Orioles Fire Perlozzo

The Baltimore Orioles have fired manager Sam Perlozzo and hired Andy MacPhail for a front office job, the Sun‘s Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly report.

Sam Perlozzo was fired as manager of the Orioles this morning, according to a club source.

Perlozzo, 56, a Cumberland native who called managing the Orioles his dream job, will be removed about 2 1/2 months into his second full season leading the club.

The team is set to leave this afternoon for a six-game West Coast trip that starts tomorrow night in San Diego.

Bullpen coach Dave Trembley, a longtime minor league skipper who has occasionally subbed for bench coach Tom Trebelhorn this season, has been named interim manager while club executives begin the search for a long-term replacement.

In addition, ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the club has hired Andy MacPhail, former Chicago Cubs president, as the Orioles’ chief operating officer, presumably replacing Joe Foss, who left the Orioles earlier this season. And, according to Olney, they are attempting to set up a meeting with former Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi to replace Perlozzo.

The Orioles, who are currently in last place in the American League East with a 29-40 record and in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, are expected to announce changes this afternoon.

Somehow, I suspect the O’s will continue to suck.

via Jeff Quinton, who has some local color to add.

Chipper Jones Gets 2000th Hit

Atlanta Braves third baseman Larry Chipper Jones has quietly passed the 2,000 hit milestone.

Chipper Jones said he didn’t need no stinkin’ rehab assignment, and he’s proving it. He’s 9-for-19 with three walks in five games since going directly to the lineup after a three-week stint on the disabled list, no minor-league tuneup required.

“So far, so good,” said the Braves third baseman, who recorded his 2,000th career hit on a first-inning single in Sunday’s loss at Cleveland. He added a double in the seventh inning, then was robbed of a potential two-run hit in the eighth when left fielder Jason Michaels made a diving catch.

“It’s a pretty cool milestone,” Jones said. “You think about 2,000 hits, it’s a lot of hits. Being able to get 2,000 hits was certainly a goal. “I want to work on the next 1,000. I don’t know if I’ll play long enough. We’ll see.”

Jones has the most hits in Atlanta Braves history, 100 more than Dale Murphy, but 1,599 behind the great Hank Aaron‘s all-time franchise record. He had 3,600 with the Braves of Milwaukee and Atlanta.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” Jones said. “I’m definitely not gonna play that long.”

He needs two doubles to join Eddie Murray and Chili Davis as the only switch-hitters with at least 2,000 hits, 400 doubles and 350 home runs. Jones is the only switch-hitter with at least 300 homers (369) and a .300 career average (.305).

He has spent much of the past three seasons on the disabled list with various injuries, but when healthy, Jones has been on a torrid pace since last summer. In 98 games since June 24, he has hit .353 with 31 doubles, 31 homers, 78 RBIs, a .433 on-base percentage and a .706 slugging percentage.

I’m not sure if Chipper is going to make it to the Hall of Fame but he could if he manages another five or six solid seasons. His body is starting to fall apart, though, from years of wear and tear. A few seasons playing in the outfield, which made it much harder for him to make the All-Star team, didn’t help him, either.

Kobe Bryant Wants Out, Again!

Kobe Bryant posted this on his website today, kb24.com

Wassup y’all …

Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family. When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING. That is plain and simply what it’s all about. It’s in my DNA. It’s what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It’s my daily passion and pursuit.

The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future. The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent. I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series. All of that was frustrating in itself, but then, this week to have someone “inside” the Laker organization try to blame me in the media for us not being a contender right now — that is what brought me to my current position today.

I want it to be clear that I still love, with all my heart, the Laker Legacy. From Mikan to West to Goodrich to Wilt to Kareem to Magic. That will never change. And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that.

But, now there is a new road ahead. I am gonna keep grindin and keep workin to get back to competing for Championships. Sometimes the trek up the mountain is tough. But, I know we’ll get there.

Strength and Honor,
Kobe

So, is Kobe going to talk to Phil Jackson and change his mind again. Or, is this it. What a soap opera. Stay tuned, for tomorrow’s episode of As the Los Angeles Lakers turn. Ha

Going for three- Tiger Woods vs. Aaron Baddeley at the US Open

The US Open finishes today-

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) – Aaron Baddeley teetered on the edge of a collapse, staring at bogeys on the golf course and Tiger Woods’ name high on the leaderboard.

He showed he might be up to the challenge.

Baddeley escaped with an amazing par from deep rough at the base of a bunker on the 17th hole, finished strong with a birdie for an even-par 70 and wound up with a two-shot lead over Woods after three rounds of the U.S. Open on Saturday.

The Australian kid who was beating world-class players as an amateur now faces the biggest test of his career.

Woods was nearly perfect from tee-to-green, hitting every green in regulation until he had to lay up from the rough on the 18th hole and took his only bogey for a 69, one of only two rounds under par even though Oakmont’s fearsome greens showed a softer side.

Woods, who has never won a major when trailing going into the final round, will be playing in the last group at a major for the second time this year. He was one shot behind at the Masters and tied for second.

“I’ve been there before, and I know what it takes,” Woods said.

