CONGRATS TO THE DALLAS MAVS FOR WINNING THE RIGHT WAY

MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND ANOTHER, BETTER CITY / TEAM / TEAMMATES, LEBRON!!!

This story is cool on so many levels. 

It highlights the humble, quiet, unassuming, unpretentious super-star who took the many career "wide rights" that have come his way and kept grinding and working with his teammates to make himself / themselves better within the context of a "real" team. 

Once again, LeBron reveals more about himself in defeat by shrinking in the big moments, playing small at the time a superstar of his "alleged" ilk should be playing big, and then lashing out at anyone and everyone within the sound of his voice in the aftermath. 

To all those LeBron supporters who seem to believe that everyone should climb on board and enjoy the ride that the Heat were supposed to provide to basketball fans of every stripe -- Stick it!! Not happening!!

When given a choice of a "lesser" opponent who does things the "right" way -- Mavs, Bulls to name a couple -- I will choose to root for that team over the Heat every time. That's not "hating" (the Heat), it's appreciating (the teams that do things right and persevere). 

Thank you for allowing those of us who admire the qualities that LeBron and D-Wade may never possess as teammates and players, the right and privilege to abstain from jumping on the overly self-indulgent, petulant, bandwagon that are personified by the Miami Heat.

from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-wojnarowski_nowitzki_mavericks_win_nba_finals_061311

"If I would have won one early in my career, maybe I would have never put all the work and time that I have over the last 13 years," Nowitzki said.

"It wasn't about our high-flying star power," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "Come on, how often do we have to hear about the LeBron James Reality Show? When are people going to talk about the purity of the game and what these guys accomplished?"

Forever now. Once again, James was an uncertain, uneven star with a championship on the line. He didn't play well in these Finals, and worst in the moments that the Heat needed him most. He didn't want the ball in the fourth quarter, passing it away as fast as it had come to him.

To hear James suggest that the world will have to return to its sad, little ordinary lives and he'll still get to be LeBron James late Sunday night was a window into his warped, fragile psyche. It was sad, and portends to how disconnected to the world he truly is.

"They have to wake up and have the same life that they had before they woke up today … the same personal problems," James said. "I'm going to continue to live the way that I want to live. … But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

There's nothing real about James' world, and never has been. He's a prisoner of a life that his sycophants and enablers and our sporting culture has created for him. He's rich and talented and something of a tortured soul. He's the flawed superstar for these flawed times. He's a creation of a basketball breeding ground full of such twisted priorities and warped principles. Almost every person who's ever had to work closely with him, who has spent significant time, who's watched him belittle and bully people, told me they were rooting hard against him. That's sad, and that's something he doesn't understand and probably never will.

When the game was over, his attitude was downright defiant. They had done enough to win, he insisted, and of course he was wrong.

Strange, but Chris Bosh knew the truth. When he talked about Nowitzki, you had to wonder to whom he was directing his words. "There's nothing extra. There's nothing super. [Nowitzki] was just himself. And in these situations, I think when you're yourself and you play your basketball, the best thing always happen.

"He's worked very hard, for a very long time and he deserves it. I think we can take a page out of their book and really just pay attention to people's work ethic and how much time they put into the game. Obviously, what we did wasn't enough."

It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great. -- Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans

Ezra Shaw - Getty Images

Call me crazy, but I got the same queasy feeling I had when I heard the Cubs pitching brain-trust mention that they were working on adding a slider to Kerry Wood's arsenal of pitches shortly after he blew away 19 Astros with a two-pitch arsenal.

First question is "Why?".
If it ain't broke, stop trying to break it.
Can't we wait until it breaks before we try to fix it?
And if he throws this pitch from a different arm slot, doesn't that minimize the effectiveness?

IDK, call me crazy or queasy....but I can't figure it out. Hope it works out, because Cain had been very consistent and very effective for quite some time now. He has seemingly passed the hard-luck, lack of run support mantle over to Bumgarner.

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans:

"Mike Krukow noted today that Cain is changing his arm slot for the occasional slider, too. Whatever is going on, Cain looks like a slightly different pitcher right now. He's not radically different, but it seems like he has an adjusted arsenal to complement his sneaky-fast fastball."

DR. MIKE MARSHALL ANSWERS QUESTION REGARDING LL DEATH

Some of Mike Marshall's ideas may seem about as old-school as they come, but in the area of youth sports and the way it is administered, he is always spot on. He addressed a question from one of his followers regarding the recent death of the Arizona Little Leaguer and, not surprisingly, came down far harder on coaches and administrators than I did. His comments and recommendations are posted below.

More importantly, he provides concrete examples of how coaches ought to be teaching the technique of bunting, but simultaneously, how to batters can protect themselves from the worst-case scenario, the high and tight fastball.

Marshall has long been an advocate for pitchers throwing daily as well, swimming against the tide of pitch count vigilantes. Maybe the recent shelving of Joba Chamberlain -- he of the Joba Rules -- will cause some to reconsider their positions in this area.

from the New York Daily News:
Joba Chamberlain's father admits 'reservations' about 'Joba Rules,' looking back on early years
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2011/06/10/2011-06-10_dad_regrets_joba_rules.html


from Dr. Mike Marshall's Pitching Coach Services - Question and Answer area:
http://www.drmikemarshall.com/Question-Answer2011.html

http://www.drmikemarshall.com/Question-Answer2011.html

549.  Little League Death

Here is an article where a teenager died when a ball hit him in the chest.

My understanding is that this happens when a baseball hits a kid's chest with sufficient force between heart beats.

