baseball and stuff...

5.6 magnitude earthquake out of Alum Rock!

2007-10-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

AHHHHHHH!

8:16 p.m.
still here at work with two others and I just freaked out! I felt like yelling, crying, huddling all at once! I'm here in burlingame and it felt like a pretty solid shake, for a loooong while, then it went into a rolling motion for even longer! Looks like it was a 5.6 magnitude out of alum rock. hope you are all well.

I don't have my cellie with me so i'm especially nervous! Seriously, this was a very scary earthquake. I hope people in the South Bay are okay...

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/index.html

Best team vs. Best pitcher in the bigs!

2007-06-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. What an incredible game tonight at McAfee Coliseum. The Oakland Athletics' Dan Haren started against MLB's winningest team, the Boston Red Sox. *(Haren's ERA: 1.70 *at gametime tonight, he was touted as the MLB Pitching ERA leader, but it looks like San Diego's Peavy has the actual title at 1.68). Haren was absolutely solid tonight, having retired 14 consecutive hitters at one point.

And, not only does Mark Ellis hit for the cycle tonight for the first time in his career (only made possible in extra innings! whew...), but Eric Chavez' bat lit up in the bottom of the 11th with his walk-off homer.

In Giants news, what about Klesko's homerun reaction today in Philadelphia - classic!

Fred Lewis, I dub thee Player of the Day!

2007-05-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Rookie Fred Lewis hit for the cycle in Colorado today! His Double, then Homerun, and subsequent Triple all went opposite. It was a sight to behold.

An unlikely hero tonight...

2007-05-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, no triples. Not even any homeruns. But we saw some great baseball tonight, complete with an SF Giants WIN, intense 2-out rallies, stolen bases, clutch pinch-hits, dropped flyballs... and it was an absolutely gorgeous night at the ballpark.

Eliezer Alfonzo was our unlikely hero tonight with an absolutely clutch pinch-hit 3-run double in the 7th! And this was after his 3-for-3 performance last night!

Brad Hennessey looked so strong, in relief, tonight. Slick and solid. And while I'm more prone to despise our opponents for their abilities, there are some players that I just can't seem to hate. Jamie Moyer, for example - I still really enjoy watching him pitch. He just made some of our guys look like fools at the plate (though some of those pitiful plate appearances weren't so much about Moyer's skill, but the G-Men's sloppiness). Another guy on my "despise-him-so-much-I-respect-him" list (!?!) is Jimmy Rollins - crazy sneaky quick. I hate it... but can't help but love it at the same time.

I can't wait to be at the ballpark again. The field was absolutely magical from 33 rows behind the Giants dugout. And thanks to Full Throttle for the free Giants blanket tonight!

Rest up for Sunday, Lincecum!

What's Better Than a Triple?

2007-05-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

An RBI Triple!!! Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo's triple in the 6th inning, drove in Randy Winn for our final run (It's a good thing Bengie Molina sat out tonight. There's no way he could've legged out a triple. I'm really in no position to criticize, but Molina is seriously one of the slowest base runners I've ever seen. No disrespect Bengie but I'm just tellin' it like it is).

So what's even better than an RBI Triple??? A TWO-RUN RBI TRIPLE! The Phillies Short-stop, and East Bay native, Jimmy Rollins, had his share of triples tonight - TWO triples within two innings (A 2-run RBI 3B in the 2nd inning, and another 3B in the 4th). That would've been a sight to behold. Just the thought of it gives me chills. He's also the NL leader in multi-hit games.

Tonight's final score: Phillies 9, Giants 7. You're goin' down this weekend Phillies - but thanks for some great baseball during this 4 game series!!!

And... CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS!!!

What's more thrilling - a Triple or a Homerun?

2007-05-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

TRIPLES baby!!! They're so few and far-between and such a beautiful sight to behold especially in a park such as ours. Not too many men can leg it out fast enough, but every once in a while we're blessed with a stand-up triple! I've said it once and I'll say it again - Dave Roberts is the one to watch this season. He keeps me on the edge of my seat - such great, quick energy.

