MLB Commissioner Bud Selig may have just taken the title of worst commissioner in the history of professional sportsaway from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and for that he gets the Sports Climax Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

In a sports world where the NHL relies on verifying with video footage that a puck is in the net and the NFL that two feet are inbounds on a TD pass, after yesterday’s interview, Selig appears to be comfortable allowing human error to continue to create controversy in his sport.

Selig has been saturated in controversy over the past few decades with many accusing him of ignoring the steroid abuse issues that were prevalent and obvious during the 1990’s when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were playing home run derby.

We know how Selig has managed to skirt around issues involving  several other situations including the Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds perjury investigations and the uncovering of A-Rod and several other player’s syringe use.

The more recent issues surround the blatant, game-changing calls that his umpire crews have been making. Some of these blunders, like those made during recent playoffs, have sent hard-working organizations home packing earlier than they should have been.

More recently the Jim Joyce “three-blind-mice- I-have-my-head-up-my-ass” call that took a perfect game from a young Detroit pitcher now has center stage.

That said the buzz about expanding the instant replay had gathered more steam than a locomotive; that is until yesterday when Selig all but squashed the concept.

In an interview with the AP, Selig said he will continue to look at expanding the use of instant replay in baseball, but doesn’t think it will happen this year—if at all. WTF!

“I doubt it, but I wouldn’t ever say never. It’s worked out well.”

SLAP! That line deserves a good bitch-slappin’. What has worked out well? Allowing crews to make blunders that advance the biggest market New York Yankees to another playoff series?

Wouldn’t determining the correct winners for the fans as often as possible be considered working out well?

Making changes that limit mistakes and blunders your blind umpire crews seem to be making on a more consistent basis would be considered working out well.

On another note, these calls have affected our country’s legal gambling systems. Some of these calls have affected the final score or winners as in several MLB Playoff games in the past meaning the people who have wagered on that game have been cheated.

Logical minds who run the NFL and NBA and even Bettman’s NHL have realized how advantageous it is to utilize video replay technology but Selig continues to hide behind some sort of curtain that many of us cannot figure out. How could he not want to reduce those occurrences and limit mistakes?

Selig went on to say in the interview that he “wants to do what I think is best for the sport.”

If that were true Mr. Selig than many people would say then you should resign.

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Umpire Joyce Joins Buckner in Hall of Shame – Sports Climax

McGwire steroid book ranked 94,956 in sales – Sports Climax

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

DETROIT – Let’s play a name game, ‘Bill Buckner’. Okay now that you have the image of the star Red Sox player letting the dribbler through his legs during the 1986 World Series to allow the New York Mets to get up off the mat and defeat the Boston Red Sox, let’s toss another name out there, MLB umpire ‘Jim Joyce’.

Joyce has been calling balls and strikes behind the plate as a full-time major league umpire since 1989 and before last night was known and respected enough to be involved in two World Series, 11 other playoff series and a pair of All-Star games.

But after last night’s Bill Buckner moment, Joyce will forever be remembered for altering MLB history with one of the most asinine, missed calls in the history of sports.

With two outs in the 9th inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, young starter Armando Galarraga was one out away from pitching the first perfect game in the Detroit Tigers franchise history.

The final batter hit a ground ball, the play was made at 1st base and as the crowd and players were ready to erupt in celebration, Joyce called the runner safe.

After the game, replays clearly showed the runner was out and the game should have been over. After the game, Joyce apologized to Galarraga and the Tigers.

Apology NOT accepted.

Why, because that play wasn’t even close by umpire standards. These guys nail split-second plays at first all year long. This runner was out by almost a half-step. If the play were even closer, in a situation like that with a perfect game on the line on a home field, only a moron like Joyce would make that gaffe.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has the power to reverse Joyce’s blunder since the umpire admitted he made the incorrect call and the replays verified the runner was out:

“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the shit out of it. I just cost that kid a perfect game.”

ESPN reported that Selig would likely consult with his top advisers before reversing the call and I believe he will do the right thing and give the franchise their first perfect game. This reversal would have no bearing on the final 3-0 score in the shutout over the Cleveland Indians.

While we await Selig’s decision, Joyce is scheduled to be behind the plate in Detroit for this afternoon’s game between the same two teams, hope his skin is as thick as armor.

Like Buckner’s play that rocked the baseball world, still to this day, this timing of Joyce’s blunder may follow the umpire around for the rest of his career.

The gaffe also gives a ton of ammo to proponents for expanding the instant replay for MLB.

