foreman says he injured the right knee as a boy while riding his bike . . .

I don't expect professional boxing at Yankee Stadium to become a regular occurrence. Saturday was more of a gimmick than a reflection of what's to come . . .

The Yankees managed to salvage one game of their weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Javier Vazquez--I can't believe I am about to write this--pitched a gem yesterday, surrendering only two runs over seven innings. The Yankee bats, silent for most of the series, awoke just enough to score four runs in the eighth inning and lead NY to an eventual 4-3 victory . . . Mark Texiera's disastrous season at the plate continues. He was 1 for 14 in the series with seven strikeouts. He is back to batting (.211) below his weight (220 lbs) . . . Alex Rodriguez was removed from the game prior to the ninth inning because of a "mild groin injury" that is not expected to land him on the DL. (Anyone who has ever had a groin injury knows there's nothing "mild" about them) . . .

For the NY Mets there really is no place like home. Yesterday the boys from Flushing fell behind 5-0 before storming back to beat the Florida Marlins 7-6 and sweep the three-game series. The big blow came from Jeff Francoeur--a three-run homer in the seventh inning that tied the game at six . . . New York is 18-4 in their last 22 home games . . .

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz is 8-3 with a 2.39 ERA. With stats like those, and with recurring injuries to Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston would be crazy to entertain trading him to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez . . .

Rockies phenom Ubaldo Jimenez surrendered two runs in seven innings yesterday. The "thrashing" he received jumped his ERA to 0.93. Better consider sending him back down to Triple-A to work on a few pitches . . . Jimenez has 11 wins, nobody else in MLB has more than eight . . .

Recently installed Baltimore Orioles manager Juan Samuel celebrated his first win yesterday as the Orioles knocked off the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in 11 innings. I would savor that victory if I were Samuel. I don't think he'll be witnessing many of them this season . . . The Orioles are 1-9 in their last 10 games . . .

The Washington Nationals have chosen a good time to bring Stephen Strasburg to the majors. The Nationals are in last place in the NL East and are 3-7 in their last 10 games . . . Closer Matt Capps seems unaffected by the Nationals' problems. He leads the majors in saves with 18 . . .

Minnesota Twin Justin Morneau is back on top for MLB's highest batting average at .370 . . .

I'm sure this could be heard among Atlanta Braves fans in spring training: "Troy Glaus is finished. He's old and he's coming off shoulder surgery. Put him out to pasture already." Well, not only is Glaus not done, he's tied for the National League lead in RBIs with Albert Pujols (44) . . . Not bad for an old man . . .

The intense Florida heat and humidity have obviously overcome Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross as he recently predicted that his club will reach the Super Bowl this season. Somebody should apply cold compresses to his head and neck . . .

Sports Bytes - June 4, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:50:00 +0000

Bud Selig made the right decision. When I first learned that Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Gallaraga was denied a perfect game because of a blatantly errant call by umpire Jim Joyce, I immediately felt that the MLB Commissioner should overturn the mistake. But after listening to the arguments of those who felt otherwise, and remembering Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals, I realized that Selig made the right move. In the 1985 World Series, the Cardinals were ahead 3-2 in games and leading 1-0 in the ninth inning of Game 6 when Royals utility player Jorge Orta hit a ground ball to 1B Jack Clark. Clark made the play and tossed it to pitcher Todd Worrell, who arrived at the first base bag in plenty of time. However, umpire Don Denkinger mistakenly called Orta safe. The Royals eventually scored two runs in that inning to win the game 2-1, and then destroyed the Cardinals in Game 7 (11-0) to win the Series. No change was ever made to correct Denkinger's error, even though the gaffe influenced the outcome of the World Series. Gallaraga's incident was unfortunate, but it doesn't take precedence over a World Series game . . .

No, I do not want to see instant replay in baseball. Mistakes happen. It's part of the game. Plus, baseball games are too long already. I don't want them slowed further . . .

Look for Miguel Cotto to shine Saturday and stop Yuri Foreman by the eighth or ninth round. Foreman is undefeated and will come to fight, but his resume is bereft of top-caliber competition. He deserves credit for wresting the WBA jr. middleweight championship belt from defending champion Daniel Santos in November, but he has yet to face anyone as talented or as strong as Cotto. Granted the punishment Cotto has experienced over the past few years has left him damaged, but he still has enough left to convincingly beat Foreman . . .

Michael Grant's trainer, former world champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, is convinced (or so he says) that his fighter will defeat Tomas Adamek on Aug 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Muhammad trained the only fighter to defeat Adamek--Chad Dawson. Fightnews.com quotes Muhammad predicting, "You can write that Main Events and Adamek’s manager just committed a grave error. The size and strength difference will be too much for Adamek to overcome. Arreola is not 6-7 with extremely long arms, but Michael is. Adamek will have to risk too much shortening the distance because this is the only way he can hit Michael." Sorry, Eddie, but I don't see it. Grant hasn't beaten a credible heavyweight since 1999 when he stopped Andrew Golota. Adamek will chop down Grant as if he were a redwood . . .

