One game on today, as Donbass Donetsk hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov for Dynamo and Jan Laco for Donbass guard the cages. Moscow opened in the first period on an Alexander Ovechkin goal with a lone assist by Leo Komarov. Dynamo added on as Ovechkin scored a power play goal, and the assist was provided by Komarov. Moscow extended the lead with a Janne Jalasvaara shorthanded goal, coming from Andrei Mironov. Donetsk got on the board in the second period as Tuomas Kiiskinen scored a goal, with the help of Evgeny Dadonov. Donbass pulled closer in the third period with a Dadonov goal, helped along by Vaclav Nedorost, a shorthanded goal. Dynamo replied as Ovechkin finished his hat trick, and Nicklas Backstrom supplied the assist. This was it for the scoring, and Dynamo won 4-2. The three stars go to Ovechkin, Dadonov, and Komarov.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
KHL November 30th 2012
Eleven games on today, so plenty of hockey for all of us as we send the calendar into its final month of the year. We begin with...
Amur Khabarovsk hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Bryzgalov for CSKA and Alexei Murygin for Amur are set to start. Moscow opened with a goal by Igor Grigorenko in the first period, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Alexei Marchenko. Khabarovsk tied it in the second period on an Alexander Osipov goal, made possible by Perttu Lindgren and Jakub Petruzalek. CSKA retook the lead in the third period when Grigorenko potted the puck, thanks to Denis Denisov and Mikhail Grabovsky. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Grigorenko, Bryzgalov (33 for 34 in saves), and Osipov.
Westward to Astana, as Barys hosts Avangard Omsk. Teemu Lassila for Barys and Karri Ramo for Avangard are the goalies for the game. Astana was first to score in the second period on a power play goal by Alexei Litvinenko, powered by Talgat Zhailauov. Omsk tied it with a Matti Kuparinen goal, coming off of Igor Volkov. Avangard took the lead as Oleg Piganovich scored, with the help of Alexander Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Barys tied it in the third period with a Dmitry Upper power play goal, courtesy of Vitaly Novopashin and Roman Starchenko. Omsk won it 3-2 in overtime as Tomas Zaborsky scored a power play goal, with assists provided by Nikita Nikitin and Popov. The three stars belong to Zaborsky, Popov, and Ramo (25 for 27 in saves).
Back east a bit, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus of Slovan and Sergei Gaiduchenko of Sibir receive the starting nods. Bratislava led off in the first period as Jan Lipiansky scored, with helpers provided by Michel Miklik. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on a Kristian Kudroc power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin. Slovan regained the lead as Miklik scored a power play goal, set up by Michal Vondrka. There was no scoring the third period, so Slovan won 2-1, with the three stars being Miklik, Janus (27 for 28 in saves), and Lipiansky.
To the southeast, Metallurg Novokuznetsk brings in Lev Praha. Jakub Stepanek for Lev and Alexander Lazushin for Metallurg play between the pipes. Praha struck first in the first period as Lubos Bartecko scored, thanks to Petr Vrana. Lev added on with a Marcek Hossa goal, fueled by Bartecko. Praha struck again as Jakub Krejcik scored in the second period, with a lone assist from Vrana. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Konstantin Turukin goal, assisted by Yury Nazarov. Metallurg pulled closer in the third period as Filipp Metlyuk scored a goal, pushed through by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, and the three stars went to Bartecko, Vrana, and Stepanek (33 for 35 in saves).
Way to the northwest, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov of Avtomobilist and Vasily Koshechkin of Severstal protect the nets. Cherepovets scored first in the first period on an Evgeny Mons goal, made possible by Petr Caslava. Severstal added on as Stanislav Yegorshev scored a power play goal powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Vadim Shipachyov. Cherepovets struck again in the second period with a power play goal by Vadim Berdnikov, and Niclas Bergford had the only assist. Severstal extended the lead in the third period when Caslava scored, via Alexei Medvedev. Cherepovets iced the game at 5-0 with a Medvedev goal, passed from Nikita Alexeyev. The three stars belonged to Koshechkin (24 save shutout), Caslava, and Medvedev.
Across the lake, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki for Salavat Yulaev and Curtis Sanford for Lokomotiv are in the blue paint. Ufa began with a first period goal by Sergei Zinovyev, made possible by Denis Khlystov. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead in the second period when Khlystov scored a power play goal, powered by Vitaly Proshkin and Tomas Rolinek. Yaroslavl got on the board as Yegor Averin scored, with a lone assist provided by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv tied it when Averin scored again, thanks to Alexander Chernikov and Apalkov. Yaroslavl took the lead on an Artyom Anisimov goal, set up by Sergei Plotnikov and Emil Galimov. This stood as the decisive goal, with Lokomotiv winning 3-2. The three stars went to Averin, Khlystov, and Apalkov.
A bit east, as Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars and Vitaly Koval for Torpedo are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod started in the second period with a power play goal by Dmitry Makarov, assisted by Alexei Vasilyev. Torpedo padded the lead with an Artyom Chernov goal, coming off of Vladimir Gorbunov and Ruslan Zainullin. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead in the third period on a Zainullin goal, passed from Gorbunov. Kazan got on the board as Danis Zaripov scored a power play goal powered by Niko Kapanen and Konstantin Korneyev. This was it for the scoring, with the final leaving Torpedo with a 3-1 win. Zainullin, Koval (34 for 35 in saves), and Gorbunov got the three stars.
