MLB PLAYOFF RACE: Will the Orioles knock the Red Sox out of contention?

The Wild Card race is now tied between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, thanks to the Orioles, who have whipped playoff contenders this month.

There are only two games to play. The Red Sox play at Camden Yards through Wednesday, and the D-Rays are at home vs. the Yankees.

I'd be a happy fan (an extremely delighted fan) if Buck and the O's could knock the BoSox out of post-season...it'd be "Payback" for that brawl earlier this year in Fenway Park.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-guerreros-mileston-hit-sparks-os-rally-red-sox-tied-with-rays-for-wild-card-20110926,0,4517096.story

11:57 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2011
The first game of the season-ending "Fan Appreciation Celebration" at Oriole Park quickly turned into something completely different in the sixth inning on Monday night when Vladimir Guerrero kept his date with international baseball history.

Guerrero singled up the middle in his third at-bat of the Orioles' 6-3 win over the Boston Red Sox and passed Julio Franco to become the all-time major league leader in hits by a Dominican-born player. He also sparked a four-run rally that dragged the reeling Red Sox into a wild card dead heat with the surging Tampa Bay Rays.


His 2,587th hit brought the announced crowd of 21,786 to its feet for an enthusiastic ovation as Guerrero waved his helmet to the fans and his teammates – who lined the top step of the home dugout to applaud his magic moment. The night was made even more special for him because his mother, sister, nephew and cousin were in attendance.


"I've played for a lot of years – 16 years – so it felt very good, very satisfying to get that hit.'' Guerrero said through interpreter Rudy Arias, but he also pointed out that it is not something he has been consciously pursuing for a long time. "I didn't know about the record until Buck told me about it in Toronto."

No doubt caught up in all that excitement, Guerrero quickly stole his second base of the year and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a double by third baseman Chris Davis. Obviously, the Orioles got caught up in the moment, too, because they went on to score four times in the inning – the last three runs on an inside-the-park home run by Robert Andino.

Talk about an evening of interesting subplots. Andino's inside job was the first ever by an Orioles player at Camden Yards and it came with his father in the stands to see his son play for the first time ever in a major league game.

"That's almost as big a moment because his dad was here for the first time watching him play his first game,'' manager Buck Showalter said. "First time he ever saw him play. I'm not sure of all the dynamics of it, but I got to meet him today and I know what an unbelievable moment that would be for us. Can you imagine what it meant to him, regardless of the impact on the game? I was really hoping Robert would get a chance to do something to let his dad see what a good year he's had and what a good player he's become."

Andino was a little more concise.

"I've got no words,'' he said. "It's priceless."

And, of course, the Red Sox were desperately trying to hold onto their slim wild card lead over the Rays, but Boston starter Josh Beckett gave up six runs to the Orioles for the second time in six days and lost back-to-back decisions to Baltimore for the first time in his career. The Rays didn't cooperate either, defeating the Yankees, 5-2, at Tropicana Field.

If that wasn't enough intrigue for one night, Showalter had to be helped back to the clubhouse after the exchange of lineup cards with what the club reported to be an ankle injury. The injury apparently wasn't serious, because he returned to the dugout by the second inning and managed the remainder of the game.

The scoreboard watch had already started at that point. The Red Sox came into the game leading the Tampa Bay Rays by one game with three left for each to play. The Rays were at home against the Yankees and the two games were pretty much in sync, so the Sox could see that the Yankees took a two-run lead and then gave it back in the third inning.

"Boston's got somewhere they want to get to and there were a lot of Boston fans here, so it was pretty intense,'' Andino said.

The Orioles may not have anything tangible to play for during their final three games of the season, but Showalter said that the atmosphere in the ballpark and the intensity on the field gave the young players a taste of what September stretch-run baseball is all about.

"They (the Red Sox) are a good baseball team that played with a lot of effort tonight and was scratching and clawing the whole way,'' Showalter said. "Had the tying run at the plate. Beckett pitched well. They did the job out of the bullpen. It was a good baseball game with two teams playing at a high intensity level. Some nights it works out for us.

