The Philadelphia Phillies ended their long wait for a World Series title with a short burst of baseball on Wednesday as they clinched the crown by completing a rain-suspended 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Phillies captured their first Fall Classic title since 1980 in a unique, three-inning finish as they resumed Game Five that was suspended in the middle of the sixth on Monday with the score tied 2-2 when the field became unplayable after rain.
The victory gave the Phillies a 4-1 triumph in the best-of-seven series and ended a dream season for the Rays, who rebounded from the worst record in the majors last season.
Pedro Feliz drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh, before reliever Brad Lidge struck out pinch-hitter Eric Hinske for the final out in the ninth, setting off a wild celebration as fireworks exploded over Citizens Bank Park.
After both teams scored in their first time at-bat once the game was re-started following a delay of exactly 46 hours, the Phillies took their decisive lead when Feliz singled through a drawn-in infield to cash in a lead-off double by Pat Burrell.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
So now what? Rays, Phils wait to resume Game 5
PHILADELPHIA — Nobody won, nobody lost. So now what?
The Philadelphia Phillies could be three innings from a World Series championship. Or the Tampa Bay Rays could start a three-game winning streak.
"It's just another little twist to the story of an unbelievable season," Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena said.
Suspended after 5 1/2 innings Monday night with the score tied 2-all, Game 5 of the World Series between the Rays and Phillies will resume in Philadelphia when the weather permits.
That could take awhile. More rain was expected Tuesday and perhaps after that, putting baseball's showcase event on hold.
"I'm really not anticipating so many days into the future," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm anticipating either tomorrow or the next day that this thing is going to happen."
Whenever the teams get back on the field, it will be a strange scenario.
Play will pick up with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth and ace pitcher Cole Hamels due to lead off. So the first batter almost certainly will be a pinch hitter, ending Hamels' outing.
"You're not going to win against Mother Nature," he said.
Hamels threw 75 pitches over six effective innings in wet, blustery conditions Monday night. If the Phillies score in the sixth and protect the lead for three innings, he would be credited with a win.
That would make him 5-0 in five starts this postseason, an unprecedented accomplishment.
"We've got to look at it as a 0-0 game and come out and win it," Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett said.
Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir is already out of the game, but every other player is available. Kazmir was chased after walking six batters in four-plus innings.
Grant Balfour relieved for the Rays and escaped a fifth-inning jam. No telling what pitching move Maddon might make, but he said he'll likely keep the game in the hands of his relievers.
"We'll probably utilize our bullpen. We have a pretty rested bullpen, based on today's events," he said. "Grant is in the game as of right now."
Maddon said he'll save "Big Game" James Shields to start a potential Game 6 at Tampa Bay and Matt Garza for Game 7 - even though Shields would be fully rested by Tuesday.
"We don't want to utilize those pitchers tomorrow or the next day," Maddon said.
The rain gives Hamels a chance to come back later in the series, if it lasts long enough.
In the meantime, fans holding Game 5 tickets can use them again whenever the game resumes.
"They may say it's cheap. But anyway you can get one, you get one," Rays reliever J.P. Howell said. "We're glad to be able to play another day."
The Philadelphia Phillies could be three innings from a World Series championship. Or the Tampa Bay Rays could start a three-game winning streak.
"It's just another little twist to the story of an unbelievable season," Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena said.
Suspended after 5 1/2 innings Monday night with the score tied 2-all, Game 5 of the World Series between the Rays and Phillies will resume in Philadelphia when the weather permits.
That could take awhile. More rain was expected Tuesday and perhaps after that, putting baseball's showcase event on hold.
"I'm really not anticipating so many days into the future," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm anticipating either tomorrow or the next day that this thing is going to happen."
Whenever the teams get back on the field, it will be a strange scenario.
Play will pick up with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth and ace pitcher Cole Hamels due to lead off. So the first batter almost certainly will be a pinch hitter, ending Hamels' outing.
"You're not going to win against Mother Nature," he said.
Hamels threw 75 pitches over six effective innings in wet, blustery conditions Monday night. If the Phillies score in the sixth and protect the lead for three innings, he would be credited with a win.
That would make him 5-0 in five starts this postseason, an unprecedented accomplishment.
"We've got to look at it as a 0-0 game and come out and win it," Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett said.
Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir is already out of the game, but every other player is available. Kazmir was chased after walking six batters in four-plus innings.
Grant Balfour relieved for the Rays and escaped a fifth-inning jam. No telling what pitching move Maddon might make, but he said he'll likely keep the game in the hands of his relievers.
"We'll probably utilize our bullpen. We have a pretty rested bullpen, based on today's events," he said. "Grant is in the game as of right now."
Maddon said he'll save "Big Game" James Shields to start a potential Game 6 at Tampa Bay and Matt Garza for Game 7 - even though Shields would be fully rested by Tuesday.
"We don't want to utilize those pitchers tomorrow or the next day," Maddon said.
The rain gives Hamels a chance to come back later in the series, if it lasts long enough.
In the meantime, fans holding Game 5 tickets can use them again whenever the game resumes.
"They may say it's cheap. But anyway you can get one, you get one," Rays reliever J.P. Howell said. "We're glad to be able to play another day."
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Jennifer Hudson Offers $100,000 for Missing Nephew's Return
Two days after her mother and brother were fatally shot at home in Chicago, Jennifer Hudson and her family have offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of her missing 7-year-old nephew Julian, gone since Friday. "Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," said a statement from Hudson's rep Lisa Kasteler. It also offered a reward and asked the public to give any available information to the Chicago police. "We ask that all inquiries be directed to the Chicago Police Department, Area 1 Detective Division at 312/747-8380." As investigators continued looking for forensic evidence at the south side home of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, the FBI confirmed to PEOPLE that they are also assisting with the investigation. "I can confirm that we have been asked to provide assistance to the Chicago police department to assist in the search for 7-year-old Julian King," said Ross Rice, special agent and spokesman for the Chicago office of FBI.
When asked whether they had any promising leads, Ross declined to comment. "The key word there is assisting. It is still a Chicago police investigation, both the murder and the kidnapping, and any announcements would be best to come from them." After her sister Julia's impassioned plea for the return of her son at a press conference on Saturday, Hudson took to her Myspace page to thank fans for the outpouring of support on Sunday. "Thank you all for your prayers and your calls," she wrote on the Web site. "Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time."
When asked whether they had any promising leads, Ross declined to comment. "The key word there is assisting. It is still a Chicago police investigation, both the murder and the kidnapping, and any announcements would be best to come from them." After her sister Julia's impassioned plea for the return of her son at a press conference on Saturday, Hudson took to her Myspace page to thank fans for the outpouring of support on Sunday. "Thank you all for your prayers and your calls," she wrote on the Web site. "Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Treasury 10-Year Notes Head for Biggest Weekly Gain Since 1995
Treasuries rose, sending 10-year notes to their biggest weekly gain in a decade, as spreading financial turmoil wiped out more than $10 trillion of stock- market value worldwide this month.
``Bonds are the instrument, par excellence, to profit from the crisis,'' Societe Generale SA said in a report. U.S. government securities returned 1.6 percent so far in October, the most since January, according to Merrill Lynch & Co.'s U.S. Treasury Master index, as tumbling stocks and credit markets spurred demand for the safest assets.
``The stock market is still depressed,'' said Hiroyuki Bando, chief manager for fixed income, equities and currencies in Tokyo at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp., part of Japan's biggest bank. ``There's uncertainty and anxiety. That's supportive for Treasuries.''
The yield on the 4 percent note due in August 2018 fell 7 basis points to 3.61 percent as of 6:19 a.m. in London, according to BGCantor Market Data. The price advanced 20/32, or $6.25 per $1,000 face amount, to 103 5/32. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Two-year rates declined 5 basis points to 1.54 percent.
The 10-year yield fell 32 basis points this week, the most since October 1998, on speculation government and central bank efforts to revive lending won't avert a global slowdown. On Oct. 15, 1998, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly cut interest rates to prevent a credit crunch at the time from pushing the U.S. into a recession.
Paulson Announcement
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is preparing to take stakes in regional U.S. banks to halt the freeze of credit to businesses and households, according to a person briefed on the matter.
The announcement may come as soon as today, the person, who was briefed by bankers and Treasury officials, said on condition of anonymity.
This year's credit-market meltdown prompted Fed officials to make an emergency reduction in rates on Oct. 8, and they will cut again when they meet on Oct. 29, futures contracts indicate.
Futures on the Chicago Board of Trade show a 92 percent chance policy makers will lower their target for overnight bank loans, now 1.5 percent, by a half-percentage point, up from 46 percent odds a week ago. The rest of the bets are for a quarter- point reduction.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of regional shares fell 4.8 percent to its lowest level since May 2004. U.S. stock futures also declined. The yen rose to the highest versus the euro since 2002 as investors pared holdings of higher-yielding assets.
``The financial crisis is now morphing ever more clearly into an economic one,'' Ciaran O'Hagan, a fixed-income strategist in Paris at Societe Generale, said in a report yesterday. ``That leaves spread markets still going in only one direction -- south.''
Debt Increase
Shorter-maturity U.S. notes lagged behind longer maturities after the Treasury said yesterday it plans to sell $34 billion in two-year securities on Oct. 28 and $24 billion of five-year debt on Oct. 30. The government is expanding its debt sales to finance a $700 billion financial rescue plan that includes buying equity stakes in U.S. banks and purchasing soured assets from financial firms.
Thirty-year bond yields fell 8 basis points to 3.97 percent. They declined as far as 3.94 percent yesterday, near 3.89 percent on Sept. 16, the least since the U.S. reintroduced the security in 1977.
The difference between two- and 30-year Treasury yields narrowed to 2.43 percentage points from 2.71 percentage points on Oct. 17.
Money Markets
The difference between the rate banks charge for three-month dollar loans relative to the overnight indexed swap rate, the so- called Libor-OIS spread, widened to 2.54 percentage points from 2.52 percentage points yesterday. The spread has narrowed from 3.66 percentage points on Oct. 10.
Paul McCulley, an investor at Pacific Investment Management Co., home to the world's biggest bond fund, said the Libor-OIS spread may be the best way to measure improvement as the Fed expands programs to unfreeze credit markets.
``It's still telling you that the global financial system is a patient in the ICU and the doctor's still got work to do,'' he said yesterday in a Bloomberg Television interview from Newport Beach, California.
Borrowing costs for developing nations approached a six-year high after Standard & Poor's yesterday lowered Russia's long-term sovereign credit rating outlook.
An index of emerging-market bonds compiled by JPMorgan Chase & Co. yielded 8.36 percentage points more than Treasuries, near the most since November 2002.
``We still have the economy that is slowing, and the Treasury market's responding to that concern,'' said Sean Simko, who oversees $8 billion at SEI Investments Co. in Oaks, Pennsylvania. ``There's definitely concern that markets abroad are going to follow suit and be impacted more than expected,'' he said yesterday.
