Ryan Church fails to tag third base - is called out

Stephen Strasburg - San Diego State phenom

Patricia Kara - one hot case opener

I never watched "Deal or No Deal" until their syndicated 30 minutes show...I knew they had hot models who opened cases, but I never noticed anyone in particular until I saw Patricia Kara...on the one hour show, she usually is with case #9...what I like about her is that she is not some 20 something ditzy chick...she is freakin 37-years-old!!!...she is MILF material (even though she doesn't have kids)...as an added plus, she is Greek, just like me...her real name is Panayota Karamouzis...she can open my case anytime she wants...

Happy Birthday Tina Fey

HAPPY 39TH BIRTHDAY TINA FEY

Miguel Angel Sano, the 16-year-old Dominican who can make or break the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a decision to make that will impact their future...should they sign Dominican wiz Miguel Angel Sano to a rich contract...he is described as Albert Pujols in Hanley Ramirez's body...however, Sano is only 16-years-old...Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic writes about the Pirates dilemma...

The Pirates' pursuit of Miguel Angel Sano, an elite 16-year-old Dominican prospect who projects to play right field, is fraught with risk whether they sign him or not.

Looking at three risks from each side, let us start with those that come with signing him:

• Most obvious is money. Sano could command a bonus of $4 million or more, which is 10 times greater than the Pirates' record investment in the region, the $400,000 paid to Venezuelan outfielder Exicardo Cayones last year. Few things are less predictable in sports than a 16-year-old baseball player, and it is far from certain Sano would ever see Pittsburgh.

• An excessive bonus could tick off the rest of Major League Baseball, just as the Oakland Athletics did last year with their record $4.25 million bonus for Dominican pitcher Michael Inoa. The draft and Latin American systems operate mostly through unwritten, unspoken agreements that teams should not throw out the entire pay scale, and low spenders such as the Pirates benefit from that more than anyone.

• The Pirates spent $9.8 million on the draft, $2 million on Latin America last year., each a franchise record. If they shift too much draft money to Latin America, they could damage their draft class, something that should be a great priority. Unless, of course, ownership adds money to the overall pool.

Among the risks of not signing Sano:

• The Pirates' talent evaluators, who are effusive in their praise of Sano's potential, could become dispirited. Signing talent in Latin America is much like recruiting college athletes in the United States. Connections are made, including with the athletes' families, and countless hours are invested beyond simply watching the players play. The Pirates have forged a bond with Sano, his family and his representatives, but none of that will matter without a check.

• The Pirates will stop getting special tryouts in the Dominican. The system on the island is that teams known to sign elite talent will get exclusive looks at top players. Such was the case when the Pirates' brass -- already in the country because of the opening of the team's new academy -- watched Sano and 14 other players in a workout late last month. Other teams have been denied such access, and that could happen to the Pirates, too, if they never step up beyond $400,000.

• If Sano really does become "Albert Pujols in Hanley Ramirez's body," as agent Rob Plummer described his potential the other day, the Pirates will regret it for years to come should it take place in another uniform and he could have been had for the same price it took to sign free-agent bench players Eric Hinske and Ramon Vazquez.

The Forum in Inglewood has not changed after all these years

Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times writes about what happened to the old Forum in Inglewood... "Actually, the doors have swung open quite often in the last 10 years, not only for religious services but also for concerts, video shoots, rehearsals and whatever else the owner can book into it, including USC and high school basketball games. Even the Lakers are exploring the possibility of returning to the Forum -- for an exhibition game in October. Their former center, Shaquille O'Neal, participated in graduation ceremonies at the Forum when he received his MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2005." ...

Jerry Crowe

College football writer Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution released his Spring Top 25 for the 2009 football season... "We did our RE (Ridiculously Early) Top 25 back in January, just hours after Florida had won the BCS national championship. Now we’re done with spring practice and June will be here before we know it. So let’s do our Spring Top 25, which should give us enough to argue about between now and two-a-days in August." ...

