Fans disperse from Busch Stadium in St. Louis ahead of storm

5/31/13, Fans disperse from Busch Stadium ahead of storms, SF Giants at St. Louis, twitter, breaking news

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Fan sign, 'Welcome to Trenton Tex and Youk'

 5/29/13, Fan sign in Trenton, NJ, "Welcome to Trenton Tex and Youk," WFAN

5/29/13, Tex and Youk play catch in Trenton, photo WFAN

5/29/13, "Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis Go Hitless In Rehab Debut With Trenton Thunder," newyork.cbslocal.com

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Jeter and LaTroy Hawkins

5/30/13, Jeter and LaTroy Hawkins at the Stadium, Hawkins a Yankee in 2008, ap

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Savage Toronto Blue Jays owners and fans think they're the epitome of tolerance while offering none to Yunel Escobar on Victoria Day in Canada-DeMarco

5/30/13, "When a Crowd Becomes a Mob," crisismagazine.com, Donald DeMarco

"It was Victoria Day in Canada and the Toronto Blue Jays were hosting the Rays of Tampa Bay. The word “hosting,” however, hardly applied to the treatment that one Yunel Escobar, the Rays shortstop, received, who was lustfully booed each time he came to the plate.  When he homered in the 9th inning, he was booed again for employing his signature gesture as he crossed home plate—stretching his arms out to indicate the “safe” sign. Cuban-born, Escobar does not speak English.

Through a translator, he expressed his astonishment: “It’s something I do every time I cross home plate.” But that is not the reason for Escobar’s status as a pariah.

Crowds are usually forgiving to athletes and are willing to put aside any number of offences ranging from DUI, PED, torturing animals, sexual promiscuity, siring numerous children out of wedlock, and involuntary manslaughter. What was it that Señor Escobar did that was so grievous and unforgiving?

Prior to a game back in 2012, Escobar inscribed three Spanish words on the black tape that ballplayers place under their eyes as a shield against the glare of the sun: Tu Er Maricón.  According to my Spanish dictionary, this means, “You are a sissy.”  It was not directed to anyone and did not imply a particular sexual orientation.  Spanish players have admitted that they toss this phrase around with each other in a joking and non-offensive way both in the clubhouse and on the field.  Miami Marlins manager, Ozzie Guillen, avers that he and his children use it around the house all the time.

No one noticed the words and it would have had a quiet death as a non-issue.  But a fan noticed it when he looked at a picture he had taken of Yunel Escobar. He immediately interpreted the words as homophobic, and contacted the Blue Jays organization.

Action was swift and punitive.

Instead of explaining to the shortstop that this kind of thing is unacceptable, the organization suspended him without pay and forced him to donate his lost salary of $87,000 to two homosexual organizations.  He was obliged to attend sensitivity-training classes and was traded before the season ended.  Escobar’s weak defense was that the words he used “were not meant to be offensive.”

When does a crowd become a mob?

For that matter, when does the public become a mob?  Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931) was the first to study the phenomenon of the crowd.  In his classic work, The Crowd:  A Study of the Popular Mind, he borrowed from Freud and likened the crowd to a “libido”  acting without a “super-ego.”  He found that the actions of the crowd correspond to three dominant features:  anonymity, contagion, and suggestibility. The first, anonymity, combines a feeling of invincibility with a loss of responsibility, thereby leading to behavior that is primitive, emotional, and unreasonable.  Contagion refers to how easily this unreasonable behavior spreads within a crowd.

The third characteristic indicates how the crowd becomes homogeneous and malleable to suggestions made by influential sources....

Today, the Mass Media has, to a certain extent replaced the dictator....The persuasive power of the Media to turn individuals into members of a crowd is painfully evident....T. S. Eliot noted this power of the Media to standardize people, in one of his poems when he wrote:

The readers of the Boston Evening Transcript
Sway in the wind like a field of ripe corn.

The Escobar incident is not about three words in Spanish that were directed toward and offended no-one.  It is about the power of the Media to assist in rendering people anonymous, homogeneous, and suggestible. This surely bodes ill for democracy. Political correctness, the morality of the Media, is not enlightening, but controlling.

Its promotion of tolerance as a virtue is obviously a sham.

The Toronto crowd was not displaying any tolerance for Escobar’s conduct; it was exhibiting its own intolerance, and in a way that was cruel, merciless, and unforgiving.  It may be the very definition of hypocrisy

to demand tolerance while offering none."...via Free Republic, images from Crisis Magazine

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Twins 1B holds onto ball despite falling into photographers box, Twins fans happy

5/29/13, "Minnesota Twins' Chris Parmelee makes the catch on a foul pop off the bat of Milwaukee Brewers' Carlos Gomez before falling into the photographers box during the eighth inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, in Minneapolis. Minnesota won 4-1," ap

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Battle of the Beltways, Orioles at Nationals

 5/28/13, "Washington Nationals second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi warms up before the Nationals' interleague baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park in Washington," ap
5/28/13, Nationals grounds crew covers the field with tarp before an interleague game between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, DC," getty. photo below, ap

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First bike already stolen from Bloomberg NYC bike deal

