Monday, June 23, 2014

It is Monday, so let’s go to the Blog.

We begin with Major League Baseball.

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  What pitcher holds the major league record for wins despite all of his pitching appearances coming in relief?  The answer comes later, alligator.

The Marlins ended a disappointing home stand with another loss against the Metropolitans.  The Fish ended their longest home stand of the season with a 3-7 record, and fell below .500 for the first time since April 30th.  They have now lost 12 of their last 18 games at home, after going a major-league best 19-6 during their first 25 home games this season.

There is a silver lining to this black cloud.  They are still only 2 ½ games behind first place, in third place, behind the Washington Nats and the Atlanta Braves.

The Marlins are in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in a four-game series starting Monday, before returning home to take on the best team in the AL, the Oakland A’s.  The Phillies will then invade Marlins Park on Tuesday, July 1, for a three-game series.    
Here are the probable pitchers for the Phillies series this week:

Monday         Nathan Eovaldi vs Roberto Hernandez    7:10 pm
Tuesday     Andrew Heaney vs David Buchanan          4:10 pm
Wednesday Henderson Alvarez vs AJ Burnett             7:10 pm
Thursday     Tom Koehler vs Cole Hamels                  7:10 pm

In other Marlins news,

Rafael Furcal, who is redefining the term “fragile” by adding it as part of his name, was placed on the DL with yet another leg injury.  Derek Dietrich is back with the team after a stint in the minors.  This might be Dietrich’s last chance to shine on the major league roster.


Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:



Here are the standings in MLB:


Today’s complete schedule in the major leagues:


Here are the individual leaders in the majors:


Some other things I’m keeping my eye on around the diamonds:

The powers that be at MLB need to address the issue of catcher’s obstruction.  It would help if they could just define what it is and what it isn’t.  That recent call against Pirates catcher Russell Martin was ridiculous, at best.  It was a force play, for Pete’s sake.
  
After injuries to Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia, keep your eyes on the St. Louis Cardinals to make an effort to try and make a deal with Tampa Bay for David Price.  

In the market for Price, look at the Atlanta Braves to also try and get their hands on the former Cy Young award winner, or negotiate with the Cubs for Jeff Samardzija or Hammel. 

I don’t see the Cubs being very eager to help the Cardinals (their division rivals) with Samardzija or Hammel.  The Cubs are  still trying to work out a long-term contract with Samardzija, but it is pretty apparent that Hammel will be traded within the next week to ten days.  

Speaking of the trade market, watch what the Dodgers do.  Wouldn’t shock me to see them trade an outfielder. (one not named Yasiel Puig)

The San Diego Padres are one of the most disappointing teams this year, and that cost GM Josh Byrnes his job.  Yasmani Grandal is hitting .191; Yonder Alonso is hitting .210; Everth Cabrera comes in at a crisp .222; Chase Headley is pounding the baseball with a .200 batting average.  In the outfield, our old friend Cameron Maybin is always injured, as is Carlos Quentin and Will Venable has a .204 batting average.  Their payroll is over $90 million this year, up from $68 million last year, and $55 million in 2012.  To sum it up, that is how a GM loses his job.  Once the Padres decide on a new GM, they will be sellers.  

The AL Central is very competitive this year.  The Tigers have rebounded and are back in first place after winning their last four, while the Royals have lost four in a row after their recent ten-game winning streak.  Cleveland and Minnesota are just 5 games back, and just 2 games under .500, with the White Sox in the basement, but only 7 games behind Detroit.    

I love the College World Series, but it just isn’t the same when the Canes aren’t there.


More from MLB:



Let's go to the NBA and the Miami Heat:

What’s the latest with the Heat and the NBA?

I know that LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade have opt-out options.  I don’t know what’s going to happen, however, with the Big Three Era here in Miami.  I do know that Carmelo Anthony will explore his options as a free agent.  I’m also pretty sure that he will not be coming here.




Let us move on to the Miami Dolphins and the NFL.

