June 22 & 24 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NE
ESPN
Let's start with a quick interview during game 1 of the College World Series championship series, which defending champion Vanderbilt won 5-1.
The ESPN reporter was in the stands talking to UVA coach Brian O'Connor's father, "Mr. O'Connor", and the first question was 'why do you think he (Brian O'Connor) is so much more relaxed in his second year at the CWS'?
Mr. O'Connor's first two words: "Who, Brian?"
Yeah, Brian!!
Boone Phrases
Another big night for Aaron Boone in the booth:
"North-south action"
"Push the envelope"
"A chance for Jones to wiggle out"
"Climb the ladder"
"Hit a couple balls on the screws"
"That's when Connor Jones...became a dude"
"Little blown tire there"
National champions
In the deciding game of the series, freshman Pavin Smith hit a tying, two-run home run in the fourth, then drove in a go-ahead single to the opposite field in the fifth as the Cavaliers won 4-2 and captured the school's first-ever national title.
* UVA used two southpaw pitchers and both were excellent. Brandon Waddell started on three-days rest and allowed two runs in seven innings, retiring the final 11 batters he faced. Blessed with a two-run lead, Nathan Kirby pitched the final two frames, striking out five with a filthy slider, while giving up just a single.
* It's the first national baseball title for the Atlantic Coast Conference since Wake Forest in 1955. That might as well be 1855. It had been a LONG TIME since the ACC won a national championship in baseball.
Game 162 - Philadelphia Phillies at New York Yankees
June 22 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network
I'd have to check my manual, "What Not To Do Against The Phillies", but I don't think allowing eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings is considered a good thing. That's what happened to Michael Pineda Monday as last-place Philadelphia won 11-8 in the opener of a three-game series that has "Yankees Get Swept by a 47-loss Team At Home" thrown up all over it.
New York is about as streaky as any team in 2015. Here's how the season has gone so far:
* Started 1-4
* Went 20-8
* Lost 10 of 11
* Won 11 of 14
* Lost 5 of 6
* Won four straight before losing Sunday and Monday
Maikel Franco, who went 4-for-5 and hit a pair of home runs, is from the Dominican Republic and according to Baseball Reference he pronounces his name MIY-kehl. I'd rather think of him as a kid from somewhere in the United States and his parents named him Michael, but spelled it Maikel because that's what parents in the United States do now. I call it keeping up with the Jo'nes.
Baseball Phrases
Couple quick ones from Michael Kay:
"Heat-seeking missile"
"Grind"
and Paul O'Neill:
"Catch 22"
YES Network
I'd have to check my manual, "What Not To Do Against The Phillies", but I don't think allowing eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings is considered a good thing. That's what happened to Michael Pineda Monday as last-place Philadelphia won 11-8 in the opener of a three-game series that has "Yankees Get Swept by a 47-loss Team At Home" thrown up all over it.
New York is about as streaky as any team in 2015. Here's how the season has gone so far:
* Started 1-4
* Went 20-8
* Lost 10 of 11
* Won 11 of 14
* Lost 5 of 6
* Won four straight before losing Sunday and Monday
Maikel Franco, who went 4-for-5 and hit a pair of home runs, is from the Dominican Republic and according to Baseball Reference he pronounces his name MIY-kehl. I'd rather think of him as a kid from somewhere in the United States and his parents named him Michael, but spelled it Maikel because that's what parents in the United States do now. I call it keeping up with the Jo'nes.
Baseball Phrases
Couple quick ones from Michael Kay:
"Heat-seeking missile"
"Grind"
and Paul O'Neill:
"Catch 22"
Game 161 - Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
June 20 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network
This was perhaps the Yankees' finest game of the season, a 14-3 romp that included five home runs.
Two of those home runs came from Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez, fresh off reaching the 3,000-hit mark on Friday with a first-inning home run, collected hit No. 3,001 also with the long ball. It was a three-run shot in the third off German punk band Ian Krol that made it 8-0.
* Josh Wilson, normally an infielder, gave up the final long ball, to Chris Young leading off the eighth. It was that kind of evening for the Tigers, who lost their fourth straight.
* Pitching on three days rest (though after just throwing just 36 pitches in 2/3 of a horrifying inning in Miami), Nathan Eovaldi was sharp. The right-hander allowed just three hits in six innings and the two earned runs he was charged with scored after he had departed.
YES Network
This was perhaps the Yankees' finest game of the season, a 14-3 romp that included five home runs.