The Oakland A's finally discovered how to defeat the Boston Red Sox: hit four home runs . . .

How happy are the Orioles to be leaving Yankee Stadium? . . .

Add NY Jets CB Darrelle Revis to the list of NFL players skipping their teams' OTAs (Organized Team Activities) over contractual issues. NFL.com reports that because of the lack of progress in contract negotiations, Revis' absence from the team "could be lengthy" . . . Maybe the Jets should cough-up some of the revenue they're expecting from hosting the 2014 Super Bowl . . .

According to the Boston Globe Josh Beckett's return from the DL is "at least a month away" . . .

Yankees 2B Robinson Cano is now leading the majors in hitting (.373) . . .

Who cares whether President Obama thinks LeBron James should re-sign with the Cavaliers? What's next? Hillary Clinton's views on the state of the Cubs? . . .

Is Jose Canseco testifying on Roger Clemens behalf supposed to help Clemens or bury him? . . .

The new Dr. Pepper commercial featuring Michael Strahan and Donovan McNabb is pretty funny . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 3, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:52:00 +0000

How good was Ken Griffey, Jr.? "The Kid" hit 630 homers and is virtually guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame; yet when people talk about him the first thing they say is, "Imagine how good he would have been if he didn't have all those injuries" . . .

Last night the Yankees again pounded the American League punching bags, the Baltimore Orioles. Robinson Cano stretched his hitting streak to 16 games while Phil Hughes won his seventh game . . .

Detroit Tigers hurler Armando Gallaraga lost his bid for a perfect-game with two outs in the ninth inning because of an admitted blown call by first base umpire Jim Joyce. It was a tough break for Gallaraga, but Joyce deserves credit for owning up to the mistake and even visiting the Tigers locker room after the game to apologize. That takes character . . .

The Diamondbacks lost their 10th consecutive game yesterday. Their latest display of futility was a 14-inning,1-0 decision to the Dodgers . . .

High blood pressure must be rampant among Mets fans since the ballclub continues to discover new ways to lose. Yesterday, it was reliever Raul Valdez's turn to play the role of goat. With the bases loaded in the 11th inning and the score tied 1-1, Valdez served-up a gopher ball to Adrian Gonzalez, who drilled it into the left field seats for a walk-off, game winning grand slam. The 5-1 victory gave the Padres the series win two game to one . . .

The Atlanta Braves have an eight-game winning streak and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. One other club is also 8-2 during that stretch: the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox won again yesterday thanks to a strong performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka and another long-ball from David Ortiz. It was the second consecutive night that the Sox defeated the A's after falling behind early . . .

The Phillies continue to shoot blanks. Last night the Braves completed their three-game sweep of Philadelphia by limiting the once high-powered offense to a single run. The 2-1 victory increased the Braves divisional lead over the Phillies to 2.5 games . . . In yesterday's game Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were a combined 1 for 8 . . . Philadelphia has now lost four straight and is 2-8 in their last 10 games . . . Since Game 1 of their series against the Mets last week, the Phillies have been outscored 37-11 . . .

In case the young upstarts in Cincinnati had any ideas about running away with the NL Central division, Tony LaRussa and his Cardinals put those dreams to rest by taking two out of three from the Reds. Yesterday's 4-1 Cardinals victory put St. Louis back into a tie with Cincinnati for first place . . .

The difference between AL batting leader Justin Morneau (.376) and NL batting leader Martin Prado (.324) is 52 points. There are nine American Leaguers with higher batting averages than Prado . . .

It's not over yet. The Flyers 4-3 victory in overtime could change the momentum of the Stanley Cup series, which the Blackhawks lead 2-1 in games . . .

I imagine Cowboys' QB Tony Romo is too busy working on his putting game to offer an opinion on Patrick Crayton's trade demands . . .

Those NFL insiders who are picking the Dallas Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl this season are probably the same delusional people who are predicting that the Washington Redskins will make the playoffs . . .

I never thought I would tire of hearing someone's name more than that of Brett Favre. Ben Roethlisberger has managed to prove me wrong . . .

Fallacy Football, excuse me, Fantasy Football, will soon begin dominating the pages of sports sites such as ESPN.com and SI.com. For any who care, and I am not one of those people, of the 59,700 NFL.com viewers who responded to the question, "Which player is at the top of your fantasy football draft board?" 36% selected Titans RB Chris Johnson. Saints QB Drew Brees was second at 26% . . .

Tomorrow I will give my prediction for Saturday's Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman title bout at Yankee Stadium . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - June 2, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:47:00 +0000

Can Michael Vick play safety? The Eagles better hope so, since their recent free-agent signing Marlin Jackson ruptured his Achilles' tendon in practice yesterday and will be out for the season. Jackson is no stranger to surgery as his last two seasons were cut short by knee injuries . . .

Sports Illustrated NFL columnist Peter King's recent column discusses whether former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Following the September 11 terrorist attack on NYC, Tillman left the NFL and its million dollar contracts to join the U.S. Army. He was killed allegedly by friendly fire while in Afghanistan. King does not believe Tillman deserves a Hall of Fame spot and neither do I. Tillman is a hero, there's no denying that. But the NFL Hall of Fame is not for heroes. It's for recognizing player excellence on the gridiron. Period . . .

