The Oakland Raiders have decided to go with a different quarterback in 2013. In will come Matt Flynn, who backed up Russell Wilson last year in Seattle, and out is Carson Palmer, who was acquired by the Arizona Cardinals in a deal involving draft picks.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kolb who quarterbacked the Cardinals a year ago, is off to Buffalo. The Bills were in need of a quarterback after releasing Ryan Fitzpatrick.
I think it is fair to say that Kolb, Flynn, and Palmer all have something in common. They are all average quarterbacks who at times have shown flashes of brilliance, but are simply not consistent enough at this stage of their careers.
Meanwhile, one could argue that the Dallas Cowboys rewarded a quarterback for being average when they signed Tony Romo to an amazing six year deal worth $108 million on Friday. Romo was one of three professional athletes who signed massive contracts last week, joining Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (seven years, $180 million) and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (nine years, $167 million). The biggest differences between Romo’s contract versus Verlander and Posey’s contract is that Romo’s contract is not guaranteed.
The San Francisco Giants are headed to the World Series for the second time in three years.
The Giants, who won the World Series in 2010, pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 to win the National League Championship Series 4-3. They will now face the Detroit Tigers at AT&T Park starting tomorrow night.
The turning point in this one came in the third inning. With the Giants leading 2-0, Hunter Pence hit a three-run RBI double, which put the Giants up by a commanding 5-0 advantage.
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we dive right into the abyss that is the NHL lockout, we take a look at an important day for the Edmonton arena project, salute the Edmonton Eskimos for a big win and dish the latest NFL bounty news. Don’t worry – we’re talking a little baseball too!
In the GABBYs: Justin Verlander, Michael Vick, Dominik Hasek, the Lingerie Football League, the Green Bay Packers and the NCAA. The Punchline this week is Saturday night programming!
We now know two teams that have advanced to the League Championship Series in the 2012 Major League Baseball postseason.
On Thursday, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey hit a grand slam to cap off a six run fifth inning as the Giants defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-4.
The Giants become the first National League team in postseason history to win the last three games on the road after losing the first two games of the series at home.
The Reds season is now over, so that means we will no longer get to see manager Dusty Baker constantly play with the toothpick in his mouth.
In the American League, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander was spectacular in throwing a complete game four hitter and striking out 11. The Tigers got two runs each from Austin Jackson and Omar Infante in a 6-0 win.
Today, the New York Yankees play the Baltimore Orioles and the Saint Louis Cardinals play the Washington Nationals in two more exciting first round divisional series that are going to a fifth and deciding game. On Thursday, the Orioles got a home run from Nate McLouth to beat the Yankees 2-1, and the Nationals got a game winning home run from Jayson Werth in the 9th inning to beat the Cardinals 2-1.
This is currently one of the most exciting times in Canadian tennis. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ontario achieved greatness again Friday night when he defeated U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray of Great Britain in three sets, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
Raonic saved off two match points in the third set and was able to break Murray back after being down 4-1 in the final set.
Raonic also performed admirably while not serving in the third set, something he has struggled with in his career. He will now face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in tonight’s final (11pm, Sportsnet One). Raonic is also seeking his third title of the season, having won in Chennai and San Jose earlier in the year.
For the first time since 1992 a pitcher has been named the American League Most Valuable Player and for the first time since 1986, an American League starting pitcher has been named the American League Most Valuable Player.
On Monday, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers joined elite company with Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland Athletics (1992), Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox (1986), Lefty Grove of the Philadelphia Athletics (1931), Spud Chandler of the New York Yankees (1943), Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers (1944 and 1945), Bobby Shantz of the Philadelphia Athletics (1952), Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers (1968), Vida Blue of the Oakland Athletics (1971), Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers (1981), and Willie Hernandez of the Detroit Tigers (1984) as pitchers to be named American League MVP.
Verlander led the American League in wins (24), strikeouts (250), and earned run average (2.40). My biggest question is should Verlander be AL MVP worthy when he is only in the lineup once every five days? What do you think?
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Cy Young Award on Thursday.
Kershaw becomes the first Dodger since Eric Gagne of Montreal, Quebec in 2003 to win the award and seventh Dodger overall joining Don Drysdale (1962), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965, and 1966), Mike Marshall (1974), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), and Orel Hershiser (1988).
At 23 years old, Kershaw is the youngest Cy Young Award winner since 20 year-old Dwight Gooden won the Cy Young Award with the New York Mets in 1985.
Like Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers in the American League this season, Kershaw led the National League in wins (21), earned run average (2.28), and strikeouts (248). He also had the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the National League at 0.98.
Despite having a lousy season in the National League West (11.5 games back of the division winning Arizona Diamondbacks), the Los Angeles Dodgers have a legitimate shot of having the National League MVP as well. Matt Kemp led the National League in runs (115), runs batted in (126), and home runs (39) this season.
For the first time in his Major League Baseball career, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers has won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League.
Verlander led the American League in wins (24), earned run average (2.4), strikeouts (250), game starts (34), innings pitched (251) and walks and hits per innings pitched (whip) (0.92).
Verlander becomes the first Detroit Tiger since Willie Hernandez in 1984 to win the Cy Young Award and the third Tiger in baseball history as Denny McLain won in 1968 and 1969.
Verlander’s 24 wins was the most for an American League Cy Young winner since Bob Welch of the Oakland Athletics had 27 wins in 1990.
