Tagged: Clemson Tigers

December 31, 2009

Rearranging

So my New Year’s Resolution this year is too start writing again. I am going to try to schedule it into my day so I can get back into the habit of writing. I apologize for the long absence but I just got busy and eventually I got out of the habit of posting anything.

You may have noticed that m title changed. I decided that I will probably talk about the St. Louis Cardinals enough for them to get a mention in my title. I will always love St. Louis so why not talk about them too?

Indians

The Indians have not done too much this off season. They lost a player and gained a player in the Rule 5 and have only made a few other moves, including signing Anthony Reyes to a minor league deal after non-tendering him.

Probably their most significant so far has been trading Kelly Shoppach to the Rays for a PTNBL. This leaves the catcher position to Lou Marson, who seems like he could be a very solid player until Santana is ready. I liked Marson a lot from what I saw at the end of 2009.

Cardinals

The Cardinals have had a much more exciting Hot Stove season. They lost Mark DeRosa to the Giants, which made me sad but is probably best for both parties. They signed Brad Penny which is fine with me, just fine. They lost Troy Glaus to the Braves (most likely) which is another move that I approve of. They are currently pursuing Matt Holliday who has reportedly refused their first offer.

Here is what I want from this offseason for the Cardinals:

1) Matt Holliday- for a reasonable price. With Scott Boras as an agent that may be asking too much. However the market for him does not appear to be too large but you never know what may happen.

2) John Smoltz- I just like him a lot.

3) No more Rick Ankiel- He has a great story but I think it’s time he go somewhere else. I wish him well wherever that is.

Tigers

The football Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Georgia Tech, solidifying my hatred for the Yellow Jackets. They went on to the Music City Bowl which was obviously a much worse bowl than they deserved and is a prime example of how the bowl system is screwed up and beat Kentucky. Although they looked terrible doing it. I got to go and it was a lot of fun. It was very cold though. It even started flurrying which prompted cries of “Snow!” from the Clemson fans and no reaction from the Kentucky fans. I will miss CJ Spiller next year and I hope the NFL sees how much better he is than the College Football world gives him credit for and he goes with a very early pick in the Draft.

The basketball Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Illinois during Finals week. I was there and it was terrible watching the Illini climb back into the game after Clemson led by 20 points at one time. I don’t have very high hopes for this team this year; they just don’t seem as smart as they did last year.

Stuff you expected me to mention…

Grady’s pictures- I haven’t seen them and I don’t plan on it. It was stupid for him to put them on the Internet if he didn’t want anyone to see them. That is my only comment.

Picture of the Day

Lou Marson- What’s not to like?

May 1, 2009

I Hate This Part

No baseball in this post y’all. You get a tribute to Clemson University and it’s awesomeness.

I know this is the part where the end starts

I can’t take it any longer, thought that we were stronger

All we do is linger, slipping through my fingers

I don’t wanna try no, All that’s good-bye to find a way to tell you

I hate this part right here, I hate this part right here,

I just can’t take your tears, I hate this part right here.

I Hate This Part- Pussycat Dolls

I know you’ll ask me to hold on and carry on like nothing’s wrong

But there is no more time lies cause I see sunset in your eyes

Today is my last day as a freshman at Clemson. Sad but true. So here are a few memories form my Freshman year.

Tillman. The bells make it impossible to take naps since they ring incessantly from about 11-1 prime napping time but it truly Clemson and one of the best parts.

I will leave you with this video of the Clemson Alma Mater:

Lyrics: Dear Ol’ Clemson

Where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness where the Tigers play

Here the sons of Dear Ol’ Clemson reign supreme alway.

Dear Ol’ Clemson we will triumph and with all our might

That the Tiger’s roar may echo, o’er the mountain height.

O yeah Grady could have come here. They wanted him. (Obligatory Grady mention: Check)

April 1, 2009

Well that was fun… I guess

Okay now that this silliness is all over, let’s talk Indians.