The Sox had taken the lead in the second, scoring a run on a two-out double by Jacoby Ellsbury when left fielder Matt Angle airmailed his throw back to the middle of the infield and allowed Marco Scutaro to score from first base.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters responded quickly, launching a towering fly ball that just cleared the fence in left to tie the score in the bottom of the inning. It was his 21st home run of the season and his 65th RBI.

The Orioles knew it was going to be no easy task to crack Beckett, who was facing them for the fourth time this season and he had a score to settle after the O's scored six runs off him in that 6-4 victory at Fenway Park last Wednesday. He held them to just four hits through the first five innings before the game unraveled in the sixth.

Orioles starter Tommy Hunter was looking for his fourth victory as an Oriole in 11 starts since he was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Koji Uehara trade, but he cut into his pitch count early working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and battling to hold the Sox to just an unearned run in the second. The Sox regained the lead when third baseman Jed Lowrie led off the fourth inning with a home run onto the flag court.

Hunter's overall numbers (3-3, 5.00 ERA) since arriving in Baltimore may not look like much, but he has impressed manager Buck Showalter with his determination on the mound. Monday night's performance was only the second time he has failed to complete the sixth inning.

He gave way at the start of the sixth to Troy Patton, who worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings and was credited with his second major league victory. Rookie Pedro Strop worked out of a big jam in the eighth and Jim Johnson pitched a tense ninth in which the tying run came to the plate, but held on to record his 10th save.

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http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2011/09/red_sox_in_fight_to_keep_sun_f.html

NEW YORK — A striking sunset turned the skies above Yankee Stadium into a canvas of oranges and blues tonight, a gorgeous touch to a satisfying day for those who wore pinstripes. Yet, for all its beauty, it could not rival the impact of another sunset, at least what could to be the makings of one, that revealed itself only in the visiting clubhouse.

It was there, with the residue of defeat still lingering in the air, that the Red Sox quietly ended a brutal day that featured a 9-1 loss to the Yankees.

Two days off had given the staggering Red Sox a chance to rest their weary legs, yet in a game they wanted badly to win, they looked every bit as flat as they have all month long. Manager Terry Francona juggled his starting lineup only to watch Yankees right hander Freddy Garcia neutralize it with his velocity-deficient arsenal.

The Yankees staked Garcia to a big lead and never looked back. At the end of their latest miserable effort, the Red Sox retreated from their dugout, into the tunnel that cuts through the concrete stadium, taking this sullen walk together. Frank Sinatra's familiar voice followed them through the passageway, the faint words of “New York, New York” almost audible even from the cramped office occupied by Francona.

The embattled manager — overseer of an epic 5-17 September collapse — used his fingers to clear his eyes before putting his glasses back over his face. He wore his exasperation the way he would his ballcap.

“We all want to win,” he said. “Now, it's up to us to go win. We know what's in front of us. We just have to play better.”

In the clubhouse, the players hardly spoke a word to one another. Within this space were telltale signs of a wake, from the zombie-like way the Red Sox spoke about their latest failure, to the dark blue towels slung over the clubhouse chairs. They looked black, which would have matched the mood.

“What we've got to do right now is laugh just to see if you can fool somebody,” said David Ortiz, who at the moment, was fooling nobody. “The way things are going, you don't expect a good team like this to struggle the way we have.”

Red Sox starter Jon Lester, who isn't used to getting knocked around, received a mocking standing ovation from Yankee fans. He allowed a three-run homer to Derek Jeter and departed after giving up his second hit to rookie Jesus Montero, a two-run double in the third-inning.

In his last three starts, Lester has crumbled, going 0-3 with an ERA of. His ineffectiveness over his 2 2/3 innings triggered speculation about his health, though he sneered at the notion that he's been pitching through hidden pain. He countered by offering a much simpler explanation.

“I stink,” Lester said.

In that regard, he fits right into with the rest of his cohorts on the pitching staff. If the Red Sox go on to complete their crash landing, and they go down as one of the most disappointing teams in franchise history, it will be because of a September ERA of 6.15.

“I've been getting my ass kicked lately,” Lester said. “It's not a good time to have this stretch.”

With just five games left on the schedule, a questioner asked first baseman Adrian Gonzalez if time was running out on the Red Sox.

