One game highlights the action for today, and that is Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia hosting their Bobrov Division rivals, Lev Praha of the Czech Republic. Tomas Popperle is in net for Lev while Jaroslav Janus is between the pipes for Slovan. Slovan started the scoring in the first period on a goal by Roman Kukumberg, assisted by Milan Kytnar and Jan Tabacek. Slovan extended the lead in the second period with a Michal Vondrka goal, made possible by Ivan Svarny. Lev got on the board in the third period with a Jakub Voracek goal, set up by Zdeno Chara. They failed to get the equalizer, falling 2-1, with the three stars going to Vondrka, Janus (32 for 33 in saves), and Popperle (28 for 30 in saves) in the Slovan win.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 6
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 six details the career of outfielder Xavier Nady.
Xavier Nady VI was born on November 14, 1978 in Carmel, California. He was originally drafted out of high school after being named Northern California Player of the year, but the fourth-round selection elected not to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nady was drafted again in 2000 by the San Diego Padres in the second round, and became the eighteenth player to begin their professional career in the major leagues instead of the minors. He made his debut on September 30, 2000, and got a hit in his only at-bat. Nady then went to the minors for the 2001 season, playing with the Lake Elsinore Storm in Lake Elsinore, California at the Class A Advanced level in the California League. He hit over .300 for the year, while also hitting twenty-six home runs and producing one hundred runs batted in. He was the Padres' minor league player of the year, MVP of the California League, and Rookie of the Year for that season. Nady suffered an arm injury in 2002 that cut his season short, requiring him to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. The time he was playing, he turned in respectable season with Lake Elsinore and also spent some time at Class AAA Portland, playing with the Beavers in the Pacific Coast League. He continued to post strong numbers in both leagues, although not as strong as those he had in 2001. Nady spent significant time in 2003 playing for the Padres in the majors, although for late July and all of August, he was back with Portland. He hit .267 with nine home runs and thirty-nine runs batted in during his time in the majors, and he had similar statistics with the Beavers as well. In 2004, Nady started the year in Portland before receiving an early June call-up to the Padres. He spent the next two months there before returning to Portland, and then he played out September with San Diego. While hitting .330 in Portland, Nady struggled to match that production at the major league level. He played the full season in San Diego for 2005, ending with a .261 batting average, thirteen home runs, and forty-three runs batted in. This wasn't enough to keep the Padres interested, and he was traded on November 18, 2005 to the New York Mets in exchange for fellow outfielder Mike Cameron. He played part of the 2006 season with the Mets, posting similar numbers as he had for the Padres as well as a small injury rehabilitation assignment with the Class AAA Norfolk Tides of Norfolk, in the International League, before being shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez, as the Mets were desperate for pitching depth. Nady closed out strong for the Pirates, and also pumped out a .278 average with twenty home runs and seventy-two runs batted in for the 2007 season. The 2008 season was kinder to Nady, where he posted a .330 average, thirteen home runs, and fifty-seven runs batted in for the Pirates, who decided to sell high with him and shipped him and Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees on July 26, 2008 for outfielder Jose Tabata, relievers Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen, and starter Jeff Karstens. He closed out the year with the Yankees on a decreased batting average, but similar home run and runs batted in totals that he had for the first half of the year with Pittsburgh. Nady's 2009 campaign with New York was cut short by a second elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery, and he also had a brief rehabilitation period with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Yankees in the Class AAA International League. He did get lucky though, as he was credited with the Yankees for their 2009 World Series championship. Nady rebounded with the Chicago Cubs in 2010 on a one-year deal that saw him produce diminished numbers across the board. His next stop came in 2011 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and his statistics dipped farther, with only a .248 average, four home runs, and thirty-five runs batted in, along with a benching in early August that lasted throughout the year. Arizona didn't bring him back for 2012, but he got a shot with the Washington Nationals. He started the year with them but was relegated mostly to the bench after the Bryce Harper call-up, as well as when Michael Morse and Jayson Werth made their returns from injuries. He appeared with the Potomac Nationals in Woodbridge, Virginia in the Class A Advanced Carolina League, where his numbers turned abysmal. He was released on July 29, 2012, and the San Francisco Giants signed him on August 5th. He began his time in the Giants organization back in the Pacific Coast League, playing with the Fresno Grizzlies, but was among the September call-ups, and also made the postseason roster. He didn't get a hit while appearing in four games in the National League Division Series, but his presence on the roster earned him the title of World Series Champion for the second time. Currently a free agent, Nady aims to continue his resurgence in the years ahead.