Tony La Russa at I70 Clinic (YouTube)

Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a rather scathing column on St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa in Thursday’s editions of the paper.  La Russa’s reputation has taken several shots this season — from the DUI arrest in Jupiter, Fla., during spring training to his handling of his All-Star roster late in last week’s game by not using his own player (Albert Pujols) as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning with the NL rallying — that seemingly has continued to wear on the future Hall of Fame manager.

It should be noted that earlier this season, Miklasz and Tony La Russa had a similar confrontation regarding a tongue-in-cheek piece that a colleague of his wrote mocking the Chicago Cubs’ 99-years of futility.  La Russa felt that the article disrespected the Cubs organization and the manager instituted a three-day moratorium on talking to anyone from the Post-Dispatch.

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Miklasz took issue with the manager’s handling of the media this week, suggesting that his berating of a FOX Sports reporter during a post-game press conference on Tuesday was a bush league move and that anger should be directed at his players, not the media.

More after the jump »

Remember when Dan Patrick made his announcement on July 9th that he’d be leaving the network after 18-years and that his last show would be on August 17th and that the final week would be a look back with special guests and tributes?

Yeah we did, too.

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(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

A quick hit that’s been lost in the shuffle of St. Louis manager Tony La Russa’s apparent bone-headed move in not playing Albert Pujols — the disgustingly performed national anthem by San Francisco native Chris Isaak and some guy we never heard of Kenney Johnson.

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Was Jefferson Starship or Huey Lewis not available?

We’re glad you guys went through that sound check without realizing you two don’t really know the lyrics to the nation’s anthem.

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

During Tuesday’s All-Star Game, the National League was threatening with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth and the score 5-4. Alfonso Soriano has just hit a two-run home run on a 3-1, 95 MPH fastball off Seattle’s J.J. Putz after two outs were recorded and Dmitri Young of the Washington Nationals reached on an infield single (questionable call) that Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts booted.

Everyone in America was expecting St. Louis’ Albert Pujols to step up to the plate and pinch-hit for Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson or Fightin’ Phillies centerfielder Aaron Rowand after Putz and Los Angeles’ Francisco Rodriguez ran into some ninth inning trouble, walking three hitters between them (Putz walked one; Rodriguez two). Pujols was the last position player left on the National League’s bench after manager (and Pujols’ St. Louis skipper) Tony La Russa had exhausted all options.

But La Russa didn’t tap Pujols to come into the game. Rowand hit for himself and eventually lined out to the right fielder — Toronto’s Alex Rios — to end the game.

More after the jump »

We wrote a long-winded piece on Friday that described the possibility that the St. Louis Rams may’ve found a new broadcast home on 1380 ESPN (KSLG) in St. Louis.  Apparently, we mis-connected some dots like a kindergartner at a doctor’s office with a Highlights magazine.

As it turns out, the station has decided to switch up their daily programming and will have a sister station — 1490 Fox Sports Radio (WFFX) –  that will air all FOX Sports Radio programming.  The move will subtract the nationally syndicated Jim Rome radio program from KSLG and will bump it to the newly created station.

They will also move the Gateway Grizzlies to the newly created network (we were partially right on that part).

To fill the void left by Jim Rome’s departure, Colin “Schrutebag” Cowherd will be heard everyday for the full three hours till noon and “The ITD Roll Home with Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker” will expand an hour and will run to 7 PM daily.

For our mistake, we will sit in the corner till tomorrow morning and repent for our mistake.  Please forgive us.

Radio station 1380 ESPN (KSLG-AM) has begun running promos on their airwaves, teasing of a major announcement that’ll impact station programming.

The announcement is set to take place at 5:00 PM ET on their station Monday.

According to our sources — and varying Internet rumors — the big news might very well be that the station has landed the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams radio rights for the upcoming season and beyond.  The Rams are currently free agents after their contract with their current broadcast home, 550 KTRS, has expired.

More after the jump »

Looking around the transaction sheet on the NHL page this morning, it reads like a Paris Hilton shopping spree as NHL owners and general managers forgot to keep the line on salaries this time around.

Just think: NHL owners were nearly claiming poverty prior to what would have been the 2004-2005 hockey season, stating that salary escalation would be of great detriment to the future of the league. In cementing their stance, the owners held firm till the following July of 2005 when both sides agreed to instituting a salary cap.

Let’s take a gander at day one of the free agency signing period…

More after the jump »

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

So Craig Leipold, current owner of the Nashville Predators of the NHL, has reversed course and decided that Jim Balsillie isn’t the right person to take his financially hemorrhaging hockey club off his hands.

Instead, William “Boots” Del Biaggio is the new chosen one.  Del Biaggio comes into the picture after practically begging anyone who would listen at the NHL Draft last week that he wanted to buy a team (and probably move them) and somehow snares a club after having offered $50 million less than Balsillie’s proposal to take on the organization.  The funny thing is, “Boots’” intentions are just the same as Balsillie’s: moving the club to another city.

