How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part five talks about reliever Jose Mijares.
Jose Mijares was born October 29, 1984, in Caracas, Venezuela. His schooling records are not listed, and he was undrafted before being signed in 2002 by the Minnesota Twins are the age of 17. In 2004, he made his first appearance in North American baseball, playing with the Gulf Coast League Twins in Fort Myers, Florida at the rookie level. In 2005, he advanced to the Class A Beloit Snappers of Beloit, Wisconsin, in the Midwestern League. He pitched reasonable well here, and earned a little time later in the season with the Fort Myers Miracle back in Fort Myers, Florida. His strong but limited showing here kept him assigned to the Class A Advanced team for 2006 as well, where he posted similar numbers as the year before. In 2007, he split time between the Class AA New Britain Rock Cats of New Britain, Connecticut in the Eastern League, where he continued to be successful, before struggling in an audition with the Class AAA Rochester Red Wings of the International League. The next season, he bounced all around, spending time with the GCL Twins, the Fort Myers Miracle, and the Rock Cats, where he posted strong numbers throughout the year regardless of where he found himself pitching. He also earned a September call-up to the big league Twins, appearing in ten games between September 13th and the end of the season, with much success. Mijares played only a handful of games with Rochester in 2009, before spending most of the season with the Minnesota Twins. Mijares again was successful, pitching to a 2.34 earned run average over 61 and 2/3 innings, while notching 55 strikeouts. Mijares again found himself in Rochester to start the 2010 campaign, but quickly found his way back to Minnesota, although his workload was cut in half in comparison to the previous season, and he had a few more issues statistically. In both 2009 and 2010, Mijares was in the postseason, pitching in five games at an average level. Mijares spent all of 2011 with the Twins as well, earning his roster spot from spring training. His effectiveness slipped in his third full major league season, and his earned run average ran above 4.50 for the first time in the majors. The Twins also failed to make the postseason that year, and on December 12, 2011, he was granted free agency for the first time in his career. Nine days later, Mijares was signed by the Kansas City Royals for the 2012 season. He proved to only need a change of scenery to regain his form from two years previous, posting a 2.56 earned run average with the Royals. However, Kansas City placed him on waivers, and he was claimed by the San Francisco Giants on August 6th, where he made himself an integral part of their bullpen. His statistics with the Giants were nearly identical to those he had in Kansas City, and he easily found his way onto their postseason roster. This looked to be a mistake early on, as Mijares struggled to solve the Cincinnati Reds batters during the National League Division Series. He rebounded largely in the National League Championship against the St. Louis Cardinals, with his struggles now behind him, and he also handed the one out he needed to against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, en route to the 4-0 sweep for the Giants. Mijares has established himself over the last five years as a very valuable arm out of the bullpen, and the Giants were keen to claim him to bolster the bullpen on their way to the championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday Night Football Week 9 2012
We're approaching the middle of the season, and the median week kicks off with the San Diego Chargers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. San Diego started in the first quarter with Philip Rivers passing 14 yards to Antonio Gates for a touchdown, and Nick Novak made the extra point. The Chargers added on in the second quarter as Novak booted a 25 yard field goal. Kansas City answered as Ryan Succop made a 49 yard field goal. The Chiefs got a little closer in the third quarter on a Succop field goal from 41 yards out. San Diego extended the lead in the fourth quarter as Rivers as found Malcom Floyd for 13 yards and a touchdown, and Novak made the PAT. The Chargers got some more when Shaun Phillips recovered a Matt Cassel fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, and Novak supplied another extra point. San Diego's defense came up big again when Demorrio Williams picked off Cassel and took the ball home 59 yards for a touchdown, allowing another Novak extra point. Kansas City got some back as Shaun Draughn ran 6 yards for a touchdown, and Succop was there to make the extra point. This only made it 31-13, a final, with San Diego going to 4-4 and Kansas City falling to 1-7.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 4
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part four details the interesting journey of Guillermo Mota.
