CINCINNATTI, OH. – The Cincinnati Reds announced today in a press conference that former Reds star, Hall of Famer and current ESPN game analyst Joe Morgan has joined the team as a special advisor to baseball operations.

This follows a trend set by the Chicago Cubs with Greg Maddux being named assistant to the team’s general manager, Jim Hendry, and Tom Glavine being named by the Atlanta Braves as special assistant to the team’s president, John Scheurholz.

According to a team press release, Morgan will “support and assist in the development of the Club’s community outreach and diversity initiatives while participating in the efforts of the Reds Community Fund and Reds Hall of Fame, including appearances at Rookie Success League and Match Program evens, Hall of Fame inductions and other promotional activities.

He will support the teams’ rights-holders with visits on 700 WLW Radio and FOX Sports Ohio broadcasts. He will also assist in the development and cultivation of the Reds’ baseball operations organizational philosophy and in player development strategy.”

Other former Reds players who have worked with the Reds include Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, a special consultant until this past year, Eric Davis and Mario Soto, special assistants who work with current players, and Ken Griffey Sr., also a special assistant in the player development area of the team, according to the si.com.

Morgan, who is 66, batted .271, had 268 home runs and 1,133 runs batted in over his 22-season career. He also was an All-Star 10 times, twice with the Houston Astros and eight consecutive appearances with the Reds. He is also a five-time Gold Glove winner with the Reds and won a Silver Slugger award in 1982 while with the San Francisco Giants.

Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, in 1990 and entered as a Reds player after being most remembered as an important piece of the Big Red Machine from 1972-1979. During that time he helped lead that team to two World Series championships in 1978 and ‘79 and was named National League Most Valuable Player both of those years. Morgan finished his career playing briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

According to the Reds.com website, over the past two years Morgan has attended Reds Spring Training as a special instructor, rekindling his relationship with the Reds.

ESPN’s Diane Lamb said Morgan’s new role with the Reds will not affect his Sunday Night Baseball duties on ESPN.

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™

Colorado Rockies team president Keli McGregor was found dead this morning in his Salt Lake City hotel room. He was 48.

According to an article on the Rockies official team website, McGregor was in Salt Lake City on business with Charlie Montfort, team chairman and CEO, and Greg Feasel, executive vice president.

Paramedics were called to the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City when associates were unable to reach McGregor. While details have yet to unravel, no foul play is suspected and all indications are that McGregor died of natural causes.

McGregor, reared in Colorado, was a two-time All-American tight end and Colorado State University, where he is third on the school’s list in career receptions with 153. In 1985 he received a B.S. degree in microbiology.

He was also drafted that year by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round. He played tight end for the Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks. He was named to the CSU All-Century team in 1992 and its Hall of Fame in 1996.

McGregor joined the Rockies in 1993 as senior director of operations before becoming senior vice president in 1996 and Executive vice president in 1998. He assumed the presidency of the team in Oct. 2001.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig made a statement today regarding the news:

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am very saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of Keli McGregor. As president of the Colorado Rockies, Keli was one of our game’s rising young stars. He was a great athlete and equally great as a baseball administrator. Also, he was a great human being. All of baseball will miss him. I offer my condolences and deepest sympathies to his family, friends and the Rockies ballclub.”

As of the time of this article, the Rockies are scheduled to play their game tonight against the Washington Nationals in Washington.

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™ 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Francisco Giants know that in order to have success this season, they’re going to have to endure their share of theatrics. And they won’t always be the ones playing the role of the gun-slinging hero in this 162-game live-action drama.As for the antagonists? It doesn’t get much different than Manny Ramirez and David Eckstein, who each took turns auditioning their villainous trot.

A day after Ramirez hit career homer 548 to beat Sergio Romo, Eckstein hit his 35th major league round tripper to vanquish Jeremy Affeldt (2-2) in the 10th inning, as the Padres handed the Giants a 3-2 loss in San Diego on Monday.

