As far as I can see, here's who each team in the Atlantic Division has added and lost thus far in free agency.
New Jersey
Added: Dan McGillis, Vladimir Malakhov
Lost: Scott Niedermayer
NY Islanders
Added: Mike York, Alexei Zhitnik, Miroslav Satan.
Lost: Michael Peca, Adrian Aucoin, Dave Scatchard.
Philadelphia
Added: Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje, Chris Therien.
Lost: Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, Alexei Zhamnov.
Pittsburgh
Added: Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar.
Lost: Jon Sim, Tom Kostopolous.
RANGERS
Added: Marek Malik, Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, Villie Niemenen, Jason Ward.
Lost: Bobby Holik, Eric Lindros, Mike Dunham, Jason LaBarbera.
I was searching hard to find guys that Pittsburgh lost...
The Rangers added the most players but they certainly haven't added the best players. And they seem to have a knack for adding guys whose first names start with M. Who's next? Mario Lemieux? Can we get him? How about Martin St. Louis from Tampa Bay next year? I'm sure they'll be flocking to Manhattan next year!
I don't see too many exciting names left. Alex Mogilny, Roman Hamrlik, Vincent Damphousse. I mean, who cares? There are some decent guys who are available but the teams would require compensation. I think the best the Rangers can hope for right now is sign 2 or so more forwards and allow some kids to play and sign a big guy next year. Maybe a Joe Thornton. Maybe Vincent LaCavalier. We'll see...
Friday, August 05, 2005
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The best album I've heard
And I've owned a good 70 record over the last 15 years so this is a pretty bold statement.
Let me start it this way. If you have any love for Creedence Clearwater Revival, country-rock, Delta blues, or just damn good music, I urge you go out and pick up John Fogerty's Blue Moon Swamp. I recently discovered the former Creedence lead singer's 1997 solo record that won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock Album. And in these hot summer months, I can barely bring myself to hit the eject button on the stereo. I have never heard a record that blends country music, rock and roll, and blues so well and so fluidly.
Let's take this track by track
1) Southern Streamline.
This is the song that hooked me. I saw a video for this song on CMT 6 or 7 years ago. I didn't know Fogerty led CCR, I just remembered how catchy the sound was. So I had the song burned for me on a CD and once the CD wore out, I sprung for the whole record. If there was no other song on this record, this track would be worth 15 bucks. The rhythm is fast but controlled. You hear electric rock guitar, Hank Williams style pedal steel guitar, and dobro. And each one is used just enough to keep the sound balanced and fresh. One of the most fun songs I can ever remember hearing.
2) Hot Rod Heart.
I heard this on Fogerty's live album Premonition, released in 1999. As the title suggests, this is a sweet driving song. Kenny Aronoff's bass drum keeps this song energized and tough.
3) Blueboy.
My first thought was this is John imitating Steve Winwood's "Roll With It." Not a bad song to sound similar to though. John's travels to the swamps of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana in preparation for this album is evident. Picture a little shack somewhere out in the boonies. And people head to that place to hear some good music.
4) A Hundred and Ten In the Shade.
This is the average critics' favorite track. It also won a Grammy for Best Rock Solo Performance. Very honest lyrics about hard labor. I love the 4 guys who sing backup on this track. They give it the downtrodden and painful feel the vocals needed. I love the one guy who ad-libs, "Oh yes, it's mighty mighty hot."
5) Rattlesnake Highway
This one is starting to grow on me. Pure aggression and frustration. A good song to listen to if you're having woman problems. Not like I would know...
6) Bring It Down to Jellyroll
Addictive. Addictive. Addictive. This song may even be more fun than "Streamline." John's loose and hard to understand vocals are great. The guitar solo is light and the organ solo with the drums and hand claps in the background is one of the most unique sounds on the record. I'm still not sure I know what a Jellyroll is but hey, you don't really need to. The lyrics hardly even matter here.
7) Walkin' in a Hurricane
Another fast played tough rock song.
8) Swamp River Days
Probably the best use of imagery on the record. The guitar riff is actually the same as "My Sharona." My favorite line is "Sweet Suzie do you think about me? That was good as it's ever gonna be." I can't help but think about Suzie Q, CCR's first single. Maybe he's saying the early days of Creedence were the best days before the band got famous. I doubt that's an intentional reference, but that's what it brings to mind for me.
9) Rambunctious Boy
The high sound of the guitar is reminiscent of the song Centerfield. That organ makes another appearance. A good song after a long week of work when you want to just kick back, have a cold drink (Alcoholic if you want!), and just be lazy.
10) Joy of My Life
John's first love song. I guess that's what a good marriage will do to a man. I've always liked the dobro and the prominent use of the dobro keeps this song from getting sappy or quaint.
11) Blue Moon Nights
I like that the whole record doesn't feel like hard rock. This song reminds me of what I might have heard coming out of Sun Studios in the 1950's with those early rockabilly records. That's if I hadn't been born 25 years later. Sounds like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, the early Elvis records. This song was actually used in the movie "The Rookie." Watch the scene where Jim Morris trying out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in camp.
