Ten games on today as we get back into the swing of things. First up, we go way east, as...
Amur Khabarovsk hosts Slovan Bratislava. Branislav Konrad for Slovan and Alexei Murygin for Amur are set to start. Khabarovsk opened in the second period on an Alexander Yunkov goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Shitikov. Amur added on in the third period when Dmitry Lugin potted the puck, with the help of Vladimir Loginov. Khabarovsk iced it at 3-0 with a Janne Lahti goal, made possible by Juha-Pekka Hytonen and Nikita Gusev. The three stars belonged to Murygin (14 save shutout), Yunkov, and Lugin.
Westward, as Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Lev Praha. Tomas Popperle of Lev and Jeff Glass of Sibir are the masked men. Novosibirsk began in the first period on a Konstantin Glazachev goal, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Jonas Enlund. Sibir padded the lead in the second period as Lehtera scored, and Enlund picked up the lone assist. Praha got on the board with a Marcel Hossa goal, courtesy of Juraj Mikus and Tomas Surovy. They couldn't tie the game, losing 2-1 to Sibir, with the three stars going to Lehtera, Glass (27 for 28 in saves), and Enlund.
A bit to the southeast, Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcomes CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana of CSKA and Alexander Lazushin of Metallurg play in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk was first to score with an unassisted first period goal by Nikita Vyglazov. Moscow tied it when Sergei Barbashev scored, with the help of Andrei Sergeyev. CSKA took the lead in the second period on a Sergei Shirokov goal, made possible by Pavel Datsyuk. Moscow extended the lead in the third period as Janis Sprukts scored, thanks to Barbashev and Patrick Davis. CSKA finished the scoring at 4-1 with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, assisted by Niklas Persson and Ilya Zubov. The three stars belonged to Barbashev, Stana (20 for 21 in saves), and Shirokov.
Way to the west, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Andrei Mezin for Traktor and Vasily Koshechkin for Severstal are in front of the nets. Cherepovets led off with a first period shorthanded goal by Vadim Shipachyov, passed from Stanislav Yegorshev. Severstal added on with a power play goal off the tape of Vadim Berdnikov, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Niclas Bergfors. Traktor pulled Mezin in favor of Vladislav Fokin in goal. Chelyabinsk got on the board as Maxim Karpov scored, thanks to Valery Nichushkin. Traktor tied the game in the second period on a Yegor Dugin goal, made possible by Nichushkin. Chelyabinsk took the lead with a goal from Evgeny Katichev, courtesy of Maxim Yakutsenya and Jan Bulis. Cherepovets retied the game as Nikita Alexeyev potted the puck, with the help of Shipachyov and Evgeny Ketov on the power play. The third period was silent, and so was overtime, so the game needed a shootout to determine the winner. Severstal came out on top with a pair of shootout goals, provided by Berdnikov and Denis Kazionov for a 4-3 win. The three stars go to Berdnikov, Shipachyov, and Nichushkin.
Across the lake, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov for Ak Bars and Curtis Sanford for Lokomotiv receive the starting nods. Yaroslavl struck first with a first period goal by Emil Galimov, assisted by Sergei Plotnikov. Kazan tied it with a second period power play goal put away by Alexei Morozov, passed from Konstantin Korneyev and Ilya Nikulin. Lokomotiv took the lead back with a power play goal of their own, coming from Artyom Anisimov, with the help of Staffan Kronwall and Plotnikov. Ak Bars tied it again on a power play goal in the third period, scored by Janne Pesonen, and powered by Evgeny Medvedev and Jarkko Immonen. Kazan took a late 3-2 lead when Danis Zaripov scored, courtesy of Morozov, and held on for the win. Morozov, Zaripov, and Plotnikov receive the three stars.
To the east, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton for Neftekhimik and Vitaly Koval for Torpedo are all padded up. Nizhnekamsk got going in the first period as Renat Mamashev scored, with the help of Martin Cibak and Yegor Milovzorov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it when Matt Ellison potted the puck, with a lone assist provided by Juuso Hietanen. Torpedo took the lead with a power play goal by Martin Thornberg, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Hietanen. Neftekhimik tied it as Petr Koukal scored, courtesy of Tomas Netik. Nizhnekamsk took the lead again on another Koukal goal, set up by Mamashev and Nail Yakupov. Neftekhimik continued in the third period as Koukal finished off his hat trick with his third goal of the night, and the assists were credited to Yakupov and Netik. Nizhny Novgorod answered on an Alexei Vasilyev goal, passed from Hietanen, who got a sock trick, and Makarov. They failed to get the equalizer, losing 4-3, with the three stars going to Koukal, Mamashev, and Netik, while Yakupov, Hietanen, and Makarov earn honorable mentions.
