The Icky Shuffle: 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 12/31/1972

Roberto Clemente dies when the chartered DC-& on which he is traveling crashes into the Atlantic Ocean one mile from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is 38. The plane is carrying relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. During his stellar 18-year career, all with the Pirates, Clemente batted .317 and collected exactly 3,000 hits. He won four betting titles, led the NL in hits twice, was named to 12 All-Star teams, and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was also the NL MVP in 1966 and the World Series MVP in 1971. He will be elected posthumously to the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 12/30/1962

Under coach Vince Lombardi, the Green Bay Packers win the NFL Championship for the second straight year by defeating the New York Giants, 16 - 7, at Yankee Stadium on a day in which the temperature in New York is 13 degrees F with wind gusts of 40 mph. The Packers capped the 1961 season by devouring the Giants, 37 - 0, in the Championship tilt in Green Bay.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Happy Birthday Ozzie Smith

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Happy Birthday Ken Stabler

Monday, December 24, 2012

Josh Hamilton

2012 Stats: 148 Games, .285 BA, 43 HRs, 128 RBIs & .930 OPS

Josh Hamilton signed a 5 year contract with the Los Angeles Angels worth $125 million. Last off-season the Angels signed Albert Pujols & C.J. Wilson and the signing of Hamilton should help the team immensely. Hamilton will play in an outfield that includes Rookie of the Year Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos. If Hamilton repeats his homerun and hits numbers this year he will reach the milestones of 200 HRs and 1,000 Hits.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012

2. The Icky Shuffle: C.J. Wilson

3. The Icky Shuffle: This Day in Sports History - 9/14/1968

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Zack Greinke

2012 Stats: 34 Games, W-L: 15-5, 3.48 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 200 Ks

The top free-agent pitcher Zack Greinke signed a 6 year contract worth $147 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2012 Greinke started the season with the Milwaukee Brewers and finished it with the Los Angeles Angels. Greinke is 9 career wins away from 100 and has a strikeout-walk ratio of 3.5. In 2009 he won the Cy Young Award while leading the AL in ERA and WHIP. Greinke joins a rotation which includes Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers are definitely going "all-in" and expect to see them playing in October.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012
2. The Icky Shuffle: This Day in Sports History - 5/23/2002
3. The Icky Shuffle: My Top 10 Favorite Right Handed Pitchers

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Shane Victorino

2012 Stats: 154 Games, .255 BA, 11 HRs, 55 RBIs, 39 SBs, .704 OPS and 72 Runs Scored

Shane Victorino spent the 2012 season between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Victorino signed this off-season with the Boston Red Sox for $39 million over 3 years. Victorino had a down year in 2012 but will look to rebound in a lineup that will include Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz & Jonny Gomes among others. Victorino will have the ability to bat in the lower part of the lineup and alleviate some of the pressure he felt in the first half of last season in Philadelphia. Victorino has been in the top five in the NL from 2008-2011 in triples and look for him to have a solid amount of triples this season as he will be playing in Fenway Park.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012
2. The Icky Shuffle: This Day in Sports History - 4/20/1912
3. The Icky Shuffle: RIP Gary Carter

Monday, December 17, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 12/17/1972

Falcons RB Dave Hampton loses a chance at a 1,000-yard rushing season during a 17 - 14 loss to Kansas City at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Hampton comes into the game, the last of the regular season, needing 70 yards to reach the coveted figure. A run early in the fourth period puts Hampton at exactly the 1,000-yard mark, and the game is stopped to present him with the football. But Hampton loses six yards on the next play when tackled on a pitch-out. Hampton gains only one more yard to finish the season at 995. He will fall just short again with a 997-yard season in 1973. He finally attains the 1,000-yard figure with 1,002 yards rushing in 1975 with 61 yards in the final game of the season.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Dan Haren

2012 Stats: 30 Games, W-L: 12-13, 4.33 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 142 Ks

The Washington Nationals signed Dan Haren to a 1 year deal worth $13 million. Haren will join a rotation that already includes Stephen Strasberg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler which helped lead the Nationals to the AL East title. Haren's 2012 numbers may not seem too good, but he will bring a veteran presence to a very young rotation. Look for Haren to have more wins and a lower ERA in 2013 and maybe even lead the Nationals back to the playoffs for a second straight season.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012
2. The Icky Shuffle: C.J. Wilson
3. The Icky Shuffle: This Day in Sports History - 10/26/2002
4. The Icky Shuffle: Jayson Werth

Sunday, December 9, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 12/9/1984

Los Angeles Rams RB Eric Dickerson rushes for 215 yards during a 27 - 16 triumph over the Houston Oilers at Anaheim Stadium, to give him 2,007 yards on the season. This record breaks the previous single-season mark of 2,003 set by O.J. Simpson with the Buffalo Bills in 1973. Dickerson will finish the season with 2,105 yards, a mark which still stands at the close of the 2010 NFL campaign.

Monday, December 3, 2012

B.J. Upton

2012 Stats: 146 Games, .246 BA, 28 HRs, 78 RBIs, 31 SBs & .752 OPS

The Atlanta Braves signed OF B.J. Upton to a 5 year $75 million contract. In 2012 the Braves made the playoffs but lost in the Wild Card round to the St. Louis Cardinals. Upton will play CF and can bat in a few places in the lineup and he is 90 hits away from 1,000 in his career. With the retirement of Chipper Jones look for the Braves to either go after a 3B or LF with Martin Prado filling in the other position.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012
2. The Icky Shuffle: Farewell Chipper Jones
3. The Icky Shuffle: Best by the Numbers - Atlanta Edition

Thursday, November 29, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 11/29/1971

In a swap of pitchers, the San Francisco Giants trade Gaylord Perry to the Cleveland Indians for Sam McDowell. It appears to be an even exchange. Perry is 33 and has a 133-109 career record. Despite pitching for some terrible teams in Cleveland, the 29 year old McDowell is 122-109 and has led the American League in strikeouts four times. Perry will be 24-16 in 1972, and from that season until the end of his career in 1983, he performs for seven teams with 181 more victories. Perry ends up with a record of 314-265 and a berth in the Hall of Fame. After the trade on this day, McDowell is 25-35 with three clubs and will exit the majors in 1975. He will later admit that alcoholism led to his downfall.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Urban Meyer Postseason Press Conference

Saturday, November 24, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 11/24/1963

In a decision NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle will later come to regret, the league plays a full slate of seven games just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. None of the contests are telecast, because all of the networks are covering the assassination and the murder of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, which takes place this morning.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Carmen Ohio

This week is the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. To get you pumped up here is a video of 'Carmen Ohio'.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 11/17/1990

University of Houston QB David Klingler sets an NCAA record with 11 touchdown passes during an 84 - 21 rout of Eastern Washington at the Astrodome. By the end of the season, Klingler will throw for 54 touchdowns to establish another college football standard. It will stand until 2006 when University of Hawaii QB Colt Brennan completes 58 TD passes.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

David Ortiz

2012 Stats: 90 Games, .318 BA, 23 HRs, 60 RBIs & 1.026 OPS

The Boston Red Sox resigned DH David Ortiz to a 2 year 26 million dollar deal. Ortiz spent part of 2011 on the DL and that helped contribute to Boston's disappointing season and the firing of Manager Bobby Valentine. New Manager John Farrell will be happy to have Ortiz back in the lineup. Also Ortiz is closing in on 2,000 career hits as he is only 137 hits from the milestone.

1. The Icky Shuffle: MLB Free Agency 2012
2. The Icky Shuffle: David Ortiz