``Bonds are the instrument, par excellence, to profit from the crisis,'' Societe Generale SA said in a report. U.S. government securities returned 1.6 percent so far in October, the most since January, according to Merrill Lynch & Co.'s U.S. Treasury Master index, as tumbling stocks and credit markets spurred demand for the safest assets.
``The stock market is still depressed,'' said Hiroyuki Bando, chief manager for fixed income, equities and currencies in Tokyo at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp., part of Japan's biggest bank. ``There's uncertainty and anxiety. That's supportive for Treasuries.''
The yield on the 4 percent note due in August 2018 fell 7 basis points to 3.61 percent as of 6:19 a.m. in London, according to BGCantor Market Data. The price advanced 20/32, or $6.25 per $1,000 face amount, to 103 5/32. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Two-year rates declined 5 basis points to 1.54 percent.
The 10-year yield fell 32 basis points this week, the most since October 1998, on speculation government and central bank efforts to revive lending won't avert a global slowdown. On Oct. 15, 1998, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly cut interest rates to prevent a credit crunch at the time from pushing the U.S. into a recession.
Paulson Announcement
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is preparing to take stakes in regional U.S. banks to halt the freeze of credit to businesses and households, according to a person briefed on the matter.
The announcement may come as soon as today, the person, who was briefed by bankers and Treasury officials, said on condition of anonymity.
This year's credit-market meltdown prompted Fed officials to make an emergency reduction in rates on Oct. 8, and they will cut again when they meet on Oct. 29, futures contracts indicate.
Futures on the Chicago Board of Trade show a 92 percent chance policy makers will lower their target for overnight bank loans, now 1.5 percent, by a half-percentage point, up from 46 percent odds a week ago. The rest of the bets are for a quarter- point reduction.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of regional shares fell 4.8 percent to its lowest level since May 2004. U.S. stock futures also declined. The yen rose to the highest versus the euro since 2002 as investors pared holdings of higher-yielding assets.
``The financial crisis is now morphing ever more clearly into an economic one,'' Ciaran O'Hagan, a fixed-income strategist in Paris at Societe Generale, said in a report yesterday. ``That leaves spread markets still going in only one direction -- south.''
Debt Increase
Shorter-maturity U.S. notes lagged behind longer maturities after the Treasury said yesterday it plans to sell $34 billion in two-year securities on Oct. 28 and $24 billion of five-year debt on Oct. 30. The government is expanding its debt sales to finance a $700 billion financial rescue plan that includes buying equity stakes in U.S. banks and purchasing soured assets from financial firms.
Thirty-year bond yields fell 8 basis points to 3.97 percent. They declined as far as 3.94 percent yesterday, near 3.89 percent on Sept. 16, the least since the U.S. reintroduced the security in 1977.
The difference between two- and 30-year Treasury yields narrowed to 2.43 percentage points from 2.71 percentage points on Oct. 17.
Money Markets
The difference between the rate banks charge for three-month dollar loans relative to the overnight indexed swap rate, the so- called Libor-OIS spread, widened to 2.54 percentage points from 2.52 percentage points yesterday. The spread has narrowed from 3.66 percentage points on Oct. 10.
Paul McCulley, an investor at Pacific Investment Management Co., home to the world's biggest bond fund, said the Libor-OIS spread may be the best way to measure improvement as the Fed expands programs to unfreeze credit markets.
``It's still telling you that the global financial system is a patient in the ICU and the doctor's still got work to do,'' he said yesterday in a Bloomberg Television interview from Newport Beach, California.
Borrowing costs for developing nations approached a six-year high after Standard & Poor's yesterday lowered Russia's long-term sovereign credit rating outlook.
An index of emerging-market bonds compiled by JPMorgan Chase & Co. yielded 8.36 percentage points more than Treasuries, near the most since November 2002.
``We still have the economy that is slowing, and the Treasury market's responding to that concern,'' said Sean Simko, who oversees $8 billion at SEI Investments Co. in Oaks, Pennsylvania. ``There's definitely concern that markets abroad are going to follow suit and be impacted more than expected,'' he said yesterday.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
India successfully launches first moon mission
India successfully launched its first lunar mission Wednesday, marking a major boost for the country's space programme and a new step in the fast-developing Asian space race.
Cheers rang out at mission control as the unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was launched with an Indian-built rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on the southeastern coast.
Officials said the lift-off, which took place in cloudy skies at 6:22 am (0052 GMT), was a "great success", with the rocket placing the craft into a transfer orbit around the globe within 19 minutes.
"Our scientific community has once again done the country proud and the entire nation salutes them," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message from Japan, where he was on an official visit.
The head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Madhavan Nair, said it was a "historic moment" for the country.
"It has been a remarkable performance by the launch vehicle," he said of the lift-off from the national space centre in the state of Andhra Pradesh, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Chennai.
ISRO is sending the Chandrayaan-1 on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface. It is expected to reach lunar orbit in 15 days.
The mission, which will also include the sending of a probe onto the lunar surface, will cost India 80 million dollars.
"Today what we have charted is a remarkable journey for an Indian spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the Earth's closest celestial body and its only natural satellite," Nair said.
India is hoping the mission will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China, and Nair said ISRO was aiming at a manned space flight by 2015, with work on a two-person capsule already underway.
As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development.
The launch was carried live on most Indian television channels -- with one channel using the theme music for "Star Wars" to accompany the countdown.
Some critics, however, have questioned whether it makes sense to spend so much money on space when hundreds of millions of Indians still live in dire poverty.
India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies.
It first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite in the face of Iranian protests.
But it still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector.
Chinese officials have spoken of a manned mission to the moon in the future, after following the United States and the former Soviet Union last month by carrying out a space walk, and wants to establish an orbiting space lab.
Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by 2020.
Japan's first lunar probe, Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year.
In addition to the commercial ramifications, the development of a space race in Asia has security implications, with the potential for developing military applications such as intelligence gathering and space-based weapons. Maple story meso
Earlier this year, Japan scrapped a decades-old ban on the military use of space, hoping to remove any legal obstacles to building more advanced spy satellites. cheap ffxi gil
South Korea, a late starter in the space race, has launched three commercial satellites since 1995 and launched its first military communications satellite in 2006.warhammer gold
Cheers rang out at mission control as the unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was launched with an Indian-built rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on the southeastern coast.
Officials said the lift-off, which took place in cloudy skies at 6:22 am (0052 GMT), was a "great success", with the rocket placing the craft into a transfer orbit around the globe within 19 minutes.
"Our scientific community has once again done the country proud and the entire nation salutes them," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message from Japan, where he was on an official visit.
The head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Madhavan Nair, said it was a "historic moment" for the country.
"It has been a remarkable performance by the launch vehicle," he said of the lift-off from the national space centre in the state of Andhra Pradesh, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Chennai.
ISRO is sending the Chandrayaan-1 on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface. It is expected to reach lunar orbit in 15 days.
The mission, which will also include the sending of a probe onto the lunar surface, will cost India 80 million dollars.
"Today what we have charted is a remarkable journey for an Indian spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the Earth's closest celestial body and its only natural satellite," Nair said.
India is hoping the mission will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China, and Nair said ISRO was aiming at a manned space flight by 2015, with work on a two-person capsule already underway.
As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development.
The launch was carried live on most Indian television channels -- with one channel using the theme music for "Star Wars" to accompany the countdown.
Some critics, however, have questioned whether it makes sense to spend so much money on space when hundreds of millions of Indians still live in dire poverty.
India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies.
It first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite in the face of Iranian protests.
But it still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector.
Chinese officials have spoken of a manned mission to the moon in the future, after following the United States and the former Soviet Union last month by carrying out a space walk, and wants to establish an orbiting space lab.
Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by 2020.
Japan's first lunar probe, Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year.
In addition to the commercial ramifications, the development of a space race in Asia has security implications, with the potential for developing military applications such as intelligence gathering and space-based weapons. Maple story meso
Earlier this year, Japan scrapped a decades-old ban on the military use of space, hoping to remove any legal obstacles to building more advanced spy satellites. cheap ffxi gil
South Korea, a late starter in the space race, has launched three commercial satellites since 1995 and launched its first military communications satellite in 2006.warhammer gold
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sarah Palin draws praise for "SNL" spot
Actor Alec Baldwin on Monday called Sarah Palin "a good sport" for confronting her comedy double Tina Fey on "Saturday Night Live" -- and the Republican vice-presidential candidate said she'd do it again "in a heartbeat."
After weeks of being lampooned by comedian Fey, Palin's appearance on the late night sketch show gave "Saturday Night Live" its best ratings in 14 years, drawing roughly 14 million viewers, according to early estimates by TV network NBC.
Baldwin, who pretended to mistake Palin for Fey in one sketch, defended the decision to invite her on the program.
"When you come on a show like that, you are prepared in advance to get worked over. Palin knew that. Palin came on to be a good sport. And she was. She was polite, gracious. (More so than some of the famous actors who come through there, believe me.)" Baldwin wrote in a blog on The Huffington Post.
Palin was a surprise running-mate pick by Republican presidential nominee John McCain and has been a big hit with conservative Christians for her no-nonsense folksy style.
But on "Saturday Night Live," Fey's parodies of Palin in the vice presidential debate and struggling in TV interviews have been a hit with the show's fans on TV and online.
In one of Saturday's sketches Palin, the governor of Alaska, participated in a mock press conference but wouldn't take questions from reporters, and she later pumped her arms to a rap song featuring a moose being shot.
Palin said afterward that she had a great time on the program and told WWOR-TV in New York on Sunday, "I would do that again in a heartbeat."
After weeks of being lampooned by comedian Fey, Palin's appearance on the late night sketch show gave "Saturday Night Live" its best ratings in 14 years, drawing roughly 14 million viewers, according to early estimates by TV network NBC.
Baldwin, who pretended to mistake Palin for Fey in one sketch, defended the decision to invite her on the program.
"When you come on a show like that, you are prepared in advance to get worked over. Palin knew that. Palin came on to be a good sport. And she was. She was polite, gracious. (More so than some of the famous actors who come through there, believe me.)" Baldwin wrote in a blog on The Huffington Post.
Palin was a surprise running-mate pick by Republican presidential nominee John McCain and has been a big hit with conservative Christians for her no-nonsense folksy style.
But on "Saturday Night Live," Fey's parodies of Palin in the vice presidential debate and struggling in TV interviews have been a hit with the show's fans on TV and online.
In one of Saturday's sketches Palin, the governor of Alaska, participated in a mock press conference but wouldn't take questions from reporters, and she later pumped her arms to a rap song featuring a moose being shot.
Palin said afterward that she had a great time on the program and told WWOR-TV in New York on Sunday, "I would do that again in a heartbeat."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Rays Head to First World Series
The doubts have smothered the Tampa Bay Rays all season. From arduous games to demanding tests, the Rays were expected to fade away. Sooner or later, the inspirational Rays would go home. But the Rays are not going home after all. They are going to the World Series.
Matt Garza would not let the Rays fizzle against Boston and would not let their special season evaporate as he powered them to a 3-1 victory in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday night. Garza pitched superbly into the eighth inning and outperformed Jon Lester for the second time in a week.