5/27/13, "Meanwhile, even before the first $825 bikes hit the streets, someone was reported to have stolen one of the cycles as it was being delivered to a docking station in Manhattan. The theft occurred on Sunday evening when a crew was placing bikes in a stand at Second Avenue and 25th Street. They had not even been locked into place when the thief struck, and pedalled away into the night." (item at end of article)

5/27/13, "First bike stolen as NYC cycle-hire scheme gets off to wobbly start," UK Independent, Nikhil Kumar

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'A Memorial Day Tribute to Military Working Dog Bak'

5/27/13, "A Memorial Day Tribute to Military Working Dog Bak," Kevin Hanrahan. via MichaelSavage.com

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RG III rides in Memorial Day parade with his Army veteran parents

5/27/13, "Robert Griffin III honors the fallen, rides with his Army veteran parents in D.C. Memorial Day parade," Twitchy.com, via Legal Insurrection

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John Buck, Mets fans cheer Ike Davis for his 2 RBI game winning clutch hit in the 8th v Braves

5/26/13, "NY Mets' John Buck reacts toward first base after scoring on Ike Davis's, eighth-inning, two-run single in the Mets 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Sunday, May 26, 2013. Braves relief pitcher Cory Gearrin, far right," ap











Newsday back page, Monday, May 27, 2013, Memorial Day. Mets Ike Davis wins game v Braves with 8th inning, 2 RBI single, final 4-2 Mets.


(Comment: The saga of Ike Davis has been almost non-stop on WFAN for the past couple of weeks. The treatment Davis has received would make any young man think twice about playing baseball. )

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500 major league baseball players served in the military in World War II. Two didn't return, Gedeon and O'Neill

5/25/13, "Two Who Did Not Return," NY Times, Robert Weintraub

"More than 500 major league baseball players served in the military during World War II, including stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio. But little attention has been paid to the two who died, Elmer Gedeon and Harry O’Neill, because their playing days were brief.

Gedeon, a Cleveland native, was a three-sport star at Michigan and was aiming for the Olympics in track and field. But the 1940 Summer Games, planned for Tokyo, were canceled because of the war....

O’Neill, a catcher, was the subject of a bidding war between the Senators and his hometown Philadelphia Athletics. Connie Mack and the A’s bid higher. On July 23, 1939, during a 16-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers, O’Neill replaced Philadelphia’s starting catcher, Frankie Hayes. He caught the final two innings but never got a chance to hit. 

It was O’Neill’s only game in the major leagues. He spent the next two seasons in the minors, and he enlisted in the Marines in 1942."...

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Bloomberg shows true nature of selfish billionaire, doesn't want his already dangerous city bike program to require helmets, might 'discourage biking'

 5/25/13, "Head case," NY Post, Editorial

"New York’s ambitious bike-share program launches this Memorial Day weekend. It’s a joyrider’s dream . . . but one thing’s missing: There are 6,000 bicycles for rent but no bike helmets at the rental kiosks.

Looks like a public-health crisis in the making, and one perfect for Mayor Bloomberg. But Mike’s not interested in forcing bikers to wear helmets. To the contrary, he opposes legislation requiring riders to use that all-important safety gear.

What happened to our nanny-in-chief? Bloomberg will shoot the gun out of your hand, slap the soda from your mouth, wash the salt from your food and steal formula from a baby.

He’ll do anything he darn well pleases in his pro-health crusade — except make bikers wear helmets.

It’s an interesting exception. According to one of those city studies he’s so fond of, 97 percent of the New York bike accidents that prove fatal involve bikers who are without helmets. But Bloomberg worries that a safety upgrade would “discourage biking.”

And there’s the rub. Inside the mayor’s soul, there’s a nanny-state war going on, pitting green living against red asphalt.

Helmets save lives, but if the city starts ticketing riders for helmet infractions, bikers won’t ride nearly as often.

They’d drive gas-guzzlers instead. They’d pollute Mike’s city. They’d make Mike mad.

So in the interest of what he sees as an improvement in the quality of life, he’s willing to let bikers put their lives at risk.

We may not have the public-health credentials of Dr. Bloomberg, but it looks as if the wheels are already coming off."

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Fernando Rodney reversal may be due to overuse in World Baseball Classic-Bill Madden

5/25/13, "A lot of baseball people wonder if Rodney’s dramatic reversal may have something to do with his over-use by the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic."...

Fernando Rodney pitched in 8 games, 7.1IP,  7SV, 8GF, .55 WHIP, 0 ERA

5/25/13, "While Jim Johnson and Fernando Rodney take a step back, Mariano Rivera thrives as Yankees' MVP," Bill Madden, NY Daily News. (This white patch placed here by hackers. ed.)

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Thousands in Boston run 'OneRun,' mile they missed on April 15 Marathon due to Islamic massacre

5/25/13, "Thousands Run Final Mile Of Boston Marathon," Boston.cbslocal.com

"On April 15, explosions near the finish line killed three people and wounded more than 260.

On Saturday morning, about 3,000 runners and bombing victims gathered in light rain to run the final mile of the world’s oldest annual marathon, said Kathleen McGonagle, spokeswoman for those organizing the event known as OneRun.

OneRun honors victims and emergency workers and allows runners to reclaim the final mile, McGonagle said.