Here's a record that no pitcher wants to break. Phillies starter Jaime Moyer is poised to break Hall of Famer Robin Roberts record for most home runs allowed in history. Roberts served up 505 dingers; Moyer has surrendered 501 . . .

Dontrelle Willis has gone from the frying pan directly into the fire. The struggling former Rookie of the Year and All-Star has had a frustrating season with the Tigers, compiling a 1-2 record with a 4.99 ERA. Yesterday his fortunes grew bleaker as he was traded to the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks . . .

The schizophrenic NY Mets are back. After sweeping the Phillies and shutting them out for 27 innings, New York lost three of their next four to the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. On Memorial Day they were blasted by the Padres 18-6 . . .

Read the very good piece in Tuesday's Boston Globe about the rising number of teenage athlete injuries attributable to overtraining . . .

They may be down 2-0 to the Blackhawks, but I wouldn't count out the Flyers just yet . . .

The Florida Marlins have begun "selling unused tickets to Roy Halladay's perfect game at the box office and online". I guess the Marlins don't receive enough revenue from the luxury tax . . .

Last Friday Los Angeles Angels 1B Kendry Morales broke a bone in his leg jumping onto home plate while celebrating his walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners. He may miss the rest of the season. A dumb injury? Sure. But it still doesn't beat Kevin Mitchell missing several days of spring training in 1990 after allegedly chipping his tooth on a still-frozen microwaved donut . . .

The NBA season has not ended yet and I am already weary of the media coverage surrounding LeBron James' free agency . . .

I am not a tennis fan, but I do respect the sport and acknowledge the physical demands it imposes on its players. Anyone who has ever played the sport knows it is difficult and exhausting. That is why I'd like to pay homage to Roger Federer. Until yesterday Federer had reached the semifinals in 24 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments dating back to 2004. Yesterday he was beaten by someone named Robin Soderling at the French Open. Some argue that Federer is the best tennis player in history. That streak is strong evidence to support the claim . . .

Sports Bytes - June 1, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:34:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you were surprised that Vitali Klitschko stopped Albert Sosnowski on Saturday in Germany. Now raise your hand if you knew who Sosnowski was prior to the fight . . .

I don't know about you, but I'm relieved to hear that Randy Moss is not retiring. The rumor nearly destroyed my Memorial Day Weekend . . . Moss is apparently looking for a new agent to increase his off-the-gridiron marketability. Somehow I can't picture Moss smiling his way through a Viagra commercial . . .

I'm guessing that Memorial Day is now one of Alex Rodriguez's favorite holidays. Yesterday he hit a grand slam and drove in a total of six runs in the Yanks 11-2 rout of the Indians . . . Even with an 8-1 lead Chan Ho-Park was still incapable of pitching a scoreless outing. He threw two innings yesterday and gave up two hits and a run . . . I guess Joe Girardi felt that an 8-1 lead wasn't a big enough margin to trust Joba Chamberlain. . .

The Rays unforeseen swoon continues. They have now lost six of their last eight. Yesterday they were beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 . . .

The Atlanta Braves have won eight of their last 10 games and are now in first place in the NL East after crushing the Phillies yesterday 9-3. It was the Phillies seventh loss in their last 10 games . . . I could be wrong, but wasn't George Bush president the last time the Phillies were not in first place in the NL East? . . .

Colorado Rockies phenom Ubaldo Jiminez shutout the San Francisco Giants and outdueled two-time CY Young Tim Linecum to earn his 10th win of the season. His exceptional performance also lowered his ERA to 0.78. Soon MLB will need to use negative integers to calculate his ERA . . .

One observation about Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Having lost Game 1 of the series it was important that Philadelphia come out strong and set the tempo. Instead, they committed three penalties in the first period and spent six minutes playing shorthanded. Rather than seizing the momentum, they were forced to play on their heels--so much so that they were limited to only three shots on goal in the opening period. Although their shot production increased in both the second and third periods, the Flyers never seemed to recover from that sloppy first period. They seemed out of sync. Now they are down 2-0 in games . . .

It's not often that a player asks to be cut, but that is the case with Dallas Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton who says he feels "betrayed" after learning that the club tried to trade him last month during the draft. The Cowboys say they have no intention of letting him go . . .

Anyone else believe that former Dallas Cowboy OL Flozell Adams belongs on Daniel Snyder's Washington Redskins team? . . .

New York Yankees P Andy Pettitte continues to glide along at the age of 37. Yesterday he won his seventh game, tying him with Tampa Bay's David Price for the American League lead . . . Oh, and he also has the third lowest ERA in the American League at 2.48 . . .

How bad are things right now for the Arizona Diamondbacks? Not only have they lost eight in a row and occupy the cellar of the NL West division, but yesterday they lost to the Dodgers on a walk-off balk . . .

Streetlevel.com has an interesting list of "11 Athletes Who Threw Away Their Million-Dollar Fortunes". Among the athletes mentioned: Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Scottie Pippen, Latrell Sprewell, and Jack Clark . . .