Ahhh, it was so glorious watching his lead-off stand-up triple yesterday. Check this out:

- This was Robert's 4th triple this year; No doubles.
- His last 4 hits against the Rockies - ALL Triples!

*Today was also the anniversary of Bonds' very first Splash Hit into McCovey Cove (May 1, 2000)

"I'm beginning to believe!"

2007-05-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

As EM stated in a text message dated April 26, 10:53 p.m., I'm beginning to believe, too!

The G-Men sweep LA, in LA, for the first time in 5 years! In terms of runs scored, they were pretty tight games. But... as great as that sweep felt, it felt "almost" just as bad to turn around and get swept by the DBacks. All three games in Arizona were incredibly tight (within one run) but we snapped out of our winning streak big-time.

I'm so miserable with my "expanded basic" cable tv plan, because I can no longer watch any of the games televised on FSN+ - I am so frustrated that I can't even watch my G-Men after a hard day at work... Thank goodness for midnight baseball on KNBR and for our awesome broadcasters, Kruk and Kuip, Dave Flemming and Jon Miller!

Bay Area Sports!

2007-04-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

What a BIG day for Bay Area Sports!

SF Giants win in 12 innings against the Cards;
Oakland A's win against the Angels;
SJ Sharks win against the Nashville Predators;
And the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Blazers to advance to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years!

Keep the faith...

2007-04-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

I am so frustrated with the way our season has started. Not only have we been severely out-pitched by SD and LA; But when you see Cain on the mound go through six hitless innings, with no run support whatsoever, you know it's not just our opponent's pitching giving us trouble.

Wake up, bats! Our rotation and bullpen need you!

Tonight was also the Oakland A's home opener vs. the Chicago White Sox. Despite having their healthy ace, Rich Harden, on the hill vs. Chicago's Jose Contreras (ERA 63.00!) and the White Sox's 4-23 record in Oakland since 2001 and a sold-out audience at McAfee Coliseum, Chicago took tonight's win, 4-1.

On a positive note, I'd like to consider what the A's skipper, Bob Geren, had to say after tonight's home opener: "...it generally takes an offense a month or so to define itself."

At the rate things are going, it can only get better.

In the clouds...

2007-04-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

Literally.

We were seated beyond nosebleed seats in the park tonight. My friend lost feeling in his toes tonight as we sat back and watched the fog roll in from all angles. Surreal.

I arrived early to catch some batting practice. But something caught my attention down the first base line, at the visiting bullpen. Just beyond Nomar Garciaparra signing autographs and shaking hands, was something vaguely familiar. I could recognize that pitching stance and follow-through from across the park. Yup, it was my Schmidttie... in Dodger Blue. Nearly broke my heart. He's still #29 and boy was he still bringin' it. Unfortunately, for my G-Men, he's still got it.

He maintained his cool despite the brutal heckling from up above in the Arcade section. But, every once in a while, you'd hear a small voice squeak through - "We still love you Schmidttie," and "We miss you Schmidttie."

The wounds are still too fresh for me. He's a Dodger for goodness sake. He looks horrible in blue. And the back of his neck does not look good with a sunburn/tan! He is, officially, the enemy. Sigh...

Brad Penny. Takahashi Saito. Ouch. We need Ortiz and Zito to be on top of their game this weekend.

Saturday: Lowe vs. Ortiz
Sunday: Wolf vs. Zito

Oakland A's @ LAA: Vlad Guerrero unleashed a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. That was the difference in tonight's final score, 5-2 Angels.

Sweet Victory

2007-04-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on your first win as SF Giants Manager, Bruce Bochy!

Whew. I was sitting in front of a Padres fan tonight and he had a broom with him. For a split second before the game (and in the top of the 9th!), I was worried we might be swept by the Pads tonight. *At least I was able to talk quality baseball with him. San Diego fans aren't as shallow and stupid as Dodger fans - heehee.

