Category Archives: Baseball

Diss & Data 8/21: More Peyton +++

Baseball, Basketball, Football

The major point here is to write a bit more about Peyton Siva on the occasion of his elevation to U of L assistant coach.

But first a few disses and datas.

 * * * * *

U of L is going to honor a couple members of the AFROS.

Which is, let’s be honest, one of the great acronyms in the history of college football.

America’s Finest Receivers On Saturdays.

Which is what Cardinal wideouts dubbed themselves in the late 90s.

On November 14, Arnold Jackson gets the well deserved kudos.

300 career catches. 3670 yards. 15 grabs one day against Cincy.

On 11/29, it’s homie DeVante Parker getting his due.

In ’13 alone, he caught a dozen TD passes, and totaled 885 total yards.  156 snares and 2775 for his career in the Red & Black.

The acknowledgement of these AFROS had me delving back into the archives of how-can-Seedy-turn-this-into-a-self-indulgent-story-on-himself. Which follows. Continue reading Diss & Data 8/21: More Peyton +++ →

A Tale of Two CardCatchers

Baseball, ,

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.

You know who Herold “Muddy” Ruel is, right?

Scored the winning run of the ’24 World Series.

Ace Walter Johnson’s go to battery mate.

OK, probably not.

More pertinent to today’s exercise is that he is said to have coined one of the national pastime’s best bits of slang.

No, not “can of corn,” one of my personal faves.

Tools of Ignorance.

Which resonates especially for me, because I was behind the plate by default in Little League. Because I was husky, slow, couldn’t bend well enough for grounders, and was always scared of fly balls.

Except for some strange reason, pop ups, which I could handle behind the plate.

Tools of Ignorance = Catcher’s equipment. Mask. Cup. Chest protector. Shin guards. The armor of the position.

Why, other than for the reasons previously mentioned, would an intelligent soul want to man a position where he’d get hit often by foul balls, the occasional late swing or Pete Rose barreling toward the plate with every intention of knocking you into the Ohio?

To have to don the Tools of Ignorance? Continue reading A Tale of Two CardCatchers →

Midweek Dis & Data

Baseball, Basketball, College Sports, Football, ,

I wanted to start with U of L football.

Honest, I really really did.

But just have to mention that film clip first.

You know the one. Pat Kelsey answering a question posed by ACC Network’s Wes Durham. (I think it was him.) Glorious Editor posted it in his last News & Notes. I trust that all true Cardinal fans have watched it, or at least heard about it by now.

Responding to what’s your favorite movie, PK immediately responds “Hoosiers.”

Imagine our surprise.

Then tells how a HS teammate and he watched the b-ball parts of flick every single day after practice one post season.

Then he shares that the Bobby Plump character Jimmy Chitwood netted 44 of 49 shots for Hickory High he took in the beloved film. Continue reading Midweek Dis & Data →

Detroit Tigers’ Amazing Season Continues

Baseball

Warning: If my Detroit Tigers continue this magical season, I’ll be posting a bunch about it. 

Tigers beat Cleveland 7-2 Sunday afternoon.

If ever there was a more deceptive final score in any sport, you’ll have to prove it to me.

This was the paradigm of “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

But, first of course, before the recap, my usual self indulgence. How I came to watch every pitch of the out of market game.

 * * * * *

Son of Motown, the Tigers have been my team, even after moving to Louisville when I was three. Saw Al Kaline play against Cleveland in mid 50s, batting against Mike Garcia and Don Mossi. Was at Briggs Stadium one other time in ’62 for a game against KC Athletics.

Went with some pals last summer to Cincy, and got to see Tarik Skubal pitch a masterpiece against the Reds.

Beyond any expectations, Detroit has been hot all season after their surprising run to the playoffs last year. Best record in MLB, even after dropping three to Dodgers to open season.

My inner Little Leaguer is roaring. Have been gamecasting outings. Less than optimal.

The TV schedules indicated the Tigers game was going to be on Fox Saturday night.

It wasn’t.

Frustrated, Sunday morning I sprang for a Benjamin to watch them play on mlb.tv for the rest of the year.

 * * * * *

What a friggin’ game.

Skubal shut down the Guardians for 7 full. 0 runs. 3 hits. 10 Ks. No BBs.

Cleveland’s Gavin Williams matched him. Going 6, surrendering a lone Tiger hit and no runs.

The bullpens were tweedly, but still no scoring until bottom of 8th. When Steven Kwan’s two bagger plated a Cleveland run.

Top of the 9th. Cleveland’s closer Emmanuel Clase on the mound.

Leadoff Spencer Torkelson HBP. Wencel Perez flies out. Strategist maestro AJ Hinch pinch ran speedy Zach McKinstry.

Who stole second, after being called out on field, overturned on review. Made it to 3d on a ground out.

Parker Meadows at the plate. Two down. 1-2 count. Tigers a strike away from losing.

Clase’s slider in the dirt rolls through catcher Bo Naylor’s legs. McKinstry scores standing.

1-1.

Ah, Baseball.

Tigers bullpen depleted, Chase Lee back on the mound in bottom of 9th. Gives up a leadoff double. Then induces a fly out to CF, a ground out to 1st, which McKinstry who has never played 1B in the majors handles easily with a borrowed mitt, and a line out to 3d.