Into Moscow, as Spartak hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Sergei Borisov for Spartak are in the creases. Moscow got going in the first period on an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, with a lone assist from Nikita Shchitov. Spartak added on as Alexander Khokhlachyov scored an unassisted goal. Moscow padded the lead with a power play goal by Oleg Gubin, powered by Andrei Shefer and Alexander Suglobov. SKA pulled Ezhov in favor of Sergei Bobrovsky at this time. St. Petersburg got on the board as Patrick Thoresen scored, via Dmitry Kalinin. Spartak answered in the third period on a power play goal by Suglobov, courtesy of Gubin and Oleg Petrov. Moscow kept going with a power play goal from Mikhail Yunkov, passed from Shchitov and Eduard Lewandowski. Spartak iced it at 6-1 with a Nikontsev goal, helped along by Gubin and Khokhlachyov. This was a final, with the three stars being Gubin, Nikontsev, and Khokhlachyov, while the honorable mentions go to Shchitov, Suglobov, and Borisov (36 for 37 in saves).
Just to the north, Atlant Mytishchi welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton for Neftekhimik and Anton Khudobin for Atlant have the green light to start. Mytishchi was first to score in the first period with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Nikolai Zherdev. Atlant padded the lead in the second period as Zherdev scored a power play goal, powered by Andreas Engqvist and Viktor Stalberg. Nizhnekamsk got on the board as Martin Cibak scored, with the help of Oskar Osala and Yegor Milovzorov. Mytishchi made it 3-1 in the third period as Igor Ignatushkin potted the puck, with an assist provided by Alexander Shevchenko. This was a final, with the three stars going to Zherdev, Khudobin (28 for 29 in saves), and Mayorov.
Staying in the Moscow Oblast, we head south to Chekhov, as Vityaz hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vladislav Fokin of Traktor and Ivan Kasutin of Vityaz tend the twines. Chelyabinsk led off with a first period goal by Andrei Popov, assisted by Evgeny Katichev. Traktor added on as Petri Kontiola scored, with the help of Stanislav Chistov. Chekhov got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Artemy Panarin, powered by Brian Fahey. Fahey tied it for Vityaz with a goal that was passed from Pavel Chernov. Chelyabinsk took the lead back in the third period with a Kontiola goal, set up by Jan Bulis. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kontiola, Fahey, and Fokin (33 for 35 in saves).
Finally, we close the day in Riga, as Dinamo brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen of Metallurg and Pekka Rinne of Dinamo guard the cages. Magnitogorsk was first to score with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Kazionov, powered by Yaroslav Khabarov and Mats Zuccarello. Metallurg added on as Zuccarello scored, with the help of Justin Hodgman and Kazionov. Minsk got on the board in the second period as Tim Stapleton scored a power play goal with a lone assist coming from Zbynek Irgl. Dinamo tied it with another power play goal, this time scored by Janne Niskala, passed from Cory Murphy and Joe Pavelski. Minsk took the lead in the third period on a Geoff Platt goal, made possible by Alexander Kitarov and Teemu Laine. Magnitogorsk tied it up with a Cal O'Reilly goal, helped along by Denis Platonov and Sergei Mozyakin. The game required a shootout to end, where Dinamo won 4-3 after goals by Irgl and Stapleton sealed the deal. The three stars went to Stapleton, Irgl, and Kazionov, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Amur Khabarovsk hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Bryzgalov for CSKA and Alexei Murygin for Amur are set to start. Moscow opened with a goal by Igor Grigorenko in the first period, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Alexei Marchenko. Khabarovsk tied it in the second period on an Alexander Osipov goal, made possible by Perttu Lindgren and Jakub Petruzalek. CSKA retook the lead in the third period when Grigorenko potted the puck, thanks to Denis Denisov and Mikhail Grabovsky. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Grigorenko, Bryzgalov (33 for 34 in saves), and Osipov.
Westward to Astana, as Barys hosts Avangard Omsk. Teemu Lassila for Barys and Karri Ramo for Avangard are the goalies for the game. Astana was first to score in the second period on a power play goal by Alexei Litvinenko, powered by Talgat Zhailauov. Omsk tied it with a Matti Kuparinen goal, coming off of Igor Volkov. Avangard took the lead as Oleg Piganovich scored, with the help of Alexander Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Barys tied it in the third period with a Dmitry Upper power play goal, courtesy of Vitaly Novopashin and Roman Starchenko. Omsk won it 3-2 in overtime as Tomas Zaborsky scored a power play goal, with assists provided by Nikita Nikitin and Popov. The three stars belong to Zaborsky, Popov, and Ramo (25 for 27 in saves).
Back east a bit, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus of Slovan and Sergei Gaiduchenko of Sibir receive the starting nods. Bratislava led off in the first period as Jan Lipiansky scored, with helpers provided by Michel Miklik. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on a Kristian Kudroc power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin. Slovan regained the lead as Miklik scored a power play goal, set up by Michal Vondrka. There was no scoring the third period, so Slovan won 2-1, with the three stars being Miklik, Janus (27 for 28 in saves), and Lipiansky.
