Sports

Giants Elimination Streak Ends In Loss To Cubs

Published

8 years ago

October 11, 2016

San Francisco, CA – Call it torture baseball! The Giants had their streak of ten-consecutive postseason elimination games snapped in tonights 6-5 loss to the Cubs. An epic collapse by San Francisco’s bullpen who gave up four runs in the ninth and a total of 32 blown saves for the season.

“I would like to think you’re going to get three outs there,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “We couldn’t do it. Because of the job he did, we had all the guys lined up, we just couldn’t get outs.”

The Giants headed into the ninth with a 5-2 lead. After Matt Moore tossed a phenomenal eight frames his night was done. Many will wonder had he stayed in after throwing 120 pitches, San Francisco would be celebrating instead of Chicago. Once the bullpen took over, Derek Law gave up a leadoff single to Kris Bryant.

Then Javier Lopez walked Anthony Rizzo. Sergio Romo replaced Lopez and surrendered a double to Ben Zobrist who scored in Bryant. Will Smith replaced Romo and yielded a single to Wilson Contreras who knocked in two more runs tying the game 5-5. Hunter Strickland came in and gave up a single to Javier Baez who drove in Jason Heyward to extend the Cubs lead 6-5.

After that, defeat had spread across the field. The fight the Giants had in yesterday’s game was gone. Closer Aroldis Chapman got a second chance to prove himself after unraveling yesterday in the ninth. Chapman struck out the side to end the game and send Chicago to the National League Championship Series as they await the winner of the Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers game Thursday night.

“We’re building that reputation just like the Giants have established,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You play until the last drop, and this time of the year you better come with your A game because we’re going to show up for 27 outs.

Johnny Cueto at Wrigley Field, I was telling folks, if you ever look at those numbers, they’re not good for us. He’s really tough on us. So, I’m happy to not have to face him in a winner-take-all-game.”

San Francisco used one of their biggest weapons on the mound tonight. Moore struck out a postseason career-high 10 batters and became just the 10th pitcher in Giants franchise postseason history to record double-digits strikeouts. Moore certainly could’ve gone the distance. But Bochy thought his bullpen could get three simple outs.

“Nobody really came up to me and told me I was done,” Moore said. “I think everyone kind of new it was my last one, no real conversation about it. That’s how baseball goes sometimes. In the moment of where were at winning, I didn’t want to make about myself and say ‘hey leave me in’ and we have guys down there. This is one of those moments we can change next year, the agony of losing.”

Moore had a strong start after retiring the first two batters he faced before giving up a walk to Rizzo in the first. Moore exited the inning without any damage. San Francisco’s offense got off to a good start when Denard Span doubled, advanced to third and scored on Buster Posey’s sacrifice fly making it a 1-0 game.

But it wasn’t long before the Cubs responded. David Ross led off the third with a solo shot to left field tying the game 1-1. Ross’ only previous postseason home run was back in 2012 when he played for the Atlanta Braves. After that hit, the Giants defense got better allowing no runs until the fifth.

“I was trying to be like these young guys who have way better swings than I do,” said Ross. “I’m just trying to get something up in the zone and put a good swing on it. We got down early and I tried to get us back in the game. I put some good wood on it and that doesn’t happen to often for me.”

The Giants got a break against Lackey in the fourth. Lackey loaded the bases with two back-to-back singles and walked Gregor Blanco. Moore’s RBI single scored in Conor Gillaspie and Span followed grounding out into a force out making it a 3-1 game. Brandon Belt flew out to center field stranding two.

No room for mistakes, Brandon Crawford threw to first baseman [Brandon] Belt after Javier Baez grounded to him but Crawford over threw first and Baez advanced to third in the fifth. Ross’ sacrifice fly scored in Baez to trim San Francisco’s lead 3-2. Meanwhile Lackey was pulled after surrendering two runs in the fourth. He tossed four innings, gave up seven hits, three runs and struck out four.

Crawford smashed a home run untouched that bounced off the right field wall, Pence stayed at second only to double back to second and then finally ran to third. The play was ruled a double though Pence could’ve scored on the play. Nevertheless, Gillapsie came through and drove in Pence extending their lead 4-2.

“I think he thought he missed second, so that’s why he went back to make sure he tagged it,” Bochy said. “It didn’t hurt us there with Conor getting that big hit there.”

Gillaspie went 4-4 at the plate and became the just the 15th Giant to record four hits in a postseason game. The last player to do that was Pablo Sandoval on October 24, 2012 in Game 1 of the World Series. San Francisco now heads into the offseason with many changes to be expected with their bullpen after such a tough loss.

“The season was very trying, baseball is amazing cause you never know what will happen next,” Romo said. “Tonight’s a great example and last night was a good example. So being part of the bullpen you want to do your job and we were unable to do that tonight.”

“A loss is always disappointing, especially since I’m a bullpen guy and I take pride in that,” said Strickland. “We can’t control where the ball falls, it hurts, it’s frustrating for sure. We win and lose as a team. We’ll prepare and get ready for next year.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com

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Entertainment

O.J. Simpson, 76, Dies of Prostate Cancer

Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson, who rose to fame as a college football player who went on to the NFL and parlayed his talents in acting and sportscasting, succumbed to prostate cancer on April 10, his family announced.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson. Wikipedia photo

By Post Staff

Born and raised in San Francisco, the Galileo High School graduate was recruited by the University of Southern California after he was on a winning Junior College All-American team.

