Crazyrebel(l)s ist umgezogen! » ke lead into the final round

The Blue Jays made a roster move Tuesday that didnt garner all that much attention. They picked up 29-year-old right hander Bo Schultz on waivers from Arizona. Hes a swingman whos done some starting and a little relieving in what basically amounts to a journeyman career. Schultz can reportedly crank it up to the mid-90s, but what really caught my attention was the word used to describe his style, “sidewinder.” That means he drops down and throws sidearm. There arent too many pitchers who throw that style these days, though Ive been told it actually puts less stress on the arm. If you take that delivery even further, you get the submariner. Darren ODay and Brad Ziegler are two pitchers today who come at you from the side, but the last real submariner who sticks out in my mind of is Chad Bradford. I was fortunate enough to cover and get to know arguably the two greatest submarine pitchers ever. The last time the Kansas City Royals won the World Series in 1985, their closer was Dan Quisenberry. He was 62 and weighed just 170 pounds. His knuckles almost scraped the mound when he threw, he got down that low. The “Quiz was a real off-the-wall, truly funny man with a little bit of an edge. He racked up 244 saves over his career, good for 34th place all-time. His peak years stretched from 1980, when KC made it to the World Series for the first time (and lost to the Phillies), to 1985, when they won their only Fall Classic. He converted 212 of his 244 save opportunities over that six-season span. Sadly he passed away in 1998 at age 45 after a courageous battle with brain cancer, the same disease that took the Royals’ World Series Manager Dick Howser. The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series their closer was another submariner, Kent Tekulve, known to his friends as Teke. Tekulve didnt break into the Majors until he was 27 but he stuck around until he was 42, chalking up 184 saves, good for a tie for 57th place on the all-time list. Like Quiz, Tekulve was tall and thin and with his glasses on could have passed for a teacher of some ilk. He had a more subtle sense of humour than Quinsenberry, but he never reflected the pressure of being a Major League closer. He reminded me a lot both in his voice and his facial appearance of the great actor Donald Sutherland. Tekulve had two incredible seasons. In 1978, he appeared in 91 games and saved 31. In those days managers were more apt to have pitchers work in non- save situations to finish off games and work more than just the one inning as well. Tekulve went on to do broadcasting work with the Pirates, which was a perfect fit considering his easy going personality and love of the game. I was surprised to read a few weeks ago that he had undergone a heart transplant at age 67. He is reportedly doing well. The Blue Jays had a sidewinder of their own in Mark Eichhorn, another truly funny man, Eichhorn broke in with the Jays in 1982 as a starter and went (0-3) in seven starts. He hurt his shoulder and had to re-invent himself since he couldnt throw over the top anymore. He re-emerged with the Blue Jays in 1986 and put together one of the best seasons any reliever has ever had. Eich went 14-6 with a 1.72 ERA and 10 saves. Not only that, he chalked up a remarkable 157 innings out of the pen. The Jays have had starters the past few seasons who didnt put up that many innings. He followed that up in 1987 by going 10-6 with four saves in 89 appearances. In ‘87 he worked 217.2 innings. The Blue Jays sold him to Atlanta in 1989, but reacquired Eichhorn in 1992 from the Angels for outfielder Rob Ducey and catcher Greg Myers. That deal also solidified Pat Borders position as the Jays No. 1 catcher. Eichhorn stuck around for both World Series victories before ending his career with the Angels in 1996. Who knows, maybe the Blue Jays see a little of Eichhorn in Bo Schultz. Time will tell. --- I didnt do so well in my division series predictions, going 1-3. But Im going to stick with the one team I hit on – Baltimore – to beat Kansas City in the ALCS, which starts Friday. The Orioles are trying to win their first World Series since 1983, the Royals their first since 1985. The National League series features the two model franchises since the turn of the Century. The Giants have been to the postseason six times since 2000 and have won two World Series in the past four years. The Cardinals have been to the playoffs 11 times in 15 years. Theyve been to four World Series, winning two and losing two, including last years to Boston. I have a hunch it could be their turn in 2014. --- After taking a year off from the game, one of the great Canadian born pitchers, Ryan Dempster, has decided to retire. He was one of those rare pitchers who had success starting and closing. He was a two-time All-Star, pitched more than 200 innings seven times in 16 seasons, and saved more than 20 games three times. And he finally got his first World Series ring at 36 a year ago with Boston. I wish him well. Dwayne Washington Jersey . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Authentic Saints Jerseys . On the eve of the 2013-14 NBA season, he can finally take a step back and allow his team to do the talking. http://www.cheapsaintsjerseyselite.com/ . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night. P.J. Williams Jersey . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. A.J. Klein Jersey . Neither made it that far in 2013. Not even close. Federer lost his second match at the All England Club. Nadal exited in the first round, a year after bowing out in the second. WOODSTOCK, Ont. -- Augusta James broke the Canadian Womens Amateur record and course mark Thursday with an 8-under 63 to take a six-stroke lead into the final round. "Its maybe my second or third bogey-free round ever, I think it might be my first one in a tournament," James said. "Its always good to have one of those, you come so close sometimes and Im happy that I could eliminate the big mistakes that would turn into bogeys or doubles." James, from Bath, Ont., opened with a 5-under 30 on the front-nine that was highlighted by four straight birdies over the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh holes at Craigowan Golf and Country Club.dddddddddddd Sitting at 12-under 201 for the championship, a win on Friday would be the biggest title of her career. "I putted well but I hit the ball pretty close too, which made it a lot easier," James said. "I made a few putts that you dont expect to make everyday." Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Australias Su-Hyun Oh were tied for second. Henderson, the defending champion, had a 70, and Oh shot 67. The winner will receive spots in the Canadian Womens Open an