By Chris Haft The Giants’ White House visit Monday may prove to be motivational as well as ceremonial. Occupants of last place in the National League West, the Giants might have needed a reminder that they are indeed the reigning World Series champions who have captured the title twice in three years. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
The South Lawn
2:11 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, everybody please have a seat. Welcome to the White House on this beautiful afternoon. And congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on their second World Series title in three years. (Applause.) They're making this a habit. (Laughter.)
I want to start by recognizing all the fans of the Orange and Black with us today, including San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is in the house. (Applause.) One of your number-one fans in Washington, Leader Nancy Pelosi is here — season ticket holder. (Applause.) All the members of Congress that we’ve got here today — we’re glad you guys are here.
We want to recognize as well Larry Baer and GM Brian Sabean for building yet another championship team. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) And of course, we’ve got somebody who keeps on looking younger every time I see him, the “Say Hey Kid” Willie Mays in the house. (Applause.) And, of course, we’ve got a big — give a big congratulations to Manager Bruce Bochy, who just last week joined greats like John McGraw and Joe Torre as one of only 21 managers to win 1,500 games. That is an incredible honor. Give Bruch a big round of applause. (Applause.) Congratulations.
Now, it wasn’t that long ago that these guys were already here celebrating their last World Series title. Some things apparently don’t change. The Giants still won behind stellar pitching and smothering defense and timely hitting. And even though they used a different closer down the stretch, this one still had a “beard to fear.” (Laughter.)
On the other hand, some things do change. In 2010, it took five games to close out the World Series. This year it only took four. (Applause.) There are some new faces standing behind me, some new nicknames. You got the “Reverend.” You’ve got “Blockbuster.” We’ve even got new haircuts. Where’s Tim? (Laughter.) There he is. See, you don't even recognize him anymore. (Laughter.)
And of course, there were new moments to write into the history books as well. During the regular season, Matt Cain threw the franchise’s first perfect game with a record-tying 14 strikeouts. Buster Posey returned from injury — I wish I was that young — you just kind of snap back — comes back, hits .336 with 24 homeruns and earns the National League MVP. (Applause.)
In the playoffs, the Giants dropped the first two games to the Reds, forcing them to run off three straight wins to stay alive. And then against the Cardinals, they had to come back from a three to one hole to win in seven games. In all, this team faced elimination a total of six times in the playoffs. It’s no wonder that your own fans still refer to Giants …read more
Source: White House Press Office
By Chris Haft For the second time in three years, the Giants will make the World Series winner’s traditional visit to the White House on Monday to meet President Barack Obama and be recognized for capturing baseball’s title. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
Wear your lucky Yankees jersey. Hold your breath. Expect nothing less than a World Series win. Certain routines are routine for millions of baseball playoff fans desperate to meet victory. In fact, a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says fans are so deep in their traditions, they will drop brand loyalty-if it means a win. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org
By Marty Noble Heroes and villains seldom fade away in his city, not when they have done their best or worst on a baseball field. How many years ago did Gionfriddo deny Joe D. in the World Series? And though the Dodgers, that Yankee Stadium and both players are gone, this market holds to that moment. Like elephants and rock and roll, New York City doesn’t forget. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By Anthony DiComo American League pitchers held National League hitters to three hits in a 3-0 blanking at Citi Field, scoring World Series home-field advantage for the Junior Circuit for the first time since 2009. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By Anthony DiComo American League pitchers held National League hitters to three hits in a 3-0 blanking at Citi Field, scoring World Series home-field advantage for the Junior Circuit for the first time since 2009. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Don’t tell Ray Fosse that the All-Star Game didn’t really “count” until 2003.
The longtime Cleveland Indians catcher was on the wrong end of one of the most infamous — and painful — plays in All-Star history when Pete Rose obliterated him in a collision at home plate in order to score the winning run in 1970. Fosse’s fractured and separated soldier surely counted.
