Your University of Miami baseball team earned the No. 1 seed in the Coral Gables Regional, one of 16 Regional tournaments that are part of the 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.
The Hurricanes will host the following teams at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field June 4-7: Texas A&M, Dartmouth and crosstown rival Florida International.
Miami (40-17) will face Dartmouth (26-17) in the regional's second game at 4 p.m. on Friday following the 12 p.m. match-up between Texas A&M (40-19-1) and FIU (36-23).
The best part for Hurricane fans across the Country is that the entire Coral Gables Regional will be shown live on ESPNU, with games at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Hurricanes earned an at-large bid from the NCAA while Dartmouth is in the field as the automatic qualifier out of the Ivy League. Texas A&M is the automatic qualifier as the champion of the Big XII tournament and FIU earned a bid as the champion of the Sun Belt Tournament.
The ACC tied the Pac-10 and SEC for most teams selected for the tournament with eight teams chosen from each conference as part of the 64 team field.
Ticket packages for the entire Coral Gables Regional are $90 for field box, $60 for chairback, $45 for adult general admission and $30 for youth, seniors and students. Those packages will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
Single day passes go on sale later this week.
Tickets can be purchased beginning on Tuesday, June 1. To order tickets visit www,hurricanesports.com or call 305-284-CANE or 1-800-GO-CANES. The UM ticket office will be open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UM has advanced to the College World Series 18 of the 22 times it has hosted a regional. Miami holds an all-time record of 76-11 (.874) in NCAA Regional play at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. This marks the 12th time in head coach Jim Morris' 17 years at Miami that the Hurricanes have played host to a regional.
Now if only Miami can get starting pitcher Eric Erickson back from injury and the UM bullpen can hold up, maybe we can have some fun in Coral Gables?
As the two football teams lined up for the last play on the worn, muddy field, University of Miami fans had already started their post-game celebrations.
It would take a miracle play, a nearly impossible "Hail Mary" pass for BC to have any remote chance of stealing the game from UM as the clock ticked away its final seconds.
The Eagles QB Doug Flutie took the snap and dropped back to pass. Under a heavy rush by the three-man Miami defensive line, Flutie scrambled away from pressure to buy a few more precious seconds. He drew his right arm back and heaved the ball as high and as far as he could, hoping and praying for a lucky break.
Fifty yards down field in the end zone BC wide receiver Gerard Phelan, seemingly hidden in the scrum of offensive and defensive players, stood and waited. Phelan, who somehow managed to get behind three UM defensive backs, caught the ball and scored the winning touchdown as time ran out.
The "Hail Flutie" play would forever live on in NCAA history and Hurricane infamy.
But on Thursday, when Boston College played Miami once again, there were no helmets and shoulder pads. There was no Jimmy Johnson, or Bernie Kosar or touchdowns. There were no cheerleaders, or pigskin, or running through the smoke.
This time the Hurricanes met the Eagles on the diamond for a rare college baseball game between the two ACC competitors. And as any respectable baseball fan knows there are two things that are true about the sport:
There is no crying in baseball.
There is no Hail Mary in baseball.
Well, except for maybe one baseball game played today between BC and UM at the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Time was running out for Boston College.
It was the bottom of the ninth inning and the Hurricanes had just taken a five run lead over the Eagles pushing the score to 10-5. All the momentum was wearing orange on one side and green on the other. Miami brought in closer Daniel Miranda to seal the deal. The game was over.
That was until Boston College scored five (count them FIVE) runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Impossible you say? Not when there are Hail Marys in baseball.
Three of the runs, and I am NOT making this up, came on a three-run Hail Mary home run hit by none other than designated hitter Doug Flutie. OK, well the Flutie part I made up but the "Hail Mary HR" part is all true (listen to UM Head Coach Jim Morris talk about the game below).
Hurricane fans were crushed by the sudden and dramatic turn of events just as they were back at the Orange Bowl in 1984 when Hail Flutie landed in the hands of Phelan to end the game as the stunned crowd stared in disbelief.
Boston College would go on to win the baseball game 12-10 in the bottom of the twelfth inning with a walk off HR. Several reliable sources reported that in direct violation of the rules of baseball there was definitely a Hail Mary during the game and possibly even some crying (and heavy drinking) after the game was over.
I hate it when people, especially people from Boston College, break the rules.
Your Miami Hurricanes will begin ACC Baseball Championship tournament play today at 4 PM by taking on the Florida State Seminoles at New Bridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC.
The fourth seeded Hurricanes, who finished the regular season with a 39-15 record (20-10 ACC), are without regular starter Eric Erickson and will start freshman right-hander Eric "Bob Marley And The" Whaley in place of the injured UM hurler while the fifth seeded Seminoles (39-16, 18-12 ACC) will send lefty Sean Gilmartin to the bump.
Miami and FSU are paired with No. 1 seed Virginia (23-7 ACC) and No. 8 seed Boston College (14-16) in Division A of the tournament. Under the pool-play format, each team will play one game against each of the other three opponents in its division Wednesday through Saturday. The two teams with the best records within their respective division brackets will advance to the title game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
After facing FSU today, the Hurricanes will play Boston College at noon on Thursday before taking a day off on Friday. Doug Flutie, who recently found out he still has one year of NCAA eligibility left, will pitch for BC while we expect that the Eagles' Gerald Phelan will be way out in center field (awaiting some sort of hail Mary toss).