The story doesn't say whether a defibrillator was available at the scene.  Would you require such a device at all Little League games?

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

Arizona Little Leaguer, 13, killed after pitch hits chest

PHOENIX, AZ:  (AP) A 13-year-old Arizona boy was killed in a freak accident after a baseball hit him over the heart as he tried to bunt, officials in his Little League said Friday.

Hayden Walton went for the bunt during a game Tuesday night in the close-knit northern Arizona city of Winslow, said Jamey Jones, a Winslow Little League official.  "He took an inside pitch right in the chest," Jones said.  "After that he took two steps to first base and collapsed."  He died the next morning at a local hospital.

The boy's parents, who were at the game, are heartbroken, shocked and unable to speak to members of the media, league president and family spokesman Dale Thomas said.  "It's a hard thing to handle for everyone," Thomas said.  "When you're touched by something of this magnitude, it sends shock waves throughout the community."

Thomas said he grew up around the boy's family and described Hayden as "the epitome of what every little boy ought to be."  Besides participating in Little League, Hayden was a Boy Scout, loved to work on cars and helped neighborhood widows by mowing their lawns and doing odd jobs for them, Thomas said.  Hayden had a younger sister.

The league suspended games until Friday and has counselors available for players or parents who need them.  Stephen Keener, president and CEO of Little League Baseball and Softball, said in a statement that "the loss of a child is incomprehensible."

"Words cannot adequately express our sorrow on the passing of Hayden," he said.  "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Hayden's family, all the players and volunteers of the Winslow Little League, his classmates, and his friends, at this difficult time."

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

     Sacrifice bunting is a very dangerous motor skill.  When batters sacrifice bunt, to get baseball batters to pop up the bunt, baseball coaches teach their baseball pitchers to throw the baseball high and inside.

     To sacrifice bunt, untrained baseball coaches teach their baseball batters to move their rear foot forward to parallel with their front foot and farther, which turns the body to face toward the baseball pitcher.

     In this position, baseball sacrifice bunters cannot rotate their head and body away from the pitched baseball.

     Instead, their only reaction is to move away from the pitched baseball and raise their arms.  This opens their face and the front of their chest.

     The person legally responsible for this young man's needless death is the untrained baseball coach that taught this young man this deadly sacrifice bunting technique.

     Whatever the motor skill, the first obligation of those that teach motor skills is to teach their athletes how to prevent motor skill technique injuries and avoid competition-generated injuries.

     This requires coaches to inform parents and athletes of the potential dangers of the motor skills they teach and,before they can participate, what preventive skills the athletes have to master.

     Therefore, the first baseball batting motor skill that athletes must master is how to avoid getting hit with a pitched baseball in the head or heart.

     Baseball pitching is an Initiator skill.  That means that nothing can happen until baseball pitchers throw the baseball.

     Baseball batting is a reaction skill.  That means that baseball batters have to wait until baseball pitchers throw the baseball.

     With tennis balls, batting helmets with face guards and protective eye wear, coaches need to teach baseball batters how to turn their head and chest away from pitched baseballs that are going to hit them.

     With regard to baseball batters avoiding getting hit in the head or heart with a pitched baseball, the critical factors are having their front foot on the ground, their body turned sideways to baseball pitchers and their rear foot on the ground in line with their front foot away from home plate.

     With the front foot on the ground, baseball batters have the ground contact that they need to rotate their head and body away from the pitched baseball.

     As they rotate their body away from the pitched baseball, baseball batters need to turn their head away and bend their neck downward to hide their face behind their front shoulder and look at their rear heel.

     Simultaneously, they need to tuck their front arm across the front of their chest, thereby covering their heart.

     With my baseball batting technique, baseball batters start with their front upper arm vertically downward in contact with their Rib Cage, their front forearm diagonally across the front of the chest.

     This means that, without having to move their front arm at all, they are protecting their heart from pitched baseballs.

     I do not voluntarily give away outs.  Therefore, I do not ask my baseball batters to sacrifice bunt.  Instead, I prefer to teach my baseball batters how to hit the baseball on the ground.

     To advance base runners, I have my base runners run and my baseball batters hit the baseball on the ground.

     However, with base runners on first and second bases with no outs, I do have my baseball batters assume the appropriate sacrifice bunting position.

     The baseball sacrifice bunting position starts with the same body position as my baseball batting position.

     To assume the sacrifice bunting position, baseball batters:

01.  Stand as far away from home plate as the batters box and their reach permits them to have the end of their bat in the middle of home plate.
02.  Have their rear foot in line with or slightly behind their front foot.
03.  Turn their upper body to forty-five degrees toward the baseball pitcher.
04.  Bend their knees.
05.  Move both hands up the baseball bat.
06.  Hold the bat at the top of their strike zone at a slight upward angle.

     As I said, I never sacrifice bunt.  However, if I were to ask my baseball batters to sacrifice bunt, I would teach my baseball sacrificing bunters to:

07.  Always bunt the baseball to the right side of the infield.

     The reason why I would always have baseball sacrifice bunters bunt to the right side of the infield is that, when they try to bunt the baseball to the left side of the infield, they have to turn their bat toward the left side of the infield.

     This means that, if the baseball contacts the top edge of the baseball bat, the baseball can hit the sacrificing baseball bunter in the face.

     Remember, the first rule of coaching:  Never teach a motor skill that can injure the athletes.

     I suppose that those in charge of youth baseball games could require the umpires that they hire to know how to resuscitate people in need and bring a defibrillator with them.

     However, the best answer is to teach and train athletes how to avoid injuries.