“For the runner that didn’t get the chance to finish the marathon, this is the chance for them to experience the final mile that was taken away from them,” McGonagle said....Another finisher was Jarrod Clowery who had had three friends who lost limbs in the attack."...photo, toucher and rich via cbs boston

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Big discounts on Red Sox-Yankee tickets for June 2, 8:05pm game

5/24/13, NY Post: "And so, the inevitable: The Yanks, in concert with MasterCard, are running a buy-three, get-four come-on to June 2’s game, first pitch 8:05. Yep, still plenty of seats available. Imagine that, Red Sox-Yanks tickets on special! Yanks will announce 40,000-plus, regardless.

The Mets, as The Post revealed Monday, now are directly dumping tickets on to StubHub, which explains why those who purchased discounted Mets’ tickets from StubHub received thank-you emails from the Mets. In other words, those who purchased season tickets, partial plans and even single game tickets directly from the Mets — ostensibly the Mets’ best customers — are wholesale retail suckers. They paid more — in many cases, a lot more — than those who purchased tickets delivered, on the quiet, to StubHub.

Then again, perhaps the Bernie Madoff Rules still apply: You’re not allowed to ask any questions.
So to whom are duped dopes to complain, Bottom Line Bud? The only monetary grievances MLB addresses are from team owners.

Meantime, in the greed-stricken City of Diminished Returns, even with Matt Harvey expected to start at home against the Yanks on Tuesday, the Mets have concocted a reduced-prices tickets come-on, sans StubHub."...

5/24/13, "Lax tix sales prompt marquee discounts," NY Post, Phil Mushnick

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Colorful Boston rain delay

 

Top, Friday, 5/24/13, Indians at Red Sox, ap. Above, 5/24/13, Indians at Red Sox, ap

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Indians manager Francona in visitors dugout in Fenway Park

5/23/13, "Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona walks past photographers as he heads to the bench of the visitor's dugout before a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston," ap 

Francona and media chat, 5/23/13, ap

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Bloomberg billions couldn't influence NY City Taxi Assn. which beat him in court case, now in delusions of grandeur Bloomberg threatens to ruin the group after he's no longer Mayor

5/22/13, "Nanny gets Nasty: “Taxi King” says Bloomberg threatened to destroy him after leaves office," Legal Insurrection, William A. Jacobson

"All because the Mayor didn’t get his way on a court case over his plan for ergonomic and posh cabs."

"Via The NY Post, Mike unleashes a ‘hail’ storm:

Mayor Bloomberg went on a spitting-mad rant against a city cab-fleet boss who won a court victory over Hizzoner’s planned “Taxi of Tomorrow” — vowing to “destroy your f–king industry” when he leaves office, The Post has learned.
A fuming Bloomberg made the threat against Taxi Club Management CEO Gene Freidman at Madison Square Garden’s private 1879 Club during last Thursday’s Knick playoff game, a witness said yesterday.
“It was like Gene had kidnapped his child. He used the f-word twice,” the witness said.
Freidman confirmed the blow-up to The Post, and said Bloomberg’s tirade included the warning that, “After January, I am going to destroy all you f–king guys.”
That’s bad news for Bloomberg’s political enemies, who could all become targets once the revenge-minded billionaire has nothing but time on his hands.

Bloomberg says he doesn’t remember the incident. Capital NY Reports:

Friedman also happens to be a member of the Greater New York Taxi Association, whose recent court victory may well permanently undermine the mayor’s Taxi of Tomorrow program.
Today, Bloomberg claimed not to remember the episode.
“The only thing I remember from that night, there was a court,” said the mayor on Wednesday at a school in East Harlem. “It was the court in the middle of Madison Square Garden. And the Knicks won. It was a great game. And I had a great time. It’s what I remember from that night.”
Bloomberg, however, did remember why it is he’s so frustrated with medallion owners, an entrenched industry that’s successfully resisted his reform efforts at every turn, including his bid to create a new fleet of taxis for the outer boroughs.
“Number one, we have to get taxi service for four and a half boroughs that are not taken care of,” he said. “What a disgrace. You get into a taxi and it won’t take you to 80 percent of our city. What kind of a city is that?”
“We also have taxis that don’t have all the facilities we want,” he continued, referring to his Taxi of Tomorrow program, which would usher in a new fleet of New York City taxis, complete with passenger airbags, reading lights, and ergonomic seats for drivers.

Who you gonna believe?"

======================

Ed. note: Sounds like a non-denial denial.

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Suzyn says scouts love Camden Yards

Suzyn Waldman on Yankee radio from Baltimore during first inning said she's seen lots of scouts taking notes during the Yankee-Oriole series, though scouts love Camden Yards so it's not unusual to see a lot of them there. She said Yankee reliever Preston Claiborne is among those scouts are noticing these days.

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ESPN to cut 300-400 jobs-Reuters

5/21/13, "Disney-owned ESPN cutting hundreds of jobs: source," Reuters, Liana B. Baker

"ESPN, the sports channel that is Walt Disney Co's most profitable unit, is cutting 300 to 400 jobs across the company and closing a small Denver office, a person with knowledge of the cuts said.