Tony Barnhart

Paul Dougherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes how the Cincinnati Bearcats dynamic coach Brian Kelly somehow finds time for everyone... "One BK is dropping the puck at a Cyclones game. The other is 100 miles away, speaking to a group of minority coaches in Indianapolis. I swear I heard Kelly was teeing it up at Shaker Run not 15 minutes after I saw him running on the treadmill on campus. The man is so scheduled up, he doesn’t need a Day Timer. He needs a stopwatch. If it’s 12:30 on Tuesday, this must be the Salvation Army luncheon." ...

Paul Daugherty

Jeff Rabjohns of the Indianapolis Star writes how the basketball recruiting battle between Purdue and Indiana has heated up again... "This comes at a critical juncture for both schools. If Purdue lands these recruits, it could go from seasons like last year's when it reached the Sweet Sixteen to making a Final Four push. If IU wins, it could rebound quickly from the decimation of the Kelvin Sampson era." ...

Jeff Rabjohns

Sonia Sotomayor played key role in ending Major League Baseball strike in 1995

Neil A. Lewis of The New York Times writes how possible Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor played a key role in ending the baseball strike in 1995... "After play resumed, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that by saving the season, Judge Sotomayor joined forever the ranks of Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams. The Chicago Sun-Times said she “delivered a wicked fastball” to baseball owners and emerged as one of the most inspiring figures in the history of the sport." ...

Neil A. Lewis

Candace Parker gives birth to baby girl

This was reported by the Associated Press...
Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker has given birth to a baby girl.

It is the first child for the WNBA's reigning MVP and rookie of the year and husband Shelden Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Goodwin Sports Management announced the baby girl was born in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.

"Shelden and I are thrilled," Parker said in a release. "This is such a life changing moment for us, we feel blessed to have a healthy and beautiful baby girl."

Parker averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds last season. She was also on the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the Beijjing Olympics.

Parker plans to rejoin the Sparks once she gets the OK from her doctor. The WNBA season begins June 6.

Kentucky Derby champ MIne That Bird gets no respect

Kentucky Derby champ Mine That Bird is getting no respect after winning as a 50-1 shot...first his jockey jumped ship, then he was listed as the third favorite behind Pioneerof the Nile and a horse that did not even run the Derby, and a filly at that, Rachel Alexandra (photo, above) -- who is going to be ridden by Calvin Borel, the same jockey who was on Mine that Bird two weeks ago...

Filly Facts
- It has been 85 years since a filly won the Preakness
- It has been 103 years since one won as the favorite
- Nellie Morse was the last filly to win, in 1924
- Whimsical, at 8-5, was the last winner to go off as the favorite

Ken Murray of the Baltimore Sun writes how the filly is the favorite... "History waits for Preakness favorite Rachel Alexandra on Saturday, and it's not good history. The 3-year-old filly drew the 13th and outside post Wednesday for the Preakness Stakes, drawing a groan from the crowd of invited onlookers inside an air-conditioned tent at Pimlico Race Course." ...

Ken Murray

Vic Ziegel of the New York Daily News writes how Mind That Bird's trainer says the Derby was not a fluke... "Mine That Bird, vanned from Churchill Downs, with Woolley driving all 10 hours, and received a police escort for the last few miles. "The first time I've had the police leading me instead of chasing me," the trainer said. A joke, he told a joke. Who knew he had a punch line in him? Or turn out to be something more than an aw-shucks cowboy who might be capable of delivering a complete sentence." ...

Vic Ziegel

Below is the 2:20 clip of Rachel Alexandra's win at the Kentucky Oaks...

Who would be the posterboy for what is wrong with baseball?

A lot has been going on with baseball over the last few years...the players who were once looked upon as heroes are now considered liars, dirty, cheats, and villans...so this brings up a question, if you had to pick a posterboy of what is wrong with baseball, who would be on that poster?...

Would it be someone like Alex Rodriguez or Barry Bonds...how about Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, or Manny Ramirez...does Jose Canseco fit the bill...and let's not just focus on the "alleged" steroid users...what about Pete Rose...who is the posterboy for what is wrong with baseball...

So take a few minutes to think about it and post your views in the comments section...

Thank you!...

Danny Ozark, former Phillies manager, dies

While going through my week's worth of New York Times, I came across the obit of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Danny Ozark...

