Derek Jeter did something no other Yankee player has done in pinstripes, he got hit number three thousand. What has always impressed me about the Yankees captain is his leadership style. No matter the situation he remains calm and collected and he does everything he can to put his team in place for victory whether it’s the regular season or a game seven in the World Series. Even in the momentous occasion he seemed uncomfortable being in the spotlight and shifted some of the attention to the team. In his interview with Kimberly Jones he put achieving this impressive milestone in the context of the the team winning the game saying it would have been awkward if they had lost.

I watch a lot of Yankees games on MLB TV and one thing that is commented on frequently is Jeter’s mentorship of the younger players, including his apparent successor Eduardo Nuñez. When Jeter has the game off or is the designated hitter you can see him coaching the very promising young Nuñez in the dugout.

Jeter has also avoided the scandals of other professional athletes in his public life. There has never been a whiff of scandal around him in terms of steroids and his dating life never seems to be tabloid fodder. In his own quiet way he is setting the example for the team.

It was an amazing day for Jeter. Hit number 3000 was a homerun. They only other player to do this was Wade Boggs. He is the first to achieve the milestone in a game where became the first player to hit five for five. And he knocked in the winning run. Not bad for a day’s work.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Fung

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.

Photo Credit: Keith Allison

“I swear to God I’m …… going to take this …… ball and shove it down your …… throat, you hear that? I swear to God”

So, was this actual anger or just a publicity stunt. Rather than the media talking about Kim Clijsters decisive victory over Serena Williams last night they are all talking about Serena’s meltdown on a lines judge.

Now, after watching the replays there is no way Serena foot faulted on that second serve and there was no way the line judge should have made that call. But Serena shouldn’t have unloaded on her like that. Like Dick Enberg on CBS said, “that’s not what champions do.”



It was surprising how composed she was at her news conference just after. But you can tell she holds a grudge, in this clip she commented on her controversy from the French Open when she hit Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez with a ball and Maria Jose didn’t admit it. Mary Carrillo commented that “she deserves an Oscar,” for her performance at the news conference. I agree.

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!

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.