Dodger Blues - The SportsFan Buzz (6/27/2011).....

It is a sad day for this Dodger fan when I saw the news about Frank McCourt putting the Dodgers through bankruptcy proceedings. One of baseball's and all of sports' storied franchises is at its lowest point in existance. How long before the shine is back on the Dodger Diamond?

The SportsFan Buzz: June 27, 2011 (right click to "save as target")
You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Play Ball 2011!!! - The SFB Podcast (3/30/2011).....

That wonderful smell in the air is the fresh cut grass at Major League ballparks around the country. The 2011 season opens March 31st and Paul Lebowitz joins me to preview the upcoming year. Can the Giants repeat? Will the Phillies' Fab Four live up to the hype? Could the AL East be possibly the best division ever from top to bottom? Enjoy.

Paul's website
Paul on Twitter

The SportsFan Buzz: March 30, 2011 (right click to "save as target")
You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Talking Baseball - The SFB Podcast (8/19/2010).....

Paul Lebowitz joins me on the podcast to discuss the latest baseball news of the day. Only a little over 6 weeks left in the season and almost everything is still up for grabs in the divisional and wildcard races. Among the items we'll cover will be K-Rod's problems, Chipper Jones' latest injury, the fantastic job Dusty Baker is doing with the Reds, the Rangers' ownership giving their fans a ballpark discount and what to look for in the next two weeks as August wraps up. Enjoy.

Paul on Twitter
Paul's website

The SportsFan Buzz: August 19, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Reporting Trouble - The SFB Podcast (8/14/2010).....

So Tiger Woods was in the golf news again this week, but it had nothing to do with his words or actions. Instead it was the "he said / he said", finger in the chest confrontation between US Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin and Golf Channel reporter Jim Gray about Tiger's spot on this year's US Ryder Cup team. Who ever thought a golf news conference could turn into the WWE? Plus I'll take a look at the latest news from the other major sports and why more girls will probably watch the NFL Kickoff event. Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: August 14, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Talking Baseball - The SFB (6/17/2010).....

Paul Lebowitz joins the podcast to talk about what is going on around the Major Leagues. We still have the Rays playing well, a crazy NL East, and unbelievable pitching still dominating the year. We'll discuss the teams and the events of the past couple of weeks, including the Stephen Strasburg debut and the chant for more replay in baseball. Enjoy.

Paul on Twitter
Paul's website

The SportsFan Buzz: June 17, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Talking Baseball - The SFB Podcast (5/27/2010).....

Paul Lebowitz joins the podcast to discuss what is happening around the Major Leagues. Among the topics we cover is the packed NL East where all five teams are over .500, the Rays hot start in the AL East, the close race thus far in the NL Central, and how the West (both AL & NL) will be won. Also, Roy Oswalt asks for a trade, Ubaldo Jimenez has been great and we wait on Stephen Strasburg to get to the majors. Enjoy.

Paul on Twitter
Paul's website

The SportsFan Buzz: May 27, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

April Baseball - The SportsFan Buzz Podcast (4/30/2010).....

Paul Lebowitz joins me to discuss the first month of the 2010 Major League Baseball season. Among our points of discussion are the Braves, Dodger & Red Sox slow starts, while the Mets, Rays & Padres have gotten out of the game quickly, and the massive contract extension that Ryan Howard received. Enjoy.

Paul on Twitter.
Paul's website.

The SportsFan Buzz: April 30, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

MLB 2010 predictions.....

I gave my predictions for this upcoming baseball season on the last podcast, but let's get them in print so that all can ridicule them come October. Yes, it is more heart than brains in picking my Los Angeles Dodgers to win it all.

AL playoff teams:
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Angels
Minnesota Twins (wild card)

NL playoff teams:
Philadelphia Phillies
St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves (wild card)

World Series: Dodgers over White Sox

Yes, there is no mention of the defending champion New York Yankees. For some reason their age keeps coming into my head and scaring me off of them. I am possibly completely off base with that fear, but it will hit them sooner than later and I just think it might happen in 2010.

The White Sox are my pick because I think they greatly improved their team last summer when they acquired Jake Peavy. I don't think Peavy is an "NL pitcher" and if healthy, will do real well this year being new to AL batters.

The Red Sox may not have the best offense, but their starting rotation is so deep they will not have prolonged skids during the year. The Angels have Mike Scoiscia managing them, and he will get them to the top of the division by the time August / September rolls around.

