khandor’s sports blog

For no reason other than …

… they were only pointed out to yours truly earlier today.

If you have time to read but 1 story on-line today, then, this corner HIGHLY recommends that it be THIS one:

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The Chicken Runs At Midnight

When then-Pirates third base coach Rich Donnelly would crouch down, cup his hands and shout to the runner on second base, his daughter, Amy, once asked him, “Dad, what are you yelling to the runner, ‘The chicken runs at midnight’?” The statement had no origin, no specific meaning, yet became a buzz phrase in the Donnelly home, and among the Pirates. When Pittsburgh second baseman Jose Lind ran on the field before a game in 1992, a microphone caught him yelling to teammates, “Let’s go, the chicken runs at midnight!”

Amy Donnelly was diagnosed with a brain tumor in spring training 1992. She died nine months later at age 18. Four years later, the Marlins won the World Series, and it was third base coach Rich Donnelly who waved home Craig Counsell with the winning run in the 11th inning of Game 7. Counsell was nicknamed “The Chicken” in the Donnelly house because he flapped his left elbow as he got ready for the pitch to be delivered. As Counsell crossed the plate, and bedlam followed at Dolphin Stadium, Tim Donnelly, one of Amy’s younger brothers, looked at clock on the scoreboard. He screamed at his brother, Mike, who also was a bat boy that night. Then they screamed to their dad, Rich Donnelly.

“Dad, look at the time! Look at the time!”

Rich Donnelly looked at the scoreboard clock. It was midnight. The chicken runs at midnight.

“It’s a true story, you hear it and you can’t believe it happened, but it happened,” said Counsell, who is a utility infielder for Brewers 13 years after scoring the winning run in the ‘97 Series. “I’ve said that someone should make a movie out of this story, that’s how amazing it is. Anyone who hears it is moved by it. I get chills every time I think about it.”

Amy DonnellyAmy Donnelly, who had wanted to become a school teacher, used to hold “class” in the garage with all the young neighborhood kids.

John Canuso, a home builder in Philadelphia, was so inspired by this story, he called Rich Donnelly. Canuso had also lost a daughter, Babe, to cancer. Canuso was also very close to former Phillies coach John Vukovich, who died of cancer in 2007. Canuso runs the Canuso Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps brighten the lives of children who are coping with cancer, other serious illnesses and disabilities. A division of the Canuso Foundation is called Babe’s Kids, named for his daughter. A fundraiser for 37 years, John Canuso started the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974.

Canuso is now raising funds for a family with a child with leukemia in Haddonfield, N.J. On May 21, Haddonfield is going to close down the town for two hours and run relays for kids at 5 p.m., then a 3K race at midnight, starting at the Haddonfield Memorial High School football field, and finishing down Kings Highway, all to support 7-year-old Mia Strobel, who has leukemia. Canuso said $30,000 has been committed to Mia’s family.

The theme of the 3K run: The Chicken Runs At Midnight.

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Enjoy!

Despite the best efforts of this corner to assert otherwise over the course of the last 2+ years, there are still a fair share of individuals who would try to suggest that the image which exists of Toronto, Canada in the hearts and minds of most American-born professional athletes is that of a backwater wasteland.

Well … for the  benefit of those people:

Why Pro Athletes Love Toronto

Today, however, Toronto is a road trip just about every pro athlete looks forward to. Some say the city has a cool, international vibe that increasingly stands out. Some like the plentitude of cheap concert tickets—a boon for athletes with big posses—or the convenience of the must-be-19 drinking law. (Rookie guard DeMar DeRozan of the Raptors, who is 20, was ordering chocolate milk at dinner before his teammates told him the good news).

Athletes get a warm welcome at the city’s relatively libertine gentlemen’s clubs which, according to a spokeswoman for the Toronto Convention and Visitors Bureau, tend to “clear out the champagne room” for visiting athletes. And it helps that the tentacles of the tabloids and gossip Web sites rarely extend this far into the frozen north. “People like to come here to party,” says Raptors power forward Chris Bosh.

