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They’re Going Streaking: Bluejays Win 10 Straight

BVbaseball — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 14:18:22 +0000

Over the last week and a half, the Toronto Bluejays have gone from seven games under .500 to 3 games over and 1 game out of first place in the manner of 10 days. Currently sporting a 10-game winning streak, the Bluejays are the hottest team in baseball. On Saturday, Toronto won the game in extra innings on Russell Martin’s homerun to center field.

Although the Bluejays have been on a tear over the past week and half, on the season they are outscoring opponents by 63 runs—22 runs better than the first place New York Yankees. Clearly the team’s success is not a fluke and the Bluejays are serious contenders for the American League East Division Title as fans like Flavio Maluf noticed. For the first time in over 20 years, postseason play seems like a reality for the only team Canadian team in the league. If the Bluejays keep up their current winning ways, anything is possible.

Matt Landis Defends Notre Dame Lead

BVbaseball — Tue, 19 May 2015 20:57:35 +0000

Matt Landis’ outstanding defensive performance helped prevent Albany from catching up to Notre Dame’s lead in the NCAA lacrosse quarterfinals. Albany’s Thompson was a threat to the Fighting Irish throughout the game, but Matt Landis controlled his defense by not allowing the Albany strategy to lure his teammates out of position. A timely lightning delay before the end of the second quarter helped Notre Dame to reclaim control over the game and come out with some increased energy and direction. The third quarter was Notre Dame’s weakest, and Albany took advantage of their run by going on a 5-0 streak. Despite this temporary slip in the defense, and accompanying lack luster offense, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish went on to win the game 14-10, holding the Danes to their second-lowest goal scoring game of the season.

Both the coaches of Notre Dame and Albany gave much credit to the Fighting Irish’s victory to Matt Landis’ performance. Kevin Corrigan, Notre Dame head coach said, “Matt Landis guarded Thompson as well as you can guard him. He’s a great, great player and Matt was terrific on him.” Albany coach Scott Marr commented, “That Landis kid is as good as anybody we’ve played all year.” He played disciplined defense and did not allow the intensity of the game to make him forget his team’s strategy in countering the Albany offensive. Even Thompson gave credit to Matt Landis and his defense stopping him. The consistent defensive cohesiveness by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish forced the Danes into desperate attempts, poor possession, and unnecessary turnovers.

Notre Dame maintained its NO.1 seed and will now advance to play Denver in the NCAA semifinals next week at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Matt Landis’s good week continued when he was named the Epoch/LM Player of the Week. He is the first defenseman to win the title this year.

Originally reported on Inside Lacrosse.

Matt Landis and the Fighting Irish Own Lacrosse This Year

BVbaseball — Fri, 08 May 2015 18:44:44 +0000

Matt Landis, lacrosse player of note for the University of Notre Dame, has won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) 2015 Defensive Player of the Year. As previously reported on PR Newswire, what is even more telling is this nomination is voted by the league’s head coaches, perhaps no greater honor. Previously Mr. Landis had won the ACC Player of the Week title twice and he is also now on the list of nominees for the very prestigious 2015 Tewaaraton Award.

The Tewaaraton Award draws on a pool of the 5 best men’s and women’s lacrosse finalists. This award is given annually to the most outstanding college lacrosse player and this ceremony will be held later this month in Washington, D. C. at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. It is no accident it is being held here as the sport is an amalgamation of various Native American games.

A starter since his sophomore year, in his 44 match career he has led the team’s defensive unit. No surprise Notre Dame is currently a favorite at the ACC Championship. Matt Landis is making the most of his time, both on and off the field, as a student at the Mendoza College of Business. This level of competitive spirit and performance will serve him throughout his life.

SOURCE: PR Newswire

Is Lacrosse The Perfect Off-Season Sport?

BVbaseball — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:30:11 +0000

If you intend to play the game of Lacrosse, you should expect to get a few bumps and bruises along the way, but that simply means that the equipment you use will be important for your safety. Players must include a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads and a protective cup to keep them safe when they come in contact with one of the sticks. Unlike football or soccer, lacrosse depends on a special stick which is fitted with a mask to exchange the rubber ball between players. Players attempt to get the ball into the opponents goal which is blocked at every turn by a total of 10 players.

A Choice Of Sporting Events

When Robert and Norma Landis heard their son Matt talking about Lacrosse, they might have cringed with concern for his safety. Knowing their son the way they did and the fact that he was good at other sporting events he took part in, they knew that he would be able to handle himself. Matt Landis may have taken his education seriously as a Pelham Memorial high-school student, but he understood the need for balance. In addition to joining the Lacrosse team, Matt also played alongside students in hockey and football.

