Spooky's 35-10 record the last 45 selections weekly express

[Spooky]

Monday's six-pack

-- Gas is $3.09 a gallon, as greedy bastards who own the oil companies continue to thumb their noses at us. I hope they rot in hell.

-- Robin Roberts once threw 28 consecutive complete games-- guess the Phillies didn't pinch-hit for their pitchers much.

-- Juan Uribe walked his first four times Sunday; the fifth time he was up, he got drilled in the back by a pitch. He might be the worst player ever to get on base five times in a game without getting a hit.

-- Miami Heat have banned their players' wives from appearing on the reality show Basketball Wives. If you've seen it, you'll know why.

-- Milwaukee Brewers are 10-8 on the road, but just 4-8 at home.

-- Alex Rodriguez is making $33M this year; thats $203,703.70 a game. Dallas Braden is making $460,000. For the whole season.

[Spooky]

Monday's Dirty Dozen: Wrapping up an interesting weekend.........

12) May 8, 1968; the A's had just moved to Oakland; a young pitcher did the unthinkable. Not only did he throw a perfect game against a powerful Minnesota lineup, he knocked in three of the four runs the A's scored in their 4-0 win. It was the first of many great moments for Catfish Hunter. One of my most cherished moments meeting Catfish years later.

11) May 9, 2010; a young lefty throws Oakland's second perfect game in franchise history, on Mother's Day/Cancer Awareness Day- the pitcher's mom had passed away from lymphoma.......on Mother's Day. With a DH in use now, you can make the argument this perfect game is better than the 1968 one, since pitchers batted in '68. Dallas Braden is 18-23 so far in his big league career. Catfish was 20-21 after his perfect game.

10) Weird that a good Rays' team has been victim to two perfect games in the last nine months, both by lefty pitchers in day games on the road.

9) Suns swept the Spurs in four tough games; by end of it, Steve Nash looked more like George Chuvalo, the old Canadian boxer, than a star in the NBA-- above his right eye was heavily bandaged, but the gutty Nash had 20 points, nine assists anyway.

8) Goran Dragic, Nash's backup, returned to normal Sunday after going nuts in fourth quarter of Game 3; Dragic wound up scoring a total of 36 points in the four-game series, but 23 of the 36 came in the fateful fourth quarter of Friday night's dramatic Phoenix win.

7) Rajon Rondo is 6-1, 175; he had 18 rebounds Sunday in Celtics' win vs the Cavaliers. Every aspiring high school guard should watch Rondo for how to do the little things that help teams win. How does a 6-1 guy get so many rebounds? He tries harder than everyone else, he knows angles of how missed shots come off rim. Smarter and tougher often trumps size.

6) Looks like Indians made a quality trade, getting P Mitch Talbot from the Rays for backup catcher Kelly Shoppach. Talbot is helping the Tribe.

5) Anyone have an idea why the White Sox traded pitcher Gio Gonzalez not once, but twice? He's really been pitching well for the A's.

4) ESPN.com has a fantasy sports expert named Matthew Berry, who is a good writer-- his mom just got elected mayor of College Station, TX.

3) CJ Wilson of the Rangers is 3-1, 1.51 so far for Texas, with a couple of complete games in his six starts. Not bad for a former closer.

2) Giants have fewest home runs in big leagues since Barry Bonds retired.

1) All the drama that goes on in the modern world makes a guy cynical; my questions to Eldrick Woods would be this-- Would you have stopped playing if you were winning the tournament? And if he does indeed have a neck injury, did it happen when he ran his SUV into that tree in Florida?

[Spooky]

Tuesday's six-pack

-- Rays trailed 4-0 after seven in Anaheim, rallied to tie game with three runs in ninth, then lost 5-4 to the Angels in 11 innings.

-- Washington Nationals are 18-14, are in second place in NL East.

-- Jeff Gordon is winless in his last 40 NASCAR races.

-- Hank Haney quit as Eldrick Woods' swing coach; somehow, I think the gig with Ray Romano is a hell of a lot more fun for Hank.

-- Orlando swept the Hawks, winning by total of 101 points, widest total margin ever in an NBA four-game sweep
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-- Montreal beat the Penguins, forcing a Game 7 in Pittsburgh

[Spooky]

Tuesday's List of 13: Taking a look at all 14 AL teams........

We're going to take a look at all 14 AL teams every Tuesday, and all 16 of the NL teams on Fridays. Here's a look at the American League......

14) Royals-- Coaches never saw Josh Hamilton fail to tag on fly ball this weekend, missing obvious appeal play that would have saved them a run in a 3-2 game. Manager Hillman is a lame duck, barring huge turnaround.

13) Orioles-- They've got pitching prospects (Arietta/Tillman) on way, but as long as they're in this division, they're going to finish fifth. Now if they want to blame Tremblay, go ahead, but this ain't his fault.

12) Mariners-- By far most disappointing team in league; signing Bradley wasn't smart, and now word comes out that Griffey couldn't pinch-hit in game last week because he was asleep in clubhouse. Oh boy.......