Two of those home runs came from Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez, fresh off reaching the 3,000-hit mark on Friday with a first-inning home run, collected hit No. 3,001 also with the long ball. It was a three-run shot in the third off German punk band Ian Krol that made it 8-0.
* Josh Wilson, normally an infielder, gave up the final long ball, to Chris Young leading off the eighth. It was that kind of evening for the Tigers, who lost their fourth straight.
* Pitching on three days rest (though after just throwing just 36 pitches in 2/3 of a horrifying inning in Miami), Nathan Eovaldi was sharp. The right-hander allowed just three hits in six innings and the two earned runs he was charged with scored after he had departed.
Game 160 - Miami Marlins at New York Yankees
June 18 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network
It may only be Yankee Stadium crowds and assorted Yankees fans at road ballparks that are going to be happy about it, but Alex Rodriguez is now one hit from 3,000 in his career.
Rodriguez got to 2,999 with a pair of hits on Thursday, one of which being an RBI-single, part of a 9-4 Yankees' win.
In the eighth, Rodriguez was up with a chance for the milestone hit, but Miami reliever Sam Dyson threw him four straight balls, two of which nearly hit the Yankee DH. The fans weren't happy, booing Dyson and repeatedly calling him a mustard breath. It sounded as loud and energetic as it has been at the new Yankee Stadium since probably Derek Jeter's 3,000th-hit game in 2011, or maybe since all the way back to the 2009 postseason.
One more Alex thing: I'd like to revise Michael Kay's pronunciation of Rodriguez's full name. It's not "Alex ROGG-REE-GIS", it's actually "Alex ROGER-REEGIS". There's a Roger in there.
* Kay also said this during a Mason Williams at bat: "I wonder if there will ever be a time when the players are 'mic'd up'. I mean where you can actually talk to them...'Mason, what are you thinking?'"
Good heavens Doris Blevins, what an idiot.
* Let's not forget John Flaherty, who is here to tell us things:
1. Flaherty on how Mat Latos hides the ball when he pitches: "He hides the ball so well".
John, he had a 5.44 era coming into the night, the hiding doesn't seem to be going very well.
2. Flaherty during a fifth-inning at bat by Jeff Mathis: "Mathis more of a defensive guy, hitting .143".
MORE of a defensive guy? He's a .143 hitter, how much more defense do you want?
YES Network
It may only be Yankee Stadium crowds and assorted Yankees fans at road ballparks that are going to be happy about it, but Alex Rodriguez is now one hit from 3,000 in his career.
Rodriguez got to 2,999 with a pair of hits on Thursday, one of which being an RBI-single, part of a 9-4 Yankees' win.
In the eighth, Rodriguez was up with a chance for the milestone hit, but Miami reliever Sam Dyson threw him four straight balls, two of which nearly hit the Yankee DH. The fans weren't happy, booing Dyson and repeatedly calling him a mustard breath. It sounded as loud and energetic as it has been at the new Yankee Stadium since probably Derek Jeter's 3,000th-hit game in 2011, or maybe since all the way back to the 2009 postseason.
One more Alex thing: I'd like to revise Michael Kay's pronunciation of Rodriguez's full name. It's not "Alex ROGG-REE-GIS", it's actually "Alex ROGER-REEGIS". There's a Roger in there.
* Kay also said this during a Mason Williams at bat: "I wonder if there will ever be a time when the players are 'mic'd up'. I mean where you can actually talk to them...'Mason, what are you thinking?'"
Good heavens Doris Blevins, what an idiot.
* Let's not forget John Flaherty, who is here to tell us things:
1. Flaherty on how Mat Latos hides the ball when he pitches: "He hides the ball so well".
John, he had a 5.44 era coming into the night, the hiding doesn't seem to be going very well.
2. Flaherty during a fifth-inning at bat by Jeff Mathis: "Mathis more of a defensive guy, hitting .143".
MORE of a defensive guy? He's a .143 hitter, how much more defense do you want?
Game 159 - Florida vs. Miami (FL)
June 17 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NE
ESPN
The Gators eliminated their in-state rivals with the long ball and some solid pitching from freshman Alex Faedo. While four players hit home runs - including Harrison Bader (solo) and Buddy Reid (two-run HR) in the top of the first - Faedo allowed just one earned run in five innings and struck out seven as Florida moved on with a 10-3 victory.
We're down to five teams in the CWS and Florida tries again to stay alive when it plays Virginia Friday.
Meanwhile, Miami lost twice in Omaha, both times against the Gators. The Gainesville school scored 25 runs in the two contests and are averaging an incredible 9.7 runs in eight NCAA Tournament games.