We had a magical 5th inning RBI Fest! Ray Durham was due for some clutch hitting so I just knew he had to deliver some goods tonight - it came in the form of a 2-run single. And thanks to a clumsy fluke by the Pads' Kouzmanoff and Greene (stumbling over each other and letting a routine popup drop), Rich Aurilia drove another run in. Klesko had a 3-4 night, bringing in one final run for the inning.

Other notables:
- Barry's 1st inning RBI 2B got us on the board fast!
- 6 straight-up solid innings by Morris;
- Incredible offense AND defense by Dave Roberts (just what the Giants need);
- I want to see more of Jonathan Sanchez;
- The Giles' boys can't stay hitless against our pitching in any game. I knew it was too good to be true when they approached the plate in the 9th;
- I was scared as heck to see Cameron's opportunity to face Benitez in the 9th, but it's good to know that, statistically, Cameron has not been too successful against Benitez;
- 5 Star rating by Guest Services in the Bleacher section tonight. They were so cool, funny, sweet and in great control of the crowd.

Oakland A's notes:
- Piazza launched a 9th inning homerun (the winning run!); Kendall ended the game by throwing out someone on 2nd from homeplate, against the Angels tonight. *Maybe I'm a simpleton (or still bitter from the '02 World Series), but I absolutely love that Piazza took K-Rod yard!!! Oakland ties up their record 2-2.

Penny vs. Lowry tomorrow night - I can't wait!!! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

Fireworks Night at the park

2007-04-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

There were fireworks after the game tonight, and throughout the game, but the G-Men just couldn't get us a win on day 2 of Opening Week.

We were blessed with some great defense by Bonds in LF, and a two out, 2-2, solo homer to ensure that, at the very least, we would not be shutout again! He looked so good tonight - agile, smart AB's workin' the count, and just solid.

Check out some of these great factoids:
- 20 homers behind all-time leader Hank Aaron;
- Chris Young became the 435th pitcher to surrender a Bonds homer;
- Bonds "vaulted atop the franchise's runs-scored list in San Francisco annals with 1,481, surpassing his godfather, Willie Mays;"
-Bonds career home run total against San Diego: 86 - his most against any team.

But mostly, I have to say, Dave Robert's triple had my heart thumping! He is lightning. And he just runs the bases so efficiently. I love watching him play.

I wanted a win for Cain tonight. And, despite giving up two long balls to SD tonight, I still really like his stuff.

And, thanks for the RBI Pedro - I'll consider it as redemption for yesterday's horrible error.

Let's get out of this losing "streak" fast!

*Also noteworthy: Oakland's Rich Harden threw seven shutout innings on the road in Seattle. And an awesome 5 RBI night for Mark Ellis. A's 1st Win of the season. Go A's!

Happy New Baseball Year!

2007-04-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect, sunny, clear, Opening Day at phone company park and we had a power outage - We had 2 Barrys and that just wasn't enough to light up the G-Men's bats today. To quote MLB.com, "...it was a perfect Opening Day. Until the game began."

But, boy was it glorious to be in the park again! It was a perfect day, perfect crowd and plenty of good baseball. The ceremonies began with an introduction of past All Star G-Men and it was incredible. I'm a newbie, so I was nearly drawn to tears when Robb Nen came on to the field, despite the fact that he was among other larger-than-life legends, including: Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Will Clark, Felipe Alou, Vida Blue, Mike Krukow, Kevin Mitchell, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal... In all, "27 of the 44 All-Stars to have represented the Giants in one or more All-Star Games attended the Opening Day ceremonies."

I can't believe we were actually blessed with an awesome stolen base from Bonds today (by a wide margin!)- I cherish these rare moments (after hitting a 2-out single to left in the 1st inning). I'm just glad he's looking much healthier at the beginning of this season than he did in the beginning of '06.