An anti-Joyce Facebook page was created shortly after the game and a website called firejimjoyce.com was launched.

In the meantime, welcome to the Bill Buckner Hall of Shame, Mr. Joyce.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

In case you were wondering how Jay McGwire’s book “Mark and Me: Mark McGwire and the Truth Behind Baseball’s Worst-Kept Secret” is doing, well, today the Barnes & Noble website has it ranked 94,956 in sales and also has slashed the price 28%.

In the book, Jay, an avid body-builder and heavy steroid user, threw his brother under the bus, sharing information with the world that Mark, one of MLB’s most famous sluggers, had managed to keep away from the media, league and fans for years.

The New York Times did a story about there being little intrerest in the book when Jay and his agent were shopping the project around early in 2009.

In an interview with ESPN just prior to the book’s release, Jay told the network the details and types of performance-enhancing drugs he says Big Mac used during a three-year stretch beginning in 1994.

Later in the interview Jay commented on how he was not approached during the steroid investigations saying, “It’s funny, huh? You’d think that you’d want to go to the core of the story.”

Yeah it is funny . . . how people’s lack of interest in the core or any part of the story has it collecting dust on book shelves across the country and currently ranked at 94,956.

In case you missed it, a group of our politicians on Capitol Hill led by Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) presented the Atlanta Braves manager a cake that had these words inscribed:

“Thanks for 50 Great Years Bobby Cocks”

Cox handled the gaffe well and accepted the reception as a nice gesture and thanked the group for recognizing him for his long tenure in the sport, a majority of which he spent in the Braves’ organization.

Senator Isakson’s spokesperson, Sheridan Watson, said that she ordered the cake from the vendor that handles cafeteria services in the Capitol and that Cox’s name was spelled correctly in the e-mail that was sent to the company.

However when the cake arrived, the goof was immediately noticed and the organizers smeared the top of it to hide the screw-up, but not before a few of our fellow quick-drawing media photogs snagged a shot like the one here.

So, ‘My Dear Watson’ how do you suppose this may have occurred?

“”Whether the mistake was accidental or intentional, I don’t know,” said Watson. “The only people who saw it were me, the scheduler and unfortunately some media members who had arrived early and took pictures.”

After this screw-up you have to wonder what these rocket scientists would have delivered to a reception for former players Rusty Kuntz or Dick Butkus.

Babe Watch: Sexy Maylan Studart is horse racing’s Danica Patrick – Sports Climax

More Hotties – Hottest Athlete Wives  Gallery – Sports Climax

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Giants manager Bruce Bochy told his No. 5 starter Todd Wellemeyer that his next turn in the rotation would be skipped due to off days the Giants have scheduled on Thursday and Monday. In other words, the skipper put his 0-3 right-hander who entered Tuesday’s game against the Phillies with an 8.16 ERA on notice.Wellemeyer heeded the call, and so did the Giants as they picked up a 6-2 win on the shores of McCovey Cove Tuesday night.

The perhaps prematurely maligned starter struck out Chase Utlley, looking, as part of a perfect first inning. It was evident that Wellemeyer’s pre-game discussion with pitching coach Dave Raghetti was already paying dividends, as he dodged in and out of a few jams, but turned in his best start as a Giant, by far, pitching 7-plus innings of two-run ball, while striking out four and walking three.

“I’v been working with ‘Rags’ and (Mark) Gardner and have been trying to iron some stuff out mechanically,” said Wellemeyer, who moved to the first-base side of the pitching rubber in order to open up the plate. “(I) just tried to stay within myself, … I knew I could pitch better than what I’d shown the last two games.”

Not only did Wellemeyer win the start, he also won over many of the 31,792 fans in attendance. Many of whom were presumably unhappy with his Giants tenure up to this point.

“It’s natural for them to think that way,” said Wellemeyer of the standing ovation he received when he departed in the eighth, and the early criticism he’s endured. “You know I don’t blame them, they can get on the bandwagon though if they want, they’re welcome.”

Despite the tune-up, Wellemeyer and the Giants were trailing 1-0 in the second when Aubrey Huff deposited his first “real homer” as a Giant in the arcade in right. A batter later Matt Downs hit a no-doubter out to left for his second career home run as a Giant, as the home team showed no mercy to 47-year-old Jamie Moyer. The only outs made the inning were a laser off the bat of Bengie Molina that was snared by Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco, a sharp Mark DeRosa groundout, and a strikeout of Wellemeyer, which followed Nate Schierholtz’s double off the top of the fence in left.