12) Bad Bad Boy
Creedence could have done this song well. It's very simply produced. The lyrics are quick and straight forward. The guitar notes just echo and they sound sinister and dark but still sounds really approachable.
13) Just Pickin'
A fast 2-minute instrumental. Bonus track number 1.
14) Endless Sleep
This is the second bonus track. A cover tune from the 1950's. Somehow, the darker songs were saves for the end. The haunting tale about death and love doesn't take many risks musically. Which is good, since you have to listen to the song 20 times to get all the lyrics.
Let me start it this way. If you have any love for Creedence Clearwater Revival, country-rock, Delta blues, or just damn good music, I urge you go out and pick up John Fogerty's Blue Moon Swamp. I recently discovered the former Creedence lead singer's 1997 solo record that won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock Album. And in these hot summer months, I can barely bring myself to hit the eject button on the stereo. I have never heard a record that blends country music, rock and roll, and blues so well and so fluidly.
Let's take this track by track
1) Southern Streamline.
This is the song that hooked me. I saw a video for this song on CMT 6 or 7 years ago. I didn't know Fogerty led CCR, I just remembered how catchy the sound was. So I had the song burned for me on a CD and once the CD wore out, I sprung for the whole record. If there was no other song on this record, this track would be worth 15 bucks. The rhythm is fast but controlled. You hear electric rock guitar, Hank Williams style pedal steel guitar, and dobro. And each one is used just enough to keep the sound balanced and fresh. One of the most fun songs I can ever remember hearing.
2) Hot Rod Heart.
I heard this on Fogerty's live album Premonition, released in 1999. As the title suggests, this is a sweet driving song. Kenny Aronoff's bass drum keeps this song energized and tough.
3) Blueboy.
My first thought was this is John imitating Steve Winwood's "Roll With It." Not a bad song to sound similar to though. John's travels to the swamps of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana in preparation for this album is evident. Picture a little shack somewhere out in the boonies. And people head to that place to hear some good music.
4) A Hundred and Ten In the Shade.
This is the average critics' favorite track. It also won a Grammy for Best Rock Solo Performance. Very honest lyrics about hard labor. I love the 4 guys who sing backup on this track. They give it the downtrodden and painful feel the vocals needed. I love the one guy who ad-libs, "Oh yes, it's mighty mighty hot."
5) Rattlesnake Highway
This one is starting to grow on me. Pure aggression and frustration. A good song to listen to if you're having woman problems. Not like I would know...
6) Bring It Down to Jellyroll
Addictive. Addictive. Addictive. This song may even be more fun than "Streamline." John's loose and hard to understand vocals are great. The guitar solo is light and the organ solo with the drums and hand claps in the background is one of the most unique sounds on the record. I'm still not sure I know what a Jellyroll is but hey, you don't really need to. The lyrics hardly even matter here.
7) Walkin' in a Hurricane
Another fast played tough rock song.
8) Swamp River Days
Probably the best use of imagery on the record. The guitar riff is actually the same as "My Sharona." My favorite line is "Sweet Suzie do you think about me? That was good as it's ever gonna be." I can't help but think about Suzie Q, CCR's first single. Maybe he's saying the early days of Creedence were the best days before the band got famous. I doubt that's an intentional reference, but that's what it brings to mind for me.
9) Rambunctious Boy
The high sound of the guitar is reminiscent of the song Centerfield. That organ makes another appearance. A good song after a long week of work when you want to just kick back, have a cold drink (Alcoholic if you want!), and just be lazy.
10) Joy of My Life
John's first love song. I guess that's what a good marriage will do to a man. I've always liked the dobro and the prominent use of the dobro keeps this song from getting sappy or quaint.
11) Blue Moon Nights
I like that the whole record doesn't feel like hard rock. This song reminds me of what I might have heard coming out of Sun Studios in the 1950's with those early rockabilly records. That's if I hadn't been born 25 years later. Sounds like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, the early Elvis records. This song was actually used in the movie "The Rookie." Watch the scene where Jim Morris trying out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in camp.
12) Bad Bad Boy
Creedence could have done this song well. It's very simply produced. The lyrics are quick and straight forward. The guitar notes just echo and they sound sinister and dark but still sounds really approachable.
13) Just Pickin'
A fast 2-minute instrumental. Bonus track number 1.
14) Endless Sleep
This is the second bonus track. A cover tune from the 1950's. Somehow, the darker songs were saves for the end. The haunting tale about death and love doesn't take many risks musically. Which is good, since you have to listen to the song 20 times to get all the lyrics.
Thoughts on my teams
Let's start with hockey since I haven't had a chance to write about that since I started this blog. It's great to see the league going again. The Rangers have signed Marek Malik, Martin Straka, and Kevin Weekes.
First, I like Malik as he's a pretty reliable defenseman. With Malik, Poti, Kasparminus, Maxim, Tyutin, and Purinton on defense, that's not too bad. You've got mobile puck movers and you've got some muscle. The question is do you have the discipline?
Weekes was necessary. Now I'm all for young guys playing. But I don't feel good throwing 2 NHL rookies right into the fire at goaltender. Montoya, Lundqvist, and Blackburn (if he can ever play again) are just too inexperienced right now. It's good this team has a solid young veteran who can be spectacular when he's on.