The synchonized swimming events (also known as "pool play") will wrap up on Saturday, with Miami and Virginia squaring off at noon. The Cavaliers just finished taking two of three games from the Hurricanes last week in Coral Gables so this game will be a tough challenge for UM against top-ranked UVA .
Miami will be counting on ACC Player of the Year Yasmani Grandal (seen above after crushing another HR) to lead the way this week in Greenboro. Grandal enters the tourmanent leading the ACC in hitting (.428), on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.759).
UM ace Chris Hernandez will take his team leading eight wins (8-3 with a2.94 ERA) to the mound when Miami plays Boston College. It is expected that David Guiterrez will pitch for the Hurricanes when they face Virginia.
Miami may be a long shot to win the ACC tournament this year but we will be cheering them on all the way.
This article was written by SolarCane and Six for Canespace...
As we wind into the best of the best this week we see the baseball boys outnumber the football guys.
One of my very favorite Canes, the athlete many considered the most feared college football player of all time, Jerome Brown gets the nod. This week also unveils an athlete unparalleled in the history of his sport: Kelly Slater nine time World Champion pro surfer.
Imagine Jacory Harris taking Miami Northwestern High Schoolto play against the Colts, Patriots, Saintsand beating them at their home stadium every time.That is basically what Kelly Slater has done.
As a young kid surfing the modest waves of Florida's east coast, Slater when out and beat the best in the world from Australia, Hawaii, and California while they were at the top of their game.He is the youngest ever to win the World Championship and also now the oldest. It took everything I had to not place Slater in my top ten.
Sheffield was a first-round pick of the Brewers, who selected him sixth overall in the 1986 amateur draft after a standout prep career at Hillsborough High School in Tampa.
At the start of the 2010 season, Sheffield ranked second among all active players in walks (1,475), third in runs (1,636), fourth in RBIs (1,676), fifth in hits (2,689) and home runs (509), and sixth in hit by pitches (135). Sheffield hit his 500th home run on April 17, 2009.
Early life
Sheffield grew up in Belmont Heights, near the Ponce de Leon projectsHe and his family lived with his uncle, Dwight Gooden, who would go on to become the ace pitcher for the New York Mets. They played baseball frequently and Sheffield learned how to hit a fastball from Dwight.
When Sheffield was eleven, he was selected to the Belmont Heights Little League All-Stars, which included future Chicago Cubs #1 pick Ty Griffin, future Major Leaguer Derek Bell, and other future MLB players. The team made it to the Little League World Series finals, but lost to Taiwan 4-3.
High school
In 1983, Sheffield made the Hillsborough High School varsity baseball team. During his senior year, his fastball reached the upper 80's and he frequently showed home run power. As a batter, Sheffield hit .500 and 15 home runs, in only 62 official at-bats. At the end of the season he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
Professional baseball career
Milwaukee Brewers
Sheffield was called up from the minors when rosters were expanded in September and made his major league debut on September 3, 1988. At first, the team used him as a third baseman and outfielder, but after an injury to Dale Sveum he moved to shortstop. At the end of the 1989 season, he only batted .247 with only 5 home runs and 32 RBI. In 1990, he had had a solid season thanks to the hiring of Don Baylor as their hitting coach. He finished the season batting .294, but still only had 10 home runs..
San Diego Padres
After 4 seasons of underperforming in Milwaukee and his numerous criticisms of coaches, the Brewers traded him to the San Diego Padres. In this, his first All-Star season, he contended for the Triple Crown for much of the year; while he missed out on the home run (33) and RBI titles (100), he did win the National League batting title with a .330 average. In 1993, he started off what seemed to be a productive season with the Padres hitting 10 home runs and batting .295 but was unexpectedly traded midseason to the Florida Marlins.
Florida Marlins
On June 24, 1993, he was traded along with Rich Rodriguez to the Florida Marlins for Trevor Hoffman, Jose Martinez, and Andres Berumen. He finished the 1993 season hitting 10 home runs, batting .292 and knocking in 37 runs while with the Marlins, and was the starting third baseman in the All-Star Game. At the end of the season, the Marlins gave him a four-year deal that made him the highest-paid player at the third base position. During the 1994 season, the Marlins moved him from third baseman to right field, where he showed great success with a rocket arm. Sheffield hit 112 home runs with the Marlins from 1994 to 1998, including 42 in 1996, making the All-Star Game in 1996, and leading them to victory in the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On May 14, 1998, he was traded along with Manuel Barrios, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, and Jim Eisenreich to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile. Sheffield finished the season with the Dodgers batting .316 and hitting 16 homers while driving in 57 runs. In 3 1/2 seasons with the Dodgers, he hit 129 home runs and drove in 367 runs. He made three All-Star games while playing with the Dodgers and had become one of the best outfielders in the game.
