The Usurper: Things that unify the world... the Olympic Games, the World Cup... and the hatred of the NY Yankees! LoL!

TeamBundy: The latter being the most essential. LOL

Czuch Chuckers:

April 8th, 2006

Yankees 2
-Angels 3

April 9th. 2006
Yankees 10
-Angels- 1

Angels took two of three in this series. That's pretty good against the best team money can buy. The Angels are about the only team that has a winning record against the Yankees since 1995. The Yankees are heading home for their season opener and the Texas Rangers are coming to Anaheim for a three game series starting tomorrow. Bartolo Colon looked real bad pitching today. He didn't even make it three innings when he was removed. The Yankees sure have one good team. What a line up! Their line up would have a good chance against the All Star Team. I'd be surprised if they don't win the East. How are the Red Sox looking this year Czuch? I won't see them until August when they come for a three game series. Johny Damon doesn't look right playing for the Yankees. No more longhair or beard. I wonder if I'd cut my hair if they offered me those millions of dollars?

Walter Montego: Id say the Sox are looking about as good as ever right now! This is going to be a fun season, and hopefully we will soon stop wondering about what the Yankees are doing and just be happy watching them in the rear view mirror!

On a side note.... the last time the Yankees started a season 1 and 4 (1998) they ended up winning 114 games and the world series!

Czuch Chuckers:You may have to be concerned about the Blue Jays this year too
It'll be an interesting series starting Tuesday

Jim Dandy: The Jays always play us tough, i think they beat us 11 to 7 last year? They have a better team this year as well. They play us opening day at fenway, and they have a good chance to take this series!

Czuch Chuckers:

April 10th, 2006

Rangers 2
Angels- 5

Season record 4 and 3. One game behind Oakland at 5 and 2.

It seems like the Angels own the Texas Rangers. They were 15 and 4 against them last year. Vlad Guerraro got two hits in yesterday's game against them. He now has 37 games in a row against Texas with at least one hit. Lackey pitched a decent game except for the 2 run home run in the first inning, which was all the scoring Texas got. A lot of good players have left Texas, but the they still have Teixeira. Knowing the Yankees, he'll be playing for them in a few years. I didn't see Soriano playing second for them as there was a rookie doing it. A guy in the stands next to me said he'd been traded as he made too many errors even though he was a good hitter.

April 11th, 2006

Rangers 4
_Angels 5

I had fun at the ball park tonight. The Angels scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game! In the eighth inning I thought the Angels would pull ahead, but the Rangers' right fielder made an amazing catch and was able to double Guerrero off first base when he'd already made it to second base. Oops! The starting pitcher was Jeff Weaver. He's new to the Angels as he was acquired in the off season and this was the first time I'd seen him pitch. Us fans thought the coach let him pitch one inning too many. He was removed after the first two men reached base in the seventh inning. His relief got the next three guys out to end the inning, but not before they were able to score a run. Sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and then a deep fly for a sacrifice fly scored the runner from third to make it 4 to 1 Rangers at the time. The Angels did score two in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one run ball game at 4 to 3, but the one run the Rangers scored in the top half of the inning was looming big when the eighth inning was over. After the Rangers held on in the eighth inning with the great defensive play, us home team fans were getting worried. Especially with the bottom of the line up coming to the plate in the ninth inning. The Angels got the first two guys on base to start the ninth and the Rangers made yet another pitching change. Our manager had the batter bunt, but he hit a soft liner to the pitcher and didn't advance anybody. In fact they were lucky to get back to their bases with how the ball was hit. Then the number nine batter comes up (Adam Kennedy) and he pulls a shot down the right field line into the corner and both runners score to end the game. Happy, happy! :)

Season record 5 and 3. Tied for first place with the Oakland A's in the American League Western Division. Just another 154 games to go. :)

Pedro Martinez: The attendance was 40,012 for the game against the Texas Rangers 4-11-6 at Anaheim Stadium. A fairly large crowd for a Tuesday night game in early April. Tomorrow is the last game of the homestand. Vladimir Guerrero did get a hit, in fact he got four hits! He now has 38 games in a row with at least one hit against Texas.

Czuch Chuckers: We just want to compete this year.Its been far too long since we were a threat.I can't believe old David Wells is still crankin it up,we double dated two sisters when he was a rookie in Toronto.