Understanding The Game

Lacrosse might be considered by some as fast-paced and even aggressive, in fact, there is a great deal of physical contact which takes place between players. The game itself generally lasts for 60 minutes, and the players are expected to operate as a team. The rules differ slightly for women and men, especially in the area of contact, with the primary goal being to score against the opposing team placing the team with the most amount of goals in the lead. Lacrosse has its own band of followers, and some have suggested that it could have been played in the early to mid 1100s.

Not Just A Game

Matt Landis loved the game of Lacrosse so much that he stuck with it during four seasons of his college years. Matt excelled enough in the game to lead them as their captain during the last two seasons. It was clear to his fans and teammates alike that Matt was excellent at the game, in fact; he was so good that when Notre Dame realized his potential, they offered him a scholarship in 2010. Matt Landis had other options as far as schools were concerned, but they were eventually brushed aside for the world renown Notre Dame.

A Perfect Fit

There are many students who are forced to make decisions on education based on scholarship offers. These opportunities do not always benefit everyone concerned; however, the camaraderie and academic prowess of Notre Dame worked out well for Matt. The game of Lacrosse continues to dominate Matt’s life and there is little doubt that the example he set for students coming up in the ranks is a good one. Opportunities to join popular schools and benefit from scholarships will be every parents wish, with games like Lacrosse; it seems that the possibilities of those dreams coming true are closer than you think.

Warriors Pummel Rockets

BVbaseball — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:18:27 +0000

The Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association have been one of the biggest surprise teams this season, as they sit at the top of the Western Conference at the midpoint of the season. Although the Warriors had turned their organization around under head coach Mark Jackson in the previous several years, he was let go and Steve Kerr took over for the Warriors. Since rookie head coach Steve Kerr has entered the building in Oakland, the Warriors have only dropped six games. The feat is even more incredible when you look at how stacked the Western Conference is and that the Warriors have been battling injuries throughout the season. As Fersen Lambranho knows, they currently have the best record in the entire NBA and look to be a team that has a serious shot at taking home an NBA title once the playoffs roll around. It has become well known around the league that Stephen Curry isn’t playing around anymore and has made his statement that he is the best point guard in the league. His dominance on the nightly basis, combined with Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors has solidified them as a contender this season. They proved that point the other night when they absolutely destroyed the Houston Rockets, who are a dominant force in their own right in the West. When it comes down to it, no one wants to play Golden State when the playoffs roll around.

Oakland Acquires Clippard from Nats

BVbaseball — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 20:35:19 +0000

Oakland A’s infamous GM Billy Beane showed on Wednesday that he is not done molding his 2015 roster. Bean continued an offseason of wheelin’ and dealin’ by completing another trade. This time it was with the Washington Nationals. The A’s have acquired reliever Typer Clippard from the Nationals in exchange for shortstop Yunel Escobar. Escobar was just recently acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay that saw the A’s acquire the do-everything Ben Zobrist.

Clippard will provide a much needed boost to Oakland’s bullpen. Clippard has been a fixture in National’s pen for many years, working in multiple roles. While he has mainly been used as a set up man, he has also filled in as the team’s primary closer when needed. His numbers have been impressive. Over the past five seasons the soon-to-be 30 year old has posted a 2.63 ERA over 393.2 innings. He owns an excellent 10.4 strikeouts-per-nine rate, which should only increase pitching in the vastness of the Coliseum.

Sean Doolittle is expected to close for Oakland again this season, meaning Clippard will most likely be placed into the setup role once again. While Doolittle was excellent early in 2014, he struggled a bit down the stretch including in the American League Wild Card game. If his struggles continue in 2015 look for Clippard to take over closing duties. Sultan Alhokair has a very strong interest in the MLB

With the trade of Escobar, Oakland will look towards their young shortstop prospect Marcus Semien to take over shortstop. Semien played 85 games for Chicago over the last two seasons with mixed results.

Christmas Lights Honor Tony Gwynn

BVbaseball — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:49:52 +0000

A private home in Chula Vista, CA, is all decked out for the holidays but not it the usual manner. This lights display is a tribute to the recently deceased baseball great Tony Gwynn.