     This is another reason why college educated and trained athletic coaches should be in charge of youth athletic programs.  We learn that our first responsibility is to teach our athletes how to perform injury-free motor skills and how to prevent competition-generated injuries.

     Unfortunately, with regard to baseball pitching, except for this Kinesiologist, those in charge of designing an injury-free baseball pitching force application technique have failed.

     My recommendation is for these parents to sue those in charge of this league for every cent that their insurance policy covers.  I prefer to have no leagues than leagues operated by incompetents that have no idea what they are doing, but want the money.
 

<"( );::::::;~ ~;::::::;( )">

Giants sign St. John's shortstop Panik - NYPOST.com

Associated Press

Giants sign St. John's shortstop Panik - NYPOST.com:

"Shortstop Joe Panik, who led St. John's to the Big East championship game and into the NCAA Tournament this season, has signed with the Giants, who chose him with the 29th pick in the first round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft last week.

Terms of the deal were not announced, but it's expected Panik, of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., will receive around $1.1 million, MLB's suggested salary for the 29th pick."

Grading the Giants Draft

At the risk of opening myself up to a "Who the hell is Mel Kiper?" type moment, I am going to grade the Giants draft the day after it is completed. For those of you that don't know or remember what I am talking about, the original quotes are shown below and a YouTube of Bill Tobin's next day, follow-up critique of the previously little-known Kiper's credentials to opine which in hindsight launched the the career of one Mel Kiper, draft-expert.

Note: Keith Olbermann looks like he was wearing a disguise, but that was his genuine appearance back in the day. Once a dork, always a dork.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/pete_mcentegart/04/22/ten.spot/index.html

3. "Who the hell is Mel Kiper?", 1994
Draft guru Mel Kiper has become as associated with one day as Punxsutawney Phil and Santa Claus, but his opinions often rankle NFL execs. Never was that demonstrated more clearly than when Kiper kvetched that the Colts should have taken quarterback Trent Dilfer rather than linebacker Trev Alberts with the fifth pick. "Who the hell is Mel Kiper?" thundered Colts VP Bill Tobin. "He's never been a player, he's never been a coach, he's never been a scout, he's never been an administrator, and all of a sudden, he's an expert. He has no more credentials to do what he's doing than my neighbor, and my neighbor's a postman." As a postscript, in 2001 the Palm Beach Post asked mail handler Calvin Falana to pick the top 10 picks, and he got eight of 10 correct (though not in order) compared to six for Kiper.

Bill Tobin vs Mel Kiper - 1994 Part 2




Anyway, back to the Giants and my simple -- but effective -- grading method.

I generally use the Baseball America Top 200 Prospects List as near gospel, because they are the acknowledged leaders in following youth, high school and collegiate players. I also looked at Mlb.com's Top 50 prospects list.

In scanning the Giants picks from the first 30 rounds, they managed to secure three of Mlb.com's top 50 by selecting Susac, Oropesa and Osich.

Knowing that there are 32 teams in the league and ignoring the over/under weighting effects of compensation picks each team has 1/32 or 3.125% chance of getting each top 50 prospects. Three and 1/8 percent would be average selecting by the organization. The Giants came in at 6%. I would give them an A here.

Looking over Baseball America's list, the Giants selected 6 of the Top 100 (6%) and 8 of the Top 200 (4%). Doubling the expected rate gives them another A in the Top 100 category (most likely to succeed) and no less than a B in the Top 200 category which provides organizational depth and at worst future trade pieces.

The Giants added four useful position players, all collegians, who should be ready to help quickly by adding:

#30 Susac, C
#57 Oropesa, 1B/3B
#67 Panik 2B/SS
#165 Garrett Beuchele 3B (added late yesterday)

They helped the pitching depth by adding:

#41 Osich, LHP
#47 Crick, RHP (a hard-throwing Texan RHP)
#99 Marlowe, RHP
#117 Bandilla, LHP

Not a bad day and a half's worth of work by the Giants scouting staff. Only two or three of these guys have to hit for it to be a pretty successful draft.

So put that in your pipe and smoke it Marge Schott, wherever you are. (some would say HELL) Apparently, scouts do more than watch games. At least if they do it right.


Also, Bill Parcells didn't seem to think too highly of Mel Kiper, either. HATERS all around.

I caught a glimpse of the Bill Parcells’ draft special on ESPN recently. Now THERE’S a man who knows about the draft and has a valid opinion throughout the NFL community. When he got asked something along the lines of, “Do you think any teams keep Mel Kiper’s draft rankings in their locker before draft time?” Parcells simply responded with a pretty basic “F*&^ no. That’s ret$%^ded.”

2011 MLB Draft continues

Giants add Oregon State C Andrew Susac, a 2009 former Phillies pick out of HS. May be insurance hedge against a Posey move to another position.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14690363&topic_id=18682064

Rank 35. Andrew Susac - C
Oregon St
Birthdate: 03/22/1990
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats: R
Throws: R

The draft-eligible sophomore was a good high school catching prospect in Northern California two years ago, but teams stayed away (the Phillies took a shot in the 16th round) because of his strong commitment to Oregon St.

Now, Susac is mentioned frequently near the top of the catching list in this year's class, though there are differing opinions about his skill set. Teams that will consider him highly see the potential for him to be an everyday catcher.

He does have average raw power, mostly to the pull side, with more gap power to other fields. That could mean 15-20 homers annually, if he can make enough contact to tap into that power, something some have concerns about. He's a bit of a guess hitter and uses a big leg lift in his swing.

