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Welcome to Les Grobsteins Official Website
We will be performing upgrades and maintenance early Saturday, July 26, 2008. The maintenance window is between 1am and 2am, EST. GrobberNET will be rebooted during this period.
Expected downtime is under 15 minutes.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
MOOSE(on top)and(left to right)JACK,OTIS,CASH,BUTTERS and or course BEN Welcome you to GROBBERNET!
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Cub bats wake up in time to hang onto first place in the desert.
Posted by: grobber33 on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 07:51 AM
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PHOENIX---Reed Johnson got the big hit for the Cubs, a grand slam in the eighth inning. It was left-hander Ted Lilly's single, however, that drew praise from manager Lou Piniella.Johnson had three hits, including the home run that broke open a close game, and the Cubs routed the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-6 on Wednesday night.Lilly (10-6),who last time in the ballpark,slammed his glove to the mound during a playoff loss, allowed six hits in six innings and had the RBI single and a stolen base to help the Northsiders win for the second time in six games since the All-Star break and remain one game in front of Milwaukee in the NL Central.Lilly, who came into the game hitting .189, tied the game with a run-scoring single during a three-run fifth that gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead. Newly activated Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot drove in runs with groundouts.Lilly later stole third and scored on Theriot's grounder.Arizona cut the lead to 4-3 on Conor Jackson's run-scoring triple in the fifth, one of his three hits. Chris Young had three doubles.Doug Davis (3-4) scattered five hits over seven innings, striking out six.Lilly threw 115 pitches over six innings, the most he has thrown in a game all season, allowing six hits and striking out six.After Jackson's triple in the fifth, Reynolds struck out and Young hit a grounder to third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who threw home, getting Jackson caught in a rundown. Young went to second on the play but was picked off by Lilly trying to steal third.Ramirez ended an 0-for-26 slump with an eighth-inning single. The Cubs scored twice off Arizona reliever Micah Owings, who was lifted after surrendering a bases-loaded walk to DeRosa. But Johnson followed with his fourth home run off Leo Rosales to give his team a 10-3 lead.Chris Snyder hit a three-run homer in the eighth for Arizona, which remained a game in front of Los Angeles in the NL West.Derrek Lee gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead with his 16th home run with two outs in the first. Tony Clark, acquired by the Diamondbacks last week, hit a two-run homer in the fourth.The Cubs activated Soriano before the game and he hit in the leadoff spot. Soriano, selected to the All-Star game seven years in a row, had been out since fracturing a finger June 11 against Atlanta. He went 1-for-5, including a double after the Cubs had scored six runs in the eighth.
NOTES---Diamondbacks 2B Orlando Hudson was not in the lineup Wednesday after getting hit on the ankle with a pitch Tuesday night. Hudson said after the game he had only a bad bruise and should be back in the lineup this weekend at San Francisco....Lilly became the third Cub pitcher to get into double digits in victories. The Cubs are the only team in the majors with three 10-game winners.
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Brewers beat Cards again as Sabathia shuts the door
Posted by: grobber33 on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 07:45 AM
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ST. LOUIS---Throwing a complete game is a big deal these days. Unless you're CC Sabathia feasting on a new league.The 6-foot-7, 290-pound left-hander went nine innings for the third consecutive time for his new team, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Wednesday night.Ryan Braun had four hits, lacking a double for the cycle, and J.J. Hardy hit his 14th home run for the Brewers, who have won seven straight. Milwaukee won the first three games of this four-game series behind stingy pitching, limiting the Cardinals to six runs.The Brewers have hit a home run in 19 consecutive games, tying the franchise record set in 1996, and have 30 home runs in that stretch.Hardy, who is 8-for-14 in the series, hit his first home run since July 10 with one out in the fifth off Braden Looper (9-8) for the game's first run. A single, a hit batsman and Rickie Weeks' sacrifice fly off Kelvin Jimenez made it 2-0 in the sixth and Braun hit a home run off Jason Isringhausen leading off the ninth.It was more than enough for Sabathia (4-0), who followed up an eight-hitter against Cincinnati and a four-hitter against San Francisco with another gem, matching his career best for hits allowed with his third career three-hitter and 22nd complete game. Sabathia has won all four starts since the Brewers acquired the 2007 AL Cy Young winner from Cleveland. He has won seven consecutive decisions overall in his last nine starts, and has three shutouts this season.Sabathia is the first Brewer to throw three complete games since Cal Eldred had four in a row in 1994.After walking Brendan Ryan on five pitches to start the first, Sabathia retired 17 consecutive batters before Ryan's line-drive single just to the right of first baseman Prince Fielder with two outs in the sixth. Ryan Ludwick followed with an infield hit down the third-base line that Bill Hall could only knock down, but Sabathia dealt with his only bit of trouble by getting Albert Pujols on a fly out to medium center.Sabathia struck out seven, fanning Ludwick and Pujols to start the ninth as an indication he wasn't losing any steam, and walked two.