The Red Sox, the resilient defending champions, were unable to complete the type of stylish comeback that has symbolized them. After rallying from a three games to one deficit to even the series, the Red Sox were hoping that Lester could guide them. But Garza and the Rays were better. Boston is 9-2 in elimination games since 2004.
The Rays navigated through a tense eighth to assure themselves of playing host to the Phillies in the opener of the World Series on Wednesday night. David Price, the Rays’ fifth pitcher in the inning, struck out J. D. Drew with a 97-mile-per-hour fastball to leave the bases loaded. Price screamed into his glove after notching the biggest out of the season. Price then finished off the Red Sox in the ninth.
Garza allowed one run and two hits while striking out nine in seven-plus innings. Lester surrendered three runs in seven innings.
By advancing to the World Series, the Rays are engineering one of the best worst-to-first stories in baseball history. Only the 1991 Braves lost more games in the season before they shockingly rushed into the World Series. The Braves lost 97 games in 1990, one more than the Rays lost a year ago.
If the Rays had lost Game 7, the number seven would have haunted them in the off-season. The Rays had a 7-0 lead in Game 5 and were seven outs away from clinching the A.L.C.S. But the Red Sox scored eight runs to win, then won Game 6, too. Since the Rays avoided a collapse and prevailed in Game 7, it is a lucky number for them now.
Willy Aybar’s homer on a 3-2 cut fastball from Lester in the seventh was so pretty to him that he stopped for a second and admired it. Yes, the Rays were feeling good about themselves. The ball soared deep into the left-field seats, causing the Rays to erupt in their dugout and giving them a 3-1 lead.
Aybar nearly hit a home run to start the fifth. He belted a shot off the left-field fence for a double, and Dioner Navarro followed with a slow grounder to shortstop. It was hit in front of Aybar and forced him to remain on second, but Alex Cora did not have a play at first so Navarro had an infield single.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Baldelli was in a likely bunting situation. But Baldelli has 13 sacrifice bunts in his career, including only one in the last three seasons. He was not at the plate to bunt. He was there to hit. He was there to possibly be a hero.
Baldelli swung and missed, then hit a long foul ball to left to fall behind 0-2 in the count. At that point, it looked as if the Rays should have asked Baldelli to bunt. But Baldelli coolly smacked Lester’s next pitch past the shortstop to put the Rays in front, 2-1. For Baldelli, who missed more than four months of the season because of a mitochondrial disorder, it was one of the sweetest hits of his career.
Once the Rays took the lead, the Red Sox tried to mount a comeback in the sixth. After Dustin Pedroia’s 11-pitch at-bat ended with a walk, Garza struck out David Ortiz on a 3-2 fastball and Pedroia was thrown out at second by Navarro to end the inning.
Garza gave up Pedroia’s homer in the first and then silenced the Red Sox. Garza had beaten Lester in Game 3 at Fenway Park and Lester said that he was anxious to start again and “prove to yourself and to everyone that can you can pitch.” Lester was being tough on himself. Everyone knows that he can pitch. Lester was simply ineffective while allowing four earned runs in a 9-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
The first nine Rays did nothing against Lester as he held them without a hit while striking out four. Akinori Iwamura lined a single to left field to begin the fourth. B. J. Upton struck out and Carlos Peña grounded into a force out.
With Evan Longoria batting, the Rays needed rappelz gold a two-out hit. Lester fooled Longoria with a curveball, but did not have as much success with a 2-2 fastball. Longoria reached out and slapped the ball to right field. J. D. Drew bounced his cutoff throw to Pedroia, whose throw home was wide of the plate and did not get a sliding Peña. Peña pumped his fist after the Rays made it 1-1. buy warhammer gold
The Red Sox had won two straight do-or-die games and put the pressure back on Tampa Bay. They knew that if they scored first, it would be even more uncomfortable for the Rays. That is exactly what the Red Sox did when Pedroia, the second batter, smashed a home run into the first few rows of the left-field seats in the first. wow gold
As soon as Pedroia’s ball disappeared, Garza trudged toward the plate in search of another one. He wanted a new ball, a new start. The emotional Garza sword of the new world vis looked angry, which he exhibited by twice kicking at the dirt on the mound. He let the Red Sox grab an early lead, something the Rays dreaded. But the Red Sox never scored again so the Rays are going to the World Series.Silkroad gold
Matt Garza would not let the Rays fizzle against Boston and would not let their special season evaporate as he powered them to a 3-1 victory in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday night. Garza pitched superbly into the eighth inning and outperformed Jon Lester for the second time in a week.
The Red Sox, the resilient defending champions, were unable to complete the type of stylish comeback that has symbolized them. After rallying from a three games to one deficit to even the series, the Red Sox were hoping that Lester could guide them. But Garza and the Rays were better. Boston is 9-2 in elimination games since 2004.
The Rays navigated through a tense eighth to assure themselves of playing host to the Phillies in the opener of the World Series on Wednesday night. David Price, the Rays’ fifth pitcher in the inning, struck out J. D. Drew with a 97-mile-per-hour fastball to leave the bases loaded. Price screamed into his glove after notching the biggest out of the season. Price then finished off the Red Sox in the ninth.
Garza allowed one run and two hits while striking out nine in seven-plus innings. Lester surrendered three runs in seven innings.
By advancing to the World Series, the Rays are engineering one of the best worst-to-first stories in baseball history. Only the 1991 Braves lost more games in the season before they shockingly rushed into the World Series. The Braves lost 97 games in 1990, one more than the Rays lost a year ago.
If the Rays had lost Game 7, the number seven would have haunted them in the off-season. The Rays had a 7-0 lead in Game 5 and were seven outs away from clinching the A.L.C.S. But the Red Sox scored eight runs to win, then won Game 6, too. Since the Rays avoided a collapse and prevailed in Game 7, it is a lucky number for them now.
Willy Aybar’s homer on a 3-2 cut fastball from Lester in the seventh was so pretty to him that he stopped for a second and admired it. Yes, the Rays were feeling good about themselves. The ball soared deep into the left-field seats, causing the Rays to erupt in their dugout and giving them a 3-1 lead.
Aybar nearly hit a home run to start the fifth. He belted a shot off the left-field fence for a double, and Dioner Navarro followed with a slow grounder to shortstop. It was hit in front of Aybar and forced him to remain on second, but Alex Cora did not have a play at first so Navarro had an infield single.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Baldelli was in a likely bunting situation. But Baldelli has 13 sacrifice bunts in his career, including only one in the last three seasons. He was not at the plate to bunt. He was there to hit. He was there to possibly be a hero.
Baldelli swung and missed, then hit a long foul ball to left to fall behind 0-2 in the count. At that point, it looked as if the Rays should have asked Baldelli to bunt. But Baldelli coolly smacked Lester’s next pitch past the shortstop to put the Rays in front, 2-1. For Baldelli, who missed more than four months of the season because of a mitochondrial disorder, it was one of the sweetest hits of his career.
Once the Rays took the lead, the Red Sox tried to mount a comeback in the sixth. After Dustin Pedroia’s 11-pitch at-bat ended with a walk, Garza struck out David Ortiz on a 3-2 fastball and Pedroia was thrown out at second by Navarro to end the inning.
Garza gave up Pedroia’s homer in the first and then silenced the Red Sox. Garza had beaten Lester in Game 3 at Fenway Park and Lester said that he was anxious to start again and “prove to yourself and to everyone that can you can pitch.” Lester was being tough on himself. Everyone knows that he can pitch. Lester was simply ineffective while allowing four earned runs in a 9-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
The first nine Rays did nothing against Lester as he held them without a hit while striking out four. Akinori Iwamura lined a single to left field to begin the fourth. B. J. Upton struck out and Carlos Peña grounded into a force out.
With Evan Longoria batting, the Rays needed rappelz gold a two-out hit. Lester fooled Longoria with a curveball, but did not have as much success with a 2-2 fastball. Longoria reached out and slapped the ball to right field. J. D. Drew bounced his cutoff throw to Pedroia, whose throw home was wide of the plate and did not get a sliding Peña. Peña pumped his fist after the Rays made it 1-1. buy warhammer gold
The Red Sox had won two straight do-or-die games and put the pressure back on Tampa Bay. They knew that if they scored first, it would be even more uncomfortable for the Rays. That is exactly what the Red Sox did when Pedroia, the second batter, smashed a home run into the first few rows of the left-field seats in the first. wow gold
As soon as Pedroia’s ball disappeared, Garza trudged toward the plate in search of another one. He wanted a new ball, a new start. The emotional Garza sword of the new world vis looked angry, which he exhibited by twice kicking at the dirt on the mound. He let the Red Sox grab an early lead, something the Rays dreaded. But the Red Sox never scored again so the Rays are going to the World Series.Silkroad gold
Friday, October 17, 2008
On cue, Drew caps remarkable Sox rally
BOSTON -- For all the talk the Red Sox had about belief heading into their latest dire situation -- down, 3-1, in the American League Championship Series -- what they wound up creating was utter disbelief.
In a comeback that goes up there with any in the history of postseason play, the Red Sox pulled out a season-saving 8-7 triumph over the Rays in a Game 5 instant classic that can go down in the category of near miraculous.
A game that ended when J.D. Drew hit a screaming liner over the head of Tampa Bay right fielder Gabe Gross for a single that scored Kevin Youkilis with two outs in the bottom of the ninth seemed all but over entering the bottom of the seventh, when the Red Sox trailed, 7-0, against the red-hot Rays.
Somehow, though, it wasn't over. And for those who still don't believe it, the Red Sox and Rays will indeed play Game 6 Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
"We didn't want to go down 7-0," Drew said, "but there's a lot of fight in that dugout, and a lot of guys knew as soon as we got some runs on the board we could get something going."
"We were down by a lot of runs, and like I said before, we never give up," said David Ortiz, who bounced out of his slump in monumental fashion. "We keep on fighting, we keep on playing. We won tonight and we're going to try to keep on winning."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the comeback was the second largest in postseason history, eclipsed only by the Philadelphia A's rallying from 8-0 down to beat the Cubs in the 1929 World Series.
"A playoff game facing elimination, we're down by so much," said center fielder Coco Crisp, who had one of many key hits during the rally back. "To come back and win it in the ninth with a walk-off like that from J.D., it's pretty much the most amazing game I've been a part of."
Can the Red Sox come back from the brink and ride the wave right into the World Series, like they did in 2004 when they came back from a 3-0 hole against the Yankees and against last year when they bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to the Indians?
Youkilis hit a spinning grounder to third that looked for an instant like it might end the inning. In a hurry to make a play, Evan Longoria fired to first, but his throw went into the stands, where it was caught by Red Sox medical director Thomas Gill. The play was ruled a hit and an error.
The Rays walked Jason Bay intentionally, putting the game in Drew's hands. The left-handed hitter worked the count to 3-1 and then bashed one to right. Gross never had a chance, as the ball just seemed to keep rising. Ultimately, it landed deep on the outfield grass. Youkilis roared home, and the Red Sox all mobbed each other at home plate.