Susac is stocky, but not physical and muscular -- kind of like a Gregg Zaun-type. Behind the plate, he has a solid average arm and will flash a plus now and again. His hands can be a little stiff, but he's made some good improvement in his receiving skills. A broken left hamate bone forced him out of action this spring, and it remains to be seen how that will impact his Draft status.

IL prospect Charlie Tilson OF from New Trier HS was just selected by the Cardinals in the 2nd round.

Here is what mlb.com had to say about Mr. Tilson:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14690097&topic_id=18682064

Rank 44. Charlie Tilson - OF
New Trier HS (Ill.)
Birthdate: 12/02/1992
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Bats: L
Throws: L

Comments: The Chicago-area high school product was known in the region for a while, but really helped his stock with a tremendous performance at the Area Code Games last summer. Tilson isn't the biggest guy in the world, reminding some of a Brett Gardner or Jacoby Ellsbury, both of whom had more of a track record as college performers. He has been a two-sport athlete in high school, and that athleticism does play well on the diamond. He has some quick-twitch actions and has a good first step down the line. Overall, his speed grades out as above average -- he's not a true burner -- but he could be a solid leadoff hitter or No. 2 type in the future, thanks to his contact and on-base skills. Tilson has a smooth swing and is quick to the ball, tending to shoot the ball in the gap with an opposite-field approach. He has below-average power and does need to gain some strength. He plays center field right now and could be an average defender there in the future. The accuracy of his fringe-average arm should allow him to play center or left field capably. His size and strength might deter some, as could a strong commitment to college, but any Gardner or Ellsbury fans out there might give Tilson a try.

The Cubs made what initially seemed like an interesting 1st round pick in SS Javier Baez, a HS player out of FL. He's 6-0, 180 with a power bat, but it looks like the consensus is he moves to 3B eventually. I wondered why a SS with Castro in tow, but a potential successor to Aramis Ramirez makes more sense.

I have NO clue what the White Sox are doing, I hope for Sox fans sake that they know what they are doing. Having said that I will stay out of White Sox business.

OK, WHATEVER DUDES!!!

Pittsburgh is adding to its initial pick of RHP Gerrit Cole by selecting toolsy, switch-hitting TX HS OF Josh Bell and power-hitting 1B from Indiana Alex Dickerson.

The Nationals have plucked FOUR highly regarded, near major league ready players by nabbing Rice 3B Anthony Rendon, regarded by some as a potential #1 overall pick, JUCO OF Brian Goodwin, TCU LHP Matt Purke and Kentucky RHP Alex Meyer. All four could help in short order.

The Rays have made TWELVE picks already, mostly younger HS players. I like Mikie Mahtook OF from LSU them however. If Super Sam Fuld can hold one OF spot long enough for Mahtook to arrive, the Rays fans (all five of them) will have a lot to cheer about from their corner OF.

WHEN # OF PICKS ON DRAFT DAY ARE > # FANS IN STANDS = MOVING VANS IN TEAMS FUTURE



Giants just added USC 1B/3B Ricky Oropesa.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14690125&topic_id=18682064

Rank 46. Ricky Oropesa - 3B/1B
USC
Birthdate: 12/15/1989
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Bats: L
Throws: R

In a class that is less than deep in college bats, Oropesa's stands out based on one tool: power. The corner infielder has always had it and was a prospect back in high school, when the Red Sox took a shot and selected him in the 24th round of the 2008 Draft.

The left-handed hitter has plus raw power, perhaps as much as anyone out west. He hasn't always swung the bat consistently enough to tap into it, but he made some good adjustments this season to show a little more overall hittability to some. He's shown he can rise to the occasion, picking up three hits -- including a homer -- against UCLA ace Gerrit Cole. He's not a clogger on the bases, but he's not a runner, either. While he's got a plus arm, he's below-average defensively overall, meaning he's likely destined to be a first baseman or designated hitter when all is said and done.

As one of the few guys in this Draft with true plus raw power, there's bound to be a team fairly early thinking his bat will play just fine at those spots.

The Giants appear to be recovering somewhat from yesterdays two picks which, according to Baseball America's rankings, were comparative reaches.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-preview/2011/2611794.html

According to BA, Panik was the #67 prospect, picked in the 29th slot
Crick was the #47 prospect, picked in the 49th slot
Sousac was the #30 prospect, picked in the 86th slot
Orapesa was the #57 prospect, picked in the 116th slot

so by my calculations -- using BA as the measuring stick (because I am not privy to the Giants draft board) -- the G-men are +77 in terms of perceived value for the slots allotted.

Of course, we hope that the Giants board is ultimately the superior measuring stick and that the BA board is garbage. We won't know for sure without the benefit of hindsight and the BA team does not account for organizational needs and biases. But it's fun to play along at home.

Will add as further picks and surprises are added. They are now entering the 4th Round selections.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/draftcaster.jsp

The White Sox are recovering, having just picked RKP Kyle McMillen a #94 prospect with the #141 pick. Their first plus pick of the draft. JUCO RHP Jeff Soptic was picked at #100 and was rnked #110. HOW ABOUT THAT!!! Maybe the Sox are more concerned with sign-ability, IDK.

Giants are on the clock with pick #147. HOW EXCITING!!!

Giants select Arizona LHP Bryce Bandilla 6-4, 230 Jr. BA has him ranked #117, stat line shows 32 BB in 41 IP. A reliever. Who walks people. GOODY!!!! And yet it appears to be a plus pick, according to BA. He better throw hard. 44 K's in those 41 IP over 28 G's. He wasn't exactly punching them out enough relative to the # of BB's IMO, but WDIK?

