Category: The American Game

Phillies 2008

~ susie

I remember that Sports Illustrated called it “the best World Series nobody watched.” It was spectacular drama, including one game played over three nights in snow and sleet. It truly was the best Series I ever saw, and it was ours:

The infield fly rule

~ susie ~ 4 Comments

Oh God, the infield fly rule! It took me a while to learn this one, and I imagine that this morning, the Braves fans wish it never existed. And by the way, it does look like a bad call:

A week and a half after a blown call by replacement referees on “Monday Night Football” sparked a national outcry, baseball’s umpires ignited similar outrage Friday with a controversial call that marred the St. Louis Cardinals’ 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card game at Atlanta.


Trailing, 6-3, with runners on first and second in the eighth inning, the Braves appeared to catch a break when an Andrelton Simmons fly ball to short left field dropped between Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt Holliday after a mix-up over who had it.


A crowd of 52,631 roared, assuming the bases would be loaded with one out and Brian McCann, a .339 hitter with nine grand slams in 109 at-bats with the bases loaded, on deck.


But just before the ball dropped, left-field umpire Sam Holbrook signaled an automatic out because of the infield fly rule, which is designed to prevent a team from intentionally dropping a popup in order to get extra outs with more than one runner on base.


Atlanta Manager Fredi Gonzalez argued vehemently, claiming the ball fell a good 50 feet beyond the infield and could not have been caught “by an infielder with an ordinary effort,” which the rule requires.


Fans littered the field with hundreds of plastic bottles and other garbage, causing a 19-minute delay, during which Gonzalez filed an official protest that was later denied. Infield-fly rulings are not reviewable by instant replay.

We’re No. 1!

~ susie ~ 4 Comments

Go Phillies!

This is an angst-free season. They stink, we know they stink. We don’t have to worry about where they are in the rankings – they’re either at or right next to the bottom. But, as my brother says, a day at the ballpark is still a nice day.

Camp Mariposa

~ susie

I always liked Jamie Moyer, but now I respect him even more after reading this.

Camp Mariposa

Camp_Mariposa_Logo_web

Penn Foundation has partnered with The Moyer Foundation to establish  Camp MariposaTM in Pennsylvania.

Camp MariposaTM is a free weekend camp for youth (ages 9-12) who are living with addiction in their families.
The safe and caring environment gives campers the freedom to talk about their family addiction without fear
of being judged and most importantly, assures them that they are not alone.

Camp MariposaTM activities are enhanced with therapeutic elements designed to teach children a variety of problem-solving and self-care strategies. The camp gives children a chance to laugh, play, explore, and learn as well as to create friendships with fellow campers who can relate to their struggles and understand what they’re going through.

For more information or to learn how you can become involved, contact Michele Barnes, Project Coordinator, at 215.257.9999 x 100 or mbarnes@pennfoundation.org. ege