Straka makes me uneasy. He had 2 very disappointing years and is 32 years old. But his best year came 5 years ago playing with Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh. Maybe reuniting with Jagr in New York will do some good.
Both the Giants and Jets wrapped up mini-camp. Good news. Nobody's out for the year yet. The pre-season starts in 2 weeks. Can you believe it? It's coming too soon. I still think the Giants will have the better year...
Larry Brown coaching the Knicks. My concern is will he be able to change the roster he already is stuck with? And will he make Isaiah make more personnel moves? And not just the players. How about the coaching staffs? There are a lot of god young players on this team. If we could get rid of say Tim Thomas, that would be good. I don;t want to see Marbury, Crawford, and Richardson all on the floor at the same time. They'll need three basketballs with that offense. And none of them know anything about playing defense. This will take at least 3 years of rebuilding. Hopefully, Mr. Brown will stick around long enough to see this team turn things around.
And how can I forget the Mets? Ah, the sweet orange and blue. The biggest tease since Y2K. Yes, they rallied and beat Milwaukee tonight. That's all well and good. But dropping 5 of 7 games to Colorado and Houston is not acceptable.
And I am just about out of patience with our 119 million dollar man Carlos Beltran. He goes 2-12 at bat in the first 3 games in Houston, his old park. The Mets were facing the wild card leaders. If there ever was a time for Beltran to step up, this would be it. And outside of 2 hits in the last game (the only win the Mets had), he was putrid. And tonight the Mets had 18 hits. That's the most they've had all season. And do you know how many of those hits Number 15 had?
ZERO! None. He went 0-for-6, including double plays in his final 2 at bats. An absolute joke. Nothing more to say. A joke is what Beltran has been in his first season in Flushing. This could be Kaz Matsui to the 50th power!
The Mets need a 9 out of 10 game winning streak or something to get back in this wild card race. Though it's early, there are just too many teams ahead of them. And they absolutely need to take 2 of 3 from the Cubs this weekend. Luckily Heath Bell is in the minors so he won't be giving up any gopher balls to Derrek Lee.
Can we put Aaron Heilman back in the rotation, please Willie?
First, I like Malik as he's a pretty reliable defenseman. With Malik, Poti, Kasparminus, Maxim, Tyutin, and Purinton on defense, that's not too bad. You've got mobile puck movers and you've got some muscle. The question is do you have the discipline?
Weekes was necessary. Now I'm all for young guys playing. But I don't feel good throwing 2 NHL rookies right into the fire at goaltender. Montoya, Lundqvist, and Blackburn (if he can ever play again) are just too inexperienced right now. It's good this team has a solid young veteran who can be spectacular when he's on.
Straka makes me uneasy. He had 2 very disappointing years and is 32 years old. But his best year came 5 years ago playing with Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh. Maybe reuniting with Jagr in New York will do some good.
Both the Giants and Jets wrapped up mini-camp. Good news. Nobody's out for the year yet. The pre-season starts in 2 weeks. Can you believe it? It's coming too soon. I still think the Giants will have the better year...
Larry Brown coaching the Knicks. My concern is will he be able to change the roster he already is stuck with? And will he make Isaiah make more personnel moves? And not just the players. How about the coaching staffs? There are a lot of god young players on this team. If we could get rid of say Tim Thomas, that would be good. I don;t want to see Marbury, Crawford, and Richardson all on the floor at the same time. They'll need three basketballs with that offense. And none of them know anything about playing defense. This will take at least 3 years of rebuilding. Hopefully, Mr. Brown will stick around long enough to see this team turn things around.
And how can I forget the Mets? Ah, the sweet orange and blue. The biggest tease since Y2K. Yes, they rallied and beat Milwaukee tonight. That's all well and good. But dropping 5 of 7 games to Colorado and Houston is not acceptable.
And I am just about out of patience with our 119 million dollar man Carlos Beltran. He goes 2-12 at bat in the first 3 games in Houston, his old park. The Mets were facing the wild card leaders. If there ever was a time for Beltran to step up, this would be it. And outside of 2 hits in the last game (the only win the Mets had), he was putrid. And tonight the Mets had 18 hits. That's the most they've had all season. And do you know how many of those hits Number 15 had?
ZERO! None. He went 0-for-6, including double plays in his final 2 at bats. An absolute joke. Nothing more to say. A joke is what Beltran has been in his first season in Flushing. This could be Kaz Matsui to the 50th power!
The Mets need a 9 out of 10 game winning streak or something to get back in this wild card race. Though it's early, there are just too many teams ahead of them. And they absolutely need to take 2 of 3 from the Cubs this weekend. Luckily Heath Bell is in the minors so he won't be giving up any gopher balls to Derrek Lee.
Can we put Aaron Heilman back in the rotation, please Willie?
Back after 6 weeks
Yeah, yeah, I was gone for too long.
Well I turned 24 last Sunday and had a mighty fine b-day. For the second time, I met the Whole F'N Show.
Well I turned 24 last Sunday and had a mighty fine b-day. For the second time, I met the Whole F'N Show.
ROB VAN DAM.