Former NY Giants LB Antonio Pierce believes Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff will be on the hot seat this season. He's probably right. If you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a new stadium and charge fans obscene amounts for PSLs, you'd better win . . .
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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - May 28, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Shame on you if you were hoodwinked into believing that Yankees P Javier Vazquez had turned a corner with his impressive performance against the Mets last week. Yankee fans knew better than to be duped by that tease. Vazquez returned to the mound last night and was crushed by the Twins lineup. The stat sheet says that he threw 112 pitches in 5.2 innings while surrendering five runs, but the reality was much worse. Were it not for two great plays by Mark Texeira the Twins would have scored at least another three runs. They were crushing Vazquez's pitches to the point that I feared for the lives of both the Yankee players and the fans in attendance. Vazquez cannot handle pitching in the American League and it's time that Yankees management accepts it . . . Oh, by the way, the Yanks lost 8-2 . . .

Alex Rodriguez's funk continues. He is 6 for his last 23. In the first inning yesterday he killed a potential rally by meekly grounding into a double play with one out and runners on first and third . . .

YES Network broadcaster Kim Jones announced during yesterday's game that Derek Jeter is a huge "American Idol" fan who demanded that his teammates refrain from telling him who won this season's competition. After learning this disturbing news, I felt compelled to destroy my son's Derek Jeter t-shirt . . .

The Red Sox five-game winning streak ended yesterday with a 4-3 loss to the last place Royals. Considering that the Red Sox just finished demoralizing the best team in baseball, even Red Sox Nation won't begrudge them a down night. If the Sox lose again today, however, expect to see the return of the David Ortiz effigies . . .

LA Dodgers RF Xavier Paul must have failed geometry in high school like I did. During yesterday's loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Paul twice misplayed base hits down the right field line, allowing both to skip past him after they caromed off the foundation of the right field seats in foul territory. In both instances Paul comically crashed into the wall, and one of the times he even lost his glove . . .

ESPN.com boxing columnist Dan Rafael reports that former world champion Paulie Malignaggi plans to continue fighting despite his recent demolition at the hands of Amir Khan. Malignaggi also told Rafael that he will jump to the welterweight division. Considering the number of tough fights that Malignaggi has competed in the past few years, and that he suffers from a chronic nerve problem in his neck, I was hoping he would take the money he earned and ride off into the sunset. Sadly, he is on track to becoming just another fighter who couldn't hang up his gloves . . .

I saw a photo on Fightnews.com of Hasim Rahman and his trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Rahman looks as old as Muhammad, which is bad news for the former heavyweight champion since he is returning to the ring on June 19 . . .

San Francisco Manager Bruce Bochy met with defending two-time National League CY Young Tim Linecum, who surrendered six runs in 4.2 innings against the Nationals. Bochy's advice: Relax . . . Relax? I bet Bochy had to consult with a team of psychiatric experts to formulate that innovative suggestion . . .

While watching the Phillies-Mets series, I was convinced that Rod Serling was going to appear and announce that I'd entered The Twilight Zone. How else can you explain the Phillies inability to score a single run in a three-game series against New York? 27 innings of zeros. The two-time defending NL champs have now lost five in a row and are 3-7 in their last 10 games . . .

After 71.1 innings of pitching, Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Hernandez is 9-1 with an ERA of 0.88 . . . Jaime Garcia of the St. Louis Cardinals is the only other pitcher in baseball with an ERA under 2.00 (1.14) . . .

Boston and Toronto are now the two highest scoring teams in baseball. Both have scored 255 runs this season . . .

San Diego and St. Louis are the only two clubs in baseball with Team ERA's under 3.00 . . .Arizona's ERA is an astounding 5.81 . . .

The paranoia of Boston fans is legendary, and Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy has some fun with it in his column today. Shaughnessy discusses whether the Celtics are destined to choke and blow what was once a 3-0 games lead. (Boston is ahead 3-1 games) . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes: May 27, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:51:00 +0000

You can't make this stuff up. According to the NY Post disgruntled Washington Redskins DE Albert Haynesworth is being sued by an exotic dancer who claims that he impregnated her and has avoided her ever since. The dancer is demanding $10 million, in part to cover the medical bills associated with the pregnancy. How's this for irony? Haynesworth played for the Tennessee Titans for seven seasons before signing with Washington. TITANS is also the name of a brand of condoms manufactured by a company named HUGE . . .

Why bother? Polish heavyweight Tomas Adamek, fresh off his impressive victory over Chris Arreola, is scheduled to return to the ring on August 21 against Michael Grant. How pointless is this fight? Grant hasn't won a meaningful bout since he beat Andrew Golota in 1999 . . . Rumor has it that after Adamek disposes of Grant he may fight Ron Lyle . . .

The Red Sox completed their manhandling of the AL East leading Rays with an 11-3 drubbing last night. Adrian Beltre homered twice and David Ortiz once as the Red Sox lineup lit-up Matt Garza and the Rays bullpen. Garza surrendered six runs in five innings of work . . . The Rays, who seem to have taken their foot off the gas pedal since hammering the Yankees, were "2 for 25 with runners in scoring position in the series" . . . David Ortiz' has homered in six of his last 11 games, and nine times overall in the month of May . . .

