Giants Game Live 2010

So Matches pitching matchup “for centuries”, as it was advertised for almost a week, not quite live up to its payment.
The bar was so high that only a double shutout in extra innings to match savings.
But who would have thought that the long-awaited Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum would have been captured by Throwdown
Maybe Phillies fans are saying “Ross Cody Bleepin” on this disturbing on Sunday morning that he considered the hometown heroes back after playing a match series for the first time in three years.

First Ross became the first player to get hit by Mr. Tober-Doc-in 111 / 3 innings, and what seemed like two months when he took Halladay deep from the inside Fastball in the third inning.
Then he gave the Giants the other end with a second solo blast to the left to the fifth.
All of this comes out of eighth place in the order of San Francisco.
This, however, is not your normal number 8 hitter.
Just last season, Ross hit 24 home runs and drove in 90 runs for the Marlins.
Looking at it in this game is hard to understand why Florida released him available for the plucking, as the Giants did with the refusal of the wire on August 23.
He becomes a version of San Fran, Mr. October. Ross broke up Derek Lowe no-hitter in the sixth inning of Game 4 of NLDS and then select a good run inning later.
“Cody has been swinging the bat well and certainly gave us a sense of confidence in that dugout, putting himself on a board like that,” said the Giants’ version of Grizzly Adams, manager Bruce Bochy.
“He helped us a lot, since he was here. And we are faced with tough pitcher today, and we got a couple of mistakes and took advantage of it.”
Do not expect Bochy bring Russia out of number 8 slot, however.
“He’s a success, where he is, so why mess with it?” Bochy said. “He did a great job in this hole. And I do not think I’m going to change it.”
Bochy went on to note that in one phase of his life in Russia wanted to be a rodeo clown. It’s cool guys who have to go back and distract the bull after bullrider has either fallen or jumped off the angry animal.
This is a dangerous job.
For comparison, facing Halladay was a piece of cake.
“My father was a rodeo and I think that’s why I was drawn to so many of them because these guys are not afraid,” said Ross. “They would put their lives on the line to save the cowboy.”
It is obvious that these Giants are not afraid of the Phillies or their fans.
They came in a hostile environment and tamed the bulls of the National League for Tim Lincecum and two cords, a trio that combined for 13 strikeouts.
If you’re a fan of the Phillies to worry about an offense that looks a lot like it did in June when the team nearly buried himself in too deep a hole in the National League East.
Lincecum, as Halladay was good, maybe better than average. He was almost untouchable as the Phillies had six hits with him – four extra bases – and a few other balls that are hit.
Just as they did not panic when they drifted seven games for the Braves, do not expect the Phillies to go into crisis mode right now.
Even if Jonathan Sanchez puts them in a 2-0 hole in Game 2, you do not expect them to tighten the Phillies.
Approach remains the same.
“We leave tomorrow, and we went out and played at a time,” Charlie Manuel said afterward, as he said so many times. “We’re trying to win this game. That’s what we should do. That’s just what we can do.”
But, at least, Giants notice that this series might be a bit more complicated than a five-game celebrations Dodgers in the last two of the NLC.
These giants are not red either. Their pitching speaks for itself, and when you have a guy like Cody Ross hit eighth, your list might be a bit more formidable than the media gave you credit.
“That was huge for our club,” Bochy said. “We’re on the road. We have faced Halladay. We knew that our work cut out. But we had a very nice guy in there too.
“It’s a long series here. And this is just the beginning. And all this right now.”

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iTunes U For Apple

iTunes U lets students (or anyone, really) to hear the lectures, classes and other programs of the leading educational institutions in the world. In fact, more than 800 universities participate, and this week Apple announced the delivery of 300 million downloads of iTunes U.

Students can use iTunes U to find conferences and other materials related to their studies, of course, but in fact anyone with an interest in continuing education can browse the contents of the audio or video store to fit their areas of interest.
For example, here is a collection of the Stanford Historical Society, and a Keio, Japan, the University. All content on iTunes U is free.