Schierholtz was impactful in the outfield too. In the first he made a diving catch on Polonco’s liner, which seemed to settle down his pitcher. In the second he threw out Ryan Howard, who was cruising into second base after what looked to be a sure double. Giants’ short stop Edgar Renteria gets credit for an assist, as he was standing, flat-footed, waiting nonchalantly for the throw, encouraging Howard to go in easy. Howard strolled in and was tagged out a step before he reached the bag. The decoy didn’t go unnoticed by the Giants either, as both Bochy and Schierholtz complemented the veteran infielder.

Later in the fourth, Howard smoked a pitch off the right field wall, and was more than satisfied to stay at first instead of challenging the arm of Schierholtz again.

“I’m sure they know (about Nate’s arm) it’s tough down there on that wall, you think it’s gonna be a double and Nate plays it as well as anybody and he’s got the arm to throw with,” said Bochy of his right fielder’s prowess.

The Phillies flashed some leather too. Juan Castro started a spectacular double play on Pablo Sandoval’s grounder up the middle with a diving stop, and issued a shovel pass with his glove under and across his body to second baseman Chase Utley, who grabbed it barehanded and threw to first where it was scooped by Howard. Replays confirmed that Sandoval beat the return throw, but the first base umpire clearly got caught up in the play.

Moyer, who joins the likes of Jack Quinn (47), Phil Neikro (48) and Satchel Paige (58) as the oldest hurlers to start a game in MLB history, hasn’t won in San Francisco since July 16, 1987. Considering the results of his most recent effort, Moyer’s unlikely to pick up another start, let a lone a win in The City.

For the second straight night the Giants touched up a Philly starter for 10 hits, and Moyer allowed four earned runs over his six innings. So far on this daunting nine-game homestand, the Giants are 4-1 against two playoff teams from a year ago, and have allowed just six runs.

“Pitching’s been there, timely hitting’s been there, you know, you just have to play your best ball against a team like this,” said Bochy, who admitted he would reconsider allowing Wellemeyer to make his next start. “‘Welly,’ he settled in there as he went, you could see him get more and more comfortable as the game went on, he was hitting his spots.”

Andres Torres continues to make loud contact, as he flew out to the warning track twice and had four solid at bats. But he wasn’t rewarded until his double in the fifth which set up a one-out second-and-third situation. Renteria, who was 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs, singled scoring Wellermeyer, who singled himself off of Moyer. Sandoval later smashed a base hit, this time past a diving Castro, scoring Torres, making it 4-1. The Giants would tack on two more in the seventh off reliever Chad Durbin, when Torres walked, stole second and scored on Renteria’s single.

Medders pitched a perfect ninth with help from Schierhotlz, who gunned down Utley trying to stretch a single into a double, in hopes of sparking some late-inning magic.

But, as the ads say, Chase, there’s magic inside, just none for you, at least on this night.

“We’ll keep it going and ride it as long as we can,” said Wellemeyer, “and (we’ll) take it through Colorado, and take it to Florida with us.”

BOX SCORE at MLB.com.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

On any other night, Mark DeRosa’s first-inning single is fielded by the short stop, the Phillies get the two out bases-loaded-hit they often threatened to unleash, Eli Whiteside’s blast down the left-field line hooks just foul instead of chiming off the foul pole, and Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay is his normal, dominant self.

But on this night it all adds up to a 5-1 win over the Phillies for the Giants in China Basin, and over the first four games of this daunting nine-game, 10-day homestand against three of the National League’s four playoff teams from last year, San Francisco is 3-1.

Sanchez (2-1) labored for five innings, but managed to keep the Phillie’s potent lineup at bay, allowing just three hits, one earned run, while walking five and striking out six. He also overcame an inconsistent strike zone by home plate umpire, C.B. Buckner, and a seemingly endless supply of base runners.
After an impressive showing against the likes of Chase Utley, and the newly minted $25-million-man, Ryan Howard – who were a combined 0-for-5, stranding six runners – Sanchez has yet to allow a hit to a left-handed hitter in 14 at bats so far in 2010.

“He really didn’t have his best stuff. That’s the first time all year he didn’t have all three pitches working,” said Eli Whiteside, who was 2-for-3 with a double, homer and two RBIs against Halladay. “They had their opportunities, but he battled. He kept us in it.”