The job cuts, comprising 4 to 6 percent of ESPN's staff of 7,000, include open positions that will not be filled, said the source, who asked not to be named because the information is not public.

But ESPN will continue hiring for other open positions, the person said. The channel has recently won rights to exclusive coverage of the U.S. Open Tennis tournament, and is starting a new channel focused on U.S. Southeastern Conference college football.

The Denver office only has "a handful" of employees, the person noted.

The cuts are part of an ESPN internal review, and are not related to similar measures at Disney, said a source familiar with Disney's thinking, who declined to be named because the information is not public.

ESPN informed its staff about the layoffs on its internal website, and encouraged employees to contact their supervisor with any questions. ESPN's layoffs were first reported on Tuesday by Gawker Media's sports blog, Deadspin....

In Disney's most recent fiscal half year, ended March 30, its cable operation - which ESPN dominates - accounted for 54.7 percent of overall operating income. Theme parks, its second largest money earner, accounted for just under 20 percent of operating income....

ESPN receives $5.15 per subscriber per month and is seen in well over 101 million homes, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. Disney's cable unit earnings rose by 8 percent, to $2.7 billion, in the latest fiscal 6-month period, the company said."...

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Angels Mike Trout hit for the cycle Tues., 5/21 in Anaheim v Mariners

5/21/13, "Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout acknowledges the crowd after he hits a solo home run in the eighth inning, hitting for the cycle against the Seattle Mariners," in Anaheim, final 12-0 Angels, ap. Trout singled in the 3rd, tripled in the 4th, doubled in the 6th, and homered in the 8th.

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Chris Dickerson and Travis Hafner home run ball in the 9th in Camden Yards

5/20/13, Chris Dickerson going after Travis Hafner 9th inning home run in Baltimore, final 6-4 Yankees in 10, reuters

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Yankee 3B David Adams gets first major league home run v Orioles in Camden Yards, 'David is Goliath,' says John Sterling

5/20/13, Yankee 3b David Adams hits his first major league home run tonight in Camden Yards, final 6-4 Yankees in 10, and John Sterling notes:

"David is Goliath!"

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Thousands in occupied Paterson, NJ cheered and danced after 9/11/01, and on May 19, 2013, Palestinian flag raised over Paterson City Hall. UPDATED, 5/20/14, 'Paterson, NJ said to be part of Palestine'

5/20/14, "HUH?! Muslim New Jersey Councilman Says US City is “Part of Palestine”; Palestinian Flag Raised Over NJ City by Muslim Charged w Violence," DebbieSchlussel.com

"A Muslim City Councilman in Chris Chrispiecreme’s favorite city, Paterson, New Jersey, declared that the American city is “part of Palestine,” while other Muslims and the city’s mayor raised the Palestinian flag over the city to protest Israel’s existence on Sunday."...

=============================
5/19/13, "Amid flags and cheers, Paterson celebrates Palestinian-Americans," NorthJersey.com, Bergen Record, Hannan Adely

"The flag raised — for the first time in Paterson, and possibly at any city hall in the United States — was Palestinian....No problems were on display Sunday when the flag was raised in the rain before elected officials and about 150 people. People cheered, danced, shared sweets and shouted, “Long Live Palestine.”

"Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, and Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, D-Clifton, showed up — with Pascrell presenting a letter of Special Congressional Recognition and Giblin presenting an Assembly resolution marking the event....

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said in a speech that the Palestinian leadership thanked the city for its gesture. He urged local Palestinians to be good citizens and to continue supporting the struggle for justice in Palestine.

Many Palestinian Americans live and run businesses in South Paterson, area some call “Little Ramallah” after the West Bank city. Abuassab, a member of the Arab American Civic Organization, said it was time the community was recognized."...photo, "Abdel Rahman Ramadan of Paterson holding a Palestinian flag as he and others danced after a Palestinian flag was raised at Paterson City Hall. Mayor Jeffery Jones declared May 19 Palestinian-American Day in the city," by Bergen Record. via Atlas Shrugs

-------------------------------------

5/20/13, "New Jersey City Raises Palestinian Flag Over City Hall – HAMAS CITY USA; Got Amnesty?!," Debbie Schlussel

"It has the largest concentration of Palestinian Muslims in the United States, North America, and practically anywhere outside the Palestinian Authority and Gaza. As I’ve also noted, even leftist MTV News...broadcast news reports showing thousands of Palestinian Muslims outside Paterson’s town hall, cheering the 9/11 attacks against America (and starting a riot using cement garbage cans and metal poles, which they used to attack police). Now, Paterson has made official what we’ve known for a long time: that it is Muslim-occupied territory. Over the weekend, Paterson raised the Palestinian flag over its city hall."...

---------------------------------------

1/18/11, "Palestinian Flag Flies Officially for First Time in Washington," ABC News

"The Palestinian flag was flown for the first time outside PLO diplomatic offices in Washington today, in a symbolic step that officials said shows momentum towards creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Ambassador Maen Areikat unfurled the red, green, white and black banner from a balcony above the office entrance to a round of applause from supporters. He hailed the moment as historic.

"It's about time that this flag that symbolizes the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and statehood to be raised in the U.S.," Areikat said.

"We hope that this will help international efforts to provide recognition of the Palestinian state and we hope that, as President Obama said at the U.N. General Assembly last year, by the next General Assembly session this year in September, Palestine will be a full member of the U.N.""

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Tom Petty 24/7 on SiriusXM channel 111

5/14/13, "Tom Petty Radio" Channel to Launch on SiriusXM," prnewswire

"Sirius XM Radio announced today that it will launch two channels dedicated to Tom Petty: "Tom Petty Radio," a limited-run channel celebrating Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' summer tour, and a separate channel dedicated solely to Tom Petty's critically-acclaimed SiriusXM music show, Tom Petty's Buried Treasure.

"Tom Petty Radio" will launch on May 17 at 6:00 pm ET, via satellite on channel 111, and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com.

"Tom Petty Radio" will give SiriusXM listeners 24/7 access to music from throughout Tom Petty's career including his music with his longtime band The Heartbreakers and his solo work, as well as The Traveling Wilburys and his first band, Mudcrutch. The channel will also feature live concert material from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' recent tours and some rarely heard vintage performances.

SiriusXM listeners will also hear Petty and the members of the Heartbreakers discuss the creation of some of their most notable songs as well as some memorable moments on tour.  Additionally, "Tom Petty Radio" will feature some classic moments from Tom Petty's Buried Treasure, SiriusXM's weekly show which features the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer playing rare and classic tracks, many vintage, from his private vaults, along with his informed, passionate, and entertaining commentary.

SiriusXM will also launch an online channel showcasing Tom Petty's Buried Treasure. The commercial-free music channel will launch on June 1, on SiriusXM Internet Radio on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com...

New episodes of Tom Petty's Buried Treasure, now in its eighth year on SiriusXM, will continue to air Thursday nights at 8:00 pm ET via satellite on Deep Tracks, channel 27, and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com."

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Rain delay in the 7th in Minnesota v Red Sox

5/19/13, "Boston Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino  runs to the dugout as grounds crew tarp the field during a rain delay called during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins," final 5-1 Red Sox, ap

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Little League Day at Angels Stadium

5/19/13, "Children, coaches and parents walk the warning track on Little League day at Angel Stadium before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim," ap

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Fans eat breakfast in the outfield before San Diego Padres game v Nationals in San Diego

5/19/13, "Petco Park ground crew members clean the bullpen as fans eat breakfast in the outfield before a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals in San Diego," ap

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Tarp on the field in the Bronx, R.A. Dickey v CC Sabathia rained out

5/19/13, Tarp on the field in the Bronx, Toronto Blue Jays v NY Yankees, game postponed, no make-up date yet. Would have been R.A. Dickey v CC Sabathia. getty

5/19/13, Rainout in the Bronx, photo via NY Post

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Francona greets Cleveland Browns head coach Chudzinski

5/18/13, "Manager Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians talks with Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski after Chudzinski threw out the first pitch prior to the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field," in Cleveland, getty

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Fans cheer Zack Greinke on return from broken collar bone in April, gets win and rbi single

5/15/13, "Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke comes out of the game against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning of a baseball game" in LA, ap. Greinke also had an rbi single. final 3-1 Dodgers over Nats











Greinke uses left shoulder to block Quentin, 4/11/13, ap
A brawl between the two teams occurred in the sixth inning of a baseball game between the two teams when Quentin was hit by a pitch from the Dodgers' Zack Greinke. Greinke broke his left collarbone in the fight." ap final 3-2 Dodgers

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Strikeouts per game highest in history in 2012, on track to go higher in 2013-Kepner

5/15/13, "Climbing Number of Strikeouts Reflects a Quest for Power," NY Times, Tyler Kepner

"Strikeouts are rising again in Major League Baseball. Last season, major league teams struck out 7.46 times per game, the highest for any year in history. This season, through roughly a quarter of the schedule, the rate has nudged even higher, to 7.63 strikeouts per game through Tuesday. 

The Houston Astros became the season’s first team at any level to reach 400 strikeouts when Carlos Pena fanned to end Tuesday’s loss in Detroit. Pena, who struck out 182 times last season, often bats beside Chris Carter, who leads the majors in strikeouts this season, with 60. 

Yet Carter also leads the Astros in home runs and runs batted in. He is part of an offense that was designed with full knowledge — and acceptance — of its tendency to strike out. 

“Our own internal projections had us striking out more than any other team in baseball, so we knew that going in,” General Manager Jeff Luhnow said last month. “Obviously, you don’t want to give away outs, but that’s part of the cost of trying to access power.” 

With some exceptions — Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols — home runs and strikeouts have almost always gone together. Fifteen members of the 500-homer club rank among the top 50 in career strikeouts. The top five players on the strikeout list — Reggie Jackson, Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Adam Dunn and Alex Rodriguez — have averaged 569 homers in their careers.

More and more, front-office officials and managers seem resigned to the link....

Strikeouts are not only a byproduct of swinging for the fences. The Astros, who are leaning heavily on analytics as they undergo a painful overhaul, emphasize working the count to tire out opposing pitchers. The results have not shown up for Houston, but teams with better talent can do more damage with favorable counts. 

“You want guys to get in hitters’ counts so they can drive the ball,” Daniels said. “But the flip side is that from a hitter’s standpoint, just by definition, you’re going to see guys taking more pitches, and sometimes they’re going to get in two-strike counts and strike out more.” 