Guillermo Mota was born on July 25, 1973, in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He attended Jose Joaquin Perez High School, and at the age of 17, he was signed by the New York Mets to play third base and shortstop. Eddy Toledo was responsible for signing him. He spent another couple of years in his native country before coming to the United States, and he started his professional career here playing rookie ball with the Gulf Coast League Mets in 1993. He transitioned to another rookie level league in 1994, the Appalachian League, where he played for the Kingsport Mets of Kingsport, Tennessee. He also made one appearance with the St. Lucie Mets in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He regressed a bit in 1995, going down to regular Class A to play with the Capital City Bombers of Columbia, South Carolina in the South Atlantic League. He returned to St. Lucie for 1996, but this would be his last year in the Mets organization. It was during the 1996 Rule 5 draft that he was picked up by the Montreal Expos. This is not a too-common occurrence for players of note, but it had a significant impact on his career. Throughout his time with the Mets, his batting average was usually around .240, and he had little power or run-producing abilities. The Expos converted Mota into a starting pitcher, beginning in 1997 with the Cape Fear Crocs of the Class A South Atlantic League. Mota was inconsistent with the Crocs, but was promoted to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League in 1998, where he took on the role of a relief pitcher. He was very effective, and made a transition further up during the season to the Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League. He continued to play well to close out the year. In 1999, he continued his progression and found himself playing for the Ottawa Lynx of the International League at the Class AAA level. His performance here earned him a spot on the big league roster for the Expos, and he was called up to the majors on May 2, 1999. Mota enjoyed success in his first stint with the Expos, including a scoreless inning in his debut. On June 1, he picked up his first major league win, and eight days later, he hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat in the major leagues. He also clinched the winningest month for the Expos by picking up a win on August 29th for their eighteenth win that month. Mota was dominant to begin his time in the big league, but faltered a bit late before recovering to end the year with a respectable 2.93 earned run average over 51 games. Mota failed to hold onto his roster spot for 2000, but was back with the team by May 20, 2000 after a strong stint with the Lynx. He struggled in his twelve appearances, and was sent back to Ottawa, beginning a cycle of shuttling between AAA and the big league team during the season. His major league statistics were not pretty, as he posted a 6.00 earned run average with the Expos, but he was his usual self down with the Lynx, keeping his earned run average in AAA under 2.50. In 2001, Mota started the year with Montreal, and his time during this season was very inconsistent. At times, he looked the part of a star, and at others he was very hittable. He suffered an injury on July 13, 2001, which resulted in his first stint on the disabled list. He could not correct his statistics when he returned in September, and at this point, the Expos decided they had had enough. During spring training in 2002, Mota was traded with outfielder Wilkin Ruan to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Matt Herges and infielder Jorge Nunez. He had more excitement in his spring when he hit Mets catcher Mike Piazza with a pitch, resulting in a minor confrontation and four games of suspension for Mota. Mota began the year with the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League at Class AAA, and he shuttled between Los Angeles and Las Vegas throughout the year. He was an average pitcher in the majors and strong in the minors for the season. He showed progress as he became more settled in with the Dodgers, earning a roster spot in 2003 right out of the gate. The season proved to be a highlight reel for Mota, including turning his first career save in a move that Jim Tracy made to give Dodgers closer Eric Gagne rest. On July 13, he hit his second career home run. His earned run average for the year was a minimal 1.97, the best of his career. Mota continued his run of success in 2004, earning the high-leverage setup role to the closer Gagne, and he excelled here as well, posting a 2.14 earned run average. However, his time with the Dodgers was over on July 30, 2004, as he was traded alongside Juan Encarnacion and Paul Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins, with Hee-seop Choi, Brad Penny (our first Crossing Paths moment of the series, as Penny spent time with the Giants in 2012 as well, also working out the bullpen), and Bill Murphy. South Florida was not as kind to Mota, but he stepped into the closer's role immediately after the trade. He only had one save before moving back to a setup role, and he struggled throughout the rest of the season, especially near the end. He started 2005 as the Marlins' closer, but he was not granted a lot of save chances, and was injured on May 1. He rejoined the team after having spent time with one of his old minor league teams, the Jupiter Hammerheads (who were affiliates of the Expos until 2001, at which time they jumped to the Marlins organization for 2002 through the present day), for injury rehab. He returned to his streaky style, pitching well at times and atrociously at others, and the Marlins shipped him up in a blockbuster deal to the Boston Red Sox on November 24. Also headed to Boston were Mike Lowell, a fan favorite, and Josh Beckett, a young pitcher. In return, the Marlins received Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, eventual superstar Hanley Ramirez, and reliable pitcher Anibal Sanchez. His stay with the Red Sox was so short, it didn't even include playing time, as on January 27, 2006, Mota was on the move again to the Cleveland Indians. Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, and a player to be named later (Kevin Newsom) also made the shift to Cleveland, while Boston received outfielder Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard. The trade was delayed due to Mota failing a physical, but eventually the deal went through. Cleveland looked to be a good place for Mota, where he was very successful early, but eventually faltered and lost the setup role for Bob Wickman to a young reliever named Rafael Betancourt. His struggles continued, and on August 11th, he was designated for assignment. He was traded on August 20th to the New York Mets for his second stay with the organization that drafted him. He pitched well for the Mets, and he also made his first playoff appearances with the National League East champions. He did not have a successful postseason, and neither did the Mets, who were bounced out by the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games (a much-talked about series during this year's playoffs, especially in regards to the National League Championship Series in which the Giants mimicked the Cardinals' 2006 comeback, and then as they followed suit by beating the Detroit Tigers, as did the Cardinals previously as well. Mota's turbulent 2006 was not yet over though, and on November 1, 2006, he was suspended for fifty games for performance-enhancing drug use, the fifteenth player to receive a suspension and the first to lose fifty games. The Mets ignored this misstep and resigned him for two years. The abbreviated 2007 season (which began with a stint in Class AAA New Orleans, playing for the Pacific Coast League Zephyrs) was a typical one for Mota, and he struggled to pitch at a dominant level consistently. On November 20, 2007, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Johnny Estrada. Here, he crossed paths again with Eric Gagne, and Mota's strong start to the season, combined with Gagne's faltering, led to manager Ned Yost calling a short-lived committee. Mota turned one save during this time, but the closer's role was given to Salomon Torres. The demotion negatively affected his play, but he rebounded to an average level in the second half of the season. He saw himself returning to the playoffs, as Milwaukee snapped a 26 year drought from postseason baseball. Mota didn't have a great postseason, appearing in just two games during the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and in the second game, he gave up a home run to Pat Burrell en route to a 6-2 loss for the Brewers. Mota would again move along for the 2009 season, and he found himself in a familiar place. He signed on January 29, 2009 with the Los Angeles Dodgers for his second stint with the Boys in Blue. It didn't start as well as the last time he played in Los Angeles, but he rattled off one of the more impressive runs of his career to balance the numbers out. They didn't stay that way for long, and the streaky Mota appeared to be returning to a typical on again, off again season. He also found himself in another controversy while playing with the Dodgers, after delivering a retaliation pitch to Prince Fielder for Chris Smith's plunking of Manny Ramirez. Fielder attempted to access the Dodgers clubhouse to confront Mota, but the players were held back by teammates, and both players were fined for their actions. He was placed on the disabled list on August 31, and despite returning in time for the playoffs, Mota would not join the Dodgers during their postseason run. For the 2010 season, Mota looked to be without a job before accepting a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training from the San Francisco Giants. He pitched well enough to earn the last spot in the Giants bullpen in 2010, and continued the strong efforts until about mid-June. By August 23, he was back on the disabled list, allowing eventual postseason hero Cody Ross to join the roster. He returned to the team on September 6, and this time he made the postseason roster for the Giants. He appeared in two games during the World Series against the Texas Rangers, and he kept a clean slate to help the Giants defeat the Rangers four games to one. This was his first World Series ring, and although he filed for free agency at the end of the season, he was back with the Giants for 2011 after signing another minor league contract with a spring training invitation. He again earned his way onto the roster, and for the 2011 season, he cut his earned run average down half a run. Mota again filed for free agency at the end of the year, but on December 17, 2011, he signed with the Giants for the 2012 season. His season was cut short drastically, as on May 7, 2012, he was suspended for one hundred games after Clenbuterol was found on a drug test. He was the first of two players for the Giants to be suspended for drug usage in the 2012 season (the other being Melky Cabrera), and also the second player to receive two suspensions for performance-enhancing drug usage. Regardless of that, he returned to the Giants after getting up to speed with the Arizona League Giants and the Fresno Grizzlies, in which he appeared in six games. Mota was again given a spot on the postseason roster, and he appeared in three games during the Giants' run this year, with very unsuccessful numbers. San Francisco was not severely hindered by his poor performance, and they got around the Cincinnati Reds (where he appeared in two games and gave up two runs), the St. Louis Cardinals (where he turned in less than an inning with another two runs surrendered) and the Detroit Tigers (where Mota was not used) to win the 2012 World Series. While Mota didn't have a memorable 2012, and his contributions to the Giants were mostly negative, he did as much as he could to earn his second World Series ring in three years.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Guillermo Mota was born on July 25, 1973, in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He attended Jose Joaquin Perez High School, and at the age of 17, he was signed by the New York Mets to play third base and shortstop. Eddy Toledo was responsible for signing him. He spent another couple of years in his native country before coming to the United States, and he started his professional career here playing rookie ball with the Gulf Coast League Mets in 1993. He transitioned to another rookie level league in 1994, the Appalachian League, where he played for the Kingsport Mets of Kingsport, Tennessee. He also made one appearance with the St. Lucie Mets in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He regressed a bit in 1995, going down to regular Class A to play with the Capital City Bombers of Columbia, South Carolina in the South Atlantic League. He returned to St. Lucie for 1996, but this would be his last year in the Mets organization. It was during the 1996 Rule 5 draft that he was picked up by the Montreal Expos. This is not a too-common occurrence for players of note, but it had a significant impact on his career. Throughout his time