2 29 2020 Leap Day Power Zone Sports Podcast

Happy Leap Day! Thoughts on the Astros Sign Stealing and thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys Offseason So far!

The MLB 2010 Master Schedule Is Out!

The 2010 MLB Master Schedule is out.

The New York Yankees will start and end the 2010 season playing the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The season begins April 4th with a TBA matchup. The opening Red-Sox Yankees series begins April 5th.

On April 12th, the Red Sox will be the first team to play against the Twins in the new Target Field.

May 21st could be Milton Bardley's first visit back to Arlington, as the Cubs will play the Rangers in an interleague matchup.

June 18th might be Manny Ramirez's first trip back to Fenway Park since he was traded to the Dodgers.

The 81st Annual All Star Game is going to be played July 13th at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The final game between the Giants and Dodgers will be played August 1st.

The Atlanta Braves play host to their division rival Florida Marlins September 27-29th.

On October 1st through the third, Lou Piniella's Chicago Cubs will play their final series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

MLB Highlights 4-12-09

Padres Vs Mets (Citi Field Debut) 4-12-09


Rays Vs Yankees 4-12-09


Athletics Vs Red Sox 4-12-09


Orioles Vs Rangers 4-12-09


Giants Vs Dodgers 4-12-09 (Cycle Alert!)


Cardinals Vs Diamondbacks 4-12-09


Indians Vs Royals 4-12-09


Blue Jays Vs Twins 4-12-09


Reds Vs Brewers 4-12-09


Phillies Vs Nationals 4-12-09


Rockies Vs Cubs 4-12-09


White Sox Vs Tigers 4-12-09


Astros Vs Pirates 4-12-09

MLB Highlights 4-10-09

Here Are Your MLB Highlights from last night, April 10th!
Cubs vs Brewers 4-10-09


Diamondbacks Vs Dodgers 4-10-09


Mariners Vs Athletics 4-10-09


Giants vs Padres 4-10-09


Phillies Vs Rockies 4-10-09


Mets Vs Marlins 4-10-09


Nationals Vs Braves 4-10-09



Yankees Vs Royals 4-10-09


Blue Jays Vs Indians 4-10-09


Astros Vs Cardinals 4-10-09


Twins Vs White Sox 4-10-09


Rays Vs Orioles 4-10-09


Rangers Vs Tigers 4-10-09

MLB Highlights 4-8-09

Here Are Your MLB Highlights from last night courtesy of ESPN Video!

Colorado Vs Arizona 4-8-09


Yankees Vs Baltimore 4-8-09


Rays Vs Red Sox 4-8-09


Atlanta vs Philladelphia 4-8-09


San Diego vs Los Angeles Dodgers 4-8-09


Seattle Vs Minnesota 4-8-09


New York Mets Vs Reds 4-8-09


Chicago Cubs Vs Houston 4-8-09


Milwaukee Vs San Francisco 4-8-09


Kansas City vs Chicago White Sox 4-8-09


Cleveland Vs Texas 4-8-09


Detroit vs Toronto 4-8-09


Pittsburgh Vs St. Louis 4-8-09


Oakland Vs Angels 4-9-09

MLB Highlights 4/6/09

Here Are Your MLB highlights from last Night, April 6th, courtesy of ESPN Video!
A Word Of Note:
Two Teams did not play yesterday. The White Sox and Royals did not play due to snow in Chicago, they will try again today. The Rays and Red Sox did not play yesterday due to rain in Boston. They will try again today.

Mets Vs Reds 4-6-09


Rockies Vs Diamondbacks 4-6-09


Indians Vs Rangers 4-6-09


Yankees Vs Orioles 4-6-09


Pirates Vs Cardinals 4-6-09


Nationals Vs Marlins 4-6-09



Cubs Vs Astros 4-6-09


Dodgers Vs Padres 4-6-09


Tigers Vs Blue Jays 4-6-09


Mariners Vs Twins 4-6-09


Angels Vs Athletics 4-6-09

Cubs-Astros games shifted to Milwaukee

The Cubs and Astros will Play Ball in Milwaukee.