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Xavier Nady VI was born on November 14, 1978 in Carmel, California. He was originally drafted out of high school after being named Northern California Player of the year, but the fourth-round selection elected not to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nady was drafted again in 2000 by the San Diego Padres in the second round, and became the eighteenth player to begin their professional career in the major leagues instead of the minors. He made his debut on September 30, 2000, and got a hit in his only at-bat. Nady then went to the minors for the 2001 season, playing with the Lake Elsinore Storm in Lake Elsinore, California at the Class A Advanced level in the California League. He hit over .300 for the year, while also hitting twenty-six home runs and producing one hundred runs batted in. He was the Padres' minor league player of the year, MVP of the California League, and Rookie of the Year for that season. Nady suffered an arm injury in 2002 that cut his season short, requiring him to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. The time he was playing, he turned in respectable season with Lake Elsinore and also spent some time at Class AAA Portland, playing with the Beavers in the Pacific Coast League. He continued to post strong numbers in both leagues, although not as strong as those he had in 2001. Nady spent significant time in 2003 playing for the Padres in the majors, although for late July and all of August, he was back with Portland. He hit .267 with nine home runs and thirty-nine runs batted in during his time in the majors, and he had similar statistics with the Beavers as well. In 2004, Nady started the year in Portland before receiving an early June call-up to the Padres. He spent the next two months there before returning to Portland, and then he played out September with San Diego. While hitting .330 in Portland, Nady struggled to match that production at the major league level. He played the full season in San Diego for 2005, ending with a .261 batting average, thirteen home runs, and forty-three runs batted in. This wasn't enough to keep the Padres interested, and he was traded on November 18, 2005 to the New York Mets in exchange for fellow outfielder Mike Cameron. He played part of the 2006 season with the Mets, posting similar numbers as he had for the Padres as well as a small injury rehabilitation assignment with the Class AAA Norfolk Tides of Norfolk, in the International League, before being shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez, as the Mets were desperate for pitching depth. Nady closed out strong for the Pirates, and also pumped out a .278 average with twenty home runs and seventy-two runs batted in for the 2007 season. The 2008 season was kinder to Nady, where he posted a .330 average, thirteen home runs, and fifty-seven runs batted in for the Pirates, who decided to sell high with him and shipped him and Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees on July 26, 2008 for outfielder Jose Tabata, relievers Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen, and starter Jeff Karstens. He closed out the year with the Yankees on a decreased batting average, but similar home run and runs batted in totals that he had for the first half of the year with Pittsburgh. Nady's 2009 campaign with New York was cut short by a second elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery, and he also had a brief rehabilitation period with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Yankees in the Class AAA International League. He did get lucky though, as he was credited with the Yankees for their 2009 World Series championship. Nady rebounded with the Chicago Cubs in 2010 on a one-year deal that saw him produce diminished numbers across the board. His next stop came in 2011 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and his statistics dipped farther, with only a .248 average, four home runs, and thirty-five runs batted in, along with a benching in early August that lasted throughout the year. Arizona didn't bring him back for 2012, but he got a shot with the Washington Nationals. He started the year with them but was relegated mostly to the bench after the Bryce Harper call-up, as well as when Michael Morse and Jayson Werth made their returns from injuries. He appeared with the Potomac Nationals in Woodbridge, Virginia in the Class A Advanced Carolina League, where his numbers turned abysmal. He was released on July 29, 2012, and the San Francisco Giants signed him on August 5th. He began his time in the Giants organization back in the Pacific Coast League, playing with the Fresno Grizzlies, but was among the September call-ups, and also made the postseason roster. He didn't get a hit while appearing in four games in the National League Division Series, but his presence on the roster earned him the title of World Series Champion for the second time. Currently a free agent, Nady aims to continue his resurgence in the years ahead.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Friday, November 2, 2012
KHL November 2nd 2012
Nine games on as we approach the KHL break for November. First up...