with the Mets, his batting average was usually around .240, and he had little power or run-producing abilities. The Expos converted Mota into a starting pitcher, beginning in 1997 with the Cape Fear Crocs of the Class A South Atlantic League. Mota was inconsistent with the Crocs, but was promoted to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League in 1998, where he took on the role of a relief pitcher. He was very effective, and made a transition further up during the season to the Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League. He continued to play well to close out the year. In 1999, he continued his progression and found himself playing for the Ottawa Lynx of the International League at the Class AAA level. His performance here earned him a spot on the big league roster for the Expos, and he was called up to the majors on May 2, 1999. Mota enjoyed success in his first stint with the Expos, including a scoreless inning in his debut. On June 1, he picked up his first major league win, and eight days later, he hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat in the major leagues. He also clinched the winningest month for the Expos by picking up a win on August 29th for their eighteenth win that month. Mota was dominant to begin his time in the big league, but faltered a bit late before recovering to end the year with a respectable 2.93 earned run average over 51 games. Mota failed to hold onto his roster spot for 2000, but was back with the team by May 20, 2000 after a strong stint with the Lynx. He struggled in his twelve appearances, and was sent back to Ottawa, beginning a cycle of shuttling between AAA and the big league team during the season. His major league statistics were not pretty, as he posted a 6.00 earned run average with the Expos, but he was his usual self down with the Lynx, keeping his earned run average in AAA under 2.50. In 2001, Mota started the year with Montreal, and his time during this season was very inconsistent. At times, he looked the part of a star, and at others he was very hittable. He suffered an injury on July 13, 2001, which resulted in his first stint on the disabled list. He could not correct his statistics when he returned in September, and at this point, the Expos decided they had had enough. During spring training in 2002, Mota was traded with outfielder Wilkin Ruan to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Matt Herges and infielder Jorge Nunez. He had more excitement in his spring when he hit Mets catcher Mike Piazza with a pitch, resulting in a minor confrontation and four games of suspension for Mota. Mota began the year with the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League at Class AAA, and he shuttled between Los Angeles and Las Vegas throughout the year. He was an average pitcher in the majors and strong in the minors for the season. He showed progress as he became more settled in with the Dodgers, earning a roster spot in 2003 right out of the gate. The season proved to be a highlight reel for Mota, including turning his first career save in a move that Jim Tracy made to give Dodgers closer Eric Gagne rest. On July 13, he hit his second career home run. His earned run average for the year was a minimal 1.97, the best of his career. Mota continued his run of success in 2004, earning the high-leverage setup role to the closer Gagne, and he excelled here as well, posting a 2.14 earned run average. However, his time with the Dodgers was over on July 30, 2004, as he was traded alongside Juan Encarnacion and Paul Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins, with Hee-seop Choi, Brad Penny (our first Crossing Paths moment of the series, as Penny spent time with the Giants in 2012 as well, also working out the bullpen), and Bill Murphy. South Florida was not as kind to Mota, but he stepped into the closer's role immediately after the trade. He only had one save before moving back to a setup role, and he struggled throughout the rest of the season, especially near the end. He started 2005 as the Marlins' closer, but he was not granted a lot of save chances, and was injured on May 1. He rejoined the team after having spent time with one of his old minor league teams, the Jupiter Hammerheads (who were affiliates of the Expos until 2001, at which time they jumped to the Marlins organization for 2002 through the present day), for injury rehab. He returned to his streaky style, pitching well at times and atrociously at others, and the Marlins shipped him up in a blockbuster deal to the Boston Red Sox on November 24. Also headed to Boston were Mike Lowell, a fan favorite, and Josh Beckett, a young pitcher. In return, the Marlins received Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, eventual superstar Hanley Ramirez, and reliable pitcher Anibal Sanchez. His stay with the Red Sox was so short, it didn't even include playing time, as on January 27, 2006, Mota was on the move again to the Cleveland Indians. Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, and a player to be named later (Kevin Newsom) also made the shift to Cleveland, while Boston received outfielder Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard. The trade was delayed due to Mota failing a physical, but eventually the deal went through. Cleveland looked to be a good place for Mota, where he was very successful early, but eventually faltered and lost the setup role for Bob Wickman to a young reliever named Rafael Betancourt. His struggles continued, and on August 11th, he was designated for assignment. He was traded on August 20th to the New York Mets for his second stay with the organization that drafted him. He pitched well for the Mets, and he also made his first playoff appearances with the National League East champions. He did not have a successful postseason, and neither did the Mets, who were bounced out by the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games (a much-talked about series during this year's playoffs, especially in regards to the National League Championship Series in which the Giants mimicked the Cardinals' 2006 comeback, and then as they followed suit by beating the Detroit Tigers, as did the Cardinals previously as well. Mota's turbulent 2006 was not yet over though, and on November 1, 2006, he was suspended for fifty games for performance-enhancing drug use, the fifteenth player to receive a suspension and the first to lose fifty games. The Mets ignored this misstep and resigned him for two years. The abbreviated 2007 season (which began with a stint in Class AAA New Orleans, playing for