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Quentin brings Sox back with second homer of game in 8th inning.
Posted by: grobber33 on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 12:35 AM
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Carlos Quentin hit a go-ahead, three-run shot during a five-run eighth inning, his second home run of the game, and the White Sox suddenly had an unlikely 10-8 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.The go-ahead homer came on the first pitch from Rangers closer C.J. Wilson, who entered in relief of Eddie Guardado with two on and two out.It was the third multihomer game of the season for Quentin, whose shot in the fifth barely cleared the center field wall.Alexei Ramirez singled in Paul Konerko, and Orlando Cabrera drove in Ramirez with a sacrifice fly to deep left that was less than a foot from landing in the bleachers. That gave Quentin a chance to be the hero.Ozzie Guillen was ejected in the seventh inning with his team trailing 8-4. Guillen argued with plate umpire Rob Drake after a called on Nick Swisher that appeared to be outside, and was promptly sent to the clubhouse.At the time of the comeback, Guillen was in his office packing for the team's 10-game road trip that begins Friday at Detroit.Octavio Dotel (4-4) pitched a scoreless eighth and Bobby Jenks worked the ninth for his 19th save in 22 chances. Guardado (1-2) wound up allowing four runs and three hits, retiring only two batters.The White Sox won the final two games against the Rangers to split their six-game homestand. They also increased their lead atop the AL Central over second-place Minnesota.Kevin Millwood, the Rangers' opening day starter, left with two outs in the second with a sore right groin. He got the first two batters out, then issued consecutive walks to No. 9 hitter Juan Uribe and Cabrera before coming out of the game.It's not the first time Millwood as had to deal with a groin injury. He spent three weeks on the disabled list in May for the same thing.Sox starter Clayton Richard was making his major league debut after getting called up Monday to take the spot of injured starter Jose Contreras (elbow tendinitis).Richard worked quickly but also ran up a high pitch count. He lasted only four innings, giving up seven hits and five runs-four earned. He walked one and struck out seven, including All-Star Josh Hamilton three times.Guillen said Richard would stay in the rotation and pitch in Minnesota on Tuesday.Michael Young greeted Richard in the first inning with his eighth homer of the season. The White Sox responded in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run from Jim Thome, his 19th homer of the season and 526th of his career.The Rangers tied the game at 3 with two outs in the second. Ian Kinsler doubled to center to bring home Hank Blalock, and David Murphy came around to score from first when Ramirez bobbled the relay throw.Texas scored twice in the fourth on RBI singles by Murphy and Young to break the 3-all tie. Blalock made it 6-3 in the fifth, driving home Milton Bradley with a sacrifice fly.The Rangers scored two more in the seventh on a single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
NOTES---The White Sox had more errors (four) than hits (three) through six innings.....Joe Crede missed his second straight game with lower back stiffness. He's experiencing a different pain from a year ago, when he had lower back surgery and played in just 47 games, and could resume swinging Friday in Detroit.....A.J. Pierzynski was given the day off.
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Sky beats Indiana as Fowles returns to action.Brawl between Detroit and LA at the Palace.
Posted by: grobber33 on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 06:45 AM
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As the WNBA gets closer to the Olympic break,Tuesday night was very interesting.The Sky honored two members of team USA including a Chicago area native on the Indiana Fever,whom they beat 68-60 at the UIC Pavilion. And there was a second 'Malice in the Palace' involving another Chicago area native. First up,the Sky never trailed in beating Indiana in the Fever's lone appearance in Chicago this season.Candice Dupree got the Sky(8-15)out of the starting gate with 12 of her 20 points in the first quarter,and Jia Perkins just missed a triple-double with 13 points,10 rebounds and 8 assists.Chasity Melvin also scored 13 and Quianna Chaney came off the bench to add 11. Sylvia Fowles returned to action for the first time since she sprained her knee June 3 vs Los Angeles and played almost twelve minutes off the bench.While she didn't get any field goals, 'Big Syl' hit both of her free throws and grabbed 5 boards.She also blocked a shot.The Sky led 18-10 after a quarter,37-31 at half time,50-45 heading into the fourth,and held off a late Fever rally for the win.This was a night in which Fowles' fellow Olympian Tamika Catchings and most of her teammates shot poorly.Catchings was 4-14,Katie Douglas 5-17,Tammy Sutton-Brown 4-12 and LaToya Bond,who started in place of Tully Belavaqua(already with the Australian Olympic team)1-6. Sutton-Brown and Douglas each led the Fever(11-12)with 14.The Sky,which hit 19 of 21 free throws on the night, now head to Texas for their last two games prior to the break,Thursday at San Antonio and Saturday at Houston.Both games will be broadcast at 7pm on WVON-AM(1690)and wvon.com. The San Antonio contest will be tape delayed Thursday with the Houston game being live Saturday night.