At USC, he gained wide acclaim as a running back leading to him becoming the No. 1 pick in the AFL-NFL draft in 1969 and joining the Buffalo Bills, where he had demanded – and received — the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. In 1978, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, retiring from the game in 1979.

Simpson’s acting career had begun before his pro football career with small parts in 1960s TV (“Dragnet”) before “Roots” and film (“The Klansman,” “The Towering Inferno,” Capricorn One”).

He was also a commentator for “Monday Night Football,” and “The NFL on NBC,” and in the mid-1970s Simpson’s good looks and amiability made him, according to People magazine, “the first b\Black athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar.”

The Hertz rent-a-car commercials raised his recognition factor while raising Hertz’s profit by than 50%, making him critical to the company’s bottom line.

It could be said that even more than his success as a football star, the commercials of his running through airports endeared him to the Black community at a time when it was still unusual for a Black person to represent a national, mainstream company.

He remained on Hertz team into the 1990s while also getting income endorsing Pioneer Chicken, Honey Baked Ham and Calistoga water company products and running O.J. Simpson Enterprises, which owned hotels and restaurants.

He married childhood sweetheart Marguerite Whitley when he was 19 and became the father of three children. Before he divorced in 1979, he met waitress and beauty queen Nicole Brown, who he would marry in 1985. A stormy relationship before, during and after their marriage ended, it would lead to a highway car chase as police sought to arrest Simpson for the murder by stabbing of Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.

The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history, Wikipedia reported.

Characterized as the “Trial of the Century,” he was acquitted by a jury in 1995 but found liable in the amount of $33 million in a civil action filed by the victims’ families three years later.

Simpson would be ensnared in the criminal justice system 12 years later when he was arrested after forcing his way into a Las Vegas hotel room to recover sports memorabilia he believed belonged to him.

In 2008, he received a sentence of 33 years and was paroled nine years later in 2017.

When his death was announced, Simpson’s accomplishments and downfalls were acknowledged.

Sports analyst Christine Brennan said: “… Even if you didn’t love football, you knew O.J. because of his ability to transcend sports and of course become the businessman and the pitchman that he was.

“And then the trial, and the civil trial, the civil case he lost, and the fall from grace that was extraordinary and well-deserved, absolutely self-induced, and a man that would never be seen the same again,” she added.

“OJ Simpson played an important role in exposing the racial divisions in America,” attorney Alan Dershowitz, an adviser on Simpson’s legal “dream team” told the Associated Press by telephone. “His trial also exposed police corruption among some officials in the Los Angeles Police Department. He will leave a mixed legacy. Great athlete. Many people think he was guilty. Some think he was innocent.”

“Cookie and I are praying for O.J. Simpson’s children … and his grandchildren following his passing. I know this is a difficult time,” Magic Johnson said on X.

“I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere,” attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole’s family, told ABC News. “I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family, and they should be remembered.”

Simpson was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a year ago and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, according to Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. He died in his Las Vegas, Nevada, home with his family at his side.

He is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason from his first marriage and Sydney and Justin from his second marriage. He was predeceased son, Aaren, who drowned in a family swimming pool in 1979.

Sources for this report include Wikipedia, ABC News, Associated Press, and X.

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Arts and Culture

Gov. Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom Host 2024 Hall of Fame Ceremony

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8. The 17th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Willie Brown, Former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor, was proud to be among the Hall of Fame inductees. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By California Black Media

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8.

The 17^th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

“The California Hall of Fame is one of our families’ favorite traditions as it is a time to come together to celebrate remarkable Californians as well as their loved ones because we know that it is about partnerships,” Siebel Newsom said. “The governor likes to say that California is a dream factory because it doesn’t matter what zip code or background you come from, the California dream is alive and well to everyone who calls this state home.”

The other Black honorees were filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Federal Judge and civil rights leader, the Hon. Thelton Henderson; and basketball Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Cheryl Miller.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for and to be among a great group of individuals that also deserve the honor,” Brown told California Black Media on the event’s red carpet before the ceremony began. “No, I never thought someone from Texas would be recognized this way. But here I am, and it all happened in the great state of California. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Other 2024 inductees are: master chef and “mother of fusion cuisine” Helene An; computer scientist and “father of the internet” Vincent A. Cerf; all-female pop punk band The Go-Gos; Chicano Rock band Los Lobos; former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Congressman Leon E. Panetta; and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.

This year’s honorees join a history-making club with over 150 inspirational Californians previously inducted for their groundbreaking achievements and personifying the state’s innovative spirit.

“It’s just a humbling experience. I want to thank the Governor and First Partner. Who would have thought 100 years ago (that I would be inducted?) It’s incredible,” Miller said after her induction. “I want to thank the governor and First Partner for an incredible event.”

During his acceptance speech, Henderson said he was deeply honored.

“You know, it really would have been a really big deal to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the area where I grew up, for example, South Central Hall of Fame, or the Watts Hall of Fame, or the Straight Out of Compton Hall of Fame,” he said. “But being inducted into the California Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame of the greatest state in the country in this great nation is something else.”