The defeat spoiled another good outing by a starting pitcher, and began what is the Giants first losing streak of 2010.

For Matt Cain, who allowed a pair of runs via sacrifice flies in his six innings of work, the outcome is far too unoriginal and overdone. The noted tough-luck righty got his third straight no-decision in 2010, and hasn’t won at Petco Park since Aug. 17, 2006.

Since then, in seven starts the Padres are hitting just .227 off of Cain. His ERA is 3.24, but he is 0-4 in the most important stat column – wins and losses. Remarkably, six times in his nine career starts at Petco, Cain has pitched six or more innings, allowing two runs or less, and doesn’t have a win to show for it in any of those half dozen outings. Somehow, Cain doesn’t mind.

“I like pitching here. I’m confident,” Cain told reporters. “It’s a great ballpark to pitch in.”

In a frighteningly similar fashion to Sunday’s game against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, Monday, the Giants hitters were hand cuffed by Padres starter Clayton Richard.

The left hander scattered seven hits, struck out five, walked one, and allowing just one run, which came on a Pablo Sandoval infield single in the fourth. Were it not for Juan Uribe’s ninth-inning home run off San Diego closer Heath Bell that tied the game at 2-2, Cain’s night might have been even worse.

The Giants were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and have just one hit in their last 16 at bats in those situations, heading back to Sunday.

“It’s two games,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the Bay Area News Group. “We were putting runs on the board until (Sunday). We did what we wanted and created the opportunities.”

The loss sent the Giants to 2-3 against lefties this season, and their offensive woes are perhaps being compounded by some key injuries. Aaron Rowand, who discovered his broken cheek bones will not require surgery, is on the disabled list until May 2, and Mark DeRosa didn’t start for the second straight day due to a strained right hamstring. DeRosa did come up as a pinch hitter in the seventh with two aboard, but struck out.

Additionally, Eugenio Velez – a career .213 hitter from the right side – went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, and Andres Torres was unable to reignite the success he had against lefties in 2009, going 1-for-4. He also grounded into an inning-ending double play in the fourth with the bases loaded, and his only two hits this year have failed to reach the outfield. Torres is now 2-for-18 on the year, and has started just one less game, five, than has John Bowker, who won a starting job in Spring training.

But, ultimately, it was Affeldt who had to stomach this loss.

“Part of it was I couldn’t locate my curveball,” Affeldt said. “When they don’t have to respect the curveball they can look for the heater, and when you try to throw a heater away and it goes inside, the ball goes where it should have gone (out for a home run). I would have gotten lucky if it had gone foul.”

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™

Friday night the San Francisco Giants sustained a big blow from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense and starter Vicente Padilla. Though Aaron Rowand may disagree, the Giants’ arch rivals waited until the eighth inning of Sunday’s rubber match before delivering the knock-out punch.

Pinch hitting with a runner on and one out, Manny Ramirez hit career home run 548 off Giants reliever Sergio Romo (0-1), lifting the Dodgers to a 2-1 win, and spoiling one of Barry Zito’s best career starts as a Giant.

Zito was masterful in 7 1/3 innings, scattering four hits, fanning three, and allowed just one run, which was a result of a walk to pinch-hitter Garrett Anderson – the last hitter he would face — who scored on Ramirez’s blast. Ramirez hadn’t played in the series since departing part way through Friday’s contest with a strained calf. It was also just the second pinch-hit homer in Ramirez’s 18-year career.

“Romo, he’s been throwing as well as anybody,” Bochy told reporters. “He’s one of our setup guys. I like him out there. He’s made some great pitches. I’ve got him and (Jeremy Affeldt). That is their role, to pitch in the seventh and eighth innings.”

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw was nearly just as good. The 22-year-old Dodger lefty pitched into the seventh, allowing just four hits and a run, while striking out nine, and walking four. The lone run allowed was on a Juan Uribe (1) solo-homer in the seventh, which came after a long battle, from which Uribe fell down 0-2 before battling back in the at bat.