NOTES---Prior to the game,Fowles and Catchings were honored by Sky Management and given a nice 'sendoff' for the Olympics.....The Los Angeles Sparks held off the Detroit Shock at the Palace of Auburn Hills in a game that was marred by a fight with a second to play. Naperville's Candace Parker of LA and Detroit's Plenette Pierson got into a scuffle.Detroit Assistant Rick Mahorn then shoved LA's Lisa Leslie to the court,and others including Detroit's Cheryl Ford got involved.The skirmish started moments after Parker and Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker.On the next possession, Parker got tangled up with Pierson and fell to the ground. As she was getting up, Pierson intentionally ran into her, setting off the melee.Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Detroit's Deanna Nolan. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, and Mahorn knocked Leslie to the court at one point. DeLisha Milton-Jones shoved and punched Mahorn after the incident with Leslie, and was ejected, along with Mahorn, Parker and Pierson. Nolan and Shannon Bobbitt received technicals.
LES
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Cub bats remain 'El Stinko' in the desert.
Posted by: grobber33 on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 06:43 AM
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PHOENIX---Yusmeiro Petit became the latest starter to shut down sputtering Cub bats, and the Diamondbacks made it two in a row over the Northsiders with a 9-2 romp on Tuesday night.Conor Jackson drove in three runs with a solo homer and two-run double. Orlando Hudson added a solo shot for Arizona before leaving the game after being hit by a pitch in the eighth.Jackson's shot off starter Jason Marquis in the first put Arizona up 1-0, and his sliding score from second on Mark Reynolds' single put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-0 in the third. Stephen Drew doubled in the Diamondbacks' third run in the fourth.The Diamondbacks added two off left-hander Sean Marshall in the seventh. Drew beat out a double play, advanced to third, then scored on a wild pitch. Hudson followed with his first homer since June 10 -- 135 at bats.But after Jackson's bases-loaded double in Arizona's four-run eighth, reliever Kevin Hart hit Hudson in the right ankle, sending the Diamondbacks' second baseman to the ground in pain. Hudson had to be helped from the field.Three Cubs' errors in the last two innings helped Arizona turn it into a rout.Daryle Ward hit his 10th career pinch-hit homer, off Tony Pena in the eighth.The Cubs have lost five of six and scored no more than two runs in each of those losses. They are 1-4 since the All-Star break.The victory clinched the series and brought Arizona back to .500 (50-50). With Los Angeles losing 10-1 at Colorado, the Diamondbacks have a one-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. The Cubs, still with the NL's best record at 58-42, are just one game up on Milwaukee in the NL Central after the Brewers won at St. Louis 4-3.Arizona newcomer Jon Rauch, acquired earlier in the day in a trade with Washington, pitched a scoreless ninth.Petit (1-1) gave up a run on three hits in five innings, striking out three and walking four. Marquis (6-6) allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter. He is a hard-luck 0-3 in his last four starts.The Cubs ended a 12-inning scoring drought against Arizona in the fourth. Petit walked DeRosa, then with two outs Mike Fontenot tripled.
NOTES---A disgusted Lou Piniella canceled batting practice for Tuesday and Wednesday, saying maybe it would help the team's slumbering offense. ... The Diamondbacks are 18-3 when they hit at least two home runs in a game. ... Arizona purchased the contract of INF Jamie D'Antona, who singled in the seventh in his first major-league plate appearance. He was batting .367 for Triple-A Tucson.
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Sox bounce back,rout Rangers 10-2
Posted by: grobber33 on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 05:44 AM
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Mark Buehrle pitched 7 1/3 innings and Alexei Ramirez hit the first grand slam of his career to help the White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 10-2 Tuesday night.Nick Swisher hit a three-run homer, Jermaine Dye had three hits and Jim Thome reached base four times as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak.Pitching on three days rest so he could attend his grandfather's funeral in Missouri, Buehrle (8-8) gave up a leadoff triple to Hank Blalock in the second inning and then retired 15 of the next 16 batters.Buehrle's last start against the Rangers was his no-hitter on April 18, 2007. His only blemish on Tuesday night came in the eighth when he gave up a solo shot to Chris Davis.Washington took notice of Buehrle when he stranded Blalock in the second inning as the left-handed veteran retired Brandon Boggs, Davis and Jarrod Saltamacchia.Buehrle left to a loud standing ovation after allowing one run on six hits and no walks.Buehrle is 6-2 with a 1.76 ERA in his last nine starts.Luis Mendoza (2-4) gave up an RBI double to Dye in the first inning and got roughed up in the fourth, allowing Swisher's three-run homer and A.J. Pierzynski's RBI single to put the Sox up 5-0.Mendoza was pulled after giving up consecutive singles to Dye and Thome in the fifth. He allowed six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings.After getting the first two outs in the seventh inning, Justin Nippert walked Thome and Swisher around a single by Konerko before Ramirez's slam.Sox reliever Nick Masset was forced out when Milton Bradley's liner went off his chest in the eighth inning.
