Sunday best.
Saturday was a rotten sports day. The day began with word that Max's soccer game and what we thought would finally be the first game of his baseball career (not counting T-ball) were rained out. Then Texas coughed up a really bad loss against Detroit. I woke up this morning thinking maybe Sunday could redeem things. I had a chance to actually contribute in my softball doubleheader after I was such a waste the last time out. We were going to get Max's game in today. And Colby Lewis had an opportunity to put Texas a game up in this four-game set with the Tigers. I doubted all of those things would come together, but a little positive after Saturday's uselessness would be good enough. And it all turned out better than I'd hoped for. That was a great baseball day. None of that matters to you, but maybe this will: Frisco righthander Tanner Scheppers in 2010: eight innings, three hits (3 for 29), one run (1.13 ERA), zero walks, 13 strikeouts. Frisco righthander Alexi Ogando in 2010: 9.2 innings, two hits (2 for 31), one run (0.93 ERA), two walks, 14 strikeouts. Scheppers's opponents' slash: .103/.103/.207. Eighty strikes out of 118 pitches. Ogando's opponents' slash: .065/.121/.097. One hundred two strikes out of 142 pitches (in fact, identical 51/71 splits against right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters, the latter of whom are getting neutralized by a filthy change). Sorry, Scott, for stealing your thunder. I'm leaving Michael Kirkman and The Chad Tracy Show to you. Guess who in baseball has more strikeouts than Colby Lewis. Here's the list: Tim Lincecum. He has four more punchouts than Lewis – in 3.1 more innings. The two righthanders basically have the same strikeout rate (10.7 per nine innings). Lincecum was the 10th player chosen in the 2006 draft. The 457th player taken in that draft (by the Phillies) was Florida high school outfielder Riley Cooper. Cooper would later be the 754th player chosen in 2009, by the Rangers, out of the University of Florida. Texas offered to pay him $250,000 (well above slot) if he'd play minor league baseball. He agreed to at first, then reconsidered. The 22-year-old was chosen by Philadelphia again this weekend, this time by the Eagles, with the 159th selection in the NFL draft. If that fifth-round slot calls for something in the neighborhood of what it paid last year, Cooper is looking at about $180,000-$190,000 to sign with the Eagles, where I'm guessing he'd have to unseat Jason Avant or Hank Baskett in order to push for meaningful reps behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. But enough about football, and, soon, enough about basketball, which is about to make the Great Game the Only Game in Town again. Baseball roped me back in today. =========================================================== To join the free Newberg Report mailing list so you can get e-mail deliveries of every edition of the newsletter, daily minor league game recaps, and frequent Newberg Report News Flashes, go to www.newbergreport.com and click the "Mailing List" link on the top menu bar. (c) Jamey Newberg http://www.newbergreport.com Twitter @newbergreport