the Pacific Coast League Zephyrs) was a typical one for Mota, and he struggled to pitch at a dominant level consistently. On November 20, 2007, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Johnny Estrada. Here, he crossed paths again with Eric Gagne, and Mota's strong start to the season, combined with Gagne's faltering, led to manager Ned Yost calling a short-lived committee. Mota turned one save during this time, but the closer's role was given to Salomon Torres. The demotion negatively affected his play, but he rebounded to an average level in the second half of the season. He saw himself returning to the playoffs, as Milwaukee snapped a 26 year drought from postseason baseball. Mota didn't have a great postseason, appearing in just two games during the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and in the second game, he gave up a home run to Pat Burrell en route to a 6-2 loss for the Brewers. Mota would again move along for the 2009 season, and he found himself in a familiar place. He signed on January 29, 2009 with the Los Angeles Dodgers for his second stint with the Boys in Blue. It didn't start as well as the last time he played in Los Angeles, but he rattled off one of the more impressive runs of his career to balance the numbers out. They didn't stay that way for long, and the streaky Mota appeared to be returning to a typical on again, off again season. He also found himself in another controversy while playing with the Dodgers, after delivering a retaliation pitch to Prince Fielder for Chris Smith's plunking of Manny Ramirez. Fielder attempted to access the Dodgers clubhouse to confront Mota, but the players were held back by teammates, and both players were fined for their actions. He was placed on the disabled list on August 31, and despite returning in time for the playoffs, Mota would not join the Dodgers during their postseason run. For the 2010 season, Mota looked to be without a job before accepting a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training from the San Francisco Giants. He pitched well enough to earn the last spot in the Giants bullpen in 2010, and continued the strong efforts until about mid-June. By August 23, he was back on the disabled list, allowing eventual postseason hero Cody Ross to join the roster. He returned to the team on September 6, and this time he made the postseason roster for the Giants. He appeared in two games during the World Series against the Texas Rangers, and he kept a clean slate to help the Giants defeat the Rangers four games to one. This was his first World Series ring, and although he filed for free agency at the end of the season, he was back with the Giants for 2011 after signing another minor league contract with a spring training invitation. He again earned his way onto the roster, and for the 2011 season, he cut his earned run average down half a run. Mota again filed for free agency at the end of the year, but on December 17, 2011, he signed with the Giants for the 2012 season. His season was cut short drastically, as on May 7, 2012, he was suspended for one hundred games after Clenbuterol was found on a drug test. He was the first of two players for the Giants to be suspended for drug usage in the 2012 season (the other being Melky Cabrera), and also the second player to receive two suspensions for performance-enhancing drug usage. Regardless of that, he returned to the Giants after getting up to speed with the Arizona League Giants and the Fresno Grizzlies, in which he appeared in six games. Mota was again given a spot on the postseason roster, and he appeared in three games during the Giants' run this year, with very unsuccessful numbers. San Francisco was not severely hindered by his poor performance, and they got around the Cincinnati Reds (where he appeared in two games and gave up two runs), the St. Louis Cardinals (where he turned in less than an inning with another two runs surrendered) and the Detroit Tigers (where Mota was not used) to win the 2012 World Series. While Mota didn't have a memorable 2012, and his contributions to the Giants were mostly negative, he did as much as he could to earn his second World Series ring in three years.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
KHL November 1st 2012
As promised, I will begin blogging KHL games to make up for the lack of hockey being played in North America. Just a quick word to my Eastern European readers: I do not speak Russian, nor can I type in Cyrillic, so these English-language recaps are as good as it gets from me. Also, these are unofficial recaps, as stated on the KHL website in regards to the live reports. Additionally, the KHL goes on a break from November 5-13, so I will be off duty for those days for hockey as well. To the North American readers, this is far different from the hockey you're used to. The distribution of games is feast or famine; by that I mean there is either one game on (like today) or ten or eleven (like tomorrow). Some days it'll take me longer, other days this will be a short post. Without further adieu, I bring to you...
Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Lev Praha. Tending the twines (my, it's been awhile since I typed that) we have Jakub Stepanek for Lev and Jeff Glass for Sibir. Sibir got going in the first period on a power play goal by Maxim Krivonozhkin, powered by Alexander Nikulin. Lev tied the game on a Jakub Klepis goal, also on the power play, coming off of Ondrej Nemec and (Boston Bruins captain) Zdeno Chara. Sibir pulled back ahead in the second period with another power play goal, this time off the tape of Nikita Zaitsev, assisted by Andrei Nikitenko. Lev tied it again in the third period when former NHLer Marcel Hossa scored, and Tomas Surovy and Martin Skoula (another familiar name) picked up the assists. Sibir reclaimed the lead after Juraj Mikus hooked Artyom Voroshilo on a breakaway, and Voroshilo responded by converting his penalty shot. Sibir extended the lead with an unassisted Jonas Enlund goal. Sibir added on as Alexei Kopeikin potted the puck, and the lone assist went to Nikulin. Lev tried a late rally, as Klepis scored his second of the game, with a helper chipped in by Petr Vrana, but they got no closer and lost 5-3. Glass picked up the win and Stepanek suffered the loss. Now, for the North Americans, this is where the three stars would be presented, but since this is not tradition in the KHL (at least not to be listed in the box score), I'll make them up myself. Klepis gets the first star, Nikulin earned the second star, and Voroshilo takes in the third star.