"I hit it really well," said Drew. "I thought [I hit] well enough to get it over his head, but it's so deep in right field here. [I] didn't know if he would catch it or not."
So instead of packing up their lockers for the winter, the Red Sox gathered their bags for a flight to Florida.
"In baseball, you believe everything is possible," Kotsay said. "You've got to be an optimist and know that until the last out, anything is possible. I wasn't completely baffled that we tied it up, but at the same time, realizing the accomplishment and what it took to get there. As a club, we all fought together and got this thing done."
For the third consecutive game, the Rays did a lot of damage early.
Daisuke Matsuzaka became the third consecutive Boston starter to plant the offense in a 5-0 hole entering the bottom of the third inning, allowing Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir (six shutout innings) to get into a comfort zone.
After Akinori Iwamura led off the game with a single to right, Upton smashed Matsuzaka's 90-mph offering just over the Green Monster for a two-run homer.
The Rays again did their thing in the third. Pena unloaded for a two-run homer down the line in right. It was the third consecutive game Pena put one into the seats. Longoria followed up Pena by putting one over the Monster to make it 5-0. Not only that, but he topped Pena, homering for the fourth straight game to set an ALCS record.
As a last line of defense, Red Sox manager Terry Francona went to closer Jonathan Papelbon with two on and nobody out in the seventh. But not even that worked. After a double steal, Papelbon surrendered a two-run double off the Monster to the ridiculously hot Upton, making it 7-0. The runs were charged to Manny Delcarmen, however, keeping Papelbon's record postseason scoreless-inning streak alive -- which he would extend to 24 with his two scoreless frames.
Just when all seemed lost, the Red Sox pulled out a comeback for the ages.
"I mean, a loss and we stay home," Francona said. "I can't say [most of] the game was exciting, because the first six innings, we did nothing. They had their way with us every way possible. And then this place became unglued, and we've seen that before. But because of the situation we're in, it just -- that was pretty magical."
In a comeback that goes up there with any in the history of postseason play, the Red Sox pulled out a season-saving 8-7 triumph over the Rays in a Game 5 instant classic that can go down in the category of near miraculous.
A game that ended when J.D. Drew hit a screaming liner over the head of Tampa Bay right fielder Gabe Gross for a single that scored Kevin Youkilis with two outs in the bottom of the ninth seemed all but over entering the bottom of the seventh, when the Red Sox trailed, 7-0, against the red-hot Rays.
Somehow, though, it wasn't over. And for those who still don't believe it, the Red Sox and Rays will indeed play Game 6 Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
"We didn't want to go down 7-0," Drew said, "but there's a lot of fight in that dugout, and a lot of guys knew as soon as we got some runs on the board we could get something going."
"We were down by a lot of runs, and like I said before, we never give up," said David Ortiz, who bounced out of his slump in monumental fashion. "We keep on fighting, we keep on playing. We won tonight and we're going to try to keep on winning."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the comeback was the second largest in postseason history, eclipsed only by the Philadelphia A's rallying from 8-0 down to beat the Cubs in the 1929 World Series.
"A playoff game facing elimination, we're down by so much," said center fielder Coco Crisp, who had one of many key hits during the rally back. "To come back and win it in the ninth with a walk-off like that from J.D., it's pretty much the most amazing game I've been a part of."
Can the Red Sox come back from the brink and ride the wave right into the World Series, like they did in 2004 when they came back from a 3-0 hole against the Yankees and against last year when they bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to the Indians?
Youkilis hit a spinning grounder to third that looked for an instant like it might end the inning. In a hurry to make a play, Evan Longoria fired to first, but his throw went into the stands, where it was caught by Red Sox medical director Thomas Gill. The play was ruled a hit and an error.
The Rays walked Jason Bay intentionally, putting the game in Drew's hands. The left-handed hitter worked the count to 3-1 and then bashed one to right. Gross never had a chance, as the ball just seemed to keep rising. Ultimately, it landed deep on the outfield grass. Youkilis roared home, and the Red Sox all mobbed each other at home plate.
"I hit it really well," said Drew. "I thought [I hit] well enough to get it over his head, but it's so deep in right field here. [I] didn't know if he would catch it or not."
So instead of packing up their lockers for the winter, the Red Sox gathered their bags for a flight to Florida.
"In baseball, you believe everything is possible," Kotsay said. "You've got to be an optimist and know that until the last out, anything is possible. I wasn't completely baffled that we tied it up, but at the same time, realizing the accomplishment and what it took to get there. As a club, we all fought together and got this thing done."
For the third consecutive game, the Rays did a lot of damage early.
Daisuke Matsuzaka became the third consecutive Boston starter to plant the offense in a 5-0 hole entering the bottom of the third inning, allowing Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir (six shutout innings) to get into a comfort zone.
After Akinori Iwamura led off the game with a single to right, Upton smashed Matsuzaka's 90-mph offering just over the Green Monster for a two-run homer.
The Rays again did their thing in the third. Pena unloaded for a two-run homer down the line in right. It was the third consecutive game Pena put one into the seats. Longoria followed up Pena by putting one over the Monster to make it 5-0. Not only that, but he topped Pena, homering for the fourth straight game to set an ALCS record.
As a last line of defense, Red Sox manager Terry Francona went to closer Jonathan Papelbon with two on and nobody out in the seventh. But not even that worked. After a double steal, Papelbon surrendered a two-run double off the Monster to the ridiculously hot Upton, making it 7-0. The runs were charged to Manny Delcarmen, however, keeping Papelbon's record postseason scoreless-inning streak alive -- which he would extend to 24 with his two scoreless frames.
Just when all seemed lost, the Red Sox pulled out a comeback for the ages.
"I mean, a loss and we stay home," Francona said. "I can't say [most of] the game was exciting, because the first six innings, we did nothing. They had their way with us every way possible. And then this place became unglued, and we've seen that before. But because of the situation we're in, it just -- that was pretty magical."
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Madonna Sticks to the Script Onstage
The show went on for the Material Girl, even in the face of divorce.
Mere hours after her rep confirmed that she and Guy Ritchie were parting ways after almost eight years of marriage, Madonna took the stage in Boston Wednesday for the latest date on her Sticky and Sweet tour, seeming none the worse for the wear.
The 50-year-old singer gyrated, grooved and even jumped rope during an athletic two-hour set at the TD Banknorth Garden, displaying an uncanny level of physical fitness for a woman of her age—or any age, for that matter.
Though the soon-to-be former Mrs. Ritchie did not comment on her personal life, she did not hold back when it came to her political views.
Stating that she had been told not to mention Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, whom she has badmouthed during prior tour dates, Madonna avoided any further commentary on the Republican vice presidential candidate.
Instead, she simply urged her audience to make their voices heard in the upcoming election, saying, "I hope you f---ers are registered to vote."
"Take some responsibility for your f---ing country," she said, adding, "Just vote for Obama!"
To further her point, she showed the infamous video montage in which an image of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain was interspersed with clips of Hitler and other dictators, while Democratic nominee Barack Obama was aligned with Ghandi.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock," the singer intoned repeatedly, as she implored her audience to "save the world."
Over the course of the night, Madonna's energy never flagged, as she ranged from newer songs, such as "Candy Shop," from her latest album, Hard Candy, to older hits such as "Vogue," "Get Into the Groove," and the night's biggest crowd pleaser, "Like a Prayer."wow gold
As only fitting for a performer of Madonna's caliber, the sold-out show featured stunning special effects, including virtual cameos from collaborators such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. Her backup dancers moved through their paces like a well-oiled machine, never eclipsing their star.warhammer gold
The singer is due to perform again in Boston Thursday night, before continuing on to Toronto.
The Sticky and Sweet tour is currently slated to wrap up in São Paulo, Brazil, on Dec. 21.buy wow gold
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
What's familiar to Sox is foreign to Rays
BOSTON -- Rays manager Joe Maddon prepped his young club for the emotional swings of the postseason by sermonizing on the 1960 World Series -- the one the Pittsburgh Pirates won amid three blowout losses.
Who knew Maddon was projecting the Rays to play the part of the '60 Yankees -- the Bombers who won games by scores of 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0?
But there were the Rays following Monday's 9-1 win over the Red Sox with a 13-4 triumph on Tuesday -- a day after the 48th anniversary, incidentally, of Bill Mazeroski's iconic winning homer in that 1960 World Series -- to take a firm 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
And here are the Red Sox, in a familiar jam.
It isn't like the Red Sox want to make a habit of leaping to life just as the closing credits start to roll, like the die-hard villain in some cheap horror flick.
This isn't by choice.
But for the third time in five Octobers, Boston faces a daunting comeback road, a journey that Daisuke Matsuzaka will have to kick-start when he rematches with James Shields in Thursday night's Game 5.
By taking each of the first two Fenway Park segments, the Rays have assured Tropicana Field of hosting more 2008 baseball. The only question is, will it be for the continuation of the ALCS, the start of the (gulp!) World Series or both?
Prospects of that are reminiscent of the final innings of the 2007 National League Championship Series, as fans at Coors Field hyperventilated while watching the final innings of the Rockies' sweep over the D-backs.
"The World Series ... coming here?! I can't believe it," they said while making their dazed ways through the stands. "I've watched it on TV all these years, and in a couple of days now, they'll be painting that World Series logo on this field."
So within a couple miles of the district known as the Back Bay, the Red Sox must begin to come back on Tampa Bay.
Matsuzaka gives them that hope because, before the Rays began abusing Boston's other starters, he had pitched brilliantly in the Red Sox's 2-0 Game 1 victory.
All the Red Sox's offense asks of Dice-K is the opportunity to take a lead for a change.
Despite Tuesday night's blowout loss, the Red Sox came out of it with a good, forward-looking feeling. Although held to seven hits by Andy Sonnanstine and a couple of relievers, the Sox felt they had at least as many hard shots that just didn't find any holes.
"A loss like that is easier to swallow than a 9-8 heartbreaker," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, alluding to a Game 2 defeat that took 11 innings. "A lot of our guys hit the ball hard, without having much to show for it. We didn't get a lot of bleeder hits [like the Rays did].
"I feel like we had a lot of great at-bats, but when they score 13 ... it's tough to win games like that."
In his series-opening assignment, Matsuzaka survived tempting the Rays with fits of wildness. He even wound up holding them hitless into the seventh inning.
That was a different, tentative team. Against the aggressive crew now on display, Dice-K is unlikely to get away with walking the bases loaded in the first.
The Red Sox hope that Wednesday's break in the ALCS schedule takes some wind out of the Rays' sails.
It is not an idle thought: The schedule was identical during the 2007 ALCS and, in retrospect, both the Red Sox and the Indians had considered the bye between Games 4 and 5 instrumental.
Boston, of course, had gone into that off-day trailing, 3-1, and came out of it with three wins and the AL pennant.
To draw attention to the circumstances would be to dwell on a negative, in the opinion of Tampa Bay's manager.
"I know a lot of times in these moments, you're going to draw parallels and comparisons," Maddon said. "But every situation is unique unto itself. I prefer not worrying about what happened in the past."
Well, not the near past. On the other hand, 1960 is fair game.