The Brewers just picked a HS OF from TX Michael Reed (#160 BA) . They made hay early by picking 6-6, 220 RHP Taylor Jungmann from Texas (#8 BA) and 6-4, 220 LHP Jed Bradley from Georgia Tech (#14 BA). Both pitchers come from schools with good track records for producing pitchers. Both are highly regarded and should be close to major league ready. Later they picked Cal-State Fullerton 1B Nick Ramirez (#197 BA) who was highly regarded in most pre-season lists but seemed to have fallen off somewhat. Two top 15 pitchers and two other top position players is a pretty good haul so far.

In the G-Man division, both Arizona and San Diego seem to be really picking well.

Arizona hauled in UCLA RHP Trevor Bauer in the #3 spot and 6-4,225 HS RHP Archie Bradley in the #7 spot. How they get two picks in the first seven spots, IDK. Later, they picked Kent State LHP Anrew Chafin and Coastal Carolina RHP Anthony Meo. Three of the four are collegiate pitchers and all should develop and produce quickly. All were rated highly by BA (Bauer #5, Bradely #9, Chafin #38 and Meo #55). Impressive haul so far.

The Padres are going younger, with six picks in the top 100 they have hauled in six top prospects. #10 Cory Spongenberg (#29 BA) is a JUCO 2B who could produce quickly. Joe Ross, a 6-3, 185 HS RHP was on the Giants radar, picked at #25 and was rated by BA as the # 36 prospect. FL HS RHP Michael Kelly 6-4, 185 was selected #48 and ranked #76, HS C Austin Hedges was ranked #28 and selected in the #82 slot -- a good value. Hedges was the top HS C rated. They backed those picks up with HS C Brett Austin (selected #54, ranked #61) and collegiate SS Jace Peterson (selected #58, ranked #71).

Giants selected Oklahoma State RHP Chris Marlowe in the 5th Round. He is a 6-1, 170 RHP who also appears to be a reliever. A 3-3 record with 3.98 ERA 22G 41IP 70K's 30BB's and only 24H allowed.
He was ranked # 99 by BA, so a good value pick in the # 177 slot.

This is the kind of pick that can really make this draft for the Giants. 6th Round, Selection #207 6-3, 235 LHP Josh Osich from Oregon State. Ranked #41 according to BA, Osich may have fallen due to arm injury concerns. A little roll of the dice on a recovery from Tommy John surgery, but he can throw. Described by Mlb.com capsule as a "closer of the future" type.

THIS IS A GREAT PICK IN THIS SPOT!!!

TAKE A BOW GIANTS!!!


http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15436441&topic_id=18682064

Rank 50. Josh Osich - LHP
Oregon St.
Birthdate: 09/03/1988
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 235 lbs.
Bats: L
Throws: L

The big, strong lefty has plenty of arm strength, and he was all the way back in 2011 after redshirting in 2010 following Tommy John surgery. There was enough belief in his arm strength that the Angels took him in the seventh round of last year's Draft, even though he didn't pitch all year.

Osich has a plus fastball that can touch 97 mph and sits comfortably at 92-95 mph. His main secondary pitch is a changeup, which will be Major League average, perhaps a tick above, in the future. When he doesn't overthrow the changeup, it has some good dive to it. He added a slider this year, though it's below average right now, and he doesn't use it much.

While Osich has been in Oregon State's rotation all season and did pitch a no-hitter, his future is likely as a high-octane reliever. With the plus fastball and changeup and closer-type mindset, he could make a beeline for the big leagues once he's shortened up and in someone's system.

Giants 8th Round Pick, Jean Delgado is a 5-11, 150lb. shortstop from the Caguas Military Academy in Caguas, PR

from mlb.com:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=18674140&content_id=15423943

and from Perfect Game:
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5614

5. JEAN DELGADO – ss, Isabel Flores HS, Juncos
Slender 6-0/150, polished player, whippy bat speed with gap power, quick feet, soft hands, 6.6. runner.

From the old stomping grounds in Tampa, Alonzo HS products Joe Fernandez RHP was selected yesterday in the first round by the Marlins, disappointing the Rays fans who would have loved to see him perform in his own backyard. The Cuban exile community in Miami will love him just as much and this kid can really throw hard.

Today LHP Alex Panteleodis from the Florida Gators was recently selected by the Mets, which kind of sucks for him. Get your pay in cash Alex, and your investment advice from Mr. Einhorn, NOT Mr. Wilpon.

The Giants 9th Rounder is 6-3, 218 RHP from Miami Dade CC Derek Law

from Perfect Game:
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5633

GROUP TWO (Projected HIGH-Round Draft / Rounds 4-10)

25. DEREK LAW, rhp, Miami-Dade JC (So.)
Pennsylvania product had ++ season (7-4, 1.75, 77 IP/11 BB/105 SO); 4 pitches, commands 92-93 FB, + SL.

The Giants 10th Rounder is Kentrell Hill 6-0, 175 CF from Arkansas Baptist College

capsule from Perfect Game:
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5746

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Kentrell Hill, of, Arkansas Baptist JC: Hill is an Arkansas native who attended Cisco (Texas) JC as a freshman, before transferring back to his home state as a sophomore. He’s an excellent athlete with superior speed and defensive skills in center field, and his rapidly-emerging offensive skills could make him a draft-day surprise.

In the 11th round the Cubs play Mr. Nostalgia and select Shawon Dunston 6-2, 170 CF from Valley Christian HS in (CA).

HEY!!! WHAT DO YA SAY WE BRING BACK THE SHAWON-O-METER?? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!

