The Day After

It's an off day. We've all had some time to relax and reflect. A lot has been said on both sides, and this might be a good time to lay out where I stand, in case it's not clear.

• To begin with, I harbor no animosity toward Pierzynski, the White Sox, or anyone else associated with either team on the basis of this play. I've never liked AJ, but that has nothing to do with my analysis of this play. The Sox benefitted, just as the Angels would have if the roles were reversed. AJ made a heads up play and it worked.
• Eddings showed everyone, this time on a much larger stage, that he simply is not a competent umpire, and should be nowhere near anything over double A, let alone a major league post-season game. He simply doesn't have the nads for the position. As the Chronicler pointed out, back in May he blew an obvious call against the Angels. Darin Erstad swung, and in doing so, knocked the glove off of the hand of catcher John Buck. The glove landed out in front of the plate, yet catcher's interference was not called. There was physical evidence right in front of him, and he still missed it. The guy is like a deer in the headlights out there. He simply doesn't have the stones to make the right call when he realizes he has screwed up.
  
• Eddings missed last night's call twice. First, replays clearly show the ball never touched the ground. Did it change direction? Yes. It did so because the natural direction of the ball when it hits the top of the webbing is to move toward the center of the webbing. As Paul had the web of the glove inverted, the natural motion of the ball was to move up, into the deep part of the webbing, after it entered his glove. Think of it like dropping something into trampoline. It bounces toward the center. It's the same concept. This change of direction is the only shred the true believers (read: some Sox fans) have to cling to. Cognitive dissonance can be a scary thing, so I don't blame them. But the fact is, there is no replay which ever shows the ball hitting the ground. In addition, he blew it again when he screwed up the out call (see below)
• In addition to being incompetent, he's also a bald faced liar. He lied in front of everyone on national television. He claimed that his motion was consistent with his calls all night. This is simply a lie. On every strike three that bounced in the dirt, he distinctly waited until after the batter had been tagged to make the fist pump call of out. When there wasn't any question, he made the motion right after making his "no contact" motion, just as he did on the strikeout of AJ. When asked about it by reporters, he lied in front of everyone.
• Even today Eddings has shown what a pathetic excuse for an umpire he is. Asked about the call, he said

  "The only thing I'm down on myself is I should have sold it either way,...I should have either said, 'No catch,' or, if I did have a catch, that he was out. Which I never said: 'He's out,'".

  What a putz. 24 hours later and he's still not sure he made the right call. And I don't mean he's not sure he made the right gesture. The guy's still not sure whether he had a catch or not! Good God, man, make a call and stand by it! This is what passes for a post-season umpire?
  
• The call was not the sole reason the Angels lost the game. They failed to advance runners, they didn't hit, and they made a mistake in the first inning that cost them a run. Escobar cannot hold runners, which Ozuna took advantage of, and Escobar hung a splitter to Crede, his only bad pitch of the night. But to claim that the play didn't have a major impact on the outcome of the game is to simply deny reality. The inning was over, the Angels were coming up, and the game was going to extra innings, where the Angels had beat the White Sox just a month before. The extra baserunner scored the winning run. So enough with the "that's not why they lost" crap. It's a major factor in why they lost. Let's call a spade a spade.
• I have complete faith in Mike Scioscia and the men on the field to put this loss behind them and come out ready to play tomorrow. It's not as if they lost a game they were definitely going to win. This team suffered a more crushing defeat over the A's on August 11th when Frankie dropped the throw from the catcher, allowing Jason Kendall to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, pushing Oakland into sole posession of first place. The Angels responded by beating Oakland the next day, and going 30-18 down the stretch to run away with the division. Scioscia keeps his guys focused, and unlike their fans (like me), they don't dwell on this stuff.

I was at the Chicago Pizza Feed for Baseball Prospectus tonight, and both Nate Silver and Christina Kahrl said something that surprised me. Nate said this one of the 10 worst blown calls in major league baseball history. Kahrl (no fan of the Angels by any means) said that in her opinion, it blows away even Don Denkinger's blunder in the 1985 World Series, as that was an error in judgement, and wasn't compounded by complete and total indecision. Do I agree? I don't know. Let's see how the series turns out. It may not matter. The Angels could still win. The Sox could win the next three decisively. I do think, however, that if the Sox win this series, this will be placed right alongside Donnie Moore in Angels lore.

Five game series now, and the Angels have home field, and their ace starting it off (let's face it, Lackey was much better than Colon in the second half). They had an opportunity to win (not their only opportunity) stolen from them, but they still have the upper hand in this series. But I'll repeat, they need Vlad or Figgins, preferably both, to produce. They're both streaky, and maybe they'll break out, but the hour is getting late. The time to rise is now.

*UPDATE* - Rob posts this Sports By Brooks blog entry, which discussing Eddings and his incompetence. It was written by Brooks Melchior, a sports radio guy. I don't really know who he is. Sounds about right, though. Via L.A. Observed. While you're there, check out the blog entry on Smacksaw. Apparently he's not to happy with Romey. REACTION!!

Just a thought

Lackey's a strike out pitcher who should ring up a fair amount on Friday. I'll tell ya what, if I'm Bengie in the next game, I tag out every batter on a strike out. I do it on balls that don't come close to the ground. I do it when the batter swings at a pitch over his head. I do it on called strikes. And I make sure I stare right down at Eddings when I'm doing it.

But I'm a dick, so maybe that's just me.

White Sox plus Eddings 2; Angels 1

**UPDATE 4**
I'm moving this one to the top, because you need to read this entry with this post in mind, so click the link, read the post over at BTF, then read the rest. Or don't, it's up to you. The Chronicler with a great post detailing other similar situations throughout the game. In a nutshell, on every single at bat that ended in a bounced third strike, Eddings waited until the batter had been tagged out to pump his fist. Also, it details how Eddings is a liar. Now, back to the original post.

Well, it's a shame it had to end that way. The White Sox were given this game by Doug Eddings. It's a shame that incompetence has to decide such an important game, but such is baseball. What makes this tough to take is that 1) You hate to use your bullpen up, have them pitch lights out, and have the game stolen from them, and 2) Eddings blew the call not once, but TWICE! He not only missed the fact that the ball didn't bounce, but he made the out call! He pumped his freaking fist!

A well pitched game on both sides, with it's share of close calls, this was one exciting baseball game. Buehrle was as good as most people expected him to be, and Washburn really gutted out a great performance under the circumstances. His error in the first inning proved costly, as it allowed the Sox to get on the board first. Poor coaching by Joey Cora cost the Sox a run in the second when he sent Rowand, who had doubled and advanced to third on a misplay by Vlad. Quinlan retrieved the ball and fired it to the plate where Jose Molina tagged out Rowand, just barely, preserving the one run deficit. Eddings had a large strike zone all night long, and both pitchers benefitted, perhaps Wash a little more than Buehrle. Admittedly, he called Konerko out on a bad called when he said Konerko swung at strike three. He didn't, and Eddings didn't even ask for help, a running theme for him tonight. Quinlan repeated his heroics of September 9th, when he homered off of Buehrle to tie a game the Angels eventually won, repeating the feat tonight. The Angels had an opportunity with Davanon on second, but Figgins continues to fail in crucial situations, and Cabrera's deep fly ball wasn't quite deep enough. The White Sox threated as well, getting Crede to second with one out before Uribe lined to left. Crede was caught off second and doubled off on a great throw by GA. The play wasn't without controversy, but the replays appeared to show he was out.

Escobar was terrific, pitching three innings and striking out five, inlcuding the play that will be talked about all series. Granted, the third strike to Pierszynski was close, but replays pretty clearly showed the ball didn't hit the dirt. Eddings called strike three, then, and I can't stress this enough, pumped his fist indicating "out". We all watch a lot of baseball, and we all know that umpires DO NOT MAKE THE OUT CALL until the runner has been tagged on a dropped or bounced third strike. Inexplicably, Eddings must have forgotten that. He allowed Pierszynski to reach first, Ozuna ran and took second on the slow working Escobar, and Crede, coming up big again, lined in the winning run.

Another coupla things about this play that seemed strange, and for which I'm sure we'll hear no explanation. First, do you ever see catchers not tag batters on dropped or bounced third strikes if there's any chance it hit the ground. Usually it's automatic. I think that's a clear sign that Paul knew he caught it. Second, EVERY SINGLE BALL that comes into contact with the dirt is removed from play these days. Seriously, watch a game and look for this and you'll notice it if you haven't already. Eddings could very easily simply gone and checked the ball. This isn't unprecedented. Umpires occasionally do this looking for shoe polish if a batter claim he was hit in the foot. All he had to do was walk out and look for the scuff mark. He froze. He screwed up not once, but twice, and when he could have taken corrective action, he failed to act. It's inexcusable, and he shouldn't work another post-season game. Fortunately, he'll be on the foul lines for the next couple of games, but that job requires a close eye on balls in the dirt, and I'm not sure he's up to the task. I know one thing, he ought to be thanking his lucky stars the next game is Anaheim. New York, Boston, or God forbid Philly, and he'd be ducking D-cells all night long. Hell, even in Anaheim, I might beg off for fear of my own safety if I were him.