Two games between the Chicago Cubs and Astros that were postponed this weekend in Houston due to Hurricane Ike will now be played in Milwaukee.

The Cubs and Astros will play at 7:05 p.m. CDT on Sunday and 1:05 p.m. on Monday at Miller Park, with Houston being the home team. If the third game of the series is needed, it will be Sept. 29 in Houston.

No Word on if Bernie Brewer will be in attendance for the Cubs-Astros Milwaukee series.

With Miller Park being 90 miles away from Chicago, Miller Park has earned the nickname "North Wrigley." Whenever the Brewers and Cubs play in Milwaukee, thousands of Cubs fans make the trip with them.

It will be no different this time.

Shawn Chacon Released

From PA Sportsticker:

"The Houston Astros released righthander Shawn Chacon on Thursday, one day after he was suspended for initiating a physical altercation, which included confronting general manager Ed Wade and throwing him to the ground.

If Chacon clears waivers, he will be released without pay, Wade said during a news conference at Minute Maid Park. The waiver period extends through Monday. Chacon signed a one-year contract with the Astros in the offseason.

“His defiance of the manager, the pitching coach, me, and especially the organization led us to this decision,” Wade said.

Chacon was suspended indefinitely on Wednesday for insubordination to the club. The one-time All-Star recently voiced his displeasure about being removed from the rotation Sunday after struggling in June, a month in which he was 0-3 with a 9.35 ERA in four starts.

However, according to the Houston Chronicle, Chacon’s frustration spilled over, three days after his initial tirade upon learning of his demotion.

While Chacon, 30, was eating in the lunch room after batting practice, manager Cecil Cooper asked the pitcher to join him and Wade in his office. After refusing Cooper’s request, Wade sat down next to him to try to once again convince the righthander to join them.

The exchange became heated when Wade began to yell at the pitcher, saying that Chacon needed “to (expletive) look in the mirror.”

It was then when the confrontation turned physical.

“So, at that point, I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground,” Chacon said. “I jumped on top of him because, at that point, I wanted to beat his (butt). Words were exchanged.”

Players quickly intervened to separate Wade and Chacon, who remembers being pulled away by backup outfielder Reggie Abercrombie.

“Maybe it shouldn’t have happened,” Chacon told the paper. “But when you do those things and you’re yelling at somebody and you’re cussing, you better know what type of person you’re dealing with. If there’s any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone. I wish they had left me alone.”

Chacon is 2-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 15 starts for the Astros in 2008. He is 45-61 with a 4.99 ERA in 269 career appearances - 134 starts - over eight seasons with the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Astros."

This looks like one situation where cooler heads may have worked for both sides. Chacon is a well traveled-Journeyman Pitcher, and somebody needing a starter in the rotation will pick him up.

Speaking Of Astros-Cubs..

Check Out This Amazing Running Uphill Catch By Jim Edmonds against the Astros Last Night!

The Cubs had some pretty cool plays in this game. The First Great Play was the three run-inside the park homerun by Geovany Soto. The Call Was Blown, that should have been a homerun, but it was very impressive to watch Soto, a guy with just one triple this season, circle the bases!

The Cubs Won 7-2.

Tenth Anniversary Of Kerry Wood's Twenty Strikeout Game

Click on the video to see SportsCenter Highlights of Kerry Wood's Major League record of 20 strikeouts against the Houston Astros.



A much-hyped prospect in the minor leagues, Kerry Wood made his MLB debut on April 12, 1998. He wasted no time showing the world his talent when - in only his fifth career start on May 6, 1998 - he threw a one-hit, no walk, 20-strikeout shutout against the Houston Astros, tying the record for strikeouts in a 9-inning National League game and breaking Bill Gullickson's single-game rookie record of 18 strikeouts in 1980.

Kerry Wood finished the 1998 season with a 13-6 record, and despite missing the last month of the season with elbow soreness easily won the National League Rookie of the Year award. Wood pitched one game in the playoffs against the Atlanta Braves, but suffered the loss. That would be his last appearance in a Cubs uniform for more than a year.

What a Difference Ten Years Makes! Kerry Wood has gone from Rookie Of The Year Starter to closer for the Cubs. Wood has three blown saves so far this season, but Lou Pinella will stick with Wood as Closer. That video of Wood's pitching performance ten years ago today was amazing.