Southwest to Mytishchi, where Atlant hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki for Salavat Yulaev and Anton Khudobin for Atlant guard the cages. Mytishchi began with a second period Nikolai Zherdev goal, made possible by Viktor Stalberg and Andreas Engqvist. Atlant made it 2-0 in the third period when Zherdev scored again with an empty net goal, thanks to Ivan Vishnevsky and Igor Ignatushkin. This was a final, with the three stars being Zherdev, Khudobin (26 save shutout), and Tarkki (22 for 24 in saves).
To the south, Vityaz Chekhov hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen for Metallurg and Ivan Lasutin for Vityaz are between pipes. Magnitogorsk started with a first period goal by Mats Zuccarello, coming off of Justin Hodgman and Georgy Misharin. Chekhov tied it with a power play goal scored by Alexander Korolyuk, powered by Alexei Troshchinsky. Vityaz took the lead in the second period with a Alexei Badyukov goal, courtesy of Evgeny Timkin and Yakov Seleznyov. Metallurg tied it on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, helped along by Viktor Antipin and Sergei Mozyakin. Chekhov retook the lead in the third period on a Nikita Dvurechensky goal, pushed through by Seleznyov. Magnitogorsk pulled even with an Antipin power play goal with a lone assist by Mozyakin. Vityaz won it 4-3 in overtime as Brian Fahey scored a power play goal, and Korolyuk was credited with the assist. The three stars went to Korolyuk, Antipin, and Seleznyov, while Mozyakin gets an honorable mention.
Heading west to Minsk, where Dinamo welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov for Avtomobilist and Pekka Rinne for Dinamo tend the twines. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on an Alexander Streltsov unassisted goal. Minsk tied it as Joe Pavelski scored, thanks to Zbynek Irgl and Libor Pivko on the power play. Dinamo took the lead with a power play goal by Janne Niskala, passed from Teemu Laine. Avtomobilist retied the game in the second period as Rastislav Spirko scored, with the help of Alexei Simakov and Sergei Gusev on the power play. Yekaterinburg took the lead again with a Vasily Streltsov goal with a lone assist from Fyodor Malykhin. Avtomobilist added on with another power play goal, this time scored by Joffrey Lupul, and powered by Branislav Mezei and Evgeny Lapenkov. Yekaterinburg kept going with an Alexander Streltsov goal, helped along by Nikolai Pronin. Minsk shot back in the third period with a power play goal by Tim Stapleton, set up by Cory Murphy and Laine. Avtomobilist iced the game at 6-3 with a power play goal by Lapenkov, assisted by Lupul and Denis Sokolov. The three stars went to Alexander Streltsov, Lapenkov, and Lupul, while Laine earns an honorable mention.
Back to the southeast, as we end the day in Donetsk, with Donbass hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Sergei Bobrovsky of SKA and Jan Laco of Donbass tend the twines. St. Petersburg struck first in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Dmitry Kalinin. Donetsk tied it with a Tuomas Kiiskinen goal, made possible by Evgeny Dadonov. Donbass took the lead in the second period on a Fredrik Pettersson goal, courtesy of Jani Tuppurainen and Peter Podhradsky. Donetsk extended the lead on a Clay Wilson goal, set up by Tuppurainen. SKA got one back in the third period as Maxim Rybin potted the puck, with the help of Yury Alexandrov. They got no closer, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Wilson, Tuppurainen, and Kiiskinen.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 30
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 thirty wraps up the player segment with World Series hero Pablo Sandoval.
