Ryan Freel Retires

Former MLB'er Ryan Freel has decided to call it quits.  He spent the past few weeks in the Atlantic League with the Somerset Patriots.  In nine games, he hit .265 with 3 R and 4 RBI.  He will best be remembered for his three-year stretch with the Cincinnati Reds - 2004-2006 - where he had his most success.  He was a .268 career hitter, 100 doubles, and 143 stolen bases.  A modest career, but for three of his eight years, he was as feared a baserunner as you could think of.

During those three seasons in Cincy, he hit .273, scored 210 runs, 60 doubles, and 110 stolen bases.  I never heard of the guy but I knew he could run like the wind, and I always saw his names at the top of the category leaders in SB's.  My brother Jesse had the good fortune to play with him in Somerset this season, and said he was one of the most down to earth guys he'd ever played with.  He was with the Rays for three seasons - first in Hudson Valley (SS), then in Columbus, GA (A), then in Port Charlotte, FL (A+).  He shared a clubhouse with Pat Burrell, Jason Bartlett, Scott Kazmir - Freel was the most real.

He did have one blemish, a drunk driving charge after an opening night win over the Mets in 2005, but we're all human.

Happy Trails Ryan Freel.  Thanks for the hustle!

By the way - Dice-K still can't figure it out!  The Yanks are up 6-2, T5, Dice-K's line not looking so fine:  4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 WP.  He's thrown 90 pitches (53S/37B) in four innings.  Let's hope the Yankees can keep this lead and get another game up on the Red Sox.  Nathan is sleeping on the couch, taking up a lot of real estate.  Lindsay is reading, accusing me of ignorance.

Time to search for birthday gifts - I'm almost 30 - actually only 29 on June 1.  Later you old farts!

Today in Sports History

1979 - The Phillies defeated the Cubs, 23-22, at Wrigley Field in a game which featured 50 hits and 11 HR.  Dave Kingman of hit 3 HR for the Cubs, who despite losing the game, belted 6 of the 11 HR's.  Mike Schmidt hit 2 for the Phillies.

The starting pitchers for both teams lasted only 1/3 of an inning each:
PHI starter Randy Lerch:  .1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 HR
CHI stater Dennis Lamp:  .1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 HR, 1 Assist.

PHI pitchers overall numbers looked like this:  10 IP, 26 H, 22 R (19 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 6 HR Allowed, 59 Batters Faced.

CHI pitchers overall numbers looked like this:  10 IP, 24 H, 23 R (21 ER), 12 BB, 7 K, 5 HR Allowed, 68 Batters Faced.

There was not a single wild pitch and only one HBP (Bob Boone (PHI) was hit by Willie Hernandez (CHI)).

Not a day to be a pitcher or pitching coach.

Trent Reznor

Happy 45th Birthday to Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor! 

NIN happens to be one of my favorite bands of all time.  Although people's view of the band is often times distorted, they are in all reality, a great band - well, technically they really aren't a band at all, as Trent Reznor is the only actual member of NIN.  He simply assembles a live band to perform with him every album, and when he tours, the members come and go.  NIN has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, only winning two:  "Wish" (1992) and "Happiness in Slavery" (1995).  Two of my favorite songs are "Discipline" from The Slip (which is available free online HERE) and "Burn" off 1994's Natural Born Killers soundtrack and also as a Bonus Track on the tenth anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Downward Spiral. 

They began in 1988, and have been going strong since - putting out eight major label releases since 1989.  The longest gap between albums was from 2002's double-CD The Fragile to 2005's With Teeth.  Here's a list of their studio albums:  Pretty Hate Machine, Broken, The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, With Teeth, Year Zero, Ghosts I-IV, and The Slip.  All these albums have a similar electronic feel to them, and they are all great in their own way.

An often misunderstood fact about NIN - "Hurt" was recorded for Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral in 1994.  In 2002, the legendary Johnny Cash covered this song for his 2002 release, American IV:  The Man Comes Around.  Many people think that NIN covered the song - not the case!  Here are the links to both videos of "Hurt":  NIN's "Hurt" (live)  --  Johnny Cash's "Hurt".

Seen them several times, every time is great.  The last time was actually with Paul and Jenny and Jess.  Lots of lights, lots of noise, lots of people - some guy actually rung his shirt out to get rid of the sweat that was soaked in it, and some other guy tripped over the ATM machine (which was 4' tall).

Overall, NIN is great - take it or leave it.  And Happy Birthday Trent Reznor!!