More after the jump »

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

On a hot, humid June 22 back in 2002, fans in like us were in Wrigleyville, Illinois anticipating another Cardinals-Cubs match-up.  The two clubs were set to battle in a key Central Division match-up after the Cardinals lost to Jon Lieber after first baseman Fred “The Crime Dog” McGriff tattooed two solo dingers off St. Louis starter Woody Williams, 2-1.

After that St. Louis loss, both sides would never be the same.

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(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

And it ended with a stroke of a bell.

In a sound reminiscent of “It’s a Wonderful Life” when the angel Clarence earned his wings, the award-winning HBO series “The Sopranos” came to an end. After seven seasons that spanned a large portion of the trials and tribulations of the family Soprano, an unsatisfying (to some) conclusion to their story left many a viewer a bit befuddled.

More after the jump »

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

Rodriguez, McDonald share words in Yankees win (AP/Y! Sports)

After having a big night on the town with a lovely, shapely blonde, Alex Rodriguez decided to have a little fun on the base paths.

With two outs in the ninth, New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada skied one into the Toronto night towards short left-field in the vicinity of Toronto third baseman Howie Clark.
More after the jump »

Adriana Monsalve (AdrianaMonsalve.com)

It’s late at night and you’ve got the television tuned on Cinemax “The Worldwide Teaser” as you’re finishing up some work in the background before hitting the sheets for a good night’s sleep.

And then the visage appears right before you on your 32″ inch WEGA that can’t be turned off — Adriana Monsalve, ESPN Deportes.

More after the jump »

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

We can never have enough Barbaro and USA Today fails to disappoint its readership with more whimsical tales of the horse that captured the hearts of millions with winning last year’s Kentucky Derby and then met its ultimate fate during The Preakness at Pimlico around this time last year.  It further endeared itself to blue-haireds and knitters everywhere as it fought for its survival for months as well wishers e-mailed it cards and sent letters of encouragement.

To a horse, mind you.

That can’t even read.

While we admit we were transfixed by the accident and its immediate aftermath (note the word immediate), we never thought the story would have legs (no pun intended) four months after its passing (note the word ‘its’ because it’s a horse).

More after the jump »

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on. And since it’s the lunch hour, some Chips ‘n dip are on order.)

Donald Trump, everyone’s favorite business media whore, appeared on Stephen A. Smith’s ESPN Radio Show on Thursday in an attempt to boost the ratings for his sagging show, The Apprentice (note the casual mention of it in spiel).

Per the interview –

Mark Cuban is a guy, who is, ya know, look, Mark Cuban is a loser. Mark should’ve won last year. He’s the owner of the team and as the owner of the team, he put so much pressure on those players that they choked. And…they choked. Ya know, he probably always wanted to be a winner in life and if you look like him can’t be a winner. Mark Cuban was extremely embarrassed when he copied The Apprentice and failed, so they threw him off television like a dog.

So let’s get something straight — a team that Cuban purchased (the Mavericks) was a perennial NBA dormat, averaging nearly a .400-winning percentage over a a 15+ year period has turned into a Western Conference power at over a .600-winning percentage clip and he’s a loser? That goes without mentioning that Cuban helped usher in the digital media era on the Internet with his broadcast.com venture and had a hand in making high-definition the marketable force for television networks that it is today.

While both might be media whores of varying extent, one shouldn’t be throwing stones from a once-bankrupt glass house, Mr. Trump.

As we get ready to wrap things up for the evening, we notice on ESPN’s “SportstCenter” that they are conducting a live, NFL mock draft, complete with analysis from the team’s cities beat writers. Even Mark Schlereth, football analyst, dropped an LL Cool J reference when he described a draft pick with this phrase — “momma said knock you out” — a no-brainer pick (forgive us for not knowing who the pick was since we were laughing really, really hard).

We don’t know about you, but we haven’t seen such riveting television since watching Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? on FOX a few years back. The only good thing out of all this was the video from the 2003 NFL draft where the Minnesota Vikings were “passed” after failing to turn in their pick.

This NFL draft can’t come soon enough. See you tomorrow, kids.

A bubbly reminder of a corrupt past (The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball)

When not policing steroid users, Major League Baseball likes to enforce other rules, specifically rule 21 (b).

You see, Minnesota Twins centerfielder Torri Hunter gifted four bottles of Dom Perignon champagne to Kansas City Royals first baseman/DL candidate Mark Sweeney for downing the Detroit Tigers at the end of the 2006 season. Apparently doing so is an MLB no-no, almost to the point of a minimum of a three-year ban.

And not only is Hunter in some hot water with baseball, but so are the Royals for accepting such gifts.

More after the jump »