The Rangers (26-14) have been especially adept at making contact. They had 243 strikeouts, the fewest in the majors, and averaged just 6.23 strikeouts per game. 

This continues a trend for the Rangers, who have managed to cut their strikeouts while other teams’ totals have soared. Texas has been 27th, 30th and tied for 24th among major league teams in strikeouts over the last three seasons, reaching the playoffs each time. 

This season, the Rangers’ offensive approach has not made them especially fearsome. Through Tuesday, they ranked only 12th in the majors in runs per game, just a spot above the Mets. Daniels said pitching and infield defense had been the most important factors in the team’s strong start, and he pointed out that in 2008, striking out a lot did not keep the Rangers from scoring. 

That year the Rangers went 79-83 but led the majors in runs while finishing eighth in strikeouts. All three players who struck out more than 100 times for that team — Josh Hamilton, Milton Bradley and Michael Young — are gone. But for all their empty at-bats that season, those players also produced."...

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Mark Teixeira watches Prince Harry at bats with Harlem RBI

5/14/13, Mark Teixeira celebrates Prince Harry big hit with Harlem RBI, AFP.Getty

5/14/13, Mark Teixeira watches Prince Harry at bat with Harlem RBI, Reuters








5/14/13, Prince Harry at bat with Harlem RBI, EPA photo. "Harry's a royal catch! Prince shows off baseball skills with kids in Harlem (but proves he's still in little league by dropping the ball)," UK Daily Mail, by Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent and Lydia Warren

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Fan on field in the 8th in Anaheim vs Kansas City

5/13/13, "Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout watches a man run onto the field during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, Calif.," ap. final, 11-4 Kansas City









 5/13/13, "Security guard catches a man who ran onto the field during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, Calif.," ap

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Rush Limbaugh travels to Kansas City for George Brett surprise 60th birthday party, marvels at Kauffman Stadium changes since he worked there from 1979-83

5/13/13, "A Great Trip Back to the Ballpark in Kansas City," Rush Limbaugh

"So, I was back in Kansas City for the weekend and George Brett's 60th birthday celebration. It was a massive surprise, and on Sunday it featured a trip to the ball game, the New York Yankees and the Royals. I was able to go for the first half of the game and then I had to split and come home and take care of some things here. But, folks, I have to tell you. You know, I worked there from 1979 to '83, and I've been back a couple times, but I hadn't been back to the bowels of the stadium.

I hadn't been back to the locker room, and that stadium has been renovated and expanded. When I got there on Sunday, George met me and took me into the locker room to meet some people. I was stunned by what I saw. I still don't believe this, and it's simply based on the way it was when I was there, there is a full-fledged restaurant in the locker room! If the starting pitcher wants a burger and fries or a cheese omelet 10 minutes before the first pitch, he can get it.

Back when I worked there, they had a couple of beer taps or beer kegs that were locked until after the game and a little cheese and cracker spread beforehand, and maybe they catered a meal after a game if the team was leaving on a road trip. This was unbelievable, the lounge with the computers and televisions and full-time masseuses and so forth. It's just mind-boggling to me the way the game has changed.

It was fascinating -- and, of course, what they've done to Kauffman Stadium is impressive with the renovation and everything. I mean, it's just amazing. I hadn't been back in so long it looked like something I'd never seen before. At this party, the surprise party on Friday night at the restaurant on the plaza, I'm standing out there. I stood in one place. I got there and I immediately sought a place I could smoke a cigar, which happened to be a little patio....

By the way, it was Mother's Day. I have to mention, it was Mother's Day of course yesterday and it was Mother's Day at the ballpark, and the players were all wearing pink something or other, pink shoes or pink sleeves. There was one guy with a pink bat....

I'm talking about this and George said, "Have you seen the official ball for today?"

I said, "No." So he went and grabbed one.

The official Rawlings game ball yesterday was printed with pink ink. So, anyway, it was a great weekend. It was a great time."...transcript, RushLimbaugh.com, images from RushLimbaugh.com

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Kansas City fans try to catch foul ball in the third

Kansas City fans try to catch Travis Hafner foul ball in the third, 5/12/13, final 4-2 Yankees. ap

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To Mark Feinsand, A home run that only ties the game is not a 'walk off' home run, especially if it's in the 8th inning.

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Joba Chamberlain rebukes Mariano Rivera 3 times in full view of reporters and fans before game v Royals-NY Times

5/12/13, "Yankees’ Chamberlain Gives Rivera a Dugout Rebuke," NY Times, David Waldstein

"Mariano Rivera has been the focus of adoring affection everywhere he has gone in baseball since announcing that this would be his final season. As part of his farewell tour, he has been meeting with fans and team employees in each city he visits.

On Saturday, however, he was the recipient of an admonishment, from a teammate, Joba Chamberlain. 

Rivera was conducting a dugout interview after he had finished meeting with local families that have endured hardships. During the interview, Chamberlain was standing on the railing of the dugout signing autographs and speaking loudly to be heard above the public address system to members of his family in the stands. 