OK, that's it, I'm out. I've spilled all my creative juices all over the place and now it's time to clean up. If there is anyone of note drafted after Round Ten that I care about, I'll note it later. I'M OUT OF HERE.

2011 MLB Draft begins today

The 2011 MLB Draft begins today and the Giants are rumored to be looking add to their stockpile of pitching. You can never have too much pitching, right?

The name I have heard mentioned more than once is CA HS RHP Joe Ross. I would not mind seeing LHP Phillip Pfeifer fall to them in the first round. He's a smallish 6-0,190 LHP who works fast, throws strikes and is described as a polished pitcher. Not too bad for a pitcher. CA LHP Henry Owens may also fall to a Giants spot and is highly regarded.

Among college players, Rice 3B Anthony Rendon, UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole, South Carolina OF Jackie Bradley and TCU LHP Matt Purke will be picked early.

Among the HS players, RHP Dylan Bundy, LHP Daniel Norris and RHP Archie Bradley seem to be generating the most buzz. RHP Bubba Starling a 6-5, 200 QB prospect just signed a letter of intent to Nebraska, or he would appear to be a high-riser.

Among the local prospects, New Trier OF Charlie Tilson has generated much late buzz for his athleticism and emerging bat. RHP Nick Burdi from Downers Grove South will not sit by the phone too long. After those two, I still like Oak Forest OF Tim Barry and Rock Falls SS Jake Junis as well as Ottawa Marquette RHP Joe Ceja.

Will post the Giants picks and analysis and opinion as they come in. Good luck to all.
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From sfgiants.com

Giants take shortstop Panik with first pick
Follow with right-handed pitcher Kyle Crick

The Giants selected two players on busy afternoon on the first day of the First-Year Player Draft on Monday. The reigning World Series champions selected Joe Panik, a shortstop from St. Johns University, with their first round pick, the 29th overall pick. Panik posted a .398 batting average and hit 10 home runs for the Red Storm this season.

In the compensation round A, the Giants chose right-handed pitcher Kyle Crick from Sherman High School (Texas) with the 49th pick.

Further details about 1st rounder, Joe Panik.

Mlb.com video on Joe Panik:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=18674140&content_id=15214845

Panik described himself as an offensive-minded shortstop and a "tough, hard-nosed player. I'm not a very flashy player, but I play the game hard, I play the game right, I give it my all, day-in and day-out."

In his junior season, the left-handed hitter with a short, smooth swing batted .398 with a .509 on-base percentage and .642 slugging percentage, hitting 10 home runs, 19 doubles and three triples with 57 RBIs. He stole 21 bases on 27 attempts and committed 14 fielding errors en route to being named a Golden Spikes semifinalist.

Barr said he can see Panik carrying over that success into the pros. Panik can play either shortstop or second base, though scouts' assessment of his throwing arm tends to suggest he will end up at second. Barr said Panik's high on-base percentage and gap power will make him an effective threat at the plate as well.

"I think he might end up hitting in the two-hole. I don't want to put that on him, though," Barr said. "When we had our discussions, and with the way he swings the bat, we could see him being an offensive middle infielder. That's what we see: a left-handed, offensive middle infielder."

Scouts have offered praise for Panik's bat -- his best tool -- as Barr said he swings with authority, makes solid contact and is able to hit to all fields. Despite some of his physical limitations, the shortstop was considered one of the safest, most low-risk options in the early rounds.

He underwent labrum surgery after his freshman season at St. John's but earned Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America honors as a junior, also picking up a First-Team All-Big East selection after being among the conference's best in nearly every offensive category. The Giants firmly believe in the best-player-available philosophy, and Barr said they were excited Panik was available at No. 29.

"You gather a whole bunch of guys in the playground, and it's a pickup game that's going to be played five years from now," Barr said. "You have to select from the pool of players that are there, and you can't be just saying, 'I want to go after a certain type of player,' because if they're not available, then they're not there. You select from the pool itself."

Panik's patience at the plate and awareness of the strike zone are two of his stronger traits as a hitter, and those characteristics shined through when he played in the Cape Cod League in 2010. Panik batted .276 with a .384 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage, and had the best walk-to-strikeout ratio of any player with more than 100 at-bats.

It may seem odd that the Giants used such a high pick on a shortstop when they recently promoted Brandon Crawford, whom many believe to be the club's shortstop of the future. But, Barr said, it was simply a matter of stockpiling the best possible players for the future -- and they certainly view Panik as one of them.

"You still have to end up accumulating talent. That's the key," Barr said. "You're accumulating talent within your Minor Leagues so you give your general manager, Brian Sabean, the flexibility to either bring somebody up or use them as trades to fill in spots. It's not so much, 'What do we need today?' It's really, you're bringing talent into the organization, and the greater the talent you have in your Minor Leagues, the better your big league team will be."

From Extra Baggs Blog:
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2011/06/06/giants-take-middle-infielder-joe-panik-with-first-round-draft-pick/#more-5542

With the 49th overall pick, the Giants took one of Dick Tidrow’s classic “big equipment” pitchers. It’s Kyle Crick, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder out of Sherman, Texas. Crick was better regarded as a first baseman but he threw in the mid-90s as a senior and it became clear that he had more potential as a pitcher. He throws from a low three-quarters slot and has an assortment of breaking pitches. He’s committed to Texas Christian.

Mlb.com video on Kyle Crick:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=18674140&content_id=14697627

The good, bad, ugly and humorous from the week in sports

What an amazing and inspiring story. If you're a coach, this should be why you are in the business. This has to be worth more than any amount of trophies and ribbons and accolades. Making this kind of a difference. AWESOME STORY!!! This story highlights all that is good in the youth sports arena.