Congratulations to Apple and the institutions involved.

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Arizona Best Player Edwin Jackson

Edwin Jackson had a chance to finish the ugliest of the no-hitters in this the Year of the Pitcher, and nothing was going to stop of him.
Not Arizona manager A.J. Hinch. Certainly not the Tampa Bay Rays.
Barreling ahead despite a soaring pitch count, Jackson tossed the fourth no-hitter of the season Friday night, beating his former team 1-0 despite walking eight, hitting a batter and watching another reach base on an error.

It took an astounding 149 pitches — most in the majors in five years — to complete the second no-hitter in Arizona history.
“We talked every inning after about the sixth because I was checking on him. It’s such a complicated situation with the game in the balance and him chasing a no-hitter,” Hinch said.
“He kept saying he was fine and, `I’m not coming out, I’m not coming out, I’m not coming out.’ As the momentum built and the situation grew, it was pretty evident he had an extra gear. It’s something to celebrate.”
All but one of Jackson’s walks came in the first three innings, but the Rays still were no-hit for the third time in less than a year, including perfect games by Dallas Braden at Oakland on May 9 and Mark Buehrle at Chicago last July 23.
Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez no-hit Atlanta on April 17 and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay tossed a perfect game at Florida on May 29. Detroit’s Armando Galarraga lost his perfect game with two outs in the ninth on a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce.
“It’s one of those moments where I tell him I’m not coming out until I give up a hit or a home run. You want to skip my next start, that’s fine. Give me an extra day, that’s fine,” Jackson said.
“It’s one of those opportunities that doesn’t come everyday. And for me to come out of that game without giving up a hit, it would have been what if. What if I would have stayed in. I’m glad it didn’t have to be a what if situation.”
Jason Bartlett grounded to shortstop Stephen Drew for the final out and Jackson’s teammates mobbed him after the improbable feat.
Jackson, who entered the game with a 5.05 ERA, is 43-45 in eight seasons. He was an All-Star last year for Detroit before being traded to Arizona in the offseason in a three-team trade with the Yankees that included Curtis Granderson.
Two years ago, the 26-year-old right-hander matched a Tampa Bay franchise record with 14 wins to help the Rays make an improbable run to the World Series.
“It’s one of those bittersweet moments. You throw a no-hitter and it’s against your old team. At least it’s with a crowd that you’ve had accomplishment with,” said Jackson who was hit with a pie in the face by a teammate during an on-field interview before receiving a beer shower heading into the clubhouse.
The crowd of 18,918 stood and applauded the first no-hitter at Tropicana Field in the relatively short history of the Rays, who like the Diamondbacks began play in 1998.
Randy Johnson has the only other no-hitter in Arizona history, a perfect game at Atlanta on May 18, 2004.
Adam LaRoche homered off Jeff Niemann (6-2) in the second inning, all the support Jackson would need.
“He’s a great athlete and a great kid. He’s one of the very few who can do that,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said, noting Jackson’s ability to continue to pitch well despite a high pitch count.
“We had so many guys on base,” Rays center fielder B.J. Upton said, “nobody knew it was a no-hitter until the seventh.”
Jackson (5-6) walked the bases loaded in the third but was bailed out by a stellar play by third baseman Mark Reynolds, who spun around to throw out Ben Zobrist at home plate. Hank Blalock then grounded out to end the inning.
Reynolds made another big play on a sharp line drive by Bartlett in the seventh. Earlier in the at-bat Bartlett hit a dribbler that hung close to the third base line before rolling foul in front of the bag.
In the eighth, Miguel Montero threw out pinch-runner Carl Crawford trying to steal second after Carlos Pena reached on an error by Drew.
Jackson was so wild and the pitch count unusually high that the Diamondbacks had relievers warming up from the sixth inning on.

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