NOTES---Ozzie Guillen won his 400th game....Joe Crede was a late scratch from the lineup with lower back stiffness and will play on Wednesday against the Rangers. ... The Rangers have not committed an error since the All-Star break. ... Dye missed Monday's game after getting plunked on the right knee by a pitch on Sunday.
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Brewers one game out of first after rallying pastr Cards
Posted by: grobber33 on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 05:40 AM
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ST. LOUIS---Bill Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game, both off right-handers, and the Milwaukee Brewers also caught up with Kyle Lohse, beating the St. Louis Cardinals and their surprise ace 4-3 for their sixth straight victory Tuesday night.Manager Ned Yost wanted to restrict his comments to the game about Hall, who has complained more recently about his lack of full-time status.Ryan Ludwick hit the longest home run at 3-year-old Busch Stadium for the Cardinals, who have lost two straight after winning five in a row. But Lohse tired in the last two innings of an eight-inning outing, squandering a three-run lead and missing a chance to win his 10th straight decision.The Brewers bunched all but one of their seven hits off the right-hander in the seventh and eighth. They tied the game with two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Rickie Weeks and a run-scoring single by J.J. Hardy in consecutive at-bats.They won it by again getting to the Cardinals' beleaguered bullpen, which has absorbed four of the team's last five losses. St. Louis relievers have 22 losses, tied for most in the majors with the Giants pending San Francisco's late game against Washington.Hall, whose 10th inning homer off Ryan Franklin ignited a three-run rally in a 6-3 victory on Monday, hit his 14th homer with one in the top of the ninth off Kyle McClellan (2-5). He's batting .179 but with eight homers against righties, losing playing time to left-handed hitting Russell Branyan, but has felt better since a recent adjustment to his swing.The Brewers have homered in 18 straight games, one off the franchise record set in 1996, totaling 28 in that span.They have 21 one-run victories, tied with the Cardinals for the most in the majors, and their 57-43 record is the franchise's best since the 1982 World Series team that lost to the Cardinals went 58-42.
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Jerome Holtzman,Hall of Famer,"The Dean", passes away at 82.
Posted by: grobber33 on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 07:19 AM
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It was with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Hall of Fame Writer and long time Friend Jerome Holtzman who died at the age of 82 Saturday at his Evanston home. Known as the 'Dean' for years, I grew up reading Jerry's bylines in the Sun Times.Then in 1970 at the age of 18,I got to know him in the Press Boxes of both Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park as well as many places on the road. Jerome wrote a best seller NO CHEERING IN THE PRESS BOX of which I still have my cherished personalized signed copy that he gave me. Jerry and I were both in New York in 1977 during the so called 'Bronx is Burning' Summer. We were both covering a scheduled three game set between the then first place Cubs and the Mets at Shea Stadium,and we were planning to go to Philadelphia for a four game weekend series, and then back up to NYC for the 1977 All Star Game,which was the last at Yankee Stadium until last week.During the second game of the Cubs-Mets series at Shea on a Wednesday night,the Cubs were protecting a lead when 'poof' the lights went out! It was the New York Blackout of '77.
The game was suspended until the next day,and then until September since the power on Thursday also had not been restored,so no Baseball could be played.Since I had a car-with a full tank of gas,I offered to take Jerome back to Manhattan since there were no Cabs,and the Subways were also not working. He was staying where the Cubs were,at the Waldorf Astoria. When we got there,power was of course still down,no lights,and no elevators.People were walking around in the otherwise pitch black lobby with candles. Jerry's room was on the 43rd floor,so we walked up there so he could pack. I offered to drive him to Philly and he accepted since there was no other way for him to get there. I was 25 years old and he was 51,so I carried his heavy suitcase down the 43 flights of stairs.To the day he died,every time he saw me and others were around,he always said "This guy saved my life during the 1977 New York Blackout".
We remained Pals to the end,and although I was aware Jerome had health issues,it was still a shock and sad day to hear that he had passed away over the weekend. We are talking about a legendary Writer who was a Hall of Famer,Author,Baseball's first Official Historian since Commissioner Bud Selig appointed him to that post in 1999,and the man to invented the Save Rule.
So long Jerry! Thanks for the Friendship,the great stories,and the stuff you taught us all!
