Should Angel Hernandez be fined, suspended, or fired for THIS horrible call?

I’m so used to not expecting it...

Figure I’m gonna get out of there at a certain time...

Maybe I’ll even leave a bit early if the score is lopsided...

And even if it IS a barn burner...

In baseball, it’s usually over by the tenth or eleventh at best...

Basketball usually just has one “Oh-Tee”...

A kickoff return or short drive can end in football...

And because there’s more scoring in those three...

Chances of extra time are less likely...

But you go to an NHL playoff game...

And you could be there for another hour or two...

That was my feeling precisely Saturday night...

Kings hosting the Blues...

Seats on the glass with my friend and fellow blogger, ArK Razor...

Even though the Kings won 1-0 in regulation...

As the Blues were pressing LA in the third...

I got to thinking...

Hey, we might be here a while...

And with hockey...

Sudden death happens so quickly...

Literally blink and you may literally miss it...

Hold that bladder...

The munchies can wait for the break...

Or the break after that...

Yes, baseball has a few marathons each year...

The Los Angeles StrAngels lost (blew) a 19 inning tilt...

One of many defeats this year...

But as you know, baseball isn’t sudden death...

Even the term "sudden death" is scary...

Football is...

But the intensity doesn’t match hockey...

Speaking of intensity...

Who can forget the Easter Epic???

Kelly Hrudey was stellar for the Isles...

LaFontaine’s goal was fabulous...

Exhausted after ending it...

But the intermission after the 2nd OT??? 

A classic in its own right...

Mike Emrick and Bill Clement...

Some called it unprofessional on Clement’s part...

Give me a break...

That was flat out entertaining...

A nice contrast to a tense game...

Loosen up and enjoy life, Bucko...

(BTW, I miss ESPN’s Tom Mees. He passed way too early...)

So... 

Keep the game close...

I’ll sit back in my recliner...

With toothpicks in my eyelids...

Just waiting for that special moment...

He shoots...

He scores...

Game over...

dvt

http://www.onfrozenblog.com/files/2010/05/watching-hockey.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmF6vmUVSsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVIxqzbKR2Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOEtBU--2RI

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_rkwPmeBb8/Tf7Y-

CSimLI/AAAAAAAACAA/M4uMkngyF14/s1600/toothpick.jpg

I really have struggled this week to get anything on this blog. It has been a crazy week starting last Thursday. Last Thursday at 5:15 Middle Lanz got a call they needed an extra guy in his Babe Ruth League. For a%:45 game. The problem was that he promised his Lacrosse coach he would be at practice because he has only gone to Wednesday skills practice because of Baseball. He played the baseball game and ended up leaving early for Lacrosse practice. I stayed and watched the end of the baseball game the Mrs. took him to Lacrosse.

The kids at Lacrosse were getting ready for a drill they didn’t start and one of his knucklehead teammates wound up and whacked him on the side of the head with his stick. Yes, he should have stayed at baseball. He complained about a headache that night, and it was still there on Saturday when he went to the doctor. He has a concussion and will miss Lax and baseball until the headache clears for a week it hasn’t. The other kid is suspended until he returns. He did convince the Doc. To let him ref soccer on the weekends as a sideline official

Speaking of Soccer best wishes to brother official Ricardo Portico’s family. As we all have heard the sorry he was punched by a 17 year old after a call and later died. As a three sport Official people take some of these games way to seriously. I have been screamed at while changing after a baseball game, I have been threatened during a football game when an ambulance showed up for a hurt player and father whose son got ejected by rule for two personnel fouls said there is the ambulance for the referee.

No Official should have to be subjected to that kind of crap. I think B.O.B. asked earlier this week why we do it. Usually, because it’s fun, you stay involved and if you’re calm and professional out there and set an example the kids respond well to it. None of us go out there and have a fear that a player or parent will be that extreme. However, we attend rules meetings constantly and are being taught how to avoid it and handle of it does arise.