I'll be back tomorrow with a large slate of games, so keep an eye out, and as always, follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Lev Praha. Tending the twines (my, it's been awhile since I typed that) we have Jakub Stepanek for Lev and Jeff Glass for Sibir. Sibir got going in the first period on a power play goal by Maxim Krivonozhkin, powered by Alexander Nikulin. Lev tied the game on a Jakub Klepis goal, also on the power play, coming off of Ondrej Nemec and (Boston Bruins captain) Zdeno Chara. Sibir pulled back ahead in the second period with another power play goal, this time off the tape of Nikita Zaitsev, assisted by Andrei Nikitenko. Lev tied it again in the third period when former NHLer Marcel Hossa scored, and Tomas Surovy and Martin Skoula (another familiar name) picked up the assists. Sibir reclaimed the lead after Juraj Mikus hooked Artyom Voroshilo on a breakaway, and Voroshilo responded by converting his penalty shot. Sibir extended the lead with an unassisted Jonas Enlund goal. Sibir added on as Alexei Kopeikin potted the puck, and the lone assist went to Nikulin. Lev tried a late rally, as Klepis scored his second of the game, with a helper chipped in by Petr Vrana, but they got no closer and lost 5-3. Glass picked up the win and Stepanek suffered the loss. Now, for the North Americans, this is where the three stars would be presented, but since this is not tradition in the KHL (at least not to be listed in the box score), I'll make them up myself. Klepis gets the first star, Nikulin earned the second star, and Voroshilo takes in the third star.
I'll be back tomorrow with a large slate of games, so keep an eye out, and as always, follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 3
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part three tells us the story of the Giants' number three catcher, Eli Whiteside.
Dustin Eli Whiteside was born on October 22, 1979, in New Albany, Mississippi. He attended high school in the same city at W.P. Daniel High School, and then furthered his education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. At the end of his college years, he was a sixth round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2001 draft. From 2001 to 2007, he played for various teams in the Orioles' farm system. His first team was the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League. In 2002, Whiteside spent most of his time with the Class A Advanced Frederick Keys of Frederick, Maryland and also made a jump up to Class AA, where he played with the Bowie Baysox of Bowie, Maryland. An injury in the 2003 season cost hm some time with the Eastern League Baysox, and he made brief appearances in Sarasota, Florida with the Gulf Coast League Orioles at the Rookie level, and also with the Aberdeen IronBirds in the New York-Pennsylvania League, a touch below the Class A level. He continued to play with Bowie in the 2004 season, and throughout his first few years, he proved to be a marginal hitter with an average hovering between .250 and .260, while also averaging nine home runs and forty-two runs batted in per season. Whiteside's defense also wasn't spectacular, but he served his teams reasonably well at the catcher position. For 2005 and 2006, Whiteside spent his time in the Class AAA International League with the Ottawa Lynx in Ottawa, Ontario, and in the 2005 season, he appeared in nine games with the major league Orioles squad. His production at this level dipped a bit, and he found himself spending a lot of the 2007 season back with the Baysox, where he played much better. This earned him another chance, although in 2007, the Orioles switched their AAA affiliation to the Norfolk Tides in Norfolk, Virginia. In his limited time here, he struggled, and the Orioles let him walk at the end of the year. He was signed by the Minnesota Twins, but only appeared in eight games with their AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings of Rochester, New York, before being released. He was discovered in very little time by the San Francisco Giants, and the rest of the 2008 season saw him play with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Pacific Coast League. He again played for the Grizzlies in 2009, but from late May onward, he was up with the Giants in a back-up catcher role. His numbers were not impressive at the major league level, but he stayed with the Giants in 2010 and 2011 as well, playing as back-up to Buster Posey in 2010 and was along for the ride as the Giants won the World Series in 2010 before taking on a larger role after Posey's gruesome leg injury in 2011. He struggled to excel in this larger role, watching his average fall below the Mendoza line by the end of the 2011 campaign. In 2012, he shuttled back and forth between Fresno and San Francisco, struggling mightily in both places. His particularly weak numbers at the major league level prompted the Giants to name Hector Sanchez as Posey's back-up, and it was only an injury to Sanchez that allowed him to stick on the roster in July, and then he was called back to the majors as rosters expanded in September. While his contributions to the 2012 Giants were few and far between, Whiteside can take comfort in knowing that his team was able to win the World Series.