From Tampabay.com
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article1172792.ece

DeWalt is proud that Ladarious came within 13 positions of being in the top half of the 310 graduates at Gulf High. "It just speaks to his determination,'' the coach said, "but also to the power of athletics. Without wrestling, he wouldn't be here. Sports is the greatest dropout prevention program we have in school.''

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Then there's the bad news.

This puts winning and losing a baseball game in perspective and is a story that we never want to see minimized just because it happens relatively infrequently.

From Hardballtalk.com
13-year-old dies after getting hit by pitch
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/03/13-year-old-dies-after-getting-hit-by-pitch/

13-year-old Little Leaguer Hayden Walton, from Winslow, AZ, was killed Tuesday when a baseball hit him in the chest as he was attempting to bunt.

“He took an inside pitch right in the chest,” Winslow Little League official Jamey Jones said. “After that he took two steps to first base and collapsed.”

He died Wednesday morning at a local hospital. Paramedics said the cause was commotio cordis. His heart stopped after he was hit by the pitch.

Coaches would do well to spend some practice time teaching kids how to protect themselves in the batters box when squaring to bunt or when faced with the occasional inside pitch. Many young kids turn into the pitch instead of away. In most cases, the kid is better off getting hit in the backside rather than the front. When they expose the face and chest to the pitch, invariably they "freeze" and cannot protect themselves.

A side benefit is that, once kids are more comfortable in knowing they can better protect themselves from errant missiles, they become better hitters. The "fear" factor is lessened and they can hit relaxed rather than tensed.

More on commotio cordis from Wikipedia.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis

Commotio cordis (Latin, "agitation of the heart") is a disruption of heart rhythm that occurs as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart (the precordial region), at a critical time during the cycle of a heart beat. It is a form of ventricular fibrillation, not mechanical damage to the heart muscle or surrounding organs, and not the result of heart disease. The fatality rate is about 65%. It can sometimes, but not always, be reversed by defibrillation.[1]

Commotio cordis occurs mostly in boys and young men (average age 15), usually during sports, most often baseball, often despite a chest protector. It is most often caused by a projectile, but can also be caused by the blow of an elbow or other body part. Being less developed, the thorax of an adolescent is likely more prone to this injury given the circumstances.

And more from medscape.com

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/730549_3

Commotio Cordis

Commotio cordis is defined as sudden death or aborted sudden death secondary to a chest wall impact. This phenomenon is reported in 10–20 individuals a year. Nearly all are male and the mean age is 14 years.[32,33] Individuals in competitive sports account for nearly 60% of cases and impact always occurs over the left chest. Nearly one-third of those in competitive sports were wearing a chest protector. Resuscitation is possible with rapid cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation.

An animal model has shown that the timing of the impact relative to the cardiac cycle is perhaps the most important variable of commotio cordis[34] followed by location of impact,[35] hardness of the impact object,[36] and energy of the impact object (Fig. 2).[37] Commercially available chest wall protection does not appear to be prevent commotio cordis.[38]

Figure 2.
Variables and proposed mechanism of commotio cordis. In the animal model several variables of commotio cordis have been described and include characteristics of the impact object such as shape, hardness, diameter, velocity of the impact. Timing and location of the impact are perhaps the two most important variables accounting for the rarity of commotio cordis. In addition, cellular determinants of commotio cordis are just beginning to be understood; cell membrane stretch likely leads to ion channel activation which increases the dispersion of repolarization and providing the substrate for ventricular fibrillation to occur An appropriately timed ventricular contraction caused by the impact leads to ventricular fibrillation.




Commotio cordis is thought to occur when a chest strike causes both altered dispersion of repolarization and a ventricular depolarization trigger.[32,39–41] The altered dispersion of repolarization is likely secondary to alterations in current flow. Thus far, the KATP channel, normally closed but opened by myocardial ischemia with resultant increased K flow during repolarization, has been shown to be involved in commotio cordis.[42]

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And of course, the ugly side is on display as well.

From Foxsports.com
Report: Violence erupts at hoops tourney

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/Players-attack-parents-as-San-Fernando-Valley-teams-brawl-at-San-Diego-youth-basketball-tourney-053111

Players attacked parents and each other when a Memorial Day youth basketball tournament erupted in violence that left one player hospitalized and another arrested on assault charges.

Police were called to San Diego's Mira Mesa High on Monday when teams from Southern California's San Fernando Valley began brawling at the end of their game, according to NBC San Diego. The tournament featured varsity, JV and traveling teams.


FANS GONE WILD
Some people just can't enjoy a game without getting involved. Here are a few unruly spectators.

The semifinal game between the Rising Stars of San Fernando Valley and the Granada Hills Eagles had been so rough that referees ended it a minute early. Parents and spectators exchanged words and taunted players on the court, according to officers, then things got violent when a coach confronted parents who allegedly used a racial slur. A fight broke out involving at least 15 people.

"Within about 20 seconds, almost the entire Eagles team ran over to the stands and started attacking one of the Rising Stars parents," witness Stuart Schneider told NBC San Diego.

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And finally, the humorous side of baseball.

Apparently, Aubrey Huff's wife is quite the budding young hitting coach. Or maybe it's just a matter of Aubrey knowing well the theory of "when momma is happy, every body's happy" (Happy wife, happy life). Atta boy, Aubrey.