To the southeast, Metallurg Novokuznetsk brings in Lev Praha. Jakub Stepanek for Lev and Alexander Lazushin for Metallurg play between the pipes. Praha struck first in the first period as Lubos Bartecko scored, thanks to Petr Vrana. Lev added on with a Marcek Hossa goal, fueled by Bartecko. Praha struck again as Jakub Krejcik scored in the second period, with a lone assist from Vrana. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Konstantin Turukin goal, assisted by Yury Nazarov. Metallurg pulled closer in the third period as Filipp Metlyuk scored a goal, pushed through by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, and the three stars went to Bartecko, Vrana, and Stepanek (33 for 35 in saves).
Way to the northwest, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov of Avtomobilist and Vasily Koshechkin of Severstal protect the nets. Cherepovets scored first in the first period on an Evgeny Mons goal, made possible by Petr Caslava. Severstal added on as Stanislav Yegorshev scored a power play goal powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Vadim Shipachyov. Cherepovets struck again in the second period with a power play goal by Vadim Berdnikov, and Niclas Bergford had the only assist. Severstal extended the lead in the third period when Caslava scored, via Alexei Medvedev. Cherepovets iced the game at 5-0 with a Medvedev goal, passed from Nikita Alexeyev. The three stars belonged to Koshechkin (24 save shutout), Caslava, and Medvedev.
Across the lake, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki for Salavat Yulaev and Curtis Sanford for Lokomotiv are in the blue paint. Ufa began with a first period goal by Sergei Zinovyev, made possible by Denis Khlystov. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead in the second period when Khlystov scored a power play goal, powered by Vitaly Proshkin and Tomas Rolinek. Yaroslavl got on the board as Yegor Averin scored, with a lone assist provided by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv tied it when Averin scored again, thanks to Alexander Chernikov and Apalkov. Yaroslavl took the lead on an Artyom Anisimov goal, set up by Sergei Plotnikov and Emil Galimov. This stood as the decisive goal, with Lokomotiv winning 3-2. The three stars went to Averin, Khlystov, and Apalkov.
A bit east, as Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars and Vitaly Koval for Torpedo are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod started in the second period with a power play goal by Dmitry Makarov, assisted by Alexei Vasilyev. Torpedo padded the lead with an Artyom Chernov goal, coming off of Vladimir Gorbunov and Ruslan Zainullin. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead in the third period on a Zainullin goal, passed from Gorbunov. Kazan got on the board as Danis Zaripov scored a power play goal powered by Niko Kapanen and Konstantin Korneyev. This was it for the scoring, with the final leaving Torpedo with a 3-1 win. Zainullin, Koval (34 for 35 in saves), and Gorbunov got the three stars.
Into Moscow, as Spartak hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Sergei Borisov for Spartak are in the creases. Moscow got going in the first period on an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, with a lone assist from Nikita Shchitov. Spartak added on as Alexander Khokhlachyov scored an unassisted goal. Moscow padded the lead with a power play goal by Oleg Gubin, powered by Andrei Shefer and Alexander Suglobov. SKA pulled Ezhov in favor of Sergei Bobrovsky at this time. St. Petersburg got on the board as Patrick Thoresen scored, via Dmitry Kalinin. Spartak answered in the third period on a power play goal by Suglobov, courtesy of Gubin and Oleg Petrov. Moscow kept going with a power play goal from Mikhail Yunkov, passed from Shchitov and Eduard Lewandowski. Spartak iced it at 6-1 with a Nikontsev goal, helped along by Gubin and Khokhlachyov. This was a final, with the three stars being Gubin, Nikontsev, and Khokhlachyov, while the honorable mentions go to Shchitov, Suglobov, and Borisov (36 for 37 in saves).
Just to the north, Atlant Mytishchi welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton for Neftekhimik and Anton Khudobin for Atlant have the green light to start. Mytishchi was first to score in the first period with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Nikolai Zherdev. Atlant padded the lead in the second period as Zherdev scored a power play goal, powered by Andreas Engqvist and Viktor Stalberg. Nizhnekamsk got on the board as Martin Cibak scored, with the help of Oskar Osala and Yegor Milovzorov. Mytishchi made it 3-1 in the third period as Igor Ignatushkin potted the puck, with an assist provided by Alexander Shevchenko. This was a final, with the three stars going to Zherdev, Khudobin (28 for 29 in saves), and Mayorov.
Staying in the Moscow Oblast, we head south to Chekhov, as Vityaz hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vladislav Fokin of Traktor and Ivan Kasutin of Vityaz tend the twines. Chelyabinsk led off with a first period goal by Andrei Popov, assisted by Evgeny Katichev. Traktor added on as Petri Kontiola scored, with the help of Stanislav Chistov. Chekhov got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Artemy Panarin, powered by Brian Fahey. Fahey tied it for Vityaz with a goal that was passed from Pavel Chernov. Chelyabinsk took the lead back in the third period with a Kontiola goal, set up by Jan Bulis. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kontiola, Fahey, and Fokin (33 for 35 in saves).
Finally, we close the day in Riga, as Dinamo brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen of Metallurg and Pekka Rinne of Dinamo guard the cages. Magnitogorsk was first to score with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Kazionov, powered by Yaroslav Khabarov and Mats Zuccarello. Metallurg added on as Zuccarello scored, with the help of Justin Hodgman and Kazionov. Minsk got on the board in the second period as Tim Stapleton scored a power play goal with a lone assist coming from Zbynek Irgl. Dinamo tied it with another power play goal, this time scored by Janne Niskala, passed from Cory Murphy and Joe Pavelski. Minsk took the lead in the third period on a Geoff Platt goal, made possible by Alexander Kitarov and Teemu Laine. Magnitogorsk tied it up with a Cal O'Reilly goal, helped along by Denis Platonov and Sergei Mozyakin. The game required a shootout to end, where Dinamo won 4-3 after goals by Irgl and Stapleton sealed the deal. The three stars went to Stapleton, Irgl, and Kazionov, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 33
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-three wraps up the series with the architect of it all, General Manager Brian Sabean.