As a kid, I remember Ozark always leading the Phillies to the playoffs and losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers...the Phillies had Steve Carlton, Larry Christenson, Randy Lerch on the mound...Greg Luzinski, Bake McBride, Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, and Garry Maddox patrolled the field for those teams...

This is what was written in the obit...
Danny Ozark, the manager who led the Philadelphia Phillies to three consecutive National League East titles but fell short of the World Series each time, died Thursday at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 85.

His death was announced by team officials.

Ozark, whose streak of three consecutive N.L. East titles in the late 1970s is unmatched in team history, twice led the Phillies to more than 100 victories, with back-to-back 101-61 records in 1976 and 1977. The Phillies went 90-72 under him in 1978 for their third straight division title, but lost again in the National League Championship Series.

Ozark was fired late in the 1979 season as the Phillies stood at 65-67. They went on to finish 84-78 and rebounded under Dallas Green in 1980 to win the World Series.

The Phillies’ current chairman, Bill Giles, said, “His patience with some of the Phillies’ young players in 1973-75, particularly with Mike Schmidt, really paid off as the Phillies got to the postseason in 1976, 1977 and 1978 and eventually won the World Series in 1980 after he left.”

Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman, reached the majors under Ozark’s watch.

Ozark was named Associated Press Manager of the Year in 1976 and finished with a 594-510 record in seven seasons with the Phillies. His 594 wins are the third most in team history.

Ozark is survived by his wife, Ginny, two children and three grandchildren.

Tipping pitches - Mickey Mantle got his

This week Selena Roberts reports in her new book about Alex Rodriguez that A-Rod allegedly tipped pitches to opponents when he played for the Texas Rangers...New York Times reporter Alan Schwarz wrote about the time the Detroit Tigers gave the great Mickey Mantle a tip during the last weeks of his career which resulted in his 535th homer (photo above)... "Mantle apparently didn’t believe Price, but when he saw McLain nodding on the mound, he understood what was going on. “High and tight, mediocre cheese,” Price said Mantle responded." ...

Alan Schwarz

Perry Mason episode inspired possible Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to be a judge

Here is update on possible Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor...this report came from the Huffington Report:

With the retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, President Obama has a space on the high court to fill. One of the top prospects is Sonia Sotomayor.

A Puerto Rican woman with 16 years of court experience who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Sotomayor is a graduate of Yale Law and an editor of the Yale Law Review. She shares a biographical footnote with Souter: they both were appointed by George H. W. Bush -- Sotomayor to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1992. Sotomayor was elevated to the appeals court by President Clinton.

Sotomayor spent five years as a prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney before going into private practice as a commercial litigator. During that time she also served on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the New York City Campaign Finance Board, and State of New York Mortgage Agency, where she helped provide mortgage insurance coverage to low-income housing and AIDS hospices.

She left for the U.S. District Court in 1992. At the time, Sotomayor told the New York Times that she was inspired to become a judge by an episode of "Perry Mason."

"I thought, what a wonderful occupation to have," Ms. Sotomayor said. "And I made the quantum leap: If that was the prosecutor's job, then the guy who made the decision to dismiss the case was the judge. That was what I was going to be."

Sotomayor has been considered as a potential Supreme Court Justice by both Republican and Democratic presidents.

Curtis Granderson robs Grady Sizemore of game winning home run

You have to watch this clip of Detroit's Curtis Granderson robbing Cleveland's Grady Sizemore of a game winning two-run home run in the botton of the ninth...the Tigers led 1-0 behind Justin Verlander's outstanding performance on the mound...but in the ninth, with a man on, Verlander gave up a game winning homer to Sizemore, until Granderson saved the day...this may be the play of the year in baseball because of its impact...

Chuck Daly - leader of the Bad Boys dies

Chuck Daly, former head basketball coach of the Detroit Pistons and head coach of the 1992 USA Olympic Basketball team died early Saturday morning...Daly was 78-years-old...

Before hitting it big with the Pistons, Daly had a humble start in coaching...he was a high school basketball coach for seven years at Punxsutawney High School in Pennsylvania before becoming an assistant coach at Duke University...Daly got his first head coaching gig when he took over at Boston College...in 1971 he left BC for the head coaching job at Penn...he led the Quakers to four Ivy League titles and four consecutive 20 win seasons...