The Twins could be the "team" this year with the new ballpark, plus the signing of Joe Mauer, but the Joe Nathan injury scared me off from my early spring feeling that they would win it all. October baseball in Minnesota will be fun.

Injuries to Phillie pitchers should have made me pick the Braves or even the New York Mets to rule the NL East, but those teams have their own injury problems that concern me (hello Chipper "day to day" Jones). If the Braves stay healthy and Jason Heyward is steady in his rookie year, they could give manager Bobby Cox a nice retirement present.

The Cardinals are head and shoulders above the rest of the NL Central. Only a collapse by them, along with a great year by one of the other Central contenders could make this a race.

Oh, my Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley should be the anchors to the rotation and Jonathan Broxton in the closer role. While Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez are the bats for Joe Torre's lineup. I think Torre is able to get the most out of Manny this contract year and the two kids do step up to lead the pitchers. That combination will be enough to bring the World Series trophy to LA. We'll see.....

MLB Preview - The SportsFan Buzz Podcast (4/2/2010).....

It is baseball time as the season kicks off this Sunday night with the Yankees visiting Boston to take on the Red Sox. Author Paul Lebowitz joins me to preview the 2010 season as we go through each division to see who will come out on top this October. Will the Yankees win championship #28? Does the divorce of the Dodger owners cause them trouble? Plus we look at other storylines that will make up the 2010 season. Enjoy.

Paul on Twitter.
Paul's website.
Paul's novel, Breaking Balls.
Paul's 2010 Baseball Guide

The SportsFan Buzz: April 2, 2010 (American League) (right click to "save as target)
The SportsFan Buzz: April 2, 2010 (National League) (right click to "save as target)

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
You can subscribe to have The SportsFan Buzz delivered to your inbox.
The SportsFan Buzz is on Facebook.
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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas

Dodger Playoff Memories.....

Two years in a row the Philadelphia Phillies have beaten the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to take National League pennant. I would have liked to see my favorite baseball team win these match-ups, but the better team was the series winner both times. What these two years did do was bring me back to growing up a Dodger fan in the 70's and 80's, and the Dodger playoff memories during those years. Some were good, and some not so much, but these two NLCSs against the Phillies reminded me of my favorite Dodger playoff memory, also against Philadelphia.

Back in 1977 the Dodgers and Phillies faced off for the NL pennant. They were the best teams in the NL and evenly matched. During the 1977 NLCS, the teams split the first two games in Dodger Stadium, and headed to Philadelphia. Game 3 was an afternoon game that I was able to watch after school. I turned on the game just in time to see the Dodgers take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. With two outs and two on in the bottom of the inning, Dodger starter Burt Hooton was questions the strike zone. Well the Phillie fans, known to be loud, started "hooting" Hooton. I remember them being so loud through my TV that it was amazing. It was even louder there in the stadium, so much so that Hooton got rattled and walked four batters in a row to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead and was pulled by Tommy Lasorda after the 4th walk. The Dodgers eventually tied it up, but the Phillies took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 8th. The Phillies looked like they were going to take control of the series, and looked even better after Gene Garber got the first two outs in the top of the 9th. Starting with Vic Davalillo's bunt single, and then a series of Dodger hits and Phillie errors, and all of a sudden the Dodgers were up 6-5. The Phillies went three up and three down to end the game and put the Dodgers up 2 games to 1. In Philadelphia sport lore, this is known as "Black Friday". For me as an 11 year old fan, it was a game that has always stuck with me in detail.

In 1978, the teams faced off again in the NLCS, and again the Dodgers prevailed. This time in Game 4, with the Dodgers up two games to one, the game went to extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, with Ron Cey on 1st and two outs, All-Star outfielder Garry Maddox misplayed a flyball by Dusty Baker. The next batter, Bill Russell knocked a single to center that Maddox again misplayed as the ball skipped by him allowing Cey to score and the Dodgers to take the series.

These last two years have not been as dramatic, but each had a turning point where the Phillies "hurt" the Dodgers. In 2008 it was Matt Stairs home run off Jonathan Broxton in Game 4, while in 2009 it was also a Game 4 Phillies' win that helped finish the Dodgers. This time a bottom of the ninth comeback off Broxton, highlighted by Jimmy Rollins double.

I wish that some more good memories were made these past two years, but it was not to be. This Phillie team is a tough team with players that just know how to win. They quietly are one of the best teams we have seen in a while.

Oh well. I'll just go back to those Dodger teams from my childhood.

So, what childhood baseball memory, good or bad, is stuck in your mind?