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Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Lunch with Larry 10.14.14.
Larry Mayer, Bears Senior Writer
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Note: For those of you that have never been to one, here's a transcript of a Bear's luncheon with Senior Writer Larry Mayer, Tuesday, 10/14/2014.
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:02 Michael
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:02 Tony
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:03 Dan
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:05 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:05 Guest
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:06 Dan
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:07 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:08 Tim
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:09 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:09 Ryan
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:10 Henry
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:11 Da Baron
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:12 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:12 Chris
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:12 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:13 Ned
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:15 Dean
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:17 Edward Cavazos
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:18 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:18 Matt
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:18 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:20 Patrick
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:21 Edward Cavazos
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:27 mike
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:28 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:30 Jay
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:31 bruce
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:33 Da Baron
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:34 Matt
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:35 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:36 Kyle
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:37 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:37 Guest
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:40 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:41 mike
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:42 Todd
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:43 Tyler
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:45 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:45 Rick
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:47 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:49 John
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:49 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:51 Bob
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:51 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:51 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:52 Don Benne
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:53 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:54 Coby
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:55 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:56 Larry Mayer
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Tuesday October 14, 2014 12:57 Avi
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How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Sky is the limit for this year's Blackhawks.
By Bob Verdi - Blackhawks Team Historian
(Photo by Bill Smith / Chicago Blackhawks)
As the Blackhawks strode down the red carpet, a tradition unlike any other, not a cloud could be found above on a shiny fall afternoon. That nicely framed the festive mood, because for this team this season, the sky is the limit.
Revved up by EDM – which, I am told, stands for electronic dance music – hundreds of fans gathered along Madison Street, where the only traffic for a brief spell Saturday was to be limousines containing Chicago’s beloved boys of winter.
John Wiedeman, the popular play-by-play radio voice who needs no introduction, introduced himself, anyway. He welcomed all to the home opener, predicted another Stanley Cup, then identified each player as he left his ride. Brent Seabrook, normally the last Blackhawk to hit the ice before each period, was first to walk the walk.
They all followed, regulars and newcomers and the four Hall of Fame ambassadors – Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito and Denis Savard. We always hear from the enlightened executive branch of its anxiety that an entire generation was lost when the franchise disappeared from local radar not long ago. But it is staggering, how so many adolescent folks did so much catching up so rapidly. For instance, kids who never saw "The Golden Jet" play except on those largely black-and-white film clips wear his sweater as proudly as they honor present heroes such as Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane.
The latter brought a number of family and friends in from his hometown of Buffalo. They were treated to the full pregame video spectacular, including a feature wherein the rink became a screen, enabling the Blackhawks to appear larger than life. How large? When Coach Joel Quenneville got top billing, his mustache stretched from one blue line to the other blue line.
For the edification of his entourage and 22,012 fans – the 278th consecutive United Center sellout – Kane produced the winner as the Blackhawks raked the Sabres 6-2. His goal wasn’t as crazy creative as his shootout score in Dallas Thursday night. Just a blast in the sixth minute of the third period, assisted by linemates Brandon Saad – who had three helpers – and Andrew Shaw, who apparently has his own ideas about who shall be the Blackhawks’ No. 2 center.
Kane’s tally was followed by a shorthanded score from Marian Hossa, who is doing the Benjamin Button thing: getting younger as the years pile up. Then Patrick Sharp made it 5-2, and Daniel Carcillo capped an energized performance with the nightcap. Corey Crawford did not have to steal two points as he did against the Stars, but he did foil a solo by Nicolas Deslauriers when it still mattered.
That kept the score at 2-2 in the second period, after a strange first period. The Blackhawks, as wired as the crowd, beat Jhonas Enroth twice in less time than it takes to boil an egg – Shaw clicked at 59 seconds and Duncan Keith at 2:52. It surely felt that the Blackhawks would be able to pick a number by which they would abuse the Sabres, who are young and have some maturing to do.
But they did sting the Blackhawks twice, including one while shorthanded late in the opening session, and when Super Bowl XX quarterback Jim McMahon of the Bears showed up to shoot the puck after 40 minutes, it was anybody’s game. He went 0-for-3, received serial ovations and then presumably watched the home team do what is expected: win almost every night because, to repeat, the sky is the limit.