In 1978 Daly moved to the NBA as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...his first NBA head coaching position came in the middle of the 1981-82 season when the coached the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers to a 9-32 mark...he was fired after the season and rejoined the 76ers as a radio broadcaster...

In 1983 the Pistons gave Daly a second shot at an NBA job...in nine seasons with Detroit, Daly led the Pistons to three NBA Finals, winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990...the Pistons were known as the Bad Boys with their lockdown, jaw-rattling defense...

In 1992 he coached the original Dream Team as the U.S. marched to a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics...after leaving Detroit, Daly coach for two years at New Jersey and another two years at Orlando before retiring at the end of the 1999 season...

Below are two articles about Daly...

Krista Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press writes about the death of former Pistons head coach Chuck Daly... "Chuck Daly, the Detroit Pistons coach who led the Bad Boys to the back-to-back NBA titles and was nicknamed Daddy Rich for his snappy dressing style, died this morning." ...

Krista Jahnke

Ken Shouler of the Basketball Encyclopedia wrote this tribute about Daly on ESPN.com... "He knew the league's rhythm was upbeat, as NBA teams topped 110 points per game. He also realized that teams shrank the court come playoff time and made half-court skirmishes the norm. "If you have to play that way in the playoffs, why not just do it in the regular season?" he wondered. "Why play one style for 82 games, then change it all around for the playoffs?" ...

Ken Shouler

Why can't men flush the urinal?

Zach over at The Big Picture does a segment called "Grinds My Gears" in which he basically vents about shit that pisses him off...today Stiles Points is going to do some venting...well, it's more like being puzzled by stupid lazy human beings...

- I hate when I go to take a leak at a urinal and find old piss still sitting at the bottom...how hard is it to get the back of your hand and push down the lever to flush your piss down the drain?????...in-fucking-credible...I hate smelling someone's stale piss that may have been sitting there for hours...

- With all this swine flu crap going around, I cannot believe the number of people who do not wash their hands -- especially after using the bathroom...once again, are some people so fucking lazy that they cannot take 20 seconds to put some soap on their hands and scrub them under warm water???...I'm not a germaphobe, like my one friend, but there are hygiene standards that must be followed by all in a civilized society...

- Now that the weather is getting warmer, I hate having to hear every Tom, Dick, and JoJo who drives by with their car stereo thumping and booming and rattling...I don't want to hear your music!!!...do these people think it cool to be driving around with their car rattling...well it's not!!!...

- I have no problem with motorcycles...I do have a problem with people who rev up their motorcycle which makes that stomach-ripping noise that takes time off your life...what is it with cyclists who sit at a stop sign or red light and rev up their engine???...does this provide some type of sexual stimulation for them???...does it make them more of a man because their motorcycle makes more noise???...

Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court

Sorry I haven't blogged in a couple of days but my work has taken me away...Stiles Points returns today, but not with a sports related issue...instead the topic deals with Barack Obama's nominee to replace Justice David Souter (photo, left) on the Supreme Court...

I have a penchant for following the make-up of the Supreme Court since my master's thesis dealt with this judicial body...talk has been rampant that Obama will select a woman as Souter's replacement...currently, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is the only woman on the high court...

Through all my studies, I personally believe the Supreme Court should be comprised of men and women of various races and creeds - not that of a select few...but that has never happened...as president, Obama will more than likely have the rare opportunity in selecting three new Justices on the Supreme Court...it is assumed that Ginsberg will soon be retiring and Justice John Paul Stevens is in his late 80s...

With this opportunity, Obama can be the first president to have a truly diverse Supreme Court...historically, white males has been the choice...there has been two black males and two white women...the time has come to expand...

Obama needs to select a Hispanic person for this post...many don't realize the Hispanic population is this country's largest minority, even more than African-Americans...that is why he should nominate Sonia Sotomayor, Justice, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit...