Brian Sabean was born on July 1, 1956, in Concord, New Hampshire. He was a graduate of Concord High School, and went to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (as did a close friend of mine a year ago). He was an assistant coach with the University of Tampa in 1980 to 1982, before earning the head coach job in 1983, a post he held for two years. He entered into Major League Baseball as a scout for the New York Yankees, responsible for discovering, drafting, and signing big names such as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, J.T. Snow, and Andy Pettitte. From 1992 through 1994, Sabean worked as an assistant to the general manager and vice president of scouting and player personnel in the San Francisco Giants front office. In 1995, he was the senior vice president of player personnel for the Giants, and in the offseason of 1996 was named the general manager. The previous season had been dismal, but Sabean was able to make a turnaround in 1997 despite a highly unpopular trade of fan favorite Matt Williams to the Cleveland Indians. One of the players they got back, Jeff Kent (most recently of Survivor fame) became one of the best second basemen in history. After 2002, Sabean was greatly tested and had to retool much of the roster for the 2003 season. He worked through this proficiently, turning in a 100 win season. Things went south in 2004, and the Giants missed the playoffs, beginning a short run of mediocrity in which Sabean's every move was questioned by the Giants faithful. The lowlight of all of this came as the team was losing and Sabean signed the then-record contract to Barry Zito for seven years beginning in 2007. As Zito struggled and players sent away in trades excelled, Sabean was very much in danger of losing his job. He gained security with a two-year contract after the All-Star break in 2007, and worked through the adversity. Many now, after separation from the events, have pinned some of the worse signings and trades the Giants made in the middle part of the decade as representative of owner Peter Magowan and not of Sabean's doing on his own. After 2009, the Giants continued to improve, and Sabean was rightfully honored in helping build the 2010 World Series Champion team. While 2011 was a down year, 2012 again saw the Giants win the World Series, and with little moves like trading Jonathan Sanchez for Melky Cabrera during the preseason and a pair of prospects for Marco Scutaro at the trade deadline have further established faith in Sabean's work. In his over fifteen years as general manager, the longest tenure of active managers, Sabean has proved that blockbuster deals and flashy free agent signings will not make a team. Instead, he prefers to bring in established major league players to build around, while adding enough youth through the draft to become an effective team. Sabean is responsible for having drafted the following 2012 champions: pitchers Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Sergio Romo, Ryan Vogelsong (who bounced around the majors and international leagues before being signed again prior to 2011), Brian Wilson, and batters Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, and Brett Pill, which is a quarter of the current forty-man roster. In addition, Sabean also acquired pitchers Jeremy Affeldt (free agent), Santiago Casilla (free agent), Javier Lopez (via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates), Jose Mijares (claimed from waivers), Guillermo Mota (free agent), George Kontos (via trade with the New York Yankees), and batters Gregor Blanco (free agent), Hunter Pence (via trade with the Philadelphia Phillies), Xavier Nady (via trade with the Washington Nationals), Joaquin Arias (free agent), Angel Pagan (free agent), Ryan Theriot (free agent), Aubrey Huff (free agent), Marco Scutaro (via trade with the Colorado Rockies), Hector Sanchez (amateur free agent), Pablo Sandoval (amateur free agent), Melky Cabrera (via trade with the Kansas City Royals), and Eli Whiteside (free agent). The championship team in 2012 can be completely attributed to the work of Sabean and the front office, as well as can be all of the coaching staff, too. That's why he is such a good general manager: he has completely built a Championship team. Without Sabean, there would be no How They Got Here, and that's why he was a great choice to close out the series.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Again, I would like to thank Yahoo! Sports for providing roster and contract information, as well as career statistics for current players season by season. I would also like to thank Wikipedia.org for providing a free service that allowed me to fill in the gaps in players' careers that were unexplainable by statistics alone, and for providing me with milestones in the careers of each player. Additionally, much thanks goes to the tireless efforts of the workers at Baseball-Reference.com for their compilations of minor and major league statistics. Finally, and most importantly of all, I would like to thank anyone who took the time to read this series during the month of November. Your added views to the blog have provided me with my first 1,000+ pageview month, and also the most successful individual series I've posted to date. As I've said before, I appreciate each and every view, and to make this such a success has been overwhelmingly amazing to me. If there's a series you'd like me to try in the future, leave a comment or talk to me on Twitter. As always, thank you very much for a great month and an even better two years and counting.