LES
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Cubs still winless vs the Unit, shutout by D-Backs
Posted by: grobber33 on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 07:18 AM
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PHOENIX---The Cubs just can't beat Randy Johnson who improved to 13-0 in 14 career starts against the Cubs on Monday night, outdueling Rich Harden in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2-0 victory.Johnson (7-7), winning his third in a row after six consecutive losses, allowed two hits, struck out four and walked one in seven innings for his 291st victory in a swift, 2-hour, 18-minute game.The 44-year-old left-hander, who entered the game with a 1.98 career ERA against the Northsiders, is the second pitcher to go at least 10-0 against the Cubs. The other was Sal Maglie, who was 10-0 in 19 starts against them from 1954 to 1958.Harden, in his second start after a trade from Oakland, allowed one hit in seven innings -- Alex Romero's first major league home run to lead off the sixth. It was the first run Harden allowed in 10 1/3 innings since joining the Cubs.Harden (0-1) went seven innings, striking out 10 and walking two in the NL Central leader's fourth loss in five games.Arizona made it 2-0 against reliever Bob Howry in the eighth when Stephen Drew tripled over the head of Mark DeRosa in right field, scoring Chris Snyder from first.After watching his team score one run in two games and get shut out in another of its four since the All-Star break, Cubs manager Lou Piniella said there would be no batting practice Tuesday or Wednesday.The Diamondbacks hadn't even had a hard out before Romero pulled Harden's 1-2 pitch, just clearing the right-field fence to make it 1-0.The Cubs, on the other hand, had plenty of well-hit balls against Johnson, but they were caught either at the wall or by the wide-ranging Chris Young in the left- and right-center gaps.Micah Owings pitched a scoreless eighth and Chad Qualls worked the ninth for his second save in eight tries.It wasn't easy. Qualls walked Ryan Theriot, then first baseman Chad Tracy bobbled pinch-hitter Kosuke Fukudome's grounder. Reed Johnson grounded into a double play, then Aramis Ramirez bounced out to second to end it.The shaky finish came one day after Arizona closer Brandon Lyon gave up five ninth-inning runs in a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.Harden retired the first 12 batters he faced, seven by strikeout, before walking Tracy on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the fifth. Tracy took second on a wild pitch, but was stranded there.Yje Cubs got their leadoff runners on base to no avail with singles by Jim Edmonds in the third and Reed Johnson in the fourth.
NOTES---With Owings pitching an inning of relief, Arizona will start right-hander Yusmeiro Petit on Tuesday.....Romero is playing right field in place of injured Justin Upton.....Alfonso Soriano will report to Triple-A Iowa in Tucson on Tuesday to continue rehabilitation from a broken finger.....Kerry Wood will treat the blister on his finger with ointment then attempt to throw on Wednesday, Piniella said.
The Cubs fell to a lousy 21-29 on the road.
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Feldman and Rangers keep Sox in current slump
Posted by: grobber33 on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 04:57 AM
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Josh Hamilton hit a three-run home run and Hank Blalock added a two-run shot to power the Texas Rangers to a 6-1 win over the White Sox on Monday night.Hamilton hit his 22nd homer, a 422-foot blast to straightaway center, in the third off Javier Vazquez, as the White Sox (55-43) lost their third straight, all at home.Blalock added his fourth homer in the eighth and Texas (52-48) tied its season-best mark, at four games over .500. The Rangers took two of three from the White Sox before the All-Star break.Carlos Quentin led off the bottom of the fourth with his 24th home run, but the White Sox missed several opportunities to score, hitting into three double plays against Scott Feldman. They also committed two errors.Vazquez (7-8) struck out 10, tying a season-high, and gave up three runs and walked two in seven innings. He lost his third straight decision. Feldman (4-3), recalled from Double-A before the game, won his third straight decision. He replaced Eric Hurley, who was scratched with stiffness behind his left shoulder. He gave up one run on four hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out one.Feldman pitched himself out of several jams. In the second, he gave up a one-out double to Paul Konerko and walked Nick Swisher, but Joe Crede grounded into the White Sox's first double play. Feldman then got double plays in the fifth and sixth to quelch potential rallies. Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled with one out in the third and Vazquez walked Michael Young. Hamilton then took a 2-0 pitch to deep center to make it 3-0.David Murphy doubled with two outs in the eighth on a bloop to center and Blalock took Boone Logan's first pitch to right for his first home run since April 18 at Boston. Ian Kinsler added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
NOTES---The White Sox had a moment of silence for writer/historian Jerome Holtzman, who passed away Saturday. The former Sun Times and Tribune sportswriter covered baseball for four decades and was inducted into the writers' wing of the Hall of Fame in 1989. ... Lance Armstrong taped a commercial for a cancer charity that Major League Baseball supports before the game. ... Feldman won two in a row on June 30 and July 5.
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Brewers beat Cards, both teams trail Cubs by two games
Posted by: grobber33 on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 02:15 AM
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ST. LOUIS--Billy Hall figured something good had just happened because he didn't feel a sting when he connected in the 10th inning. The ball Hall hit off Ryan Franklin sailed over the fence and helped the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Monday night after squandering a ninth-inning lead.Milwaukee is 4-0 on its seven-game trip and a National League-best 35-19 since May 20. The win moved the Brewers percentage points ahead of St. Louis for second place in the NL Central,and just two games behind the Cubs.Hall's home run helped make a winner out of Salomon Torres (5-2), who gave up the tying run in the ninth. Torres also pitched the 10th.The Brewers scored twice more in the 10th off Franklin (3-3) on a throwing error by second baseman Aaron Miles and an RBI single by J.J. Hardy. Franklin allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.Hardy went 4-for-6. Rickie Weeks provided the rest of the Brewers' offense with a three-run home run.Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus drove in two runs with a first-inning double off Seth McClung that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth, Yadier Molina led off with a ground-rule double over the wall in right-center. Pinch-hitter Jason LaRue moved pinch-runner Brendan Ryan over to third with an infield single, and Ryan scored on Skip Schumaker's sacrifice fly to left. Torres retired Albert Pujols on a fly out to center with two men on to end the threat.
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GROBBER'S MONDAY RANTS---July 21,2008--Cubs vs Sox Previwe
Posted by: grobber33 on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 01:02 AM
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UNCASVILLE,Ct---***With both trips to New York this past week,I had a chance to listen again to WFAN which is the top rated All Sports Radio Station in the Country. I also did several all night programs at FAN during my Score days between 1997 and 2001. WFAN is still all LOCAL and does not run any of the late night or overnight garbage like both Chicago all sports stations still carry,and will continue to. WMVP of course runs ESPN stuff which the Network in Bristol demands they carry. The Score has been carrying Sporting News Radio which once was decent,but now is mostly trash such as Todd Wright and David Stein. GARBAGE! If New York can have all local programming all night,why can't Chicago? I'll tell you why. Because upper Management could care less. Late nights work and have for years locally in New York.And they should here too! After again hearing how good WFAN sounds at ALL TIMES and then flying home late on a Sunday night with two first place baseball teams,the Bears set to open Camp,the Blackhawks and Bulls doing some neat stuff and yet I have to turn on either all sports Chicago station and hear nothing but continuous Brett Favre chat, Yankees,Mets and Red Sox chatter and other chatter about Bill Parcells or other stuff nobody around here cares about makes me PUKE! And it makes me click over to FM or CDs as quick as lightning.
***What a weekend! What was just supposed to be a routine couple of days in New York and Connecticut,turned out to be another one of those weekends from hell 'flight wise'. I went into New York on Saturday to cover the first ever Outdoor Pro Basketball game between the WNBA New York Liberty and Indiana Fever at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Billie Jean King Tennis Complex right near soon to be closed Shea Stadium. The atmosphere was great although the weather was pretty hot and muggy.The game was delayed about ten minutes while wet spots on the court were wiped up by maintenance people. As for the game,the host Liberty didn't 'show up' while the Fever,who had played a game(and lost)in Indianapolis Friday night,looked like the fresher squad and they hammered New York. That same Indiana team will be in the UIC Pavilion Tuesday night to play the Sky in which will be the host team's last home contest until after the Olympic break.It also will be a 'send off' for two USA Olympians in the Sky's Sylvia Fowles and Indy's Tamika Catchings,both of whom will be honored,and both will be in China with Team USA.
***Back to the weekend. After the Sky played a bit sub par in a winnable game with Connecticut and with lousy Officials Sunday afternoon,I rushed the 45 mile drive to Hartford's Bradley Airport to fly back to O'Hare,only to find out that my flight on United was canceled so I had to take a connection through Washington-Dulles.Then came the announcement that the flight that was supposed to go from Hartford to Washington to connect to the Chicago flight and get me in at 11:30pm, was having mechanical problems and would not leave DC for a while.They announced that connections would mostly be missed-including all to Chicago,so we would have top spend the night in Washington. That sucks!! Fortunately,an agent figured out that United's 'Co-Share' U.S.Air had a connection from Hartford to Philadelphia,and then to O'Hare. Arrival would be 12:30 AM. More suck-age, but at least no overnight elsewhere.Oh yes, cherry on the frosting on the cake....the aircraft that for the Philly to ORD flight was late getting into the City of Brotherly Love,so that delayed things some more! And the monorail system that takes people to their cars was running 20 minutes apart whch meant that when the train arrived,there were tons of people waiting and each vehicle was jamed like a Tokyo subway car. At 2:15 in the friggin morning!!! Glamorous business!
***The first ever Blackhawks Convention was a blast. I was able to take in opening day on Friday and it was great to see and chat with the likes of Stan Mikita,Tony Esposito,Cliff Koroll,Dennis Hull,Steve Larmer and many more. Bobby Hull arrived later in the evening.
***Both Chicago teams got off to bad 'Post All Star starts'. The White Sox,who have been killing Kansas City the past year and a half,had a huge first inning Friday night and won,then they lost Saturday and Sunday and in turn two of three to the lowly Royals who are suddenly hot. Jose Contreras,who has been,for lack of a better term, BAD of late,is conveniently on the DL with tendinitis. The Cubs bats appeared to still be on break in the first to losses in Houston.Carlos Zambrano drove in the only run Saturday with a homer. They did pull out Sunday's game 9-0 as Ryan Dempster won away from Wrigley Field for the first time this season,but they still lost two of three to the Astros,who like KC are suddenly hot. The Brewers and Cardinals both are undefeated since the All Star Break.