Van Dam, for those of you that don't know, is one of the most entertaining wrestlers out there. Unfortunately he's on the sidelines with a torn ACL right now and won't be back until January. All in all it was good to see him again. It cost 27 bucks for an autographed photo! Man, 27 bucks! On top of the 11 dollars I had to pay to park my car and the 15 for a ticket to get in the convention where I met Van Dam which was ridiculous. But anyway, that aside...
Softball is going solid. We're headed to the playoffs seeded number one in the tournament. Our top 2 pitchers are out for the season but we can still win.
More to type...
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Can football be far away?
The Mets have lost four series in a row to some great teams. Great teams. Anaheim, Houston, Oakland, and Seattle. Simply disgusting.
Can the end of the season be far away? Or is it already here?
Off to play a softball doubleheader. Let's go to 6-1!
Happy Father's Day.
Can the end of the season be far away? Or is it already here?
Off to play a softball doubleheader. Let's go to 6-1!
Happy Father's Day.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Working, ECW
I hate my boss. I just hate her and the way she manages. God help me, I need to get out soon. I've been crapped on so much lately I believe I should start a toilet paper business.
E-C-F'N-W!!!!
Great to hear both reunion shows for Extreme Championship Wrestling went so well. I remeber when I first started watching ECW in 1995. I was flipping the dials and came to MSG Network around 1:30 a.m. yes, a.m. Steve Austin was cutting a promo and I stopped to see what this was. I knew Austin was a good wrestler that I hated in WCW. Then I saw Bubba Ray Dudley before he joined forces with D-Von. This was when he was just a stuttering idiot. From there, Taz, Rob Van Dam, the Pit Bulls, Rey Mysterio, the Eliminators (the greatest tag team that never made the big time), Tommy Dreamer, Beulah, Shane Douglas, Francine, Jerry Lynn, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Masato Tanaka, Mike Awesome and on and on we could go. Man, it was incredible. After watching the WWF and WCW since 1985, it was so refreshing to see a different style of wrestling that was in your face, ass kicking, and tough. Now it was not for everyone with the hardcore action, blood, and all that kind of stuff. And there were quite a few things I saw from them I was very opposed to. But there was a certain freedom and passion that just came out of ECW that made me watch it. It was sad when they closed in 2001. It's been 4 years and it doesn't seem quite that long ago.
Speaking of Van Dam, I'll still never forget meeting him in the Denver airport. He was a very cool guy and we talked for about 10 minutes. That will always be a favorite memory of mine.
Sorry, but TNA doesn't do it for me. I don't need to watch X-Pac and Billy Gunn anymore. I saw enough of them when they were in DX.
E-C-F'N-W!!!!
Great to hear both reunion shows for Extreme Championship Wrestling went so well. I remeber when I first started watching ECW in 1995. I was flipping the dials and came to MSG Network around 1:30 a.m. yes, a.m. Steve Austin was cutting a promo and I stopped to see what this was. I knew Austin was a good wrestler that I hated in WCW. Then I saw Bubba Ray Dudley before he joined forces with D-Von. This was when he was just a stuttering idiot. From there, Taz, Rob Van Dam, the Pit Bulls, Rey Mysterio, the Eliminators (the greatest tag team that never made the big time), Tommy Dreamer, Beulah, Shane Douglas, Francine, Jerry Lynn, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Masato Tanaka, Mike Awesome and on and on we could go. Man, it was incredible. After watching the WWF and WCW since 1985, it was so refreshing to see a different style of wrestling that was in your face, ass kicking, and tough. Now it was not for everyone with the hardcore action, blood, and all that kind of stuff. And there were quite a few things I saw from them I was very opposed to. But there was a certain freedom and passion that just came out of ECW that made me watch it. It was sad when they closed in 2001. It's been 4 years and it doesn't seem quite that long ago.
Speaking of Van Dam, I'll still never forget meeting him in the Denver airport. He was a very cool guy and we talked for about 10 minutes. That will always be a favorite memory of mine.
Sorry, but TNA doesn't do it for me. I don't need to watch X-Pac and Billy Gunn anymore. I saw enough of them when they were in DX.
Softball update
Well after dropping the first game of the season, we are 4-1 on the season. I've had 2 hits in my last 3 at bats and scored quite a few runs. I don't know the exct stats because, hey, it's about which team has more runs. If I'm going to be concerned about a number it's whether we scored more runs than our opponent.
Jay is our captain Amy's fiance and he is one incredible player. He used to play minor league baseball so he knows what he's doing. However, he can get a little obnozious and arrogant and that bugs me and quite a few players on our team. As long as he's producing at the plate and at shortstop, it's a little easier to deal with all that attitude. It's not that he's a bad guy, I just don't want this team to be selfish and me-first.
These 45 minutes commutes to and from Arlington Heights are not exactly a cruise around the block either!
Jay is our captain Amy's fiance and he is one incredible player. He used to play minor league baseball so he knows what he's doing. However, he can get a little obnozious and arrogant and that bugs me and quite a few players on our team. As long as he's producing at the plate and at shortstop, it's a little easier to deal with all that attitude. It's not that he's a bad guy, I just don't want this team to be selfish and me-first.
