In the past week, we have ended the 2008 Major League Baseball Season, begun the 2008/2009 NBA Season, ended a 33 year streak of Bowl Appearances by Michigan, ended the Calaveras Redskins string of MLL Championships and started the second half of the NFL Season. 

Phillies won the rain delayed final game of the World Series to win their Second World Championship.  It was fitting that Brad Lidge was on the mound for the Phillies. Lidge was a dominating closer for the Astros in 2005, until Luis Pujols hit a monstrous shot off him in the Playoffs.  Lidge then went to the mental zone that has a tendency to suck up pitchers for no reason. Lidge went into the pitchers black hole, inconsistent and no where near his former self.  He ended up with the Phillies and for the 2008 season, he was perfect as a reliever with no blown saves. 

Continue reading "Hot Stove Season"

He just keeps ticking, worn out old Greg Maddox won his 18th Gold Glove this past week. 

The playoff seedings in the MLL are set now.  Argonaut as the number one seed gets the 3rd place team in the WAC, Calaveras in the number 2 spot gets to drive down to Escalon and Summerville travels to Modesto for a game with Central Catholic.  Prospects don't look too good for an advance to the second round of any of the three teams, but as my good friend Ben always says, "You never know."

The Calaveras Redskins secured the second position with a convincing win over Summerville last night.  Summerville presented a glimpse at the future, with a solid sophomore Quarterback and a core of receivers that will be able to challange Argonaut and Calaveras in the upcoming years.  The Redskin JV squad upped their record to 9-0.

Continue reading "Saturday Ramblings"

Let’s start off today with a thank you to all the men and women who have represented our country in the Armed Forces.  If it weren’t for the sacrifices that these Americans have made, we would be able to live our lives with the freedom and choice that we all enjoy.  Thank you.
 
The one positive from the 2008 season for the Giants, Tim Lincicum, was rewarded for his extraordinary effort this past summer with National League's Cy Young Award. Lincicum dominated National League hitters during the season and is just plain nasty on the hill.  Lincicum beat out 4 other formidable pitchers, Lidge, Webb, Santana and Sabbathia.  The question surrounding Lincicum is can he hold up to the rigors of pitching in the major leagues.  His size and power remind many of Pedro Martinez.  Martinez was one of the top and most dominating pitchers for years. But Martinez eventually began to break down.  Throwing a baseball with as much effot and velocity as Martinez and Lincicum do, takes a tremendous toll on your arm and body.  Our hope is that he will be one of the exceptions and represent the Giants for many years to come. 

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Each year the Calaveras Redskins and the Bret Harte Bullfrogs meet on a Friday evening in November in a cross county rivalry that dates back a few generations.  To victor goes the bell.  The bell has resided in San Andreas almost permanently for as far back as most of us can remember.  Every year, all teams enter their seasons with great hopes and dreams, and this season was no different.  Every year, the residents of Calaveras County wonder if this will be the year that Bret Harte beats arch enemy Calaveras.  And remember this is a rivalry that goes to the soul of both schools. There is nothing like a loss to the other school that eats at your gut more. 

This game is about emotion and desire.  After a season which seemed to rejuvinate the Bullfrog program in 2007, Bret Harte had high hopes coming into 2008.  The Redskins on the other hand were dealing with a coaching change and a smaller team then they normally field.  Was this going to be the year?  All summer the talk starts, is this going to be the year that Bret Harte knocks off the Redskins.  As they work their way through the season, everyone starts sizing up the regular season ending match.  And as we worked our way through the 2008 season, it was apparent that Bret Harte was not going to be able to live up to it's preseason expectations.  The Redskins stumbled out of the starting blocks, but gathered themselves in the final week before league games began.  This is one of thoes games that you can throw records out the door, because emotion takes over and often a weaker Bret Harte squad will give the Redskins a battle. 

Continue reading "The Bell Stays in San Andreas"

The weekend sports started off real well, Calaveras dropped Bret Harte to sew up 2nd place in the MLL.  The Redskins will travel to Escalon on Friday to take on the powerful TVL Champion Cougars.  It will be a tough battle for the Redskins, but you every once in a while David takes out Goliath.  The first key is for the players and team to approach the week with the idea that this is what we need to be successful and not focus on anything else.  The coaches will put together a game plan that will give the players a chance to win.  The players needs to trust the coaches and focus on executing the game plan. The focus is not to win, but to execute and when you prepare correctly and execute, the winning will take care of itself.

Hard times have fallen on Hartnell College Football, a very successful program up through the 80's can't seem to get it rolling anymore.  The Panthers lost Saturday in their season finale against Monterey Peninsula College.  With the win, MPC completed their first ever undefeated season. 

Continue reading "Monday Hangover"

Everybody loves the underdog, who doesn't get an adrenline rush at the end of Hoosiers and Remember the Titans.  When you get into championship high school sports, the playoffs, there seems to be a group of schools and leagues that year in and year out compete for the Section/State Title. In Division V football in Central California the teams from the Greater Modesto Area have dominated the Section for the past armful of years.  Particularly Central Catholic and Escalon High Schools.  There are both the one constant. 

The Mother Lode League running along Hwy 49 from Sutter Creek in the North to Tuolumne City in the South, with right turn in the middle to Linden, is the smaller third league in this division.  Often the representatives of the MLL are overmatched when they have to face the Valley Teams in the Section playoffs.  In 2004, Argonaut rode a waive of first round upsets to the Section Title.

Continue reading "Friday Night Lights"