Atlanta Braves
On January 15, 2002, Sheffield was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Brian Jordan, Odalis Perez, and Andrew Brown. He spent two seasons with the Braves hitting 64 home runs and knocking in 216 RBI including 132 in 2003.
New York Yankees.
On December 19, 2003, after intense negotiations between Sheffield and George Steinbrenner, he agreed to a deal with the New York Yankees worth $39 million over 3 years. He joined a lineup full of stars that included Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi and the newly acquired Alex Rodriguez. In his first season with the Yankees, Sheffield started slow, but finished the season with 36 home runs, 121 RBI, and a .290 batting average, helping him finish second in the MVP voting at the end of the season. In his second season with the Yankees, he hit another 34 home runs and driving in 123 runs. Sheffield started the 2006 season on pace for a .300 batting average and 30 homers, before he collided with Shea Hillenbrand of the Toronto Blue Jays on April 29, 2006.
Detroit Tigers
On November 10, 2006, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers.Sheffield agreed to a two-year $28 million extension. In his first season with the Tigers, he hit 25 home runs, with 75 RBI, and a .265 batting average. He was also one of only 6 batters in the AL to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, along with Alex Rodriguez, Grady Sizemore, Ian Kinsler, B.J. Upton and teammate Curtis Granderson.On March 31, 2009, Sheffield was released by the Tigers despite owing him $14M.
New York Mets
On April 3, Sheffield agreed to a deal with the New York Mets for the 2009 season and he finalized the deal the following day. On April 17, Sheffield hit home run #500 in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the 25th player in MLB history to reach that milestone, the first player to achieve this as a pinch hitter, and the first to do so in a Mets uniform.
·Los Angeles Dodgers career leader in on-base percentage (.424), slugging percentage (.573), OPS (.998) and at-bats per home run (14.5)
·Is the first player to represent five different teams in the All-Star Game.
·Holds Florida Marlins franchise record for home runs in a season (42) in 1996
·25th player in MLB history to reach 500 home runs, and the first player to do so as a Met
#19 Kelly Slater
Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer known for his competitive prowess and style. Slater has been crowned ASP World Champion a record 9 times, including 5 consecutive titles from 1994–98. He is the youngest (at age 20) and the oldest (at age 36) to win the title. On October 3, 2008, Slater won his ninth ASP world title at the Billabong Pro Mundaka by defeating local surfer Eneko Acero in the 3rd round. In May 2005, in the final heat of the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest at Teahupo'o, Slater became the first surfer ever to be awarded two perfect scores for a total 20 out of 20 points under the ASP two-wave scoring system.
Slater was born on February 11, 1972 in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he continues to reside. He has a teenage daughter named Taylor. In his spare time, Slater enjoys playing the guitar and his favorite wave spots are Sandspit in California, Pipeline in Hawaii, Miramar in Buenos Aires, Argentina , Kirra in Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, Taghazout in Morocco, Soup Bowls in Barbados and Sebastian Inlet near his home in Florida.
In 2003 Slater released his autobiography, Pipe Dreams. In 2009 he released a second book with Phil Jarratt, entitled For the Love.
Slater is passionate about preserving oceans globally and protecting temperate reefs in California through his relationship with Reef Check.
Brown played college football at the University of Miami, where he was a standout player for one of college football's most successful and perhaps its most dominant program. He graduated from the university in 1987. It is said that he was the most feared man in the history of college football.
1987 Fiesta Bowl controversies
Among his more notable moments as a Miami player, five days before the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, at a promotional Fiesta Bowl dinner with the Penn State team, Brown led a walkout by the Miami players. Leading the walkout, he asked: "Did the Japanese go sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed them?" Brown and his teammates felt that the Penn State players had disrespected them by openly mocking Miami's coach, Jimmy Johnson, at a pre-game banquet. Penn State beat the heavily-favored Hurricanes 14-10, and were declared National Champions, thanks to an awful night from Vinny Testaverde who threw a career-high 5 interceptions, despite outgaining Penn State 3 to 1 in yardage and time of possession.
Days earlier, Brown and fellow University of Miami players drew even greater national controversy when each were seen deplaning a chartered University of Miami plane at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport, wearing BDUs, an image that further solidified a national reputation of the University of Miami as "Thug U" in an era where college football players often are instructed to wear suits and ties in pre-Bowl game public appearances.
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
Brown was drafted in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. During his five-year professional career with the Eagles, he was twice selected to the Pro Bowl (in 1990 and 1991).
Death and legacy
Brown died on June 25, 1992, at the age of 27, following an automobile accident in Brooksville, Florida, in which both he and his nephew, Gus, were killed when Brown lost control of his Chevrolet Corvette at high speed and crashed into a power pole. Brown was buried in Brooksville, Florida. In 2000, the Jerome Brown Community Center was opened in memory of Brown.
"Bring it home for Jerome"
Brown's jersey number (#99) was retired by the Eagles on September 6, 1992, in an emotional pre-game ceremony at Veterans Stadium, prior to the Eagles' first game of the 1992 season. After his death, Eagles players and fans started the unofficial motto, "Bring it home for Jerome," an indirect reference among Eagles fans to bringing a Super Bowl title to the city in Brown's honor.