These 45 minutes commutes to and from Arlington Heights are not exactly a cruise around the block either!
Friday...
Friday is the night...
I'm going on my first date in a little over a year. I'm taking a girl to play Whirlyball with my church group. I think this is a good idea. It's a group so there's not much pressure. And Whirlyball is a game I am hideously bad at so I'll a few laughs at my own expense. Now could this become something more? I don't know. It could. I won't go into any more detail until then.
I'm going on my first date in a little over a year. I'm taking a girl to play Whirlyball with my church group. I think this is a good idea. It's a group so there's not much pressure. And Whirlyball is a game I am hideously bad at so I'll a few laughs at my own expense. Now could this become something more? I don't know. It could. I won't go into any more detail until then.
Sorry bout that Chief
A quick Get Smart reference.
First of all, my apologies for not writing more. This is an easy habit to break-all this blogging. I enjoy it, so I'll try to keep it up better from now on.
First of all, my apologies for not writing more. This is an easy habit to break-all this blogging. I enjoy it, so I'll try to keep it up better from now on.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Unbelievable!
It makes me absolutely sick watching the Mets piss game after game away to Atlanta. It's simple, Satan controls baseball.
How many times do I have to see great starting pitching by the Mets only to see it become meaningless by the team's own screw ups. Whether it's making a key error, a huge double play when he Mets are about to put a big inning together, a horrible job by the bulls*** pen. And injuries. Beltran misses the series. Floyd's finger is bothering him. Matsui's poor little back ache.
It's always the same.
I say it over and over. And if you know me a ittle bit, you've heard it from me now a million times. This franchise never changes! Let's go ahead and declare it! 14 F'N years those damn redneck assholes are winning another division crown. How many more years will I have to watch both of these two teams tomahawk me right in the heart and in other places too! God, how many more times?
To hell with the Cubs. To hell with the White Sox. To hell with the Blackhawks. Chicago folks, try this orange and blue piece of crap that is the New York Metropolitans on for size. One week rooting for them, you'll never hate your team again.
How many times do I have to see great starting pitching by the Mets only to see it become meaningless by the team's own screw ups. Whether it's making a key error, a huge double play when he Mets are about to put a big inning together, a horrible job by the bulls*** pen. And injuries. Beltran misses the series. Floyd's finger is bothering him. Matsui's poor little back ache.
It's always the same.
I say it over and over. And if you know me a ittle bit, you've heard it from me now a million times. This franchise never changes! Let's go ahead and declare it! 14 F'N years those damn redneck assholes are winning another division crown. How many more years will I have to watch both of these two teams tomahawk me right in the heart and in other places too! God, how many more times?
To hell with the Cubs. To hell with the White Sox. To hell with the Blackhawks. Chicago folks, try this orange and blue piece of crap that is the New York Metropolitans on for size. One week rooting for them, you'll never hate your team again.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Rosary nets 3rd straight regional soccer crown
By Adam Bartolo
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Saturday, May 21, 2005
If Rosary’s girls soccer team was seeded lower than Immaculate Heart of Mary, they sure didn’t play like it.
The No. 5 Royals pressured the No. 4 Tigers from start to finish and came away a 4-0 victory Friday to win the Class A IMSA regional, Rosary’s third regional title in a row.
Rosary will face top-seeded Benet in the Lemont sectional at 11 a.m. today.
“It’s our standard,” said Royals coach Kevin Callaghan, who also celebrated his birthday. “We have set a standard and that’s our minimum. We have made some more history.”
With just over eight minutes gone, Rosary grabbed the lead. Catherine Sokolinski sent a free kick from the corner to the goal box where Sam Stavola headed the ball into the top of the net.
“Soko and I have been working on this all season,” said Stavola. “She got me a good ball.”
The Royals struck again midway through the first half. Liz Mehr dribbled in from the right side and sent a bloop kick off the crossbar. Mehr found her own rebound in front of the net and booted the ball home for a 2-0 advantage. The score stayed the same through halftime.
Despite the offense’s play, the key to this game was Rosary’s team defense.
The Tigers boasted two towering and talented players in Lauren Santos and Debbie Kozlowski. But the Royals intercepted passes, blocked shots, and did whatever they had to do to prevent the Tigers from keeping pressure in the offensive zone.
“I have to give a lot of credit to our defense, said Stavola, a forward. “They really stepped it up and we played like a team.”
Callaghan described the double sweeper strategy his defense used.
“I saw IHM play and they are very strong in overlapping and creating numbers on top,” Callaghan said. “So I decided it’s time to put our stop defense in there. I knew by doing that it would stifle anybody coming through.”
That strategy limited the Tigers to 8 shots on goal compared to Rosary’s 18.
But for the final eight minutes of first half, the Tigers looked like they would roar back into the game. They had five legitimate scoring chances, but not even one registered with a shot on goal. Either they shot wide or Rosary goalie Ally Mielke picked off a pass.
As the second half went on, Rosary regained its edge and controlled possession. The Tigers barely threatened over the final 40 minutes.
The Royals added two late goals, one by Annmarie Stanley with 8:28 remaining and another with just over a minute left when Katie Dienhart scored on a 1-on-1 with the goalie.