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Dustin Eli Whiteside was born on October 22, 1979, in New Albany, Mississippi. He attended high school in the same city at W.P. Daniel High School, and then furthered his education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. At the end of his college years, he was a sixth round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2001 draft. From 2001 to 2007, he played for various teams in the Orioles' farm system. His first team was the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League. In 2002, Whiteside spent most of his time with the Class A Advanced Frederick Keys of Frederick, Maryland and also made a jump up to Class AA, where he played with the Bowie Baysox of Bowie, Maryland. An injury in the 2003 season cost hm some time with the Eastern League Baysox, and he made brief appearances in Sarasota, Florida with the Gulf Coast League Orioles at the Rookie level, and also with the Aberdeen IronBirds in the New York-Pennsylvania League, a touch below the Class A level. He continued to play with Bowie in the 2004 season, and throughout his first few years, he proved to be a marginal hitter with an average hovering between .250 and .260, while also averaging nine home runs and forty-two runs batted in per season. Whiteside's defense also wasn't spectacular, but he served his teams reasonably well at the catcher position. For 2005 and 2006, Whiteside spent his time in the Class AAA International League with the Ottawa Lynx in Ottawa, Ontario, and in the 2005 season, he appeared in nine games with the major league Orioles squad. His production at this level dipped a bit, and he found himself spending a lot of the 2007 season back with the Baysox, where he played much better. This earned him another chance, although in 2007, the Orioles switched their AAA affiliation to the Norfolk Tides in Norfolk, Virginia. In his limited time here, he struggled, and the Orioles let him walk at the end of the year. He was signed by the Minnesota Twins, but only appeared in eight games with their AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings of Rochester, New York, before being released. He was discovered in very little time by the San Francisco Giants, and the rest of the 2008 season saw him play with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Pacific Coast League. He again played for the Grizzlies in 2009, but from late May onward, he was up with the Giants in a back-up catcher role. His numbers were not impressive at the major league level, but he stayed with the Giants in 2010 and 2011 as well, playing as back-up to Buster Posey in 2010 and was along for the ride as the Giants won the World Series in 2010 before taking on a larger role after Posey's gruesome leg injury in 2011. He struggled to excel in this larger role, watching his average fall below the Mendoza line by the end of the 2011 campaign. In 2012, he shuttled back and forth between Fresno and San Francisco, struggling mightily in both places. His particularly weak numbers at the major league level prompted the Giants to name Hector Sanchez as Posey's back-up, and it was only an injury to Sanchez that allowed him to stick on the roster in July, and then he was called back to the majors as rosters expanded in September. While his contributions to the 2012 Giants were few and far between, Whiteside can take comfort in knowing that his team was able to win the World Series.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 2
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part two tells us Shane Loux's journey to the World Series title.
Shane Loux was born on August 31, 1979 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He was drafted in 1997 by the Detroit Tigers at the age of 17, and reported to the Gulf Coast League Tigers of Lakeland, Florida to play rookie ball. He then spent all of the 1998 season and part of the 1999 campaign with the West Michigan Whitecaps of Grand Rapids, Michigan in the Midwest League. Midseason, he transferred to the Lakeland Tigers, in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He continued with Lakeland into the 2000 season before stepping up to the Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League at the Class AA level. Throughout his time at the lower levels of the Tigers' minor league system, Loux proved to be a decidedly average pitcher, and certainly wasn't living up the second round expectations he was carrying. His time in Jacksonville was short and mildly successful, as his 3.82 earned runs average at this level, along with 130 strikeouts in 157 and 2/3 innings pitched, earned him a step up to Class AAA baseball. He pitched from 2001 to 2004 at the Tigers' AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. He also appeared in 2002 for three games and in 2003 for eleven games with the major league Tigers squad, but his time here was not impressive, with an earned run average of 7.71 for those fourteen appearances. Loux was granted free agency at the end of the 2004 season. He struggled to work his way back, and the Kansas City Royals signed him to their AAA affiliate, the Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League, in 2005. He was granted free agency by the Royals in 2006, and signed on with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007, where he played with the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in part of the 2008 season. He was called up to the majors by the Angels in 2008, where he appeared in seven games with the Angels and was granted reasonable success. His time with the Angels in 2009 did not go as well, and he was split between pitching in the rotation and the bullpen. Loux also suffered an injury in 2009, which caused him to split time with the Bees and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Class A Advanced California League. His major league statistics with the Angels showed improvement from his days with the Tigers, as he shaved about two runs off of his earned run average. It wasn't enough for the Angels, and at the end of the 2009 season, they again set him into free agency, but his layoff was much shorter, as the Houston Astros signed him to the Round Rock Express, also in the Pacific Coast League. Loux played with them through 2010, but was again sent to free agency, where the San