I'm not sure what the rule is in this situation. Judgment calls are not protestable (a perfectly cromulent word), but in this instance, I'm not sure if the Angels can protest the game on the basis of their reliance on Eddings call of out. He can't even really claim that he changed his mind at that point. It's one thing to start making a call of out, then change it to safe when you see a ball drop, or a foot come off the bag, or something similar. It's still within the flow of the play. But imagine a bases loaded situation, a batter grounds out, the first baseman catches the ball, the ump calls out, the players leave the field, and the runners keep running for some reason. An ump couldn't very well change his mind a minute or two after the fact. I don't know, maybe he was just pumping his fist because he liked the organ music or something. If I'm Scioscia, I lodge my protest, and I let Major League Baseball tell the world that they're fine with incompetence. Again, I'm not talking about an error or difference in judgment. I'm talking about a team's reliance on the call made by an umpire.

Coincidentally, the Arkansas Travellers, the Angels AA affiliate, lost their championship this season. The game ended when the final batter struck out, AFTER four balls had been thrown. The ump lost track of the count, called the batter back to the box, and called him out on the next pitch. Shoddy officiating and out and out incompetence is one thing in AA. But this the ALCS. Eddings joins a select group including Don Denkinger, and probably some other people I can't remember right now. The sad thing is that Josh Paul, who did nothing wrong, get's charged with the error that leads to the Sox second unearned run. And I don't care John Kruk says. He can take that ball and shove right up his chute. Josh Paul caught the ball, on the fly, and the umpire signaled out. It's really that simple. When he called strikes, he stuck his right arm out.

But that's baseball. That's why we watch. You never know what's going to happen. Certainly the Angels didn't deserve to win, but they didn't deserve to lose either, and they DEFINITELY didn't deserve to lose like that. It's unfortunate, and it puts the Angels really in a must win situation in game three. They have arguable their best pitcher going. He'll be on full rest. And they're facing a guy they've hammered this season and over his career. But Chone Figgins needs to show up. Vlad needs to show up. Somebody with a bat needs to show up.

We'll see ya Friday night.

**Update** after replays, Doug Eddings is a flat out liar. The man is a bald faced liar. If he is claiming he didn't call AJ out, he's a liar. You can watch every strike out. His strike call is to flex his right arm out, almost like a one handed safe call with his right hand. To make the out call, ALL NIGHT LONG, he pumped his fist. He called AJ out. And great job by Harold Reynolds and the baseball tonight crew to point this out. The fact is, the Angels were robbed. Like I said, they didn't deserve to win, but they didn't derserve to lose like that. FWIW, the one Sox fan I've talked to tonight (my law school roommate) agrees with me. If I were him, I'd take it. Lord knows the Angels have benefitted from bad calls this season. But this is really an embarrassment. Doug Eddings should be removed from the crew. First, he's not a very good ump. Second, he's a liar. I have a lot more respect for umps that suck, but stick by their calls. Anyway, I'm clearly bitter right now, and I didn't write a lot of things that I wanted to. The guys at South Side Sox have been nice enough to link over here, and hey, I like the traffic, so I'm trying to seem fair, although one of the reasons they've linked here (I can only imagine) is to show the Angels fan side of things. So Sox fans, if I'm way off base, feel free to say so in the comments.

**UPDATE 2** Apparently there's some discussion about reliance on the call. Paul may have tossed the ball back before Eddings made the call. Two things. First, replays are incoclusive, but there may be some merit to that. I see the fist pump, then I see the ball come into the screen. Regardless, if there was any doubt, Escobar could have been there to pick it up and throw AJ out. It's not just Paul's reliance that I'm speaking about. It all of the Angels infielders. And they all saw it. Second, none of us know what he said, if he said anything, or if he ever says anything. There's no way to tell on this point.

**UPDATE 3** If you have the chance, watch the strikeout of Bengie Molina in the 6th. One argument being made is that the fist pump is his strike call, not his out call. Couple of problems for this. If this is the case, he didn't signal out on a strikeout all night. 12 guys walked back to the dugout without being signaled out. Second, watch that Molina play, it's the smoking gun. Bengie swings and misses, and the bat goes flying. AJ catches it. Eddings makes the no contact sign. Then he waits. He had a rhythm to the two arm motions all night long. Not this time. He waited until AJ tagged Molina before making the fist pump. If he's claiming that he never made an out call, he's a liar.

The other side: Exile in Wrigleyville; South Side Sox.

A response to Rob

I get the impression that the Chisox faithful really aren't that faithful; the team has a perennially hard time selling itself. They're in a bad part of town, so bad that they had to change the park because the sightlines outside it led to views of some real urban nightmares.

I may be misinterpreting, but let me chime in here. Bear in mind, I got to roughly 10-12 Sox games per year, give or take.

First, the area where Commiskey is really isn't that bad, especially with the Robert Taylor homes coming down. The Bridgeport neighborhood, especially just north and west of the park has some really nice homes. Now, these are adjacent to some rough neighborhoods, but the park itself is in a pretty decent neighborhood. As my Sox friends will point out, the last person killed outside a stadium in Chicago was at Wrigley.

Second, I don't know what you mean by "Change the park". The view since the projects came down is fine. You pretty much look out over IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) and the Dan Ryan. What they didn't do, but should have done, is rotate the park about 100 degrees to the north to show the skyline. I assume they didn't do this because of the sun or something, but walking out of the upper deck on the third base side on a clear day or night, you'll see one of the best views of the skyline in town. Why they didn't take advantage of this, I don't know. Personally, I still prefer Commiskey to Wrigley. To me, it's a major league stadium. I grew up going to monolithic ballparks surrounded by parking lots, so it feels more like home to me, and really is a lot like Dodger Stadium, which I still love despite despising the Dodgers.

Third, Sox fans are exactly the opposite of what you describe. They are fiercely faithful. There just aren't that many. In many ways, they're like the Angels pre 2002. They don't draw wonderfully, but they're never under 15,000 or 20,000 per game, much like the Angels in the old days. I've often said, any asshole in Chicago can claim to be a Cubs fan. But if you say you're a White Sox fan, chances are you're REALLY a White Sox fan. No one claims to be a Sox fan just to be cool. You can replace "Chicago", "Cubs", and "White Sox" in that last sentence with "Los Angeles", "Dodgers", and "Angels" respectively, and apply it to pre-2002, and I think it fits both towns.

In my experience, on a per capita basis, Sox fans tend to me more pure baseball fans than Cubs fans. This isn't a surprise to anyone, I'm sure, but if there's one thing I would not accuse Sox fans of, it's a lack of devotion. As to why they seemed deflated last night, I'm not sure. There's a certain sense of defeatism among Sox fans, one that regular readers of this blog are familiar with from yours truly. Plus, I never got the sense that they were totally out of the game. They got pretty load when they got guys on. But remember, they had a hard time getting anything resembling a real rally going in the latter innings because of bad baserunning and poor execution. I suspect that tonight will be different.

*update*: In the comments, anonymous writes: "Major League Rulebook, 1.04 "... It is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East Northeast...."

A fine point. However, the current orientation of the Cell is southeast. Old Commiskey ran Northeast. In this satellite photo, you can see the orientation of the Cell. If you look in the parking lot directly north of current home plate, you'll see a small white circle with a line extending directly north toward the small park. That's the old home plate and third base line. Also, check this page from the baseball almanac. There's really no rhyme or reason to ballpark orientations. Rule 1.04 doesn't appear to be well followed.

Kings 3; Oilers 1

The Angels quite rudely took a little long to wrap up game one against the White Sox, so I only saw bits and pieces of the first period. Corvo got the scoring on started on the power play, firing home a one-timer on a nice feed from Luc. The Oilers tied is before the period ended.

The Kings took the lead back in the second on a power play goal by Dustin Brown, who walked right in from the left wing boards and whipped a shot between the skates of Oilers goalie Ty Conklin (Alaska native). It wasn't the only impressive play by Brown, who threw his body all over the rink, at one point knocking down Chris Pronger who had left himself vulnerable by reaching for a puck in mid-air. The Kings have been very physical in the last couple of games. I don't know if it's a new philosophy, or if it's the impact of some new blood on the roster, but it's fun to watch.

Belanger finished the scoring on a rebound of Sean Avery shot, putting the Kings up 3-1, which turned out to be the final score. LaBarbera was phenomenal, making a lot of big saves. Since the first game melt-down, both goalies have really been as good as could be expected. I'm not sure why a team needs a number goalie during the regular season. I could see the Kings going with a more balanced version of the old Hrudey-Berthiaume tandem this season, and being very successful with. Both teams struggled on the two man advantage, with the Oilers failing to score on a two minute 5 on 3, while the Kings also had extended time with two extra men, to no avail.

They'll face the Red Wings on Thursday. The games at the beginning of the season count just as much as the games at the end of the season, so all of these are important. The Wings are off to a great start, although two of their wins have come against St. Louis, who looked down this season until hammering the Blackhawks last night.

Angels 3; White Sox 2 - Angels lead ALCS 1-0

Quite honestly, I'm not surprised the Angels won this game when you look at all of the ingredients:

• The Angels have played well at the Cell this year
• Byrd has come up with some stellar performances when needed
• Many have said that with all of that travel, you hit the wall on day 2 (be wary of tomorrow night)
• As good as Contreras has been, he hasn't been great against the Angels
• The White Sox offense is good, but facing the Yankees offense is like swinging a weighted bat

Byrd was terrific. Let's not forget that he was pitching on short rest. His last start was Friday, and he threw a fair amount of pitches, though he wasn't extended. He got tagged by Crede, who has been very hot to end the season, on a hanger, and he was hit hard at times, but not hard enough. Contreras was also fantastic, really only making one mistake. For the second time in as many nights, the opposing starter was let down by his defense. After a single by Finley, a pefectly executed hit and run single by Kennedy, and a sac bunt by Figgins, Cabrera bounced one to third. With Finley breaking on the play, Crede's moment of indecision allowed the run to score, and he failed to retire Cabrera at first, leaving runners on first and third. Vlad then bounced back to the pitcher. Instead of getting the easy out at home (with Kennedy running), Cabrera attempted to start an inning ending double play, but the ball was hit too softly, and a great take out slide by Cabrera allowed the run to score. 3-0 Angels, and that was all they would need.