Cliff Lee gave up 7 more runs today. Apparently he is still throwing mostly fastballs so teams are picking up on that. But I thought he was supposed to pitch differently today. I hope they changed their minds and he is actually just fine and will be great this year. Travis Hafner hit his second home run of the spring today which is an awesome sign. I am getting excited. Maybe it is too early but I cannot help it. Ben Francisco also homered for the Tribe. We tied Seattle today so I guess I can come back to my team. I missed you Cleveland. It was strange being a Yankee fan for a day. I wanted to die when I went to my blog and saw Yankee logos all over it. Apparently Jeff almost puked so I am sorry for any discomfort I caused anyone. Just a little harmless joke. 🙂

Grady back where he belongs. Please don’t leave when your contract runs out Grady. please! I am begging you.

Tonight my choir sang the National Anthem at the Clemson baseball game. It was super fun. I got to see all the cute Clemson baseball players and sing the high note at the end. I have always wanted to sing that note in the National Anthem and tonight I go to, my dream come true.

I stayed for the game afterwards of course. We were winning 2-0 until the eighth inning when our pitcher who finished the night with 12 strikeouts and 3 hits allowed gave up a sole home run to one of Georgia’s players. In the top of the ninth our “closer” (if you can call him that) gave up 2 runs giving Georgia the 3-2 lead. We, of course, failed in the bottom of the ninth and Georgia won, but it was fun anyway.

Picture:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/10/baseball/image/grady_sizemore.jpg 

March 20, 2009

A Variety of Cuts

Yesterday I got my haircut. It is very nice and very short. I like it that way.

Terrence Oglesby was “cut” from the game last night. He has maturity and emotional issues so I was not surprised. He was not shooting so I do not think it made that big of a difference. He probably would have fouled out anyway because he has trouble controlling himself. The rest of the team eventually decided to play basketball but unfortunately it was too little too late. The crowd also eventually decided to care thanks in part to some Maryland fans who got everyone to do what I had been telling them to do from the beginning and cheer. Thank you random Maryland fans. Still too little too late.

The Indians cut 15 from their roster. They got rid of a lot of pitchers including injured, star prospect Adam Miller. The players left competing for the fifth rotation spot are Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, and Scott Lewis. So far I think Scott Lewis should get the job, but I think Laffey will get the job. The players left competing for the open bullpen spot are Zach Jackson, Kirk Sarloos, Vinnie Chulk, and Matt Herges. I like Kirk Sarloos for this job but I have no idea who will get it at this point.

The Indians also lost yesterday but not thanks to the efforts of Grady Sizemore and David Dellucci. Grady was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and an RBI. He also scored 2 runs. David Dellucci hit a 2-run home run in the third.

My bracket can be officially declared dead I think. I guess there is still some hope. I just The Ville, Mizzou, and Villanova to play better than my school. Oh and I still have Cleveland State. 🙂

March 16, 2009

It’s a Good Day

VICTORY!!!!!!

I got Grady! I am now satisfied. That does not mean I will not make any trades in the future but that was my only real goal so now I have succeeded. A special thanks to Darion over at Braves World for accepting my trade. Although I think most people would probably say he came out on top. He probably did when you take away personal factors. 🙂

This is Grady when he found out he was successfully traded to my team. He was also pretty happy to learn that he was worth Teixeira, Granderson, and Damon to somebody.

Another Victory!

The Indians won today and in dramatic fashion.

Jeremy Sowers had a strong outing giving up only one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out two. The other Indians relievers combined for five scoreless innings. The Indians and Mariners were locked in a one-run tie until the bottom of the ninth when Chis Gimenez hit a three-run home run to give the Indians the 4-1 win.

Indians’ pitching has improved a lot in the past couple of days and I could not be happier. I love that all of the fifth rotation spot contenders have all started to step up and show that they deserve the fifth spot. Nothing makes good players like a little competition.