1998 was an amazing year for baseball. Not just in the McGwire-Sosa Homeun Chase, but the young Fireballing Texan who looked like a young Nolan Ryan, Kerry Wood.

Did Miguel Lie? Congress Wants To Know

Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, the commissioner and union leader often at loggerheads, sat side-by-side Tuesday as Congress pressed them yet again with questions about baseball's doping problem.

At a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the same, wood-paneled room where Selig, Fehr, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and others testified three years ago, congressmen mixed criticism of baseball and its players with praise for progress on steroids.
That 2005 hearing was referenced right away when panel chairman Henry Waxman opened the proceedings by calling on the Justice Department to look into whether former AL MVP Miguel Tejada lied to committee staffers when questioned in connection to Palmeiro's perjury case.

Waxman then turned the focus to former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's report on baseball's steroids era.

"The illegal use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs was pervasive for more than a decade, Major League Baseball was slow and ineffective in responding to the scandal, and the use of human growth hormone has been rising," said committee chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat.

"The Mitchell Report also makes it clear that everyone in baseball is responsible: the owners, the commissioner, the union and the players."

After Mitchell's two-hour appearance, Selig and Fehr went before the panel. Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings said to Selig and Fehr: "This scandal happened under your watch. I want that to sink in. It did. Do you accept responsibility for this scandal or do you think there was nothing you could do to prevent it?"

Fehr paused for several seconds.

"Did we or did I appreciate the depth of the problem? ... The answer is 'No,"' Fehr replied. "It's a failure that we didn't and it's a failure that I didn't."

Selig then followed, starting by saying he's agonized over the question.

"Do I wish we could have reacted quicker? Should we have? One could make the case," the commissioner said. "All of us have to take responsibility, starting with me."

In his opening statement, Selig vowed to develop a program "to require top prospects for the major league draft to submit to drug testing before the (amateur) draft." He also reiterated his willingness to support use of a test for human growth hormone "when a valid, commercially available and practical test for HGH becomes reality, regardless of whether the test is based on blood or urine."

Fehr, in turn, said the union has agreed to "allow players to be suspended for HGH use based on evidence other than a positive test, a so-called 'non-analytical' finding."

He and Selig said they met in December to discuss the Mitchell Report's investigations and plan to meet again.

"I hope we have all of this completed before spring training," Selig said.

One representative questioned all three witnesses about a potential loophole in baseball's drug policy, which was toughened in the aftermath of the 2005 congressional hearing. Penalties were increased and amphetamines were banned.

Massachusetts Democrat John Tierney said baseball gave over 100 therapeutic-use exemptions to players for attention deficit disorder last year, up from 28 in 2006. The exemptions enabled players to use stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall.

Earlier, the mood was captured succinctly by Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays, who began his questioning time by noting, "This is almost surreal to me."

It took more than 1 1/2 hours for the first mention of Roger Clemens, the star pitcher who figures prominently in the Mitchell Report and is scheduled to testify before the committee on Feb. 13, along with his former trainer, Brian McNamee. It was McNamee who told Mitchell that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone, charges Clemens repeatedly has denied.

"You continue to feel comfortable with Mr. McNamee's credibility?" Waxman asked.

"We believe that the statements provided to us were truthful," Mitchell said.

Mitchell was asked why he did not address amphetamine use in his report ("They were outside the mandate of our investigation"); what level of help he received from the union ("As I said in my report, the players' association was largely uncooperative"); and why he did not agree to a request by The Associated Press to turn over evidence he gathered ("The responsibility for the disclosure of those documents rests with those who are the possessors and owners of the documents.") Mitchell said there were 115,000 pages.

Miguel Tejada Has Found A New Home

Miguel Tejada was traded to the Houston Astros.


Miguel Tejada shows that patience pays off.

Two years after first requesting a trade, Tejada was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Houston Astros for five players on Wednesday, giving the former AL MVP a fresh start on a team looking to boost its lineup.

The Orioles got outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo for the four-time All-Star shortstop.