Next up is Benet, which will be a difficult match but one the Royals believe they are ready for.
“We’ve played them before,” said Callaghan. “I wanted to get there and play with that team. We’ll play them hard.”
The winner of that game goes to the sectional title against the winner of No. 3 Lemont and No. 2 Wheaton Academy, last year’s state champion.
By Adam Bartolo
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Saturday, May 21, 2005
If Rosary’s girls soccer team was seeded lower than Immaculate Heart of Mary, they sure didn’t play like it.
The No. 5 Royals pressured the No. 4 Tigers from start to finish and came away a 4-0 victory Friday to win the Class A IMSA regional, Rosary’s third regional title in a row.
Rosary will face top-seeded Benet in the Lemont sectional at 11 a.m. today.
“It’s our standard,” said Royals coach Kevin Callaghan, who also celebrated his birthday. “We have set a standard and that’s our minimum. We have made some more history.”
With just over eight minutes gone, Rosary grabbed the lead. Catherine Sokolinski sent a free kick from the corner to the goal box where Sam Stavola headed the ball into the top of the net.
“Soko and I have been working on this all season,” said Stavola. “She got me a good ball.”
The Royals struck again midway through the first half. Liz Mehr dribbled in from the right side and sent a bloop kick off the crossbar. Mehr found her own rebound in front of the net and booted the ball home for a 2-0 advantage. The score stayed the same through halftime.
Despite the offense’s play, the key to this game was Rosary’s team defense.
The Tigers boasted two towering and talented players in Lauren Santos and Debbie Kozlowski. But the Royals intercepted passes, blocked shots, and did whatever they had to do to prevent the Tigers from keeping pressure in the offensive zone.
“I have to give a lot of credit to our defense, said Stavola, a forward. “They really stepped it up and we played like a team.”
Callaghan described the double sweeper strategy his defense used.
“I saw IHM play and they are very strong in overlapping and creating numbers on top,” Callaghan said. “So I decided it’s time to put our stop defense in there. I knew by doing that it would stifle anybody coming through.”
That strategy limited the Tigers to 8 shots on goal compared to Rosary’s 18.
But for the final eight minutes of first half, the Tigers looked like they would roar back into the game. They had five legitimate scoring chances, but not even one registered with a shot on goal. Either they shot wide or Rosary goalie Ally Mielke picked off a pass.
As the second half went on, Rosary regained its edge and controlled possession. The Tigers barely threatened over the final 40 minutes.
The Royals added two late goals, one by Annmarie Stanley with 8:28 remaining and another with just over a minute left when Katie Dienhart scored on a 1-on-1 with the goalie.
Next up is Benet, which will be a difficult match but one the Royals believe they are ready for.
“We’ve played them before,” said Callaghan. “I wanted to get there and play with that team. We’ll play them hard.”
The winner of that game goes to the sectional title against the winner of No. 3 Lemont and No. 2 Wheaton Academy, last year’s state champion.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
DEBACLE!!! Thoughts on Ron Santo
Disgusting.
Watching this loss to the Cubs yesterday was as sick a loss as I remember in a while. I knew once lovely Derrek Lee hit his fourth foul he would hit it out. I knew it!
And this team is .500. That's it. Victor Zambrano trying to throw strikes is like watching Stevie Wonder try to shoot archery. Dae Sung Koo sucks. Mike DeJean sucks. Kaz Matsui is lower than sucks. Jose Reyes gets into 0-2 counts 3 times a game.
And I have a few things to say about Ron Santo. I thought Hawk Harrelson was a lousy announcer. My God! Have you heard Santo on the radio. That voice is like Jimmy Stewart and Harry Caray had a baby suffering from a lifelong hangover. There's nothing informative. Just cheerleading. And hoping for a double play. Hoping for a big base hit. Ron, I don't care what you hope will happen! We know what you want to see! Let the fans cheer. Teach me something for once instead of acting like the glorified cheerleader that you are. You are brutal. Go watch the games at home because you bring nothing to the radio booth.
Watching this loss to the Cubs yesterday was as sick a loss as I remember in a while. I knew once lovely Derrek Lee hit his fourth foul he would hit it out. I knew it!
And this team is .500. That's it. Victor Zambrano trying to throw strikes is like watching Stevie Wonder try to shoot archery. Dae Sung Koo sucks. Mike DeJean sucks. Kaz Matsui is lower than sucks. Jose Reyes gets into 0-2 counts 3 times a game.
And I have a few things to say about Ron Santo. I thought Hawk Harrelson was a lousy announcer. My God! Have you heard Santo on the radio. That voice is like Jimmy Stewart and Harry Caray had a baby suffering from a lifelong hangover. There's nothing informative. Just cheerleading. And hoping for a double play. Hoping for a big base hit. Ron, I don't care what you hope will happen! We know what you want to see! Let the fans cheer. Teach me something for once instead of acting like the glorified cheerleader that you are. You are brutal. Go watch the games at home because you bring nothing to the radio booth.
Monday, May 09, 2005
On my way...
Well I'll be heading down to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field this afternoon. And I had to pay for my tickets after a promise they would be free.