Brian Sabean was born on July 1, 1956, in Concord, New Hampshire. He was a graduate of Concord High School, and went to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (as did a close friend of mine a year ago). He was an assistant coach with the University of Tampa in 1980 to 1982, before earning the head coach job in 1983, a post he held for two years. He entered into Major League Baseball as a scout for the New York Yankees, responsible for discovering, drafting, and signing big names such as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, J.T. Snow, and Andy Pettitte. From 1992 through 1994, Sabean worked as an assistant to the general manager and vice president of scouting and player personnel in the San Francisco Giants front office. In 1995, he was the senior vice president of player personnel for the Giants, and in the offseason of 1996 was named the general manager. The previous season had been dismal, but Sabean was able to make a turnaround in 1997 despite a highly unpopular trade of fan favorite Matt Williams to the Cleveland Indians. One of the players they got back, Jeff Kent (most recently of Survivor fame) became one of the best second basemen in history. After 2002, Sabean was greatly tested and had to retool much of the roster for the 2003 season. He worked through this proficiently, turning in a 100 win season. Things went south in 2004, and the Giants missed the playoffs, beginning a short run of mediocrity in which Sabean's every move was questioned by the Giants faithful. The lowlight of all of this came as the team was losing and Sabean signed the then-record contract to Barry Zito for seven years beginning in 2007. As Zito struggled and players sent away in trades excelled, Sabean was very much in danger of losing his job. He gained security with a two-year contract after the All-Star break in 2007, and worked through the adversity. Many now, after separation from the events, have pinned some of the worse signings and trades the Giants made in the middle part of the decade as representative of owner Peter Magowan and not of Sabean's doing on his own. After 2009, the Giants continued to improve, and Sabean was rightfully honored in helping build the 2010 World Series Champion team. While 2011 was a down year, 2012 again saw the Giants win the World Series, and with little moves like trading Jonathan Sanchez for Melky Cabrera during the preseason and a pair of prospects for Marco Scutaro at the trade deadline have further established faith in Sabean's work. In his over fifteen years as general manager, the longest tenure of active managers, Sabean has proved that blockbuster deals and flashy free agent signings will not make a team. Instead, he prefers to bring in established major league players to build around, while adding enough youth through the draft to become an effective team. Sabean is responsible for having drafted the following 2012 champions: pitchers Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Sergio Romo, Ryan Vogelsong (who bounced around the majors and international leagues before being signed again prior to 2011), Brian Wilson, and batters Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, and Brett Pill, which is a quarter of the current forty-man roster. In addition, Sabean also acquired pitchers Jeremy Affeldt (free agent), Santiago Casilla (free agent), Javier Lopez (via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates), Jose Mijares (claimed from waivers), Guillermo Mota (free agent), George Kontos (via trade with the New York Yankees), and batters Gregor Blanco (free agent), Hunter Pence (via trade with the Philadelphia Phillies), Xavier Nady (via trade with the Washington Nationals), Joaquin Arias (free agent), Angel Pagan (free agent), Ryan Theriot (free agent), Aubrey Huff (free agent), Marco Scutaro (via trade with the Colorado Rockies), Hector Sanchez (amateur free agent), Pablo Sandoval (amateur free agent), Melky Cabrera (via trade with the Kansas City Royals), and Eli Whiteside (free agent). The championship team in 2012 can be completely attributed to the work of Sabean and the front office, as well as can be all of the coaching staff, too. That's why he is such a good general manager: he has completely built a Championship team. Without Sabean, there would be no How They Got Here, and that's why he was a great choice to close out the series.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Again, I would like to thank Yahoo! Sports for providing roster and contract information, as well as career statistics for current players season by season. I would also like to thank Wikipedia.org for providing a free service that allowed me to fill in the gaps in players' careers that were unexplainable by statistics alone, and for providing me with milestones in the careers of each player. Additionally, much thanks goes to the tireless efforts of the workers at Baseball-Reference.com for their compilations of minor and major league statistics. Finally, and most importantly of all, I would like to thank anyone who took the time to read this series during the month of November. Your added views to the blog have provided me with my first 1,000+ pageview month, and also the most successful individual series I've posted to date. As I've said before, I appreciate each and every view, and to make this such a success has been overwhelmingly amazing to me. If there's a series you'd like me to try in the future, leave a comment or talk to me on Twitter. As always, thank you very much for a great month and an even better two years and counting.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thursday Night Football Week 13 2012
We have a huge NFC rivalry game tonight, as the Atlanta Falcons host the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta began in the first quarter as Michael Turned ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Matt Bryant added on the extra point. The Falcons extended the lead in the second quarter as Matt Ryan passed 17 yards for a touchdown to Tony Gonzalez, and Bryant again made the extra point. Atlanta added on with a Bryant field goal of 45 yards. New Orleans got on the board when Mark Ingram ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Garrett Hartley supplied the extra point. The Saints pulled closer in the third quarter as Hartley booted a 21 yard field goal. New Orleans got closer with a Hartley field goal of 52 yards. The Falcons shot back in the fourth quarter as Bryant knocked in a 29 yard field goal. Atlanta struck again as Bryant blasted in a 55 yard field goal. This made it 23-13, a final, with the Falcons improving to 11-1 and the Saints falling to 5-7.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 32
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-two tells us of manager Bruce Bochy.