Avangard Omsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis for Yugra and Eduard Reizvikh for Avangard are given the starting nods to play goal. The scoring started late in the third period as Dmitry Syomin scored with the help of Alexander Frolov and Sergei Kostitsyn. Avangard iced the game at 2-0 when Alexander Popov scored an empty net goal, and Kostitsyn and Frolov again recorded the assists. The three stars go to Reizvikh (23 save shutout), Kostitsyn, and Frolov.
West to Chekhov, as Vityaz Chekhov hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The goalies are Georgy Gelashvili for Metallurg and Ivan Kasutin for Vityaz. Vityaz opened the scoring in the second period on a goal by Anton Korolyov, with a lone assist from Pavel Chernov. Metallurg quickly tied the game with a Dmitry Kazionov goal, helped along by Mats Zuccarello. Metallurg gained the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Viktor Antipin, powered by a pair of Sergeis, Mozyakin and Gonchar. Metallurg extended the lead as Evgeny Malkin scored a power play goal, assisted by with the only helper tallied by Mozyakin. Metallurg struck again when Mozyakin scored, with Gonchar recording the assist. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Mozyakin, Gonchar, and Antipin.
A touch to the north, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vadim Tarasov Salavat Yulaev and Curtis Sanford for Lokomotiv are in between the pipes. Salavat Yulaev began with a first period goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, courtesy of Igor Milnov and Antti Pihlstrom. Lokomotiv tied it on a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, and Alexander Chernikov had the only assist. Lokomotiv retook the lead in the second period when Emil Galimov put the puck away, with the help of Artyom Anisimov. Salavat Yulaev pulled even again in the third period as Tomas Rolinek netted the puck, thanks to Sergei Zinovyev. Lokomotiv regained the lead on an Anisimov goal, assisted by Galimov. Salavat Yulaev shot back as Rolinek scored another equalizer, passed from Denis Khlystov and Zinovyev. The game required a shootout to determine the winner, and it was Lokomotiv who came out on top with goals from Galimov and Viktor Kozlov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Galimov, Anisimov, and Rolinek.
Across the lake, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Andrei Mezin for Traktor and Vasily Koshechkin for Severstal are in the blue paint. Ignat Zemchenko got Severstal started early in the first period with a goal, passed from Nikolai Kazakovtsev and Alexei Medvedev. Traktor tied it in the second period with a goal off the tape of Dmitry Ryabykin, coming from Petri Kontiola and Andrei Kostitsyn. Traktor gained the lead with a goal by Stanislav Chistov, with helpers provided by Deron Quint and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the power play. Traktor added on in the third period with an unassisted Chistov power play goal, producing the 3-1 final score. The three stars belong to Chistov, Mezin (38 for 39 in saves), and Ryabykin.
To the southwest, we head to Belarus, as Dinamo Minsk bring in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Avtomobilist plays Christopher Holt in goal, while Pekka Rinne does the same for Dinamo. Dinamo wasted no time in scoring first with a first period goal by Charles Linglet, with a lone assist from Andrei Stas. Avtomobilist tied the game when Denis Sokolov scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Simakov and Stanislav Zhmakin. Simakov put Avtomobilist ahead when he potted the puck, with assists coming from Rastislav Spirko and Josef Straka. Nikolai Pronin extended the Avtomobilist lead later in the period, scoring with assistance provided by Alexei Zavarukhin. Dinamo got one back in the second period as Zbynek Irgl found the back of the twine, and Cory Murphy and Stas were credited with the assists. Dinamo pulled even again as Teemu Laine scored an unassisted goal. The third period went by silently, but overtime was a different story, as Irgl completed the Dinamo comeback with a goal, and the only helper belonged to Linglet. The final stood at 4-3, with Irgl, Simakov, and Linglet earning the three stars.
