Four pitches zipped into the catchers' mitt of Dusty Brown.
97 miles per hour. Then, 96. 95. 96 again. All went for balls.
Right-hander Daniel Bard just walked the lead runner with a one-run lead against the Toledo Mud Hens yesterday. Now skinny-as-a-rail Jason Tyner, veteran of eight major league seasons, was heading to the plate to lay down a bunt.
Instead of losing control, Bard bore down. He allowed one more ball, then over powered Tyner, striking him out with fastballs no less than 95 miles per hour. After those first five misses, Bard threw only strikes, topping his fastball at 98 miles per hour and slamming the door on the Mud Hens to save his fifth game, a 2-1 win.
"Danny was real good," Paw Sox skipper Ron Johnson said. "I really the last pitch he threw in the game. That was very good."
The last pitch he threw, a slider, was his only off speed pitch of the outing left pinch-hitter Don Kelly meekly failing to check his swing at the inside pitch.
"It took me a couple pitches," Bard said. "I needed to get loose but they weren't bad misses. They were all around the plate, which is a good thing."
So the 2006 first round pick regained his focus, kept firing heaters, and promptly disposed of the Mud Hens.
"In the past couple years, it might've taken me a batter or two, but tonight it took me those four pitches to get my fastball locked in," Bard said. "If you can turn those adjustments from a whole at bat to just pitch-to-pitch adjustments, you're going to be a lot more effective."
Bard's signature fastball was clocked as high as 100 miles per hour in Spring Training as the University of North Carolina alum struck out 14 hitters in 10.1 innings and allowed zero runs, peaking the interest of Red Sox management in Spring Training. But, instead of dwelling on what the front office thought, Bard was busy learning from the professionals at Fort Myers, Florida.
"I had a conversation with [Jon] Lester," Bard recalls. "I remember just asking what his biggest adjustments from facing triple-A hitters to facing big league hitters. He just said it's kind of like any other level. [Hitters] get a little bit more selective, they recognize pitches a little bit earlier. They'll also learn from their mistakes. You can't get them out on the same pitch over and over like some guys in the minors. Just trying to get bits and pieces from the guys who have been there."
The 23 year old Bard is poised to become the next big impact youngster on the Sox roster and he's using his time in Pawtucket to work on all of his pitches, including that high 80's slider and a changeup.
"I'm pitching to get guys out," he said. "If that means get them out with four or five fastballs in a row, that's what I'm going to do. If the catcher calls for an off speed pitch, a breaking ball, a changeup, then I'll throw it."
Earlier this season, Bard threw nine consecutive strikes to the Rochester Red Wings. None of them were hit - a feat that's only been accomplished 42 times in Major League Baseball history. Not a bad feat for the kid still adjusting to life as a reliever after struggling as a starter two seasons ago.
"I love it," he said simply. "I like the pressure that comes with it. It's kind of a no holds barred attitude, just go right after them."
That attitude immediately conjures images of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who Bard called "different" with a smile. "The person that he goes from in the clubhouse to the person he is on the mound is like night and day. He's joking around as much as anybody. He's loud, telling jokes. And then he's just locked in. It just shows the preparation and the amount of focus it takes to be successful on a consistent basis like that."
If anything, his manager is trying to temper his enthusiasm for Bard.
"It's a month into the season. So, I think you try of refrain from just going crazy. Obviously he has good stuff," Johnson said. "I have been impressed so far with his composure."
Labels: baseball, Daniel Bard, feature, Paw Sox, prospects 0 comments
If only March baseball counted.
Detroit Tigers lead-off man Ramon Santiago walked to open the game and corner infielder Jeff Larish reached in following inning via plunking. Other than that, the Marlins’ pitching staff was flawless, no hitting the Tigers at Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida on Sunday and winning the contest 2-0.
"I've never seen it in spring training," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "There wasn't anything fluky about it.”
Sinkerballer Ricky Nolasco impressed the Marlins’ organization last season, logging 212.1 innings with a 3.52 earned run average and continued to impress Sunday, going 7 no-hit innings while inducing two double plays and striking out eight.
"Hopefully I can save some of those zeros for the season," Nolasco said, according to MLB.com.
Dan Meyer and Leo Nunez closed out the 8th and 9th inning, respectively, giving way to a fairly subdued celebration, considering the no-hitter.