LES
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Sky eclipsed by Sun and zebas
Posted by: grobber33 on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 12:09 AM
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UNCASVILLE---The Sky was hoping to sweep their home and home from Connecticut,but too many missed short shots,too many given up offensive rebounds to the Home team,lose too many three point shooters(which they have been doing all season),and Officials who refused to call illegal(and in some cases dirty)screens on the Sun and the result was a 74-67 loss. When both teams are ticked off at the 'zebras',then you know they are bad. Sun Coach Mike Thibault and normally mild mannered Sky Center Chasity Melvin both got teched up.The Sky had many chances to take control,but both Jia Perkins and Candice Dupree started the game shooting ice cold.Dupree in fact missed seven in a row after hitting her first shot. Lindsay Whalen,whom the Sky shut down Friday night at the UIC Pavilion,came out with more aggressiveness,and the Sky could do nothing about it,and usually Sky killer Asjha Jones tore them to pieces with her scoring as well as on the boards. Also,Tamika Whitmore,who got into Thibault's dog house on Friday, was allowed by the officials to just about play football all night,as was Jones. Whitmore was holding and banging Melvin while Jones,who admittedly did a nice job of guarding Dupree,was also holding enough to draw more 10 yard penalties then most Bears offensive linemen,but except for one stretch in the third quarter in which she got three quick obvious fouls,she got away with everything else.The Sky was down only 67-63 with 3:12 left and had the ball,very much still in the hunt.Dupree was working outside the key,when Melvin was called for the most questionable offensive foul by Jeff Smith.Jones came down and hit a wide open jumper.Perkins missed a jumper and Whitmore shoved Melvin out of the way,grabbed the rebound with no whistle,and Amber Holt hit another set shot to pretty much ice the game.As the Sky called a time out trailing 71-63,Melvin and Coach Steve Key got into Smith's face,the official looked stunned they would argue,and after several seconds,Chas had enough and said the 'magic word' to Smith and drew her first 'T' as a member of the Sky.Not noted as a scorer,Armintie Price led the Sky with 15 off the bench,Perkins,who shot better in the fourth quarter finished with 14,Dupree(5-17)had 13 and Melvin 10 to go with a team high 10 rebounds. Jones had 23 points(on 11-17 shooting)and 10 boards)and Whalen 20 for the Sun.
NOTES---Although the final box would indicate otherwise,the calls were pretty much one sided.In fact the Sky did not shoot a single free throw in the entire first half(the Sun attempted ten),and their first Charity stripe try didn't happen until 4:31 was gone in the third period when Dupree went to the line....The Sky had 16 turnovers that led to 12 Connecticut points while the Sun had just 11 which the Sky converted to 9 points.....The Sky will host Indiana Tuesday in their final home game before the Olympic break.Game time is 7pm and pre game on WVON-AM(1690)and wvon.com is 6:30pm.
LES
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Dempster at last a road warrior
Posted by: grobber33 on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 12:07 AM
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HOUSTON---Ryan Dempster finally won on the road for the Cubs. Dempster struck out seven in eight shutout innings to earn his first road victory in two years and the Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.Mike Fontenot hit a solo homer and a two-run double and Derrek Lee had three RBI to help the Cubs shake out a mini-offensive slump that bridged the All-Star break.Dempster (11-4) allowed six hits, all singles, and got his first road win since June 2, 2006, at St. Louis. He's 10-1 in 12 starts at Wrigley Field this season, but was 0-3 with a 4.03 ERA in eight starts away from home before Sunday.The Astros had their four-game winning streak snapped.The Cubs scored only four runs in their previous three games and batted .210 over that span. They had only one hit in their last 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position before getting two runs in the first inning against Houston starter Brandon Backe (6-10).Kosuke Fukudome, in a 10-for-62 slump coming into the game, doubled to left with one out and scored on Lee's double to right-center. Jim Edmonds scored Lee with a single to center.Ryan Theriot, who went 3-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, said Houston's pitching deserved some of the credit for the Cubs' offensive woes in their first two games after the break.The Astros held a fan event on the field before the game and neither team took batting practice. Cubs manager Lou Piniella joked that his team might not take BP at all whenever they return to Houston.Dempster allowed only singles by Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman in the first four innings.Backe threw three perfect innings after the shaky first, but Fontenot homered down the right-field line with one out in the fifth to put the Cubs up 3-0. The second baseman has eight homers this season, six in his last 19 games.Dempster only faced real trouble once, when the Astros loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth.Miguel Tejada and Geoff Blum opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Hunter Pence hit a high bouncer to Theriot and the shortstop threw late to second, loading the bases for J.R. Towles, a .144 hitter. Dempster struck him out on three pitches.Dempster then struck out Backe looking on a 3-2 pitch and Backe yelled at home-plate umpire Bill Miller as he stomped back to the dugout.The fiery Backe was still steamed about the call after the game.After Theriot added an RBI single in the seventh for the Cubs, Cooper brought in Wesley Wright to relieve.Dempster hit 100 pitches in the eighth, but still looked strong, striking out Matsui and Darin Erstad. He retired Berkman on a flyout to right.Fontenot tacked on a two-run double in the ninth off Houston reliever Chris Sampson. The Astros bullpen had not allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings and Sampson had not given up a run in his last six appearances.Fontenot scored on Theriot's broken-bat single to make it 7-0. Lee added a two-run single later in the inning off Chad Paronto, giving the Cubs their highest run total since a 9-2 win over San Francisco on June 30.