Dawson was a center fielder until knee problems – worsened by the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium – forced his shift to right field, followed by his move to a team which played on grass. He led the NL in outfield putouts three consecutive years (1981–1983), and won eight Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence. Upon his retirement, his NL totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra base hits both ranked tenth in league history.
Career
Montreal Expos
Dawson was selected by the Expos in the 11th round (pick #250) of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft. He was awarded the 1977 Rookie of the Year in the National League, narrowly beating out Steve Henderson of the New York Mets. Dawson had a blend of power and speed, hitting at least 20 home runs in his seven seasons with the Expos, and stealing at least 20 bases in seven seasons.
Dawson played 1,443 games with the Expos, fourth highest in franchise history. As an Expo, Dawson set single-season club records for home runs (32, now seventh), RBI (113, now fourth), extra base hits (78, now seventh), and sacrifice flies (18, still first).
Chicago Cubs
Dawson played for the Expos until after the 1986 season when he became a free agent and sought a team whose home field had natural grass, as his knee injuries were aggravated by Olympic Stadium's artificial turf.
Dawson signed with the Cubs for $500K plus incentives and became the Cubs' starting right fielder.He hit 49 home runs and was named the league's MVP, finally winning after the two years as runner-up in Montreal. Nonetheless, Dawson wasn't able to turn around the Cubs' fortunes: the Cubs finished the 1987 season last in the National League East. Dawson was the first player to ever win a league MVP trophy from a last place team.
Dawson played five more seasons with the Cubs, and was one of the franchise's most popular players during that time. Dawson's .507 career slugging percentage with the Cubs is fourth highest in team history.
Boston Red Sox
In October of 1992 the Red Sox signed Dawson as a free agent. Dawson hit his 400th career home run with the Red Sox on April 15 at Fenway Park. Dawson would have knee surgery the following year, and only managed to play 75 games in his second, and final season with Boston.
Dawson got his first World Series ring in 2003 World Series while in the Florida Marlins front office. He is currently an assistant of the Marlins.
Accomplishments
Dawson finished his career with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases, and 1,591 RBI. He is one of only six players in major league history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career (300-300 club); the other players to accomplish this are Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders and Steve Finley. Dawson is also one of only three members of the 400 HR-300 SB club, along with Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.In 1997, Dawson's #10 was retired by the Montreal Expos in his honor (the number had been previously retired for Rusty Staub).
Hall of Fame
Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, his ninth year of eligibility, rising from an initial vote total of 45.3% in 2002 to 77.9% in 2010. Dawson's Hall of Fame plaque will depict him with a Montreal Expos cap.
Cubs teammate Ryne Sandberg campaigned for Dawson's induction during his speech at his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005: "No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more or did it better than Andre Dawson. He's the best I've ever seen. I watched him win an MVP for a last-place team in 1987 [with the Cubs], and it was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen in baseball. He did it the right way, the natural way, and he did it in the field and on the bases and in every way, and I hope he will stand up here someday."
In his career, through the 2009 season, Jones is a .307/.406/.541 hitter with 426 home runs, 1,343 walks, and 1,445 RBI in 2,166 games. He is behind only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray on the all-time switch hitters career home run list.
Jones debuted on September 11, 1993, as the youngest player in the league. In 1994 Jones suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in spring training. As a result, he missed the entire 1994 season.
In 1999, Jones won the National League MVP award after becoming the first player to ever hit over .300 (.319) while slugging 40 or more home runs. For the season, he hit .400 with a .510 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and seven home runs against the Mets.
2000–05
Jones signed a six-year, $90 million deal in 2000. Jones batted .330 in 2001, 5th best in the league, and led the league with a .349 road batting average.
Before the start of the 2002 season, Jones announced his willingness to move from third base to left field, to make room for the incoming Vinny Castilla. Jones proved adequate in left field, but following two more early playoff exits in 2002 and 2003, a hamstring pull in the early 2004 season and (then) 3rd baseman Mark DeRosa's struggles, he moved back to his regular position of third base.
2006
The 2006 season was one of numerous milestones for Jones. On June 10, he became the Atlanta Braves' all-time RBI leader when he drove in his 1,144th run passing outfielder Dale Murphy and placing Jones third on the franchise's all-time list behind Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews.On July 15, 2006, Jones recorded his 1,902nd career hit, to become the Braves' all-time hits leader, passing Hank Aaron.
2007
2007 was another year of impressive feats by Jones. On June 16, he hit 2,000th career hit. On July 5, Jones tied and passed Braves legend Dale Murphy for first on the all-time Atlanta Braves home run list when he belted his 371st and 372nd home runs.
2008
He hit his 400th home run on June 5 off Ricky Nolasco of the Florida Marlins, and he was named NL Player of the Week for the week of June 2 – 8. He was picked to start in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, receiving the most votes by fans, managers, and other players of any NL third basemen. Jones won his first batting title at age 36, the oldest switch-hitter ever to win a batting title. Jones hit .364 during 2008, one point off the all-time switch-hitter high for a season of .365, set by Mickey Mantle.