Who knew Maddon was projecting the Rays to play the part of the '60 Yankees -- the Bombers who won games by scores of 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0?
But there were the Rays following Monday's 9-1 win over the Red Sox with a 13-4 triumph on Tuesday -- a day after the 48th anniversary, incidentally, of Bill Mazeroski's iconic winning homer in that 1960 World Series -- to take a firm 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
And here are the Red Sox, in a familiar jam.
It isn't like the Red Sox want to make a habit of leaping to life just as the closing credits start to roll, like the die-hard villain in some cheap horror flick.
This isn't by choice.
But for the third time in five Octobers, Boston faces a daunting comeback road, a journey that Daisuke Matsuzaka will have to kick-start when he rematches with James Shields in Thursday night's Game 5.
By taking each of the first two Fenway Park segments, the Rays have assured Tropicana Field of hosting more 2008 baseball. The only question is, will it be for the continuation of the ALCS, the start of the (gulp!) World Series or both?
Prospects of that are reminiscent of the final innings of the 2007 National League Championship Series, as fans at Coors Field hyperventilated while watching the final innings of the Rockies' sweep over the D-backs.
"The World Series ... coming here?! I can't believe it," they said while making their dazed ways through the stands. "I've watched it on TV all these years, and in a couple of days now, they'll be painting that World Series logo on this field."
So within a couple miles of the district known as the Back Bay, the Red Sox must begin to come back on Tampa Bay.
Matsuzaka gives them that hope because, before the Rays began abusing Boston's other starters, he had pitched brilliantly in the Red Sox's 2-0 Game 1 victory.
All the Red Sox's offense asks of Dice-K is the opportunity to take a lead for a change.
Despite Tuesday night's blowout loss, the Red Sox came out of it with a good, forward-looking feeling. Although held to seven hits by Andy Sonnanstine and a couple of relievers, the Sox felt they had at least as many hard shots that just didn't find any holes.
"A loss like that is easier to swallow than a 9-8 heartbreaker," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, alluding to a Game 2 defeat that took 11 innings. "A lot of our guys hit the ball hard, without having much to show for it. We didn't get a lot of bleeder hits [like the Rays did].
"I feel like we had a lot of great at-bats, but when they score 13 ... it's tough to win games like that."
In his series-opening assignment, Matsuzaka survived tempting the Rays with fits of wildness. He even wound up holding them hitless into the seventh inning.
That was a different, tentative team. Against the aggressive crew now on display, Dice-K is unlikely to get away with walking the bases loaded in the first.
The Red Sox hope that Wednesday's break in the ALCS schedule takes some wind out of the Rays' sails.
It is not an idle thought: The schedule was identical during the 2007 ALCS and, in retrospect, both the Red Sox and the Indians had considered the bye between Games 4 and 5 instrumental.
Boston, of course, had gone into that off-day trailing, 3-1, and came out of it with three wins and the AL pennant.
To draw attention to the circumstances would be to dwell on a negative, in the opinion of Tampa Bay's manager.
"I know a lot of times in these moments, you're going to draw parallels and comparisons," Maddon said. "But every situation is unique unto itself. I prefer not worrying about what happened in the past."
Well, not the near past. On the other hand, 1960 is fair game.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Playoff series getting a bit 'crazy'
On this day exactly 23 years ago, Ozzie Smith hit one of the most dramatic homers in Cardinals history to win a pennant, and the great Jack Buck said: "Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!" They did, and maybe some people thought they would be going crazy over the Redbirds again right now.
On this day exactly 100 years ago, the Cubs won their last world championship. Maybe you expected them to be in pursuit of their next one right now, because they made it look so easy throughout the regular season.
On this day exactly 32 years ago, Chris Chambliss hit a walk-off homer and the Yankees won the first of three consecutive American League pennants. Maybe you thought they would be challenging for another one right now.
These are all important parts of Major League Baseball history worth recalling now, because it's just about celebration time and something very special is developing in a remarkably tense and much-watched postseason that probably no one had in mind. Folks are indeed going crazy, and amazed by what they are seeing.
In what may have been the last occurrence of more than one Major League game on the same day in 2008, the unbelievable Rays shocked the defending champion Red Sox and a Fenway Park crowd with a 9-1 rout that gave them a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series. Then the Phillies survived a magnificent thriller as 40-year-old Matt Stairs hit a two-run pinch-homer off Dodgers power pitcher Jonathan Broxton to give his team a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.
It has been an improbable postseason ever since the White Sox beat the Twins in a one-game tiebreaker to set a field of eight that confounded all of the preseason prognosticators. We knew it would be different, but what we didn't know was how fun, how fabulous, how full of stars and personalities new and old, how replete it would be with spectacular plays like Andre Ethier's diving catch or Chase Utley's unassisted double-play dive to end an inning on Monday.
Great moments sometimes get lost in the final score, but who will ever forget the way Kevin Youkilis -- playing third base and in this case more like shortstop because of the shift for Carlos Pena -- scooped a ball, faked a throw to first baseman Mark Kotsay and tossed the ball to shortstop Alex Cora at second base to retire B.J. Upton? It was one of the best defensive plays you'll ever see in a postseason, and there have been glorious ones.
This has been entertaining, stupefying, and just plain watched. The Pennant Traces area on MLB.com has plenty of documentation about who's watching whom, and why we're all watching someone. In addition to dramatically high traffic numbers on the Site, just consider these facts reported in the Red Sox postgame notes:
Entering Monday's twin bill, the 2008 League Championship Series on FOX and TBS had averaged a 4.3 HH rating, marking an eight percent increase (4.3 vs. 4.0) compared to coverage through the same point last year (4.0 HH rating). The growth in household rating has been accompanied by even more significant increases among viewers and key demographics. The increase for Adults 18-34 has been a 27-percent jump, and for men in that age group it has been a 30-percent increase.
In addition, many fans are breathing in every moment on their iPhone with the enormously popular MLB At-Bat app (see TV commercial) and on their BlackBerry devices with the Playoff Alerts and the live MLB.com Gameday Audio. Many are watching around the world with the MLB.TV International subscription. Consumption habits are greater this series than ever, with TV ratings only part (the biggest part) of the total immersion available for the modern fan.
You have to be totally immersed, have to go crazy, no matter whether your team is involved or gone fishing, because there is so much drama to follow and there are so many questions yet to be answered. They are questions such as:
• Is this just another Red Sox ALCS? In 2004, no one overcame harder odds than Boston, coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to eliminate the Yankees on the way to the first Red Sox world championship in 86 years. Last fall, the Indians took a 3-1 series lead and could have clinched at home in five. But Josh Beckett outpitched CC Sabathia, and the Red Sox finished the year on a seven-game winning streak.
• Will this be the greatest baseball story ever told in terms of one year to the next? The Rays lost 66 games last year, and this year they won 96. They have a 2-1 series lead over the champs. Other teams improved by more than 30 wins from one year to the other, but we're talking about the Tampa Bay Rays. You cannot possibly watch a single inning of this miracle story and not take their past into consideration, and just marvel at how refreshingly fun and talented they are now. They are two wins away from having home-field advantage in a World Series, and they were the best home team in baseball this season. It is starting to get very real.
• Has anyone ever made it look easier in a postseason than Manny Ramirez? This is starting to be like what Babe Ruth must have felt when he hit the supposed "called shot" at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series. The Bambino had to feel like he could do anything in those days. When you watch Ramirez now, you know -- there isn't even a modicum of doubt -- that he's getting on-base and jacking up his MLB-wide value in the process. Was that really Charlie Manuel ordering Ramirez to be intentionally walked in the first inning despite the Phillies taking a quick two-run lead?
• Could that Ramirez reunion in Boston still happen? Or are we watching the opposite scenario unfold? The course being charted right now is Phillies vs. Rays, which would feature two teams that hold neighboring Spring Training camps on the Gulf Coast. Brad Lidge is still perfect, Shane Victorino is everywhere, and the average Phillies fan is not old enough to remember what it feels like to win a World Series, but he or she is starting to feel a long-awaited opportunity coming on.
On this day exactly five years ago, the unthinkable happened to the Cubs in Game 6 of the NLCS. A 3-0 lead in that game slipped away because of a chain of events that most everyone recalls, and the Marlins won that night and the next to make it a successful comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. Such a comeback has only happened to two of the 11 teams that have trailed by 3-1 in an NLCS, but that one is still fresh and something for Dodgers fans to hold on to at this point.
On this day exactly 16 years ago, Canada won its first pennant thanks to the Blue Jays, and the Braves won the pennant when Sid Bream slid home safely on Francisco Cabrera's legendary pinch-hit. The Marlins won their first pennant on this date in 1997, and Adam Kennedy got the Angels into their first World Series on this date in 2002.
Just two years ago today, Magglio Ordonez hit a three-run walk-off shot to put the Tigers back into their first Fall Classic in more than two decades. It was pennant-winning time then. No pennants will be won on this day, because the NLCS has a day off and it's Andy Sonnanstine vs. Tim Wakefield as Game 4 of the wild ALCS begins at 8:07 p.m. ET inside "America's Most Beloved Ballpark."
It will be a full moon, too. Just sayin'.
On this day exactly 100 years ago, the Cubs won their last world championship. Maybe you expected them to be in pursuit of their next one right now, because they made it look so easy throughout the regular season.
On this day exactly 32 years ago, Chris Chambliss hit a walk-off homer and the Yankees won the first of three consecutive American League pennants. Maybe you thought they would be challenging for another one right now.
These are all important parts of Major League Baseball history worth recalling now, because it's just about celebration time and something very special is developing in a remarkably tense and much-watched postseason that probably no one had in mind. Folks are indeed going crazy, and amazed by what they are seeing.
In what may have been the last occurrence of more than one Major League game on the same day in 2008, the unbelievable Rays shocked the defending champion Red Sox and a Fenway Park crowd with a 9-1 rout that gave them a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series. Then the Phillies survived a magnificent thriller as 40-year-old Matt Stairs hit a two-run pinch-homer off Dodgers power pitcher Jonathan Broxton to give his team a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.
It has been an improbable postseason ever since the White Sox beat the Twins in a one-game tiebreaker to set a field of eight that confounded all of the preseason prognosticators. We knew it would be different, but what we didn't know was how fun, how fabulous, how full of stars and personalities new and old, how replete it would be with spectacular plays like Andre Ethier's diving catch or Chase Utley's unassisted double-play dive to end an inning on Monday.
Great moments sometimes get lost in the final score, but who will ever forget the way Kevin Youkilis -- playing third base and in this case more like shortstop because of the shift for Carlos Pena -- scooped a ball, faked a throw to first baseman Mark Kotsay and tossed the ball to shortstop Alex Cora at second base to retire B.J. Upton? It was one of the best defensive plays you'll ever see in a postseason, and there have been glorious ones.