On the flip side, the Angels weren't forced to pay for their mistakes. Kennedy tried to make an impossible play on a bad bounce of a ball that shattered Uribe's bat. He threw it away, allowing Uribe to reach. Just an aside, anyone else notice how few balls go into dugouts now that Mo Vaughan fences have been erected in front of dugouts everywhere? Anyway, after Podsednik struck out (he failed to get the bunt down), and Iguchi popped up, Jermaine Dye singled. It wouldn't matter after Konerko flew out. In the ninth, Figgins misread and botched a wacky bounce on a ball off the end of Everett's bat. He redeemed himself by making a great play on a sacrifice attempt by Rowand, throwing out pinch runner Ozuna at second. A fly out and a strike out later, and the Angels had their first series opening win since 198.....I won't say it. Since you know when.

Scioscia continues to push the right buttons in the post-season. Two runners were erased on the basepaths, including Scott Podsednik on a first pitch pitch-out, which Byrd, Molina, and Cabrera executed perfectly. It was a good example of how the Angels covered for the errors, and made the White Sox pay for theirs. That was the difference. Six of the last seven Angels runs have come either on outs or plays that should have been outs. It's tough to score enough runs that way, but hopefully the productive outs and lucky miscues are just giving the bats some time to heat up.

Wash will give it a go tomorrow night if he can think straight. He'll face Mark Buerhle. Those two met up back in September (a game which I attended). Neither figured in the decision. The Angels won in 12 innings, Vlad scoring from second on a bunt by Molina. Speaking of Vlad, he finally hit the ball hard, driving Rowand to the track on a ball I could have sworn was gone off the bat. I still maintain, he and Figgins have to produce for the Angels to win this series. They've got the first one out of the way. They needed a split, and by winning game one, they've given themselves a chance to head home 2-0.

Check out what they're saying on the other side: South Side Sox; Exile in Wrigleyville. Vince, the Cheat, and I think Keith as well, are all BTF guys, so it's all good. Vince and I may not speak at the next meet-up, though.

Quick prediction before the series starts

Starters: them
Relievers: us
Catcher: draw
Infield: us on defense, them on offense, slight edge to them
Outfield: us if Vlad shows up, them if he doesn't
bench: us
Coaching: us

Pretty darn close. I have to a) pick the Angels, and b) root for a seventh game because I have tickets for that one. So here goes a tough one.

Angels in seven.

Angels 5; Yankees 3

I had a sneaking suspicion that Bart would not be able to go tonight. I mean, how many guys say "I won't be ready Sunday, but I should be fine on Monday"? And for whatever reason, be it back, shoulder, whatever, he gave all he could, but couldn't get out of the second inning. In stepped the kid. As I said over at the Rev's site, this is what legends are made of. And while his performance wasn't quite legendary, it was damn close. Five and a third, three runs on five hits. He escaped big trouble in the fifth, getting two pop ups, followed by a strike out and a friendly call from Joe West. Mea Culpa, I expected every close call to go against the Angels tonight, and I was partially wrong (the strike zone for the kid in the early innings was ridiculously small).

The bullpen, much maligned in August and last night, got the job done tonight. Kelvim was excellent, and Frankie got the big ground balls when he needed them. The pitching, the most important ingredient all year, gave this team no fewer than four more games.

One of the strenghts of the Mike Scioscia Angels has been their baserunning. It didn't show up in the stolen base numbers in this series, but it showed up tonight. Cabrera made a great read on a Vlad single, and later scored from third on a sac fly. Vlad got a great read, and won a huge gamble, going from first to third on a Bengie single, and later scored after getting a tremendous jump on a weak grounder by Erstad.

There's not much else I can say. It was a great game. I was nervous as hell all day, but this is why we all plug in. It's why we all watch. Why we all pick teams to root for instead of being detached observes (except for maybe Repoz). Keep coming back, because for the next week or so, you'll be reading one of the most unpopular people in Chicago. I can't wait to go to work tomorrow.

*update*: Welcome Sploid readers. Thanks for the link, fat.

*update 2*: Welcome South Side Sox readers. I count many friends among your ranks.

On the bright side

The Kings won. I didn't see more than bits and pieces of this one because of the Angels game, but I did see Pavol Demitra rifle home the game winner in overtime on some nifty foot work that you used to see out of Mark Messier and Craig Johnson. And yes, that's the only time you'll see Mark Messier and Craig Johnson in the same sentence.

Three one goal games, and the Kings are 2-1.

Yankees 3; Angels 2

Not really a surprising result. While not really a surprise, the effectiveness of the Angels bullpen in the first three games of the series was somewhat unexpected. The relievers live on the margins, and they are successful when they get hitters to chase pitches out of the strike zone. The Yankees don't chase pitches out of the strike zone. What results are walks, weak hits, and occasionally a hard hit ball on get me over pitch. That's what happened tonight. The Angels took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning and were victimized by a cheap hit, a walk, another cheap hit, and a ground ball that should have been a perfect ball on which to cut-off the eventual winning run at the plate. But add a poorly thrown ball by Figgins to the previous cuts, and before long, you've opened a big enough wound to bleed away a lead. One run was enough for Mariano Rivera, who operates with the largest strike zone of anyone in the post-season.

Lackey was terrific. I'm not sure I would have removed him, as he'd only thrown 78 pitches, but Matsui has had good success against him. But we've seen the bullpen go through stretches this season where they couldn't get the big out at the proper time. They couldn't throw a strike when they desperately needed to. That, and the offense's inability to hit an average pitcher, cost them the game tonight.

We're also seeing something that wasn't all that unpredictable, and that's a brutal lack of production by Vlad. I mentioned earlier about how I was worried that he might try to do too much and swing himself into a slump. It happened in last year's playoffs, where his only real contribution was a grand slam that sent the game into extra innings when they already trailed two games to one. In his seven post-season games, the engine of the Angels offense is hitting .230 with one home run. I'm not placing blame, but the fact is, the Angels cannot win a post-season series without some help from Vlad. So far, they haven't gotten it.

It will come as no surprise that I'm not optimistic about game five. Bart is ailing, and while I think he'll give everything he has tomorrow night, the fact is we taxed the bullpen again tonight. 25 pitches out of Shields, 35 out of Escobar, and unlike the Yankees, the Angels don't have Randy Johnson available in the bullpen. Bart is going to have to have go at least six, if not seven. Too add to that, there's the Fox factor. Bart, like many of our reliever, lives on the margins. He needs to get the pitches on the corners, and sometimes just off the corners, for strikes. If the ump has a narrow strike zone, this Yankee offense will pound him. What we need right now is John Hirschbeck.

Injury and Illness

Bartolo Colon told Scioscia that he would not be ready to pitch game four today. He was sent back to SoCal and said he'd be ready for game five. They might need him, because ESPN just reported that J-Dub has a throat infection, and John Lackey, on three days rest, will start game four tonight.

The offense needs to get to Chacon early, but honestly, if anyone can thrive in this situation, it's Lackey. He's been there, done that. He's pitched in the most pressure packed game anyone could imagine, and pitched well. In addition, the day off yesterday gave extra rest to Shields and Escobar, plus, Santana should be ready as well. Lackey needs to give only five strong innings, and the pen should get them the rest of the way.

Let's hope for the best.

UCLA 47; UC Berkeley 40

Really a terrific game. There were a lot of reasons the Bruins should have lost this game. Horrible penalties that negated big plays. A bad break on missed fumble call right before UC Berkeley's first touchdown. An inexplicable failure of about 8 guys to bring down Marshawn Lynch on a huge 3rd and ten, leading to the conversion, and ultimately another touchdown. Honestly, I though the Bruins had lost the game on that play.

Maurice Drew was outstanding, scoring 5 touchdowns on the day, three on the ground, one through the air, and another on a punt return. After last week's poor showing, he really made ammends tonight. Drew Olson did not have a particularly great game, probably due in part to Berkeley's focus on his primary weapon, Marcedes Lewis. Also impacting his numbers were bad penalties and a couple of drops, including one that would have gone for a score if hadn't gone right through "Clutch Receiver" Joe Cowan's hands.

With just under 10 minutes to play, I was composing in my head a post about how Karl Dorrel had lost this game by choosing to punt on fourth and short from around midfield. Instead, they faked it, getting the ball into the hands of Jarrad Page who rumbled for the first down and much more, setting up a big touchdown. For the second straight week, Marcus Everett made the key reception to set up the game winning touchdown.

This team still has some problems, mostly on the defensive line. The Bears ran all over the Bruins, although the defense did make some key big plays. Tonight's injury to Brigham Harwell is really going to hurt on the D-line. Major credit goes to Trey Brown as well, who's interception sealed the victory. Minutes earlier he allowed a reception on a play where Ayoob telegraphed his pass, but for some reason Brown peeled off the receiver, leading to about six yards on a play that should have gone for no more than three. But he made the right read at the right time, and he helped the Bruins get to 5-0.

The Bruins will be favored in the next four, and probably next five games. 10-0 going into the U$C game is a very real possibility. Dorrell won't survive a 2001 like implosion.