Without the presence of veterans Mark DeRosa (hamstring), and Aaron Rowand – who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday – the Giants missed two right handed mainstays in their lineup that may have proved to be helpful against Kershaw.

Eugenio Velez led off and played left field, while Andres Torres filled in in center, hitting eighth. The duo combined to go just 1-for-7 with a walk, and three strikeouts. The Giants also wasted a lead-off double from Aubrey Huff in the fourth, and they left the bases loaded in the eighth when Ramon Trancoso got Uribe to ground out to end the inning.

Second guessing is a part of baseball, and over 162 games a skipper is going to have plenty of chances to be questioned. Giants manager Bruce Bochy will no doubt receive some heat because of the fashion his team lost this one.

But there’s a reason Ramirez holds the record for postseason homers with 28, and is a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer – he’s clutch, and he’s really, really good.
And pitching match-ups, execution, and righty-lefty showdowns often stand out more than assigning blame where it may more easily fit.

The Giants stranded eight runners on Sunday, and had lead-off runners on in three separate innings, and none of them scored. The result was the first series loss for the Giants in 2010, and prevented Zito from improving to 3-0 for the first time in his career.

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™

Ubaldo Jimenez was handed the ball in this season’s opener for the Colorado Rockies and after his performance against the Atlanta Braves last night, it’s clear why.Jimenez no-hit the Braves in a 4-0 victory at Turner Field on a career-high 128-pitch performance. It was the first no-hitter in the history of the Colorado Rockies who’s starting pitching staff had only gotten into the 7th inning in a few previous attempts. 

What was impressive about this performance was the fact the radar gun at Turner was still showing 98 miles per hour in the ninth.

“He wasn’t tired, believe me,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “He could have thrown 150 pitches and he would have been throwing 98.”

The feat was far from over when Jimenez took the mound in the 9th with the heart of the order coming up for the Braves. Fueled by adrenaline, the fast-baller threw smoke and managed to get sluggers Chipper Jones and Brian McCann out then the celebration began.

“That’s an unbelievable feeling, having your teammates enjoying the time with you and just hugging you, admiring everything we did,” Jimenez said. “Not only I did it. It was the whole team. Every single guy was pulling for me. You can see it in their faces.”

One guy who was laying it all out was center fielder Dexter Fowler who made a diving backhanded snag of a line drive late in the game.

Jimenez from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic is the first pitcher to no-hit the Braves since Randy Johnson did the deed while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 18, 2004. Johnson actually one-upped Jimenez, his was a perfect game.

Jimenez improved his season record to 3-0 and 1.29 ERA.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Some people just aren’t showing a lot of common sense when it comes to behavior at a pro sporting event and Matthew Clemmens of Cherry Hill, New Jersey may be one of them.

Police are still sorting out the details surrounding Clemmens being cuffed and removed from Citizens Bank Park during a game after he was accused of intentionally barfing on a man and his daughter.

Off duty police officer Michael Vangelo and his two daughters settled into their seats for a game against the Washington Nationals and according to Vangelo, a group of obnoxious dudes began throwing a bunch of F-bombs and other vulgarities around.

After Vangelo’s daughter asked the men to stop, the problem evolved. “I had beer thrown on me and water and then one individual started spitting at the back of my daughter’s chair and he actually spit on my 11-year-old daughter,” Vangelo said.

According to police, after Vangelo had stadium ushers remove the group, Clemmens decided to get involved, got behind Vangelo’s daughter, shoved his finger down his throat and projectile-puked on the innocent girl.

“He leaned forward, he projectile vomited all over me and my daughter,” Vangelo said. “It was the most vile and disgusting thing I’ve ever seen and I’ve been a cop for 20 years.”

After the assault, surrounding fans gang-piled on Clemmens to help subdue him then he was arrested.