“Time’s running out on us?” he said, coating his words with defiance. “We’re in first place in the wild card. Time’s running out on Tampa Bay.”

The numbers say that the Rays still have just a 1-in-10 chance of sneaking in for the wild card. The eyeballs say those chances are higher. Nevertheless, the Red Sox hold their own fate in their hands, owners of a 1 1/2 game advantage heading into today's doubleheader against the Yankees. However slim, a lead is still a lead, though such things are easy to forget in the first fading light of a sunset.

“It seems like no matter what you do,” Ortiz said. “Things go bad.”

For more Yankees coverage, follow Marc Carig on Twitter at twitter.com/ledger_yankees

The late Jack Emmanuel, coaching legend, fondly recalled by Biglerville Fans

Canners coaching legend, Emanuel, dies at 86

Posted: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 12:56 am

Canners coaching legend, Emanuel, dies at 86 BY ADRIAN MARTIN Times Sports Writer Gettysburg Times | 0 comments


One of the hardest duties a child must perform following the death of a parent is clearing out their belongings.


The shock of the loss is not yet fully realized, and the four walls filled with memories make it seem like the departed is still alive.

But the rummaging also evokes all the good memories, and such was the case for John Emanuel, whose father, former Biglerville High School head football coach Jack Emanuel, passed away on Sunday at the age of 86 after a long illness.

“I’ve run across letters from players thanking him for the affect he had on their lives, and a lot of those guys were from the ‘60s,” John said.

Jack coached some of the best football teams in Canner history during his 22 seasons at the helm. The only two non-shared league titles came under his watch in 1966 and 1971, when Biglerville was in the Blue Mountain League. The ‘66 squad remains the only undefeated Canner team as well, with a record of 8-0-2.

Those who played for him and worked with him will tell you that Jack wasn’t flashy or fiery, but he cared about his kids and he motivated them to play to their full potential.

“Working with him was an education for me because he knew football,” said former assistant coach Bill Celio, who joined Emanuel’s staff in that magical 1966 season. “A lot of times we didn’t necessarily have the best athletes, but we had the best players. They knew their job and they would do it.”

In addition to football, Emanuel was also a track and wrestling coach. After a fall full of Friday night lights, he could typically be found taking several kids to district and state track meets in the spring. He also helped out with the wrestling program. If there was talent to be found, Jack could bring it out.

“We had a tackle running a relay race,” Celio said, still in disbelief. “On the undefeated team, he took a quarterback and made him a flanker. He just made that change and it worked.”

If Jack got the most out of his players, it was because he received the same training and encouragement. Born in Coatesville, Pa., on Nov. 5, 1924, Jack was raised in Harrisburg and played defensive end at the former William Penn High School. He was coached by his father, Victor, who is member of both the Gettysburg College and Pennsylvania Sports Halls of Fame.

Jack served as a Marine in the Pacific during World War II, and then played football at Shippensburg Teaching College. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Bishop McDevitt, but he soon relocated to Biglerville. Even at that early stage, his coaching style was already established.

“He was fair, but stern,” John said.

“He was old school and brought a lot of traditions from Bishop McDevitt. He went to a lot of seminars and workshops and brought back what he knew. We ran the same offense for 20 years and we always won. Even if we were outmatched, it was always a close game. His teams were always good and always tough.”

Though Jack’s playbook was small, it was effective, and he was seen as a kind of trailblazer for the area.

“He was the first to run the ‘I’ formation and the first to run the 4-4 defense,” Celio said. “Jack always seemed to have the right idea of what was needed.”

John said Jack also introduced interval training to the track teams, and isometrics to the football teams, which drastically curtailed the number of injuries.

Sometimes, all the players needed was a swift kick in the rear, and Jack provided that as well.

“Jack was very strong-willed, and if you stepped out of line you knew it,” said Mike Haas, who played on the ‘71 championship team with John. “I remember a Saturday night game at Ship. For whatever reason, we usually didn’t play well on Saturdays. We were down a touchdown to Susquenita, but we were a better team. When we came in at halftime, (Jack) just tore into us. Then, we went out and scored three touchdowns in less than two minutes. I totally give his halftime speech the credit for the victory.”