Way to the east, Amur Khabarovsk hosts CSKA Moscow. Ilya Bryzgalov and Alexei Murygin receive the starts. CSKA found themselves ahead early with an unassisted Pavel Datsyuk goal in the first period. Alexei Marchenko added on for CSKA with a goal, assisted by Datsyuk and Mikhail Grabovsky. Amur got on the board as Bryzgalov was called for throwing the stick, resulting in a penalty shot, which brought on Ilya Proskuryakov to man the net, but it was no good as Dmitry Tarasov converted the opportunity, and Bryzgalov came back into the game. CSKA answered in the second period with Igor Radulov scoring, with the help of Alexander Radulov and Evgeny Ryasensky. CSKA padded the lead with a power play goal by Patrick Davis, powered by Yakov Rylov and Ryasensky. Amur shot back on another Tarasov goal, this time a power play tally made possible by Mikhail Fisenko and Igor Ozhiganov. CSKA replied when Denis Denisov potted the puck, guided in by Grabovsky. CSKA got another with Rylov scoring, via Alexander Radulov and Igor Radulov. The third period saw no scoring, leaving the final at 6-2 for CSKA and giving the three stars to Datsyuk, Igor Radulov, and Tarasov, while honorable mentions belong to Alexander Radulov, Rylov, Grabovsky, and Ryasensky.
Back west quite a bit, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin of Ak Bars and Nikita Bespalov of Torpedo tend the twines. Ak Bars got going in the first period on a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Konstantin Korneyev and Niko Kapanen. Ak Bars struck again in the second period with Evgeny Skachkov's goal, with a lone assist provided by Kirill Petrov. Ak Bars padded the lead in the third period on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, made possible by Janne Lahti and Denis Golubev. Ak Bars extended the lead as Zaripov scored again, helped along by Kapanen. This ended the scoring at 4-0, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Barulin (28 save shutout), and Kapanen.
To the south, HC Donbass of Donetsk, Ukraine hosts SKA Saint Petersburg. Sergei Bobrovsky of SKA and Erik Ersberg of Donbass are the masked men. SKA was first to score in the first period as Igor Makarov potted the puck, with help from Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Kucheryavenko. SKA added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, passed from Kevin Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. SKA kept going with a Dallman power play goal, set up by Tarasenko and Kovalchuk. SKA extended the lead in the second period as Kucheryavenko scored a power play goal, powered by Makarov. Donbass got one back as Sergei Varlamov scored, guided in by Denis Kochetkov and Evgeny Belukhin. Belukhin pulled Donbass closer later in the period with a goal fueled by Varlamov. SKA shot back in the third period as Gleb Klimenko found the back of the net, and Makarov had the lone assist. SKA kept going with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Tarasenko and Kalinin. SKA padded the lead as Kucheryavenko scored, with the assists doled out to Klimenko and Makarov, the latter getting what I call a sock trick (three assists). Makarov continued his strong night for SKA by scoring his second goal of the game, helped along by Kucheryavenko and Klimenko. SKA iced the scoring at 9-2 with a Tony Martensson goal, coming off of Patrick Thoresen and Dallman. The three stars go to Makarov, Kucheryakov, and Tarasenko, while the honorable mentions include Kovalchuk, Dallman, Kalinin, Belukhin, Varlamov, and Klimenko.
Finally, Spartak Moscow hosts their cross-city rivals, Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Sergei Borisov for Spartak are manning the creases. Dynamo began with a first period goal by Maxim Solovyov, fueled by Marek Kvapil on the power play. Moscow added on when Richard Gynge scored a power play goal, powered by Solovyov. Dynamo extended the lead with another power play goal, this time by Janne Jalasvaara, with helpers provided by Kvapil and Solovyov. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period on a Denis Barantsev goal, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. Spartak finally got on the board as Branko Ravidojevic netted the puck with assistance from Nikita Shchitov. Dynamo responded with Konstantin Kasyanchuk's goal, guided in by Sergei Soin and Yury Babenko. Spartak tried a third period rally with Eduard Lewandowski scoring, via Mikhail Yunkov and Radivojevic, but it wasn't enough to avoid the 5-2 defeat. The three stars went to Solovyov, Kvapil, and Radivojevic.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Avangard Omsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis for Yugra and Eduard Reizvikh for Avangard are given the starting nods to play goal. The scoring started late in the third period as Dmitry Syomin scored with the help of Alexander Frolov and Sergei Kostitsyn. Avangard iced the game at 2-0 when Alexander Popov scored an empty net goal, and Kostitsyn and Frolov again recorded the assists. The three stars go to Reizvikh (23 save shutout), Kostitsyn, and Frolov.