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German's double lifts Royals past Sox who drop two of three
Posted by: grobber33 on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 11:33 PM
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Esteban German hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 8-7 win over the White Sox who were not counting on losing a home series to a team they have handled off season so far.German was 3-for-3 with two RBI and Mike Aviles had three hits for the Royals, who have won five of their last seven games.Joakim Soria got three outs for his 26th save in 28 opportunities and Ramon Ramirez (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win.Jim Thome doubled in the seventh inning for his 2,000th career hit and Joe Crede hit a three-run homer for the White Sox, who have lost five times in seven games. Nick Swisher also hit a two-run homer for the White Sox.Trailing 6-5, Thome led off the seventh inning with a double off Ramirez. One out later, Swisher hit his 13th home run of the season to put the White Sox up 7-6.But the Sox bullpen couldn't hold the lead in the eighth.Trailing 7-6 with one out in the eighth inning, Octavio Dotel hit pinch-hitter Jose Guillen on the hand. With two outs, White Sox reliever Matt Thornton (4-2) walked Ross Gload and German followed with a double down the left-field line to give the Royals the lead for good.The White Sox had a chance to tie the game in the eighth. A.J. Pierzynski tried scoring on Brian Anderson's single to left, but Guillen easily threw him out at the plate.White Sox starter John Danks came into the game with a 2.67 ERA but he gave up four consecutive hits to start the game, including a two-run single to David DeJesus and Ross Gload to give the Royals a 4-0 lead.DeJesus had three RBI.The White Sox scored two runs in the bottom of the first off Royals starter Brian Bannister. Thome had an RBI single and Bannister hit Swisher with a pitch with the bases loaded.Crede hit a three-run home run off Bannister in the third inning to tie the game at five. It was his 17th of the season.Mike Aviles hit an RBI single off White Sox start Danks in fourth inning to give the Royals a 6-5 lead. Kansas City reliever Horacio Ramirez hit Jermaine Dye with a pitch in the fourth inning. Dye fell to the ground in obvious pain. He was helped off the field by two team trainers.After Dye was hit, Ozzie Guillen threw his towel in disgust before going out to the field to check on Dye. The team said Dye has a bruised right knee. X-rays were negative and he is listed day-to-day.Dye was also hit by a pitch on Saturday night by Ramirez.In the top of the fifth inning, Carassco, called up from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, threw an inside pitch on Billy Butler. Home plate umpire Mike Reilly warned both benches which infuriated Guillen, who slammed a water bottle on the ground.Danks gave up six runs and nine hits in four innings.
NOTES---Royals OF Jose Guillen wasn't in the starting lineup for his third straight game with back spasms. ... Before the game, the White Sox placed Jose Contreras on the DL with right elbow tendonitis. ... Before the game, the White Sox honored Harold Baines with a life-sized sculpture on the right field concourse and wore 1983 throwback uniforms. Baines, in his fifth season as a coach with the club, played 14 seasons with the White Sox and had his number retired in 1989.
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Past Articles
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- Saturday, July 19
- Sox shut down by Mecheand KC, lead on Twins cut to 1/2 game. (0)
- Zambrano homers,but Cub bats otherwise continue to sleep as Astros win again.Cards and Brewers each gain another gain. (0)
- Sky beats Connecticut with five in double figures (0)
- Cubs waste good effort by Lilly,lose 2-1 in Houston (0)
- Sox hammer Greinke in first and beat Royals (0)
- Thursday, July 17
- GROBBER'S FRIDAY THOUGHTS---July 18,2008--Cubs vs Sox Previwe (0)
- Wednesday, July 16
- AL wins again,as both teams blow chance after chance--Chicago batters go 0-9,Cubs pitchers toss 4 shutout innings. (0)
- Monday, July 14
- Ben Sheets starts against Cliff Lee in All Star Game/Morneau wins Home Run derby despite great first round by Hamilton. (0)
- Sunday, July 13
- GROBBER'S MONDAY RANTS---July 14,2008 (0)
- Sky blow away Dream to take three of four from WNBA's newest team. (0)
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