Mud Hens complete sweep of Norfolk
Brian Matusz couldn’t stop the Toledo Mud Hens Thursday afternoon at Harbor Park, and the Norfolk Tides were swept with an 11-3 defeat in front of 5,656 fans.
Matusz (0-3, 4.72) lasted just 3.2 innings, his shortest outing of the year after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits. The former first round draft pick ran into trouble in the 2nd inning after allowing the first three batters to reach base. Ben Guez put the visitors on the board with an RBI single. One out later, Max St. Pierre increased the lead with a bases loaded, RBI single of his own. The Mud Hens added two more runs in the frame on an error by Brendan Harris and a sacrifice fly by Argenis Diaz.
Jake Fox did his best to bring the Tides back, knocking a three-run homer in the 3rd inning that brought the home team to within 5-3, but the troubles for Matusz continued before he was run from the game after allowing an RBI single to Danny Worth in the 4th inning.
Nick Bierbrodt didn’t fare much better in relief of Matusz. Following an RBI single from Guez, Clete Thomas crushed a three-run homer off the bottom of the scoreboard in right-center field that broke the game open for Toledo.
Brayan Villarreal (2-5, 4.68) kept the Tides off balance all afternoon and allowed just three batters to reach scoring position. He lasted 6.0 innings and gave up three runs on five hits.
Will Startup served up a home run to Guez on the first pitch he tossed in the 6th inning. It was the only hit Startup allowed in 2.0 innings. Jose Diaz and Jeremy Accardo each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
The Tides will welcome Gwinnett to town Friday night at 7:15 for the start of a four-game series. RH Mitch Atkins (2-3, 3.11) will take the ball for Norfolk opposite RH Todd Redmond (6-8, 3.24).
The first 2,000 kids 17 & under will receive a Norfolk Tides Baseball Card Set (1-of-3) compliments of John’s Tax Service. Former Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor will also make an appearance to sign autographs for fans throughout the game.
Tides drop 4-3 decision to Toledo
The Norfolk Tides dug themselves an early hole Wednesday night at Harbor Park before falling to the Toledo Mud Hens 4-3 in front of 4,162 fans.
Chris Tillman (3-3, 4.17) nearly didn’t make it out of the 1st inning after surrendering four-straight two-out hits that led to four runs from the visitors. Jeff Salazar put the visitors ahead with an RBI single that plated Argenis Diaz. The Mud Hens added a second run on a double steal that saw Timo Perez successfully steal home after Adam Donachie threw down to second base. Hits by Danny Worth and Clete Thomas added the other two runs for Toledo.
Tillman settled down after the early trouble, retiring 11 consecutive batters before giving up a one-out single in the 6th inning. His night ended after 6.0 innings. He was charged with four runs (three earned) and gave up nine hits. He also struck out four batters and walked one.
As Tillman settled in, the Tides closed the gap. Brandon Snyder scored the home team’s first run on a wild pitch from starter Adam Wilk in the 4th inning. Norfolk added two more runs in the 5th inning on a Jake Fox RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Snyder. The Tides put the tying run in scoring position on five separate occasions after cutting the lead to a run but couldn’t produce a big hit.
Ryan Perry (3-0, 1.69) earned the win in relief after Wilk didn’t go the necessary 5.0 innings to qualify. The reliever tossed 2.0 shutout innings but twice stranded the tying run at second base. He allowed two hits on the night and walked one while striking out two.
Chance Ruffin earned his seventh save of the season by tossing a shaky 9th inning. The closer gave up consecutive singles to leadoff the final frame, but Snyder grounded into a double play that turned the momentum and Robbie Widlansky struck out to the end the game.
The same two teams will play the finale Thursday afternoon at 12:15. LH Brian Matusz (0-2, 2.74) will try to salvage the series for the Tides opposite RH Brayan Villarreal (1-5, 4.70).
A blood drive will be held in the Harbor Park parking lot Thursday from 10:00-3:00. Fans that give blood will be rewarded with a free Tides ticket that can be used anytime this season.
Weekend Watchdog: Riding into Paris
Who’s leading the Tour de France? Who knows?
It’s not Lance Armstrong, I know that. At least you know where it’s going to end.
Versus closes its three-week trek through France this weekend. The racers go through the Alps in stages Thursday and Friday, and have a time trial in Grenoble Saturday before the closing ride into Paris.
Back in the States, Atlanta heads to Cincinnati, getting coverage Saturday on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. FOX also has the Tigers at Twins and the Padres’ visit to Philadelphia, while TBS shows the Mariners at Boston Sunday afternoon.