Paul Casey shot a 72 and was at 5-over 215 with Stephen Ames (73), Justin Rose (73) and Bubba Watson (75), who made a triple bogey from the left side of the ninth green but steadied himself with pars and a lone bogey the rest of the way.

*****

Still, a dozen players were separated by five shots going into the final round on a course that is tough even when the USGA wants it to play slightly easier.

“This golf course doesn’t lend itself to too many birdies,” Ames said. “So the guy who makes the least mistakes will be the guy to win.”

Baddeley is a good golfer but never been in this spot before. He has two tour titles, Tiger has two US Open victories. If Tiger were to win today, he’d join Hale Irwin(1974, 79, 90) as the only other three-time US Champ. The group of two-time winners is large. Retief Goosen was tied for the lead going into the 2005 US Open final round before blowing up. Hale Irwin did similarly at the 84 Open when having a chance for his third.

You can’t bet against Tiger. If anyone were to sneak up from behind, I’d put my money on Jim Furyk, the 2003 Champ and a runnerup last year.

Rockies Continue Hot Streak in Win Over Devil Rays

By taking the first two games of the three-game series, the Colorado Rockies clinched their fifth consecutive series, tying a club record. Thats Hot! For the second straight night the hitter’s spotted Rockies pitching 4 runs. A grand slam by Brad Hawpe, and the Rockies never looked back from there. Getting two more bombs, a 2 run shot off Garrett Atkins bat. And, a solo from Willy Taveras.

Not to be outdone. The Rays put up two home runs themselves. But, it wasn’t enough on this night. The Rockies win 10-5.

The Rockies, winners of four straight, improved to 35-33, and five games behind the Padres in the National League West, and are a Major League best 17-6 since May 22.

Charity Drag Racing Crash Kills Seven

Seven people have died so far in a bizarre mishap during a charity drag racing event.

Three more people have died after a drag-racing car went out of control and careened into a crowd of spectators, raising the death toll to seven, state officials said Sunday. The crash occurred Saturday night during an “exhibition burnout” — when a driver spins his tires to make them heat up and smoke — at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis. Several other people were injured.

Amateur video of the crash, broadcast on WMC-TV in Memphis, showed the car’s engine revving loudly before the vehicle sped down a highway lined with spectators on both sides. After a few hundred feet, the smoking car skidded off the road.

The identities of the victims and the driver were not immediately released.

Witness Scott Henley said the vehicle started burning off its tires, then fishtailed and slammed into a utility pole before spinning around into the audience. Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said “bodies were flying into the air when it happened.”

Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said at least eight people were taken to three hospitals. Browning said the vehicle was described as a drag-racing car, but he did not have more details about it.

Matthew Brammer, administrator of AMS Pro Modified Series, which sanctions drag races, said late Saturday that the car involved has been driven by drag racer Troy Critchley, of Wylie, Texas, but he did not know if Critchley was driving when the car struck the crowd. The AMS Pro Modified Series later issued a news release saying the driver was a veteran of more than 20 years in drag racing and had to be taken to an emergency room.

The release said the driver was performing a burnout when road conditions caused the car to go out of control. “The race team is in shock and deeply saddened by this unexpected event. Their hearts and prayers are with the injured people and their families,” the release said.

Sheriff’s officials and police closed the festival shortly after the crash. About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event. Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 annually for charities that help children in need, according to its Web site.

The charity was formed in 1990, two years after founder Larry Price’s son, Chad, suffered a severe head injury in a bicycle accident. Price promised that if his son was saved from lifelong injuries, he would spend the rest of his life raising funds for disabled children, according to the Web site. Price could not be reached for comment Saturday night.

Horrible.

John Smoltz Melancholy over Braves’ Missed Playoff Opportunities

Atlanta Braves veteran pitcher John Smoltz talked about his long run with the team and its lamentable playoff performance with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien.

You might think coming back to play in Cleveland for the first time since the 1995 World Series would cause a flood of great memories for John Smoltz. You would be wrong.

This correspondent was quite surprised by the initial reaction when I asked Smoltz for memories of the ’95 World Series, which the Braves won in six games for Atlanta’s first and only World Series championship. Instead of smiling and excitedly recalling how the Braves captured their sport’s ultimate title, Smoltz seemed almost melancholy. He really did. Then I began to realize that, viewed from another perspective, that ‘95 memory could conjure visions of all the unrealized opportunities rather than the one the Braves actually fulfilled. Stay with me here. I’ll explain.

Smoltz said the Braves viewed the 1991 World Series vs Minnesota as a “win,” though they had lost the series seven games. A win because of how far they had come, from last in their division in 1990 to NL pennant winner. “It’s a little bit different there [in the 1995 Cleveland series],” Smoltz said. “Because it’s about in ‘95, the year we won, and what we’ve done since. “It’s our only one [World Series title]. Everybody knows the story on that. It’s neat that we won one, but we had a lot of chances to win more. So when you think about Cleveland, that’s when we won. It’s the only time you can feel good about a city or a team, when you think, that’s when we won.”