Two winters ago, Tejada caused a stir in Baltimore when he said was unhappy with the Orioles' direction and wanted to be traded. He later backed off that stance.

At 31, the Orioles were worried about his range at shortstop. He had resisted their efforts to move him over to third base.

Wade said while Tejada may not cover quite as much ground as he once did, the Astros are confident he'll be solid in that spot. Adam Everett, Houston's shortstop this season, will become an unrestricted free agent by Thursday, Wade said.

In 2005, Tejada came under scrutiny after teammate Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids. Palmeiro said Tejada gave him vitamin B-12 that might have been tainted with performance-enhancing drugs.

Tejada denied any steroid use and his name has not been linked to any wrongdoing.

The National League Central will not be the weakest division in Baseball next season. The Brewers have shored up their bullpen with David Riske, Eric Gagne, and Solomon Torres. The Astros have improved their offense with Miguel Tejada. The Cubs have improved their outfield, as it was announced today they signed Free Agent Japanese Outfielder Koskue Fukudome to a four year, $48 Million dollar contract.

The Three Horse Race for the National League Central has begun.

Trachsel Earns First Cub Win since '99, Cubs Get The Long Ball Working In Win Over Houston

The Chicago Cubs used a simple formula to regain the NL Central lead Thursday night. If only they can follow it in St. Louis this weekend.

Steve Trachsel earned his first win with the Cubs in eight years and Chicago hit four home runs in a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros.
Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Daryle Ward and Cliff Floyd all homered for Chicago, which moved a half-game ahead of idle Milwaukee in the division race. The Cubs open a four-game series at third-place St. Louis on Friday night.

Trachsel (1-2) gave up two solo homers and seven hits in five innings for his first win since the Cubs acquired him from Baltimore on Aug. 31.

The 36-year-old right-hander pitched for the Cubs from 1993-99, and his last win with them came on Oct. 3, 1999. The 2,906-day gap between victories is the third-longest in team history.

Trachsel was pitching on three days' rest, and Cubs manager Lou Piniella got exactly what he needed from him. Scott Eyre, Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol then combined for four scoreless innings of one-hit ball.

Carlos Lee and Mark Loretta homered for the Astros, who have dropped 10 of 15 games since Cecil Cooper replaced Phil Garner as manager on Aug. 27. Woody Williams (8-15) gave up four homers for the first time this season and lost his fourth straight start.

The Cubs staked Trachsel to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Soriano hit Williams' second pitch off the brick facade in left field, his 40th career leadoff homer. Soriano has eight leadoff home runs this season, tying the Cubs record set by Rick Monday in 1976.

Mike Fontenot followed with a single and Floyd walked before Ramirez hit a three-run shot to left. Ramirez has 23 home runs this season and five this month.

Chicago's defense helped Trachsel avoid early trouble.

Luke Scott tripled with one out in the Astros' second, his second triple of the series. Loretta walked before Eric Munson grounded into a double play. The Astros also put two on with one out in the third inning, but Chicago escaped with another double play.

Trachsel's confidence grew with every pitch.

Trachsel made his only costly mistakes in the fourth inning. Lee led off with his 28th homer and first since Sept. 1. With two outs, Loretta homered just inside the foul pole in left.

Williams retired 11 consecutive batters after the shaky start. Ward ended the streak with a two-out, solo homer in the fifth that stretched Chicago's lead to 5-2.

Eyre relieved Trachsel in the sixth and the Cubs ended another inning with a double play. Eyre has a 1.02 ERA since the All-Star break.

Floyd led off the seventh with a homer into the upper deck in right field. The only other time the Cubs hit four homers in a game this season was June 8 in a 9-1 win over Atlanta.

Last week, Piniella told Floyd the Cubs were going to need his bat down the stretch.

The Cubs improved to 5-18-2 in series when they lose the first game. ... Soriano has three leadoff homers in September. He's the only major league player to hit at least eight leadoff homers in four seasons. ... Ward replaced 1B Derrek Lee in the starting lineup. Lee was a late scratch because of a sore right knee.

