Snapshots 2012 09 09 Yankees 13 @ Orioles 3 (ugh)

Good News - Team Phungo is in the middle of a 3 game week.

Bad News - It got off to a rough start with the Orioles taking it on the chin 13-3 to the division rival New York Yankees.

The Yankees batted around in 2 different innings, I am not going to bother verifying it, but I think every position in their order may have batted w/ the bases loaded at least once.  Curtis Granderson did not enter the game until the 6th innning and still managed come withing a triple of a cycle - recording 5 RBIs in the process. For the day Granderson's Baseball-Ref.com battting game score was only outdone by BJ Upton who had 3 homers.

The Orioles pitching staff combine for 190 pitches.  Zach Britton had a rough outing walking 5 batters while only recording 10 outs. 

Snapshots (click to enlarge)
 

The new Cal Ripken statue was a popular attraction.   

Must be tough to have a future Hall of Famer batting 9th in your lineup.

Joba Chamberlain vultured a Win and got his 2012 ERA below 8.00.   

Mark Reynolds has en fuego recently, especially v the Yankees.  Sunday, not so much, 0-2 with a pair of Ks.   

Links
Phungo Cal Ripken HoF Index

Happy New Years - Chinese Style - Year of the Ox - Yogi, Marichal, Schmidt, Donnie Baseball, the Caveman and Joba

January 26th 2009 marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the Ox. To help celebrate the New Year I dined on some Chicken Shu Mai this evening, and I also put together this Chinese New Year Post.

The Chinese Zodiac is based off of a lunar calendar and is marked by Years rather than months. I am sure you have seen this on a place mat in a Chinese restaurant at some point in your life. 2009 is the year of the Ox, as is every 12th year going backwards and forwards. The most recent celebrations of Year of the Ox have been in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, and 1997.

Here are some Major League Baseball Oxen.

1959 Topps #180 Yogi Berra - Born 1925
1973 Topps #480 Juan Marichal - Born 1937

1987 Topps Kmart #31 Mike Schmidt - Born 1949
1989 Fleer #258 Don Mattingly - Born 1961

2005 Leaf Century Collection #58 Johnny Damon - Born 1973
2008 Topps Foil #596 Joba Chamberlain - Born 1985

There you have a superstar Year of the Ox group of players. According to Dinged Corners "the Ox is patient, tireless in his work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint." So what do you think, do these players demonstrate the qualities of the Ox?

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Also, If you haven't done so already please take the time to vote in the Phungo Jim Rice poll.

Sources and Links
Johnny Damon Index