Despite a Western Conference that is well-stocked with genuine contenders, Sports Illustrated picked the Blackhawks to win it all via a one-sentence streamer atop a recent cover. Whether this qualifies for the so-called SI cover jinx is debatable, not that the Blackhawks qualify as even remotely vulnerable. They were on the cover twice en route to their 2013 Stanley Cup conquest, and again a third time after they won it.
At least a couple odds-making emporiums – there are more than two – in Las Vegas have listed the Blackhawks as 6-1 favorites to win the Cup. USA Today has given them the nod, as has ESPN hockey guru Barry Melrose, who predicts the Blackhawks will beat the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final and then the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.
There is – or was – a "Curse of Muldoon" that haunted the Blackhawks for decades. There is no "Curse of Melrose," is there?
Blackhawks: Richards finally feels a sense of comfort in Chicago.
By Tracey Myers
Brad Richards is a pretty happy guy right now.
Most of that bliss comes from a great happening last week, as he and his wife welcomed their first child, a boy. It’s been tougher getting sleep these last few days – “I had to segregate myself so I could get some rest (Friday night),” he said. But it’s all been worth it.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” Richards said. "For the first time in my career, I’m rushing out of the rink to get home.”
He’s pretty content at the rink, too. The Blackhawks center is getting comfortable with new hockey surroundings and teammates. He’s got another chance at a Stanley Cup, and he’s relishing the opportunity.
Life is good, even if it’s a little crazy.
“It’s a little bit all over the map but everything’s good. My mind is on good things,” he said. “And this part with the teammates and organization, and having the team I have, I don’t have to press and worry about being on top of it today. I want to be on top of it, but I’ll come every day and keep getting to know guys and get to know (head coach Joel Quenneville). The ideal situation for me with everything that’s going on – because these guys have been together and know how to play – I can just blend in and get to know everyone and learn.”
Richards came to the Blackhawks with fewer pressures than he had previous stops. When he was traded to the Dallas Stars in February 2008, he was tabbed as their next top center; Mike Modano was nearing the end of his career. When he went to the New York Rangers, he did it with a massive contract that the team ended up buying out last summer.
Now it’s Chicago, with its core, superstars, No. 1 center, captain and surrounding leadership in place. Richards’ main goal remains the same: play and play well. But that glaring spotlight, once on him so much, is pointed elsewhere.
“I think he’s had a tough go the last few years with the role he’s had, the attention he’s gotten. In some ways he wanted to come here and just be a hockey player,” general manager Stan Bowman said. “He wants to win; that was clear this summer when I talked to him. He’s a classy guy. He just wants to play. That’s what we want, too, is for him to focus on hockey. We have a lot of star players here and he’s one of them, but he doesn’t have to be the focal point. So let’s go have some fun.”
Richards’ start has been quiet thus far. Granted, it’s only been two games and Richards has already been thrown into the Quenneville line blender. After playing most of the preseason with Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane, Richards is now with Bryan Bickell and Ben Smith – Kris Versteeg was on that line before he suffered a lower-body injury last week. Richards said he hasn’t read much into the change and no matter who he’d be playing with, there’s an adjustment period.
“I’ve only been here a few weeks and three preseason games. So whether you’re playing with the same people or not, it’s not like you would be at Christmas or February,” he said. “You just keep getting used to people and hopefully just find something to work on in your game.”
Bickell said it’s been tough to gain on-ice chemistry early. The season-opening game was especially tricky; the Blackhawks committed six penalties, so rolling lines was difficult. He said they took advantage of Monday’s practice and want to keep cultivating chemistry off that.
“It’s been frustrating but today was a good step. We got some things going and we need to get that chemistry soon because I don’t want this line to be (broken up),” Bickell said. “He’s a guy that, when you give him the puck, he’s going to make plays. I think it’s a good opportunity to play with some good players and I hope it works.”
Bickell said Richards has fit into the room well. A relatively new father himself, Bickell said the two have discussed becoming a parent, “kind of the same thoughts of what to expect, about changing diapers and things like that.” But, the main focus remains getting that line clicking.
“(That talk) gets you off hockey, but we need to focus on hockey,” Bickell said. “(Fatherhood) is an awesome part of our lives; we’re both excited. But we need to get this hockey thing going here.”
Richards is happy with how life is going. There has been plenty of adjusting, to a new baby, a new city and a new team. He’s adjusting off the ice; he’ll do the same on it.