Rain out

Not that you come here for news or anything, but if you haven't heard, today's game is rained out. We'll do it again tomorrow. Big question as to who takes the pill. Gotta figure it's going to be Bart. He'll be on his normal rest. So what happens with Wash? Well, hopefully he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't make any waves. I feel for him. He's had a great year, and he wants to play. He's earned it. But for whatever reason, Scioscia doesn't quite trust him. This ESPN article, probably from AP, still says Washburn vs. Chacon. But don't be surprised to see Bart vs. Moose tomorrow.

Comeback: Angels lead series 2 games to 1

Obviously, my last post was premature. Clearly, I'm drunk right now, mostly because I live about 200 feet from 10 different bars, but I digress. The bats woke up at the right time. This team, at least for one night, stepped up when they were needed the most. After blowing a 5-0 lead, they scratched, they clawed, they got an ump to make an honest call, and they got the effort out of the bullpen that they needed to take a 2-1 series lead. Worst case scenario, the Angels have Bart on full rest at home to win the series.

I spent the late afternoon at a bar downtown with Sox fans watching the White Sox winning their first post-season series in, like, forever. I've never seen my friends so happy. I remember that feeling from 2002.

It will be sad to see them lose the next series to the Angels.

Mostly, I'm glad I'll see Wash pitch again. He's had a great year, and I think he'll lead us to another round tomorrow. I'll admit it, I want J-Dub back in the fold for two more years, but I don't think the Angels will re-sign him. Let's make up for it by sending him out as a two time world champ.

Oh, and just a reminder, I am fucking wasted right now.

JUST KIDDING!!! Implosion; Yankees lead series 2-1

It was all right there. A 5-0 lead with 18 outs to go. 18 is a lot, but so is 5 runs. A blast, an error, a 12 hop single, a bloop single, another walk, and a rip to the gap made short work of the five run lead. It cost the Yankees only three outs to take control of the game, of the series.

A few days from now, we'll all be asking why, in the pivotal game of the series, the pitcher with the fourth best ERA in the league couldn't get the ball in his hands. Even better on the road. Only Scioscia and Bud Black know that. This isn't to denigrate Paul Byrd, who did a tremendous job for the Angels this year, but is there anyone, anywhere, who can explain why Jarrod Washburn wasn't starting this game.

When this offense scores five runs, the team has to win. But let's face it. The teams that win in the playoffs have reliable offenses and good enough pitching staffs. If it was the other way around, the Braves would have won 10 World Championships. There will be a lot of questions this off-season, but the biggest will be "where are the runs going to come from?" The Yankees have the ability to come from behind. The same ability the Angels had in 2002. That's what wins.

The series isn't over. The Yankees still have to win one more. But the Angels are looking at a huge hill in front of them, and they need to find the strength to climb it. It would help if they had a lead off man who could get on base. So we sit, and we wait, and watch maybe only one more game. There's always hope, I guess.

**UPDATE** Well, maybe not. Double, single, single, single, and we're back in business. C'mon boys, let's get this thing done.

**Update 2**

So far this whole "Dewey defeats Truman" thing is working. So read the post above, take it to heart, and realize that we're winning, and we currently have the bases juiced with no one out. Thank God they no longer have El Duque, who worked out of this earlier today.

**Update 3**

I keep doubting, they keep winning. See, there's method to my madness, yeswecan. Do NOT doubt me. If I give up again, you know we're going to win.

Kings 3; Coyotes 2

Nice win in the home opener for the Kings last night. Both teams were playing back to back games, so I'm not sure this feels as good as winning the second of back to back games normally does, but it's win nonetheless, and after Wednesday's debacle, it was much needed.

Three of the guys who are going to need to produce if the Kings want to be successful got on the scoreboard. Luc got his first of the season with a rocket from the left-wing circle after Parros had cleared some space, firing a perfect shot inside the far post. Frolov got his first of the season on the power play, knocking home the rebound of a Pavol Demitra shot. Finally, Demitra picked up his first of the season on a rare power play rush, flipping home a north-south pass from Frolov.

The defense stepped up and played a solid game. Much to the chagrin of many over at Lets Go Kings, Joe Corvo was the best defenseman on the ice. He made solid passes, got his shots on net, threw his body around, and made a terrific diving poke check to negate a scoring chance when he had been left all alone by his teammates. I think this is going to be a breakout year for Corvo. And while his off-ice issues will never endear him to many in the hardcore fan base, a solid season from Corvo is a must if this team wants to make the playoffs.

The Kings worked a lot harder last night, likely the result of not opening up a four goal lead in the first period. They skated harder, they hit smarter, and they stayed out of the penalty box for the most part. That's going to be a key to this season, as it seems that their PK is just awful so far. In the new NHL, that has to change if they want to make the post-season.

LaBarbera looked solid in nets, stopping 27 shots to pick up the win. I wouldn't be disappointed if they simply didn't name a number one goaltender and instead just rotated the position like in the old Hrudey/Berthiaume days. Then again, if one of them wants to elevate his game and grab that role, that's fine too. Next up are the Wild on Sunday night, who started the season without King killer Marian Gaborik. It didn't bother them Wednesday, as they beat the Flames 6-3. No word on whether he'll be in the lineup Sunday.

Branching out

My first post on a different blog is up. Head over to check out the Seitz Video Extra on the Bulls!' song of the day blog.

Angels ride the clutch; Series tied 1-1

So this is what I wrote roundabout the fourth inning

It's all over but the shouting, folks. Oftentimes in sports, there are little things that happen which, when isolated, don't seem to have much of an impact on the action. But when looked at in a broader context, these little things foreshadow the bigger things to come. A player in a slump hits line drives right at someone. A pitcher just barely off his game gives up bloop singles on great pitches. Tonight's game was full of evidence that the Angels are done, and they were done by the fourth inning. What am I talking about? In the third inning, after a lead off single, the Angels called a hit and run. A sinker ball pitcher throws a pitch practically over Figgins' head. Chone fails to make contact, and Posada has a perfect pitch to throw on. Kennedy heads back to the dugout. In the fourth, the Angels get a one out baserunner. Vlad tries to steal second. Cano, on the move to cover the bag, is in perfect position to field a ground ball which would have been a hit at any other time.

These are what they call "the breaks" and the Angels aren't getting them. In 2002, they got all the breaks. A Robin Ventura smash hits the high wall in right when it would have been long gone if it had been just a few feet to the left. Spiezio collides with AJ Pierszynski in game 2 of the ALCS, kicking the ball out of AJ's glove, giving the Angels a first inning lead. In the post-season, the teams are so close that the one that wins is the one that gets the breaks. It wasn't meant to be for the 2005 Angels, and there's no better evidence than the fact that the A's are getting all the breaks.

As has been the case many times over the years, the Angels faced a no name pitcher with decent, but not eye-popping numbers, and they make him look like the greatest pitcher in history. The Yankees decided to go with a strong infield defense with the sinkerballer on the mound, planning on getting a large number of ground balls, and the Angels were more than willing to oblige. They could have started Giambi in center field and gotten away with, because nothing was getting to the outfield in the air. Lackey, on the other hand, threw a lot of pitches, walked a few, and could not avoid getting touched up by the stout Yankees offense. When they pushed their second run across in the fifth inning, the job was all but complete. If you want one stat that's indicative of this offense, look no further than their igniter, Chone Figgins. Through two games, to this point, he's 0 for 7, with three strikeouts. His career in the post-season as a regular (five games) he's now 2 for 21 with no walks, and 8 strike outs. That's not exactly what you look for out of your lead off hitter.

The Angels had another fine season. They can add another year to their division championship banner. But for the second straight year, the Angels will leave the party early, likely after the minimum number of required games. The gas is on, the match is lit, and it will soon be time to fire up the hot stove.

I consider it cathartic to prepare myself for the worst. Otherwise, I end up watching my team blow a huge lead, like the Kings tonight, and it catches me completely off guard.

Anyway, I was 100% wrong. The breaks, well, they broke. Things started going the Angels' way. They finally made the Yankees pay for an error, and then they went and did it again in the seventh after Finley's bunt pulled Cano off the bag at first. Lackey didn't pitch badly, but he did walk way too many hitters. Of course, perhaps the walk isn't a bad option against a team of mashers. I really think if the Angels get to the next round and face Chicago, the pitchers will feel like they were swinging the weighted bat in the this series.

The top of the lineup continues to disappoint. Figgins and Anderson have been brutal with the bat in their hands, Chone's making up for it on defense. Clutch hits from Molina and Cabrera kept the wheels turning, and the bullpen looked sharp, Frankie's meatball to Posada notwithstanding. Big credit to Mike Scioscia for calling the pitch-out at a crucial moment, and props to Escobar, Bengie, and Cabrera for executing. Bengie practically caught the ball in front of home plate, and threw a perfect strike. I thought that was a real turning point.

Now it's back to New York to face their big black nemesis. Paul Byrd has come up big for the Angels at important times this season, so here's hoping he can find a few more good starts in that surgically repaired arm. My big hope for tonight's game is that Vlad will learn that the team can win without him doing everything at the plate. He needs to relax, and maybe some of the other guys picking up the slack will help him do that.

Stars 5; Kings 4

Well, maybe I won't get center ice. The Kings got four goals in the first period, three in the first five minutes, but found themselves shorthanded 13 times to Dallas' 2. The result was predictable, as Dallas scored three times in the second period, and twice in the third. The Kings could barely get the goaltender out of the net in the final minute.

It's gonna be a long season.

