Harper made the right decisions
When the Bryce Harper show came rolling through Oklahoma last summer there were people divided on his situation. Now after being selected as Major League Baseball’s No. 1 overall draft pick he should have everyone on his side.
Harper did what a lot of high school students do and graduate early, but not many have done it after two years of high school. Instead of a junior in high school, he was at a junior college, and is now in professional baseball instead of getting ready for his senior year.
The 6 foot 3 and 205 pound Sports Illustrated cover boy played in a few summer games with Westmoore and drew plenty of praise as well as a lot of criticism.
Many people were in the belief what he and his parents were doing was wrong. Why not let him be a kid? What is the hurry?
Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs in his first college season in a wood bat league, after skipping his final two years of high school and getting his GED.
Turns out everything he has done has paid off by being selected at the top of the MLB draft. A few questions still remain: what will happen when he faces failure for the first time and could he have gotten a different agent than Scott Boras?
Did you know? On June 2, 2010, Harper was ejected from a National Junior College World Series game after a called third strike. Harper drew a line in the dirt with his bat as he left the plate. It was Harper’s second ejection of the year, and resulted in a two-game suspension. The suspension ended his amateur career, as Southern Nevada lost the game from which Harper was ejected and lost their next game with Harper suspended, which eliminated them from the tournament.
Kids will be kids, right?
Pitcher, umpire are not perfect
For 102 minutes perfection was taken place in Detroit, Michigan, but the final minutes will be remembered for a long, long time. Unfortunately, it will be forever for umpire Jim Joyce.
Tiger’s right hander Armando Galaraga was just one out from becoming Marjor League Baseball’s 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game, but first base umpire Jim Joyce called Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe with two outs in the ninth inning when television replays proved otherwise.
“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the [stuff] out of it,” Joyce said, who personally apologized to coach Jim Leyland and Galaraga. “I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay,” he said after the Tigers’ 3-0 win.
Joyce, who has 22 seasons under his belt in the majors, Wikipedia page was updated with the controversial call within minutes of the game ending. He can be perfect from this point on with strikes, balls, outs, and safe’s, but yet will be remembered for “the call”. Every controversial call from this point will be linked with Joyce.
I can only imagine what is going through his mind as he tries to go to sleep tonight, or what will go through his mind as he stands on the field in between pitches. Perhaps, talking with friends and family because no one feels worse then Joyce does about the siutation. To make my point check out the video the next day, at the plate meeting, and see if it matters to him.
I have become a Leyland and Galaraga fan for what they said in their post game interviews. When they had every right and emotion to display in a negative manner toward Joyce they went the complete opposite.
They let us know that umpires, coaches, players, and media are from perfect. People make mistakes and unfortunately Joyce made one that will be remembered for a long time and will follow him forever.
Armando Galaraga was not perfect, by the record books, Joyce was not perfect, but neither are the fans and people that will boo, yell, write, or comment in a negative manner toward Joyce.
What is your lake national anthem song
Memorial Day weekend is here and I am starting this blog way to late to get the real answers I am looking for because all the lake vacationers’ are already gone.
However, here it is. What are some of the songs you need on your Ipod or CD when you go to the lake? All Summer Long by Kid Rock?
I can see people driving around looking for their spot now with sun burn’s and wearing mandatory flip-flops while jamming to some good ol lake music. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd?
Perhaps many will be rocking out to Chicks Dig It as they fill up their boats with $4 a gallon gasoline.
If you were piling up a list of lake songs what are your’s and what is the TOP lake song?
Baseball state championship games set
Class 6A: Day 3
Owasso defeats Jenks 10-7
Owasso defeats Jenks 5-4 (11 innings)
Tulsa Union defeats Broken Arrow 6-4
Championship Game: Owasso vs Tulsa Union
Class 5A: Day 3
Collinsville defeats Bishop Kelley 7-6
Deer Creek defeats Tulsa Washington 11-0 (5 innings)
Tulsa Washington defeats Deer Creek 13-12
Championship Game: Collinsville vs Tulsa Washington
Class 4A: Day 2
Weatherford defeats Clinton 11-2
Fort Gibson/Berryhill to play Monday
Class 3A: Day 2
Bethel defeats Sperry 6-5
Eufala defeats Purcell 4-2
Championship Game: Bethel vs Eufala
Class 2A: Day 3
Silo defeats Oktaha 3-2 to win their 3rd straight title
Baseball state tournament scores
Class 6A: Day 2
Tulsa Union 6, Broken Arrow 5
Broken Arrow 4, Edmond Santa Fe 1, Santa Fe eliminated
Jenks 8, Owasso 4
Owasso 9, Norman North 7, North eliminated
Tulsa Union and Jenks are in the driver’s seat and must be beaten twice to avoid not making the state championship game. Once again, the state title will remain in the East for the 15th year in a row.