Where there was discipline, there was also trust. Haas said Jack’s teams called their own offensive plays in the huddle, a practice that is seldom used today.

Jack also shared in his players’ anxieties on game night.

“After we won the title, I was in the coach’s office, and he always had a refrigerator full of Coca-Cola products that he’d hand out to the players,” Haas recalled. “He opened up the refrigerator and he was shaking so bad he couldn’t pick up the ball. I never realized the nerves that went through him.”

Haas has a much better understanding now. Following Jack’s example, he went into coaching, a job that has lasted more than three decades.

“When I started at Cocalico, I used a lot of the same drills,” Haas said. “Jack was a basic blocking and tackling coach.”

The Canners only had six losing seasons under Jack. After he left Biglerville, he briefly became an assistant for Sam Leedy at Gettysburg and helped the Warriors achieve a perfect 10-0 season in 1987.

In his later years, Jack was an assistant at West York and a member of a Masters swimming team. Even after he put away his whistle, Jack was never far from the football field.

“I coach at Columbia and we were in the district finals against Camp Hill a few years ago. I asked Jack to come see the game and he did,” said Haas, his voice breaking slightly with emotion. “I never had the chance to tell him how much that meant to me. As a player, I had so much respect and admiration for him.”

On Sept. 30, members of the 1971 Canner championship team will reunite and be recognized during halftime of Biglerville’s home game against Delone Catholic. Though the event was initially a 40-year anniversary, it has turned into a commemoration for Jack and all the lives he touched.

“If it was possible, we wanted to try and get him there, but it didn’t work out that way,” Haas said. “It’ll be a nice celebration.”

* * * * * * * * * *

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/08/legendary_biglerville_coach_ja.html

Legendary Biglerville coach Jack Emanuel fondly remembered

Published: Wednesday, August 31, 2011, 8:55 PM Updated: Thursday, September 01, 2011, 9:56 AM

By TIM LEONE, The Patriot-News The Patriot-News

Bill Celio took a lasting lesson from a decade of working as an assistant for legendary Biglerville High football coach Jack Emanuel.

“Try to stay calm,” Celio said. “When you’re blowing your stack, you’re not accomplishing anything. Just think things through. He was pretty easy going for the most part. A good guy off the field, too.”

Emanuel, also renowned as a track and field coach at Biglerville, died Sunday at 86.

Starting in 1958, he coached the football team for 22 years, winning Blue Mountain League championships in 1966 and 1971, and also did a stint as the school’s wrestling coach.

“He was very patient with the kids,” Celio said. “I can’t say never, but I don’t ever recall him chewing out a kid. He’d talk to them, maybe pull them out of a game for a play, and explain it to them. He might jump on the team as a whole, but he’d never single out an individual kid.

“He was big on fundamentals. It was blocking and tackling. He worked on blocking a lot. He said, ‘If you can block, you can tackle.’”

Son Mike Emanuel, a Harrisburg resident, and his three brothers all played for their father at Biglerville.

“It was a lot of old school,” Mike Emanuel said. “It was the fundamentals of football.”

But there was innovation, too. Emanuel installed the then-cutting-edge I-formation offense in 1966.

“They always said my dad had football players,” Mike Emanuel said, “but he rearranged their positions where they were better suited.”

Emanuel, a Marine who served in the Pacific during World War II, grew up in Harrisburg and played football for his father, Vic, at the former William Penn High School, graduating in 1943.

He played football at Shippensburg Teacher’s College and followed his father’s footsteps into a teaching and coaching career. He was a science teacher and also served as an assistant football coach at Bishop McDevitt and William Penn.

Vic Emanuel, a member of the Gettysburg College Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, played on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons team that was denied an NFL championship for playing an unauthorized exhibition game in Philadelphia.

“He always talked about how his dad got mad because he got cheated out of a championship,” Celio said.

Mike Emanuel said his grandfather played against Jim Thorpe.

“My grandfather said,” Mike Emanuel recalled, “‘If he came around my end, I’m sure I did tackle him.’”

