Photo Credit: Keith Allison

I didn’t want this to be my 15 minutes of fame. I would have liked my 15 minutes to be a great call in the World Series. Hopefully, my 15 minutes are over now ~ MLB Umpire Jim Joyce on robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect with a bad call.

It has been another dismal year for Major League Baseball umpires. None worse than Jim Joyce robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect game with a bad call. The video replay clearly showed the last batter Galarraga would have faced was clearly out. If video replay had been available to the umpires the call would have been overturned, Galarraga would have gotten his perfect game, and Bud Selig would not have made the shameful decision to not over turn the call using the commissioner’s “in the interest of baseball” authority.

There have been lots of other bad calls this year. Some that may have had an effect on the ultimate outcome of a game and others not. I witnessed one on Saturday afternoon when Jose Bautisa was called out at home even though he was shown safe in the replays. Today an umpire said Derek Jeter went around on a pitch when on the replay he had held up. There have been countless bad calls at first base all year.

In their defence, umpires are human beings like the rest of us and do make mistakes. Selig has said that in the offseason they will look at expanding the use of video replay beyond just home runs. I don’t think they should look at if, but at how.

The NHL has been using video review for questionable goals for years. Even professional tennis, another sport steeped in tradition has moved to a system that gives players three incorrect challenges per set with an additional challenging if the set goes to a tie-breaker. The other thing that has happened since the ATP and WTA tennis tours embraced this technology is there is much less acrimony on the court between players and the chair. Although on second thought, it would have made the McEnroe/Connors era much less interesting.

I’d like to see MLB take on the tennis model. Each team gets three incorrect challenges per three innings. If the game goes into extra innings then each team would get an additional challenge per inning. By providing a limited numer of challenges it would keep managers from using them frivolously, it would allow umpires to be human, it would lower the temperature between players and officials, and it would add an interesting new element for the fans. It could even make for a more stable Ozzy Guillen.

Photo Credit: Keith Allison

OK… Blue Jays…
Let’s play ball!

I landed safe and sound in Toronto late Thursday night with a couple of over stuffed suitcases, the rest of my belongings to follow in about 10 days. I’m staying with my cousin near High Park while I wait for my possessions to be delivered to my new place in the Yonge and Davisville area. I have to say after 21 years in Vancouver it’s good to be back. I’m surprised at how easy it was to get my bearings again.

One thing that is really different is catching a Blue Jays game. Before moving back the last time I saw the Jays in their old home, Exhibition Stadium, during the 1985 American League Championship Series.

Yesterday I caught a game with a couple of friends who were visiting from out of town. We had pretty good seats at field level in right field. The Jays played a pretty good game against the Detroit Tigers until the top of the 9th when their bullpen let them down.

It was pretty cool getting to see slugger Jose Bautista play. It’s easy to see why this guy leads the major leagues in home runs. He makes it almost easy.

I’m still a loyal Yankees fan and am looking forward to seeing them at the SkyDome at the end of September. That said, I am sure there will be lots of opportunities to cheer for the Jays against Tampa Bay and Boston.

That having been said, there were some really encouraging signs. Our bats were on in all but our last game. We had some awesome 2 out rallies. And we seemed to shake off the rust and had lots of fun.

There’s a practice on Friday. World Series pool play starts in just 1 week! Its hard to believe that next Monday we’ll be under the Space Needle in Seattle at the opening ceremonies.

This will be a really great warm up for us. We have had such a friendly rivalry with the other six teams in our league and I have really enjoyed the season.

I am planning to blog this tournament and make as many updates as possible from Seattle.

This coming weekend we are off to Portland for the Cascade Cup which will be a great warm up tournament.

Playing in these tournaments can be really expensive. To offset the cost we have started doing some fundraisers, including a couple of T-Dances. Come out and support us if you can!

photo credit: y.caradec

The game started with such anticipation. Joba Chamberlain was about to make his debut as a starter facing the Jays and Derek Jeter was just a breath away from tying Mickey Mantle for third as the all time Yankees‘ career hits list.

Things didn’t go right for Joba tonight, he lasted less than 3 innings. The relievers didn’t do much better. Giving up 6 runs in the 7th giving the Jays a 9-3 lead.

The only ray of brightness came in the 9th inning, in what for all intents and purposes was a meaningless at bat, Jeter hit number 2514 and tied Mantle. What’s always impressed me about him, and he showed it again tonight, was that even when all seemed lost, the Yankee captain didn’t give up or throw the at bat way and hit a driving single. All hope is never lost. Especially for a Yankees fan like me.

photo credit: flashkube

It was incredible watching Tipsarevic take it to Federer. He seemed focused right out of the gate. He played incredibly intelligent tennis setting up some very good points and didn’t seem to get overwhelmed by the moment or suffer a case of nerves.

But in true championship form, Federer found a way to win 10-8 in the fifth set. It was a great match to watch. Even though it went until 2:30 this morning!

Why Is Ted Robinson Talking Tennis?
Now that the championships are into week 2 NBC has some of the coverage blocks. Which for the most part is good because I enjoy the commentary from John McEnroe and Mary Carillo. They are entertaining, insightful and have good chemistry. But you have this idiot chiming in all the time, saying or asking some of the dumbest things. Turn it back to ESPN for Chris Fowler — a much better host.

Drama Queen Serena
Serena suffers some major cramps in the second set of her match with Hantuchova. She was in obvious pain and your heart had to go out with her. Then she started the gamesmanship. It was obvious it was going to rain and she stalled as much as she could to get off court.

When play resumed she was obviously still injured but still managed to serve her way through. It was almost comical when she kept asking for a bathroom break at her opponents serve even though the umpire told her she had to wait until it was her serve and then she kept playing. I guess it wasn’t a real potty emergency.

Soderling vs Nadal
Its nice to see Robin Soderling getting in Rafa Nadal’s face. Its no doubt he’s a great player but he has no problem getting up in his opponent’s face. Nadal is the Mary Pierce of the men’s tennis game. He takes his time, doesn’t listen when the umpires call play and for some reason or other he gets away with it. And then there’s the showboating.

Soderling isn’t letting him get away with it. Over several rain delays and days he’s pushing back. Nadal always likes to come out of the locker room second – he’s not letting him. He even mocked Nadal’s routine of pulling out the eternal wedgie he seems to have. I love this clip.

I love watching Justine play. The intensity, the beautiful one-handed back hand and the Allez! battle cry. There’s so much talk about Raphael Nadal being the King of Clay and Justine has certainly become the Queen. She is the first woman since Monica Seles to win three titles in a row, has won 17 straight set victories in a row, 35 sets total. She even dismantled Serena Williams last week.

The more I watch her play the more I love the game.

Got on base a few times… It was fun. Notice the scraped up knee.

When the rankings came out this week Roger Federer was ranked number 1 in tennis for 161 consecutive weeks eclipsing the record previously held by Jimmy Connors. It will take him another two years to beat Pete Sampras’ record of 268 total weeks at number 1 but I have no doubt he will do it. He also has the best chance of beating Pete’s record of 14 slam titles. And if he stays healthy he just might beat Conners’ record 105 singles titles.

From the first time I saw him on TV to seeing him play live in Indian Wells at the Pacific Life Open I have enjoyed watching him play. Its like watching poetry in motion on a tennis court.

Some have already started calling him the best ever. Its hard not to see why.