Though tough to track, the South Florida Sun Sentinel traced the most recent Spring Training no-no back to March 14, 2000, when six Red Sox pitchers combined to no hit the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sanchez Consistent
The day before, the most recent Marlin to throw a no-hitter - back in 2006 - and former Red Sox farmhand Anibal Sanchez faced his former club and was effective in the rain-delayed game.
Mike Berardino reported “he cruised through the first 14 batters” in “his best spring outing”.
''I had great command,'' Sanchez said after the outing. ``Last year, I was thinking too much about getting hurt again. But it's been enough time now, and I'm not thinking like that anymore.''
Sanchez struggled with a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder, sidelining him for the better part of a calendar year. He started only 16 major league games since his promising rookie campaign and was hit hard in 51.2 inning pitched last season, registering a 5.51 ERA.
If there was one plus to last season, it was his strikeout ability. He managed to strikeout 50 batters - almost 1 per inning pitched. Saturday, that velocity was evident, constantly hitting 91 miles per hour or higher against the Red Sox, though only striking out two through 5.2 innings in his no decision.
Maybin Impresses Kaline
Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline has registered over 3,000 hits at the major league level and came one home run shy of 400 before retiring. The first ballot Hall of Famer knows talent when he sees it - and he sees it in Marlins’ prospect Cameron Maybin, according to the Miami Herald.
“He's got great power, great speed, and he's a great outfielder,” Kaline said. “The only thing he doesn't do well is recognize breaking balls. He'll swing and miss the ball a few times, more than he should. That's something most young players will have a problem with.
“But with that great speed of his, if he puts the ball in play, he's going to be able to get on base a lot.”
The 21 year-old Maybin was drafted by the Tigers 10th overall in the 2005 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Last season, he was traded to the Marlins as the centerpiece of a deal that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit.
Entering Monday, Maybin was hitting .289 in 45 at-bats during Spring Training with one home run and two stolen bases in three chances. Maybin is expected to break camp as the starting center fielder opposite Jeremy Hermida and Cody Ross.
Hot/Not
HOT: Hermida, who hasn’t lived up to the hype in previous injury-plagued seasons, is hitting .368 this spring with a .684 slugging percentage, 3 home runs, and 10 RBIs in 38 at-bats…Josh Johnson, who has 14 strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA through 16 innings this spring.
NOT: Hanley Ramirez, limited to just 15 at-bats with the Marlins due to a shoulder injury and playing in the World Baseball Classic, has just two hits with the Marlins this spring - though both were extra base hits - and four errors in five games…Taylor Tankersley, expected to compete for a bullpen spot this spring has been dismal. The inconsistent pitcher has allowed 14 hits and 3 walks in 6.1 innings, logging a 15.63 ERA and a WHIP of well over 2.
Labels: baseball, Marlins 0 comments
When the Florida Marlins came into existence in 1993, they were draped in teal and tossed a 45 year-old Charlie Hough on the mound en route to a 98 loss season. Better days were bound to happen, but two World Series titles in 15 seasons for a micro-market team exceeded all expectations.
Still, Thursday may have signified the Marlins’ biggest victory in franchise history.
By a 3-2 vote, Miami city commissioners approved financing for a new 37,000 seat retractable-roof stadium for the low, low price of $515 million, plus $94 millions for parking lots on the site where the Orange Bowl once stood, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The deciding vote ended a 2-2 deadlock and, hopefully, will end years of sporadic fan interest. Watching a late-September Marlins home game is sometimes a laughable affair. Last season, a meaningless September series against the Washington Nationals drew a recorded 40,452 fans between the three games, though the real number can surely be cut in half, as there seemed a 2:1 foul ball to fan ratio amidst Dolphin Stadium’s hideous empty orange seats.
Last season, according to Baseball Reference, Florida finished dead last in the National League in attendance with 1,335,076. The Tampa Bay Rays finished 12th of the 14 teams in the American League, despite winning the A.L. East which raises the obvious question of whether or not Florida can simply play sufficient host to a major league team.
Granted, both Dolphin Stadium and Tropicana Field are horribly dated and hideous sites, but with flailing attendance for decent products, it’s tough to commit over half a billion dollars to a lackluster fan base.
The plan still needs approval from the Miami-Dade County Commission, which will be heard next week. The Marlins chief argument has been the creation of new jobs combined with keeping baseball in South Florida while the opposition argues paying tax money to a private organization in these financial times simply is not a practical application.
The new deal would a name-change for the soon-could-be Miami Marlins, but one thing’s for sure, the Florida Marlins and all those empty seats can’t remain as it currently stands.