Mike Emanuel said his late mother, Helen, also was instrumental in the Biglerville football program. She compiled statistics for her husband’s football games and had an eye for talent.

Emanuel is a member of the South Central/Adams County Hall of Fame. Celio joined his football staff in 1966 and went on to become Biglerville’s athletic director.

“He knew just about everything, I thought,” Celio said. “For the most part, he was pretty calm, though he could get fired up when the occasion moved him.”

Mike Emanuel also competed on his father’s track and field team. In one close meet, he recalled, he missed his first two pole vault attempts at 10 feet after having to pass at lower heights to run in the low hurdles.

“I don’t know if he had eyes in the back of his head,” Mike Emanuel said, “but he came running over and said, ‘You better make this third attempt.’ He was counting on the points. I remember that pretty clearly. Scared to death, but I made the jump.”
* * * * *

Pocono Casino

The Pocono Casino (Mount Airy) is very nice. Played Black Jack there two weeks ago.

Gettysburg Times: "Thanks a lot, Scot."

You've read about my escapades with women, my family wiffleball games, and know that I dislike Bermudian Springs.

You trusted me for seven years as I sat through countless local government meetings. You read along as I fought with Confederates at the Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment, and commented on our website when I blogged live from the casino hearings, and during the Pa. wrestling championships in Hershey.

Week after week, I've shared stories about my life with you on this page. But for every beginning, there is an end.

As you know by now, Friday was my last day with the newspaper. I've enjoyed every minute of it, but I'm looking forward to the next phase of my professional career, working with Rich Alloway in the Pa. Senate.

My days of covering the REDDI project, the battle over the Rosensteel plaques, lie-detector machines, the Electric Map, Belmont Bridge and the Steinwehr islands are over, but the memories will always remain.

And so, to the Honor Roll we go.

B.J. Small: Thanks for hiring me out of Elizabethtown College, and for guiding me over the years in my challenging beat. I'll send you a photo of my big buck this winter for publication in "Fur, Feathers & Fins."

Jarrad Hedes: I look forward to your continuing coverage of weeds and packs of stray cats in Bendersville.

Mark Walters: You're getting a great chance to write about some important issues from which many folks stand to benefit greatly. Keep your head down, your eyes and ears open, and your mouth shut.

Councilman Ted Streeter: "Trust me, I'm from the government." You never turned down a call from the media during your presidency, and for that, I was always grateful. See you at "Drinkin' with Lincoln."

Mayor Bill Troxell: At some point in my life, I hope to earn a "Key to the City."

Fred Snyder: You've been a great mentor and friend over at Fox Sports 1320-WGET, and I appreciate you letting me co-host several editions of the Breakfast Nook. If I get elected to Gettysburg Council, will you invite me to the "Borough Show?"

Councilwoman Holliday Giles: Good luck in your final four months on council. Please keep me updated with text messages.

Rob Holt: Your recovery from your auto accident of 2008 is a reminder to everyone that nothing is impossible.

Matt Major: All four of my journalism awards also have your name on the plaques.

Jeffrey Gabel: One of my favorite experiences as a reporter was covering the grand reopening of the Majestic Theater.

Bill Schwartz: You're a great example of a colleague who has trained numerous reporters over the years, and watched them grow into their job. I always appreciated how in my early years, you asked all the questions, because you already knew the background. Plus, you were always good for a lunch tab.

Donna Wagner: Sorry about all the obituaries that I messed up in your absence. I know there were many.

David LeVan: I'm a big fan of port. It was a challenge covering your projects, because I knew most of the people involved, some professionally; others socially. Regardless, I hope I did so fairly and accurately. Good luck to your wife, in her crocheting endeavors.

Katie Lawhon: Cyclorama, battlefield rehab and the train station. Some things never end.

John O'Donnell: If you're listening up there, I miss you. And your big, bold headlines.

Josh Martin: Our pre-and-post game analysis of Biglerville Canner wrestling matches were always entertaining. Your victory your senior year at the old Wigwam in Gettysburg - to this day - might be the top highlight in Canner lore.

Gene & Debra Golden: We've had a our laughs over the years, mostly at the expense of local politics. Now, I'm joining the political field. Uh-oh.