This has been entertaining, stupefying, and just plain watched. The Pennant Traces area on MLB.com has plenty of documentation about who's watching whom, and why we're all watching someone. In addition to dramatically high traffic numbers on the Site, just consider these facts reported in the Red Sox postgame notes:
Entering Monday's twin bill, the 2008 League Championship Series on FOX and TBS had averaged a 4.3 HH rating, marking an eight percent increase (4.3 vs. 4.0) compared to coverage through the same point last year (4.0 HH rating). The growth in household rating has been accompanied by even more significant increases among viewers and key demographics. The increase for Adults 18-34 has been a 27-percent jump, and for men in that age group it has been a 30-percent increase.
In addition, many fans are breathing in every moment on their iPhone with the enormously popular MLB At-Bat app (see TV commercial) and on their BlackBerry devices with the Playoff Alerts and the live MLB.com Gameday Audio. Many are watching around the world with the MLB.TV International subscription. Consumption habits are greater this series than ever, with TV ratings only part (the biggest part) of the total immersion available for the modern fan.
You have to be totally immersed, have to go crazy, no matter whether your team is involved or gone fishing, because there is so much drama to follow and there are so many questions yet to be answered. They are questions such as:
• Is this just another Red Sox ALCS? In 2004, no one overcame harder odds than Boston, coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to eliminate the Yankees on the way to the first Red Sox world championship in 86 years. Last fall, the Indians took a 3-1 series lead and could have clinched at home in five. But Josh Beckett outpitched CC Sabathia, and the Red Sox finished the year on a seven-game winning streak.
• Will this be the greatest baseball story ever told in terms of one year to the next? The Rays lost 66 games last year, and this year they won 96. They have a 2-1 series lead over the champs. Other teams improved by more than 30 wins from one year to the other, but we're talking about the Tampa Bay Rays. You cannot possibly watch a single inning of this miracle story and not take their past into consideration, and just marvel at how refreshingly fun and talented they are now. They are two wins away from having home-field advantage in a World Series, and they were the best home team in baseball this season. It is starting to get very real.
• Has anyone ever made it look easier in a postseason than Manny Ramirez? This is starting to be like what Babe Ruth must have felt when he hit the supposed "called shot" at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series. The Bambino had to feel like he could do anything in those days. When you watch Ramirez now, you know -- there isn't even a modicum of doubt -- that he's getting on-base and jacking up his MLB-wide value in the process. Was that really Charlie Manuel ordering Ramirez to be intentionally walked in the first inning despite the Phillies taking a quick two-run lead?
• Could that Ramirez reunion in Boston still happen? Or are we watching the opposite scenario unfold? The course being charted right now is Phillies vs. Rays, which would feature two teams that hold neighboring Spring Training camps on the Gulf Coast. Brad Lidge is still perfect, Shane Victorino is everywhere, and the average Phillies fan is not old enough to remember what it feels like to win a World Series, but he or she is starting to feel a long-awaited opportunity coming on.
On this day exactly five years ago, the unthinkable happened to the Cubs in Game 6 of the NLCS. A 3-0 lead in that game slipped away because of a chain of events that most everyone recalls, and the Marlins won that night and the next to make it a successful comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. Such a comeback has only happened to two of the 11 teams that have trailed by 3-1 in an NLCS, but that one is still fresh and something for Dodgers fans to hold on to at this point.
On this day exactly 16 years ago, Canada won its first pennant thanks to the Blue Jays, and the Braves won the pennant when Sid Bream slid home safely on Francisco Cabrera's legendary pinch-hit. The Marlins won their first pennant on this date in 1997, and Adam Kennedy got the Angels into their first World Series on this date in 2002.
Just two years ago today, Magglio Ordonez hit a three-run walk-off shot to put the Tigers back into their first Fall Classic in more than two decades. It was pennant-winning time then. No pennants will be won on this day, because the NLCS has a day off and it's Andy Sonnanstine vs. Tim Wakefield as Game 4 of the wild ALCS begins at 8:07 p.m. ET inside "America's Most Beloved Ballpark."
It will be a full moon, too. Just sayin'.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win
LOS ANGELES - It's easy to forget that the Dodgers are still so young, still going through growing pains, still learning Baseball 101.
On Sunday night, they took a major step forward, and not simply by trouncing the Phillies, 7-2, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers had rolled over in Game 2 after Phillies right-hander Brett Myers brushed back Russell Martin and threw behind Manny Ramirez.
On Sunday night, the Dodgers collectively said, "Enough."
The Rays matured as a club by refusing to be intimidated this season in a series of incidents with their two biggest rivals, the Yankees and Red Sox.
Against the Phillies, a team of rough-and-tumble veterans, the Dodgers needed to grow up or go home.
"They're really aggressive. They pitch really aggressive," Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp said of the Phillies. "But we can play the same game as them."
On Sunday night, they did.
You saw it: Martin getting hit by Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer in the first inning, then knocked down by reliever Clay Condrey in the second.
Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda throwing over Shane Victorino's head in the third, then the benches emptying after Victorino hit into an inning-ending groundout, lots of pushing, shoving and shouting, but no punches thrown.
Such a moment was coming, and its genesis goes back further than Game 2, when Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley failed to retaliate on behalf of Ramirez, the Dodgers' leading slugger. Billingsley also did nothing after Giants right-hander Matt Cain hit Ramirez in the head on Aug. 10.
Ramirez was livid with Billingsley over what happened in Philadelphia, "as mad as I've seen him," one Dodger said. Other Dodgers also were angry at the pitcher, who is 24 and just completing his second full season. Martin, the catcher, also bore responsibility. He already is an All-Star but still just 25.
The Dodgers privately have expressed frustration with Martin at various points this season, wanting him to be more diligent on the defensive end, more of a young Jason Varitek. Perhaps, after what happened Sunday night, he will begin to see things differently.
"We definitely needed to do something," Martin said. "As a pitching staff, the opposing team has to be aware of the ball 'in.' It kind of changes the game, changes the approach a little bit."
Understand, this isn't about injuring opponents or engaging in some silly, macho one-upsmanship. This is about throwing inside to keep hitters from diving across the plate to reach balls outside. Baseball 101.
After Myers backed Martin off the plate in Game 2, he struck him out on a breaking ball away. That's what Ramirez wanted from his own pitcher. That's the way the sport is intended to be played.
Ramirez explained the source of his frustration in Game 2, saying, "We didn't send a message." Kuroda, a Japanese pitcher in his first major-league season, corrected the problem on Sunday night. No translation necessary.
Victorino objected that the pitch was in the direction of his head and not his ribs, though FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver, a former major-league catcher, pointed out that a pitch over a hitter's head actually is less dangerous than one behind it.
In any case, a series that threatened to turn into a yawner suddenly could become a barnburner. The Phillies aren't going to stop pitching inside, and neither should the Dodgers. If hitters protest, so be it.
Right-hander Derek Lowe will start Game 4 for the Dodgers on three days rest, facing Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton. Lowe needs to atone for blowing a 2-0 lead in Game 1 by allowing two homers in the sixth inning. Dodger Stadium will be absolutely electric, as it was Sunday night.
The crowd could tell: The Dodgers are growing up.
"For sure," Kemp said. "It showed today."
On Sunday night, they took a major step forward, and not simply by trouncing the Phillies, 7-2, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers had rolled over in Game 2 after Phillies right-hander Brett Myers brushed back Russell Martin and threw behind Manny Ramirez.
On Sunday night, the Dodgers collectively said, "Enough."
The Rays matured as a club by refusing to be intimidated this season in a series of incidents with their two biggest rivals, the Yankees and Red Sox.
Against the Phillies, a team of rough-and-tumble veterans, the Dodgers needed to grow up or go home.
"They're really aggressive. They pitch really aggressive," Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp said of the Phillies. "But we can play the same game as them."
On Sunday night, they did.
You saw it: Martin getting hit by Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer in the first inning, then knocked down by reliever Clay Condrey in the second.
Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda throwing over Shane Victorino's head in the third, then the benches emptying after Victorino hit into an inning-ending groundout, lots of pushing, shoving and shouting, but no punches thrown.
Such a moment was coming, and its genesis goes back further than Game 2, when Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley failed to retaliate on behalf of Ramirez, the Dodgers' leading slugger. Billingsley also did nothing after Giants right-hander Matt Cain hit Ramirez in the head on Aug. 10.
Ramirez was livid with Billingsley over what happened in Philadelphia, "as mad as I've seen him," one Dodger said. Other Dodgers also were angry at the pitcher, who is 24 and just completing his second full season. Martin, the catcher, also bore responsibility. He already is an All-Star but still just 25.
The Dodgers privately have expressed frustration with Martin at various points this season, wanting him to be more diligent on the defensive end, more of a young Jason Varitek. Perhaps, after what happened Sunday night, he will begin to see things differently.
"We definitely needed to do something," Martin said. "As a pitching staff, the opposing team has to be aware of the ball 'in.' It kind of changes the game, changes the approach a little bit."
Understand, this isn't about injuring opponents or engaging in some silly, macho one-upsmanship. This is about throwing inside to keep hitters from diving across the plate to reach balls outside. Baseball 101.
After Myers backed Martin off the plate in Game 2, he struck him out on a breaking ball away. That's what Ramirez wanted from his own pitcher. That's the way the sport is intended to be played.
Ramirez explained the source of his frustration in Game 2, saying, "We didn't send a message." Kuroda, a Japanese pitcher in his first major-league season, corrected the problem on Sunday night. No translation necessary.
Victorino objected that the pitch was in the direction of his head and not his ribs, though FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver, a former major-league catcher, pointed out that a pitch over a hitter's head actually is less dangerous than one behind it.
In any case, a series that threatened to turn into a yawner suddenly could become a barnburner. The Phillies aren't going to stop pitching inside, and neither should the Dodgers. If hitters protest, so be it.
Right-hander Derek Lowe will start Game 4 for the Dodgers on three days rest, facing Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton. Lowe needs to atone for blowing a 2-0 lead in Game 1 by allowing two homers in the sixth inning. Dodger Stadium will be absolutely electric, as it was Sunday night.
The crowd could tell: The Dodgers are growing up.
"For sure," Kemp said. "It showed today."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Citigroup ends Wachovia dispute
US financial giant Citigroup says it will not seek to bar Wells Fargo from taking over troubled bank Wachovia.
Citigroup said it was walking away from talks aimed at dividing up Wachovia's assets with rival Wells Fargo.
However, Citigroup said it would still seek damages from the two banks over its thwarted attempt to secure Wachovia's banking operations.
Hit hard by the credit crisis, Wachovia was keen secure what it saw as the better offer from Wells Fargo.
"Citi believes that it has strong legal claims against Wachovia, Wells Fargo and their officers, directors, advisors and others for breach of contract," the US banking group said in a statement.
"However, Citigroup has decided not to ask that the Wells Fargo-Wachovia merger be enjoined."
Wachovia said it was pleased that Citigroup was ending its efforts to stop it merging with Wells Fargo.
Danger
Wachovia, the fourth largest US bank, had been in danger of failure after its share price fell by more than 70%.
Citigroup stepped in with a bid of $2.2bn (£1.3bn) in stock for Wachovia's banking activities.
The offer also covered $42bn of Wachovia's $312bn losses, with the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation absorbing the rest.