Basketball stars like LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jamaal Magloire of the Miami Heat (a Toronto native) have come to Toronto for fun—even during the NBA offseason. Since the Buffalo Bills began playing annual games at Toronto’s Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) in 2008, an increasing number of NFL players have started passing through “the 416,” which is the city’s area code. Baseball players, who’ve been coming here since 1977 to play the Blue Jays, have good memories.

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From a reputable source like the Wall Street Journal, no less.

Nuff said.

Yes, yours truly devotes a fair bit of place in this blog to the sport of basketball … and rightly so.

There is no better sport in the world … which combines the elements of team play, individual play, a high degree of explosive physicality, the use of intricate strategy & tactics, offense, defense, fluid & dynamic changes of possession [which includes rebounding], fast-paced full-court action, a much slower-paced half-court game and intelligent thought, by a group of individuals working in harmony with one another, in pursuit of a common goal, yadda, yadda, yadda …

That said, however … visitors to this site should NOT maket the mistake of thinking that ”hoops” is the ONLY area of sporting interest [and expertise?] that your trusty correspondent is consumed by on a regular basis … given the diverse nature of the actual content on this blog.

With this fact in mind …

Earl Weaver: A MIND FOR THE GAME Before laptops, spreadsheets and VORP, the wizard of Baltimore was winning pennants by following his own internal baseball calculus
“TEAM SPEED? GET SOME BIG#$@&*%$*! WHO CAN HIT THE #$@&*%!$* BALL OUT OF THE PARK!”

On a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, the most irascible manager in the history of the Baltimore Orioles is watching an Orioles pitcher get pasted, one hitter after another. This is only a spring training game at quaint Fort Lauderdale Stadium, not something that counted back at Baltimore’s old Memorial Stadium, on 33rd Street. But Earl Weaver, cap pulled low, that leprechaun’s twinkle in his eyes gone dark, does not like what he sees. All of his great teams—and they were all pretty great—were built on a foundation of reliable pitching. ¶ He won the pennant one year by making only 167 pitching changes in 159 games. Another year he won a championship by using 12 pitchers—not just in the World Series but the whole season.

Whack!

“Mix in a wild pitch or something!” the old manager blurts out.

Whack!

“Oh, my God!” Weaver croaks. Another shot, some 400 feet of solid contact, disappears out of sight, foul.

Whack!

“Who the hell is pitching?”

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is by far the best article these eyes have read this week.

Click the link, read it for yourself and enjoy it in its entirety!

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PS. Therein you will find: 1. Details of The Littliest General That Could and Did!, plus, 2. A further, brief, glimpse into the mind at-work in these parts. The Earl of Baltimore was, no doubt, a man well ahead of his time. “A blop, a blast and a three-run homer … back-boned by terrific pitching & solid defense.”  What more in life can any sane man ask for … game after game after game after game after …

PPS. A slew of BONUS POINTS for the first visitor who can correctly identify all three of the major motion pictures with a key “character” included in its plot with the name ”Baltimore“, or a derivative of that word, each with a most definite “string” attached to the world of sport.

CanuckX … if you happen to be reading this … hopefully you will choose to participate!

[Please Note: There are probably a lot more than just three such films in the History of Motion Pictures but, in this instance, you will need to name the right three {3}, in order to good home a winner in this contest. That said ... Even if you happen to guess wrongly, and you list other films which are not the correct answer, in this case, there's still a fairly good chance that all those who visit here and view these two specific blog entries [i.e. this one and tomorrow's, where the correct answers provided] will leave better off for the experience after A. reading what you wrote and, B. hopefully, enjoying the video clips provided.] 

Ready? On your mark. Get Set. And, go.    

[leave your answers in the Comments section]

Fading Blue Jays should take a gamble on ‘bargain’ Pedro
Pedro, who first established his career as an Expos starter back in the mid-’90s, is reportedly looking for $5 million for the rest of ‘09. Coincidentally, that’s what the Jays have available. If Martinez were to make his first start the day after the all-star break, July 17, it would be against the Red Sox. What an incentive to get ready.

If manager Cito Gaston then scheduled him every fifth game (not fifth day), Pedro would be asked to make 15 starts in the second half. If Halladay pitches in the All-Star Game, which is likely, and if he pitches on the Saturday vs. the Red Sox and works every five days (not five games), Doc could make 16 starts. Given good health, the two would make 31 of the Jays’ final 72 starts.