It’s east meets west this weekend on MASN. The Orioles host the Angels on MASN, while the Nationals are in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on MASN2.
NASCAR has the weekend off, but the IndyCar racers are in Edmonton Sunday at 2 p.m. on Versus. The Nationwide racers will hit the track, starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday from Nashville on ESPN.
CBS heads north of the border for the Canadian Open Saturday and Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. The senior golfers hung around the United Kingdom for this week’s Senior Open championship. ESPN2 coverage starts at noon Thursday and Friday, and coverage continues throughout the weekend on ESPN.
MLS continues the World Football Challenge through the weekend. Chicago takes on Manchester United Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 while L.A. meets Manchester City Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
Comcast has Major League Lacrosse Saturday at 7 p.m., with Long Island taking on Chesapeake.
World Team Tennis hosts its final Sunday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. Gearing up for the U.S. Open, ESPN2 shows action from the Atlanta Tennis Championship. It takes the air Friday at 4 and 7 p.m., then Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The World Cup of Softball goes Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with the United States taking on the Czech Republic. Friday at 8 p.m., it’s the U.S. vs. Australia, and Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 Japan faces the United States. The U.S. meets Great Britain Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
Hit the beach and the half-pipe for the Dew Tour Pantech Open Saturday and Sunday afternoon on NBC.
Lynchburg wins finale with P-Nats
In his first start since June 27, LHP Dimasther Delgado carved up the Nationals lineup to the tune of no runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out five through six innings pitched. The Hillcats led 3-0 when he left the game and held on to win 3-1.
After being held for scoreless the past two nights, not scoring a run in 20 consecutive innings, the Hillcats woke the bats up early Wednesday night. Andrelton Simmons pulled the first pitch of the game down the third base line for a double. Two batters later, Phil Gosselin sent his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall to put the ‘Cats up 2-0.
The Hillcats added another in the sixth with the benefit of a hit. Simmons led off with a walk. He then advanced to second on a balk. A sacrifice bunt pushed Simmons to third. Gosselin struck again with a fly ball to shallow right-center field, but deep enough for Simmons to score on Potomac’s center fielder Eury Perez. The Hillcats led 3-0.
Delgado was taken out of the game after six scoreless frames, and the Nationals took advantage right away. Sandy Leon homered off reliever Matt Crim in the seventh to cut the Lynchburg lead to 3-1.
After Crim, Eliecer Cardenas and Ryan Buchter combined for two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth securing the win for the Hillcats.
LHP Danny Rosenbaum went all nine for the Nationals. He surrendered three earned runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out seven in the loss.
The Hillcats split the series 2-2 with Potomac and now sit at 9-17 in the second half, still in fourth place in the Northern Division.
Next up for the ‘Cats are the Salem Red Sox. Lynchburg will start a three-game set in Salem tomorrow night at 7:05 pm. Listen live to all the action starting with the Hilcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg going on the air at 6:40 pm on 105.5 KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com.
Salem snaps seven-game losing skid
Kolbrin Vitek’s two-run double, part of a four-run fifth inning for the Sox, snapped a two-all tie and helped Salem squash its seven-game losing streak, downing Frederick 5-3 on Wednesday night at LewisGale Field. Anthony Ranaudo earned his first victory since June 8, dealing five strong innings to lead the Sox to the winners’ circle for the first time since July 11. In addition, Salem’s triumph halted a ten-game losing streak against Frederick, as the Sox beat the Keys for the first time since April 17.
Ranaudo allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over five frames, improving to 2-4 in a Salem jersey. The Keys plated single runs off Ranaudo in the third and the fourth, but Frederick also stranded six runners in those three innings, missing opportunities to further damage the Salem starter. Ranaudo struck out four and retired the final five Keys he faced to finish hit outing strong.
The Sox recorded a first-inning tally against Nathan Moreau, with Derrik Gibson scoring on Jorge Padron’s RBI ground-out to give Salem a 1-0 lead. But Moreau took command from the second through the fourth, permitting only one baserunner during the dominant stretch. In the last of the fifth, trailing 2-1, Salem’s bats finally found a rhythm.
Alex Valdez drew a leadoff walk, and two batters later, Valdez advanced to third on Shannon Wilkerson’s double. Gibson’s infield single tied the game and gave Salem runners at the corners for Vitek, who pulverized a Moreau offering into the left-field corner for a two-run double. Up 4-2, Vitek crossed the plate two batters later on Bryce Brentz’ RBI single.
The Keys inched within two on Michael Flacco’s two-out single that scored Kipp Schutz in the top of the eighth against Tom Ebert, but Will Latimer retired the final four Keys, striking out two of them, to clinch the victory for Salem. Latimer earned his fourth save, firing an inning and a third of perfect baseball.