2009
On March 31, 2009, Jones agreed to a three-year $42 million contract extension with the Braves; the deal includes an option that could become worth up to $61 million over four seasons.In 2009 he was named #10 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball.
·14 consecutive 20+ home run seasons (1995–2008); tied for MLB record with Eddie Mathews for most 20+ home run seasons to start a career and the third-most home runs for a switch hitter, behind Eddie Murray (504) and Mickey Mantle (536)
The Virginia Cavaliers managed to survive a direct hit by the Miami Hurricanes this weekend as UVA took two of three games from UM at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The top ranked Cavaliers, who many experts believe to be the best team in college baseball in several years, simply had too much pitching, defense and offensive power for the ninth ranked Hurricanes to do any serious damage against their ACC rival.
Even though Miami was able to take the opening game of the series on Thursday night behind the power of arroz con pollo and the pitching of Jason "Oye Como Va" Santana, Eric "Bob Marley And The" Whaley and Daniel "Read Them Their Rights" Miranda the Hurricanes could not sustain their momentum and dropped the next two games.
On Friday night, despite solid pitching from UM ace Chris Hernandez, Miami (39-14) dropped game two of its series 3-1. The Hurricanes (20-9 ACC) were held hitless through the first five innings and committed an error in the third inning that led to two unearned runs for Virginia (44-10, 22-7 ACC).
With the victory, Virginia clinched the regular season ACC crown, while the loss moved Miami into third place in the Coastal Division and into the fourth seed for next week's ACC Championship in Greensboro.
Hernandez took the loss but was masterful on the mound allowing just one earned run. He struck out nine while giving up just five hits. Sam "Smokey" Robinson pitched well in relief of Hernandez as did E.J. Echinosa who struck out five and did not allow a hit over the final 2 2/3 innings.
On Saturday the Hurricanes served up some more home cooking (delicious pan con bistek) with David Guiterrez on the mound for Miami. From the bump Guiterrez went five innings giving up 7 hits and 4 earned runs but the Hurricanes simply could not cook up enough runs against Virginia ace Danny Hultzen (8-1) and Cavalier closer Kevin Arico who earned his 15th save of the season.
Miami lost the deciding game of the series 7-4 in spite of a late rally that saw the Canes score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning only to leave the bases loaded when UM 3B Harold Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning and the Hurricanes last serious threat.
With the regular season coming to a close against UVA on Saturday, the Hurricanes will now look forward to the ACC tourney in Greensboro, NC before turning their attention to the NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournaments before hopefully earning another trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
Your University of Miami Hurricanes did it again. The 'Canes came from behind late in another game to first tie, and then win, a game for the second time this week at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Stadium.
On Tuesday night, Miami rallied to beat Florida Gulf Coast University in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the Eagles home empty handed and on a long, sad bus ride across Alligator Alley on their way back to Naples/Fort Myers.
Sure that was fun, but Thursday night's game against Virginia was much more important and meaningful as the ninth ranked Hurricanes played a conference opponent and beat the #1 ranked Cavaliers in extra innings.
Apparently, Miami had saved a little something extra for UVA as the game went 11 innings before a victor was decided on a clear, breezy and beautiful night in lovely Coral Gables.
Now many Hurricane fans will cite the outstanding relief pitching of Eric "Bob Marley And The" Whaley and Daniel "Read Them Their Rights" Miranda who held the Cavaliers in check by combining for six stellar innings of work while yielding only one run.
But those of us who were not slackers (like Cat5) and were actually at the game know that it was the arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) that was served (as promised) that was the deciding factor. If you have not been to a baseball game at UM recently you simply do not know what you are missing.
It may surprise some that some of the best food in all of the 305 is being produced from under the main stands of Alex Rodriguez Park. And I'm not talking about the World famous milk shakes named after former UM players and coaches that even Shandel Richardson from the Sun-Sentinel admittedly can't resist (we have seen him with one or even two on several occasions).
No, I am referring to the authentic and absolutely delicious Cuban food being served by University Chicken Grill. The actual restaurant is located at 1232 South Dixie Highway (786-621-7300) just across U.S. 1 from the UM campus.
At ARP they offer fresh grilled chicken or steak with arroz (white or yellow rice), frijoles (black beans) and maduros (fried sweet plantains) for a reasonable price. They also make some mouth-watering marinades and home-made sauces to accompany the dishes that are to die for.
But I digress.
The most important outcome was that Miami beat Virgina in game one of the three game series that continues Friday night at 7 PM and Saturday at noon. If Miami sweeps the series they have a shot at the #1 seed in the ACC tourney.
Thursday night was far from perfect. But a win is a win, especially when it is against the top ranked team in the Country. And I know it was a completely different sport, but for this Canes fan, the come from behind, 11th inning win that stuck a dagger in the heart of the Cavaliers made 48-0 just a little easier to forget for just one night.
So if you haven't been to a game this year at the old ball park, we strongly suggest that you go Friday night and/or Saturday for the last two games of the season. It will make U feel like a kid all over again.
Now, where did I put the rest of that arroz con pollo...
So, after all of the games, the huge wins and close losses, some crazy comebacks and the far and away travels to unfriendly ACC ballparks, it all comes down to this.