At one point Rivera called out, “Joba, suave,” and used a hand gesture for Chamberlain to keep the volume down. Rivera continued to speak with the reporters, but once the interview ended Chamberlain said to Rivera, “Don’t shush me.” 

Rivera initially thought Chamberlain was joking, but Chamberlain reiterated the point twice more with a stern expression, saying: “I’m serious. Don’t ever shush me.” 

Rivera said he explained to Chamberlain that he was not telling him he could not speak with his family members, but that Rivera was not able to hear the questions he was being asked. 

After Saturday night’s game, Chamberlain acknowledged the exchange was unusual but would only say, “It’s between me and him.” 

The exchange between Rivera and Chamberlain, Yankee teammates since 2007, lasted only seconds, but happened in full view of reporters and fans. Nevertheless, it did not stop Rivera from continuing his interactions with fans. 

Before the verbal scuffle with Chamberlain, Rivera met with a local family who lost a 10-year-old son in an accident at an airport in Alabama. Also present at the 45-minute event was a boy in a wheelchair who started a backyard baseball league for children with disabilities and another boy with Ewing’s sarcoma cancer. 

“This one was touching,” Rivera said. “Emotional.” 

Rivera said the event was motivating because the families continued to move forward, and he said he would keep praying for them. 

“It was amazing,” he said. “I was in tears.”"

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77th win-save combination for Pettitte and Rivera, 6/11/10, 67 regular and 10 post season. Update: #70 in regular season on 5/11/13, #81 total

• Andy Pettitte during Yankee game v Astros, 6/11/10,
• his 200th win as a Yankee. getty

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 5/11/13,  Pettitte-Rivera win-save #81, 70th in regular season, final 3-2 vs Royals.

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Today's 4-3 win for the Yankees at the stadium was the 67th win-save tandem in regular season for Pettitte and Rivera. May 26, 2010 was their 66th regular season win-save combination (4/19/10 NY Post article notes 65th reg. season combo on 4/18/10). The two also have 10 post season win-save combos. The YES Network's studio guy mentioned today's 67th win-save combo for Pettitte and Rivera but overlooked the pair's hard fought and earned 10 post season win saves. This is in line with YES Network's studio editorial judgment since day 1, ie. to ignore or minimize very substantial post season stats of Yankee players at key times, thus allowing the most difficult work of players to be lost or not seen in their total body of work. MLB outlets generally do the same thing.

• Pettitte and Rivera's 10 post season win-save combos:

• 1. Game 2, 1998 ALDS, Tex @ NYY

• 2. Game 4, 1998 World Series, NYY @ San Diego

• 3. Game 2, 1999 ALDS, Tex @ NYY

• 4. Game 4, 1999 ALCS, NYY @ Boston

• 5. Game 2, 2000 ALDS, NYY @ Oak

• 6. Game 3, 2000 ALCS, NYY @ Seattle

• 7. Game 1, 2001 ALCS, NYY @ Seattle

• 8. Game 2, 2003 ALDS, Minn. @ NYY

• 9. Game 3, 2009 ALDS, NYY @ Twins

• 10. Game 6, 2009 ALCS, LAA @ NYY

(8 of the above were multi-inning appearances for Rivera. Honorable Mention: The "Bugs" Game, Game 2, 2007 ALDS, NYY @ Cleveland. Pettitte and Rivera appeared together in other post season games that didn't have the exact technical requirements for a win-save combo).

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Robinson Cano not hustling again, examples seen at games v Rockies

5/10/13, NY Post, "On YES, where the Yankees would lose 2-0 in Denver, Robinson Cano already had grounded out three times, each time leisurely leaving the batter’s box, his indifferent baserunning impossible to ignore. Unless you’re a Yankees broadcaster.

Then, with a man on in the ninth and after his fourth grounder to an infielder, Cano was moved to run hard, the last few steps, to avoid a double play. A tape only showed that he barely had beaten the throw.

“Robinson Cano hustling all the way down the line,” John Flaherty said.

Sanctuary! For starters, why wouldn’t he? Why would that be remarkable at any time, let alone with a man on in the ninth, down two?

But the live, visual evidence was to the contrary. Cano, at first, showed no immediate urgency to reach first or he likely would have beaten the throw by plenty.

Once again, we were told to believe what we’re told, not what we see.

Wednesday, top of the first, Cano barely left the box on a fly to left. Neither Bob Lorenz nor Flaherty said a thing about that on YES, which beats being told that he hustled."

5/10/13, "Distractions interrupt coverage," NY Post, Phil Mushnick

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Maybe it's better to build and upgrade stadiums without public money. Minnesota governor questions Minnesota Vikings decision to cut punter who was 5th round pick-NBC Sports

5/8/13, "Minnesota governor questions Vikings’ release of Chris Kluwe," Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk.nbcsports.com

"Maybe it’s a good thing to build and upgrade stadiums without public money, after all.

For the Vikings, who enlisted and embraced Minnesota governor Mark Dayton’s assistance and support for the construction of a new venue partially with taxpayer dollars, the hidden cost includes giving the politician’s future rants a bit more credence.

Dayton reportedly has questioned the team’s decision to cut punter Chris Kluwe.  According to KMSP-TV, Dayton expressed on Wednesday the view that the Vikings should have let Kluwe compete for his job — and that the team wasn’t being transparent about its reasons for cutting Kluwe.