Ray Durham was showin' some gLove today and I sure hope he stays healthy. I've got my eye on Dave Roberts, though. I have great expectations and am looking forward to his energy. I'm also glad I can wear my Aurilia gear again. And, it goes without saying, I've always loved watching Russ Ortiz on the mound - he looks even better when he's in black & orange! I'm looking forward to more great memories with him. Plus, I think it's been under-appreciated, but Randy Winn has some pretty smart at-bats. I hope he stays sharp.

While I agree with a fellow Giants fan's sentiment - "Well, we can't win 'em all," I was hoping today's loss wasn't accompanied with some of these San Diego highlights:

- Catcher Josh Bard hit his first career 4-hit game against us today;
- SD's Ace, Jake Peavy, looked real solid;
- SD shut us out on opening day...

To my G-Men:
- No more errors, Feliz. We really cannot afford them, especially in crucial innings;
- And Zito, I'm keepin' the faith. Keep it real and BRING IT! I know you can...

I'm at the park every night during opening week, except for Sunday (I'm still workin' on gettin' some tickets!). And yes, I will be hissing at Schmidttie during Dodger weekend.

Give me some Glovin'!

2007-04-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

SF Giants Depth Chart

Our 2007 Rotation:
Zito
Cain
Morris
Lowry
Ortiz

The Bullpen:
Benitez (CL)
Kline
Correia
Chulk
Taschner
Sanchez
Hennessey

C: Molina, Alfonzo
1B: Aurilia, Klesko, Niekro
2B: Durham, Frandsen, Aurilia
3B: Vizquel, Frandsen, Aurilia
SS: Feliz, Aurilia, Frandsen
LF: Blonds, Klesko, Linden
CF: Roberts, Linden, Winn
RF: Winn, Linden

It's Opening Day tomorrow at phone company park and I can barely sit still. I know this year it won't be all about the pitching for me. Aside from my original Barry, I feel like it's gonna be all about Dave Roberts. I'm so excited with what he brings to the game and what he'll bring to our club.

From his bio and career highlights:
"One of baseball's top base stealers and established leadoff hitters signed 3-year deal with San Francisco Dec. 2, 2006...renowned for his baserunning acumen, ranks 4th in majors with 195 stolen bases since 2002 - his 1st full ML season"

And, it goes without saying that I'm just as excited about Zito, and the return of Aurilia and Ortiz. I'm barely warming up to Alonzo and Molina behind homeplate but I need to watch them a bit more to see how well they mesh with our rotation/bullpen.

It's a funny/weird vibe, but I just don't get the impression that there's much team chemistry yet. But I'm reassured with the likes of Bochy and Zito - seriously, it can't be that bad with these two stand-up guys in the dugout. Good energy.

I miss my G-Men. I'm at the park tomorrow morning as soon as the gates open to catch some bp. Zito vs. Peavy (SD) - it's gonna be a great battle!

gatepath.freepledge.com

2006-12-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Shop • Donate • Feel Good

2006-11-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's all about the pitching...

2006-06-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

Noteworthy performances:

Oakland A's Joe Blanton goes for 8 strong innings in the season opener against the Seattle Mariners in Oakland. And, Huston Street gets out of a crazy bases-loaded situation in the 9th! Tonight's win brings them only a 1/2 game out of 1st in the AL West (behind Texas).

It's gettin brutal in the NL West - for the SF Giants atleast! Jared Wright was knocked out of the park in the 1st inning tonight, against the DBacks in AZ, but I really really like his stuff. Concern: I feel like all our opponents are able to read him as the game/season progresses. Aside from Wright, though, I can't recall specific outings, but I know I saw Accardo in a relief (?) situation a couple weeks back (?) and I was stunned - he had some crazy powerful control and I honestly didn't know who I was watching - he was like a whole new pitcher.

I'm getting really worried about all the pressure on our Ace, Jason Schmidt. He is gonna have to carry us through to the postseason, and I just hope he still has enough in him to get through an Orange October!

