Die Jäger des Schicksals » was an overthrow by Smith with Albert

When I look at the Hall of Fame ballot and wonder how baseball will ultimately deal with the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, I try to think back to when the game and its ethics really changed. I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. What struck me as unusual was Caray almost seemed to have a vendetta against Downing. He was always finding fault with him and ultimately the pressure of playing in Chicago wore Downing down. On December 5, 1977, Downing was part of a huge six-player trade with the Angels that sent him back home to California. Downing had always been a player who battled adversity and beat the odds. He made his Magnolia High School team, but hardly played and was cut. Same story pretty much at Cypress College. It looked as though his baseball dream was over. But then he went to a White Sox open tryout camp and was signed. When Downing played his first game with the White Sox he was a third baseman and believe it or not on the very first pitch he severely damaged his knee when he tried to make a diving catch near the dugout and tumbled down the steps. When he returned, he was converted to catcher and became a back-up to veteran Ed Herrman. But he never was much of a hitter and could never please Harry Caray. Downing didnt fare much better in his first year with the Angels and realizing his career could be slipping away, he committed to a "serious weight training" program in the off-season of 1978, changed his batting stance dramatically and even had a batting cage installed in his home. From there his career began to take off, though not particularly fast. Downing was so good at getting on base he often batted lead-off and he once led the American League in walks. He ran into more adversity in 1980, when he suffered a broken ankle and was ultimately forced to move to left field. Though not a great fielder, through hard work, he become more than adequate and actually didnt make a single error in the 1982 season. Downing played with the Angels right through the 1990 season before the Angels effectively forced him out in a bit of contract dispute. He played his final two years in Texas as a designated hitter. By the time he left the Angels though Downing had built up franchise record numbers in games played, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBIs and walks. He retired on the final day of the 1992 season at age 41. His final game and last at-bat came at the Angels ballpark, and he ended his career with a pinch-hit single off his former teammate and future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. Downing received a prolonged standing ovation. Ten years later Brian Downing was honoured as a member of the Angels All-time team and still later on August 27, 2009 he was named to the Angels Hall of Fame along with his former teammate Chuck Finley. The point of this is, Brian Downing was one of the very first to get involved in weight training. By all accounts, he transformed his long lanky body into a muscular physique with nothing more than dedication and extremely hard work. Others perhaps inspired by Downings success followed his path. Others learned of the shortcuts to building a new body with PEDs and created the era that still clouds baseball to this day. Downing carved out a career that is to be admired, but his nickname then - "The Incredible Hulk" - is strangely ironic now considering the brand of baseball it may have helped span over the last 35 years. Changes in Philly It was sad for me this week to see that Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews were let go by the Phillies as broadcasters. "Sarge", as Matthews is affectionately known, had a great career as a player and worked with the Blue Jays as a batting coach, and even spent two years in the Toronto radio booth with Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth. I only had the pleasure of working with "Sarge" for one year, in 2001 and enjoyed every minute of it. He was insightful and funny and a good friend. He is apparently staying with the Phillies in another capacity but he will be missed on the air. A couple of interesting notes on Gary Matthews playing career. He slugged seven homers in 19 career post-season games. If thats not impressive enough, in his final Major League at-bat "Sarge" singled off Texas lefty Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams, only to be immediately picked off first base to end the game. What a way to end your career. All the best "Sarge"! Adidas NHL Jerseys Outlet .com) - Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. http://www.wholesalejerseysnhl.com/. At this point, even he isnt sure when it is going to stop. The right-hander dropped his fourth straight decision in Los Angeles 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, leaving his status very much in doubt as the Dodgers prepare for the stretch drive. Cheap NHL Jerseys Online .J. - Trying to learn and absorb the new West Coast offence being installed by new offensive co-ordinator Ben McAdoo, the New York Giants wrapped their final organized team activity Thursday before a three-day mini-camp next week. Hockey Jerseys Cheap Online . Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Andy Reid refused to take the easy path. His aggressive decision made Kansas Citys fading road to the post-season decidedly more difficult.Needing all of an inch on fourth down deep in Pittsburgh territory late in the first half Sunday, Reid ordered the Chiefs to go for it. Alex Smith stuffed the ball into Jamaal Charles gut. The Steelers stuffed Charles right back into Smith.The emphatic stop gave the Steelers momentum that would carry them to a 20-12 victory. While Pittsburgh is heading to the post-season after a two-year absence, Kansas City (8-7) needs to beat San Diego next week and hope for plenty of help to salvage a playoff berth.Theres a certain mindset here that weve been working with here the whole season, Reid said. When youre put in that situation, you strap it on and go get the thing.Not this time. Cruising along in mid-November, the Chiefs have lost four of five. While they outgained the NFLs top-ranked offence 327-288, they also surrendered six sacks and failed to reach the end zone. Six drives into Pittsburgh territory ended with four field goals by Cairo Santos, Charles fumble and the failed fourth-down attempt.I think there are so many little things that happened, Smith said. Theyre not big things, but just little stuff that gets magnified.Kansas City came in second in the league in red zone touchdown percentage but failed to cross the goal line against a Pittsburgh defence that is starting to show some of its signature snarl. Jason Worilds had two sacks and 36-year-old James Harrison added 1.5 as the Steelers found enough resolve to keep Kansas City at bay.Charles was held to just 29 yards rushing on nine carries. While Smith completed 31 of 45 passes, almost all of them were short and intermediate routes that did not test Pittsburghs depleted secondary. The Steelers played without safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor, but the closest Kansas City came to the big play it was desperately needed was an overthrow by Smith with Albert Wilson wide open in the third quarter.We just needed to capitalize on some of the plays that were called in the red zone and we would have been in good shape, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe said.Instead, the Chiefs head home looking to stop an alarming trend under Reid.dddddddddddd While Kansas City is vastly improved since his arrival, the Chiefs lost six of their final eight games a year ago, including a meltdown against Indianapolis in the first round of the playoffs.This time around, Kansas City will be fortunate just to get to January.The Steelers will be there after Ben Roethlisberger passed for 220 yards and a touchdown and LeVeon Bell added a score. Pittsburgh (10-5) faces Cincinnati next week for the AFC North title.Were going to treat that like a playoff game like weve had the last three weeks, Roethlisberger said.Roethlisberger wasnt as dynamic as hes been at times this season but led a pair of long touchdown drives. The second ended with a 3-yard strike to Antonio Brown that gave Pittsburgh a 17-6 lead late in the third quarter. Roethlisberger briefly went to the locker room with a right knee injury but returned after a Kansas City field goal to guide a 12-play, 70-yard march that ended with Shaun Suishams 23-yard kick with 4:04 remaining to all but clinch it.The teams spent the first half trading methodical drives, but Kansas City kept getting bogged down near the end zone. Three times the Chiefs drove inside the Pittsburgh 20. Three times they failed to cross the goal line.The first ended with Santos 23-yard field goal.The second included a flip from holder Dustin Colquitt to tight end Travis Kelce on fourth-and-4 at the Pittsburgh 11. Kelce converted it, but three additional downs produced a single yard and another kick from Santos.Kansas City at least managed points that time. The Chiefs came up empty when Timmons and safety Will Allen hammered Charles late in the half.Most of these games we lose it is not because another team is whipping us, linebacker Tamba Hali said. We shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes and do not know how to bounce back from it.NOTES: Kansas City linebacker Justin Houston sacked Roethlisberger once to give him 18 sacks on the season. ... Kansas Citys streak of having a wide receiver fail to catch a touchdown pass reached 18 games and counting, though Bowe had a pass in the end zone clang off his hands in the second quarter.___Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '