September 2009: Week 1
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Check out www.lexxxluthor.com and follow Lex as he tours with his European band The Mainstream in Germany and Holland.
It's Labor Day week, and The NOR CAL Report is puttin' in overtime! This week, the Giants are back from the dead, and challenging for an October surprise, while the A's look to a distant future, and the football and basketball squads hope the future is now. Plus:
The Raiders have the talent to go toe-to-toe with half the teams in the league. So why are the players looking at the cellar, while the head coach stares down jail time? Lex knows; and Jess has a feeling who's for real, and who's a mirage...
The 49ers have a lot to crow about, a few very real fears, and a surprise face of the franchise — while a major media outlet has them pegged for dead last...
The Giants are last week's major miracle, and pray their unlikely sweep against Colorado leads them through a rare successful road trip. And don't look now, but guess who's taken the mantle;
The Earthquakes are just hoping for one step forward, one step back — and they've managed to beat a weak sister for that step ahead...
While the Warriors are up to their old tricks, balancing an imbalanced roster with a disgruntled star — a recipe Wa's fans are oh too familiar with.
There's nothin' like that old home cookin' in the heat of summer — on The NOR CAL Report!
UP NEXT: It's Buster redux, as Giants phenom Buster Posey joins Jess for a chat about life in the pros. Plus, look forward to the Reporters' favorite pieces; guest stars Monta Ellis, Matt Cain, Joe Thornton and co. remind us why The NOR CAL Report is your destination for this season's sports scene.
The NOR CAL Blog:
All the latest info, anecdotes and opinions from the Report's own Jess Zitrin.
Fans of the invaluable Eli Whiteside: wondering who the next nobody will be who comes along and saves the Giants' season? Among September call ups, Waldis Joaquin stands out. Since posting an ERA over 4.00 in the Sally League just last year, the 22-year-old Dominican has come on strong. When the Giants promoted him to set up at Triple-A, he struck out sixteen (versus seven baserunners) in just 8 games. With their bullpen showing signs of wear, Joaquin is a fresh arm who just might be for real...
Speaking of Whiteside, latest hero Brad Penny says, "There's not a guy who's called a better game for me in my career." With his defense, he could stick for years even hitting .212, ala Brad Ausmus. And with pitch-calling the least advanced of surprise call up Buster Posey's skills, Eli is suddenly in a position to lead...
There's word here that the A's Andrew Bailey not only made an impressive R.O.Y. push in August, he actually did not give up a run — or even a walk. Other relievers, take note: this is how it's done. In the same piece, Erik Karabell says the Giants placed a waiver claim on all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman, although a trade agreement was never reached...
As for the Rrraiders, their final preseason games highlight problems that promise to outlast Chaz Shillins' injury. Chiefly: when things go wrong at quarterback, who will step up? And if you're tired of hearing us dog the Raiders, well, their underachieving neighbors, the Warriors, have justreleased the schedule of the teams assigned to outscore them...
And seriously, write us, or leave a comment: are the Raiders the most penalized team of all time? This is history class; site your sources. Positive reinforcement, I promise, for 'A' students...
I'd love to ease off on the Raiders, really but permit me one more report: it's embedded in a piece on British soccer is an ESPN the Mag poll, in which readers are asked to predict a few events in the next decade. The results? The U.S. is more than twice as likely to win the World Cup as the Raiders are to win the Super Bowl. Unkind? You bet. Inaccurate? Yeah. And in the interest of fairness: pigs flying was not among the choices...
Why is the A's story about Miguel Tejada allegedly tipping pitches to opponents in 2001 suddenly such a big deal? (Why is A-Rod accused of the same thing, around the same time? Is this somehow a performance enhancing drug story spinoff?) But the biggest question: why has the Sac Bee, linked by ESPN.com, now deleted the story?
One man who knows more about October than anyone this side of Mariano Rivera went to a pennant contender for a hundred grand or so. And mark my words — there's an excellent chance John Smoltz, 42 and rehabbing or not, throws some tremendous clutch innings in the playoffs once more...
Scanning the waiver wire for fantasy bargains in 2010? I doubt ambidextrous wunderkind Billy Wagner is finished yet. Yes, he turns 39 next summer. But Wagner's already throwing 96; his career WHIP is lower than Mo Rivera's, and the last time he failed to strike out more than a batter per inning was: never...
Finally, you want my take on the N.L. wild card race? Here's the facts. It's statistically more likely that a team other than Colorado or S.F. wins the wild card — the Braves and Tommy Hanson, probably; even the Marlins or Cubs — than the Giants actually taking this thing. That's just reality. But the fun of it: you can be sure, Giants fans, that more unlikely things have happened. And that, in a nutshell, are why the Giants have already sold out the entire Dodgers and Rockies series. I don't have to tell you, it's been years since this kind of buzz — go drop the dollars and take advantage.
We're all about the comforts of home — but as Lex'll tell you, sometimes it's time to spread your wings. We'll hit you up from all over the globe, and never miss a beat — on The NOR CAL Report!
** Thanks for making The NOR CAL Report a success. Don't forget to tell your friends! **
Check out www.lexxxluthor.com and follow Lex as he tours with his European band The Mainstream in Germany and Holland.
The Raiders have the talent to go toe-to-toe with half the teams in the league. So why are the players looking at the cellar, while the head coach stares down jail time? Lex knows; and Jess has a feeling who's for real, and who's a mirage...
The 49ers have a lot to crow about, a few very real fears, and a surprise face of the franchise — while a major media outlet has them pegged for dead last...
The Giants are last week's major miracle, and pray their unlikely sweep against Colorado leads them through a rare successful road trip. And don't look now, but guess who's taken the mantle;
The Earthquakes are just hoping for one step forward, one step back — and they've managed to beat a weak sister for that step ahead...
While the Warriors are up to their old tricks, balancing an imbalanced roster with a disgruntled star — a recipe Wa's fans are oh too familiar with.
There's nothin' like that old home cookin' in the heat of summer — on The NOR CAL Report!
UP NEXT: It's Buster redux, as Giants phenom Buster Posey joins Jess for a chat about life in the pros. Plus, look forward to the Reporters' favorite pieces; guest stars Monta Ellis, Matt Cain, Joe Thornton and co. remind us why The NOR CAL Report is your destination for this season's sports scene.
Played: 1825 | Download | Duration: 00:47:14
The NOR CAL Blog:
All the latest info, anecdotes and opinions from the Report's own Jess Zitrin.
Fans of the invaluable Eli Whiteside: wondering who the next nobody will be who comes along and saves the Giants' season? Among September call ups, Waldis Joaquin stands out. Since posting an ERA over 4.00 in the Sally League just last year, the 22-year-old Dominican has come on strong. When the Giants promoted him to set up at Triple-A, he struck out sixteen (versus seven baserunners) in just 8 games. With their bullpen showing signs of wear, Joaquin is a fresh arm who just might be for real...
Speaking of Whiteside, latest hero Brad Penny says, "There's not a guy who's called a better game for me in my career." With his defense, he could stick for years even hitting .212, ala Brad Ausmus. And with pitch-calling the least advanced of surprise call up Buster Posey's skills, Eli is suddenly in a position to lead...
There's word here that the A's Andrew Bailey not only made an impressive R.O.Y. push in August, he actually did not give up a run — or even a walk. Other relievers, take note: this is how it's done. In the same piece, Erik Karabell says the Giants placed a waiver claim on all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman, although a trade agreement was never reached...
As for the Rrraiders, their final preseason games highlight problems that promise to outlast Chaz Shillins' injury. Chiefly: when things go wrong at quarterback, who will step up? And if you're tired of hearing us dog the Raiders, well, their underachieving neighbors, the Warriors, have justreleased the schedule of the teams assigned to outscore them...
And seriously, write us, or leave a comment: are the Raiders the most penalized team of all time? This is history class; site your sources. Positive reinforcement, I promise, for 'A' students...
I'd love to ease off on the Raiders, really but permit me one more report: it's embedded in a piece on British soccer is an ESPN the Mag poll, in which readers are asked to predict a few events in the next decade. The results? The U.S. is more than twice as likely to win the World Cup as the Raiders are to win the Super Bowl. Unkind? You bet. Inaccurate? Yeah. And in the interest of fairness: pigs flying was not among the choices...
Why is the A's story about Miguel Tejada allegedly tipping pitches to opponents in 2001 suddenly such a big deal? (Why is A-Rod accused of the same thing, around the same time? Is this somehow a performance enhancing drug story spinoff?) But the biggest question: why has the Sac Bee, linked by ESPN.com, now deleted the story?
One man who knows more about October than anyone this side of Mariano Rivera went to a pennant contender for a hundred grand or so. And mark my words — there's an excellent chance John Smoltz, 42 and rehabbing or not, throws some tremendous clutch innings in the playoffs once more...
Scanning the waiver wire for fantasy bargains in 2010? I doubt ambidextrous wunderkind Billy Wagner is finished yet. Yes, he turns 39 next summer. But Wagner's already throwing 96; his career WHIP is lower than Mo Rivera's, and the last time he failed to strike out more than a batter per inning was: never...
Finally, you want my take on the N.L. wild card race? Here's the facts. It's statistically more likely that a team other than Colorado or S.F. wins the wild card — the Braves and Tommy Hanson, probably; even the Marlins or Cubs — than the Giants actually taking this thing. That's just reality. But the fun of it: you can be sure, Giants fans, that more unlikely things have happened. And that, in a nutshell, are why the Giants have already sold out the entire Dodgers and Rockies series. I don't have to tell you, it's been years since this kind of buzz — go drop the dollars and take advantage.
We're all about the comforts of home — but as Lex'll tell you, sometimes it's time to spread your wings. We'll hit you up from all over the globe, and never miss a beat — on The NOR CAL Report!
Posted by Jess Zitrin and Lex Gopnik at September 1, 2009 
Categories: A's, 49ers, Giants, Raiders, Earthquakes, Warriors
Categories: A's, 49ers, Giants, Raiders, Earthquakes, Warriors
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