However, Wells Fargo later made a rival bid of $15bn in an all-stock deal to buy all of Wachovia, stressing its proposal involved no government intervention or taxpayer risk.
Citigroup said it was walking away from talks aimed at dividing up Wachovia's assets with rival Wells Fargo.
However, Citigroup said it would still seek damages from the two banks over its thwarted attempt to secure Wachovia's banking operations.
Hit hard by the credit crisis, Wachovia was keen secure what it saw as the better offer from Wells Fargo.
"Citi believes that it has strong legal claims against Wachovia, Wells Fargo and their officers, directors, advisors and others for breach of contract," the US banking group said in a statement.
"However, Citigroup has decided not to ask that the Wells Fargo-Wachovia merger be enjoined."
Wachovia said it was pleased that Citigroup was ending its efforts to stop it merging with Wells Fargo.
Danger
Wachovia, the fourth largest US bank, had been in danger of failure after its share price fell by more than 70%.
Citigroup stepped in with a bid of $2.2bn (£1.3bn) in stock for Wachovia's banking activities.
The offer also covered $42bn of Wachovia's $312bn losses, with the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation absorbing the rest.
However, Wells Fargo later made a rival bid of $15bn in an all-stock deal to buy all of Wachovia, stressing its proposal involved no government intervention or taxpayer risk.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
10,000 Chinese children still sick from milk
More than 10,000 children remained hospitalized after being sickened in China's tainted milk scandal, eight of whom were in serious condition, officials said.
The Health Ministry said in a statement on its Web site Wednesday that 10,666 children were in hospitals after drinking milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, which can lead to kidney stones and possibly life-threatening kidney failure.
No new deaths have been recorded, it said. The scandal has so far been blamed for the deaths of four babies and the sickening of about 54,000 others in China.
But the effects of the scandal continue to be felt, forcing the government to deal with festering health and public relations issues. China's food exports have increasingly suffered, with more nations issuing import bans.
Singapore's food safety agency said Thursday that it found traces of melamine in three more Chinese-made products. The authority said the chemical was detected in samples of blueberry and chocolate flavored Cadbury Choclairs and Panda Dairy-brand Whole Milk Powder imported from China.
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at a meeting of health ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila that member nations should strengthen regulations to shield people from potentially harmful imports.
Dairy suppliers have been accused of adding melamine — used in products including plastics, paint and adhesives — to watered-down milk to make the product appear rich in protein and fool quality control tests.
There had been no standards for the amount of the chemical allowed in food products.
Under Health Ministry guidelines released Wednesday, melamine is now limited to one part per million for infant formula and 2.5 parts per million for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contain more than 15 percent milk.
Wang Xuening, a ministry official, acknowledged that small amounts of melamine can leech from the environment and packaging into milk and other foods, but said deliberate tainting was forbidden.
Levels of melamine discovered in batches of milk powder recently registered as much as 6,196 parts per million.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says its experts have concluded that eating 2.5 parts per million of melamine — a minuscule amount — would not raise health risks, even if a person ate food every day that contained it.
Guidelines in Hong Kong and New Zealand say melamine in food products is considered safe at 2.5 parts per million or less, though Hong Kong has lowered the level for children under 3 and pregnant or lactating women to one part per million.
China's food exports have suffered significantly from the scandal, with more than 30 countries restricting Chinese dairy products, and in some cases all Chinese food exports.
The Finance Ministry said Thursday the government has allocated $44 million to help dairy farmers who have been hurt by declining demand for milk. Many farmers have been tossing out raw milk as they are squeezed by feed costs they cannot recoup.
The Health Ministry said in a statement on its Web site Wednesday that 10,666 children were in hospitals after drinking milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, which can lead to kidney stones and possibly life-threatening kidney failure.
No new deaths have been recorded, it said. The scandal has so far been blamed for the deaths of four babies and the sickening of about 54,000 others in China.
But the effects of the scandal continue to be felt, forcing the government to deal with festering health and public relations issues. China's food exports have increasingly suffered, with more nations issuing import bans.
Singapore's food safety agency said Thursday that it found traces of melamine in three more Chinese-made products. The authority said the chemical was detected in samples of blueberry and chocolate flavored Cadbury Choclairs and Panda Dairy-brand Whole Milk Powder imported from China.
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at a meeting of health ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila that member nations should strengthen regulations to shield people from potentially harmful imports.
Dairy suppliers have been accused of adding melamine — used in products including plastics, paint and adhesives — to watered-down milk to make the product appear rich in protein and fool quality control tests.
There had been no standards for the amount of the chemical allowed in food products.
Under Health Ministry guidelines released Wednesday, melamine is now limited to one part per million for infant formula and 2.5 parts per million for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contain more than 15 percent milk.
Wang Xuening, a ministry official, acknowledged that small amounts of melamine can leech from the environment and packaging into milk and other foods, but said deliberate tainting was forbidden.
Levels of melamine discovered in batches of milk powder recently registered as much as 6,196 parts per million.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says its experts have concluded that eating 2.5 parts per million of melamine — a minuscule amount — would not raise health risks, even if a person ate food every day that contained it.
Guidelines in Hong Kong and New Zealand say melamine in food products is considered safe at 2.5 parts per million or less, though Hong Kong has lowered the level for children under 3 and pregnant or lactating women to one part per million.
China's food exports have suffered significantly from the scandal, with more than 30 countries restricting Chinese dairy products, and in some cases all Chinese food exports.
The Finance Ministry said Thursday the government has allocated $44 million to help dairy farmers who have been hurt by declining demand for milk. Many farmers have been tossing out raw milk as they are squeezed by feed costs they cannot recoup.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Boston knew what was coming from Angels
When sitting down to dissect what awaited them against the Angels in the American League Division Series, the Red Sox brass made a miscalculation.
"One thing we screwed up was we couldn't get air conditioning in our hotel room," said Boston general manger Theo Epstein.
Other than that, it was hard to find fault in the Red Sox's game plan.
Starting with a four-plus-hour get-together in the uncomfortable 85-degree makeshift meeting room, the Sox's plan of attack against the Angels did nothing to dissuade the notion that this team has established a leg up when it comes to the process of preparation for the postseason.
The final result was a 3-1 series victory over Los Angeles, which was punctuated by the Sox's walk-off, 3-2 win Monday night at Fenway Park. There were several intricacies that could be found within the Red Sox's successes that helped define the team's latest postseason triumph.
It has become clear to all of baseball that when it comes to building a blueprint for playoff victories, there is nobody better than the Sox.
"Right from the get-go, six years ago, we identified that as an area we might be able to get an edge," said Epstein regarding the team's approach to scouting for the playoffs. "It's an area where if you ignore it can burn you. And if you emphasize it, it can be a competitive advantage. We've changed personnel along the way, we changed format a little bit along the way and we've allocated our resources. I think as our players, manager and coaching staff have bought into the system, it has taken it to a whole new level."
The foundation for the Red Sox's plan heading into the Angels' series was the advance scouting work done by David Howard and Dana Levangie. After the pair built their reports regarding the Angels, they were brought in to address the organization's decision-makers and coaching staff to start formulating a plan of attack.
"We have a free-flow of ideas," Epstein said. "A real discourse to try and get the right answers."
It appeared as though the Red Sox most likely got the majority of their answers right when it came to taking on the Angels.
The most memorable instance of the Sox putting themselves in position to succeed came on what was most likely the second-biggest play of Monday night's game, a failed squeeze play in which L.A.'s Erick Aybar missed a Manny Delcarmen fastball with Reggie Willits at third base, representing the go-ahead run.
While it was imperative Delcarmen throw a strike after falling behind 2-0 with two inside heaters, the buzz throughout the Red Sox dugout during Aybar's at-bat revolved around the warnings handed out in the team's pre-series meeting.
"That squeeze, you had the feeling it was going to happen," said Red Sox infielder Alex Cora. "It was amazing."
It was a combination that added up when remembering the scouting report: A "70" (above average) runner in Willits and the most proficient bunter on the Angels, Aybar, at-bat, having already put down a team-leading nine bunt hits and nine sacrifice bunts this season.
"They'd done it to us multiple times," said Red Sox catcher Jason Vartiek. "Since I'd been here, they have ... We were very aware of it. (Bench coach Brad Mills) was aware of it. Even Manny (Delcarmen) was. We discussed it before he made any pitches."
As important as that one play was in deciding the outcome of the series, it was the consistent stream of execution that made the biggest difference. For example, the scouting of the Angels' middle of the order became vital in limiting the power production of Mark Teixeira and Vladlimir Guerrero.
"We've seen these guys so many times I think the scouting report validated what we saw in those nine games," said Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. "Teixeira was probably the biggest unknown coming in and someone we might pitch around to manage the lineup."
If the Red Sox had their choice in a big spot, they were going to let Guerrero beat them, not Teixeira. While pitching around the L.A. first baseman, the Sox clearly had a specific plan of attack against the Angels' cleanup hitter.
Boston pitchers were told to go with hard stuff, up and in, as much as possible against Guerrero, before ultimately finishing him off low and away. The report said that the more you were able to get inside with the free-swinging slugger, the more aggressive he would get, potentially chasing a ball out of the zone.
But perhaps the most trouble the Sox had with any Angels hitter was catcher Mike Napoli, who they hadn't seen as much as the other L.A. catcher, Jeff Mathis, in the teams' previous meetings.
"They told us he's as hot as anybody on the team," said Sox catcher Kevin Cash. "Don't give him any get-me-over curveballs, and no strike breaking balls. He gets a strike breaking ball and hits it off the lights. Still, you always have to take into account that it's a Josh Beckett breaking ball and not just an average one. But I don't know if there is a more prepared team in terms of what they give us." Silkroad gold
After the game, Angels starter John Lackey claimed, "We are way better than they are. We lost to a team not as good as us." buy warhammer gold
That declaration, however, was clearly dismissing the entire package, one which included an advantage the Sox have proven they possess in the postseason — preparation. wow power leveling
"They don't tell you exactly what you need to do. They tell you strengths and weaknesses and points of interest," Beckett said. "They don't overload you with (expletive). They simplify it. It's pretty impressive."buy wow gold
"One thing we screwed up was we couldn't get air conditioning in our hotel room," said Boston general manger Theo Epstein.
Other than that, it was hard to find fault in the Red Sox's game plan.
Starting with a four-plus-hour get-together in the uncomfortable 85-degree makeshift meeting room, the Sox's plan of attack against the Angels did nothing to dissuade the notion that this team has established a leg up when it comes to the process of preparation for the postseason.
The final result was a 3-1 series victory over Los Angeles, which was punctuated by the Sox's walk-off, 3-2 win Monday night at Fenway Park. There were several intricacies that could be found within the Red Sox's successes that helped define the team's latest postseason triumph.
It has become clear to all of baseball that when it comes to building a blueprint for playoff victories, there is nobody better than the Sox.
"Right from the get-go, six years ago, we identified that as an area we might be able to get an edge," said Epstein regarding the team's approach to scouting for the playoffs. "It's an area where if you ignore it can burn you. And if you emphasize it, it can be a competitive advantage. We've changed personnel along the way, we changed format a little bit along the way and we've allocated our resources. I think as our players, manager and coaching staff have bought into the system, it has taken it to a whole new level."