Lindstrom Recovering
Reliever Matt Lindstrom is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered during warm-ups at the World Baseball Classic.
According to The Sports Xchange, Lindstrom hoped to play catch tomorrow for the first time since suffering the injury a week earlier. The fireballer has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour - he hit 102 at PNC Park last season against the Pittsburgh Pirates - and was in line for the closer’s job before the injury. Leo Nunez is expected to inherit the closer position if Lindstrom can’t recover in time for the season opener.
Last year, Lindstrom converted five saves in six chances - all five saves coming in the month of September - and recorded a 3.14 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 57.1 inning pitched.
WBC, A-Ok for Cantu
Jorge Cantu returned to Marlins’ camp healthy - unlike his less-fortunate teammates Lindstrom and Alfredo Amezaga, who left the event with a sprained knee - and raved about his experience at the event, which was music to his ears. More specifically, mariachi music to his ears.
"You're talking about mariachis playing, music playing, every game," Cantu told Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. "There's always something going on different. The other team was like, 'What's going on, why is music playing while we're hitting?' It's just different down [in Mexico].
"We played our hearts out," Cantu said of the club‘s first round elimination. "We did all we could. It was a great time, great experience, great pride, a lot of honor to do that. And just to play in front of the Mexican crowd, it was something unbelievable."
Labels: baseball, Marlins 4 comments
The links below lead to samples of my work. For photography samples, click on the tab above or the slideshow on the sidebar.
Online - OKBlitz.com
Northern Iowa’s Farokhmanesh Stings Like a Bee -- 3/18/2010 (NCAA Tournament notebook)
Bartlesville’s Noah Hartsock Impresses for BYU -- 3/18/2010 (NCAA Tournament notebook)
A Titan Tribute -- 12/17/2009 (High School feature)
Bronson Irwin the Biggest Bronco -- 9/8/2009 (High School feature)
Print - Boston Globe
'A chance to win in life' -- 4/23/09 (High School feature)
Old college try successful for these youngsters -- 4/20/09 (Chicago Bulls notebook)
Dream Chasers -- 3/22/09 (High School feature)
A family of fighters, winners -- 3/16/09 (High School feature/sidebar)
Manchester just perfect -- 12/7/08 (High School game story)
Broadcast - Emerson College TV
2009 WEBN Spring Training Special (A Block) -- Producer, editor, videographer
Atlanta Braves (Jeff Francoeur) PKG -- Reporter, videographer, producer
Houston Astros (Michael Bourn) PKG -- Reporter, videographer, producer
Boston's Freshest Foods -- Videographer
DeJon Berment PKG -- Reporter, editor, videographer
Photography
Flickr page
Sticking with the video theme, here is Conan O'Brien's self proclaimed favorite skit from his show. Enjoy.
Labels: Conan O'Brien, videos 1 comments
Rumble the mascot debuted in Oklahoma City last night to...confused reactions.
But, it did lead to some funny reviews today. Josh Elliot championed him "Teen Wolf" on Sportscenter. Any reference to Jason Bateman is fine by me.
The Thunder mascot also spawned some pretty hilarious articles today. Deadspin and the Sporting News were among those who weighed in.
Check it out...don't blink or you might miss various bison-related basketballing.
With the job market the way it is, how could a mascot be hired if he can't even dunk? Even Teen Wolf could dunk! Ohh well...at least this didn't happen to the lightning-struck, lonely, drum-playing bison-man-mascot.
That happened at the NBA All-Star festivities last weekend...poor Bango needs surgery now. Tough being a mascot these days. No wonder mascot-human relations are at an all-time low.
Yeah, you're right, this is probably my best blog post ever.
Labels: mascots, NBA, videos 0 comments
How cute is this?
For all the squabbling, egotism, and grandstanding that has marred the afterlife of the new millennium Los Angeles Lakers, last Sunday's NBA All-Star Game gave basketball fans a cushy, feel-good moment. In a meaningless game, with zero circumstances, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant offered a glimpse of one the NBA's best ever duos.
Kobe, being Kobe, logged 29 minutes, scored 27 points, and split MVP duties with O'Neal. The Man of Steel, despite logging a team-low 10:56 playing time, bucketed 8-of-9 shots, many of which were set up by his former pivot.After the game, Shaq and Kobe tussled over the MVP award for the benefit of the NBA viewing public. Good thing they build that thing sturdier than the G-E-I-C-O game trophy. Who knew My Little Pony had a place in basketball?