If you show him cue cards, he will mumble nonsense
Kevin Costner says things before each of the College World Series games, which ESPN likes to refer to as "narration", and what I like to refer to as "reading off a piece of paper while eating at a barbecue restaurant".
"There's a reason why they make movies about it.
A reason why we watch.
There's a reason why for every 20 year old ballplayer doing this, there's thousands of people of any age who would trade places with him in a heartbeat.
Because in our hearts is where the game lives and we never stop loving the game."
Wow! Now THAT was impressive.
It reminded me of the final scene in Field of Dreams, only if instead of having a catch with his father, Ray Kinsella was picking up turtle poop with two pieces of a cardboard box.
Baseball Phrases
Some good ones from Jon Sciambi & Kyle Peterson this evening.
"Money"
"The flavors of Omaha"
"Gators and Canes, oh my"
"Happy zone"
"Difference maker with the bat"
"His stuff just jumps off the page"
"Little oppo flash"
ESPN
The Gators eliminated their in-state rivals with the long ball and some solid pitching from freshman Alex Faedo. While four players hit home runs - including Harrison Bader (solo) and Buddy Reid (two-run HR) in the top of the first - Faedo allowed just one earned run in five innings and struck out seven as Florida moved on with a 10-3 victory.
We're down to five teams in the CWS and Florida tries again to stay alive when it plays Virginia Friday.
Meanwhile, Miami lost twice in Omaha, both times against the Gators. The Gainesville school scored 25 runs in the two contests and are averaging an incredible 9.7 runs in eight NCAA Tournament games.
If you show him cue cards, he will mumble nonsense
Kevin Costner says things before each of the College World Series games, which ESPN likes to refer to as "narration", and what I like to refer to as "reading off a piece of paper while eating at a barbecue restaurant".
"There's a reason why they make movies about it.
A reason why we watch.
There's a reason why for every 20 year old ballplayer doing this, there's thousands of people of any age who would trade places with him in a heartbeat.
Because in our hearts is where the game lives and we never stop loving the game."
Wow! Now THAT was impressive.
It reminded me of the final scene in Field of Dreams, only if instead of having a catch with his father, Ray Kinsella was picking up turtle poop with two pieces of a cardboard box.
Baseball Phrases
Some good ones from Jon Sciambi & Kyle Peterson this evening.
"Money"
"The flavors of Omaha"
"Gators and Canes, oh my"
"Happy zone"
"Difference maker with the bat"
"His stuff just jumps off the page"
"Little oppo flash"
Game 158 - New York Yankees at Miami Marlins
June 15 at Marlins Park in Miami, FL
Fox Sports Florida
Some nights your favorite team's ace (Masahiro Tanaka) allows two earned runs in seven innings and the offense manages three hits against the geologist currently known as Tom Koehler. On those occasions, you simply forget about writing anything about two hours, 41 minutes of baseball-horror (BH) and instead post a poem.
Hosticle Fifer
There was a joe
in the Summer of Snow
who would watch pig chair shows
with his toes.
His name was Hosticle Fifer.
Hosticle lived
with nurses Liv and Viv
but he never had time for a wifer.
He found a lady once,
Abelia,
but Hosticle sent her packin’ -
she had too many warts on her heels
and her hears
and twice many hairs on her backin!
Fox Sports Florida
Some nights your favorite team's ace (Masahiro Tanaka) allows two earned runs in seven innings and the offense manages three hits against the geologist currently known as Tom Koehler. On those occasions, you simply forget about writing anything about two hours, 41 minutes of baseball-horror (BH) and instead post a poem.
Hosticle Fifer
There was a joe
in the Summer of Snow
who would watch pig chair shows
with his toes.
His name was Hosticle Fifer.
Hosticle lived
with nurses Liv and Viv
but he never had time for a wifer.
He found a lady once,
Abelia,
but Hosticle sent her packin’ -
she had too many warts on her heels
and her hears
and twice many hairs on her backin!
Games 157 - TCU vs. LSU
June 14 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NE
ESPN
TCU is back in the College World Series for a second consecutive season for a reason: the Horned Frogs are good. TCU got seven innings of one-run ball from Preston Morrison (who won for the first time in nine postseason starts) and rolled to a 10-3 win in the series opener for both teams.
But that's enough of that, let's get to the nonsense.