Pablo Sandoval was born on August 11, 1986, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He attended Cento Estudio in Carabobo, Venezuela, and later went undrafted, signing as an amateur free agent with the San Francisco Giants in 2003 at the age of sixteen. He first appeared in the minor leagues during the 2004 season, playing in the Rookie-level Arizona League with the Giants affiliate there. He worked as a catcher with in the Arizona League, hitting .266 with twenty-six runs batted in. He also hit five triples, which was impressive for someone of his larger stature. He made a jump to the Class A Short Season Northwest League in 2005, where he played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon. He made the transition to third base at this time, an unusual position for a left-handed person. Sandoval had taught himself to be ambidextrous, allowing him to be versatile in the field. With the Volcanoes, he posted a .330 batting average as well as three home runs and fifty runs batted in. His slow but steady progress continued into 2006, as he advanced to the Class A South Atlantic League to play with the Augusta Greenjackets of Augusta, Georgia. His numbers fell off a bit, as he hit only .265 with one home run and forty-nine runs batted in. Still, he earned a promotion for the 2007 season to play with the San Jose Giants of the Class A Advanced California League. He improved here, posting a .287 batting average while smacking eleven home runs, hitting five triples, and driving in fifty-two runs. He began the 2008 season here, appearing in sixty-eight games in which he hit .359 with twelve home runs and fifty-nine runs batted in before a promotion to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of the Easter League in Norwich, Connecticut. Over the next forty-four games, Sandoval hit to a .337 batting average as well as eight home runs and thirty-seven runs batted in. He earned a major league call up, making his debut with San Francisco on August 14th. He was an everyday player here, playing at both third base and catcher, as well as first base. He hit .345 in forty-one games, while hitting three home runs (the first coming on August 27th), and twenty-four runs batted in. One particular play occurred when Sandoval was attempting to score, eventually being successful in dodging the tag from the catcher. Barry Zito promptly game him the nickname Kung-Fu Panda for his surprising agility. He became the everyday third baseman in 2009, while also working at catcher and first base. Sandoval had a very good season, hitting .330 while adding twenty-five home runs and ninety runs batted in during a breakout year, and highlights included his first grand slam on July 6th and his first splash hit (a San Francisco-area term for home runs hit into McCovey Cove, which is located beyond the outfield) on July 30th. Sandoval struggled more in 2010, as he had added weight and became less effective with his bat. He hit only .268 with just thirteen home runs and sixty-three runs batted in during the year, and appeared in only six postseason games during the Giants playoff run that year. With only three hits in seventeen at-bats, Sandoval was mostly an afterthought during the run, with Juan Uribe manning third base in his place as the Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers for the World Series title. He still received the World Series Champion title, but it was far from earned in the eyes of some. Sandoval came back in 2011 much more fit, having dropped thirty pounds during the Giants' Operation Panda campaign. His season stalled in late April after he broke his hamate bone, requiring a month and a half layoff. He made his rehabilitation appearances with San Jose and also the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before rejoining San Francisco on June 14th. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time despite missing such significant time with the injury. He ended the year hitting .315 while hitting twenty-three home runs and seventy runs batted in during the shorter season, and his biggest highlight of the year came on September 15th, when he hit for the cycle, another impressive feat for the large third baseman. He continued his success in 2012, although he again missed most of May and part of June due to injury. Regardless of that, he made another All-Star Game, starting at third base. He put his name in the history books with the first ever bases-loaded triple in All-Star Game history off of Justin Verlander, helping pace the National League to their 8-0 victory. He ended the regular season hitting .283 with twelve home runs and sixty-three runs batted in, a down year for him but still very valuable. He was not an afterthought in the San Francisco postseason run this time. He appeared in every postseason game for San Francisco, hitting .333 with one home run and three runs batted in against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series. He then worked to a .360 batting average with two home runs and six timely runs batted in during the National League Championship Series. When the Giants faced elimination in the NLCS, Sandoval provided at least one run batted in over each of the three games. Sandoval's iconic moment, and arguably the best moment of the postseason (despite my deep appreciation for Marco Scutaro, the following feat by Sandoval was slightly better) game in Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Facing the same pitcher as he had when he hit the triple in the All-Star Game, Sandoval again tormented Justin Verlander by hitting two of his three home runs for the game off of him. The three-home run game placed him in the company of Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players to accomplish the feat in a World Series game, and he was the only one to do it in his first three at-bats. He ended the World Series as the Most Valuable Player, hitting .500 against the Tigers with three home runs and four runs batted in (all of the latter in Game 1 alone), as the Giants swept Detroit to give Sandoval his second World Series title. And this time he can say he earned it.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and don't think this series is over yet. There are three more posts to come, detailing some of the behind-the-scenes figures that helped the Giants get where they are.