The UM baseball team will finish off their regular season this weekend when they host the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers for a three-game series at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Word on the street is that the Hurricanes will serve up some arroz con pollo for dinner when they host the Cavs at 7 PM on Thursday and Friday and then serve pan con bistek for lunch when they play UVA on Sunday at noon.
The ACC Championship awaits both teams regardless of the outcome of the series. However, UM, UVA and GT are battling for the top seed in the Coastal Division and the tournament.
The Cavaliers (43-9, 21-6) need just one win this weekend to secure the #1 seed. The Hurricanes (38-13, 19-8) and the Yellow Jackets (42-10, 19-8) both need to sweep their series to steal the top spot.
UM will put its 17-game home winning streak on the line when they face the Cavaliers in Coral Gables.
This year's Hurricane team is led by a pair of All-America candidates in pitching ace Chris Hernandez and leading hitter Yasmani "Grand Slam" Grandal.
Grandal, who leads the ACC in hitting (.432), slugging (.784) and on-base percentage (.555), was named a semi-finalist for the Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award on Wednesday.
We have attended many games this season and have seen evidence of Grandal's power as he hit several bombs to DEEP center field this season.
Hernandez (seen at R) will start Viernes contra los Cavaliers. He leads the Hurricanes in wins (8), ERA (3.04) and strikeouts (82).
We saw his potential back in 2008 when the Hurricanes won the ACC title in Jacksonville. Hernandez was dominant during the ACC tourney as a Freshman and has coninued to make steady progress.
The Hurricanes Jason "Oye Como Va" Santana is scheduled to make his second straight series-opening start on Thursday night. It is expected that UM Senior David Gutierrez will be the likely starter for Saturday's soiree.
Your ninth ranked Miami Hurricanes (38-13) scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to notch their 17th consecutive win at home with a stunning come-from-behind win over Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The Hurricanes were down one run with one out in the bottom of the final inning when Zeke "Beep, Beep" DeVoss hit a liner to left field that produced a single. Pinch hitter David Villasuso came through with a deep double of the right field wall that almost went over the fence and scored DeVoss for the game-tying run, 3-3.
Then a wild pitch from FGCU reliever Pete Woodworth put Villasuso on third before Miami's Frankie "I ain't no dirty" Ratcliff smacked the next pitch into right field for the final score of 5-4 and Miami's fourth walk-off win of the 2010 season.
"Dirty" Ratcliff accounted for three of Miami's 10 hits, going 3-for-5 on the night while teammate Yasmani Grandal hit his 15th homer. Grandal also had a single and a pair of walks while Nathan "Hot Dog" Melendres extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 straight games.
Former Killian Cougar Daniel Miranda earned his fourth win of the year, recording the final out of the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Steven "Bobby" Ewing allowed only three hits and a walk while striking out two batters in four innings of work.
The Hurricane fans below were just over-joyed with the results on this pleasant night in the 305.
The Hurricanes will wrap up their regular season schedule when they play host to No. 1 Virginia in a three-game series beginning Thursday, May 20. Game times for the series against the Cavaliers at Alex Rodriguez Park are set for 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday.
If the Hurricanes are little lucky like my man Jerry above, there should be no problem at all!
This article was written by bloggers SolarCane and Six...
Twenty five down, twenty five to go.
Many will ask: "Should the next twenty five Floridians be ranked above the athlete's we have already reviewed?" Not everyone will agree, but let the debate begin!
The first half of the list contained some pretty impressive names, with statistics to back up their selection to the list. We heard a lot of Canespacers’ opinions. We even had a few eagle eyed readers shoot a couple non-Floridians right off the roster.
I hope you enjoy the bios in the following installments.These next selections have plenty of clout as far as resumes go. Here are numbers twenty five through twenty one, with two more Miami Hurricane greats making the cut.
#25 Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas (January 1, 1967 – February 8, 2000), nicknamed D.T., was an American footballlinebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted 4th overall in the 1989 NFL Draft. Thomas, part of the class of 2009 entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was a premier football player throughout the 1990s and is considered one of the best pass rushers of all-time. In 1990 against the Seattle Seahawks, he set an NFL record with seven sacks in a single game.
Early life
Born in Miami, Florida, Thomas was raised by his mother, Edith Morgan; his father, Air ForceCaptain and B-52 pilot Robert James Thomas, died during a mission in the Vietnam War. Thomas started playing football when he was three years old. He played high school football at South Miami Senior High School.
College career
One of the finest players in Alabama history, Thomas smashed many Crimson Tide defensive records, including sacks in a single season. He was awarded the Butkus Award in 1988 after a season which saw him record 27 sacks along with finishing 10th in Heisman Trophy balloting. He was also selected as a unanimous All-American at the conclusion of the 1988 season.
NFL career
Thomas was selected in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft, fourth overall, and was signed by the Chiefs. He would remain with the Chiefs for his entire career.
Thomas's rookie year was very successful, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News, and was the first Chiefs' linebacker to be elected to the Pro Bowl in his first season since Hall of Fame player Bobby Bell. He would appear in nine Pro Bowls during his career.