Vitek registered his 31st multi-hit performance of the season, finishing 2-4 with two RBI. Alex Valdez also mustered two hits and a walk for the Sox, who out-hit the Keys 8-6.
The homestand continues on Thursday night with the Lynchburg Hillcats in town for a three-game series. Chris Hernandez is scheduled to throw the opener against Hillcats’ lefty Blaine Sims, with the first pitch set for 7:05.
Former French Open champ teaches clinics at Augusta Health
Monster, or mercy? That was the question 1993 French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen was asking the teens and preteens on the clay courts at Augusta Health.
“Monster.” Thwack. A serve not too far from jensen’s 130-mph heights during his professional-tennis career was in short order.
“Mercy” was no less monstrous, nor at all merciful. That serve dipped over the net and retreated impossibly back toward the twine.
“I want to leave them with the lasting impression of, What’s it like to return a fastball from a professional tennis player. Or a slice or a kicker or sinker. All these shots that I have. It’s just another experience for them that they’ll never forget,” said Jensen, an ESPN tennis analyst and the women’s tennis coach at Syracuse University.
Jensen was in town to teach juniors and women’s clinics at Lifetime Fitness.
“The biggest thing is giving them a sense of what this game’s all about,” said Jensen, pointing out that we don’t “work tennis,” but instead “play tennis.”
“It should always be that way. And if you keep that approach, whether you’re a professional tennis player, whether you’re a beginner, wherever you are in life, you’re always going to improve, you’re always going to have fun with it, whatever the score is,” Jensen said.
There’s a low barrier to entry to the sport of tennis – $20 can get you a new racket and a can of tennis balls and on a public court.
“In other sports, you’ve got to be big, like in football and basketball. You’ve got to be fast. You’ve got to be a certain type of athlete. In tennis, you can have all these different qualities. All you have to do is hit more balls than your opponent. Whatever level that is. If you want to get good at it, you go out on a backboard, you go out and find a buddy. You don’t necessarily have to be a certain type of athlete, you don’t have to come from a certain financial demographic,” Jensen said.
We’re in another one of those golden ages in professional tennis, particularly in the men’s game, with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer dueling for supremacy. It hasn’t escaped the notice of people like Jensen that there aren’t any American names at the top of the world rankings right now.
Jensen has some ideas as to how to turn that around.
“We have got to inspire our junior players to want to be professionals,” Jensen said. “In other sports, if you go to Virginia, Virginia Tech, whether it’s football, basketball, they’re saying, I want to go to this university because they’re going to get me to Sundays, they’re going to get me to that next level. In tennis, in this country, our top juniors, throughout the country, very few are thinking, I have what it takes to be a pro. But the majority who have the talent to be pro sell themselves short.”
Late bloomers like John Isner, who starred at the University of Georgia before turning pro, are out there waiting to be given a chance to develop, in Jensen’s reckoning.
“People mature at different times. I don’t want to lock those guys out. I want to inspire them. I want to say, If you have a dream, there are avenues out there – through college, you can go for it. You may not be ready to turn pro at 17, but hardly anybody is,” Jensen said.
Poll: Obama in trouble?
Remember the old Bill Clinton campaign mantra – it’s the economy, stupid? Yeah.
“There’s a very good chance Barack Obama would lose if he had to stand for reelection today,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “This is his worst poll standing in a long time, and he really needs the economy to start turning around.”
This from Debnam on the heels of the release of a new nationwide poll that has Republican Mitt Romney even-steven with Obama in the early walkup to the 2012 presidential race. Romney and Obama were tied in the PPP survey at 46 percent each.
Romney, significantly, leads the president among independents by nine points, at 46 percent-to-37 percent, in the polling.
Obama, just as significantly, still holds comfortable leads over his other top potential Republican opponents – ranging from a seven-point lead on Michele Bachmann, a nine-point lead on Tim Pawlenty, a 12-point lead on Herman Cain and a 16-point lead on Sarah Palin.
CTB approves funds for Charlottesville bypass
The Commonwealth Transportation Board today allocated funding for construction of the Route 29 Charlottesville Western Bypass in Albemarle County. The CTB amended its Six-Year Improvement Program to provide $197 million for construction of the Western Bypass and an additional $33 million to widen Route 29 to six lanes from the South Fork Rivanna River north to Hollymead.
“Allocation of construction funding for the Charlottesville Western Bypass is a major milestone that will move this project forward and help to ensure the viability of the Route 29 transportation corridor into the future,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement. “The project will also provide major benefits for Charlottesville and Albemarle County by reducing congestion along the Route 29 corridor north of Charlottesville and providing an alternate route that will more efficiently move regional traffic, including commercial freight, to its destination.”