Jim Dandy: You are an old man...LOL!!!!

Czuch Chuckers: Don't remind me.We should have put Beckett away in that first inning,shades of recent past,it's early though.

Jim Dandy: well, you should get todays game with Boomer on the hill (or over the hill?) for the Sox. I for one am a Sox fan that is mad that he played his little I wanna leave and then didn't. I'm excited about this years Sox, although I'd say that the Yanks will still win the east by a very slim margin. Those come from behind wins like the one in their home opener just totally annoys me! Still early though, very early.

TeamBundy: Coco got a 3 year extension!

Czuch Chuckers: I thought he just got hurt?

Walter Montego: he went on the dl for 4 weeks! But we love the guy already!

TeamBundy: It will be an interesting year.I'm hoping the Yanks and Sox don't mind a little company in the battle for the top.

Jim Dandy: Did you see that there are 7 players on the Yankees that make more money than the whole payroll for the Marlins!!!! (Marlins payroll is 15 million)

Czuch Chuckers: The Marlins are a funny team,they were gutted after they won their last world series too.The Jays crowds are way down since the glory days of the late 80's and early 90's but I have no doubt they will return when we become a team to be reckoned with again.I'm not sure Florida can sustain two teams

Jim Dandy: Wells is definitely over the hill... I dont even know why we are starting him tonight!!!

Czuch Chuckers: Our tv broadcaster said it looked like he was throwing BP.Watching a game from Fenway drives me nuts,no lead is safe,I can never relax

Czuch Chuckers: Tonight was bad. Texas won 11 to 3. Talk about batting practice!

Czuch Chuckers: Great news: Wells is back on the DL!!!

Jim Dandy: Florida and supporting two teams? They actually don't even support one! Tampa is also not exactly a wild rave party when the Rays are home! :-)

TeamBundy: Great to hear about wells!

Im heading down to tampa next week to see the Sox play 3 games.... Its cheaper to fly down there and see the Sox play than to go to fenway!!!

Czuch Chuckers: I've heard the Red Sox have the most expensive seats. How much are they? The Angels have raise them a lot in the last 11 years. In 1995 my seats were $12.50, this year they're $42.00! In 1979 they were $5.00.
My seats are 17 rows behind the Angels' dugout. They're not the highest priced in the stadium. How does that compare to the Devilrays' prices?

Walter Montego: Red Sox average ticket price is 36.08. Compared to tampa @ 18.41, half the price! (and Tampa went up 42% this season) Tickets at Fenway like you get, box seats behind the dugout go for 95.00! Front row green monster go for 130.00, and the most expensive seats go for 275.00! I went online to buy tickets and there are only a few games with seats available, mid week games against tampa or Detroit, no good teams, and only individual tickets, none where 2 people could sit together, and the best i could find were 45.00 for obstructed view!!!! LOL, what a hassle!

Czuch Chuckers: yeah, i wanted to ask you if the only way to get tickets would be through the internet or if you could get halfway decent seats in some other way (game time at the ticket office or something else). The reason is coz a friend is now for the next 3 months in Boston so it is an opportunity to invest in a flight and ticket so that accommodation would at least be saved! But.. i guess that odds for getting a ticket at Fenway are pretty slim, if you are for example flying to Tampa to see them play!

TeamBundy: Well, if you are in Boston it is pretty easy to get into the game, if you hand around the park before game time... sometimes they release some standing room only seats, and those to me are better than some of the really expensive seats where you have to look sideways to see home plate or the view is obstructed. Then as the game goes on, if you are adventurous, you can find seats box seats where somebody left early or a no show season ticket holder. I have actually "upgraded" to seats right on the dugout or behind home plate this way before! My problem is that I live 3 1/2 hours from fenway. So i cant just go down there and hang around looking for a spare ticket etc... and if you just want to bring your family to a game, you cant really go without tickets in hand and seats all together. Parking is 50 bucks around the park, beers are 8 bucks for a 16 ouncer etc.... so it adds up quick. But if you are with a friend or two, and you can get tickets that arent together and just not use them and kinda wander around the stadium, and that can be a fun time, unless you really want to pay attention to the game. Even going to a local bar around fenway can be a really good time as well! I also have some family to visit in tampa, so I am not just going for the games, but I did plan my trip for when they were in town!