Pablo Sandoval was born on August 11, 1986, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He attended Cento Estudio in Carabobo, Venezuela, and later went undrafted, signing as an amateur free agent with the San Francisco Giants in 2003 at the age of sixteen. He first appeared in the minor leagues during the 2004 season, playing in the Rookie-level Arizona League with the Giants affiliate there. He worked as a catcher with in the Arizona League, hitting .266 with twenty-six runs batted in. He also hit five triples, which was impressive for someone of his larger stature. He made a jump to the Class A Short Season Northwest League in 2005, where he played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon. He made the transition to third base at this time, an unusual position for a left-handed person. Sandoval had taught himself to be ambidextrous, allowing him to be versatile in the field. With the Volcanoes, he posted a .330 batting average as well as three home runs and fifty runs batted in. His slow but steady progress continued into 2006, as he advanced to the Class A South Atlantic League to play with the Augusta Greenjackets of Augusta, Georgia. His numbers fell off a bit, as he hit only .265 with one home run and forty-nine runs batted in. Still, he earned a promotion for the 2007 season to play with the San Jose Giants of the Class A Advanced California League. He improved here, posting a .287 batting average while smacking eleven home runs, hitting five triples, and driving in fifty-two runs. He began the 2008 season here, appearing in sixty-eight games in which he hit .359 with twelve home runs and fifty-nine runs batted in before a promotion to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of the Easter League in Norwich, Connecticut. Over the next forty-four games, Sandoval hit to a .337 batting average as well as eight home runs and thirty-seven runs batted in. He earned a major league call up, making his debut with San Francisco on August 14th. He was an everyday player here, playing at both third base and catcher, as well as first base. He hit .345 in forty-one games, while hitting three home runs (the first coming on August 27th), and twenty-four runs batted in. One particular play occurred when Sandoval was attempting to score, eventually being successful in dodging the tag from the catcher. Barry Zito promptly game him the nickname Kung-Fu Panda for his surprising agility. He became the everyday third baseman in 2009, while also working at catcher and first base. Sandoval had a very good season, hitting .330 while adding twenty-five home runs and ninety runs batted in during a breakout year, and highlights included his first grand slam on July 6th and his first splash hit (a San Francisco-area term for home runs hit into McCovey Cove, which is located beyond the outfield) on July 30th. Sandoval struggled more in 2010, as he had added weight and became less effective with his bat. He hit only .268 with just thirteen home runs and sixty-three runs batted in during the year, and appeared in only six postseason games during the Giants playoff run that year. With only three hits in seventeen at-bats, Sandoval was mostly an afterthought during the run, with Juan Uribe manning third base in his place as the Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers for the World Series title. He still received the World Series Champion title, but it was far from earned in the eyes of some. Sandoval came back in 2011 much more fit, having dropped thirty pounds during the Giants' Operation Panda campaign. His season stalled in late April after he broke his hamate bone, requiring a month and a half layoff. He made his rehabilitation appearances with San Jose and also the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before rejoining San Francisco on June 14th. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time despite missing such significant time with the injury. He ended the year hitting .315 while hitting twenty-three home runs and seventy runs batted in during the shorter season, and his biggest highlight of the year came on September 15th, when he hit for the cycle, another impressive feat for the large third baseman. He continued his success in 2012, although he again missed most of May and part of June due to injury. Regardless of that, he made another All-Star Game, starting at third base. He put his name in the history books with the first ever bases-loaded triple in All-Star Game history off of Justin Verlander, helping pace the National League to their 8-0 victory. He ended the regular season hitting .283 with twelve home runs and sixty-three runs batted in, a down year for him but still very valuable. He was not an afterthought in the San Francisco postseason run this time. He appeared in every postseason game for San Francisco, hitting .333 with one home run and three runs batted in against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series. He then worked to a .360 batting average with two home runs and six timely runs batted in during the National League Championship Series. When the Giants faced elimination in the NLCS, Sandoval provided at least one run batted in over each of the three games. Sandoval's iconic moment, and arguably the best moment of the postseason (despite my deep appreciation for Marco Scutaro, the following feat by Sandoval was slightly better) game in Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Facing the same pitcher as he had when he hit the triple in the All-Star Game, Sandoval again tormented Justin Verlander by hitting two of his three home runs for the game off of him. The three-home run game placed him in the company of Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players to accomplish the feat in a World Series game, and he was the only one to do it in his first three at-bats. He ended the World Series as the Most Valuable Player, hitting .500 against the Tigers with three home runs and four runs batted in (all of the latter in Game 1 alone), as the Giants swept Detroit to give Sandoval his second World Series title. And this time he can say he earned it.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and don't think this series is over yet. There are three more posts to come, detailing some of the behind-the-scenes figures that helped the Giants get where they are.
KHL November 27th 2012
Again a day with only one game, which game from Kazakhstan, as Barys Astana hosted Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov for Yugra and Teemu Lassila for Barys stand in the creases. Khanty-Mansiysk led off with a first period goal by Maxim Belyaev, coming off of Anton Krysanov. Astana tied it when Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev scored, thanks to Talgat Zhailauov and Victor Hedman. Barys took the lead in the second period on a Fyodor Polishchuk goal, courtesy of Roman Savchenko and Dustin Boyd. Astana added on as Zhailauov potted the puck, with the help of Krasnoslobodtsev and Hedman. Barys continued with a Maxim Spiridonov goal, made possible by Brandon Bochenski and Nikolai Antropov. Astana extended the lead with a Savchenko goal, assisted by Zhailaumov and Krasnoslobodtsev. Barys padded the lead on a and unassisted Konstantin Rudenko power play goal. Yugra got one back in the third period when Linus Videll scored, and Vitaly Sitnikov and Kirill Dyakov picked up the helpers. This made it a 6-2 win for Barys, with the three stars going to Zhailauov, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Savchenko, while Hedman gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Fantasy Football All-Stars Week 12 2012
More clinching should have happened this week, and there are only two more weeks until the playoffs. It was another rough week for my fleet of seventeen, as even the mighty fell in some places. Here's who most likely was not on my team this week.