So I called him up this morning to ask where and when I could pick them up and when I ask for a specific time, he goes ballistic. He threw a few four-letter words right at me, which was completely uncalled for. What's amazing is he was the boss I really respected. He had my back and I had his. And he turned out to be a complete dick. Pardon my language, but I'm actually being kind.
Aaron Heilman vs. Jon Lister is the pitching match. That's not how he spells his name, but I'm not about to look it up. Let's hope the Notre Dame alumnus stifles the bats of Patterson, Ramirez, Lee, and Burnitz.
Went 4-4 in my softball exhibition game yesterday. Made two catches in left field. One fly ball went way over my head. And I've still got my speed on the bases. The bad news is they actually moved the base lines from 60 feet to 65 feet. Maybe I should try running in my spare time for once.
Man, Portillo's knows how to mix Italian beef and Italian sausage. Throw on the hot giardinara and it's to die for!
Why people get so into the Kentucky Derby, I'll never know. Dad told me George Steinbrenner's horse didn't cover the money. Whatever that meant!
How in the world did Jennifer Garner let a loser like Ben Affleck impregnate her?
Song: Mr. Natural-Bee gees
So I called him up this morning to ask where and when I could pick them up and when I ask for a specific time, he goes ballistic. He threw a few four-letter words right at me, which was completely uncalled for. What's amazing is he was the boss I really respected. He had my back and I had his. And he turned out to be a complete dick. Pardon my language, but I'm actually being kind.
Aaron Heilman vs. Jon Lister is the pitching match. That's not how he spells his name, but I'm not about to look it up. Let's hope the Notre Dame alumnus stifles the bats of Patterson, Ramirez, Lee, and Burnitz.
Went 4-4 in my softball exhibition game yesterday. Made two catches in left field. One fly ball went way over my head. And I've still got my speed on the bases. The bad news is they actually moved the base lines from 60 feet to 65 feet. Maybe I should try running in my spare time for once.
Man, Portillo's knows how to mix Italian beef and Italian sausage. Throw on the hot giardinara and it's to die for!
Why people get so into the Kentucky Derby, I'll never know. Dad told me George Steinbrenner's horse didn't cover the money. Whatever that meant!
How in the world did Jennifer Garner let a loser like Ben Affleck impregnate her?
Song: Mr. Natural-Bee gees
Saturday article
West Aurora glad to scratch out runs any way it can
By Adam Bartolo
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Saturday, May 07, 2005
West Aurora and Wheaton North may not have played a pretty baseball game, but the Blackhawks were able to scrap out a 4-2 win against their DuPage Valley Conference foe Friday in Aurora.
Both teams had opportunities to score, but it was the Blackhawks (16-8, 8-5) who found ways to push runners across the plate.
Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, the Blackhawks scored twice without a hit. Andy Beatty led off with a walk and Dan Kraabel tried to bunt him to second, but the ball trickled under the third baseman’s glove and both runners were safe.
Following a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Dennis got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brandon Copp. He grounded out to second, but the tying run scored. With Nick Golich batting, Kraabel scored the go-ahead run when Pat Kirchhofer’s pitch sailed to the backstop.
But for a team that’s been struggling to score runs lately, West Aurora coach Dave Rowell was happy to see his team score no matter how they did it.
“It was nice to get a couple of those (base runners) in today even if it wasn’t pretty,” Rowell said. “We get them on base but we just don’t always score them.”
The Falcons (12-14 4-9), on the other hand, spent most of the day trying to figure out the Northern-Illinois bound Copp.
Despite not having his most dominating stuff and pitching on three days rest for the first time this year, Copp pitched a solid game. He threw 117 pitches over seven innings, allowing 3 singles and 3 walks, while striking out 11.
He had some trouble locating his pitches, but he mixed his curveball, fastball and changeup effectively, keeping Wheaton North’s hitters confused.
“I couldn’t locate my fastball inside and outside,” Copp said. “But I was fortunate to keep them off balance.”
Even after the game was delayed in the fifth inning for 30 minutes by lightning, the strikes continued coming as Copp fanned four of the next five hitters.
Copp also added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 4-2.
In the seventh, the Falcons looked like they might rally. Dave Lindberg led off with the second of his 2 singles. The next batter, Kevin Small, lined a shot to the right fielder Kraabel. He dove to make the catch, but the ball bounced on the grass. Lindberg, unable to tell if the ball was caught, froze halfway between first and second. Kraabel recovered, and fired the ball to second base for the force out.
The next batter popped out and then Kevin Smith smashed a line drive that seemed headed toward right field. But second baseman Jason Lowe leaped for the catch to end the game.
Falcons coach Dan Schoessling was frustrated with his team’s lack of execution on offense and defense, but was pleased with his team’s ability to push Copp. Schoessling said these kinds of games will help come playoff time.
“We took some good at-bats against him,” Schoessling said. “We’re better for facing a good pitcher. That’ll definitely help us down the road.”
By Adam Bartolo
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Saturday, May 07, 2005
West Aurora and Wheaton North may not have played a pretty baseball game, but the Blackhawks were able to scrap out a 4-2 win against their DuPage Valley Conference foe Friday in Aurora.