“It takes a while. It’s not like you can’t play, but some nights you could be better. You just keep building on it,” he said. “As you get older, you’re a lot more comfortable with different situations. You’re used to different things. When I went to Dallas the first time (I) really felt lost, where each time you do it you get used to it. You’re a lot more comfortable in your skin and being around the guys.”
 Who is the favorite to win the Stanley Cup next season?
Kings 23%
Blackhawks 39%
Rangers 8%
Ducks 9%
Bruins 13%
Canadiens 7%
Total Votes: 7,427
Note: Poll taken from
 , 10/14/2014 at 2:00 PM. |
How 'bout them Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls swear 'nothing comfortable' as Thibodeau pushes team.
By Mike Singer
Halfway through the Bulls preseason schedule, coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t particularly pleased with his team. In his defense, the exhibition season is hardly a time to praise one’s team as the raw numbers mean little, but he’s concerned that the Bulls think they are further ahead than they actually are.
“I don’t want them to fool themselves,” Thibodeau said at Tuesday’s practice, a night after he saw his team battle back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets. “The big thing is understanding what goes into winning. How you practice, how you prepare, the work that’s necessary to put into it. … When you shortcut that process, I’ve been around a long time, I know it doesn’t work. I’m trying to make that clear.”
The Bulls earned their first preseason victory this past Saturday in Milwaukee, but you wouldn’t have known it listening to the players’ postgame reaction.
“Right now, it’s training camp. You can’t tap us on the back right away,” Taj Gibson said on Saturday night. “We’re still trying to learn, we’re still trying to get better. We’ve got a young group of guys, an extremely talented group of guys, and we’re just trying to figure it out. A lot of expectations, a lot of teams are gonna come at us, and we can’t slouch. I love his mentality, he’s pushing us.”
A similar sentiment was heard from the team’s locker room after Monday night’s 110-90 win over Denver.
“He’s always pushing buttons. I think it’s a good thing,” Joakim Noah said. “There’s nothing comfortable about what we do, and as soon as you get comfortable, you get your ass kicked. I think he’s just trying to make sure that we stay on edge, we keep working hard, and I think that if we do that he knows that we’ll have a shot to do something good.”
Despite Monday’s win, Thibodeau bemoaned the fact that a lot of his players weren’t sharp. The Nuggets scored 30 points in the first quarter on 60 percent shooting, and then scored 28 points on 58 percent shooting in the second.
“[When] you turn it up and hold ‘em to 58 [percent shooting], in the second quarter, you know that’s not good,” Thibodeau said. “You’re fooling yourself. You’re down 50-29, you’re at home. We were lucky.”
Despite his overall tenor, Thibodeau has been pleased with the offense, specifically the aggressiveness he’s seen from Derrick Rose. In his past two games, Rose has scored 31 points on 9-of-22 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Even more impressive as Rose works his way back from another knee injury are his free throw numbers. He’s been to the line 18 times in the past three games, a testament to his unyielding confidence in his driving ability. His transition breaks have stood out in Thibodeau’s mind.
“When we’re pressuring the ball properly, when we’re forcing turnovers, can get into the open floor, we get easy baskets. That’s when he’s impossible to guard. You can’t guard him like that,” he said.
So after four games, does Rose, the unquestioned leader of this team, sense that the same urgency that Thibodeau does?
“Not at all. Everybody’s got their own opinion,” Rose said on Tuesday. “As a coach, I think his standards are gonna be high, very high, just knowing how he is individually, just knowing who he is individually.”
Two weeks into practice-filled preseason and Rose said he’s just learned to accept Thibodeau’s never-quite-satisfied mentality.
“I’m numb to it. I’m used to it,” Rose said. “We came in today and didn’t even speak about it. We know what we have to do. It’s only one goal and we can’t let anything get in the way of that goal.”
Bulls' Jimmy Butler: 'I'm not even supposed to be in the NBA'.
By Mike Singer
NBA experimenting with 44-minute game.Bulls' Jimmy Butler: 'I'm not even supposed to be in the NBA'.
By Mike Singer
Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler (6)
Jimmy Butler has always been a menace on the defensive end, but the fourth-year guard is starting to realize his immense potential on the offensive end as well.
For the third-straight preseason game, Butler flourished from the floor. He was instrumental in the Bulls’ 110-90 victory over Denver on Monday night, scoring a mechanical 21 points in 22 minutes, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists. His face-up block against Aaron Afflalo in the third quarter led to an easy layup and he immediately stole the Nuggets’ next possession, got fouled, and hit both his free throws. That four-point swing gave the Bulls a 69-67 lead, their first advantage since Butler’s free throw broke an early tie at 10-10.