Bruce Bochy was born on April 16, 1955, in Landes de Boussac, France, as his father was currently stationed with the US Army there. He grew up in Virginia and also Melbourne, Florida, and he graduated from Melbourne High School, having played with Darrell Hammond from Saturday Night Live. For college, Bochy attended Brevard Community College before transferring to Florida State University. In 1975, he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round with the twenty-fourth overall pick of the supplemental draft. From 1978 to 1980, Bochy played catcher with the Astros, but only in a handful of games. He played in 1982 with the New York Mets after missing all of 1981, and then closed out his career with the San Diego Padres from 1983 to 1987. As a hitter, he compiled a career line of a .239 batting average, twenty-six home runs, and ninety-three runs batted in. He started managing with the Spokane Indians in 1989 in the Padres organization, before moving up to the Riverside Red Wave managerial position in their last year. He continued to the High Desert Mavericks as their first manager, and then was promoted to Wichita Wranglers for 1992. In 1995, Bochy made his first managerial job in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 1996, and led the Padres to the National League pennant in 1998. From 1995 to 2006, Bochy was with San Diego, but when the front office changed prior to the 2007 season, they allowed Bochy to be interviewed by San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean. He ultimately got the job, which he has held ever since. This allowed him to steer the course for the 2010 and 2012 World Series Championships won by the Giants. He is often credited with being one of the better matchup-based managers in the league, and manipulates the team as necessary to get wins. He is known to be in touch with his personnel, especially with members of the bullpen, and is well-liked for a casual-leaning and team-focused clubhouse. These attributes make him popular wherever he is, and behind the scenes, he is a humorous and outgoing person. Bochy is very wise in his managerial style, and because the players buy into his orders, he is able to have many successful teams, as evidenced by his 1454-1444 record.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Bruce Bochy was born on April 16, 1955, in Landes de Boussac, France, as his father was currently stationed with the US Army there. He grew up in Virginia and also Melbourne, Florida, and he graduated from Melbourne High School, having played with Darrell Hammond from Saturday Night Live. For college, Bochy attended Brevard Community College before transferring to Florida State University. In 1975, he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round with the twenty-fourth overall pick of the supplemental draft. From 1978 to 1980, Bochy played catcher with the Astros, but only in a handful of games. He played in 1982 with the New York Mets after missing all of 1981, and then closed out his career with the San Diego Padres from 1983 to 1987. As a hitter, he compiled a career line of a .239 batting average, twenty-six home runs, and ninety-three runs batted in. He started managing with the Spokane Indians in 1989 in the Padres organization, before moving up to the Riverside Red Wave managerial position in their last year. He continued to the High Desert Mavericks as their first manager, and then was promoted to Wichita Wranglers for 1992. In 1995, Bochy made his first managerial job in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 1996, and led the Padres to the National League pennant in 1998. From 1995 to 2006, Bochy was with San Diego, but when the front office changed prior to the 2007 season, they allowed Bochy to be interviewed by San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean. He ultimately got the job, which he has held ever since. This allowed him to steer the course for the 2010 and 2012 World Series Championships won by the Giants. He is often credited with being one of the better matchup-based managers in the league, and manipulates the team as necessary to get wins. He is known to be in touch with his personnel, especially with members of the bullpen, and is well-liked for a casual-leaning and team-focused clubhouse. These attributes make him popular wherever he is, and behind the scenes, he is a humorous and outgoing person. Bochy is very wise in his managerial style, and because the players buy into his orders, he is able to have many successful teams, as evidenced by his 1454-1444 record.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
KHL November 29th 2012
One game on for today, as Dinamo Riga hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov for Dynamo and Mikael Tellqvist for Dinamo tend the twines. Moscow led off with a second period goal by Ilya Gorokhov, coming off of Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo added on as Denis Kokarev scored, with the help of Alexei Tsvetkov and Andrei Mironov. Moscow extended the lead as Dmitry Pestunov potted the puck, with a lone assist provided by Alexander Ovechkin. Riga got on the board in the third period when Mathieu Carle scored a power play goal, powered by Alexandre Giroux and Paul Szczechura. They got no closer, losing 3-1, with the three stars going to Kokarev, Sharychenkov (29 for 30 in saves), and Gorokhov.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 31
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-one tells us a little bit about each of the particular coaches involved with the Giants team.
Tim Flannery was born September 29th, 1957, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Anaheim High School, where he earned all-league honors in baseball. He was a hot prospect in the San Diego Padres organization, and played with them from 1979-1989, where he accumulated a career line of .255 batting average, 209 runs batted in, and only nine home runs over the eleven years he played. His minor league success never transferred over to the major leagues, and played his last major-league game on his thirty-second birthday. Despite his lack of success, he was a fan favorite with the Padres, and the support he received in his last game was immense, from gifts to a standing ovation that halted the game. He again worked his way through the minors after his playing career was done, managing the Padres' Class A Short Season affiliate in the Northwest League, the Spokane Indians. The next season, he was in the Class A Advanced California League, managing the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He was then promoted to the Class AAA Las Vegas Stars in 1995. In 1996, he appeared in the majors, as the Padres third base coach under manager Bruce Bochy. He remained on Bochy's staff through 2002, and then rejoined him in 2007 when Bochy earned the managerial job with the San Francisco Giants. He was a member of the 2010 and 2012 World Series winning teams.
Mark Gardner was born on March 1st, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Clovis High School in Clovis, California, before going to California State University in Fresno. His major league playing career saw him play with four teams between 1989 and 2001. Working as a starting pitcher for most of his career, he began with the Montreal Expos. He was traded in 1992 to the Kansas City Royals, where he pitched for a year before being released. Eventually, he signed with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, for 1994 and 1995, before moving along to close out his career with the San Francisco Giants. With the Giants, he began to be used as a spot starter and long reliever, and was one of two Willie Mac Award recipients in 2001 for spirit and leadership. He ended his career with a 4.56 earned run average as well as 1,256 strikeouts in 1,764 and 2/3 innings pitched. He became the Giants bullpen coach in 2003, and has held the position ever since, also earning World Series Championships in 2010 and 2012.