West to Chekhov, as Vityaz Chekhov hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The goalies are Georgy Gelashvili for Metallurg and Ivan Kasutin for Vityaz. Vityaz opened the scoring in the second period on a goal by Anton Korolyov, with a lone assist from Pavel Chernov. Metallurg quickly tied the game with a Dmitry Kazionov goal, helped along by Mats Zuccarello. Metallurg gained the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Viktor Antipin, powered by a pair of Sergeis, Mozyakin and Gonchar. Metallurg extended the lead as Evgeny Malkin scored a power play goal, assisted by with the only helper tallied by Mozyakin. Metallurg struck again when Mozyakin scored, with Gonchar recording the assist. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Mozyakin, Gonchar, and Antipin.
A touch to the north, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vadim Tarasov Salavat Yulaev and Curtis Sanford for Lokomotiv are in between the pipes. Salavat Yulaev began with a first period goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, courtesy of Igor Milnov and Antti Pihlstrom. Lokomotiv tied it on a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, and Alexander Chernikov had the only assist. Lokomotiv retook the lead in the second period when Emil Galimov put the puck away, with the help of Artyom Anisimov. Salavat Yulaev pulled even again in the third period as Tomas Rolinek netted the puck, thanks to Sergei Zinovyev. Lokomotiv regained the lead on an Anisimov goal, assisted by Galimov. Salavat Yulaev shot back as Rolinek scored another equalizer, passed from Denis Khlystov and Zinovyev. The game required a shootout to determine the winner, and it was Lokomotiv who came out on top with goals from Galimov and Viktor Kozlov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Galimov, Anisimov, and Rolinek.
Across the lake, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Andrei Mezin for Traktor and Vasily Koshechkin for Severstal are in the blue paint. Ignat Zemchenko got Severstal started early in the first period with a goal, passed from Nikolai Kazakovtsev and Alexei Medvedev. Traktor tied it in the second period with a goal off the tape of Dmitry Ryabykin, coming from Petri Kontiola and Andrei Kostitsyn. Traktor gained the lead with a goal by Stanislav Chistov, with helpers provided by Deron Quint and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the power play. Traktor added on in the third period with an unassisted Chistov power play goal, producing the 3-1 final score. The three stars belong to Chistov, Mezin (38 for 39 in saves), and Ryabykin.
To the southwest, we head to Belarus, as Dinamo Minsk bring in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Avtomobilist plays Christopher Holt in goal, while Pekka Rinne does the same for Dinamo. Dinamo wasted no time in scoring first with a first period goal by Charles Linglet, with a lone assist from Andrei Stas. Avtomobilist tied the game when Denis Sokolov scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Simakov and Stanislav Zhmakin. Simakov put Avtomobilist ahead when he potted the puck, with assists coming from Rastislav Spirko and Josef Straka. Nikolai Pronin extended the Avtomobilist lead later in the period, scoring with assistance provided by Alexei Zavarukhin. Dinamo got one back in the second period as Zbynek Irgl found the back of the twine, and Cory Murphy and Stas were credited with the assists. Dinamo pulled even again as Teemu Laine scored an unassisted goal. The third period went by silently, but overtime was a different story, as Irgl completed the Dinamo comeback with a goal, and the only helper belonged to Linglet. The final stood at 4-3, with Irgl, Simakov, and Linglet earning the three stars.