Neglect

Because of the success of the Angels, I've barely had any time to cover the Kings. With the NHL season getting underway tonight, it's probably a good time to mention that this blog will hopefully start featuring more Kings stuff in future, with one caveat. I calledt Comcast yesterday to order the Center Ice package, and the person with whom I spoke couldn't find any evidence that they were carrying it this year. This, quite naturally, pissed me off. However, the Center Ice package uses the same channels as the Extra Innings package. The on-screen guide has those channels showing games tonight, includind the season opener between the Kings and Stars. There's a free preview this week, so it's possible that the person I spoke with is simply a moron. I guess it's possible that they're showing the preview, but not offering the package for some reason. Honestly, with Comcast purchasing the rights to broadcast national NHL games on its stations, like OLN, you'd think their cable outlets would all be offering the package and promoting their product. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that cable companies are stupid.

Anyway, with the rule changes, roster changes, and anything else that might have changed in the year the NHL took off, I have no idea what to expect. The Kings disappointed me this off-season, either not pursuing good targets, or failing in those pursuits. We've been told that this CBA is what they've been positioning themselves for the last few years, and they didn't really act like it this summer. They did have a terrific team in Manchester last season, so maybe they're expecting big things from the kids. The pundits don't seem to be, but those guys are rarely on the mark.

So I guess we'll sit back and see if the lack of movement pans out.

Angels offense offensive. Yankees win game one.

In the end, you really only needed to watch the first inning, as the game was summed up nicely after only six outs. No killer instinct on the mound, no killer instict at the plate. Bart was able to get ahead, but didn't have the ability to put hitters away. On the other side, Vlad took two meatballs for strikes before grounding out on a pitch that practically bounced on the plate.

Honestly, this concerns me about Vlad. I mentioned it earlier in the season when he was being walked intentionally virtually every time up. He doesn't have the care free attitude of Cabrera. You can tell he lets things get to him. Those walks led him right into a long slump, and the team slumped along with him. Take the grand slam away from last year's playoffs, and he didn't hit .150 in that series. He seems to have the temperament of a guy who is going to try too hard. I hope it doesn't take a 2-0 series deficit to loosen him up this year.

Colon looked like he was falling in love with the radar gun. He was bringing heat, to be sure, but he wouldn't get away from it, and he got burned. Tough to criticise him, though. Last year in the first half of the season, he was getting killed on two strike off-speed stuff, so I guess he's gotta do what he thinks he's gotta do. All of the damage was done with two outs. The Yankees are a team that you cannot afford to leave on life support. Bart could not plunge the knife in when he needed to.

The offense simply isn't reliable enough to score runs when the team is trailing. Their recent run of comeback wins notwithstanding, this isn't really a rally offense. It's not really a good offense, and if they get behind again, they're in trouble. Remember, this is all against a guy who got absolutely hammered by the Orioles in his last start.

Tomorrow night is the series, folks. The pitching matchup says the Angels should win, but this is a terrific Yankees offense against an anemic and unreliable Angels offense. I expect them to, at the very least, put up a better fight. But the next game is it. Lose and it's over. Win and they still have some sort of chance. They needed this one. The Angels had their ace on the mound against a shaky starter, and the Angels made Mussina look about 8 years younger. Leave the bats at home again tomorrow, and the hot stove starts heating up.

The deal with the comments

So yeah, like Richard and Rob, I've been getting ton of comment spam lately. At least one or two, if not more after every post. You might not notice, because I'm one diligent bastard, but trust me, it's grating. So for the time being, I'm going to a word verification system. Think of it as Blogger's way of shirking their responsibility and passing the frustration on to me, who has in turn decided to pass it on to you. Please don't let it keep you from commenting. The more the merrier, unless you're a spammer, in which case you'll be deleted, but quick. This is only a trial period.

Earlimart w/ Richard Swift and the Sons of National Freedom @ Schuba's - 10/2/2005

It really doesn't seem like there's that much to review, really. It was just a few months ago that Earlimart came to Schubas with Okkervil River. Last night's show was pretty much more of the same, with a similar setlist. They threw in a couple of new tracks, and there was maybe one more that I couldn't recognize, but I don't know if it was new or not. Which isn't to say the show wasn't fantastic. It was. Normally a three piece act, they brought along another guitarist/bassist, and a full time keyboard player. That didn't keep the lovely and talented Arianna Murray from moving back and forth between bass and keyboards. She was looking quite fetching, with hair that seemed a bit blonder than the the last time. And speaking of hair, I almost didn't recognize Aaron Espinoza at first, his hair a little longer than the last time.

Richard Swift kicked off the night, playing a couple of solo tunes at the piano. The crowd was pretty sparse, but it was a Sunday night. While I wasn't expecting a big crowd, I was expecting a little more than we got. Swift was recommended to me by cupie and yeswecan over at Halo's Heaven, and he didn't disappoint. Some classic troubador fare, but this guy really has a terrific voice. Kind of reminded me of Rufus Wainwright at times. After the first couple of songs, a backing band who I can only assume were the Sons of National Freedom took the stage and turned the set into a rollicking good time. Swift did a couple more alone before the band retook the stage to finish off the set. Talked to him after the show and he seemed like a pretty good guy. I'm still listening to his album, but so far so good.

Earlimart followed with a set that included the following:

• First Instant, Last Report
• The Hidden Track
• We Drink on the Job
• The Movies
• Sounds
• All They Ever Do is Talk
• Unintentional Tape Manipulations
• Heaven Adores You
• Broke the Furniture
• A Bell and a Whistle (they closed with this one)

It seems like they played more than that, so maybe they did. That's about 13 or 14 songs, though, so no complaints. Pretty fun evening. At one point Espinoza spilled his beer, which coincidentally led right into "We Drink on the Job". At one point he solicited for a sleigh bell player for "Broke the Furniture". I guess I could have gone up there. I was only about 8 feet from the stage, which was more or less the front row because of the small crowd. But honestly, no one wants to see another guy up there, so the girl in front of me finally volunteered her friend. Speaking of "Broke the Furniture", it's really an indictment of country music that bands who aren't country can write better country songs than bands who are country. I'm thinking not only of this one, but Gone for Good by the Shins as well.

This is a band that you really need to listen to, because they're really good. I'm pretty sure you can still stream their album from their website, so you have no excuse not to. But it's not enough just to listen. You need to see them live if the opportunity presents itself, because in person, it's just so much better. All of those little parts that make you say "man, that would sound better if it were way louder," well, they're way louder, and more intense. Lots of energy, and ultimately lots of fun.

I'm guessing they'll probably take some time off and record, but hopefully they'll be back before too long.

Predictions

I suppose I ought to do one of these things before tomorrow. So without any rhyme or reason to them, here goes:

Angels over Yankees in four - The Yankees may have better pitching, as Alex Belth seems to think, but here's where he's wrong. The Angels will prevent runs better. And they'll do it better in this series. I've actually had this argument before, where one of us is talking about actual pitching ability, while the other is referring to run prevention in general. Fine. Split that hair if you like. The Angels are better at keeping runs off the board, and that's why they'll win this series.

White Sox over Red Sox in four - Every post-season needs one series that goes against what everyone predicts. This one will be it. Once again, run prevention will be the difference. They don't give MVPs for this series, but my pick to click is Aaron Rowand. You read it here first. Unless someone beat me to it.

Angels over White Sox in seven - The Angels will win a dramatic seventh game, with yours truly in attendance, after which I will take the red line to Fullerton, get off and walk east toward my apartment, and stop in at the Children's Hospital emergency room on the way, because I won't be leaving the Cell unscathed.

Cardinals over Padres in three - Every post-season needs on series that goes against what everyone predicts. This one won't be it.

Braves over Astros - Why? Because the Braves always beat the Astros in the playoffs. Except last year, but that was an anomoly.

Braves over Cardinals in six - Bobby Cox outmanages Tony LaRussa, who.....aw, who am I kidding? I don't know dick about the National League anymore. I just want the Cardinals to lose.

Angels over Braves in six - The team that has been in the post-season forever loses to the team who will be in the post-season for the next forever.

There, it's saved for posterity.

Things I've learned from "The Alternative"

VH-1 Classic has a show that runs Wednesdays and Thursdays for an hour, and Sundays for two hours (10:00 am and pm Central time). Today's really sucked, but was salvaged at the end by showing the Damned's version of Arthur Lee and Love's "Alone Again Or".

This show has some issues, in my opinion. First, while they do tend to stick what one generally would consider "alternative", occasionally they'll throw a White Zombie or Ministry video in there. I like to think I was pretty well tuned in to the mainstream wing of the alternative scene 15 years ago, at least up until KROQ started playing really crappy stuff at the end of the '90s. These are not bands I would have considered alternative at the time. Second, and this isn't really a criticism, they play stuff that never got anywhere near a radio station with more than 1,000 watts while it the music was contemporary. Just today they played "Eye of Fatima" by Camper Van Beethoven. Also, they'll play obscure videos from bands that had decent hits, but they'll never play the hits. Take Gang of Four, for example. They play the video for "Is It Love" all the freaking time. But they never play "I Love a Man in a Uniform". Maybe they need an order.

One of the most interesting things I've noticed, however, is their selection of artists in heavy rotation. I swear, if you were a 17 year old kid doing a paper on major alternative acts of the last 25 years, you would thing that The Jam/The Style Council/Paul Weller, and the Sisters of Mercy were among the hugest fucking acts of all time. Now, the Jam were huge, but mostly only among people who wore black nylon jackets with orange lining and rode Vespas. And the Sisters of Mercy? I'll admit, I think Vision Thing is a pretty terrific album, and that's before taking into account the camp value, and "This Corrosion" is a classic song, but did anybody really listen to these guys back then, at least in this country? You certainly wouldn't expect them to show up on virtually every program.