Tonight was Barry's first game back in exactly 7 days. He definitely hasn't looked as 'sharp' as in year's past, and I miss it, BUT... as far as I'm concerned, he still brings so much to the game. I am thoroughly intrigued with how his mere presence in the lineup, alone, affects the dynamics of the game, the broadcast, the energy... sidethought: I thought I was hallucinating when tonight's camera flashed to the Giants dugout, before first pitch, and could've sworn I saw Barry waving to the camera!?! trippy. It's refreshing not feeling like everyone around me is just watching him, with bated breath, waiting for another long ball. I seriously just want him to get a hit, get on base, score a run, and show me some glovin out there in LF! Plus, awesome defensive plays like the one today, when he robbed the DBack's Eric Byrnes of a homer... sigh... that's my Barry.

Travis Ishikawa seems so comfortable in the Bigs - like he's been up from the minors for 5 years already! He seriously looks pretty solid and his mechanics are only further solidified with his seemingly calm, cool mentality/attitude.

I'm at the ballpark next Tuesday, against the Angels, so it'll be difficult for me, but I will promise not to heckle any Angels fans in the park (well, atleast not to the point of violence... hehe).

I smell an Orange October...

2006-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

whew, it's been so long, but I'm finally getting out to the ballpark and making time for my SF Giants this season.

I'm keepin a close eye out on our rotation and bullpen. Schmidttie is just BRINGIN IT. I missed Opening Day for the first time in a few years, but my first game back was phenomenal. The Cubs were in town and I was 6 rows away from our bullpen. Schmidt was starting and he was amazing. He still had some heat in the 9th inning and looked SOLID throughout the game. Matheny and Finley have been great to watch. And Vizquel and Feliz will never cease to amaze me! But, ofcourse, my big guy, Bonds, really brings the game to a whole new level. He is absolutely choking with every at-bat, hung on #713, but atleast he's squeezed in a few awesome clutch hits since that last longball in Philly. The Bay Bridge series is in Oakland this week, so it'll be a great weekend!

Our last series in Houston was great - Feliz' bat is hot and Finley's our very own Triple machine! I watched when Barry was hit and it was so disappointing to see/hear the reaction from those ignorant Houston fans (yes, I am allowed to stereotype all people from Houston, and Texas, by extension, because this opinion is based on 38,000+ people! hehe).

Came across this article by "Betting Fool" of sfgate.com - here are some snippets:

Houston, I have a problem: Your fans suck
Betting Fool, SFGate
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Sharks fans, you are off the hook. So to speak.
Clueless Astros fans set a new low on Tuesday, cheering a 90-mph fastball (slider, my butt) directed at a man's head.

Stone him! Burn the witch! Nice.

...There is nothing positive or legit about Astros fans and very little to like about the city of Houston. Enron, hellish traffic, awful weather, a horrible college football program and drum-roll please . . . No Reggie Bush!

The Astros have never won anything, going to the World Series last year only to be swept. The Oilers left town, eventually replaced by the awful Texans.

What's that, the Rockets won NBA titles? Why yes they did, when the NBA was at an all-time low. Along with the Baltimore Ravens in football and the Arizona Diamondbacks in baseball, the Rockets were some of the worst world champions -- ever.

Dallas is classy and cool, San Antonio is funky, charming, historic and has maybe the best Mexican food on the planet. Austin is outrageous tunes and tons of fun.

Houston? The town smells bad. Maybe it's because it's always wet or hot. The worst stop on the PGA Tour is in Houston, sponsored by a greedy oil company...

You'd think the local Houston media wouldn't jump on the anti-Bonds bandwagon to the extent the fans did when Russ Springer appeared to go after Bonds, with a horsehide weapon.

If you thought that, you'd be wrong.

From the Houston Chronicle: "Astros reliever Russ Springer delivered a blow Tuesday night for every major-league pitcher Barry Bonds might have cheated with the help of steroids and every fan he might have spurned throughout the years. Just in case there's any doubt what America thinks of Bonds, the crowd of 35,286 delivered a standing ovation after Springer drilled Bonds with a pitch in the fifth inning."