Pat Nevada: As our workload burgeoned the past several years, I always appreciated you stopping by your neighboring cubicle to see if "everything was OK." Please, don't ever put my photo on the top of "Faces."

Pappy Pitzer: You're an inspiration to many. I will see you at the Elkorn tomorrow.

Darryl Wheeler: Your note-taking at accident scenes is Pulitzer prize worthy. You're also one of the best golfers I know, even though you claim you get out only "once or twice a year."

Alice Estrada: Your service will be missed, but I look forward to judging the Halloween Parade with you again this year. "Scot, you cannot give that band a four out of 10 just because they're from Bermudian."

Tom Ford and Cindy Ford: Thanks for your unconditional support. Tom, your golf swing is truly a thing of beauty.

Dick Watson: A grand-fatherly figure in the newsroom. Your daughter's eulogy at Myrt's funeral was a message that I'll always cherish.

Bill Monahan: We have had our share of memorable experiences, and you've certainly had your share of "donnybrooks." Thanks to you, I learned to appreciate fried calamari.

The entire Gettysburg Times team: It's been a great run. Even though I'm leaving, the Farm Show, re-enactment, Dedication Day and Election Night will continue.

Good luck, God bless, and remember, Eagle meat is better served raw.

(And for the record, the Family Wiffleball game was "rained-out" Monday. We'll get ‘em next year!)

- Scot A. Pitzer

New York Giants: Fake Injuries against Rams in Monday Night Football

Complaints about the New York Giants using injuries to slow the St. Louis Rams' no-huddle offense Monday night appeared valid -- and irrelevant.

Faking injuries has long allowed NFL players to buy time without using timeouts. The Giants' Deon Grant appeared to fake one just as the Rams' offense was moving into scoring position. Grant got up and jogged off the field. The Giants' defense regrouped and limited the Rams to a field goal, just as they had on a previous St. Louis possession inside the Giants' 10-yard line.

The fact that the Rams complained about the Giants' tactics to the league office is not a big deal. Teams regularly complain to the league about matters related to officiating, sometimes as a matter of record more than out of any expectation the NFL will do anything about it.

In this case, the Rams' offense has struggled badly in the red zone throughout this young season. For all anyone knows, Grant's allegedly fake injury simply delayed another disappointing end to a Rams possession. The team has acknowledged its difficulties executing in the red zone and elsewhere. But in raising the issue with the league and making concerns public, the Rams raise awareness, possibly discouraging future opponents from using the tactic as obviously.

"They couldn't get subbed, they couldn't line up," Rams quarterback Sam Bradford told reporters. "Someone said, 'Someone go down, someone go down,' so someone just went down and grabbed a cramp."

That might have been the case, but little can be done about it.

"The Competition Committee deprecates feigning injuries, with subsequent withdrawal, to obtain a timeout without penalty," the rulebook states. "Coaches are urged to cooperate in discouraging this practice."

Rules require players to leave the game for one snap following an injury timeout, except when a regular timeout is called, the quarter ends, the two-minute warning arrives or in cases when the injury resulted from a personal foul by the opponent.

The rulebook instructs game officials to make no judgments about whether an injury is legitimate or not.

"If an official determines a player to be injured, or if attendants from the bench come on the field to assist an injured player, an injury timeout will be called by the referee," the rules state.

The rules outline a hypothetical situation as follows: "Runner A1 is tackled and appears injured since he does not move. ... Official should call timeout for injured player. Official should not try to determine if player is injured."

Rules change in the final two minutes of a half. Teams with timeouts remaining lose one unless their player's injury is caused by an opponent's foul or occurs when there is a turnover or field-goal attempt, or when the opponent calls timeout. Teams with no timeouts remaining are allowed one injury timeout in the final two minutes, but the referee can implement a 10-second clock runoff at the defensive team's discretion if an offensive player is injured . Subsequent injuries under these circumstances will carry five-yard penalties for delay, with the same stipulations for 10-second clock runoffs.

The injury timeout for Grant occurred with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter. By that time, the Rams had already failed to score a touchdown on an earlier possession despite having first-and-goal from the 1. They might be well served adding fake field goals to combat future fake injuries.