Sotomayor grew up in a Bronx housing development...she was diagnosed with diabetes at age 8...she earned her A.B. from Princeton University in 1976, where she won the Pyne Prize, the highest general award given to Princeton undergraduates...she then obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journal...Sotomayor should win over conservatives as she once worked to "put away the bad guys" as New York County Assistant District Attorney...

At this time the Supreme Court needs another female perspective...and it needs another "minority" other than African-American...Sotomayor more than fits this bill and should breeze through the process...

In the future, Obama must consider nominating an Asian-American and a Native-American...but that is for another day...

The greatest two words in sports - GAME SEVEN

There is nothing better in sports than these two words -- GAME SEVEN...

Tonight the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics lock up for Game 7 in one of the classic series in NBA history...if this game goes down to the last possession, it could be deemed the greatest series of all-time...you knew this could have the makings of a great series when Kevin Garnett yelled to the Chicago Bulls after the Celtics Game 2 victory - "Take that Mother Fuckers!!!"...it was on!!!!...great series must have passion, fighting, verbally jawing, technical fouls, flagrant fouls, buzzer beaters, overtime...and for the first six games, this series has every one of those key ingredients...

Below are links about today's game...sit back and enjoy the game at 8:00 p.m. on TNT...and my prediction -- Bulls win by 2 points...

Chicago Bulls Game Notes

Boston Celtics Game Notes

Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes this is the greatest series of all-time... "With seven overtime periods in the six games, this is heading to the first eight-game playoff in NBA history. Stop asking. There never has been anything like this. No NBA playoff series has ever seen more than four overtime periods, and the last one to have that many was 52 years ago. No NBA playoff series has had more than two overtime games. Nothing, really, even comes close to this." ...

Sam Smith

Brian Hanley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes how the mid-season acquisition of two players have made the Bulls a different team... "An argument can be made for the Feb. 19 trade with Sacramento that brought John Salmons and Brad Miller to the Bulls on the league's deal-day deadline. Those two have been instrumental in the team's run from postseason also-ran to the Eastern Conference's seventh seed." ...

Brian Hanley

Marc Spears of the Boston Globe writes that KG will not play tonight... "Team president Danny Ainge said yesterday via text message there are no plans for Garnett to play until next season." ...

Marc Spears

Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune writes about the excitement in Chicago surrounding Game 7... "And now the battle goes back to Boston on Saturday for Game 7 to settle things once and for all. Presumably. But if this series were grammar, it would be a run-on sentence. If it were math, it would be pi to the millionth digit. If it were gym class -- wait, it is gym class. It's a whole glorious day of gym class." ...

Rick Morrissey

Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe writes how both teams are evenly matched going into Game 7... "In any case, this is the most even matchup in NBA playoff history, illustrated by the seven overtime sessions going into tonight's Game 7 at the Garden." ...

Frank Dell'Apa

Major Harris of West Virginia gets his due as he will be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame announced today the 18 former players and coaches who will be inducted this summer...the one name that stood out to me was former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris...before Michael Vick and Vince Young there was Major Harris...Harris was a dual threat who could beat a team with his running and passing...

Harris was a 1986 graduate of Brashear High School in Pittsburgh...was a former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Athlete of the Year, starring in football and basketball...

While at West Virginia, as a sophomore, he led the Mountaineers to a perfect regular season and to the 1988 Fiesta Bowl to take on 11-0 Notre Dame...twice he finished in the top five in Heisman Trophy voting and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards and throw for 5,000 in a career...

After 20 years, The Major is finally getting his due...

2009 Kentucky Derby

The field, from the rail out, is:
West Side Bernie (30-1)
Musket Man (20-1)
Mr. Hot Stuff (30-1)
Advice (30-1)
Hold Me Back (15-1)
Friesan Fire (5-1)
Papa Clem (20-1)
Mine That Bird (50-1)
Join in the Dance (50-1)
Regal Ransom (30-1)
Chocolate Candy (20-1)
General Quarters (20-1)
I Want Revenge (3-1)
Atomic Rain (50-1)
Dunkirk (4-1)
Pioneerof the Nile (4-1)
Summer Bird (50-1)
Nowhere to Hide (50-1)
Desert Party (15-1)
Flying Private (50-1)