Picture perfect isn't it? I mean, sure, never mind the fact that Shaq's infamous, uh, whatever you call this, was a mere nine months ago. And forget the fact that Kobe called Shaq "fat", mentioned "childlike selfishness", and, oh yeah, he may have told police that the big man drops seven figures to keep women quiet about his involvement with them.
But none of that mattered last weekend. It was all laughs, and dancing, and fond memories.
That led to the somewhat-natural follow-up question of: Could they co-exist again? Could one of the league's all time greatest duos put aside the potty talk and hurt feelings? Could they make one last run?
No. Not maybe. No.
I mean, is it feasible? I suppose it is. At the NBA All-Star break Phoenix sat ninth in the Western Conference, disappointing enough to dump its head coach of four months - Terry Porter. And, sure, the Suns have made it very public that Amar'e Stoudemire is on the trading block, which is just three days away. The Lakers have lost their defacto big man, Andrew Bynum, to injury, again.
So, on one hand, you have an aging center in what is likely the final year of his career languishing on a disappointing team and a first place team that, under normal circumstances, would be an ideal fit.
Salary wrangling would be a problem, but, when it comes to championship hopes, the only incorrect amount spent is "not enough".
But, no, it can't happen. While a bloated salary could be greased up enough to fit a tight space, the Lakers are fresh out of space for a 325-pound addition of egotism.
Lest ye forget, Jerry Buss signs the checks and Kobe pays the bills.
Regardless of what Lakers fans or NBA fans would like - or dread - seeing, sometimes the past is best left to the past.
It's just like that ex-girlfriend whose number sits on the desk or in your cell phone. You tell yourself, 'Maybe, this time, it will work. Maybe we can recapture those good times. There were so many positives! Why not give it a shot?'
Funny how time glamourizes the good and makes you forget that same girl once tried to throw a lamp at you.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals last season on the back of heroic performances by Bryant and solid contributions from a young bench. Acquiring O'Neal is a reversal of course and, likely, of fortunes.
The Suns sacrificed their fast-footed ways to bring in the foul-line-aphobe and have experienced a steady decline since.
The Big Aristotle proved to be entertaining host in the desert last weekend, emphasizing more than ever, that it takes a dry climate for the Shaqtus to grow.
Labels: All-Star, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, NBA, Shaquille O'Neal 0 comments
In today's world of media proliferation, you can find a dozen voices to comment on a single game within a few clicks of a mouse.
Take Saturday's Flyers game against the Bruins. Yes, we're talking about a team that has ascended to the top of the Eastern Conference and the team that competed violently against them last year. But still the different mediums available to find even the most basic information can be staggering.
The Boston Globe's Fluto Shinzawa is considered by many the beat writer de jour for the black and gold. The Associated Press can be found wherever there's a story to tell. And the New England Hockey Journal covers the Boston hockey scene, chiming in on national and intercollegiate stick and puck.
Both the AP and Globe led with the game's final goal, a Randy Jones strike. Jones still has blood on his hands and a target on his back after giving Patrice Bergeron a concussion last season. "Philadelphia's Randy Jones gave Bruins' fans a different reason to boo him," noted the AP, after scoring an overtime goal "that wouldn't have cracked an eggshell," according to Shinzawa.
The AP story dove further into the Jones storyline, committing the first four lines to the defenseman. The two Boston sources looked for Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference, whom the puck had deflected off of. "It's fun to score, but when they happen on your side, it's not so cool," said Ference, quoted as saying such in all three stories, though later in the AP account.
From there, Fluto gives some personal analysis, having earned his credibility in the market. "Tough to come up with a declarative thumb up or down," Fluto writes, but the fact is the direction of his thumb is, in fact, a reliable barometer. The writer has covered nearly every Bruins game since the start of the 2006-07 season.
The NEHJ goes into the concept of fatigue, which was addressed in the lede, and uses quotes from Bruins coach Claude Julien to back up that point, as opposed to writer analysis. Shinzawa discusses the same concept from his eyes, writing "fatigue (physical and mental) brought the Bruins down."
The more prominent sources - the Globe and AP - note that Fernandez declined to talk to the media, but all three mention Byron Bitz's first NHL goal. Shinzawa missed a key point to the game that the AP and NEHJ caught. Bitz and Chuck Kobasew scored 8 seconds apart - the fastest back-to-back Bruins goals in 28 years - a rare miss by Shinzawa.