Dayton seems to think the decision was tied to Kluwe’s support for same-sex marriage.  That’s something the Vikings have denied.

While it would be naïve to assume that Kluwe’s off-field interests didn’t become at least an ingredient in the stew that resulted in the decision to use a fifth-round pick on Jeff Locke, Dayton’s belief that Kluwe should have had a chance to compete misses the point.

If there were a competition, the odds would have been stacked in favor of the younger, cheaper draft pick.  And so Kluwe would have ended up being cut at a point in offseason calendar when it would have been too late to find another job.

The Vikings did Kluwe no favors by drafting Locke, but they definitely threw Kluwe a bone by cutting him sooner rather than later.

And if Kluwe’s off-field issues were a factor, it’s likely not because the Vikings oppose same-sex marriage.  Football teams don’t like distractions, and if there’s a younger, cheaper player who is deemed to be equally competent and who will present fewer potential non-football issues, that player will get the job every time." via Rush Limbaugh

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Rivera has had 13 one inning saves of three batters and three strikeouts, one v Rockies on 6/26/11

5/7/13, "One Mo Time: Rivera vs. Rockies," ESPN.com, Simon, Sharp

"Magic 'Mo'ment

Rivera’s most recent save against the Rockies came on June 26, 2011, a one-inning, three-batter, three strikeout effort. Rivera has had 13 saves in which he’s done that (three batters, three strikeouts). That’s more than the next three Yankees pitchers in that stat -- John Wetteland (5), Dave Righetti (4) and Rich Gossage (3) -- have combined." (item at end of article, written before Rivera's 5/8/13 appearance v Rockies)

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Goose Gossage praises closer Mariano Rivera

5/9/13, "Hall of Famer Goose Gossage lauds Yankees closer Mariano Rivera," Denver Post, Troy Renck

"Mariano Rivera is probably the greatest closer the game will ever see. He's consistent, brilliant.

Even more stunning is that his first impression is more breathtaking than his last out. That's saying something for a pitcher who has finished 905 games.

The 43-year-old Yankees star, as part of his Mo-ment of Thanks farewell tour this season, met with the longest-tenured members of the Rockies organization Wednesday, answering questions for 30 minutes. He posed for pictures with Juan Nicasio, Wilin Rosario and Jorge De La Rosa. With rain drizzling at Coors Field, Rivera signed autographs down the third-base line before the first pitch.

Sometimes stars, like art, need help. Rivera requires no embellishment.

"He is class, the perfect pro. He should be the poster for how to act at the professional level," said Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage. "He never shows anyone up. He just goes about his business better than anyone else. Some guys out there could learn from him instead of acting like fools."

Gossage and Rivera are forever linked by their occupation. Both have starred in arguably sports' toughest role: New York Yankees closer. This job comes with alarms blaring, headlines screaming and The Boss, until recently, yelling.

Rivera saved his first game May 17, 1996. He entered Wednesday with a major league-record 619 saves. He has appeared in 96 playoff games, posting a 0.70 ERA, while allowing just two home runs.
 
Gossage pitched for the Yankees for seven seasons, finishing in the top five in the Cy Young Award voting three times. He struck out 122 batters in 134 innings in 1978.*

"I don't care if you're a hot dog vendor or a player. There's nowhere harder to do it on the planet than New York," Gossage said. "I played for nine teams, and loved every minute of it. But New York is a different pressure. For Mariano to do it as long as he has, I don't think you'll ever see that again there."

Gossage, who planned to attend Wednesday's game, spends the entire spring training with the Yankees as a guest instructor in Tampa, Fla. It has only grown his appreciation for Rivera, who has used a cut fastball to break bats and crush dreams for 19 seasons.

So sharp is Rivera's cutter that left-handed hitters often use their batting practice bats against him to avoid turning their favorite model into splinters.

Goose relied on high heat, a dervish of arms, legs and stares.

"I do respect the role of the guys that take the (closer's job) seriously and not just to show or play around. And with Goose, I have an immense amount of respect for him and how he works and teaches us," Rivera said. "I have been blessed."

The Rockies honored Rivera before Wednesday's game, presenting him with a $5,000 check for his foundation. How many players do you know who can make their retirement tour not about them?

Again, this is someone whose idea of a celebration is a slightly pumped fist. Not an untucked shirt or an imaginary bow into the air....It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Rivera. His dissection of opponents is not coldblooded as much as clinically efficient.
 
He has been the best, and in a time when style trumps substance, he is devoid of hype.

"He just does everything the right way," Gossage said. "He deserves all the attention he's getting in his final year. He's a beautiful person. The game will miss him.""

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*Ed. note: Mariano Rivera broke Gossage's single season strikeout record as a Yankee reliever (122 in 134 IP) in 1996 when he fanned 130 in 107.2 innings.

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PS. Please excuse bright white background behind this post. This was done by my longtime illegal hacker from google who knows his ideas can't win in a free society. So he's obsessed with sabotaging those he views as his opponents.

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Victor Martinez taking notes in the fifth in DC

5/8/13, "Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez records starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez at bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park," final 3-1 Nationals, ap

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