By the looks of Clemmens’ photo that was released by Philly Police, the group did a decent job of detaining the obnoxious fan.

More Police News: Roethlisberger ‘Came back with his penis out of his pants’ (Actual Police Report here)

Lighter Stuff: Hottest Female Athletes – Click Here for Full Gallery

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Aubrey Huff never had a three home run game in his Major League career, but that’s not going to keep him from telling his grandchildren otherwise.

Despite absolutely crushing three balls to the deepest parts of AT&T Park on Wednesday in the Giants 6-0 win over the Pirates, Huff is still without a personal long-ball trifecta.

“I’ve never had a three-home-run game. I’m going to go ahead and chalk that up as a three-home-run game in my mind,” Huff said. “I don’t know if I can hit a ball any better. I hit one to center for an out and the one to right-center was just ridiculous.

If that don’t go out, I don’t know what you can do. Everybody in spring told me, ‘You’ll see, you’ll see.’ I’m like, ‘Come on, if you get it it’s going to go.’ ‘Nah. …’ “I get it now. I get it,” Huff said.

In his first at bat against Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton leading off the second inning, the Giants cleanup hitter smoked a ball high off the right-center field wall. It kicked toward the foul line, away from right fielder Garrett Jones, and before second baseman Akinori Iwamura could retrieve the unusual carom, Huff was sliding safely into home, earning his first homer as a Giant in less than conventional fashion.

“When I hit it, I thought it was gone anyway. In most parks it is,” Huff told the Associate Press. “I saw it bounce off the wall and as soon as I rounded first I saw it took an amazing hop right. I’m like: ‘Oh boy, here we go. If I am going to hit one out I’m going to try to get a cheapie.'”

Later, to end the fourth inning, Huff watched in frustration as Pittsburgh center-fielder Andrew McCutchen ran down his long fly-out in deep center. His next at bat in the sixth, resulted in another China Basin cruelty, as Huff’s smash was absorbed by the vaunted “Triples Alley, ” ironically holding him to a double.

It was the fourth time in the series Huff was likely robbed by the dimensions of his new home.

Aaron Rowand and Eli Whiteside didn’t endure similar misfortunes. Whiteside’s three-run blast – his first of the year – into the left field seats staked his battery mate Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) to a 4-0 second-inning lead, and Rowand’s fifth-inning bolt made it 6-0. Since opening the season 0-for-10, Rowand is 12-for-30 (.438), and has more hits than any leadoff hitter in baseball on the year.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy was unsure about writing Whiteside’s name into the lineup early on Wednesday with Bengie Molina amidst a scorching stretch at the plate. But after going 2-for-3, and catching a scoreless eight-inning, 11 strikeout performance by Sanchez, Whiteside proved to be up to the challenge.
“Pretty good job back there,” Sanchez said of Whiteside. “He got me deep in the game.”

Outside of a shaky first inning, Sanchez was excellent, but had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to earn his first career win over the Pirates. It was his fourth career outing with 10 or more strikeouts, and the 11 matched a career high he set during his no-hitter last July 10. Sanchez, who received a standing ovation while walking off the field in the eighth, went more than seven innings for the first time since August 26, against Arizona (seven starts).
“I feel more confident out there,” Sanchez said. “I can trust myself now.”

The Giants improved to 7-2 in 2010, the team’s best start since going 8-1 to open the 2003 season. That year the Giants went 100-62 to win the NL West.

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™

SAN FRANCISCO – Ten years to the day the Giants christened AT&T Park, their spanking-new digs on the shores of McCovey Cove, with the first regular season game. Sunday, the team reunited 13 members from the 2000 National League West championship team for a day of reflection and commemoration.