The Yankees rediscovered winning, beating the Minnesota Twins twice yesterday. The first victory, a 1-0 win, was a completion of Tuesday night's rainout. Jeter homered for the Yanks sole run. The second victory, a 3-2 win, came courtesy of a strong pitching performance by Andy Pettitte who surrendered just two earned runs in eight innings. Nick Swisher homered in the ninth inning to put the Yanks ahead for good . . . Mariano Rivera saved both games, a welcome sight for Yankee fans considering how badly Rivera has looked recently. His famed "cutter" has been as flat as an Academy Awards opening monologue . . .

I like to read SI.com, but sometimes their columns are inane. Yesterday, columnist Joe Posnanski examined whether Derek Jeter has a realistic shot at breaking Pete Rose's all-time hits record of 4,256. C'mon, Joe. Can we at least wait until Jeter reaches 3,000 before we start discussing Rose's record? Silly, just plain silly . . .

David Ortiz is just now finishing his home run trot . . .

The Mets have now shut out the NL East leading Phillies two nights in a row. Last night Hisanori Takahashi pitched six strong innings and Jose Reyes completed his fourth-straight multi-hit game to pull the Mets to within three games of the Phillies . . . Somebody needs to taser the Phillies lineup . . .

The Cincinnati Reds have bounced the St. Louis Cardinals from first-place in the NL Central Division. The resurgent Reds have won eight of their last 12 games . . . The Associated Press story recapping last night's Reds win over the Pirates contained the following note. "An estimated 650 dogs were with their owners in the stands by the right-field foul pole, part of an annual pet promotion. During the nightly 'KissCam' segment, the videoboard showed a couple with their dog. The woman kissed the dog but not the man" . . . Talk about a waste of space . . .

The NY Times reports that " developer Steven Roth is quietly trying to revive a plan to move Madison Square Garden one block west of its current home atop Pennsylvania Station just as the arena is beginning a major $850 million renovation" . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - May 26, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:45:00 +0000

"The Fat Toad" has apparently been overindulging in the saki. Former Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was arrested for alleged drunk driving in Los Angeles. I guess I would have started drinking too if I was as big a pitching disappointment as he was . . .

Hall of Fame QB Roger Staubach must have been sharing Irabu's saki when he told the Dallas Morning News that the 2011 Cowboys may be the first NFL team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. "This is a really, really good football team and they have the capability. There are probably five or six teams in the NFL that can win it all. This is one of them. They can do it" . . . Sorry, Roger. It ain't happening. The only thing this Cowboy team has proven is that they can beat a Donovan McNabb-led Eagles team--a team which doesn't exist anymore. The Boys may win the weakened NFC East, but they'll make a quick postseason exit . . .

The Meadowlands will host the 2014 Super Bowl. Let's see how happy corporate sponsors are when they are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Route 3 while trying to enter New York City through the Lincoln Tunnel . . . Maybe they'll even be some February snow to add to the traffic nightmare . . .

Among those least excited about the Super Bowl landing at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ is East Rutherford Mayor James Cassella, who knows that his town will be an afterthought in all of the festivities. "The NFL would prefer to make this all about New York City. I'm sure the mayor of New York will be there. I'm sure he'll have no problem going to the game. But I suspect I will be sitting in my recliner watching at home." Cassella should cheer up. At least he'll be warmer watching the game than will NY Mayor Mike Bloomberg . . .

NFL .com fans support holding the Super Bowl in cold weather stadiums. 55,454 people responded to the question, "What do you think of Super Bowl XLVIII being held in New York/New Jersey?" Of that number 72% said, "Like it; can't wait to see a Super Bowl played in the elements" . . .

According to Chicagobreakingsports.com Terrell Owens "tweeted" that he recently spoke with Bears teammates QB Jay Cutler and TE Greg Olsen at the Chicago nightclub Underground. Just what a head coach like Lovie Smith, whose job is already in jeopardy, needs--a proven locker room poison with diminishing on-field skills. Bears ownership might as well fire Smith now and save him the aggravation . . .

Since when did Lester and Buchholz become Koufax and Drysdale? Led by their #2 and #4 starters, the Red Sox have held the AL East leading Rays to only one run in 18 innings. To put that accomplishment in perspective, consider Tampa Bay's major league leading run differential of +95. The closest team to the Rays in this category is the Yankees (+65), who stand a very distant 30 runs behind . . . Amazing . . .

Think the Angels are kicking themselves for letting Vladimir Guerrero get away? He is second in the A.L. in batting (.347), fourth in homers (12), and first in RBIs (42) . . .

A Milwaukee Brewer leads the National League in RBIs, but it's not Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun. It's 3B Casey McGehee who has driven-in 40 runs . . .

I love this. The Kansas City Royals are 10 games under .500 and they are ninth in the American League in runs scored, but their 1B Billy Butler is third in the American League in hitting (.344). Keep it up, Billy . . .