The Western Bypass project will build a new 6.2-mile, four-lane, limited-access roadway stretching from Route 29 just north of the South Fork Rivanna River to the Route 29/250 Bypass. The project includes interchanges at both termini to move traffic between Route 29 north and Route 29/250 west of Charlottesville.
Traffic using the bypass will avoid 14 traffic signals along the Route 29 corridor north of Charlottesville. The new road will also provide an alternate route for motorists heading to the University of Virginia’s Grounds via Leonard Sandridge Road, which will be connected to the Bypass by an interchange at its southern terminus.
The second project funded by the CTB’s amendment will add an additional lane in each direction on Route 29 between the current eight-lane section that ends at Polo Grounds Road and the six-lane section at Hollymead. That construction will also improve the alignment and sight distances on the northbound lanes south of Ashwood Boulevard.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will begin updating the bypass project’s engineering and survey documents and complete the design of the northern interchange at Route 29. VDOT will also continue the design work already under way to widen Route 29 north of the South Fork Rivanna River.
Webb calls for provisions to include Virginia in offshore energy bill
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., today called for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to incorporate his Virginia Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Energy Production Act in pending offshore energy legislation this week.
“Outer Continental Shelf production has strong support among Virginians and their political leadership,” Webb wrote the Committee’s Chairman and Ranking Member. “I look forward to working with you to ensure that all of Virginia’s OCS energy resources are developed in a timely fashion, through a fair distribution of revenues between the federal and state government, and in an environmentally sound manner.”
In his letter, Webb also urged the Committee to expand revenue sharing provisions beyond oil and gas, to include marine renewable technologies. He also emphasized the importance of creating a more equitable OCS map for Virginia, and ensuring those resources are included in the Department of Interior’s energy production plan.
Webb has long been a proponent of opening Virginia’s outer continental shelf to oil and natural gas exploration as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing our nation’s energy needs. In 2008, he cosponsored legislation with then-Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) to allow the Commonwealth to conduct energy exploration activities in the outer continental shelf with revenue-sharing provisions. Earlier this month Senators Webb and Mark Warner introduced the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011.
Bookworks hosts signing by local author with new book
Based on the only interview conducted with Tommy Dee since 1959, Al Leichter’s new book, Tommy Dee: Three Stars Still Shining, gives us the only complete story behind the first tribute record to Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.
Leichter will be at Bookworks, 101 W. Beverley St., Downtown Staunton, on Saturday, July 30, from 1-3 p.m. to sell and sign copies of his book.
Dee’s song was written only hours following the trio’s death – his reaction to the terrible plane crash that claimed the lives of the three pioneers of American rock-nroll near Clear Lake, Iowa. He only intended it to be played on the radio station where he worked, but the opportunity came to have it recorded professionally, and he grabbed it. The result was Three Stars, which would do so well that it reached number 11 on the national charts, and has sold millions of copies since.
Leichter is a long-time record collector and the author of two music discographies, the newspaper column Rockin’ All Nite Long, plus five books on local Staunton history. He resides in Staunton with his wife and his music collection.
Art Center announces Summer Studio
The Staunton Augusta Art Center announces the final week of Summer Studio, August 1-5, 2011, 10am-Noon in the R. R. Smith Center for History and Art. Pre-registration is required. The title theme for the August classes is Make Green Your Favorite Color. Students will be creating yard, garden and other art from recycled materials.
Art graduate and Montessori teacher Sarah Beth Latane will be teaching the Bumble Bees class to 4-5 year olds. These youngsters will be buzzing around the studio, planting herbs in pots they have fashioned and creating companion rock pets and earth inspired décor.
The Garden Buddies class for 6-8 year olds will be led by Erika Mikhailova, a mom herself and a recent graduate from Mary Baldwin College’s adult degree program where she majored in art history and studio art and minored in education. Her “buddies” will be creating their own artistic mini-gardens complete with compost, planting pots, watering can, and wind chimes.
Ada Sue Myers, a multi-award winning MBC graduate and former Staunton Augusta Art Center intern, will lead the class Make Them Green With Envy for 9-12 year olds who will re-design common items with surprising, inventive results. Blue jeans become paper, plastic bags become woven rugs, and the environment stays clean.
The teachers are knowledgeable, experienced, energetic, and creative. The students develop art skills, learn art theory, and preserve precious resources and have fun in the process.
Parents may register by calling the Art Center at 885-2028. Classes are $85/week for non-members and $75/week for members; all supplies are provided.