Thomas was perhaps most well known for his ability to sack the quarterback and was named an All-Pro 8 times and was voted to 9 Pro Bowls. He totaled 126.5 sacks in his career and still holds the single game record of 7 quarterback sacks, a feat which occurred against Seattle's Dave Krieg on Veterans Day 1990 (in a 17-16 loss).
He is one of only 22 NFL players to achieve 100 or more sacks, and ranks fifth all-time in Chiefs' history with 649 career tackles. Thomas established Chiefs career records for sacks, safeties, fumble recoveries, and forced fumbles. His 45 forced fumbles are also an NFL career record.
On January 31, 2009, Thomas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his fifth year of eligibility.
Death
On January 23, 2000, Thomas' 1999 Chevrolet Suburban went off Interstate 435 as he and two passengers were driving to Kansas City International Airport during a snowstorm, where he was going to fly to St. Louis to watch the NFC Championship game. Thomas was left paralyzed from the chest down. By early February, Thomas was being treated at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. On Tuesday morning of February 8, 2000, while being transferred from his hospital bed to a wheelchair on his way to therapy, when he told his mother he was not feeling well just before his eyes rolled back.The Chiefs star went into cardio-respiratory arrest and died as a result of a pulmonary embolism, a massive blood clot that developed in his paralyzed lower extremities and traveled to his lungs.
Legacy
On January 31, 2009, Derrick Thomas was one of six players selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was officially inducted in Canton, Ohio on August 8, 2009. He had been a finalist for induction for four years before his induction. The Chiefs announced on June 23, 2009 that they would retire #58 in honor of Thomas, and the retirement ceremony took place on December 6, 2009 when the Chiefs played the Denver Broncos.
His 96.5 career sacks are the second-highest career total sacks for a defensive tackle and the 28th highest overall for a defensive lineman. His 77 sacks with the Buccaneers is second in the team's history.
Many top national colleges sought him out as a football player; Sapp chose to play for the University of Miami. Converted to defensive lineman while there, Sapp would win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player), the Rotary Lombardi Award (best lineman or linebacker) and the Bill Willis Award (best defensive lineman) all in 1994. He was also named to many All-American teams.
After playing college football at the University of Miami, where he was a defensive standout, Sapp was drafted into the NFL by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 1995 draft (12th pick overall). Sapp ran the fastest defensive tackle forty time, recording a 4.69 time. Upon joining Tampa Bay, Sapp was almost immediately given the starting job at the position of right defensive tackle and finished his rookie season with 27 tackles and one interception. Sapp continued to be a prolific, intimidating tackler for the Buccaneers, tallying 51 tackles and nine sacks in 1996 and 58 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 1997. In 1997, Sapp was named to his first Pro Bowl. It was the first of seven straight selections. Sapp was named 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the year.
Super Bowl XXXVII
In 2002, Sapp helped lead a resurgent Tampa Bay team to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders. Sapp had five tackles and two sacks during the 2002-2003 postseason .
OAKLAND RAIDERS
In 2004, it was reported that Sapp was interested in accepting a contract offer from the Cincinnati Bengals for four years worth $16 million. However, on March 20, he announced that he had agreed to terms on a seven-year, $36.6 million contract with the Raiders.
Sapp started all 16 games in his first season in Oakland, splitting time at defensive end as well as defensive tackle. Sapp recorded 30 tackles (18 solo), 2.5 sacks and recovered two fumbles. Warren lost an estimated 20 pounds before joining the Raiders in 2004. Sapp's 2005 season started out as a great year for Sapp, as he was moved back to his familiar DT position.
Sapp returned to his All-Pro form in 2006. Sapp and the Raider defense were one of very few bright spots for the 2006 Raiders. Sapp had 10 sacks to go along with 32 tackles (16 solo) and one forced fumble. Before the 2007 season, he lost 49 pounds. He finished the 2007 season with 37 tackles (24 solo), 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
Retirement
On January 3, 2008, Sapp told Raiders owner Al Davis over the phone that he would retire. The next day, January 4, 2008, Sapp confirmed it on his website qbkilla.com in just two words: "I'M DONE!" The retirement became official on March 4, 2008.
Johnson attended Miami Senior High School, where he graduated in 1999 and was rated as one of the top prospects in the country.
College career
Johnson enrolled at the University of Miami, where he was a standout wide receiver on the Hurricanes' successful football team. He was MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl, where quarterback Ken Dorsey connected with Johnson for 2 touchdowns and 199 yards. Johnson finished his University of Miami career catching 92 passes for 1,831 yards (19.9 avg.) and 20 touchdowns. His 1,831 receiving yards is ranked fifth on the University of Miami's all-time career list.
While at Miami, Johnson also ran for UM's track and field team. In 2002, he won the Big East 60 meter dash (6.83 seconds) at the Big East Indoor Championship and followed that up by winning the 100 meter dash (10.59 seconds) at the Big East Outdoor Championships.
Professional career
Houston Texans
Johnson was the number three overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Johnson was signed to a six-year $39 million dollar contract. Johnson's rookie contract included over $13.501 million in guaranteed compensation.
