World Series Update #1

In case you missed it: Game Six of the 1986 World Series-- bottom of the 10th inning

Baseball Playoff Update #4

Above: Vladimir Guerrero of the California Angels hits a 9th inning single to center field to drive in two runs and lead the Angels to a 7-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Going into the 9th inning, the Red Sox were leading 6-4. Boston reliever Jonathan Papelbon got the first two outs but then gave up three hits and two walks to allow the Angels to take the lead. Boston is now eliminated from the playoffs.

Abandoned Books and/or Movies #2

Becoming Manny: Inside the Life of Baseball's Most Enigmatic Slugger; written by Jean Rhodes (professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston) and Shawn Boburg (reporter at The Record in Bergen County, New Jersey); authorized by Manny Ramirez (leftfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, formerly of the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians).

Fun facts you might learn if you read this book:

• As a child, Manny Ramirez suffered from an "intense fear of the dark." (page 23)
• Manny Ramirez's great-grandmother worked as a nanny for the children of the Dominican Republic's "tyrannical dictator, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo." (page 15) (Trujillo pictured below)

• In high school, rather than attend class, Manny Ramirez enjoyed hanging out in the lunchroom and talking to his girlfriend Kathy, friends, baseball fans, security guards, and cafeteria workers. (page 73)

Above, Manny Ramirez versus a fly ball

I read up to page 91 (out of 304) in this book, when Manny Ramirez was a junior in high school. At that point, I stopped reading, because I decided that the book was boring.

Note: Becoming Manny was published in early 2009, so it does not cover Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Manny Ramirez returns from his suspension tonight, in a game against the San Diego Padres.

What I have been reading lately #8

Sparky Lyle wrote The Bronx Zoo in 1978, his last year with the New York Yankees. 1978 was not the year Chris Chambliss hit the home run to win the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and then barely made it around the bases to score. That was 1976. 1978 also was not the year Lyle won the Cy Young Award and Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three straight pitches in Game 6 of the World Series against the LA Dodgers. That was 1977. 1978 was the year that the Yankees came back late in the season to catch the collapsing Boston Red Sox and then beat them in a one game playoff. I remember that game well: I was in 5th grade and my History teacher, Mr. Philbrick (who was from Maine), let us listen to the game in class. I heard Bucky Dent's home run in the car on the way home (or maybe it was Reggie Jackson's less-well-remembered HR that I heard), and I saw Yaz pop out to Nettles to end the game at home on the tiny black-and-white television set in the kitchen. It's amazing how times have changed - back then I was devastated by the Red Sox loss but turned around and rooted for the Yankees to beat the squeaky-clean Dodgers in the World Series. Now I can't stand either the Red Sox or the Yankees.

Manny Ramirez makes a catch to start a double play

I'm not much of a fan of the Red Sox, but even I can't resist Manny Ramirez. Here's a clip of him making a nice running catch and then throwing the ball back in to get a double play last week against the Baltimore Orioles. Why is this so interesting? Notice how he makes sure to give the Red Sox fan in the bleachers a high-five in the middle of the play!




For more info, check out:

http://deadspin.com/5009336/talking-to-mannys-high-five-friend

and

http://www.thelostogle.com/2008/05/16/a-lost-ogle-q-a-the-manny-ramirez-high-five-guy/