I used to watch Flanagan pitch against the Yankees and wished he would be traded to the Mets. This is really shocking news and so unnecessary to take your own life because a team is lousy.
But, I can’t help feeling there’s more to this story that’s being reported.
Mike Flanagan, a former Cy Young winner and part of the Baltimore Orioles' 1983 World Series championship team, died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot at his home. He was 59.
Authorities found a body outside Flanagan's home in Monkton, Maryland on Wednesday afternoon after his anxious wife, who hadn't heard from him since an upset 1 am phone call, sent a neighbor to find him. The neighbor in turn called 911.
Hours later, the Orioles confirmed that Flanagan — who served the team as a pitcher, front office executive and television broadcaster — was dead.
Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson told The Baltimore Sun Thursday that the death was an apparent suicide.
'I was contacted late afternoon [Wednesday] and informed that it appears we had a suicide,' Johnson said.
A source told the paper that Flanagan had shot himself in the face, making the identification process take longer.
Flanagan is survived by his wife Alex and daughters Kathryn, Kerry and Kendall.
Police said Thursday he was upset about financial issues.
'I am so sorry to hear about Mike's passing. He was a good friend and teammate,' said Hall of Fame third baseman Cal Ripken Jr., a former teammate of Flanagan's. 'Mike was an Oriole through and through and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans. This is a sad day.'
Flanagan was a crafty left-hander who went 167-143 with a 3.90 ERA over 18 seasons with Baltimore and Toronto. He didn't possess an overpowering fastball, but won a fair share of games by depending on a slow curve, a sinker and a changeup.
1986 was the year my beleoved Mets won their last championship. I thought I watched every game that year that was on TV because I remember not having cable.
However, I don’t remember this incident at all. But, seeing is believing.
On Sept. 15, 1986, legend has it that Mike Laga of the St. Louis Cardinals crushed a foul ball out of the old Busch Stadium. Of course, as The FYC pointed out in 2005, nobody remembers witnessing the titanic clout with their own eyes and there has never been any video evidence of the at-bat.. until now.
Thanks to Joe Sports Fan, there is finally proof of Laga's extraordinary accomplishment.
The clip below is from a New York Mets highlight tape and it not only shows Laga's incredible foul ball, but it also shows the fans giving him a standing ovation. Scroll down to watch the video.
Benches cleared in the top of the sixth inning during Friday night's game between the Phillies and Giants after San Francisco reliever Ramon Ramirez hit Shane Victorino in the back with a pitch.
Victorino began walking toward the mound and Giants catcher Eli Whiteside stepped in front of him. Placido Polanco raced in from second base and was tackled by Whiteside, who along with Victorino was ejected. Ramirez also was tossed.
Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff was in the middle of the scrum and Phillies leadoff man Jimmy Rollins shoved San Francisco bench coach Ron Wotus as they exchanged words. More here
Baseball has a well documented history going back to the 1919 Black Sox scandal in which eight players were banned for life for throwing the World Series.
Back in the day, ballplayers and gamblers had a cozy relationship and often many a game was thrown so gamblers can collect on huge bets.
Since then MLB has signs posted in every locker-room specifically warning players against getting involved in any form of gambling
But, who says Arod is particularly bright?
The Sporting News New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, currently rehabbing in Miami after knee surgery July 11, could face suspension if reports are true that he took part in illegal, underground poker games in California, allegations that Major League Baseball is taking “very seriously,” ESPNNewYork.com reported Wednesday.
“We're talking to people involved in the investigation, and we're taking this very seriously,” an MLB executive who spoke to ESPNNewYork.com on condition of anonymity. “Because he had been warned about this before, I would say a possible suspension would be very much in play.” MLB said Wednesday that investigators with the commissioner's office will interview Rodriguez. Yahoo! Sports, citing an anonymous source close to Rodriguez, reported Wednesday night that Rodriguez will cooperate in the probe.
The allegations, first published by RadarOnline.com, are that Rodriguez played in at least two of the games, one of which took place at the Beverly Hills mansion of a record executive at which “a fight nearly broke out” when one of the poker players refused to pay up after losing “more than a half-million dollars.”
Reminds me of the catch Ron Swaboda made in the 1969 World Series
The Huffington Post Well, this kid is going to be pretty good. In the clip above, a 9-year-old kid named Jayden robs his opponent of a hit by making an incredible diving catch during a little league game.
The rest of the players on the field and the parents watching gave Jayden an applause as he threw the ball back to the pitcher. This is the type of highlight that is routinely shown on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays.
For all of Derek Jeter’s detractors, and I’m not one of them, he more often than not rises to the occasion. That’s what makes him a great player. He may not have gaudy numbers like other player, but when playoff time comes around, Jeter is a clutch performer that outshines everyone else.
He’s always been a class act!
And to his credit, he’s accomplished something noYankee player has ever done, not Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, or Mantle has ever entered the 3,000 hit club!
After Jeter knocked a single in the first inning to pull himself to 2,999 career hits, he came up in the bottom of the third against Tampa Bay Rays lefthander David Price and, for the second time in the game, worked the count full. He then reached down and launched a low breaking ball into the stands in left field, his third homer of the year.
The homer, appropriately hit at 2 p.m. ET, tied the score at 1 and sent the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy. Jeter was greeted at home plate with hugs and high-fives from Yankees teammates, who were joined by teammates from the bullpen. The ovation lasted nearly five minutes, and even Rays players stepped onto the field to clap and show their appreciation of Jeter's accomplishment. Jeter is just the 28th player in major league history to reach 3,000 hits. He is the first Yankee to accomplish the feat and the sixth-youngest to get there, behind Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Pete Rose and Tris Speaker. He is the 11th player to have all 3,000 hits with one team.
The hit also marked something of a full circle for Price. The first hit Price allowed in his major league career was a homer to Jeter on Sept. 14, 2008.
David Ortiz homered in Boston's eight-run first inning, then got into a bench-clearing brawl with Baltimore reliever Kevin Gregg as the Red Sox routed the Orioles 10-3 on Friday night.
Ortiz and Gregg exchanged a flurry of punches in the eighth, but neither connected before they were separated as both benches and bullpens emptied for the second time in the inning.
Moments before the fight, Ortiz started toward the mound after taking a second straight pitch inside from Gregg. The benches and bullpens emptied, but nothing developed and Ortiz stepped back into the batter's box.
Gregg got him to pop out, then shouted something as the Boston slugger started down the first-base line. Plate umpire Mike Estabrook immediately ejected Gregg — and Ortiz quickly changed course, charging toward the mound. Gregg and Ortiz each threw a few haymakers, but the heavyweight bout was swallowed up by the mass of players rushing onto the field.
The Steers are back home in Texas and properly took care of business (Rangers 4 Giants 2). I took a lot of ribbing from Queer fans (San Francisco Giants fans, Giants rooters, Homo freak supporters) that took offense to my original post, Steers against the Queers.
But, hey I’m a tough New Yorker that can take it. You think I give a hoot if I get called a Homophobe. Pleeeeease, lets get real here. You know the sticks and stones thing?
The Rangers are still in the hole, but quite capable of winning the next two in Texas (red state) and off the Queerland (San Francisco/blue state/pot smoking) we go.
Go Rangers!
P.S.
If you want Political Correctness, don't visit this site. You've been warned!
There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night than popping the DVD of one of the greatest sports film ever made.
The Natural, released in 1984, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs the mysterious aging baseball player who could literally knock the cover off the ball.
If you want to know why baseball is the greatest game ever invented and why Americans loved it so much, then watch this movie.