The foundation for the Red Sox's plan heading into the Angels' series was the advance scouting work done by David Howard and Dana Levangie. After the pair built their reports regarding the Angels, they were brought in to address the organization's decision-makers and coaching staff to start formulating a plan of attack.
"We have a free-flow of ideas," Epstein said. "A real discourse to try and get the right answers."
It appeared as though the Red Sox most likely got the majority of their answers right when it came to taking on the Angels.
The most memorable instance of the Sox putting themselves in position to succeed came on what was most likely the second-biggest play of Monday night's game, a failed squeeze play in which L.A.'s Erick Aybar missed a Manny Delcarmen fastball with Reggie Willits at third base, representing the go-ahead run.
While it was imperative Delcarmen throw a strike after falling behind 2-0 with two inside heaters, the buzz throughout the Red Sox dugout during Aybar's at-bat revolved around the warnings handed out in the team's pre-series meeting.
"That squeeze, you had the feeling it was going to happen," said Red Sox infielder Alex Cora. "It was amazing."
It was a combination that added up when remembering the scouting report: A "70" (above average) runner in Willits and the most proficient bunter on the Angels, Aybar, at-bat, having already put down a team-leading nine bunt hits and nine sacrifice bunts this season.
"They'd done it to us multiple times," said Red Sox catcher Jason Vartiek. "Since I'd been here, they have ... We were very aware of it. (Bench coach Brad Mills) was aware of it. Even Manny (Delcarmen) was. We discussed it before he made any pitches."
As important as that one play was in deciding the outcome of the series, it was the consistent stream of execution that made the biggest difference. For example, the scouting of the Angels' middle of the order became vital in limiting the power production of Mark Teixeira and Vladlimir Guerrero.
"We've seen these guys so many times I think the scouting report validated what we saw in those nine games," said Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. "Teixeira was probably the biggest unknown coming in and someone we might pitch around to manage the lineup."
If the Red Sox had their choice in a big spot, they were going to let Guerrero beat them, not Teixeira. While pitching around the L.A. first baseman, the Sox clearly had a specific plan of attack against the Angels' cleanup hitter.
Boston pitchers were told to go with hard stuff, up and in, as much as possible against Guerrero, before ultimately finishing him off low and away. The report said that the more you were able to get inside with the free-swinging slugger, the more aggressive he would get, potentially chasing a ball out of the zone.
But perhaps the most trouble the Sox had with any Angels hitter was catcher Mike Napoli, who they hadn't seen as much as the other L.A. catcher, Jeff Mathis, in the teams' previous meetings.
"They told us he's as hot as anybody on the team," said Sox catcher Kevin Cash. "Don't give him any get-me-over curveballs, and no strike breaking balls. He gets a strike breaking ball and hits it off the lights. Still, you always have to take into account that it's a Josh Beckett breaking ball and not just an average one. But I don't know if there is a more prepared team in terms of what they give us." Silkroad gold
After the game, Angels starter John Lackey claimed, "We are way better than they are. We lost to a team not as good as us." buy warhammer gold
That declaration, however, was clearly dismissing the entire package, one which included an advantage the Sox have proven they possess in the postseason — preparation. wow power leveling
"They don't tell you exactly what you need to do. They tell you strengths and weaknesses and points of interest," Beckett said. "They don't overload you with (expletive). They simplify it. It's pretty impressive."buy wow gold
Monday, October 6, 2008
Profile: OJ Simpson
The story of Orenthal James - "OJ" - Simpson is that of the fall of a hero.
OJ Simpson is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Convicted of armed robbery and conspiracy to kidnap by a Las Vegas district court, Simpson may be facing life imprisonment 13 years to the day after being cleared of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
That trial started in 1995 and containing the blockbuster ingredients of money, murder and sex, gripped the country for an entire year.
OJ's latest court appearance in a trial that lasted less than three weeks attracted much less interest - until the verdict was announced late on Friday 3 October.
Heaving a heavy sigh as the charges were read, could the once all-American football hero and Hollywood star have been reflecting on the broken shards of his once-charmed life?
Turning point
Before 1994, Simpson was regarded with affection by the public, well known as a professional athlete, actor and million-dollar spokesman for several US companies.
Things appeared to always work out for "the Juice". He had gone from the San Francisco ghetto, where he grew up, to a home in the wealthy boulevards of West Los Angeles via a glittering American football career.
It all changed when he became the main suspect in his ex-wife's murder. Millions of Americans watched as the police chased his white Bronco car for 90 minutes live on TV. He finally gave himself up outside his LA home.
Throughout his career OJ had worked hard to rise above race and become an all-American hero.
In 1969, in an interview with the New York Times, he stated that his biggest accomplishment was that "people looked at me like a man, not a black man".
But years later, in the courtroom, the issue of his colour could not be ignored.
His lawyer Johnnie Cochran was accused of playing the "race card" to a largely black jury after suggesting that police had planted evidence in an attempt to frame Simpson because he was a black superstar.
And the verdict divided US opinion along racial lines. There was widespread outrage among white Americans after Simpson walked free.
The trial led many to ask the question: Who was the real OJ Simpson?
There was no denying that he had been very much loved by the public who viewed him as gentle, generous, hard-working and charismatic. He and Nicole Brown, whom he married in 1985, played the perfect, handsome couple.
But the court case threw up a darker side, with the prosecution's emphasis on Simpson's violent relationship with his ex-wife.
There was the now-infamous incident of New Year's Day 1989 when police were summoned to their home to find Nicole outside, her eye blackened and her lip bloodied. She fell into an officer's arms, sobbing and screaming: "He's going to kill me."
Nicole decided not to press charges, but the city attorney went ahead and prosecuted OJ for spousal battery. He was fined and given two years' probation.
The couple remained together for another three volatile years before they divorced.
All-American hero
Simpson was born in 1947. He was a bow-legged child who had rickets, but was able to escape the San Francisco slums by the fact that he was an extremely good runner. He eventually went on to become one of the top running backs in American football history.
He attended the University of Southern California, where he was named the country's top college football player in 1968. He then moved to Buffalo, New York, where he spent most of his career.
In 1979, he was forced to retire due to injuries. By then, however, he was making his mark as a Hollywood actor.
Between 1973 and 1994, he appeared in more than 20 films including The Towering Inferno and the Naked Gun films. He also won some lucrative television advertising deals.
After the 1995 trial, things were never the same for Simpson. He was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial brought by the Brown and Goldman family and ordered to pay them $33.5m in damages.
This money has not been paid, and OJ has remained out of work because any money earned would have to be handed over to the Brown and Goldman family. He does, however, receive a pension from his sporting career.
He has pursued a relatively quiet life, playing golf and focusing on his four children - two from his first marriage to a childhood sweetheart in the 1960s and two from his marriage to Nicole.
Last year, he was back in the spotlight, after a deal $3.5m ($1.8m) he reached with Rupert Murdoch's broadcasting and publishing companies sparked public outrage.
The deal included the publication of Simpson's ghost-written, "hypothetical" account of the murders, If I Did It, as well as an interview for Fox TV.
The project was shelved at the time, but this year, a court in Florida awarded the rights of the book to the Goldman family, partly to satisfy the unpaid civil judgement.
It was published by an American company in September.
OJ Simpson is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Convicted of armed robbery and conspiracy to kidnap by a Las Vegas district court, Simpson may be facing life imprisonment 13 years to the day after being cleared of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
That trial started in 1995 and containing the blockbuster ingredients of money, murder and sex, gripped the country for an entire year.
OJ's latest court appearance in a trial that lasted less than three weeks attracted much less interest - until the verdict was announced late on Friday 3 October.
Heaving a heavy sigh as the charges were read, could the once all-American football hero and Hollywood star have been reflecting on the broken shards of his once-charmed life?
Turning point
Before 1994, Simpson was regarded with affection by the public, well known as a professional athlete, actor and million-dollar spokesman for several US companies.
Things appeared to always work out for "the Juice". He had gone from the San Francisco ghetto, where he grew up, to a home in the wealthy boulevards of West Los Angeles via a glittering American football career.
It all changed when he became the main suspect in his ex-wife's murder. Millions of Americans watched as the police chased his white Bronco car for 90 minutes live on TV. He finally gave himself up outside his LA home.
Throughout his career OJ had worked hard to rise above race and become an all-American hero.
In 1969, in an interview with the New York Times, he stated that his biggest accomplishment was that "people looked at me like a man, not a black man".
But years later, in the courtroom, the issue of his colour could not be ignored.
His lawyer Johnnie Cochran was accused of playing the "race card" to a largely black jury after suggesting that police had planted evidence in an attempt to frame Simpson because he was a black superstar.
And the verdict divided US opinion along racial lines. There was widespread outrage among white Americans after Simpson walked free.
The trial led many to ask the question: Who was the real OJ Simpson?
There was no denying that he had been very much loved by the public who viewed him as gentle, generous, hard-working and charismatic. He and Nicole Brown, whom he married in 1985, played the perfect, handsome couple.
But the court case threw up a darker side, with the prosecution's emphasis on Simpson's violent relationship with his ex-wife.
There was the now-infamous incident of New Year's Day 1989 when police were summoned to their home to find Nicole outside, her eye blackened and her lip bloodied. She fell into an officer's arms, sobbing and screaming: "He's going to kill me."
Nicole decided not to press charges, but the city attorney went ahead and prosecuted OJ for spousal battery. He was fined and given two years' probation.
The couple remained together for another three volatile years before they divorced.
All-American hero
Simpson was born in 1947. He was a bow-legged child who had rickets, but was able to escape the San Francisco slums by the fact that he was an extremely good runner. He eventually went on to become one of the top running backs in American football history.
He attended the University of Southern California, where he was named the country's top college football player in 1968. He then moved to Buffalo, New York, where he spent most of his career.
In 1979, he was forced to retire due to injuries. By then, however, he was making his mark as a Hollywood actor.
Between 1973 and 1994, he appeared in more than 20 films including The Towering Inferno and the Naked Gun films. He also won some lucrative television advertising deals.
After the 1995 trial, things were never the same for Simpson. He was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial brought by the Brown and Goldman family and ordered to pay them $33.5m in damages.
This money has not been paid, and OJ has remained out of work because any money earned would have to be handed over to the Brown and Goldman family. He does, however, receive a pension from his sporting career.
He has pursued a relatively quiet life, playing golf and focusing on his four children - two from his first marriage to a childhood sweetheart in the 1960s and two from his marriage to Nicole.
Last year, he was back in the spotlight, after a deal $3.5m ($1.8m) he reached with Rupert Murdoch's broadcasting and publishing companies sparked public outrage.
The deal included the publication of Simpson's ghost-written, "hypothetical" account of the murders, If I Did It, as well as an interview for Fox TV.
The project was shelved at the time, but this year, a court in Florida awarded the rights of the book to the Goldman family, partly to satisfy the unpaid civil judgement.
It was published by an American company in September.
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