Both teams had opportunities to score, but it was the Blackhawks (16-8, 8-5) who found ways to push runners across the plate.
Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, the Blackhawks scored twice without a hit. Andy Beatty led off with a walk and Dan Kraabel tried to bunt him to second, but the ball trickled under the third baseman’s glove and both runners were safe.
Following a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Dennis got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brandon Copp. He grounded out to second, but the tying run scored. With Nick Golich batting, Kraabel scored the go-ahead run when Pat Kirchhofer’s pitch sailed to the backstop.
But for a team that’s been struggling to score runs lately, West Aurora coach Dave Rowell was happy to see his team score no matter how they did it.
“It was nice to get a couple of those (base runners) in today even if it wasn’t pretty,” Rowell said. “We get them on base but we just don’t always score them.”
The Falcons (12-14 4-9), on the other hand, spent most of the day trying to figure out the Northern-Illinois bound Copp.
Despite not having his most dominating stuff and pitching on three days rest for the first time this year, Copp pitched a solid game. He threw 117 pitches over seven innings, allowing 3 singles and 3 walks, while striking out 11.
He had some trouble locating his pitches, but he mixed his curveball, fastball and changeup effectively, keeping Wheaton North’s hitters confused.
“I couldn’t locate my fastball inside and outside,” Copp said. “But I was fortunate to keep them off balance.”
Even after the game was delayed in the fifth inning for 30 minutes by lightning, the strikes continued coming as Copp fanned four of the next five hitters.
Copp also added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 4-2.
In the seventh, the Falcons looked like they might rally. Dave Lindberg led off with the second of his 2 singles. The next batter, Kevin Small, lined a shot to the right fielder Kraabel. He dove to make the catch, but the ball bounced on the grass. Lindberg, unable to tell if the ball was caught, froze halfway between first and second. Kraabel recovered, and fired the ball to second base for the force out.
The next batter popped out and then Kevin Smith smashed a line drive that seemed headed toward right field. But second baseman Jason Lowe leaped for the catch to end the game.
Falcons coach Dan Schoessling was frustrated with his team’s lack of execution on offense and defense, but was pleased with his team’s ability to push Copp. Schoessling said these kinds of games will help come playoff time.
“We took some good at-bats against him,” Schoessling said. “We’re better for facing a good pitcher. That’ll definitely help us down the road.”
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
This week in Bartolo-land
Well we wrote two articles last week. I even got to enjoy a catered meal at the socccer tournament I covered on Friday night. Actually it was coffee cake and a bottle of water, but it was still good. I got a full 40 hours of work in too.
Mother's Day is coming up. I wish there was a Son's Day.
My softball league kicks in this week. I can't wait.
Can we banish that piece of crap Tom Glavine back to the Braves? I seriously don't know if he hurt us worse when he was with Hick-lanta or now as a member of the Metrpolitans. I'll be blunt. The best thing that can happen is for him to get seriously hurt. If he pitches a certain number of innings, his option for next year automatically kicks in.
A few more Met notes. I feel okay about them, certainly better than the last three years. They've hung in there without three of their top starting pitchers. Right now, they're not consistent. They score no runs for eight innings and then score five in one inning. The offense is potentially incredible, but not reliable. Diaz, Wright, and Reyes still have a lot to learn. And I never thought Cliff Floyd would be as good as he is. For all the injuries he's had, it's good to see him playing well.
Big thumbs up for Rob Van Dam's DVD. Actually, no. Make that Five Stars!
Fantasy baseball is improving. I am gaining ground and climbing out of the cellar in both leagues.
I think I'm going to get a 1974 Bee Gees record called Mr. Natural. There weren't any big hits on it, but it was the beginning of their move towards R&B music. I heard the title cut off of the recrods and it was a great song. By the way, I own more Bee Gees records than any other artist. In my collection of music, that's a good accomplishment.
Mother's Day is coming up. I wish there was a Son's Day.
My softball league kicks in this week. I can't wait.
Can we banish that piece of crap Tom Glavine back to the Braves? I seriously don't know if he hurt us worse when he was with Hick-lanta or now as a member of the Metrpolitans. I'll be blunt. The best thing that can happen is for him to get seriously hurt. If he pitches a certain number of innings, his option for next year automatically kicks in.
A few more Met notes. I feel okay about them, certainly better than the last three years. They've hung in there without three of their top starting pitchers. Right now, they're not consistent. They score no runs for eight innings and then score five in one inning. The offense is potentially incredible, but not reliable. Diaz, Wright, and Reyes still have a lot to learn. And I never thought Cliff Floyd would be as good as he is. For all the injuries he's had, it's good to see him playing well.
Big thumbs up for Rob Van Dam's DVD. Actually, no. Make that Five Stars!
Fantasy baseball is improving. I am gaining ground and climbing out of the cellar in both leagues.
I think I'm going to get a 1974 Bee Gees record called Mr. Natural. There weren't any big hits on it, but it was the beginning of their move towards R&B music. I heard the title cut off of the recrods and it was a great song. By the way, I own more Bee Gees records than any other artist. In my collection of music, that's a good accomplishment.
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