Dolphin News from the Herald and Sun Sentinel:





Here’s more on the Miami Dolphins from Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


The countdown is on until the Dolphins take the field.  Their first preseason game is just over two months away.  Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule: 

Aug. 8         at Atlanta Falcons             (Fri)    7:00 pm
Aug. 16       at Tampa Bay Bucs           (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 23       Dallas Cowboys                (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 28       St. Louis Rams                 (Thu)    7:00 pm

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Regular Season schedule:

Sep. 7         New England Patriots                    1:00 pm
Sep. 14       at Buffalo Bills                              1:00 pm
Sep. 21       Kansas City Chiefs                         4:25 pm
Sep. 28       at Oakland Raiders  (London)         6:00 pm
Oct. 5         BYE
Oct. 12       Green Bay Packers                         1:00 pm
Oct. 19       at Chicago Bears                            1:00 pm
Oct. 26       at Jacksonville Jaguars                  1:00 pm
Nov. 2        San Diego Chargers                         1:00 pm
Nov. 9        at Detroit Lions                              1:00 pm
Nov. 13      Buffalo Bills              (Thu)              8:25 pm
Nov. 23      at Denver Broncos                           4:25 pm
Dec. 1        at New York Jets      (Mon)              8:30 pm
Dec. 7        Baltimore Ravens                           1:00 pm
Dec. 14      at New England Patriots                  1:00 pm
Dec. 21      Minnesota Vikings                           1:00 pm
Dec. 28      New York Jets                                 1:00 pm

For more from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:


Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs. 

From around the universities,

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have more from the University of Miami.


From FIU, David J. Neal of the Herald has the latest in his blog:


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


In other sports,

There is some sort of soccer thing going on in the jungles of Brazil.  I hear the people yelling “USA, USA!” all the time, and although they were tied by Portugal in the last second of their game on Sunday, things look pretty good for them to advance out of their group into the next round.  Here is the latest from Brazil:


Here is Santos Perez’ weekly boxing column in the Miami Herald:


Once again, I want to congratulate Santos Perez on his induction into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame this past weekend.  Also inducted were long-time friends Walter Alvarez and Tutico Zabala.  Here is the complete story from the Herald:


In case you missed reading this in the last blog . . . . . 

PAY ATTENTION HERE . . . THIS IS IMPORTANT

The recent decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the registration of the Washington Redskins football team due to the “disparaging nature” of the name brings up the question of what’s next?

Somebody in Washington, DC has very little to do if they are really concerned about the Redskins name being offensive.  Personally, I find it more offensive that for decades, the baseball team in Washington was named the “Senators”.  Talk about derogatory, naming a team after a corrupt group of politicians . . . . 

Here is more history for you history buffs:

The nickname “Redskins” came long before the team started playing in Washington.  They began playing football in 1932, in Boston, where they were known as the “Braves”.  They changed the name to the Redskins in 1933, before moving the team to Washington, DC in 1937.  

During the early years of the NFL, most teams were struggling to draw fans to the game, and they tried to “piggyback” on the names of baseball teams to help.  For example, in Chicago, the Cubs’ success led to George Halas naming his NFL team the Bears; in Detroit, the Lions followed the Tigers, in Boston, it was the Boston Braves; in New York, the NFL team was known as the Yankees for a while, and later the Giants.

"Redskin" was used throughout the English-speaking world throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a common term of reference for indigenous Americans. However, the more commonly used term from early colonization through the twentieth century was "Indian", perpetuating Columbus' belief that he had found the Indies.  

Although most people assume that the word “redskin” refers to the natural skin color of the North American Indians, there is more than ample documentation and historical proof that it was conferred on the native inhabitants of the colonies by the British colonists, because of the red paint they wore in battle.  The first use of red-skin or red Indian may have been limited to specific groups that used red pigments to decorate their bodies, such as the Beothuk people of Newfoundland who painted their bodies with red pigment.  Redskin referred not to the natural skin color of the people, but to their use of vermilion face paint and body paint.  The indigenous peoples of the continent had no common identity, and referred to themselves using individual tribal names, which is also preferred to the present day.  Group identity for Native Americans only emerged during the late 18th and early 19th century, in the context of negotiations between many tribes signing a single treaty with the United States, where Native American Chiefs referred to themselves and the tribes they represented, with words translated into English as "red skins”. 

Is it offensive or not?  A poll commissioned by Sports Illustrated in 2002 found that 75% of American Indians polled did not object to the Redskins name.  In 2004, a poll conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that 91% of the American Indians surveyed in the 48 states of the US Mainland found the name acceptable.I cannot join the number of people that opine on this subject, but I can cite an example of a high school in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, where the students are 98% Native Americans.  Their mascot name of choice?  The Redskins.