11) Indians-- Lost nine of last 12 games; they've dumped Sabathia and Lee in last few years. Why should their fans care if team won't sign pitchers who win the Cy Young award? Lebron doesn't even root for them.

10) White Sox-- Bullpen is a mess, they're 4-9 on road, and if they don't trade Pierzynski soon, he becomes a 10/5 man and can veto any deals, so chances are AJ will get traded to make room for young Flowers, who is supposedly a terrific hitter.

9) Angels-- Not sure why they're doing what they're doing, but for a team that draws a ton of fans, they're not spending much this year. Matsui has been a bust as DH so far, and the bullpen is still a weakness.

8) Red Sox-- Look at their lineup; who strikes fear in your heart? Maybe Youkilis and Martinez, but Victor is a liability behind plate. Beckett has an ERA over 7.00. Have an interesting road trip coming up.

7) A's-- Have enough pitching to contend, but need Crisp to get healthy and then spark an anemic offense from leadoff spot. Just remember that it is Dallas Braden's mound, and baserunners should stay off of it.

6) Tigers-- May have swindled Bronx Bombers on Granderson trade, as young Jackson is hitting .360. Cabrera has 33 RBI in first 32 games.

5) Texas-- They're said to have more pitching in minor leagues than any other team, and they're being trained to go deeper into games, since Nolan Ryan is calling the shots. Just called up young lefty Holland.

4) Toronto-- They let Halladay go and got better; go figure. Are 12-5 on the road, as Vernon Wells is having a big bounceback season. Hopefully the fans will realize this is a good team; maybe after the NHL playoffs.

3) Twins-- Their continued success is amazing, since they've let Santana go and basically got nothing for him, then made the awful Bartlett/Garza for Young trade. Still, they pitch well, and have an expectation of winning.

2) Bronx-- Age is showing with some nagging injuries, but looks like both Bombers and Tampa Bay will make playoffs anyway.

1) Tampa Bay-- Their core is younger than Bronx Bombers, but this is it for the core, since they'll have to let Crawford walk after season. That is why Bronx sustains their success; the poorer teams have to step back and regroup every so often, for financial reasons.

[Spooky]

Wednesday's Hump Day Dirty Dozen: 12 of the greatest inventions ever......

12) Cellphones-- I'm giving Mel Brooks credit here; remember Get Smart, the old TV show? Maxwell Smart was a spy with a phone hidden in his shoe; in effect, the first cellphone, way back in the mid-60's.

11) Zamboni-- Who knew that ice resurfacers were born in Paramount, CA by a man named Frank Zamboni in 1949? Zambonis have become so popular that there is a band called The Zambonis.

10) Calculators-- People are so dependent on them; once I was in Burger King when the computerized cash registers shut down- you would have thought nuclear holocaust had hit. No one had a clue what to do-- took a while to figure out all they needed to do was multiply by .07. Yikes.

9) Peach baskets-- A Canadian named Naismith nailed peach baskets to a post and basketball was born; decades later, who could have guessed that Naismith would be the only losing basketball coach in Kansas history?

8) NFL Sunday Ticket-- Quite possibly the greatest invention ever; you can sit in your living room and watch any NFL game you want. Problem is you need DirecTV to get the Sunday Ticket. Its debatable as to which is better, digital cable or DirecTV. If you like the NFL, its DirecTV.

7) Internet-- Thanks Al Gore, or whoever it is who actually did invent the internet. Its opened up a whole new world of knowledge, and allowed few nitwits like myself to be able to speak our minds whenever we like.

6) Whoever decided that the bases should be 90 feet apart was a genius. How they arrived at 60 feet, six inches is a puzzle, or that home plate is 17.5 inches wide. But 90 feet between the bases is just perfect.

5) Nerf balls-- How many lamps were saved because of these foam balls that are still great fun to play with? Nerf footballs are my favorite.

4) Four-color pens-- You've seen them; pens with blue barrel that have four different color refills in them. Terribly convenient, allows you to do a report with different colors without switching pens every ten seconds.

3) Silicone breast implants-- In 2007, there were 307,230 breast implants done in this country, so to whomever invented this procedure, the men of America say simply, thanks.

2) Pizza-- I hope the inventor of pizza got really rich. The greatest food ever, no doubt. People are passionate about which type of pizza they prefer-- I like the thinner type best, myself.

1) Remote controlled TV-- I'm old enough to remember a time when you had to get up to turn the channel; of course, back then there were only three or four channels too. Progress is a wonderful thing.

[Spooky]

Wednesday's six-pack

-- A's outlasted Texas 7-6 in 13 innings, despite blowing three saves in the game, their first three blown saves of the season. Teams are now in a tie for first place atop the AL West.

-- It was first time A's blew three saves in a game since August 17, 2000 when Oakland blew three saves in a game against Colorado.

-- Reliever Tyson Ross got the win, and also batted after Oakland lost its DH; he is first A's pitcher to bat in a non-interleague game since '95, when Todd Stottlemyre hit in a game against the Royals.