In Johnson's rookie season, he started and played in all 16 games, recording 66 receptions for 976 yards and 4 touchdowns. His breakout year came in 2004 when he combined with Texans QB David Carr to record 79 catches for 1,142 yards and six touchdowns and be selected to his first Pro Bowl.
In the 2005 season, however, Johnson only played 13 games due to injury and had a lackluster 63 receptions with 688 yards and 2 touchdowns. Back from injury in 2006, Johnson led the NFL in receptions with 103 for 1,147 yards and 5 TDs, on his way to the Pro Bowl, once again.
On March 3, 2007, the Texans signed Johnson to a six year extension; the deal is worth $60 million and includes $15 million in guarantees.
In 2007, Johnson missed 7 games due to injury. He returned mid-season to finish with 851 receiving yards and a career-high 8 receiving touchdowns. He led the league in receiving yards per game in 2007 with 95.6.
Johnson finished the 2008 season recording career highs in receptions and receiving yards totaling 115 receptions for 1575 yards (both of which lead the league) and TD receptions with 8. This same season, Andre Johnson became the first player in NFL history to record 7 games with at least 10 receptions.
After finishing the 2009 season with 101 catches for 1569 yards and 9 touchdowns (a new career high), Johnson joined Jerry Rice as the only two receivers in history to lead the league in receiving yards in consecutive seasons.
In 2003, Johnson's rookie season, he founded the Andre Johnson Foundation for children and teens growing up in single parent homes. He also has a baby girl who was born in February. Johnson is also active with Habitat For Humanity.
After three years of scoring 22+ points a game in Golden State, Richmond was traded to the Sacramento Kings during the 1991–92 season in exchange for Billy Owens, and became arguably the team's first star since the franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985. Staying with the Kings until 1998, Richmond was the team's leading scorer in each of his 7 seasons there, averaging no fewer than 21.9 a game each season. Between 1993 and 1998, Richmond was a fixture on the Western Conference's All-Star team, and he won MVP honors at the All-Star Game in Phoenix, in 1995.
In the middle of his prime, Richmond was selected to the United States' Olympic team (Dream Team III), earning a gold medal in Atlanta. During his prime, Richmond was recognized as one of basketball's all time best pure shooters.
Richmond ended his career as a Los Angeles Laker. Playing strictly off the bench, he averaged 4 points a game. He earned an NBA championship ring with the Lakers in 2002, but played sparingly in the postseason, logging 4 minutes overall. In game 4 of the finals, Richmond dribbled out the clock to win the title with the Lakers. Richmond is now a scout for the Golden State Warriors.Over his 14 year NBA career, Richmond made over $53,000,000 in salary.
Born in Winter Haven, Florida, Rowdy unsuccessfully tried other sports during his teen-age years but turned to swimming as a Winter Haven High School junior where he improved quickly and was offered a swimming scholarship to Auburn University. At Auburn he became a five-time NCAA champion under the training of former Stanford University and Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick. During one four-year period, Gaines held eleven World Records and, had the United States not boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, he would have been a favorite to win multiple medals at the event.
After graduating from Auburn in 1981, he stopped swimming for several months, thinking he had missed his opportunity to be an Olympic medalist, but was urged to resume swimming by his father. When Gaines qualified at the 1984 Olympic trials, his times were not particularly impressive and he was not expected to place at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. He won the 100-meter freestyle off a very good start and swam the anchor leg for both the US gold medal-winning 4 x 100-meter freestyle and 4 x 100-meter medley teams.
In August 1991, Gaines was temporarily paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. After a two-month hospitalization, he experienced a surprising full recovery attributed largely to his superb physical condition as a competitive swimmer. He eventually regained world-class times and, at the age of 35, became the oldest swimmer to qualify for the trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Gaines still holds Masters long course world records in several freestyle events in the both the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups. Gaines currently resides in Lake Mary, Florida where he is Executive Director of Rowdy's Kidz, a charitable program sponsored by The Limu Company. His wife, Judy, and he have four daughters: Emily, Madison, Savanna and Isabelle.
Your University of Miami Hurricanes were stung badly by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets over the weekend. GT won the series by taking two of three crucial ACC games from UM in Atlanta.
The Jackets took the Friday night affair by bashing the Hurricanes 14-3.
Miami came back to take the Saturday night soiree over GT by the score of 9-2.
On Sunday the previously fifth ranked Hurricanes were leading 3-0 after five innings but were unable to hold onto their lead against sixth ranked Georgia Tech.
The Hurricanes eventually fell to Tech 6-3 in the rubber game of the three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets stung the Hurricanes for a four-run in the sixth inning to take a one-run lead before adding an insurance run an inning later to earn the series win.
Miami now stands at 37-13 (19-8 ACC) after being held off the scoreboard after the fourth inning. The Hurricanes were plagued by three errors, including one that led to the go-ahead run scoring.
Starter David Gutierrez pitched well while allowing three runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out four in just over 5 innings. Unfortunately, Taylor "Howling" Wulf (0-2) was charged with the loss, allowing just one unearned run.
Miami returns home for a game against Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday at 6 PM and their final weekend series of the regular season against ACC rival Virginia beginning on Thursday night at 7 PM.