That said, I'll give the VH-1 folks props, as they do play Lush and My Bloody Valentine a lot, but they don't play nearly enough Stone Roses or Echo and the Bunnymen. I guess I could start doing a "video of the every couple of days", but I wouldn't want to step on Pinko's toes.

95-67

It's hard to believe, having watched as many games as I did this season, that this is the second best team in Angels history. But there it is. 95 wins. Good enough to win the A.L. West by seven games. Good enough to take home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Good enough to play the Yankees in the first round, which thankfully means night games, which means I can actually see them play. It also means that I may have a couple of fires put out at work by the time they (hopefully) play the White Sox in the ALCS. Some other factoids, as have been noted in the halosphere: Figgins led the league in stolen bases (note to Podsednik, you have to reach base to steal), and Frankie led the AL in saves, even with his DL time, and his sucking time.

A rematch of the 2002 ALDS, this features the same offensive powerhouse Yankees, with even worse pitching than they had three years ago. The Angels enter, once again, a team with excellent pitching, but their offense is worse. We'll find out if it's worse to the same degree as the Yankees pitching. I think the Angels should win this series, but maybe they'd be better off if I gave up all hope.

No excuses. The rotation is set. The bullpen is rested. The offense is.....deep, I guess, but not necessarily reliable. It's October, folks. The most wonderful time of the year.

Random notes

So the Angels won, Lackey was good. GA homered. And, well, honestly, I didn't really see any of it. I was watching the Sox and Yankees, fell asleep, and the next thing I know, it's midnight. So I pretty much just slept all evening, which is why I'm awake on a Saturday before noon.

Anyway, you may have noticed a couple of new additions to the sidebar. First up is 3 Bulls!. Why are they called 3 Bulls!? Fuck if I know, because there's like seven of them, and that doesn't include PupH and Captain Trollypants. So head over and enjoy the antics of Pinko Punko, The Uncanny Canadian, Yosef, GregH, and my favorite, '?'. Also, they have links to the informative "song of the day", and the thought provoking "delicious or disgusting" (hint: It's delicious), where you can weigh in on your musical tastes and, well, taste tastes. They're funny, but a word of advice: Sometimes it's better not to let on that you have no idea what the hell they're talking about.

Also added is a link to Tuning Fork Media, which I admittedly stole from the Song of the Day blog. Tuning Fork exists to keep tabs on the uber-pretension of the guys at Pitchfork, and they add a little snark in the process. Also, they're gonna give me free stuff, which is more than I can say for the rest of you deadbeats. I will, say, however, that as good as that review of Pitchfork's review of the Warlocks album is, it's not as funny as Pitchfork's review of the Jet album, which I still think is a classic. Ironically, the PF review that TF spoofed was written by Nick Sylvester, who also wrote the Jet review.

And just a quick word about the coming dilemma. Work issues and MLB's douchebaggery will likely prevent me from a) watching playoff games that occur during daylight hours, and b) attending games that the Angels play against the White Sox. Just a note to forewarn. I'm not happy about it.

I'm all clairvoyant and shit

How smart am I? Well, today I was searching around Primer looking for an old story that really should never be retold because it's pretty gross. Any, I'm poking around an old lounge thread, searching for comments by and about me, because that's all that's important. Anyway, I run across this little nugget:

scotto (post #87): Pitchfork gave the London Calling reissue a 10.0, which was the first I saw of that.

Me (post #93): OK Computer and Kid A got 10.0s. I would gather that, depending on the reviewer, if they were to re-review "In the Aeroplane over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel, it would get a 10 as well.

Well lo and frickin' behold. Time to start playing the lottery. Only, I need to buy tickets for the one that will be held a year from now.

Oh yeah, Angels won, couple of homers, lots of runs for the good guys, Bart gets number 21. It's weird not to care about the outcome all that much, isn't it? This must be what it's like for Royals fans, but for the whole year.

Alright, seriously, what the fuck?

I've had three unique visitors today, from three different search engines, who were all searching for "Sean Been". It leads them to this post. This raises two questions. First, are they really searching for Sean Bean? Ya know, the dude who was in Patriot Games and Goldeneye? Second, if they are searching for Sean Bean, why? I assume it's because he was in that movie "Flightplan", which Matt said sucks? FWIW, I read the plot summary at the the Movie Spoiler, and it sounds really, really stupid.

By the way, some poking around the cast list of Flightplan reveals that they're doing a remake of the Wicker Man. Now, I haven't seen the original, but this still pisses me off for some reason. Hollywood sucks.

And in other site news, today we pushed past the previous record and officially made September my largest month since reloading this blog. Granted, about a thousand of those hits are from me, but whatever. I'm up to about 6,500 visitors since the beginning of May. Doesn't sound like much, but then again, I'm not that good. Thanks for stopping by. I'll try not to bore you to death during the off-season. Mostly going to write about music, the LA Kings, UCLA football and basketball, Illinois basketball, the hot stove league, and whatever else strikes my fancy.

Angels 4; A's 3: Back to back Western Division Champs!

Best fifty bucks I ever spent.

I talked to my dad after the game, and he said it was anti-climactic. I agreed. It's just the way I like it. After falling behind in the first inning, the Angels came back with two in the second, added two more later, and the kid made those four runs hold up. For the second consecutive season, the Angels are the A.L. West Champions. By the way, I just found a new comedy site. A few of these threads are HI-larious.

I've mentioned it before, and it's fairly obvious, but you can't say enough about how important it was to wrap this series, and the season, up as soon as possible. They now have a week to set the rotation. They have a week to rest the bullpen. GA has a week to stay off his feet and rest up for what will hopefully be a long grind in the post-season.

I'm guessing the rotation will depend on where they play. If they end up with home field (unlikely), then it will be Colon, Lackey, Wash, and Byrd. If they start on the road, it will be Bart, Wash, Lackey, Byrd. I think they'll set up Washburn's first start on the road.

Now we sit back, enjoy the dogfight for the final three playoff spots, with the White Sox-Indians and Yankees-Red Sox series to close it out. Hopefully those teams will find their tanks on empty much like the Angels did last year.

Congratulations, Angels.

NMH

Good Pitchfork review of one the best albums ever produced. It's one of those albums that's criminally underrated outside of indie circles, and some would claim that it's criminally overrated inside indie circles. Personally, I think it's a classic. Certainly in my all time top 10.

Angels 4; A's 3; Lead is 5 games; Magic # is 2

One more win. That's what it's down to. One win in the next three games and the Angels go to the post-season in back to back years for the first time in their history.

They got the scoring going early tonight, a Bobby Crosby error in the second inning opened the door. Erstad followed with an RBI double, and after a Steve Finley fielder's choice, a clutch two out single by Juan Rivera drove home the second run. The old man jacked a two run shot a few innings later, and although the A's crawled back, Kelvim and Frankie closed the door tight enough to bring home the victory, the last two outs coming on a controversial check swing call, and a borderline strikeout looking.

Objectively, this series should have started as a foregone conclusion. A four game lead is a tough thing to blow in one week. But anyone who has been in this situation knows that things can snowball. You lose the first one and you give your opponent life. You start to doubt yourself. They don't have to win four games. They have to win one game four times. It's not a herculean feat. That's why it was vitally important to go out and get this one tonight.

The Angels get a favorable matchup tomorrow night, as they send the kid out against the A's worst starter in Joe Kennedy. How awesome would it be to see Santana, who came in and held down the fort when Kelvim got hurt, to pick up the season clinching win? Now that this one is out of the way, it becomes equally important to win one of the next two. Bart needs his rest, and the bullpen could use some R & R.

For now, the chickens remain uncounted. No one is celebrating yet. The beer is still chillin' in the fridge. We do it again tomorrow.

Btw, A's fans are really a bunch of fucking assholes, aren't they?

Michael Penn w/ Rosie Thomas @ Schuba's - 9/25/05

The last time I saw Michael Penn (which was also the first time) was about a week or two before I re-started this blog, so there was no review. Anyway, he was back in town playing material from his new album, Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947. Some of you probably remember him as being the brother of Chris and Sean Penn who sang that Romeo in black jeans song. Or perhaps you know him as Aimee Mann's husband. You probably don't know that he did the music for P.T. Anderson films "Hard Eight" and "Boogie Nights". His new album is his fifth.

Rosie Thomas started the evening off. It's fairly typical singer/songwriter fare, but she was plenty entertaining, and pretty funny. She also has this weird voice thing going on. When she speaks, it's in a very high, Victoria Jackson-esque voice. Then she starts singing and her voice transforms into a lower, almost Joan Baez-like tone. But not really like Joan Baez. Anyway, it was a mystery. Still, she has a beautiful voice, and what seemed like a delightful personality. Michael Penn followed, and here's an incomplete and out of order setlist:

• Out of My Hands
  
• Denton Road
• Don't Let Me Go
• Long Way Down (Look What the Cat Drug In)
• Bunker Hill
• High Time
• Walter Reed
• Brave New World
• No Myth
• Bucket Brigade
• Me Around
• Try
• Figment
• I Can Tell
• A Bad Sign
• You Know How
• On Automatic

I'm pretty sure that's it. That's a lot though, so it's not like I'm complaining. He didn't play everything I wanted to hear, but he hit some of the big ones, inlcuding I Can Tell and Bunker Hill. He even gave the backstory to Bunker Hill this time, which, in his words, is a love story set during the L.A. riots. For those unaware, there's a big hill in downtown LA called bunker hill where a lot of rich people lived and lodged about 100 years ago. A funicular train was built to take people from third street to the top of Bunker Hill and vice versa. There are references to Angels Flight in the song. A couple of years ago, after it had been restored and put back in service, they had an accident and someone died. For my Angeleno readers, especially those with an interest in the area and some knowledge of it's history (Matt, I'm looking in your direction), you should check his stuff out. It's chock full of L.A. regional references.