Other career highlights for Verlander this season was throwing his second career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on May 7, in a 9-0 Detroit win. On June 25, Verlander threw a career high 14 strikeouts in a 6-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also became the first pitcher in the American League to lead the league in wins, strikeouts and earned run average since Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins in 2006.
Verlander was also a major reason why the Detroit Tigers won the American League Central and advanced to the American League Championship Series.
If the Detroit Tigers are going to beat the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series they will have to do it without the services of outfielder Delmon Young.
He injured his oblique muscle in game five of the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees
The loss of Young (.316, 3 HR, 3 RBIs in ALDS) is huge for Detroit, who will now have to rely on theservices significantly more on first baseman Miguel Cabrera (.344, 30 HR, 105 RBIs in regular season), designated hitter Victor Martinez (.330, 12 HR, 103 RBIs) and veteran Magglio Ordonez who hit a sizzling .455 against the Yankees.
Texas, in my opinion, has the better nucleus of pitching and power. Justin Verlander is the Tigers’ ace, but they lack depth at the position afterwards. I really like what center fielder Josh Hamilton (.298, 25 HR, 94 RBIs), designated hitter Michael Young (.338, 11 HR, 106 RBIs) and third baseman Adrian Beltre (.296, 32 HR, 105 RBIs) bring to the table every night.
Finally, the National Hockey League in Winnipeg returns this weekend as the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens at the MTS Center (Sunday, CBC, 3PM). When the Phoenix Coyotes moved to Winnipeg on July 1, 1996, Manitoba sports fans have been circling this date on their calendar. Fifteen years later and they finally have their wish. Players that will become household Jets’ names will include Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane.
The Canadiens (0-1) meanwhile got off to a slow start as they lost 2-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre. James Reimer was brilliant in posting a shutout.
The Texas Rangers are off to the American League Championship Series and have third baseman Adrian Beltre to thank.
On Tuesday afternoon, Beltre belted three home runs for the Rangers in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers scored all four of their runs on home runs as Ian Kinsler led off the game with a home run on a 0-and-1 count.
Beltre hit home runs in the second, fourth and seventh innings.
Texas will now await the winner of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers series. The Tigers lead the series 2-1. Last night Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander had 11 strikeouts as the Tigers defeated the Yankees 5-4. With the game tied at four in the seventh inning, left fielder Delmon Young hit a home run to give the Tigers a victory. Young was traded from the Minnesota Twins to the Detroit Tigers on August 15 for pitching prospect Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.
The New York Yankees (97-65) host the Detroit Tigers (95-67) and the Texas Rangers (96-66) host the Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) in the American League Divisional Playoff starting today.
I’m picking the Yankees in four games and the Rangers in four games.
In the Yankees/Tigers matchup, Justin Verlander had an outstanding year for Detroit and will win the Cy Young Award after going 24-5, 250 strikeouts, 57 walks, an earned run average of 2.40 and a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The number that concerns me though is that the Tigers failed to win in the two games he started against the Yankees. Verlander pitched relatively well, giving up only three runs in six innings each time, but the bottom line is that Detroit couldn’t beat the best team in the American League this season with their ace on the mound.
The Yankees have a strong offensive balanced attack led by Robinson Cano (.302, 28 HR, 118 RBIs), Derek Jeter (.297), Alex Rodriguez (.276, 16 HR, 62 RBIs), Curtis Granderson (41 HR, 119 RBIs) and Mark Teixeira (.248, 39 HR, 111 RBIs), and should get by Detroit with their sub-par pitching, because don’t forget after Verlander, the Tigers don’t have much either.
It’s officially been one year since we kicked off this project, and our 52nd episode might just be the most jam-packed of them all! This week on the show we’re looking at the Extremes of the Edmonton Eskimos, the latest tragedy to rock the hockey community, claims that there is a drug problem in the NHL and some interesting comments from Alex Ovechkin on his health and the team’s attitude.
Also, for the first time, we’ve got an in-studio guest talking a little Mixed Martial Arts. In the GABBYs: Dustin McGowan, Justin Verlander, FC Edmonton, Peyton Manning, soccer hooligans, Manny Pacquiao & more!
For the first time in 27 years, one pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has thrown a no-hitter.
On Wednesday, Ervin Santana pitched a no-hitter in a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Also for the first time since the late Daryl Kile threw a no-hitter for the Houston Astros on September 8, 1993, a pitcher threw a no-hitter by giving up a run.
The Indians’ lone run in the first inning was unearned. Centerfielder Ezequiel Carrera reached on first base after a fielding error by Angels’ shortstop Erick Aybar. Carrera then stole second, advanced to third base on a groundout, and got home on a Santana wild pitch.
Santana also had ten strikeouts and a walk.
The Indians were terrible offensively and defensively. They had five errors in the contest.
Santana’s no-hitter was the third in Major League Baseball this year. Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins no-hit the Chicago White Sox on May 3rd and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays on May 7th.
Santana is the sixth Angel to throw a no-hitter joining Bo Belinsky, Clyde Wright, Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt and Mark Langston.
Ryan threw four of his record seven no-hitters with the Angels. Even though Langston only contributed to a no-hitter in 1990, he is not officially credited with one. Ironically, it was Mike Witt who came in to throw the final two innings of Langston’s 1990 no-no and threw the last single pitcher no-hitter in Angels’ history in 1984.
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