Dating back to July 1933, when Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward orchestrated a star-studded charity game at Comiskey Park, the most talented — and most popular — players in the majors have gathered on one summer day for one star-studded game. While generations of the game’s best and brightest stars have shone on the All-Star stage, pride was the only thing on the line until the 2002 affair ended in an embarrassing tie. The following year, MLB adopted a “This Time It Counts” slogan and awarded home-field advantage in the World Series to the winning team.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post
By Jesse Lawrence, Contributor
Until recently, All Star games in major league sports were purely exercises in exhibition. Then in 2003 baseball added some significance to the game, by giving the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. This change, however, has not elevated the Mid-Summer classic to the most sought after All Star ticket. That title belongs to the NBA. Along with Bloomberg, TiqIQ analyzed the premium paid for the last 11 All Star contests across Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey. The get this premium we divided the average price of the All Star Game by the league ticket average during then corresponding regular season. As the below chart illustrates, the NBA is the clear winner, with premiums of 1,852% in 2011, 1,674% last year in Houston and 710% in 2010 in Orlando. Comparatively, the highest premium for a Major League baseball All Star game in the last three years is 1,196% for this year’s game at Citi Field, followed by 1,016% for last year’s game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Tuesday’s All-Star game at Citi Field marks the second time the Mets have hosted the game and the 7th time that a New York team has hosted the midsummer classic. As far as baseball All Star Games go, this one ranks high on the demand curve. In fact, it’s the most expensive MLB All Star Game over the last three years, with an average price of $855 compared to $576 last year and $294 in Arizona in 2011. The cheapest 500-level ticket on TiqIQ is $310 from our partner eBay and the cheapest 100-level ticket is $365 from our partners at Razorgator. At the other end of the premium spectrum is the NFL’s All Star Game, the Pro Bowl. Played annually in Hawaii, it’s the only game that comes at the end of the season, as opposed to at the midway point. Whether it is the timing or the location, the Pro Bowl has historically been a dud at the box office. Last year, the average price to the Pro Bowl actually sold at a discount to the league’s season average, by -16.2%. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Meggie Zahneis Reggie Jackson was known as a “Mr. October” because of his World Series success, but the Hall of Famer was busy in the middle of summer, too, as a 14-time All-Star. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By Chris Haft When catcher Buster Posey gave Tim Lincecum a congratulatory — and blind-sided — bear hug, the scene looked happily familiar. Between a pair of World Series titles and Matt Cain’s perfect game, these Giants have been here before. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By Lyle Spencer This is taking shape as a golden age of pitchers. Everywhere you look across the Major League landscape, you’ll find extraordinary young talents, already fully evolved artistically in special cases such as the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg, Madison Bumgarner of the World Series champion Giants and Chris Sale of the White Sox.
From: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130418&content_id=45110262&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
By Mike Bauman The San Francisco Giants are not playing their best baseball and still they are 9-6. On balance, the news is not all that bad for the defending World Series champions.
From: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130418&content_id=45115552&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
It’s too early to tell how well baseball’s New York Mets will do this season, but for Mets fans, it’s easy to go online and relive the glory days of the team’s last World Series-winning year, back in 1986 – without having to pay anything for it.
By ESPN.com news services Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Monday that the framework for a deal to renovate Wrigley Field, which was agreed to by the City of Chicago, will bring a World Series to a fan base that hasn’t seen a championship since 1908.
By Zack Meisel Tino Martinez, a two-time Major League All-Star and four-time World Series champion, headlines a set of seven players and coaches who will represent the 2013 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
From: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130411&content_id=44496514&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
837 – Comet 1P/837 F1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0334 AUs of Earth
1961 – 25th Golf Masters Championship: Gary Player wins, shooting a 280
1976 – Cleveland Cavaliers win their 1st NBA Central Division title
1977 – Beverly Klass wins LPGA Women’s International Golf Satellite
1981 – Computer glitch keeps Space Shuttle Columbia grounded
1993 – BPAA US Open by Del Ballard Jr
401 – Theodosius II, the Younger, Eastern Roman emperor
1880 – Montague Summers, English writer (d. 1948)
1926 – Jacques Casterede, composer
1926 – “Alvin” Junior Samples, Cummings Ga, country singer (Hee Haw)
1972 – Richard Wearne, Australian rower (Olympics-96)
1974 – Petros Passalis, Greek footballer
1646 – Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (b. 1576)
1955 – Oskar Frederik Lindberg, composer, dies at 68
1956 – Clarence Beaumont, 1st batter in 1st World Series, dies at 75
1975 – Sophia JW “Sophie” Hermse, actress (But a Dream), dies at 86
2005 – Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
2009 – Deborah Digges, American poet (b. 1950)
Source: FULL ARTICLE at HistoryOrb.Com – This Day in History
In 2002 John Henry, one of America’s most successful hedge fund managers, bought the principal stake in the the Boston Red Sox. Two years later the baseball team broke the “Curse of the Bambino,” winning the World Series for the first time in 86 years. The Red Sox won another World Series under Henry’s ownership in 2007 and later Henry purchased a majority stake in the Liverpool Football Club. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By AJ Cassavell The Giants will head home from Sunday afternoon’s game with some hardware, as the members of the 2012 World Series champion club are set to receive their World Series rings.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
By Richard Justice This is a great time to be a Giants fan. With arguably the best GM, manager and ballpark in the game, San Francisco also has the kind of rotation needed to win a third World Series championship in four years. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