Quarterback: Cam Newton
Running Backs: Bryce Brown and Arian Foster
Wide Receivers: Dez Bryant and Julio Jones
Tight End: Charles Clay (this is what the post-Gronkowski world has come to)
Kicker: Rob Bironas
Team Defense: New England
Defensive Players: Janoris Jenkins and Steve Gregory
In addition, I have only six of my seventeen teams in the playoffs. Most are on the outside looking, so I'm not expecting more than ten.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Quarterback: Cam Newton
Running Backs: Bryce Brown and Arian Foster
Wide Receivers: Dez Bryant and Julio Jones
Tight End: Charles Clay (this is what the post-Gronkowski world has come to)
Kicker: Rob Bironas
Team Defense: New England
Defensive Players: Janoris Jenkins and Steve Gregory
In addition, I have only six of my seventeen teams in the playoffs. Most are on the outside looking, so I'm not expecting more than ten.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Monday Night Football Week 12 2012
Tonight's game has the under-performing Philadelphia Eagles host the equally disappoint Carolina Panthers. Philadelphia opened with an Alex Henery 36 yard field goal in the first quarter. Carolina took the lead as Cam Newton passed 24 yards to Gary Barnidge for a touchdown, and Graham booted the extra point. The Panthers added on as Newton found Brandon LaFell for 43 yards and a touchdown, and Gano knocked in the extra point. The Eagles replied with a 41 yard field goal by Henery in the second quarter. Philadelphia chipped away as Bryce Brown ran 65 yards for a touchdown, but they failed on the two point conversion attempt. The Eagles got the lead when Henery made a 45 yard field goal. Carolina retook the lead in the third quarter as Newton ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gano was there with the PAT. Philadelphia edged ahead as Brown ran 5 yards for another touchdown, and Henery supplied the extra point. The Panthers took the lead back in the fourth quarter as Gano made a 23 yard field goal. Carolina padded the lead as Newton ran 2 yards for a touchdown, but Gano missed the extra point. This made it 30-22, a final, with both team now at 3-8.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 29
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 twenty-nine talks about journeyman infielder Marco Scutaro.
Marco Scutaro was born on October 30, 1975, in San Felipe, Venezuela. He was signed at the age of eighteen as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians on July 26, 1994. He entered the Indians farm system in 1996, playing for the Class A Columbus Red Stixx of Columbus, Georgia in the South Atlantic League. Here, he played in eighty-five games, hitting .251 for a batting average, with three triples, ten home runs, forty-five runs batted in, and six stolen bases. In 1997, he was promoted to the Class A Advanced Kinston Indians of Kinston, North Carolina, in the Carolina League, before a late season promotion to the Class AAA American Association to close out the year with the Buffalo Bisons of Buffalo, New York in the . Between the two levels, Scutaro hit to a .271 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-five runs batted in and twenty-three stolen bases. For the 1998 season, Scutaro spent much of his time with the Class AA Akron Aeros of Akron, Ohio in the Eastern League, before earning another late season promotion to Buffalo, now in the Class AAA International League. Here, he hit a .311 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-six runs batted in, and thirty-three stolen bases. Throughout this time, Scutaro played primarily at second base, but also spent time at shortstop and third base when needed, becoming a versatile utility player. He spent all of 1999 in Buffalo, hitting .273 with two triples, eight home runs, fifty-one runs batted in and twenty-one stolen bases. Scutaro also spent a large majority of 2000 with the Bisons, hitting to a .275 batting average with five triples and home runs each, as well as fifty-four runs batted in and nine stolen bases, the beginning of a decline in his base-stealing abilities. Scutaro was sent as the play to be named later in the July 28, 2000 deal between the Indians and Milwaukee Brewers that sent Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon, and Richie Sexson to Milwaukee in exchange for Jason Bere, Bob Wickman, and Steve Woodard going to Cleveland. Appearing in four games at the end of the season with Indianapolis Indians (despite the name, a member of the Milwaukee farm system) in the Class AAA International League, Scutaro looked much stronger than he had in his time with Buffalo. He spent all of 2001 in Indianapolis, hitting .295 with three triples, eleven home runs, fifty runs batted in, and eleven stolen bases. At the start of the 2002 season, Milwaukee waived Scutaro to make room for Nelson Figueroa on their roster, and on April 5th, Scutaro was acquired by the New York Mets. Scutaro remained in the International League, playing with the Norfolk Tides of Norfolk, Virginia for much of the year. He produced at a .319 clip, with six triples, seven home runs, and twenty-eight runs batted in, before a promotion to the major league Mets on July 19th. His debut came on July 21st, and he was used primarily in a pinch-hitting role with a low level of success. The 2003 season was a roller-coaster for Scutaro, who began the year in Norfolk. He had two stints in both Norfolk and New York during the year. With the Tides, he hit .311 with three triples and nine home