But at the same time, Smoltz was saying, he couldn’t think of winning vs. Cleveland without also thinking of losing the last game of every other postseason they went to over 14 years. After losing to Minnesota in ‘91, the Braves also lost in return trips to the World Series vs. Toronto in 1992, and to the Yankees in 1996 (ding-ding-ding, huge disappointment alert) and 1999. The Braves haven’t been back to the World Series since, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs in four consecutive years (2002-05) before ending their streak of 14 consecutive division titles last season.

“In ’91, we don’t feel like we failed,” Smoltz said. “’Ninety-one felt like a win. ‘92 was the closest thing to feeling like we failed, then ‘93 was, of course, the first real major disappointment [six-game NLCS loss to Philadelphia, after the Braves had a 2-1 series lead]. To win it in ‘95 was so gratifying, took all the pressure off. But then ‘96 was horrific [the Braves’ epic World Series collapse vs. the Yankees, when they lost four consecutive games after winning the first two]. “And really,” Smoltz said, “nothing’s been the same since then.”

Wow. You want candor, you got it. I’m standing in a hallway outside the visitor’s clubhouse at the Metrodome in Minnesota on Thursday, listening to Smoltz. And I’m thinking, damn, the only player who’s been through every one of the Braves’ postseasons isn’t glossing over anything. Sure, it’s nice to have the unprecedented run of division titles. But if you don’t think there’s a hole in Smoltz’s competitive heart where another couple of World Series championships belong … folks, he feels this.
[...]

“The last few years we were in the playoffs and World Series, a lot of things had to go right [if the Braves were to win],” he said. “In ‘95 and ‘96, those were two of the toughest [best] teams that we’ve had.”

[...]

There’s no disputing one thing he said: It’s never been the same for the Braves since they blew that 2-0 lead vs. the Yankees in the ‘96 debacle. The Braves went 35-24 with a .262 batting average and 2.61 ERA in postseason games from 1991 through the first two games of the 1996 World Series. Beginning with the four straight losses to the Yankees in ’96, the Braves have gone 28-38 with a .239 batting average and 3.71 ERA in their past 66 postseason games.

Not much doubt about that. The Braves should have won the 1995 Series, having started up 2-0 and truly dominating the Yankees on the road. Instead, they had a monumental collapse in Atlanta and limped back into Yankee Stadium to lose game it in Game 6.

Smoltz is right, too, that the teams that went back to the playoffs after than just weren’t as good. Ted Turner sold the team and after that everything had to be done on a budget. Soon, they were being outspent 2-to-1 and then 3-to-1 by the likes of the Yanks and Red Sox.

Yes Virginia, Tom Terrific really threw a no-hitter

I grew up following the New York Mets. Born in 1961, I went to my first game in 1967. My family went to games at Shea Stadium at least once a year, and we even saw two Mets-Reds games at old Crosley Field in 1968.

So I know the team’s very well from 1967 to 1987(The year I moved out of the US for two years). The team’s main star through most of those years, was Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver. Tom Teriffic finished his ML career in 1986 with 300 career wins.

One of the oddities of Met history is that pitcher has thrown a no-hitter for the team. Several were broken up in the 9th inning, one being a perfect game bid by Tom Seaver in July 1969. Little known Chicago Cub outfielder Jimmy Qualls singling with one out in the ninth.

Today Mike Beradino wrote at the Sun-Sentinel.

Welcome back, no-hitter.

When Anibal Sanchez threw his no-no for the Marlins last September, it ended a drought in the majors of nearly 28 months. There was no logical explanation for this, just as there is often no explanation for whom throws no-hitters and when.

After all, Jose Jimenez, Tommy Greene and Joe Cowley are in the club while Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens aren’t.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Tom Seaver threw a no-hitter but not while he was in a Mets uniform, but when he played for the Cincinnati Reds.

All Beradino had to do was do a google search containing the words Tom Seaver and no-hitter. I guess simple fact checking is beyond most sportswriters. After all, it happens all the time by writers covering pro golf.

Sexiest woman golfer

Golf.com is taking a survey offering eight professional golfers to choose from. To the right is the much overrated(On the course) Natalie Gulbis. Now you know why golf writers can’t stop drooling over her.

On the lower left is another nominee, South Korea’s Grace Park. I’m married to an Asian woman but its hard to vote against Natalie.

Go to Golf.com and take the poll. Remember vote early and vote often!

On a side note, Angel Cabrera leads the US Men’s Open after two rounds. While listening to the NBC broadcast today, Jimmy Roberts described what he called the American slam when talking about Vijay Singh. Namely golfers who have won all three US based major championships.

Like some golf writers, sports announcers need something to talk about and when clueless stick their foot in their mouths. I’ve never heard a mention of the term ‘American slam’ ever before. Lets say if it has been heard before, its an idiotic term. ‘Slam’, comes from grandslam which in baseball is 4 runs. The golf grandslam is four events, if you removed the British Open, three are left. Wouldn’t that then make it like the triple crown in horse racing?

Maybe I’m expecting too much. Namely sports announcers to actually use their brains instead of their mouths.