Baseball 2012

[jimmy olsen]

Weird 

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48321341/ns/sports-baseball/

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By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
updated 6:20 p.m. ET July 25, 2012

ABERDEEN, Md. - Cal Ripken Jr.'s 74-year-old mother was found with her hands bound in the back seat of her car Wednesday after she said she was kidnapped at gunpoint a day earlier at her home outside Baltimore and driven around blindfolded by her abductor, police and neighbors said.

Investigators do not know the kidnapper's motive and there was no ransom demand for Vi Ripken's release, Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Trabert said at a news conference.

The gunman forced Ripken into her silver Lincoln Continental between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday, police said. She was found bound and unharmed but shaken about 6:15 a.m. Wednesday near her home in Aberdeen, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.

When asked if police believe the kidnapper knew who he was abducting, Trabert did not answer, saying investigators don't know the motive or if the suspect has any ties to the Ripken family.

A next-door neighbor said Vi Ripken told him her kidnapper didn't seem to know that her son was the Hall of Fame infielder nicknamed "Iron Man" for playing in 2,632 consecutive games during his 21-year career with the Baltimore.

Gus Kowalewski said he spoke with Vi Ripken later Wednesday morning and she told him the gunman tied her hands and put a blindfold on her, but said he wouldn't hurt her.

"He lit cigarettes for her, they stopped for food," Kowalewski said. "He said, 'I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to take you back,' and that's what he did."

Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman originally planned to put tape over her eyes.

"But he didn't do that because she said 'please don't do that 'cause I'm claustrophobic,'" said Kowalewski, a 72-year-old retired autoworker.

Instead, the gunman put some type of mask or blinders on her, and she could see somewhat out the sides, he said.

Ripken told her neighbor the gunman also didn't seem to know she was part of the Ripken family, who is well-known throughout the Baltimore area and to baseball fans all over.

"He said he just wanted money and her car," Kowalewski said.

Three years after voluntarily ending his Iron Man streak, Ripken Jr. retired in 2001. He is the chairman and founder of Ripken Baseball Inc., which he runs along with his brother, Bill.

He owns three minor-league baseball teams, including the Single A IronBirds based at the Ripken Baseball complex in Aberdeen, a middle-class area of about 15,000 people. Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman asked her about items in the car related to the Ironbirds and did not seem to know about the team.

Mike Hudson, 43, whose mother lives across the street from Ripken, said he was surprised the kidnapper came back to the neighborhood because police were swarming over the area about midnight.

"It's just hard to believe the guy came all the way back on the street and dropped her off. That makes me believe he was local, very local," said Hudson, who is staying at his mother's house while visiting with his daughter.

"I came out again at like five something, and all that scene was gone, I remember that. When I came out at eight, it was all crazy again with helicopters going over and I saw the car right away," Hudson said.

Ripken's car didn't appear to be damaged, he said.

"This has been a very trying time for our family, but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us, safe and healthy," the Ripken family said in a statement. "We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support, especially all of the law enforcement agencies that worked so hard and quickly."

Investigators determined that Ripken was missing Tuesday night after talking to Baltimore County Police, who notified the media about her disappearance shortly before she was found. The county borders the one where Aberdeen is located.

Aberdeen authorities have asked Baltimore County Police not to release its 911 tapes because the investigation is continuing. Police also would not say whether Ripken's credit or ATM cards had been used.

Vi Ripken described her abductor as a tall, thin white man with glasses wearing camouflage clothing, but police had no other details. The FBI and Maryland State Police were also involved in the investigation.

Ripken's brother, Bill, played second base in the major leagues. The two were managed for a time on the Orioles by their father and Vi's husband, Cal Ripken Sr., who died in 1999.

The family said that it could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

After the gunman left, Ripken honked her car's horn until a neighbor found her, Kowalewski said. He said he was surprised the honking didn't wake him up. Someone reported a suspicious car to authorities and she was found, police said.

Vi Ripken is founding chairwoman of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, which, according to its website, helps to build character for disadvantaged young people. Besides Cal and Bill, she has another son and a daughter.

The Ripken Baseball complex also is home to the annual Cal Ripken World Series for 11- and 12-year-olds. Cal Ripken Baseball is the name for the 5-to-12-year-old division of the Babe Ruth League.