Want to know how irrelevant tennis is? People care more about whether Venus Williams' outfits flash her privates than they do about whether she wins or loses . . .

I was watching old fight films on You Tube of Larry Holmes, Ray Leonard, and Muhammad Ali, and I realized something: I miss those Pony sneakers from the 70s and 80s . . . Just thought I'd mention that . . .

Looks like there may be a competitive NBA Western Conference Finals just yet . . .

Let's have a moment of silence for those ESPN sports fans who are mourning Erin Andrews elimination from "Dancing with the Stars" . . .

Sports Bytes - May 24, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Yesterday was a tough day for pitching aces: C.C. Sabathia was rocked for six runs in five innings by the Mets; Roy Halladay was lit-up for six earned runs in 5.2 innings; and Zack Greinke was pounded for seven earned runs in just 3.1 innings . . .

How bad are the Yankees right now. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games, and they just lost two of three to their cross-town rivals--the last place NY Mets . . . In the three game series the Yankees generated a grand total of nine runs . . . Prior to last night's game Mark Texeira was batting .204--the second lowest average in the American League among players with at least 150 at-bats . . .

Somebody please put Randy Wynn and Chan-Ho Park on a raft and ship them off to the "Lost" island . . . Speaking of "Lost" I gave the final episode a "C" rating. I had no problem with the survivors discovering they were dead, but I was disappointed that the creators did nothing to explain "the island". Ultimately, I know no more about the island today than I did before the finale . . .

Alex Rodriguez needs to start dating Kate Hudson again . . .

What a tragedy. Former All-Star P Jose Lima died of a massive heart attack at the age of 37 . . .

Tim Wakefield is only 20 innings away from reaching the 3,000 innings-pitched milestone. Yesterday the knuckleballer threw eight shutout innings against the NL East-leading Phillies. Somehow it was only his first win since July 2009 . . . I've said it before and I will continue to say it: if I were starting a team Kevin Youklis would be among the first players I'd grab. Yesterday he went two for four with a triple and a homer . . .

The Rays are the best team in baseball and the Red Sox are arguably MLB's hottest team. Their three-game series beginning tonight should be as exciting as a 15-round heavyweight championship fight . . .

The San Francisco Giants have lost five in a row and are 14th in the NL in runs scored (175) . . .

The Mariners continue to slide. They are now 3-7 in their last 10 games and sit 12 games below .500. They have scored the fewest runs of any team in the American League (153). Free agent signing Chone Figgins epitomizes how poorly the M's offense has played: his batting average (.195) is only 15 points higher than his weight (180 lbs) . . .

The Blackhawks vs. the Flyers would make for an exciting Stanley Cup . . .

The Tampa Tribune has ripped the growing possibility that the Meadowlands will host the 2014 Super Bowl. The Florida newspaper argues that a NY-area Super Bowl is "the worst idea since Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty [filmed] 'Ishtar." ' The editorial also pleads that "[u]nless reason prevails . . . NFL owners [are] about to be led down a slushy path by a commissioner determined to reward New York for building a new home for the Giants and Jets." Truthfully, even though I am a New Yorker, I can't say I disagree with them . . .

Bears LB Brian Urlacher should find a better way to defend his club than by calling out Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers. In response to some critical but reasonable comments Sayers made about the state of the Bears today--including questioning whether Urlacher can recover from his wrist injury--Urlacher slammed Sayers and implied that the Hall of Famer was overrated. " Let me ask you a question: 'How many championships did Gale Sayers win? How many playoff games did he win when he played? None. None. None . . . Does [Sayers] know how to win football games? Does he? No. How are you going to criticize someone else when you haven't done it yourself?" Urlacher's suggestion that Sayers is overrated is ironic considering that in a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players, Urlacher was voted the second-most overrated player in the NFL behind only Terrell Owens . . .

Am I the only sports fan who could care less that Tony Romo may play in the U.S. Open?

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - May 20, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Thu, 20 May 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Kudos to Seattle Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley. Bradley has overstayed his welcome in every city he has played in, but Seattle may be different. Recognizing that he has emotional issues that need addressing, Bradley spent two weeks undergoing professional counseling. And judging by his honest, mature comments to the media, the help appears to be working. "I don't have all the answers. I'm not saying I'm cured. I'm committed to this process. It's the best thing for me." Good for you, Milton . . .

That was quick. After making it clear that he has no intention of apologizing to his Marlins teammates, Hanley Ramirez did a 180-degree turn and offered a mea culpa to each member of the club. Marlins third baseman Wes Helms reports, "He told us he was sorry and he was wrong ... and he wouldn't let it happen again." Ramirez deserves a lot of credit for the manner in which he apologized. Instead of just making a general apology through the media, Ramirez visited each player at his locker to say he was sorry. That takes courage and character . . .

Dwight Howard's takedown of Paul Pierce in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals was reminiscent of the NY Giants secondary committing pass interference . . .

The NY Yankees can forget defending their crown in October if their pitching staff doesn't improve. In the last four games the Yanks have surrendered a total of 32 runs. Last night's pitching debacle featured A.J. Burnett, who gave up six runs in his first four innings of work against baseball's best team -- the Tampa Bay Rays . . .