After a four hour, nine minute rain delay washed away most of the festivities, the Giants turned their attention to avoiding a full-on replica of that April afternoon a decade ago that was spoiled by a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Thanks to Tim Lincecum’s 10 strike-out performance, some timely two-out hitting, and the first home run of the year for Pablo Sandoval, the Giants didn’t allow history to repeat itself, picking up a satisfying 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Lincecum survived a first inning hiccup – a mammoth two-run shot off the bat of Braves catcher Brian McCann (2) that made it 2-0 Atlanta. It was also the first homer allowed by Lincecum at AT&T since the Rockies Seth Smith hit on Sept. 23, 2008. But the Giants’ ace settled down, retiring 20 of the next 24 hitters he faced, and nine by way of strikeout.

Lincecum (2-0) departed after 108 pitches and with a 3-2 lead in the seventh. In has last inning of work, he struck out the side, retiring Matt Diaz, Omar Infante and pinch-hitter Brook Conrad in order, marking the 20th time in his young career that he racked up double-digit Ks.

“I was just trying to keep a good rhythm,” said Lincecum about his impressive finish. “When we scored, it was a big deal to come out there and throw up a zero, so whether it was the strikeout I was getting the outs on, or ground balls, I was just trying to get outs, and trying to keep that momentum going that we had.”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy admitted that initially he wasn’t totally comfortable about sending Lincecum out there, considering the weather.

“We really debated about whether to play the game, and I have to admit I was probably as nervous as I’ve been with Timmy at the mound when it started sprinkling (in the first inning),” Bochy said. “What a game, terrific game there. Timmy, great job, …The kid’s won two Cy Youngs, so nothing surprises you when he does something out there.

“He made one mistake in the first inning, that fastball got away form him, but he settled down pitched great, in the seventh, he probably had his best inning their with his stuff.”

At first glance, the weather wasn’t the only threatening element of frustration for a crowd of 38,062. Frigid, stiff winds blowing in off the Bay quieted the crowd, and Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami did the same by setting down the first 11 Giants he faced.

Finally in the fourth, Sandoval broke through with a two-out triple, and Aubrey Huff singled through a vacated hole at short, as Atlanta was shading the lefty to pull.

The Giants would take the lead in the sixth, with more two-out magic, as Sandoval singled to left, Huff followed with a walk, and they both came around to score on Mark DeRosa’s single to right. Braves right fielder Jason Heyward, fielded the hit cleanly and looked to have a play on Sandoval at the plate. But the rookie’s throw was up the line, hitting Sandoval, and caroming toward the Braves dugout, allowing Huff to score, and DeRosa to end up at third.

“It’s great, obviously, coming back late like we did, that was big,” said Lincecum, who killed time during the delay with a 30 minute nap and some Golden Tee. “Pablo started off every rally we had, it was great to see him have a big day like that. ‘Huffy’ coming up big, DeRosa coming up big in an RBI situation.”

Kawakami (0-1) was the tough-luck loser, despite needing just 65 pitches in six innings against the Giants bats. The Giants would add three runs of insurance in the eighth, two of which came on Sandoval’s titanic blast that pierced through the winds before landing beyond the seats on the arcade in right center.

“Not those two, I’m not sure a hurricane would have held those up,” said Bochy, referring to both Sandoval and McCann’s booming shots.

When asked about his first round-tripper of the year, the Panda didn’t shy away, acknowledging that he likely couldn’t hit a ball much better than he hit this one.

“I don’t think so,” said Sandoval, who was 3-for-4, scored two runs and drove in a pair. “That was the pitch I was looking for. I tried to hit a line drive and got it on the barrel. It was the right spot.”

Not to be completely outdone, Heyward, who introduced himself to Giants fans by going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts Friday, continued his rebound by hitting his second homer in as many days. Heyward took Jeremy Affeldt deep, going the other way to left, making it 6-3. Affeldt would strikeout Diaz to end the game, and pick up his first save of the season, and his first since Sept. 19, 2006.

The last out arrived just in time. As the Giants greeted one another in the center of the diamond, the skies opened up, and instantly the storm was back to full strength.