Road Trip

My parents and I are going to Kansas City this Thursday to see Clemson play in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I am so excited! As I mentioned before the Tigers are a #7 seed. They will playing Michigan at 6:10 Thursday night. We are also planning on seeing Maryland play before Clemson as well.

Pictures:

1) http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/07/grady.jpg

2)http://media.photobucket.com/image/Chris%2BGimenez/tlastoria/Top%20Prospects/Gimenez_Chris_11_KlineC.jpg

3)http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/20/fullj.9908924683265e014033e83847e628b4/9908924683265e014033e83847e628b4-getty-84302745eg016_clemson_v_bos.jpg

March 15, 2009

Fantasy Baseball Draft

Hey y’all!

It’s been awhile!

In that time Laffey, Carmona, and Scott Lewis all turned in solid outings for the Indians this weekend. This is exciting for the Tribe. The fifth rotation spot race is getting tighter and tighter with Lewis’ strong start today. He went four scoreless innings and walked no one and struck out two.

MLB Correspondent

I am an MLB Correspondent for MLB Center. I am the Indians correspondent (shocker, I know). I just submitted my first article. I am pretty excited. This is a really good way to build my resume.

College Basketball

Happy Selection Sunday everyone! March Madness is here! Clemson is a #7 seed and they are playing on Thursday against Michigan. I am so excited! I look forward to making my bracket every single year; it is so much fun.

Cleveland State is a #13 seed which is higher than I thought they would be. That is exciting too.

Fantasy Baseball Draft

Today was the MLB Bloggers fantasy baseball draft. And tragedy struck. Yes that’s right.. someone took Grady from me. Never fear though. I traded for him and as long as the rest of the league approves it I will be have Grady on my team.

Here is my roster as of now:

C: Victor Martinez

1B: Mark Teixeira

2B: Dusitn Pedroia

3B: Alex Gordon

SS: Stephen Drew

1B/3B: Casey Blake

2B/SS: Orlando Cabrera

OF: Johnny Damon

OF: Curtis Granderson

OF: Kosuke Fukodome

OF: JD Drew

OF: Shin Soo Choo

OF: Ben Francisco

OF: Jody Gerut (No idea who he is, but I needed an outfielder)

DH: Travis Hafner

UTIL: Yadier Molina

SP: Cliff Lee

SP: Francisco Liriano

SP: Fausto Carmona

SP: Chris Carpenter

P: Justin Verlander

P: Kyle Lohse

P: Aaron Cook

P: Jamie Moyer

P: Anthony Reyes

P: Jensen Lewis

P: Rafael Perez

And some other players but these are just the notable players.

For Grady I gave up Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, and Johnny Damon. I picked up Joe Mather to replace Johnny Damon and I have not figured out what to at first yet.

So overall I think I have really good starters but terrible relievers. I will probably have to trade for a closer. I am pretty sure I do not have a closer so I will have zero saves if I do not make a trade. My infield is awesome even without Teixeira and I am pretty thrilled to have Pedroia. I definitely did not think he was a possibility. I think my draft could have gone better but it could have gone a lot worse as well so I am pretty satisfied.

March 7, 2009

Thanks and Updates

I just wanted to thank everyone for being so helpful and supportive with my recent decision. Y’all are great!

Isn’t that a cool card? I would love to get that in the mail.

Grady

Grady will be sharing the DH spot with Travis Hafner tomorrow. Both are scheduled to get two at bats I think. I am really excited. I hope he does not strike out twice. That is definitely something he would do. Just kidding. I think he will do fine.

Look at those forearms! haha

Kerry Wood

Kerry Wood pitched a simulated two inning game today. He gave up a long fly ball to David Dellucci, a line drive and hard ground ball to Grady. He says he’s ready and that everything went well. You have to like his confidence. It is comforting. Confidence is really important to closers so I love to see him bursting with it in every interview he gives.

