Archives › Craig Calcaterra

U.C. Berkeley is renovating its football stadium in 2011, and the Golden Bears need a place to squat for a year. They could go to the Oakland Coliseum, which happens to be nearby and happens to host football already, or they could go to Candlestick Park which, while farther away, has a full-time football configuration…

Because I know you were all wondering about this: Sammy Sosa stunned fans last year when he turned up at the Latin Grammys with noticeably whiter skin. The home run legend claimed he’d mistakenly used a cosmetic cream with an unintended bleaching effect. But last weekend at club Liv at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach,…

As D.J. mentioned last night, Brad Lidge wasn’t happy with his throwing session yesterday, as he is still having stiffness issues with his elbow. The Phillies have seen enough, apparently, as Todd Zolecki reports that they’ve put him on a plane back to Philly to see a doctor. Due to last night’s rain, the Phillies…

Jason Marquis’ DL stint was a the result of “floating bodies” in his elbow. Apparently they’re still floating, because MLB.com’s Bill Ladson is reporting that Marquis will most likely have surgery to remove bone chips and spurs and will be down 8-10 weeks. This is good news for a Nats’ rotation that, in all honesty,…

Hank Blalock is (a) hitting 375/.435/.552 in Triple A; and (b) has the right to opt-out of his deal with the Rays and become a free agent if they don’t do something with him.  Yesterday, Scott Boras told Mark Topkin of the St. Pete Times that he’s poised to do just that: “I would imagine…

The protests against Arizona hosting the 2011 All-Star Game continue (although much more quietly this week), but the team is not at all worried: “I’ve had absolutely no indication that we’d lose the game. In fact, I’m confident that it will stay here. I think it’s a difficult precedent for any league to set, making…

“That’s just bull—-. That’s not really fair. That’s just not fair. It’s ridiculous. Absolutely crazy.” – Mets’ rightfielder Jeff Francoeur, reacting to Major League Baseball’s decision to move the Jays-Phillies series to Philadelphia, thereby giving the Phillies three extra home games. I sympathize with Jeffy on this one — and for all I’ve said about…

I’m probably risking a fine from the guild for not putting the word “dreaded” before “vote of confidence” in that headline, but in this case I don’t think it’s appropriate. Dayton Moore said that Trey Hillman is “exactly what our organization needs at this point in time.”  Dayton Moore has been demonstrably wrong in almost…

Mark DeRosa has numbness in the ring and pinky fingers of his left hand, preventing him from swinging the bat effectively.  “I feel like my bottom hand’s underwater. I don’t have much feeling in my bottom two fingers,” he says. This is bad enough as it is, but what makes it worse is that this…

A couple of chuckles during Dallas Braden’s appearance on Letterman last night — I think No. 8 is my favorite — but really, we’ve seen better with athletes (UPDATE: Sorry! Forgot to say what the Top 10 List actually was. It was the top 10 thoughts Dallas Braden had during his perfect 4-0 game against…

Houston Texans linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing failed a performance-enhancing drug test last year. The offending substance: hGC, the female fertility drug that snagged Manny Ramirez last year.  Cushing tested positive back in September, but the news of all of this — and his suspension — is only hitting now.…

Tracy Ringolsby reports that Major League Baseball has issued a warning to the Phillies over allegations that they have been stealing signs. The latest: during Monday night’s game against the Rockies, bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was seen using binoculars to look in at Rockies catchers. Meanwhile, Shane Victorino was seen in the dugout on the…

Reds 9, Pirates 0: Johnny Cueto tosses a one-hitter. He was one single and one HBP away from a perfect game, but the fact that he hit the same guy who got the single — Ronny Cedeno — probably made him feel better. Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 1: Who are you, Mr. hard-throwing, efficient…

Last year Chipper Jones threatened to retire before his contract ran out if he didn’t bounce back from his bad 2009.  So far this season he’s hitting 230/.402/.368 with two homers.  He says that’s good enough for him, however, and that he’s no longer considering hanging it up before 2012. What’s convincing him: his walk…

“It’s sort of good now that there is debris to be blown out there. It shows people are spending some money and buying food and drink and enjoying themselves.” – Dave Howard, Mets Executive Vice President for Business Operations when asked about all of the trash and debris that has been swirling around Citi Field…

OK, now a more serious note about the Mariners’ team meeting. Ken Rosenthal is in Baltimore and is talking to Mariners’ players. Here’s Mike Sweeney: “We will support and fight and take a bullet for Ken Griffey Jr. if we have to. He’s our teammate . . . Nothing is going to divide this clubhouse,…

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times just tweeted that the Mariners’ clubhouse is closed for a team meeting.  Let’s try to guess the meeting agenda: 1. Call to order; introductory remarks; coffee, donuts, Red Bull, Mountain Dew, assorted energy drinks to be served. 2. Guest speaker, Dr. Phillip P. Scheaf, Sleep Apnea Expert 3. Guest…

This is not a political or legal blog, so I will  keep my opinions about Elena Kagan’s fitness as a Justice to myself. But I at least figured that all of you should know that this is a picture of the person who will most likely be the next Justice of the United States Supreme…

Have left arm, will travel: the Chisox have signed Alan Embree to a minor league deal and assigned him to Charlotte. Embree, of course, began the year in the Bosox organization, but was let go by the team without throwing a pitch for the big club. Embree actually pitched 39 games for the White Sox…

This is truly terrible.  Padres’ pitcher Kevin Correia’s 22 year-old brother was killed in a hiking accident at Channel Islands National Park over the weekend. Correia obviously missed his Saturday start as he rushed to be with his family.  Today the Padres placed him on the bereavement list. A player on the bereavement list can…

Well, he did have it first. The team is being gracious enough, however, to include Tom Glavine in the ceremony this August 6th.  Glavine will also be inducted into the Braves’ Hall of Fame. Jacoby’s induction is apparently being delayed by politics and the usual kind of B.S. that tends to accompany these things. In…

There have been rumblings about this since February, but there will be an announcement later today in which the Jays-Phillies series currently scheduled for June 25-27th in Toronto will be moved to Citizens Bank Park in Philly due to interference from the G-20 summit, which is also scheduled in Toronto for that time. The technical…

People have groused about Joba Chamberlain and Jonathan Papelbon’s post-strikeout and post-save fist pumps and histrionics for years now, but it’s time to add someone else to that list: Jose Valverde.  Check out his display from last night’s Yankees-Tigers game, which the good people at MLB.com have so helpfully put on a single, 43 second…

Ken Rosenthal reported in his latest video cast that “friends of Joe Torre doubt he would tolerate another year of the Dodgers’ penny-pinching circus” and that, as a result he’s looking for a way out of L.A. That report was shot down by Torre himself yesterday, saying “obviously they’re no friends of mine.”  Still, he’s…

David Wright is struggling lately, and this morning we have two competing explanations for it.  First is Tim Smith of the Daily News: Wright won’t admit it, but Citi Field has gotten inside his head and he can’t shake it. If a park can haunt a baseball player, then Citi Field is haunting Wright. How…