-- Johnny Cueto threw a one-hit shutout in front of 9,027 hardy souls in Pittsburgh.

-- Lot of day baseball games Wednesday, with pair of day/night doubleheaders because of rainouts in Detroit, Denver.

-- Epic tank job by the Cavaliers, losing pivotal Game 5 by 32 at home to Boston. Interesting to see how they come out for Game 6.

[Spooky]

Thursday's six-pack

-- Not sure how much longer Nationals can keep Steven Strasburg out of the major leagues; he's been dominant in two starts at AAA.

-- 18 of 32 NFL teams raised their ticket prices for 2010; only Detroit and Jacksonville lowered theirs.

-- Quick look back at '06 NBA Draft: Rajon Rondo was 21st pick in the first round by Boston. 20th pick? Knicks took Renaldo Balkman. Ugh.

-- In their last two games, Pirates have five hits, no runs. Against the Reds, not exactly Maddux-Smoltz-Glavine.

-- Arizona just finished an 0-6 homestand; maybe firing Bob Melvin last year wasn't such a good idea afterall.

-- If the NFL puts a Super Bowl in New Jersey, then Chicago, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Buffalo should all get one, too. Dumb.

[Spooky]

Thursday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind........

13) Over the last three baseball Sundays, home teams are 35-10.

12) Four college basketball conferences have formed a consortium for its basketball officials, under the leadership of recently-retired referee Curtis Shaw, which is bad news for mascots everywhere, especially Rice mascot Sammy the Owl. Big 12/C-USA/OVC and Southland are participating.

11) Buffalo Bison, AAA farm club of the Mets, have 3B named Hessman who is active leader in minor league home runs- he had 319 last time we looked. He's played in 77 big league games with Tigers/Braves, hitting 13 home runs. Guy like him should write a book someday.

10) Cal Bears are getting their stadium refurbished; they'll play their 2011 football schedule in AT&T Park, where San Francisco Giants call home.

9) In New Hampshire, only people 18 and under have to wear seatbelts; they're big on civil liberties in the Granite State.

8) There is substantial evidence that David Wright hasn't been the same since he got beaned last summer; teams are brushing him off plate early in counts, then getting him out away. His numbers on the road are better so far this year, but he's still not hitting well at Citi Field.

7) Once they get two strikes on them, major league hitters reach base only 28% of the time.

6) There are several major league teams that do extensive scouting reports on umpires. Texas-Oakland-Toronto are among those teams.

5) I would have paid significant money to watch Jerry Sloan the player guard Kobe Bryant. Bryant would've scored his points, but he would've picked his butt up off the floor more than once, and after a series against Sloan, he would have had to visit a dentist, chiropractor, plastic surgeon. Players today give Bryant way too much respect.

4) Good lord-- former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is guest host of WWE Raw next Monday night. Vince McMahon is a freakin' genius.

3) Jimmer Fredette and Taylor Battle are both from this area; very good college basketball players, both pulled their names out of the NBA Draft and will finish their college careers. Excellent decision by both players.

2) 1968: Catfish Hunter threw a perfect game for the A's, at home with a crowd of 6,298 on hand. 2010: Dallas Braden threw a perfect game for the A's, with crowd of 12,228 on hand. Maybe Oakland isn't a baseball town.

1) Odd to note that Tampa Rays swung/missed only five times in Dallas Braden's perfect game Sunday. It was Braden's first career complete game.

[Spooky]

Friday's six-pack

-- San Diego Padres are 22-12, have already thrown eight shutouts. Mat Latos threw a one-hitter at Giants Thursday, knocking in the only run.

-- Jayson Werth has 18 doubles this season. Thats a lot.

-- Want to win a bar bet? The only hit Stephen Strasburg has allowed in two starts at AAA level? Gregor Blanco.

-- Former Cowboy lineman Leon Lett is now defensive line coach down at Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Conference.

-- You can buy the ballfield in Iowa where they filmed Field of Dreams for a mere $5.4M. Thats a lot of corn.

-- If this is truly the end of the Lebron James era in Cleveland, what a depressing way for it to end. They had no bounce in this series. Even if he comes back, the team has a lot of doubts to dispel next season.

[Spooky]

Saturday's six-pack

-- In his last five starts, totalling 21.1 IP, Oliver Perez has put 49 men on base, with 19 of them scoring. Time to sit Ollie down.

-- Only six of the thirty closers pitched Friday night.

-- Harden/Cecil, starting Ps in Texas-Toronto game, faced 34 batters on Friday night; 20 reached base- 15 of them scored.

-- Mark Buehrle threw 86 pitches Friday night; didn't get a strikeout or a walk and not one swing/miss, which has to be alarming.

-- Ned Yost won his managerial debut in Kansas City, as Gil Meche won his first game of the year, 6-1 over Buehrle's White Sox.

-- Matt Kemp homered over CF wall, giving Dodgers a 4-3 win over the Padres at a sold-out Petco Park.