runs, as well as thirty-two runs batted in. With the Mets, he struggled, hitting only .213 with just two home runs and six runs batted in a mostly pinch-hitting role. He did get some starts second base during his time, but not enough to make a difference in his numbers. On October 9th, 2003, Scutaro was selected off of waivers by the Oakland Athletics, and here he crossed paths with yesterday's featured player, Barry Zito, who pitched with the Athletics from 2000-2006. During 2004, Scutaro played at second base after Mark Ellis suffered a season-ending injury in spring training. Scutaro, now with a full season to work with, responded well, hitting .273 with a triple, seven home runs, and forty-three runs batted in. When necessary, he also covered third base, shortstop, and left field. Later in his tenure, he would also appear in right field and as the designated hitter. In 2005, Scutaro was most often a shortstop for Oakland, but his numbers regressed from the previous season. He ended with a .247 batting average and nine home runs as well as thirty-seven runs batted in. He was quickly becoming a reliable but unspectacular player in his major league time. Scutaro rebounded slightly in 2006, ending that season with a .266 batting average, six triples, five home runs, and forty-one runs batted in. He also made his first postseason appearances, playing in all seven games Oakland played in the playoffs. During the three games against the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series, Scutaro hit four triples and knocked in six runs, but his bat cooled mightily as Oakland was on the other end of a sweep in the American League Championships Series versus the Detroit Tigers. He did about the same level of play in 2007 as the year before, hitting .260 with seven home runs and forty-one runs batted in. At the end of the season, Oakland traded Scutaro to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league player Kristian Bell and prospect Graham Godfrey. In 2008, Scutaro filled in the Blue Jays lineup at a number of spots as injuries to teammates required a short-term option to fill the holes. He posted his usual numbers of a .267 average and one triple, with seven home runs and sixty runs batted in. He settled down in 2009, playing primarily shortstop for a majority of the season as the starter, and he had his best season here. Scutaro hit .282 with a triple, twelve home runs, and sixty runs batted in. He became a free agent at the end of the year, and signed on December 4th with the Boston Red Sox. He remained reliable with the Red Sox, and also managed to haunt the Twins again. In the first game at Target Field, Scutaro recorded the first hit in the history of the park, and also the first out. He would go on to have a final line of a .275 batting average, eleven home runs, and fifty-six runs batted in. In 2011, Scutaro was still with Boston, and hit to a .299 batting average with one triple, seven home runs, and fifty-four runs batted in, all in a campaign interrupted by an injury that cost him a month. He made his rehabilitation appearances in June with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. With numbers like these slightly above his career average, Scutaro was getting better as he got older. Boston activated his contract option in 2012, and then traded him to the Colorado Rockies on January 21st, in exchange for Clayton Mortensen. Working in the crowded Colorado infield, Scutaro only managed a .271 batting average and just three triples, four home runs, and thirty runs batted in. The trade looked like a bust for the Rockies, so at the deadline, they flipped Scutaro with cash to the San Francisco Giants for Charlie Culberson, a prospect. Many laughed at the Giants for making such a minor trade when they were in the heat of a division race with the newly free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Acquisitions such as Hunter Pence and Scutaro were not thought to make San Francisco much better as a team. Scutaro quickly proved the doubters wrong, kicking into a gear unseen before by hitting .362 over the final sixty-one games of the season, and he added a triple, three home runs, and forty-four runs batted in, the latter number being nearly fifty percent more than he had for all of the first four months with Colorado. He covered third base for the injured Pablo Sandoval when he first arrived, before providing a huge boost of stability to the very weak second base platoon. At age 36, Scutaro knew time was running out for a World Series title, and he continued his beastly run in the playoffs. While he was largely ineffective against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, Scutaro became a rallying point once the Giants went down 3-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship. Here, he hit an amazing .500 with a record tying fourteen hits against the Cardinals. He crossed the plate six times and knocked in four runs, while producing an iconic moment after the Giants clinched a World Series title at the end of Game 7 by standing in the pouring rain at AT&T Park with his hands in the air. Most of this was done after he appeared to be hurt by a Matt Holliday takeout slide in Game 2. Against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, Scutaro was not as dominant at the plate, but made a huge defensive play on Gregor Blanco's throw to get Prince Fielder out at home plate in Game 2, coming across the field to act as the relay man before firing to Buster Posey at the plate. Without that big play, Scutaro may never have been seen as the hero two games later, in the tenth inning of Game 4, when his single gave Ryan Theriot time to score the go-ahead, and eventually World Series-clinching run. Because of his huge performance in the postseason, including the .328 batting average and eight runs batted in, Scutaro is receiving heavy interest in the 2012 offseason. Scutaro can rest easier now knowing he has won it all, but as a free agent, he needs a place to play for 2013, and hopefully he continues to get better as he ages.