The best advice I have gotten is from one of our baseball rules inturpator said if you had a bad game get in the car and drive away. I always park far away when doing baseball or a Youth sport just avoid any conflicts.

I hope the 17 year old gets what he deserves there is no excuse for that crap in recreational sports. I will say more often than not people thank you or say good job at the end.of game but there are always a few.

NHL Update

The Boston Bruins took a commanding 3-1 games lead against Toronto,+ What about that dumb ass Maple Leafs fan that held up the Toronto Stronger sign Monday Night at the Air Canada Centre what a meat head.

No surprises with the Hawks and a 3-1 series lead with the Wild. The Penguins have all they can handle with the NY Islanders as the series is even at 2. Meanwhile Montreal and Ottawa have had a nasty battle but the Senators are up 3-1. The rangers came back nicely after being down 2-0. Both the Ducks and the Kings are up 3-2.The Sharks have sent the Sedin brothers packing eliminating the Canuacks 4-0.

The Boston Red Sox were one of the surprise teams early on in baseball but after a weekend series in Texas and being swept by the Rangers and then struggling with the Twins this week at home losing 5 of 6 and are tied now with the Orioles for first place.

That’s all I have.

Hello Gabbers, its been a while since we have chatted last hope everything has been going well for you and the teams that you follow. I found out while I was away that people can be ignorant at best, in how they handle situations and if things keep going the way they are I will be divorced by the end of the summer. But on to the things at hand, I have something sports related issues that I want to get off my chest, I am going to start with a little issue related to baseball that I got into a discussion with a friend of mine at work today.

Craig and I were sitting in the break room eating lunch and shooting the shit about our fantasy teams like we always do, when he brought up J.A. Happ taking one of the side of his head last night, thank God he is alright, a cut and a bruise at best, no concussion. Anyway, Craig brought up instant replay and how he thought it should be used in baseball, and if they had a more broader use of instant replay they could have overruled Jim Joyce's blown call that cost Armando Gallaraga his perfect game and more or less ruin his major league career from that point on. My argument is this: in baseball its used exclusively for home run calls which I understand, because after all you are expecting old men with poor vision to make a judgment call from 200 feet or more away which can be rather difficult at times which is fine with me. I mentioned hockey's use of replay for goal scoring only more or less, the puck travels at 100+ miles per hour for which it can be in and out before the referee and goal judge see it, so I can live with that. What do you guys think?

How many of you Bruins fans are getting a chuckle out of the Ottawa-Montreal series, with the Sen's leading it 3-1 going into Game 5? I know I am, somebody should have told the Penguins and Canadians that the Islanders and Senators were going to show up, and play them tough. What a bunch of dumbasses if they thought those two teams were just going to roll over and let them win. Also who would have thought the Canucks would go down in 4 to the Sharks, wouldn't be surprised to see the coach and a lot of player turn over this summer in Vancouver. Sorry Beeze, the Rangers-Capitals series means nothing to me right now, have not watched enough of that one to form an opinion.

If you can't tell I really could care less about the NBA playoffs, for whatever reason I am not interested what-so-ever. I have watched about 5 minutes of the playoffs because I am more interested in watching the NHL and the Tigers.  I know most of all the Astros were glad to see them leave Houston last weekend, getting swept and nearly no-hit by Verlander on Sunday.....

Which NBC dumbass decided to pull the plug on Faith Hill? She was sometimes better than the football game they would show on Sunday night. Oh yes and finally, a little something for the Beeze.....

Finally this one is for Sully, I want to thank him for inviting me to take Old Harry's place this week while he is visiting with his daughter. Hope you have a great time with her Harry as she is home on leave from the Marines. I wish her well, and hope she remains safe as she serves for our country.....

This may even get Old Harry's blood flowing, along with a few others who are from that area. May everyone remain safe, until we meet again.........