In the top of the 10th, Tigers roared.

Led improbably by Louisville’s own Trey Sweeney, who unproductive was demoted last week spending 48 hours as a Mud Hen in Toledo until recalled because of an injury to Kerry Carpenter.

He proceeded to hit a three run homer. His first ever in the majors to opposite field.

Followed by a two run long ball by Riley Greene, who inexplicably had been to that point 0/22 against Cleveland for the season.

Cleveland scored an unimportant run in bottom.

From a strike away from 0-1 L to 7-2 W.

These Tigers are gritty.

Which has given rise to catchphrase, Gritty Tigs.

Which to be honest, I don’t especially like.

I’ll just say, Bless You Boys.

— c d kaplan

 

U of L CardFile: Coastal Carolina

Baseball,

The Louisville Cardinal Nine’s magic carpet ride to and in the CWS was, for all intents and purposes, crash landed at 2:34 EDT Wednesday afternoon.

Less than a half an hour after opening pitch.

At which juncture, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers had plated 5.

The Cardinals, who didn’t tally in the top of the 1st, had yet to get a guy out yet in the bottom.

How such happens at this time of the season is somewhat explicable.

To win a title in college baseball, a school needs depth, experience and strategic acuity. Luck helps too.

CC started Riley Eikhoff.

Sixth year senior.

6-2 on the campaign. 2.90 ERA. 63 Ks. 10 BBs. In 80 2/3 innings on the mound.

Dan McDonnell chose not to start ace Patrick Forbes, despite the fact he had four full days rest. (Forbes, who had an injury plagued season, did throw 100+ pitches in that last outing.)

Instead a fellow named Colton Hartman took to the bump. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Coastal Carolina →

Cardinal CWS Chatter

Baseball,

The Louisville Cardinal Nine has jammed their way to college baseball’s Final Four.

This is the equivalent of making it to the last Saturday of Hoops with Ian, Grant and Bill on the call.

Like ascending to the CFP semis with Chris and Herbie in the booth.

It’s way cool.

Which is why even I, Mr. Throw Up Some Diversionary Smoke Screen in the Lede, knows better.

And, which meandering I declined the propensity to do after hearing a live version this morning of Bob Marley’s “Jammin'” with a reference to Zion I could have play around with.

The Cards are jammin’.

And hope the fans are jammin’ too.

And hoping the jam is going to last. Continue reading Cardinal CWS Chatter →

U of L CardFile: Oregon State II

Baseball,

In a game as fuhrcackta* as U of L’s 7-6 walk off over Oregon State to stay alive in the CWS, it seems here not as obvious as it may seem to designate the key factor for the victory.

*It’s a Yiddish word, probably misspelled, but I doubt I need to define it for you, if you were tuned into the 9th inning. (If not, shame on ya.)

Of course, slugger Eddie King Jr.’s gotta have RBI sac fly was the clincher.

But in an exciting game in which the Cards’ blunders in the top of the last allowed the Beavers to catch up, and a couple of miscues by OSU in the bottom set the stage for the good guys to steal it back, there have to be some small moments along the way which informed how these schools got there.

Or so I would opine.

Consider how it all ended for Alex Alicia. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Oregon State II →

U of L CardFile: Arizona

Baseball,

There’s a reason why this deep dive into the Cardinals survival W over Arizona won’t be so deep, or such a dive into the nuances. A reason why it will be scattershot.

Because the manner of how U of L extended its stay in Omaha was so dipsy doodle, so whirly twirly, so psychedelic.

Back in the day, we who imbibed were advised that in the years, decades to come we would experience flashbacks.

Few and far between they’ve been, but cherished nonetheless.

The bottom of the 8th was the latest, psychedelic. I can think of no more appropriate descriptor.

The Cardinals, down 2-3 with six outs to play with, plated a half dozen.

A sixburger.

Actually three double cheeseburgers, one with everything, one with mayo and pickles no onions, one with lettuce and tomato and Savannah Banana peppers. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Arizona →

U of L CardFile: Oregon State

Baseball,

Carpe Momentum.

Translation (Thank you interweb interpreter): Seize the Moment.

In U of L’s CWS opener Friday evening against Oregon State, one team did, the other didn’t.

The nine that did, Beavers.

The squad that didn’t, Cardinals.

When the top of the 4th rolled around, which school would strike first was still lurking in the twilight shadows in Omaha.

Literally, as there were dark and light and dark shadows alternating between the bump and the plate. Neither side’s batters could clearly read the hurling of Dax Whitney and Patrick Forbes. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Oregon State →

A Chronicler’s Mea Culpa

Baseball, Sportswriting,

“Or, so it seemed.”

If only I’d read the tip from a wiser scribe than myself, you my ostensibly loyal readers might have read something here about the Louisville Cardinal Nine’s loss on Saturday.

But . . . well . . . I didn’t hear the advice . . . and you didn’t get a gamecap. Which you probably wouldn’t have read anyway, because the Cards lost, which generally is the proximate cause of fewer views among the fan base.

So here as Paul Harvey would intone is the rest of the story.

For some inexplicable reason, I wrote a lede to my planned Saturday game recap in advance. In which I used the term “CWS-bound Cards” even though the game had not been played yet. Continue reading A Chronicler’s Mea Culpa →