If Sanchez kept the Giants in it, Mark DeRosa brought them there in the bottom of the first. With his team mired in a 5-for-54 slump with runners in scoring position, DeRosa knocked Halladay’s 3-2 curve ball for a two-out single to left, just past short stop Wilson Valdez, scoring Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval, giving the home team an early, and unforeseen 2-0 advantage.

“We’ve been missing that, and it seemed like it loosened the guys up and sent some confidence through the lineup,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “(That was) one of our better at-bats of the year.”

The Phillies helped, too. Sanchez wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the third thanks to a nice running catch by right fielder Nate Schierholtz. And in the fifth the Phillies scored a run on Utley’s ground out, but stranded three more base runners when Sanchez got Ben Francisco to fly out softly to left. The Phillies – channeling their inner orange and black – were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and stranded 11, too. The Giants went 3-for-7 in such situations.

In the past, when Sanchez wasn’t on his A-game, it often meant he and the Giants were doomed. But the lefty persevered Monday, and though he left after a grinding 107-pitch outing (three more than Halladay threw in seven innings) Sanchez earned the win.

Though they’ve faced above average starters on each game so far through the homestand, San Francisco pitching has been even better. Giants hurlers have allowed just four runs through the first 36 innings to the Cardinals and Phillies collectively, reassuming a home dominance the team enjoyed in 2009. The staff also boasts a major-league best 2.68 ERA.

“It’s legit,” said Sergio Romo who pitched the final six outs of the game. “We just beat arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and we were able to do it convincingly. We came out today and took it to him.”

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

This week marks the first time ever that a team has both delivered the Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week while also receiving the humiliating honor. That team would be Prince’s squad, the Brew Crew.Just days after delivering a record-setting stomping to the Pittsburgh Pirates outscoring them 36-1 over a 3-game sweep, these same Brewers were blown out by the Chicago Cubs 25-4 who brought their brooms from the Windy City for their 3- game sweep and this week’s Bitch-Slap.

Brew Crew hurler Dave Bush came into the final game of the series with a 2.41 ERA in three starts. After his disaster that looked more like batting practice during Sunday’s 12-2 loss, he left the bump with a 4.84 ERA.

His stats, 3 1/3 innings, 10 hits, 9 runs, and 4 homers; let’s toss in a couple of extra backhanded Bitch-Slaps for this performance. Teeing off on Bush for round-trippers were Kosuke Fukudome, Tyler Colvin, Geovany Soto and Derrek Lee. Lee’s blast made it 9-0 and mercifully ended the day for Bush.

Funny how a MLB team can ride out of Pittsburgh on a high horse with a head of steam then totally implode a few days later on their home field, Miller Park.

“This is embarrassing in a way,” Brewer Jim Edmonds said. “We’re just not playing well.”

Ah, yeah . . . you got your asses kicked!

We hate to jump on the dogpile, Brewers, but after that tee-ball performance, you gotta get our Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Say what you want about the Chicago Cubs and the moves Manager Lou Piniella made before this weekend’s sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee, but look at the results.

The Cubs went into Milwaukee and beat the Brewers 8-1 Friday night, 5-1 Saturday and finished the series off with a 12-2 win on Sunday with Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Randy Wells each picking up a win.

In the series, Lilly made his season debut with the Cubs in front of a raucous crowd of 43,410. While at times in the beginning he looked a bit wild, he pitched well. His first pitch was clocked at 76 mph. In all, Lilly threw 78 pitches over six shut-out innings before being pulled for Carlos Zambrano who made his first relief appearance for the Cubs.

Z was greeted by a standing ovation at Miller Park and after taking the mound, he only needed two pitches to get out of the inning. Later, Zambrano, known to be one of MLB’s best hitting pitchers, came to bat with the bases loaded, and hit a sacrifice fly to score another run. Later, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol closed out the game.

If that wasn’t enough, the Cubs continued their assault on the Brewers today. While most Cubs fans were enjoying the home runs by Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto and Derrek Lee, another little scenario was playing out that happens quite rarely in baseball.

Both Colvin and Fukudome were one triple away from hitting for the cycle. Neither one completed the cycle, but it seemed Colvin was close when he hit a liner to Prince Fielder in the 8th that would have gone to the corner for a possible triple had Fielder not made a nice leap for the ball.

This comes on the heels of another curious cycle that didn’t happen for two players in last night’s Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins game when a player from each time made a bid to hit for the cycle. Both Joe Mauer of the Twins and David DeJesus of the Royals were one home run away from accomplishing the feat. The game went to 12 innings with the Twins finally beating the Royals 9-7.