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Marco Scutaro was born on October 30, 1975, in San Felipe, Venezuela. He was signed at the age of eighteen as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians on July 26, 1994. He entered the Indians farm system in 1996, playing for the Class A Columbus Red Stixx of Columbus, Georgia in the South Atlantic League. Here, he played in eighty-five games, hitting .251 for a batting average, with three triples, ten home runs, forty-five runs batted in, and six stolen bases. In 1997, he was promoted to the Class A Advanced Kinston Indians of Kinston, North Carolina, in the Carolina League, before a late season promotion to the Class AAA American Association to close out the year with the Buffalo Bisons of Buffalo, New York in the . Between the two levels, Scutaro hit to a .271 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-five runs batted in and twenty-three stolen bases. For the 1998 season, Scutaro spent much of his time with the Class AA Akron Aeros of Akron, Ohio in the Eastern League, before earning another late season promotion to Buffalo, now in the Class AAA International League. Here, he hit a .311 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-six runs batted in, and thirty-three stolen bases. Throughout this time, Scutaro played primarily at second base, but also spent time at shortstop and third base when needed, becoming a versatile utility player. He spent all of 1999 in Buffalo, hitting .273 with two triples, eight home runs, fifty-one runs batted in and twenty-one stolen bases. Scutaro also spent a large majority of 2000 with the Bisons, hitting to a .275 batting average with five triples and home runs each, as well as fifty-four runs batted in and nine stolen bases, the beginning of a decline in his base-stealing abilities. Scutaro was sent as the play to be named later in the July 28, 2000 deal between the Indians and Milwaukee Brewers that sent Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon, and Richie Sexson to Milwaukee in exchange for Jason Bere, Bob Wickman, and Steve Woodard going to Cleveland. Appearing in four games at the end of the season with Indianapolis Indians (despite the name, a member of the Milwaukee farm system) in the Class AAA International League, Scutaro looked much stronger than he had in his time with Buffalo. He spent all of 2001 in Indianapolis, hitting .295 with three triples, eleven home runs, fifty runs batted in, and eleven stolen bases. At the start of the 2002 season, Milwaukee waived Scutaro to make room for Nelson Figueroa on their roster, and on April 5th, Scutaro was acquired by the New York Mets. Scutaro remained in the International League, playing with the Norfolk Tides of Norfolk, Virginia for much of the year. He produced at a .319 clip, with six triples, seven home runs, and twenty-eight runs batted in, before a promotion to the major league Mets on July 19th. His debut came on July 21st, and he was used primarily in a pinch-hitting role with a low level of success. The 2003 season was a roller-coaster for Scutaro, who began the year in Norfolk. He had two stints in both Norfolk and New York during the year. With the Tides, he hit .311 with three triples and nine home runs, as well as thirty-two runs batted in. With the Mets, he struggled, hitting only .213 with just two home runs and six runs batted in a mostly pinch-hitting role. He did get some starts second base during his time, but not enough to make a difference in his numbers. On October 9th, 2003, Scutaro was selected off of waivers by the Oakland Athletics, and here he crossed paths with yesterday's featured player, Barry Zito, who pitched with the Athletics from 2000-2006. During 2004, Scutaro played at second base after Mark Ellis suffered a season-ending injury in spring training. Scutaro, now with a full season to work with, responded well, hitting .273 with a triple, seven home runs, and forty-three runs batted in. When necessary, he also covered third base, shortstop, and left field. Later in his tenure, he would also appear in right field and as the designated hitter. In 2005, Scutaro was most often a shortstop for Oakland, but his numbers regressed from the previous season. He ended with a .247 batting average and nine home runs as well as thirty-seven runs batted in. He was quickly becoming a reliable but unspectacular player in his major league time. Scutaro rebounded slightly in 2006, ending that season with a .266 batting average, six triples, five home runs, and forty-one runs batted in. He also made his first postseason appearances, playing in all seven games Oakland played in the playoffs. During the three games against the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series, Scutaro hit four triples and knocked in six runs, but his bat cooled mightily as Oakland was on the other end of a sweep in the American League Championships Series versus the Detroit Tigers. He did about the same level