Here is a very interesting story on the history of Chief Wahoo, the logo of the Cleveland Indians:


WHAT’S NEXT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S AGENDA: 

THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA

Obviously, they need to start by changing the name of the state of Oklahoma.  The word Oklahoma is derived from Choctaw Indian words which translate as red people (“okla" meaning "people" and “humma” meaning “red”).

CHANGE THESE NATIVE AMERICAN NAMES AS WELL:

Florida State Seminoles
San Diego State Aztecs
Illinois Fighting Illini
Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves
Kansas City Chiefs
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Central Michigan Chippewas
Dallas Cowboys

OTHER GROUPS MAY BE OFFENDED BY:

New York Yankees - (The term “Yankee” was a derogatory term used by the British Army to make fun of the American army during the Revolutionary War.)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 
Ohio Wesleyan University Fighting Bishops
Coachella Valley Arabs
Minnesota Vikings
Milwaukee Brewers
New York Mets - (ACRONYM - My Entire Team Sucks)
Pittsburgh Pirates 
East Carolina Pirates
Sweet Briar College Vixens 
Yuma Criminals
Orofino Maniacs
Watersmeet Nimrods
Williamsport Millionaires
Centrallia Orphans (boys) Annies (girls) 
Hoopestown Cornjerkers
Nashville Predators
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

SEXUAL INNUENDO:

Alabama Crimson Tide (usually followed by menstruation jokes)
Colorado Rocky Mountain Oysters (bull testicles)
Oregon State Beavers (female anatomy)
Ohio State Buckeyes (a tree that produces a small, hairless nut)
Toronto Blue Jays (commonly referred to as the BJ’s)
Virginia Tech Hokies (castrated turkeys)

VILE ANIMALS:

Arizona Diamondbacks - a venomous snake
South Carolina Gamecocks - glamorizing cockfighting?
Delaware Blue Hens - chickens used in cockfighting for soldiers’ entertainment during Revolutionary War
Florida Gators - talk about a vile creature
UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs - Yeech
Trinity Christian College Trolls

RELIGIOUS OVERTONES:

New Jersey Devils
New Orleans Saints
Wake Forest Deamon Deacons
Northwestern State University Demons
Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts

DISASTERS (natural or otherwise) THAT CAUSE INJURIES, PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND EVEN DEATH

University of Miami Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricane
University of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
University of New England Nor’easters
Iowa State Cyclones
Booker T. Washington Tornadoes
Oklahoma City Thunder
Tampa Bay Lightning
San Jose Earthquakes
Colorado Avalanche
Miami Heat
Calgary Flames  - (originally the Atlanta Flames). - named after General William T. Sherman’s burning of Atlanta during the Civil War

DUMB NAMES OR NAMES THAT ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT:

LA Dodgers - Dodgers name was for the Brooklyn folks who used to “dodge” trolley trains in Brooklyn

LA Lakers - Originally in Minnesota, land of 1,000 lakes

Utah Jazz - Good while the team was in New Orleans

Orlando Magic - since the Magic Kingdom is near Orlando

Washington Wizards - ???

Golden State Warriors - originally the Philadelphia Warriors.  Hell, their logo is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - really?

Georgetown Hoyas - Although their mascot is the picture of a bulldog, the word “hoya” is Greek for “what”.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT NICKNAMES, (usually from minor league baseball, or colleges and universities):

Savannah Sand Gnats
Richmond Fighting Squirrels
Batavia Muck Dogs
Portland Sea Dogs
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs
Montgomery Biscuits
Asheville Tourists
St. Louis College of Pharmacy Eutectics
University of Akron Zips
Wichita State Shockers
Scottsdale Community College Artichokes

Bottom line, there is no consensus as to whether or not Native Americans are or are not offended by these mascot names.  Is it appropriate to name teams after natural disasters?  The burning of a city?  The Anti-Christ?  Vile animals?  

Methinks the federal government should stay out of stuff like this.  Maybe they should concern themselves with stuff that truly is relevant to the well-being of the entire United States. It seems to me that any one could take offense to any nickname.

From his Twitter account, here’s what Robert Griffin III, quarterback of the Washington Redskins, has to say:

“In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness.  Tyranny - a condition imposed by some outside agency or force <living under the tyranny of the clock or political correctness….”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  What pitcher holds the major league record for wins despite all of his pitching appearances coming in relief?

Sparky Lyle, who won 99 games during his career.


Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.
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