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. Tomorrow night I will stand in front of a group of parents for the last time as my son’s high school baseball booster club president. To be honest, the job has been a labor of love. Jim Bouton has a famous quote that goes like this, “you spend part of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it is the other way around.” That is how I feel. I did not play high school baseball. My parents were very uncaring…they took us to the lake and made us swim, fish and ski. Yeah, it was a different time. Baseball was only played in the summer. Instead of organized baseball, we played pickup games, often. My son has a bucket of baseballs that he carries in his trunk. I had one baseball and frequently it was in rough shape. Our field was a field, literally a field with rocks, sticks and flowers. The game we played changed depending on how many players we had. If we only had a few, we would close off left or right field. There were no umpires, we argued until we came to a consensus. It was not fancy, but it was baseball and the grip was established.

                                                                    Getting their attention is the toughest part...

                                                              Working a tournament for a Wrangler fundraiser

After years of coaching my daughters in softball then my son in baseball, it is time to move on. But, there is this tug. It is hard to explain. With the hours invested in the game, I am having second thoughts. There is fantasy baseball, which is great. Of course I love watching MLB…but I miss being Coach Jeff.  What Bouton described does not only relate to players. Having a son that plays the game brings an attachment that is difficult to describe. My oldest daughter used to date a baseball player. We would go out to eat and she would get so pissed because we would talk baseball. “Can we talk about anything but baseball?”  Players are always looking for answers for a better method to hit a baseball. A different load, a shorter stride…short to the ball, long through the ball. I love the art of hitting a baseball. I totally get Ted Williams. The nuances that Williams marveled at are probably boring to some, but I find them fascinating. Mike Epstein played for Ted Williams and has said that they used to sit and talk about hitting. Where was the best place for the hands? A bit higher than this or perhaps a bit lower? Williams would tell Epstein, if you are going to punch me, where would you start your fist for maximum leverage? There you are, that is exactly where your hands should start. Then Epstein said Williams would say, “hey…I think you are on to something there”. What I would not give to have an hour or two to sit an listen to Ted Williams.

What would be my dream job? Being a  MLB hitting coach would be my dream gig. Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen. Instead, I will just continue to follow the game and taking every opportunity to talk baseball. One thing...there are many of us out there. That tug is shared by former players, coaches and fans everywhere, so finding others to discuss the game is not too difficult.

                                                                     A long weekend tournament. Tired, but happy

There are many great stories in MLB this year, but I happen to really enjoy the story that is the Cleveland Indians. What makes this a cool story for me is that not one baseball expert liked what Cleveland did in the off season. There was something that the Indians did that had me liking their future, hiring Terry Francona. If I was a MLB manager, it would be Francona’s style that I would use.  Here is a quote by Francona…” I don’t have any perspective. I live and die with this game. And that'll never change. I like what I'm doing, and it means a lot to me. I'm OK with that.” Cleveland was the perfect place for Francona to land, after the messy end in Boston. Even the most fervent Red Sox fan has to admit that there is much more to being a manager in Boston than baseball. In the softer glare that is Cleveland, Francona is allowed to focus on what he loves. Building relationships and trust with his players is what makes Francona great. It is this ability to create a team that will allow Francona’s Indians to compete this year. Lack of quality starters will force the Indians to frequently need to outscore opponents to win, but that is precisely what they are doing. Winners of 8 of their last 9 games, the Indians have scored at least 6 runs in each game…until Tuesday night. Cleveland took a 1 to 0 victory over Oakland, behind the 5 hit pitching of Zach McAlister. So, even though I figure the Indians are at least a year away from bringing in a couple of arms to make a playoff run…if Jimenez and Masterson become what their potential indicates, maybe they could surprise this year. The Indians are a great story and it could not happen to a nicer guy than Francona.

    Francona building a relationship...the difference between Francona and many other managers is that he truly cares about his players.

That’s all I have today, but I will leave you a bit of Jack Handey:

I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality.

If you go parachuting, and your parachute doesn't open, and you friends are all watching you fall, I think a funny gag would be to pretend you were swimming.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own.