Bill Hayes was born on October 24th, 1957, in Cheverly, Maryland. He went to college at Indiana State University. His major league career consisted of five games with the Chicago Cubs in 1980 and 1981, but he was largely unsuccessful. His extensive minor-league career saw him do about the same between 1978 and 1987. He spent time as a coach with various minor league teams between 1988 and 1997, before coaching in the majors for 1998, and returning to the minors for 1999 through 2002. In 2002, he worked with the San Jose Giants as a manager, and earned the role of bullpen catcher with the San Francisco Giants in 2003. He is a two-time World Series Champion for his bullpen catcher role with the Giants, having been a part of the 2010 and 2012 World Series teams.
Roberto Kelly was born on October 1st, 1964, in Panama City, Panama. He played in all levels of the New York Yankees farm system between 1982 and 1987 before earning his first major league call up. He played as outfielder for his entire career. He played for six years with the Yankees, being named to his first All-Star Game in 1992. The next two season, he played with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was an All-Star again in 1993. He went to the Atlanta Braves in 1994 during a midseason trade. In 1995, he split time between the Montreal Expos after having been traded from the Braves, and then was part of another trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1996, he played for the Minnesota Twins, and also for part of 1997 before being traded for the fifth and final time in his career to the Seattle Mariners. For 1998 and 1999, he played with the Texas Rangers, and then rejoined the Yankees in 2000, where he played his final game on April 18th. He owned an impressive career batting average of .290, while hitting 124 home runs and 585 runs batted in. He moved into a coaching role with the San Francisco Giants, and managed with the Augusta Greenjackets in the Class A South Atlantic League. He earned a reputation for promoting aggressive base-running, and on November 16, 2007, was hired as the Giants first base coach. He has held the position ever since, encouraging even pitchers to be aggressive on the basepaths. He is a two-time World Series Champion with the Giants, having earned titles in 2010 and 2012.
Hensley Meulens was born on June 23, 1967, in Willemstad, Curaçao. He was first signed by the New York Yankees in 1985, and was promoted to the big league team in 1989, where he crossed paths with the previously-mentioned Roberto Kelly. He was unable to replicate the success he had attained in the minor leagues with the Yankees, and they sold his contract to the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1994. He played there for one season before moving along to the Yakult Swallows for 1995 and 1996. He was successful here, winning a Japan Series championship in 1995. He came back to North America in 1997, playing one season with the Montreal Expos and then moving to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 1998. His last major league appearance as a player came on May 14, 1998, although he did play in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2000 with the SK Wyverns. His coaching career began with the Bluefield Orioles in 2003, and then after two season there, he was the Indianapolis Indians hitting coach from 2005-2008 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants Class AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies in 2009, and earned a promotion to the big league team for the same job in 2010, helping them to a World Series title that year and also in 2012. He is also a valuable member of the team because he can speak English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento, and Japanese, which allows him to communicate with many players.
Dave Righetti was born on November 28th, 1958 (happy birthday!) in San Jose, California. He attended Pioneer High School, where he played in the outfield, before being noticed at San Jose City College, where his throwing motion prompted a scout to suggest he try pitching. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers but made his major league debut in 1979 with the New York Yankees. When he finally stuck with the team, he was American League Rookie of the Year in 1981, working primarily as a starting pitcher. On July 4, 1983, Righetti pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. The next season, he began working as a reliever. In 1986 and 1987, Righetti was named to the American League All-Star team. After 1990, Righetti signed with the San Francisco Giants, and pitched there for three years. In 1994, he played for both the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, and then closed out his career in 1995 with the Chicago White Sox. He ended with a career line of a 3.46 earned run average, 1,112 strikeouts, 252 saves, and 1,403 and 2/3 innings pitched. Since 2000, Righetti has been the San Francisco Giants pitching coach, where he has been very successful in helping teach pitchers how to avoid giving up home runs. He is a two-time World Series Champion as the Giants pitching coach.
Ron Wotus was born March 3, 1961, in Hartford, Connecticut, but he grew up in Colchester, Connecticut. He attended Bacon Academy before joining the baseball world. He appeared in a handful of games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983 and 1984, but his career was largely unsuccessful after stints in the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants farm systems. He managed in the minor leagues in the Giants organization from 1991 to 1997, earning the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year title in 1997. In 1998, he was promoted to the Giants major league coaching staff as a third base coach, but became the bench coach in 1999, a job he has retained ever since. During his tenure, the Giants have won World Series Championships in 2010 and 2012.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Tim Flannery was born September 29th, 1957, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Anaheim High School, where he earned all-league honors in baseball. He was a hot prospect in the San Diego Padres organization, and played with them from 1979-1989, where he accumulated a career line of .255 batting average, 209 runs batted in, and only nine home runs over the eleven years he played. His minor league success never transferred over to the major leagues, and played his last major-league game on his thirty-second birthday. Despite his lack of success, he was a fan favorite with the Padres, and the support he received in his last game was immense, from gifts to a standing ovation that halted the game. He again worked his way through the minors after his playing career was done, managing the Padres' Class A Short Season affiliate in the Northwest League, the Spokane Indians. The next season, he was in the Class A Advanced California League, managing the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He was then promoted to the Class AAA Las Vegas Stars in 1995. In 1996, he appeared in the majors, as the Padres third base coach under manager Bruce Bochy. He remained on Bochy's staff through 2002, and then rejoined him in 2007 when Bochy earned the managerial job with the San Francisco Giants. He was a member of the 2010 and 2012 World Series winning teams.
