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Sox June

The Rain Maker Sports: Sports Bytes - June 11, 2010

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 . . .

About the Author

I am a PR Specialist and writer who has 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 http://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldtremblay

JWS watching the Red Sox, June 9, 2011