What utter garbage.

First of all, Russ Springer is a clown, a nobody, confused with other unimportant players like Russ Davis and Dennis Springer. Where does this journeyman nimrod get off "delivering a blow" for anyone?

Does Bonds get to "deliver" anything against all the pitchers who used steroids? If he did, there would be some seam prints on some foreheads.

As for "what America thinks," how does the writer know that Houston speaks for America? If Houston speaks for America, I'm moving to Canada -- by Friday.

Did you realize that Springer also delivered a blow for "every fan" Bonds has spurned? With one gutless head-high fastball, that nimrod did more for baseball than Mother Teresa did for the poor in 20 years.

Speaking of 20 years ago, my most vivid memory of Astros' fans is the noise they made only when the giant animated hands went into action on the Astrodome scoreboard..."

And ofcourse, an update from our classy friends at mlb.com...

05/18/2006 8:41 PM ET
Giants decline to start hit-batter battle
Team takes the high road in incident with Astros
By Gene Duffey / Special to MLB.com

excerpt: "Instead of throwing at the Astros, the Giants completely outplayed them on Wednesday, 10-1, to complete a sweep of the three-game series in Houston.

Bonds did not play in the third game.

"Sweeping them hurts more than anything," said right-hander Matt Morris, who pitched eight innings to earn the win.

The Giants outscored Houston 34-5 in the series, scoring in the first inning of every game and never trailing in any of the three games."

Two words: LAST LAUGH!

Baseball 2005 - preview (well, atleast for the NL West!)

2005-01-11T23:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm slowly trying to soak in all the player moves and came across a nifty little article by Chris Haft of Mercury News.

Despite the awesome additions of SS Omar Vizquel, Closer Armando Benitez, C Mike Matheny, Outfielder Moises Alou & Left-hander Jeff Fassero, I seriously think our division can be a potentially tight race!

These are some of my fears...

Los Angeles:
-It'll be great to 'hiss' at Jeff Kent again when L.A.'s in town, but he did pretty well last year with the Astros, with constant clutch hitting (.289 in 2004 and he led the club with 107 RBI);
- J.D. Drew. I think he is just gonna explode in 2005. Here's what he did last year, in his 7th year of play with the Atlanta Braves: .305 AVG, 31 HR, 93 RBI.
>>>Granted, the Dodgers lost 3B Adrian Beltre to Seattle (Beltre went crazy in 2004, hitting 48 HR, batting .334 with 121 RBI), and lost Steve Finley (in his late 30's, Finley was still able to pull of some good numbers in 2004: .271 AVG, 36 HR, 96 RBI), BUT... Kent & Drew will bring a lot to the field

Arizona Diamondbacks:
- Key losses, but I'm worried about ANY team with RHP Russ Ortiz in their rotation!
- Plus, Troy Glaus, Royce Clayton and Craig Counsell in the infield - YIKES!
- Oh, and did I mention the unhealthy fear of Russ Ortiz!

Not so worried about the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies, but I'm still keepin my eye on the Pads' Jake Peavy (in 2004, 15-6, with a 2.27 ERA).

Ok, back to my boys...

Pedro Feliz. I'm expecting even more out of this guy. No set position, but what a clutch utility guy. I seriously think he's played every position but 1 and 2! That's versatility - and he's played each position with veteran-like awareness and confidence, IMHO. His body type and swing changed dramatically from the 2003 season to 2004.

Edgardo Alfonzo has been hard at work apparently. According to Rich Draper of MLB.com, he's shed nearly 18 lbs. in the offseason and has played solid Winter ball in his native Venezuela. You go, boy! I want my money's worth this season!

Ok, all for now.
-o

New Year's Eve weekend Movie Marathon

2005-01-03T01:19:00.000-08:00

Happy 2005!