“[Jimmy] came into camp in great shape. He’s practicing extremely well, so I’m pleased with him offensively,” Tom Thibodeau said on Monday evening. “Defensively he’s been good, but we all know he’s capable of being great. So I’m expecting him to set the tone for us defensively, and he’s got to be one of our team leaders. We need to get an edge. We don’t have an edge right now.”
Perhaps that edge might come from Butler, a junior college product who eventually wound up in the NBA by way of blue-collar Marquette.
“I’m from Tomball [Texas]. I’m not even supposed to be in the NBA, let alone be a star player. I just want to be wanted, I just want to play hard,” he said after his third-straight game of at least 18 points on at least 60 percent shooting. “A star player, a role player, a bench player, whatever it takes." When asked about his humility, he said, "I have to be because I’m from Tomball, and nobody with a mic in front of my face can tell me where that is.”
Butler, an All-NBA second-team defender last season, has seven steals and four blocks throughout four preseason games. Two of those blocks came off clean looks from Wizards budding star Bradley Beal in the team’s exhibition opener last Monday. His timing and his anticipation are all in midseason form, possibly since he shed 10 pounds this offseason. But Butler thinks it’s something else.
“Confidence, and that’s 98 percent of this game. I’ve been working on my game all summer, and I’ve been happy in the way that it’s going.”
Fellow starter Pau Gasol saw firsthand what a star shooting guard can do for an offense in Los Angeles, and he said he's been impressed with Butler's hustle thus far.
"He's a guy with a lot of potential, very active, very athletic, powerful in this position," Gasol said. "He's shooting the ball well. Very complete. It's been fun so far."
He’s also playing for a new contract from the Bulls, an issue he doesn’t like to discuss much. He’d rather just play hard and let the financial component of his rising star take care of itself. The Bulls and Butler are hoping to reach a contract before Oct. 31 or he’ll become a restricted free agent at season’s end, where the team could risk losing him.
Given his defensive value to Thibodeau’s rotation and his promising offensive chops, the Bulls would be wise to lock him up before his play improves even further. The Bulls desperately need help from the 3-point line where Butler shot just 28-percent last year. It may not come from him, but with Derrick Rose back and Doug McDermott introduced into the offensive equation, Butler can help offensively by playing within himself. That means hitting simple baseline jumpers, cutting hard for passers Rose and Pau Gasol, and cleaning up the glass. His offensive numbers will also emerge from his tenacious approach on defense if he continues to swarm opposing guards. It doesn't hurt either that as a slasher, he's hit 22-of-27 free throws this preseason.
Butler struggled offensively last year, thrust into an uncomfortable role without Rose. He’s clearly more comfortable this year playing the unsung sidekick from Tomball.
By James Herbert | NBA writer
Boston and Brooklyn will play with 11-minute quarters on Oct. 19. (USATSI)
“At our recent coaches' meeting, we had a discussion about the length of our games, and it was suggested that we consider experimenting with a shorter format,” said NBA President, Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. “After consulting with our Competition Committee, we agreed to allow the Nets and Celtics to play a 44-minute preseason game in order to give us some preliminary data that will help us to further analyze game-time lengths.”
Application of the experimental 44-minute game will involve quarters being reduced from their typical 12 minutes each to 11 and a reduction in mandatory timeouts in the second and fourth quarters. During this 44-minute game, each quarter will feature two mandatory timeouts per quarter, with the first triggered at the first dead ball under 6:59 of the period if neither team has taken a timeout prior, and the second mandatory timeout will be triggered by the first dead ball under 2:59 if neither team has taken a timeout subsequent to the first mandatory timeout. In the NBA's 48-minute game, the second and fourth quarters have three mandatory timeouts.
Brazil hopes NBA will help boost local basketball.
By TALES AZZONI (AP Sports Writer)
Speaking to a sellout crowd in a Rio de Janeiro arena, Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao said it loud and clear that it was a special day for Brazilian basketball.
With the microphone still in his hand, just moments before the tip-off in the high-profile preseason game between the Cavs and the Miami Heat in Brazil, Varejao went on to talk about his lifelong dream of playing with the NBA in his home country.