First some more Baseball Phrases/regular nonsense phrases from Aaron Boone:
"Baseball acumen"
"He was totin' around second base"
"Bucket list item"
"Just kind of gooses it over there"
"He was mowing"
"Cruise control"
Other assorted silliness:
* "Umpire cam" & "ump cam" were said once each
* Jon Sciambi to Boone, top 9: "I know you're a big gum guy."
Aaron Boone: a big gum guy.
ESPN
TCU is back in the College World Series for a second consecutive season for a reason: the Horned Frogs are good. TCU got seven innings of one-run ball from Preston Morrison (who won for the first time in nine postseason starts) and rolled to a 10-3 win in the series opener for both teams.
But that's enough of that, let's get to the nonsense.
First some more Baseball Phrases/regular nonsense phrases from Aaron Boone:
"Baseball acumen"
"He was totin' around second base"
"Bucket list item"
"Just kind of gooses it over there"
"He was mowing"
"Cruise control"
Other assorted silliness:
* "Umpire cam" & "ump cam" were said once each
* Jon Sciambi to Boone, top 9: "I know you're a big gum guy."
Aaron Boone: a big gum guy.
Game 156 - New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
June 13 at Camden Yards in Balimore, MD
Fox
I don't watch many games on national TV FOX (this was I think game No. 2), but Tom Verducci is a solid commentator. I'd much rather hear him than someone like Tim McCarver or Harold Reynolds.
Fox
I don't watch many games on national TV FOX (this was I think game No. 2), but Tom Verducci is a solid commentator. I'd much rather hear him than someone like Tim McCarver or Harold Reynolds.
That's actually unfair to Tim McCarver. I'd rather hear a lawnmower running over another lawnmower on a continuous loop for an hour than Harold Reynolds.
Anyway, I like Verducci, but he did say "that's right in his nitro zone", so we can't just skip ahead in the buffet line, take the last four chicken fingers and pretend as if that didn't happen.
Boo?
Baltimore fans still boo when Mark Teixeira comes to the plate. I don't understand why Orioles' fans ever started doing that in the first place, nor why they continue to. Teixeria is a Maryland native and after the 2008 season he didn't sign with Baltimore. He signed with the Yankees.
1. it's been seven years
2. HE WASN'T OFFERED A CONTRACT BY THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
Boo!!!!!!
You stink Texsharia!
Players eating bananas
Stephen Drew
Anyway, I like Verducci, but he did say "that's right in his nitro zone", so we can't just skip ahead in the buffet line, take the last four chicken fingers and pretend as if that didn't happen.
Boo?
Baltimore fans still boo when Mark Teixeira comes to the plate. I don't understand why Orioles' fans ever started doing that in the first place, nor why they continue to. Teixeria is a Maryland native and after the 2008 season he didn't sign with Baltimore. He signed with the Yankees.
1. it's been seven years
2. HE WASN'T OFFERED A CONTRACT BY THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
Boo!!!!!!
You stink Texsharia!
Players eating bananas
Stephen Drew
Game 155 - Arkansas vs. Virginia
June 13 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NE
ESPN
Virginia got its College World Series started with a 5-3 victory, thanks to a pair of late runs and dominant work from the bullpen.
Kenny Towns ripped a go-ahead double in the top of the eighth and a two-out single from Ernie Clement in the ninth made it a two-run game. Any lead was safe with Josh Sborz pitching. The right-hander was outstanding in five one-hit innings of relief, striking out five.
Daniel Pinero was also great, picking up three hits and three stolen bases for a Virginia team that was national runner-up a year ago.
Baseball Phrases
Play-by-play man Jon Sciambi
"He's the quarterback out there on defense"
"Quasi-closer"
Commentator Aaron Boone
"You sell out for the fast ball"
"Sandwich pick"
"Side-to-side action"
"Playing with house money" (said twice)
"It might've been a skosh off the outside edge"
ESPN
Virginia got its College World Series started with a 5-3 victory, thanks to a pair of late runs and dominant work from the bullpen.
Kenny Towns ripped a go-ahead double in the top of the eighth and a two-out single from Ernie Clement in the ninth made it a two-run game. Any lead was safe with Josh Sborz pitching. The right-hander was outstanding in five one-hit innings of relief, striking out five.
Daniel Pinero was also great, picking up three hits and three stolen bases for a Virginia team that was national runner-up a year ago.
Baseball Phrases
Play-by-play man Jon Sciambi
"He's the quarterback out there on defense"
"Quasi-closer"
Commentator Aaron Boone
"You sell out for the fast ball"
"Sandwich pick"
"Side-to-side action"
"Playing with house money" (said twice)
"It might've been a skosh off the outside edge"
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