of play in 2007 as the year before, hitting .260 with seven home runs and forty-one runs batted in. At the end of the season, Oakland traded Scutaro to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league player Kristian Bell and prospect Graham Godfrey. In 2008, Scutaro filled in the Blue Jays lineup at a number of spots as injuries to teammates required a short-term option to fill the holes. He posted his usual numbers of a .267 average and one triple, with seven home runs and sixty runs batted in. He settled down in 2009, playing primarily shortstop for a majority of the season as the starter, and he had his best season here. Scutaro hit .282 with a triple, twelve home runs, and sixty runs batted in. He became a free agent at the end of the year, and signed on December 4th with the Boston Red Sox. He remained reliable with the Red Sox, and also managed to haunt the Twins again. In the first game at Target Field, Scutaro recorded the first hit in the history of the park, and also the first out. He would go on to have a final line of a .275 batting average, eleven home runs, and fifty-six runs batted in. In 2011, Scutaro was still with Boston, and hit to a .299 batting average with one triple, seven home runs, and fifty-four runs batted in, all in a campaign interrupted by an injury that cost him a month. He made his rehabilitation appearances in June with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. With numbers like these slightly above his career average, Scutaro was getting better as he got older. Boston activated his contract option in 2012, and then traded him to the Colorado Rockies on January 21st, in exchange for Clayton Mortensen. Working in the crowded Colorado infield, Scutaro only managed a .271 batting average and just three triples, four home runs, and thirty runs batted in. The trade looked like a bust for the Rockies, so at the deadline, they flipped Scutaro with cash to the San Francisco Giants for Charlie Culberson, a prospect. Many laughed at the Giants for making such a minor trade when they were in the heat of a division race with the newly free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Acquisitions such as Hunter Pence and Scutaro were not thought to make San Francisco much better as a team. Scutaro quickly proved the doubters wrong, kicking into a gear unseen before by hitting .362 over the final sixty-one games of the season, and he added a triple, three home runs, and forty-four runs batted in, the latter number being nearly fifty percent more than he had for all of the first four months with Colorado. He covered third base for the injured Pablo Sandoval when he first arrived, before providing a huge boost of stability to the very weak second base platoon. At age 36, Scutaro knew time was running out for a World Series title, and he continued his beastly run in the playoffs. While he was largely ineffective against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, Scutaro became a rallying point once the Giants went down 3-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship. Here, he hit an amazing .500 with a record tying fourteen hits against the Cardinals. He crossed the plate six times and knocked in four runs, while producing an iconic moment after the Giants clinched a World Series title at the end of Game 7 by standing in the pouring rain at AT&T Park with his hands in the air. Most of this was done after he appeared to be hurt by a Matt Holliday takeout slide in Game 2. Against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, Scutaro was not as dominant at the plate, but made a huge defensive play on Gregor Blanco's throw to get Prince Fielder out at home plate in Game 2, coming across the field to act as the relay man before firing to Buster Posey at the plate. Without that big play, Scutaro may never have been seen as the hero two games later, in the tenth inning of Game 4, when his single gave Ryan Theriot time to score the go-ahead, and eventually World Series-clinching run. Because of his huge performance in the postseason, including the .328 batting average and eight runs batted in, Scutaro is receiving heavy interest in the 2012 offseason. Scutaro can rest easier now knowing he has won it all, but as a free agent, he needs a place to play for 2013, and hopefully he continues to get better as he ages.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
KHL November 26th 2012
Only one game today, as Dynamo Moscow hosts their neighbors to the north, Atlant Mytishchi. Anton Khudobin for Atlant and Alexei Volkov for Dynamo tend the twines. Mytishchi began in the first period as Andreas Engqvist scored a goal, with the help of Roman Rukavishnikov and Nikolai Lemtyugov. Atlant added on in the second period as Fyodor Tyutin scored a power play goal, powered by Nikolai Zherdev and Ilya Kablukov. Mytishchi kept going on a Maxim Mayorov goal, fueled by Sandis Ozolins. Moscow got on the board with a Janne Jalasvaara goal, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin. Atlant replied in the third period on an Alexander Shevchenko goal, made possible by Viktor Stalberg and Ozolins. Dynamo answered with a Leo Komarov power play goal, passed from Ovechkin and Backstrom. Mytishchi finished the scoring at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Zherdev, thanks to Ozolins and Kablukov. The three stars went to Ozolins, Zherdev, and Kablukov, while Backstrom and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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