Cubs Win! Cubs are a half-game in First Place! The Cubs have a Big Series coming up this weekend against their hated rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Carlos Zambrano is pitching for the Cubs, while Adam Wainwright is pitching for the Cardinals, who are now eliminated from postseason play.

Rich Hill Pitches Cubs into A Tie For First Place

The Cubs' luck may have finally changed.

Ryan Dempster survived a nail-biting ninth and Cliff Floyd homered to back Rich Hill to boost the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros Wednesday night. Chicago is back in a tie for first place with the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

Rich Hill, who ranks last in the Majors in run support, got just enough. The left-hander struck out seven, walked three, and gave up three hits, including Mark Loretta's leadoff homer in the seventh, to post his 16th quality start of the season.

With the Cubs leading, 3-1, Mark Loretta singled to lead off the Astros ninth, but instead of a routine two, three-hopper to first baseman Derrek Lee, the ball deflected off the first-base bag into shallow right.

Pinch-hitter Mike Lamb then dropped an RBI triple into the gap in right-center to close to 3-2. One out later, Dempster walked pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro, prompting a visit from Piniella. Eric Munson was up, and Piniella's only message was that he was a perfect double play candidate.

Munson bounced the ball to Lee, who got off the bag quickly and made a perfect feed to shortstop Ryan Theriot, who then fired to Dempster covering at first.

The Cubs take on Houston in the finale of this series. Steve Tracsel is on the mound for the Cubbies, while Woody Williams is on the mound for the Houston Astros.

If the Cubs win tonight, they will have sole possession of first place in the National League Central, since the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers do not play tonight.

Manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Parpura Shown the Shaft in Houston

The Houston Astros have fired manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura less than two years after the two were responsible for guiding the team to its only World Series appearance.

The team announced the moves at a Monday afternoon press conference, naming Cecil Cooper as interim manager and Tal Smith as interim GM.

Garner took over as Astros manager on July 14, 2004 and posted a record of 277-252, but the club was floundering in fifth place in the NL Central this year with a mark of 58-73.

As interim skipper in 2004, Garner guided the team to the NLCS, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. After being named full-time manager on November 2, 2004 -- a day after Purpura was named GM -- Garner led the club to its first-ever National League pennant in 2005.

The Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series, then finished in second place in 2006 with 82-80 record as a late-season rally for a playoff spot came up just short.

Garner, who played with the Astros from 1981-87, has also managed the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers. He has a career managerial record of 985-1,054.

Purpura was in his 14th year with the Astros. Prior to taking over the GM role in November 2004, he was the club's assistant general manager and also directed the team's player development system.

Cooper was in his first season as the Astros' bench coach after spending two years managing at Triple-A Indianapolis of the International League. He had a record of 130-156 with Indianapolis.

Scott Podsednik: Heading to the North Side?

Scott Podsednik, the leadoff man for the White Sox, had his greatest moment in the 2005 World Series. Podsednik had zero homeruns in the regular season, but his first in the World Series (above)gave the White Sox a walk-off 7-6 victory and a 2-0 advantage heading to Houston. The White Sox would Sweep the Astros to give Chicago it's first Baseball Championship sice 1917. Podsednik helped the Chicago White Sox end a long championship drought. He may soon be in position to do the same for the Cubs, Chicago's other Baseball Team.

The Chicago Tribune, citing a major league source, reported on its Web site Friday that the Cubs claimed Podsednik on waivers. The White Sox had two business days to work out a trade with the Cubs, simply let him go to the North Side team or pull him off waivers.

The Cubs, who began the day a half-game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, could use a leadoff hitter and left fielder, with Alfonso Soriano nursing a torn quad muscle. Podsednik would fill those needs, although he would not provide the power.

If The Cubs get Podsednik, this is a great move for them. Scotty Pods was the catalyst for the White Sox the year they won the World Series in 2005. Podsednik's role has been reduced this year. Podsednik was batting seventh in the lineup, and was being called "unreliable" by his manager. The Cubs need a leadoff hitter in the absence of Alfonso Soriano. Podsednik would fill the role well.Podsednik is dangerous on the bases. He doesn't have a whole lot of power, but he has everything else.

Will Scott Podsednik switch leagues? We will find out by the end of this weekend.