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Chris Saxman: The Holy Grail/Gang of Six Edition
Posted on July 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment
My academic recollection from the freshman fall of 1983 is the Monty Python classic movie “The Holy Grail”. Ah, memories. *sniff* One does not develop a working knowledge of such a piece of cinematic brilliance by watching it in a single sitting. Two dozen viewings should not be considered a waste of time as that film skewers most governing political systems and the dialogue must, must mind you, be submitted to memory.
If you have never seen “The Holy Grail”, go now. If you have, please enter the hard drive portion of your brain and ask yourself – just what is the Holy Grail of the United States federal government?
If you answered – money – you are warm. If you answered – spending money – you are getting warmer. If you answered – spending Other People’s Money – you hit that out of the ballpark!
OPM. Other People’s Money.
John’s going to Las Vegas. Before he leaves for the airport, John’s next door neighbor says “Man, I wish I was going to Vegas! You lucky duck! Here’s $250, please play roulette and put it all on red for me. Okay? John takes the money and says “Not a problem – good luck!” John arrives home and his neighbor runs out and asks, “Hey, did I win?” John says “Sorry buddy, you lost. But you had a great steak dinner!”
Oh the view one has of money that one has not earned.
Enter the Gang of Six – Senators Warner (Va), Durbin, Crapo, Chambliss, Coburn and the one I can never remember….Fonzarelli, I think. Anyway, these senators saw the train wreck coming and ordered in some pizza and beer and went to work.
Today the Grand Poobah of the Loyal Order of O.P.M, Barack Obama, blinked and said he supported the Gang of Six plan. This is not a cave, this is a blink. There’s a difference. Blinking means admitting that he had nothing to offer himself so he might as well start with this thing. Not bad since we are at 14 days and counting. Strong. Leader.
I read the executive summary of the GOS plan and I have to admit that I have about 23% understanding of it. It is a substantive policy submission; however, most of it is comprehensible by DC policy wonks and ONLY DC policy wonks.
But it’s a start. The negotiations have begun. The Senate must first actually write up a bill, have it scored by CBO, pass it and send it over to the House for probable, hopefully, amending. Then it goes back to the Senate for acceptance or rejection of the House amendments. A likely committee of conference is appointed and final negotiations occur.
In the mean time, the fundraising industry of DC will be in hyper drive. Every piece of the bill will be used by the affected entities to apocalyptically pronounce the end of the Earth’s rotation which will only be alleviated by a $50 donation which will also get you their latest policy report.
By August 2nd, several things will have occurred. The debt limit will be increased. Some taxes will be raised and some will be lowered. Crisis will be averted. Calmer heads will prevail.
But still.
This should never have gotten to the point at which we are actually thinking that the full faith and credit of America is suspect to the whims of the political machinations of those who seek to govern with the singular philosophy of “See, I Told You So.”
Many hysterical op-ed writers will get the vapors over how X or Y principle has been unalterably compromised. Nothing will be compromised away.
It will be negotiated.
Think about it. How many times to you go to buy something thinking “I am going to compromise to get what I want.”? You don’t. You think, rightfully, that you want to win the negotiations.
Winning, duh.
Who is going to win this show down? The side that first declares victory.
Republicans are still in the minority in DC. They are outnumbered 2 to 1 – President and Senate to House. Political Science is math. They have the advantage.
The GOP have taken this as far as they can. They should amend the bill or start their own that BEGINS the multi year path to balancing a budget that has not been passed in 812 days. If you really think the Democrats are going to cave but so much, you are smoking crack. They have the numbers.
Take what can. Declare victory. We have a lot of work to do in the future. Go Home. Win the Senate and the Presidency. If they want to play chicken with an economy that is creeping back into recession by even thinking about playing roulette with the full faith and credit of the United States, then they will forfeit any chance of future successes.
We didn’t get into this mess overnight and it won’t be solved in the next fortnight.
Let’s keep the momentum toward fiscal sanity going. Declare victory. Show the American people you can make progress. Repeat.
Right now, as in the Holy Grail, Camelot is a silly place.
It’s only a model.
Cold Fusion Holy Grail prediction – for the same reason that the NFL season will start soon – there is too much money and power for a deal NOT to be done. The difference with the NFL and DC? In the NFL, it’s either the owners or the players money. In DC? It’s OPM – so this thing will go down to the wire.
Set your office pools for a July 31st or August 1st for a budget deal to get done. NFL practices will have started several days before.
Other People’s Money.
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with balanced budget, chris saxman, cold fusion, debt ceiling, holy grail, monty python, nfl lockout