Teagarden's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Orioles Over Tigers

Taylor Teagarden's first hit as a Baltimore Oriole was a walk-off home run that propelled the Orioles 8-6 over the Tigers. (AP Photo)

It seemed to be just another Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards. The Baltimore Orioles were hosting to the Detroit Tigers in the second of three-game set. However, from the first pitch on, it became abundantly clear that neither of these teams wanted to lose.

Scoring started right away in the first inning. In the top of the frame, first baseman Prince Fielder doubled home center fielder Austin Jackson to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Orioles leveled the score when designated hitter Jim Thome doubled home Nick Markakis.

The Orioles offense took the lead in the second inning when second baseman Robert Andino connected on a two-run home run off Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer. The O's added another run in the third inning. Scherzer lasted only five innings, giving up four runs on on nine hits. His counterpart, Wei-Yin Chen, gave up just the one run in six innings of work for the Orioles.

The Orioles took their 4-1 lead into the ninth inning. They gave the ball to their All-Star closer Jim Johnson. Third baseman Miguel Cabrera started off the inning with a single for the Tigers. Johnson induced a fly ball out of Fielder. The next batter was the designated hitter Delmon Young who hit a ground ball to Orioles third baseman Ryan Flaherty. A costly error by Flaherty allowed both runners to be safe.

Next, Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta singled home Cabrera to trim the Orioles lead to 4-2. A double by right fielder Brandon Boesch scored Young to make it a 4-3 game. Johnson struck out pinch-hitter Alex Avila  to make it two outs. Left fielder Quintin Berry singled to left field. Pinch runner Danny Worth scored to tie the game, but Boesch was thrown out at home by Endy Chavez.

The Orioles failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, which meant we were headed to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Avila singled home Young to give the Tigers the 5-4 lead. The Orioles had an answer when center fielder Adam Jones singled to score Markakis to level the score once again.

In the top of the 13th, the Tigers took the lead again on a RBI single by Berry. The Orioles responded again in the bottom half of the frame. Shortstop J.J. Hardy crushed a solo shot off Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit to tie the score 6-6. With two outs in the inning, Jones was hit by a pitch. Backup catcher Taylor Teagarden was up to bat next. Teagarden got a hold of a pitch from Benoit, and it went out for a two-run, walk-off home run.

Teagarden was the unlikeliest of heroes. He had just been activated from the 60-day disabled list Saturday morning. In his first game as a Baltimore Oriole, Teagarden didn't even expect to play. He only came in the game as a defensive replacement after star catcher Matt Weiters was pinch run for in the 10th inning. Teagarden's first hit as an Oriole turned out to be a walk-off.

The Orioles seem to love extra innings. They have now won ten straight games that have gone to extras. In fact, their 31 extra-inning wins since 2010 are the most of an team in the majors. For Teagarden, it was a dramatic debut. It doesn't get much better than having your first hit with a new ball club be a walk-off home run.

Skipping School: Early Contracts Injur Small-Market Teams

Every college hockey coach wants professional-level players. The flip-side to that desire, however, is that those NHL-caliber players tend to make the jump from college to professional before their senior season plays out.

Nowhere is this more noticeable than the smaller-market colleges/universities. In a market where it is a challenge every year to recruit, the players that have what it takes to make it to the top is hard to come by. And when those players do finally don the jersey of a smaller hockey school, it is hard to convince many of them to play out all four years.

It's an impact felt much more at schools such as Northeastern, Vermont, or Lake Superior State than it is at schools such as Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. While the classic line for the major schools has been "they don't re-build--they re-load," every player lost from minor schools leaves a hole to be filled...especially when the player is a step-above their teammates.

Lake State scores! Screenshot taken from YouTube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gUnw8tPRQI 

Northeastern will have a hole to fill this fall with the leaving of senior forward Steve Quailer. According to USCHO.com, Quailer acquired 63 points over three seasons with Northeastern. He has signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Vermont Catamounts have lost Zemgus Girgensons before he ever put on the Catamount jersey. Girgensons will sign a contract with the Buffalo Sabers as a first-round draft pick. Vermont will try to build without their stellar recruit.

Lake Superior State University lost two key players this summer. Senior Zach Trotman has signed a contract with the Boston Bruins, and will forgo his final year for the Lakers. Trotman was a solid anchor on defense for  the Lakers. In addition, LSSU lost junior forward Kyle Jean, who has signed with the New York Rangers. Jean was a force to be reckoned with at 6'4" and 212 lbs. According to lssulakers.com, Jean acquired 38 points in his two seasons at Lake State, including 24 points this past season.

These, and similar schools, do not have the option to simply re-load. They re-build. As legendary USA coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) said in the movie "Miracle":

"It's not about finding the best players. It's about finding the right ones."

--JoshE

Brooklyn Nets Rally Ignites Fans and City

Joe Johnson (left) and Deron Williams (right) were introduced as "Brooklyn's Backcourt" to fans and media present at the rally. (AP Photo) 

The Brooklyn Nets are new to life in New York City. So they planned a rally on the steps of Brooklyn's Borough Hall. They hoped to get their mission across and to introduce some of their new top players. The Nets did exactly that Friday.

The rally began with a remix of M.O.P.'s "Ante Up," which stated, "Respect mine, we Brooklyn-bound" and included play-by play calls about the Nets' new dynamic duo, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams. General Manager Billy King and Head Coach Avery Johnson tried to address the focus of the franchise and answer questions about the future of the team.

One of the obvious highlights of the rally was the introduction of Johnson and Williams. Both can shoot, pass, and defend the ball quite well. Either one is capable of taking over a game and scoring 30 or more points. Referred to as "Brooklyn's Backcourt," many claimed during the rally that the duo is the best the NBA has to offer.

The Nets have also signed Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans. This definitely gives the team some of the pieces to become a playoff team. There's still a need for some important back ups, but they are well on their way to postseason success. The Nets have put the disappointment of not being able to trade for Dwight Howard behind them for now. There is a possibility of their renewing talks in January if Howard is still available. But for now, the Nets will proceed accordingly.

Lastly, the Brooklyn Nets got some jabs in against new crosstown rival, the New York Knicks. Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn borough president, announced to the crowd, "For nearly 40 years, the Manhattan Knicks have shown that they can't bring the championship home to New York City. So it's going to take the Brooklyn Nets to get the job done." While that may still be something to be accomplished in the more distant future, it gives their new fans and followers something to look forward to. The Brooklyn Nets are in a new home and beginning to look like a brand new franchise. That's certainly something worthy of celebrating.