Anyway, if you've never been to Schuba's, it's a little corner bar with a back room, which has a stage. The room can only hold about 150 people, so it's a really tiny venue. There's no "backstage". The artists enter from a side door that opens onto the sidewalk on Belmont. I think every time I've been there, the band/artist has talked about how they can't do the cliche encore, because there's nowhere to go. As MP put it, he'd have to go stand on the street like a jackass until we clapped loud enough for him to come back in, and if we didn't clap loud enough, he'd come back in anyway.

This show was recorded for playback on the WXRT Sunday Concert Series. I don't listen the radio enough to know when they're going to play it. And I'm not sure if they archive those, although I suppose it would be easy enough to figure out. You can go here and listen to him perform on KCRW. Probably a similar experience.

Thumbs up for this one. I'd still like to see him with a full band and an electric set up. He said he really longs to do that, but it would be too expensive. Maybe someday. Hopefully it's not another 5 years between albums.

One week left

Well, this one looks like it's about done. Good thing I missed it. There's still a chance, I guess, but we were due for a loss. I really question giving the start to Colon today, especially with Daryl Cousins behind the plate. Bart needs to work the corners to be effective, and Cousins has a strike zone about the size of a dime. But no use crying over spilt milk. Assuming an A's win tonight, the Angels take a three game lead into the final week, and a split with Oakland would all but guarantee the division. Still, let's hope the Rangers nut up tonight.

As for my fantasy team, I had a pretty rough week, but the guy I'm playing in the semi-finals has had a rougher week, and it looks like I'll be heading to the championship series, with three starters lined up to get two starts. I like my chances.

Missed most of today's game because I was playing Ruffled Feathers, pretty much right across the street from Cog Hill. They had a special today. Played in a steady, yet light rain, and the course was pretty wet. Opened with two birdies, then bogeyed 7 and 8 before parring 9 to shoot even on the front, which I've done only about once this year. Bogeyed 10, parred 11 and 12, birdied 13, parred 14, then snaked in about a 35 footer for eagle on 15, bogeyed 16 and 17, and parred 18 to shoot 36-36-72. Best round of the year, and one of my best rounds ever. I just need to be able to get myself to this point by June next year instead of September.

Seeing Michael Penn at Schuba's tonight, so maybe I'll have a review in teh next day or two.

Angels 7; Devil Rays 3; Lead is 4, Magic # is 5

The good news is that Steve Finley homered and doubled, driving in three runs and leading the Angels to victory. The bad news is that Steve Finely homered and doubled, which means that Scioscia is likely to put him in the lineup next week, except maybe against Zito. But I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade. It was a big win, especially because Oakland won today. The Angels need to show the A's that they're not putting pressure on anyone. The Angels fate is in their own hands. Win five games and the division championship stays in Anaheim. Win four of 8, at least one against Oakland, same result.

After some trouble in the first inning, J-dub settled down and looked terrific. Great job getting the win in what may have been his final start in Anaheim as a member of the Angels. I have mixed opinions about possibly re-siging him, but we can deal with that later. Vlad led off the scoring with #32, and after a couple of knocks, Finely erased the early deficit with a three run shot. The Angels would single runs in three later inning, with only Estaban Yan allowing a meaningless run in the ninth providing the final margin.

Shields has looked very good for a few consecutive outings now. That's huge. What would be even better would be to win tomorrow, and take the first two against Oakland. Wrapping things up early would give them a chance to rest that bullpen. It's vitally important, with this erratic offense, to have the relievers rested and healthy for the possible playoffs. Final home game of the season tomorrow. Bart gets the start, oddly enough. I thought they'd save him for the Oakland series. But starting him tomorrow means he's in line for another start against Texas, if needed, a team who he has dominated. And if that final start is not needed, he's set up to start a possible game one with extra rest. Still, waiting until Monday to start him wouldn't have changed any of that, so I'm not quite sure why they're doing this, but that's why I don't get paid the big bucks.

80 at Cog Hill today. Two bogeys, one birdie, 11 pars, and four freaking doubles. I'm almost there, but I need to get rid of the big numbers. Ironically, two doubles came when I took either 3-wood or 2-iron off the tee to play is safe. So much for dialing it back a bit. Birdied #13, though, which is the toughest hole on the course in my opinion. And naturally, I'm starting to make my best contact right as the season is ending. Oh well.

Unwarranted Criticism

Matt says:

It's funny how you no longer update after each game, like you used to back when you had a chance to win that bet....

This is simply wrong for a number of reasons. First, it's not true that I no longer update after every game. In fact, I updated pretty quickly after most games over the last two weeks. When I don't update right after a game, there's usually a good reason. I might be going to bed. See, Matt, we have these things called time zones, and mine is two hours earlier than yours. Also, some of us have jobs where we actually need to show up and stuff. I can't just write articles from the comfort of my apartment. This is also the good concert season in Chicago, and twice in the last two weeks I've been at shows while the Angels were playing. Sometimes, like last night, I might be at a White Sox game, and I might be drunk from tailgaiting before the game. Plus, last night's game wasn't on extra innings, and I hate sitting and watching games over the computer.

Anyway, all of that is neither here nor there. The point is, I feel like I've been accused of rooting for the Angels to lose. Trust me, I've said before, and I'll say again, I'd gladly pay $50 right now to have the season be over with the Angels in first place. I think a lot of would. I hope to lose that $50. Nothing would make me happier.

Anyway, as we all know by know, Angels win, A's lose, magic number is 6. Great comeback last night, and some really clutch hitting in the 7th and 8th. Paul Byrd apparently didn't have it, and he was gone by the time I got home from the Cell. Great work by Kevin Gregg to keep them in the game. Once the Angels tied the score on the error at first base, I had a pretty good feeling about this one. Shields was terrific, as was Frankie. It seems like that must have been the first time since June that both of them pitched 1-2-3 innings. If they can win one more game in this series and go to Oakland no worse than up by three, that would be fantastic.

Anyway, I knew early in this blog's life span that I was spoiling some of you, and that when the inspiration didn't strike for some reason, I'd be called on it. There's just no pleasing some people. Remember, Matt, you're getting what you've paid for. And while I'm on the subject, I think it's pretty darn convenient that your wife just happens to be French, which means you'll just happen to be out of town when I'm in LA, thereby precluding you from buying me dinner with my money.

For the curious

I try not to get too political on this blog, because there are other people who do that a lot better than me. If you haven't already figured it out from my sidebar, here's where some quize says I stand:

You are a Social Liberal (73% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (30% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Do with that what you will. And speaking of the sidebar, I've added 3 Bulls to the list. Them dudes are funny, and they like good music. Also, they added me to theirs, so it's like reciprocation, eh.

Oh, I got this from John Cole.

Angels 7; Rangers 4; Lead is 3 games; Magic # is 8

Six straight wins. Three big ones over Texas, which has to be a bit of a psychological boost in the event that those three games to close the season are meaningful, and I think we all expect them to be. The kid was good again, at least, good enough to win. Another quality start, he kept the team in the game long enough for the Angels to break it open in the sixth with three runs on four hits and a walk, all with two outs. The walk was to Steve Finley. I'm pretty sure every one of us in the halosphere was expecting a pop-up there. I know I was. Bengie added a home run, and Escobar, who had pitched a great 7th and 8th got touched for a run in the ninth. It was meaningless.

Two tests lie ahead. Obviously the series with Oakland is huge, and there's no way to overstate its importance. But the upcoming set with the Devil Rays is almost as important. The Angels enter the series in position to go into Oakland no worse than tied with a week to go. Honestly, I don't expect Oakland to lose to Texas, so it's important for the Angels to take at least two games out of three. This is the same D-Ray team that swept the Angels in Tampa, and has bitchslapped the first place Yankees all over the field this season. Wash is ready to go. Byrd will need to be the rock that he's been lately. The Angels still need a starter for Sunday. With Bart's bad back, and the series with Oakland looming, the Angels will probably move Bart to Monday, which will give him two starts in the last week.

The Angels magic number, now 8, is one better than that of the White Sox, who fell apart in extra innings tonight. Why they couldn't do that while Johan Santana was in teh game is anybody's guess, but it means I didn't get the win in my fantasy league. With three days left in the semi-finals, I trail my opponent by two points, which means nothing to you if you don't know how we do the scoring, and I'm not going to take the time to explain it now. Just know that it's a virtual tie. Of course, the Sox loss also means no donuts tomorrow. I'll be at the Cell tomorrow night, so I'll try to document the atrocities.

Angels 6; Rangers 5; Lead 2.5

Quick one tonight since I have to get up to go to work tomorrow. This one was sort of unexpected. Once they got down, I expected them to lose, because they were due for one, and the Angels have a tendency to be shut down by pitchers who have no business shutting them down. But as much as we've ripped on Scioscia recently, he played most of the right cards in this one. He went back to Ztu, despite my prediction that he wouldn't, and it didn't end up hurting the team. He got the big hits from pinch hitters Quinlan and Molina (and a hit from Finley, but it wasn't big, since it didn't lead to any runs). He got burned a little by Donnelly, but Christiansen got the lefty, Shields looked terrific in the eighth, and Frankie was great in the ninth, save for a lousy call on what should have been strike three to the lead off hitter, Rod Barajas.