Mark Gardner was born on March 1st, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Clovis High School in Clovis, California, before going to California State University in Fresno. His major league playing career saw him play with four teams between 1989 and 2001. Working as a starting pitcher for most of his career, he began with the Montreal Expos. He was traded in 1992 to the Kansas City Royals, where he pitched for a year before being released. Eventually, he signed with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, for 1994 and 1995, before moving along to close out his career with the San Francisco Giants. With the Giants, he began to be used as a spot starter and long reliever, and was one of two Willie Mac Award recipients in 2001 for spirit and leadership. He ended his career with a 4.56 earned run average as well as 1,256 strikeouts in 1,764 and 2/3 innings pitched. He became the Giants bullpen coach in 2003, and has held the position ever since, also earning World Series Championships in 2010 and 2012.
Bill Hayes was born on October 24th, 1957, in Cheverly, Maryland. He went to college at Indiana State University. His major league career consisted of five games with the Chicago Cubs in 1980 and 1981, but he was largely unsuccessful. His extensive minor-league career saw him do about the same between 1978 and 1987. He spent time as a coach with various minor league teams between 1988 and 1997, before coaching in the majors for 1998, and returning to the minors for 1999 through 2002. In 2002, he worked with the San Jose Giants as a manager, and earned the role of bullpen catcher with the San Francisco Giants in 2003. He is a two-time World Series Champion for his bullpen catcher role with the Giants, having been a part of the 2010 and 2012 World Series teams.
Roberto Kelly was born on October 1st, 1964, in Panama City, Panama. He played in all levels of the New York Yankees farm system between 1982 and 1987 before earning his first major league call up. He played as outfielder for his entire career. He played for six years with the Yankees, being named to his first All-Star Game in 1992. The next two season, he played with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was an All-Star again in 1993. He went to the Atlanta Braves in 1994 during a midseason trade. In 1995, he split time between the Montreal Expos after having been traded from the Braves, and then was part of another trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1996, he played for the Minnesota Twins, and also for part of 1997 before being traded for the fifth and final time in his career to the Seattle Mariners. For 1998 and 1999, he played with the Texas Rangers, and then rejoined the Yankees in 2000, where he played his final game on April 18th. He owned an impressive career batting average of .290, while hitting 124 home runs and 585 runs batted in. He moved into a coaching role with the San Francisco Giants, and managed with the Augusta Greenjackets in the Class A South Atlantic League. He earned a reputation for promoting aggressive base-running, and on November 16, 2007, was hired as the Giants first base coach. He has held the position ever since, encouraging even pitchers to be aggressive on the basepaths. He is a two-time World Series Champion with the Giants, having earned titles in 2010 and 2012.
Hensley Meulens was born on June 23, 1967, in Willemstad, Curaçao. He was first signed by the New York Yankees in 1985, and was promoted to the big league team in 1989, where he crossed paths with the previously-mentioned Roberto Kelly. He was unable to replicate the success he had attained in the minor leagues with the Yankees, and they sold his contract to the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1994. He played there for one season before moving along to the Yakult Swallows for 1995 and 1996. He was successful here, winning a Japan Series championship in 1995. He came back to North America in 1997, playing one season with the Montreal Expos and then moving to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 1998. His last major league appearance as a player came on May 14, 1998, although he did play in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2000 with the SK Wyverns. His coaching career began with the Bluefield Orioles in 2003, and then after two season there, he was the Indianapolis Indians hitting coach from 2005-2008 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants Class AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies in 2009, and earned a promotion to the big league team for the same job in 2010, helping them to a World Series title that year and also in 2012. He is also a valuable member of the team because he can speak English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento, and Japanese, which allows him to communicate with many players.
Dave Righetti was born on November 28th, 1958 (happy birthday!) in San Jose, California. He attended Pioneer High School, where he played in the outfield, before being noticed at San Jose City College, where his throwing motion prompted a scout to suggest he try pitching. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers but made his major league debut in 1979 with the New York Yankees. When he finally stuck with the team, he was American League Rookie of the Year in 1981, working primarily as a starting pitcher. On July 4, 1983, Righetti pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. The next season, he began working as a reliever. In 1986 and 1987, Righetti was named to the American League All-Star team. After 1990, Righetti signed with the San Francisco Giants, and pitched there for three years. In 1994, he played for both the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, and then closed out his career in 1995 with the Chicago White Sox. He ended with a career line of a 3.46 earned run average, 1,112 strikeouts, 252 saves, and 1,403 and 2/3 innings pitched. Since 2000, Righetti has been the San Francisco Giants pitching coach, where he has been very successful in helping teach pitchers how to avoid giving up home runs. He is a two-time World Series Champion as the Giants pitching coach.
Ron Wotus was born March 3, 1961, in Hartford, Connecticut, but he grew up in Colchester, Connecticut. He attended Bacon Academy before joining the baseball world. He appeared in a handful of games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983 and 1984, but his career was largely unsuccessful after stints in the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants farm systems. He managed in the minor leagues in the Giants organization from 1991 to 1997, earning the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year title in 1997. In 1998, he was promoted to the Giants major league coaching staff as a third base coach, but became the bench coach in 1999, a job he has retained ever since. During his tenure, the Giants have won World Series Championships in 2010 and 2012.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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