Maybe fatigue was also a factor for the Bruins beat writer. He only quotes Ference and Julien in the article. The NEHJ was Bruins-centric as well, but also quoted Bitz. The AP story is the only one that encompasses both teams, quoting Jones, Ference, Julien, and Flyers' forward Scott Hartnell.Interestingly, none of the articles quote Antero Niittymaki, who replaced struggling Marty Biron after the first period. After the goalie change, the Bruins failed to score, which could mean a permanent shift to Niittymaki as the number one goaltender. Niittymaki is a Finnish-born goaltender, but does speak English. The articles don't mention any reluctance to speak on the part of the goalie, yet none quote him.
Fluto's piece doesn't contain a notes section, but he normally contributes those on off days. The AP and NEHJ notes sections touch upon largely the same stories - Aaron Ward's illness and Michael Ryder's injury.
In all, all three tell the story, but each one gives you a different perspective. Shinzawa, arguably the most knowledgeable team source, gives his opinion to you straight, while also recapping the game. The NEHJ story gives you the details and quote-driven analysis from a Boston perspective. The AP story is meant to appeal to fans of both - or neither - team. It's the only one that includes the Philadelphia perspective.
Perhaps this is why so many media entities are able to survive amongst each other. Proliferation is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as each source has a target readership and definable perspective.
Yeah, you've seen his face a lot lately. His son's too. The proud papa is, as he put it, this year's Archie Manning.
In the last two Super Bowls, it’s been the Mannings: Peyton, Eli, and father Archie...
Because of the Arizona Cardinals’ incredible season of success and Larry Jr. breaking the legendary Jerry Rice’s playoff records, the Fitzgeralds are suddenly a unique hot American story. Father/sportswriter Larry becomes the first to ever cover his son in the Super Bowl.
The "no cheering in the press box" rule - one of sports journalism's precious commandments - will be put to the test like never before. Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a sports writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, has covered the Super Bowl every season since the 15th (XV for the Romans reading) installment in 1981.
Each year, his job took him to the world's biggest sporting event. Sometimes he'd bring son Larry Jr. in tow. But, this year, Arizona wide receiver Larry Jr. punched a ticket with a job of his own to do.
After tying the record for most touchdown receptions in a postseason game with three - in the NFC Championship game, vanquishing the Philadelphia Eagles - and breaking Jerry Rice's postseason receiving yardage record - the new benchmark sits at 419, heading into Super Bowl XLIII - how is Larry Sr. to remain humble.
In his Super Bowl preview article, the elder Fitzgerald called his son "one of the best at age 25 to ever play this game" and "the best player on the field". While the words seem biased, they just may be true.

He explains in "keep it simple, stupid" detail, the 'who's and 'what's of the game to come, but quotes one of sources, forged by decades of work in professional football. "Tomlin comes from the Tony Dungy tree of NFL coaches, and one veteran NFL scout talking about Tomlin said, 'He’s got it.'"
Larry Sr. describes, in simple detail, the history involved - how Ken Whisenhunt and Ken Grimm, former Pittsburgh Steelers coordinators, were passed over before reinventing a perennial NFL punch line of a franchise. He gives the scores of the Super Bowl contenders' previous conquests, exuding none of the flash his son displays on the field he writes about.
He concludes the article with "a hunch" predicting a Cardinals victory, 28-27. Prophecy and sports journalism often go hand-in-hand. After all, there's a game every night, most hoisted high in Las Vegas with thousands upon thousands of dollars at stake. Any potential insight won't go unread. And who knows Larry Jr. better than Dad?
In the business of sports journalism, often you're asked to check your bias at the door or pack it deep inside your ribs. Anymore than a single clap in a press setting and you risk your reputation or, even worse, a death stare from colleagues.
But with newspapers floundering and the journalism industry lofted up the air like a Kurt Warner lob, maybe Larry Sr. can come down with the loose ball.
Who's to say that Larry, who covered Super Bowls every season without fail, should silence that inner voice? Through the birth of two sons, Larry in 1983 and Marcus in 1985, and the death of his wife of a brain aneurysm in 2003, Larry Sr. stuck with the trade, submitting to the often-formulaic will of his fellow media.
Why not let him say and show exactly what he feels? You'll find thousands of game stories Monday morning in hundreds of countries, but only one journalist has his son on the field.
Larry Sr. admits "it does not get much better than this", and why quiet that enthusiasm? Maybe it is a father's perspective - biased, affected, honest - that should have an unabashed place in sports journalism.
Call it "a hunch".