Class 5A: Day 2
Booker T. Washington 13, Claremore 6
Deer Creek 6, Claremore 5, Claremore eliminated
Collinsville 6, Bishop Kelley 4
Kelley 7, Carl Albert 6, Carl Albert eliminated
Tulsa Washington and Collinsville are in the driver’s seat and must be beaten twice to avoid not making the state championship game. There will be a new champion with the Titans being eliminated.
Class 4A: Day 1
Berryhill 13, Metro Christian 9
Clinton 6, Hilldale 0
Weatherford 7, Newcastle 0
Fort Gibson 10, Lone Grove 0
Weatherford is trying to get back to the championship game and got a good start against a good Lone Grove team.
Class 3A: Day 1
Eufaula 2, Chandler 1 (10 innings)
Bethel 8, Plainview 0
Sperry 3, Bethel 2
Purcell 6, Verdigris 5 (9 innings)
The favorite Chandler goes down in the class that produced the best overall games on day one with two extra inning wins and another win in the last at bat.
Class 2A: Day 1
Dale 5, Pioneer 0
Latta 7, Lincoln Christian 5
Oktaha 9, Mangum 0
Silo 14, Wister 1
What? Dale, Latta, Oktaha, and Silo are in the semi-finals. The surprise here is that all four can not win it all.
Day One of large school state baseball tournament
Since forming Class 6A in Oklahoma high school athletics in 1996 it has been the East side schools dominating the scene in high school baseball over the West.
The West is still looking for their first title since Norman did it in 1995. Tahlequah won the first 6A title in 1996, but Owasso rules the roost with eight titles. Jenks has three and Union has two since the inception.
Carl Albert has two titles and Chickasha has one and that is all the West can show off since 1996 in Class 5A.
Day one of the 2010 high school baseball tournament proved to be no different for 6A and 5A as the East went a perfect 8-0.
Class 6A Scores:
Owasso defeated Norman North, 6-3
Broken Arrow defeated Putnam City North 8-1
Jenks defeated Edmond Memorial 5-4
Union defeated Edmond Santa Fe 8-7 in 8 innings
Edmond Santa Fe eliminated Putnam City North 6-3
Norman North led Edmond Memorial 8-6 when lighting delayed the game
Thursday’s schedule:
Broken Arrow vs Tulsa Union 4:00
Loser above vs Edmond Santa Fe 6:30
Owasso vs Jenks 4:00
Loser above vs Norman North/Edmond Memorial 6:30
Class 5A Scores:
Collinsville defeated Duncan 7-4
Claremore defeated Chickasha 9-2
Kelley defeated Deer Creek 10-5
Tulsa Washington defeated Carl Albert
Carl Albert eliminated Duncan 10-2
Deer Creek eliminated Chickasha 8-4
Thursday’s Schedule:
Claremore vs Tulsa Washington 4:00
Loser above vs Deer Creek 6:30
Collinsville vs Bishop Kelley 4:00
Loser above vs Carl Albert 6:30
Sources: Missouri and Nebraska offered by Big 10
A Kansas City radio station is reporting that the Big Ten Conference has made offers to Big 12 schools Missouri and Nebraska to join the league.
Both schools would have to pay fine to the Big 12 for leaving. Big 10 has also made offers to Notre Dame and Rutgers according to the source.
Not sure Missouri and Nebraska can say no to the offer. History says stay with the Big 12/Big 8. Money says run to the Big 10.
Philly fan left shocked, rightfully so?
To tase, or not to tase?
A police officer used a Taser gun to apprehend a 17-year-old fan who ran onto the field during a Phillies game Monday night, and the team and the police are investigating whether it was an appropriate use of force.
It has been common over the years for moronic, drunken, or naked fans and sometimes all three combined to run out on to fields, tennis courts, and golf courses. Naturally, they are escorted off and charged.
We have seen tennis stars stabbed from behind and a first base coach attacked by a father and son. Obviously, a Taser gun was much-needed in those scenario’s.
So the question is to tase, or not to these morons?
I have no problem with the tasing that took place Monday night. In fact, is that the reason why Taser guns were brought on?
Was that 17-year-old kid (I assume they did not know that he was 17 chasing him around) going to hurt someone? Probably not, but it is a safe assumption the officers told him to stop.
In the past in the situations it was a chase and then a dog pile and the criminal is hammered down and held down with force. The Taser has it effects, but I have seen more cuts and bloods in police scuffles then I have with Tasers. I know this because I watch Cops.
To use a Taser gun, police are required to be tased themselves and say it last about five seconds. To my knowledge there is no side effect and I have always seen people walk away as I did Monday night and weekly on Cops after being tased.
Chris Evans Blog 