“It’s been great, opening up like that, wining both series, and coming out on top,” Lincecum said. “But like I said, it’s still really early in the season. We’ve go tot carry this momentum into every series we go in to.”

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™ 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Barry Bonds is back in the news after making some interesting comments to a group of reporters recently. Bonds told reporters he was “proud” of Mark McGwire’s steroid admission.

Question via Colleen Dominguez of ESPN: What was your reaction to Mark McGwire’s steroid admission?

Bonds: I have a really good friendship with Mark McGwire. I’m proud of him. I have a great relationship through our entire life and career and I’m proud of what he did and I’m happy for him.

Question: Been swinging a bat, (Barry)?

Bonds: Actually, I went down to Florida to work out with Ryan Howard during the wintertime and coached him a little bit and he’s doing very, very well and hasn’t said one thing about me yet. (Laughs.) But I love him and I’m glad he’s doing well.

Still, Barry hasn’t given much thought to following in McGwire’s footsteps and becoming a Major League hitting instructor. Though he enjoys sharing tips with his fellow hitters — something he was notorious for not doing during his playing career.

Bonds: I was given a gift with the things that I know and can do in this game and sooner or later I will be able to pass that along and whoever wants it, I’ll just talk to them about it. I can see things that they don’t understand how I can see it. I have a very good talent in the game of baseball, especially for hitting. If you want it, I’ll be happy to share with you. I didn’t think it would be something I would do, but I really enjoy helping out others. God gave me a gift and it’s nice to let someone else see what God has given to me.

MLB’s all-time homerun king also reiterated that he hasn’t retired, but wouldn’t comment in much detail about it — in part because the Player’s Association is forming a collusion case against MLB. When he was asked directly about the suit mum was the word.

Question: The Players’ Association is preparing a collusion case against MLB. To what extent do you plan to be a part of that case?

Bonds: You know what, I’m sorry brother, this is the first time I heard about this. First time. I’m sorry, brother. I’d help you out but I can’t.

While Bonds avoided the perpetual black cloud that follows him daily — steroids — a different former Giants outfielder got something off his chest.

Speaking to San Francisco Chronicle beat writer, Henry Schulman, Benard admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Giants.

“To be honest with you, it was an embarrassing moment that you can’t take back,” Benard told Schulman. “When you’re playing you do some dumb things, thinking, ‘This is going to help me.’ You realize later on they were stupid.”

Benard played parts of nine seasons in San Francisco, and never was healthy enough to earn a job after he left the team following the ’03 season. He’s now 40 and living in Washington with his son and second wife.

Also in attendance for the 2000 reunion aside from Bonds and Benard were Rich Aurilia, Ellis Burks, Felipe Crespo, Shawn Estes, Mark Gardner, Jeff Kent, Robb Nen, Armando Rios, Kirk Rueter, and J.T. Snow.

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™

It appears that Major League Baseball, and perhaps all of sports, needs to have spell checkers. In the latest saga of misspelled team or proper names, Eugenio Velez of the San Francisco Giants came into the game in the 7th inning of last Wednesday’s game wearing a jersey that said San Francicso. The spelling error was not noticed until long after the Giants had defeated the Houston Astros 10-4.

This isn’t the first time the misspellings have occurred, and it isn’t the first time it has happened to a San Francisco player. In 1977, Rob Andrews also sported a “San Francicso” jersey.

There are other baseball players who have sported incorrect team name or last name spellings. Ryan Jorgensen in an August 2007 game wore a jersey that spelled his name as Jorgenson. After hitting a grand slam, he changed to a correctly spelled jersey.

Also in 2007, Seth Smith of the Colorado Rockies sported a jersey that spelled his name Smtih.

In 2005, Aaron Harang pitched while wearing a “Cncitnnati” In 2003, Adam Riggs wore an “Angees” jersey. And for four innings in a 1994 game against Texas, Joe Carter wore a jersey that said “Torontno.”

There are others in baseball, and in other sports. These are just a few of many examples.

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.”

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™