Informative Speech

In Public Speaking we are giving informative speeches in a couple of weeks. This was the perfect opportunity to for me to talk about baseball uninterrupted for 5-7 minutes so I took it. I will be giving my speech on the History of baseball in Cleveland. I read the history on MLB.com and it looks really interesting. I also found out, thanks to Elizabeth, that I can use MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days show on the Indians as a source since they have a section on the history of the team at the end of every show. I was already planning on using that because I need three different types of sources and five total. So far I have two types and two, maybe three, total.

Argument Paper

In History we have to write a paper about a technology and its effect on society. I chose Instant replay in sports but I will probably focus mostly on baseball because it is so recently controversial. My professor loved this topic. I am supposed to share it in class on Monday. If y’all want I can post copies of both my speech and paper on here. I know you are all interested in stuff like that so I thought I would see if you wanted to see what I was saying. I think I will have to wait until I turn in my history paper to post it because it uses turnitin.com and I am concerned that it would say I was plagiarizing myself when it scans the Internet. If anyone knows more about that technology and I am wrong you can tell me.

Clemson Baseball

Short update on the Tigers: We beat the number 2 ranked Tarheels yesterday but lost 5-2 today. We were tied 1-1 for awhile today though so at least we held them for a little bit.

Clemson Basketball

The Basketball Tigers play the Demon deacons of Wake Forest tomorrow. This is their last game of the regular season and will determine their seed in the ACC Tournament next weekend. They beat us when they came here so I say we return the favor and beat them at home.

Yeah Terrence Oglesby shoots over Scheyer of Duke. And yes I will continue to hold that win over anyone’s head forever.

Pictures:

1) http://tennesseejoy.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/baseball-thank-you-001.jpg

2) http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/gradyhrcc.jpg

3) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zhGDMDQ2osM/RwOpoPpn0fI/AAAAAAAAANA/63hDm2ed-zk/s400/scan0001.jpg

4) http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/2014172.jpg

5) http://media.scout.com/media/image/63/639059.jpg

February 25, 2009

Bad Day

Hey y’all.

This entry will be pretty short for two reasons:

1) It’s late. Not really late but I’m pretty tired

2) It was a terrible day in sports. Yankes won, A-Fraud homered, Indians lost, and the Tigers lost.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=cle
First the Indians. Although they lost there was not a lack of positives. DeRosa hit a 3 run home run in the second after Grady hit a double. One of our rookies Stephen Head hit another home run late. I had to stop watching after the 7th so I could go get tickets for basketball game. Michael Aubrey hit another solo shot and in the bottom of the 9th we had the tying run at the plate but Michael Brantley grounded out to end the inning. As I have predicted pitching was our downfall. Edward Mujica got the loss giving up a lot of runs. I am pretty sure last year they said he held the Indians record for Grand Slams allowed so I really do not know why he is still here.

The Tigers played not their best and the refs did not help. When I say that I do not meant they were one sided I mean they called everything and called stupid stuff. We lost by 2 to the Hokies! What is a Hokie anyway? I was there in the front row to watch though. I was wearing an I love (heart) Stitt shirt, black shorts, and orange tube socks.

Good night everyone! I hope you had a better day than me!

February 21, 2009

Kids, jokes, Hepburn, and College Baseball

Hey everyone!

I have had a very busy weekend so far. I went to a conference about relationships at my church here in Clemson. It was very informative and a lot of fun. I learned a lot for my future and I got some great reading material too. 🙂

Too Young?

In baseball, the Indians signed a 16-year-old high school catcher from the Czech Republic. He will continue to play with his club team and join the Indians at Spring Training during his school breaks and then spend his summers in the Australia MLB Academy until he graduates in 3 years when he is 19. At that time he will actually join the Minor League system. I think this a little young. I do not really understand everything involved but it seems he will be exposed to things he is not ready for yet. But maybe he will not be, I do not know. At 16 my only care was getting my driver’s license; in Prague I am pretty sure you must be 18 to get your license so he does not even have to worry about that yet.

