July 20, 2009 at 9:56 pm · Filed under Sports
Why does it seem that there’s a feeling of animosity towards Stewart Cink?
I personally don’t feel that way, but you can’t help feel that’s the attitude of the general public with the outcome of this past weekend’s 138th British Open Championship.
And what for?
It wasn’t Cink’s fault that Tom Watson missed an eight foot putt on the par four 18th, costing him his sixth Claret Jug. Cink won the four hole playoff in dominant fashion over the worn out Watson, winning the tournament fair and square and securing his first major championship.
I must admit I barely watched any of the tournament over the weekend, but I did see Watson play the 18th on Sunday. His approach shot bounced past the pin and rolled off the back side of the green.
All he had to do was chip on and putt in for par and the Championship was his. I don’t think there was a casual golf fan watching that wasn’t routing for him.
But it didn’t happen.
He pushed his par putt to the right, bogeying the hole and forcing the playoff with Cink. The rest is history.
The overall feeling here should be that of sympathy for Watson, not to make Cink out to be the apparent villain. If Watson made his putt, where would this story have ranked all time in the history of sports? Top 10? Top 5? I think an argument could be made for it, but we’ll never know.
The combination of Tiger not making the cut and this year’s Championship being played at Turnberry, where Watson beat rival Jack Nicklaus in the famous “Duel in the Sun” in 1977, makes it all more intriguing.
Moments like this are the reason we watch sports. In the end, the 138th British Open at Turnberry will be remembered more for what almost happened than Cink winning his first major.
Which is unfortunate.
July 14, 2009 at 6:37 pm · Filed under Sports
This website should have a different feel to it soon, should everything come to pass.
Needless to say, here’s a picture of one of the changes…
And without further ado, Sini’s thoughts on Major League Baseball at the proverbial halfway point.
The first half of the 2009 Major League Baseball season has been that of some impressive career milestones. Gary Sheffield joined the 500 home run club, Randy Johnson recorded his 300th career win, Tony LaRussa won his 2500th game as a manager, Ivan Rodriguez broke Carlton Fisk’s all time games caught record and Mariano Rivera saved his 500th game. Going into the all star break, five out of the six division races have at least three teams within 5 ½ games of the division lead. With most of these races probably coming down to the wire, we’re in stall for a very entertaining second half. With that being said, it’s time for some mid-season awards:
A.L. Manager of the Year: Don Wakamatsu, Seattle Mariners
With a team that finished 61-101 last year, the Mariners are 4 games above .500 at 46-42 at the break. Their pitching and defense are keeping them in the playoff hunt, currently 4 games out in the A.L West and 5 games out of the Wild Card.
A.L. Rookie of the Year: Ricky Romero, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Romero has been Toronto ’s best pitcher behind Roy Halladay. He spent some time on the disabled list at the end of April and posted a 9.64 ERA in two starts in May. But since then he has been solid, going 5-1 and allowing 15 earned runs in 56.2 innings since June 1st.
A.L. CY Young: Zach Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Greinke is finally coming into his own this year, leading the American League with a 2.12 ERA along with 129 strikeouts in 127.1 innings. He has posted a 10 wins with an offense that ranks among the worst in the American League. If he doesn’t drop off in the second half and barring Roy Halladay staying in Toronto , Greinke should be the overall favorite.
A.L. M.V.P.: Justin Morneau, 1B, Minnesota Twins
The popular pick for many is Morneau’s teammate Joe Mauer, but I’m picking Morneau because of Mauer’s early season stint on the disabled list. He leads the American League in total bases, second in RBI’s, and in the top 5 in home runs and slugging. If both Morneau and Mauer keep up their solid play, both are going to be vying for votes at the end of the season.
N.L. Manager of the Year: Joe Torre, L.A. Dodgers
The Dodgers own baseball’s best record at 56-32 and have the largest lead in any division, leading by 7 games over the San Francisco Giants. They went 29-21 during Manny Ramirez’s 50 game suspension, not to mention having to deal with the media circus that came with it. Torre has this team in the right direction towards a second straight division title.
N.L. Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, CF, St. Louis Cardinals
Rasmus has taken full advantage of being the Cardinals every day center fielder, batting .278 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI’s. He won’t produce a lot of RBI’s batting at the top of the order, but 25 home runs and 100 runs are not out of the question.
N.L. CY Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Arizona ’s Dan Haren has a slight edge in innings pitched and ERA, but the fact that the Giants would make the playoffs if the season ended today as the wild card and Lincecum’s 29 inning scoreless streak make him the favorite. He also leads the N.L. with 149 strikeouts.
N.L. MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
Simply the best player in the game. He leads the National League in practically every offensive category and has a chance to be the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to win the Triple Crown. This is really the only no contest mid-season award.
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