The remainder of the rotation would include Tallet, left-hander Ricky Romero and Canadian righty Scott Richmond, with Casey Janssen back in a setup role.

Get going. Would Pedro respond to an offer of $2 million guaranteed, with $1 million for 1-5 starts, another $1 million for 6-10 starts and a final $1 million for 11-15 starts? That’s his $5 million that he wants – but he has to earn it.

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Richard Griffin’s take here is right on the money.

Once the Blue Jays conclude inter-league play [later this month], recall Travis Snider [LF, LH] from the minors, and return a healthy Roy Halladay [RH] to their Starting Pitching rotation [which should happen fairly soon, coming back from his slight groin strain], adding an established No. 2 Man, the calibre of Pedro Martinez, to the tune of $5.0 M for what’s left of just this season, is precisely what Toronto needs to do in order to remain in the AL Wild Card race for the balance of the schedule.

THIS would be a far cry from making a gigantic financial investment over the course of a number of years in the form of a brittle-armed mediocre pitcher like AJ Burnett … while still giving their loyal fans a steadfast sign that the New Order Jays, operating once again under the expert direction of Paul Beeston [former CEO during the glory years] are intent on playing with the Big Boyz in the AL East Division.

This year’s team is plenty good enough to challenge into September, back-stopped by the 1-2 punch of Halladay & Martinez.

On Tuesday, SI.com published its review of owners in the NFL, MLB, NBA & NHL, listing both the top 5 and the bottom 5 in each of these leagues. These are the bottom 5’s, respectively:

[Number Rank, Owner, Franchise, Purchase Year, Purchase Price, Current Value, Winning %, Playoff Seasons, Championship Season]

National Football League
5 Denise DeBartolo York, 49ERS, 2000, N/A, $865 M, .417, 2, 0
4 Mike Brown, BENGALS, 1991, N/A, $941 M, .351, 1, 0
3 Dan Snyder, REDSKINS, 1999, $750 M, $1,538 M, .488, 3, 0
2 William Clay Ford, LIONS, 1964, $5 M, $917 M, .411, 9, 0
1 Al Davis, RAIDERS, 1966, $180,000, $861 M, .569, 21, 4 

Major League Baseball
5 Ted Lerner, NATIONALS, 2006, $450 M, $406 M, .419, 0, 0
4 Jeffrey Loria, MARLINS, 2002, $158 M, $277 M, .502, 1, 1
3 David Glass, ROYALS, 1993, $96 M, $ 314 M, .432, 0, 0
2 Tom Hicks, RANGERS, 1998, $250 M, $405 M, .489, 2, 0
1 Peter Angelos, ORIOLES, 1993, $173 M, $400 M, .486, 2, 0

National Basketball Association
5 R-Johnson/M-Jordan, BOBCATS, 2004, $300 M, $284 M, .417, 0, 0
4 Chris Cohan, WARRIORS, 1991, $130 M, $335 M, .409, 3, 0
3 Michael Heisley, GRIZZLIES, 2000, $160 M, $294 M, .388, 3, 0
2 Cablevision/J-Dolan, KNICKS, 1997, $300 M, $613 M, .439, 7, 0
1 Donald Sterling, CLIPPERS, 1981, $12.5 M, $297 M, .341, 4, 0

National Hockey League
5 Predator Holdings LLC, PREDATORS, 2007, $193 M, $164 M, .499, 1, 0
4 Atlanta Spirit, HAWKS, 2004, $80 M, $158 M, .519, 1, 0
3 Charles Wang, ISLANDERS, 2000, $187.5 M, $154 M, .416, 4, 0
2 Alan Cohen, PANTHERS, 2001, $101 M, $163 M, .443, 0, 0
1 MLSE, MAPLE LEAFS, 1994, $102 M, $448 M, .471, 8, 0 

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Now …

Which of those 20 separate owners also happen to have a 2nd franchise in one of the other 3 leagues?

MLSE also owns the Raptors [NBA, 1998, N/A, $400 M, .454, 5, 0].

If you combine the efforts of the Maple Leafs and the Raptors, might it be accurate to say that MLSE is possibly the worst owner of them all?