Nothing better symbolizes the state of the Mets than this. Last night Angel Pagan became the first player in over 50 years to hit an inside-the-park-homer and participate in turning a triple play in the same game. Yet, the Mets still lost the game to the Washington Nationals 5-3 . . .

I guess the Red Sox were not faking a Josh Beckett injury when they pulled him from Monday's Yankees game. Boston placed their ace on the DL citing lower back problems . . .

If NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to use other professional athletes to woo LeBron James to sign with the Knicks, he'd better cross Osi Umenyiora off that list. On his personal blog Osi suggested that LeBron stay in Cleveland, and he warned about the pressures of playing in the Empire State. "I will say this, if he does come to New York, don't have a bad game. Not one because Knicks fans will come down on him. There is no better place to be when you're winning than New York. And there's no better place to be than New York, it's a great city with great energy. But it does go both ways. When you lose, it's tough" . . .

Former world champion Miguel Cotto visited Yankees Stadium yesterday to promote his June 5 battle against Yuri Foreman. Manager Joe Girardi should have added Cotto to the roster as a reliever. He can't pitch any worse than Chamberlain and Park have recently . . .

Minnesota Twins teammates Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer now have the two highest batting averages in the American League . . .

It's too bad that LA Dodger Andre Ethier has to visit the DL. As of last night he led the National League with a batting average of .392--a full 50 percentage points higher than Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun, who is in second place at .342 . . .

Interesting response to an ESPN.com poll about Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo. 58% of the 28,891 respondents believe that Romo is more likely to qualify for the U.S. Open than win a Super Bowl . . .

Sports Bytes - May 19, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:28:00 +0000

NY Jets DB Darrelle Revis must be experimenting with some of the "therapeutic" plant life on Revis Island. Revis is reportedly demanding a pay raise from the Jets, one that would pay him $20 million per year. Revis is probably the best corner in the NFL, but for that kind of money I would expect him to cover both corner positions and free safety--at the same time . . .

I recognize that I'm going out on a limb, but sometimes you have to take the heat. May 29th's Vitali Klitschko-Albert Sosnowski bout will not sell more PPV buys than did Mayweather-Mosley. There, I said it . . . Incidentally, the Klitschko-Sosnowski promo video doesn't even include Sosnowski highlights. Nothing like trying to sell a fight as legitimate while ignoring the opponent . . .

Florida Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez is quickly becoming the poster boy for why so many sports fans dislike the modern professional athlete. On Tuesday, after misplaying a ball and kicking it, Ramirez appeared to only lackadaisically trot after it. Ramirez insists he was running as fast as he could but was slowed by a left leg injury that occurred an inning before when he fouled a pitch off his left shin. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez benched Ramirez for his lack of effort. Ramirez responded by snidely suggesting that his benching was okay because "he [Gonzalez] doesn't understand that. He never played in the big leagues ." Ramirez then threw his teammates under the bus by refusing to apologize and adding, "We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don't apologize." Ramirez might have received the benefit of the doubt about his leg injury had he not earned a reputation as a non-hustler. Marlins 3B Wes Helms was among those critical about Ramirez's laissez-faire attitude: "I can't overlook it. I know people say that's just the way he is, but you know what? That's not the way it is. That's not the way the game's supposed to be played" . . .

If ESPN.com's poll about the issue is any indication, sports fan agree heartily with Gonzalez and Helms' assessment. 25,840 fans responded to the question, "What do you think of Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez benching Hanley Ramirez during a game for not hustling after a ball?" 88% agreed that it was a "Necessary move to send a message", while only 12% believe Gonzalez was "Picking an unnecessary fight with his star" . . .

Incidentally, what's with players named Ramirez and "dogging-it"?

Move over, Hanley Ramirez. According to Profootballtalk.com Washington Redskins DE Albert Haynesworth is skipping the team's voluntary mini-camp because he is upset that he is "being asked to occupy blockers" instead of being allowed to attack the QB as he was promised when he signed with the organization. Unemployment in the U.S. is at 9.9% and many Americans have seen their personal incomes drop over the past year. How many sports fans do you think sympathize with Haynesworth, whose contract is worth $100 million? . . .

Last night was a good night to be a Yankee-hater. Take your pick as to who was the goat most responsible for NY's pitiful choke at the hands of the Red Sox:

Joba Chamberlain: There is no safe lead when Joba Chamberlain enters a game. Last night Chamberlain imploded for the umpteenth time, entering the game with the Yankees ahead 5-1. After a throwing error by Alex Rodriguez , Chamberlain fell apart. Pedroia singled, Drew doubled to left field, and Youklis singled to right field. Just like that it was 5-4. After a groundout from Victor Martinez, Ortiz singled off the right-centerfield wall to score Youklis. Tie game . . . And a waste of a strong performance by C.C. Sabathia, who pitched seven complete innings and only surrendered one run . . .
Alex Rodriguez or Marcus Thames: The heroes of Monday night's win committed costly errors in the final two innings. Rodriguez's throwing error in the eighth started Chamberlain's swoon, while Thames dropped fly ball in the ninth extended the inning . . .
Mariano Rivera: Sure the box score says that Rivera surrendered two unearned runs, but the truth is that if Rivera doesn't give up a double to .227 hitting Jeremy Hermida the Yankees enter the bottom of the ninth tied 5-5 instead of down 7-5 . . .
Randy Wynn: If Wynn was playing any shallower on Hermida's double he would have been considered a fifth infielder. No excuse for this poor judgment . . . Plus, in the ninth inning with the Yanks down 7-6, Wynn struck out with the tying and winning runs in scoring position . . .