There was no doubt it was a dream come true for Varejao. And there was no doubt it was a huge opportunity for local basketball.
The Brazilians are hoping the NBA's presence in the country with such an anticipated game will help boost a sport that has been struggling locally.
There was even a thrilling finish at HSBC Arena, with Varejao's team leaving with a 122-119 victory on Saturday. The game in Rio attracted much of the attention of the basketball world because it was LeBron James' first game since returning to Cleveland after helping the Heat win two NBA titles.
''It's the most anticipated game of the preseason, and it's in Brazil, that is huge for the sport here,'' Varejao said. ''After everything that happened with LeBron, with him going from Cleveland to Miami and now back to Cleveland, a lot of people are paying attention to this game.''
The game got people talking about basketball in Brazil, where the sport has been losing ground to volleyball as the country's most popular sport behind soccer.
It was the second year in a row that the NBA brought a preseason game to Brazil. The Chicago Bulls beat the Washington Wizards 83-81 last year in the first-ever NBA game in the country.
Brazilians have followed the NBA for a long time, to the point that it's common for local tourism agencies to offer travel packages that include tickets for NBA games, especially to Orlando, Miami and New York.
The level of Brazilian basketball talent has increased recently, with more players making it to the NBA. There were five Brazilians in the league last year, and it looks as if there could be six this season - Varejao, Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter, Nene, Vitor Faverani and Lucas Nogueira.
Splitter last year became the first Brazilian to win an NBA title, with the San Antonio Spurs. Varejao was the first to make it to a final, in 2007.
The biggest disappointments have come with the national team, which missed three straight Olympic Games from 2000-2008 before finishing fifth in London. Its previous appearance at the games was in 1996 in Atlanta, when former great Oscar Schmidt was still in action.
Most of the time, the failure for the national team could be linked to the absence of the NBA players, with many opting to go on vacation or declining to play due to commitments to their teams. Nene was loudly booed during last year's NBA game in Rio because of his decision not to play with the national team.
There was extra hype this year because most Brazilians in the NBA decided to join the squad for the world championships in Spain. The team made headlines across Brazil after it beat Argentina for the first time in 12 years to reach the tournament quarterfinals. But more disappointment followed when it lost to Serbia, a team it had easily beaten in the first round.
''We did well, but unfortunately we had a bad game,'' Varejao said. ''But I think everyone in Brazil saw that we fought hard and that our team had chances to go very far. It showed that our basketball is getting better, there is no doubt.''
Fans hope that in a couple of years, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the results will show.
ALCS: Royals pitchers dominate Orioles as KC grabs 3-0 lead.
By Ryan Fagan
By Ryan Fagan
This type of dominant pitching wins World Series titles.
But that’s getting ahead a step or two. For the time being, this type of dominant pitching has the Royals on the verge of reaching their first Fall Classic since 1985 (you may have seen that date a time or two recently).
After the Orioles took the Game 3 lead with a run in the second and then got a leadoff hit by Nick Markakis in the third, Kansas City used a cavalcade of pitchers to shut down the Baltimore offense.
After the Markakis hit, starter Jeremy Guthrie retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. Jason Frasor retired all three batters he saw in the sixth. Kelvin Herrera did the same in the seventh, as did Wade Davis in the eighth.
By the time the Orioles watched Kansas City closer Greg Holland — one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the past few years — trot out to the mound in the ninth inning with the Royals leading 2-1, KC pitchers had retired 18 of 19 Baltimore batters.
And Holland, who had a 1.44 ERA during the regular season, retired all three hitters he saw, too. Yep, that type of dominant pitching wins World Series titles.
And with the victory at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals own a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS and need just one more win to clinch an American League title that seemed impossible pretty much all season.
NLCS: Bunts lead to Giants extra-special Game 3 victory.
By Jesse Spector
In a postseason where one of the biggest stories has been the Royals’ penchant for bunting — and for winning extra-inning games — in the American League, the battle for the National League pennant hinged on a pair of extra-inning bunt attempts by the Giants on Tuesday.
The two highest-leverage moments of Game 3 of the NLCS were bunt situations in the 10th inning. On the first, Juan Perez failed to sacrifice Brandon Crawford to second base after a leadoff walk, and instead singled to move the winning run up 90 feet. Gregor Blanco followed by getting his bunt down, and Cardinals pitcher Randy Choate threw the ball away, giving San Francisco a 5-4 victory.