From the San Jose Mercury News:
Aubrey Huff hits three home runs as San Francisco Giants win 12-7
By Andrew Baggarly

http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_18195781?nclick_check=1

The timing couldn't have been better -- for the team, for Huff and for his better half, too.

"My wife, Baubi, it's her birthday today," Huff said. "She wanted me to hit her a home run. I hit three. That's Brownie points."

It was Mrs. Huff who first convinced him to purchase the Rally Thong last year, and everyone knows how that played out. But it took more than magic underwear for Huff to break out of a two-month slump that dragged down the lowest scoring lineup in the National League.

It took hitting the mental reset button.

MARINE CORPS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

I wouldn't know if any of these rules are close to true or not.

The Rules of Engagement

By Silver Shield, on April 28th, 2011

Marine Corps Rules: 
1.   Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2.   Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3.   Have a plan.
4.   Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5.   Be polite.  Be professional.  But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6.   Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a '4.'
7.   Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice.  Ammo is cheap.  Life is expensive.
8.   Move away from your attacker.  Distance is your friend.  (Lateral and diagonal preferred.)
9.   Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary.  When possible, protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win.  The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot..

US Army Rules: 
1.  Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2.  Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3.  Curse bitterly.
4.  Curse bitterly.
5.  Do not listen to 2nd LTs; it can get you killed.
6.  Curse bitterly.

US Air Force Rules: 
1.  Have a cocktail.
2.  Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3.  See what's on HBO.
4.  Ask 'What is a gunfight?'
5.  Request more funding from Congress with a 'killer' Power Point presentation.
6.  Wine and dine  "key' Congressmen, invite DOD and defense industry executives.
7.  Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8.   Declare the assets 'strategic' and never deploy them operationally.
9.   Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict, but close enough to have tax exemption.

US Navy Rules: 
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Deploy Marines

 

Does Baseball need a "Posey Rule"?

(click on .gif to see replay at game speed)

Comments from Buster Posey:

"I do feel like, looking at the replay, and from where I normally set up on the plate, that there was probably a lane to slide. Now I want to make this very clear. … I'm not out to vilify (Scott) Cousins in any way whatsoever. It happened; it's over with. But I think my main point I want to get across is that I just think a play like that is something that has to be looked at by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players' Association."

—Giants catcher Buster Posey on the collision at home plate with Florida's Cousins, a play that probably has ended Posey's season.

After hearing Posey's comments regarding the play, and some of the others listed below, it seems as if the winds of change may be in the air. Once again, we are dealing with a bit of a clash of cultures or generations colliding -- old school versus new school, in a sense.

Many former players and coaches want to see the status quo maintained. Many current players have had most of their playing careers covered by a "no contact at the plate" type of rule set. Youth leagues, high schools, even college ball has rules in place to minimize contact. The oft-misunderstood "must slide" rules are in play at virtually all levels below professional.

So there will be some debate, but ultimately if baseball can protect some of its marquee players from unnecessary and preventable injury, then they should do so.

It does seem as if Cousins made a bee-line for Posey rather than the plate, but with the game on the line and the current rule set and customs in place, I cannot fault him too much for that. It does seem as if Posey did not have enough time to brace for the hit. He may have been rushing to make the catch, block and tag, only he knows for sure.

The following pics posted by a fan over at McCovey Chronicles blog show fairly clearly what happened in the final milliseconds.

The catcher cannot block before he has the ball and can brace for the collision.

The base runner must take a path directly to the open plate.

It's really that simple.

And the umpires will adjust. Youth and HS umpires across the land make this sort of judgment call all the time.

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From YahooSports.com

Matheny critical of Cousins’ hit on Posey
By R.B. FALLSTROM, AP Sports Writer
May 30, 5:26 pm EDT

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-posey-mathenyreax

“You know what, it wasn’t a dirty play, he didn’t come high spikes, he didn’t come high elbow,” Matheny said Monday. “But it wasn’t a necessary play. He was hunting. Buster gave him an option and he didn’t take it.”

Matheny, who won four Gold Gloves, isn’t in favor of rules changes to protect catchers and believes hard contact plays at the plate are just part of the game. But he said Cousins had an opening to slide while Posey was defenseless while awaiting a throw and instead hit him in the opposite shoulder.

“I don’t think you legislate,” Matheny said. “I think you just put a mark in the column that that kid took a run at a catcher. To me as a catcher I know the next time I get the ball I’m going to stick it to him.

“You make those notes as a catcher.”

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From YahooSports.com

Sun May 29 11:37am EDT

John Baker: Posey injury should lead to rule changes about sliding
By John Baker

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/John-Baker-Posey-injury-should-lead-to-rule-cha?urn=mlb-wp8044

This situation with Buster Posey has been a hot topic. What Scott Cousins did was in no way dirty, malicious, or outside of his rights as a baserunner. Second, what Buster Posey(notes) did on defense was exactly right. Both men put their respective teams before themselves and sacrificed their bodies in their attempts to win the game.

Without a doubt, the context of the game must be taken into account; this was the go-ahead run, and Cousins made sure it scored. While the injury is devastating, it is also the collateral damage of being a team player. I respect men who play the game hard and in this case, both did.

The best proposal I have heard is this: If the runner is forced to slide, then the catcher cannot be allowed to block the plate (like the collegiate rule). Because throws aren't always on line, contact still will happen, but I can't disagree that everyone would be safer.

Where else in sports can you get a 90-foot head start and run full speed into a grossly under-padded target looking in a different direction? Not the NFL, NHL, NBA, or even the fighting sports. In mixed martial arts and boxing, both combatants understand the rules. Buster Posey never even had a chance to "protect himself at all times."