Czuch Chuckers: Come to Toronto this weekend bud,I'll meet you for a beer,should be another interesting series.My brother inlaw told me about what a tough ticket Fenway is,it kinda reminded me of how Leaf fans would find it cheaper to travel to Carolina for playoff tickets.It turned out to be cheaper and easier than getting a ticket in town,and that includes gas and hotel.

Jim Dandy: Ive never been to Toronto yet. I have heard wonderful things about your town though, and have often thought about a trip there to see a ballgame and check things out! It is only a 2 1/2 hour drive for me to Montreal and I used to love going there for a ballgame. Great food and those french Canadian women, ohhlala! How far a drive from Montreal to Toronto, do you know?

Czuch Chuckers: It's about a 6 hour drive to Montreal from Toronto.I've been to one Expo game(against the Sox after the strike ended years ago)and a few hockey games.It's a nice town if you don't tell them you're english Canadian,they prefer english Americans.

Jim Dandy: Familiarity breeds contempt? Though I've seen the trouble from visiting Alberta. Someday I'll make it to Eastern Canada. Going to a ballgame is something I'll have to do when there. Is Quebec still part of Canada? :)

Walter Montego: You wont catch any pro ball games in eastern Canada I'm afraid. We have no ball fields to accommodate even an exhibition game (Quebec isn't considered part of eastern Canada)

Rose: The Expos moved to Washington D.C. right? That still leaves the Toronto Blue Jays. I thought Toronto is in Eastern Canada. I've only been to the three Western Provinces. Canada is a big place, though thinly populated. I think California has more people in it than all of Canada. Alberta is larger than California and it seems like my little County of Orange that I live in has more people in it than Alberta. 3,300,000 in something like 500 square miles.

Walter Montego: Ontario is in central Canada.
Eastern Canada consists of :New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

and yup, we are big but not over populated. Just how we like it! I think all of Canada has 30 mill. Not quite sure so don't quote me. My entire province hasn't got quite one mill in it. (Nova Scotia)

Rose: I had just typed to Pedro that California has around 36,000,000 people in it and is smaller than Alberta. California has five Major League Baseball teams in it. Canada is down to one now. Somehow the area I live in Orange/Los Angeles/San Bernadino/Riverside counties has over 10,000,000 people in it and no NFL team. The Rams and Raiders left in the mid 90s.

I've always thought of Canada as west and east. You're the first one I've heard say there's a central. I'll have to get a map out and see where that part is. Years ago the Dodgers had a Single A team in Lethbridge, Alberta. I saw them there. From what I've been told, Canadians learn about the United States in school. When I went to school they never mentioned Canada except as some area way north of here. Someone will ask me where I'm going and I'll say "Alberta." This usually elicits a blank look and I can tell they haven't a clue as to where that might be. So of course I play it some more and say it's north of Montana instead of saying it's in Western Canada. You know what? There's plenty of Californians that don't know where Montana is either! I know all fifty states, but I can also name ten or eleven Canadian provinces and few Mexican states. I used to joke with people in Alberta that I was one of the few people from Southern California that knew where Alberta is.

Walter Montego: It is good you can name 10 or 11 provinces, but we only have 10! LOL
In our schools you can't pass the year unless you know all 50 states and their caps. I was amazed when I first came online years ago and would tell someone where I was and most had no clue what I was talking about. Sadly, one lady in Utah though Canada was where Greenland is. All I could tell her to do was get an atlas an look up!
The break up of West, Central and East is:
B.C, Albert and Saskatchewan - West
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Central
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland - Eastern

Hope that helps.
ANd yes is it sad about our teams. Even worse in Football. All boils down to money and the lack of it. We did better with Hockey teams throughout the years but the east coast will likely never have more than farm teams.