Francisco Giants signed him into their organization. He played 2011 with the Fresno Grizzlies for his ninth full season in eleven years at the AAA level. Over this time, he was a slightly under-average pitcher, and including his time in 2012 with the Grizzlies, he turned in a 4.66 earned run average over 1106 and 2/3 innings with 584 strikeouts in AAA. In 2012, he had some time with Fresno, as well as an injury rehabilitation assignment with the Arizona League Giants. He also earned his way onto the Giants roster for parts of the year, where he shuttled back and forth between Fresno and San Francisco. Throughout his various stints, he worked from the bullpen, where he posted an earned run average just under 5.00. He ended the season on the major league roster, and stayed on the forty-man roster until the end of Melky Cabrera's drug suspension. At this time, he was sent back to Fresno, where he watched the team he contributed to marginally march their way to the World Series Championship. While he may not get a ring, he was a noticeable veteran presence for the Giants this year.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Shane Loux was born on August 31, 1979 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He was drafted in 1997 by the Detroit Tigers at the age of 17, and reported to the Gulf Coast League Tigers of Lakeland, Florida to play rookie ball. He then spent all of the 1998 season and part of the 1999 campaign with the West Michigan Whitecaps of Grand Rapids, Michigan in the Midwest League. Midseason, he transferred to the Lakeland Tigers, in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He continued with Lakeland into the 2000 season before stepping up to the Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League at the Class AA level. Throughout his time at the lower levels of the Tigers' minor league system, Loux proved to be a decidedly average pitcher, and certainly wasn't living up the second round expectations he was carrying. His time in Jacksonville was short and mildly successful, as his 3.82 earned runs average at this level, along with 130 strikeouts in 157 and 2/3 innings pitched, earned him a step up to Class AAA baseball. He pitched from 2001 to 2004 at the Tigers' AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. He also appeared in 2002 for three games and in 2003 for eleven games with the major league Tigers squad, but his time here was not impressive, with an earned run average of 7.71 for those fourteen appearances. Loux was granted free agency at the end of the 2004 season. He struggled to work his way back, and the Kansas City Royals signed him to their AAA affiliate, the Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League, in 2005. He was granted free agency by the Royals in 2006, and signed on with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007, where he played with the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in part of the 2008 season. He was called up to the majors by the Angels in 2008, where he appeared in seven games with the Angels and was granted reasonable success. His time with the Angels in 2009 did not go as well, and he was split between pitching in the rotation and the bullpen. Loux also suffered an injury in 2009, which caused him to split time with the Bees and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Class A Advanced California League. His major league statistics with the Angels showed improvement from his days with the Tigers, as he shaved about two runs off of his earned run average. It wasn't enough for the Angels, and at the end of the 2009 season, they again set him into free agency, but his layoff was much shorter, as the Houston Astros signed him to the Round Rock Express, also in the Pacific Coast League. Loux played with them through 2010, but was again sent to free agency, where the San Francisco Giants signed him into their organization. He played 2011 with the Fresno Grizzlies for his ninth full season in eleven years at the AAA level. Over this time, he was a slightly under-average pitcher, and including his time in 2012 with the Grizzlies, he turned in a 4.66 earned run average over 1106 and 2/3 innings with 584 strikeouts in AAA. In 2012, he had some time with Fresno, as well as an injury rehabilitation assignment with the Arizona League Giants. He also earned his way onto the Giants roster for parts of the year, where he shuttled back and forth between Fresno and San Francisco. Throughout his various stints, he worked from the bullpen, where he posted an earned run average just under 5.00. He ended the season on the major league roster, and stayed on the forty-man roster until the end of Melky Cabrera's drug suspension. At this time, he was sent back to Fresno, where he watched the team he contributed to marginally march their way to the World Series Championship. While he may not get a ring, he was a noticeable veteran presence for the Giants this year.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Fantasy Football All-Stars Week 8
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady
Running Backs: Doug Martin and Willis McGehee
Wide Receivers: Titus Young, Michael Crabtree, and Demaryius Thomas
Tight End: Rob Gronkowski
Kicker: Lawrence Tynes
Team Defense: San Francisco and New York Giants
Defensive Players: Tim Jennings, Wesley Woodyard, and Jason Pierre-Paul
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Running Backs: Doug Martin and Willis McGehee
Wide Receivers: Titus Young, Michael Crabtree, and Demaryius Thomas
Tight End: Rob Gronkowski
Kicker: Lawrence Tynes
Team Defense: San Francisco and New York Giants
Defensive Players: Tim Jennings, Wesley Woodyard, and Jason Pierre-Paul
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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