Tough night for NY Mets 3B David Wright. Three strikeouts and a ninth-inning throwing error resulting in the Braves scoring the winning run (3-2) . . .

Sometimes I question whether headline writers actually read the articles before they draft their sound bytes. For ex., here is the Associated Press headline for yesterday's Toronto Blue Jays victory over the Minnesota Twins : "Marcum outduels Pavano as Blue Jays spank Twins". Reading that I expected to learn that the game was a nail-biter that ended with a score of 2-1 or 3-2. What was the final score? 11-2 . . .

The three MLB teams with the worst record in their last 10 games are the Mets, Brewers, and Diamondbacks. All are 2-8 . . .

Contrarily, the teams with the best record in their last 10 games are the Dodgers and the Reds. Both are 9-1 . . .

The Rays are 15-4 on the road . . .

Six periods, zero goals. The Canadiens upset both the #1 seed Washington Capitals and last year's Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, but they have proved incapable of scoring on Flyer's goaltender Michael Leighton. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Leighton is only "the third goalie to post back-to-back shutouts in the first two games of a conference finals series since 1944" . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - May 18, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Rain Maker Sports) — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Not many things in baseball are more enjoyable than watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a game. Last night the Yankees entered the bottom of the ninth inning down 9-7. After Brett Gardner doubled and Mark Texeira flew out, Alex Rodriguez launched a Papelbon fastball into the bullpen to tie the game 9-9. Papelbon responded by plunking Francisco Cervelli, and then watched helplessly as Marcus Thames sent his first pitch screaming into the left field seats to give NY the 11-9 win . . .

Despite the incredible victory Yankees manager Joe Girardi should not forget his staff's pathetic pitching performance. Phil Hughes , who entered the game with a 1.38 ERA, blew a 5-0 lead and was chased after only five innings. Reliever Boone Logan--maybe they should call him Bane Logan--then donated a run before handing the ball over to Chan Ho-Park. Not surprisingly, Park was unable to keep his pitches inside the park, surrendering back-to-back homers to Kevin Youklis and Victor Martinez to give Boston the 9-7 lead . . . I still think Park should be sent to the 38th parallel. Maybe he can take Javier Vazquez with him . . .

Former World Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman returns to the ring on June 19 to fight some journeyman named Shannon Miller . . . At this stage of his career it makes more sense for Rahman to fight Shannon Miller the Olympic gymnast . . .

Kudos to Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson for criticizing professional sports groups that have slammed the Arizona immigration law. "I don't think teams should get involved in the political stuff." He added, "Where we stand as basketball teams, we should let that kind of play out and let the political end of that go where it's going to go." I couldn't agree more, especially considering that many of those screaming loudest against the law haven't even read it. Where do I stand on the law? Nowhere, because I haven't read it. My advice to the NBA and other sports organizations: Shut up and play! . . .

Quarterback Donovan McNabb doesn't owe anyone in Philadelphia an apology for the Eagles not having won a Super Bowl. No, McNabb did not play big in big games--but neither did the rest of the Eagles team. If there is any apology offered to Eagles fans it should come from the entire organization . . . Here's a suggestion for Andy Reid: forget that silly West Coast offense and develop a running game. When was the last time a defense feared the Philly rushing attack? . . .

Nice job by the Mets grabbing a much needed win last night against the Atlanta Braves. Following the ugly four game sweep at the hands of the Marlins, there wasn't a newspaper within 50 miles of Times Square that wasn't hysterically demanding Jerry Manuel's head. The 3-2 victory yesterday lifted the Mets out of the cellar . . . Mets fans need to accept that a summer of agita awaits them. Their ball club is streaky and is just as likely to lose five straight as it is to win five straight. It's going to be some roller coaster ride in Flushing this summer . . .

I'm sure you will not be shocked to learn that the Rays won again . . .

What a surprise! Yankees DH Nick Johnson is hurt. The only thing Johnson does more often than get hurt is take call-third strikes . . .

Here's an anomaly. The lowest ERA in the American League is held by a Texas Ranger: CJ Wilson (1.48). How unusual is Wilson's accomplishment? "Wilson's ERA is the third lowest for a Rangers pitcher after 30 games and a minimum of 40 innings. Rick Honeycutt had a 1.38 ERA after 30 games in 1983 and Kenny Rogers had a 1.42 ERA in 1995."

Pretty amazing. The San Diego Padres are eight games above .500 and sit atop the National League West; yet, they are 24th in runs scored. None of the teams who have scored fewer runs than the Padres are playing .500 ball . . .