Choate’s sidearm throwing motion makes it an adventure when he throws to first base, as was all to clear on the final play. It also makes him very difficult to bunt against.
“You’ve got to do a couple of things that I’m sure the kid (Perez) will learn,” said Giants third base coach Tim Flannery. “You’ve got to get up in the box, because he’s throwing a sinker, and you can’t square too soon. As soon as I went down and told him, ‘Don’t square too soon,’ by the time I got back to the third base box, he had already squared around, which showed me he needed to slow things down.”
After Perez got two strikes, the Giants took off the bunt, which was the right move, because it’s one thing to give away an out to get the winning run into scoring position, but another thing to get nothing from a failed bunt. After the rookie left fielder’s failure-turned-success, the situation again called for a bunt by Blanco, who Flannery called the Giants’ best at the technique.
Blanco fouled off his first try, but showed his experience in comparison to Perez by getting the bunt down on the 0-1 pitch.
“It’s really tough (to bunt against Choate), and I found that out on the first bunt that I did,” Blanco said. “I’m just glad that it was a foul ball, so I could make the adjustment, set my feet better, and really concentrate on putting down a nice bunt. It was good.”
It was good enough to move up the runners as a sacrifice, giving Joe Panik and Buster Posey a chance to drive home the winning run. Choate’s errant throw made a good thing even better for the Giants.
But that’s getting ahead a step or two. For the time being, this type of dominant pitching has the Royals on the verge of reaching their first Fall Classic since 1985 (you may have seen that date a time or two recently).
After the Orioles took the Game 3 lead with a run in the second and then got a leadoff hit by Nick Markakis in the third, Kansas City used a cavalcade of pitchers to shut down the Baltimore offense.
After the Markakis hit, starter Jeremy Guthrie retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. Jason Frasor retired all three batters he saw in the sixth. Kelvin Herrera did the same in the seventh, as did Wade Davis in the eighth.
By the time the Orioles watched Kansas City closer Greg Holland — one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the past few years — trot out to the mound in the ninth inning with the Royals leading 2-1, KC pitchers had retired 18 of 19 Baltimore batters.
And Holland, who had a 1.44 ERA during the regular season, retired all three hitters he saw, too. Yep, that type of dominant pitching wins World Series titles.
And with the victory at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals own a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS and need just one more win to clinch an American League title that seemed impossible pretty much all season.
NLCS: Bunts lead to Giants extra-special Game 3 victory.
By Jesse Spector
In a postseason where one of the biggest stories has been the Royals’ penchant for bunting — and for winning extra-inning games — in the American League, the battle for the National League pennant hinged on a pair of extra-inning bunt attempts by the Giants on Tuesday.
The two highest-leverage moments of Game 3 of the NLCS were bunt situations in the 10th inning. On the first, Juan Perez failed to sacrifice Brandon Crawford to second base after a leadoff walk, and instead singled to move the winning run up 90 feet. Gregor Blanco followed by getting his bunt down, and Cardinals pitcher Randy Choate threw the ball away, giving San Francisco a 5-4 victory.
Choate’s sidearm throwing motion makes it an adventure when he throws to first base, as was all to clear on the final play. It also makes him very difficult to bunt against.
“You’ve got to do a couple of things that I’m sure the kid (Perez) will learn,” said Giants third base coach Tim Flannery. “You’ve got to get up in the box, because he’s throwing a sinker, and you can’t square too soon. As soon as I went down and told him, ‘Don’t square too soon,’ by the time I got back to the third base box, he had already squared around, which showed me he needed to slow things down.”
After Perez got two strikes, the Giants took off the bunt, which was the right move, because it’s one thing to give away an out to get the winning run into scoring position, but another thing to get nothing from a failed bunt. After the rookie left fielder’s failure-turned-success, the situation again called for a bunt by Blanco, who Flannery called the Giants’ best at the technique.
Blanco fouled off his first try, but showed his experience in comparison to Perez by getting the bunt down on the 0-1 pitch.
“It’s really tough (to bunt against Choate), and I found that out on the first bunt that I did,” Blanco said. “I’m just glad that it was a foul ball, so I could make the adjustment, set my feet better, and really concentrate on putting down a nice bunt. It was good.”
It was good enough to move up the runners as a sacrifice, giving Joe Panik and Buster Posey a chance to drive home the winning run. Choate’s errant throw made a good thing even better for the Giants.