Current Franchise Value: $848 M
W-L Record: 920-1984
Winning %: .464
Playoff Seasons: 13 [of 26]
Championship Seasons: 0 [of 26]

You make the call.

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Manny suspended 50 games for PED use
Major League Baseball suspended Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez for 50 games on Thursday for use of a performance-enhancing drug.

Ramirez, in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association, attributed the suspension to his use of a doctor-prescribed medication and waived his right to challenge the discipline.

The New York Times, citing people in baseball briefed on the matter, reported that urine samples provided by Ramirez showed traces of substances that raised concerns among baseball officials, but it was unclear if it was enough to suspend him. The officials investigated further, according to the New York Times, and found evidence in Ramirez’s medical files that he was using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a fertility drug for women that has been known to be used by athletes to generate the body’s production of testosterone after steroid use.

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A sobering piece by die-hard Red Sox & Ramirez fan Bill Simmons:

Confronting my worst nightmare
We look at the 2004 banner again. I always thought that, for the rest of my life, I would look at that banner and think only good thoughts. Now, there’s a mental asterisk that won’t go away. I wish I could take a pill to shake it from my brain. I see 2004 and 2007, and think of Manny and Papi first and foremost. The modern-day Ruth and Gehrig. One of the great one-two punches in sports history. Were they cheating the whole time? Was Pedro cheating, too? That 2004 banner makes me think of these things now. I wish it didn’t, but it does. This makes me sad. This makes me profoundly sad.

My son can read it in my face. I am sad. He can see it.

“That’s OK, Dad,” he says, rubbing my shoulder. “Everyone cheated back then.”

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PS. It’s a great read. Take the time to read it all. Then, if you have any, go give your kids a hug; and, your Dad [or Mom], too. It’s a different world today. 

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to those of you who visit this space regularly that the Blue Jays are off to a 6-2 start this season and sit in first place in the AL East Standings.

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Jays’ kids shine in comeback victory
The most obvious difference in the surprising Blue Jays and their league-leading offence this April comes down to two guys that weren’t even on the roster last April. Travis Snider, 21, began the year at Dunedin, while Adam Lind, 25, had been exiled to Triple-A Syracuse.

Last night Snider, the rookie left fielder, smashed a pair of tape-measure home runs to right field, and Lind, who has 12 RBIs in the first eight games, chipped in with a pair of doubles, leading the way to an 8-6 win at the Metrodome in front of 16,410 fans, moving the Jays’ division-leading record to 6-2.

Snider capped off a late-inning rally, rebounding from a four-run deficit, by crushing a two-run homer through an open exit in the upper deck in right field. It was his second homer of the game and his third of the season. The first was a line drive off the concrete façade in the same area of the upper deck that got out in a hurry.

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After pounding out 19 hits, including 3 doubles [Lind/2 & Barajas] and 3 more home runs [Snider/2 & Overbay], the Jays now lead the major leagues in Batting Average, Hits, Doubles [tied], Runs Scored and Overall W’s … despite having just 1 reliable Starting Pitcher on their active roster, at the moment, and a wonky Bullpen, anchored by their still struggling Closer.

If the team can somehow get a second consecutive solid start today out of rookie pitcher, Ricky Romero [LH], and then maintain their live bats on Wednesday, with almost-rookie pitcher Scott Richmond [RH] on the mound, there is every possibility that Toronto might just get to Thursday with their ace on the hill against the Twins’ top dog, Francisco Liriano [RH] - who is off to a slow start himself thi season - and have the chance to establish themselves early-on as a legitimate contender for at least a Wild Card spot this year in AL.

Considering the list of injuries which the Jays have sustained to their staff of young quality starting pitchers during the past 12 months alone … i.e. Casey Janssen, Dustin McGowan, Shawn Marcum and yesterday Jesse Litsch … it would simply be a remarkable achievement if they could somehome manage to contend this year for a spot in the AL Playoff race, on the strength of their coaching, hitting prowess and the singular arm of their pitching ace.

Have stranger things happened at different times over the course of MLB history?

e.g. Like the refreshing initial appearance of this once young man on the mound for the Detroit Tigers in the glorius summer of 1976.

You bet they have.

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R.I.P. Mark “The Bird” Fidrych … you were one of a kind. :-)