All Joking Aside

Also David Delucci apparently got bitten by an alligator while trying to save a young boy from being eaten. In the process he got his thumb bitten off. NOT! Just kidding! haha LOL So funny, right? I did not think so. That is the story Delucci told reporters and teammates I think about his thumb injury from closing a tailgate on his thumb. I do not understand why he felt the need to make up an elaborate story about his injury and unlike this article I do not think it shows a sense of humor. It was pointless. I do not get it. Maybe that’s it; maybe I just do not get it. Maybe I am missing something. From what I have read there did not seem to be a reason and there are still teammates who think that was a true story! I do not understand. I just don’t; someone please explain. Maybe someone else has more insight into this.

Audrey Hepburn

This is a bit random but our movie channel is playing Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. This is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies. I love Audrey Hepburn. I think she is one of the greatest actresses of all time. She is so pretty and I love her class and charm. She is what girls should strive to be like. She exuded grace, charm,and class; she was not too flashy and was very talented.

Clemson Baseball

The Clemson baseball season started yesterday. Unfortunately I could not go because my conference was during the game but I am planning on attending tomorrow’s game against UNC Charlotte. The Tigers won their first two games of the series. In Friday night’s game they stole a total of 9 bases! One player, sophomore Addison Johnson, stole 3 himself! The Tigers ended up beating Charlotte 8-3. Today they won today’s game 4-0. Great start for the Clemson Tigers!

Delucci: Photos from the Plain Dealer http://photos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2009/02/s20tribegjpg.html

Tigers: clemsontigers.com http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/022009aab.html

4 DAYS!!!!!!

February 18, 2009

Did you see me?

Hey y’all!

We won! 93-64! And I was there, as promised, in the front row! And as promised: I have pictures!

My friend Casey getting painted while we waited in line.

My friends Evan and Hillary getting excited for the game.

There’s all of us! I am the “L.”

Our backs. Bobo is the nickname of our Romanian basketball player. He is really friendly and some of the girls in our group know him really well. I am the “O” in the “LOVE.”

So apparently we were on TV a lot. It was a lot of fun and we made friends with the ESPN camera guy so that’s why we got on TV. We also had about five signs. Well more because we Had Good Call/Bad Call signs, but they took those away. The camera guy was angry when they took those because he was filming us with them and they messed up the shot.

Also I have no voice this morning. My friend told me this morning that I sounded like h***. Excuse my implied language. I was quoting.

Okay on to baseball.

As you know the Indians had their first official workout yesterday. I am apparently not very good at time zone geography and did not realize that Arizona is actually in Mountain Time Zone so they are actually only 2 hours behind. Sorry. I think it went pretty well from all reports.

Wedge gave his annual Spring Pep Talk yesterday morning before practice started. He is apparently a very good motivator and really got the players “fired up” in the words of Matt LaPorta. Wedge says he believes that the team this year has the talent to finally reach a World Series. I hope he’s right. I am ready for a World Series. I hope they have an awesome year.

The Indians as a whole seem to want the steroids issue to disappear. I agree. Grady said, “…These are the juicy stories people want to talk about, so let them talk about it. But from a player’s standpoint, you want what happened in the past to stay in the past. We have a good program in place, so let’s go from there.”

I agree with him. It is important for the players, the fans, and everyone else to just move on. I know steroids are an important issue but if we continue to dwell on it, it will only get worse. The quicker we move one and continue random drug tests and give proper punishments for steroid use eventually the steroid issue will be a thing of the past. I know it will not forgive any of the wrongs committed in the past but it is important to look toward the future and not dwell on the past.

Have a fabulous day!

Spring Training picture: Photos from the Plain Dealer http://photos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2009/02/s18tribeajpg_1.html

Thanks to mlb.com and Anthony Castrovince for the articles I cited!