Lackey didn't look particularly sharp, scattering a number of baserunners, although he did have two perfect innings. The last two games have brought returns of the Lackey inning, which may survive the regular season, but could be big trouble in the post-season.

Three game lead in the loss column, and thanks to the Twins, the magic number is nine, same as the White Sox. A executive assistant at work brought in donuts this morning because she was in a good mood after the Sox win last night. I think we're all getting all expense paid trips if they win the World Series.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with Mark Gardener at the Metro, 9/20/05

Mark Gardener led off the evening, but honestly I missed most of his set. I showed up for his final five songs. However, I was there for the good parts. For those unaware, Mark Gardener was one of the creative minds behind the influential shoegazer band Ride, of whom I'm a big fan. He played Vapour Trail, an indie classic, and In a Different Place near the end of his set. He's supposed to back in December with a full electric setup (tonight was just him and two other people, no percussion, all acoustic), so it will be interesting to see if he does more Ride stuff.

BRMC came out next, or rather, Peter Hayes came out next. A little background, BRMC's first two albums were fairly straightforward rockers. The self titled first album was critically a mixed bag. Hailed by some as a return to rock and roll, it was criticized somewhat for being a rip-off of any number of bands, including the aforementioned Ride, as well as early Verve (circa A Storm in Heaven), maybe some My Bloody Valentine, and most obviously, the Jesus and Mary Chain. Didn't bother me. I really like all of those bands, so I thought it was a pretty good listen, and it made for a good live set (I saw them for the first time in 2001 when they opened for the Charlatans at the Double Door, so that makes this the fourth time I've seen them). The second album, Take Them On, On Your Own, was more of the same, and got even worse reviews than the first, but again, made for some really great live tracks.

While writing the latest album, Howl, Robert Levon Been (formerly Robert Turner) and Peter Hayes had a falling out with drummer Nick Jago. The result was a number of songs with percussion as an afterthought. The album is slower and quieter, drawing more from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson than William and Jim Reid. Somewhere along the line, fences were mended, and Jago is back with the band, but there's not much for him to do on a number of songs. Critically, this was a step in the right direction, and honestly, it's growing on me, although initially I didn't care for it as much as the first two, start to finish.

So anyway, Peter Hayes came out solo and did the first couple songs by himself before being joined by Levon Been and Jago for the rest of the set. The set was panned by a few people on the way out. This is probably a weird situation for the band, as the first two albums are clearly more crowd friendly at a rock concert, but I'm sure the band wants to play a lot of the new stuff. Tonight, the band won. In this blog's tradition, the following is a setlist, which should be pretty complete, since the show just ended a few hours ago. The first few songs are in order, then it's a free for all:

• Devil's Waitin'
• Fault Line
• Restless Sinner
• Weight of the World
• Shuffle Your Feet
• Ain't No Easy Way
• Howl
• Still Suspicion Holds You Tight
• Love Burns
• Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll (Punk Song)
• White Palms
• As Sure as the Sun
• Spread Your Love
• U.S. Government (a weird version of this, with only the words remotely similar to the veriosn that appears on Take Them On....)
• Stop
• Sympathetic Noose (Very different than the version on the album as well, but the same basic melody, just louder)
• Promise
• Gospel Song
• The Line
• Open Invitation

I think that's it. They played pretty much all of the new album, except for Complicated Situation. Levon Been broke a bass string on one song, which I've never seen before, but it looked cool. Also, his voice clearly wasn't as strong as Hayes'. At first I thought it was the microphones, but you could tell when at one point, the two switched sides. Hayes was terrific all night on vocals, guitar, harmonica (I love it when bands bust out the harmonica live for some reason), and even trombone on Promise near the end.

Personally, the set didn't bother me. While I would have loved to hear more than the just the two songs they played from Take Them On..., and I would have been ecstatic if they'd played Awake, I pretty much figured they'd play a lot from the new album, so I wasn't shocked or disappointed when that's what we got. Definitely worth my $16. And since it was an early show, I was home in time to see the last few innings of the baseball game. Definitely a change for the better from their last show. Two years ago, the show was supposed to start at 10:00. Because an early show ran late, and the band still wanted their full sound check, the doors didn't open until 11:30, and the show didn't start until almost midnight. This meant BRMC opened, and the Stratford Four had to go on second, at about 1:30 am, by which time most of the crowd had cleared out. That's gotta suck.

Angels 2; Rangers 1; lead is 1.5

Steve Finley has finally found a buddy for the bench. The old man ought to clear a space for MaicEEEr Izturis, becuase I don't think MaicEEEr is going to be doing a whole lot of starting from here on in, and he may have just cost himself a spot on the post-season roster.

When MaicEEEr wasn't booting balls at third, Bart was working on his 20th win, the first 20 game winner for the Angels since Nolan Ryan in 1974, which means he's the first since I've been old enough to actually pick up a baseball, right around the time I started walking and talking. Congrats, Bart. Escobar pitched a solid 8th, working around a one out walk to the Junior Sarge. Frankie did his Frankie thing again, putting runners on, striking batters out, and generally giving everyone a heart attack. Rivera continued to make his case for being in the everyday lineup with a solo homer, which gave the Angels a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

And the White Sox finally won, which ought to allow their fans, who are gripping seriously hard, a chance to back away from the ledge a bit. Crede homered in the tenth right as I pulled into my parking space as I returned from what you may have just read about in the post above.

We do it again tomorrow night.

Brian Jonestown Massacre at the Metro (9/14/05)

This was the first time I've seen BJM. You might have seen the movie Dig, or you might have read my half assed review of it, or neither. If you've listened to late '60s Rolling Stones, you know what Brian Jonestown sounds like. Some background, the music is great, the lead singer, Anton Newcombe, is psycho. That's about it.

The show lasted over two hours, and they played 10 songs. Seriously, ten songs in over two hours. There were two reasons for this. Some songs were seemingly endless. For example, they closed with "Swallowtail" and it lasted probably close to a half hour. No joke. The songs that didn't take twenty minutes to play were usually followed by 15 to 20 minutes of ranting from Anton. This isn't really a surprise for anyone who has seen the movie. Anton comes off as someone who is pretty sure that he's the most brilliant fucking person on the planet, and I'm sure there are enough people surrounding him who feel similar that it just feeds his ego. Anyway, the rants are funny at first, but start getting old if you're my age and back starts to hurt after standing in roughly the same place for 3 hours. What's not clear, at least to me, is if Anton has always been this way, or if the band's newfound popularity since the opening the of the movie has convinced him that he needs to play to type. I never saw them before the movie, and it was filmed over seven or eight years, so you never know whether what shows up on film is the real deal, or if he's been edited to seem like even more of an asshole than he normally is. Also, keep in mind that the lineup that you see in the movie is completely different. BJM at this point is essentially Anton and whoever he can get to tour with him. No Matt Hollywood, no Joel Gion, no Miranda Lee Richards, no Peter Hayes, etc. Although, Peter Hayes will be in the same venue on Tuesday fronting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as they play tunes from their new album Howl, which I didn't like all that much at first, but is growing on me. I hope to be there.

The setlist, such as it was, stuck pretty closely to Tepid Peppermint Wonderland, which is the 38 song retrospective that was released shortly after the movie, and a good use of thirteen bucks (see, all of you iTunes freaks, buying actual CDs can still be a good value). The played one song off of Strung Out in Heaven, called Jennifer, that doesn't appear on TPW. The rest, from memory (and remember, it's like 5 days later now):

• When Jokers Attack
• Servo
• If Love is the Drug (this one lasted forever, too)
• Vaccuum boots (I think, but don't hold me to this one)
• Nailing Honey to the Bee
• Nevertheless
• Let Me Land Next To Your Flower
• Hide and Seek (again, they may or may not have played this one, but I think they did)

That's all I can remember/recognize, or think I can remember They did not play Who, Mary Please, or Anenome, which all would have totally rocked! Oh well.

The guys that opened for them, the High Dials, were actuallly really good for the two songs that I heard. I'll be checking out their album on Rhapsody.

Angels take two over the weekend

Didn't see much of last night's game for a couple of reasons. First, it wasn't on Extra Innings. Must have been on local TV in LA, and the Tigers weren't broadcasting. It was on MLBTV, but I didn't really want to sit in front of the computer all night, so I turned it on, turned the sound up, and laid down on the couch. There weren't too many reasons to get up and watch until the 8th inning, and by that time I was waking up from a long nap, so I was too tired to watch. I did listen, however, and watched Frankie shut down the ninth.

I have today's game recorded, and I'll skim through it later, but it was bright, sunny, and 80 degrees here, so I hit the links again, this time at Cinder Ridge. Kind of a rinky dink front nine, better back nine, but it could be in better shape. 41-36-77. Not bad for the first time I've seen it, and I started to put it together a bit on the back nine. Anyway, my dad gave me the play by play of the ninth inning on the drive home. The bullpen continues to be shaky, but Paul Byrd continues to show that the Angels are better off bringing him back next year over J-Dub.

Went to a local sports warehouse bar (seriously, the place is enormous) so that I could watch the Bruins beat up on a mediocre Oklahoma team. I'll take it. It's been a while since there's been a Bruins team that could beat up on any team, including the mediocre ones. Drew Olson looked terrific, and the defense created some turnover, and took advantage of some sloppy play. I could have ordered it on PPV, but I figured the money was better spent on beer and food, plus I could watch my dad's Spartans take on my friends' Irish at the same time. They play an awful Washington team next week before they face their first real test at home versus Cal, who beat up on the Illini this week (at least in the second half). We'll give the Illini a few years to blossom under Ron Zook.