Outside the elevator

I'll come up for a wisecrack for this...

...How 'bout: "In case of Pentecost, take the stairs"?

Still have to edit the photo.

 

With just over 13 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Big Game...

...it now appears that Michigan in fact did NOT make it past Toledo.

Sad, sickly, little Wolverines. Clearly, there's no Adamantine in these pups.

Current score: Michigan 7, Ohio State 42.

O H!!!! I O!!!!

Next rivalry game: Michigan State at Penn State. We (ouch) want (ouf) the Michigan (ugh) State (ow) Spartans to win so the Buckeyes might possibly go to the Rose Bowl. It is a yucky feeling to cheer for a Michigan team. ANY Michigan team. Almost like wanting Pol Pot to win the lottery, and I'd *never* want that. (Fortunately, he's dead now, so I only have to wish him a nasty place in hell.)

Not the greatest season in Ohio State football history, nor the worst, but still: we beat Michigan!! It's the most important game of the year, and as of this game, the Michigan seniors have never had a chance to beat a Buckeye. >grin<

Beating Michigan is always what matters most.

 

Um... Jumping the Gun, Much???

They don't make any announcements regarding this year's Cy Young Award recipients until this afternoon, yet this is what I just found on Wikipedia under Cliff Lee's entry:

2008 Season

Cliff Lee on the mound at Progressive Field on September 12, 2008.In 2008, Lee had a career year. Despite the Indians playing with a l 500 winning percentage for the season, Lee started the 2008 season with much success. Lee was one of only eight pitchers since 1920 to win 19 or more of his first 21 decisions. He was the first Cleveland pitcher to win his first six starts since Greg Swindell in 1988. He also recorded his first career shutout on April 25, 2008, against the Kansas City Royals, allowing just 3 hits and 0 walks.[9] He had the lowest On-base percentage-against at .163 through five starts since 1909. For his efforts and success, he was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for April, when he went 5-0 with a 0.96 ERA. .[10] Lee was selected to his first All-Star game in 2008, and was selected to start the game. Lee worked two scoreless innings for the American League team, surrendering only a Chipper Jones base hit and striking out three.[11]

On August 26, Lee won his 19th game of the season, yielding only 2 runs to the Detroit Tigers.[12] This victory set a new career high for Lee, besting his previous mark of 18 wins set during the 2005 season. On September 1, Lee won his 20th game of the season, throwing a complete game shutout. He was the first Indian to reach 20 wins since Gaylord Perry in 1974.[13] In August, for the second time in the 2008 season, Lee was named American League Pitcher of the Month. He went 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA in the month. On September 12, Lee won his 22nd game, making his record 22-2 on the season. This marked the first time a pitcher had gone 20 wins over .500 since Bob Welch in 1990. Overall to end a career year, Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 170 strikeouts. He started 31 games, completed 4, and had 2 shutouts. He pitched a total of 223⅓ innings. Lee ended the season as the American League champion for both wins and ERA.

On September 30, 2008, Lee was awarded the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Lee was awarded the Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Pitcher of the Year, and AL Comeback Player of the year, by fellow players.

Lee was also given The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award and The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award for his 2008 season.

Lee's 2008 winning percentage of 88% was the twelfth best of all time, and the fourth best by a pitcher starting a minimum of 30 games. Coincidently, the three pitchers ahead of Lee also pitch left-handed (Randy Johnson, Ron Guidry, and Lefty Grove). Lee's winning percentage is the second best in Indians history, behind Johnny Allen's 93.8% (15 wins, 1 loss, in 24 games) in 1937.

In 2008, he also won the AL Cy Young Award for his outstanding pitching in the season

[edit] See also
List of Major League Baseball wins champions
List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

Trippy, huh?

Notice how the important sentence is incomplete. The boldface and italics were added by me.

It'd be great if it's true. In fact, it will be rather suspect if Lee doesn't win. No American League pitcher had a better season this year. However, no one should have this information reported on a website at this time of this day. A leak of this sort is more appropriate on ESPN or MLB.com...

Wikipedia? REALLY??? (Yes, that's a link to the article referenced!!)

 

I'm late with this post. Wait...

...no, I'm not going to say it (you know where I was going, though, right???). I AM going to post a silly web comic, because when something sad or scary happens, I take comfort in humor. And this week something sad happened, so here's the silly before the big sad:

Subscribe to Doug Savage's daily insanity-on-a-sticky-note HERE.



Herb Score in 1958, from The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday morning Cleveland learned we lost a local sports giant. Herb Score, Indians pitching great and radio voice of the Tribe for decades, passed away at the age of 75.

He'd been retired since 1997, so we've been without his voice as a broadcaster for over a decade. Still, it seems a little less Cleveland-y right now.


Herb at Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in August, 2005 from MLB.com.

Enjoy your Endless Field of Dreams, Herb. I hope you get to pitch one now and again.

 

My new status is...

..."Dorky Nerd God."





Because I SOOOOOO needed a generic internet test to tell me something I didn't already know...

It does fail to mention the difference between nerds and geeks, and the fact that I am a world class champion geek, too. Sans lightbulb-eating skills and proclivity to travel in scary, old-fashioned-y Ray Bradbury-esque carnivals.

 

Just some fun and mindless entertainment today.

A fun break from the election hoopla. A little nostalgia, a little video game mash-up!

Anyway, it's Mel's fault. She mentioned it on Facebook today, and I can't get it out of my head. This has to be the ultimate earworm, because it comes with flashing lights and pictures. I can't stop dancing to it.

Which is no bad thing!!

 

Browns WIN!

Browns WIN!
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

'Nuff sed.

I have no voice.

Wow. What a game. We didn't leave our seats once.

Let's hope they have more games like this.