Manchurian Candidate (Denzel Washington)
Chronicles of Riddick (Vin Diesel)
Twilight Samurai (Hiroyuki Sanada)
Surviving Christmas (Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini)
Collateral Damage (Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise)
Bourne Supremacy (Matt Damon)
Meet the Fockers (Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro)

Why do they show explicit movie previews for an R-rated movie, preceding a PG-13 movie? I just don't get it.

I can't wait for these following movies, too!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, July 2005 (my favorites, Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, Johnny Depp, aaaahhhh)

Batman Begins, June 17, 2005

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous

all for now.

2004-11-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

The late Celedonio Madrid with his wife, Filomena Madrid in Barrio Boy-utan, Bauang, La Union, Philippines.

Onwards...

2004-11-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, very quickly, some baseball catch-up: Go Boston! Woohoo! I'm convinced A-Rod broke the curse in the ALCS. Not only did Boston win the World Series for the first time since 1918, but they broke records in the process! Unbelievable. More baseball to follow.

all for now,
-o

Red October!

2004-10-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

WOW. The ALCS and NLCS were absolutely monumental! Hot Hot Hot Baseball! I'm looking forward to the World Series Game 1 on Saturday, 10/23/20004. I'll be at a dinner party, but rest assured, I'll find a way to watch it! So far, these are the pitching probables:

Saturday, 10/23, Boston: Woody Williams (StL) vs. Tim Wakefield (Bos)
Sunday, 10/24, Boston: Jason Marquis (StL) vs Curt Schilling (Bos)
Tuesday, 10/26, St. Louis: Pedro Martinez (Bos) vs. Matt Morris (StL)
Wednesday, 10/27, St. Louis: Derek Lowe (Bos) vs. Jeff Suppan (StL)
Thursday, 10/28, St. Louis:
Saturday, 10/30, Boston:
Sunday, 10/31, Boston:

Unlucky 13

2004-10-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Boston Red Sox 4, NY Yankees 2. It was historical...and it was because #13, Alex Rodriguez, singlehandedly lifted the curse tonight - I'm convinced Boston will advance. I could not believe the stunt A-Rod tried to pull by not only trying to swipe the ball out of Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo's hand as he approached 1B in the 8th, BUT he also had the nerve to try and talk the umps into believing that his 'interfering swipe' was actually a natural part of his running motion. The replays CLEARLY showed it was definitely an intentional attempt at interference. That was so disheartening to see someone like A-Rod trying to get away with something like that. I mean, in that situation, of course, as a player, you're gonna try and just go with the initial call for the sake of the RBI and advancing to 2nd, BUT as soon as the umpires revise/correct their call, he could've just been visibly upset, maybe throw his arms up in frustration or somethin - he didn't have to go the length and try to make like that was his regular running motion. Karma, A-Rod, Karma...

ALCS Game 7 resumes tomorrow night at 5:19 pm PST, w/probable starting pitchers, Wakefield vs. Brown
The NLCS Series resumes with Game 6 in St. Louis, with Matt Morris (!) on the hill vs. the Houston Astros' Pete Munro.

Celedonio Madrid 04/16/1912 - 10/13/2004

2004-10-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

We just received news that my Grandfather, Celedonio Madrid ("Lolo Doniong") has passed away. Lolo Doniong was 92 years "young" and is survived by his wife, Filomena ("Lola Luming"), his three children, Artemio Madrid, EduardoMadrid, & Aida Alabanza; eleven grandchildren, Adea, Noel, Olma & Maya Madrid, Carmen Ponce, Edgardo, Edmund & Christina Madrid, Paolo, Noel & Ian Alabanza; And twelve great-grandchildren, Jamee & Julee Sarmiento, Eduardo, Alex & Pedro Ponce, Michael & January Madrid, Maggie & Mary Mirt, and three Alabanza granddaughters on the way.

A funeral mass and rosary will be held on Saturday, October 23 in Barrio Boy-utan, Bauang, La Union, Philippines.