Ripken's business empire also includes youth baseball camps and clinics, a minor-league stadium design firm, a merchandising arm and a charitable foundation. Ripken has no formal role with the Orioles but has spoken about his desire to return to the team.

Ripken works as a studio analyst for TBS during its postseason baseball coverage. He is a pitchman for brands including Energizer, Under Armour and Chevrolet.

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[Syt]

Nice debut by Starling Marte - first big league pitch: home run. Then again, it was against the struggling Rockies, and in Colorado.

[dps]

Weird 

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48321341/ns/sports-baseball/

/
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
updated 6:20 p.m. ET July 25, 2012

ABERDEEN, Md. - Cal Ripken Jr.'s 74-year-old mother was found with her hands bound in the back seat of her car Wednesday

A woman found bound in the Baltimore area?  I didn't know Seedy's tastes went into that age bracket.

[katmai]

IP    H    R    ER    BB    K
7.0    6    1    1    1    7    

Another good outing by Two Time Timmay.

[Syt]

Damn, the Reds are on a roll. I'm a bit worried about the Pirates' series in Cinci.

[Ed Anger]

OMG HAX

[derspiess]

Damn, the Reds are on a roll. I'm a bit worried about the Pirates' series in Cinci.

Reds will implode this month or early September, per their usual habit.  If that doesn't happen, they'll at least get swept in the divisional series.

[CountDeMoney]

For those of you that follow the minors and the byzantine MLB draft, the Orioles are calling up Manny Machado tonight.  Will probably play 3B.

Arguably the biggest prospect for Baltimore since Mike Mussina;  bigger than Matt Wieters was, actually.

[Syt]

Yeah, that should be interesting.

Pretty impressed with Starling Marte so far - two weeks in the big leagues and 4 HR under his belt.

[Sophie Scholl]

Well, the Indians finally stopped their 11 game losing streak.  Bastards actually had me thinking they could stay in contention into September.  I suppose August is still an upgrade over the usual early May the Royals give me.

[CountDeMoney]

After Manny Machado went 2-4 last night in his debut, he hits two home runs tonight--both of which are caught by the same 15 year old.

When Adam Corder arrived at Camden Yards on Friday night, he expected just another evening at the ballpark.

He got the night of his life.

Corder, a 15-year-old Millersville native currently living with his family in the United Arab Emirates, caught both of Manny Machado's home run balls.

He was sitting in section 78, row 14, with his older brother and two friends when Machado blasted his first career homer off Royals starter Luke Hochevar in the fifth inning.

An inning later, Machado became the youngest Oriole in history to record a multi-homer game.

And Corder, whose father used to be a doctor in the Orioles' first aid station, became the envy of memorabilia collectors everywhere.

"I couldn't stand," Corder said. "My feet were shaking. I had to sit down for a while."

When he finally got up to greet the media in the press box, an Orioles fan pulled him aside an offered $2,000 for one of the balls. He declined, preferring to check the prices on the open market before parting ways with it.

But when Orioles staff members offered to have Machado personally sign four balls and a bat in exchange for the first ball, Corder relented. He'll leave Camden with the second one.

Not to mention a memory he'll likely never forget.

"This is the greatest night of my life," Corder said. "That's for sure."

[MadBurgerMaker]

Man, some people have all the luck.  That's like (but even better) than the kid who had two, IIRC, Josh Hamilton foul balls in a row hit straight to him.  He caught them both and was super chill "idgaf"-like about it.

E:  Best one though, imo, was the guy in what looked like the upper decks somewhere who caught a ball, I don't remember if it was a HR or foul, while holding his little daughter, gave it to her so she could see it, and she immediately tossed it over the rail in front of them. 

[CountDeMoney]

E:  Best one though, imo, was the guy in what looked like the upper decks somewhere who caught a ball, I don't remember if it was a HR or foul, while holding his little daughter, gave it to her so she could see it, and she immediately tossed it over the rail in front of them. 

Tosh 2.0 did a Web Redemption on that one.
http://tosh.comedycentral.com/video-clips/extended-interview---phillies-fan-web-redemption
One of his better ones. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Tosh 2.0 did a Web Redemption on that one.
http://tosh.comedycentral.com/video-clips/extended-interview---phillies-fan-web-redemption
One of his better ones. 

 

Wow, the Phillies hooked them up after that.  All sorts of swag.

[sbr]

Felix hernandez is 3 outs from perfect game