 

Another glorious scoreboard addition

Another glorious scoreboard addition
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

NYG 14, CLE 27. And it's neither a blizzard nor driving rain nor bone-shattering cold. Other than several stupid (mildly put!) penalties, the Browns might even come out of this game without shame. I forget the word for that...rhymes with ride and wide and glide...

Head-shakingly amazing. I am utterly gob-smacked. We could win this one!

I mean, we probably will, but I don't want to commit to that. Not til the game's over, at least. If I do before the game's over that'll be the very instant the Giants are infused with superhuman strength and we'll see the comeback of the century at the expense of a Cleveland team. Again.

 

With 47 seconds to go in the first half!

With 47 seconds to go in the first half!
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Ahh. Took a while, but there it is, that Clevelandest of sounds: the aggressive chanting of the name of male bovine feces. Excellent.

The NFL in Cleveland at its finest, broadcast internationally. I'm so proud.

A round of testosterone for me, please! Better make it a double. I can't keep up.

 

Who made that game? Coleco? Mattel?

Who made that game? Coleco? Mattel?
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Heh. Sorta looks like that game where the metal field vibrates and the player-pieces move around randomly?

 

Ooooh--ORANGE All Over the Stadium!

Ooooh--ORANGE All Over the Stadium!
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

TAKEN JUST PRIOR TO THE INTERCEPTION! YEAHYEAHYEAH!!!

Oh. I mean: this was a thoroughly satisfying play. I quite enjoyed that. Here's hoping they do it again.

AND ANOTHER 20 YARDS!! YEEAAH!!!

 

Is Belichick in Town?

Is Belichick in Town?
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

JesusKali&Ishtar.

It's Eric Metcalf. And he's *IN THE MIDDLE*!!!!

Oh. Phew. It's just time for the coin toss. For a bad second there, I was having very scary flashbacks to a playbook with only one play in it.

 

An Excellent Argument in Favor of Procreation

This is a child's t-shirt, available by clicking HERE in sizes from 0-6mos. all the way up to 5T/6T, in a decent array of colors, including the black that's shown. I imagine the baby blue and baby pink are very popular, though, and good for greater irony points.

This shirt is full of win!

And really: isn't the most important about raising your child properly that you share traditions and values that encourage that child to be a better citizen? This t-shirt begins to prime that pump.

 

Vote for the name. Choose your favorite or the one that fits justice!

A. Ryan DEmpster.

B. Ryan DUmpster.

It's a Chicago thing, so vote early, vote often!!

Come ON, Cubs. Millions of fans agonize over Every. Pitch. And. Swing. Of. The. Bat. GO CUBS!!!

 

Crazy Condiments & Running Bunned Meats!

The Sugardale Hotdog Derby is a hoot. Tonight's spectacle was part silly, part World Wrestling Federation antics, which compounds and underscores the "silly" label.

 

Gary Sh(EFFINGIDIOT)field, Humanitarian

Gary Sheffield, barroom brawler extraordinaire and sometime Detroit Tawney Kittaen, put his muscles to work proactively (for a change) and ended a going-no-where inning with an expertly placed ground out.

Bravo, Gary! Who knows to what heights you might hoist yourself, given the right guidance!

Aaarrgghh!! We need a pirate's 'tude!

We had a chance to plonk Gary Sheffield on the top of the 1st inning. While the option to NOT do it may be seen as good sportsmanship, and while I may approve wholeheartedly of that, the Indians *WHOPPINGLY MISSED* a strategic opportunity.

If Tribe pitcher Jeremy Sowers would have beaned Detroit batter Sheffield, he'd've reached on HBP, not by a double. No big deal right? Because nobody scored.

*HERE'S* the big deal: if Sowers had been the first pitcher to hit a batter, the Indians *and* the Tigers get a warning, and THE NEXT PITCHER GETS TOSSED.

How much you wanna bet Jim Leyland's coaching staff (mgr of the Detroit Tigers; though not he himself -- he's got a weekend 'discipline pass') took advantage of that as soon as White Hat Eric Wedge passed on it??

Wuss vs Puss.

 

Re*Deem*Re*Dream

Re*Deem*Re*Dream
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Good thing for Coach K's unflappable leadership. It's a breathless kind of game in today's semifinal v Argentina.

First quarter was breathless, because of the overwhelming and unquestionable dominance by Team USA. Second quarter, because sleeping giant Argentina woke up despite the loss of star player Manu Ginobili, rallying to come within 8 points of the Redeem Team at more than one point. SIX points, even! Breathless, AND nailbiting!

Folks, we got ourselves a basketball game!

 

OMIGOODNESS, almost a week into the event...

I'm participating in the Ravelympics.

It's Ravelry's nod to the 2008 Olympics, and the fact that people who knit, crochet, and spin can't sit in front of the tv without something to do with their hands. Ravelry, of course, being a social network for people (ahem) addicted to the aforementioned habits.

Here's the button that proclaims my participation:



Hooray!! Let the knitting and crocheting begin... er, I've already begun...

Well????

The rules CLEARLY state we can start as soon as the Opening Ceremonies start. I started almost 24 hours later.

And that's about right. I'm knitting and crocheting for Team Angstylvania.

 

I have a new favorite...

...Indians player.

His name is Matt LaPorta. He was one of the players acquired when the Tribe traded Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers. There was a collective gasp of horror and astonishment when we lost our Ace for a handful of prospects, including this fellow, who plays for Akron.

This week he's in Beijing, representing the United States in the last year that Baseball is an official Olympic sport.

I can't wait to see how he does. He's highly rated, a sincerely hot prospect. I haven't been this excited about a baseball player since Joey Belle.

Yep. Joey.

And you know how long that's been.