Rose: Your comment made me look it up as I had thought Labrador was a seperate province from Newfoundland. I also didn't realize that Nanavut was a territory, not a province. The Wiki page was interesting. I'm really surprised at our schools not teaching us about just a little more Canadian history aside from the war for independnce battles that the United States lost to the Brittish. It looks like the provinces formed a confederation quite different from the Unites States federal government. Secession is something that a province can do without a civil war! No wonder my relatives joke about Alberta joining the United States. :) Toronto is still in eastern Canada even if you are dividing the country into three parts. Ontario's a big place stretching east under Quebec. Why would a Canadian need to know the capitals of the U.S. states? I was never taught them all, though I can name at least twenty of them. Olympia, Salem, Sacramento, Carson City, Salt Lake City, Helena, Pierre, Springfield, Denver, Tallahassee, Montgomery, Austin, Raleigh, Albany, Montiplier (Sp), Wow, I don't remember the capital of Arizona! It surely isn't Phoenix, is it? Atlanta, Frankfurt, I'm not sure about these Honolulu, Memphis, Philadelphia, Charleston, Kansas City, and that still leaves more than half of them! I suppose I might have to get the map out again. I remember that our tenth grade was about a year behind the Canadian tenth graders in highschool on average. This is in the 1970s. With the American invasion of Canada fully in place, I imagine they've dropped to our level by now. :)

I remeber when I was fifteen and visiting my grandma in Southern Alberta. Some of the local kids wanted to play football and my cousin got me to play too. This was about two years before I realized football is not a game one should play if one wants to remain healthy in life! I mean tackle football. The other forms are nothing compared to it when it comes to how hard you can hit or get hurt. The NFL takes this to the extreme and I'm sure the padding helps, but I'd be surprised if many players last longer than three or four years. Australian Rules Football looks pretty rugged too and they don't have padding. Same with Rugby. The Canadian Football League is very similiar in concept to the NFL, but the rules of the game have some major differences.

Anyways, we go down to the field by the school to play some football. We pick teams and the others guys win the toss for the kick off. So we kick it off. A right high kick, and I immediately take off for where I think the ball is coming down and none of the other team's players block me! Right when the guy catches the ball I tackle him. This starts a big argument! Apparently in Canadian rules a kick receiver is allowed a five yard buffer zone for receiving the ball. No one told me and I was playing football the way I was used to it. I can't remember what we did about this, ah, little indiscretion, but we continued the game. Playing sandlot football is a whole lot different deal than organized leagues and teams. There's no referees, and usually the only markings on the field might be the goal lines or a tree or something to mark the out of bounds. Or you take off your shirts and use them to mark the boundaries. Of course there's no field goal posts and touchdowns and safeties are the only way to score. Except Canadian Football has another way to score that American Football doesn't, called a rogue. I learned about these later as we didn't count them in this game either. Since there's no markings and the teams usually only have five or six guys on a team, you have to change some of the rules. Like getting a first down. This is usually done by advancing the ball ten or more yards. In sandlot footbal we always did it by making the offensive team get a 2 or 3 forward pass completions. Then on fourth down the team would either punt the ball or go for a touchdown if they were close enough to the endzone.

Here it is third down and the other team is punting the ball! I'm thinking this is a different way to play football. Canadian football has only three downs instead of four in American football. The Canadian Football season is started earlier than American Football too. I was able to watch a game back then on television and my grandpa explained the different rules. 12 players on each side instead of 11, 2 men in motion before the snap. 25 yard deep endzones compared to our 10 yards. Our field is 120 yards long, the Canadian field is 160 yards. Big difference. They can be on the five yard line looking to score and still throw a twenty yard pass. Goal line to goal line is 110 yards compared to our 100 yards. The field is larger, but they only get three downs instead of four to make a first down. It's been many years since I've seen a Candian Football league game. I'll have to check it out again. I think my favorite football version is still Australians rules, but I've only ever seen two games of it and still have trouble trying to figure it out. A real wild and free flowing game that one is. No lines of scrimmages, so it's like soccer in that respect. It's a trip how the different versions of football from around the world have evolved.

Walter Montego: Very interesting read there. Thanks for the reply.
I don't want to sway off topic as I realize this board is for sports only. Just want to make mention that if you were to divide Canada in to East and West and have no central provinces then yes Toronto would be considered east. It is 2400KM from me in Nova Scotia to Toronto so we certainly dont consider it part of the East of Canada. Nor do we consider Quebec part of the East. I suppose it all determines where your info is from. To most Canadians they would say Toronto is in Central Canada along with The province of Manitoba!
Phoenix is the cap of Arizona, you were right! Atlanta was right too. I still can rattle thru about 40 of them and still get them right. It was pounded in to our heads or there was no way we were passing grade 8! I wont ever forget that stuff and we arent talking about a few years ago but more like 1978!
Fun discussing this with you..

We now return you to your world of sport discussion!