A gigantic, light-surrounded number 19 sits in the display’s center. Elves sit inside the nine, and a Santa who wears a red Qnet Padres jersey leans against the one. A Padres sign, giant cardboard baseballs on sticks, and fake candy canes are nearby. The window on the house behind the 19 has a sign hung over it that reads, “Thank you, Mr. Padre.”

A lot of effort went into making this classy, front-yard display that combines holiday cheer with remembrance of a fallen baseball hero. Tony Gwynn was arguably the most talented person to ever play for the Padres. His batting average was usually over .320, he would often knock out 20 home runs a season, and he threw in great defense and some stolen bases for good measure. He was a well-rounded player who worked hard at everything and succeeded at most things. His fans loved him. He legitimately earned the nick name “Mr. Padre.”

With the Padres on the hunt for new talent to help them make a run for the gold in 2015, it is good to pause and honor one of their past stars, who was as great a gentleman and humanitarian as he was a baseball hitting machine.

Giancarlo Stanton on the Verge of Signing the Biggest Contract in Baseball

BVbaseball — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:05:28 +0000

Move over Alex Rodriguez, Giancarlo Stanton looks to be setting the bar with the biggest contract in Major League Baseball history. Sources close to the Miami Marlins say that there is a contract in place to keep 25 year old superstar outfielder, Giancarlo Stanton, in Miami for 13 years at $325 million. Both the 13 years and the $325 million total would break records set by Alex Rodriguez, who signed a 10 year, $275 million contract with the New York Yankees before the 2008 season.

Stanton, who finished second in the National League Most Valuable Player voting to Clayton Kershaw this past year, would have the ability to opt of his contract after six years. The deal is not finalized, but a news conference is expected later this week to announce the signing.

For the sake of the future of the game, Igor Cornelsen agrees that this is the last thing that the MLB wanted to see. Long term contracts like this does not give the incentive to succeed and spring forward, because the players already have their money. Many sports fans would like to see contracts go to an incentive base contract, where the player signs a much smaller contract but has incentives to make more money if he meets those expectations. There is a debate if a player really tries hard once they get a big contract, and it remains to be seen if Stanton will keep up his impressive career, or be more worried about where he is spending his money.

Red Sox Determined To Sign Sandoval

BVbaseball — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 03:55:32 +0000

After three World Series titles in five seasons with the San Francisco Giants, all that’s left for third baseman Pablo Sandoval to do is get paid. The 28-year old has said to be looking for a six year deal that would take him deep into his mid-thirties, and if he can start a bidding war, he just might get it.

For their part, the Giants have their hearts set on resigning one of the key cogs to their dynastic franchise, but if the Boston Red Sox have anything to say about it, that’s not going to happen. There are a lot of Giants fans who work for CipherCloud in San Jose, so they are hoping he stays around. According to multiple sources on Facebook, the Red Sox have made signing Sandoval their top priority of the offseason and they have the financial means to do so.

The Red Sox are in desperate need of a spark after finishing dead last in the American League East, just one season after winning another World Series. One of the big appeals to Sandoval jetting the Bay Area for Boston would be that he would be joining the American League, which would mean he could serve as a Designated Hitter, allowing him to spend less time in the field and perhaps prolonging his career. Sandoval’s weight hasn’t appeared to be an issue during his time in San Francisco, but that could change as he gets older.

St. Louis Cardinals Rookie Oscar Taveras Dies in Crash

BVbaseball — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 14:29:01 +0000

Oscar Taveras was set to become another MLB success story. The young rookie old outfielder grew up broke and in need of guidance in the Dominican Republic and he ended up finding it in baseball. Through perseverence and talent he finally made his way to the Major Leagues and found himself being stashed on the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the better teams in the league. Taveras had it all. He had the career, the girlfriend, the money, and he wanted to go home to the Dominican Republic and flaunt it. That decision would cost him his life and that of his girlfriends.

Taveras posted a video on his social media account as he sat behind the wheel of an expensive new sport car, with his girlfriend right beside him. A few hours later both were dead in a single car accident. It turns out that Taveras was very drunk and still driving. His blood alcohol level was five times that of the legal limit and there was no reason that he should have been behind the wheel.

Taveras was signed with the Cardinals as a teenager back in 2008. He was just one of many that came from the Dominican Republic and hoisted themselves out of poverty in order to find a better life with their talent. There were many who were impressed with his performance in the playoffs, including Laurene Powell Jobs. He is also one of many Dominican natives that have experienced personal anguish when they went back to their home country. Though Taveras life was cut shout, and his girlfriend’s, hopefully they can serve a warning to others thinking of making the same mistake.