The last time there were two cycles hit in one day was on September 1, 2008, by Stephen Drew, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Adrian Beltre, while he was with the Seattle Mariners.

Just days ago, the Brew Crew demolished the Pittsburgh Pirates in record-setting fashion, outscoring them 36-1 in a 3-game series. The Cubs repaid the favor for the Pirates by doing near the same to the Brewers, outscoring them 25-4 on their home turf in this series.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

In addition to writing her Chicago Cubs column for Examiner.com, Miriam Romain has been published in several Cubs annuals by Maple Street Press and is a contributor to SportsClimax.com . She is also writing a book with the working title “Summers at Wrigley with my Dad.”

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™ 

The Brew Crew handed the Pittsburgh Pirates a classic bitch-slapping, squashing them in a three-game series while sending 36 runners across the plate. Milwaukee outscored the listless Pirates 36-1 in the 3-game series with the final game a 25-hit, 20-0 mercy killing.

That loss was the most lopsided in the Pirates 124-year history and BTW, this all happened on Pittsburgh’s home field.

“It was fun and it was special . . . I enjoyed it.” said Brewers Ryan Braun after knocking two over the fence and driving in 5 runs in the 20-0 game.

Yeah, fun and special for the ones laying out the can of whoopass on a group of MLB impersonators. Now ask the Pirates what they thought of the 20-0 disaster.

Pirates’ pitcher Daniel McCutchen (0-2) 14.73 ERA said this:

“Lots of times, it felt like I was throwing batting practice to them.”

Maybe because you basically were . . .

Pirates manager John Russell chimed in with the obvious:

“They came in and kicked our butt.”

Yes they did and they threw in a couple of backhanded bitch-slaps in just for good measure.

This is becoming a part of a pattern for the Pirates who have lost eight times this season by six or more runs while being outscored in those games 85-13.

That 85-13 is not a typo, people . . . it’s just an all out swift kick in the nuts!

20-0 box score on MLB.com

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – The Los Angeles Dodgers have a .500 record after 14 games, but if their pitching were worthy of their hitters, the team would be on top of its division.

A glance at a box score from last night’s 14-6 victory against the Cincinnati Reds can get you giddy when you see the batting averages of their starting lineup.

Leading off, shortstop Raphael Furcal sports a .356 BA. The outfielders are all contributing with CF Matt Kemp batting .333 to go along with his seven home runs, RF Andre Ethier killing at .400 and Manny is still Manny with a .421 average. First baseman James Loney is holding his own with a .317 average, 3B Casey Blake is handling his business with a .313 average and even C Russell Martin, who is a notorious slow starter is batting a sizzling .317 this season.

So why are they 7-7 at this point of the season? It’s the pitching, stupid.

What was a concern throughout the off-season is now a reality, even this early. Without having picked up an additional starter, the rotation looks thin already unless everyone comes through with a solid 6-7 innings.

Ned Colletti, the team’s GM held the line, presumably on orders from ownership and failed to snag someone like Joel Piniero. The right-hander now pitching in Anaheim for the Angels was still available three weeks prior to spring training. He signed a two-year $16 million deal and has already paid dividends for his team with a sizzling 1.77 ERA in three games.

In some respects you could almost sympathize with Colletti since he hoped that Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda would return to form. The team also banked on Vincente Padilla continuing to pitch like he did when he arrived last summer as a cast off from the Texas Rangers.

So far Billingsley has been unable to pitch past the fifth inning, even in his only win and is struggling with an ERA over 7.0. No one can pinpoint what his problem is and his future contributions can only be considered iffy.
Padilla sports a 1-1 record but a whopping 8.04 ERA and has pitched a total of 15.2 innings in his three starts.

Kuroda is doing much better leading all starters with a 2-0 record and an ERA of 2.18, although he coughed up six runs last night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Clayton Kershaw has a win under his belt, but still needs too many pitches to achieve an ERA of 3.18. And therein lies the problem for the starters.

They can’t pitch deep into the game with an occasional exception and the middle relievers as well as last season’s darling, set-up man George Sherrill, have given up runs at a record pace.

Five of the team’s seven losses were recorded by the bull pen. Jonathan Broxton is the only exception. The young closer hasn’t given up a run in 5+ innings.

No one is running away with the NL West. The Giants got off to a hot start but have come down to earth losing 6 of the last ten, leaving the small market San Diego Padres atop the standings with a 9-6 record. And as they like to say in a sport that has a 162 game schedule. it’s still early.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™