Way to the east, Amur Khabarovsk hosts CSKA Moscow. Ilya Bryzgalov and Alexei Murygin receive the starts. CSKA found themselves ahead early with an unassisted Pavel Datsyuk goal in the first period. Alexei Marchenko added on for CSKA with a goal, assisted by Datsyuk and Mikhail Grabovsky. Amur got on the board as Bryzgalov was called for throwing the stick, resulting in a penalty shot, which brought on Ilya Proskuryakov to man the net, but it was no good as Dmitry Tarasov converted the opportunity, and Bryzgalov came back into the game. CSKA answered in the second period with Igor Radulov scoring, with the help of Alexander Radulov and Evgeny Ryasensky. CSKA padded the lead with a power play goal by Patrick Davis, powered by Yakov Rylov and Ryasensky. Amur shot back on another Tarasov goal, this time a power play tally made possible by Mikhail Fisenko and Igor Ozhiganov. CSKA replied when Denis Denisov potted the puck, guided in by Grabovsky. CSKA got another with Rylov scoring, via Alexander Radulov and Igor Radulov. The third period saw no scoring, leaving the final at 6-2 for CSKA and giving the three stars to Datsyuk, Igor Radulov, and Tarasov, while honorable mentions belong to Alexander Radulov, Rylov, Grabovsky, and Ryasensky.
Back west quite a bit, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin of Ak Bars and Nikita Bespalov of Torpedo tend the twines. Ak Bars got going in the first period on a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Konstantin Korneyev and Niko Kapanen. Ak Bars struck again in the second period with Evgeny Skachkov's goal, with a lone assist provided by Kirill Petrov. Ak Bars padded the lead in the third period on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, made possible by Janne Lahti and Denis Golubev. Ak Bars extended the lead as Zaripov scored again, helped along by Kapanen. This ended the scoring at 4-0, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Barulin (28 save shutout), and Kapanen.
To the south, HC Donbass of Donetsk, Ukraine hosts SKA Saint Petersburg. Sergei Bobrovsky of SKA and Erik Ersberg of Donbass are the masked men. SKA was first to score in the first period as Igor Makarov potted the puck, with help from Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Kucheryavenko. SKA added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, passed from Kevin Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. SKA kept going with a Dallman power play goal, set up by Tarasenko and Kovalchuk. SKA extended the lead in the second period as Kucheryavenko scored a power play goal, powered by Makarov. Donbass got one back as Sergei Varlamov scored, guided in by Denis Kochetkov and Evgeny Belukhin. Belukhin pulled Donbass closer later in the period with a goal fueled by Varlamov. SKA shot back in the third period as Gleb Klimenko found the back of the net, and Makarov had the lone assist. SKA kept going with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Tarasenko and Kalinin. SKA padded the lead as Kucheryavenko scored, with the assists doled out to Klimenko and Makarov, the latter getting what I call a sock trick (three assists). Makarov continued his strong night for SKA by scoring his second goal of the game, helped along by Kucheryavenko and Klimenko. SKA iced the scoring at 9-2 with a Tony Martensson goal, coming off of Patrick Thoresen and Dallman. The three stars go to Makarov, Kucheryakov, and Tarasenko, while the honorable mentions include Kovalchuk, Dallman, Kalinin, Belukhin, Varlamov, and Klimenko.
Finally, Spartak Moscow hosts their cross-city rivals, Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Sergei Borisov for Spartak are manning the creases. Dynamo began with a first period goal by Maxim Solovyov, fueled by Marek Kvapil on the power play. Moscow added on when Richard Gynge scored a power play goal, powered by Solovyov. Dynamo extended the lead with another power play goal, this time by Janne Jalasvaara, with helpers provided by Kvapil and Solovyov. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period on a Denis Barantsev goal, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. Spartak finally got on the board as Branko Ravidojevic netted the puck with assistance from Nikita Shchitov. Dynamo responded with Konstantin Kasyanchuk's goal, guided in by Sergei Soin and Yury Babenko. Spartak tried a third period rally with Eduard Lewandowski scoring, via Mikhail Yunkov and Radivojevic, but it wasn't enough to avoid the 5-2 defeat. The three stars went to Solovyov, Kvapil, and Radivojevic.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 5
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.
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.
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 MacorÃs, 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 MacorÃs, 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.
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