Rose: With all due respect I have never in my entre life heard anyone in Canada refer to coming to Toronto as heading central.Out west we are considered the wicked east and they aint talkin about Halifax.I agree that geographically we are designated as central but nobody refers to us as that,and especially not an Americans From my experience Manitoba is the province where the term "east" kicks in

Jim Dandy: This sounds like the way they talk in Alberta. I never once heard anyone say something about heading east from Alberta to go to Central Canada. The United States is divided funny to someone that just looks at a map and does not know its history. Just why is the Mid West east of the Mississippi?

Both the NFL and MLB used to have some strange names for their divisions. Atlanta, Georgia was in the Western Division of the National League and the National Football Conference at one time.

Walter Montego: I was actually considering using the divisons used in the major sports leagues as one of the few times you actually see such strict use of geographical seperation.I would hate to see you get funny looks from Canadians when you tell them you want to catch a game out in central Canada

Jim Dandy: Maybe it's a Newfy expression? They're looking west. Until she posted that I had never heard anyone speak of a region in Canada called Central. Obviously there is a central Canada as there is a central United States, but there's no place called that here either.

I believe the Atlanta Braves were in the Division of the National League because they moved from Milwaukee. I have no idea why the didn't re-align the league then, but maybe it had something to do with established regional rivalries they wanted to preserve. As for the NFL, you got me why the Falcons were in the Rams, 49s, and Seahawks division. It just makes no sense. Maybe the same reason? Putting the Falcons in the East would mean having to move the Bears, Cowboys, or at that time the Saint Louis Cardinals into the Rams division? Now that each conference has 16 teams with four divisions of four teams, I guess things are as balanced as the NFL can make it. Of course they've started talking again about getting two teams for where I live. MLB has 16 teams in the National League and 14 in the American League. It's too bad the Expos had to move. I would've liked to see baseball add two teams. I suppose it's not practical because baseball can't have an expanded playoff system like the NFL. What they have now seems fairly good.

Walter Montego:The Epos were all we had from 69-76.I was never a fan though,I tend to root for teams located in my city.I was lucky enough to attend the first Blue Jays game ever played and am a big fan.Not sure what Rose's angle on the central vs east issue was but I'll bet she'd take issue with you insinuating she's a Newfie more than she would calling Toronto east.East coasters tend to not like being lumped together.I also want to clarify another thing I saw mentioned,the Canadain Football League(CFL) has never been stronger.Ottawa has suspended opperation for this comming season but they were an expansion team hat was mismanaged.All the other teams are thriving better than ever.Toronto has ben trying for an NFL team for years,it may happen within the next 10 years and we would and could support one.

Jim Dandy: You're right, I had to scroll down to find it but she did type Nova Scotia and not Newfoundland for her residence. That's still way to the east of Alberta. She also said the CFL was doing poorly. You two are in conflict here, but you then say a team has folded? This is usually not a good sign for financial wellbeing. :) WHo won the Grey Cup last year? I think I can name a few of the teams. Roughriders, Argonauts, hmm, oh well that's it. :) Stampeders?

Do you think it'd be a good thing or a bad thing for the CFL if the NFL put a franchise in Toronto?

Walter Montego: The league itself has been thriving for about 5 years.In its euphoria it took on Ottawa(a team that folded about a decade prior)but other than that bad decision things have never been better for the league.I am in conflict with what would happen to my good old Argos if and when we get an NFL team.I remember seeing Joe Thiesmans first game in Toronto back in 71 and have been a big fan for as long as I can remember.As a compromise they should name the team The Toronto Argonauts as a way of retaining that part of this citys rich football history,they are afterall the oldest football team in North America.I'm not really in conflict with Rose but a casual fan upon hearing Ottawa being suspended(not folded)for one year could get the impression that the league is in peril.

Jim Dandy: It seems like when I was last in Canada in 2003 there were 9 teams in the CFL. Do I remember right? this Ottawa would make it 10 if I do. So it'll be 9 teams this year unless someone with money to burn shows up?

Walter Montego: Yes 9 teams this year.There are a few people ready to take over Ottawa but the league has suspended operation for this coming season.My guess is that they will move Winnipeg over to the Eastern Division for this season.Geographically none of the teams in the Eastern Division are legally in the east but then again Winnipeg isn't legally in either east or west

Walter Montego: Quebec part of Canada? hmmmmm,a large percentage of them wish they weren't.